Cars


Mercedes W211 OEM wheels

Default wheels The W211 E-class came in three trim levels: Classic, Elegance, and Avantgarde. All came from the factory with alloy wheels of different styles, which were changed with the facelift. 16″ was standard. Pre-facelift:  Classic : 7-hole design Elegance: 13-hole design, a reinterpretation of the classic “manhole cover” wheels […]


Buying a Mercedes-Benz W211 E-Class

Why? I’m a pretty devoted BMW driver and I love the E39 530i that I’ve driven for almost four years. But at 21 years old and 340,000km on the odometer, it was developing some minor if annoying issues like doors and windows not opening and closing properly. Given that I […]


Porsche 911 (997) colors

This compilation of Porsche 997 colors is based on price lists that I have found on the Internet. I’ve only looked at the Carrera colors, there might have been other color choices for other models. Interior The early 997.1 could be had with five different interior colors: Black, Stone Grey, […]


Porsche 911 (997)

History Porsche’s introduction of the second-generation water-cooled 911 with model 997 in 2004 marked a return to the familiar round headlights – not unsurprising given all the hate that the 996 received for its “fried egg” headlights. Underneath though the changes were small. The engine, while carrying a new code […]


Porsche 911 (996) buying advice

Porsche’s fifth-generation 911, the 996, was a milestone – it was the first water-cooled 911, and, together with the 986-model Boxster, lead to the growth and prosperity of Porsche as we know it today. There was also much criticism leveled at the 996: besides the outcries of the air-cooled lovers, […]


Porsche 911 (996) colors

Interior The 996 could be had with five interior colors: Black, Graffiti Grey (a light grey), Metropole Blue, Savannah Beige, and Space Grey (which is a bit darker than Graffiti Grey). Space Grey was later replaced by Nephrite Green. For the early cars, Nephrite Green and Boxster Red were available […]


Porsche 911 (996) OEM wheels

The default wheel size for the Porsche 996 Carrera 2 was 7×17 up front and 9×17 in the rear. For the pre-facelift model, the default wheel appears to have been the M396 turbo-look wheel.  For the facelift 996.2 model, this was the 10-spoke Carrera II wheel. The Carrera 4 used […]


Review: Group A

While my motorsports exploits (when I was young) were limited to autocross and regularity competitions on the Hockenheimring and Nürburgring, and my current Sim Racing hobby is centred on circuit racing, too, my first and true love when it comes to motorsports is rally. My formative years in this regard […]


Review: How to Build a Car

Most racing-related (auto)biographies focus on the drivers. But there are other interesting stories to tell about racing in general and Formula One in particular. Adrian Newey’s autobiography offers a unique insight into the world of Formula One. Newey knew from an early age that he wanted to design race cars. […]


A brief history of the current Formula 1 teams

One does not simply start a new Formula 1 team these days. It’s too complex for that, and there’s a limited number of places on the grid. Hence, “new” teams have in the last decades usually been new names after the takeover of a team by a new owner. Here’s […]


Driving a ’66 Mustang

For my 42nd birthday my wife surprised me with a day of driving a 1966 Ford Mustang rented from Nostalgico. The car was a Nightmist Blue C-code coupé with power steering and automatic transmission. We took the car on a 90km trip through the forests of the Northern Veluwe in […]


Four classic cars with all parts available

When choosing a classic car to buy, drive, and work on, an important consideration to make is the availability of spare parts. Working on a car can be very frustrating when it is difficult or even impossible to find spare parts. Rare parts also tend to be expensive. Here are […]