Drive’s Chris Harris pits the new Chevrolet C7 Corvette against the Porsche 911 (991) Carrera S. The Corvette and the 911 have had quite a heated rivalry in the US over the years, but now you can almost buy two Corvettes for the Price of one 911 with all the options you’d want. So the question at this point is, are they even rivals anymore?
-Nick
What is it?
This is the original R-rated Volkswagen. After four generations of GTIs, VW decided that something more was needed to compete with the more serious performance cars of the world. Interestingly, the R32 was the first production car to feature a dual-clutch gearbox, although the US only received R32s equipped with manual transmissions. In total just 5000 mk4 Golf R32s were imported to US shores, making them one of the rarest cars in their range.
How’s the R32’s driving experience?
In short: fantastic, and a lot better that I had thought it would be. I’ve driven both of this car’s successors, the Mk5 R32 and the Mk6 Golf R, and I have to say that the Mk4 R32 has a certain something that its replacements do not.
Continue reading 2004 Volkswagen Mk4 Golf R32 Used Car Review
The 2014 North American International Auto Show has been going on this week in Detroit, and there have been a number of interesting car debuts. The internet is full of all the minute details, and plenty of long-winded coverage about cars that nobody has driven yet. I have seen the details, and sat through much of the coverage, and now I want to bring you my concise, informed take on the cars that have debuted at NAIAS 2014. So here it goes.
2015 Acura TLX:
Pretty much unsurprising, but it’s good Acura consolidated the TL and TSX into one model. They should throw the 370hp hybrid drivetrain from the RLX into this car and have a legitimate Audi S4 competitor.
2015 Audi A8:
What exactly is different again?
Audi Allroad Shooting Brake Concept:
The Allroad Shooting Brake could be an incredibly badass modern rally car for the road. 402hp and 479ft/lbs of torque are some serious figures, and the hybrid drivetrain could prove interesting in a car such as this. My guess, though, is that this will remain a concept.
Continue reading A quick take on the 2014 North American International Auto Show
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the only Porsche 911 based car to have ever won the infamous Le Mans 24hrs. It is a 1979 Porsche 935 K3 Coupe, and the king of the “whale tail” era of classic Porsche racing cars. Because of its significant achievement, many people consider this specific 935 K3 to be the most significant 911-based car of all time.
We caught this legendary Porsche 935 K3 Coupe at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car was, of course, totally swamped during the show, but we, being the clever and relentless folks that we are, waited by the exit after the show had ended to get fantastic, unobstructed shots of most of the cars in the show. I am extremely happy with how this set of photos of this 935 K3 Coupe turned out, and what’s more, we got to snack on lots of leftover gourmet food while we shot our photos. We literally had our cake, ate it too, and got to be up close and personal with some of the most epic automobiles of all time. A great day this was, to be sure.
Continue reading Le Mans Winning Porsche 935 K3 Coupe at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Motor Trend’s Jonny Lieberman instigates some in-fighting between members of the VW Group: Audi’s RS7 takes on Porsche’s Panamera Turbo. Both are all wheel drive, four door sedans, and both have turbocharged V8 engines. The similarities are numerous, but in the end, the differences do show.
PS: I absolutely love the Porsche’s purple paint job, which Johnny says he hates more than a few times throughout the video. It is a provocative color, and one that lends itself well to the relatively “sleeper” Turbo model.
-Nick
We, here at Mind over Motor, are about to wave goodbye to 2013. I, however, don’t want to wave goodbye to some of my favorite reviews of 2013. I didn’t put up as many reviews as I would have liked this year–and there are plenty of reviews on the way for 2014, I assure everyone. However, of the cars that I took out for a drive this year, here are my four favorites.
Continue reading Al’s Favorite Drives of 2013
Yes, I know that this is the third Porsche 918 video we’ve posted, but it is also the best one yet. Drive’s Chris Harris just has a special way of reviewing cars that sets him apart from other journalists….. maybe it’s the huge drifts in cars that cost more than a house? But, drifting aside, I think this is the best look yet into what the Porsche 918 Spyder is really like.
-Nick
If you follow automotive news, then you know that the new 2014 BMW M3 and M4 have broken cover in the past few days, after a long, drawn out build up that left few surprises. I’m not here to tell you all of the generic information that you can get anywhere else on the web. I’m here to offer my interpretation and opinion on the information that has been released. So, as educated, free-thinking car enthusiasts, let’s take a look between the lines at what the new BMW M3 and M4 are all about.
Obviously, the number that tends to stick out the most on the interweb is the horsepower figure. People are already complaining about BMW’s official claim of “430bhp” because “It is only like 20 more than the old one, booo!” Those of use who know how the German companies have been operating lately have to laugh at such comments, because we know that the horsepower figures of turbocharged BMWs have consistently been underrated by 10-20%. That means that the new M3 and M4 will actually be producing something in the range of 470-510hp, and that is a substantial increase.
The next number, and the only surprise for me, is the weight of the M3 and M4. BMW is saying that each will weigh in at around 3300lbs, which is quite a bit lighter than the 3700lb E90 generation M3…. which was quite a big girl by M3 standards. The new M3 and M4 are now back around the same weight as the E46 M3, and that is right where I feel these cars should realistically be.
Continue reading BMW’s new M3 and M4, looking between the lines
Evo Magazine’s take on the new Porsche 918 Spyder from the race track press launch. This video does a great job of highlighting the different modes of the 918 Spyder, and how much technology really does play a part in the whole package. Enjoy.
-Nick
In this installment of Chris Harris on Cars, Chris Harris takes it upon himself to find out how good the Porsche 911 Turbo S is when pitted against a McLaren 12C. Watch to find out which one takes the win. Will the Porsche top the McLaren? Or will the McLaren prove its supercar pedigree and knock the Porsche out? Turn up your speakers (or put in headphones). This one’s a treat for the eyes, and it’s also a treat for the ears.
-Albert S. Davis
We saw this minty 1974 BMW E9 3.0CSL at the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance last Spring. E9s are some of my favorite BMWs of all time with their classy style and perfect proportions. The 3.0CSL you see here is a pristine example of the top-spec, road going version of the BMW E9. Those who know BMWs, of course, will know the racing, “Batmobile”, version of the 3.0CSL. The road version, like this one, was a lighter weight, more sporting version of the E9 rather than a detuned version of the racing car, similar to how the Subaru STi is to the standard Subaru Impreza today.
The 3.0CSL is one of the direct precursors to the range of BMW M cars that we all know and love today. It was a real treat seeing this immaculate example at Greenwhich this year. Enjoy the gallery.
Continue reading Greenwich Concours d’Elegance: 1974 BMW E9 3.0CSL
BMW lets Chris Harris behind the wheel of their M3 DTM race car. It may look a bit like the M3 we all know on the surface, but really it is a unique race car from the ground up. Enjoy!
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 