Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

Test Driven: 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS (9/10)

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2013 Porsche Panamera GTS

The snarl of a V8 echoes as the trees around you turn into a grey blur. You enter an oncoming corner at a pace that would be questionable on an interstate highway, with a crackle erupting from the exhausts as you downshift. The car holds firmly through the bend, then it’s back back on the gas hard as you seem to explode onto the next straightaway. This is surely the experience of a dedicated sports car. Except this isn’t one. In fact, I am describing what its like to thrash Porsche’s 5 door sedan, the Panamera.

Specifically I am talking about the 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS, the highest naturally aspirated Panamera model they offer. Its performance is only second to the mighty Panamera Turbo models, but the GTS aims to offer a more pure driving experience.

Many people think the Panamera is a sign that Porsche is going soft, catering to the masses for sales numbers alone. While I do admit that is surely going on to some degree, most skeptics are basing their sentiments solely on the number of doors the car has. In reality it is the driving experience that makes a Porsche, and just because they are selling cars with a wider appeal now does not necessarily mean that what they are selling is compromised. That was my biggest question going into this drive, is the Panamera a genuine Porsche? If there were any model that could pull it off, I think this GTS would certainly be it.  Continue reading Test Driven: 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS (9/10) →

Car Shows

Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance: 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa

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1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa owned by James Glickenhaus
James Glickenhaus at the wheel of his Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa at the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance

This 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa, chassis number 002C, is believed to be the single oldest Ferrari automobile existence. It also happens to be owned by James Glickenhaus, who is well known for his one-off Ferrari P4/5 and his P4/5 Competizione privateer racing program. I had a chance to talk to Mr.  Glickenhaus briefly and he’s a very nice guy, happy to talk cars with any curious enthusiast who passes by.

With a car like this, he was definitely getting a lot of attention at the Concours this year. It certainly isn’t hard to see how this thing took “Best In Show”, being the oldest Ferrari left. This 159S is also in truly immaculate condition, and that’s a good thing because from what I’ve found, it was the only 159 ever produced. You need to remember that Ferrari only built racing cars in their early years, and the 159 turned out to be a stopgap model between the Ferrari 125 and the Ferrari 166. The racing life of this car was short-lived, but that may well be the reason for its survival.

Under the hood lies an enlarged version of Gioacchino Colombo’s V12, at 1.9L. It makes around 125hp, but keep in mind how featherlight the car is. Back in its day, this thing was quite rapid. I just love looking at old racing cars because they show how the design of the automobile has evolved over the years. Racing cars of this era are so simple and functional, and that often makes them beautiful in a very pure way. Just look at the details of this 159 and you will see that it as much a work of art as it is a mechanical tool for speed.

It was such a treat to see this car in person and be able to take these photos of it. Congratulations to Mr. Glickenhaus on the “Best In Show” win. Enjoy the gallery.

Continue reading Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance: 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa →

Cars We've Seen

Spotted! a vintage Volkswagen Beetle, Jerome, AZ

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Volkswagen Beetle

Jerome, Arizona is a small town that sits up on a mountain. It is a classic wild west sort of place, turned tourist destination. My family and I regularly visit when we are in the area, and I am always delighted at the number of old car that seem to be scattered around the town. This time around I came across this Volkswagen Beetle. It seemed to have just the right level of patina, and was parked in a spot that would make for some interesting pictures, so I took these shots. Enjoy. Continue reading Spotted! a vintage Volkswagen Beetle, Jerome, AZ →

Car Shows

2013 Amelia Island CDE: 1965 Lamborghini 3500 GT Zagato

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1965 Lamborghini 3500 GT Zagato

This is one of two Lamborghini 3500 GTs to be fitted with a Zagato body. The 3500 GT was the first automobile Ferruccio Lamborghini made after his storied dispute with Enzo Ferrari. Underneath, this 3500 GTZ has the same 320hp 4.0L V12 as the standard car, but that gorgeous body it wears is nearly one of a kind. This white car, chassis 0310, is the only one of the two that is currently accounted for. The other car, a red one, has all sorts of rumors swirling around its whereabouts, and state of condition. I’ve heard some people say it is just fine, safely locked away in a private collection. But I’ve also heard the story of someone who claims they saw it sitting in sorry shape in a barn in Arizona, and that he even saw bullet holes in it. The thought of the latter just kills me, so I will hope for the former. Either way, though, the owner of the white GTZ has done well to keep his car in immaculate condition, and I was privileged enough to happen upon it at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. I had heard about this car, and of course had seen pictures of it online, but seeing it in person was truly breathtaking. I have yet to see anything from Zagato that I don’t like, and this 3500 GTZ is among my favorites. The standard Lamborghini 3500 GT was a great looking car to begin with, but Zagato turned it into something even more elegant. Classic Italian curves galore. Enjoy the gallery.

Continue reading 2013 Amelia Island CDE: 1965 Lamborghini 3500 GT Zagato →

Car Shows

The 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance

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James Glickenhaus in his 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa
James Glickenhaus taking “Best in In Show” in his 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa…. believed to be the oldest Ferrari automobile in existence.

We were in attendance for the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance this past weekend in Connecticut. It was a fantastic event, and we saw, and drove, many awesome cars. Like most Concours events we go to, we have come back with months of material that we will be sharing with you over time, but this is a highlight reel to wet your appetite. Enjoy.

Continue reading The 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD (9/10)

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Acura TL SH-AWD

The whole idea of Acura in America is to market a higher end Honda product to people who have had a Civic or Accord in the past, but now have more cash to spend. Given Honda’s great reputation, Acura has enjoyed healthy sales over the years. The TL, which is based on the Accord, has been a strong contender in the middle of the Acura range since the late 1990s. However, up until recently, it was hard to consider the TL a real competitor in the true luxury car realm because it was only available in front wheel drive. Acura has wised up with the current generation TL, and has fitted their SH-AWD system to all but the base model. This means the TL is now going head to head with the rest of the luxury segment on their own, complete terms, and that raises the stakes a bit.

Continue reading Test Driven: 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD (9/10) →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Carbuying flowchart….. this sums it up

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Jalopnik car buying flowchart
Courtesy of Jalopnik. Click to enlarge

Jalopnik just posted this car buying flowchart. It’s pretty good.

-Nick

 

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

A Morgan 3 Wheeler and a Caterham Seven

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Drive’s Chris Harris drives a Morgan 3 Wheeler and a Caterham Seven with the goal of getting back to the roots of driving. Enjoy.

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Lamborghini’s 50th by Evo

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Evo Magazine celebrates Lamborghini’s 50th Anniversary.

-Nick

Car Shows

Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance: Jaguar XJR-15

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Jaguar XJR-15

The XJR-15 is one of the rarest Jaguars in existence, and I was fortunate to see it for the first time at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. Jaguar won the 1988 24hrs of LeMans with their XJ-9 Group C racing car, and decided to produce the XJR-15 as a limited production supercar to commemorate the victory. Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), a racing subsidiary of Jaguar, developed the road-legal XJR-15 directly from the XJR-9 racing car. Around 50 XJR-15s were sold from 1990-1992, before it was succeeded by the legendary XJ-220, at a price of $960,000. Power came from a 6.0L V12 making 450hp. That may not sound like a lot these days, but back then it was a ton because the XJR-15 weighed in at just 2300lbs.

It was intended to be a racing car for the road, like many of the supercars of its time, but that may have hindered the car’s appeal. While the XJR-15 obviously had awesome performance, it was a notorious handful to drive and not very comfortable for use on public roads. It was also succeeded by the mighty XJ-220, which broke the production car speed record and was much better tailored for road use. That said, the XJR-15 is a much rarer find these days, and for me occupies a sort of “unicorn” segment of low number hypercars built in the 80s and 90s. As I said before, this is the first and only XJR-15 I have seen in person, and it was quite a thrill when I came upon it in the Jaguar tent. Enjoy. Continue reading Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance: Jaguar XJR-15 →

Cars We've Driven, Cheap Fun Cars

Test Driven: 2013 Honda Civic Si Coupe (7/10)

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2013 Honda Civic Si Coupe

The Honda Civic has gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years, being the stereotype platform for “ricers”. In fact I actually just saw The Fast and The Furious, the film that single handedly started the ricer craze, shortly before writing this article. In popular culture Honda Civics are always modified in ridiculous ways, looking like something you’d find in a kid’s cereal box. However, those who really know about Honda’s history know that Honda has made some really fantastic cars over the years. There were of course the NSX and S2000, which were both rear wheel drive. But there have also been cars like the Integra Type R, which is one of the best handling cars of all time despite it being front wheel drive. The fact is that Honda really does have the proven knowhow to make a fantastic car. They have had a lot of racing experience over the years, and history has proven that when they make something good, it is usually really good. So with this in mind, I decided to try out the current Honda Civic Si to see how it fits in with Honda’s past lineage of affordable performance cars.

Continue reading Test Driven: 2013 Honda Civic Si Coupe (7/10) →