I’m literally speeechless….Not even sure how to approach this. It’s a BMW 5 Series in the front and Mustang in the back? This is not like business in the front and party in back people. This is almost a serious offense. He should be given a ticket for doing such a thing.
Source- SpeedSportLife
Aston Martin DB7 Vantage
Another month, another gathering of man and machine. Of course I speak of Cars & Café, out at the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen. This month promised, as usual, to be eventful. I woke up a little early (4:40 am), as I did poor planning. I had not washed the 300ZX (note to self: next month wash the 300ZX before the morning of Cars & Café). So, I washed the 300ZX and popped off the T-Tops.
As I was cruising out West to meet up with my buddy in his S2000, I saw black sky in front of me – then lightning – and then I saw a car come over the hill with windshield wipers on (this was not going well). I hit the gas and made it to his garage with the 300ZX still clean and dry. We ended up taking his daily driver and leaving the 300ZX and his S2000 there, as it started pouring down rain right after I pulled into the garage.
Upon arriving, it was clear the rain, which was at this point a nice steady rain coming down, had affecte turn out. Nooooooooo I cried to the car gods. Luckily some of the cooler rides still managed to show up. As I was admiring a nice Ford F150 Lightning, I heard something loud pulling into the complex.
I turn to see a true hard core car guy (you would have to be) driving a Cobra in (remember no top) through the rain. Two Dodge GLH Turbos sat next to each other, both in ridiculously good condition. I also counted not one but two Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbos (I drooled a little). Quite a few Acura NSX’s showed up, along with a Lexus IS-F.
Two BMW’s caught my eyes this month. One was a early 90′s 540i manual white on black with only 28k on the odometer. The kicker? It is for sale and they are asking only $25k!
Someone buy that car or buy me that car! There was also a mid 80′s M6 in fantastic condition that caught my eye., along with an early 2000′s black Audi S8 that is a regular at Cars & Café. I just love that car!
So good story, I am walking by the club house and hear tires squealing like a burn out. I look around and am quite confused. Suddenly I realize that the sound is coming from behind this building in the VIP section. I go running through the crowd, and as I turn the corner I almost fall over.
This Lamborghini Miura owner clearly had put the car in reverse instead of first gear (as best I can tell from the situation). The car had gone backwards off the cement and onto the pebbles directly below. Part of the car definitely was resting on the cement. The tires were squealing and these two guys were pushing the back of the Miura trying to get it back onto the cement. Finally after a few minutes they accomplished this task, but not before you could smell the clutch and tires. It was quite a scene.
Also filed in the – ahem – interesting category, was the Toyota Camry Solara parked in the American muscle section. Hey at least it was on dubs! Sitting next to that was a Chrysler 300C. Not just any Chrysler 300C, but one riding on 24′s – and wait – it gets better.
The person had welded extensions (eyebrows?) onto the leading edge of the hood. You can still see where the person welded and sanded them. They were not painted yet (I am assuming they are going to paint them….at least I hope so). Let’s not forget the white Toyota Yaris hatch with lime green wheels.
Jensen
On the list of awesome cars I would include the RUF 911, Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and a Jensen that showed up. The red GMC Typhoon that was for sale earlier this year was on hand, along with two Ford GT’s (they are Cars and Cafe regulars). A new Lotus Evora made the trip, along with a Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake.
One of the cleaner Oldsmobile 442′s I’ve seen was on site as well. Obviously I have already mentioned the two Dodge GLH Turbo’s but I want to just mentioned them again in this section of awesome. Last but not least was the regular BMW 200ti. It is a work in progress, but hot all the same.
One cool thing was this garage that had a Corvette Z06 in it. Ok that car was nice but you know those bag chairs you take to soccer games and such? Well they had one of those. and then they had a ginormous one that was literally super sized. To get a idea of just how big it was they let me sit in it and I got a picture!
Overall the rain really put a damper on the attendance, or at least it felt that way. With most of the people clearing out before 10 AM, it had to be one of the shortest Cars & Cafés I have attended yet. Thankfully, the doughnut holes provided by Imola Motorsports stayed dry in the clubhouse.
Yes they were tasty,and yes I ate some. Just for the record, doughnut holes always seems to taste better when they are delivered in a BMW M5. I can not prove that, but that seems to be my experience. Here’s hoping for a dry Cars & Café next month!
That is correct! The owner of the infamous Imola Motorsports is selling the vehicle that brings us all such joy when it pulls into Cars & Café with doughnut holes each and every month. The vehicle is Kevin’s personal 2006 BMW M5. This is the car I always seem to be taking pictures of and tweeting about for your viewing pleasure. I have personally had a ride in this car and it is just terrific. The exhaust system sounds heavenly.
Below are some details.
All service completed either at BMW Motorwerks or Imola Motorsports.
transferrable CPO warranty through BMW
Factory Options:
Modifications:
Exhaust:
Wheels & tires:
Suspension:
Lighting:
Body:
Tell your friends and empty your piggy banks kids. This is one sweet ride. If you are interested sound off in the comments and I will see if I can’t swing you a super deal. I already checked and my piggy bank and find myself a little short. Otherwise I would consider this fine piece of V10 beast for my garage possibly.
I wanted to start this review off by stating how much I really like the current Chevrolet Tahoe. As far as larger body on frame SUV’s go, I like it a lot. When I received word I would have a Tahoe Hybrid to review, my first thought was how interesting it would be. Since I like the regular Tahoe, would I like the hybrid? After a week, lets dive in and find out.
The exterior of the current Tahoe is terrific. Changes were necessary in many areas on the exterior for the Hybrid model. These changes were for improvements to aerodynamics, which include a different grille, new lower air dam which is much lower to the ground, slight sculpting in the rear rocker panels and other little things. The wheels are also a different design, and are wrapped in low rolling resistance tires. The Tahoe is a sharp vehicle but the lower front air dam on the hybrid looks somewhat awkward to me. The lower ground clearance in the front meant I scraped the front end on a few driveway entrances. This is a full-size SUV in which I can scrape the bottom front air dam on a driveway entrance. That somewhat bothered me! I also like the non-hybrid grilles slightly better. Other then the front end and wheels, you will not notice a huge difference between the hybrid and regular Tahoe aside from the hybrid badges. Though I am not a huge fan of all the necessary aerodynamic changes, the Tahoe is still a looker and the hybrid model is not that much worse.
I also like the interior of the regular Tahoe and not many changes were made for the hybrid. The battery pack resides under the second row of seats. They can tumble fully forward. The third row tumbles forward but does not fold flat like the current generation Ford Expedition and can be fully removed, but they are not light. Make sure you do not have a bad back! Also make sure you have somewhere to store them. The front seats are very comfortable and will be easy to take a long road trip with. The navigation unit is still disc based and the resolution on the particular unit in this Tahoe hybrid had a somewhat fuzzy aspect to it. The words and everything just did not seem as crisp as other units I have seen from GM of the same variety. You do have a hybrid mode screen where you can see exactly what is happening with the powertrain. I found that,while it was cool, ultimately I would rather have the navigation map up or the radio station presets. I found that to be more useful. The gauge cluster has plenty of information to inform you what mode you are running in and how much power is coming from where. The rest of the interior is standard Tahoe, which is nice – however a power lift gate on a SUV with this price tag would not be a lot to ask for. Not to mention the lack of telescoping steering wheel! Overall, the interior is a nice place to spend your time, but small changes could be made to enhance it.
The powertrain is a 6.0 liter Vortec V8 with active fuel management, along with two 60 kilowatt electric motors. This was a four-wheel drive model, so the power can be pushed to the rear wheels or all four depending on the mode. The transmission is a “2-mode” system that was developed in collaboration with Daimler and BMW. The transmission essentially works in two modes, one in the city at speeds below 40 miles per hour an one at speeds above 40 miles per hour. Essentially one is a city mode and one is a highway mode. They are trying to maximize both conditions with less compromises. It is a somewhat unique approach, seeing as most hybrids do not focus on highway mileage as much as city mileage. I was highly impressed with the overall system. The switching between battery and gasoline, as well as the combination of both, was very smooth. I noticed the engine was operating in four-cylinder mode a lot more often then the Silverado I recently had with active fuel management. This tells me that the settings are much more aggressive due to the battery and electric motor assistance. The EPA rates the mileage at 21/22 mpg. I saw an average of 19.6 mpg in mixed city driving.
The battery pack
The total bill for this Tahoe after options and everything was $56,810 including destination. The only two options on this particular vehicle was the entertainment/destination package which was $2,390 and the red jewel tintcoat paint for $395. Many features that are optional on non-hybrid models or that you need to upgrade trim levels for normally, are standard on the hybrid model – including the navigation package. The base price for the Tahoe Hybrid with four wheel drive is $53,525.
So at the end of the week, did I like the Tahoe hybrid as much as I like the Tahoe? The reality of it is that the powertrain and driving experience is much more seamless and refined then I imagined it would be. I was highly impressed in that regard. The bottom line, if you are in the market for a full-size (body on frame) SUV and care about the environment mileage numbers, then the Tahoe Hybrid delivers on the promise of better fuel economy with a refined hybrid experience.
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors
Yup, that’s right, you are viewing the completely undisguised 2011 Hyundai Genesis. Most changes are slight but still notable. The front end has a new front bumper (see the lower air intakes) with updated headlights (reportedly LED’s), new front/rear/side skirts and rear bumper with Lexus LS460 looking exhaust outlets integrated nicely. That new rumored eight speed transmission is obviously on board with the new BMW looking “shift knob.” That eight speed transmission is probably hooked to the rumored 5.0 liter Tau V8 which is an update to the current 4.6 liter Tau V8. Most likely the output will break the 400 hp barrier. This engine will also probably be in the upcoming Equus. Check out more spy shots at The Car Blogger.
Back in the days of yore if someone suggested there would be a Porsche SUV you would be laughed out of the room but not before getting slapped in the face. Flash forward to the current year and the best selling model in the Porsche line up is a SUV! Whoa how did that happen? It is simple really; a small 2 door car coupe/convertible/etc is not practical for everyone. To build on that success Porsche figured why not build a four door “sports” car. People seem to want to purchase a Porsche and some people care about practicality. The two combined equals a need for more then just two door sports cars. Now we have a new four door (it is really a five door but more on that later) Porsche sedan. The real question I had was whether the sedan was a true Porsche or does it just wear the crest?
The exterior of the Panamera is recognizable as a Porsche without question. The front end has styling elements that make it look like an enormous redone 911. The two round headlights have LED strips hanging below them on the bumper. The LED strips are day time running lights and at night the same housing has another set of lights that come on. These act as fog lights or driving lights in a sense. The side profile has nice sculpting from right behind the front fenders down the side. The rear is what is truly controversial. Let’s just get something out of the way quickly. I like this car. I like the way it looks. I am apparently weird and I am ok with that. Ok now moving on, the rear is what some call hunch backed or carrying too much baggage. Some are saying it is droopy. Call it what you want but I see Porsche design in it. This car is nothing short of huge. It is right around the size of a BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8 to mention a few. Technically speaking the Panamera is a five door since the rear does not have a trunk lid rather a rear hatch. The quad exhaust peak out from the rear to remind you of the power that lurks in the engine bay both on the naturally aspirated V8 and the Twin Turbo V8.
The interior is not quite as controversial as the exterior. It is pure sporting luxury. The seats are comfortable and supportive. They hug you in all the right places. These are not barcaloungers and no they will not massage you. They are meant to hold you in place firmly. The center console between the driver and passenger runs the length of the car. In the front it rises up and meets the PCM (Porsche Communication Management System). This design cue is somewhat similar to the center stack in the Carrera GT. That center stack houses a dizzying array of buttons though they are all clearly marked and clumped together by function. The PCM is a touch screen along with plenty of buttons to choose from to help operate it. This was definitely a complex system but I was able to use it without the owners manual though others in this segment have easier systems to operate. The interior fit and finish is definitely without question up to Porsche standards if not raising the bar within the company.
The engine in this car was a 4.8 liter direct injected V8 pumping out 400 hp and 369 lb-ft to all four wheels. Since this was a Panamera 4S all wheel drive was standard. The one choice transmission was Porsches newer PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) dual clutch transmission. Launch control is activated by pushing the sport plus button then hitting the brake and then the gas. You get a visual confirmation launch control is activated and let go of the brake. You will hear a noise and then suddenly all four wheels grab the pavement and launch the car. You are thrown back into your seat as the car launches hard and fast. (PSA – Do this on an empty road two lane road). You can use the transmission in full automatic mode or shift yourself using the buttons (hate those things) or by moving the gear shift to the manual gate. The 911 Turbo is getting true paddles this year so hopefully they will trickle down and replace those buttons. The car without question handles like a true Porsche. Yes I have driven a different Porsche recently and yes, this does handle differently. It is a big car, but with that said, the faster you go the smaller the car seems. It shrinks as you go around corners and off ramps. It shrugs off speed. Handling is very impressive.
The particular Panamera 4S I was in had quite a few option packages. I will skip going through them all though the options rang up to a total of $17,550. That was on top of the base price of a Panamera 4S which starts at $93,800. When all is said and done the total sticker price out the door would be $112,325. That is a lot of coin, but the reality of it is that the Panamera is in the thick of it with the rest of the high priced luxury cars.
The original question was whether the sedan was a true Porsche or does it just wear the crest? This car is a true Porsche. Sure many Porschephile’s will say this is not a true Porsche because it weighs nearly 4,300 lbs and has four doors (by the way, that is light for a car this big). My only question to them is: have you driven one? While it will not be for everyone the reality of it is simple, higher volume selling vehicles like the Cayenne and possibly the Panamera help keep the lights on for future development of lower volume cars like the 911 and whatever the next halo car might be.
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by a local Porsche dealership
You read correctly, the chief test driver and essentially the godfather of the LFA died behind the wheel of a special edition LFA today. Colliding head on with two other test drivers who were in a BMW. The two BMW drivers are in critical condition while Hiromu Naruse (67), the driver of the LFA died behind the wheel. The LFA is the upcoming LFA Nurburgring Edition which was recently spotted on the Nurburgring for testing. A moment of silence please.
Video of the scene is after the jump.
Source- AutoBlog
I have read all the brochures and online materials, I have seen all the pictures – and the reality is none of that does the Fisker Karma justice. I could sit here and list all of its specifications, but I won’t. Mainly because that is not what this post is about. Many of you have not had the opportunity (yet) to see the Fisker Karma in person. When you do, you will remember it. The lines and curves on this car are just gorgeous.
Lets back up a minute. What the heck is a Fisker and what is the Karma? Funny you should ask. Fisker Automotive is a new car brand founded by Henrik Fisker, who is also the current CEO (funny how that works). He was previously known for being the design director for Aston Martin and the president and CEO of BMW’s Designworks USA. Maybe that does not mean much to you, but it equates to this: he is responsible for cars such as the BMW Z8 (one hot piece of metal), Aston Martin DB9 and the V8 Vantage (also both hot pieces of metal). Needless to say, he has a sense of style when it comes to designing a car.
The Karma is the first car from Fisker Automotive. With demo cars arriving at the end of the year, production should (if it stays on track) start in the very beginning of next year. The car will be built overseas in Finland initially. In fact, it will be built in the same factory as some Porsche’s and other vehicles. In 2012 production will move to the Wilmington Assembly plant in Wilmington, Delaware. This plant was recently purchased by Fisker from General Motors. With the plant already up to date with tooling and a local trainable workforce, it is an ideal location. The plant was previously producing the Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice and Opel GT.
One last thing before we get to the actual Karma – If you have not seen pictures I will tell you that this the car is a saloon. It will fit two sets of golf clubs in the trunk, but getting in and out of the rear seat isn’t exactly graceful. Another car is coming in 2012 from Fisker, and it will be a more mainstream, higher volume vehicle. Currently the project is code named Nina and it will be a midsize sedan. I was informed it will be about the size of the BMW 5 Series, but with much more usable interior space (read really practical). The Nina should come in somewhere around $45-48k. Also coming sometime between the 2012 Nina and 2011 Karma is the Karma Sunset. The Karma Sunset is essentially a convertible version of the Karma, featuring a retractable hard top.
Upon seeing the Karma in person, I really was stunned. Yes, from the front it looks somewhat like the Joker from Batman. It still looks great though. Some of the design cues from the front translate to the rear and interior. This gives the car an overall cohesive design. Each rear fender has a “fuel” door. On the passenger side is the gasoline, while on the driver side is the plug-in for the rechargeable lithium ion battery pack. The front headlights feature LED running lights, while the rear tail lights are also LED. The roof features a full length solar panel to help charge the car and provide cooling for the interior cabin while the car is parked. I remember the early 2000′s Audi A8s had this as an option on their sunroof. The wheels are 22 inches (!) and are made from a lightweight alloy. The brakes are the same Brembo setup used in the Cadillac CTS-V. The door handles have a electronic push pad under each handle that you merely push and the door opens. This is similar in concept to the Chevrolet Corvette and new Cadillac CTS Coupe. As you can see in pictures, the exterior is just gorgeous. Some might say breathtaking. I do suppose some could say it is controversial but I am in the “it is definitely gorgeous camp.”
Ok, I can understand how someone might be mixed on the exterior of this car, but the interior is simply stunning. This is a whole new take on luxury. This interior feels so different from all the other luxury sedans out there. When I think of high end luxury cars (we are not talking small volume cars like the Rolls Royce Phantom), I think of cars like the Audi A8, Lexus LS 460 and many others. This car is completely different inside. To be honest, when I got inside of the Karma I felt like I had just stepped inside one of the older Chris Craft boats. With rich thick leather and real wood, the interior just felt so natural and polished, yet elegant. Keep in mind this was a pre pre-production car. The 10.2″ center touch screen, which controls most of the cars functions (A/C, Radio, etc) was stuck in a black loading screen (I’m guessing the software was not ready) and the car could not turn on, though the gauges were lit up and the windshield wipers worked (I checked). Oh something to note, the engine in the Karma is being sourced from GM – though that is not the only thing. I noticed both the turn signal/cruise control stalk and the windshield wiper control stalk were both parts bin GM. In fact, I am 99% sure they are the very same stalks in the Cadillac STS. Whether these are the exact stalks found in the production sedan is yet to be seen. Also, the rear view mirror is GM sourced too. The gear shift level (if you could call it that) has a button on the left that I assume starts the car due to it’s power symbol and the lack of any other power button on the console or near the steering wheel. The right hand part of the gear shift level is actually a switch that gets flipped into different positions to select your gear (PRND). Down the center of the interior is the battery pack, but it is packaged beautifully behind glass and leather. The front seats are downright sporty, comfy and are terrific. The rear is awkward to get in and out of, but once in the car, the seats are comfortable. Leg room is acceptable but not amazing. The roof line does cut into rear headroom. Overall, the interior is stunning.
The power will come from a battery pack with a 50 mile range. Beyond that 50 mile range, the 2.0 liter turbo range extender engine kicks in and produces 260 horsepower. This motor is sourced from GM and is the same engine used in the Saturn Sky Redline and the Pontiac Solstice GXP. The total range between the battery and the gasoline engine is 300 miles. You can forget range anxiety – this is a series hybrid just like the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. That means the gas engine is in no way driving the wheels. Rather, the engine is connected to the battery which powers the two electric motors connected to the rear wheels. We will get into all the technical stuff in another post some other time.
The cars sticker price before tax rebates is $89,000 and change. I know there is a government tax rebate and certain states (I think Minnesota does) also has tax rebates on qualifying vehicles. The dealership here, which is the one and only one for the state of Minnesota has pre-sold and took deposits for 3 Karmas. I was told varying numbers for how many total cars the dealership has pre-sold, but the most common number I heard was 17. Not bad at all.
So what are my final initial impressions? Well, I can not wait to get my hands on a production model. Considering I did not get to drive or start this one, and the infotainment system did not work, I cannot give a full impression post. I can say it does not feel “kit car” in anyway. The interior is just ridiculous (in an amazingly good way). The exterior I love, but some will not. This is for sure a legitimate automobile with a company that I frankly hope succeeds in many ways. As for the Karma, I’ll see you soon!
This Thursday the up coming Fisker Karma sedan will have its local unveiling. The sedan will be shown to the public at Borton Volvo which will be the Twin Cities only Fisker dealership.
Quick run down -
WHO: Created by acclaimed Danish designer Henrik Fisker, who also designed the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB8, the Fisker Karma combines plug-in hybrid technology with stunning design and sports car performance.
WHEN: Thursday, June 10, 2010 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Borton Volvo/Fisker, 905 Hampshire Ave. S., Golden Valley, MN 55426
FISKER KARMA DETAILS:
Another month means another gathering for Cars & Café out at the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen. As I woke up at 5:50 am to get ready and then hop into the 300ZX, I looked out the window to see rain coming down. I instantly decided taking the 300ZX was not happening – not this month.
By no means did this mean I was not going, rather I just did not feel like taking the 300ZX out in the rain. I went back to bed, because the reality is if you do not plan on showing a car, getting to the AutoMotorPlex ridiculously early is not a huge deal. After getting a little more sleep, I found myself pulling into the event at 9 am. Things were already hopping. There was a line of cars still flowing into the complex, although a few Porsches were actually leaving. As I was walking down the hill, a Carver County Sheriff pulled in and asked if he could show his car (jokingly of course). Gotta love the panther cars!
The fact that the weather was not amazing did not stop car lovers and onlookers alike from flowing in and filling up the AutoMotorPlex. In fact, certain cars ended up being turned away to park at the top of the hill due to the sections filling up. Notably missing (at least I did not see it) was the Scion XB with the taped on LED strips to the headlights. I also did not see the 240SX with the zip tied body kit. That was all fine because the first thing I saw was a black BMW Z8 and I just love that car. The license plate on the Z8 read HOUSPMT, and while I did not meet the owner the car was in great condition.
Other notable cars included a terrific looking Saab 900 (I assume a Turbo but it was debadged and the hood was not open). I was really digging the car – until I saw the rear which has what can only be described as – you know those aftermarket lights that can go on trucks, with four squircles to make it look similar to a Corvette? Yeah, those! Anyways, they were um …well ugly compared to the traditional taillights or even some other aftermarket options. The rest of the car, I lust after. A very nice R Design Volvo C30 was in attendance with the license plate BORK. That is just classic. I really loved the Audi GT Coupe with great blue paint. A very nice black 300ZX Twin Turbo was there – and while it may be fast its not Uncs Z (that story is coming someday).
A 1964 Volkswagen 1800 convertible was being shown and it was just classic. A true Michelle Naranjo vehicle if I have ever seen one – she probably dreams of it now that I sent her a picture of it. Another cool car I had yet to see in the flesh was a Shelby GT500 Super Snake. Blue with a black and white interior the car was just gorgeous. Other cool appearances included the VW Bus that been at all three Cars & Café’s so far this year. I spoke with the owner and he mentioned a new paint job would be coming towards the of the summer. Sad, because I actually dig the current look.
Overall, the turnout was great. Even though it rained the lot was packed. Good times, donuts, coffee and great people – all with a common passion. Maybe next month we will get sunshine instead of clouds and rain. Until next month, heres to good motoring and safe driving.
Episode 32 features many different dreams either coming to realization or turning into nightmares. Tony Pimpo, from GMInsideNews, is this Episode’s guest along with Joel Feder and Justin Loyear.
