Tag Archives: Performance Cars

Motor Trend Tests Out the Honda Civic Type R

Digesting the Lamborghini Urus, I just can’t shake this bad aftertaste

lamborghini-urus-2019-1280-02

I love the idea of a Lamborghini SUV, and I’m a HUGE fan of the LM002 because it was a different type of Lambo, but it was unmistakably a Lambo. I mean it was an Italian Humvee with the V12 engine from a top-tier supercar, what’s not to love about that?

But as I look at the new Lamborghini Urus, I’m really struggling to see where it’s actually a Lamborghini. I mean, the Urus is effectively an Audi Q7 with an RS 7 drivetrain, and some more angular bodywork. It’s very clearly a parts bin car, and I really don’t think that suits the Lamborghini brand at all.

Continue reading Digesting the Lamborghini Urus, I just can’t shake this bad aftertaste

The other catastrophically green machine at Cars and Caffe, a Ferrari F12 TDF

Green Ferrari F12 TDF at Garden State Plaza 1

There were two #GreenAF exotics at Cars and Caffe this year. One was the Porsche 918 featured earlier this week, and the other was this other-worldly Ferrari F12 TDF. What a green!

Continue reading The other catastrophically green machine at Cars and Caffe, a Ferrari F12 TDF

Petrolicious Highlights the BMW 850CSi

Prepare to want an 8 Series a thousand times more than you already do.

-Nick

Porsche 991 GT3 RS at Cars and Caffe

Porsche 991 GT3 RS at Cars and Caffe

Every time I see one of these 991 GT3 RSs in person I just can’t get over how badass they are. It really is like a racecar you can drive to work.

-Nick

Some say self-driven cars will be extinct in 10 years. They must all be test tube babies…

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If everyone is really turning their backs on the automobile, then why does Singer exist? I mean, there’s a very long waiting waiting list of very wealthy people excited to spend many hundreds of thousands of dollars on a car they apparently don’t want. No, it’s clearly a chore for them when they’d all rather be carted around in autonomous electric cars, because that’s the future. I mean why would anybody want a tiny loud car that actually requires effort to drive? And with 500hp in such a featherweight package, isn’t it terribly unsafe? Why would people be lining up to get their hands on something like that in 2018?

Continue reading Some say self-driven cars will be extinct in 10 years. They must all be test tube babies…

A Martini Porsche Cayman GT4 at Driven by Purpose

Porsche Cayman GT4

Boba Fett takes Slave 0.5 out for a spin. Happy Halloween!

Miata Club Edition Boba Fett 4

Saturday was an unbelievably gorgeous day, and there was the promise of a torrential downpour on sunday. What better day to go for a drive?!

Being that it was also Halloweekend, I decided to wear my costume for the drive and have my buddy, Pat, shoot some photos. Boba Fett was going to take Slave 0.5 out for a nice spin, and confuse a lot of other motorists in the process!

For those of you wondering, yes, I could see just fine out of the zip-up hoodie.

We had a great drive, and I’m really happy with how the photos turned out. It’s always fun getting some action shots.

Happy Halloween, everyone! Stay safe and enjoy!

Continue reading Boba Fett takes Slave 0.5 out for a spin. Happy Halloween!

Porsche 997 GT2 RS at Driven By Purpose

Porsche 997 GT2 RS NYC 1

The new 991.2 GT2 RS may have just crushed the Nurburgring production car lap record, but this, the previous gen 997 GT2 RS is still the big daddy of desirable Porsche 911s in my book. The new GT2 RS has 700hp, but it’s also totally loaded with tech to help it be as fast and as controllable as possible. This car has 620hp, but requires the driver to shift their own gears and control the flow of all that torque to the rear wheels. There’s a lot less tech in the 997 than in the 991, and I think that makes it a more timeless experience in the long term.

This is still very much a widow-maker 911, and it’s the ultimate turbocharged 911 yet to be offered with a clutch pedal. The new one is cool, but for me, the 997 is what dreams are made of. Enjoy!

Continue reading Porsche 997 GT2 RS at Driven By Purpose

A BMW Z8 with a killer interior combo at the Misselwood Concours

BMW Z8 Misselwood 8

The BMW Z8 is such a handsome car with its classico-modern BMW 507 homage design. The right interior sets the look off even more, and this Z8 at the Misselwood Concours had it. Silver is a rather dull color, but with a bright red, black and silver interior, it was a total head turner. Business on the outside, party on the inside.

The BMW Z8 is one hell of a roadster. It has the 4.9L V8 from a BMW M5 underneath its classic looks that sends power through a proper manual gearbox. It’s a total dream car, and that’s why its value has either held or exceeded its original MSRP of $128,000 over time. Right now asking prices range from as much as $300,000 for top examples down to around $130,000 for cars with some miles on them. Buy at the right price and a Z8 is a car you can drive and enjoy and it won’t really cost you anything over time.

It’s always a pleasure seeing a Z8, especially in such a scenic place as this. Enjoy!

Continue reading A BMW Z8 with a killer interior combo at the Misselwood Concours

Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti AWD: Is an Italian Daily Driver a Good Idea?

Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti AWD 14

Italian cars are frustrating. Their good aspects are beyond wonderful, as in they will genuinely make your life worth living. The problem is, there’s always a catch, some significant issue (usually “issues”) that counter-balance the positives to such a massive degree that buying one is often a bad idea if you’re thinking rationally. Italian cars are made to give you an in-depth emotional experience, but like people, the great times come with the hardships. The Italians have always built cars this way, and it has always made their cars intriguing because they seem like so much more than cold machines. It makes them feel genuinely alive.

Because of their unpredictable nature, there’s always something daring about buying an Italian car. It’s not a sure bet, but the rewards are so immense when things are going well that it always seems it may be worth the risk. A test drive in an Alfa will make you ask yourself deep philosophical questions like, “Am I really living the sort of life I want?”

Playing it safe works, but are you really living, or do you just merely exist? There’s a big difference between the two, and that’s what Alfa Romeo is all about. It’s the sort of car that will give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and will have you lusting all day for your drive home.

I literally fell in love with the Alfa 4C Spider when I drove it because it spoke deeply to my inner desire. How can an object make you feel so fulfilled and so happy to be alive? It was insane.

The Alfa 4C is an impractical sports car, though. Meant to be a second car for the weekends, it’s Italian imperfections are more tolerable than they would be in an everyday sedan. That brings us to the Giulia Ti you see here. It is an everyday luxury sport sedan, here to take on the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4. There’s surely less room for error in this market of everyday sedans.

That brings up my big question: Has Alfa kept the Italian magic alive in the Giulia sedan, and how much Italian “character” is tolerable to sedan buyers? Have they watered it down in an attempt to compete for the mass market?

I had heard good things about the car, but many people seem to let the car’s shortcomings overshadow its strengths. Knowing the risks of reliability and build quality, I wanted to know if the upsides were worth the the gamble on this Italian 4 door.

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Honda S2000 CR in the parking lot at Radnor Hunt

Honda S2000 CR at Radnor

Taking a break from the barrage of exotics we’ve had lately, this Honda S2000 CR caught our eye in the parking lot at the Radnor Hunt Concours. This is the ultimate version of the Honda S2000, built in the final stage of production. As GT3 is to Porsche 911, Club Racer is to Honda S2000. Anyone who got in on one of these is probably doing pretty well.

-Nick