Built

There's a certain madness that I love about a guy's willingness modify a car far beyond the typical wheels, suspension and exhaust that's commonplace.  Going the route of engine and differential swaps and all the technical knowledge, can do attitude and wearwithal that's required is a different beast altogether.

Speedhunters is where you need to go when you want to look at great photos of pretty much any style of car.  From race cars, drifters, Japanese and European imports, to good old fashioned U.S.A. muscle, they cover it in high quality photos.  They've got two great articles up about some unusually built up rides.  First is a Volvo C 70 powered by a Toyota Supra engine and converted to rear wheel drive.  You'd look at it and think it was lowered with some wheels, and have no idea about the work put into it.  Which I love, its so subtle and doesn't scream "hey look at this!".  Next is a E46 BMW M3, with its engine swapped for the V10 that powers the E60 M5.  That's crazy power, and the whole package is beautiful and looks perfectly put together.

Shit Y'all, My Bad

Lets just forget that happened.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Being a NYC Subway Train Conductor

Reddit has a very interesting IAMA from a New York City subway train conductor.  Its a good read, discussing such matters as falling down onto the tracks, suicides, and various code words for unsavory things.

Skateboards Are a Poor Form of Transportation Vol: 2

Jason Dill has one of the most odd bird personalities in skateboarding and a really distinct style of skating.  I ran across this the other day via Slap, and thought it was great.  It does a great job of capturing his style and some tricks from his classic parts.  Props to whoever "Unreal Estate" is who's behind this.

Best Hot Wheels Track Ever

Sweet Looking Audi Concept

Autoblog has some nice pictures of an Audi A1 variant which they're reporting to possibly be a RS1.  We in the poor ol' US of A won't get a sniff at this thing so we can at least enjoy the pictures.  The general body shape reminds me of BMW's E36 318ti, which I always liked.

Check it out here.

General Motors Answer to the Leaf

According to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, General Motors announced today that the Chevrolet Spark, which is sold in Latin America, Europe as well as Asia will be sold on United States soil.  The gas version is a 1.2 liter powerplant that bangs out just over 80 ponies.  The big news though, is that G.M. plans to release an EV version for the 2013 model year, a move that puts Nissan's Leaf in their crosshairs.  No word yet on pricing.  Myself I wonder how it stacks up against and fits into the current lineup with the soon released Sonic.  The Sonic hatch starts out 14,635 for a turbocharged 1.4 liter powerplant.  You can even option up to a six speed manual.  So if you're down with gas, or even if you're not, you have to admit that the dino fuel version of the Spark probably doesn't need to exist.  It would have to undercut the $13,735 that the sedan version starts at to make it worth the downgrade in engine equipment and really, $13,735 for a brand new car is strikingly cheap.  The '13 release for the Spark will be in limited quantities, to contrast, Nissan's Leaf should see a more robust inventory for 2013.

Gnarly Vol: 7

End of the Line for the Ridgeline

My poor beloved Honda.  It seems as though you're steeped in malaise.  Gone green only to be outdesigned and oversold by your rivals at Toyota.  Killed the S2000.  Screwed the pooch on the redesign of the '12 Civic.  The not quite sporty enough CR-Z.  Keeping the Ridgeline going.  At least according to Wall Street Journal writer Jonathan Welsh, who reports the Ridgeline will continue past a mild redesign for the 2012 model year.

I long for the days when trucks were trucks.  A cab and bed.  Used for what you use a truck for.  Towing, hauling, plowing snow.  Work.  Nowadays trucks are more S.U.V. than pickup.  Shrinking beds.  Four doors.  I'll always put my two cents on the "should I get a S.U.V. or truck?" argument on the truck.  With a bed at least you're maximizing that useful space.  However as these trucks become more car like in their creature comforts that bed space is diminishing.  Among the worst offenders is the Ridgeline, who along with Chevrolet's Avalanche are the hallmarks of the trend of big, yet too little.  The truck for the guy who wants to look like he has truck, but for some reason didn't buy a truck.  I had a coworker who for a time drove a four door Chevrolet S-10.  The bed on it was roughly the size of the bed on a utility golf cart.  He once went to get a yard of mulch to take to his home.  The gentelman loading the mulch took one look at the truck and replied "thats cute".  The yard of mulch took two trips to haul back to the house.

Automakers are trying to do it all it seems.  Must have electric car in line up.  Must have full size truck in line up.  Must have economy car in line up.  Must have Sport Utility in line up.  I often wonder about how to quantify the process of design and production of versus the sales of an automobile.  Much like finding out a film cost 300 million to make only to gross 50 at the box office.  It must be a viable model since nearly every manufacturer seems to be jumping on the bandwagon.  I'm just a peon who writes about his automotive opinions anyway.

Does Maserati really need to add a S.U.V. to its line?  Does the Chevy Avalanche need to exist?  Why not just build what you're good at?  For Honda, thats traditionally been smaller economical cars with a few sportier variants thrown into the mix.  Honda's history of S.U.V.'s and now a pickup is pretty lackluster(Passport, Ridgeline) to forgettable(Pilot).  Toyota has shown with the Tundra and Tacoma what you can do when you come correct with a solid truck model.  At least in its current incarnation the Ridgeline should be laid to rest.  If Honda is determined to have a truck model in the line up, why not something in the compact truck segment to compete with the likes of Chevy's Colorado and Toyota's Tacoma?  Capable yet leaner, with more utility in proportion to overall size.  Sounds more like the Honda I know and love.  

"You Know, the Butt. It's Got a Weird Butt, and a Flat Head."

Fall Sundays.  Typically the time where the auto industry beats us over the head with truck commercials.  You know, hard hittin' football, a shit ton of bricks gettin' dropped from ten feet up into the bed of a Chevy, sloppin' around in mud.  Man shit.  This past weekend Hyundai saw fit to instead beat us over the head with ads for its little Veloster.  I'm excited about the Veloster.  This thing looks to have just enough ponies put together with the available six speed tranny to make a pretty fun to drive hatch.  I also happen to think it looks cool.  My girlfriend thinks otherwise.  Lets leave the Veloster out of this though. The real issue is how she describes what she doesn't like.

Her: That car looks weird, it has a flat head.

Me:  You mean the roof?

Her: Yeah whatever, the head.  It looks flat and weird.

Me: Oh brother

Head = roof

Mouth = grill

Butt = rear end

Eyes =  headlights

Lid = hood

Maybe some others I'm forgetting, but thats the general idea.  So to you dear, I present you this, a guide to automotive design jargon courtesy of Jalopnik.  We'll talk C-pillars, rake, beltlines, and butts in no time.  Love you.  

What a Strange World We Live In

Jalopnik reports that somewhere in Singapore, a seller has 150 never driven 1997 Chrysler Neons available for purchase.  Why some dude in Singapore has that many Neons sitting around that have never been touched is beyond me.  

Check it out.

http://jalopnik.com/secret-cars/

I learned to drive on a 1995 Neon.  They are surprisingly fast in reverse.  I also have always had a sweet spot for these guys.