Addendum. From the same era:
A little cheesy, as per the zeitgeist of the times (and very much appealing to yuppie sensibilities), but we love it all the same. A string adaptation of “Purple Haze?” Automatic win.
– Gyro
Mercedes-Benz W201 190E 2.5-16
•October 30, 2009 • 1 CommentA ‘real world’ version of this guy. We don’t mind that the car shows noticeable wear. In fact, while not mutually exclusive, we have a certain admiration for fine cars that look like they’ve been driven hard instead of just washed and waxed.
Photos by Benno Reiss-Zimmermann (www.bennorz.de)
+ Corrado:
Save the planet, buy a Porsche
•October 29, 2009 • Comments Off on Save the planet, buy a PorscheGreat column in Slate, whereupon writer Joe Eaton argues that reducing one’s car to weekend driver status (and upgrading to a sports car in the process) is good for the soul as well as for the environment.
It’s a lovely idea, but sadly, unless you live within spitting distance of a handful or so of public transportation-friendly American metropolises (your Bostons, San Franciscos, Washington DCs, and so on), getting by without a car is nigh impossible- it’s a big, big country, and there’s lots of ground to cover. Lots.
My life is already pretty much what the writer describes (well, except for the part about the P-Car), but I’ve seen enough of flyover country to know: unless policymakers, urban planners, and all levels of government can somehow work together to reverse suburban sprawl and its residual effects, Eaton’s idea may be but a pipe dream (and a bewildering one at that) to most average Americans (conveniently overlooking the fact that Slate is not written for the average American).
(via Jalopnik)
Photo credit: Dennis Noten
– Gyro
MkIV R32 swap
•October 29, 2009 • Comments Off on MkIV R32 swapSpeaking of the R32, we’re late to this particular party but just in time for winter. We’ve seen some epic builds, and we think this ranks pretty high on up there, especially in terms of everyday practicality: a Minnesotan has converted a MkIV Jetta wagon into, essentially, an R32 wagon via MkIV R32 donor parts. God this is impressive!
Cliffs Notes version here
Full build here
The owner, enjoying the spoils of his labor:
There is something very strange, crazy, and beautiful about seeing power being sent to the rear wheels of what by all appearances should be an ordinary, grocery-getting Jetta, not to mention hearing that pissed off VR6 snarl emanating from under the bonnet.
– Gyro
It's winter in some parts of the country
•October 29, 2009 • Comments Off on It's winter in some parts of the countrySeeing this picture made us wonder: is there a more perfect sub-$30-35K German performance car for snowy climates than the MkV R32? Yes, it’s slower and heavier; yes, it doesn’t have a great power-to-weight ratio. But its all-weather surefootedness and, moreover, its spine-tingling engine note alone might be worth the cost of admission. Sure, you can go with the four rings, but that will invariably cost more for comparable performance.
You buy the BMW for summer driving. But you buy the AWD Volkswagen/Audi for year-round shenanigans.
(Photo via golfmkv.com)
Guilty pleasure part deux: Cayenne GTS
•October 28, 2009 • Comments Off on Guilty pleasure part deux: Cayenne GTS
This car represents just about everything that not approved by us:
- it’s an ESUVEE
- it’s a fast ESUVEE (pointless)
- it’s a Porsche whose name doesn’t include the words “Nine Eleven,” “Cayman,” or (at minimum) “Boxster”
Your daily WTF
•October 28, 2009 • Comments Off on Your daily WTFFrom a recent Times article (on the impending commencement of Fiat and Alfa Romeo cars being sold through Chrysler’s dealer network) comes this kneeslapper:
“Chrysler doesn’t necessarily need more brands,” Aaron Bragman, an analyst with the research firm IHS Global Insight. “But it could potentially accommodate more brands that are fairly unique, and Alfa Romeo is a fairly unique brand and has a very specific message. There is really nothing like Alfa Romeo in the U.S. market aside from maybe Mazda.”
Huh?
I repeat:
Huh?
No disrespect to Mazda (whose cars we generally like). While we get the rather ham-handed comparison that Mr. Bragman is trying to make (we think), this is precisely the sort of thing that comes out of the mouths of non-car finance types when they talk about, well, cars.
We respectfully think Mr. Bragman should start covering other sectors where such, er, “provocative” statements are less likely to be made. Biotech, perhaps.
– Gyro
Motoring Con Brio 