Talking Shift is a weekly series where each of our editors discuss the cool, weird, outlandish, dreamy and/or ugly vehicles they’ve stumbled upon recently. We’ve got Kristin Cline (Managing Editor), a grease girl who loves vintage cars and American muscle; Ali Mansour (Off-Road & Truck Editor), a tattooed Southern gent into all things Jeep; and Justin Pagtalunan (Associate Editor), an Asian dude who — shocker here — is big on the import scene...
Expect colorful discussion, diverse knowledge and a lot of "shift-talking." There can never be too many opinions, so make sure you chime in and Talk Shift!
1. Mod Inspo
KRISTIN: This one is so easy for me, as we recently added a 2015 Mustang to the garage. I had never purchased a fun, modern car before, so this is a pretty big deal! I’m already dreaming of the mods to add and found this awesome-looking 2016 GT from Instagram user Lance Aldridge, the same color as mine.
(Photo: @midtenn_s550)
ALI: Blue and gold. I like it!
JUSTIN: Please don’t run me over.
2. Jumping Jeepers
ALI: My computer recently crashed, which had me digging through my external drive to see what I had saved. I stumbled upon this photo of the Synergy Suspension JK airing out from 2007. That Jeep has come a long way since that leap — which, I should add, was one of many that day.
KRISTIN: Leapfrog, anyone?
JUSTIN: WEEEE!!!!
3. Star of LA Auto Show
JUSTIN: I was never a fan of the Nissan Rogue, and I’m still not. But this 1:1 scale TIE Fighter to promote their Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition vehicle is the best thing I saw at this year’s LA Auto Show. Now if only I can figure out where I can lease one of these (the TIE Fighter, not the Rogue).
KRISTIN: Sign me up, too! That thing’ll take “drag race” to a whole new level.
ALI: Am I the only one who isn’t really into Star Wars? When I hear "TIE Fighter," I think of spicy Asian food.
4. The All-New ZR2
ALI: Ever since GM killed the Hummer brand, I’ve been waiting to see if we would see any of that technology slide over to the truck side. The 2017 Chevy Colorado spec sheet reads a lot like the Alpha H3T in that it is equipped with front and rear selectable lockers. While there’s no V8 option, you can get a diesel. Couple this with a cutting-edge suspension system, and you have the makings of one of the most capable mid-sized pickups to ever hit the market. Toyota better pay attention.
(Photo Courtesy of GM)
JUSTIN: I’ve always wondered if this truck was super popular in Denver.
KRISTIN: You lost me at Hummer... I’m still trying to forget that time I was picked up for a date in one.
5. Balls-Out
JUSTIN: I don’t even remember the last time I played in a ball pit, but I’m so down to drive into this one! This Honda Civic EG claims to have the first F2K engine swap in the world. I know all of us automotive enthusiasts are kids at heart, so this is an awesome way to show off that engine bay.
(Photo: @kingsofjdm)
ALI: Looks like they had a ball building this one.
KRISTIN: Umm… I lost my engine in this ball pit.
6. "If You Could Have Any Custom Car..."
KRISTIN: A friend posed this question on Facebook this past week, and it led me to think of this gem. It’s a '49 Delahaye Saoutchik Roadster, once owned by the British bombshell Diana Dors. While there are too many famed hot rods I’d love to own to list, this one is so incredibly out there that it sticks with me as my ultimate unicorn. Last sold at auction for $3.3 million, it’s safe to say I’ll never see this one in my garage.
(Photo: Ron Kimball, Courtesy of RM Auctions)
ALI: Love it.
JUSTIN: I’m not even going to try to pronounce this car. If you thought my last name was hard...