My girlfriend, Gab, and I celebrated our second anniversary as a couple on New Years Eve, and, of course we got each other special anniversary presents. I got her a fancy new French wallet, and she got me a cold air intake for my Miata, Ace. New Years day was nice and warm here in the Northeastern USA, so I decided to install the intake so I could enjoy it in the unusually nice winter weather.
Continue reading Starting off 2017 right with a new intake on my Miata
This is the second insane RUF I’ve seen for the first time this year. I caught a CTR3 at Greenwich, and then I found this RT12 S at Radnor Hunt.
The RUF RT12 S is based on the Porsche 997, but has been modified enough to be considered a new, non-Porsche car. It was available with a variety of options including various engine configurations, gearing, and a choice of RWD or AWD. Maximum power available was 685hp, and with the right gearing it’s capable of a staggering 225 mph.
We saw this thing accelerate hard as it left the show, and it was definitely tuned a bit rich because black smoke came out the tailpipes under full throttle. It’s a monster.
Enjoy the photos!
A great film by 888MF.
To most people, this looks like any other early 2000’s BMW M3 (if they even know what an M3 is), but for BMW enthusiasts, it’s actually one of the Holy Grails. This isn’t just an E46 BMW M3 with a body kit, this is an M3 GTR homologation road cars. It’s one of ten that were slated to be built, one just six that actually were built, and one of only three of those that still survive. All three M3 GTRs are owned by the BMW Group collection, and I don’t believe any of the GTRs ever made their way into private hands.
Unfortunately, the three remaining M3 GTRs seldom make it out in the world, so it was a rare treat to see this one at Amelia Island. Even when I was at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany they didn’t have any of the GTRs on display at the time. This was my first time seeing an E46 M3 GTR in person, and I don’t expect to see one again anytime soon.
Continue reading The Elusive BMW E46 M3 GTR at Amelia Island
Porsche’s are easy to “buy stupid” because their options are so cool, but are also extremely expensive. If you don’t watch the price tag, and add everything you never knew your heart desired, you can quickly wind up spending six-figures on a Boxster that will be worth 1/4 of that in 5 or 6 years. My point is that most of those fabulous Porsche options add very little, if any residual value to your car. So, if you don’t like lighting your money on fire, it’s best to go about configuring your Porsche intelligently.
I’ve been greatly intrigued by the new Porsche 718. It’s a mid-engine roadster with Porsche driving dynamics, and a hefty 350hp to propel it’s relatively light 2,900-ish pounds. The 718 is also now turbocharged, so 400+hp should be an easy ask with some light tuning. It’s a very ideal sports car package, but what’s it really worth in today’s market?
Colored wheels are often tacky, but this Porsche 911 GT3 RS wears them well.
-Nick
Nothing makes an entrance quite like a SuperVeloce Lamborghini. The folks at Miller Motorcars decided to arrive fashionably late to the Greenwich Concours, and when they did they broke everyone’s necks. The Lamborghini Aventador 750-4 SV is the extreme Lambo of the moment, and this one was clothed in this rare deep blue with red accents.
It’s quite a looker, it costs more than your soul is worth, and supposedly, it can run the Nurburgring in under 7 mins in the right hands. Not bad for a parking lot spot, eh?
Enjoy!
Continue reading Lamborghini Aventador SV at the Greenwich Concours
Magnus Walker shows us his ultra rare right hand drive 1975 Porsche 930, and takes it out for a drive along with a new 991 Turbo to see if the same DNA can be felt after 40 years.
-Nick
I never get tired of the 911 R. It represents everything I hold dear in a car.
Enjoyment > Everything Else
-Nick
This is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV, more specifically the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, a.k.a the fast one you really want. That’s right, Alfa is getting into the SUV/Crossover market, which is the most obvious and expected move for them. I must say, though, the Stelvio looks pretty damn good.
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio definitely seems like a serious contender with its 505hp 2.9L twin turbo V6, shared with its Guilia sedan sibling. The difference in the Stelvio is that you get all wheel drive to help put all that horsepower to the ground. I see it likely being the most fun one can have in a crossover, but with the usual Italian car frustrations.
Look, I trust Alfa Romeo to deliver an emotionally riveting driving experience in any vehicle they make. They could make a pogo stick, and I’m sure it’d get me all hot and bothered. I’m also someone who genuinely enjoys the current crop of fast SUVs, so I see no reason why the Stelvio won’t be phenomenal from a driving perspective.
The question here for me will be more the in the Utility end. Obviously it’s going to be practical in terms of space, but can the Italians really pull the functional details together enough to satisfy the daily user? SUVs are daily drivers, and everything needs to work, and stay working, day in, and day out. Fiat-Chrysler hasn’t had the best track record for that lately, and Italian cars haven’t had a great track record for that in… um… ever.
A few technical flaws in a weekend sports car come off as endearing because driving a car like that is solely for enjoyment. However, with a daily commuter, every flaw is going to annoy the owner, and that frustration will add up over time. I really hope Alfa Romeo has put in the work to make the Stelvio as reliable as can be. It doesn’t need to rival Lexus, but it does need to be on par with Audi, Jaguar and BMW.
The Stelvio’s first impressions are great as far as I’m concerned, though I don’t see any reason why it won’t be the same old Italian car story, only this time as a crossover.
-Nick Walker
How’s this for an insane Mk4? It’s definitely not your run-of-the-mill R32 with bolt-on mods.
Enjoy!
-Nick
We saw Ferrari’s ultimate front-engined V12 supercar, the F12 TDF, at the CF Charities Supercar Show. One of just 799 built, Ferrari took their plush F12 grand tourer and turned it into a batshit crazy race car for the road, complete with a 780hp naturally aspirated V12. Let us cherish this moment because this sort of engine may not be long for this world.
Enjoy the rest of the photos and check out Chris Harris’ Top Gear Review of the F12 TDF below, so you can hear it’s fury for yourself.
Mind Over Motor 