Keep in mind while you are reading this that the C7 Corvette was a huge draw for anyone that had an idea, notion or had a dream about the new design. This won’t be as exciting
There is no doubt that for us the 2015 Mustang will be the hottest story of the next year. Rumors abound, and speculation (even by us) is mostly what we have to go on. We’ve brought you plenty of leaked secrets, artist renderings, and our own opinions and wish lists about what the next generation Mustang should be. This week we can add a little more to that growing pile, none of which will be completely confirmed until the Blue Oval decides that we’re worthy of knowing, and let’s the new horse out of the barn.
Well there were the Cobras and the Mustangs, even a Lancer and an Omni, why not a Shelby pick up truck….and naturally it would be a Ford.
The Ford Rapture was a formidable 4 by 4 at it’s inception with gobs of horsepower and not a badly appointed interior.
But we expect more from a Shelby and you are going to get with this monster truck.
Yeah…It’s a Shelby
That’s what most other 4×4 are going to see…the back side
The NEW Shelby Raptor delivers a heart pounding, supercharged 575 hp (50 state emissions compliant), tuned with Shelby Stinger exhaust, complimented by a custom Shelby leather interior, all wrapped in Shelby graphics and styling, and finished with an exclusive Shelby Registry number and badges. Personalize your new Shelby Raptor from your choice of three Shelby graphics packages, or add wheels and tires, light bars, bumpers and roll bars, all from our ever growing Shelby options list.
There are several paint scheme:
I like this white version – reminds me of the Mustangs
It’s a well-known fact that James Marshall Hendrix, better known as “Jimi,” was a fan of the iconic Fender Stratocaster. What isn’t common knowledge was his affinity for Chevrolet Corvettes. During his short time in the spotlight, Hendrix owned not one, but two Vettes.
His first, a Stingray, was purchased in Cleveland in 1968 while on tour with his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, in support of their recently released masterpiece Axis: Bold As Love. Sadly, after less than a year, Hendrix totaled the car following a long night of heavy partying. Undeterred, and with his insurance claim filed, Hendrix took delivery of a replacement Corvette.
This second Corvette, in Cortez Silver, remained in Hendrix’s possession until his death, after which it was sold to cover mounting bills faced by his estate. From there the trail goes cold, with the car’s whereabouts currently unknown.
See more at http://www.historicvehicle.org link below.
They almost always went hand in hand with GM, at least during my formidable days. Then came the Trans-Am. Pontiac was over took the Camaro arguably in performance but uncontested in folklore, I offer up Burt Reynolds & “Smoky and the Bandit” for support (you can count the Rockford Files, the Camaro there was not much more than a prop –cool no doubt but mostly a prop.
Camaro’s back (in case you’ve been living under a discarded intake manifold) with the Z28 soon to return and the SS and LT1 already burning up the streets. But the when the axe fell on Pontiac it took with it any chance to bring back the Firebird in any kind of configuration. So we are forced to back in time and watch old super 8 movies of Firebird/Trans-Am in motion. Or do we?
What if (and it’s a BIG IF) some where, someone started producing that iconic version of the Firebird – not a pre-made body – al-la Dynacores’ Mustang offering, but an up to date platform, like Mother Mopar did with the Challenger.
What if (BIG IF – again), they placed it on a new 2012 Camaro platform and soup-ed it up a bit? Something like this:
Awesome!
Yes , that is just what those innovative folks did at Lingenfelters. This is the 455 TA “lightly” (snicker) Camaro.
It sports a the Tran-Am trade mark split grille and honey comb wheels and blue and white paint schema. But under the hood is a power plant will make the hardest Camaro shake in it’s engine bay.
Oh…BTW…comes in drop top…love the wheels
The engine is a custom RHS Aluminum engine block at displaces 455 cubic inches. It has a 4.155” bore Diamond 11.5:1 compression ratio pistons, 4.200” stroke, Lunati forged crankshaft, LPE CNC ported and polished LS7 heads. Pair this up with LSX Fast 102 intake and Lingenfelter’s 6 bolt LS9 twin disk fly whee/clutch assembly and you get a 655 horse powered monster that can lay down 610 ft-lbs of torque to the 20×11 rear tires (front are 20×10),
MONSTER!!!!
OK…you can exhale now, but when the 455 TA does it uses a custom Corsa stainless exhaust and it sounds AWESOME!!!!
I caught this version at the Barrett Jackson Auction this past January.
The LPE concept body mods include front air dam and rear Firebird like spoiler and taillights.
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.
Bench seats started as the first front seats, clearly a hold over from the old ‘buck-wagon’. Over the years the bench was a stable, but has somewhat faded Well for American cars it comes to an end the last 2013 Impala, which is the last U.S. car and the 2014 Impala will have bucket seats.
’61 Chevy bench seat.
2012 Impala w/bbench seet and 2014 without
I was really excited to see C-X75 Super Car for Jaguar back in 2010 at the Paris Car show. The car was to sticker at about 1.1 million dollars. However, it has been killed after just 3 prototyped.
If you’ve read my posting for a while you’ll recall my trips to the great state of Kentucky and my trips to the place the worlds most recognizable car is assembled.
Yes I’ve taken the Corvette assembly plant tour more times than anyone I know, hell when I retired I’m going to volunteer to work the tour route in the plant. I love Bowling Green!!!!
The last time I visited they were building out the plant for the Chevy Volt and working on the new section for the C7 Corvette. These upgrades mean more work for the plant and those doing “God’s work” (LOL).
Well there is more. Corvette has had a program where the an soon to be owner of a new Corvette can pay to build the engine for his car in the Performance Build Center (http://corvetteblock.com/2011/11/performance-build-center-open-house/). That may be the coolest idea I’ve heard. Well this program is being moved from Michigan to the Bowling Green assembly plant.
I think that is great news!!!! You an build your engine, watch it installed in your car and drive it out of the factor!!!!!
