Paganis are always a sight to be seen, and luckily for us, there are more to be seen in America now than ever!
-Nick
All posts by ndubs77
Infiniti QX80 Limited Review: The Plush Utility Vehicle
I believe the term is “Land Yacht.” A massive, expensive way of getting from place to place for people who like to take up their slightly-more-than-fair share of space in the world. It also works great if you have a large family, although, most forms of birth control are a lot cheaper than this $90,000 behemoth.
Either way, if this is the way you want to get around in the world, then the Infiniti QX80 Limited will do a lot to float your boat. Maybe a Cadillac Escalade is too “Tony Soprano” for you. Maybe you’d like a Mercedes GLS, but, unfortunately, your local dealer just sold their last one to another real estate agent who’s drowning themselves in payments trying to “project an image of success” to their clients. Have no fear, the QX80 is here to save the day, and you just might be glad you didn’t get the others.
Continue reading Infiniti QX80 Limited Review: The Plush Utility Vehicle
Farewell Miata, I enjoyed our short time together
Yesterday I parted ways with my (formerly Al’s) 1993 Mazda Miata. It was my second Miata, and it directly lead to my third, Ace.
There really is something special about these little roadsters, something that always manages to make you smile. They don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, and that helps you loosen up as well when behind the wheel.
I bought this Miata off of Al this past spring. Al wanted something new, and I had just landed a new job with a nice pay bump, so I figured a Miata would be fun for the spring.
This thing was fun, so much fun that it made me decide I wanted a Miata in my life for the long haul. I looked around, and found Ace, my 2014 Miata Club Edition. Things got off to a rocky start with Ace, having an accident just 4 days after I bought it. But the repairs have been made now, so it was time to let my ’93 Miata go.
I can only hope this Miata inspires its new owner as much as it inspired Al and I.
-Nick Walker
Motor Trend: Cadillac CTS-V vs. Lexus GS F
This video really made me want a Lexus GS F for some reason. The Caddy is cool, but they also neglected to mention that the Lexus will be reliable for 200,000 miles of relatively trouble-free fun. The CTS-V?… Not so much, if history is any indicator.
Enjoy.
Nick
1954 Cadillac 2-Door Convertible by Pinin Farina at Hershey
This one-off Cadillac was built by Pinin Farina for Norman Granz, founder of Verve Records. Granz admired the Italian designs of the day, and wanted such a car for himself, so he had Pinin Farina work their magic on his Cadillac Series 62. The result was this distinctly Italian masterpiece that surely turned many-a-head around Hollywood.
Enjoy!
-Nick Walker
Popping My Autocross Cherry
As a car guy, who’s had a license for a decade now, I really should have been autocrossing at some point, right? But until this past weekend, I hadn’t… at least at an official event.
Autocross is one of the best things anyone who takes driving seriously can do for their skills behind the wheel. Even if you’re not a gearhead, it will just make you a far better, far safer driver, knowing how to control your car.
Honestly, I’ve been meaning to get into autocross for years, but I’ve always put it off for some reason. I even bought and modified my first (very rusty) Miata with the idea of autocrossing in mind. I did do a lot of, shall we say, “unofficial” autocrossing in that car in various corporate parking lots in my area, but a real event is totally different.
Now, having just gotten my 2014 Miata, Ace, back from the body shop after it nearly being totalled 4 days after I bought it, I felt it was time.
Ferrari 550 Barchetta at the CF Charities Supercar Show
A bright sunny day and a red Ferrari roadster, it’s the stuff dreams are made of. The 550 Barchetta is quite a hot item right now, along with most stick-shift Ferraris at this point. Barchettas are very rare too, with just 448 of them built, so it’s always awesome to see one in person.
-Nick
Jay Leno checks out the gorgeous new Aston Martin DB11
This new Aston is incredible, with its twin-turbo V12 and its next-level detail work. I got to see it up close in Greenwich a few weeks ago, and I was blown away. Let’s see what Jay thinks of the DB11!
-Nick
Maserati MC12 at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance
The prettier cousin of the Ferrari Enzo, just 50 Maserati MC12s were built in total. I remember the first time I laid eyes on one, at the New York Auto Show, and I was absolutely floored by the car’s beauty. It’s a very elegant machine, but in a definitively racecar sort of way.
Given the choice, I’d have one of these over an Enzo. It’s always a pleasure seeing an MC12 in person, and I’ve been lucky enough to have that pleasure a few times. Now I just need to find a way to drive one…
Enjoy!
-Nick
A Day I Hoped Would Never Happen: Reacting To My First Accident
I saw a white flash out of the corner of my eye, and the next thing I knew I was facing sideways and had taken the impact of an airbag to my face. It took a moment, but then it hit me, I had just crashed.
That realization made me spring into action. I looked over at the woman in the other car, who was freaking the hell out, but thankfully awake. I lifted myself right up out of my seat and hopped out over the passenger door (perks of a convertible). I ran over, opened the door and helped the woman out of her car. We were both seemingly uninjured, thank God.
At that point, though, I realized she was pregnant, like very pregnant, and the concern for both of us turned to her baby. Luckily the paramedics cleared her when they arrived.
After I knew we were all okay, I looked back over at my gleaming read Miata. I had just signed the papers on it 4 days prior, and now here it was, smashed up good in the middle of the street. I didn’t have time for emotions, though, I knew I had to take document the scene, and take photos from every angle.
As I did so, I called my parents to come pick me up, my boss to let him know I wouldn’t be in today, and my girlfriend to let her know what had happened and that I was alright.
I was riding the massive wave adrenaline, but I was feeling very cloudy in my head. There was just so much I had to do, so many bases I knew I had to cover. I never took even a second to stop and catch my breath, I never allowed myself a brief moment to calm myself down after taking a hard hit to the head. Finally it caught up with me. As we were all exchanging our insurance information, I realized I had been doing way too much, and I turned and vomited all over the ground.
At that point, the officers at the scene told me I should really get to the hospital. I knew vomiting wasn’t a good sign, and luckily my parents were almost there by then. I gave my statement to the police, watched my buddy, Ace (the Miata) get dragged onto a flatbed, and went off to the hospital.
Continue reading A Day I Hoped Would Never Happen: Reacting To My First Accident
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona spotted in Greenwich, CT
It had just rained, and the air was quite humid. It gave us a great look at the breath from that V12. That darker red is a gorgeous color too. The Daytona remains one of the most iconic Ferraris of all time, and it’s easy to see why.
-Nick
Matt Farah takes us out in his new Ford Focus RS
Matt is one of our favorite journalists, and he’s just bought himself a new toy, a very blue Ford Focus RS. Let’s see what he thinks!
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 