Petrolicious

André Lotterer was born in a motorsport family. His father had a racing team in Belgium that has been one of the very first ones to play around with Audi rally cars. That was a long-wheelbase Quattro. A wonderful if slightly oblong mix of five cylinders sending power to all four wheels. André loved the sound especially. It was an entryway into motorsport, and soon André began racing karts. It turns out he wasn’t all that bad. In fact he was good enough to drive on the winning team three times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He earned those wins with Audi, completing a pretty impressive circle that began with seeing the rally cars his dad worked with many years ago. To make it an even more comprehensive story, he now calls this souped-up Sport Quattro his daily driver. Not your typical transportation, but then again this is Monaco we’re talking about.

Gregorie Desmons has always had a sensitivity to the aesthetic elements of life, and so for him the first impulses to own classic sports cars came from the question of form rather than horsepower. Though many will argue that art following its purest definition shouldn’t be concerned with anything practical like transportation, we all know the truth to be otherwise. For the same reasons that architecture blends with sculpture, the fact that a machine can be so beautiful to look at while simultaneously providing a solution to a problem very much rooted in cold hard physics is more than enough reason to consider certain cars something far more than a means of moving ourselves around. That’s certainly how Gregorie feels about his Mark III TVR Grantura.

The influence of modified Japanese sports cars found a new high watermark in the car enthusiast community in the 1990s and early 2000s, especially with the younger subset looking for something other than their parents’ favorite European and American fare. Skyline GT-Rs, Toyota Supras, Mazda RX-7s, and their contemporaries provided already-potent bases upon which one could build a truly personalized machine, in regards to both performance and aesthetics, and with outcomes on either end of the spectrum of taste. The model lines were nothing new, but they arguably peaked—and simultaneously—during the 1990s and early 2000s. This is when Aaron Backx grew up, so the obsession with cars like his twin-turbo rotary-powered RX-7 featured in today’s film shouldn’t be surprising. A lot of kids were affected by the so-called Gran Turismo era, but very few of them can say they grew up to own one of the halo cars of the era, Mazda’s ultimate send-off to the iconic RX-7: the Spirit R.

What happens when you call a racing driver out of retirement, stick him in a car designed by a fledgling aerodynamicist just a few years out of school, and send him off to compete in a world-class event? If the driver is two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi and the designer is Adrian Newey, then you get a number one qualifying spot at the 1984 Grand Prix of Miami. The March 83G was part of a new era of motorsport in the early days of Group C and IMSA GTP, and it kicked off what Fittipaldi calls his second career in the sport, one that would see him completing 13 seasons of IndyCar with two wins at the Indianapolis 500 along the way. Today we follow along as he becomes reacquainted with the very same March 83G that he thanks for getting him there.

The mountain roads outside of downtown Los Angeles don’t have much in common with the ovally arenas of stock car racing, but whenever Steve Dauria takes his modified Mercury Marauder out for some exercise on these tangles of asphalt he imbues the place with the spirit of classic NASCAR, from a time when the cars were still ostensibly based on the road-going versions sitting in dealerships awaiting their purchased on the post-race Monday. The distinctively American yawp of the Merc’s V8 (which he built in his garage along with the rest of this stately beast) is enough to make you nostalgic or deaf depending on how close you are to the thing when the pedal’s on the floor. Beyond being an impressive build in its own right, it’s all the better for the fact that Steve’s hands turned the bolts.

Hadrien Le Flanchec started collecting vintage watches when he was about 12 years old, during a time in his life when he would make many visits to small markets with his grandfather to look at chronographs and divers and tanks, and he remembers always being attracted to special dials and special cases like anyone else, but for him it was always about speaking softly and carrying a special movement on your wrist. Watches are what drew Hadrien to cars, and his horological tastes have always manifested as very discreet watches that had special movements powering their timekeeping functions, so the decision to drive a factory hot-rodded Volvo station wagon should be no surprise, seeing as it very much follows that trajectory. An odd but formidable competitor in motorsport guise, the long-roof 850R remains one of the coolest Q cars in its road-going form.

Robin Grove built her career in customs brokerages importing high-end stone and tile into the United States from time to time, but her cargo also frequently included automobiles making long journeys to the United States. Her interest in cars had begun developing in her teens, but after decades of learning the ins and outs of her field—to mention nothing of the fact that she now runs importation businesses around the world—very little time was left over to spend time with her own special car. One day a friend told her that this AC Bristol would be perfect for her, and the rest is history.

To most, a Rolls-Royce is symbolic of a certain standard of life—or at least a certain degree of comfort as you live it—but for David Lee and his father, Hing Wa Lee, the winged Spirit of Ecstasy that’s perched on top of the Phantom’s stout grille stands for gratitude. His father had held the brand in high regard since his teenage years running his own business in Hong Kong, but he never bought one for himself when he could finally afford one, preferring to take care of his family instead. Many years later, David was able to purchase the then-new 2005 Phantom for his dad as a way of saying thank you putting the comfort of their lives before his. His father has since passed away, but David hasn't touched any of the settings in his Phantom, using the experience of driving his car as a way to add to the memory of the man who raised him.

Porsche only built one official Speedster variant of the last air-cooled 911 (the 993), and that car was constructed for none other than Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche. Later on, Jerry Seinfeld would send his 993 Cab to the factory and pay an untold but obviously lofty sum to have it converted. A few third party workshops made their own conversions over the years, but in other words, the 993 Speedster barely exists, and was never sold to the public from Porsche. But for Karen and her husband Jäger, both avid 993 fans, it was a shape too captivating to forget. So, they bought a 993 Cab that already had a few 964 Speedster pieces fitted, did a bunch of research over the course of a few years and few trips around the world, and got to work. With the help of John Fogg, the car that emerged on the other end of their Speedster quest lives up to the one that had taken up residence in their dreams, and they’ve been enjoying the unique P-car ever since.

Often confused for its four-doored siblings, the Mercedes-Benz W111 Coupe is about as stately as cars come. The first of many a great pillar-less coupe with a three-pointed star on its nose, the W111s are arguably among the most regal automobiles ever produced; here is a car designed to be let into the driveway via remote-controlled wrought iron gates. For the owner of this 1968 280SE 3.5 Automatic example, Jayesh Patel, it’s all about the luxury and the history embedded in this big coupe. It’s got an automatic gearbox, and while that may leave heel-toe enthusiasts wanting, you don’t buy these cars for their agility and sportiness. This is the ultimate cruiser, a leather-swaddled land yacht that is equal parts engineering triumph and sensory indulgence.

Loris Kessel received an Alfa Romeo Giulietta from his parents as a present for his 18th birthday—an auspicious beginning to his automotive adventure. He used that little Alfa to get his racing license, and it evolved into a wide-bodied hillclimber of sorts, with his first competitive event being a timed sprint through the hills between Bormio and Stelvio. He continued to pursue motorsports, and after some time in Formulas 3 and 2 Loris found an entry into the top tier of the sport. To race in F1—in any era—is something that few people experience and that many dream of, but to compete in 1976 when Lauda and Hunt were in the throes of their great rivalry surrounded by a grid of stacked talent? That’s something to cherish forever. Loris is sadly no longer with us, but his son Ronnie is keeping the enthusiasm rolling, campaigning his father’s favorite F1 machine in historic racing today.

You’re a Porsche enthusiast running his own restoration and sales operation in the UK. A client’s request for a 1973 Carrera RS sends you to Japan to inspect a possible candidate, and the shop owner mentions another unique Porsche you should see before you fly home later that day. You find a rusty, dust-covered Targa that hasn’t moved for decades. What do you do? For Alan Drayson, founder and proprietor of Canford Classics, the decision was simple: it had to be saved. Saved, but not restored, for how could you erase the history of a Japanese 911 barn find in pursuit of a shinier coat of paint?

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Rich Plavetich became a car enthusiast in his grandfather’s garage while the two of them worked on the white Lincoln Continental featured in today’s film. It came to the family in a roundabout way—the original Continental sold to his grandfather as a new car was in fact a used car, which was replaced with this “executive demo” example—but it set Rich on a path from an early age. At just 19 years old, he landed a job at GM Design, moved to California not long after that, and has been designing cars ever since. His grandfather’s Continental, the one that started it all, is still with him.

If you drive a Spyker long enough, you’ll begin to memorize your answer to the inevitable at-the-gas-station question: what the hell is that thing? The Dutch supercar company can trace its roots back to the late 19th century when it was coach-building cars and airplanes, and even though the current owners have little to do with the origin story, the C8s were still produced in the Netherlands during the car’s decade-plus of limited-series production. Today we take a ride with James Chen and his 2006 C8 Spyder on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

The words “Chevy Impala" don’t tend to have motorsport connotations for most people, but that didn’t stop Dan Gurney from ordering one from the factory in police specification with an aim to take it racing in England. He’d been watching Jaguars dominate the British saloon car series and thought he could put the big Chevy above them on the podiums, so after rebuilding the motor to his liking Mr. Gurney sent his Impala across the Atlantic and proceeded to whoop the competition… for almost one full race. The Impala was leading in its debut before a wheel failure, and upon its return to the grid in the next race was banned from the series. It’s a lesser-known project from a man who earned a laundry list of racing success, but thanks to its current owner Ed Foster, its brief but inspiring underdog story is still being shared today.

Between magazine covers, competing in trail races in East Germany, and On Any Sunday, McQueen proved himself at least as avid a motorcyclist as he was an auto racer. An affinity for Triumphs was replaced by a stronger one for Husqvarna, and while it’s typically hard to pinpoint when our sentiments shift, McQueen became a Husky rider in 1968 after witnessing world champion Bengt Aberg competing on a Viking 360 up and down California. After one particular race in Santa Cruz, he bought Aberg’s bike from him on the spot. It was his first of a great many Husqvarna’s, and an important piece of moto pop culture, one of those pivotal and crucial steps that can be overlooked at times in favor of what’s on the glossy front cover.

Growing up, Raul Marchisio wanted nothing more than to stop going to school so he could start working, and he wanted to start working so he could go go-karting. Many young boys interested in fast cars entertain similar thoughts at some point, but Raul was more persistent than most, and after he began racing karts without his parents’ let’s call it, explicit blessing, he found that he was actually quite good at it. He made the transition into larger fare soon enough, but rather than larger single-seaters or even touring cars, Raul took up a career as a rally driver until an accident precluded him from taking it any further. On a friend’s suggestion he decided to pivot and try to make a living selling cars and motorsport gear in Monaco. Though his dreams of becoming a professional racer were cut short, he’s still able to live out another one from his childhood every time he takes out his Countach.

You can drive this Jaguar XK120 on the street today thanks to classic plates, but you might want to take owner William Foster’s advice and put on a helmet if you plan to do so with any pace. The diminutive wind deflector will only catch a few errant bugs, and after all, the car was built to race rather than putt-putt about town. One of the three XK120s that the Jaguar factory prepared and selectively doled out to private teams for the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans, this car was a pioneering piece of Jaguar’s dominance of the race in the decade to come. Giving way to the C- and D-Types that would earn five wins at Le Mans (two for the C-Type, a hat trick for the D-Type), this XK120 is a special piece of British racing history.

Drew Sidaris received a Honda Trail 50 minibike at the formative age of eight, and his neighbor at the time had a full size dirt bike that he’d compete with at the old Indian Dunes compound before the motocross tracks were closed off. The building blocks of a motorsport enthusiast were there, and needless to say, growing up in Hollywood meant Drew was no stranger to the sight of an exotic automobile either. He’s wanted to be a racing car driver ever since his childhood, and was finally able to realize that dream when he and a good friend bought this Chevy 210 and set about getting it ready for the Carrera Panamericana. Drew drove the car in the race three times between 1989 and 1991, made it his daily driver for a seven-year span, and has even loaned it out to be raced by others when he wasn’t able to, though he hopes it will stay in the family long after he’s gone.

The Datsun was “sort of a college graduation present from myself to myself” says Chris Bury, the son element of the father-and son team that slide and jump and guide this ruggedly modified 240Z. Together with his dad, TJ, Chris has already checked off one successful completion of the challenging Peking to Paris endurance rally in the 240Z that began as a rusty project plucked from the local classifieds, and the two are about to set out on their second attempt with the same car this summer. What was once a tired Craigslist special became a half-finished canyon carver, only to finally morph into this competent, rugged rally car that’s about to go the distance, again.

Describing his 1967 Jeep Commando as a “survivor [he] came-across,” and himself as its caretaker, Alex Earle has a duty-of-care to the vehicles in his custodianship many would envy. Proof that if you see a car in the street that speaks to you you should always put a card on the windshield. Alex purchased the Commando in just such a way from a guy in Santa Monica, and then went about bringing it back to life. He also turned it into the perfect truck to haul around another of his mechanical passions, namely the 1994 Ducati M900 also featured in this week’s film. Described by himself as a “volumetric study … far more akin to the design of a car,” and built up over a period of many years, Alex’ M900 would go on to inform his career when the company he worked for acquired Ducati, bringing full-circle one of his greatest passions in life: designing motorcycles.

Dave Poole says that the day he gets fed up with driving will be the day that he passes his 1969 Reliant Scimitar GTE on to someone else who can enjoy its quirks and charms. But after 21 years of dutiful ownership, there are no signs of that day arriving anytime soon. An avid collector of the now-defunct marque’s memorabilia, Dave’s turned his home into an in-progress museum to all things Reliant; his Scimitar GTE (Gran Turismo Estate) was the first one he went to view, and though he has made a series of tasteful modifications to the 3.0L Ford Essex V6, it remains a fantastic example. Though given the budget he would like to return the car to its original color and take care of a few bodywork imperfections, for the moment Dave, his wife, and the Scimitar—all of whom are turning 50 in 2019—are content traveling the English countryside together, and partaking in the occasional track day.

For Jean-Francois, the first time he locked eyes with this special Renault became a deeply ingrained memory, a driving force; despite being just a boy, his passion for the Renault 5 Turbo surpassed all of the typical supercar choices. During school hours, he’d obsess over cut-away drawings and articles, vowing to own one. His first car was a work-in-progress, taking a standard Renault 5 Turbo and gradually buying the parts required to get closer and closer to that holy Cévennes Group 4 style, and always staying within the general ethos of the Renault design philosophy of light, purposeful engineering. Jean-Francois bought and sold cars through the early years of his life as a motorist, but kept returning to the R5 Turbo, until one day he was afforded the opportunity to buy an ex-Buscari Tour de Corse R5, No.11 of just 20 produced in-period.

“Fast, dangerous, and heavy,” is how Eddie Berrisford describes cars like the 1908 Mors featured in this film; they truly were born out of the desire to push the boundaries of the then-fledgeling internal combustion engine, and for what they did for the development of the motor car we should all be very grateful indeed. The last of the so-called “Monster cars,” and purportedly the last Mors of its kind still in existence, the 1908 wound up at the Revs Institute in Naples having been down in Argentina racing in-period before sitting dormant following a catastrophic breakdown; and it was Eddie who took it upon himself to bring the car back to life.

This 1971 BMW 2002 had been more or less static since the mid-1990s when Elina found it on Craigslist, and it was being sold without wheels to make things even easier to get rolling again... After shorting the engine with some copper wire to hear it turning over, and then discovering the purported five-speed gearbox was in fact only a four, Elina still went through with the sale and set about stripping back the years of neglect, and building the car up in a rally spec in time to complete driver’s school and qualifying for her first rally, an activity she now regularly partakes in. Built not bought, Elina has fostered a bond with her BMW few others can boast to have.

Gabriel Valentin has been passionate about rallying since the 1990s. Watching Auriol at the Rallye Monte-Carlo during Toyota’s fruitful years in the sport, Gabriel longed to one day drive a full-size version of the Celica remote-controlled car that echoed the one his hero was sliding on the television. Many years later, Gabriel and his friend were aided by Toyota in creating a replica of the iconic Castro-liveried Group A rally car, but Gabriel made a career for himself in marketing rather than motorsport. The affinity for the now-vintage rally cars never waned despite the desk jobs, and eventually he landed a rather good one with Martini Racing, which provided the perfect opportunity to create this Lancia.

You might remember the Caccavos from one of our earlier films, wherein we visited Dean, DonnaRae, and Austin to profile the family and their trio of BMW 5-Series, and although the M5 is a certifiable heirloom at this point, on our most recent check-in with them we found a group of British trucks in place of the German sedans. Range Rovers have been a part of Dean and DonnaRae’s lives for decades now, but when their son Austin—who basically grew up in the back seat of one—started to view the SUVs as more than just suburban familymobiles with lots of leg room, the Caccavos found themselves experiencing a kind of Range Rover renaissance that saw each of them owning a Classic from the early 1990s. Better yet, they are using the trucks to the full range of their capabilities, from Home Depot runs to snowboarding excursions to exploring the woods for the sake of it.

If a modern car finishes the 24 Hours of Le Mans it is thought of as being a competent and well-built endurance machine, but surviving the day-long test of speed and reliability in the early decades of motorsport was an achievement of an entirely different degree. Still recuperating after World War 1 in the mid 1920s, Aston Martin hired A.C. “Bert” Bertelli to lead the marque’s technical development, and being a racing driver himself, Bertelli knew the importance of endurance racing as both a tool for marketing and mechanical evolution. He led Aston Martin back to Le Mans with a new series of appropriately named LM cars, and though they didn’t topple the mighty Alfa Romeos in France, they were strong contenders and important pieces of racing history. For today’s film, we’ve assembled three of these special Astons—LM8, LM9, and LM10—to revisit the story.

Perry Solomon was very young when he discovered that he liked driving. That’s normal for plenty of kids, but not many would take their dad’s Chevy Nova off of motorcycle jumps either. When he moved to California in the late 1980s Perry found himself surrounded by cars and events of every variety, while Concorso Italiano and Pebble Beach were the ones that he most enjoyed and dreamed of one day participating in. Along the way, Perry discovered the story of Carlo Abarth, the legendary Viennese-born Italian car tuner. Having always been drawn to smaller, low-volume production Italian cars, finding one that combines the histories of Abarth and Zagato is about as good as it gets.

Gilles Escuyer is something of a Bultaco enthusiast. The name of the Barcelona-based motorcycle manufacturer was revived a few years ago with an eye toward electric power, but as Gilles and his friends prove, the old two-stroke models won’t soon be forgotten. The model featured in today’s film is one of Gilles’ favorites from his collection—a 1967 Metralla 250 Mk2—and it was among the fastest bikes of its time in addition to being the first Spanish machine to compete at the famed Isle of Man TT. In other words, it’s a historically significant motorcycle, and though it’s been carefully restored it still gets its bouts of exercise in the French countryside near the city of Reims.

An endling is the last known individual of a species or subspecies. Once the endling dies, the species becomes extinct. And while the Jaguar brand lives on, some might say that the 1994 Jaguar XJ12 was one of the last of a certain kind of Jaguar. It is that lovely V12 that drew Peter Muurman to select this very model. While many enthusiasts will associate a twelve-cylinder with a particular Italian brand, there was a time when no country estate, or a country club, was complete without an automobile such as this prowling the grounds. This is not a machine built for raw speed, as Peter finds that with his two-wheeled racers, it has been selected for its refinement and luxury, and of course its twelve-cylinders. It could be said that with this particular Jaguar, elegance has been turned up to twelve.

Steve Bolton is a child of the ‘80s, so the fact that he was influenced by a certain Hawaiian detective TV show is no surprise. The allure of the Pininfarina-styled body and the distinctive roar of the V-8 is a combination that’s hard to resist, no matter your age. The Ferrari 308 came after the unloved Bertone 308GT4, and many felt this was finally a worthy successor to the voluptuous curves of the Dino a few years prior. The 1977 Ferrari 308 was also the first year of steel-bodied cars, instead of fiberglass, plus it had the desirable carbureted engine. Not many people get the chance to drive their childhood dreams, but in today’s film, this is precisely what happens. Even though this particular model is a GTB, versus the famous GTS, the emotion, and sound, is just as exciting.

According to Dodge, the 1997 Viper GTS was the more civilized version of the infamous Viper RT/10 Roadster that came just before it. Of course, civility meant things like door handles and windows, hardly the levels of luxury one was accustomed to at the time. After all, this was the year of Titanic with Leo and the first Harry Potter book – two things that shared nothing in common with this machine. It weighed barely more than a Porsche 911 Turbo but had a V-10 stuffed in it. In 1997, this was as raw as it gets.

Jose Maria Rubio is an automotive journalist who’s always kept a keen eye on the world of motorsport, and especially the disciplines that don’t require smooth tarmac. He began covering the half-expedition, half-endurance race called the Camel Trophy back in 1987 with the Spanish teams, and subsequently traveled through the world’s harshest and most remote terrain for the next decade while calling it his day job. Enthralled with what Africa had to offer in particular, Jose Maria also followed the infamous Dakar Rally, but among the ruggedly high-tech rally cars, workhorse 4x4s, and sand dune slicing motorcycles, a Camel Trophy-spec Land Rover was the vehicle he’d long hoped to call his own. Mechanically fresh but aesthetically original (and better for it), he still puts the Sandglow yellow Disco through its paces.

Massimo “Miki" Biasion describes himself as a failed architect who dedicated his life to racing cars, and he has been involved with rally cars in particular for a while now. The 61-year-old remains the only Italian driver who's won the World Rally Championship (WRC) since the four-wheel drive cars took over in the early 1980s (and he took the title two years in a row no less); he drove the iconic Lancia 037s and Delta S4s during the high-performance, high-risk Group B era before enjoying a dominant period in the early years of Group A; and today his business is devoted to the restoration and upkeep of the rally cars he competed with in period.

Tony Parkinson has been an Austin-Healey enthusiast for a long time. First contact came in the form of a 100S he spotted as a 10-year-old, and as proof of that moment’s staying power, 43 years later Tony would get the keys to the same car. In addition to fulfilling his childhood street car dream, he also owns the race car featured in today’s film, an ex-works Austin-Healey 3000 MkII Sebring. One of just three built to contend the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1963, these cars were taken off the assembly line and put through a comprehensive upgrade regiment of non-homologated parts that saw the cars racing in the prototype class. We catch up with Tony and this remarkable piece of Healey history to enjoy the rare treat of taking a proper factory-built race car onto the track.

*paid advertising from hyundai dressed up as usual Petrolicious content* Mason Filippi is a young guy living in California. He races cars for a living. Put those two facts together, and you might think he’d be a little jaded when it comes to automobiles that have the capacity to excite. And yet, despite competing with a factory-backed team in a major racing series, Mason’s enthusiasm for his daily driver is still pure puppy dog. Racing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Series with the TCR version of the Hyundai Veloster N, his road car—a 2019 Veloster N—is the perfect complement to the tool of his trade.

The 105 Series Alfa Romeos, the Giulias, are widely loved. They are also widely raced. Giulia coupes and sedans are a common choice for enthusiasts looking for a vintage car to modify and take to the track, and back in the 1960s Alfa Romeo had a similar idea. They built a few racing-oriented versions of the 105 Series through their Autodelta competition division, but in 1963 the Tubolare Zagato was the most radical development by far. It featured a tube frame chassis, all aluminum coachwork by Zagato, and it was homologated a year later. This example went to California when it was new in ’64, where it lived a hard life as a race car before David Eichenbaum picked up the project decades later. With help from devoted Alfa restorer Conrad Stevenson, it has been returned to its former glory.

Cici Muldoon has led an interesting life already. Growing up in Mexico, she was on track to become a dancer before she moved to the United States to study physics at Princeton. A phD then brought her to Oxford, and after a bout in Switzerland following grad school, she has settled (for the moment) in the English countryside. The Cotswolds offer quintessential British B-road driving, and Cici’s Triumph TR3 fits into the area almost too perfectly. Her Ferrari Dino and its unique color scheme stand out a little more. She’s named the 246 GTS “Viola,” but affectionately refers to her as a bit of a pimpmobile too. After all, it is a mid-engine Italian sports car with purple paintwork and a removable roof.

To share what Petrolicious Membership is all about we're premiering a full episode of our new show, Homologation Specials. Join our legendary host, Alain de Cadenet, behind the wheel of the Group B car that never was - the 288GTO that went on to define 80's supercar design.

Is it practical to ride an Italian sportbike from Amsterdam to Cape Town? Hardly. But if you have the mechanical know-how to improvise repairs on a Ducati 998 in the middle of the desert, the only thing holding you back from a continent-crossing adventure is the will to start one—at least according to Peter Muurman. He has some solid supporting evidence though, seeing as he’s taken his 998 through 54 countries and racked up nearly 100,000km in the process. It takes a certain outlook on life to take on journeys of this scale, and if you complete them, you’ll never see the world the same way again.

Over the last year, we've followed the journey of Kurht Gerhardt, his copilot Derek Boycks and their Porsche 912 in preparation for one of the most difficult rallies on Earth - the Peking to Paris.

The morning air is brisk and patched with fog, and the last colors of autumn are giving in to winter greys for the next few months, but it’s not quite time to stow the cars away for the season. Before you start brewing your morning coffee in the comfort of your warm kitchen, find an excuse to do a caffeine run in your car instead of your pajamas. In this episode, we follow a Marcos Mantula through Belgian backroads, getting the most out of its pre-hibernation workout. We hope wherever you are, it’s not too late to take the “fun car” out for something similar.

In the years after the Second World War, this blue boattail roadster could be seen racing around the French coastline with a woman and her dog occupying the two seats. Mrs. Roux and her faithful furry companion, Mowgli, were not your typical participants in motorsport, but their’s was a story that captivated Michel Lampidakis, the current owner of this Amilcar Pégase G36. He is quick to point out that other race cars of the day were more technologically advanced and robust, but those measures seem hardly to matter this many years after the fact. Michel finds great enjoyment in owning this little-known piece of French racing history, and he doesn’t just let it sit to collect dust either, as you can see in today’s film where he invites us out for a ride in the French countryside

Tess Wood grew up as a self-professed tomboy who helped her dad with his off-road projects. At one point, he owned a Ford truck and a Chevy truck that they’d wrench on together. Tess always preferred the Ford though, and now she drag races a Ford Maverick with a nitrous oxide system and a fully built motor with a supercharger strapped to it to make more than 500hp. When the Maverick line was launched in 1969, it was intended to be something of an American answer to fuel-efficient compact imports, but when Jess launches her highly modified ’73 example off the line at Pomona, it’s wont to do a wheelie. It’s a transformation that’s seven years in the making, and seeing as she’s chasing the eighth-mile stock short block record, it’s one that she’s far from done with. And her methodology is sound: “Build it, make it faster, break it, figure out how to fix it, and then make it faster again.”