Tesla Model S gets Detroit charged up

The Tesla Model S. Photo credit teslamotors.com

Most people know Tesla for creating the Tesla Roadster: an electric car that resembles a Lotus Elise and can accelerate from 0-60 in less than 4 seconds.

As cool as the Roadster is, It was Tesla's Model S that caught people's attention at the Detroit Auto Show,  as well as the announcement of the Model X.

The Model X will be Tesla's electric powered SUV, and while it is still in the beginning stages (Tesla wanted to do the Model S first) just the idea of it is helping to turn Tesla from a one-off car company to a legitimate car maker.

The Model S is a little bit closer to production.

World's weirdest motorcycle

This may be the weirdest motorcycle ever made. It's a uni-motorcycle, only it's not because it can transform into the two-wheeled breed we are accustomed to seeing.

While it obviously falls into the category of motor transportation that is outside the norm, chances are this video is the only time you will ever see it because people buying motorcycles want a proper motorcycle, but hey, maybe somebody is looking for a novelty vehicle.

Either way, it's still worth seeing.

Winners announced at Detroit Auto Show 2011

The Volt takes home the prize for Car of the Year.
Photo Credit Tannen Maury/EPA.

The winner of the North American car of the year were announced at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday.

The Chevrolet Volt won the award, beating out the Nissan Leaf and the Hyundai Sonota to win.

Chevrolet's electric car has been in the works for many years, and now that it's arrived, people are starting to see the genius of it. It is an electric car, but it has been able to do something other electric cars haven't.

Winter carnundrum

Winter takes its toll. Photo credit thetruthaboutcars.com.

It is now, in Canada at least, the middle of winter and despite all the snow and ice, people still need to get around the city.

Some switch over to public transportation, but it can be hard to make the change from the convenience and greatness of a car, to the bus.

I could go on and on about how much better cars are than buses, trains, walking, or even biking which some hardcore environmentalists continue to do even in the -30 degree weather. I could talk about how you can listen to your own music without having the yabo sitting in front of you blasting his "beats" drowning out your modestly volumed iPod, or the fact that in your own car you control the smells that come aboard.

I could spend a lot of time ripping on the bus, but today it's going to get off easy.

There is different group of people that deserves a tongue-lashing today. And they already know who they are.

Muscle car atrophy

'67 Mustang. This was the definition of a muscle car. Photo credit photobucket.com

As James May, one of the famous Top Gear Presenters once said, “The recipe for making [muscle cars] is very simple. Massive engine, crude, simple suspension, very low price and finally some orange paint.”

By this formula, building good, solid muscle cars should be a breeze. Car makers don’t have to worry about putting new technologies like satellite navigation, or G-force readers in a muscle car because muscle cars are supposed to be simple. 

In fact all a muscle car really has to do is make a lot of noise, and go quickly in a straight line.

So what happened?