NEW TUMBLR (:

PLEASE FOLLOW MY NEW TUMBLR: truthfully-gone.tumblr.com

happytaquito

A lot of good news this Fall. One being a lot of sponsors and companies supporting tumblr as we grow.

One huge company being Apple. Apple has chosen to give us an unknown number of Mac Books to give away.

Check out http://www.apple.com/mac/ to read all about it.

http:/staff.tumblr.com/post/Appple-MacBook-Giveaway/ to participate!!

yayy! i just got mine! :D

Oct 20

lolsaod23:

WOW look at this video, something really needs to be done :\

reblog this, it needs to be seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9nKaU1LJxw

(Reblogged from lolsaod23)

Mar 03

Gumpert Tornante? Yes, please.

Feb 20

A road you won’t want to speed on

-Grant Hollingsworth

With a name like, “Thrill of the Ride,” I figured it was about time this blog had some content about…riding. Seems logical.

This past weekend, my family and I took a trip on the Natchez Trace Parkway from Collinwood, TN to Tupelo, MS; a distance of around 100 miles. Now, that is less than 1/4 of the entire length of the Trace, but it was enough to occupy us for a large portion of the weekend. I must say, it is the best-maintained road I have ever seen. You will not find any litter, potholes, or signs of neglect here. This pristine path winds through some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the southeastern United States and boasts very interesting roadside attractions.

The reason I say you will not want to speed on this road isn’t because of the 50 MPH speed limit or the enforcement thereof by federal officers (although this is true). The reason I say this is because it is, simply, beautiful. If anything, you’ll want to move along under the limit just to prolong your presence. Granted, I did see several performance-minded vehicles. The vast majority of these were convertibles and were driving very conservatively; obviously enjoying an afternoon trek on one of the nation’s most beautiful byways.

This is an experience I strongly recommend to anyone, not just us car buffs. It is quite the sight to see! Without further ado, I’ll leave you with a link to my entire album from this weekend’s excursion. You’re welcome. :)

Natchez Trace Parkway and attraction images

Natchez Trace Parkway info

Feb 18

The Mexican Hotness You’ve Never Heard Of

-Grant Hollingsworth

Meet the Mastretta MXT. (MX = Mexico, T = Transversely mounted engine) If this is the first Mexican designed and built performance car you’ve heard about, don’t worry. You haven’t missed anything. This is the country’s first real crack at the performance car market…and what a crack it is!

Now, Mastretta cut its teeth building urban buses in the 90’s, as well as a less-than-stellar kit car (to the tune of 44 horsepower) late in the decade. Consequently, their credibility as a performance car manufacturer currently hangs in the balance. The MXT, however, is a far cry from any of their previous endeavors. Built on a chassis comprised of aluminum, carbon fiber, and good ol’ steel; this agile creature clocks in at just over 2,000 pounds. You’ll be hard-pressed to find accurate engine specifications by browsing around, so I asked Carlos Sandoval, Communications Manager for the firm, to clear up the issue.

“Our engine is a Ford Duratec 2.0 manufactured in México for some European and American models. The turbo system and all the electronics are custom built and designed for us. The official output is 250 hp.”

250 ponies isn’t exactly the figure you’ll see associated with many modern performance vehicles. Even so, this number works well for the MXT because of its dainty figure. Accordingly, the Mexican 2-door sports a scant 8.2 lb/hp rating. The almighty Corvette coupe manages a 7.6 on this scale; not far ahead.

The Mastretta MXT employs a 5-speed manual gearbox mated to a rear wheel drive system. If these cogs are changed quickly enough, you’ll be on your way to 62 mph in a modest, but respectable 4.9 seconds. The stout Duratec 4 cylinder engine will also take the car to a top speed of 150 mph, much thanks to the snail mounted on its back. The MXT will seemingly be kind to Mother Nature as well, with a fuel consumption rating of 25 mpg.

Don’t expect to see the Mastretta on American streets just yet, as it will reportedly only be initially available in European markets for around $60K. Entrance and certification in the American market is quite a steep hill to climb for such a low-volume company. Uncle Sam is not kind to newcomers. Mastretta says there will only be 150 examples built this year, although that number will surely climb in years to come due to inevitable demand. The MXT is a resounding step in the door for a country so long deprived of a halo car. Mr. Sandoval assures me, “Production starts one and a half months from now.” You go, Mexico.

Mastretta Cars