Latest Auto News Blog: июля 2009

Move over Bugatti Veyron, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT is looking to pass

Once you have a record you are most certain to have some challengers looking to detrone you. That is precisely the case as the Bugatti Veyron’s record of 253-mph is looking to be broken by the SSC Ultimate Aero TT. The Ultimate Aero has been testing its components and running test runs, and so far the greatest obstacle to making a record breaking run is finding a suitable location.

SSC ultimate aero

In the test runs that have been performed the 1183-hp Ultimate Aero has reached 241-mph. Ofcourse SSC (Shelby SuperCars) is quick to note that their best test so far was only utilizing 71% of the throttle. There must be a certain amount of drool building up as they can almost taste that record run.

Corvette ZR1 Fireblade Concept

The Fireblade concept was designed by independent stylist Idries Noah, and is meant to be a sharp new set of clothing for the already terrifying Corvette ZR1. Like the ZR1, the Fireblade finds a way to prominently display Chevy’s mighty 6.1-liter supercharged V-8 LS9 motor, this time under a broad piece of creased glass.

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Buy a Chrysler, pay $2.99 a gallon for 3 years

In an effort to increase sales of gas-guzzling sedans, SUVs and pickups, Chrysler announced today that it will offer a gas card to immediately lower their gas price to $2.99 a gallon.The...

VIDEO: Top Gear looks at alternative fuels in 1990

As difficult as it may be to believe, interest in alternative fuel vehicles actually pre-dates the launch of AutoblogGreen a little more than two years ago. Another fact that may be tough to swallow is that the BBC's Top Gear was not always the hour of silliness we see today with Clarkson, Hammond and May. In fact Top Gear's current format only began in 2002. Going back in time it had a more staid magazine style format with hosts such as William Woollard. Way back in 1990, Woollard did a pair of segments on alternative fuels and the threat of Global Warming from increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Watching these 18 year old segments, it seems not a lot has changed. Woollard looked at hydrogen with an early prototype of the BMW Hydrogen 7, methanol, CNG, solar powered EVs and even hybrids. The GM Impact, the precursor to the EV1, even makes a brief appearance while discussing battery electric vehicles. In that pre-lithium ion era, sodium sulfur batteries seemed to be one possible solution to range and weight problem of storing electrons. Although such batteries were tested by automakers, the high operating temperatures (up to 350 °C) limited their usefulness. Nonetheless, the similar Zebra batteries are still being evaluated today and used in some applications. Check out the videos after the jump. Thanks to Joseph for the tip!

[Source: YouTube]

Hybrids Not as Environmentally Friendly as Thought

2007accordhybrid

A study by an Oregon automotive research company details vehicles’ energy costs per mile — from inception through production right to your garage. The results are surprising and could put a damper on environmentalists’ support of hybrids. Because the study takes into account every aspect of the production process, hybrids like the Honda Accord Hybrid have an energy cost of $3.49 per mile. Compare that to a regular Accord, at $2.18, or a Hummer H3, at $1.98, and that green vehicle taxes the environment more.

The study has actually been out for some time, but we hadn’t read it before and thought it might spark an interesting discussion.

Now, these results don’t impact mileage at all. Buyers looking to save at the pump get better mileage with efficient hybrids. This study simply highlights the hidden environmental impacts of these new technologies — mainly the additional batteries and electric motors a hybrid requires. Of course, over time — with more research and development — the environmental impact should decrease. For now, though, don’t be so quick to frown at the Hummer H3 driver next to you at the stoplight.

[Look Beyond Gas Mileage When Making an Environmental Choice, 37signals.com]

2008 Nissan GT-R - Godzilla Awakes On Steroids

I find it extremely interesting to compare the sizes and designs between the 5th generation (1999–2002) R34 Skyline GT-R and the new R35 GT-R thanks to these photos from Jalopnik. It’s crazy how much larger the 2008 GT-R is when sized up behind (insert joke) the retired R34 Skyline.

When the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R was released in 1989, it was rated by many motoring magazines, as providing performance and handling similar to that of European icons like the Porsche 911 and the Ferrari Testarossa, but at a considerably lower price.

The Porsche 959 was Nissan’s target when designing the Skyline R32 GT-R. The chief engineer, Naganori Itoh, intended to use the car for Group A racing, so the design specification was drawn up in conjunction with a copy of the Group A rules.

The R32 GT-R was introduced in the Australian Bathurst 1000 touring-car race to compete against GM Holden and Ford V8 saloons, winning in 1991 & 1992. This success led to the Australian motoring press naming the car Godzilla due to it being a “monster from Japan” and as Australia was the first export market for the car the name quickly spread.

To put Australian motoring press tag of “Godzilla - Monster from Japan” in perspective keep in mind that the R32 GT-R won against GM Holden and Ford V8 saloons with its RB26DETT 2.6 litre inline 6 Twin Turbo Engine… THATS PRETTY FUCKING RIDICULOUS and just goes to further exemplify how advanced this car and all its systems were at the time.

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Sportec SPR1 T80

The Sportec T80 builds upon the performance of the SPR1 range by increasing the power of its bi-turbo, 3.6-litre, 24-valve, flat six T80M engine to a staggering 858 bhp. The SPORTEC SPR1 T80 enjoys supercar performance, taking a mere 3.0 seconds to hit 62mph (100kmh,) with 186mph (300kmh) appearing in just 18.9 seconds. A top speed of more than 236mph has been recorded at Nardo, Italy.

[Source: Sportec]

Subaru Forester Mountain Rescue Concept Ascending To SEMA [Sema]

Subaru Forester Mountain Rescue Concept Ascending To SEMA [Sema]

Subaru is bringing what they're calling the "Mountain Rescue Forester" to next week's SEMA show. Built in conjunction with Detroit-based Specialized Vehicles, the Ski Patrol vehicle started life as a Forester 2.5XT turbo, but now sports 14 inches of ground clearance from an air suspension system and fat Yokohamas. The requisite high-power off-road lighting sits up top, complemented by ski holders, a cargo basket and a WARN winch on the front bumper for pulling ~~EXTREME!!~~ inexperienced snowboarders up from icy ledges. Check out the full release below, and click here for a high-res version of the above shot.

Subaru Creates Ultimate Off-Road Forester with SEMA Mountain Rescue Vehicle

* Designed as an over-the-top First Responder Vehicle for Ski Areas
* All-New Forester Named MOTOR TREND SUV of the Year for 2009

Subaru of America, Inc. today revealed the Mountain Rescue Forester(R) Vehicle, built for the National Ski Patrol (NSP). It will debut at the 2008 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show that runs at the Las Vegas Convention Center Nov. 4-7. Working with Subaru of America, Detroit-based Specialized Vehicles built the Mountain Rescue Forester Concept as the ultimate first responder vehicle, bolstering its trail-driving capability and equipping it with essential Ski Patrol rescue gear.

Based on the 2009 MOTOR TREND SUV of the Year Subaru Forester 2.5XT turbo crossover utility vehicle, the Forester Mountain Rescue Vehicle is designed to help Ski Patrol crews conduct rescues in difficult terrain and weather conditions. The men and women of Ski Patrol risk their lives in the mountains, fighting avalanches, performing daring rescues and keeping unruly skiers and snowboarders from endangering others on the slopes.

Ready for Rescue Missions

Subaru and skiing have gone together since 1974, when skiers first discovered the all-weather traction of Subaru models with 4-wheel drive. In stock form, the 2009 Forester 2.5XT combines Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with 8.9 inches of ground clearance, more than other crossover SUVs, which are typically in the 6.5-7 in. range. The Forester Mountain Rescue Concept delivers more than 14 in. of ground clearance through an Air Lift custom adjustable ride height air suspension system. Added off-road and snow traction is provided by Yokohama Geolandar MTS 30 x 9.5-in. tires on special 15-in. Subaru custom-reversed near-zero offset steel wheels.

For extra protection on the trails, the Forester Mountain Rescue Concept is equipped with custom front and rear skid plates by DeeZee and custom Trail Armor by Bushwacker, including fender flares, lower door cladding, a rear gate guard and tail light guards. Skiers won't have trouble seeing the Forester Mountain Rescue Vehicle coming: an emergency light package, augmented by Subaru Genuine Accessory Baja Sport Activity Lights, ensures visibility from a distance and in all types of weather.

To illuminate a rescue site, the vehicle is equipped with roof mounted Visi Light LED spotlights - five in front and two in the rear - by Hamsar Diversco. Topping off the concept vehicle's distinctive styling, a DeeZee custom grille guard helps protect the Sport Mesh Grille from Subaru Genuine Accessories.

Once on the rescue site, the Ski Patrol crew can use an Ultimate Performance 9.5i Thermometric 9,500-lb. winch by WARN. Remote rear door openers and external quick-access utility compartments play a vital role when time is of the essence. Extra wide round crossbars help secure the Subaru Yakima ski carriers, which on this vehicle hold Nordica snow skis. A rescue toboggan from Cascade rounds out the rescue equipment.

Subaru is proud to be the official vehicle of the NSP, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado and dedicated to serving the public and the ski industry by providing education on emergency care and safety. Subaru has been the Official Vehicle of the NSP for many years and for good reason - Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, robust construction and durability make any Subaru ideally suited to tough winter conditions.

[Subaru via WCF]

Car Prices Fall as Incomes Rise

2007chevyimpala

When you take the amount of income it takes to buy a new car American families are spending less than they have since 1980, according to Comerica Bank’s recent auto affordability index. The index determines how many weeks of income it takes to own a new car. That figure is now at 23.6 weeks of income for the median family which makes $58,000 a year. That number is up 5% over last year.

The other major factor in the survey is the average cost of a new car or light truck has fallen 5% in that same amount of time. We’ve anecdotally noticed new cars being packed with more features while retail prices rise incrementally. Another factor, of course, is the recent burst in low-financing offers that take away some of the sting from a new car purchase.

In the story from the Detroit News, we found the real-life consumers they quoted a bit misleading. They talked to two recent new car buyers that were amazed at how far their dollar went but both traded in older, large SUVs – one of the most expensive new vehicles you can buy – for sedans or wagons. We would have liked to hear from someone who bought an identical model and spent less than the time before. Is there anyone out there that can back up the study and its findings?

[Cars, Trucks Take Less Bite From Wallets, The Detroit News]

Scion Holds Back Production, Sales to Stay Hip

2007sciontc

Scion has had a meteoric rise since it debuted in the U.S. a few years ago. With only three models for sale, the Toyota-owned brand will beat its projected goal of 150,000 cars sold in 2006. Most automakers would look at that success, drool and ramp up production. Not Scion.

The company says it will stem production next year to stay under that 150,000 mark. Why? Officials want the brand to have an exclusive feel, and think the less people see on the road the more buyers will want them.

Of course, this could all just be a ploy for the press, as two models — the xA and xB — will be retired in the spring and replaced with two new models. Any gaps in those moves could limit sales as well. Either way, Scion sure seems to care more about street cred than any other brand on the market.

[A Way Cool Strategy: Toyota's Scion Plans to Sell Fewer Cars, The Wall Street Journal]

Wait, What? Red Bull buys back full stake in Toro Rosso

Filed under: Motorsports, Earnings/Financials

Click above for a high-res image

We wish we could understand how Dietrich Mateschitz thinks, but we just can't. After years of sponsoring F1 teams, the Red Bull chief decides to buy one outright. That wasn't enough, so he buys a second one. Then he sells half of that team to former F1 driver (and fellow Austrian) Gerhard Berger. Then he says he wants to sell it off altogether, but instead he buys it back.

And so comes the announcement today that Mateschitz has re-acquired full stake in his B-squad, Scuderia Toro Rosso, which proved itself better than the A-squad by outperforming it all year and even winning a race. For next season, STR's wunderkind Sebastian Vettel is moving up to the Red Bull Racing main squad to replace the retired David Coulthard. The announcement for Sebastien Buemi to join STR in Vettel's seat is expected soon. Unless Mateschitz decides to buy something else.

[Source: Autosport]

Wait, What? Red Bull buys back full stake in Toro Rosso originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Checkers as cop cars?

Ben Merkel's Checker police car

In our recent post on Checker dealerships, frequent commenter Errcoman informed us that Checker offered its cars in police trim as well as taxi trim. Reader Gene Herman also sent us a scan of a 1964 or 1965 Checker brochure that offered a police package Checker. Though, as with most other Checker products, one could order a Checker cop car pretty much any way one wanted. To confirm this, we went to John Weinhoeft, who pointed us to a few recent articles in the Checkerboard News about Checkers as cop cars, as well as the above photo of Checker collector Ben Merkel’s Checker cop car, which originally patrolled Key West, Florida.

In the newsletter articles, Ben mentioned several other police departments he knew of that ordered Checkers for patrol duty, including Terrell, Texas; Mackinaw City, Michigan; Tallmadge, Ohio; Chelsea, Massachusetts; Medford, Massachusetts; Exeter, New Hampshire; and Coburn, Virginia. In addition, he found out that Upjohn Pharmaceutical and Timken Bearing had both ordered police package Checkers as security patrol cars. And apparently the police package remained available all the way through the end of Checker production in 1982.

1964 or 1965 Checker brochure

Know of any other police departments that once used Checkers? Let us know in the comments.

GM hybrid finally starting to get a little traction, 1,149 in June

With five hybrid models on the market now and at least four more coming before the end of the year, General Motors' hybrid sales are looking less ugly than they did in the first three months of 2008. GM is still no threat to Toyota or even Ford, but sales have been steady (if slow) for the last couple of months. For the first time in their monthly sales report for June, GM has explicitly said how many hybrids were sold. Amidst truck sales that were down 39 percent compared to June 2007, GM declared that it sold 1,149 hybrids in June for a total of 4,376 during the first half of the year.

Out of that total, the Tahoe and Yukon Two-mode hybrids accounted for 547 sales, with the Malibu and Vue mild hybrids taking 295 and 277 respectively. A grand total of thirty buyers opted for the Saturn Aura hybrid. The last time that hybrid sales were mentioned for April, about the same number of Two-mode and mild hybrid models were sold. So far, in a market where hybrids are flying off the lots of most dealers who offer them, GM's pricey two-mode trucks and tepid mild hybrids have been also rans. It will be interesting to watch and see if the significantly cheaper Chrysler hybrid SUVs can draw more interest when they appear at dealers this summer followed by the smaller Saturn Vue Two-mode later this fall.

[Source: General Motors]

Volkswagen Polo : "Worthersee 2009 Concept Car"

After the Volkswagen Golf GTI : “Worthersee 2009 Concept Car”, the German manufacturer revealed also the Polo “Wörthersee 09″ concept car. The new vehicle features a “Flash Red” body color and with two black rally stripes while under the hood we find the 1.4-liter MPI version engine with 63 kW / 86 PS.

Polo “Wörthersee 09″ comes with dark contrast accessories such as grille screen, mirror caps and backdrop of the headlights. Also, the sport exhaust system offers a new and optimized sound.Inside, the concept offers a glossy finish and high-end materials.

[Source: Volkswagen]

The Leadsled Spectacular

I attended my first Spectacular a number of years ago in Wichita, KS. Robert Rolling and I drove my ‘65 Buick Riviera up for the event and proceeded to have an absolute ball. We reveled in the fact that we were the young guys in a crowd of older gentlemen. Something about it made us feel like we were in on a secret that other folks our age weren’t quite privy too. Rubbing elbows with guys like George Barris, Bill Hines, Lee Pratt, Gary Howard, and a whole lot of other custom legends just seemed to confirm the notion.

It’s now close to a decade later and I just got back from my latest Spectacular held in Salinas, KS. I have been meaning to return to the event for years and was planning on it last year when a family deal got in the way. This year, there was no stopping me. If you were around this past Friday, you read about our adventurous trip up to Kansas. I failed, however, to give you a cast of characters and maybe that’s where I should start. Our Texan caravan consisted of:

Steve Wertheimer. You all know Steve. He’s the man behind the Continental Club as well as one of the forces behind the Lonestar Round Up. You might know him as “El Jefe.” We all certainly do as he is the guy that makes sure we all stay in line and have a good time. He’s also family and one of my best pals.

Gary Howard. Gary is undoubtedly one of the most laid back and easy going fellas you are ever going to meet. Those are, of course, great qualities in any road trip partner… but it doesn’t stop there. Gary is also one of the most accomplished traditional customizers in the world and my personal favorite stylist. He’s a legend and one hell of a guy.

Lee Pratt. Another legend… “The Gentleman” is low key, quiet and reserved, smooth as silk, and a brilliant artist. He’s the guy that adds class to our bunch and he does so in spades. After our trip this weekend, I’ve decided we need to hear much more from Lee here on The Jalopy Journal. He’s got stories that don’t end and I can’t wait to tell them.

Reggie Hill. I’ve said it many times before, but Reggie is the best pure person I’ve ever met. He’s a great friend and maybe one of the best road trip partners of all time. He’s a hot rodder, hauls ass, and keeps us on pace. You couldn’t get a better guy to lead the pack to and from Kansas.

Norm Jones. Norm is the Godfather of hot rodding in Austin, Texas. He’s the guy we all hope to be when we grow up. He’s also the guy that consistently makes us laugh and keep perspective on whatever we happen to be contemplating at the time. A pure car guy…

Me. I’m the young guy, lowest on the totem pole, and by far the least accomplished of any in the crew. Frankly, I was just happy to be holding the company that I was in. I look a long ways up to each of those guys listed above and can only hope that I learn a little from each. I think “honored” is the best word to describe my attitude all weekend.

And there ya have it… The Texas crew headed up on Thursday, back on Sunday, and had a whole lot of fun in between.

For us, it really started with the drags held on Friday night. Jerry Weesner is a magician. He somehow talks the city of Salina, KS into handing over the keys to an old airstrip with little to no restrictions. With boundaries like that, you can only imagine what goes down… It’s a “no rules” drag race with a single flag start and a double flag finish. Late model Camaros matched up against traditional roadsters. Full on race cars ran against bubble top customs. Limos full of passengers went against antiques with folks hanging out of rumble seats. It was pure pandemonium… and an absolute blast to watch.

Of course, Saturday is the main attraction for most. The Spectacular is, first and foremost, a custom show and the quality was pretty damned impressive. It was great seeing so many historically significant customs sitting along new builds as well as other cars I haven’t seen since my earlier and more active KKOA days. I believe the final car count was somewhere over 1000, but other than the high numbers things haven’t changed much with the KKOA and that’s a damn good thing.

All that being said, I’ve finally concluded that I’m just not much of a car show guy. I just don’t know what to do with myself once I’ve gotten a good look at all of the cars in attendance. This past Saturday I went back to our cars, sat in a lawn chair (ha!), enjoyed the fabulous weather, and took a long nap. I needed it for the night to come.

To be honest, I don’t remember much of it. We went down to the host hotel bar and grabbed a table. While listening to the guy that used to lead the Poison Okies, a few of us managed to throw one too many down. Good times.

Of course, we paid for it this morning and the drive back to Texas wasn’t an easy one. Maybe we aren’t the young guys anymore…

Side notes:

- A special thanks to Roger Morrison for the tour of his private collection. You might notice a few pictures from the tour in this story. It was certainly a high point - His collection as well as his dedication to preservation was mighty impressive.

- Along with the images below, you can find more coverage on the HAMB, on my “from the road” blog, as well as a few videos from an experiment I was doing.

- Finally, I want to thank all of you fellas from the HAMB that were out there spreading the gospel. You all rule… and I’m sorry if I’m a little too shy to approach ya out of the blue.

Enjoy the photos: