The Virtual Driver

Mazda3 Grand Touring — A very competitive entry in compact segment

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(July 10, 2016) The first thing that comes to mind after sitting down to write this is that, if you’ve driven one Mazda, you’ve pretty much driven them all. The same could be said of any modern BMW, Audi, Mercedes or, for that matter, VW or Ford. All come from companies that have a pretty good idea of what they stand for, and how that translates into ride, handling, steering feel, etc.

The perfect car for the Witness Protection Program

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(June 20, 2016) Ford’s first generation Ka small car, sold in Europe and South America, was a premium small three-door produced from 1996-2008, and based on the fourth generation Ford Fiesta. Based on a Ghia concept, the Saetta, the Ka was known for its roly-poly shape overlaid with “New Edge” detailing, and large one-piece molded bumpers and wheel arches. It was replaced in 2009 by a new car built in Poland by Fiat on the 500 platform.

Preview: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(June 19, 2016) After little more than three years on the market, Maserati has given the Quattroporte a little nip and tuck for its mid-cycle facelift. The exterior changes are relatively minor, but the relentless improvement in electronic technology brings with it a new infotainment system, redesigned center console, and a new package of driver assistance systems.

Cooling the Acura NSX supercar

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(June 13, 2016) In order to gain superior downforce and efficient cooling, Acura NSX aerodynamicist and Cooling Project Leader Thomas Ramsay and his team used computational fluid dynamics simulations and wind tunnel testing of 40 percent scale models to optimize the car’s shape.

Gaining a new perspective on the Jeep Renegade

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(June 5, 2016) I didn’t know what to think about the Jeep Renegade. It’s not that I thought the cute ute was incapable of living up to the Jeep name. That worry was eliminated just after the concept was shown at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show when a Chrysler engineer admitted that a properly driven Trail Rated Renegade Trailhawk could make it through the Lyman Trail at the company’s Chelsea, Mich., proving ground. Given the muck and mess and elevation change found on this trail, that was high praise indeed.

Hitachi-Honda technology combats drunk driving

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 30, 2016) If Hitachi and Honda have their way, driving drunk will become much more difficult in the near future. The companies have developed a portable breathalyzer that can be integrated into a smart key with a footprint about the size of a small smartphone. In addition, the unit is tamper-resistant, can distinguish human breath from other vapors, and returns an accurate reading of alcohol levels within three seconds.

2016 Chrysler 200 LX Touring: Time to deal?

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 22, 2016) I’ve driven a lot of vehicles in the past 30 years, but none has been more perplexing than the Chrysler 200. Sleek, but bordering on too subtle, Chrysler’s mid-size sedan has not set the sales charts on fire since its 2015 launch. Then in January, the 200 took a broadside from Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne when he said both it and its smaller Dodge Dart sister would be killed off and replaced by more desirable crossovers with higher profit margins.

EcoBoost evolution: Greater efficiency, double the injectors, more speeds

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 15, 2016) About the only thing that Ford’s second generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 keeps from its predecessor is the bore spacing and deck height of the outgoing motor. That’s because this makes it possible to build the new engine on the same line as the outgoing version, with no major changes in plant or equipment. Where the new engine differs the most from its predecessor, however, is in its fuel injection system.

Sergio’s autonomous spelling bee

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 12, 2016) One area where FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) chairman Sergio Marchionne may have outwitted everyone is in his tie-up with Google’s parent Alphabet to produce Chrysler Pacifica-based autonomous vehicles. Though the initial agreement has the two companies working together to produce 100 self-driving Pacifica minivans in order to develop Google’s autonomous driving (AD) software and hardware, it’s very likely that this is only the first step in this partnership.

2016 Lexus RX 350: In praise of (some) personality

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 8, 2016) It was time to see if the positive feelings created on the launch drive of the new RX would carry over to everyday life on familiar roads. Once the most conservative member of the Lexus family (next to the nearly somnambulant ES 350), the RX nevertheless accounts for more than 100,000 sales each year, and has sold two million copies since its introduction in 1998.