’19 CORVETTE GRAND SPORT: SPECIAL EDITIONS!

Posted on February 17, 2019February 17, 2019 by MartynL

Dan Scanlan reports from Daytona on the Special Edition Grand Sports that honor Corvette Racing’s four full-time drivers: Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen and Tommy Milner. Chevrolet Racing had a winning way with its Corvette C6.R racecar with Ron Fellows at the wheel. Based on the Corvette Z06 and its 7-liter LS7 V-8, the C6.R won 39 GT1 races in ALMS, including 12 consecutive wins from 2005-06, and 25 more from 2007 to 2009. It was so good that Chevrolet made history by creating...

’19 RANGE ROVER VELAR SVAutobiography: DYNAMIC!

Posted on February 6, 2019February 6, 2019 by MartynL

Bespoke Dynamic Edition Velar raises the bar for mid-size SUV luxury, style and performance benchmarks. Unfortunately, it’s available for just one year. Designed and developed by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), the new Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition extends the model’s reputation for performance and segment-leading luxury with the addition of a much more powerful drivetrain and enhanced interior/exterior design detailing. The Range Rover Velar was named World Car Design of t...

CORVETTE XP-897 GT: AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS!

Posted on February 4, 2019 by MartynL

A Wankel Rotary powered mid-engine Corvette prototype will be featured in the Mid-Engine Sports Car Class at the 2019 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. There will also be examples from DeTomaso, Ferrari and Lamborghini. The ‘73 Chevrolet Corvette XP-897 GT was one of two mid-engine Corvette prototypes designed by General Motors Design to promote the smooth and high revving Wankel Rotary engine. Dick Finegan, L-R, Kip Wasenko and Otto Soeding, designers at GM Design, above, with XP-897 GT. The ...

FORD SAVES THE DAY: KEN BLOCK’S HOONITRUCK!

Posted on January 29, 2019January 29, 2019 by MartynL

Thanks to 3D printing and a global Ford effort, the Hoonitruck’s twin-turboEcoBoost V6 gets a trick aluminum intake manifold. Size matters. Gymkhana TEN star Ken Block’s love affair with Ford pickups runs deep. He learned to drive in one, did his first burnout in one and made a ‘77 Ford F-150 the star of his latest video. The “Hoonitruck” has the same twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost engine as the Ford GT, tuned to deliver more than 900 horsepower! It showcases the largest 3D metal-printed part...

‘19 CAMARO ZL1 1LE: 10-SPEED TERROR!

Posted on January 29, 2019January 29, 2019 by MartynL

Automatically faster than a stick, latest track-attack ZL1 Camaro delivers lightning-quick shifts and record times. The ‘19 Camaro ZL1 1LE — the fastest, most track-capable Camaro ever — will offer a 10-speed automatic transmission beginning late February. During development, Chevy engineers pushed the limits of the automatic transmission to be more than one half second faster than the standard manual on GMs’ 2.9-mile Milford Road Course. In fact, on longer tracks like the Nürburgring where ...

UGUR SAHIN: ALFA ROMEO NIVOLA!

Posted on January 26, 2019 by MartynL

Designer Ugur Sahin introduces his latest design: Alfa Romeo Nivola. It's a modern interpretation of the legendary Alfa Romeo Stradale 33 designed by Franco Scaglione in 1967. Our design briefing was to carefully translate the original design into a modern interpretation, while incorporating an Alfa Romeo 4C the rolling chassis. This made it possible to convert a stock donor car into something exclusive, limited and timeless…. just like the beautiful original 33! Designer Ugur Sahin, left. A...

RRDC: BOBBY RAHAL WINS PHIL HILL AWARD!

Posted on January 25, 2019 by MartynL

Bobby Rahal, Indy 500 winner, driver, team owner, businessman and President of the Road Racing Drivers Club was honored by the RRDC with the 2019 Phil Hill Award. David Hobbs, the 2018 award recipient, made the presentation at the annual RRDC members' dinner on January 23 prior to the running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the season opener of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Phil Hill Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the person who the RRDC feels has rendered o...

’69 SHELBY GT500: PROTOTYPE CONVERTIBLE!

Posted on January 22, 2019 by MartynL

Rare Shelby pre-production engineering and marketing GT500, the only one (1969-1970) painted Raven Black, is 428 Cobra Jet powered. And it’s been found, documented and restored. As in any endeavor, one’s network of people is invaluable. This story of the finding, vetting, researching and revitalizing of a historic car proves that case once again – and that VIN 9F03Q1022336 is a Shelby Automotive pre-production (prototype) engineering and marketing development car. It is one of just four Shelbys...

2019 CADILLAC XTS V-SPORT: GOING FAST!

Posted on January 21, 2019 by MartynL

Grab it while you can; Cadillac's 410-horsepower luxury sports sedan might not be long for this world, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker. Don't get me wrong, I love SUVs. Love the high-up, nosebleed command driving position, love the versatility of all that load-carrying space, love the thought of being able to four-wheel-drive up Mount Kinabalu if I felt the urge. But once in a while, I'll slide behind the wheel of some sleek, high-luxe sedan with a ton of power, and remember how I miss the...

ATHENS ADVENTURE: HELLENIC MOTOR MUSEUM!

Posted on January 20, 2019January 20, 2019 by MartynL

Our intrepid reporter/carguy Dan Scanlan travels to the ‘cradle of civilization’ to uncover a treasure trove of antiques, classics and modern sports cars…hiding in plain sight. Surrounded by relics of Greece’s s ancient civilization, the curved tower Hellenic Motor Museum is one of Athen’s modern attractions. Founded by real estate developer Theodore N. Charagionis, the three-story museum is accessed by a spiral ramp that begins with the history of wheels, from ancient wooden chariots and carts...