In a related article, Nick talked about his experience at Main Street in Motion, an event created by General Motors, in order to show off their lineup and all the improvements they’ve made (or in some cases, not made) over the past years. It’s worthy to note that, after a quick talk with another patron, that GM used to do these events often, and this was the first time they’d done this in quite some time. Knowing that, I took some drives and a few observations. For example, they attempted to get lower-optioned versions of competitor vehicles at any chance they could, with some notable exceptions, which I will get to later. Also, like Nick said, the entire event was free of charge. Continue reading Main Street in Motion: What I think.→
I am kind of heated over this. Pagani has done so much work to make the Huayra US legal, and has even put airbags in it for goodness sake. However, because these airbags are not “passenger weight sensing” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has denied the car for road use in our country. Keep in mind this is a seven figure hypercar of which only a small handful are made per year. Pagani says between 6 and 12 Huayras would have been sold to American customers per year. This is not some huge production car that will affect many people at all, and exceptions have been granted for other such “special case” cars; one of which being the Tesla Roadster which has already sold more units than the amount of Paganis in existence. Clearly if they can make an exception for Tesla then is just plain hypocritical of them not to grant a much smaller company a pass as well.
Things aren't always what they seem--looks like a 164...goes like hell.
Most, if not all, car nuts know what the 164 was. When it was introduced, it became the last non-roadster that Alfa sold in the USA. However, it has a dirty secret hidden under its bodywork, one that turned this unassuming little Italian sedan into a fire-breathing monster. Only one was ever built, but it survives to this day–the Pro-Car. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Alfa Romeo 164 Pro-Car→
The original Volkswagen Bus was the icon of a generation dedicated to peace, free love, and rebellion against the establishment. The Bus served as a fitting mode of transport for such people with its unique design and usability, it served the counter culture lifestyle well. VW’s new concept, the Bulli has a similar appeal to it for modern times. Continue reading VW is a Bulli→
Back in 2001, Lexus got a lot more serious about competing with the likes of BMW and Audi, by increasing its model range. The new IS, on sale in Japan for a period of time as the Toyota Altezza, ended up in the United States as the Japanese answer to the BMW 3-Series. On the surface, it is structurally very similar to the German, with an inline-six at the front, rear-wheel-drive, and sporty personality. However, these cars are fast becoming something far greater than Lexus imagined a decade ago. Continue reading Secondhand Saint: Lexus IS300→
These days everyone knows about the Bugatti Veyron and it’s esteem as the fastest production car in the world. Fewer people know about the car that came before it, the Bugatti EB-110, that was among the fastest production cars of its time. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Bugatti EB-110→
Not too many non-sports cars look good in yellow. This does, though.
So, the Cayenne Hybrid has recently gone on sale. Some are already saying that it’s heresy, in that it’s not only the Cayenne (which is a Porsche SUV, and such a thing is apparently the Antichrist), but a hybrid as well. All is not lost, in my opinion, because Porsche lately has been doing many things right, and they’re stepping into the environmental field with the right foot first. Continue reading Porsche Cayenne Hybrid–Not just for environmentalists.→
The Genesis Coupe has been a great asset to Hyundia’s recent charge up market. In its current form the 2.0T offers a solid entry-level rear wheel drive platform, and the 3.8 offers some solid competition to the Nissan Z, Camaro V6, and Mustang V6. The Genesis has proven a worthy competitor in the lower range of the sports car market for sure, now I think it is time for Hyundai to turn up the heat even more with a few changes to the Genesis Coupe line. Continue reading Hyundai Genesis Coupe line adjustments→
The Z3 from Goldeneye. Very cool car, despite not being the quickest thing in the world at the time.
Back in 1994, James Bond’s Goldeneye introduced the entire world to a brand-new way to drive a roadster. The BMW Z3 had landed, and thanks to the movie placement, it was a hit right from the start. BMW’s replacement for the offbeat little Z1 roadster hit the market in 1996, and enjoyed various improvements throughout its seven-year lifespan. Continue reading Secondhand Saint: 1996-2002 BMW Z3, M→
For the entire existence of the automobile, the manual transmission has been the choice for maximum performance and efficiency. It was the enthusiast’s choice because it gave the driver much more control over a car than did an automatic. The manual transmission has served the same function for around a century, but now things are changing big time. Continue reading The Clutch Pedal’s Decline→
Too often, I see someone who’s purchased a flashy new whip with a navigation system installed in the dashboard, and they don’t know how to use it. So, here’s some instruction on how to properly operate a typical in-dash navigation unit. Continue reading Cars 101: GPS Navigation.→
This is basically a road version of the Porsche 962C that raced in Group C in the late 1980s. The Schuppan 962CR is its own chassis design based on that of the racing car, and uses many Porsche parts, but it does not bear the Porsche nameplate because it was a separate undertaking by one of their racing drivers, Vern Shuppan. In total only five or six of these magnificent supercars were built, making them some of the rarest cars on Earth. Schuppan went bankrupt due to the high cost of the cars as well as two customers failing to make payment. Such is the reality of all too many small supercar ventures. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Schuppan 962CR→
Mind Over Motor 