I recently spend a week behind the wheel of at 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander, a decent mid-sized cross-over SUV. Overall this vehicle got the job done, but I don't think I would recommend it to anyone that was in the market for something like this. I would steer them towards a Suzuki XL-7 which I drove a few weeks before this (unfortunately, due to weather and being sick for a number of days, I lost my opportunity to photograph the Suzuki).

What's wrong with with the Outlander? With 11 thousand miles on it, it felt cheap and like it had been in service for 5 years. My main complaint is the paint - which had to be the worst I've ever seen on a press vehicle. There were rock-chips all over it, including places you normally don't see rock-chips, like the front of the rear fenders; it honestly looked like it had been sand blasted in parts. Yes, press vehicles go through more abuse than a normal vehicle, but my 17 year old Audi with 185,000 miles has less paint-chips than this "new" vehicle. That's not normal. Unless you plan on covering the entire thing with a clear-bra, I would stay away from this car just because of the paint. Other minor issues were noticed too, like the passenger door handle which didn't work properly and felt like it was going to break at any moment. Again, if you're shopping for a cross-over SUV in the $30k range, please go look at a Suzuki XL-7 first.

On the positive side, this Mitsubishi Outlander did photograph nicely. Take a look at the images in the Photo Gallery.

Wow, I can't believe it's been over three months since I've added any new photos to this site. No excuses other than I haven't done much automotive related photography lately... or at least nothing I've felt belonged on this site. I'm currently driving a Suzuki SX4 for review, my first test car since June. With snow predicted for most of the time I have this car, I don't know if I'll even get a chance take decent photos of it.

I am a member of an automotive photography forum and each month they have an assignment in which we're given a theme/subject matter. We need to take photos for the assignment during the month, submit one, and eventually the photos will be voted upon by the members of the forum. I've never submitted a photo for the assignment in the past, but this past weekend I was inspired to take photos specifically for it.

The theme was "Depth of Field" and for my subject matter was my 2004 Triumph Speedmaster motorcycle. I chose to focus on the Triumph badge on the engine casing. After a quick wipe down, I shot the bike in my driveway with a defuser panel to block out the direct sunlight. I'm pretty happy with how the shots came out, so I've added them to my gallery to give it something fresh.

One of these days I plan on taking some nice shots of the bike itself. The problem I'm having is that I have way to much fun riding it to stop and take photos!

Enjoy the gallery!

I was able to photograph my first professional race last month at the new Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. The American LeMans series and the Speed World Challenge races were held the weekend of July 15 and I was photographing all the action for AudiWorld.com and the Audi Club North America. It was quite an experience photographing my first professional race with photo credentials, being able to walk the infield and photograph from the other side of the fence was quite an experience.

The new Miller track is a first class facility and features the longest road course in North America. Of course, this means the track is very large and walking around it during 102 degree heat was a chore. But I had fun and I look forward to being able to do it regularly in the future.

A select number of images from the weekend can be found in the Photo Gallery on this site, and a larger gallery can be found on AudiWorld.com.

Enjoy.

I recently had the chance to review the new 2007 Saturn Sky and I came away highly impressed of this GM vehicle. First off, it is an absolutely gorgeous and it never failed to get gawking looks from other drivers around me. Second, the materials used are first rate; it has the look and feel of a vehicle costing much more. And with a MSRP price of this example was $24,280, which included the destination charge and an audio package, it is fairly affordable as well.
In terms of performance, I found the Sky capable, but did found myself wishing for a little more power and torque. There is a Redline version coming out in the fall, which should address the lack of power issue I had. Handling wise, the Sky is an excellent performer as well – the steering is very precise and offers excellent feedback from the road.

Inside, the Sky is as nice as its exterior. You sit very low in the Sky and it takes some getting used to it. Visibility can be an issue; I found the side mirrors to be too small and an awkward shape at first. With the top up there’s a major bind spot to the rear. But you do eventually learn to deal with those issues. The audio system was excellent, offering good sound even with the top down. The only real complaint with the interior is the lack of good, usable storage space for items such as a cell phone, CD’s and other small items.

As impressed as I was with this vehicle, there are still some minor issues that must be addressed. First, the top could be easier to operate; it requires getting out of the vehicle to put it down or up. Still, it’s easier to operate than a mid-70’s MG. Once the top was down, I experience a major rattle/squeak from the rear when going over bumps. With the top is down, your cargo space becomes almost non-existent. I had a hard time fitting my small camera bag, small tripod and some detailing supplies into the trunk when the top was down.

There were also other minor fit-and-finish issues I saw, like the chrome trim piece on the doorsill which was lifting off and ill fitting panels between the passenger door and front fender (look closely at the photos to see what I mean). I believe these are mainly a case of first-year bugs and would expect them to be corrected by the second model year.

Overall, I thought this car was great and I wouldn’t deter anybody from buying one. For my money, I would take a new Mazda MX-5 over this, mainly because I believe it is a more enjoyable vehicle to drive. But there is no question that the Sky is the better looking vehicle and you can’t go wrong with it

Click here to view the photo gallery.  

A couple of weeks after driving a silver VW GTI with a manual transmission, I was able to drive a White GTI with the DSG automatic transmission. This version had plaid cloth seats, which isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. Other than that, and the DSG transmission, it was very similar to the one I had a few weeks prior.

As much as I like the DSG transmission compared to a normal automatic, it seems like I always run into problems with the transmission. I had an A3 3.2 earlier this year with the same transmission and it had problems getting out of my driveway in reverse. Then in this GTI, I took it on a long afternoon drive and near the end it started to act weird; sometimes shifting into manual mode on its own and a few times it appeared to get "stuck" in a gear. In one instance it was alarming enough for me to pull off the side of the road and restart the car. Personally, I've run into one too many problems with the DSG transmission in my reviews to be able to recommend it. Stick to the manual.

Overall though, I find the GTI to be a fun car to drive. As long as you don't load one up with options, they can be had for a fairly reasonable price.

As for the photos, the issue of PAS Magazine with my photos came out while I had this car, which inspired me to revisit Red Rocks with this GTI . Enjoy!