Tag Archives: Automotive

2015 Roush Mustang Stage 1 Review

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Even though this is my 5th Mustang review, I am going to say again that this is not your typical Mustang. In fact, it is not just a Ford Mustang. Rather, it is a Roush Mustang. I should explain. Roush is a separate tuning division that specializes in Ford vehicles, namely Mustangs and F-150s. Jack Roush, a famous automotive figure in motorsports racing, worked as an engineer for Ford. Possessing a passion for hot rods and NASCAR as well as Mustangs, Roush sought to make a car that combined all three. In 1988, Roush presented Ford with the first Roush Mustang which featured a 400 horsepower twin turbo engine. Unfortunately, this car did not take off as costs of mass producing the Roush Mustang was too high for Ford. Roush started his own company, Roush Performance Products. Initially, it consisted of fitting aftermarket packages to Mustangs. The first actual Roush Mustang with the complete Roush package inside and out was born in 1998. Roush sought to narrow the gap between street and track, and as such the Roush Mustangs are fitted with performance and exterior modifications. This is not your ordinary Mustang. The objective behind the Roush Mustang was to give the Mustang the driving dynamics and looks of a racer. The Roush treatment has also been applied to the F-150 truck. As I mentioned earlier, this is my 5th Mustang review. However, I have not reviewed the latest Mustang which came out in 2015. The current third generation Roush Mustang comes in four flavors: RS, Stage 1 (RS1), Stage 2 (RS2), and Stage 3 (RS3). The Mustang in this review is the Stage 1, which comes with the turbo four. Don’t worry, I made sure it was a manual transmission! I was a bit nervous about testing the new Mustang as it looks like a completely different car inside and out.  The latest Mustang is now a global car, so Ford developed the car in line with other markets’ preferences. What that does to the Mustang, I will have to find out. Continue reading

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2 Year Anniversary!

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Hello RNR Automotive Blog Readers! Two years ago on this date, this blog was created. I know that this year, I have been less frequent in publishing reviews, and I wanted to apologize for that. School keeps me busy, and so does work, and unfortunately, that has left me little time to do anything else, let alone write reviews for my blog. However, I haven’t forgot about you guys, so I will try my best to work harder at bringing you these reviews for you to read! I have great cars for you read about. I’ll let the cat out of the bag just so you can know what to expect in upcoming reviews: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, E60 BMW 550i manual, 2015 Scion TC manual, 2015 Lexus IS250, 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300, 2015 Ford Focus ST manual, 2013 Subaru Impreza WRX manual, 1965 Ford Mustang, 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R manual, and many more.  My schedule next semester will be much easier and will allow for more free time, so hang in there! In the meantime, I will do my best to get these reviews underway. With that said, I just want to thank you guys for another great year for the blog. Without your support, the blog would not be with it is today. I want to thank my family and friends for their support. I personally want to thank my friend Miranda for always helping me out as my unofficial editor of the blog. Without her input, my blog would probably be filled with numerous grammar errors. With that out of the way, for last year’s anniversary, I did a review of my 2004 Honda Pilot. This year, I will post pictures from Fall Break that I enjoyed with a couple of friends. Update: Neela (that’s her name) just hit 182,000 miles! And she is still running. 🙂 (Hope I didn’t jinx it). I hope you enjoy the pictures. Thanks again for your support! Here’s to another great year!  Continue reading

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2013 Hyundai Veloster Base Review

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Rewind to ten years ago, and you would be forgiven for thinking that Hyundai cars are boring and staid. Hyundais of the past endured an unflattering reputation. Jeremy Clarkson, formerly one of the hosts of Top Gear UK, once said that if you are driving a Hyundai Accent diesel, you have failed at life. My friend asked me for advice on what to get as his first car and I suggested an old Hyundai Sonata. His response? “Dude, I want to succeed in high school, not commit social suicide.” Yes, he actually said that.  In the last five or so years, Hyundai underwent a transformation. All of a sudden, Hyundais were no longer boring and built to resemble appliances. The latest Elantra and 2010-2014 Sonata are examples of Hyundai’s latest curvy and bold designs. Showcasing Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” styling, Hyundai cars became more appealing inside and out. This combined with their excellent value for the money and fuel efficiency propelled Hyundais to the top of the sales charts. I reviewed a 2011 Sonata, and while there is room for improvement in the handling department, I was impressed with the Sonata’s blend of style and value. In 2007, Hyundai released the HND-3 Concept, which became the Veloster in 2011. In 2011, the Veloster went on sale as a three door coupe. Its party trick? It has one door on the driver’s side, and two doors on the passenger side. Confusing eh? The thought behind these three doors was to make the Veloster unique, but also to aid practicality. By having the door on the right side, children can get out on the curb. My mother texted me one day saying that her coworker has a Veloster that I can review. Naturally, I asked her if it was a manual. My mother said no, but I reviewed it anyways because I was keen to see if the Veloster really could drive like its sporty styling suggested.

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2011 BMW 335i Teaser

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Review coming soon (car on the left)!

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The Windy City: Chicago Auto Show ’15

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the Chicago Auto Show. This was my third time, and as expected, nothing compares to seeing a showroom full of cars. Prior to this car show, I was really anxious for the reveal of the third generation 2016 Pilot. My first car was a 2004 Honda Pilot (my sister is currently driving it), and I love it, so as a Pilot owner, I was curious to see whether Honda would continue the blocky styling or go the “mommy SUV” route. And my reaction was…unexpected. Seeing all these wonderful cars in one place, I went into overload with excitement, and all of sudden I could not have the capacity to restrain myself, and as such, I irritated my family because I could not stop talking about cars. Oh well.  Please forgive the quality of my pictures as these were taken from an iPhone.   Continue reading

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Car Matchmaker!

Hello Readers,

There is a great television show on the Esquire Network called the Car Matchmaker with Spike Feresten. If you are looking for a new car or contemplating a car purchase, then Car Matchmaker may be for you! Click on the image below and find out what Car Matchmaker is about, and how you can be part of it!

Car Buyers

 

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Michael’s 2012 Mazda3 i Touring Hatchback

This post is written by Michael (http://motorblogaz.wordpress.com/) about his 2012 Mazda3. You might remember him from his previous post about his Jeep Cherokee.  IMG_0040 (2)

 

2012 Mazda Mazda3 iTouring Hatchback Automatic (22,000mi/41,000mi)  Continue reading

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