Happy Holidays from Automobiliac!

Stay warm and enjoy that winter motoring!

Gotta love this lawn ornament

This 1978 Lola T333 is a pretty odd looking bird, but underneath lurks a totally menacing beast! Click the pic to see the full ad and photos of the bare chassis.

Video of the week: Alfa 156 at the Nordschleife

I never get tired of watching Nurburgring hotlap videos.  I know I'm not alone. You're welcome.

Alfa Romeo 156 Trackday Nordschleife from Robert on Vimeo.

Tokyu H2 Blingu

I find the Hummer H2 to be the most loathesome example of American excess and stupidity, but when seen in this Tokyo garage, jacked up to within an inch of the ceiling, it becomes a sublimely ridiculous autobot, crouching in the shadows waiting for the next decepticon attack.

You have to love the chutzpah of this owner, buying a truck that literally can't fit down most of the side streets in Tokyo, and guzzles gas like a mechanical Godzilla. The addition of the winch --which I am sure has never been used-- is the cherry on top. Sure, the H2 a refreshing middle finger to stifling Japanese conformity, but one wonders if the joke might just be on the owner here...

C.A.R.S - The most beautiful looking vintage sim ever?

I've played a lot of sims in my day, starting with Grand Prix II, Indy Car Racing 2, through Grand Prix Legends and more recently GT Legends. But as far as vintage racing goes, I have yet to see a more richly detailed, gorgeous looking in-car view than in the new C.A.R.S (Community Assisted Race Sim) pre- alpha tests, which are still very much a work in progress. I think the lighting, in particular, is some of the most lifelike I have seen, and the sensation of speed is really phenomenal. I haven't gotten a chance to download and play the game yet, but watching this sim progress is very exciting, and new videos are popping up on youtube weekly. Enjoy a few of my favorites (recommend you expand them to full screen at 1080p and crank the speakers up!):

More info on the project here: http://www.wmdportal.com/projects/cars/