By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

Last week on Episode 1 of Bullrun we saw the departure of Team VW. A failed starter left them stranded mid-way through the first challenge and unfortunately led to their demise. The story however doesn’t end there. It seems that exile from the show has caused these guys to go on a full-blown bender by evidence of this Youtube video. Arron, owner of the VW and Bullrun super fan has apparently transformed himself from Mister Happy into CAPTAIN UNDA’ PANTS!

Anyway, lets move on to Episode 2. Eleven teams still remain in the quest for the Bullrun Trophy with leg one taking place at night. From experience I can tell you that these legs are the most difficult. On Season 1 we did multiple night legs and once you hit that 11pm mark, especially after 10 hours of shooting, you’re pretty well done. Fatigue sets in, you become drowsy and bad things begin to happen. I’ve done both the actual Bullrun Rally and the TV Show and I can safely say the filming of the show, from a fatigue standpoint wins hands down… it’s tough.

The first leg took the teams to San Luis Obispo, CA. While on the road teams continued to scheme and alliances began to form. Teams Mustang, Lexus and Corvette showed signs of a friendship, as did the NSX, Viper and Lamborghini. We also found out a little bit more about teams as the night progressed. Rob Harris from Team Mini was apparently a road race instructor at some point – a secret that’s been kept well hidden. I have a feeling that we’ll be able to see his talent soon enough because Team NSX seems to have it out for them.

Continue reading at Ridelust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

The 1970s were filled with a lot of funky stuff. We saw the end of the Vietnam War, the rise and fall of Disco and clothing that guaranteed we wouldn’t get laid. To combat the not getting laid part we turned to the automotive industry and more specifically the custom van. You see if you had a van, you had your very own portable pump shack. You could go anywhere, see everything and more importantly do anyone you wanted because you possessed the one vehicle that struck fear into the hearts of every father in the 1970’s with a teenage daughter. Most custom vans came equipped with three main ingredients. Slotted wheels, side pipes and of course the lunarscape mural that was emblazoned on the side.

See the full van-tastic list over at Ridelust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

Bullrun Season III is officially underway with one episode down. Over the last two seasons true fans of the show have seen it develop and pretty much know what to expect. We know there are going to be explosions, cool cars, some type of automotive carnage and of course, the Big Man himself, Goldberg. As a former contestant from season one I think I have a pretty good idea of not only what to expect, but more importantly, what is going on in the heads of the contestants. Throughout the season I’ll not only be following the show, but I’ll give you my opinions on what I see on screen. These are things that you as a regular viewer might have missed.

Continue reading at Ridelust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

1. Ronin: 1998

1994 BMW M5, Mercedes 6.9, Audi S8

These are probably the best car chases to come out of Hollywood in the last 20 years. They’re fast and raw with some killer camera work. Plus the cars they use are stellar choices. I mean really, an Audi S8, BMW M5 and Mercedes Benz 6.9, these are the big guns of the worlds Super-Sedans.

See the rest of the list at Ridelust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

Way back in 2007 I was lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to participate in something that very few people get to be a part of–a reality show. The name of the show was “Bullrun,” hosted by Bill Goldberg and it was based on the cross-country road rally that carried the same name. 12 teams of two individuals and their automobiles, rallied 4000 miles through the continental United States competing for a chance at $200,000. Along the way we encountered everything from breakdowns to obstacles to dealing with the other teams. It was a wild ride and I have experiences that I’ll never forget… neither will my car for that matter. It’s now three years later and Bullrun is getting ready to premier its 3rd Season. Season one was shown on Spike TV, with seasons two and now three on Speed TV.

Meet all the Teams from Season 3 Ridelust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

Recalls, recalls, recalls… man, they’re everywhere aren’t they. Obviously Toyota has had the worst of it over the last few months, but now Honda? What the hell is going on? These two automotive giants are the ones that set the standards for quality and reliability in this country and forced our own American manufacturers to play catch-up. Now it seems that the tides have turned. All of this recall action makes me wonder–is the American government pressuring foreign automakers to release recalls in a more public manner? Continue reading at Ridelust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

1. The Blues Brothers: 1980

1974 Dodge Monaco

“It’s got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It’s got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters so it’ll run good on regular gas”

Believe it or not this car chase was one of the last really gritty car chases made. Oddly enough, this chase was actually supposed to be a spoof of what a great car chase should be and ended up being one of the best ones ever filmed. It also destroyed over 60 used police cars and made the “Bluesmobile” a movie icon. Here it is sped up a bit…

Check out the rest of my favorite 80s car chases over at RideLust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

Well, the game is over and the Saints pulled out a victory as another Super Bowl has fallen by the wayside. All through the game I was thinking, life is good, and I feel proud to be an American. There was pizza on the table, a Budweiser in my hand and a big block muscle car in the garage – man does that sound like an American stereotype, or what? Regardless, it was Super Bowl time and that meant only one thing… COMMERCIALS!!

Throughout the game we saw ads from Dodge, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Audi and Volkswagen. The big question is, were they any good? So with that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of all the automobile ads that ran, so you, the readers can choose and pick your favorites.

See the full list over at RideLust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

Over the last few years values in the collector car market have gone up and down more times then Oprah’s scale. Cars that were once in the six-figures are now in the five-figures with more market flux to come. Buyers who are new to the market can easily become confused and it is very easy to get taken advantage of by sellers who are less than honest.

I get e-mails constantly inquiring as to what cars to pick up as future collectibles. I also get asked my opinion on what the best bang for the buck is amongst these automobiles. After doing a bit of research, I’ve put together a list of automobiles that I would classify as having “future collect-ability”. These are cars that can be purchased right now and are priced between: $8,000 – $20,000.

1. 1983-1984: VW Rabbit GTI
90 hp / 106 ft-lbs tq. 1.8-liter 4 cylinder, Top Speed: 114 mph

What you are looking at here is the first real hot hatch to be brought into the United States. Even though it only had 90 hp, the high-revving GTI was a total blast to drive. It was quick, handled great and looked the business with its signature grill and wheels. Good examples can be had for between: $8,000 – $10,000.

See the rest of the rides on my list at Ridelust.com

By Mike Musto

RideLust.com

For those of you around back then, the 70s were awesome. We had bell-bottoms, disco and the Pontiac Trans Am. We were also inundated with the 70s style car chase. You see, in the 1970s they would generally use the same car throughout the entire chase scene. If directors could, they would try to get away with using only one car for a more authentic look and feel. Damage that occurred during filming could now be seen throughout the entire chase. These were filmed before computers, high end editing software and product placement. The results are some of the best car chases ever captured on film.

1. Vanishing Point: 1970

1970 Dodge Challenger

Kowalski. He was an ex-motorcycle racer, ex-racecar driver and ex-cop who’s all hopped up on speed (the drugs, not MPH). His job? Transport a supercharged 1970 Dodge Challenger to someone else in the movie who is not in any way important. There is also a naked chick on a motorcycle whose kinda’ hot.

See the rest of the car chases on my list at Ridelust.com

Vanishing Point (1971)