What was the Renault Safrane Biturbo? It was a high-performance version of Renault’s luxury flagship, developed with Hartge and Irmscher. A twin-turbo V6 drove all four wheels, while the body re
In 1974, a shipment of 1,000 boxy Swedish sedans arrived in North Korea. The cars were Volvo 144 GLs, sensible four-door machines known for sturdy construction, generous interior space and all the
The woodgrain paneling on an old station wagon rarely fools anyone. Even when new, the printed vinyl was not likely to be mistaken for hand-finished mahogany. It was wood in the same way a kitchen
Whitewall tires have become visual shorthand for a particular kind of motoring glamour. Put them on a long Cadillac with chrome bumpers, tailfins and enough hood to host a family picnic, and the pi
New luxury SUVs have a real talent for making wealthy people feel good and second owners feel smarter. That is especially true when depreciation gets violent. Because there are cars that los
Owning a Mercedes is one of those things that sounds very glamorous right up until the service advisor says, “Your car is due for Service B.” That is usually the moment the mood cha
BMW and reliability have had a weird relationship for a long time. There was a stretch where people talked about older BMWs like they were carved out of granite. The straight-sixes had a reputa
I was eighteen the first time I heard someone brag that their Toyota cracked 300,000 miles. It sounded like folklore: the Loch Ness Camry. Two decades and six very different cars later, I’ve
Some cars ask for oil changes and maybe a fresh set of tires once in a while. Others behave like they’re actively trying to financially punish you for owning them. And the dangerou
Switching from a stick to an automatic feels like a luxury — until the old habits from manual driving start sneaking back in. Automatics are easier to live with, but they’re also pickier a