Retro-Review: Ford Maverick Grabber, 1970-’75

By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist

There is an interesting species of near muscle car that came into being and briefly existed for a handful of years, beginning in the early 1970s — just as the high tide of the real muscle car was receding. These were cars that did not come with high-powered V-8s from the factory. But which did come with V-8s that could very easily be made high-powered. The rest was already covered. They had the necessary foundations: rear-wheel-drive layout, sporty two-door styling. And they often had advantages many of the factory muscle cars of the ’60s did not, including low curb weight — and a low price tag.

They were “do-it-yourself muscle cars” — just add horsepower. Read the rest of this article »

Driving News Roundup: May 10, 2013

This is a weekly feature on the NMA Blog, running each Friday, where we highlight seven of the most interesting driving news stories of the week.

Florida: Red-light camera fines may go up to $408 and be harder to fight under new rules
A bill that cleared the House and Senate in the final days of the legislative session vastly increases the power of local governments to issue red-light camera violations. It discourages people accused of running red lights from challenging their ticket by increasing their fine from $158 to $408 should they contest and lose.

Illinois: Sheriffs seem OK with raising interstate speed limit
Although a state transportation official opposes a proposal to raise the speed limit on rural interstate highways to 70 mph, most county sheriffs apparently aren’t opposed to the increase. In April, the Illinois Senate voted 41-6 for that change from 65 mph. The measure is Senate Bill 2356. Read the rest of this article »

2013 Kia Rio Review

By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist

The Kia Rio I just spent a week driving around is an extremely fuel-efficient little car — one of the very best in its segment, actually. And not just on paper, either. Out in the real world, in real-world driving, it lives up to its EPA billing: 30 city, 40 highway. I averaged 32.2 according to the car’s computer. But you’d never know it if you went by the gas gauge — which drops from “F” to a quarter-down almost as quickly as the gas gauge in my ’76 Trans Am — and it gets about 12 MPG. Of course, my Trans-Am has a 21 gallon tank — so its rate of consumption is appalling. The Kia’s isn’t — but seems like it is — because it only has a 11.3 gallon tank.

That is a very small tank. Read the rest of this article »

TheNewspaper.com Roundup: May 8, 2013

Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.

Wednesday, May 08, 2013
California: Privacy Groups Sue LAPD Over License Plate Readers
Privacy groups are upset that law enforcement has been using cameras to track the movements of motorists who are not suspected of any wrongdoing. To investigate how this information is used, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) last year formally sought information on automated license plate recognition cameras (ALPR, also known as ANPR in Europe) from law enforcement agencies around the country. The Los Angeles, California Police Department (LAPD) refused to hand over some related documents, so the ACLU joined on Friday with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in filing a lawsuit to compel disclosure.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Australia: Another Toll Road Goes Bankrupt
Transportation officials in the United States and around the world remain fascinated with tolling public-private partnerships as a method of financing roads, but tolling continue to prove itself an unreliable choice. Last week, the Rivercity Motorway Group’s bankruptcy administrators began soliciting bids for the Clem7 toll road in Brisbane, Australia. The 4.2 mile tunnel links five major area roads at a cost of $8.10 per round trip — a proposition few residents found worthwhile. A bankruptcy judge with the Federal Court of Australia explained the problem. Read the rest of this article »

Update on ‘Move Over’ Laws

Florida police agencies recently stepped up enforcement of the state’s “Move Over” law by setting up sting operations on roadways throughout the Sunshine State, including in a state park where nearly two dozen unsuspecting motorists were ensnared.

The Florida sting is simple: A police officer parks his cruiser on the side of the road and turns on the emergency lights. Another officer monitors drivers as they pass. If motorists don’t move over into the far lane, or slow down enough, they are stopped and given a $165 ticket. Read the rest of this article »