Mercedes-Benz C-Class Essential History: Generation One The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, also known by its internal code name, W202, rolled onto the American car scene in late 1993 as a 1994 model, replacing the 190E (W201) as the brand’s compact offering. The rear-drive C-Class was initially offered in four-cylinder C 220 (147-hp) and six-cylinder C 280 (194-hp) variants, with the numbers denoting engine displacement (i.e. 2.2 and 2.8 liters). The 268-hp C 36 AMG model joined the lineup for 1995; at the time, the C 36 was converted—engine and all—from a factory-built C 280. The year 1997 saw a torquier 2.3-liter engine for the entry model, now called C 230, while the C 36 was bumped to 276 hp and added a fifth cog to its automatic transmission. The AMG model was cut for ’98, but the...
Listening to the first new Jerky Boys album in two decades, I was nearly in tears. But not from laughter. I was sad in that mopey Generation X way where it suddenly hits you that 1990 was 30 years ago, even though it seems like yesterday. But you can’t stop the ‘90s nostalgia juggernaut. And so we now find the Jerky Boys, those most notorious of merry pranksters who raised crank phone calls to an art form during the Clinton years, back after a 21-year hiatus. The good news: The new, self-titled Jerky Boys album is funny. But the kind of telephone theater that Jerky Boys creator Johnny Brennan perfected decades ago sounds dated in today’s mad world dominated by call centers, airtight phone scripts and people getting pissed when you call instead of text. In 2020, the human element has almost...
Gulf Livery: The Timeless Orange and Blue Race Car Livery with Global Fame Catapulted to icon status by the golden age of motorsports in the 1960s, the Gulf Oil livery is easily one of the most respected and globally recognized race-car liveries. Having already picked up back-to-back wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 and 1967, the relentless Ford GT40 dressed in the Gulf livery collected two more consecutive Le Mans titles in 1968 and 1969. Afterward, the undisputed “King of Cool”—Steve McQueen—starred in the 1971 feature-length film Le Mans, in which he played racing driver Michael Delaney behind the wheel of one of two Gulf-liveried Porsche 917Ks. Indeed, the 3707 Zenith Blue and 3957 Tangerine colors famously adorned both the Porsche 917K and Ford G...
On Friday, November 27, 2020, David Freiburger and Brian Lohnes are subjecting six of your favorite MotorTrend hosts to a series of holiday-themed automotive challenges that you, almost certainly, have never seen the like of before. But before all the Holiday Hooptie Challenge starts, let’s get to know one of the lucky contestants from All Girls Garage on the MotorTrend App and Pistons & Pixiedust on YouTube and Instagram. Meet Faye Hadley. Pistons & Pixiedust isn’t just the name of Faye’s YouTube Channel—it’s also the name of her ASE-certified general repair shop outside of San Antonio, Texas, that specializes in Toyotas. With no mechanical or technical background to speak of, this tiny ball of energy, laughter, and tattoos may not be what you expect to see...
So, What Is Overlanding? We don’t usually refer to Wikipedia as a source, but in this case, we will, as the site’s definition of overlanding sums up nicely exactly what the activity entails: “Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Typically, but not exclusively, it is accomplished with mechanized off-road-capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping, often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and spanning international boundaries.” See all 27 photos What Is Overlanding 101 Overlanding is a combination of remote travel, off-roading, and camping. Overlanding’s origins date back to the early 1900s when Australia began to establish r...
It’s safe to say that Angel Pena, owner of this supercharged 2008 Acura TSX, has a “type.” Having been enamored with Acura’s entry-level sedan ever since it was first introduced, he knew right away he’d get his hands on one, and eventually, he did just that. Today, a decade later, he’s moved on to his second TSX chassis and managed to find a picture-perfect combination of what so many others often strive for: an almost completely street-legal build that’s tame enough for the street yet can hold its own on the track. Right Car, Wrong Color That initial purchase, a 2005 Carbon Grey version of the TSX about a decade ago, proved to be everything he imagined, though it was simply the wrong color. Angel adds, “My dream was always to own...
The EDM community is still reeling from the death of Garrett Lockhart, who to friends, fans, and fellow music producers was affectionately known as i_o. Following Lockhart’s tragic and sudden passing, a deluge of tributes flooded social media from many of his contemporaries, including deadmau5, NGHTMRE, and REZZ, among many others. One of the artists to pay homage to the prodigious producer was fellow techno artist and mau5trap linchpin No Mana, who called him a “partner in crime” and a “brother” in a poignant thread dedicated to his late friend. On this day in 2018 (November 27th), No Mana and i_o released their collaborative track “Bad Things,” a pulsing techno bomb that went on to appear on the former’s Melted Candy EP. Close fri...
Coming off tour in late 2018, Meg Myers was depressed and disillusioned, feeling like she’d traded too much of herself in exchange for her two exhilarating LPs, 2015’s Sorry and 2018’s Take Me To The Disco. “I didn’t make a lot of my own choices,” the alt-rock songwriter tells SPIN. “Unconsciously, I allowed myself to be manipulated a lot. I was in a really dark place for a long time.” Bad habits didn’t help. Myers was drinking and smoking too often; she’d even gotten hooked on chewing tobacco during a visit to see family in her native Tennessee. (She finally stopped after six months spent packing her lip like a baseball player. “It was so disgusting,” she says.) CREDIT: Courtesy of Big Hassle The singer, then 32, had lost control and desperately needed a change. She began medi...
With turkey, potatoes and cranberries galore, if you don’t end your Thanksgiving with a straining waistband and a tryptophan-induced post-meal nap, you’re doing something wrong. To help prep your menu, we’ve cooked up a list of seven top DJ and music producers’ favorite Thanksgiving meals and recipes. Hailing from the US, Canada and Germany, they each celebrate the holiday in their own ways, but have come together to bring you all the necessary ingredients for a five-star dinner—depending on your skills in the kitchen, that is. ILLENIUM Maddie Córdoba First up is future bass star ILLENIUM, who selected Bourbon Yams with Pecan Topping as his favorite Thanksgiving meal. “I grew up eating this on Thanksgiving at my grandma “Mops” house. I’m n...
From the outside, this 2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe is as clean and simple as it gets, and to the average onlooker, probably doesn’t look like much more than a well-maintained, lowered car with nice wheels. To those who know a thing or two about cars, a little closer inspection reveals plenty of unique details and clever installs that give this build a split personality of sorts, which is exactly what owner Ray Prado was after. “The goal for my car was to make the G35 clean and simple with a twist,” he notes. “I wanted to leave the exterior as close to stock as possible but focus on mods in areas that were hardly looked upon – the engine bay, trunk and interior.” His and Hers—Vanished Well before his obsession with the fine details and his Infiniti build, Pra...