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True Companion: Driving a Peugeot 205 XS to the Nürburgring, Part I
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Every summer, there’s a gathering of gearheads at the famous Nürburgring in Germany. Well, obviously there are gearheads there every day that the ‘Ring is open, but I’m referring to the FinalGear Ringmeet, a yearly thing where a bunch of friends drive to the track and have hilarious breakdowns on the way. I’ve been there…
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True Companion: Living with a 1990 Peugeot 205 XS for two years
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A little more than two years ago, in the middle of the summer of 2013, I bought one of the cheapest cars I’ve ever seen advertised with valid inspection, let alone bought for myself. It was a white Peugeot 205 XS with 230 000 km on the clock, it cost 350 euros and I pretty…
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Wagon Wednesday: 2004 Mercedes-Benz W203 C180 Kompressor
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One of the more difficult things as a writer is assessing the dynamic characteristics of your father’s car. Or, to be precise: at a time when he’s sitting in the passenger seat. My formative years as a driver, brought up on car magazines with evocative tales of road trips were spent driving the family trucksters…
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Monday Video: Kawasaki catches fire at 247 mph
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Ever experienced the inevitable heat death of the universe while riding your turbocharged 2006 Kawasaki ZX14 at 247 mph? Well, this is pretty much what it looks like, from the view point of a GoPro camera strapped on the bike. This video was taken at a runway, at a speed event in Finland. The oil return…
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Sitting Pretty: (Most Likely) Abandoned 1996 Lada Samara 1500i
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I drive past this off-white Lada Samara almost every day, whenever I grab my car keys and go anywhere. It’s been sitting at the parking lot adjacent to the railway station as long as I remember, and after I first paid attention to it I don’t think I’ve seen it go anywhere. It’s on summer…
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Wagon Wednesday: 1994 BMW E34 M5 Touring Nürburgring Edition
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As a Northern European car guy, there’s a ton of cars I wish we got but didn’t. And I know there’s a lot of cars that were – even technically – available here, that never made it to the States. The BMW E34 was available with engines ranging from a lowly 1.8-litre four to the…
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Chance Encounter: 1968 Dodge Charger R/T
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It’s probably one of the more random sightings I’ve had happen lately, even if summertime usually brings out the interesting American muscle that is housed in local garages over winter. A ’68 Dodge Charger R/T just casually sitting on a street corner in the old, wooden town here, in drizzling rain. The car’s been restored…
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The Un-Wombat: Mercedes-Benz W123 200 D Finland-Spec
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Depending of the market, Mercedes-Benz W123:s can be seen differently. In the States, a W123 on the street can be a big-bumpered, biodiesel-swigging 300 D with MB-Tex seats, in Germany, perhaps a twin-cam 280 E with actual leather. Over here in Finland? 200 D with 35-year-old leopard seat covers over whatever they hide. The amazing…
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Fastback Friday: 1987 Volvo 480 ES
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Let me just begin by shooting myself in the foot, and asking whether the squared-off Volvo 480 ES is a fastback. Is it a hatchback? Glassback? Shooting brake? Doorstop? An anteater? In any case, it’s one of the quirkiest Volvos ever, and it’s their pioneering front-wheel-drive outing. I’ve always been fascinated by them, so it…
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Night Owl: Citroën BX 16 TGI Break
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Ever tried to photograph a car at two in the morning – Sunday morning? Last weekend, I did just that, while being out with friends. You see, this place I like to frequent has a nice view to the street behind it, and the white Citroën BX wagon just peeked out in there. I immediately…
