Test Drive: 2012 Mazda MX-5

May 26, 2017

Even at 77,000 miles, this 2012 Mazda MX-5 Sport feels solid, and its 2.0L 4 cylinder pushes it firmly up to speed through hilly Berkeley gradients. And while the 2012 MX-5’s were featured with an optional retractable hardtop, this example has the simple, honest to goodness, “clamp-off-then-slide-right-back” soft-top which retracts beautifully. A glance around the car shows a generally dent and ding-free body, a lightly worn interior with fully functional instruments and switchgear, and a soft top with some expected scars and blemishes.

All in all, I enjoyed my time with this MX-5 and definitely recommend it. With summer upon us, the MX-5 is a perfect ride for a top-down adventure down the PCH!

HOAs Should Really Loosen Up On Their Vehicle Regulations

July 1, 2014

Unlike many people, I watch the local evening news from time to time. This is something only old people do, which is up there with heading to Olive Garden at 5 pm, driving 25 mph in a 35 mph zone, and taking out a bunch of clipped newspaper coupons in the express check-out lane, causing you to miss most of the second half of the Germany-Ghana match. Watching the local evening news, with its coverage of about a renovated community center, a Trinidadian cultural festival that took place last weekend, and a brush fire that happens to be surprisingly close to my house at the moment, is an action which tends to be up there with practicing for the spelling bee.

No, Don't Pay The "Market Value Adjustment" When Buying Your Next Car

June 24, 2014

Last week, I saw a clip on YouTube where Russell Peters, a man who makes good money playing up every cultural stereotype ever, performed a routine about how cheap Indians can get. Things like ripping a perfectly good shirt at a store so they can ask for a discount. Things like trying to get $10 off a $35 bag. And things like being proud of themselves for not spending any money on a Louis Vuitton bag.

Here's Why Diesels Are Better Than Hybrids

June 18, 2014

The plan with today’s piece is to stoke debate. Plenty of debate. This is because it puts something called money on the line, which makes this debate worth something, unlike all those manual vs. automatic transmission pieces I constantly come across. Honestly, having an article with a title like that is a no-brainer for that goal and having plenty of comments to respond to, which on Clunkerture, is like three on a good day.

Here's Why You Should Go To The Ford Ecoboost Challenge

June 5, 2014

As a car enthusiast, I love attending events that automakers put on to get the average consumer into their cars. That’s because there’s free food, plenty of freebies like headphones, beanies, and caps, as well as the occasional gift card. Manufacturers put on these events because a) if people are willing to sit through hours of timeshare presentations for a $20 radio, there’s people willing to spend an afternoon test driving their products and b) they understand dealerships aren’t exactly the best places for sampling numerous models of their brand’s vehicles. (“Let me get this straight. You want to test drive the A3, A4, A6, and A8?! And you don’t know if you’re buying on a Saturday!? Go bother the Infiniti dealership!”)

The Next Great Automotive Investment? Manual BMWs.

June 3, 2014

As many people (and by many, I mean fifty) who’ve seen my Twitter profile know, I’ve been on the lookout for the perfect P38 Range Rover (the SUV that managed to reliably keep up with a BMW motorcycle in Tomorrow Never Dies) for a while. Over time, I’ve come to realize this is next to impossible because no P38 Range Rover was perfect when it left the factory, something proven by numerous Google searches on the subject.

Pebble Beach Is The Ultimate Art Exhibition For Car Enthusiasts

March 25, 2014

Now, you’ve all gone to shows you didn’t like. You didn’t want to see that Miley Cyrus concert with your daughters. (But you needed to ensure she didn’t do anything risqué.) Maybe it was this morning’s sermon, where the pastor (who happens to read Buzzfeed) went on and on about the Oscars and how Jennifer Lawrence didn’t win. Or you were dragged to a Sylvester Stallone movie by your roommates where your group ended up being the only people in the audience. But most of us almost never want to be dragged into an art exhibition.

I Know How Bugatti Can Sell More Veyrons

March 8, 2014

These days, I continue to read that the rich are becoming richer. After all, haven’t the prices for high-end Manhattan real estate gone through the roof? Doesn’t the Swiss watch industry debut a new $100,000 watch every minute? Isn’t Gulfstream unable to keep up with the pace of G650 orders? Aren’t the Kardashians cornering the market on G-Wagens with each new reality show they produce?

"Lifestyle" Vehicles Will Soon Disappear And We Can't Stop It

March 2, 2014

As many of you know, I have a tendency to spend way too much time on online car configurators. This has involved creating $200,000 911 Carreras, an $80,000 528i, and a beautiful Black Kirsch Rolls-Royce Phantom XWB with a wonderful two-tone interior that I promptly forgot to save. Car configurators are a fantastic way to waste time, especially when you can create the perfect car that’ll be sitting on dealers’ lots as a lease return in three years’ time.

I Considered Entering a Ferrari in LeMons So You Don't Have To!

March 1, 2014

For a long time, I’ve been contemplating entering a car in a LeMons race. If you read Clunkerture, you know I tend to have extremely outlandish thoughts, which thankfully don’t end with me spending any of my meager amount of cash attempting to fulfill them. These involve things like wondering whether I should buy a Centennial-edition 2003 Ford Mustang GT as an investment to installing speakers in the headrest of my car.