This is, simply, one of the greatest cars I’ve ever seen. It’s gorgeous, it’s fast, it’s powerful, it’s efficient and it’s technologically advanced. This is the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept, which made it’s appearance at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. You may have read about it already, you may be seeing it for the first time, but hopefully we are seeing the future of automobiles. Click to read more, watch the video, and voice your opinion. (more…)
Minivans are boring, they just are. While they are incredibly practical, and achieve their goals with far more ease and speed than any wagon or SUV could dream of, they have the balls of a minnow. Add to that a driving experience of a Tuff Shed in a pool of Jell-O and you have a vehicle that was anything but exciting.
Toyota wants to change that.
While looking for a parking spot off Santa Monica Blvd., we found this 1981 Delorean hiding and covered in dust behind an office building. You can tell it’s an ‘81 because of the gas flap in the hood, and the owner gets points for the 5-speed and reasonably good quality interior. The poor thing hasn’t been registered since 2008, and the faded red paint suggests it was one of the few rare cars to be painted red by its owner in the early 1980’s. We all know Deloreans only came in one color: bare stainless steel, but I rather like some of the painted ones, or even better, the 24-karat Gold Plated “American Express” editions, a 3-mile version of which sits at the Petersen Automotive Museum here in Los Angeles.
What I’m wondering though: Is it blasphemous to paint a Delorean?
For car that’s supposedly coming to an end in production, Pagani sure likes putting out new, special-edition Zondas every 6 months. The Zonda Cinque and Cinque roadster were supposed to be the final edition of the Zonda, closing the book on one of the greatest and most stunning hyper-cars ever built. They were a combination of the Zonda F and Zonda R, with a clutch-less sequential gearchange, intending to be a road-going track car. Right. Because the normal Zonda was just too soft and cuddly for racetracks.
What happens when the tuning world meets the Birkenstock-wearing world of hybrids? I never thought we’d find out, or at least not for another few years (Those modified Prius are just bags of money on fire, useless). Well we may find out sooner, because Honda is now working with Mugen on a CR-Z Type R. In principle it’s a good idea, if they can find a way to make a sporty hybrid, I’m all for it. But here’s what I don’t get: The Mugen CR-Z will have a 2.0 liter gasoline engine that produces 150hp. Honda had to upgrade the electric motor as well, so it gets a boost from the stock CR-Z’s 20hp to a 50hp unit, raising total output to 200hp. It will also have upgraded brakes, suspension, EM and throttle response. Sounds like friendly fire that will hit the Civic SI right in the face.
They say, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” We’ve all heard that line, and if you’re like me, it’s an infuriating thing to hear. It’s always said to you after something horrible happens. Perhaps an earthquake knocked down your garage…onto your new car…with Megan Fox inside.
This week we had a Nissan 370z Convertible to review. What better environment is there for a convertible sports car than a road trip? So we drove it to Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, in Pahrump, NV. We had planned to pit a Ford GT against a Nissan GTR and use a radar gun to see which could reach the highest speed down the back straight.
The radar gun never came.
Had life given us lemons? For a moment we thought our episode was lost. But then a very nice man from Lamborghini of Las Vegas said 7 very exciting words to Matt, “Would you like to drive the Balboni?” No, life had not given us lemons. In this case, life felt bad about the lemons, so it took them and made us lemon sorbet, which it fed to us while giving us a back-rub.
The momentarily-dark day turned into one of the best yet. The key players? A Lamborghini LP-560-2 Balboni Edition, a 1000hp Ford GT TT by Heffner Performance and a VF Engineering-Supercharged Audi R8. Check back Tuesday to see the incredible footage, and find out who was the fastest. For now, enjoy the behind-the-scenes pictures.
A fiberglass-bodied replica of a tiny 1950s British roadster with a small-block Chevy nestled between those increasingly-fragile-looking frame rails. What could possibly go wrong?
It’s all yours for a song on Craigslist Syracuse. Hey, there’s always more expensive ways to die.
1952 MG-TD REPLICA – $7500 (FAYETTEVILLE)
Click here if the ad gets pulled. Or, just tune into your local news in a few weeks.
I don’t know about you guys, but I can totally sympathize with the owner of this car. If my life was so horrible that I was forced into driving a Chevy Cobalt every single day, I think I’d last about a week before taking a Sawzall to the thing myself.
Thanks for the tip, Tim!
Got a Bizarre Roadside Sighting? Let us know, by sending in photos to Matt@thesmokingtire.com
Good news for all you Forza Motorsport 3 gamers out there, Forza user Saltine713 from Finish Line Racing has created a custom The Smoking Tire livery for the Shelby GT500 Mustang. It includes our logo and all of our sponsors here on the show. If you go to the storefront and type in “The Smoking Tire,” it costs 5,000 credits.
I don’t know a damn thing about Forza 3, I’ve played it about 3 times total, but this thing looks bad ass. Even better? For another 15,000 credits, you can download Saltine713’s custom drag racing tune for the GT500 that apparently drops the 0-60 time down to 1.9 seconds. Very realistic, this game.
The Smoking Tire race livery GT500 gallery after the jump
Harry, my chair topped out at 3. I NEED NOS!
Got a Bizarre Roadside Sighting? Send it to Matt@thesmokingtire.com
Welcome into the new 4 door Aston Martin Rapide
