By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Ok, I apologize. I was reading TTAC again. This time Farago was going off on Motor Trend writer Arthur St. Antoine cause the guy doesn’t own a car. Antoine’s excuse is that “there are too many test cars, too little time.” Look, I’m not gonna out anyone, but there are tons of automotive writers who don’t own cars. Honestly, this was a bit of a shock to me when I first got into this business. I mean, having access to tons of free test cars should mean that you have an even better excuse to own more weird, cool and unpractical cars.

But is that important to you guys? Do you like to know what a writer drives when you’re reading their stuff? I know I do. In fact, it’s usually the first question I ask when reaching out to a potential blogger. Heck, the car usually starts the conversation—it did with Jen, Mike and Kathy. I like to know what the writer’s bias is—and most of the writers in the CarDomain blog are very up front about the kinds of cars they like and dislike.

Peter Egan is my favorite automotive writer, and I think his best essays are the ones where he talks about working on his personal cars. And how many cars does David Freiburger own? Ten? Fifteen? I trust what that guy has to say. So I guess I’m kind of with Farago on this one (Farago owns a Boxter—does he seem like a typical Porsche guy or what?). Heck, I’m embarrassed that I only own three cars (and only one of them is cool, unless you think my 1988 Volvo is cool). I want more. More old Mopars. A 2005+ Mustang. A 1974 Alfa GTV. Etc…

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I came away pretty impressed with the 2011 Ford Fiesta last week. Yes, the Fit costs more, but I don’t think it would be fair to put the hot new Fiesta up against something bland like a Yaris or Versa. The Fit has a 117 hp 1.5 liter four banger and the Fiesta has a 118 hp 1.6 liter four banger. Both cars are available with a 5 speed manual. The base Fit starts at $14,750 while the Fiesta should start around $12,000. So let’s say you are comparing a base Fit to a better equipped Fiesta. Which would you choose?

By Ben Schaffer

The Real JDM

When I first saw this Suzuki Jimmy I thought it was just an amusing joke of a car. You know the kind, those cars that try to look like something their not and amuse us because they are so ridiculous. Yes this Suzuki is indeed still ridiculous, but upon closer inspection the owner of this car clearly knows what he/she is doing. Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "The Most Hardcore Suzuki Jimmy Ever Made" »

By Dan Strohl

Hemmings

I mentioned a few days ago that I’ve been getting my garage in order in preparation for the eventual day when we have warm weather again in Vermont, and one task that I’ve busied myself with lately is the rehab of an old Speedaire compressor that Lentinello gave me a while back when he bought his big spiffy brand new compressor. Continue reading at Hemmings

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

So last December I took a cross-country trip with my pal Brian Scotto – the editor of 0-60 Magazine – in a 2010 Ford Mustang GT. Now that the 0-60 Magazine feature “East Bound and Down” is on news stand’s – go get it, it’s a great read – I can share some of the cool things we did and saw along the way. After leaving LA ,our first stop was the Sourdough Saloon in Rachel, Nevada. This is the local watering hole for a lot of manufacturer engineers while they are testing in Death Valley. Continue reading at Speedhunters

By Vaughn Gittin Jr.

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

I have a soft spot for 1964 Pontiac GTOs. My dad restored one when I was a little guy and drove the wheels off it while I was growing up, and now it sits in his garage while the Nova bracket car gets most of the attention. I’ve got lots of great memories of being pressed back in the seat when dad dropped the hammer on the 389. Continue reading at BangShift.com

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Hey, why stop with just a rusty hood? Via VWVortex

Continue reading "More Rust" »

By Ryan Porter

IN-N-OUT Editor

Many people were shocked to hear that Tanner Foust would kick his old Nissan 350Z to the curb and take on a unproven platform like the Scion tC, but I think this past weekend showed everyone including myself that the guy knows what he’s doing. At the Formula D season opener Tanner was able to pull a third place finish in his brand new car. As for the car, it’s got a pretty decent build, including a 358-cubic-inch V8 from a former Busch Series NASCAR. The engine is rated at 650 horses with 450 ft pounds of torque. He’s running a four-speed G-force dog-engagement gearbox and Toyota Supra rear differential and rear suspension.

So what do you think of Tanner Foust’s new Scion Racing tC? More pics after the jump!

Continue reading "Tanner Foust's Sick New Scion tC" »

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

OzHemi just shot me an e-mail to let me know that the Retro Rides Camaro now has paint. Looks hot! Check out Jeff’s ride page for all the pics!

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Last week Ford invited me to the Drive In Studios in Manhattan for “a night of dinner, drinks, discussion about the inspiration for the design of the 2010 Taurus.” Since J Mays and Earl Lucas were on the list, I readily accepted. Also, I think the new Taurus is pretty darn cool.

J Mays lead off with a short intro and then Earl Lucas (who designed the new Taurus) took over and did a full presentation on the car. I really liked the early sketches and clay models that he showed us, so I’ve included them after the jump.

Continue reading "Taurus Roundtable Dinner at Drive In Studios" »