1973 Dodge Charger

The Charger began in 1966 as a sporty specialty vehicle at Dodge that was intended to split the difference between Ford's compact-based Mustang and the Thunderbird personal luxury coupe. It was a swoopy-looking four seat fastback coupe based on the midsize Coronet (so as not to steal sales from the Plymouth Barracuda) available with a wide range of performance and luxury options.

The second generation Chargers that appeared for 1968 put a heavier emphasis on sporty and toned down the plushness, but the third generation 1971 Chargers, with their bold new "fuselage" styling, veered back toward plushness and toned down the performance message, with lower emissions and greater safety and fuel economy becoming increasingly important. 

The third generation of Chargers received a mid-cycle refresh for the '73 model year, becoming wider and slightly taller. Long gone were performance models like the R/T and 500, as well as fire-breathing Street Hemis and Six-Packs. You could get a base Charger in regular coupe or hardtop form like the one in the picture. There was also the plush Charger SE and the slightly sportier Charger Rallye. One notable difference from the previous year is that in 1973 hidden headlights were no longer available, even as an option.

Base Chargers had either the 105-horsepower 225 cubic inch Slant Six or the 150hp 318 two-barrel LA V-8 as the standard engine, backed with either a three-speed manual or Torqueflite automatic transmission. Order a Rallye or SE and the 318 was the smallest engine available.

Optionally, buyers could order the 340 four-barrel small block, now de-tuned with 8.5:1 compression ratio and smaller valves, but still rated at 240 SAE net horsepower. There were also two- and four-barrel versions of the 400 cubic inch big block V-8, making 175 and 260 horses, or the 440 cubic inch four-barrel that put out 275 ponies. The '73 440 Magnum RB block was a shadow of its former glory, but it was about as badass a motor as you could get out of Detroit in the closing months of the Muscle Car Era.

Speed & Supercar magazine tested a 440-cube '73 Charger and managed a 14.8 quarter at 92mph, while Consumer Guide reported a 10.0 second zero-to-sixty time from a Charger test car with the two-barrel, single-exhaust 175 horsepower 400.

The hardtop in the picture has been repainted and has an aftermarket hood, so it may have begun life as a Rallye, but who knows? It was photographed with a Nikon D7100 and a 16-80mm f/2.8-4E VR zoom lens in June of 2022.

2015 Mercedes-Benz SL400

The 2013 model year saw the launch of the sixth generation of Mercedes-Benz's SL-class of two seat sporting luxo convertibles. (Well, most were convertibles. And most were 2-seaters, although the R107 could be had with a sort of vestigial back seat-ette which could accommodate pets, small children, double lower-extremity amputees, Peter Dinklage, or people you hated.)

Styling-wise, the new R231 was a little less overwrought than the outgoing refreshed R230, which had gotten a little carried away in the vents and strakes department.

Structure-wise, it featured extensive use of aluminum alloy, which helped counter the increasing weight bloat of all the bling expected in a $100k+ luxury sporter. Still, the SL400 in the photo would have tipped the scales at less than a couple hundred pounds shy of two tons.

The SL400 was the junior partner to the SL550. Instead of the latter's V-8, the SL400 had the first six-cylinder motor offered in an SL on the North American market since importation of the R129 SL320 stopped after the 1998 model year. Instead of the classic inline six of the 320, though, the 400 sported a DOHC twin-turbo 3.0L V-6, rated at 329 horsepower.

In a test by Car and Driver, the 2015 SL400 sprinted to sixty in 4.6 seconds and blistered the quarter in 13.1 seconds at 109mph. Price for the well-optioned test car was $106,335 in 2015 dollars, or $144,221 in current bucks.

This one was photographed in July of 2025 using a Canon EOS R and an RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS zoom lens.