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Mitsubishi Evo Making Its Final Lap
April 1, 2014 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment
It is with a heavy heart that I must report that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X's production run is about to come to an end, with planned replacement. Our friends at Autoblog reported today that while no official end date has been named, Mitsubishi said the end is coming. This news is bittersweet for us North Americans, who for years jealously watched the Evo, well, evolve as a technological tour de force on the international rally circuit-especially those of us in Canada and New England where rallying actually has an audience. We begged for this car, and enthusiasts rejoiced when Mitsubishi finally green-lighted the car for these shores.
And what we got was an awesome, but also flawed car. Performance was, simply put, exceptional. The handling was unbelievable. By that, I mean one of the best handling cars I have ever driven. The steering? Kinetic. Instant. Brake feel also ranks as one of the best out there. Needless to say, acceleration and the sound from the engine room all conspired for what amounted to a tremendous amount of fun. The perfectly sized steering wheel, aluminum pedals and super supportive Recaro seats were a delight to sit on, see and touch, but I would be remiss if I did not mention the Evo's metal shift paddles were the best I have seen in a production car. Even if I wasn't in manual mode, I'd find myself touching them. Ok, I admit, that makes me sound a little weird, but sit in an Evo and you will understand.
Yes, the car came from econobox beginnings, and looking around the interior, the hard plastics and bland design served as constant reminders. Trunk space was pathetic, and positively inexcusable for a modern compact car. Terrible fuel economy and a tiny fuel tank make for frequent trips to the pump. Have you seen the TV commercial of the guy who walks into a gas station/convenience store to the song 'Where Everybody Knows Your Name' from 'Cheers'? The ad is for a Chevy Cruze diesel, but I am guessing the song is for the local Evo owner.
But once you slip into that Recaro seat, you forgive the Evo of all its sins, because driving it is just that good. I drive a new car every week, but still, my one drive in an Evo on Connecticut's Route 66 stands out as one of my favorite drives in years. Sure, my wife and son enjoyed the gorgeous scenery of rural Connecticut and the tunes from XMSirius satellite radio, but the fun I was having behind the wheel is immeasurable. The Evo is one of those rare cars that just begs to be driven. A car where you look for an excuse to leave the house, and always wanting to take the long way home.
With the loss of the Evo, our automotive world will be a little less fun. But, the car business is cut throat, and Mitsubishi is a minnow here in a shark tank. Yes, the Evo was an enthusiast favorite and served as the brand's halo car, but the reality is Mitsubishi is making more money selling crossovers, and wants to allocate more of their resources to EV's. The bottom line was, as harsh as it may sound, the Evo stopped making sense for Mitsubishi. The company pulled out of the World Rally Championship years ago. Subaru is introducing an all new WRX, and Mitsubishi simply has no answer. When the last generation WRX went on sale as a softer version of itself, and in hatchback form only, I found a college friend of mine traded his old WRX in for an EVO. When I asked him why, he said he was disappointed Subaru no longer offered the WRX as a four door sedan. So he just bought an Evo instead. And before you give me the 'Oh, Americans always prefer sedans' stereotype, I'll have you know he's British. When he told me of this, and knowing the WRX had sort of gone soft, I wondered if Mitsubishi would capitalize on this. Then I recalled that I once sat in his dorm room while he chomped on dried seaweed, so my friend may fit in a peculiar demographic. Subaru heard the outcries from their fans, and quickly addressed them. They made the WRX more intense, and finally delivered a four door version. And for us, the new WRX is our our own rally monster car available to us once the Evo vanishes from dealer lots. It was a hell of a ride, but I swear I will never forget my Evo trip on Route 66. And that is what makes a car great. Thank you, Mitsubishi, for giving us a taste.
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Dean Martin's Car for Sale!
May 21, 2012 by Tom Williams 2 Comments
Think back on the 1960's culture, and one's first thoughts might focus on the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and the hippie movement. The decade started out on a different note. The Rat Pack, with Frank Sinatra as 'Chairman of the Board' started the 60's with the feel-good momentum from the 1950's, with over the top swagger and impeccable style. Dean Martin was Sinatra's right hand man with a successful career in music with a hit parade of singles. Being in the Rat Pack was elite, and Dean Martin was one of the main acts.
Jalopnik reported that you can own a piece of said Rat Pack premiere member Dean Martin's car. It is no ordinary car, as befitting a man at the very height of his career and ruling the Strip in Las Vegas. The car in question is a 1962 Ghia L6.4. The Ghia married Italian coachwork with American power. A true grand tourer, the Ghia is powered by a Chrysler 383 with 335hp paired to a three-speed automatic. Only 26 L6.4s were built, and each one was bespoke to the buyers wishes.
Dean Martin's Ghia was sent to world renowned car customizer George Barris for subtle modification, to, um, separate it from the 25 other Ghia L6.4s built. It would just be awkward to come across the same Ghia, as Frank Sinatra owned one himself. Dean Martin's car is completely original, and has never been restored, yet appears to be in excellent condition. This Ghia is for sale by Hyman Limited for a cool $199,500USD. If you were curious as to what exclusivity and coolness cost, there is your answer.
If it were me, I'd slide onto the gorgeous leather black seat with a fantastic patina, grip the Nardi wood steering wheel with a fine cigar, my lovely wife at my side and whisk ourselves down to Atlantic City, since there is nothing cooler than hitting Dino's AC haunts in his own car.
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When Mustangs and 7-Up Mixed
October 31, 2011 by Tom Williams 14 Comments
I subscribe to a fun little site called Bring a Trailer, which features classic, unique, rare, and plain odd cars for sale. I was especially intrigued at a recent post about a highly original 7-Up Mustang. Um, a what? It's no secret that Ford is famous for trotting out limited, or special edition Mustangs on a regular basis, but there was some mystique to this, so some exploration was needed, since a little notoriety always adds interest.
Apparently, in 1990 7-Up teamed up with Ford in a promotion to give away 30 7-Up Edition Ford Mustangs for the 1990 NCAA Basketball finals. Audience members would have to sink a shot from center court, and win the car. At the last minute, the promotion was scrapped, but the car was essentially ready for production. Ford went ahead and built the car, which is essentially a 1990 Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible, and sold it as a limited edition model, with no mention of 7-Up. But the looks of the car make the relationship clear, with Deep Emerald Green Clearcoat paint, white leather interior, and white canvas top (trademark 7-Up colors) and Mustang GT alloys.
Ford had intended to build a total of 5,000 of the '7-Up' cars, but stopped at 4,103. Of those, 1,360 were 5-speed manuals, the remaining 2,743 were equipped with an automatic. Interestingly, 261 cars were exported. While little more than an appearance package, the 7-Up Mustang is a fun and interesting little factoid from the history book of one of America's most beloved cars.
The Garage thanks a dedicated 7-Up Edition Mustang site for the useful information cited here.
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Quick blast in a 2008 WRX STi
January 18, 2008 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment
I just got back from a vary quick blast in a 2008 Subaru WRX STi! On cold, salty roads it's hard to get too much of a feel of a car. Suffice it to say that the thing is very fast. Autocrossers will like the super short first gear, followed by a slightly longer second. The shift throws are one of the shortest I've seen in a production car.
Unfortunately, I don't have my camera with me today.
Good service cheap
December 10, 2007 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment
Sent by Jesse
Views of Evel Knievel
December 1, 2007 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment
He was the last relic of the way America used to be, before the lawyers and pussies took over. A holy fool, watched over by angels who drank Old Style and smoked Lucky Strikes.
Coop on Evel Knievel
Lucky is on a roll
November 1, 2007 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment
Just a quick note from Gary Faules, as he hasn't been able to post any pics the last couple of days. Team CBR has now picked up two podium finishes! Yesterday on the super fast and dangerous La Buffa stage, they pulled off a 3rd place on the stage. The previous day, on the reverse running of the equally dangerous Mil Cumbres, they scored their first stage win!
Both stages have taken their toll on the field, with many heavy crashes. Yesterday, one car did 5 endos down an embankment. Fortunately the driving crew are fine thanks to their well designed safety equipment and some luck.
Keep it up guys, we're rooting for you!
Team CBR takes the green at La Carrera Lucky's gettin' his groove on in Mexico
Malibu Ride & Drive for bloggers cancelled due to fires
October 29, 2007 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment
Understandably, GM has called off the Ride & Drive event for the 2008 Chevy Malibu due to the recent fires in California. The event was to take place quite near one of the areas that was hardest hit, so it likely doesn't make sense to hold this type of event. They have more important things to worry about at the moment, like getting people's lives back on track.
I'm sure that other invitees are disappointed, as I am, but in the grand scheme of things this would seem a tad frivolous. Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the fires.
Team CBR takes the green at La Carrera
Our man Gary Faules began the 2007 La Carrera Panamerica rally with a 4th place in class and a 19th overall. That's pretty good for the first competitive stage in a new car, not to mention that this is Gary's first rally type event. Even with years of racing, rally is a different type of event, where driver's pace themselves, rather than having other cars on the road to give some idea of pace. As Gary finds his groove, I'm sure we'll be seeing some top 3 stage finishes!
Worst traffic ever
For all you folks in small town North America who think you have bad traffic. It just took me 2 hours to travel 48 kilometers. For our American friends, that is roughly 30 miles. This was on a highway that is 6 lanes wide both ways. Because it is raining!
Unbelievable.
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