A Lexus made me deaf........ What????

     I will be completely honest here. I have rarely looked at a Lexus and been totally blown away by the design. I am not sure why either. They are very popular cars. They sell well and seem to be more of a reliable luxury car than some others out there. They just never screamed out as a car that had a soul.....more robotic if that makes sense. I recall years ago a coworker picked up a SC400 right about the same time I bought my first Audi, a 98 A4. I didn't want to bash his car, because it was nice, but I really thought it was a basic car with looks equal to that of a tapeworm. At the time, again only my opinion, the A4 was hands down a better looking car, and being a manual versus his slushbox automatic, my car was more fun to drive. Lots of you will disagree and call me crazy and that's fine. It's healthy to have conflicting agreements as long as you understand the reasoning behind it. Let's continue........

     Very soon after, the IS300 started popping up all over the place and it made quite an impression. Not only on the street, but in video games. If any of you played the original Gran Tourismo, you at one point had an Altezza, the Toyota equivalent to the IS300. I will be honest again, I really liked this car. Not only because of the video game and its presence in there, but all around it was a good looking, sporty car. All of this was in a time where I started my obsession with the sports sedan. I was growing out of my mustang days and wanted something with more quality and practicality. Anyone remember what 90% of people said when they were talking about the IS300? Times up!  Everyone loved the dials on the dash. They were completely different than what you would usually see. I'm sure some of the cars were purchased for that reason. It was like looking at a very expensive watch! Very cool design.

    Then the SC430 came out, and I lost all respect for Lexus at that time. Anyone who thinks that car was well designed needs to have their head examined. It resembled a Beluga whale driving down the road. I really wish at that point Lexus would have called me up and asked me about my opinion on the car. I would have nixed that eyesore immediately. In the words of Forrest Gump, that's all I have to say about that.

     The new body style of the IS line finally had it nailed down. A solid design that looked like it was ready for the A4/3 series/C-class counterparts. There was still one thing missing. The line didn't have the performance options like the Euro cars did. With Audi's S4, BMW's M3, and Mercedes' C55 all running laps around the IS250/350, Lexus had to jump in with something to make a statement. The ISF did just that. Finally a big V8 in a beefy, bulgy car that would rival the Germans. Now, I never really thought too much of this car because of the V8's put into the SC models, which were never anything to write home about, but a V8, rear wheel drive sedan was exactly the type of car that I secretly love. It was a sleeper, just like the AMG cars. Stockish body, powerful engine, a great combination.

    An acquaintance so happens to have an ISF and I would randomly run into him every once in a while. We never really talked a lot, just had the occasional wave. We never really chatted but would always see each other on the local roads around here. On the way home from work one day, it just so happens we got next to each other on an open road. Of course this all happened in Germany in a section where there are no speed limits. I was in the C55 AMG which is stock, and his with a little exhaust work. By little I mean it's louder than any Lexus has ever been. We both dropped the hammer and after my little 5.5 pulled a bit while he waited for his to downshift 17 gears, he started to pull, and pull hard. I had my windows open as well. Bad idea. I was on the verge of bleeding out of my ears. IT WAS AWESOME! haha His ISF is that perfect balance of sounding beefy when going easy, and sounding Nascar-ish when you are getting on it. The car is quick, very quick. At that point, I had to have it over for this page. It was then I actually had the chance to have a conversation with the owner. Now, instead of the creeper wave, we actually know each other, and that's exactly why I started this idea. Cars In My Driveway is a way to meet other car enthusiasts and chat about their rides. It's as if I am bringing a car show to my house, one by one.

    So let's recap. I didn't like Lexus too much, liked a little when IS300 came out, love the ISF. The LFA is also a car I would love to check out, and the rest of the Lexus lineup still needs a little help (Lexus, I will be available for my opinions if you like), but they are headed in the right direction with this car. It's nice to see more competition in the sport sedan segment other than what Germany has to offer. Thanks to Matt for bringing the car over. The wife even said that was a really nice car and that's a shock, as I have convinced her that Audis are the only nice cars on the road currently. haha Looking forward to more meetings in Germany for more fun runs! I am finally a Lexus believer, well at least on this car..... the next SC better not look like a sloth or something!

    

 

 

 

 





R8- Driven Often, Driven Hard

     A few years back, 5 to be exact, I decided to uncork my passion for Audi by setting up an annual Audi meet with the local enthusiasts. The meet was very unorganized and at my first house. I lived on the corner of a main neighborhood street in the back of the hood, with a farm on the other side of the street so we had plenty of room to park and not much traffic to worry about. There were no more than 20 cars or so, a grill with burgers, and yes, I supplied a keg. (the event was at my house, so I didn't have to drive home!) This is where I first witnessed an R8 in person.

     That picture was from my old driveway so it still counts.

     This story today will be about a car/cars, and a very trusting person. When I first met this person on a local Audi enthusiast site, I could not believe he was going to bring his R8 over to my house for our first meet. To be honest, I think 10 out of the 20 cars that showed were there just to see the R8. I kept the driveway clear to offer up the safest spot for it. As you can see in the picture above, my allroad went grazing in the grass to make room for the R8. At the time, the R8 was fairly new. It was the exotic Audi. Now this part is hard to explain unless you have witnessed this as well. In pictures, the R8 looks really, really cool. In person, it looks completely different. Seeing the car come down the road towards you with the LEDs on is just flat out menacing. The car is wider, lower, and meaner when you see it coming towards you. So the owner, let's call him Richard, was extremely nice and as I said earlier, trusting. I recall a conversation I had with him within the first ten minutes of drooling over his car. I asked him if I could sit in the car. He threw me the keys and said, "Take it for a spin!"

WTF???????

Seriously, that was his response. I remember my conscience saying don't drive it as I just had a beer. Politely I confessed, telling him I had a beer and don't want to drive after that out of respect. His response was even more hysterical. "Take it for a drive, you BLANK!" I will leave the last word hidden but it was a word that expressed how much of a pansy I was being at the time. So not only did I get an R8 over to my house, he also let a bunch of us drive it!

     Richard and I have become great friends since then. Not because of his cars, but because he is somebody who I just get along with and he loves anything with an engine. This guy will talk cars with you till you realize you have to be at work in ten minutes. He also DRIVES his car, rain, shine, or snow! I am sure many people that have exotic cars keep them in the garage and only drive a few miles on a sunny, Sunday afternoon. Richard is the opposite. His opinion is that these cars are built to be driven. They are!

     Before I post another picture, I have to set it up a bit with another Richard moment. That's what I am going to call these stories now, Richard moments. Haha So, he decided to get a little more power out of the car. Cue the Heffner Twin Turbo kit..... yeah, yummy. Just an FYI, if you haven't heard a twin turbo Audi 4.2 V8, go find one. Thanks me later. Unfortunately, a poor shop install and tune on the car forced a lot of hiccups, but even so, the car was quick. The car had to go though. This was a daily driven car so the turbo was out, and a new R-tronic V8 was ordered. The day he picked up the new ride, which you will see in a few, he gave a shout to me and another Audi buddy. He told us to come pick up the turbo and go racing at the local drag strip.

WTF??????

Seriously, he did. And seriously, we did! hahaha The best part about this wasn't the fact that he trusted us with his car before he sold it, or the fact that he was telling us to go have fun with a twin turbo R8. What he said as we were leaving gave us all a chuckle, and still does to this day. "Don't hurt the brakes!"  Yup, carbon ceramic brakes, which were being switched over to the new car the next day. Holy F my life, the brakes are incredible.

Picture time!!!!!!   Let's introduce the Samoa Orange R8

     This car is a head turner. Everyone looked or commented as we were hanging out in the driveway. It has a presence that is impossible to explain. It is just so good looking. The color is unique, the carbon fiber is everywhere but not overwhelming, and the rear end of this car will make you think about breaking up with your woman for it. I really can't say enough about how this car looks, drives, and sounds because I don't think I have the necessary vocabulary to describe it.

     One more story and then I will just leave you with a bunch of pictures. You will see below the picture of the rear window with stickers on it. No, it is not those silly pictures of your family, like 99% of minivans display on the window. These are the car enthusiasts stickers. Stickers showing what tracks you have been on. Yes, this car has been to many, and has been driven hard. Again, another great thing about Richard. He drives this car the way it was intended. So a neighbor and I stopped up to his shop one day to lift up my C55 for some possible exhaust work. We decided to go to lunch, with me riding in the Samoa, and my neighbor riding with the new owner of the Heffner R8. Quick side note here; I have been in a few really fast cars, from a extremely tuned 911 turbo to a Noble M12. The Noble took my breath away with how it handled at high speeds. Okay, back to the lunch ride back to shop. I will be short and sweet. The car handled an exit ramp so well, I had to change my undies when I got home. I had never experienced anything like that around a corner. I saw flashes of my life, followed by a UPS truck, followed by excruciating pain in my hand from squeezing the "oh shit" handle so hard. To be honest, I still to this day don't know if there is an "oh shit" handle in that car, but I sure as hell made one. I now know what that car is capable of and that's why I LOVE it! The R8 will always have a spot in my heart. Yes, it is not the fastest exotic on the road, but it has the presence of one. You can thrash this car on a track without always being on a knifes edge. Few more pictures to satisfy your thirst......

   
Thanks again to Richard for bringing the car over. It is always nice hanging out and talking shop with him. I have some incredible stories thanks to him and wish him and his family the best in their future endeavors in the sand dunes!

The Gray Goose- Reputation Preceded

     Many years back, I had a job change and ended up moving from Ohio to Northern Kentucky. It was unexpected but now that I look back, I am glad it happened. I had worked in Florence, KY before and really enjoyed the people down here. They are just friendlier. At the time, I owned a 6 speed Audi allroad with the V6 biturbo motor. It was stout for how heavy it was, but it wasn't winning any races any time soon. I had a personalized plate on it referencing to other soccer moms in their vans and wagons that I was faster. Then came Brian. I by chance met Brian while cruising down a main road in Florence. His Legacy GT plate also referenced he was quick. I knew I would have no chance, which is why Brian kept trying to roll race me. I politely declined and we went on our way.

     Few years later, I ended up talking to a guy on a local automotive website about some cars, and ironically, we both realized we were the two cars on that road that day. Over the next few years, I have gotten to know Brian and his family pretty well. From helping us take rolling shots of a few buddies on our motorcycles to organizing charity drives for Scoobies for Boobies cancer research, Brian and family are committed to the plethora of automotive events that take place every year. Brian and his family also organize an annual Subaru meet at a local dealership to provide other Subaru enthusiasts a place to chat and show off those cars that, although different, sound very similar. They do! It's a good sound though.

     The Forester here is a 2007 with a LOT done to it. This car has a STI motor with a 6 speed manual transmission in it. I remember once riding in it with a few other people when he had the automatic still in, and he brake boosted at a light and launched it with extreme traction. I was shocked at how that sleeper got off the line. Brian and his wife have both ran 12.9s in the quarter mile so this car can gittyup! It has since gone through some transforming and it also has taken on a persona of its own. This car has been featured in magazines, signed and driven by rally driver David Higgins, and has been in more photo shoots than Pam Anderson. And yes, it has its own Facebook page. But, it's not how you stand by your car, it's how you drive it. (F&F reference) This car is driven.... hard. And the best part, this is his wife's car! And Pam can drive the hell outta it.

 

 

 

    

     Not many people know this, but I have always had a spot in my heart for Subaru. Back before my truly obsessive Audi days, I used to watch my favorite rally driver give it hell, no matter what. Colin McRae was incredible to watch. He was not the most technical driver around by a long shot, but he was fast. Watching Speedvision, back when it was good, and seeing Colin go up against Richard Burns, took your breath away. They were crazy, not Group B crazy by any means, but crazy. For those who don't know Group B racing, Youtube it. That's your next assignment. Jaw dropping! So I have always rooted for Subaru when Colin was driving. Yes, I was sad when he went to Ford.

    Back to the Gray Goose. Again, this car has a personality that is hard to explain. Wolf in sheep's clothing, if the clothing was jeans and a shirt that said, "I give no shits." It does look menacing even with the boobies stickers all over it. Brembo brakes, and some nice alcantara seats finish it off. Pam and Brian have spent a lot of time on this car, spent a lot of time helping organize events, and have brought the local Subaru community together even closer than they were before. I respect that the most. Pam and Brian are a model for what other families should be doing. Not all families have the same Subaru blood running through their bodies like their crew, but they are a tight family who should be looked at as how America should be. Get back to the family and do things together!

    In closing, I just want to say thank you to Brian for bringing over the wife's ride. Thank you for keeping the car community together as much as you can. Thank you for spending ungodly amounts of time organizing charity drives and inviting non-Subaru drivers. Most of all, thank you for going against the grain and building a sleeper wagon. Brian knows well I love the wagons. Pam, thanks for letting him drive your car over, I would never let anyone drive it if I were you! Keep it to yourself! 

The 300zx- The best Z ever!

When I was young, riding the yellow twinkie to school, a few of us decided that the 45 minute ride was just flat out boring. We were all car enthusiasts and our high point of the day was passing a Euro/Exotic repair shop halfway through the drive and seeing what was there. This shop was in the nicest part of town, and I remember vividly seeing multiple Rolls/Bentlys, the occasional Ferrari 308/328, and even a glimpse of a Porsche 959, which almost made me soil myself. So our group of friends started a car game where you received points for spotting certain cars, more points for more exotic cars. We moved from the back of the bus to the front to get the best/first glimpse of every car coming at us. The bus driver must have hated us yelling in his ears. CORVETTE!  BMW! FERRARI! 

I remember reading the Car and Driver magazine when the 300zx came out. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I even remember the first one I spotted while riding to school one morning. Needless to say, I won the car game that day for spotting it first. It was the gold colored body. Very odd color, but what a sharp looking car. The color was the least of my concerns.... the car was bada**!

A good friend of mine ended up picking one up a few years back. Spotless, low miles, and ready for mods. Even stock it had some pick up to it after all of these years. He threw a lot of money into it and that car was batshit fast. Traction problems seemed to plague it though. Sooooo much power just lighting up those tires. We even took it to local drag strip and I don't thing he caught traction till 4th at the finish line. I know how much power these cars can make. Unfortunately, the ricer crowd has destroyed many of these cars, mostly the N/A ones, and that's fine.

Enter Jeff... who did the exact opposite of Joe Ricer. Jeff is a neighbor that loves cars just as much as I do, maybe even more if you saw his garage. Jeff took a N/A 300zx, did a full conversion with upgrades to turbos, intercoolers, exhaust, and even a built bottom end, and turned this car into a monster. The car is quick..... and shockingly quick. Just when he is cruising down the street on a sunny Sunday morning and gets on it, there is NO lag. The car is just lighting up the tires and the blow off valves are louder than the Civics at the beginning of the original Fast and Furious movie. There you go Jay, your F&F shout out.

The best part about this car is not only is it fast, but the other parts he spared no expense. Stop Tech brakes and fully adjustable suspension help put the power down better while stopping the car when needed. I texted Jeff about the power and his response?  A dyno chart picture! That's how it's done boys. No trash talking or bragging about what it might do. 18 psi delivered 504 HP to the rears with 491 TQs. This car is fast, and CLEAN! Jeff takes amazing care of his rides and anytime you stop by his house, that car is covered and looks like it has been tucked in and read a bedtime story before nighttime. But the best part about Jeff, like very few others, all he cares about is the car experience. He doesn't care about racing people at the track or busting off a 40 roll on the highway or even trash talking. He just enjoys having a fast car and driving it when he has the time. That's what I respect about this car. It has that nostalgic effect while at the same time roasting most sports cars on the road today. And it trumps the 350/370 Z when it comes to looks and power. To this day, I believe this is one of the best looking sports cars ever made. It has that sleek, short, powerful look to it. Others pull that look off too, but without the power to back it up.

Thanks to Jeff for bringing it by! Hope you all enjoyed episode 3!  More cars to come!