Sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good. We’ve all heard that in one area or another, whether it’s sports, testing, or battle. But that same saying goes for car companies as well. You don’t always have to have the best swing to hit a home run, sometimes, all you need to do is swing at the right time. When Chrysler decided to introduce the world to the concept of the “Minivan”, it came at such a perfect time in history that it’s almost uncanny. In 1984, the last of the world’s Baby Boomer population was just reaching family-raising age and all of those millions upon millions had a brand new way to haul their budding families to and from school, soccer practice, and the in-laws for the holidays. Fast forward thirty years and the minivan is still going strong. There have been dozens and dozens of competitors to the minivan, including, other minivans. But the original creator is still innovating and still at the top of their game, so for 2017 Chrysler has given us the new Pacifica.

At times it seems that we take quite a lot of things for granted. Modern technology has permeated every facet of our existence and has raised the standard of just about everything that runs on electric. We have come to just expect things to do more for us, and also do them better and more quickly. Whether it is a cell phone or a new car, we just expect more, and sometimes, we don’t get it. We don’t get it because, at the root of everything, people are still in charge of creating these machines, and people are flawed creatures, so it should stand to reason that flawed creature, will occasionally create flawed machines. Such is the fate of the 2016 Honda Civic.

As big as the world is, it seems as though it is getting smaller and smaller every day. Not just because of things like the internet and smartphones, but car engines have been slowly shrinking over time as well. Back in the heyday of the muscle car era, it was all big blocks and “no replacement for displacement”. At the time, it was true.  Big engines crushed their smaller competitors like grapes beneath Shaquille O’Neal’s foot during a try out for a stomp routine. But, slowly, as technology got better, those big 454-, 440-, and 428-cubic inch engines were replaced by equally or in some cases, more powerful 350, 351, and 383 engines. Then, after some adjustment and increased R&D, those engines became even more powerful, and, in some cases smaller yet. Fast forward about 60 years and we are right in the middle of a second Golden Age of muscle cars, but these cars aren’t just from America, and they are all going through the same shrinkage as their predecessors did decades prior. But this time it’s engines like the big 6.2-liter Mercedes AMG V8, the Indy-inspired 5.0-liter V10 from BMW’s M division, and even the 7.0-liter monster in the Corvette ZO6. These engines have all dropped volume to become a twin-turbo 4.0-liter motor for AMG, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo motor for BMW, and a smaller-but-still-not-tiny 6.2-liter supercharged engine for the track-star ‘Vette. It seems this thinking has purveyed across all forms of engine, and it seems that for 2017 we now know that the 718 Porsche Cayman has become the newest recipient of downsizing.

It's an age-old mantra most gear heads will recognize:  Run what ya brung, and hope it's enough!  Whether it's at the track, road course, or just the next traffic light, every hot rodder knows that feeling of getting beat out when you weren't expecting to lose. Watching taillights pull ahead of you when you're giving your own car everything its got is demoralizing, disheartening, and feels worse than watching your favorite team lose the Superbowl. After a loss, there are stages of rehabilitation:  Surprise, Anger, Denial, Sadness, Acceptance, and, in some cases, Resolve. Surprise that a car could beat a car that you believed was unbeatable; then anger, quickly on its heels, that you spent money on a car that isn't as fast as the car now humbling and/or humiliating you. The denial comes a little later. That usually stems from the transmission:  "Oh I missed a shift", or sometimes "He caught me in the wrong gear", or the ever popular "I need a new clutch, this one is slipping pretty badly, but next time..."  Each of these excuses, along with hundreds of others like it, all boil down to the same result:  You lost. Winners never make excuses for why they won.

We are in the middle of the autumn season, and there are a number of different sporting events that we equate with this time of the year. College football season is in full swing, the NFL starts to heat up, and the pro hockey and basketball seasons begin. Things are good for sports fans, and, for many, the highlight is “The Fall Classic”. Major League Baseball's World Series begins on Tuesday, October 25th, and if it were to go to seven games, the final would be played on November 2nd.

The Mercedes E63 AMG has already proven to be a very formidable performance sedan entry, especially with the addition of standard all-wheel drive. However, the engineers at Mercedes are always looking for new ways to make the E63 even better and have officially confirmed that it will be coming with an all-new drift mode for the 2018 model year.

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has had no problem sharing his thoughts and views on the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and how it is a key model for the Jeep brand in its quest to target luxury entries like Land Rover and Cadillac. Jeep CEO Mike Manley, during an interview at the Paris Motor Show told the UK publication Auto Express that "the Grand Wagoneer is moving forward", but saved the best for last when pressed about the Grand Wagoneer's potential pricing ladder.

Porsche's ongoing 911 Hybrid project has had a long and winding road to production feasibility. The project has been delayed multiple times, and a new report suggests that the project has been put on hold once again, with the future shrouded in secrecy and doubt.

Volkswagen's upcoming three-row crossover is still in a shroud of secrecy, but a new report says that the new model will usher in a new naming system and an all-new volume-focused approach to sales.

When you are looking for a new vehicle, you have a lot of different styles to choose from. Pinning down the class that is right for you can be confusing, especially when you are married and the vehicle will be used by two different people at times. A sharp-looking muscle car, like the Camaro or Challenger, will always have a certain appeal, but there are also refined, quiet luxury cars that can draw you in from a different direction. Practicality can be a concern as well, and there are many fuel-efficient, relatively inexpensive forms of transportation in the marketplace. Of course, there are also numerous different pickup trucks that many people gravitate toward.