The Crank: Can “sports car” and “diesel” ever be in the same sentence?

By John LeBlanc INGOLSTADT, Germany – It’s dawn, June, 2006. I’m watching the sun come up over the Porsche Corners during the running of the 24 Heures du Mans. And I’m witnessing history. On the way to becoming the first ever diesel-engine race car to win the historic event, Audi’s R10 swooshes by in relative […]

Top 10: Show cars for 2010

By John LeBlanc The wrapup of last week’s Chinese auto show in Beijing brings an unofficial close to the 2010 international car show season – a round-the-world tour that started with yours truly making stops starting last September in Frankfurt along with Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York. The 2011 season will kicks off this […]

2010 Beijing: Audi stretches its flagship A8

[svgallery name=”2011_Audi_A8L”] By John LeBlanc BEIJING – China may be the world’s largest new car market, but no one wants to really drive here. Especially in the larger cities, like here in Beijing (population 22,000,000) or Shanghai (19,210,000.) The uninitiated are stunned by the telepathic confluence of cars, trucks, pedestrians, motorcycles, rickshaws and bicycles, where […]

Top Six under $45,000

[svgallery name=”Best_$45k”] By John LeBlanc Do you have $45 big ones burning a hole in your car account? Want a ride that’s well-made, fun-to-drive and a good value? Alphabetically, here are my top half-dozen choices, whether you’re looking for a spots car or a people mover:

Stuff: Convertible history

[svgallery name=”1971_MB_Cab”] Wind-in-your-hair motoring through the ages A recent drive in some older ‘Benz convertibles highlight the evolution of the open-air car By John LeBlanc MALLORCA, Spain – Completely unlike what’s available in new-car showrooms these days, at the dawn of the automobile age more than a century ago, virtually all cars were convertibles. The […]

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