Saab 9-5

     For decades, Saab produced some of the most interesting and just plain weird designs of the automotive world. Sadly, Saab went bankrupt in 2011, and despite rumors of a comeback, it doesn't appear that we will be seeing new cars from Saab anytime soon. However, its distinctive cars can still be occasionally spotted out on the street, and this quirky 9-5 sedan, while not common and certainly not normal, stands out among an increasingly sea of similar-looking cars.
     At the front, an upside-down, trapezoidal grille with chrome surround looks clean and sensible, and a silver cross-grille bar and headlight trim round out the look. The placement of the Saab logo on the hood with the word "Saab" in the grille is reminiscent of the hood ornament and logo placement used by luxurious companies like Mercedes-Benz. The headlights have a strange blueish hint to them, and feature a handsome arrangement with an upscale xenon unit. But what is most unique about the front of the Saab sedan are the vents connected to the inside of the headlights. The vents look a bit out of place, in a cool, kind of zany way. The lower front fascia, on the other hand, is a pretty standard affair: a nondescript trapezoidal grille and fog lamps in black plastic housings.
     The side of the car features chrome lining around the bottom half of the windows,  chrome door handles, and simple, smooth character lines. A thick C-pillar and a leaned back stances give the Saab an almost hatchback-like feel. The wide C-pillar flows into taillights that span the width of the vehicle. While the majority of the main taillamps on either end are composed of red units, a thin blue light strip runs across the top, continues the blue theme started with the headlights. Integrated into the taillight is a chrome bar, which acts as the housing for the license plate light. The bumper is extremely plain, so while not ugly, it is just a bit boring. Despite this bit of normality, the Saab 9-5 has one of the most unusual designs you can see on the street, from the unorthodox headlight vents to the odd blue tint on the head and taillights.

Grade
Front: A
Back:A
Overall: A

Chevy Impala (Tenth Generation)

       For the majority of my childhood, the Impala was General Motors' ugly, bloated attempt at a full-size car. The eighth and ninth generations were bland, covered in cheap plastics, and were so bad that they were mostly used by police forces and rental car fleets instead of actual customers. So the tenth generation's handsome looks came as a shock when GM pulled off wraps in New York in 2012.

      The front fascia features bold, crisp lines, and almost appears to have been chiseled out of rock like Mount Rushmore. The wide grille features two chrome cross-bars as well as a chrome surround, but doesn't look overdone, lending the Chevy an upscale but not gaudy appearance. Connected to either side of the grille are rectangular headlights, with a single xenon headlamp and two conventional units inside. While a relatively simple design, the headlights look clean and aggressive. Flowing down from the rear edge of the headlights are sharp creases, which then form the sides of the handsome lower grille.  Rounding out the lower front fascia are luxurious fog light housings, which wrap the fog lamps in hook-shaped chrome trim.

      Distinct character lines stream back from the headlights, underneath large side view mirrors, and through the simplistic door handles. Right at the back edge of the rear doors, powerful haunches rise out of the bodywork, giving the Impala a muscular appearance. Elegant chrome badging spelling the model name behind the front wheel and the Impala logo behind the rear side mirror are placed well and make the car look a bit more fancy. However, the indent along the bottom of the side of the Chevrolet looks odd and is unnecessary clutter on a overall pretty clean design.

     The stylish body creases culminate in semi-rectangular taillights, which are composed of two Camaro-esque red sections and a small white reverse light. These taillights don't have the most complex design but are still eye-catching enough for a $27,000 sedan. They also fit in with the rest of the Chevy family, such as the taillights of the Malibu, Camaro, Corvette, and Traverse, while still appearing unique. However, it is the chrome bars connecting the taillights and housing the license plate that add a touch of luxury to the basic rear fascia. This thin silver bar features chiseled lettering spelling "Impala," and looks upscale and modern. The bumper, on the other hand, is quite plain and could benefit from reflectors or chrome tipped exhaust pipes.
     The Impala is a handsome sedan, with a bold face and strong, clean lines. While the rear fascia could be a bit more detailed, it is still attractive enough, and completes the simple but striking appearance of the Chevy Impala.

Grade
Front: A
Back: B+
Overall: A

Cars Seen at NHRA Drag Racing at Raceway Park

 1948 Tucker 48 "Gyronaut X-1" tow car by Rod Ida: Although rusting, this Tucker was a nice blast from the past. The tri-headlight design is futuristic, while the streamlined shape creates a unique silhouette.

Jaguar E-Type: In a serene shade of blue, the slinky E-Type stands out with its long hood and powerful haunches.

Porsche 1600 Speedster: The 1600 sports the classic Porsche shape and clean, flowing character lines.

The 1937 Chevy "Black Opal" custom car by Rod Ida: This is a beautiful vehicle, with the bulbous wheel covers, vertical chrome grille, and hammered stance.

 1948 Tucker 48 "Lower 48" custom car by Rob Ida: Yet another of the rare Tuckers, albeit in much better condition. This example also had eight exhaust pipes protruding from the rear bumper.

Plymouth Barracuda: The 'Cuda has one of my favorite automotive logos, along with beefy muscle car styling.

Triumph motorcycle:With an athletic stance and the legendary blue and orange Gulf colors, this is one cool two-wheeler.

Ford F-100: The predecessor to what is now the most popular vehicle in the United States, the green Ford pickup is very simple aesthetically, but still gives off a bold, tough personality.

Callaway C4 Corvette

     At first, it seemed unusual to find this athletic Corvette-based Callaway in a deserted lot next to a roadside fast food restaurant in Texas. But when you look at all the strangely placed vents and other abnormal design cues, the desolate lot is a natural home for this 1980's oddball.

     Up front, the Callaway hasn't been altered that drastically from the normal C4 'Vette, with the biggest change being the addition of functional vents. The intakes were added to boost performance figures, however, most of the added vents hurt the Corvette's sleek styling. The four square holes are reminiscent of nostrils, causing the face of the C4 to look snout-like. While two of the vents are smoothly integrated into the headlight shape, the vertically oriented slats on the hood appear tacked on as an afterthought. Furthermore, the square vent just behind the front wheels is not a dynamic shape, and the thin horizontal bars look like those on an air conditioner.
      While the front is a jumbled mess of air intakes, the rear fascia features a clean, simplistic design. The classic 'Vette double circle taillights have been joined to create smooth ovals, though the circular units can still be spotted within these new lamp designs. The name "Callaway" is indented in a simple but elegant font between the taillights. The biggest modification is the removal of the curved rear windshield, which gave the Corvette a slick fastback silhouette. Without the iconic glass dome, the Callaway resembles the awkward offspring of a sports car and a pickup truck.

Grade
Front: B
Back: B+
Overall: B

Drag Racing at Englishtown, New Jersey

Recently, I attended the qualifying rounds of NHRA drag racing at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. I do not follow NHRA, and had never been to a drag race before. The cars were the loudest things I'd ever heard, and were unbelievably fast. But what I found the most interesting was how I could feel the sound of the engines when the drivers mashed the throttle. The entire Earth seemed to shake, and it left me trembling long after the parachutes had been released and the cars had come to a stop. It was a truly exhilarating experience, and I wasn't even driving. Here are some photos of the drag races I saw, which included Pro Stock, Funny Car, and Top Fuel classes.

Artistic Photo #2

1936 Ford 68 Deluxe at the Cleveland Auto-Aviation Collection at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio (Taken on February 17, 2015)

Rolls-Royce Corniche

This massive land-yacht, the Corniche, is the Rolls-Royce of ultra-luxury cars, both because it is a Rolls-Royce, and because its design so accurately captures everything one could ever want in a luxury vehicle. Simply standing next to the majestic coupe, I could feel its opulence radiating outwards.

The high-class appearance starts with the instantly recognizable, and stately Rolls-Royce grille. The golden hue screams affluence, as do the thinly spaced vertical bars. The famous "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament is perched atop the grille, which sits between pairs of circular headlights. The headlights themselves are not particularly special, but the shiny, gold-tinted trim piece surrounding them gives the front fascia of the Rolls a touch of elegance, taking it a step above everything else.

Bold creases stretch from the grille towards the windshield, and a thin chrome strip down the center of the hood extends the distinguished look of the front fascia all the way to the windshield. Dignified character lines flow backwards from the turning lights, eventually forming the powerful rear haunches. Despite the sleek lines, Rolls-Royce is keen to let its customers know this is not some sports car, but a luxurious two door cruiser. The upright windshield and boxy profile adds to the regal aura given off by this 17-foot behemoth. The rear fascia is a bit simple, with small vertical taillights and a black plastic and chrome bumper, but certainly not ugly.

Overall, the Corniche does exactly what it need to do: look extremely fancy. With a very upright stance and loads of chrome, the Corniche is the perfect luxury coupe.


Grade
Front: A
Rear: B+
Overall: A