RideLust

Recently, I attended the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals show at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. Held every May, this show features a vast array of meticulously maintained classic British, European and Japanese cars, exemplary examples of their more modern kin, as well as a beautiful collection of kit cars.  As far as sheer variety in makes, models and years, hands down, this show can’t be beat.

This has become something of an annual treat for me as I can think of few better ways to spend a weekend than by gazing at a gleaming sea of jaw-droppingly stunning automobiles, many of which I guarantee you won’t find at other shows. Plus, participation is open to anyone with an import or a kit car – all you have to do is register, make your car pretty and show up. It’s a great opportunity to display your cherished ride and meet other aficionados of your favorite marques.

I used to come down to show my Saab and hang out with the Saab contingent that makes it out every year. But even though I have a Subaru now, it’s just so much fun that I continue to make the trip to Carlisle (my WRX was parked over by the lone DeLorean, if you happened to be there). Volvo, BMW and Audi clubs also traditionally have a large showing so the weekend is packed with the cars you love, cars you haven’t seen before, your friends from the forums, barbeques – it’s a good time for everyone.  So, if you’re not too far out from Pennsylvania, I definitely recommend heading out there next May to check out the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals. To tide you over, provided for your viewing pleasure are some of my favorite cars of the weekend. Enjoy!

 

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Honda’s taken a lot of flack lately for the direction they’re moving in, especially from enthusiasts. The company once looked to for innovation is now catching a significant amount of grief for stale designs and downgraded interior materials. I haven’t seen the new Civics up close and personal yet, but I’ve heard that the new interiors are a step down from the last generation in terms of quality and material. I’ll reserve judgement until I get a chance to see and drive the new models, but I’ll give Honda props for building a better looking interior than the last generation. Read More…

I received a phone call this weekend from a buddy who is in the market for a new car. He’s got three small kids and was wondering what would be the best choice for his next new vehicle. His current ride (believe it or not) is a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria and while it’s the size of a house, it just doesn’t offer the versatility that he and his family need. Now, while he admits to needing more space, he doesn’t want to go down the minivan road just yet as he simply feels that at 36 years old, he’s still to young. Over the course of our 45 minute call we went over the particulars of what he needed from a financial, utility and usability standpoint until we narrowed down his choices to either a new cross over, a full-sized SUV or the dreaded (not really) minivan.
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Let’s hope that AutoGuide has this one wrong. In regards to the highly anticipated CR-Z Si (or Type R, if you prefer), the website quotes Honda R&D head Tomohiko Kawanabe as saying, “a high-compression petrol engine would work better in tandem with a hybrid assist system”. In other words, forget the the gasoline only, forced induction CR-Z we’d all been hoping for, and don’t even expect a turbocharged engine in conjunction with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid drive system. If Honda retains the IMA drive system, the upcoming CR-Z Si will likely be just as disappointing as the first; in fact, it’s likely to be more disappointing than the original, simply because the original was never positioned against the legendary CRX Si. Read More…

[Kurt's note: This article marks the official debut of Jen Stadler on RideLust. You've already read her stuff in the "Learning To Fly" article, and I think you'll agree that she's got a RideLust sense of humor. She's another misfit with 5w30 in her veins, so please welcome her to the RideLust family.]

My retinas are still smoking, but my appetite finally came back from reading Mr Angry’s list of 30 Custom Cars from around the world. Unfortunately for me, I saw more than a few similarities between those chariots of fire and my own first set of wheels. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say many of those in my age group made dubious “modifications” to our cars in the name of coolness, so at least I wasn’t alone. The difference between, say, my parents’ generation and mine is that their Mustangs, GTOs, and Roadrunners still look awesome and fetch big money at Mecum; our Civics and Focuses? Not so much. Read on, to see what I mean. Read More…

Thumbs Up: The coolest minivan I’ve driven yet.

Thumbs Down: The dash has a lot of shiny, hard plastic for the price.

Buy This Car If: You need a minivan and favor Honda over all others.

I’m a sports car guy, and lately it seems like I’m driving an awful lot of manufacturer supplied minivans, crossovers and SUVs. There are two reasons behind that: first, manufacturers don’t put as many “fun” cars into the press fleet as they do “bread and butter” cars. Second, manufacturers rely on sales of segment vehicles like crossovers and minivans to keep the doors open and the lights on. If you want a new Honda / Acura NSX, they’ve to to sell a bunch on Odyssey minivans and MDX crossovers to justify the cost of NSX development and production. Read More…

I’m commonly asked which cars women find the least attractive for men to drive. Honestly, this is a tough one, as the truth is that there are many cars out there that no man should ever step in to. To narrow them down I decided to choose the top five cars of the decade that make me cringe. My first thought was the PT Cruiser from Chrysler. I’m still trying to figure out the reason as to why that car was ever made, as it’s one of the most disappointing automobiles I’ve ever seen. Nothing about it makes me want to touch it. Think of it like that person you have to sit next to with bad body oder in a crowded room that you’re repulsed by. For just under 20k I’m surprised that Chrysler even had the audacity to regularly rotate them onto their homepage before they went out of production last year. There is no way on this green earth that a woman will find a man more attractive regardless of how much he modifies it. A quick note to PT Cruiser owners; please stand AWAY from your car if you want to pick up on a girl and certainly don’t bother to valet.
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Do you drive a 2009 or 2010 Honda Fit? Roughly 97,000 people in the U.S. and 23,000 in Canada can answer yes to that question, and will be getting a recall notice in the mail from Honda. At issue are potentially faulty lost motion springs in the valvetrain, which can bend or break over time. Should this occur, abnormal noise, engine stalling or engine damage are possible outcomes. Read More…

Is it me, or have automobile companies gone out and hired image consultants in an attempt to get us to think that minivans are cool. Toyota for instance has spent big money trying to convince us that their Sienna minivan or “Swagger Wagon” is the answer to making those with kids feel young again. Then there’s the new 2011 Honda Odyssey commercial which states, The Van Beckons, and treats us to some 1980′s hairband music with a black panther thrown in for good measure. Granted it’s hokey, but in the end it’s fun to watch. Lastly we’ve got the latest entry from Dodge in the form of the new 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T that recently debuted at the Chicago Auto Show. This baby has 17-inch wheels, double stitched black leather seats and a V6 that pumps out 283 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. It also rolls on Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires… now I ask you, is that cool?
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Honda was well into the development process of an NSX successor when the global economy went south, forcing Honda to shelve the project. The car ultimately became Honda’s HSV-010GT race car, campaigned in the Japanese Super GT Series. That posed a problem, as Super GT cars were supposed to be based on production cars, and the HSV-010GT wasn’t. While not technically illegal, the absence of a road-going version of the HSV-010GT violated the spirit of competition, something Honda president Takanobu Ito hopes to put right. Last Friday, Ito confirmed that Honda has restarted development of a high end sports car based on the HSV-010GT race car. Read More…