Is Tesla the next GM

Recently I had the opportunity to tour Tesla's final assembly and sales location and came away not only impressed but thinking, is this the next GM? Think about the emphass on electric cars. Will a generation or two from now say, "You mean to tell me that your car had flammable liquids stored in it and you had to replenish them every 1 or 2 weeks!?" There is going to be a generation that can't fathom a gasoline powered car any more than kids today never being without cell phones.

There will be a point where virtually every family will have a hybrid or electric vehicle in the garage and Tesla seems to be leading the way with a battery-only vehicle for the street.

My question was always, why a sports car? As it was explained to me, I realized what a clever idea it was. Make it a halo car that gets a lot of attention, limited availability and light enough that with the battery power available the performance compares decently with other cars in the same $100k price range. Granted it isn't a quarter-mile monster nor a road circuit track star, but it is quite quick in the more-or-less legal speed ranges. Also, being a niche two-seater means it isn't improperly perceived as the final break from our dependence on oil. Get the attention, establish credentials, raise funds, research, develop and then take what you've learned and earned to establish a mass-appeal, obtainable 4-door. Brilliant.

The motor is made in Taiwan. The chassis comes from Lotus in England where it is stretched and heavily modified to accommodate the battery pack. The body and paintwork is done by a company called in France. The battery pack which consists of over 4,000 lithium-ion cells, is made in San Carlos, CA. Final assembly occurs at the "dealership" in Menlo Park, CA.

Granted this can be an expensive build process but right now it is passed on to the buying public. This is a great example of global outsourcing to keep overhead low and use the best available sources for a final product.

Edit: Ah yes, Tesla is still ahead of the pack, selling hundreds of thousands of EVs globally, making their fans ecstatic and driving critics nuts. Great commuter cars. 

American LeMans Racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Racing Coverage

Six hours of triple digit speeds wasn't the only story this past weekend on the Monterey Peninsula. Anticipating warmer weather this May vs. past races in October, it was still a little cold and windy. A hardcore race fan may watch the entire 6-hour race, but there is so much more going on the entire weekend. Be sure to check out Part 2 regarding all the other events taking place.

RACE RESULTS:

Most notable was the Highcroft Racing Acura HPD ARX-01C finishing in first place after starting at the back of the grid. It turned it's fastest time on lap 5 with a 1:14.441. Witnessing this lap in the grandstands at turn 4, my buddy and I looked at each other as the car flew by us, knowing were watching something special. This is the fastest turn and Acura states up to 131mph!

The Acura battled the Mazda powered Lola B09 86 throughout the race, which interestingly qualified 2 seconds quicker. Unfortunately the oil filter blew with only 24 minutes remaining, causing the Lola to withdraw, leaving the Acura to finish 7 laps ahead of the non-factory Porsche RS Spyder.

In the LMPC class featuring slightly slower prototypes saw the Oreca FLM 09 taking 3rd overall, only one lap ahead of the Oreca FLM 09 featuring local Los Gatos resident Tom Sutherland, son of accomplished racer Rick Sutherland. Attrition meant the remaining prototype cars to be finished before the end of the race.

The GT class featuring the more identifiable Porsches, Ferraris, Corvettes and a Jaguar was the source of more consistent battles with Patrick Long in the Porsche 911 RSR passing Joey Hand in the Rahal/Letterman (yes, that Letterman) BMW M3 GT and then finally winning by less than four-tenths of a second! Roughly 3 seconds behind was the Corvette "ZR1" finishing 3rd, cleanly this time vs. last October.

I put "ZR1" in quotes because the body is based on the current Corvette ZR1 but the powertrain is a 5.3 liter normally aspirated V-8, not a supercharged 6.2 liter. However, it still sounds as thunderous as the big 427s from the currently retired GT1 class.

The Jaguar looked sharp but unfortunately finished last due to a mechanical problem. The best sounding car was the Ford GT which just ripped and snarled down the track but just was competitive. Sadly, the field seemed smaller this year when previous series competitors such as the Ford powered Panoz and the Dodge Viper didn't show.

In the GTC class, a clever way to boost car count, the Porsche GT3 Cup cars had some great racing with Black Swan Racing taking their first win. These cars, also on slicks, turn 1:27s and 1:28s which now makes them faster than the Speed GT series which was greatly missed this weekend due to a conflict in race schedules.

Unfortunately there were 10 caution periods due to cars going off track for a total of 42 laps of 237 completed by the winning Acura. Even though improvements have been made to the track, watching other events suggests the runoff area is just too short for less restrictive. Another change at the track is a 3-sided big screen on top of the scoring tower, a nice addition to see action you normally miss from various vantage points.

See part 2 for further highlights of the event weekend.

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Links:

Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca

American LeMans Series results page

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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 Mille 2010 in Downtown San Francisco

Last weekend marked the beginning of the 20th Anniversary of the California Mille. A 1,000 mile driving and social event for pre-1958 cars throughout Northern California. In the tradition of the Mille Miglia in Italy, it is more than just classics being driven around with a $5,800 entry fee. For the public, it is essentially a free Concours D'elegance at the Fairmont Hotel at Nob Hill in San Francisco.

Participant cars are parked in front of the hotel and other gorgeous classics on the street. The variety and caliber of the cars is extraordinary. As a matter of fact, cars from the Palo Alto Concours were present as well.

The beauty of event is these cars are not sitting in a garage undriven and unappreciated except by a few. They are gorgeous, mostly in excellent condition being driven hundreds of miles a day. Many of them do not have air conditioning, radios or other modern comforts. Somewhat like all the benefits and detriments of motorcycling come to think of it. In some cases, about the same amount of storage space.

The event is primarily for the owners to enjoy their cars, venues and driving experience. And for the public, who would normally pay $25 to $150 to see such classics gathered in one place minus the trailer queens and storage princesses, it is a special treat.

Club Auto Sport's Art and Autos Event

Club Auto Sport in San Jose, California, the premier car condominium and club also hosts various automotive themed events throughout the year. On Friday, March 5th, the Art and Autos event was a, “An Exhibit of Fine Automotive Art and Auto Design.”

The San Francisco Academy of Art Industrial Design School presented several futuristic automotive designs with models, story boards and illustrations. The director of the industrial design department, Tom Matano was the special guest. Known as the “The Father of the Miata sports car design”, Mr. Matano was the General Manager of Mazda Design and held other prominent positions within the company.

Besides artwork on display, the automobiles are always pleasant to look at that are being offered by Premier Auto Sales. The condos that are open to public view offer fascinating views of collections, automobiles and artwork. Below is the press release from Club Auto Sport.

Be sure to check out the free Showoff Saturdays car shows including today as well as the Bulldogs, Bentleys, Bangers and Beatles event on Saturday, May 8th from 9am – 4pm at Club Auto Sport!

Pablo Picasso once said “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary” Club Auto Sport proudly presents some of the finest diaries of automotive fine art, artists and auto designs on Friday evening March 5th. Works of art from world famous racing photographers and artists including Bill Patterson, will be on display.
San Francisco's Academy of Art Industrial Design School will be showcasing a number of futuristic, automotive designs. Special guest Tom Matano, director of the industrial design department, also know as "the father of the Miata sports car design" will be on hand as well. San Jose State will rev up the school’s first ever hybrid racing car design. Add to or start your automotive art collection. All art on display will be for sale. Stake your claim to some great art during the silent auction.

2010 Audi S4: Undisclosed Extra Horsepower?

It's great when sedans crack the 12 second quarter mile mark at 108mph or more. But when they weigh 4,000lbs and are rated at 333hp, something doesn't add up. In this case, the S4 seems to be making approximately 70 horsepower more than advertised. Consider the following test results:

Road & Track May 2010: 12.9 seconds @ 108.6 mph

Road & Track January 2010: 13.2 seconds @ 106.8 mph

Car & Driver October 2009: 13.4 seconds @ 106 mph

With very aggressive gearing and AWD like the Porsche Panamera this would be believable from a 333hp 2-ton sedan. But these times have been achieved with 6-speed manual cars. Looking back to the 420hp RS4 that was also around 4,000lbs, this matches pretty well. Audi isn't lying about the weight either. The Road & Track car weighed in at 4,010lbs. A really quick pig, if you will.

At 333hp, an all-wheel drive car needs to weigh around 3,300lbs to achieve those speeds. There is more parasitic loss with AWD vs. two-wheel drive powertrain layout. Is Audi purposefully underrating the car? Or does cool weather and a cool motor with direct injection make a lot more horsepower than if fully warmed up at normal operating temperatures?

This has happened in the past and perhaps forced induction motors are more susceptible to horsepower variations in temperature. If intentional, it's a nice benefit for the owners. But if the ratings creep up during the model run, what changes warrant it?

There is a 13.0 @ 107mph on dragtimes.com that is attributed to a private party. Hopefully this means these are not magazine "ringers" with aggressive tunes or smaller-than-stock supercharger pulleys creating more boost. Many including myself think Nissan did this with the pre-production GT-Rs that were much quicker than those sold in the showrooms. And of course, the Nurburgring times are questionable for any 3800+lbs, 480hp car. You can't defy physics. Audi isn't making any wild claims though. Except of course the low horsepower rating...

It's in Audi's best interest to disclose the horsepower variance. And I would love to see if the 7-speed DCT transmission can do better and if it has more aggressive gearing. Interestingly Audi lists the weight of the manual transmission car at 3847lbs, 77lbs less than the 7-speed. They are not fibbing that the weight is over 3800lbs, that's for sure.

Audi's supercharged S4 eclipses the previous generation RS4 and is beating the competition. If driving it is anything like my experience from A5 review from 1//17/10, it's awesome. Not bad from "only" 333hp, right? Oink oink!

NASCAR Reinstatement Outrages Race Fans

A family member of NASCAR 'royalty" was reinstated by the Grand-Am series after traffic and drug charges against him were dropped due to a "jurisdictional technicality." What was observed and found is the following: Street racing, running a red light, swerving (okay, reckless driving), DUI and cocaine possession.

J.C. France is the grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France. He is a race car driver in the NASCAR owned Grand-Am Road Racing series, best known for the 24 Hours of Daytona. His father founded the Grand-Am series. Early on October 8th, 2009 he was observed racing his 2007 Lamborghini against a Porsche Cayenne that is owned by his roommate, also "connected" with NASCAR and had similar charges. I wonder what they would have found at the home they share?

France is quoted as saying the following at the scene to an officer: "No, this is a mistake for you. I'm a France, we own this city." A real class act and an ambassador for the sport. Unfortunately, this statement seems to ring true.

Whether jurisdictional or not, there is no denying the guilt of J.C. France and his stupidity. And just as bad, the sanctioning body just turned the other cheek after making an example of another driver. The next day, NASCAR issued this statement, "Grand-Am has issued a penalty notice and suspended JC indefinitely from all competition for actions detrimental to racing. The penalty is not appealable. JC is being treated like any other competitor. His suspension is immediate and indefinite." Yeah, until charges are dropped. What a joke.

Drugs are not funny, cool or an edgy lifestyle for the rich. Financing mass murder, assassinations and terrorism is totally unacceptable. This is a slap in the face of law abiding race car drivers, citizens and honest law enforcement officers and the judicial system.

A real shame because the Grand-Am series is a legitimate and interesting road racing series with excellent manufacturer participation. The teams and members that race deserve recognition. The owners simply deserve scorn.

Check out the comments on Autoweekracing.com in the Grand-Am section.

2011 Mustang Upgrades: Ask Rob About Cars

Q: What will be the upgrades for the 2011 Mustang? - John H., Los Gatos, CA

A: John, the 2011 Mustang has significant engine horsepower improvements that vault it into top contention for both the V-6 and V-8 models.

The 2010 model already saw an upgraded interior commented on here and the '10 GT has a suspension universally liked by those who have driven due to improved handling despite the archaic solid rear axle. Initial tests also show the braking to be excellent, not something the Mustang has been known for in the past.

The V-6 model drops the ancient 4.0 liter motor for a modern 3.7 with dual overhead cams and variable valve timing and producing 305hp with 87 octane. Recent magazine tests have this car has a high-13 second quarter mile machine with a 29mph highway rating. This is a better car all around than the 2010 GT. Read more about it here with stats and specs.

The big news is the 5.0 liter V-8 called the "Coyote" motor found in the GT model. Now making 412hp, it's now the best bang for the buck in the sub-Corvette and GT500 world. A superbly built motor with internals ready for supercharging or turbocharging, the Mustang is back on top. A 26mpg rating means no mileage penalty despite being capable of 12 second timeslips at the track.

Ford states this is the V-6 first 300hp production car to achieve 30mpg. Finally added is either a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed automatic to both models along with optional equipment packages depending upon intended or desired use. Rear axle ratios, wheel size, and a Brembo brake option are examples. Multiple revisions also include areas such as the suspension, electric power steering instead of a power and mileage rubbing belt.

The Camaro makes more power but is heavier and the Challenger is much heavier and larger. While all three are very capable cars, in my opinion the Mustang is the better track car off the showroom floor, whether it's the dragstrip or the road circuit. Based on what is being reported, the car is now world class among the competition.

Read more about the Mustang GT with stats and specs in a March 2010 Car & Driver article.

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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!

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car Is Wrong

It's time for a change in the monotany of the Indy 500 pace cars. Not only that, GM does strange marketing moves. Repeating the Camaro for 2010 as the "pace car" which means extra stickers and badging like the silly Bumblebee, and it's again handicapped with the lower horsepower rated automatic transmission. Besides that, why is it brand dominated? Besides greed, this isn't about the fine Camaro, it's about relevance.

The IndyCar series currently has seven drivers from the United States of the thirty listed. Not that this is a bad thing, but the only engine used in these cars is from Honda. That's right, Honda. Since Honda doesn't make a performance car any longer (S2000 and the NSX are dead) the pace car, if Honda powered should either be an Acura flagship or a motorcycle like the CBR1000RR or VRF1200F.

Another idea, besides the greed oriented bidding process is to have different brands by judging. A how about a performance car of the year by a vote? Or the pace car of choice by the previous years race winner or previous year series champion. Decals don't make the car either. But having an SUV like the Oldsmobile Bravada in 2001 was a joke.

Another laugh was the Chevrolet SSR in 2003. Basically an overweight, poor selling concept vehicle with little purpose, the long overdue Mustang Cobra would have been far more appropriate. Corvettes have had a too long of a run and skipped the ZR1 for some odd reason. The Dodge Viper has also been missing a long, long time. After all, the Viper ACR is now the king of the track until perhas the Ferrari 599 GTO comes along at takes the crown.

While I'm on this soapbox, forget the 2008 E85 fueled Corvette. E85 doesn't produce the same power as gasoline and produces less miles per gallon. The "Green" racing was attempted at the highest level in Formula 1 and it was dropped. It's just an exercise in marketing. Higher performance breeds greater efficiency anyway.

A website for Indy pace cars is here with some interesting models over the years. But now it's time to spice it up with some variety and no more consecutive year model repeats unless it's something significant. And GM, not a slower version, please.

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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!

Toyota Owed an Apology by Consumer Reports

And from the mainstream media as well. Enough is enough, now they are being picked on. Toyota has faulty accelerator pedals and floor mats that are being recalled, that has been established and explained in my article here. What must first be clarified is that the problems caused unintended continued acceleration, not unintended acceleration. The pedals did not apply themselves. Now Consumer Reports gives a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" because the stability control on two different 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUVs didn't activate at an acceptable level during intended induced oversteer (fishtailing). But no rollover!

CR tries to put this in perspective by stating, "No other SUV in recent years slid out as far as the GX 460". Allow me to put this in real world perspective, "Millions of vehicles on the road don't have stability control at all." Whether this is a sensor calibration or software issue, it doesn't matter. It's good to bring it to Toyota's attention, but it does not merit a "Don't Buy" rating. Not in the slightest. Oh, by the way, Toyota didn't encounter the problem during the vehicle development. And oddly, CR didn't have the problem with the Toyota 4Runner on the same platform.

It's bad enough there are calls to 911 instead of taking proper steps like shifting into neutral while continuously applying the brakes and then turning off the car. Now an organization that has been discredited in the past has done it again. I've written about trucks that have been lifted beyond the stock height that should be lowered, but this is an abomination in the opposite direction.

The bottom line is any vehicle can flip over during a high speed maneuver and striking an object. Apparently CR discovered a Lexus SUV can be drifted. Now that is an SUV that is fun to drive.

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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!

Ultima GTR - Building the Street-Legal Race Car

Part one is building of the Ultima GTR. Part two will be a test ride review.

The Ultima GTR is very special vehicle. Essentially a tube-frame race car that happens to be street legal, it's a kit that must be assembled. However the end result is very impressive. Take a look at their website and see for yourself. In this case, Chris Julian, a brilliant medical device inventor with over 20 patents is making modifications and refinements during the over 3 year build process while running his company, Ridge Medical, Inc. And the good news it's almost done!

The car is available as a kit for $41,000 which includes free shipping via boat from the United Kingdom. A rolling chassis is $89,000 but still needs an engine. In this case, a 505 horsepower Corvette Z-06 motor was found, still in the crate on Ebay. An ideal powerplant due to it's light weight, power and dry sump lubrication system for a low center of gravity. The rebuilt transmission is from a 1980's era Porsche Turbo which will handle the power and package nicely in the rear of the car. At a target weight of 2,200 lbs, it's power to weight ratio is simply incredible when most exotics are over 3,000lbs.

The most noticeable, and beautiful of the custom modifications is the "bundle of snakes" exhaust headers designed by the owner. Check out the video, they make for a nice exotic sound you usually only hear at historic races. This fabrication was one of the biggest challenges. Check out the slidehow of the various enhancements.

There are other quite clever modifications as well. Knowing how lousy the roads are in Northern California, not to mention driveway curbs and the like, ground clearance would be an issue at a stock 3.5". Suspension mounting brackets with remotely activated hydraulic rams extend the ride height 2" to overcome obstacles. Low speed ride height adjustment is rare even among exotics.

A fuel surge tank was added to assure properly fuel pressure during high g-force loads. An integrated datalogger was added with multiple inputs and programmability. Currently set up for fuel and oil pressure, brake temperature, engine bay temperature and air pressure under the car all with alarms in case a pre-determined threshold is reached. Fire suppression is also on this car.

It will have air conditioning, a defroster and numerous revisions to the interior including a status display. The color is a gel coat which is embedded in the fiberglass body itself which makes rock chips less conspicuous. Another step in weight reduction would be a full carbon fiber body but unfortunately is no longer offered.

The Chris's description of the kit car market is "buyer beware" but was very impressed with the build quality of the Ultima. But like any small volume manufacturer or kit car, there will be challenges in building and maintaining. The suspension must be partially disassembled to change the battery. The side pods are not designed to be easily removed despite the tube frame design. Changing the belts near the bulkhead will also pose a challenge. Keep in mind this is meant for track days and weekends, not fifteen thousand miles per year as a daily driver.

Due to the tuning required, it is not equipped with anti-lock brakes nor traction control. Forget airbags. Not dissimilar to a race car. No driver's aids, no electronic interference. More of a pure track weapon than the Dodge Viper ACR. However, less expensive but more pride in terms of labor, assembly and personalization than the new Viper ACR-X, prior generation known as the Competition Coupe.

The Ultima represents something that no longer exists from a volume manufacturer: A lightweight street car. A tube frame chassis is also virtually non-existent, now carbon fiber at a much higher cost. Electronic nannies are taking over, stability control required in 2012. This is a race car, lightweight, powerful, and just happens to be street legal. It's the ultimate track day car.

Special Mentions:

Incredibly resourceful and clever, Chris sites his father and late uncle as influences starting with their drag racing history from the 50's and 60's.

The final frame welding and finishing before powder coat was done by Thomas Chilcote Fabrication- Tommy Jr. and the late Tom Sr. Beautiful work but unfortunately the company no longer exists.

Check out the interior photos of the quality leather work done by Bascom Upholstery with special mention to John and Randy.

Lawrence Farmer was also cited as a great inspiration and reported to be one of the best race fabricators in the business and knows pretty much every historic racer/owner in the business. Additionally he's built at least a half dozen GTR's including his "Miller Racing" Ultima. Lawrence can be contacted by anyone interested in building an Ultima at (408) 483-9085

Piston Heads UK automotive forum

Building and Fabrication:

"Solid Works" is the CADD software used to model the interior, suspension, headers, and many of the 100+ custom components on the car.

"Dimension" is the manufacturer of the fused deposition modeling system (FDM) that was used to mock up many of the interior pieces

A demo copy of software from "Advantage CFD" was used to study the ground effects.

HAAS CNC is the manufacturer of the automated machining center owned by the builder and used for many of the fabricated components.

Stay tuned for Part 2 when the build is complete and the Ultima GTR is on the road.

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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!

When Driving Is Silly Ride a Custom Bicycle From Behind Bars, Inc.

Think about where you go in the car around town for a minute. How close are your destinations? It takes too much time to walk but if you could run far enough it might be okay, right? Consider taking the bicycle. Statistically, over half of us need to more often. So take the bike, enjoy the scenery, save some gas (duh), stop sitting at stoplights and get some exercise.

When you do, consider a bicycle to add function and form. But if you're going to be exposed to the elements and others, make it unique, fun and something to smile about. Dominick Guida of Behind Bars Inc. knows this and acted on his vision. Check out his workmanship and ideas in the slide show. His enthusiasm is contagious and the designs inspired me to write this article along with the initial suggestion from my pretty navigator.

Driving is great. The effortless power, the comfort, adjustable temperature, music, flexibility to go far and fast are all very appealing. But sometimes it's just a waste of gas. All those creature comforts are not always needed, especially on a short trip. Friends houses, post office (backpack), lottery tickets, bank, etc. I would imagine it's not easy to get mugged riding a bike, by the way.

The retro bikes are making a comeback. Weight isn't a consideration for cruising so why not? And when that supply is gone, customize. Make unique and make it yours. Cookie cutter is for the office parking lot. Have a lime green with pink polka dots (okay, maybe not pink) and chrome wheeled ride for going to the store. Bet your dog needs some exercise too. Just be careful out there.

Additional Links:
Behind Bars, Inc. My Space page http://www.myspace.com/behindbarsinc
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Behind-Bars-Inc/269548817652
- check out the bike show June 13th in San Jose
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa24/DeeGuida/Poster_v3copy.jpg
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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!

Ferrari 599 GTO Hits the Mark!

Just over a year ago I wrote how the Ferrari 599XX missed the mark and I challenged Ferrari to make it right. Well they did a great job. The 599XX was excess that was only available to a chosen few, never driven in competition, less than 30 produced, not street legal. It was a Ferrari that couldn't be driven on the street and had no competition pedigree. Seemingly the very antithesis of what Ferrari stands for.

Now the 599 GTO is a street legal work of art from Ferrari. It's European dry weight is reported at 3,296 lbs which doesn't seem so bad for a front engine V-12 supercar on a decent sized platform. US safety spec seats tend to weigh more than European seats but many owners may swap them out anyway. Also keep in mind most enthusiasts weigh their car with minimal gas in the tank. The Ferrari, with a 27.7 gallon tank (compare to 18 gallons or less for most cars) would mean roughly 172lbs of gas depending upon temperature.

The Viper ACR will be dethroned as the King of the 'Ring and Laguna Seca with production car laps records. Even Ferrari says this is their fastest road car ever. It produces 670hp from the 6.0L (5999cc or 366.08 cubic inch) V-12, a super fast shifting 6-speed paddle shift transmission capable of shifts in .06 of a second, carbon-ceramic brakes and magnetorheological shocks like the Corvette ZR1.

A few comparisons are inevitable, others are misguided. Some say it looks too much like a Corvette. That is like saying airplanes look alike, or race cars for that matter. Corvette owners should be happy they own the best bang for the buck in the automotive universe. And there are functional elements with serious exotic styling like the rear diffuser. The ZR1 has little window in the hood for a view of...another cover.

While somewhat of a late arrival in the model line-up, and my challenge to put it on the Nurburgring still stands, I think we all know the outcome. The horsepower race may be over but Ferrari keeps improving the breed.

Edit 2019:  Used 2011 599 GTOs are in the $590k to $750k range used. It's more mundane sibling, the 599 GTB Fiorano is under $200k used.
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Have a question about cars you would like answered? 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!

2010 Ford Mustang GT500 - Brief Impression

Recently I had the opportunity to have a couple of rides in a 2010 Ford GT500. What I learned during that brief time was pleasantly surprising. I used to be "down" on the car due to the weight. And actually still am. It's woefully overweight at 3917lbs as tested by Car &Driver, not to mention a bit front heavy in terms of weight distribution. But Ford continues to revise the solid rear axle and has anyone ever said a low 12-second car isn't fun to drive if it's generally refined? The other reason I frowned on it was when it had excessive badging making it a Ford Mustang Shelby Cobra SVT GT00.

The owner stated it's quite difficult to launch despite the solid rear axle (SRA) and weight. Managing a clutch and accelerator isn't easy with a car of this power on unprepped surfaces. Even Car & Driver managed a lousy 12.9 second ET despite a 113mph trap speed. I would suspect excessive wheelspin that shortened the distance of the track. The car should be in the mid-teens.

Besides a tasteful dark blue color, my next favorable impression was the exhaust note at start-up. "How is that street legal from a production car?" was my first thought. It has a nice bark and a great burble. When inside, it isn't intrusive at all.

The door shuts with a very satisfying and surprisiningly refined "thunk" with close tolerances. It was at this point I started to re-think the car. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to put 200 fun miles on a Hertz Shelby GT Mustang convertible. The sub-standard interior wasn't exactly impressive and a 4-speed automatic was archaic.

Now the improvementst of the 2010 is apparent and a nicer interior with steering wheel controls. The screen for the satellite radio doesn't have the sharpest resolution, but I didn't see the navigation portion. The hoodline is still excessively high so placing the car in the corner is more of a guess than a proper sports car. It doesn't have all the creature comforts and might be one of the lowest content cars for the money. But that isn't what it's about. It's about nostalgia, power, heritage and acceleration.

Also easily upgradable in terms of additional horsepower due to the supercharger, it is the muscle car alterative to the Corvette. In other words, a bigger, heavier cruiser that does well on the dragstrip but is second place on the road circuit.

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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!

More power will equal more all-wheel drive

I stated the horsepower race is over, but I didn't say big horsepower cars will no longer be sold. What we will see is a trend for all-wheel drive (AWD) for high horsepower cars. Rear-wheel drive cars with that power level will spin their tires at highway speeds. Can you imagine utilizing that power from a standstill? Hence the reason for the 60mph to 130mph performance standard become more popular and replacing the quarter-mile. See my article here.

What does Audi, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Nissan, Porsche and all have in common? They offer all-wheel drive in their most powerful cars, except Porsche who still believes in offering the ultimate experience with the Porsche GT2. Even Ferrari has looked carefully into an AWD drive system now that their production cars are over the 600hp mark.

What are the disadvantages? Weight and powertrain loss which translates worse mileage. Cars are gaining weight anyway, in fact becoming obese. Look at the wheelbase-to-weight ratio of the Nissan GT-R and Mustang GT500 for example. Adding all-wheel drive won't make much difference. Mileage continues to improve with various technologies as well. I don't think it is a major penalty and actually contributes to the safety and drivability of the car, especially in adverse condtions. Not that these cars are driven often in the rain, but it sure helps.

Some other advantages are quicker acceleration due to more aggressive gearing. Check out the overall gearing the Nissan GT-R and Porsche Panamera. Each gear has a roughly 30mph spread or less! This allows for fantastic acceleration. Mileage isn't a big tradeoff when the top gear is the one used most of the time when traveling any appreciable distance anyway.

Another advantage is easier and drivabilty during adverse conditions. Even though the performance tires get hard and slippery in cold weather, it is the wet weather where all-wheel drive will come into play. However, all-wheel drive does NOT mean shorter braking distances or better emergency maneuvers. So don't confuse pace with safety.

As long as development continues for these ultra high performance cars, even though we won't see major leaps in horsepower any more, I believe we will see more and more all-wheel drive models.