So I’m curious – when was it that human beings became so lazy that walking failed to be an option for getting from place to place?

Source: Youtube.com

It’s got a 60-valve naturally aspirated V12 engine that makes 513 hp and 347 lb·ft of torque and was created to celebrate Ferrari’s 50th anniversary. It’s also unbelievably rare to the tune of only 349 cars ever being produced. Therefore seeing one being hoon’d unmercifully is a very rare sight which is why it’s so cool that we actually found this video. Click through for some Italian tire smoke!

Source: Streetfire.net

Being dedicated to a certain automotive brand is nothing new. In fact most people are not only dedicated, but downright fanatical when it comes to their choice of rides. Allan Anderson is a Datsun nut. He owns 3 510′s, 2 240Z’s, and a few 240SX’s. Like all car enthusiasts Allan pours his heart and soul into his cars and it shows. Depth of Speed: My Church thankfully gives us a little insight into not only what makes Allan tick, but why these old Datsun’s are such wonderful machines.

Source: DepthofSpeed

Every now and again the stars align and television presents us with something to look forward to. Take Discovery Channel’s upcoming new show Fast N’ Loud, starring Richard Rawlings. The premise is a cross between Overhaulin’, American Pickers and Pawn Stars, meaning Rawlings and Co. go out and find some perfect resto-mod candidates, redo em’ and sell em’ for some big moola’. The beauty of this show is that Rawlings is a true car guy who not only knows his shit, but is in fact an authority on most things automotive. All we know is it’s been a long time in coming and we’re really looking forward to when this premieres on Wed, June 6 on the Discovery Channel at 10pm, so make sure to tune in!

Source: Youtube.com

Thumbs Up: Solid build quality, surprising handling.

Thumbs Down: Seats aren’t as good as others in segment.

Buy This Car If: You want a U.S.-built subcompact with some entertainment value.

Perhaps the clearest way to define the difference between the old Chevy Aveo (built by GM Daewoo in South Korea) and the new Chevy Sonic (built in Lake Orion, Michigan) is in terms of ground beef. If the old Aveo is the equivalent of the pink-slime laced “mystery meat” served to convicts and college students, think of the Sonic as USDA Prime ground sirloin. Sure, it costs a little more money, but the overall product is vastly improved and well worth the upgrade in price. It’s not ground Kobe beef, made from hand selected cuts of Wagyu cattle, but it’s affordable for the common man and still wholly satisfying.

As we said about the Chevy Cruze sedan in our initial review, this is the type of car that Detroit should have been building all along. It looks good, it’s surprisingly roomy on the inside, It delivers impressive fuel economy, it’s not boring to drive and it even handles a lot better than you expect it to. At a well-equipped price just north of $20k, you really can’t ask for more than that.

The outgoing Aveo featured styling that could best be summed up with the words “bland“ and “uninspired,” but the new Sonic can be described with words like “bold” and “intriguing.” If the Aveo blended into the background, the Sonic stands out from it, thanks in part to its scowling front-end styling. The retro round headlights are a brilliant touch, and the rest of the front is styled as if the Sonic had anger management issues to contend with. We say that’s a good thing, since it breaks up the car’s otherwise conventional box-on-box styling.

The external proportions haven’t changed much from the Aveo, and the hatchback still sports short overhangs up front and in the rear. On the Aveo, this looked utilitarian; on the Sonic, it adds to the car’s character. Even the blacked-out B-pillars and hidden rear door handles work, giving the car a bit of a custom feel. The sides sport some meaty fender flares and bold character lines, both working to convey a sense of speed, even when the car is parked.

Even the rear of the Sonic stands out, thanks to its blacked-out, pseudo-Altezza taillights, roof spoiler and large rear fascia. To our eyes, the Sonic is one of the best designs in the class, something we never would have said about the old Aveo.

Yes, the dash uses hard plastic instead of the now-seemingly-required soft-touch vinyl, but the plastic used varies in color and texture. There’s plenty of storage room and even the “turbine style” dash vents add a bit of interest to the interior. The steering wheel, which is often pulled from the bargain parts bin at this price point, comes leather-wrapped and has thumb slots to remind you of proper hand positioning. Given the Sonic’s entry-level, non-luxury mission, we say that Chevy has done a superb job with the interior, which was tighter and more rattle-free than some luxury sedans we’ve driven in recent months.

In the subcompact class, manufacturers like to use instrumentation to set their cars apart. Mini has its center-mounted speedometer and Fiat uses a single round gauge to display speedometer, tachometer and driver information. The Sonic goes its own direction here, too, using a motorcycle-inspired blend of round, analog tachometer and a digital speedometer and information display. Not only does this work, but we like it better than the display used by Fiat and much, much better than the display used by MINI.

If there’s a let-down with the Sonic, its the front seats. As you’d expect, they’re adjustable for height, position and seat back angle only, which means they either work for you or they don’t. No matter how we repositioned the driver’s seat, we just couldn’t seem to get comfortable, odd given that we rarely complain about front seats in modern cars. A test drive is all you’ll need to determine if the Sonic will work for you without the addition of a lumbar pillow.

Rear seats, like the front seats, come wrapped in ventilated leatherette (i.e., vinyl) on LTZ models, but we’d rather Chevy stuck with cloth seats in the Sonic. There’s enough room for two adults in the rear, as long as they’re not long of leg. Head room isn’t a problem in the back, thanks to the Sonic’s gently sloping roof design. Leg room, while not generous, is on par with others in the segment.

Under the hood of our press fleet tester was an optional turbocharged 1.4-liter engine (the same as used in higher-trim Chevy Cruze models), good for 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. That’s not a lot to work with, but it is enough, especially if you opt for the six-speed manual transmission over the optional six-speed automatic. Neither gearbox makes the Sonic fast (or even quick), but the manual does make the car more engaging. With the six-speed automatic, expect a 0-60 mph time in the low nine second range, while the manual can deliver a sub-nine-second run.

What the Sonic lacks in thrust, it makes up for in fuel economy, which is really the primary focus of any car in this segment. The EPA says to expect 27 mpg around town, and 37 mpg on the highway, but we saw an indicated 28.5 mpg in mostly-city driving. Pay more attention to your driving habits, and we’d bet you could improve on that number by quite a bit.

On the road, the Sonic delivers a surprising amount of entertainment value, especially since it’s not billed as anything other than basic transportation. As with the under-powered Fiat 500, going fast is all a matter of preserving momentum, and the Sonic can carry a surprising amount of speed into a corner, especially in light of its basic tires and non-sport-tuned suspension. Front brake rotors may look tiny, but they’re up to the task of slowing the Sonic down from any velocity you can achieve. The same goes for the rear drum brakes, although we honestly can’t remember the last time we drove a car without four-wheel disc brakes. Even the Sonic’s steering feel wasn’t half bad, and it’s curb weight of around 2,800 pounds made for quick directional changes and a very nimble feel.

We’ll even admit to wondering what the car would do with better rubber, a lower stance and stiffer dampers and springs. If Chevy delivers on its promise of performance packages for the 2013 Sonic, we won’t have to wonder for very long.

Chevrolet supplied the 2012 Sonic LTZ for our evaluation. Base price on our press fleet tester was $19,420, including a destination charge of $795, and options included the $700 Ecotec 1.4-liter turbo engine and the $325 Crystal Red Metallic paint, for a total sticker price of $20,445.

For comparison, a similarly equipped Ford Fiesta SES would sticker at $20,975, and the closest Honda Fit Sport would list at $18,700.

One of the things I notice when I moved out to the West Coast was the vast number of off-road vehicles that roamed the streets. Everything from high-riders and boggers, to pre-runners and trophy trucks can be seen here from time to time. Down in Southern California though it’s an entirely different story as these rigs are literally everywhere, but then again so are the dunes for which they run upon. The Glamis Dunes of Glamis, CA are one of the more popular places to run free and because of this it’s no secret that video cameras are abound out there. The following video consists of almost 15 minutes of high-flying footage that is sure to put a smile on your face, so make sure to click through and enjoy.

Source: Youtube.com

Earlier this month at Infineon Raceway in Northern California, Genki Hagata performed what may have been one of the greatest high-side saves of all time. Hagata was qualifying for a supersport race when his rear wheel lost traction through a corner thus sending him skyward. Thankfully he was able to hang on and remount his bike, but not before a few sphincter puckering moments ensued.

Source: Youtube.com

There are loads of reasons why you shouldn’t ride a motorcycle unless you’re properly trained to do so. Thankfully for your sake, this video covers ten of them.

Source: Youtube.com

This must be a Japanese thing because I think that if even one of these vehicles were to set foot at an American car show that it would be torn apart immediately. I mean I’m all for custom cars and all, but this is ridiculous.

Source: Youtube.com

There is no question that sliding sideways through a corner is one of the more enjoyable things you can do in an automobile. Sure it’s juvenile and serves no purpose, but in the end who really cares? “Keep Drifting Fun” by NOS energy drink is a film created to illustrate this exact point. What you are about to see is the trailer, but if you continue over to “facebook.com/KeepDriftingFun” you can check out the whole damn thing – enjoy!

Source: VIMEO.com