ONE OF NONE: PONTIAC RAM AIR V GTO!

Posted on May 13, 2018 by MartynL

Like Chevrolet’s ZL1 Corvette and Buick’s Stage II Gran Sport, Pontiac’s Tunnel Port Ram Air V is part myth, part magic, and has been the subject of urban legends for decades. According to Tom Nell, a Special Projects Engineer at Pontiac in 1971, “Pontiac’s Ram Air V or Mark V was the first Pontiac engine since the 1963 Super-Duty 421 to be developed around the concept of performance and durability, outside the realm of normal usage.” Many of the same high-performance engineers responsible f...

2019 CULLINAN – THE ROLLS-ROYCE OF SUVS!

Posted on May 12, 2018 by MartynL

Named after the world's biggest diamond, this super-luxe 2019 Cullinan 4x4 is Rolls' new off-roading gem. Road Test Editor Howard Walker picks his jaw up off the floor. Four words I thought I'd never hear in the same sentence: A Rolls-Royce SUV! But the $325,000 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan is here and ready to tackle the great outdoors. Or at least the nearest polo field gravel parking lot. Since the launch of the Bentley Bentayga and the fanciest Range Rover Autobiography models before it, lu...

TWO-WHEEL CONCOURS: QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING!

Posted on May 10, 2018May 11, 2018 by MartynL

Our Jim Palam joins the motorcycle cognoscenti at the Quail to take in some of the ‘best of the best’ bikes on the west coast. The air was crisp and excitement levels high as I grabbed my camera and joined thousands of motorcycle aficionados on the manicured grounds of the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, CA. I’d been here before but each year at The Motorcycle Gathering brings new surprises – as enthusiasts from around the world come together to celebrate the history and future of all th...

CAMARO & SYCLONE: PONEYCAR VS. POTENT PICKUP!

Posted on May 9, 2018 by MartynL

’91 GMC Syclone & ’17 Camaro SS 1LE Shootout reveals that the Buick boosted V6 Syclone pickup is surprisingly fast, even today. A new infographic from GMPartsOnline.net reveals how a ‘91 GMC Syclone matches up to a ‘17 Camaro SS 1LE. The state-of-the-art Camaro just edges the old truck by two tenths of a second in a 0-60 run. The graphic represents the Syclone's feat of acceleration and compares a variety of specs between the muscle truck and muscle car. "The Syclone was a street racer, ...

’19 CHEVY SUBURBAN RST: SUPERCAR SUV!

Posted on May 4, 2018 by MartynL

Coming soon to a Chevy dealer near you: A 420 horsepower RST Performance Package Suburban powered by a stout 6.2-liter V-8. A real SS Suburban. The new RST Performance Package Suburban, featuring a 420-horsepower 6.2 V-8, Magnetic Ride Control with performance calibration and a new Hydra-Matic 10L80 10-speed automatic transmission, brings a seamless blend of style and performance to Chevy’s portfolio of full-size SUVs. “The RST Performance Package made its debut on the Tahoe RST last sprin...

VERN TARDEL: HOW TO HOT ROD YOUR MODEL A!

Posted on May 2, 2018 by MartynL

If you’ve ever thought of building an old-school traditional Model A based hot rod, not a billet-build trailer queen, you must read this book. Vern Tardel, America’s premier traditional hot rod builder, has just released his new 340-page book: Hot Rod Your Model A. This comprehensive how-to guide to the conversion of a stock Model A into a traditional, flathead V8-powered hot rod is must for any traditional hot rod builder. It belongs in every hot rod enthusiast’s library. Created in partner...

CELEBRATE: WORLD LAND ROVER DAY!

Posted on April 30, 2018 by MartynL

Land Rover North America pays homage to Land Rover 70th anniversary with World Land Rover Day celebration at new U.S. headquarters. Today, Land Rover North America celebrated World Land Rover Day at its new 12-acre HQ campus in Mahwah, NJ, above & below. The celebration featured a gathering of employees, members of the winning 1995 American Camel Trophy U.S. team and a display of new and classic Land Rover vehicles, including an original 1987 North American Spec (NAS) Range Rover Classic fr...

ONE OF NONE: PONTIAC 455 VENTURA SPRINT!

Posted on April 29, 2018 by MartynL

What could have been the ultimate 1972 stealth Supercar, a GTO/Firebird 455-inch HO-powered Ventura Sprint, never really happened. They built just one production-ready prototype. It was an unassuming Pontiac Ventura II Sprint coupe motivated by a 455 engine. Little more than a grille and badge-engineered Chevy Nova, this screamer with an EPA certified engine would have flown under insurance companies’ radar. Pontiac built one and everyone loved it. But it was not to be! I drove it in June...

HISTORIC RACING: DATSUN-NISSAN AT WALTER MITTY!

Posted on April 28, 2018 by MartynL

More than 50 historic Nissan and Datsun racecars on track at Road Atlanta this week to celebrate the brand's 50-year history of American motorsports success. Datsun racing legend John Morton, right, will lead the pack at the 41st HSR Classic Motorsports Mitty presented by Hagerty. He’ll be aboard an exact replica of the two-time national championship-winning BRE Datsun 240Z. Morton will serve as the event's grand marshal this weekend. Comedian, actor and filmmaker and Nissan/Datsun racin...

’65 CHEVY Z16: ONE-YEAR WONDER!

Posted on April 23, 2018April 23, 2018 by MartynL

One of the highlights of Chevy’s 1965 performance portfolio was the limited-production big-block 396/375 Malibu. Chevrolet had been slow to bring a high-performance midsize car to market in 1965. Toward the end of the 1965 model year, they revealed the potent Z16 Chevelle Malibu SS396, powered by an all-new Mark IV 396 big-block. While somewhat boxy, it was the most powerful car in the Supercar Sweepstakes. But there was a problem. Chevrolet General Manager Bunkie Knudsen’s foray into the marke...