Tag Archives: sports cars

The famous road-trip novel, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, made the simple act of keeping machines running seem all fine and dandy, a worthy pursuit that teaches life lessons as much as practical problem-solving. But just as anyone who regularly wrenches on cars or bikes will admit, I have undoubtedly experienced some of my most frustrated moments while covered in grit and grease, knuckles bloodied and hands shaking, stuck in a bizarre stew of furious exhaustion.

The logistics of actually riding classic motorcycles over long distances forced the semi-autobiographical author Robert M. Persig to pack light on a Honda Super Hawk, but the realities of working on multiple makes and models of cars and motorcycles over the past decade-plus of my life all combined to teach me one very simple rule.

The right tool makes all the difference.

Skip to section:

• Michael’s story (what to know)
• Michael’s shopping list (what to buy)

(Editor’s note: Keep an eye out for the all-star tools that saved Michael’s ass! We’ll drop them in a final shopping list down below. Happy reading, and happy shopping.)

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A master’s degree in absolute amateurism

Like most backyard or driveway mechanics, I started working on a high-mileage 2001 Audi TT I bought, hoping to teach myself to master a manual transmission by commuting in a beater with a clutch pedal. I wore out my right arm and left quad driving that stick shift through stop-and-go LA traffic for four hours once on the way back from Palm Springs, slid around on snow and ice in Mammoth, and ripped through every local canyon as fast as the Haldex-based Quattro AWD allowed. I loved the squat little pill car, though the relative heft inspired some light modifications over two years in the form of a Stage 1 REVO tune and a thicker H&R rear sway bar.

I installed that uprated rear sway bar myself on my back in a cold garage while doing my absolute best to keep the rest of the suspension at least serviceable. Over even a relatively brief ownership period, I quickly realized that I needed to do the smaller jobs myself. Otherwise, the TT would have happily eaten me out of house and home as the electronics increasingly went on the fritz.

While an Audi served as solid practice, by the time my stick shift skillz felt solid enough, I similarly felt confident enough in my own wrenching abilities to trade up into a 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera 4—back before values skyrocketed, obviously, after I sunk so much capital into the TT. The 911 was also my first true performance car, so I wanted to get it truly dialed in with refreshed suspension, additional cooling to help prevent oil starvation (the real 996 engine killer that nobody talks about amid the IMS bearing fiasco), and an el cheapo Amazon short shift kit I purposefully marred to add a bit more weight to the throw. 

But I still needed to do all the oil changes, filter replacements, and random other minor jobs to save up in case anything serious went wrong—and to help combat the Porsche parts tax, a known quantity. Next up, a pair of pandemic purchases: a 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo that I built up for mild overlanding and ski season storm chasing, plus a 1971 Porsche 914 that I bought as a disassembled project. (Please don’t ask, I am entirely beyond saving.)

That Cayenne sold recently and the 914 still lives in a shipping container next to a rebuilt engine and transaxle on tables. In reality, as the pandemic travel restrictions have steadily lifted and automotive journalism picked up in pace, I now spend most of my wrench time doing mostly smaller jobs on the two cars I actually daily drive and off-road regularly: a 1998 Mitsubishi Montero and a 1997 Pajero Evolution.

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Close scrapes in tight spaces

I’ve revisited all of the above only to serve as a bit of background, establishing my relative bonafides as a total nerd bordering on insolvency who pours money and time I objectively do not have into passion projects that make no sense. So when the going gets tough, and the prospect of sending one of my cars to a professional mechanic crops up because of some mistake I’ve made, the frustration begins building…

The latest close scrape occurred not while working on one of my babies but instead while helping a fellow Pajero Evo owner prepare to refresh his front suspension and steering. Dan, a similarly insane former Aston Martin product manager who still owns two Astons despite professionally knowing better (not to mention a Ferrari and the PajEvo), showed up with tie rod ends, ball joints, both the idler and pitman arms, sway bar end links and bushings, and even front struts. A big list for a single day, to be sure, but one that came to a grinding halt when we reached the point of pulling off what sure looked like the original pitman arm.

Luckily, the project ended with only minor injuries—and the need for a new set of just about every bearing and ball joint puller currently for sale on the planet.

As we proceeded first to loosen the sway bar end links, then inner and outer tie rods, I sprayed the pitman arm with WD-40 penetrating oil a few times. By the time the final steering ball joint (the pitman arm’s own) popped out using the smaller of our two ball joint pullers, the pitman arm’s connection to the steering box looked absolutely drenched. And yet, using a 36-millimeter socket for the massive retaining nut—that just happened to measure the same diameter as a Volkswagen Bus axle nut—even a three-foot cheater bar required a ton of effort to break the rust loose.

And that was just for the nut. Next up came multiple attempts to pull the pitman arm itself off the splined shaft coming down from the steering box. The smaller of our two-ball joint pullers had a narrow mouth and minimal travel for the lever arm, but even the bigger couldn’t split the wide splined shaft. Time to get a legit bearing puller out. No luck on the first try, which seemed to strain the puller immensely with the full torque of the cheater bar once again in use.

Time to dig deep into the realm of heating and hammering. I torched, Dan sledged, and vice versa. We torched and sledged a bit together and then luckily realized fairly quickly that maybe heating and hammering just below the steering box might be a bad idea. Back to square one: more penetrating oil. We let the pitman arm sit for a bit and focused on other parts of the job to let the penetrating oil, you know, penetrate.

Back at it with a larger puller, aligned perfectly and cheater bar at a max stretch, we still saw no movement. I scraped away with a pick, trying to clear out any crud, then put more muscle into the puller, which gave up the goose and broke off at the neck. And this is for an American-made piece of Craftsman history!

At this point, we needed to start reassembly so that Dan could get home before midnight, so we gave up, too, and hastily threw the new tie rod ends and sway bar components back on. Driving home, he reported how much of a difference even those new parts made in the suspension and steering feel—lending a sense of purpose and pride to the mission thus far.

Stop, drop, and eat dinner

The next day, deciding wisdom was the better part of valor, I did a few more odd jobs on my own PajEvo, including swapping on a new set of upper front ball joints. But I left the pitman arm untouched. I’d already installed new tie rod ends, new sway bar end links, and a new idler arm, but the new upper front ball joints tightened up the steering better than even replacing my torn-up tie rod ends. Very interesting, the result being a piqued curiosity on how much of a difference a new pitman arm might make along with my new lower ball joints.

And so, the next weekend, I set out to do just that—albeit now armed with the beefiest set of pullers ever amassed in history, as well as a new penetrating oil that promised even better rust removal according to reviews online. I measured my Montero’s pitman arm since the PajEvo generally shares steering components with the Gen 2.5. But I still felt a bit of trepidation as I loosened my new tie rods and hinged down my new sway bar end links to make room around the pitman arm again.

This time, knowing I didn’t want to use the torch or sledgehammer, I sprayed the Moovit liberally all over the pitman arm splines in advance. The pitman arm’s ball joint popped off, no problemo, and my nut required much less effort than the one on Dan’s truck (the benefits of a slightly less corroded underbelly, Dan’s having lived a few years in the UK before he bought it off CollectingCars.com). Applying more Moovit, I scraped away at any gunk beneath the pitman arm and saw plenty of rusty dust flowing off. Time to give these new pullers a go.

At first, I struggled to get the bigger jaws aligned since my sway bar now blocked some access. But then the big, beefy Harbor Freight (Pittsburgh) puller seemed to grip well, and I started applying some arm strength with the breaker bar. No luck. I loosened up that puller and tried a couple of the even larger versions, one of which proceeded to bend dramatically at the neck. And yet, still no movement, hmmmm.

More Moovit and maybe time to slip on the cheater. Sure enough, with a bit more juice, more length, and the Harbor Freight puller back in place, maybe flexing just a bit, the pitman slammed down off the splines with a loud crack. Not broken, but this time, I had left the large nut in place, hoping to prevent parts from flying everywhere—a lesson learned best by Dan the previous weekend when we almost broke his finger in carelessness.

I scrubbed away at the pitman arm splines and began reassembly, but not before spending a few hours trying to replace my lower front ball joints—all in vain, since the Mitsubishi engineers who completely redesigned the lower A-arms to house the same Gen-2.5 lower ball joints in a position that looked better for quick removal on a homologated racecar, in fact, only made removal harder. And in my haste, frustration building and darkness falling as I hoped to avoid a seemingly inevitable full hub removal, I began to tear an unobtanium CV axle boot. Time to stop for dinner and reassess in the morning.

Next time, I’ll be a pro

That night, at least I rested reassured that Dan’s pitman arm job could be completed with the right tools—a beefier puller and, in this case, “tools” also referring to the hardcore penetrating oil. “Next time I do this job, I’ll be a pro,” I always tell myself. The next morning, I reassembled my front end without the new lower ball joints and went for a test drive, with the steering a bit tighter but a newfound clunk on the right front where I’d struggled for hours the previous night. So, the next test of willpower, problem-solving, and patience will definitely be that front hub removal. Of course, that begs the question of what new tools might I need then.

Now, I’m lucky. I work on my own cars in front of my tiny apartment and in the back alley, out on off-roading trails, and stopped on the side of a highway. But I also have access to all my dad’s tools, and he’s a former contractor with just about everything known to man on hand. That 36-mm socket? He probably bought it in 1969. I’ve unwrapped brand-new tools from the 1970s. Hell, we even have Whitworth tools. So thanks, Dad, if you’re reading this. Of course, the convenience of internet research, quick modern shipping, and local Harbor Freight stores also help a ton.

But Dad also bears a lot of the blame for many of the messes I get myself into and (usually) out of. He probably sparked the obsession with cars and motorcycles in me at a young age and spends plenty of his own time wrenching on his two Monteros, two 1967 Volvo Amazons, and an E36 M3. Hence, from a young age, his incessant proselytizing about the right tool made all the difference. This guy would rather drive to the store than spend time struggling—and he’s spent a lifetime learning that lesson building homes for wealthy celebrities in West LA.

Lessons for the often uncoachable

Dad also spent much of my childhood jokingly referring to me as “uncoachable” (my many teachers, as well as football and lacrosse coaches, all agreed, I can admit.) As a case in point, I recently replaced the O2 sensors on my Montero in the street in front of the apartment. With tight spaces and no leverage, I couldn’t use my smallest socket because it needed to fit around the sensor wires. Multiple bloody knuckles and a torrent of swearing later, I drove to Harbor Freight and picked up an O2 sensor wrench. The job required all of five minutes, no injuries, and zero four-letter words once armed with the right tool. 

Have I learned? Maybe. Every job well done brings a certain sense of satisfaction, making the car or motorcycle more fun to drive. (Bonus: the new addition of working on motorcycles requires a whole new set of unknown tools!) But a bunch of random helpful tools have become indispensable along the way. It is not just a set of every socket extension length possible but also two different torque wrenches for larger and smaller projects. I use a multimeter all the time on these old trucks. I have oil filter wrenches in the proper size for each vehicle I own (and a few more that fit Dad’s available if I need them). Ratcheting box wrenches in metric and imperial save arm muscles by the end of the day. Hex drivers, in addition to hex wrenches, truly help on bicycles, cars, and motorbikes alike. A box for figuring out threads on screws and bolts saves a ton of time flipping through random boxes on the shelf at the hardware store. And a good circlip pick also makes all the difference while effectively doubling as a rust scraper on a stuck pitman arm when required.

Getting the job done sometimes requires making modifications to the tools on hand. Like one time, I needed to shave down a box wrench to squeeze in and loosen a control arm nut for the 996’s rear suspension. Other times, though, Murphy’s Law simply reigns supreme. And even when armed with every tool in the known universe, when things go wrong, the old stomach-churning frustration still bubbles up. 

Tricks I’ve noticed that can help to stave off the strings of curse words: Always eat a full meal before starting a project and take plenty of water or snack breaks. Try not to have a time crunch and plan stop-start decision points in any workflow process before reaching points of no return. Do the research in advance and ask for advice from more knowledgeable friends—in the cases of the Montero and Pajero, I find plenty of support from a helpful community on forums and social media. We’ve all been there, after all, since we’re all the type that buys Monteros hoping to save a few bucks versus a Toyota Land Cruiser, knowing full well (or soon discovering) that problem-solving experience comes with the truck, too.

And always, always, always, safety first. Use jack stands and/or chock blocks anytime you go under a car. Gloves prevent cuts, broken nails, and broken fingers. Eye protection might seem silly, but you never know when it might save your vision.

My biggest and best tool yet? One time, as I drove by my Audi/Porsche mechanic’s shop—in a running car that needed nothing, please note—I spied the car lifts being replaced with new Bendpaks. I swung in to say hi, and he said that if I saved him the hassle of making more trips to the dump, I could take one home in pieces. Of course, having a lift is only possible if you have the space and budget, but this one tool truly changes everything, making life easier, safer, and quicker all at the same time.  

Even while using a lift, the hilarious number of tools I sometimes need to finish even small jobs downright blows my mind. But tools last a lifetime, and the lessons we learn while using those tools last a lifetime, too.

Tools that saved Michael from certain doom:

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – on paperback for $13

There is no tool. Go read a book.

JD-Hi-Five Porsche 996/986/987 short shifter – what do you have to lose for $90

Do you trust an $89.99 Amazon short shifter? Michael did, and he turned out fine. I think. Real talk, perhaps this is what that budget junker Porsche project needs to have a little extra flair without obliterating the bank.

WD-40 Specialist Penetrant – good ol’ reliable for $10

You already know what’s up. Treat yourself to some of that good stuff now with a flexible metal straw.

Stalye Thread Checker kit – never make a wrong guess for $51

Didn’t even know they made such a thing, and now this editor needs one more than anything.

NEIKO Hex Bit Socket Set – for those dastardly hex screws; $17

Plenty of tuner car hardware kits feature hex heads, so don’t be caught lacking at the next friend group garage hangout.

TEKTON 6-piece Long Flex Head 12-Point Ratcheting Box End Wrench Set – a simple necessity for $165

For home or garage, it’s nice to have a proper wrench set always at the ready. You’ll never know when IKEA or that Pic-A-Part find will betray you.

EPAuto 1/2-inch-drive 150 ft lb. Click Torque Wrench – torque it tight and torque it right for $55

For engines, suspension hardware, or wheel lug nuts, always be prepared with one of these suckers. Torque it right the first time and never worry or second guess.

Captain Phab MOOVIT High-Performance Penetrating Lubricant – “high performance” anything often means something; $22

WD-40 not cutting it? Some extra penetrating power should do the trick. 

EMPI 5770 Gland Nut / Axle Nut Socket 36mm with ½-inch Drive – apparently not just for classic Volkswagens; $19

Apparently, these are the move if you especially own an old air-cooled Vee-Dub. But as Amazon reviewers and Michael have learned, it matters little what the car is. If it fits, it sits, right?

OEMTOOLS 74mm 14 Flute Oil Filter Wrench – underrated here for $8

I, myself, can’t stress enough how nice it is to have one of these, especially after some bastard dunce who last did the oil change (me) decided to torque down the last oil filter with the hand of God.

7-Function Digital Multimeter – feel like a genius for $10 (in-store only)

Are electrical gremlins running you up the wall? Something like this will make you feel like a real hero. Or at least look like one to friends and neighbors.

Pittsburgh Automotive ⅜-inch Offset Oxygen Sensor Wrench – make a simple job simpler for $9

I’ve never had many issues with removing oxygen sensors on exhaust systems. Good for me. Let’s keep it that way with one of these. Try one for yourself and see how something so simple can make a big difference.

Pittsburgh Automotive Tie Rod and Pitman Arm Puller – honestly, might as well just snag one if it’s $16

Has a slim fit for tight spots while still being able to withstand the forces of a big, tough hunk like you yoinking on your steering hardware.

Reinvention. This concept is almost standard for Honda. The Honda 0 Series will be a new chapter in the Honda story and a very fruitful one from our CES 2024 eyes.

Let’s start with philosophy. Honda calls the design concept for this vehicle “The Art of Resonance.” It means that future designs should align with the world and its people. It should resonate with society.

The joy of driving is a concept that Honda has never strayed away from. The Honda 0 Series will combine modern electric power with classic Honda aero and driving dynamics. The sleek profile of the Honda saloon concept combined with steer-by-wire embodies this.

Like the AFEELA electric car, the Honda 0 series will integrate the internet and AI with the philosophy of “fun to drive, fun to use, and be connected.” For example, the car will learn your favorite music and driving behavior (hopefully, without being too judgemental about the former).

The ADAS is based on Honda’s “human-centric” safety concept. This Level 2 and sometimes Level 3 system will sometimes deliver risk-prediction and preventative action.

Honda’s hybrid and electric technology development seems to culminate in the 0 Series, although it’s still too early to have any concrete power specs, range estimates, or charging rates. All we know is that the 0 Series is coming. E-axles and light high-density battery packs already exist in Honda Motorsport and consumer vehicles. More interesting is Honda’s claim that future cars will charge from 15% to 80% in 15 minutes and achieve a 10-year battery degradation of 10%.

Honda 0 Saloon

Finally, we get to fawn over the spaceship-looking car. The Saloon is the flagship concept of the Honda 0 Series. It doesn’t look like any current EV on the market, and the sloping front can only help for aero and visibility. An intuitive human-machine interface adds to the driving experience. 

It will feature a motion management system and posture control. The aim is to combine Honda’s robotics development knowledge to augment your driving experience. In most cases, steer-by-wire would take away from the driving feel, but in this case, we know Honda will deliver.

Sustainable exterior and interior materials feature as well, although specifics are not known yet, 

Honda 0 Space Hub 

It’s got the new Honda logo, and it has a boxy van-shaped frame. That’s pretty much all we know now, but it will carry the same design language and philosophy as the Saloon. Similar to the Kia PBV, it will cater to the needs of ordinary citizens, connecting people and augmenting their lives.

Honda H mark Logo

As far as logos go, this one might take the cake. We love the original Honda logo, and it’s essentially the same thing. This logo will be used on all future Honda EVs and Honda 0 series models.

This is a psyop. Go buy flex fuel.

But wait, how does this crap even work? Isn’t this just alcoholic corn juice? Isn’t a high alcohol content bad for engines? Well, I have the answers: Works well enough. Yes, it’s just corn. And kinda-sorta-maybe, but not really.

Frankly, I’ve been a skeptic about high-ethanol-blended gas after hearing debates about its usefulness and possible detriments throughout high school auto shop classes. But more and more over the years, I see people preach its gospel, highlighting a niche where high-ethanol fuels shine: high performance. Or, more specifically, high horsepower! 

I recently purchased a track-built Subaru BRZ (more on the car itself below!) from an old work friend with the intent of “finishing” the build and attending more HPDE events. Friends, colleagues, and YouTubers alike have all incessantly hammered on the benefits of ethanol, like sleeper agent brainwashing. And now that I actually have a popular candidate for such a modification, why not give it a try? So, I am. Starting with installing the hardware itself. 

But first! Some nerdery to help folks better understand what any of these doohickeys even are.

You should daily drive your track car

Flex fuel and E85 explained

E85 is basically a higher-ethanol-blended variant of regular gasoline. E stands for ethanol, while the numeric value after it represents the percentage mix of ethanol, typically made by fermenting and distilling starchy crops. While barley and wheat can be used, the most common ingredient in the U.S. is corn. Yes, like the kind best served on the COBB. See what I did there? The blend can vary, but the most commonly used blend in performance applications is E85 or 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

Flex fuel simply refers to a fuel system that runs on both standard gasoline and high-ethanol fuels, capable of adjusting its tune on the fly and adapting to the ethanol percentage. Nowadays, swathes of vehicles feature flex fuel from the factory, known as flexible fuel vehicles (FFV), from rugged work trucks to million-dollar hypercars. My dad’s old F-150 with the Triton V8 was flex fuel, as do many GM pickups and SUVs. Perhaps most prominently are Koenigsegg hypercars, who advertise their very best power and performance figures on E85.

How flex fuel and E85 work

The physical form of flex fuel in modern cars is nothing more than a sensor system attached to the car’s fuel system. In the case of my BRZ, it’s a mere sensor half the size of a credit card that mounts to the strut tower, plus some fuel lines to redirect fuel into the sensor and a Bluetooth module for feeding ethanol readings to a companion phone app. Generally speaking, for all kits, the sensor reads the ethanol content of the car’s fuel and adjusts the ECU’s tuning to compensate for more or less ethanol. It typically does so on the fly, meaning you fill the car up and go without the need to bust out ye ol’ laptop or Accessport to change tune files like some troglodyte (i.e. me, I have no Bluetooth tuner or phone app).

E85 has become favorable among tuners and weekend warriors for its ability to yield higher horsepower ratings without forcing you to shell out big time on normal race gas. In fact, the E85 actually has a higher octane rating, equal to anywhere between 100 and 105, and features a faster, more efficient burn and flame propagation. E85’s traits carry a whole heap of performance buffs, such as burning cooler, reducing engine temperatures to mitigate knock (premature detonation), allowing compression ratios to be increased thanks to the lessened likelihood of knock, and allowing turbocharged cars to spool marginally faster due to faster burns creating exhaust gases sooner.

All that jargon sounds like a win, win, win! And it should, theoretically, be a win for those running E85. Or at least on dyno days, like the videos embedded at the end.

Debunking flex fuel myths and explaining real cons

Yes, it was very much a concern that E85 was bad for fuel systems, and it’s very much the truth that it’s not the most practical fuel out there for a number of reasons. So, let’s take a quick dive into what’s actually wrong with E85 and what old-timey myths we can dispel to irrelevancy.

First, the real cons:

• It’s not as widespread at gas stations. Yes, you’re right. Not every gas station has it, and E85 is more common in some states and cities than others. In some places, it’s as easy as traveling to a nearby pump, whereas in others, it’s probably better to buy what you need and store it as you probably won’t find another E85 pump after that. Speaking of storing it.

• It’s hard to store long-term, as ethanol can attract water, not only diluting the fuel but posing serious risks of rust and water vapors damaging fuel system components if left to sit. J.D. Power also notes that E85 can sit for anywhere between one to three months due to the fuel being likely to oxidize and lose combustibility over time. Compare that to three to six months for regular gasoline and roughly a year or more for diesel.

• Old cars don’t really like it. There’s a reason some gas stations, such as Maverick, offer totally pure, ethanol-free gasoline. It’s friendlier to classic rides. Ethanol, being an alcohol, is an anti-lubricant and can dry out and damage materials in older fuel systems. On top of all that, they’re trickier to tune for E85 if the car is carbureted, as the carb has to be rejetted every time you swap fuel types.

• While it’s a cleaner, cooler burning fuel, it’s actually not as power-dense as gasoline, meaning you need to use more of it to make meaningful gains. Sources range from 10% to 33% loss in power density, meaning your fuel economy dips down just as much to compensate since your ECU will adjust to expend more fuel. Colleagues who ran flex fuel in their tuned Scion FR-Ss and Toyota 86s did indeed see power gains at the expense of 3 to 4 mpg during regular driving. 

Now, the myths: 

Perhaps this is one big overarching myth. The notion that E85 is a dangerously corrosive and volatile fuel is a load of crap. Sort of. The alcohol content can dry out suboptimal materials in older or ill-equipped cars and leave a varnish on metal components, but it’s not going to eat away at your fuel system, cause it to blow up, or suddenly chew a hole in your tank. High-ethanol fuel is frequently confused with ethanol race fuels, which can have corrosive additives in them, relegating them to only short-term uses such as racing, or methanol, which actually is far more corrosive than ethanol.

While ethanol may not have been as safe in older vehicles, it’s widely regarded that most modern cars are more than capable of handling higher-ethanol blends. There’s at least a 10% blend of ethanol in regular pump gas, anyway. The high alcohol content can even function as a fuel cleaner, clearing out deposits from lines and injectors, similar to SeaFoam, which also has a high alcohol content. Now, that doesn’t mean go run E85 in your car right now, as you still need a tune for your computer to know what to do with the higher octane rating.

Make sure your car is tuned. Make sure your vehicle is equipped to handle it with the right sensors and modern, resilient components. And if you’re still concerned, the popular safeguard for peace of mind is typically one or two tanks of regular, top-quality pump gas a month.

Another fun fact. It’s also been noted that OEM flex fuel systems are less than stellar at running on E85. Introducing flex fuel into their mainstream cars was a bit of an afterthought and a way for manufacturers to get federal credits following the passage of the Alternative Motor Fuels Act in 1988. Interestingly, it’s akin to how late 2000s and early 2010s EVs were nothing more than mere “compliance cars” whose sole purpose of existing was to literally just exist for the company’s benefit in the wake of strict regional emissions and fuel economy laws.

Installing the hardware

After a quick stop at a speed shop I used to work at to snag a flex fuel kit for a bargain, I was on my way to meet a friend, who reassuringly performed these installs numerous times before. It was my off day over an extended New Year’s holiday weekend. I was on my merry way to see a friend for a quick garage hangout/install job. What could go wrong?

See, I can say that because it already happened. So there’s nothing to jinx. Right?

Thankfully, the BRZ/GR86 platform is as spacious inside as ever, with a wide-open engine bay allowing for easy access for damn near anything (except spark plugs). As my mechanic friend explained to me, all the work needed for the hardware would take place solely near the driver-side shock tower. So, as for what the installation entails.

I kid you not. It was as quick as letting the fuel system sit so it could depressurize a bit, opening the lines so we could install the new lines from the kit, and feeding those new lines into the flex fuel sensor that sat nice and pretty beneath the base of the strut tower brace.

Bam. Easy. And we only spilled a little bit of fuel after impatiently starting before the system could depressurize further. Oh, and when removing the strut tower brace to install the flex fuel sensor beneath it, we may have dropped a piece of hardware that braces against the master cylinder to keep it from moving under hard braking. It doesn’t thread into anything. It simply sits atop a threaded stud, and the pressure of threading the stud into the strut tower brace pins it against the master cylinder. When you relieve the pressure to remove the brace, it simply falls into the abyss of the engine bay, never to escape because there’s a skid plate underneath from the factory.

Thank you, Cusco, and thank you, Subaru. Very cool. So now what would’ve been a 20-minute install extended to nearly 45 as we busted out ye ol’ jack and a magnet tool to fish for this piece of the Cusco master cylinder brace from under and on top of the car. It was a humorously stupid and frustrating endeavor that finally ended in success after shaking a car a bunch, then jacking up one side with the wheel cranked to full lock so we could reach from inside the wheel well. 

Hey, we did it, didn’t we? And in the end, we installed the kit. Er, actually, my friend did. Thanks, Kaleb. A Bluetooth module included with the kit mounts near the firewall and lets me read the current ethanol level via a phone app, which, on pump gas, was a whopping, dyno-breaking, tire-shredding…

7%. I’ll take it!

Tune coming soon!

No. There’s no tune at the time of writing. But there will be! And you bet I’ll be back to report on my findings once I get this sucker all pumped up with corn juice. Most tuners expect gains of anywhere between 20 to 30 horsepower on this FA24 flat-four engine with E85 alone, and there are plenty of dyno videos that can back those claims. Will I count myself lucky? We shall see.

Knowing my luck, I wouldn’t be surprised if a piano falls on this car a day after the tune file comes in my email inbox. But fingers crossed. May the Car Gods, please, for the love of all that’s internally combustible, bless me with the same power gains these lucky lads below have experienced.

Why conform to society and get a boring SUV or sedan when you can get a rowdy, obnoxious hot hatch that screams in the face of normality? These bad boys hit that need for ultimate speed while still being practical enough to live with, such as grocery shopping and everyday errands. Trust me, even your grandmother will enjoy driving a hot hatch. Convinced? Here is a list of the five best hot hatches you need to look at for your next car. 

Volkswagen Golf GTI

What’s hot?

• Practical, premium, and economical, yet with all the performance you need
• Easy to modify, but the car is almost perfect to begin with 

What’s not?

• Creature comfort controls are terrible due to being capacitive touch and motion-activated only
• Reportedly diminished build quality versus prior Mk7 generation

Join the original hot hatch club with the latest eighth generation of the famous Golf GTI. With it being the original hot hatch, the instant street cred you get from it makes it a definite head-turner. The GTI is the perfect blend of sportiness and practicality which is a winner in my opinion.  

Volkswagen has perfected the inline four-banger, front-wheel drive setup with the GTI. The current eighth-generation GTI comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged EA888 engine that produces 241 horsepower. It may not sound like the big numbers you find on a muscle car. However, the GTI utilizes every one of those ponies to maximize the driving experience while still being reasonably economical on gas. You can either get a six-speed manual for spirited driving, or you can remove the third pedal and be generic with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, which will unfortunately be the only gearbox choice going into 2024. But some argue the DSG dual-clutch suites the mature character of the GTI better, anyway. If you want more, you can always look at the GTI’s big brother, the Golf R (see the end of the list).

Even though the GTI is a fast hot hatch, you can still happily use this German piece of art as a daily runaround. With four doors, a spacious boot space, and a premium interior, you would not want to travel in anything you have besides the GTI.  

With over eight different generations of GTIs you can choose from, you can get the technological marvel of the latest generation, or you can get a classic GTI that has that period-correct obnoxious feel to it. 

Honda Civic Type R (also by extension, Acura Integra Type S)

What’s hot?

• Has that good ol’ Honda reliability and heritage
• Still a great daily driver but can still outperform most things in its class on road or track

What’s not?

• Mature styling may be considered quite bland compared to previous generations 
• No automatic gearbox for people who can’t drive a manual (wah-wah, cry about it) 

You may think a Honda Civic is an old person’s car, but when you see the Type R badge on a Honda, you know this car is something special. By extension, as does its mechanically identical twin, the Acura Integra Type S, which we’ve had the privilege of reviewing here on the site. The Type R and Type S twins are the Japan giant’s answers to the Western leviathans, such as the Golf R, the Audi S3, the Euro-only Renault Megane RS, or the now-defunct Focus RS, and it stands just as tall if not completely towering over them in on-road and on-track performance.

The latest generation of Type R boasts a turbocharged K20C1 inline-four that produces 315 horsepower (320 in Integra guise) through a six-manual transmission, which you’ll definitely feel thanks to short, snappy gearing and a bounty of torque that feels as though it pulls all the way to redline. However, for drivers who don’t understand how the third pedal functions, you’re out of luck. With great speed comes great responsibility, and the Twins are aimed at delivering ultimate performance and purism… or as pure as you can go in a car sold in the 2020s.

The Type R has a bright red carpet and seats, giving the Type R that extra appeal as no other car in the category has that extra pop. The Type S gets less aggressive, leather-wrapped seating in more, uh, tasteful colors for those who aren’t the biggest fan of the R’s hotboi sensibilities. But, while the Type R is a rowdy machine, it still offers refinement for the everyday grind while still stretching the idea of what a hot hatch is. Come on, who doesn’t want a Type R as their daily driver? I do!

Toyota GR Corolla

What’s hot?

• The all-wheel-drive system comes out of a rally car 
• The pocket rocket three-cylinder can outperform many other engines for its size 

What’s not?

• Odd exhaust tone due to it being a small inline-three
• The lovely six-speed manual also gatekeeps those not fluent in the way of the third pedal

When someone states that they want to get a Toyota Corolla, you may wonder what has caused their soul to be sucked away to want such a pedestrian car. But you are forgetting one of the best cars coming from Japan right now: the GR Corolla. This rally-engineered car for the road can trace its roots back to the World Rallying Championship with the homologation special Toyota GR Yaris, and who doesn’t want to drive around a roadgoing rally car?

You could call the GR Corolla a spiritual successor to the almighty Subura Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, both rally-bred specials that have bit the dust within the past decade, as the GR is a purposed-bred rallyist made commercially available. It may sound strange to say that this AWD monster only has a 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo engine, yet this pocket rocket of an engine produces a whopping 300 horsepower. That is a mind-blowing 187.5 horsepower per liter! For reference, that’s roughly the same horsepower per liter as a Ford GT (188.5 horsepower per liter as of the current engine revisions).  

That 300-horsepower figure is transferred to all four wheels through a manual six-speed transmission. The GR Corolla only comes with manual controls, such as the gearbox, and surprisingly, it has a manual handbrake. Oh, the implications that carries. What I appreciate from Toyota is that they haven’t included those annoying electronic handbrakes that don’t allow any of those sneaky skids and fun activities. Because, you know. Rally car stuff.

Mini Cooper JCW

What’s hot?

• The unique styling of the Cooper will make you stand out 
• The excellent handling can still outperform many other cars 

What’s not?

• They are expensive for what you get 
• Not many dealers, so getting spares can be a nuisance

The European’s answer to a hot hatch does not disappoint. Sure, it may not be the fastest or most popular option for many people, but it should be. Why? It’s because the John Cooper Works Minis handle like go-karts and goes like stink, even if Mini is more “Medium” nowadays. Thankfully, that mediumness translates to a somewhat spacious cabin, which can be brought way into the realm of upscale with boujee interior materials and tech packages, albeit at a steep cost.

The BMW-sourced B48 four-cylinder of the JCW Mini Cooper produces a respectable 228 horsepower that goes to the front wheels through its electronically-controlled front differential. So you can still lay elevens, even if it’s just with the front tires. A six-speed manual is standard, but a snappy Aisin eight-speed auto is available for those who want to live out any sort of World Touring Car Championship fantasy. But if you’re more of a zip-around-town, wind-in-your-hair sort of person, you’ll be excited to know this is also the only entry here with a droptop convertible variant.

Fun little easter egg! A very clever little styling cue on most of the new Minis is the rear lighting. If you pay close attention to the taillights, you will see the Union Jack flag, where the Mini brand originated and where they’re still assembled to this day.

Volkswagen Golf R

What’s hot?

• The all-wheel-drive system is excellent. 
• Still practical with four doors and a spacious boot. 

What’s not?

• It is very expensive for the experience you get 
• It has the same infotainment issues that the Golf GTI has 

I can not make a list of the best hot hatches you can get without talking about the Golf R. The big brother of the Golf GTI can be seen as the current king of the hot hatches you can get in the US car market, with 315 horsepower going to all four wheels, not like the front-drive-only GTI. 

Some people may see the Golf R as hatchback-ified Audi S3… And it is, as they both share the same Volkswagen Group MQB platform and EA888 engine. You get similar interior quality with a more practical central screen layout, plus all the same performance in a more practical body. So while the Audi S3 may carry that prestigious badge, you could argue the Golf R is the stronger value. And that’s a great way to look at it since the Golf R’s sticker price mirrors the Civic Type R, yet the R lacks its track-focused purism, positioning itself as a more well-rounded alternative should you find its peers too hardcore.

You can view the Golf R as the ultimate canyon carver money can buy, as the all-wheel drive system can shift the power to each wheel when it is needed. Making the handling of the GTI almost the best there is on the market and a car that you need to get behind the wheel of!

Welcome! Tune in to your Saturday Morning Car Tune to read about the raddest yet dumbest and least practical thing I’ve ever purchased. You know all those awesome vloggers and auto journos who chronologize their lives behind the wheel of their muscle car restoration project or high-horsepower tuner build? Yeah, you know that most of those folks also have regular-ass daily drivers behind the scenes, right?

The Gears & Gasoline Bens have pickup trucks and a reasonably-built WRX STI to shuttle them around when they’re not grenading transmissions or setting lap records. David Patterson, a.k.a. ThatDudeInBlue, has a Ford F-150 for his regular grunt work. Matt Farah has a Mustang Mach-E and a Vespa, and Jason Cammisa has a Volkswagen e-Golf. Remember those things? And I have… A lowered Subaru BRZ with a silly wing and no catalytic converters.

I bought a thingy

As you can see, the weight of my genius hurts sometimes. 

But alas! I have… Reasons. Probably not smart ones. But I didn’t start this new features section to discuss moneywise consumer advice. 

Say hello to the latest notch in my belt, a modified 2022 Subaru BRZ that I bought off an old coworker from my speed shop days, who himself bought it off the shop as it was a former shop car. Akin to the press BRZ I drove to GRIDLIFE in the fall, it’s a Limited trim, which means alcantara and leather upholstery throughout, heated seats, and a fairly banging sound system. It has wired Apple CarPlay as standard, as well as cornering headlights and a digital gauge cluster. Oh, and it’s a manual, too. Huzzah!

Subaru BRZ: this bargain pocket rocket is all the sports car you’ll ever need and then some

It has also been modified to high heaven, as this car had previously served as a work friend’s track car, having accumulated 3,200 miles over some mostly highway commutes and three track days, one of which Larry Chen photographed the car. Keen to always sign up for the next event but also deeply religious about a proper break-in, the BRZ has undergone one diff fluid change and five oil changes. And then there’s the laundry list of mods, including, ahem:

• 200TW Hankook RSV4 tires (245/40/17) on 17-inch WedsSport TC105X wheels
• Obnoxiously squeaky track brake pads that are surprisingly usable in daily driving and all weather
• Zebulon swan neck wing
• Artisan Spirits front lip with a barely-livable splitter extension
• Catless full exhaust with equal-length headers and an A’PEXi catback
• Ecutek programming kit with a custom 91-octane tune
• Jackson Racing oil cooler
• Antigravity battery
• SPL adjustable rear control arms
• Vorshlag camber plates
• Cusco strut tower brace
• Motion Control Suspension (MCS) coilovers, the exact model of which I still need to figure out

There’s probably a bunch I’m forgetting. And I’m still learning the exact details of what exactly each model of part is in the event I ever need to repair or replace them. Among spare things that aren’t installed, I still have an oil catch can, various chassis doo-dads, and the all-important oil pan baffle. If you’re even remotely familiar with the BRZ/GR86 platform, you’ll know these things are… Finicky, to say the least. But I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But how does it rip? Well, let me tell you.

I don’t know all that much. In the 800 miles I’ve logged in the last two weeks, I haven’t really pushed it hard at all, not even in the local canyons since seasonal traffic is high and road temps are cold. But that’s okay. My friend built it for the track. And to the track, it’ll return to show me just how much I’ve grown (or devolved) since my time ripping around canyon roads and road courses in my trusty old V6 Mustang. But I can tell you what it’s like to live with and how you can replicate such an experience, should you dare. 

Daily driving a BRZ track car isn’t the worst idea I’ve had

This little tike, for all its track-focused intentions and intimidating looks, is actually a bang-on daily driver. No, I didn’t take that much copium today. I mean it! It’s usable, and it’s comfortable. Ish. Or at least it’s a comfortable-ish daily if you haven’t experienced a new Toyota Prius lately.

The MCS coilovers ride remarkably well despite being adjusted to a stiffer dampening setting by the previous owner. Hell, I’d say it rides close to, if not the same as, the stock suspension setup, albeit with slightly more noticeable jitters over high-frequency bumps. And when I mean slightly, I mean you just feel them a little more than stock, and it’s never harsh. Large road imperfections like asphalt patches, dips, and potholes are nonissue, which is fantastic to hear about in a track-built car. It means you have the compliance to attack apexes without upsetting the chassis, and you have the comfort of not shattering your spine on the drive home.

It’s a testament to the quality of the coilovers and proof that, and say this with me, you don’t need to ride like shit to have a great handling car. Porsches and Corvettes prove this. This does, too. Color me impressed. Get yourself some quality coils or adjust your dampers to find that happy middle ground, people. It exists, and I promise you it’s not maximum stiff.

What isn’t so hot is this goddamn splitter. Getting into my family’s driveway is now a learning curve. And speedbumps near my friend’s house are now a practice session for autocross. It’s tolerable, but only barely. Normally, you’d be able to not scrape on most crap on the road. But now I actually have to be paying attention, whereas a stock BRZ may as well be a rally car in comparison, billygoating over dips and inclines.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Stance scene folks are laughing and envious at my comparatively truckish ground clearance. Again, it works for now. I’ll live, even if it means putting a few scuffs in concrete driveways here and there.

Fuel economy? Okay. I lauded the stock BRZ press loaner for handily beating the EPA estimates with hardly any effort, easily eclipsing 32 to 35 mpg on most freeways. Now, I have to try to hit 30. I should be lucky to even be averaging 24 in mixed driving. As it turns out, things like bigger, stickier tires and fat aero parts that produce a lot of drag end up producing a lot of drag. Who would’ve guessed? Fuel economy is still okay. Better than my V6 Mustang. But the small tank means fill-ups are just as, if not more, frequent.

If there’s anything to truly take solace in besides the commendable ride, it’d have to be that my friend left the interior mostly intact. No goofy rear seat deletion or removal of any carpeting or insulation to cut weight. He daily drove this car, too, and he’s more sensible than most. Or at least he’s sensible enough not to completely ape the livability of a car when it still has to drive to and from the track.

The OEM heated seats are still here and still get lovably scorching in our bitter desert winter. The stock sound system is still a banger, too. The only hints of modification inside are the custom steering wheel upholstery and a shift knob. The trunk liner has been removed to allow for access to the rear shock towers where the dampening adjustment lies, but if that’s had any effect on NVH, I haven’t noticed. If anything, it just made more room for groceries. Totally important in a car like this.

The exhaust is annoy-the-neighbors loud on startup but becomes smooth, balanced, and mature when warmed up, producing no drone whatsoever. In the cabin, it sounds as though the car was fitted with a somewhat tame catback and nothing more; that’s to say, it’s quiet when you want it to be. Great for dates. Or if you have tinnitus. Or if you and your date both have tinnitus. 

Daily your track car. Who’s gonna stop you?

So. Driving someone else’s former track toy. Not bad. Not bad at all. It could do with a milder splitter or no splitter at all. And the catless exhaust means that CARB reps will shoot me on sight the instant I cross the state line to buy a lotto ticket. But not bad at all. At least it’s done right, which is the defining line between versatile track cars you can use daily and hyper-focused track cars you’d rather trailer.

Any track-built car could pull shifts as a commuter. A car is a car. It’s all a matter of how it’s set up and the quality of the parts. Just know there will have to be compromises in how comfortable you can be or how hardcore you can build it. Frankly, if your idea of a track car is decent coilovers and sticky tires, you’re set! Hell, you’d clear more speed bumps than me. You’ll generally be fine if you leave ground clearance for larger floor jacks and attacking apex curbing and if you fervently believe the stiffest suspension setups aren’t always the best. Oh, and unless you’re entering time trials in the damn thing, don’t turn your interior into a scrap heap. Leave that to the dedicated race car builds. Your bum and your eardrums will thank you.

So there you go. Go ahead. Daily your track car, and live life like Ryosuke Takahashi except in suburban America and not urban Japan. And if your track car is a little more on the extreme side, Well, daily it anyway. It’ll be funny.

A new car for new adventures

So, if my last car was leagues more practical than this BRZ on a regular basis, why did I even bother with it? Simple.

I felt it was time to part ways with my prior car of six and a half years and wanted to level up. Simple as that. And while the Mustang could’ve definitely been its own track star with more money thrown at it, it was time to try a different platform and expand my palette a bit. So, when the opportunity came to snag my friend’s BRZ and depart from my 10-year-old, 114,000-mile trooper of a My-First-Sports-Car, the car I bought right after dropping out and shuttled me through a rebooted college career, a military enlistment, numerous road trips, getting absolutely lost as fuck in the Eldorado National Forest (beautiful place to get lost, by the way), and my first few jobs, I had to jump on it.

Think of the switch in Takumi and the Initial D story moving from the White Ghost of Akina arc to the Project D arc. And with it will (hopefully) come falling lap times, a more serious and mature take on driving, and, most importantly, all-new learning experiences I never had or bothered to pick up as a deadbeat college kid. But this is not to completely say goodbye to my little blue car. It was sold to a good friend, so it’s still in the social circle for me to witness its growth in new hands.

So far, ownership is looking like it’ll be a breeze despite the car’s livable shortcomings in the Suburban Errand Run GP. But can I fill in the shoes this car needs to topple my buddy’s lap records and move up a couple classes at HPDE days? There’s only one way to find out. But before then, there are those inherent oiling gremlins I must keep at bay first. Because #justsubiethings, apparently.

Hold up! This won’t be your typical listicle. Because this time, it’s all about my favorite five! Or who knows? They could be yours, too. Each year, at the beginning of December, Hagerty delivers an early Christmas present to the automotive community in the form of the annual Bull Market list. These predictions draw upon the brain trust that helps Hagerty accurately peg collector car valuations, using key statistics that range from insurance quote requests to the age of potential owners and even how many cars leave the country each year—all with the goal of selecting ten vehicles that seem set for a rise in value in the coming 12 months.

A word with Hagerty before we begin…

After perusing the list, I spoke with the Bull Market concept’s progenitor, Hagerty VP of Content Larry Webster, to suss out whether his impressions of the cars matched my own. But first, he cautioned me that nobody should just pick one of the cars at random and expect to make money hand over fist.

“We publish this data just to say we do have a sense that there’s some knowledge and some expertise here,” Webster said. “But you know, this is not to replace your 401(k), it’s just to show how cheap owning and enjoying one of these cars could be. That is the goal, first and foremost, is to really help people feel comfortable about investing a significant amount of money in a classic car.”

In total, Webster estimates that over seven years of Bull Market prophecies, about 90% of cars have earned value since appearing on the lists. But as always, the old investing caveat that past success does not guarantee future performance comes into play. Actually, compiling this new list required a bit more effort than over the past handful of iterations since recent boom times (pandemic-related or not) seem to be nearing an end. 

“It’s definitely a buyer’s market at the end of 2023,” Webster said. “The past few years, taking a guess, you were likely to be right that the car would go up in value, especially as you factor in inflation. So now, the hardest part for us is making sure we have a good cross-section of cars. And that means not only price, but also era.”

For collectors and enthusiasts alike, our five faves may one day spike in value. But at the very least, anyone who decides to take a leap of faith can hope to potentially break even over the course of ownership, maybe with a little luck thrown in for good measure.

This year’s Bull Market list ran the gamut from boomer backup options to oft-maligned 21st-century masterpieces. Here at Acceleramota, our predilections certainly lean towards the latter, so our favorite five cars mostly hailed from the late ‘90s and early 2000s: the Plymouth Prowler, Jaguar XKR, E92 BMW M3, Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution, and Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler. 

(Editor’s note: The added insight and provided photography wouldn’t be possible without the amazing people behind Hagerty. A million thanks to Larry Webster for chattin’ it up with Michael, and a million more to photographers Cameron Neveu and James Lipman. Don’t worry. We promise we’ll never stop driving.)

1997-2002 Plymouth Prowler

Of course, we need to start with the most controversial and unexpected inclusion on the 2024 roster: that unbelievable bit of retro nostalgia known as the Plymouth Prowler (later sold with Chrysler badging, in purest Chrysler fashion). No matter the nomenclature, though, nobody understood the Prowler when it debuted in 1997. Presumably, a bunch of Chrysler engineers came back from a bender with the goal of reviving hot-rod enthusiasm in Detroit, only to pitch the bean counters who then shot down any hopes of real fun.

The resulting parts-bin special lacked a V8 engine, instead using a 3.5-liter V6 paired with a four-speed automatic. Talk about missing the mark within a tiny, open-wheeled, fender-flared wedge body. A matching trailer even came optional from the factory to compensate for the lack of storage space, an indication that a lame powertrain and creature comforts simply couldn’t live up to what must have been a rip-roaring original concept. 

And yet, I recently rode in a Prowler and found myself surprised at the engine’s pep, the transmission’s aggressive shifting, and the overall fun of rolling around at axle height of modern SUVs and pickup trucks. Still, with other retro designs that include the Chevy SSR pickup truck, the PT Cruiser, and the HHR, the Prowler stands out as perhaps the boldest—and it could be argued that the retro craze it typified then helped to revive the Camaro, Mustang, Charger, and Challenger for the current modern muscle car era. Webster thinks Chrysler possibly jumped headlong into the historicity a little prematurely, way back when.

“I kind of wonder if that car was 20 years too early,” he mused, “You’re sort of aiming for this boomer audience that grew up with those hot rods… The idea of substitution is happening where, as the interesting cars go up in value, folks start to look around and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got 30 grand, not 60, what can I get and what’s fun and what’s interesting and what’s really uncommon?’ And the Prowler really fits that list.”

Whether enough Boomers decide to give up on their ‘32 Deuce dreams and buy a Prowler in 2024 seems dubious, personally, given the impressive range of current muscle cars on the market today. Then again, for pure entertainment’s sake, I sure hope to see more of these latter-day hot rods hitting the roads, and maybe Hagerty has provided just the nudge they need.

2000-2005 Jaguar XKR

Around the turn of the millennium, Jaguar also leaned into smooth retro-inspired styling to release the XK8 and its top-spec trim, the high-performance XKR. Both came in coupe and convertible form, helping to stoke a fire under Ford’s ownership that had dimmed into embers thanks to a series of bland touring sedans over the previous decades. The marketing push even included silver screen stardom—sort of, anyway—when Tim Allen drove an XK8 in the 1997 rom-com For Richer or Poorer. But the XKR’s powertrain, for the time, was definitely no joke.

Stepping up to the R added a 2.0-liter Eaton supercharger and dual intercoolers to the XK8’s 32-valve V8, bumping output up to 370 horsepower and 387 lb-ft of torque. Later years also included a step up to 4.2 liters and even a new ZF six-speed automatic. In my mind, the XK8’s clean lines always housed a rat’s nest of treacherous electrical gremlins, but Webster disagreed.

“A lot of people bought ’em and parked them, so they didn’t drive ’em,” he said, to the surprise of nobody. “And that was almost over a decade after Ford bought Jaguar, so I know there’s still a lot of jokes, and maybe that XKR is not as reliable as an Accord, but that Jaguar is just a lot of car for the money. You get a powerful, stylish, very comfortable convertible with a top that works. And the coupes are gorgeous.”

Having never even sat in an XK8 or XKR, I wondered whether Jaguar’s boat-like driving dynamics carried over to the new era under Ford. Hagerty’s team each year drives all the Bull Market cars, so I figured Webster might know first-hand. Sure enough.

“The XKR versions are surprisingly sporty,” he explained. “I know what you mean. Just a regular XK was exactly like you’re talking about. But when you went to the R version, they’re crisp, very responsive, and very capable sports cars that nobody thinks of in that way.”

At around $20,000 or so, Jag’s combination of design and power sounds moderately respectable, even if a curb weight of 3,700 pounds makes me doubt any true canyon carving capabilities. But with zero personal knowledge backing up that impression, I can only hope that this Bull Market entry can fly under the radar enough to help the potential purchase price stay low enough for the right buyer.

2008-2013 BMW M3

Probably the least surprising car on the 2024 Bull Market list also sits at the top of the performance spectrum: BMW’s E9X-generation M3. On second thought, though, the fact that anyone might have called the E92 M3 something of a sleeper seems doubly surprising. Doesn’t everyone already know about this car?

For enthusiasts in general and BMW fans in particular, this M3 stands apart from the pack as the only generation with a V8 engine, which received individual throttle bodies helping produce a screaming redline of 8,400 RPM. Sure, the curb weights started creeping up once BMW ditched the naturally aspirated inline-sixes of the E36 and E46 generations—and, critically, before turbochargers entered the conversation—but at least in coupe form, an E92 still weighed between 3,500 and 3,600 pounds.

That high-flying 4.0-liter S65 V8 also put down 414 horsepower. Don’t forget a six-speed stick shift. And, again, talking in strictly coupe form, it is quite possibly the last clean profile in BMW’s illustrious, then incomprehensible design history. But again, everyone knows all this, right?

“I did hear someone say we may have been maybe a year or two late on that E92,” Webster admitted. “A lot of what the Bull Market does, especially with newer cars, it just tracks when the depreciation curve bottoms out.”

High-mileage E9X M3s have long hovered above $30,000. And Hagerty believes excellent condition cars already sit higher than $40,000. I find an M3 trading hands for the same money as a 996 Porsche 911 Turbo completely insane, so the prospect of serious appreciation and profits here seems minimal—but for a driver’s car with the rod bearing job already done, maybe anyone who buys an E92 M3 can manage to at least avoid dropping too much cash throughout their ownership since it will inevitably drip coolant all over the driveway on a regular basis.

1997-1999 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution

This year’s Bull Market list included one car never sold in America originally, something that Webster and his team typically try to avoid when possible. But nobody can resist the infection that already plagued me years ago, and it’s at this point that I must admit I already own a Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution. So, take everything from here on with a grain of salt, even as I attempt to do my utmost journalistic responsibility and present the greatest car ever made in a fair and balanced light.

The PajEvo, as those of us in the know call it, is obviously the star of the show. It’s also likely the second-rarest on this list, other than the Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, with a total production run estimated at only around 2,500 units. And the Mitsu’s fender flares entirely outshine the Lambo’s since only one of the two cars can claim legit rally provenance as a true homologation special. Webster’s main reason to perhaps slash the Pajero Evolution from this year’s list came down to availability. 

“Last year, the valuation team had this Nissan Pulsar,” he revealed, “A JDM, really cool hot hatch. And I rejected it because I said, ‘Look, people have to be able to buy these things. If there’s five of ’em in the country, of course, they’re going to be worth more.’ And then when this one came up, I gave ’em the same argument, was very against it. But they convinced me that there were enough around that there actually is a market. You could buy one.”

Knowing a fellow Montero owner on the valuation team, I assured Webster of the relative availability. There’s even a nice one for sale in Downtown LA right now! In fact, once past the 25-year rule, a wave of PajEvos immediately hit auction sites and online listings, so my cohorts and I believe about 60-70 examples have already landed, with more on the way. But values definitely peaked early, then hit a bit of a trough—from which I keep waiting for this Evo to climb out.

As the winningest Paris-Dakar Rally car of all time, with hilarious Batman-meets-Gundam angles, a 3.5-liter MIVEC V6 engine with port injection tuned to “276 horsepower” during the Gentleman’s Agreement years, and a wheelbase about as short as an Escort Cosworth, this Pajero leaves all kinds of third-world truckiness behind. It’s fast! It’s a billy goat off-road! And it’s comfortable, with unique Recaro seats, too.

Of course, finding the boatload of parts unique to the Evo presents a challenge, and I do worry about ripping around on dirt trails—not enough to stop me, though. My main fear driving the PajEvo? That value will climb enough that I simply have to cash in and lock in my potential profits. So yeah, thanks, Hagerty.

1981-1986 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler

For the most knowledgeable JDM collectors who do covet a Pajero Evolution and who have the money to buy a pristine example, any real off-roading will probably never take place. But anyone who wants a classic 4×4 to wheel with confidence can take a look at another of this year’s Bull Market inclusions, the Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler. Something of a predecessor to the modern Jeep Gladiator pickup, the Scrambler similarly tacked a small truck bed onto the back to mix off-road capability with work duties and daily utility. 

The Scrambler can easily match or eclipse the quintessential Americana of two other classic Detroit icons on Hagerty’s list, the Chevy Impala SS or Chrysler Town & Country (not the boxy minivan, though, which I’d love to see make an appearance someday). Surely, the pandemic-inspired off-roading boom helped Hagerty pick this Jeep, right?

“We’re just seeing so much more interest in vintage SUVs,” Webster said. “And you know, the funny thing is, you could count on your hand the number of off-roading vehicles built in the seventies and eighties. Scouts, CJs, Broncos, the early Blazers, and you’re done.”

Scouts and Broncos have already hit the moon, with the K5 Blazer well past low Earth orbit, too. But then I mentioned that I’m currently shopping for a Mitsubishi Mighty Max to haul around motorcycles—yes, I am aware that nobody can help me—and maybe a Scrambler might be a  perfect option, too. Webster laughed.

“You’re too young for this, but that truck had a really cool ad campaign, which I think does a lot for its value later on,” he recalled. “They had the Jeep Scrambler, the pickup version, with a couple of dirt bikes in the back, and that was the photo in their print ads. So my generation gets to that age where they have some disposable income, they’re going to look for something like that.”

In comparison to the Pajero Evo, finding parts and registering a Scrambler both sound much more reasonable. And much lower values currently for funky examples make a project truck turn into an overlander, a whole different can of worms, too. But if a Gladiator sounds too passé, maybe a CJ-8 Scrambler can more squarely nail the combination of classic style, four-wheeling fun, and daily driver, all with the hopes that dropping a chunk of change into a Jeep pickup won’t result in the same kind of immediate depreciation as buying a new truck. And that’s the whole point of Hagerty’s Bull Market list, after all. So jump in headlong while you can.

The traditional auto mag as we know it is slowly fading. Not out of existence but rather evolving to take on a new cultural landscape. Social media and video dominate, leaving room for written works to be more personal and experiential, almost like diaries of one’s trials and triumphs like some of the best publications have done and still do. It’s their way of further humanizing themselves in a sea of content farms and cookie-cutter formulas. Well, it’s time to get in on that action. Enter Saturday Morning Car Tune, your peek into the Acceleramota crew’s automotive exploits.

Come take a gander as we bring our passion away from the keyboard and into real-world experiences. In the garage or on the street. On the road or at the track. From how-to’s, track days, road trips, garage builds, car purchases, and more. Even if it’s a “bad” story, like perhaps a tale of a colossal screw-up we’ve had overcooking a corner on track or losing every 10-mil in our garage to The Great Void, it’s still a story worth telling.

Check in every so often to see me adapt to living with a track-built Subaru BRZ as my one and only car and if it’s still competent enough to conquer daily life (or just wait for me to tear the splitter off on a curb). Or read about Peter Nelson nursing an old B5 S4 back to life while taking to the race tracks to prove it’s the E82 BMW 128i that is made in God’s image, as previously documented at The Drive. Maybe Michael Van Runkle has some words to say about his colorful garage history dotted in Porsches and Monteros, or perhaps Nathan Meyer can walk you through the deets of South African car culture from his home in Port Elizabeth. I’m sure the cult of big turbo Volkswagen Rabbits down there have their own stories to tell.

Or, if you enjoy masochism, I’m sure our supreme ruler, Gabe Carey, has some colorful words to say about the wonderful world of Alfa Romeo ownership and his Guilia Quadrifoglio that just refuses to die. Perpetuating the stereotypes there, aren’t we, boss?

Kidding. Don’t shitcan me, please.

And who knows? We’ll likely spin this off into a social media-friendly video series as well, which you would most definitely see on our Instagram and TikTok. We’ll get there. Psst, give us a follow on there. Will ‘ya?

Think of this new corner of our site as a way to take a small step away from the SEO and the industry news, instead taking a day to focus on ourselves and what makes us who we are as members of the car community, dedicated to our hobby and bound by passion. It’s our contribution to the internet to show that we’re not mere content drones and that we’re real, real enthusiasts and real people with real experiences, and we can’t wait for you to tune in to read all about it.

Hey, uh. So remember that news bite I did a little while ago about Idaho doing this sort of thing? Well, Kentucky is on it now too. As reported by MSN and making waves throughout the Mustang community, Kentucky State Troopers have been spied with a brand new toy in the form of a 2024 Ford Mustang GT. Such a move comes not long after the car’s arrival at dealerships just earlier this year, with Idaho State Troopers spotted rocking a similar interceptor in their black-and-white police livery.

The car has been spied rocking Kentucky’s own gray-and-blue livery but with no visible exterior lightbar or bullbar. However, there are hidden lightbars behind the front and rear windshields. Other than its livery, it looks mostly stock. Which isn’t a bad thing, given the current S650 Mustang GT’s healthy 480-horsepower output, six-piston Brembos, and revised chassis. While available pics are scarce, the Mustang also seems to be lacking any sort of interior hardware for mounting radios, guns, or computers, or perhaps that’s to come at a later date.

Cough, no one tell them about the Steeda packages they can get, cough.

Street racers and takeover lame-O’s, beware, as it seems state law enforcement is preparing to fight fire with fire. Or just toy around with excess taxpayer money. It’s clear that law enforcement agencies across the country have a keen interest in fast, agile pony cars, which would make for great publicity tools and highway interceptors on these states’ vast expanses of asphalt. The adoption of such vehicles continues to harken back to the days of the Mustang SSP police car, which was adopted by agencies all across the country in the days of the Fox Body ‘Stang, from California to Florida. And while this is no official Ford police car, it’s still a kickass treat nonetheless and even potentially a threat to would-be road delinquents.

Anyone looking for pure, svelte driver’s cars that are fun to whip around on weekend trips up and down PCH should look no further.  The beautiful idea of well-balanced power-to-weight ratios is usually best represented in lightweight sports cars. From 2+2s to roadsters, they provide a lightweight chassis, balanced handling, and a thrilling driving experience. Every day driving through crowded intersections, windy roads, or the track on weekends, the versatility of these modern machines offers a unique fun-to-drive factor. 

Nowadays, many lightweight sports cars provide approachable driving characteristics and price points that won’t absolutely break the bank. However, there are some that will push your driving skills and bank accounts to new limits. Anyone interested in the lightest sports cars that can be purchased this year should look no further. 

Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND)

Weight: 2,341 pounds

What’s hot?

• Undoubtedly the most nimble drive on sale
• Impressive fuel efficiency

What’s not?

• A bit cramped for the average American
• Can get expensive as you climb the trim ladder

The Mazda MX-5 Miata has spent decades maintaining its reputation for giving nothing less than a spirited driving experience. For those who can fit comfortably within its front mid-engine layout, there’s so much to appreciate with the classic yet modern feel. Top-down in the convertible option or closed in, there’s nothing like Mazda’s little roadster.

“ND2” variants and newer pack a 2.0-liter engine with about 181 horsepower and deliver a zippy yet smooth ride. The recently revealed ND3 adds updated tech and a retuned steering rack geared for improved precision and feel. Its manual or automatic transmission options ensure quick acceleration in approximately six seconds from 0 to 60 mph, although magazines have extracted even better test numbers from such a spritely car. Built for rear-wheel drive and agile handling, it promises overwhelmingly enjoyable driving.

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Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86

Weight: 2,815 pounds

What’s hot?

• Powerful engine for the price 
• Awesome, track-capable handling 

What’s not?

• Most hot hatches are quicker nowadays
• Not the most practical entry-level performance car

Behold a fan favorite here at Acceleramota and one our editor has recently had the opportunity of road-tripping. The Toyota and Subaru collaboration has left the BRZ as the surviving and thriving of the two, at least in the wake of the GR86’s reportedly out-of-wack markups. Its agile handling, rear-wheel-drive dynamics, and precise steering are becoming just as recognizable as its boxer engine. The 86’s and BRZ’s balanced performance, affordability, and enthusiast-focused design captivate drivers seeking a truly engaging ride.

The second-gen Toyobaru platform continues its legacy with a 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated boxer engine, producing 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. Paired with a choice of a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, it boasts rear-wheel drive, a lower center of gravity, improved handling, and a refined chassis for an exhilarating driving experience. 2024 BRZ models now launch with EyeSight safety assists and a hot new tS model, while GR86s gain their own suite of similar safety tech and an Initial D fanboy-spec Trueno model.

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Honda CR-Z

Weight: 2,639 pounds

What’s hot?

• Sporty look and handling 
• Fantastic hybrid fuel economy 

What’s not?

• Rear visibility is a bit poor
• Tiny size means it’s not for hoarders or Ubers

Discontinued in 2016, the Honda CR-Z was a sporty hybrid coupe that blended efficiency with style.  Its innovative design featured a 1.5-liter engine paired with an electric motor, offering a modest 122 horsepower. The CR-Z is now appreciated in the used market for its unique hybrid concept and agile handling.

The 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine coupled with a hybrid electric motor generates a combined output of 122 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque (123 pound-feet in CVT cars). Inventive for its time, the Honda CR-Z was one of the rare hybrid sports cars to be equipped with a six-speed manual alongside its CVT transmission. They weren’t fast! But they were spritely enough. And to have a sporty, manual hybrid econobox that could zip to 60 in under ten seconds in the early 2010s was something to brag about. I guess. Maybe. Supercharged CR-Z HPD, anyone?

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Alfa Romeo 4C

Weight: 2,487 pounds

What’s hot?

• Efficient yet powerful engine 
• Great mini-supercar handling 

What’s not?

• Lacks good rear-view visibility and cargo room
• What in the heck is that 2 Fast 2 Furious radio radio unit?

Lightweight design, turbocharged power, and exceptional agility make the Alfa Romeo 4C as legendary as it was divisive… Like, really divisive. Still cool, though! And still a featherweight worthy of this list. With striking aesthetics and racing DNA, it captivated enthusiasts. Offering a unique blend of performance, analog purity, and style, its departure leaves a void in the realm of iconic sports cars.

The Alfa Romeo 4C features a 1.7-liter turbocharged engine producing 237 horsepower, paired with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. With a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, it weighed merely 2,487 pounds. This mid-engine sports car could sprint from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds, boasting impressive performance and agile handling, granted you can get to grips with that manual steering rack.

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Lotus Exige

Weight: 2,593 pounds

What’s hot?

• Top-tier sports car performance
• Great fuel economy

What’s not?

• May be difficult to get in and out of
• The very definition of having a spartan interior

Discontinued in 2021, the final Lotus Exige epitomized automotive excellence. With its lightweight design, remarkable agility, and supercharged engine, the Exige offered an unmatched driving experience. Its aerodynamic finesse and track-focused precision made it a legendary icon among sports cars, capturing enthusiasts with its raw performance.

Before the end of its run, the final-generation Lotus Exige boasted impressive specs. It featured a supercharged Toyota-derived 3.5-liter V6 engine producing up to 345 horsepower. The Exige Cup 430 went even further, pushing roughly 430 horsepower. Weighing around 2,500 pounds, it sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, although earlier four-cylinder variants were even lighter than that, tipping in at a hair beneath one ton. Its aerodynamics, coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox, ensured exceptional handling and track performance.

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Ariel Atom

Weight: 1,349 pounds

What’s hot?

• Unique go-cart x Formula car design
• Wicked fast and impossibly nimble, given its design

What’s not?

• Not very practical for daily drivers… like, at all
• Rare and expensive

The Ariel Atom’s thrill lies in its “no-frills” design, boasting crazy speed and handling. Its lightweight structure and powerful engine make it feel like driving a rocket. It’s an open-air, Formula 1-like experience, an adrenaline rush for anyone seeking pure, unadulterated driving joy or to show the Spec Miata club racers that it is not they who have been chosen to wield one of the UK’s finest.

Sourcing a Honda 2.0-liter i-VTEC or supercharged 2.4-liter mill, depending on the model, the Ariel Atom can hit 60 in under three seconds. However, should you yearn for more, the newly-minted Ariel Atom 4 sports a turbocharged Civic Type R motor, and yesteryear’s limited Ariel Atom 500 rocked a firebreathing 3.0-liter 500-horsepower V8. Other features include a six-speed gearbox and finely tuned suspension. Goggles or eyeglasses, not included, but you’ll need them.

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McLaren 600LT

Weight: 3,099 pounds

What’s hot?

• Blistering supercar speed
• Agile handling

What’s not?

• Questionable McLaren reliability 
• Probably the most expensive car here

McLaren’s limited Longtail series production might have shifted focus recently, but the McLaren 600LT excels due to its potent 592-hp twin-turbo V8, track-focused Longtail design, and exceptional handling. Introduced in 2018, this model showcased McLaren’s racing heritage like no other in the form of a lighter, more ferocious iteration of its Sports Series 570S model.

The McLaren 600LT features a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 592 horsepower, enabling it to hit 60 mph in approximately 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 204 mph. Sporting a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, it flaunts a track-focused design with advanced aerodynamics, carbon fiber components, and precise handling.

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Audi TT

Weight: 3,197 pounds

What’s hot?

• Awesome, baby supercar design
• Matches handling with true sports car acceleration

What’s not?

• Back seats are pretty useless
• Not as engaging as other cars in its class

Sleek style and turbocharged performance make the Audi TT an outstanding coupe. It’s a dandy little sports car with the look and handling of performance cars far more expensive. Baby R8, maybe? You’re right. Too far-fetched.

The 2024 Audi TT boasts a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering around 228 horsepower. Its lightning-quick seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system offer superb handling. Hotted-up S variants turn up the wick further to 292 horsepower, while a 400-horsepower, turbo five-cylinder TT RS model sits atop the food chain as a bonafide baby supercar. 

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Mini Cooper John Cooper Works

Weight: 2,892 pounds

What’s hot?

• Punchy powertrain
• Handling is top-tier

What’s not? 

• Expensive for a hot hatch
• Not so “mini” anymore

The 2024 Mini Cooper John Cooper Works epitomizes thrilling performance in a compact package. With its turbocharged engine, precise handling, and iconic design, this model offers an exhilarating driving experience. Its fusion of style, agility, and power makes it an outstanding choice for car enthusiasts seeking an extraordinary ride.

Boasting a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces around 228 horsepower, the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works is paired with a six-speed manual or optional automatic transmission. However, should you wish, older variants with a 1.6-liter supercharged four-banger deliver their own kind of raucous fun. The current model’s enhanced suspension, Brembo brakes, 18-inch wheels, and sport-tuned exhaust system ensure agile handling and a thrilling driving experience, granted you can live with the lofty price tag new Minis are capable of.

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Porsche 911 S/T

Weight: 3,056 pounds

What’s hot?

• Perhaps one of, if not the best, driver’s car on sale today
• Delightfully premium interior 

What’s not?

• Could still be too hardcore for some, despite its road-oriented bias
• Forget what I said about the McLaren’s price. This will make the dreamers cry

The 2024 Porsche 911 S/T kills for many reasons, as the lightest model from the hallowed German company one can purchase today. Its sleek design, coupled with a robust twin-turbo engine, delivers unparalleled performance. Cutting-edge technology seamlessly integrates with luxurious comfort, making every drive an exhilarating experience, setting a new benchmark.

Based on the 911 GT3 and copying the homework of the acclaimed 911 R, the S/T boasts a naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine and pushes around 518 horsepower. It accelerates to 60 mph in approximately 3.5 seconds. Equipped with God’s gift, a wonderfully analog six-speed stick managing power to the rear wheels, it’s as pure as a modern sports car driving experience can be. Good luck getting your hands on one, even if you have the dough.

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Next year marks a big step in the tale of Maserati, as the last batch of V8 engines in the Italian marque’s long history will finally roll off the assembly lines at Modena and Turino. That story runs the gamut from early open-wheeled racecars in the 1930s to modern twin-turbocharged V8 mills built by Ferrari and then dropped into uber-opulent tourers, including the full-size Levante SUV. To celebrate such V8 heritage, Mas decided to run out a pair of final-edition packages for the 2024 Maserati Levante and Maserati Ghibli, dubbed the “Ultima” and “334 Ultima,” respectively. 

But as something of a (much more) surprising send-off, Maserati then invited media to Northern Italy, in the middle of winter, up to a ski resort, at over 6,900 feet of elevation, to take these final V8 cars ice drifting on a snowy racetrack. Unusual and unexpected, to say the least, but an opportunity I obviously could never pass up. And that’s how I wound up spending 17 hours flying to Milan, then another three hours driving further into the picturesque Alps, surrounded by stunning cliff faces shrouded in low clouds and dotted with terraced vineyards or marble quarries, up past Lake Como, through the low valleys, and into the small ski town of Bormio near the Swiss border. 

When past and present meet in Maserati showrooms

This trip actually presented my first opportunity to drive the outgoing Maserati lineup since most of the company’s many press events over the last couple of years since pandemic travel restrictions lifted fittingly focused on the three forthcoming models that aim to transition Maserati towards larger scale production and a wider customer base. The process started in eye-popping form with the eye-catching MC20 supercar, a stone-cold stunner equipped with a raucous Nettuno twin-turbo V6 engine featuring pre-chamber combustion tech borrowed from F1 racecars. 

The turbo whooshes and hardtop convertible of the Cielo trim make the MC20 my second favorite supercar on the market today—sorry, nothing beats the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato for outright absurd fun—but enforced scarcity means that infinitely more potential consumers will undoubtedly envision the new Maserati Grecale crossover as a possible entry point to Maserati as a brand. Aimed squarely at Porsche’s Macan and Cayenne, the Grecale also gets a Nettuno engine option, though with a dialed-back ECU tune, as well as a mild hybrid system and an eventual all-electric version.

Last but not least, Maserati also re-booted the GranTurismo this year with a more contemporary exterior that borrows cues from the MC20 and—you guessed it—a pair of detuned Nettuno engine options plus an upcoming all-electric Folgore trim. The GT’s full packaging leans more toward sporty than the traditionally soft grand touring cars that inspired its name, but with all-wheel drive and a low-slung chassis, it manages to nail that middle ground nicely nonetheless. 

The three new models will overlap with the outgoing Levante, Ghibli, and Quattroporte for 2024, so I arrived in Bormio very curious to experience how the older cars perform. Imagine a customer walking into the showroom and getting to test drive all six side-by-side. Does the new-new, packed with tech and a lighter turbo V6 engine, take the cake? Or maybe the staid, refined spirit of Maserati’s more historical feel paired with the 3.8-liter Ferrari V8? At this turning point throughout the automotive industry, somehow, past and present paired up side by side most perfectly at Maserati.

For the drive up to Livigno, another ski town with an ice track nestled even nearer to the Swiss border, Maserati tossed me into the Ghibli 334 Ultima, which adds lighter wheels and a carbon fiber aero package to that 572-horsepower Ferrari V8 to produce the fastest sedan in history. The 334 refers to a top speed of 334 kilometers per hour—or 207.5 miles per hour—made possible by additional downforce, less drag, and new tires developed specifically for this application.

I never hit anywhere near that top speed, thanks largely to wet and cold roads that dictated care while navigating hairpins, in addition to true Pirelli winter tires on 21-inch wheels rather than the as-yet-secret special tires. Over tall passes, roaring through tunnels with openings exposed to the elements, the climbs and descents reminded me of scenes straight out of the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia. Unfortunately, the Stelvio Pass nearby—scene of so many epic cycling battles, not to mention James Bond tomfoolery—was already closed due to the winter snow.

But on those wet roads, with ice and snow packed up around six inches in turnouts, so many tight hairpins never stressed the 334. Low-end torque from the V8 never caused a moment of slip-and-slide, despite wheeling a long four-door with a curb weight of nearly 4,300 pounds around the bends. Of course, I kept traction control and electronic stability control fully activated, but I also never noticed any intrusions from the electronic nannies. Unbeknownst to me at the time, TC and ESC would wind up becoming a big focus of the rest of the day.

Three old Maseratis walk into a ski bar

I pulled the 334 into a snowy parking lot just off the main road through Livigno as cross-country skiers huffed and puffed along a track to the left and alpine riders ripped around the tree line, maybe 600 vertical feet above us. Maserati’s safety team gave us a quick briefing on what to expect for the day, and then we hopped into a Ghibli for a couple of sighting laps with a test driver. He played a bit between drifting and taking time to demonstrate all the settings for drive modes, TC, ESC, and paddle shifting—then, again, to the amazement of all, simply pointed to our cars and sent us out onto the ice. No helmets, nobody in the passenger seat to rein in any potential shenanigans, just lap after lap of ice-drifting fun.

Earlier this year, I spent a day on the ice with the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle edition at Circuit Mecaglisse in Canada but immediately recognized the folly of comparing a fully electric Swedish concept car to a bunch of opulent V8-powered Italian grand tourers. So I spent my first two laps with ESC fully on, aware of my own penchant for spinning cars and getting stuck in snow. I felt out the winter tires—Maserati installed winter Pirellis on the Ghibli and Quattroporte but Continentals on the Levante—with all the electronics holding me back, could easily floor the throttle without coming anywhere near losing grip. And this is in a heavy, powerful, rear-wheel-drive sedan, remember?

I turned ESC fully off. In the first lap, my own inhibitions allowed me to only ease into a couple of slides. But confidence builds quickly, perhaps too quickly—this is a heavy, powerful, rear-wheel-drive sedan, remember. I kept the transmission in auto mode and the drive mode in Normal, thinking the softest suspension would best keep me from upsetting the car’s balance. 

But even in Normal, I felt the surging boost of that Ferrari V8 building, pulsing through the rear tires, and by the tightest turn of my second ESC-free lap at the far end of the track, I spun out pretty good. Happily, my ego suspects nobody noticed because I recovered quickly and kept working through the rest of the course, slaloming between understeer and then stabbing into oversteer with a quick hit of the throttle, big V8 easily setting the rear tires loose until the turbos spooled up to keep them spinning for a second or two even after I lifted.

After a few laps, I settled into a zone of progressively wider slides, trusting the front wheels to retain a bit of grip in mild countersteer while the tail end pushed us into and then out of the drifts. On level ground or coming up over a rise, especially, the Ghibli managed easy rally-style transitions between short S-curves, then happily bent akimbo through a final wide rip into the pits. 

I handed off driving duties to a fellow journalist and, grinning ear to ear, walked over to chat with Maserati Senior Global Product Planner Victor Eumenidi. A huge Alfa Romeo nerd, Eumenidi admitted at dinner the night before that he’s hunting to find his dream car, a high-mileage SZ, probably out of Japan. On the ice track, he immediately asked with a sly smile whether I preferred the twin-turbo Ferrari V8 or an electric Polestar. I shook my head with a grin and asked why we were even here, playing in the snow, way farther out in left field compared to an all-wheel-drive Swedish commuter car.

“It’s fun,” he laughs. “And for us, it seemed like a great way to have fun with these cars. To celebrate the V8 engine and also to prove that, even if they are rear-wheel-drive cars, not only the Ghibli but also the Quattroporte, there is a lot of fun driving this car in the winter, in the snow, on the ice.”

Swapping through the Maserati lineup

With media on hand alternating between driving the Levante Ultima and Ghibli 334 Ultima on asphalt, I then received a new GranTurismo in top-spec Trofeo trim to take out on the track. And here, the decision-making seemed clear since the Trofeo pairs all-wheel drive with that Nettuno V6 now putting out 542 horsepower in a low-slung chassis. Surely, the better car for this day, right?

And yet, even after forcing myself to take another test lap with ESC on, I found the GT much harder to set into a happy flow. In this case, maybe more grip required too much more speed—not necessarily ideal for tight, technical twists on increasingly chopped-up ice—but the Nettuno engine also requires more revs to spool up into torque and set the tires spinning. 

By the time I gained the confidence to hit the sheer velocity that could break through the chassis’ inherent grip, the transition from understeer to oversteer hit much more quickly, leaving me little room for error. 

To be fair, I never spun the GT, even through the tightest corner that caught one Ghibli driver who needed six guys to push out from deep snow in the runoff zone. But my pace got faster and faster as a bit more tail slide entered the chat, so I also ended up waiting behind other drivers enjoying much more opposite lock in the RWD cars. Turns out, lap times aren’t necessarily best for racking up smiles per hour.

I pulled back into the pits with the GT and subbed into a Maserati Quattroporte executive sedan. Longer and about one hundred pounds heavier than the Ghibli, so still quite similar, the Quattroporte seemed to be the favorite of another journalist friend from duPont Registry who’d already been absolutely crushing the widest, fast drifts of the group. (He’d just spent four hours on a wet skid pad at BMW Test Fest, turns out, honing those sidewayz skillz in an M2.)

Following his lead, I threw the Quattroporte into Sport mode, which noticeably opened up the engine response and firmed up the suspension to somewhere between the soft Ghibli and the firm, almost harsh GranTurismo. Immediately, I discovered a new level of flow in the bigger sedan as the weight and power combined to create a sense of composure that kept me right on the edge of losing control.

Very impressive, I told Eumenidi when I returned to the pits. And he agreed, especially in contrast to his favorite car for ice-driving, the GranTurismo.

“Honestly, I love the Quattroporte,” he admitted. “A big rear-wheel-drive sedan for sure, but to me, in terms of handling, I found the car very easy. And for sure, the new GranTurismo, it’s a different thing, it’s way more easy to use, practical, and with rear-wheel drive, drives much faster in the snow.”

Lastly, Maserati gave everyone a final romp out on the ice in the Levante Ultima—with the caution to please be extra, extra careful because it’s the only one built so far. I went last after keeping an eye on how everyone (especially duPont over there, still crushing it) handled the larger, taller SUV weighing over 5,000 pounds. Behind the wheel, I decided to risk Corsa mode to prioritize the all-wheel-drive system’s rear bias, but even still, the Levante’s additional suspension travel made for a much smoother ride than all the other cars.

The softer ride helped me work with nose and tail weight distribution, gobbling up the by-now-shredded track. Corsa also opened up the Ferrari engine’s exhaust valving and automatically set me into manual shift mode. With my ears more easily able to keep track of revs without glancing down at the tach and nearly redlining repeatedly, I sent the Levante through each turn almost perfectly, hammering throttle this time but only feathering steering input, trusting the fronts to gently pull us through with less countersteer until a hint of Scandinavian flick opened up the rears again into the next corner. After only a couple of laps, I sent it too hard into my final bend and spun a nice 180 like a full-on Hoonigan. 

Box box box, apparently. Tempted to act like I couldn’t get back into the pits without another lap, I cranked the steering wheel and floored it, spinning the Ultima through another tight 180 like the best rally driver on the planet, then slow cruised into the pits. Nobody cheered, but rest assured, the crowd in my head kept the applause roaring for at least a few minutes.

I told Eumenidi that I enjoyed the Levante Ultima most and wondered whether inherent chassis similarities to the trucks, SUVs, and side-by-sides I take out for hardcore desert ripping produced a more familiar comfort zone. Of course, none of those have yet sported a 572-horsepower twin-turbo Ferrari V8—but a guy can dream, right?

Surprisingly nice, if undoubtedly dated, Maserati finales

I also took the Levante Ultima out for a quick rip on asphalt, where 99.9% of the potential total of 206 customers will spend their time. With far more grip, the low-end boost of that powerplant hooks up to render speed limits absolutely irrelevant—even on wet roads as the afternoon sun peeked through to melt more snow. Here, the traction control and ESC undoubtedly helped, though selecting Sport mode allowed for a bit more fun than Normal in the Levante 334 earlier in the day.

By the time we drove back to Bormio for a dinner of pasta and cured meats, I could confirm that these three outgoing Maseratis were surprisingly nice cars. Sure, the interior feels a little dated compared to the rest of the industry—not to mention the techy, minimalist designs of the MC20, Grecale, and GranTurismo—but the special two-tone leather treatment and all the carbon-fiber trim on the Ultima and 334 help to enhance the old-world luxury spirit. And wireless Apple CarPlay worked perfectly the whole time, even allowing me to pair it with the car moving each time I got in a new vehicle.

My mind still balks at the pricing for the Ultima and 334—which should be a serious step above even a “standard” Ghibli Trofeo for $125,195 or a Levante Trofeo at $168,495. But the limited production numbers and the final Ferrari V8 will likely serve as highlights to attract collectors, even if Eumenidi wanted to talk more about Maserati’s long history than Ferrari’s specific contribution.

Looking to tomorrow’s EVs while honoring yesteryear’s V8s

“Let’s not talk about the Ferrari V8,” he admonished me, “But the V8, in general, they were a big thing in Maserati history with more than a hundred thousand cars produced. And today we are celebrating these engines, so not only the latest Ferrari V8 but also the previous ones, all the V8 legacy of Maserati.”

Longtime Maserati fans and newcomers to the brand alike might miss the V8 option after 2024, despite the obvious benefits of the Nettuno V6 and four-cylinder variants. But I left Italy wondering how the forthcoming Folgore electrics might have handled our day in the snow. Weight gains could be either a pro or a con, I suspect since I did find the heavier Quattroporte and Levante easiest to slide around the track. The optimal weight distribution of Maserati’s “dogbone” style EV powertrain installation will probably highlight the instantaneous torque of electric motors to make popping the rear tires loose as easy as I found on the Polestar—whether Maserati decides to program in a rear-biased drift mode, or something near to rear-only, will come into play big time since EVs can never turn ESC fully off.

That day at Mecaglisse in the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle provided plenty of thrills, without a doubt, and only a couple of spins despite studded tires. But, probably to the surprise of absolutely nobody, I enjoyed the days spent ice-drifting on an unexpected trip to the southern Alps in a handful of internal-combustion Maseratis so much more. Hopefully, the buyers who leap at this last chance to snap up a Ferrari V8-powered grand tourer will trust their tires and traction control settings enough to do so, as well.