Car Chick

Electric Vehicles are Fun to Drive

So much for range anxiety. A new study of people given a test EV (electric vehicle) found that every single one of them was happy with it as their primary car, says Michael J. Coren of Fast Company in "It Turns Out Electric Vehicles Are So Fun To Drive, You Won't Want To Go Back".

It can seem crazy to think that electric vehicles will replace gasoline engines anytime in the near future: range anxiety, charging times, price, and plain old inertia are all touted as deal-killers. But a new study found that drivers actually preferred their electric car over their conventional clunker (or even a Porsche and Lexus in some cases) after a trial program leasing 450 electric Mini E's to drivers in Los Angeles, New York, and New Jersey…

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Ralph Lauren Classic Car Collection in Paris

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is best known for the popular Polo Ralph Lauren clothing line of casual and semi-formal wear for men and women, featuring clean lines and classic silhouettes. He brings this same sense of style to his lines of accessories, fragrances, home (bedding and towels) and housewares. Passionate about style and the search for beauty, Lauren is also an automobile collector. He owns more than 70, some of which are extremely rare.

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is currently hosting an exhibit, The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces from the Ralph Lauren Collection, featuring 17 of the most extraordinary vehicles in the history of automobiles. This includes two of the world's most expensive vehicles: a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO and a 1938 Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic Coupe, both reportedly worth an estimated $30-$40 million each.

“Racing is what unites these vehicles, each containing an impressive number of innovations. They reveal different approaches to design, some more reasoned and less intuitive than others, but they all illustrate the search for maximum efficiency resulting in beauty: not only beauty of line, but also of details and the mechanical body, the design of which is every bit as meticulous as the curves of their coachwork,” states the exhibit program.

If you're in Paris, this exhibition is well worth a visit. These machines are truly works of art with the most exquisite lines and attention to detail, and represent Lauren’s passion for style and beauty.

The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces from the Ralph Lauren Collection
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
107, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
Exhibit ends August 28, 2011

Pictured: Jaguar XKD, 1955 (green) and Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia, 1938 (red)

Ford Fiesta's Colourful Car Customization

We have all seen the various fun, cool and colourful accessories out there to customize and personalize cellphones, computers and other devices. Now Ford has taken customization to the next level with new personalization options for the Ford Fiesta.

In an article on the website The College Driver, Zeid Nasser reports that "the small car style Ford Fiesta delivers is expanding for 2012 with three new packages to give customers even more options for personalizing". Here is an excerpt from the article.

The new packages build on the success of the current personalization choices Fiesta customers enjoy today, with nearly 40 percent purchasing at least one accessory. To date, more than 26,000 Ford Custom Accessories items have been purchased by Fiesta owners.

"The Fiesta customer loves accessories and personalization. These packages extend the desire the customer has to make the car more tailored to his or her own personal tastes," said Lew Echlin, Global Car marketing manager. "Personalization has been key since the Fiesta launched, and with the new packages we're featuring the latest design trends so customers can do even more with their car."

A recent study by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) found that accessories drive sales, with the availability of accessories influencing more than 1 million new vehicle sales each year.

"The appeal of accessories reflects on other trends in society, including the desire to personalize phones, computers and clothing," said Sheryl Connelly, manager of Ford Global Trends and Futuring. "People don't customize to stand out from the crowd; they do it to create a more meaningful connection...."

Read the entire article…

BMW Unveils New 5 Series

When car broker extraordinaire Nishad Kassim of cars4u.com invited me to attend the unveiling of the new BMW 5 series, my answer was a definite yes! The event was held in Waterloo the day after I returned from Paris, but I was only mildly concerned that my jet lag would have me snoring in the back seat during the long drive.

The rain that had been forecasted all day fell heavy as Nishad, her colleague Derek Kubiak and I made the slow trek out of Toronto in rush hour traffic. We arrived right on time at the BMW Waterloo showroom, already crowded with curious car enthusiasts. Two cars draped in fabric were surrounded by guests sipping drinks and nibbling on the fancy and delicious hors d'oeuvres provided by Bingeman’s, chatting as we all awaited the big moment.

Suddenly the TV screens around the showroom and behind the podium lit up as Katie Quinn, General Manager of BMW Waterloo took the stage and welcomed guests. She highlighted the many features of these new vehicles as a short video showed the 5 series in action. Then the sheets were rolled back, dramatically revealing the two star models.

I have to admit, I had never been a big BMW fan. Elevated to “status symbol” back in the day, the impression was that owners of these vehicles seemed… well… somewhat pretentious, and often aggressive when behind the wheel.

But seeing these models up close, I've had a change of heart—they are quite the mechanical masterpieces. There is great attention to detail with an exquisite shape and contours, front end styling and cool tail lamp details.

Inside, the control panel is all bells and whistles—I can't imagine how thick the owner’s manual must be! In the back, there are two adjustable displays, similar to those on airplanes, with video and internet access.

The cars also come with optional Parking Assistance to help the driver find a suitable space parallel to the road and manoeuvre into it, and a Lane Departure Warning System that warns of unintentional deviations off course, alerting the driver through vibrations in the steering wheel.

And the price tag? $62,300 for the 535i model and $73,300 for the 550i.

I asked my hosts if the typical BMW drivers are men or if these cars appeal to women too. As I suspected, they agreed the drivers of BMWs were mostly men. If women do choose a BMW, it is usually a smaller model like the 3 series.

Unfortunately we didn't get to take either of these models out for a spin, but hopefully another time…

These photos are courtesy Derek Kubiak of directcarsonline.com. To see more photos and read Derek’s report, click here.

Thank you again to Nishad for the invitation and to Derek for driving through the heavy rainstorm and heavy traffic.