Ultima GTR - Now Built and Wildly Fast

Building and assembling your own vehicle is immensely satisfying, hard work. Adding personalized and custom touches makes it all yours, unlike anyone else’s. It also requires great patience with trial and error, potential mistakes, backtracking and repeating steps. Four years of painstaking, creative and very rewarding work. Nearly a year ago I profiled this “Street Legal Race Car”. Well now, it’s built!


Chris Julian finally has completed his Ultima GTR, registered and street legal for maximum fun. Imagine legally driving a car – at least legally from a technical standpoint, if not technique, that would be at home running against true race cars. Running with meaning; just as low, just as quick and almost as light. The Ultima GTR looks similar to the Daytona Prototypes, and it weighs roughly the same, 2300lbs but in this case with a significantly larger motor making more horsepower.

Climbing over the wide sill into the tight, cramped passenger seat takes technique. The fire suppression system interferes with legroom. Don’t disable it accidentally! The 4 point racing harness feels comforting considering how low you sit. The view forward is spectacular, the road looks like it's just in front and right under you with wide bulging front fenders on either side.

Starting up the Corvette Z-06 sourced 427 cubic inch V-8 (LS7) with the headers right behind the passenger compartment announces the fun is going to begin. Even owners of exotics who haven’t assembled anything on their cars all look to see this impossibility roll by. It’s loud, visceral, a little smelly and it’s begging to be run fast. Surprisingly, sitting just 2.75” off the ground at the lowest point still makes for a decent ride on decent roads. The acceleration is fierce, making one laugh out loud and start thinking about only a handful of cars that could accelerate harder on the street. Cornering is flat, period. The limits are far, far too high to explore on the street.

Think about the legendary Cobra. Now lower it, enclose it, add air conditioning, modern brakes, mid-engine layout, fuel injection, modern suspension, minimal weight gain. This is the ultimate modern kit car. It isn’t perfect. It has a minor rattle here, a slight rubbing/clearance problem and a minor tune to optimize the intake and exhaust work the engine has. It was a warm day and despite sitting in traffic and the small cockpit, stayed comfortable inside. It’s well sorted and fantastically fun for home assembly.

Getting it to street legal status takes a few steps. First an application to the DMV, a brake and light inspection by CHP as well as a VIN number assigned and smog for paperwork only. There is no actual smog test nor sound test required. Awesome! The California SPCN/SB100 Street Legal process, although limited to 500 vehicles a year is a process that allows your dream to be licensed for everyday use.

A thorough appraisal was recently done on the car and thanks to the Chris’s talent and innovation; the appraisal by the established Pacific Automobile Appraisers compared the end result to world class one-off concepts from automotive manufacturers and national show winners. I have to concur; it’s nearly a masterpiece thanks to his resources and ability to create special parts.

Many enthusiasts like to assemble and install their own performance parts. Imagine the pride and joy assembling your own car, then improving it like none other of the same model. And then once complete, instead of computer control or interference with the engine power, transmission, suspension, brakes, steering and rear differential, this is a driver’s car, not a car with driver’s “enhancements “ also known as handicaps.

Link to previous article: http://www.examiner.com/autos-in-san-jose/ultima-gtr-building-the-street-legal-race-car
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Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc? Ask me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!

Audi S4 the Bank Vault on Wheels

When first hearing about how the supercharged Audi S4 performed so well, I was immediately skeptical of the 333hp rating and stated as much on April 29th, 2010. When owner Greg Helstrup of Collateral Resources contacted me asking if I wanted to check out his 2011 S4, I immediately made arrangements to get behind the wheel.

Greg’s impressions of the car are smooth, comfortable, solid, quiet and “go-kart”. It isn’t a “go-kart” like a Lotus, but compared to floaty and boaty sedan or an SUV, it feels like it.

This current generation referred to the B8, is significantly larger than the B7 visually and for the driver, most apparent in the driver legs area where more room was desperately needed. This is truly a proper sized sedan and the impression is that this is a do-anything automobile. It’s fast, practical, all-wheel drive and full of luxury and technology. With a long list of options and technical features that are covered in a 66 page brochure, a lot of time is really needed to fully review and appreciate what the Audi offers.

The 7 speed dual-clutch transmission shifts (not an “automatic”!) with a brief, audible “zzz” from the revving engine. I’ve stated before the car is undoubtedly underrated at 333hp despite the dual clutch transmission. The 3.0 liter supercharged engine is very responsive but a sudden start off the line has a momentary hesitation while the clutch engages automatically It’s not quite as fast as the BMW M3 but the interior is more inviting with its layout and features. Yet again the Audi MMI (Multi Media Interface) makes for a an enjoyable experience with the logical controls, layout and features. It’s another capable car that can sell itself once you sit in it, instrumented test results quickly pushed aside.

The suspension is firm and even selecting various modes of the Audi Drive Select, the difference in ride was difficult to detect. The Audi Drive Select controls the vehicle’s adaptive suspension, dynamic steering, transmission shift characteristics and engine response. What was felt was the change in the throttle response. It felt very reactive to the right foot, maybe perfect. No complaint of the throttle-by-wire here. Steering effort is light but there isn’t a lot of feedback.

It’s claimed the 6-speed manual is quicker but unless the gear ratios are whack, I highly doubt it and the faster dragstrip results seem to be from the S-tronic (dual clutch transmission) cars. A performance oriented software tune, intake and exhaust for this car reportedly takes the horsepower up to about 430hp or so. With 114-116mph trap speeds, I’m guessing it’s a little higher than that, 450-460hp with 100 octane gas?

It has BMW M3 and 335i owners making various claims and proclamations but the Audi All Wheel Drive makes it a far more consistently performing car whether it is in the rain or off the line in the shine. The BMW 335i has AWD available but only as an automatic and isn’t as sport oriented.

As a solid and quiet bank vault, it isn’t wind noise that is noticed, it’s the tire noise with the 255/35/19 performance tires. That solid perception also applies to the doors, you have to close them with more authority than normal because the air seal is so tight. The seats are tall yet supportive but not quite as body hugging like the BMW M3. The headliner in black combined with the black leather interior makes for an intimate cockpit. It’s surprising how often dark interiors have light colored headliners. The backup camera is a little slow to show the rear view, but it stays on for a few moments while rolling forward. I would trade that funny quirk for an instant-on camera once reverse is selected.

The car isn’t visceral, it just wants to be and that makes for a nice compromise. Audi continues in its winning ways. The S4 is for those who are more about driving their fast, fun car everyday than going to the track. Adding in the benefits of all wheel drive and the spectacular interior layout and features, this is may be the best choice for a performance oriented daily driver in the price segment.

Audi S4 Undisclosed Horsepower article: http://www.examiner.com/autos-in-san-jose/2010-audi-s4-undisclosed-extra-horsepower

Audi MMI information page: http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/exp/innovation/mmi.html

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Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc. Reach me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!

305 horsepower Ford Mustang V-6 Review and Test Drive

In light of the recent controversy of the guest authored Mustang GT 5.0 review, the timing of evaluating this 305 horsepower V-6 model couldn’t be better. After a long weekend and over 200 miles, there is plenty to share. It’s smooth around town, quick and gets very impressive mileage yet still very “domestic”.

The car has nice styling, the polished dual exhaust mufflers a nice touch on the base V-6 model. The taillights are distinctively Mustang with cool sequential lighting pattern when a turn signal is activated.
One thing that has bothered me is the dark, rectangular body strip on the side of Mustang that has been prevalent for years. It seems like a styling shortcut, like a big mudflap.

Of course loading luggage was the first part and although having a high sill, the trunk space is pretty good, far better than the larger and heavier Camaro. The rear badge is enormous which as we learned later, is a recurring theme. A large center console has great storage yet oddly the large doors offer very little. Even though the rear seat cushions are high, the front seat recliner switch on the back of the front seat will hit or scratch you if you’re not careful.

After getting comfortable with seat adjustments, it’s immediately apparent the high hood line gives the car a “big car” feel and yet the windshield is very close to the driver. The hood immediately reminded me of the Hertz Shelby GT I had some seat time in back in 2007. The gauges are large and so are the needles for the speedometer and tachometer. In fact, the needle is so thick it’s about a 4mph guess on the speedo.

Driving the 305hp Pony Car revealed some interesting aspects. It’s very smooth around town, effortless for city driving although the transmission shifts with that seemingly old school audible “whew!”. But if the roads get rough at speed, it gets particularly choppy. The suspension conveys what feels like an extra or exaggerated movement when absorbing bumps, almost as if it shivers. Not sure if this is a function of the also old-school solid rear axle but it does bring to mind a past description used for recent Mustangs, “truck-like”. You would think any coupe making this kind of power is a “highway car.” This one is not. Now I know what my non-car brother was talking about, go figure.

So what is 305hp from the V-6 like? It’s definitely quick, a little hesitant from idle and seemingly long pedal travel. It roars, but sounds coarse and not unlike a vacuum cleaner. Downshifts are delayed but the transmission shifts smoothly, far too smoothly at wide open throttle though. The best description is extremely lazy. A factory adjustment is desperately needed.

More interior observations occur over time. The glove box is rather small underneath a massive front panel. Speaking of massive, the shifter, speaker grills, badges, etc. are very large. They look heavy and as Pretty Navigator observed as if Ford is trying to get guys to buy the V6 by making the base model seem more masculine. The legroom for front passengers is excellent but the driver’s headrest is an abomination. It can’t be tilted back so the driver gets “biffed” often.

The custom color scheme of the lighted door sills (a superb touch), foot wells and dashboard lights is a great feature to personalize the car. Oddly contrasting is the 1980’s style dot-matrix display of the radio and the narrow font of the characters. It does display a lot of information however. It can be controlled with the numerous steering wheel buttons; one was counter-intuitive having one function but only one side worked vs. the others with rocker functions.

Ford has done a nice job updating the Mustang with impressive power and outstanding mileage. At an MSRP of $27,690, it may not be the most refined or well-optioned but it does offer a patriotic and powerful rear-drive alternative to the cookie-cutter masses. The few updates and changes needed are not extensive either. If you think 305hp and 30mpg in a coupe sounds attractive, it is definitely worth a look, and in my opinion more so than the Camaro.

Camry Hybrid MPG Question - Ask Rob About Cars

I was checking out the Camry Hybrid online. Gas prices here are spiking up a bit. It says mpg is 31/35, but someone said that in winter, when running the heater, the mpg goes down. Is this true?

Thanks,

Jeff
Chicago, IL
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Hello Jeff, yes that is true. In cold weather, batteries lose efficiency which means the gasoline engine will turn on sooner and for a longer period of time, increasing fuel consumption. A recent trend is to have heated seats work in conjunction with the heater to reduce the demand on battery power from blowing heated air.

In hot weather, the same may occur with the air conditioning being constantly on even though it's equipped with an electric compressor vs. the standard accessory belt driven unit to eliminate parasitic losses.

A word of advice regarding any car with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Make sure you drive it as you drive your current car and make sure you don’t find the constant revving objectionable when accelerating.

If most of your driving is highway and you'd like some power too, the Hyundai Sonata Turbo is rated at 32mpg highway and produces 274 horsepower on regular octane gas. Very impressive numbers.

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Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc. Reach me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!

California Leaders Pollute California

Mr. Gary Richards AKA Mr. Roadshow of the San Jose Mercury News recently reported that the new southbound 680 express lanes have added on average a minute to the commute time. The study cited was done by the Alameda County Transportation Agency.

What that means is the results of the new lanes are an absolute and total failure contributing MORE pollution from idling vehicles than before. I would also like to know just how bad the spikes are and how badly the statistics show the real story every day.

ALSO, on southbound 680 AFTER the express lanes end during the evening rush hour, traffic slows down while there is a very large median area next to the center divider that could easily accommodate another lane. Why it hasn’t been made into a useful lane is beyond me.

Finally northbound 680 during the late afternoon and evening looks horrible as well, observed during late afternoon drives southbound.

Why California continues to mandate harmful and/or useless fuel additives, lower octane rating for premium gas, draconian restrictions for vehicle modification despite extra clean burning engines while cramming as much traffic as possible into as few lanes as possible is absolutely stupid beyond all measure and environmentally criminal. Surely there are representatives trying to stop this?

I strongly urge you to contact your government representatives and demand cleaner air and less fuel consumption by banning carpool and express lanes with use requirements.

Mr. Roadshow article: http://www.mercurynews.com/mr-roadshow/ci_17438165?nclick_check=1

Find and contact your state representative: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/defaulttext.asp

Previous article urging a ban on carpool lanes from 3/2009: http://www.examiner.com/autos-in-san-jose/ban-carpool-lanes

Silicon Valley Auto Show 2011 Part 3 and Slideshow

Part 3 of the coverage of the Silicon Valley Auto Show with slideshow featuring manufacturers "M" through "V"

The Silicon Valley Auto Show offered a great value for those wanting to really take a close look at new cars. Although highly desirable marquees like Porsche and Audi were absent, considering the $9 admission price which includes a 1-year subscription to Motor Trend, or $7 with an online coupon, it’s more affordable than virtually any other auto show.

While debating the merits of a comparatively small show vs. the International level events, keep in mind versus something like a Goodguys custom car show in Pleasanton, not only is it less expensive, including parking, but here you can sit, touch and feel all these cars and trucks and many of them have much nicer interiors, if not as colorful. But as I wrote before, either one is a nice alternative to the zoo.

Check out the slideshow for the remaining cars from the manufacturers.

Silicon Valley Auto Show 2011 Part 2 and Slideshow

Part 2 of the highlights of the 2011 Silicon Valley Auto Show.

In San Jose, the 2011 Silicon Valley Auto Show presented by Motor Trend held Thursday 1/6 – Sunday 1/9 is much improved over last year. Additional highlights of the show are listed below. Be sure to check out all the observations in the slideshow as well.

A free subscription to Motor Trend magazine with each ticket purchase.

Ford Mustang Dream Giveaway benfitting the Healing Heroes Network. It's actually for two Mustangs, a '69 Calypso Coral High Performance Boss 30 and a matching 2012 Boss 302. The 2012 model is the only one offered in Calypso Coral as well and the Boss package means 440hp. Be sure to see the Laguna Seca edition in the slideshow too.

Ride and Drives from GM (Chevrolet, Buick & GMC), Ford and Toyota.

Specialty Vehicles from Chevrolet include the Corvette Stingray concept, the "American Pride" Camaro and the SLP ZL585 Camaro. See the slideshow from Part 1. Also a magic show as well.

Exotic Vehicles courtesy of Los Gatos Luxury Cars. Makes like Aston Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini, Lotus and Rolls Royce.

Ferrari Club Display courtesy of the Pacific Region of the Ferrari Club of America. See the slideshow below.

SHIFTR Automotive and Lifestyle Expo. Lowriders, race cars, tuner cars, girls, DJs, dance crews, etc. Pretty Navigator asked me to show her something interesting, after looking at the Hershey bar truck (a brown extended cab and bed Dodge with a 160" wheelbase), this was the destination. Highlights include supercharged G35s, a GT-R, a 1000+ horsepower Corvette, an 8-second quarter-mile 1,000+ horsepower Ford Lightning and much more.

Check out the slideshow for additional details and coverage.

Silicon Valley Auto Show 2011

In San Jose, the 2011 Silicon Valley Auto Show presented by Motor Trend held Thursday 1/6 – Sunday 1/9 is much improved over last year. Although not as large as the “other” major city shows like Chicago, Detroit, LA and New York that feature new model and concept introductions, there are distinct advantages and some very interesting observations.

Access is particularly easy and parking is affordable. Since it’s not too big, and on Thursday night not too crowded, you can really crawl around the cars and take in all the details. And of course, some under-supervised little kids walk all over the cars leaving details too. Hint to parents – pretend these cars belong to your boss, okay? Perhaps the lack of the crowd meant everyone seemed to be friendly, courteous, in good humor and polite. This folks was not like a trip Costco.

Sadly, Porsche, Nissan and Audi among others were missed and these smaller-show cars tend to be in drab black and grey colors. And Mercedes, in a dimly lit hallway location, didn’t have any of their high performance models with those boring colors. Jaguar, planned or not, was also in the hallway but their color choices were actually striking in that lighting, as well as their performance models.

In the upcoming slideshows, you may notice the drab colors so the eye was drawn to more meaningful designs and observations. Some details were very clever, some archaic, you decide for yourself. There was no sorry attempt to fill space this year either, apologies to classic Camaro owners from last year. Another benefit with a smaller crowd is the representatives from the factory and dealers have time to talk in detail.

The vendor displays again were very good and Club Sportiva had the first red Ferrari 458 I can recall seeing in person. By this time the thirst generated meant paying $4.00 for bottled water. That is not a typo but it sure was cold.

Stay tuned for further coverage and pictures from the show.