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, […]
Category Archives: Opinions
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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
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
03
Karma
posted by Motorista
Heh heh heh. One down, approximately 1,499,00 to go! Call me evil. Go ahead. 😀
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 […]
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 […]
June
01
Motorista – 2 Years and Counting!
posted by Motorista
It just occurred to me a few minutes ago that I forgot about Motorista’s second anniversary! As of May 25, 2015, we have been up and running for two whole years. Wow. I know my posts have been sporadic since October, and I wish I had the time to blog almost every day like I […]
May
08
Strong Women: Denise McCluggage
posted by Motorista
Late Wednesday, the car world lost a true legend. A writer, racer and adventurer, who could do all of those things while being a woman! I speak of the one, the only…Denise McCluggage. (You may remember I was thankful for Denise at Thanksgiving 2013.) I hope to be like Denise McCluggage when I grow up. […]
April
18
La Bella Macchina, Jr. – Alfa Romeo 4C
posted by Motorista
A welcome oasis in the recent Motorista drought – a playdate with the new Alfa Romeo 4C this afternoon! This mid-engined beastie, the little sister of the magnifcent and mellifluous Alfa Romeo 8C, is fairly new to our shores and designed to stir the passions and lead feet of enthusiasts in preparation for Alfa’s USA […]
April
13
Car Hacking: My Article in Texas Lawyer
posted by Motorista
Are our vehicles’ computer systems the next frontier for hackers? Call me crazy, but I say, if not no, at least not YET. But it’s an interesting topic of discussion. See my recent article in Texas Lawyer for my take on the latest phantom menace: TLhacking_Eby. And goodness knows I’ve been storing up lots of opinions […]
March
19
While I Was Out
posted by Motorista
So I’m finally getting caught up on my Automotive News (weekly industry newspaper) backlog. As in, I’ve made it from July to November in the last several weeks. Turns out I missed all sorts of interesting things, like the Takata airbag recall (flying shards of metal are NOT okay), Cadillac raising a stir by relocating […]
March
01
Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution
posted by Motorista
You just never know how one thing can lead to another. After my Texas Lawyer article on self-driving cars was published, a producer from the Legal Talk Network called and invited me to appear on a podcast of the show Lawyer 2 Lawyer, discussing legal issues with autonomous vehicles. I taped the episode on February 18, and […]
February
04
Self-Driving Cars: My Article in Texas Lawyer
posted by Motorista
Look out – two posts in one month! How do I even live at this speed?? In a bit of exciting news, I recently had another automotive article published in Texas Lawyer. Remember the one I did a few months back on the GM recall? Well, the new one is about the legal questions surrounding […]
September
11
Thoughts on Loss
posted by Motorista
I’ve been feeling contemplative the last few days, with today’s somber anniversary, the anniversary of my high school coach’s death tomorrow, and a terrible tragedy last Friday in which two local 20-year-old siblings were killed in a car accident on their way home from college for the weekend. I never knew these kids, but I […]
September
10
Small-Car Syndrome
posted by Motorista
Today I had the privilege of spending a fair amount of time behind the wheel of the “work car,” otherwise known (by me) as the World’s Biggest Benz-o. I love driving, and I love driving all types of vehicles, including the Benz-o. But going from a MINI to Mercedes’ biggest SUV is quite the study […]
September
07
Latest Object of Lust
posted by Motorista
It’s a work weekend, but allow me to take ten seconds and share the most recent object of my desire. Ladies and gentlemen, a 2011 Lotus Elise SC (“SC” means supercharged). Now available at Lotus of Austin. Sigh. This beaut is practically attainable for me, i.e. it’s only out of reach by a factor of […]
September
01
That’s a Negative, Ghost Rider
posted by Motorista
No. Toyota, let’s talk after you fire your ad agency. This is just stupid. Love, Motorista
August
10
Cars and Coffee Austin – August 10, 2014
posted by Motorista
Ah, Cars and Coffee. The only Sunday of the month where I cheerfully rise “early.” Sunday mornings have been scorchers around here lately, but that’s nothing to a true car fan. Just add a little strategic hydration, and you are good to go. I must say, I get a kick out of all the 20-something […]
August
06
Dubious Colors: Edition One
posted by Motorista
Ever since I was visually violated by a purple Lamborghini, a deepening dread has lingered in the back of my mind: there are many, many cars out there in horribly fugly colors. I had no intention of going out to look for them, because dubious. I exist in a righteously indignant state most of the […]
July
26
Retail Therapy
posted by Motorista
Sooo…it’s been a long week, as my lack of recent posts attests. And when a girl’s had a long week, she needs a little retail therapy on the weekend. Now, when your passion is cars, retail therapy is a tad bit expensive. (Hell, when you have my taste in fashion, retail shoe therapy is prohibitively […]
July
22
Cadillac Becomes Electric
posted by Motorista
The Cadillac ELR. The coupe the Cadillac CTS coupe should have been. The packaging the Chevrolet Volt should have had. It was my favorite debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, and I paid special attention to the production version displayed at the show this year. The ELR is beautiful, and I have been excited […]
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