See you in one week.

I'll leave you with this as I say goodbye for one week's holiday. In the meantime keep sending in emails and links to exhaustpipedreams@gmail.com

Happy motoring!

America's answer to the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead?

Read more here.

I'd have one. Just saying.

World's Greatest Drag Race

I think the host says it all. They're doing this because they can. You've gotta see this.

Tyring work.

I remember growing up there was a guy who had simple swans made out of old tyres. This Belgian artist take recycled tyres to the next level. They are incredible, although... I still wouldn't want one in my garden. See more here.

New Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3

Nismo stands for Nissan Motorsport International and is the performance arm of Nissan, like the AMG to Mercedes. And this is their new baby. Wow.

Ouch!

A Manchester policeman has written-off a £33,000 VW Golf R while test-driving it. Read on here.

Hummers dropping from the sky.

This is amazing. Look how relaxed the troops are as they sit either side of the launch slide.

World's smallest V12 Engine

Now, I'm not much of an engineering guy. For me it's all about the styling and lines of beautiful cars. But because I know there's people out there, like my Dad, who love this stuff...start your tiny engines now!



Via

HellaFlush

Check out this video on car culture, Japanese style. With beautifully crisp photography, you really feel like you're there. There certainly are some sweet (and some sour) rides.



Via

2013 Corvette 427

Thoughts?

Arrive in style.

The BBC has reported on the Coffin exhibition at London's Southbank Centre so it got me interested to see what car coffins there might be. It didn't take me long to find some!

Fail

Be warned, this is painful to even watch! I figure there's enough car mishaps to justify its posting. Enjoy.

Classic wrecks

Do you love buying brand new model cars but hate them looking brand new? Why not buy a custom made model car wreck?

I've got a few reasons why not. But clearly some people must buy them- even at this price! Check out the full range here.

Axe wound.

This seems a little staged but hell, you still get to see a car destroyed in one, massive, slice.

Courtesy of Aussie Prank Channel.

25 year old crashes Ferrari

In more news from Oz today, a 25 year old has lost control of a black Ferrari 612 Scaglietti in Sydney- crashing into a car, two female bystanders and the front of a house. The two woman have been taken to hospital with spinal injuries. What terrible news all round.

Read on here.

Pictured: The accident scene in Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia.

Nose to Tail manufacturing.

I didn't realise that Australia is one of the few countries who manufacture cars from start to finish, as opposed to the practice of sourcing different parts or components or even assembly. Some in Australia want to see the industry protected, while others think it doesn't make economic sense to have high levels of protectionism on Australian car manufacturing, especially when cars now come so cheaply from Asia. Secondly, Australia already has an enormous luxury import tax on foreign luxury cars which is why flash cars in Oz are eye-wateringly expensive.

Check out this article about the state of play in Oz.

Pictured: The Holden Caprice, Australia's flagship and only locally built limousine. These are badged as Chevrolets in the Middle East and other markets.

Ford used to have the Fairlane and LTD but the introduction of the Chrysler 300 was the nail in Ford's flagship coffin. 

Pictured below: The late Ford LTD. 

Pictured below: The fully imported Chrysler 300

Enjoy this road test of the Holden Caprice, courtesy of "carshowroom".

And despite me being from a loyal 'Ford Family' whether it's watching the Bathurst 1000 or just the traffic, you have to admit this new concept from Holden Australia is AMAZING...

Remote control c....razy.

Put your hands up for Detroit.

Look what's hot from Detroit's 2012 International Motor Show. Behold the return Honda's NSX and check out the new Lexus. Wow!

Mmm-ondeo

How hot is the new Ford Mondeo? Everyone is already obsessive over the Aston Martin front end. It really is a very sexy car. Good one, Ford!

Technical Time.

When I was a kid my favourite thing was lego and then suddenly it got even better when they brought out Lego Technic. But the types I used to make are a far cry from what they come out with now. Check out this.

BUSTED!

This is a great lesson in covering your tracks. One of my favourite quotes from the mafia film, Goodfellas is when Robert DeNiro says: "Don't buy anything. Don't get anything. Nothing big. Didn't you hear what I said? You're going to get us all pinched. What are you, stupid?" One of the idiots went and bought a brand new Cadillac Coupe. Needless to say, the bosses weren't happy because this drew the authority's attention to them.

And in life imitating art, the Italian authorities have blitzed a cashed-up ski resort and audited the owners of luxury and super cars which swamp the alpine resort. They found that a third of the owners had declared incomes of less than 22,000 Euros a year. Dodgy.

Read the article here.

Hello 2012

Hi Motor Mates, welcome to 2012. Let's kick off Exhaust Pipe Dream's first posting with The Telegraph's motoring section's 10 Exciting cars for 2012. Here is the link to the full article but between you and I...these are the most exciting- The Alfa Romeo 4C and the Jaguar C-X16.

Merry Christmas

What do you buy for that special person in your life who already has everything? Probably some nice wine and cheese I imagine. On the other hand though, you could opt for this.

Behold US-based Neiman Marcus's 2012 Ferrari FF, a four-wheel drive, 651 horsepower, V12, limited edition 1/10 prancing horses, listed here.



Some might baulk at gift-wrapping US$335,000/ £226,000 in these uncertain economic times but with matching caramel leather luggage and Ferrari's 7-year complimentary servicing, you'd be mad not to.

And on that note...Merry Christmas from Exhaust Pipe Dreams. Keep the pics and emails coming in over the holidays to exhaustpipedreams@gmail.com

Happy motoring!

I spy with my little eye PT2

I was walking to a client's office on Saturday and look what was outside St Paul's Cathedral. This Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II was tucked into a quiet side street waiting for the big moment and the bells.

So this made me curious. How much is it for a wedding car like this? The answer is...about £500 for four hours for this silver RR Silver Cloud II.

And for further entertainment, I found this episode of Automobiles Deluxe on the Silver Cloud MI really interesting. 

I spy with my little eye PT1

I was walking through Soho in London's West End recently and saw a very rare sight. This is an HSV (General Motors Holden Special Vehicles) Clubsport and is a petrol-head's favourite from Down Under. It is the Aussie answer to an M5 or E55. These cars are badged as a Vauxhall VXR8 here in the UK and retail for just under £50,000. In Australia they retail for just under AUD$70,000 which when converted is almost price matched like for like.

Check out this from Australian Top Gear where you get a sense of these big engined muscle cars.






Wiki says: 350 VXR8s per year were scheduled for official importation into the UK, at a price of £35,105. The LS3 V8 is particularly popular among tuners in the USA, so performance parts are widely available. The most dramatic warranted upgrade is the £7,000 supercharger kit, which ups power to 395 kW (537 PS; 530 hp). Imports to the US were previously sold as Pontiac G8, with V6, L76 V8, or an LS3 V8 engine in the GXP trim. The supercharged edition Bathurst VXR8 was reviewed on Top Gear, and its power-lap time was 1 min 26.3 seconds, a similar time to the current BMW M5.

In July 2010, Autocar reported that, "VXR8 was quietly dropped from the pricelists several months ago" after stocks ran out. However, a face-lifted version based on the new HSV E3 GTS was released to the UK market in April 2011 at a price of around £49,500, almost £15,000 more than the previous VXR8, but significantly cheaper than most of its rivals, like the Mercedes E63 AMG and BMW M5. Vauxhall is currently offering the 2011 Clubsport to UK customers as a special order model.

How to blow your engine.

Am I alone in suggesting this guy deserves it?

Bentley's new V8 note.

Oh. My. God.

This is going to really upset some viewers. Check out this Super Car Sunday-drive smash from Japan over the weekend which included 8 Ferraris, 3 Mercs and a Lambo. Click here to read the story.

Bentley with a 27L spitfire engine.

Read all about it here, courtesy of The Telegraph.

Christmas Garage Door Stickers

See these and a huge range more at Style Your Garage Door.

New Sweeney Wheels

Yesterday I posted about the star-car of the original British TV Series, The Sweeney. So what do you think would be the modern equivalent of a 70s Ford Granada? Well the producers have stayed loyal to Ford and think it's a hotted up Ford Focus. Read on here.

Maybach Accelero

Imagine one of these coming up behind you. You'd think it was Bruce Wayne!

World's most amazing Police Cars.

Each to their own, I guess.

The Sweeney Ford Granada

I didn't grow up with this show so this vehicle is news to me. Check out the article from The Telegraph, here.

Mazda Takeri

What a stunning car. This looks amazing. And it's a Mazda! Love it. Why can't Toyota and Honda up their game in the looks department?

2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet

Thoughts?

New shoes for life?

Oh. Brake shoes.

Anyway, this still sounds like a good deal. Read this article about how Halfords is offering free parts and labour...for LIFE!

A face only a mother could love.

Is it just me or are BMW's getting uglier by the year? Here is the new 3 series model.

How did they go from this...

To this?

New Defender

If I lived somewhere warm, had lots of money and about five other cars, and you bought this for me as a gift, I would probably drive it.

It looks very, very fun. I don't think I'd buy one though.

Thoughts?