Articles
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Truck Thursday: Is it too much for this GMC Typhoon?
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The information posted in this Craigslist sale is minimal. In fact, it’s just one unpunctuated line of text that reads: “139kmiles 92 gmc typhoon runs strong new transmission in excellent condition” This would be a rare machine, as GMC only built around 500 or so Apple Red GMC Typhoons. The most common color you’ll find…
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Hooniverse Asks: Did you drive a million miles?
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After driving Matt Farah’s #MillionMileLexus yesterday I started thinking, which is never a good thing. I asked myself if I have driven a million miles in my life. I got my driver’s license in 1994 but I’d be lying if I wasn’t driving much earlier than that… in Mexico, of course. Even so, in my…
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Driving Matt Farah’s #MillionMileLexus
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There used to be a time when a 100,000 mile vehicle was past its useful life. 100,000 miles meant that the oil rings wore away and the transmission was one gear short of a picnic basket. 100,000 miles meant that the floor boards were as solid as paper. 100,000 miles meant that your malaise mobile…
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Podcast: Episode 258 – Old Benzes and Adi Desai
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Friend of Hooniverse Adi Desai joins me on this episode of the Hooniverse Podcast. Adi is in town visiting from Canada, where he is part of the team that runs http://doubleclutch.ca/. Adi happens to enjoy big old Benzes like I do, so we chat about his 560SEL. We also happen to have stopped at the Mercedes-Benz…
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2018 Audi Q5: Right Tool For The Right Job
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Automakers love luxury crossovers. For many manufacturers, a platform is shared across one or more brands so the costs can be spread out. Add to the reduced unit costs, the price premium the consumer is willing to pay for a “premium” brand and you start printing money hand over fist. Or, you print enough money…
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Hooniverse Asks: What's the dumbest car fad… that you secretly love?
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I want to drive a donk. This is a ridiculous vehicle with insanely oversized wheels and it’s usually finished in a bright color or with an oddly branded wrap. I should hate the donk… but I love the donk. What oddball automotive fad do you secretly love?
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Star 266 goes off-roading
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Star was a Polish truck maker in the communist era. The state-owned company made several versions of was then a rather heavy duty truck. Like most trucks, many models shared cabs but frames varied in strength, length, and capacities. Star, named after the city of Starachowice where truck were made since World War II, made…
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Review: 2017 VW Alltrack SE 6MT – Dog-hauler deluxe, enthusiast’s fantasy, not so much
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When my brother’s Chevy Avalanche looked like it was on its way to the great Car Lot in the Sky, therein lain a decision: what to take its place? His list of wants and needs yielded something seemingly impossible to find. Among those many qualities were: all-wheel-drive, a manual transmission, an interior of good quality,…
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Mystery Car
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It’s funny how some parts of some cars look exactly alike. They could be of different brands and models, and look very different from afar, but up-close it’s much harder to tell what vehicle they’re attached to. Last week’s piece of clearly American trim has confused some of you – heck, it even made me double…
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Mad Mike's Modified Mazda: MADBUL
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The greatest thing about any hobby is variety. The determined reader has endless books to choose from, the whisky connoisseur might spend a lifetime tracing some elusive expression that was distilled 80 years ago and thought lost to history. Meanwhile, motorists and car enthusiasts can either satisfy themselves with the machines plentifully available in their…
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Volkswagen shares more angles on the ID R and its Pikes Peak winning run
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The angle inside the cabin is less than ideal but it shows how much work Romain Dumas puts towards his record-smashing run. Volkswagen built the ID R electric race car with the sole intention of devouring Pikes Peak top times. The first goal was the electric-car overall record but the ultimate goal was complete and…
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The News for July 20th, 2018
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Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. There’s also just a little opinion of mine because I can. This week: Dodge throws Demon parts at R/T Scat Pack to create 1320 package Ford is on track for…
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Review: 2019 Hyundai Veloster R-Spec
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Some years ago Hyundai launched a quirky little vehicle called the Veloster. Its claim to fame was its asymmetrical design. The driver’s side had coupe-like single door and passenger’s side had a sedan-like two door design, while the whole vehicle was a small hatchback. There was also a sporty turbo version but it never really…
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I kind of want a Mexican-market Ford Lobo Raptor…
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As an automotive idiot, I like things that are different from the vehicular norm. Take, for example, the truck listed for sale above. It’s a 2011 Ford Raptor. No, it’s not being sold for $390,000… that’s the price in Mexican pesos. It translates to a bit over $20,000, which isn’t bad for a truck with…
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Truck Central: The Lexus GX 460
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Apparently I have Toyota and Lexus on the mind today… but here’s a good example of the more dated side of the Lexus lineup. This is the GX 460, and under its skin you’ll find an incredibly competent off-road machine. That’s because if you strip away the Lexus nose, badging, and interior niceties, you’ll find…
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This is the modern Harlequin Volkswagen GTI you didn't know you wanted
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Galpin Auto Sports in Los Angeles has put together a new GTI that pays homage to its older sibling in a wonderful way. This is the Harlequin GTI and it’s a true vinyl-wrapped delight. The original Harlequin car was a Polo, but we didn’t get that one here. Instead, our first taste of the rainbow…