All posts by ndubs77

Porsche 911R at NYIAS 2016

April 11, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

We got our first, in-person look at the new Porsche 911R at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. With its 500hp 4.0L engine hooked to a manual gearbox, it’s definitely a proverbial golden calf for us Porsche enthusiasts.

Porsche is only building 991 examples of the 911R, so it won’t ever be a common sight. These cars are also so heavily sought after that those lucky 991 buyers will likely be able to flip their 911Rs (if they want to) for a healthy 6-figure profit.

The good news for everyone not getting a 911R is that Porsche has confirmed that the next 911 GT3 will come with the option of a manual gearbox. It would seem the clear demand in the secondhand market has gotten through to Porsche management, and they’ve realized the mistake they made with the first 991 GT3.

Despite the coming manual 991.2 GT3, the 911R will remain the only manual 991 equipped with the monstrous 4.0L flat-six, shared with the mighty GT3 RS.

There is no doubt that 911R values will be sitting up with the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and GT2 RS on the secondhand market. This is a stratosphere Porsche to be sure.

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spotted on Amelia Island

April 8, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

Supposedly it drives like a truck, but those looks are timeless.

-Nick

Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars, Luxury Cars

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Review: A Recipe Perfected

April 6, 2016 ndubs77 10 Comments

There is absolutely no substitute for seat time when judging a car. I thought Alfa Romeo had sold themselves out when they built the 4C without the option of a manual gearbox. I mean, who on earth would want a light little sports car without a clutch pedal and a gear lever? But the truth is, building a good car is a lot like cooking a good meal. Each ingredient must be executed well in its own right, but then the most important thing is how it all comes together as a whole.

The Italians are known for treating their cars exactly as they treat their food, as works of art. Alfa Romeos, in particular, have always had a sense of living soul, even if, at times, there wasn’t much else good about them. My friend, Evan, had an old Alfa Spider that only ever worked properly when he was taking a girl out on a date in it – now, isn’t that the most Italian thing you’ve ever heard?

Alfa Romeos are cars built on an ideology of passion and emotion first, and everything else second. Sure, in the past that has sometimes meant questionable dependability, but at least they never committed the atrocity of making life boring or mundane. Life is worth more than just living, it’s worth enjoying, and that is what Alfa Romeos are all about.

This white 4C Spider is actually the first Alfa Romeo I’ve ever driven. It marks the return of Alfa Romeo production cars to the USA, and will be soon followed by the new Giulia sedan. Being my first Alfa, I admit that I had underestimated the way they can make the ingredients of a car come together into one delicious masterpiece of a machine.

I quickly realized that the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider has something very special about it. I drove 8 very cool cars in the same weekend, including a Ferrari and some Porsches, but this Alfa 4C was the one I just couldn’t stop thinking about. Here’s why…

Continue reading Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Review: A Recipe Perfected →

Opinions

Why I Hate Concept Cars: A Rant

April 4, 2016 ndubs77 2 Comments

Lincoln showed off their fancy new Navigator Concept at the 2016 New York International Auto Show to much acclaim. It was all over the news, and people were going mental over it. I mean, what’s not to love about a sparkly blue SUV with massive gullwing doors and fine wooden steps up to its luxurious cabin?

Yes, if it were real, the Navigator Concept would be a game-changer in the SUV market, but it isn’t real. People often miss the word “Concept,” and I must’ve had around ten people ask me if I had seen the incredible new Lincoln Navigator, as if it were actually the new production car. Sadly, I then had to break all of their hearts by telling them it was just a pipe dream that would never come true. An automotive strip-tease with no happy ending.

Continue reading Why I Hate Concept Cars: A Rant →

Opinions, Uncategorized

The Tesla Model 3 looks promising if promises are kept

April 1, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

I was sold on the electric car the second I experienced 0-84mph in a Tesla Model S P85D. It’s not just brutal acceleration, it’s brutal acceleration you can actually use from any speed, available immediately. Even just squirting from 0-30mph off a city stop light is a total riot. It is the kind of enjoyment you can only have in an electric car. There is no engine, no gears, and no delay. Thrills come simply at a push of the button, or pedal, in this case.

I thought Elon Musk summed up Tesla’s path brilliantly. Prove electric can be fun with the Tesla Roadster, then prove them practical and desirable with the Model S and Model X. But now comes the make or break moment for Tesla Motors, a truly affordable, mass-production car, the Tesla Model 3. It must be practical, it must be dependable, and it must be quite desirable to out-compete fierce competition.

Only time will tell for dependability, an issue that Tesla has been working on. Any new car company should expect some bumps in the road, it’s how they deal with them that counts. This factor gets greatly amplified as you move into the mass-market realm.

What we did find out last night in the short part one of the Tesla Model 3 reveal is that the car will be quite desirable and quite practical… so long as Musk’s promises are kept.

Continue reading The Tesla Model 3 looks promising if promises are kept →

Cars We've Seen

Lamborghini LM002 Spotted at the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island

March 30, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Lamborghini once made an SUV/Truck for the Italian military. This is the street version, the Lamborghini LM002. Think of it as a Humvee with more style, fine Italian leather, a manual gearbox, and the V12 from the Lamborghini Countach supercar. Yes, this is a V12 Lamborghini off-roader, and it’s badass as hell.

We caught this very rare green LM002 outside the Ritz Carlton, host to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. We were in a hurry to get to an event, so I only shot it as we walked past, but it was unbelievably cool.

Dads, keep your daughters away from any guy who pulls up in one of these…

-Nick Walker

Car Shows, Uncategorized

Aston Martin DB AR1 Zagato at Amelia Island

March 28, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

This beautiful Aston Martin DB AR1 by Zagato is definitely the modern Aston I’d most like to have in my own garage. It’s not the fastest Aston money can buy, nor the best built, and it’s definitely not the newest, either. But it is one of just 99 in existence, it’s beyond gorgeous, it’s a drop-top, and it has a sweet V12 engine that’s hooked up to a manual gearbox. In short, the DB AR1 Zagato is everything I want in my Aston Martin experience.

Even though there are only 99 of these things, we actually manage to see them fairly often. I guess DB AR1 owners just tend to enjoy going to concours events. This silver DB AR1 stood out to me on the show field at the Amelia Island Cars and Coffee. It’s an interesting color combo of bright pearlescent silver over a deep green leather interior.

I saw this same DB AR1 Zagato go by on the road the day before, and I went nuts. I just never get tired of looking at them for some reason.

Enjoy the photos!

Continue reading Aston Martin DB AR1 Zagato at Amelia Island →

Car Shows

Mosler MT900S at Festivals of Speed, Amelia Island

March 25, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

This rare bird caught my eye right away when I arrived at Festivals of Speed, Amelia Island, and not just because it was bright flaming orange. It’s a Mosler MT900S, an American supercar of which only around 35 road-going examples exist.

Mosler went bankrupt a few years back, but their US-bred supercars are well respected and sought after in the car community. These were genuinely racing cars for the street, hardcore performance machines to the bone. In fact, Mosler built more MT900 racecars than they did roadcars.

The MT900S was built from 2005 to 2011, and featured 5.7L or 7.0L V8 engines sourced from General Motors (ie the Corvette). I’m not sure which motor this orange MT900S had in it, but Car and Driver had an MT900S test car with a 600hp supercharged 5.7L V8. In their testing it ran 0-60 mph in just 3.1 sec, 0-100 mph in 6.5 sec, and did the 1/4 mile in 11.o sec @ 135 mph. Now that’s a decent kick in the ass, I don’t care who you are.

This Mosler was orange, and it was awesome. Enjoy the pics!

Also, check out our gallery of the one-off Mosler Raptor GTR, SSC UltimateAero, and other fun American things!

Continue reading Mosler MT900S at Festivals of Speed, Amelia Island →

Opinions

2017 Mazda ND Miata RF, a Skeptical Reaction

March 23, 2016 ndubs77 3 Comments

The Mazda Miata is now a hard-top targa, complete with flying buttresses!

Mazda calls it the Miata RF Hard Top Convertible, with RF standing for “Retractable Fastback.” Essentially they looked at the Porsche 911 Targa, thought it was a good idea, and here we are.

But is this really a good idea?

Continue reading 2017 Mazda ND Miata RF, a Skeptical Reaction →

Car Shows

1952 Pegaso Z-102 Cupula Coupe, 2016 Amelia Island Winner

March 21, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

During the 1950’s Spanish auto manufacturer, Pegaso, built a line of world-class sports cars, the Z-102. With powerful engines, a racing-derived chassis, and cutting edge technology for the time, the Pegaso Z-102 was a serious contender. Top Z-102 models, equipped with a 360hp supercharged V8, were capable of 155 mph, making them the fastest sports cars in the world for a time. A bonafide supercar, top-spec Pegaso could out-run the Ferraris of the era, and even the mighty Mercedes 300SL.

Just 86 Pegaso Z-102 sports cars were produced between 1951 and 1958. The cars were built on a “cost no object basis” alongside the larger Pegaso production of other types of vehicles. As you might expect, the sports car program quickly became a financial drag, and had to be shut down at a certain point.

The jaw-dropping 1952 Pegaso Z-102 “Cupula Coupe” featured here is one of just two examples built, and the only one known to survive. It won Best in Show, Concours de Sport at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, and it absolutely stunned the crowds.

The color scheme seems inspired by the condiments at a hot dog stand, a mustard yellow exterior, a relish green interior, and ketchup red-wall tires. Yes, I said red-wall tires. IT HAS RED-WALL TIRES!!!!

Continue reading 1952 Pegaso Z-102 Cupula Coupe, 2016 Amelia Island Winner →

Car Shows

2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Gallery 1

March 18, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Here is our first round of highlights from the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. There were so many incredible cars, of various eras, present that it’ll take a few of these galleries and numerous individual features to cover them all.

Racing legend, Hans-Joachim Stuck (pictured above), was the guest of honor. He rolled up during the award ceremony at the wheel of the Porsche 962 in which he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was epic!

Best in show awards went to a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Town Car with some fancy coachwork (see below), and also to a 1952 Pegaso Z-102 Cupula Coupe, which was my personal favorite car at the show, as well. The Pegaso had a unique color scheme of bright yellow with red-wall tires and a pea green interior, and it’s striking curves and crafted details definitely made it the sight to be seen.

Enjoy this first highlight reel, and stay tuned for much more to come!

Continue reading 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Gallery 1 →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars, Uncategorized

Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 Review: Turbocharged For Your Pleasure!

March 16, 2016 ndubs77 8 Comments

I’ve been waiting for the Japanese luxury brands to go turbo for a long time now. They’ve been keeping their cars pretty simple for years, and that’s great for reliability, but in the end, the turbo European cars were faster, a lot faster. Well now it seems the tables have turned. Infiniti has finally joined the turbo game, and they’ve brought a ringer.

Their new 3.0L twin turbo V6 comes in two flavors, one with 300hp and one with 400hp. The first will compete directly with the existing sport sedan pack, and the second will blow them away. Even with the German’s conservative horsepower claims, none of their offerings reach the 400hp mark. That means the high-output Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 I drove here is some very serious business.

Continue reading Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 Review: Turbocharged For Your Pleasure! →