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HST International: Electric Mustang and Cobra
2008-04-18 01:44:00
It has begun - the era of performance electric cars. No gas engines here, ultra-high torque guarantees fast acceleration. How about a Mustang with 1000 ft/lbs of torque and a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds? And then there is the even lighter Cobra replica... Read the press release below and follow the link in the title above to the site of HST International for more information. Note the downloadable brochures. Press release follows. HST International - Tjaarda Design Alliance Changes Face of Electric Cars 'Electric Muscle(TM)' on display at Long Beach 'Green Power Prix-View' SAN DIEGO, APRIL 16 /PRNewswire/ -- HST International has announced a partnership with Tjaarda Design that will change the face of electric cars. The designs that will define the next generation of "Electric Muscle(TM)", the Tjaarda EVX Mustang and HST Shelby Cobra EVX, will premiere at the 34th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach's "Green Power Prix-View" on April 18-20. The Mustang EVX and HST Shelb...

Garage419: web video magazine with RSS feeds
2008-04-18 01:34:00
Here's a great site that is new to me. New videos come out every Tuesday and Thursdays. The videos are a combination of news, comparison tests, and build-ups. There are topics for everyone, ranging from muscle to Japanese cars. Site: http://www.garage419.com  RSS Feed: http://feeds.garage419.com/garage419/rss
More About: Video , Magazine

Garage419: Evo vs STI
2008-04-18 01:20:00
Evo versus STI: a battle as much a classic as Camaro vs Mustang. Garage419 takes on the challenge in Part 1 of their comparison. Note that the Evo used is stock, while the STI has already been modified.  Dyno comparisons are in Part 2, which will be shown next week Tuesday. Follow the link in the title above to Garage419 for more information.
More About: Subaru

The best online car parts shopping anywhere
2008-04-15 22:40:00
This hot new automotive online parts store has all the latest cool and leading-edge stuff: http://kalecoauto.com.  Pictured to the right is the latest accessory to go with your cross-drilled rotors: check out their new cross-drilled brake lines. Only $69.95. Follow the link to KalecoAuto.         ;-)  
More About: Shopping , Online , Parts

New Ford Thunderbird in 2012?
2008-04-15 04:07:00
The Thunderbird fans on the internet are all in a tizzy over a purported plan to introduce a new Thunderbird in 2012. Follow the link in the post title above and decide for yourself. The rumor started with a salesman in Marietta, Georgia and has had zero substantiation beyond that. One person on the forums is even going to the dealer to put down a deposit - 4 years early. My take: as so often happens with the internet, take this one as nothing more than hopeful thinking (and you see how much substance a politician can claim for "hope" - especially when it comes with "bitterness"). I'm a Thunderbird fan as much as or more than most people, and the black 2002 below would certianly work well for me. I don't see how Ford could top this... or why. The Thunderbird "DNA" should be very carefully maintained... cherished... protected. I'd like to see a new one happen someday... but only if the exact combination comes together and is treated seriously. And it's got to be ...

QuickLS Supercharged Lincoln LS project
2008-04-13 23:10:00
This project has been running for well over a year and extensive tuning has taken place. Follow the link in the title above to see how the car is coming along. Th eintent is to offer a kit..... although when that will be done is anybody's guess.  He is currently running about 350 HP to the wheel, and 360 torque. QuickLS built the supercharged LS that Ford should have built. As you may know (and as I've repeated in past posts on the Lincoln LS), Ford engineered one and then cancelled it. It would have been an option in the LS and T-Bird.
More About: Project

Michael Ramirez: Financial Analysts
2008-04-13 14:52:00
April 7, 2008
More About: Politics , Financial , Michael , Ramirez , Michael Ramirez

Motor Trend compares the 135i to the Evo X MR
2008-04-13 14:40:00
This is a controversial comparison and choice of winner - and it again demonstrates that it all boils down to what you plan to do with the car. The 135i is a better car for the street... and the EVO MR's lap times blow away the BMW on the racetrack. I know what I need to do... so my own choice would be for the Evo. Continue via the link in the title of the post above.
More About: Motor , Trend

Turbo Magazine - Evo X 4B11 engine analysis
2008-04-13 14:31:00
GREAT article in the recent Turbo magazine covering technical details of the new 4B11 Evo X engine. Worth your time to read.. .and be sure to save the link. Continue via the link in the title of this post above. This is Part 1 of the article... keep an eye on your newstand for the latest issue of Turbo.
More About: Magazine , Analysis , Engine

2010 F-150 Diesel 4.4 - images leaked
2008-04-13 14:24:00
F150Online.com has the following pictures of the new 4.4L diesel coming in the F-150. Follow the link in the title above to their forums for full information. While this is of little interest to an enthusiast... it would make a great tow vehicle for your track car. More than adaquate power to pull your racecar, and without having to go to the rediculous lengths of the larger F-250/350.  We'll have to wait for official information to be released from Ford , but it looks like a single turbo engine. Note the requirements for an external urea tank... this is not an inherently clean engine.
More About: Diesel , Images , Leaked

Duh! Future Ford Taurus - clay buck
2008-04-11 18:50:00
Well, the secret is out, and Ford has done all but admit it by going after websites who published the picture. Yes, the glove fits, and he did it. But lets stay real here... this is obviously a clay styling buck - so it doesn't mean that this *is* the final appearance of a "new" Ford Taurus . And note that the roofline is very similar, if not the same. And the overall proportions of the car are the same. At this point an all-new Taurus is an impossibility given Ford's financial crisis, so if this is it then it's just a "top hat" restyle (like the new F-150). The good news is that we know the Taurus will receive the EcoBoost engine - that's already been revealed. But then so will everything built on this platform (Flex, MKS, MKT) as well as the new F-150 and very likely the >2010 Mustang as well.
More About: Future , Ford Taurus , Buck

Meet the new Ford Ecoboost twin-turbo V-6
2008-04-11 18:35:00
Meet the new Ford EcoBoost twin-turbo DOHC V-6 engine. Follow the link in the title of this post above and select the "EcoBoost" section. Press releases, and several technical high-res images are available. Note the EcoBoost blog category I've set up to highlight EcoBoost topics. Click on the image to the right for just one of several high-res images showing parts of the engine in great detail. This interesting new engine will be available in 2009 in the Lincoln MKS and MKT, the Ford Flex, the new F-150, and the 2010 Taurus (SHO?).  It only makes 340-350 HP, and it's not intercooled. But it does make ~340 torque and the torque curve is very flat. It's been shown and discussed only with a 6-speed automatic at this point, although further transmissions are a possibility. Although Ford is not talking any further details, it's interesting to note that Ford has started to use a new automated manual dual-clutch 6-speed transmission in Europe behind a mea...
More About: Meet , Turbo , Twin

2009 Ford Focus AWD - 350 HP and AWD!
2008-04-08 00:25:00
Spotted on the Nurburgring by a local enthusiast - and personally confirmed as having a rear differential. This is the maximum Focus . And yet another one we won't get in North America. Follow the link in the title above to BridgetoGantry.com
More About: Ford , Ford Focus

Bridge to Gantry dot com - Nurburgring news!
2008-04-08 00:21:00
Another site that is new to me - and a great on it is. Covers the Nurburgring from the perspective of a track rat. The author obviously has nothing better to do than to hang out on the Nurburgring... drive it... and take spy shots of manufacturer prototypes circling it. Now that's a great life!   Site:  http://bridgetogantry.co m RSS 2.0 feed: http://bridgetogantry.com/index.php?optio n=com_rss&feed=RSS2.0&no_html=1
More About: News , Bridge

Camaro at Nurburgring with 4-wheel 4-piston Brembos
2008-04-07 23:53:00
Brenda Priddy has captured the upcoming Camaro at the Nurburgring . Lots of details shown. Note the important differences here between the Camaro and Mustang:  GM routinely tests at the Nurburgring. Ford of North America never does. Jaguar tests there (oops, that's not Ford anymore). Ford of Europe's most recent test there was the upcoming 350-horsepower Focus RS. Does Ford test anywhere significant? Will an off-the-lot non-R Mustang run hard on a hot race track without blowing it's coolant all over the place? Unlikely. Will a Camaro? Yes - it's being done at the Nurburgring right now. Does the Mustang use 4-wheel Brembo brakes? No. The Camaro and Challenger both have them as options - 4-piston type at all 4 corners. The cancelled Mustang Cobra had 4-wheel Brembos, all with 4-pistons, and an IRS as well - but all that was cancelled. Here's the picture of the rear Brembos that were teamed with the IRS: http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-my-a utomobilia/sec-imho/2...
More About: Wheel

S2000 sales for March fall Y-T-Y
2008-04-02 10:20:00
Sales have again fallen year-to-year (2008 = orange line). I've also gone further back in my research and added CY1999-2002.
More About: Sales , March , Fall

Australian Falcon spy pics are not the next Ford global RWD platform
2008-04-02 01:04:00
A couple of comments that I made to a post today on The Car Connection (link in the title above). Several sites have picked up some pictures taken in Dearborn of a couple of new Australia n Ford Falcon s. Read the post. I think everybody is over-reacting by suggesting that this particular Falcon will be Fords new global rear wheel drive platform. I've CC'd my comments to their post below: "You’re reading way too much into these pictures. Ford has always had a wide array of their products from all around the world driving around Dearborn. Hang around Dearborn long enough and you’ll see any number of Fords that are not sold here and won’t be. There are a number of parking lots where they can be seen and photographed at almost any time!Those two Falcons may be here for executive awareness, for help with emissions or crash testing (two things that Dearborn has done more extensively than Australia can), to test future developments of existing ...
More About: Global , Australian

Max Mosley: not an April Fools day joke at all
2008-04-01 21:22:00
Formula One motor racing chief Max Mosley has been exposed as a secret sado-masochist sex pervert. Time to throw the bum out of the FIA, and the Brits should toss him out of the country as well. [Continuue at link in title above]
More About: Joke , April

Press Release: FORD INNOVATION TAKES NEW DIRECTION
2008-04-01 21:08:00
  FORD INNOVATION TAKES NEW DIRECTION Contact(s):Hero-sanHonda OEM Technology (HOT)011-81-3-438-3278Dearborn, Michigan. APRIL 2, 2008 - Ford Motor Company has a long history of necessarily turning to OEM technology when the company’s own engineering and research labs have been effected by the latest reorganization. Past examples of this include Manly for H-beam connecting rods, Recaro seating, Brembo braking, and more. By partnering in the aftermarket instead of innovating at home, the net result is better products all around. Today, Ford announces a new partner: Honda OEM Technology (HOT). HOT will supply Ford with i-VTEC (Intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) technology for use on selected Ford engines beginning in the 2008 model year. “Ford performance vehicles, particularly SVT products, have historically sucked. The addition of i-VTEC to legacy Ford engines is the single best strategy for Ford to pursue. I am also pleased t...
More About: Press Release , Press , Innovation , Release

April Fools? Oldsmobile coming back
2008-04-01 20:50:00
This isn't a particularly good one, or even especially cleaver. But the joke today is that the Oldsmobile brand name has been purchased by Toyota and will be brought back to market. Continue at the link in the title above. I understand the first model on the market will be the 2010 カットラス& nbsp;最高, shown in a spy photo below.  
More About: April , Back

Chevy opens Camaro Connection website
2008-04-01 18:01:00
Chevy has opened a new "Camaro Connection " website. Follow the link in the title of this posting to the site, and then click to enter the Camaro section.   While the Camaro is apparently a year off, this keeps it close in the news to potential buyers and helps ensure a successful launch and plentiful sales.   Details, and the first mailing, below.     Your Open Door Into CamaroWe've just added even more stories and information to Camaro Connection! Inside you'll find: Just-released shots of an unwrapped Camaro unleashed on the pavement Straight talk straight from the mouth responsible for Camaro's menacing silhouette and stance — Tom Peters, Design Director for Global Rear-Wheel Drive Performance Vehicles Stay tuned because Camaro will be speeding to a new home in the near future with even more information, photos and interviews CAMARO CONNECTION. As close as you can get until you're in t...
More About: Website , Chevy

HKS Kansai Service Evo X - almost 100 HP more!
2008-03-31 01:50:00
HKS is doing very well in Japan with the new Evo: they have discovered almost 100 extra horsepower and are well along in suspension tuning. All of these parts except the engine tuning would work on North American Evos; but we'll have to wait for HKS USA to finish their own tuning before we can duplicate this fully. The results will probably be a bit lower on our 91 or 93 octane fuel. I'd have to question the 19s on this car.. .this is a top-heavy car and while the roll rate was probably considerably improved, it's still a question in my mind whether this tire is too square. And IMHO the front strut-type suspension won't change camber enough for this. Checking The Tire Rack, I was surprised to find a few tires in this size: link to The Tire Rack . And note which transmission is used: TC-SST! Follow the link in the title above to the original (translated) site, or view the translation below. The red highlights were added by me.   　LANCER EVOLUTION X/C...
More About: Service , Kansai

Tape: how much is enough?
2008-03-30 15:23:00
Racetracks are not a friendly place for your car's appearance. Rocks are kicked up, even thrown by sticky tires. Brake dust from your own pads, bits of rubber from other cars, lots of dirt when you go off, and of course broken bits laying around from your competitors mistakes. How do you protect your car? There's been a trend developing in track events for the past several years: tape, and plenty of it. Years ago (and this is my 28th year in this hobby), we were required to tape up headlamps because they were made of glass. Imagine that, given today's plastic lamps. And the lenses were thick; if they were broken during an event the pieces would literally slice open a tire. But that changed in the 80s. Plastic lenses became the practice and glass was no longer a problem. And then an odd thing started to be seen... one or two people would put tape right onto the paint of their cars. Leading edges of hoods and trailing edges of wheel well openings got the...
More About: Events

Ford T-Drive: An Abandoned Experimental Prototype
2008-03-23 12:29:00
In the last 30 years, Ford has had several experimental engine developments which were ultimately abandoned. Most have never been seen, much less detailed technically. T-Drive is one of them, another was the stratified charge V-8 engine of the 70s. I've finally found some information on T-Drive, a unique and truly innovative system. I'm still looking for information on the stratified-charge V-8, and while some information was published 30 years ago about it I haven't yet been able to find anything definitive in my personal library. Ford's experimental T-drive is a system consisting of a transversally located inline engine, a transmission, and associated packaging. It was designed by Ford in approximately the 1990 timeframe and shown in several auto shows and to magazines. Ultimately, it was abandoned due to several reasons. Ford went ahead with the "modular" V-6, V-8, VB-10, and V-12 engine families instead. The T-Drive engine was literally T-shaped - the transmissio...
More About: Experimental , Prototype , Abandoned

MSNBC - stolen Mustang found after 38 years
2008-03-22 22:35:00
MSNBC has a story today about how a Mustang stolen 38 years ago was finally recovered by police and brought to the attention of the original owner. It was put on a used car lot 38 years ago, and was sold to a teen in Long Beach who has been maintaining the car for all these years. And who is very sad when faced with the requirement to return it. Continue to MSNBC at link above...
More About: Ford , Stolen , Years , MSNBC

A new European Capri?
2008-03-22 22:28:00
Over at Car Spy Shots (follow the link in the title above), somebody has gotten ahold of a copy of Auto Bild from Germany. An article speculates that Ford will bring a new Capri to market in Europe and that this is it. If so, I hope not. It's clumsy, crude, and looks far to heavy from all angles. Lets face it, it's ugly. If there is to be a follow-on Capri from Europe (versus the US o rAustralia), then it should functionally follow the original rear wheel drive European Capri. And the form should be long hood and large greenhouse - a school of thought that says "form follows function". This school of design produces cars for people who want to be recognized for the technology and capabilities of the car they drive, not it's styling. The conceptual drawings above violate that idea. The original European Capris did not violate that principle, and they were very popular cars.  I'm a former owner of an orignal European Capri myself. You never know how...

Ford Profile and Mercury Premys
2008-03-22 15:20:00
I finally found some images of the Ford Profile and Mercury Premys show cars. These Ford Mondeo variants were introduced at the 1994 NAIAS in Detroit. The Mercury Premys is very convential, it's simply a styling exercise for what became the Mystique. The Ford Profile is much more extensive. Besides the body kit, the car features the all-wheel drive system from the European Mondeo, as well as a supercharged 2.5l DOHC V-6 (a supercharged 3.0 DOHC V-06 was planned for Jaguar, but was cancelled) and an interior by Recaro. The concept was shown for several years, in a variety of colors including bright yellow. Ford actually wanted to build this car, but was unable to justify the high expense since the plan was for the Ford Contour to be a severely decontented Ford Mondeo. Several of the Mondeo features and options would be left out of the car when it made the trasnistion across the Atlanta and all wheel drive was one of them ( as was a diesel engine). Ford later relented and rebad...

Shift Happens
2008-03-22 10:40:00
A thought provoking video of the international reality we face. Shift Happens   (Windows Media file) Now that you know... what will you do? And for those of you who are scared and/or cry BS.. this video was made by the US Air Force and is required viewing.
More About: Politics

Is this the new Supra?
2008-03-17 12:57:00
Speculation by a Japanese enthusiast car magazine. Still, it's known that Toyota wants to compete in this arena again. And that they have been playing with the idea of usinga hybrid powertrain in a sporting application. In any case, it'll take a few years to get this question answered - either way. 
More About: Supra

Ford Probe to return?
2008-03-16 22:28:00
Thanks to Winding Road, we have this spy picture scoop of the return of the Ford Probe . This supports the reports of further platform reuse in Ford's future. Or else it's just some redneck hayseed sticking an old Probe on a Jeep chassis. Follow the link in the title above for more information...
More About: Return