2014 Chevrolet Corvette is Coming!

The Corvette is America's favorite two-seat sportscar. In it's nearly sixty years of production, it's only in its sixth generation, so there's always a lot of excitement whenever a new one comes out.

Now, there's talk of Generation 7 coming in 2014. I just discovered the latest information in this AutoWeek article online.

As a journalist, my seat time in Corvettes has been pretty limited, but it's always a memorable week. The cars are very low to the ground and when you sink down into that cockpit, you know you're not motoring about in a Malibu. The sound of the V8 engine is smooth and quiet now and the interiors are modern and plastic. I still hear Beach Boys songs in my head when I'm driving one, but I haven't been in one in years.

My favorite has always been the Sting Ray series of Corvette--generation 2, from 1963-67, a relatively short run. The car that followed in 1968, Generation 3, ran for well over a decade, with many small, cumulative changes, to 1982 before the all-new 1984 model debuted. There was no 1983 model--an interesting factoid to remember for your next cocktail party.

Meanwhile, the auto press will bubble over sightings and enthusiast speculation until the new car arrives. I hope I'll get to drive it soon after.

Mazda MX-5 Miata Rocks

People often ask me, as an automotive writer, what my favorite car is. Of course, that's a silly question, since after nearly 1,000, it's hard to pick out a single favorite. However, there is one car that I've enjoyed six times (I believe) since June of 1992, when I drove my first one. It's the Mazda MX-5 Miata, a two-seat roadster.

Mazda has built and sold more than 900,000 of them since introducing it in 1989. Now in its third generation, the MX-5 Miata continues to provide that quick top-down, part-of-you experience that makes it by far the most popular sports car ever made.

I love these cars because they remind me of trips in my father's small Austin-Healey roadsters as a kid. On a summer afternoon, we'd jump into the little bucket seats in the back (kid-size only) and the four of us would motor off to the ice cream place. These were the happiest moments of my childhood--part of what led me to write about cars in the first place.

The Miata is simple--and was especially so when it arrived. You unlatch the top and just push it back behind you--it takes two seconds. The small four-cylinder engine and manual transmission are as simple as the Austin-Healey Sprite of yore--but have today's technology. The electrical system works great--no Prince of Darkness Lucas wiring harness to bedevil you.

I am now testing the 2011 Miata with the recently-introduced electric folding hard top. I thought it might be a drag because it would be slow, or heavy, or somehow not "authentic," but let me tell you--it's heaven. You unlatch a single center clip and push a button. About eight seconds later, you hear a beep and you're done. The metal cover lifts to accept the top, which folds neatly into the space behind the seats, and you still have all your trunk space available. You can perform this trick at a traffic light with little worry of being stuck in the middle of the procedure.

I'm getting about 27 miles per gallon now, but, amazingly, the back of the fuel filler door suggests premium fuel! Still worth it--and that's what I have fed my borrowed Dolphin Gray Mica tester.

Well--gotta run. There's daylight left and I'm off for another drive. Yeah, I guess it's my favorite.

My Dad Would Be 84 Today

My father was born 84 years ago to a modest-income family in Buffalo, New York. He grew up with his father away much of the time, during the depression. H was taller than everyone else in his family. He was a "nerd," being interested in technology, science and books--but didn't wear glasses. Then, he lost both parents as a teenager, to different illnesses. Not a great start in life.

My father served briefly in World War II at age 17, but a friend accidentally shot him through the middle (luckily, missing everything), so home he came. The 6-foot-3 overweight kid came home a slim, handsome 6-5 man, and things started to move. Dad went to college on the GI Bill and then through dental school. This began a career that included private practice, teaching at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and later the University of Southern California, and finally, a series of lectures. The University of Buffalo, his alma mater, has an annual award in his name. That, by any measure, is professional success.

As an increasingly successful professional in his 20's and early 30's, Dad got interested in British sports cars, and ended up owning and racing a number of them, including three Austin Healeys and a rare (and tiny) Berkeley. The latter was recently restored in the Midwest and is pictured above. Dad's love of cars was passed on to me, but I'm a writer, not a racer or a wrencher.

My parents' marriage was not successful for either of my parents, but they both made good connections later that lasted many years.

My father died suddenly the day before he was to have surgery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurism--a life threatening condition. I think he knew the risks going in. He and I had great, long phone chats on his birthday (June 1) and Father's Day (mid-June). In my adult years, we became close in spirit, if not in distance.

I'm sorry he's missing out on his great granddaughter and seeing his grandkids become adults. I'm used to him not being nearby, but I'm still unhappy he's not around. He knew how to fix anything, had a lot of interesting things to say, really cared about me--and celebrated my successes. I sent him every auto story I wrote during his lifetime (hundreds) and a number of books in my car library are signed gifts from him.

His car, in my mind, will always be an Austin-Healey. Someday, I may even get to drive one.

From Dad I learned to be honest, to work hard, that focusing your attention leads to great results, that it's important to spend some of your time doing what you love and much more. I wish he was still on the other end of the line.