I think the greatest reduction in annoyance would come from 'shopping Guy effing Fieri out of the photo.

I can't take credit. It's a Murilee Martinism. See, e.g., http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/08/junkya…, http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/10/junkya…, and http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/06/junkya….

Damnit Doug! Now you've made me go and search for running Topazes! I wasted literally minutes of my day!

2003-2004 Infiniti M45. It's handsome, but has completely anonymous styling, looking like a blend of Taurus and Chrysler 300. They sold very few, so no one even will recognize it, but it's not unrecognizable in a way that causes people to turn their heads and say "Hey! Whaaazat!?" It's solid, reliable, comfortable,…

Flying buttresses. Hidden headlights. Exaggerated coke-bottle proportions. Four round taillights, set in pairs. Long, thin bumpers. Dual exhausts. Useless scoopy things on the side. And they debuted in the same year.

No, but there are styling cues on the Hyundai Tiburon that are clearly derived from the 550 Maranello. Like the 348 and the Prelude, though, nobody's going to mistake one for the other.

The new Corolla, from the rear, looks like the ninth-gen Civic should have looked, as it completely apes the eagle's head shaped taillights and the elongated diamond shape that's formed below the taillights and above the bumper.

This probably isn't the plane that represented the *greatest* leap forward, but is an interesting bit of trivia.

Forget the R3. I'd scour CarMax for a Doug DeMuro-edition RX-8 with an extended warranty. That's the one to have.

I'd rather have a non-Z06 six-speed C5 and 14-15 grand left over for tires, brakes, gas, insurance, and hookers.

Agreed. I got to run a few laps on a dirt oval in a non-winged 360 sprint about 10 years ago (a local team was trying to start up some kind of "racing experience" program). A couple of the things you mentioned—the lack of a differential and the rear tire stagger are the most difficult things to get used to. But…

"The Colts style of offense (just run for 2 yards a carry and have Andrew Luck make amazing throws)"

While the F-Type and Mustang GT probably sound better, I'm pretty sure the Abarth is the leader by far in the Exhaust sexiness/dollar metric (especially since they can be had for well under sticker). Simply a fantastic sounding car for the price.

What happens when you accidentally leave your sunglasses/smartphone/bag of crack on the console, and a crackhead breaks your window for purposes of procuring them? I'd imagine the costs of replacing a magical LCD-touchscreen window would be alarmingly high.

Do you mind if I ask you where you're located? I *love* the Abarth, but the only thing I see on their website right now is "up to $3500 cash allowance" for 2013 models.

Here are the full specs:

My aim is to build the best driver's car that I can that I could plausibly afford in real life (i.e., mid-size CamCord money, or as close to base price as possible). Most of the Deuces they sell aren't likely to be top-of-the line anyway, so this will give a good notion of what the average one is capable of.

First,…

You'll have been flat out for a while when you reach the Start/Finish at the end of the Spinelli pit straightaway, but things are about to get very twisty—you won't see top gear again for a while. Brake late and enter a gentle sweeping right that tightens dramatically, before entering Lieberman's Loop.

I used to pass it as well. The crash photos were truly jaw-dropping. What's especially amazing is that he survived (although IIRC his driver's license is suspended for about the next thousand years). But of course he gets to be on television...

Transformers exploding are much more fun at night. Happened about a year ago where I live, and lit up the whole neighborhood like it was suddenly daytime in a world with a bright blue sun. I briefly thought it was awesome, until my power flickered out and I realized I'd be spending the night with neither heat nor…