Author: MrAngry

The Tata Nano is an automobile that costs a scant $3000 brand new. For that you get two seats, tiny little wheels and an egg shaped dome that doubles as a coffin if the moment presents itself. The owner of this Nano was being chauffeured home (that’s right, I said chauffeured) when his little roller skate went up in smoke for no apparent reason. Can you imagine this little putt-putt over here in the States? I don’t know what would be funnier, the fact that the owners will be made fun of mercilessly, or the fact that these apparently go up in smoke like a powder keg.

I actually made a new category for these in the sidebar because I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing more of these things in the future… and not in a good way.

Source: http://blogs.cars.com/

For those who don’t know anything about the Isle of Man TT let me just say that this race makes NASCAR and F1 Drivers look like a bunch of bare ass’d rookies. The Isle of Man is a motorcycle race that takes place every year on the public roads of…. you guessed it, the Isle of Man. It is, without a doubt the fastest and possibly the craziest motor sport event left on the planet earth and the riders who participate are the best in the world. This race has made heroes of some and corpses of others. One thing that always prevails in the end is the undying need for these riders to take more chances and ride faster and harder than they’ve ever ridden before.

Beginning in 1907, the Isle of Man TT is also one of the oldest motor sports in existence and is thought of by some racers as the ultimate event in the sport of motorcycling. The course is essentially the same with only the riders and motorcycles changing year after year. The above video is a conglomeration of the Isle of Man events held throughout its long history and is by far one of the most viral and entertaining four minutes and thirty six seconds of footage you’re likely to see.

The BMW M3 has always been a little hammer of a car dating back to its first rendition in the form of the original import, the E30. Back then the M3 was a true race car for the street with its flared fenders and rear wing. It was also powered by a stout inline-4. Over the generations the M3 has seen some changes. It has gone on diets, had power increases in the form of a big V8 and came in either the standard coupe, 4-door and even a convertible.

Now it seems that BMW is going to take a page out of their own history book and bring the M3 back to its origins. The big V8 that currently resides under the bonnet will be tossed in favor of a twin-turbo six. The 4-door model will also be dropped thus leaving those who want room for the kids to look elsewhere. The great part about the M3 is that it has always been Germany’s version of the boy racer. Its always had a little flash to it while at the same time being a bit standoffish. The key though, to every version of the M3 is that it was always able to get the job done. I think BMW saw that the M3 was starting to lose some of its luster and decided to revisit their original formula and get back to basics.

Read more at: motorauthority.com

We all know that the Subaru Impreza WRX is one kick ass little hot-rod. It’s small, fast and is wicked good in the corners. In fact we’ve got a great review of one coming up in the next few days. For 2011 though it seems that Subaru is taking a page out of the old GM handbook. Granted for 2011 they gave it a wider track, but what’s with all the scoops and bulged fenders. I’m just having visions of late 80’s and early 90’s GM products where they slapped on fake hood scoops and fender flares to give the impression that their cars weren’t piles of crap.

Subaru, if you’re listening… you guys are way too good for that. Make sure you keep one of our favorites on the right track.

Pic Source: Jalopnik.com

Bullrun Season 3 is still motoring right along. As of now 5 teams have been eliminated and tensions are starting to grow. I remember that by this time in Season 1 that those of us who were left started to get serious. We trusted no one and had that eerie feeling that any one of the remaining teams would stick a knife in our back at any moment. Remember that the teams have 200,000 reasons to make sure that you don’t win.

Last week we saw the demise of Team Mini, which in all honesty was ok. They seemed like good people but didn’t really add much to the show. This week we’re seeing attitudes rise and teams getting anxious. Episode 5 began with the teams heading to a small town in Nevada. I think it was called Loony but I could be wrong. The first half of the episode was pretty uneventful as we saw some of the teams up to their usual antics. Chris from Team Hummer was shod in a little Devil hat and was more concerned with picking up gas station chicks then getting to the check point first.

Teams Lexus and Lambo had some romantic bonding time together. This led to the Brothers Wu and the Lexus Ladies doing their best orgasm impressions over the radio. The best though was watching the faces of Mark and Julie Janos of Team HEMI Cuda. Hey Julie… feel a little uncomfortable sitting next to your Dad with porno sounds coming over the radio? Your face was priceless – I thought it was fuckin’ hilarious though.

Teams then arrived at their first checkpoint, got their route cards and proceeded to the next stop in Austin, NV. Now, this is where it started to get a bit interesting. Team Hummer took a chance on a 40 mile dirt road which would end up paying big dividends. Team Mustang was having a tough time as they were slowly running out of fuel. Being a classic car owner I know how this feels. You’re chugging along getting like 10 mpg with a little warning light constantly going off in the back of your head. It keeps you on a constant lookout for the closest fuel stop and is a really shitty feeling.

Austin, NV was a town of about 3 people which meant that Bullrun coming through was the biggest thing to ever happen to them. Teams got their new cards, got back on the road and headed out to the challenge checkpoint of Reno Fernly Raceway. Here they would do yet another challenge on the dirt. Guys… WTF? How about something on pavement, this dirt shit is getting old.

Remember that Team Hummer took that dirt road? Well it paid off because they came in first to the checkpoint. Team Mustang, due to their fuel problems came in last which meant they were automatically thrown in the Challenge along with Team BMW. Hummer then decided to throw Team Challenger into the challenge, but since they got the immunity wrench they gave a big “FU” to Team Hummer and proceeded to sit back down. Hummer then threw in Team Hemi Cuda. Mark Janos just stared out into open space with a blank look on his face. Seriously, does this guy ever smile?

The Challenge, called Sling Shot was held on the dirt oval of Reno Fernly Raceway. The objective was to blast through two semi tractors, past a police car and complete 3 full laps. Team Mustang went first and actually did pretty good considering it was Tony’s first time on the dirt. The old Stang’ got a little squirly but Tony did a pretty admirable job on the track despite what Goldberg said at the end. Next up was Team Hemi Cuda. Apparently Mark Janos is a hot shoe because the stunt coordinator had trouble keeping up with him. Mark blitzed the course in no time, but on the last lap got a bit overzealous and tagged the rear end of one of the semi’s thus crushing in his right front fender – good thing he owns a body shop. Last up, Team BMW. The happy siblings took to the course and did fairly well despite spinning the car. What I don’t understand is how they could have spun the car and still beat Team Mustang? Something here just doesn’t feel right to me.

In the end Team Mustang ended up going home. Team BMW came in second and Hemi Cuda took the win. Tony / Kenny – Guys, I’m sorry to see ya’ll go. You guys were great to watch and I hope the show provided the adventure you were looking for.

Until next time… take care.

If you were a kid growing up in the early 1980’s and you liked cars then you watch one of two shows: The Dukes of Hazzard or the A-Team. Now everyone knows about the Dukes of Hazzard, as there are a shitload of General Lee replica’s out there. The A-Team however is a different story. There were 4 members of the A-Team and because of this they needed a vehicle that could not only transport them in style, but it had to be fast, comfortable and look like it would punch your Grandmomma’ in the mouth.

Enter the 1983 G-Series van from GMC. Unlike the 1969 Charger used by the Duke Boys, the G-Series van that the A-Team drove around in was about as sporty as a Yugo. The van was owned by Sargent B.A. Baracus who was played by Mr. T. That meant the van needed to be all attitude, go like hell and look the business while still carrying 4 grown men around. The designers came up with a wicked black, red and gun metal gray paint scheme, shod the van with turbine style wheels, added some driving lights, a cow-killer push bar and presto – instant BAD ASS!

Make sure you head over to MyATeamVan.com, to check out more photo’s, fun facts about the A-Team as well as a few video’s of cast members post series.

You’ve got to hand it to the Japanese as not only are they a car crazy nation but they’ve got a flare for style that sometimes goes unmatched. Years ago they invented drifting. You know, that sport whereby you slide a car around a tight technical track with the tires on fire. They’ve been doing this for years and have constantly pushed the boundaries of the sport. They’ll also, as this video demonstrates, drift absolutely anything with four wheels and a motor. Here we see some very skilled drivers wringing out what looks to be mid-engine micro pick-up trucks on 13″ wheels. This is automotive hoonage at it’s finest…

Source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/

Now this will be something to watch. We’ve all read that Ford’s new V6 Mustang will have 305 hp and be good for 31 mpg hwy. Just so we don’t question them though Ford is going to give us all a demonstration by hitting Bristol Motor Speedway. Their plan is to fill up the tank and then drive 1000 laps, that’s the equivalent of more than 500 miles.

Ford North America Motorsports director Jamie Allison, states:
“We all know how much fun it is to drive Mustangs, but in today’s market it’s also about fuel economy.”

“By going 1,000 laps or more on one of NASCAR’s most popular tracks, we expect to show that when it comes to Mustang, you can be mean and green.”

These are big statements from a company that already proved their Ford Fusion hybrid can hit 1000 miles on a single tank. I’m looking forward to the outcome on this one as it should be good.

Source: The Torque Report

It’s stuff like this that always gets me into trouble. For those of you that don’t know my daily driver is a Dodge Magnum SRT8. It’s basically a 425hp 170mph station wagon and I love it. It hauls everything I could ever want, stops on a dime thanks to it’s big Brembo brakes and will dust off the majority of road going cars today. Yesterday as I was driving out east to go play with two Corvettes, I did happen to come upon a relatively new Dodge Viper. Now, I knew that I could never win but far be it from me to back down from a challenge. We both nailed it and the obvious outcome of me having my ass handed to me ensued… I hate when this happens.

Then as I’m surfing the forums this morning, I see this. A new twin turbo set-up for the Dodge and Chrysler SRT cars by Hellion. This is bad, very bad because now I start thinking about the possibilities of having a 600 hp station wagon as opposed to only 425 hp. It’s a sickness really and as most car guys will tell you, it does not have a cure. This sickness has led to things like bankruptcy, divorce and mental illness. Thankfully the price also caught my eye. You see it’s $7,995.00 and that’s a lot of scratch. So, for right now I think I’ll just sit back in my cushy seats and be happy with my good ole’ 425 hp. After all, I wouldn’t want to be embarrassing unsuspecting super car owners in a lowly station wagon. I mean, what would be the fun in that?

Yesterday was a good day. I woke up early, got some coffee and headed out east to Long Island to go play with a pair of wicked fast Corvettes. How does a tweaked 2007 Z06 that makes 478 hp at the wheels sound, followed by a stock 2010 ZR1 that makes 638 hp (that is not a misprint). These suckers are fast, really fast. This is not going to be a full on review of both cars, but more of a comparison between GM’s two super cars. I’d like to preface this by saying that I have some miles in both of these cars. I have driven the Z06 on the racetrack many times and have about 1500 miles of seat time in the ZR1 so yesterday was more of a refresher course as to why I think these two cars are amazing. Both cars have interiors that are pretty much identical, that however is where the similarities end.

Driving the Z06 immediately reminds you that you’d better not be a beginner when you slide behind the wheel, as this car will kill you if you’re not careful. With that being said, if you do know how to drive, and I mean really drive, this thing will provide you with one hell of a rewarding experience for not a lot of coin. Acceleration is vicious. Put the big Vette’ in 1st gear, disengage the traction control and go. You’ll shoot out of the hole like shot through a gun. This car will heighten your senses to the 10th degree as you’ve got to be on the ball to drive this thing. Acceleration, steering and braking inputs are very quick, which is something to keep in mind before you start slinging this thing around. You have to be very conscious of what other drivers are doing around you. Remember that you’re driving a car that goes, stops and handles better than 98% of the cars on the planet. This means that your rate of closure upon acceleration is much higher, you’ll be stopping much faster and your transitions from left to right may actually take some people by surprise.

Next up was the ZR1. For those of you that have never driven this car, well, it sucks to be you because this car is AMAZING! Where the Z06 is a sledge hammer the ZR1 is a scalpel. Everything about the ZR1 is more refined. The suspension, power delivery, gearing, brakes, chassis – it’s a completely different car from the Z06. The most amazing thing about the ZR1 is the fact that this car is completely docile around town. Think about that for a minute. Here you have a car that makes 638HP, stops from 60 mph in 98 feet and goes 209 mph flat out, yet you can putt around town in this thing with no drama at all.

Get the ZR1 on the open road however and things change very quickly. This car is the rolling incarnation of Jekyll and Hyde. One minute your just tooling around town looking at homes and the next you’re melting pavement at over 200 mph. It’s truly astonishing. Where the Z06 is almost violent in it’s acceleration, the ZR1 is composed. Where the Z06 is twitchy the ZR1 is refined and where the Z06 is fast the ZR1 is explosive. Both Corvettes are amazing automobiles and have redefined the definition of what an American super car is. They both have big brash styling, they’re both blisteringly fast and they are, by super car standards, both one hell of a bargain.

For some reason Johnny was confused when his newest creation, The Dumpmaster 76, did not pass inspection.

Source: Youdrivewhat.com

Anyone who has ridden a motorcycle knows that it’s not the fall that hurts, it’s the sudden stop at the end. If you ride a bike, understand that eventually, you will fall off. For those of you who think it will never happen to you then you’re kidding yourselves. I’ve got loads of seat time on both the road and racetrack and I can tell you from experience that crashing on the street is much, much worse than a track crash. Odds are if you go down on the street, you and your bike have been hit or you have made a miscalculation and are going to hit something… it’s just the way it is.

Going down on the track however, while looking more spectacular, generally results in less injuries due to the amount of run off that you have when you go down. Yes the speeds are higher and lean angles are more severe but you are also in an environment that was constructed to be as safe as possible. On the street there are simply too many variables that one needs to account for to be truly safe. There are those of you who will read this and think I’m some kind of safety weenie. Keep in mind though that I’ve been riding motorcycles for 20 years and it’s because of my safety equipment that I’m still here to write about them today.

You may also be one of those guys who cries like a little girl when it’s hot outside. If that’s the case, then get over it and start to use that little monkey brain God gave you. Here in Queens, NY I see these jerk-off’s on a daily basis. You probably recognize them as well. Generally they’re riding some type of Gixxeryamasaki wearing nothing but a wife beater t-shirt, a helmet that’s unfastened, work boots and a pair of ripped jeans. They just bought the most powerful bike on the market, put no money down and financed it for 72 months so they’d look cool in front of their friends. They’ll also most likely be dead in a week.

I get passionate about this because I’ve seen too many young kids get killed because they were stupid, didn’t listen to the advice of more experienced riders or just wanted to show off. Guys, if you’re reading this PLEASE, do your research, take a safety course and be careful. While riding is still one of the best adventures on the open road, it can be very dangerous if you’re not properly prepared.

It’s news like this that always makes me a bit nervous. First it’s a rumor, then there is a prototype and then POOF! It’s in production. As we know Porsche released the Panamera last year. It’s big, ugly and looks like a rolling turtle. The problem is that it’s actually doing quite well in sales and because of this GM is thinking about doing a 4-door Corvette. This idea is not new, in fact it’s been around for quite sometime. Thankfully someone at GM had the common sense to sweep it under the rug.

First off I think that building a 4-door Corvette would be one of the worst decisions that GM could possibly make. The current crop of Corvettes on the market are by far the best ones ever built. GM is also considering dumping in a V6 to try and attract the female market as well. They feel that women are more concerned with the cars looks then performance. If GM decides to dilute the brand with a 4-door Vette’ I fear it will be perhaps their biggest blunder to date. Guys, if you’re listening… you already have a 4-door Vette’ called the Cadillac CTS-V. So please, do us all a favor and scrap this idea before you f*ck up another American icon.

Read more at: Autoguide.com / Pic: GMinsidenews.com

Ever come up on a car that had vanity plates on it only to spend the next few minutes trying to figure out what the hell they’re trying to say… that drives me insane. Some plates are not only creative, but downright hilarious. Most states have between six and eight letters on their tags which is just enough to let even the most dimwitted human being have a little fun. Not only do some of the tags make us laugh, but they also tell us a little bit about the person behind the wheel. I figured I would just take a few moments to search the internet just to see what I could find. The results, well… they’re quite amazing.

• I’m thinking this plate may belong to a stripper… I mean… err… professional dancer.

• They must be very hungry.

• Yep, this guy is definitely going to make his Momma proud someday.

• They do say honesty is the best policy.

• If there is any one tag I could relate too, this is it.

• I have no words…

• His boss must love him.

• This is probably the one car that can get away with rocking this plate.

• Hmm… can’t tell if the driver has one or simply likes them.

Valentino Balboni has been ripping around in Lamborghini’s since the late 1960’s. He’s driven every model there is and his input to the factory has helped make the raging bull what they are today. You see Balboni has the greatest job in history as he is Lamborghini’s top test pilot. Maybe thats why the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 is such an amazing automobile. Lamborghini went back to basics by offering only rear wheel drive as an option, a proper 6-speed manual and an engine that sounds like a symphony. This is something that the guys at Motortrend Magazine found out first hand when they had the chance to take this new bull for a spin.

Some cars are quick, others are fast and some are just downright ridiculous. Take Eddie Bello’s Porsche 911 Turbo for example. This puppy just set the record for a Porsche running the standing mile. Bello was running Ignite Racing Fuel which is two parts HOLY SHIT and one part WHOOP ASS!

Nice going Eddie!

Source: Examiner.com

I’m not going to get into the technical aspects about why the V8 engine was, is and always will be the king mill amongst car guys. What I’d rather do is simply explain why these big lumps of iron draw respect and admiration from the millions and millions of people who have owned them. There are those of you that after reading this, are going to comment and tell me that I’m wrong, that I have no basis for my comments or that you have some 4, 6, 10 or 12 cylinder plants that can blow the doors off of everything… and that’s fine. It’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. I’m writing this article because I simply felt the need to tell you mine.

In the past I’ve owned some 4 and 6 cylinder cars. Some where naturally aspirated and others were turbo charged. They were all good cars, but nothing overly spectacular. I have also driven just about everything under the sun from V10 Vipers and Lamborghini’s to twin turbo 6-cylinder BMW’s and 12 cylinder Ferrari’s. What that means is that my big ass has a lot of seat time in various cars, so I have experience with just about everything.

The V8 engine is the quintessential engine for the American male. First off, we love powerful stuff, it’s just the way we are. If I could, I’d have a HEMI powered toaster in my kitchen with zoomies sticking out the sides and it would be bad ass. The V8 aside from power, also represents freedom. I remember as a kid in the 70’s that’s really all there were, I mean everything that was American had a V8 in it. I remember my Dad’s old Buick’s and Chevy’s all had small block V8’s, sure, they were all choked up with government smog equipment, but the torque and sound was still there. You can also put a V8 (especially a small block Chevy) in just about anything that was built in the last 100 years and make it go fast.

Now think about the great car chase scenes from the movies, every one of them that is worth anything was done with cars that were equipped with V8 engines. You hear the roar of the exhaust and you could almost smell the tire smoke… they’re brilliant actually. I mean, would you really want to see a chase scene between two Honda Accords and a Toyota Tercel? What would be the fun in that?

I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’m feeling a bit nostalgic today since I’m ripping into my Charger this weekend, or maybe I just like what the V8 engine represents. To me, they are pure Americana just like baseball and apple pie. They represent hard working men and women and they give us the freedom to escape from society when necessary. There is also nothing like the feeling of slamming down the gas, smoking up the rear tires and driving off for a nice long ride just for the hell of it.

**Yes I know the video has a V10 Viper and Buick GN… but you get the idea.

Not long ago we put up some posts about Nissan’s first true electric car, the Leaf. We also sighted that Nissan said the car was going to be priced around that of a typical family sedan, which in my estimation was around $25,000 – $30,000. My estimates seem to be a bit off as the online rumor mill is now saying that the Leaf will be priced around $45,000. Maybe it’s me, but why the hell would I pay 45k for a car that has a range of 100 miles and is the size of a Tic-Tac box.

Check out the full article at: Gas2.org

For those of you who don’t know who Big Willie Robinson was, let me give you a quick introduction. Big Willie was a SoCal street racer and Vietnam Veteran with the Army Special Forces who, in the late 1960’s formed the Brotherhood of Street Racers. This was an organization that catered to all forms of gearheads and it mattered not what color you were or what car you drove. Willie was the Brotherhood’s president and was known for running a wicked 1969 Dodge Daytona.

During the 1960s in California, events like the Watts Riots had politicians and lawmakers searching for answers as to how to keep their streets safe and Big Willie Robinson was one of the people they turned to. Willie reasoned that one way to get people off the streets and into a controlled environment was to build a local drag strip so that young men and women would have a place to go. This would not only help to take racing off the streets but it would create a community for like minded racers. Due to his efforts the city donated a strip of land on Terminal Island so that a drag strip could be constructed. From the 1970’s until the late 1990’s Brotherhood Raceway Park ran events that helped keep kids off the streets and on the straight and narrow.

Up for auction here is a 1969 Dodge Daytona that was owned by Big Willie Robinson and one of the cars that help promote “Peace Through Racing”. This car is a true piece of racing history and is something that any collector would be proud to own.

Check out the eBay auction here.

The 2010 One Lap of America is rapidly approaching which means I’ve got a crap load of work to do on the old Charger. Yesterday was a good day as I got most of my parts, but now comes the exciting part of installing everything. The Charger as a whole is in pretty good shape but definitely needs some TLC before we leave for the event on April 28th. Over the past 6 years I beat this car to death mercilessly on racetracks, on the auto cross and on the street… in short, I drive the crap out of this thing. What this means is that parts wear out, things sometimes leak and performance drops. This cannot happen on an event like the One Lap of America.

When making my checklist we went over the car from front to back and found a few issues that were of some concern. First off my suspension was pretty well worn out. It’s been about 30 thousand miles since I did anything to it so it was definitely in need of a refresh. Keep in mind now that there is nothing exotic under this car. It still runs the factory torsion bar set up, there are still big ole’ leaf springs out back and shocks are off the shelf Edelbrock units that anyone with a muscle car can buy. Granted, the brakes, both front and rear have been beefed up, I added a Gear Vendor overdrive unit for highway cruising and a bunch of interior modifications like extra power ports, satellite radio, navigation and a Valentine One radar detector (this thing rules). Otherwise though this car is still pretty similar to how it left the factory in 1968. The weekend up hear in the northeast is supposed to be pretty damn amazing, but instead of driving, we’ll be prepping the old boy for another 4000 miles. Keep your fingers crossed for us because there’s a lot of work to do and not much time to do it.