Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra revealed early for 2007
MILFORD, MICH. — It was just a couple of weeks after I had attended a concert by the renewed John Prine, and a bit after I had missed the chance to attend a concert by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, renewed at least for a lucrative concert tour, at least. So it seemed appropriate that a whole bunch of automotive writers dutifully responded to a summoning by General Motors to fly to Detroit and be whisked to the GM proving grounds for the first look at the completely renewed Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks.
We all stood around in a large tent, sipping coffee and munching fresh fruit and muffins, then we strolled down to a grandstand, tastefully covered with a tarp to protect us from the sun that was baking the 90-degree Michigan grass. GM honcho Rick Wagoner spoke, and so did truck boss Gary White, and then they came at us from around the corners and over the grassy hills – pickup trucks. Dozens of them. They were being driven empty, with regular cabs, extended cabs, crew cabs, and then came some with full beds, and others pulling trailers, from light to hefty.
They all came to predetermined spots and parked in front of us, as carefully choreographed as if they were named Crosby, Nash, Stills, Young, Silverado, Sierra, and Denali. And we all sat there on our folding chairs on the rows of risers, watching the multicolored array roar up to a stop. It was show-biz, pure and simple, so I could excuse my peers for applauding. These corporate introductions have reached the point where an array of company executives are on hand to applaud eagerly enough to prime the pump of sometimes skeptical journalists, who generally respond by also giving a hand to the arrival of the main “performer†being presented, even if we don’t like that particular song. Or those taillights.
This particular show was not part of the regular tour, and even though it was at the GM proving grounds, where weÂ’ve driven Corvette Z-06es, Impalas, Cobalt SSes, and even Saab 9-3s, for crying out loud, we were allowed to look but not touch. Actually, we could look AND touch, but we couldnÂ’t drive.
This was not a typical “introduction,†we’d been told, but a “reveal.†That means they were going to tip us all off to the wonderfulness of the first redesign of the corporate pickup trucks in nine years – a huge endeavor, without question. And in keeping with the show-biz concept, it truly was a preview of coming attractions.
General Motors has lived the good life through its large trucks – pickups and SUVs – and with the new “G900†platform coming out first as the underpinnings for the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade last winter, the debut of the pickups has been long anticipated. The industry standard, year after year, is that the Ford F150 full-size pickup is the No. 1 selling vehicle in the automotive world, with the Chevy Silverado second. But as White pointed out, if you combine the Silverado and the Sierra, the GM twins outsell the Ford F150.
The current model, denoted as the G800, came out for1999, which means except for external alterations, the truck itself is somewhat long in the tooth. Or the chassis. In the time since the last new Chevy/GMC pickups, Dodge, Ford, Nissan, Honda, and now Toyota will all have come out with new large pickups. Each time, the advancements in computer-aided design have helped those competitive trucks get stiffer and stronger and more solid-feeling.
The GM folks have loaded up the Silverado/Sierra with features, which makes good sense in the face of the competition. GM claims the Silverado is the first pickup with two entirely different interiors, but the latest Ford F150 came out with two distinctly different interiors, including different instrument packages; the GM trucks features a 170-degree opening rear door on the extended-cab models, which is brilliant, and copies the Nissan Titan’s great innovation; the rear seat has been designed with storage space underneath, and flip-up seat for more room – very Honda Ridgeline-like; and aluminum grooves are located along the walls of the bed for versatility in locating tie-down anchors – also copied from a clever idea by the Titan.
Including such features isn’t a criticism of the GM trucks – in fact, it’s only smart to add the best features of you adversaries. The Silverado adds its own special feature with the addition of a rear window that power-rolls up and down.
All the usual features, such as interior revision, more head room, legroom and hauling capacity, the biggest news is how much stiffer the chassis is. One of the ironic good things about not being upgraded for so long is that while the GM twins had some quantum catching up to do, they also could display the largest leap in improved chassis specifications of any truck.
The frame, White said, is improved no less than 234 percent in torsional stiffness, and 62 percent in vertical bending stiffness. Taken alone, the hydroformed front section is 90 percent improved in stiffness. That shows tremendous technical capabilities by GM – and it also indicates that the outgoing pickup was as lacking in stiffness as some critics suggested.
Four different engines, from a 4.3-liter V6, to V8s measuring 4.8, 5.3, 6.0, and 6.2, give the trucks lots of power options, and with the 6.0 listed at 367 horsepower and 375 foot-pounds of torque, while the 6.2 – appearing in a new and flashy Denali version of the GMC – has 400 horsepower and 415 foot-pounds of torque. GM claims trailer towing capacities ranging from 4,300 pounds to 10,500 pounds, while payload capacities range from 1,564 to 2,160 pounds.
The enormous improvement in safety allows the new Silverado to incorporate great improvements in safety as well. An assortment of five different suspension systems and revised steering components share the spotlight with the new exterior looks and the new and fresh looking interior.
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In appearance, the front end shares a family resemblance to the SUVs, both the Chevy with the horizontal bar across the middle of the grille, and the GMC with the large open grille. Nice contours blend the headlights into the side of the fender flares, and a choice of regular cab, extended cab, and full crw cab, with various size beds, means you can pretty well configure a Silverado or Sierra as you choose.
The trucks were scheduled to come out around the first of the year, but it got moved up several months.
By moving it up, the trucks weren’t ready even for media drives. Hmmm, I hmmmed to several corporate types, so why bother moving them up to an August display? They dismissed my theory with assorted public relations feints, but finally I suggested to Ed Peper, Chevrolet’s general manager, that moving the “reveal†up by five months just happened to display the Silverado and Sierra comfortably one month ahead of the planned September introduction of the new and impressively large Toyota Tundra.
Anything to that coincidence? I asked Peper.
“We’ll do whatever we have to, and make things as tough for our competition as we can,†said Peper, with a smile.
Such competitive fire may be a lot like an old song from a reunion concert, but regardless, itÂ’s good to see a big-shot from Chevrolet cutting through the PRspeak to sing a competitive refrain.
New sedan gives Saturn line a whole different Aura
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — You could say that Saturn is taking on an entirely new Aura for 2007, and youÂ’d be correct, although you also might be arrested by the Bad Pun Police. The Aura is the name of SaturnÂ’s newest vehicle, a no-nonsense sedan that could indeed change the way consumers perceive the Saturn brand in particular, and General Motors in, ah, general.
Saturn started up when a group of loyal workers who believed General Motors could compete with the innovative technology of the Japanese companies was sent off almost as outcasts to defy corporate logic and prove their point. They did it, featuring advanced vehicles, attentive customer care and no-hassle pricing. They also aroused the envy of the other corporate branches, which demanded enough attention to detract from needed upgrades to Saturn models.
Before the proud Oldsmobile branch was discontinued, one Olds official – explained plans to me for upgrading the brand, and he repeatedly used the phrase “Saturnization of Oldsmobile.†Then he made me promise not to quote him using that phrase. Meanwhile, Saturn and its loyal customer base wound up languishing on the back burner for the next decade, as its products became dull and dated.
In its current corporate restructuring, GM has rejuvenated Saturn. The Sky roadster is the boldest new car, and it will have a high-powered version with a turbocharged engine as well, and new crossover SUVs will bolster the brand. But the Aura could become the focal point for all of Saturn, and it just might be the best sedan GM is building, this side of Cadillac, at least.
It is a front-wheel-drive sedan with spacious room in the rear seat and the trunk, and it is good-looking enough to take a real competitive run at Honda Accord and Toyota Camry buyers – which also includes those considering Mazda6, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat, and other prime import sedans.
While GM is not without other sedans, its dependence on large truck-based SUVs has left its sedan fleet in the background. One of its latest advances involves the “epsilon†platform, which underpins the Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6, Opel Vectra from Germany, and Saab 9-3 from Sweden. Opels don’t come to the U.S., and the Malibu and G6 are nice cars without high-tech engine choices, so I’ve said that the Saab 9-3 might be the best of that batch, because it gets a turbocharged 2.8-liter version of the Cadillac “high-feature†V6.
The Aura shares that epsilon platform, and if you choose the XR upgrade, you get the Cadilla engine – not turbocharged, but also not reduced from that full-size 3.6 displacement.
The introductory press drive was through the mountains adjacent to Santa Barbara, where we got a chance to wring out the new models pretty thoroughly. The base XE Aura comes with a 3.5-liter V6 with 12 valves from the pushrod family of corporate V6es. The XR comes from a whole ’nother branch, much higher on the GM family tree – the Cadillac-built dual overhead camshaft “high-feature†3.6-liter V6 with 24 valves.
The 3.5 has 224 horsepower with 220 foot-pounds of torque, and for those consumers who donÂ’t care about being high-tech, it will be fully adequate. For those who do care about having a high-tech engine (and why wouldnÂ’t you?) the 3.6 has variable cam timing on both intake and exhaust valves, and it puts out 262 horsepower and 251 foot-pounds of torque. ThatÂ’s enough to send the Aura winging from 0-60 in less than 7 seconds.
In addition, the base XE gets the old 4-speed automatic, while the XR gets the new 6-speed auto, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. It is the first use of the 6-speed with a front-wheel-drive car. The stiffened chassis has struts up front and a four-link rear suspension, and it definitely feels more Saab-ish than Chevy or Pontiac-like. If it falls a bit short of an all-out sport sedan in handling, the Aura is a 3,600-pound vehicle.
The EPA estimates are 20 city and 29 highway miles per gallon for the 3.5 XE model, and the 3.6 is only a tick behind, at 20/28. My guess, however, is that GM is exceptional at coaxing big figures out of the EPA calculations, and after a few break-in miles, the 6-speed 3.6 might get better real-life fuel economy with the overhead-cam efficiency.
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As impressive as the Aura is, the price tag is remarkable. The XE starts at $20,595, and the XR at $24,595. The 3.6 engine is worth the difference, and beyond the standard 4-wheel disc brakes, the XR has bigger wheels (17-inch instead of 16), advanced audio, and StabiliTrak on top of the conventional traction-control.
A large, bold, silver insignia bar runs across the top of the grille, flanked by very large headlight enclosures that offer a distinct European (Opel Vectra?) appearance; the side silhouette has a sweeping roofline that is almost BMW-like; the rear has a high-rise trunklid with large angular taillights, not unlike the G6. The Aura rides on the elongated, 112-inch wheelbase of the Malibu Maxx, with very little front overhang.
While the Aura performs well, a significant effort has gone into the interior, where sound-deadening has been impressively executed from engine and suspension bushings, to double-walled acoustic glass, and even the decklid. All the latest safety inclusions enwrap the occupants, and Saturn designers insist that despite similarities to the attractiveness of the Opel Vectra, they were able to design the Aura from a clean sheet of paper.
One neat feature is the use of the six-section sunroof that tilts or slides to create an enormous opening. With it wide open, the Aura was still quiet enough to exchange conversation. With it closed, and the windows up tight, the car is almost eerily silent.
During my driving phase of the introductory test, I repeatedly rolled down the window, just so I could hear the powerful strains of that V6 engine revving toward its 7,000-RPM redline. We were, of course, driving the XR. Inside, we also had one stint in the optional Moroccan brown leather interior, which would be my choice of interiors. The Aura also comes with a choice of fake woodgrain or a brushed silver trim. IÂ’ll take the silver, because clean sheet or not, give me real wood or keep it out of my car.
Because the customer satisfaction and no-hassle pricing remain, there is plenty for the traditional Saturn buyer to appreciate. However, after walking in and seeing the Sky , customers might wonder what showroom theyÂ’ve entered when they get their first glimpse of the Aura. SaturnÂ’s brand new Aura, as they say.
Reshaped BMW 3 Series Coupe adds turbo power
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. — At the press introduction of the BMW 3-Series Coupe, a fascinating computerized display showed the 3-Series 4-door sedan morphing into the Coupe. The front changed a bit, the contours on the side changed over the front wheelwell, of course in the roofline, and on the other contours toward the rear.
Amazing. There is nothing in the shape or lines of the sedan that are identical on the Coupe. There has been some controversy over the design of BMW sedans, from the 7 Series to the 5 Series and even the 3 Series, which I think looks outstanding in its new form. But, typical of BMW, the plan is to wait a year or two, then bring out the Coupe version. In this case, any idea that the Coupe would just be a chopped off version of the sedan – the way the last few coupes have been – was pretty well eliminated by first glance at the Coupe. Then it was completely wiped out by the graphic.
Designer Udo Lindner explained that the lines and contours along the side were all put in place to accelerate the reflection of light as your eye passes over the shape. Interestingly, the front retains the closest resemblance to the sedan, while the rear is entirely different, wikth horizontal LED taillights. Everything is designed to accent the lower and wider stance of the Coupe, and it works.
To the surprise of nobody, pleasing as the CoupeÂ’s design is, the true pleasure comes from climbing behind the steering wheel. And the stunning performance of a new turbocharging system puts the new Coupe over the top of any performance scale.
But before getting to that, the lean, sleek shape of the Coupe is stiffened by 25 percent over the current coupe, even though the new car has been lightened by 22 pounds compared to the sedan. Thermoplastic front fenders, aluminum suspension components, and all sorts of weight-reducing features, including a magnesium steering wheel frame, have contributed to the performance diet.
The big news is that the Coupe will come to the U.S. in two forms – the 328 and the 335. The 335 is the hottest news, but again, before getting to it, let’s recognize that the 328 is a formidable vehicle, with 230 horsepower at 6,500 RPMs and 200 foot-pounds of torque at 2,750 RPMs from its 3.0-liter inline 6. That’s the same engine BMW has been using for years, as the standard of the industry for a smooth-running, flexibly powerful engine. It has been thoroughly revised several times, the most recent of which is to adapt to BMW’s superb double-Vanos variable valve-timing scheme, and now to be rebuilt out of a cast combination of magnesium and aluminum.
The 328 gets another special treatment, and that is an all-wheel-drive system that BMW has upgraded to be much quicker in transferring power from rear to front, and power distribution is now 100 percent variable between the axles.
The 328 base price is $35,995, while the 325 with all-wheel drive starts at $37,795. The customers who simply canÂ’t live without all the potency these autobahn screamers can muster will ante up $41, 295 to get the 335i.
The 335 starts with the same 3.0 inline 6. BMW engineers have taken not one but two turbochargers, affixing one to three of the cylinders and the other to the other three, each summoning up their exhaust-driven compressor-spinning power to force extra air-fuel mixture into the pistons by direct injection. The two turbos work in concert, much like a variable-flow turbo might work. The result is 300 horsepower at 5,800 RPMs and 300 foot-pounds of torque, regulated to come to apeak as early as 1,400 RPMs and stay on a plateau all the way to 5,000.
In comparing the two models, the 328Â’s 230 horses are up 46 from the 2006 model, and the torque reading of 200 is an increase of 25. ThatÂ’s enough to send the 328 from 0-60 in 6.2 seconds, which would seem fast enough to the normal shopping center sortie. The 335, however, represents an increase of 75 horses and 86 foot-pounds to reach its 300 figures, compared to the 2006 330 Ci. The 335i Coupe goes 0-60 in 5.3 seconds with the 6-speed stick shift, and 5.6 seconds with the 6-speed Steptronic automatic.
That automatic can be used with a manual shift gate, and, if you order the Sport Package, optional steering wheel paddles can come along for the ride. The Steptronic model gets an EPA estimated 20 miles per gallon city and 29 highway, while the stick gets 19 city and 28 highway. If it comes to living up to the EPA estimates, apparently itÂ’s assumed the heavy-footed types will be stomping on the stick more than the auto.
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Tossing the 335i Coupe around the steep hillsides up from Sausalito, where the morning fog never quite lifted completely from the Golden Gate Bridge, we went on to try some other prescribed curvy roadways along the mountain range inland, and back out to Bodega Bay, which is north of San Francisco on Hwy. 1.
The car handles with about what you’d expect from BMW – a company that has made the 3-Series the standard of high-performance handling in a street machine for 30 years, and 40 if you count the 2002 model, which was the standard before being replaced and renamed by the 3 Series in 1976 as a 1977 model.
Going to turbocharging may seem a dramatic move, but if BMW and Honda are arguably the best technical high-performance companies on the planet these days, there are top engineers at both that see turbocharging as a key to getting major power out of limited size engines without losing fuel efficiency.
Handling in the new car is enhanced by an aluminum front subframe with aluminum front suspension components, for a near-perfect 50-50 weight distribution on the front and rear axles. And the phenomenal Active Steering that debuted on the 5-Series is available on the new Coupe, adding to the quick-reacting precision of any steering input.
Features such as cornering lights, Xenon adaptive headlights outlined by those neat little rings for parking lights, adaptive brake lights, rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control with separate left-right settings and bi-directional solar sensor to assure the interior temperature is retained, standard dark burled walnut wood trim, are all standard.
Options such as active cruise control, the Active Steering, Bluetooth capability for hands-free telephone use, iPod interface, leather upholstery, either grey poplar wood or light poplar natural wood, with brushed aluminum trim, heated front seats, a navigation system with voice command, a 13-speaker audio upgrade, can run the sticker price up there.
The Sport Package includes sport seats with adjustable side support, 18-inch wheels instead of the standard 17s, and a 155 mph speed limiter.
All of those options are impressive, and tempting. But even without ‘em, the new 3 Series Coupe is going to be a huge factor in any decision making by those seeking grace and class in a high-performance coupe.
Mazda CX-7 rewrites rules for sporty, compact SUVs
The changing face of automotives is most clearly defined by the compact, crossover SUV segment. If thatÂ’s true, then I have driven the future and it is the Mazda CX-7, if itÂ’s not the Acura RDX. Confusing? You bet.
Consider brief overviews of the two:
* At the RDX introduction a month ago, I was totally impressed with the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, 240 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and six-speed automatic transmission.
* Now, after driving a Mazda CX-7 for a week-long test, I was totally impressed with the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, 244 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and six-speed automatic transmission.
I didnÂ’t get to the Mazda CX-7 introduction, but it came out before the RDX intro and looked good in all the zippy television ads. At the RDX intro, the Honda folks asserted that the RDX was of a higher class than the CX-7, and that the RDX was looking more at the BMW X3 and other upscale crossovers. It turns out the Mazda folks also separate themselves from drawing parallels to the RDX, saying instead that the CX-7 is more aimed at the RAV4 and CR-V, and maybe Honda Pilot and Nissan Murano.
These two vehicles are very close to the same in concept, shape, sportiness, power, performance, and comfort, and yet neither seems to want to acknowledge that the other exists. Silly car people, I say. With low-slung looks, the RDX and CX-7 have a very similar silhouette, the CX-7 is about 3 inches longer and a tenth of an inch wider, while both are powered by 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engines that rank as perhaps the best two Japanese engines currently being built – with the RDX developing 240 horsepower and 260 foot-pounds of torque, and the CX-7 producing 244 horses and 258 foot-pounds.
I liked everything about the RDX, with the possible exception of the price – starting at $32,000 and rising to near $40,000. I liked everything about the Mazda CX-7, especially the price – starting at $24,000 and rising to nearly $30,000.
We can call the power thing a draw, with the CX-7 having four more horsepower and spotting the RDX two foot-pounds of torque. The RDX has a fantastic variable turbocharger that makes smooth takeoffs compared to the CX-7Â’s hair-trigger pause-and-zoom launches, but the CX-7 has direct injection, which the RDX lacks. I also wish the CX-7 had paddle shifters on the steering wheel to override the automatic, the way the RDX does.
Mazda came out with its all-new 2.3-liter 4-cylinder back when the current Mazda6 was introduced. The upgraded engine in the Mazda6 is FordÂ’s Duratec 3.0 V6, but only after Mazda engineers massaged it for variable valve-timing and more power. Mazda also supplied Ford with those world-class 2.3s as the base engine for the Escape, and the new engine in the Focus. So potent was the Focus with the 2.3 that Ford decided to drop the high-performance SVT version of the Focus, since it was expensive, and barely beat the 2.3 in stock trim.
On top of all that, if you]ve driven the new Ford Fusion sedan, the V6 is MazdaÂ’s version and itÂ’s impressive, but if you drive it with the 2.3 base engine, you will see how fun and flexible that engine is.
Mazda, meanwhile, went back and souped up the 2.3 by turbocharging it and setting it atop an all-wheel-drive system under the racy Mazdaspeed6 – a high-performance sports sedan that will run with the hottest Lancer Evolution’s and Subaru WRX STIs, and goes well beyond them in refinement. Anyhow, with that powertrain in hand, when it came time to creating the CX-7, there was no doubt what engine and platform it would use.
The 244 horsepower peaks at 5,000 RPMs, and the 258 foot-pounds of torque hit at only 2,500, thanks to the turboÂ’s impact, so you have enough power to get 0-60 in the 7-second range, even though it is a 3,920-pound vehicle. Power and stability is such that it is a strong performer, but rear-wheel-drive zealots will be surprised to learn that at normal speed, the CX-7 is basically a front-drive vehicle, with torque shifting to the rear wheels only when slippage is detected.
I only managed about 17 miles per gallon, while hoping for the EPA estimated 24 highway, or 18 city. Maybe after getting the hot-rodding rush out of my system, I could have done better.
The CX-7 also has a manual shift gate for the automatic, and that is a source of irritation to me. In Mazdas, you shift the spring-loaded shift lever forward to downshift, and pull back to upshift. To me, that is counter-intuiitive, because logic – and almost all other manufacturers – says you go forward to go forward, and pull back to go less, or downshift. Mazda officials explain that all race cars using sequential shifters, or clutchless manuals – from shifter karts up to formula racers – use that pattern. High-powered race cars, however, can thrust a driver back into the seat, which could cause his hand to pull back abruptly, and while an accidental upshift is no big deal, an accidental downshift could be disastrous, to the engine.
BMWs use the same pattern as Mazda, but we’ve had no advance word that the two high-tech companies are also planning for their next production sedans to be open-wheeled, to further mimic the best race cars. I drive many cars every year, and I always enjoy having manual control over my shifts, so I use the device frequently – except in BMWs and Mazdas, where I feel uneasy with their pattern. I’d estimate that approximately 99.5 percent of all BMW and Mazda drivers DON’T drive race cars with sequential manual gearboxes, so the elitist-sounding explanation might sound high-tech and play well in boardrooms or Formula 1 offices, but I think it is ridiculous enough that there should be an international standard to make all such production shift gates go the same direction.
Enough of that. Besides, while the RDX system with thumb paddles is better, the CX-7 still comes in more than $8,000 under it. The six-speed automatic in the CX-7 does a good job of downshifting itself, and with six gears, you have a better chance of being in the right ratio for virtually any circumstance.
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I disagree with those who say the CX-7 interior is “outclassed†by the RDX. Both are neat, with clearn, contemporary style. The CX-7 uses liberal doses of the high-gloss black that Mazda has suddenly adopted as something of a signature trim thing. But the gauges are easy to read, housed inside large cylinders with a softly brushed (no-glare) silver. They light with a bright red-orange, and when you turn them off, there is a subtle ambient cast of blue flood-lighting the gauge faces.
Driving the CX-7 is a lot of fun, because it has excellent suspension, and all that power from what is essentially the Mazdaspeed6 drivetrain. Even the base CX-7 comes with the hair-trigger acceleration of the turbo-4, but all-wheel drive is a stand-alone option that canbe added to the Touring, Sport, or Grand Touring models.
Along with being one of the industryÂ’s technology leaders, Mazda has a great philosophy for adding options. “We never package performance items with trim items,†said public relations director Jeremy Barnes. “The front-wheel-drive models all come with the turbo, the direct-injection 2.3, 6-speed automatic, etc.Ââ€
So buyers can choos trim packages, with navigation systems, cloth or leather upholstery, a Bose audio upgrade, etc., or performance-oriented, or high-technology packages, or select certain stand-alone options. But you donÂ’t have to buy one when you want the other. The base turbo front-wheel driver is $24,310, but the base all-wheel-drive car starts at only $26,010.
The power and handling of the CX-7 make you feel like youÂ’re in a sports sedan, but if you have to haul stuff inside the hatch you appreciate its crossover-SUV tendencies. There are other crossover SUVs that will do the same, but thatÂ’s where the CX-7Â’s looks intervene.
We have an idea about the future of automotives, and the CX-7 gives us a close-up and personal look at it right now.
The low, racy roofline makes it look like anything but a stodgy old SUV, and really, nothing else on the market looks anything like it. Well, except for the RDX, and remember, they arenÂ’t competing with each other.
Wink, wink.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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