Kirk Bell, Senior Editor

The Senior Editor in charge of Motor Authority, Kirk has oil in his blood. He grew up in the automotive culture, helping his father drag race a pair of Pontiacs, rather unsuccessfully, at Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wisconsin. Kirk has been reviewing cars and writing about the automotive industry since 2001, when he joined Consumer Guide Automotive. At Consumer Guide, Kirk wrote and edited several books, including the award-winning Hot Rod & Custom Chronicle and NASCAR Chronicle. Most recently, he spent eight years as a freelance journalist, with such clients as the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News, and MSN Autos. In 2014, Kirk was named to the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the year jury. Prior to his time in the automotive industry, Kirk was editor of Scale Auto Enthusiast magazine, the leading magazine about the model car hobby. In his spare time, Kirk imagines the Midwest has better roads on which to drive his 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Articles

Why Fiat is bringing back the 500e EV it once asked Americans not to buy Kirk Bell November 18, 2022

The reborn 2024 Fiat 500e is coming to the U.S., Stellantis confirmed this week, although not until the first quarter of 2024.

This won't be the first time Fiat has sold the 500e in the U.S. The...
2022 Hummer EV Edition 1 gives GM the toolbox for affordable Chevy and GMC electric pickups
The 2022 Hummer EV Edition 1 has all the bells and whistles, but underneath is the powertrain and platform for GM to create a full line of electric pickups.
Kirk Bell October 4, 2021

First drive review: Polestar 2 aims at Tesla and comes up just short
The Polestar 2 rivals Tesla's driving experience and interface but comes up short in packaging and interior space.
Kirk Bell August 14, 2020
First drive review: 2020 Tesla Model Y sets the benchmark for electric crossovers
The 2020 Tesla Model Y is the first in a series of affordable electric crossovers, and it has set the bar for the competition.
Kirk Bell August 3, 2020
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime arrives: 39 miles of electric range, sporty performance from crossover SUV
A big battery gives the Toyota RAV4 Prime up to 39 miles of estimated electric range, with acceleration second only to sports cars in Toyota's lineup.
Kirk Bell November 20, 2019
2020 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid first drive review: Charge port gained, no prestige lost
In Bentley's first hybrid vehicle, an electric motor complements the Audi V-6, with a 17-kwh battery pack enabling some all-electric range.
Kirk Bell July 2, 2019
The Jaguar I-Pace isn't selling well in the U.S. Kirk Bell April 25, 2019

The Jaguar I-Pace made headlines at the New York International Auto Show by winning the World Car of the Year Award, as well as the organization's awards for Design of the Year and Green Car of the...

The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace, a city boy, and range anxiety
Electric vehicles aren’t made for me. It’s not that I’m not for them. My circumstances just don’t fit with the realities of charging. I live in Chicago, in a 100-year-old apartment building converted to condominiums 17 years ago. I have a spot in a parking lot behind the...
Kirk Bell December 28, 2018
2018 BMW i3s first drive review: sportier and nearly as efficient
BMW's Test Fest in Palm Springs, California, at The Thermal Club attracts a broad range of cars. The star of the show is the 600-horsepower 2018 BMW M5. But before I can test that wild sport sedan on the track, I’ll do my best to balance my carbon footprint in the new 2018 BMW i3s. BMW has...
Kirk Bell March 7, 2018
2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid: first drive review
In the plug-in hybrid game, you move forward or get left behind. When the hybrid maker is Porsche, that applies to power as well as efficiency. The 2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is the replacement for the previous Panamera S E-Hybrid, and it gets more power, performance, and efficiency in a...
Kirk Bell February 3, 2017
2017 Jaguar XE 20d fuel economy review
What a shame. Diesel engines were just getting a foothold in the United States and Volkswagen had to go ruin it. At this point, it looks like diesel is dead for cars in the U.S., though it may hang on for SUVs and will certainly continue in heavy duty pickups. Yet in these uncertain times for oil...
Kirk Bell September 8, 2016
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV: Production Electric Car Unveiled At CES
Chevrolet unveiled the Bolt electric vehicle as a concept car at last year's Detroit Auto Show and today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas it showed the production version. Most notably, the car, officially called the Bolt EV, promises more than 200 miles of range on a full charge...
Kirk Bell January 6, 2016

Honda's Electric Four-Motor CR-Z Prototype: We Drive It Kirk Bell October 30, 2015

The idea of the four-motor electric car has been around since the start of the 20th century.

One of Ferdinand Porsche's first ideas, in fact, was the Lohner-Porsche that debuted at the 1900 Paris...