By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

From our Rides For Sale section comes this pristine ’77 Dodge Colt. I love how even in its current pics it looks just like the cars in the magazine ads on benetti’s ride page, right down to that mint red-on-white interior. She wants $5K for it, which might be a little high, but who knows? With their JDM styling, these Mitsubishi-pedigreed Colts could very well be a future classic. Check out the ad.

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Ken Block’s been in the news quite a bit lately, but being a car-culture phenom doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re super-slick 100% of the time. It’s pretty much impossible to keep it together in a Reliant Robin, the infamous British three-wheeler that’s basically designed to tip over. It looks like even Block has met his match with this one.

Ken Block vs Reliant Robin

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Today’s pic is from Nick’s Toyota Corolla ride page!

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

On the heels of Ford’s 2011 Focus redesign, the Focus ST will reportedly be available in all markets starting in 2012. If the mock-ups leaked ahead of the car’s unveiling at the Paris Auto Show are any indication, it should be getting Ford’s 250 hp 2.0L EcoBoost mated to a 6-speed manual. That would make it a pretty hot hatch, though I can’t say I’m a huge fan of all the bodykit gingerbread and carbon fiber this-and-that (on the other hand, the catfish-mouth grille? Awesome). It’d be cool if a more stripped-down sleeper version was available with that same drivetrain. A lot of folks in the industry have been saying for years that the whole sport-compact thing is in serious danger of falling by the wayside, but a new crop of hot hatches and the high profile they’re currently enjoying in motorsports might give the tuner scene the defibrillation it needs to eke out a few more years. More pics below the jump, via CarScoop.

Continue reading "Turbo Focus ST Available Globally in 2012" »

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Mike Levine is reporting that Jeep has finally decided to build a Wrangler-based pickup similar to the Gladiator concept. Production is slated for the fall of 2011 and it will hit dealer lots as a 2012 model. This is awesome news for Jeep fans, and fans of small pickups. More at pickuptrucks.com

By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

Car lovers are all the same. They love their rides and do whatever they can to make ‘em slick. Case in point, my Canadian buddy Jeff. Every now and then, Jeff can be seen driving through LA in this HUGE vehicular contraption. A mini Mini. (Although, it looks like he should be wearing a helmet!)

So, if you see him, tell him that I said he should give you a ride. Although, in this car… a ride is about 12 feet.

By Brooks Weisblat

DragTimes.com

DragTimes.com posted up a dyno graph of a new Ferrari 458 Italia that was strapped down to Fabspeed’s DynoJet for some baseline testing before the performance modifications began. The numbers were a bit disappointing with the Ferrari putting down 450HP to the wheels. This works out to be just over a 20% drivetrain loss, which seems a bit high, especially considering the Ferrari’s DCT Transmission.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

You know the drill: Come up with a caption for the picture below by noon PST next Thursday. If you submit the funniest one, we’ll send you some CarDomain swag. Three entries per member max. Good luck!

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

For anyone who says that the VW scene is boring and predictable, how does this grab you? It’s a MKIII Golf which is now running an aircooled engine which can be found where the groceries used to sit. Now, I’m no expert but I can’t imagine too many scenes where somebody would move the engine from front to rear and even fewer where someone would replace an arguably faster, more reliable engine with an older, slower one. See more views at Speedhunters.

-by Paddy McGrath

By Michael Berenis

Tampa Sports Car Examiner

Car pranks are great, especially when on a level that they simulate a blown motor.  Not as technical but still just as fun, using Saran Wrap on a vehicle is thought to be safe but actually causes damage called microabrasion. Read more about how Saran Wrap can kill your paint job at Tampa Sports Car Examiner.