Motoring Con Brio

OMFG.

•January 7, 2010 • 6 Comments

One of the most spectacular things we’ve seen in recent memory. The light, black-and-white tones, engine sounds– all stunning. Unlike the vast majority of in-car footage, here you can *almost* feel the pull of the g’s. Almost.

What we like in particular is that this is not a Ferrari, this is not a Porsche, Lotus, or some other exalted automotive royalty– just an honest-to-goodness Miata (a great car that people from most walks of life can enjoy) doing what it does best: provide driving enjoyment. And really, isn’t that what this is all about?

Canon 5D MkII, 50mm f1.2.

Credit: sean jay

Posted in Hoon, Moving images
Tags: 50/1.2, canon 5d mkii, hd, linhbergh, miata, touge

1-Series-based M1 finally coming?

•January 6, 2010 • Comments Off

To which we say: it’s about damn time. This type of news is always welcome. And the tii concept from last year showed us that the little 1er has loads of potential.

Given its weight, its price, its price point relative to its bigger brother, its price point relative to some of its competitors, its polarizing looks (we like them, anyway), and its general failure to live up to outsized expectations and fill in some pretty big shoes (spiritual successor to the 2002tii, anyone?), it has been sort of fashionable to trash the 135i. But we always kind of liked it and held out hope that it was merely a stepping stone to bigger (figuratively, at least, since here small = good) and better things to come. This just might be it.

Read:

BMW to unleash 350bhp M1

(via Autocar)

Posted in Still images
Tags: 1-series, 135i, 1er, bmw, m1, tii

Audi RS2

•January 6, 2010 • Comments Off

We’d love one of these– too bad they’re all but unattainable.

If you like this (or are wondering what it is), look here.

Photos: Valley Gemstones (top), Dave ten Broek (bottom)

Posted in Still images
Tags: audi, avant, b4, rs2

The automotive photography of Ian Alexander (Wednesday hump day edition)

•January 6, 2010 • Comments Off

For your viewing pleasure to keep you warm on this cold hump day.

Courtesy of Ian-Alexander (Yan Alexandre)

– Miss Ra

Posted in Racing, Still images
Tags: Alfa Giulia Sprint 1300 GT Junior, Ferrari 166MM, Ferrari 250MM, Ferrari 365 GTB/4, Ferrari Enzo, ferrari f40, Jaguar Mk.2, Jaguar Mk2, Jaguar XK120, porsche 917, XK120

It’s times like these that we wished we lived out in California.

•January 5, 2010 • Comments Off

We love and are always in search of great driving roads, and this 115-mile loop just north of San Francisco looks to be a real corker.

Oh, we guess the cars are kinda alright, too.

More »

Posted in Roads, Still images
Tags: 2002, 356, 911, aircooled, alfa romeo, bmw, carrera, e9, giardinetta, giulia, mg, porsche, spider

Separated at birth?

•January 5, 2010 • 7 Comments

We’re sure we’re not the first ones to have noticed this, but could Bertone designer Marcello Gandini be guilty of cribbing off of… himself? Oh sure, the Alfa Romeo Montreal and the Lamborghini Jarama (neither of which we’re particularly huge fans, incidentally) are different cars, but one can’t help but notice the design cues that they share, particularly when viewed from head-on.

Of course, given the jaw-dropping list of credits attached to Gandini’s name, it goes without saying that if anyone should have license to dip into one’s playbook, it would be Gandini.

Photos: Auto Clásico Mallorca, Yan Alexandre

Posted in Design, Still images
Tags: alfa, alfa romeo, bertone, gandini, jarama, lamborghini, marcello, montreal, separated at birth

This makes us rather weak in the knees

•January 5, 2010 • 4 Comments

As far as big (and slow!) saloon cars go, anyway: W123 with the European Bosch headlights, lowered suspension, and 16″ Rial mesh wheels. What an absolutely fantastic daily driver this would be– just make ours the wagon, if we had the choice.

Via BenzWorld.org.

Posted in Still images, What would you buy
Tags: 300d, benz, mercedes, mercedes-benz, turbo diesel, w123

Very nice P-car advert

•January 5, 2010 • 1 Comment

My god, we want one.

(via Axis of Oversteer)

Posted in Moving images
Tags: porsche

Mark Hales

•January 5, 2010 • Comments Off

Racing driver Mark Hales has been behind the wheel of some truly amazing cars throughout his career. Here are some rather incredible shots of him in action.

More here.

Also worth checking out: Mark’s Ferrari 250 GTO feature in the Daily Telegraph.

(via Axis of Oversteer)

Posted in Racing, Still images
Tags: 250, 356, 512s, 935, d-type, f1, ferrari, gtb/4, gto, gtr, jaguar, k3, mark hales, maserati, mclaren, porsche

Weirdly wonderful in an Eastern bloc sort of way: Trabi 601 in the snow

•January 4, 2010 • 1 Comment

East German engineering at its finest?

For advocates of capitalism it is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning as even refueling the car required lifting the hood, filling the tank with gasoline (only 24 litres), then adding two-stroke oil and shaking it back and forth to mix. It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total (source).