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Ebay Bargains(?): 1963 SCCA Formula Car

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

By Zack Klapman

 

Ebay. Land of bargains, weird over-priced nick-knacks from childhood, and used underwear. Ninja Turtles shaving kit. $28k Neo Geo game. Ebay has it. They also have a great section, tucked away in Ebay Motors. Put “race” in the search bar, and you find some great stuff. This is a 1963 Quantum MK IV Formula race car. Developed with Saab, as a cheap, easy way for enthusiasts to go racing it ran in SCCA’s Formula S (Saab), Junior, and B series. It’s not Italian, rare or expensive, but all I’m think is: light, RWD, open wheel, 5″ wide tires, minimal driver interfaces, minimal safety. Sounds fun. (more…)

05.05.2012 Uncategorized 1 Comment

Which Would You Rather: Ferrari Testarossa or Bentley GTC?

Friday, May 4th, 2012

 

By Zack Klapman

 

A genie pops up and offers you a choice between the two cars above: a Ferrari Testarossa or the Bentley Continental GTC. One is for driving and chasing down coke dealers in Miami. The other is the Camry of Los Angeles, an incredibly well-engineered boulevard-cruiser. A magnet of silicone, it provides a supple, confident ride, and can go quite fast. The Ferrari looks cool, reminds you of Sir Mix-A-Lot, and it’s a Ferrari. But it comes with those famous service costs that make Bentley services look like a Wal-Mart bargain. Plus, it’s not exactly Enzo fast. The Bentley is probably not as fun, and far more common, but it will work, for a while at least. Conundrum. What do you do? Tell us in the comments. (more…)

04.05.2012 Uncategorized 10 Comments

Video: BMW M3 GTS vs C63 Black vs GT3 RS 4.0

Friday, May 4th, 2012

by Zack Klapman

 

This is one of those great car videos. DRIVE Networks’ “Chris Harris on Cars” tests 3 crazy cars that are expensive, loud, and focused. The 444hp BMW M3 GTS, 500hp Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0, and 510HP Mercedes C63AMG Black Series. Track cars with the spines of luxury. Ivy league rowers turned into MMA fighters. Each company took it’s best track deviant and put it into intensive SAT Prep. Now they’re lighter, faster, and come with wings (2 have roll cages).

 

And Chris Harris, being Chris Harris, gets to drive them all. He tests their road manners, then times their track ability, and then he tests their hooning ability. That means he drifts them around, making tires smoke and 15 year old boys and delusional used Camry owners take a long shower. As some YouTube commenters have informed us, drifting it the most crucial element to a good car review. In all seriousness, these are 3 cars we’d all kill to drive. Driving them in the same day? The triple crown. And I completely agree a test of “best drifting car” is a valid fact when considering a purchase, which ALL of us are. Jump.

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04.05.2012 Video 1 Comment

N. East Residents Must Attend: Rally-X

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

by Zack Klapman

 

I think Rally Cross is the best driving event for mortals. What I mean is, as incredible as WRC (or normal rally racing) is, it’s expensive, time-consuming, complicated, and requires a lot of resources. You have to drag your car into the woods, camp, have a co-driver you trust to not kill you, and the risk of cracking your car on a rock or tree is fairly high. Rally Cross is more contained. You might get some dings from other cars, but you won’t barrel-roll into a spruce.

 

Rally Cross is more accessible; It’s at a track. If you have a track-ready car (proper cage, brakes made of something other than straw), you can enter a Rally America race. And it’s at one location, over a weekend. It’s like a track day. Until I have Juke R money, that seems so much simpler than co-drivers and stage notes. I didn’t get into driving to read. (more…)

03.05.2012 News No Comments

For Sale: Angelina Jolie’s Jag

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

 

by Zack Klapman

 

Slightly worn. Gap has widened from factory spec, smells like Billy Bob Thornton’s- oh her JAG. Wow, I misread that email. If your mom was a “star fucker” and your dad was a mechanic, here’s your dream: Angelina Jolie’s used Jaguar XJ Sport. (more…)

03.05.2012 News 1 Comment

MythBusters Tries to Settle the “Men vs Women Driving” Argument

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

by Zack Klapman

 

The phrase, “Women are bad drivers” has been said countless times. Ghandi said it. Queen Elizabeth 1, 2 and 7 said it. I’ve said it, but I’m biased.

 

Myth Busters wanted to settle the argument. So they put together a bunch of tests, wrapped up male and female “subjects” in ninja gear (to hide their sex and prevent bias), and put them through the course. The online clip is only a small piece of the episode, but I will judge it nonetheless, because I’m impatient and stubborn. Jump, watch, analyze. Then let us know what you think.

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02.05.2012 Editorials, Video 6 Comments

(video) Best Compilation of Crashes of 2010

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

by Zack Klapman

 

This is the best compilation of crash videos I’ve seen in a while. Top ten of all time. Simple reasons: length and diversity. I’ll leave that bountiful source of dirty jokes alone, and just say this video has every kind of motorsport, with crashes you likely missed. I’ve never seen this many pro drifting crashes. Then there’s the super cross bike landing on the guy’s head. Then the Minis on fire. Then the Porsche pin-ball situation. 2011, you were so good to us. And the video isn’t a premature 3 minutes long, it’s 24 minutes long. Tantric. Sting probably made it. So if you find yourself saying, “Dude, that Vaughn Gittin Jr. wreck was sick!”, there will be another one in 5 seconds. It’s like Discovery Channel depth, with Wide World of Sports content. Who doesn’t want to watch that. Or at least, a lot of it. Enjoy the smashing.

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02.05.2012 Video No Comments

TST Podcast Ep. 16 w/ Jack Damon of Camera Car Systems

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

by Zack Klapman

 

It’s the TST Podcast. Our guest this round was Jack Damon. He was feeling a bit like shit, but he came down anyway. He works for Camera Car Systems. You might not know who they are, but if you’ve watched anything on a screen, you’ve seen there work. They drive and operate the best mobile camera systems around. Think Cayenne Turbo with a robotic arm on top, capable of getting stable shots at high speed, even while driving over curbs or off-road. They just completed a new Raptor camera truck, but theirs has a gyroscope. We’re Pop Warner, they’re cyborg football.

 

We also talk about the 24 Hours of Lemons, having sex with cars, the Lexus RX350 F Sport we tested, roller coasters, and death rallies. Enjoy your commute. (more…)

02.05.2012 Uncategorized 4 Comments

Mustang Drifts Italian Rally (video)

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

by Zack Klapman

In 1989 Riccardo Errani founded the Fanenza Errani Rally Team. Since then he’s raced Lancias, Escorts, Evos, Subarus and – as you will see after the jump – a big, angry, drifty Mustang that sounds like it’s going to shake the mountain’s trees from their roots.

That’s why he’s on our page today. The video below is him running the 2010 Rally Rubicone del Rubicone. Based on some historic looking websites translated from Italian to English, we know it’s a rally in Italy. Yes, that’s all we got. It’s similar to a hill-climb, with various cars and classes (700HP Fiat Punto anyone?) running the course, drawing huge, enthusiastic crowds. (I know, you’re wondering where they found enthusiastic Italians. Made in China, probably.) But I digress. The video of Riccardo Errani slinging this Mustang up the mountain is incredible. The first time i watched it I couldn’t tell if he was doing a smokey exhibition run or actually going for a fast time. But I knew I’d watch it again, and again. He attacks the road. Not with the attention to traction and poise of a road course, but as if he’s driving an AWD Evo in the snow; sliding his front tires off the tarmac, drifting every corner. It’s like someone fencing with a broad sword; big and violent but with incredible precision. Enjoy. (more…)

01.05.2012 Video 2 Comments

The Ferrari F40 Turns 25 (video gallery)

Monday, April 30th, 2012

by Zack Klapman   Photo by Jason Thogalsen

 

Who doesn’t love the Ferrari F40? Don’t think it’s gorgeous (I do)? That’s ok, because its tiny, screaming, flame-throwing, triple-exhaust packing (who does that? The F40, that’s who.) twin-turbo V-8 will make your ears melt, your eyes exploding in a display of appreciation. The engineering is amazing, the performance is still competitive today, and the exclusivity makes showoffs happy. But you don’t need reasons. It’s simple: ~2,500lbs, 471HP, turbo, Ferrari.

 

Last week was the 25th birthday of the legendary icon, the Ferrari F40. Man, you should have been there. * The party was insane. Rich guys wore tiny polo shirts. They had giant watches, never took their sunglasses off, and had Botoxed trophies on their arms weighing less than said watch. Wine, cheese, espresso, high-speed flybys. Men bought more Ferrari crap while the trophies found a pro driver to picture while using Kohler’s best. To the disappointment of many LA cougars (0% of our readers), I don’t own an F40. So I do what you did right after setting Firefox to “Private”; live vicariously through video. To celebrate the year this iconic piece of fuckitall automobile, below is a collection of cinematic F40 love. Enjoy.

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30.04.2012 News, Video 1 Comment

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