By John Naderi

StreetFire.net

When automakers produce soft goods the result is either epic (Porsche Design) or comedic (see: any satin Corvette jacket). Take Honda, with a massive motorsports history on two and four wheels, the red H has been rocked on the circuit by such names as Senna, Tsuchiya, Lawson and many, many more.

Now Honda Racing has combined with Fila to launch the Honda Racing shoe series and these kicks look the business. You can get them in a high or low top in four color combos and they also feature the all-important low profile sole for that most intimate heel-toe sensation. While Honda has quite the motorsport legacy the OE has recently abandoned its most die-hard fan base with a departure from F1, the execution of the S2000 and the seemingly stillborn (as of this week) next-gen NSX.

And yet, I would totally rock these shoes. In the interest of full disclosure I must admit to being a Honda fanboy, with a ‘08 Civic Si and ‘02 RSX Type-S in my garage. But then, I’m also Persian, which calls my sense of style into question. What about you, would you wear these shoes? Or for that matter any bit of outer (or under) wear that proclaims your adoration for a specific marque?

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

Burning to death has to be one of the worst ways to go, so race drivers have to be grateful for their cockpit fire suppression systems. Of course, if the system happens to go off during the middle of a British Touring Car Championship race, it’s probably going to ignite some serious rage in the driver. That’s exactly what happens here, and while Jonathan Adam is clearly doing his best to stay competitive, it’s got to be pretty difficult to race effectively when the car is turning into a foam party for one. An informal office poll found that nobody here had seen this before. Ever heard of this happening?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I love it. Full story at Autoblog

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

Welcome to the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, a regular feature which aims to expand the notion of what a muscle car is, and to have fun while doing so. The Pontiac Grand Prix made it’s debut in 1962 as basically a re-styled Catalina. It was built as a full size, two door hardtop, than blended performance and luxury into a tasteful package. The full-size Catalina-based Grand Prix did very well through the 1960s, and is often credited with the move towards minimal exterior trim seen during this period, and the Grand Prix had a much stronger performance image than its competitors, as it was available with the full range of Pontiac Power, from the 303 HP 389, to the Tri-Carbed 389 HO producing almost 350 HP. The Grand Prix kept pace with the full size Pontiac, but it was rapidly losing sales to other personal luxury cars. The low point is the subject of this edition, with a one year only styling. Introducing the 1968 full size Pontiac Grand Prix. Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot: The 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix" »

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

My friend Tim has a few cool cars, including a Tropic Orange VW GTI and a Vanagon with a VR6 conversion. But the coolest of all is his 1937 Pirsch fire truck. He took me and my sons out for a ride on Woodward during the Dream Cruise last weekend. It’s kind of hard to not feel awesome when you’re eight feet up in the air and ringing the fire bell! It’s retired from the Rainbow, PA fire company and the original Hale fire pump still works to specification. Check out some more pics after the jump.

Continue reading "1937 Pirsch" »

By 993C4S

Porsche Purist

No, no, no. It’s not what you’re thinking. Looking to shed a few extra pounds, from an already lightweight set-up, Porsche gives buyers of the 2010 911 GT3 RS a new “electrifying” option. At 22 lbs lighter than a conventional led-acid battery, Porsche’s optional Lithium Ion power pack is designed with the track in mind.

With a normally aspirated, 3.8 liter, 450 HP (that’s 15 more horses than the normal GT3), 8500 rpm redlining engine, expect this beast to be tearing up the local track of anyone that can afford the almost $140k entry fee. For more info, check out the full release and details on the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

The Z32 is one of those cars that has never basked in the same limelight as the Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra. It’s a pity, as it is a great ride and like Kitabayashi-san of Pentroof likes to show us with this bright orange example, one with tons of potential. This is by far the most powerful and impressive Z32 I have ever shot and had the pleasure of riding in, one that really made me respect the good old 300ZX, a car that is now 20 years old! Continue reading at Speedhunters

By Dino Dalle Carbonare

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

Just like it is scripted, the Cash for Clunkers fraud is about to expose itself in the most public of ways. As triumphant announcements hit the wires from around the auto-manufacturing globe, other announcements, like the one from Edmunds citing tanking sales also hit the wires. It’s a a perfect storm of fail, and we’re all in the eye of it.

In typical fashion, companies that should take a sensible approach to rebuilding inventory that was moved by the Cash for Clunkers national fraud campaign will instead ramp up production in factories to the point of having employees working overtime. Amazing.

Here’s a USA Today story with GM’s announcement.

This announcement came literally hours after Edmunds.com released a statement showing an analysis of sales data which it used to conclude that the program is dying a quick death in terms of sales volume. The Edmunds piece claims a 15% drop in sales activity last week alone. Sounds like the perfect time to crank up the factory! Let’s flood the market with stuff no one will buy again!

Here’s the Edmunds analysis.

Just when you thought these companies were in a hole before, they’ll be in the septic tank in a few weeks if the Edmunds analysis is correct.

By Ben Schaffer

The Real JDM

I dont need any excuse to put this up. I dont need any story to put this up. I dont even need any words to put this up. Its ASI’s Ferrari F430 studio shots. JDM Ferrari tuning at arguably its finest. Just admire perfection for a moment today.

Continue reading "ASI F430" »

By David Clarke

highspeedhijinks

Some folks are fortunate enough in life that money really is no object: you buy what you want, when you want it. The rest of us are left to dream, and it’s the dreamers I’m speaking to right now. With dirt-cheap car prices, massive dealer and manufacturer incentives, Cash for Clunkers, and the credit market finally starting to open up again, right now really is the best time in our generation’s life to buy a new car. So I’m asking you this “what if” question: if you had the money to purchase any realistic new car on the market right now, what would you choose? My vote is for the Pontiac G8 GXP with a six-speed stick–and hey, maybe I can still get one before the remaining inventory of Pontiacs dries up.

How about you? What new car do you have your eye on?