Next summer's Concourso Italiano held during the Pebble Beach weekend in August will feature a gathering of Ferrari F40s to celebrate 20 years in the U.S. There's actually a Ferrari F40 Reunion Group and it's aiming to attract as many as, wait for it, 40 F40s to the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on August 13th.
Yes, that's right, the BMW M3 GTS isn't going to be available to U.S. customers. BMW gave no explanation in its announcement of the stripped-down weekend racer, but it probably has to do with making the thing legal for U.S. roads.
So yes, the M3 GTS can be set up for road use, but its primary purpose is serious track work. With that in mind, BMW's Motorsport division stripped the car of its rear seats, interior trim and pansy stuff like the air conditioner and stereo. They then added a roll cage, mounts for six-point seatbelts and a titanium exhaust system. Total weight is less than 3,300 pounds according to BMW.
Less weight wasn't enough though, so the Motorsport engineers also punched the V8 out to 4.4-liters. They say it makes around 450 horsepower now. Sadly, a double-clutch automatic will be the only transmission available although BMW says it was recalibrated for race use.
The chassis also received a round of race-oriented upgrades like adjustable dampers, fixed subframes and upgraded brakes. The front air dam and rear spoiler are also adjustable for tailoring the car's aero to different tracks.
Yesterday's marathon Chrysler-Fiat press conference/coming-out party wasn't entirely about EBITA and acknowledging the shortcomings of the Sebring.
Ralph Gilles, the Dodge brand's new boss, laid an Easter egg hunt on the assembled dealers, bankers and journalists. What you see above is a shot of the 2012 Dodge Charger that appeared briefly on the screen during Gilles' talk.
Gilles provided no details on the upcoming full-size rear-drive sedan, but it's obvious from the photo above that the next Charger will be a more expressive, sculpted design that draws inspiration from its historic namesake. Of course, the Charger will still be a four-door, but the sharp-edged line, rising from the front door to the tip of he rear is, well, Charger-esque. It looks a little like the four-door Charger concept vehicle of several years ago--at least from this angle.
What do we know about the platform? Only that it's an update of the existing LX platform that, if we remember correctly, Sergio Marchionne said cost so much to create that it would "shock your pants off." So there's that.
The new Pentastar 3.6-liter engine, which debuts in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee in the middle of next year, will be the volume engine, with a Hemi V8 as the upgrade. Something tells us it won't be offered with the Fiat 500's 1.4 Multiair mill.
Reporting by Dan Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
Last week we reported that sources had told Inside Line that the McLaren MP4-12C's introduction to the U.S. market might be delayed and the company had pulled out of the L.A. Auto Show next month.
McLaren responded to the report saying that although there were some discussions about showing the supercar at the L.A. show, the company eventually decided it was too early given the car's expected launch date in 2011.
We were also told that McLaren might be having difficulty setting up a North American dealer network to which a company spokesman said, "And if discussions so far are anything to go by we're not going to be short of people who want to retail the brand for us in the US."
So at this point it looks like the MP4-12C is scheduled for an early summer 2011 on sale date in the U.S.
This is yet another attempt to bring back the Trans Am glory days. It has the name and a big 455 V8 up front, but the Lingenfelter 455 T/A just doesn't look right.
Essentially a new Camaro with a heavy makeover, the LPE 455 T/A's proportions are all wrong. If anything, this vehicle highlights the size differences between the new Camaro and the first-generation version. Add on all the Trans Am bodywork and it only gets worse.
At least there's some real muscle under the hood. Lingenfelter built an all-aluminum 455 that the company claims makes 655 horsepower and 610 pound-feet of torque. There's a heavy-duty clutch setup and reinforced half shafts that feed the power to 20-inch honeycomb wheels with 315/35ZR20 tires.
Arguably the most likeable car in the current Dodge lineup, the Challenger will live on in the new Dodge car brand, receiving only a minor refresh in 2011.
The Dodge Caliber, on the other hand, will dead by 2012 (new interior notwithstanding apparently). It will be replaced by a compact Fiat-based sedan and a small B-segment car produced by Fiat and imported to the U.S. A Fiat-based C-segment sedan is also in the works.
The Dodge Avenger will get a new interior and an engine of unspecified size and horsepower (though just about anything would be better than the current offerings) in the fourth quarter of 2010. Exterior styling will be made less offensive, and there will be better NVH control in the cabin. However, this is a just a stopgap, as a new D-segment sedan will replace it sometime in 2012 or 2013.
Even more important is the refresh coming for the Dodge Grand Caravan, which is still one of the most recognizable nameplates in the Dodge brand. The DGC gets a new interior, a refreshed exterior, a retuned suspension, a new engine and improved NVH control.
Finally, an all-new 7-passenger crossover is coming, too, and it will exist along side the Grand Caravan and Dodge Journey.
Reporting by Dan Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
We knew they were coming. Camaros, and lots of them. Some would show up wearing tasteful modifications that would build on the coupe's already striking shape.
And others? Well, they would blow well past the limits of good taste and head straight into the SEMA zone, an area where usable tires, subtle paint jobs and modest amounts of chrome and carbon are rarely applied. The Camaros in our hall of shame are evidence that you want to avoid the SEMA zone and keep it simple. Please.
This is something cool I came across in Ford's SEMA booth. It's called the Mustang Dream Giveaway and it's a sweepstakes to benefit the Healing Heroes Network, an organization dedicated to assembling a network of health providers willing to donate services to treat injured American soldiers.
So, it's a good cause and the prizes are these two awesome Mustangs. The one on the left is a 1967 Shelby GT500 with a 428 cubic inch engine and a 4-speed manual transmission. And the one on the right is a 2010 Shelby GT500 called the Patriot Edition. It's the only 2010 Shelby to be painted Wimbleton White with guardsman blue stripes. That's right, it's one of one and it can be yours.
One ticket is just $3 (but they'll sell you as many tickets as you want) and can be purchased at winthemustang.com/sema or call toll free 877-700-8946. They even take credit cards.
The winner of these two incredible Mustangs will be announced on July 4th, 2010. Good luck.
Kia Motors announced today that it will enter the 2010 Grand Am KONI Sports Car Challenge Series in the Street Tuner class with two race-prepped Forte Koups. The company hooked up with the Kinetic Group of Atlanta to build and run the two-car team in the series which features vehicles from the U.S., Europe and Asia.
John Hennessey is using this turbocharged Hyundai Genesis Coupe to promote his Tuner School -- a 14-week program designed to launch its students into the world of aftermarket tuning. Based at his Texas facility, the school covers engine building, forced induction and dyno testing -- all of which makes us wonder why there's no power claim for this single-turbo Genesis Coupe the company built.
Continue reading Hennessey Performance Engineering Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
Well, not all of it will be production, but GM Vice President of Design Ed Welburn did note that there will be a special-edition Camaro available early next year in this very color. He also noted that the rear spoiler will eventually become a factory accessory if you're into that sort of thing.
Actually, many of the exterior pieces found on the Camaro Synergy are already factory accessories, like the front and rear fascias and extended rocker panels. A lowering kit, upgraded brakes and a few interior upgrades are the only non-factory parts on this project.
Yes, another Jay Leno project car from GM. This time it's a twin-turbo version of the 2010 Camaro V6. Leno says it makes 425 horsepower thanks to the addition of Turbonetics T-3 turbos and an air-to-air intercooler. And who are we to doubt the Great Leno?
Developed as a modern day Z-28 of sorts, this Camaro also sits lower on revised springs and uses a six-piston Brembo brake package. There are also revised front and rear fascias and even functional brake-cooling ducts in the rear quarter panels.
Jay told GM's chief designer Ed Welburn that this is what a new Z-28 should be: lightweight and able to turn. Welburn just smiled and nodded like he always does, so whether this is a hint of things to come is anybody's guess.
Welcome to the SEMA Show 2009.
That's what I said to myself when I arrived at the Las Vegas Convention Center today and found this radical flat silver 2010 Chevy Camaro SS in the DUB booth on my way to pick up my media credential. See those Forgiato wheels. Well, they measure 24-inches in diameter and wear massive Pirelli tires; 275/25ZR24 front and 405/25ZR24 rear. No that is not a typo.
Oh yeah, and it's for sale.
Continue reading 2010 Chevy Camaro SS Rollin' on 24s: Welcome to SEMA.
The aftermarket circus known as the SEMA show opens tomorrow, so if you're going to have a car there it better be leaving by today. Hyundai sent us these shots of two of its projects as it loaded up for the show. One is obviously a GReddy-tuned Genesis coupe while the other is the V8-powered Genesis coupe build by Rhys Millen Racing. We'll have live show shots of both cars by tomorrow afternoon.
Rarely do the words "tasteful" and "Mustang" go together. There's just something about America's pony car that brings out the worst of the aftermarket.
Thankfully, the new Mustang RTR is not one of those instances. Factory Ford drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. saw the gaping hole in the market for a modified Mustang that didn't look like it crashed into an Autozone and created the Mustang RTR.
The mechanical upgrades are mild. A cold air intake, new mufflers and a set of cross drilled Baer brakes are the biggies. There's also a set of 19-inch wheels with Falken FK452 tires and new springs that lower the car an inch and a half.
On the cosmetic side, the Mustang RTR gets a full aero upgrade that includes a deep front splitter, rear diffuser, revised sills and a mild aluminum spoiler. The interior changes are limited to adding the "RTR" logo to various parts like the floormats, shifter and speedometer.
The Mustang RTR will be available through any Ford dealer starting in February of next year for $7,800.
Spy Photo: BMW Z4 M Sport Package
October 30, 2009 8:21 AM
Cadillac CTS-V Challenge: So Yeah, BMW Kinda Won
October 29, 2009 1:14 PM
Cadillac CTS-V Challenge: Heinricy Is Fastest Ringer
October 29, 2009 12:25 PM
Cadillac CTS-V Challenge: Oh Yeah, That Lutz Guy
October 29, 2009 11:57 AM
Cadillac CTS-V Challenge: The (GM) Empire Strikes Back
October 29, 2009 11:45 AM