A deserving champ...the young guns see it slip away

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace.

The Indianapolis 500 was run for the 107th time on May 28. Mark Glover attended for the 59th time.  Here's his take on a memorable race:

Ah, youth!  So enthusiastic, so strong, so impetuous.

That last trait played a major role in the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. Several young guns had Indy victory in the cross hairs ... only to see things slip away against the Speedway's most unforgiving walls.

But let's give credit to a worthy champion -- Josef Newgarden finally added an Indianapolis 500 triumph to his already gaudy resume.  The 32-year-old American started in the middle of the pack and shouldered his way to the front amid a blazing early race pace and a carnage carnival at the end. In the end, he held off 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson in a spellbinding last-lap dash amid the roar of some 325,000 spectators.

Deserving? Yes, and how. Newgarden came into the race with a basketful of top-five 500 finishes and two NTT IndyCar Series titles. Prior to this year's race, he was generally regarded as the best driver who had not yet won racing's crown jewel.

He finally won the 500 on his 12th attempt. Even the drivers he conquered on Sunday readily admitted that it was Newgarden's time. Given his sparkling talent, more Indy wins are likely.

As for those who complained that a one-lap trophy dash to the finish was risky and unfair, I understand to some degree. Then again, Newgarden and Ericsson faced the last-lap music on equal footing. Do the rules need to be changed to allow for a minimum two-lap "shootout" after a late-race caution? I consider myself a 500 purist, but yeah, I wouldn't be opposed to it in the future.

But getting back to the young guns. Oh, how things might have been different.

Early in the race, 26-year-old Spaniard Alex Palou, 22-year-old Dutch driver Rinus VeeKay and 24-year-old Mexican wheel man Pato O'Ward seemed to be toying with the field, setting a blistering pace and swapping the lead with what appeared to be effortless ease.

Then came pit stops under caution on Lap 94, with Palou and VeeKay pitting nose-to-tail at the front of the pits. VeeKay was anxious to get out ahead of Palou, but traffic was pressing in from his right.  VeeKay accelerated hard, lost it and rammed into Palou's car. While Palou would rally for a fourth-place finish and VeeKay wound up 10th, they were never the same.

O'Ward was another story.  He seemed to have the advantage with less than 10 laps to go. He was dicing with Ericsson for second with seven laps to go -- plenty of time to slip into the draft and eventually pass Ericsson and catch Newgarden -- when he made an all-or-nothing dive into Turn 3. One might have thought it was the last lap of the race, when any high risk move is understandable.

Instead O'Ward crashed hard into the wall ... seeing his dream of becoming the first Mexican driver to win Indy shattered.

And so it goes with Indy.  Simple mistakes and eye-blink turns of fortune tell the tale ... as they have since the first race in 1911.

Bottom line: A stellar champion in Newgarden.  And good news for young drivers: there's always next year.

2023 Indianapolis 500 outlook: The kids are alright

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace.

The Indianapolis 500 will be run for the 107th time on May 28, and Mark Glover will be attending his 59^th 500. Here's his take on the race to come:

For someone who has been going to the Indianapolis 500 for as long as I have, I'll admit that it's often hard to accept change.

The iconic names of Foyt, Unser, Mears and more no longer populate the field of cars, and if you examine the starting grid for Sunday's 107th running of the world-famous race, you'll find a lot of young faces ... with names that likely are not known to casual racing fans.

To which I say ... fantastic.

Man, are these kids good!  Fast, seemingly fearless.  Hitting sharp corners at 242 miles per hour looks like a walk in the park to them.  Six inches from the wall at 235 mph?  No sweat.  And these young guns are mixing it up in what is arguably the most competitive era -- front of the field to back -- in Indy 500 history.

It appears that anyone and/or his dog can record a lap at 232 mph or 233 mph, which translates to semi-terrifying dicing in heavy traffic on race day.  Are the young guns scared?  On the contrary.  They appear to be lusting for bullet-like speed and nose-to-tail dogfights.

Is it any wonder that Sunday's 33-car starting field is the fastest in the history of the race -- by far -- with an average qualifying speed of 232.184 mph?

Spaniard Alex Palou will start from the No. 1 post with a record four-lap average pole speed of 234.217 mph. He is typical of the young guns now in the sport.  All of 26, he's already claimed one IndyCar Series title and appears addicted to holding the accelerator flat to the floor on the 2.5-mile Indy oval.

Among the top six starters joining Palou on Sunday are Dutch driver Rinus VeeKay, 22; Swedish pilot Felix Rosenqvist, a comparative senior citizen at 31; 24-year-old American Santino Ferrucci and Mexican driver Pato O'Ward, age 24.  The prospect of these drivers mixing it up at the front, with some serious chargers coming from the middle of the pack on Sunday, is enough to make even the calmest race fan giddy.

So, who wins it?

It's hard to bet against Palou: fast, super-competitive, with the championship-laced Chip Ganassi Racing team behind him.  But I kind of like O'Ward to claim racing's most glittering jewel.  He's been knocking on the door the previous two years.  He knows how to hustle around the Speedway and move through traffic.  If he stays out of trouble, I like his chances.

Then again, I could say that about any of the young guns in the field.

I believe youth will be served on race day, but there are a few veterans in the field who could make big history.

There's six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon. The 42-year-old New Zealand driver has just one Indy 500 victory ... and seen a handful of them snatched from his grasp over his long career.  He had the race in the palm of his hand last year, when a late-race speeding penalty in the pits crushed his hopes.

There's 48-year-old Brazilian driver Tony Kanaan, an enormous crowd favorite racing in what he says will be his final 500.  Could he write the Hollywood ending on Sunday?  Yes, it could happen.

Although his car has not run at the top of the time charts, 48-year-old Brazilian Helio Castroneves will try once again to win an unprecedented fifth Indianapolis 500.

And there's my dark horse favorite -- Northern California's own Alexander Rossi. The 31-year-old shocked everyone with an unexpected Indy 500 win as a rookie in 2016.  He's come close several times since then and is a master at whipping through traffic at Indy.  Indy win No. 2 could be in the mix.

In sum, obviously, it's a wide-open race this year. Can't wait for the green flag to wave on Sunday.

Let's just call it the Toyota Camry with benefits

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- You know life is good when a Toyota Camry shows up with major extras.

That would be the 2023 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid Nightshade. Not only is it a Camry, the venerable midsize juggernaut that has been a monster seller for Toyota for decades, it's a fuel-sipping hybrid that gets 44 miles per gallon in the city and 47 mpg on the highway.

And it had the Nightshade Edition treatment, which included a sporty black front grille, a rear spoiler, black trimmed exterior lights and 19-inch matte bronze aluminum alloy wheels.  The Camry in full?  I should say so.

And for a bottom line of $32,839, the tester was priced far below the current average price of a new motor vehicle in these United States.

I should add: It's a pleasure to drive.

My Camry was smooth and robust off the line, and it weaved effortlessly and securely through dicey highway traffic.  The ride was pleasantly quiet; conversations were held at normal living room levels. The midsize is a snap to park, even in tight city parking structures.

The hybrid powertrain system -- anchored by a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine -- is rated at 208 horsepower ... or more than enough to put the Camry through its paces on the flatlands or in the Sierra Nevada.

With the Camry, it's the little things that take it beyond the norm.  You can be captivated by the functional dash layout and not realize how roomy this Camry is for a midsize model.  Stitching is excellent.  Ditto fit and finish.

No wonder the Camry appeals to such a diverse crowd of car buyers.  Given that it has been around for eight generations and some 40 years, the Camry's enduring popularity is a feather in the cap of Toyota.

And in this special Nightshade, hybrid version, buyers have more to like.

Two standouts in today's pricey U.S. auto marketplace

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- Two recent test drives found me behind the wheel of two standouts -- the 2023 Lexus ES 350 F Sport Handling midsize luxury sedan and the 2023 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo compact crossover sport-ute.

Both provided a study in contemporary marketing in the post-COVID era, a period marked by uneven dealer inventories and high new-vehicle prices.

If you desire Lexus-level luxury but find that full-size sedans and SUVs are out of your price range, the tested Lexus ES 350 F Sport Handling (pictured at right) is a near-perfect compromise.

With elegant, sporty styling and an enthusiastic 3.5-liter, 302-horsepower V-6 under the hood, this Lexus moves out with authority and handles with nimble, precise strides.  You just feel good -- and maybe even prosperous -- just sitting behind the wheel.

Six figures?, you ask.  Not even close.  The tester's sticker came in at $53,775.

And it was far from bare bones.  Standard features on my ride included a wireless charger, heated/ventilated power seats, a power moonroof and a full boat of state-of-the-art safety/enhancement systems (including intuitive parking assist). Beyond the perks, the cabin was comfortable and spacious for the midsize segment.

With the CX-50 (pictured at left), which went into production in early 2022, the appeal is a totally different ballgame.  In this SUV, Mazda reaches out to those with outdoor lifestyles.

With roof rails, a wide stance and a substantial ride height, it looks like a chore handler ready to go on a hike.  And Mazda enthusiastically encourages CX-50 buyers to try out the recent arrival on "various terrains" and a "wide variety of conditions."

While I did not come close to testing the CX-50's off-road capabilities to the max, I found it to be instantly responsive on the off-the-pavement runs I did make with it.  The all-wheel-drive system was flawless, and the 2.5-liter turbocharged engine (227 horsepower) performed like a champ ... on road and off.

For all its rugged characteristics, the CX-50 was generously stuffed with customer-pleasing standard features -- enough to make you feel as comfortable at the country club as you would on a back road in the Sierra Nevada.

The price for all this: $43,575, or nearly $5,500 below the current average price of a new auto in the United States.

Final score: Two choices. Two lifestyles. Genuine appeal on both counts in the highly competitive U.S. market.

Decidedly saucy Bronco Raptor makes a statement

This review first appeared in the April 2023 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

To subscribe to the Cruisin' News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an email request to subscribe@cruisinnews.com.  Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin' News, P.O. Box G, Virginia City, NV 89440.

Sacramento, California -- Some vehicles just take you where you want to go.  Others do the various work and life chores with competence.

And then there's the tested Ford Bronco Raptor Advanced 4X4 sport-utility vehicle.

It makes a statement.

And that statement includes words such as brash, bold, saucy, spicy and muscular.

This is a vehicle you can see coming from a mile away.  Monster black grille, boulder-swallowing skid plate, wide-shouldered stance, riding on 17-inch all-terrain tires. Once parked, it draws a crowd, especially with the bright orange paint job my ride was wearing. Mine was further spiced with a funky pop art study in black-and-gray design on the back end.

With a twin-turbo V-6 matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission, Ford calls the vehicle the "most powerful street-legal Bronco ever."  With premium fuel, the horsepower rating maxes just short of 420, and torque tops out at 440 foot-pounds.

For me, that translated to a satisfying rush in dicey urban traffic and on wide-open freeways.  The Bronco is a noisy bull of a machine, and those rock-crushing tires can be heard above the engine's note.

But here's the thing: I didn't come close to testing the limits of the Bronco, as outlined by Ford.  The automaker's generous stream of words praise the vehicle's ability to climb over rocky surfaces and tackle dusty desert roads. I agree, that's what it was built to do.

Ford made the decision to aim for a specific audience.

“We had to build the Bronco Raptor. It’s our ultimate vehicle for hardcore off-road enthusiasts who demand something more,” said Carl Widmann, Ford Performance chief engineer.

It's good to know that going in: This is not a silky-smooth freeway glider.  It's a rough and ready trail tamer.  And with the tester priced at $81,085, you want to make the right call.

For weekend off-road warriors, this Bronco is a dream come true.  They don't necessarily care about squeaks and rattles and fuel mileage ratings of 15 miles per gallon in the city and 16 mpg on the highway.

They're more inclined to know that a Bronco Raptor can vault over a large rock at a 45 degree angle and climb a steep desert dune like a hot knife through butter.

That's the statement the Bronco Raptor makes.  For the off-road fan, that means fun.

Powerful Genesis G90 reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2023 Genesis G90 3.5T E-Supercharger AWD sedan can be seen in the latest, May 2023, edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news and marketplace."

The "Hot Laps" reviews, along with my "Oil Drips" observations on anything with wheels, appear monthly in the publication.

To subscribe to the Cruisin' News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an email request to subscribe@cruisinnews.com.  Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin' News, P.O. Box G, Virginia City, NV 89440.