RideLust

Whenever I head out onto a race track with a friend I always like to ask if they have in fact, ever been to a race track before. You see most people think they know how to handle a car, but the truth is that driving on the street and driving on a racetrack are two completely different things. I think the majority of people simply don’t understand the physics of driving on a raceway and because of this they get into trouble very quickly. Take the gentlemen piloting this E92 BMW M3 for example. He heads out onto the Nürburgring with some buddies in tow for a little thrill ride. It becomes quickly apparent though that he’s in way over his head and truly has no business being out there. He also doesn’t understand that the main reason he’s actually still alive is because of all the technology embedded in that BMW M3. The traction control light for instance is basically burning a hole in the dash and that stability control system was probably working double-time. The behavior exhibited here was simply reckless, as not only was the driver a danger to himself, but to all those around him.

Source: Youtube.com

Even if you’re not a Porsche fan, you need to give serious respect to the 911 GT2 RS. The relatively benign looking 911 variant is actually the most powerful road-going Porsche ever built, and packs 612 horsepower (620 PS) into a 3.6 liter, twin-turbo boxer motor. That’s enough to get the car from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds, and Porsche claims a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of just 7:18. That makes the mid-engined, rear drive 911 GT2 RS some seven seconds quicker around the ‘Ring than an AWD Nissan GT-R.

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When I was a kid my Dad built me this cool wooden go-kart that utilized rope steering and had a lever style hand brake. Back then it was cool as hell and I can remember buzzing down this hill called Brewster Drive in my old neighborhood. I remember feeling a combination of speed, fear and excitement as I whistled down the hill with the only hope being that I’d be able to make the turn at the end and not plaster myself against the curb. Back then those were good times. Now however, as an adult, my entire perception of what speed is has changed. It used to be that 30 mph was fast, but now having been north of 180 mph, well, let’s just say that 30 mph just doesn’t do it for me anymore.
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Ever go on a nice Sunday morning drive or perhaps to a cars and coffee event? You’re there basically to hang out with other enthusiasts, shoot the shit and sip coffee until about 11 am. By this time onlookers have gathered to check out the festivities and the cars. They bring their wives and kids because for them, this is a car show, not just a place to get coffee. Inherently people come up to you, ask questions and want to talk about cars that they’ve had, or will have someday. It’s all wonderful and part of what makes this hobby great. Generally when it’s time to leave, the cars line up and proceed out in a single file procession. There are those however who feel it’s their obligation to wow the crowd by doing a little burnout or power slide, however if not done correctly, these actions can go horribly wrong. Take this instance that occurred during a Father’s Day show in Hartford, CT a few years back. I’m sure all the owner of this Ferrari 308 wanted to do was give the crowd a little show, but instead he most likely cost himself his car and thousands of dollars in legal fees. So, the next time you’re at a show, just think back to this video before you decide to show the world how great a driver you are.

Source: Youtube.com

Even though this is an incredibly well shot video, my first instinct is to say that this was done without permission from the Parisian authorities. What we have here is a Porsche 911 GT3 and a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera ripping it up through the streets of Paris in what can only be described as the Fast and the Furious meets Grand Theft Auto. Watching this little flick brings back the nightmares that I had after watching the God awful movie Redline a few years ago. This video does however bring up one very important question though – who would win in an actual race? The 523 hp all-wheel-drive Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera or the track-tastic 380 hp Porsche GT3? My initial thought would be on the Lambo as its AWD could help you out of trouble on those tight city streets, plus that extra 140 hp should help the big bull school the GT3 all day long in a straight line. A good driver though in a GT3 is a sight to behold, so it is quite possible that the Lambo may not do as well as I think. Hmm… this is a tough one, what do you guys think?

Source: Youtube.com

Not too long ago I put out a post on the two major parameters that helped me decide on whether or not I like an automobile. One was the feeling that I got from my ass-dyno and the other was what I called the giggle-factor. The above video shows Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire wringing out STaSIS Engineering’s new 710 HP supercharged R8 V10 Spyder, and throughout the entire video he can’t seem to keep from laughing his ass off. I know Matt and for him to crack up like that means that this thing must be completely bo-nannas! Now aside from the aforementioned supercharger, STaSIS also updates the suspension, wheels and tires as well. The real kicker though is that this sucker is UNDER WARRANTY!! That’s right I said warranty, and that covers either 4 years or 50,000 miles… not too shabby. The other bonus is that you can either buy, or lease it from your favorite Audi dealership. So, what are you waiting for, click the play button and watch Mr. Farah giggle his way through this entire test drive.

Source: TheSmokingTire.com

For the majority of the people out there being at work sucks. We trudge into the office day in and day out, stare at the same people and make the same idle chitchat that we’ve been making for years. It’s a boring process and by the end of the day you generally feel more like the walking dead than you do a living, breathing human being. But what if I told you there was a cure for this… what if I told you that with the click of a button and a few of your hard earned green backs you could kick that zombie feeling and join the land of the living again. It’s true and all you have to do is click BUY IT NOW, on the eBay auction listed above.
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The debate over which is faster, motorcycles or cars has been going on forever. In a straight line there is usually no contest as the power to weight ratio of a motorcycle is simply to tough for an automobile to match. Handling however is another issue entirely, as this is where a great sports cars can usually come back to hold their own. You see a motorcycle has two contact patches that are generally about 3-inches wide, where a car has 4 extremely wide ones. Sure the bike is lighter and more nimble, but they’re generally tougher to run at speed and take much more concentration and skill to do so safely. The car on the other hand is more of a point and shoot machine, I mean sure there is a lot of skill involved but the odds of you falling off a car at 150 mph are generally pretty slim. The above video pits the 562 hp Ferrari 458 Italia against the 170 hp two-wheeled hammer that is the Ducati 1198S. Two Italian icons, one race track and only one winner. Click play to find out the results.

Source: Youtube.com

What I have...

For some a garage is simply a place to park your car, for others it’s a place to store that extra refrigerator, and yet for others like myself, the garage acts as a getaway from the daily grind. My garage is nothing exciting, in fact it’s a downright dismal place to be as it’s not big enough, it’s not long enough and it’s made of old leaky concrete. That means hanging shelves and sealing it up tight during the winter months can be somewhat of a bitch. This garage is what I have though so I can’t much complain, as having a private place to store your car in Queens, NY is somewhat of a luxury. As a car guy though I’ve always yearned for a garage with at least 3 bays, a nice tiled floor, room for my tool chests and perhaps ceilings high enough that I could put in a lift or two, for me that would be the ultimate.
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What’s faster up a mountain, a Ferrari 430 Scuderia or a BMW M6? Two British Columbia men were determined to answer this question with a quick, hammer-down drive up British Columbia’s Mount Seymour. As you may have guessed, it didn’t work out quite the way the men expected, especially after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police clocked the cars in excess of 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour) in a 60 kph (37 mph) zone. Worse, the pair narrowly avoided hitting a pedestrian and her two children, and in BC reckless driving is grounds for vehicle forfeiture.

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