Dodge Challenger (2008-2014)

The Challenger is one of my favorite Chrysler products. It is available with a 5.7L (R/T) and 6.4L HEMI V8 (SRT8), which are both great engines. It also looks really good and is pretty fast. The Challenger models pictured above are listed in this particular order: R/T Shaker, 100th Anniversary Edition, SRT8 Core, Mopar Edition, SRT8s, R/T, SRT8 392, and custom R/T. My favorite is obviously the SRT8 392. All of the photos above were snapped in chronological order. Recently, Dodge unveiled the refreshed 2015 Challenger at the New York Auto Show. It has styling influences from the 1971 Challenger and the finished product looks incredible. Dodge sure knows how to pull off retro correctly. The 2015 model has the same engine lineup as the outgoing 2014 model. The Dodge Challenger is a great car; I would take it over a Charger but not over a Camaro or Mustang.

SRT Viper GTS (2013-)

Don't you dare call this a Dodge. This is the SRT Viper, the only model currently in Chrysler's performance sub-brand lineup (the upcoming Barracuda is coming later). It is my favorite Chrysler product that is currently on the market today. Power comes from a naturally-aspirated 8.4-liter V10 making 640 HP and 600 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual. Lately, Viper sales haven't been very strong and as a result, Chrysler has decided to lay off employees at the Viper's production facility in Detroit. Sure, the Viper is fast, good-looking, and has one of the largest engine displacements in the U.S., but it isn't as great of an all-around sports car as the Corvette Stingray in my opinion.

Ford Focus ST (2013-)

The Ford Focus ST is one of my favorite hot hatches. It's pretty quick for a hot hatch and it is a blast to drive. The Focus ST is also very practical. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder churning out 252 HP and 270 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual. At the Geneva Motor Show, Ford unveiled the revised 2015 Focus, which looks pretty nice. This means that the Focus ST is due for a refresh very soon, in about a few years' time.  It's likely that there will also be an RS variant of the new Focus. In addition, there was a recent rumor that Ford is planning a diesel-powered Focus ST, but I didn't hear too much about that. Speaking of hot hatches, they are a popular segment in Europe that hasn't quite caught on here in the U.S. The only other hot hatches I am a fan of are the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, previous-gen Ford Focus RS, and the new Opel Astra OPC Extreme, which all three are forbidden fruit stateside. I don't like hot hatches as much as other performance cars because in general, they tend to be underpowered. Overall, hot hatches make excellent daily drivers and are fairly inexpensive compared to other performance cars. The fourth one in this set was taken in early February while the last one was taken approximately three weeks ago.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let me pause for a moment to share some of the questions I get asked quite often from viewers. Some of you viewing my blog at this current moment in time, especially those of you who live outside of the U.S.. may be wondering the same exact questions, so pay close attention below.

Q: Do you take all these photos yourself?

A: Yes. There may be a few instances where I may borrow a photo from the Internet to use in a post, but that doesn't occur very often.

Q: Do you publish every photo you take?

A: No. It is up to me to decide what photos I would like to publish. The posts I publish on this
website are mostly according to my personal tastes in automobiles.

Q: Where do you take most of your pictures?

A: If you didn't know already, I am from California, so I take most of my pictures there. I will also feature photos from out-of-state and out-of-country trips I have taken or plan on taking.

Q: What do you use to take your pictures with?

A: I mainly use my phone to take pictures, which is an iPhone 6. I also have a Canon Eos Rebel T3, which is one of those fancier cameras. I don't use it that much, but I will eventually use it more often, once I can get a taller lens for it.

Q: What is your favorite car(s)?

A: I have a ton of favorites, but these round out the top ten:

1) Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series
2) Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
3) Koenigsegg Agera R
4) Pagani Huayra
5) McLaren P1
6) Chevy Corvette C7 Z06 & C6 ZR1
7) Ferrari F40
8) Mercedes-Benz S63/S65 AMG
9) Rolls-Royce Phantom
10) Lamborghini Miura/SV

Honorable Mention: Ferrari 599 GTB/GTO, Porsche 918 Spyder, Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, Pagani Zonda Cinque, Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, McLaren MP4-12C/650S, Lexus LF-A, Ferrari 458 Italia/Speciale, Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series, McLaren F1, Ford GT40, Tesla Model S, Ferrari 250 GTO, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Aston Martin One-77, Gumpert Apollo, Chevy Corvette C2 Stingray, Hennessey Venom GT, Lamborghini Murcielago/SV, Lamborghini Gallardo

Q: What is your favorite car brand(s)?

A: My favorite car brands include Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Audi, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Koenigsegg, Pagani, Ford, Tesla, and SRT.(For those of you who don't know, SRT is Chrysler's in-house performance division and stands for Street Racing Technologies.) Also, being a fan of the brands listed above doesn't mean that I like every one of their cars (i.e. Jaguar X-Type, Chevy Citation, Cadillac Cimarron, Ford Aspire).

Q: What is your least favorite car(s)?

A: There are lots of cars out there that I don't like, but I dislike these ten the most:

1) Yugo
2) Mitsubishi I-MiEV/Peugeot iOn/Citroen C-Zero
3) Geo Metro
4) Suzuki X-90
5) Citroen 2CV
6) Ford Aspire/Festiva
7) Mitsubishi Mirage
8) Suzuki Esteem
9) Geo Prism
10) Scion/Toyota iQ, Aston Martin Cygnet

Honorable Mention: Smart Fortwo, Toyota Prius C, Nissan Leaf, Citroen C1/Peugeot 107, Renault Twizy, Renault Espace/Grand Espace, Dodge/Plymouth Neon, Dodge Caliber, SsangYong Rodius, Toyota Previa, Toyota Paseo, Volkswagen New Beetle, Saturn Ion, Pontiac G3, Pontiac Aztek, Renault ZOE, Rover CityRover, Reliant Robin/Kitten, Fiat Multipla, Chery Amulet, Dodge Stratus, any car from Soviet Russia, Chevy Chevette, Citroen C3/Picasso, Dodge Avenger, Chevy Spark EV, Hyundai Stellar, Kia Soul/EV, Merkur XR4Ti, Kia Sephia, AMC Gremlin/Pacer, Ford Pinto, Paykan, Tata Nano

Q: What is your least favorite car brand(s)?

A: My least favorite car brands include Citroen, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Fiat, Volkswagen, Kia, Renault, Dacia, Nissan, Lincoln, Isuzu, and Scion. Disliking these brands doesn't mean that I don't like every model they produce (i.e. Nissan GT-R, Nissan Z, Lincoln Continental except from 1980's & 1990's, Scion FR-S, Kia K900, Volkswagen CC).


Q: If you could create your ultimate dream car, what features would it have? What materials would it include?

A: First off, it would be a coupe or sedan that looks good and goes fast. It would have an aluminum chassis and bits of carbon fiber on the outside. Inside, it would have either leather or racing seats and alcantara would adorn the dashboard. My ultimate dream car would have either a naturally-aspirated or turbocharged V8, V10, or V12. It would produce at least 500 HP. 0-60 mph would be in the three-second range or better and top speed will be around 200 mph or greater. It would come with a manual or dual-clutch transmission and be rear-wheel drive or rear-biased all-wheel drive. Notable features it would also receive are a dual-exhaust setup, traction control, launch control, and carbon ceramic brakes. Finally, it would have an approximate ten-second quarter mile and a sub-7:30 Nurburgring lap time. I could go on all day about my ultimate dream car, but I'm just going to end the details right there.

If you have any other questions that you need me to clarify, feel free to ask me in the comments section below. I will be more than happy to answer them once I get a chance to read them.

2014 Porsche Cayenne

When the Porsche Cayenne was introduced in 2002, brand purists were not pleased with the final result because they feared that it would ruin Porsche's reputation. The Cayenne may not be a 100% true Porsche, but it's pretty nice for an SUV. The first two pictures are of a Turbo/S model, which has a 4.8-liter turbocharged V8 producing 500-550 HP and 516-553 lb-ft of torque. The second two pictures are of a GTS model. The one in black was in Downtown L.A. early January while the one in brown was in Beverly Hills mid January. It has the same V8 engine as the Turbo/S but only makes 420 HP and 380 lb-ft of torque. Apparently not very many Cayenne owners would take their SUV to the race track or off-roading. The Cayenne, along with the Panamera, sells better than other Porsches and is a huge money-maker for the brand. Overall, I would choose the Cayenne over the Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7, but not over any competition from Mercedes-Benz (G-Class, GL-Class, M-Class) or Cadillac Escalade.

2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

This is my all-time favorite Mustang, the '14 Shelby GT500. It has a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 producing 650 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. All that power is mated to a 6-speed manual and top speed is 200 mph. The Shelby GT500 has a starting price of $54,650, while the convertible has a starting price of $59,650. It has one of, if not, the most powerful V8 engines on the planet. Also, I love the way it looks. Unfortunately, the Shelby GT500 will be discontinued after the 2014 model year. There are still a few of these on dealer lots, so if you're in the market for a new Shelby GT500, get one now while you can. Pictured below is a 2011-12 Shelby GT500 that I saw last month.

1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

Compared to what I have featured on here earlier, this is an actual Shelby GT350 provided by Ford, and it is very, very nice. I really like the GT350 although I'd rather opt for the classic GT500 because the GT500 is lighter and more powerful. Also, the Shelby GT350 nameplate will be revived for the high-performance variant of the new Mustang. The new 2015 Mustang will hit showrooms this Fall while the upcoming Shelby GT350 will make its debut very soon.

2014 Ford Mustang

During the time I went to the L.A. Auto Show back in November, Ford had not yet revealed the new 2015 Mustang, so they had to make do with the outgoing 2014 model. The base 3.7-liter V6 and 5.0-liter V8 from the 2014 model will carry over to the new 2015 model. These are still on dealer lots as of now, but demand for the 2014 model has decreased due to the 2015 model's unveiling. The second one in this set is from the upcoming "Need For Speed" movie that will hit the big screen next month. I have always been a fan of the Mustang. It is one of the best and most iconic American cars. As they say, "Dissing the 'Stang is dissing 'Merica." I don't know if all of you will agree with that statement though. All the Mustangs in this post look very nice, so it would be difficult for me to choose a favorite here.

Porsche Boxster/Cayman (2013-/2014-)

The Porsche Boxster/Cayman is Porsche's entry-level sports car that slots below the 911 in terms of power and size. The base Cayman is powered by a 2.7-liter flat-six producing 275 hp and 213 lb-ft of torque; the Cayman S has a 3.4-liter flat-six with 325 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. The Boxster and Boxster S have similar performance figures as its hardtop variant, but it isn't as fast. Also, the Boxster/Cayman is mid-engine, RWD, and has a six-speed manual. The base Cayman can go from 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds, while the Cayman S will reach 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. The Boxster/S has similar acceleration times, only slightly higher than that of the Cayman. The Cayman has a starting price of $52,600, while the Cayman S starts at $63,800. The Boxster has a lower starting price than the Cayman. The Porsche Boxster/Cayman is a decent car, but the 911 will always be a better car because it is more powerful, more iconic, and arguably looks better. I saw the white Boxster on New Year's Day while the black Boxster was in the Bay Area early last month. The silver Cayman below was seen at a dealer in Fremont last week.