From Pat’s Desk  – Fresh Tracks

I recently attended the New York Auto Show. And in case you were wondering, this trip was personally funded (i.e. NOT paid for by any manufacturer). Here are some of my key takeaways.   VERY FEW CAR COMPANIES ARE RUN BY ENTHUSIASTS  I’m quite certain that many car companies, nay, most car companies, have had an identity crisis over the past decade. Do we build petrol? Diesel? Hybrid? Hydrogen? Electric? And in that massive state of flux and indecision, most seem to have fluffed their product lineup and created ostensibly boring, heartless vehicles. I mean, by their very nature, electric vehicles are essentially heartless, as they have no singular fuel-burning engine. Instead, they have four little motors wired up to a supercomputer.   So for a car enthusiast, it’s hard to get properly excited. Then there’s the range anxiety in Australia, plus the inefficiency when towing or accessorising. One company noticeably bucked the ‘boring’ trend in The Big Apple. Ford. I know what you’re thinking - “Pat, you’re sponsored by the buggers, quit talkin’ nice about them” and truthfully, I did spend more time on their stand than any other. But man, talk about something for everybody. Let’s list a few notables. A Mach-E Rally car, available to buy from your dealer. Think Dakar 911, in an EV. Dirt road rubber, a slight lift…