First Drive Photos Archives

Road Test Review – 2019 Polaris Slingshot SL – By Carl Malek [Videos]

October 22, 2019, 10 pmOctober 22, 2019, 10 pm by Carl Malek

Ever had a sense of adventure? That feeling where you want to go off and try something radically new? That’s how we felt when it came to the Polaris Slingshot. This author has always been very interested in the world of three wheeled cycle cars, but the Slingshot remained an elusive quarry. We got a chance to get a taste of this special Polaris back in February, but the indoor setting and the low speeds that came with it did not give us a good opprotunity to formally get to experience all the things that the Slingshot brings to the …

Finding Its Inner Potential, 2020 Shelby Mustang GT350R Brings New Moves To Its Track Slaying Mission

October 15, 2019, 12 pmOctober 15, 2019, 11 am by Carl Malek

When we last met the Shelby GT350 Mustang, it was in its base form, and while the GT350 certainly proved to be a very track ready offering, the feeling that it had more lurking underneath its imposing bodywork was hard to ignore. The intoxicating snarl of its 5.2 liter 526 horsepower V8 certainly does its best to distract you from thinking such things, but despite its attempts at luring you into its charms, the feeling of more still permeates the overall driving experience. Ford engineers have felt the same way too, and have unleashed a new iteration of the Shelby …

2020 Hyundai Palisade Limited AWD – First Drive Review Video + Mega Gallery

September 20, 2019, 9 am by Tom Burkart

Lots of Palisade love this summer! You can really tell how seriously Hyundai is taking this full-size SUV launch by the media events scheduled on its behalf. Instead of one major media drive with an ultra exclusive invite list, Hyundai did a Palisade road show and had at least five of them across the country. Presentations from the product teams and great roads to try out this three-row biggie’s capabilities. The one we attended was in Asheville North Carolina, a short jump inland from CRD HQ in Charleston, SC. But years in the ‘lowcountry’ made me forget all about hills …

First Drive Review – 2019 Rolls Royce Dawn Black Badge – By Carl Malek

September 1, 2019, 10 am by Carl Malek

When we last met Rolls Royce’s Black Badge lineup, it was at the 2018 MAMA Spring Rally where we had the chance to go for a brief spin in the Wraith Black Badge. The Wraith’s rendition was supposed to appeal to a younger audience, and give the ultra bespoke coupe a small but welcome pinch of performance engineering to go with its world class levels of luxury and opulence. With the Dawn convertible proving to be an equally popular choice for the small sector of Rolls Royce’s customer base that want to add droptop cruising to the list of things …

First Drive Review – 2019 Rolls Royce Cullinan – By Carl Malek

August 28, 2019, 10 pm by Carl Malek

It’s hard to ignore the resurgence of SUVS both in sales, as well as in overall relevance in the minds of a new generation of buyers. Once considered a crippled segment following the Great Recession, SUV growth and demand has rapidly surged ahead in recent years. This has resulted in a ripple effect that has caused many automakers to rapidly revamp, and in some cases, rethink their long term sales strategies. These include high end marques once known for car focused lineups, with Bentley, Maserati, and Lamborghini all joining the fray. But at last, this ripple effect has reached arguably …

Road Test Review – 2019 Hyundai Elantra Sport M/T – By Carl Malek

August 21, 2019, 10 pm by Carl Malek

The battle in the compact sport sedan segment is still heating up despite the rapid ascent of compact crossovers, and the slow introduction of their equally spicy performance variants. While the Honda Civic Si, Volkswagen GLI, and the Subaru WRX have become the established players when it comes to delivering bargain focused performance to selective enthusiasts. An alternative choice that has always been considered the outsider looking in is the venerable Elantra Sport. Hyundai has recently been kickstarting its attempts at being a relevant player in this shrinking but still viable segment. This is thanks mainly to the Veloster and …

First Drive Review – 2017 Ford GT – By Carl Malek

August 19, 2019, 9 amAugust 19, 2019, 12 am by Carl Malek

When Ford first revealed the 2017 Ford GT at the North American International Auto Show, it was arguably one of the best kept secrets at the show that year. It was also the best kept secret at Ford, with only a scant few knowing of its meager origins until the very end of its development cycle. Since then, the GT has been a very potent marketing tool for the company, and it has proven to be a very compelling piece of eye candy for millions of enthusiasts around the world. We first had our taste of GT infused bliss when …

Road Test Review – 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback XSE 6-Speed Manual – By Carl Malek

August 11, 2019, 7 pmAugust 6, 2019, 7 pm by Carl Malek

When it comes to the venerable Toyota Corolla, the iconic compact sedan has developed a very loyal following during its several decade production run, and it has managed to even block the challenge to its sales supremacy that has been cast into stone by a growing field of CUV competitors. But while the Corolla has managed to check all the other boxes that car buyers think in their minds when they purchase one, the lone item that has been missing in recent years is excitement. So when Toyota revealed that it planned to release a five-door version of its econobox, …

Road Test Review – 2019 Lexus UX200 F Sport – By Carl Malek

August 1, 2019, 11 pm by Carl Malek

Lexus like other automakers, had a bit of a conundrum when it came to the task of luring in young millennials to its model lineup. How do you create something that comes jam packed with technology, style, and sophistication but in the compact dimensions that are needed for a urban commuter? While the Lexus RX is still a venerable nameplate (the bewildering RX350L excluded.) Its bigger size does not bode well for buyers in urban environments, and the Lexus NX can be a bit too extreme for other buyers. Lexus thinks it has finally hit the sweet spot with the …

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