Ever since my best friend in High School had a 1986 Fiat Bertone, I have had a fondness for mid-engine sports cars. Such a bare bones and unashamedly single-minded vehicle made it a unique contrast to the Mustangs and Camaros that were the typical car selection of a teenage boy in my hometown.
Sure the muscle cars always had more horsepower and straight ahead top speed. But with the engine screaming just behind your ears, it handled the extreme curves of the roads that wind through the mountains where I lived so well that you felt you were ready to compete in a GT road race. Fast forward to the 2008 Lotus Elise SC, a car that does so much right, it may be the best pure sports car in the world.
In an impressive effort to resuscitate struggling North American sales, Jaguar’s new XF model sedan has made its royal American arrival. Although by no means a replacement for the XJ upon which Jaguar has built its rich legacy, the XF is certainly a welcome departure from the expected. Initially introduced as the C-XF concept car at the 2007 Detroit auto show, the XF was quick to identify itself as the new, contemporary face of Jaguar.
or The Autobahn, The Interstate, and the 6 Foot 7 Inch Policeman, or Why the Autobahn is safer than the US Interstate, or The National Speed Limit is a Tool for Nazi Thugs
I was going to start my 5 part series on lunatic hypermilers and the decline of western civilization today, but I got pulled over on my way to work by a very tall and aggressive trooper, and now I’m writing about the poor state of the American highway system.
You know it and I know it, everyone goes over 65, the police need only to wade out into the pool of innocents and pluck 2 or 3 out a week and shake them down for cash; it’s so ingrained into our national conciousness that we don’t seem to think that’s odd. But honestly, think about it; what value does a law have if no one obeys it? It just makes a mockery of the country where the law exists. I’d be laughing right now if it weren’t for the jackbooted marauders prowling the highways at this very moment looking for poor innocent working men to harass and extort.
If you are like most car enthusiasts, your true dream car falls into one of two types: muscle cars or high-end exotic cars. Since the dawn of the auto industry, men and women have challenged each other on the open road, eager to build it bigger, faster and more powerful than ever before. Of course, power and luxury come at a price, and in today’s economy many of us simply cannot justify the expense of buying our dream cars. Fortunately, there are several ways to experience your dream ride without making the investment in an exotic car of your own.
Rental Cars
If you are planning a trip to Las Vegas, Miami, New York City or another luxury destination, why not splurge on a high-end ride for the weekend? The travel industry is hurting badly in today’s economy, resulting in some truly amazing flight and hotel deals. With all that money saved on travel and lodging, it is easy to justify a rental car that will make you feel like a true high roller. Gotham Dream Cars and Dream Car Rentals are just two of the many rental agencies that specialize in exotic rides like the Ferrari F430 Spider and the ever-popular Porsche 911.
Giorgetto Giugiaro is a very important person; probably the most important person that no one’s ever heard of. He’s the car designer of the century, and he’s responsible for some of the most beautiful and influential vehicles of all time.
Holland is not typically the first place that comes to mind when thinking of small production, ultra expensive, super cars. Nevertheless, Spyker has been in the business of providing such things to the über-rich since 1898. The president of Spyker tells audiences, “Our customers do not just buy a car but have one built for them, to their exacting specifications.” In fact, if you order a car from Spyker you may watch it being built, in real time, via a web-cam system.
Those with deep pockets, an eco-friendly attitude, and a need for luxurious speed are surely smiling with the news of an important manufacturing agreement that brings the most striking hybrid on the streets to North America in 2009.
There’s a fantastic 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T on eBay just begging to be painted alpine white and driven from Denver to San Francisco at an insane rate of speed while evading police and getting into adventures. If you don’t understand what I’m talking about, then you need to get on your Netflix queue and put the 1971 classic Vanishing Point on top.
Vanishing Point is, by far, the greatest road movie of all time. It’s the story of a man named Kowalski driving a brand new alpine white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T across the western United States, and I’ll just leave it at that. The movie has to been seen to be appreciated. It’s a masterpiece, just like the ‘70 Challenger R/T.
In 2008, 34 years after production of the original Challenger ceased, Dodge introduced the Challenger STR8 to the streets. Sitting on a powerful Dodge Charger chassis, the SRT8 boasted a 6.1-liter SRT HEMI V8 engine, 425-horsepower, and 420 lb-ft of torque. In 2009, the Challenger SRT8 is back again, but this time with two friends in tow; the Challenger SE and the Challenger R/T.
In celebration of 30 years BMW bestowed upon the M1 and the many fans who adore it a gift in orange and alloy. What you are looking at above is not a mere rendition of what a redesign of the M1 would look like, as animated as it appears to be. It is a physical reality that may be more study than reality, but truly does capture the spirit that drove the two preceding designs.
The new M1 concept car was received by those attending the Concorso d’Eleganza at Vista d’Este this weekend, where you will see in the photos of the gallery that it was joined by its 2 brothers. While what we see here may be just a concept it does reinforce the knowledge there are still people around today who can produce superlative designs such as this. To anyone’s knowledge thus far the 30 year anniversary M1 concept is merely a shell as no hint of a motive source or interior contents were exposed as its single outing.
Rekindling the knife’s-edge sharpness of the two prior designs tip of the hood the new M1 begins just as all others, with the two kidney shaped grill bookended by sinister headlamps. The contours of the body reflect well on the Giugiaro-designed M1 that followed up on the original M1 designed by Paul Bracq. The tribute follows suit from front to rear concluding with the louvered rear window and the dual BMW badging over-top of the rear break lamps.
Take a look at the gallery after the leap and join BMW in celebrating 30 years of M1 design.
