Articles
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Hooniverse Asks: Do you have any automotive conspiracy theories?
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I’m driving a Jeep Gladiator this week. It’s painted in a gorgeous shade of red, and it’s the mighty Rubicon trim. This one even features a bit of dying technology. Planted in the center tunnel is a manual gearbox. I was excited to receive a Gladiator with such a setup. But after a few days,…
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Finnish Line: You must Impulse buy an Isuzu Piazza
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The other day we sat in traffic behind a classically brown, beat up Isuzu pickup truck from the ‘80s, with I S U Z U boldly embossed on the tailgate. “Isuzu”, asked my girlfriend, “Didn’t know that was a brand.” I cannot really blame her for not being aware of Isuzus, as the manufacturer has…
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Hot Take: Let’s make race cars street legal
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Driving to the RedBull Ring to parse F1 Race pic.twitter.com/nHMUwFwC8V — Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (@Glickenhaus) June 24, 2019 I don’t mean let’s allow Formula 1 cars to be driven from one’s organic coffee shop to the pedicurist. No, I mean let’s build more race cars that can be driven on the streets, sort like rally…
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Volvo XC40: I Have Time For This One
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Insert the old trope about there are too many crossovers, that they all blend together, so go buy something different. And yet, within a few minutes of sliding behind the wheel of the Volvo XC40 in Inscription trim, this one was different. Let me walk you through the reasons why. #1 Style I see enough…
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The not-so-sophisticated air conditioning system of Eastern Bloc’s Ikarus buses
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Located in a rather northerly part of the world, Poland isn’t exactly a tropical country. It’s so far north that winter days can see less than eight hours of daylight. The daylight makes up for it in the summer, however with the longest day being almost 17 hours long. There are four distinctive seasons but…
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Dressed for Excess: Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 vs 205 XS
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The fantastic thing about my Peugeot 205 XS ownership is that I’ve driven precious few 205s. I’ve spent 22,000 km behind the wheel of mine after I bought it in 2013, and every other 205 I’ve touched has had less power. That’s why it was so interesting to sample a 205 1.9 GTi after all…
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Last Call: Parking it like it’s a Bimmer
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Ya think this pilot drives a bimmer? He sure parks like he does. Boeing 737 MAXs have been grounded for some time. Typically airports are not designed to store planes, so this is an issue because planes are kind of big. TUI Airways had to use the employee parking lot to store their MAXs until…
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Separated at birth – Lancia Stratos and Lamborghini Urraco
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I found this picture somewhere in teh internet‘s darker corner and instantly became puzzled. This is a Lancia Stratos production line, obviously. But to the right of it a production line for the Lamborghini Urraco. What the two vehicles have in common is that they were designed by Bertone and they were made at about the…
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Wherever, whenever, whatever
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Once again, the chirpy chap behind the Enterprise counter in Ljubljana proudly handed me the key to an Opel Corsa. The plain white loaf of family transportation – vanilla ice cream, served in a white ceramic bowl, with no raspberry sauce. This is the fourth overseas vacation in succession that I’ve ended up with a…
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Hooniverse Asks: Where do you want to go camping?
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I just got back from a weekend spent off the grid. There’s no cell service down in the La Jolla Indian Campground set back in Californian’s Pauma Valley. Well the weather wasn’t perfect, it was still great to be set amongst the trees and some fresh water. Parents and kids were laughing and playing. Fires…
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The News for June 21st, 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 brings the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder back, BMW makes the 8 Series longer, Ford confirms GT500 power figures, Toyota likes the 86 as much as we do, a…
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Marshmallow Tundra’s legacy lives on in replacement Tundra build
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It was one of the most heroic automotive-centric stories of 2018. Amidst the horrific fires that charred Paradise, California a man used his beloved Toyota Tundra to save lives. Though a bit worse for wear, the truck survived the blaze. Appropriately the enthusiast community took notice and the Marshmallow Tundra, “The Pandra,” became an icon.…
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Hooniverse Asks: Should we overland when outbacking isn’t enough?
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Following the transformation of the Subaru Legacy wagon into the Subaru Outback, the world has lost its mind. Suddenly everyone wanted, no they needed, a vehicle that was capable enough to effortlessly power through anything that the suburban jungle could throw at them. And in recent times it’s getting worse, with the whole ridiculous overlanding…
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Hooniverse Asks: What other vintage automaker builds should be remade or restored?
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Yesterday, Honda showed off its Chevrolet Apache pickup truck. This was an important vehicle early on in the timeline of American Honda Motor Company. And its place has been honored with a freshly restored truck done up to match the original. Honda restored a Chevy Apache pickup Are there any other vehicles out there like…
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Honda restored a Chevy Apache pickup
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Honda makes the Ridgeline pickup. If we’re going to be honest, the unibody Ridgeline is 90% of the truck that 85% of people will need. It certainly capable enough to transport a pair of dirt bikes. So why in the world wold Honda restore a sixty year old Chevy? Because before long Honda sold cars…
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Two Wheel Tuesday: False Neutral Podcast #90 – Wild Cards
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After our usual project bike updates, this month we discuss three listener questions: What’s your “wild card” bikes, which you’d like to own for a short time just to satisfy your curiosity? Can you buy a good beginner bike for $1000, and would a Kawasaki KLR650 be one of them? What should you do with…