What Not

When we recently took in this 2005 Lotus Elise as a trade-in, one of the managers took me for a couple of laps around the building. Pretty cool. However, let me just say that this is the type of car you have to plan your entry and exit. The car sits only 3.6 feet off the ground and for someone of my size, it was a rather awkward experience. But, I have to admit, once I got inside, it was a comfortable fit … comfortable, that is, if you like go-karts!

While there’s not much to write home about comfort-wise, this dinky car excels at the race track. According to Motor Trend, the Elise held the speed record for slalom in 2005. It’s 73.2 mph record beat out the Porsche Boxster S and the Ferrari Challenge Stradale. That’s pretty good, especially when you consider that the Elise is powered by a 190 hp Toyota-sourced 4-cylinder.

I’m pretty sure we already have a buyer lined up for it. But if you are seriously interested, contact me and I’ll see what can be done.

For the summer Leikin Motor Companies was looking to hire an in-house photographer to take pictures of new and used vehicles. Our goal was to find someone who could take pictures and get them to our website as quickly as possible. Sound like a simple job, right? It’s not as easy as it seems. After all, photography is an art. And seeing that a picture can either make or break the deal, we had to have someone we could trust. Thankfully, we found a good photographer.

Brett Leikin is currently a college student at Ohio University. During his summer break he has been taking pictures of new and pre-owned vehicles for the dealership. Take a look at the website and you will notice the quality of pictures that he is providing for the dealership. I wouldn’t be surprised if he dropped out of school for this job. It’s that good! Actually, he will be returning to college at the end of the summer. But who knows? Maybe this could turn in to a career.

I’m taking an online class regarding the AMG performance group of Mercedes-Benz this evening. It has been an interesting class so far. For instance, AMG engines are hand-built by one technician. With the number of cars being produced by most car companies, you can imagine that there is only a small group of cars that have this advantage. The course lists only six other specific cars that can claim this.

• Maybach 5.5 bi-turbo V-12, 6.0 AMG bi-turbo V-12
• Corvette Z06 7.0 V-8, ZR-1 6.2 Supercharged V-8
• Nissan GTR 3.8 twin turbo V-6
• Pagani Zonda 7.3 AMG twin turbo V-12
• Bentley Arnage-Brooklands 6.75 turbo V-8
• Aston martin 4.7 V-8, 6.0 V-12

That’s definitely an advantage that sets these models apart from all other vehicles. Most engines are produced on an assembly line quickly in an efficient way. But knowing that an AMG engine is hand-built adds to the idea that you’re getting something special. It’s kind of like the difference between mopping the floor or getting down on your hands and knees and scrubbing it clean. The latter almost guarantees better results. But as nice as it is to know that these engines are hand-built, I have a lingering suspicion that the list above is not complete.

Q: What other brand hand-builds its engines?
A: ???

This looks very similar to the driving tricks done by SAAB back in the 80′s. But it’s still impressive.

H/T Merv Brereton

This morning, as I was sending directions to a possible customer, I noticed how centrally located Leikin Motor Companies is. Thanks to the interstate system, we’ve had customers from Canada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and southern Ohio. That’s a definite plus when it comes to reaching a wide variety of customers.

Just don’t tell anyone about the constantly changing weather.

Not being alive during the 1960′s, it’s easy for someone like me to forget how popular the Corvair was. In the early half of the decade, the Corvair almost became its own brand with a coupe, sedan, convertible, wagon, truck, and van. That’s what I thought when I watched this video for a Corvair powered AGL. If it hadn’t been for Ralph Nader, more ideas like this might have been realized.

H/T HemmingsThen I came across this Corvair powered military track. Very cool.

H/T Corvair Forum.com

H/T Autoblog

2000 Land Rover Discovery II

Some people like to own and drive something different. The Land Rover vehicles definitely fall into that category. The shape is different than anything else on the road. Just look at the shape of this SUV/Jeep/4×4. Maybe it’s just me, but the way the roof line goes up in the back is just wierd. Why did they do that? And yet, I find that this odd looking vehicle somehow appeals to me … in a wierd sort of way.

I’ve heard that Land Rover is a status symbol of sorts akin to a Jaguar. People feel that driving one makes them a better person somehow. Unfortunately, Land Rover vehicles haven’t done much to repay that favor. The few that we’ve taken in on trade have all had reliability issues. That reputation seems to be an earned reputation according to one Land Rover owner.

Little things always go wrong, it will be in and out of the shop. You have to really like these trucks enough to deal with their quirks. I’ve never spoken to or heard of a Rover owner who didn’t have to visit the shop at least a couple of times per year (assuming you fix very little things). … My father, in the car business for 30 years can’t stand Rovers, he won’t touch them with a 10 foot pole! A guy I know is on his 8th rover. … He says after his 2nd Rover he learned to just always trade them in when they’re out of warranty.

That’s a pretty sad testimonial for the brand. Consumer Guide Auto ranked the 2003-09 models a 59/100 for reliability. And according to Wikipedia, J. D. Powers has ranked Land Rover at the bottom of the Reliability chart for quite a few years. Read the laundry list of problems and you’ll begin to wonder why the brand still has a following. Why would someone buy a Land Rover knowing full well that it will be an unreliable and expensive vehicle to own? That’s a question only a Land Rover owner could answer. But don’t expect a rational answer. Some people just like their cars despite the problems.