This past weekend marked the 8th annual Wheels of Italy car show. As the name implies this is a show for everything Italian. From prancing horses to raging bulls the shows was not a disappointment. I was not on hand this year (I attended last year) but luckily for us local photographer extraordinaire Alex Bellus was in attendance and took some stunning photography. Alex mode note that one of the coolest rides that showed in his opinion was the Ferrari 250 California Spider. Like last year the event was held near Lake Calhoun from 10-4pm and was open to the public. Word on the street is that even a car or two that made it to Pebble Beach Concours hustled back to Minneapolis to make the show. While I hope to make it again next year for now grab a cup of coffee and take a gander at the gallery below for Alex has some great shots of some gorgeous automobiles.
Episode 32 starts with introducing this weeks guest Tony Pimpo from GM Inside News. Moving into the garage we talk about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze press launch I attended last week. We then move along to the major news of the week segment. This week included-
This week we continue with the new segment called car spotting. Justin spotted a 1980 Corvette Indy Pace Car, Detomasso Pantera, 1960s jaguar e type convertible, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, possibally a Pagoni Zonda. Tony & I lead boring lives the last few weeks in comparison to Justin, thus we spotted nothing exciting.
Next came our main topic which was discussing features we would like to see in all cars. (Link)
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
Lexus finally took the wraps off the new LF-A super car this week at the Tokyo Motor show. This car has been in development since approximately 2000 and the amount of man hours put into this project is staggering. Most of the leaks, when it comes to specifications, were spot on if not close. The car will be rear wheel drive with an all in house developed V10 engine sitting up front. That V10 is a 4.8- Liters making 562 hp and 354 lb-ft will rocket the car 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. Lexus says the top speed is 202 mph which is super car territory and tops that of many competitors. Weighing in at 3,263 lbs, it is rumored that weight distribution is 48/52 front-to-rear which would explain why Lexus is boasting about the driving dynamics. Another tidbit of awesomeness on this cake is the redline is a staggering 9000 rpm! That helps explain the F1 sound coming from the LF-A flying around the Nurburgring all these years. The inside is luxurious for a sports car and it has a trick gauge cluster. The whole speedometer is digital. When you hit redline the whole background turns red.
Last night on #carchat we had a open discussion about this car and it seems many people do not like it. Keep in mind we are not the customer Lexus is going after with this vehicle. Most of us are not rich and could not afford the $375,000 price tag associated with ownership. The majority said it was ugly and that for the money they would rather buy other cars. Many mentioned cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette Zr1 or the Nissan GT-R for the price and performance. Fact is those aren’t exclusive cars when compared to this car, though they are both halo cars for each brand and in that regard they are similar to the LF-A. I was definitely in the minority and thought it was a good looking car and truly love the sound of the V10 at full tilt from the videos leaked. I feel the LF-A is definitely not a screaming value then again with only 500 units being made this will be a exclusive car. The fact remains that while the price puts this car deep in super territory where the elite compete such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and others, what separates this car from those. The separation comes with what Toyota/Lexus does best, reliability. Super cars are not known for being super reliable. This could be a new way to compete. Without question Lexus/Toyota will be taking a loss on each car after all the years of development. Then again can you put a price on a halo car that truly puts your brand in the spotlight with a super car even for a moment? Lexus has not had a sports car nor a halo car to speak of. Toyota just announced recently they want to be building fun cars again that stir the soul of the driver. While that is not what they are currently known for this car might put a pulse to that statement.
Check this video by Lexus/Toyota listen to that engine.
This Saturday EuroCars will be hosting their annual OktoberFest. They have a few rare cars among their already nice inventory. Notable cars that will be in the showroom include a Noble M400, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, a tricked out Acura NSX, and an Audi S8 and a Porsche 911 C4S. Along with these they also carry other European (and Japanese) makes and models that will be on hand and for sale. More then just cars, this event will have authentic German food, beer, and other assorted beverages. They will be giving away Minnesota Vikings tickets and car detailing packages during the event. Attendance is free and I think it will be a good time for all. Bring the family and take a stroll through the showroom while eating some great food and meeting new people.
Once a month a magical event called Cars & Café where car guys gather to gawk at cars and drink coffee. On the first Saturday of the month from early spring to late fall this event is held at the Auto MotorPlex in Chanhassen, MN. Normally 400 to 500 cars show up with some being on site already stored in garages. There are set parking assignments based on the cars origin. This month’s event happened to be a mere 49 degrees and drizzling rain. This is not the opportune weather for such a event and because of that the turn out was closer to 100 cars then 500. I heard people calling the turn out everything from “weak” to “terrible”. I personally was happy even with 100 cars though obviously would have preferred 500.
Parking Assignment Diagram
Ford Mustang with the BMW identity crisis
There are a good variety of cars that show up to this event and this month’s was no different. Everything from the Ford Mustang with the BMW identity crisis to the Porsche with the Chevrolet small block V8 with supercharger as the engine. Nothing truly seemed out of the ordinary here. Coffee and doughnuts were provided by the sponsors. I even caught Kevin Tan, pulling in. Kevin owns the new European automotive shop in town called Imola Motorsports. Also of note, Imola Motorsports is one of the various sponsors of Cars & Café. Many of the garages at the complex are dreamy to say the least. With car lifts, full kitchens in some, not to mention they are fully customizable to suit the owner. The Auto Motorplex is one sweet place to be. My buddy brought his Honda S2000 and I took our 1990 Nissan 300zx. Of course the cold drizzle and sloppy roads made all the cars quite a mess once at the event.
Porsche with Chevrolet small block engine and supercharger
Blue on Blue Ferrari
Free and open to the public you do not even need to own a car worthy of being shown. Many people come to be around car guys and look at the cars. Parking is available right outside the gates. The people that come whether with a car to show or not, are everything from the true car enthusiasts to people that just like to look at cool cars not to mention kids. The first Saturday of November will be the last one for the 2009 season weather depending. Between the coffee and the cars you should definitely check out Cars & Café. My guess is with the weather the way it was today I will be done for this season. Until next years Cars & Café……
My father and my 300zx with my buddies S2000
My buddy in his S2000 with his 1 ticket and 4 warnings on the way home...priceless
Pantera
DeLoreans
Note- For all the pictures check out my Flickr stream. My Flickr Stream
This Saturday EuroCars will be hosting their annual OktoberFest. They have a few rare cars among their already nice inventory. Notable cars that will be in the showroom include a Noble M400, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, a tricked out Acura NSX, and an Audi S8 and a Porsche 911 C4S. Along with these they also carry other European (and Japanese) makes and models that will be on hand and for sale. More then just cars, this event will have authentic German food, beer, and other assorted beverages. They will be giving away Minnesota Vikings tickets and car detailing packages during the event. Attendance is free and I think it will be a good time for all. Bring the family and take a stroll through the showroom while eating some great food and meeting new people.
