My MK6 GTI

I've written about my daily commute but so far I've only made passing comments about my daily driver....my 2011 Mk6 VW GTI.  About 4 years ago my office was consolidated with our corporate head quarters which meant my morning commute stretched from 35 miles to roughly 65 miles (in each direction).  At the time I was driving a 2003 Jaguar X-Type Sport.  I went with the 'practical' 4 door, 6 cylinder, AWD sedan in a moment of weakness when I traded in my Mustang GT shortly before my first son was born. It even had an automatic transmission which ended up being the worst thing about that car.  It was sloppy, unresponsive and apparently un-serviceable. However, the blacked out baby Jag looked good and the AWD was phenomenal for New England..but as I racked up the miles the car showed its age.

An Accord or Camry  would have provided years of problem free commuting....but I needed something a little more interesting....hence the Jag.   When the time approached to replace the Ford Mondeo based Jaguar I knew I wanted something practical AND fun.  It had to get acceptable fuel economy, allow me to bring my boys to soccer practice (coaching gear in tow) and still make me smile when I matted the pedal on a curvy road. The automatic in the Jaguar really left a bad taste in my mouth so I swore to go back to a manual transmission....even in the face of daily NYC bound gridlock.

I did some research at the time and my choice became clear....the best bang for the buck was the then fairly new MK6 GTI.  I've always been a VW guy.  Prior to this GTI my wife and I have owned 2 Foxes, 2 Corrado G60's (which were fantastic!) and a MK4 GTI.

My United Grey GTI has been perfect.  In three years I've logged over 90,000 miles with nothing but basic maintenance.  What I love about the car is how it does everything well.  Scenic road trips into New Hampshire and Vermont or romps into mid-town Manhattan or Boston.  I've had the hatch stuffed to the gills with luggage, illegal fireworks, and just about everything available from Home Depot.

There have been days in which I have left my home at 4:00 AM with the car loaded with luggage to drop friends off at JFK airport. After the drop off, I escaped New York before the morning congestion became a factor and slipped up the Merritt Parkway on my way to the office as the sun rose.  As I parked the car and walked into the office I just smiled as I considered how many other sub-30k cars on the market could have made that mundane morning enjoyable.

More to come soon on the GTI as I have been planning a series of 'improvements' to reward my hot hatch for it's faithful services as it approaches the 100k mile mark.

New England Auto Museum

Today I had the pleasure of attending an informational meeting about the New England Auto Museum.  The New England Auto Museum is a non-profit organization that has been created with the goal of  opening a first class facility that preserves, interprets and exhibits automobiles and automotive artifacts in Southern New England.

During the meeting the directors of the organization outlined their goals and plans.  They emphasized their ambition to go beyond a collection of cars on display.  The organization was very proud of its focus plan to bring students and auto enthusiasts together to celebrate the automobile, and educate guests regarding the significant role of the automobile in New England and in the wider world from a historical, technological, social and cultural aspect.

The  organization has a presence on Facebook so please 'Like' the page to stay informed with what's going on with the progress of the organization. The organization also has a rudimentary website (http://neautomuseum.org) now but will be relaunching with a more comprehensive site within a few weeks.  The current site has information about donating to the 501(c)(3) charity.

In addition to being extremely informative, the the meeting itself was a lot of fun.  The room was full of avid auto enthusiasts and collectors. Bob Sharp (of Bob Sharp Datsun/Nissan and Paul Newman fame) attended and spoke briefly.  The venue for the meeting was Dragone Classic Motorcars  in Westport, Connecticut which was full of fantastic cars and memorabilia.  So I spent my day talking cars with avid collectors while sitting next to a  1907 Fiat Targa Florio racer.....does it get any better than that?

Regardless, I'll most likely featuring more information about the museum's activities and events in the near future. For now, here are some pics I snapped while walking around Dragone's showroom:

My Detroit Autoshow Rant

Time for me to chime in on the 2014 North American International Auto Show. Honestly, I didn't feel that this year's show made for 'must see TV.'  There were some very significant debuts but I think that the trend of manufactures 'leaking' photos via social media outlets in the days and weeks leading up to the show somewhat takes the fun out of the event itself. Essentially, the overall anticipation is somewhat diminished as cars/concepts are really being debuted rather than revealed.

So lets start with the highlights....

I'm not a huge fan of concept cars. They tend to all look the same and rarely ever translate into something I'd actually want. For instance, this year Kia showed off a cool concept called the GT4 Stinger. As interesting as it is, its hard to get excited about it because at the end of the day you know Kia will never produce anything that remotely resembles the Stinger.

There was one concept car that was fantastic! The Toyota FT-1 Concept is what concept cars should be all about.  It sends a message that Toyota is not all about the Camry and Corolla.  It says that the stunning Lexus LFA is not the epitome of what they are capable of......its just the beginning.  This concept may never go into production but it makes you want to write letters and beg Toyota for the next Supra.

Now onto the debuts of 'real' cars. You know your car show is somewhat dull when the most significant reveal is the new Ford F-150. With that said, it may be the most important vehicle Ford launches this decade. The interesting thing here has been all the talk about the truck's aluminum body....which I think is cool. I actually find it bizarre when I read in blogs and forums filled with so-called truck enthusiasts complaints about the use of aluminum. The implication being that it is a weaker or inferior substitute for tried and true steel.......what a bunch of idiots. The biggest problem with the F-150 reveal was that Ford declined to reveal specific data about the F-150's power, towing or fuel economy...so who cares if you shaved 700 pounds by switching to aluminum if you cannot illustrate what that translates to in specs.

The C7 edition of the Corvette Z06 debuted. I'm not going to delve into the new Z06 since there are only two things you need to know about it:

1. The Corvette Z06 will have a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 producing at least 625 horsepower.

2. It looks like this....

There were other cool performance related cars like the Lexus RC F, the MK7 Volkswagen Golf R, the BMW M3/M4 and the Subaru WRX STI (it still has a big wing, blue paint and gold wheels).

I think the biggest news might be the big misses....

Porsche introduced a 911 Targa which seems way too complex. The way the rear glass lifts and the silver roof portion changes shape to make way for the retracting top just seems to be asking for mechanical problems.  It also seems heavy,appears to take up valuable space and ultimately I'm not even sure if it actually fits the official definition of a targa top. What's wrong with a couple of latches that you turn with your hand?

But the big winner (or loser) and honestly the only reason I wrote this post was the abomination known as the Equus Bass 770.

The Equus Bass 770 is touted as an American-made homage to iconic American muscle cars leveraging today's technology. The Americana motif even went as far as having three Bass 770's on display (a red one, a white one, and a blue one).  The designers claim that the car includes design elements influenced from all the icons such as Camaro, Challenger, Charger, GTO, and even Marlin.

When I look at the Bass I see a blatant act of automotive plagiarism that would be better suited as a Chinese made knock-off. You know what I'm talking about....like the  'high quality' Adadis sneakers and Calvim Klain clothes you find at your local flea market.

The designers can site all sorts of 'influences' but in reality the car is 90 percent 67/68 Mustang. It also features a Charger tail light panel and a Roadrunner grill.

Equus Bass770

67 Mustang in 'Eleanor' body kit

Equus Bass770

Charger

Equus Bass770

Roadrunner

The cheap imitation gets even worse. 

Next there is the 'Bass' name.....and obvious rip off of Ford's 'Boss' moniker.

Then take the contorting horse emblem.....out of the entire wild kingdom they had to pick a horse?

Then there is the 770 in the name.  770 what? It sure hell's ain't cubic inches (since the power plant  is sourced from GM) but rather 770 cubic centimeters per cylinder!  Meaning 770 times 8 = 6160 cc's....meaning 6.16 liters....which rounds up to 6.2 liters

But the real insult is the price! At least when you buy knockoffs at the flea market you are paying a quarter of what the real McCoy would sell for.  Equus plans of selling the Bass for a quarter of a million dollars!!!!!!!!

So let me close with this simple question. You have $250,000.00 burning a whole in your pocket. Do you buy a Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Gallardo LP640, Audi R8 V10, the newly shown Corvette Z06 or the next ZR1, the next Mustang Cobra, or a Equus Bass 770?  End of rant.

A Day at the Park

Every Labor Day weekend I like to take the family to the park......Lime Rock Park that is.  In previous posts I've touched on my jealously of automotive enthusiasts who live in regions of the country that have thriving car scenes and/or rich rodding and racing histories like SoCal.  However, as much as I complain about being a car guy in snowy, salty New England there is one thing we have that should be on every American car guy's bucket list.

Recognized and revered for its scenic beauty and its place in motorsports history, Lime Rock Park is one of the oldest and continuously operated road racing courses in the country. Since it opened in 1957, Lime Rock Park has played host to nearly every great road racing driver, car and series, establishing a rich tradition as the Road Racing Center of the East.

Lime Rock’s history is inextricably entwined with that of sports car racing’s. In its 55-year existence, almost all of the sport’s greats have raced here: Andretti, Moss, Gurney, Posey, Rodriguez, Hobbs, Hill, Donohue, Ward, Fitch… the list of great drivers who’ve raced here is literally endless, from the drivers in the industry changing Formula Libre race of 1959 through the stars of the 1960s, 70s and 80s in Can-Am, Camel GTP, F5000, Trans-Am and Atlantic.

Lime Rock is not your typical motorsports venue...to call it a 'race track' is a horrible injustice.  Lime Rock Park rests on 350 acres of rolling Berkshire Mountain foothills creating a natural amphitheater, delivering a truly unparalleled experience for viewing world-class racing. Lime Rock Park is just that - a park. Fans are encouraged to bring their picnic blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the grassy hillside viewing, an attribute unique to Lime Rock. Without being restricted to grandstand seating, fans take full advantage of its complete access.

Labor Day weekend hosts a very special event at Lime Rock Park.....the Lime Rock Historic Festival. With over 300 historic cars and a top-notch concours (with over 1000 cars), the Lime Rock Historic Festival is one of the premier auto events in the country. Noted not just for close racing, the festival brings together a wide variety of cars and historically significant cars.  For instance, a few years ago the event hosted a 1939 W154 Mercedes Silver Arrow that had not seen a track since 1939!!!

Half the fun of going to the Lime Rock Historic Festival is the ride there. Nestled in the northwest corner of Connecticut in the rolling Litchfield hills the venue is surrounded with everything one would associate with the iconic New England countryside. For instance your route may take you over the the picturesque covered bridge in Cornwall a few mile south of the track. What makes the approach to the event so interesting is its pretty typical to come upon (or they may pop up in your mirror) some vintage or exotic sports car as you wind through sinuous roads cutting through colonial era towns and farmland.  I can write for ever about how strongly I feel about Lime Rock Park.....but honestly, one really needs to experience it to appreciate what has been called "the secret valley of racing."

On track action at Lime Rock Park:

Short video discussing the historic festival:

Some of my photos:

Shiny, Fast and Loud!

Historic racing action!

Authentic Smokey Yunick Camaro

No grandstands at this 'track'

open access to the paddock

BMW display in paddock area

Real Corvette Gran Sport (Chassis #004)

The scene walking around the paddock

For all of my photos view my gallery.

A Side Note: The newly released 2014 Corvette Stingray will be available in a hue that Chevrolet has called 'Lime Rock Green Metallic'

 

Ma che cazzo fai 2 : 'Borrowed' Fiat 500 Abarth road test continued

Just a minor update on the Abarth road test.  I took it back to my brother's house (he is flying back home as I write this) but this time my sons accompanied me. I put their booster seats in the back of the car and packed my 8 and 5 year old boys in there with explicit instructions not to touch anything with their grubby hands. They did in fact fit in the back of the Abarth......but adults would be a different story.

On other note, I noticed that the car still has the factory installed protective plastic on the carpets!  My brother has had this car for a while and has managed to leave the plastic perfectly in tact!  Makes me want to let loose with some stereotypical comments about our Italian aunts who would buy special plastic covers for their new sofas and plastic hallway runners to protect the carpeting in their homes.

Classy!

Ma che cazzo fai : Impromptu road test of a Fiat 500 Abarth

We are well through our second straight week of near triple digit temperatures here in Connecticut so working on my Cougar has been daunting.  To add insult to injury my brother is gallivanting around Italy while I'm left hear to periodically check on his cat and take in his mail.  Today, however, I made the most of the situation.  My brother happens to own a Fiat 500 Abarth which is sitting dormant while he is away.  And wouldn't you know it, the same set of keys he gave me to feed his cat (Paulie) happens to include the keys to the hot hatch.....what's a guys to do?

While making my rounds today I left my VW in his driveway and sped off in the Abarth.  First thing to note, as I expected, my brother left the car with nothing but fumes in the tank!  So my generosity continued as I filled his tank.  The metallic black (or should I say nero) car was filthy.....so I even washed it! Then I went for a ride.

Is there a cooler emblem out there?

If you read my very first post you'd know that Fiat's are special to me.  Heck, while everyone was driving around in American land yachts in the late 70's my mother was driving us around in a Fiat 124A sedan.  When I found out that Fiat was coming back to the states a few years back I couldn't wait.....especially since I was in the market for a fuel efficient car at the time.  Unfortunately, the timing didn't work out (I couldn't wait for the delayed Fiat offering)  and I went for the Mk6 GTI.....however as soon as my brother expressed that he was in the market for a commuter car I urged Abarth all the way.  

I took the car for a quick spin when my brother first bought it but nothing long enough to really form an opinion about the car.  Today I spent a descent amount of time with the car (I actually still have it with me since he isn't due back for a couple days).  My brother lives about 25 miles away from here so I spent some time on the highway, in the city and on eventually on some fun curvy wooded lanes.  This was my first chance to really compare the Abarth to my Mk6 VW GTI. 

So for some perspective...I love my GTI!  I've had it for almost two and a half years and have already logged over 70,000 flawless and spirited miles.  My daily commute is roughly 130 miles round trip and the GTI has made the hours fly by.  The GTI still impresses me in its ability to be (and feel) sporty and yet serve a multitude of practical functions.  I use the car to lug my two sons to soccer. I routinely make airport runs to NYC (or all over New England for that matter) with the hatch stuffed to the gills with luggage (and sometimes fireworks).  It even moonlights from time to time as a wannabe boy-racer.

The Abarth is not as practical as the GTI due to its size....but then again the Fiat 500 is a smaller class of car.  I actually make that statement with a grin since my non-car guy colleagues don't understand how I can drive my turbo'd 'Golf' with low profile tires and stiff suspension as much as I do.  However, the result of its diminutive frame is that it is a hell of a lot sportier feeling that the GTI!  First there is the exhaust note.  Upon start-up the thing sounds like a small outboard motor.....once the idle settles it is fantastic to think that a company would have the balls to build something that sounds like that for 20-something grand.  Coming from the GTI I had to get used to the shifter position (and only having 5 gears) and the torque curve of the little 1.4 turbo (the 2.0T of the GTI is much more forgiving when you find yourself too lazy to down shift).  It also took me some time to get used to finding 3rd gear.....but once I adjusted to the car it was a blast to drive.  The biggest difference in the ride quality between my GTI and the Abarth is you definitely feel the effects of the Fiat's shorter wheelbase...as you would with something like a Mini Cooper S. However, it was very surprisingly tame and comfortable. There was plenty of leg room for the driver (head room would be questionable for a taller driver....I'm 5'9") but the back seats are tiny. All things considered, I'd have no problem battling though my 130 mile commute in this thing.  

By the way....my brother is in the furniture repair business and managed to fit 3 4'x8' sheets of plywood in his Abarth......but first he turned them into 8 ottomans:

Abarth delivers!

90 Years of Le Mans

Am I the only guy this happens to? When I walk by a magnum of champagne in a liquor store I immediately have visions of shaking it and spraying it all over the place? I can't be just me! This silly tradition started (or at least was popularized) at Le Mans!  The 24 Hours of Le Mans was the venue for the first known instance at a major race of a winning driver celebrating by spraying champagne instead of drinking it. When Dan Gurney won the 1967 race with co-driver A.J. Foyt, the two drivers mounted the victory stand and Gurney was handed a magnum of champagne. Looking down, he saw Ford CEO Henry Ford II, team owner Carroll Shelby and their wives, as well as several journalists who had predicted disaster for the high-profile duo. Gurney shook the bottle and sprayed everyone nearby, establishing a tradition re-enacted in victory celebrations the world over for the next 40+ years. Gurney autographed and gave the bottle of champagne to a Life photographer, Flip Schulke, who used it as a lamp for many years. He later returned the bottle to Gurney, who keeps it at his home in California.

Another silly thing Le Mans gave us. The races traditionally began with what became known as the Le Mans start, in which cars were lined up alongside the pit wall. The starting drivers would stand on the opposite side of the front stretch. When the French flag dropped to signify the start, the drivers would run across the track to their cars, which they would have to enter and start without assistance, before driving away. This became a safety issue in the late 1960s when drivers would ignore their safety harnesses, a recent invention. This starting method inspired Porsche to locate the ignition key switch to the left of the steering wheel. This allowed the driver to use his left hand to start the engine, and his right hand to put the transmission into gear.

June 22 will mark the 90th year of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans in French). With the the current cable providers, streaming over the internet, and social media it shouldn't be difficult to follow the race.  Just like with the Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans is more than just a race.  The machines, location, history and pageantry make it an event.

Drifting in Jersey

The whole drifting thing is somewhat of an enigma to me.  Don't get me wrong, nothing puts a smile on my face like getting a car stupid sideways. But I still  haven't warmed up to the progression of good ol' fashioned hooning to Formula DRIFT (Formula D) in which competitions are subjectively judged based on 'style'......are we racing or figure skating?

But this video literally made me start scouring the internet for a used 240SX to flog. What's better than sponsor laden Formula D cars in high production events? Beater missile cars in New Jersey! Leafless trees, brown grass and crappy lighting due to the position of the non-summer sun.....perfect!   

Gearheads make the best friends

I last wrote about my business trip to Las Vegas and my experience renting  a convertible Camaro SS from   Fantasy Car Rentals. An amazing thing happened while tooling around Vegas in the SS....
I was driving around soaking in the scenery and weather. Periodically, whenever I stopped somewhere to look around, I would check my email via my smart phone.  And that's when I saw an email from my buddy Frank. Frank and I used to work together over six years ago.  When our company relocated he moved to Pittsburgh while I remained in Connecticut. It had been about a year since Frank and I have exchanged an e-mail, but historically, every now and then, Frank and I will shoot each other an email to check in on each other and see how things are going. The second question is typically 'what are you driving?'

So why did Frank e-mail me after all this time?....to show me his new car of course. Frank is a car nut, and even more dangerous, he's an extremely impulsive car nut.  So in the few years I worked with him he owned cars like a 98 Camaro SS, a Supra, a SVT Lightning, an Impala SS, etc. We used to go test drive cars every other day during our lunch breaks (I'll write about this later) which was a riot.  So whenever our stables change we fire off an email to share the news.  Here's Frank's new 2013 SS/RS with 1LE package...

So I immediately fired back that it was pretty ironic that I was literally in a Camaro SS when I received the email. I also sent him this photo...

And these two next emails were priceless. Within minutes I received this:

Shortly followed by this email (diagram and all)

I couldn't help but smile when I read these (especially the second one). Also, makes you appreciate the availability of information and how quickly it can be shared.  He obviously found the information and diagram on a website/forum somewhere and was able to share it with me a few thousand miles away literally sitting in my car via a smart phone.

Vegas for Car Guys

I haven't been posting for a while.  I've basically been waiting for some descent weather to visit New England so I can start getting out and reporting on the local scene.  However, I just spent the last week in Las Vegas on a business trip.  During my trip I managed to spend a little bit of time enjoying myself.....turns out Vegas is a fairly car guy friendly place.....

I had some time to kill to so I checked out http://www.fantasycarrentals.com right by the airport.  Other companies offer exotic car rentals in Vegas (such as Hertz) but Fantasy Car Rentals has a great selection ranging from vintage American cars to modern European exotics.  They will also pick you up at the airport or hotel and drop you off afterwards.  Since I was on a budget and the weather was fantastic I ended up with a convertible Camaro SS.

A view from Fantasy Car Rentals

Another view from Fantasy Car Rentals

First stop was Red Rock Canyon.  Its amazing that a place like Red Rock is within 30 minutes of the strip and yet the completely polar opposite of what the strip is.  Its a great drive out there and the 13 mile scenic loop is breathtaking.  The speed limit in the loop is 35 MPH so it is in fact a scenic loop and not a high speed circuit.  I didn't do the Hoover Dam or Lake Mead on this trip because I did that on a previous trip (in a rented Cobra!).

On my way back from Red Rock I decided to swing by Count's Kustoms. The speedshop owned by Danny 'Count' Koker and made famous by shows like Pawn Stars and Counting Cars. The people were extremely friendly and they have a section of the shop dedicated to displaying some of Danny's collection. Free, laid back, and about a mile from my hotel on the strip.

Next morning I headed north to where Las Vegas Motor Speedway is located.  The area of the speedway is a car guy's paradise.  In addition to the race track, the area hosts a dragstip and a few companies that specialize in exotic car driving experiences such as http://www.exoticsracing.com.  The area also houses an industrial complex loaded with racing teams and automotive related businesses.  My favorite is the headquarters of Shelby American Inc.  The facility includes a museum area. The contents of the display is always changing and includes some of the most famous cars ever produced from the first Cobra CSX2000 to prototypes of the Series 1, Shelby GT-H, Terlingua, GT500KR, and others. Shelby also runs a free tour of the shop at 10:30AM Monday through Saturday.

I arrived at the speedway area early one morning during the week (so I could take the Shelby tour). When I pulled off the highway exit and entered the track complex I was immediately met with the sound of a race car circling the speedway, Shelby moving cars around their lot (including a Shelby 1000) and a herd of exotic sports cars coming up the street on their way to the lot location where they operate their driving experience business.  Just for an extra helping of testosterone, fighter jets from nearby Nellis Air Force Base would make intermittent cameos overhead! Freakin' awesome!

Another thing I did not do on this trip to Sin City was visit the Auto Collections at the Quad Resort & Casino (which used to be the Imperial Palace).  I went there last year and did have to get some work done on this trip. 

But there you have it.....Vegas from a gearhead's perspective.