JCCS ‘09 Teasers

The fifth annual Japanese Classic Car Show is now in the books, and what a show it was. I thought I’d throw up a few teaser shots to hold you guys over until I can organize all my photos from today’s show (there are a lot of them this time!). Beautiful weather, tons of down to earth enthusiasts, and a fantastic selection of vintage Japanese iron. Does it get any better? Naturally I kept my eyes open for cars with aggressive stance, and there were countless examples of the wide ‘n low sitting under the warm Orange County sun. …but none as extreme as this. More on the shakotan Z soon! Continue reading at Speedhunters

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Pagani Zonda R officially unveiled in Vienna

Filed under: Supercars

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Pagani Zonda R

The Pagani Zonda did something incredible. It proved that the supercar world did not revolve around Ferrari and Lamborghini. So to commemorate Horacio Pagani's achievement, the hypercarmaker has created one last version of the Zonda before its replacement arrives next year.

After 24 months of development, and at the urging of an unnamed Italo-American customer that already owns three Zondas, the Pagani Zonda R was created as a lightweight, track-only variant of the iconic coupe. Production is limited to ten examples with a price tag of 1.4-million euro.

Although the carbon fiber exterior is deceiving, the Pagani Zonda R only carries over 10% of its structure from its predecessors. The wheelbase has grown by 47mm, the overall length is 394mm longer and the track has been widened by 50mm. An all-new carbon fiber monocoque resides underneath the wind-tunnel tested body, along with a forged aluminum suspension, new six-speed sequential gearbox and four aero-spec fuel pumps that feed a Mercedes-Benz AMG-sourced 6.0-liter V12. Pagani claims the new heart - nestled into the 2,425-pound R - will produce 750 hp at 8,000 rpm and 524 lb-ft of torque, for a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 248.54 mph. Air is fed into the bent-twelve through a carbon fiber air intake system, while an Inconel manifold and "F1-style" exhaust releases spent hydrocarbons and keeps engine temps in check.

Pagani makes it clear that the Zonda R is a not street legal, and one owner is taking that to the illogical extreme. One of the first Zonda Rs to be delivered will be installed in the customer's living room and fitted with a bespoke stereo system to play the R's swan song as it rips around the Nurburgring and LeMans. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Pagani Zonda R

[Source: Pagani | Image: Argentina Auto Blog]

Continue reading Pagani Zonda R officially unveiled in Vienna

Pagani Zonda R officially unveiled in Vienna originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Photos of the 2010 Kia Sorento Hit the Web

Kia World has managed to get some more photos of the 2010 Kia Sorento.

The all-new Sorento ditches its old body-on-frame design for a unit-body platform. In the US engine choices should include a 2.4L 4-cyl and a 3.8L V6 mated to six-speed transmissions.

The all-new Sorento is expected to have its world debut at the Seoul Motor Show and its official US debut will be at the New York Auto Show shortly after.

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Mint Comanche

Douglas just picked up this mint Comanche and is looking to swap in a bigger engine. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment on his ride page.

I love these things. I still don’t get why Jeep doesn’t continue to offer a pickup.

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Oil Prices Drop 10% After House Rejects $700 Billion Bailout Bill

Yesterday, after the House of Representatives rejected the $700 billion dollar bailout plan designed to rescue the U.S. finance industry, the Dow Jones plunged a record 700 points - the biggest single-digit loss in history. There was, however, an unexpected bonus to the defeat that went largely unnoticed amid the chaos: the price of crude oil dropped an entire 10%. Following a trend sparked last week when U.S. November crude dropped 11.8%, yesterday November crude reached a session low of $95.04 a barrel, the second biggest drop since April 23, 2003.

The price of crude oil began taking a [relative] nose dive last week, and within the past seven days has fallen a total of $25 per barrel, or 20% overall. Today, however, the New York Mercantile Exchange recorded a $1.31 increase for November crude, elevating it to $97.68 a barrel. Market analysts don’t believe the slight upswing is indicative of a growing trend, and actually predict that crude oil will fall to $80 a barrel through the course of the next six months - possibly even falling as low as $60 a barrel.

What this means to you: Now, it won’t be quite so costly to refuel the vehicle you and your family will be living out of shortly.

[News Sources: CNNMoney.com & AutoNews.com]

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Corporate espionage, lawsuits, public outcry – the dark side of private traffic enforcement

Posted by Autoblog

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

No one likes parking tickets. We would go so far as to say that everyone hates parking tickets. Well, everyone except for city governments and certain companies in the private sector that profit handsomely from…

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10 WTF Bumper Stickers

After eliminating stickers that were politically biased to the point of being pestiferous, as well as those that appeared to be from Spencer Gifts’ “Unfunny Asshole” division, it wasn’t difficult to trim the final selection down to 10. So, without further ado, I present to you the 10 bumper stickers that are most likely to induce a chortled “wtf?”

1. The Municipal Worker’s Creed

Who thinks it’s funny: Anyone residing in a state with a major roadway that’s been under construction since approximately the Regan Administration.

2. Mothers Against Drunk Fondling

Who thinks it’s funny: Anyone who ever listened to The Loaf’s Paradise By The Dashboard Light/Parents routinely overheard describing cherubic toddler as their “Happy little surprise.”

3. Truth In Stereotypes

Who thinks it’s funny: Men in general/women who can be routinely found performing small engine repairs while their male counterparts relax, sipping their frappuccino gingerly while thumbing through the new L.L. Bean catalog.

4. The Good Ol’ Days

Who doesn’t think it’s funny: Jimmy “Designer Board” Jitbag and his roving band of spoiled socialites.

5. Kill The [Bike] Messenger

Who thinks it’s funny: People who live in large metropolitan areas densely populated with “hipster” bike messengers and their loathsome elitist “underground” culture.

6. College Rivalry

Who think it’s funny: Michigan State University alums/anyone who doesn’t know jackshit about college sports, but finds the obscurity of the question humorously appealing.

7. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Homemade Beer

Who think it’s funny: Hardcore fans of the Miami Herald’s Pulitzer Prize winning humor columnist Dave Barry, who daily mourn his retirement.

8. Rules of the Road

Who thinks its funny: Veteran road warriors/anyone whose ever shaken their head and muttered “Idiot” while watching a newly-licensed 16 year-old barrel balls-to-the-wall down the right hand lane.

9. Smith Family Update

Who think it’s funny: Regular recipients of those smarmy “family brag sheets” often sent at Christmas time that describe in excruciating detail the epic achievements of a family who probably spends Saturday evenings listening to Lake Woebegone together.

10. 01011011

Who think it’s funny: Your office tech support guy/Windows Vista users/The kid you ridiculed mercilessly in high school who is now worth more than the gross national product of many small countries.

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Old Land Rovers Benefit From New TDi Engine

Even though we seem to be entering a new “Golden Age” of automotive advances in technology, savvy auto-philes have been using their own ingenuity for quite some time to do the very things that the major manufacturers are just now getting around to, such as EV and Hybrid vehicles.  Some of those cars have even been highlighted here on RideLust.  For those of us without the time or know-how to start taking out our car’s power plant or installing solar panels on our roofs, there are less extreme ways in which to retrofit your older vehicle to improve on the original and enjoy the benefits of some of the advances made in fuel efficiency. 

Land Rover TDi Engine

Perhaps the most significant upgrade that many SUV owners are looking towards is a swap of their gas engine for diesel.  Unfortunately, here in the States we have only recently begun to really embrace the diesel engine that Europeans have enjoyed for years.  One shop that has set out to rectify the diesel’s neglect is East Coast Rovers located in Maine.  This shop specializes in taking US-Spec Land Rover V8s and swapping in a TDi engine.  Though certainly not a cheap proposition, this sort of engine transplant job has many advantages, the biggest being fuel efficiency.  Over the long term, the benefits of the TDi include the diesel engines proven durability (especially valuable in off-roading) and almost double the fuel efficiency.  While the original V8 Defenders average between 12-15 mpg, a turbo diesel increases that number to 26 mpg.  Also, because diesels are inherently simpler in construction and devoid of most of the electronics present in new engines, they also typically require less service and last longer than the original Rover’s V8.  Forgetting all of the efficiency and repair headaches that an owner may alleviate with a diesel, most would agree that as an offroading vehicle, diesels out perform their gas counterparts by a wide margin.  According to East Coast Rovers, the low end torque of the Tdi which produces 195 ft. lbs. at just 1800 rpms, means that a driver has the ability to negotiate nearly any terrain it can get their tires on.  The Tdi has so much torque at idle that it will just keep going even without your foot on the clutch or the throttle.  Another benefit of the Tdi off road  is the fact that is doesn’t overheat or generate an increasing amount of heat while idling. 

While those that drive hybrids and soon, electric cars, can bask in the righteousness reserved for those that take climate change and energy problems seriously, the upgrades made to an expensive car like the Defender could surely be adopted in a wider range of vehicles already on the road.  Meaning there really are increasingly few reasons why most everyone can’t take an active part in addressing these issues.

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Random Brit Tech Writer Claims UK Drivers Are Terrible [Media]

The article piqued our interest by starting:

Britain may not have an empire any more, but one thing we still rule the world at is bad driving."

but bored us with the tech talk. [techradar]

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2010 Kia Sorento Teaser Released

Kia has released an official teaser image of the 2010 Kia Sorento that is going to be officially unveiled at the Seoul Auto Show.

The all-new Sorento ditches its old body-on-frame design for a more up to date unibody platform, which will improve the Sorento's ride and handling. The Sorento will be powered by a variety engines including a 2.2L diesel, and a 2.4L and 3.8L gas powered engines. A a 2.7L LPI (Liquefied Petroleum Injection) engine is also expected for the Korean market. A new six-speed automatic transmission is also going to be offered.

The 2010 Kia Sorento will be unveiled in April with sales starting in the US by the end of the year.

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Geneva 09' Preview: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe Unveiled

Mercedes is going to officially unveil the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe at the Geneva Motor Show next month. We've seen several spy photos of the new coupe, but here's our first official look at the successor to the CLK.

The E-Class coupe features many of the same design elements as the equally new E-Class sedan combined with a roofline that is similar to the current CLK. It also features no B-pillars and fully retractable side windows. All of these elements help the coupe achieve a Cd of just 0.24, which Mercedes claims makes it the most aerodynamically efficient production car on the market.

The engines range from the diesel E 250 CDI, which is 36 percent more powerful than the previous model while also consuming 17 percent less fuel. The range topping engine is in the E500 with its 388 hp V8 engine.

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Chicago 09': 2010 Ford Taurus SHO Unveiled with 365 HP

All the months of speculation can now end...Ford has officially unveiled the 2010 Taurus SHO at the Chicago Auto Show.

The first Taurus SHO debuted in 1989 and after three generations it was killed 10 years later, but now its back and better than ever. The new Taurus SHO builds upon the recently unveiled Taurus, but features much more power thanks to the 365 horsepower EcoBoost V6 under the hood. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and all-wheel-drive is standard.

The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO will be available this summer wit a starting price of $37,995.

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