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What would you drive in 1985?

Bereft of live baseball games to watch, I've turned to the good ship YouTube to watch classic games. While watching the 1985 American League Championship Series last night, several of the broadcast's commercials made its way into the original VHS recording, including those for cars. "Only 8.8% financing on a 1985 Ford Tempo!" What a deal! That got me thinking: what would I drive in 1985?  It sure wouldn't be a Tempo. Or an IROC-Z, for that matter, despite what my Photoshopped 1980s self would indicate in the picture above. I posed this question to my fellow Autobloggists. Only one could actually drive back then, I was only 2 and a few editors weren't even close to being born. Here are our choices, which were simply made with the edict of "Come on, man, be realistic."  West Coast Editor James Riswick: OK, I started this, I'll go first. I like coupes today, so I'm pretty sure I'd drive one back then. I definitely don't see myself driving some badge-engineered GM thing from 1985, and although a Honda Prelude has a certain appeal, I must admit that something European would likely be in order. A BMW maybe? No, I'm too much a contrarian for that. The answer is therefore a 1985 Saab 900 Turbo 3-Door, which is not only a coupe but a hatchback, too. If I could scrounge up enough Reagan-era bucks for the ultra-cool SPG model, that would be rad. The 900 Turbo pictured, which was for auction on Bring a Trailer a few years ago, came with plum-colored Bokhara Red, and you're damn sure I would've had me one of those. Nevermind 1985, I'd probably drive this thing today.   Associate Editor Byron Hurd: I'm going to go with the 1985.5 Ford Mustang SVO, AKA the turbocharged Fox Body that everybody remembers but nobody drives. The mid-year update to the SVO bumped the power up from 175 ponies (yeah, yeah) to 205, making it almost as powerful (on paper, anyway) as the V8-powered GT models offered in the same time frame. I chose this particular car because it's a bit of a time capsule and, simultaneously, a reminder that all things are cyclical. Here we are, 35 years later, and 2.3-liter turbocharged Mustangs are a thing again. Who would have guessed?

The new BMW M4 GT4 carries the factory-prepped race torch

Purchasing a factory-prepared race car is a relatively easy thing to do, if you have the means. A number of manufacturers, from Mazda to Porsche, sell cars that are race-ready straight out of the box. BMW, following on the success of the E92 generation M3 GT4, announced today that an M4 GT4 will be ready for the 2018 season. The GT4 spec is the lowest class of FIA GT racing. It's meant for amateur racers, and as such the regulations are quite strict. Every car must have at least one amateur driver, and the rules as to what constitutes as an amateur are very specific and clear. Aside from BMW, Aston Martin, Porsche, and Toyota all field cars in GT4 spec races. Like the M3 GT4, the new version of the M4 comes from the factory homologated to FIA GT4 spec. BMW says the M4 GT4 will use the standard coupe's 425 horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six cylinder engine, including the electronics – the outgoing M3 GT4 used the standard car's 420 hp, high-revving, 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated V8. The new car will also pull bits like a carbon fiber hood from the M4 GTS. Specific details like weights or fluid capacities haven't been revealed, nor has the transmission been confirmed. It's unclear if the M4 will be heavier than the smaller outgoing M3, which weighed slightly over 3,000 lbs. Expect things like built-in air jacks, a roll cage, lightweight seats, and other race-ready parts to carry over. The M4 GT4 will start testing at the end of 2016 in preparation for a 2018 debut. Customers with who can't wait can purchase one of BMW's other race-ready offerings. BMW currently sells the M6 GT3 and M235i Racing. Parts like the pedal box, brakes, and seats for the M4 GT4 are the same as those in the M6 GT3. Pricing hasn't been announced, but the current M3 GT4 sells for about $140,000. The car should go on sale late next year. Related Video: Motorsports BMW Racing Vehicles bmw m4

Woman sent to psych ward because police didn't believe she owned a BMW

A woman is suing New York City after she spent eight days in a mental hospital because, she claims, police didn't believe she, a black woman, could own a BMW. Last year, Kamilah Brock was pulled over in Harlem, NY, for having her hands off the wheel, PIX 11 reported. She says she told officers she was dancing while stopped at a red light at the intersection. Police took her into custody and held her for several hours. When Brock was released from the 30th Precinct without any formal charges, police told her she could pick up her car the next day. When she arrived at the impound lot and told officials she was looking for her car - a 2003 BMW 325Cl, she knew there was something wrong as soon as she requested her vehicle. "I just felt like from the moment I said I owned a BMW, I was looked at as a liar," Brock told PIX 11. "They put me in handcuffs and said they just need to put me in handcuffs to take me to my car. And I said OK, whatever it's gonna take to get to my car." Then EMS arrived. She was taken to Harlem Hospital psychiatric ward where she says she was pumped with sedatives and given powerful drugs. Doctors believed she was suffering from bipolar disorder, she claims, and tried for days to get Brock to admit she didn't own the luxury car. They also tried to convince Brock that she wasn't really a banker and President Obama didn't really follow her on Twitter, though both facts are true. The worst part? She was stuck with a $13,000 hospital bill for the pleasure. Brock is currently suing the hospital and several unnamed police officers. Neither the NYPD nor the City's Law Department commented on this story due to ongoing litigation. Government/Legal Weird Car News BMW Ownership Videos lawsuit