I’ve been asked on more than one occasion “Have you seen the documentary about X?” and my answer was always regrettably “no, not yet, haven’t had time” – thanks to the recent pandemic, our calendar suddenly opened up and I found myself without any more excuses. The 3 documentaries in question are: “Framing John Delorean” (Hulu); “A life of speed: the Juan Manuel Fangio Story”(Netflix) and “Shelby American” (Netflix). WOW! There’s a lot to unpack there, and it became very obvious that if my spouse had to endure watching 6 hours of automotive history, she got to choose the viewing order, right? Up first…
Framing John DeLorean
“Framing John DeLorean” uses the same Hulu documentary style as “Becoming Bond” (The George Laserby Story) where interviews and real footage are interleaved with reenacted scenes by well known actors (Alec Baldwin as John Z. DeLorean (JZD), Morena Baccarin as Christina Ferrare and Josh Charles as Bill Collins) to help fill in the gaps between the archive footage. “Framing John DeLorean” takes it a step further by adding behind-the-scenes interviews with the actors, providing an interesting personal insight to the story.
Verdict: With a running time of 1hr, 50 min – “Framing John DeLorean” rushes through JZD‘s early accomplishments at GM, which are many, in the first 30 minutes. There is a heavy focus on the government sponsored “drug sting and entrapment case” for which JZD was acquitted. JZD‘s daughter Kathryn summarizes this part of the film by implying “DMC = Destroyed My Childhood.”
The big reveal came late in the film as an expose into the alleged “embezzlement scheme” between JZD and Colin Chapman of Lotus who partnered on the DMC-12’s development by way of a shell company known as “GDP.” Many might not remember, but JZD didn’t go jail for the cocaine, but he certainly served time for tax evasion. We found the interviews with JZD‘s son Zach DeLorean to be brutally honest but also an appropriate amount of unintended comic relief. Unlike many other Automotive documentaries, “Framing John DeLorean” did an excellent job of engaging petrol-heads and non-car-folk alike, with a focus more on the man than the car, making it an excellent “sharable” experience.
Shelby American
With a subtle nudge, I convinced my wife that she shouldn’t see “Ford v Ferrari” until she’s learned more about Carroll Shelby‘s legendary past. Carrying with that a strong recommendation from member Don C to also watch the documentary first, he said, “Shelby American fills in all the gaps the movie didn’t cover, you need to watch it!” – “Shelby American” covers the entirety of Shelby’s life from birth-to-death: his early days of racing, wins & losses, chicken farming, LeMans, development of the Cobra, entanglements with Ford and Ferrari, chili cook-offs, Vipers, his 7-10 wives, and the return to Ford. #texas #murica #becauseracecar.
Verdict: Don C was right! – “Shelby American” does follow a very typical documentary format, it’s 1hr, 58 min of archive footage + eyewitness accounts used to tell the entire story. But one key difference is that it also featured Carroll as the narrator throughout the film. My wife asked at one point, “How come we hear him, but never see him? When was this recorded?” A valid question considering the film debuted in 2019, and Shelby took the checkered flag in 2012 at the age of 89. The film does focus heavily and specifically on the events between 1962-1967, which is perfect if your next jaunt is (re)watching “Ford v Ferrari.” Overall, the film was a perfect retelling and homage to a great racer, and a greater man.
A life of speed: the Juan Manuel Fangio Story
Leaving “Fangio” as our last film was no coincidence. Even though my wife was a “Foreign Languages Major” in college, once she realized a good portion of the film was in Spanish (with English Subtitles) she said “let’s save this for when I can really pay attention.” – Unlike the other 2 films, there is no narrator or guide, it opens with a reenactment of Fangio driving his Chervolet Coupe during the Gran Premio del Norte (a race that runs from Argentina to Peru) while Sir. Jackie Stewart (Formula 1 champ ’69, ’71 and ’73) covers Fangio‘s early days. The film then switches to archive footage of Fangio (most likely recorded in the ’80s) recounting his rise to become a 5x Formula-1 Champion, during 1949-1957.
Verdict: Of the three, “Fangio” is the shortest film with a running time of 1hr, 32 min and keeps with a more traditional documentary format where the archive footage is our only way of moving the story forward. There are good portions of the footage that are still in black and white, or low quality, and others you could tell were filmed in the early days of color or carefully remastered. Peppered throughout the film you could feel Sir. Jackie Stewart’s influence as he continues to advocate for driver safety and how racing has evolved over the years. The producers help transition the content by breaking up Fangio‘s story telling with interviews with people like: Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen, Nico Rosberg and other F1 champs. Most of this modern footage was used to create a “then vs now” and “what if” arguements, but in the end the consensus was always the same: Who is the best driver in F1 history? … Fangio.
With ample time on our hands, it definitely makes for some long days and even longer nights. But with films like DeLorean, Shelby and Fangio to break up the evening, it was a much needed respite from “the normal shows” we’d usually watch. Admittedly, documentaries aren’t everyone’s cup-of-tea. In part, because of the content but also because of the way they are assembled. However, the newer style documentaries come off as “part news and part movie” making the overall viewing experience better, keeping the audience engaged and even incorporating some laughs. All three of the films mentioned here were a great way to share some time and Motorsports history with the family as well as spawning some great Q&A discussion. #movienight.
Tune in everywhere you stream, download or listen!
If you recall, Season-1 ended with the sale of the ’54 International COE and ’55 Lincoln Futura for a whopping $170k! That allowed Mark Towle and the Gotham Team: Shawn (the wheeler-dealer), Tony (the machinist), Caveman (the mechanic) and Constance (the engine builder) to expand Gotham Garage to a second shop (also located in Temecula, CA) to help give them more space to work and grow their projects – “double the room, double the efficiency” as Mark says.
Season-2 ditches the “red paper clip” idea from Season-1, and goes for a straightforward “upgrade and trade” approach. Car Masters packs the entire season into eight easy to digest 30 minute episodes. The season kicks off with ’53 Buick “sleeper” Specialand a goal of obtaining “the big pay day” with a ‘59 Corvette Concept, but plans are quickly derailed by a series of unfortunate events starting with a wreck and a couple deals gone wrong.
Electrified
Much like Mark, I’m not the biggest fan (yet) of electric vehicles – and when he was presented with the challenge to build an all-electric drag race car, encased in the shell of a ’73 Ford Pinto for famed Indy-car team owner and Roadster Hall of Fame winner Gil Losi (below), how could he say no, right?
With a budget of $50k and a time to beat of less than 9 sec in the 1/8th mile, the team got to work. Despite being a Pinto, and despite being electric… the build was probably one of the most fascinating of the season including things like: tandem-motors, tesla batteries, electro-luminescent paint, and more. In the end, the “eRacer+” as it was badged by the team, put down an astounding and silent 1/8th mile run of 7.80 sec on its FIRST PASS! The team handed over the keys to Gil for $75k and rolled their profit onto the next set of projects including:
Custom Harley “Bagger”
’69 Ford Mustang Mach-1 “wide-body”
Custom T-bucket “Wedding Coach”
Bob Anziano’s, Viper powered 1948 Buick Roadmaster “Chop-top”
Retro-inspired Chevy Astro “band-conversion” Van
35′ twin-engine “Corvette Boat”
1930s Ranger-powered Ford sprint-racer
24 hrs of Lemons Chrysler Sebring “shark car”
Reskinned
Although not my first choice in color schemes, the “VAYDOR” kit-car** (above) which the team acquired after selling the Corvette-boat was another complicated but engaging build. The Vaydor is designed as a “reskinning kit” and lays over top of a mid-2000s Infiniti-G35. I found this fascinating because my assumption was that all kit cars, were just that… a kit you turned into a car – everything you need in ONE box – like a Caterham!
In the case of the Vaydor: you buy yourself a running G35 for about $8k and the Vaydor kit for $11k, and spend the next 6 months or so carefully removing everything outside of the drive-train, suspension and framework. Then jigsaw puzzle all the pieces together (with no instructions, because you lost them) from the shrink-wrapped pallet until you end up with what looks like a European hyper-car and sell it for $80k. #howhardcoulditbe **for more details on the Vaydor, check out their website vaydorsupercar.com #shaqsgotone – LOL.
Package Deal
As I mentioned earlier, a series of unfortunate events, and deals gone wrong set the season on an entirely different trajectory than originally intended. The ’59 Corvette Concept, was no more, but in a way that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There was a new “big pay day car” on the horizon but it was a long reach to get there. A reach that included setting up a 2:1 trade. In order to get to their final project the team simultaneously restored a Pre-war (1930s) Sprint Racer and a 1947 Dodge Power Wagon (seen above) using both shops. Unlike other builds both vehicles where kept quite austere. It was good to see that not everything had to include skulls and spiderwebs, as these vehicles were tasteful remixes of their original forms.
The XNR
Its OK if you’ve NEVER heard of the 1960 Plymouth Valiant based “XNR” Concept Car, because not many other people have either. The original XNR was built by Virgil Exner (see also: Stutz Blackhawk) as a one-of-a-kind asymmetrical roadster. It was moving art, designed to show-case the abilities and the future of Plymouth. If you look at it with one eye closed and off to the side, you can start to appreciate some of the XNR’s unique qualities. And at first glance, you might even recognize that it’s really a single-seater with a side-car… on a 106.5″ wheel base.
Why the XNR? Just like the end of Season-1 with the Lincoln Futura build, this XNR was a build no one else had ever been successful at attempting let alone completing, until the team at Gotham came across a gentleman named “Adam” from Vermont. He claimed to have obtained the original blueprints for the XNR, recreated the molds, and fabricated exact replica body panels laying them on top of a 1960 Valiant, just like the original. Adam, unfortunately, didn’t have the resources to continue the project any further and agreed to trade the XNR to Gotham in exchange for the Ford Sprint Racer and Dodge Power Wagon mentioned earlier.
The team made quick work of getting the XNR completed. Now they were faced with a larger dilemma: Sell the car to any number of private collectors for nearly $200k -OR- donate the car to the Peterson Auto Museum in Los Angeles for all the world to see?
Amidst all that drama the team ultimately decides to bring their XNR build up to “museum quality” and park it alongside Mark Towle’s other entrant from 20 years ago: the C4 Corvette based Speed Racer “Mach 5” replica (above). This would make Mark part of an elite group of car builders to have more than 1 vehicle featured at the Peterson. #congrats
I’ve said it before, I’m not a huge fan of reality television, but my affinity for Car Masters and many well crafted RUST-oration shows in the last few years has grown significantly. I anxiously awaited the return of Car Masters, and even though Season-2 felt a little more produced (at times), it didn’t loose its overall charm or appeal. I was really happy to see the team still together, and their work is nothing if not engaging and top-shelf quality. In the end, the Gotham team didn’t get “the big pay day” they originally hoped for, but I actually think they got something more. The notoriety that is going to come from the XNR build, along with having a vehicle in the Peterson, moves them way up the ranks. I’m really curious to see how this will effect Season-3 of Car Masters… But let’s not wait until 2022 to find out,ok – Netflix?
Thomas Magnum solves mysteries in a Ferrari 308, Doc Brown time travels in a DeLorean DMC-12, The Duke brothers outrun Roscoe daily in a Dodge Charger, Colt Seavers soars to new heights in his Chevy C10… the list of iconic “boys and their toys” from the late ’70s through the early ’90s is extensive and memorable. But did you know that Joe Aster had a Viper? Probably not.
I can just imagine the board room discussions at the Chrysler Corporation, Lee Iacocca behind his desk, saying something to the tune of “Ok folks, this is my 2nd time at bat here at Chrysler, I’ve green lit the skunkworks project with my dear friend Carroll Shelby to build the Viper, but we need a way to launch it with a bang!” – The early ’90s economically, wasn’t the best time to introduce a sports car into the domestic automotive landscape. America was still recovering from a recession and people weren’t really interested in “a muscle car” anymore. As many of you all will recall, most of the offerings from the ’90s were just mobius blob-like shapes that barely outperformed their ’80s sub/compact cousins. The cars were heavy, bland and generally under performers – the automotive equivalent to a vanilla ice cream cone melting in the summer. Until the Viper.
Back to the board room… post-meeting an intern walks up to the CEO and says something like: “Mr. Iacocca sir (voice cracking)… What if we created a show around the VIPER? … I was always a big fan you know… of cop dramas, maybe something along the lines of Knight Rider? And we can use all the new products as extras on the show. It worked for GM, right?” – a complete fabrication, but the origins of the partnership between NBC and Chrysler to create VIPER (the show) are still a mystery, but one thing is clear: Chrysler was sponsoring the project in a big way.
I distinctly remember when this show piloted -on air- in 1994 on NBC. That night, sitting around the family room with my parents watching the 2-part premiere, is when I fell in love with the Viper (the car). Seeing it for the first time and hearing that distinct V10 engine note, it was the coolest thing to come out of the Big-3 in a what seemed like ages. Posters immediately went up on the wall, model cars were purchased, it became a passion.
So what about the show? – Unfortunately, because VIPER aired in the evenings – unlike Magnum PI which I’d watched religiously after school at 4pm – I wasn’t able to catch the show on the regular, but I tuned in when I could. After the show ended in 1999 it all but vanished, not even the bargain bin at Blockbuster or FYE had any trace of the show. For decades now, I’ve been trying to find a copy, rekindle that spark, and more importantly… see how the story ended! I managed to get my hands on a poorly digitized VHS version of the pilot episode from a friend and have hung on to it like a prized jewel. With more modern technology, I’d set up google and amazon alerts to ping me about any new mentions of the show. Outside of some bootleg German voice-over copies, nothing official has ever surfaced, until a couple weeks ago…
You bet I overnight prime shipped that bundle and couldn’t wait to dive in!
After binge watching all 80 episodes, I can honestly report that VIPER went through several serious evolutions. Looking back it was quite unclear that the show would make it past the pilot. But NBC was able to squeeze out another 10 episodes in Season-1. Where our hero “Joe Aster” formerly known as Michael Payton struggled with forced memory loss and went from high profile criminal wheel man for “the syndicate” to justice crusader overnight, now working for “metro city’s metropol special projects division” code-named: Project VIPER.
The plot of Season-1 was much like that of Knight Rider, almost to a “T” (as in Targa Top). Though the Viper doesn’t talk to Joe like KITT, he does have a guardian angel in the form of the vehicles developer Julian Wilkes that speaks to him through satellite uplink. Julian can be easily compared to a combination of KITT and Devon. Frankie X. Waters the “comic relief” is brought in to play the equivalent to Bonnie (KITTs technician). Unlike KITT, the VIPER can “transform into an armored assault vehicle” known as The Defender (seen further below). Disappointingly, by episode 3, Joe/Michael had regained more than half of his memory, and used his stash of cash from his previous life to buy an abandoned power station, stole the Viper and setup a new HQ for the recently“disavowed” VIPER project. This gave VIPER a very “Batman-like” quality as Joe would drive in/out of the basement of the station, usually in the evening, and head into town to save the day.
The Defender
In real life, the Defender is one of the last “specialty built” vehicles for TV not unlike the Lincoln Futura based Batmobile, the Coyote from Hardcastle & McCormick or the AC-cobra powered stretch T-bucket called “the Munster-mobile”, and others. The exterior design of the Defender was created by Mike Sciortino (and the team at Unique Movie Cars, Hollywood, CA), though fans at the time believed that the Chrysler company built the Defender concept. ***7/2022 – NEW INFORMATION AVAILABLE!***
That being said, the Defender IS a re-skinned version of a production Viper RT/10 and its design queues seem to have foreshadowed the idea of the “Viper GTS Coupe” which didn’t make production for another 2 years (1996). To make the Defender feasible as a KITT replacement means that the show is packed with CGI-magic that was on par with NBC’s other SciFi offering at the time: SeaQuest DSV. The “transformation” sequences between Viper & Defender-mode were revolutionary for the time, with the Season-1 special effects reported to cost $50k each time the car morphed. (later seasons utilized CGI more heavily which reduced cost). More importantly, the “remote activated drones” as seen coming out of the trunk were ahead of their time by about 20 years.
When seen side-by-side, the Defender design is actually shorter than the production Viper, and also wider in the rear giving the car an even more aggressive and staggered look. The overall height of the Defender is lower, with a shorter windshield and the added hardtop which gives the impression of being a “smaller vehicle”. The Defender retains the signature door shape of the base Viper while most other aspects of the car were changed. You’ll also notice that the Defender comes with a staggered tire package as well, where the rear tires have a much higher aspect ratio than the front. Designers needed to modify the Vipers handling characteristics to better meet the needs of the many pursuit scenes in the show.
Defender mode includes:
Poly-morphic hexagonal armor plating
Bullet proof glass
Body armor is “fire resistant”
Remote control drone with video surveillance, infrared, talons and laser cutting tool
Side mounted multi-purpose “cannon” including small round machine gun, flamethrower, EMP, and miniature tactical missile (Season 1)
Satellite communications with “hands free” speech.
On-board computer system tied into Viper HQ mainframe
Off-road mode with instant 8+ inch lift and transformable tires (knobbies)
EMP fed “boost mode” added in Season 2
Rocket propelled Grappling Hook adding to side-mount cannon in Season 2
Projectile Netting, Lasers, Rubber bullets (expanding to the size of Tennis balls) and Spider-bombs added to side-mount cannon in Season 3
Hovercraft mode (Season 4)
Vehicles seen in VIPER spanned the Chrysler line including models from Jeep, Eagle, Dodge, etc. Common cars included the Cirrus/Stratus, the Mitsubishi 3000 GT based Stealth and the Avenger. Chrysler did a stellar job of also including older Chrysler products in the show. Frankie’s daily is a “Plum-Crazy” HEMI Barracuda (which is later replaced with a purple Challenger R/T). Many of the “disgruntled youths” in Metro City are seen driving around in modified Plymouth Furies, Chargers, etc. Season-1 included all sorts of running/driving Chrysler prototypes as well as debuts of new models (like the Prowler, and first glimpses of the Viper GTS coupe). Paying close attention you’ll see that there is a Chrysler product: new, old and future somewhere in every shot. #productplacement #marketinggenius. Below are just some of the vehicles you might see during Season-1 of VIPER.
Metro City’s mayor drives a Chrysler Thunderbolt
Julian Wilkes drives an All electric Chrysler TE-van
Dodge Aviat Concept
Chrysler Espresso
Chrysler Chronos
Chrysler DX
Chrysler 300 Concept
Plymouth Prowler
Viper GTS Coupe w/ Eagle Premiere (aka Dodge Intrepid Metropol cars in background)
Season 2 & Beyond
Just as the story of Joe Aster was unfolding, Season-1 ends abruptly – NBC cancelled the project and sold it to Paramount Studios who picked it up for the 1996 UPN season. VIPER resurfaced with a new premise and a new team (seen in the clip above). During the first episode “the Feds” explain away Season-1 as an “earlier attempt” and Julian’s role by saying he was transferred to Washington to work on another special project for the government “of the utmost national security.” While Joe Aster’s disappearance was completely glazed over, he is referred to once as “the former driver” in that episode. Limited information about the show’s history tends to highlight disagreements with the actors, studio… typical Hollywood. #highlander2. Meanwhile, the all-male cast was replaced, except for Frankie who was retained and promoted to VIPER mechanic. VIPER HQ was moved to an underground subway facility controlled by “The Feds” (Agent Catlett) with a batcave-esque turn table and tunnels quickly leading to all parts of Metro City.
Joe Aster was replaced by Thomas Cole, former CIA agent and Secret Service “driver.” More importantly Season-2 introduced two female leads. Instead of being a team of one, Tom was quickly partnered with Det. Cameron Westlake after a traumatic downtown shootout involving an attempt to create some “arch-enemies” that would have longer story arks in the series (but ended up being a bust and never went anywhere). Julian was replaced by Dr. Alley Farrow, taking over the VIPER project and introducing new “Inspector Gadget” levels of tech to the Defender.
Season-2 was a bit of a reboot, and a let down.The show filmed in Canada as a backdrop for the neo-futuristic post-apocalyptic California-based “Metro-City” but more often than not, it was raining which made shooting action scenes with the Viper more challenging than expected. It was amusing to see the stunt drivers trying to keep the car constantly under control, and there are even a few “J-turns” that don’t end well. There is definitely more than one driving scene that was chopped up and left on the cutting room floor. The show also recycled actors from Season-1 and reintroduced them as “new villains” while incorporating some lesser Hollywood stars as victims, making cameos while attempting to boost the shows ratings.
The VIPER formula became super simple: Get a report of a criminal activity, set off in pursuit, use the Defender and it’s plethora of gadgets to stop said baddy, fight/argue with “The Feds” about how the mission was carried out. Go back to HQ. Lather-Rinse-Repeat. – Still sounds like Knight Rider, right?
After a rather flat 22 episode Season-2, VIPER was surprisingly renewed for a 3rd season. And as you can see from the intro more of the same, but the team was downsized. Alley was removed with little explanation, and now Frankie was completely in charge of the vehicle and it’s gadgets. By this point the VIPER projects progress had plateaued which meant nothing new in the way mods to the Defender – because Alley had sorted all that out in Season-2, right? To combat the lack of imagination, the writers took on more of the “global terrorist and corporate espionage” vibe instead of focusing on saving Metro City and its citizens “from evil.” VIPER was moving deeper into “Fed control” with Agent Catlett taking on a larger role and handing out the missions the VIPER team would pursue. Season-3 introduced characters like Billy Denver “the rookie cop,” who had a crotch-rocket motorcycle version of the VIPER that he used to create chaos for the VIPER team and temporarily play that “Robin-style” sidekick. (sigh)20 more episodes…
The prodigal son returns…
It’s obvious from the Season-4 intro (above)… that the writers went #FULLSEND and must have been working on Terry ‘the Hulk’ Hogans “Thunder in Paradise” at the same time (below). But in reality, UPN sold VIPER back to NBC in 1998 and tried to pick up where they left off. Brothhhherrrrrrr! the Defender can jump like Fall Guy and swim like the Bat-boat. #hulkamania #crazyness. OMG. LOL.
“Alright, who blew up MY car!?!” – exclaims Joe Aster as he reemerges to lead Season-4 of VIPER –woot!- and along with Joe came the return of Julian Wilkes to introduce the replacement for the classic red Viper targa. The new VIPER is a blue GTS Coupe with the signature 3-spoke targa wheels swapped on for consistency when it transforms into the same Defender shape we’ve come to appreciate. Thomas Cole was out (“permanently reassigned to the CIA” was the explanation used in S4:E1), and the team retained Cameron and Frankie for the final hoorah. Sadly, in order to justify keeping Cameron on the team, they changed Joe’s character from lone-wolf crime-fighting vigilante to a bumbling Luddite incapable of understanding the VIPERs advanced systems for the entirety of the Season. #justadriver#fail.
Outside of the Season-4 premiere, the only episode(s) that really mattered was the 2-part Series finale titled “Split Decision” where the writers decided that a 90 minute – “bottle episode” – recycling much of the original footage from the pilot was an appropriate way to end the Series. In the end, all of Joe’s memories of being Michael Payton are painfully restored, and he’s faced with a decision “which man does he want to be: Michael or Joe?” – If you couldn’t have guessed it, he rides off into the sunset with Cameron who asks in the final bits of dialogue: “I can’t believe Catlett let you take the car?!?…” to which Joe replies “He didn’t, I stole it.”#exitstageleft #takeabow #rollcredits.
Now that I’ve carefully studied the show, the complete story, and removed my long-time rose-colored nostalgia blinders. I can honestly say, VIPER is period appropriate, it has all the troupes and cliches of the era. But it also *had* tons of potential. Unfortunately, that potential was lost somewhere at the end of Season-1 when the show suddenly pivoted on its heels, softened its suspension, and it was never really ever able to recover.
“Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.” – Marcel Proust
The Viper (the car) on the other hand, I will continue to argue is one of those designs that can’t be dated. Coming from an period in Automotive design full of cookie cutter, plain-yogurt styling, seeing a 1st-Gen Viper in person… it’s intimidating and gorgeous at the same time, much like the original Cobra that inspired it. It really was Shelby’s swansong, a true masterwork. And much like Tania M’s article on the Fiat Panda, I want one. BECAUSE.
If you’re in for a good laugh, countless burn-outs, and a retro scifi-esque cop-drama, then I can’t recommend VIPER enough.
So many burn-outs! #killsallthetires #merrymotoring.
The mountains called, and of course I picked up the phone. Destination: the Centennial State – Colorado, to partake in some recreational snow sport – aka skiing! #skiclub.
Its been many years since I’ve returned to Colorado, especially for skiing, it eventually had to happen. What always seemed to be off-putting is the distance from Denver to the resorts. 2-3 hours isn’t really that big of a deal… as long as the atmospheric conditions are favorable. The first trip I ever took fared pretty well on the drive in. It was a late arrival which meant rental car choices were scarce, and all the four wheel drives were gone. The only vehicle left was actually a 2014-ish VW Jetta wagon (at least it had plenty of space for 4 passengers + multiple skis in the trunk). Car in hand, the group headed to the mountain arriving in the wee morning hours with a smooth ride. My ignorance was bliss at the time. The ride back to the airport several days later in the middle of the afternoon? Complete 180. Having left the mountain base which was a sunny 70 degrees, it seemed like the drive back would be a breeze.
Unfortunately, Colorado weather can be highly variable across the passes.And a breeze it was not. In fact, there was a bit of a snow storm raging, which closed the highway and diverted drivers (not uncommon) until conditions improved. Luckily I did not have to deal with exiting the highway and sitting in some random rest stop parking lot. However, the drive was a bit grueling, crawling along the highway in several inches of snow and slush climbing up and down grades of 5-6%, in a front wheel drive. Thankfully the hefty VW wagon did quite well and we never got stuck, even having to stop and start on steep hills – the same couldn’t be said for some other FWDs.
>> Fast forward 6 years!
I hemmed and hawed a bit about going to Colorado for this trip and whether to rent a car or use the shuttle system from the airport to the mountain. In the end, I opted for a rental given where I was lodging and my flight times, I wanted the flexibility to be on my own time. Not unlike the last trip, I arrived at the rental car facility hoping for a four wheel drive! Only to be disappointed to see my choices were Dodge Caravan, Dodge Caravan, Dodge Caravan, Nissan Altima… oh wait! – there was a VW Passat! Which I debated for a second, until another traveler swooped it up. Looking at my choices, I was probably going to go with the mini-van figuring “big and heavy” would probably be more helpful in the snow. Disappointed, I stood around waiting for my friends to meet me before completely claiming the burgundy Dodge Caravan. Taking what seemed like an exorbitant amount of time, my friends finally meandered over. We all looked around the lot, shrugged, and said: alright (sigh). Just as I was about to start loading my skis into the van, I took one last look over my shoulder, and “aaahhhhhhh” what a site to behold! A VW Tiguan!? Can it be??
As it passed by to pull into an adjacent spot, the beautiful badge in the back right corner displaying “4Motion” was a siren call. And for those that don’t know, 4Motion is VW speak for “AWD.” I quickly skipped over to the car, pouncing on the employee driving it – “is this available!?!” Indeed it was, and I quickly staked my claim. #emeraldaisle. Beep beep! Let the trip begin!
Before I get straight to the heart of the matter – the good and not so good of the 2020 VW Tiguan 4Motion…
Let me interject a disclaimer. As I’ve mentioned in other articles – I do not daily an SUV, my experiences are all short-term drives by way of rentals, and my current position in life does not necessitate me needing one. I’m quite accustomed and prefer “smaller” hatchbacks for daily use. Can I understand and respect the utility an SUV can bring? Sure.
Its exactly that utility which I coveted for potential snowy conditions in Colorado – heavy, raised off the ground, all-wheel drive. Having said all that, the Tiguan is not actually an SUV, but a compact crossover, known as a CUV. I never really cared for this distinction until driving the Tiguan. It’s a large vehicle – a CUV is still an SUV in my eyes. But, what is the difference you might ask? Quite simply – an SUV uses a truck chassis, while the more compact CUV is based off a car platform.(“Body on frame” vs “unibody.”) What this means is that the compact crossover will perform more like a car and less like a Conestoga wagon. (I kid.)
This differentiation stood out to me – finally – after driving the Tiguan, it really felt more like a car – a large car – and for me, I like that car feel very much. It was comfortable and stable. Cruising around highway bends at 70 mph didn’t feel like you were piloting a water bed ready to hurl you into the adjacent lane. The steering was surprisingly responsive and heavy. The overall ride was not overly soft, nor overly rigid – though, I drive very stiff cars so my tolerance is quite high in this regard.
The interior was standard VW layout – simple, but functional.
Knobs and buttons were in their “appropriate places” as the VW engineers would say, as well as accessible and familiar – if you’re used to VWs. This particular model was upgraded with faux-leather seats, a nice upgrade from the standard cloth. The cabin space was a perfect size for a person of my stature. I didn’t feel as though I was swimming around. I had just enough room to be comfortable, but not too little to feel cramped. The seats had just enough bolster to gently hug you, giving more of that “car-like” feel.
Visibility was quite excellent whichever way your head turned. Huge blind spots created by poorly designed A, B, or C pillars were non-existent; and the roof-line doesn’t allow for oddly shaped glass serving no purpose other than reducing visibility like you see on many other CUVs.
One feature that I thought was well designed were the blind spot monitors. A lot of cars I’ve ridden in situate the tiny indicator light in the side mirror at the end farthest way from the driver. I find myself easily able to filter this light out, at which point, it might as well not be there. Which is fine because none of my cars have this fancy new age technology, so I do not rely on it. However, the engineers positioned the indicator light on the Tiguan on the mirror housing itself and the light is quite a bit larger than what you might be accustomed to on your SUV. I actually found the light to be better positioned for my peripheral vision while managing to not be a nuisance. I would market it as: a subtle glow that catches your attention without eliciting an overt reaction.
Cargo space was quite good and I was able to take advantage of the folding center section of the back seat to lay my skis nicely in the trunk (below, right) without infringing much on any backseat passengers. What this really means is the Tiguan is designed with a flexible interior, instead of a classic 60/40 split, allowing you to choose which second row seats get folded down – 1, 2, or all 3. For additional passenger comfort, the second-row seats are adjustable forwards and backwards, which is a unique carry over from the original (smaller) Tiguan. The Tiguan also has “third row seating” making it a 7-seater, if need be. Since this would have been 4 more seats than needed on my trip, I never raised the row, and can’t comment on how cramped a passenger may feel back there. All of these interior aspects actually set the Tiguan apart from other compact crossovers which don’t have such flexibility.
The Tiguan handled the snow quite well … even though it may have only been several inches deep.
Forward motion was immediate with no slippage. Out of curiosity I did turn the traction dial to “snow” while driving around a bit. As expected, it dials back the application of throttle attempting to save the driver from themselves. Good traction could also be attributed to tires, however, until now I hadn’t heard of the Singaporean brand “Giti Tire,” so I can’t make too many judgments on quality and performance. Overall they felt adequate, however, I never put them through any of “GTM’s type of rigorous testing.” #tracktrucks.
Car & Driver claims fuel economy of 32-33 mpg (highway) for the Tiguan, while EPA puts it around 29 mpg. Apparently, that’s good and beats out rivals in its class. I didn’t track my mileage religiously, but a rough calculation of routes and how many gallons I refilled the tank with, put me at just over 27 mpg. A little down from the stated economy, but then again the “real-worldtest” and EPA testing probably doesn’t account for 5-6% road grades across mountains. So perhaps the big-little Tiguan didn’t do so bad. What surprised me at the pump was that the fuel lid specified a minimum of mid-grade gasoline! Given today’s fancy fuel injection and knock sensors, I was completely expecting regular to be the minimum. But for a small turbo-charged engine, this is better than requiring Premium like in the older VWs I’m accustomed to.
A bit disappointing was the lack of pep in the Tiguan’s step, noticeable through sluggish takeoffs. I never really tried to take off (hard) in the Tiguan, as the sense under normal acceleration was that it just wasn’t going to be that exciting. There’s still plenty to get you up and over posted speed limits, should you so choose. Though the ride was quite smooth and steering felt responsive under highway cruising and in-town meandering, my suspicion is that the body roll would rear its unwanted head with more spirited driving. One could argue “why are you trying to drive it like a GTI?” – That’s not what its meant for.
All in all the car felt like unpretentious luxury. Its not aiming to be a luxury car, but manages to say “I could be if I wanted to be, but let’s keep it real.”
Overall, I rather enjoyed my brief time with the Tiguan. If I were to ever be in the market for a CUV/SUV, the Tiguan would definitely be on my list of considerations. If only it had a towing capacity greater than 1500 lbs… oh well.As tested, price tag for SE 4Motion edition: $28K starting price, Specs: 2.0L turbo charged 4-cylinder engine capable of 184 HP, 221 lb-ft of torque. 8 speed automatic transmission. 3847 pound curb weight.
We’ve all had that something or someone for which or to which we are inexplicably drawn, and when asked “why?” we are stopped in our tracks racking our brain for an answer to that question. At the end of the day, that answer is often simply and beautifully – “because.”Because I am. Because I can be. Because, well I don’t know why, just because!
And that’s my exact answer to why I’m enthralled by the Fiat Panda. “Because.”
Because… of my Italian heritage?
I’d probably be remiss if this teeny car didn’t garage itself in a small corner of my heart. Let’s set the record straight, I’m specifically referring to the First generation (Gen-1) Panda, built from 1980-1986. “The Panda” as we’ve come to know it, whose official moniker is “The Fiat Tipo 141” was designed as an inexpensive, easy to use and maintain, no-frills utility vehicle, positioned in Fiat’s range between the 126 and 127. The first Panda was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign. More on that later.
Any time I travel to Italy I’m always on the look out for Gen-1 Pandas. I’ve yet to be disappointed, always spotting one 30 minutes into arriving and hitting the road, and one could argue that they are probably the second most popular car in Italy, to the Cinquecento (Fiat 500). You could get quite the bruised arm playing “punch panda,” as these cars are everywhere! The Fiat 500 may be the more iconic symbol of Italian automotive history (Ferrari aside), but the Gen-1 Panda is right there with it. This clip from Paul Hollywood’s Big Continental Road Trip does a great job of summarizing why the Panda became such a staple.
As I mentioned, production of the Gen-1 Panda started in 1980 but didn’t actually end until May of 2003! A 23 year production run which resulted in just shy of 4.5 million cars sold! Well, no wonder they are everywhere dotting the Italian landscape.
Because… it’s a super nimble and fast sports car?
Throwing down some stats: the Panda weighs anywhere from 1500-1700 lbs depending on trim and makes a whopping 55 hp (in max trim) capable of propelling the car to a neck breaking 80-85 mph (depending on grade). With specifications like that, I’m sure I’m getting the “she’s crazy” stare. But stay with me. If you’ve ever traveled through Italy, the majority of roads are of the “country” variety that tend to twist and climb through mountains. I’m sure you’re saying — there are highways too, and I wouldn’t want to take such a vehicle on one of those. Yes, there are… but one of the beauties of Italy is that you never actually ever have to get on large highways (autostradas) if you don’t want to. Besides, max speed on Italian highways varies from 110-130 kph (~70-80 mph) – so you’d be fine #mustdriveflatout.
In all seriousness, the Gen-1 Panda was not meant to be a highway cruiser, it was intended to be a utility vehicle destined for the small country and mountain roads. And in a way, “abetter version” of the 500, a car that was designed for “all of Italy.” And that’s where it flourishes. Available in both 4×2 (FWD) and 4×4 (AWD) configurations, the Panda will easily take you where you need to go. The 4×4 system was no slouch, designed and supplied by Steyr-Daimler-Puch — which happens to be the same system used in the well known Mercedes G-class. #minigwagon.Want to learn more about all the Panda variants over the years? – Check out this link.
Despite the Panda being a bit lacking on horsepower, this has not deterred enthusiasts from modding them for motorsports use. Unlike the US where race tracks are grand, spacious and lend themselves to high horsepower fire breathing V8s. The Motorsports world in Europe is primarily comprised of smaller road courses and rally. The dominating forces in those arenas are small, lightweight and largely FWD cars. And like any vehicle, there is always some sort of cult following, here is some solid evidence of people taking Panda’s to the extreme. Can you imagine seeing a Panda at your next AutoCross? … Oh wait…
Because… its got sleek and sexy styling?
I’ll call a box a box. But isn’t a Panda just a Black & White bear?
Full disclaimer… I am biased and partial to square boxy cars! My first car was an Audi Coupe GT, and I still own one! I guess this leads me to being partial to car designs by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who as mentioned earlier designed the Fiat Panda (and the Audi Coupe GT!). To take a short tangent, Giugiaro is credited with designing for nearly every major car manufacturer whether it was production vehicles (Mk I Golf, Scirocco, Delorean, various Alfas, Lancias, and even Mazdas) or concept cars like the 2006 Mustang, and various BMWs. (Learn more about Giugiaro, his company Italdesign and his cars via this website). Back to the Panda… its not curvy like its namesake, but its cute and unconventional nonetheless. I won’t go on-and-on about its styling, like I said — I’ll call a box a box. Sometimes there’s beauty in simplicity.
Because… Just because!
So after all that, why am I fascinated by the Fiat Panda? Because of everything its not, everything it is, and everything it could be. If you’re still unconvinced check out this video of a Panda taking some laps around the track.
Can you imagine having to give a point-by to a Panda? I can, LOL. In the end, I want one. BECAUSE.
A few months back while putting together our article on “RUST-oration Shows You Should Watch“ we stumbled across a program on MotorTrend TV called “Autobiography.” Being an amateur historian I was intrigued by the shows premise and… it’s always good to have something on in the background while you’re working, right? Progress was unfortunately halted when we hit Episode 3:“The Case of the Hidden Race Cars” as seen below. (Our apologies if you don’t have access to MotorTrend TV or the MotorTrend-Go! App, but definitely worth the watch.)
#spoileralert – The Shelby Daytona Coupe & Bugatti 57G Tank
The episode starts off talking about the 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe (Prototype #1) and is filled with “REDRUM and Mystique” in a very Unsolved Mysteries of James Dean sort of way. Naturally, we were immediately hooked! The Daytona Coupe saw time at the Bonneville salt flats, changed owners a few times, including becoming the daily-driver of the famous music icon: Phil Spector. This Daytona Coupe may-or-may-not have been “the getaway car” in some alleged nefarious activities, was given away to “the bodyguard & his daughter” and then disappeared for over 30 years in an undisclosed warehouse in Los Angeles. Admittedly, there is more to this Shelby’s sorted past, but we don’t want to spoil everything. #morethanmeetstheeye #theplotthickens #thegameisafoot.
Featured alongside the infamous Shelby, was the recount of the Bugatti 57-G “tank” (seen above) – though, not shrouded in as much intrigue and espionage as the Shelby, its back story is also quite remarkable. During the early days of WW2, as German occupation of France was imminent, Ettore Bugatti decided that in order for “Bugatti to survive the war” some of his vehicles needed to be protected. Literally burying them underground in a secret location that only a select few people knew, it was a huge gamble that the 57G – let alone anyone knowing its whereabouts – might survive the war and be exhumed later. Many years passed, and the car was eventually pulled from it’s coffin, making this particular Bugatti a one-of-a-kind war-veteran.
The episode concludes with the hosts revealing that both of these vehicles found homes together at the Simeone Foundation / Museum in Philadelphia, PA. Followed by an interview with retired neuro-surgeon Dr. Frederick “Fred” Simeone talking about both cars and his museum.
The Museum
>Eureka!< A faint recollection of someone mentioning this venue in past conversations immediately came to mind. A couple calls and texts later to confirm… we found a few of our members had been to Simeone before – Sounds like it’s time to schedule a field trip! – After re-watching the Autobiography episode, it quickly became our mission to fire up the Mystery-Bus to go see the Shelby and the Bugatti in person.
The museum is nestled in an industrial park between the Philadelphia Airport and the Central Post Office which is only a couple hours away from GTM HQ. The museum itself is a rather non-descript building right off I-95 that looks to be a former factory, and you’d probably drive right past it if it wasn’t for the large blue signs out front.
Simeone’s collection took over 50 years to get to this point and contains over 75 cars, many of which are un-restored. Inside the museum, you’ll find that it’s a large open space, that has been cut up into themed areas like: Pre-war Racers, the Bonneville Salt-flats, Brooklands, an Italian Piazza, a working Garage, LeMans & Sebring Pit Stalls, and it’s own version of Gasoline Alley. Even though this museum might not be at the same level as something like the Barber Motorsports Museum we visited last year, its special in that its not only a private collection but also only focuses on “RACE CARS” – more specifically race cars with a pedigree, and a story to tell.
The museum seems to have the ability to change its front stage theme around easily and often. It complements the more static displays with two “demo days” per month. Our field trip organizers made it a point to schedule this trip around a demo-day weekend making this an extraordinary visit. The primary theme of the month held strong with the latest car-related pop culture craze of “Ford vs Ferrari.” While the demo-day centered around “The Dawn of the American Sports Car” which featured pre-World War 1 racers. Words simply can’t do justice to the exhibits, so we’ve put together a brief slideshow (below) with over 400 more pictures available through our Shutterfly Vault.
As we mentioned, Demo Day is a special “twice a month” event, held on Saturday’s between 11am and 1pm. A portion of the vehicles from various exhibits are selected for review and starts with a technical demonstration surrounding the theme of the day. Since this was pre-WW1 era vehicles there was a lot of talk about Magneto Coils, “Flat vs T-shaped” cylinder heads and other period appropriate race car engineering.
Guests were then invited to get up-close-and-personal with the vehicles. Unlike most museums where the mantra is “look but don’t touch” this rare opportunity makes the experience more like “spending time in Fred’s garage” than just strolling along doing “the museum walk.” Being able to ask questions of Simeone’s very knowledgeable staff made the experience that much more impressive.
After about a 20 minute lecture, the national anthem was played (Members Brett S and Brad N seen above, left), and then Dr. Simeone took the stage (above, right) to talk about each vehicle individually before they were moved to the large parking lot behind the museum for their parade laps. Take a moment to review the full length video below for the live demonstration portion of the event.
As we all know – and you can see from the video – Race Cars, like all older cars, need to be driven and can be quite persnickety and temperamental. Unlike other museums where you don’t know whether or not the items you’re looking at are just life size models, all of the vehicles at Simeone RUN! And because of the demo days, they make it a point to exercise all of the cars throughout the year. And much like our weekends… not all race cars are willing participants (Stutz, below right), and others often have issues (Mercer, below left). #becauseracecar.
Clocking in at a modest $12 admission fee for adults, this is a great place to take the family for a day-trip. Simeone supports educators and offers free admissions to Teachers and their families (up-to-4 people). The museum also offers several week long summer camps for children ages 6-10 and 11-15, concentrating on racing history and race car engineering. Hands on displays like the “motorized Fiat 600 cut-away model” was insightful and thought provoking for seasoned wrench-turners and newbies alike (Brad N seen below, trying it out).
We were really pleased that we got to meet Dr. Simeone in person (cover photo) and share in his passion. He’s a very knowledgeable car enthusiast, a real aficionado, and it shows. The consensus between the 8 folks from GTM (representing 3 of our regions) that made the trip was that it was well worth the price of admission! Many of us agreed that we are definitely going to make it a point to return for some of the summer demo days like “Le Mans 1959 – Simeone’s 24 Minutes of Le Mans!” –or- “Living to Race, Racing to Live! – Bugatti, Maserati, Ferrari, Shelby” – because who doesn’t want to hear a fire breathing Flat-12 Porsche running around a parking lot? – We hope you can join us on the return trip.
To most of us we immediately think of cars and motor-racing. But to those of us at GTM, Motorsport is more than just cars, it’s an appreciation for all sorts of different competitive events that involve the use of an engine, the engineering that goes into those vehicles and more importantly the people and their stories. It could be cars, motorcycles, boats, trains, planes… if there’s a race and it involves a motorized vehicle, you have our attention! But, for me an often overlooked, under appreciated but exciting Motorsport is that of “Aerial Acrobatics” as seen on RedBullTV (below).
That being said, I am no pilot, but I do appreciate and have a fascination for airplanes. During a recent sojourn to Dayton, Ohio, I took the opportunity to visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the location is ENORMOUS, comprising 4 hangers – the newest (number 4) is 230,000 square feet!! This takes a bit of walking but the exhibits are listed in chronological order which helps maintain a perspective.
I arrived on Friday afternoon and was greeted with signs for Media Parking. Not realizing what was happening, it turned out that there was a change of command at WPAFB. This was announced as I started my journey through the early aviation section that included the Wright Brothers’ ground-breaking accomplishments as well as a multitude of WW1 aircraft including dirigibles. Most interesting were some of the engine manufacturers such as Bugatti – a name some of us immediately recognize, Yes… THAT Bugatti.
The early aviation machines make a striking first impression, their size and construction is impressive. The aircraft are surprisingly small – not much larger than a modern mid-size automobile. The construction is shockingly lightweight, mostly wooden frames with fabric stretched taut to provide aerodynamic advantage (a technique that inspired Colin Chapman when designing early Lotus Cars). In some cases, only the passenger area and lift surfaces were covered with fabric with the remainder of the aircraft being nothing more than a wooden frame. This shows how daring the first aviators had to be when flying little more than a skeleton!!
Between the Early Aviation hangar and the WWII hangar was a segment on the Holocaust – perhaps the most moving was the replica of the entrance gate to Auschwitz – Arbeit Macht Frei – Work Sets you Free (as seen below).
The WWII hangar was filled with aircraft that made America famous as a global air power – planes such as the P-51 Mustang and a myriad of long and short range bombers. The sight and sound of these planes were the sounds of freedom for so much of Europe. Seeing these aircraft in person was stunning to think that the skies were often blanketed with these planes in the hundreds!!
The Korean War and the South East Asian Conflict (aka the Vietnam War) were represented in the same hangar. One of the more interesting displays was a walk-in example of the C-124 cargo plane. It is enormous BUT it’s a prop-driven plane and long-since retired from service. In other words, the newest cargo aircraft are even larger!!
Having listened to several programs on the Vietnam War, it was interesting to see the various aircraft used in conflict. Many of these planes were given less than elegant names by their pilots – for example, the Thunderchiefwas known as a Thud apparently because that’s the sound it made when hitting the ground. Again, the sheer size of these aircraft was sobering especially when considering the number of soldiers who would have occupied the seats during combat operations. Hitting closer to home for me were some of the old “Huey” helicopters – one of my PCA buddies flew these in Vietnam. Only after 50 years is he finally talking about it and it’s fascination to hear his recantations.
Prior to the new 4th hangar is the Rocket section filled with milestone rockets from America and other nations. Rocketry is fascinating since it is the science of controlling an explosion and directing it thru a nozzle. Much smaller than the other displays, the Rocket section represents huge advances in technology including the first forays into space. The 4th hanger is the newest and while it is 320,000 square feet, it is the least crowded as it contains both space vehicles and several aircraft used as Air Force One.
So… why Airplanes?, why should self proclaimed “petrol-heads” care about airplanes? In short, if you look over the pre-war history of the automobile, many famous designers and manufacturers served in the great wars, were commissioned to use their engineering skills to build transport, firearms, airplanes, in support of the war efforts. Names like Bugatti, Chapman, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Ford – and their designs (albeit under duress) gave way to some large technological advancements on the automotive side: gas turbines, fuel injection, all-wheel-drive, and one could argue even the wankel-rotary engine (to name a few) and vice-versa. Despite their size differences there is a lot of shared mechanical engineering principles between racing cars and airplanes.
NE Region member Jordan F (son of Steve F) has been working on a mini-documentary for several months now that captures “the why” of what we do here at GTM. His film “Hooked” – which debuted in Rochester, NY on 12/15 – will give you those feels! Filmed on location at Watkins Glen during the Animal House 3 weekend, its a great homage to racing, and we’re proud of his work! CONGRATULATIONS JORDAN!!!
Sit back, relax and enjoy… HOOKED.
Did you enjoy this film? … Leave your comments for Jordan below!
On a recent European vacation to Spain, a rental car was a “must have” for part of the trip and therefore I decided to reserve a “compact car” in advance. As I waited at the rental counter, I was fully expecting something VW Golf-ish in size for whatever keys were handed me. After all the typing, printing, signing, and so forth was completed, I was handed the keys to a Peugeot and several thoughts immediately flashed through my mind. Ooo… my first French car! Darn I wanted a Seat. Maybe it’ll be like a 208! Hmm, I hope its comfy enough for 4 adults with 4 carry-on luggage!
The Peugeot 208 it was not, instead it was a Peugeot 5008 – excuse me, a what? – Well, an SUV (no up-charge you say? – why of course I’ll have some, muchas gracias!). For a little perspective, the 5008 competes against other SUVs including the VW Tiguan, Jeep Cherokee, and Subaru Forester.
I was really debating whether it would be interesting to review the Peugeot 5008, a vehicle no one will ever see in the United States… but given the recent announcement of a potential FCA and Peugeot merger, the timing may be just right…
Having an SUV turned out to be quite useful as my trip was with 7 other people, and the 2nd car in our caravan was a Seat Arona FR, #spoileralert – it could not fit 4 carry-on pieces of luggage. The 5008 could have fit all 8 (eh, 6 easily). So after some luggage rebalancing the world was right again, and the extended test drive could begin.
Let’s start with the stats: The particular 5008 I rented was a second generation which comes in several engine/transmission configurations. Two gasoline variants of the PureTech engine, either a 1.2L inline 3-cylinder paired with a 5- or 6-speed manual transmission or a 1.6L inline 4-cylinder paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The two diesel variants use the BlueHDi engine as either a 1.5L inline-4 or 2.0L inline-4. Mine was the 6-speed manual 1.6L gasoline variant. Based on my research, this version should have had approximately 177 lb-ft of torque and 163 bhp.
The Peugeot 5008 was surprisingly luxurious feeling inside – or maybe not surprisingly? I really had no idea what to expect. The ride was smooth and quiet, but I will say the positioning of the driver’s seat relative to the pedals was slightly uncomfortable for my stature. Perhaps I could have spent more time manipulating the seat positioning to find a more optimal leg angle for myself, but at the end of the day I opted for the #sendit method of problem solving.
You got me Peugeot… what’s up with this Tach? – Being quite accustomed to the tachometer positioned on the left side and speedometer on the right, its natural for one to pause when the reverse of what you know is thrust upon you. No big deal – #adaptable; But what actually made me double take was the reverse numbering of the tachometer! And this isn’t “the under sweep” of early Porsche 924/944s like the one Matt Y reviewed earlier this year… instead of a clockwise 0 to redline sweep, its a counter clockwise sweep (below). Perhaps it’s a French thing?Je ne sais pas…
Cornering – with respect to turns, being the prudent person I sometimes am, I was never about to throw this SUV into any of the mountain twisties, but under “normal” driving the suspension remained composed and no one was left reaching for the sickness bags stowed under their tray tables. My test included a mixture of highway and mountain roads, both paved and unpaved. In my opinion, the 5008 handled all the situations quite well. During the “off-road” segments of the adventure (I would have destroyed my personal car on such a road – #lowrider) the suspension provided a ride that was neither overly soft nor overly rigid, comme Boucle d’or dirait – que c’était juste! (as Goldilock’s would say –it was just right!)
As mentioned earlier, the 5008 was probably boasting a modest 177 lb-ft of torque and 163 bhp. At this point you are probably laughing, thinking – mon Dieu, this behemoth probably couldn’t get out of its own way going downhill. Au contraire mon amis! – Best I could find online is that the various 5008 models can range between 3000 to 3900 lbs curb weight, with this model likely being around the 3300-lbs mark. If that’s correct, wow! – I’m still quite beside myself that an SUV could weigh so little, and still feel so solid (disclaimer: I don’t drive many SUVs). Admittedly, it’s svelte figure is probably aided by it being FWD and not AWD. Nonetheless, given its weight, I now understand why despite the “modest” torque and horsepower, it didn’t feel like an airplane was being dragged behind it. Driver be wary – like most modern cars, if you aren’t keeping your eye on the speedo you better be looking out for the red & blue, because you’ll get into trouble quick enough.
All-in-all the Peugeot 5008 was a great vacation vehicle to lug around friends and luggage, particularly through the country-side – up and down hills, over gravel and dirt, and into and around pot holes. I personally wouldn’t want one while living in any European city given its size – nothing bigger than a Fiat 500 please… But maybe if that merger does go through, it could find a wide open home on this side of the ocean.
Every fall my company has an annual charity drive which has been accompanied by side events such as a charity golf tournament or remote control car races. This year the activities expanded beyond the traditional golf outing to include such events as bowling… but more importantly … a go-kart endurance race! There are various charities that are part of the annual drive, but this particular event was supporting the United Way of Greater Houston.
Leading up to the event
When the email first came across my inbox (a couple months ago), I was immediately intrigued. The details were extremely vague, and the best I got from it was it’s a 5-person team enduro… how long of a race?…no idea. I didn’t sign up immediately, but instead went about my day-to-day. Knowing my hobby is Motorsports, a friend pinged me to see if I’d be interested in setting up a team. My response: “I suppose… I could be easily persuaded.”
Fast forward several weeks, I got another team invite from a gentleman I met a few years back at a training seminar (he actually introduced me to a local NASA racer that I met up with at a few HPDEs). Per his note to me: “I remember clearly that you race cars, so you would be a ringer.” Before committing to that team, I circled back with my friend to see if they found any additional bodies to form a team, but unfortunately work commitments came up and they were no longer going to be able to participate.
Okay, next! The second team prospect ended up falling through as well at the 11th hour (on the last day of registration – which was the Friday I arrived at the Fall Finale at VIR). I hemmed and hawed to myself while sitting paddock side waiting for the GTM crew to be let in to the ACNA event. I knew full well you could sign up as an individual, the event description said you would just be randomly paired with another group. So, at the absolute 11th hour — post-Oak Tree Tavern dinner — I signed up for the enduro!
Two days before the event a roster was sent out with all the teams. I found my name, but didn’t recognize the names of any of my team mates. Time to meet new people!
On the day of the event, the weather decided to keep theme with VIR – cold, cold, cold. The Houston area actually had a bit of a cold snap in the days leading up to the event. Overnight temperatures dropped to 32 degrees, and the daytime high was only going to hit 45 at best, for about 5 min, while the sun remained hidden behind clouds. Yay… outdoor karting in the cold! Amusingly, the event start time was actually pushed by about 45 minutes due to the cold weather. (Side note: yes.. many Northerners may not consider these temperatures to be “that cold,”, but trust me… this is definitely considered cold for Houstonians!)
Day of the event
Coming straight off VIR weekend and still remembering how cold it was while cocooned in a metal shell, I donned my cold gear base layers before heading out the door. Upon arriving, I checked in and quickly noticed the facility was setup for the festivity with lunch and decorations.
Despite only arriving a little before the Heat 2 designated start time, I was still early enough to catch the Heat 1 briefing on how the event would be run. All the entrants had been divided into 2 heats with about 12 teams per heat and each team had a maximum of 5 people. The heat would last 45 minutes and it was up to the individual team to decide how long each member drove as long as 4 pit stops were completed. In other words 4 people could have each done 1 lap, and the 5th person driven the whole session. Being early, there was still time to watch most of Heat 1 before it was time to brief Heat 2. I still hadn’t found my team yet, but had looked the gentlemen up in my work Outlook directory and lucked out that 2 of them had a picture in their profile. I wandered around the room until I found some similar looking gentlemen and introduced myself. Right on the first try! We all quickly came to find out that man #5 was a no show, so we were down to a 4-person team. Not so bad really, just meant we’d have 1 awkward pit stop.
After the formalities of Hi, My name is… and nice to meet you, the next question was have you done this before? I was the only person with prior karting experience (ohh, this is gonna be fun), but 2 of the 3 other gentleman did have some limited HPDE experience (okay, at least there’s that!) I decided to sit back and let everyone else decide our lineup/pit strategy/etc, as I wasn’t necessarily feeling too optimistic about the overall outcome. In the end the method we chose was very scientific… and went from largest to smallest person, HA!, which meant I was last to drive.
The race!
Despite having only 4 of 5 team members, we were still going to be required to execute 4 pit stops. The strategy we chose was that the first driver out would immediately pit in after completing 1 lap. Initially I thought this was going to be very strange, I mean on the one hand who cares.. it has to be done at some point. First lap proved not to be an entirely bad idea, given everyone else was still getting used to the track and spinning out on lap 2, which meant even though we immediately lost several lap positions it probably wasn’t as bad as it could have been in the middle of a hot session. Driver 1 (who didn’t have any racing experience) did fairly decently, with a best time of 47.764. Mind you faster times were in the 45.xxx seconds. He had a few spin outs but recovered quickly and even moved up several positions in overall laps.
Laps for drivers 2 and 3 were pretty uneventful and best times for those drivers were 48.664 and 48.873, respectively. As I headed into my stint, the fastest lap time to beat was a 45.5xx. But we weren’t racing for lap times, instead, number of laps… and we were, I believe, still 2 or 3 laps down from the leader. #sadpanda
Needless to say, I wasn’t too worried about it… in the sense of: well, it’ll be what it is, I’m just gonna go have fun. #sendit. Not until after the race, when I read the time sheet for the first time did I find out I came out of the gate with a first lap 1.45 seconds faster than my next fastest teammate!
Given the limited time I had to make a run for it, my number one priority was to immediately focus and understand the lap as quick as possible. It didn’t take long to figure out where the #mustdriveflatout parts were and were the lift parts were. I was actually able to use my HPDE experience to compare some of the turns on this track to ones I knew overly well, like the double apexes of “Old Ram” and “the Hook” at Shenandoah Circuit. Ignoring the first part of the turn set you up perfectly for the 2nd apex. #nailedit
I straightened out the esses by flying across the curbing. And the hairpin was really the only corner to lift, or jab the brakes to help rotate the kart. I was flying through the session, passing folks inside, outside, basically anywhere I could find space. I even dive bombed somebody – unintentionally – you might question me after replaying the video.
But from the driver’s perspective it seemed like he was fading out and I could grab the inside line if grip would hold. #fullsend
The checkered flag finally dropped, and I eased off the throttle through my last lap. I pulled into the pit and was a bit surprised that I was the first kart coming in! Well, maybe this is a good sign! I stepped out of the kart to people clapping and cheering for me as I walked across pit lane. My teammates were saying “you won!” adrenaline still high from the session, I was a little confused. Won? Really? I looked up at the electronic scoreboard, and darn if it wasn’t true. I recovered the lost laps for the team and came in with a best lap that was 1.8 seconds faster than the next team! My final lap for the day was a 45.359, the second fastest lap time of either session. A racer in Heat 1 bested me by 0.7 seconds, moving me to 2nd place overall between the two heats. Not too shabby if I do say so myself!
In the end, I’m really glad I went. It was great to get back in a kart again, and it was a nice way to chase the VIR weekend, but more importantly it was Motorsports for a good cause!
Post script:
Here’s how the final leaderboard panned out:
Wait, wait, wait… back that go-kart up! You said you came in 2nd overall, but you got crushed by 5 seconds by that time of 40.343 seconds!! And so it would seem, but not all is as it seems. I SADLY missed what happened, but was informed by eye witness account, that the kart driver who placed that time…well… let’s just say #vikingline. Apparently it saves 5 seconds!
