Getting right to it.
Assorted grab bag of stuff we like
•January 27, 2014 • 1 CommentStopping traffic in Japan
•January 22, 2014 • 3 CommentsA Jaguar XJ220LM, Schupann 962C, and a Mazda 767B – or more specifically, the sight of these cars being street driven – will pretty much do the trick.
Guest contributor: Tim Stemmann on his 1990 Volkswagen Golf GTI
•January 21, 2014 • 13 Comments
Unmolested Mk2 (and Mk1) Golf GTIs that haven’t been badly modified are rarer than, well, fill in your favorite cliché here. Tim Stemmann is lucky enough to own one such example, and we suspect his tale will sound familiar to many. If the following images don’t instantly make you want one, then nothing will. Read on to learn and see more…
Like so many of you, I have loved cars since I was little, especially cars of the ’70s and ’80s. Some of my all-time favorites are classics like the BMW E30 M3, the Peugeot 205 GTI, and the Porsche 964 911. But I lost my heart to another car brand. I am a VW guy and the car I wanted to own for many years was an old Golf GTI.
Rally Nippon 2013 in Taiwan: Day 4— The Final Stretch
•January 17, 2014 • 1 Comment
This is Part 4 of the Rally Nippon 2013 in Taiwan. For Part 3, go here.
The final day of the Rally which will complete the circumnavigation of the entire island of Taiwan actually involved the least amount of driving. Because the incredibly scenic and sensational – yet notoriously dangerous – SuHua Highway sustained damage by landslides from the recent typhoon, this stretch of road was deemed too treacherous for the old classics. The organizers had arranged for a ferry to transport the cars from the Port of Hualien to Su’ao, a town that is approximately 75 kilometers southeast of Taipei.
Although it was unfortunate that we had to miss the Suhua Highway, we also welcomed a bit of R&R after an excessively long drive the day before.
Rally Nippon 2013 in Taiwan: Day 3— Eastward Bound
•January 16, 2014 • 2 Comments
This is Part 3 of the Rally Nippon 2013 in Taiwan. For Part 2, go here.
Day 3 covers the longest distance. We headed off from the Penbay International Circuit in Ping-tong by passing the subtropical southernmost tip of Kenting (a surfing town), to traversing the central mountain onto the Pacific east coast, then heading north along the Pacific to the seaside town of Hualien.
Rally Nippon 2013 in Taiwan: Day 2— Here Comes the Sun
•January 15, 2014 • 3 Comments
This is Part 2 of the Rally Nippon 2013 in Taiwan. For Part 1, go here.
Day 2 started off with cars warming up at the beautiful Lalu resort perched on the edge of Sun Moon Lake. This parking garage early in the morning was quite a scene. All 60 classics revving their engines in unison created an intoxicating – literally suffocating – mixture of carbon monoxide and engine roars. What a way to get high in the morning!
Guest contributor: Royce Hong on the Rally Nippon 2013 in Taiwan
•January 14, 2014 • 6 Comments
I’ve been following Rally Nippon since its inception in 2008. Rally Nippon is an annual classic car rally/tour not unlike the Mille Miglia or the California Melee. Featuring the crème de la crème of historic automobiles, from 1920s Bugattis and Bentleys to a 1974 Isuzu 117 Coupe. The Rally is known to take in ancient castles, shrines and breathtaking UNESCO sites along its 1,000+km route from Tokyo to Kyoto.
Guest contributor: Graham Blyth on doing 6,000 miles (in ten days) in a 1984 VW Rabbit GTI
•January 7, 2014 • 8 Comments
Guest contributor Graham Blyth’s latest adventure perfectly epitomizes, we feel, what Motoring Con Brio is all about. Read on..
Earlier in 2013, I decided that I wanted to go for a substantial roadtrip. I settled on taking a 318is, but figured I’d sell mine and buy one in better mechanical condition. After a 1,500 trip to make that acquisition, I wound up with a car that needed the drive shaft to be balanced, had less AC than the seller implied, and needed 4 new tires. Normally these would be simple enough fixes, but I wasn’t able to get the car ready in time for the trip. So, I decided to take my 1984 Rabbit GTI and every tool I own.
Motoring Con Brio 