Ford’s new Shelby Mustang GT500, 662hp for under 60 grand.
-Nick
Test Driven: 2004 Pontiac GTO
The three letters “G-T-O” are legendary in automotive culture. They stand for “Gran Turismo Omologato”, an Italian phrase which means “Grand Touring Homologation”. Ferrari is the most famous manufacturer to use this phrase, as the famous 250GTO entered history as one of the most famous and sought-after Ferraris ever built. The other manufacturer to use this acronym heavily was General Motors during the same time period. From 1964 to 1974, Pontiac built its GTO, at first just an option package on the midsize Tempest, then later on a fully-fledged model. The GTO kicked off the muscle-car era, an era that went down as one of the most famous in American automotive history, but died in 1974 as a flabby memory of its former self, downgraded to an option on the Ventura (Pontiac’s Chevy Nova clone). But, in 2004, GM decided to bring back the name, 30 years later. They took the Holden Monaro, slapped a new front and rear end on it, moved the steering wheel, and gave it a few Pontiac badges. I took this used 2004 model to the streets to see if it was any good.
Spotted! 1963 Chevrolet Impala Convertible, New Brunswick, NJ
While taking a walk around the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, NJ, I ran into this very tasty ’63 Impala drop-top sitting in a parking lot behind the College Avenue Gym. I’ve seen it around town a few times since I started here in 2008 and this is the first time I’ve ran into it in at least a year. More pictures after the jump. Continue reading Spotted! 1963 Chevrolet Impala Convertible, New Brunswick, NJ
Test Driven: 2000 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
The cops have had an interesting automotive history in this country. Chrysler had a great grip on the market until the Eighties, then Chevy, and now Ford. But, the Crown Victoria, Ford’s greatest offering to the altar of the fraternal order of police, died on September 15, 2011, after being in production for over three decades. It’s not the best looking ride in the stable, and it certainly isn’t the one that gets all the girls. But, it’s got room for six, eight cylinders, rear wheel drive, and a reputation for working around the clock and then some. I grabbed the keys to this decade-plus old detective’s chariot and asked myself a very good question: Can a modern-day Blues-Mobile be worth 3 grand? Continue reading Test Driven: 2000 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
Kim Dotcom’s CLK DTMs on the Nurburgring
Kim Dotcom and Kimi Raikkonen tear up the Nurburgring in CLK DTMs. A really well done video, and an epic song. On another note, sorry things have been a bit slow lately we have all had exams for school. Things may continue to be a bit off here in May, but only because I will be going to Germany for a few weeks getting more material to share here on the site. So be on the lookout in the coming weeks.
-Nick
GM: Greatness is just a few good decisions away
Ever since Pontiac was killed off as a result of the financial crisis, GM has not had a proper American sedan to compete with the successful Dodge Charger. The Pontiac G8 had been in this segment, but it came out right as many people became wary of buying GM products, due to their economic uncertainty at the time. A replacement for it has not yet been seen, although there has been talk of it coming back as the Chevrolet Caprice. I think this would be a great seller now, if GM’s lineup were structured properly, because they have basically recovered at this point and have been doing great things. Continue reading GM: Greatness is just a few good decisions away
Pagani Zonda: The last surviving member of a glorious age
There have been two videos in the past few days about Pagani. One was JF Musial’s visit to the Pagani Factory for his segment on the Drive network, and the other was EVO Magazine’s video of the Zonda 760RS. The Drive video was more like a documentary and featured an interview with Horacio Pagani himself, offering a lot of valuable insight into Pagani Automobili, their values, and their history. Evo’s video was more targeted toward the Zonda 760RS specifically. It was one of the typical, somewhat quirky, Harry Metcalfe videos that fans have come to know and love. But Harry did a fantastic job of showing us what the 760RS is all about, and he made sure we could hear the car’s glorious soundtrack. The mix of these videos started me thinking about the Zonda specifically, and its significance in the world of cars. Continue reading Pagani Zonda: The last surviving member of a glorious age
Spotted! Subaru Wagon, Jerusalem, Israel
While on a two-week trip to Israel, I spotted this breathtaking Subaru station wagon on the very first day of the trip in Jerusalem’s impromptu art district not far away from the main market. Normally such a car would not attract my attention (in fact, these wagons are everywhere in Jerusalem) but after a few seconds looking at this one, I bet anyone will agree that this is one special Subaru art car. It seems to be a case of “make a garden out of the car”. My compliments to the owner, who is on the left in the photo after the jump. Continue reading Spotted! Subaru Wagon, Jerusalem, Israel
Pagani Zonda 760RS, by EVO
EVO Magazine’s Harry Metcalfe gets behind the wheel of the newest, most insane Zonda, the 760RS. I consider myself a pretty moral person, but I would commit unspeakable atrocities if I could own this car. Paganis are my favorite, and this may be the most insane one. I know this is Pagani video number 2 for today, but this needs to be seen.
-Nick
This is why Pagani is on a totally different level
Going to the Pagani factory changed my life. There is something uniquely special about the way they do things and the cars they make that just captivated me. This video from Drive shows many of these qualities very well. I know the video is nearly a half hour, but if you have the time you should give it a watch. Definitely listen to everything Horacio Pagani says too because he is a passionate and genius. Amazing video!
-Nick
Test Driven: 2012 BMW 135i
BMW has made its fortune on being a performance brand, and the 135i is the cheapest way to get the N55B30 engine in BMW’s lineup. The 1-Series has been around since 2008 in America, and has been reasonably successful in the USA. Since I felt like seeing what the turbocharged inline six felt like in BMW’s lightest 4-place car, the 1-Series was a natural fit. I was not disappointed. Continue reading Test Driven: 2012 BMW 135i
This really sums up the Dodge Challenger
The Challenger is big heavy and comparatively underpowered compared to many of its rivals, but for some reason I find myself still loving it. This video from Motor Trend does a good job of summing up why the car is still so cool despite lagging behind somewhat on performance.
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 