From Track to Tarmac
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

From Track to Tarmac

Please note this car is titled Dodge Viper.

Excuse me?

This was my reaction upon reading the Gooding & Co. auction listing for this car. I imagine many others had the same reaction. The fact that it sits atop a Dodge Viper ACR chassis is just part of what makes the 2010 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale so unique.

Read More
Know Your ABC’s
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

Know Your ABC’s

Keijidosha, which translates to “light automobiles” and is known as Kei for short to enthusiasts, are a classification of microcar introduced in 1949. In 1990, the Japanese economy was riding high. Automakers stepped up, looked past the Kei car’s boring basic transportation persona, and ushered in a sports car revolution, which included the Pininfarina-designed Honda Beat.

Read More
The Swedish Connection
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

The Swedish Connection

For Larry Rembold, cars have always been more than just a mode of transportation—they’re a passion, a hobby, and a lifelong love affair. His journey with the Volvo P1800 began at a young age. At just eight years old, he vividly remembers the day he saw a P1800 being repaired in his father’s friend’s body shop.
It was that moment that ignited a spark that would fuel his passion for years to come, ultimately manifesting in a collection of seven P1800s.

Read More
Mid-Engined Masterpiece
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

Mid-Engined Masterpiece

There is no doubt Justin Cashmore marches to the beat of a twisted, acid-dropping drummer on the verge of insanity. Does anyone in their right mind look at a Renault Dauphine and build the beast you see here? Perhaps the biggest yawn of a car on the European continent in the 1960s, the Dauphine is basic transportation at its most basic. The car was slow, even by horse-and-buggy standards, posting a 22.3-second 0-60 as tested by Road & Track in 1962. What did Justin see in this car and how did he ever find it?

Read More
Driving Nostalgia
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

Driving Nostalgia

The Saab 900 holds a special place in the hearts of its owners. From the subtle nods to Saab’s aircraft heritage to the trademark turbo lag to its distinctive smell, it must be experienced to be understood.

Chris Seely and I both consider ourselves fervent devotees of the distinctive Swedish marque. As with most fans of these unusual cars, our Saab origin stories differ, but our passion is the same.

Read More
Powerful Provenance, Legendary Legacy
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

Powerful Provenance, Legendary Legacy

Where there is change, there is opportunity. So, when FIA’s Group 5 category implemented changes in 1976, allowing extensive modifications to production-based vehicles, Porsche seized the opportunity.

These new rules aimed at the World Championship for Makes permitted significant bodywork and chassis improvements while retaining the car’s basic silhouette. This allowed Porsche to further enhance its turbocharged 911, resulting in the creation of the 935.

Read More
RAD RIDES: 1996 Golf Harlequin
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

RAD RIDES: 1996 Golf Harlequin

Color-blind panel installers? They ran out of body parts on the production line? A highfalutin VW exec lost a bet? Maybe a special edition offered for those who can’t decide on a color? Looking for logical reasons for Volkswagen Harlequins is a lonely road… and it stretches farther back in time than one would think.

Read More
The New Frontier
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

The New Frontier

The resurrection is real. From a secret design studio in California, to the beaches of Corpus Christi, Texas. the Meyers Manx latest adventures are just beginning. A new audience has formed, ushering this dune buggy’s massive comeback.

Read More
Versatility, Vitality, Soul
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

Versatility, Vitality, Soul

For decades, the sports sedan has been the calling card of the humble yet passionate car enthusiast. The most authentic car lovers appreciate all the functionalities of the automobile. These enthusiasts don’t seek out one car for every day of the week. Instead, they look for a multitool that can serve as a fun and exotic racer on the weekend and a comfortable, practical family hauler during regular business hours.

Read More
A Different Kind of Enthusiast
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

A Different Kind of Enthusiast

I first met Syd, the artist behind @yourfriendsyd on Instagram, during the summer of 2023 at Monterey Car Week. By that time, her photography and online persona were already Internet sensations. Her work exhibited an exuberance and creativity that I hadn’t seen anywhere else in automotive media. However, it wasn’t until 2025 that I sat down with Syd to discuss how her passion for photography—and her fascination with Saabs—has catapulted her into becoming one of, if not the, defining figure of Gen-Z car enthusiasm.

Read More
RAD RIDES: 1990-1996 Maserati Shamal
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

RAD RIDES: 1990-1996 Maserati Shamal

Named after a warm Mesopotamian wind—not the plane from the Grand Theft Auto video game— the Maserati Shamal has the pedigree of a true Italian grand tourer. The smoothly contoured coupe, whose wide-body lines were brought to life by famed car designer Marcello Gandini, can be easily spotted by the atypical shape of the fender openings—a Gandini signature of the era.

Ben Abrams acquired his Shamal in 2024, and he says it was a case of perfect timing, finding a unique 2+2 to support his growing family that was in the middle of an intense engine restoration, ensuring his Shamal was a pristine example of the Italian coupe.

Read More
Aluminum Elegance
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

Aluminum Elegance

Sleek. Elegant. Lightweight… And once deemed the fastest car in the world.

In the aftermath of World War II, the British automotive industry was poised for a renaissance. Among the most dazzling stars of this rebirth was the 1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Roadster — a car that not only redefined Jaguar’s identity but also set a new benchmark for post-war sports cars.

Read More
The Unassuming Champion
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

The Unassuming Champion

In the pantheon of rally legends, where names like Lancia Stratos and Audi Quattro often dominate the conversation, the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally occupies a unique and often understated position. Born from the highly pragmatic and distinctly unglamorous Fiat 131 Mirafiori saloon — a car more commonly associated with Italian family life than high-octane motorsport — this bespoke competition machine was transformed into a fearsome weapon capable of dominating the highest levels of international rallying. Its existence is a testament to the “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” philosophy that drove manufacturers in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Read More
The Blue Ferrari Club
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

The Blue Ferrari Club

The Seattle car scene is diverse, but intimate. Every corner of the city has its own niche, its own crowd, its own motif.

On the Eastside, a new crowd has popped up. One that is a niche within a niche, but open-minded and welcoming. A group of three friends that appreciate the finer things in life, and all have one thing in common — they drive classic blue Ferraris.

Read More
Smarts, Speed, and Sabré
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

Smarts, Speed, and Sabré

Sabré Cook is more than a professional race car driver. She’s driven.

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has accomplished as much in 60 years of life as Cook has in 30. Smart and savvy enough to engineer the exotic racing cars she drives, Cook is instead chasing her dreams from behind the wheel, demonstrating what can be achieved with passion, hard work, and a strong support network.

Read More
North to Alaska
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

North to Alaska

A ragtag crew of eccentrics assembled in the parking lot of a nondescript Kirkland hotel, united by a shared sense of adventure. At first glance, the scene resembled a casual cars-and-coffee gathering, but the extra fuel tanks and rally decals hinted at the road ahead. A cluster of Avants stickers, half a dozen at least, confirmed we were in the right place.

There were groups of adventure motorcycles with aluminum panniers adorned with international flags, marking past adventures. The auto entries were diverse. A Porsche Carrera 4S with a roof-box sat next to an Audi 4000 Quattro. Daily drivers, a Swedish wagon, overland money pits, and our oxidized silver Toyota FJ cruiser filled out the pack.

Read More
The Forgotten Fighter
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

The Forgotten Fighter

Since its debut at the 1969 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Porsche 914 has carried a complicated reputation. It wasn’t luxurious, it certainly wasn’t fast, and for a long time, it was barely considered a Porsche. And yet, the 914 possessed a rare honesty. Lightweight, balanced, and eager, it rewarded skill more than status — which raised the inevitable question: what would happen if this chassis had real power and proper grip? What would happen if Porsche built this into a monster? That answer arrived as the 914/6 GT.

Read More
A Cavalcade of Luxury
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

A Cavalcade of Luxury

It’s clear from the flyer alone that this is no ordinary, mom-and-pop car show. Deep in the valley below the legendary Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, smoke and gasoline fumes rise as concours cars from around the world perform a delicate dance onto the frozen surface of Lake St. Moritz.

Read More
The Making Of A Classic American Racetrack
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

The Making Of A Classic American Racetrack

It takes a mysterious kind of alchemy to create a truly great race track. More than just an interesting layout, a track needs the perfect blend of history, location, and on-track action for its reputation to extend beyond die-hard car enthusiasts and attract new drivers and spectators alike. From humble beginnings, Laguna Seca evolved into one of the headline events on any race series’ calendar, with the track’s crown jewel being the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which takes place each year during Monterey Car Week.

Read More
The Real McCoy
Mason Runkel Mason Runkel

The Real McCoy

There’s a spectacular No. 25 BMW 3.5 CSL staged in the Don Panoz Gallery of Legends at Sebring International Raceway, long believed to be the car that won the 1975 12 Hours of Sebring, but the tale of how that car was discovered to not be the actual Sebring winner is a story unto itself.

Read More