Automotive

Ford’s Canvas Car Subscription Business Gets Bigger

Ford’s Canvas Car Subscription Business Gets Bigger Ford, although a bit of a Johnny-come-lately to the “cars on demand” idea, actually seems to be making it work with their Canvas car subscription service. Ford says during the past year, Canvas has “seen significant milestones” during its initial roll out phase in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
Essential Details
Just to get some persnickety details out of the way, Canvas is actually a division of Ford Motor Credit Company and not the car company itself. That makes sense, since the car company wants to sell cars and Ford Motor Credit Company deals with, duh, the money end of things. Canvas is a straightforward and adaptable way to have access to a car that falls somewhere between daily rentals and traditional leasing or buying. Think of Canvas as Ford’s in-house version of a longer term Zip Car and you’ll get the picture. With Canvas you don’t have to hassle with all the other stuff like insurance, warranty, maintenance, and those sorts of things.
So here we are a year later and Canvas is serving 600 customers in the San Francisco Bay and west Los Angeles areas. And not resting on their laurels, Canvas has added more features, like allowing for the addition of multiple drivers and accepting flexible mileage packages. So far Canvas drivers have driven more than 3 million miles.
Unlimited Access
This is all thanks to the way Canvas works. Canvas customers (subscribers, actually) have access to a vehicle 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, just like it were their own car. Customers pay a bundled monthly subscription fee that covers a preferred mileage package. Essentially, you tell them how much you think you’re going to be driving and they charge you accordingly. That monthly subscription fee also gets you comprehensive insurance, a warranty, maintenance, and roadside assistance.
Monthly subscription packages start at $400 depending on the vehicle you choose and other options. And you get all this through the Canvas website, where you can pick out your vehicle, mileage package, delivery location, and all that. When you’re ready to return your car, you simply give seven days notice and Canvas will actually come by pick up your vehicle at a convenient location. Neat, no?
Customer-Focused
Canvas was also smart enough to work closely with its first customers, the proverbial “early adopters,” to understand how people are using their vehicles, then refine the entire experience to better meet customer needs in the future. All of this adds up to offering a wide range of Ford Motor Company models. After launching with just two models, Canvas now gets you everything from compact cars to SUVs (handy for long trips) to trucks (handy for moving stuff, home projects, and such).
Canvas has also allowed for more personalized packages. You can now create more options to better customize your service, including the ability to add multiple drivers to an account, which half of Canvas customers have already done. There are also new mileage packages that allow you to adjust your mileage up or down as often as needed, even in the middle of a month.
“Building on our success in 2017, we plan to further expand our platform and offerings in 2018 to meet even more customer needs,” said Canvas Founder and CEO Ned Ryan. “As our product evolves over the coming year and beyond, we’ll be focused on adding more customization to the platform, implementing solutions to improve the scalability of the business, and offering bigger savings for customers who want longer terms.”
Have you used Canvas? Let us know on Twitter how it went.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow is work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
Photos & Source: Ford Motor Credit Company.

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Nissan NV200 Adds New Features For 2018

Nissan NV200 Adds New Features For 2018

Nissan has announced the U.S. pricing and new features for their NV200 Compact Cargo van. Upgrades for 2018 include a standard RearView Monitor, a 5-inch color audio display, USB connection interface, Bluetooth capability, and hands-free text messaging. Starting MSRP for the NV200 is $21,780 for the S trim, with the SV grade coming in at $22,780.
Nissan says the 2018 NV200 Compact Cargo van has a number of packages so owners can tailor the vehicle to their specific business needs.
Power & Performance
The NV200’s 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine creates 131 horsepower and returns an EPA-estimated 24 mpg in city, 26 on the highway, and 25 combined. The engine is paired with the next generation of Nissan’s Xtronic transmission. Nissan promises a small turning radius for easy parking and better overall maneuverability.
Versatility & Capacity
Nissan has designed a passenger seat that doubles as a work table when folded down. There are multiple mounting points to allow for the upfitting of various racks and bins.
Availability & Warranty
The 2018 Nissan NV200 Compact Cargo van is available now. The vehicle comes with a basic limited and powertrain warranty of 5 years or 100,000 miles.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Photos & Source: Nissan North America.

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Automoblog Book Garage: Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman

Automoblog Book Garage: Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman

In one of his last roles, actor Paul Newman voiced the Doctor of Internal Combustion, aka Doc Hudson. The character was fitting for the thespian, who was a successful and respected racer and team owner in his time. When I was putting myself through school working at the local Fareway, I discovered Newman’s Own salsa and never looked back. In 2002, I must have watched Road to Perdition a dozen times; of all his roles, John Rooney is my favorite, although Frank Galvin and Luke Jackson make the list too.
Special Bonds
When he was 70, Newman entered the 24 Hours of Daytona and would end up racing until he was 82. In Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman we see the beginnings of his racing career at an age when most have long retired. The book details the Newman Haas era of drivers, the actor’s love of all things motorized, from trucks to hybrids, and the back and forth shenanigans he enjoyed with Robert Redford.
Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman shares a similar resemblance to a book we featured in this series on Steve McQueen. Both McQeen and Newman had a deep love for cars, and these Motorbooks’ titles do a wonderful job illustrating that.
Authors
Matt Stone is the former Executive Editor of Motor Trend and has been a working, professional automotive journalist and photographer since 1985. He is the author and photographer of multiple Motorbooks’ titles, including My First Car, 365 Cars You Must Drive, and McQueen’s Machines, featured in the above link.
Preston Lerner, a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine, has written about Motorsports for Sports Illustrated and The New York Times among others. In addition to this book on Newman, Lerner co-authored History’s Greatest Automotive Mysteries, Myths, and Rumors Revealed with Stone, also published by Motorbooks.
Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman is available through Amazon and Motorbooks. The book was later made into a documentary of the same name and directed by Adam Carolla.
Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman Gallery

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What’s Your Car Made From? Survey Says A Lot of Things!

What’s Your Car Made From? Survey Says A Lot of Things! Material composition always fascinates me as it relates to the automotive industry – “material composition” being the overly academic way to say “this vehicle is made from that.” There are some materials that show up regularly in automotive manufacturing, like high-strength steel and aluminum. These materials are like marquee movies at the theater in the sense they get billed first, and are often highlighted most in an automaker’s press and marketing releases.
Trucks & Tool Boxes
A good example is when Ford switched over to aluminum for the 2015 F-150, following suit a short time later with the Super Duty. Given the sales volume of the F-150, the quantity of aluminum needed to support production, and cross town rivals GM and Ram still running steel body trucks, it’s easy to see why aluminum received so much attention, even though other materials (like steel funny enough) are used for the F-150.
Chevrolet billed their Silverado in response as the truck made with “high-strength steel for high-strength dependability.” We’ve all seen the tool box commercials right? Given the Silverado is a big seller, and with marketing pushing steel in those commercials, it’s easy to see why steel (even though Silverado uses aluminum too) gets all the attention. Ram has stayed out of this battle but reveal their strategy for the forthcoming 2019 1500 was placing materials “not just where possible but where practical.”
The reality of material composition, as it relates to the modern automobile, is much more diverse and expansive than these two materials. Even though steel and aluminum are vital, the thing to remember is that a car is really just a collection of a lot of little parts.
“Every new vehicle has thousands of parts, from individual nuts and bolts to plastic trim and body panels,” explained Sarah Porter, Marketing Manager at GMB North America. “While a lot of these parts are made from the same groups of elements, there are some surprises.”
2019 Ram 1500 high-strength steel frame materials chart. Photo: FCA US LLC.
Table of Automotive Elements
GMB North America has created a periodic table of elements but highlighted it according to automotive manufacturing. GMB is one of largest global manufacturers of OEM and aftermarket auto parts. Since 1934, the company has produced universal joints, water pumps, tensioner and idler bearings, and numerous steering and suspension parts among others. GMB’s color-coded graphic shows how different elements are used during vehicle manufacturing.
“We thought it would be fun to show how various elements are used by the auto industry in a familiar format,” Porter said. “We tried to make our periodic table a good resource for a quick glance, so we chose to highlight some elements that are frequently used in vehicles.”
Gold Diggers & Carbon Fibers
Among the not so commonly known elements is helium, used for leak testing parts during assembly. Additionally, helium is often utilized in controlled atmosphere brazing, a manufacturing process for certain automotive components. Also on the unexpected list is chlorine for moldings, trim pieces, and underbody coatings. How about gold? Yes, gold. It’s common in the circuitry responsible for deploying airbags.
I know what you’re thinking. Don’t remove your steering wheel to go mining!
Another interesting one is the chemical element bismuth. The pearl pigment of bismuth oxychloride was used in automobile paint between 1998 and 2000. Today, free-cutting or free-machining steel – or steel that is easier to machine – contains bismuth, and is used for the fabrication of automotive parts.
A not so surprising one on GMB’s table is carbon fiber, a performance car signature. Take the Corvette’s special Carbon 65 edition for example. The package marries carbon fiber elements with a new Ceramic Matrix Gray exterior color and a blue top (if it’s a convertible). Carbon fiber treatments include the ground effects, hood section, spoiler, roof (coupe), or tonneau inserts (convertible).
2018 Chevrolet Corvette Carbon 65 Edition at the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500, May 28th 2017. Photo: Carl Anthony for Automoblog.net.
New Appreciation
We have included GMB’s graphic below. A full-size, downloadable, and shareable one is available here. It’s a cool chart and makes for something fun to share with your friends and family. After looking over GMB’s periodic table for a few minutes, you will likely have a new appreciation for cars.
“We enjoyed the research and are interested to see how these and other elements will be adapted to more automotive innovation and ideas,” Porter added.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.

Cover Photo: Volvo Car USA, LLC.

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Meet The Veemo VeloMobile: Safe, Sustainable & Simple

Meet The Veemo VeloMobile: Safe, Sustainable & Simple
In 2013, VeloMetro’s founders had a series of “aha moments” that lead them to create an entirely new way to travel. In their native Canada, the team saw the success of one-way car-sharing networks and the increasing interest in electrified vehicles. At the same time, they noticed how station-based bike shares were rarely profitable and, in some cases, city governments were picking up the tab.
These “aha moments” inspired VeloMetro’s founders to devise something that would keep the ride-sharing model intact, but at a lower cost with greater accessibility.
Electric Avenue
Enter the Veemo VeloMobile, an enclosed electric-assisted bicycle that provides car-like functionality for urban travel. Through the Veemo app, users reserve the next available VeloMobile, and pay for the time they use. Need to run a million errands across town? Veemo. Meeting friends at that great sushi spot? Veemo. Not sold on the idea of owing a car? Veemo.
“VeloMobiles have been around for a 100 years – they were really popular in France when there was a fuel scarcity,” explained Kody Baker, Chief Executive Officer, VeloMetro Mobility Inc. “Automobiles took over but VeloMobiles became a niche product for any enthusiast who wanted a really aerodynamic human-bike vehicle.”
The Veemo model reflects what many budget-minded and environmentally-conscious consumers are looking for. It’s simple, sustainable, and riders pay as needed, versus having a reoccurring monthly payment. Although there are multiple factors, research continues to emerge that shows younger demographics are more open to alternative forms of transportation versus car ownership. Veemo is ideal for someone like this, particularly someone who hangs their hat in a densely populated area. And a driver’s licence is not required to operate one.
“We think our initial target market is people 18 to 28-years-old that live, work, or play in a city or a campus area,” Baker said. “We can reduce congestion in the city but still add another layer of mobility for people that live or work there.”
Photo: VeloMetro Mobility Inc.
Engineering & Design
The VeloMobile is constructed from aerospace-grade aluminum and other lightweight composite materials for high tensile strength and rigidity. The rear suspension allows for 100mm of travel, while the front suspension accommodates 110mm of travel with its carbon fiber connecting rods. The 2.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides over sixty miles of range, and can be easily swapped for a fresh one so the VeloMobiles are always charged.
Regenerative braking and an 80-watt solar panel extend range, while 10 small LED headlights and one central LED headlight provide nighttime visibility. There’s plenty of cargo space inside, power locks and windows, and even navigation in case a rider needs a little assistance.
Photo: VeloMetro Mobility Inc.
Olympic Performance
The VeloMobile’s patented electric drivetrain utilizes a torque sensing system that measures a rider’s pedaling, then amplifies it. The dual motor design employs an automatic transmission and a special power sensor positioned on the crank. This allows the rider to easily manage the available power in a variety of situations.
“We detect whether the person just wants to slowly maneuver a parking lot or whether they are accelerating from a stop sign,” Baker explained. “We integrate that into our control system and really launch the vehicle forward from there.”
Top speed is around 20 mph, although it’s likely to feel faster.
“The vehicle goes forward with the power of three Olympic athletes behind you,” Baker continued. “We determined that an Olympic-level cyclist can put out a consistent 250 watts of power, but we are allowed 750 to 1000 watts, so you could say you have three or four of them pushing that vehicle.”

Photo: VeloMetro Mobility Inc.
Testing & Expansion
VeloMetro’s pilot program is underway at the University of British Columbia where five vehicles are in service. The university’s large campus is ideal for collecting use case scenarios and evaluating future strategies. So far, over 250 students have signed up.
“They use it for getting coffee, getting to class, or back into downtown,” Baker said. “They use it for groceries, getting to their residence or visiting a professor’s office.”
The team hopes the pilot program yields a larger investment that would allow them a commercial expansion into metro Vancouver. The company has built eight prototypes already, each of them in Vancouver. With an expansion, final assembly and maintenance facilities would be placed near where the fleet is operating. Baker believes a larger scale platform would be profitable, and has even entertained the idea of expanding into the United States, Seattle and Portland specifically.
“We think the Pacific Northwest shares a lot of the same things that Vancouver does,” he said. “There is lots of rain, lots of hills, a strong cycling community, and the desire for being green.”
The Veemo VeloMobile may find another niche as a corporate fleet vehicle, especially for companies with a larger campus, like Google, Apple or Microsoft. It’s likely employees at such places would benefit from having a few of them around. Any college per the pilot program would benefit naturally, but also governments and municipalities for security patrol and parking enforcement.
“It is quiet too, so you could sneak up on perpetrators,” Baker joked.
The Veemo pilot fleet at the University of British Columbia has the potential to serve up to 65,000 students, residents, and UBC affiliates. Veemo VeloMobiles have plenty of space for bags and heavy books, and are fully enclosed to keep the rider and cargo protected from the elements. Photo: VeloMetro Mobility Inc.
Simple & Effective
One of the biggest questions is what the future of transportation will actually look like. After sorting through the Jetson-ish headline claims – only a handful of which might be possible – there is no single answer to that question. The common theme, however, is the desire to increase safety and mobility among the population and decrease any hindrances to that end. There are many players, but smaller entries like VeloMetro hold a tremendous advantage, even against manufacturers with massive budgets and sprawling production footprints.
VeloMetro is uniquely personal with a sustainable idea that speaks well not only to Millennials, but Generation Z, the next cohort we must consider as future leaders of the world. If there is a curve, VeloMetro might be ahead of it. The Veemo concept is George Jetson with a Fred Flintstone appeal. It’s futuristic but it’s simple. And considering how complex the future of transportation really is, simple gets the job done.
“We’ve got a lot of safety and a lot of storage in the back,” Baker said. “It’s a fun service and very utilitarian.”
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.
Veemo Gallery

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Titan & Titan XD: Nissan Lifts ‘Em Up

Titan & Titan XD: Nissan Lifts ‘Em Up Okay, the short story here is that Nissan now features a line of factory-approved lift kits for their Titan and Titan XD trucks. Manufacturers have done this – approved certain aftermarket bits and pieces – since Henry Ford was messing around with tractors. That’s nothing new. Lift kits, on the other hand, are new(er) as far as we can tell, but is it a good thing?
Solid Approach
On the one hand, the business hand, this makes nothing but sense: One, customers are already adding lift kits to their trucks. Two, if you don’t take advantage of customer desires, you’re leaving money on the table. And three, partnering with a well-known aftermarket provider of lift kits allows Nissan to objectively evolve on-demand niches, while credibly procrastinating adaptive communities, all while compellingly synthesizing robust materials . . . or something. You know how these press releases read but who cares! The bottom line is, as always, the bottom line. People buy trucks and lift kits, and if they don’t buy them from Nissan, they’ll send their money to someone else.
So, for the first time ever, Nissan is offering a factory-authorized suspension lift kit. And I think this might be the first factory-approved lift kit of all time, and not just for Nissans. I’ve never heard of another truck maker doing this (although there have been special trucks like the Dodge Power Wagon and stuff like that). The only other example we could think of in recent times is this one for the F-150 in 2016.
This Nissan Titan on display at the 2018 Chicago Auto Show features the new ICON suspension lift kit package. Photo: Nissan North America.
Some (But Not Much) Assembly Required
The Nissan lift kits are a fully bolt-on affair, which is great. There’ll be no cutting or drilling required, which makes installation both a snap and less likely to result in some dingus screwing things up with a die grinder or rotary saw.
The lift kits were created by California-based ICON Vehicle Dynamics. In case you are wondering, this is not the same crew that makes nut and bolt restorations of vintage Land Cruisers and such. That’s ICON 4×4. ICON Vehicle Dynamics is a purveyor of all things off-road for a wide range of applications. From looking cool to crawling over big piles of rocks, that’s what ICON Vehicle Dynamics is here for.
The package includes adjustable-height coil-over shock absorbers specifically tuned for both the Titan and larger Titan XD; custom rod end bearings, and patent-pending Delta Joints. And everything just bolts right in or on. No cutting. No drilling. Everything should go in easy-peasy and the whole shootin’ match installs in under four hours at your Nissan dealership.
Photo: Nissan North America.
Functionality & Availability
The new Titan kit offers a more hard-hitting exterior look, with a total suspension lift of up to three inches. The kit is fabricated for Crew Cab 4×4 models and will be available this spring.
“We worked with ICON, a proven name in suspension lift kit engineering, to develop the first kits to be offered through our Nissan dealer network,” explained Billy Hayes, Division Vice President, LCV and Trucks, Nissan North America, Inc. “With the suspension lift kit’s increased wheel travel and damping ability, ride quality should be enhanced both off-road and on.”
If you deck your Titan out with one of these kits, send us a photo so we can retweet it for you.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format.
Photos & Source: Nissan North America.

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2018 Chevy Cruze LT Diesel Hatch Review

2018 Chevy Cruze LT Diesel Hatch Review There are other affordable high-mileage compact cars out there, but how does a diesel-powered model fit in your plans? It competes in Toyota Prius territory, making it one of the most fuel-efficient compacts on the planet. This week we found the Chevy Cruze diesel variant to be easy-going, surprisingly quiet, comfortable, and composed on the road. The Cruze comes as a sedan or hatchback, with an automatic or manual, and as either a diesel or gas.
This week, we drove the 2018 Chevy Cruze LT Diesel Hatch.
What’s New For 2018
Both the 2018 Cruz Hatch and sedan are now available with the 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine. The vehicle was unveiled in 2016 at the North American International Auto Show.
Features & Options
The 2018 Chevy Cruze LT Diesel Hatch ($25,865) comes standard with cloth upholstery, a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 60/40 split folding rear seat, and a rearview camera. Cruze LT Hatch adds a six-speaker sound system with available satellite radio, steering wheel controls, 16-inch wheels, fog lamps, and a space-saver spare tire rather than a tire repair kit.
It also features upgraded headlights with LED running lights, heated mirrors, and a rear center armrest with cupholders. Hatchback models also get a cargo cover and rear spoiler. A charge-only USB port is added to models equipped with the automatic transmission.
This Cruze LT tester came with the optional Driver Confidence and Sun and Sound package ($2,260), adding rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. It also came with a sunroof, a color driver information center, ambient interior lighting, a larger eight-inch center touchscreen display, and a nine-speaker Bose audio system. It also came with the Leather package ($1,125). That gave us a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather upholstery, and a height-adjustable front passenger seat.
Total MSRP including destination: $30,125.

Interior Highlights
The cabin is modern, clean, and sharp, featuring an all-black layout with light contrast stitching. The soft-touch materials nicely offset some of the hard plastic. There’s simple instrumentation in a pod, outlined in chrome, and the controls are intuitive. In the center of the dash, our tester had the larger, easier-to-read eight-inch touchscreen. The leather front seats are comfortable, with additional bolstering for extra support.
For a compact car, we think the Cruze Hatch is spacious, and it felt bigger inside than its size would dictate. It will carry four adults comfortably, with a surprising amount of leg and hip room in the rear, more than rivals like the Ford Focus or Hyundai Elantra have.
The Cruze Hatch offers up 23.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, not as much as the Honda Civic or Ford Focus hatchbacks. However, with the rear seat folded flat, the hatch has a competitive 47 cubic feet of cargo carrying ability.
Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
Our Cruze LT tester came with the new 1.6-liter turbodiesel, producing 137 horsepower and 240 lb-ft. of torque. It comes mated to a sophisticated nine-speed automatic transmission. The turbodiesel fuel mileage competes with the stingy Toyota Prius with an EPA rating of 30/45 city/highway and 35 combined mpg.

Driving Dynamics
The Cruze Hatch is quiet on the road – you can’t tell it’s a diesel – and it rides comfortably on the highway with excellent stability. We were surprised at the way the Cruze rode in fact. It offers one of the most comfortable rides for a compact car.
So how does the 1.6-liter diesel perform? It’s a strong point for the Cruze. If you don’t mind wearing a plastic glove while filling it at the pump, the engine is worth the small discomfort. When Volkswagen left the compact diesel market because of their their emissions fiasco, it left a void now filled by the Cruze.
We thought the 137 horsepower would be woefully inadequate, especially in the mountains of Colorado, but when you add in that massive 240 lb-ft. of torque, it turns into a race car. If you are worried about hearing a noisy diesel sound, or black smoke belching from the tailpipe, both are non-existent.
The nine-speed automatic shifts with little hesitation and pairs well with the small diesel powerplant. In the city, the Cruze is an ideal size for commuting. It also fits into small parking spaces with ease.
Conclusion
In a crowded compact hatch class, there’s lots of choices, but only one with a diesel engine. It stands out for its excellent power and fuel economy. The interior will carry four adults comfortably, while the Hatchback with its rear seat folded offers good utility and cargo space.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2018 Chevy Cruze Hatchback Gallery

2018 Chevy Cruze Official Site.
Photos & Source: Chevrolet. (2017 models and Redline Edition also shown).

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What To Say When Someone Asks “Can I Borrow Your Miata?”

What To Say When Someone Asks “Can I Borrow Your Miata?”

You know, this is serious business, this car world we gearheads inhabit. Our discussions are momentous. The faults we find in ourselves and others can have lifelong repercussions. Don’t get us started on the Serious. Technical. Flaws. that still bother us in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. So it’s nice when a car company decides to have a little fun. Especially when that bit of humor actually helps to answer A. Very. Serious. Question. How to respond when someone asks “can I borrow your Miata?”
Important Decisions
Now, to me, this is the absolute peak of Very. Serious. Questions. Yes, it’s because I am a gearhead, and even more so, it is because I am a Miata owner. Asking to borrow someone’s car is like asking to borrow their surfboard or their guitar or their spouse. It is a bad idea, nine times out of ten, and that tenth time better involve your house being on fire, the Mafia ransoming your cat, and Jason Momoa running off with your wife all in the same afternoon. If you ask to borrow my car, specifically my Miata, my response would involve a swift and righteous swing of that jeroboam of champagne up-side your fool head for even thinking about . . . just a second . . . got to cool down . . . go to my happy place . . . calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean . . . ah, there, that’s better.
What was I saying? Yes. Car companies with a sense of humor.
“When the original MX-5 Miata made its world debut on a frigid morning at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, few could have imagined its importance – and staying power – for the automotive industry,” reads a description on the car from Mazda. Photo: Mazda North American Operations.
Funny Business
Mazda, the Hiroshima-based automotive concern that pretty much singlehandedly saved the lightweight sports car from oblivion in 1990, is the subject of a new, rather hysterical decision tree graphic to help you figure out if you should ever lend your Miata to someone. The whole thing was cooked up by RealMazdaParts.com, one of the largest online retailers of OEM Mazda replacement parts and accessories, and it’s hilariously tongue-in-cheek. The flow chart exists to help “Miata owners make an educated decision about whether or not to loan their car to a friend.” They correctly label the whole procedure as being “stress-inducing” and they got that right. But an educated decision? How educated do you have to be?
It turns out there are, well, let’s call them subtleties involved in sussing out the potential dangers of whom you’re loaning your Miata to. Bob Cockerham, Director of RealMazdaParts.com wisely says, “for instance, if your friend used to be a professional BMX racer, that’s probably not someone you want to hand the keys to.” No duh, Sherlock. Cockerham elaborates: “if that friend has a 4-a-day energy drink habit and owns the The Fast and the Furious box set, the decision tree indicates that you would be wise to decline.”
Photo: Mazda North American Operations.
Bottom Line
If a “friend” of mine owns that box set and consumes Red Bulls at a 4-a-day rate, I’d be reconsidering the entire friendship; unless that box set is owned ironically and they’re an IT professional. In which case that 4-a-day habit strikes me as being a little on the low side. Cutting to the chase, Cockerham sums the whole question up thusly: “According to our decision tree, there’s never a good reason to lend your Miata. To anyone. Ever.”
Please note this decision tree from RealMazdaParts.com only applies to Miatas. If you own a pickup, wagon, or van you are already (or will soon be) very used to handing the keys over to “friends” you didn’t even know you had.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

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New Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack Level 2 = GO!

New Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack Level 2 = GO!

It seems some of the diehard gearheads at Ford just couldn’t leave well enough alone and decided to trim out the Mustang GT a little further. Ford pretty much states this right up front with the apologia: “Passionate Mustang Team Works After-Hours to Create New Performance Pack for Ultimate Road-Hugging Thrill Ride.” Which is a rather polite way of saying, “the kids were playing around in the garage again, but what they came up with is pretty good, so we decided to go with it.”
Or to be a little more definitive, say hello to the new Mustang GT Performance Pack Level 2, which slots between the GT Performance Pack and the full blown GT350.
Mad Men
How the Performance Pack Level 2 came to happen actually reads like a who’s who of Ford tech gurus, wrench turners, and grease monkeys. Tom Barnes, Mustang Vehicle Engineering Manager, signed off on the whole deal with a jaunty, “a passion to create something special is what really drove this project. And that really showed in the off-the-clock way we went about doing our work.”
The whole project was spearheaded by Tire and Wheel Engineer Chauncy Eggleston who led the development of the unique, 19-inch wheels that provide notable steering and handling improvements. Jonathan Gesek, another Mustang veteran and former aerodynamics specialist at NASA, lead the development of a high-performance front splitter and rear spoiler. Jamie Cullen, Ford Supervisor for Vehicle Dynamics Development, was in charge of road test efforts to tie the whole thing together.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Special Attributes
The 2018 Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack Level 2 features a unique chassis, special antilock brake tuning, unique stability control, electric power-assisted steering, Brembo six-piston front brake calipers with larger rotors, a special k-brace, larger radiator, silver-painted strut tower brace, and a TORSEN rear differential with a 3.73 axle ratio. Other highlights include the lower stance, the redesigned front splitter and rear spoiler, and 305/30/R19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, wrapped around split-fitment aluminum wheels – 19×10.5-inch front and 19×11-inch rear. Does split-fitment mean they are a two-piece thing? Dunno but that’s kind of a nice retro deal right there.
The new tires are one-and-a-half inches wider than the Level 1 skins and provide a firmer grip. And, since they’re bigger, that lead to the retuned chassis that put the car more than a half-inch closer to the pavement. The package is available exclusively with a manual transmission. Huzzah I say huzzah!
Photo: Ford Motor Company.

Ride & Handling
That new chassis also features custom tuned MagneRide dampers and a quicker steering calibration for better response. Other improvements include a 67 percent stiffer rear stabilizer bar, a 12 percent stiffer front stabilizer bar, 20 percent stiffer front springs, and rear springs that are 13 percent stiffer. Ford says this contributes to a more stable ride around corners with less body roll, to which I say “doi!” and I’ll also add that it will probably ride rougher and be more jarring. But I was always okay with that.
Aerodynamic Magic
The aero upgrades all center around the larger and lower front splitter and redesigned rear spoiler. The splitter is a variation based on the splitter from the Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca. Mustang engineers attached the piece to the underside of the front that fans out as much as 3 inches around the corners of the Mustang GT. The bottom line is about 24 pounds of downforce at 80 mph. To balance that out, a subtle redesigned rear spoiler stretches across the decklid to hold the rear down. During the development phase, the aero team even went so far as to rapid-prototype various rear spoilers using a 3D printer for faster turnaround times.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Distinguishing Traits
The only way to tell you’re dealing with a new Performance Pack Level 2 Mustang is the black detailing on the splitter and spoiler, the tire spat on the back edge of the rear wheel wells, and the 10-spoke Dark Tarnish (sheesh!) wheels. An optional extra (well worth it, if you ask me) for gearheads who buy the Level 2 Pack are Recaro seats in either leather or cloth, so you don’t slop all over the place while cornering.
The New Mustang GT Performance Pack Level 2 will reach North American Ford showrooms this spring, so you might want to get in line now.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack Level 2 Gallery

Photos & Source: Ford Motor Company.

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