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DRIVEN: 2024 Lexus UX250h Premium - Matt Stone Cars
I was on staff at Motor Trend when Lexus brought out the first RX300 and we all knew that it would change the SUV landscape, by crystalizing the definition of what we came to call the luxury Crossover SUV. That first RX was smartly sized, had just enough “soft-roading” capability to handle the commute to […]
Gathering At The Oaks 2024 - Still Something for Everyone, and Yet Better Every Year - Matt Stone Cars
I’m proud to say I’ve been involved with this show since its barest beginnings just five years ago, and a small yet mighty volunteer Committee continues to innovate and improve this highly worthwhile Automotive Experience, as they call it. Things that helped this year were no local Southern Oregon wildfires as was the case a […]
My New DeLorean book is alive, and released for order and purchase - Matt Stone Cars
The magic release date was just 48 hours ago, my DeLorean The Rise, Fall, and Second Acts of The DeLorean Motor Company is now available in hardback. I’m very pleased and proud of it, and I believe and hope it’s a story you’ll enjoy — the story you thought you know, but maybe didn’t […]
DRIVEN: 2024 Toyota Prius XLE HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) - Matt Stone Cars
Click on any image to see full screen in high res Throughout the Prius’ years on the market, its seldom, or more likely, never won an award for its looks. Some were strange, a few simply ugly. Guess what; while you may or may not have been looking, the Prius got handsome in […]
Wither Lincoln? - Matt Stone Cars
The Mk II was so unique and special that it spawned its own Continental Division of the Ford Motor Company Lincoln used to make great cars. Unfortunately, that statement is now longer completely nor technically true — because Ford’s Lincoln brand doesn’t make cars anymore. It has a full, and worthwhile, fleet of only […]
COMING SOON - MY NEW DELOREAN BOOK - Matt Stone Cars
I’m excited to tell you about my next and newest project — the first new (in some years) and up to date book about the story you thought you knew. DeLorean, the man, the car, the company, the trial, the fall, the big movie, and today. There have been several books about DeLorean published […]
DRIVEN: 2024 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD - Matt Stone Cars
Please click on any photo to see it full screen in high resolution The compact Hyundai Kona came to market as a 2018 model, in a variety of trim levels with a few powertrain choices. It practically defined the term “Cute-Ute.” And it was. Yet also a little small, not particularly powerful, nor roomy. Yet […]
THE VAN - Matt Stone Cars
During one’s lifetime, we all own at least one vehicle with “personality.” Mine was a 1962 Ford Econoline van. It was the barest and most stripped version produced, with a 200 cubic-inch straight-six motor, 3-speed manual trans, two front seats, and the minimum number of windows. You know, white bread loaf. No radio, no […]
DRIVEN: 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70 AWD Prestige - Matt Stone Cars
Premium EVs are here. And you’d have to look a long way to find a nicer one than this decidedly upmarket two-row Genesis. Unlike some EVs there are few choices in terms of motors, drive wheels, and extended range batteries: The EGV70 comes one way, and that’s pretty much loaded. My tester did include a […]
Virtual ProjectCarsNCoffee - Matt Stone Cars
We’ve all done it. Eyeballed a car/truck/bike/boat/plane looking a bit down on its luck if not outright abandoned, that immediately sparked our restorational imaginational. If I got my hands on that thing, I’d make it bitchin. I guess it’s all an extension of the barnfind phenom. Sometime these things are conveniently all in one place […]
DRIVEN: 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 - Matt Stone Cars
Hyundai has quickly become one of the industry’s most major forces in the development and production of EVs. Two of its slicker offerings are the Ioniq 6 sedan and the Ioniq 5 four-door hatch (or demi SUV). Both are based on much the same technical and engineering platforms, offering similar performance, specifications, features and pricing […]
REVS INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES PREMIERE OF PONY PEDIGREE EXHIBITION AND EXCLUSIVE LOAN OF RARE FORD GT40S - Matt Stone Cars
Like Ford GTs? So do I – perhaps my Favorite Cars in the World, which is why I thought you might enjoy this news….MS “Museum Visitors to Experience Trio of Automotive Marvels Assembled for First Time” Ford Motor Company Media Archive, Petersen Automotive Museum, and REVS institute photos December 21, 2023 – Naples, Florida – […]
THE LAST LAP - One of the stranger accidents ever at the Indy 500 - Matt Stone Cars
I love motorsports history, especially that of the Indy 500, Formula 1, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Click on any image to see it full size in high res Since the first Indianapolis 500, held in 1911, won by Ray Harroun in a Marmon, 73 people have died at The Speedway in connection […]
DRIVEN: 2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Tremor AWD - Matt Stone Cars
Since its introduction a couple years back, the compact 4-door only Ford Maverick pickup has been hot property. They’ve been tough to get and often sell for a premium over the window sticker MSRP. There were all sorts of supply chain issues for certain components, and the recent UAW strike hasn’t helped matters much lately […]
Moon Equipped Documentary is a wrap, coming to theaters and social media ASAP - Matt Stone Cars
The late great Dean Moon was a character and three-quarters. Truly one of the early high priests of hot rodding, besides being a dragstrip and Bonneville racer, Moon was a sharp-eyed photographer, and major producer of hot rod and racing parts. His famous “Moon Eyes” logo is ubiquitous in car culture, and people put this […]
FORD HOUSE - An Absolute Must-Visit Gem in Grosse Pointe, Michigan - Matt Stone Cars
Clara and Henry Ford had but one child, he being Edsel Bryant Ford, born November 6, 1893 in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. Ford the younger became a highly influential member of the Ford family dynasty, and also in the history of the worldwide transportation company that bears his […]
DRIVEN: 2023 Hyundai Elantra HEV Limited - Matt Stone Cars
I can’t tell you how many so-called experts proclaimed that as soon as pure EVs became more practical and prevalent in the marketplace, the conventional, non-plug-in regenerative hybrid (HEV) would be instantly and forever dead. Ain’t happened. The vehicle architecture popularized by the original Toyota Prius and Honda […]
When near Detroit, eat at Ford's Garage - Matt Stone Cars
Click on any image to see it full screen in hi res Detroit, Dearborn, Pontiac, Lansing, and Flynt are just some of Michigan’s many car company towns. In Dearborn — definitely Ford country — you’d be a Mo-Ron if you don’t avail yourself to the outstanding Q, […]
DRIVEN: 2023 Toyota Corolla SE AWD Sedan - Matt Stone Cars
(Click on any image to see it full screen in high res) Toyota introduced its (and nearly everyone else’s) foray into the hybrid car world with the original Prius, and for some years, the only way you could get Toyota’s innovative regenerative hybrid powertrain system was installed in a Prius. As model years rolled along, […]
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance - and the winners are... - Matt Stone Cars
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (August 20, 2023) — A prewar Mercedes-Benz roadster that was first owned by the Shah of Afghanistan—one of just three similar cars surviving in the world today—was awarded the top prize at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This year, 216 cars from 18 countries and 30 states pulled onto the competition […]
Cool Cars Are Where You Find Them - Matt Stone Cars
Click on a photo to see it full screen in hi res As you’ve likely heard me say before, its true: cool cars are where you find them, often right under your nose. Check out this crazy trio of vintage Oldsmobiles (remember that brand? Opposite of what the TV commercial jingle said, These Are […]
The Point of Driving It Home - Is the Point - Matt Stone Cars
You can click on any photo to see it full size and in high res. The joys of benchracing aside, I generally dislike “Me and My Car” stories. You know, when someone – friend, clubmate, or journalist – prattles on and on about some car they have or had and why its better than […]
Fabulous Fiorano - Ferrari's Private F1 Test Track - Matt Stone Cars
To Tread Upon Hallowed Ground Lapping The Ferrari Factory’s Test Track [Doubleclick on any image to see it full screen in high res] Some places are sacred; Mount Everest, the Wailing Wall, the Taj Mahal, or the Coliseum in Rome. Places that move you, for their historic significance, transcendental beauty, cosmic geography, or some combination […]
DRIVEN: 2023 Hyundai G80 Electrified AWD - Matt Stone Cars
Doubleclick on any image to see it full screen in high res Other than Ford GTs, and this or that Ferrari or Porsche, I get more questions about EVs than just about any other vehicle right now, so as you’ve likely noticed from recent posts, I’m working my way through as many of them as […]
Steve McQueen Car & Motorcycle Show at Boys Republic This Coming Weekend (June 2/3/4) - Matt Stone Cars
[double click on any image to see it full screen] One of my very favorite automotive happening is, (sorry) happening this coming weekend. The Friends of Steve McQueen Car and Motorcycle Show is a great show with something(s) for everyone, recognizing and honoring an iconic guy and his films, and in charity benefit of a […]
37TH FABULOUS FORDS FOREVER SHOW MAKES MOST OF NEW HOME AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY - Matt Stone Cars
37TH FABULOUS FORDS FOREVER SHOW MAKES MOST OF NEW HOME AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY IRWINDALE, Calif. – Having finally found what appears to be a sustainable long-term home, the truly world-famous Fabulous Fords Forever (FFF) show is charging handily through its fourth successful decade. The basic tenets of the event don’t significantly change much, but they without […]
DRIVEN: 2023 Hyundai Elantra Limited - Matt Stone Cars
When the fourth gen Hyundai Elantra came online in 2006, it played as a strong competitor to the Ford Focus, and several other compact coupes and sedans; in terms of value, standard equipment, and content levels, I felt it bettered the popular Ford in several key areas. [BTW – You can click on any image […]
Proof that You Can't Fix Stupid - Matt Stone Cars
[CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO SEE IT FULL SCREEN IN HI RES] There’s a famous Latin expression, used primarily by the legal community, that goes Res Ipsa Loquitur, which pretty much means “The Thing Speaks for Itself” somewhat filling the need for the classic definition of “hard evidence.” I was attending the Porsche 356 Club’s […]
DRIVEN: 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited AWD - Matt Stone Cars
(Click on any photo to see it full screen in high res) I have for years been berating carmakers for inflating the compact pickup market into extinction. As most American brand pickup trucks got “longer, lower, wider” heavier, less fuel efficient, more expensive, and less easy to tool around town in — not that they […]
The Gathering at the Oaks Concours, Medford Oregon - Matt Stone Cars
The Fourth Time’s A Charm Photos courtesy Kirk Gerbracht; click on any photo to see it full screen in high res Now in its fourth year, Gathering at the Oaks is becoming a meaningful force in the Southern Oregon classic and collector car scene. It’s a very egalitarian event, offering something of motoring interest to …
Days of Elegance: The Netherlands has a great new Concours d’Elegance - Matt Stone Cars
Click on any photo to see it full screen in hi res No matter if it’s the next county, state, country, or around the world, when I travel I make it a goal to visit local automotive events. Of course lots of Googling helps locate and sort out these visits, and if that doesn’t yield …
COMING SOON: PORSCHE SPECIAL EDITIONS - Matt Stone Cars
Special Edition cars. We’ve all heard of them; Anniversary models, Limited editions, Indy 500 Pace Car editions, some models even named SE or Special Edition, and so on…and on. After finishing up and publishing my THE IROC PORSCHES book, I still felt like I had another Porsche title in me. But it had to be …
DRIVEN: 2022 Hyundai Tucson N Line AWD - Matt Stone Cars
Double click on any image to see it high res and full screen Hyundai’s Tucson and Sante Fe SUVs have now been around so long, we don’t often think of them as standardbearers in the marketplace. This was my chance to drive the recently remodeled, freshened, and more sportified Tucson; nothing like a 2000 mile …
NOW IN PRINT: PORSCHE SPECIAL EDITIONS - Matt Stone Cars
I’m pleased to say that my latest book project, after interminable delays due to Covid, inflation, deflation, supply chain issues, a rail strike, locust, rickets, acne, heartburn, and goodness knows what else, is alive and well, in print and available in time for the holidays (shameless plug, hint hint). Factory special editions, anniversary models, uber …
DRIVEN: Volvo XC40 Recharge EV - Matt Stone Cars
DRIVEN: Volvo XC40 Recharge EV [Please click on any image to see it full screen in high res] As you might imagine, I get many questions about EVs these days. “How do they drive?” “How far do they go on a charge?” “Are they slow?” Or “Are they fast enough.” “What do you do …
Now in Print: Porsche Special Editions - Matt Stone Cars
My newest baby is out of the incubator and available for order. Porsche Special Editions covers a variety of special run Porsches, produced by the factory, by outside coachbuilders, top level aftermarket companies, and others. Plus a smattering of concept cars. I’m particularly thankful to the incomparable Magnus Walker, the Urban Outlaw Hisownself, who kindly …
COMING SOON...GERMANY'S GREAT CAR MUSEUMS - Matt Stone Cars
No, I’ve not forgotten you or this blog. I’ve just been on the road and on the run gathering new material to share with you. Next up will be two of Germany’s greatest factory car museums both from around the Stuttgart area. Worth my trip, and hopefully worth your look when I get them posted …
Bronco Road Trip - Matt Stone Cars
2,600-MILE WEST COAST ROAD TRIP IN A BRONCO SPORT ALL ‘THUMBS-UP’ The birth and product launch of Ford’s new Bronco and Bronco Sport have earned nearly as much excitement and following as have any Ford GT or Shelby models of recent history. By developing the model lines in a two-pronged product approach, the new Bronco …
Old Cars on the Road - Matt Stone Cars
Among the many things I love about driving through rural communities is the surprising number of old cars I run across; yard art parked here and there, wrecking yards, small used car dealerships, barns, and other such random depositories of old tin. And of course it comes in all shapes, sizes, and conditions. Uber sharp …
Two Iconic German Car Museums: Porsche and Mercedes-Benz - Matt Stone Cars
Visiting Two Iconic German Car Museums: Porsche and Mercedes-Benz Transportation museums around the world vary—from purpose built, factory backed, artistic (and often architectural) wonders to old warehouses thinly repurposed into museum or personal (or foundation) collection display (and/or storage) duty. To take in and fully appreciate some of the world’s best, a visit to Germany …