Norwegian gearheads on the right Way

  Citroën C-Zero. Now, I’ve written ’bout a whole mess of cars, but I ain’t ever talked ’bout one I actually owned myself. So I reckon it’s ’bout time I tip my hat to my old Citroën C-Zero from PSA,  Peugeot Citroën, built on the same platform as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, made in partnership with Mitsubishi. I talk a whole lot ’bout big ol’ gas-guzzlin’ rigs and all kinds of machines that ain’t exactly climate-friendly, and that whole culture that comes with ’em. But truth be told, I ain’t really into pollutin’ cars myself. I actually care a fair bit ’bout the climate. And I’m way more into design than what kinda engine’s under the hood. My Citroën C-Zero was straight-up badass. Rear-wheel drive, and a whole lotta fun to drift around with. Only thing is, that little thing barely had enough range to make it from Sandvika to Sundvollen, then barely squeak around Steinsfjorden through Åsa and back again without a charge, even in summertime. And from Bærum to Sjusjøen in summer, sur...

Now lemme tell y’all somethin’ ‘bout this lil’ ride right here. This here’s one of them cars that’s low-key badass as hell , but I ain’t gotten ‘round to writin’ a proper piece on it yet, ‘cept way back when I mentioned her cousin, the SEAT Marbella. We talkin’ ‘bout the one and only Fiat Panda , y’all. This tough lil’ critter rolled off the line all the way from 1980 clear through to 2003. And lemme tell ya, they made all kinds. You got yer low-slung city slicker version, then you got yer high-clearance four-wheel-drive son of a gun that’ll crawl up a mountain like a goat with nitro. Yeah, she’s a small fry, sure, but she had grit! They even made an electric version called the Fiat Panda Elettra — way ahead o’ her time, like a Tesla’s great-grandmama in orthopedic shoes. But them four-wheel-drive models? Oh lordy. That’s where the magic happened. They had all kinds o’ wild trims — one called the Rock Moretti that was open-air and ready to party, and one they used as a dang van . The...

Now lemme tell y’all somethin’ ‘bout the Oldsmobile Bravada , the GMC Jimmy , and the Chevrolet S - 10 Blazer . They’re pretty much the same beast under the hood, just wearin’ different hats and showin’ off their own fancy emblems. And boy, do they sport that square-jawed, boxy-as-hell 1980s design that kept goin’ strong well into the ‘90s. That ain’t just style, that’s attitude , son. You’ve seen these rides in a bunch o’ American flicks, no doubt. Usually it’s the bad guy’s goons ridin’ in ‘em, creepin’ around dark corners with shades on at night and Uzis under the seats. And sure as shootin’, here comes some musclebound hero like Lorenzo Lamas, Steven Seagal, Dolph freakin’ Lundgren, Van Damme, or good ol’ Sly Stallone tryin’ to take ‘em down. But it ain’t never that easy, oh no. First there’s gotta be some setbacks – maybe a couple o’ the hero’s best buddies get smoked, or one of his old war pals bites the dust in slow motion. Then, just when you think things can’t get worse, the...