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In 1950, Mexico completed its stretch of the Pan-American Highway. To celebrate, the government organized La Carrera Panamericana, a race running south to north along the new stretch of road–and a race which quickly established itself as the most dangerous race of any kind in the world. For five years, drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio, Bobby Unser, and Felice Bonetto competed in the race until it was shut down due to safety concerns following the disastrous crash at Le Mans in 1955.
Revived in 1988, today’s Carrera Panamericana is still dangerous, fast, grueling, and addictive, as driver Conrad Stevenson can attest. Stevenson got his first taste of the race in a friend’s Studebaker in 2001. After a couple more years of participating in friends’ cars, Stevenson decided it was time to build a car of his own, in this case a 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale.
Hot rods are typically old, classic American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. Roadsters were the cars of choice because they were light, were easy to modify, and could be bought for a low price. The term became commonplace in the 1930s or 1940s as the name of a car that had been "hopped up" by modifying the engine in various ways to achieve higher performance. A term that was common in the early days to refer to a hot rod was a "gow job". This has fallen into total disuse except with historians.
Watch Roger Hoffman and his 1932 Ford Hot Rod to learn a little about its story. It's truly a slice of moving history.
Featuring,
Local Motors,
News,
Street Fighter 01
Local Motors wants to build the ‘Street Fighter 01'
4:30 PM
Local Motors is, the revolutionary open-source outfit behind the crowd-sourced Rally Fighter we drove a while back, and the 3D-printed car. Earlier this year it announced it was accepting design entries for a new sports car platform, with the winner receiving a healthy $7,500 prize and the chance to see his or her render being made real.
So step forward Greg Thompson - known to the internet as TaurusNut - whose SF-01 Street Fighter was selected by the Local Motors jury as the finest of over 200 efforts. LM said it's a "beautiful design featuring an exposed frame and strategic use of body panels". Exposed frames, as the Ariel Atom proves, are a good thing.
All body panels on the SF-01 "are designed to be easily manufactured", and each can be produced using a one-piece open-face mould - Local Motors, remember, demonstrated a 3D-printed car earlier this summer. There's plenty of storage space, thanks to a recessed boot and a pair of storage bins above the rear wheels. Handy.
Now the final design has been picked, LM will investigate sourcing the components, materials and working out production processes to bring the SF-01 to market. Are open-source cars the future?
Source: TopGear
Audi,
Featuring,
Golf,
News,
R,
S3,
Subaru,
Test Drive,
Volkswagen,
WRX STI
Subaru WRX STI v Audi S3 v Volkswagen Golf R
4:30 PM
VERDICT: All three vehicles, while different in execution, offer up compelling reasons for buyers to part with their hard earned cash in their own unique way. The Subaru WRX STI is measurably less polished, significantly rougher around the edges and more than a little raw compared with either the Audi S3 or the Volkswagen Golf R – just like its predecessor. Unlike the polished, improved WRX, the STI simply hasn’t changed. Its older-tech engine (even lacking direct fuel injection now standard on the WRX) versus the Volkswagen Group’s advanced turbo motor also contributed to a significant disparity in fuel use.
The Golf R was the most efficient on test across a mostly spirited 500km-plus drive, using 11.68L/100km. The Audi S3 came in just behind, using 11.74L/100km, while the WRX STI slurped a considerably higher 14.5L/100km. More than anything, the extra fuel usage graphically illustrates just how hard the STI has to be worked to keep up with the almost effortless S3 and Golf R despite its larger engine.
The STI delivers a brawny, connected, mechanical experience, however, that harks back to the glory days of performance cars. If you want to attend regular track days, have more of a motorsport-style experience, and be able to tune the engine to suit your needs, the STI is the pick of the bunch. It is by no means the sharpest tool in the shed, but if it’s an old hatchet in this knife fight it can still draw plenty of blood. The Audi S3 is significantly more expensive than its rivals here, and the price gap is big enough to question if it can be justified over the Golf R.
There’s a tangible element of luxury afforded by the S3, though. The ride is the most composed and comfortable around town and the Audi badge delivers street cred and cachet. If you want to cruise around town in luxury and comfort with fun only a jab of the throttle pedal away, you’ll want the S3. Going with our knife metaphor, the S3 is a high-end chef’s blade.
The Volkswagen Golf R isn’t as luxurious as the S3 and isn’t as hardcore as the STI, but it is the best all-rounder in this company. All three judges agreed the Golf soaked up every driving scenario effortlessly. Supremely capable on road, mightily impressive on track and comfortable when it comes to the daily grind, the Golf R is a performance hatch of palpable ability that you can live with day to day. Finally, it has come of age to leverage itself rightly above the Golf GTI.
Its only (very minor) shortfall is that it is a Golf. There are so many on the road these days, even in R guise, that some may see the S3 and STI as more exclusive-feeling options. That isn’t stopping buyers rushing to the Golf in droves across all models, though. In fact, we needed a security guard to get Tony out of it by the end of the test. In the battle of the blades, the Volkswagen Golf R is the surgeon’s scalpel of this trio – taking victory with one ruthless, Teutonic cut.
Overall, the Volkswagen Golf R has come on in leaps and bounds over the old car, which was little more than a tubby, inert, too-expensive Golf GTI. It now feels quick, sounds special, and has an AWD system that works. It’s more than an all-rounder; it’s a proper mega-sports car that happens to do mundane things well. Although the Audi S3 sedan does luxury-sports to perfection, the Golf R is almost as comfortable and way more agile and dynamic (unless playfulness is your thing, which it actually is for me…).
I love the S3, and it is technically the best car here and the one I went home in following our video shoot, but on value terms it is a clear second place. The Golf R has improved as much as the STI has remained stagnant – there are just too many rough edges, and because the Volkswagen has come so far with dynamics it is for me a bit hard to justify.
Read More: caradvice
Here's a fun fact: certain classical songs double as excellent driving songs. Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries is one such example. So, as soon as you here those iconic notes, be certain you're in for some seriously cool sheet metal. Any Mercedes-Benz 600 would qualify for such a musical treatment, but Jay Leno's example is doubly worth a look.
His example is truly pristine, restored by 600 expert Karl Middelhauve. The complex hydraulic system receives plenty of attention from Leno, as does the expansive and impressive craftsmanship in the cabin. Finally, Leno takes the boat of a car out for a ride. Take a look at the full video on the legendary Mercedes 600.
Daihatsu,
Featuring,
Honda,
Lexus,
Mazda,
Mitsubishi,
Nissan,
Subaru,
Suzuki,
Toyota
Japanese pronunciation of Car Brands
4:30 PM
MightyCarMods have share video that shows the correct Japanese pronunciation of popular Japanese car brands including Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Toyota, Mazda, Daihatsu, Honda and Lexus. It is interesting to know the right pronunciation of each Japanese brands.
Proton have organised "Alami Proton" open day at their Centre of Excellence near Shah Alam. The event was started from today to tomorrow (28/9/2014). For this post, we will share in brief things you may love to know.
We arrived at Proton Centre of Excellence around 11 a.m and people have already started to park their cars at the side of the highway. But no worries, just drive into Proton COE and you will be guided by security staffs to a reserve parking area.
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The reserve parking area situated quite far from the main event area but Proton provide shuttle cars for their visitors. These shuttle cars will pick you up from the parking area back to the main entrance.
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Food is also not a problem. There are quite numbers of stalls for visitor to eat and rest. But to be safe, eat first and bring along a bottle of mineral water.
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It is not too late to go to the event and have fun with friends or family.
Tips: Visit their show room to cool you down. If their canteen is still operating, find a table with no "Media" tag. We do that just now since we came as a public visitors not as media people.
In todays You Tube Special we going to look at lotus 7 car Donkervoort D8 GTO, With a power-to-weight ratio of less than two, it is one of the fastest street-legal cars in the world.
The loss of WRC legend Colin McRae to a tragic set of events that occurred on the 15th of September 2007 when his helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350, crashed 1 mile north of the McRae home in Lanark, Scotland, was felt ( and is still felt ) deeply by motor sport fans all over the world. The fact that 2 of his friends and his own 5 year old son Johnny perished along with him, was nothing short of devastating…
The 90’s were a great time for rally fans, with epic battles taking place between Subaru, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Citroen, Ford and Toyota. Colin was larger than life and I vividly remember him going through a stage so fast that it looked like he was always driving like his life depended on it. He crashed often enough and some of us joked that his nickname was Colin McCrash. The bravery and sheer commitment on any surface was stupefying. You just knew that when you watched Colin McRae drive, that he was going to either win or crash out completely. “If in doubt, Flat Out.”, he used to say.
Fast forward to the point where I found myself face to face with the very car he drove in the 1998 rally of San Remo, Italy; an S4 specification Subaru WRC GC8 Impreza. It was a deeply emotional experience for me, spiritual even. STi Mitaka were gracious enough to give me some quiet time and unlimited access to the car so that I could bring you this feature. They even removed the barricades around the car and helped me position it for clearer shots.
Read more: 7Tune
The Falcon F7 is one of those cars that just reels you in. I first saw it sitting in the Dupont Registry booth at Barrett-Jackson back in January and I just stood and stared at it, along with everyone else. The placement was prime – I must have walked past it ten times coming and going to the auction, but it was the aggressive angular design that made us all look. Then, finally, my friend Justin had the idea to arrange a photoshoot.
Over the course of two days, Justin and I kept visiting the car in the Dupont Registry booth, growing more familiar with its lines and details, and also peeling back the layers of people who stood between us and the photoshoot we so wanted to bring you. Our efforts paid off when we were introduced to the mastermind behind the Falcon F7: Jeff Lemke. Understandably he was always on the move, as the guy who not only builds these beasts, but also runs his own start-up supercar company.
The next tricky part was getting a car that was visiting from Detroit, out of the world’s biggest auto auction and to a suitable location before it had to head back across the country. Eventually we wound up shooting at a nearby desert park, meeting before dawn on a typical freezing Arizona winter morning.
The first thing you notice when you view an exotic car like this is, of course, the form – and it should make your heart flutter when you see the right one for you. This is where Jeff began his quest to combine all the best things about the supercars he loved but couldn’t live with.
To start, there’s the pinch-waisted shape influenced by Ferrari 288 GTO, a front that feels a little like a Viper and a strong Ford GT40 vibe too. Then he gave it a road-hugging ride height and a radical, long rear deck to emphasize the mid-engine layout.
Source: SpeedHunters
Cayman,
F-Type,
Featuring,
Jaguar,
Porsche,
Test Drive
Jaguar F-Type Coupe vs Porsche Cayman GTS
4:30 PM
As always, Autocar is the first to answer the burning questions that keep car enthusiasts up at night. This time Steve Sutcliffe hits the track to find out which sports coupe, Jaguar F-Type Coupe or Porsche Cayman GTS, is worth your hard-earned £60,000. This is sports coupe battle royale, as both the Jaguar F-Type Coupe V6S and the Porsche Cayman GTS are the very top of their game. It’s a close call, this one, but one conclusion we drew from it is that the F-Type V6S makes a lot more sense than the V8s version.
With four batwing doors, a rear window covered in giant scales and a Swarovski crystal-inlaid interior, the new Divine DS is definitely a car of the future. The French luxury manufacturers say the new model is purely a concept car and will never be built. But it does point the way to a host of design features we can expect to see on future DS models – but not the doors, unfortunately.
DS, the new luxury division of Citroen, a self-contained brand since June, say they already have 500,000 models on the road but want to “pick up the pace”.“This concept car confirms our ambition to return to the great days of French design and bodywork,” said chief executive Yves Bonnefont at the Paris unveiling. “It is the first concept since the DS brand was created and shows our approach.”
“It is the very essence of what DS is – a perfect alliance between sophistication and technology.” The grey four-seater features a dramatic grille with diamond shapes, while chrome strips on the bodywork hide the door handles.The roof is designed to look reptilian and the scales continue across the rear window. There are wraparound rear seats and three different, interchangeable “interior ambiences”.The Male ambience has carbon fibre and blazed burnished leather, Parisienne Chic uses silks, satins and crystals and Fatale Punk is padded and studded with crystals.
Source: DailyRecord
