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No bones about it, Scott loves cars. And let's not forget about motorcycles, boats, trains and airplanes. When he’s not answering questions from his ever-inquisitive podcast co-host Ben Bowlin, he’s writing and editing auto articles for HowStuffWorks.com. Scott came to HowStuffWorks.com straight from the epicenter of the U.S. auto industry -- the Motor City -- Detroit, Mich. He lived there for nearly 25 years and at one point found himself working for each of the big three automakers. Whether it's through an article or a “High Speed Stuff” podcast (or both), Scott’s goal is to demystify these fascinating and amazing machines. You can find Scott on Twitter at @CarStuffHSW and on Facebook at the official CarStuff page.
Most Recent: Scott C. Benjamin Postings
I was so excited to see this car on my way home from the office yesterday! A Jaguar XJ220 is an extremely rare sight. How rare? Jaguar initially planned to build 350 of these supercars in the early 1990s, but in the end they only built about 265. And even then, Jaguar couldn’t sell the ones it built because the entire supercar market was taking a hit at that time. Too bad — it’s an amazing car. And it’s much bigger than I expected. Long, low and wide…
What’s your pick for the 2013 Indianapolis 500 pace car?
by Scott C. Benjamin | March 15, 2013
Around this time of the year there’s always a lot of speculation about the car that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will select to pace the Indy 500 in late May. So far, there’s no news from the speedway — and no news from any auto manufacturer either. It’s all just rumors at this point.
Soon enough we’ll know the answer when the official announcement is made, but I thought it might be fun to see what the CarStuff audience would…
Wireless Charging Systems for Electric Cars and Plug-in Hybrids
by Scott C. Benjamin | March 12, 2013
Charging an electric car really isn’t all that difficult; but wireless charging could make the process even easier.
I can’t help but wonder if some drivers are reluctant to jump on the all-electric or plug-in hybrid bandwagon simply because of the extra effort it takes to connect the car to a charging station each evening? I know that seems a little absurd, but I suppose it’s possible. After all, it is an extra step that most people just aren’t accustomed to…
I was walking around a used car lot earlier this week (one that’s filled with plenty of old Detroit iron, by the way) and I started thinking about all of the shiny chrome bumpers and hood ornaments on display in front of me. I had to wonder why chrome just simply isn’t a big part of automotive styling anymore. And no, a thin strip of chrome trim around the windows doesn’t count. I’m talking about full, edge-to-edge chrome bumpers on…
Recharge Your Electric Car (or Hybrid) Though its Tires
by Scott C. Benjamin | March 5, 2013
If this becomes a reality, all-electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids stand to gain additional (or even unlimited?) driving range and a significant decrease in downtime for a battery recharge. As an added benefit, EV batteries could be much smaller in size (which means reduced weight, too) and far less expensive to replace when the time comes for a fresh start. Sounds good, right? But how do they do it?
According to a recent post at Green Car Congress, “Researchers at…
I do. And after years and years (actually, it’s more like decades if you want the honest truth) of paying careful attention to the sounds produced by specific engine and exhaust combinations, I’ve decided that my favorite is a big-block Mopar V-8 (a 440 with an aggressive cam, to be exact) breathing through a Flowmaster exhaust system. Yeah, I know that’s pretty specific; but really, that’s my all-time favorite. And I’ve been paying attention…
And no, it’s not some anemic, wedge-shaped city car, either. For that hefty price tag you get the staggering performance of the 2014 McLaren P1 supercar. How fast is it? Well, it’s 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in “less than three seconds” fast. And that, along with a top speed of 350 km/h (218 mph), puts it in a very exclusive group of cars…
If matte black is out, what’s the next big automotive trend?
by Scott C. Benjamin | February 22, 2013
Can we all agree that this matte black (flat black, satin black, murdered out — whatever you choose to call it) trend is over? I mean, way over — a long time ago. But even now, I probably still see at least 10 matte black cars on my way to and from the HowStuffWorks office…
But wait. Before you answer, I’d like to add a bit of a twist to that question, so stick with me to the end on this one.
Fuel injected engines and carbureted engines each have their own distinct sets of pros and cons. For instance, we could probably argue all day about the relative ease…
No Reserve: Collection of 200 Microcars Ready for Auction
by Scott C. Benjamin | February 13, 2013
It took businessman and car collector Bruce Weiner over 15 years to gather the world’s largest collection of the world’s smallest cars; but it’ll only take 48 hours to completely empty his museum. The entire contents of The Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum, including 200 microcars and more than 300 lots of assorted collectibles, will be auctioned off (at no reserve)…
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