Matt M. Myftiu
Matt Myftiu has been a journalist for two decades with a focus on technology, NASCAR and autos.
"Back to the Future"-inspired Toyota Tacoma comes to Comic Con
Last October, the world celebrated the 30th anniversary of the beloved “Back to the Future” movie franchise. Toyota joined in the fun by unveiling a re-imagined version of Marty McFly’s dream truck, in the form of a new Toyota Tacoma, adorned in vintage aftermarket accessories.
This movie-inspired Tacoma will appear at Motor City Comic Con, May 13-15, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The “Back to the Future” theme will be bolstered by the scheduled appearance of actress Lea Thompson, who played various incarnations of Lorraine McFly in all of the franchise’s films.
Wood Brothers return to Dover for first time since 2008
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing and Wood Brothers Racing return to the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway for the first time since 2008, riding a bit of a hot streak after a ninth-place effort in Talladega and a fifth-place showing in Kansas.
The back-to-back top-10 finishes put rookie driver Ryan Blaney in 16th place in the points standings and back in the hunt for the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He also tightened the gap to 22 points between himself and Sunoco NASCAR Rookie of the Year leader Chase Elliott.
Michigan Speedway offers tours, chance to drive on track
Fans have the opportunity to drive the high banks on the two-mile oval at Michigan International Speedway in 2016 and they can take a behind the scenes tour of the entire facility. In 2016, guests can experience both on the same day as the speedway will host track laps and track tours together on the following days:
-- May 26
-- June 16
-- July 12
-- August 11
-- September 15
Track laps at MIS return in 2016 where fans will have the chance to drive on the two-mile racetrack. Laps will take place from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Guests who wish to do both the track laps and track tours will be slotted to drive the track from 12:30 – 1 p.m. This will allow you to be ready for the Track Tour at 1:30 p.m.
2016 GMC Yukon Denali competes well against luxury heavyweights
In the grand scheme of things, GMC is not an automaker that comes to mind when the word “luxury” is mentioned. They’re known as a rugged brand, primarily for Sierra pickup trucks, and aren’t thought of alongside Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lincoln and others.
But there’s another side to GMC that many don’t know about -- the Denali side. By sprucing up many of their models with Denali trim, GMC is boosting up many of its offerings to be on par with the heavyweights in the luxury class.
I recently drove a 2016 GMC Yukon Denali, and I’m back with a full report of the dapper nature hiding behind that rugged exterior.
2016 Lexus LX570 is a cozy luxury land barge
A brand like Lexus is mostly going to be known for its speedy, sporty sedans and smaller SUVs. That’s the nature of the business, as those are the high-volume segments that more people can afford.
But don’t forget about the big guys. In the Lexus camp, that would be the LX570, aka Lexus’ large-and-in-charge model.
Sales numbers of this mammoth people-mover will pale in comparison to something like the popular RX line, but it’s still out there competing with vehicles like the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover for buyers who want that full-size SUV experience in their luxury ride.
I recently spent some time behind the wheel of a 2016 LX570, and I’m back with a full report on just how big and bad this SUV really is.
Volkswagen T-Prime Concept GTE makes world premiere at Auto China 2016
Volkswagen has debuted the T-Prime Concept GTE in a world premiere at Auto China 2016 in Beijingy. The concept car previews the future Volkswagen SUV. The T-Prime Concept GTE is a full-size sport utility vehicle with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive. Volkswagen’s new Curved Interaction Area is a completely new digital display and control concept.
The innovative curved infotainment display merges with the interactive displays and controls, resulting in a new human-machine interface (HMI) that is intuitive, precise, and fun-to-use. This SUV show car combines the best of many automotive worlds: the comfort and spaciousness of a saloon, the superior traction of an off-road vehicle, the agility of a sport sedan and—thanks to innovative drive technologies—the efficiency of a compact car.
FCA U.S. Fleet Product Preview to visit 15 cities; Chrysler Pacifica featured
FCA Fleet customers across the nation will have the opportunity to drive a variety of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram Truck and Fiat vehicles during the 2017 model year FCA Product Preview.
This 15-city annual road tour for commercial, government and daily rental fleet customers kicks off on April 26 at sites in Boston and Phoenix and concludes June 1 in Orlando.
The star of this year’s preview is the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. Each tour stop includes a Pacifica Experiential Drive to showcase the new minivan’s capabilities, including ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist.
“This is an excellent opportunity for our fleet and small-business customers to test drive our all-new Chrysler Pacifica minivan, re-engineered from the ground up on an all-new platform, delivering class-leading ride and handling,” said Jeff Kommor, Vice President - U.S. Sales Operations, Fleet and Small Business, FCA US LLC. “We look forward to showcasing our new products, introducing 2017 model year vehicle specs and demonstrating why FCA vehicles are above the competition.
2017 Audi Q7 delivers tech innovations, superb drive quality
Cutting-edge is a word often thrown around by automakers in describing their vehicle upgrades. More often than not, it’s not quite as dramatic an improvement as they would indicate.
But sometimes, rarely, all that promotional lingo is right on the money. And a vehicle’s reimagining is truly exceptional and brings it to a new level. I recently experienced this with my test drive of the 2017 Audi Q7, the luxury SUV the German automaker that has gotten a major overhaul for the 2017 model year.
Between its new look, flawless driving experience, and seemingly endless tech additions, it impressed me to the point where I would list it atop all the other luxury SUVs in its class, and I’m here with a full breakdown of my time in the vehicle and what it has to offer.
Audi’s 2016 TT coupe is a hot rod with impressive tech features
The minute I saw the 2016 Audi TT coupe, I knew I was in for a very fun, and very dangerous, week.
It is a beautiful car, small but well-shaped and designed for speed. I knew I would love it, but that I’d also have to hold myself back from truly taking advantage of what it can do.
In the end, I avoided running afoul of the law, and had some great driving time in the process. Here’s my full report from my week with the hot rod.
Al Unser Jr., Max Papis, Stephen Baldwin and more return for 40th Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
Grand Prix Association of Long Beach and Toyota announced actors Stephen Baldwin, Frankie Muniz, Brian Austin Green and last year’s overall winner, Alfonso Ribeiro, are among the 21 participants from film, television and sports, who will return to compete in the 40th Anniversary of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.
This announcement heralds the 40th and final edition of the longest-running corporate-sponsored charity race in the U.S.A., which will take place April 16 on the 1.97-mile street course in downtown Long Beach, Calif., as part of the 42nd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend.
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