Electric Vehicles May Be the Reason AM Radio Dies
AM radio might not be cool, but it’s reliable — and electric vehicles are slowly buzzing it out of existence. We dig into how electromagnetic interference from EVs is jamming analog airwaves and why it might matter more than you think.
ChatGPT in Cars: The Future Co-Pilot or Just Clippy on Wheels?
Automakers are stuffing ChatGPT into cars like it’s a cupholder upgrade. Is this the helpful co-pilot we’ve been waiting for—or just another chatty infotainment system that charges monthly to remind you your brake pads are toast?
The OSI Silver Fox: Italy’s Forgotten Batmobile From The Future
In 1967, OSI built a Le Mans prototype that looked like a silver spaceship and went nowhere fast. The Silver Fox was too weird to live, too wild to forget.
A Civic Lesson: What the Honda Civic’s Design Told Us About Every Era It Survived
From disco wedges to bubbly compacts, the Honda Civic has never just been a car — it’s been a vibe check for every generation since 1972. This is a timeline of Civic design language, and how each shape told us exactly what was going on in the world — or at least what Honda thought…
Bring a Trailer? I’ll Bring a Therapist: The Emotional Toll of Online Auction FOMO
Bring a Trailer is less a car site and more a psychological test. One minute you’re browsing harmlessly, the next you’re emotionally attached to a 1987 Peugeot you didn’t know existed. Let’s unpack the heartbreak, the bidding wars, and why so many of us need therapy after using BaT.
Plastic Fantastic: Why GM’s ‘Dent-Proof’ Saturn Panels Still Pop Up in Junkyards Like Zombie Tupperware
Saturn promised rustproof, dent-proof panels and friendly vibes—but decades later, its plastic-bodied compacts still haunt junkyards like Tupperware that won’t die. Here’s why GM’s polymer dream didn’t rot… but everything else around it did.
The Red Bull Mini Cooper: How a Tiny Car Helped Fuel a Giant
Before Red Bull had F1 trophies lining its shelves or BASE jumpers hurling themselves from stratospheric balloons, it had Mini Coopers with giant cans strapped to the back, prowling college campuses and skateparks like sugar-caffeinated sharks. This is the story of the Red Bull Mini: a rolling billboard, a cold-can delivery system, and one of…
Monogrammed Mayhem: When KITH Gave BMW a Supreme‑Style Glow Up
BMW let streetwear kingpin Ronnie Fieg loose on its badge, birthing a run of hype‑spec M4s, Vitality Green EVs, and a Techno Violet XM nobody saw coming. From logo flips to leather overload, here’s how the Kith × BMW partnership became the ultimate collector‑grade hoopty.
Are Porsche Restomods the Automotive Easy Button?
Porsche restomods get headlines because they start with greatness and crank it to 11. Cool, but is that cheating? Meet the shops turning notoriously fragile Jensen Interceptors into rock-solid missiles and decide which wizardry deserves the standing ovation.
So You “Won” a Car Raffle—Now What?
Winning an online car raffle sounds like free horsepower—until the tax man, the DMV, and your insurer crash the party. We dig into how legit these giveaways really are, the hidden costs winners face, and why a “free” supercar can still leave your wallet smoking.
The Unsung Four-Wheeled Cast of The Studio
Next on our bingo card for The Studio: a 1960s Amphicar 770—the only convertible that doubles as a dinghy. With 43 horsepower and twin propellers, it’s perfect for a Seth Rogen set piece that ends in a studio lagoon and several accounting nightmares. Place your bets, Hollywood.
Combat Lear Jet: The Military’s Favorite Flying Hoopty
The Combat Lear Jet is the ultimate military hoopty — a luxury Learjet hijacked into duty as a fast-response, do-everything sky limo. From tactical missions to questionable modifications, this scrappy sidekick of the skies proves you don’t need afterburners to serve with a bit of hoopty heart.
What Your Driveway Says About You
Before you even pop the garage door, the driveway tells a story. Oil stains, gravel traps, and ceramic-coated pavers all reveal what kind of gearhead you really are. From burnout-scarred concrete to lawn-parked projects, here’s the definitive guide to what your driveway says about you—and your growing tool collection.
If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It. Honda’s J-Series V6 Lives On.
Is the Honda J series the best motor ever? Let’s talk about it!
OPINION: The Slate Truck Could Be The Best EV Of The Decade, Or The Worst.
I know what you’re thinking, “Great, another boutique Electric Vehicle startup promising the world and fizzling out just as fast as they appeared”. And to be honest, I was thinking the same thing. But I think this one can be different. And not just because it is completely different from any small EV out there. …
From Screen to Scene: The Jeep’s Role in Gilmore Girls
Lorelai Gilmore’s Jeep Wrangler was more than just a car—it was a symbol of independence and adventure. Discover the journey of this iconic vehicle from the set of Gilmore Girls to its current home in Connecticut.
The 1937 Studebaker Extreme Liner Woodie: Art Deco Went Surfing and Got Weird
The 1937 Studebaker Extreme Liner Woodie wasn’t just a car — it was an Art Deco sculpture on wheels. Built by Posies Rods & Customs, it fused streamliner design with excessive woodgrain and chrome to become one of the most head-turning, coachbuilt creations the ‘30s (or any decade) ever dared to imagine.
Should You Buy a Volvo C30? A Love Letter
A love letter to the Volvo C30—the compact hatch with a glass booty and the confidence to never follow the crowd. Quirky, safe, and quietly rebellious, it remains a misunderstood icon for those who wanted more from their car than just a way to commute.
Top 7 Green Hooptys for Earth Day
Not all eco-friendly cars are boring beige boxes. From the featherweight Insight to the cork-trimmed MX-30, these green hoopties bring quirk, charm, and shockingly good mileage to the Earth Day spotlight—without killing your vibe or your wallet.
How Are So Many New Car Brands Popping Up?
Why are car startups everywhere now? From Tesla to Rivian, the rise of EVs lowered the barrier to entry—and upped the hype. With slick designs, deep pockets, and tech buzz, these new players are taking swings at the old guard. But not all of them survive the crash test of reality.
Confessions from the Glove Box: Submit Your Story to HOOPTY!
Welcome to Confessions from the Glove Box, a corner of HOOPTY dedicated to the dumbest, wildest, and most questionably legal automotive stories we’ve all tried to forget. Or at least not put in writing—until now. This is the place where judgment is parked firmly in neutral and the only thing stronger than your regret is the…
The Secrets of Costco Every Car Guy Should Know
Let’s be honest: there’s a specific kind of adrenaline rush that comes from finding a 5-quart jug of synthetic motor oil nestled between a 50-pound bag of rice and a flat-screen TV. And if you know that feeling? You might be a car guy who shops at Costco. Costco isn’t just for toilet paper hoarders…
The Car Meet Conundrum
Let’s take a trip back to 2010. You and the guys have just filled up, you got your chips and NOS energy drink from the gas station and you’re ready to occupy the nearest shopping center or grocery store parking lot. Nothing else matters. Your sidekick buzzes in your pocket: it’s that one guy with…
Lotus Traded Its Heart for a Hammer: Why the AMG Engine Swap Isn’t Sacrilege
In the beginning, Lotus made its name on lightness. Colin Chapman famously said, “Simplify, then add lightness.” But lately? It’s been more like: “Complicate, then add Germans.” The storied British marque, known for cars that handle like caffeinated go-karts and require the flexibility of a yogi to exit, has officially outsourced its pulse. The new…
What’s the Most Irrational Car Opinion You Stand By?
We all have one. That one opinion that makes fellow car people tilt their heads like a confused dog hearing a harmonica. That one hot take that would get you kicked out of Cars and Coffee if spoken too loud near a Shelby owner. The one irrational automotive opinion that you cling to like a…
Wrenches Down: The Rise and Stalling Out of Automotive Trade Schools
Once upon a time, a set of dirty coveralls meant you were going places. Maybe not a corner office, but certainly toward a stable, blue-collar life where torque specs and timing belts were more important than slide decks and synergy. Nashville, Tennessee—a city that now boasts rooftop margaritas and cowboy-booted influencers—was once a place where…
Nashville Is Becoming the Coolest Car Town in the South — Whether It Likes It or Not
An underground car scene, a booming motorsports calendar, and a flood of OEMs are turning Music City into a sleeper automotive mecca. For decades, Nashville’s biggest horsepower flex was a lifted F-150 parked sideways outside Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. But lately, the Music City has started to hum with a different kind of rhythm — one…
Guess Who’s Been Busy: The Game That Tells You Just How Many Honda Civics It Takes to Beat a Model T
So you’re sitting on the couch, aimlessly scrolling, wondering if you’re ever going to use the deep and possibly concerning amount of automotive trivia clogging your brain. Enter: moreorless.io/game/which-car-was-built-more — the Wordle of vehicle production stats, but way more judgmental if you mix up your German sedans. This little browser game has a simple premise: two cars…
The McMurtry Spéirling Drove Upside Down Because Gravity is for Suckers
If there was ever a car that looked like it was designed by a caffeinated 12-year-old with a working knowledge of physics and a grudge against air resistance, it’s the McMurtry Spéirling. It’s tiny. It’s electric. It sounds like a vacuum cleaner eating a jet engine. And now, in a move that makes both sense…
Your Gear Shifter Stinks: A Love Letter to When PRNDL Actually Meant Something
Remember when shifting into drive was as simple as pushing a lever forward and feeling like Vin Diesel in your ’98 Corolla? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Unfortunately, automakers these days seem hell-bent on turning gear selection into an escape room puzzle. Let’s take a moment to honor the lost simplicity of the PRNDL—a glorious acronym that…
