WEBMINING> AMG Benz at 1972 Nurburgring
Okay. So apparently, this week, I’ve been on a bit of a European/DTM kick. We see so many Japanese cars all the time on Motor Mavens, I thought it would be kinda cool to mix it up a bit and shine a bit of light on some of the awesome race cars that have been famous in the European motorsports scenes for quite some time.
Last time I was in London, I saw this awesome die cast vintage Mercedes Benz race car (it was 1/43 scale, if I remember correctly…), and through the technology of Tumblr, I just happened across these photos of this awesome AMG Benz, which originally appear on this Vintage Photo page on LiveJournal. I don’t know enough about these cars (if one of our readers knows a lot about this subject, please write us!), but I love them. A lot. They just look so cool; big bodied vintage luxury cars going at it with smaller, sportier coupes… SO DAMN COOL. (more…)
WEBMINING> DTM AMG Amazing
Since our new Eurofiend contributor (Tamer Omran) got me thinking about the DTM racing series in Germany, I thought I’d post up this cool photo I found on Tumblr. I believe it was originally posted by Gearheads and Monkeywrenches. This here is a gorgeous white DTM Mercedes AMG, driven by a female driver by the name of Susie Stoddart. (more…)
WEBMINING> DTM Battle for Deutschland
Wow, this has got to be one of the best videos i have ever seen on YouTube. I just happened to stumble upon this 2009 DTM recap video, as I’ve been really hooked on DTM cars lately.
For those of you not really familiar with DTM, heres some history behind it. The DTM Series (or Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, which translated, means German Touring Car Masters) started out in 1984 and was only exclusive to Germany. In the early years, race fans found DTM racing very exciting, due to the fender-to-fender action and violent crashes. Unfortunately, the original DTM series came to an abrupt halt after the 1996 season… so Thank God the series was revived in 2000.
In my opinion as a Euro-car nut, I don’t think any race series even compares to DTM, but I’ll let you be the judge of that. This video is from last year, but it’s still incredibly exciting to watch. Watching the Mercedes AMG C-class and the Audi A4 duke it out… I just don’t think it gets much better than this.
:: Tamer Omran
WEBMINING> Offset Offensive from Toronto
Man. I’m not quite sure what to say. I was forwarded this link from a friend of mine, who basically said, “dude, you gotta read this. This article bashes slammed cars, negative offset, and the usage of roof racks and rusted body parts. It even bashes websites that promote that style (specifically naming HellaFlush), Miata.net and other forums.”
At first, I thought, “That sucks, but whatever… people talk shit on the internet all the time just to spike up their traffic or make a name for themselves.” But then I re-read the email. It talks shit about Corollas?! More specifically, it refers to our beloved AE86 Corollas (other cars are on the list too) as “irredeemable garbage.” Wow. That’s a pretty bold statement.
For most of the people I’ve been hanging out with for the past 10 years, talking shit about a person’s car is worse than talking shit about a person’s family. In many circles, those are fighting words. While I like to think that I’ve grown up a bit, and I like to think it doesn’t bother me when people disparage the cars I have been passionate about for the past decade… I think, perhaps, I haven’t grown up. I sure haven’t “grown out of it” – I haven’t grown out of my passion for AE86s; for negative offset wheels; for demon camber; for low stanced cars; for stretched tires… hell no. If anything, I’ve become happy that people are embracing this style, and seeing people all over the world build cars of this type is only adding fuel to the fire.
Perhaps the most offensive statement made by this article is the one that belittles the young demographic of car enthusiasts. It says “Setting up a car for drifting is usually ass-backwards to what actually makes a car handle. Still, it has managed to permeate the collective consciousness of young car enthusiasts, who are unaware that buying coilovers with absurdly stiff springs doesn’t actually make a car handle well, but rather masks a the deficiencies of a poorly designed car.” Come on now. Young car enthusiasts are unaware of what they’re doing? Last time I checked, MOST people (note that I didn’t say ALL, but MOST) involved with drifting were modifying their cars with a purpose and a mission.
That’s enough rambling from me… post up your comments and YOUR VIEWPOINTS/OPINIONS after you read the actual article on the original website that posted it, which is apparently titled SpeedSportLife. (Here you go, if a traffic spike is what you were looking for by posting this…)
:: Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Sleek, Slammed, Silver 5 Series
While I was cruising the Bimmerforums website last night, I came across this particular E39 BMW 5 Series sedan that really impressed me. This car was built by a Bay Area Bimmer owner that goes by the screen name of PavelK313. This E39 just looks right. Pavel didn’t even need to modify the bumpers, mirrors and all that jazz, because he concentrated his efforts on what really matters – the STANCE.
There was actually a lot of debate on the Bimmerforums about his low stance, his stretched tires, etc… can you believe that some people actually DIDN’T like it?! I laughed out loud when I read some comments from Bimmer owners that mentioned the same old things that anti-tire-stretch people say when they see outstanding feats of mathematics like this one. “I hate stretched tires. They make your classy car look ghetto, like a lowrider Impala! Tire stretch is stupid because it lessens your contact patch with the ground!” Oh, and let’s not forget, my absolute favorite… “I hope you like curb rashed lips on your wheels, because that’s what you’re gonna get if you stretch your tires!” LOL (more…)
WEBMINING> Super Fresh with BBS Mesh
Brandon Nero’s ‘04 Jetta GLI from wagenwerks on Vimeo.
When I’m bored at work, I constantly listen to MP3s and surf the web. The other day, I decided to look at Volkswagen related videos because I was interested in finding more cars that looked similar to my friend Zach’s Well Dunn Passat.
I stumbled across this older video from Wagenwerks Productions, that featured a Volkswagen Jetta GLI owned by a guy named Brandon Nero. I think this video is sick – the music went well with the feel of the video. The Jetta is so simple and clean, yet it’s so aggressive! I gotta hand it to Brandon Nero, he made one dope looking Jetta! I obviously love the car’s super low stance, and the fitment of the BBS mesh wheels? Perfect.
While replaying the video about 4-5 times, I read the comments on the Wagenwerks Vimeo account and saw that they used roller blades to get all the moving camera shots! No fancy rigs or easy dollies used here! I can go on for days about how good this video is, but I think I’ll just shut up and let you watch. Awesome, right?
:: Yoshi Shindo
WEBMINING> Keiichi Tsuchiya at Ebisu Circuit East
Okay… this is a super old video, but since I just posted my story about how I felt the first time I ever saw the legendary Best Motoring Volume 41, I figured I should post the video up on the site. To me, this video is totally the shit… it’s a classic that I must have watched about a thousand times, but I still remember how this video made me feel the first time I ever saw it. It was inspiring, to say the very least. And the very first time I ever drove Ebisu Circuit’s East Course, it immediately brought me back to the first time I watched this video, and the sound that the naturally aspirated blacktop 20 valve AE111 4AG engine made at full throttle as Keiichi drove his white TRD AE86 at Ebisu.
I’m sure that everyone must have a favorite movie or CD that they’ve listened to countless times… Inputs like this become engrained into your head; they eventually become a part of your permanent memory, and a part of who you are as a person. For me, these types of inputs include things like the Illmatic album from Nas, the Low End Theory album from A Tribe Called Quest, the Do You Want More album from The Roots, the Legend album from Bob Marley, and the Best Motoring Video, Volume 41. If you have a favorite book, video, movie, or CD, please share it…
Enjoy the video!
:: Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Bosozoku Love Shakotan Boogie
For those who are fascinated with bosozoku style and other aspects of Japanese underground car culture, I thought I’d post up this video clip. I actually watched part of this movie at my friend’s house in Japan a few years back, but it was only recently (on the Bosozoku Style website) that I discovered that someone had actually uploaded the video to Youtube.
This video doesn’t feature outstanding driving or anything… and ALL the cars inside aren’t necessarily cool, although you will find a few pretty nice gems mixed in with the street rubble. What kinds of bosozoku cars can you point out? I saw some pretty interesting non traditional cars, like the AW11 MR2 at the beginning of the movie, as well as the normal bosozoku fare, like Toyota Crowns and Nissan Skylines.
Just think – this movie was released way back in 1987! Sheesh, I was just a kid listening to Eric B & Rakim and LL Cool J back then… I wasn’t even into cars yet!
Fun video to watch! Just don’t get too offended by what happens to the hakosuka at the end…
:: Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> New Shoes on the Shakotan S12!
Guess who got some new kicks? This is Henry Nguyen’s shakotan S12 200SX sure is breaking hearts with its shiny new shoes. Forget those played out Bapes, kid… it’s all about the classic Japanese styling of Speed Star Wheels.
More specifically, 15×9J (-17) SSR Mk3 up front, and 15×9J (-27) SSR/Longchamps XR4 wheels out back. With the front chin spoiler, and rear wing. Definitely a Heartbreaker, damn son.
:: Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Oh G’s! Toyota FT86 in Detail!
I really gotta give major props to Taro and the GT Channel crew! This is the very first video I’ve ever seen that shows the details of the G’s Toyota FT86 G Sports Concept that debuted at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. I was pretty sad that I wasn’t able to make it at first, because when I searched the web, I saw a cornucopia of wack photos of the car (you may laugh at my usage of the word cornucopia, but hey, it’s better than saying a sh!t ton of wack photos)… but this video actually does the car justice.
We can finally see the details, all close and personal! Domo arigatou gozaimashita to the GT Channel crew for giving us the inside look, and posting up the video so quickly! Otsukare sama deshita! Great job.
What I want to know now is… how many AE86ers will be lining up at the Toyota dealerships to buy an FT86 now?
Me personally, I’m not too stoked on the fact that it’ll be coming out with a Subaru boxer engine in it… I wish it had a high revving engine with a Toyota/Yamaha twincam G head, to keep it true to the feel of a real AE86… Either way, I can’t wait to test drive one to see if it really feels like one of the AE86s in my collection or if it just feels like some sort of FR WRX. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Please voice your opinion on the FT86… I’m curious to see what our readers think!
:: AntonioE86 Alvendia
WEBMINING> Club EPS Works B310 Sunny
I was randomly browsing the internet over the past few days, and noticed this photo on the BeeOneOneOh blog in New Zealand, which I only recently found…. very cool site! Seeing these two vintage Nissans line up together on a track is super cool. Old school Nissan power… two generations of Nissan Sunny together at the same time. In the front, we have the Club EPS Works Sunny from the TS Cup. Don’t you just love those old school Advan Racing A3A wheels? Especially in BLACK with the red outlines.
I used to have a set of those wheels, but had to sell them when I was raising money to buy my TE27. Sigh… I loved those wheels, but it was a worthy cause. It’s so lucky that the owner of this B310 Sunny has a set of these wheels… and they have such great sizes too! They fit perfectly underneath the works flares; finding aggressive sizes of Advan Racing wheels is very rare indeed. I love satin black Advan Racing A3A wheels!!!
:: Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Papercraft Super GT Epson NSX
Today I’ve been taking a keen interest in this years Tokyo Auto Salon, and while I was searching around for information and interesting photos I stumbled upon this little gem. Epson Nakajima Racing decided to bring not one of their real Super GT cars to TAS this year but one made entirely out of cardboard and paper!
Now I’ve seen some pretty cool little papercraft cars before. I even tried my hand at making a Nissan Skyline KPGC10 GT-R once (not that it looked anything like one by the time I was done with it) , but a full scale race car is just awesome! After a bit more searching I found the full build of the car on their website. It’s amazing to see the amount of detail gone into it.
Check it out at EPSON Nakajima Racing.
:: Daniel Bridle
WEBMINING> S13 Running Touge at Night!
For everyone who’s ever wondered why mountain racing in Japan has evolved from an illegal, underground activity into something that accidentally slipped into the “mainstream” via comic books, anime, movies, and more… you need to watch this video, which was sent to me by my friend Chihiro Yoshimura from PEAK, an all AE and KP chassis drift team from Kanagawa Japan.
The driver of this S13 Silvia is drifting through a mountain road with such little space to navigate and maneuver the car… it’s incredible! Now this is car control.
I can’t wait to get back to Japan.
:: Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Meet The Drivers of JDM Allstars
Better late than never, Dan Joyce just released this light hearted behind the scenes look at last year’s awesome Round 3 of the JDM Allstars drift championship at Wembley. There’s not much actual driving but it’s great to see the drivers relaxed and having a laugh, which is what drifting should be about. Having FUN!
For 2010 I’ll be trying my best to get up and down the country armed with my camera to bring you all the latest UK drift action here on MotorMavens. Starting with the JDM Allstars 2010 season kicking off on April 17th – 18th in Manchester, with what’s going to be one of the biggest and most exciting rounds to date!
Here’s to an awesome 2010!
:: Daniel Bridle
WEBMINING> Hawaii Loves Old School Toyotas
Things have been extremely busy for the Motor Mavens Crew over the past two weeks. We’ve been turning our attention to some general “housecleaning” operations and important meetings to plan for future expansion of the site. Unfortunately, these things were extremely time sensitive and had to take priority over website updates for the past week. Pretty wack, I know. We should be back to our usual schedule after this; thanks for being patient and for your continual support!
We have some cool features to post this month, but before we get into all that, I wanted to turn your attention to the 808 state for a bit. This past weekend, many of my friends from Hawaii’s island of Oahu got together for an Old School Toyota meet. People might not realize it, but there are lots and lots of really amazing cars in Hawaii. All the local braddahs over there have much love for vintage Japanese cars.
Just look at how many clean TE27s came out to the meet! I’m drooling over two especially… a particular blue 1973 1600SR and a clean orange 1973 1600SR. More on these cars in the near future!
Props to Justindabull for his video work. Justin is really, really young (still in high school?), but he’s been hanging out with all the old school Toyota guys in Hawaii for years, because his dad, Mike, has owned some pretty awesome vintage Toyotas. Good job Justin! And congrats on getting your video featured on MotorMavens! Can’t wait to see you all again!
Shoots!
:: Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Silhouette of a Warehouse Drifter
It’s no secret that the members of the Motor Mavens Crew are fans of Ameen Rizvi from 786 Motoring and his 2JZ-powered Toyota Cressida from Houston. Well, Ameen isn’t the only drifter from the state of Texas who’s doing some crazy stuff! Ameen recently introduced us to Henry Swasey, a friend of his who loves shooting photos and videos of cars drifting! Hmm… sounds like we have some common interests there, Henry!
Anyway, I was looking at a couple videos that Henry made, and this one stood out in particular. It made me wonder how many people out there go drifting inside warehouses?! First of all, you need to find an empty warehouse. Then you need to “break in” to it, because no warehouse owner is going to be dumb enough to let people drift inside their warehouse for no reason. THEN you need to be comfortable enough maneuvering through the slippery concrete with random poles coming toward you as you’re drifting in second gear, shooting flames out of your exhaust.
All of this stuff made me think this video was pretty cool. Not that we’re condoning or encouraging people to break into warehouses and go drifting inside them. That’s dangerous, kids! (shaking my finger at you) It would certainly suck to t-bone one of those poles because you lost track of them in the warehouse, or you went off line a little bit. And if for any reason, the car crashed into a pole and caught on fire (or if the backfiring exhaust ignited something) and the entire warehouse burned down… I’m pretty sure there’d be certain hell to pay (plus jailtime).
But hell, it sure was fun to watch in this video. Drifting by Nacho of Silhouette. That’s all we know about him. I hope that’s nacho warehouse, cause then you might be a little upset when you see some guy in an S13 drifting inside it.
::Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Wagenwerks and DubKorps AWOL Teaser
AWOL – The Teaser from wagenwerks on Vimeo.
First off, I recently realized something. Just because I may have seen a video, it doesn’t mean everyone else has. This being said, my New Year’s Resolution will be to pass on video links to every bad ass video I have seen.
So, I bring you a Wagenwerks and DubKorps video from 3 months back. This was the first time I had heard of DubKorps, so you Euro guys hold your horses!! I am incredibly familiar with the Wagenwerks videos and the guys who make them. Hey! They are from my home state of Virginia! After watching this video I suggest you check out their website Wagenwerks.net (their DVD is beast by the way) then hop on their Vimeo channel and watch everything you have not yet seen.
These guys produce legit videos. Their film and editing style are top notch in my opinion. If anyone actually could muster up the ability to claim their videos suck and back it up with a proper argument, send an email my way! I have a knuckle sandwich my mom made me a few years ago that has been waiting to be gobbled up. HAHA!!!
And one more thing… Our readers will begin to learn a few things about me… I don’t just stick to one car scene, I love them all (in a manly kind of way). While I do have a passion for rotaries, I follow the Euro, Honda, and Toyota scenes just as much. I even ride a fixed gear bike, (that would be a fixie for those of you want to call it that!) Bet you might never have guessed that!
(In case you are wondering: First song: Hollywood Undead_ City , Second song: Innerpartysystem_ Don’t Stop ) Both of which are amazing bands.
:: Scottie Scheetz
WEBMINING> A Filthy Benz
There is something about this photo that appeals to me. Surely the creators of the Mercedes Benz SLC 500 never pondered it’s potential as a rally machine, but here she is – caked in grime, looking right at home sliding through the mud! I like the juxtaposition of a luxury symbol racing through the filthiest of conditions. Perhaps I feel a connection with this photo because of my passion for BMW drifting.
Regardless, you can’t deny that the brush guard, cracked windshield, and soiled decor prove that this car is strictly business… and according to this snapshot, business is good!
:: Andy Sapp
VIDEO> Honda Civic EF Wagon Attack 2
This morning, I received a phone call from DSPORT Magazine’s Tobin Honda… “Yo. Did you get my email?” “What email?” “Dude. I sent you a video via email a couple minutes ago. I think you’ll dig it. You’ll love the production value. Shit is on point.”
I gotta admit. I was super busy handling other things today, so I was slippin big time. I just checked the email right now, and it’s already past 4:00pm. But damn, I gotta say, Tobin’s right. I love this video. Pretty damn impressive. From “the wagon” to the driving to the POV and dolly shots used in this video!
The guys who created this film get mad respect from me. Outstanding work, gentlemen. And Tobin, good lookin out for sending this to me. Sorry it took so long to post!
MotorMavens got our shine in 2009 and we’re doin it again in 2010!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DRIVE SAFE!
::Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Jay Leno Drives LA Circuit w/ SLS AMG
Okay, so you’ve already seen the photos of the red Mercedes SLS AMG that I shot at the LA Auto Show. You’ve even seen the video of our favorite late night television personality (well, aside from those hot chicks on the TV commercials that are always asking us to call them) Jay Leno comparing the new SLS AMG to his own 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing on an installment of Jay Leno’s Garage. Man!
This morning, I actually took the time to browse the internet, and spent some time on another one of my favorite blogs this morning – CrankAndPiston. As I looked through their webpage, I saw this video that our friend Phil McGovern posted up, featuring Jay Leno driving the “Los Angeles City Circuit” with the SLS AMG. What’s the Los Angeles City Circuit, you might ask? Well watch this video to see. It features Mr. Leno taking us through one of his favorite routes through the Hollywood and Los Angeles. As soon as I get back home to LA after the holidays, I’ll have to try driving this route myself.
Enjoy!
:: Antonio Alvendia
Jay Leno’s Garage
More Mercedes SLS AMG stories on MOTORMAVENS
WEBMINING> The Best JZA70 Supra Ever.
Here’s something real quick. I was just browsing through one of my new favorite blogs, Kyusha Kai (in Japanese, it means something like modified old school car), when I came across this supeerrrrrrrrrr super dope Supra. This has GOT to be the best JZA70 Supra I’ve ever laid eyes on. Ever. EVERRRRRRRR.
Just look at that stance. The wheels. The flares. The front chin spoiler and front bumper. The aftermarket vented pieces that replace the turn signal indicators..??? The crazy looking hood and sideskirts! The wangan wing out back. And does it have a roof wing? Can’t tell from here. And it has an old school sha-ken sticker.
If this doesn’t inspire you to want a JZA70, I don’t know what will. I think if more people made JZA70s look like this, maybe the MA70/JZA70 body style Supras might be as popular as S13s or FCs.
Holy crap. Leigh Roto, Brian Urbano, Jose Valle, and all the other MA70/JZA70 owners I know… this is for you guys. Be inspired!
:: Antonio Alvendia
WEBMINING> Savanna GT/Mazda RX3 Memories
I’m mad, seriously. Christmas weekend it is, but man….I can’t hold back this level of hurt. Friends of mine can vouch for the level of anger I experience when seeing a Mazda RX3. When I let mine go up for sale, I thought it might feel good to let something move on… WRONG. I now fully regret the transaction and wish life had a rewind button like that of a DVD player – call it seller’s remorse.
While I’m watching this video, gritting my teeth and wiping tears from my eyes, you can enjoy viewing this beautiful Mazda Savanna GT as it graces the country side roads of Japan. Take a closer look at the interior shots, and wish upon many stars that I may one day accomplish supreme levels of cool when building my next old school Mazda. Recaro front seats and Burberry-esque cloth covered rear seats. Observe the fresh RS Watanabe wheels which appear to be somewhere in the realm of 14 inches with a healthy tire side wall. Awesome fender mirrors? Check. Front lip with aero? Absolutely. If you own an RX3, please use this footage as a template and do not… I repeat, DO NOT sell your RX3. Unless of course I come knocking at your door inquiring about it. Then and ONLY then is it permissible. **sniff sniff**
: : Edward Uche
WEBMINING> Trial Tuning Spirit 20B FD3S RX7
I flew out to L.A. this week to spend Christmas with my family, which gave me the opportunity to meet up with Antonio Alvendia and Edward Uche for the first time. Of course cars were a topic covered quite a bit as the night went on and RX7 project cars were brought to light… This of course brought on the discussion of dream builds and this video I am posting now. I honestly can not give you a solid figure of how many times I have watched this video ever since it was posted on Youtube. I would guess Edward couldn’t give you a guesstimate either.
What I can tell you is the car was built by Trial Tuning Spirit. The FD3S has a 3 rotor swap, running ITBs and and a slew of custom parts all done to make it a beast of a track car. Just listen to the beautiful music it makes – who wouldn’t want this in their garage???
I must say though. On my wedding day, I want a car much like this waiting for me at the end of the ceremony to take us away. Hopefully, rotors will be tied behind the car on rope to drag down the street behind us.
:: Scottie Scheetz
PS: Below is the car’s spec sheet, posted in Janglish (gotta keep it legit!) by the original poster of the video. (gamikoulas@hcn.zaq.ne.jp) (more…)
WEBMINING> The Golden Years of DTM
I was just surfing around on Facebook right now and found this Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) video, posted by a guy named Samuel Oune. I had the privilege to attend a DTM race at Nurburgring last summer… but as exciting and fun as it was, it was nothing like this! Just look at the Mercedes Benzes flying through the air!!! A W E S O M E.
Aside from me, who wants a Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3 16valve and an E30 M3 now?!
:: Antonio Alvendia
