Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today we've got reports from Vice, The New York Times, Hooniverse, and Hemmings.
Citroen Rendezvous Preview: The Citroen XM — Hooniverse
We're suckers for old Citroens here, and the upcoming Citroen Rendezvous in New York ticks all the right boxes. The Citroen XM is one of the nuttier cars they built, so it's good to get a little bit of knowledge under your belt no matter what.
Replacing the extremely long lived CX in May of 1989, the Bertone-styled XM premiered to great fanfare. Aimed at such cars as the Mercedes-Benz W124 E-klasse and the BMW 5 Series, the XM tried to strike a balance between channeling the spirit of the DS and pleasing the modern customer base for executive sedans. Engines on offer ranged from a 2.0 liter inline-four, to a 3.0 liter V6, which is what all the North American XMs that I have seen seem to be powered by.
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Children's Go-Kart Racing Is Decadent And Depraved — Vice
There's drinking. There are bets. And then there's "go-kart racing." It's at Malibu Grand Prix, and yes, it is a good read, but these aren't go-karts. They're basically toy cars for little kids and drunken adults to ride around in. In that case, this seems rather apt.
I gulped down the rest of what was now a glass celebrating yet another defeat and pleaded with my friends for help. I had to cover some sort of athletic chase for this damned rag. That’s when Kevin, good ol’ reliable Kevin, came through. “We could... uh... I dunno... what about betting on children’s go-kart racing?” The exact kinda twisted scene the culture sniffers at VICE would cream their artisinal overalls for.
Chinese Creating New Auto Niche Within Detroit — The New York Times
Layoffs at big Detroit automakers have taken their toll on the economy and livelihood of Detroit. But someone else is coming to the rescue: The Chinese automakers are making some big investments.
Chinese-owned companies are investing in American businesses and new vehicle technology, selling everything from seat belts to shock absorbers in retail stores, and hiring experienced engineers and designers in an effort to soak up the talent and expertise of domestic automakers and their suppliers.
The Longbridge Tunnel Mini Clubman 1275 GT Heads To Auction — Hemmings
A little bit of nostalgia here. This Mini Clubman sat in a tunnel underneath its Longbridge factory for ages without moving. It's the last Mini to come out of Longbridge, and now it can be yours.
For decades, the last Mini from British Leyland’s former Longbridge plant near Birmingham, England, sat abandoned in the maze of tunnels below the massive factory, its roof staved in by an unfortunate encounter with a shipping container. Its location was hardly a mystery, and over the years scrappers and thieves liberated the Clubman 1275GT’s drivetrain, interior and suspension, leaving behind little more than a a gutted shell.