Accelerate Mpls

The Corvette ZR1 is one of those cars that just screams “America can do it”.  America can build a world quality sports car.  Yes, you read that correctly.  America can build a car that competes with and can beat Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s and more.  While in development, the ZR1 was code named the Blue Devil with the reasoning behind that the current CEO at the time, Rick Wagoner, went to Duke and the mascot is the Blue Devil.

Let’s start with the specs.  The hand built, supercharged LS9 V8 pumps out 638 hp and 604 ft-lb going to the rear wheels.  The power is put down through a Tremec six-speed manual.  The power goes to the rear wheels via two half shafts which are each different diameters to minimize wheel hop under hard launches.  The driver’s side half shaft is larger to offset the weight of the battery being on the passenger’s side in the rear.  Ride control features Delphi’s Magnetic Selective Ride Control system.  The shocks in this set up provide real time dampening and change instantly with road conditions.  There is a sport and touring mode which is controlled by a round knob on the center console.  To save weight, the frame of the ZR1 is aluminum and many body panels including the fenders, roof, hood, front splitter and rocker extensions are all made of carbon fiber.  The hood has a polycarbonate window that allows visibility of the intercooler and the polycarbonate window is visible on the hood while driving.

Driving the ZR1 is both surreal and yet also familiar.  The experience is familiar in the sense that everything feels like a normal Corvette.  The interior is, for the most part, the same.  The seats have ZR1 embroidered on the headrests but other then that, they are stock.  The seats are comfortable, just like any other Corvette, but this is not just any Corvette.  The ZR1 is capable of 1.1 g’s of force and these stock seats are fine for the road but on a track, more bolstering is needed.  The recaros from the CTS-V would be terrific, but unfortunately they will not fit in the current C6 interior.

The clutch is light and easy to modulate.  The supercharger whine is noticeable whenever you are on the gas, more than when just cruising.  The gauge cluster is stock Corvette other than a boost gauge and the 200 mph speedometer with ZR1 screen printed on it.

As I mentioned the experience is surreal as it is familiar.  The experience is surreal in the sense that the car just launches like a rocket with 0-60 coming in 3.3 seconds under ideal conditions.  You can hit 66 mph in first gear.  Bringing you back to reality are the brakes which are carbon ceramic rotors originally developed for the Ferrari Enzo and FXX.  Driving is difficult to explain.  The speed builds fast yet the car always feels planted.  Wind noise is surprisingly in check.  The steering is easy and not over boosted and yet, is lighter then some of the competitors.  The dual mode exhaust opens the butterfly valves above 3000 rpm’s and then it just sounds like a symphony. The redline comes quickly under acceleration, reaching the maximum 6800 rpm with 10.5 psi of boost. The ZR1 is the every day super car because the suspension does not beat you up on city streets and highway expansion joints.

The interesting thing about driving a ZR1 on the street is the way people react. You could almost venture that it is a sleeper car in some ways because Corvettes are commonplace.  They are not as uncommon as Ferrari and Lamborghini (depending on where you live) and when you are on the road, most people do not even notice the car.  In fact, the only time the car was noticed was under hard acceleration when the dual mode exhaust opened up and the exhaust turned devilish.  When cruising next to any other car, it never received a second glance.  If you are looking for some serious attention from what you drive, you will either have tell everyone how much power this thing really has, or shop elsewhere.

The Carbon Fiber Roof Panel

The ZR1 I drove was loaded with the $10,000 premium package which includes the leather wrapped dash, heated seats, memory seats, navigation, Bluetooth, premium Bose sound system and much more.  Also optioned on this particular ZR1 was the chrome wheel package.  You do get slapped with a $1,300 gas guzzler tax on all ZR1′s.  All said and done, the total sticker price came to $121,465.00 which is a lot of money for a Corvette, though this is not just any Corvette.

The ZR1 is a testament that General Motors really can build a world class super car.  Taking on the world’s best, both on the road and the track, for a fraction of the price.  The value proposition is insane.  When looking at the competition, the ZR1 falls short in the interior but this car is all about the powertrain and, more specifically, that supercharged LS9 with an intoxicating exhaust note that is like music to your ears.  The question comes down to if would you buy this over the competition.  An Audi R8 starts at $114,200, is not as fast and while having a distinct look and a much nicer interior along with that premium brand name, has less power.  When looking at the competition, you have to ask yourself what is most important: the best bang for your buck and one of the fastest cars on the road or a brand name that costs more and delivers less. If more power for less money sounds better then you should really take a look at the ZR1.

Full Disclosure- Vehicle was provided for a first drive by Classic Chevrolet

Episode 18 starts by introducing this weeks guest, the one and only  Michelle Naranjo joining us from Miss Motor Mouth.  Michelle kicked us off by telling us a little about herself and how she came to be awesome.  We move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• How Jeff Bridges Voice-overs Imperiled Hyundai’s Oscars Blitz
• Ford number one brand in America

We continued with our new section called tweetmeme.  This week we focused on Bob Lutz’s retirment.  Zeroing in on how people reacted both initially and after the news sank in.

This week we skip the clip of the week segment.

Next came our main topics.  This week the topic revolved around some cars from the Geneva Auto Show.  We discuss the Opel Flextreme GT/E concept, Mitsubishi ASX and 2011 Lexus CT 200h Hybrid.  The last topic is the Cult of Toyota.

Last but certainly not least, we discuss the past week on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls.  The week in review included- Leaked Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/Ram Production Start Dates and my 2010 Cadillac SRX Turbo Review, along with Colin’s By the Numbers: February car sales numbers.

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2011 Audi A8

The Minneapolis Auto Show has finally arrived.  I must admit that I look forward to the show every year.  The show is not large compared to others and, in reality, many concept cars go to the larger shows and skip us.  The reason I like our show is it is local and I am on my own time.  I can go with my friends with no scheduled agenda.  The big shows like Chicago and Detroit are a lot of fun but this is just different having a show near home.

The show was busier then I expected.  I talked to quite a few people that noted how the attendance numbers were up from last year already on the second day of the show.  The economy is in a slightly better place and car sales are starting to pick up and the attendance at the show is reflecting it. I am guessing that Ford was a major sponsor this year as many new Taurus’s were strewn about outside of the entrances.  I overheard several consumers commenting on how they liked the look of the new Taurus and most didn’t even know what it was.

Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Concept

Some of the highlights included the special edition Synergy Green Camaro and the Silverado ZR2 Concept truck from Chevrolet.  Though many General Motors concept cars were missing, I was surprised to see the Cadillac Converj concept at the Cadillac Stand.  Ford had the new 2011 Edge along with the new 2011 Fiesta Sedan.  The updated 2011 Shelby GT500 Mustang was on the show floor with the hood open and, although the doors were locked, it was what was under the hood that was important.  Audi had the mighty R8 5.2 in a copper brown color with carbon fiber side blades.

2010 Audi R8 5.2

Some things I noted about the show: BMW, Porsche Infiniti were all absent.  While a few talked about Porsche, I’m not sure anyone noticed Infiniti was gone and the largest complaint of the show that I heard was “Where’s BMW?”  I spoke with one of the local BMW dealerships and they said that their research indicates that they do not sell enough cars by being at the auto show to warrant the expense. This absence just gave the competition such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz a chance to have BMW owners sit in their cars.  Another anomaly was Nissan.  They found it important to have the GT-R with a base price of $80,790 but not to have a 370Z, which starts at $29,990.  I was told that the reason was, “That is what they sent us…”.  Not a terribly good answer in my opinion.

Ross Testing the Man Step

I personally think many manufactures should take notes more from Ford.  They have been building terrific booths at the shows lately.  They engage the consumers and have a lot to look at, and I am not just talking product.  There are interactive games such as foosball and driving simulators not to mention the computers filled with information.

Overall the show was better then last year.  With more manufacturers in attendance and consumer attendance up, the atmosphere was a bit more upbeat.  The Minneapolis Auto Show’s tag line is “Your License to Dream” and I believe that is exactly what this show did for many consumers this year and with the products coming in the next year, I am sure next year will be even better for consumers.

While I strongly reject that anyone was put in danger while making this video, I recognize publicly that concerns about reckless driving have been raised.  Reckless driving is a real issue, and I acknowledge that some in the online automotive industry have expressed concern at the driving displayed in the video.  In response to those concerns and more importantly because I share concerns about reckless driving, I have decided to pull the video.  While I was there and personally know that no one was endangered in the situation, I understand that it is hard for some who were not there to see or realize that.  My intent was never to be controversial.

After my first run in with the SRX I had strong opinions, both good and bad.  The new SRX is a valid contender in this automotive segment and pushes the envelope for Cadillac both in quality and as a class competitive product.  My largest gripe was that the base powertrain is weak and affected the driving experience.  A simple question: would the optional turbo V6 engine fix the driving experience?

The main highlight of the SRX Turbo is larger engine which is funny because the engine in not actually larger because it is a 2.8 liter while the base V6 is a 3.0 liter.  The extra power in the this V6 really comes from the turbo, putting out 300 hp and 295 ft-lb to all four wheels all with max torque coming at 2000 rpm.  The all wheel drive system is the torque vectoring unit from Haldex.  This is the same unit that made its debut in the now dead Saab TurboX a few years back and can transfer up to 90% of the torque to the rear wheels at any given time.  The torque can also be distributed between the wheels side to side.  All of this gets put to the ground through a six speed automatic transmission with manual shift capabilities.  So the question still remains:  does this extra power fix the SRX driving experience?

The answer is yes and no.  Yes, the driving experience is much better.  In fact, leaps and bounds better.  In normal and spirited driving the car does not feel strained like the base 3.0 liter V6.  Even pulling away from a stoplight, you notice the difference.  In normal driving the engine does not feel like it is working hard.  The revs are easily kept under 3ooo rpm’s unless pushed.  When pushed, the engine responds quickly with no noticeable lag.  The turbo is going almost constantly whenever you have your foot on the gas.  Something to note is that you cannot put the needle into the red on the turbo gauge.  Why would you have the red there when you cannot put the needle in that zone?  The first thing people said to me was to put it in the red and I had to respond sadly, “It does not go that high.”

The downside to this engine is the gas mileage.  Rated at 15/22, this engine could definitely be described as thirsty.  I cannot decide what is worse about the mileage;  the fact that it is just terrible for this vehicle class, or that it is coming from the engine putting out the power that this vehicle really needs.  That mileage is no joke either.  I averaged 15.3 mpg during the week and it is worth noting that the gas it is guzzling requires premium.  I did not really stretch the SRX Turbo’s legs so I cannot comment on the highway mileage though I can assume that it matched the EPA rating pretty close to dead on.  Again, that city mileage is really not good and is so bad that it starts to dip into body-on-frame SUV mileage.  For example, the much larger body-on-frame Chevrolet Tahoe is rated at 15 mpg in the city with a V8.  If SRX Turbo engine had direct injection it would post better fuel mileage numbers and would be more competitive.

As mentioned in my previous review of the SRX, the interior styling is very well done. The materials all look and feel great. It uses the center stack from the CTS (minus the tiny climate control screens on each side) and the door handles are uniquely shaped.  These little details help set it apart. That said, the back seat is somewhat short on leg room with a taller driver.  The cargo area has a terrific cargo management system with sliding tie down brackets and there is a decent sized storage cubby below the rear floor that can hold items away from public view.

The styling is terrific.  I am still undecided about the front air dam being so low and whether it makes it look better or worse.  The rear taillights hark back to the “tailfins” on older Cadillac’s and play nicely with the overall design.  The rear diffuser finishes off the rear while integrating the exhaust into the overall design.  The A-pillars in this vehicle are ridiculously huge and they make sight lines a problem in a few instances and the rear window is tiny and makes visibility awkward so the back up camera is definitely useful in a parking lot.  The twenty inch wheels fill out the wheel wells nicely and look great because they are painted aluminum wheels instead of chrome plated.  Another thing that still bugs me is the GM chiclet.  I mentioned this in my original review, and again, I assume the tooling was already set before the decision to ditch this “Mark of Excellence” was made.

The SRX Turbo I had was a premium model with almost all of the bells and whistles.  The rear seat entertainment system package with dual rear screens and wireless headsets with remote adds $1,295 to this package and  I like the way this system is set up with screens in the back of the seats and separate video inputs for each.  The second option was the crystal red tintcoat which will set you back $995.  All said, including destination fees, the total sticker price of this particular SRX Turbo came to $54,475.

I want to take a second to talk about the competition.  The SRX is really going head to head with the Lexus RX. It was developed and bench marked against that vehicle and the marketing pitches it that way.  As I mentioned earlier, the price on this SRX Turbo was close to $55,000 and that is a lot of coin while there are a lot of other great vehicles for that price.  The SRX Turbo starts under $50,000, for that price you can get a nicely equipped Acura MDX or an Ecoboost Lincoln MKT and, while the Ecoboost MKT is a much larger vehicle, it just goes to show the breadth of this segment and price range.

There must be something about the SRX because each time I have had the vehicle we have gotten whacked with lots of snow here in Minneapolis.  The SRX Turbo handled it like a champ plowing through the white stuff with the all wheel drive sending power to the wheels with traction.  It felt weird but sometimes I thought the electronic stability control was slow to kick in.  The front wheel drive SRX handled the snow with its low profile, all season tires better than expected, so this all wheel drive version had absolutely no issues.

As with the other SRX I reviewed, I do like this vehicle.  When you compare it with the direct competitor, the Lexus RX, you see the SRX is a more engaging and dynamic vehicle.  The optional turbo powertrain definitely fixes the anemic feeling but at the large expense of gas mileage and in reality, the bulk of the SRX’s sold will be equipped with the base 3.0 liter V6 and that engine will be fine for those who are more concerned with the gas mileage.  For those who really want to take the SRX to its full potential, you will have to take the hit on the gas mileage and option for the turbo V6.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

2011 Chrysler 300 Interior

Dates have been leaked out onto Allpar, a site devoted to all things Chrysler past and present, with the production start dates for many of the new or refreshed Chrysler/Dodge/Ram/Jeep models.

Things to note:

• The LX based cars now have the same date as each other
• It was originally stated that production of the new Charger and 300C would be staggered and now they are pegged to enter production simultaneously
• The Wrangler date has also been moved up slightly
• Rumors now peg the 200C name plate to be replacing the Sebring name
• The Avenger name may soldier on for the Dodge counterpart

Production Start Dates:

2010 Viper – March 29

2011 Ram Chassis Cab – April 5

2011 Grand Cherokee – May 10

2011 Ram 1500/2500 – July 5 (one plant; second plant for Ram 1500 starts July 26)

2011 Caliber, Dakota, Liberty, Nitro – July 26

2011 Wrangler – August 16

2011 Jeep Patriot – October 4

2011 Dodge CUV (Durango replacement, possibly Magnum) – November 8

2011 Journey, Ram 1500 Hybrid – November 16

2011 Avenger  (Sebring?) – November 18

2011 Minivans – November 22

2011 Charger, Challenger, 300 – November 30

2011 Jeep Compass, 2012 Fiat 500 – December 13

2011 Dodge Charger Gauge Cluster

Source- AllPar

Episode 17 starts by introducing this weeks guest Erich Merkle joining us from Autoconomy.  Erich joins us in the second half of the podcast for the main topics of the week.  I then discuss the four door long box Ram 2500 with a cummins diesel engine that I drove during the past week.  What an experience.  We move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• Cadillac to Create ‘Luxury World’ in New Ad‘ Campaign
• Hyundai to recall 2011 Sonata because of door glitch

We tried out a new section this week called tweetmeme.  This week we focused on the demise of Hummer and peoples reactions on Twitter.  Zeroing in on how people reacted both initially and after the news sank in.

We then proceed to the clip of the week segment.  This week we featured a newer Subaru ad about being pet approved – Parallel Parking

Next came our main topics at which point Erich joined us.  This week those topics included Toyoda going to Washington and the Toyota hearings, Hummers current situation, the upcoming New York Auto Show, and we touch on the future of the industry and Chrysler.

Last but certainly not least, we discuss the past week on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls.  The week in review included- my video interview with Hagen Durant and my first drive video of the ZR1, along with Colin’s gas prices post.

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This past weekend, Autorama’s World of Wheels show came to the Twin Cities.  This show travels around the nation and is one of the premier custom car show series.  The show itself is put on by Championship Auto Shows.  Sponsors include everyone from O’Reilly Auto Parts to Meguiar’s.  I went with Jason Pawelsky and we agreed, without question, that the show had its high points and low points.  So! Let’s get to it.

1970 Mach1 Mustang

Without a doubt, there were some really nice cars there.  A Ford Mustang club was in attendance with a booth filled with Mustangs.  One that really stood out was a 1970 Mach1 with gorgeous canary yellow paint. It was one of the highlights of the show and was just a great looking car. It looked terrific and was sitting next to a fourth generation Mach1 (circa 2000).  Not to be outdone, the Mustang section had competition from their fierce rival,  Camaro.  A Chevrolet Camaro club had a section with classic Camaros from yesteryear including a gorgeous Camaro SS featuring a 427 in the engine bay.  Of course, quite a few new Camaros were on the show floor as well, sitting next to their vintage elders.

A number of old Chevrolet 210 sedans, along with the older Corvettes, were scattered throughout the show floor.  A 1961 Chevrolet Impala was getting quite a bit of attention, probably because it was un-restored and yet looked great for its age.  The car’s paint was not terrific and the interior was slightly faded but many of these cars on the floor were full restorations so it was nice to see something that was original and in rather good condition.

Supercharged LS9 V8

Another highlight was a 1957 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan.  This car was being done by L’Cars Automotive Specialties in Cameron, WI.  A customer brought the car to the fine people at L’Cars and they have created one heck of a beast for the lucky owners.  Starting with an Art Morrison GT sport chassis and a Ford 9 inch rear end, including a limited slip differential as the base, the engine is a crate supercharged LS9 V8 from the Corvette ZR1 with a Hennessy cold air intake feeding the engine.  The supercharged LS9 is pushing out 700 hp to the rear wheels and 650 ft-lb through a GM 6L80E six-speed automatic transmission.  The exhaust is a polished stainless steel set up from Borla with dual 2.5 inch oval tips in the rear.  The exhaust system has an electric cut out system with straight outlets under the car.  Bringing all this to a stop is 13 inch Wilwood drilled and slotted rotors in the front and rear with 6 piston calipers in the front and 4 piston calipers in the back.  This whole vehicle was 99% completed and they were just working out some fuel delivery issues.  Without a doubt, this was one of the coolest cars at the show.

1957 Chevrolet 210 2-door Sedan with supercharged LS9 V8

Then there were the low points.  One of the saddest things I saw was a GNX and, if you know me at all, you know how much love and respect I have for the GNX.  It was just this particular GNX that just made me sad all over. I was excited when I saw it across the show floor but as I got closer and closer, my excitement turned to devastation.  The paint was in terrible condition with swirls all over and the rear window had a tint job that looks like a child performed the deed with a break in the middle of the rear window where a new piece of tint was spliced in.  The interior was actually in fairly decent condition but the engine bay, which needs no help after leaving the factory, was chromed out. From the ugly, oversized manifold in black and chrome to other oversized things, it was all over the place under the hood. Do not even get me started on the stickers! The thing was just a hot mess, except for the interior. There were more low points because several cars had terrible paint jobs with swirls in the finish.  It is one thing when you have original paint, but to restore a car with a new paint job and improperly use a buffer is just sad.

OMG its Doc Hudson!

Overall the experience was fun.  People were enjoying the cars and the atmosphere. A special attraction for the kids was the Hudson Hornet aka, Doc Hudson, from the movie Cars.  Friends know I am a huge Cars fan and so seeing Doc Hudson was yet another highlight for this big kid.  Overall, the show was a great way to spend a Winter Saturday afternoon as Spring and the season for fun cars approaches.