Today, the gas price is as cheap as it’s been since 2005: $1.97 on average across the country. I filled up a 2008 Dodge Dakota with Magnum v8 for around $40 and some pumps in Southern California goes as low as $1.80 ish. So it’s easy to forget that as little as three month ago, a gallon of the road juice was over $4 AKA highway robbery. But how long is this going to last? Long enough to make all trucks and SUV sub-20 MPG important hauling trucks a practical purchase? NOT. But it is long enough to make those car manufacturers to closely running out of benjamins (Dough). The Big 3 are strapped for cash now and begging for a $25billion bridge loan just last week.
The price of gas is a complicated formula, with variables including OPEC’s daily level of greed, the number and location of which countries we’re currently invading and the current reason for low prices: demand or the lack of it. Should we all be scooping up cheap SUVs on our way out to Black Friday sales, or should we be saving our pennies in anticipation of prices again skyrocketing? So, How long will cheap gas last?
Our hedging bets against the future is that the current low prices are a knee jerk reaction to that whole financial bomb and current hard times for most. As soon as things started to get quite, GM declared to be saved with the bail out money, then a different scare will come around, possible terrorist attack like in Mumbai somewhere else or more Axis of evil countries are developing more threats etc. These topics are food for the OPEC to hike up the price of oil again. We are certain that gas prices will head back up to previous levels or beyond. After all, with the rapid development of economies in Asia, demand for fuel has forever increased. Strap on your seat belts and your wallet people. Enjoy the cheap gas prices while it last.
Want a sport car with 0-60 in 4.7sec and quarter mile in 13.3 sec @105mph? Well look no further to the all newly redesign 2009 Nissan 370Z. This car has all the predecessor goodies and then some.
Check out the comparison to other ultimate sports cars. The 510-horsepower V-12 Aston Martin DBS with its imposing credentials: 0-to-60 in 4.2 seconds, quarter mile in 12.6 at 112.3 mph, lateral acceleration of 0.96 g, and 60-to-0 in 106 feet. All those DBS numbers are superior to the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti - Wow.
With the 370Z, this rocket pocket is locked and loaded with a 332-horsepower, 3.7-liter VQ37VHR V-6 and unique "SynchroRev Match" six-speed manual, which allow speed shift on downshifts without a heel-toe maneuver. Yes, the 370Z rips to 60 in just 4.7 ticks on its way to a quarter-mile run of 13.3 at 105.7. It is not an equal to the DBS, but the 370Z is speedier than the racebred 306-horse. 3.5-liter Nismo 350Z. with 0-60 in 4.9sec. and 13.5sec quarter mile at 103.9mph, respectively. The verdict here, 370Z is the quickest production Z we've ever tested. Even better, the 370Z does match the Aston' in braking (106 feet) and even manages to exceed it in lateral acceleration, posting a Rubber Cement score of 0.99 g.
Imagine all that, in your garage for just an MSRP of $30,625. Not too bad is it? And the Nissan Shift experience is truly priceless. Last but not least, enjoy the new Need 4 Speed promo for the 370Z.
I know that this piece of the news is a bit late, but on the chill end of things, we like to share with you a great recorded show of the ladies from SEMA. Enjoy, and remember, even when the Big 3 is still hurting selling cars, you can still do mods on your cars with the help of these ladies. Hahaha - it is always good to wish.
WHOA. This Nissan GT-R is the ultimate favorite of the car enthusiast out there. On Nov 12th, this same car was the Automobile of the Year declared by Automobile Magazine. Fresh of the press this morning, it is Motor Trend Car of the Year. Let us tell you why Motor Trend picked it. There are 13 reasons to back their Winner.
1. The 2009 GT-R the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car, is the first to come from a "clean-slate" design-all others were based on JDM Skyline models-and the first to be globally marketed.
2. A single technician in a climate-controlled clean-room environment hand assembles the all-new VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 (in Nissan's Yokohama factory) as well as the GR6 six-speed twin-clutch automatic (at the Aichi Machine Industry plant).
3. The GT-R undertook over 3100 miles of rigorous testing at the 12.9-mile Nurburgring Nordshleife, the world's most demanding racetrack. Its best lap time is 7:29, quicker than those of a Corvette Z06 and a 911 GT2.
4. The GT-R 's "high-speed driving test"-the front passengers enjoying an easy conversation without raised voices at 186 mph-was performed mostly on German autobahns.
5. Product chief designer Hiroshi Hasegawa incorporated historical GT-R styling cues into the new model.
6. For comfort, the GT-R boasts the greatest range of seat adjustment of any supercar-the driver's seat slides nine inches, raises 1.2 inches, and is rake-adjustable, easily accommodating anyone from 4 foot 9 to 6 foot 3. Also, the steering wheel both tilts and telescopes 2.4 inches.
7. Nissan calls it "Independent Transaxle 4WD." In other words, the GT-R is the world's first production car to feature a rear-mounted transaxle (transmission, clutch, and transfer case) and two independent propeller shafts (no torque tube), allowing each axle to control tire grip without manipulation from the other.
8. The GT-R's advanced ATTESA E-TS All Wheel Drive system can deliver up to 50 percent of torque to the front wheels, depending on feedback from sensors that measure speed, steering angle, tire slip, yaw rate, and lateral and transverse acceleration. Also incorporated is a yaw-rate feedback control sensor, which calculates target yaw rate based on steering angle and actual yaw rate based on the yaw-rate and g sensors, and then continuously distributes torque accordingly.
9. Specially developed Bilstein DampTronic monotube shocks feature sensors that gauge 11 elements, including vehicle speed, lateral acceleration, steering angle, engine rpm, brake oil pressure, and ABS behavior.
10. The GT-R incorporates "super-wide-beam headlamps" that utilize three additional subreflectors to enhance the illumination area. According to Nissan, they outperform swiveling lamps that rotate in turns, mostly because they provide superior light spread during high-speed straight-line driving.
11. The Brembo brake system uses fully floating 15.0-inch vented and drilled steel rotors that feature diamond-shaped inner ribs for better cooling. Monoblock calipers (six-piston front/four-piston rear) employ racing-style three-bolt structures to generate stout stopping force and avert caliper distortion.
12. The GT-R's body is composed of lightweight and advanced steels, die-cast aluminum (front suspension strut housings, front and rear suspension cross-brace members, rear-seatback support, door inners, tunnel stay), and carbon fiber (radiator core support, front of the engine bay, rear diffuser undertray). Further, the GT-R's underside-made up of, from front to rear, a polypropylene under cover, a glass-fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) under cover, a carbon SMC diffuser, and a carbon diffuser-helps achieve a 0.27 coefficient of drag.
13. Before being shipped from the Tochigi factory, the GT-R undergoes a nine-lap break-in regimen: Laps 1-3 (brake quenching), Lap 4 (brake break-in), Lap 5 (transmission break-in), Lap 6 (transmission break-in, engine boost pressure check), Lap 7 (transmission contact-sudden start), Laps 8, 9 (reducing friction of suspension).
There we go our devoted enthusiasts. Nothing but facts on our winner. Meanwhile, imagine cruising this GT-R and listening to our Kanye West's - GOOD LIFE music video. Enjoy......
This is a special delivery for the FORD Enthusiasts. The 2010 Mustang is finally here and will be the special guest at the LA Auto Show. Ford has done a great job in updating its pony car from the inside and out. The Mustang is truly an everyday sports car that is fun and stylish. The Camaro and Challenger better watch out because this pony car is not backing down.
The beautiful line and and sexy back will make anyone heads turn. The Mustang's basic powertrains carry over with a modest power boost for the V8 model, and FORD ensures us that the Mustang's ride and handling will be greatly improved, as well. The best selling V6 will be optimized with better fuel efficiency and handling.
The Mustang convertible is the only body style offered by these collection of American 21st Century Muscle Cars. Camaro will delay its Convertible variant until 2012 or later. Challenger platform just scrapped the drop-top plan. So the Mustang is it and she is a beaute.
The Interior is mimicking those blast to the past treatment with MUCH MUCH BETTER fit and finish and top grade materials. Yes, Ford needs this special treatment especially with the competitors going in wrap speed in producing quality cars.
The axle treatment is still the live axle configuration with better suspension dampening and calibration. I guess we need to test drive one of these pony to prove the point. Great job Ford and we look for more 'Stang' on the road in years to come.
At the back parking lot of Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena CA, the Chrysler engineers jumped into these two cars and drag raced the heck out of them. Wanna guess who won? Here is the details: The race across the parking lot wasn't measured, but it was easily an eighth of a mile or more. The contenders are a 268-hp Dodge EV electric car vs. a 425-hp Dodge Challenger SRT8. Where do you put your money?
The Dodge EV gets an obvious jump on the Challenger off the line. We know that torque build up from electric cars are very powerful. Traction issues aside, the SRT8 still couldn't run-down the EV. In the second race, the Challenger hooked better, but it still wasn't enough. The engineer driving the Challenger told us that with some more practice, he could cut down the wheelspin haha...
With these benchmarks: a conservatively rated 480 hp. 430 lb-ft of tire-smoking torque. Zero to 60 mph in a tick more than three seconds. Yup 3.1 sec. A top speed of 193 mph. But the fun of the GT-R produces getting from point A to point B is priceless. We're talking about hardcore acceleration and the paddleshift through the dual-clutch gearbox is like Grand Turismo XXX in real life. The brakes will stop this thing on a dime. The All-wheel drive translates into super sticky traction and boy, do we need that at these speed. All this for just $77,840, which is a fire-sale price by exotic standards and can be the car to own in this economy. Imagine that an MSRP of $77k for a performance of a Porsche 997 Turbo and Lambo Gallardo. True it is not Italian and German but the GTR is not to be dismissed.
A little history, the GT-R's debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007 was scheduled to dovetail with its appearance in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Or that the GT5 designers helped create the slick graphical readouts featured on eleven screens of not especially useful but amazingly cool data ranging from lateral and longitudinal g's to front and rear torque distribution. So get one of those GT5 games for you car Enthusiast. Kudos for Automobile for naming this the 2009 Car of the Year. Godzilla is finally here and making an impact
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series is the must respected fine car to its owners. Where can we start, a limited-edition (350 cars worldwide), megabucks ($299,000) supercar and feels almost nothing like the SL on which it is based. Go ahead try to turn on the key!
To start this is a DTM-racing inspired, flared carbon-fiber bodywork. Like the fixed, Black Series-unique nonconvertible roof, nearly every body panel is new. Only the doors-aluminum outer skin, magnesium inner-carry over from the standard SL65. The rear fenders and bumper are steel, but everything else is carbon. Along with some other measures, this brings curb weight down to about 4,300 pounds, almost 500 pounds lighter than an SL65.
Under the hood 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12. The engine is the most powerful in Mercedes or AMG production history (including the SLR McLaren), with larger turbos, a more efficient intercooler and an upgraded exhaust helping to belt out 661 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, the latter available 100 percent between 2,200 rpm and 4,200 rpm and electronically limited from a potential real peak of more than 880 lb-ft to preserve the drivetrain.
The Laguna Seca hot laps experience in this car impresses as much as it surprises. Jump on the throttle and, after perhaps a split second as the turbos spool. The rear ended by a mack truck force is ridikulus, and it provides no reason to doubt the well claims of 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, 0 to 124 mph (200 kph) in 11 seconds flat. Too bad top speed is e-limited to 199 mph. The exhaust note is mostly drowned out by a relatively high-decibel track of tire and road noise suddenly bellows a flat, wild, baritone whoooosh. This Black Series remains a heavyweight GT prizefighter that is easy to overestimate early throttle applications to produce grinding understeer. The sum up, carry speed well and smoothly into a corner, hit the pedal hard on exit then need to take the counterbalance by power-on oversteer that is predictably, especially with ESP switched off, but it is remarkably controllable. The Monstrous power and torque is right there at the finger tip, driving the SL65 Black Series on the track demands strong weight-management skills.
This is not for the amateur or the light-hearted, but when done right, the feeling is priceless. Too bad there is only five-speed automatic gearbox’s available, I guess Daimler is still working on the 8 speed transmission on the monstrous horsepower. The punchline, only 175 copies will come to the United States, with deliveries beginning in January. Deposits are taken now. But what about recession, I guess that does not apply to this market segment.
Check this out, the SEMA Show's finale for the famed Gran Turismo video game franchise have announced car owner JR Rocha and his 2007 Infiniti G37 as the winner of the coveted "Best of Show" award. The Gran Turismo Awards give exhibited cars the chance to be featured in the hugely successful Gran Turismo driving simulation game on PlayStation 3 Whho-paaa. That sounds like bling bling and ka-ching ching, not to mention much respect. The winner car has a complete rebuild of the VQ37VHR engine in order for the motor to withstand the force-induced power coming from dual Nismo GT-R turbos (lots of juice here). The twin snails running at 10.11 psi are cooled by a more efficient V-Mount dual-intercooler setup, with three additional oil coolers joining it up front to keep all lubricants in check. And the list could go on and on. Check out the video.
This 2008 Porsche 997 GT3 is again the one of a kind ultimate car. This 8400 RPM redline with a normally aspirated race track street car is taking the turns in the back mountain road like someone who walks on water. At $110,000 price tag, it is worth every penny and with extreme handling that will blow your mind. For those enthusiast, this is one of a kind driving experience. Watch the video and the gorgeous Briana Lee also help washes the car and give ya all some show
Well well well, Camaro will hit the street for sure in early 2009. This car is so hot and promise so much. Those GM and After Market Performance guys are busy tinkering with them. These performance steroids injected Camaros are souped to the max.
To start from the factory, the GS Concept by GM gives the race suspension, reinforced (stiff) chassis and drivetrain specs for racecars in this class. In fact, this racecar has already logged many hours on the racetrack as Riley team members worked to dial-in the chassis and powertrain. The LS3 V-8 and coupled by a Tremec 6060 six-speed close ratio manual shift offers that old school feel of a True American Hot Rod.
Imagine what you can do to you 2010 Camaro. Ooh Good times..
Well, it is SEMA time. It is time to pump those adrenaline run and get behind the wheel of some serious whip. This is one of a kind video where the pretty ladies (yes they are Spicy Hot) doing a little drag racin and some bikini show off. Nice rides, nice drivers and plenty of tease. BMW M6 and Benz c63 are going at it. Hopefully we all can get some driving lesson from this - not. Enjoy the show fellas..
Welcome to our free speech and no fancy boring news about cars. We are here to do out best to deliver the latest news in the Automotive industry. Not just which car is faster, better, or dumber. But we truly factor-in the people's opinion and best bet for the normal people to get from point A to Point B. New or used cars or trucks, we will post what we hear and know and see if we can help the society in a big way with our commuting needs. After all, we all have to get on with transportation responsibly. Economy condition also takes a spin on things, so we can further brainstorm some discussion around that. Hey, knowledge is crucial right. Let's blog on.
Posts
