By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(November 24, 2013) When I flew to Minneapolis for the press launch of the redesigned Kia Soul, it was the first time I'd been in Minnesota in 10 or 15 years. On that occasion I was on a “Discover America” shoot for an episode on Leech Lake. Sounds exactly like a place you'd want to go, right?

By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(November 16, 2013) It's not often a carmaker's media launch of some new or redesigned product is close enough to Greenville for me to drive rather than fly. One such event was Toyota's introduction of the renovated Tundra pickup several weeks ago. Toyota threw this outing – the Tundra East Coast Drive Camp, they called it – at Barnsley Gardens Resort. Located just northwest of Atlanta, it was about a three-hour haul from Greenville. I slog nearly that far to the airport when I fly out of Atlanta.

By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(November 4, 2013) I must admit: Cincinnati is rarely on my mind. Even during the 15 or so years I lived 100 miles down the road in Louisville, I didn't give much pause to Cincy. For the four – could have very easily turned into five – years I attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, I passed through the Queen City on my way back and forth for breaks and summer vacations.

By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(October 22, 2013) I like Mazda's Mazda3. I feature it in the pieces I write for my financial dot-coms every chance I get. So, I was excited to receive an invite to the media launch of the redesigned 3 in San Diego a few weeks ago.

By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(September 6, 2013) Several carmakers each year host a full-line event at which media get to drive everything they market in America. Once in a while, they will even sneak in a model available only in a foreign market; but for the most part, they stick to what they sell here. Every few years Nissan does something entirely different when it brings virtually every light vehicle it sells in the world to one location for media to experience.

By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(August 7, 2013) I must admit, because the cars I drive nearly always have less than 10,000 miles on them — most less than 5,000 miles — and are always delivered to me clean and fully serviced, I rarely need to lift the hood unless I am uncontrollably curious. Popping the hood mostly reveals just a lot of plastic covers and some wires. Rather than being a voyage of discovery, lifting the hood usually just has me asking myself, "Hmmm, I wonder what's under there and there?"

By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(July 20, 2013) I was in Baltimore a few weeks ago to drive the all-new Fiat 500L. This marked my first stay in Maryland in several years. I don't think I'd been there since my "Discover America" days. I remember two shoots in particular.