Category Archives: Automotive Lifestyle

What does a car-enthused lifestyle look like?

A Farewell Ride in My Dad’s Porsche 996

Porsche 996 Carrera Arena Red 1

My parents are moving down to their place at the shore full time soon, and of course they’re taking their cars with them. They’re only going to be 2 hours away, but driving-wise the shore doesn’t hold a candle to the back roads of Bucks County, PA. The topography at the shore is all flat, the back roads barely curve at all, and the main roads are so crowded, and so heavily patrolled by cops, that there’s nowhere to really let the car run free. I may get to drive the 996 a few times when I visit, but it will never be like it was up here, with old our colonial roads that snake their way endlessly through the forest.

I had to take the Porsche for one more solid drive up here to say my goodbye, of sorts. So one night, after work, I spent 2 blissful hours in it out driving a greatest hits tour of my favorite roads.

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Is the Range Rover Evoque Convertible cool?

Johnny and Carlos from Motor Trend take us for a spin in this topless off-roader to debate if it might just be cool.

I saw an orange one go by a few weeks ago, and I’ll be honest, I was digging it.

-Nick

The Smoking Tire gives us a first look at the new Lexus LC

The Lexus LC seems like quite an elegant machine, but it also sounds the absolute business. Matt Farah takes us through it.

-Nick

 

Jay Leno takes the Pagani Huayra 730S for a spin

Used to be owned by Salomondrin, now owned by David Lee. Small world…

-Nick

Ford Focus RS Power Modifications and Tuning

2016-ford-focus-rs-41

The Ford Focus RS is the hottest $40,000 car around right now. A new addition to the rally car segment in the US, it takes on the STI, the Golf R, and the echoes of Evos past. All things stock, the Focus RS seems to have them all beat, outgunning them by around 40 or 50hp, but what happens when aftermarket mods and tuning come into play?

The simple fact is the Focus RS’s stock turbo is out of breath around 380-400 crank horsepower on pump gas. Ford doesn’t use way oversized turbos in their cars, and as a result its basic tuning potential may seem a little lacking compared to, say, the Golf R or the Evo.

Having said that, fear not, because peak horsepower numbers are only a small portion of the story, especially for a street-driven car. So let’s have a look…

Continue reading Ford Focus RS Power Modifications and Tuning

The Alfa Romeo Giulia QV vs Everyone

I’m in love with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and I desperately hope it’s able to roast the competition. Let’s see what Motor Trend has to say about it!

-Nick

Petrolicious: Something about humility and an Italian rally car

Original Grain: A Watch Worth Wearing

Original Grain Watch Talbot

It’s hard to get noticed for any sort of style at the high society car events I go to. Many people dress to the 9’s, with all of the latest, most expensive stuff that money can buy. But would you believe I’ve had my watch complimented by a man wearing a glitzy Rolex?

Original Grain makes timepieces with a very unique style. Like many of our favorite automobiles, these watches consist of a mix of fine wood and hard steel. For anyone who lives the automotive lifestyle, they just seem “right.”

Our promotional period with Original Grain ends at the end of this month, so there’s only a few weeks left to get yourself a great deal on you new favorite watch. Use the promo code “MINDOVERMOTOR” at checkout on the Original Grain website, and you’ll save $20 bucks.

-Nick

Original Grain Watch LaFerrari

This may be the most bougie thing I’ve ever seen

They’re asking a quarter of a billion dollars for this house in Bel Air that comes stacked with more fancy shit than you’d ever know what to do with. It even comes complete with a helicopter on the roof, and a collection of rare classic and exotic cars, including one of those special edition Bugatti Veyrons, a Pagani Huayra, and, I believe, a pre-war Mercedes 540K.

It’s a total orgy of materialism, and it looks incredible. That said, I feel like after the realtor handed over the keys and left, I’d just be standing there like, “Okay, now that I have everything I ever wanted, now what?”

-Nick

Prepare to want a Jaguar D-Type quite badly

The folks at Petrolicious never fail to arose the agony of desire in my soul. I would commit any number of crimes just to be able to drive a Jaguar D-Type for 15 minutes, but the owner of this car has driven it over 20,000 miles. I can only imagine what that has been like!

-Nick

Battle of Titans: Motor Trend pits the Bentley Continental GT against the Mercedes S65 AMG