All posts by ndubs77

Car Shows

2013 Amelia Island CDE: 1965 Lamborghini 3500 GT Zagato

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1965 Lamborghini 3500 GT Zagato

This is one of two Lamborghini 3500 GTs to be fitted with a Zagato body. The 3500 GT was the first automobile Ferruccio Lamborghini made after his storied dispute with Enzo Ferrari. Underneath, this 3500 GTZ has the same 320hp 4.0L V12 as the standard car, but that gorgeous body it wears is nearly one of a kind. This white car, chassis 0310, is the only one of the two that is currently accounted for. The other car, a red one, has all sorts of rumors swirling around its whereabouts, and state of condition. I’ve heard some people say it is just fine, safely locked away in a private collection. But I’ve also heard the story of someone who claims they saw it sitting in sorry shape in a barn in Arizona, and that he even saw bullet holes in it. The thought of the latter just kills me, so I will hope for the former. Either way, though, the owner of the white GTZ has done well to keep his car in immaculate condition, and I was privileged enough to happen upon it at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. I had heard about this car, and of course had seen pictures of it online, but seeing it in person was truly breathtaking. I have yet to see anything from Zagato that I don’t like, and this 3500 GTZ is among my favorites. The standard Lamborghini 3500 GT was a great looking car to begin with, but Zagato turned it into something even more elegant. Classic Italian curves galore. Enjoy the gallery.

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Car Shows

The 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance

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James Glickenhaus in his 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa
James Glickenhaus taking “Best in In Show” in his 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa…. believed to be the oldest Ferrari automobile in existence.

We were in attendance for the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance this past weekend in Connecticut. It was a fantastic event, and we saw, and drove, many awesome cars. Like most Concours events we go to, we have come back with months of material that we will be sharing with you over time, but this is a highlight reel to wet your appetite. Enjoy.

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Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD (9/10)

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Acura TL SH-AWD

The whole idea of Acura in America is to market a higher end Honda product to people who have had a Civic or Accord in the past, but now have more cash to spend. Given Honda’s great reputation, Acura has enjoyed healthy sales over the years. The TL, which is based on the Accord, has been a strong contender in the middle of the Acura range since the late 1990s. However, up until recently, it was hard to consider the TL a real competitor in the true luxury car realm because it was only available in front wheel drive. Acura has wised up with the current generation TL, and has fitted their SH-AWD system to all but the base model. This means the TL is now going head to head with the rest of the luxury segment on their own, complete terms, and that raises the stakes a bit.

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Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Carbuying flowchart….. this sums it up

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Jalopnik car buying flowchart
Courtesy of Jalopnik. Click to enlarge

Jalopnik just posted this car buying flowchart. It’s pretty good.

-Nick

 

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

A Morgan 3 Wheeler and a Caterham Seven

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Drive’s Chris Harris drives a Morgan 3 Wheeler and a Caterham Seven with the goal of getting back to the roots of driving. Enjoy.

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Lamborghini’s 50th by Evo

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Evo Magazine celebrates Lamborghini’s 50th Anniversary.

-Nick

Car Shows

Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance: Jaguar XJR-15

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Jaguar XJR-15

The XJR-15 is one of the rarest Jaguars in existence, and I was fortunate to see it for the first time at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. Jaguar won the 1988 24hrs of LeMans with their XJ-9 Group C racing car, and decided to produce the XJR-15 as a limited production supercar to commemorate the victory. Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), a racing subsidiary of Jaguar, developed the road-legal XJR-15 directly from the XJR-9 racing car. Around 50 XJR-15s were sold from 1990-1992, before it was succeeded by the legendary XJ-220, at a price of $960,000. Power came from a 6.0L V12 making 450hp. That may not sound like a lot these days, but back then it was a ton because the XJR-15 weighed in at just 2300lbs.

It was intended to be a racing car for the road, like many of the supercars of its time, but that may have hindered the car’s appeal. While the XJR-15 obviously had awesome performance, it was a notorious handful to drive and not very comfortable for use on public roads. It was also succeeded by the mighty XJ-220, which broke the production car speed record and was much better tailored for road use. That said, the XJR-15 is a much rarer find these days, and for me occupies a sort of “unicorn” segment of low number hypercars built in the 80s and 90s. As I said before, this is the first and only XJR-15 I have seen in person, and it was quite a thrill when I came upon it in the Jaguar tent. Enjoy. Continue reading Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance: Jaguar XJR-15 →

Cars We've Driven, Cheap Fun Cars

Test Driven: 2013 Honda Civic Si Coupe (7/10)

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2013 Honda Civic Si Coupe

The Honda Civic has gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years, being the stereotype platform for “ricers”. In fact I actually just saw The Fast and The Furious, the film that single handedly started the ricer craze, shortly before writing this article. In popular culture Honda Civics are always modified in ridiculous ways, looking like something you’d find in a kid’s cereal box. However, those who really know about Honda’s history know that Honda has made some really fantastic cars over the years. There were of course the NSX and S2000, which were both rear wheel drive. But there have also been cars like the Integra Type R, which is one of the best handling cars of all time despite it being front wheel drive. The fact is that Honda really does have the proven knowhow to make a fantastic car. They have had a lot of racing experience over the years, and history has proven that when they make something good, it is usually really good. So with this in mind, I decided to try out the current Honda Civic Si to see how it fits in with Honda’s past lineage of affordable performance cars.

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Cars We've Seen

Spotted! Citroen SM, Sedona, AZ

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Citroen SM Citroen SM

 

I found this Citroen SM in the parking lot of a hotel yesterday. The SM is a very interesting car. After Citroen purchased Maserati in 1968, they began development on a flagship grand touring car. The SM debuted at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, and they produced it through 1975. The SM is remains one of the only true gran touring cars to have front wheel drive, with the same Maserati V6 found in the original Quattroporte and Merak under its hood, producing between 170-180hp. Thanks to its sleek aerodynamics, the Citroen SM could reach 140mph, and onwers said it had no problem cruising at a steady 120mph on the autobahn. Today the SM exudes a level of class and style rivaled by few other cars on the road, and that is why I took the time to shoot these pics. Enjoy.

-Nick Walker

Car Shows

Lewes British Motorcar Show: Caterham Lotus Seven

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Caterham Lotus Seven

 

The Lotus Seven has proved a popular sports car platform over the better half of the last century. Lotus designed and produced the Seven from 1957 to 1972, but since then companies like Caterham have been producing their own take on the classic sports car. Caterham has kept the basic formula of their Seven the same as the original Lotus, lightweight and simple, but offers a wider variety of engines, with power figures ranging from 140-300hp (not sure what is in the car here). Sevens offer a very pure driving experience with fantastic performance, and that is why Colin Chapman’s original design has endured over the years. Enjoy the photos.

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Car Shows

Lewes British Motorcar Show: Lotus Europa S2

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Lotus Europa S2

This beautiful Lotus Europa S2 caught my eye at the recent British Motorcar show in Lewes, DE. There were other Europas around it, but this S2’s tri-tone color scheme really set it apart from the crowd. I just love looking at Lotuses because they’re purpose of lightness and handling is clearly evident in their design. Just look at that rear camber…. o yea. Enjoy the pics.

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Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

Test Driven: 2014 Porsche 991 Carrera 4S Cabriolet (9.5/10)

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2014 Porsche 991 Carrera 4S Cabriolet

Porsche enthusiasts are some of the most dreadfully conservative people you’ll find when it comes to their favorite cars. Any change to the 911, large or small, gets heavily scrutinized to the n’th degree. All too often, they let their nit picking blind them, and they often wind up missing all of the new 911’s great aspects. The evolution of new models is a necessary fact of life, and it usually makes the car better overall, otherwise Porsche wouldn’t do it. The new 911, the 991, has followed this same trend, being criticized every which way against older Porsche models. I chose a more positive approach. Not, “how is the 991 worse than its predecessors?”, but  “how does the 991 faire as a modern 911?”

Continue reading Test Driven: 2014 Porsche 991 Carrera 4S Cabriolet (9.5/10) →