Gathered here are the Oppositelock posts that people put a good deal of effort into writing on Thursday. It includes burning Ferrari jokes, the Aston Martin DBC, seatbelt laws and more.
Yes, that's a Lambo, dude. Note how it's been on fire. Truth is, 99% of mid-engined supercars have had one or more examples catch fire, even the McLaren F1 that's lined with gold to deflect heat away. It's an inherent cooling issue with not having it at the front where all the air is, and it's especially tricky with a highly-strung engine like you often find in supercars. There's no magic fix, otherwise Ferrari, Lamborghini et al would have it on every mid-engined car. So it's not just Ferraris that catch fire. But more than that, it's just lazy, dull comedy. The prancing horse is being beaten long after death.
This is The Opposite Locker - Wayback Wednesdays where we try and sort out the cool from the square. This is a discussion system detailing how cool an older car was, not how fast, fun, or frivolous it may have been, but how well it looks in the cat's pajamas. New Kids On The Block - Classic Muscle: The Ford Mustang was initially marketed toward the family man who wanted something better than his old man's sedan. The Camaro then came to join the Mustang in the new marketspace and steal some of its thunder. Also, the Charger was in there somewhere...
This week I had the unusual opportunity to evaluate the 2013 & 2014 Impala back to back. While the retired 2013 Impala beige-mobile did nothing for me (not even worthy of a write-up), the 2014 Impala represents a marked improvement in the Impala product line – even if the bar was set pretty low by the model it replaced.
You got two gearheads, Mike and Ed, who have spent a majority of their lives behind the wheel or under the hood of anything with 4 wheels (and some vehicles with less than 4). Mike goes and finds a classic or modern classic car at a good deal, gives it over to his wrench turner Ed, who brings it up to tip top shape, both in the mechanical and looks departments, and they sell it for a profit… I think that, much like Top Gear has come across the pond and found success in a slightly different, US-flavored show, Wheeler Dealers could be a successful show in the States
Every time I see a car like this (courtesy of one vary talented designer - and I can't state this enough), I count myself lucky to be living in an age where automotive pornography, in its various forms, is so easily proliferated on the the internet. The car you see here popped up on another blog I frequent yesterday; so I thought I'd share with the addition of a (possibly controversial) personal opinion.
It's a known fact that seat belts greatly increase your chances of survival in a car crash and you get a massive fine if you're not wearing one, so why isn't it mandatory to buckle up before you start driving? Anyone with a modern car knows the incessant dinging that comes from your car when you don't wear one. If people are ready to deal with that sound the entire time they're driving, then they obviously have no regard for their safety. Is it their right to go ahead and die from a massive head trauma if they want to?
Car Spotting, Picture Threads
(De)vices bought a beat up IS300 and took it on a 10,000 mile cross country trip. Deekster_Caddy showed some of the work he is doing to remedy the rust on his '73 LeSabre. BiTurbo228 pulled the wiring loom out of his project Spitfire. Aya decided to save the environment carpooling in a Fiat 850 Sport.
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As always, If I've missed something and you would like me to include it, let me know.
Fun Discussions
There were several posts that asked questions and sparked some good discussion over the last day. Take a peek and chime in on some of them listed below:
Just the #tips
Honourable Mentions
These posts have already been shared with Jalopnik directly but deserve to be mentioned again because they were first posted in Oppositelock:
Best of Oppositelock: August 29, 2013