Results tagged “cars”

This weekend, you missed out. If you were anywhere but at MotorSport Ranch in Angleton, you flat out got clowned. We warned you last week about the 24 Hours Of Lemons, and the race festivities delivered on all that promise in spades in spite of cold, windy weather. We got down to the track around noon and checked out the pits and got a feel for the track, after which Nick Pon, our fearless and handsome guide, introduced us to the several teams that had graciously offered to let us drive a few laps. The interview process was kind of like the Dating Game, but with oily handshakes and a casual, unaffected commradarie that belied the seriousness of these gearheads. We finally hooked on with the #33 car, the 1982 Toyota Corolla of Team Evel Kweassel. As you'd expect, the Corolla was painted in a red-white-and-blue color scheme like the one that America's late, great motorcycle daredevil used to sport. We did our laps without peeing our loaner fireproof suit, and found that as we got more familiar with the track, tunnel vision took over and it wasn't that much different than playing a video game. A video game where you can actually get hurt, of course. As you'd expect in Texas, everyone involved was that unique combination of loud and proud mixed with graciousness and a willingness to help out. As some of the more ill-fated cars rolled off the track for emergency repairs, nothing but words of encouragement came from the other teams. Which is not to say things weren't competitive; as you'll see on the video, some cars did get a too close to each other at times. If you did have the misfortune to come in contact with another racer, or otherwise piss off the Judges (Johnny Lieberman and Murilee Martin (pictured) of Jalopnik.com), you were in for a helluva punishment. Humiliation was the name of the game for the punishments; we saw grown men in dog houses, in mime makeup, and (in the case of the Kweasel team) shaving one of their legs. Justice is swift and hilarious in LeMons world. The winner ended up being a crappy looking Mustang from the Formula M For Mullet team; our Corolla finished in the middle of the pack at 45th place after being plagued with an oil leak and an exhaust system that departed this earthly coil about 15 laps in, giving the car a wail louder than anything on the track. (Even the RX-7 with the tractor exhaust pipe) So, yeah, you missed out. But be of good cheer: Team Houstonist at the 24 Hours Of LeMons is just a matter of time, people. If you've got the passion, the skills, or $500 bucks, we want to hear from you. Drop us a line, and we'll try to get our act together by October. If you don't want to race, at least come visit and see that art cars are more fun when they're cutting each other off in 90 mph traffic. Check out video from the Gator-O-Rama after the jump.

Remember that crappy car that you had in high school? The one that had the windows that wouldn't roll down (or up, possibly) and the headlights would only turn on if the heater was going full blast? What if there were people who raced those damned things? There most certainly are, and if the idea of mad engineers cobbling together race cars out of hoopties sounds like your cup of tea, you best get yourself down to MotorSport Ranch this weekend for the 24 Hours Of LeMons.

The Houston chapter of the Ferrari Club of America presented the Highland Village Ferrari Festival today resulting in even more of a log jam on Westheimer than the regularly scheduled crappy Sunday afternoon traffic. The event featured 20+ Ferraris (and one Maserati) on display with daydreaming music provided by a jazz trio. The Italian sports car maker was well represented by the fleet of automobiles on hand. Attendees could drool on F-40 (pictured above),...

After an extraordinarily embarrassing event wherein Houstonist unwittingly drove the wrong way down a portion of South Braeswood Boulevard, we decided to thoroughly investigate the nature, goals, and idiosyncrasies of the Braeswood Boulevards. Our results have been quite astonishing and maddening, as these braided hydra-like streets weave, change course, change names, and sometimes suddenly disappear for a portion of their overall path as though it were not no thang at all. Our ultimate aim...

The song is simple, totally electronic, and very new wave, but we still love it. It's hard to believe that it's been 28 years since the release of "Cars" from Gary Numan. A Top 10 hit from 1980, it was a very left-field hit that year, sounding like nothing else you heard on the radio. We're happy that the YouTube poster included the lyrics to the song; we just now realized that for almost...

Need to know just a little bit about something? Ask a dilettante. I’m thinking of buying my first new car, and I’m terrified of the whole process. I just know I’m going to get screwed. Do you have any tips for me? I don’t know what undercoating is! You need two basic items when traveling the murky waters of car buying: education and the ability to walk away. The first one is easy; the second...

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor MasTaPiannis.

Six years ago, Brooklynder Brooklynite New Yorker Aaron Naparstek began writing honkus - haikus about cars and traffic - and taping them to lampposts near his Brooklyn home after he discovered that egging honkers from his apartment window was not necessarily the safest approach to dissuading the behavior. Houstonist feels his pain. There's no shortage of idiots behind the wheel in our fair metropolis. Personally, we favor a potato gun for our road rage retaliation,...

If antique trucks get your heart pumping, you'll likely be pumped the pump up for tomorrow's 4th annual Classy Chassis Vintage Auto Show at Reliant Stadium. The event will feature over 100 world-class automobiles, including "vintage American and European icons, rare and exotic hand-built sports cars, hot rods and full-out racing machines." So that should make for good eye candy as you stroll about Reliant with a plastic cup of beer. But you know...

Scotland's Ireland's Snow Patrol really made it big last year in America with their smash "Chasing Cars." However, our favorite song of theirs hails from their 2003 major label debut album Final Straw, "Chocolate." (That album also spunned their first minor hit "Run.) We've always liked the songs simple lyrics, great melody, and meaning (a song about new beginnings, as far as we knew). But after recently discovering the video, new light has been...

Today’s Photos of the Day come from flickr users and Houstonist photo contributors, eschipul, deneyterrio, fotolilith and randyman who have all submitted images of this past weekend's Art Car Events. It was a wild weekend with Art Car festivities going on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Did you know Houston has the oldest and largest Art Car Parade in the world? It's true. Be proud to have such a awesome event in your town. Thanks...

Saturday marks the "piece de resistance" of Art Car Weekend - The Art Car Parade! Houstonist is singing "I Love a Parade" in our very best Ethel Merman voice in celebration of this event (normally, we stick to "There's No Business Like Show Business"). The world's largest and oldest parade of its kind makes its way into downtown on Allen Parkway for the 20th year to an anticipated crowd of over 200,000 people. This year's...

Art Car Weekend kicks off tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. at the Art Car Museum with an assist from neighboring Aurora Picture Show. Shop Talk! - Dynamic Art Car Presentations is FREE and open to the public! Part of Heights Boulevard will be closed to through traffic and art cars will be parked on the street for your viewing pleasure. The cars will have illuminary-like very special effects and such - like, say a disco ball,...

The Orange Show is looking for volunteer photographers to shoot the 20th Annual Houston Art Car Parade this weekend! The parade starts at 1pm Saturday on Allen Parkway, but photographers are needed throughout the weekend, from Shop Talk at the Art Car Museum on Friday night to the Awards Ceremony and Brunch at The Orange Show on Sunday Afternoon. Volunteers get an Art Car t-shirt, food & drinks, and the chance to see their...

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor WesternGulf. There's something about this photo that's just really cool. I'm not sure if it's because it looks like an ad or if it's the contrast of the the colors between the building and the vehicles pictured. Whatever it is, it works and Houstonist digs it.

As 2006 ends and 2007 begins, the -ists look back not at the past week, but at the past year. So here it is, your Best of 2006 Spectacular. And from all of us at the -ists, happy New Year! Austinist was all about controversy as new construction to increase urban density ran rampant in 2006, as did threats to the city's image from gigantic corporations looking to set up shop in town, leading...

So we doubt we'll live to see the day when Texans give up their pickup trucks — but for a change, truck sales in Texas are almost flat this year compared with the same period in 2005, and it took dealers a longer time to sell trucks during the summer. Truck sales are better in Texas and Oklahoma than in the rest of the country because the oil business is doing well and companies are...

Local lawyer John O'Quinn, who made millions in tobacco settlements in Texas, had a lovely weekend at Kruse International's annual Labor Day car auction, the Chronicle tells us. He purchased a $500,000 Lamborghini Gallardo signed by such varied celebrities as Samuel L. "Motherf****ing Snakes" Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Regis Philbin. (Does he even count as a celebrity at this point?) Profits from the one-of-a-kind car went to benefit the Child Safety Network, whose mission is...

. Does your car make the list?

The shot from flickr user and houstonist photo contributor paper_by_design. It's Friday, it's a pretty day, enjoy some flowers. This shot totally led to thoughts about this: Here we stand Like an Adam and an Eve Waterfalls The Garden of Eden Two fools in love So beautiful and strong The birds in the trees Are smiling upon them From the age of the dinosaurs Cars have run on gasoline Where, where have they gone?...

A couple of weeks ago, Chronicle energy blogger Lynn Cook wrote about spotting a Smart Car on Buffalo Speedway — a pretty rare sight, considering that there are only eight dealerships in the U.S. selling the cars, and the closest are in Phoenix and Colorado Springs. Still, Cook reports that ZAP, the company marketing the Smart Cars in America, has big plans for the tiny vehicles. In case you're not familiar, Smart Cars are...

So the results of the GMAC Insurance driving test are in, and there's good news: Texas doesn't have the dumbest drivers in the country. Finally, a list where we're not the worst at something! The test consisted of 20 questions based on state driver's license examinations where a score of 70 or higher is required to pass. According to the results, which cover all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, the three states most...

Don't tell anyone we told you, but we hear this greenhouse gas emissions stuff is, like, bad for the environment. We know, we know... we couldn't believe it either. We were pondering the implications of the supposed lack of "renewable energy" when in our inbox plopped an invitation to use Kroger's new corn-based, alternative ethanol fuel.

A story out of Richmond today was more like a movie scene than anything: 23-year-old Monica Olvera jumped in front of her 7-year-old son to save him from being hit by a car as she walked him to summer school this morning. It happened in the 1000 block of Collins Road, in front of T.L. Pink Elementary School. Olvera and her son, Julian, were waiting to cross the street (or, according to the Chronicle, were in the parking lot) when David Cantu, who was bringing his daughter to school, lost control of his Jeep Cherokee. Olvera's decision to throw herself between the car and Julian saved Julian's life, police said.

Get your cameras and your lawn chairs to park yourself for the 2006 EV1.net Art Car Parade. This is not just your grandma's Sunday afternoon parade — there are events for everyone all weekend long and it kicks off today with the Main Street Drag. The Main Street Drag will bring over 70 art cars to more than 30,000 people in schools, hospitals, and community centers who might not be able to experience the...

So if you're paranoid, here's something else you might want to worry about: Your car's heated seats could kill you. Yes, KHOU found a guy who suffered serious burns from his car's heated seats, which reached a scorching 165 degrees. Not to make light of his case, but is it sweeps week or what?

Though Houstonist doesn't really know much about cars, we get excited every winter when the Houston Auto Show opens — we'd much rather climb around the new-model cards at Reliant Center than pretend we're going to buy one so we can test drive it at the dealership.