Articles
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You bet your ass you can rally a Toyota Tacoma
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Team O’Neil Rally School is the only type of school that I want to attend the rest of my life. Maybe flight school too, but rally and car control schools seem like they would be amazing. Team O’Neil does rally schools in the Northeast along with “arrive and drive” programs for many of the gravel rallies…
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In Pictures: Caffeine and Carburetors, 10/20/2019
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The morning was cool, dry. People milled about; steam rolled off uncovered coffee cups. And then, from afar, a bird-scattering noise. The indiscernible bellow of an exhaust. Echoing off the trees. Forcing eyes and ears to turn. Commanding attention and alerting all present to the serious caliber of machine being driven in. In the middle…
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Hooniverse Asks: What Modern Car Deserves Pop-Up Headlights?
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We haven’t seen pop-up headlights on a car since production of the C5 Corvette came to a halt after the 2004 model year. When Chevrolet dropped the Vette’s familiar square pop-ups from the all-new sixth-generation, it was a giant departure from the 43-year norm that raised eyebrows, drew a few criticisms, and triggered a lot…
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Last Call: Pick Your Racing Numbers Wisely
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Some track day organizers require you to display a number on your car for easy identification. The experts will have fancy stickers or magnets that fulfill this requirement while plebs like me just use tape. If you’re going to be as uncultured as I am, do yourself a favor and pick a number that doesn’t…
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This 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TD just fetched big bucks on BAT
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The Mercedes-Benz 300TD is a perplexing machine. Occasionally, you can find one for just a few grand. My own, currently un-engined, example initially cost just $2,500. The OM167 engine it came with was strong but the transmission was dying. None of that mattered since both were getting pulled. Here’s another example of one of my…
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Off-roading a soft-roading Honda Passport
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When Honda launched the new Passport it boldly claimed that they are going after the Jeep Grand Cherokee* and the Toyota 4Runner* market. That’s a very brave statement, as this two-row, midsize CUV has a transversely mounted engine in its unibody, primarily powering the front wheels. It is heavily based on the Honda Pilot, with…
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We have thoughts on this Chevrolet K5 Tahoe build for SEMA
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Here’s something about me; I worked for an aftermarket parts company for four years. I’ve been to SEMA. It’s an interesting show where all of the automotive industry brings their versions of celebrities together. Parts suppliers try very hard to impress parts buyers. The wheel and tire hall can be the most depressing. This is…
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Why is Chevrolet sandbagging the Corvette?
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The people at Motor Trend strapped down the new mid-engine Corvette to a chassis dyno and got some interesting results. Specifically, the calculated crank power they achieved was 656 hp and 606 lb-ft of torque. That is significantly more than the 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque that Chevy claims for the Corvette. Motor Trend…
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Hooniverse Asks: Has there ever been a good new-car-modified-to-look-retro?
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Old cars rule. Plenty of new cars are cool. Can you combine those two worlds and make something special? No. No you cannot, at least with respect to vintage looks from a modern machine. Swapping modern internal bits is great. Putting a real old body on a modern chassis can make for a fun ride.…
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Last Call: Brunch-time goals in an old Cadillac
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You’re older. You just want something big and comfortable to drive down to brunch. Let’s say you live in Palm Springs. What should you drive? Why, an old Cadillac of course. That’s what these two ladies are using to head off for a day of being fabulous as hell. View this post on Instagram A…
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The Nissan Sentra SE-R deserves your love
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The B13-era Nissan Sentra was a simple car. With one sweet exception, mind you. Nissan build a version badged SE-R. This coupe housed a fantastic four-cylinder upgrade secret under its hood. The 2.0-liter SR20DE inline four-cylinder engine found a happy home here, where it produced 140 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. That doesn’t sound…
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This Mazda mighty mini is ready for the dirt
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A small car is fun. A small car modified for rally use is wonderful. And I found one for sale. This 1992 Mazda MX-3 is living its best life, and now it can be your MX-3. The owner has modified it so they can run it in rally events. It looks well sorted. The Craigslist post…
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Hooniverse Asks: What’s a type of vehicle you want to try but haven’t yet done so?
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I’ve never driven a lowrider. At some point in my life, I hope that changes. I’m a big fan of the work that goes into a proper lowrider, the bouncing and hopping is a bonus of that low life. There’s something quite wonderful about seeing an old Impala cruise past. It’s six taillights blazing off…
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Trackside at Road America: World Challenge
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At the end of September, Road America hosted its annual World Challenge weekend, formerly the Pirelli World Challenge. Dozens of high-powered cars from various series sorted into their own unique classes attacked the track just as Wisconsin’s best fall foliage began to show their colors. I snagged a press pass and spent (a rainy) Saturday…
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Some wonderfully mad folks swapped a Lexus 3UZ engine into… a Ford Fiesta?!
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The Ford Fiesta is a small front-wheel-drive economy car. The Lexus 3UZ engine is a highly tunable all-aluminum V8 engine typically found in Lexus GS, LS, and SC430s. Toyota also used it in a GT500 race car. And now some perfectly insane people have decided to pair the Fiesta with the 3UZ. The result is…
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The News for October 18th, 2019
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Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. This week, Porsche unveils a cheaper Taycan 4S, Saleen is going GT4 racing with the S1, BMW unites a divided country on the 2 Series Gran Coupe, Formula 1 may be coming…