MotorFanatics - Motor and Media Blog» Motor Blog

The Mustang Cometh

MotorDan — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:16:40 +0000

Every now and then, events happen. Then later that day, week or even year, the event takes on a life of its own. I don’t mean the story changes, or that I can’t ever shake the thoughts, because frankly with these kinds of events, you don’t want to lose a single second of the memory. I could roll right into a story about a girl right now….but I won’t, Motorfanatics is not that kind of place.

What I can go off about is what happened out in Chino, California recently. Well first, let me back up a bit.

It’s no secret that Chris and I have lofty goals for Motorfanatics. What most don’t know is how lofty those goals are. I’m talking a racetrack compound, airfields, space vacations, a bombing range, remote controlled everything, and a warehouse that Chris can sleep in to make sure he’s never to far from the smell of petroleum. I’ll be honest, many of these hair-brained ideas come during our regular indulgences of beer in a can, fresh from the Rockies, but the point is, we want Motorfanatics to grow to something more than our original title for the blog “2 guys website”.

Ok, back to the “event”…one of my fascinations in life is the airplane, especially military aircraft. So this weekend, the Planes of Fame Museum is holding their yearly air-show. One of the guest performers will be “The Horsemen”, the worlds only P-51 Mustang flight demonstration group. They are sponsored by the U.S. Military, and they are basically the Blue Angels, in P-51s. I set my eyes on them, and had planned to produce a piece on them specifically. Unfortunately for me, they couldn’t make the press preview event, and weren’t going to have enough time during the weekend to accommodate us smaller outfits. At first, bummer. But, that quickly changed when I got to the Museum on the preview day, and walked out of the hanger and saw 2 perfect P-51 mustangs sitting side by side.

I spoke with my contact at the museum, and he asked if I was going flying today….uhhh yeah, I can’t pass that up. He handed me a form, basically signing away any responsibility, and then he handed me off to a nice old guy, who only had 3 teeth, and a name strait out of a Jeff Foxworthy joke: Jim Bob. Seriously. So as I started talking to this character, he told me about how he grew up in the area and how he, the father of the 2 mustang pilots and another 3 guys, grew up at the museum. They volunteered in Jr. High school, they all fly regularly, and got to do some crazy stuff. They fly the vintage war-birds to air-shows all over the world, and early on, they would fly to a town and sleep in the back of these old museum pieces. I quickly became very comfortable with Jim Bob, and found out that contrary to his presentation, he was quite intelligent.

So the mustang pilots climbed into their planes, and we watched them taxi and take-off. It is a spectacular thing to hear the Rolls-Royce PV-12 Merlin motors and to watch these priceless pieces of American History roar to life. It gave me shivers to think of how many pilots did that exact thing roughly 70 years ago in Europe and never came back. I thought of the Tuskegee Airmen and the vital roll they plaid in the allied success. And I thought of how many soldiers on the ground all over Europe felt like they had seen the second coming of God when the Mustangs would show up to give air support. As the 2 mustangs disappeared over the horizon, Jim Bob asked if I was ready, and along with 2 other journalists, we climbed into an old Cessna 195 painted-up with military camo.

I don’t have a lot of time in small planes, but I love it. It just feels so raw and adventurous. For photo opportunities we flew about 2 miles to the hills above Chino, and quickly I heard the Mustang pilots on the radio. I still couldn’t see them, but I heard the leader tell our pilot to start a bank when he was over the tallest peak. Seconds after, we turned to our left, I looked out the right window, and saw my first close – up Mustang. Again, the chills set in. I said out loud, “MY GOD!”

That first sight was something I will never forget. Both planes where painted beautifully, but the closer of the 2 was an earlier model that had a bit more obstructive canopy. It was still an absolutely spectacular looking airplane. The blue-accented plane was the first to appear about 50 feet away. From that distance you can see right into the cock pit. You can see the pilot working to keep the plane a constant distance from our plane, with his eyes locked on us. You can see the light sparkle off the edges and chrome, and you can hear the roar of those motors, even with headphones on, inside another plane.

As the photo shoot wound down, and as we flew back to the air field, I thought about the experience. I’ve never been to war, never was in the military. Hell, I was asked to not come back to the boy scouts after the first den meeting. The point is that I will probably never know the sense of camaraderie that those pilots felt when these planes where in action, but I got a sense of it that day. I was proud of those planes and the 2 pilots. At first I wasn’t sure why because I have nothing to do with them. But they represent American history, and I’m proud of the guys who flew them when it mattered. The guys that stepped up when they where needed, and got it done. I have great respect and admiration for that.

Maybe that is why I love the P-51 Mustang. It’s more than a big engined, flying hot-rod; it represents all that I love about this country. It was simple, purposed, fierce, graceful, reasonably priced and hugely effective. Maybe we should think about that as a country, at a time when we seem to over think, over spend, over complicate and under deliver pretty much everything. As Americans, we need to be more like the P-51, and with good role models for kids extremely hard to find, maybe more kids need to learn about the P-51 Mustangs, and the pilots that flew them.

[View with PicLens]

Was that the General Lee?

MotorDan — Sun, 09 May 2010 23:24:23 +0000

Living in Southern California has its ups and downs. Homes are pretty expensive, there are WAY to many people, the state is broke, and the traffic BLOWS. But there are the upsides, spectacular weather, and the cars you see on the road daily, would rival those of most car shows. That makes the local car shows absolutely incredible, but the event I recently attended was different. This one was special.

Every month or so, CBS studios invites its employees to a bring their cars to the Studio City lot, and hosts a private gathering. Guys bring everything from exotics to classics, but this particular day had a cherry on top, the guys over at Cinema Vehicle Services, decided to make some calls and invite as many movie car owners as possible. So I got a last minute call from my friend Fireball Tim, and we where off.

Unfortunately for Chris, he had already committed to other plans that day, unfortunate for him for 2 reasons; one, he had to miss the show, but secondly the CBS studio city lot is located literally a stones throw from his back deck.

Well, Fireball Tim had set up our transportation for the day, and he delivered the 1970 dodge challenger that Vin Diesel drove in the fast and the furious. What a beast.

The show was not huge, but it was pretty entertaining to see the vehicles. We got to take a tour of the studio, walk down the NY city set from Seinfeld, and I even got a hug from Sofia Loren! Watch the video, and take a look at the gallery to see some of the highlights.

[View with PicLens]

Saturday in L.A. Part 1

MotorDan — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:51:07 +0000

One of the greatest things about living in Southern California, is the access to so many cars. Now some may see the cars as a bad thing, and don’t get me wrong…traffic sucks. But the benefit of having a gazillion people jammed into one area…is that there are literally millions of people who are motorfanatics, and the diamond in this situation is that many of them have the money to act on it.
As members of the automotive press, there are also many perks, and this last weekend was a great example of that. We where invited to tour 3 private car collections on Saturday, the catch was that we weren’t allowed to know where we where going until that morning. Unfortunately for my partner in crime, he was in Michigan doing among other things, testing his dads DSG transmission, and driving their project car. But you’ll read about that later. Anyway, Chris couldn’t make the tour and the friend I invited to go with me, had a late night on Friday as well. So I struck out alone to the address I was given, not knowing what to expect.
When I pulled up to the security gate, in an industrial area of Torrance, I knew it was about to get good. The first stop turned out to be Dave’s Garage. Dave is the founder of Pelican Products Inc. For those of you that know photography or video and film, or are just into protecting your gear, you’ll immediately recognize the name as the same one on your dream cases. Pelican cases are the high standard in the gear hauling world, and the success of the company has allowed Dave to build an incredible car collection. Most of the cars in Dave’s collection are obviously cars he dreamed of as a kid….50’s, 60’s & 70’s American cars dominate. There are a few cars that don’t fit that criteria, but not many. The thing that immediately hit me was….”why doesn’t public school teach you how to make and sell your own products?” That’s how you do it! Make an awesome product and sell it! Cheers to Dave, he is living the dream.
Dave’s collection set the bar extremely high, right of the bat, and I think my personal favorite was the Corvette that Dave drove to the garage….it’s the black one parked outside…and it was nuts.
Have a look at the gallery here. Stop 2 coming soon.

All I want 4 Christmas…

MotorDan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:16:28 +0000

As they say “Tis the Season”….well, here at motorfanatics, ’tis the season to be dreaming. Dreaming about fantasy shopping binges. Yesterday, Chris and I went for lunch..and after a quick bite to eat, we decided to do some window shopping. I quickly remembered the BRABUS showroom in Newport Beach, and we headed over. As we pulled in, it occurred to me that it had been a while since I looked in the window. BRABUS was gone, but there was a Rolls Royce Phantom staring out the window with a big bow on top, so we knew we’d still get to see some goods. Inside we found another ½ dozen rolling palaces, in various colors and configurations. All equally extravagant, and excessive. But in the back we found the cars more our style. The first being a black Carerra GT, a car that Chris and I both put at the top of our fantasy car shopping list. This one was a 2005, and had about 8900 miles on it. We figured about 350k for that little piece of magic. Unfortunately we missed their Spyker, but they did have a handful of options in the Lotus family. We quickly became bored with the place when the sales guy contradicted what Chris knew as fact, and said its not a problem using the Lotus windshield as a pressure point when maneuvering in and out of the little track demon. It is a problem. So with a sour taste in our mouths, we split.

Next stop, PCH. Window shopping on the Pacific Coast Highway can be pretty fun. No matter what your looking for, you can find something to your liking on the highway along the coast in Newport Beach. Finding a red 993 Turbo was a score, both Chris and I love the classic design and at the time, it was the fastest production car in the world. Even to this day it would scare the living bujeeeezez out of most drivers.

The sight of the night had to come when we stopped at the Porsche dealership, and walked next door to the Bentley store. The Bentley Continental Supersports, OH MY GOOOOOODNESS! Maybe the best execution of style, power and exclusivity that we have ever seen. 621Bhp, striking good looks, comfort, class, this car has it all. Chris is sold that it would be his daily driver if the finances allowed…and I’ve tried, but I can’t think of a car that would be a better choice. The car is absolutely incredible.

Continuing along on our Christmas dream cruise, we saw a Maserati Gran Turismo, Multiple Ferrari 599’s, 430 Scuderia’s, and a banquet of Porsches. Then, we decided to roll into one of the largest Mercedes dealerships in the US, Fletcher Jones Motorcars. Now, until a few weeks back at track day, we both looked at Mercedes with a bit of a snark. Yeah, go ahead and pay that, I never would. But after spending some quality time on the track in a SL55 AMG, our opinions towards the 3 point moniker started to shift. That car was spectacular. Incredible power and agility, comfort was obvious..but we found ourselves with new found respect for Mercedes. Even if the prices are outrageous. Well, on the theme of outrageous, as we pulled up…we immediately saw not one, but 3 McLaren SLR convertibles in a row…next to 2 SL65 AMG Black Series vehicles. Now the Black Series is silly, 661hp, and roughly $300 grand? Are you kidding me? The real cough came a few seconds later, when we spotted another SLR inside and Chris walked around to look at the sticker. WOW! Seriously, he looked a little pale, and about to faint…and he was rendered speechless for a few seconds. They had 3 new SLR roadsters at the dealership, all priced the same, at just under $550,000. Yes, that is a very nice home. This was enough to set our evening strait, we decided to head home and catch our breath on the way.

It occurred to me this morning when I was reliving our adventure that there is a reason I can’t afford all these cars. Its because I’m a dreamer. If I actually had all of that, what would I dream of? My life would have to completely change. I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Almost daily I have the “what if” discussion with someone and for me it’s entertainment, fantasy, and imagination all mixed into one. I dream of acres of land with an airstrip for my jets, a track for my cars, karts, motorcycles and toys of more varieties than I can even remember. I guess when it is all said and done, I benefit as much as anyone who actually buys these toys. I get to dream. I get to bounce from one amazing toy to the next without the costs. Seriously, Chris and I had a blast last night. Did we stomp on the accelerator of any of these cars? No, we didn’t even sit in a single one of them. But are our cheeks sore from the smiles on our faces? You bet they are, and that is what its all about. So enjoy the holiday, Merry Christmas, and rather than wishing that all your dreams come true, I hope you keep your dreams alive and vibrant, because that’s really what its all about.

[View with PicLens]

100 is Nice, 200 Kicks ASS!

MotorDan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:06:10 +0000

Who would a’ thought it? I guess if something already kicks ass, it can be made more kick ass. Taking their cues from the Porsche philosophy of “refine and perfect”, the kids over at TECHART set out for the Trial of Strength at the High Speed event in Nardo, Italy, to set a record, and they did it. Now, I can speak from experience when I tell you that a Porsche Cayenne can move down the road, but 200mph? That’s more than the legal speed limit faster than I’ve ever driven mine. An insane 690 horses made it possible for the TECHART equipped Cayenne Turbo S to hit the mark. Rather than regurgitate the details of an event I did not attend, here is what they say happened.

Leonberg, December 2009. TECHART Automobildesign really set the sparks flying at this year`s trial of strength at the High Speed Event in Nardo/Italy. Test driver Sandro Reuter reached a top speed of 321,2 km/h, respectively 200 mph, with the TECHART refined Porsche Cayenne Turbo. TECHART thus secured a new speed record for Fullsize-SUVs. The circular 12.4 kilometer track is still considered to be the world´s fastest motor racing circuit, even ahead of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the United States.

The winner car, refined with the TECHART equipment, is based on a Porsche Cayenne Turbo with Turbo S technology. The installed TA 055/2.2 performance kit takes the engine up to 680 hp, an increase of 130 hp compared with the standard production model. The Aerodynamics Kit I, together with the “Sport” air suspension module, additionally delivered the necessary performance on the circuit.

But thought was also given to TECHART´s usual external upgrades on the vehicle. The TECHART daytime running lights, sports steering wheel, carbon kit, aluminium pedals, decorative stitching and seat belts in gray, additional leather in Luxury Black and illuminated door entry guards with the TECHART logo made the car to a highlight in the pit lane.

Along with the driver`s skills, this success was primarily driven by the perfect, systematic adjustment of the wheels and the suspension. For the record run at moderate temperatures the TECHART Team chose Continental Cross Contact UHP high-performance tires on 22-inch TECHART Formula rims, which were exposed to specific loading as a result of the one-sided cornering on the circuit. Longstanding TECHART test driver Sandro Reuter said with great satisfaction: “The SUV was ideally prepared for the event. Both the engine and the tires showed a high level of performance and consistency”

James…Your Car is Ready

MotorDan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Ever been rendered speechless? Like when the hottest girl in school says she likes you?   Happened to me back in the 7th grade, no joke, hottest girl in school, an 8th grader, wanted to “go” with me. What did that consist of? Nothing, I think I spoke 3 words to her, danced with her at a school dance, was completely overwhelmed with confusing emotions, and then a week later, her friend called my house, and told me it was over. But the level of stoke that first evening…was immeasurable.   That brings us to yesterday morning.   I’m sitting at my kitchen table, knowing what is about to happen, but I was still giddy like a pre-schooler on Christmas morning. Then I hear it, the rumble, the power, the confused driver who can’t find my house. I glance out the window and BAM! Aston Martin DBS rolling past my window. No joke, I jumped in the air with a double fist pump. Sounds retarded, but its true, I had to tell myself audibly to keep it cool. I had only been in 2 Aston Martins prior to yesterday. I had a boss a couple years ago who owned a DB9 for while, and then a few weeks back, I got to drive a Vantage Roadster at the MPG track day. I was about to put a 3rd notch on my Aston Martin score card.
I think the allure of an Aston Martin hit me, like many others, as a kid via James Bond. No matter what the model, or who the actor was that played Bond, James has always been cool, and a lot of that was created by his car. I never realized how much the image of “cool” affects our desires to drive a car. I have no stats to back my idea, but it is nearly an accepted fact that the vast majority of super car buyers, buy them not to actually utilize their capabilities, but to score with the ladies, to impress their neighbors or co-workers, basically just to be cool. Where am I going with this? Well, super-cars have to carry it all. They must be the Michael Jordan of cars, they have to be cool, they have to roll with swagger, and they have to perform at unreachable levels. Its what we expect, anything less and we get bored and move on.
Ok, back to the car. The first thing I noticed when I climbed in the seat, was the speedometer. I think legally a driver can only use about 5 % of the entire dial, but it does go up to 220 if the conditions would allow. Unfortunately, I wasn’t be able to use much of the performance potential, but I definitely experienced the cars cool capabilities.
Starting the vehicle is special, the fob is more like a piece of jewelry than a key. As it slides into its slot, its something like a british superman crystal, bringing the world of Aston Matin to your fingertips as the V12 roars to life. I literally recorded the engine sound, so I can hear it again later this winter when I long for that throaty rumble. Not as intimidating as some super-cars, the DBS is actually surprisingly gentle in its embrace. But be warned, push it and it will bite. Before we went out on our shoot, I had about 45 minutes to burn…so with a $274,000 car in the driveway, and the key in my hand, what do you think I did? Exactly….. I was off.
Quickly turning off the music to hear the engine roar, I headed for the hills. Snugly wrapped in the DBS seats that look better than any seat should, I wound my way out of the city and into the hills above my house. Quietly rumbling down the road, with a joker smile on my face, I couldn’t help but wish I had my dad with me, or my mom, or my brother, or my wife…or a friend, hell anyone…I really wanted to be sharing this experience, but that would have to wait, this one was all mine.
I could spew specs, times, compression and torque numbers, but you can look that up. What you can’t look up is the experience. The absolute thrill it is to drive a machine like the DBS on a winding road through the hills. Its a mixture of Christmas morning, your first bicycle, your first kiss, and your wedding day…all mixed into one. Its a Chicyissedding.   I just created a new word. Unfortunately, it will probably be years until I can use it again.
As we drive our “normal” cars on a daily basis, we tend to forget about the dangers of the road, especially those from other drivers.   This heightened awareness makes it almost scary to drive a super-car. You feel like a target, your under the microscope, and always being watched. This is a feeling many embrace, or long for, but this scrutiny is a better match for the vanity of a Lambo driver who craves this attention. In the DBS, it is more sublte…but you still know its there, only most gawkers don’t know exactly what they are looking at (Is that a Maserati?).   They know the car is special, but they just don’t know HOW special it is. I also know that one step out of line, and the Five-O will be flashing their lights, even if its only to take a closer look at the car. This is a problem with any super car, and you know what they say, “more money, more problems” well, maybe so, but I could get definitely learn to deal with those issues if I could regularly drive an Aston Martin.
Let me say this, I thought I understood Aston Martin, I didn’t. I was heading in the right direction, but I had no idea how deep this went.   The DBS is fast, scary fast…massive torque, you could spin the tires easily at 30, 40 maybe even 60mph…I’ll have to wait until I can afford one to actually try it. The car is striking to look at. I would put this cars looks against anything on the road…it looks that good, and more. I knew the car was special. But it really is more than special. Its kind of like saying, yeah, skydiving is exciting, or combat is intense, you can’t really understand it, until you’ve experienced it.
So until I can afford a quarter million dollar car, I will have the last 24 hours to hold me over. To remind me that there are cars for work, cars for commuting, even cars for play, but then there are cars that are exotic luxuries…not “grandmas fancy vase in a room that you can’t go in” exotic luxury, but “half naked, supermodel girlfriend on a private yacht in the south pacific” kind of exotic luxury. I hope you can understand that.

[View with PicLens]

The Super-Model of Super-Cars

MotorDan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:22:05 +0000

These are the stories that we live for as MotorFanatics. After browsing most of my automotive news outlets for the day, I ran over to check on the British fanatic site Autoexpress…and was met with this little jem.   The concept and theoretical successor to the Ferrari Enzo…the code named, and jaw dropping Ferrari F70. First thought..DAMN!   Seems that Ferrari is getting tired of all these “Did you hear about the Veyron?” stories, and is working on something more than the 458 Italia. Well aware that the Ferrari mad scientists are always mixing and experimenting, I knew that the day would soon be here when we could actually start looking forward to something tangible from Ferrari, and the start of the next chapter of the supercar wars.
Todays world makes it difficult to build, and even harder to license, let alone sell a supercar for profit. Regulations have all but squashed all of the options, and unless you are a well established builder, with money to burn on R/D, it just isn’t going to happen. So when Ferrari says they are going to not only build a faster, but more fuel efficient supercar…we are eager to see, hear, smell, and feel what they have to offer.   The word is (besides bird) that the Enzo successor will not have the same screaming V12, but rather a smaller more efficient twin-turbo V8 throwing it down the street. The no frills Ferrari is should be a lighter (805lbs) vehicle, but with roughly the same 660hp, it should make the F70 a 3 second 0-60 runner, and push the top speed far past the 200mph mark, Autoexpress guesses the top speed to be somewhere around 230mph.
You know, we rarely get our hands on a Ferrari, luckily a couple years a go, I got some seat time in an Enzo….and it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’ll leave it at that. Hopefully the supercar gods will bless Chris and I, and someday we may be graced with the experience of the F70…no matter what its final name becomes.   We will wait eagerly with you, for more on this one.

[View with PicLens]

Hang on Kids!

MotorDan — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:32:20 +0000

Have you ever been given a gift that seems to have a life of its own? Like one that you are given initially and that alone is great, but it just keeps giving? Things like BBQ’s, wet bars, hot wifes, surfboards, golf clubs…you get my point. Well if you frequent motorfanatics, you may remember that earlier this year I bought into the Porsche family…and while that purchase wasn’t a gift per se, it sure has kept on giving. Beyond the daily drive or even the joy that it gives me to clean it, being in the Porsche family automatically included me in the “club”. Being in the club has had a couple immediate perks: the first is that when you valet park a Porsche, you don’t get that silly giggle from the valet that you get in a rough idling 4runner. Secondly, as you probably already know, the new Panamara is starting to show up at dealerships and the dealership I bought my car from invited me to take a drive.

So last Saturday, I grabbed my wife and we headed out to Pacific Porsche and waited for a turn behind the wheel of the $119,000 S model. This was the first I’d seen the vehicle in person and my first thought was “wow that thing is massive!” (that’s what she said). But I guess if the intention is to steal market share from the S class & 7 series, the vehicle has got to be big. We started out as a 4-some: Kam the sales guy, Albert another Porsche customer, and my wife and I. First, we had to stop and fuel up so Albert took over driving to there. I was sitting behind the driver seat, and I was amazed at the comfort and space. The back seats where nicer than most vehicles front seats, and held you right in place. My only concern with the back seat is that for a guy my size (no giant) the visibility isn’t very good and passengers might feel a bit secluded back there. Chris with his long legs would relax in comfort back there with plenty of leg & headroom.

When it was my turn behind the wheel, the first thing I noticed was the feel from the drivers seat because the vehicle felt MUCH smaller. The visibility was good and it felt like a bigger 911, but not nearly as big as it actually is. I quickly learned that the vehicle has massive power and awesome handling on our short test drive. We didn’t get a chance to REALLY push it, but it was an amazing machine. I can’t imagine how much $ you would have to make to justify the vehicle…but whatever, people spend that kinda cash on cars all the time and if I was going to drop over 100k on a 4 door sedan…it would be foolish of me not to consider the Panamara.

[View with PicLens]

Honda CR-Z: Fast AND Frugal?

MotorChris — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:06:03 +0000

This going to throw a lot of people off here. First because we haven’t updated content in 3 months (our bad) second, it’s about a hybrid from a company in Japan and third, it’s about how I’m actually excited about it. If you’ve been following us for a while, I’m sure you’ve noticed how pro-european we seem to be in terms of vehicles we favor. I drive a VW, Dan drives a Porsche, and we both lust after anything that comes out of bavaria, the land of spaghetti, or the nation under rule of a queen. Thus far, I could see how you might assume that we don’t care much for Asian vehicles, but I’m about to prove you wrong

As a self-proclaimed petrol head and hybrid hater, I’ve told countless people to buy a diesel instead of a battery, and for the most part I like to stick to that mantra. Until that is, something performance oriented comes about. Last year, I had the privilege of riding in a Tesla roadster and the relentless rush of acceleration just blew my mind. This electric car thing just might take off I thought…until I drove a Prius. Commuting appliances aside, the ride in the Tesla made me realize that electricity is inherently awesome for us performance enthusiasts. Lately, electricity’s been getting a bad wrap from us performance minded individuals due to being chained to gutless gas engines, lifeless CVT’s, snail-paced acceleration, and handling so numb you might as well be steering with a joystick. The Tesla proved to me that through all this depressing, lifeless mediocrity there’s potential in powering vehicles with electricity, and I can’t wait for someone to tap into it.

I’m rather confident that the first camp to put out an exciting gas-electric hybrid will be Honda. The new Honda CR-Z production concept reportedly aims to be performance oriented. How so? To start, the electric motor will be mated to a 1.5 liter gas motor…that’s .2 liters larger than the anemic gas motor found the Insight, and while in itself isn’t exciting, it’s the electric motor and 6-speed MANUAL transmission that caught my attention. Honda claims the CR-Z to be sport oriented, and offering the manual transmission is a promising start. Drawing comparisons to the CR-X of the 80’s and 90’s are natural, and given Honda’s recent lack of anything resembling a sports car (minus the outgoing and outdated S2000) they’re due for something pretty stellar performance wise. With all the hype around gas-electric hybrids, the CR-Z could be just what the doctor ordered for those of us fearing the death of performance is looming.

Don’t get me wrong, the CR-Z won’t shoot rainbows out the tailpipe while smoking a GT3RS around The Ring (there I go with the euro stuff again), but it is significant in the way it represents a new chapter for the gas-electric hybrid. Uncorking some of the potential in electric motors for performance sake would be much welcomed from my end and with a three pedal control layout, I’m stoked. It’s also a three door hatchback and using my GTI as evidence, it’s clear I’m sold on that body style. It releases in Japan this spring, and we should get it on our shores next fall. A hybrid that’s fun and frugal? (I know, I hate that over-used phase too, but I like alliteration) Sign me up for a test drive and maybe I won’t be a hybrid hater for much longer.

Maranello Dream Cake – Ferrari 458 Italia

MotorDan — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:50:55 +0000

Well as in years past when Maranello speaks, we listen. Today was a pleasant one…receiving the email from the Ferrari PR machine that our speculations in recent months are right on track for this fall’s release of the replacement of the F430. Ferrari dubs it the 458 Italia, with a sure to be screaming 562 hp engine that they say will be redlined at 9k rpms….yes, 9k.

At first glance, and traditionally not a big fan of the dancing horse, Chris almost soiled himself. “Now thats a Ferrari I would own.” Yes, he said it. I on the other hand would own as many as I possibly could afford to. But the point of this post is just to let you all take a look.

[View with PicLens]

Continue for the official words .

TALIA – Ferrari’s innovative new V8

The 458 Italia is the latest incarnation of the mid-rear engined berlinetta and will be unveiled at the next Frankfurt Motor Show

Maranello, July 28th 2009 – While it’s true that every Ferrari is innovative by definition, it’s equally true that in the course of the Prancing Horse’s history, certain cars have marked a genuine departure from the current range. This is very much the case with the Ferrari 458 Italia, which is a massive leap forward from the company’s previous mid-rear engined sports cars.

The new model is a synthesis of style, creative flair, passion and cutting-edge technology, characteristics for which Italy as a nation is well-known. For this reason Ferrari chose to add the name of its homeland to the traditional figure representing the displacement and number of cylinders.

The Ferrari 458 Italia is a completely new car from every point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics, just to name a few.

A two-seater berlinetta, the Ferrari 458 Italia, as is now traditional for all Ferrari’s road-going cars, benefits hugely from the company’s Formula 1 experience. This is particularly evident in the speed and precision with which the car responds to driver inputs and in the attention focused on reducing internal friction in the engine for lower fuel consumption than the F430, despite the fact that both overall displacement and power have increased. However, Ferrari’s track experience makes its presence felt in the 458 Italia not only in terms of pure technological transfer but also on a more emotional level, because of the strong emphasis on creating an almost symbiotic relationship between driver and car. The 458 Italia features an innovative driving environment with a new kind of steering wheel and dashboard that is the direct result of racing practice. Once again input from Michael Schumacher – who was involved from the very start of the 458 Italia project – played an invaluable part.

The Ferrari 458 Italia’s Pininfarina design provides further evidence of the complete departure from the past that this new car hails. The Ferrari 458 Italia has a compact, aerodynamic shape, underscoring the concepts of simplicity, efficiency and lightness that inspired the project. As with every Ferrari, the car’s styling has been very heavily influenced by the requirements for aerodynamic efficiency, as can be seen from the downforce of 140 kg at 200km/h generated by the new model. The front features a single opening for the front grille and side air intakes, with aerodynamic sections and profiles designed to direct air to the coolant radiators and the new flat underbody. The nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets which generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag.

The new 4499 cc V8 is the first Ferrari direct injection engine to be mid-rear mounted. It has a very low piston compression height typical of racing engines which contributed to achieving its compression ratio of 12.5:1. Equipped with the traditional flat-plane crankshaft, the engine delivers 570 CV at 9000 rpm and, with an outstanding power output of 127 CV/litre, sets a new benchmark not only for the whole Ferrari range and the history of company, but also for the entire market segment. Maximum torque is 540 Nm at 6000 rpm, over 80 per cent of which is available from 3250 rpm. Specific torque is a record 120 Nm/litre. However, what is truly extraordinary is the amount of torque available while still maintaining high levels of power at low revs.

The car’s soundtrack is also typical Ferrari, with an exciting, powerful growl emerging from the engine before it channels through to the exhaust’s three rear tailpipes.

The 458 Italia is equipped with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which increases performance whilst providing very smooth shifts even at full throttle. The engineers have developed specific, sportier gear ratios to match the power and torque curves of the new V8, guaranteeing high torque even at lower engine speeds and allowing the car to reach its maximum speed in top gear.

This new Ferrari is also a major leap forward when it comes to cutting emissions. Despite the fact that the new engine is significantly more powerful than the V8s that preceded it, the Ferrari 458 Italia produces just 320 g/km of CO2 and fuel consumption is 13.7 l/100 km (combined cycle), the best in the entire segment.

The engineers also focused on weight reduction during the design phase for similar reasons. Consequently, the Ferrari 458 Italia has a dry weight of 1380 kg with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.42 kg/CV. Weight distribution is also optimal with 58 per cent over the rear axle. The result of the engineers’ endeavours can be summed up in to two simple statistics which together perfectly encapsulate the Ferrari 458 Italia’s exceptional performance: 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 3.4 seconds and a maximum speed in excess of 325 km/h.

For the new chassis, once more in aluminium, Maranello’s engineers incorporated various types of advanced alloys along with aerospace industry-derived manufacturing and bonding techniques.

With regard to vehicle dynamics, the Ferrari 458 Italia’s suspension features twin wishbones at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear tuned for maximum roadholding and superlative handling. Along with a more direct steering ratio, the 458 Italia thus offers extremely rapid turn-in and body control whilst maintaining superior ride comfort.

The integration of the E-Diff and F1-Trac (now controlled by the same ECU) and their respective mappings is even greater, resulting in a 32 per cent increase in longitudinal acceleration out of corners compared to previous models. The evolution of the control logic, with even faster and more accurate calculation of levels of grip, ensures even greater roadholding, better handling and ease of control on the limit.

The same ECU also governs the high-performance ABS, providing even more precise control over the logic threshold and greater efficiency. The brakes also feature a prefill function whereby the pistons in the callipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimise delay in the brakes being applied. This combined with the ABS has cut the 100-0 km/h braking distance to a mere 32.5 metres.

The Ferrari 458 Italia’s interior is another area of the car that exalts its sporty personality. The driver is welcomed by a new layout and a revolutionary ergonomic interface where the main controls are all clustered on the steering wheel.

With the Ferrari 458 Italia, Maranello has brought a highly distinctive new car to its 8-cylinder range. The company now offers two models that share a common, race-derived DNA, both exceptionally sporty and fun to drive in true Ferrari tradition, but aimed at two very different kinds of client. While the Ferrari California was created for owners requiring a more versatile sports car with a practical edge, the 458 Italia is designed for owners for whom the priority is uncompromising on-road performance with occasional track day capability, but who still demand a car that is useable in day-to-day driving like all Ferrari’s recent models.

Ferrari 458 Italia – Technical specifications

Dimensions

Length 4527 mm (178.2 in.)

Width 1937 mm (76.3 in.)

Height 1213 mm (47.8 in.)

Wheelbase 2650 mm (104.3 in.)

Dry weight 1380 kg (3042 lbs)*

Weight/power ratio 2,42 kg/CV (7.16 lbs/kW)

Weight distribution fr/r 42%/58%

Engine

Type V8 – 90°

Displacement 4499 cc (274.5 cu in.)

Maximum power 570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm

Maximum torque 540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm

Specific power output 127 CV/l

Compression ratio 12.5:1

Tyres

Front 235/35 ZR20 8.5″

Rear 295/35 ZR20 10.5″

Performance

Maximum speed >325 km/h (>202 mph)

0-100 km/h

Fuel consumption + emissions

Fuel consumption*** 13.7 l/100 km

Emissions*** 320 g CO2/km

Gearbox

Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1

Electronics

E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS

* With forged wheels and Racing seats

** Including 5 CV of ram effect

*** Combined cycle (ECE+EUDC)