Tag Archives: Sports Cars

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Autocar pits the C7 Corvette against its European rivals

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The Corvette has always been an American hero, able to rival Porsches and whatnot in lap times and speed. However, by almost all counts, the Corvette was never on the same level in terms of its driving experience, when compared to the Europeans. The Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray is probably the best Vette yet in terms of driving dynamics, so Autocar decided to see how it stacked up directly to its fiercest rivals from across the pond.

Keep in mind, British journalists, especially, tend to be heavy critics of Corvettes. Maybe they feel threatened by such a great American icon, I mean, the Vette is basically “the George Washington of cars”, and that might bring up some of their cultural bad memories from the late 1700s. Either way, all pokes aside, the Brits seem to like the C7 Stingray quite a lot, and it seems it is finally able to take on the Europeans on their own turf.

Enjoy, and let us know what you think in the comments.

-Nick

Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

Test Driven: Jaguar F-Type V6S, Al’s Take (Grade: B+)

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Jaguar’s F-Type is a car that has taken a lot of thought out of me.  When I was at Pebble Beach, it was already on sale, and I’d already had some seat time in one back in June 2013 on a parking-lot racetrack in Queens, NY.  However, due to the limited amount of time I’d had with it, I was looking forward to taking another crack at this little sports car in the Golden State.  I got my wish when I strapped myself into this sleek black beauty, and took it for a rather educational drive around the Seventeen Mile Drive.
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Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Chris Harris Compares the Chevrolet C7 Corvette with the Porsche 911 Carrera S

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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

Opinions

A quick take on the 2014 North American International Auto Show

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2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Lexus RC F Toyota FT-1 Concept

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
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
2015 Audi A8:
What exactly is different again?

Audi Allroad Shooting Brake Concept
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.

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Cars We've Driven

Al’s Favorite Drives of 2013

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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 →

Cars We've Seen

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Spotted in Carmel, CA

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Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Spotted in Carmel, CA

While out car spotting in Carmel, California during Monterey Car Week we caught this striking Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione lurking amongst traffic. As an object unto itself, the 8C Competizione is a design masterpiece, but getting to see this very special Alfa in the context of the real world, surrounded by mundane normal cars, made it all the more special. I was able to get a few shots of it as it passed by, and I think I captured the 8C’s contrast well. Enjoy the photos.

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Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Fiat Dino Spider by Petrolicious

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I swear that the folks at Petrolicious could inspire a deep sense of passion about the most boring, inconsequential car imaginable. The Fiat Dino Spider, of course, is about as far from boring or inconsequential as can be, so naturally I found myself with a warm fuzzy feeling after watching this video about the car.

Basically this is one of just a handful of Fiat Spiders made with Dino Ferrari’s epic Formula 2 V6 in them. In the video the owner says that there are twenty Ferrari Dinos for every Fiat Dino that was built, so a very special car this is indeed.

Enjoy, and prepare to want a Fiat Dino Spider of your own more than you want to take your next breath.

-Nick

Car Shows

Greenwich Concours d’Elegance: 1974 BMW E9 3.0CSL

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1974 BMW E9 3.0CSL

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.

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Opinions

Drive’s Leo Parente talks truth on the new Ford Mustang

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Drive’s Leo Parente is has a lot of experience in the auto industry and in racing, so his take on the new 2015 Ford Mustang is surely an educated one.

-Nick

Opinions

The new Mustang is a true step in the right direction.

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Image via USA Today

In the pantheon of American cars, the Ford Mustang is one of the legends.  It has consistently represented a way for the common man to get something powerful for not a lot of cash.  For most enthusiasts, though, the Mustang through the years has always been a bit behind.  The previous generation, no matter how good of a car it was, was still held back a bit.  I think, however, with the new model on its way, that there’s a big change in the winds. Continue reading The new Mustang is a true step in the right direction. →

Cars We've Seen

Spotted! Ferrari 246 GTS, Carmel, CA

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Carmel is a very busy little village during Concours Weekend, but it’s probably at its absolute busiest on the Thursday before the show itself.  That day is the Tour d’Elegance, when a selection of the cars participating in the Concours take a drive around the local area and finish their run on Ocean Avenue, Carmel’s main drag.  Nick and I drove into town so that we could witness the event, and were quickly outmatched in finding any resemblance of “street parking.”  Luckily for this Ferrari 246 GTS owner, there was a spot available at just the right moment, and he got himself a spot.  Luckily for me, I happened to get a good picture of this pretty little blue 246 GTS.  I don’t see them often, and in a color like this shade of blue, it’s a dark-horse favorite of mine when it comes to old school Ferraris.  I was lucky to have grabbed this shot when I did, as I don’t think I saw this car again except in passing.

-Albert S. Davis

Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

Test Driven: Aston Martin V8 Vantage S, Nick’s Take (7/10)

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

The raspy echo of a snarling V8 carrying over the desert sand is usually something that would conjure up thoughts of American iron and righteous lawlessness. The movie Vanishing Point comes to mind, and the Dodge Challenger is just the car I would normally think of when the topic of V8s echoing over desert sands arises. But in this case, what I am describing is not a muscle car, but a suave British exotic, fresh from the pages of a novel by Ian Fleming. I am of course talking about an Aston Martin, the V8 Vantage S to be exact, and no, I cannot promise that will be my last James Bond reference because such cliches are obligatory when a journalist drives an Aston, of course.

My drive took place on the racetrack at Exotics Racing in Las Vegas, Nevada. I doubt many Aston Vantages see track time in the hands of their owners, but it was very interesting to get to know this little car in a setting where I could actually explore a good bit of its potential. Exotics Racing had unfortunately unhooked all of the machine guns and the oil slick from the car (things that come standard on every Aston), but on the positive side, that made the car lighter.

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