2016 Ferrari California T

The California T launched in the 2015 model year as an update of the 2009-2014 Ferrari California. On the outside, the body got a pretty thorough restyling, while under the hood a twin-turbo 3.9L V-8 replaced the previous 4.3L normally-aspirated mill.

The F154 BB V-8 was a 32V DOHC powerplant, with variable valve timing, dry-sump lubrication, direct injection, and a flat plane crank, as well as being the first turbocharged motor in a road going Ferrari since the F40 back in the Eighties. It was rated at 553 SAE net horsepower and sent power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The original California, which had been something of an experiment, what with its front-mounted V-8 and retractable hardtop, had been criticized by some testers as being overweight and underpowered. The California T not only added power, but at 4,064 pounds, Car and Driver's 2015 test car was almost sixty  pounds lighter than its predecessor.

The result was a car that launched to sixty in only 3.3 seconds and annihilated the quarter mile in just 11.3 seconds at 128 mph. Base price was $202,723 in 2015 money, which is about $273k in constant dollars.

The Argento Nurburgring example in the photos was snapped with a Nikon D300S and a 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom lens in September of 2023.

2010 BMW 535i xDrive Sports Wagon

It was not that long ago that we had a twin-turbo wagon available in rear wheel drive or all wheel drive versions that came with a 6-speed manual as the base transmission from the factory...and everyone went and bought a crossover SUV instead. In retrospect, maybe we didn't deserve the E61 535i xDrive Sports Wagon; we just weren't worthy of its longroof splendor.

Under the hood of this righteous sled was BMW's N54B30, a 3.0L DOHC 24V twin-turbo straight-six with double-VANOS variable valve timing, putting out 300 SAE net horsepower. This was enough motor to slam the speedo needle to the 60-mph marker in only 5.8 seconds.

This Jet Black example was photographed in November of 2018 using an Olympus OM-D E-M5 and an M. Zuiko Digital 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO zoom lens.

2012 Volkswagen GTI

The Volkswagen Golf Mk6 reached the North American market for the 2010 model year and by 2012 the iron-block 2.0L turbocharged four cylinder under the hood of the GTI variant was a little long in the tooth and, at 200 horsepower, was a looking a bit weak compared to some of its hot hatch rivals from Ford and Mazda.

Still, it was bolted into a willing chassis and backed with either a six-speed manual or DSG gear changer, and two hundred ponies can gallop pretty good if they only have to haul a little over three thousand pounds of VW. The sticky rubber on the 18" wheels of this Black Pearl Metallic example make for sure-footed handling.

When Road & Track tested a three-door with the manual gearbox, they recorded a 6.4 second zero to sixty sprint and a quarter in fifteen flat. Those would have been V-8 pony car acceleration numbers not too many years before.

Their test car came with a $24,765 as-tested price, the equivalent of roughly $34,400 in today's money.

This one was photographed with a Nikon D200 and an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens in August of 2020.

2006 Lincoln Mark LT

For pretty much all my life, I've heard heavily-optioned pickup trucks referred to as "Cowboy Cadillacs". When I worked at a Chevy dealership back in the late Eighties, when the GMT400 trucks were still shiny and new, the most expensive vehicles on the lot weren't Corvettes but rather Silverados where someone had gone a little crazy with the options list.

Shortly after American manufacturers stuck a toe in the luxury SUV market at the close of the previous millennium with the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator, the temptation to actually take a stab at a luxury pickup truck became overwhelming. The profit margin could be enormous, since the basic platform was amortized by the sale of a bajillion plain white wrapper work trucks to the contractors, tradesmen, and farmhands of the land.

Sure enough, 2002 saw Cadillac bring the Escalade EXT, basically a gold-plated Chevy Avalanche, to market and Lincoln launched the Blackwood, a gussied-up F-150 Supercrew. The Blackwood only sold 3,300ish copies and was discontinued after only the one model year, but Lincoln decided to take another run at the concept in 2006 with the Mark LT. (Presumably this stood for Luxury Truck, Lincoln not yet having succumbed to the fascination with alphanumeric model designators from which they suffered through the 2010s.)

Available in either 4WD, like the basic Black one in the photo, or 2WD configurations, the only powertrain offered was the 5.4L Triton V-8 backed by a four-speed automatic. The 5.4L Triton was the SOHC 3-valve-per-cylinder variant, making 300 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque. That motor was a little overwhelmed by nearly three tons of truck, requiring 8.8 seconds to haul 5,900 pounds of Mark LT to sixty, according to Car and Driver's test of a 2007 model. The quarter mile took 16.7 seconds at 83 mph, and the governor shut off the fun at 101.

Price as tested was $48,995, which comes to about $75,400 in today's dough.

While sales started off encouraging, they went off a cliff after the 2007 model year with the onset of the Great Recession and Lincoln axed its second attempt at a truck after selling less than 200 of the 2009 models. They haven't tried again since.

The one in the photo was snapped in August of 2021 using a Nikon D200 and a 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5D zoom lens.

1994 Mercury Cougar XR7

The seventh generation of the Mercury Cougar debuted for the 1989 model year. Along with the Lincoln Mark VIII and Ford Thunderbird, it rode on the new MN12 platform with an independent rear suspension, replacing the previous generation's live rear axle.

It was initially available in LS and XR7 flavors, with the former being the posh one and the latter being more sporty. After 1992, however, the LS trim level went away and all Cougars were XR7s. 

There were facelifts in 1991 and another one in 1994, with the Champagne Metallic one in the photo displaying the revised grille of that latter facelift.

The base engine in 1994 was the port fuel injected 3.8L Essex V-8, with a 9.0:1 compression ratio and making 140 SAE net horsepower. The "V8" fender badges on this one indicate that it has the optional 4.6L SOHC Ford Modular V-8, making 205 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque, which was a considerable bump over the base motor. This was reasonable output for the era, but it was dealing with over 3,700 pounds of curb weight, so while acceleration was adequate, it was no bolt of lightning.

Incidentally, the 15" cast aluminum wheels on this car are from the Sport Appearance Group package on the '96-'97 Cougars.

This photo was snapped with a Nikon D7000 and the excellent 16-80mm f/2.8-4E zoom lens in October of 2021.

1962 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

Having launched the third generation of the Impala with the 1961 model, the '62 received only light styling changes. It was still most easily distinguished from its more plebeian Chevrolet kin, the Biscayne and Bel Air, by the chrome spear with a contrasting painted insert running the length of its flanks. On this Ermine White ragtop, the Roman Red inset is eye-catching.

The "V" badge sans crossed flags on the front fender indicates the presence under the hood of Chevrolet's 283 cubic inch Turbo-Fire V-8 with a two-barrel carburetor and an 8.5:1 compression ratio, making 170 SAE gross horsepower. The transmission backing it would have either been a three-speed manual or a two-speed Powerglide automatic.

Checkered flags would indicate a 327 Turbo-Fire, rated at either 250 or 300 horses. A "409" badge above the checkered flags signified the flagship motor, in 380 horsepower trim with a single four-barrel, or 409 horse dual-quad form. All these more powerful motors could be had with a four-on-the-floor, and the 409 was too torquey for the Powerglide slushbox.

Motor Trend tested a 1962 Impala SS Sport Coupe with the dual-quad 409, four-speed, and optional 4.11:1 final drive ratio and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 6.3 seconds and a 14.9 second quarter at 98 miles per hour through the traps. Performance numbers equivalent, in other words, to a 5.0L H.O. Fox body Mustang.

The one in the photos was snapped in January of 2016 using a Nikon Coolpix P7000.

1971 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne

The second generation of Chevrolet's C/K pickup trucks, launched for 1967, received a mid-cycle refresh for the 1971 model year. The most immediately noticeable change was the full-width eggcrate grille and the double horizontal side marker lights.

Hardware-wise, front disc brakes became standard on the light duty pickups. The 396 cubic inch Turbo-Jet big block was replaced as the top motor by the 402 cube (sold as a 400). The Cheyenne, new for '71, was the top model, positioned above the Custom and Custom Deluxe, and could be had with such niceties as bucket seats and a center console.

The base motors were the 250 High Torque inline six or the 307 two-barrel V-8, rated at 110 and 135 SAE Net horsepower, respectively. Optional motors included a 292 cubic inch inline six making 130 horsepower, the aforementioned big block, which was rated at 240 horses, or the four-barrel 350 small block putting out 190 ponies. According to the fender badges, the 350 is what's under the hood of this Dark Blue (they saved the cool name for the color, "Fathom Blue", for passenger cars) '71 model.

The '71 and '72 were nearly identical but you can tell this is the earlier of the two by the fact that the rearview mirror is attached to the cab roof rather than glued to the windshield.

This one was photographed in October of 2023 using a Nikon D800 and a 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom lens.

1976 Chevrolet Caprice Classic

1976 was the final model year of the full-size Chevrolet B-bodies before the big downsizing. The Bel Air nameplate had finally gone away after 1975, leaving a stripped down version of the Impala with less chrome trim, less noise insulation, and less cushy seats, called the Impala S, as Chevy's lowest-priced full size car. Above that was the regular Impala, and the pinnacle of the full-size Chevrolet lineup was the Caprice Classic.

Available in Landau Coupe, Coupe, pillared Sedan, and hardtop Sport Sedan forms, all Caprices came with woodgrain vinyl interior trim, plusher nylon pile carpet, and a light in the trunk as standard, to go with the power front discs and automatic transmission.

The standard motor in the Caprice Classic was a two-barrel 350 cubic inch V-8 rated at 145 SAE net horsepower. Optional motors were a four-barrel 165 horsepower 350 V-8, a 400 cubic inch small block V-8 making 180 horses, and the final year of the 454 cube big block, with a four-barrel carb, dual exhausts, and 225 horsepower.

The 1976 Caprice Classic represented an apogee, size-wise, for Chevy sedans, casting a 222.9" long shadow and weighing over 4,300 pounds. The '77 downsizing would slash nearly a foot of length and over a quarter ton of weight from the new Caprice Classic.

The Cream sedan with Dark Mahogany interior was photographed with a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and a EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens in August of 2022.

1966 Chevrolet Chevy II 100

Ford's launch of the popular compact Falcon as competition for the Chevrolet Corvair caused something like a crisis of confidence at GM's highest-volume division, leading to a complete revision of their compact car plans.

The Corvair was already getting a reputation as quirky and odd-handling, with unspectacular gas mileage and somewhat problematic reliability, so Chevy launched a crash program to design a thoroughly conventional compact to challenge the small car from Dearborn.

The result was dubbed the Chevy II and it went from drawing board to production in only a year and a half. The only thing unusual about it was that the base engine in the '62 Chevy II was the first four cylinder offered in a Chevrolet since 1928, being basically a Turbo-Thrift inline six shortened by two cylinders.

The second generation of the Chevy II debuted for the 1966 model year. While the 110" wheelbase and overall size remained the same, the slab-sided styling filled the car's look out some and made it appear larger than the first generation cars.

The top trim level was the Nova, which came in regular and Super Sport flavors. The base model was the Chevy II 100, like this Marina Blue sedan.

The base engine in the Chevy II 100 sedan was the Super-Thrift 153 cubic inch OHV four cylinder rated at 90 SAE gross horsepower. Buyers could opt for the 194 cubic inch Hi-Thrift six, making 120 horsepower, or the Turbo-Fire 283 cid V-8, putting out 195.

Extra-cost engines were the Turbo-Thrift 230 cube inline six, a high-performance 283 V-8 with a four-barrel carb, rated at 220, or two different 327 V-8s, making 275 and 350 ponies. All motors came with a standard three-speed manual transmission. All the V-8s could be had with a four-speed manual and all except the 350 could be specced with the two-speed Powerglide automatic.

This one was photographed with a Nikon D200 and an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens in March of 2022.

1987 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL

The mid-cycle refresh of the W126 Mercedes-Benz S-class sedans saw the 280SE/SEL replaced with a new 300SE/SEL.

These featured the new M103 normally-aspirated fuel-injected SOHC 12V inline six, displacing 3.0L. The engine had debuted in the W124 300E midsize and was rated at 178 SAE net horsepower, which was reasonably potent for the era, although it had its work cut out for it hauling nearly two tons of Benz long wheelbase sedan.

The one in the pictures was photographed in July of 2021 using a Canon EOS Rebel T3 and an EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens.

1989 Acura Integra LS

The U.S. auto market is peculiar in its rigidly-stratified brand price tiers. Non-car-nerd Americans are always surprised when they go overseas and encounter Mercedes-Benz taxicabs with low-rent upholstery and manual transmissions because Mercedes made the decision long ago to only export luxury-trimmed models to North America.

When Honda decided to broach the upper end of the U.S. car market in the mid Eighties, they therefore decided to create a separate brand identity for the bucks-up cars, sold elsewhere as Hondas, and thus was born Acura.

The flagship car for the marque was the Legend luxury sedan, freshly launched in Japan and Honda's first V-6 powered production car. But you can't have a dealership selling just one car, especially when that car is an expensive sedan, so Honda also decided to import the sporty Honda Quint Integra, an upscale Civic derivative, as the Acura Integra. This fleshed out the model lineup at Acura dealers with sporty 3- and 5-door hot hatches.

That first generation Integra was propelled by an undersquare 1.6L DOHC 16V D16A1, initially rated at 113 SAE net horsepower.  Along with a light mid-cycle nose job for the '88 model year, the D16A1 got a compression ratio bump, lighter con rods, an an electronic distributor advance, which combined to boost output to 118 horses. The front turn signals on this one tell us it's an '88 or '89, and the Laguna Gold paint narrows it to a 1989 model. 

Car and Driver tested a 1986 Integra LS model, which ran zero-to-sixty in 8.8 seconds and managed a 16.2 quarter mile at 82mph. It topped out at 117, circled the skidpad at 0.78g, and stopped from 70 in 194 feet. Price as tested was $12,334, which comes to $34,750 in today's coin. Curb weight was only 2,396 pounds and the car had a 96.5" wheelbase and 168.5" overall length, making it about the same size and weight as a 2016 Honda Fit.

The one in the picture was snapped with a Ricoh GR Digital II in February of 2017.