A first day of work inside the Renaissance Center, GM's world headquarters

My journey to my new position with General Motors in Nashville began with a whirlwind day-and-a-half orientation session at GM’s world headquarters in Detroit, Mich.  That massive structure of seven meticulous skyscrapers is called the Renaissance Center, or “RenCen” as it is known by insiders.  Not only does it house the GM offices, but it contains a downtown shopping district that includes storefronts, a food court, a Marriott hotel, and a movie theatre.  I've had the opportunity to check out the RenCen a few times during my travels to the Motor City, and it really is as impressive as the pictures on the news makes it seem.

2014 Cadillac XTS VSport test drive review. This is what makes a Cadillac a Cadillac

There was a time when Cadillacs did not compete with cars like Mercedes and BMW.  They had rivals like Lincoln and Packard.  But even among their peer group, they stood alone.  If you bought the best watch or refrigerator or lawn mower money could buy, someone would call it “the Cadillac of lawn mowers.”  That’s because Cadillacs were the best, both in perception and reality.  They were the most luxurious.  They were the most technologically advanced.  They were the most stylish.  And in many cases, they were the biggest.

Onward and upward

I’ve said this before, but I really appreciate everyone who checks out this website, reads the stories, and follows along with what I’m doing here.  I’ve met tons of great people around Kansas City at car shows, races, and other events because of this place, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.

But because of that, the announcement I’m about to make is bittersweet.  I am moving away from Kansas City.  Starting April 1, I will be the Senior Remarketing Specialist for General Motors at the Adesa Auto Auction in Nashville, Tenn. 

2014 Cadillac CTS 2.0T Premium test drive review. As exciting as you would hope a new Cadillac could be

You may not have picked up on it yet, but I love cars.  Always have.  And as much as I love old cars, I also get pretty excited when some really cool new car comes out.  And I can’t think of anything more exciting than an all-new, rear-wheel-drive Cadillac CTS.  This is the Motor Trend Car of the Year.  It is grabbing praise, headlines, and awards everywhere it goes.  Some people call it the best Cadillac sedan ever.  Others call it the best American car ever.  The 2014 CTS is seriously getting that kind of praise.  The fact that I got a chance to drive a new 2.0T Premium last week was a very big opportunity.  Let’s take a look at my little turbocharged terror.  I’ll bet you’ll think it’s pretty cool too.

2014 GMC Acadia Denali test drive review. Comfort, utility, and confidence no matter the conditions

My household consists of myself, my wife, and one fairly undersized 10-year-old boy.  The seven-passenger 2014 GMC Acadia Denali is probably more vehicle than we need.  However, this was a busy week.  I opened up a swap meet display.  My dad and I went to the Mecum auction.  And the family headed up to St. Joseph to watch my son’s basketball tournament.  With each task, I began to appreciate more and more the safety, utility, and convenience of a large crossover like this.  It’s no wonder people like these things.  For real-world use, you just can’t beat them.

2014 Cadillac ATS 2.0T test drive review. Obsessed with Red Obsession

Make no mistake; the Cadillac ATS is a world-class sports sedan.  Sure, it’s easy to dismiss it as just another Cadillac, but don’t let the familiar looks fool you.   If you’re in the market for a BMW 3-Series and you don’t test drive an ATS, you’re not doing yourself any favors.  Take this 2014 ATS 2.0T Premium that I had the opportunity to drive last week.  Not only was it a great running and handling car, but certain aspects of the styling were beyond expectations.

2014 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ test drive review. Better than drugs

Last Friday night, I was dealing with a kidney stone.  If you’ve never had one, it’s sort of like trying to pass a large cocklebur through a swizzle stick.  Your back hurts.  A lot.  It is very hard to calm things down.  So I ended up climbing out of bed and heading to the emergency room for some pain medicine.  And as I was driving, a soothing sense of calm came over me.  And then I realized, it was because of the vehicle I was driving: a 2014 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ.

2014 Buick LaCrosse test drive review. The pride of Kansas City

One of the most underrated luxury cars on the planet is built right here at the GM Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City.  Take a look at this 2014 Buick LaCrosse.  Yes, Buicks are often considered old folks’ cars.  Yes, this is the biggest car in the Buick lineup.  And no, that chrome tri-shield is not going to impress your neighbors like a three-pointed star or a blue-and-white propeller.  But if you can put all of those pre-conceived notions aside, you’ll realize that this is one of the most well-appointed, quality-built luxury cars there is.  Pay attention, folks, because this became a mighty nice car while everyone was looking over there.

2014 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT 4X4 test drive review. The luxury car that works like a truck

Let me just put this out there.  If I had 50-large to spend on a new vehicle right now, I’d be mighty tempted to order a new 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT 4X4 exactly like the one I just finished test driving.  Bright red?  Absolutely.  20-inch chrome wheels?  You bet.  Z71 off-road suspension?  Sign me up.  Honestly, if you’re into cars, and appreciate a modern interpretation of the classic American pickup, there’s not much to dislike here.  Allow me to explain.

You don't see many stories out there about the cars of 1973

1973 was a pretty big year for me.  I mean, it was the year I was born, so it doesn’t really get much bigger than that.  It also means that I turned 27 in 2013.

The cars, on the other hand, just had their 40th birthdays.  So to celebrate that milestone, I decided to look back at the automotive class of ’73.  It isn’t a year that gets much attention enthusiast-wise, but there was quite a bit happening during this time in history.  1973 marked major changes to automotive crashworthiness, emissions, and fuel consumption.  From a styling and performance standpoint, things would never be the same.

Big virtual Oldsmobile car show - Includes Oldsmobile history

My dad’s first car was a ’50 Oldsmobile coupe.  So for as long as I can remember, he has gravitated toward any ‘50s-era Olds that we’ve ever seen at a car show.  Now that doesn’t really happen all that often, because for a company that produced some 35-million cars in more than 100 years, you don’t really see that many of them on display.

2013 Acadia Denali test drive review. You deserve this kind of luxury

As someone who always has an old car for a daily driver, a vehicle like this 2013 Acadia Denali is a real eye-opener.  I can hardly believe that people get to experience this kind of luxury.  I have never been more pampered in my life than the week I spent with this bus.  It was wall-to-wall leather, brushed aluminum, chrome, and shiny wood trim.  This vehicle was the mobile equivalent of leaving home and staying in a five-star hotel. 

The world's first concept car--Harley Earl's 1938 Buick Y-Job. BUICK WEEK

It’s easy to look at the Harley Earl-designed 1938 Buick Y-Job today and dismiss it as just another neat old car. But put it in the context of 1938, and you’ll realize that it is one of the most radical, influential cars of all time.

Cars back then were much different. They had tall, narrow bodies. There wasn’t much room across, but there was plenty of headroom to accommodate the hats people liked to wear. There were running boards and fenders that attached beyond the body. This is one of the reasons they were so narrow inside. Headlights typically were housed in big pods over the fenders. Taillights were an afterthought—tacked unceremoniously to the back. Wheels were usually 16-inches in diameter or better. The roads were getting better by the late 30s, but people still placed value on the ground clearance the larger wheels provided.

When better cars are built, Buick will build them. A look at 110-years of history and innovation. BUICK WEEK

If there ever were a car company that was accused of being too old fashioned, while at the same time achieving its greatest success by looking into the future, it's Buick. It is one of the best-kept secrets in the industry today, yet has one of the most colorful, eventful histories imaginable.  My first car was a Buick, and my dad has had a few over the years, so I have kind of a soft spot for the brand.  So let's take a look at the history of this storied company.

David Dunbar Buick founded the company that bears his name in 1903, and the first cars were sold to the public in 1904. Those first cars, known as the Model B, were reliable because of their durable valve-in-head engines. So bulletproof was this design that Buick's mantra, "Valve-in-head is ahead in value" served the company in advertising pieces decades later.

The important role of American car companies during World War II

Since today is December 7, the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, I thought we could revisit a World War II car-themed story today.  Actually, it's more of a non-car-themed story, because as you will see, there really weren't even any cars being produced.

People often have a hard time differentiating American vehicles from foreign vehicles these days. The complex equation of assembly plant locations, company headquarters, content origin, and marketing message can throw off even those who want to support the home team. General Motors builds Impalas in Canada. Chrysler has an Italian owner. Toyota and Honda build a few of their vehicles in the U.S. What does it all mean?

2012 Chevrolet Volt test drive review. Today's car of the future

Do you ever look back at all the wild concept cars of the 1950s and ‘60s and imagine what it would be like to relive that excitement? The beautiful shapes and outrageous ideas often predicted a future that never came.

For example, in 1958, Ford offered the Nucleon Concept—a car that was supposed to be powered by a nuclear reactor. In 1953, General Motors offered Harley Earl’s radically styled Firebird I Concept, which looked like a jet airplane and ran off of a turbine engine. Chrysler really took the turbine thing to new levels with the 1963 Turbine Cars, which could run on tequila, among other things.

2012 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD test drive review. All compromises; no compromises

A big truck can transform you, frustrate you, and satisfy you. This is what I learned after spending a week with what may very well be the ultimate three-quarter ton General Motors truck on the road, a 2012 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD Crew Cab 4X4 with a Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel. Given the right circumstances, this is an uncompromising, amazing, sophisticated wonder. Given the wrong circumstances, it is nothing but compromises. But all told, I really loved that rig, and was truly sad to see it go.

Refined sledgehammer. The Cadillac CTS-V coupe and sedan test drive review

Carmakers often try and tell you they have a sporty version of some mid-sized car, and for the most part, they’re just a tweaked version of a non-sporty car. There’s a compromise there, because that vehicle has to be all things to all people.

The CTS-V is an exception. First of all, a regular CTS is a world-beater in-and-of-itself. But when you add the massive suspension and brake tweaks, plus this engine, my God the engine, you’ll absolutely believe there were no compromises here.

The General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant open house reminds us how important the auto industry is to Kansas City

Some people don't realize how big of a car town Kansas City really is. I mean, you kind of get an idea of what kind of classic car scene we have here if you look at all the car show reviews on this website. But even more importantly, there are thousands of people that make their living in Kansas City's thriving automotive industry.

Nowhere was that more obvious than at the Fairfax Assembly Plant open house, which was held this week in the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Kan.

The delicious Chevrolet Corvette Z06

I guess I could do another review of the Corvette Z06, but what’s the point? If you like these cars, there are reviews in every car magazine or Internet website out there. What would you expect to hear? It’s freakin’ fast. You can keep the throttle buried around corners without skeetering out of control or tipping over. You can roast the rear tires all day long. Or until the tires wear out. Whichever comes first. When you drive it, you actually feel like you might be cool, even if you’re a scrawny, glasses-wearing nerd who can’t dance and can barely catch a ball. Not that I would know about that.