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1 week ago | 
themanual.com | David McQuilling
The rise of the SUV has caused a lot of casualties. First, the station wagon went, then the minivan, and even the trusty sedan that dominated the highways for decades has pretty much died off in its wake. Aside from a couple of GM efforts, American manufacturers have essentially ditched the platform. This is partially due to the success of SUVs and trucks and partially due to some poorly written emissions legislation. So if you want a sedan in 2025, you may have to look towards Europe or Asia.
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2 weeks ago | 
themanual.com | David McQuilling
Ben Collins has a respectable racing career, movie credits, and a successful YouTube channel to his name. Despite all of this, he’s most famous for a role that was meant to be anonymous. Collins played the part of Top Gear’s iconic tamed racing driver, “The Stig,” between 2003 and 2010. Despite hanging up the white racing suit, Collins still knows the Top Gear Test Track like the back of his hand, which is useful as he’s just broken another record on it.
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2 weeks ago | 
themanual.com | David McQuilling
A few decades ago, Sea-Doo invented the personal watercraft–a fast and fun way to get around on the water. Fast forward a few decades, and Ski-Doo’s offshoot has a diverse range of small, powerful, watercraft people can use recreationally. There’s a fun fact I can include in this piece. “Jetski” is a brand name, a bit like “Coke” or “Google,” or “Heroin.” It refers to a particular line of waterborne vehicles produced by Kawasaki.
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2 weeks ago | 
flipboard.com | David McQuilling
Forget a side by side — your next fun vehicle should be sea-worthyHitting the water at high speed can be fun and surprisingly affordable A few decades ago, Sea-Doo invented the personal watercraft–a fast and fun way …
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2 weeks ago | 
themanual.com | David McQuilling
The luxury SUV market is a little crowded these days, so sometimes it’s difficult to stand out. There’s an argument that you should play to your historic strengths if you want to succeed, and that’s likely what BMW has done with the X7 M60i SUV. The vehicle is much larger than your average Blimmer, but at its core, it has all of the qualities that BMW customers tend to appreciate. I recently spent some time looking at BMW’s biggest SUV, which has been enhanced with an “M” package.
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3 weeks ago | 
themanual.com | David McQuilling
Pickup trucks like the Ford Ranger Raptor are traditionally practical vehicles designed to perform hard work and take a bit of a beating. But in recent years, they’ve gotten larger, more luxurious, and less industrial. This has led to utility vehicles tumbling into entirely new categories, with some being decked out like borderline limousines and others kitted out for street racing. Over the winter, I took a Ford Ranger Raptor for a spin and made an interesting discovery while doing so.
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4 weeks ago | 
guessingheadlights.com | Andre Nalin |David McQuilling
Not everyone agrees on what makes a “real” road trip—some say it has to cross state lines, others just need a good playlist and an open highway. But one thing’s certain: if you’re going to be spending hours behind the wheel, you’ll want a vehicle that makes the ride comfortable, reliable, and maybe even a little fun. That’s where SUVs come in. With roomy interiors, generous cargo space, and a range of comfort features, today’s sport utility vehicles are built for long hauls.
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1 month ago | 
themanual.com | David McQuilling
The 2026 variant of the BMW iX has received a pretty heavy refresh, with a new look, a range boost, and performance boost across the entire lineup. The premium electric SUVs even have a new entry system, which makes granting access to your friends and family easier than ever. Recently, I was invited to BMW’s headquarters in New Jersey to try out the iX XDrive45, iX XDrive60, and iX M70 XDrive on an ambitious route that covered city driving, highways, and winding mountain roads.
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1 month ago | 
themanual.com | David McQuilling
Watch straps can be an affordable way to expand a smaller watch collection. A good quality strap can be found for under $20, and will give a timepiece a completely different look. For example, I have a brown leather strap on the vintage Oyster Perpetual I use as a daily driver, but a quick switch to a black strap makes it look like a completely different timepiece. However, there are some rules regarding your watch’s wrist strap.
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1 month ago | 
themanual.com | David McQuilling
The GranTurismo and GranCabrio By Dave McQuilling Published May 16, 2025 1:16 PM Maserati / Maserati Italian sports car manufacturer Maserati is shifting production of two of its most iconic models back to its hometown Modena factory. Both the GranTurismo and GranCabrio ranges will be built at the “Motor Valley” plant by the end of this year. So far, the current generation of Maserati’s grand tourer has graced the production lines at the Mirafiori factory near Turin. The last Modena-built...
