I’ve always loved trippy things, so I decided to turn a few of my photos into some psychedelic car art. I used different approaches for each of them, so the distortion varies, but I’m pretty happy with how they all came out. Let me know what you think in the comments, and there may be more to come in the future. Enjoy.
Sir Stirling Moss was the guest of honor at this year’s Lime Rock Historic Festival, and we were fortunate enough to be in attendance for one of the evening events where he was a speaker. Sir Moss is famous for his sharp wit, and it’s clear he’s still got it despite being in his 80’s now. It was fascinating to hear a firsthand account of some of the great races of history from one of the most legendary drivers of all time. Put plainly, Sir Moss is a man among men, and any racing enthusiast will enjoy hearing what he has to say. The video is a little long, but it is totally worth the watch. I’m just sorry I didn’t have enough memory left in my camera to record the whole talk, however, I did catch most of the best moments. Enjoy.
-Nick Walker
Not sure if this is a genuine RSK Spyder, but I saw it in Switzerland, so it is very possible that it is legit. If it is real the car is quite, quite valuable. It was cool seeing this car on the street, and even among Zurich’s unusually high population of supercars, this classic Porsche stood out.
-Nick
Enjoying the snow here in the Northeastern US in my Subaru WRX STi. Went out drifting, and then did some celebratory donuts right in front of the house. Many performance cars have to stay in the garage during a blizzard, but rally cars are meant for this stuff. Snow drifting is surely one of my favorite things to do in this car. Hope everyone else is having fun today as well, wherever you are.
-Nick
The 335d was a bit of an oddball on the American market. It was the highest performing diesel version of the E90 3 Series, and BMW sought to see how Americans would receive a top range diesel car. Diesels are huge in Europe, but have a much smaller market share here in the States. Considering that, along with the fact that the 335d was a higher-end model 3 Series, it comes as no surprise that they were not BMW’s biggest seller. That means that today, here in 2013, 335ds are rather uncommon on the used market. It also means that we have to change the way we look at the car now that it is only available pre owned.
Those people who did buy 335ds will absolutely swear by them. To most uneducated Americans the notion of diesel power evokes thoughts of black smoke and the loud rattle of a dump truck. Anyone with actual experience in a modern diesel car will tell an entirely different story. They will tell you about the solid performance, and incredible fuel economy, about a car that both runs clean, and is great fun to drive. Diesels like the 335d are sort of a insider secret in America, those who know, know, and those who don’t know waste their money on (mostly) gutless hybrid cars.
I had driven a 335d once before, but only very briefly. I decided to go out and try another one for two reasons: First, to see how it fairs in the context of the used market. Second, to compare it to the new F30 3 Series that I reviewed recently. Lets face it, BMWs are very overpriced brand new, with all kinds of options that nickel-and-dime you to death. A smart car buyer knows that BMWs should be purchased secondhand, with low mileage and some remainder on the factory warranty. By doing this, you save yourself the vast depreciation that comes from spending so much on all of those fancy options, as well as the BMW brand mark up. I will go into the specifics of this for the 335d later on All you need to know for now is that 335ds are currently right in the sweet spot of the secondhand BMW market.
This pristine Ferrari 250 LM was in attendance for the 2012 Radnor Hunt Concours d’ Elegance. It is owned by the Simone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia, PA. The 250 LM came about when Ferrari finally decided to give up on front-engined GT racing cars. The 250P was the first mid-engined Ferrari that saw major success, and was a contemporary of the legendary 250 GTO in the early 1960s. Seeing the success of their rivals with mid-engined racing cars, Ferrari decided to end the 250 GT cars, and carry on competition with a development of the 250P. And with that, the 250 LM was born.
The 250 LM was very similar to the 250P, except it had a roof and was built from a higher gauge of steel. The LM used an enlarged version of the 250 GTO’s 3.0L V12. At 3.3L the LM’s V12 produced 320hp, and it only had to propel a car which weighed under 1900lbs, lighter than the GTO. The result was a car that was very fast, and despite being denied homologation as a GT class, it still saw success in the Prototype class. 250LMs won 10 out of the 35 races they competed in, and in 1965 the NART team won the Le Mans 24 Hours. This would be the final outright Le Mans victory for Ferrari to this day, ending an era of Ferrari dominance in the late 50’s, early 60’s.
A total of 32 250 LMs were produced, making it on par in rarity with the GTO, and certainly worth a solid fortune in its own right. Seeing a car like this up close, with no barriers to keep people away is a rare treat indeed. I stuck around after most people had left the show, and had the privilege of some quality, un cluttered photo time with this epic car. Enjoy the gallery below.
Nissan’s R32 Skyline dominated touring car races in the late 80s and early 90s. This Calsonic Nismo R32 Skyline GT-R featured here was the most successful of them all, and helped create the GTR’s “Godzilla” image it has today. Enjoy.
-Nick
Ok, the obvious answer for the best snow setup is to have an all wheel drive car that is equipped with snow tires. That’s what I personally have, and it is flawless in winter driving. This is still quite relevant though, if you can only have either snow tires or all wheel drive, then which is better?
Spoiler alert: the snow tires win. Truth be told, all wheel drive is far superior in snow for getting moving and for controlling your car in a skid. However, when it comes to braking and avoiding a skid by having grip snow tires are what you need. Too many people think all wheel drive does far more than it actually does in bad weather. It only helps you get traction when using the accelerator, other than that your car is just like any other car.
So the moral of the story is this: No matter what type of car you drive, if you drive it in snow, get some snow tires for the winter months. Safety first.
-Nick Walker
One of the biggest fears of any car enthusiast is being paralyzed, and not being able to drive. This video, from Jalopnik on Drive, is about Michael Johnson, a guy who was paralyzed in an accident, but has still managed to become a professional race car driver. Michael has a very real chance of making his way to the IndyCar series, all without the use of his legs. No joke, this may be the most inspiring thing I have seen in quite some time. Hopefully we will see Michael spraying champagne at the Indy 500 in the coming years! Enjoy.
-Nick
Many of you probably know about how Chris Harris exposed Ferrari’s rigging of press cars during magazine tests. Ferrari immediately blacklisted him after his article aired on Jalopnik (We did a reaction piece to it as well), which meant he would never be allowed to drive Ferrari press cars again, or purchase a brand new Ferrari for that matter too. Chris has had other ways of still getting Ferraris to road test, but this time he has actually landed himself one of Ferrari’s own press cars via some under-the-table means. The hilariousness of this video for me lies in how he proceeds to absolutely ring the car’s neck, beating the crap out of it on a racetrack like it is a Nissan drift car, or something. It would’ve been hilarious to see the angry looks of the Ferrari executives, in their well tailored suits, upon seeing this video.
I personally love Ferrari for who they are, arrogance included, but it is common sense that when you act the way Ferrari does towards people, they will take any chance they get to make a fool out of you. Needless to say, I will be laughing about this for the rest of the day. Another big win by the Drive Network and Chris Harris. Enjoy
-Nick
200mph with the roof down, in one of the fastest cars on the planet, the Hennessy Venom GT.
-Nick
Evo’s Harry Metcalfe shows us what it is like to live with a Ferrari FF in realistic circumstances. Sure Ferraris are great for race tracks, and romantic cruises to St. Tropez, but what about for doing your holiday shopping, driving your granny around, taking a ski trip with some friends, or, yes, even doing the rounds on a farm? Could a big V12 Ferrari be any good at those things?
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 