…gets his hands on a McLaren 12C Spyder. Chaos, tire-destroying awesome ensues all over the Ascari test track. As an engineer, I happen to be completely bowled over (in a good way) about the work that went into this design–it’s a masterpiece of automotive design and engineering. Watch the video to see more.
-Albert S. Davis
Jaguar’s been one of the few companies in the past couple of years that hasn’t made a huge mistake with the models they sell. Yes, their product line isn’t as diverse as the competition, but what they have invested in is paying dividends, and the new F-Type is proof that their current focus is one I’m going to keep a close eye on in the near future. From the styling to the engine options revealed recently, I’m unashamed to say that I love this car even before I’ve seen it in the flesh.
Continue reading The Jaguar F-Type–Keeping Calm and Carrying On.
This man here, Dick Eytchison, is probably the coolest AARP member in the state of Colorado. This is his blue 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu 4-door sedan, and he’s autocrossing it. He’s recovering from open-heart surgery and he’s been married for 46 years. If this doesn’t prove that autocrossing is pretty much for everyone of all ages, I don’t know what does. Great video, and yes, you’ve got 5 minutes to watch it. This was posted on Jalopnik yesterday afternoon and I feel that it’s definitely worth watching again, what a fantastic example of how the love of automobiles doesn’t go away as one gets older.
-Albert S. Davis
While at the Greenwich Concours this June, I walked around the hotel across the harbor and came across this unrestored California Spider in the front parking lot. It is number 1581GT, the 41st of only 50 made. According to Hemmings Motor News (in their December 2011 issue), the current owner, Thierry Morin, has had it since 2002, when he was the high bidder at Christie’s Pebble Beach auction in 2002, for over $1.2 million–it had less than 26,000mi when he purchased it from the previous owner, William Ruger Jr. The first owner, Alfred E. “Erwin” Goldschmidt, was a successful amateur racer, but Ruger took it off his hands when the car was about six months old. It is still a completely unrestored car and won Best Preserved at the 2005 New York Concour. It was shown as well at the 2008 Greenwich Concours and the 2011 Fairfield Concours. This is one find I will not soon forget. Continue reading Spotted! 1959 Ferrari 250GT California Spyder LWB, Greenwich, CT
A few months ago, I added a new car to my stable. I’ve been driving a gold Toyota Camry since the day this site launched, but not anymore (my brother is now driving it). As of May 31st, I’ve been driving this sleek black Subaru Legacy GT. A review of both this very car and the Camry are coming in the future, but for now, here’s a pair of photos Nick took of my new car on a visit home from Michigan. I will say more in its review at the end of this month, but I will say this: I am totally and utterly satisfied with this car.
-Albert S. Davis
Buick has not had the best reputation with smaller cars. Their most recent entry, the Skylark, turned a once great name into one best remembered for being an elderly librarian’s best friend and a speed demon’s worst enemy on I-95. However, Buick’s fortunes have turned around a lot in the past two years or so, with newfound success in the larger and smaller portion of the premium midsize market and a newfound lease on life. So, I took this white Verano you see here for a spin in South Florida to see if it was up to the hype. Continue reading Test Driven: Buick Verano Al’s Take
Four-door coupes are one of the fastest-growing segments in this country. Mercedes started the ball rolling with the CLS, and as of now, the other two German luxury brands have answered the call with interpretations of their own. BMW recently launched the 6-Series Gran Coupe, while Audi started selling their entry last year, the A7. Towards the end of December 2011, my father and I stopped by the local dealer and drove this stunning white example to find out how good the A7 is. Continue reading Test Driven: 2012 Audi A7
The three letters “G-T-O” are legendary in automotive culture. They stand for “Gran Turismo Omologato”, an Italian phrase which means “Grand Touring Homologation”. Ferrari is the most famous manufacturer to use this phrase, as the famous 250GTO entered history as one of the most famous and sought-after Ferraris ever built. The other manufacturer to use this acronym heavily was General Motors during the same time period. From 1964 to 1974, Pontiac built its GTO, at first just an option package on the midsize Tempest, then later on a fully-fledged model. The GTO kicked off the muscle-car era, an era that went down as one of the most famous in American automotive history, but died in 1974 as a flabby memory of its former self, downgraded to an option on the Ventura (Pontiac’s Chevy Nova clone). But, in 2004, GM decided to bring back the name, 30 years later. They took the Holden Monaro, slapped a new front and rear end on it, moved the steering wheel, and gave it a few Pontiac badges. I took this used 2004 model to the streets to see if it was any good.
While taking a walk around the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, NJ, I ran into this very tasty ’63 Impala drop-top sitting in a parking lot behind the College Avenue Gym. I’ve seen it around town a few times since I started here in 2008 and this is the first time I’ve ran into it in at least a year. More pictures after the jump. Continue reading Spotted! 1963 Chevrolet Impala Convertible, New Brunswick, NJ
The cops have had an interesting automotive history in this country. Chrysler had a great grip on the market until the Eighties, then Chevy, and now Ford. But, the Crown Victoria, Ford’s greatest offering to the altar of the fraternal order of police, died on September 15, 2011, after being in production for over three decades. It’s not the best looking ride in the stable, and it certainly isn’t the one that gets all the girls. But, it’s got room for six, eight cylinders, rear wheel drive, and a reputation for working around the clock and then some. I grabbed the keys to this decade-plus old detective’s chariot and asked myself a very good question: Can a modern-day Blues-Mobile be worth 3 grand? Continue reading Test Driven: 2000 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
While on a two-week trip to Israel, I spotted this breathtaking Subaru station wagon on the very first day of the trip in Jerusalem’s impromptu art district not far away from the main market. Normally such a car would not attract my attention (in fact, these wagons are everywhere in Jerusalem) but after a few seconds looking at this one, I bet anyone will agree that this is one special Subaru art car. It seems to be a case of “make a garden out of the car”. My compliments to the owner, who is on the left in the photo after the jump. Continue reading Spotted! Subaru Wagon, Jerusalem, Israel
BMW has made its fortune on being a performance brand, and the 135i is the cheapest way to get the N55B30 engine in BMW’s lineup. The 1-Series has been around since 2008 in America, and has been reasonably successful in the USA. Since I felt like seeing what the turbocharged inline six felt like in BMW’s lightest 4-place car, the 1-Series was a natural fit. I was not disappointed. Continue reading Test Driven: 2012 BMW 135i
Mind Over Motor 