Undoubtedly the idea of stumbling across a Porsche 356 in neglected but solid original condition is the stuff of gearhead dreams. The relative mechanical simplicity of the 356 and it’s iconic shape lend itself perfectly to the idea of driving and enjoying it in slightly deteriorated original condition. More » Excerpt from:  Dreams of ratty Porsches don’t come cheap with this original 1956 356A coupe [Found On EBay] View original here: Dreams of ratty Porsches don’t come cheap with this original 1956 356A coupe [Found On EBay]

If you watched all the way through Icon’s Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 video we posted, you saw one of the cops take a nasty roll during the credits. Icon has thoughtfully brought us the full story of Officer Dan’s off-road excursion. More » Here is the original: Officer Dan Says Don’t Try Drifting At Home, Kids! [Video] Originally posted here:  Officer Dan Says Don’t Try Drifting At Home, Kids! [Video]

Saab apparently is not dead —it’s just in a persistent vegetative state. A total of five parties have stepped forward to bid on all or parts of the Trollhättan-based automaker as a bankruptcy court in Sweden manages the sale of the company’s assets. The aim is to recover some money for Saab’s creditors. The three parties receiving the most attention are two Chinese companies and Mahindra & Mahindra, an Indian automaker. Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. is said to have made a bid in the hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars range for as much of Saab as it can get. Details of the offer haven’t been disclosed, but some very careful contracting must be on the table: Youngman tried to buy Saab before the bankruptcy, but General Motors ultimately vetoed that deal since it would have put so much GM-engineered Saab technology into the hands of a relatively small Chinese firm. It’s not clear what’s different this time around that might placate GM. Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (BAIC) also has expressed serious interest in picking at Saab’s carcass. Saab sold the tooling and rights to build the old 9-5 to BAIC in 2009—it’s re-skinning them with more-modern sheetmetal—so this seems like a predictable move. Analysts like to say that the Chinese auto industry is developing quickly, which it is, but the benefit of building a car on even an old western platform can’t be understated. Indian firm Mahindra & Mahindra—a major manufacturer of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and agricultural equipment—is reported to have entered preliminary discussions to buy at least portions of Saab. These reports date back to December 30, however. As of this writing, Mahindra spokespeople weren’t available for comment. If you’re confused by this quagmire of news, it’s understandable. And you’re not alone. Saab is a relatively large industrial firm, and it’s going through a sophisticated bankruptcy process in Sweden. State- and privately held Chinese manufacturers are in some cases declining to be forthcoming about their positions in negotiations—and in other cases are legally required to stay quiet. Even international news organizations...

Like lots of car guys, I have a very specific weakness for one particular class of automobile. For many, that weakness is for fast, powerful, luxurious, high-end exotics; for me, as a side effect of a condition known medically as “being a bit of a moron,” it’s cars at the extreme low end of the spectrum. More » See more here: An Insanely Intense Look At The World’s Cheapest Car [Car Design] Read the original post: An Insanely Intense Look At The World’s Cheapest Car [Car Design]

Today, Audi released pricing for the lightweight R8 GT sports car’s droptop Spyder iteration and revealed how many cars from the 333-unit production run will be allocated for the U.S. market. First, the cost: The 2012 GT Spyder will start at $213,350, including gas-guzzler tax. This gives it the distinction of being the most expensive R8 variant available. The nearly identical—save for the roof—GT coupe previously held that title, with a base sticker $13,200 less than the GT Spyder’s. For reference, the topless GT commands a $38,300 premium over the V-10 R8 Spyder 5.2 with the R tronic automated manual transmission. Like the GT coupe, the Spyder is lighter and more powerful than its R8 5.2 counterpart; its V-10 engine puts out 560 hp (35 more hp than the standard R8 5.2 Spyder’s), and the whole car weighs about 100 fewer pounds. However, because the R8 Spyder is heavier than the coupe to begin with, the GT Spyder’s weight savings pretty much bring it down into non-GT coupe territory. Besides a reduction in weight, the GT Spyder gets a stiffened and lowered suspension, a larger rear diffuser, an aggressive front splitter, a fixed rear spoiler, and 19-inch wheels. It also gets Audi’s single-clutch R tronic automated manual standard, which is much less fun than the gated six-speed manual that is available in non-GT R8 s. If you’re interested in snagging one of the limited-edition R8 GT Spyders for yourself, we suggest you hurry—Audi’s only sending us 50 of the 333 units slated for production. Go here to see the original: Audi Prices 2012 R8 GT Spyder From $213,350, Making it the Most Expensive R8 Read the original here: Audi Prices 2012 R8 GT Spyder From $213,350, Making it the Most Expensive R8

Current economic conditions may not be optimal, but that doesn’t mean you’d have to completely give up life’s luxuries, or as today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Geo Metro proves, LeMons racing. Still, is this little limo really priced to do even one lap of luxury? More » Here is the original: For $550, Your LeMons Limo Awaits [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe] Read the original post: For $550, Your LeMons Limo Awaits [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

Filed under: First Drive Vauxhall is increasing MPV customer choice with the introduction of its new seven-seater Zafira Tourer . An all-new model, the Ford S-Max and SEAT Alhambra rival only shares its name with existing Zafira which remains on sale. Prices start at £21,000. Every manufacturer now seems to offer a compact MPV with seven-seats these days, but back in 1999 the first-generation Zafira pioneered the concept of a smaller MPV offering more space and better flexibility. The concept might not be unique to Vauxhall anymore and rivals certainly quickly caught up, but the current second-generation car launched back in 2005 remains a regular feature of the monthly best-sellers chart. This time round, there’s a new ‘lounge’ seating system. A similar concept to the one debuted in the smaller Meriva , there are three seats that can be transformed into two with more space to stretch out. The seats slide forward and back independently, plus access is improved as only one person needs to get out to give access to the third row of seats. Although, once you’re in the third row of seats, you realise these are best for children as legroom for the tallest is tight. Best hope that passengers in the second row will move forward to give more legroom. Bootspace is dependent on whether the third row of seats is in place or not. With just the second row of seats in place, there’s 710 litres of bootspace. Fold all of the seats down except the driver and passenger seats and this grows to a massive, van-like 1860 litres. At the front, there’s a stylish, modern dashboard. Although I’m not too keen on the button-heavy centre console. However, the driving position is comfortable and the front seats supportive. A panoramic roof is standard on top models and certainly let a welcome and generous dose of winter sun into the Zafira Tourer’s cabin. There are five trims to choose from, but all models are fitted with a seven-speaker CD/stereo system, USB port, electric front windows, electric mirrors and cruise control. On the outside, the Zafira follows current family styling cues. At the front, there are the same boomerang-style headlights first seen on the Vauxhall Ampera . At the side, there’s a large glass area that kicks...

Filed under: Motorsport Nissan’s impressive Juke-R has been in the public eye for quite a while now. We’ve watched it being built , we’ve heard about how amazing it is , seen it shakedown testing and been told just how quickly it can go . Now we get to see it racing. Stuffing the heart and soul of a Nissan GT-R into a Juke was never going to be easy, but the results were always going to be stunning. The hyper-trolley has 485bhp, will manage 160mph and does the 0-62mph dash in 3.7 seconds – that’s faster than a Ferrari California . But Nissan isn’t happy to just let the numbers do the talking. The powers that be arranged a street race against a Lamborghini Gallardo , Ferrari 458 and Mercedes-Benz SLS in Dubai to see just how much better a ‘practical’, race modified crossover is than a supercar. It’s a match up that’s less David V Goliath and more Kermit the Frog V Flame Thrower. A foregone conclusion… Now, if this were a drag race the hyper-trolley would have been left for dead, but apparently the Juke-R is a rather deft handler and can smash the above supercars on a tight course. You know, supercars developed to go very, very quickly around race tracks. They’re not all that, apparently. Enjoy the video below, and please start writing to Nissan asking for an ‘R’ Juke to reach production.   View original post here: Video: Nissan Juke R wins supercar street race Go here to see the original: Video: Nissan Juke R wins supercar street race

What you see here isn’t just some crappy homebrew Batmobile parked on a random sidewalk. This is either a real art deco “Keaton” Batmobile from one of the Tim Burton films or an excellent reproduction. More » Read more from the original source: Only In Dubai Would Someone Daily Drive The Batmobile [Video] See original here:  Only In Dubai Would Someone Daily Drive The Batmobile [Video]

It’s just a couple of bros, a lot of snow and a Subaru with an Audi. Drifting happens. Warning: some NSFW language More » Read the original post: Audi And Subaru Go Night Drifting [Video] View original here:  Audi And Subaru Go Night Drifting [Video]

There is nothing monstrous about a stock Fiat 126. This 126 left the factory in 1989 with a tiny 24 horsepower engine and took a painful 33 seconds to go from 0-60. As you can see from the above video, this Fiat has been “slightly” modified from its stock form. More » See the original post:  Fiat 126 with one liter Yamaha engine is a high revving monster [Video] Go here to read the rest: Fiat 126 with one liter Yamaha engine is a high revving monster [Video]

Although we’re only a little over 5 weeks into a rather mild winter our hibernating project cars and a lack of garage space mean we’re already starting to go a little stir crazy. More » Read the original post: How do you provide yourself with automotive entertainment during the winter? [Video] Read the original:  How do you provide yourself with automotive entertainment during the winter? [Video]

The top seller of the high dollar automotive spectacle that is Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale was a beautiful blue 1948 Tucker Torpedo . More » Read the original here: 1948 Tucker Torpedo sells for an amazing $2.91 million [Car Auctions] View post: 1948 Tucker Torpedo sells for an amazing $2.91 million [Car Auctions]

Stunt drivers call getting one side of a car off the ground and driving it that way  “skiing”—or more precisely, “high skiing,” a term that’s been around since the earliest automotive thrill shows of the mid-1930s. If you plan on trying this, be prepared to roll your car onto its roof. Because you will. Every stunt driver who performs this technique has rolled many cars learning how to do it. Tonny Petersen, a 78-year-old Danish acrobat–turned–stunt driver, who has been high-skiing cars for more than 50 years, says, “Oh, my God, I’ve rolled my share of cars. I have no idea how many. When you are driving high skis, you have flat tires. Tires explode, and the car goes one of  two ways depending on the surface, potholes, and soft spots.” Remarkably, Petersen has never been injured in his long stunt-driving career, which has included jumping cars off ramps and through rings of fire. Top speed on two wheels, he says, is no more than 40 mph: “Any faster and it gets kind of  hairy.” Speaking of  hairy, don’t try this at home. Keep Reading: How To: Drive a Car on Two Wheels – Feature Here is the original: How To: Drive a Car on Two Wheels Read the original post:  How To: Drive a Car on Two Wheels

Most cars gain weight and size with each passing generation – take the BMW 3-Series for instance. Despite its name, MINI has proven to be no different. The MINI of today is a lot bigger car than the original. As far as lineup count goes, MINI has expanded in that read well. It is well beyond the original two-door hardtop that launched in 2002. Today’s lineup includes the Clubman wagon, Countryman “crossover” and the upcoming Coupe model. At last year’s Geneva Motor Show, another addition was previewed in the form of the Rocketman. It was a truly mini MINI, with a size more akin to the original. With executives adding models right and left, most thought it was preview of a new production model. CAR reports plans to develop it have been shelved. Cost of platform development was said to have been prohibitive, with a lot of expense needed to get the Rocketman to meet safety regulations. What’s more is that the Rocketman supposedly had problems with “stability, handling and crash performance.” Issues maybe, but they shouldn’t be insurmountable. We aren’t really buying that. What about VW and the Up! minicar? They made it work. It could be just down to a lack of projected sales – they didn’t justify the expense. While the Rocketman has been killed, CAR says a host of other MINI models have been approved. Other sources have said the Rocketman will heavily influence the styling of MINI’s next-generation products. Based on spy shots, the interior of the next-generation standard MINI will be getting a much more traditional look a. As far as new models, what could be next? A four-door sedan? Who knows. The only thing for sure is that BMW has big plans for MINI. It is a key part of BMW’s plan to boost growth in the years ahead. Related posts: MINI Rocketman Burning Up Geneva Show MINI Performs Mini Tinkering on 2011 Lineup WC50 Mini Special at $40,300 Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Read more: MINI Kills Rocketman from Last Year’s Geneva Show