Can You Autocross With a Family Wagon?

Wagons always get an unfair reputation for being the nation's favourite schoolrun-mobile -- images of an '83 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, driven around by a family with three kids and a St. Bernard in the trunk doesn't exactly help shed that relative uncool-ness. Wagons just aren't sporty, and they sure aren't cool, people say. Over here, we have seen many people ditch the wagons in favor of the taller SUVs and crossovers for their bigger size.

For most of the world however, wagons are great alternatives for those who want to haul more things without needing to get a truck, but still retain the fun driving dynamics and fuel economy of a 4-door sedan. Don't believe me? Take a quick look on Google Streetview for streets of London and it will take you less than a minute to have the first wagon-sighting.

Case in point: in addition to the #SharkNoseDiary 6 series project car that I have, I regularly drive a slightly-scratched up 2007 Mazda 6 wagon as my reliable daily commuter. Fitted with a 3.0 V6 engine that produces 212 horsepower, the car (nicknamed Mazda Miyagi because why not) can propel itself from 0-60 at a respectable (in 2007 standards) 7.1 seconds.

My favorite thing about it though? It's mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Combined with the zoom-zoom Mazda driving dynamics, I can go fast enough to quickly fall in trouble with the law while hauling my apartment in the trunk. You can't really do that with a modern SUV (unless you are willing to spend a lot of money for one of these).

The bottom line is: The car is a lot of fun, and it can do fun while hauling as much stuff as your neighbor's CR-V.

To prove my point, why not enter my car into an Autocross event?

The Grand Tour: What We Know So Far

Image credit: Amazon.

On Friday November 18, the whole world will be tuned to watch the debut of The Grand Tour -- Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May's post-Top Gear project following a major fracas that really went on for way too long. Following almost a year of speculation, the beloved trio is finally coming out with a new car show on -- surprise surprise -- Amazon Prime.

Oh, when I said "the whole world", I actually meant the UK, the US, Japan, and Germany. You live somewhere else other than these four countries? Well, too bad. You won't be watching with the rest of us in the developed world.

Don't fret, however. Amazon has just announced yesterday that Amazon Prime streaming will be available in over 200 countries starting December this year. Unless you are HoldenMan3000. In which case, I am afraid you are stuck with... Whatever it is that you watch over there.

So, what can we expect from this brand-sparkling-new motoring show that is not Top Gear, but featuring a transferred-from-Top-Gear cast and Andy Wilman, the executive producer who made the old Top Gear one of the best TV programs at not only the BBC, but -- insert Clarkson voice -- in the world?

In this blog, we will look back and try to dissect what GT will actually be like.

#SharkNoseDiary: Hibernation and Repair

Mileage: 40 miles.
Fuel Economy: 18 mpg.
Expense: $195 (brake service, reservoir sensor reset).

Winter is here, and unfortunately being in the Pacific Northwest, it only means that people are only thinking about two things: 1. Boy, it is really starting to rain now; and 2. Honey, let's start packing for the emergency ark we have on our backyard. 

Normal winter day in the Pacific Northwest. Surf's up!

Unfortunately for me, it also means that I am going to stash my 6 series for until next year when the sky clears up. Not so easy though...

[Previously on #SharkNoseDiary: After displaying my $2100 classic BMW alongside $2-million hypercars, it is time to activate the Anti-Rust Protection Plan -- storing the car for the Winter]

5-Car Dream Garage Challenge: My Picks

Image credit: Top Gear

This challenge has been making the rounds on social media of late in enthusiast circles. Being car enthusiasts ourselves, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to argue amongst ourselves, draw up PowerPoint presentations, fill out Excel tables, call each other stupid, and just generally spending half the day at the office not doing the work that we are supposed to.

So, needless to say, we have taken the liberty of drafting out a list of 5 cars that we wouldn't mind having in our dream car garage.

#SharkNoseDiary: Road Trip!

Mileage: Approx. 100 miles.
Fuel Economy: 14 mpg (it's improved by a staggering 1 mpg!)
Expense: 1 tank of gas = $60

It's road trip season, so I figured that I might as well take the old girl out for a cruise. And what a cruise we had.

[Previously on #SharkNoseDiary: I bought a 1987 BMW 635CSi for $2100 and figured, eh, might as well take the car up and down a mountain pass for a full day to see if anything falls out of the car.]