Accelerate Mpls

My buddy Bob found this *ahem* clearly modified 1971 Ford Mustang on eBay. I’m going to dump this into the, gee that looks familiar category.

Back in November of last year my buddy spotted a nearly identical car. I posted about it calling it a fail. Since that time my outlook on certain things has changed, and this is clearly a win.

Since November, it seems she has lost the bright orange paint, and looks to be sporting new exhaust tips. The seller does describe the modifications in the listing.

He says the only bad thing on the beast is a new headliner needs to be installed, which he has a new one for you. Oh, and the stereo has been removed. You’ll have to bring your headphones with you if you want to listen to Highway to Hell as you go tearin up the streets in this bad boy.

The starting bid is $10k, and apparently no one wants this fine piece of amazing.

[eBay]

Episode 33 starts with introducing this weeks guest Nick Salvatore from SpeedSportLife.  Moving into the garage we talk about the 2011 Porsche Cayenne and 1967 Ford Mustang I drove since the last recording. We also heard about the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS and Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec Nick was in.  We then move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• NADA picks vehicles with best cost of ownership (Link)
• Nissan vs. Hyundai – Who is going to be the #2 Asian Automaker (Link)

Download this episode (right click and save)

The question many people ask me is if there is a replacement for displacement.  I have had this discussion at length multiple times recently. With all the new CAFE requirements and the public’s demand for better fuel economy, some people are worried about fun cars.

While it is true things need to change to achieve better gas mileage numbers, that does not mean the fun will end.  New technologies are making different things possible for this new age.  The use of direct injection and forced induction will likely play a large role in the future of the combustion engine  Many automakers are already downsizing their engines and starting to implement these technologies.

Ford is utilizing twin-turbo charging in combination with direct injection to create more power from smaller displacement engines.  They are calling this technology EcoBoost.  Using two turbos spooling up at different times, it reduces the old problem of turbo lag.  Achieving maximum torque under 2000 rpm’s is one benefit from using this set up.  Even better is that the torque curve is flat!  Ford is getting 365 horsepower and 355 pound feet of torque out of a EcoBoost V-6 displacing only 3.5 liters!  The engine could undoubtedly handle more boost and produce much higher numbers than that, but long term durability would be called into question at some point. Some theorize that the 3.5 liter EcoBoost could have an output of 450+ hp and 450+ ft-lb.

2010 Audi S4 Supercharged 3.0 liter V6

I mentioned earlier that many companies are downsizing the displacement of their engines.  Ford’s EcoBoost powerplant is just the beginning.  In the 2010 Audi S4, a supercharged V6 is used.  This replaces the 4.2 liter V8 found in the previous generation S4.  Many worried about the hp and torque ratings of the car when the smaller displacement engine was announced.  The fact is, the 2010 S4 with its supercharged V6 has more torque and only slightly less hp than the V-8.  The gas mileage has improved greatly and the driving dynamics are still intact.  The only real loss was the deep burble from the throaty V-8.  Problem was, that V-8 was thirsty.

Mercedes has also announced they will start downsizing their engines and will begin to offer more forced induction on future models.  Mercedes’ performance arm AMG will be following suit with downsizing and forced induction as well.  BMW has already started this with the latest M models, which utilize twin-turbo V8′s instead of naturally aspirated V10′s.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette LS3 6.2L V8

All this talk about forced induction is great.  Downsizing is definitely going to play a role in the future.  However, that is not to say you can’t get decent gas mileage out of a big, naturally-aspirated engine.  A base model Chevrolet Corvette is rated at 26 mpg on the highway.  That is 26 mpg from a 6.2 liter V-8, producing 430 hp!  That isn’t terrible – in fact that is down right great!  No direct injection, no turbos, no superchargers – just good old American muscle.  The 2010 Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 achieves 25 mpg on the highway.  Again, naturally aspirated, with no forced induction.

Back to the original question, is there a replacement for displacement?  It really can be answered either way.  Yes, you can get the power of a naturally aspirated V-10 out of a blown V-8, or V8 power from a technology-infused blown V-6.  And now, we are just starting to see V-6 power from inline 4′s with direction injection and turbos.  What you do lose when you try replacing displacement is the sound and feel of the engine.  A turbo V-6 just doesn’t have the same rumble when you start it up.  Everyone’s opinion will differ on this topic.  In the end, mine is that you can replace the power of a larger displacement motor and even get some better characteristics, but in the end you can not replace the feel and experience of a larger, naturally-aspirated engine.  It will always be different, but not necessarily worse.

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.

2011 Ford Mustang GT New 5.0 V8

The 2011 Mustang already had one large announcement last month about the new 3.7L V6.  With the new V6 putting out almost as much horsepower as the current V8 you did not think Ford was going to leave the V8 alone did you?  Of course not, the 2011 Mustang GT will receive an all new 5.0L V8 pushing out 412 hp and 390 ft-lb of torque.  What was important about that last sentence is simple, the 5.0 is back! This is no old school V8, modern technologies are in full force to help achieve an estimated 17/25 mpg (with the six speed automatic).  That 25 mpg rating on the highway is 1 more mpg then the Camaro SS with the six speed automatic.  Though slightly down on horsepower to the Camaro SS, the Mustang has a distinct weight advantage.

2011 Ford Mustang GT (Notice 5.0 Fender Badges)

Some of the new technologies packed into the new 2011 Mustang GT’s 5.0 were recently implemented in the new 3.7L V6 Mustang.  Both feature Ti-VCT (twin independent variable camshaft timing) new six speed transmissions (both automatic and manual), and electric power steering.  The new 5.0 will receive a large capacity deep sump oil pan.  This enables sustained high rpm use and what Ford believes to be a 10,000 mile oil change interval.  Handling should be slightly improved with the use of the stiffened rear stabilizer and improved rear lower control arms.

2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

The new 5.0 is a huge step forward for the Mustang GT.  The 2010 GT used a 4.6L V8 pushing out a mere 315 hp and 325 ft-lb of torque.  The new 5.0 is pushing out a full 97 more hp and 65 more ft-lb of torque.  More power with the same if not better gas milage (depending on transmission choice) is quite impressive.  Both the automatic and manual transmissions are six speeds.  The manual is estimated to achieve 16/24 mpg which is the same milage as the 4.6L.  The automatic, as stated earlier, is estimated to provide 17/25 mpg which is 2 more mpg on the highway then the 4.6L.  The speedometer has been increased to 160 mpg while the redline has been moved up from 6,500 rpm to 7,000 rpm.

The new 5.0 V8 engine is not the only new thing for the 2011 GT.  New colors offered include Yellow Blaze Tri-Coat, Race Red, and Ingot Silver.  Also the fenders adorn a 5.0 badge heralding the return of the  5.0 V8 engine.  For enthusiasts a Brembo brake package with 14 inch rotors and larger calipers will be offered from the Shelby GT500 Mustang.  Finishing off this package will be 19 inch wheels with summer performance tires.  New convenience content is also on the 2011 Mustang including standard message center, integrated blind spot, MyKey programmable key, illuminated visors, universal garage door opener, and sun visor storage.

This overview provided to the press sums up the changes to the 2011 Mustang GT quite well.  “This powertrain honors Mustang’s heritage by raising the bar on performance while increasing fuel economy,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Powertrain Development.  The bottom line is simple, with the new V6 and V8 engines for 2011, the Mustang is closing the competitive gap left by the new Camaro.  The next step is that solid rear axle.

Boss 302R

The BOSS is back and ready to race!  A factory track ready race machine for SCCA, Grand-Am, and NASA classes.  Utilizing the new 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 V8 the new BOSS 302R base model will come with a six speed manual transmission, roll cage, race seats, safety harness, data acquisition and race dampers/springs, and Brembo brake and tire package.  The BOSS 302R will be sold as a serialized off-road only vehicle.  2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Parnelli Jones 1970 Trans-Am championship in a BOSS 302 Mustang.  That particular vehicle was made by Bud Moore Engineering.

Ford provided this statement which sums up why this new vehicle exists.  “To keep pace with consumer demand, the Ford team has built modern versions of the most iconic performance Mustangs over the years,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “From Shelbys to Bullitt, Mach and Cobra Jet, it is now time for BOSS to join the list of America’s most coveted Mustangs. The original BOSS 302 was a championship-winning legend and the new Mustang BOSS 302R will carry on the tradition. The Mustang was born to race from the start, and this new Mustang is bred to win.”

A total of 50 BOSS 302R Mustangs will be built by Ford Racing.  You can order one through your local Ford dealership with a MSRP of $79,000.  Deliveries are scheduled for Q3 of 2010.

This week, episode 5 discusses the week in review on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls.  We first discuss the upcoming LA Auto Show beginning with the 2011 Ford Mustang V6.  Our conversation moved on to the all new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and the new 2011 Audi A8. The last topic we cover is the broken Koenigsegg/Saab deal that fell through last week.

The pony car wars are back in full swing.  I covered this with the review of the Camaro V6.  I will not focus as much on the pony car wars rather, the focus will be on the Camaro SS itself.  The Camaro has been enjoying brisk sales.  Most are leaving the dealers lots at full MRSP.  The new Camaro continues to outsell both the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger each month since it has re-arrived on the scene, it would be fair to say the Camaro has been a hit so far.

This car is based on the Zeta platform, which is not a light platform.  Pair that with sophisticated independent suspension set up, and you end up with a heavy car.  To say this car is a porker, well, it would be justified.  It needs to call up a weight loss clinic and lose about 500 lbs quick.  The SS I had was equipped with a manual 6 speed transmission.  The cars official weight, according to General Motors, is 3849 lbs!  The Camaro SS is slightly heavier then the V6, and the extra weight is sitting directly above the front wheels.  You can directly feel this weight when driving aggressively.

Optional Inferno Orange Interior

The car I had was a 2SS with a few nice option packages including the RS package, interior accent trim package, cyber grey metallic stripe package, 20″ polished aluminum wheels, and inferno orange metallic paint.  The RS package is $1200, and for that you get 20″ flangeless painted aluminum wheels, body-color roof ditch molding, high intensity discharge headlights (xenons) with halo rings, and RS unique tail lights.

RS Unique Tail Lights

I like that the xenons that come with this package are bi-xenon.  They do not list them as such.  That means both the high and low beams are xenon, vs having the high beams be regular halogens.  The polished wheel package replaced the regular painted aluminum wheels that come with the RS package for $400.  The most interesting of the options was the combination of the inferno orange metallic exterior paint and the interior accent trim package.  This combination had the interior swathed in inferno orange from the stitching to the black and orange seats.  Also, we can not forget the orange plastic moldings.  This made for a very bright interior.  At first it was a little much, but as the week went on the orange interior grew on me.

The big draw to the SS is the engine.  Equipped with the lovely and ever versatile 6.2L LS3 pushrod V8 from the base Corvette.  In the Camaro SS the LS3 is slightly detuned to 426 hp and 420 lb-ft with the manual transmission.

When equipped with an automatic, the engine is no longer the LS3 rather the L99, putting out 400 hp and 410 lb-ft.  There is no question this engine is good for much more power with a slight electronics adjustment and some upgrades like superchargers and cold air intakes.  The car can handle the power just fine.  Rated at 4.7 seconds 0-60, the car is no slouch at the drag strip.  Seat of the pants puts you in the range though it feels a tick slower due to the heft the car has about it.  The car is rated at 16/24 mpg, and I can honestly say I topped the highway rating.  I took the Camaro on a road trip down to Des Moines, IA.  On the way there I managed a respectable 21.2 mpg average.  That was ok, but on the way back I averaged 25.2 mpg, which I was truly impressed with.  I had the cruise control set at 75mph both ways.  With the cruise control set at 60 mph, I would venture a bet you could get close to 28mpg.

This car could just possibly be the national symbol for thumbs up.  Everywhere I went someone was giving me a thumbs up.  I blew past a man in a Jeep Liberty, he was craning his neck to see the car so hard I thought he was going to drive off the road.  Everyone wants to look inside and tell you about their Camaro story from back in the day.  Do not go to the mall and expect to walk right in.  Someone will stop you to talk about the car.

I mentioned the interior in the last review and aside from the inferno orange trim package the interior is the same.  I love the retro styling that Chevrolet has done with the interior.  The graining on the materials is decent looking, but the materials themselves are very hard and cold.  The Mustang has the upper hand when it comes to technology when you consider the available touch screen navigation and Microsoft Sync system.

I hope for the next generation that General Motors can find a way to shed some major weight.  They could use more high strength steel, or more exotic materials.  Maybe they should just dip into the Corvette’s parts bin.  Make some body panels out of composite or better yet, carbon fiber.  A sticking point could become using more exotic materials becomes expensive quickly.  This car is not at a high price point for what you are getting.

The take aways after driving this Camaro for a week were pretty clear to me.  First, you always get out feeling like you drove an American hero or a national icon.  Second, the interior materials could use an upgrade in the next generation along with an overall diet.  Third, muscle cars can now do more than just a straight line.  Fourth and final, the American public has spoken and they love love the new Camaro!

Forget the auto shows, the public at large knows the new 2010 Camaro as the star of Transformers, Bumblebee and that is not a bad thing.  Chevrolet needs an Autobot to help the tarnished name and increase revenue.  Stirring the pot is not the only thing the new Camaro is doing.  Consider this, since it has gone off the market the evil enemies known as Decepticons have landed and are known as the newest iteration of the Ford Mustang and the new Dodge Challenger.  The Camaro has been off the market since 2002 which I must say feels a lot longer then 8 years.  With slowing sales and lack of interest the car was pulled from the line up.  They say you always want what you can not have and that is obviously the case here.  The new Camaro has beat both the Dodge Challenger and the Ford Mustang in sales for the past four months straight.

The new muscle car wars are in full swing and everyone seems to be bringing the big guns.  The all new Camaro is full on retro with improvements of the 21st century.  With independent rear suspension and a wide stance the Camaro actually handles well.  That said it is not a light car, it could stand to go on a diet and lose a few hundred pounds.  Driving through the country side on twisty winding roads this car handled with little to no body roll.  When I attended the Product and Technology event put on by GM, I test drove a Camaro equipped with a V8 and a manual transmission.  While hustling that car around the track it was even more evident it needs to go on a diet, though the car was predictable and completely under control.  Turning off the traction control allows for effortless burnouts whether in a V6 or V8.  This car is built on a shortened Zeta platform which was shared with the now deceased but still awesome Pontiac G8.

3.6L Direct Injection V6

The new Camaro comes with two engine options.  For the first time in history the V6 in a muscle car can not be called a “secretary special”.  The Base engine is a direct injection V6 with variable valve timing.  Putting out 304 hp and 273 lb-ft this V6 is technologically advanced and powerful.  The SS with the  V8 will net you 426 hp and 410 lb-ft with the manual transmission (400 hp and 410 ft-lb when equipped with a automatic).  The car I had was equipped with the V6 and the optional automatic.  The V6 was actually enough engine in this car.  The V6 engine sound is similar to that of the new Nissan 370z which is not bad company to be in.  Do not fret I have not gone soft I would still purchase the V8, though I might pause for a mere second and think about the V6.  With less weight over the front wheels, the V6 has slightly better balance.  The automatic was actually good and was consistent with keeping the engine on boil when left in sport mode.  The paddle shifters were almost useless considering how good a job the sport mode did though still fun to play with.  When driving in normal drive mode the engine is refined and easy to drive around town.  Rated at 18/29 mpg the V6 with the automatic is definitely not your typical gas guzzler rather a great highway cruiser.

The interior of the new Camaro has many retro throw back cues from the 60′s.  With switch gear not shared with other Chevrolets it is nice to have a car that is not all parts bin.  The climate control switch gear is all Camaro exclusive as is the gauges.  The radio is similar to other new cars from GM but really it is different as well.  With a high belt line you feel like you are sitting low in a bunker with a slit cut out for the windshield.  The windshield base is at your eye level so looking out you see the the huge expanse of hood in front of you and then it just drops off.  Visibility could be better. This vehicle could really use a back up camera similar to that one in the new Equinox which integrates the screen into the rear view mirror.  The interior is great looking though I wish there was more use of soft touch plastics.  I would not knock the Camaro too much for the interior, for me the design outweighs the feel and there is a ton of retro cues in the design.  For me the interior is a win.

The Camaro I had was a 2LT which means it was pretty loaded up.  Optional equipment outside of the 2LT package included 21 inch tire and wheel package #2, ground effects package, RS package, six speed automatic transmission with remote vehicle start, and body-color painted engine cover.  The wheel and tire package while they looked great they were $4680!  That seems ridiculously priced when compared to aftermarket wheels and tires.  I think GM needs to re-evaluate the price on that option package.  The ground effects package, RS package are both great options that really finish off the cars styling.  I can not invest a body-color painted engine cover for $285.  I would say while I personally would buy a manual transmission in this car, the automatic in this car is not bad, it is still a sports car and I am a car guy.  The sticker on the car I had with all the options and packages was $37,345.

The Camaro is back and for a week I pretended I had my own bumblebee.  Though Megan Fox never did show up I have to say the car rocks all the same.  With more then acceptable gas milage, great sounding engine this car makes sense once again.  It is no real wonder why GM can not make enough, the public at large wants what they could not have.  The question is where is the future for this car?  I truly hope they keep up and do not let the car get stale in years to come.  If you are in the market for a sports car I would definitely take a spin in the new Camaro, that is if you can find one to get your hands one.