This stuff isn’t our own work, but we found it cool so we wanted to share it with you
Ever wonder what stability control actually does for you? Autocar shows us in the new Lamborghini Gallardo by attempting some real world evasive maneuvers. Given the number of people that seem to crash cars like these, I think its important for us all to know what exactly we are giving up when we turn the driving assists off….. especially when driving someone else’s car.
-Nick
Another great video from Drive: Chris Harris pits his supercharged Audi S4 against the mighty, V8 powered RS4. This illustrates the merits of forced induction well. For just a few hundred dollars, you can make your car quite a bit faster than stock. Sure that naturally aspirated responsiveness is great, but I’m happy to trade that for easy, and massive, performance gains.
-Nick
Jaguar has quite a storied history with regard to sporting automobiles. The E-Type is still remembered and revered as one of the most beautiful cars ever made (even Enzo Ferrari admitted to this at one point). But, this story isn’t about the E-Type, or the XJ6, or the modern Jags that people lust after. This is about what I see as a potential diamond in the rough–the last generation of the venerable Jaguar XJS, a car that I think is a bit overlooked. Continue reading Secondhand Saint: 1992-1996 Jaguar XJS
On this episode of Drive, Chris Harris shows all of us not only his spectacular driving skills behind the wheel of AMG’s newest monster, the SLS Black Series, but also the lengths that Mercedes-Benz went to lighten up the big supercar to make it more athletic and more fun on the track. Take ten minutes off and watch this video–it’s ten minutes well worth your time.
-Albert S. Davis
Today was the first day of Spring, and the weather, while still a bit chilly by most standards, was nice enough to take my MX5 Miata out for some roofless fun. I met up with my friend Dan, whose photos have been featured on this site many times, and we went for a nice long drive, two Miatas tearing hard through the woods. This was one of those days where you just forget everything else in your life, and enjoy cruising along. For me, such cruising is like a form of meditation, very in the moment, and focused on enjoying the little things in life. An MX5 allows you to enjoy the world even more, because with the top down you are truly outside, connected with your surroundings. Toward the end of the drive I had a huge grin on my face, and I got to thinking about exactly what it is that makes this car so great, for so many people. Continue reading Mazda MX5 Miata, the enthusiast’s Ace in the hole
This Pagani Zonda F has been custom painted with most people’s favorite caped crusader, Batman. Nothing more really needs to be said.
-Nick
This is really, and I mean really, significant. I had heard the idea of replacing camshafts with individual electronic actuators for each valve in an engine a few years ago, but the folks at Koenigsegg have developed a tangible prototype. This video from Drive’s Inside Koenigsegg series shows the system close up. Christian Von Koenigsegg claims the finished system should see an increase of 30% for horsepower, torque, and fuel economy on a gasoline engine. So, look out in your driveway and do the math on your own car, and just think how badly you can’t wait for this technology to be in widespread production.
-Nick
Jay drives an immaculately built Datsun 510 owned by one of his co-workers on The Tonight Show. I love custom cars like this that seem to embody the personality of the person who built it. Enjoy.
-Nick
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.
The Mercedes R-Class is not the last word in anything. It’s probably a good example of a blue-chip company laying an egg at the worst possible time. Mercedes-Benz is a full-line automaker in most of Europe but in America, it’s better known for luxury cars. Of course, the top brass at M-B didn’t quite know what to expect when the R-Class came out. Made in Alabama and Mexico, it wasn’t a normal Mercedes. But, once AMG saw it, they couldn’t resist doing what they do best: shoehorn a ridiculous engine into it, put it on wide tires and lowered suspension, and sell it like sliced bread. Only this time, sliced bread sold like New Coke. Continue reading Secondhand Saint: Mercedes R63 AMG
Someone who shot this video must be quite the music and car buff. For today, we have a Ferrari Enzo drifting around a bunch of dirt trails, set to the background music of Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, “Ode To Joy”. This is most definitely an ode to joy–it’s a drifting Enzo. I bet a lot of people are cringing at the sight of someone thrashing an Enzo, but this still some spectacular driving and camera work–even if one cameraman drops his camera at the very end. If you’ve got two minutes or three, watch this video–it’s a few minutes well-spent.
-Albert S. Davis
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
Mind Over Motor 