I admit, I have been a slacker with this blogging gig lately. I got busy, I got sad, and I just set it aside. I’m making a comeback, though. There’s lots to talk about, like a new car (Mercedes C300 coupe in matte paint – purr, purr, purr), Formula 1 excitement, new forms of horsepower […]
May
14
Postscript: Bri
posted by Motorista
Time is a funny thing. It gives and it takes, it creates space, and sometimes it presses on you so hard it crushes. One month ago today, my best friend and sidekick, the yin to my yang, my little girl, my sweet puppy, left me behind and headed on to the next adventure. Bri the […]
January
20
The Agony and the Ecstasy: Detroit Auto Show 2016
posted by Motorista
First, the agony: average temperature during my stay in Detroit was 18 degrees. My face is chapped from the cold, and my legs ache from walking/standing for 4-5 hours straight two days in a row. Boo hoo. Now, the ecstasy: Detroit Auto Show, baby! I just spent Monday and Tuesday treating the Detroit Auto Show (or, […]
January
13
Detroit or Bust!
posted by Motorista
It’s official…Motorista is taking the 2016 North American International Auto Show by storm! As I have every year since 2012 (with the sad exception of last year), I am headed to Detroit for two full days (Monday and Tuesday) of auto show goodness. The press days took place earlier this week, so there’s already a […]
January
05
Women in the Auto Industry…and the World
posted by Motorista
Fired up by yesterday’s post, I went back through some of my prior posts on Mary Barra specifically and women in the auto industry generally, and came across a few oldies but goodies. Sharing the collection here for anyone interested: It Doesn’t Have to Be a Revolution – December 4, 2013 One Small Step for Woman – […]
January
04
Glass Ceiling: Smashed
posted by Motorista
As with everything other than work, I am behind in reading Automotive News, my weekly source of all things automotive. I just started on the November 9, 2015 edition, which includes a 128-page special section entitled 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry (shout-out to my friend Lisa Copeland for being included on this […]
January
01
2016: The Year of the Car
posted by Motorista
Welcome to 2016, race fans! One of my resolutions for this year is to spend more time on this blog again. I got so far behind in 2015 that you haven’t even heard about how I got tased by Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas. Or all the interesting car-related observations I made in Southeast Asia. […]
December
26
Beauty on Wheels
posted by Motorista
Sigh. The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe is such a beaut. I loved the 2001-2006 generation of its predecessor, the CL Class, and the new (renamed) S-Class Coupe is even better, truly the creme de la creme of luxury GTs. This beast, the two-door version of Mercedes’ flagship S-Class sedan, features a walloping biturbo V-8 and […]
November
29
F-Type = My Type
posted by Motorista
I have mentioned my love of the Jaguar F-Type in the past, based on a driving experience I had in Houston in 2013 and on my generally excellent taste. 🙂 It is my (not yet) attainable dream car, for sure, and I love using Jaguar’s most excellent online configurator to build various iterations, particularly the […]
October
28
Photo Preview of the USGP
posted by Motorista
Get the picture? It was a great weekend! 🙂 The full story to come…
October
23
F1icane
posted by Motorista
After weeks of no rain, we’re gettin’ all hurricane-ish around here. On Formula 1 weekend, naturally. But it’s okay. I’m ready. Check my Twitter feed tomorrow for dispatches from a water-logged Circuit of the Americas!
October
22
USGP Weekend!
posted by Motorista
It’s here! The Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, TX kicks off this Friday, Oct. 23, and culminates in the big race on Sunday. Unlike the tragedy of last year, I am here and ready to go! The race weekend actually started today for me, with a pit walk at Circuit of the Americas […]
October
12
Volksbottom
posted by Motorista
General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota and Honda are happy right now. Why? For once, they’re off the hot seat. The apoplectic bunch in Washington has turned its focus from ignition switches, delayed recalls, sticky accelerator pedals and exploding airbags, and recalibrated its missiles toward one – very large – target. And, for once, it’s hard to […]
September
29
Travels in Southeast Asia: Cambodia – Impressions
posted by Motorista
It’s hard to adequately describe the smell of Cambodia. It is a combination of sweet and acrid, with notes of smoke and garbage. Sometimes nice, sometimes not nice at all, the various elements travel together on a continuum that follows you wherever you go (except, for the most part, the temples). That aroma was my […]
September
27
Travels in Southeast Asia: Singapore
posted by Motorista
Greetings, race fans! I’m sitting on the front porch of a beach house at Thong Krut, on the Thai island of Koh Samui. The wind is high, but the air is fresh. It’s Sunday night here, 12 hours ahead of my friends in Texas. What a trip. I intended to blog more frequently, but there […]
September
09
What’s Wrong with Cadillac
posted by Motorista
Dear Cadillac, I am young(ish), trendy (somewhat), and a discerning consumer of automotive sheetmetal. According to you, I am precisely the audience you want to target. But you’re not doing it right. I’m in the market for a car this fall, but you are not on my shopping list. Would you like to know why? […]
August
31
A True Champion
posted by Motorista
The 2015 IndyCar season ended yesterday, in a thrilling finish at Sonoma Raceway that left the season’s champion undetermined until the last turn of the last lap. It was pure, unadulterated racing. It also took place under a pall as grim as I have ever seen in any race paddock. The reason – on Aug. […]
August
21
Surprises
posted by Motorista
On the way to work today, I ended up behind a Buick that was quite good-looking. A BUICK. More specifically, it was a red Buick Regal and, I have to say, it looks fairly sporty in motion. I was shocked, and I’m not even being snarky about it. Buick’s SUVs are looking pretty good these days, […]
August
05
Motorista Goes International
posted by Motorista
I may be dealing with a self-diagnosed bout of adrenal fatigue (I kept calling it adrenal failure until my sister pointed out that that kills you – important distinction!), but I’m not too tired to be doing backflips-excited about my upcoming trip across the Pacific. You guys, I haven’t taken an honest to goodness vacation […]
August
03
Karma
posted by Motorista
Heh heh heh. One down, approximately 1,499,00 to go! Call me evil. Go ahead. 😀
July
27
Grace, At Speed
posted by Motorista
Somewhere in the whirlwind of the last few months, a most delightful announcement took place that makes me excited for 2016, girl power, and the future of motorsports in general. Ordinarily I would have been shouting this from the heavens on the same day, but I’ve been a little behind… On May 29, 2016, the […]
July
26
Comeback Kid
posted by Motorista
So peeps, here’s the deal. This posting once or twice a month gig is not working for me. I miss you guys, plus there are too many rants to be ranted, opinions to be opined, and photographs to be taken to do this on a monthly basis. So…I’m making a comeback! Starting now I’m going to […]
July
19
RIP, Jules
posted by Motorista
Very sad news that F1 driver Jules Bianchi, who was gravely injured at the Formula 1 Japanese GP in October, has passed away at age 25. Bianchi’s death is the first in F1 since Ayrton Senna on May 1, 1994. I will just repeat what I said at the time of his accident. Racing is […]
July
04
‘Merica!
posted by Motorista
[Edited to say: Gah! Apparently, I did this before. Same title and everything!] God bless America. And its cars. Happy Fourth of July! Boy, patriotism makes me thirsty.
June
27
IS Bigger Better?
posted by Motorista
Howdy, race fans! It has been much too long since we’ve had a chat. Here’s what I’ve been busy with in the last month or so: running a law firm getting elected to City Council rappelling down a 38-story building (again!) keeping the dogs from eating important documents (FAIL!) Rappelling was the easiest. Now that […]
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