The Ignition Blog : We Are Southern California Car Culture

Jan

Buick, giving a taste of something different

Categories: Uncategorized and _Buick

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On Saturday, Buick hosted a spectacular event teamed up with Food & Wine at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. If you are hosting an event that is geared toward showing people something they have never seen, it can be a tall order in SoCal. With countless historical & renowned restaurants, clubs, bands, celebrities, and beaches, it can be difficult to plan an event most people have never experienced. Buick accomplished just that. From the very beginning, the event started with a reception loaded with great decor and great appetizers. From there the guests were split into groups to take part in each of the three experiences they had planned. First, was a cooking demonstration by Santa Monica’s Josiah Citrin, Executive Chef of Mélisse . A once in a life time experience to watch an amazing chef teach a lesson in cooking and taste a sample of his creation. Next was the chance to learn about and test out some of the new creations by Buick, which included the Verano, Regal, Enclave & Lacrosse. Each filled with new style & luxury, the new Buick line is smartly engineered for power and economy while still maintaining comfort as well as a modest price point. For the money, a very good mixture of technology & luxury that is difficult to match. Last was the opportunity to experience a spectacular dessert demonstration by the young & talented Ben Roche Chef at Moto in Chicago. Once again getting to share in the groundbreaking techniques and inspiration that has changed how people think about desserts.

After the excursions there was a final experience, a very special wine tasting hosted by the famous Michael Green & lastly a special cooking demonstration by renowned chef Michael Psilakis. In this very special demonstration Michael shared a special recipe as well as some great stories about his past & inspirations. It was truly a unique experience to be in the presence of such great inspiration and talent. Buick & Michael even went so far as to give everyone a signed copy of Micheal’s new book, “How to Roast a Lamb”. Overall I think Buick accomplished what they set out to prove. If we open our minds and try to break the preconceived ideas of what we think we know, You can be pleasantly surprised.

Nov

2011 Los Angeles Auto Show

By Nolan Browning Leave a Comment

Categories: Uncategorized

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We visited the LA Auto Show and were there to give you the best coverage of all the concepts and debuts from
the show floor. Check out the pics in the slideshow above or click on the “More” link below to view the gallery of all the photos we captured.

All photos courtesy of Jim Donnelly Photo

Continue reading ’2011 Los Angeles Auto Show’

Nov

Road Test: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V vs. Audi A8L “Jekyll, Meet Hyde”

By Nolan Browning 1 Comment

Categories: Comparison, RoadTest, _Audi and _Cadillac
Tags: a8, a8l, audi, black diamond, cadillac, coupe, cts, cts-v, gallery, luxury, pics, review, sport, sporty, vs.

Life is full of polar opposites. For every man in a corner office endlessly gazing over spreadsheets there is a man who prides himself in the amount of light bulbs he can eat in one sitting. As much as the one looks down on the other, there is an unspoken acknowledgment that the one begat the other. And so we have come to a crossroads where two monsters of the luxury market meet. The Audi A8L is a car for the highfalutin, practical, and overall respectable drivers of the world. The Cadillac CTS-V is more of a car for those who exude adrenaline, take life as it comes, and for those who may have a slight tendency to keep their right foot planted to the floor. Both of the vehicles will require a check north of $70k and both offer the prestige and notoriety that you expect from brands like Cadillac and Audi. We have decided to dive deeper into both of these adversarial vehicles and present the information so that you may answer the metaphorical question for yourself… will it be the blue pill or the red pill? Continue reading ‘Road Test: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V vs. Audi A8L “Jekyll, Meet Hyde”’

Nov

Quick Look: 2012 Audi A7

By Matt Leave a Comment

Categories: RoadTest and _Audi
Tags: A7, audi, Audi A7, Quattro, Roadtest, S-Line

Vehicle:

2012 Audi A7 S-Line

Exterior Color:

Interior Color:

Engine: 3.0 TFSI V6 Quattro

310 hp/325 lb-ft Torque

Transmission: Eight-Speed Tiptronic Automatic

MSRP: $59,250

As Tested: $68,630

Exterior Styling: 10/10

The A7 is stunning to look at…with its masculine lines, wide stance, and swooping rear end. The car is perfect from every angle. The S-Line kit really gives it the sporty look it deserves, from the S-Line bumpers down to the 20″ ten-parallel-spoke wheels.

Continue reading ‘Quick Look: 2012 Audi A7′

Nov

Comparison: 5 series E60 vs F10

By Nolan Browning Leave a Comment

Categories: Comparison and _BMW
Tags: better, bmw, comparison, e60, f10, ignitionblog, twitter, update

VS.

So as we finally start to see a large amount of the BMW F10 5-series driving around Los Angeles lately, I wanted to stop and make an observation that this may be one of the more drastic improvements on a car model line in some years. The Chris Bangle years for BMW have now come and gone and there is no more “flame surfacing” to be seen on many of the current lineup. The new F10 5 Series is now a strong and sporty sedan that I would not be ashamed to be seen in. The E60 always seemed too bulky and out of place in the BMW lineup; I would also say the same about the 6 series of the Bangle era. Would love to get some other opinions on notable changes to a car model that drastically improved from the outgoing model? Sent your tweets to @theignitionblog and let us know what you think.

Sep

Road Test: 2011 Saab 9-5 “Walking On Water”

By Nolan Browning Leave a Comment

Categories: RoadTest and _Saab
Tags: 0-60mph, 2011, 9-5, 95, aero, bankrupt, bankruptcy, biopower, files, new, oak metallic, pics, road test, saab, test drive

It’s hard to even know where to start on this particular article. The state of the Saab brand is progressively getting worse day after day since we took the keys of the all new 2011 Saab 9-5. The company had been given little attention by GM during its ownership and then had seemed to find some gleam of hope from auto maker Spyker in 2010 when they had assumed ownership. Then earlier this year Saab had ran out of money and Spkyer has struggled since to find financial support from Sweden and several companies in China. The most recent news is that many of the suppliers for the company have moved to force Saab into bankruptcy to resolve their debt issues. Saab workers are worried about receiving paychecks and dealers are ordering vehicles like this new 9-5 and the all new 9-4x in quantities that you can count on your hand. It seems that the company that was “Born from Jets” is no longer soaring and it looking like only a miracle akin to walking on water that would keep the company around to see any additional new models. The new 9-5 has the looks to be a contender… but is it enough?

Continue reading ‘Road Test: 2011 Saab 9-5 “Walking On Water”’

Aug

Road Test: 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport “It’s Electric”

By Nolan Browning Leave a Comment

Categories: RoadTest and _Tesla
Tags: charging, drive, electric, elon musk, green, lightening, model s, neon, range, review, road, roadster, sport, tesla, test

In the current automotive market there are a very limited number of brands competing for customers and you don’t often hear of all new brands entering in trying to compete with the major established brands. I can actually count on my hand the number of companies that have started up producing cars in the last decade and there are far less that anyone would consider having been an actual success. Yet back in 2003 Elon Musk and a group of others decided they could make an all electric sports car to compete with the likes of Porsche and Lotus to prove their electric technology was feasible in a production car. They believed this technology would eventually be used in sedans and compacts to replace gasoline and move their company into the mainstream market. As we take the keys to this Tesla Roadster Sport the company has announced the last batch of cars will roll off the assembly line in the coming year to end production. Having produced and sold around 1,600 Roadsters worldwide, the company believes it is ready to move forward to its expansion into more affordable mainstream vehicles. We push the button on the center console to start up the motor and quietly head out to the streets of Santa Monica to see if this is the future of the American automotive scene or just another start up that will only live on in our memories.

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Jul

Top Ten: “Ten Best Cars Under $20,000″

By Nolan Browning Leave a Comment

Categories: TopTen, _Chevrolet, _Fiat, _Ford, _Honda, _Hyundai, _Kia, _Mazda and _Toyota
Tags: $20k, 201, 2012, 500, best, cheap, chevrolet, civic, compact car, corolla, cruze, elantra, fiat, fiesta, fit, focus, ford, forte, fuel efficient, honda, hyundai, kia, mazda, mazda2, mpg, new, small cars, sport, ten, top, toyota, what to buy

Many readers and friends of mine have been asking me what is the best deal out there for affordable and reliable small cars that are good on gas and fun to drive to work, school, etc. I decided to share a list of vehicle I believe are great to start your search and help you not get stuck into a Chevy Aveo or a Kia Rio by a man in suspenders at the local dealer. Each of these vehicles would be a great choice and the best one for you may just involve different preferences and needs. Shop around but stay informed and know what else is out there.

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Jul

Track Day: Fontana Speedway with Porsche

By Nolan Browning Leave a Comment

Categories: Track Event and _Porsche
Tags: 2011, 911, boxster, california, carrera, cayman, cayman r, fontana, gts, porsche driving school, porshe, race, spyder, test, track day, turbo

It’s not often that you get the chance to take some of the newest models from the finest that Stuttgart has to offer and get to put them through the paces on the inner track at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA… many owners will never get to actually take their cars to the limit without serious penalties (insert “too soon” Ryan Dunn joke here). So Porsche puts on driving events to show existing and potential customers the true ability of their vehicles under the instruction of teachers from the Porsche Driving School in Birmingham, Alabama. The day started with a long and painful introduction on track driving with the normal accelerate out of the apex, follow the instructors line, and don’t kill yourself and the passenger with you. We were separated into two groups and we first began on the autocross course with the mid engine vehicles.

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Jun

Road Test: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali “Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow”

By Nolan Browning Leave a Comment

Categories: RoadTest and _GMC
Tags: 2011, acadia, cancelled, crossover, denali, dvd, gmc, leather, out of production, review, wheels

General Motors has been criticized at many points in its history for trying to sustain too many brands and using slight differentiations in the exterior and interior to try to pass a similar car off as an entirely different model in another brand’s portfolio. As the boys at GM have axed several brands and tried to break away from the corporate thinking that has gotten them into trouble in the past, the LAMBDA platform that underpins this GMC Acadia Denali may be one of the last remaining traces of the old platform sharing ideals from the 80′s and 90′s. Recent news from the General Motors camp has the Acadia slated to die an honorable death after 2012 as the company realizes the lack of a need for a vehicle identical to the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. We borrowed the new Denali version of the Acadia to see if this is a mournful goodbye or an execution of the last of the bad blood that remains in the GM gene pool.

Continue reading ‘Road Test: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali “Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow”’

Editors