All posts by ndubs77

Cars We've Driven, Classic Cars, Uncategorized

A quick spin in a ‘67 GTO

March 18, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

The GTO was the original Muscle Car and I got to take this beautiful ‘67 for a spin last week. This was my second time driving a 60s era muscle car, and first time in one that was an actual “muscle car” and not technically a “pony car.”

The GTO is a big comfortable cruiser with a big 400ci V8 that’s got some good pull and a ton of character. While definitely not fast by modern standards, the GTO did deliver the muscle car experience I was looking for, cruising around, looking good, with the soundtrack of a V8 rumbling or roaring. It really is an ideal boulevard cruiser, and that’s what the classic muscle cars were all about.

This GTO had the 3 speed auto, but in a big cruiser like this, I was more than fine with that. What I wasn’t fine with were the drum brakes, which really just don’t work in the modern world. Even at a safe following distance, if the soccer mom in front of you decides to slam on her brakes for a squirrel, you pretty little GTO will be toast. All drum brakes do is add a huge amount of un-needed anxiety to an otherwise quite pleasurable driving experience. I’d advise anyone looking to drive their GTO to convert to disc brakes ASAP, and save the originals for when you sell the car.

Save for the terror of the lack of brakes, I really enjoyed driving this GTO. It was a beautiful spec and it made me feel like a real bad muthafucka behind the wheel.

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

Porsche GT2 RS in Miami Blue at Porsche of Princeton

March 4, 2019 ndubs77 2 Comments

Stopped by Porsche of Princeton in NJ recently. I saw this GT2 RS in the window a few days earlier and I had to get a few pics. The ultimate 911 in the best color. Absolutely unreal on its own, but they actually have 3 GT2 RSs on the showroom floor right now.

Continue reading Porsche GT2 RS in Miami Blue at Porsche of Princeton →

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars, Luxury Cars, Used Car Gems

My Biggest Surprise in the Ferrari 612

February 11, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Driving a Ferrari 612 on such a tight track was an eye-opening experience for me. This is a big V12 GT car meant for the open road, how on Earth did Ferrari make it handle so light and nimbly on a small track with some areas only a little bigger than an autocross? And how did the car give me so much confidence after just getting to know it that I was comfortable taking the chicane that splits up the main straight flat, reaching 200kph (124mph) on the back straight before diving into the hairpin?

Looking at this track, you wouldn’t think that sort of speed would be possible from a big car like this. The 612 should have been totally out of its element here, but it was so willing the change direction, and so nicely balanced, that it actually felt right at home. I was enthralled by Ferrari when I first drove the 430 Scuderia on track, but this 612 sold me for good on their ability to make any car drive as it should. Just as the Scuderia did, the 612 seemed to connect right to my brain stem, and driving it felt more telepathic than artificial. The fact that they could do that with a big 2 ton GT car is unbelievable. Most big GTs I’ve driven don’t really get past being merely competent in tight corners, but this 612 was genuinely playful. I remain blown away by it. And that V12!! 🎶🎶🎶

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars, Sports Cars

The BMW i8 is basically what the DeLorean would’ve been

February 5, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

The BMW i8 is today a lot like the DeLorean was in the early 80s.

While not nearly the political phenomenon the DeLorean was, in the market it occupies the exact same slot: a spaceship-looking car with epic doors that doesn’t perform nearly as good as it looks. In fact, the ratio of the i8’s power compared to the Ferrari 488’s is nearly identical to that of the DeLorean compared to a Ferrari 308.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually really love the i8 for what it is, and I enjoyed cruising around in the sapphire blue one you see above. But the i8’s party piece is its appearance rather than its performance. It’s only about as fast as a stage 2 Subaru, but it will turn as many heads in town as a Koenigsegg, especially in an insane color like this. We actually had a guy push his stroller into a curb because he was so fixated on our i8 just sitting at a red light.

The i8 is really is a concept car you can buy, but it’s more for casual drivers than enthusiasts in terms of the driving experience it offers. Also just like the DeLorean ⛄️

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, Car Shows, Cars We've Seen

Highlights from the 2019 Philadelphia Auto Show

February 4, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

The Philly Auto Show was great this year. We got to see some of the hottest new industry offerings, and the CF Charities hypercar exhibit was better than ever this year. It’s always a bright spot for us Northeastern car folks in the dead of Winter. Enjoy!

Continue reading Highlights from the 2019 Philadelphia Auto Show →

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Maybach in its last days

January 31, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

I was lucky enough to take this 57S out for a spin just a few months before Maybach folded. It was always my preference to a Rolls Phantom as a kid looking through DuPont Registry, but on my 2011 trip to Pebble Beach I drove this Maybach back to back with two Rolls Royce’s and my opinion totally changed.

The Maybach was awesome in so many ways, but it never really shakes it’s S-Class roots. But behind the wheel it drove exactly like a W220 S Class, just a little bigger and with a lot more power. It was nowhere near the unique driving experience you get in a Rolls. After driving this car, I understood why the brand was folding. It just wasn’t quite distinctive enough for those who want the opposite of a regular experience.

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars, Performance Models

Driving my first modern Jag

January 28, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

The first modern Jag I ever drove was this mental XKR-S. One of just 300, it also remains one of the rarest cars I’ve driven.

I knew it would be fast with its 550hp supercharged V8, but at the time, I hadn’t expected it to be so hardcore in terms of ride and handling. This is very much on the sport end of the GT range. And the sound this thing made was unreal, a genuinely savage roar.

This was quite a car to experience back in 2011, and these are actually quite a deal today considering their rarity and performance. Just be ready to handle the obvious Jag issues. Also, as I’ve been posting all this stuff from the past, I’m starting to realize I had quite a burgundy thing going on.

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Our Proof of Concept was this Rolls Royce Phantom

January 21, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

We were 21 and they threw us the keys to this $500,000 Rolls Royce. That was the moment we knew our idea had worked. We started Mind Over Motor largely as a way to get access in the automotive world, and just 2 months after we launched the site, we somehow landed press passes to Pebble Beach.

A few weeks later we were doing 100mph up a beautiful stretch of coastline on 17 Mile Drive in this Phantom Drophead Coupe with the wind in our hair and huge grins on our faces.

My own mindset at the time was far too juvenile for a Rolls, but there I was with my right foot connected to a V12 and I wanted to see what it could do. Obviously, I realized the Phantom wasn’t a sports car at all, more a luxury super-yacht for the road. But it was capable, and the whole experience was immensely satisfying.

We knew we had a very ambitious idea going in, and as we pulled out past the gate in this Rolls, it hit us, this was reality. 🤘😎

-Nick Walker

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

A New Definition of “Sharp”: Driving My First Ferrari

January 17, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

This was my first drive in a Ferrari, a 430 Scuderia. Right after my drive in the Lambo, I hopped into this Scud, the stripped-out track-focused version of the F430.

I was used to driving sports cars, my STI and my dad’s 911, and I had just driven the Gallardo, but I cannot emphasize enough how much sharper this Ferrari felt than the lot of them. It didn’t feel like a machine I was operating, but more like it connected right to my brain stem and became a part of me out on the track. I’d had my warm up in the Lambo, and with the deeper connection in the Ferrari, I really started to get in my groove.

I listened to the instructor and I wound up being able to enter corners at speeds I hadn’t thought possible. By the end, I was reaching around 125 on the main straight and entering the next corner at 90, where before I had only thought 60 or 70 was possible. It was an unbelievable rush, and the car gave me the confidence to really focus on learning.

Most Ferraris offer an amazing experience, but on track, a 430 Scuderia is more amazing than most of them. It was one hell of a hands-on introduction to the prancing horse.

Continue reading A New Definition of “Sharp”: Driving My First Ferrari →

Automotive Lifestyle, Opinions

What is the point of a Toyota with BMW reliability and running costs?

January 15, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

That question has been on my mind all day, because looking at the new Supra, I see a lot of BMW parts where Toyota’s build quality really matters (engine, drivetrain, etc). If the Supra shares all of the BMW electronics as well, then this will likely be the most unreliable Toyota of all time. And it’s going to be built in Austria, so you know it will. That’s kinda shitty for a brand who is otherwise the benchmark of reliability and long term quality.

Don’t get me wrong, I love much of what they’ve done with this new Supra, and I’m sure they will deliver a brilliantly executed car on the front end. I like the look, I like its flavor, and I’m sure I’ll love the performance. I drove a BMW X3 M40i and loved it, the Supra has that engine with RWD and over 1,000lbs less weight. It will be fun, no doubt.

But how will these fair a decade or two from now? I’m not that confident.

The Supra’s other massive shortcoming is the lack of a manual transmission option. This is a small 2 seat sports car, not a supercar, not a GT car, not a sedan. It needs a manual to “be all it can be.” End of story. Toyota should at least fix that, and we can all find a way to live with the BMW issues underneath.

I just want to be clear, here. I don’t count myself as a Supra hater. I actually really like the car overall, but I have high standards in a world of increasing compromise. To me, the MKV Supra is a C+/B- as it sits. If they just add a crisp-shifting Japanese manual to the mix it would climb to a B+/A-. To get the full A+ it would need the full bulletproof Toyota build quality, but unfortunately, that just wasn’t feasible in the current market climate.

It’s a good effort, but there is some very clear room for improvement. For most driving enthusiasts, a small sports car with 2 pedals simply isn’t on the menu, especially not for $60 grand when you could have the manual Porsche 997 of your dreams instead.

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

The Dream Realized: Driving My First Supercar

January 14, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

This was the moment the dream was first realized. I was finally driving my first bonafide supercar! It was this bright orange Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, and I drove it on track at Exotics Racing in Las Vegas. This was also my first time on a proper race track too, so I had everything to learn.

I remember pulling out on the track. I just floored it in 1st and it broke all 4 tires loose, then chirped them again into 2nd. The ferocity of the acceleration and the roar of that V10 were unlike anything I could have imagined. Before that, I had only driven a few cars around 400hp, so this was by far the fastest car I’d experienced.

Being such a novice I did my best in the corners, TC saved me big time once, but I made full use of the short straight on all of my laps, clocking around 115 or so by the time I had to brake.

In hindsight, I was so sloppy, but I had a blast realizing my childhood dream of driving a supercar for the first time. A screaming Lamborghini is a great first experience to have.

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven

Driving my first exotic

January 10, 2019 ndubs77 Leave a comment

We all have our firsts, and this was the first exotic car I ever drove, an ’02 Maserati Spyder like the one you see here (only a lot rougher around the edges).

I basically just bullshitted my way into a test drive at a used car lot down the shore. In true Italian style, the convertible top wouldn’t go down, but otherwise, it was in decent shape.

This was also my first experience with a proper paddle shift transmission. I found it shifted nicely at speed, but it was utter dog shit in traffic. I proceeded, enjoying the lovely Italian V8 engine, and I almost chirped the tires in front of a cop.

It was a fun test drive in a car which at the time was quite special in the eyes of 20 year old me…. if I only knew what was to come 😂👍

-Nick