Motor Trend’s Johnny Lieberman takes the new Subaru WRX for a spin to see if it holds up to its lineage.
Enjoy.
-Nick
Category Archives: Automotive Lifestyle
What does a car-enthused lifestyle look like?
1941 Lincoln Continental by Durham at the Radnor Hunt Concours
Raymond Leowy is a name known very well by a lot of car enthusiasts. He penned, among others, the Studebaker Avanti, the bullet-nose Studebaker Commander and Champion of the postwar era, the 1946 Lincoln Continental, the Hillman Minx, and the Sunbeam Alpine roadster. He had an eye for style and flair, and also was the pencil behind plenty of contemporary designs of today, including even the US Postal Service logo still in use. However, in 1941, he bought a brand-new Lincoln Continental coupe and had it sent off to the coachbuilder Durham for modifications. By the time the craftsmen at Durham were finished with the Lincoln, it looked strikingly different. The grille and hood were reshaped, the front fenders were shortened, and the bumpers were customized up front. At the rear, a fin was added in the center, and an opera window and plexiglass roof were added to the top. It was, in the end, quite a unique Continental and I had a hard time ignoring it when it was sitting at the entrance of the show this year. Enjoy the pictures.
Continue reading 1941 Lincoln Continental by Durham at the Radnor Hunt Concours
XCAR takes a ride with Horacio Pagani in his personal Zonda
XCAR goes for a ride with Horacio Pagani in his own personal Zonda. Just watch this.
Autocar pits the C7 Corvette against its European rivals
The Corvette has always been an American hero, able to rival Porsches and whatnot in lap times and speed. However, by almost all counts, the Corvette was never on the same level in terms of its driving experience, when compared to the Europeans. The Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray is probably the best Vette yet in terms of driving dynamics, so Autocar decided to see how it stacked up directly to its fiercest rivals from across the pond.
Keep in mind, British journalists, especially, tend to be heavy critics of Corvettes. Maybe they feel threatened by such a great American icon, I mean, the Vette is basically “the George Washington of cars”, and that might bring up some of their cultural bad memories from the late 1700s. Either way, all pokes aside, the Brits seem to like the C7 Stingray quite a lot, and it seems it is finally able to take on the Europeans on their own turf.
Enjoy, and let us know what you think in the comments.
-Nick
1937 Cord 812 at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2013
It’s pretty clear that I hold anything with the Cord name in a good amount of regard. They were innovators in the 1930s and were tragically out of business by 1938. The 812 was one of the most advanced cars they’d ever made, right before the demise of the company. The 812 included a supercharged straight-8 by Lycoming hooked up to a semi-automatic transmission, as well as a fully independent front suspension with front-wheel-drive–a first for anything built in America. This was also the very first car from the States to utilize concealed headlights, which could be raised by a set of interior knobs. Many other features, including a set of variable speed wipers and a concealed fuel filler, were also either not seen previously on other cars, or had not been a common feature at the time. Unfortunately, Cord did not produce many and was not able to sell them well during the Depression, despite intense initial interest. This butter-yellow convertible looked striking against the rolling hills and leafy trees of Malvern, Pennsylvania. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1937 Cord 812 at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2013
1947 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible at the 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours
At Radnor this year, there was more than just one Chrysler Town and Country. While I was taken aback by the handsome red sedan we featured previously, it was hard to ignore the Dove Gray example parked right next to it. This one is also a 1947 model, but restored in 2005. The combination of the gray paint and red interior, along with a red top, looked incredible on the field under the tree. The wood trim had a shine that no other wood-paneled car at the Concours was capable of matching that day. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1947 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible at the 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours
1953 Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
Right at the entrance to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, last year, was an RM Auctions booth with this majestic 1953 Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione on display. It was a sort of tangible promotion for the auction they would be running in Lake Como, Italy later in the year, and what a way to draw attention! As a well-decorated classic racing car, this Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione just screamed top-dollar, and it wound up selling for around $13 million (9,856,000 Euros).
Many may wonder what makes this car $13 million worth of “special.” Just remember that cars have become like fine art at this point, and historical significance plays a huge role in these astronomical values. Most notably this car, chassis number 0320AM, helped to propel Ferrari to victory in the 1953 Manufacturer’s Championship. While it only took first place at the 12 Hours of Pescara, this 340/375MM managed to accrue many solid finishes that helped Ferrari earn valuable points. In particular, it placed 6th in the infamous Carrera Panamericana, and the car set a record over a stage of the race that has yet to be broken — averaging 138mph over 223 miles on public roads (yes there was pedestrian traffic during many races back then). Now just imagine trying that in even a fast modern car, let alone one with 1950s era technology, like this Ferrari.
Chris Harris Compares the Chevrolet C7 Corvette with the Porsche 911 Carrera S
Drive’s Chris Harris pits the new Chevrolet C7 Corvette against the Porsche 911 (991) Carrera S. The Corvette and the 911 have had quite a heated rivalry in the US over the years, but now you can almost buy two Corvettes for the Price of one 911 with all the options you’d want. So the question at this point is, are they even rivals anymore?
-Nick
Matt Farah compares the Lamborghini Countach and Aventador
In this video from the The Smoking Tire, Matt Farah does a brilliant comparison between the Lamborghini Countach and the current Lamborghini Aventador Roadster. It is interesting to see how a now timeless classic compares to the latest and greatest V12 Supercar.
Enjoy.
-Nick
1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
This 1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster was my own personal pick for “best in show” at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey California. It just had that “wow” factor that took my breath away when I first saw it that day, and I still think it was one of the most beautiful cars on the field.
You might be asking yourself, right about now, “what the hell is an Underslung?” Incidentally, that was the same question I found myself asking that day. You see, these concours events are always a learning experience for me, as a member of the “millennial” generation. This is a car that was built when not my grandmother, but my great grandmother was just ten years old. Any memories of an Underslung, or any American automobile for that matter, are three generations back from me. Let’s think about that for a second, and consider just how special this Underslung is that it is still drop people’s jaws a century after it was created.
Continue reading 1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I at the New Hope Car Show 2013
While Day 1 of the New Hope Classic Car Show was wrapping up, Nick and I were taking pictures of cars that were no longer surrounded by undesirable clutter. While he ran off to photograph a Ford Thunderbird, I saw this sleek black land yacht sitting out in the back of the lot, unnoticed. I certainly didn’t like how no one wanted to look at it, so I started taking pictures. This is a 1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I, the final year of the model, which was a sportier version of the Olds 88 at the time. They were made for just two years, and I haven’t seen one since this point. In this sleek black paintjob, this big Olds packs a 425ci big block Oldsmobile V8 punch and a four-speed manual transmission, all wrapped up in a well-optioned interior for the era. Only 6,552 were sold for the 1965 model year, making this a fairly rare example of what Olds was selling in the 1960s. The fenders looked nice and straight, and the lines made the car look a bit smaller than it actually was from my perspective. Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading 1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I at the New Hope Car Show 2013
Presenting, the Lamborghini 350GTV
The Lamborghini 350GT is known by many as the first car to be sold bearing the Lamborghini name back in the Sixties. However, it wasn’t the first car the company built. That honor goes to the sleek green shape seen here. This is the Lamborghini 350GTV, a prototype that eventually became the basis for the 350GT. This car is the origin and the first use of the vaunted Lamborghini V12 engine that would later go on to power most of the lineup until today. The bodywork also contributed to the 350GT. It was featured at Pebble Beach this year in honor of Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary. I can honestly say that it doesn’t look too similar to any other Lambo I’ve seen, save for maybe the 350GT. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Presenting, the Lamborghini 350GTV
Mind Over Motor 