Street Shots: Aston Martin One-77

GooglePlus is the new Facebook. While sipping coffee and browsing this morning, I came upon these shots of the new Aston Martin One-77 taken by Jason Thorgalsen. Turns out that Jason is a freelance photographer with a taste, and an eye, for the exotics. Checkout his website at jtphotos.net. No relation, I don’t know the guy.

The Aston Martin One-77 seen here is driven by Aston Martin CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez in Los Angeles. This is the first time I am seeing the One-77 is this color and… it looks amazing. For those that don’t know… … Continue Reading

24 Hours of Lemons – Boston Tow Party & Overhead-Cam Bake

Last weekend I attended my second 24 Hours LeMons race as a spectator. Not much has changed since the New Hampshire race: fewer cars, higher temperatures, smaller track. I snapped a bunch of pictures, chatted with a few people, and couldn’t help but think… … Continue Reading

24 Hours of LeMons – behind-the-scenes

After reading about it for years, last weekend I have finally made to a LeMons race. At first I was not sold on the premise of racing $500 car, which is actually a $5000 car, but spending some time watching the race and hanging out on the paddock confirmed that this just maybe the most pure form of motorsport. In its years of existence, LeMons went from being a themed demolition derby to something very much resembling a professional series of endurance races, carefully kept in check by its organizers.

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Complete Guide to Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

The month of May is almost upon us and motorsports are in full swing. In an effort to provide better understanding of the various forms of road racing in North America and the world we have brought you the Complete Guide to American Le Mans Series, the Complete Guide to the Indycar Series, and Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series. We now look at the Grand Am Continental Tire Sport Car Challenge.

History:

Inspired by the epic battles of the Trans Am series competitors of the 1960’s and 70’s, … Continue Reading

Best Automotive Commercial Ever?

Before discovering the Auto Show, I was this little boy. I was going around to dealerships and checking out all the cars that would buy if I was an adult at that time. I collected piles and piles of brochures all which I studied cover-to-cover, over and over again. I had a ton of unanswered questions, wondering why a manufacturer would do certain things that seemed illogical and how I could make them better.

Then I have moved onto car magazines, all issues of which I still have dating back to early 1990s. This was different, it was the “other side of the story” or so I thought. It took me quite sometime to realize that half of what I was reading came from the manufacturer and the other was an opinion of some “expert” with a degree in journalism. Sadly, it took my engineering degree, several years of working as a mechanic’s assistant, two years as an automotive test engineer, and some reading between-the-lines reading to realize that most of what is out there IS in fact an advertisement. … Continue Reading

Group B Monsters – Sounds of Power

We all have a habit, as racing fans, to look upon racing series like Group B as iconic. We look at them as the last of their breed, when men were men, cars were cars, and such.  We have placed these racing series on a pedestal that no sane person will ever achieve again, and although the drivers we have deified are human we treat them as gods amongst us. We look past the carnage and lives lost during these four brief years in hopes that it might happen again, knowing full well the days of the blood sport are long gone.

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Good Toys, Bad Cars, Ugly Results

You know what’s wrong with car reviews? The cars being reviewed are brand spankin’ new. Three weeks ago, when an agent at the rental agency informed that I will be getting a Suzuki SX, one of the least expensive cars on the market, I felt a bit disappointed. Keeping an open mind, I started driving while looking for this car’s faults; where did they cut corners? What was not included? What was about to fall off? Will it roll on the first curve? Will it make it up a hill? To my disappointment and bewilderment, I found none. What I had here was a perfectly good $15,000 car.

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Wish List for 2011 and Beyond

We would like to believe that each year brings changes to our lives. Despite the fact that most resolutions and promises get dropped when real life takes over few weeks after the winter holiday break, I would like to propose several minor changes to the automotive world. Like the pledge of eating healthy and working-out, none of this is new or revolutionary – it is just a wish list of things that are easy to implement and would make everyone’s life a little easier. … Continue Reading

Northeast Blizzard

Despite my short and uneventful commute I heard some nightmare stories about this [cue dramatic music] Blizzard of 2010. I happen to like snow and I also happen to understand that it comes around in winter, in the northeastern United States. Despite the snow being an annual affair, many people are still surprised by it. … Continue Reading

Next Generation of NYC Taxis

In December of 2009 New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission issued an Request For Proposal for the next generation of NYC Taxi cabs. Recently, three finalists were selected: Ford Transit Connect, Nissan Minivan, and a Turkish Karsan Taxi. The first one is a solid choice, the second is an obscure JDM minivan, and it is anyone’s guess what the Karsan is.

Clearly, there is serious room for improvement. … Continue Reading

Sign of Times – Cars Are BAD!!

Did you recently have to justify your decision to purchase the conventional Highlander and not the hybrid version to your hipster teenage niece? Clifford Atiyeh of Boston Globe tackles the Crusade Against Cars:

While the debate over who or what is warming the earth is far from won, cars – among many carbon indulgences in the Western world – have already been declared the losers, the major agitators of an environmental apocalypse. The polar ice caps are melting, our winters are colder because the planet is getting hotter, and I’m supposed to feel bad about it all because I’m getting a back massage in a 17-foot-long Mercedes. Turn up the air conditioning.

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Vote for Internet Car and Truck of the Year

Each year every magazine has their own version of “…Of The Year”. Each year after announcing their verdicts, said magazines are hit with a ton of hate mail and an equal amount of praise. Whether in agreement or not, the readers never had any input toward the results, until now. Internet Car and Truck of the Year allows internet readers to vote on their choice of 2011 vehicles picked for the car and truck of the year. … Continue Reading

Writers Wanted

Until now this website has been a little more than an outlet for my automotive passion. The original idea behind it was to make it a mostly family-themed automotive site. I would like the site to head into that direction while continuing to provide interesting automotive stories that only gearheads would enjoy.  

With a full-time job and family responsibilities I am no longer able to do be the sole writer, photographer, system admin and editor. I am therefore looking for writers who can contribute original and unique articles on routine basis, perhaps one a week. This is great opportunity for someone who always wanted to write about cars but ended up with a less interesting career, much like myself.

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IIHS Evaluates Booster Seats

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released their evaluations of child booster seats. Booster seats are designed for children who have outgrown their front-facing seats but are still too small to properly use vehicle seatbelts. The general consensus among safety experts (that’s not me!) is that a booster seat should be used until the child is approximately 4’9” tall (never mind the fact that we all know adults who are shorter than that).

Below is my interpretation of their findings and my take on them. Buyer beware.

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Great Features Every Car Should Have – Part II

Part two of simple ideas that will make your life easier. In case of cars, easier also relates to safer and/or cheaper. You’ll wonder why all auto manufacturers don’t include them. … Continue Reading