There aren't many 55-year-old models on sale in 2008, but Chevrolet's Corvette is officially approaching early retirement age, and in terms of pure performance it's never been better. The 1997 introduction of the C5 model catapaulted Chevy's sports car onto the world stage as an exotic challenger. The Z06 model upped its game to exotic slayer, leaving me at a loss for words to describe the 638 horsepower ZR1 coming in a few months.

So, has the Corvette ever jumped the shark? Well, yes.

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As one of the oldest existing vehicle nameplates in the automotive universe it seems only fitting to ask the inevitable question: When (if ever) did the Ford Mustang jump the shark?

I'm going to take the suspense out of this discussion and tell you up front when I think the Mustang topped out: 1969. That's actually one year after my favorite Mustang of all time -- 1968 Shelby GT500KR -- but there were enough exciting models in 1969 to validate the model's sustained health. The Boss Mustangs (302 and 429) both hit showrooms that year, as did the Mach 1. The 428 Super Cobra Jet was going strong, and Shelby still had a couple models in the line-up (though I don't like them as much as the '68 versions).

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Seemed like a fitting end to "Dodge Challenger Week" around here, so I drove my old bomb home for this weekend. Also seemed fitting to provide a fair picture of the old girl, without flourescent lights or parking posts in the background (I posted a similar photo back in August of 2006).

It's interesting -- 1 and 1/2 years ago I blogged about how much modern cars have improved and how old cars really feel old when you drive them. But this is the first time I've driven my 1970 Dodge Challenger after driving the 2008 Dodge Challenger. You know what? The new one drives better -- but not as much better as I think it should. The biggest improvements are (in order of magnitude) body-roll control, steering accuracy and braking confidence. I actually expected that order to be reversed, but steering on the new Challenger isn't as good as I'd hoped, while the steering and brakes on my old one seem better than they should be. Body control remains floaty on the purple car, even with brand new shocks.

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I can't believe I'm going to say this -- but the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 is too much of a muscle car for me. Maybe I should add, "...old-world muscle car..." to that statement for better clarity. I just had possession of a GT500 convertible for a couple days, and I was fully ready to hand the keys off when my allotted time was up.

A comparison between this car and a 1971 Hemi 'Cuda can not be avoided. Both cars make approximately 500 horsepower. Both cars weigh approximately 4,000 pounds. Both cars use a live-axle rear end. And both cars are about as subtle as 50 Cent lyrics when their engines rev past 5,000 rpm.

Problem is, I don't have much interest in driving a 1971 'Cuda convertible these days, and the same holds true for the most radical version of Ford's new Mustang. In both instances, a more balanced version of each car is available (AAR 'Cuda in one case, Bullitt or Shelby GT in the other).

As a confirmed automotive fanatic I should know the first rule of motoring in a British car -- even if it's really an American-made kit car based on a British car. But when the Westfield XI's fuel gauge read just over 1/4 of tank while pulling out of the Edmunds Parking Garage I figured I had a sufficient margin of error.

WRONG! The gauge was still reading 1/8th as the 70 horsepower, 1275cc Rover engine sputtered to silence about 10 miles from home. My first-response service technician (also known as the missus) arrived within 20 minutes, and the Westfield XI was soon rolling again under it's own power, though at 1,180 pounds I seriously considered pushing it to a gas station myself.

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Since my first encounter behind the wheel of a Ford GT pre-production car in the Fall of 2004 there have only been two cars that have made me think, "Okay, if someone stole my GT in the middle of the night and left one of these in its place I wouldn't cry too much." The first was the Ferrari F430, the second (much more recently) was the 911 GT3. The GT3 is just so pure and so immediate that, although quite a different experience from the Ford GT or the Ferrari F430, that 911 is simply too much fun to ignore.

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You may have seen a recent L.A. Times story about the possible revival of the DeLorean Motor Car. As someone who is often excited by the prospects of reviving a great car from the past I have to tell you -- I think this is a terrible idea. Why? Because the DeLorean was not a great car from the past. It was more like a great promise not kept. The exotic proportions and gullwing doors essentially wrote a check the weak 2.8-liter V6 couldn't cash. Yeah-yeah, it had a starring role in Back to the Future, and as a child of the '80s even I thought the car was cool...when I was 15. I've since grown up (sort of), as have my automotive sensibilities. If people want to make fun of the Ferrari Testarossa as an example of "When 80's icons attack!" how do they feel about the DeLorean? At least the Testarossa had a powerful 12 cylinder buried beneath the cheese-grater flanks.

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After three days in a BMW 335i coupe the transition to Dodge Charger SRT8 Superbee is a bit jarring. First, this car feels BIG compared to the lithe 3 Series, and if you allowed first impressions to dictate your opinion you'd file the Charger in the "unwieldy boat" bin and move on. But just like that first Chrysler 300 SRT8 I drove back in 2005, the Charger version is downright surreal in its ability to turn 4,100-pounds of Detroit iron into two-tons o' fun when the road goes twisty. Not as rewarding as the 335i, of course, but good enough to...well...in theory at least, embarass G35 sedans on the twisty parts of PCH (again, in theory).

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Honda recently invited a group of journalists to view a collection of historic Honda vehicles. The collection started out as just some random vehicles that the company was saving because...well, they knew they should. This included vehicles like the first scooter sold in the U.S. (1959 Honda C100 Super Cub), or the 1971 Honda Z600 that predated the Civic. Both models, along with historic race cars and a wide spectrum of Acura models, have been sitting in a warehouse for years. But now Honda has created a sort of Honda Museum with the cars arrayed in a well lit room with clean tile floors. So far only the race models are placed on elevated display stands, but soon an elevated terrace for displaying up to 30 motorcycles will line the walls.

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...is how many times they'll buy the exact same toy!

What started out as a "can't think of anything better to do" trip to Target with the eight-year-old son turned into an $85 bill for a Hot Wheels Sizzlers "Giant 'O' Race Set." I should probably clarify a couple points here. First, while Sizzlers have been around for close to 40 years I've never owned one before. I was too young to be into them in the late 1960s, and they were pretty much gone by the time I was old enough to care (I faintly remember some commercials for them). Second, as much as I like the idea of what these toys are, it was the combination of the original, 1969 packaging and the availability of several very cool cars (among them a 1967 Ford GT Mark IV) that forced me to buy.

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