Shifting Lanes News, Reviews, and Automotive Chatter

Here at Shifting Lanes, we love us some hatchbacks. I’ve owned two, Greg currently owns one, and deep down we know Hansen desperately wants one. They offer more things to more people than just about any other segment of car. They’re small, practical and economical, but most of all they’re great …

Ever since the last Bronco left the assembly line on June 14th, 1996, die-hard Bronco fans have silently wept inside. About 5 years ago there were rumors that a new Bronco might come to fruition, but those rumors were never grounded in reality. However, there is still a glimmer of …

When you’re in valet training, if there is such a thing, there are certain things you learn. The following list I think is an accurate representation of valet initiation: No scratches or body dings No joy riding No fart smells in the cabin No burnt up engine That last one …

The hotly anticipated Ford Focus RS has hit the Circuit Ricardo Tormo Track, also known as the Circuit de Valencia. The Focus RS possesses a 2.3 liter turbocharged powerplant putting out an even 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque to its all wheel drive system. The videos from PistonHeadsTV …

“One thousand two!…. One thousand three!… One thousand four!… I don’t know if you heard me counting, I did over a thousand,” said an arrogant and shirtless Ron Burgundy doing bicep curls. He was trying to impress his lady co-worker, Veronica Corningstone, in the 2004 masterpiece “Anchorman.” Fast forward to …

As many of our more loyal readers will know I owned 2 Ford Focuses (Foci?). Whatever the correct plural version of Focus is, I owned 2. The first one heroically lost the battle between it and the combined forces of a guardrail and a steep embankment. The second one is …

Rotary engines are glorious. They’ve graced some of the coolest machines ever made. Championed by Mazda, the rotary engine has become something of a legend in both normal cars (see: RX-7 and RX-8) as well as race cars. Honestly, I thought I knew what was up with the rotary engines. …

So you are the owner of a pretty sweet car. An Audi RS4. And you and your friend decide to slap on some snow tires and go hooning in the snow. Great! But there’s one twist: the other car that joins you is an Audi R8 V10 and the snow …

So Buick, yes Buick is stealing the show up in Detroit right now with their stunning Avista.  However another small piece of GM news has escaped Detriot.  Cadillac is working on a Baby Brother to the fantastic ATS.  Cadillac executive chief engineer Dave Leone told Road and Track, “We are working …

Say goodbye to those awful, pixelated, and slow in car entertainment systems. Apple’s CarPlay is now becoming more mainstream! If you haven’t heard, Apple CarPlay is the next generation of car infotainment system based on your iOS device. And now Apple CarPlay is being installed on more vehicles than ever. …

The naturally aspirated engine is getting rarer and rarer.  Everyone is going the turbocharged route, if you want to make power AND be efficient you have to turbocharge.  BMW ditched 2 N/A engines.  The v10 in the M5/6 was replaced with a smaller turbocharged v8.  V8 in the M3 gave way …

It’s winter. You’re freezing. You want your car to be toasty warm when you get to it in the morning. So you shuffle as fast as you can outside, turn it over, and let it sit there idling for 5-10 minutes while you finish your morning routine. This also benefits …

Dear Mercedes Benz and AMG, I don’t like you. There, I said it. Glad that’s out in the open now. However, I want you to know I have nothing against you professionally. Your historical significance is not lost on me. You essentially helped form what the car of today is …

To say Porsche had a great 2015 would be a massive understatement.  The 919 Hybrid dominated the World Endurance Championship’s LMP1 class.  Leading 77% of the laps run (1332 Laps) on their way to the Both the Driver and Manufacturer Championships.  The 911 RSR won Driver and Manufacturer Championships in GTE …

This is not Gran Turismo, Forza, or Project Cars. Need for Speed is a fast and the furious simulator, and this year’s iteration, though not perfect, is the best one yet. If you haven’t played any Need For Speed games, it is an arcade style racing game where you get to modify …