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Detroit, 3:00 AM
Sat Dec 12
24 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/09/09
But man...that Zonda interior beats them both. It's like steampunk in there...
12/09/09
12/09/09
Not faster than several cars.
Still pretty damn fast...
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12/10/09
If I had to go with a European supercar, it would be Pagini (Mercedes running gear), or Porsche.
But although I am not, nor will ever be in the market for any such supercar...I have been waiting over a decade for the Japanese to take the gloves off (Their "Gentleman's Agreement"), and produce something with more than 6 cylinders, and more sport-focused.
Sad to say it, but in spite of this masterpiece, I think the golden era of Japanese sports cars will remain, sadly, the 1990s (RX-7, Supra, 300ZX, 180SX, 240SX, Miata, MR2, NSX).
I often daydream of walking into a Mazda dealership, circa 1995, and picking out my (then) new FD RX-7...
No ricer upgrades, thanks; just a clean, light, no-nonsense, RWD sportscar, with three pedals, just as the gods of speed always intended.
At least we can take solice in the LF-A, upcoming FT-86, and (Confirmed by MAzda!) upcoming RX-7 as vestiges of what greatness once was; when owning a sportscar didn't mean it had to be in the shop twice a week ("Soul" they call it...), didn't fall apart the day the warranty expired, and rewarded non-wealthy enthusiasts with truly great RWD driving.
I'll go cry now.
12/07/09
Not at all bad for a vehicle hinged in the middle.
12/04/09
12/04/09
[www.chevroletpedia.org]
12/04/09
Fred: Ha, you Porsche guys like it in the back.
skitter: ...
Fred: No one mention that I have a Karmann-Ghia.
12/04/09
12/04/09
When does a photograph, film, sound clip, drawing, doodle, sculpture or creation cross that magical threshold and become art?
Well, to me, art needs to communicate, in whatever medium, to the subject's emotions. In this internet day and age, however, photos of even supercars are no longer rare and can barely stir me. However, each time a Lamborghini flies past, a Porsche speeds away, or a Ferrari roars forward, my heart flutters a little, my blood pressure increases a little, and my eyes go wide a little.
That said, a photo taken of any car in the right circumstances, can, and often do, affect my emotions they way only art can. Be it a photo of a Porsche at the Ring, a Can-Am car at the Corkscrew, or an endless, lonely road with a lone muscle car powering towards the horizon (a la Vanishing Point), they definitely make me feel a little better about being alive. Provocative imagery needs to inspire dreams, and photos of cars can do just that: what is more fascinating than a journey, in that car, to wherever your heart takes you.
12/04/09
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12/04/09
They is the realization that cars are, in fact, inanimate objects that cannot actively tell stories about themselves. What they can do, however, is tell stories about the people who built them, bought them, drove them, own them, etc.
To start with, different cars are aimed at different demographics, and different demographics have different characteristics. Like it or not, that new BMW or Volkswagen or Toyota does say something about you as a person in that it your personal values are reflected in your choice of car.
Older cars, such as the likely mythical example of an original, unmolested, and unrestored survivor of a 289 Shelby Cobra can tell even more. They are cars that were built for a purpose, and say quite a bit about the man behind them and the people that bought them, both new and over the years. Every dent, every paint chip, every tear in the seats is a story; a story of love, action, heartbreak, sometimes a little bit of neglect, but always a story. They are the car's battle scars, and do more to make the car beautiful than any restoration could ever do.
The same goes for motorcycles. The most beautiful motorcycles out there aren't brand new Gixxers or the like, but rather the dented, scratched, old Harley knuckleheads with chipped and faded paint and worn out seats; or an old Tribsa with terrible paint and brutally scuffed up foot pegs.
Those old cars are a lot like models such as Cindy Crawford; so many people harped on her about her little mole, but in the end, that tiny little bit of imperfection on an otherwise flawlessly gorgeous woman made her even more beautiful and interesting.
Any car can tell a story, and any car, even my POS, can be a work of art. Why? Because cars well and truly are works of art that can not only be seen, but be touched, smelled, heard, felt, and driven, combining all of our human senses into one magnificent experience and the story of it.
12/04/09
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12/04/09
As a clay sculptor for *cough* motor company I feel a sense of beauty with any car I come in contact with. I find myself walking up and running my fingers over the creases in the sheet metal imagining the effort and thought that was put into sculpting that fender, as it it were fine silk or leather.
It is with a sense of sadness that I see the decline of hand sculpting as computers take the place of clay more and more. One can only hope it will never completely go away, but who knows what the future holds.
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