October 29, 2009
Details
By Ben Schaffer
The Real JDM
One of my favorite things about well built demo cars is the depth of detail in the design/concept. This is a reoccurring topic that I bring up often on this blog. It comes up often because I really feel that details are what separate good builds from great builds. If you look at the above picture it is easy to be impressed. Sure, a Bentley Continental GT with a Japanese widebody kit and a dry carbon vented race hood is an impressive sight. The car could have been considered a win right there.
October 9, 2009
Ken Griffey Jr.'s Ride
By Rob Einaudi
Editor-in-Chief
I’m a pretty big Griffey fan—I watched him hit a three run home run against the Yankees just two weeks ago—but I’m not sure I’m a fan of his Bentley Continental GT. What do you think? Via Celebrity Cars Blog
October 8, 2009
Collectible Cars That Were Victims of the Cash for Clunkers Program
By Jim Brennan
UDMan
Cash for Clunkers is over and the government and many dealers proclaim it as an overwhelming success. But at what cost? Many rather unusual and possibly valuable cars were sacrificed during the program; a few that will make the car enthusiasts among us cringe.
There were a number of questions raised when scanning through the list published on September 9th by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To be eligible for the Cash for Clunkers program, vehicles were specified to only get 19 miles-per-gallon or less, measured by their previously published EPA rating. Yet a few vehicles that were submitted generally get better fuel mileage than the benchmark set by the program rules.
As troubling as that was, it is underscored by the list of truly desirable enthusiast cars that were traded in as clunkers. This raises some troubling questions as to the reasoning behind the transaction. Scanning through the list, here are 12 different vehicles that should have been saved from their eventual fate of being scrapped. These 12 cars will be met with the usual questions as to how this was allowed to happen in the first place, or what kind of person would trade such a vehicle, replacing it with a Hyundai or a Toyota? Continue reading about the “Dirty Dozen”, with details about each one at Automotive Traveler.
August 24, 2009
Fireball's Cool Designs of the Week
By Fireball Tim
Movie Car Design Master
Interesting stuff going on. As I write this (and listen to Alter Bridge), I ponder design in general. And that brings me to the question, “What the hell does ponder really mean anyway?” Like, do people really use this word still? I’m Pondering…. Maybe we should send it to the JunkYard for words? Like, “heathen,” “thou,” or maybe “economy.” (If I hear the word economy one more time, I’m gonna start an Uzi revolt.)
Wait. Ok, where am I? OH! Car Domain!! DESIGN OF THE WEEK!!! RIGHT!!! Here we go…
1. THE BENTLEY MULSANNE
Kinda expensive. Kinda luxurious. Kinda bad gas mileage. BAD ASS. This is the car you want to roll up to the beach in. 9′ Longboard on top. Trunk fulla wetsuits, sexwax and extra bikinis. …I’m just sayin.’
August 6, 2009
Most Expensive Car in the World!
Chris Borrelli
Car collector Hans-Günther Zach—popular German car collector—is selling off his whole lot of vehicles. These are not your average run-of-the-mill cars, though, these are vintage Rolls-Royce and Bentleys. The money maker of these classic rides is the “Star of India,” which is a one-off 1934 Phantom II 40/50 HP Continental “All-Weather Convertible.” This amazing ride is going for nearly $14.4 million, which would make it the most expensive car in the world beating the price tag of $12 million made by a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. Via Jameslist
July 24, 2009
Fireball Floors it in San Francisco
By Fireball Tim
Movie Car Design Master
So, off I went to San Francisco to check out a new club. This one is called Club Sportiva. Join this one and you get to do INSANE DRIVING!!!!!!
Pricey for sure, but we aren’t drivin’ Pintos. In this episode of “World of Cars,” I’m screamin’ the best of the best. Serious machines through the streets of San Fran. And taking a Lambo down Haight Street yelling “Down with corporate greed!” made it a day worth remembering.
If you can’t buy an exotic, DO THIS.
May 15, 2009
More Chrome Cars
By Rob Einaudi
Editor-in-Chief
Ryan sent me these pics two weeks ago and I forgot about them til I saw this chrome Mercedes SLR McLaren on Jalopnik. So is anyone else sick of this chrome car craze? Via Exotic Spotter
May 8, 2009
Gumball 3000 Does D1GP!
By John Coyle
Deputy Editor
So there aren’t any examples of gratuitous law-breaking, crashes, or police in this clip, but I can assure you it’s Gumball related. When the rally was passing through Anaheim, the contenders stopped by the D1GP and did a slow parade for the fans. Fortunately, StreetFire was there to get it on tape. While there’s obviously a grip of exotics—including an XJ220!—one car that’s conspicuously absent is Richard Rawlings’ Escalade-powered, breakdown-prone ‘78 Chevy Caprice. It’s apparently giving him a hell of a time, just like it did on Bullrun last year.
May 6, 2009
Gumball 3000: Cops Jack Bentley Plate, Bentley Keeps Going
By John Coyle
Deputy Editor
From the reports coming in, it doesn’t sound like the cops are playing particularly nice with the Gumballers this year. Big surprise. As you can imagine, the smokies probably aren’t pumped about a bunch of rich dudes piloting exotics through their jurisdictions at Mach 3. But while I’ve seen cars get impounded, I hadn’t even heard about anyone getting their license plate jacked—until now. According to the LuxuryVice’s video description over on StreetFire, after getting pulled over for speeding in Arizona, the officers popped the plate of their Bentley and told them they’d have to go down to City Hall to get it back. Ouch. But the team was undeterred, and vowed to continue on to Miami Beach sans plate. Something tells me next time they get popped, the lack of a plate will be the least of their worries…
April 20, 2009
Five Inexpensive Ways To Qualify For Exotic Brand Ownership Clubs
By Sam Barer
Sam Barer
Too many car enthusiasts stand on the sidelines thinking that classic ownership is out of their means. This is especially true of those whose primary automotive dream is limited to exotic brands. The fact of the matter is that you don’t need a trust fund or an AIG-style bonus to buy and maintain a sports car or luxury GT capable of gaining entry into exotic marque ownership clubs. Sometimes all you need is about a grand, some patience and luck.
And before you think this is like my college roommate’s favorite party mantra of “set your sights high and keep your standards low,” the following affordable exotics actually are cars you can be certain will not only appreciate in value, but also be enjoyable and reliable. Sure, most of these cars are the whipping boys and joke magnets, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad – it just means that other cars from the marque are better.
Since not all of us can afford the best, I’ve put together a list of five inexpensive options for those wanting to own an example from great brands. See the full list after the jump!
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