Auto Lovers Land

The 1951 Jowett Jupiter in competition in Lisbon. Photo credit: RM Sothebys It was the unlikeliest of cars from the unlikeliest of automaker. It was the Jowett Jupiter, the only sports car built by Jowett Cars, Ltd. — a longtime British manufacturer of 2-cylinder automobiles. Introduced this week at the London Motor Show in 1949, it would go on to score class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monte Carlo International Rally. But it did little to save the company from extinction.   A modest start Jowett Javelin ad, 1947 Our story starts when brothers Benjamin and William Jowett began manufacturing V-twin engines at the turn of the previous century. They went on to establish the Jowett Motor Manufacturing Co. in 1901 in Yorkshire, England, initially building bikes until they created their first prototype car in 1906. It would enter production in 1910. The company reorganized after World War I, becoming Jowett Cars Limited, building 3,500 vehicles ...

The 2024 Buick Encore GX continues to be an attractive, affordable option that is comfortable, offers a good tech package, and reasonable performance for about $35,000. That may sound like faint praise, but it’s not. SUV prices are crazy in this era, almost as absurd as pickup truck prices.  The 2024 Buick Encore GX continues to be an attractive, affordable option that is comfortable, offers a good tech package, and reasonable performance at a decent price. However, this Buick is a solid choice that you will enjoy long after you’ve made the final payment, and it won’t take your entire retirement account to buy it.  Overview The Encore GX is in its fifth year, after succeeding the earlier, smaller, and much less attractive Encore. The GX is a little bigger, and offers better performance, interior and features. In short, the Encore GX is what the Encore always should have been.  Buick starts the 2024 Encore GX at $25,600 — which is actually $300 less than the 2023 ...

A refreshed Tesla Model 3 could lift its sales in the fourth quarter, analysts say. Several Wall Street analysts caution that Tesla may miss projections for third-quarter deliveries, due to planned manufacturing shutdowns and lackluster demand that caused the automaker to hike discounts. The news may come as soon as Sunday, according to a Reuters report. In the third quarter, analysts predict Tesla to deliver anywhere from 439,200 to 455,000 vehicles. According to an average of 11 analysts’ forecasts gathered by British financial information company the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), that is less than the general Wall Street projection of 458,713 units. If LSEG’s predictions prove true, it would represent a 1.6% decline in sales from the second quarter, and Tesla’s first back-to-back slide in sales since the second quarter of 2022.  Softening sales may compel further price cuts to boost sales in the face of increased competition and a general downturn in demand for el...

Overlanding is the latest outgrowth of off-roading, and the practice has been  rapidly growing in popularity  during the past decade. Simply put, overlanding is traveling long distances over primitive roads or no roads at all, camping, and getting to places that civilization doesn’t reach.  The Hilt is designed to disrupt the market as the first adventure truck of its kind to be produced at this scale. Unlike conventional four-wheeling, overlanding isn’t limited to finding challenging obstacles within the confines of an OHV area or park made for the purpose. With overlanding, the journey is the point.  The popularity of overlanding has spawned an industry to support the hobby. Custom-built overlanding rigs can cost up to $250,000 and include enough amenities to qualify as glamping; there’s no rule that says you can’t be comfortable on your trip.  Coming to the party The most recent addition to the market comes from Storyteller Overland LLC, which recent...

Luxury buyers don’t pay nearly the premium for an EV that mass market car buyers do. Mainstream EV buyers are being priced out of the market, according to a new study by J.D. Power. While electric vehicles (EVs) now account for 8.4% of the retail new-vehicle market, 76% of sales come from the luxury market. The study states that while the difference between internal combustion engine (ICE) and EVs are negligible in the premium market, they’re far more substantial in the mass market. Consider the five-year total cost of ownership of a compact SUV, the largest retail sales segment in the United States. The average premium EV brand buyer is spending $71,707, a mere $287 or 0.4% more than a comparable compact ICE SUV. In contrast, buying an EV costs the typical mass-market brand consumer $60,736, which is $9,259 or 18% more than an ICE vehicle. A costly choice Leasing a Mercedes-Benz EQB is cheaper than leasing a Ford Mustang Mach-E before federal tax credits, according to J...

A little late to the EV game, Honda’s looking to make up ground quickly, starting with its first-ever all-electric model, the Prologue. The company’s new model is set to arrive in the U.S. next year with a 300-mile range. The 2024 Honda Prologue is the company’s first-ever all-electric model for the U.S. The new model is part street machine and part off-roader — but not equal parts. With Americans looking to head out to the wilds in increasing number the new Prologue was designed to give drivers a little more off-road capability. However, you need to think two-track not Moab. “The arrival of the all-new Honda Prologue is a pivotal moment for the brand as Honda begins the transition to our zero-emissions future,” said Lance Woelfer, assistant vice president of Honda National Auto Sales, American Honda Motor Co. Inc.  “Prologue is aptly named as our first volume Honda EV, a stylish, sporty and spacious SUV that will take us toward our vision of 100% zero emissions vehicle sal...

The trend toward making the EV iterations largely identical to their ICE counterparts is one I appreciate. All too often, stylists tend to go a bit too far in their endeavors to conjure a unique look for EVs. In this case, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250+ looks so close to its GLB sibling they’re difficult to tell apart from certain angles.  The 2023 Mercedes EQB 250+ easily handles daily tasks, just like its gas-powered counterparts. Overview  Now offered in three different “states of tune,” the X243 EV (Mercedes’ internal platform designation) can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive. Considered the entry-level EQB, the 250+ is new for the 2023 model year. Largely identical in appearance to its more powerful counterparts, the primary distinguishing characteristic of the 250+ is its more generous driving range. Exterior The solid panel where the grille is fitted to the ICE version of the Mercedes “B” SUV tells you it’s electric.  After all, there’s n...

Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot is activated by a steering wheel button. Mercedes-Benz revealed on Wednesday that American drivers would be able to purchase Drive Pilot, its Level 3 automated driving system, starting in late 2023, making it the country’s first automaker to do so.  “Drive Pilot is a technological game changer and incredible leap forward in the pursuit of conditionally automated driving,” said Dimitris Psillakis, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. “This ground-breaking system reinforces our intention to lead in safety and technology, while giving precious time back to our customers during heavy traffic situations.”  Drive Pilot will be accessible on a small number of EQS sedans in California and Nevada through participating authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers. In other states, Level 3 autonomous driving is not permitted by law. Mercedes-Benz intends to extend the option to S-Class models as well in the early 2024.  Prices start at $2,500, with other pr...

Joe Biden became the first sitting U.S. president to join a picket line, accepting UAW chief Shawn Fain’s invitation to meet with striking union workers. President Joe Biden walks along the UAW picket line in metro Detroit. Fain handed Biden a UAW baseball hat when he greeted him at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. After meeting with national, state and local politicians, Biden and Fain traveled to General Motors’ Willow Run parts distribution center in Van Buren Township, west of Detroit. Biden who claims to be the most pro-union president in history, met with strikers and then grabbed a bullhorn, telling the crowd, “I marched in a lot of UAW picket lines when I was a senator — since 1973 — but, I tell you what, it’s the first time I’ve ever done it as president.” When asked by a reporter if he believes the workers should get a 40% raise, encouraged by the strikers, he said, “Yes, I think they should be able to bargain for that.” The president, who also met with striking GM work...

Six months after Ford Motor Co. revealed plans to build a $3.5 billion EV battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, the project ground to a halt with the automaker citing concerns about being run it at a profit. Ford halted construction its $3.5 billion EV battery plant in Marshall, Michigan. “There are a number of considerations” behind the decision, among other things, questions about whether it can operate the plant at a profit. Already under fire due to the role that will be played by Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, many local residents in Marshall pushed back against the project which would take over a 950-acre wooded site. Not surprisingly, the decision generated immediate fire from the United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, who called the move “a shameful threat.” The UAW and Ford are in the midst of talks and a strike which is now 12 days into against Ford as well as General Motors and Stellantis. Part of the plan Each of the Detroit automakers is in the midst of roll...

A new battery-electric NSX might be Honda’s new flagship model. Honda Motor Company unveiled their roster for the Japan Mobility Show, which replaced the Tokyo Motor Show as its official name. Among the entries is the Honda Specialty Sports Concept, which the automaker describes as a fun-to-drive electric sports car that will “transcend the constraints of time, even in the era of electrification for carbon neutrality and the popularization of automated driving technology.”  The announcement was strewn among announcements for various electric scooter, bike, and hatchback concept vehicles. The electric sports car isn’t displayed, unlike the other automobiles that were announced for its Honda Dream Loop display scheduled for the show. Catching up on EVs While Honda was an early manufacturer of modern electrified automobiles, mainly hybrids, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, not EVs. That changed with last year’s arrival of Honda’s current CEO, Toshihiro Mib...

Most people like the car they drive. It could be for any reason, like high performance, a quiet ride, great fuel economy, or just plain old reliable value for their vehicle dollars. Automakers advertise their vehicles as points of personal pride with campaigns like “ Swagger Wagon ” and “ Yeah, that’s a Buick .”  2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 with Xtreme Recon package Then there are brands that inspire passion. Get a big cup of coffee before asking a Porsche owner why they love the brand, because you’ll need it. Same with Corvette drivers and especially those who drive less popular but quirky vehicles like Citroens or Fiats.  If you’ve spent time among enthusiasts, you’ll know that a lot of drivers appreciate their vehicles and enjoy showing them off, but no one is prouder than a Jeep owner. When someone buys a Jeep, they become part of a passionate community with unspoken bonds of friendship. They also enter a unique culture with hierarchies, secret waves  and ru...