"DasWauto" (DasWauto)
03/20/2014 at 17:30 • Filed to: Best of Oppositelock | 7 | 10 |
Assembled here are the best Oppositelock posts from last Monday and Tuesday. Today we've got the 1985 Buick Wildcat, life aspirations, Tesla's gigafactory and more.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Sn210
Buick brought this radical concept to the '85 SEMA show in Vegas. This was the 4th out of 5 Buick concepts dubbed the Wildcat. There were 3 made in the '50s, this one in '85, and then one in '97. Two cars were actually built. The first one, brought to the SEMA show, was a non-functioning concept. The second, however, was a fully working model used for engineering tests. This car may have been a preproduction car used for development, but other sources claim this car was only a testing bed for Buick's ideas. GM still owns the operational concept car.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - J. Drew Silvers
I first heard about Elon Musk well over a decade ago when I was reading a random article about his company, Paypal, being sold to eBay for an insanely deserved amount of money. Back in those days, I was a teenager and wasn't thinking about much other than finishing high school and figuring out which colleges to send applications to before that point. The only thing that mattered within that frame of time for me was to go to college and maybe end up like Elon Musk or any other young, wealthy individual. Like most things in life, my priorities altered during my last year of high school around the same time Mr. Lusk slipped under the radar for the most part after his first big venture in the world of business had paid out. Honestly, he was someone I had entirely forgotten about for quite some time until recently.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - PatBateman
Lately, there has been a lot of chatter regarding Tesla and their bid to open their battery manufacturing plant, or "Gigafactory" somewhere in the US. Jalopnik writer and Son of Texas Patrick George earlier wrote of the "hypocrisy" his home state is spinning by banning sales of the Model S within its borders all the while asking for them to locate said factory in the Lone Star State (there is a little hypocrisy, but read on). I'm here to tell you that it might make PERFECT business sense by Mr. Musk to make batteries in Texas.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Gabor Vajda
Apparently there's a huge backlash concerning the new sound of F1 and though it is pretty much established that evolution = F1 and it is not the show that should define Grand Prix racing, the audio experience of Formula One has been on a downward spiral since Ferrari bid farewell to its V12 engines at the end of the 1995 season.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - B_Dol
This past week I received arguably one of the best birthday gifts to date, twenty four hours with a 2013 Nissan GTR and a GoPro to document it. I'll address the logistics first. My girlfriend booked the rental through Club Sportiva, an exotic car club/rental venue with a few locations in California. Picking up and dropping off the car was easy as can be and included a quick overview of the status of the car, a test drive with an employee to learn all the functions/toys and signing my life away in the event the car is involved in an accident.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - mikecyc72usa
I've loved cars most of my life. I think it's a tie between trains and sports cars, really. I blame my father. The stories of him working the pits for Briggs Cunningham, or doing Gymkhanas, or racing were always a highlight of the day for me. Oddly enough, finally at 41 for me and 74 for him are we working on a car together. It's a 1962 Triumph TR4 which was pretty solid and ran great when we picked it up from our friend Dave. Actually, it's the fastest TR4 I've ever driven, and still is.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Asphalt
The road from last time, Joes Hill Road, was a fairly fun, but narrow hill climb. The tarmac was quite damaged as well, to the point where it almost resembled a rally track. Frankly, if you headed there in anything wider than a Fiat 500, you'd probably end up bumping into a Buick LaCrosse, and frankly, you just don't want to do that. So, we headed out to find some roads more suitable to normal-sized cars, and we sure did find quite a gem... North Mountain Road in Connecticut.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - APiDAOnline
There are cars that inspire excitement and promote a sense of status and luxury, and then there are cars that force us to challenge our preconceived notions of what qualities a car should have, and gives us something completely new - for better or worse. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the story of how I bought a car with one of the most divisive and opinionating designs ever made - the iconic Ford Taurus. Wagon.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - TheDailyTurismo
If you love the screaming S14 four banger in the E30 M3 but shy away from its boy racer box flares and 2-door only configuration, then perhaps a trip to Italy is in order. In order to avoid VAT and higher vehicle taxes for engines exceeding 2.0 liters, BMW created a de-stroked version of the S14 for Italy and Portugal in 2 and 4 door versions that was called the 320is. It isn't a car you'd look twice at in person, but for those in the know it could be a bimmer-licious experience for about the price of a new 135i. Also check out !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - TotallyThatStupid
We have covered the Alfa Romeo 164 before here on Totally That Stupid. That doesn't mean we'll shy away from a nice example, especially after a nationwide search, and especially while still in the middle of winter when the pickings are slim at best. No, we'll continue to cover our favorite early-1990s front-wheel-drive Alfa Romeo sedan as long as clean, well-sorted examples appear on our monitors.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - crowmolly
Another thread about identifying engine parts sparked my memory about a cool promo car that Chevrolet used back in the 68-69 era to showcase the 1969 Camaro. The exhibit was called the "Double Header" and it consisted of three rotating turntables. On the rearmost turntable was the body of a Camaro cut away to display the interior and other features. On the front two were powertrain and styling options- the first was a disc brake subframe with a cutaway 350/TH350 and RS front end while the second was a drum brake subframe with a 6cyl/PG combination and standard front end.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - JonathonW8
Volvo, the safest choice in automobiles, the Swedish form of auto safety, routinely quoted as the safest car on the road…Wow that was boring. Yeah Volvo's are safe, but really do any of us here care? Nope, and that's why this little Swedish company makes the R editions of their cars, for those intrepid hoon's that want both safety and insanity. These cars are very much like Saab's, they are a kind of hipsterish car. They are for those individuals that would forsake all of the German's, and Italians and say, "you know what, I want something a bit more out there, a bit more plain, but with a tad of stupidity. I want a Volvo."
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - JonathonW8
Earlier today, our very own Deputy Editor in Chief could not identify a car! Ugh the travesty, the humanity, the gal, the….I can't think of any other sayings so we can stop there. I recognized the car immediately by the shape and distinctive front grill. The only problem was I couldn't remember the name either! I apologize for earlier remarks. I knew it had been on Tech Toys 360 so I did a little googling and found it fairly quickly, The Roding Roadster. Now the rest to come is to acquaint everyone with the car that allows billionaire playboys in Monaco to go under the radar and get Auto Journalists all confused.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - JonathonW8
One of our favorite little auto start-ups around here is Local Motors, they build stuff like the Rally Fighter. This monstrous beasty seen above. This car was designed and built using an open source nature where people around the world collaborated and sent the plans and ideas to Local Motors and they then built it, with the help of those that bought it! It's a crazy little shop
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Frosted
The 2003 Volvo XC70 is a v70 AWD with a taller suspension and wider fenders/bumpers. The AWD system is electronic, as opposed to being mechanical as it was on the p80 chassis models. Does this mean it's better? No. While there is no mechanical driveshaft that can be removed once it breaks, the XC70 has an angle gear that is very leak happy and any terrain worse than loose gravel tends to be straining on this system. Newer models have revamped Haldex systems that make the car better offroad, so keep that in mind if you're planning on buying one as a budget rally car. Also keep in mind that that is a terrible idea. Trust me, I tried.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - jqj213
Recently, sales for the new Mazda 3 have been released. Oppo and Jalopnik went crazy, questioning what is wrong with people and why they would "drive something as bad as a Civic or Corolla." I drive a Civic, so I became quite defensive. I want to let you into the mindset of someone who is driving an automatic Civic sedan over every other choice in the market.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Aya
So, My Friend Just Get A New Car. And I'm Jealous. He somehow found a used '2005 Toyota Crown. And because i'm a sucker for a Huge, 4-door sedan, i have to visit his home and borrow his brand new Crown. You Might think the E-Class Competitor from Toyota was the Lexus GS. But the problem was, the GS never sold in Japan. Instead, Toyota offers an alternative called "Crown". Also check out the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
The Best of the Rest
Audi For Life !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Decay !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It's a "Porch-uh" !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Trevor Mohr !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Jagvar !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . GRawesome !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . CrzRsn !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Reigntastic's !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . WarShrike !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . DOMdotCOM !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Euro Dan !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Mycarneverruns87 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . AncientOfDays !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . BiTurbo228 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . ShelbyRacer78's !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Reborn Pyrrhic !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . RpM3 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Radial4.0 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Velocity !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
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As always, If I've missed something and you would like me to include it, let me know.
Fun Discussions
There were several posts that asked questions and sparked some good discussion on Monday and Tuesday. Take a peek and chime in on some of those listed below:
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What is everyone doing while they lurk?
What's the Most Expensive Car You've Seen?
What did you do to your car this weekend?
How was your commute? (Mar 17)
What Car Is Perfect For Massholes?
Coolest Car In A Random Ass Town: Ireland Special
Which Would You Rather? 60's One-off Edition
Daily Drive, Track, Burn: Volvo, Saab, Volkswagen
Help me decide: Which wheels on a MKVI GTI?
CarDomaining - "Scuderia Mazda Marlboro" Edition
How was your commute? (Mar 18)
How to fix Formula 1's 100kg fuel limit rule
Coolest Cars In A Random Ass Town: Bermeo (Spain)
A super clean E30 325i with an automatic, worth the trouble?
What's the strangest undercover police vehicle you've seen?
Just the #tips
Watch An Audi Driver Mow Down A Cyclist In Austrailia
3D printed cars from our favorite mad scientists
The Best Photos From Rally Mexico
Driving the Musical Road at 100 MPH
Bro Gets 2 DUIs In Same Night, In Same Mickey D's Parking Lot
What happens if you mix an Idiot and an E60 M5
It's not the car, it's the driver
Sky Announcers Are Very Professional
POV LaFerrari video. The LaFerrari has an orgasmic sound
What is actually wrong with F1: A stern letter to cynics
2014 Grand Cherokee passes elk test
Ricardo HyBoost - Jay Leno's Garage
Here is Ontario's new distracted driving fines
These posts have already been shared with Jalopnik directly but deserve to be mentioned again because they were first posted on Oppositelock:
Mazda 3 Sales Slump Isn't About Corolla/Civic
This Week in Stealerships 3/18/14
"Those blue lines mean no parking, bro"
Automakers clashed with NHTSA over public recall tool
Want to participate on Oppositelock? Check out the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! as well the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to help you get started.
Reigntastic
> DasWauto
03/20/2014 at 17:48 | 2 |
Thanks for the nod.
Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
> DasWauto
03/20/2014 at 18:45 | 0 |
Good work!
Maxaxle
> DasWauto
03/20/2014 at 20:30 | 0 |
Because bubblecar?
Nibby
> DasWauto
03/20/2014 at 20:51 | 1 |
Velocity polished his "knob."
Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
> DasWauto
03/20/2014 at 20:55 | 0 |
Because sunburn.
PatBateman
> DasWauto
03/20/2014 at 21:53 | 1 |
Gracias for the mention, señor!!
Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
> DasWauto
03/21/2014 at 01:29 | 1 |
I was wondering where I got new comments from. Thanks for sharing my post!
IDriveASaabAndNobodyIsToBlame
> DasWauto
03/21/2014 at 03:02 | 1 |
I think this car looks awesome.
300hp30mpgrwdfor30k
> DasWauto
03/21/2014 at 03:36 | 1 |
Wildcat....
Just wear your damn mask...
> DasWauto
03/21/2014 at 06:56 | 1 |
One of my all-time favorite concepts, from the all-too-brief era when Buick was about more than Landau tops and wire wheel covers.