Tag Archives: German Cars

Cars We've Seen

2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon spotted in Carmel, CA

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Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon Front

When it comes to wagons, the faster they are, the more interesting they become. I was born into a wagon-owning family. It wasn’t so flashy, just a 1989 Pontiac 6000 in blue–but it was gone in a flash when a few lowlifes stole it in Jersey City. Since then, I’ve been a fan of station wagons, for their practicality and better handling characteristics (usually) than SUVs and crossovers. Mercedes-Benz’s slowest selling car happens to be the one you see here–the E63 AMG Wagon. This wagon packs a twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8, packing over 580 horsepower and all-wheel-drive standard. Last I checked, they don’t sell more than about a thousand per year of these, and with good reason–it’s a small market. That said, here at Mind Over Motor, we are glad they see the need for them. When this black one pulled up, Nick yelled to me from across the Ocean Avenue junction to turn around, and I found myself face to face with it. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon spotted in Carmel, CA →

Automotive Lifestyle, Car Games

Our Picks, the $40,000 question

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In today’s market, $40,000 marks a sort of barrier between “normal” cars and “luxury” cars. You can basically find any sort of car for under $40 grand, so it can be argued that nobody needs to spend more than that unless they’re interested in fluff. It is a realistic budget for many middle class Americans, and that is why we have chosen to kick off our new “Our Picks” segment with it.

We will give our picks for two $40,000 budget scenarios, one as an only car, and the other as a second car. We will also give our second choices for each. Keep in mind, this is how we would spend our own money, with our rather discerning tastes in cars, and not necessarily our recommendations for more average buyers.

Continue reading Our Picks, the $40,000 question →

Opinions

Why would you buy a new Porsche 911?

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Porsche 911 Carrera with options

In every segment there seems to be one car that sets the bar, the standard by which every other car like it is judged. For the white-collar sports car enthusiast it has long been the Porsche 911. For thinking buyers, however, that may no longer be the case.

I’m not going to complain about the 911 in the way most Porsche purists do, I’m fine with the electric steering, I’m fine with it being water cooled, and I’m even fine with it gaining some size. My gripe really only concerns what buyers get for the price. The car itself is fantastic, but now you’re paying a lot more money for something that really hasn’t changed all that much over the years.

Frankly, the Porsche 911 has become boring and cliche. They don’t even turn too many heads anymore because it feels like there’s a 911 everywhere you look. Maybe it’s the fault of the Cayenne and Panamera for making the Porsche brand more commonplace, or maybe it’s the fact that so many people have bought 911s because it is such a great car. Either way, though, the basic 911 just doesn’t seem worth the kind of money Porsche is asking these days.

Continue reading Why would you buy a new Porsche 911? →

Cars We've Seen

1973 Volkswagen Beetle #69 Spotted in Carmel, CA

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Volkswagen Beetle Front

When it comes to the VW Beetle, I’m not the biggest fan in the world, but I tolerate them. Of course, one that’s been modified in some amusing way will keep my attention for a good amount longer. This little white Beetle had some turquoise tape stripes (clearly made of tape), cool Minilite-style wheels, and some writing on the back window. It’s nowhere near the caliber of any other car that I saw running around Carmel that evening, but this unique little Beetle (which has a “turbo” and “1000 Horsepower” according to the written notes on the back end) has a draw and a charm all its own. Continue reading 1973 Volkswagen Beetle #69 Spotted in Carmel, CA →

Auto Idolatry

200mph Drag Race: McLaren P1 vs Porsche 918 vs Ducati 1199 S

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Autocar brings us an incredible race between three of the fastest vehicles on the planet, the Mclaren P1, the Porsche 918, and the Ducati 1199 Superleggera. Imagine having all of those vehicles together with a runway at your disposal, just epic!

Check out what happens!

-Nick

Auto Idolatry

Matt Farah drives the Audi RS5 Cabriolet

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Sweet sounding machine with no roof to quiet it down. Enjoy!

-Nick

Car Shows

Epic Road Cars at Laguna Seca

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Porsche 917 and 918 Laguna Seca

There are always some extremely tasty cars in and around the paddock at Laguna Seca during the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. In addition to some of the most legendary racing cars of all time (see that Porsche 917 above), you are also likely to find many awesome road cars, everything from classic gems to the most current hypercars.

The action in the Paddock was especially good this year. We’ll show you the racing cars later on, but we wanted to start with the road cars, which were quite a spectacle. Enjoy!

Continue reading Epic Road Cars at Laguna Seca →

Cars We've Seen

Porsche 918 Spyder spotted in Carmel Valley, CA

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Porsche 918 Spyder at the Quail Lodge Porsche 918 Spyder in Carmel Valley

Porsche was actually holding test drives of this 918 Spyder, for those who were invited because they had access to a credit line of at least $1,000,000. As you might imagine, Al and I couldn’t weasel our way into this one, but here are some consolation photos of the car. I just love the 918.

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

Porsche Carrera GT spotted in Carmel, CA

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Red Porsche Carrera GT in Carmel front

While we remain busy catching up from our time California, we’ll continue to bring you some of the awesome sights from the streets around the Monterey area during car week. Downtown Carmel, CA is sheer craziness on Friday and Saturday evening, with stunning supercars everywhere you look.

We caught this Guards Red Porsche Carrera GT cruising down Ocean Avenue in the thick of the insanity. The Carrera GT is still one of my favorite modern supercars because its V10 engine sounds magnificent and it may well represent the pinnacle of the manual transmission in a high performance car.

Enjoy!

Continue reading Porsche Carrera GT spotted in Carmel, CA →

Cars We've Seen

BMW i8 Spotted in Monterey, CA

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BMW i8 in Monterey California

We are currently out at Monterey Car Week having a blast. We know we’ve missed a few posts in the last couple days, but that’s because we have been quite busy gathering all sorts of fantastic content, so fear not friends!

Just so none of you feel neglected, here is a BMW i8 we saw out and about tonight. There has been a few of these things running around the Monterey area, and we’re hoping to do a more proper shoot of one before the weekend comes to a close.

We are seeing, and even driving, all kinds of awesome things out here, and we will be sharing it all with you in the coming weeks. Be excited!

-Nick

Opinions

Paul Walker’s soul wants you to sign this petition so the US can have Nissan Skylines

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Paul Walker Nissan Skyline

Petrolicious has put forth a petition to get the American government to change the DOT/EPA’s import rule from 25 years to 15 years. What this means is that instead of just being able to import R32 generation Nissan Skylines right now, we would be able to import all of the R32 and R33 generation Skylines, and even some R34 generation Skylines… as seen in The Fast and Furious movies. The rule goes far beyond Nissan Skylines, though. Just think of all the awesome cars in Europe that haven’t made their way over here to the States…. Audi RS2, soon to be Audi RS5 (B5 gen), BMW M5 Wagons, all of those wonderful hot-hatches, and even a first-generation PAGANI ZONDA.

This is really a petition to change a stupid law that needlessly infringes upon the freedom of American consumers to purchase whatever vehicle they want. It serves absolutely no safety purpose, given that all cars from 15 years ago are way less safe than newer cars. Even if you personally would not import a car, you should sign the petition out of good will to your fellow car-lovers, and in return, you will have the pleasure of seeing more beautiful Alfa Romeos roaming the streets. This change will only serve to improve everyone’s lives!

You can sign the petition HERE. All it requires is your name, email, and zip code. It take 2 seconds.

Let’s all use the power of social media to make the United States a better place!

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesses Spotted in Carmel, CA

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Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse

Last year, while out at Monterey Car Week, we caught these three incredible Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesses outside the Quail Lodge. Because having 250mph wind in your hair is fun!

Continue reading Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesses Spotted in Carmel, CA →