The Ferrari 456 is a member of a long line of Ferrari grand touring cars. It had a sleek, pure shape to it and was one of the last production cars to feature pop-up headlights. A good many of the standard 456s were produced during it’s eleven year run, and today they are even among the more affordable used Ferraris out there. There were, however, a few other variants of the 456 produced for customers (mainly the Brunei royal family) upon special request. These custom built examples are quite rare and are among the most unique cars around. Continue reading Obscure Autos: Ferrari 456 Venice variants→
First time a race car, first time in a 911, and definitely won’t be the last time.
Race cars have been a bit foreign to me. Over the years, I’ve paid attention to one thing or another, but my attention seemed to drift toward road cars. But then, just a couple of weeks ago, a few events set in motion, and I’m thinking quite a lot differently. Thanks to a few emails and some luck, I took a ride in my first race car, a Porsche 996 ex-Grand Am car, owned by Tom Hassett. Continue reading A Ride Like Nothing Else.→
Back in the Fifties, most of the European automakers were attempting to get back on their feet after World War II pushed most of the continent to nearly the Stone Age. BMW, for example, had few cars in their lineup that really got people into showrooms during the late Fifties, so they designed a halo car. The 507 may not have been the success it was supposed to be, but it was so influential that its design is still being seen today. Continue reading Obscure Autos: BMW 507→
The Buick Regal GS will be coming out soon, and I have to say it is terrible. You see, the Regal is based on the same chassis as the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia in Europe. The problem is that in Europe GM went all out with the VXR version of the Insignia, where as it has been half assed for us here in the states. Continue reading Why does GM think Americans don’t want the best?→
The CTS-V wagon, or the ultimate way of getting the kids to school.
Wagons have a pretty colored history here in America. For ages and ages, they were the ride of choice for the American mom, with long wheelbases, huge interior room, smooth styling, and excellent visibility. However, starting before the beginning of the SUV craze, wagons somehow became uncool among America’s mainstream car buyers. Continue reading Explaining the Death and Rebirth of the Wagon→
Yesterday Jaguar released the first images and details on its new coupe which was rumored for some time. Long believed to be an E-Type revival of sorts, the car they actually released does not disappoint, and it has a few other tricks up its sleeve. Continue reading About Jaguar’s C-X16 concept→
In the 1960s, automakers were experimenting with all sorts of things. Some wanted to use space-age materials for interior design, while others became obsessed with the racetrack. Some tried hard to coax more power out of their engines, and others experimented with all-new theories–some worked (such as the independent rear suspension on the Corvette), and others did not (the “For Desert Only” switch on Ramblers). Chrysler, meanwhile, worked tirelessly to blow everybody out of the water with their newest idea–a turbine-powered car. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Chrysler Turbine→
This year, a pretty significant number of cars are hitting their last year of production, or are officially dead. A good number of these models should have been dumped eons ago, and others don’t deserve to die. Here’s a few of my thoughts on some of the cars that are either dead or dying. To make life easier, I’ll group them by brand or by configuration. I’m not sad to see most of them go, but I am sad to see one or two in particular go away. Continue reading 2011: The Thinning of the Herd, and why I’m so happy some cars are going away.→
With the Mazda RX8 being phased out this year for reasons concerning a “lack of demand”, one must wonder what has gone wrong. The RX8 is a car that had some pretty decent sales numbers early on. Its sports car dynamics with a practical twist gave it much appeal for many people. Yet, today, in 2011, the demand has fizzled out, and I expect the reason is similar to two past offerings from Honda that shared a similar fate. Continue reading Stagnant products, not lack of demand→
This car is linked heavily with the Bugatti EB-110 covered previously. B. Engineering, an Italian firm made up of many ex-Bugatti engineers, designed a chassis based on the design of the EB-110 in order to make an extremely exclusive supercar that would commemorate the turn of the 21st century. They called their car the Edonis, and while it did share its chassis design with the EB-110, major changes occurred everywhere else. Continue reading Obscure Auto: B. Engineering Edonis→
It's just sort of bland compared to the rest of the lineup. A flagship should not be like this.
Acura’s done well for itself over the years, even without a real flagship. The TL has become a desirable luxury/sport sedan. the TSX, despite its humble origins as the Euro-spec Honda Accord, has become a very, very interesting choice for a premium compact that won’t break the bank. Meanwhile, the MDX and RDX are popular in their segments because of their intelligent AWD, responsive engines (especially the RDX’s turbocharged plant), and smart packaging. But what do we all make of their “flagship” RL? I’m not so sure it’s really as good a car as the rest of the line. Continue reading Acura RL: Is there a point to buying one? No, there is not.→
With a fairly large hurricane barrelling towards the Northeast, it’s pretty clear that many will be evacuating the coasts, and others might also try to get to a shelter as well. While this is all a good idea, getting there is going to be tough, and if you’re one of the unfortunate number of people to get caught in either the storm itself, or in any storm in general, you might end up dealing with one of the most dangerous wet weather instances. I’m talking about hydroplaning–many have heard of it, but few know what to do or how to spot it.
Mind Over Motor 