Jason Torchinsky

1 week ago | theautopian.com | Jason Torchinsky

The 1970s were a weird time. I say this as someone who began to exist just after the decade started, so I was there, if not particularly alert, for most of it. The ’70s had a sort of weird affectation for a certain kind of velour-slathered formality, a sort of peculiar vision of “class” that involved lots of brown and ochre and booze and thick fabrics and the concept of lounging and probably a good amount of cocaine.

1 week ago | theautopian.com | Jason Torchinsky

I think I’ve made my position on front trunks (often referred to with the vulgarism “frunks”) quite clear here on the electromagnetic pages of The Autopian, but in case you’re unaware, my policy is vehemently pro-frunk. I’ve been driving cars with enclosed cargo storage at the front since my very first car, and let me tell you, the sensation of driving with your bags of stuff leading the way, crammed into the nose of your car is, dare I say, numinous.

1 week ago | theautopian.com | Jason Torchinsky

Not too far from me is a bar/social club that caters to the turn indicator enthusiast community (often known as blinkies), called Winking Amber’s. It’s one of the older indicator bars around, and they generally have pretty good relations with the greater Taillight enthusiast community. Every year, they hold a little festival celebrating the first-generation Honda Civic and the surprising number of front turn signal types these cars had.

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Jason Torchinsky

3 days agoWhen a van just won’t do If the minivan aesthetic isn’t your thing, but you still need to haul a small army of kids, in-laws, or road trip buddies, you're in luck. Today’s 8-passenger SUVs don’t just compete with minivans on seating and cargo; they outperform them in versatility, towing capability, …

1 week ago | theautopian.com | Jason Torchinsky

As you may have already surmised, I enjoy taxonomies. And, sure, I only read the actual definition of “taxonomy” a few days ago and wasn’t really aware of the strong biological associations, but that won’t stop me from continuing to use the word to describe automotive categorizations. Today I want to tackle one of modern automobilia’s most blurry and contentious taxonomic problems: what is the difference between a minivan and vehicles that aren’t quite minivans, but also aren’t quite wagons?