At the Spring 2018 Charlotte AutoFair

2018 Charlotte Autofair

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s AutoFair is a classic car extravaganza. The twice-annual Charlotte AutoFair never disappoints, even when the weather is less than cooperative. Rainy skies and falling temperatures ruled Day No. 3 of the Spring 2018 Charlotte AutoFair, keeping crowds to a minimum. On the other hand, if you ventured … Read more

Super Steed: 2017 Ford Mustang GT Performance Review

2017 Ford Mustang GT Fastback

Select performance parts take the Mustang GT to greater heights. I’ve driven nearly every Ford Performance enhanced product, with the exotic Ford GT supercar the lone exception. The overarching task of Ford’s performance division is to take ordinary or already sporty models and convert them into something extraordinary. Models like … Read more

2017 Ford Shelby GT350 Review

2017 Ford Shelby GT350

Flat-plane crank V8 engine and all that. When is a Ford Mustang not a Mustang? Answer: when it is a Shelby GT350 (or GT350R). Well, the Shelby is a Mustang, a special version bearing the name of the late Carroll Shelby, a racing driver and automotive designer of renown. Shelby’s … Read more

2016 Ford Focus RS Review

2016 Ford Focus RS review

One week of Ford Focus RS awesomeness! The Ford Focus RS may be the best small car in the world. Yes, I said it. But the “best” definition can be a tricky one to use as there are multiple categories to consider, i.e., quality, reliability, efficiency, and performance, among others. … Read more

2016 Ford Mustang GT Premium Convertible Review

2016 Ford Mustang GT

Heritage on wheels. That’s my take on the Ford Mustang. You cannot escape the evidential truth that Ford’s pony car has a great deal of history behind it, while it adroitly advances that legacy with each new model built. A Once-Threatened Species More than a half-century has passed since the … Read more

2015 Ford Focus ST Review

2015 Ford Focus ST

Ford Performance, Focus ST style. Tangerine Scream was the perfect name for the tri-coat finish smothering the body of a delicious 2015 Ford Focus ST five-door hatchback tasked with teasing and pleasing me recently. Indeed, the ST’s bright finish served as an exclamation point on a model with more attitude … Read more

Cars and Coffee in the Sandhills: July 2014

2014 Sandhills cars and coffee

Anyone that has followed Auto Trends for some time knows that we look backward as well as forward. Not just to the new, upcoming and futuristic models, but at the antiques and classics that have shaped the auto industry for more than a century. Throw out information about a classic … Read more

Cars and Coffee Cary: March 2014

cars and coffee cary 2014

While much of the eastern part of the nation remains locked within winters icy grip, mild weather throughout the southeast has allowed monthly Cars and Coffee meetups to continue throughout much of the Carolinas and extending all the way to Texas. Cars and Coffee Cary (NC) is one event that … Read more

2013 Cars and Coffee: Waverly Place in Cary, NC

cars coffee waverly place 2013

If you are looking for an informal meetup of car enthusiasts, then a Cars and Coffee event is the place to go. This past Sat., I happened upon the local gathering in Cary, NC, featuring more than 100 vintage, classic, exotic, Asian, European and American models. Cars and Coffee Cars … Read more