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Switzer Performance P800 997 Twin-Turbo: The world is never enough
You know what the biggest problem with Porshce's 997 Turbo is? Too slow. They're like German desert tortoises. Just kinda clumsy and always in the way. 480 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque rotating all four wheels might sound fast on paper, but it just isn't. Understanding this, Porsche came out with the more powerful GT2. However, 530 horsepower is still like standing still and rear-wheel drive is for drag racers. You need the traction of AWD, and something with more power than some dirty old Cadillac. A lot more power.
Meet the Switzer Perfomance P800 997. Here's the quick stats: 800 hp, zero-to-sixty in less than three seconds and the quarter-mile in just a smidge over ten seconds. Now that's fast. Oh yeah — the P800's AWD, too. No… Read the rest of this entry
Matching Camaros commemorate 40th anniversary of 1969 Yenko 427
2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the legendary 1969 Yenko Camaro. The king of classic Camaros, the Yenko was the clever creation of Don Yenko, owner of a Chevy dealership in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, who figured out Camaros could be ordered with an L-72 427CI V8 through GM's Central Office Production Order program, originally intended as fleet vehicles for police cars and taxi cabs. Each car came equipped with power disc brakes, a 4.10 rear end, upgraded suspension, a heavy duty radiator, front and rear spoilers, a cowl-induction hood, and plenty of Yenko badges and graphics. Just over 200 '69 Yenko Camaros were built, making them some of the most rare and valuable muscle cars in existence today.
To commemorate the anniversary, Chop, Cut, Rebuild teamed up with Original Equipment Reproduction (OER) and D&P Classic Chevy to build a Yenko Camaro tribute car. The goal was to… Read the rest of this entry
Would you like your Ferrari 458 Italia in brown? What about purple?
Although most Ferrari owners prefer their prancing horses in red, others maintain few things are more boring than another Maranello masterwork tinted scarlet. Ferrari will likely build you its latest 458 Italia in whatever color you chose, provided you're willing to pay for it, but it stands to reason that when a model is introduced, it's rolled out in Ferrari's traditional Rosso Corsa.
Ferrarichat user JimF is apparently afflicted with a heavy case of Red-Ferrari-Ennui. Rather than just complain about the lack of chromatic variation, Jim fired up Photoshop and set about using the power of paths and transfer modes to show the new Italian in a variety of alternative hues. His work is nicely done, and the unexpected colors better show off the Italia's sculpting. Hit the gallery and hunt down your favorite color below.
Gallery:Ferrari 458 Italia colors
[Source: Carscoop]
REPORT: Penske talking to Renault to supply vehicles to Saturn
Remember the rumor that Roger Penske is looking to bring Renault back to America via his recently-procured network of Saturn dealerships? Consider it a rumor no more, as the deed has been confirmed by none other than Renault's chief operating officer Patrick Pelata, who said in a recent interview:
“He is looking for cars to sell. He has looked at all car makers, and he has seen that Renault has a nice line-up, sharing power trains with Nissan that are obviously adapted to the U.S. market… He's asking us: 'Do you want to sell us cars?' and we are discussing about how to sell him cars.”
Considering that Nissan and Renault have plans to share virtually all new engines and Nissan is already well established in the U.S. market, it may make sense for the French automaker to supply Saturn-badged vehicles to Penske once GM stops producing… Read the rest of this entry
Toyota announces pricing for 2010 models, upgraded engine for FJ Cruiser
Toyota's 2010 lineup will receive a suite of aesthetic, performance, and safety changes and minor price bumps, beginning with the FJ Cruiser. ToMoCo's chunky 'ute gets engine mods that include dual VVT-i and roller rocker arms, returning 19 more horsepower and one additional mile per gallon, with a price increase of just $360. At the other end, the 2010 Yaris will count things like Vehicle Stability Control and traction control as standard on the whole range, and the MSRP gets nudged up by $150.
The RAV4 Limited gets a little more chrome inside, and the price doesn't change. Nor does the price change on the Highlander, unless you want the stainless steel exhaust tip that will run you $50. But the SUV does offer more amenities on the base model, including a backup camera and moonroof.
The Avalon's price goes up by $100. For that… Read the rest of this entry
REPORT: Massa to check out of hospital on Monday
More good news on the Felipe Massa front today as reports from AEK military hospital in Budapest indicate that the Brazilian driver will be flown back to his home country via private jet on Monday. Previously, it was expected that the Ferrari pilot, who suffered a fractured skull after a loose spring impacted his helmet in qualifying at the Hungarian GP, would be taken to Piti? Salp?tri?re hospital in Paris for further treatment.
Massa's physician Dino Altmann, seen above answering questions from reporters, had positive things to say regarding the 28-year-old's recovery, denying that there was any damage to Massa's left eye. “In Brazil, he will continue his recovery and will go back into racing as soon as possible. I think this decision says all you need to know [about his condition],” he said. When told that Michael Schumacher was to take over his duties for… Read the rest of this entry
REPORT: 2010 Chevy Silverado XFE updated to achieve best-in-class 22 mpg highway
A couple of years ago, pickup truck comparisons were all about power and towing capacity. Today, fuel efficiency is the new battleground. For the 2009 model year, the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado XFE took their fuel economy figures up a notch by hitting 21 mpg on the highway and 15 in the city. Then Ford unveiled the F-150 SFE that matched those numbers, though without requiring the use of a tonneau cover. The Blue Oval dropped the SFE badge for 2010, but kept the improved fuel economy.
General Motors, however, is not content with a tie, and is upping the EPA numbers for its 2010 XFE Silverado and Sierra to 22 mpg on the highway, which just so happens to match the highway figure for the Sierra Hybrid. The combined fuel economy of both GMT900 trucks has also increased from 17 to 18 mpg.
REPORT: Next-generation Audi A8 to get handwriting recognition?
As automakers continue to pile on the features to their high-end offerings, the connection between human and machine gets increasingly complicated. BMW was one of the first automakers to tackle the issue of button/switch overload with iDrive, only to enrage and alienate reviewers and owners alike. Despite the difficulties with using a control knob, Audi, Mercedes, Infiniti, Honda and others have adopted the interface with varying degrees of success.
Now Audi is reportedly trying a different approach for the next generation A8 which may or may not debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. AutoBild reports that the A8 may add a touchpad to the mix with handwriting recognition. Presumably drivers will be able to write out the letters for an address on the touch pad rather than using a rotary dial to pick them out. While using the dial can be a clunky process, handwriting… Read the rest of this entry
Not a Bull Market: Lamborghini Sales and Profits Plunge
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Lamborghini's sales, revenue and profits are all down for the first half of 2009. Sales in the U.S. were down 52 percent. (Photo courtesy of Lamborghini)
SANT'AGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy — Automobili Lamborghini saw unit sales, revenues and profits all plunge in the first half, as the ongoing global recession took a major bite out of luxury goods.
The company, which has launched several new models in the past year, said worldwide vehicle sales dropped 37 percent, from 1,309 to 825 cars. The decline was steepest in the U.S., where unit sales dropped 52 percent, from 431 to 207 units. European sales were mixed — down in Germany and the U.K., relatively stable in Italy and France. Sales also dropped in the Middle East, Lamborghini's fourth-largest global market, but jumped in China.
Lamborghini in the past year has introduced the Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder, the Murci?lago LP670-4 SuperVeloce,… Read the rest of this entry
“Tell Fritz” Is Swamped With Consumers Seeking Access to GM CEO
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Anyone from Bob Lutz to the man on the street can ask General Motors President and CEO Fritz Henderson a question online. (Photo courtesy of GMreinvention.com)
DETROIT — It seemed like a good idea as General Motors emerged from bankruptcy — offer the public unprecedented access to GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson via a folksy blog called “Tell Fritz.” But in a video update of the feature on Gmreinvention.com, Henderson says “I can't humanly answer all the questions.”
“Two-thirds of the feedback had to do with our bankruptcy,” Henderson said. He also said there have been lots of questions “on the product side” but worried that “Bob blogs anonymously,” a reference to GM Vice Chairman and product guru Bob Lutz.
“We get customer complaints,” Henderson said. “I've got a small team who follow up on everyone.” He added: “It's about pouncing on those” and trying… Read the rest of this entry
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