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Isn't this meadow soothing? Let's pave a road through it! I'm James Riswick and these are my random thoughts published daily. Recent Posts
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CarSpace Thoughts from the CurbCar Reviews, News and Random Thoughts from Edmunds.com Automotive Editor James Riswick Sep 11, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: Ford LTD and Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
"A View to a Kill" is the rare Bond movie where 007 assumes multiple aliases. As super wealthy race horse owner James St. John Smythe (prononuned Sin-Gin Smythe), Roger Moore is chauffered about in a 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. This car was actually the prized possesion of Bond producer Cubby Broccoli. Naturally, they used a lesser example when it came time for Grace Jones to push the Rolls into a lake with Bond aboard. As a side note, if you've seen that Mythbusters where Adam attempts to breath underwater using a car tire, they got the idea from this scene in "A View to a Kill." Later, as journalist James Stock, 007 drives a 1985 Ford LTD. And thus, the series reached a new low. Sure, that AMC Hornet was pretty lame, but it least it could do this. And that Citroen 2CV certainly sucks, but it was used ironically. The LTD is just lame beyond belief -- even if he's supposed to be a lowly journalist.
But I suppose this is fitting since "A View to a Kill" is pretty lame beyond belief. It has the coolest/creapiest on-screen couple ever thanks to bleached-blond Christopher Walken and amazonian Grace Jones. But the rest of the movie bounces back and forth between boring and just plain stupid. And thus, the Moore Bond car years are over (and I didn't even get to talk about the "Octopussy" company taxis). They're about to get a whole lot cooler. -James Riswick
Aug 26, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: Umm, the Moonraker Gondola?
In Ian Fleming's novel "Moonraker," the book-bound 007 prominantly drives his 1933 Bentley Mark IV convertible ... eventually to its destruction (for the second time actually, it was crashed in "Casino Royale" like the DBS in the movie). But there's no Bond car in the 1979 film "Moonraker." In fact, there's actually barely any cars in the movie. Oh, there's a cable car, plus a speed boat, an ambulance, a golf cart and six space shuttles. There was one motor vehicle, however, one that's a perfect representation of the patently ridiculous "Moonraker" -- the Gondola on Wheels. Yes, that's right. The first and (thankfully only) Q Gondola has a high-speed propellor that lets Roger Moore get away from some baddies in speed boats. When that fails, he presses a button and an inflateable skirt boosts the gondola out of Venice harbor and into San Marco square. He then meanders through the square as confused Venetians, tourists and even pigeons, yes pigeons, do double takes. "Moonraker" is an amusing film for about an hour fifteen, and then becomes totally stupid when Bond ends up in a space shuttle and space station. Like "Die Another Day" years later, "Moonraker" reached a new outlandish series low but it did result in an excellent, literally more down-to-Earth Bond adventure. -James Riswick
Jul 16, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: Toyota 2000GT With recent models like the Nissan GT-R, Mitsubishi Evolution X, Acura NSX, Subaru STI and Toyota Supra, high-performance sports cars coming from Japan is common place. But once upon a time, Japanese makers were peddlers of only small, practical and economic little vehicles -- ones of no interest to Americans. Arguably, that all changed in 1967, when a sexy white roadster driven by Akiko Wakabayashi burst onto the scene to rescue Sean Connery in "You Only Live Twice." It was the Toyota 2000GT, a car Road & Track at the time called "one of the most exciting and enjoyable cars we've driven." Although on the radar of car guys since being introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965, the exotic Toyota (that just sounds funny) became known to the world because of James Bond -- even if he didn't actually drive the thing. Today, many consider it the first highly collectible Japanese car. The 2000GT was actually only available as a coupe, however, Sean Connery couldn't fit in the thing (I can sympathize). They tried it as a special Targa model for the film, but his head popped up goofily and they decided to make it a full-fledged convertible. Since the 2000GT was driven by Japanese operative Aki and not Bond, you could probably claim it's not a true Bond car, but it's too cool not to mention it.
It featured a Yamaha-modified version of the 2.0-liter straight-6 found in the hum-bum Toyota Crown sedan. The engine was place length-wise and sent 150 hp to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual. It had a limited slip differential and was the first Japanese car fitted with four-wheel disc brakes. Between 1967 and 1970, there were only 371 Toyota 2000GT's sold. That and the Bond connection have led pristine examples to sell for between $300,000 and $350,000. Not quite the DB5's cool mill, but not bad either. -James Riswick
Jul 9, 2008 - Scenes from the Curb: Top-Secret Dodge Tundra Hybrid!
I saw this while driving to work this morning. Remember when our Toyota Tundra was tagged with Ford badges? Well, it looks like someone returned the favor to themselves. I guess this dude wants you to think his ride is the ultra-unique Toyota Tundra Hybrid rather than a hunk of crap '80s Dodge Ram. I don't know, I was sure fooled -- nearly put in a call to Toyota this morning. The thing also had a Camry badge on the front fender. The things people do to their cars... -James Riswick
Jul 8, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: Aston Martin DB5
"From Russia With Love" had a few black Citroens and an old pick-up truck, so we've already reached the most famous Bond car of them all. An Aston Martin DB5 painted in Silver Birch has appeared in five Bond movies, although there have been three different cars (well, sorta). The original is the most famous of the most famous. This one appeared in 1964's "Goldfinger" and 1965's "Thunderball" complete with all the toys Q branch felt is necessary for a proper British spy. Machine guns, oil slick, bullet proof glass, tire-shredding wheel caps, rotating number plates, water jets, what looks like the world's first GPS system and a slew of other items. Oh, and how could I forget that ejector seat? In 1995's "Goldeneye" and 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies" the now 30-year-old DB5 is the personal car of Pierce Brosnan's Bond. In "Goldeneye" he races baddy Xenia Onatopp in her Ferrari F355 Spyder with forged number plates (that year's started with the letter L, her's didn't). Its lone toy was a Champagne cooler in the center console. I've actually seen this particular DB5 in person at London's Science Museum and boy was it gorgeous.
As for the car itself, the Aston Martin DB5 was basically a mild refresh of the DB4 and only 1,024 were produced from only 1963 to 1964 -- this only serves to make the car even more freakishly expensive. It was powered by a 4.0-liter straight-6 making 282 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque -- it's a wonder Bond could keep up with the F355. Top speed was 143 mph and the 0-to-60 time was 8.1 seconds. A Hyundai Veracruz is quicker than that, but who cares? I was told recently by Aston Martin's North American VP that a recent DB5 garage find netted $1 million when it was completely restored. The rare DB5 would certainly have been worth its fair share without 007, but thanks to "Goldfinger" it has become what was once dubbed "the most famous car in the world." -James Riswick
Jun 20, 2008 - Pop the Champagne! Hummer in a Nose Dive
As Inside Line reported yesterday, at least one Hummer dealer sees the writing splatered in mud on the wall and is downsizing its sales operational significantly. For myriad reasons, GM is quite clearly moving in a greener, fuel efficient direction, which leaves Hummer looking like Disco Stu at Ghostbar. Presently, there's at least $5,000 on the hood of an H3, while Edmunds TMV for an H2 is nearly $8,000 under sticker. If more dealer's don't start leaping overboard, I'll be surprised. But either way, I'm overjoyed, thrilled, ecstatic and thoroughly laughing in my best Nelson Muntz voice "Ha Ha!" The very existance of Hummer has made by blood boil since it first came out. Let's examine its Riswick rap sheet ... Obscene fuel consumption. Cramped interior room. Limited cargo capacity. It's 95 feet wide. The overcompensating d'bags who drive them. You need a step ladder to get in it. Terrible interior quality (newer H2's have improved, though). Visibility is akin to a foxhole. Have you ever tried parking one? The H2 SUT is the single most useless vehicle ever created. It's a lightning rod for metaphors of "all that's wrong with America." If the Hummer really is heading to Edsel land, I'll be first in land to pop the Champagne. -James Riswick
Jun 16, 2008 - 2009 Honda Pilot: Driving a Box to a Pyramid
Behold, the one frontal angle that actually makes the 2009 Honda Pilot look half-decent. It still looks like an unnatural marriage of a Pathfinder and a Pokemon, though. Looks are subjective, however; especially when the Pilot is considered, given that in its twilight fifth year, the old Pilot (that was certainly no looker itself) sold 117,000 units -- good for ninth place and it used to be higher. An all-new model and the rising popularity of crossovers should bode well for the Pilot no matter what we journos have to say about it. But, I'll say something about it anyway. I drove a Pilot EX-L 4WD with Navi and Rear Entertainment system on my weekend getaway to Las Vegas (529 miles total) where I got the opportunity to drive a box to a pyramid. My first impression was that it drives just like a tall, humongous Accord, far more so than the old one did. Around town, it doesn't feel as nimble as the CX-9, but it doesn't feel as enormous as GM's Outclavedia triplets. My second impression was "holy crap, did NASA design this dashboard?" As has been recent Honda tradition, the center stack has 158 buttons for the audio, climate, navigation and rear seat audio controls. It's overwhelming at first and definitely looks cluttered, but I quickly knew where everything was. If it's this or iDrive, I'll take NASA any day. Out on the highway, though, the Pilot wasn't as impressive. It was quiet and displayed excellent straightline stability, but it's underpowered. It actually has 18 fewer horsepower than the Accord V6 and feels like it. Two suitcases and a 92-pound girlfriend felt like two jetskis and a 290-pound linebacker when going up the various hills and mountains between L.A. and L.V. Plus, I only averaged 19.9 mpg (EPA 22 highway), which is about what I've averaged on freeway slogs in the more powerful (on paper and in feel) LT Enclave. So I liked the Pilot more than I thought I would and it's definitely in the top 3 with the Mazda and GM crossovers. More in-depth comparison drives this week may determine where it specifically ranks. -James Riswick
Jun 13, 2008 - 2009 Porsche 911: Making a Perfect Car Perfecter
If you've never had the opportunity to drive a Porsche 911, find a way to make it happen. Throw on your best polo, pop the collar, gel the crap out of your hair then head down to the local Porsche store. That should do the trick. I've been lucky enough to drive three of them -- Targa, GT3 RS and Carrera -- and each time I walked away more impressed than before. Every driver interaction is simply spot on and even the most base model has the ability to blow you away. As much as I adore Aston Martins, if I had enough money to throw down, it would be impossible for me to turn down the classic simplicity and dynamic excellence of the Porsche. And I'd take mine in brown so I would limit my resemblance to the traditional cockinaporsche. However, no car is perfect. We're critics around here, we HAVE to find at least something wrong -- no matter how trivial. Yet for the 2009 911, Porsche seems to have been reading that cons sheet and even probing my brain's 911 wish list for things I wouldn't have the gall to complain about, because they hit the design studio and announced back in their thickest Stuttgartian accent "zair, you silly car vriters. Complain about it now!" Omissions: Improvements: Riswick mind-probing wish list: There's just one more con. Ridiculous price of options that skyrocket the price? Well, maybe that's asking too much. It's still a Porsche. -James Riswick
May 28, 2008 - World's First Plug-In Hybrid BMW Z3
Actually no, I haven't converted my 1998 BMW Z3 2.8 into a plug-in hybrid version. But the car is plugged in, or more specifically, a battery charger is. Since my car sits down in the Edmunds garage collecting a fine layer of dust (some editor's cars look like they were parked next to Mt. St. Helens), it's recently had a tendency to lose its battery charge in the nearly seven months I've owned it. I should obviously drive the poor thing more, but who wants to sit in traffic in a manual transmission roadster when there's a perfectly good Saturn Aura available? Well, I'll let you ponder that. Anyway, the battery's been dead for a while and given its potential age, I decided to get a new one. Problem is, after looking around, I'm almost certain the Z3's battery size and type is only produced by BMW. Our local Santa Monica dealer quoted me $220 -- ouch. So before going down that road or hitting the treacherous BMW battery black market, our new testing engineer Al Austria loaned me his battery recharger. He says it may take a day or two, but it's worth a shot given the potentially expensive alternative. I'll keep y'all posted. -James Riswick
May 26, 2008 - Comparison: Toyota Corolla vs. Luigi's Classic Dragster
Electric steering often gets described as feeling like it comes from a video game. The lack of feel and old-lady-friendly weighting have taken the term "artificial" to a new level. So, with Nintendo's new MarioKart Wii and its nifty steering system (no buttons, just turn the controller like a wheel), I decided to put this comparison to the test. And what better car to use than the 2009 Toyota Corolla, a car whose steering was described by our Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton as follows: "To say the steering feel is vague would be to credit it with any feel, of which it has none." 2) 2009 Toyota Corolla XLE Although the Corolla scored big points for being an actual conveyance, in the realm of steering, it lost big time. During aggressive driving, I could sorta guess what the tires were doing, but I feel better guessing about those impossible opera questions on "Jeopardy!" than when driving. As is, the Corolla just slogs about, tires squeeling and body rolling, as you turn the wheel in an approximation of what one might do when turning a car. Around town and on the highway, the easy-peasy weighting isn't that bad, but if you have to avoid something, good luck buddy. 1) Luigi's Classic Dragster Oh sure, it's probably not the best MarioKart Wii car -- some would argue Wario's Flame Flyer or Baby Peach's Booster Seat are better choices -- but Luigi's Classic Dragster has one of the highest handling ratings. Like the Corolla's you turn the Wii wheel in an approximation of what one might do when turning a car. I find this more acceptable when sitting on my couch -- which the Corolla's driver seat does sorta feel like, but I digress. Luigi's Dragster has no road feel to speak of as the wheel is obviously not attached to a car, which is in turn not attached to a road. However, unlike the Corolla, it is possible to coax the Classic Dragster into a drift and it is quite easy to snap it back into place. I also thought the Classic Dragster was much better at dodging green turtle shells and gigantic penguins than the Corolla would've been. Well, I've actually never tried that in a Corolla, but Walton wasn't too impressed at the Toyota's ability to dodge cones, so I'm giving this one to the Dragster. Ay, Luigi a wins! -James Riswick
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