Category Archives: #CNN

Car News Now – C.N.N. – Caddy CT6 Hybrid, Sicon FR-S or 86 and Elio P5

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Is anyone tired of Hybrids? Part car, part generator. and I think it’s a cop-out for not being able to produce an affordable, long distance electric car (not include Tesla.)

But maybe the Cadillac CT6 Hybrid will change your mind or not.

The GM boast that the car produced 449 ponies at the rear wheel.  That produced by the 2.0 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder and two electric motors. This will push the car from 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds.  If that’s a the good news here’s the worse – only 37 miles on a full charge – DUDES – why bother?!?!?!?!?!  They are calling  it a (Chevy) Volt (might be because it shares parts with the Volt) on steroids!!!  Really?   Well, it’ll have comfy seats, I bet!!!!

Underwhelmed? Sure if it looks just like this 2016

Underwhelmed? Sure, if it looks just like this 2016

Powered Up.

Powered Up.

Toyota used the ‘Scion’ name like software developers the word ‘beta’ – not really ready for prime time.  (I still hate the fact the Celica disappeared into that mess.)  Frankly nothing much was worth buying under the Scion name until they produced the FR-S in 2011.  The car was based on the previous 8-6 (86) concept and was a joint effort between Toyota and Subaru.  Toyota was moved the 86 platform back under the Toyota brand and will be giving it a new look.  Questions is will is cousin the BRZ get a new look?  No one knows yet.

New 86?

New 86?

 

Enter stage right – the Elio P5, the new U.S. Car company.   With it’s all powerful 60-hp 0.9-liter 3-cylinder front-mounted engine that can lay down 55 ft lb of torque, reach  a top speed of over 100 mph and  can get from  0 to 60 mph under 10 seconds.  Get all this for under $7K.

The P5

The P5 – Did I mention it only had 3 wheel?
P5 Power Plant

P5 Power Plant

 

It’s a trike-motorcycle, yes?

Thanks for reading.

Tim

AUTO FACTOIDS & C.N.N for Week of 7/26/2015 – Studebaker to Viper

Kaiser-Fraser formed July 26, 1945 – The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was the result of a partnership between automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer and business man Henry  J. Kaiser. In 1947, the company acquired the automotive assets of Graham-Paige.  Interesting enough, Kaiser had no automotive business experience.   In 1953 the company became …
Auto Factoids and C.N.N for week of Sept 6th 2015 – TBird and Studebaker

Here is your #AutoFactoids and Car News Now for this first full week of September 2015. Auto Factoids Sept. 7, 1954 – Production of Ford Thunderbird begins 1955 T-Bird 2002 Thunderbird             Sept. 8, 1903   Preston Tucker was born in Capac, MI. While dubbed “Tucker Torpedo” during production no ‘Torpedoes’ were produced. Beautiful …
Car News Now (C.N.N. ) – Mustang Beats Corvette – WHAT!!?

Sometimes the Automotive Journalism world is so off track – pun intended – that they cross the line where “reporting” becomes “tabloid babble”. Take the headline  “MUSTANG BEATS CORVETTE!!!”  “America Meet Your New Sports-Car King”. That is quite a statement gracing the cover of the Feb 2016 issue of Car and …

Car News Now (C.N.N.) The Case Against a Mid-Engined Corvette

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Take a good look at the picture below. If you thought there was a fuss  about  the C7 styling, just wait for them to roll this out!!!

 

They say it’s really going to happen: my friend Chris Doane used his massive telephoto Canon lens, nicknamed “The Stanley Cup” by his friends, to catch what looks a lot like an engineering mule for a mid-engined Corvette. Either that, or there’s going to be a mid-engined Holden Ute with no available space in the bed coming to Australia real soon. Supposedly this is going to be called the “Zora” or the “ZR1” or, predictably, the “ZR1 Zora” and it will go on sale at the end of 2017 alongside the current C7-generation ‘Vette.If that’s truly the case—if the first production Corvette to locate its engine behind the driver is just a limited-production, megabuck special—then I suppose I have no real beef with the idea. If, on the other hand, they’re proposing to replace the traditional Stingray with a mid-mounter, then that’s totally freaking crazy and we all need to take the strongest possible action before it’s too late.

Source: The Case Against a Mid-Engined Corvette

 

Thanks for reading

Tim

mid engine corvette zora

73-17

Car News Now (C.N.N. ) – Mustang Beats Corvette – WHAT!!?

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Sometimes the Automotive Journalism world is so off track – pun intended – that they cross the line where “reporting” becomes “tabloid babble”.

Take the headline  “MUSTANG BEATS CORVETTE!!!”  “America Meet Your New Sports-Car King”.

Front-Mustang-GT350 2014C7

That is quite a statement gracing the cover of the Feb 2016 issue of Car and Driver.  But their criteria by which they obtain their conclusion is as lame as comparing the Corvette C7 with the Mustang GT350 cars.   With misleading emphasis placed on things that are just plain ridiculous like ‘The Corvette’s seats are not as supportive…as the Mustang’s GT350’s Recaros.” they arrived at a score of 202 to 200 in favor of the Mustang.

It’s true that in ‘their’ numbers that matter to car guys the Mustang bested the Vette in 30-50 mph and 50-70 mph and tied in the 0-150 mph.  That’s it!!  Even by their numbers the Corvette spanked the Mustang in 15 areas including acceleration, chassis, weight, fuel, and sound level.

In what they call the ‘final results’ both cars are tied in the category they titled ‘VEHICLE’.  This included such vague terms as “Driver Comfort” and “Ergonomics”.  But the kicker was the Features/Amenities where Vette scored 10 out of 10 and the Mustang 2 out of 10.  Combine this with a “as-tested-price” where Mustang got a 20 out of 20 and the Corvette received a 15 out of 20.

Am I the only one that realizes if you have more “Features/Amenities” the cost will be higher?

Even with that huge swing Corvette still wins by one point when you include their Power Train numbers (49 Stang – 51 Vette) and Chasiss (56 Stang to 55 Corvette). Total score at this point is Corvette 178 and Mustang 177.

To push the Mustang over the top they added the all important “Fun To Drive” category, where they give the Mustang the full 25 available points and passed out a 22 to the Corvette.

This is such a stretch and so subjected that making such a declaration and then gracing the cover is like reading a cheap tabloid new article – The “Kardashian’s” are extraterrestrials stranded here when their Bentley Bentayga got a rip in one of the $5508 rear folding bucket seats. (Insert grainy pic of an over priced cross-over with a Kardashian look-a-like screaming at the site of the defective upholstery.)

Shame on you Car and Drive!!  I have half a mind to return that super cheap “free” cap you sent me for subscribing!!!!  (But I think my German Shepherd chewed the visor off.)

Thanks for reading

Tim

Classic Mustang and C6 Corvette owner

www.agcarrestoration.com

#CNN

Drive-By in Jerome, Az ’69 Nova, ’71-’72 Mustang and 2016

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Thought I’d end up the year with a Drive-By.

These little snippets are by chance photos of interesting cars.

During a trip to Jerome, AZ I was investigating this nicely cared for 1969 Chevy Nova.

Great Body Style

Great Body Style

Love the Poverty Caps

Love the Poverty Caps

Got the Camaro taillights.

Got the Camaro taillights.

 

The ’69 Nova was really just a pedestrian car and perhaps the worse evolution possible of the Chevelle, Chevy II of the early ’60. (Of course it got much worse in the late ’70s and early ’80s!!!)

These came in  3 main engine groups….4, 6 and 8 cylinders – yes 4 cylinders!!! There were 6,103 4 cylinders produced (make them a rather rare find in original condition), 157,400 6 cylinders and 88,400 V-8s ( 17,654 of those were in Super Sport trim).  The horse power ranged from a weak 90 hp to meager (by todays standards) 200 hp.

As I was standing back to get the little more distance on the shot I noticed something in the view finder:

In the background

In the background

Getting closer

Getting closer

Oh so nice!!!

Oh so nice!!!

And a wave!!!

And a wave!!!

Yes a very nice ’71 or ’72 Mustang.   One year later I’d own a 1973 Mustang, the last of the big ‘Stangs!!!

So this is my last post for 2015.

I wish all of my readers/followers and other fellow gear heads, car nuts, car peeps a super New Year and all the best in 2016!!

Coming up in 2016 I’ll be working straight out to finish the 1973 Mustang Sports Roof (#ProjectSportsRoof) – got to get is show ready in the next year – so keep checking back for updates (floor pan, vacuum system and much more coming up next month).  We also will attempt to get pod-casts rolling but you’ll also be able to keep up on our hobby with C.N.N. (Car News Now), special pieces on the 351 Cleveland engine and more parking lot spotlights, AutoFactoids (#AutoFactoids), Engine Line Ups and much more.

See you all in 2016 – maybe at Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale, AZ Jan 23, 2016?

Thanks for reading.

Tim

www.agcarrestoration.com

#ProjectSportsRoof

#ProjectSportsRoof

#ProjectSportsRoof

 

Auto Factoids and C.N.N for week of Sept 6th 2015 – TBird and Studebaker

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Here is your #AutoFactoids and Car News Now for this first full week of September 2015.

Auto Factoids

Sept. 7, 1954 – Production of Ford Thunderbird begins

1955 T-Bird

1955 T-Bird

2002 Thunderbird

2002 Thunderbird

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sept. 8, 1903   Preston Tucker was born in Capac, MI.

While dubbed "Tucker Torpedo" during production no 'Torpedoes' were produced.

While dubbed “Tucker Torpedo” during production no ‘Torpedoes’ were produced.

tucker_car

Beautiful Cars!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sept. 9, 1935 – Studebaker exports 163 Presidents to England.

These are what were shipped

These are what were shipped

All Aboard!!

All Aboard!!

 

Car News Now (C.N.N.)

Automobile reports that the 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S get Turbocharged!!!

  • That’s the 3.0 liter flat six engine.  The twin turbo will produce 379 hp w/ 331 lb-ft fo torque in the Carrera and Carrera S will have 420 hp with 368 lb-ft.   That is 20 more horses the current 3.8 liter produces for Porsches.
2017 Porsche Twin-turbo Flat 6 - smoking hot!!

2017 Porsche Twin-turbo Flat 6 – smoking hot!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car Buzz took a look at Audi’s A8 with Armor – it will be bullet and bomb proof – meeting VR 9 ballistics protection standards.

  • You are gonna need some extra punch to get these moving so there are two engines available. The are the 4.o liter V8 with 429 hp and a 6.0 liter W12 with 495 hp.
Armored Audi

Armored Audi

 

 

Check out the doors!!!

armored cars for sale 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#AutoFactoids

2017 porsche 911 carrera

The 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera Launched at IAA Frankfurt

With its world premiere headed for the IAA Frankfurt, the refreshed seventh generation Porsche 911 Carrera (991 series) should represent an epic showcase of efficiency, technological advancement, engine development and design curation. Innovative …

2015 Mercedes C63 Details, Armored Audi A8, Detroit Show Highlights: Today’s …

Mercedes-Benz’s next C63 AMG is due in about a year and we have some fresh details on the car straight from the head of AMG. The good news is that the car will continue to offer a V-8 and rear-wheel drive, but this time around it will be turbocharged.