Author Archives: The Four-Wheeled World

The Tesla Model 3 is Here!

At 8:30 Thursday, the 31st of March, 2016, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors unveiled the new $35,000 electric sedan named the Model 3. Although this unveiling was only supposed to show glimpses of the car and minimal details, 3 cars were shown in their entirety. I suggest the 3 cars shown, all three sporting a different color are all different trims. The red Model 3 seems to be the base model, having taller sidewalls than the other variants, the silver car is probably the middle trim, and the black Model 3 seems to be the high performance model, with sporty paint and some unusual wheels. Although Musk did not elude to the optional drive-trains, he did state that even the slowest model will hit 60 mph in under 6 seconds, and that the minimum range of the cars is 215 miles, compared to the 200 rumored.

The interiors of all the Model 3s are Tesla-like in their technology, but very un-Tesla in their layout. Instead of a traditional Tesla 17-inch touchscreen in the center console, there is a floating tablet from the dash. Musk also stated that because of the small size, the dashboard and front seats were moved up slightly for more legroom in the back. Speaking of the rear seats, the three seats are underneath a panoramic sunroof, making the rear of the car feel more spacious to the passengers. Although Tesla has shown great success with it’s 3 point leather wrapped steering wheel, the designers have felt the need to change the look and install a 2 spoke steering wheel, very similar to what you would find on a Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

All four of the Model 3’s doors seem to be conventional (unlike the Model X) and the front shows similarity to many Porsches and the Model X, losing the black oval “grille”. Autopilot technology is standard on the new car,  as well as a front and a rear trunk, as we have seen on the Tesla Model S and Model X.

The before-incentives price was also confirmed, with the base model starting at $35,000, even though Musk personally said that the base model Model 3 is the best $35,000 car you can buy.

 

All the images in this article are screenshots from the live stream on teslamotors.com .

All three Model 3s driving on stage

All three Model 3s driving on stage

A closer look at the silver car.

A closer look at the silver car.

A closer look at the black, high performance model.

A closer look at the black, high performance model.

A close-up of the front of the silver car.

A close-up of the front of the silver car.

The rear of the red car.

The left side of the red car.

The entire left side of the silver car.

The entire left side of the silver car.

Screenshot 2016-03-31 at 8.56.22 PM

A close-up of the interior with the tablet and the 2-spoke steering wheel.

A photo of the passenger compartment from the passenger's side.

A photo of the passenger compartment from the passenger’s side.

The rear of the silver car.

A photo of the black, high performance model.

A photo of the black, high performance model.

CEO Elon Musk

CEO Elon Musk

3/4 view of the silver model.

3/4 view of the silver model.

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10 Ugliest Cars Ever

There are many cars thought to be ugly, but I’ve compiled the 10 ugliest I can think of.

 

#10: The Fiat Multipla

multipla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fiat Multipla was and still is one of the ugliest cars made.

 

#9: The Ford Taurus (1999)

1999_ford_taurus_4_dr_se_sedan-pic-6468514350826357002

The Ford Taurus, a full-size American sedan is probably the most “swishy-swashy” designed car ever.

#8: The Nissan Cube

nissan-cube-2014-rear

With it’s weird wrap-around rear window, strange wheels and a rear parking camera that looks like a zit, I can certainly say that the Nissan Cube deserves a spot on this list of the ugliest cars.

 

#7: The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

This is pretty self-explanatory. This is a Nissan Murano with a cloth folding roof. And it is very ugly.

 

#6: The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

This direct competitor to the BMW X6 looks like a CLA with the roof stretched up, and it’s disturbing.

#5: The Chrysler PT-Cruiser

ptwood

This all-American economy hatchback from the early 2000’s is covered in vinyl wood, to complete the ugly look.

#4: The Fiat 500L

the-10-ugliest-cars-for-sale-today-09-fiat-500l-photo-546659-s-original

This Italian high-roof hatchback is nothing but ugly.

#3: The Pontiac Aztec

This vehicle is pretty ugly, and pretty much everyone agrees, but I think there are some even uglier.

#2: The Chrysler Crossfire

11692-crossfirecomparison

The Chrysler Crossfire looks like it took inspiration from a dog taking a poo.

AND THE #1 UGLIEST CAR EVER IS………………………………..

#1: The Subaru Tribeca

Subaru_Tribeca_rear_20090418

With the Alfa Romeo Inspired small grille, high roundish headlights and rear that looks like a kid with an overbite, this car is the single most ugly vehicle ever produced ever.

Please feel free to add your opinions in the comments down below, I read every one!

 

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Bye-Bye, Scion, Nice Knowing You

 

**Sorry for this being very late, I just realized this was not posted**

 

As you have probably heard, the 13-year-old Toyota experiment called Scion is coming to an end. In August, 2016 all current Scion models accept the tC will be rebadged as Toyotas.

I think they should continue the names of previous models. The current Scion FR-S should not be called the Toyota FR-S, but rather the Toyota GT-86. The current iM, should either be called the Toyota Corolla Hatchback, or revive the Toyota Matrix name. Although the Scion iA is not actually a Scion, in my opinion, should hold the name Echo in honor of the Toyota Echo we had many years ago.

Rather sadly, the Scion tC will not be produced as a Toyota, it will be discontinued due to lack of sales.

Scion over the years was not what it was supposed to be: a fun, reliable, quirky car for young 1st car buyers. In fact, the average age of a Scion owner was 40. Although it’s sad to see Scion go, it is understandable too.

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The Tesla Ride-on Toy’s Commercial is Decidedly Sexist.

Earlier this week, Radio Flyer released a commercial featuring it’s new Tesla modeled ride on toy. In the film, at approximately 1:13, the commercial is demonstrating the dual speed feature, that limits “inexperienced” drivers to 3mph, and “experienced” drivers to 6mph. This feature is fine and good, but the way that the commercial presents it is downright sexist. The “inexperienced” driver is a small girl, and she is overtaken by a small boy, understanded to be the “experienced” driver who speeds right past her.

We all understand that radio flyer is only trying to promote a new product and demonstrate a helpful feature, but in my eyes, the commercial producers just wanted to show that men are better drivers then women.

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Mercedes, come on now….

Just a quick thing about the selection of new Mercedes-Benz station wagons.

In the old days, we had the 300TD (turbo diesel), then we had the W203 wagon. There has been an absence of a new Mercedes wagon in the states for far too long. Now, the only Mercedes-Benz wagon you can buy today in the USA is the E-Class.

We did not receive the S204 Wagon.

We did not receive the S205 Wagon.

We did not receive the X208 Shooting Brake.

We did not receive the C117 Shooting Brake.

 

Meanwhile, your main competitors have been giving us wagons.

We have had a BMW-3-Series wagon since before 2000.

We have had a BMW-5-series wagon since before 2000.

We have had an Audi A-4 wagon since before 2000.

We have had an Audi A-6 wagon since before 2000.

We’ve even had an Audi Allroad since 1999!!

 

So, if you are from Mercedes-Benz and you are reading this, YOU ARE LOSING MONEY. Please import new wagons to the USA, we really like them.

 

Mercedes-Benz S204

Mercedes-Benz S204

Mercedes-Benz S205

Mercedes-Benz S205

Mercedes-Benz X208

Mercedes-Benz X208

Mercedes-Benz C117

Mercedes-Benz C117

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The Chevorlet Bolt & Tesla Model 3

In our imaginations, electric cars that have a practical range, look normal and are not break-the-bank expensive to buy are far away dreams. But,  with each generation of electric car, this dream becomes more and more realistic.

The G-Whiz is inexpensive, the Tesla Model S has a great range and the Nissan Leaf is relatively normal looking, but is there a car that combines all these traits?

GM will start production of their all new Chevrolet Bolt in October of 2016. The Bolt, the Volt’s smaller brother has a 200 mile range, it looks like a normal new car with distinctive creases, a big bumper and aggressive lights, and most importantly, before government incentives, the Bolt will go on sale for about $38k. Depending on where you live and what incentives you get from the state, this price may drop closer to $30k.

Like GM, Tesla is also working on their next car, also aimed at the middle class market. Unlike GM, their car will be released in 2017 and will take on the body style of a sedan, although the unveiling and pre-orders will start in March of this year. The Model 3 promises to have a 200 mile range and cost only $35k. The Tesla Model 3 shows similarities to the other cars in Tesla’s range: the Model S and the Model X.

In the coming years, expect to see many other practical, good looking reasonably priced electric cars.

2015 Chevrolet Bolt EV Concept all electric vehicle. Front ¾ in city scape. Bolt EV Concept builds upon Chevy’s experience gained from both the Volt and Spark EV to make an affordable, long-range all-electric vehicle to market. The Bolt EV is designed to meet the daily driving needs of Chevrolet customers around the globe with more than 200 miles of range and a price tag around $30,000.

Chevrolet Bolt

3

An Imagination of what the Tesla Model 3 will look like.

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The New Infinity Qx30 Concept

The new Infinity QX30, seen at the 2015 International Los Angeles Auto Show, is Infinity’s approach into the small luxury crossover segment of the market. Currently, this part of the market is dominated by the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA, the Range Rover Evoque and  the Audi Q-3. The only Japanese competitors are the Lexus NX and the Acura RDX, so the Infinity will have a lot of competition against it. The small luxury crossover segment is hard to get accepted into and easy to be thrown out of.

Infinity will be entering the segment with a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbocharged platform, using a 7 speed automatic transmission hooked up to all 4 wheels. This crossover is based off of the Infinity Q30 hatchback concept, hopefully both begin production soon!!

 

BMW X-1

 

Mercedes-Benz GLA

Range Rover Evoque

Audi Q3

Infinity QX-30

Lexus NX

 

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The Best Commercial Ever

After Jeremy’s “incident” at the BBC, Amazon Prime has included him and the other hosts James May and Richard Hammond in their new show with the rumored name “Gear Knobs”. This is Jeremy’s commercial advertising the new Fire TV Stick and the new show coming in 2016. To former Top Gear fans, the commercial is typical Jeremy. Riding a Segway indoors, spending half a year watching TV and looking down on his former employer is what he does…

 

Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself!!

 

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New Electric Cars: What’s the cheapest?

As we all know, gasoline will soon become too expensive to be practical and alternate fuel vehicles will the be the way of the land. Many vehicles from several different manufacturers are competing for head of the newly found electric car market. Some electric cars, such as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, are extremely cheap, coming in at around $23k. Others, like the new Tesla Model S, have magnificent range (265 miles) but are comparable to dream cars in price. Some Teslas are priced north of $100k. The real challenge is balancing price and range. So the question is: How much does each car cost divided by the range it gets? (Price of car/range of car)

Many cars have a great balance. The Tesla Model 3 (coming soon) has a remarkable range of 200 miles and an unbelievable price tag of only $35k. This gives the Tesla Model 3 a cost of 175 dollars per mile. This is the lowest (best) competitor. On the other side of the scale, cars like the BMW i3 are very lopsided. The BMW i3 has a range of 81 miles and a crazy price of $43.3k. This gives the i3 a price of 535 dollars per mile, the worst contender as of now. You can find a complete chart below or at this link.

NAME PRICE RANGE PRICE/RANGE
TESLA MODEL 3 $35,000 200 $175 / mile of range
TESLA MODEL S $71,000 265 $268 / mile of range
CHEVORLET SPARK EV $26,000 82 $317 / mile of range
TESLA MODEL X $80,000 230 $348 / mile of range
NISSAN LEAF $29,800 84 $355 / mile of range
KIA SOUL EV $34,500 93 $371 / mile of range
FIAT 500E $32,600 87 $375 / mile of range
SMART ELECTRIC DRIVE $25,700 68 $378 / mile of range
MITSUBISHI i-MiEV $23,800 62 $384 / mile of range
FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC $29,200 76 $384 / mile of range
VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF $36,300 83 $437 / mile of range
MERCEDES B-CLASS ELECTRIC DRIVE $42,400 85 $499 / mile of range
BMW i3 $43,300 81 $535 / mile of range

 

 

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Will Volkswagen continue to sell diesels in the US?

After the emissions scandal, Volkswagen moved downhill. Stock fell almost 40% and the CEO of Volkswagen resigned and the head of Porsche took over. Sales of the current diesel models has stopped and production of the next generation of Volkswagen diesel vehicles for the US and the rest of the world. We might have to say goodbye to diesels from Volkswagen in the US. 🙁

 

 

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