Car Stringh

New Cars are shiny, gleaming, loaded with the latest technology and features. New cars get the big commercials on TV, where they swerve confidently in snow storms, zoom down idyllic country lanes, and maybe even dance a little to the sound of a state-of-the-art in-car sound system near a trendy night club.

Definitely a New Car

Definitely an Old Car

Old Cars get none of that attention. Old cars are relegated to radio spots and newspaper ads. Old Cars have dents and dings, faded seats and cassette players.

But as a proud owner of a (what most people would consider to be) very old car, I have to say, it’s time to show some love to the Old Car. I drive a mid-1990s Honda with – get this – 223,000+ miles on it. And yes, it only has a cassette player.

But despite because of a car’s advanced age and mileage, here are all four reasons why Old Cars are the unsung heroes of personal finance. If you love Old Cars, Old Cars will love you (and your wallet) back:

1. An Old Car is most likely to paid off. Which means… no car payment, which means… more money in your pocket. Of course, repairs can cost higher than a new car’s, but in many cases the math still works out in the Old Car’s favor. Even with periodic repairs to the tune of $1,000-$1,500 a year, my Old Car is still cheaper than a New Car would be.

2. Cheaper insurance. Old Cars are cheaper to insure (and you might not need comprehensive or collision insurance for an old car). Added up over the course of 5 years, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars on insurance if you drive an Old Car instead of a New Car.

3. Less worry of damages. A bump on an 1997 Toyota Camry adds character (or so I’d like to believe), a scratch on a 2009 BMW 335i is a glaring blemish. I have little scratches on my car that I don’t worry about fixing. I don’t want my car to be scratched, of course, but if it happens it won’t break my heart. If I were driving a brand-new car, however, that would be a different story.

4. At this point, it’s become something of a “let’s see how many miles I can put on this car” game. I had one mechanic tell me he has a Honda that topped 400,000 miles. While I don’t know if my car can get that far, I’m hopeful that my car have a few more years in it.

New Cars are shiny, gleaming, loaded with the latest technology and features. New cars get the big commercials on TV, where they swerve confidently in snow storms, zoom down idyllic country lanes, and maybe even dance a little to the sound of a state-of-the-art in-car sound system near a trendy night club.

Definitely a New Car

Definitely an Old Car

Old Cars get none of that attention. Old cars are relegated to radio spots and newspaper ads. Old Cars have dents and dings, faded seats and cassette players.

But as a proud owner of a (what most people would consider to be) very old car, I have to say, it’s time to show some love to the Old Car. I drive a mid-1990s Honda with – get this – 223,000+ miles on it. And yes, it only has a cassette player.

But despite because of a car’s advanced age and mileage, here are all four reasons why Old Cars are the unsung heroes of personal finance. If you love Old Cars, Old Cars will love you (and your wallet) back:

1. An Old Car is most likely to paid off. Which means… no car payment, which means… more money in your pocket. Of course, repairs can cost higher than a new car’s, but in many cases the math still works out in the Old Car’s favor. Even with periodic repairs to the tune of $1,000-$1,500 a year, my Old Car is still cheaper than a New Car would be.

2. Cheaper insurance. Old Cars are cheaper to insure (and you might not need comprehensive or collision insurance for an old car). Added up over the course of 5 years, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars on insurance if you drive an Old Car instead of a New Car.

3. Less worry of damages. A bump on an 1997 Toyota Camry adds character (or so I’d like to believe), a scratch on a 2009 BMW 335i is a glaring blemish. I have little scratches on my car that I don’t worry about fixing. I don’t want my car to be scratched, of course, but if it happens it won’t break my heart. If I were driving a brand-new car, however, that would be a different story.

4. At this point, it’s become something of a “let’s see how many miles I can put on this car” game. I had one mechanic tell me he has a Honda that topped 400,000 miles. While I don’t know if my car can get that far, I’m hopeful that my car have a few more years in it.

The chassis has been fitted with a high-strength steel rollcage and Recaro competition seats. A suede-trimmed steering wheel with a quick release mechanism is also fitted as standard. The Vantage GT4′s safety features are completed with a Sabelt sixpoint safety harness with a push-button release and Lifeline Zero 360 gas extinguisher system.

The V8 Vantage road car’s suspension has required only minor adjustments for optimal track performance. These include larger diameter front and rear anti-roll bars and adjustable ride height aluminium dampers, as well as single rate, flat ground springs with separate helper springs. The front subframe is modified for extra camber and castor. Cast magnesium front and rear wheels are standard fit with high performance Yokohama A048-R tyres. The brakes are uprated with Pagid RS 29 race pads.

As further endorsement of the standard V8 Vantage underframe, the active safety systems are directly carried over to the Vantage GT4, including: dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution, providing reassurance and enhanced control in slippery conditions.

What better approach to highway exam a vehicle than to drive it over 3,000 km in a single week. Not most drive which most kilometres in a month (some don’t even do it in the year. In fact many supercars tend to get driven about 5,000 km a year at best. So, afterwards, how does Aston Martin’s 2011 model DB9 hoop a drive as prolonged as a one we had programmed?

It’s satisfactory to indicate out that prior to this sold 2011 Aston Martin DB9 evaluation car was handed over, it had only outlaid the tiresome day at Phillip Island competition course. It literally drove from a lane to a dealership, had its tyres altered as well as got the rinse. No oil change, no mechanical servicing. I was simply handed a keys to begin a prolonged tour from Melbourne to Brisbane around Sydney.

The chassis has been fitted with a high-strength steel rollcage and Recaro competition seats. A suede-trimmed steering wheel with a quick release mechanism is also fitted as standard. The Vantage GT4′s safety features are completed with a Sabelt sixpoint safety harness with a push-button release and Lifeline Zero 360 gas extinguisher system.

The V8 Vantage road car’s suspension has required only minor adjustments for optimal track performance. These include larger diameter front and rear anti-roll bars and adjustable ride height aluminium dampers, as well as single rate, flat ground springs with separate helper springs. The front subframe is modified for extra camber and castor. Cast magnesium front and rear wheels are standard fit with high performance Yokohama A048-R tyres. The brakes are uprated with Pagid RS 29 race pads.

As further endorsement of the standard V8 Vantage underframe, the active safety systems are directly carried over to the Vantage GT4, including: dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution, providing reassurance and enhanced control in slippery conditions.

What better approach to highway exam a vehicle than to drive it over 3,000 km in a single week. Not most drive which most kilometres in a month (some don’t even do it in the year. In fact many supercars tend to get driven about 5,000 km a year at best. So, afterwards, how does Aston Martin’s 2011 model DB9 hoop a drive as prolonged as a one we had programmed?

It’s satisfactory to indicate out that prior to this sold 2011 Aston Martin DB9 evaluation car was handed over, it had only outlaid the tiresome day at Phillip Island competition course. It literally drove from a lane to a dealership, had its tyres altered as well as got the rinse. No oil change, no mechanical servicing. I was simply handed a keys to begin a prolonged tour from Melbourne to Brisbane around Sydney.

This is the Delta Wing, a concept angling to be the new IndyCar race. It's lighter, less expensive to run, and only has 300HP. It also looks like the Batmobile merged with a land-speed racer and a rocket ship.

Yes, it looks very weird, and yes, it doesn't look like it'll corner worth a stink, but it's legitimate enough the IndyCar team owners have bought in, literally, by putting up the capital for the development work. So how the heck does this triangle-shaped Batmobile work? It's all about adding lightness and controlling the airflow.

This is the Delta Wing, a concept angling to be the new IndyCar race. It's lighter, less expensive to run, and only has 300HP. It also looks like the Batmobile merged with a land-speed racer and a rocket ship.

Yes, it looks very weird, and yes, it doesn't look like it'll corner worth a stink, but it's legitimate enough the IndyCar team owners have bought in, literally, by putting up the capital for the development work. So how the heck does this triangle-shaped Batmobile work? It's all about adding lightness and controlling the airflow.

We've seen the Audi Quattro concept under auto show lights, but Jalopnik reader Brian caught the car out in Malibu on Monday. Its minders let slip what's been rumored so far: the Quattro will get a limited production build.

Brian caught the concept — complete with its design-studio license plate and one-off interior — on the Pacific Coast Highway, escorted by the California Highway Patrol. Along for the ride to a photo shoot was a classic red Quattro.

Given Volkswagen's desire to surpass Toyota as the world's largest automaker, and its vow to spend $72 billion (yes, billion) by 2015, finding a few million to reignite the dreams of Quattro lovers around the world seems as easy as Malibu in November.

We've seen the Audi Quattro concept under auto show lights, but Jalopnik reader Brian caught the car out in Malibu on Monday. Its minders let slip what's been rumored so far: the Quattro will get a limited production build.

Brian caught the concept — complete with its design-studio license plate and one-off interior — on the Pacific Coast Highway, escorted by the California Highway Patrol. Along for the ride to a photo shoot was a classic red Quattro.

Given Volkswagen's desire to surpass Toyota as the world's largest automaker, and its vow to spend $72 billion (yes, billion) by 2015, finding a few million to reignite the dreams of Quattro lovers around the world seems as easy as Malibu in November.

2010 was originally set to be the last year of competition for the aging Dallara IndyCar chassis. Political turmoil has postponed the changeover, however, and the IRL is currently evaluating its options. This car is part of Swift Engineering's proposal.

The Indy Racing League has had a tough couple of years. Rising costs, shrinking TV audiences, and the very public CART battle have left the series on somewhat unstable ground. Its star drivers have a bad habit of defecting to greener pastures (see Hornish/Patrick/NASCAR, etc.), and its spec car is neither dramatic nor particularly inspiring to watch run. In a nutshell, the IRL is floundering, a series in search of a soul.

Plans to revamp the league have been underway for some time, but concrete results have yet to appear. The current car — a dumpy-looking spec chassis built by Italian manufacturer Dallara and powered by a Honda V-8 — is one of the areas targeted for change. Several meetings between IRL officials and potential engine suppliers took place in 2009, and chassis proposals have been recieved from manufacturers like Lola, Dallara, and the Chip Ganassi-backed Delta Wing. Exact specifications are still up in the air, but the engine package has reportedly been narrowed down to a vague set of requirements: a displacement under two liters, no more than four valves per cylinder, and allowable direct injection and turbocharging.

The car you see here is part of a proposal by American racing-car manufacturer Swift Engineering, one designed to help reinvigorate the series while offering fan- and driver-friendly qualities. (Swift has a long history of race-car construction; the firm essentially reinvented Formula Ford in the early 1980s and is responsible for the current Toyota Atlantic chassis.)

There isn't much available in the way of specifics, but Swift's proposal appears to offer two separate body styles — a low-drag setup for ovals and a downforce-heavy arrangement for road courses — and an exposed driveline. Will it or one of its competitors be enough to jolt some life back into the IRL? Only time will tell.