Take a ride through Los Angeles and you very well might see a Range Rover with a gun rack, but even with those giant spinners it won't be as pimpin' as Overfinch's Range Rover Country Pursuits Concept. Although labeled as a concept vehicle, the Overfinch Country Pursuits is available for order for a cost-no-object $287,000.
The show car unveiled at the London Salon Privé appeared resplendent in Aubergine purple with custom bodykit, including custom front and rear bumpers, side skirts, roof spoiler and exhaust tips. Inside it's all posh in Light Avocado and Cordovan leather with Olive Ash wood trim, plus a specially-crafted gun compartment complete with three sliding drawers for a removable gun case, ammo, and -- just to round things out -- a crystal stemware set. But just in case you thought it was all show, Overfinch has tuned the 4.2-liter supercharged V8 from 396hp all the way up to 470, along with fitting Brembo brakes with silver branded calipers and a special on-the-fly adjustable suspension. We know this is targeted as the ultimate hunting accessory, but frankly we're not sure who would be buying such a vehicle, nor are we sure we'd want to meet him.
If news of Knight Rider's return has you feeling giddy as a schoolgirl (along with dozens of other viewers), maybe you're upset that they swapped the original Pontiac Trans Ams for a Shelby GT500KR in the new series. Whatever your stand, we have something that might interest you. While perusing eBay's listings, a reader stumbled upon one of the original Trans Ams used in the 1980's chapter of the Knight Rider saga. Up for auction is one 1984 Pontiac Trans Am, black and tan, with a distinctive red light bar in the nose. Yep, one genuine KITT.
Not only was this one of the featured cars in seasons three and four, but it is one of the rare 300-mph "Super Pursuit Mode" T/As with additional aero devices designed to, well, make the car look like it could go faster. Actually, the eBay description tells us the Super Pursuit Mode KITT was designed "to give KITT a 40% increase in speed through the assistance of retractable airfoils and jet boosters." Considering that this Trans Am still features a 5.0L V8 and automatic transmission, we would guess that half of that top speed is actually a stretch for this old Pontiac.
Still, with a starting price of just $26,000, the winning bidder can own a true piece of small-screen history. Kustomized by legendary Kar stylist George Barris, this particular car was also used in the 2006 flick, The Benchwarmers. In one notable scene, John Lovitz confesses that he has yet to master the peel out as he drove it across a curb outside the Pizza Hut. Ouch. Hopefully that buffed right out. Check out eBay for the complete description and place your bid.
The news that the Indiana state police are adding new, unmarked Mustang GTs to their patrol fleet sent this blogger over to SSPMustang.org for a little nostalgia. SSPMustang is a site dedicated to the 1982 - 1993 Special Service Package Mustangs and the enthusiasts who find them and keep them going. You don't have to think that far back to recall when the sight of an tinted-out, unmarked 5.0 LX notch on the side of the highway was something you'd immediately jump on the brakes for. Many states had marked ones, too, and in all cases, they were manned by troopers ready to give pursuit.
I clicked on the site's "For Sale" link out of curiosity, and lo and behold, there's a beauty up for grabs. The 1982 California Highway Patrol SSP 5.0L you see above belongs to SSPMustang.org webmaster Mike Riley, and he's letting it go. As you can see, it's been fully restored, right down to the period-correct radios and reproduction "E" plates, among other things. The listing has an extensively detailed rundown on the car, its history, and the work done on it as well as several more large photos. While you're on the site, visit the "Features" section, where you can see more cars, including Riley's interesting '86 SSP 'Stang that served as the Indian Rocks, FL fire chief's car. Neat stuff. As for the CHP ride, he's asking $11,500 for it. If you decide to make it yours, our only recommendation is that you refrain from driving it in Dearborn, MI.
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 ...
Despite how it might seem, all the action at the Melbourne motor show is not happening over at the Holden and HSV stands. Dearborn's Australian outpost put on its brass knuckles too and is teasing Melbourne showgoers with Ford Performance Vehcie's latest, greatest muscle. The arrival of the new FG Falcon means that a full lineup of FPV variants follows, and the new F6, GT and Super Pursuit ute are all on display. Like HSV, which hasn't announced power numbers for its W427, FPV is keeping the stats for its new machinery under wraps for now.
We're confident that the numbers will match the cars' gloriously extroverted looks. Colors out of a gumball machine, matte black accents, and stripe packages give the cars a vintage musclecar vibe. Big wheels, big brakes and all the requisite badges and bulges complete the look. The F6 (above) is particularly evil, with its black wheels, "eye black," and visible intercooler. The interiors of all the cars appear to be very well-detailed, with snazzy instrumentation, sharp looking accessories (look at the shift knob), and very inviting seats.
As with the higher-end standard FG Falcons, power comes from either a turbo inline-six or a beefy Boss V8. FPV takes those already-impressive engines and makes them even more imposing. We know we have the Mustang and its impressive Shelby-badged factory specials, but man, what we wouldn't give for some of this Aussie muscle. We'll be eagerly awaiting the official June launches.
Many thanks to Anton, an Autoblog reader from Down Under, who was kind enough to grab a couple of snapshots showing us one of the Queensland Police Department's new highway patrol cars. We've reported on Toyota Australia's TRD Aurion before -- it's basically the Camry we want but can't have. With a much better-looking face and 323 supercharged horses underhood, the Aussie-built sedan is inherently more appealing than the vanillamobile available at our local Toyota stores. And now the fuzz has them, too.
more ...
