I spent some time in this C7 Corvette Grand Sport yesterday. From my experiences so far, this is my ideal Corvette, right down to the Black over Red “Black Widow” spec. Manual transmission, of course.
Put simply, it’s like driving an F16 on public roads. The cabin feels much more like a cockpit than the average car’s interior, and it’s low and wide wedge shape looks nothing at all like a normal car. People know it’s a Vette, though, and it got me admiration from homeless guys and cops alike.
The GTO was the original Muscle Car and I got to take this beautiful ‘67 for a spin last week. This was my second time driving a 60s era muscle car, and first time in one that was an actual “muscle car” and not technically a “pony car.”
The GTO is a big comfortable cruiser with a big 400ci V8 that’s got some good pull and a ton of character. While definitely not fast by modern standards, the GTO did deliver the muscle car experience I was looking for, cruising around, looking good, with the soundtrack of a V8 rumbling or roaring. It really is an ideal boulevard cruiser, and that’s what the classic muscle cars were all about.
This GTO had the 3 speed auto, but in a big cruiser like this, I was more than fine with that. What I wasn’t fine with were the drum brakes, which really just don’t work in the modern world. Even at a safe following distance, if the soccer mom in front of you decides to slam on her brakes for a squirrel, you pretty little GTO will be toast. All drum brakes do is add a huge amount of un-needed anxiety to an otherwise quite pleasurable driving experience. I’d advise anyone looking to drive their GTO to convert to disc brakes ASAP, and save the originals for when you sell the car.
Save for the terror of the lack of brakes, I really enjoyed driving this GTO. It was a beautiful spec and it made me feel like a real bad muthafucka behind the wheel.
-Nick
Back in the Seventies, Ford boldy advertised a number of self-determined similarities between the Mercedes W124 E-Class sedan with their newly-launched Granada sedan. While it didn’t exactly draw buyers to the showrooms away from the three-pointed star to the Blue Oval, it certainly got people talking at the time and was unconventional for the time. 40 years later though, I think Mercedes may have won the war. Take a look and tell me–do you see a difference? I can see it, but after a few whiskey sours, maybe I can be convinced that the Granada and the 230-E are the same car. Continue reading Is it a Ford? Or is it a Mercedes? That infamous advertisement, 40 years on.
Hellcats are not cars to be taken lightly. Nor are they for the faint of heart, mind, or soul. With 707 hp on tap, one hit of the gas is enough to change your life–much like drinking grain alcohol all night long. This color scheme from 2018’s Scarsdale Concours looks like a Starbucks drink, with off-white paint and brown stripes. I’m a fan of this finish, especially with the dark alloy rims characteristic of the Hellcat. Enjoy the photos of this white-chocolate mocha latte Hellcat. It’s Cars…and Coffee! Continue reading “Mocha Latte” Dodge Charger Hellcat at the 2018 Scarsdale Concours
Cars and Caffe was full of exotic metal of all types, so seeing this T-Bird roll by was like a nice breath of vintage American air!
-Nick
To the untrained eye, this is just a Cadillac DeVille from the Malaise Era. But to someone with a trained eye, this is a Malaise Era unicorn. Today, cylinder deactivation, or variable displacement, is much more commonplace and considered to be a reliable, smooth way for a large engine to achieve the fuel economy of a smaller one and still retain its performance potential. The theory was there as early as 1980 but the transister technology and computer control technology was simply not up to the task. Cadillac tried to use this feature on the V8-6-4 engine in most of their 1981 models but the system proved to be mostly unreliable to the point of exasperating its well-heeled and high-income clientele. The system would be pulled for 1982 in favor of the new HT4100 V8, which was even less well-recieved thanks to its lack of horsepower. Continue reading 1981 Cadillac V8-6-4 in the AACA Hershey Car Corral
Inspired by the Le Mans decimating Ford GT40 of the 1960s, the Ford GT is a unique American supercar that has taken on the Europeans for two generations now. The older Gord GT from the mid-2000s is among the pinnacle analog supercars that will ever be made. The new Ford GT takes modern supercar design and technology to the next level, a truly unique offering on supercar menu of 2018-19.
Someone brought both GTs to the Scarsdale Concours this year and it was quite a sight to see them together. I got to sit in the new GT, and my God does it feel like the cockpit of a spaceship inside. Such a special machine.
Enjoy the gallery!
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When Saturday is at Hershey and Sunday is at Radwood, you’re gauranteed to see some American Motors product in the flesh, whether it’s a little Gremlin, a gorgeous Rebel Machine, or even a late-model Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Luckily for my star-studded eyes, it was all there to see in all its glory. Enjoy the photos of some American Motors, from 1970 to 1987. Continue reading American Motors at Radwood and AACA Hershey
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Here we have a bit of a Malaise Mopar Unicorn. While everyone knew the Chrysler Cordoba, the Dodge twin of it was always less common during the period. The Mirada, produced only from 1980-1983, is the final iteration of the RWD Dodge personal coupe, and was the last four-seat 2 door RWD domestically produced vehicle under the brand name until the Challenger came out in 2008. This was one of the most well-preserved examples I’ve seen in a very long time, and ran quiet as a church mouse. Enjoy the photos of this rarely-seen Mopar classic. Continue reading Dodge Mirada at the AACA Fall Meet, Hershey
Once upon a time, Dodge made a great car called the Challenger. Then, in the late 1970s, they had their first stab at bringing the great name back. But, reality was hard on the new Challenger. It was based on a dowdy Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, and its Plymouth counterpart shown here, the Sapporo, wasn’t exactly a paragon of technology, speed, or style. But, someone brought this example to Radwood, and I had to say I was impressed. It’s not perfect, but Plymouth’s desire to bring a small, sporty coupe with Japanese dynamics and American style (or some of it) to the market is clear through this black-and-silver Technica. I don’t think I’ll see another one of these anytime soon, so I took in as much as I could. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Plymouth Sapporo Technica at Radwood Philly
Having recent seat time in both a ’69 Camaro SS 396 and two Gen6 Camaro SS 1LEs, I wanted to compare the Camaro experience between generations that are 50 years apart.
Review in the video, gallery below. Enjoy!
Continue reading Podcast: Comparing Camaros, Classic vs Contemporary
Mind Over Motor 