Here's some pictures of a Delorean car show we attended in September. The Alamo Draft House sponsored the show, along with a showing of Back to the Future.
All of the Deloreans were customized to varying degrees... not always to the greatest taste:
In this case, a [...]
Another 20 sold were last month, with about 80 more left in stock at dealers across the country. Production ceased several months ago, so this is it forever. The end is near, and the final tally of S2000s sold will be clear in a few more months.
[...]![An image named 91_vs_03-mustangs[1].jpg](http://www.DrivingEnthusiast.net/sec-blog/images/2009/11/07/91_vs_03-mustangs[1].jpg)
As our fifth and last entry tonight (having already antagonized some of our GM and Ford readers), we'll present two cars of our own: our highly modified '91 GT (brakes and wheels courtesy of Baer and Saleen) and our equally modifed '03 Cobra (suspension and brakes courtesy' [...]
In our fourth "What were they thinking" tonight, after a couple of hours walking various dealer lots and getting even more depressed, we're starting to understand the collector car movement a little better. While some of the Fords and Lincolns at hand looked nice, most of them' [...]
In our third "What were they thinking" tonight, we present the 2010 Mustang.
As nice as the front end of the 2010 Mustang looks... the backend is ass-ugly. Did it need redesigning? No. Does the redesign enhance aero or take off weight? No. What message does it send? What hate [...]
Part two of "What were they thinking".
We're all familiar with the giant chrome schnozola grills on many of Ford's current cars (thankfully dropped with the new wave Euro styling). The Fusion and Escape are two particularly awful examples. Well, somebody at Ford has' [...]
The more you look at this thing, the worse it gets. You can't see out of it, odd and pointless lumps cover up parts of the windows. You can't sit in it, the terrible ergonomics and flat seats ruin the experience. You [...]
If you were out driving around Austin Texas on Oct 25th, hopefully you made it alive and in one piece past the big protest march. Every year the damned zombies come out and march for equal rights.
Their march ends at the state capitol.
What is not on video is [...]
*Changes are in progress during the month of November and December*
We've been blogging on this site for the past 10 years. Right or wrong, when we began our blog, we chose RadioUserLand for our blogging software. It was a nice piece of work in the year 2000, and very easy to use. The division' [...]
I've walked and driven these roads many times. The viaduct itself is out-dated, dangerous, obsolete, and separates the city from it's waterfront. It's an engineering disaster that should never have been built.
Clearly it's time to demolish it and start over with a modern and properly engineered replacement. An underground tunnel' [...]
560 HP at 8700 RPM. Unbelievable - this is even more significant than the GT-R. We're only hours from it's debut at the Tokyo show. We can't wait!
' [...]
The Subaru-esque mule circling the Nurburgring has been wildly misinterpreted. The usual elements on the web are calling this "one ugly Subaru". They couldn't be more wrong. Even a writer at Jalopnik fell for it (and should know better) along with a bunch people on various forum sites.
This,' [...]
What another site pegged as the "Scariest Track Day Ever" is not. It is one of the poorest run events you'll ever see. Another thing that other site initially had wrong was that this wasn't a "track day" - it was a sanctioned event. What happened in it should never have happened. [...]
Listen to that engine!
It's very clear that Toyota is back and that another legend is in the making.
' [...]
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, this poor tortured driving enthusiast used to live exist outside of Buffalo NY. Half the year in that climate was great, and the other half was a frozen & miserable hell. Because of the extreme winter conditions, Buffalo was not [...]
This first pic of the 2011 Fiesta sitting on an engineering rig show the new front grill and bumper. Good news - the Fiesta has made transition to North America intact. No gadawful three-bar chrome grill, no giant schnoz, and nothing else to screw it up. It's still 100% European, [...]
Stay tuned from October 24 to November 4th for the Tokyo Motor Show. Many new concepts will premier this year, and thanks to Motor Magazine in Japan we get an early video look at some of them.
The Toyota FT-86 concept is a production-based look at an upcoming rear wheel [...]
Did you ever see one of those National Enquirer-type articles that show Hollywood stars years after their last film, when they've put on 75 pounds and are suffering from a cellulite disaster? You know the type of magazine - the ones you are forced to look over while you're waiting in a [...]
Nice job of driving - you can tell he knows cars by the way he handles the turns. And the new course record. Note Tim's comment about doing >190 in a Mustang race car.
Tim is also looking a little... old. And the gut will keep him out of any [...]
The full open throttle says it all: the LF-A is "savage"!
And, interestingly, the white car is apparently a full production-dress LF-A. Note the differences from the flat-black prototype we've seen so many times before.
And remember, when in Nurburgring, hang out at the gas station. This is where you'll be [...]
For immediate release: 4 October 2009
Fiesta R2 shines as Athanassoulas takes class victory in Spain
Lambros Athanassoulas marked his return to the Fiesta SportTrophy International with a strong performance that saw him take victory and an impressive 25th place overall as the all-new Fiesta R2 sparkled on its debut at the [...]
As we've said many times in the past, ignore the first tests of new cars in the magazines - they are almost always overly sensational and are only realistic if the car is clearly a bust. That last category has been awarded to Yugos and Chinese cars... and a couple' [...]
ECOBOOST CONTRIBUTES 125 NEW U.S. PATENTS, CONTINUES FORD TRADITION OF PATENT QUALITY New EcoBoost™ gasoline direct-injection turbocharged engine technology adds 125 patents and patent applications to Ford's 4,618 active and thousands of pending U.S. patents Leading patent analyst The Patent Board™ ranks Ford above all other automakers for [...]
Honda, Acura Drivers Claim Five Titles at SCCA National Championship Runoffs
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sept. 29, 2009) -- In the first SCCA National Championship Runoffs since Honda Racing/Honda Performance Development [HPD] announced the Honda Racing Line program of support for grassroots racers, Honda and Acura drivers [...]
Ford of Europe has a rich history of competing in rallies. Probably just as well known are the special homologation vehicles that have been produced over the years. The RS200, Cosworth Escort, Focus RS, and others have been covered in this blog before. This is [...]
Nothing here for Driving Enthusiasts... this is nothing more than a truck engine. An enthusiast version, with an aluminum block and DOHC heads, was cancelled a long time ago. The age of giant engines is over... it will be about less cubic inches and more efficiency going forward.
Ford Press Release [...]
Fisker was awarded a $528 Million Dollar Loan yesterday from the U.S. Department of Energy. That will fund the creation of a line of plug-in electrics. Interesting to note that the car which is planned is estimated to cost $39,900 (after tax credits) - this isn't their existing car, which' [...]
As the very first contestant Drew Barrymore has the best score so far. Yes, dumb. Dumb as the test track, which as another blog points looks like something at a kiddy park. Nonetheless, it was interesting because the Focus seems to be quick, and of course it's completely silent. With [...]
The special one-off electric Ford Focus built for guests to race around Jay Leno's new test track is a one of a kind car. And not because it's a preview of the electric Focus Ford will sell here in North America in 2011 - it's not.
It is a current [...]
Ford's new 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine features Central Direct Injection, where the injector is located in the top of the combustion chamber, pointing down - rather than to the side as in conventional Direct Injection. The 1.6 liter EcoBoost was announced today at the Frankfurt show, but this detail was [...]
Ford has released the first details of three more EcoBoost engines. We'll see at least two in North America in the next two model years.
Ford Press Release follows:
FRANKFURT, 15 September, 2009 -- Ford of Europe is revealing further details of its new generation of Ford EcoBoost high-efficiency' [...]
Mini today introduced the Mini Roadster concept. Like the new 2-seat Mini Coupe Concept, it's understood that what is being shown is what will go into production. In our opinion, tese tgwo concepts make sense since the rear seats of a Mini were always useless anyway, unless you had the [...]
A responsible and realistic statement from Ford on a critical issue. At DrivingEnthusiast.net, we endorse a ban on all texting and a requirement for hands-free voice-activiated support of cell phones. Lets put the distractions away and focus on driving!
STATEMENT ON DRIVER DISTRACTION LEGISLATION
The following is a statement from Sue Cischke, Group Vice [...]
The following press release is no doubt just the first of the Camaros headed for the Koni Challenge. The major difference between the Camaros and Mustangs racing here and in the Rolex series is the engine - the Mustang has raced for several years with an engine that is not [...]
The Mini Coupe Concept wil be official introduced this week on the 15th at the Frankfurt show. It is certainly destined for production, with little more than a change to the wheels (typical show car: stuffed to the gills with wheels/tires) and possibly the interior (the stock car doens't have' [...]
The Yamaho 3/3.2 liter SHO engine is a classic engine - one of the best engines produced in the past 20 years. So good that once their host Taurus disintegrates from simple wear or cancerous salt, the engines tend to survive for another day. Their second lives are in usually other [...]
The Mini Coupe is coming - to be shown next week at the Frankfurt show. Meanwhile, to keep us on the edge of our seats (or scratching our heads), Mini has provided a coupled of concept teasers titled "Two Untamed". They are both fully keeping to the Mini advertising tradition of [...]
Nutjob rants against everybody and everything. Which will hopefully will be the closing chapter of this egomaniac jerk.
[...]The following incident is extremely unlikely since the range of police laser is inherently limited. The jet in question would have had to have been closer than the treeline in the photo. And it would have been both illegal and dangerous for the police officer to have used his laser anyway.
But [...]
Instead of the grotesque Honda Crosstour, here's the car Honda should have given us: the European version of the Accord. Indeed, as shown in early spy photos, this was the mule car for the Crosstour.
But wait, doesn't this car look oddly familiar? Yes, it does, because the 4-door verison' [...]
Too heavy, too tall, too big, too slow, and unbelievably ugly. What was Honda thinking? These ars not the attributes that Honda owners are looking for. What happened to the new Honda styling themes that the rest of the world appreciates? Why does Honda think that gigantic schnozola grills (Honda) [...]
But it's not directly enforcable. It's only a secondary bad - you had to alreadyi have been stopped for some other reason.
Read more: [www.buffalonews.com]
Adam Zyglis Cartoon for 7/27/2009
Adam Zyglis, Buffalo, NY, The Buffalo News
[...]Apparently celebrities can get away with anything. Jay Leno hits a deer, wrecks his car, and threatens to shoot a police officer. And gets away with it.
[...]
Code-named "Boss", the all-new Ford 6.2 liter V-8 will be used in variations of the F-150 pickup and the related SUVs. It will not be used in the Mustang and was never planned for use in the Mustang. Instead, an aluminum 4-valve variation was to be used but that has [...]
Yes, a 1985 Maserati Biturbo (pronounced "bee-turbo") has been turned in to the cash for clunkers program. Unbelievable, right?
No. I remember that way back in 1984, at one of the early 24 hour endurance races at Nelson Ledges, somebody brought one of these to compete. I think it was [...]
It only takes 25000 horsepower...!
[...]HST International is still here... they changed their domain and didn't have the old one forwarded (dumb!). Go to: [www.hstintl.com] Be sure to download the brochure: [www.hstintl.com]
Their announcement last year and demonstration of all electric Mustang (how about a Mustang with 1000 ft/lbs of torque and a' [...]
This is the umpteenth video showing a pair of hicks at a dealer charged with killing a cash for clunkers trade in. These two - if they vote at all - owe a vote of thanks to Obama and Nancy Pelosi for not only getting them gainful (if minimum wage) [...]
As first reported here last May: [www.drivingenthusiast.net], a 240Z with a V-12 Jaguar conversion has been running around Ontario, Canada for several years.
Now it's for sale [toronto.kijiji.ca] and it's been cleaned up with new paint, wheels, and removal of the tacky wood inside.
Note that this car was [...]
Car and Driver came across some interesting Ford test cars recently: [blog.caranddriver.com]
What to make of this?
It takes Ford 5 liters to make 400 horsepower, and the beemer makes 17 more with only 4 liters. The beemer costs a heckuva lot more... but has considerably more capability. The "Track Pack" is [...]Have you seen the special 45th anniversary Mustang that Lee Iacocca brought out? This was on his own, apparently without Ford. It’s based on the old ’09 body style, nicely cleaned up.
I do appreciate the freedom and what-the-hell attitude embodied in a Mustang, and I do like driving cars like [...]
Can it get any weirder? Can it get any more original? Ford breaks the mold with the Fiesta Agent program. Kudos!!!
[...]
An old video, but a valid one. The G37 just plain blows the doors off the SHO. And before you complain that they aren't in the same market, keep in mind they will be in the same price range.
The braking, skidpad, acceleration, and every measure of the SHO is' [...]
Thanks to ForgedPerformance.com, we have the opportunity to see what's under the covers in the new 370Z. Forged Performance is building a race car, so everything superfluous has been removed.
Note the mount for the silver bar that crosses just behind the drivers seat. As we predicted several months [...]
Catching up on some old Top Gear episodes today, I came across Season 13 Episode 5. Our three heroes face yet another cheap car challenge - this time a drive to France in three old rear-wheel drive sports coupes (pronounced "coupe-aaa..." in British): a Porsche 944 (Clarkson), a 300ZX (The Hamster), [...]
Older and wiser do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.
We've all made mistakes when we were younger... part of getting older for most of us also means getting wiser and understanding the difference.
Not so for PJ. At 62 years old, you have to wonder if he has gotten any wiser. He never' [...]
Ignorant, paronoid, and delusional. The people at this car dealer are in a tiny little closed off world of their own making. We could say that we have never heard anything so stupid, but unfortunately it fits right in with the parent who was found guilty in Wisconsin this week [...]
Another dummy lost it this week - this time a tow truck driver who was texting on one phone while talking on another. And he hit somebody else before carteening into a backyard pool. The result is shown below.
Follow the link to MSNBC for the complete story: [www.msnbc.msn.com]
[...]
![An image named 900723-cell-driving-hmed1117a.hmedium[1].jpg](http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/images/2009/07/26/900723-cell-driving-hmed1117a.hmedium[1].jpg)
MSNBC.com has it right: [www.msnbc.msn.com]
We live near both a major high school and a major college. It's amazing how many kids go by while on their cell phones - oblivious to other drivers, stop signs, and traffic lights.
But we also spend time [...]
A press release from Ford's press release announcing the Explorer America concept describes the horsepower and torque the 2 liter EcoBoost was originally envisioned to produce:
"A powertrain lineup that includes a 4-cylinder 2-liter engine with EcoBoost technology delivering 275 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque or," [...]
We've had two separate incidents this past week when texting drivers slid over into our lane - completely unaware of their impending doom. A long toot from my horn prevented them from taking us all out of the gene pool - including the baby in the back seat of one' [...]
MINI celebrates 50 years of production in 2009. The following press release is from Europe, where they have several MINI models that are not available here in North America.
MINI press release follows:
1. Younger than Ever. The MINI Model Family Over the Years.
The concept was always unique – and [...]
Bloomberg tells us that BMW 4-cylinders are coming to North America: [www.bloomberg.com];sid=ahNp0hdZXILY
The big question is what will happen to the brand image of BMW with a 4-cylinder product? BusinessWeek takes us thru that question: [www.businessweek.com]
You can see from the specs below that BMW has not yet [...]
If you like rallying as much as we do, you'll love this fan tribute to the sport. And if you don't know what rallying is, this will convince you to find out.
Music:
Rising Empire Choir #1 - Immediate Music
Gears of War 2 - Heroic Assault
Hans Zimmer Megamix Vol 1 - [...]
Looking thru some old Hot Version videos, I was surprised to come across a very old one that has Keiichi Tsuchiya earning his NASCAR license at Charlotte Motor Speedway, then traveling to Watkins Glen. Despite my disdain for all things NASCAR, I was very interested to see this. I noted that [...]
New York to San Francisco in a 100-Year-Old Car
By Robert Peele
After a month of babbitts, bees and bad vibrations at least from the steering wheel — Emily Anderson and her rebuilt 1909 Maxwell DA arrived in San Francisco last Thursday, completing [...]
The 2009 Bullrun rally runs from New York City to Austin Texas. The participants left NYC this morning early and arrive in Austin next Friday.
Follow their progress - and arrests - here:
[twitter.com] [www.bullrun.com] [...]DETROIT--General Motors workers called a general strike Monday, vowing to stay off the assembly line until their demand for more acrylic novelty baseball caps is met.
"Fair is fair," said UAW Local 163 president Wayne Garber, marching with fellow workers in front of GM's Romulus Powertrain Assembly Plant. "All" [...]
Its summer time, and that means grilling outdoors. This selection of grills comes from (where else?) - Australia.
The first is (was?) a 1978 Holden HZ GTS Monaro:
[...]
German company Style Your Garage produces these highly detailed overlays for your garage door, in either single or double-door size. Prices range from 199 to 399 Euros. We can think of several of these images we'd like to have, but then we already have an F1 car and an SR-71' [...]
Edmunds Inside Line gives us the comparison test we've all been looking forward to: the Taurus SHO against the sport package-equipped Infiniti G37 4-door. The SHO is more than badly embarrassed by the G37 - it is beat in every category except for Db on the road. Acceleration, skidpad, braking -' [...]
Song by Scottish band Mogwai. Used several times by Top Gear, and in the ending of the 2006 film version of Miami Vice.
And in the new Nike commercial "Driven" featuring Lance Armstrong - our hometown hero here in Austin TX.
[...]
Yet another reason why F1 is no good: everyone already knew Max Mosley is a Nazi (or at least prefers Nazi bondage), and now Ecclestone has been quoted as praising him along with Hitler as "strong leaders".
It's clear Ecclestone is crazy: read the full article' [...]
Probably not the most ideal launch of the 370Z in Europe that Nissan had hoped for, but given the quick preparation of the car it's not bad.
Nissan Press Release follows:
2009.5.29
All-new NISSAN 370Z finishes 24-hour race debut sixth in class
Japanese [...]
From BuddyTV, this online poll. The answer might surprise you, but probably not your close friends. Click on the image below to go to the poll. The first question is especially pertinent!
And don't miss the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, starting in September on HBO.
If you are wondering what the ~4400-pound Taurus SHO competes against, Larry Webster (formerly of Car and Driver) of Popular Mechanics has the answer: the all wheel drive Chrysler 300C. And the SHO is actually bigger and heavier:
Chrysler 300C AWD
Ford Taurus SHO
Base price
$39,925
$37,995
Powertrain
370 hp/398 lb-ft, 5.7-liter V8, 5A
365 hp/350 lb-ft, [...]
We've been discussing a planned drive across Japan so that we can see all the best sights without the constraints of a tourist bus. Old castles, shrines, famous roads, and race tracks like Motegi included. Only problem is the language, lack of an English language GPS mapping service, and the' [...]
06.17.2009
Nissan Announces Pricing on 2009 NISMO 370Z™
Franklin, Tennessee - Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) announced pricing for the all-new 2009 Nissan NISMO 370Z™, which goes on sale today at Nissan retailers nationwide. The new, second-generation NISMO Z® continues the tradition of the original, offering unique performance and design attributes that true [...]
![An image named 2009-nismo-grp-nissan-ot-555-1[1].jpg](http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/images/2009/06/28/2009-nismo-grp-nissan-ot-555-1[1].jpg)
Nissan's press launch event of the Nismo 370Z was a disaster - first the rear differential wore out and the 370Z Touring model provided for comparison had to give up it's own as a replacement. Then a journalist destroyed the car by putting it into [...]
Speaking of the European launch of the 370Z, here's the first review of the car from Fifth Gear.
[...]
Wondering what happened to the two 370Zs at this years 24 hour endurance race at Nurburgring? It was a disaster all around - and you can watch it unfold thanks to these YouTube videos. Note the wheel sitting on the side of the road with [...]
Andrew Farah, GM's Volt Chief Engineer, shows off the first Volt prototype to be built with the final bodywork and chassis. Note that the Volt program is ahead of schedule, which will allow more time for refining the engineering and software.
[...]
In a press release Tuesday, Ford discussed some of the progress that has been made to date, as well as plans over the next few years.
New news: Ford will introduce the EcoBoost technology for the F-150 in 2009. It's been said before that it was coming, but it wasn't clear' [...]
Took a day off Monday and went out Harris Hill Road racetrack to show my friends Jack and Monica around the track. I'd been there before, and instructed at an S2000 club sponsored event. It's a private club track - meaning memberships are required unless you can attend one of the events various groups run' [...]
The first crunched SHO is in Chicago. If they're a friend of Obama, maybe they can get a free bailout or a job in DC. Thanks to ChicagoSVT, who works at the dealer.
' [...]
And their first impressions were good. You can't call this a test because it wasn't instrumented - just a drive around the back roads of the press event. Everything worked well, except the brakes. That concerns us, since the brakes of our original Gen [...]
So here I am ranting on the problems of the Mustang again. From my last post, written with a furious pounding of the keyboard, it seems that I am having a case of deja vu about Ford yet again. It's a love/hate relationship in the end - one of those [...]
Motor Trend's blog talks today about the IRS suspension that was developed for the S195 (2005) Mustang: [blogs.motortrend.com]
They've got a couple of points wrong in their article, but by and large it's right. My own involvement with the IRS Mustang begins in 1999, when I took delivery of' [...]
Edmunds has the first true test of the new SHO - and it doesn't look good. At all.
4400 pounds... that's 4400! A nearby Lincoln MKS was heard to shout "Holy mother of god, I've been cloned"!!!!
Interest in the new SHO across the internet is making SEO heroes out [...]
The web is all a-twitter this week about the upcoming Duratec V-6 Mustang. That, folks, is not news - it's been the plan all along and only lack of funds has held it back. One fanciful site went to far as to suggest that some sort of complex "engineering" was [...]
