It’s Sunday night and I just made the 3+ hour trip back from New York.  Another awesome Thanksgiving but also a reminder to be prepared for winter.

Summer Tire + Wintry Mix = BAD

I decided to take the Mustang for my Thanksgiving trip.  The main problem with that plan was that I have super-fat summer performance tires which act like snow shoes in bad weather.

Seriously, the slightest dusting of snow and these tires will render the Mustang helpless.  I run a different set of wheels/tires on the Mustang during the winter but I have not had a chance to switch them over.

Thankfully the weather held out and it was mostly rain by the time we left.  Still, a summer tire loses most of its traction below 50 degrees.  I had my car sliding sideways when I hit the gas in 4th gear!

Want to know the scariest thing?  I bet 90% of drivers out there do not even know what type of tire they have and how it handles in bad weather.

Do me a favor. If you live in a bad climate PLEASE check that your tires are a.) all-season versions with decent ratings in winter weather and b.) that you have enough tread left!

Change your tires with the seasons with a Preferred Winter Tire & Wheel Package from Tire Rack.

Advice tires, winter

Nothing beats Thanksgiving dinner and nothing gets the appetite ready like some lifting.

I pulled into Gold’s Gym parking lot around quarter to noon and proceeded to drop my jaw as I spotted my dream car at the far end of the parking lot.

The name's Bond. James Bond.

Oh yes, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage just sitting there.  Anyone that knows me understands how much I obsess over the Vantage and DBS.  I mean both could use a little more power (and the Vantage does get a power boost this year) but these have to be some of the most beautiful cars ever built.

I used my charm and detective skills to track down the owner on my way out.  The poor lady must have thought I was a stalker–but hey–I am sure she is used to the attention.  Caroline lets me check out the inside and the first thing I notice is it is an automatic (boo!) and the emergency brake is between the driver’s seat and the door.  Weird.

One of the most beautiful cars ever designed.

Naturally, I ask to see what’s under the hood but she is afraid to open it because she does not know how.  Fair enough, I won’t be pushy.  My only other request is to hear the exhaust.  She fires it up and it sounds better than all of the YouTube videos.

For a sleek, sophisticated car the AM has a beastly exhaust note.  Like an exotic Mustang sound that leaves you weak in the knees.  Here’s a short clip I found to give you an idea:

There is plenty to be thankful for:  family, friends and health.  But don’t forget combustion engines with beautiful exhaust notes, good ol’ manual transmissions and of course the geniuses at Aston Martin.

My only regret is I did not ask to sit in it…someday.

If you would like to help me on my quest for an Aston Martin pick up a copy of Maintain Your Mustang!

Car Sightings aston martin, exhaust, v8 vantage

Ever since I started the original AutoHow.TV site I thought it would be a great idea to write about everything going on behind the scenes.  For the past year and a half all my viewers have ever seen was the ‘finished product’, or video.  Well I finally got around to creating a blog so add this site to your bookmarks or subscribe to the RSS feed!

What can you expect on this blog?

I plan to share my day-to-day experiences related to cars, filming, editing and pretty much anything automotive.  Trust me, I have plenty of stories…

Stories