RideLust

In the annals of automotive history the Dodge Dart is unfortunately not a huge standout. Sure it has a following, it’s just not an overly massive one. The Dart was first introduced way back in 1960 as a low priced compact for those who didn’t want to spend the extra dough for an intermediate size sedan. It was good looking, fun and over the years actually developed into a pretty respectable performer thanks to a choice of engines ranging from a slant-6 to a big-block 383 cu-inch V8. But alas, in 1976 the Dodge and it’s partner, the Plymouth Scamp were killed off never to be heard from again… or so we thought. It’s now 35 years later and Chrysler is about to reintroduce the Dart in the same way they did all those years ago, as a lower priced compact.

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Research, research and more research. That’s what you must do when purchasing a new car. Hopefully you’ll look at things like price, fuel economy, features and overall livability. It’s no easy task, but rest assured that if you do your due diligence you’ll wind up with the perfect car. Now, if for some reason you don’t feel like doing any research then you can turn to guys like us – the motor-journalists who do the research for you. Recently Motor Trend Magazine put together a group of SUV’s for their annual SUV of the Year competition. They judge just about every category and in the end, pick the best overall performer. The video is about 15-minutes long, but if you’re in the hunt for an SUV, then it may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Source: Motor Trend

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GM builds the 100-millionth small block V-8. Image: Jeffrey Sauger for GM

If there’s an engine more directly tied to American culture than the small block Chevy V-8, we certainly couldn’t name it. It’s been in production for 56 years, and it’s powered everything from family sedans through Le Mans winning race cars. It’s powered generations of Chevy and GMC pickups, too, and has been embraced by GM subsidiaries in Europe, England and Australia. If you’ve never owned one yourself, chances are you’ve driven (or been driven in) plenty of them. Read More…

The 2011 Maybach. Image: Mercedes-Benz

If you dream of owning a brand-new Maybach, consider yourself warned: you have until early 2013 to raise the $372,500 minimum price of admission for a Maybach 57, or the $423,500 it takes to own a Maybach 62. According to AutoWeek, Mercedes-Benz has finally made the official decision to kill off it’s under-performing uber-luxury brand, which never managed to achieve the 800 units per-year projected by Mercedes-Benz to make the brand profitable. Read More…

The 2013 Camaro ZL1, in topless flavor. Image: GM Corp.

If you thought that the announcement of the 650-horsepower 2013 Shelby GT 500 meant the end of the pony car wars, you’d be wrong. Al Oppenheiser, the chief engineer on the Camaro ZL 1 program, was his normal outspoken self in a a letter to the faithful on the Camaro5 website. Read More…

The Fiat 500 Abarth: too late to save Laura Soave. Image: Chrysler Group LLC

Here’s what we know: the former head of Fiat North America, Laura Soave, is no longer with the company. That’s a recent development, since she still held the position at last week’s Los Angeles Auto Show. Replacing Soave in the lineup is Timothy Kuniskis, who formerly held the title of director of product marketing for Fiat and Chrysler brands. There’s no word on when Kuniskis learned of his new role, but we’re guessing it was probably on his way through the door on Monday. Read More…

XBOX, PS3, smartphones and Facebook. These are four things that have the ability to totally wipe-out a childhood. You see today every kid out there is so entrenched in electronics and social media that getting them to do anything involving real life activities is somewhat of a nightmare. Back in the 1960′s though, things were different. Back then if you wanted to have fun you needed to make things happen for yourselves. You grab a bunch of your buddies and head outside to play kick-ball, ride BMX bikes and or light things on fire find ways to amuse yourselves. The other thing about being a kid back in the day was that there were no shortage of big companies that tried to kill you on a daily basis. Take WHAM-O for instance, they’re the creators of this super-cool wheelie bar, a contraption that was almost guaranteed to cause injury as soon as you installed it. Simply install it on the back of your bike, pull-up on those handlebars and PRESTO – instant superstar!

Granted things like the WHAM-O Wheelie Bar would never see the light of day in today’s day and age, however it’s good to know that there was once a time when kids could just be kids, even if it did mean getting the occasional concussion here and there.

Source: Youtube.com

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*This AMX was powered by a Chevy LS-engine that looks as though it was made to be there – simply stunning conversion!

A few weeks ago I was walking around the SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV oogling the thousands of amazing show cars. The entire show is one gigantic aftermarket spectacle that must be seen to be believed, as it showcases just about every trend the automotive spectrum has to offer. One such trend that caught my eye was the crossbreeding of parts (power plants in particular) from one manufacturer to another. For instance, it seemed as though every hot-rod, rat-rod and pro-touring car out there had some type of GM LS motor under the bonnet. Now granted it makes sense, because in the scheme of things, who wouldn’t want a stout 600 hp, aluminum small block under the hood.

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The Fiat 500 Cabrio. Image: Chrysler Group LLC

When Fiat rolled out launch plans for its diminutive 500 city car, the Italian automaker was ambitious. Initial projections called for a network of 130 Fiat dealers selling some 35,000 cars in the U.S. this year. Instead, construction delays limited the number of dealerships for most of the year (although the total is now at 130), and a lack of advertising has left buyers confused about Fiat’s return to the U.S. market. Read More…

2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1. Image: GM Corp.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but Chevy opted to release pricing on the 2012 Camaro ZL1 on the very same day that Ford announced its new, 650 horsepower 2013 Shelby GT500. If you’re a bowtie fan, $54,995 (including destination charge) will buy you a car that runs from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, runs the quarter-mile in 12 seconds flat at 119 mph and tops out at 184 mph. It’s all but guaranteed to win you tickets and points on your driver’s license, so if you planning to buy one, now is the time to dig up dirt on your insurance agent. Read More…