This striking yellow Ferrari F355 Spider caught my eye in the car corral at Radnor Hunt. Still one of the best sounding V8 Ferraris around.
-Nick
Tag Archives: Italian Cars
Alfa Giulia at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show
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The new Giulia is probably Alfa Romeo’s most important product launch of the past decade. Twenty years ago, Alfa left the American market, and for the first time, there’s hope that the brand is back and can compete on a mass-market level with this product. The Giulia shown at L.A. was the top of the line Quadrifoglio series, complete with a snarling V6 (they wouldn’t start it up for me, but we’ve heard it before on spy videos and it does sound great), six-speed manual, and stunning styling. I can’t wait to see this at dealerships, and I can give a full guarantee that I’ll do whatever is necessary to get behind the wheel of one when the chance arises. Until then, enjoy the photos–Alfa is back and they mean it. Continue reading Alfa Giulia at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show
Baby Blue Fiat Jolly at Radnor Hunt
It’s Italian, it’s stylish, and it’s downright adorable!
The Fiat Jolly is Fun incarnate, a car that can turn a bad day into a great day, even if you just see it drive by. I love the whicker seats, the striped rag top, and the body colored steering wheel. You simply can’t avoid having a great time if you’re cruising around in one of these, and that makes it much more than “just a car.”
Of course the Italians would master the very essence of a beach car, and it’s hard to describe exactly how much I want to own a Fiat Jolly someday. I mean, just look at it.
Enjoy the pics!
-Nick Walker
Some Ferrari 250 GTO Hillclimb V12 sounds for your Friday!
Words aren’t needed, just watch and listen for 7 minutes in heaven.
-Nick
2015 Los Angeles International Auto Show General Gallery
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Over Thanksgiving weekend this year, I finally got to cash in my birthday present from last year–my brother Matt agreed to take me to the Los Angeles Auto Show if I’d come visit him. I decided that it would be foolish to say no–after all, I’d been going to the New York Auto Show for a decade and a half, and I’d never seen the show in Los Angeles. Sorry, New York crew–but the LA Auto Show is indeed better. It’s cleaner, the city doesn’t smell like a New Jersey sewer, there’s real parking (and they charge only twenty bucks, whereas New York charges whatever they darn well please), and there’s even some ride-and-drives (which I did only two, but will definitely drive one of those two cars again soon). Continue reading 2015 Los Angeles International Auto Show General Gallery
Jay Leno Drives The Unbelievable Lamborghini LM002
Lambo’s LM002, or the “Rambo Lambo” as it was called, is a totally insane machine that somehow actually got produced.
It’s a Hummer-like military SUV with a supercar’s V12 under the hood. Just listen to the sound it makes!
Whatever fantasy car lists we all have, this should definitely be on it.
Enjoy!
-Nick
The Admiral’s blue Ferrari 500 Mondial
This gorgeous bright blue 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial is one of very few 4 cylinder Ferrari racing cars ever built. Petrolicious does a magnificent job of featuring the story of this machine and its owner.
We actually had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Admiral Phillips back in 2011 at the Radnor Hunt Concours. He was great, and shared every detail we could imagine with us that day, so it’s awesome seeing him and his 500 Mondial now in a feature film like this.
Enjoy!
-Nick
This is Finally it! Chris Harris Tests the Porsche 918 vs the LaFerrari vs the McLaren P1!
After long last, we now have the hypercar comparison test we’ve all been waiting for!
Porsche 918 vs. Ferrari LaFerrari vs. McLaren P1
Chris makes sure to show how they went about the test using the proper methodology, in an effort to produce fair, uncontested results.
The video is around 50 minutes, but well worth the time. So sit back and enjoy this ultimate hypercar showdown!
-Nick
Meet the “Fiata”, or Fiat 124 Spider as they call it
We’ve all know that Fiat was working on a new Spider for a while now, and that it would be based on the new ND chassis Mazda Miata. Well now it’s for real, and we’re calling it the “Fiata!”
Now, officially, the new Fiat roadster is called the Fiat 124 Spider. It is an homage to the classic Fiat 124 Spider, which was built from the mid 1960s until the mid 1980s. I’d say its styling does the old design justice…
As for the new Fiata, you can think of it as an ND Mazda Miata with a 500 Abarth engine swap done to it. Under the hood it shares the same growly 1.4L turbocharged four cylinder engine as the Abarth. It makes the same 160hp and 184 ft/lbs of torque. Not a huge horsepower leap over the figures of the Miata’s 2.0L SkyActive engine, but it will have a wider powerband thanks to all that turbo torque.
Everything else is similar, or even exactly the same as in the Miata. There are automatic and manual transmission options, as well as sporty and more luxury-focused models. The Fiat also weighs about 100 lbs more than the ND Miata, and will likely be positioned slightly up-market.
So what should we think of the Fiata?
Having just recently driven an ND Miata (review coming soon), I can attest that the platform of this car is fantastic.
I like the new 124 Spider’s styling a lot, but I was hoping for something a little more drop-dead-gorgeous. I get that they were going for the retro look, though, so maybe it’ll “pop” more for me when I see one in person.
I think the real deciding factor that will draw many to the Fiata over the Miata will be the power potential from that turbocharged Abarth engine.
Continue reading Meet the “Fiata”, or Fiat 124 Spider as they call it
Make sure you never get a raise again with this ’03 Maserati Spyder for Just $19,995!!!
Does your boss drive a nice car after working hard for years and years climbing the career ladder? Well now it’s time to beat them at life while you’re still lower-middle management!
Just imagine the look on their face when you pull up next to them, 5 minutes late, in your shiny new (to you) Maserati Spyder. Sure, they may have paid the full $80,000 on their brand new generic Audi or Mercedes, but theirs doesn’t say “Maserati” on it like your new chariot does.
What’s more, this pleasure of showing up your superiors comes at a price of JUST $19,995. You can’t even get a Honda Civic with a pleather interior for that much, but you can get this 170 mph Italian stallion. With its sporty paddle shifters, you’ll be driving around like Mario Andretti!
Okay, maybe there are other cars out there that get more than 10 MPG. And maybe there are other cars where 30,000 miles isn’t considered “high mileage” from a servicing standpoint. Maybe a Honda dealer wouldn’t charge $500 for an oil change. And maybe everything in a Civic would still work 6 months after you bought it.
So what?
Do you really want to wait until you’ve proven yourself to have the status you already know you deserve?
Why go through all that crap when instant gratification is right at your fingertips? Just do it!
Fitty Cent drives a Maserati, and now you can too!
By purchasing this sleek pasta-rocket, you’re taking the short cut to the top in life. Successful people will treat you as one of their own, and all the losers from your high school will be super jelly on Facebook and Instagram.
Life is all about scoring points, so go for the grand slam!
The Exotic Car Circle at the Concours of America
These are our highlights from the exotic car circle at the Concours of America in Michigan. There was a gorgeous LaFerrari present (one of 2 at the event), a Porsche 918, and an Aston Martin Lagonda sedan, to name a few. It was quite a nice showing.
There are a ton of incredible cars in the Detroit area, with quite a bit of wealth concentrated outside the city itself. This was my second time at the Concours of America, and it has delivered spectacularly both times. Definitely worth the trip to Michigan if you have the time in late July.
Enjoy the gallery!
-Nick Walker
Continue reading The Exotic Car Circle at the Concours of America
Exotic Supercar Sounds from the Radnor Hunt Concours
We all know that no exotic car show is complete without some V12s echoing over the countryside as people leave the event. Luckily we were much obliged this year at the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance. Everything from a V10 Lexus LFA to a straight pipe V12 Lamborghini Murcielago opened the taps as they left the show.
We were there with our cameras ready!
Turn your speakers up and enjoy!
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 