Not to say there’s causation, but the world went a bit pear-shaped when the Toyota Tarago left us. The people mover of choice for tens of thousands of Aussies ended production in the final weeks of 2019, since replaced by the more luxo-bent Granvia. But this page of Wheels hasn’t paid homage to the trusty Tarago until now.
Back in 2003, Volkswagen may have just debuted the latest 3.2-litre V6 hot hatch, but somebody at Wolfsburg decided that engine would work far better planted in the middle of a sleek roadster powering the rear wheels – enter the Volkswagen Concept R.
Billionaire Top Trumps The Super Sport is exceptionally fast – of course it is. But it also somehow retains the regular Chiron’s drive-all-day civility.
It is hard to spot under the giant rear wing — but it is there. Off-center and low down in the shrouded, sculpted aero rump you see the license plate: P1 POW. Small detail, big impact: this thing’s road legal. You recognize the Porsche 911 rear lights. They are the 996 shape — the one from the late 1990s. Between them, and above that street-legal plate, it says GT1. Small number — but, once again, big impact.
If you had to provide a list of the ten most beautiful cars ever made – you would be absolutely spoiled for choice. Hell, pick up any issue of Retromotive and you would be shuffling, salivating, then re-shuffling some more, probably changing your list several times before reluctantly handing over your final cut
This Series 8 Bolwell Nagari came to George May some thirty-four years ago. In fact he rebuilt it from a wreck. A young George put so many new parts into the car that it might have been easier to start from scratch. Since then it has never been in an accident, has never had a respray, and has never been driven in the rain.
Engine noise: that is what gets you “in the feels” when you watch any form of motorsport at trackside. The sound does not just hit your eardrums. It goes right through you, buzzing your insides and firing off happy endorphins. Certain engine howls mean an involuntary dropping of the jaw or smile across the dial
BMWs can be awfully confusing when it comes to their badging. Back in the day, a 323i E21 simply meant that it was a 3 Series body with a 2.3-liter engine. A E12 535i was the 5 Series body with a 3.5-litre engine — simple, right? M3s were all two-door coupes; except, they are four-door sedans now; and the M4 is now the M3 coupe; the 320i may have a 2.2-liter engine; and the 323i E21 could have the 2.5-liter — confused? Me, too. (And, perhaps, so is BMW!)
The Icelandic singer Björk could have been singing about electric cars when she released her song “it’s oh so quiet”. Devoid of a combustion engine, all you’ll hear is a whirring of an electric motor, the rushing of air as you move away, and perhaps some sound from the tyres
It’s hard to believe, but 1990s American performance cars like the ’92 Dodge Daytona IROC R/T are getting on for almost three decades old and almost certainly worth re-examining…
