A REVIEW: The Nissan Altima 2.5 SL Sedan

By Darlene Donloe

THE CAR: 2017 Nissan Altima 2.5 Sl Sedan

The Nissan Altima 2.5 SL Sedan has always been one of those cars you can count on. The 2017 Nissan Altima is no different!  I really like this car. No, it doesn’t have a bunch of bells and whistles, but it doesn’t need to. It’s practical and simplistic. I don’t want to make it sound like this car is boring, far from it. It’s a practical, up-to-date, solid car that looks good, has a cool design, a stylish interior, handles well, has decent ride comfort and is somewhat fashionable after receiving an update on the exterior. The cabin is quiet. It has an adjustable steering wheel. The seats are very comfortable and there is plenty of soft touch material. There is an agreeable LCD monitor for vehicle information.

There is plenty of trunk space with a modest cargo floor.  The rear seats fold down. Also in the rear you will find two USB ports and a middle arm rest.

Me likey!

VEHICLE AT A GLANCE: 2.5-Liter 4-Cylinder Engine, 179 Horsepower, 177 lb-ft Torque Xtronic CVT® (Continuously Variable Transmission), active understeer control, 17” machined aluminum-alloy wheels, side-impact and curtain air bags, lower anchors and tethers for children, 4-wheel anti-lock braking system, traction control system, vehicle dynamic control, tire pressure monitoring system with easy-fill tire alert, electronic brake force distribution, vehicle security system, Nissan vehicle immobilizer system, ling spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, leather appointed seats, heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-wrapped shift knob, 8-way power driver’s seat, driver’s seat power lumbar support, 4-way power front-passenger’s seat, heated zero gravity front seats, BOSE® premium audio system, 5” color audio display, USV connection port, hands-free text messaging assistant, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, RearView Monitor, Bluetooth Hands-free phone system, rear A/C vents, Nissan intelligent Key® w/remote engine start system, push button ignition, cruise control, auto-dimming inside mirror, two 12-volt DC power outlets, fog lights and auto on/off headlights.

MSRP: $32,650

FUEL ECONOMY: 27/39

THE DRIVE: The Ultimate!

Darlene Donloe

Darlene Donloe is a seasoned entertainment and travel journalist whose work has appeared in People, Ebony, Essence, LA Stage Times, LA Watts Times, The Compton Herald, Black Meetings and Tourism, Los Angeles Sentinel, EMMY, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Grammy, BlackVoices.com and more. Contact her via: ddonloe@gmail.com

Black Swan Racing Leads Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Teams WithPirelli World Challenge Double Podiums at Road America

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing driver Tim Pappas and his team, Black Swan Racing, earned a pair of third-place finishes in the Pirelli World Challenge Sprint series at Road America this weekend. The twin-podium finishes led the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing ranks at the Road America doubleheader that also saw CRP Racing and MCC Motorsports compete in the top-tier GT class.

After a season-best second-place qualifying result on Saturday morning, Pappas never raced out of the top three in the No. 54 in each of the weekend's 50-minute sprint races. The third-place showings will move Pappas and Black Swan Racing into the top five in the GTA Sprint championship point standings and topped the No. 54 team's previous best 2017 finish of fifth at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

Road America was the first race weekend for the Pirelli World Challenge Sprint series since Long Beach in April and the season-opening rounds in St. Petersburg. The three most recent events leading into Road America were Pirelli World Challenge SprintX events, a series which features a two-driver format in 60-minute races.

Competing in SprintX, Pappas and Black Swan, along with co-driver Jeroen Bleekemolen, have earned a victory and a third-place finish in the span of the year's first five races, momentum that carried over into the Pirelli World Challenge Sprint series this weekend.

Ryan Dalziel has also been victorious in SprintX this year in the No. 2 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 – joining Black Swan as respective class co-winners at the season-opening race at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) in April – but circumstances didn't give the CRP team a chance to transfer that success into the Pirelli World Challenge Sprint race at Road America.

The No. 2 car was retired in Saturday's race after sustaining a pinhole puncture in the oil cooler, and Dalziel and CRP didn't have the opportunity to make a move in Sunday's final round.

A red-flag stoppage after a multiple-car accident halfway through Sunday's 50-minute sprint ended up shaving several minutes off the race clock. Dalziel resumed the race in ninth place but didn't have enough time to improve any positions in what was essentially a dash to the checkered flag on the 4.04-mile road course.

After debuting with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing in the SprintX race at VIR earlier this year, MCC Motorsports contested its first Pirelli World Challenge Sprint series race at Road America.

Competing in the GT class with Negrao Jr. in the No. 92 MCC Motorsports Mercedes- AMG GT3, both the team and driver did a solid job at Road America in the step up to Pirelli World Challenge's top-tier, all-pro class. Negrao Jr. shook off a contact incident on the first lap of Sunday's race for a 12th-place result, improving one finishing position over his Saturday debut.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in North America is next weekend's IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, June 30 – July 2.

Mercedes-AMG Motorsports customer teams competing in the Pirelli World Challenge will next race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 28 – 30.

Tim Pappas, Driver – No. 54 Black Swan Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: "Overall we're pretty pleased with our consecutive podiums this weekend, despite some of the BoP (Balance of Performance) challenges. Walking away with hardware is always a good feeling, and consistent points are also great for the championship, so all in all we'll take it. I really enjoyed battling with some of the other competitors, it's always fun when everyone races clean. Unfortunately, with the way the starts and caution periods worked, we weren't able to make a big run to move further up the field, so in that sense we're satisfied with our finish."

Ryan Dalziel, Driver – No. 2 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: "Road America is such a great race track, one of the best in North America actually, but it was a difficult weekend for us. We just couldn't get the top speed out of the car compared with the front runners. We made some good chassis gains for race two and narrowed the gap, but we struggled with speed on the straights relative to the competition."

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A REVIEW: The 2017 Pacifica Touring - L Plus

By Darlene Donloe

THE CAR: 2017 Pacifica Touring – L Plus

It might sound a bit strange, but I felt kinda cool driving the Pacifica Touring – L Plus. For this to be a big vehicle, it handles well and rides like a much smaller car.  The upmarket interior is stylish and quiet. The exterior color on the minivan I drove is tusk white and the interior is black alloy.

Just like the standard, the Pacifica Touring – L Plus comes with the latest safety features.  It has heated front seats, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with four-way lumbar support, automatic climate control, backup camera and remote start. A clear improvement from the previous model are the eight-way power adjustable front seats.

Most people wouldn’t think a Pacifica Touring minivan would be fresh and cool. Ok, to be fair, maybe not. You’re probably not going to “catch” while driving the Pacifica, but you will get some head turns.

Why? Here’s why, it’s a good-looking vehicle. It’s OK on gas. It’s 18 city and 28 highway. I love the sliding doors. It makes access to the backseat much easier.

Of course it’s roomy.  The panel is user friendly.  The sound is full and engulfs the front and the back. The folding second-row seats are very easy to maneuver. The Pacifica Touring – L Plus is much better - inside and out - to the now defunct Town & Country. It’s both classic and contemporary.

Whether you’re single, married, childless or you have a tribe, this minivan is for you!

This car is a winner!!

VEHICLE AT A GLANCE: Perforated leather trim bucket seats, ENGINE: 3.6L V6 24V VVT Engine, TRANSMISSION: 9 speed FWD automatic transmission, advanced multistage front airbags, driver inflatable knee-bolster air bag, supplemental side-curtain airbags in all rows, supplemental front seat-mounted side airbags, LATCH Ready child seat anchor system, ParkView rear back-up camera, blind spot and cross path detection, ParkSense rear park assist with Stop Security Alarm, sentry key theft deterrent system, remote start system, electronic stability control, keyless enter-n-go, remote proximity keyless entry, capless fuel filter, active grille shutters, tire inflator kit (no compact spare), active noise control system, second row and third row stow n go seats, power 8-way driver seat, power 8-way passenger seat, driver seat stow n assist, passenger seat stow n assist, heated front seats, heated second row seats, heated steering wheel, Uconnect 8.4, Uconnect Access 6-month trial (registration required), Uconnect theater package, seatback video screens, 3-channel wireless headphones, Blu-Ray/DVD Player/USB Port, video USB Port, 3-channel video remote control, 13 Alpine speakers, 506-Watt amplifier, SiriusXM Sat. Radio W/1-yr. radio subscription, 17-inch x 7-inch aluminum painted wheels, 115-volt auxiliary power outlet, second and third row window shades, premium fog lamps, LED tail lamps, powered heated fold-away mirrors.

MSRP: $42,970

FUEL ECONOMY: 18/28

THE DRIVE: Nice!

Darlene Donloe is a seasoned entertainment and travel journalist whose work has appeared in People, Ebony, Essence, LA Stage Times, This Stage, The Daily Breeze, LA Watts Times, Black Meetings and Tourism, Los Angeles Sentinel, EMMY, The Hollywood Reporter, Rhythm & Business, Billboard, Grammy and more. Contact her via: ddonloe@gmail.com