In place of the old 6.2L V8 monster, the new-gen Mercedes C63 AMG has the same twin turbocharged 4.0L as the AMG GT-S sports car. Chris Harris has taken it out to see how it goes. Enjoy!
-Nick
Category Archives: Random Cool Stuff
This stuff isn’t our own work, but we found it cool so we wanted to share it with you
Autocar Takes Us Around The New McLaren P1 GTR
Ferrari has the FXX K, and now McLaren has the P1 GTR. Yet another track car for the plutocrats of planet Earth.
Enjoy!
-Nick
Motor Trend Tests The Le Mans-Winning Audi R18 E-Tron
Race cars don’t come much more awesome than this. Motor Trend’s Randy Pobst gets behind the wheel of the 2014 Le Mans winner, the Audi R18 E-Tron.
Enjoy!
-Nick
Watch Jay Leno take a SharkWerks Porsche GT2 Out For A Spin
On this episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, Jay gets together with Magnus Walker and Alex Ross from SharkWerks and gets behind the wheel of their collaborative Porsche 997 GT2. It is CRAZY!
Enjoy!
-Nick
Petrolicious Looks At The Cadillac Ghia
This is one of the most beautiful Cadillacs ever made, and it’s one of just two produced. The styling was penned by Italian design firm, Ghia. I’ll let Petrolicious tell the rest of the story in the video. Enjoy this stunning automobile.
-Nick
1970 Hemi ‘Cuda at Hershey and the Quail
Just because we feature a car here on Mind Over Motor doesn’t mean its fifteen minutes of fame should end. A year and a half ago, a 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda with Chrysler badges was making its first-ever appearance at the Greenwich Concours, and took home the Chief Judge’s Award last year on its debut. Fast-forward a year, and the ‘Cuda was back in action, after spending a bit of time in France–the country where it made history.
This is not a normal Hemi ‘Cuda. Most of them are designed to look good and race along Main Street between Maple Avenue and Pine Street against a Chevelle SS-454 (and win). This one fought for space alongside Porsche 911 racers and BMW 3.0 CSLs all over France–one of just four E-body Chryslers to ever do so. Nowadays, it’s retired, but it spent time in France on some of its old tracks during the past year or so. I can only imagine the sound of that thundering big-block V8 ricocheting across the French countryside, both getting everyone’s attention and ticking off the locals, who probably would rather not see such a brash American messing around their French roads. I personally wish that it happen more often. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda at Hershey and the Quail
Gabriel Iglesias Visits Jay Leno’s Garage With His VW Samba
Funny and Fluffy man, Gabriel Iglesias, swings by Jay Leno’s Garage with his 1966 Volkswagen Samba Bus. If you have eyes and a heartbeat, then it’s very likely you love the style of those old 1960’s VWs. I know every time I see a vintage Bus like this one, I really wish that Volkswagen would still make cars with this sort of style.
Enjoy this hilarious episode!
-Nick
Autocar Tries Out The New Mazda MX5 Miata
Here is our first look at what the new 2015 Mazda MX5 Miata is like from behind the wheel. This is the 1.5L-equipped Miata, which will be a Japanese and European model only. Impressions on the US-spec 2.0L Miata are yet to come, but horsepower for the 2.0L SkyActive four cylinder has been announced at 155bhp. That’s not the 180-200hp that many of us were hoping for, but this is a Miata, so it doesn’t really matter that much.
In the video, he says the new car feels a lot like the original Miata, and I can think of no higher praise for this car than that.
Enjoy!
-Nick
Dodge Challenger Hellcat vs. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
An epic showdown between two of the top-tier muscle cars. The 580hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was some tough stuff a few years ago, but can it match up to Dodge’s new 707hp Challenger Hellcat?
Motor Trend’s Johnny Lieberman finds out…
Enjoy
Nick
What a feeling…Miata!
I’ve got announcement for you, dear reader. The mild-mannered, straitlaced side of the Mind Over Motor duo has let his hair down a little bit. A few months ago, after a few stiff drinks and a hangover to rival Dionysus, I made the executive decision to get an NA Miata. I bought one so I could get better at driving stick (I wasn’t bad when I bought it but this is the only way to improve consistently when you haven’t driven stick your whole life), as well as to have a second car to drive around when I want a go-kart for the road.
It’s in great shape–far better condition than the last Miata Nick had. It’s a 1993 model with a new stereo and a new clutch, and it needs a little work. It’s a great car so far. While the little 1.6L DOHC four isn’t a ball of fire, 2200 pounds make life easy for it off the line and it feels sprightly up to 75MPH. The brakes are effective and the clutch feels very strong–it’s more than up to the abuse of a driver who’s new to manual transmissions (I hope). No real leaks, and the only issue is that it’s lacking a limited-slip rear differential. It also needs tires–the all seasons occupying the little 14-inch wheels need to go.
Flip up headlights, bright red paint, and a chassis and transmission to die for? It’s going to be an interesting ride. Stay with us, as a full review is coming this summer when the weather warms up. Continue reading What a feeling…Miata!
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 at the River Edge Car Show
While finishing up my stint at the River Edge Car Show, an aqua Ford Mustang Mach 1 showed up. While I’ve seen plenty of 1969s in my time, this one looked almost too familiar, and it hit me pretty fast. When I was 17 years old, a friend of mine asked me to help judge a classic car show in Parsippany NJ and this car was the Best of Show winner. Seven or so years later, and it was back–and I was more than happy to not only see it again, but to be armed with a camera to photograph it again.
This particular car is a single-owner vehicle. When we’re talking about a 1969 Mustang, that’s pretty special in its own right. The owner, Douglas Hakes, bought this car on a low-interest loan thanks to his stint in the Navy and he never looked back. More than 130,000 miles later, it’s been restored and has been a fixture at Mustang events and at North Jersey car shows (it’s based apparently out of Morris County) for some time now.
This one’s not your typical Mach 1–it’s not a big-block ground pounder with bright orange or white paint and psychedelic strobe stripes running down the sides. This one is Gulfstream Aqua, and it’s equipped with the 351 Windsor V8, a four-speed manual, and the Sportsroof body type (fastback body). It’s absolutely stunning, and although it came too late to this show to be judged, I would love to see it back next year to compete in its class and win a trophy to add to its rather large collection. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 at the River Edge Car Show
Everyday Driver Tests The Lamborghini Countach
The guys at Everyday Driver recently got the chance to take a stunning Lamborghini Countach for a spin, making all of their wet dreams from the 1980s come wonderfully true. Enjoy that V12 sound, and those epic looks!
-Nick
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