Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2013 Lincoln MKZ 2.0 Ecoboost AWD (9.5/10)

8 Comments

2013 Lincoln MKZ 2.0 Ecoboost AWD

The Lincoln Motor Company has been in rather sorry shape as of late. The 2008 economy crash hit them hard, but even before then their products were struggling to compete in the luxury market. I myself have criticized them, even going as far as to say that Ford should kill them off, completely restructure their lineup, and then bring them back as a new, reborn Lincoln. When I think Lincoln, I still think of the 1960s Continental, and we are quite far from the days now.

In recent decades, Lincolns have just been rebadged Fords with leather seats. During the majority of this period, Ford’s products were, quite frankly, pretty bad. The foundation for Lincoln’s products was a major weak point, and slow sales have reflected it. However, there is a bit of bright light now, with Ford’s new “One Ford” policy. America will finally get the great european Ford models that we have been so deprived of over the years.

In 2012 the new Ford Fusion came out, and this time it was simply an American version of the highly acclaimed Ford Mondeo from Europe. It is this well-proven platform on which this new 2013 Lincoln MKZ is based. It seems we now have a Lincoln model with some solid foundations, so the question now is, does it compete?

Continue reading Test Driven: 2013 Lincoln MKZ 2.0 Ecoboost AWD (9.5/10) →

Car Shows

We’re headed back to Pebble Beach!

1 Comment

Ferrari 250 GTOs Bugatti Veyrons
That’s right. We are headed back to what is arguably the greatest automotive event on earth, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

There is something uniquely wonderful about Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula. From the moment you get there you are literally engulfed by incredible things. Every event has so much to offer that when you get there it’s hard to decide where to even begin. I always feel the same sense of excited confusion that a dog feels when his master throws not one, but two!, tennis balls into the yard.

The fun doesn’t end after the events either. There are droves of incredible cars just roaming the streets all over the place. In 2011 we were greeted by a pack of 12 Bugatti Veyrons, and a few seven-figure vintage Ferraris. We always wind up standing in the middle of the street (on the median) in Carmel, trying to get every spotted shot we can. It is both frantic and fun.

By the time the actual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance happens on Sunday, we are overcome with exhaustion, our feet are pounding with pain, and only adrenaline seems to keep us going. This event is an unbelievable amount of fun if you’re a gear head. It is a place where we get to see, and maybe even get to drive, some of our dream cars. By the time it is over, and we get on the plane to go home, it is like waking up from the most wonderful dream….. one that actually finished, and doesn’t wake you up right as Jessica Alba is undoing her bra.

Needless to say we are unbelievably excited. Mid-August can’t get here soon enough!

-The MoM crew

Car Shows, Cars We've Seen

Woodward Dream Cruise: 1968 Plymouth GTX

Leave a comment

1968 Plymouth GTX at the Woodward Dream Cruise

Mopars are definitely my favorite cars from the muscle car era, and the Woodward Dream Cruise is always full of them. This awesome 1968 Plymouth GTX caught my eye in a special way, though, because of its rare teal color. I love when cars are painted in uncommon tones because it makes them stand out, especially in a traffic jam like this, with literally thousands of cars in it. Enjoy.

Continue reading Woodward Dream Cruise: 1968 Plymouth GTX →

Car Shows

2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance: 1929 duPont Model G Merrimac Speedster

5 Comments

1929 du Pont G

The duPont family had amassed a vast fortune by the turn of the 20th century, and members of the family were beginning to try their hands at other ventures. For E. Paul duPont the venture was into the realm of luxury automobiles. His aim was to make the most luxurious car in the world, a hefty task with competition from the likes of Duesenberg, Stutz, and Cadillac at the time.

The duPont Model G was brought out as a response to the mighty Duesenberg J, which completely reset the standards of the day. The Model G featured a new Continental 5.3L inline eight cylinder engine that made anywhere from 114hp to 140hp. The Speedster you see here was constructed by the coach-builder Merrimac. Around 200 duPont Model Gs were built in total, making it the most popular duPont model built before the company stopped production in 1931.

I haven’t seen too many of these around, and this Model G really caught my eye at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. I’ve always been a sucker for black and red color schemes, and with its white-wall tires, this car was just gorgeous. Enjoy the photos.

Continue reading 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance: 1929 duPont Model G Merrimac Speedster →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Shmee150 goes for an insane ride in a Pagani Zonda 760

Leave a comment

Shmee150 (Tim) goes for a ride in Pagani’s development mule Zonda, which is currently in 760 RS spec. The man doing the insane driving is Pagani’s test driver Davide Testi. Italy is a wonderful place, and if you are in a supercar, the world is your racetrack. Enjoy the sights and sounds of this epic video.

-Nick

Cars We've Driven, Dynamic Duels, Exotic Supercars

First Impression: Jaguar F-Type V6S and V8S

5 Comments

Jaguar F-Type V8S

I recently had the opportunity to do a quick drive in Jaguar’s new F-Type. Jaguar held a driving event in Philadelphia where they set up an autocross course in the parking lot of the Phillies’ stadium. Though it was only a quick, but intense, experience, I did get to sample both the V6S and V8S models from the F-Type range.

Timing was down to the wire, as there was a massive thunderstorm bearing down on us, and by the time I did my runs, it had already begun to rain. This article will serve as a quick first impression take on the new F-Types, and hopefully I will get a chance to drive them for longer in the coming months.

Continue reading First Impression: Jaguar F-Type V6S and V8S →

Cars We've Seen

Spotted! Pagani Huayra, Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA

4 Comments

Pagani Huayra

I’m currently on vacation visiting my brother Matt, who lives in Pasadena and submitted this Cadillac Series 62 for a Spotted article back in January. Nick sent me a tip for this particular car in Beverly Hills, so my other brother and I got out to the swankiest area in LA County. Our efforts were rewarded as Seth and I stepped out to the drop-off zone of the hotel inside the building.

Continue reading Spotted! Pagani Huayra, Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA →

Car Shows

CF Charities Supercar Show: Lamborghini LM002

3 Comments

Lamborghini LM002 SUV

The LM002 is what happened when Lamborghini decided they wanted to go off-roading. Built from 1986 to 1993, the LM002 featured the same 5.2L V12 as the Lamborghini Countach supercar, only it was mounted up front for better off road handling characteristics.

Inside you will find a luxuriously appointed interior, a sign of who actually purchased a vehicle like this. Despite looking like a Humvee, the LM002 was not some rugged military vehicle (although there were originally hopes of selling a military version). It was instead an offroad exotic, with a similar relative appeal to Lamborghini’s supercars of the time. Many crazy people, like Uday Hussein, bought them, helping to cement the LM002’s image as the “Rambo Lambo.” (Uday’s LM002 was blown up by the US Army in a bomb test)

Only around 300 LM002s were produced during its 9 year production run, making it extremely rare. It was an interesting exercise for sure, but not one that yielded much commercial success. The LM002 is unbelievably cool when you see it in person. This one, at the recent CF Charities Supercar Show, was only the second or third LM002 I’ve seen up close, so it was a special sight. Enjoy the pics.

Continue reading CF Charities Supercar Show: Lamborghini LM002 →

Car Shows

The Elegance At Hershey: 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider

1 Comment

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider

This 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider won “Best In Show” at The Elegance at Hershey 2013. The awards were handed out very hastily as there was a rain storm moving in, but this Alfa deserved to win. This is an unrestored car, just maintained over the years, and it was a magnificent sight in person. It is one of just 22 8C-2900Bs ever produced, and of those it is one of only five short wheelbase versions. Under the hood it shares the same supercharged 2.9L inline-eight cylinder engine with other 8C variants of the time, producing 180hp in 2900B specification. It featured a super lightweight body from Touring in Milan, Italy that gave it a solid power-to-weight ratio. Alfa 8Cs dominated racing during their day, and it isn’t hard to see why.

Today this car resides in the Bahre Collection, and has won awards at other events, including Pebble Beach in 2002. Pre-war Alfas are always a treat to see, and this 8C-2900B was no exception. Enjoy the photos.

Continue reading The Elegance At Hershey: 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider →

Cars We've Driven, Cheap Fun Cars, Luxury Cars, Road Review, Used Car Gems

Road Review: 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera (9.5/10)

8 Comments
1999 Porsche 911 Carrera 996
Photo by Dan Valanzola

The essence of the Porsche 911 hasn’t changed all that much over the years, and when something does change it usually stirs up controversy. The car you see here is my Dad’s 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera (996 generation), and it marks one of the most drastic inflection points in the 911’s history: the switch from air-cooling to water-cooling. Here in 2013, early 996s haven’t had the most love from collectors, and their value has fallen far more than most 911s. That said this is still a Porsche, and Porsche doesn’t make bad cars. I have driven many Porsches, ranging from a Cayenne V6 to the mighty 997 Turbo S. All of them have been extremely entertaining within their own context, and my dad’s car is far from an exception.

Continue reading Road Review: 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera (9.5/10) →

Car Shows

CF Charities Supercar Show: SSC Ultimate Aero #15

1 Comment

SSC Ultimate Aero number 15

This is the car that stole the “Fastest Production Car” title from the original Bugatti Veyron. While the Germans have since reclaimed that title with the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, SSC hopes their car will one day even oust that car too. The Ultimate Aero you see here is the car to do it, redesigned for better aerodynamics, and now with 1,287hp on tap from its twin turbocharged 6.3L V8. While the official SSC record stands at 256mph, this updated version is said to be capable of 270mph (hence the license plate). We’ll see if they are able to pull off that speed when they get around to actually testing it, but the fact that it’s even possible is mind blowing.

As for SSC themselves, their name stands for “Shelby Super Cars”, and no, they do not have any relation to Carroll Shelby….. and that is always the first question you have to answer whenever telling someone about this car. The car you see here is car number 15. With SSC being such a small car maker, I assume that means 15 total production and not just the 15th of the updated Ultimate Aero models. Either way, this is an extremely rare car, and surely the only one around in my area. The owner of this car put on a supercar event to benefit his charity, and his Ultimate Aero stood proud as the centerpiece for the event. It was also the first SSC I have ever laid eyes on in person, so it was a pretty special occasion for me personally. Stunning car, and a great color for it. Enjoy the photos.

Continue reading CF Charities Supercar Show: SSC Ultimate Aero #15 →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Evo Magazine: Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II

1 Comment

Evo Magazine’s Harry Metcalfe shows takes us around his new Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II. This car has some truly fascinating design elements, and as Harry says, “It became a legend in its own time.” Enjoy.

-Nick