Wednesday, January 23, 2013

First Drive: 2013 Toyota RAV4

2012 Car Awards: 2012 Car Of The Year

In 2012, we saw several cars make a splash in the industry. But to be named my car of the year, the manufacturer has come out with a car that one would not think that manufacturer would make. Last year, my Car Of The Year went to the Ferrari FF. This is not your typical Ferrari. All Ferraris have been rear-wheel drive supercars and grand tourers until the FF, which is a four-wheel drive. Also, the FF is a hatchback, which is also a first for Ferrari. So what manufacturer took their game to the next level? What car stood out as the best of the best in 2012? The best car to come out in 2012 is...

Sunday, January 20, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Redesign

I like it when car companies go away from the norm and try something new. When a car company comes out with next generation of a vehicle, there is usually a small change from the previous generation to the next generation. However, for one car, there is a noticeable difference in design, and it is for the better. The best redesign in 2012 is...

Friday, January 18, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Hypercar

Hypercars are unique. They are the highest performing cars, having top speeds of 240 mph and above. With that said, the best hypercar to come out in 2012 is....

Thursday, January 17, 2013

2 Year Anniversary/200th Article Special Classic Car: Delage D8-120

On January 17, 2011, I released my first article, First Impression: Bugatti Veyron, on That Guy With The Glasses. After nine First Impressions reviews on That Guy With The Glasses, I created my own website through Blogger. On April 15, 2011, CarJunkie's Car Review was launched. To commemorate the launching of my own site, I created a new series of articles dedicated to classic cars. On April 15, 2011, I posted Classic Car: Ferrari F40 and Classic Car: Lamborghini Countach. In two years, I have done First Drive reviews, Top Gear US reviews, Top Gear UK reviews, Clunker reviews, Auto Countdowns,  my own Car Awards, one Unlocking the Car article, and one Video Game Review. I even did a two part collaboration with the very talented Les for Manic Expression in which we both created a list of the top ten movie cars we would like to own and had the other member and his comments to each pick. To celebrate my two year anniversary and my 200th published article, I have to do something special. The car to be featured on this milestone article has to be special. It has to stand out in a stadium filled with some of the greatest cars of all time. In a car competition that includes the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing and 300SL Roadster, a Duesenberg Model J, a Bugatti Veyron Supersport, a Bugatti Type 40A, a Ferrari 599 GTO, three different editions of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, a Jaguar XJ200, and many other rare and unique cars, this car was named Best in Show at the 2011 Houston Classy Chassis: Concours d'Elegance. This car was on display by the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. The car to be featured for the milestone article is the French classic car Delage D8-120.

1937 Delage D8-120 Letourner et Marchand Aerosport

Monday, January 14, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Supercar

To be considered a supercar, a car must be fast, quick, and rare. Supercars have the engine located in the rear. In 2011, McLaren released the MP4-12C and Lamborghini released the Aventador, both are exemplary supercars. But once a car hits 240 mph, whether with limiter attached or with the limiter removed, the car reaches hypercar status. But this award is not for the hypercars, this award is for the best supercar to come out in 2012. The best supercar to come out in 2012 is...

Sunday, January 13, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Grand Tourer

For my end of the year awards, I split up the high performing exotics into three categories: grand tourers, supercars, and hypercars. By my standards, a grand tourer is a high performing car that has the engine in the front and a trunk in the rear. In 2011, Ferrari released the FF and Aston Martin released the V12 Virage. Both are excellent examples of grand tourers. For 2012, the best grand tourer award goes to...

Saturday, January 12, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Full Size Car

While some car makers are leaning away from full size cars to favor subcompact, compact, and mid-size cars, it is still nice to see some brands still producing full size cars. The best full size car to come out in 2012 is...

Friday, January 11, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Compact Car

One category I left out last year was for best compact car that came out in 2011. This year, there are a few compact cars that stood out in 2012. Out of the 16 cars I drove in 2012, over half were compact cars. The best car to come out in 2012 is...

Thursday, January 10, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Sports Coupe

One award that I did not give out last year for the best sports coupe that came out in 2011. In 2012, there was one sports coupe that stands out from all the rest. The best sports coupe that came out in 2012 is...

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Sports Sedan

A sports sedan is a car that has four-doors and a sporty edge to it. Cars like the Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer GT, BMW 3-Series/BMW M3 and Lexus IS. These cars are practical, yet have performance as well. The winner the best sports sedan in 2012 is....

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

2012 Car Awards: Best Subcompact

Just like I did with the 2011 Car Awards, I kick of the best of the best of 2012 with the best subcompact car to be released in the United States in 2012.

2012 Car Awards: Worst Car of 2012

One thing I did last year was a countdown of the worst cars that came out in 2011. For 2012, I am passing on doing another countdown and instead going kick off my 2012 Car Awards with the Worst Car of 2012 award. And the winner, or loser, is...

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Auto Countdown: 2013 Wish List

Since moving back to Houston after graduating from college, I have been to a variety of car shows. From the monthly Cars and Coffee events to the annual Houston Auto Show, Classy Chassis, Lamborghini Festival, and Ferrari Festival, I have seen thousands of classic and modern cars. However, there a some cars that I have not seen yet. These are the cars I would like to see at some point in 2013.