It’s good to have auto journalist friends who get media cars. It’s even better when those auto journalist friends are cool people who offer to show their media car to you. I am lucky enough to have such a friend (hi, Derek!), who kindly let me take a peek at the Lexus LX 570 he […]
Category Archives: Driving
April
21
Swoon: Porsche 918 at Circuit of the Americas
posted by Motorista
Remember this car? Remember this track? How about we put them together, and throw in Patrick Long, a fabulous Porsche factory driver and all-around good-looker. Let the swooning commence. If only we could see Patrick’s face… And, HEY, did you notice he’s got the $1,800 seatbelt??
April
10
For My New Porsche Friends…
posted by Motorista
Had a great time speaking to the Hill Country Region of the Porsche Club of America today! Not only are they fun folks, but they let me, a non-Porsche owner, in the door AND listened to me ramble about this blog, racing and cool Porsche stuff in general. My first automotive speaking engagement! As promised, […]
March
20
Tomorrow’s Google Doodle Explained
posted by Motorista
Tomorrow, if you go on the Google start page, you will see a drawing of a man. He will look like a fairly ordinary man – not an iconic profile like Gandhi or Mandela or Martin Luther King. But he is no ordinary man. March 21 would be Ayrton Senna‘s 54th birthday. May 1 will […]
March
18
Sweeeet Videos
posted by Motorista
Have to share some more videos with you, because they are awesome. First up, a fabulous pit stop for the Ferrari F1 team at the Australia GP in 2013 – 3 seconds total, which I believe was the record until Lotus beat it with 2.8. Correct me if I’m wrong. Isn’t this beautiful?? Next, the […]
March
11
360 Degree F1 Lap
posted by Motorista
I feel like the parent leaving their kid in front of the TV: busy work week, so I’ve gotta stick you with some videos to keep you entertained until I get back. Start with this one; I predict it will rock your socks off. http://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/car/f1-w05-360-video/ This on-board lap with Nico Rosberg of the Mercedes F1 […]
February
01
Because, Tesla Drag Race
posted by Motorista
The title of this post is the answer to a question that doesn’t even need to be asked. Just watch the following video, and be amazed. Tesla is up to a lot these days, including cross country trips relying solely on Tesla “Supercharger” stations and $0 of gas. I previously expressed surprise that the industry […]
January
30
Configuration Nation!
posted by Motorista
I love online car configurators. Back in the day when I had free time on my hands (I can barely remember it), I used to spend hours building all my dream cars. From what I hear, the Next Generation is now carrying on that tradition. This evening, after a long workday, I decided to wind […]
January
07
The Future of Autonomous Driving?
posted by Motorista
The International Consumer Electronics Show is happening in Vegas as we speak, and Audi has made a splash with Piloted Driving, its new autonomous vehicle technology. To demonstrate Piloted Driving, Audi presented an A7 equipped with radars, a laser and a computer to monitor traffic and control steering, braking and acceleration. The technology, which is […]
January
03
It’s Not Psychology, Stupid
posted by Motorista
Last week, the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch website posted an article opining that psychology explains why the cars with the highest percentage of male ownership (Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari, etc.) are almost exclusively foreign luxury and/or exotic brands. Here’s the ownership chart from their article: Take a look at that, and then indulge me a minute… […]
December
29
2013: a Look Back
posted by Motorista
I never thought the birth year of a blog would be a big deal, but here I am, looking back on 2013 through the eyes of this blog, and thinking about all that has happened since I published my first post on May 25. I have been to car-related events in Michigan, California and Texas, […]
December
25
Merry Christmas, from Motorista and the Circus
posted by Motorista
Merry Christmas, race fans! The Circus and I hope you are having a great holiday, and that you got every car-related gift you asked for. I did well for myself. Meet Helmut, my new racing helmet! Helmut is a Simpson helmet and, more particularly, a Snell 2010 Carbon Devil Ray. His name is much more […]
December
20
Gift Guide for the Gearhead
posted by Motorista
This may be a bit late…but if you’re a procrastinator like me, it’s just in time! Allow me to present Motorista’s First Annual Gift Guide for the Gearhead. In case you know any… Branded Swag Does your favorite gearhead love a particular make or model above all others? Your choices are endless for branded hats, […]
December
19
God Bless Texas. And John Hennessey.
posted by Motorista
All you need is John Hennessey and a Texas toll road to get the new Corvette Stingray to 200 mph. With the blessing of the Highway Patrol. Click here for the article and video about how Hennessey did it. Only in Texas, my friends. Although…it might have been a good idea for him to have […]
December
15
Auto Ballet
posted by Motorista
What you get when you put rally driver Ken Block in a Subaru on an old airfield, slow it down, and add music (“Runner” by Dustin O’Halloran, available on iTunes). One of my favorite videos of all time, this is the “director’s cut” of a segment filmed for Top Gear, and is an extra feature […]
December
08
Project Keychain Update!
posted by Motorista
A little over a month ago, Ashleigh Burroughs and I launched Project Keychain, inspired by the efforts of Saudi women to protest the ban that prevents them from driving in their own country. In an effort to raise awareness and show support for these brave women, we put out a call for keychains. In a […]
December
07
“I’m not a driver, I’m a racer”
posted by Motorista
If you are at all interested in racing, take a few minutes to watch this video. It will give you chills!
November
19
And Now?
posted by Motorista
After two very busy workdays, on the heels of USGP weekend, it occurred to me in a quiet moment this evening: I have nothing car-related on my schedule. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. This has not been the case since…when? August? July? Good grief. What does one do with a wide-open calendar? I hear my dad, […]
November
11
The Sunday of Difficult Living
posted by Motorista
This car blogging is a rough gig. There are just so many things you have to DO and GO to and PUT UP with. And there is NO rest for the weary. For instance, this past Saturday I drove two-and-a-half hours to Houston to tame some wild cats. I intended to spend the weekend down […]
November
10
Meow: Jaguar Driving Event
posted by Motorista
Yesterday I trekked down to Houston to attend a driving event sponsored by Jaguar USA. Having not had the opportunity to spend any time with the new Jags (which are becoming increasingly more desirable each model year), I was excited to see the cats up close and personal. Jaguar XFR My only complaint about the […]
November
06
Excitement
posted by Motorista
You guys are giving me the warm and fuzzies. Very pleased to see the heartfelt response to Project Keychain (including an awesome story on Jean Knows Cars!), and can’t wait to start receiving your keychains in the mail! And your Facebook likes! And your Tweets and re-Tweets! And…yeah, I’m just excited about all of it. And […]
November
03
Hot Laps
posted by Motorista
I got up this morning, drove to Circuit of the Americas, took about ten hot laps around the track, and drove home. Bucket list item accomplished before 10 a.m. HOLY CRAP!!!!!!! Bucket list experiences are kind of surreal. I just like BEING at COTA. Then, last weekend, I got to ride in a pace car […]
November
02
The Cinquecento Weekend
posted by Motorista
You know how you meet a person, and within five minutes they are offering to let you drive one of their cars on a hot lap of Circuit of the Americas? Yeah, that usually doesn’t happen. Well, it did to me. (!!!!!!!!!!!!) (Carry on, universe. You are really doing a good job lately.) So what […]
November
02
Vintage Sunday: the Pace Car Edition
posted by Motorista
A weekend at the races will leave me in a good mood for at least the next week. I really don’t require any sweeteners. But add a pace car lap to the mix, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to be on a high for the next month. So if you notice me being extra chipper […]
November
01
Origins
posted by Motorista
Almost every car conversation I have leads to the inevitable question, “So, what got you interested in cars?” Or its variation, “How long have you been interested in cars?” I never know quite how to answer that question. Although there are plenty of other things in life that are important to me, cars and racing […]
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