Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Love it or hate it, the new 2012 BMW 335i (internally, F30) makes a bold statement. A continuation of BMWs design language found in the current 5 and 7 series, especially in the completely reworked front fascia with its exposed kidney grilles and elongated headlamps, the 335i makes no bones about what it’s here to [...]

Be my Valentino

After more than 40 years as a test driver for Lamborghini, Valentino Balboni retired. In place of a gold watch the Italian supercar maker crafted a limited edition model (only 250) in his honor: the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni — yes, it’s a mouth full. That very car birthed two beautiful descendants. Our [...]

Bespoke Barroom Brawler

Let’s start with the near absurdity of a four-door Porsche, on the heels of the ridiculously successful Cayenne, which no Porsche enthusiast thought should be built. The Panamera was never meant to compete with the BMW 7-Series, the Mercedes S-Class or the Audi A8, though comparos almost always include the four in a heated battle [...]

White Lightning

The Audi TT started out as an exercise in modern Bauhaus Auto Union design and it’s been hugely successful in both 2+2 and roadster versions. Though neither car has been deemed especially quick, that all changes with the TT RS, a balls-to-the-wall 2+2 that makes other sports cars sweat like an elk in Ted Nugent’s [...]

Price of perfection? Starts around $96,000.

Let’s get this out of the way. The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S crushes miles. It crushes miles on grand tours, it crushes them on B-roads, it even crushes them on boring commutes. From the moment you turn the key — Porsche thankfully forgoes the start button frippery — to the raucous score of the [...]

Bruise Control

No longer the poor man’s Rolls, the 2012 Chrysler 300 S (yes, the one in all those “imported from Detroit” ads) is no longer the big bruiser of yore. Though absolutely sinister in black, Chrysler has sent the 300 to finishing school — giving it a German eight-speed automatic and a seductive new interior with [...]

Highest Common Denominator

Taking a step back — a good one — VW returns to its roots of making stellar vehicles at earthly prices, and the result is the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, now made right here in America. Remarkably better than its predecessor yet refreshingly light on the wallet (prices start under $20 grand) the 2012 Passat is [...]

Call it a comeback

In America, the hatchback has long fought an uphill battle — garnering the scorn and disdain of image conscious buyers who prefer the look of a sedan or coupe. The thing is, regardless of mass public opinion, we think hatchbacks are great, especially on smaller vehicles where the proportions, engineering and design seem to jive [...]

2 Coats, 18 Days

Seasons are something you can take for granted when you live in LA — I do — rarely giving you an opportunity to truly test cold weather gear. Granted our desert climate can create temps in the high 30s on winter nights, but it’s still not the right environment for challenging the winter gear that [...]

If train A leaves the station at...

According to estimates there are 800 million cars on the road today. By 2050 it will approach between 2 and 4 billion with 70% of those cars existing in cities. Needless to say, automakers — and city planners alike — are scrambling to develop new and more efficient ways to get around. One company, Ford, [...]

Filed Under: Ravishing

Silver (and black) Bullet

What do you get when you cross a great brand, an Airstream and a trunk show? You get the AETHERstream: a mobile shop chock full of goods like well-cut jackets and sweaters, to other appointments including wireless internet, dinner table, bed and even a suspended fire pit. Conceived by Thierry Gaugain, a former Philipe Starck [...]

Old school American muscle? We'll take it.

Even a caveman can eat it

Living a healthy lifestyle can be confusing: Eat six times a day by reducing meal size and snacking. Don’t snack. Don’t eat carbs, focus on proteins. Too much red meat is bad for you. Drink soy milk because it doesn’t contain lactose. Don’t drink soy milk because it increases estrogen levels lest you risk a [...]

Design Within Reach

Volvo has long been seen as the safe car. But no one wants to date the “safe” guy. And only billion dollar corporations afraid of lawsuits give out awards for completing something safely. Needless to say, “safe” isn’t a buzz word that lights up headlines. Armed with this cultural realization Volvo’s designers and engineers decided [...]