Studebaker buyers were different. Early on to appease their customers Studebaker added features such as the over head valve V8 in 1947, padded dash, seat belts, at the same time they took a very aero look to their cars including a very spacy bullet nose. In 1953 they stunned the automotive world with Studebaker Commander Coupe. Maybe too shocking for the average buyer. The low and wide cars were a generation ahead of the rest of the industry The low swooping nose with twin snorkels was unlike anything else, the roof line was a good 8 inches lower than everyone else. The performance abilities of the Lowey designed car was amazing for a, first 239 CID engine and got more so when they opened it up to 289 cid..The big cast iron block was wide and heavy but extremely durable As they found out when they made the Paxton Supercharger an option.
The Hawk series was an interesting departure of the ultimate coupe the 1955 President Coupe ( See the Video http://youtu.be/2bmdoiMY7uI ). The stand up Mercedes grill of the Hawk is due to Studebakers marketing partnership with Mercedes Benz, with the hope that they could sell more cars. The Hawk line was almost a complete separate brand. Starting with Golden Hawk - Sky Hawk - Power Hawk - Flight Hawk - Silver Hawk - Hawk - GT Hawk and the Packard Hawk that was powered by a completely different 352 CID V8.
The Studebaker Sky Hawk was a pillarless two-door hardtop coupe for the 1956 model year only. The Sky Hawk was considered part of the Studebaker President series. One of four models of Hawks available that year, the Sky Hawk was positioned between the flagship Golden Hawk and Power Hawk pillared coupe. Sky Hawks differed from Golden Hawks in that they had less chrome trim and lacked the Golden Hawk's fins. They also had slightly less luxurious interiors, and were powered by the President's 289 cubic inch V-8 with 210 HP standard and 225 horsepower optional instead of the Packard 352 of the Golden Hawk. Only 3,050 were produced that year. The Sky Hawk was discontinued for the 1957 model year.
The company was founded in 1910 by Harry Frederick Stanley Morgan, generally known as "HFS" and was run by him until he died in 1959. Then Peter Morgan, son of H.F.S., ran the company until a few years before his death in 2003. The company is currently run by Charles Morgan, the son of Peter Morgan.
The Three-Wheeler. One of the first mass market vehicles at the start of the 20th Century, this Morgan Three-wheeler was by far the best and most successful of what was a separate category of motor vehicle, the "Cyclecar". Morgan's simple and well designed and brilliantly engineered vehicle was the one to have.
This was a car that is completely , and screams British! Who needs weather protection in Europe's wettest climate. At first there was not much in the way of a transmission, the three speed transmission driving the one rear wheel of this 1932 example was known as the "Cats Whiskers".
The W-31 was a Cutlass with a 350 CID Performance Option, not a 442 Option and was only built for 2 seasons, in 1969 and 1970. Engine upgrades included the use of what's become known as the 308 camshaft, which was actually the unit's duration; the camshaft also touted .474-inch lift and an intake/exhaust valve overlap of 82 degrees. The engines were factory blue printed units by picking components off the production line that were matched in weight. The Connecting rods for the W-31 engine were particular to the engine The Cylinder heads were also specific to the W-31 Completing the fuel/air induction system was an aluminum intake manifold with a "performance calibrated" 750-CFM Rochester Quadrajet as well as the W25 low-restriction air cleaner assembly. Above that was a new-for-1970 air induction system: twin scoops on top of a fiberglass hood with chrome hold-downs.
Only 1029 of these made. The rarest of the high performance Oldsmobile made.
Behind the engine is a Muncie M21 4 Speed Trans w/ Hurst Shifter. Dual Exhaust, RLimited Slip Rear-End. Manual Brakes, HD 4 core Radiator. the W-31 package automatically upgraded the front and rear coil-sprung suspension to the FE2 heavy-duty components, including special springs and tubular hydraulic shocks.
After the buy out of Chrysler by Fiat, it was only a matter of time before we would once again see some mainstream cars from the giant Italian company in the US, besides the Ferrari's. That is correct the Fiat and Ferrari are made by the same company. This is another modern car that takes styling cues from its name from the 1960's Fiat 500.
Just like the new Beatle and the Mini Cooper there is nothing in common with the old and the new except a similar shape and profile. This is a completely modern car in every way and has some very advanced engine management technology directly developed for Ferrari's Formula 1 racing team. Many comparisons are being made with the Mini, although similar in size they are not in the same price category, the Fiat ranges in price from $15,500 for the base model and $19,000 for a fully loaded model like the one we drove.
This car belongs to John Montgomery President of the Fiat Lancia Unlimited Club FLU, and a big thanks to Cynthia Meitle of CAR PR USA for Introducing me to John. He was on our radio show last week and since he was coming to The Mitty at Road Atlanta where I would be, we got together and he let me drive his car.
John said it best "if you are a fugitive or in the witness protection program, don't buy this car". Every time we stopped, a crowd would gather around the car. They asked to sit in it and if John would let them drive it. John accommodated just about every one. If he had come to the Mitty with ten new cars to sell, they would have been all gone in the first hour. That is just how positive everyone, including me, feel about this little car. This car is cute, men like it and women adore it. I am not easily impressed but I must admit that the Fiat 500 exceeded my expectations by a very wide margin. At first glance I look at the fit of the panels and the smoothness and shine of the paint, it is better than most, and on par with cars that cost much more, like the MINI and the VW, much more expensive cars. Opening the wide door you are greeted by a very nice bucket seat with height and back adjustments and seat cushions wider than the European version to accommodate our larger butts and shoulders.(copy-write that as a possible brand for something) Once in the seat the room is very ample for my 6 foot 225lbs size 12 shoes. The ample width and height makes the car feel bigger, and that can be attributed to the large airy cabin. Instead of stretching out you sit as in a minivan, seats at a comfortable height like a dining room chair. That height transfers to the rear seat also. I initially sat in the backseat, behind my six foot tall assistant Jenifer, the space was adequate for medium distance for some one my size that says a lot! The truly incredible part is that it also has a usable trunk and when you fold down the rear seats you could carry some serious cargo!
Getting into the drivers seat. First thing you notice is the complete integration of all the instruments,gauges, and control indicators in to the round digital display in front of the driver the washer wiper stalk on the right side of the column ha a button to page through the menu options from trip meters to fuel mileage monitors. The model we drove also had Cirrus satellite and blue tooth pairing and will completely integrate your phone and call list onto the vehicles hard drive. It is also voice activated and will read your text and email messages for you. All in a very unassuming clean look. The steering wheel is also trick, with controls for radio, climate controls, and phone functions.
So how does it drive. To say I am a believer puts it into perspective. The power with 3 adults and Johns luggage and literature in the trunk was very acceptable. The 1.4 litter engine puts out 101 horsepower and has a pleasing growl and is very smooth. The shifter for the 5 speed feels very, dare I say it, Ferrari like. The spring load on the shift gate was a little stiffer than I like and it may soften up as the car breaks in. Johns car is so fresh that it barely had 300 miles on it. The adjustable suspension has a normal and sport mode, normal is firm and not jarring at all, switch to the sport mode it also changes the engine mapping and firms the suspension up a little bit more, still comfortable. The handling on the roads was really pleasing and very sure footed.
There is so much more and so many details but this is a Digest. I like it, and with a starting price of $15,500 and fuel mileage in the high 30's to low 40's it is an economical drivers car that does not make you feel that you compromised in any way. It even has features such as the hill holder and an optional 6 speed automatic, standard 5 star crash rating with seven air bags. When Fiat gets more cars out we will do a longer term test and take it out and get the performance numbers on the track. Yes an Abarth Performance model is supposed to come in to the market with 170 horsepower. Check back on Teaser Link as I post more of the video we shot while driving John's car.
Intro and Photos by Steve Natale Story by Miguel Caparros.
While visiting the National Automobile Museum (Harrah Collection) recently, I saw many amazing historic and classic cars on display, but could not help with being infatuated with Bill Harrah’s personal “driver”. A 1977 Jeep Wagoneer, fitted with a 12 cylinder Ferrari engine. The “Jerrari” reflects the personality and creativity of the man who owned it, Bill Harrah. I mentioned the car to Miguel Caparros, and he shared his personal experience of driving this very special car years ago…….
The first time I read about the Jerrari was in Road & Track's Ron Wakefield's article August of 1971 issue. I just had gotten back home to Plymouth New Hampshire from an all expences paid vacation by my former employer, the US Army. I had a lot of reading to catch up on so I startred with the latest issue of Road & Track Magzine. I saw something that seemed so wrong. There was a photo of this Jeep Wagoneer with a Ferrariesque nose and grill. Now at the time I thought what a waste of a perfectly good Ferrari in retrospect, If I had Bill Harrah's finnacial depth I would have created outrageous stuff too. When we moved to California I had a list of things to do #3 was the Harrah collection in Sparks Nevada. In 1983 my friend Bill Duryea and I drove up to Reno from San Francisco, I wanted to see the collection before it was broken up. After Bill Harrah's death there was wrangling about the collection going on with the Holiday Inn who bought the Harrah hotels and the car collection. It was just business, They saw the sale of the collection as a way to recuperate money.
I seem to have a talent for worming my way into places and meet the people that actually get things done. On this day I ran into one of Mr Harrha's son who was working on something of his own. I started to talk about the Jerrari, referring to the original 1968 Jeep Wagoneer with the Ferrari nose grafted on to the front that I had read about in 1971. He told me that car was gone and Mr Harrah had the work shop crew built another with a 1977 Grand Wagoneer. Bill and I were led over to where this very normal looking Wagoneer stood.
At that point we were picked up by one of the shop mechanics and Mr Harah's son left us in some very capeable hands, as this was one of the original fabricators for Bill Harrah. He went into detail as to the problems and fabrication that had to be done to attach the Ferrari engine to the Jeep 4 wheel drive, and the unconventional dual radiators needed as the engine was much longer that the AMC V8 that was originally fitted. After chatting for a while I just had to ask, “Can we go for a ride?” The answer was sure "if you drive and buy lunch". Done! We headed out of the shop and besides the usual Ferrari noises from the engine compartment and a dash full of Stewart Warner gauges, it just felt like any other Jeep. We caught I 80 east bound towards Fernly, ant it climbed up the like no jeep I ever drove. I was able to hold 90 during the climb with out effort. We passed Fernly in no time and were now in the Plateu that leads to Bonniville, No speed limit from here, foot to the floor and I let the Jerrari strech its legs. At 140 you can cover ground like a private plane, Elko was cumming up fast. My new found friend knew of a restaurant in Elko he wanted to eat at. The food and the altitude were taking a toll on my clarity so Bill drove back to Fernly foot plastered to the floor and hitting 150 on some down hill streches. We did go by a Nevada Trooper that turned on his lights and just as quickly turned them off, he either knew who's Jeep this was or figured by the time he got the cruiser up to speed he would never be able to catch the Wagoneer that had set off his radar at 150 +.
This article was prompted by a posting from Sam Fiorani, another automotive historical journalist on his website, Automotive Travel about the sale of a recently built 1965 Ford Mustang Station Wagon. I remember my initial fascination with the cover and article from Car and Driver magazine 1966 October issue. The car was never officially connected to Ford, but it was commissioned by the account executive Barney Clark of J.Walter Thompson, Ford's advertising agency. The conversion from a GT coupe was done in Italy by the coach works of Intermechanica. Originally sports wagons were know as shooting brakes in England. Wealthy sportsmen would commission local coach builder to build a two door sporty wagon with tailgate from which they could load hunting dogs and guns for some game shooting. Later Volvo actually was the first to take the concept of the sports wagon into major production in 1971 with the P1800 ES.
When JWT was done with the car, it was locally sold in New York, where it became a very special daily driver. It was last seen and photographed in a Levittown neighborhood on Long Island.
The Red car with the Gold Shelby Stripes is the one in Sam's story. This car had a no expenses job done to it and a modern drive train to make it as useable as any new car.
It is surprising how many individuals have taken it upon themselves to make Mustang wagon conversions. With out really digging to deep, I found 7.
The Blue 65 has a very pleasing look due to the the slender B and C pillars and the well cut and fitted rear side windows. A white Shelby GT350 sparks the thought, if you are going to build a wagon version might as well make it something truly remarkable.
A pewter 67 looks real good and classy.
Here is another rendition of a second generation Mustang, this one looks like a 68. Take a close look at this red conversion. The amount of work that it took to graft the top and tailgate from what looks from the photo to be the rear pillars from a 1965 Ford Country Squire. In 65 Ford came up with a system of scooping air from the pillar and directing it across the rear glass to help keep the rear window cleaner.
Here is another red one that seems to have taken its roof, side windows and hatch from the AMC Hornet wagon.
I am certain with the exception of the Intermechanica build, the others used existing production car parts. The rear fender kick up of the Mustang adds complication for using sheet metal and glass from existing cars. If I was asked to do such a conversion I would look at several different donors for the rear would be; the Ford Fairmont Wagon, Pinto Wagon, AMC Hornet wagon, and the Chevy Vega wagon.
If some one offers to sell you their original Prototype 65 Mustang wagon, walk away, Ford never ever made a prototype wagon. The closest they came to it was this mock up from 1966 but the front looks like the 67 and the rear looks like a Gremlin.
So! I got this thing about the big Healey
This write up is about this other Healey Click here to see it. If you compare
you the hood on this Healey you will notice that it has a crease in the hood. The crease was put in by the Jensen workers to stiffen the hood from flexing. eventually a 3rd under hood brace was installed that negated the crease. These creased hoods were installed in the 100 6 and the early 3000, until the supply was exhausted. Personally I like it!
The 100/6 replaced the 100/4 in 1957. The six was a better car in every way. A smoother, beautiful sounding six replacing the tractor derived four. A much better shifting transmission, disc brakes as standard, the 2 inches of additional wheel base to accommodate the longer engine mad for a more comfortable car all around. Also the additional length made the car look more powerful. The car still retained the side curtains and 2 seats with a 4 seat version being added to the line up. Later the 3000 would eventually become a Gentleman's Express tourer. One thing I truly loved about the 100/4 was the fold down windscreen, from the six on they were conventional fixed windshields. In 1956 my father came home with a stray that followed him from Sebring Florida. It was a Austin Healey BN2 100 S factory race car, alloy body, Reno red in color. For all intents and purpose a race car on the street. The S was by far the rarest of all Healey's, 50 made and an additional 5 were made with the aluminum head, no overdrive and disc brakes. This one was one of the 5. From mid 1956 to 1958 this was my fathers primary race car.
In 1958 my sister turned 15, old enough to drive. Rosa thought it would be real cool to drive to school in the very unique sports car.
I do not remember Rosa at least getting familiar with driving in the family car, at that point, a 1957 Chevrolet Belair 4 door hardtop. No, she confirmed that dad wanted her to learn on the Healey. I was taken along with dad and Rosa, I sat in the area behind the seats. We drove out into the country where there was a lovely 2 lane road, no trees or utility poles to hit, grassy expanses with cows and bulls grazing. Straight in both directions not a soul was in sight. Rosa and dad exchange seats and dad started to explain the procedure for pushing down the clutch, selecting first gear, then gently pushing down on the gas pedal while letting up the clutch. In reality the way it happened was, she pushed on the gas not realizing how quickly the engine would respond, my father was warning her to let up on the accelerator she slid her foot off the clutch. The momentum created by the action caused her foot to push the accelerator al the way to the floor. Both my father and I were shoved back, he pinned against the seat and I smacked my head against the rear cowl. Rosa was frozen into inaction. The spinning tires were forcing the car forward under full throttle and it started to veer onto the grassy shoulder heading towards the pasture fence and a bull. Dad was able to overcome the g forces and was able to reach the ignition switch just in time before our collision with the fence and the curious bull. She eventually did learn that day, but the reality of driving a race car to school quickly got to be too much. Dad let Rosa drive the 57 Chevy to School!
Our
family is not like most because of how I have made my living for most of my
life. With the exception of a couple of short departures, I have been very
involved in the Auto Industry. That said, like most we have needed family cars
to take the kids to school, Scouting events, food shopping all the normal
things everyone else does. Our first family car was a 1968 Peugeot 404, it that
was a hand me down from my father, we loved that car. As our fortunes rose and
fell it affected what we had for a family car. We eventually settled with what
can be best described as sports sedans. From a modified (turbo) 1979
Bentley to Jetta GLI We have had them all. Mostly we had Audi Turbos, 5 series
BMW’s, big 450 Mercedes and currently a Chrysler 300M. So you would figure that
we would be perfect candidates for the Infiniti M37.
I had a looked at this car before and had not considered it my
kind of car. I like low and wide and the M37 struck me as tall and
narrow. The fit and finish are on par with other cars in its price range and
the list of equipment and options is impressive. More impressive are some
innovative safety related features that we will look at later in detail. The
pewter exterior color is complimented by some very nicely finished off white
leather, flowing lines throughout with sculptured metal and wood accents top
off the look of the interior.
Driving it.
This is a push button start car with a proximity sensor built
into the remote control. I constantly lived with the fear of leaving the remote control sensor on the roof and having to try and find where it fell after I drove off. As a test of my paranoia, Bob stayed in the car with the engine running while I walked away with the sensor. At about 100 feet I was thinking this could be a problem, I went back when Bob honked at me. Apparently there is
a flashing warning light in the panel that came on when I
was 30 feet away. My key fob fear has not been satisfied. With the key fob
safely on your person, step on the brake pedal, press the start button once. On the center
console is a knob marked snow, Eco, dot (standard mode) and sport, trust me
just leave it on sport, unless you have snow. After a short delay the engine
will start and you are ready to go. Not quite, we have all learned to adjust
our seats and mirrors before we go and then make minor adjustments as needed.
If you have above average size hands for a man, there is no way you can adjust
the seat once the door is closed. Two possibilities here are, first that
the manufacturer put in wider seat for the larger Americans. My English friend
told me he has the same problem with the right hand drive car there. The other
is as I first suspected the car is narrower than most on the inside.
Doreen who has long slender hands found it uncomfortable to reach the
switches, at least she could, but the contortions while driving could distract
her from the task at hand (pun intended).
The engine has the Nissan 370 Z howl and with good reason it
shares most of the drive train with the Z so it has a pedigree of sporty
character. The ride is firm but not jarring, as a matter of fact we all love
the ride and handling of this car. Unless you want one of these as your track
toy, do not get the sport package. It is much too harsh and stiff for every day
driving and your passengers will not like you. The standard suspension and
Michelin tires are the perfect combination for spirited driving and comfort.
The 7 speed auto/manual shift transmission has the perfect combination of
refinement and bad boy, as it blips the throttle on down shifts. There is a very noticeable lag in action when using the transmission in manual mode The car is certainly
a Jekyll and Hyde and the driver’s controls which one comes out to play, sometimes.
The dash is dominated by a very large screen that is the center for all of the controls and adjustments for most of the electronics. The premium sound system is fantastic, but the controls are not intuitive. You can resort to the two traditional knobs on the radio fascia. Directly in front of the driver is the gauge and
information pod that is easy to read and understand. The steering wheel pad
bristles with switches to control the sound system, intelligent cruise controls
(more on this later), Bluethooth hands free phone system and the menu control for
the navigation system. Staying within reach of the heated steering wheel, on
the right stalk are the wiper washer controls with rain sensing, on the left the headlight, turn
signal and fog lamp stalk. Jutting out just below that is the joy stick to
control the steering wheel position. The seats are heated and cooled.
We do not mean to overwhelm you, but this and other cars in
its class do bristle with technology and one of the choices as the driver you
need to make is what to turn on and turn off.
The driveway is the place to become familiar with all of this equipment, not
while you are driving. Infiniti has
included 6 books in a very nice leather pouch and it is strapped in the right
side of the trunk. Do read quick reference guide, for more details the owners manual and the navigation systems manual.
Performance
Many want to compare this car to a BMW, Lexus and even
the Mercedes, it is not a direct competitor to those cars in my opinion. This car is more attractive to an insurance company executive in his late 50's than a 35 year old dot "commer" that cashed in his first stock split and wanted something flashy and fast. Fast it is we got a 0-60 of 5.3 seconds, as my wife Karyn phrased it, " its quick but not Holy Crap quick". We just broke into 13.9 in the 1/4 mile just hit 100 mph. In normal fast street driving the car has good balance but the tall height and tall driving position makes it feel very "tippy". We did not do the performance testing on this car, about 3 months ago we had a rental and took it out to our secret airport runway where we pushed the limits. The limits is where this car really falls down. All the electronics that are there to help you in daily life just get in the way of going fast and having fun. It pushes going into the turn, the stability management tries to pull you, by applying the brakes on the opposite side and it is just overwhelmed. Even with the traction control in the off position I could feel the intrusions of the electronics while trying to hold a drift. If you want a track car, this is not it.
Styling
When it comes to styling this car is a success or a failure depending on your point of view. Mike Thies, our Senior tester (also our tallest at 6'7") found the soft flowing lines pleasing and the interior both calming and a little busy. Mike likes white cars, Vanilla ice cream with Chocolate chips can sometimes be too exciting for him. Doreen Caparros, our Technical Editor and by far the youngest member of the team, felt "there is nothing to set this car apart from so many mainly Asian mid size sedans. Her first impression, "is it a cross over?". I personally have never found the Humps and Curves school of styling very attractive or pleasing to my eyes. Bob Sarda our resident comic likes his wife's Honda Accord better, ouch !
Interior
The interior was a mixed bag, "Mikey likes it!" The truth be told, he fits better in this car than any other he has driven, The seat rearward movement and the tall roof affords him comfort that he never thought he would ever have. His position negates the use of the left rear seat. The fact that Mike had to push the seat all the way back away from the door panel. did allow him to reach the seat controls. Doreen initially liked the contrast of the chrome wood and leather, that, slowly eroded during the week we had the car. As soon as she got in she could not find enough lumbar support from the seat back. Little things can pick away at you, in this instance it was the hinge from the floor accelerator pedal. It interferes with her heals forcing her to either remove the shoe or or twist her leg, that gets tiring fast. She liked the size of the central video screen but was not convinced that having three different ways to access the functions is the way to go. She also feels in this price range it should have the connectivity of the Ford Microsoft system and this interface is very limiting. ( I think she has a Microsoft tattoo somewhere on her person.) Another thing that bothered her was the lack of the estimate arrival time of arrival on the navigation screen. The only place we could find it was in map view and no where else. I was able to find a comfortable position thanks to all the adjustments in the seat and the electrically controlled tilt and telescopic steering column. But my mental comfort zone found me driving very slowly. I can not explain it.
The Special Features
As I mentioned this car has the usual list of safety equipment that you would expect in this price class. These systems are there for the average driver to keep them safer. Adaptive Cruise Control. In layman's terms It has forward facing sonar and vision to help Inform you if you stray out of lane, If you catch up to another car while on cruise control it will automatically adjust the speed and keep behind the leading car at a safe distance. The ability to see ahead and the computer figuring trajectories super fast, allows the system to automatically stop the car in the event the driver is distracted or incapacitated. The front sensor array can see when you cross over the lines on the left or right of the car and provides an audible warning. If the lane intrusion happens when another car is in imminent position of hitting you It will apply the brakes on the opposite side to guide your car out of harms way. Mike thought the line sensors were to sensitive, as there is no way he could have crossed the lines that often. Bob was the only one brave enough to test the automatic braking. If you approach eminent contact with a car stopped in front of you, after giving you warning it will stop the car for you.
In Conclusion
I kept the MSRP away from the staff on this car, they all had a vague idea of the price ranging from the mid 40's to mid 50's. After a week of living with the car and disclosing its near $60,000 price tag the results were not that surprising. Not one of us would buy this car. Although price was an issue it was not the only one. Exterior styling was one of the major complains. It does not have the presence or the identity of a car in this price range. That is the Cross Inifiniti has to carry. I thought the 2004 M Infiniti had better presence for a luxury car although the grill is not to my liking. The 2005 infiniti was beginning to appeal to the younger set with its BMW like performance. I am sorry to say the latest incarnation of the M car has lost the momentum in attracting a wide cross section of buyers. We are all in agreement that if we were after a performance luxury sedan we would consider a BMW 5 series or even the new 3 series. The Lexus would also be at the top of our list along with the Audi and Mercedes. Add on to that list the SRT brothers from Dodge and Chrysler, Cadillac would also have to be considered as well, and dare I say it Hyundai! There are many flavors to choose from in this ice cream store, The fun is in the tasting.
The new 2013 Dodge Dart should be arriving July. That said,the 2013 Dodge Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle built on Fiat Group architecture. In this case it is an Alfa Romeo widened platform and is already being built here in the USA. The Alfa DNA translates into fantastic ride and handling capabilities. Depending on the options and packages the price will be from $15,995 to $22,500. The great thing is even the base car is well equipped.
There are plenty of engine and transmission variations. The 2.0-liter Tigershark engine is standard on the Dart SE, SXT, Rallye and Limited models. The preliminary performance ratings for the 2.0-liter Tigershark engine are 160 bhp (119kW) at 6,400 rpm and 145 lb.-ft. (196 Nm) of peak torque at 4,800 rpm.
Speed crazy people like me may opt for the the added performance and a dramatic torque increase, available with a 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbocharged Intercooled engine. The preliminary ratings for the Dart 1.4 MultiAir Turbo engine are 160 bhp (118 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 184 lb.-ft. (249 Nm) of torque from 2,500 through 4,000 rpm. The aftermarket already has 100 ways to increase power with this engine and void the warranty. This is the same engine as in the Fiat 500 Abarth. 250 should possible, do it at your own risk
.
Largest of the trio of engines available is the new 2.4-liter Tigershark engine with MultiAir® 2, is the third Chrysler Group engine to feature MultiAir technology. The preliminary ratings for the 2.4-liter TIgershark with MultiAir 2 are 184 horsepower (137 kW) at 6,250 rpm and 171 lb.-ft. (232 Nm) of torque at 4,800 rpm. The engine is slated for availability in the third quarter of 2012. Found my engine!
Transmission choices are wonderful as they are all 6 speeds. They are a new six-speed DDCT, six-speed manual and a new six-speed automatic.
C635 Six-speed Manual Transmission
Standard on all three engines is the six-speed C635 manual transmission. This state-of-the-art gearbox is designed and built by Fiat Powertrain. Compact and lightweight, the transmission is designed to withstand maximum torque values up to 350 Nm.
C635 Dual Dry Clutch Six-speed Automatic Transmission
Improved performance and fuel efficiency are just two attributes of Chrysler Group's new C635 DDCT. The new DDCT will be available exclusively on 2013 Dodge Dart models equipped with the 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbocharged engine.
6F24 Six-speed Automatic Transmission
Small and compact, the new Powertech six-speed automatic transmission is fully electronic and is designed for increased fuel efficiency. Torque capacity for the new transmission is 250 Nm.
With a 5.4 gear spread, gear changes are nearly imperceptible at all speeds and optimum shift quality is provided throughout the rpm range, including launch, acceleration and passing at highway speeds. Autostick is standard.
I am holding out for the SRT Turbo. Oops ignore
that statement.
By Miguel Caparros
Being completely caught off guard by
the introduction and success of the 1964 Ford Mustang, Chevrolet took
3 years to field a competitor. The 1967 Camaro was the right
response. Chevrolet went with the platform that would also be shared
with the Nova. This platform also had room in the engine compartment
for the full inventory of Chevrolet engines, from the inline 6 to the
327 and 396 V8's. The first year out, the Camaro had the Mustang
covered on horsepower. It was this great flexibility in power trains
and trim packages that helped Chevrolet catch up in sales by 1969.
The 1969 Camaro went through a body redesign that changed the character of the car substantially. The Camaro was a larger car than the Mustang, the styling for 69 was more of a separate identity than a copy of the Pony car. For what turned out to be a one year body, the designers got it right. The Character lines on the box fenders worked real well with the new larger more distinct grill and the updated tail light panel. The roof was the only panel carried over. But it was out on the streets that the car earned its respect. With the wider stance and the way the tires sat inside the fenders the car looked great from every angle. It was Chevrolet's marketing genius that allowed the order of a six cylinder in the same package as one with a big 427 under the hood. At the other end of the spectrum a bare bones stripped car with drum brakes and no sound insulation or power steering could be had with the 427 engine for street racing and Drag racing. The example in this video is the atypical 1969 Camaro, A Rally Sport Package 350 high performance V8 with a 4 speed. Enough power and looks to please and well behaved enough to be enjoyed in the daily commute. This was a period in time when quality was nowhere near job one. Cars were still routinely traded every 3 years, Rust and lack of proper rust prevention took its toll on these cars too. Lets not forget that the youthful age of the buyers made for a fickle bunch of owners. Somehow they survived to the point you can actually build a new Camaro or Mustang from aftermarket parts.
The Pantera was DeTomaso's home run. He comvinced Ford, the second largest auto manufacturer in the world, to market his cars for who they provided the engines for. A car builders dream come true. There is no question that the lines laid down by American architect and designer of the Pantera, Tom Tjaarda have proven to be timeless, even if in the beginning the road was a bit rocky. The Motoring Press was not kind to the Pantera's handling and rightfully so. Tuners like me made a tidy profit from taming the over steer problem of the early Italian Mid engine cars. The Pantera was not alone, the Lamborghini Miura was introduced a few years ahead of the Pantera and suffered from severe snap over steer too, something Porsche drivers were familiar with. But the Pantera and the Miura packed a lot more power than Porsche's of the time, making the problem even worse.
Since the early 50's American car lovers have been trying to have their cake and eat it too. There is no denying that after WWII some of the most beautifully styled cars were coming out of Europe. Light in weight, sexy and slippery in shape, all they needed was a big dose of american horsepower. I had the pleasure of first hand knowledge of most of these cars that were produced by combining European Style With American Muscle.
A fellow car nut, Mike Gulett, thought enough to chronicle 25 of the best know efforts under the book titled, "European Style With American Muscle". Starting with perhaps the most outrageous, the AC cars in Britain were an upscale alternative to MG and Triumph sports cars. The swooping lines of the aluminum body AC powered by a Bristol inline six, made all the right noises and was a very pleasant car. Along came a Texan by the name of Carroll Shelby and the rest of the story is in Mike Gullet's fantastic book.
Having served time with Ferrari as a youth and owning enough Alfa Romeo's to start a museum, I was very partial to Italian coachwork. Some did the unthinkable by putting in American cast iron overhead V8 engines where Twin cam 4 and 6 cylinder engines resided. I was also warned that there was a special place in hell for those that would replace a Ferrari V12 with a cast iron Cadillac motor.
As Mike's book so clearly shows there were alternative to being Sacrilegious. Start with an Italian car with no engine affiliation. But it is not just limited to the Italians, one of my favorite is the English made Jensen Interceptor. Equipped with big Chrysler V8's, these car were referred to as "Gentleman's Express". Big comfortable, opulent, fitted with the best in leather, wood and Wilton wool carpets, only a big Chrysler V8 could provide the refinement and brutal power that this big 4 seat smoking room on wheels deserved
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Mike Gulett is in my opinion one of the worlds foremost authority on Renzo Rivolta and his series of Iso Automobiles. Arguably the most successful manufacturer of American powered Italians. Get his book it is cheaper than flying me to tell you about it.
By Miguel Caparros See the on track video
Renault is taking the Alpine A 110-50 back to its roots. A race car you can drive on the street, with a 400 HP V6. This prototype is based on the Megan Trophy racer and is supposed to be very close to what will be produced. A bare bones track ready car for club or production car racing, that can also cruise to the market. The debut was at the Monoco Grand Prix circuit where Carlos Taveres did a nice smoky burn out and drifted his way to the first turn. Not bad for being the Renault's Chief Operating Officer, "Its good to be the King". The last Alpine had taken a turn to a luxury sport about with okay power and fair looks. Not the brawler that the original A110 was. A look that preceded the 911, in a smaller lighter package with engines ranging from 1100 cc to 1800 the super lightweight made the Alpine A110 a giant killer.
The new car is aggressive from every direction. From the aero nose and spliter to the roof air intake, the front of it looks like all business. I may want to put a wire grill on the roof scoop to ensure I do not suck in one of the cats. With a flat bottom and rear tunnels this car is very serious. The adjustable wing just gives you one more thing to think about. This is purpose built unlike the original Alpines that were based on Renault production car platforms from the 1950's 4CV and 60's R8 R10 platform. What those cars achieved with their humble beginnings makes one wonder what the new one will do. The A110 was first unveiled at 1962 Paris Motor Show. The new car used many of the up coming R8 parts including a reinforced platform with a steel backbone.
Those R8 parts were state of the art at the time, including 4 wheel disc brakes twin control arm front suspension, a self centering rack and pinion steering rack. Possibly the thing that made the Alpine such a giant killer was the R8 5 main bearing wet sleeve design when coupled to the Gordini designed aluminum hemi head turned the 50 horsepower economy motor into a 120 horsepower beast. The body was completely fiber glass and the super lightweight versions had plexy glass windows and windshield. Even today the A110 is one of my favorite cars very forgiving at the limit, although I think the limits of the New car may be just a wee bit higher. Happy 50th anniversary.
Remembrances and Photo by Miguel Caparros
A mentor, a friend, passed on yesterday. I first met Carroll Shelby, when I was too young to know, I was 6. I was with my Father at the 1957 Nassau Speed Week, I was introduced to many of his friends including Carroll Shelby. At the April of 1965 New York International Auto Show I saw Carroll Shelby again. He had a small space where he was displaying the new Shelby GT350, a Cobra, a Sunbeam Tiger and a Ford GT40. I was 14, he said he remembered me and wondered if I was going to follow my fathers footsteps in racing. In spite of the demands on him, he took the time to walk me through and explain all the cars to me. As I was leaving he gave me a poster of the GT350 that was a reprint of an ad that ran in Competition Press and Autoweek. I still have the poster. He shaped mine and my families life, he goes across life's finish line with yet another first. He is the longest living heart transplant survivor, by a mile. May we learn from all the giving you have done of yourself Carroll Shelby.
About the photo. I have owned a GT350 and drove countless other Shelby cars over the years, the Dodge Shelby Turbo we bought it new, we still have it. All the children learned to drive in this car. We even have a daughter named Shelby. We miss you already Carroll.
