Category Archives: Automotive Lifestyle

What does a car-enthused lifestyle look like?

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1955 Porsche 356 Speedster at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours

1 Comment

1955 Porsche 356 Speedster Front 1

The Porsche 356 might be one of the most well-regarded early German sports cars ever. Since I was a little kid, I’ve wanted to have one in my driveway, simply because of their honest styling and fantastic sense of adventure. This little white Speedster is the last of the pre-A series cars, making it an early model combined with the most desirable body style. The Speedsters are extremely valuable–and this one, being an early one, is a prime example of how Porsche got popular in the States. Max Hoffman hit the market perfectly and the Speedster, which was a cheaper convertible 356 aimed at competition markets, was a massive home run at the time. Continue reading 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours

Leave a comment

Cal Spyder SWB Front

In the Fifties, Ferrari began to become a household name. By the time the 250 launched, they were known on the track, and they were becoming better-known for producing exotic, alluring sports cars with an Italian flair and twelve free-breathing cylinders underneath the hood. The 250 series, of course, is a timeless classic at this point and now it’s an all-time great. Continue reading Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours →

Automotive Lifestyle

1991 Lamborghini Diablo at the Amelia Island Festivals of Speed

1 Comment

1991 Lamborghini Diablo Front Angle

For a brief moment in time, the Lamborghini Diablo was on top of its world.  With a top speed of 202 MPH, this was, for a short period of time, the fastest production car money could buy.  It was also the replacement for the radical, groundbreaking Countach, which had been in production since the cocaine-addled 1970s. This would also be the last Lambo built before the company was taken over by Volkswagen AG, so it’s a completely ridiculous, insane, fire breathing supercar with plenty of risk of breaking down at any time. Continue reading 1991 Lamborghini Diablo at the Amelia Island Festivals of Speed →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Motor Trend drives the swanky Lagonda Taraf by Aston Martin

Leave a comment

The Logonda Taraf is a million dollar cherry on top of the Aston Martin pie. It’s a Rapide underneath, but they’ve done a lot to make it more “special.”

I think it’s pretty sharp, definitely a head turner for the handful of owners to show off to their friends.

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle

Nick bought my Miata. So I bought a piece of American history. Say hello to the U.S.S. Lincoln.

1 Comment

U.S.S. Lincoln

I sold the Miata to Nick because I had started looking at American cars with a muscle flavor that were in my price range, since I was always into old-school power. This car wants to run for President, and it was made right here in the United States. Continue reading Nick bought my Miata. So I bought a piece of American history. Say hello to the U.S.S. Lincoln. →

Automotive Lifestyle

New beginnings, I bought Al’s Miata

6 Comments

Little Red Miata 3

Over the last few months, Al has been constantly talking about the idea of selling his Mazda Miata and buying some cool old American car. He’s been on craigslist like crazy, and has been continually messaging me and many of his other friends asking our thoughts on the possibilities.

I recently got a great new job, which brought with it a nice little pay increase, so naturally I’d been thinking of getting some new wheels. I’ve been missing my old Miata like crazy since I sold it a few years back. It’s like there’s been a hole in my soul that can only be filled by one thing. I needed to get myself another Miata!

So, a week or so ago, when Al sent me some links of cars he was looking at, I floated the idea. I said, “You keep talking about selling your Miata to get something else, and now I’m looking to buy a Miata. Let’s make something happen here.”

Al brought the car by on Saturday morning. I took it for a quick drive, looked it over, and I was sold. We went to the DMV and did all the paperwork.

I paid Al with cash money, but he wasn’t about to go to the bank. No, we were going to check out a car right away. I’ll let him tell the rest tomorrow.

I’m going to live with my new Miata for a few weeks before I do a proper article on it, but so far, so fun. It sure as hell isn’t perfect, but it isn’t trying to be, and that’s the whole point.

It is a delightful little machine!

-Nick Walker

Little Red Miata 2 Little Red Miata 4 Little Red Miata 1

Automotive Lifestyle

Not a bad way to spend an evening

1 Comment

Many times the best drives come completely unplanned. There are no cameras rolling, nothing even remotely contrived. Often times the reason for the drive is even purely functional.

Last night was one of those awesome spur of the moment car experiences for me and my buddy Shane. That’s why the pics are crap, and this article, written in immediate hindsight, may be a little wonky. But it was one of those great drives I know I’ll remember long into the future.

Continue reading Not a bad way to spend an evening →

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Road Review

My 1993 Mazda Miata: Saying Goodbye To “Sara”

3 Comments

Dear Grandma,

As you know, I took home a 1993 Mazda Miata on January 14, 2015. Everyone in the family loved the car, and I was a happy man, learning the tricks to the trade of owning an older car and learning how to some small work on a car instead of relying on the dealers and mechanics around the area. On April 16, 2016, that came to an end when I sold it to Nick, who you never met but knew as someone who was a mirror image of your car-addicted grandson. But this is not the end of my letter. It is merely the beginning. Continue reading My 1993 Mazda Miata: Saying Goodbye To “Sara” →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE, Uncategorized

Motor Trend tests the new BMW M2

Leave a comment

Here’s Motor Trend’s test of the BMW M2, where they pit it against its bigger brother, the BMW M4.

Could the M2 possibly be better than the M4?

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Matt Farah drives the new Turbo Porsche 718 Boxster S

Leave a comment

Matt Farah shows us the new turbocharged Porsche 718 Boxster S in action. It seems very impressive, but it will also definitely be divisive.

To start with, it sounds like a Subaru. Whether that’s a good thing or not will be hotly debated. I, for one, kind of like it.

Regardless of your opinion on the new four-cylinder Boxster, there’s no denying that it has some serious performance. The base model 718 Boxster has 300hp now, and the S has 350hp. With tuning options soon to come, these things should be insane.

I like it.

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, SHOWCASE

Roadkill gets a tow truck and learns what happens when snow hits the Rockies.

Leave a comment

As all of you know, Roadkill is basically what happens when two guys who know old cars have money to burn and too much free time on their hands.  After a few months off, Roadkill is back and this time, Finnegan and Freiburger travel up to Colorado to pick up a custom-built Ford tow truck with a big block V8, converted 4WD, and plenty of floor holes.  They then learn what happens when snow packs up a radiator and disallows the engine from warming up. Welcome back, Roadkill. We missed you. I do hope to see this new tow truck appear in more episodes–it’s quite a cool piece of engineering.

-Albert S. Davis

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1990 Toyota Century at the 2016 Festivals of Speed, Amelia Island

Gallery 2 Comments

Toyota Century Front Doors Closed

At Amelia, there’s quite a lot going on and if you blink, you will miss a lot. The show over at one of the other large hotels, the Festivals of Speed, was in full swing on Saturday afternoon in the ultra-strong Florida sun, and I discovered a few cars at the show which I’m unlikely to ever see again. One of them was a 6×6 Mercedes-Benz, which I will cover at a later date. This car, however, is one that almost no one has ever heard of, unless they’ve lived in Japan and had some obscenely wealthy friends (or friends in the Yakuza). Meet the Toyota Century–or the Japanese equivalent of a Maybach, from the Eighties. Continue reading 1990 Toyota Century at the 2016 Festivals of Speed, Amelia Island →