2008 Jaguar XJ Design Review

After a month long vacation, I'm back in the drivers seat with a review on the 2008 Jaguar XJ. For 08 the XJ the gets an updated sporty look.

The first noticeable change is the updated front and rear bumpers are more angular, wider and even more aggressive looking than before.

Wide vents on the front bumper tell viewers the Jag isn't only for leisurely driving around back country roads, it's also for performance driving.

No more trademark chrome siding either. Now sleek body panels and lines flow into each other. Though, there are still touches of chrome here and there.

Also gone are the bars on the grill or the distinctive Jaguar "teeth"; now a mesh grill replaces it similar to the grill on the XJR.

Side air vents and sporty wheels also give an indication that Jaguar may be targeting a younger market with the new XJ.

Some think the new XJ looks too sporty. At first glance I though it was the new XJR or after market bumpers and wheels were installed.

The interior has had minimal updates and similar to the older model.

The new design seems to be balancing performance sports sedan with traditional Jaguar styling. Is it too sporty or just right? You decide.

You can learn more about the new XJ at Jaguar.com.

Design Editorial: Tacky Taxi Logos Debuts in New York

You know the old saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Does the Statue of Liberty need to be jazzed up in designer clothes? How about the Empire State Building? Should it be clad in glass?

These are the things I was thinking about when I saw the new NYC Taxi logos.

At first I thought it was a test to see how well it would do with the public but this is the offical redesign of the logo which will slowly make its way onto the sides of all 13,000 cabs within 6 months.

Ugoff and his team are at it again- and they refuse to leave the iconic taxis alone. The old New York Taxi decals were fine as they were, why mess around with them? Didn't the fare box decal just change a couple years ago anyway?

The design committee seems bent on bringing their version of Johnny Cab to the streets of New York.

The new fare box is much smaller than the old fare box and require glasses to read. The encircled "T" on is extremely similar to the route on the subway cars (and is also reminiscent of the Boston T logo).

The font used for NYC Taxi is tacky, loud and too cartoonish. It almost screams "Taxi!" As if we couldn't tell the vehicle is a taxi by the unmistakable yellow paint, the medallion and the roof sign. Yes it is a taxi

What's with the checker pattern on the rear? Designers may be trying to hearken back to the days of the old Checker Marathon cabs but it looks more like it belongs on a race car at the Indy 500. The new logo creates an imbalance that make up the unique characteristics of New York.

Was the public involved with the creation of this new logo? They are the ones who use the taxis after all. How about the cab drivers? Maybe this was the underlying reason of the taxi strike.

If I sound like a grumpy old man, I'm not alone on this issue.

The reviews are in and their not too good either and most New Yorker's aren't that happy with the new look. (Take a look at some of those comments).

Let's hope the old logo makes a return. After all they were fine as they were.

Porchse Panamera: Inital Impressions

Porsche is in the works of finalizing a four coupe and it looks to be taking on the Mercedes CLS but Though, will it be a winner in the high end sports sedan market? It's a little too early to tell as the car is still in the works but so far here are a few initial impressions.

In terms of design the general body shape is similar to the 911 convertible. The rear of the car doesn't have a traditional trunk lid like most four doors do and instead slopes off in a similar fashion to the 911 in a coupe fashion. The angular tail lights are narrow and give a visual sense of speed

The front is designed in the typical sporty Porsche style with signature Porsche headlights (disguised under coverings) and arching lines of the hood.

The car is set to hit dealers in 2009. We'll have more as more on the final design is released. You can see spy photos and videos of the here.

Volkswagen Four-Door Coupe Spy Shots

Motor Trend released spy photos of VW's future four door coupe which is inspired after the Mercedes CLS. Though, from some angles it looks like it was inspired by the new Ponitac GTO. Is it a future Passat or Phaeton? Only VW knows.

Japlonik created a mock up (pictured above) of what the car might look like at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. We'll have a complete design review once the car is revealed.

2008 Honda Accord Review

The 8th generation 2008 Honda Accord was caught back in May cruising around in California barely disguised and now new Accord's are being spotted from coast to coast. Now it is unveiled.

Largely based off the concept the new Accord design has a worldly feel to it taking design cues from automakers around the globe
including the new Acura RL, Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry and possibly the Lexus LS, BMW 5-Series and the Saturn Aura. There's a little bit of every car in the design.

The shape of the body is bigger and seems similar to the Acura RL, which is natural since Honda makes Acura's. The front is very modular and angular. The headlights look like a fusion between the new Lexus LS and a Hyundai Sonata. For some reason the angular grill is reminiscent of the Honda Ridgeline.

Unlike the previous Accord the new Accord seems to be sitting lower to the ground. It also doesn't look recognizably like an Accord and can be mistaken for the Hyundai Sonata from some angles.

The lines and body panels have been smoothed out and the doors seem to be wider which also seem to play off of the Toyota Camry or even the Lexus ES.

The side profile seems like a fusion of the BMW 5-series and the Toyota Camry. There seems to be a BMW 5-Series influence in the rear lights when they are viewed from the side.


Though, from the back the tail lights seem to be more influenced by the Hyundai Sonata and are similar in shape to the Saturn Aura. They tie back into the Honda line somewhat by looking slightly like enlarged versions of the new Civic Coupe tailights but there is a very strong feeling of Hyundai in them. The rear bumper has gotten bigger and retains the general look of the last generation Accord bumper but the flares on the side give a slightly odd, wavy appearance.

The wheel covers also seem similar to BMW wheel covers.

The straight trunk decklid is gone and so is the third brakelight. The new decklid is curved and smoothed out to flow with the rear body design.

Moving inside the interior has been improved and has a more upscale feel to it while still being family friendly. Like most family sedans that are putting amenities into the interior to stay competitive the Accord has plush, inviting leather seats, wood accents on the door and a well sculpted two tone dashboard with a navigation system in the middle.

The coupe has more aggressive styling and may take awhile to recognize as the coupe version of the Accord. The headlights are slender and the grill has been changed to a sport honeycomb grill. The front fascia doesn't look much like a Honda but instead more like a Mazda. The back feels more like a Honda, but is still a visual jump from Honda styling of the past.

The previous Accord and Accord Coupe looked almost the same, if not the same and it was and has been easy in the past to instantly recognize an Accord Coupe. The body lines are slightly similar to the Infinity G35 Coupe, but the side rear profile is similar to the slopping design of either a BMW 6 or even a Porsche. This make us wonder are car companies copying each other? Are more cars looking similar to each other as of late?

Whether or or not, the Accord make us ask,"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" You can see more of the 2008 Accord at honda.com. Images: honda.com

Chrysler's New Old Logo

The pentastar is back and big things are happening at Chrysler including a new name change to Chrysler LLC.

Chrysler revived the familiar logo back to the the famous pentastar which was phased out about ten years ago and replaced by the current winged logo. A senior executive emailed employees back in May to make sure they got the memo and none were confusion about the change. The pentastar is now modernized (just slightly) for the new millennium but still retains the signature look.

It will be interesting to see if wood panel doors make a comeback on the Town & Country also. No word on when the current Chrysler winged logo will be phased out.

BMW's Number One

BMW's new 2008 1-series debuted earlier this year and BMW announced it would be selling it in the United States early next spring. The 1-Series comes with the option of having a hybrid engine but BMW isn't marketing the car as a hybrid because they fear the 1-series will loose it "cool factor." But will the new baby Bimmer's looks win over buyers in the US and will it get assigned a cool factor like the 3-series and M3 have?

That is yet to be determined. So far though the design has been met with some mixed results. Some say it looks like all the other BMW's in this current generation (especially like current 3-series). It does have very similar aspects to the current 3-series, especially the front fascia and the headlights. It almost looks like a smaller 325i. The 3 styling influence suggest linage but many are noting the current 3-series design is watered down, thus making the 1-series design also watered down.

The triangular front turn signals are very similar to the 3-series and the BMW X3 which also show ties to the BMW badge, but using nearly exact parts from other series seems like a way to save money on manufacturing which is good for reducing cost but not good for marketing.

The small subcompact size reminds me of another baby BMW from the past, the BMW 2002 from the 60's and 70's. Is the 1-series the 2002 resurrected under a new name?

It's in the same class as the 2002 was so perhaps. But no retro styling to be found here though, it's all new. Especially the back.

The back looks a little like it was inspired from an Asian import, especially the hatchback version. The taillights seem to take after the Toyota Matrix. In a way the car seems like it was designed for the upscale youth market (18-25) or BMW enthusiasts.

The convertible looks better. The BMW 1-series looks like a car that was meant to be a convertible. With the canvas top up the 1-series looks good zipping around town. with it down it looks even better. It's likely the convertible will be the hottest selling vehicle in the 1-series lineup.

Moving inside we see the familiar i-drive which takes a little getting used to. Stylish soft leather seats welcome the driver, and the dash has a sporty feel to it, Though, some people who test drove it reported the interior materials had a slightly cheap feel to them and wasn't as well made as the other BMW interiors of other classes were.

Though, whatever the case and whether you love it or hate it, the BMW 1-series is coming to America next year.

2008 Ford Taurus/ Mercury Sable

After a short disappearing act the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are back and this time they have a whole new look. Or do they?

What was previously called the Ford Five Hundred is now the Ford Taurus, the Ford Freestyle is now the Ford Taurus X and the Mercury Montego is now the Sable. This bit of marketing and name changing has lead to some mixed emotions about the new Taurus and Sable. Though, many others (including myself) are excited to see both the Taurus and Sable back.

The Five Hundred didn't seem like a new car in the lineup but instead a bigger version of the Taurus ever since it was launched two years ago. The honeycomb grill linked it the 2004 Taurus but the size and tailights linked the Five Hundred to the large Crown Victoria, making it fall somewhere in the lineup between the Taurus and Crown Victoria.

But some design aspects of the Five Hundred were reminiscent of the 1st Generation Taurus (1986-1991). The headlights and the overall boxy shape of the car.

That seems to be more evident with the new 2008 Ford Taurus.

The new look of the 2008 Taurus gives an obvious link to the Ford Fusion (which in shape and size seem similar to the second generation Taurus: 1992-1995), most obvious with the tri-bar chrome grill, but seems to makes an emotional appeal to the 1st generation Taurus owners. Possibly, the designers looked back to some aspects of the first Taurus for inspiration or to appeal to long time customers. Could the designers have applied a few “new retro” design aspects to the 2008 Taurus?

Possibly. The headlights seem similar to the headlights on the first generation. The shape of the car also brings to mind the first gen (86-91) Taurus.

Some even have suggested Ford create a heritage edition of the Taurus.


I’ve created a concept of a heritage edition of the Mercury Sable. Complete with the classic lightbar.

There's even a online organization, bringbackthesho.net, has created their own concept of a 2009 Ford Taurus SHO. (Rumors are flying around from auto insiders that Ford may be planning to put a performance engine into the Taurus and bring back the SHO for 2009 or 2010. It's like 1989 all over again when the SHO originally debuted.)

Though, the 2008 Taurus is different than the previous model years. It's more refined, bigger and has more amenities than any previous version.

The new Taurus has gone upscale and is staying competitive as more auto makers are putting more extra amenities into their lower and middle end models. Chrome side vents, door handles and mirror caps are new to the Taurus and Sable. The tailights have clear plastic covers linking the car back to the Fusion. Not to mention a lot of interesting standard features inside and out.

The interior looks more upscale than any previous version with touches of chrome detailing and leather seats. Wood accents are back (wood accents were included in the interior of 89-91 Taurus LX).

The Sable is not like any Sable seen before. It still looks like a Mercury but Sable owners may need to take a closer look. Sable name plates are placed all over the car telling potential buyers this really is a Mercury Sable and not a restyled Montego. The front fascia takes a visual clue from the Mountaineer and Mariner.

In the back the tail lights are also clear giving it an updated look. Inside wood accents are also back (included in the LS trim level of Sables from 89-92) Leather seats with light stitching give the interior a subtle sporty feel. The Sable has always been styled as the Taurus’ more sophisticated (and slightly more expensive) sister so its no wonder there’s a bit more styling details on the Sable than Taurus.

The Taurus X still seems too much like the Freestyle. Families would be more likely to buy a full sized Taurus station wagon than a crossover.

Though, its interesting watching an advertisement for the new Taurus. The commercial is clearly marketed toward families, specifically male heads of the household. A solid five star crash rating and a name that was the best selling car in America (from 1992 to 1995) reminds viewers of the heritage of the car but the same commercial seems to imply teenagers would be happy to drive it also.

Ironically, many younger drivers throw around the term “lame” or “boring” when asked about the Taurus. The Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and the Mazda 6 seem more appealing in terms of other cars that are in the class. For the price many find a Mustang, or lower end European import more attractive. Many younger drivers associate the Taurus with its rental car image or as a “granny car” due to some associating it with senior drivers.

The images of Nascar, Robocop in hot pursuit in his SHO or even of Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Chicken in a Sable with the bad guys in Last Action Hero seems to have slipped away in the past couple of years. It seems bringing back the SHO would be a better move to get younger drivers because the SHO preformed well, was fast and looked more sporty than the regular Taurus.

It’s also worrying to think the Taurus and Sable will become more popular with senior citizens than with families which could cause the cars image to be associated with older drivers. The Lincoln LS was marketed to take on European luxury cars but became popular with senior citizens instead.

Though, the drop down TV screen for the kids in the backseat, a ISHA five star crash rating and other family friendly options give a strong visual clue as to which market this car is intended for.

This isn’t exactly the Taurus/ Sable we’re used to seeing but in a few subtle ways it is. The Taurus and Sable are legendary icons in the automotive industry and nation. It will be interesting to see if the current model retains the Taurus tradition while appealing to a new generation of families.

Go on a walk through of the new 2008 Ford Taurus with the engineer who built it.

Design Editorial: Green Yellow Cabs in NYC

Mayor Micheal Bloomberg announced last week all New York taxis would be converted over to hybrid vehicles by 2012. The city will be phasing out the standard issue taxi Ford Crown Victoria over the next few years. The city has also approved all hybrid sedans and light SUV's for use as taxi's.

While many (including myself) are excited about the taxis going green I'm not to excited to hear the Crown Victoria's will be making their exit and I'm even less thrilled that Ford doesn't seem to want to make a hybrid Crown Victoria. Ford will loose a big portion of the market share pie if the Crown Victoria vanishes from the streets of New York.

The Crown Victoria is seen by many as a gas guzzling behemoth, but it is the essential New York taxi. Some people, especially a couple of Ugoff like designers of conceptual taxis, find the Crown Victoria ugly. It's a utilitarian vehicle designed for practical uses.

It's big, roomy, boxy and can take what the streets of New York dish out. It has been an iconic symbol of New York just as the old Marathon Checker cabs and the Chevrolet Caprices of the 80's and 90's have. Why not kept it on as a taxi and just switch it to hybrid so it can mingle with the rest of the hybrid taxis?

What about Chevy? True, they are producing environmentally friendly SUV's (finally). True, Suburbans are major culprits of air pollution and converting them to hybrids first is an effective way to lessen air pollution, but how about a hybrid Impala?

Ever since the Caprice taxi disappeared from the streets in 2000 something has been missing in New York. There was a mix of Chevrolet and Ford (also Honda Odysseys) There hasn't been that eclectic mix of taxis during the reign of the Crown Victoria. Now that eclectic mix is back- multiplied by 10 and its green.

From a design standpoint a Toyota Prius does not look like a taxi. Nor does a Toyota Highlander, or a Chrysler PT Cruiser and not even the best selling sedan in America, the Toyota Camry.

When someone flags a taxi and a Prius pulls up along side the curb you think "that's cute, now where's a real taxi?" You expect soccer moms or teenage girls to be driving the Higlander when you hop in the back. A PT Cruiser may suitable for Best Buy's Geek Squad division but not as a New York Taxi.

The Ford Escape looks just OK as a taxi but why do the urban streets of the Big Apple need light SUV taxis cursing around? Are cabbies going to re-enact the scene from Die Hard with Vengeance when the taxi drives through Central Park? Or maybe they'll drive through construction zones as a sort cut in traffic jams. Yes, the light SUV's have more room, but a big sedan like the Crown Vic and Caprice have lots of rear leg room and plenty of trunk space for those JFK fares.

The Escape (especially the newly redesigned one) seem more suited for driving up rugged trails with a kayak on the roof than cruising about the streets of New York in taxi form, though it does pass (just barely) as a taxi. The Prius, Highlander, Camry and PT Crusier though do not have the utilitarian look that the Crown Victoria, Caprice and old Marathon checkers have.

Though, the luxurious Lexus RX400 does not look like a car meant to be NYC taxi either but it is a surprising, welcome, luxurious addition to the fleet and an refined ride for cabbies and passengers. Will New York go Paris on us and bring on a fleet of Bluetech Mercedes E classes or hybrid BMW's? Only the city budget will tell.

In the mean time the American sedans we are so use to hoping in the back of are about to disappear. While some say good riddance those those big, boxy American taxis have given the streets of New York its identity; after all New York is an American city. Those famous yellow cabs have made onto the big screen in Hollywood and into millions if not billions of tourists photographs.

With Toyota's and Honda's taking to the streets as taxis it may become hard to recognize Times Square. It could be mistaken for Shibuya Square in Tokyo. From the street level world cities are looking more and more alike, especially the downtowns.

But we live in a globalized world and imported taxis are the reality. Though, it would be nice to see the hybrid Crown Victoria's and even the Impala's be a part of post 2012 New York streetscape.

2008 Land Rover LR2

The new baby Land Rover is growing up in more ways than just size.

The new 2008 Land Rover LR2 has matured in terms of the style department. The design of the 2001-2004 Freelander (now called the LR2) seemed to be designed for a younger demographic than the Range Rover and even Discovery. The bumpers were a dark plastic, it had an outdoorsy bike rack on the roof for mountain biking and it didn't look that far removed from a Ford Escape.

Than in the 2004 Freelander got a design makeover. The headlights were modernized and with a black casing giving them a more sculptured, updated look. The black plastic bumper was gone and replaced with a body colored bumper with two black sections defining the grill. The hubcaps were changed to look similar to the upcoming Range Rover Sport hubcaps.

The new 2008 Land Rover LR2 is grown up but hasn't lost its sporty side. No more black plastic anywhere to be found on the body (except for the runner boards.), this gives the LR2 a clean, crisp look.

The grill has also been changed from black to silver with latticework. Possibly designed to link the LR2 to the Range Rover Sport this latticework looks a bit cheap and will pose a problem for owners who attempt to clean it.

The newest design change, which hasn’t been seen before on any Freelander, is the vent cover. It seems out of place on the 4x4 but is meant to give a visual clue to its target demographic that the LR2 can not only go off road but can also be sporty while doing it. Though, it seems better to leave the vents on sports cars.

The squared off edges of the LR2 make a visual jump from the Freelancer’s rounded smooth corners. The LR2 looks larger than it really is with its squared corners.

The interior has changed also. The steering wheel has been updated and the dashboard visor gives and aggressive look to the interior. Even though it is meant to reduce glares from the sun on the display. Though, center console is too big and the dials and controls are too low for taller drivers.

Nonetheless the LR2 is an all around well-designed car, which preserves Land Rover's design heritage.

Eddie Griffin Crashes Rare Expensive Ferarri

Actor Eddie Griffin crashed a rare $1.4 million dollar Ferrari Enzo into a concrete barrier during a promotion for his upcoming movie Redline. The movie is about millionaire playboys who race expensive cars for thrills and bills.

The Enzo is one of rarest sports car's as only 399 were produced and Ferrari sent invitations to pre-qualified customer's inviting them to buy one (mostly to customer's who purchased the F430).

The Ferrari was owned by the producer Daniel Sadek. After the crash Sadek had mixed feelings about the incident saying, "I'm glad Eddie came out of the crash OK, but my dream car got destroyed." Sadek crashed two Porsche Carrera GT's, one of which was his one valued at $400,000 dollars, for a scene in the movie. That's three automotive works of art destroyed now.

Griffin joked about the incident afterward saying "Undercover Brother's good at karate and all the rest of that, but the brother can't drive."