Alright, I’ll come clean. Get ready for it: Ignition Unlimited wasn’t my highest priority from September until now. Comes as an absolute shock, right? Yeah, I didn’t think so either. So what happened, you ask? College. College happened, and it’s a one hell “happened.” Eight and a half months came and went like 37 minutes instead of 37 weeks, and so much has happened between then and now. One thing hasn’t changed, though: I still love cars, and that’s why Ignition Unlimited is making a comeback. I’m sorry for the hiatus, but it’s go time. See what’s going to happen here after the jump.

Plans

That’s right, I’ve got some new (plus old and refreshed) plans for this site. These plans are (including but not limited to)…

• Sunday Roast — (Returning Feature)
  The single Sunday Roast I did end up writing was really fun to write, so I’m going to (try to) write one of the every Sunday. Don’t worry, I’m not going to run out of cars any time soon, and as long as Toyota keeps coming out with new cars, I’ll have content forever. Apparently they’re killing the SC430, though. Oh well.
• Le Mans Coverage — (Somewhat of a Returning Feature)
  I’ve made at least one post about Le Mans (aside from my 2010 12 Hours of Sebring post), and as the season (American Le Mans) presses on, I’m going to cover it… in an opinionated fashion, obviously.
• Carthropology — (Possible New Feature, Working Title)
  An idea I had during my off time in a conversation I had with a friend, this weekly or biweekly feature will be a study of specific makes or models of cars and those who drive them; essentially, I’m going to be making some big owner stereotypes… should be some jolly good fun!
• Automotive Haiku — (Possible New Feature)
  An idea I had when I was driving the other evening and the sun was in my eyes. I think it’s a stupid idea, my girlfriend thinks it’s a stupid idea, and most people who read my failed poetry will think it’s a stupid idea, but who knows? It might be funny.
• Guest Posts — (Definite New Feature)
  I won’t say much to spoil it (because there’ll be a link at the bottom of this post once the first one is in), but someone is actually crazy enough to write on here other than me. Wow, right?
• Technology — (Definite New Features)
  I’m a mobile developer now! It’s what I do for work, play, and all around life. As a result of this, I’ll use this blog to update people who follow them on some of my current projects. Let’s see what I can do on the WebOS platform!

Otherwise…

…it’s just business as usual. Ignition Unlimited is back. Here’s to hoping it stays!

Ignition Unlimited is back in action! As you notice, things are different. A lot different. This post is to describe what I’ve done to the site, what my new direction for it will be, and other plans for the future of the site. I felt like going with a more luxurious feel this time around, to support my grand touring aspirations, so I went with chrome, leather and carbon fiber. Continue into the post for a further description of all my plans and everything else I have to say about this update.

I’ll write briefly about the new theme and layout before I start on the really important stuff. The layout is Jeremie Tisseau‘s OneRoom, but heavily modified by me for a more ‘automotive’ feel. When you enlarge images and other stuff? That’s Shadowbox JS. And the header, rotating all those featured articles? That’s Featured Content Gallery. Enjoy those new features as part of the reading experience!

When posting comments (which I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to do… let me know how my posts are!), if you use an email account associated with the Gravatar service, then your avatar will appear instead of the default one. A configured Gravatar is a useful thing to have! I’ve also sorted out and improved all the categories that posts are organized into. All the posts from before this big update can be found under the Legacy category. You’ll also notice that everything related to cars in one way or another has its own category as well. Also, don’t mind any minor areas of the site that don’t appear 100% finished yet… I’m working on it!

But wait a second… isn’t everything on this site related to cars? Well yes, in a way, but not everything I post will be as related as it once was. For instance, I’m going to give more coverage to car-related TV and movies, and also even some technology and music that really doesn’t relate much at all. Why, you ask?

The more I immerse myself in the passion of the automotive world, the more attached I feel myself becoming to one certain aspect of driving, and that is grand touring. I love the idea of using a car to travel long distances, to explore, to just drive for the sake of driving. This summer I plan to go on a few “road trips” of sorts, and I will undoubtedly document those journeys on here. Be ready: this site is taking a different turn. Welcome to the new and improved Ignition Unlimited.

So, I’ve gotten around to making a couple background updates to the site. The chief one is mobile compatibility. I personally have a Verizon XV6700, and so a background modification I’ve made to IU is a mobile administration interface, which lets me post on the go. However, for everyone else who has a web-enabled mobile phone, I have good news…

Ignition Unlimited Mobile

You can visit the normal home URL, and if the site decides that your phone will have an easier time looking at the mobile version, you’ll see a nice, nested version of the site in the same gray, black and red color scheme. Also, you will be able to download images by clicking (read tapping) on the thumbnails in the posts. This modification should also make using mobile RSS readers more compatible with the site. There is also an ultra-compatible Safari Mobile version for you iPhone and iPod Touch users. Try it next time you’re using your phone!

Plans And The Status Of The Site

I’ve been busy. Really busy. Senior year is tough, between the college process and all my other work, I’m at a loss to find time to post on here. That’s the bad news. The good news is that come the end of the college process, I’ll have plenty more time to write on here, and believe me, I will. I’ll try to get some more drives in, and also comment on more news. This site may also take a surprising turn in the coming months. More on that later.

I kid, I kid. If you didn’t catch that, it was ripped off from the British car show, Top Gear. If you’re reading this site, though, I expect you already know what Top Gear is or have at least heard of it. If not, hit up Final Gear, which is easily the best Top Gear fansite on the internet.

As far as car sites go, though, this isn’t your average blog. It isn’t a news site like Autoblog or Jalopnik, but it isn’t for reviews either, like Edmunds is. There are enough of those kinds of sites. You will see me commenting on content from those sites; I’ll often give my opinions on news and happenings in the car world on here because that’s exactly why I created this site: to speak my mind about cars. I will praise some cars, blast others, or just display a state of complete confusion over yet more. Offensive? Possibly. Opinionated? Definitely. Again, this is Ignition Unlimited.

Welcome.