Tag Archives: Performance Cars

Opinions

The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V And The Identity Of New GM

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2016 Cadillac CTS-V Grill

Christmas came a few days early for American car enthusiasts this year. On Monday, General Motors released the first details on the new Cadillac CTS-V, the latest part of a blatant assault on their foreign rivals. But the offensive is about far more than just “beating” the competition. What these efforts are really about is cementing a solid reputation for the new-era of General Motors.

What I’ve seen happen in the last few years is GM creating their own identity, their own unique flavor of automobile. This is especially so in the high performance sector. GM isn’t trying to build a carbon copy of the latest BMW, quite the contrary. If anything, BMW has strayed from their own ideology in recent years, and GM has chosen to pursue the path that BMW and others have left behind.

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Auto Idolatry

Drive’s Dodge Charger Hellcat Road Trip

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Join Mike Musto for an 800 mile road trip in America’s fastest sedan, the Dodge Charger Hellcat. Nothing like 707hp and the scent of roasted rubber to wake you up in the morning!

-Nick

Auto Idolatry

Motor Trend Tests the Porsche 991 GT3

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In terms of value for money, the Porsche 911 GT3 is unquestionably the car to buy among the 911 range. It offers Enzo-like acceleration yet still maintains an overall propensity for handling. See for yourselves!

Enjoy

-Nick

Auto Idolatry

Chris Harris Drives The Ultimate ‘Ute, The Holden HSV Maloo GTS

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America’s two biggest contributions to the automotive world are the pickup truck and the muscle car. In Australia, GM makes a vehicle, called a ‘Ute, that is a perfect mix of the two, a muscle car with a pickup bed. The Holden HSV Maloo GTS is the ultimate ‘Ute, equipped with a 570hp supercharged LSA V8 under the hood.

Frankly, the HSV Maloo GTS is the most American car I can possibly imagine, but thanks to GM’s bean counters, it and all of the other ‘Utes have never been sold stateside. Idiocy, I know, and it’s extremely frustrating.

The HSV Maloo GTS marks the end of the current model, so hopefully GM may reconsider bringing the ‘Ute back to America with the next generation. We need a new Chevrolet El Camino. And if GM’s people cannot see the demand for such a car, then they clearly don’t understand the American market very well.

For now, though, just enjoy watching Chris Harris flog the Holden ‘Ute around on the track!

-Nick

Cars We've Driven

2015 Porsche Panamera Turbo S Executive Reviewed (8/10)

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Porsche Panamera Turbo S Executive Front

The Turbo S Executive is the big mac-daddy of the Porsche Panamera lineup. It seems to take all of the best aspects of other Panamera models and put them together with an extra helping of horsepower. The Turbo S Executive is an immaculate vehicle in every way possible. But it had better be, considering the price… $240,000 for the one I drove.

The Panamera Turbo S is an awesome and complex automobile, full of gadgets and cutting edge technology. I could go on for days about all that, but it’d get us nowhere with the one truly relevant question… is this Panamera worth spending nearly a quarter of a million dollars for?

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Cars We've Seen

One Nasty Audi R8 Spotted In Carmel, CA

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Black Audi R8 Carmel

We spotted this sinister Audi R8 with some seriously bitchin’ wheels in the Fuel Run lineup when they came through Carmel. Such a great look!

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Porsche 959 at the 2014 Scarsdale Concours

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Porsche 959 Front Angle

When anyone wants to find the origin of where modern supercars came from, the Porsche 959 is not just a great place to start looking. It is the only place to start looking. In 1985, when Porsche put the 959 on the market, most of its technical equipment wouldn’t have been out of place 25 years later. All-wheel drive, traction control, adjustable ride height, and twin-turbocharged propulsion were all on the standard features list, and almost all of those features can be found on today’s 911 in some way, shape, or form. It was a groundbreaking car not only for Porsche, but for the entire automobile industry–and it was so good that Porsche didn’t lend the NHTSA examples for crash testing, so the Reagan administration disallowed its legal sale in the United States. Luckily for us, it’s been 25 years since then, and the 959 is now fully legal on our shores without having to go through the Show and Display Act proceedings of years prior. Only 337 of these were made, and I’ve seen 3 or 4 of them since 2011, although this was the first one I’ve seen in silver in some time. In the sunlight of Scarsdale, NY, this 959’s time had come to shine for the public. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Porsche 959 at the 2014 Scarsdale Concours →

Auto Idolatry

Chris Harris Tests The Mercedes AMG GT-S

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Mercedes’ AMG GT looks like it’s going to be “the” car to have in its segment, yes, even over a Porsche 911, save maybe for a GT3.

Enjoy!

-Nick

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 →

Opinions

Cars That Should Be Made: Mazdaspeed Miata

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2016 Mazda MX5 Miata

We all know Mazda recently unveiled their new MX-5 Miata to the world. In short, it looks fantastic and it is over 200lbs lighter than the current NC-generation Miata. All should seem right with the world, but what about those of us who yearn for a faster Miata, something that will really set our trousers ablaze?

The standard Miata is a great little thing. Made out of sheer joy, the the Miata’s best trait is probably the simplicity of its experience. I wouldn’t for a single instant suggest that Mazda should change the basic Miata, no. But that doesn’t mean they cannot offer a hotter version under the Mazdaspeed nameplate.

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Auto Idolatry

Ken Block’s Gymkhana 7: Wild In The Streets Of LA

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The whole car world eagerly awaits every new stunt-tastic video from Ken Block, and Gymkhana 7 is finally here! This time, Ken attacks the streets of Los Angeles with a custom all wheel drive Ford Mustang, probably his most badass car yet. Have you ever seen anyone drift a car under a bouncing Low Rider? Well feast your eyes!

-Nick

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.

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