Bob Lutz issued a challenge. Journalists accepted. Run What You Brung, GM!

Auto blog, Jalopnik, quickly jumped on the opportunity. And now everyone will have a chance to do the same. The CTS-v Challenge will take place on October 29, 2009 at the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, NY. To sign up, visit ctsvchallenge.com. More information is also available on the GM Fastlane Blog.

Who knows…maybe a Porsche Panamera will be available.

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It appears that some stores across the U.S. are rewarding hybrid drivers with choice parking spaces. According to this article in the Houston Chronicle…better known as “the Chron”…stores such as Ikea, Office Depot, and Home Depot are offering the beloved spaces for their enviro-friendly patrons.

Courtesy of Curbed Los Angeles

Keep your space. Better yet, how about converting it to a “pregnant parking” or “elderly without a HC tag parking”? The idea is noble. Thanks, but no thanks. Besides…I need the exercise.

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I have to be honest…I may be a car guy, but if it weren’t for the show “American Hot Rod”, I wouldn’t have really appreciated Boyd Coddington’s rides. I knew the name. I knew it mainly for his wheels. But once I saw the show, I really began to realize that his designs were brassy and intrepid (not to be confused with the fugly car), and influenced other builders and manufacturers alike. The Hawaiian shirt, perfectly Flowbee‘d beard, and his testy attitude were always a kick to watch.

Coddington also surrounded himself with talent. Alumni from his shop include Jesse James and Chip Foose, who went on to open their own shops and star in reality TV shows.

Coddington twice won the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award and he was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame, the National Rod & Custom Museum Hall of Fame and the Route 66 Wall of Fame.

Courtesy — Jeff Wilson, Associated Press

Here are a few of the cars he created and influenced over the years:

1965 Mustang GT Fastback

1936 Delahaye

Porsche Cayenne Turbo

1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air (aka, “Chezoom”)

1946 Cadillac Cadzilla for Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top

See more of Boyd Coddington’s cars at BoydCoddington.com

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Courtesy Autoblog.com

The good news? Ford will turn around and add 26,000 libs to its lineup. What happened to the whole “green” thing? The Alton Manufacturing F-650 XUV features a Caterpillar 7.2L C7 ACERT engine, hardwood floors, a few big screens, and triple train horns. And just to be sure you can make it around the block at least 3 times, it includes a 45-gallon fuel tank…all for about $200k. Somebody call Shaq! For those of you that don’t have $200k in dispoable income, do what my friend, Eddie, did. Buy a diesel Excursion, lift it, throw some 22s on that b!+c#, add some drop screens, and your own train horn (which is alot of fun, BTW)…and voila!

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Former “big three” cohort Chrysler will try to dodge (pun intended) disaster by carving out about half of its models as well as decrease its network of dealerships.

Shrinking the number of dealers will be difficult, however, because of laws in all the states protecting those businesses, analysts said. If Chrysler, with about 3,600 dealers, wants to move quickly, it likely will have to offer financial incentives.

Over the years, the automaker and its U.S. rivals, General Motors Corp (NYSE: GM) and Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F), have tried to shrink their dealer numbers, often facing great resistance. However, analysts said some dealers may be more receptive now, given the weak U.S. economy, if the offers are generous.

Reuters

Forbes recently crowned five Chrysler cars as “Automotive Turkeys” on its list of 10 Poorest Performing Cars for 2007. Those models included Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty, Dodge Caliber, and Dodge Magnum. Factors included number of recalls, high depreciation, and NHTSA ratings below four stars. Not to mention they’re all ugly, so…um…that’s probably why also. In addition to the elimination of models — some of which are ineffectually duplicated and rebadged models — Project Genesis calls for the introduction of new, competitive models. The dealerships will likely be consolidated to include all three nameplates under one roof.

If I was a betting man, I’d go all in on the idea that Kirk Kerkorian and Carlos Ghosn will both be involved in preparing a gameplan that includes Chrysler LLC.

Large popcorn please…no butter.

A “fire sale” may not be enough.

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I use Quik Detailer after every wash to take care of any places I may have missed. I also use it as a “lubricant” when I clean my paint with a clay bar…once a year. Well, there were two phrases that stood out in the ad (pay attention marketing researchers). The product was described as using “Hydrophobic Polymer Technology“, and they suggest that the “water beads like crazy“. Scared of water? I had to see this for myself.

I ventured off to the nearest auto parts store in search of this uber spray-on detailer. No dice. I went to 3 other stores…with no avail. It took almost 2 weeks before it surfaced in the stores. Last weekend, I applied it for the first time. I almost sprayed my car down to see the super beading action, but I refrained. This weekend when I pre-rinsed my car, I witnessed that which should not be seen by car detailers…or anyone.

Keep in mind that it was time to apply wax to my car. Water did not bead like this before I applied the Ultimate Quik Detailer. I was amazed. Right now, the gale force winds and rain from Tropical Depression Erin are putting the ultimate test on this ultimate detailer. So far, the stuff works. More beads than at Mardi Gras. I highly recommend you try this stuff.

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“Sample” cars will be used to lure buyers.

A couple of words best describe the 2008 G37 Coupe: seductive, thrilling…and “WOW” comes to mind as well. Gunn Infiniti in San Antonio received it’s first car a few days ago, so I decided to stop by and have a look. The photo is the actual window sticker with the word “SAMPLE” printed across it, and there are no prices listed.

I was immediately greeted by salesman, Adam Castillo. Adam’s knowledge of this car juxtaposed the credentials of the owner’s manual, and his sales pitch was about as thorough as any magazine review of the car with one exception in his favor: this would be a hands-on tutorial. He was quick to point out how the name was different from its “G35″ predecessor. If you’re not car saavy, the “G37″ moniker represents the larger engine (i.e. 3.5-liter vs 3.7-liter). And even if you already knew that like I did, you may not know what else the name signifies. In addition to added displacement comes Infiniti’s Variable Valve Event and Lift (VVEL) technology. This innovation allows the car to take advantage of the car’s power at every point of the powerband while maintaining optimal fuel economy and reduced emissions. Add to that a redesigned exhaust and intake…the result is 330 horsepower and 270 lb/ft of torque, which is about 20 more horses and 2 more lb/ft of yank. With that said, current G35 Coupe drivers may not notice a huge difference.

Although the car looks similar to the G35, Infiniti claims all new body panels.

What they will notice are all of the techno-geek features such as the touch screen nav system. The system includes XM® NavTraffic, which displays real-time traffic information to enhance your GPS. While San Antonio does not yet feature real-time traffic flow data, that capability is available for those communities that do, which equals 24 of 79 XM® markets in the U.S. and Canada. The “SAMPLE” also featured RearView Monitor and an available 11-speaker Infiniti “Studio on Wheels”â„¢ by Bose® audio system, three-way door speaker arrays with 10-inch door-mounted woofers. The 20GB system splits storage equally devoting 9.3 gigs of the hard drive to the car’s music storage. It even has a compact flash drive slot.

Put the Auto in “DS” mode for some F1 fun.

“I’ve seen enough. Get me some keys, Adam!”

It’s a miracle I even paid any attention to Adam’s presentation. As I slid into the seats, I couldn’t help but imagine driving this car down a track. I rudely began tugging on the magnesium paddle shifters and making engine noises. No doubt Adam was distracted by my giddiness; he immediately suggest I press the brake and push the Auto Start button. Suddenly the G37 was alive, and the sound it emitted was hypnotic. Responding to my delighted gaze, Adam exclaimed, “Wait until you open it up”. How can I pass up that offer?

My Maxima SE features a sport shift that allows me to up and downshift as I please. However, as it pegs the redline, it automatically shifts into the next gear. The G37 does not. So, on my first attempt at “opening it up”, I repeatedly nailed the 2nd gear rev limiter. After apologizing profusely to Adam, I didn’t hesitate to try again. As the five-speed automatic transmission neared its 7500 rpm redline, I tugged on the right paddle…a couple of times. And he was right…the car sounds tons better than the previous model. Very nice.

After gettting that out of my system, I decided to test out the automatic cruise control feature. When engaged, you can preset your desired speed…no acceleration necessary…and let the car do its thing. In the photo above, you’ll notice what looks like an infrared sensor in the front air dam. The G37 Coupe will slow down as you approach cars in front of you, and can apply up to 30% braking if necessary. There are three distance levels you can choose.

Steering response is great partially due to the 4-wheel active steering system. The car feels sure-footed in the bends. And the Akebono brakes worked great with virtually no fade in the pedal. That estimation is good from about 75 mph. With 4-piston calipers and 14.0-inch rotors in front, and 2-piston calipers on 13.8-in rotors in the rear, I think it’s safe to say this thing has ample stopping power beyond that.

The 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe is available in three trim levels: G37 Coupe, G37 Coupe Journey and G37 Coupe Sport 6MT. The car I drove was the Journey model with the Sport package. If you’re in the San Antonio area, go see Adam Castillo at Gunn Infiniti or schedule an appointment with him at (210) 824-1272. A $500 deposit will ensure you get one this month…provided the one you want matches a model already ordered by the dealership.

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The Driving Master – Derrich.com
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Photos courtesy of Koenigsegg.com.

CCX stands for Competition Coupe X. The CCX commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC prototype, which was rolled out in 1996.

The straight line performance of the CCX is just as impressive. The 4.7-liter twin-supercharged V8 engine belts out 806 bhp @ 6900 RPM and 678 ft/lb of torque. This car shoots from 0-60 in about 3.2 seconds (2 tenths quicker than a Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640). And you’ll blow the doors off of just about anything in a quarter mile sprint — Koenigsegg proposes that the CCX is capable of a 9.9-second run @ 146 mph, although I have yet to see this happen. It is also expected to reach a top speed of 245 mph. But don’t assume that power is its only discrimination. The body and chassis are one piece…all made of light-weight carbon fiber (as seen below). The car’s weight can be decreased even further with optional light-weight carbon fiber wheels and ceramic brakes.

Semi monocoque made of pre-impregnated carbonfibre and honeycomb (Koenigsegg.com).

At $650,000, the 2007 Koenigsegg CCX is about half the price of a Bugatti Veyron. The really good news is that there is an additional 50 mm in headroom, making the CCX the most spacious super car on the market. Koenigsegg believes to have found a niche by enabling really tall drivers to fit well inside the car, still with its highest point only 1120mm above the tarmac. Well, considering I’m a little over 6’5″, I shouldn’t have problem. Now if I can just figure out how to pay for one.

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Lamborghini has come a long way for a company that began as a tractor builder. Almost eight years after being acquired by Volkswagen, Lamborghini has made notable impact in the supercar niche with the release of its potent Murceilago LP640. The LP640 differs in several ways from the previous Mucielago. But the most significant is perhaps the 0.3 liter increase in its engine size…bumped from 6.2 to 6.5 liters for a 60hp increase to 640hp at 8,000 RPM.

With a larger rear-diff and the optional e-Gear transmission, this Murcielago is worthy of a dig rematch with the Pagani Zonda. With the e-Gear activated, the 4-wheel-drive transmission won’t engage the clutch until it hits 4,000 RPM at which point you’re basically launched down the drag strip. The result is 0-60 in 3.4 seconds. But while it goes straight real fast, you’d better hope a challenge “in the twisties” means a drifting contest.

Photo courtesy of LamboCars.com

For the 2008 model year, the Murcielago LP460 gets a haircut with the release of the roadster. Rather than liter this post with vivid pictures of this breathtaking beast and a list of its specs and improvements, why not get all that and see it in action…Top Gear style. It finished 6th in Top Gear’s road course trial, just 1 back of the Ariel Atom, with a time of 1:19.8.

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Just when you think you’ve seen everything on Top Gear, check out this video comparo of unusual vehicles, including a driveable living room set. They settle things with a race to proclaim one of these as the “Fastest Stupid Car Ever”.

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I immediately took it for a spin. While the butt dyno results weren’t as noticeable as I thought with the supposed horsepower increase, it sounds pretty darn wicked in the top of the RPM band. Luckily, it still preserves some of the considerate sound levels during normal driving. Anyway, just thought I’d share.

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If you recall in my previous LS 460 post, I said that “Lexus has outdone itself” with all the new gadgets in the LS 460, but also wondered how many “over/under bets you could wager on how many of these things will break before your warranty is up”. Well, a couple of the folks over at Automobile Magazine tried using the perpendicular parking function and had an interesting time doing so.

See the video for yourself.

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No really…check it out.

…or go to Forgiato.com.

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Many of the neat features include push button start, tuck away side mirrors (I have these on my car and probably play with them too often), rear seat massage (it might be time to hire that driver you’ve always wanted), a motorized 9-inch drop down screen for the rear passengers (of course), and a Gen V GPS system with a 30 GB hard drive. However the there are two more notable features in the LS.

First, the LS includes an 8-speed transmission, which has fewer moving parts than its 6-speed predecessor using about the same amount of space. Why an 8-speed? Well, fuel and engine efficiency are definite advantages of having the transmission shift at earlier RPM levels. This is also the case with the recent utilization and improvement of CVT transmissions. Second is the nifty automatic parallel parking feature. Using bumper-mounted sonar and a rear camera, the LS will stuff itself into that curbside parking space that you refuse to park in for fear of bumping into someone.

While all of these “neat” things might seem like overkill, not to mention the over/under bets you could wager on how many of these things will break before your warranty is up, Lexus has proven itself in recent years as producing quality automobiles. This confidence shouldn’t change with the new LS. Personally, I still prefer a Mercedes, and probably a BMW, to a Lexus. Perhaps I should change my mind.

See the car for yourself in this TheWeekendDrive.com podcast.

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