Alois Ruf called us from Disneyland. At first we thought he meant the small but well-known Ruf factory in Pfaffenhausen, Germany, which Porsche freaks regard as a kind of fantasyland for high-performance Porsches, where anything is possible. But actually it was the regular Disneyland in Los Angeles (even the families of German car executives come to the Happiest Place on Earth, apparently), and Ruf was inviting us to see the latest product of his own clever, Disneylike elves, the 2011 Ruf Roadster.
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Categories: More Categories,Sports Cars,Tuners and Modifications
So while it would initially seem like there should be less and less camo on cars as they get closer and closer to production, that's not always the case. Take for example, the 2013 Ford Fusion prototype we've spied wearing more camo than the last time we saw it.
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Categories: Ford,More Categories
Ever the promoter, Jim Wangers promised us "a hokey little show" to accompany the unveiling of the reincarnated 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge being built by Big 3 Performance that will bear his signature.
Billows of smoke engulfed a garage door, from behind which came the rumble and roar of a big V8. The door opened and there was Wangers behind the wheel of an iridescent orange GTO, smiling like a kid of 23 (not 83), as the unmistakable prow of his latest automotive endeavor parted the smokescreen.
Wangers, as the logo on his golf shirt proudly proclaims, is the "Godfather of the GTO," based on the innovative marketing tactics (and at times pure hokum) he devised to enhance the high-performance image of the model created in 1965 by Pontiac's Russell Gee, Bill Collins and John DeLorean. The promotional campaign that Wangers managed so successfully tapped into America's love of fast cars that it ignited the muscle car craze of the 1960s.
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Categories: Carnival of Cars,Manufacturers,More Categories,Pontiac,Tuners and Modifications
Practice for the Indy 500 began this week and traditional Pole Day qualifying takes place on Saturday, May 9. This is the second year after the Champ Car series was absorbed into the Indy Racing League, so the sharp end of the field is surprisingly strong considering the economic climate.
After persistent rain this week, Marco Andretti has been quick in the Andretti Green Racing version of the IRL standard-issue Dallara-Honda, perhaps because he is as wild and aggressive as both his father and grandfather were at the same age. "It's definitely a good start," said Andretti, who has finished second and third in three 500 Mile Race starts. "It definitely shows that we have the speed. On our own we're still not quite sure. We got a lot of tows today, which is a good thing, but a lot of times we don't know where we truly stack up."
Meanwhile Helio Castroneves has been fast in his Penske Racing entry, and has something to prove in the wake of his acquittal on federal tax evasion charges. Tony Kanaan, Castroneves' former roommate when they were newly arrived in America as young drivers from Brazil, also has a little something to prove, as he is letting his hair grow out until he wins another IRL race, a consequence of a bet he made with 2008 Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti before the Long Beach IRL event.
So far, the competition looks promising for the 93th running of the Indianapolis 500, which takes place on Sunday, May 24th. As of Thursday, six different teams have been represented in the top ten, notably Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, Panther Racing and Target Chip Ganassi Racing. So far some 32 combinations of car and driver have seen on the track and speeds of 225 mph have been recorded. It seems like another typical Indy, with A.J.Foyt, Jr. running his car for A.J. Foyt IV and promotions like the "Body by Milk" marketing campaign featuring Danica Patrick.
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Categories: More Categories,Motorsports
