In October, the Hennessey HPE700 Corvette is expected to debut packing a claimed 700 hp, with help from an Eaton TVS R2300 supercharger. It adds 8 psi of boost through custom CNC-ported factory cylinder heads, working with proprietary intake and fueling systems. Hennessey says it will also recalibrate the ECU. Like the factory C7, a seven-speed manual or six-speed automatic can be specified.
Hennessey Performance has been on a roll as of late with their Venom GT breaking speed records seemingly every month. Now, in anticipation of the release of the 2014 Corvette C7, Hennessey has announced their upgrade packages for the new Stingray.
… Performance Parts, Pictures and More from HPE. Home · About · HennesseyPerformance.com; July 31, 2013. You are here: Home / Corvette / C7 / Hennessey’s HPE700 C7 Corvette Beats the Factory’s ZR1 to the Punch …
I was talking with a “new to the car world” friend the other day and he had watched a recent road race on the Speed Channel and was a bit confused with the classes and “what make them think you can run a Ford Focus against a Corvette…that’s a no brainer….” he says. So I walked him through the classes and I think he understood that they may be on the same course at the same time but they are only competing against others in the same class, although they do have to contend with the others.
Last post covered the GT class with the likes of the Corvette and the Aston Martin DB9. The GTS class is it much more stock and closer to the what you and I will drive around town….well…sort of…!
With cars like the Kia Optima and the Pontiac Solstice (well what’s left of them) you might be thinking yeah…I’ve see those in the ‘hood’. Well….sort of….
The Kia has 370 hps – yeah…all that from a 4 cylinder aluminum engine. That’s only 70 MORE!!! horse power less than the Lotus Exige that runs in the GTS class as well.
Optima – in racing colors
Exige
This class also has the Ford Boss 302 Mustang (420 hp), Dodge Challenger (420 hp) and the Camaro (422 hp) along with Maseerati Trofeo Gransport (385 hp) and the Scion FR-S (330 hp).
Maserati Trofeo
Boss 302S
There are six classes for GTS: GTS1, GTS2, GTS3, GTS4, GTS5, and GTSU. All cars will be classed
on a power to weight ratio. A vehicle’s classification and minimum allowable weight (as the car
would exit the track with the driver) will be determined by multiplying the appropriate class
weight ratios by the vehicle’s power. “Power,” as used here, will be determined from a minimum
of three consecutive dyno pulls, and shall be defined as:
a) the horsepower value (WHP) from the single run with the highest horsepower reading (for
cars with higher horsepower than torque);
Weight
———————————-
WHP
or,
b) the average of horsepower and torque from the single run with the highest average of those
values (for cars with higher torque than horsepower):
Weight
———————————-
(WHP+WTQ)*.5
The following table shall be used to determine each car’s class based on the calculations
determined using the above methods.
Minimum ratio for D.O.T. Approved Tires Non-D.O.T Tires
GTSU No limit No limit
GTS5 6.6 7.2
GTS4 8.5 9.0
GTS3 11.0 12.0
GTS2 14.5 16.0
GTS1 18.5 20.0
This all seem a bit formal, because it’s pulled from the SCCA guide for classes.
I love road racing. I’d much rather race on a road course. It’s not as intense as the short burst on a drag strip and or as predictable as an oval course. It challenges all of your driving skills, shifting, braking, acceleration and cornering.
Watching on T.V. I rather enjoy a good road race. I was lucky enough to live in Riverside, Ca. when Riverside Raceway was still running and I attended one of the last road races there. It was great.
But what about those classes? I’ve learned a bit more since racing SCCA, but still I’m not 100%. So let’s start with a the GT Class.
These are limited in body style to coupe, sedan and convertible. They have to be models that are sold in the real world market as a sports car, sport touring cars for performance version off luxury cars. Those are cars like:
Audi R8
My Fav the C6 Corvette
C6R
DB9
Forced induction is allowed, if the car came that way in production. SCCA has a provision to allow better competition for car to add forced induction so help meet the horse power range.
The horsepower range is 425 (15 over stock base model C6) to 525. Your car has to be rear real or all wheel drive. Weight a varied depending on wheel/tire size but average 2900 – 3800 lbs.
Ford Racing’s 2008 Mustang FR500S – The assembly line Race car.
Why this car was built: This car is #56 of only 75 that were built. They were built by Ford specifically to be entered into the Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup. It is the first time in Ford’s history that they have produced a line of cars specifically for a race series on their assembly line.
The FR500S – Photo from Barrett Jackson
One unique thing about this car: This Mustang is unique in the fact that it has a passenger seat. Most racecars have only one seat, but this one carted around different celebrities and media personnel, so a second seat was needed.
Why they are auctioning this car off: Ford Racing & Capaldi Racing are auctioning this Mustang off at the Barrett Jackson Auctions, for the St. Jude’s Children Hospital of Memphis, Tennessee. All of the proceeds will be given straight to the hospital.
Survivor 1959 nomad wagon, with a 348 big block and factory air conditioning. Rust free 2 owner Colorado car. Original interior in VERY NICE condition.
Sometime ago I purchased a MAC tool box from a family member. This one:
It’s vintage 1980’s all steel MAC Tools tool box – it’s Godzilla heavy – about 5.5 feet tall. A month or so a go I was moving tools around in it and got to a section I hadn’t cleaned yet. So I emptied the contents of that section and found an interesting object and I tucked it away thinking I’d do something with it later on.
I re-found it today and hence this brief article. Oh…what is it? Here ya go.
It is a DeSoto Adventurer key blanks
I can’t tell what year it is from.
It folds up like a pocket knife and pictures the likeness of an Adventurer.
Not a bad looker! But they got even better later on!!!
Was I lying? Better looking 2 years later!!
So I thought…hmmm what don’t I know about this car…a lot.
I do know that the 1956 Adventurer is a rare car – only 996 of these were produced and cost about $4k back in the day. It was powered by the 320 horse powered 341 Hemi (considered their high performance model…well…yeah!!).
Here’s some stuff I didn’t know about DeSoto’s Adventurer model:
– They were first produced in 1956 and sported the Hemi 341 with dual exhaust.
– They were often referred to as the “Golden Adventurer” that year and had power brakes, power front seat, electric windows, windshield washer and dual exterior rear view mirrors and dual radio antennas (rear mounted).
– In 1956 they only came in a hard top.
– They were produced from 1956 to 1961 which was not only the
Adventurer’s last year but DeSoto’s as well.
OH…Hold the Presses!!! Didn’t I see one in person not too long ago? Yes, I did. It was a convertible!! Now I recall. I was at….Barrett Jackson Auction with……
….
and we saw this……
CAR!!!
…go for BIG MONEY $$$$.!!!
Here’s the rear end…
Please don’t ask me ‘why’ this is the only pic I took….!!!
In fact the a car above was a 1957 and there were only 300 convertibles made that year. Heck there were only 1650 hard top made that year as well.
In fact, again, they were all low production models:
– 350 hard tops and 82 convertibles in 1958
– 590 hard tops and 87 convertibles in 1959
– more cars in 1960 and 1961 – but they added a 4 door. What!!?!?!?!?!?! Boo!! Hiss!! Yup you could still get the 2 door version, yeah, in hard top only!!! (No convertibles…Double Boo!!! Triple Hiss!!!)
– All the Adventurers came with the most powerful engine DeSoto offered every year – always over 300 horse power, but just barely in 1960 and 1961 when it topped out at 305. (Another article coming up with some engine specifics for this cool model.)
Thanks for reading. If you know what year these key blanks are from drop me a note. If you own an Adventurer, drop me a pic @ timsweet@cox.net.
Danbury Mint 1956 DeSoto Adventurer Diecast Car 1:24 Scale Black/Gold w/Box http://t.co/v0RYpqnz2O
Unique and beautiful machines seen on the streets of New York. Monday, July 15, 2013. 1958 DeSoto Adventurer, First Street and Eighth Avenue. Posted by Cartorialist at 06:56. No comments: Post a Comment. Older Post Home. Subscribe to: …
This is my latest segment. It will be a frequent blathering of car stuff – current and maybe some old stuff. I hope you enjoy it.
Everyone knows that Ferrais aren’t as plentiful as Honda Accords or Toyota Camerys. Even though that’s true the folks at Ferrai think they are making too many. Last year they produced 7,318 units. They’d like to cap it at 7,000. So how do they make money? According to Motor Trend (Scott Evans) it’s branding. They sell 95 Ferrari licensed items every minute.
I’m guessing that is true..even I have a Ferrari Mug!!!!
Oh they make a couple bucks building engines for Maserati.
