Ton Up

I was bitten by the bike bug a few years back, and man, it's an illness worse than the dengue.*

Unlike a true fever though, the only remedy for this sickness is more spark and horsepower. Fortunately, for obsessives like us there's a new tv show called Cafe Racer TV on HD Theater.

Go ahead and tune in to all the Brylcreem action. Blast the Eddie Cochran and inject yourself into the Brit-rock sub-culture.

*Disclaimer: Don't say I didn't warn you about the bugs...






Cafe Racer TV promo:



Eddie Cochran - Nervous Breakdown:



Eddie Cochran with Wolfman Jack intro - C'mon Everybody:

Gymkhana

Speed + Precision Drifting = Ken Block is a sick, sick driver.

Method and Motorcycles

Warren Beatty cornering on a Triumph.

While cleaning up some old photos on my computer I came across a file titled "random actors on motorcycles". Upon further investigation I realized that they are not really random at all. In fact, they share one important bond aside from their love of speed. That is to say that they are all associated with The Method school of acting.

According to one description:

The “Method” required a performer to draw on his or her own self, on experiences, memories, and emotions that could inform a characterization and shape how a character might speak or move. Characters were thus shown to have an interior life; rather than being stereotyped figures representing a single concept (the villain, the heroine), they could become complex human beings with multiple and contradictory feelings and desires. it was the ability to convey the complexity-indeed the confusion of inner feelings that made the Actors Studio-trained Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and James Dean such emblematic figures for the Postwar era.

So there you have it. Now if I could only rationalize their affinity for Triumphs.

Steve McQueen glides around on his Triumph.

Paul Newman ready for some desert scrambling.

Actor Mickey Rourke on his Kawasaki in this production still from the movie Rumble Fish, 1983.

Marlon Brando lounges atop his Triumph Tiger in this production still from the movie The Wild One, 1953.

James Dean astride his Triumph.

Jack Nicholson in The Rebel Rousers, 1970.

Dennis Hopper rides his customized Panhead in Easy Rider, 1969.

Al Pacino in Paramount's Serpico, 1973. Seen here on a Honda Superhawk CB77.


ca. 2001 — Daniel Day-​​Lewis in Brimmed Hat on Motorcycle — Image by © Steve Smith/​Corbis

Jaguar E-Type

The Jaguar E-Type (1961-1975) was designed by Jaguar's aerodynamicist, Malcolm Sayer. This car would establish a massive following in both European, as well as American (XK-E), markets. First appearing in hardtop coupe form, a roadster would soon follow. Jaguar claimed a top speed of 150mph but, in actuality, very few could actually hit that mark.

A new lightweight coupe frame, the 'Low Drag Coupe', was introduced in 1964. These were specifically designed for Le Mans racing and featured a squat rear end with a slightly revised nose. The goal was to achieve low drag during the long straights, which made it a serious threat to Ferrari's utter dominance of the sport.

Sex sells (model in 1960s ad at top), but you can never mix business with pleasure. The free and funky spirit of the 60s was seriously stifled by 1970s bureaucratic camel-colored turtleneck wearing boringness. And a little thing called OPEC.

The energy crisis in the mid-70s killed production of this gorgeous machine. Bye bye naughty fling. You were fun while you lasted. I'll keep the champagne on ice and anxiously await your return.

Specification: Jaguar E-Type (3.8 liters)
Engine location: Front, in-line
Configuration: Six-cylinder
Bore and stroke: 87 x 106mm
Capacity: 3781cc
Valve operation: Twin overhead camshafts
Horsepower: 265bhp @ 5500rpm
Transmission: Manual four-speed
Drive: Rear
Chassis: Monocoque/squared tubular front sub-frame
Suspension - front: Wishbones and torsion bar
Suspension - rear: Wishbone and coil spring
Brakes: Disc
Top Speed: 150mph
Acceleration: 0-60mph in 7 seconds

1961 Jaguar E-Type hardtop coupe at its Geneva Auto Show debut. The red wall tires on these cars look just as dynamic.

1961 Jaguar E-Type. 1962 Le Mans racer.

That's a 1962 cat in this screen freeze from the awful 1963 movie, "The Young Racers", which featured a behind the scenes sound guy by the name of Francis Ford Coppola.

This cat sits low on its haunches, ready to pounce at the drop of the flag.

1968 E-Type convertible (foreground) and hardtop (rear). Good luck driving 'em out of all that corn, man.

1969 XKE convertible.

Oh, hello there 1970. I'm not sure what you're all about yet but I'll still give it a go.

Introduction of the 1972 V12. I love the wheels but they're definitely better suited to the sedans.

1972 Jaguar E-Type Coupe V12.

1972 Jaguar E-Type Coupe V12. All chromed out with nowhere to go.

1974 Series III Roadster. And more foliage.

1974 Series III.

This cat plays rough but has a sensitive side. Or so it would appear in this 1960s advertisement.

Man, this is WHY you need to know how to change a tire. It stands true today as it did in the 1960s.

Lamborghini Miura

The 1967 Lamborghini Miura is often hailed as the world's first supercar. Named after Don Eduardo Miura, a legendary breeder of fighting bulls, Miura's Bertone body was as stunning as its mid-engined mechanicals that were inspired by Ford's own line of sports-racing super machines.

The sensational body and innovative engine set the seal on the credibility of the three year old automaker. Top speed from the 350bhp V12 was over 170mph.

In 1969 an upgraded model (Miura S) was introduced which sported a 375bhp engine. And in 1971 Lamborghini took it a step further with the SV; a 385hp road eater.

The Miura was discontinued in late 1972 to make room for the legendary Countach, which was introduced just two years later.

Specification: 1967 Lamborghini Miura
Engine location: Mid, transverse
Engine: V12
Bore and stroke: 82 x 62mm
Capacity: 3929cc
Valve operation: Twin overhead camshafts per bank
Horsepower: 350bhp @ 7000rpm
Transmission: Manual five-speed
Drive: Rear
Chassis: Steel box section
Suspension-front: Wishbones and coil spring
Suspension-rear: Wishbones and coil spring
Brakes: Disc
Top speed: 171mph
Acceleration: 0-60mph (6 seconds)















Credit www.netcarshow.com for a few of the stunning images above.

24 Hours of Le Mans

Lotta people go through life doing things badly. Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.

-Michael Delaney, Le Mans, 1971

The 24 hour racing series at Le Mans tests a man's nerve, his insidious cunning in attaining a goal, and his mettle during times of adversity. This is not just a car movie, it's an operatic spectacle of sights, sounds, and pulsing adrenaline. A gorgeous dialogue between engines at redline and the complex interplay between competing drivers at the top of their game.

Not a movie for the masses (actually it was a flop in theaters and bankrupted McQueen's production company), but for a car junky the 1971 Steve McQueen racer flick, Le Mans, is just. plain. awesome.

Steve McQueen drives his 911S around the race course at the start of the movie.

McQueen's 911S on the streets of France.


Steve McQueen's character, Michael Delaney, buttons up his fireproof racesuit. Serious swagger.


The iconic TAG Heuer 'Monaco' watch prominently displayed as Delaney buckles his helmet.




Steve McQueen in Le Mans.


In the early going McQueen's Gulf Porsche 917 chases the Porsche 917L "long tail" (#25). The car eventually retired from the race with a sick engine.



Delaney's Gulf Porsche 917 (#20) barrels down a straightaway.

Delaney's 917 exits a turn.

Delaney's Porsche 917 (#21) hits an S-turn with the Ferrari 512 (#5) in hot pursuit in last stage of the race. Check out that packed grandstand.

McQueen takes a break during filming.

Steve McQueen posing in front of a Ferrari 512 (#5).

Michael Delaney casts the infamous 'two-fingered salute'.

Derringer Cycles

If you're looking for a stylish ride that has the convenience of a motorcycle and the efficiency of a bicycle than this is a wicked cool option.

Derringer Cycles are designed by world-renowned California based industrial designer, Adrian Van Anz, and are modeled after vintage boardtrack racing motorcycles; a type of motorsport popular in the early 20th Century.

The BAMF model, pictured here, will set you back a couple of grand, but its many different operational configurations provide an exciting new means of fuel-efficient transportation.