Welcome to our second annual round up of the highest grossing RFD content of the year. Last year we had some Cannonball content, some WRX content, some thought pieces on design, and some more WRX content. This year, potentially because 2016 was such a weird year, we lead off with the oldest car review we did in 2016 (ever?), which was also our most heavily read review of the year. We followed that up with some more Cannonball content (this time with a 2-wheel twist), an April Fools gag that got a ton of reads, and some excellent consumer advice about a pre-inspection on a 911 (not-coincidentally our single most viewed YouTube video ever). Oh and a list that was absolutely dominated by our man Danny who claims 40% of the entries as well as 4 of the top 6. Well done sir, many a prospective M3 buyer will benefit from your experiences! On to the list.
10. 1988 Honda Civic Wagon RT4WD Review – Justin Hughes
With the Snowpocalypse upon us I’m sure everyone’s out driving their lifted trucks and SUVs like we “recommended.” But before modern crossovers dominated our roads, and before Subaru enabled everyone to channel their inner Colin McRae, there were a few other cars with all wheel drive as I’ve touched on this before. One of them was the Honda Civic Wagon. (Continue Reading)
9. Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb: Day 3 – Andrew Fails
Everyone’s nerves are on edge due to the multitude of last minute emergency repairs. Two hours before the car was to go up the mountain for staging, the motor was torn down to the bare block to replace the head gasket that had blown during practice. The night before, one of the vintage wheels had a crack sealed up with JB Weld in the parking lot of a tire shop. Even the alignment had been adjusted while on jack stands on the trailer. (Continue Reading)
8. Subaru Gets Serious With The BRZ STi! – Justin Hughes
Subaru stunned enthusiasts today by announcing that the BRZ STi performance concept, shown last year at the New York International Auto Show, will be put into production virtually unchanged from the original concept. (But it wasn’t serious about this at all, this was an April Fool’s joke. It worked apparently – Ed.) (Continue Reading)
7. 10 Tips to Snowpocalypse Survival – Michael Thompson
Here at the RFD headquarters, we are snow experts. Our training spans from the hills of New Jersey, to rally cross racing a BRZ on ICE. The RFD staff has been through several “Snowpocalyspes,” and we are here to help. Follow our tips so you don’t end up like this cop stuck on a hill, or watch this video from the Philadelphia Police Department for your SNOWPOCALYPSE entertainment to stay safe. (Continue Reading)
6. Xtreme Xperience Round Two – Danny Korecki
Xtreme Xperience is the countries premiere arrive and drive exotic car program. I covered their program last year when I drove a Ferrari 458 Italia, a Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4, and a Porsche 911 GT3 (991) at Summit Point Motorsports Park at one of their events. Now I am going to answer the question, how does the best arrive and drive program grow and improve? Let’s find out. (Continue Reading)
5. The Rag Company Review – Danny Korecki
Up until about a year ago I believed all microfiber towels were created equal. A towel is a towel right? Well around that time I started checking out reddit and then found the car subreddits and eventually the auto detailing subreddit. On the auto detailing subreddit you will find one unanimously recommended microfiber towel seller in all the detail threads, The Rag Company. (Continue Reading)
4. Cannonballing on Two Wheels: Everyone Else is a Sissy – Andrew Fails
When I last wrote about the evolution of the Cannonball, I talked about how the overall spirit of attempt was more important than the ultimate timecard stamp. The point was to have your own adventures, plant your own flag in the sand, and to do those things that nobody else is dedicated enough, or mad enough, to pull off. Little did I know, there was one man out there wholeheartedly carrying on this tradition. (Continue Reading)
3. The Journey to Another V8 – Danny Korecki
It all started in mid-2015. When Chevrolet announced the 2016 Camaro SS would have 55 more horsepower than my 2013 Camaro SS and would be 200 pounds lighter with a refreshed interior and would come with a new “track mode” it began make my Camaro feel a bit dated. (Continue Reading)
2. When to Walk Away from a Porsche 911 – Josh Taylor
Recently I found a reasonably priced Porsche 996 while scouring Craigslist. Something I do on a daily basis. This particular Porsche 911 Carrera was a white on black 1999 coupe with 92k miles. That’s fairly low mileage for a 15 year old car. Inside, the car was good with a little wear on the touch surfaces to show it’s age. It was clearly daily driver spec, and that’s what I was wanted – the Porsche 911 to take anywhere at any time and not worry about it. (Continue Reading)
1. CarMax Warranty for the M3 Saved My Wallet – Danny Korecki
A few months ago, I wrote up an article showcasing my journey that concluded with my purchase of a 2012 BMW E92 M3 from CarMax. In that article I referenced the desire to purchase the M3 from CarMax due to their apparently great warranties. Little did I know that purchasing the additional CarMax M3 warranty would be one of my best automotive decisions………………of my life. (Continue Reading)
Thank You
(Editor’s Note: Out of consistency vice laziness, I’m using the exact same “thank you speech” for 2016. I meant it then, I mean it now)
You all, the readers and viewers, are why we are here doing what we do. Our goal is not to regurgitate the latest automotive news, but bring you new and interesting stories and tell you what a car feels like to drive, not just the specs. So stay tuned to RFD for even more in 2017. Expect more original videos on our YouTube channel, and cool stuff on our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds! We are off to Detroit in a couple of weeks to bring you coverage of the North American International Auto Show so keep an eye out for real time coverage.
