Tag Archives: sporty

Lexus IS C reviewed:

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Updated: Now go see the video HERE.

Lexus IS350 C reviewed by txGarage

Lexus IS350 C reviewed by txGarage

First, I’ll have to admit, I’m not a big fan of taking a sedan and turning it into a two door convertible. There is a big difference between a roadster, speedster, and a 2+2 convertible as I’ve un-eloquently ranted about in other reviews. We’ll put these pre-existing criticisms aside to see what’s what with this IS convertible.

You guessed it. It’s out with the old and in with the new, and the dated Lexus SC is out. The new IS C is in and being based off the IS platform is an automatic plus in our book. Lexus’ old 2+2 convertible was all about plush luxury and not so much about handling or agility. The IS C on the other hand is being marketed by Lexus as bringing fun and sporty driving to a Lexus convertible, and basing it off a sporty sedan seems the right way to go. So did it work? Does the IS C stand up to Lexus’ marketing mantra? We’ll look into that in just a bit. First, let’s take a look at the exterior styling.
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2010 Mazda 3

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2010 Mazda 3

2010 Mazda 3

In 2003 when the Mazda 3 was launched replacing the boring looking but fun to drive Protege, I was excited. Mazda had just introduced the RX8 and only a year before had come out with the Mazda 6. Mazda was really on the move back to being the sporty “zoom-zoom” company it should be. The Mazda 3 was such a big hit, in my mind, because it really showed that Mazda was getting back into the sporty grove with a good looking, small, sporty car. Anyone who is into compact sports cars, then and now, knows that the European spec Ford Focus basically rules. So when we heard that this new offering from Mazda was to be built on the platform of the second generation European Focus we knew we had to get our hands on one.

The first generation 3 did not disappoint. Mazda made sure to give it a good range of engines with plenty of pep, also releasing a Mazdaspeed variant for an even more sporty experience. The interior was nice and not too cheap for its price range, the looks where spot on for the market and the power and handling was excellent. So the successor of this understated machine would have to be even better, and that’s always hard to top in these markets.

So does the 2010 Mazda 3 live up to its “Zoom-Zoom” heritage? I would say yes for sure. The exterior, although it has been made fun of for being too “smiley face” looking in the design, actually looks good in a fun sporty way. That’s the overall theme of this car, small and fun, so why not give it a fun looking exterior. The rear is more aggressive and sportier than before with beautiful molded lines and sharp tail lights. The interior has a clean fill with lots of black and splashes of chrome and red thrown in. The cluster has improved and the center console has a more grown up feel to it. A Grand Touring package adds navigation and loads of extra buttons on the steering wheel and all over the car. By no means is this an uncomfortable place to be on a long trip. Speaking of long trips the driving and handling of the car is again just that much better than the old. Where this car shines is with its new bigger and better engines.

You have the base sporting a 2.0 liter with 148 hp and 135 lb-ft of torque. The one to have is the 2.5 liter “s” with a six speed manual gear box pushing 167 hp and 168 lb-ft of torque.

All in all I think Mazda has been on the move up since its introduction of the Mazda 6 in 2002. They are still an understated company that has the potential to grow. The new Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 are making this clear. If you want a fun to drive cheaper car with lots to smile about and not much to be down about, I suggest looking at your Mazda dealership.

2010 Mazda 3

2010 Mazda 3

Farewell to the Sky and Solstice

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Saturn Sky

Saturn Sky

When the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky first hit the show rooms I was more than ecstatic. Finally, we are bringing some small sporty life into American cars, I thought. The Pontiac lineup and the Saturn lineup were showing signs of revival and these cars spotlighted that revival. Now in 2009, with the bankruptcy of GM and the ever failing car market the Kappa platform that these cars are built on has ceased production. Saturn has been sold to Penske and no one really knows the fate of Pontiac so with the lower than expected sales of these fun little cars there has been no real push to keep them around.

It’s a shame, in my opinion, that these cars seemed to not catch on. The Saturn Sky often referred to as the baby Vette is a beautiful car with a very sporty look and feel and was quite fun to drive. The almost retro styling of the Solstice and the new to 2009 hard top Solstice were exactly what Pontiac needed to revive the sporty nature they had lost after years of cars like the Sunfire and the Grand Am.

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I really think they will have a big following in the used cars markets with all the aftermarket toys and companies willing to shove V8’s under the hood they appeal to a lot of enthusiast track day racers.

I still have hope, first for Saturn with Penske as the new owners they all but have to bring a racing car to the market. As I showed in my “Plea to Saturn and Penske” they should have some sporty vehicle to choose from. Second I’ll try and reserve some hope for Pontiac. There have been some companies put forth offers to GM to buy out Pontiac, each getting the same answer from GM “Pontiac is not for sale.” In their official bankruptcy filing GM only says that they are keeping Pontiac as a limited production brand. Will they bring it back from the dead with a whole new limited production line of sporty cars? It seems like a reach, but you never know.

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