Category Archives: News

A legend is gone…

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Yesterday, there was some very sad news in the automotive world as we learned of the passing of the  American automotive designer and racing driver Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012).  Mr. Shelby passed yesterday at Baylor Hospital in Dallas at the age of 89.

Caroll Shelby was most well known for making the AC Motors-based Shelby American Cobra and later the Mustang-based performance cars for Ford Motor Company known as Mustang Cobras. His company, Shelby American Inc., founded in 1962, currently sells modified Ford vehicles, as well as performance parts.

The AC Cobra, also known as the Shelby Cobra in North America, is a legendary sports car that was produced during the 1960s. With it’s amazing horsepower to weight ratio the Cobra had the title of fastest production car of the day during the 60’s. This trait stands out in a story I read many years ago about comedian Bill Cosby, who while rising to fame bought an original Shelby Cobra but had to sell it soon after, as he was too afraid of the immense power from the epic roadster.

Today, there are many companies that build replica Shelby Cobras around the globe.  One of the biggest names in the replica business is California based, Superperformance which sells three different body styles of replica Cobras.

Replica or the real thing, most people will never have the chance to experience the ultimate visceral thrill of the Shelby Cobra on the road or the track so take a minute to listen to one in action.  Here is a video that provides a little taste of the raw power of the AC Shelby Cobra.

There are already many tributes appearing online from all over the globe and there will be many more to come in both the mainstream press and the automotive press about the man who stood for so much in the automotive world.  He will be dearly missed and hopefully his spirit will continue to inspire others to push the boundaries in the automotive industry. We will miss you Carroll Shelby.

The Texas Mile and the 250 MPH + Camaro

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Well the old saying everything is bigger in Texas sure comes to life here.The Texas Mile has grown rapidly since the inaugural event in October 2003. Participants now come from all over the United States, Canada and Mexico to test themselves and their machines on the fastest and most challenging one mile track in the world. They achieve their top speed in one mile and shut down in a 1/2-Mile. This bi-annual Motorsports Festival is created for the performance enthusiast – Welcoming Motorcycles, Performance Street Cars, Race Cars and Land Speed Racers.

One such machine is the 2000 Chevy Camaro owned by Kelly Bise, driven by Josh Ledford and built by Houston, Texas based Late Model Racecraft.

See the Camaro in action at the Texas Mile in March 2012.

Specs are as follows:

  • 461 cubic inch V8 Big block with twin turbos pushing over 2000 HP at the wheels
  • It is officially the fastest Camaro in the World

2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8

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The third and current generation of the Dodge Challenger was introduced in 2008 and has become a cult classic with Mopar fans around the World as it has sold quite well for the past four years.

In this review, we want to take a closer look at the top of the line model the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8.

Created by engineers at Dodge to compete with the other Pony cars of the day such as Chevy’s new generation Camaro and Ford’s GT Mustang, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 comes equipped to compete.  With a sticker price of $49,095 CAD plus applicable taxes the Challenger is priced well among its competitors.  With its full size rear seats, sports tuned suspension, Brembo brakes, fire-breathing, 470 HP Hemi engine and 20 inch wheels it is a true retro muscle car that captures all the excitement of the late 60s, early 70s era muscle cars.

There is a Standard Fuel Saver Technology (four cylinder mode) in automatic transmission equipped models that allows the engine to operate economically on four cylinders or use the power of all eight cylinders when needed. This technology does result in some very respectable metrics at the pump with the car averaging 20 + MPG. Unfortunately, with a 470 HP Hemi engine what do you expect?  And, yes, you don’t buy this car if mileage is your number one priority.

Specs are as follows:

  • 6.4L – 392-cubic inch HEMI® V-8 delivers 470 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque
  • 0 to 60 MPH – approx 4.7 secs
  • Top speed – 180 MPH
  • Braking is 60 MPH to 0 in 117 feet
  • 14/23 MPG (City/Hwy) ratings for the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392
  •  Nappa Leather-faced seats with suede perforated inserts
  • 20-inch forged aluminum wheels
  • Brembo brakes
  • Heated steering wheel

Here is a recent US video review

On a very sad note, I wanted to highlight a recent article from the National Post written by the legendary auto writer Graeme Fletcher titled Chrysler’s Dan Knott: ‘His passion shone through’. It is worth a read and goes on to explain how Dan was a pioneer at Chrysler and essentially the “godfather” of Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) which is the group that is behind the amazing technology that make these cars the ultimate road machines they are today.

Mercedes Benz Launches Furniture Line

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Yes, that’s right Ikea is now making TVs and Mercedes is making furniture. The style division of Mercedes Benz has teamed up with an Italian furniture maker to come out with a new collection of furniture.

The press release from Mercedes indicates the initial collection will include one sofa, chaise longue, sideboard, dining room table with chairs, shelf unit with integrated home theatre system, bed and chest of drawers.

If you happen to be in Milan, Italy from April 17th to 22nd check it out at the Milan Furniture Fair.

2012 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 – Super Car Killer

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The days of Chevrolet Corvettes being the vehicle your grandfather would drive to a cruise night are long gone with the rise in power and speed of the new models.  According to the GM website, the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the fastest, most powerful car GM has ever produced. It was also the overall winner of the 2010 Car and Driver Lightning Lap competition, which pitted the ZR1 against the fastest cars in the world.

Specs are as follows:

  • Handcrafted LS9 supercharged V8
  • 638 horsepower
  • 604 lb.-ft. of torque
  • Test track top speed of 205 mph
  • 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds
  • 103-foot stopping distance at 60 mph

With more horsepower than an Enzo Ferrari and about 1/5 of the price it really is the ultimate bang for your buck sports car. See it in action as it hits the Nürburgring.

Built and assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with the engine being created at GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan, the ZR1 really is America’s most powerful sports car.

I personally love this ad  – bring on the Americana!!

Deals Gap and “The Dragon”

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Deals Gap is an internationally famous destination for driving enthusiasts located in North Carolina along a stretch of two-lane road known as “The Dragon“. The 11-mile stretch is said to have 318 curves and crosses the border into Tennessee. Some of the Dragon’s sharpest curves have names like Copperhead Corner, Hog Pen Bend, Wheelie Hell, Shade Tree Corner, Mud Corner, Sunset Corner, Gravity Cavity, Beginner’s End, and Brake or Bust Bend. The road earned its name from its curves being said to resemble a dragon’s tail. Since part of the road is also the southwestern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there is no development along the 11-mile stretch, resulting in no danger of vehicles pulling out in front of those in the right of way. It mostly travels through forested area and there are a few scenic overlooks and pull-off points along the route. However, saying all this there are several deaths annually on the road that result from the technical aspect of so many curves and usually car and motorcycle enthusiasts travelling at high speeds.  If you see the map below it outlines the recent fatalities.

To get a real perspective for the seriousness of the “Dragon” the following video shows what it is really like to cruise its path.

Lexus CT 200h Luxury Hybrid

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Launched at the Geneva Auto show in March 2010, the Lexus CT 200h Luxury Hybrid  began to be sold in North America one year later.  With worldwide sales at the end of 2011 at just over 50,000 units the model is rather niche for Lexus overall, however, it is leading the compact luxury hybrid category segment and seems to be more than a Prius covered with the Lexus badge.  Along with the comforts and refinement associated with the Lexus brand, the CT 200h provides owners with a genuine feel good persona since it is “greener” than any luxury car ever built.

The CT 200h is powered by the same 1.8 litre VVT-i four-cylinder engine (Toyota’s 2ZR-FXE) as used in the Prius, producing 134 net horsepower and instant torque from the electric motor. According to the Lexus Canada site, the CT 200h has an exceptional Tier 2 Bin 3 emissions rating,  which means that it is nearly 70% cleaner than gas burning engines and  the cleanest diesels. It also delivers remarkable fuel efficiency of 4.5/4.8/4.6L/100km– city/highway/combined, making it Canada’s most fuel efficient luxury vehicle. With prices starting from $30,950.00 CAD it provides good value for those who have a “green” consciousness while also seeking the luxury of a Lexus.

Jeep Wrangler Pickup called JK8

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For those who attended the Toronto Auto Show back in February, hopefully you caught a glimpse of the amazing blue Jeep Wrangler JK8 Northern Edition. Launched last year at  the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, Mopar’s JK8 kit turns a current four door Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon into a two door super rugged, rock crawler 4X4 pick-up truck.

Jeep enthusiasts have been talking for years about the possibility of a Jeep pick-up truck coming to fruition so Mopar’s decision to create this kit is not really surprising. Jeep CEO and President Mike Manley has gone on record as saying that the next redesign of the Wrangler could include a pick-up option, though no definite plans have been announced.

For more information on what’s involved in doing the conversion check out the following video.

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4

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The Lamborghini Aventador was designed to replace the ten-year-old Murciélago as the new flagship model in the Lamborghini lineup starting in 2011. Soon after the Aventador was publicly unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2011, Lamborghini announced that it had already sold over 12 months of the production vehicles, with deliveries starting in the second half of 2011. In August of 2011, Top Gear chose the Aventador as the car of the year for 2011.

The specs are as follows:

  • 691 HP from 6.5 liter V12 engine
  • Top Speed 349.2 km/h (217.0 mph)
  • 0-100 KM/H IN 2.9 SEC
  • Fuel mileage is 14 miles per US gallon or (17 L/100 km)

With a suggested retail price of $379,700 USD, ownership is largely reserved for professional athletes, rap moguls and successful business people nevertheless, we can all dream right?

GM has high hopes for 2013 Impala

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GM’s Chevrolet brand is trying to resuscitate sales of big sedans with a sleek, new version of the Impala.The family hauler is the last model in Chevy’s lineup to be revamped. When it hits showrooms early next year, it will replace an Impala that was last updated in 2005.

Chevrolet thought about changing the Impala’s name, but decided it had significant recognition after 50 years on the market and more than 16 million in sales.

The 10th generation Impala gets much of its design from other Chevrolets. Its body slopes from back to front. It has high doors, low-profile side windows and large wheels. The company says the car is quiet. It has sound-deadening insulation and laminated glass in the windshield and windows. The roomy interior has upgraded materials.

UNDER THE HOOD: Buyers can choose from three engines, all mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder will produce 195 horsepower, while a 3.6-liter V-6 will have 303 horses. There’s also a 2.4-liter four with GM’s eAssist system that halts the engine anytime the car stops and uses a small electric motor to help the gas engine get better mileage. All three have direct fuel injection in which the air and fuel are mixed in the cylinder surrounding the piston. That’s more efficient than older engines that mix outside the cylinder.

INSIDE: It seats five and has a spacious rear seat and lots of legroom. It has 10 air bags and numerous safety options such as radar-guided cruise control that brakes the car if the driver gets too close to another vehicle.

FUEL ECONOMY: GM says the model with eAssist will get about 32 mpg on the highway. Mileage testing on the other two engines hasn’t been finished, the company says.

PRICE: Chevrolet won’t release it yet, but it’s bound to be more than the current model, which starts at just under $28,000 CAD.

Check out Consumer Reports review from this week’s New York Auto show.