NEXT NEW FONT: TOYOTA IQ

Naturally, the connection between driving and writing remains strong here at GoodCarBadCar.net. Driving, after all, is what The Good Car Guy does. Quite clearly, writing is also what The Good Car Guy does.

Strengthening the link between driving and writing is Toyota's iQ.... along with some intelligent and talented people. Check out the new iQ font in the clip below.

iQ font - When driving becomes writing / Full making of from wireless on Vimeo.

WATCH THE FIAT PANDA 4X4 IN ACTION OFF ROAD

Earlier today, The Good Car Guy sated your appetite for more knowledge of future Chrysler products with a look at the dimensions of the Fiat Panda 4x4; a vehicle that could become the Jeep Phoenix. Now it's time to see said vehicle in action. Pitted against one of the loveliest automobiles on the planet, Land Rover's Range Rover, the tidy Panda proved its mettle in an off-road comparo.

How many North Americans take their off-roaders off-roading? Few, hardly any, barely a handful. However, as a disingenuous Jeep, the Fiat must make up for its heritage with credibility. Check out this Fifth Gear clip to see how the Panda 4x4 makes out in a muddy quarry. For more extreme off-road footage of the Panda 4x4 and the Range Rover, have a look at the second clip. You may be unable to understand the spoken words.

THE BAND 12 - ERIC CLAPTON & FORD MUSTANG

Following up on one British rock band and its vehicular counterpart, the Rolling Stones and the Porsche 911, is this British blues guitarist, Eric Clapton. Where does Clapton's correlating car come from?

Just as Eric Clapton's music seems more American than English, so does the car, Ford's Mustang. Except in the car's case, it seems more American than English because it is completely American. There the contrasts end.

Like the Ford Mustang, Eric Clapton has had his questionable moments. For the musician, those moments involved touring with the aid of intoxication and inebriation. As for the Mustang, lousy 4-cylinders and a complete lack of technological advancements kept the Ford behind the times.

Yet somehow it seems that Eric Clapton's music ought to be played in a dark pub & grill in some small town just west of Mobile, Alabama. Parked outside that pub & grill should be an '10 Shelby GT500 or, better yet, a '65 Mustang with the 289ci V8.

There's something right and proper about that; the joining of a man and a car who/which started out well, struggled for a time, and are now at the peak of their existence.

DIMENSIONS OF THE FUTURE JEEP PHOENIX aka FIAT PANDA CROSS

Chrysler and Fiat's boss, Sergio Marchionne, along with the President of the USA, wants Fiat products in North American showrooms now. That, obviously, isn't possible. However, within the next two or three years, one Fiat vehicle that seems to be a shoo-in for U.S. consumption is the Fiat Panda.

Unfortunately, the much-loved Panda 100HP doesn't appear to be Chrysler's Panda of choice. In fact, it is the Panda Cross, aka the Panda 4x4, that will make it to this continent as - perhaps - the Jeep Phoenix.

Learn About The Fiat Bravo's North American Possibilities

For the purposes of this demonstration, we're considering the current Panda 4x4 without any adjustments made for American regulations. In its current guise, the Panda 4x4's engines include a 1.2L gas-powered 4-cylinder (60 horsepower) and a 1.3L diesel-fed 4-cylinder (70 horsepower), both of which accelerate to 60mph in about 20 seconds. Combined city/highway fuel economy, calculated with the European Union's standards but with U.S. gallons, stands at 35.6 miles per gallon for the "petrol" or 54.7 mpg for the diesel.

In the picture you see here (clickable for a larger view), a few important specs aren't present. For instance, the luggage capacity of the current Panda 4x4 is 7 cubic feet; or 30 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Filled to the roof, a smart fortwo can hold 12 cubic feet of cargo. Meanwhile, a Kia Soul holds 53.4 cubic feet of luggage when its rear seats are folded. Helped along by those stats and the numbers you see in the Panda 4x4 image, prospective customers quickly learn more about the Panda's diminutive proportions.

See More About The Panda & Other Fiats Here

Another interesting number relates to that incredible fuel efficiency. The Panda 4x4's fuel tank holds just 7.9 gallons of gasoline. One fuel miser we know better, Toyota's Prius, holds 11.9 gallons.

Watch Fiat Panda 4x4 Off-Roading Clips Here

Am I suggesting the Panda 4x4 is too small to be a Jeep Phoenix? Not in the least. Might it be ahead of its time? Not if fuel prices rise by 2011 or 2012 and some Americans still want to crawl rocks. Although the Panda 4x4's all-wheel drive is a simple send-it-to-the-rear-when-necessary system, the Fiat possesses an exit angle of 42 degrees and can apparently climb a 50% gradient. This little Italian could be a genuine Jeep. It's most definitely a genuine small car that's genuinely small, too.

GALLERY - FERRARI 599 GTB FIORANO HGTE - 34 PICTURES + THE PRICE!

Ferrari, a very profitable firm, seeks to enrage and delight us all with the price of its new HGTE package which is now available on the 599 GTB Fiorano.

Enraged, we must consider ourselves, because Ferrari is charging $30,095 USD (or £14,000 in the UK) to upgrade from the already impeccable 599 GTB. But delighted, we also are, because we love this feat of daring-do. Only a company this reputable could even consider adding the cost of a luxurious new midsize sedan to its flagship supercar for a handful of alterations.

What's changed? Springs are stiffer at the front and back. The rear anti-roll bar is slightly thicker. Along with a drop in ride height comes a slight increase in negative camber. Nicer wheels are fitted with the tires sized identicaly to the non-HGTE GTBs. Only this time the Pirelli P Zero rubber is made from a new compound that should up the grip quotient without wearing quickly. Oh no, Ferrari wouldn't want their impoverished customers to spend too much money on new tires. Oh no.

Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione is its name, a phrase certainly more alluring when spelled out than abbreviated. Horsepower is identical in the HGTE car, an astonishing 612-bhp available at a wailing 7600 rpm. Yes, torque remains the same as well. Around the track from which the 599 GTB takes its name, Ferrari's Fiorano circuit, the HGTE 599 is six tenths of a second quicker.

For each tenth gained at Fiorano, U.S. customers pay $5,016. True, that price includes every carbon-fiber option available on the 599 GTB. The exhaust note is also uniquely tuned. At GoodCarBadCar.net, the official message will forever state that owners of vehicles like the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano are intelligent and judicious. Sure, they spend $302,584 on transportation. Their car is likely a wise investment, nonetheless.

It is for those who spend the price of a Honda Accord EX-L V6, a Mini Cooper S JCW, or a Ford F-150 XLT Supercab on an option group for their Ferrari that The Good Car Guy reserves the "insane" tag. Get a grip.