Car NEWS topic

[XN22]

Sorry to DP, but bump.

 

 

Paul Brant, 70, bought his last new truck 13 years ago. Ever since then he's been saving up for his next new one, which he bought Friday with $26,670 in rolled quarters and dollar coins. Clinton County Indiana Sheriff's deputies escorted Brant to Mike Raisor Dodge where the estimated half a ton of rolled coins was traded for a 2008 half-ton 4X4 Dodge Ram.

 

One of the dealer's sales reps, Keith Gephart, said they appreciated Brant's patronage, but all those coins presented a problem. "No bank wants to take them," Gephart told "The Times" newspaper in Frankfort, Ind. "We've got a Loomis armored car coming."

 

Brant, 70, says he is as thrifty as his father was, who, Brant says, used to take his family on vacation with the change he'd saved up.

 

By the way, when Brant bought his previous Dodge truck in 1994, he paid for the whole thing with all the quarters he'd saved up over 23 years. And with the nickels, dimes and pennies, he bought his wife a new Dodge Neon.

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/23/man-buy...-pocket-change/

[Picolini]

What a jack ass, he couldn't have turned in the change for cash over time. It wouldn't have made a difference except he wouldn't need a truck to haul it there. I'm sure the dealership would have appreciated it much more as well.

 

Still, this does put a good story behind the whole "a penny saved is a penny earned" adage.

[Picolini]

Sorry bout the double post.

 

Just got the new issues of Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Road and Track today, all with the same car on the front. The ZR1 C6 Vette.

 

Here's the specs as estimated by Car and Driver.

6.2L S'Charged V8 (I think at 10.5psi)

625hp, 625tq

0-60mph @ 3.5

1/4 mile @ 11.0

200+mph top speed

14 city/ 23hwy mpg

3350lbs

$100,000 base price.

 

Still quite a damn good deal for the price. I haven't read through any of the articles, but I'm hoping with that extra weight over a Z06, that it's suspension will be better. If so, the grip should be better, getting it around the track quicker. A .3 second decrease in 0-60 isn't much considering the power was increased 120 or so hp, but the quarter mile is down almost a whole second, which is nice to see. Of course this is all guesses, we'll need to see what it can actually do.

 

What do you guys think about it?

[lurchseesu420]

I want one. I just wish they would offer a stripped down track version. Like the Viper ACR.

[Picolini]

Yeah, a raw Vette would be f*cking bad ass and it'd sell pretty good. Not huge numbers, but enough to make some profit I'd bet.

[stingray.]

 

Just got the new issues of Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Road and Track today, all with the same car on the front. The ZR1 C6 Vette.

 

Here's the specs as estimated by Car and Driver.

6.2L S'Charged V8 (I think at 10.5psi)

625hp, 625tq

0-60mph @ 3.5

1/4 mile @ 11.0

200+mph top speed

14 city/ 23hwy mpg

3350lbs

$100,000 base price.

 

Still quite a damn good deal for the price. I haven't read through any of the articles, but I'm hoping with that extra weight over a Z06, that it's suspension will be better. If so, the grip should be better, getting it around the track quicker. A .3 second decrease in 0-60 isn't much considering the power was increased 120 or so hp, but the quarter mile is down almost a whole second, which is nice to see. Of course this is all guesses, we'll need to see what it can actually do.

 

What do you guys think about it?

Dodge has just heard about that thing, and this time they've decided that they're not going to make a new car. Instead, Hennessey has decided to offer customers of the 2008 Dodge Viper to fit their cars with a new exhaust system along with a few other things for an additional $11,500 (including installation). That would make the car roughly cost upto $97,325, cheaper than the 'Vette. The new specs would be:

• Horsepower: 675 bhp
• Torque: Not revealed
• Top Speed: 200 mph+ (The 2008 Viper goes 202 mph)
• 1/4 Mile: 11.3 seconds (still slower than the Corvette though)
• 0-60: 3.3 seconds
• 0-150: 15.5 seconds

Edited December 29, 2007 by stingray132

[lurchseesu420]

Seems like a lot for an exhaust system and an air filter, etc. The Vette would still stomp it. Maybe adding the package to the ACR and the car might stand a chance. Still probably not. But the ACR cost the same as the ZR-1, so adding the package to that would still put the price above the Vette's.

[stingray.]

Seems like a lot for an exhaust system and an air filter, etc. The Vette would still stomp it. Maybe adding the package to the ACR and the car might stand a chance. Still probably not. But the ACR cost the same as the ZR-1, so adding the package to that would still put the price above the Vette's.

I don't know. I kinda think it (the Viper) will be quicker in straight lines but slower on circuits. The thing that bothers me the most is that the car won't be considered a stock Viper anymore. Hennessey will decorate the car with badges and stickers on the windshield reading "Hennessey" and "Venom 650R". Not that I'm buying it or anything but I hope that the visuals remain optional extras. I'm more of a Viper fan than a Corvette fan. I do have a Motortrend account but haven't posted there once 'coz all of them are GM-biased.

[Black-hawk]

BMW X6.

 

Hur hur hur

 

Just three months after the official debut of the X6 Concept, BMW has revealed the production version of the X6 coupe-crossover, which it calls a "Sport Activity Coupe." Along with the wild exterior comes an all-new twin-turbo V8 that will find its way into other new BMWs next year.

BMW is the first automaker to bring such an SUV to market, although other automakers are said to be planning similar coupe-like utility vehicles. Land Rover, for example, recently unveiled its LRX coupe-crossover concept.

Compared with the concept, very little has changed. In fact, you'll have a hard time noticing any differences at all. The only obvious design tweak was made to the crossover's side windows. On the concept, the B- and C-pillars are not visible, but on the production car they clearly divide up the glass.

Even the X6's complex front fender design made it to production. Each front quarter panel surrounds the entire headlamp, creating a very seamless appearance. The X6's aggressive front fascia is also carried over from the concept, with its large air intakes and stylish fog lamps.

Daring design

As the photos show, the X6 is anything but a conservative design.

The X6's roofline begins arching downward after the B-pillar and continues plunging right to the X6's rising waistline. As a result, second-row headroom and rear cargo volume are both compromised.

The new X6 will be longer and lower than the new X5, seating only four. But what the sporty X6 loses in seating and storage, it is expected gain in performance.

Compared to the X5, the X6 has almost an inch of additional wheelbase length, and two inches of added width. The overall height of the X6 is a whopping 3.3 inches lower than that of the X5.

All-new twin-turbocharged V8

The range-topping X6 xDrive50i is propelled by an all-new twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 unit producing 407 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 446 pound-feet of torque between 1750 rpm and 4500 rpm. The sprint to 62 mph takes just 5.4 seconds and fuel economy is estimated at around 19 mpg (U.S. gallons).

The engine is designed as a replacement to the company's current 4.8-liter naturally-aspirated V8. It is expected to filter into other models like the 5-Series, 6-Series and 7-Series in the near future.

The engine seems to represent the second stage in a shift at BMW from high-displacement naturally-aspirated motors to slightly smaller turbocharged powerplants. BMW's twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine that powers the 335i and 135i has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, and it appears BMW is hoping for similar results with its new V8.

The X6's other engine is also a twin-turbo setup. The xDrive35i will come with the aforementioned 3.0-liter inline-six from the 335i, producing 306 horsepower.

A diesel model will be offered in Europe, but it is unlike to come to America.

X6 to be BMW's first hybrid?

BMW has comitted to delivering an X6 hybrid, but official details have not yet been released. Visually the hybrid is identical to the regular X6 but BMW claims that the model is 20 percent more fuel-efficient.

Various reports indicate the X6 will be BMW's first production car offered with the option of a hybrid powertrain.

 

EDIT: Ouch, page stretcher. Well, I can't find a decent production pic, so if huge-assery is bad, then please say so, I'll remove the pic.

Edited December 29, 2007 by Black-hawk

[stingray.]

 

BMW X6.

 

Hur hur hur

I generally don't like BMW these days. They made decent cars during the pre to early 2000s, but all of a sudden they started making these ugly-looking cars that look like something I drew. Recently, what they've been trying to do is make cars for which a market doesn't exist. In the near-future, they're gonna make a minivan-like car shaped like a coupe. I've also heard rumors of several other wierdly-shaped cars they're gonna introduce.

 

OK, this is a bit old, but:

As you all know, this is the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Car and Driver tested it recently, and got 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, 0-100 in 9.2 seconds and 1/4 mile in 12.3 seconds. This makes it the fastest production sedan ever only behind the S63 AMG and even ahead of the more expensive E63 AMG.

Edited December 29, 2007 by stingray132

[lurchseesu420]

You mean quickest. The Bentley Flying Spur is faster in terms of top speed.

[kevin2006rhs]

Mazda Furai:

 

 

 

HIROSHIMA, Japan, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premieres of the Mazda Furai concept vehicle and the heavily revised 2009 Mazda RX-8 sports car at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), to be held in Detroit from Sunday, January 13 through Sunday, January 27, 2008. On the heels of its show-stopping debut at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show in October, the Mazda Taiki concept vehicle also will make its North American debut, the first time it has been shown outside Japan.

 

Mazda Furai -- 'Sound of the wind'

 

Inspired by the fact that, on any given weekend, there are more Mazdas and Mazda-powered cars road-raced in the United States than any other brand, the Mazda Furai (Japanese for "sound of the wind" and pronounced "fu-rye") is the sort of car that could only come from a company that incorporates the "Soul of a Sports Car" into everything it builds, but with an eye toward the future and the environment through the use of 100% ethanol produced in partnership with British Petroleum (BP).

 

Furai takes Mazda's unique Nagare (Japanese for "flow") design language a step further as it is translated into a concept car based on an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) racing car. The car utilizes the Courage C65 chassis the company campaigned in the ALMS series only two seasons ago, and the 450-hp three-rotor rotary engine that distinguishes it from anything else on the track.

 

Says Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda's North American director of design, "Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars. Historically, there has been a gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models -- commonly called supercars

 

-- that emulate the real racers on the road. Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before."

 

Mazda's critically acclaimed Nagare design language describes the flow of water, air, people or things moving in one direction. Mazda Nagare is flow, with an insightful and spirited styling, which, in Mazda Furai, invokes a raw, unfettered desire to possess everything this car represents.

[stingray.]

 

You mean quickest. The Bentley Flying Spur is faster in terms of top speed.

Oh yeah, my bad. Fastest in terms of acceleration.

 

^Love what Mazda did with the new Mazda 6. Made it more luxurious to the point where it kinda started looking like a Jag. I, however, don't like their latest concept cars like the Nagare, Hakaze and Ryuga and even the Furai.

Edited December 30, 2007 by stingray132

[Picolini]

Hmmm, that Furai is quite interesting.

 

I like the over all style, it has a Zonda like stance to it. I think they've gone over board with the details, the flame like body lines on the side are too much, as well as the front end with the whole "wing" looking thing for the head lights. Other than that stuff, I think it looks nice.

[lurchseesu420]

I think the Furai looks too much like a hot wheels car.

[Black-hawk]

You can thank Christian Bangle for the new BMW designs, tbh I also dislike the new line, excluding the 3 series coupe, that thing is sexy.

[MindCorrupt]

 

Furai looks hot. Mid mounted 3 rotor...mmmmmmm

[stretch.]

You can thank Christian Bangle for the new BMW designs, tbh I also dislike the new line, excluding the 3 series coupe, that thing is sexy.

I mourn the loss of the bangle butt'd 7 series, even though the new one is gonna be sexy as hell.

 

I like the overall look of the 3 coupe, although wtf happened with the rear lights? And then theres the 1 series saloon that looks like the 3 series coupe but with dwarfism.

 

Companies like BMW, Mercedes and Audi, have all started to keep the same look and just make it bigger for different needs, and I miss the days when you could tell any of the model stages apart at a glance, now at a quick glance, it's much harder to tell.

 

 

 

Personally, What I'd buy is something like this:

1 series: Audi A3: Merc A1xx/A2xx = Golf GTI

3 Series: Audi A4: Merc C class = Mondeo ST (when it comes out)

5 Series: Audi A6: E Class = Jaguar XF

6 Series: Audi TT: AMG Crazy sh*t = Baby aston

 

etc. etc. but that's just my opinions.

 

Anyways:

 

Tupak's H1 for sale: $500,000

 

p.s. the furai is hawt.

[Cran.]

The 6 Series BMW and the Audi TT are by no means competitors. Very different engines, complete difference size and aimed at different parts of the market. The Audi TT is a small sports coupe, whereas the bigger 6 Series is more towards the GT market.

 

On the subject of BMW styling, I actually like the 5, 6 and the 7. The 1 is butt ugly, the 3 is utterly bland, the X3 is a hotchpotch, the X5 is an ugly bloated 5 series and the Z4 is just weird.

 

Shame the Z8 isn't still around. Best looking BMW, right behind the original E24 6 Series.

[Black-hawk]

 

 

Z4 is just weird.

 

It's actually referred to as the "clown shoe"

 

Seriously:

 

Though I do like the Z4 convertible.

[tuff_luv_capo]

Z8 is the only Z series I like of BMW's. The Z3 is way too girly, and the Z4 is just shaped oddly.

[lurchseesu420]

 

Shame the Z8 isn't still around. Best looking BMW, right behind the original E24 6 Series.

I think you're forgetting the classics. The best looking BMW is hands-down the 507.

 

 

And after that, it's the 503.

 

Edited January 1, 2008 by lurchseesu420

[YourNeighborhoodKiller]

This is perhaps the most beautiful car ever IMO. They only shipped 20, for 1 million dollars each.

 

Lamborghini Reventon

 

 

 

 

 

[Black-hawk]

Yeah, all of those 20 owners are actually fake names thought up by Bruce Wayne.

 

Also, while on the topic of BMW's, anyone else think their SUV range has gotten uglier with each release? I mean, the 1st gen X5's were pretty damn sexy, now the new X5 looks like it's melting, and the X6 is just... Oh and there's the X3. Feh.

Edited January 1, 2008 by Black-hawk

[lurchseesu420]

The new Reventon looks stupid. It too looks like a hot wheels car. Who in their right mind would pay the 1.1 million dollar premium over the Murceilago.

 

And overall, almost all BMW's that have come out this millennium, have looked bad (the exception being the Z8). Nowadays, they all look like Toyotas.

[kevin2006rhs]

I like the idea of the Reventon, but for updated looks slapped on a LP640 I am not willing the extra 700,000Euro/1,000,000Dollars premium for cool body panels adn a nice interior. I would rather buy a Veyron then a couple classic supercars like the Muria and a couple others.

[Kaj.]

What you guys fail to realize is that the Reventon is nothing like the Murcie. Every rapper and pop-idol drama queen can get a Murcie. 20 people get the Reventon. 3000+ Murcielagos have been sold. So, for every 150 Murcielagos on the road, there's one Reventon.

 

 

It has nothing to do with the car itself, people don't buy these cars to drive. They buy them to look cool. And when you have a car as exclusive as the Reventon, then all the other brainless celebs and rich-folk think you're something special.

[Starion]

 

And overall, almost all BMW's that have come out this millennium, have looked bad (the exception being the Z8). Nowadays, they all look like Toyotas.

 

 

Bah.

 

It may of came out before 2000, but the e39 m5 is still the best looking modern BMW to me.

[lurchseesu420]

 

And overall, almost all BMW's that have come out this millennium, have looked bad (the exception being the Z8). Nowadays, they all look like Toyotas.

 

 

Bah.

 

It may of came out before 2000, but the e39 m5 is still the best looking modern BMW to me.

Yeah but t e39 5 series, e38 7 series, and e48 3 series came out before 2000, so they don't count. They all look f*cking sexy.

Edited January 1, 2008 by lurchseesu420

[kevin2006rhs]

What you guys fail to realize is that the Reventon is nothing like the Murcie. Every rapper and pop-idol drama queen can get a Murcie. 20 people get the Reventon. 3000+ Murcielagos have been sold. So, for every 150 Murcielagos on the road, there's one Reventon.

 

 

It has nothing to do with the car itself, people don't buy these cars to drive. They buy them to look cool. And when you have a car as exclusive as the Reventon, then all the other brainless celebs and rich-folk think you're something special.

But people like us shouldn't like people who don't drive cars. If I ever bought a car for anything over 1,000,000 dollars and it wasn't already a classic, I would drive the wheels off the damn thing. Sure the car will be in a museum 50 years down the road, but for what? Its body and exclusivity? Who gives a f*ck about that. Compare that to factory cars of the past with Ferrari....the real amazingly rare and sought after cars were just rare and powerful and often had rare engine swaps...for example like a 1953 whatever model with the 1954 higher power or bigger engine. I don't want to see sheet metal glorified unless it has a purpose.