2009 BMW 335i Coupe

January 10th, 2010

 

An AutoWeek Drivers Log

AutoWeek Staff, 12.8.2009

MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: Fantastic car, though this price tag is about as high as it should ever go. But the 3-series is, in many ways, the Porsche 911 of the luxury/sport sedan/coupe world: Timeless styling that harks back to the original and improved and refined performance each time around. As with the 911, you often wonder how BMW could possibly continue improving this model range, yet it does time and time again.

A negative: Echoing the sentiments of Editor Wes Raynal every time he drives a car equipped with run-flat tires, this rubber is not nice in the ride-quality dept, at least when you drive it in the state with the country’s worst roads. The impact harshness through these tires is borderline brutal. I’d rather have a donut spare tire and some standard non-run-flat tires. It’s not worth the tradeoff on a daily basis.

I do have some questions about the sport package: Does it not include suspension changes? It’s just seats, trim and increased top-speed limiter? So what, it is up from 155 mph to, what? And what kind of option is that? Not that I don’t like it in theory, but what practical good does that do you in this country? Of course, if I owned one of these, I would want that option, if only to know the car could do more than 155, even if I never approached that speed on a public road.

Oh, I love this Montego blue paint, by the way.

This car handles great, looks great, brakes and steers great. You can drive it on the throttle, and it seems BMW has addressed the turbo-lag problem that a software update created a couple years ago. As it is, this turbocharged six-cylinder is outstanding in its power delivery and flexibility. And 300 hp is just about perfect for most who will drive this car.

Another winner from BMW. But you knew that already.

2009 BMW 335i Coupe

In Fleet: Oct. 8-22

Base Price: $43,025

As-Tested Price: $50,270

Drivetrain: 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged I6; RWD, six-speed manual

Output: 300 hp @ 5,800 rpm, 300 lb-ft @ 1,400-5,000 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,571 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 20/20.5 mpg

Options: Premium package including universal garage-door opener, digital compass mirror, auto-dimming mirrors, auto-dimming rearview mirrors, lumbar support, BMW assist with Bluetooth ($2,650); sport package including sport seats, shadowline trim, increased top-speed limited ($1,550); 19-inch wheels with performance tires ($1,000); satellite radio with one-year subscription ($595); Montego blue metallic paint ($550); heated front seats ($500); iPod, USB adapter ($400)

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2010 Exige S 240

January 9th, 2010

Lotus confirms specs and pricing

Greg Migliore, 10.5.2009

The latest speed demon from Lotus, the 2010 Exige S 240, will start at $65,690 when it goes on sale in the United States in this fall.

The S240 gets a restyled front end with a larger, more angular air intake flanked by two other vents. There also is a new splitter that wraps around the face of the car.

In the back, there’s a new composite rear wing based on the Exige GT3 road-car concept shown at the Geneva motor show in 2007.

Lotus also confirmed more specs of the S 240. It will draw power from a 1.8-liter Toyota-sourced four-cylinder motor that makes 240 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The chassis weighs just 150 pounds, and the whole car checks in at just 2,077 pounds.

The EPA figures are 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

The price does not include destination charges.

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Chevrolet Camaro pace car revealed for 2010 Indianapolis 500

January 9th, 2010

The next Chevrolet Camaro to pace the Indianapolis 500 will pay homage to one of the first.

An inferno orange metallic Camaro SS wearing white diamond rally stripes that stretch the length of the car will lead the 2010 Indianapolis 500. The stripes channel the design from the Camaro that paced the 1969 race. That car was the second Camaro to pace Indy. The first was in 1967. Camaros also paced the famous race in 1982, 1993 and 2009.

The 2010 pace car was revealed on Friday at the speedway’s Hall of Fame Museum. The car is powered by a stock 6.2-liter V8 that makes 400 hp and wears an RS appearance package. The interior gets inferno orange accents, and the rally stripes also show up on the dashboard.

The car is fitted with Indy 500 logos on the doors and embroidered on the headrests; there also are badges on the front fenders. The Camaro gets a grille insert that Chevy will sell as an accessory to the general public, amber-lens tail lamps, a safety strobe-light system with interior light bar and new floor mats with red and orange accent stitching.

Look for the Camaro early on in Indy festivities, and it will be present from the opening day of practice on May 15 through the race on May 30.

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Aston says One-77 prototype hits 220-mph mark

January 8th, 2010

Aston Martin released this photo of the One-77 supercar being tested in southern Europe. The prototype was clocked at 220 mph.

Aston Martin’s One-77 supercar looks fast–and it goes fast.

The British luxury-car maker says a prototype of the One-77 notched 220.007 mph during testing in southern Europe. The speed mark was set in dry and windy conditions.

The One-77 is powered by a 7.3-liter V12. The car’s body makes extensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum, which keeps weight down.

Aston plans to start deliveries of the car next summer.

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Chevrolet Corvette Recall

January 7th, 2010

Plenty of Chevrolet Corvette owners like to think they can blow the doors of most everything else on the road. But General Motors is now recalling Vettes from the 2005 through 2007 model years because the roof panel might blow off.

The recall covers Corvette coupes with the removable roof panel. There’s a problem with the adhesive that bonds the plastic roof panel to its frame. If the bond breaks, the roof panel could go flying off while driving.

There are clues to the problem, such as a snapping noise from the roof when driving over bumps, water leaking from the headliner or the roof panel moving when the door is closed.

Nearly 22,100 cars are involved in the recall. Those with a bad panel–GM has previously run a customer-satisfaction campaign for this problem–will get a new one. GM says it will start the recall in January.

Until then, you might just want to drive topless–weather permitting.

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Announcing the Hyundai Forza Motorsport 3 Championship

January 6th, 2010

Registration for the Hyundai Forza Motorsport 3 Championship is now open. If you wish to participate you can download the free Championship Registration Pic via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Read below for instructiuons on how to download the Hyundai Championship Gamerpic on Xbox LIVE.

The free Hyundai car pack features 3 blisteringly fast variations of the Hyundai Genesis coupe, and now’s your chance to attack the track with these hot rides in the Hyundai Forza Motorsport 3 Championship! First load up the Xbox 360 Marketplace and download the Rhys Millen Racing, HKS, and Custom Forza 3 Hyundai Genesis coupes as part of the free Hyundai Car Pack. Then get ready to hit the track in each new ride as you compete in our Forza Motorsport 3 Championship! We’re looking for the fastest drivers in the world to see just how far you can push these powerful rides in Forza Motorsport 3. The championship officially begins on January 22nd and with $12,000 in prizing on the line you can bet the competition within our community will be tougher than ever.

Registration to be entered into the Championship runs from January 1st to January 17th. Read below for official rules and dates along with instructions on how to register for the Hyundai Forza Motorsport 3 Championship! We’ll see you on the track.

Official Rules below…

hyundaiphoto

HYUNDAI FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 CHAMPIONSHIP

Official Rules

COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES:

These are the official rules that govern how the Microsoft Xbox LIVE Hyundai Forza Motorsport 3 Championship promotion will operate. This promotion will be simply referred to as the “Tournament” throughout the rest of these rules.

In these rules, “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Microsoft Corporation, the sponsor of the Tournament. “You,” “yourself,” “I,” “me,” and “my” refers to an eligible Tournament entrant.

1.     TOURNAMENT DESCRIPTION

The Tournament is a live, skill based competition which eligible entrants (“Players”) compete against other Players on the Xbox LIVE gaming platform until a winner is determined. The Tournament consists of four (4) separate Weekly Tournaments.  Each Weekly Tournament will consist of one (1) round of leaderboard-based gameplay.  At the end of each Weekly Tournament, we will determine one (1) Champion and four (4) Runners-Up based on the best race time, as posted on the Official Leaderboard.

2.     ELIGIBILITY

You are eligible to enter this Tournament (a “Player”), if you meet the following requirements at time of entry:

  • You are a legal resident of the 50 United States or Puerto Rico, but not a resident of Vermont, Maryland, or any other U.S. territory or possession; and
  • You are 18 years of age or older; and
  • You have access to a Microsoft Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, the Forza Motorsport 3 video game, and you are valid Xbox LIVE® Gold member with a valid Windows Live ID linked to your Xbox LIVE gamertag; and
  • You are not an employee of Microsoft Corporation, or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, GMR Marketing LLC (“GMR”); and
  • You are not involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Tournament; and
  • You are not an immediate family member (defined for purposes of these Official Rules as husband, wife, mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, or other persons residing in the household) of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Tournament; and
  • You are not entering via automated, programmed, robotic or similar methods; and
  • You download the free Championship Registration Pic from the Xbox Live service during the eligible Registration Period (as defined in Section 3 below); and
  • You are only allowed to win a prize in one (1) of the four (4) Weekly Tournaments.  If you win a prize in a Weekly Tournament, then you are ineligible to participate in any remaining Weekly Tournaments by any means.

THIS TOURNAMENT IS VOID IN MD, VT, AND OTHER U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHEREVER ELSE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

3.     REGISTRATION PERIOD; TOURNAMENT PERIOD

Registration Period.   Tournament registration starts at 12:01 A.M. Pacific Time (PT) on January 1, 2010, and ends at 11:59 P.M. PT on January 17, 2010 (“Registration Period”).

Tournament Period.   Tournament play starts at 12:01 A.M. Pacific Time (PT) on January 22, 2010, and ends at 11:59 P.M. PT on February 18, 2010 (“Tournament Period”).

Weekly Tournaments.   Within the Tournament Period there are four (4) separate weekly tournament periods listed below (each, a “Weekly Tournament”).  During each Weekly Tournament, one (1) Overall Champion and four (4) Runners Ups will be determined from among all eligible Players.

The four (4) Weekly Tournaments are as follows and will take place on the following courses with the following vehicles:

Hyundai Genesis 1 (Weekly Tournament #1) – Tournament play starts at 12:01 A.M. Pacific Time (PT) on January 22, 2010 and ends at 11:59 P.M. PT on January 28, 2010.  Play will occur on the Iberian Full Race Course (1.49 miles) with the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Hyundai Genesis 2 (Weekly Tournament #2) – Tournament play starts at 12:01 A.M. Pacific Time (PT) on January 29, 2010 and ends at 11:59 P.M. PT on February 4, 2010.  Play will occur on the Catalunya National Race Course (1.85 miles) with the Hyundai Genesis Coupe HKS.

Hyundai Genesis 3 (Weekly Tournament #3) – Tournament play starts at 12:01 A.M. Pacific Time (PT) on February 5, 2010 and ends at 11:59 P.M. PT on February 11, 2010.  Play will occur on the Bugatti Race Course (2.6 miles) with the Hyundai Rhys Millen Racing Genesis Coupe.

Hyundai Genesis 4 (Weekly Tournament #4) – Tournament play starts at 12:01 A.M. Pacific Time (PT) on February 12, 2010 and ends at 11:59 P.M. PT on February 18, 2010.  Play will occur on the Sedona Full Race Course (4.13 miles) with the Hyundai Forza Motorsport Genesis Coupe.

4.     HOW TO REGISTER

If you wish to participate in the Tournament, you must download the free Championship Registration Pic during the Registration Period (defined in Section 3 above).   You can download the free registration pic via either Xbox LIVE Marketplace or Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web as follows:

To download the free registration gamer pic via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace , you must have access to an Xbox 360 console and be an Xbox LIVE Gold member in good standing. Once you have verified that you meet these system requirements, you will sign in to the Xbox LIVE service via an Xbox 360 console and download the free Championship Registration Pic during the Registration Period as follows:

  1. Sign in to Xbox LIVE and access the Game Marketplace,
  2. Select “Themes & Gamer Pictures,”
  3. Select “Browse,”
  4. Under Title, Select “Hyundai Forza Motorsport 3 Championship Registration”
  5. Select the “Championship Registration Pic” option from the list of available content and select “Confirm Download.”
  6. Upon the successful completion of a Gamer Picture download, Players will see a “Championship Registration Pic downloaded” message.

NOTE: Users may also access the free gamer picture via the banner ads running on the Xbox LIVE dashboard.

To download the free registration gamer pic via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web , you must be an Xbox Gold member and have internet access. Once you have verified that you meet these system requirements, you will navigate to Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web and download the free Championship Registration Pic during the Registration Period as follows:

  2. Select the ” Championship Registration Pic ” option from the list of available content and select “Download to Xbox 360.”
  3. Select “Confirm” on the Confirm Purchase window (even when downloading free materials the language surrounding the download speaks to “purchasing” the content).

Players will see a “Congratulations! This item has been purchased and added to your download queue” message.

You MUST participate in the Tournament using the same Xbox LIVE gamertag that you use to register for the Tournament.  We will use the contact information you provided during Tournament registration to send any official Tournament communication. You are responsible for keeping your Xbox LIVE account information up to date.  You may only compete using a single gamertag. If you are found to have competed under multiple identities or gamertags, you will be automatically disqualified from the Tournament and could be disqualified from participating in future Xbox LIVE competitions.

5.     HOW TO PLAY

This Tournament consists of four (4) separate Weekly Tournaments.  Each Weekly Tournament is a leaderboard-style tournament with   unique start and end dates, track and vehicle requirements, as more fully described below.  During each Weekly Tournament, Players will compete in one (1) round of leader-board based play to determine one (1) Overall Champion and four (4) Runners-Up. Each Weekly Tournament will begin on the Start Date and Start Time listed in Section 3 above, or when the Official Leaderboard for the Weekly Tournament is reset.

During each Weekly Tournament, Players will compete by playing the Forza Motorsport 3 video game on the Course and with the Vehicle specified for the Weekly Tournament (see Section 3 above for full details).   PLEASE NOTE: Modified or tuned vehicles will not be allowed to participate in their modified or tuned state.

For each Weekly Tournament, Players will be ranked based on times recorded and posted to the Official Leaderboard during the Weekly Tournament Period.  Players can access each Weekly Tournament via the Forza Motorsport 3 video game as follows:

  1. Load the Forza Motorsport 3 video game on your Xbox 360 console.
  2. Sign-in with the same gamertag you used to register for the Tournament and then connect to Xbox LIVE.
  3. Press “A” at the main menu and select “Forza Motorsport 3”.
  4. Scroll down to “Leaderboards” and press “A”.
  5. Scroll down to “Time Trial”.
  6. Scroll down to the “Hyundai Week” Leaderboard and press “A”.
  7. Press “A” again to start the time trial. Your fastest overall lap will be recorded.

Players can view their scores as follows:

  1. Load up Forza Motorsport 3 on your Xbox 360 Console.
  2. Sign-in with the gamertag you used to register for the Tournament and then connect to Xbox LIVE.
  3. Press “A” at the main menu and select “Forza Motorsport 3”.
  4. Scroll down to “Leaderboards” and press “A”.
  5. Scroll down to “Time Trial”.
  6. Scroll down to the “Hyundai Week” Leaderboard and press “A”.

Here you will see your current position* at the bottom of the screen.  *PLEASE NOTE: The Official Leaderboard for each Weekly Tournament may list ineligible Players.  Only the top five eligible Players (i.e., one (1) Overall Champion and four (4) Runners Ups), as determined and verified by us, will win prizes.  If zero eligible Players are in the five (5) spots on the Official Leaderboard, we reserve the right not to award any prizes.

In the event of a tie, the Tournament Administrator will break the tie in favor of the Player that posted the highest score first. In the event of a dispute, the decisions of the Tournament Administrator are final and binding.

6.     CODE OF CONDUCT

Any Player competing in an unsportsmanlike manner or in a manner that is not in compliance with these Official Rules or the xbox.com or Xbox LIVE Terms of Use may be immediately disqualified from this Tournament and may be disqualified from competing in future xbox.com or Xbox LIVE events. Unsportsmanlike conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following violations:

Unsportsmanlike Conduct (gameplay)

  • Cheating of any sort through various means
  • Using any type of modified or tuned vehicles
  • Any other known or unknown way of tampering with gameplay
  • Using modified Xbox or Xbox 360 systems

7.     PRIZE WINNER NOTIFICATION

If you are a potential prize winner, we will notify you using the Xbox LIVE profile information provided with your Gamertag (e-mail, address, and phone) at time of registration. If the notification that we send is returned as undeliverable, or you are otherwise unreachable for any reason, we may award the prize to an eligible runner-up. If there is a dispute as to who is the potential winner, we will consider the potential winner to be the authorized account holder of the Xbox LIVE account used to compete in the Tournament.

We will notify potential prize winners within seven (7) days of the end each Weekly Tournament.  We will ship prizes to confirmed winners within approximately 3-4 weeks following the last Tournament end date (February 18, 2010).

If you are a potential Grand Prize winner, we may require you to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability / Publicity Release and W-9 tax form. If you are otherwise eligible to participate in the Tournament, but are a minor in the state in which you reside, we will award the prize to your parent or legal guardian on your behalf, who must sign all documents required under these Official Rules.  If you do not complete the required forms as instructed and/or return the required forms within the time period listed on the winner notification message, we may disqualify you and select an alternate winner.

8.     PRIZES

Prizing for each Weekly Tournament is as follows:

Weekly Tournament 1

  • One (1) Grand Prize: A racing arcade game (ARV $2,000)
  • One (1) First Prize: A leather gaming chair (ARV $400)
  • One (1) Second Prize: An Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel and (5) Xbox 360 video games (ARV $350)
  • One (1) Third Prize: Xbox 360 Hard Drive & Xbox 360 Wireless Headset (ARV $200)
  • One (1) Forth Prize: 4,000 Microsoft Points (ARV $50)

 

Weekly Tournament 2

  • One (1) Grand Prize: 46” LCD TV & Home Theater System (ARV $2,000)
  • One (1) First Prize: Leather Gaming Chair (ARV $400)
  • One (1) Second Prize: Racing Wheel & (5) Xbox Games (ARV $350)
  • One (1) Third Prize: Xbox 360 Hard Drive & Wireless Headset (ARV $200)
  • One (1) Forth Prize: 4,000 MS Points (ARV $50)

 

Weekly Tournament 3

  • One (1) Grand Prize: Leather Sofa Set (couch, loveseat, chair) (ARV $2,000)
  • One (1) First Prize: Leather Gaming Chair (ARV $400)
  • One (1) Second Prize: Racing Wheel & (5) Xbox Games (ARV $350)
  • One (1) Third Prize: Xbox 360 Hard Drive & Wireless Headset (ARV $200)
  • One (1) Forth Prize: 4,000 MS Points (ARV $50)

 

Weekly Tournament 4

  • One (1) Grand Prize: Adult Racing Go Kart – (ARV $2,000)
  • One (1) First Prize: Leather Gaming Chair (ARV $400)
  • One (1) Second Prize: Racing Wheel & (5) Xbox Games (ARV $350)
  • One (1) Third Prize: Xbox 360 Hard Drive & Wireless Headset (ARV $200)
  • One (1) Forth Prize: 4,000 MS Points (ARV $50)

 

TOTAL ARV OF ALL PRIZING: $12,000

9.     WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS ARE YOU AGREEING TO BY ENTERING THIS TOURNAMENT?

By entering this Tournament you agree:

  • To abide by these Official Rules; and
  • To release and hold harmless Microsoft, GMR, and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Tournament, and any prize won; and
  • That Microsoft’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this Tournament; and
  • That by accepting a prize, Microsoft may use of your proper name and state of residence online and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this Tournament, without payment or compensation to you, except where prohibited by law.

This Tournament will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Tournament.

10. WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE TOURNAMENT CAN’T RUN AS PLANNED?

If someone cheats, or a virus, bug, catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, (also referred to as force majeure) affects the fairness and / or integrity of this Tournament, we reserve the right to cancel, change or suspend this Tournament. This right is reserved whether the event is due to human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Tournament, we reserve the right to select winners based on results posted to the Leaderboard before we had to cancel, change or suspend the Tournament.

If you attempt to compromise the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Tournament by hacking or by cheating or committing fraud in ANY way, we may seek damages from you to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, we may ban you from participating in any of our future Tournaments, so please play fairly.

Microsoft, GMR, and each of their respective affiliates, partners and promotion and advertising agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, telephone or other communications malfunctions, errors or failures of any kind, including typographical errors, lost or unavailable network connections, web site, Internet, or ISP availability, unauthorized human intervention, traffic congestion, incomplete or inaccurate capture of entry information (regardless of cause) or failed, incomplete, garbled, jumbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit one’s ability to enter the Tournament, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Tournament or downloading any materials, including the Gamer Pictures, in this Tournament.

11. Winners List/Official Rules

The names of the winners will be posted online on or around March 18, 2010, at forzamotorsport.net/Hyundai . 

12. Sponsor
This Tournament is sponsored by Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052.

13. Fulfillment Administrator
GMR Marketing LLC, 5000 South Towne Drive, New Berlin, WI 53151.

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Dress Up Your Dodge Challenger

January 6th, 2010

Feel the urge to dress up your Dodge Challenger? The boys at Mopar have a little something for you.

The parts unit of Chrysler has released an exterior appearance package for the Challenger that includes a new hood with air scoop, a body-color rear spoiler and stripe graphics.

An interior kit gets you a T-handle shifter, bright accelerator and brake pedals, bright door sill guards, floor mats and a car cover.

Both kits can be added to your Challenger at the factory. Suggested price for the exterior kit is $1,995, while the interior kit carries a suggested price of $945 for automatic cars and $780 for manual transmission cars.

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2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S

January 5th, 2010

The car is a rocket, and I never tire of the flat-six’s awesome sounds. Personally, I’d prefer Porsche’s PDK transmission, but there is nothing wrong with this manual.

With two people and a little luggage, this car borders on practical and makes for an awesome long-distance cruiser. This latest 911 is quite a bit more refined than the outgoing model.

SENIOR EDITOR FOR NEWS BOB GRITZINGER: There might be more sensible ways to spend $100,000, especially when it comes to transportation, but there might not be a better way to spend $100,000 on a sports car. Wes is right: This car is simply a joy to drive, from the moment you twist the key in that left-handed ignition, bang first gear, and go. Everything is taut, ready to response to driver inputs, without being overly twitchy or needy. The steering feel alone might be worth the price of admission–every little divot, paint line, crack and deviation in the road surface is telegraphed directly to your fingertips holding the steering wheel. In hard cornering, you can feel the suspension fighting for tire contact even as inside weight unloads and bumps try to unsettle the chassis. As a result, there’s never any doubt about exactly what the car is capable of at any given moment.

Add a perfect pitch level of power and the right gear ratios, uncommonly good brakes and styling inside and out that seems luxurious and timeless, and it’s hard to find any complaint about this Porsche.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JONATHAN WONG: No matter what variation of Carrera we’ve had come through here, I always think back to our black long-term Carrera S. Between the time it left and now, we’ve had base Carreras, the Turbo, all-wheel-drive models and ones with the new PDK transmission. None of them was the S model with a six-speed manual until now.

Why do I look back on that car so fondly? Well, because it was the perfect car with just the right amount of power in a traditional rear-wheel-drive and manual-transmission setup. It’s the ideal combination of hardware to draw a driver in and get him involved. The feedback provided by the 911 is something that few cars can match when it comes to higher-production vehicles. It’s only when you get into the smaller-volume makers such as the Lotus or kit-car vehicles such as the Nobles/Rossions of the world that you can find something that’s an equal to the Porsche, but then you’re talking about cars where average-sized adults struggle even to get into them.

The flat six-cylinder at wide-open throttle is a great driving soundtrack. Yank the steering wheel in any direction, and the car reacts instantly to make placing it in any desired spot a breeze. Everything is so well dialed in–pedal placement, shifter and instant throttle response–to make driving this car a real joy.

In corners, the grip is tremendous and requires you really to try to make the back end step if you want. This is a real driver’s car that still has enough functionality with a decent-sized trunk up front and a back seat that is there for emergency situations.

MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: Terrible color combination. How did red and tan become a classic mix? I can live with the red, though not as my first or third or fifth choice. But tan interior? Ugh, is this 1985?

Everyone knows I love these cars–still my favorite, in fact. This latest version with the direct-injection engine is yet the latest of 18 billion 911 evolutions Porsche has managed in the last 40-something years, and, as always, it’s impressive that the company keeps pulling more out of this car.

You now get 30 hp more, peaking 100 rpm sooner than before, plus 15 additional lb-ft of torque peaking 150 rpm later. And you feel the improvement. The 911 S is still not a devastatingly fast car, but it knocks on 60 mph’s door in just a tick more than four seconds–eesh, how crazy is it that cars have come so far that I don’t consider 0 to 60 in the low fours to be devastatingly fast?–and pulls stoutly in every gear. Speaking of which, this shifter is one of the finest in the world, even without the optional short-shift kit. And I’m always struck by the firmness of Porsche’s pedals. Some people might think that sounds like a strange thing to praise, but it really is quite something and makes it so easy to engage clutch, brakes and throttle with extreme precision. Add the widely lauded steering, and it is very, very difficult to think of a stock sports car that communicates to drivers the way this one does. And that is the 911’s real selling point. Don’t even mention niche cars such as the Lotus Elise, either, as that’s an entirely different type of experience in a far less practical package.

Though this car is far more refined than older cars (except perhaps the reviled 996), the Carrera is visceral enough in its every move and feedback that you never forget that you are driving a real weapon. That’s the kind of thing that I think is missing from, say, Audi’s R8. It’s a small thing in a way, a perception thing. But don’t discount how much of a role perception, rather than pure performance numbers, plays in your overall impression of a car–especially when driving on the street.

I’d also like to note that Porsche offers arguably the world’s best seats and driving position, at least for me. You wouldn’t think so to look at them, but once you sit in these things, you realize just how poor so many car seats are. After driving the Audi S5, which also has great seats and position, and then this Porsche, my back cringes at the thought of returning to anything less. It’s just another thing that contributes to the symbiosis of driver and car. And that remains the 911’s strongest selling point. As usual, you can’t help but ponder what the next generation will offer.

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S

Base Price: $87,150

As-Tested Price: $100,355

Drivetrain: 3.8-liter H6; RWD, six-speed manual

Output: 385 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 310 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,208 lb

Fuel Economy: (EPA/AW) 21/17.2 mpg

Options: Sand beige full leather interior ($3,655); navigation for PCM ($2,110); power comfort seats with driver memory ($1,550); Bose high-end sound package, including 5.1 discrete digital surround sound, 13 speakers including subwoofer, seven channels, 385-watt amplifier, microphone for monitoring interior noise to optimize volume and tone ($1,440); seat ventilation ($800); XM satellite radio ($750); ruby red metallic paint ($710); dynamic cornering

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Twin-Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo

January 4th, 2010

Underground Racing’s twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo begs you to give in to temptation

Yes, it sounded like a decision born from bacteria-eroded judgment. Yet if any street-legal car could elicit such an irrational response from someone familiar with piloting an earth-bound fighter plane around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this is the one: 1,000 hp to 1,500 hp, measured at the wheels. Output depends on the package ordered, and prices range from $35,000 to $109,000 (plus the cost of the car itself). Opt for the full “race” conversion, and you get 1,100 lb-ft of torque, 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, 60 to 130 mph in 3.5 seconds and the quarter-mile in 9.1 seconds at 169 mph. The car recently recorded a standing mile at 241.68 mph (see the run at http://tinyurl.com/y9gxxcc), and Underground says its most extreme tune will top out at 257 mph.

All of this is the work of two polite, quiet, young Southerners and their nine-man staff working in a 5,000-square-foot shop in Charlotte. K. C. Howeth, 28, and his brother Kevin, 36, seem an unlikely duo to modify Italian supercars. The Texas natives were raised on American muscle by a family of stock-car and drag racers.


Twin Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo
by AutoWeek

They moved to Charlotte in 1989, where Kevin began to buy, tune and sell Ford Mustangs while working in the family construction business. The Howeths developed a reputation for supercharging Saleen Mustangs in their spare time before opening a shop in 2003 and expanding their résumé to include turbocharging Dodge Vipers. Eighteen months ago, a customer asked them to modify his Lamborghini, leading to Bugatti Veyron power and performance at a fraction of the price. Their work is a hit in the well-heeled enthusiast community. Lambo business now dominates their original garage, and they will soon take over an additional 6,500-square-foot facility.

Scroll down to read Graham Rahal’s take on driving the Underground Racing turbo Gallardo, or go to …

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100104/CARREVIEWS/100109992#ixzz0bhcbUVRH

Underground Racing gives the Lamborghini Gallardo’s V10 engine a complete makeover, including new steel liners for the aluminum block.


Graham Rahal on the Twin Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo
by AutoWeek
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100104/CARREVIEWS/100109992

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6 Year Old Drives Himself to school

January 1st, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Start the new year off with a funny & sad story from last year around this time.

6 year old boy Drives to school

LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME:

6 Year Old Drives Himself To School Because The Dumb Ass Mom Was Sleeping
Again we have been provided with a clear example of why there should be testing for prospective parents. In Virginia, a six year old boy got himself up in the morning, got himself ready for school and went out to catch the bus. There was only one problem. He missed the bus. Now most kids would have given up and called it a day. Not this little boy. He was on a mission. He went back into the house, got the keys to his mother’s Ford Taurus and tried to drive himself to school. According to people who saw the little boy driving erratically and called police, he was standing up while driving. I guess that’s what you have to do when you’re only 6 and you are having a hard time reaching the wheel and the gas peddle at the same time.
According to reports, the little 6 year old made at least two 90-degree turns, passed several cars and ran off the rural two-lane road several times before hitting an embankment and utility pole about a mile and a half from school. Wow! He almost made it! After the car crashed, a state trooper came on the scene to help the little boy. The little boy got out of the car and started trying to walk to school. He told the officer that he didn’t want to miss breakfast or PE. Bless his heart! How sad is it that he was trying to get to school to get something to eat? The boy told police he learned to drive playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam video games.  At least we know that we can learn how to drive with Grand Theft Auto. Isn’t that positive?

The stupid ass mother, Jacqulyn Deana Waltman, is 26 years old. The dumb ass father, David Eugene Dodson, is 40 years old. Anyone see anything a little wacky with those ages? Those ages mean that the girl had the boy when she was 20 and the father was 34! A 14 year age difference. There ought to be a law against that! Anyway, the father had been ordered by the family court to not leave the 6 year old boy or his 4 year old brother alone with the mother. Obviously we can see why! You may be asking yourself where the mother was when the boy took the car. She was in the bed sleep!! The father had left for work at 6:30am and the mother was at home with the kids in violation of the court order the father was under. Obviously this isn’t the first time this little boy has had to get himself up and ready for school. See why testing prospective parents is a good idea?  Weed out the stupid and make sure they don’t breed.

Jacqulyn Waltman and David Dodson have both been charged with child endangerment. Waltman is being held without bond. Dodson was released on a $5,000 bond. The boy and his 4-year-old brother were placed in protective custody. These parents were very, very stupid. Let’s just hope that next time the children don’t end up dying because of their parents stupidity.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=6+Year+Old+Drives+Himself+to+school&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

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