Top 10 Hot Rods of 2006
It's mostly a 1962 VW Bus. Except for the engine, which is now a 355 small-block. And the aluminum seats. And the 7-inch chop. Oh, and the trademark VW flower vase on the dash was carved from billet aluminum. All that and more makes it one of Hot Rod Magazine's Top 10 Hot Rods of 2006. The photo is linked to a full detailing of the sinister beast.
The other nine top-rated Hot Rods can be viewed by following the 'read' link below, including HRM's Hot Rod of the Year. If you like ungodly amounts of horsepower, you'll probably agree with their choices. If you don't, you might prefer this link instead.
[Source: Hot Rod Magazine via Jalopnik]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
L 5:53PM (12/22/2006)
i like this bus better:
http://www.race-taxi.ch
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Green Lotus Elise 6:12PM (12/22/2006)
That thing looks mean as hell! Reminds me of the scary truck in "Jeepers Creepers". Very very cool!
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Lithous 6:31PM (12/22/2006)
"Except for the engine, which is now a 355 small-block."
They should have put a turbo engine in that. Yeah, that's what all my friends do. What's wrong with them? [/sarcasm]
I bet the winner cost some f'in' G's to make.
Chevy, Olds, Ford, Dodge, Holden (wholly owned subsidiary of GM for decades and winner of the contest), VW... Hmmm, which should autoblog headline? The German origined one of course. I am still waiting for the Aura to be pictured as the headline image when top sedans sold in America is the topic. Doesn't matter if it is the top seller. It just matters that we put Toyota truck pics up when writing about sales of large pickups (even if the Toyota is 4th or 5th place). I guess I should just be used to the dis'ing.
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Chris Tutor 9:45PM (12/22/2006)
The VW was chosen to be the main photo not out of a bias against American-made cars, but because we thought the VW was the most unusual, most interesting of the bunch. OK, the second most interesting. The Holden is, as Hot Rod rightly said, the hottest hot rod of the year. But, just days ago, we had a post about it with its photo at the top and didn't want to risk boring our readers with redundancy.
As for the other American-make rods in the list, they all deserve their place under the Top 10 heading. Many of the Autoblog staff (including the writer) own and love classic American iron. They ARE what most consider hot rod-making material. And there's another reason the VW was chosen to be pictured with the post. Novelty. When's the last time you saw a VW Bus with a 355?
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Andy 11:53PM (12/22/2006)
The Efijy is the only sharp hot rod out of that bunch. I have seen many better hot rods in the pages of Super Rod and Popular Hot Rodding. The Hot Rod staff need a lesson in good taste because some those customs were hard to look at.
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David 1:53AM (12/23/2006)
I prefer massive amounts of torque instead. I leave the horsepower to ricers.
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VW-Guy 9:55AM (12/23/2006)
THAT is one sick bus! The primer grey really sets it off, gives it that go before show look. I like it I like it I like it.
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bryan 2:25PM (12/23/2006)
wow this is vw's version of a tank!
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salguod 3:03PM (12/23/2006)
Very cool microbus, but best of 2006? I saw that thing at Good Guys in Columbus in July 2003 (it seems to have been slightly altered since):
http://www.salguod.net/gallery/good-guys-2003/gallery/vw_van.php
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Mike 12:27PM (12/26/2006)
1. i like this bus better:
http://www.race-taxi.ch
I don't. I like the matte gray finish, and the wheels are much sharper on this van. This has a sorta mean industrial look, like it belongs that game Carmageddon, anyone ever play it? Who cares what the cover picture is, this one caught my eye.
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