The details of these cars evoke so much more than just the style of the car itself – they serve as a reminder of the very different world in which they were created. Think of the designer pouring over a drafting table working out the details of the grill on this ’65 (I think) Mercury Meteor

Interiors like the one on this 930 Porsche slant nose take on a more utilitarian and purposeful feel with age – no bulky airbags in here!

Grilles and slits abound on the exterior, reflecting the… interesting… style choices of the cars that were this slant-nose’s contemporaries.

Not to mention a substantial intercooler out back!

Sometimes on cars like this Shelby GT500KR (King of the Road) the details that first catch your eye aren’t the most important…

No switch, gauge, shiftknob or steering wheel can match a signature from the man himself!

Wonderful attention to detail, not everything from the 1960′s and 70′s had the fit and finish of a barn!

Personally I have an affinity for the typography used in a lot of the badging from earlier periods too…

This pro-touring Camaro had a lot of touches that were clearly the owners preference, and not original…

Like these E36 generation BMW M3 seats!

And this custom gauge cluster, complete with a 2din DVD!

Even some low-riders came out, the details these guys put into cars that most other people would pass by are really astonishing. This pin-striping really is a dying artform, one of the few truely original 20th Century American folk artforms.

Some more great typography, both OEM…

…and OEM plus.

Hope you enjoyed a brief look at some of the details on these great classics of all vintages!

My former WRX STI, to…

My new girl, an Acura NSX. We couldn’t be happier together.  I’ve been busy so far this season fiddling a bit with it, and driving it plenty! Look out for a feature on my own new ride soon, and hopefully some interesting event and car features. Also look out for me on the road, at a Timmy’s near you, or at local events – come over and say whats’up!

Well it’s been a little while since I posted up, and that’s because I’ve been busy shooting some new rides. Fear not. I’d never let a social life get in the way.

I ran into Jay’s stunning black M3 convertible at a meet earlier this spring and knew right away I had to shoot this car. That was as far as I got. His idea was to shoot downtown so the day we met up I figured ok, if he wants to rip his lip off trolling the pothole ridden streets of downtown Toronto, his game. Surprisingly, this car championed its way around.

Rolling on some M5 fitment BBS RS wheels, this car just oozes style wherever you place it. Like any enthusiasts car, to really appreciate this one you have to go back to the start and understand how far it came. How far exactly? Well, this car started life as a 328i and by middle life it’s become a fully fledged M3.

This is possible since the E36 generation 3 series cars were the same chassis (minus bolt ons) as the M3. The only generation of M3 that this is true for is the E36, so E30, E46, E92 fans are all out of luck if they want to do this kind of ‘build your own’ of their favorite generation M3 when they become more affordable.

Although Jay might debate with you on this being the affordable route to get your own M3. In fact his words on the subject were short and consisted mostly of four letters. But the upside to doing your M3 this way is that you have full control over the parts that go into your car. You aren’t buying someone else’s problems if you properly research and look over the components you buy. The wonderful straight six came out of a southern US car and is in predictably great condition.

Perhaps that’s me trying to put a silver lining on it…

Considering it’s riding so low on its Bilstein PSS9 coilovers the front clearance on the Bimmer isn’t that bad allowing Jay to nearly tuck rim and still get in and out of driveways without leaving his bumper behind every time. Somehow zip-ties wouldn’t suit this car…

The interiors of the latest BMW’s are pretty bland affairs in my opinion. The E36 and E30 gen though are much more full of character. The seats are organic and look like they’d welcome a human form like a baseball glove. The worked in leather is warm and the detailing in the leather surfaces is what set these German cars apart from the competition.

Nice touches populate the interior.

There really isn’t a bad angle on this M3, the wheels dominate the car’s presence, but it makes no difference roof up or down, front or rear, it has proper stance all around, and as much attention was paid to what shouldn’t be fiddled with as what should be.

I love how deep the factory chin splitter is on the E36′s, it echo’s the deep dish of the BBS RS’s nicely.

Suitable camber goes along with such a stance, but Jay’s car avoids looking like its had its knees broken.

See what I mean about angles? Front and rear this thing just properly pops at you. The best part is this car may be for sale soon, so unless I grab it up you should get in touch with Jay if this is your dream car. Once it goes on the market, it won’t last long.

Having experienced the sights and sounds of and ALMS weekend in person last year for the first time, you can’t help but have a few favourites that you tend to capture a few more photos.  For myself, the works GT BMW M3 cars are a couple of my favourites.  Everything from the refined but distinct sound of the inline motor, to the widebody fender flares that give it that MEAN yet polished look…something about these cars keep you wanting more!

Here’s a great behind the scenes look at the cars from the guys at MotoIQ.  Take a look at all the dry carbon work within the engine bay and my personal favourite feature of having very trick carbon fiber exhaust chimney leading to the a-pillar…enjoy!

A Look Inside: The Rahal Letterman ALMS GT BMW M3 Coupes

This collection of Astons is pretty intense, probably not where you’d want to start off… but definitely impressive. If you have more time and patience than me, look here for the PDFs.

Yamaha has been offering enthusiasts Papercraft projects of their bikes (and other projects) for a while, and they’re definitely a step above some of the other DIY templates I’ve seen. Check em here.

How bout a little rally inspired paper induced glaucoma like the above Swift and Impreza WRC cars? For a bunch of sweet models check this site and prepare the bifocals…

Epson Nakajima Racing is encouraging the rape and pillage of our forests with their papercraft site where you can build their entire race team including the JGTC and SuperGT NSX and HSV-010, team infrastructure, and umbrella girls ready to fondle fold at your whim. You gotta see this…

Feel like something more exotic? How about a Lamborghini Jota available here…

Or head here for a whole bunch of race bread paper models to go blind fiddling with, including this Porsche 935 in Martini livery. I’ve seen a 935 in person and believe me a papercraft version of it is more badass than a real version of whatever you’re driving. Just take my word for it.

Car freak/designer Ugur Sahin has become known in the last little while for taking stabs into the murky future of automakers. He’s different though from most people out there who do this as a.) he understands the design language of the marques he fiddles with b.) he clearly has the technical skills to bring to life his ideas at a higher level. One such stab in the dark is his Gauntlet concept shown below. Mosey on over and check out the full bag of images in his gallery here.

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I’m no expert so I can’t comment on this particular cars authenticity or fit and finish but you can tell from the photos its been well loved, restored, and it’s obviously used. Really a nice car to see in person with a classic shape!