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We werent so sure about this engines qualifications for WEOTD status, not because it doesnt measure up in the awesomeness department but because its damn near impossible to figure out whether those perfectionist Porsche engineers have completely blank-sheet-of-paper redesigned the thing repeatedly (keeping only the general layout, mounting hardware, and the bore centers). If we agree that the boxer six-banger from Stuttgart has been essentially the same engine with a constant series of upgrades, then its ancestry stretches all the way back to the early 1960s. Well let tipster Jason weigh in with his arguments after the jump...

Says Jason: First conceived in 1961 for the T7 prototype, and later installed in a 911 in 1964, the little 2.0L flat six turned out a whooping 130 hp. Fast forward to 1998, and the last air-cooled 911 (turbo) was cranking out 400 hp. The race flat-6 motors in the 935 were cranking out in excess of 950hp with water-cooled heads.
But this motor didnt just power 911s, it covers 914s, 959s, and a slew of race cars... including the 934, 935, 956, 962, and Porsches first Indy car in the 1970s, along with the 936...
Not only was this motor in a street car for 34 years, it has won races and championships for Porsche for nearly as long... including 24hrs of LeMans, 24hrs of Daytona, 12hrs of Sebring, Targa Florio, MonteCarlo, and Paris-Dakar (Twice).
Does it need mentioning that the 956 with a flat-6 "911" motor currently holds the all-time fastest lap record at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife of 6:11:13?
The engine has been essentially the same... I think the same bore centers based on the research, but the cylinders are external to the block (being air-cooled)... the air-cooled motors have had water-cooled heads, esp. within motorsports, and the cylinders have changed over time to increase displacement... I do know for a fact, that you can take an old 911 T beater, strip the 2.2, or 2.4L motor out and drop in a 3.0L or 3.2L with ease... the mounting hardware is very similar.
That being said, Porsche has also changed the casting material, from magnesium to Al because on the 2.7L motor they found the head-studs had a tendency to pull, esp. with the higher temps. from having the thermal reactor installed (for cleaning up emissions).
Porsche as a firm has long since been of mind of reusing parts & technology, putting various motors into the same racing chassis (904 with 4-cam 4-cyl, the 911 6-cyl, and the 8-cyl F1 engine)... initially the 917 motor (called type 912) was started with 2 6-cyl. siamesed...
From that first flat-6 that was installed into a 911 (The T7 had 2 axial fans) the basic layout has not changed until 1994s 996 water-pumper. It had the same type of split-case, crank, dry-sump oiling, cyl. arrangement, (oil) cooling... the heads have changed greatly, esp. with Turbocharging, and later variocam/ram systems to alter valve timing... the 935 had its cooling fan switched from vertical to laying horizontally on-top of the motor, but that came from the prototype racers. (speaking of which, the 956/962C twins gave their motor to the 959... and the only difference between the 956 and 962 is where the front axle was rel. to the drivers feet... BUT the IMSA version of the 962 had a single turbo, vs the twin turbos of the Group C cars...) Also, the first 1970s foray into Indy, Porsche had a 2.86L Turbo flat-6 and then used that motor in the old 936 chassis to create a new 936 that won LeMans... well you get the idea.

What do you get for the vid-addicted fan of that arse-engined sports car that rhymes with Smorche? Its the Porsche 911 Turbo S steering-wheel controller, a fully licensed, to-spec reproduction of the leather-clad rudder that keeps new 911s on course. The force-feedback wheel is compatible with PCs and PS3s, and comes with sequential-action gear stick and wireless pedals, featuring a declining-resistance clutch and pressure-sensitive brake. Itll be available later this year at a price of $350. A special "Nordschliefe" edition will come with a USB memory stick in the shape of a Porsche key fob. Ich bin ein cyberbruce! (Click through for specs.)[Fanatec]

Specs

* Original Porsche 911 Turbo S steering wheel design
* Licensed by Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH
* Authentic metal Porsche logo on wheel
* Hand stitched leather wheel manufactured according to Porsche quality standards
* Compatible with PC and Playstation 3 (all games which support ForceFeedback wheels)
* 6+1 Speed H-pattern gear stick with realistic shifting feel
* Additional exchangeable sequential gear stick included
* Wireless pedals with + 100 hours battery life time (low battery warning on display and optional power supply cable for simulators)
* Realistic clutch pedal with declining resistance
* Pressure sensitive brake emulation with soft-stop
* Gear sticks are interchangeable and can be mounted on the left or right side
* Turning angle can be adjusted in the wheel to 900°, 360° or 180° or in 1° steps by software
* For PC: Strong table clamps with quick release, special non-slip rubber pads, and Velcro strips on the pedals keep everything in place. Integrated nuts allow the strong fixation on a gaming cockpit
* For Playstation: Attachable lap wings and the attachment of the gear sticks to the wheel allow comfortable game play in the living room without the use of a table
* Illuminated button symbols switch automatically between PC and Playstation
* Powerful Mabuchi RS 550 Motor as used in RC cars delivers extra strong ForceFeedback effects
* Additional 2 Force Feedback actuators in the wheel simulate motor vibrations
* Extra smooth and silent belt drive without mechanical dead zone
* High resolution wheel sensor
* TUNING functions with LED display
* Saves up to 5 wheel set-ups
* Adjust ForceFeedback strength during game play
* Adjust sensitivity independent from the game

It took them 40 years, but Popular Hot Roddings finally done it -- theyve finished the rebuild of the 57 Chevy they first received back in 1965. The historys as storied as can be and just as boring. But, if for some reason youre interested in what a magazine from Primedia with merely a token web site has got going on under the hood of their taken-forever-to-build project car, theres a gallery below and the full release from the General below the jump.

PROJECT X 57 CHEVY IS REBORN WITH THE NEW GMPP ANNIVERSARY 427 ENGINE

It has been the subject of more enthusiast magazine build stories than any other car and has graced the cover of Popular Hot Rodding (PHR) countless times. It even played a supporting role in "Hollywood Knights," serving as the supercharged transportation for Tony Danza and Michelle Pfeiffer.

The car is Project X, the most famous 1957 Chevy ever built - and rebuilt. Since its debut in PHR more than 40 years ago, Project X has served as a rolling, evolving test bed of high-performance parts and a bell weather of automotive culture trends. But while this perpetual project car has never absolutely been finished, it has undergone several complete rebuilds - transformations that have contemporized its performance and styling.

General Motors and PHR collaborated during the past year to redesign, restore and re-power the iconic yellow shoebox, including the first of a limited number of Anniversary 427 crate engines.

"General Motors is proud to have participated in its latest and most extensive restoration ever," said Al Oppenheiser, GM Performance Division director for concept and vehicle integration. "This completely restified Chevy represents the ultimate form of Project X."

PHR entrusted Project X with GM Performance Division, which took the car to its Warren, Mich., home for a frame-off revitalization. The car was updated with a contemporary spin on the Pro Street theme, with a modified Corvette front suspension, four-link and mini-tubbed rear suspension and more.

"Working on Project X was like working on a time machine," said Mike Copeland, GM Performance Division project manager. "The history was clear when we took it apart - there were remnants of past modifications everywhere and the team members truly understood the historical significance of the car."

But while Project X has traditionally been a platform for aftermarket performance, GM Performance Division restored it with a great balance of O.E.M. parts and craftsmanship, complementing a roster of components supplied by the performance industrys top manufacturers.

Anniversary 427

Nestled in at the front of the frame rails is the all-new Anniversary 427 big-block crate engine from GM Performance Parts. It is a modern re-creation of the mythical, all-aluminum ZL-1 427 engine. It is underrated at 430 horsepower and 450 lb.-ft. of torque - like the production engine was in 1969. Only 427 of the special engines will be built.

Production of the Anniversary 427 is based on the aluminum blocks original tooling, which was thought to be lost after production of the original ZL-1 engine halted in the early 1970s. GM Performance Parts oversaw the refurbishment of the tooling and updated some design features of the cylinder block, such as the addition of screw-in galley plugs. The block casting also was strengthened in key areas.

The Anniversary 427 has a 10:1 compression ratio, all-forged reciprocating parts, a roller camshaft, aluminum oval-port heads with 2.19/1.88-inch valves, HEI ignition and an 850-cfm four-barrel carburetor mounted atop an aluminum dual-plane intake manifold. All of the limited-edition engines come with natural-finish, "427 CHEVROLET"-script valve covers that are serialized, per their build in the 427-unit run. Also, every engine comes with a matching-number owners kit, adding to its exclusivity.

Exhaust exits the Anniversary 427 through custom headers that are routed through the front fenders. They are connected to a remote-activated cut-out switch that allows the gases to pass through a conventional exhaust system to the rear of the car during street driving, or through more direct, unrestricted openings behind the front wheels.

Drivetrain details

Backing the Anniversary 427 in Project X is a heavy-duty Richmond five-speed manual transmission, which channels torque to a Strange Engineering S60 rear axle thats fitted with 3.73 gears. This all helps spin a set of massive 20- x 15-inch rear wheels. Budnik built the one-off rims for Project X, which melds period five-spoke styling with contemporary proportions. They have satin-finished center sections with polished outers, including the matching 18- x 7-inch front wheels. The tires are from Mickey Thompson.

To hold up that heavy-duty drivetrain, while also ensuring safe, comfortable and responsive driving performance, the GM Performance team created a rear suspension featuring a triangulated four-link design with QA-1 coil-over-shock components and Art Morrison control arms. The rear frame rails were narrowed five inches to accommodate the oversized tires.

At the front, sections of C6 Corvette rails are used. They were spliced onto the Chevys original frame, enabling a complete Corvette front suspension system to be used, including the disc brake system with 14-inch rotors (Wilwood discs with 10-inch rotors are used at the rear). A custom front stabilizer bar was created for the car by Addco.

Enhanced structure

The Corvette suspension provides Project X with vastly improved ride and handling characteristics - attributes that were enhanced with a strengthened front-end structure.

"Before starting the work, the cars frame was scanned into our computers for analysis," said Copeland. "Although it was obvious where opportunities existed for strengthening the front of the car, the analysis helped determine the best way of achieving that goal."

GM Performance Division engineers and technicians added a new subframe and reconstructed the core support area at the front of the chassis, while also adding structure to other sections of the Project Xs front end - including an pair of additional body mounts. The new core support structure also integrates a custom Griffin radiator and the condenser for the Vintage Air climate system.

To free up more space under the hood - and prevent the classic Chevy headache caused by the bulky latch - the stock hood latch was replaced with Solstice latches. Also, the stock hood hinges were swapped for Cadillac STS trunk hinges and hydraulic support lifts.

Body and paint

Like so many of the details throughout the car, the body and paint work look simple enough at a glance, but represent untold hours of planning, execution and attention to detail.

The body was removed from the frame during the restoration and completely reworked. At the front, the iconic bumper/grille was re-done with a custom, billet aluminum grille bar - outfitted with a "427" emblem - while the grille has a unique mesh pattern.

On the hood, the iconic "gun sight" ornaments were removed and their housings enlarged by 50 mm. They now serve as ram air induction inlets, feeding a custom air box mounted to the underside of the hood. When the hood is closed, the air box fits over the Anniversary 427s carburetor, which is fitted with an L-88-style flame arrestor.

Along the flanks, the signature 57 Chevy side trim has been re-created in CNC-milled billet aluminum. In fact, the rear trim section - which was comprised of three pieces originally - was reproduced as a single piece that more than seven feet long. And though Project X is a "210" model, the builders "filled in" the rear trim section with a stylized version of the Bel Air insert incorporating countless brushed-style "X" insignias.

"There are countless details in the body and it really takes an expert to find all of them," said Copeland. "For example, the front door corners were rounded off and the bumper bolts were removed for a smoother look - even the small front fender slots were recreated to match the angle of the headlamp housings."

And because Project X has been yellow since its inception, it was re-sprayed with a new Corvette Z06 Millennium Yellow hue.

Hidden amenities

As with the exterior, Project Xs cabin was completely dismantled and rebuilt - with plenty of subtle details and tricks. The dashboard, for example, was custom-built with billet aluminum inserts that carry the same "X" logos as the exterior Bel Air trim panel. A full set of Custom Rod Gauges instruments - built specifically for Project X - fills the panel in front of the driver. The dashboard also houses factory air conditioning vents that serve as outlets for the aftermarket Vintage Air climate system.

The front seats began life as Cadillac STS units and were modified to give them a chopped-down, slimmer look - including the removal of the headrests. The rear seat is from a 1956 Buick and it was modified with an aluminum center trim panel. All the seats are covered in rich, black leather with grey cloth inserts.

Additional interior details include door panel trim that mimics the design of the exterior trim, a sporty steering wheel from a 1963 Impala SS and a 64 Impala center console that was widened to fit the space between the late-model STS seats. Rising out of the console is a classic Hurst shifter that is used to stir the Richmond five-speed.

Some of Project Xs best interior details are hidden in plain sight, including the power window switches. Theyre connected to the original-type manual window cranks, which require only a quarter-turn to lower or raise the windows - giving the interior a great blend of vintage style and modern technology. A Kenwood audio system is also hidden in the interior and it is operated via an overhead touch-screen control panel. The panel also contains controls for the exhaust cut-outs, fog lights and trunk release.

Other hidden features are located in the trunk, which was re-done in hand-formed steel - including the wide wheel "tubs" - and incorporates side access panels for storage and to keep the rear-mounted battery out of view.

Project X partners

* Addco - custom front stabilizer bar
* Akzo Nobel - powder coat
* American Auto Wire - vehicle wiring and harnesses
* Art Morrison - rear control arms
* Budnik - custom wheels
* Classic Industries - 1963-64 Impala components (interior)
* Custom Rod Gauges - dashboard instruments
* Danchuk - 1957 Chevy restoration parts
* DynoMax - 2.5-inch stainless steel mufflers
* Experi-Metal - replacement sheet metal
* Griffin - custom radiator
* Hays - clutch
* Hurst - shifter
* Ididit - tilting steering column
* Kenwood - audio system
* Lakewood - transmission scatter shield
* McLeod - hydraulic throw-out bearing
* Mickey Thompson - tires
* QA-1 - coil-over shocks
* Richmond Gears - five-speed manual transmission
* Royal Purple - engine oil and lubricants
* Strange Engineering - S60 rear axle
* Vintage Air - air conditioning system

# # #

Spy photographers have captured the first images of the 2010 Lexus GX  or possibly its platform mate, the 2009 Toyota 4Runner  while out testing near Toyota's southern California headquarters. The next-generation 4Runner is expected to bow in about a year  as a 2009 model  with the Lexus GX arriving in [...] - [Read more]

While it may not be as cool as the Sprinter into Studio Coppola Special, the Hartmann-tuned Sprinter van is still fairly wicked. Next to Supervan 2, the Dodge/MB Sprinter is already near the top of our list of favorite vans. Add a body kit, new exhaust, faux-carbon fiber inserts, vaguely tweaked mechanicals and 19-inch wheels and youve got the Hartmann SP5. Even better if you can get one in cargo van form with no rear windows for that elite NSA surveillance team look. Somewhat incorrectly translated press release and more pictures below the jump.

Hartmann SP5

When Hartmann tuning in Neuss-wood home near Duesseldorf get Mercedes-Benz vehicles exactly what they deserve: fine tuning, unique individualization. In one of the largest commercial vehicle workshops North Rhine-Westphalia take care of more than 50 specialists every day for the maintenance, repair and refinement of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. And it is always seeking new and creative ideas for refinement of trucks and vans with the star.

On the base, and for the current sprinter developed by the experts Thorsten Hartmann a refinement package, which the transporter much athletic appearance. Since the circuitry make road users certainly like to place and switch to the right lane highway. Because the new Sprinter SP5 offers a very dynamic, harmonious and yet elegant curved lines. Regardless of whether the sprinters SP5 of Hartmann-tuning as a shuttle for the Board which will be used as a mobile office, as a precious transporter for exclusive goods or presentation or advertising material object, the Hartmann-tuning SP5 always makes a good figure.

The Hartmann-tuning sprinter SP5 offers many new developments: The face of the van was equipped with a particularly aerodynamic spoiler equipped acting front, the front of SP5 far down moves and conclude with a lip. At the same time, he creates a skillfully sketched lines to the new grille. It is made of anodized aluminum and is available with a diamond-shaped or eliptischen disguise.

The silhouette of the sprinter underline the new side. They lead the dynamic lines of the new face of a modern, very impressive manner and guide the viewer to stern. They support a delicate-looking rear apron and a powerful exhaust system doppelflutige the harmonious and extremely successful overall impression of the Hartmann-optic tuning package. Of course, the specialists of Hartmann-tuning far ignored, in spite of the exclusive tuning a trailer hitch (not combinable with the doppelflutige exhaust system) to be able to integrate.

But what would be perfect tuning without new Radwerk? Perfectly fits the 19-inch wheel sport "Kagen" to the new Hartmann-tuning exterior package and shines in multispoke look, and with design refinements such as the narrow piers at each spoke. The rims with tires in size 255/55R19 served and are permitted for Sprinter with a maximum total weight of 3,440 kilograms.

But the compensating specialists from Neuss-wood homes have not only a sense of outer values, but also the inner belong to them for the specific about individualization. This is already at boarding sprinter in the SP5. Design entry bars "Alu Stripes" from biegesteifem aluminum with anti-slip strips in the middle eingefrästem Hartmann-tuning emblem to invite almost advocacy. The elegant surfaces shall adorn the area of the driver and passenger door and sliding of SP5. The Velourteppiche wearing dark grey with eingesticktem Hartmann-tuning logo offer the feet of occupants an optimal setting. Sporting a carbon look or elegantly in wood optics present themselves all the door handles. For the centre console, the compensating professionals something very special idea. This is in aluminium-walnut optics, aluminum Burl optics or aluminum-carbon optics selectable. The perfect conclusion finally offer side panels in aluminium design. Who might like rennsportlich, the center console and stand side completely into carbon optics for selection. Special Fortunately, however, the rider: The tax man may even have a sports steering wheel made from the finest Nappa leather in combination with wood or carbon applications look.

In todays episode of "Branding Shenanigans," we encounter Porsche, fresh off a branding adventure with cohort Ferrari. Back at the lab, Porsche notices that the blinding sun stills makes it hard to drive and commences an update to its sunglasses line, which got it start in the feathered-hair 1970s and logged an iconic triumph with an over-the-top aviator style. Four new models are available—the P8454, P8456, P8457 and P8458.

After sifting through enough PR speak to confuse even the most trained blogger, I discovered that the glasses are titanium, and that is about it. Sure, the press release may say that the "discreetly flowing design creates an interesting counterpoint to the masculine basic shape," but what the hell does that mean, really? These are pretty snazzy sunglasses, period.

The New Sunglasses Collection from Porsche Design

Bietigheim-Bissingen/Munich. Porsche Design presents a new sunglasses collection, which is distinguished by its striking shapes and sporty lines. With its sporty, simple lines, model P8454 has an especially dynamic effect. In the process, the discretely flowing design creates an interesting counterpoint to the masculine basic shape. Made of high-tech plastic and with high-quality titanium
hinges, these sunglasses provide ideal protection for the eyes with their sporty curved front. By using these two materials, the sunglasses are very comfortable to wear, and the model can be used with correction lenses as well.

The nose-piece and lugs of model P8456 are convincing due to the three- dimensional look resulting from the frontal titanium elements placed in the lenses. The sunglasses have a particularly high-quality effect due to the screw-free fastening of the lenses.

The two sunglasses models P8457 and P8458, which are both made of titanium, have a sporty and modern appearance. The reduced design of the sides means individual styling. They are attached in two pieces and taper down to a one-piece end piece. While model P8457 has a continuous nose-piece, model P8458 has a slightly displaced and hence more decorative nose-piece.

Porsche Design is a global luxury mens brand and is determined by engineered products. Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche established the Porsche Design brand in 1972, whose products are attracting consumers with their technical innovation and represent functionality and timelessness in its purest form. Porsche Design products are sold in own retail and franchise stores, shop-in-
shops, up-market department stores and exclusive specialist stores.

Though companies like BRABUS will take your Mercedes CL and mold it into a V12-powerd monster, theyll only tweak the exterior so much. And whats the point of tweaking a car if you cant drop wheels on it that are many orders of magnitude larger than the stock ones, or swap the grille out for something that looks like it was taken off of a Freightliner? If you want that level of customization youll have to skip the Germans and go straight to the Russians, specifically this Russian. Whether you love it, hate it or are afraid of it, we have photos of the process below.

Theres so much going on in these photos and the result is so extreme that were almost at a loss for post-Soviet humor. Fur coats, cardboard and technological solutions that use one half of what looks to be a two-liter bottle of 7-UP just add to the allure of this somewhat mysterious Russian (we think) custom. (h/t to Jorgen) [Fishki.net]

Style-Pack has some of the best boots in womens fashion. Take a look.

Your online style, beauty, and fashion magazine for boot-shaking, gusty, image boosting advice!

With Audis new A4 generation having debuted in Frankfurt last week, Audiphiles thoughts are now with the more sporting versions of Ingolstadts bread-and-butter model. Motor Authority offers a spate of digitals that show what looks to be the coming Audi S4, due later this year. Revised bumpers, trunklid spoiler and qiad exhausts give away the goods on the variant, which like its predecessor will be powered by Audis sublime 4.2-liter FSI V8. Itll also come with Audis new understeer-reducing differential system that distributes engine torque in continuously variable proportions between the rear wheels. But dont get too keyed up; word is the next super-sport RS4 wont arrive until 09. [Motor Authority]

Apparently, it wasnt enough for our Coronet 440-drivin Czech friend BobAsh to tip us off about some vintage Tatra hoonage or help us out with a Czech Project Car Hell. Now hes gone and found a beautifully restored, Communist-bureaucrat-spec 65 Tatra 603 sedan, shot a ton of quality photographs, and then road-tested it for us. Make the jump to get the whole story in BobAshs own words.

Well, I have to say that it was kind of extraordinary afternoon. A week after picking up my new 68 Coronet in the port of Bremerhaven, Germany, I finally got to the old part of airport, where I have the car stored, to fix a few things up and see how it drives. That alone, coupled with the fact that the beast drove much better than I expected from such a piece of junk, would be enough to make it one of the better days in my life. But there was more to come.
As if the first-drive-ever in my Mopar wasnt enough, I ran into a friend in a bar the night before. Nothing unusual, I have some friends and live in a small city with only a few bars. But, unfortunately, not all of my friends have such a great taste in automobiles and even less of them have means to transform it into reality. But Marek is one of them and he and his father have a really nice collection of old European cars. Including a beautifully restored Tatra 603. So, with the latest Tatra-craze on Jalopnik in mind, I saw an opportunity and asked him to come see me and my new toy on the airport next day. And as you see from pictures, he agreed.
I think that for me, as a driver, it was even more interesting experience than a first drive in my Coronet. However it may seem strange, even though I am a Czech, I have driven a few Mopar B-bodies before, but to that day, I have never driven, nor sat in, a 603. I have driven one of the last 613s with 4.36 engine, but never tried anything older. So this was a big day for me, twice.
The car that was going to take me on my maiden voyage to the world of weird and eerie ass-engined limousines, was a 1965 Tatra 603, in typical commie big shot/secret police black paint job, but with the red interior and kind of hot-rod-esque red wheels. If there are some Tatra cognoscenti among you, you may point out that the car on the pictures does not look like a 603-2, which would be appropriate to the model year, but is more similar to the later 603-3. The reason is in the way they were maintained and rebuilt. Unlike the usual working-mans Skodas, constantly patched by their owners to keep them alive as long as possible, these big black beasts that served „the more equal ones" and their dogs were just sent to factory for an overhaul after some time. So when this car went through its reincarnation in the beginning of the 70s, it became something more akin to then-modern 603-3 than the 603-2 that it was born as.
Im not going to waste space by talking about outlandish appearance of this car - thats what pictures are for, and besides I cant quite grasp how strange this car must look for someone not used to seeing that (though rarely) for entire life. And parked besides the Coronet it even doesnt look as big as it does on average Czech street.
But we are here not just to stare at the peculiar shape of the car and discuss whether it looks more like a Tucker or a V8 VW. You can do that in museum. We are here to drive. First, Marek takes us for a quick ride around the place (a old, unused part of military airbase, with hangars turned into warehouses), and then Ill get a chance to drive it myself. When you get in, you feel much like in average American car of the era. High, upright bench seat for three in front (not many European cars seated six people), the overall style of the thing... even the V8 rumble resembles American cars, but with some influence of its air-cooled cousins from Wolfsburg and Stuttgart. But when it comes to driving experience, its very different - and I think its very different from anything but other Tatras. What strikes you first is how different the ways of technical development were. In US car of same era (I consider 603 a fifties car, even though it was produced also in next two decades) you get everything to make you more comfortable - power windows, power steering and several other toys, but it was common to have non-power brakes and hardly any car had more than three speed gearbox. But this thing is more like an oversized Porsche. The steering is manual and the wheel is a bit heavy, but thanks to light front its not that big issue and its weight and feel maybe even helps to protect you from the effect of oversteer. In fact, it didnt feel vicious at all, even when taking turns a bit harder (but I didnt have a chance to drive it on public road - and I was trying not to scare the owner) and for such an old car it handled really nicely. But the real surprise was braking. Granted, this car got power disc brakes in all four corners when it was overhauled, so I dont know how the original model behaved, but the experience of driving an old car with manual steering, but braking performance as good as average new car is still strange.
And when were speaking about comparison with new car, this beast can surprise even with its speed. One would say that 2.5 liter, 100hp V8 in such a big car would make for some lazy driving, but thats when you dont take weight and aerodynamics into consideration. Though 603 is roughly the size of an S-klasse Merc, its only a bit heavier than current model VW Jetta. And when you add some slippery shape and four-speed manual, youll get some pretty funny looks of drivers overtaken by this black whale, doing nearly 100mph. And, according to its master, this car is even quite good for (European) highway cruising and is able to do more than 110mph.
Only real downside is the gearbox with column mounted shifter. Its beautifully light and delicate, but it lacks accuracy and when youre not careful enough, you can easily break it. And as Marek says, adjusting the mechanism behind it is really a royal pain.
Which is where we come to the greatest nightmare of everyone who thinks about getting a Tatra. The maintenance. As I learned from Marek, my fears from unobtainium-made parts were unnecessary. He told me that you can still get just about everything for these cars, although it probably means knowing where to go and what to ask for. And being in Czech Republic and able to speak our language is certainly a bit of advantage...
Either way, this close encounter further cemented my decision that one day, I must get one of these fantastic creatures. The sound, the driving experience, the history of the car, all its charisma makes the urge to get one real, real hard. And the best of them all would be the orange, racing spec Marathon version. Or at least clone...
Hell, I think I should take a look at the one from the PCH a few weeks ago...

Many thanks, BobAsh! You can check out the complete collection of photos in his Picasa album, in case the gallery below isnt enough Tatra for you. And anyone willing to give him a deal on late-60s Chrysler B-body parts, let us know- theyre a bit hard to come by in the Czech Republic!

You know why our readers are so good? Because they find us fodder like this. Thats right folks, step right up and grab your very own 5-lighted edition of the Simca 1204 Factory rally car! Chrysler actually entered these suckers. Some of your fathers might remember that Simcas were indeed sold in the US of A from 1969 until miserably flopping in 1972. But hey, us press types loved them. In fact, the Simca TI is largely credited with inspiring not only the Volkswagen Golf, but the GTI as well. Almighty Allpar.com claims that GTI stands for "Golf TI." No matter really, but the auction is sitting at $2,275 and you got just 4 days left. And Harvey prefers winning. Hurry! (Tip of the mighty and arrogant sombrero to Simon for the link) [eBay.com]

Douglas Hannant fall fashion show photos and video.

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What is wear while traveling and how to avoid fugly fashion mistakes. Madonna may have gotten the buzz on everyones lips, but Brookstone has the super fast vibration workout machine to jiggle your...

Your online style, beauty, and fashion magazine for boot-shaking, gusty, image boosting advice!

Forbes - After suffering violent losses that rocked the markets in August, hedge funds that use computer models to trade continue to face pressures that could lead to some funds closing their doors in the coming months. In what is believed to be the first ... - [Read more]

Quarter round is an essentail molding on many jobs. Tim Carter demonstrates how to install quarter round to hide the gap between baseboards and flooring. Youll have no trouble with your installation of quarter round with these tips.