Sam Smith

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Stories By Sam Smith

  • You Say Toyoda, We Say Toyota: How The Automaker Got Its Name

    Sakichi Toyoda was born in Japan 145 years ago today on February 14th, 1867. By all accounts a hard-working entrepreneur, Toyoda's greatest success was building a small business manufacturing textile looms. That business ended up growing into a company that, for two years beginning in 2008, became the world's largest automaker. That company is named Toyota. We've always wondered: Why the change from "d" to "t"?

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  • How To Negotiate For A Used Car

    Buying a used car may sound simple, but most people find it pretty intimidating. Brett and Kate McKay from The Art of Manliness put together this helpful pre-purchase guide. Even if you're a title-turnin' pro, it's worth a quick review.

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  • This Is Why Drag Racing Is Awesome

    Eyeball-rattling grunt and cars launched by the hand of God: Drag racing is one of the most awe-inspiring things on wheels. Wired.com's Chuck Squatriglia recently took a closer look at Top Fuel racing — the pinnacle of the sport. —Ed.

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  • Commenter Of The Day: What A Pretty Afternoon Edition

    For the most part, I don't know a lot about how human society works. The closest I get to real knowledge on the subject involves a telephone call — I have a friend who earned his master's degree in urban planning, and if I have questions regarding why groups of people act the way they do, I call him. Because urban planning is not sociology or philosophy, he is mostly incapable of answering my questions, and instead spends his time bitching about how his hometown refuses to do anything intelligen

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  • Ferrari P4/5 Competizione: First Look

    As we reported earlier, the racing version of Jim Glickenhaus's wicked Ferrari P4/5 is currently under construction and set to compete in next year's 24-hours of the Nürburgring. Glickenhaus recently emailed us this rendering and a few key details.

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  • Everything Is Big In Texan

    An Army Air Corps or Air Force T-6 Texan trainer parked underneath a cloud-fillled sky. Most of the time, fake HDR shots are ugly. This isn't one of those times. [via CoolisaColor]

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  • "My Volkswagen Ate My Hand"

    Welcome back to Garage of Horror, where we share your worst wheeled experiences. Today we have two stories but one lesson: If you have two choices, pick the option that doesn't end with people laughing at you.

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  • Ferrari's Next Front-Engined GT Sounds Amazing

    This long-nosed Ferrari prototype was recently filmed yowling around Maranello. It's wearing the headlights of a 458 Italia, the rear glass of a 599 Fiorano, and enough camouflage to cover half of Europe. Unsurprisingly, it sounds fantastic.

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  • NASCAR's Jack Roush Crashes Plane In Wisconsin

    NASCAR team owner and motorsport legend Jack Roush crashed his plane while landing in Wisconsin today. Roush is reportedly in critical condition. His jet, a Hawker/Beechcraft Premier 390, broke in two and appears to be a total loss. UPDATE!

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  • These Flying Cars Don't Fly, They Whoosh!

    With the recent reveal of the production-ready Terrafugia flying car, we thought it an appropriate time to take a quick look at propeller-driven automobiles. Not the kind that fly. The kind that drive. Hello, propcar! Run, pedestrians, run!

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  • Why NASCAR Is Boring

    According to the L.A. Times, NASCAR is looking to snap out of its current ratings and attendance slump. That the country's most popular motorsport is overdue for a makeover is not news. But why, exactly, is it so dull?

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  • Yeah, That's A Pretty Awesome View

    "You feel a breeze, Bob?" "No, why? Is the door open?" "Couldn't tell ya. Nice day, though." (An Air Force C-130 Hercules over the western approach to the Golden Gate Bridge. Photo Credit: Kevin Ho.)

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  • Who's Your Favorite Unsung Car Hero?

    Everyone has a hero, and some people have several. Because many (all?) of us love the automobile to the point of pedantry, many of our four-wheeled idols aren't household names. Who's your favorite unsung car hero?

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