Around this time last month, I drove my Mazdaspeed6 from Longmont, Colorado to Lynchberg, Tennessee to visit a good friend of mine and, get some relaxation in, and see & do some cool car stuff.
This is my friend Justin’s rallycross machine, a 1988 Honda Civic RT4WD Wagovan. He had just recently finished turbocharging it before I came down to visit. It is now a very fast 1988 Honda Civic. Here’s a video of Justin ripping around on the dirt.
Gravel tires for the wagon.
This is Justin’s goofy Bengal cat, Anmar.
We took a day trip out to US 129, the Tail of the Dragon. What a blast! This was my first visit to the Dragon, and the Mazdaspeed6 performed admirably. It hides its 3500+ lbs weight very well. Here’s a clip from one of my runs.
After running the Dragon a couple times we detoured down to Fontana Dam and caught some amazing steam rising off of the water. Anybody play Wave Race 64 back in the day? I was getting some serious Drake Lake vibes here.
The next day Justin and I headed up to Nashville to visit the Lane Motor Museum. What a fantastic organization! We spent a good bit of time here and we didn’t even catch a basement tour. We’ll definitely have to come back to check out the basement.
Seeing the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo was a highlight for me. I like cars that aren’t afraid to try something different, and this front-engined, front-wheel drive LMP1 car qualifies for that label, I think.
I’m not a big bicycle guy, but from what I understand this Lotus Sport Type 108 dominated the bike racing scene when it debuted in the early 90s with a carbon fiber monocoque frame.
Honda City with requisite Motocompo option!
The DKW Monza set five world records in 1956 with an average speed of 87 mph around its namesake race track in Italy. It’s also friggin’ gorgeous.
1958 DKW Auto Union 1000. These had a cabin-operated radiator block-off, something my old 1988 Mazda 323 GTX could have used.
Old Auto Union 4x4. Funky design.
Renault Sport Spider! Can’t go wrong with a fun little roofless French car.
This Tatra really impressed me. Interesting design, great looking wheels, and an interior that you definitely won’t confuse with a BMW or Mercedes from the same era.
Funky little car in the Lane parking garage.
Fact: It’s impossible to be unhappy when you’re sitting in a 2CV.
Just some lunar photography.
Justin also has a very well-sorted S2000.
Here’s my Instagram if you want to see more of my photography: @MarquetteLa