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Sometimes, i cannot get to my computer due to other activities, and some days, i won't post anything on my blog.  Normal posting schedules will resume tomorrow, with the May 15th edition of Car News to be posted around 6:15.

Car Show at Geneva Foreign and Sports! June 2nd

Geneva Foreign and Sports, a automotive sales and repair shop in Geneva, New York is hosting a benefit car show on June 2nd, 2013. My family and I went last year and had a great time with our TVR 2500M. You can check out Geneva Foreign and Sports website here.
If you live in the area and have a car you'd like to show or just want to come and see some great examples of automotive excellence, come to Geneva Foreign and Sports benefit car show on June 2nd.
Note: This was not meant to sound like a cheesy advertisement. Sorry.

Car Show at Geneva Foreign and Sports! June 2nd

Geneva Foreign and Sports, a automotive sales and repair shop in Geneva, New York is hosting a benefit car show on June 2nd, 2013.  My family and I went last year and had a great time with our TVR 2500M.  You can check out Geneva Foreign and Sports website here.
If you live in the area and have a car you'd like to show or just want to come and see some great examples of automotive excellence, come to Geneva Foreign and Sports benefit car show on June 2nd.
Note: This was not meant to sound like a cheesy advertisement.  Sorry.

WKC Race 1 at Shenandoah Circuit, Summit Point, West Virginia

This weekend was the Woodbridge Karting Club's first race of the 2013 season.  I've already been to two WKA events this year.  This race was at the Shenandoah Circuit at the Summit Point racetrack in West Virginia.  This is the most technical course i've been on this year.  At the same time i was racing, the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) was having a double major for the D.C. region.  I had some time to watch, and that was very interesting.  The cars ranged from Formula Vees, to Chevrolet Corvettes, to Nissan 370Zs, to Mazda Miatas, and even a Dodge Neon.  This provided entertainment when i wasn't on track.
When i was on track, however, i was having a blast.  All of Saturday morning was practice, and i learned the track quickly.  The Shenandoah course has lots of elevation changes, and even a Nurburghring banked turn replica, though WKC opted not to use it.  The Northeast Shifter Kart series raced alongside us, and provided a different noise then the standard whine of the 2 cycle and the grumble of the Animal 4 Cycles.
I won my race on Saturday, though what is really fun is racing alongside adults in different classes who really knew what they were doing.  I spend most of the 25 minute race with an adult in a Vintage kart and a kid my age in a sit-up sprint kart.  Neither was in my class, but they were fun to race with, especially the Vintage kart.
I didn't practice today, but i did race and win.  I was with the same kid this time for a little while, but got around him early.  I also raced with an adult in a kart kind of like mine, though i don't know what class he was in.
I write this looking back on the weekend as we drive back home through West Virginia on Interstate 81.  It was a great weekend, and i look forward to my next race, a WKA event at Grattan Raceway in
Michigan, in two weeks.

Note: I did not go around the Karussel area, i skipped it with the Karussel Crossover.

Summit Point, West Virginia

As some of you know, i race in the WKA's Road Race Series.  I also race in the WKC (Woodbridge Karting Club).  I leave in a few minutes for my first WKC race in Summit Point, West Virginia.
That's all for now, i race tomorrow an Sunday.  Look for today's edition of Car News around three o' clock.  Also, as a little teaser, i will be publishing a special edition of From the Passenger's Perspective in Mid-June.  I'll give you a hint, it's an Alfa Romeo.

From the Passenger's Perspective: 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport 4Matic

Yesterday, my mom and I test drove 4 cars; three of which were to be compared to each other, the Volvo S60, the BMW 328xi, and this, the Mercedes-Benz C300.  This was ultimately the winner, we thought it was extremely comfortable, incredibly good looking, and quite good fun.  All three of these cars were driven at Geneva Foreign & Sports in Geneva, New York.  You can see their website here.
This C300 is a Sport 4Matic model, and has a Black exterior and a Black interior.  This car looks truly sinister from the outside.  A 3.0L DOHC V6 drives all wheels via a perfectly geared automatic transmission.  This power really shows.  When you put your foot down, that V6 makes a wonderful roar.  All this noise isn't for nothing, either.  This car just takes off.  It handles well too.  It feels light and nimble, it will respond to the driver's every command.
This car is not all performance.  It is a relaxing experience to be inside.  I would describe this as a car you can fall asleep in, but you wouldn't want to.  It smooths out the roughest of roads.  It can also be very quiet and serene.
But if you don't feel like relaxing, you can listen to some tunes using either the excellent sound system or the iPod dock in the glove box.  The radio computer is very clever, and is controlled by a small knob on the driver's side of the center armrests, where there is a cool little center console.  Another perk to the inside  are the electric seats, they allow you to adjust your seat to however you like it, from bolt upright to flat lay down.
This was the best car we drove (apart from the 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera), and you can see why.  It gives you a great combination of comfort and performance, along with the good looks to assert the fact.  If i had money to spend on any of the three cars we tested yesterday, this would be it.  Summing this car up is simple. Three words: It's very German.

From the Passenger's Perspective: 2005 Volvo S60

This was the first car my mother and i drove yesterday at Geneva Foreign & Sports in Geneva, New York.  You can see their website here.
This S60 has an Ice White exterior and a Beige interior.  These two colors look very nice together, and make the nice styling stand out.  The exterior looks very good, though restrained.  The interior is my favorite though.  The styling is very edgy and modern, despite being eight years old.
Power comes from a 2.5L DOHC turbocharged I5 engine, sent to all-wheels via a great automatic transmission.  On the transmission, my mom noted that the gear stick requires precise movement to get it into the gear you want.  The engine provides a surprising amount of power, albeit with some turbo lag.  It feels a bit unstable if you put your foot down, though it is a Volvo so its not going anywhere.  It is reported to be a responsive and surprisingly well-handling car, though it is solid.  The brakes are nice and responsive, and the transmission is geared just right.  Despite these performance perks, it is very,  very comfortable. The seats are nice and soft, yet supportive and the suspension flattens out the worst of railroad tracks.
The interior, as said before, is very nicely styled.  The dashboard features everything you need, and the climate control works very well.  I did notice that the control cluster was very flat and uninteresting, but the rest of the interior makes up for it.  This car has a lot of space up front and in back.  This is definitely a car for long trips.  It is also incredibly quiet.  You can have a conversation with the driver, whispering as quiet as you can.
There are also tons of storage compartments around the inside, along with a nice retractable cup holder cover.  The wood trim compliments the Beige interior.
This is a great car.  It has a fantabulous combination of performance and incredible comfort, though leaning toward the comfort side of things.   It also gets good gas mileage and, being a Volvo, is unsurpassed in safety.  This could be either a family car or a car for one person, it really does both. If your looking for a car that will soothe your brow after a hard day's work, look no further.

From the Passenger's Perspecive: 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera

Of the four cars I've been in today, this was the most exiting.  This is mainly due to the fact that it was the only Porsche.  I'd never been in a Porsche before, so this was going to be something very different.  It is also the only car I've ever been in where the engine isn't in the front.  It's way in the back.  This 911 is is black with a black interior.  It has a 3.6L six-cylinder engine, which makes the best sound of any car I've ever set foot inside.  Not that its very easy to get inside in the first place.
I need not say how good-looking this car is, so we'll skip to the interior.
Upon entry, you notice that, despite being a sports car, there are a lot of features inside.  You get a nice radio, and a nice climate control system.  Then you look behind you, and, lo and behold, backseats!  They aren't very big mind you, but bearable.
As the driver starts the car up, you are reminded what you are in with a satisfying purr coming from somewhere way behind you.  Then, as the driver punches it out onto the road, you get a massive roar from the mighty engine.  This alone kept me and my mom entertained for the entire test drive.  It has very light and nimble handling, much better than anything else my mom had since driven.  If only it was warm enough up here in Upstate New York to to put the top down.  The only complaint i have is that the seats aren't very comfortable, and after a little while, my lower back started hurting a little bit.  The gearbox is also very nice, though a bit tough to get in gear.
For a Porsche, the ride is quite surprising.  It is by no means a Rolls-Royce, but it doesn't break your back.  We even went over a few railroad tracks without our spines splitting in two.
I really don't know how to end this article, except by saying that i wish this article could be called From the Driver's Perspective: 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera.

Look for two more reviews tommorrow,
2005 Volvo S60
2010 Mercedes-Benz C300