The Chrysler Corporation released word today of looking to develop a small sub compact car to do battle with the rising gas prices.  Since the increased demand for oil from exponentially growing China, and a weak economy in the US, gas prices have seemed to soar out of reach for most Americans.  Chrysler’s current smallest offering of the two liter Sebring, will dwarf the proposed new car based on the Dodge Hornet.  Could this be a winning game plan?  It definitely could, however only if this new sub compact can surpass the fuel mileage of the micro sized Smart Fortwo which only gets a very disappointing 32 mpg.  This should not be a miracle task as cars have gotten high mpg since the late 70’s.  The CRX HF got a reported 50 mpg in the 80’s.  Chrysler needs to keep those MPG’s in mind, and maybe take a page out of the old playbook, because with their current formula, size doesn’t seem to matter.  The company plans to release the car sometime around 2010.

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It

Racing official, Mauricia Grant, is filing a lawsuit against the NASCAR organization on grounds of both sexual and racial harassment.  The young 32 year old African-American woman began working in her field because she loved the high adrenaline atmosphere, the fast cars, and getting be around some of the top drivers in the world.  However, she claims that the enjoyment of her job quickly faded as a result of a hostile work environment.

In the lawsuit, she alleged she was referred to as “Nappy Headed Mo” and “Queen Sheba,” by co-workers, and was often told she worked on “colored people time.”  However this appeared to just be the beginning of things as she was also subjected to sexual advances from male co-workers, two of whom had allegedly exposed themselves to her.

According to a recent Sports Illustrated article the lawsuit details a series of alleged incidents:

• Grant was forced to work outside more often than the white male officials because her supervisors believed she couldn’t sunburn because she was black.

• While riding in the backseat of her car pool at Talladega Superspeedway, co-workers told her to duck as they passed race fans. “I don’t want to start a riot when these fans see a black woman in my car,” she claims one official said.

• When packing up a dark garage at Texas Motor Speedway an official told Grant: “Keep smiling and pop your eyes out ’cause we can’t see you.”

• When she ignored advances from co-workers, Grant was accused of being gay. She also claimed co-workers questioned the sexual orientation of two other female officials.

• She was asked by her supervisor “Does your workout include an urban obstacle course with a flat-screen TV on your back?”

Grant says the incident has not diminished her love of the sport, however she demands that things need to change.  She claims that after numerous reports of these incidents, Grant was given the same un-assuring response of “these are military guys” or “you need to just deal with it”, somewhat of a “boys will be boys” concept.  NASCAR claims they have not reviewed the suit so were not available to comment too much on the incident, but did state that they have a strongly enforced zero tolerance policy on harassment.  Well a $225 million dollar lawsuit will no doubt make them tighten up the regulation and enforcement of that policy.

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It

Dodge is now releasing the pricing for the next round of Challenger’s due out this fall to follow up the SRT8 sales.  For just over $21,000 you can have a 3.5 liter V6 making 250 horsepower mated to a four-speed automatic transmission . This base sticker will include such options as a 17 inch wheels combo, power windows, locks and mirrors as well as air conditioning.  Standard safety features will include side airbags and a CD player with MP3 capability for making that commute a little more enjoyable.

If you want something a little juicer to sink your teeth into, you could step up to the Challenger R/T at just under $30,000.  For the increased cost you get the famous 5.7 liter Hemi V8 and 370 ponies.  When keeping those horses corraled you can take advantage of the Hemi’s cylinder cutoff technology.  To get you moving down the road, that power will be fed through a five speed automatic transmission.  The R/T includes standard options such as stability control, larger 18 inch wheels, fog lights, and leather trim.  For a little more fun you can opt for the Track Pak which will give you a 6 speed manual, limited slip differential, and the classic pistol grip shifter.

For those who want the ultimate though, there is the $40k dollar option of the SRT8 and its massive 6.1 liter engine with 425 horsepower, with a standard 5 speed automatic and a 6 speed manual offered as an option.  2009 will also bring some new color choices including High Performance Red, and B5 Blue, and who could forget those black hood stripes?

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It

So its not the kind of solar power that comes from panels, this is just the warm sun shining on you from your new open roof Prius.  Now you can get a better look at nature while helping to protect it.  This is not an upcoming offering from Toyota, but a design by Newport Convertible Engineering.  The group has removed the standard hardtop and replaced it with an electric canvas top.  The topless Prius still sports roof supports to help with sealing, and a rear window from an Audi TT to keep tabs on whats behind you.  The new roof maintains the same factory lines very well.  There is no doubt this is a Prius.  This isnt NCE’s first attempt at a drop top conversion, they have been doing it for a long time.  Some of their most notable work was a convertible NSX that would leave onlookers begging Acura for a production version, and this NCE Prius could be no different.  Its a new take on a growing favorite, and why not enjoy the fresh air while helping to keep it that way?

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It

What you see before you is not the body of the new SLC AMG.  The body is a hacked and butchered Dodge Viper variation.  It is what is underneath those awkward looking black body panels that has the news media talking.  The heart and sole of the next gullwing door Mercedes is using this body camo to hide its new AMG tuned 6.2 liter V8.  The motor is rumored to be available in two versions, a naturally aspirated version and a twin turbo variant making around 700 horsepower.  With numbers like that, who really cares what the exterior looks like?  I’ll take one in the butchered viper suit!  The undercover SLC AMG will actually be based on the next generation Mercedes SL, and judging from recent spy shots from the famous Nurburgring this next generation supercar will certainly display the Mercedes emblem well.

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It

Electric cars are certainly the latest buzz at car shows and when discussions turn towards the potential future of motoring. However Rinspeed decided to step it up just a but with its latest concept car, the sQuba. Cleverly named because it is an amphibious car. Not only will the vehicle put along the water’s surface at around 2 knots, it can also sink below the waves to a depth of up to 33 feet. The cockpit is an open design to keep from having to add extra wait to allow the car to descend. Have no fear though, the sQuba has an on board air tank for its driver and passenger to keep the adventure level high, without the need for holding your breath. So its fully electric, with zero emissions, and its amphibious… anything else? You bet, the sQuba actually looks great no matter the terrain (or lack there of) do to its Lotus Elise inspired body. 0-62mph times are just a tick over seven seconds, but were else can you have this much fun? Underwater the car is propelled by two side control thrusters. Although there are no plans to put the car into production, and this one off is certainly not for sale, its good to see that there are companies still out there dedicated to dreaming big and are working towards the cars of tomorrow (remember those hover cars we were all promised years ago)? With great looks, and a lot of imagination in the mix, who says water and electricity don’t mix?

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It

The part in your vehicles exhaust that helps clean up those emissions is the new focus for thieves. The part is known as a catalytic converter and has become increasingly valuable as a result of rising metal prices. The unit contains a small amount of platinum that is fetching well in excess of 50 dollars or more from some metal recycling facilities. Armed with a battery powered saw the piece can be cut off in just a few minutes. The cost of replacing this part can be hundreds of dollars. The best advice to avoid theft is to set your alarm, park in well lit areas or a garage, and be mindful of where you leave your vehicle. Trucks and SUV’s are the largest targets at their high ground clearance allows for easier access to the catalytic converter. Toyotas are reportedly more likely to be targeted because they use larger units than most. Its hard to go green when your environmentally friendly parts are being stripped off your car…

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It

With gas prices on the rise it is no surprise to see sites like craigslist full of items up for sale in hopes of making some quick cash to try to fill the gas tank. However new trends have begun to emerge in ad selling points and in bartering offers. One of the biggest changes is the noting of how much gas is in the tank of the car at the time of sale, “Will be sold with 1/2 tank of fuel”. Proposals like that at first seemed funny but as they become more common often translate into deal makers. Many large vehicles are being offered for trade in hopes of getting a small scooter or motorcycle. One ad listed this morning read “Volvo for Vespa”. Its a sign of the times, unfortunately.

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It

Lotus is getting ready to release what it hopes to be its next big sucess! Thirteen years ago Lotus stirred up the market when they made very little cars a whole huge amount of fun to drive with its Elise. Now the company hopes to do it again with the 2010 Eagle. The car may be a little large in size and shape, which will help with the difficult task of entry and exit, but will retain its small size and rigid frame construction. The car is said to use the Toyota Camry V6 but we can feel confident in saying this will not be a stock Camry setup. In traditional Lotus fashion we expect to see some varying engine configurations and would not be surprised to be a boosted version making its way into the car later down the line. The Eagle will share the sharp styling lines of the Elise, that still after all of this time fail to look dated. Its a larger car for a more all around friendly driving experience, but rest assured that the Eagle will not give up an inch when it comes to handling, power, and the fun factor!

Discuss This In The Forum

Bookmark It