The Death of a Young Enthusiast Brings People Together.

The automotive industry is filled with incredible and wonderful people. Most of us love cars. It doesn't matter what kind, it just matters that they're cars, and that we're talking about them. One of the many wonderful parts of being in the community of cars is the camaraderie. When someone needs a tow, a part, some helpful insight, or even a few extra dollars, most guys would be willing to give you the shirts off their backs.

This is a story of a Miata-loving crew, along with the rest of the internet, coming together for the family of someone they lost due to terrible illness. This is about Thomas Johst.

2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Review: 1.4 Liters of Turbo Powered Fun!

The Chevy Sonic LTZ is Chevrolets latest attempt at taming the largely European-dominated B segment; the Supermini. This car has the good looks, the technology, and the spunky turbo engine to do the job! The tiny 1.4 liter engine is helped along by the aforementioned turbo, giving it enough sportiness to make it incredibly entertaining to drive. The LTZ trim includes all the bells and whistles, with an Iphone 5 port built in directly to the dash for your phone, music, and navigation needs. The 7" touch-screen display is clear even in direct sunlight, and it incorporates air conditioning, XM radio, sound settings and more, right at your fingertips.

W&D First Ever Ford Focus ST! Woo-Hoo!

Here it is! The first-ever Focus ST to hit our lot! In stock form, it's already one of the hottest hatches on the market, with 247 horsepower, and 250 ft lbs of torque on demand. Many people may not realize how much power that actually is, but anything with over 200 horses in a small FWD hatchback should not only be incredibly fun to drive, but also jaw droppingly good to look at. This particular example has been played with a little, as the owner chose to install an excellent alternative to the stock exhaust with a full cat-back system; a part of the Ford Racing Power Upgrade Package that massages a few more ponies from under the hood. The package includes Ford upgraded spark plugs, K&N/Ford racing air filter, and the Focus ST calibration tool.

Say Hello to the 6th Gen. Mustang ( and GT350 )

This is it; the newest iteration of Fords most famous model, the 2016 Mustang. This one is different, however, in that it is the SVT GT350 variant, which is something we've not seen since 2012. This time, it is rumored to use a slightly larger version of the Coyote 5.0L V8 that should have somewhere in the realm of 550 horses on tap. Expect it to rev just past 8000 rpms with a glorious tune to match the new wicked exterior design

I look forward to this and any other future Mustangs more than I have in the past, as these new models have independant rear suspension (finally), and there will even be a turbo-charged four-banger in the mix! (read as 2.3L EcoBoost) The last time Ford released one of those in the mid eighties, it failed miserably, even though it was the most powerful version of the Mustang at the time.

I can't wait to see more of these on the road, and neither should you! Ford has produced better Mustangs year after year for the last decade or so, and this one surely won't disappoint. Here are a few clips of the latest and greatest in camo form running on the world-famous Nurburgring. Enjoy.

Operation Evo: A Quest for Greatness (But mainly just an Evo)

IT HAS BEEN FORETOLD. That with just four grand and a little bit of common sense, I plan on buying and selling cars until I reach a total of roughly fifteen thousand dollars, which is about what a 2003-2005 Evo VIII goes for in good, drivable condition. Why an Evo, you ask? Because they are without a doubt, the most bang for your buck in regards to a fun, daily drivable machine that looks good, can carry a family of four, and has a huge aftermarket following for upgrading all the go-fast parts or replacing OEM pieces. To put it in perspective, the base model slingshots its way to 60mph in just over 4 seconds, out-handles 90% of what's already on the road, and gets just under 25mpg. Not too shabby for such a performance oriented vehicle.

1998 Audi A4 1.8t: Operation Daily Driver

When on the market for a new daily driver, there are very few things that you actually need to bear in mind. First, and most importantly, verify its title status (Find out if it's a salvage title.) Now, that doesn't mean don't buy the car if it happens to hold a salvaged title, it just means "know exactly what you're getting into", before anything else.

As a potential daily drivable car, most will want something with four doors, four cylinders, an automatic transmission, and air conditioning. That is all. As long as the car meets those criteria, most people will be content with their purchase.

Personally, I prefer something with a little more substance than your run-of-the-mill econobox, as I am what some would call, a driver. So my choice this time around was a 1998 Audi A4 1.8t Quattro. Once again, I've found myself in a 4 cylinder, all wheel drive, turbo powered beauty.

This Derpy Car is Googles Autonomous Prototype? Bummer.

THIS IS IT. The worlds first-ever, real autonomous driving machine! No, it's not a super Prius of some kind, its actually an official Google product with no real name at this point. As far as I can tell it's simply referred to as "Googles first self-driving car"; which seems a little strange to me, but that's the way the cookie crumbles for the time being.

It has no manual controls over the vehicle inside or out. It simply has a GPS where you enter the address of your destination and you go. That's it. The interior design is aimed towards making the trip as practical as possible, with ergonomic seating positions and room for baggage at your feet. I can imagine that being taken along for a 25mph ride (top speed limited) in something that looks like a robots head would be interesting, to say the least.

OH NOES: Say Goodbye to the Current Gen CTS-V Coupe.

The 2015 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe is something of a dinosaur. There are only so many car companies that have the luxury of being able to produce something so aged. And by aged, I mean the general theory in building and designing these potent monsters is pretty much the same as it was in the late sixties and early seventies. Take a sedate coupe or sedan platform and throw in an obnoxiously powerful V8 and big, beefy brake and suspension components. In other words: 'Murica.

What with fossil fuel prices once again soaring into the stratosphere, I'm pleasantly surprised that the CTS-V has made it this far with its supercharged 6.2l V8.

Unfortunately, the current generation has become obsolete, and 2015 marks the end of this production run with a special edition limited to only 500 units. That's not to say they won't build anymore CTS-V's, but don't be surprised when they build them with twin turbo sixes. So if archaic rear-drive monsters are your thing, be sure to grab one before they all get bought up! Check out the press release from Cadillac after the break.

Young Kiwi Builds Epic Rally Car From Scratch; In a Barn.

Building any car from scratch is a feat in and of itself; but building a full blown race car, at 21, is nothing short of incredible. I don't know how the guy got the funding, but he did something I've dreamt of doing for years.

The body of the car is borrowed from a Peugeot, along with a Peugeot F1 racing engine. Again, where the heck does a 21 year old kid from New Zealand find not only the time, but the money to build such an expensive car? Wherever it came from, he created a one-of-a-kind rally racing machine that sprints from 0-200 kph in 7 seconds flat while screaming a glorious tune. ooh.

I don't know what's more impressive, the actual end result of countless hours of hard labor and love, or the fact that he barely graduated high school and still built this badass machine. Check out the video after the jump.

A Little Perspective: Agera R vs. Ford Focus Mile Drag Race

It isn't very often that you see two cars that are so unequivocally mismatched go head-to-head in a drag race, but this video gives us some valuable perspective into how fast these hypercars actually are. The Agera R wields a simply mind-numbing 1,140 horses, while the econo-box Focus has 115 diesel-powered ponies. Obviously they have to give the Focus some sort of advantage, so they don't unleash the Agera until the Focus is already halfway down the runway. It feels to me like they are releasing a crippled rabbit ten seconds before the Cheetah. Doesn't seem fair either way, but there you have it. Check out the short video and enjoy. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, or friend us on Facebook for future Wheels and Deals rides and stories. Drive safe, drive fun, and drive on.  

Honda Built a Seemingly "Akira" Inspired Motorcycle.

Akira is one of my favorite animated cult-classics of all time. It features acid-trip scenes, demonic teddy bears, and cool motorcycles. What more could you possibly want? Honda agrees, and this is the product they've chosen to conceptualize, and later, produce. Meet the Honda NM4 Vultus.While they don't specifically mention the movie Akira, they do say that the bike was directly inspired by what they call "Japanimation". This bike is obviously not for the faint of heart, or the beginning rider, although I would imagine that it could very well inspire someone out there to learn. If only for the off chance that they could take one of these bad boys out for a spin. I would absolutely love to see one of these in person, as I am a firm believer that pictures can never do the real thing justice.

Project CARS Looks to be Epic Multi-Platform Racing Sim

Ever since the slightly disappointing release of Forza 5, I've been awaiting even more earnestly the release of Project CARS, an ultra-high definition version of what could have been. From what I've seen, they already have the necessary ingredients to make a fantastic racing simulator; a variety of rare and unique cars, plenty of multi-condition racetracks, and some of the best graphics I've ever seen.

Meet the World's First Megacar: Koenigsegg Agera One:1

I don't understand how I allow myself to get so worked up about a car that I will never see in person, let alone ever drive. But there's just something about the way the lines flow like water over and across magnificent wheel arches and valleys, working together in an orchestrated aerodynamic ballet that I just can't seem to stop lusting after. The Koenigsegg One:1 is THE car. Not only is it the first production automobile whose power output can be measured as a megawatt (1,341HP), but the twin-turbo 5.0l V8 also produces over 1,000 ft lbs of torque and 1,300 lbs of down-force above 160mph. At this point, the numbers involved are reaching astronomical digits that are difficult for the layman to fathom. Jeebus, it's difficult for even the likes of me to understand, as the incredible cars that I encounter on a daily basis rarely have over 400 horses. No, the One:1 is something on an entire different playing field.

Elon Musk of Tesla Motors Rakes in 1.1 Billion In One Day

Elon Musk has been hitting the ball outta the park in regards to his success with his company, Tesla Motors. As of late, the stock for Tesla has risen to over two hundred and fifty per share, and that number rises every day. Not only is his own company flourishing, but the company SolarCity Corp. (who he is the largest shareholder of) is doing just as well in response to the incredible optimism that surrounds his plans to build one of the largest battery manufacturing plants on the face of the Earth. This is truly groundbreaking stuff, as electric cars are quickly building steam in the automotive industry. I would guess that there will be an exponentially growing number of not only Tesla's roaming around, but fully electric cars in general. BMW among others have very recently jumped on the electric car bandwagon, hoping to take advantage of the go-green hype everyone is going on about. These are all good things, especially seeing that Tesla is an American car company, which brings reputability and massive amounts of cash into our floundering economy. Congratulations to you, sir! Keep up the fantastic work!

Source: Jalopnik.com/Bloomberg.com

ANOTHER Cherry Twin-Turbo RX-7

I don't know how we get so lucky, but we get to see some of the coolest cars on the planet come through our doors. Last time I wrote something about a perfect twin turbo RX-7, it was a 1995 automatic, and it was pretty much the base model. Not as much flash or bling that it potentially could've had equipped at the factory. This one, however, is a slightly different animal. It is equipped with a five speed manual transmission, rear spoiler/louvre, and an incredibly intricate Bose sound system. Of course, the stock sound system isn't something I'll normally tout on something as rare and good-looking as the TT RX-7, but this is something completely different. I've never seen a sound system that so closely resembled an air intake system in my life.

BMW's First-Ever Front-Drive Hatchback!

BMW has set the standard for rear-drive sports cars for at least the last thirty years. It really started (IMO) in 1976, when they first released the BMW 2002, which began the iconic sedan design that continues on to this day. So why would they decide that now is the right time to produce the exact opposite of what has previously been a winning formula? I would posit that once again, increasingly stringent CAFE standards are pushing the american market to a more eco-friendly route than the one we are currently traveling. I don't think that it's meant to replace any of BMW's current line-up, rather I believe it is meant to break bad in a market that has been untapped by BMW in the past. The hatchback.

You Can Own Vernon Davis' Can-Am RSS Spyder!!!

Yes, THAT Vernon Davis. Of the legendary San Francisco 49ers. He brought his toy down to the lot last week in order to get it sold, so here it is. The 2013 Can-Am RSS Spyder is powered by a 998cc Rotax V-Twin engine similar to those found on other adventure vehicles like Sea-Doo's and big ATV's. Of course, as there is an extra wheel and tire, with a much larger frame and body, the bike is significantly heavier than its two wheeled brethren. I simply refer to it as the "Land-mobile", for its more-than-passing resemblance to the similarly stanced "Snow-mobile". It sounds incredible as it has been outfitted with dual carbon fiber pipes, and has the looks to match. This is something that you have to see in person in order to fully appreciate its aggressive stance and design. And the icing on the cake would have to be that Mr. Davis will include a signed jersey with the sale!  You can come check it out anytime during our open hours, have a great day!

OH THE HUMANITY!!!: 42' Sinkhole Under 'Vette Museum

Bowling Green, Kentucky. Now the site for the most recent sinkhole to strike our unsuspecting planet. This time it sprang up from directly underneath eight super-rare Corvettes lying dormant in their air conditioned homes. It's sad really, because if you own a pristine Corvette and you want to hand it over to someone who you know will absolutely take care of it, the first place that comes to mind for many is the National Corvette Museum. The list of Vettes is as follows: Rest In Pieces.

1) 2009 ZR1 "Blue Devil"

2) 2009 Corvette #1.5 Million

3) 2001 Mallet Hammer

4) 1993 ZR-1 Spyder

5) 1992 Corvette #1 Million

6) 1984 PPG Pace Car

(this is actually the 1986 PPG Pace Car)

7) 1962 Black Corvette

Source: Youtube.com

What it Means to Re-Finance Your Used Car.

If you purchase a used car at a place where a wacky-waving-inflatable-arm-flailing-tube-man guards the entrance, you may have walked out with a loan interest rate as high as 18% due to a few dings on your not-so-perfect credit. Of course, that's okay! You have to start somewhere, right? But after a couple years of paying five hundred bucks a month, you may have improved your credit enough to re-finance your ride. That means you can walk into the lien holders establishment after checking your remaining term (time of loan) and balance (how much left that you owe), and get a lower monthly interest rate. Doing this can save you a significant chunk of change over the long run, while lowering your monthly payments at the same time.

"Say you bought a new car two years ago and there were a few dings on your credit. You might have been charged 9 percent on a five-year loan for a $23,000 car. Your payments are probably about $525 a month.
Now let's say your credit has improved, and so have interest rates on car loans. You could now refinance the balance of your car loan at 3 percent and lower your payments to about $445 a month for the remaining three years. That's a savings of $80 a month and $2,880 over the life of the loan."

There are plenty of lenders out there who don't mind offering re-financing services. Many people ask if there's a downside it. The short answer would be simply, "no". There are never any fees or penalties involved, so you can stop worrying about paying any more than what you already are. Here is a nifty auto loan calculator provided conveniently by Edmunds.com. Check it out and call us with any questions you may have at 408-246-1000. Thank you and have a great day!

Source: Edmunds.com

Cars Men Drive That Women Love

As it so happens, the car that women find most attractive isn't a car at all. It's a truck. Which is a slap in the face to those of us who assumed that those who owned bro-trucks happened to have tiny genitalia. Well, of course the women may find that strangely attractive, although I doubt it.

Apparently a clean black truck means that the male in question has the ability to move a woman's things for her, go on road trips without a hitch (ha. ha.), and has the funds to take care of her. Here's a list from the top down of the most attractive vehicles men drive according to women.

• Pickup trucks: 32%
• Sports cars: 27%
• SUVs: 16%
• Sedans: 11%
• Hybrid or electric: 9%
• UPS truck: 4%
• Minivans: 2%
• Mail truck: 1%

I'm actually stunned that ANY women find the guy in the mail truck particularly attractive, but hey, to each their own. What are your thoughts on the matter? Are women just as shallow as the poll suggests? Or are they simply doing what is natural by selecting the most reasonable mating partner? Let us know in the comments below, and have a great day!

Source: Yahoo!Autos