Top Gear’s Richard Hammond has been called a “secret American” for his love of U.S.-made performance vehicles, such as the Ford Mustang. In a recent video, the Autocar crew makes no attempt to hide its fondness for the stars and stripes. It openly hoons (and gets airtime) in a Corvette Stingray. But not just that. The Porsche 911 Carrera S, the Jaguar F-TYPE V8 convertible and the Audi R8 are being flung around, as well – perhaps the biggest testament to the British mag’s confidence in the Yankee’s abilities.
Autocar’s affection is not misplaced. The Kentucky road-ripper gets high marks for its well-tuned chassis, powerful engine and better-than-the-C6’s steering feel. Combine those qualities with a relatively low price and the Stingray stands out as a wonderful value.
It’s then pitted against its European playmates in tests of speed, braking, handling, driving enjoyment…and sound (the Jag’s snarl is hard to beat). Although America’s sports car doesn’t win every contest, it leaves Steve Sutcliffe saying, “The new Corvette Stingray can hold its head up very high indeed against Europe’s best. No question.”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
