Porsche 918 Spyder to get more power when it reaches production?

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Porsche

Porsche 918 Spyder – Click above for high-res image gallery

What could be better than a mid-engine Porsche with a 500-horsepower 3.4-liter V8 and an additional 218 ponies courtesy of a pair of electric motors? More power, obviously. And that’s exactly what a report from Autocar alleges is going to take place for the upcoming 918 Spyder. According to the report, Porsche is said to be enlarging the displacement of the gas-swilling engine in order to extract more grunt from the mill.

The Brit pubs goes on to posit that the production 918 Spyder, which was first seen moving under its own power at Pebble Beach, will sport both soft and hard tops along with a somewhat beefier front end in order to provide adequate crash resistance. Also, somewhat predictably, the concept’s 22-inch wheels are very likely to be downsized and the side exhausts may be rerouted to the rear when the hybrid supercar hits the market.

Assuming all goes according to schedule, Porsche is said to be planning a run of about 1,200 918 Spyders, each costing over $625,000 (£400,000) when it finally goes on sale sometime around 2014.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Porsche 918 Spyder at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Porsche 918 Spyder concept in MontereyPorsche 918 Spyder concept in MontereyPorsche 918 Spyder concept in Monterey

Photos copyright (C)2010 Frank Filipponio/AOL
[Source: Autocar]

Porsche 918 Spyder to get more power when it reaches production? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jet-powered school bus reaches 350 mph, eliminates tardy slips

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Specialty

Jet School Bus

School Time Jet Bus – Click above to watch video after the jump

Riding the bus to school was never exactly a pleasure cruise, but when we turned 15, it suddenly moved from a lower form of torture like water boarding and squarely into the realm of driving bamboo under our fingernails. Having tasted the freedom afforded by piloting the family Suburban into the high school parking lot with a pale, wide-eyed parent pleading to various deities from the passenger seat, being forced back into the worst possible interpretation of public transportation was an insult too great to stand.

Things might have been different if we’d been riding this beast to school.

Built by Paul Stender and his crew of mad scientists at IndyBoys, Inc, the School Time Jet Bus is a 35-foot long cheese wagon with a 42,000-horsepower GE J-79 jet engine borrowed from an F4 Phantom. While most of the vehicle is a complete custom creation, it can still seat up to three passengers. Did we mention it shoots 75-foot flames? According to the IndyBoys web site, the bus is built to topple the 350 mph barrier, but it’s unclear as to whether or not anyone has been brave enough to get the bus close to that speed. Hit the jump for a video of the creation showing off at an airshow. Thanks for the tip, Lawrence!

[Source: CNet]

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Jet-powered school bus reaches 350 mph, eliminates tardy slips originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Explorer reaches 30,000 Facebook fans, celebrates with grille shot

Filed under: SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Ford

2011 Ford Explorer grille – Click above for teaser gallery

Earlier today, Ford hit its 30,000 fan for the 2011 Explorer Facebook page, so the automaker could give away one all-new unibody ‘ute to a lucky follower. To celebrate meeting its goal, Ford has posted yet another teaser, showing off the new Explorer’s grille. But enough with the teasers. When can we actually see it in person? Glad you asked…

This coming Monday, Ford will reveal the Explorer at live events across the U.S., including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and at the “glass house” in Dearborn, MI. At a preview of the Explorer in Dearborn earlier this week, marketing VP Jim Farley discussed how Ford plans to drum up interested in the Explorer, and based on the success of last year’s Fiesta Movement social media campaign, the Explorer will be omnipresent online and elsewhere in the lead-up to the on-sale date late this year.

According to Farley, the Fiesta campaign required only 10 percent of what a typical new vehicle launch costs, but it overwhelmingly succeeded in establishing name recognition for the small car well ahead of its arrival in showrooms. Given that America already knows the Explorer, Ford will be focusing on how it’s “reinvented the SUV for the 21st century.” We can’t tell you more at the moment, but look forward to full details this Monday 12:01 AM EDT.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer Teasers

[Source: Ford]

Ford Explorer reaches 30,000 Facebook fans, celebrates with grille shot originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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