RideLust

I have yet to meet anyone that hasn’t used the line, “No really… I get Playboy Magazine for the articles.” Sure you do, and the fact that they’ve got a bunch of buck-naked women in there is just a bonus right? Come on guys, just man-up and say you get it for the boobs, I mean that’s the real reason correct? Anyway, you might be surprised to know that Playboy Magazine does actually have some of the best articles out there written by some top people. They cover everything from what’s happening in pop-culture, to the auto industry and I must say, they do it very well. Take their January 2011 issue for example, their first issue of the new year. Neatly tucked away between the boobs and beavers, Playboy has managed to give us a listing of their favorite cars for the upcoming 2011 model year. Cars like Cadillac’s super CTS-V Coupe, the Porsche Boxster Spyder and even the little Mazda2 have all made the cut. Now I’m not going to give you the rest of their list as you’re more than capable of finding it out for yourselves. To do so, just click on the link below and enjoy. Just remember to keep your eyes where they belong…

Source: Playboy.com

Chevy's Volt is one of three finalists.

When future automotive historians look back on 2011, I think they’ll mark this year as the beginning of the end of the automotive industry as we know it today. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is entirely based on your perspective, but one thing is certain: over the next five years, cars will get smaller, lighter, more fuel efficient and won’t be powered by gasoline alone. Automakers have no choice if they’re going to reach the level of fuel economy mandated by CAFE standards set to take effect in 2016, and cars like the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf are important first steps down a new automotive path.

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The Porsche 911 is one of the world’s most iconic sports cars. It’s had a development history that spans some 45 years, so there’s absolutely no denying that the car has grown consistently more capable as it’s evolved. Still, if you’re a true Porschephile, you’d want to know how various generations of the 911 compare to one another, on a race track, driven sequentially. If you’re willing to travel to Silverstone, in the U.K., Porsche now gives you the chance to drive three versions of the 911 back to back.

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This is your idea of a dream house.

Let’s face it: all of us on this site, writers and readers alike, have a passion for cars, bikes and pretty much anything with an engine. If I’d have invested all the money I spent on cars, motorcycles, tools and racing over the years, I’d be writing this post from my island estate instead of from my office in Jacksonville, FL. Chances are I wouldn’t even be writing, because I’d have a staff of people to do that for me. Buying Microsoft stock in 1984 would have yielded much better results than buying a 1977 VW Scirocco and a 1977 Suzuki GS 750, but it probably wouldn’t have built as much character. Would I be the man I am today if I hadn’t learned the joys of changing a VW water pump in an apartment building parking lot on the coldest day of the year? I think not.

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A Caterham 7. Image: sjmmarsh

No road-going car in the history of the automobile sums up the Colin Chapman philosophy of “adding lightness” better than the Lotus 7, which lives on to this day in the form of the Caterham Roadsport and Superlight series. The cars weigh next to nothing, since luxury amenities are limited to things like seats, a steering wheel and a windshield. They’re considered to be among the best track-day toys you can buy, but they’re less than pleasant to drive on the roads to and from the track. Worse, they’re ugly as sin, since aesthetics were never considered in the vehicle’s design. Headlights and turn signals are tacked-on afterthoughts, as are the front fenders. The nose of the car is a giant grille, which gives the Caterham the appearance of a shell-shocked amphibian. Sure it’s fast, but it’s as sexy as John Madden in a dress.

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Back in the stone ages of motoring, cars came with real instrumentation, typically including a tachometer (to measure engine speed), a speedometer (to measure road speed), a voltage gauge or an ammeter (to measure voltage or current to the battery), an oil pressure gauge, an oil temperature gauge, fuel gauge and a coolant temperature gauge. Over the years, car makers realized two things: it was cheaper to replace functional gauges with idiot lights, and people actually paid more attention to idiot lights than they did gauges. Thus was born the modern instrument panel, which now typically includes a speedometer, a fuel gauge and (maybe) a temperature gauge and tachometer. All of the other critical information your car can display to you is now done via the driver information display or via idiot lights.

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I was heading into the grocery store the other night when I saw something that made my jaw drop. A lady, apparently deciding that the cart-return was too far away, decided to give her shopping cart a solid heave… right through the sporadically parked cars in the back half of the lot.

The cart, as Wally-World carts often do, immediately hooked a left into oncoming traffic, causing a guy to slam on his brakes to avoid a collision. The lady, either too callous or too oblivious, pulled away with nary a glance at the narrowly avoided impact.

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At first glance, you’d think that would be an easy question to answer. Mercedes comes to mind, as does Toyota. Honda may be a good choice, since I know families who only buy Honda products. Let’s not forget BMW, whose legions of fans are rabidly loyal to the roundel and would buy BMW appliances if only the company branched out. If you picked any of these brands other than Honda, you’d be wrong. If you picked Honda, you’d still only be partially correct.

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Nothing says 'Merry Christmas' better than a 1949 Ferrari Barchetta. Photo: RM Auctions

Let’s face it: the older you get, the harder it is to be wowed by a Christmas gift. When I was a kid, an HO scale slot car track was about the best Christmas gift I could have imagined. Today, that same level of enthusiasm would require something that burns gasoline and puts out more than 400 horsepower, but unless we hit the Powerball in the next week or so, it isn’t happening this year, or next year, or the year after that. Maybe you’re in a different tax bracket than I am, and maybe you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the car enthusiast. If so, I’ve got the perfect Christmas gift idea for you.

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Rick Case Hyundai, a dealership in Weston, Florida, has become the first Hyundai dealership in the U.S. to sell a 2011 Hyundai Equus, their new flagship sedan. More significant, the car sold on the very day it was delivered to the dealership, answering the question, “will people buy luxury cars from Hyndai?” Well appointed, solidly built and stylish, the Equus sells for thousands to tens of thousands less than competitive products from Lexus or Mercedes Benz. The Equus Signature, what amounts to their base model, sells for $58,000 while the Equus Ultimate stickers for $64,500.

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