Car Lust

Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova SS 327

 

It's a classic formula for cheap speed--take a light, humble, entry-level car, wedge in a big performance engine, stiffen up the suspension, and you have a pint-sized hot rod; a David capable of conquering the largest, most grotesque big-block Goliaths in the automotive world.

The Chevy II/Nova was Chevrolet's tiny compact car of the 1960s--a car reviled by the young and hip, at least when they weren't busy ignoring it, as a secretary's car (a wildly inappropriate insult now, but commonplace at the time). The introduction of the Corvette's exciting 350-horsepower, 327-cubic-inch small bock V-8--with fuel injection, exotic technology back then--changed all that.

Chevrolet Malibu Maxx SS

Virtually everybody knows what a sedan is. Likewise with a coupe. There's not much mystery behind the identities of hatchbacks, wagons, fastbacks, and convertibles. But a Maxx? What gives?

In the context of the just-completed generation of Chevy Malibus (2004-2007), at least, the Maxx is a blurred mix of hatchback and wagon, generally looking like a four-door hatchback while providing most of the utility of a true wagon. In practice, it's a pretty nifty compromise.

Let me take a step back and provide some context before I get too deep, because I can already hear the derisive hooting. No, I haven't gone off the deep end--if anything, I've always been off the deep end.

The Malibu has long been one of Chevrolet's proudest models. The Malibus of the mid-1960s were stylish mid-size cars that are commonly collected and restored today, and were in fact joined at the hip with the legendary Chevelle muscle cars. Even in the dark days of the 1970s, Malibus were still solid family sedans and stylish coupes. In the late 1970s, the downsized Malibu was both a revolutionary step forward in terms of packaging as well as one of the last hurrahs of traditional rear-wheel-drive American sedans.

Jensen Interceptor SP

 

Assuming a stereotypically traditionalist British sportsman of the early 20th century was a regular Car Lust reader--the odds of which are roughly 0%--I could imagine him being ecstatic at seeing the Jensen Interceptor in place of the usual claptrap featured in this space.

"Finally, that Amazon lad served up a proper piece of kit rather than that other bloody Yank rubbish!" he'd exclaim. "Finally, a jolly good Brit grand tourer to get a chap around with slightly more dignity, what!"

He would be right. Unlike uncouth muscle cars, the Jensen matches muscle with traditional English style and deportment. The Interceptor would be the type that, though a bare-knuckle brawler in its earlier days, now prefers to unwind with single-malt scotch and a cigar in a dark-wood-paneled study, pondering an upcoming safari.

In truth, though, while the Jensen has classic 1960s-1970s English GT styling and interior detailing--note the Aston Martin-like profile, the glassy fastback, and bold, forthright grille--the red, white, and blue blood in its powerful V-8 heart beats to the pattern of the Stars and Stripes, not the Union Jack.

Chevrolet Vega Cosworth

 

In the 1970s, Chevrolet and famed racing engine manufacturer Cosworth put together a limited-production vehicle that answered a question no one had thought to ask: What would happen if you dropped the most technologically advanced passenger car engine in the world into a Chevy Vega?

The Cosworth Vega, finished in natty black with trick gold pinstripes, was Chevy's compact economy Pinto-fighter, only with a hugely expensive and complicated engine under the hood. Consider it the 1970s equivalent of dropping a Formula 1 V-8 into a Kia Rio.

The Cosworth four-cylinder was an exotic beast that does not look out of place even compared to today's high-tech engines. With dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, it was at least one decade--perhaps two--ahead of the competition. In fact, it was so ahead of its time that expense and reliability issues, combined with the Vega's legendary tendency to rust, doomed the project almost immediately.

Porsche Cayman

 

When word began to percolate that Porsche would release a closed-roof version of the Boxster, I mentally shrugged. The Boxster is a sweet-handling thoroughbred, likely the best traditional open-topped sports car made, but generally just putting a roof on a roadster doesn't equate to increased thrills.

It turns out Porsche wasn't content with just putting a roof on the Boxster. The Cayman dials up the excitement on several fronts--more power, scalpel-like handling, and elegant new looks.

Just look at it--it's lovely. Traditional Porsche lines dictate a clean front with two round-ish headlights, with a bustling, thick derriere. The Cayman is the best execution of that theme yet, with a curvaceous, aggressive look culminating in a breathtakingly voluptuous rear.

Porsche also took advantage of the Boxster's dynamically correct mid-engined layout and the stiffness of a closed-roof setup to make the Cayman a feast for the driving senses. More power and near-race-car handling make the Cayman a more exciting at-the-limit performer than the more relaxed Boxster.

The Cayman is so fundamentally right that if developed to anything close to its limits, it would be able to run with or beyond its big brother, the legendary 911, for much less money. Porsche, in its infinite wisdom, has detuned the Cayman to ensure this doesn't happen, but frankly even at the same price I'd opt for a full-caffeine Cayman over a decaf 911 any day.

The Porsche USA site is pretty obviously a great place for Cayman reference and is the source of these breathtaking photos.

Ford Fairmont

 

The Ford Fairmont debuted in a mid-1970s America that was eagerly seeking a rationally sized family sedan. With the fuel crisis and tightening emissions standards, GM, Ford, and Chrysler were stuck with their mastodon-sized sedans while customers clamored for something smaller.

Given that background, perhaps we can forgive Car & Driver for dubbing the Fairmont "the American Volvo" when it debuted in the late 1970s--an assertion that history has proven to be well wide of the mark.

Actually, the Fairmont was just like a contemporary Volvo 240--except without Volvo's incredible safety record, metronomic reliability, or rock-ribbed safety quality. In terms of boxy styling and a wheezing lack of athleticism, on the other hand, the Fairmont and 240 were near-identical twins.

In all fairness, the Fairmont was a good step forward for Ford, but Chevrolet quickly eclipsed the Fairmont with its excellent, near-revolutionary downsized Impala and Malibu sedans.

Top Gear on PS3

 

The popular BBC motoring show Top Gear will be featured in the upcoming PlayStation 3 game Gran Turismo 5 when it is released in summer 2008. Players will be able to imagine themselves as the show’s anonymous test track driver “The Stig” while driving the hundreds of available cars around the Top Gear test track that is a central feature of the program. In addition to the test track, forty episodes of the show itself will also be available for download on a new dedicated Gran Turismo TV channel that operates over the PlayStation 3’s online network.

 

Picture of “The Stig” courtesy of Wikipedia.

Lancia Stratos

 

Mention the storied Italian brand Lancia to the typical automotive consumer, and you might get a raised eyebrow or a confused query in return. Only the most hard-core of enthusiasts spare a thought for Lancia, which is a real shame considering the Italian automaker has a long line of stylish performance cars in its history--at least one of which, the Stratos, is worthy of legendary status both for its success as one of the nonpareil rally cars of all time and as a high-performance sports car.

The Lancia Stratos was a wild and wooly sports car in the grand tradition of the 1970s exotics--loud, cramped, and uncomfortable, but so fast and uncontrollable that every spirited drive became an immersive exercise in self-preservation. In the Stratos, the cold sweat of raw fear was the perfect complement to the heat of excitement.

Today's rally cars are hugely sophisticated, relatively refined affairs, with complicated all-wheel-drive systems meant to keep driver and car pointed generally the right direction on the slick snow, ice, gravel, and dirt surfaces they navigate. The Stratos rally car took the opposite tack--instead of all-wheel drive, the Stratos was a rear-wheel-drive brawler that didn't so much tiptoe along uncertain surfaces as it beat them into submission with hairy at-the-limit handling and frantic, cavorting horsepower.

Mean Machine

 

Picture courtesy of The Ridge, an off-road riding park in Alabama.

Not all four wheeled fun comes with doors and a steering wheel…

Gentlemen, you will have to redefine the word ‘fast’ after you take a drive on this torque-y Polaris 800 Twin EFI. This beast is a mover in the thick and thin of it. Enjoy THE smoothest ride you will ever experience with front and rear independent suspension and (if you like to be seated while riding) a very cushy seat. Climb rocky mountain sides in low gear or get to the finish line first in high gear. Polaris boasts versatility.

 

 

With too many attachments to name, this machine tempts the imagination. Plow deep snow from your driveway or pull a fallen tree out of the way with your winch. Mow the back pasture or pull a ton and a half on a trailer; it doesn’t matter.

 

 

As for the ladies, go out and get yourself one of these mean machines. It is my wife’s most recent acquisition and she loves it. She uses it daily to tend to her horse farm, but has found a new passion for off-roading. I have become a Polaris widower. Sigh.

AMC Pacer

 

Truly, no conversation about American cars could be complete without mentioning the Pacer. While it was clearly not a good car, it was, in a sense, a revolutionary and, frankly, an adorable car that has received far more abuse than it deserved.

Let's handle the criticism head-on. Yes, the Pacer was heavy and slow and looked vaguely reminiscent of an inverted fishbowl. But look closer--the lines, while bulbous, are clean, and the details are appealing. I think of the Pacer as the vehicular equivalent of somebody who is slightly overweight and who quickly wearies of being lamely told that they have a "pretty face."

Secondly, the Pacer was a real revolution in many ways--not coincidentally, in many of the same ways in which it was ridiculed. For one, it was one of the first cars to put a premium on placing lots of glass around the passenger compartment to impart a light, airy, roomy feel. That concept, a complete anathema in the days of dark, cramped, high-beltline cars in the 1970s, would later be reintroduced by Honda in the 1980s to great acclaim.