Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today we've got reports from Brojackson, Speedhunters, Petrolicious, and Hooniverse.
Going Twelve Rounds In Ferrari's Boxer – Petrolicious
The evolution of Ferrari's glorious Boxers.
Inline fours, straight and V-shaped sixes, bent eights, tens, and twelves are the popular kids of engine design, their many strengths and accepted weaknesses allow them first round draft status to the automotive engineering and design dodgeball team nearly every time. Last round ball-fodder consists of parallel twins, inline threes, pancake fours, the one-time-jock-turned-anime-club-president straight eight, and the motor equivalent of that guy who smelled like cat pee and talked to himself, the rotary engine. Boxer sixes tread the line between those two camps, with the 911’s role as the introverted and smart track star of sports cars a long-standing one. That leaves the rich home-schooled kid, the flat 12. Yep, the Ferrari 512BB and Testarossa are quite well-versed in animal husbandry and think the world is flat, but are too well-bred and wealthy for anyone to dare not invite them to the party.
ADDICTED TO DRIFTING: PRO VERSUS PRIVATEER – Speedhunters
The great Larry Chen chronicles the points leader in the Formula Drift Championship and the guy in last place. Stellar photos, as always.
Each and every one of the drivers on the Formula Drift grid do it for the love of the sport. They just love being behind the wheel. Then again, are there any professional racing drivers whose sole purpose for driving is for fame and fortune? I’ve thought about it til my brain started to hurt. It really just comes down to doing what you love, whether you make a living from it or not.
THE RESURRECTION OF MY 1962 IMPALA – Brojackson
You don't bond with dishwashers for a reason.
When I left Los Angeles for Chicago in my 1962 Chevrolet Impala, I wanted to drive forever. I had just dumped my girlfriend, told her I was leaving via a phone call. It was an asshole move, something a shady ’40s noir movie character does right before he gets kidnapped and dumped into the Los Angeles River.
Driving The Royal Jaaaaag – Hooniverse
An old Jag screams classy.
Resplendent in Royal Claret (naturally) with a contrasting maroon pinstripe, there’s something aside from the colour that pulls your eyes towards this car. It’s some other gravity that causes your gaze to run along the car from nose to tail repeatedly, exploring every inch of that long wheelbase, and with good reason. This was, allegedly, the first long wheelbase XJ ever built, having a slight stretch after the “B” pillar to offer more stretching room for luxuriating aristocrats.