The Forgotten Origins Of The Word "Jeep"

Since SUVs have taken over the majority of the new car market in 2021, the term "Jeep" has become more commonplace than ever before. Even if it had been used to describe a wide variety of military vehicles in the late 30's, it was in 1941 that the word received the meaning we're now all familiar with; a small, 1/4 ton four-wheel-drive vehicle. It's easy to think of "Jeep" as a technical acronym, though you'd be pleasantly surprised (I hope haha) to discover that it's simply named after... a cartoon character from Popeye, of all things! Eugene the Jeep is a magical, cat-like creature living on a tree next to Popeye's house. He's super versatile, capable of making objects and himself appear and disappear, or even travel, in literally a blink of an eye. In short, he's a super cute yellow Yoda that says "Jeep-Jeep" all the time. This probably makes Jeep the only car manufacturer, in the world, named after a cartoon character. Don't believe me? Check out this short episode of how Eugene the Jeep entered Popeye's life and became a better guardian than a pack of Pitbulls! 

Starring "A Car Chase": "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" Movie Review

 

Dat booty, tho!

  There have been quite a few classic car movies with a large cult following. Which ones are considered the classics, you might ask? Films like "Two-Lane Blacktop", "Smokey and the Bandit", "The Fast and the Furious", "Drive" and many more have left significant marks in the history of the big screen. However, the more films you watch, the more you realize the lack of original narrative in each story as if someone made one car movie and everyone else more or less copied the idea. More often than not, a car movie consists of 1. some vagabonds trying to make money in a quick and illegal way or an undercover loner cop trying to catch the baddies 2. lots of chases, crashes, and explosions, and 3. all the in-between parts HAVE to be as cliche as a Gen Zer schooling unassuming blokes on "political correctness". The craziest part is how we can forgive a movie for having cringe dialogs and a simplistic plot, only because of its cool rides and brainless though sensational, almost feature-long chases. With further ado, let us take a peek at another petrolhead movie worth watching: "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry".

 

The original poster

  Released in 1974, "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" is a typical American counterculture movie, directed by John Hough, and based on a 1963 book called "The Chase" by Richard Unekis. The plot talks about an amateur racecar driver Larry (Peter Fonda) and mechanic Deke (Adam Roarke), two lost souls searching for a way to hop on the NASCAR bandwagon. So, they decide to use the unconventional method of robbery to gather the 150 grand necessary for their race team finances. The target is a large supermarket with a safe inside the manager's office. Screeching away in the 1966 navy blue Chevrolet Impala sedan, the plan is for Deke to take the manager's wife and daughter hostage, while Larry will use this situation to extort the money out of the safe. After Larry successfully robs the supermarket and makes his way to the Impala, he's surprised by his one-night stand, Mary (Susan George), who'd followed him to the supermarket. Since he now has a witness to his mischievous activities, he lets her tag along as he drives off on his way to pick up Deke and escape. Meanwhile, the word has spread on the robbery and the police are out on patrol, setting up roadblocks. A cowboy-hat-wearing-no-gun-carrying alternative cop (Vic Morrow) becomes in charge of the chase and decides to use all the methods available to catch the trio of doom.

Bye Bye Charger

   Following a couple of fender-benders in the Impala, the gang finally arrives at the fair where the beautiful, lime green with a black stripe, 440-powered 1970 Dodge Charger R/T becomes the new getaway car. This is where the truly exhilarating part begins and continues 'till the end of the film. When the cops get outpaced by the Charger, the cowboy cop decides to use speed just like baddies. He assigns a young cop to a 440-powered Dodge Polara while he uses the police helicopter. His plan ends up working quite well, really giving the Charger and Larry's driving a run for their money. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you see it, the baddies manage to escape until Larry's inner Evil Knievel puts them in a bit of pickle. Wanting to get ahead of the coppers, Larry miscalculates his and the upcoming train's speed. Instead of crossing the railroad ahead of it, he smashes the Charger head-on to the train's side, engulfing the car in flames. The End.

Deke, Larry, and Mary 
a.k.a. The Trio of Doom

  Well, that's a pretty sizeable middle finger to Hollywood's happy endings! These counterculture films always crack me up because just as it seems that the heroes will manage to escape, they die as the action is at its peak, shortly followed by the credits. The wrath of the normies always catches up with the rebels, one way or another. A couple more tidbits that bothered me in "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" was the stark contrast between the gut-wrenching, action-packed shots of the Impala and Charger racing all over the place and the plot littered with predictable lines and scenes. Larry, Deke, and cowboy cop do a wonderful job of showing different facets of their characters' personalities throughout the film. However, as these three try to keep the acting interesting, Mary just annihilates their efforts with her sub-par performance. She has to play this stereotypical dumb blonde character, and she still manages to screw it up. Her only two emotions are super happy or sad and her performance would be right at home at a first-graders play than being one of the four main characters in a Hollywood movie. The same can be said for the cop driving the 440 Polara. I was really looking forward to the Charger vs Polara duel, and to my disappointment, it was a short scene and the cop recited his ten lines like a five-year-old playing with his ride-on police car. Nevertheless, as frustrating as they may be, neither the acting nor the ending truly matters in this movie. So let's talk about the real reason "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" is worth your time: the driving.

Charger VS Chopper

  A quote that helps you forget the sloppy ending and can make you truly understand the goal of the film is this: "It's all about the journey, not the destination". Basically, the story is about the final hours of the crew trying to escape successfully from the cops, which probably is the reason why the chase was shot in an exemplary manner. The use of desolate open roads gives us the impression of freedom on the trio's horizon until it's cut short by the train in the final scene. To add suspense towards the end, we're teased earlier in the film with Larry managing to jump ahead of a train in the Impala, making us assume he'll also be successful later in the Charger. The absence of music during the majority of the film, using instead the authentic exhaust sounds from the cars driven (something that can't be said for many other movies like "The Fast and the Furious"), helps us feel the seriousness of the situation and the occupants' thirst to escape. But what really stands out are the stunts. 

 Can't catch THIS Impala!

  Now, in the era of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery), the car chases have become insanely fake and insanely... insane. Cars jumping off skyscrapers, driving-off military planes sure looks impressive but it's overdone and unauthentic. On the contrary, everything was real in the '70s. "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" features lots of satisfying crashes (except the ones with the Charger... they'll make you weep), jumps, beautiful close-ups to give us a sense of speed, and overall surreal stunt driving. My favorite part of the movie was the legendary scene of the Charger vs police chopper, filled with stressful close-calls and butt-clenching shots of it flying next to the car. Honestly, just the fact of them using a real Charger and chopper is enough to enter the scene in the "Top 5 Car Chase Duels Of All Time" list.

P is for Presence

  In conclusion, "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" is an incognito car movie more than anything else. The car chase is absolutely sensational, filled with suspense, and unique in its own manner, something that can't be said for the cliche plot. I absolutely loved seeing the lime-green Charger being thrown around mercilessly, the stunt driver showing jaw-dropping driving skill in a now pricy and desirable classic. Also, the period-correct (obviously) environment takes you back to a totally different era in motoring and I couldn't help myself from ceaselessly car spotting during the movie. In short, if cars and pure action is your jive, you're going to appreciate this silver screen classic. Eat your heart out, "The Fast and the Furious"!

The Beginning Of The Rotary's Racing Dynasty: The Mazda Cosmo At The 1968 Marathon De La Route

 I think it would be safe to call racecars the fighter jets of the road. NACA ducts, disc brakes, carbon fiber, etc. all originated from the aviation industry before being implemented into racecars, and only then finding their way into your average Ferrari or Citroen. In the 60's, Mazda (still called the Toyo Cork Kogyo Corporation) was relatively new to the scene of car production. Nonetheless, innovation was the company's favorite word and they'd been experimenting with their own version of a new alternative to the traditional internal combustion piston engine. The power plant was named the "Wankel" (pronounced "Vankel", you wank enthusiasts!) after its inventor, Felix Wankel. Although Felix is the man who introduced the initial concept to NSU, the german car and motorbike manufacturer he was working with at that time, it was the company's engineer, Hanns Dieter-Paschke, who came up with the fixed-housing design to replace the original rotating-housing design in 1957. So, Wankel got all the fame whereas Paschke's design became the basis for every single rotary developed to power cars, trucks, motorbikes, and even a chainsaw. I mean, history cred is overrated anyway!

  The year was 1959, and the Wankel's hype was growing by the week. Everyone's driving around in appallingly slow, single-cam cars like the Citroen 2CV, the Beetle, etc., and here's this high-revving, smooth and versatile engine, with less than half of a conventional engine's components. It was considered the engine of the future, with one design even being able to run on multiple fuels, like hydrogen. Consequently, NSU wanted a return in their pricy and soon-to-be financially catastrophic investment and turned to licensing the  Wankel engine. Significant players in the industry of the likes of Citroen, General Motors, Mercedes, and of course, Mazda (to name a few) bought licenses and dove headfirst into the future. Unfortunately, things didn't quite materialize as expected, and only Mazda and Citroen with the GS Birotor managed to build and sell rotary-powered production cars. Citroen tried to experiment with using a rotary powerplant for the legendary SM, though complications forced them to give up and use the 2.9 lt Maserati V6 instead. 

  For reasons that could only be described as pure love for a novel concept merged with Japanese determination, Mazda went to great lengths to transform NSU's Comotor Wankel engine into a financially viable idea. You see, NSU's second and last rotary automobile, the Ro80, also known as the german DS, was a revolutionary sedan with a low-drag coefficient, four-wheel disc brakes, a semi-automatic gearbox, and a 1.3lt twin-rotor engine making 110 hp, which ended up being the last nail in the coffin for the manufacturer's demise.  Innovation is amazing as long as it works for more than five minutes, something untrue to Ro80's character. The first generation of this model, introduced in 1967, was so unreliable, owners would take out their hands and signal how many engines they had replaced as they whizzed past each other. The main issue was a lack of knowledge of the Wankel's maintenance by the general public, like warming up the engine, regular oil checks etc, which were ignored by the average Joe's and Jane's. Neglectful owners, married with the flawed apex seal design (apex seals are the rotary equivalent of combustion chambers) were the perfect match for premature engine failure. To save what was left of their reputation, NSU scrambled to replace the cars under warranty. Unfortunately, the tactic didn't work, and after only three model years of the Ro80, the company went bust. In the end, it was bought by VW-Audi and continued to produce the slightly improved second-gen until 1977. 

  Mazda had a difficult deck of cards to play within their hands and they were ready to give it their best shot. In 1967, they released one of the most beautiful and unique sports cars ever conceived: the Cosmo 110S. Powered by the L10A, 1.2lt twin-rotor Wankel making 110 hp and about 130 N-m of torque, it was a serious bit of kit. The car's roofline comes up to average adult waist level and the design kinda resembles a four-wheeled arrow. If I were a rich man, I'd get one to drive around and one to gawk at in my living room. People were awestruck when they first laid their eyes on the elegant Cosmo at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show, an especially surprising feat from a company known for mini-economy cars, tricycles, and... corks. Not long after the 110s' release to the public, Kenichi Yamamoto, the rotary's chief engineer, thought it'd be crucial to test the car and the powertrain through the most grueling race of the period: the 84 hours of the Nurburgring, once called the Liege-Rome-Liege. Naturally, the racecars had to be modified to face the challenging conditions. Numbers 18 and 19 received an updated version of the L10A rotary called the L10B, which increased the power to 130 hp at 7,000 rpm and torque remaining more or less the same as before. Also, the wheelbase was lengthened to increase stability. The intense stress testing at the Suzuka circuit would convince the engineers to implement the recent updates to all Cosmo road cars from now on, while also reassuring them of the car's ability to at least finish the race. 

 On the 20th of August 1968, the two race-ready, mostly stock Cosmos were parked and inspected at the original starting point of the Liege-Rome-Liege, in front of the "Palais des Princes Eveques" at Liege, Belgium. Surrounded by Mini Coopers, Lancias Fulvias, Porsche 911s, and numerous other makes and models, the Cosmos must've looked as exotic as a pair of panthers amongst housecats. They were brand new, ultra-rare, and powered by triangles instead of pistons. I can't even begin to imagine people's reactions when they first heard the unrestricted rotaries scream to their pretty stratospheric redlines for 60's standards. It was definitely a sundae delight for the eyes and ears of fans. Following the end of the inauguration ceremony, the racers and their crews departed for the starting line at the Nurburgring, a.k.a. "The Green Hell".

The racers took off as soon as they set foot (or tires in this case) on the circuit and they faced a challenging feat for both man and machine: to lap the 28.91 km track as many times as possible, in 84 hours and with only one hour of total rest over the entire race. Absolutely bonkers, to say the least! Drivers of the past were made from a different type of gasoline. Speaking of drivers, Mazda had recruited five, high-skilled blokes to pedal the Cosmos to the finish line and, hopefully, the podium. The red-striped number 18 was piloted by Nobuo Koga and Masami Katakura, whereas the yellow-striped number 19 was handled by the Belgian trio, composed of Jean-Pierre Ackermans, Leon Last, and Yves Deprez. Fun fact: Belgian drivers would accompany Mazda in a large portion of the rotary's most significant victories, all the way to the historical win at the '91 24 hours of Le Mans. Sashimi and waffles, unite!

  Both Cosmos were holding up quite well over the majority of the race. Though they couldn't catch up with the leading Porsche 911 Es, Lancia Fulvias, and MG MGCs, they steadily climbed the ranks while exploring uncharted territory. When hour 80 came about, a weakened axle broke on the red-striped Cosmo and one of the rear wheels went on vacation. Number 18 was out. Thankfully, Katakura, who was the driver during the incident, walked away unscathed. The Sashimis were done and the Cosmo's reputation rested in the Waffles' hands. The yellow-striped wonder from the East held up behind the 911 Es in first and second and the Fulvia in third place, managing a fourth-place finish at hour 84. The Waffles' 110S had lapped the Nurburgring Sud and Nordschleife 344 times, covering almost 10,000 km in the process. What an accomplishment, especially taking into account the challenging race conditions and the drivetrain's novelty.

  In the end, Mazda was satisfied with the race's results. Even though they narrowly missed a podium finish, the engineers were now determined to turn rotary-powered cars into a force to be reckoned with. As for the 110S,  with an average of one car built every day from 1967 to 1972, only 1,176 were ever produced. Along with the Toyota 2000GT and Datsun Skyline GTR "Hakosuka", the Cosmo is among the most desirable and rare Japanese sports car legends. Pictures don't do it justice. I had to witness it in the flesh to truly savor its aura. If, say, both Cosmos had blown up at the Marathon de la Route and a couple of future races, Mazda would've abandoned the rotary like the demanding, misunderstood yet the innovative child that it was. On the contrary, the company nurtured and meticulously developed the Wankel, putting it inside sportscars, GT cars, estates, and even a pick-up truck. It has won almost all major races on national and international championships, especially when it was powering the first generation of the RX-7. Nevertheless, as of 2021, the engine has been dormant for nine years since the RX-8's discontinuation, and due to this vague attempt by the world's governments to reduce emissions and save the oil companies' (a.k.a. the ACTUAL government's) paychecks, we'll most probably never see another rotary-powered Mazda (what else?) again. It's being said the company might revive the Wankel as a pathetic range-extender for electric cars, but its future still remains questionable. All we can be sure about is this: it's called the Wankel, it goes Brap-Brap-Brap and it won't stop 'till everyone's eardrums get pierced with the song of spinning Doritos!

To 'Murica Or Not To 'Murica In A 2015 Ford Mustang GT

Rrrrrrrr!

 When I think “USA”, a few specific images pop in my head: spaceships, capitalism, guns, Hollywood, burgers, pick-up trucks and American flags sold by the ton. But, when you search up American car in the ‘Muriclopedia, you find a picture of a Ford Mustang. It’s one of the few cars, along with “Ferrari” and “Porsche” (not “Porsh”, you Yankees) that every non-car person has probably heard once in his/her life. To put it short, it’s become a legendary model name. So, when, out of all places, I got the chance to debunk the legend of the pony car at Chalkidiki, Greece, I’d have to be in R.E.M. to miss out on such an opportunity. All hail the V8!

This pony likes to bite

Sick rims, brotha

The “Mustang” is one of the longest surviving model names in the auto industry, having been continuously in production for 55 years. When Ford introduced the first generation in April of 1964, the people went wild. I mean, record-breaking insane for this new type of stylish coupe: the pony car. Mustangs were selling as fast as freakin’ whoppers. By the first 18 months, 1 million had been produced. To put this into perspective, the Chevy Camaro, the Mustang’s number one rival,  took 6 YEARS to reach the 1 million mark. How on earth did Ford manage to build such a successful, new car?  The idea was quite simple: make an affordable coupe or convertible, front-engine, rear-wheel drive, with room for four and a relatively spacious trunk. Then, recycle the chassis of the Falcon and plenty of switchgear and drivetrains from other Ford models to keep the price down, offer plenty of customizability to the buyer and Voila! You have a sales hit. On top of all that, the Mustang’s presence in the entertainment scene cannot be overlooked. It’s through movies that most of us outside the U.S.A. got to see it for the first time. Here are a few films in which the Mustang was the star car: “Bullit”, James Bond’s “Goldfinger” and “Diamonds are Forever”, both “Gone in 60 Seconds”, “Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift”, “30 Minutes or Less” the list goes on and on. The Mustang is a legend, whichever way you look at it.

Love that swoopy nose

The first and last time I went for a ride in a Mustang was around 4 years ago. It was a Canadian import ’66 Coupe, silver with a black vinyl top and interior and a 289c.i. (4,7 lt) V8 mated to a 3-speed automatic. Quite a leisurely, cool, comfortable car to cruise around in… but that’s all it is. Everything mechanical on the first-gen Mustang is slightly more advanced than a motorized carriage. That’s the degree of engineering implemented into its design. The brakes kinda slow you down, the handling is comparable to a pick-up truck and the fact it had three speeds would be more interesting in the kid’s version, not the life-size one. I wonder if 50 years was enough for Ford to turn the Mustang into a decent driving sports car. Let's find out!

Best looking Mustang since the original one

  What’s cool about the current S550 generation Mustang is its newness. It’s not like all the previous generations, where it was only a new body, mo’ powah and slightly improved anchors. Finally, after half a century of ball scratching, Ford’s R&D nuts started to bleed and they took the leap to transform the Mustang’s cornering capabilities. The introduction of independent rear suspension (IRS) to replace the medieval live rear axle was a very welcome update. Yet, I can’t congratulate Ford for offering its 435 hp sportscar with an IRS set-up, a feature that the Citroen 2CV, France’s cheap-ass people’s car, had in 1948. 

An original one for reference

  And what year did the sixth-gen Mustang go on sale, for comparison’s sake? It came out in 2014, only 66 years after the 2CV. That’s corporate laziness at its best. And then, the Americans laugh at the French for making weird, unreliable cars. Ha! The 2CV, especially an early one, is one of the most spartan automobiles ever produced, by a landslide. And it had the dimension altering power of a turtle, with a 365cc flat-twin putting out… nine horsepower. It’s definitely unimaginably slow and it was more mechanically advanced than a V8 sports coupe from 2013. Anyways, I got a little carried away there with this crazy comparison so I’ll make it simple. With an IRS set-up, the rear wheels absorb most of the stress from bumps and crevices on the road, spreading it out on the car’s sides and keeping it more planted. In a live axle, the stress is transmitted all around the booty of the car, which is an awful recipe in a vehicle built for high-speed driving. Even if the road is straight and you hit a large bump with an older Mustang, the rear end will hop, the rear tires will lose traction and you’ll probably spin. Now the real question is if the IRS made any difference. Spoiler Alert: it did.

The Mustang's prettiest angle

Chalkidiki is a region, close to Thessaloniki, Greece, composed of three peninsulas and lots of beaches. I’ve been going there every year since I was born and you can find some incredibly beautiful, paradise-like places to enjoy nature in. However, it’s not the most welcoming place for driving, especially at night. All but maybe two roads are at least 30 years old, with no lines, no barriers, no lights, almost no speed cameras (there are three in total) and it’s littered with mini churches on the side of the road. Why’s that? Because each church is placed where a person has either crashed or gone off a cliff… and died. As a co-driver, you can count the churches and then rate a Greek road from dangerous to deadly as fuck, boy. True story. At least, if you use your brain to think, you’ll be savvy enough to avoid taking any chances and slow down… or else. Also, because of, y’know, the Greek Crisis, most of the cars are at least 15 years old and they’re mostly shit, devoid of anything interesting whatsoever. This year though, when I went to visit my uncle Nick at the beach, the car gods decided to gift me one awesome experience.

It's a 5.0, yo!

As soon as I arrived, by bus, at the seaside village where Nick was staying, I stopped by his place say “Hi!”. I hadn’t seen him for two years but, as usual, the first question following “How are you” was “Did you come with the (Porsche) Macan?”. His answer was music to  my ears: “Nah, man. I only have the Mustang in Greece.”. What?! The 2015 5.0 Mustang GT… in Chalkidiki?! For the first time in my 20-year-old life, I’ll be riding around the seaside in some American muscle! Can I drive it?

Your asphalt jet is ready, sir

A couple days pass and a knock on the door at 2 p.m. woke me up from a good “night’s” sleep. Opened the door while my eyes were still half-closed, and it was Nick. “Good Morning! We’re leaving for the beach in a bit so get ready… and you’re driving the Mustang” was all he said. Five minutes later, I was sitting in the Mustang’s comfy, Recaro driver’s seat. The interior felt welcoming but obviously, the quality was lacking. Sure, it had a couple actual metal bits though most of it is filled with black or shiny plastic. Nevertheless, when you press the engine start button and wake up the 5.0lt Coyote Gen 2 V8, you couldn’t care less about the crappy plastics. The “Blablablablabla” it produces while idling is enough to put instantly a smile on your face. It’s the appetizer for the upcoming main dish. The clutch requires just a slight amount of pressure and is very easy to engage. I’m a novice driver and it was quite straightforward to find its grabbing-point. The Tremec 6-speed has zero play and a pleasantly short throw, each gear going in with a satisfying “clack”. I engage first and the Mustang is already moving without a sweat. I could’ve started off in third and it wouldn’t have stalled. That’s how much torque this car has. We began exiting the village through a tight, normally two-lane road, filled with parked cars and people casually walking around. Keeping the Mustang’s long nose away from all the hazards was a challenge, to say the least. You can’t see where it ends because of its swoop right in the end. Thankfully, this short-lived hassle was followed by a large, two-lane blacktop leading towards the beach. Time to test out the Mustang’s open road prowess.

This booty is stable

We’re cruising at around 40-50 kph in fourth, with the windows down, in by far the coolest ride in the region, with a sick V8 burbling away. Right from the get-go, the Mustang is an effortless car to drive. The torque makes it difficult to stall and reassures you that you’ll have the power, at any time, to avoid a sticky situation. You can drive around like a granny in fifth, even sixth gear and only burn 10l/100 km, more or less the same as a similarly potent, downsized turbo engine from its German competitors. Don’t worry, we all know us petrolheads would never see these figures, except maybe in highway driving. With such a spinetingling song, if I owned this Mustang, I’d ONLY want to change gear at redline. Good thing we’re in Greece and cops are plagued with this sort of periodic dementia (a.k.a. laziness/I-know-better-ness) where they forget to enforce basic traffic laws on the road e.g. putting an end to people who, very often, cross when it’s a red light (in their car, of course). As a result, everybody’s traveling at whatever speed they fancy. Perfect!

See! It's not THAT cheap looking!

Finally, the moment I’d been waiting for had arrived: it was time to floor it in the 5.0. The number of instances I’ve dreamt about being behind the wheel of a bitchin’, V8 ride was to become a reality. All the thousands of hours I’ve spent watching reviews on Youtube could barely scratch the surface of the explosion of emotions of the actual experience I won’t lie that I was a tiny bit scared. The last fastest car I’d driven was a 30-year-old BMW 325i with 170 hp, when new, 360.000 km and that almost kicked its ass out a couple of times. Nevertheless, that happened when I was close to redline while cornering. It warned me “If you cross this line, you’re entering a whole new world you don’t want to explore right now”.  On the other hand, the Mustang, even with traction control on, is still 2,5 times more powerful than the Bimmer. Torque comes-in early in the rev band in a non-linear manner. It demands respect and doesn’t respond kindly to harsh inputs. You gotta be “a smooth operatah, man”. So, with all these thoughts bumping into each other in my head, I downshifted into third and, progressively, gave it the beans.   The Coyote V8 went from being a sleepy kitty cat to a tiger on the hunt without a second to spare. In a blink, everything around me went blurry. I was pushed back on my seat, and the only clear thing I could see was the car and road ahead. “Warp Speed Engaged!” and the revs are climbing at a very quick rate. After the 5k rpm mark, the Mustang is pulling even harder, the same way a Honda VTEC engine would.  In more or less three seconds, we had gone from 40 to 100 kph in third. The result? I couldn’t stop giggling. It’s one of those paradoxical giggles resulting from your subconscious thinking “That’s scary!” and “That’s awesome!” at the same instant. The power of a V8’s eargasmic sound at full chat is that anything bothering you will either shatter into a million pieces or is placed under the rug for a little bit. After that, whenever I got a bit of safe space, I’d floor it just to sip once more from the cocktail of instant acceleration and deliciously aggressive exhaust noise. During those instances of high stress, on the straights or around the curves, the Mustang always felt planted and stiff, making you comfortable traveling at much higher speeds than you're allowed to. 

Recaro seats: excellent for trips and spirited driving

The "Shaker" subwoofer intensifies the aural pleasure

Unfortunately, like anything in this world, the Mustang is far from perfect. The steering is one click from being classified as “Safe only for simulation racing games”. You have zero feedback whatsoever of where the wheels are pointing. The only way to really know is by looking at your altering surroundings. I understand that Ford didn’t really care for steering feedback for the sake of usability. Nevertheless, it’s at the same level as a Peugeot 208. That’s not a sports car, in case you haven’t ever heard of it. Then, we have the brakes. They work very well and bring the Mustang to a screeching halt in no time. Though, brake pedal feel and placement was quite uncomfortable. The max travel is half the distance of the clutch and accelerator pedal. You’re barely pressing it and you’re slowing down much more that you’d like. As a result, the brakes are very touchy and difficult to modulate. I found it disorienting and unpleasant. The last niggle of the Mustang is the cockpit. Everything is well arranged and easy to reach. Nevertheless, I found it very claustrophobic with its fat pillars. This what happens when you combine retro styling with safety regulations.

The "anti-crap-stepping
-Mustang-logo"

In conclusion, for 50.000 Euros, the 5.0 Mustang GT is a bargain. There’s no need spending 10, 20 or even 40 grand more for a BMW M4, a Mercedes C63 or Porsche 911. Interior quality and infotainment system aside, the Ford is just as capable as any of its competitors. It has supportive, comfy seats, can fit four, average-sized adults and their luggage, a boomin’ sound system (especially with the “Shaker” subwoofer), air-con, lots of electric nannies to keep you and your wife out of trouble, the anti-crap-stepping-mustang-logo and a sensational, naturally aspirated V8 to wake you up in the morning. Stop buying 911s for your middle-aged wives who don’t care about anything except for the badge, that “It’s nice” and who’ll treat it like a Fiat 500. Get them a Mustang for half the price, twice the practicality and just as much fun. Or buy it for yourself and use the extra cash to modify it to bits. V8s for everyone!

Many thanks to my uncle Nick letting me try out my first, American, V8 and properly fast car. I'm still giggling!

Back To The Roaring Twenties In A '28 Ford Model A Phaeton

Unfortunately, Bonnie and Clyde couldn't join us today

Today's cars are filled to the brim with features. Even a base, rental Ford Fiesta comes with air-con, adjustable seats and steering column, an infotainment system, airbags, ABS, front disc brakes, electric windows, etc.  A Fiesta is capable of cruising at 120 kph on the highway, is easy to maintain and gets very wallet-friendly mileage. It also has a couple more, very fundamental extras that, almost a century ago, the equivalent, reasonably priced Ford, couldn't even dream of. Side windows? Nope. A trunk? Just strap your suitcase in the back and call it a day. Seat belts, shatter proof glass or blinkers? Simply don't crash it or you'll meet your maker faster than you can say "Dinga-Dinga". The car I'm talking about here is this beautiful, carefully restored Ford Model A Phaeton from 1928. This is how this car would've looked new, 90 years ago. So, going for a ride in one was like time travelling back to the Prohibition Era. Fetch the moonshine, brotha!

So much chrome it blinds other drivers!

I met owner Michel at this year's Antwerp Classic Salon. I was taking pictures at the "Ancient Ford Club of Belgium" stand, with a Model T and this Model A. We sparked up a conversation over the pics and he talked me through the restoration. Being retired, Michel wanted to stay active and enjoy his passion for 2CVs and Model As. Out of luck, he found this car eight years ago for a bargain price. Well, it was cheap for a reason. The entire body and frame were rusted out, falling apart faster than a sandcastle. The work needed was so extensive that, at 70 years old, Michel took bodywork courses to learn how to fix the old gal up. Eight years later, the car is done, and it looks absolutely stunning. The turquoise-green paintjob with the beige body line and top, along with the black upholstery and fenders fits the Model A like a glove. It also has a couple period-correct accessories: a metal vase for your flowers (a.k.a. 20's air-freshener) and an old fire extinguisher. When it's really warm out and you need to cool off your face, just open the windshield and Voilà! You'll be cooler than a swimming pool.

Trunks used to be an option 90 years ago

Fortunately, a day with a clear, predictable sky came and Michel invited me to go on a ride in the Model A. We would drive 15 km from Brussels to a small city nearby called Meise. As a result, everything from city to highway driving was in the schedule. Michel and I arrived at the underground garage to pick up the Ford. With centimeters to spare from the ceiling, the old gal reversed out of the warehouse. In the dimly lit opening, the Model A looked so sinister I thought the spirits of Bonnie and Clyde would jump out of nowhere. Thankfully, we didn’t encounter any ghosts and we hit the road.

This dashboard is as simple as it gets

The fenders can be any
color you want, as long as it's black

Right from the get-go, I was surprised by the Model A’s pick-up. Inside the city where the speed limit is 50 kph, it can keep up quite well with modern traffic. On the highway, though, it’s another story. Already, when this car came out, it was more than 25 years before the first interstate. So, with a 72 kph top speed, you’re getting overtaken by every vehicle except tractors. The little 4 cylinder is working hard to keep up and it seems as if increasing the speed by 3 kph, the engine will explode. 50-55 kph is the “fastest” it can go comfortably. Compared to the Model T’s counter-intuitive controls, the A was the first Ford to have a conventional, three-speed manual gearbox with the classic pedal placement. To put it into gear, you have to have the clutch pushed to the floor and baby the minuscule, round throttle pedal. The gearbox is unsynchronized so double-clutching is always required. With probably around 28 hp, you can’t expect to have fun while speeding. On the contrary, even at city speeds, the Model A is quite lively. Already it’s got ground clearance that surpasses numerous SUVs because, back in the day, dirt roads were a common sight. We tested the suspension on a very bumpy piece of tarmac. The car was bouncing about like a rabbit while playing at full volume the only song on the non-existent radio: “A million nerve racking clicks and cracks”.  At some point, the starter got stuck and started whining . While I was freaking-out, thinking that we would be left stranded, Michel said “Whatever, I’ll hit it with a hammer at home and it will unstick itself.” … and it worked. What about the brakes? Forget about it. Spongy as hell, the only way to stop in a hurry is by ramming the car in front.  The Model A might get a scratch or two but you won’t even feel the impact!

Matching tires and top

In conclusion, this 1928 Model A is a car full of personality. Even if I find its design slightly generic compared to other cars of the era, it is dripping with charm. The contrast between the three main colors (turquoise, black and beige) accentuates the car’s lines and makes people of all ages smile. You get many more thumbs up in this than in a Porsche or a Ferrari. Then, all the little details, like the whitewall tires, the flower vase, the carved side windows, add up to a very authentic experience. It was my first time in an automobile from the 20’s and, at whichever speed, it’s fun and sensational. 50 kph or crossing the light on orange have never felt so sketchy and scary. Honestly, you don’t drive this car; you ride it like a carriage or a moving bathtub. If you’re looking for such an old antique and you’re willing to put up with the extra maintenance, you should consider the Model A. The parts are plentiful and you’ll spread joy wherever you go in it.

Many thanks to Michel for taking me for a ride in his Model A and for preserving this jaw-dropping automobile! I might not have lived in the 20's but I got to experience how driving was back then. That's already a success in itself!

E-Tron VS E-Type: The Car Oxymoron Of The Day

Beauty vs Future

  The new Audi E-Tron is now on sale and getting the chance to go for a ride in one out of the first ten in Belgium surely is a treat. This is not the first but the second electric vehicle I've been in, number one being (drum roll please): a bus in Germany. However, this proper, 4x4 electric SUV is a totally different animal from said bus (duh!). The E-Tron comes with two electric motors that push out 360 hp and 561 Nm in "Classic Mode". For optimum performance, tap it into "Boost Mode" and the power jumps to 402 hp and 664 Nm... from zero rpm. So, you accelerate, in a 2,5 ton vehicle, from 0 to 100 kph in 5,7 seconds and it feels much faster. The only noise you hear is the whooooosh of the wind and the bzzzzzz of the tires. No drama until you look down at the speedo and let your jaw drop. On the opposite side of the E-Tron, though, is an automobile where its only common trait with it (without including the basic similarities) is the E, the hyphen (-) and the T and not many people know about it (cough): a Jaaaaag E-Type S1 roadster. Today, prepare yourself for a tour around the future of Audi and proof that classic cars have a soul. Don't believe me? We'll see about that by the end of this article.

3.8 lt race bred six vs a box to store your charger
(and Vadim)

  My friend Vadim works as an Audi salesman. Being a car nut, he noticed that nobody wanted to take the robot missile (a.k.a. E-Tron) for the weekend. So, he did the right thing and borrowed it for a couple of days. A wise choice because we ended up doing some cool activities on Sunday. The plan was to have a photoshoot with the E-Type and E-Tron, with the weather being very unpredictable. It could rain for three hours and then stop, with one minute hail storms once in a while and bit of sunlight here and there. Anyways, I hopped in the robot missile and off we went in silence. Already, the interior is a very pleasant place to be. Audi have a reputation for top notch interiors and great fit and finish. Leather seats with aluminium nobs and center console, suede door cards and one camera on each front door. Wait what?! Oh yeah, this E-Tron is equipped with all the goodies, one of them being laser gun-looking  digital side mirrors. This could be one of the reasons that this car turned so many heads, especially with its eye-popping blue paintjob and futuristic rims. The technology though, doesn’t stop there. The center console has two, tablet like screens: one for the infotainment and one for the climate controls. Also, the gauge cluster is all digital, with even high resolution, Google navigation inside it. This E-Tron was seriously well specced. Panoramic sunroof, Bang and Olufsen boomin’ sound system, 3D 360 degree view of the car for when you’re reversing, leather seats, this ride has it all. For 110,000 Euros it better!

1,500 Euros apiece for digital side mirrors

  Nevertheless, having the E-Tron next to the E-Type, I was struggling to find similarities between them. The robot missile has more in common with my phone than the Jaaaaag. They both have navigation, they both need batteries to function and you can change their settings digitally. Whereas the Jaaaaag is a machine dripping with emotion and character. It’s also way, way noisier than the Audi. Everything is creaking and squeaking. The gearbox makes a very loud whine and the engine sounds as if it’ll fall apart in slow speeds. But when you open her up and let the race-bred six sing, every single problem that you have in your head washes away. Even for short periods of time, it’s absolute nirvana. It stimulates all of your senses, bar the taste buds. Then, if it’s parked or you're left stranded on the side of the road (‘cause Jaaaaag), you have a rolling piece of art to gawk at. Come to think of it, you could call the E-Type a sort of MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) but for passionate rather than practical reasons.

"Grandpa, what is gasoline?"

  The E-Tron could’ve been an ideal car for “Back to the Future 2”, showcasing plenty of advancements in technology in only one vehicle. It is a cool, impressive SUV and I’m a sucker for the amount and level of gadgetry that comes with it. Though, there were a few gadgets that didn’t seem to have a logical use. For example, this E-Tron came with a kind of autonomous driving mode. It can vary its speed, brake and even steer to some extent, by itself. But it’s not even close to autonomous driving. You anyways have to pay attention to the road and help out the system, so what’s the point? Make people think that they can finally text and drive in a safe manner? Lay back and take a quick nap before work while your car “drives” you around? It’s a recipe for disaster for clueless people. Also, what will happen to these rides when they’ll be 10-20 years old, if they even make it that far? How can you reuse such an advanced and complicated vehicle? If something electric breaks, your car can’t move ‘cause its got the same power source as your PC. You can’t work on it and every, single feature is a ticking time bomb. If you have the money for a classy, electric SUV and you like it, buy the robot missile. It’s better value and quality than a Tesla. Though I’d rather spend 110k on repurposing something with soul and, well, an engine… like an E-Type drop-top. The Turbo Rocket’s advice on how to save the planet 101.

 Many to my man Vadim for showing me around the E-Tron! Very happy to have experienced Audi's first, fully electric SUV, with all the goodies  and for bringing out the E-Type to compare their status quo!

An Introduction To Redlining With Professor BMW 325i (E30)

 

In case you didn't know, the E30 is also a wicked track weapon!

It was an exceptionally warm summer's day. It's 2015 and I'm working at my first job as a classic car salesman at a store called "Petit LeMans". My friend Vadim, who I’d known only for a week at that time, would drive me home in his 1990 325i E30 coupe. With around 170 hp, I wasn't expecting to be impressed. And man, was I in for a surprise. Vadim fires up the 2.5 lt single cam six cylinder and the metallic rumble begins. The beast has awakened. The car came with the factory Recaro seats, headers, an exhaust and a strut brace. However, the stock suspension and the open-diff were still present. We go out on the four-lane road and the M20B25 starts screaming. The eargasmic, aggressive sound is echoing on the passing cars, taking hold of my soul. "How can this simple, boxy, understated car be so wonderful?" I asked myself. I instantly fell in love with this automobile and with more regular, amazing ones too. Now, four years later, the same 325 is back for my initiation in BMs, six pots and redlining. Spoiler alert: it was as awesome as I had ever imagined.

The heart of the beast

  I'm guessing, my dear reader, that, in case you're human, you've probably been attracted to another human least once in your life. You've thought and dreamt about them for countless days and nights, dying to go out with them. Well, from the day I was introduced to the E30, especially the 325, I have been raving about it for longer than any other car, watching countless videos on YouTube, reading reviews, books, seeing them in the outside world. I just adore this car. Of course, the number one priority was to drive it which was also, unsurprisingly, my main recurring dream. So, on a warm, February (bizarrely) night with clear skies, Vadim came to pick me up with the 325. Now it was lowered on Eibach springs and Bilstein shocks, along with an LSD and a 3.90 final gear. It still had the retro Recaro seats which are quite comfy and supportive. I got inside and, while I was searching for my seatbelt, Vadim darted-off like a missile with the Bimmer's six-pot climbing lazily to its redline. Better buckle up fast, bro... and lower the window for extra, aural deliciousness.

Vadim was driving the E30 like he stole it along with the Mona Lisa. The car smells of clutch and brakes but it doesn't seem as if it'll stop now. This is an automobile that accepts hard braking and banging off the limiter. It swallows up the pain and the struggle like a runner, soldiering on while enjoying the control he has over his well-earned tiredness. By the way, this is a 330,000 km BM that Vad had bought for less than four grand. Find me another ride for that money that gives you so much driving pleasure and reliability.  I trust Vadim in his skills and take pleasure in the car accelerating and decelerating at decent speed, taking corners like it's no big deal. He gives it a hard push on the one-one and a half kilometre part of the wide, four lane chaussée from a roll. We're passing the few, law-abiding citizens at easily double the speed they're going. The speedo hasn't worked for at least six months but the butt-perception speedo guessed 150-160 kph down that straight. Zero-fucks-given 101! After a little bit more hooning and a couple butt clenching drift attempts, I had to ask the question. I had already received a negative answer before but I felt the moment was right to give it another try. "Can I drive the BM Vadim? Don't worry; I won't drive quickly, only in a calm, laid back manner." I asked, waiting to receive "No" as my very probable answer. His response transformed my day from “Wonderful” to "Fucken Amazing, Son!" in a second: "Ok, but only in this neighborhood". Perfect.

  

O.Z. rims suit the E30 well

  At last, the moment I've dreamt about for countless times for the past years was finally here. I sit in the driver’s seat and put my hands on the lovely, eightieslicious M-Tech steering wheel. First gear and off I go as if my grandma is behind the wheel. I would’ve been quite satisfied cruising around, not going over 3,000 rpm… buuuuut Vadim rightfully decided to spice things up. “Floor it! Floor it! You might as well enjoy since you’re getting to drive it!” he said. Aye Aye Captain and Bye Bye Grandma shifting. Second gear and the 325 is banging off the limiter and I’m grinning from ear to ear. My first 15 seconds behind the wheel of a fantastic BM couldn’t have been better. Thankfully, since the neighborhood we were in is one of the sleepiest ones in Belgium. The wide, brick-lined roads are basically empty at night, which was extremely convenient for our mischievous activities. Down the straights, it was a case of rippin’ through second and third before slowing down for the next

The Corner Gobbler set-up

intersection. When this old-school straight six passed maybe 6,200 rpm, it produced a note that created loads of euphoria in my brain, like Jimi Hendrix playing his solo on Voodoo Chile. However, compared to a song, you want to hit the magic note again and again ‘till the wheels fall off. Everything in the world that bothered me and the fear of flooring such a raw and quick machine couldn’t be heard over the Bwaaaaaaah-Uuuuuuuh-Bwaaaaah of the M20B25. Just out of curiosity, I quickly checked the non-working speedo for its reading: 0 kph. Great! I’m within the speed limit! Not as if it would’ve changed much anyways. Compared to much newer cars, the E30 seemed intuitive with the feedback you receive from the steering, the power delivery, the braking and its cornering abilities. I would be on a right-hand corner and I’d feel the car gripping or approaching its limits. That’s how well it communicates with you. Of course, no drifting was in the program for that night but you can kick the ass out without even thinking about it in the 325. Plus, the Bimmer was planted and predictable with the LSD and the sportier suspension: a must if you want to unlock the potential of the chassis.   The simplicity and the weight of each control makes you one with the car, not as if you’re riding a horse which is the impression I got with automobiles far worse than the BM. To put it simply, the car drove almost exactly as I expected because it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.

Vadim and the machine

  In conclusion, the E30 is a driver’s car and there’s no doubt about it. Especially the 325 which packs a punch and is accepting towards modifications. With probably a quarter of the money of the overhyped, E30 M3 (which doesn’t change the fact that I love that too so if you have one and you’re feeling generous, hit me up and I’ll be a happy TurboRocket), you can get a decent 325 and add a few simple mods that’ll run head to head with it and plenty of other sportscars. Also, because of its size and drivability, the 325 offers you more confidence to drive it like a hooligan and it feels more rewarding too. Get a new M3 I bet you it’ll be much bigger of a handful because of its power, numbness and weight. I haven’t driven a new M3 but if you’re getting full torque from only 1,800 rpm, it’s surely not as linear and as controllable as you having to work for the power. I enjoyed every single rpm that the 325 required to climb slowly to its 6,800 rpm redline. Today, the number of cars that are coupes, manuals, weigh barely over a ton, have a sound to die for and a reliability that’ll probably outlast you come down to zero. There’s nothing on the market like this and many other excellent ideas of the past. Of course, there’s no safety in it but who cares when you have such fishbowl like visibility? Simply don’t crash the damn thing. Today’s cars are much safer also because they’re plagued with a zillion more distractions and they require less effort to drive. People who are smart enough to check their e-mails while rolling at 70 kph down the road have all the airbags they need for their fuckups.  But, time travelling back to the 80s, all you want is a sensational driver’s car and tape to slap in your tape deck. The rest is accessory. 

Many thanks to Vadim for introducing me the E30 and all its charms. The drive totally exceeded my expectations for the best! 

Photo Credits: Vadim Faucon