Friday Fun Thread: Drivers...

This was a suggestion by Bob S. in my cry for help last week:

Top Ten types of Drivers you see on the road.

From the Q-Tips to Sammy Slowpoke, etc

Well, I'm wagering that I've seen all of these drivers and more, so I'll go with my Top Ten most encountered idiot motorists...

1. Charlie Cell Phone. Charlie thinks he's a lot more important than he really is. He thinks that unless he stays in constant contact with the office at all times that everything will implode around him. He really ought to be watching where he's going, as his 3-series Beamer nearly mated with a dumptruck.

2. Suzie Soccer Mom. 2.5 kids. Dog. SUV the size of Rhode Island that she needs a step ladder to get into. No clue how to park the land behemoth. Tires are usually scuffed to hell (if they're whitewalls, the white paint is mostly chipped off from hitting curbs); rims are dinged and bent; hubcaps are broken or missing.

3. Billy Brakerider. Billy's one of the more infuriating characters on the road. He hasn't taken his foot off the brake since Bill Clinton last shamed the Oval office, and he's not about to start now. Billy has put his mechanic's kid through college with brake jobs every six months.

4. Tina Tailgater. 3 second distance between cars? Only if you're at a red light, otherwise Tina is pretty much glued to your rear bumper like a kid sledding down the road in a Frank Capra film. She has no idea of the concept of "personal space", but she's on a first name basis with three trial lawyers.

5. Sammy Stopsign. Sammy thinks that stop signs are for other people - they obviously don't apply to him. He'll sail through a stop without even slowing down, regardless of whether or not he has the right of way or even if there's other cars in the intersection already. Sammy doesn't care because 180 years ago when he first got his license there were only three cars in the entire state, myeah.

6. Larry Leftlane. Ah, Larry. The self-proclaimed arbiter of the speed limit. Larry will wait for someone to come zooming up in the passing lane and then meander over, forcing the other driver to slam on his brakes lest he become a piece of postmodern art with Larry's bumper. Larry thinks he's doing a good deed, keeping people from speeding and all that; problem is, they're so busy roaring around him in the right lane - or the median strip - that his smugness is short-lived.

7. Betty Blinker. You know Betty. We all know Betty. She's had her blinker on since the Carter administration. Every time she buys a new car, she puts the right blinker on as she leaves the dealership parking lot and then never turns it off again. If she had the option, there wouldn't even be a stalk for the blinker, it would come from the factory in the "on" position...

8. Steve Slowsky. Steve's the guy going 25 in a 40 MPH zone, or 50 on the highway. He's easy to spot from the parade of cars snaking well behind him, each one with an irate driver busily contemplating the many ways they would like to cause Steve bodily injury. Steve likes to point out that he's never had an accident - of course, he's too dense to realize he's caused a lot of 'em...

9. Roger Roadrage. Roger is easily spotted by his car's erratic movements on the highway as he races to get in front of the car he feels cut him off three states ago. Everything is an affront to Roger - driving too fast, driving too slow, driving in the right lane, driving in the left lane... Roger confuses the impotent rage caused by living in a shallow impersonation of a life with actual affronts to his person - and it shows.

10. Helpful Harry. Trying to get out into traffic? Harry will let you in. Thinking about walking in the crosswalk? Harry will wait for you to make up your mind. Jockeying to see who goes first in the four-way stop? Harry will let you go - and the three guys behind you. Harry has never actually arrived at a destination - he's been driving there since 1964.

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So there's ten types of people you're likely to encounter on the road on any given day. If it seems like they are only on the road to piss you off, that's probably because they are. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and be sure to keep a clear sight picture as you squeeze the trig- ooh, was that out loud?

What other types of drivers can you think of?

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread, Or Lack Thereof...

Sorry folks, no full-fledged automotive fun thread today. I racked my brain for a decent topic, and came up with a couple interesting ideas but couldn't quite fill them in. I figured I'd toss out a couple half-baked ideas and see what we could come up with, kinda shake up the Friday Fun thread concept a bit.

Idea #1: Cars that exist only in Hollywood.

Examples of such would be the Family Truckster from "National Lampoon's Vacation", the MonkeeMobile, or the XKE Jag Hearse from "Harold & Maude". Whether they be amalgamations of existing cars like the Truckster (a genericized Ford Crown Vic wagon) or permutations on existing cars (like the Monkeemobile, a heavily modified Pontiac GTO).

Obviously, the most famous of these would be the 1960s Batmobile.

Idea #2: "Retro" cars we'd like to see made.

Given the success of the MINI and the New Beetle, coupled with the PT Cruiser and the Chevy HMR, there's a decent market for "throwback" retro-styled cars. The new Mustang evokes the 1960s Fastback, as does the new Camaro and the Dodge Challenger. What other models would be fun to see re-done in the 2010s? I'd love to see a modern version of the El Camino, or perhaps a Ford Flex with new sheetmetal to re-create a woodie.

For me, the coolest to see (and therefore the hardest to do "right") would be the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air re-done.

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What other make-believe or retro cars would you like to see?

That is all.

1980s Motorhead Geekery Cool...

My friend Bruce sent me the following story because he just knew it was exactly the sort of geekutastic goodness that would be right up my alley:

"Ferris Bueller" Ferrari Set for Auction

(WBBM) You have a chance to own an iconic piece of Chicago film history, if you have at least $45,000 to spare. Ferris Bueller's Ferrari is going up for auction in London on April 19, reports CBS station WBBM in Chicago.

Bonhams Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia Auction estimates that it will go for £30,000-40,000, or roughly $45,000-67,000. The car works and is ready to drive. But there is one catch - it's not a real Ferrari.

Hmmm. Only $45K??? Let me see what we have in the G. college fund... (Just kidding dear). I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that's kinda low on the movie car auction totem pole - I know that one of the Batmobiles went for over a half-million dollars.

If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: The Chase is On!

Once again, I'm mixing it up for Friday's Fun Thread. Today's Top Ten list is the top ten greatest chases ever filmed. Some are so over-the-top they couldn't miss the list; others are so iconic that they have defined - or started - the genre.

With that said, here's the Top Ten Greatest Chases:

1. Bullitt. Steve McQueen. Ford Mustang. 'Nuff said.

2. The Blues Brothers. "Lots of space in this mall."

3. Short Time. Just watch, it's pretty cool, in a 1980s generic cop-flick kind of way.

4. The French Connection. A very young Gene Hackman chases a train.

5. To Live & Die in LA. Crown Vic. Caprice. Train. AR. Wrong way. This one's got everything.

6. Smokey & the Bandit. East bound & down, loaded up and truckin'... Plus Burt Reynolds' mustache.

7. The Italian Job. Mini Coopers painted in red, white and blue, driving down stairs, through the subway, and on top of buildings. Magnifico!

8. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones in all his Nazi-punching glory.

9. Ben Hur. Charleton Heston. C'mon!

10. The Duel. Okay, so the entire movie was a chase. Doesn't that make it cooler?

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So there's my list of my Top Ten favorite chase scenes. I'm certain that there are many that I have omitted, mostly through ignorance of current movies.

What chases (or crashes) would be on your list?

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Alternate Power...

Sorry I missed last week's Fun Thread. Sometimes things just get a little too hectic and I run out of time for the fun thread. Mea culpa. I actually got the idea for today's thread, along with a copious amount of help, from one wicked smaht bahstid (and my blogson) Borepatch in an e-mail. He suggested we do a Fun thread based on:

Just had a thought for your friday car posts - how about "Cars that did not have Internal Combustion Engines"?

Which I thought was an excellent suggestion, except that I couldn't come up with a whole 10 vehicles, so I modified it to "non-traditional" engines. So here's my (and Borepatch's) list of Top Ten Non-Traditionally-powered Vehicles:

1. Mazda RX7. Wankel Rotary engine, certainly the most famous of these configurations.

2. Chrysler turbine. Previously discussed in the line-up of Cool Chryslers, the turbine - while never a full-on production car - did see limited consumer use.

3. Tesla Roadster. First production electric capable of highway speeds, the Tesla Roadster also boasts an impressive 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds.

4. Stanley Steamer. Yes, there really were cars that ran on steam power like the old riverboats. No, they weren't common. Yes, Jay Leno does own one that he drives in LA...

5. Rover Jet gas turbine. One of the many post WWII designs in England, it was a prototypical design based on the Power Jet designed by Frank Whittle.

6. ThrustSSC. How's about a twin Rolls Royce turbofan-powered jetcar that's capable of breaking the sound barrier? Yeah, pretty freakin' cool...

7. Blue Flame. Ah, yes, rocket power. Scourge of the Bonneville Salt Flats, the Blue Flame held the land-speed record for nearly three decades.

8. Honda Civic GX. Yes, there is a Honda Civic that runs on natural gas. No, I won't get into jokes based on beans...

9. Lunar rover. Here's one that's literally out of this world. Okay, so it cost $38 million dollars and had a top speed of 11 MPH. That's still enough for a lunar record...

10. Citroen GSA. Leave it to the French to screw up the rotary engine...

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So there's the list of non-traditionally powered vehicles. We had to go into experimental prototypes, century-old technology, and alternative fuel vehicles to get there, but get there we did.

What other types of propulsion systems are there?

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Ragtops!

A while back in comments the suggestion was made to have a Friday Fun thread centered on ragtops. I like that idea a lot. I've always been a big fan of convertibles, owing mainly to having numerous friends in high school that owned drop-top cars of various vintages. Mrs. G. owned a convertible pre-kid; both Dad G. and Sis G. owned Jeep Wranglers; I've had pretty decent exposure to cars (and trucks) that can be shorn of their tops through the years.

This list is ENTIRELY subjective - pretty much *any* car with a convertible top is cool (I'm having a hard time thinking of an exception to this). Ragtops bring to mind warm summer days spent cruising the local beach scene, or Indian summer fall days spent bundled up with the heater running full blast under a canopy of brilliant-colored foliage, or a night out on the town in style. The wind in your hair (bear with me, I'm speaking metaphorically here), the sound of the open road, the visceral thrill of being out and moving and feeling it all.

In a convertible with the top down, you're exposed to the journey, not insulated from it.

So here's my top ten favorite drop-tops. I'm going to keep the list to cars that most people could afford, albeit some of them with a little extra saving. Otherwise the list would consist entirely of one-off Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Porsches with the occasional Rolls Royce or Bentley. Here's the list:

1. Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep tops the list because it is an eminently practical drop top. With the hard top and 4WD, it's an excellent year-round vehicle even in locales that see snow. Buy a bikini top and you can run it topless all summer long; you can even pop the doors off for the closest experience to a motorcycle on four wheels. Sure, it may take three men and a boy to get the top on in a hurry, but that's a small price to pay for an affordable open-air experience.

2. 1970s Cadillac El Dorado. Bonus style points for the longhorns on the hood. The mid-'70s El Dorados were the last of the American cars to have convertible tops for a good while - safety concerns all but stopped production for about a decade - and if there's a car to go out on, it's the El Dorado. In fact, the 1976 El Dorado was marketed as "the last American convertible". This would last until the mid 1980s when Chrysler brought out the LeBaron K-car with drop top.

3. MGB. The MGB is a personal favorite owing to a good friend of mine growing up who had not one but two MBGs when we were in high school and college. He was pretty insane about them, taking the hard top off in early March and not putting it on until the second snowfall (he insisted on waiting out the first "just in case"). It's a small, light, nimble car with the unfortunate drawback of being British... The upside, however, is that mods exist to bolt in American V8s...

4. Chevy Corvette. Really, is there any car more ubiquitous than a red convertible sports car? It's the archetypal "mid-life crisis" car; couple the red convertible with the Chevrolet Corvette - long the pinnacle of American sports car design - and it's the perfect storm of style and substance. Whether it's a rip-snortin' 427 ci V8 powered sidepipe endowed Stingray or a refined C6 with full handling package, the Corvette stirs the emotions in a way unlike any other American car - and even moreso in the convertible guise.

5. Chrysler LeBaron. Yes. It is a K-car, and as such - in normal body - would be shunned from any top ten list not having "Worst", "Ugliest", or "POS" in the title. However, there's a special slot for the 1980s LeBaron on the list - the 1982 LeBaron convertible marked the return of the American drop-top for the first time in 6 years. It sparked the revival of the American ragtop, and for that it deserves a slot on the list.

6. Ferrari Mondial. Okay, so "affordable Ferrari" is pretty much a contradiction in terms, I'll agree. The Mondial is about the closest you'll come to finding a Ferrari that an average person could afford (and used at that). The 2+2 seating is unusual in the 2-seat Ferrari world, as is the front-engine design. And while "cute" should never be used to describe one of Enzo Ferrari's masterpieces, the Mondial comes pretty damned close.

7. Buick LeSabre. Really, any GM B-body convertible from the mid-1960s through the early 1970s will do here. There's still a good number of affordable versions out there for someone looking for a restoration project; the body is shared with the Chevy Impala/Caprice/Biscayne, Pontiac Bonneville/Catalina, and Oldsmobile 88. It's a big hunk of American steel coupled with a sail-sized convertible top - add ridiculously overpowered V8 and go.

8. Ford Mustang. Along with the Wrangler, the Mustang is the most affordable car on the list. New 'Stangs aren't stratospherically priced, and mildly used models are (almost) inexpensive enough for a summer fun car. With the V8 option it's a powerful cruiser; with the V6 it still has oomph but won't garner too many tickets. Besides, how many songs have centered around the Ford Mustang?

9. Mercedes SL. On the upscale side is the Mercedes SL series. Even at nearly 40 years old the styling is still unique and appealing; the German-engineered Mercedes offering a blend of performance and comfort with a 4.5L V8 motor and leather-wrapped interior. With proper care and feeding, even a 25 year old variant can provide years of warm weather ragtop fun.

10. Mazda Miata. In much the same way as the LeBaron brought back the American convertible, the Miata brought back the two-seat, rear-drive roadster. Ever since the MBG left the scene in the late 197os, two-seater convertibles were basically limited to supercars far outside the price range of your average person. The Miata brought back the concept of a small, light, nimble two-seater with a removable roof, enabling a "Roadster Renaissance" of sorts in the 1990s.

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So there's my list of my favorite ragtops. Some make the list for their iconic stature; some make the list on nostalgia; some make the list because - even in a list devoted to fun cars - they are nothing more than car-shaped fun.

What drop-tops would be on your list?

That is all.

Competition for Christine?

Car’s 2d owner finds trouble, too

Not long after buying his used Lexus in 2003, Mark Pinnock discovered that the luxury sedan’s motor sometimes raced on its own, twice causing fender-benders. A mechanic friend told him it was a quirk of its powerful eight-cylinder engine.

What Pinnock didn’t know was that the car, manufactured by Toyota Motor Corp., had a checkered history — it had prompted the first of what would become a series of federal investigations into mysterious acceleration in Toyota-made cars.

Seemed like a good place to use this:

The car caused fender benders on its own? Oh, I beg to differ. Not paying attention caused the fender benders. Even if - and that's a mighty big if - the car did accelerate suddenly on its own, I don't buy the second accident. That's blaming the car for your own inattention, which, IMHO, casts doubt on whether the first accident was the car's fault as well - or simply someone trying to blame a fender bender on Toyota rather than their own absentmindedness.


No word on whether the Lexus tried to strangle occupants with the seat belt, though...


That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Must-Do's

Today's Top Ten Automotive fun thread is a little different. Today we're going to discuss the cars and trucks that one must drive at least once in their lives - but realistic cars. Oh, sure, a 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost would be a hoot, as would a Lamborghini Gallardo; however precious few of us will ever have the opportunity to drive either of these. I mean cars that you're likely to come across in your daily lives; cars you might actually be able to afford - even if it's just to rent for a weekend.

With that in mind, here goes:

1. Decadent luxury car. For me, it was a 1996 Cadillac Sedan De Ville (in 1996). We rented it for our honeymoon (two weeks in Quebec City and Montreal) as an upgrade to the Ford Escort I'd gotten while my car was getting fixed after the wreck I had four days prior to my wedding. Making the 8 hour drive to Quebec in a luxurious American luxobarge eased the pain significantly.

2. Modest American muscle car. Mustang GT, Camaro SS, Challenger. Something that's within most people's budgets but is too impractical to own. I've driven a few over the years, the most memorable being a buddy of mine's brother's '85 T/A with all the bells and whistles. The brother had lost his license (go figure), and asked if we wanted to take out his T/A to get it running. Cruising down the beach with the T-roofs out and the V8 purring is an experience that comes highly recommended.

3. Large pickup truck. Just to give a feel for what it's like to pilot one of these mammoths around. Biggest I've gotten with any experience is my current rig, the '07 Dodge earthfucker Ram, although there have been a couple 3/4 ton trucks I've piloted in the day. Bonus points for long bed and/or dually; super extra bonus points for crew cab long bed dually...

4. Stripped econobox. For me, it was a 1994 Plymouth Sundance I banged back and forth to the University of New Hampshire. Picked it up as a holdover dirt cheap (it was all I could afford as a grad student) and spent three years absolutely hating it. Ideally should be a standard transmission with no power anything and no air conditioning. Really makes you appreciate the creature comforts.

5. Modest European sports car. BMW 3 series, lower end Porsches. I got to drive a buddy's '86 944S Turbo once up and down Route 1 just north of Boston, and man, what a ride. Peppy, responsive, held the road like a dream - just the kind of car to get killed in or lose one's license. Possibly both.

6. Serious American muscle. Same idea as #5 - only instead of responsive make it "more horsepower than common sense". I've driven a couple that were close - a '72 LeMans with a 400 ci motor that I intended as a project "Le Goat" and a '71 Olds Cutlass S with the Rocket 350 and the Hurst Dualgate shifter that belonged to a buddy of mine that I got up to 120 runnin' up and down I95... Good times, good times...

7. Antique car. Something made back when you needed to choke the engine, when the high beam switch was on the floor and the shifter was on the steering column. There is nothing like old technology to make you realize just how freakin' good we have it now. Closest I've come is helping my uncle move his 1936 Plymouth Business Coupe around the yard - if it had had working brakes at the time, I would have taken it to the prom...

8. Performance car. Not necessarily the fastest car on the road, but something that really digs into the corners and lets you feel every curve of the road. I had a mid-'80s GTI (Golf-based, not Rabbit) that, even with four mis-matched tires, would get the inside rear tire off the ground on a tight offramp at 65+. Pushing limits in a car that will take it is a lot of fun, and even better if you can do it in a sanctioned event like an autocross...

9. Box van/15 passenger van. Along the lines of the large pickup, this is just to give you a feel for the outer end of the "does not perform" spectrum. Big. Slow. Heavy. All the aerodynamics of a brick with the added bonus of 150 billion square feet of wind-catching body for tooling down a highway on a windy day. The ne plus ultra for me was the mid-1960s International box truck we rented to move into our house. 4 speeds, couldn't go above 50 on the highway, and had all the responsiveness of continental drift.

10. Serious performance car. This is the one entry on the list that I have yet to drive, mainly because I still do not trust myself. Everyone should drive, at least once in their lives, a car that is capable of handling situations beyond their driving skills. Ideally this should be in some sort of driving school a la Skip Barber; at the very least it should happen on a wide open highway somewhere that gets little traffic. Everyone should see the speedometer hit north of 150 at least once in their lives...

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So there's my list of cars I think everyone should drive at least once. Some are on there for the sheer thrill; some are on there to give you an appreciation for what you're driving right now. All of them should be experienced once; some multiple times; some could even be your daily driver.

What cars do you recommend?

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Movie Star Cars...

This week's Top Ten list is something that's been kicking around inside my head for a while now: Top Ten Hollywood cars. These are cars that were either the "star" of a TV show or movie or figured prominently in a movie or TV show. With that in mind, here goes!

1. 1969 Dodge Charger, The Dukes of Hazzard. Dixie horn. Confederate flag on roof. Ability to jump large gorges, land so hard the fenders bow outward, and yet appear spotless in the next scene. The General Lee has got to be one of, if not the most recognizable TV cars out there.

2. 1982 Delorean, Back to the Future. Everyone knows that when it hits 88 miles per hour the flux capacitor kicks in and Marty McFly travels back to 1955. "You built a time machine? Out of a Delorean???"

3. 1974 Dodge Monaco, The Blues Brothers. "Its got a cop moter of 440 cubic inch plan, its got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks ... the model made before catalytic converters so it will run good on regular gas..." "What happened to the Bluesmobile? The Cadillac? "I traded it." "You traded the Bluesmobile for THIS?" "No, a microphone." "I can see that"...

4. 1958 Plymouth Grand Fury, Christine. Ah, for the days when cars had tailfins, chrome accents, and were possessed by jealous spirits with murderous intent... I do have to admit, though, the self-fixing fenders would come in handy for Boston driving...

5. 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, Knight Rider. In these days of Google, anyone can find out that KITT stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand, but who remembers KITT's evil automotive doppelganger's name? Voiced by Dr. Mark Craig, err, William Daniels, KITT was the brainy, sophisticated partner to David Hasselhoff's chest hair.

6. 1968 Mustang GT, Bullitt. You've got to love a car so popular that, nearly 30 years later, it spawned a re-make on the (at the time) new Mustang body. The chase between McQueen's 'Stang and the Dodge Charger R/T is one of Hollywood legend.

7. 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, Smokey & the Bandit. Burt Reynolds. Sally Field. Jerry Reed. And Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice of Portague County, Texas. Singlehandedly responsible for selling more "Phoenix" decals than anything GM could have dreamed up for a marketing campaign.

8. 1932 Ford Coupe, American Graffiti. Ah, the "Piss Yellow" '32 Ford coupe driven by John Milner. Some claim it singlehandedly brought back the whole "hot rod" craze. While Milner may have morphed into "Fonzie" for "Happy Days", the bright yellow Ford coupe remains a uniquely American icon.

9. 1959 Cadillac Ambulance, Ghostbusters. Gotta leave a slot on the list for Ecto 1, if for no other reason than it's my favorite year for Caddies, and the ambulance/hearse body style is one of the rarest - and oddest - styles out there. Add in the proton pack racks and the Ghostbusters symbol and voila! Instant classic.

10. 1968 Volkswagen Beetle, Herbie, the Love Bug. You don't have to be possessed to make the list of top ten movie cars, but it helps... Only in Hollywood would a VW Bug be a "race car". It's amazing that it took over 20 years for Hollywood to capitalize on the Beetle's inherent "cute" factor.

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So there's my list of top ten Hollywood TV and movie cars. This list is highly subjective, and I fully realize that the newest car on the list is over 25 years old... I know I've eschewed the "Fast N Furious" crowd, mainly because seeing a Mitsubishi with a 5' tall spoiler makes my eyes bleed...

What other famous TV and movie cars did I miss?

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Viva Italia!

This is the one I've been waiting for to do a "Top Ten" car list. After American cars (my heart is always here first when it comes to cars), Italy has the most beautiful cars in the world. Just the names alone evoke images of sleek sports cars with insane amounts of power under the hood. Even the nameplates are legendary: The rearing stallion of Ferrari; the infamous Lamborghini bull. Narrowing this down to ten will be quite a feat indeed...

1. Ferrari Testarossa. The "red head"; the Testarossa was a mid-engined, 12-cylinder car most commonly known for being Sonny Crockett's wheels in Miami Vice. Growing up as a teenaged boy in the 1980s, surrounded by K-cars, Cavaliers, and Escorts, the exotic Testarossa seen on TV was about as different from my standard automotive mode of conveyance (mom's 1983 Buick Century) as the Space Shuttle differs from a paper airplane...

2. Lamborghini Countach. And since we're basing the list of cars I lusted after as a teen, there's simply no way the Countach could not make it high on the list. The scissor-wing doors (talk about exotic) are still copied today as an example of non-traditional design; the 4.0L V12 rocketing the Countach to a top speed of nearly 200 MPH.

3. Maserati Khamsin. Named after a desert wind, the Khamsin wins the title of the car "most likely to be mistaken for a Ferrari". While the 4.9L, 320 HP V8 motor and Italian heritage belay the racing influence, it had speed-sensitive steering, excellent rear visibility, and an automatic transmission for greater driveability than it's Roman counterparts.

4. Ferrari Barchetta. How could I not pay homage to the car immortalized by Rush in 1981's "Red Barchetta"? Even though they never identified the car as a Ferrari, the Barchetta name alone conjures up Ferrari's rich racing heritage. "Fire up the willing engine, responding with a roar. Tires spitting gravel, I commit my weekly crime." In a world where private automobiles are banned, if one were to possess a car simply for the sheer pleasure of breaking the law by driving it, there's little better option than a Barchetta.

5. Lamborghini Miura. Widely considered the forerunner of the '80s and '90s supercars, the Miura was one of the first models to offer a mid-engine, rear wheel drive layout for a sports car platform. Compared to the competition of the time - the Corvette in America, the XKE Jaguar in Britain, and the Porsche 911 in Germany - the Miura was definitely unlike the rest of the crowd.

6. Lancia Stratos. Designed almost exclusively for rally racing, the Stratos was perhaps best known for the wrap-around windshield that allowed 180º+ visibility. This is one of those cars I would never have known about were it not for the world of 1/18^th scale models.

7. Fiat X1/9. Here's another personal favorite. The X1/9 stands out as the premiere "affordable" Italian two-seater ("affordable" meaning that, yes, I could afford to buy one, not necessarily to keep a mechanic employed full-time to fix it...). Between the X1/9 and the Porsche 914, the two-seat, wedge-shape model of small, sporty cars that handled like a dream took root, and unfortunately culminated in the Pontiac Fiero and the Nissan Pulsar...

8. Alfa Romeo Spider. Ah, the "Duetto". With a body designed by Pininfarina, the 1600 (1570cc) offered five-speed transmission, disc brakes, and independent front suspension at time when "three on the tree" or "four on the floor", drum brakes, and leaf springs ruled the roost. It embodied the exotic yet affordable European roadster alongside the MGB and the Karmann Ghia.

9. Fiat 500. Long before the SMART Car, the 479cc, two-cylinder (13hp!) 500 roamed the street as the car "most likely to be stolen by squirrels". Considered to be one of the first "city cars", the 500 was only 9 3 meters long and weighed less than some current touring motorcycles. Any car light and small enough to fit in the bed of a ½ ton pickup truck gets an honorable mention...

10. Maserati Gran Turismo. Hmmm. A 400+ horsepower Italian supercar that the whole family can enjoy? Sign me up! Not only that, but it comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission so the Missus can drive it too (note: This is G. family specific - Mrs. G. cannot drive standard transmission).

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So there's my list of Top Ten Italian automobiles. I understand that many models have been left out - this list could easily have been "Top Ten Ferraris" or "Top Ten Lamborghinis" - I tried to balance the list out between the major Italian automakers as best I could.

Tell me what I missed for impressive Italian cars...

That is all.

Et Tu, Honda?

Honda recalls 379,000 cars for airbag hazard

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Honda announced it is expanding a previously announced recall to replace an airbag inflator in an additional 379,000 U.S. vehicles.

In a statement posted on its Web site late Tuesday, Honda said the driver's airbag inflators in these certain vehicles may expand with too much pressure, which can cause the inflator casing to break and could result in injury or death.

So, Toyotas accelerate unpredictably and can't stop right; Fords have messed up cruise control; and now Hondas have problems with the air bags. Interesting. With Honda, it's even more interesting - the cars involved are all 8-9 years old, and this recall first went out over a year ago. This lends credence, IMHO, to the theory that there's more to the recalls than a desire to keep the public safe. GM and Chrysler have been curiously absent from recall notices, leading many to speculate that the recent rounds of recalls have been motivated for political reasons after the bailouts of these manufacturers.

Given that they have to go back 8 years to find something on Honda, I'm inclined to agree with this assessment...

That is all.

Stopping Power...

Apparently the Toyota Prius doesn't have it...

Toyota recalls more than 400,000 hybrid cars

Tokyo, Japan (CNN) -- Toyota's president apologized profusely Tuesday as he announced the global recall of more than 400,000 of the automaker's 2010 hybrid models, including the popular Prius, for problems in their anti-lock braking systems.

"We do apologize for the inconvenience and concerns we've given to the customers," President Akio Toyoda said in making the recall announcement from the automaker's headquarters in Tokyo. "Quality is our lifeline for Toyota."

While it may seem like I'm piling on here on poor Toyota - and, in a way, I guess I am - it just strikes me as the richest of ironies that the Toyota Smugmobile should fall victim to recallitis. Imagine, if you will, the full karmic laughfest of a Prius, driven by some eco-tard who's deludedly thinking he's saving the environment by driving a hybrid car, slamming into a tree because the brakes failed.

The only way it could be more ironic would be if he hits an old-growth tree (with a spotted owl in it)...

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Speaking of FAIL...

Is the update on my truck. My not-quite-three-year-old truck. That has a whopping 31K miles on it. Y'see, a week ago I noticed it making an odd noise, a cross between a squeal and a whine, at higher (>1,500) RPMs. Even though I may not be mechanically inclined, I know when something doesn't sound right, so I made an appointment to bring it into the dealership yesterday (it's still under warranty, at least for the next month or two).

It's the alternator. At 31,000 miles. I am not happy. FAIL.

No wonder Chrysler needed a bailout...

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Rule Britannia...

So last week was German cars, this week it's British offerings. I was surprised how easy this list was to put together - Remember that Great Britain is home to Lucas Electrics, the reason they drink Guinness warm...

So here's my Top Ten List of British automobiles:

1. Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. Really, anything offered up by Rolls Royce should make the list, but the Silver Cloud is the quintessential luxury car. From the "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament to the hinged hood, the Silver Cloud cemented Rolls Royce's reputation as the ne plus ultra in luxury automobiles.

2. Bentley Azure. Oh, sure, it's 0-60 time of 6.1 seconds is downright lethargic by present-day standards. But when you consider the sheer mass of car - including the real wood dashboard and full leather interior - it's downright astounding.

3. XKE Jaguar. From "Deadman's Curve" to "Harold and Maude", Jaguar's answer to the Corvette was as much a media star as a track star. The distinctive styling and foreign appeal made it an instant hit here in the states, where folks looking for an alternative to the Chrome Roamers and lead sleds were eager for this exotic.

4. Morris Minor-Mini. To borrow a phrase from Dave Barry, a car so small it was routinely stolen by squirrels. It's been done in car, truck, SUV, and rally forms. In Cooper S guise it won the Monte Carlo rally four times in the 1960s alone.

5. Aston Martin DB5. James Bond's car. 'nuff said? Even without the machine guns, ejector seat, and bulletproof rear plate, the DB5 holds a storied place in the automotive world. Replacing the DB4, the DB5 brought a newer, larger motor, a five-speed transmission, and a triple carb to the picture.

6. Morris Garage Model A (MGA). This is one of those models where the aesthetics trump the actual function. It was a radical departure for the folks at MG, with the low, swooping lines replacing the angular T-type models.

7. Lotus Esprit. Another Bond car, albeit from the {shudder} Roger Moore years. Also hit it big in "Pretty Woman". The supercharged, intercooler four cylinder engine was pushed to achieve over 300 HP from the factory.

8. Triumph TR8. Triumph is a funny company. They started out making motorcycles, got into the car business, then folded the car business and went back to making motorcycles. Kind of a more successful Suzuki, actually. The TR8, even with the eight cylinder motor, offered less than 150 HP and 0-60 times that are eclipsed by minivans today. But it looks nice.

9. XJS Jaguar. The XJS (V12) Jag coupe is one of the rare exceptions to the rule that the convertible is better-looking than the coupe IMHO. There's just something about that styling that's understated, yet distinctive all at the same time.

10. Morris Garage Model B (MGB). This is a nostalgic favorite, as I had a friend in high school who was crazy about MGs, owning several models and even racing one in amateur autocross. One of the most frightening moments of my life came in one of Derek's MGs - we took a sharp corner at high speed and I looked over the door sill to see that my side of the car was actually off the ground...

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Thus concludes the offerings from (formerly) Great Britain. Luxury cars, stylish roadsters, and screamin' sports cars - who could ask for more? From Rolls Royce to Lotus to Aston Martin, British cars have fascinated the American public from the post WWII era on.

What other British cars should have made the cut?

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Again, Toyota?

Toyota adds 1 million vehicles to recall

New York (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota announced Wednesday night that it is adding another 1.1 million vehicles to an an earlier 4.2 million vehicle recall originally announced in November.

The vehicles are being recalled to fix a problem in which the gas pedal can become caught on the edge of the removable floormat, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.

That's over 3 million vehicles recalled by Toyota this week. If they recall any more cars, they're going to have to partner with Ruger...

Boy, I wish had had 1/10th the skill of this guy...

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Troubles at Toyota...

Man, why couldn't this have been Nissan? I had the perfect title for it: Careful With That Xterra, Eugene...

Toyota suspends sales after recall of 2.3 million vehicles

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. said Tuesday it is asking dealers to temporarily suspend sales of eight models.

The company's sales suspension is part of a recall announced last week to correct a problem that could cause the accelerator pedal to stick.

Can't help but noticing that the 2007 Tundra is listed there, which results in no small amount of schadenfreude, as I was all set to buy a Tundra in 2007 before I got the Ram 'o' Doom. Owing to a combination of the sales weasel lying to me outright about what they could offer us for our trade-in and their unwillingness to budge on price (they wanted us to pay full MSRP sticker price for the Tundra while offering $2,500 below Kelly Blue Book trade-in on our Durango. GFY). This is the same dealership that had a Corolla and a Prius side-by-side in the showroom with a $10,000 price difference between identically equipped cars, FWIW. It's not the same dealership, though, that my buddy sci-fi went to looking for a mid-sized SUV that would seat "six or more" and was ONLY shown a RAV4...

Given Toyota's track record, I'm certain they'll fix this problem quickly so they can get right back to screwing their customers...

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Hail Germania...

Since we wrapped up the Top Ten lists for the Big Three American automobile manufacturers, it's time to move beyond our shores to distant lands. Today's Top Ten list will comprise cars made in Germany.

1. Porsche 911. Ah, the 911. For twenty five years Ferdinand Porsche's 911 coupe proved that cars could do more than go really fast in a straight line - they could also go really fast around corners, too. Pitted against the American muscle cars, the 911 with its flat-six motor held its own on the straightaways but shone in the corners.

2. Volkswagen Beetle. Of all the cars ever produced, it would be hard to find one that is more recognizable than the VW Beetle. Produced from WWII into the 1970s, the first "People's Car" had the longest production run of a single design in history, not counting the foreign copies that continued to be produced into the previous decade.

3. Mercedes 300SL. Ah, the "gullwing" Benz. Designed as a racing car, the 300SL was the first Mercedes to sell more units outside of Germany than inside. It was also the first car to utilize direct fuel injection into the 3 liter engine. Plus, the gullwing doors would be the inspiration for the DeLorean some thirty years later...

4. Porsche 959. Never cleared for importation into the United States, it was still declared one of Motor Trend's Number One Sports car of the 1980s. Not only that, but in 1986 a pair of 959s took first and second place in their class in the Paris-Dakar rally!

5. BMW 2002. With BMW's first turbocharger, the 2002 developed some 170 horsepower with the suspension to match. The 2002 might not have been the first true "sports sedan" (the Chrysler 300 series some 20 years prior would be better suited for that title), it certainly helped establish BMW outside of Europe as a maker of high-performance luxury sedans.

6. Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. The Type 14 (VW's designation for the Karmann Ghia) was the most imported car into the US in the 1960s. With styling by Ghia in Italy and bodywork by the German Karmann, it was an international effort that translated into near-universal appeal.

7. Porsche 928. It's hard to say whether the front-mounted V8 engine - as opposed to the traditional rear-mounted straight six - powering this Porsche was more or less shocking than the fact that it was available with an automatic transmission. The 928 was the fastest car in the United States in 1983, owing to American manufacturers still trying to get a handle on emissions control and fuel economy standards.

8. BMW 507. One look at the 507 and it's not hard to see the Corvette- and Thunderbird- inspired styling. While it was billed as competition to the Jaguars and Mercedes roadsers in Europe, it was introduced to the world in New York City in 1956. Plus Elvis had one...

9. Volkswagen Microbus - The first true "minivan", for many years it was the only alternative to the monstrous vans available from Detroit if one wanted more people hauling space than a traditional sedan or wagon. Available in passenger van, pick-up, or camper arrangements, the micro-bus could certainly be considered a sport-utility vehicle as well.

10. Mercedes McLaren SLR. A Mercedes with scissor-wing doors and 617 horsepower under the hood. What could possibly be better for roasting Corvettes and Vipers than German engineering wrapped in opulent leather and real wood dashboards?

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So there's the list of my Top Ten German cars. I'm by no means an expert on foreign automobiles in general, so this list may very well be lacking some important designs.

What German automobiles would you have put on the list?

That is all.

Paradigm Shifting Without A Clutch...

Mini Cooper SUV unveiled

The Mini Cooper has been hit for parent company BMW, but there are still a lot of potential customers out there who can't quite fit their families into a tiny subcompact. That's why Mini's introducing the Cooper Countryman, a small SUV almost 16 inches longer than the Mini Cooper. The brand's first four-door model, it will go on sale in the U.S. early next year.

Folks, we have a winner for "Silliest Vehicular Idea EVAH". I thought the Porsche Cayenne had that title sewed up - I mean, let's face it, when you hear the word "Porsche", the image that's conjured up is a sleek European sports car, not some bloated pig of an SUV. Oh sure, the advertisements were quick to point out the sports car heritage, with TV ads showing some namebrand-slave putting his cell phone outside so the person on the other end could hear his Porsche, but in the end, you still have a VW Toureg with a lion on the front. BFD.

But here we have something to top even that. We have the Mini, a brand resurrected from the dead to capitalize on the retro fad wrought by the VW Beetle, being turned into a gross caricature of itself. The Mini, originally intended to become an updated version of the campy Morris Mini, has now bloated up to SUV size. Here's a tip: People don't buy Minis because they want legroom or cargo carrying capacity. They buy one because it's a cute little car that gets good gas mileage that's an alternative to some generic econobox from Seoul...

I shudder to think of what the next manufacturer to offer an SUV will be - will we see a Maserati or Ferarri model?

That is all.

Friday Fun Thread: Cool Cadillacs

I do believe this finishes up our Top Ten lists of the "Big Three" (and miscellaneous) American cars. We've done Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury from FoMoCo; we've done Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge from Mopar; and we've done Chevy, Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile from GM. There's been an "other" category, albeit prematurely. So it's time for my favorite marque of all.

Today's Automotive Top Ten List is my Top Ten Favorite Caddys.

1. 1959 El Dorado convertible. This car is, bar none, my all-time favorite automobile. The Harley Earl design is breathtaking, with sweeping lines culminating in those deliciously ostentatious tail fins. Everything about this car is just right, there's simply no other way to put it. It's been in dozens of movies, has served as one of the shining icons of American post-war automotive styling, and is just plain gorgeous.

2. 1971 El Dorado convertible. Bonus points for horns on the hood. Really, any of the El Dorado convertibles from the early- to mid- 1970s will do. These were ginormous cars, with hoods large enough to land helicopters and motors (500 CI!) to match. Toss in a leather interior (white if possible) and you've got the land barge di tutti land barges...

3. 1940 Series 90. This car has, for a very long time, been one of my all-time favorite cars. There's just something about that removable panel over the driver's compartment; the way the rear streeeetchs back to offer unparalleled comfort; the neither over- nor understated opulence of the car that simply exudes class. A shame they don't offer such style today.

4. 2009 XLR. Okay, so it's basically a Corvette with modified sheetmetal. It's still got a 443 horsepower V8 with a supercharger and four intercoolers that propel A CADILLAC from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds. FOUR POINT SIX seconds. Much was made of the > $100K price tag, but when you put it up against the Mercedes and BMW supercars that it was intended to face, it's downright cheap.

5. 1983 Coupe De Ville. For sentimental reasons - it's the only Cadillac I've ever owned. I've always liked the late 1970s to 1985 (the end of the rear-drive Coupe and Sedan de Villes); while the body was shared among GM, the Cadillac incarnation was my favorite.

6. 1930 V-16. Designed, built, and marketed before the stock market crash of 1929, the V-16 roadster was Cadillac's top of the line model from inception until WWII stopped production. This Harley Earl designed roadster was inspired by custom built European models and would set the Cadillac standard for years to come.

7. Pre-war Series 62. With just enough styling cues to distinguish the Cadillac from it's more plebian brothers, the Series 62 was Cadillac's mid-sized model. Designed to be an "entry level" Cadillac, the Series 62 would become a test-bed platform of sorts, with trim levels spinning off to their own models if they proved popular.

8. 1996 Fleetwood. Not only is this the last of the full-sized Caddies, it's a personal pick as well. We rented a brand-spankin' new '96 Fleetwood for our honeymoon to Quebec, driving it north into Canada and all around the Great White North. Nothing gets you through the border faster than being newlyweds in a rented Cadillac on your honeymoon!

9. 1956 Series 60S. The Elvis model was a 1953, but pretty much any Series 60 from the 1950s will do. The "Sixty Special" offered a host of amenities, from air conditioning to wire wheels, power brakes, and even gold script well in advance of the "tuner craze" of the 1990s...

10. 1968 Series 75 limosine. And not just because it was the vehicular conveyance of choice in "One Crazy Summer". The mid-late 1960s styling of the Series 75 remains a favorite, with the car a ubiquitous staple of Hollywood movies. The long body conveyed the limo aspect, while the Cadillac appointments exuded muted opulence.

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That wraps up this Top Ten list, as well as my Top Ten lists for the "Big Three" American car manufacturers. I've been toying with the idea of doing a "Top Ten" list for foreign cars next, perhaps by country (England, Italy, Germany, Japan, etc.). Additional ideas are always welcome, either in comments or via e-mail.

So, what other fine Cadillacs should be on the list?

That is all.

From the Mouths of Babes...

So, yesterday I brought the Gaia-hatin' Ram in for its 30,000 mile service. We get a loaner car as part of the package, and the perky just-outta-college dude from the rental place rolls up in a shiny new Hyundai Accent. It's a bare-bones "economy" rental, but it's free and it means I don't have to wait four hours for the truck to be done, so I pile myself and TheBoy into the Hyundai and off we go.

"Dad. Hey Dad!" I hear from the back seat.

"Yeah buddy, what's up?"

"You gotta see this - it's really cool! You open the windows all by yourself!"

Yes, TheBoy was fascinated with manual windows. This isn't the first car he's been in that doesn't have power windows, but the most recent and the one he noticed. I started thinking about it, and I haven't had a car with crank windows since the Toyota van I owned in 1997... It's really funny, though - he thought it was a special option that only that car had; $20 says he goes into school next Monday bragging to his friends about the really cool car his dad rented...

Hey, who am I to knock down his elementary school bragging rights, right?

That is all.

PS: Mrs. G. looked at me after TheBoy came out with this one and said "You're gonna blog this, aren't you?"

Yes, dear, I certainly did...