Archive for August, 2008
30th August 2008
Filed under: Time Warp, Minivans/MPVs, Ferrari
Click above for gallery of the Ferrambo
We first alerted you to the Ferrambo’s existence back in late 2007 when the build was nearing completion. The brainchild of Mike Warn and Tim Divers of Divers Street Rods, the Ferrambo is the result of mashing together a 1960 Nash Rambler Wagon and a Ferrari 360, along with a ridiculous amount of custom fabrication. The product is truly neither car, with the original Nash donating mainly its body and a wrecked 2002 Ferrari 360 its 3.6L V8 engine and 6-speed tranny. The rest is all made by hand, including the custom frame that accommodates mid-mounting the Ferrari V8 behind the two front seats.
What’s under the hood then? A set of custom fit leather luggage that matches the hide used to upholster the interior. So impressive is the Ferrambo that it won this year’s coveted Riddler award at the 2008 Detroit Autorama. If you don’t know what the Riddler is then, as the car’s builders say, the Ferrambo is not for you. But the Ferrambo is for someone who has got lots of money and an appreciation for fine craftsmanship and the automotive oddities, as Mike and Tim are putting it up for sale. They don’t list the asking price, but we imagine it’s quite a bit more than the sum of its parts. Check out the Ferrambo for yourself in our gallery below, and if you’re really interested, call GP Imports at 1-800-763-4016 for the price.
[Source: GP Imports]
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30th August 2008
Filed under: Coupes, Videos, Supercars, Chevrolet, Dodge
A couple months back, the bone-stock Corvette ZR1 put supercars everywhere on notice when it took on the famed Nurburgring and ran a Nissan GT-R-beating 7:26. The track-ready, fire breathing Viper ACR bested the Corvette’s amazing effort by posting an incredible 7:22 lap time. Despite a four second difference in total track time, blogger Andi Barichi slapped both track videos together (after 30 seconds of annoying scrolling text) to verify that the Viper ACR came out on top. Hit the jump to view the two fastest American-made, street legal, 600+ hp beasts as they tangle in a ‘Ring battle for the ages. The video proves what we already knew, but it’s still fun to see how two very different, yet very similar vehicles, handle the twists and turns of the Nurburgring. Thanks for the tip, Jordan!
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading VIDEO: Viper ACR and Corvette ZR1 battle on the ‘Ring
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30th August 2008
Filed under: BMW, Lifestyle
Kudos to the crew at BMW, who recently donated a few cars, a handful of instructors and one of its test tracks to an injured Marine training class. A group of soldiers wounded in Iraq were invited to the track to learn performance driving techniques behind the wheel of some seriously desirable machinery, including the 650i coupe on the right. The vehicles were modified in order to allow the disabled soldiers to operate them, some with hand controls for Marines who had lost their legs in battle. To operate the throttle, drivers pull back a hand lever and push forward to operates the brakes.
Injured soldiers are provided with driver training after healing from their injuries. According to the Marines who attended the BMW training, though, the skills learned on the race track were much more thorough and will prove invaluable in their transition back to daily life.
[Source: The New York Times via Kicking Tires Photo: Chris Keane / NYT]
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30th August 2008
Filed under: Time Warp, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Ford, Celebrities
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time driving Ford’s modern day interpretation of the Mustang Bullitt and came away wanting one in the worst way. It’s true that the late model Mustang has issues, but no other car is able to channel that much soul, charisma and character through its steering column. The only thing better would be an actual 1968 Mustang GT 350 Fastback like the one Steve McQueen actually drove in the film. Fans of the car and McQueen are one step closer to realizing this dream thanks to the McQueen estate, which has authorized the building of official replica Bullit Mustangs in honor of the film’s 40th anniversary. Ownership of the Bullit name is shared by the McQueen family and Warner Bros., so we’re not sure who would actually build these replica Bullitts, but we’ll be first in line when they eventually surface.
[Source: TheMustangSource.com]
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30th August 2008
Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, SUVs, Green, Rumormill
Click above for high-res gallery of the Fisker Karma
Fisker Automotive is going to have its work cut out for it when it comes to meeting its self-imposed deadline of bring the Karma sedan to market by the fourth-quarter of 2009. To complicate matters even further, the automaker is now rumored to be working on three more plug-in hybrids. That would represent a truly serious undertaking for such a small automaker. To ease matters slightly, all four models would use the same basic underpinnings — including the most important piece of all, the lithium ion battery and its assorted bits. Fisker has recruited Quantum Technologies, a company which has seen success building vehicles for the military, for help in creating the drivetrain for its electric vehicles. Reportedly on the drawing board are a coupe, a convertible and an SUV, all of which should go a long way towards meeting Fisker’s goal of selling 15,000 vehicles a year by 2011.
[Source: Channel 4]
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