RideLust

Well it’s finally over. The 2011 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational and SEMA have now been put to rest and to be honest, I’m dead tired. As you know we ran our 1969 Dodge Daytona tribute in the competition and while a bit outgunned, we still managed to do pretty damn good. We had a few issues like a broken shifter bolt and a thrown belt, but for the most part, we came through unscathed. Unfortunately though there was still the 600 + mile drive home yesterday that I had to endure and to be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it. Running with a group of cars is one thing as you have some kind of back-up, but taking a 42 year Dodge Daytona through Death Valley on your own… well that’s another story entirely.

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I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world, but one place I’ve never been is Norway. From what I know, the summers are short, the winters are long and the people (and the roads) are fantastic. Unfortunately, I’m not an editor for a buff book, so any travel to Norway would come on my own dime, something that’s in short supply these days. Read More…

The world needs more twisted geniuses like Jonathan Ward. His company, Icon, is best known for building restored and bulletproof Toyota Land Cruisers and Jeep CJs, but it also dabbles in the fine art of what Ward calls “derelicts.” The concept is simple: take an original but worn car, then throw the best parts you can at the chassis, motor and even interior. Read More…

If I asked you to name the quickest-accelerating vehicle you could buy in 1991, which car would you pick? A Ferrari 348 or Testarossa? A Porsche 911 Turbo or 928? A GMC Sonoma pickup?

If you guessed either of the Ferraris or the Porsches, you’d be wrong. In fact, the quickest vehicle you could buy twenty years ago was a GMC Syclone, a (heavily) modified GMC Sonoma pickup that featured a turbocharged 4.3-liter V-6, good for a (rated) 280 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque. The Syclone was good for a 0 – 60 time of around 4.5 seconds, and could turn a quarter mile in the low thirteens. Read More…

When training for space flight, astronauts are subjected to a ride in an aircraft that (temporarily, at least) simulates the effects of zero gravity. Since the human body isn’t accustomed to rapid changes in g-forces and weightlessness, a common reaction is the rapid and spectacular voiding of one’s stomach contents. Hence, the aircraft used in training, regardless of the make and model, is dubbed the “Vomit Comet.” Read More…

There’s plenty to like about the new BMW 1 Series M, including 335 horsepower in a 3,300 pound coupe with an M suspension and M brakes. There’s also something not to like about it, and that’s the fact that production has all but sold out, with the remaining cars being offered by dealers for bend-over-grab-your-ankles-and-squeal-like-a-pig prices. BMW set out to create an affordable car for young enthusiasts, but instead created a pricey toy for the affluent or a museum piece for speculators who believe the car’s $50k asking price will go nowhere but up. Read More…

Chris Pfeiffer is arguably the best stunt rider in the world. The BMW and Red Bull sponsored rider has demonstrated his mad skillz in places like the rooftop of BMW’s Munich headquarters, which doesn’t leave much margin for error. Pfeiffer’s latest adventure has him in visiting Azerbaijan, which most of us on this side of the pond would have a hard time finding on a map. Enjoy a one-wheeled view of a place that most of us won’t ever get to see. Read More…

Just in case you’ve never heard the name Leh Keen, we’ll tell you up front that he’s faster than you are. As a professional racer and former Grand-Am GT champion, Keen has driven just about any track you can name, in almost any car you can imagine. Best of all, people pay him money to drive cars, and these days his check comes from Brumos Racing, where he drives the #59 Porsche 911 GT3 with co-driver Andrew Davis. Read More…

Birds, airplanes and the occasional man shot from a cannon… these are things that were meant to fly. Full-blown semi-tractors though… not so much. Thankfully though us Ridelust guys live in America, a country where man is free to jump anything on wheels off a ramp as long as there is a county fair around. I’ve seen folks jump buses, bar stools and even a porta-potti once, but this semi jump takes the cake. What you are about to see is a truck known as the CRUSHER as it attempts to set a record for the longest tractor jump in history. Is it pretty? No. Is it graceful? Hell no. Is it awesome to watch? Oh f*ck yeah!!! So click through and prepare for 25 tons of high-flying action.

Source: Youtube.com
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The Suzuki Mighty Boy was, by all rational descriptions, an utterly forgettable car. Considered a “kei car,” or light automobile, the Mighty Boy could best be described as an Isuzu Amigo, rendered in 1/2 scale. It was underpowered as well as being tiny, and most made do with a 543cc engine, good for around 25 horsepower. What they lacked in power or functionality, the Mighty Boys made up for with a low price, and the Mighty Boy had the dubious distinction of being the cheapest automobile in Australia from 1985 to 1998. Read More…