Reflections of the Drive

Deanslist DFW – 2013 New Year’s Drive

Trent Landreth — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 07:10:12 +0000

Saturday morning was a bit of a crap-shoot as we left the house for the 45 mile trip to the 2nd Deanslist DFW drive. The fog was low, and the mist wouldn't relent. We were a few minutes early arriving, and it was a great sight to already see a few cars at the meeting point as I rolled by it to the coffee shop next door. Slowly others started arriving, and quite surprisingly, we had 14 cars ready to roll after our drivers' meeting. The mist continued, but luckily no fog, throughout most of the morning. A few sprinkles here and there kept the speeds at bay as well, but the roads were good, and as we approached lunch we even had some dry patches. The pace was decent, considering the conditions...enough to have fun yet stay safe. 150 miles or so later, we arrived at the Horny Toad, a biker bar with surprisingly good food. Afterward, we all cruised up to an old church/graveyard outside town for a quick photo of the group. Afterward, unfortunately, most decided to split and head straight home, but the three die-hard drivers remained and followed most of the planned route home...this time on dry roads. The others made a horrible mistake. It was a blast each and every turn. Turn in, maintain, adjust, power out, look in mirror, watch the C63 pop a wheelie and catch me in the blink of an eye. Over and over. Quite entertaining indeed. Those of you who haven't made it out to a Deanslist.us or DFW Auto Club drive, you're missing out. We hope to see you next time. Continue reading →

North Texas British Tech Day

Trent Landreth — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 04:50:45 +0000

Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Texas Rovers Club tech day hosted by North Texas British (formerly North Texas Rover). It was a great afternoon meeting new people, seeing some cool trucks, and eating hot dogs and hamburgers. The club members were hugely appreciative, as they had full access to the shop and lifts to work on any projects they needed done. The NTX British techs were there to put vehicles on the lifts and generally help out with some great advice. It was quite apparent this was a great shop with knowledgeable mechanics. If you have a Rover and live in the DFW area, this definitely should be your go-to shop of choice. Many thanks go to Laura (Roverette) and Allen at North Texas British for hosting a wonderful event. Continue reading →

Time to stop being a slacker

Trent Landreth — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:39:24 +0000

I apologize for such a long down time with no new posts. I plan to remedy that soon. Stay tuned. Edit: And by soon, does a couple months qualify?

DFW Auto Club and the big cats

Trent Landreth — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:51:39 +0000

This past Sunday, the DFW Auto Club (DFWAC) had one of our Sunday morning drives. Instead of the usual out and back loop of fun roads and amazing machines, this Sunday was out to Bridgeport, TX for lunch at Yesterday’s … Continue reading →

Dallas Auto Show 2012

Trent Landreth — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:20:50 +0000

I was privileged to be able to attend the media day for the Dallas Auto Show and hear from the manufacturers on all their new offerings. Naturally, I took a few photos. I also, thanks to GM, was able to … Continue reading →

It’s that time again – S2000 Boston Mtn Tour

Trent Landreth — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 04:23:28 +0000

March 31 is the date. It’s open to all cars, so don’t feel like you have to own an S2000. Afterall, I take a family car each year! If Arkansas can do anything tremendously well, it’s build mountain roads seemingly … Continue reading →

Cars and Coffee Dallas – Jan 2012

Trent Landreth — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:25:37 +0000

It was a bit cold yesterday at the first Dallas Cars and Coffee of 2012, but it was a good one. Check out the gallery below for some photos I took.

Video: Jack Griffin’s Garage

Trent Landreth — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:04:27 +0000

A couple weekends ago I was able to visit the garage of Dallas motoring legend Jack Griffin. Jack is a fellow DFW Auto Club member, Porsche collector, ex-pro racer (Le Mans!), and an all-around great guy. Conveniently enough, that weekend … Continue reading →

S2ki Boston Mountains Tour – Fall 2011

Trent Landreth — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:07:52 +0000

It's that time again. If you love to drive and especially love a good curvy road, join us for the 10th semi-annual S2000 Arkansas Boston Mountains Tour. Details and registration can be found at http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/899910-bmt-fall-2011-11511/ Continue reading →

Border Run Rally 500

Trent Landreth — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:35:12 +0000

The all new Border Run Rally commenced on Saturday, August 20 with 500+ miles of amazing Texas and Oklahoma roads perfect for the automotive enthusiast. Whether you love attacking the twisties or the open road, there was something for you. The catch...Border Run is a gimmick rally, so driving 500 miles in one day isn't as easy as one would imagine. All along the route, you're figuring out gimmicks (clues, riddles, etc.). Some show you the route you need to follow and some go toward points in the competition. Since Border Run is not a race and is self-paced by each driver and navigator, the awards are for those who find the most gimmicks. So click the link to learn more about the Border Run Rally and click one of the photos below to check out the gallery. Continue reading →

Autos in the Park 2011

Trent Landreth — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:51:01 +0000

It was a really hot day with some really hot cars. The Autos in the Park car show at Cooper Aerobics Center is always one of the best shows in the area. I was a little preoccupied and didn't take a lot of photos, but here are a few. You can click a thumbnail to view the entire gallery. Continue reading →

2011 Chevrolet Cruze ECO: The Review

Trent Landreth — Tue, 31 May 2011 05:22:05 +0000

[singlepic id=45 w=320 h=240 float=left]I didn't expect much from the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze ECO. In fact, I've never been a huge fan of "econo-boxes", but expectations are one of the things that can pass or fail a car during a first drive. Those expectations may even continue to sway one's thoughts during successive encounters. My expectations were pretty regularly exceeded while driving the Cruze. This was the first Chevrolet car I've driven which seemed well thought out, designed well, and implemented well. Continue reading →

2011 Nissan Xterra PRO-4X: The Review

Trent Landreth — Sat, 28 May 2011 04:49:21 +0000

After somewhat of a sports car theme lately, it’s time to take a look at the polar opposite by Nissan, the 2011 Nissan Xterra PRO-4X. The thing about the Xterra, since the first one hit the road in 2000, is … Continue reading →

2011 NISMO 370Z: The Review

Trent Landreth — Wed, 25 May 2011 02:14:30 +0000

NISMO. It is a word that is respected by many. It is also a word associated by others to racing decals on a bone stock Altima with a giant carbon fiber wing. Regardless of pre-conceived notions, the NISMO 370Z is a force to be reckoned with that’s not for everyone. My only knowledge of the NISMO Z, aside from statistics, is that I watched one lose it in the rain on turn seven at H2R, and sink itself in the mud, and that everyone I know who has driven it complained of the back-jarring ride. Yet, I was quite excited to experience the car, being a two-time VQ owner myself. Continue reading →

Snowmass – Automobili Exotica

Trent Landreth — Sat, 14 May 2011 15:15:27 +0000

2011 Infiniti IPL G Coupe: The Review

Trent Landreth — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:49:44 +0000

Infiniti has been on a quest to be globally competitive. I believe the Infiniti Performance Line (IPL) is a key factor in that quest. Much anticipation revolved around the IPL, and many hoped for a true BMW ///M and Mercedes AMG competitor. Infiniti says that is not the goal of the IPL. After a week driving the IPL G Coupe, I can reinforce the truthfulness of that statement. But does that make it a bad car? Is Infiniti wasting its time? Let’s find out. Continue reading →

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet: Quick Drive

Trent Landreth — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:42:20 +0000

The last time I made the trip from the suburbs to Hotel ZaZa down in Dallas was over a year and a half ago to photograph the Infiniti Essence Concept car. Last week I received a message saying I should … Continue reading →

S2KI’s Boston Mountain Tour

Trent Landreth — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:21:50 +0000

A weekend of bliss. There is no better way to describe S2KI.com’s Boston Mountain Tour (BMT) to a gearhead/twisty road addict. The BMT is not for the faint of heart, nor for the quarter mile at a time crowd. It’s … Continue reading →

Photoshoot: My G35 in the snow

Trent Landreth — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 06:49:26 +0000

Snowpocalypse, snowmagedden, snowcain infiltration, or whatever you want to call it, we’ve had quite the winter this year in North Texas. With only one set of tires on my Infiniti G35 and those being fairly sticky, summer tires, you might … Continue reading →

A Monster

Trent Landreth — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:40:08 +0000

The following is a guest entry written by Todd Hyso. I work with Todd at my day job and he loves cars easily as much as the next fanatic. Don’t speak of modern cars around him too much though. He … Continue reading →