No doubt, this looks cool— but is everything alright in suspension land? Springs that are soft and excessively short come to mind, although there may be more to it yet— an insufficient front anti-roll bar, for instance.
Suspension gurus, a penny for your thoughts.
Here’s what MCB readers submitted in the last week.
Noah in VT’s Ford Focus SVT:
Michael in CT’s 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230S Heckflosse:
R. Egea in Cataluña’s Nissan 350Z:
Mitchell M. in Australia’s 1991 Mazda MX-5:
Leong Soon in Malaysia’s 1997 Citroën Xantia:
Nadja P.’s 1984 Porsche 930 ‘Blu’:
Jim B.’s “Old Yeller”:
RJN in Ottawa’s 1990 BMW 325is (E30):
Gabor in Budapest’s 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250S:
Another:
Pieter A.’s 1974 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior with a friend’s Innocenti Mini 1001:
Looking good (as usual), everyone.
See all of them (or submit your own) here.
Before the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86 arrived (to great fanfare) as the return of the lightweight, affordable, rear wheel drive sports car, there was this some thirty years before it— its namesake, the Toyota Corolla GT-S, aka the AE86. Jorge Azcoitia, Madrileño-turned-Californian and AE86 owner, recently sat down with us to talk about his, and to explain what makes the Hachiroku (Japanese for “eight-six”) special.
MCB: Why the AE86?
JA: Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t learn about the AE86 only after watching “Initial D“. That definitely inspired me as I know what it’s like to be an underdog, having owned a stock 2004 Renaultsport Clio 182 Cup prior to the AE86.
I used to do a lot of mountain driving in the Clio and chased a few friends with faster cars, especially a blue Evo VIII with a big brake kit, semi-slick tires, and other minor mods. I must say when I was chasing him at night, if his brake lights didn’t stay lit for more than 1-2 seconds, I was forced to not even lift my foot from the throttle just to keep up! Thrilling, scary, and fun all at the same time.
I loved that car and how confident it made you thanks to the excellent steering feedback, even though it wasn’t a particularly outright fast car. But in the mountains, trusting in what your car is going to do is what gives you more than half of your speed. So I was looking for a car that was spiritually similar to the Clio.
Kodachrome is a brand name for a non-substantive, color reversal film introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935. It was one of the first successful color materials and was used for both cinematography and still photography. Because of its complex processing requirements, the film was sold process-paid in the United States until 1954 when a legal ruling prohibited this. Elsewhere, this arrangement continued. Kodachrome was the subject of a Paul Simon song and a US state park was named after it. For many years it was used for professional color photography, especially for images intended for publication in print media. Because of the uptake of alternative photographic materials, its complex processing requirements, and the widespread transition to digital photography, Kodachrome lost its market share, its manufacturing was discontinued in 2009 and its processing ended in 2010 (source).
Often imitated (and never moreso than today), never duplicated. Photography just doesn’t look like this anymore, when it was shot on Kodachrome.
As many of us know, not all places with bright lights are the same when it comes to being an enthusiast car owner, with factors such as the cost of parking, availability of independent service shops, public transportation (ironically rather important, as good rail and subway options open up the possibility of owning a car that’s perhaps a little more interesting than a reliable but mundane daily driver), and proximity to nearby race tracks and “sports car roads” all contributing to the feasibility and general enjoyment (or alternatively, dissatisfaction) of owning a car in a metropolitan area. Cities like New York and London seem to score low in that regard, while (though we could be wrong on this) places like Seattle and San Francisco ostensibly seem to be more ‘car-friendly’.
So let’s hear it from you: as an enthusiast, what are the some of the best big cities in which to own a car?
Tangentially-related clip:
(Image credit: Otis Blank; website here)
You may recognize this exquisite car from its recent turn as a BaT Exclusive; it eventually sold to IndyCar racing driver Graham Rahal. Cool stuff, and a great outcome for both buyer and seller.
(Images by MCB Guest Contributor Nate Stevens; see more of the car from Nate here)
..and couldn’t help but dip our toe in the stuff. Who else here finds driving in the snow to be irresistible?
There are better tools for the job, we will be the first to admit.
More good stuff rolling in since last week. Here’s a small selection for your viewing pleasure:
Peter in Ghent’s BMW Z4 Coupe:
Koba in Austria’s Peugeot 205 GTI:
Guillaume’s Subaru BRZ at Circuit Zolder:
63Catalina’s… ’63 (Pontiac) Catalina:
François in France’s 1966 MGB GT Mk1 at Goodwood:
Jim in Denver’s 1985 BMW M535i (E28):
Simon Baldwin’s Alfa Romeo GTV6 at Circuit de Valencia, aka Circuit Ricardo Tormo:
Chris R.’s *gorgeous* MG MGA:
One more for good measure:
steveroth23’s BMW 2002 photographed with some delicious curves:
wpe711’s Citroën Ami:
See more here. Looking good, guys! Keep ’em coming.
Motoring Con Brio 