Newsletter #2
Shelby GT350 And The New Mustang's Styling
When the new-for-2015 Mustang was announced, I was put off by its styling. It didn't look bad per se, I just felt it was a step backwards from the previous styling. It was less distinctive, less Mustang. In general I was in the quiet minority versus the rest of the automotive press. Since its introduction, the styling has grown on me. I've seen several examples in person and the lines flow better in person and in motion.
That said, with the announcement of the Shelby GT350 I realized why I had that initial reaction. The Mustang now looks like other cars. It's still a Mustang, but much less distinctive. Now it takes noticeable styling cues from other cars (something that has driven me nuts about the Corvette for years, iteration after iteration starting with the C5). (ASIDE: All design takes some influenece from other designs. See this awesome series called Everything is a Remix.)
Case in point: the Nissan GT-R. I feel like the Shelby design team had a GT-R smack dab in the middle of their inspiration wall.
Craigslist
Land Rover Defenders Galore in Denver
This guy is my hero. He has 3 (yes THREE) 1989 Land Rover Defenders for sale. All featuring the 19J turbo-diesel engines I4. I need a Land Rover Defender in my life. It's on my bucket list.
1986 Ferrari 328 GTS
I just have to share this photo from a Craigslist ad for a 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS. I’m not going to link to the Craigslist posting. I'll just let the photo speak for itself.
Car Cults
Speaking of Land Rover Defender, I watched a video this week that had me thinking of car cults. (If cult is too strong a word for your liking, try love affair or strong following.) The video in question is from The Hooniverse regarding the Porsche 911 love affair. I watched this video and felt exactly the same as the presenter - I don't get the 911 following. However, much like the presenter, I've never driven one. But the design and everything I've ever read has never inspired me to really want a 911. But once the presenter sat behind the wheel of a 1970 Porsche 911 and drove it, he started to understand it. In fact he said:
This thing's fuckin' awesome!
Another cult that came up this week - the Mazda Miata. Someone drove a Miata for the first time (reddit) and simply said "I get it now."
I get it now. Those little cars are fun as hell. They just….turn. You move the wheel and they just go. Fast? No, not in the slightest. Rev happy? Enjoyably so. I want one. I’m tall and don't really fit in them, but I want one.
I've added driving a Porsche 911 and Mazda Miata to my bucket list.
Black Air
With all the GNX goodness in the prior newsletter I completely forgot to mention the Black Air documentary. It's great.
Originally published June 8th, 2015