Can I get an honorable mention for this? This was one of the first start ups after my new race motor went in and before it got a muffler installed. Later, when I took it off the jack stands, the hot exhaust burned a hole in our asphalt driveway.
The beetle was the first working car to drive Antarctica. Nicknamed the red terror, it was a 1962 beetle from Australia.
How about GTFO? That's what the "g" really means. Honestly.
Being the 2nd most widely produced car in the world behind the golf, the beetle was the first car to reach every continent, and gained dozens of nicknames on the way. Bug, Beetle, Kever, Kafer, Vocho, Fusca, Peta, Poncho, Buba, Brouk, Boble, Kobe, Kupla, Kura, and the wikipedia list goes on. Nearly every country in the world has a nickname for the beetle.
I'd have to go with Dean Jones and Herbie, the 2 are nearly inseparable, Dean even took one of the original Herbie beetles home with him after the movie.
Not sure how they stack up but here's a couple local Bay Area favorites:
CA Hwy 9 through the Santa Cruz mountains, 260+ corners, 15 miles, 3000 ft. of elevation changes, driven every day. It's like doing 2 laps of the 'ring on your way to work.
CA Hwy 130 known as Mt. Hamilton Rd. looks like it was drawn on the map by a toddler hopped up on redbull. It chews through a set of tires faster than a KB gymkhana video, but it will bestow you with a big heavy pair if you can drive it quickly.
CA Hwy 9 through the Santa Cruz mountains, 260+ corners, 15 miles, 3000 ft. of elevation changes, driven every day. It's like doing 2 laps of the 'ring on your way to work.
CA Hwy 130 known as Mt. Hamilton Rd. looks like it was drawn on the map by a toddler hopped up on redbull. It chews through a set of tires faster than a KB gymkhana video, but it will bestow you with a big heavy pair if you can drive it quickly.
Slow, loud and uncomfortable... well 2 out of 3.
Take a 71-75 vw super beetle, a red-headed step child in it's own culture thanks to it's strut front end and one of the slowest cars to come around. Add disc brakes in front, tune the suspension and you have a poor man's porsche. Take that Idea to the extreme, and make a track special that gets plenty of attention, but is also a blast to drive.
As a former hillclimber in the states I know how dangerous it can be. In the driver's meeting they usually state "you could die today" and it's true. Driving 10/10ths on a 2 lane road, usually without a guardrail or curb, bad road crown, and a dirty surface at triple digit speeds is taunting death. Losing Georg is a tragedy and the still young 134 doubly so. RIP
I followed this guy home in my own bug a few times (he lived down the hill from me) and for an old guy in an old beetle he hauled ass. One night on the way home I let him by me to see how fast he drove and so we played a little cat/mouse... in a 69 beetle and a 73 super beetle. He ended up spinning in front of me on a set of S-curves half way down the mountain. That didn't really deter him though and he liked going quick. I never got a chance to talk to him I only ever commuted with him. RIP
2 kits come to mind, the first one probably one of the most widely spread and copied kits there ever was, the Meyers Manx. It was the ultimate beach cruiser of the 60's and 70's and Meyers is still making kits 50 year's later. The 2nd kit is the Ultima GTR. Any kit car that served as a test mule for the great McLaren GTR (for both drive train and suspension) and holds a fistful of world records deserves to be mentioned. Oh, and did I mention it was faster around the top gear track than Schumacher in a FXX
I'm guessing that was a mod class on deck and the Ultima is the real story here.
There's something to be said for turning up the wick. If 37hp in 2000lbs. is fun, 300hp in 1800lbs. should be a hoot! :D
Just went through SJC and all the backscatter machines were not in use. The upside to this is the fastest i've ever been through a security checkpoint, some kind of speed record
Chrome don't get you home
Having been in the first audience I have changed my mind about TGUS. I was very skeptical going in but after chatting with the hosts and seeing a couple segments I think it's on track for a good start. Technically I think they're cheating by using production and writing help from the UK show, but it's the best kind of cheating. If I have any lingering worries it's about Tanner's hosting abilities. If they can't get him to be a little more human in front of the camera he should be replaced.
Haters gonna hate...
Did you lose to a beetle recently?
Did you lose to a beetle recently?
How about a stoppie like the mini in this golden oldie?
Yeah it's a shameless plug, but it's about turning one of the slowest cars you can think of into one of the fastest.
[www.germanlook.net]
[www.germanlook.net]
So I could have 1 of these or 3 dp4 track toys... Think I'll go with the dp4
