By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Sam Posey got a chance to take his old #77 Trans Am Challenger out at Infineon Raceway (formerly known as Sears Point) and compare it to the new Challenger. Sam loved the new Challenger, but #77 spanked it at the track--but then it's 1100 pounds lighter than the porky new Mopar. Full story at Road & Track, and be sure to check out the video, too. Beautiful pics by Marc Urbano.

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

Ok, obviously I pushed you people too far. But I have to say, this was one of the more interesting and amusing Showroom Showdowns from the perspective of the guy who has to go through and read/count all the comments (me). Over half of you voted neither, and many of you were quite passionate about it. To quote maffew, "NONE OF TEH ABOVE.... would rather rock a moped with a milk crate bungee corded to the front, pulling a bicycle trailor full of the kids I dont have...."

Chevy barely edged out the Kia in the vote, but I can't declare it a winner. Some people scolded me for not selecting the Aveo sedan, but the sedan is priced over $12k. And some of you wished I'd picked different econoboxs all together, like the Yaris, but that wasn't the point--I wanted the cheapest, crapiest cars I could find. And a few brave Aveo and Rio owners wandered into the fray to try to defend their modest vehicles---kudos to you guys. There also seemed to be a strong sentiment that econoboxs have gotten worse over the last 10 - 20 years. Several people mentioned how their old Festivas, CRXs and Geos get significantly better mileage, while also being a lot more interesting to the average enthusiast. Heads up auto manufacturers, there is definitely an opportunity here.

By Mike Musto

AKA Mr. Angry

That’s right, we’re back for Bullrun 2008 and Team Angry is going to do things a little differently this time around. This year we have a few surprises up our sleeves. Work began immediately after last year's Bullrun to shake things up a bit amongst the Bullrun natives. As most of you know, in 2007 we ran our tried-and-true 1968 Dodge Charger, AKA Mr. Angry, but for this year we've decided that we’re not going to run a 40 year old car. We’ve upgraded to one that’s just 39.

Project Angrier is three weeks away from completion, and when I tell you that we've raised the bar, well, that's an understatement. You see, we've built something that no one has ever done before, or at least, not quite like this. Continue reading...

By Mike Musto

AKA Mr. Angry

I recently got back from an overnight stay in Maine where I had the privilege of driving both these cars through one full tank of gas. The only thing they have in common is they are both German. That's it.

First up, a pristine 34k original mile 1989 Porsche 930 Turbo. Let me say from the get go that this car will slap you senseless if you are not VERY careful behind the wheel, as the technology is right out of the 1970s. The Porsche is a rear engine flat six mated to a big ole' turbo, a 5-speed tranny (first year for this), torsion bar suspension, manual brakes, manual steering and no sound installation. It is a pure driver's car, nothing more, nothing less. It makes no bones about the fact that it will try and kill you if you are not careful. Continue reading after the jump.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Ryan Douthit and the Driving Sports guys have been covering the Oregon Trail Rally this weekend (with Ken Block and Tanner Foust in the mix). Go here for the most recent video coverage. And if you want a little background, Ryan has all the videos from last year's rally here.   

By Rich Truesdell

Automotive Traveler

Saturn is a company that is in the process of reinventing itself. Started on the premise of a clean sheet of paper and making the process of buying a new car hassle-free, Saturn has evolved a long way from its origins as a new kind of car company and nowhere is this more evident than with the introduction of the made-in-Belgium Astra three and five-door hatchback models.

GM is a global car maker and one of the most important component parts is its European Opel subsidiary. When the plastic-clad Ion was introduced in 2003 it was launched at a time when Americans were preoccupied with trucks and SUVs. While sales were initially respectable, the market was looking elsewhere, especially in a category populated by exceptionally competitive entry-level cars from Asia.

To find a solution GM looked to Europe and saw that the Opel Astra could be a suitable, if not more expensive replacement for the Ion. Unlike the last trans-Atlantic Opel/Saturn effort, the mid-sized LS sedans and wagons, GM resisted the urge to Americanize the Astra and because of this, the Saturn Astra is almost a carbon copy of its German counterpart. The result is a C-segment car that has far more in common with a Volkswagen Rabbit than a Chevy Cobalt. It’s a handsome design that bristles with German sensibilities. Continue reading...

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Well, Rich survived his epic journey. Full account of the last days of this awesome road trip over at Automotive Traveler. And there's a cool pic of the Challenger getting a much-needed wash after the jump. Thanks for sharing, Rich! And thanks to everyone who followed this story and turned out to see Rich and the car along the way.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Friday was another big day for Rich and the Challenger--it included a Kowalski-style photo op with a helicopter, more run-ins with the cops, covered wagons and another Las Vegas meet up. Full details on the day's adventures at Automototive Traveler, and of course more exclusive pics after the jump. Tomorrow we'll wrap this story up with a full report of Cars and Coffee in Irvine, and turning the keys back over to Chrysler.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Yesterday was another awesome day for the Challenger and the various Mopar friends who made it out for the cruise. I already told you about the stop in Salt Lake City. From there Rich and company went out to set up the scene below. The Sandy Police Department blocked off a busy street at rush hour so they could get photos and video of the Challenger being chased by a supercharged Dodge Charger police cruiser (stay tuned for the video).

Shortly after setting out for Nevada, the convoy witnessed a nasty wreck right in front of them on I-80, when a Ford Explorer broke an axle and cartwheeled off the road. George Gubler, a former Oregon Highway Marshal traveling with the Mopar guys, rushed to stablize the condition of the Explorer driver, who was losing a great deal of blood and going into shock. EMTs arrived ten minutes later, and the driver was airlifted back to the University of Utah medical center. We all wish him a speedy recovery.

More pics of old school Mopars after the jump, including Steve Hinckley's awesome 4 speed C barge (there's also a a pic of the rolled Explorer). Even more details and pics from yesterday's adventures over at Automotive Traveler. For those of you who are new to this story, you can read all of the posts here. Oh, and if you've been convinced that you need one of these new Challengers, the 2008 SRT8s are sold out (though you can probably find them way over MSRP on eBay).

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Here's the latest from Rich in Salt Lake City, Utah:

We're now at Larry H. Miller Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep. Steve Hinckley, who runs the show car portion of Mopars at the Strip, arranged with the local Salt Lake City Mopar community to meet us and meet us they did. Two '70 Challenger R/Ts, a '71 Plymouth Road Runner, Steve's '69 Dodge Polara 2-door hardtop and we were finally nabbed by a member's '06 police package Charger. While we wait for Buzz to arrive from the SLC airport from Reno, we're positioning all the vintage, high performance Mopars in front of the Dodge show room. It's actually snowing here! That means these Moparaholics brought out these nearly priceless Mopars to meet us. The red rocks shot is Canyonlands NP from early this morning.

Four more cool pics (including the red rocks shot) after the jump. Stay tuned for more from Rich...

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Day three for Rich was all about driving Buzz's 1970 Hemi Challenger. He literally could not stop raving about that car. Not to take anything away from the new Challenger, but you just can't beat that old school Hemi rumble. Toward the end of the day, they happened upon an abandoned bulldozer in Cisco, Utah, and just had to take this shot. Full story and more pics at Automotive Traveler.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Rich "Kowalski" Truesdell made it to Lakewood, Colorado last night after a 530 mile drive from Utah. The Challenger is running flawlessly, other than a blown fuse that resulted from plugging in an inverter and laptop power brick into the power port. Full details on yesterday's drive over at Automotive Traveler. And I've got one more pic of the Challenger with the two old Mopars who met up with Rich in Lakewood after the jump. Stay tuned for more on the Vanishing Point road trip.

Update at 3PM Pacific: Rich just called in from the road. He's behind the wheel of the 1970 Hemi Challenger pictured below, with the new Challenger in his rear view. It's a 4 speed car with manual disc brakes and a shaker hood. He said it's perfectly sorted out, and does not drive like a 38 year old car. He's listening to Bob Dylan Nashville Skyline on the 8-track, but he likes the music coming from under the hood much more. Oh, and he's planning a bulldozer shoot later on, so stay tuned.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Rich Truesdell picked up the new Challenger yesterday morning and met up with a bunch of Mopar buddies in Las Vegas. After the jump I have four more pics of the old Mopars that escorted him out of town--I love that '68 GTX. Tonight everyone is meeting up at the Best Western in Lakewood, Colorado before they start retracing the Vanishing Point route. Stay tuned for more stories, pics and video from the road. And here's a link to Rich's story over at Automotive Traveler.