The painfully slow undressing of the 2010 Mustang continues today with a clear shot of the car's new shifter. Specifically, we can see that a five-speed stick is still standard-fare for the pony car from Ford, though its closest competitors, namely the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro, are equipped with six row-for-yourself ratios. On the positive side, the gear knob looks very high class and appears hewn from aluminum. Judging from the last teaser, the matte aluminized finish is carried out through much of the GT's interior, from the shifter to the steering wheel and dash. There are five more teaser images to be revealed before the 'Stang's final reveal at the LA Auto Show, where we'll be on hand to bring you the goods in living color.
Moonshine may be the poison historically associated with NASCAR, but when Craftsman Truck Series racing driver Aaron Fike was arrested for heroin possession over a year ago, it opened a whole new can of worms for the racing league. After getting himself suspended from racing, Fike admitted he had been high on smack during several races and that he had been addicted to painkillers for six years. The incident was only one of seven such suspensions from NASCAR since 2000, but the ripples are still being felt as organizers have announced that random drug testing for drivers, crew and officials in all three NASCAR series will begin next season. In addition to the spot checks, everyone will get a pre-season screening, and officials will reserve the right already in place to test on grounds of suspicion. Failing to pass a drug test could result in a lifetime ban from racing, while failing a third time means an automatic expulsion. Craftsman series champion Ron Hornaday recently confessed to using a doctor-prescribed topical steroid cream to treat a thyroid condition, which series organizers did not view as an infraction.
This month will see the debut of the Lightning GT electric sports car at the British Motor Show on July 23. The nano-titanate battery pack will provide 740-HP and a 0-60 sprint in just four seconds. Those batteries have also been spaced around the car to give it a 48/52 weight balance, which could theoretically give it the kind of handling to match its looks.
The batteries power four permanent magnet brushless motors, one at each wheel, which negates the need for a gearbox, axles, and transmission -- or transmission troubles. Each wheel will also boast independent traction control and regenerative braking. Inside, the car gets all the mod-cons, including A/C, satnav, and leather.
The makers claim a 90-mile range on a ten-minute charge, and running costs will be at least five times less than a car that gets 50-mpg U.S. That is, of course, assuming the car actually makes it to market. If so, and it's priced somewhere close to the Tesla, it should do well.
FPV's seemingly endless rollout of its new FG Falcon-based lineup has finally culminated in the actual launch of the cars (how novel), which we've already touched upon. To that end, we'll keep this brief and turn you loose on the multiple new photo galleries now available (check out the rest after the jump). The FPV range encompasses both Falcon sedan and Ute bodystyles, and power comes from either the turbocharged F6 inline-six or the 5.4L Boss 315 V8. The six delivers 415 horsepower and a tire-humbling 416 lb-ft of torque. The eight's no slouch either, pumping out 422 horses (315 kW, hence the engine's name) and 406 lb-ft. A Tremec TR6060 6-speed stick is available across the full range of cars.
more ...
My wife is a great driver, (of course you are, honey!) but that doesn't mean that I can't suggest improvements now and then. However, the folks at MINI know I don't like sleeping on the couch, and they're willing to take the heat on this one.
On their Web site they're offering a handy "Drive Like A Pro" section full of useful tips to improve your driving. Anyone who has ever driven autocross will recognize many of them like sitting up straight, keeping things smooth, proper cornering technique and the best way to shift (again, smooth). There's even a basic heel-and-toe primer.
And, thanks to the MINI's lessons, my wife now admits her husband is right that her hands should be at 9 and 3 on the wheel, not 10 and 2.
She says I can get off the couch as soon as I admit her driving would improve even more if I bought her a new Clubman. I wonder how much change is under this cushion.
The prototype Nissan GT-R V-Spec, wearing the "Victory Specification" designation reserved for the ultra high-performance Nissan GT-R, has been caught lapping the famed Nürburgring at an incredible, if not simply unbelievable, 7:25 per lap. This, according to bystanders trackside. (For comparison, Walter Röhrl lapped the Ring in 7:28 while driving a Porsche Carrera GT in 2004.)
In contrast to the standard Nissan GT-R, that made the run around the 'Ring in 7:38, the GT-R V-Spec has a new front splitter, modified rear spoiler, and different wheels. A more extensive use of carbon fiber has reportedly reduced the weight by upwards of 330 pounds. Of course, Nissan engineers also tweaked the twin-turbo powerplant for another 70 horses... or so.
In California, home of the strictest car emissions regulations in the U.S., cars produced before 1976 do not need to undergo smog testing. California State Senator Dean Florez has proposed legislation that would remove that exemption for cars registered in the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District.
What would that mean if it were passed into law? It would mean that as of January 1, 2009, any car registered in a rather large swathe of central California -- from the 1974 Maverick to the 1929 Model A -- would need to pass every current and future smog test. If it didn't, it couldn't be driven.
It is theorized that the move comes because state authorities have missed their air quality goals and are now looking at targeting a tiny fraction of cars. Living in LA, we can't speak for Central California, but most of the pre-1976 vehicles we see here sound and run better than the glut of 80's Toyotas puttering down the streets. What vintage car owners fear is that if the legislation becomes law in the San Joaquin Valley, then it's only a matter of time before it gets adopted everywhere.
Seeing as they spend a lot of time testing vehicles at the Nürburgring, Aston Martin has decided to set up shop with a permanent test/engineering facility at the famous circuit. The automaker has obtained an existing structure and is busy preparing the facility for a May 2008 opening. All new models go through a final long-distance shakedown on the track, and having their own shop next to the Nordschleife gives them a handy base at which they can also host customer-focused events that use the 'Ring as part of the draw. Aston Martin loves the track, and has used it as the inspiration for the V8 Vantage N400 road car, itself inspired by the exploits of the company's N24 factory racer. The above rendering of the facility has been released, giving a great idea of what the new facility will look like... if it was to be part of the online world in Second Life.
Yesterday the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved a waiver for Tesla Motors so that its all-electric Roadster could be sold in the U.S. despite not meeting advanced federal air bag requirements. Of note, however, are some comments made by the NHTSA when the waiver was granted. The organization gave Tesla Motors the pass because it did try to meet the government's advanced air bag standards and the Roadster will, of course, have airbags, but also because the, "public interest is served by encouraging the development of fuel-efficient and alternative-fueled vehicles."
While the NHTSA may want to come off as the benevolent bureaucracy that's promoting the future of motoring by granting this waiver, the truth is that a number of automakers have received the same free pass for their high-end, low volume supercars, including Ferrari, Bugatti and even Lotus for the Elise on which the Tesla Roadster is based. Ferraris and Bugattis are hardly examples of "fuel-efficient and alternative-fueled vehicles", and if the Elise was granted a waiver for its airbags, there's no reason to withhold it from the closely related Tesla Roadster. It is true that if Tesla Motors wasn't granted the waiver, it would not be able to deliver the first sold out batch of 2008 Roadsters in the U.S. and development of its next vehicle, the all-electric White Star sedan, would be cancelled. But we think the waiver was a pretty safe bet all along.
