Accelerate Mpls

Drew over at Cheers and Gears has been talking about a rumored Mercedes branded Dodge Dakota undergoing cold weather testing near him. He was finally able to snap a pic of this huge piece of fail. I must say, it’s worse than I imagined.

[Cheers and Gears]

In Russia, we make SUV out of car! No, seriously, someone in Russia has decided to take this innocent Mercedes-Benz 190E and convert it into a SUV?

You might be saying to yourself: gee that 190E looks awfully short. Well that is because the owner chopped the rear end and then raised the ride height. That was just for starters.

One the vehicle was done being chopped and raised, fake bull bars made out of what appears to be PVC piping, were fitted around the vehicle. You know, for protection.

Once the “protection” was in place, it appears that the off-roader was painted in Rhino Liner? It is described as a “stealth paint job,” whatever that means.

Finishing off this piece of awesome is the rear mounted spare tire and headlight guards.

The vehicle is apparently dubbed the “E90.”

So you decide, is this a piece of awesome, or some horrible project gone wrong.

[Auto Motto]

You know what they say, money can’t buy happiness. Well, it seems sometimes it can come darn close. This short video shows how you can get peace and quite in your house with a simple purchase of one Cadillac Escalade. While I do not support or condone this type of gift, I can say, this is quite hilarious.

Source – YouTube

Hey remember the dustbuster vans? Whether they have aged gracefully or not is debatable, but this is one classy example in what can only be described as ‘mint condition.’ What with upgrades such as a window air conditioner for those extra hot days, and the sweet Ford Mustang wheels, this Chevrolet Lumina MPV is ready to hit the road. Oh, and when you are traveling across the U.S. with the window air conditioner blasting and feel the need to talk with the trucker ahead, the side mounted CB radio antenna will come in handy. Here’s to hoping this family has a terrific family road trip this holiday season.

Source- Twitter

Are you a mans man?  Do you wish your phones ringtone were a large diesel engine starting up each and every time someone calls you?  Well then you are in luck!  Dodge Ram and Cummins have just the ringtone for you.  You can download (for FREE!) a ringtone for your cellular device that is the 6.7 liter inline six Cummins Diesel starting and then idling.  Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch?  Now get to downloadin and have one of those many friends of yours call you, just so you can hear that baby purr.  Enjoy your new ringtone!

Source- Twitter

In a debate as old as time, we take a moment to discuss the new Duramax and Power Stroke diesel engines in the new Ford and GM heavy duty pickup trucks. This classic debate ignites the passion in many enthusiasts.

On the left we have the new Duramax hooked to the Allison transmission. Pumping out 397 horsepower and 765 lb-ft to the rear or all four wheels, this engine is by no means a slouch. Slamming the go pedal at 30 mph will throw the traction control into a frenzy.

On the right we have the new Power Stroke which is all new and was developed in house by Ford. Pumping out 400 horsepower and 800 lb-ft to the rear or all four wheels, this engine is on paper, king of the hill. It is worth noting this engine has already received a factory software flash to upgrade the power to exceed the new Duramax power ratings.

So take a moment watch the video below and make your call, which side are you on?

Side note- I did this video clip in one take. I know it is lb-ft not ft-lb when referring to torque. I also know it is diesel not gas. I slipped on those two occasions and did not have time to do another take. Just wanted to mention those two mistakes before the war started in the comments.

I want to give some background on this video. To be frank, I debated whether or not this video would ever see the light of day. By popular demand (by a very small, annoying group of people who just will not leave me alone about the darn thing) the decision has been made to post it. With that said, some background is needed before watching the video.

The goal when I had the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited was to take it off-roading. Unfortunately I do not exactly live by mountains. I was asked not to take it to the one place in Minnesota that is a true off-road park, mainly because it is known as the place you take to destroy your vehicle. I decided to take it through a muddy field that a friend of a friend’s dad owns.

The videos turned out more then boring. Though one hilarious gem of a clip did come through entertaining enough to post. When I entered the field, it was decided that we should test the Jeep to see how well it would do in two wheel drive. Then once stuck, I would move to four wheel drive, then if I continued to have issues, put it in four low and lock the differentials. I ended up in four low but never needed to lock the differentials. Once in four low, I never ended up getting stuck again. This video is a clip from the first part in two wheel drive. It took less then two minutes to get stuck in two wheel drive. I hope you enjoy. Oh and Ross, now you have nothing on me about this Jeep thing.

Hey remember that time on the Fireball Run when I went with Kevin in his Ford Excursion racing around the dirt track in Dodge City, KS? No!? Well it happened. Since then Kevin has been bored at home with no missions and no passage control to get to by a certain time. So he made a little video.

Using pictures taken by Nelson on the sideline, video taken by me in the Excursion, and video taken by others outside of the track we now have this video to remember the time Kevin almost put me into the wall.

Key highlights in the video include:

• This is trouble brewing (see the knew before we even hit the track!)
• Kevin almost crashing us (my side of the truck) into the wall
• Mis-Directed by too much testosterone
• Me as in car director (didn’t know I had the title, but I’ll roll with it)

I wanted to write this editorial on Thursday night, but decided it was better to wait a few days and see how the dust settled. How would the fans react? Would my emotions on the topic change once I calmed down? The answer is no.

Buick announced the production version of the Regal GS in Miami, Florida last Thursday. It wasn’t without a few surprises. The biggest surprise of which was a lack of all-wheel drive. Most people assumed the 2.8 liter turbo V-6 from the Opel Insignia OPC would not make the trek across the Atlantic. As for the all-wheel drive, that is a different story.

Lets not forget about power output. The 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder will put out 255 horsepower and 295 pound feet to the front wheels (no, that was not a typo). This engine has also done duty in the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS,  Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline. For all of these models you could purchase a $650 factory upgrade at the dealership that would kick things up a notch, pushing out 290 hp and 340 lb-ft, all while keeping your factory warranty. The engine has the potential.

The Regal GS will feature GM’s terrific HiPerStrut front suspension system, which in theory, should curve most of the torque steer which this beast is sure to feature.

So where are the two main problems? Well, it’s a combination of power and drivetrain. The engineers said they did not need all-wheel drive for the Regal GS. Their reasoning was the added weight wasn’t necessary and the power output did not require it. Wait, the power output did not need it? Hey, we stumbled onto the second problem!

It was initially thought that Buick wanted the Regal GS to take on the likes of the BMW 335i and the Audi S4, like the Opel Insignia OPC does in Europe. These power numbers do not put it even close to competing with those vehicles. Zero to sixty is quoted as “under seven seconds.” Are you joking? That’s slower then the Acura TSX V-6. Did I mention the new Hyundai Sonata Turbo has more horsepower and posts better fuel economy? That isn’t even a “sports car.” Don’t even think about getting close to a BMW 335i or Audi S4 in race away from that stop light.

Also high on the disappointment list is the removal of the terrific Recaro seats. The Opel Insignia OPC features them, as did the Regal GS Concept. I sat in them at the Detroit Auto Show last year – those were comfy seats.

Fans on Buick’s Facebook fan page were outraged. Many have claimed how this car just got knocked off their list. I was told by someone that three people in Detroit that were waiting for this car called the dealership and are no longer interested. My own cousin who has a 2002 Audi A6 2.7t was waiting for this car – I had convinced him this might be the replacement. Now? Not so much.

The Twitter community was just as outraged. The hashtag #GSFail was created quite quickly and really spread fast. Enthusiasts across the nation shared their disappointment.

I still remember standing three feet away from Bob Lutz at the Detroit Auto Show last year. I overheard him talking about the Regal GS to a reporter – he was smiling ear to ear, proud of what Buick was transforming into. What I wouldn’t give to hear Bob Lutz’s candid thoughts on how this car turned out.

My garage has a poster in it of the Regal GS concept car from last years auto show season. The car is something I was looking forward to.

The fact that I have not driven the car is not lost on me. Without a question, the car looks the part. In fact, it probably is still fun to drive, but that isn’t the point. The point is the car is not what was expected from the GS. It has been slightly watered down in all the wrong places, and the enthusiasts know it. The GS model is meant to be niche, meaning it is meant for enthusiasts.

Buick had the opportunity to really make a move here. This car could have stood for something, having the potential to truly ignite enthusiasts and maybe even convert a few past Pontiac owners. Now, it is another watered down product we are getting from Europe. In a discussion this weekend with Nick Saporito, I think he said it best: “the car is “good enough” with excuses.”

Sound off in the comments and we are also running a poll over at Motor Authority about whether the Regal GS meets your expectations. Check it out and vote here.

Behold in all its glory, this very rare, super special GMC Jimmy. Very few of these SuperSport Hybrid Jimmy’s were made, finding one in halfway decent condition, that’s next to impossible. My good friend Mark just happened to stumble upon this fine example driving down the highway here in Minneapolis this week.

Ok fine, you got me. There was no GMC Jimmy SS Hybrid. But, I will say somewhere there is a Toyota Hybrid that is missing a badge of honor, and I bet it wants it back dearly. As for the SuperSport badge, who knows. What a cluster this piece of work is. I must say, the 4X4 decals really do finish off the picture.

Thanks Mark for the tip.