Yesterday was a rough day at La Carrera Panamerica for more than a few competitors. This BMW sedan appears to have suffered a fairly heavy roll, while many other cars have sustained substantial damage. Many of these cars are done for good, let alone not finishing the event. Several crews sustained broken limbs and other usual crash damage, but apparently nobody has been injured seriously.
Continue reading →

Our man Gary Faules began the 2007 La Carrera Panamerica rally with a 4th place in class and a 19th overall. That’s pretty good for the first competitive stage in a new car, not to mention that this is Gary’s first rally type event. Even with years of racing, rally is a different type of event, where driver’s pace themselves, rather than having other cars on the road to give some idea of pace. As Gary finds his groove, I’m sure we’ll be seeing some top 3 stage finishes!

We’ve been seeing the occasional shot of the bronzed flathead cylinder heads from Aaron Von Minden over the past couple of months. Now, the flathead is in the truck and has been running.
If all goes as planned, we should have video to share soon.

Photos of the install after the break
Continue reading →

As one who takes my auto blogging very seriously, I keep a sharp eye on my inbox watching for the many tips and referrals that filter in each day. One day last week, I received one that just about knocked me off my chair. General Motors was inviting me, along with a lot of other auto bloggers to Santa Monica for the launch of the 2008 Chevy Malibu! I actually had to read it twice to be sure I had read it correctly. Conveniently, the to list was left public and what a list it is, a veritable who’s who of the blogging world.

So why is some press junket big news?
Continue reading →

The price disparity between the United States and Canada affects more than just cars, it affects most consumer items. Yesterday, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty met with the Retail Council of Canada and retail company executives to discuss what changes need to happen to bring prices into line. The end result of this meeting was essentially that Flaherty is barking up the wrong tree and that consumers will have to be patient.
Continue reading →

It sounds like things are going like clockwork for Team California’s Best in Mexico as they prepare for the start of the 20th Anniversary running of La Carrera Panamerica. These guys are pros and it shows. First through scrutineering, and making it through without a hitch, while other teams are still scrambling to get final details together.

Team CBR has been able to take advantage of their spare time to meet the fans, goof around on a funky pit cart and get some camera time for the local news. It looks like they are having way too much fun! Head on over to the official Team CBR blog to see more great pictures.

As a pimply faced preteen, I sought out any and every shred of automotive knowledge I could get my hands on. With “childhood” memories of cruising the Tyrol in a Dino and having a best friend that lived in an air cooled mecca, I had to get more knowledge. I had to know everything about cars and the people who built and drove them. I would scour the local library for anything automotive that I could get my hands on. One day, I picked up a plain white book that changed my life. It was called Sunday Driver.
Continue reading →

For all you folks in small town North America who think you have bad traffic. It just took me 2 hours to travel 48 kilometers. For our American friends, that is roughly 30 miles. This was on a highway that is 6 lanes wide both ways. Because it is raining!

Unbelievable.

No, The Garage isn’t turning into a place to flog used up cars, but this gem is just too good to be ignored. Friend of The Garage Kaz, has decided it’s time to part ways with his absolutely mint 1988 BMW M3. Now Kaz will tell you the car isn’t perfect. This doesn’t fit, that little thing isn’t right. He’s being modest. This is one of the nicest E30 M3’s we’ve seen in a long time. For those who don’t remember, this is the original M3, the car that redefined sports sedan. A truly track worthy production car that owes more to it’s racing cousins than it’s road going counterparts. With a harsh ride and a lumpy idle, there is no mistaking that these cars were bred to go fast. For the collector, this car is a prime example of BMW’s Eighties track dog.

If you are interested, you can reach Kaz at 88.bmw.m3@gmail.com and talk turkey.

More pictures after the break
Continue reading →

I have enabled Gravatars on this site. Automattic has bought them and I think that they can add some personality to the comment section.

What is a Gravatar? A gravatar, or globally recognized avatar, is quite simply an 80×80 pixel avatar image that follows you from weblog to weblog appearing beside your name when you comment on gravatar enabled sites.

If you do not have one they are free. Get one here.