Recently, I received an email from a good friend asking,
“So, theoretically, you can have a car for your entire life. But, from a practical perspective, how likely is it that if everything is done right and the car is not involved in any accidents, that one could in fact keep a vehicle for their entire life?”
Let’s look at that first part – can you have a car for your entire life? The simple answer is yes.
Today marks the second day of the North American International Auto Show 2016 and with it, automakers from around the globe have unveiled their next superstars, volume leaders, unknown concepts, and ground-breaking technologies. As a skeptic with an affinity for vehicles unveiled at the 1962 Detroit Auto Show, here’s a snippet of unbiased truth aimed at three of the 2016 NAIAS’s hottest vehicles.
The Subaru boxer engine is a very unique machine. Its flat design layout and odd firing order give it the feel and sound of absolute legends. Unfortunately, certain variations of the boxer engine do carry some undesirable traits and none are more pressing than the head gasket issue that plagues the Phase I EJ25. This engine, which was Subaru’s first DOHC EJ series four cylinder, can be found in the second generation Legacy GT sedans and wagons (96-99) as well as the Outbacks of similar vintage. Even though it was innovative, light (due to its all aluminum construction) and enjoyed being revved, Subaru must have been excessively drunk on sake when they decided to install the gaskets that separate coolant and oil. The OEM head gaskets on the EJ25D have a tendency to fail just as much as the sun has a tendency to rise in the east. If you have one and the head gaskets have NOT been replaced, here is what you need to do to remedy a tragedy.
The job title “Hitman”, despite its glamour and prestige, is a bit more difficult than one might think. The men and women who make ends meet by using their ex-military training to turn murder into income have a lot on their plate. Not only do they have to risk their lives and deal with their crippling morality each and every day, but they also have the infuriating task of picking a vehicle to suit both their desires and needs. A hitman simply can not just purchase a Camry and go to work – no one would watch that movie. In order for a complete, legend-making hitman to exist, one must pick out a set of wheels that is menacing to the core. Powerfully dark, clever and deceptively suave, these cars and trucks are just as dangerous as their drivers.
For this list, each vehicle picked rolled off the factory floor just the way it is – no modifications. This is for simplicity, practicality and to provide real-world consumer advice.
I’m going to make this short and sweet as with the whole world coming to an end and what not, you and I do not have a lot of time for flowering introductory paragraphs filled with useless adjectives that are obviously pulled from some sort of online thesaurus and inserted into said paragraph in a desperate and moronic attempt to impress the many members of the female race that are not reading this because it contains the words “Hot Rod” in the title and that’s just boring.
Reader, meet Ruby. Ruby, meet reader.
In the fall of 2012, I decided to take the plunge into a pool that would cement my societal standing as a car guy. The decision took some time and a few difficult night sleeps, but at the end of the day, I signed the paperwork necessary to purchase a second vehicle. Soon after my John Hancock was littered throughout a series of dealership notes, my driveway featured two functioning automobiles and there was no intention of that number falling back down to a lonely one.
If you have a mother, you have undoubtedly heard this statement: “hate is a strong word.” While it may seem harsh, it is more often than not said in a manner that is either clownish, hyperbole or fully tongue in cheek. In order to use hate in its full capacity, a wave of uncontrollable emotions must attack a person’s most inner soul. There have been times in the past where we found heavy dislike for a car but even the GM J-Bodies have a sort of repulsive charm that make them “okay” or at the very least, laughable. Because of this, we never really knew if we would ever meet a vehicle we would dislike so much that arduous walking would be the preferred mode of transportation. On a cold winter’s day however, that all changed as the funky little Nissan Juke found its way onto our driveway. Initially intrigued by 188 turbocharged and direct injected horses, we got behind the wheel of the strange crossover with honest high hopes. After all, the Juke contained Nissan’s first U.S.-spec turbocharged four cylinder in ages and how cool is that? In all honesty, not very cool at all. Instead of joy, EmptyRoad was assaulted with enough anguish that we were forced to give the word hate a full-blown workout. Please meet not only our least favorite car of 2012, but our least favorite car of our quarter century lives
There are moments in life where a person simply needs to stay humble. Leaving a wedding isn’t one of them. Just like a flashy Broadway performance is justified, being showy on one’s wedding day is perfectly okay. If anything, being obnoxiously blatant and overtly loud is asked upon by modern-day ceremony patrons who are mentally and emotionally numb because of smartphones and Netflix. After all, most weddings are, without a doubt, boring. Because of this, leaving the service should be done in a fashion not suitable for the quiet. This also isn’t a moment when the typical C5 Corvette will do. This is a time when you and your paramour are suppose to hold your heads up high and let everyone know that you are temporarily better than them. For that, here is a list of some of the best vehicles that a husband and wife can use to say “peace out suckers, it’s honeymoon time!”
A wolf in sheep’s clothing. A fast bomber. A rocket in disguise. The term Sleeper is widely known inside the automotive world as a vehicle that looks slow but in actuality, is nutso fast. Here’s some food-for-thought. Imagine, if you will, purchasing a brand-new BMW M3 and pulling up to a junked out Chevrolet Pickup at a redlight. You laugh as the truck revs its seemingly broken engine only to breath burnt fuel and witness nothing but faded taillights when the light turns green. Given that the internet is “serious business”, we have complied a Top Ten list of the web’s best known sleepers.
Empty Road Chronicles 