Author: MrAngry

Trucks are awesome aren’t they? They’re big, burly, macho and make you want to build stuff. Me personally, I can’t build squat, but I’d learn if I had this truck. This is a special concept F350 XLT Crew Cab 4×4, that Ford built for DeWalt Tools as a concept and f*ck me if it isn’t pure chest hair. Ford built this truck to demonstrate the versatility of the new F350 and how it may be used by the commercial building industry.

To give you an idea of what Ford built into this baby, just take a look at its spec sheet:

– Knapheide custom service body with actuating gull wing doors and LED lights
– PPG DURABED lined body bed and box storage
– Custom Gantry System – lifts up to 640 lbs while telescoping into truck bed
– Integrated Work Station with table saw and vice grip
– Live PTO hook up with Hydraulic connections at front & rear of truck
– Custom bumper and class 5 hitch
– On board multiple-battery charging system
– DEE-ZEE running boards
– Warn Winch compressor combo
– Custom Paint Design

This baby is also decked out with just about every conceivable hand tool known to man. Aside from the above mentioned features, it also comes with a massive amount of storage space – cool right? One other thing to take note of are the wheels as they’re gorgeous and really lend to the overall look and feel of the truck. Odds are Ford will never produce this thing, but that’s the beauty of concept vehicles. They make us think, and give the manufactures some much needed feedback about what features the general public wants to see in a production based truck.

When I first saw the new renderings of the 2011 Subaru WRX I was less than impressed, but now, after seeing it in person I have to say that this little rice rocket is a burly little beast. Subaru has widened the track of its little hot rod by 1.5 inches, flared out the front and rear fenders ala’ the STI, added a much more aggressive front fascia and gave it a dual exhaust. This all adds up to a very cool little corner carver.

The WRX is one of those select cars that truly has a cult following. People love these things, and why not, they’re great. This is a car that you can enjoy on just about every level right out of the box. It’s all wheel drive, has plenty of power, aggressive looks and even better still, handling and performance that will satisfy just about everyone. The WRX is a favorite amoungst the tuner crowd, and is also much loved by the autocross and track day guys. Not to many cars are able to bridge that gap, but the WRX succeeds at this nicely.

The interior of the WRX has also been spruced up nicely as well. Black cloth seats adorned with red stitching lend to the sporty feel, as does the red stitched, leather wrapped steering wheel. Seats are supportive enough and provide a nice pass-through for those wanting to install some harnesses and a cross bar for track day excursions. Rear seat room is about what you’d expect – sure it’s a bit tight back there, but will be fine for short trips for those rear seated passengers.

Again, I was very skeptical about the new styling, but the more I looked at it the more I liked it. Its aggressive style emulates the more expensive STi and in the end is a very simple design. It gives buyers everything they want and nothing they don’t. I suppose my only gripe, and it is a small one, is that the WRX is still a bit boy racer-ish. If Subaru could figure out a way to adult-it-up a little bit then they’ll really have a rock star on their hands.

I know we’ve said this before but being a part of the automotive press does have it’s advantages. We get into shows early, climb up, over, around and in just about everything that’s on the show floor and also get to look at the floor models, if you get my drift. I got here about 8 am this morning and so far it looks to be a pretty good show. A few months ago I attended the Washington, DC Auto Show and to say it was terrible would be the understatement of the century. Manufacturers just didn’t pony up the cash to show consumers anything exciting and their displays were less than pitiful.

NY is generally a bit different as the attendance to this show is usually huge. The car companies know this and generally go flat out, which from what I can see today is proving to be true. Over the next few days Ridelust.com will bring you a inside look at what’s being showed at the NYIAS. I’ll be honest though, if you think I’ll be covering Toyota Corolla’s and Hyundai Elantra’s the entire time then you’d be dead wrong. Sure, we’ll throw some of those in for good measure, but the majority of the coverage will consist of finding the coolest shit on the showroom floor. Granted that might be difficult, but we’ll do our damnedest to make it happen.

Lets start this off right with a big dose of cool in the way of the A-Team Van. This summer is going to give us the release of the new A-Team Movie and in this movie will be the iconic GMC Van of one B.A. Baracus. I love this thing, so imagine my surprise that upon walking into the Jacob Javits Center it was the first thing I saw. Seriously, I felt like a little kid again. The movie version of the big GMC is very similar to the original albeit a few changes to create some Hollywood magic. First off, there is a side exit exhaust in the form of late 1970’s side pipes – they look “ok”. Second, the wheels are blacked out, something that I generally like, but for some reason I’m just not feeling them here.

The rest of the van is pretty true to the TV show. There is that crazy cow-killer bumper on the front which incorporates a nice Warn winch, along with some KC Day Lighters. The roof has some smaller driving style fog lights that fans of the original show will appreciate. Interior wise the van is pretty much what you’d expect with four captains chairs that provide a bit of comfort for our war torn heroes. The dash layout is standard as well with an aftermarket stereo, a Cobra CB and some red dash switches that probably make some stuff go boom. Oh and its got power windows as well… nice touch. Seeing the A-Team Van in person was a real treat, hopefully though throughout the next few days there will be some other cool rides that will peak my interest just as the good ole’ A-Team Van did.

God Bless this guy. First he makes it big with his company DC Shoes, then he makes two of the most watched automotive internet videos to date, and now he’s ripping it up in the WRC. This is a guy that truly knows how to enjoy his life. Ken Block busted onto the automotive seen with his two Gymkhana style Youtube videos, whereby he thrashed multiple Subaru Impreza’s in performance maneuvers that can only be described as epic. Hell, his video’s have racked up over 17 MILLION hits… that’s a shitload for those not good with numbers.

Mr. Block is now driving the Monster Energy Drink Ford Focus WRC Rally Car and is apparently doing quite well for a rookie as the above video demonstrates. One thing that you’ll notice is that this is a humble Dude. He seems to take everything in stride with a pretty carefree attitude, he’s also a master at marketing himself. This footage is from his rally debut at the WRC Rally in Corona, Mexico. It was put up just seven days ago and already has almost 20,000 hits. This is not only great for Ken Block, but videos like this help to really promote a great automotive sport that is not followed too closely in this country. Here’s to hoping Ken Block will be able to change that.

This past Saturday was spent up at Lime Rock Park having a little fun on the racetrack. It was the first track day of the year and people were getting itchy to drive as was apparent by the packed paddock and pit area. Cars from every genre were present. There were imports, muscle cars, full on race cars and daily drivers – you name it and they were there. The event was held by NASA/PDA, this is a great organization, not only because of their commitment to putting on a great event, but they make the event fun for novices as well as advanced drivers by providing not only classroom sessions, but one on one instruction if requested.

I was there to do a bit of instructing which is always an interesting experience. My student today was a very nice gentleman name Joe who showed up in a 1985 Mercury Capri with a full roll cage, full suspension and running Hoosier R-compound slicks. The car was raw, very raw and when I asked him when he’d last been on a race track he said 1971 – alrighty then. Now as an instructor I’ve had students that have run the gamut from great to downright terrible. Some students simply don’t want to listen as they feel that they are better than Michael Schumaker right out of the box. Others, take instruction extremely well and progress nicely up through the ranks and classes. These are the ones that are a joy to work with.

BTW… this is not Joe’s Capri

Joe, my student was great at taking instruction when the car was stopped, but once out on the track we ran into some difficulties. Keep in mind that a key component for an instructor in a track car is communication, because of this we utilize a dual headset radio: one earpiece for the student, one for the instructor. The radio is voice activated and generally works very well, however our first session was somewhat of an experience. First off it was 25 degrees, the track was ice cold and we were driving on slicks which made for some very interesting first corner action. Because of this we kept the speeds down, which meant noise levels were lowered as well. I noticed that Joe was listening but not really responding to most of my instruction. We slowed, I double checked the radio, Joe gave me the thumbs up and we proceeded back on course.

Within about 5 laps the tires finally had some heat in them so we were able to pick up the pace a little. Joe was doing fine, but again, my verbal instructions didn’t seem to be getting through, plus we started having some automotive issues. I noticed that upon hard braking the steering wheel began to shake, thus the rotors were shot. Then as we slowed for turn 1 I heard what sounded like ball bearings coming from the rear end – not good. So, into the pits we went. We parked the car, took off our helmets and proceeded to chat.

This is where it got interesting. I asked Joe why he only responded to my verbal commands about 60% of the time. He had a very simple answer for me… he was deaf in his right ear. This was also the ear that he subsequently had his communicator earpiece in. I then asked about the car itself. He said he recently purchased the Capri from a friend and that the car was in hibernation for about 6 years. He said he felt the warp rotors but never noticed the marbles in the rear end (go figure). We chatted for a few more minutes and I explained to Joe that because of his handicap and the fact that the car was not up to snuff we’d be calling it a day. He was a true gentleman and agreed that it was for the best.

Now, most track days go smoother than this, but as I mentioned this was the first one of the year. It did however teach me something – I was rusty. I should have gone over every detail from soup to nuts with Joe, asked more probing questions in the beginning and then evaluated my situation a bit more carefully. All in all it was still a good day, but I fear my next student may be in for one hell of a pre-track grilling.

Now here’s something interesting. Lamborghini, the maker of fast Italian bulls, may be ditching the manual transmission on future models. The company is said to be concentrating on such things as fuel economy (in a Lambo?) as well as weight savings. Some people believe that driving a manual transmission and rowing through the gears is driving in the purest sense. There is a synergy that takes place between the driver and the automobile that makes both man and machine feel like one unit. I understand and appreciate it, but quite honestly it wouldn’t bother me in the least if the manual transmission went away.

Sure, a manual is fun to drive, but only when your really driving. Around town they suck, in traffic they suck and if you miss a gear then that sucks too. On the track they are rewarding, however the new paddle shifted transmissions are getting so good it’s criminal. Ferrari’s SMG transmission for example is pure driving bliss. The shifts, in fact are so fast that there is no way that anyone with a manual will be able to match it. Plus, the fun factor of simply blipping through the gears cannot be matched. The above is a video of me and my buddy Larry driving a Ferrari F430 Scuderia. Just watch how quick and precise the shifts are. I can say this from experience, drive a car like the Scuderia once with it’s paddle shifted transmission and you will NEVER want to drive a car with a manual again – they ARE that good.

Back in the day I was a huge fan of Japanese animation as it had a style and feel that was nothing short of amazing. Their attention to detail and the imaginative process that was used had me flabbergasted. It also didn’t hurt that the Japanese like to blow shit up and set everything they do in a post-apocalyptic world – as a kid, this is gold. Take the movie Akira for example, it came out in 1988 and was like nothing I’d ever seen before. One because of the animation and two because of the motorcycles that it featured. There was this one bike that belonged to the main character, Kaneda. It was low slung had an articulating chassis, was two wheel drive and was nothing short of spectacular.

1988 was also the year that I began to take in interested in motorcycles. I’d buy every magazine and read every article. Hell, I used to be able to recite the exact specs of just about every bike on the market – I was into it big time. The bike from Akira, although fictional, always stuck out in my head as it was just f*ckin’ bad ass. As of late I’ve been thinking of buying another bike and as I was doing some probing I came across this: The Travertson V-Rex. I immediately thought of the bike from Akira and started drooling at the mouth. The funny thing is, I’ve never been a cruiser guy as I’ve always had enduro’s and sport bikes. This thing though just blows me away.

The look and feel is very similar to the fictional anime bike that I fell in love with. Sure it doesn’t have two wheel drive, but who cares… I mean look at it. The grunt part is taken care of via a water cooled Harley Davidson V-Rod engine, there is a swing-arm style front suspension and the styling is like nothing else on the road. Now, justifying the $40,000 + price tag may be a bit difficult, but I’ll be honest, if I had the coin, I have a feeling there would be one of these babies sitting in the garage right next to the old Charger.

Aside from the tree hugging hippies of the era I have to say that I love the 1960’s. From a style and design standpoint it was a transition decade which gave birth to not only new technology, but to new ways of thinking. The U.S. Military was the big dog on the block, it was a prosperous time for families and life was generally pretty good. Technological advancements were on the upswing and nowhere was it more prevalent than in the automotive and aerospace industries. The above video shows the development of the AGL-4, a 4×4 off road military mobility vehicle designed by GM. Powered by a Chevrolet Corvair engine the AGL-4 looked to be pretty impressive and aside from being a bit underpowered, I’d be curious to know why GM didn’t produce it. If anyone has any further details on the AGL-4 we’d love to know more about it. Shoot me an email at [email protected], if you’ve got the 411 on this baby.

Source: Hemmings Blog

I love American cars. I dig Fords, GM’s and Chrysler’s… they’re all rockstars in my book. There is however one bone of contention that I have with these guys and some of the models they manufacture for the European markets. Right now the United States does not produce any high performance pocket rockets and this irritates the hell out of me.

Europe gets all the goodies when it comes to this segment of the market. Take the upcoming limited run Ford Focus RS500. This little hammer is packing 350 hp, handles like a go-kart and will be up for sale in Europe only. Does Ford not think there is a market for a car like the Ford Focus RS500 in the United States?

I’m really not thrilled with the fact that our domestic auto manufacturers don’t offer anything in this segment to their consumers. Sure, we can go look for second hand Dodge Neon SRT-4’s, but who really wants those. The Focus has cutting edge styling, great performance and believe it or not, a pretty big fan base over here. So Ford, if you’re listening, how about giving us a shot at this little beauty.

Pics: Carmagazine.co.uk

I was up at Lime Rock Motor Sports Park this past Saturday doing a little instructing with NASA/PDA. It was the first track day of the year which meant it was packed. Automobiles from all over the east coast showed up for little fun. For some, it was there first track experience, others were seasoned veterans, yet others still just wanted to watch and take some pictures. I’ll go more into the track day later on, but first I’d like you guys to check out this little bugger that was parked near the paddock entrance.

It’s a 1964 Porsche 356. This is a pretty car, but what really caught my attention was not the car itself, but the bicycle rack on the back. I walked over to check it out and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw… you see, this car looked used. The interior was in great shape but did show some wear, there were stickers all over the dash, a few bubbles in the rocker panels and the rear bumper was a bit blackened from the exhaust. It was brilliant.

As I was admiring the car, a gentleman walked over and introduced himself as the owner. We spoke briefly about the car and he said that as long as there was no snow on the roads the little 356 was driven everyday. It was comfortable, peppy enough and had a power sunroof to boot! The more I looked at the car, and spoke to the owner the happier I became. It’s far too often that these cars are restored and placed in collections never to be seen again. This dirty little Porsche however seemed to be the exception to the rule and looked very content doing what it was meant to do. It was being driven, it was being loved by it’s owner and it was having a great day at a race track. Now that I think about it, this little guy was probably having a better day than I was.

This week is going to be a busy one here at Ridelust.com as we’ll be providing you with full coverage of the New York International Auto Show. I was thinking of handling this a little bit differently this year. As opposed to covering every car on display, how about you guys giving me a hand. What I’d like to do is to have you, the readers, let me know what cars and trucks you’re most interested in seeing. For example, Cadillac is introducing the new CTS-V Sport Wagon, this is something that I’ve already been asked to cover so this will definitely be talked about. Want me to give you the full scoop on the new Camaro Convertible… then consider it done. Or how about a real world look at a new Ford F-150. The key is to utilize what you have at your disposal, in this case it’s me.

Shoot me an email at: [email protected], between now and tomorrow evening with your requests and I’ll do my damnedest to make it happen. We’ll be covering the show Wednesday and Thursday of this week with content going up into the weekend. Here is a chance for you guys to have some input into what you want to see, don’t be shy, email me and take advantage!

Yesterday I brought you guys a full review of Bullrun Season 3: Episode 6. This episode featured the most complex challenge to date, as well as the first one to be held on real asphalt. Here we have a candid look at how everything was put together with the shows stunt coordinator: Matt Kutcher, Andy Duncan: the shows creator and founder of the Bullrun Rally and Matt Farah: host of TheSmokingTire.com. Not only did this challenge lead to the demise of Team Lexus, but it was the first one where we actually got to see Team NSX haul some ass. The video is pretty cool so check it out and enjoy.