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Mitsubishi Evo MR *finally* arriving in dealers this June!
2008-05-22 18:31:00
The MR is finally arriving! Announced last year with the "entry-level" GSR, it's production for the North American market has been delayed by a long tuning process and by partner Getrag's issues with ramping up production for the new transmissions. Nonetheless, it has been in production for the Japan domestic market all along, and it's been tested extensively and reported to be absolutely phonomenal, with it's TC-SST uncannily shifting perfectly for any and all conditions - road or track. The MR is loaded with technology, focusing on it's dual-clutch automated manual transmission and continuing to it's long list of equipment sourced from some of the most famous parts companies in the world: Getrag, BBS, Recaro, Brembo, Bilstein, and Eibach.  Rumors of the TC-SST running hot in track conditions have not been proven or disproven. I've been studying the dealer training manuals and repair manuals for the new transmisison and I've f...
More About: Mitsubishi , June , Finally

24 hour endurance race at The Nurburgring this weekend
2008-05-22 15:25:00
The 36th annual "ADAC Zurich 24h-Rennen" 24-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring runs this weekend. 230 "showroom stock" (mostly) type entrants, 800 drivers, and an astounding number of fans in attendance. If you're not there in person (and this is one of the premier events in the world that you must attend at least once in your lifetime), you can at least watch on the live webcam on via several enthusiast sites and blogs. Here's the official site, in English: http://adac.24h-rennen.de/en.html Keep an eye on this site for live video streaming: http://adac.24h-rennen.de/en/live/streami ng.html Live webcam (hit refresh to get the latest picture) http://www.nuerburgring.de/fileadmin/webc am/webcam.jpg :
More About: Race , Weekend , Hour , Endurance

Britain gets a new FQ-360 Evo X
2008-05-22 14:46:00
If you don't know what "FQ" stands for, you've been off the planet over the past few years. Mitsubishi of Britain has built their special line of "FQ" Evos for several years now, culminating in an "FQ-450" model in the Evo IX. If you haven't figured it out by now, "FQ" stands for "F***ing Quick" and the number is the horsepower.  With all-wheel drive, excellent handling, and the traction to actually put down the power in all sorts of conditions - the car is indeed "FQ" and qualifies as a true supercar. 0-60 in as little as the high 3-second range in the higher-end FQs. Built by Mitsubishi of Britain (with partner HKS), with full warranty by Mitsubishi of Britain. Yes, a modified Evo with a factory warranty. Presumably somebody would even finance it for you! And now, based on the Evo X, the new FQ-360: The engine makes 354 brake HP, and 364 lb-ft of torque.The car is only available (for now) with the base 5-speed manual, although Mitsubishi of Br...

Cosworth supercharger kit for the Miata
2008-05-22 14:36:00
Real driving enthusiasts appreciate a wide variety of performance cars.. .so I'll take a break my my near-constant streeam of Camaro and Mustang news this week to relay you to the JDM Insider site for a report on the Cosworth supercharging kit for the Miata (er, MX-5). It's nearly ready for sale and with 210 horses at the rear wheels it promises to transform the otherwise slow Miata into a real performance car. With excellent handling already built into the Miata, and with additional handling upgrades readily available, this kit looks to be the finishing touch to a very capable car. With the top down, this could be almost as much fun to drive as an S2000 - but with far more torque. And the weight of the new folding-metal hardtop option would be easily offset by all this newfound torque. Hmmm....... Read the original story here: http://jdm-insider.com/Blogs/Eric/?p=898& nbsp;(suggest right-click and Open in New Tab). Big question: will an engine-driven supercharger on a h...
More About: Mazda

Team Mustang also very active
2008-05-22 13:52:00
While Team Camaro puts the finishing touches on the upcoming all-new Camaro, Ford 's own Team Mustang is doing basic competitive research into "muscle car" ownership. While the upcoming restyled 2010 Mustang is a simple restyle, and while this information will help in the marketing of that vehicle, the attributes of that car are already set in stone and can't be changed. So much of this research will be used to define the character of the all-new 2012-timeframe Mustang. Ford Press Release follows: MUSTANG TEAM GOES EXTRA MILE TO DISCERN NEEDS AND WANTS OF PERFORMANCE CAR OWNERS Ford goes to great lengths to gather firsthand quality and satisfaction data from customers  Mustang owners are passionate about their pony cars and generally more satisfied that owners of competitive makes   DEARBORN, Mich., May 21, 2008 - There are more Mustangs on the road in Tampa, Fla., than anywhere else in the country, so Paul Randle and his team headed south. The Must...
More About: Active

Camaro5.com gets Camaro production line images
2008-05-22 04:23:00
The folks at Camaro 5.com have pulled off a second scoop in the same day: images of a pre-production Camaro going down the asssembly line at GM's Oshawa assembly plant. No, the Camaro is not going into pre-production phase: that doesn't happen until the end of the year. And there won't be any production cars built (for-sale) until February. Instead, these very early cars save money since they don't have to be built by hand, they test assemblies received from contractors, they ensure the car will go together properly when the time comes, and they allow engineers to make (very) minor changes if they should be needed. Above all, they help ensure that Job#1 will be RIGHT. And while I'm not on the market for a new Camaro, as a Driving Enthusiast and car nut I'm always interested in seeing how things go together. In this case, two things stand out right away: the inherent strength of the structure, including the front strut attachment and reinforcement (look at each side of the stru...
More About: Images , Production , Line

Camaro5.com has the scoop on the latest Camaro focus group
2008-05-21 22:04:00
General Motors product development engineers have been busy finalizing details of the upcoming 5th-gen Camaro , and the Camaro5.com forum has an inside story on the focus group that was held by GM in their product development center last weekend. Several lucky very fortunate forum members were invited to attend and were treated to a unique - but confidential - show. "Maximum" Bob Lutz even did a fly-by in his personal jet plane!       ; What is a focus group? It's a formal meeting (usually with a non-disclosure agreement in place) held by a vendor to brings together groups of existing and/or potential owners to show them future products and to methodically solicit reaction/feedback to specific items. In this example, the attendees were asked a long list of questions pertaining to specific parts. One exampel was about the feel of certain controls (sound, click, travel, tactil...
More About: Scoop , Focus , Group

Is this the missing Ford SVT Contour commercial?
2008-05-21 16:27:00
One of the many public criticisms of SVT was that it didn't advertise it's products. That's not exactly true... although finding advertisements is very tough. Here's what's been billed as an unaired SVT Contour commerical. I don't believe it was actually intended as a television commercial - for one thing it's way too long. And I have all all of this video in a collection of SVT training videos for dealer sales personnel that I have in my library. So in my opinion it was created as part of dealer training material.  I'm a fan of the SVT Contour and Focus and have extensively driven both of them. An SVT Contour would have made a nice successor to my line of SHOs, and it's stealthy appearance would have worked well for my driving style. The transmission wasn't great (although it was a lightyear ahead of the manual in the old SHOs), body roll was a bit much, but suspension compliace and "livability" were very nicely set up for an enthusiast sedan. A pity that F...
More About: Ford , Commercial , Missing

Is your engine properly SAE certified?
2008-05-18 22:20:00
WARRENDALE, Pa., May 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The LS9 engine in General Motor's (GM) 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 holds the distinction of being the 100th engine certified through SAE International's Engine Power Test Code - Engine Power and Torque Certification (J1349). The 2009 Corvette ZR1 engine is certified at 638 hp at 6,500 rpm, with 604 lb-ft torque at 3,800 rpm. Engine certification is based on a series of self-certification tests conducted by the manufacturer that are witnessed and verified by an SAE-qualified observer. The procedure for certification is outlined in SAE's standard J2723; the actual horsepower testing procedure is described in J1349. Although engine manufacturers are free to cite power and torque figures derived from testing conducted outside the scope of the SAE standards, only those that strictly follow all of the SAE procedures can claim to be "SAE J1349 Certified Power." In addition to GM's Corvette ZR1, other GM engines as well as those fro...

Chrysler Cordoba: past, present, and future
2008-05-18 12:56:00
Surfing some old car commercials, I came up with the classic Cordoba commercial from the past, starring - of course - Ricardo Montalban: And what of the present? Where have all the Cordobas gone? Being a car nut, I routinely scan the road in my travels... and I spotted one just last month. It appeared to be in perfect shape, as though it had been restored. Apparently there are still a few around, including this one owned by the neighbor from Hell - a redneck who takes the value of the entire neighborhood down the drain (fortunately, it's not my neighbor): But what of the future? What will become of the famous Cordoba name? Will genetically-enhanced beings across the galaxy enjoy the pleasures of fine Corinthian Leather? The 1975-1979 Cordobas were the most well-known years of the brand. They were built in the hundreds of thousands and were a great success for Chrysler . The quality at the time was probably a bi...
More About: Movies , Future , Past , Present

Camaro5.com: the premier source of all things 5th-gen
2008-05-15 21:21:00
Camaro5.com a great site, and it's run well. Better yet, they always have the absolute latest imagery of the upcoming all-new Camaro. This time it's a detailed interior shot and it's an opportunity to see a lot of previously unknown details. Follow the link in the title above to their forum for the full discussion. Reaction to the retro interior is decidedly mixed amoungst the readers. There are problems with the radio and steering wheel. The placement of the secondary gauges on the console - while true to the original car - is also not well received. To me, the low dashboard and raised major gauges serve to lighten up the interior. The Camaro is a large car - perhaps too large. The dashboard could well have been cavernous - but instead is expansive.  I do have a problem with the steering wheel - it looks too much like the one in the Mustang and I never liked round airbag pads. It reminds me of a bumper car in an amusement park. The radio and climate controls ...
More About: Source , Things , Camaro , Premier

S2000 sales for April fail to measure up
2008-05-15 01:14:00
Yet another troubling sales month for the S2000. April should have shown a strong spring sales increase... instead it barely grew from March (orange line). Look at the chart below showing the sales increase for April of years past... this year hardly changed.
More About: Sales

JPCN has the 370Z image!
2008-05-14 22:23:00
This is it - the 2009 Nissan 370Z. Scooped 6 months before it's debut at the Los Angeles show. No further details are known beyond it's 3.7 liter powerplant. Continue at the source for the full story: http://jpcnews.blogspot.com/2008/05/say-i t-aint-so-370z-finally-breaks.html 
More About: Image , Nissan Z

2008 Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin spotted on the road
2008-05-14 15:52:00
The Ford 2008 Sport Trac Adrenalin has been out since January 2007... but I've never seen one until Tuesday. I was beginning to wonder if they'd been delayed. I spotted the Red Adrenalin (as in the Ford Press picture below) travelling northbound on I-40, well south of Nashville. My impression: *very* sharp and distinctive looking. And IMHO eliminating the chrome grill is something that should be done on the Explorer as well - it's the single worst styling feature of these vehicles (you may have noted a spy picture of an Explorer with an updated grill that was published several months ago - it may well have been a prototype of the 2009 Explorer). My only remaining problem with the styling on these vehicles is that the front end appears narrower than it is... narrow and boxy. What ever happened to low and wide front ends? My original Adrenalin posting:  http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog /2007/10/27.html#a2248 I'm a big fan of the Explorer, having put 14...
More About: Road , On The Road

Infiniti G37 Convertible confirmed
2008-05-14 00:50:00
Nissan has revealed some interesting information about future models in it's new business plan. Top of the list is a "G37 Convertible ". We already know about the new "Z", which is scheduled to be shown for the first time at the Los Angeles show this November. Other interesting news includes a 2010 model all-electric vehicle for the U.S. Nissan Press Release follows (G37 highlight in red is mine):  - Nissan GT 2012 Mid-term Business Plan Unveiled -   TOKYO (May 13, 2008) – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., today announced financial results for the fiscal year 2007, ending March 31, 2008, and filed the following results with the Tokyo Stock Exchange: Net revenues of 10.824 trillion yen (US $94.62 billion, euro 66.98 billion) Operating profit of 790.8 billion yen (US $6.91 billion, euro 4.89 billion) Ordinary profit of 766.4 billion yen (US $6.70 billion, euro 4.74 billion) Consolidated net income of 482.3 billion yen (US $4.22 billion, euro 2.98 billion) Operating pro...
More About: Infiniti

Windows7 video - real or fake?
2008-05-13 23:47:00
Activewin.com, one of my daily reads, thinks this may be a preview of the upcoming Windows7. If it's real, Windows7 will be a nice jump up. If not, somebody has a nice imagination. I tend towards the former. Remembering previous Windowes development cycles, in which I've been an alpha and beta tester all the way back to Windows 95, this is the kind of experimentation Microsoft would be doing internally. That doens't mean all the code works... this may be a simulation... but I do believe this is from Microsoft. In any case, while there has been no official word, I'm hoping for a preview build to test before the end of the year.  Read more: http://www.activewin.com/awin/comments.as p?HeadlineIndex=43711 View video:
More About: Video , Fake , Real , Windows 7

Video: '09 Challenger SRT8 braun vs brains
2008-05-07 03:49:00
Nice little video from The Dodge Boys. Road testers have already called the "brains" part pretty much a toy...
More About: Video , Brains , Dodge Challenger , Braun , Challenger

Rocketry in takes off in Texas hill country high school
2008-05-05 15:23:00
This is a very interesting video of a Fredericksburg, TX high school teacher and his annual rocketry project for his students. This yeary the goal is 100,000 feet of altitude. Over the yearys they've worked their way upwards, past 10,000 feet, past the sound barrier, and more. The students are enthused, encouraged to learn science topics that they wouldn't of otherwise, and build a sense of accomplishment and confidence. But more importantly, this and the other schools doing this have found a way to foster interest in science, math, and physics. All tough topics that have been in decline for years. Could science programs like this lead to a resurgence of interest in these topics, as similar programs in the 50s and 60s did?  
More About: Country , School , High School , Texas , High

Barry Newman drives the production 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8
2008-05-01 15:06:00
Barry Newman, star of the 1971 cult classic "Vanishing Point", will always be associated with the Dodge Challenger because of his epic cross-country race in a then-new white Challenger in the movie. So who better to interview and put behind the wheel of a production 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 than he? Motor Trend does just that: http://www.motortrend.com/av/features/112 _0804_2008_dodge_challenger_srt8_barry_ne wman_interview_video Follow the link to the video and thru to the accompanying article. If you're not familiar with "Vanishing Point", read the review here: CarMovieEnthusiast.com and buy the movie here thru Amazon.com: There was also a remake from 1997 starring Viggo Mortensen. And while it's weak, and while we'd expect better from Viggo, an original white Challenger is still the highlight of this film: An interesting question for my readers: how many of you will buy your Challenger in white?  
More About: Production , Barry

AutoWeek on the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8
2008-05-01 14:34:00
AutoWeek reviews the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. Follow the link in the title of this post to AutoWeek. The review is generally good, repeating all we've heard before about Dodge's new ponycar. But there are a couple of ominous words in the review. The 4th paragraph in reminds the reader that this car is built from a shortened 300C/Charger platform. 4 inches taken out of the wheelbase still leaves the wheelbase 9 inches longer than the Mustang. And the SRT8 weighs in at 4140, 200 pounds more than a Shelby Mustang coupe. The driving sensations are quote "an interesting blend of past and present...the big vehicle feeling both agile and stable up to a point. When pushed harder, the Challenger does begin to show its weight and wallows a bit... They also tuned the shocks for some lift-throttle attitude change, because understeer is pronounced, and the wheel, which feels ship-large in the hands, takes a lot of angle to crank into an apex. We didn't like that in 1970, and we still...
More About: Dodge Challenger

The other Ford EcoBoost: 1.6 liter 4 cylinder
2008-04-30 16:52:00
Automotive News (April 28, 2008) reports that Ford has developed a new 1.6 liter DOHC 4-cylinder direct-injected and turbocharged engine branded as EcoBoost in Europe.  This is the third use of the EcoBoost brand so far, after the 2 liter and 3.5 liter EcoBoost engines in North America. Ford's Bridgend plant in Southern Wales will build the engine and it will be used in the Focus, Mondeo, S-Max, and Fiesta models in Europe. The new engine is aimed at offering a more economical and cleaner (particularly CO2) alternative to the larger 2 and 2.3 liter engines currently offered. Ford of Europe will also export up to 300,000 of these engines to the United States by the end of 2009 for an unspecified model. We know that the Fiesta and Focus European models are coming to North America after that timeframe so this is likely, along with the eventual Fusion or Fusion replacement. No photos or technical information is available yet.
More About: Liter , Cylinder

Jay Leno's Garage - blog and RSS feed
2008-04-29 18:22:00
Great news - Jay has joined the blogging community. You can now follow his adventures on his blog (with RSS feed). Blog : http://blog.nbc.com/jaysgarage/ RSS feed: http://blog.nbc.com/jaysgarage/index.xml
More About: Media , Garage , Feed , Jay Leno

Jay Leno drives the GT-R - but will it last?
2008-04-29 00:54:00
Jay Leno s Garage features his take on the Nissan GT-R. As you know, and as Jay says, this is the "1st Japanese Supercar". 480 HP, AWD, dual-clutch, fabulous handling that out-races any 911 or the Z06 on the racetrack. This is hardcore stuff... yet emminently driveable and civil. When the upcoming "V-Spec" model comes out it will be even more so... and will undoubtedly defeat any late-comers like the ZR-1. This video is probably the most extensive and up-close look at a left-hand drive GT-R. And as you might expect, Jay drive sit extensively, and of course demonstrates the launch control. But is there a "fly in the ointment"? Japanese tuners have already broken the codes in the engine computer and have passed 600 horsepower at the crank. But they are starting to wonder about the durability of the dual-clutch transmission. Seems that two small clutches may not be as durable as one large one. Or at least that's the theory... nothing has been proven yet and it's too soon to have an...
More About: Media , Jay Leno

Movie preview: Wanted
2008-04-27 18:53:00
Angelina Jolie, lots of guns, a car chase, and a red Viper. What could be better? (Well, a plot, but nevermind). With very limited "car movies" in theaters this summer. "Wanted " seems to be the one to see. In theaters, June 27th. The trailer. Be patient, the red Viper will be seen after the necessary background: The following video shows Angelina shooting from the hood of the red Viper.
More About: Movies , Movie , Preview

Movie: The Hitcher
2008-04-27 18:32:00
Thunderous downpour & torrential rain resulted in a sleepless night for me. What to do in the foggy haze of the morning? Watch a car movie! Thanks to a million variations of HBO on my cable system, I found a car movie I'd never seen before: "The Hitcher ". From 2007. Sean Bean, Sophia Bush. Just right for this morning, this was a thoroughly violent (although sometimes predictable in the sense of "don't go thru that door")  "B"-grade movie. A young college couple (driving an Olds 442) picks up a hitchhiker out in the middle of nowhere, who of course turns out to be an absolute psychopath. Gee, who ever guess that a raggedly-dressed hitchhiker by the side of the road wouldn't be safe to pick up? This does of course result in numerous grissly murders, long chase scenes over the isolated southwest, and (just to irk the viewers) stereotypically-stupid cops misunderstanding who the murderer actually is - until he kills several of the...
More About: Movies , Movie

Garage419: Evo vs STI - Part 2
2008-04-26 12:19:00
Garage 419 brings us Part 2 of their dyno comparison between the STI and Evo. In this episode, the STI gets modified, while the Evo remains stock.
More About: Subaru

New Microsoft OneNote Blog
2008-04-25 23:52:00
Jeff Cardon of the Microsoft OneNote development team has started a new blog on OneNote Tips & Tricks: blog: http://onenotetips.blogspot.com/  RSS feed: http://onenotetips.blogspot.com/feeds/pos ts/default?alt=rss OneNote is a true "killer application", especially for driving enthusiasts. Look over my prior Microsoft blog postings, or especially at this one where OneNote and a TabletPC is used to record track tips right on a map of the track.  See the postings here: http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog /categories/computersMicrosoftOffice2007/ 2006/02/28.html#a1329 and the track map here: Whether you've got a TabletPC or not, this is the killer way to store your notes at the track. Alignments, tire pressures, other setup infirmation, notes on the track, events results, and more. I also use it at my work and on my home PC - everything is stored in OneNote, nothing is written on paper, and everything is searchable (even your handwriting and images).
More About: Blog , Office 2007

ZR-1 at 205 MPH
2008-04-25 23:34:00
It's always nice to see a manufacturer testing their performance car at the absolute limits... and holding it there.  While few people will have an opportunity to go over 200 MPH in their lifetime, this kind of testing is still very important because it shows how durable the engine, drivetrain, and especially the integrity of the aero and cooling engineering. Even for thos eof us on conventional" racetracks, who may only hit ~150 briefly, this kind of testing ensures the car will repeatedly hit that ~150 in any kind of temperature - be it the nice cool summers of the Finger Lakes at Watkins Glen, or the blisteirng hot summers of Texas at TWS. Kudos to GM for the engineering of the ZR-1 engine and the entire package. Especially note the two intercooler cores. The following video was supplied by GM's new blog "GMnext": http://blog.gmnext.com/?p=133 - note the RSS subscription that is available!

Speculation mounts on next S2000 and NSX
2008-04-20 16:00:00
According to Autocar in Europe: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle .aspx?AR=232305, Honda is close to finishing up the styling of the next-gen NSX. The bad news is that it resembles the Corvette. Hmmm... the market demographics are certainly not the same... But the far more interesting suggestion they also offer is that the next-gen S2000 chassis will also be shared by Acura, both for the NSX and for an SLK-type folding-hardtop roadster from it. And we already know that the next NSX will be front-engined. :SPECULATION MODE ON This could mean that some sensible plans are coming together - both to solve the issue of the NSX' cost and the issue of an S2000 follow-on. We've known for a long time that S2000 sales couldn't be sustained, much less grow, from the high point of the first few years (see the monthly sales charts on my S2000 blog to study the sales right back to the beginning). The car is too specialized for a wider market and the hand-bui...

Microsoft Expression Media for photo galleries on your site
2008-04-19 15:30:00
I've been promoting the benefits of Microsoft FrontPage - and now it's replacement Microsoft Expression Web. Expression Web is the best way to create your own website: it's simple enough for complete web amateurs to use, and powerful enough for web professionals - especially with it's new CSS and standards support. One concern is migrating from FrontPage to Expression Web. If you're not using any special features of FrontPage you can do it with no preparation or training - but of course that doesn't mean you'll be taking advantage of new features in Expression Web or building standards-compliant websites. Fortunately, training is available online for free from several sites and of course Amazon.com has several excellent books. And a nice training disc also comes with Expression Web. A complication is a handful of features that were dropped: all old, obscure, and to a degree proprietary or far from meeting standards. The one you are likely to run into is that FrontP...
More About: Media , Photo , Site , Galleries