This Pagani Zonda F has been custom painted with most people’s favorite caped crusader, Batman. Nothing more really needs to be said.
-Nick
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Road Review: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid (9/10)
This is my mom’s new car, Volkswagen’s brand new Jetta Hybrid. Her Volvo was rear-ended and totaled back in December, so naturally the car search began. For some reason this car managed to fly under my radar until just recently. There hasn’t been much media coverage, and it debuted quietly at NAIAS last year. I had been triaging, and test driving a few different options when my dad asked me what I thought of the Jetta Hybrid. That got me looking, and when I saw the details, I was pretty blown away. I went and test drove one the next day, and my recommendation was set. This was the car, and you will soon see why.
Hybrids have really caught on as a way of saving gas here in America. For most hybrids, the focus is on fuel economy alone, all in an effort to woo people with the showroom window sticker. The undisputed leader of the hybrid movement has been Toyota, with cars that are as much a political statement as they are a form of transportation. We all know the Prius, some love it, some hate it, but it has set the standard for the hybrid segment. Other carmakers, like Ford, have hybrids too, but they are basically copies of the Toyota’s design formula. Because of this, people tend to know what to expect when they see a hybrid, but Volkswagen has taken a different approach.
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Pagani Top Gear tire controversy: I call it great preparation
So this whole controversy has erupted over whether Pagani “cheated” to get the Top Gear lap record. In the first episode of the new season the Pagani Huayra managed a lap time of 1:12.8, the fastest they’ve ever had. Now, in order for the lap to count, a car must be road legal. Clarkson defines this as “being able to get over a speed bump”, but it also applies to a car having street legal tires. People noticed that, during the lap, the Huayra’s tires had a different tread pattern than those you see above, and indeed the tires do look sort of similar to the track spec tires seen on a Zonda R.
Jalopnik reached out to Pagani for comment. Because Pagani is full of good people, unlike other companies, they responded nicely, and admitted that two separate tires had been used for the Top Gear shoot. Pagani maintained that the tires used for the lap are indeed street legal, though. Pagani has a very close relationship with Pirelli, and helps them to develop new tires. The general consensus, at this point, is that the Huayra was on street-legal versions of the Zonda R’s racing slicks, tires that were custom made for Pagani. So yes, Pagani did use better than standard tires for the winning lap, but they were street legal, if only just.
My opinion is that, so long as the tires used were street legal, then the lap should stand. Quite plainly, it is the responsibility of any automaker sending a press car to a big show, like Top Gear, to ensure their car is prepared in a manner that will give the best showing possible for their audience. Pagani was really just doing their job here, and doing it well, I might add. They pushed the rules, but they didn’t brake them, and they wound up with the fastest lap time. That people, is how competitions have been won throughout all of time, and I applaud them for their thoughtful preparation. More to show us all that Pagani possesses an uncompromising commitment to excellence in their work, and not even press car logistics are allowed to be a routine motion. This is exactly why Pagani is my favorite.
Also, the way people are talking about this, you’d think it was some big, important scandal. Everyone is acting like its the F1 World Championship, and the winning driver cut a corner for a pass on the final lap. People, Top Gear is purely entertainment, and this is hardly any sort of serious legal matter. If the tires are legal, the time counts, if they’re found not to be, then I’m sure they will remove it. In the end, it was just a great episode, and a great moment when the Huayra won the top spot. Can’t we all just leave it at that?
-Nick Walker
Let’s discuss the Mclaren P1
Mclaren released the details, and photos, of the production version of their new P1 hypercar today ahead of its official debut at next week’s 2013 Geneva Motor Show. In short it is a hybrid with a combined output of 903hp, it will do 0-60mph in sub 3 sec, 0-124mph in sub 7 sec, and its top speed is limited to “only” 217mph. I emphasize the “only” because one of the first comments I read about the car on Jalopnik was “1.3 mill and its “limited” to 217. Thanks. Pretty much told us its not as fast as the Veyron”. That, right there, people, is the problem I have with both a car like the Bugatti, and your typical superficial sort car enthusiast. Keep in mind, a Formula One car is “slower” than a Veyron as well, yet you don’t see the Bugatti setting lap times even remotely close to the times of Vettel and Hamilton at any circuit. It is this ignorant, one-dimensional mindset, that I can’t stand, and that gives me a big reason to love the Mclaren P1.
Just gonna leave this here… Aston Martin Rapide Bertone Jet 2+2
This Rapide wagon will be a one off, commissioned by a wealthy collector…. obviously. It is a Bertone design, and was made to commemorate the long relationship between Aston Martin and Bertone. This Rapide Bertone Jet 2+2 is based on the new Rapide S, so underneath it is familiar, but just take a few moments and digest the visual beauty of this stunning machine.
-Nick
Spotted! Ferrari 458 Spiders, Zurich, Switzerland
These were my first encounters with 458 Spiders while in Switzerland last summer. They had just hit the streets, and I’d assume Switzerland is one of the first places in the world to see its orders filled, given its proximity to Italy, and their immense wealth. Enjoy.
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Woodward Dream Cruise: Sh’Boom’s flamethrowers in action
Sh’Boom is definitely the coolest Hot Rod I’ve ever seen, and that is largely because of its flamethrowers you see here. I posted a whole gallery of photos I took of the car during a cruise night, but during the Woodward Dream Cruise it put on a real show for the crowd. It was cruising along slowly, with flames continuously spewing from the tailpipes for at least 3/4 of a mile. The streets were lined with thousands of people, and I could hear loud cheers erupt from the crowds as the car drove down the road. It was an incredible moment to behold. The effect Sh’boom has on people is astounding, definitely a car that will make your day. I just found these photos while digging through the albums from my summer in Detroit, MI, and I needed to share them. I am also going to add them to the previous Sh’boom gallery, so if you haven’t see those pics yet, check them out. Enjoy
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Test Driven: Lotus Elise (9/10)
This isn’t a car you are looking at, at least not by most modern definitions. Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus, had a famous philosophy for building a car, “Simplify and add lightness”. The idea was that in racing, having a lighter car made for a faster, better handling machine. In the context of a modern road car, things don’t get much lighter, or simpler than a Lotus Elise. Most car buyers these days want all kinds of fancy features that add weight and complexity to a car. They want big leather couches to relax in, they want to text and check Twitter while on the move, and then they all want the car’s safety systems to save them when their own inattention to driving causes a massive accident. The Elise has none of these things, and it appeals to a more competent, more serious sort of driver. So, here in 2013, if this Lotus Elise is not a bonafide “car”, what is it?
Drive: Koenigsegg, and the future of internal combustion
This is really, and I mean really, significant. I had heard the idea of replacing camshafts with individual electronic actuators for each valve in an engine a few years ago, but the folks at Koenigsegg have developed a tangible prototype. This video from Drive’s Inside Koenigsegg series shows the system close up. Christian Von Koenigsegg claims the finished system should see an increase of 30% for horsepower, torque, and fuel economy on a gasoline engine. So, look out in your driveway and do the math on your own car, and just think how badly you can’t wait for this technology to be in widespread production.
-Nick
Hopewell Cruise Night: Blown 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Dragster
This monster of a Camaro was at the cruise night in Hopewell, NJ last spring. It is a ’69 model car, but has obviously been heavily modified. Under the hood there is a supercharged 540ci V8…. thats 8.85L for those of you who use metric. I spoke with the owner’s father and he said it was putting down around 800rwhp, and with those enormous rear tires it will probably hook up fine at the drag strip. This is American Muscle at its finest. Enjoy.
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Jay Leno’s Garage: Datsun 510
Jay drives an immaculately built Datsun 510 owned by one of his co-workers on The Tonight Show. I love custom cars like this that seem to embody the personality of the person who built it. Enjoy.
-Nick
Lime Rock Historic Festival: Bugatti Type 57S and Type 57C
Two gorgeous pre-war Bugatti Type 57’s, one Type 57S and one Type 57C. It is very interesting to see both sides of Bugatti during this era. The Type 57S is very much a racing car, and the Type 57C is an elegant touring car. Back then there was a more obvious direct line between race cars and road cars than their is today. Enjoy the pics.
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Mind Over Motor 