Regular. The word implies something conventional and nothing special. You’d think a Youtuber who calls themself “Regular Car Reviews” would have a Ben Stein type standing in front of an econobox dryly stating, “It has blah blah horsepower. Its trunk has a capacity of ZZZZZZZZZ…” He’d be so boring he’d only wake himself up after falling asleep by hitting his head on the pavement.
That’s not the case in the following video review of the 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat. True, it doesn’t have rock music or epic burnouts or neck-snapping fly-bys. However, it does have vivid descriptions, such as “a Hellcat is a drool bucket for estranged fathers giving alimony money to slot machines at Hollywood Casino rather than the wife.” It also has a sense of humor. Call me juvenile, but the random fart noises make me laugh. They just come out of nowhere.
The brutal honesty about the folly of producing a car as outrageous as the Hellcat and not manufacturing an appealing economy car does not. RCR is very plain and vocal about its disapproval. However, in the interest of remaining truthful, it nevertheless admits to liking Dodge’s 707-horsepower two-door terror.
Give the following video a look. It might make you laugh. It might make you think. I know I did both when I watched it.
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.
