By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(June 1, 2013) Porsche’s engineering brief for the 918 Spyder was direct, but hardly simple: combine top-level motor racing technology with excellent everyday utility, and maximum performance with minimum consumption. This task required a clean sheet of paper, and has resulted, says Porsche, in a car that will “act as the gene pool for the Porsche sports cars of the future.”

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

Though few people remember Tony Howarth and the Africar, a structural plywood off-roader designed to be built and sold in Africa, that program continues to inspire. The Global Vehicle Trust (GVT) has picked up the idea, and sponsored the creation of a cost-effective light truck made up of mostly interchangeable panels.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 18, 2013) When Lexus first burst upon the scene in late 1989, it was a revelation if not a revolution. Toyota, which had no upscale brand to which it could send customers once they outgrew its mainstream offerings, was taking on the overpriced Germans, BMW and Mercedes. Audi, at the time, was in the midst of the 60 Minutes-hyped unintended acceleration nonsense, and was not a player.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 8, 2013) As one of the few body-on-frame mid-size SUVs remaining in the world (just about everything else in this space has gone monocoque), Toyota’s 4Runner is a bit of an anomaly. Four years into what is expected to be a seven-year lifecycle, the fifth-generation 4Runner has been given a mid-cycle exterior and interior upgrade designed to make it look more rugged and feel more refined.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(April 23, 2013) Prodrive is developing a new approach to the design of race vehicles that, it claims, can slash the cost of developing a competitive vehicles by up to 50 percent. That has the potential to save a lot of money. The British engineering concern claims the approach focuses engineering resources for maximum return on investment, can be applied across any formula, and will “almost guarantee” a competitive vehicle.

THE VIRTUAL DRIVER
By Christopher A. Sawyer

(March 19, 2013) The Ford Explorer is built on a shortened version of the same platform as the Flex, a vehicle designed to replace both the Freestyle/Taurus X crossovers and the Freestar minivan with a single vehicle built off a stretched version of Volvo’s D4 platform. That is, the same platform used by the unloved Freestyle/Taurus X.