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
This past weekend I had the honor of driving the Sun Bum’s 1967 Ford Mustang convertible. You see the Sun Bum’s own a cabin across the road from my family’s cabin up in Northern Minnesota. I have eyed this yellow 67′ Mustang from afar ever since I was a kid. When I was old enough to cross the road alone, I ventured over and stuck my nose to the glass, gawking at the leather and vinyl interior.
This summer Sandy (the owner of the 67′) walked over to me and said “You wanna drive it?” I of course said the words I have waited to say since I was a little kid – YES! This past weekend Sandy ran an errand and when she came back she pulled the Sun Bum’s 67′ Mustang into our driveway and honked the horn three times. I was down the road talking to a family friend. Immediately looking at him, he knew and said “Go.”
As I slid into the drivers seat, I got goosebumps. I’ve stared at this car for years from across the road. The interior is all original! The seats are *ahem* cushy with little to no lateral support. The dashboard has no cracks nor did the seats. The door panels were in terrific condition. We lowered the windows, turned up the tunes on the radio (oldies of course) and we hit the road. Sandy was wearing a sun hat and I had a big stupid smile on my face.
Sandy had a lone speaker in front of the automatic shifter. Yes, this Mustang is an automatic and yet I still enjoyed myself. Sure I wouldn’t have minded a third pedal, but beggars can’t be choosers. Regardless we hit the road and the engine purred. As I mentioned, the car isn’t rebuilt but the engine is. This is a rebuilt 289 which replaced the original 289 V-8. With only two rust spots on the whole car, the thing is cherry.
The V-8 isn’t powerful enough to snap the rear end loose off the line, but she’ll go. We got onto a two lane highway and hit about 60. But honestly, between the wind noise and the sloppy steering, it felt much faster.
Oh that sloppy steering? It probably had the loosest steering I have ever driven, yet I didn’t care. We cruised around a local lake and then through town. As we headed back to the cabin I noted the similarities between this 1967 Mustang and the new 2011 Mustang. From the dual cowl dash and two main round gauges, to the lines on the exterior. The bloodline seems to have continued and the new Mustang is still a true thoroughbred. Back to the Sun Bum’s 67′.
Sandy and her husband named themselves the sun bums due to living in Mexico sixty percent of the year and the rest in Northern Minnesota. This weekend was a work weekend at the cabin, what with pulling boats and starting to close up for Labor Day, which is a mere week away. But a car I have admired from afar and up close alike, I finally had the opportunity to drive. And that my friends made the weekend special.
We have all heard from sometime that the Ford Ranger plant here in Minnesota is going to close. Some wondered if the recent tax breaks that went into effect in April would keep the plant open. The Detroit News reported yesterday that Ford officials met with Governor Tim Pawlenty to discuss the future of the St. Paul plant. The plant only builds the Ranger which has been slated for death for quite some time now. With the F150 continuing to get more and more fuel efficient, the Ranger’s role is becoming less necessary. Despite meeting with the Governor and the recent tax breaks, Ford continues to say they plan to shutter the plant. The date of closing has not been given though neither has the death date of the Ranger. I am betting those two dates will be somewhat close to each other when revealed in the future. It has been said numerous times that the new larger Ranger that will be sold around the world will not be sold in North America.
Source- The Detroit News
Not content to let Ford and Chevrolet take the Police departments over fully Dodge has revealed the upcoming Police Pursuit vehicle. This is the 2011 Dodge Charger in all it’s glory. In fact this is the first official picture released by Chrysler of the 2011 Dodge Charger. Details are still flowing in but you can bet the pursuit vehicle will feature both the new Pentastar V6 (that just launched recently in the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee) and the Hemi V8 with MDS. Rear wheel drive will of course be the drive train set up and it is still murky as to the transmission choice, though I would assume the current 5 speed automatic will be in the police Pursuit vehicles. Oh by the way, they finally got around to adding a column mounted shifter for the police package thus freeing up some space between the seats for other equipment. Also inside the Pursuit vehicle they are touting red and white LED interior lighting which is for night-vision equipment and more.
Source- Chrysler
Recently, I had a conversation with a baby boomer about her vehicle. She drives a Honda CR-V and tells me she likes it. It came up during the conversation that she thought her CR-V was a truck. I started asking questions and digging into why she might think this. Apparently, it has to do with the raised ride height, all-wheel drive, and overall vehicle appearance. I then, as gently as I could, informed her that her “truck” was not really a truck, rather it was what many refer to as a CUV. CUV stands for crossover utility vehicle and these are not “trucks” in the traditional sense.
When SUV’s first came onto the market, they were little more then short trucks with four doors. They have since evolved, but many people in the general public see current CUV’S and traditional SUV’s as the same. A CUV isn’t like a normal SUV in many ways – starting with the fact that they aren’t body on frame vehicles. They are unibody and essentially based off car platforms. They aren’t designed for the same capabilities as a traditional SUV. The aforementioned baby boomer from earlier was shocked to learn that her CR-V is based off a car.
CUV’s still have all-wheel drive, but most do not have off-road capabilities or even a low range like a traditional four-wheel drive. However, there are some that have locking differentials for deeper snow and sticky situations. Interestingly enough, many CUV’s are more capable then most consumers will ever need. With all that said, towing capacities are much lower then that of a typical SUV. The current Ford Explorer is a typical SUV, being body on frame. That will all be changing though with the new version that is set to go on sale at the end of this year/beginning of next year. The next generation Explorer went more mainstream, being unibody. This trend is continuing to expand among other SUV’s, including the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (though the Grand Cherokee has always been unibody). The 2011 Grand Cherokee will also be unibody, though it will still retain hard core off -road capabilities in certain trim levels.
What this all boils down to is perception. People seem to want an “SUV”, but they do not want the many things associated with them. That list includes, but isn’t limited to, poor gas mileage, rough ride, sloppy handling and many other things. There are things people still want though – like increased ride height and the idea of off road capabilities. So what does this mean? It means that people want some characteristics of the SUV and not others – and that poses a challenge to marketers.
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!
Any person that is interested in cars in the great state of Minnesota has heard of BIR. BIR is Brainerd International Raceway and home of the BIR Performance Driving School. Now some that are involved in social media have heard of Groupon. This is essentially a social media (in a form) group coupon service. Today’s deal? A 50% discount on a professional racing package in your own car! You will get instruction from an expert driver and a full day of racing your own car around the track. No restrictions on vehicles, though you must own your own vehicle. BIR would not want to have to foot the bill if you wreck Uncle Billy’s Porsche. If you are under 18 you must have parental consent. Oh and you must wear closed toed shoes (sorry kids no Birkenstocks). Don’t have the necessary racing gear? No worries they have you covered with race suites, helmets and anything else you need (included in this price). I know you are waiting for the price. This smokin deal will cost you $142. By the way, if you want to upgrade into one of their Ford race cars you can for $295 for a 25 minute session (you will get 15% off that price). Alright you have a little over 2 days left to snag this deal so go here to purchase. Go go go!
Source- Groupon
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.
Anyone that has been on the internet lately has probably heard of the Fiesta Movement. The car’s unique marketing has definitely stirred interest into a vehicle that has not been in the American market for quite a while. This small vehicle is a hit in Europe and many Americans have been requesting the vehicle. With the car finally here, the question is how much was lost in translation? Is the American Fiesta as good as the European version?
Exterior
The exterior has not changed much from the European model. Gone are the normal fog lights and projector headlights. Instead, you have LED light pipes where the fog lights would normally go. The sedan version of the Fiesta also wears a chrome three bar grille instead of painted insert. The hatch back does not have the chrome three bar grille rather it sports a painted insert that is closer to the European models look. I think they are the same size and you could swap the painted insert in place of the chrome three bar setup if you wanted to. Personally, I like the look of the painted insert better. From the front fender to the rear quarter panel, a strong character line runs down the side of the car. While the headlights are up swept and unique, the tail lights wrap around the sides and are a basic non-offensive oval shape. The overall sedan is better looking then I thought it would be. Much better then the comparable Toyota Yaris.
Interior
The interior of the Fiesta is really close to the European counterpart. The gauges look very European while the radio controls are supposed to remind you of a cell phone. While I am not sure of that, there are definitely a lot of buttons in a tiny space. I found it easy to operate and the interface was clean. The small 4-inch display glowed red and was easy to read in all lighting conditions. The Microsoft SYNC system operated as advertised, and was really quite handy. One thing that is different from the European model is the climate control. No automatic climate control is offered, though it was extremely warm while the Fiesta was here and it always kept the interior nice and chilly. The seats were comfortable, with adequate side bolstering. I did find the seat bottoms a bit flat when driving on a road trip. The graining on all plastics was very nice and the seat fabric felt like great quality material. With a soft touch pad for the top half of the dash, if it doesn’t feel quality it certainly looks the part. Rear seat legroom is somewhat short, but if you are under six feet tall you will be OK. I am not sure an adult would enjoy a road trip back there, but it is doable. The steering wheel was the perfect size and the electric power steering had great feedback and on-center feel. At night the Fiesta I was in had “mood lighting” with seven different color options. My girlfriend settled on a color resembling teal for the week. If you find it distracting the lighting, can be turned off. Overall the interior is a huge win. Everything from ergonomics to style, the Fiesta fits the bill and then some.
Powertrain
The Fiesta comes standard with a 1.6 liter four cylinder engine pushing out 120 horsepower and 112 pound feet to the front wheels. That power goes through the standard five-speed manual or optional six-speed dual clutch dubbed PowerShift. Off the line ,the Fiesta is no rocket. In fact, it almost seems a little sluggish. Once you get revs a little higher the car starts to feel faster then it really is. Driving the car I always seemed to have a stupid grin on my face, even though I was not going that fast. The Fiesta I had was equipped with the five-speed manual. Personally, I liked the gearbox. It was fun with clean shifts. Though on the highway I will admit at times I longed for a sixth gear. Not because of engine drone or anything like that (engine and wind noise was in check), but because the car probably would have gotten better mileage. The five speed manual is rated at 29/38 while the six speed dual clutch is rated at 30/40 (with SFE package, 20/38 without SFE package). I averaged 29.9 mpg in the city during the week, which was good considering I was definitely not trying to get the best mileage. On the highway I managed to average only 34.5 mpg. It is worth noting I had the cruise control set at 77 mph on the highway trip. I can only assume going slower and or having another gear would have significantly increased that average.
So how much of the car was lost in translation? Frankly, not a ton. In fact some of the technical changes when coming across the pond made the car better. For instance, the addition of knee airbags gave the people up front more leg room. The car is a blast to drive and many people commented on how fun the car was. Everyone seemed to the like it. An Audi A6 owner commented on how great the car looked, both outside and inside. This car is a huge value and a win for America. If you look at the direct competition such as the Toyota Yaris, the Fiesta almost puts it to shame. The Fiesta SE I had was somewhat optioned with the Rapid Spec 203A package (nowhere near loaded) and had a sticker price of $15,990. That is without a question a value. I definitely would take the Fiesta over the Toyota Yaris. The Honda Fit has many tricks of its own, so it really depends on what your uses will be. With the Mazda2 coming, the Fiesta has a ton of competition in this segment. In the end, it has the goods to fight off the competition.
Photography- Alex Bellus
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by Ford
Some of this was known (ok most of this we knew), but here it is in a nice handy little table. You are looking at Ford’s plans through 2013. As you can see pretty much almost everything will be refreshed or new.
Source- Twitter
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.
