Want a spacious, AWD family hauler and have a bit over $30k to spend? Well, here are two great options. Which would you choose?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I’m really loving entry # 1284, a rat rod CRX.

Bought this car from a guy that was taking it to a scrap yard. I payed $800 for it and started restoring it. After three years its almost done. I did a 95 del sol motor swap then turboed it with a homemade turbo kit I put together. Its making just over 200HP and is a blast to drive on the street.

There are still more chances to win, so if you haven’t already thrown your hat into the ring, make sure to enter the Amoco Ultimate Your Car Is Worth It Photo Contest!

It seems crazy to try to pick 10 winners out of over 2,000 rides at SEMA, but we did just that—with your help. So here are the cars that came out on top this year. Thanks to everyone who voted!

Muscle Cars: Dale Jr. Edition Chevy Camaro

Racing and Motorsports: Viscardi Boyz Pro Mod Mustang

Exotics: Lamborghini Reventon

Off-Road: Skyjacker F-150 but still close…

Trucks: Baldwin Motorsports F-150

Luxury: ASI’s Bentley Continental GT Speed

Restoration: Old School Skyline

Sport Compact: Vivid Racing EVO X

Hot Rods: ’31 Studebaker

Green: X Prize Fox Body Mustang

See pics of all the cars after the jump!

Continue reading "Best of SEMA: 2008 Winners!" »

Nissan has formally announced that they are pulling out of the North American International Auto Show, along with their Infiniti brand. They join Ferrari, Porsche, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki in "reducing costs." This leaves more room for the locals (if they pony up for it) and for the upstarts from China that provided us with so much entertainment last year. I’m starting to wonder if we will see one of them on the main floor. Who’s press conference will get crashed this year?

When the average citizen thinks about art, they probably go with something traditional–Monet, Ansel Adams or even dogs playing poker. This past weekend I visited two museums that are more our speed: the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, located just outside Birmingham, Alabama.

Both places are out of this world. The Lane museum’s collection can best be described as cars you have probably never seen: microcars, Western European cars, French cars, Japanese kei cars, amphibious cars, wooden cars and even a car driven by a propeller. The Lane museum houses one of the biggest Lotus collections, but their main focus is bikes: hundreds and hundreds or motorcycles. The collection ranges from the earliest bikes to new Hondas. I’d say both are worth a visit, either online or in person.

Automobiles, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. We have big ones, little ones, fat ones and skinny ones, and they all have a certain appeal to them. This weekend I found myself driving around in a car that I never thought would fit someone who’s 6’4" and 235 pounds. It was a Smart ForTwo diesel that was all tweaked up by Brabus, the crazy German tuner that takes mild-mannered Mercedes and turns them into super cars. When I first got a glimpse of this thing I was really was stunned at how small it is. I mean, it’s SMALL. However, looks can be deceiving, very deceiving.

The Smart is basically an egg on wheels. Interior room is actually quite impressive as I fit in there with no problems. The cockpit is laid out to provide you with everything you need and nothing you don’t. A big speedo with integrated fuel and temperature gauge are right in front of you, while a tachometer and clock are positioned in the middle of the dash in separate external gauge pods. The Smart also comes with a basic stereo, climate control and power windows. Again, simplicity at its finest. Seats are four-way adjustable and really don’t offer any support. Anything more than a 40 mile trip means you’ll be hurting.

Continue reading after the jump.

Continue reading "Pint Size Play Toy: Brabus Smart Car" »

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I love the car and the photo is incredible. Here’s entry # 1559.

It’s not hard to explain… ever since I was a kid I wanted a second generation Camaro. These days, I get to drive around in my dream car. From the laden streets of Detroit to the Pacific Coast highway in California; this car has torn up roads and deserves nothing but the best… Especially when it comes to gas. that’s why I fill up with bp, to keep the rebuilt 390hp V8 running smooth. That’s why she’s worth it.

Enjoy your $250 in free gas, Mark!

There are still more chances to win, so if you haven’t already thrown your hat into the ring, make sure to enter the Amoco Ultimate Your Car Is Worth It Photo Contest!

We’re getting a new racetrack here in Moscow, which will be suitable for F1. Technical stats and a pic after the jump.

Continue reading "Moscow Raceway" »

Sadly, it’s not a full-size one. It’s a Carrera slot car replica of the machine once driven by Patrick Long, the only American on Porsche’s factory driver roster. Patrick just wrote a story that will run in our next issue of Grassroots Motorsports, so when I saw this last night at our local slot car emporium I couldn’t say no.

Check out this beautiful Nissan Cefiro in Hong Kong. These things are basically four door Skylines. Page 2 of his ride page has some video of Louis practicing his drifting skills.