General Chat

Cosworth Subaru Impreza STi CS400 Blows Away the Supercars

Last updated: Sep 19, 2019 at 4:10PM
Published on: May 31, 2010 by jgoods

Never having been an enormous fan of Subaru cars, I must admit they seem to have hit a home run with the new WRX STi from Cosworth. With a 0-62 mph time of 3.7 seconds, this beast can actually take on the Lambos and up-powered Porsches—or at least play in the same ballpark.

Cosworth, one of the world’s great tuners and engine-tweakers, managed to get 395 hp from Subaru’s 2.5-liter boxer four. Some of the details are here. With chassis and suspension redos, the car promises to go very fast—and not just in a straight line.

There will be only 75 copies built, each costing $72,000, and they’re only available in the U.K.

So why should we in the U.S. care? It’s just another high-priced hotrod that we can’t buy, right?

Oaxaca Cars: from Suburbans to Custom VWs

May 6, 2010 by jgoods

Cars in Mexico are usually colorful, and a lot of advertising gets done via automobile. This Suburban (I think it’s a Suburban!) is touting Huatulco, a resort community into which the government has put serious money. Most likely some of that ended up decorating this travel firm’s carro.

Oaxaca is experiencing big traffic problems, and you hear lots of horns sounding off, particularly on Friday afternoons as people try to get out of the city. City government is also tearing up and repairing many downtown streets, which creates clouds of dust (polvo) in this dry season and angry reactions from residents. The typical comment is that the repairs are only coming now, just before the elections.

How to Find the Best Price Online for a Used Car

Last updated: Nov 4, 2019 at 2:57PM
Published on: May 6, 2010 by tgriffith

The way you shop for a used car online is changing.

In the past, a shopper might have used the online Kelley Blue Book or NADA appraising tools and then felt like he or she had done enough research to hit the road and shop.

While those indeed are valuable tools, there’s been a technological breakthrough that can help the good online car shoppers become great ones. It’s called the CarGurus DealFinder. Use it in your next used-car search, and it could save you thousands of dollars.

What makes DealFinder different, and where can you find it? Keep reading to find out.

Top Five Sexiest Used Cheap Sports Cars

Last updated: Nov 4, 2019 at 2:36PM
Published on: Apr 7, 2010 by jgoods

“Used” we can all understand. “Sexy” and “cheap”? Well, as came out in a discussion at dinner last night, a sexy woman as defined by a woman is very different from one defined by a man. And “cheap” may well be the most relative term of all.

So here is one person’s idea of how you can spend relatively little money and get a sexy ride. These are all pretty desirable cars, I think you’d agree, and the best part is you’re letting the first (or first and second) buyer take the big depreciation hit.

We lead off with the Porsche Boxster (2008 model shown), because it’s an outstanding car for the money, and you can find some very good deals on late-model cars.

Mustang GT 5.0 Comes Back for 2011, But Can It Smoke the Challenger and Camaro?

Last updated: Nov 4, 2019 at 2:31PM
Published on: Dec 29, 2009 by tgriffith

We love to argue the merits of today’s pony cars.

The Mustang/Camaro/Challenger question always inspires passion. It’s an argument that inevitably turns to (or begins with) the power output of V8 trims, and that’s where the Ford Mustang GT couldn’t quite hang with its competition.

But all those arguments happened when the Mustang GT had a 4.6-liter V8 under its hood. The famed 5.0 disappeared in 1995. Since then, many ‘Stang lovers have yearned for a proper 5.0 badge to adorn the ‘ol GT’s fenders. Well, friends, it’s back for 2011 and lemme tell ya, the Hemi-powered Challenger and SS Camaro now have reason to quiver in their rubber-wrapped boots.

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