Andy Jensen learned to love cars during the dark ages; the 1980s. Power and performance weren’t available, but questionable styling was everywhere, so of course his first love was a black Trans Am named KITT. His first ride mimicked his grade school days, when he purchased a 1991 Pontiac Firebird and jumped onto modding. From there, he never really grew up.
Educated as a reporter, he freelanced for a while, but luckily the economy wasn’t there, so he went on to other work. From Air Force aircrew, to sales, offset press, tele-work, freight, and social services, he found his most satisfying work in automotive writing. It allows truthful storytelling about an ever-changing and fascinating subject involving science and art. Outside Provectus Media websites, his experience covers everything from ghostwriting the Haynes Manuals blog to covering Volvo for Jalopnik.
Although raised on American performance, he enjoys a little bit of everything. A dream garage would have: 1992 Firehawk Comp R, Lancia Stratos HF, Mark III Mini, MK1 Supra with 2JZ swap, R34 Skyline GT-R Z-tune (needs a longer name), Aston Martin DB9, Saleen S7, Ultima GTR, RX7 FD with LS7 swap, 1971 GTO, 1969 Trans Am RAIV, Pagani Huayra, and a Lotus C-01. The warehouse garage would have more.
Dream Cars: Pagani Huayra, 1992 Firehawk Comp R, Aston Martin DB9, Saleen S7, Ultima GTR
Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson once humorously said about turbochargers: “exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens, and you go faster.” He’s not exactly wrong, and the mystique of the turbo is felt worldwide. From factory turbo cars, to aftermarket performance upgrades, it seems most gearheads want a turbocharged car. If you’re in the market, here’s our picks for ...
Like it or not, autonomous cars are the future of the new car scene. Enthusiasts might cringe at the thought of “driving” these vehicles, but the sad truth is that most car buyers aren’t enthusiasts. The same reason the Toyota Camry and Nissan Rogue sell in large numbers, is the same reason driverless cars are coming to market and will sell well: most people don’t want to drive.
Like when ...
Almost everyone loves a Chevelle SS, Shelby Mustang, or MOPAR equipped with a HEMI. Traditional muscle cars involved big engines stuffed into a mid-size car with good looks, and while those famous cars are great, there were quite a few other muscle cars built in that era (or after) that offered similar performance. Since these underrated muscle cars aren’t as popular, there is less demand and ...
“Dream cars” earn their title by being way out of reach for the average car enthusiast. Sometimes it’s due to ultra-low production numbers, but usually the exclusivity comes from six or even seven-figure MSRPs. Not a lot of us are willing to drop more than the price of an average American home on a car. However, depreciation is a wonderful thing for car buyers, even if it hurts the first ...
Solar Roadways in Sandpoint, Idaho, received a ton of attention in 2014 when their Indiegogo fundraising campaign went viral. A slick video described the green company’s idea for replacing our low tech and boring roads, with their solar powered and LED lit roadways, looking like the streets of the future. There’s a lot of benefits to solar paneled streets, but will they work? Let’s take a ...
If car shows just aren’t getting it done for you anymore, you need to step up your car culture. Museums offer the chance to get up close to a super rare, incredibly expensive, or historically significant machine that you would never find at your local car show. This summer, make a trip to one of these great automotive museums.
Muscle Car City - Punta Gorda, FL
Muscle City is ...
Some cars have names that fit like a glove. Take the Dodge Viper. A car that even aesthetically resembles a crotaline snake (pit viper). If you don’t respect the Vipers’ horsepower then it will bite you (by means of spinning out and wrapping it around your neighbor’s tree). Other times cars are named poorly. Now a great car can stand on its own, above the fray of a terrible car name. The ...
The first decade of the millennium isn’t all that many years back. However, the oldest cars from that decade are now several old, and the newest have had their warranties expire. This distance gives us a chance to judge these vehicles for their cultural and historical significance, and not just as potential new drivers. For better or worse, here are the iconic cars of the aughts. The decade ...
Despite Disney’s Cars, headlights are the eyes of the vehicle. If eyes are the windows to the soul, then it stands to reason that a car’s headlights should tell us everything we need to know about it. There’s been quite a few changes to headlight design over the years, and we’re going to try and cover all the coolest headlight designs.
Flip up
BMW 8 series – The ‘80s ...
It’s too bad that manufacturers make a ton of great cars overseas, then forget to have them imported to North America. Usually this is due to the vehicle not meeting emissions standards, crash testing standards, or the top brass thinking it wouldn’t sell. If an enthusiast wanted one of these vehicles, they usually had to pay massive fees to an importing company, or take the risk themselves on ...
