’59 STINGRAY: TRIBUTE TO A MASTERPIECE!

It’s “the Sting of Inspiration’ blogs CarGuyChronicles’ Jim Palam, who succumbed to the magnetic appeal of the Fiberfab Centurion. Bill Mitchell's real XP-87 Stingray, top, photographed with two other Corvette legends - SR-2 and the iconic Grand Sport coupe - by Marty Schorr at the GM Proving Ground. Jim Palam's photo of the Fiberfab Centurion, above. In 1959 GM design chief Bill Mitchell  wasn't buying into the ban on manufacturer-sponsored racing proposed by the Automobile Manufactu...
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RADNOR HUNT: THE BEST GETS BETTER!

For two decades, the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance has showcased 100 two and four-wheeled examples of design and engineering excellence. Our ‘dynamic duo’ Maureen and Mike Matune, bring you highlights of the 2016 event. Twenty years ago Michael Tillson had the idea of holding a Concours on the grounds of the historic Radnor Hunt. Limited to just 100 distinctive and varied cars, the Concours would combine an idyllic setting with landmark cars and motorcycles. Today sees the event, not just...
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STEALING THE 500: SHELBY’S 1968 TURBINE-POWERED INDY CAR!

Stephen Cox blogs about Carroll Shelby’s assault on Indy - Part 2 of 2. Ken Wallis was running out of time. Both of Carroll Shelby's turbine-powered cars were now at Indianapolis but they were nowhere near race-ready condition. His drivers, McLaren and Hulme, had only a six-day window before they returned to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix. In a desperate bid to make the cars competitive, Wallis used a liberal interpretation of USAC rules to design a new annulus (the engine opening ...
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ROLEX REUNION: SHOWDOWN IN SALINAS!

Tireless Mike Matune wraps up his Monterey Car Week coverage with action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Every August brings the Granddaddy of U.S. historic racing events to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Salinas, CA, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (RMMR). A celebration of the best in racing history captivates with four track days and a dazzling array of cars. The Penske/White Ferrari 512M, above, is certainly eye-catching. Finished to a very high standard, typical of Penske Racing, the...
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‘16 VW GOLF R: SCALDING HOT HATCH!

‘This is my favorite hot hatch, coming alive when we played and feeling fun when we commuted. But it is pricey,’ blogs Dan Scanlan. I realized that my blue 4-door Golf R is a muscle car and a family car when I parked it between a replica Cobra and a ’57 Ford Fairlane. The 292-inch, 206 horsepower Fairlane could sprint to 60 mph in 11.2 seconds. A real 427 Cobra would take 4.5 seconds to get to 60 mph. The turbocharged 292 horsepower VW could go to 60-mph in under-5 seconds.The Golf R is a ...
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MONTEREY MADNESS: LAGUNA SECA PRE-REUNION!

Mike Matune presents highlights from the race before THE race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Monterey Car Week has grown exponentially and now includes over 40 individual events, but one not often mentioned is the Pre-Reunion. Held the week before the legendary Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, it may have smaller fields and fewer exhibits, but the cheaper tickets and smaller crowds make it really enjoyable for racing aficionados. Some 300 cars show up to compete in 11 groups over two day...
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STEALING THE 500: SHELBY’S 1968 TURBINE-POWERED INDY CAR!

Stephen Cox blogs about Carroll Shelby’s assault on Indy - Part 1 of 2. He wasn't the first to try, nor was he the last. Armed with a huge budget, a massive turbine engine and two of the finest drivers on the planet, in the spring of 1968 Carroll Shelby was ready to steal the Indianapolis 500. The plan was straightforward. Ken Wallis, a 38-year-old British aircraft engineer, had designed the famed Granatelli-Lotus Turbine with which Parnelli Jones had nearly won the race in 1967. Wallis had ...
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