All posts by ndubs77

Cars We've Driven, Road Review, Used Car Gems

The Subaru Baja From Hell, Reviewed!

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Subaru Baja From Hell by Area1320

This is a heavily modified, fire breathing example of Subaru’s lukewarm Outback-pickup-thing, which they called the Baja. It belongs to my friend, Rob, who has spent the last eight years corrupting every last inch of this once awkward and unassuming ‘Ute toward the dark side of The Force.

Why… Just why?

Because things like this need to exist. Subaru never made a blood thirsty rally version of the Baja, so Rob has taken it upon himself to make one.

What is the main thing I need to know about the Baja From Hell?

It is different, and its entire identity revolves around being so. Rob’s Baja is a car that is bursting at the seams with “special” and it has proven able to draw a sizable crowd at any sort of automotive gathering.

Continue reading The Subaru Baja From Hell, Reviewed! →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

A look at the Koenigsegg One:1’s epic rear wing

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Drive takes us inside Koenigsegg, this time showcasing the One:1’s revolutionary top (or rather front) mounted rear spoiler.

Enjoy

-Nick

Car Shows

1935 Duesenberg SJ553 at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

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Duesenberg SJ553 2

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous indeed. Back in 1935 this one-off Duesenberg SJ553 cost a hefty $20,000 at a time when the average car cost $625 and the average house cost around $3,400. Proportionally, something like this Duesenberg would cost nearly $1 million today, however luxury cars of this magnitude are a thing of the past. The closest thing still around would be a Rolls Royce Phantom, but even that costs about half as much as this Duesie would.

This SJ553 was commissioned by Mars Candy Company heiress, Ethel Mars, and served as the ultimate status symbol of its day. It was even featured in Time Magazine in 1936 being hailed as the costliest car in the United States. Similar to a Bugatti Veyron today, supercharged Duesenbergs were some of the most powerful cars of their era. This SJ553 is one of only 36 factory supercharged Duesenbergs built, with an impressive 320hp being produced by its 420ci (6.9L) dual overhead cam Straight 8 engine.

In addition to its staggering price and performance, the SJ553 was one of the most elegantly styled Duesenbergs around. Its sinister Art Deco bodywork appears to have been draped gently over the underpinnings of its massive frame. The SJ553 was a sight to be seen, even surrounded by other stunning Duesenbergs at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Let it serve as a glimpse into the wonders of a bygone era of the automobile.

Continue reading 1935 Duesenberg SJ553 at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance →

Opinions

The case for the diesel sports car

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Audi R18 e-tron quattro hybrid
Le Mans winning #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro hybrid. Photo courtesy of www.emotorsportnews.com

For the last eight years in a row, a car with a diesel engine has won the 24 Hours of LeMans. Seven of those eight victories belong to Audi, and Audi is a part of the larger Volkswagen group that has brought us such supercar marvels as the Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Aventador, and most recently, the Porsche 918 Spyder. If supercars are supposed to be “race cars for the road” then it is high time for VW to set the precedent for true oil-burning supercars and sports cars. 

As it turns out, they’ve already come damn close a couple of times. The first one came in 2008 in form of an Audi R8 with a 5.9L Turbo-Diesel V12 under the hood. The second was a promisingly realistic diesel Boxster with a VW badge called the “Concept BlueSport.” In both cases demand was deemed to be too low, and the timing also happened to coincide with the global economic downturn. I agree that the climate was probably wrong for both models at their respective debuts, but having said that, the world has changed a lot in the last few years.

Continue reading The case for the diesel sports car →

Cars We've Seen

Morgan 3 Wheeler spotted at Amelia Island

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Morgan 3 Wheeler at Amelia Island 5

We went out to grab some things from the car during the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, and we found this stunning Morgan 3 Wheeler sitting in the media parking lot. I’ve seen a few of these things around now, but this orange 3 Wheeler has to be the most striking one yet. I just love the fighter plane inspired bits. It gives the car a fun and exciting character that is irresistible. I had to snap a few pics of it, and I think they came out well. Enjoy!

Continue reading Morgan 3 Wheeler spotted at Amelia Island →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Jay Leno drives the Porsche 918 Spyder

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Going off of the feature we did earlier today, it seemed prudent to share a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage where Jay gets behind the wheel of the Porsche 918. Here’s to hoping we find a way to try one out for ourselves sometime, but until then enjoy this.

-Nick

Car Shows

Porsche 918 Spyder at Amelia Island

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Porsche 918 Spyder 1

During the festivities of the Amelia Island Concours weekend, Porsche had their new 918 Spyder hypercar  shown off prominently in the VIP parking section at the Ritz Carlton resort. Naturally it drew tons of attention from drooling spectators, as most of us Americans have yet to lay eyes on a 918 in person.

For those unfamiliar with the Porsche 918 Spyder, it is Porsche’s new flagship model. It utilizes a hybrid powertrain that nets 887hp at 8500rpm and will do 214mph, but get this, Porsche also claims it is capable of up to 78mpg if driven gently (not that anyone will ever want to do that). If, somehow, this is news to you, and you find your interest has been piqued, a 918 Spyder can be yours for the low, low price of just $845,000!!!

The more I learn about the 918 Spyder, the more I consider it my favorite among the current crop of hybrid hypercars, at least for road use anyway. We still don’t know which of the three is the “fastest,” but we do know that a 918 Spyder Weissach Edition made it around the Nurburgring in 6 minutes and 57 seconds, which certainly makes the 918 fast enough to get to work on time…. not that people who are buying this car have a boss to answer to. Until McLaren decides to just spill the beans on the P1’s Ring time, and until Ferrari stops hiding the LaFerrari from any form of objective scrutiny whatsoever, we will have to wait to see which one is “best.”

The Porsche is an incredible machine, though, and I think the fact that they haven’t held anything back about the 918 says everything that needs to be said.

Continue reading Porsche 918 Spyder at Amelia Island →

Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

SRT Viper Review (7.5/10)

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SRT Viper Review 1

What is it?

The SRT Viper, formerly known as the Dodge Viper, is the iconic American sports car for people looking to get more out life than a Mustang or a Corvette can offer.

Intended to be a modern incarnation of the legendary Shelby Cobra, the Viper was developed by Chrysler with the help of Carroll Shelby to try and decimate the Chevrolet Corvette in the early 1990s. Where the Corvette of the time had a 300hp V8, the Viper went for the jugular with a 400hp V10. That was just the beginning, and as you will see, things have gotten even crazier since.

But has the Viper become too crazy for the times? Those of you who follow the car industry will know that Viper sales are in the toilet, so much so that Chrysler has actually had to halt production and even pull its Vipers out of racing competition. The Viper could have a serious problem here, and its survival may well be on the chopping block as we speak. Having finally sampled a Viper for myself, I will will use my experience with the car to muse on why it is that the sales of this beast are struggling.

It may seem cold and heartless to us car enthusiasts, but sales are the end-all-be-all in the car industry, especially for low volume production cars such as this. Ferrari and Lamborghini no longer offer manual transmissions in their cars because, plainly, nobody bought them, and now the Viper may be facing a similar situation.

Continue reading SRT Viper Review (7.5/10) →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

America’s Most Obsessed Saab Collector

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On this segment of Jalopnik on Drive we get an inside look at a man, Bruce Turk, who is probably America’s most obsessed Saab enthusiast and collector. These quirky cars inspire the hearts of many people, and Bruce is a great example of how to Saab properly. Enjoy!

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Drive looks at the Koenigsegg One:1

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Drive takes us inside the new Koenigsegg One:1. The car is named after its power to weight ratio (1hp/1kg) and Koenigsegg claims it to be the first “megacar” because it produces 1 megawatt of power (1360hp). Great video!

-Nick

Car Shows

Fiat Dino Spider at Amelia Island

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Fiat Dino Spider at Amelia Island

We caught this blue Fiat Dino Spider at the cars and coffee event during the Amelia Island car weekend. This is a rare car with the same Ferrari V6 under its hood as found in the Dino 206, and Dino 246 for later models. We did a post featuring Petrolicious’ video on the Fiat Dino a few months ago, and it was awesome to get to see one up close in person.

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

KAZ: Pushing The Virtual Divide – Gran Turismo Documentary

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KAZ is an inspiring documentary on the story of the Gran Turismo franchise, and its creator, Kazunori Yamauchi. Gran Turismo 3 is the game that changed my life forever and catapulted me into my obsession with cars, so it was very interesting to see how Mr. Yamauchi’s passion in many was directly founded my own passion. It is contagious for sure.

The documentary is around two hours long, but if you have the time to watch it I promise you will be captivated and inspired. This is the sort of passion we should all pursue in our lives. Enjoy!

-Nick