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Follow the 24 hour endurance race at the Nurburgring with live streaming
2009-05-23 20:52:00
Follow it here: http://adac.24h-rennen.de/index.php?id=37 85  Note the link for the "premium" stream. That's in-car video, although unfortunately it's sometimes burdened with a rock music soundtrack instead of the actual sounds. Stick with the standard stream for coverage all around the tracks, and in the pits. Note: very high bandwidth required!
More About: Race , Live , Hour , Nurburgring , Streaming

370Z in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance race
2009-05-23 20:48:00
We're following the 24 hour race at the famous Nurburgring track this weekend and came across this pic of a 370Z competing in the race. It'd be interesting to know how it's setup... from the pic below we can see a massive front oil cooler, cold air intake, and deep front airdam. And the cuts made in the front fascia to feed cooling air to the intakes and radiator. Stay tuned for more details, if we can find them. We're very interested in what it takes to make a 370Z work on the track - we've talked before about coolers and the like and this car is a rolling example of what works - or doesn't. We'll see in 24 hours what shape they're in.
More About: Race , Nissan Z , Hours , Endurance

Artifacts From the Future: Truck Stops
2009-05-22 22:00:00
From Wired Magazine in February 2009: what the truck stop of 2021 will probably look like. http://www.wired.com/culture/culturerevie ws/multimedia/2009/02/found Copyright Wired Magazine
More About: Truck , Future , The Future , Stops

Have we had enough of Danica Patrick yet?
2009-05-22 20:22:00
Racy tasteless ads. Breasts front and center, undressing, girl-on-girl. Is this a smart career move? Danica Patrick is one of the highest paid sports celebrities today. But aren't ads like this undermining the respect that women breaking into traditional men's sports are trying to obtain? Caught speeding In the shower

Woman chooses wrong car for Police chase in California
2009-05-22 18:57:00
Endless police chases on the highways of California seem to be the norm these days... with idiot TV news commentators following it every inch of the way and citizenry wondering why the h*** the police don't just end it after the first VERY few minutes. Here's yet another one: this time in - of all things - a Scion. Yes, the perp made a smart choice of getaway vehicle. Apparently a white Bronco wasn't available.  If you've been poisoned and need a means of inducing violent vomiting, watch the entire (seemingly hours-long) chase and listened to the idiot commentators here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoKZbOSvVa 0  Or just watch the short version here, following by a short performance from the KeyBoard Cat:
More About: Police , Woman , Wrong , Chase

Classic Ford Capri commercial
2009-05-22 16:10:00
Enjoy! For more Ford Capri coverage on DrivingEnthusiast.net, follow the link below.
More About: Commercial , Classic

Australians confirm new Coyote 5 liter V-8 for Falcon
2009-05-19 03:35:00
According to the Drive website http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Article Detail.aspx?ArticleID=62920, Ford of Australia has let it slip that they will start using the new 5 liter V-8 code-named Coyote sometime in 2010. Chances are that it will already be offered in the Mustang at that point, as shown in the near-production prototype pictures below (note the use of the 2010 Mustang GT air intake system). The Coyote is rumored to make 400 horses and 400 torque, although the technical specs are not at all clear. A DOHC design is obvious, and this prototype appears to use port fuel injection instead of the more desirable and more powerful (and cleaner) direct injection. Very clearly the engine does not use central direct injection. Twin sensors on each bank would suggest independently variable intake and exhaust cam timing. And 80 HP/liter is hardly state of the art - this engine is clearly focused on cleanliness rather than pure power. We should have an answer to th...
More About: Falcon , Liter

1989 Taurus SHO prototype pictures found
2009-05-19 03:20:00
Kudos to the Scream and Fly site http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/sho wthread.php?t=179970  for locating and publishing the only known images of the Taurus SHO prototype built in 1986 at the Carron and Company in Inkster, Michigan: According to the forum, an Escort gearbox was mounted and a Mustang hood bulge was adopted to the Taurus to make it all fit together.
More About: Pictures , Ford , Prototype

Obama admin raises mileage rules to 42 MPG by 2016
2009-05-18 21:29:00
Follow the link to MSNBC for the full story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30810514/&nbs p; The Obama administration will Tuesday set the mileage requirements 30% higher by 2016 . For the first time, greenhouse emissions standards will be directly linked to Federal standards for cars and trucks.   The plan also hopes to end litigation between the states and the Federal Government. The states had sought to inact their own rules, which would have resulted in multiple standards state-by-state across the country. Making meeting them much more challenging for automakers. There will be a single standard for the entire country to meet now.
More About: Rules , Admin , Mileage

GM V-12 engine: what might have been
2009-05-16 16:09:00
This is a concept GM engine built for the Cadillac Cien showcar. The 7.5-L 60-degree DOHC V-12 produces 750 hp and 450 lb-ft and was designed to fit in the same general space of a V-8 engine.  Looking at the sole official picture of this engine, you can see a lot of one-off billet machining that wouldn't have been used on a production version. The engine also showcased some other GM technologies that were experimental at the time, including displacement on demand (cylinder deactivation yielding an inline-6), central direct fuel injection (where the injector is located vertically above the piston, instead of in the side of the combustion chamber), variable cam timing, and a 3-stage intake manifold. Note that the accessories are located on, and driven off of, the rear of the engine. This was done to help packaging in the Cien showcar. While we'll never see a V-12 engine from GM again, we will see some of the technologies. GM's current small block V-8 engine use...
More About: Engine

Jag V-12 swap into 240Z
2009-05-16 15:38:00
Here's another Jag V-12 swap, this time into the eternally sexy 240Z. It was built in Mississauga ON and the builder has an interesting site here: http://ca.geocities.com/dotdotdot@rogers. com/  Unfortunately, there aren't any technical details of the swap itself. Shockingly enough, this sexy car has trailer-park baggage: in 1986 it received a swap of a 318 Dodge motor with an automatic transmission. Then in 1999 it moved up to the big Jag V-12. Note that a dark green lookalike of this car was put up for sale in 2008 - it is probably one and the same car. There isn't any information available about what became of it after the sale. Hopefully it will surface soon. Pictures below are from the builder's site and copyright by that site, saved here for the sake of posterity.
More About: Nissan Z , Swap

V8 Roadsters LLC Chevy Miata Swap
2009-05-16 15:09:00
We've covered many different types of engines swaps into Miata s in the past - V-6 engines (SHO, Mazda), V-8 engines (Ford 4.9 small block), and even a Jaguar V-12. There are several companies building Ford V-8 swap kits for Miatas, but V-6 and V-12 folks are on their own (and so far there is only one V-12 swap - a heroic and very professional effort!). The arrival of V8 Roadsters LLC makes an engine swap even easier, using a late-model Chevy LSX engine and a Ford 8.8" differential: http://www.v8roadsters.com  Pictures are below. Their site doesn't list every last part needed (considerably fabrication is needed - for example a fuel system), and the resulting car won't have the cachet of an authentic Monster Miata, but the end result looks thorough and should be reasonably reliable. 
More About: Swap

Jag V-12 swap into Miata
2009-05-16 14:50:00
Seeing is believing, and this Jaguar V-12 swap into the impossible engine bay restrictions of a Miata would have seemed impossible... until an enterprising home builder did just that. Yes, it's beautiful - and yes we very much want one of our own. Courtesy of YouTube, you can follow the build and first drive: References: HotRodders.com gives the builder a snotty reception: http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/v12-miata -142001.html (note the reaction of one idiot in particular on that site, before he realizes the builder is legit and jumps in with suggestions for an alternator problem) Builder's photobucket site: http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/br ainsboy/  Builder's YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/brainsboy
More About: Swap

Thunderbird SC engine swap into BD-4 airplane
2009-05-16 14:25:00
We've been covering engine swaps because we admire the ingenuity and creativity of the builders, and because we want to save information about the swaps for posterity. Some swaps are straightforward (such as a DOHC B18 engine into an early Civic - a combination not offered in the US), some are more complex (a V-8 Ford powered Miata is probably the best example - and we've covered several on this site) and some are so ridiculous (V-12 swap into a Miata) that they just have to be done.  In almost every case the technical expertise of the builder will be tested, although the quality of the end result varies widely.  Here's an example of a complex swap. Not at all straightforward - considerable engineering and fabrication had to be performed to adapt an automotive engine for the unique requirements necessary for airplane use. Airplane ? You read that right: it's a home-built airplane with a 1990 Thunderbird Super Coupe (SC) engine. That engine is F...
More About: Engine , Swap

Even more Fast & Furious coverage... and Cars
2009-05-15 14:18:00
And you thought our coverage of Fast & Furious had ended? And you were wondering why we never covered the movie Cars ? Here, in one fell swoop, is coverage of both:
More About: Movies , Media , Coverage

Chrysler Dealer closing list
2009-05-15 00:12:00
List here: http://carczarconsulting.com/wp-content/u ploads/2009/05/chryslercutlist.pdf  Sad - but we've seen several of these dealers ourselves and they don't appear to be major movers and shakers. The worst thing is that Chrysler has an incredibly enormous supply of cars out on the lots and in the pipeline - along with a bunch sitting half-assembled in the shutdown plants. Setting aside how Chrysler ever got this bad... how could it ever get fixed? Clearly the bankruptcy court is doing the right thing... despite the jackals at the union and certain creditors this company is going to be reborn in the right size - unless the dealers manage to sue and hold up the process for more than a few months. If Chrysler doesn't exit bankruptcy in a very short period of time, it cannot restart. More on MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30743464/&nbs p;
More About: List , Dealer , Dodge Challenger

Lincoln MKS EcoBoost - another reason why Lincoln should have kept the LS
2009-05-14 20:36:00
The 2010 Lincoln MKS with the EcoBoost engine option is the big brother to the SHO, sharing engine (without the extra 10 HP), chassis, strengthened transmission, and other components. And if you think the Taurus SHO is too heavy at >4360 pounds, the Lincoln - with even more options - will be even worse. With an engine that, according to Lincoln, makes as much HP as a 4.6 liter V-8 (it actually makes a LOT more), and an unexceptional EPA rating of 17/24, the net mileage won't be any better than a V-8 powered car. Given the weight of this porker, this engine won't be able to do much to improve the "fuel economy leadership" that Ford wants to promote. What's needed is a much lighter and smaller Lincoln. Then the EcoBoost V-6 would show it's potential. So, unfortunately, the Lincoln MKS and SHO both suffer from the same problem: weight and plenty of it. And while we've harped on this topic many times over all these past years, we'll say it again: Linco...
More About: Reason

Ford Dagenham manufacturing plant - 80 years young
2009-05-14 00:42:00
Ford sent out this press release earlier today. Interesting background for those of you interested in Ford of Europe, or for those of you with relatives and/or history in that part of Britain (as we have). What strikes us about this press release is the bustle of activity that is Dagenham - and what a shame it would be if that great plant were bankrupt or shut down. Not everything is perfect with Ford (and this plant has been at the center of militant unionism several times), but everybody from Mulally on down must be counting their lucky stars that Ford isn’t in the sorry state that Chrysler and GM are in - and will be in for years. Kudos to Ford of Europe! DAGENHAM, 13 May 2009 – Ford Dagenham is celebrating 80 years of manufacturing as its engine production rate tops 1,000,000 units a year. The 475-acre complex on the Thames, which majors in diesel engine design and manufacture, produced 1,050,000 units in 2008, ranging from 1.4-litre four-cylinder engines to 3.6-l...
More About: Ford , Young , Years , Manufacturing , Plant

Jay Leno intros the new Camaro SS
2009-05-13 09:20:00
What a life: gigantic car collection, car website sponsored by NBC, test cars arriving all the time... and the best late night show on television. Could life for Jay be any better? Jay was handed the keys to a Camaro SS this week and gives us an introduction to the car. Which of course in the best Jay tradition also includes a burnout.
More About: Media , Leno , Jay Leno

Fatal flaw blind spot of the 370Z
2009-05-12 22:41:00
Edmunds points out again that their long term 370Z has a terrible blind spot. Read the article here: http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2009/0 5/2009-nissan-370z-stink-eye-blind-spot.h tml  Now imagine that you're driving this on a race track with cars all around you. Oh, wait, you can't drive this on a racerack without over-heating. Well, ok, assume you get an oil cooler and solve that problem. Now what do you do when prople come up behind you to pass? Can you even tell? This is probably the one unsolvable fatal flaw of this car. A car we want to like...
More About: Spot , Nissan Z , Blind , Fatal

ASC Trans Am Concept
2009-05-09 17:20:00
ASC has a Trans Am concept that may go into limited production. With Pontiac eliminated, it probably makes even more sense now to build this for enthusiasts and collectors. And the car is reasonably handsome and logically laid out. Although we believe the headlamps should be round since the front end is styled after the earlier 71-73 models rather than the late models with their rectangular units. Given the state of the economy, it's probably unlikely that we'll ever see these. But, who knows, the new Camaro is becoming very popular with customizers and anything that sets it apart like this could work.
More About: Trans Am , Concept

Ode to the greatest Pontiac Trans Am ever
2009-05-09 16:51:00
Yes, it's Smokey and the Bandit - a terrible film that... somehow actually worked out well. Burt Reynolds and long time pal Jerry Reed were at their peak. Gleason went over the top with a very politically-incorrect performance that finally tires the audience. And of course Sally Fields was a sweetheart. The film was extremely popular, and originally grossed approx. $66M dollars. The total gross has risen since then to over double that. Sequels Smokey and the Bandit 2 and 3 were so unbelievably terrible that we won't mention them here. Just remember the first and the best.  Here's the original trailer:
More About: Movies , Pontiac , Trans , Trans Am , Greatest

The Taurus SHO weighs 4,368 pounds!
2009-05-06 15:50:00
Based on a careful analysis of the specs of the current AWD Taurus and the new Lincoln MKS AWD, we concluded that the new Taurus would weigh in at approximately 4150 pounds. That seemed to be a reasonable number for what is almost literally a slightly shortened MKS. We were wrong. Instead, as a first ride in the new SHO by Edmunds Inside Line tells us (http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Fea tures/articleId=147406 ), it's actually 4368 - almost exactly what the MKS weighs. That, folks, is a heckuva lot of weight. And mass. And never mind the author's statement that the SHO feels like a smaller car: you can't cheat physics. The HP/pound rating is still good - better than any previous generation SHO, but we find it hard to believe that the overall dynamics of the new SHO will be very good. 4368 - without driver and passenger - is one heckuva lotta weight. Repeat after me the number one rule of performance cars: "you can't cheat physics". You can cheat the sense of physics by var...

How Ford benefits from the decline and fall of Chrysler
2009-05-06 14:47:00
Good article in MSNBC this morning: "Ford likely to benefit from Chrysler bankruptcy". We'd take it a step further and say that Ford has been benefitting from the decline of Chrysler throughout this crisis. The article is full of examples, but one highlighted example is mid-size and compact cars. We wholeheartedly agree: we’ve put hundreds of miles in all three cars and the Fusion is clearly a far better car than the Sebring and Avenger. Both Chrysler products have an unbelievably lousy interior with lots of gaps, hard plastics, and styling oddities. Combined with terrible ergonomics and poor driving dynamics. And not just by the standards of a "Driving Enthusiast". Instead, these are the kind of cars that will do nothing learn and exploit the benefits of proper seating position (the tired lump of a driver in an awkward seating position is more likely to be unable to react properly in a driving emergency) and the poor chassis dynamics will not help the driv...
More About: Benefits , Fall

Ford Fusion sales point the way to the future
2009-05-01 20:10:00
Ford's marketing and sales plans are obviously working very well. One important fact hidden inside the following press release is that Ford customers are buying their small cars more fully loaded than expected. Small cars are the reality of today and tomorrow - and loading them with options means consumers are seeing their small size as more than acceptable. In fact they are desirable as long as buyers can get the options they expect (and which Ford has usually limited to large vehicles and SUVs until now). This means that the North American market is starting to look like Europe where cars the size of the Fusion  has always been seen as mainline products. You'll note that the European versions of the Fiesta, Escort/Focus, and Mondeo (Contour) have always been more fully appointed than their American cousins: far better interior materials, a greater range of options, and a broad range of engines and transmissions. The North American Contour, for examp...
More About: Ford , Future , Sales , The Future

Microsoft OneNote for racers
2009-04-29 15:25:00
As you develop your skills in Open Track events, and start to become comfortable with a particular racetrack, you will start to realize that you need to analyze each part of the track in detail. This allows you to methodologically focus on improving how you approach the turn, where you turn in, where your apex is and how you cross it, and how you exit the turn. Plus of course the relationship of that turn to the next one, and so on. In other words, you start to document each aspect of the event. And not only information about the track, but starting with a list of what you need to pack for the weekend, the latest alignment specs you setup the car with, tire temps after each run, maps to the event and hotel reservations, and lots more. This is where a great piece of software comes in: Microsoft OneNote. OneNote is a software notebook. Pages, tabs, and sections allow you to organize your information the way you want to. The a...
More About: Business , Office 2007

GM Press Conference: our notes from the press conference
2009-04-27 15:56:00
Our notes from the GM Press Conference 9:00-10:00 A.M. Eastern April 27, 2009.  Sections of particular interest to enthusiasts are highlighted in bold maroon: Point is to win, not just to survive Hummer, Saab, Saturn - "not expect" to build those products past 2009 Phase out Pontiac brand by "no later than 2010". "Painful" Brands work by "offense" not "defense" Key: how do we WIN with 4 core brands: strong engineering and marketing budgets. "Great products" Reduce dealers from 6246 (end of 2008) to 3605 by end of 2010 Brands, nameplates, expectations for the market drives the # of plants Powertrain, stamping, assembly: drop from 47 to 34 plants by 2010 - need to load plants the right way. Plants will use flexible system to help respond to the market. Will notify people by early May exactly who those plants are. Labor costs and footprint still need to be negotiated with the UAW, as well as VEBA. Plan is based on 10M US market instead of 15-17M units. If the restructur...
More About: Press Conference , Notes

GM eliminates Pontiac and speeds resizing plan
2009-04-27 14:56:00
GM has released a summary of it's press conference an hour before the conference began. The news is (as rumored throughout the weekend) that Pontiac will be eliminated, and the restructuring plan will be accelerated. GM Press Release below. We have highlighted certain parts in bold maroon. Updated Viability Plan Speeds, Deepens Restructuring of U.S. Operations --> GM Accelerates its Reinvention as a Leaner, More Viable Company DETROIT -- General Motors (NYSE: GM) today presented an updated Viability Plan that will speed the reinvention of GM's U.S. operations into a leaner, more customer-focused, and more cost-competitive automaker. The Viability Plan is included in an exchange offer whereby GM is offering certain bondholders shares of GM common stock and accrued interest in exchange for certain outstanding notes. Revised Viability Plan goes further and faster The Viability Plan announced today builds on the February 17 Viability Plan submitted to the U.S. Treasury. The...

Is the 2010 Fusion Sport a better SHO than the 2010 SHO?
2009-04-26 17:13:00
A question enthusiasts will be asking themselves when they see the shear size and bulk of the new 2010 Taurus SHO is how it compares to the original SHO. We've already answered that here on DrivingEnthusiast.net with a table comparing the technical specifications and dimensions of all 4 generations. But Ford pulled a fast one on us for 2010 with the introduction of the Fusion Sport . While the Taurus SHO has grown considerably from the original Taurus SHO (202" vs 188" in 1989) and in weight (4150 pounds vs 3380), the new Fusion Sport is almost identical to the original 1989 Taurus SHO in length (190 vs 188) and weight (3591 vs 3380). There is a slight weight increase, but this is to be expected given the considerably evolution of Government safety standards in the past 20 years. So we have to ask ourselves: is the new 2010 Fusion Sport more SHO than the 2010 Taurus SHO? Clearly Ford has done considerably more work making the Taurus into a SHO than they did making the Fusion into a ...

More Ford GN-34 Program details surface
2009-04-22 14:20:00
Intiguing GN-34 details are very slowly coming to light. Read more about the GN-34 by using the "See similar posts" link in the tools section of this post below. We've copied this letter verbatim from NextAutos for the sake of posterity:   http://www.nextautos.com/forums/letters-e ditor-winding-road/gn34-and-sho-history-n ot-quite-right Interesting article you ran on the GN34 test mules at Roush.  However, as someone who was on the GN34 team from the start, I can say that Jack's memory (or the reporter's transcription) is not quite right!  For starters, this was not a Ford Europe program, as Jack said.  It was initiated by SVO under the leadership of Glen Lyall.  SVO had been searching for their next program after the 1984 SVO Mustang.  After a couple of planned SVO programs were pulled out of Ford's cycle plan, SVO decided to go after independent corporate funding to do a new sports car, which was code-named the GN34. We first looked at ...
More About: Program , Surface , Details