19 Minutes from Call to Boost

I drive a lunch box that often breaks down. Like a Monday, while I was swapping cars.

That has to be one of their record times, and I’ve had many opportunities to track times.

During this escapade my editor Joe helped me out, so instead of doing our review at the office, I took him dinner at the Hard Rock.

(the Hard Rock Cafe is one of CAA’s many partners, find the list of all their partners here).

Delicious.

In the auto journalism world, there’s a type of review where you pair up with another writer and go back and forth, discussion format.

That’s what’s happening here.

Specifically, we’re reviewing the all-new Dodge Dart – the smallest car Chrysler has ever built!

We crushed it, our review printed last week, then came the best part…

Flash your CAA card and tada, 10% off dinner.

You should have CAA for your car, even owners with brand new vehicles are not immune. These LifeSide Assistance deals and savings that come with the membership are gravy.

Get LifeSide Assistance too:

Facebook

CAAsco.com

 

My First Detroit Auto Show #NAIAS

I’ve been to lots of other auto shows, but never here. I arrived Sunday afternoon and that evening, Infiniti took me to lovely dinner at this very old mansion.

It’s a big year for Infiniti – not only did they have a world-wide reveal of a gorgeous new sedan, but they re-named their entire line of vehicles.  Everything now starts with a Q.  I wrote about it on Autonet – Infiniti adds a Q

Introducing the all-new 2014 Q50 – coming this summer.

http://www.autonet.ca/auto-news/auto-shows/2013/01/14/infinitis-shapely-future/

It boasts a world’s first technology, the ‘Infiniti Direct Adaptive Steering’, which transmits the driver’s intentions to the wheels faster than a mechanical system can. I’d like to try that.  Read more on Autonet.ca

The show was SO FUN.

Non-car nerds: NAIAS – North American International Auto Show. It’s the largest, most important show of the year. You reveal and debut your new car here.

Joe is my editor, I’ve introduced you before.

His texts are grey, mine are green.  Haha.

An auto show is like this super-clean fantastical land, filled with the finest machines in existence and that smells so good.

Nissan unveiled their new concept car – the Resonance.

Slick eh. The whole roof is a window, and I’m pretty sure the sideview mirrors are cameras.

I have a TON of fantastic car photos, I’ll blog them over the next few weeks.

The Wi-Fi at the show looked like this.

Where I uploaded from, in the media room.

The reaction to me seems to be polarizing – love or hate, no in-between.  I think it’s a mix of…. I’m from the blog and new media world, not a trained journalist; and I have a national weekly auto column, where I can write about whatever I want; but I couldn’t name all an engine’s parts, and I don’t know when the last auto manufacturing facility was built in North America.  But I never pretended I could. Besides, boring.

I’ve always said: I like cars, but I love driving.  Do I ever love driving.  And I’m pretty good at it.

My view on the flight home.

Then at 9pm I hit the wall, done.

Look for some great show photos, over the next few weeks.

 

 

Meet Some of My Autonet Team

It’s Joe Duarte! My editor (boss) (my blog post / Autonet bio)

He’s giving me a lift to Markham; I’m picking up a Honda Fit, and that week Joe had the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera.

To read our reviews, click those links.

Because we’re all freelancers, we don’t really get together and hang out, so this trio of photos are rare.

Meet Dan Barron – long time auto journalist, Joe’s right hand guy, funny.

We’re at Test Fest, in Niagara Falls in October.

And last week, out of nowhere at a Christmas party, there was Jeff Voth, hi!

Another top Canadian auto journalist, has his pilot’s licence, and does these unique road trip pieces you’d like.

Here’s the rest of the team!

This is all new, our bios and headhsots went live last week.

Here’s my bio.

I feel meh about my headshot.

Could be worse. Could use some posing lessons. And makeup lessons, can’t get away with just mascara and lip-gloss anymore. Hair could have been worse. You don’t even know how much I hate having my photo taken.

Look how thick my fridge-article-collection is getting.

 

About My New Newspaper Column Job

Starting tomorrow, I’ll have a regular 300-word column about car culture for Sun Media, specifically the paper 24 Hours Toronto, their automotive site AutoNet, and potentially in Sun publications across Canada.

I’ll be writing about car culture.  Topics like: how to make fast sharp turns safely; pedestrians need to back up; go for a lazy drive down to Cherry Beach because, when was the last time you did?

     Best parts about this:

          1 – I’m paid to write about something I blogged & videod for 5 years: I love driving

          2 – my email is published at the bottom of each article

          3 – I made a blog make money

Meet my editor Joe Duarte, and welcome to my blog, Joe!

We met at Honda’s First Ever Manual Driving School. He emailed that I almost hit him, I replied eye roll, he emailed back the below photo.

This photo is funny, and proves nothing.

This will be my profile pic for now, until their official photographer can book me in.  Which thankfully is not this week because omg look at my hair.  No don’t.

Taken while waiting in the lobby. Is this happening?

Am I signing this? I won’t have full control of something.

 I’m most excited to see my name in print,

in ink, on paper, to hold it in real life.

You can blog and blog and video and blog, and no matter how much you make, you can never hold it.

  • 1 – my celebratory burger & beer
  • 2 -I’ve been concerned about making the adjustment from blog writing to print writing, and seeing this made me feel better, “totes”
  • 3 – this too. I had that exact Fiesta in the spring.  I can do this.

Let’s DO this!

Really pumped guys!  Thanks for continuing to cheer me on.

Love,

Keri