RideLust

Ford Mustang in Hamburg, Germany.  Photo courtesy of Jan Riggert.

It’s February and we’re in the heart of Winter 2011.  For car enthusiasts, it’s very easy to dismiss this season as a time of dreary dormancy.  When the grey skies and the bleak landscapes make even the cherished weekend drive unwelcome.  When the air is too agonizingly frigid to endure with the roof tucked away and the windows down.  When you long to pitch your keys after frantically scraping your windshield in the quiet hours before dawn and your thoughts incessantly turn to the salt feasting on your vehicle.  Sitting behind the wheel, your breath visible, you find that even your car starts begrudgingly, chugging to life with the reluctance of a teenager waking on a weekend morning.  In winter, the sleek, silvery hides of the cars we’ve fondly lusted over in the warmer months are locked away, sheltered from the elements, and the bronzed, bikinied goddesses of the tuner meets are in hibernation.  Winter is a terrible time for car enthusiasts.

Or is it?

The following are some of my favorite winter photos from around the Web.  If you’re bemoaning the winter blues, take a look at these and get out and drive.  Winter is no reason to stay inside.

BMW 325ix in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Photo courtesy of Nelson Vargas.

VW MkV GTI in New York City.  Photo courtesy of Motoring Con Brio.

Mazda MX-5 in Japan. Photo courtesy of Dohan.

Mitsubishi Evolution IX in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of Andrew @ Barros Photography.

Volvo PV544 in Finland. Photo courtesy of Anssi Koskinen.

Porsche 944 Turbo (951) in Wisconsin.  Photo courtesy of Neos Design.

Subaru Impreza WRX in Hungary.  Photo courtesy of Zoltán Kontra.

Have winter shots you’ve taken that you would like to share with RideLust?  Email me your winter photo, your name, location (if desired), and some details about your car, and I’ll post the photo on the site.