I have never really liked the Corvette, especially that abomination it became during the 80's, OMG the C-4 was one ugly vehicle! This week’s Friday CarPorn is however one of the Vette's i really could see in my own garage! 1964, 427 with 425hp, 4 speed top loader.... oh man I can almost feel the thunder of those side pipes under my open drivers window as I blast up PCH... Y'all excuse me while I finish this mental driving fantasy, but you can find this pic over at the SportsChrono tumblr...

According to an article on Wards Auto, the really bitchen concept for the Kia Soulster has been put on indefinite hold. Although it was never actually given the green light for production we were seriously pulling for this cool lil truckster! Perhaps as Kia sales continue to grow by leaps and bounds we can get it pushed back up to the front burner and maybe even into production, what say you?
Read the whole deal HERE.

As I was sifting through auto sites this morning looking for that oh so perfect shot for this weeks Friday CarPorn my fingers clenched my trusty mouse like a vise as my man Steve came into view. This shot of Steve power reversing that simply incredible beast of a '68 Stang because he overshot the corner, right before he lights 'em up and gets back to the chase always gets me on the edge of my seat! I lost count long ago how many times I have seen Bullitt, and yes I know how to dissect the chase as good as any; 6 lost hub caps that reappear at various parts of the chase, the green VW Bug is passed 4 times, blah blah blah! It was the first great car chase and will always be the BEST car chase! And that soundtrack from ole Lalo just cant be touched, movies just arent made like that anymore! The only negative to my ride down 'bitchen lane' with Steve this morning was the realization that even in death Steve is still so much coller than I will ever be! Have a great Friday! ;)

Fans of the English TV show Top Gear know that the Kia c'eed, or Forte as its known this side of the pond, has been named this seasons best "reasonably priced car". As such the many guest stars to the show are put behind the wheel and of course most of the time, comedy ensues... This week however we should be treated to some some actual good driving when Tom Cruise himself takes to the track in the Kia and shows those Brits how its done, of wait a minute he didnt do any of the driving in Days of Thunder... Never mind! Perhaps Cameron Diaz knows how to drive then! See the details HERE or watch this weeks episode onlin cause we dont get the show here!

As I type this our Service Department is stripping the plastic off the first five 2011 Sportage CUV's delivered here in sunny Southern California and already I have taken 7 phone calls and received 3 emails about 'em! If you dont have Internet access and have no idea what all the hub-bub is about then quickly click HERE and read up on the hottest thing to hit the compact utility segment since, well since Kia INVENTED it with the original Sportage over 14 years ago! Yup, our lil Sportage got the jump on both the CR-V AND rav4, whats up?!?! These first five may not last very long judging by the initial response but dont worry, I'll get more!

Todays edition of Friday CarPorn is a pic that took me back to my teen years when i was a HUGE Formula 1 fan! Before the days of the SpeedChannel I had to wait each week for my copy of Auto Week magazine to come and I would immediately sit and poor through it page by page. This picture of Niki Lauda's Ferrari 312T is just like the ones I would see each week as I relived the race in pictures and the outstanding writing of their race reporters. I am still a big Auto Week reader, just do it online now and watch the races live instead of reading about them. There is something more romantic about waiting each week to see what happened but that WAS a long time ago, everything changes I guess... The pic here was shot at the 2008 Monoco GP Historic and I found it at the 6th gear steam on Flickr HERE.

While getting gas this morning I had what I can only refer to as a moment of complete clarity. I stood there next to my car mulling over a difficult situation I have been struggling with lately and in a flash I had the solution! As it worked out it happened all because I stopped at the station that I NEVER stop at, in fact I used to hate this station even though its right in the center of town a mere few blocks from my house. I had harbored such ill will toward this station not because of the brand, or the cost per gallon but solely because of the time it takes to finish getting fuel. You know, the time its takes as the pump slows as it gets close to the amount of your purchase when time seems to stop as the cents indicator slows to a crawl! I have actually tried all the local stations and use only the one with the fastest 'finish speed' even when its as much as ten cents higher per gallon just because I cant stand the wait as the world seems to pass me by while I watch the ticker count off seconds from my life that I wont ever get back... Well, I sit before you a changed man, yes I am! I now see that those few precious moments are far more than missed opportunity to continue this race of rats, its a moment to gather your thoughts, prepare for the day ahead or even just simply catch your breath. Bravo local filling station, I applaud you for giving us all the chance to reflect and find our center, I only wish I had understood the real value of that extra minute or tow sooner! Have a great day!

July has brought more than just higher temperatures for Kia, its also brought a ton of great news! Things keep looking better and better for Kia the world over, for instance in Singapore the Kia Forte is tied for the best selling vehicle. Thats great news by itself but when you consider the vehicle we tied with is the Toyota Corolla, which has an incredible following in the Asian market place its makes our accomplishments even greater! In the homeland of South Korea our K5, Optima on this side of the Pacific, just paced the vetran Hyundai Sonata as the countries top selling car, thats huge! In addition to the sales numbers rocking the world our awards continue to pile up also, over in Germany the Venga (not available here, yet!) and our lil Soul have both been recognized for style and design. Yup, its been a great month so far and the way its looks from here it will only keep getting better! Read more about the Forte news HERE, the K5 HERE and the Soul design award HERE.

Yes I know! I have been terrible at getting the Friday CarPorn shots posted on Fridays! Hey, I do have a full time job here and it has been a bitch of a week! Yes I know, not your problem... :) This weeks CarPorn shot is another classic drag picture, I havent been to the drags in 20 years but its still something that I love! This shot jumped off the screen at me as I was scrolling thru a tumlr I pull up when I need just a moment of distraction to clear my thoughts and my old 5window never lets me down! What makes this shot especially fantastic, aside from the sheer awesomeness of the angle, is that engine. If you look real close you will notice that the plugs are not in the center of the valve cover, typicall of the Chrysler 426 Hemi which is the most often seen power plant in dragsters. This engine has the plugs at the top of the valve cover, meaning it is the oh so rare Ford 427 SOHC engine, way bitchen! Click thru and enjoy! ;)

The biggest two wheel race on the planet began yesterday over across the pond, you know those Europeans and their bicycle racing! The first stage of this years Tour de France was won by Alessandro Petacchi, a rider who seems to possess a magical ability to dodge crashes as this is the second race he has just missed being taken down in a flurry of skin and spokes! This is his first Tour Stage win since 2003 but I get the feeling in wont be his last in this race! What are the two reasons this is being covered on a car site you ask? First, Alessandro happens to be Italian as is the team he rides for so thats a no brainer! the second reason? Well, if you look closely on his left shoulder as he waves his first in victory, theres a familiar red oval on his jersey! Yes, Kia is one of the sponsors of Team Lampre-Farnese Vini, thats what! Follow this years action HERE, and the Lampre-Farnese Vini Team HERE.