Test Drives, Trends & Events

The 2010 Hyundai Gensis Coupe (photo courtesy of Ryan Siu)

Somewhere between the world of the Gumball Rally and Cars & Coffee lies the event known as the Targa Trophy. It is a one-day rally event that starts and ends in the same place. This event features luxury brand sponsors, luxury brand cars, and luxury brand people. I was invited to compete in this event and I would be doing so with two friends; Tim Odell, an aspiring auto-journalist and Jonny Lieberman, a professional auto-journalist. The parking lot was already filled with oodles of supercar steel, aluminum and carbon fiber ranging from various Audi and BMW products to a Lamborghini Murcielago. Locating our ride for the event was easy; it's the 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupe - a seemingly meager entry wearing a badge unfamiliar to most in this set. More...

Godzilla and STILLEN have invaded Canada… (photo courtesy of Kyle Millen)

Try to imagine race cars, new and old, roaring through your local suburban community. The glowing brakes and roaring engines a few feet away from you as the drivers wrestle their purpose-built machines down Main St. Now imagine piloting one of these rumbling rockets through side streets, past the local store fronts, and occasionally over someone’s lawn. You have just pictured the 7th Annual Targa Newfoundland.

This year marks the first year that Steve Millen, good friend to NADAguides.com, and his crew at STILLEN attempted to not only compete, but to win the event. The STILLEN folks teamed up with Mike Monticello from Road & Track who served as Co-Driver for the targa - their chariot of choice; a modified 2009 Nissan GT-R. How did they do? Well, either you skipped the headline or want me to say it again. More...

On the trailer and ready to go! (Photo: Tim & Daisy Odell)

The clock says 5:00am and I am scrambling to grab my gear. Race suit, check. Gloves and boots, check. Fireproof underwear, check. Helmet, check. Sleeping bag and extra clothes, check. I hop in my mobile hotel, a 2009 Dodge Sprinter, and head to LA to meet the rest of my team. I have entered the 24 Hours of Lemons - Buttonwillow and we have a 2 hour drive ahead of us. The 1982 BMW 633 CSi is on the trailer, in full CSI:Miami regalia per our chosen theme, and my coffee is in the cup holder. Let the fun begin. More...

Last night I attended the premiere of the new film “Raptor - Born in Baja” which is a joint production between Ford Motor Company and Brentwood Communications. The premiere was held at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and it came complete with a few celebrities and a red carpet that covered a makeshift dirt entrance. The movie was certainly intriguing; telling the story of the Raptor team and their quest to build and race the truck in the Baja 1000. However the truck itself was the most interesting part of the night. More...

This 1982 BMW 633CSi isn't burning any gas at the moment but I smell something…hope.

All those fancy racing teams you see on TV have large budgets to help power their multi-million dollar enterprises and successful racing seasons. Sure, their drivers have plenty of skill but their machines are purpose-built feats of engineering. What would happen if you forced these teams to compete in cars that cannot cost more than $500? Now replace "professional race car driver" with Main St Joe and what do you have? The 24 Hours of Lemons… More...