For some reason Johnny was confused when his newest creation, The Dumpmaster 76, did not pass inspection.

Source: Youdrivewhat.com

Anyone who has ridden a motorcycle knows that it’s not the fall that hurts, it’s the sudden stop at the end. If you ride a bike, understand that eventually, you will fall off. For those of you who think it will never happen to you then you’re kidding yourselves. I’ve got loads of seat time on both the road and racetrack and I can tell you from experience that crashing on the street is much, much worse than a track crash. Odds are if you go down on the street, you and your bike have been hit or you have made a miscalculation and are going to hit something… it’s just the way it is.

It’s news like this that always makes me a bit nervous. First it’s a rumor, then there is a prototype and then POOF! It’s in production. As we know Porsche released the Panamera last year. It’s big, ugly and looks like a rolling turtle. The problem is that it’s actually doing quite well in sales and because of this GM is thinking about doing a 4-door Corvette. This idea is not new, in fact it’s been around for quite sometime. Thankfully someone at GM had the common sense to sweep it under the rug.

First off I think that building a 4-door Corvette would be one of the worst decisions that GM could possibly make. The current crop of Corvettes on the market are by far the best ones ever built. GM is also considering dumping in a V6 to try and attract the female market as well. They feel that women are more concerned with the cars looks then performance. If GM decides to dilute the brand with a 4-door Vette’ I fear it will be perhaps their biggest blunder to date. Guys, if you’re listening… you already have a 4-door Vette’ called the Cadillac CTS-V. So please, do us all a favor and scrap this idea before you f*ck up another American icon.

Read more at: Autoguide.com / Pic: GMinsidenews.com

I was thinking about the demise of Isuzu the other day, and it reminded me of all the classic Joe Isuzu commercials from the late 1980s to early 1990s. Back then, Isuzu was a growing Japanese manufacturer with an identity crisis; their cars and trucks were good, but no one had ever heard of them. Enter Joe Isuzu, a fast talking pitch man (played by actor David Leisure) who could sell ice to Eskimos. Sure, he lied to the television audience, but you KNEW he was lying because the claims were so bizarre. It was funny in the same way that Jeremy Clarkson’s remarks on The Stig are funny; you know his testicles aren’t shaped liked Portugal, but the claim is so off the wall that you laugh anyway. That’s what the old Joe Isuzu commercials were like.

Ever come up on a car that had vanity plates on it only to spend the next few minutes trying to figure out what the hell they’re trying to say… that drives me insane. Some plates are not only creative, but downright hilarious. Most states have between six and eight letters on their tags which is just enough to let even the most dimwitted human being have a little fun. Not only do some of the tags make us laugh, but they also tell us a little bit about the person behind the wheel. I figured I would just take a few moments to search the internet just to see what I could find. The results, well… they’re quite amazing.

Valentino Balboni has been ripping around in Lamborghini’s since the late 1960’s. He’s driven every model there is and his input to the factory has helped make the raging bull what they are today. You see Balboni has the greatest job in history as he is Lamborghini’s top test pilot. Maybe thats why the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 is such an amazing automobile. Lamborghini went back to basics by offering only rear wheel drive as an option, a proper 6-speed manual and an engine that sounds like a symphony. This is something that the guys at Motortrend Magazine found out first hand when they had the chance to take this new bull for a spin.

Some cars are quick, others are fast and some are just downright ridiculous. Take Eddie Bello’s Porsche 911 Turbo for example. This puppy just set the record for a Porsche running the standing mile. Bello was running Ignite Racing Fuel which is two parts HOLY SHIT and one part WHOOP ASS!

Nice going Eddie!

Source: Examiner.com

You’re looking at the most insane car ever built. It’s a 1935 Monaco Trossi racer with an air-cooled, two-stroke 16-cylinder radial engine driving the front wheels. Just picture it howling down the straight at Monza at 150 miles per hour, looking like a lit cigar on wheels, engine roaring, headers glowing.

It was the brainchild of technician Augusto Monico. It was built on an aircraft-style space frame and rocked independent suspension all around. It also had hydraulic brakes, a rarity for the time. Unfortunately, the car had 75/25 front/rear weight distribution and suffered from uncontrollable oversteer. It never actually raced and was only driven a few times during the testing phase. Today it’s locked up in the Museo dell’Automobile in Turin, its version of Arkham Asylum. Will the batshit car ever escape and get a chance to vaporize its front tires and kill race car drivers? One can hope.

The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is an embarassment of riches; no matter where you turn, there are amazing cars as far as the eye can see. The organizers do a good job of providing content for everyone, from early “horseless carriage” cars all the way through contemporary street and race cars. Want the eclectic? You’ll find one-of-a-kind prototypes and concepts alongside multi-million dollar Duesenbergs and Bugattis.

I’m not going to get into the technical aspects about why the V8 engine was, is and always will be the king mill amongst car guys. What I’d rather do is simply explain why these big lumps of iron draw respect and admiration from the millions and millions of people who have owned them. There are those of you that after reading this, are going to comment and tell me that I’m wrong, that I have no basis for my comments or that you have some 4, 6, 10 or 12 cylinder plants that can blow the doors off of everything… and that’s fine. It’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. I’m writing this article because I simply felt the need to tell you mine.