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Videos: World’s Fastest Street Car drives 1,200 miles, whips off 6.95 ET @ 209 mph

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

Larry Larson and his six-second street-driven Nova – Click above to watch videos after the jump

Technically, there’s nothing wrong with putting your race car on a trailer and towing it to the track. In fact, as anyone who has tried to use a track rat as a daily driver can tell you, a car can be either a racer or a commuter. Rarely can it do both effectively. But there’s a certain subset of drivers out there for whom “trailer queen” is as dirty a phrase as any four-letter word you could think of. Hot Rod Magazine has worked up an event just for these folk. It’s called Drag Week, and the rules are pretty simple. Cars must run five tracks in five states over five days, lowest ET wins and everyone has to drive their bruiser from track to track. No trailers allowed.

This year’s king of the heap is Larry Larson and his 1966 Chevrolet Nova, a racer that is staking its claim for the title of world’s fastest street car. A twin-turbocharged 565 cubic-inch big-block Bowtie V8 supplies the grunt, and though it’s never been on a dyno, estimates put it at more than 2,300 horsepower. As a result, Larson can launch the car down the quarter mile in 6.95 seconds at 209.1 mph, even after driving the car on public roads for five days straight – some of it in pouring rain, no less. Hit the jump to see a few videos of the machine.

[Sources: 1320 Video via YouTube, Bang Shift]

Continue reading Videos: World’s Fastest Street Car drives 1,200 miles, whips off 6.95 ET @ 209 mph

Videos: World’s Fastest Street Car drives 1,200 miles, whips off 6.95 ET @ 209 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston-Martin One-77 world’s most powerful normally-aspirated road car? [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Aston Martin, UK, Luxury

Aston Martin One-77

2011 Aston Martin One-77 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Aston Martin continues to march forward with its One-77. The soon-to-be-ultra-rare hypercar is closer than ever to production, and according to the minds behind its creation, when it hits the street, it will boast the world’s most powerful naturally-aspirated production car engine. With 750 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of torque, the 7.3-liter V12 is a marvel of automotive and acoustic engineering.

Despite the company’s plans to produce just 77 examples of its halo model, Aston Martin says that it’s bent on making sure that each and every one of the vehicles can stand up to the same level of abuse as the rest of its production fleet. That means that somewhere out there, a One-77 prototype is being flogged in the world’s most brutal climates.

Aston Martin has released the fourth installment of its video series on the One-77, complete with all of the long, slow-motion shots your little heart could possibly desire and a glorious soundtrack. If you’re lucky enough to have secured a One-77 for yourself, the company says that deliveries should begin during the first half of 2011. Hit the jump to take a look and for a quick read over the press release.

Gallery: Aston Martin One-77 at Galpin Motors

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston-Martin One-77 world’s most powerful normally-aspirated road car? [w/video]

Aston-Martin One-77 world’s most powerful normally-aspirated road car? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: World’s Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Etc., Humor, Specialty, Racing

World's Fastest Backhoe

World’s Fastest backhoe – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Drag racing and construction vehicles do not typically mix well. Unless someone is trying to quit their job in dramatic fashion, heavy equipment is confined to slow speeds and hard labor. The JCB GT backhoe chooses to disagree. Thanks to a 1,300 horsepower engine, this drag racing backhoe (one of the weirdest phrases ever typed) rips away from the tree and down the line. Perhaps they were inspired by videos of wheel-standing loaders and drifting semi trucks?

The folks at JCB are no strangers to speed. A few years ago, their diesel-powered salt flats racer hit 350 miles per hour and at one point they expressed interest in purchasing Jaguar. We’d love to see how driving the Dieselmax compares to handling the JCB GT. We’d wager the backhoe is scarier to drive…

See the JCB GT in action after the jump.
[Source: Streetfire via CarDomain]

Continue reading Video: World’s Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement

Video: World’s Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirelli reportedly withdraws from World Rally Championship

Filed under: Motorsports

Pirelli may be used to sticking to its territory, but the latest development has the Italian rubber company voluntarily ceding ground to its rivals. After having secured the exclusive contract to provide tires to Formula One, Pirelli has announced that it’s withdrawing from the World Rally Championship.

Pirelli had been the official tire supplier to the top-tier rally series for the past three years, and despite the F1 contract, was expected to continue its involvement in the WRC as well. However, reports now indicate that the deadline for submitting its tender to renew the WRC contract that expires this year has come and gone without Pirelli’s bid.

According to reports, Pirelli was uncomfortable with the volatility of the WRC’s regulations. The FIA – which governs both F1 and the WRC – offered Pirelli the opportunity to extend the current contract by another year, but Pirelli declined, choosing instead to focus its efforts on single-seaters while continuing its rally activities in national series and, possibly, in the rival Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

[Source: Autosport]

Pirelli reportedly withdraws from World Rally Championship originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Bad Habits’ monster truck world record practice session doesn’t go as planned

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Videos, Off-Road, Racing

Hey ya'll, watch this!

Bad Habits takes a dive – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Few realms of motorsport live the “Go big or go home” mantra to the fullest quite as well as the monster truck world. Aside from one of the largest voiceovers in the industry (“Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!“), the guys who wrangle the epic horsepower, rear-wheel steering beasts of the Monster Jam circuit also boast some of the biggest egos. You know, the kind of sheer will of character that it takes to look at Bigfoot’s 202-foot, record-setting jump over a jetliner and think, “Nah, I can do better.” Such is the case with Joe Sylvester, the 26-year-old driver of the Bad Habits truck.

Sylvester has got it into his mind that he can embarrass the Bigfoot record, and has set about building a truck and a ramp to do just that. Only thing is, things didn’t go so swell during a practice session this week. After nailing his homemade ramp, the Bad Habits truck promptly began to turn its nose back toward terra firma, and it wasn’t long before the machine evaporated into a cloud of giant tires and red clay. Sylvester was unharmed in the accident and plans to officially attempt to break the record at this weekend’s Cornfield 500 at Columbus, PA’s Miller Farm. If you can’t make it, don’t worry – the folks at DirtVision plan a live webcast of this Sunday’s attempt.

Either way, we wish Sylvester the best of luck. You may want to do the same after hitting the jump and watching his failed practice attempt for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Shawn!

[Sources: YouTube, Cornfield500, DirtVision]

Continue reading Video: Bad Habits’ monster truck world record practice session doesn’t go as planned

Video: Bad Habits’ monster truck world record practice session doesn’t go as planned originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Xterra not long for this world?

Filed under: SUV, Nissan, Off-Road

2010 Nissan Xterra – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan’s Xterra, a throwback to when all SUVs were red in tooth and claw, may be swinging on the gallows sooner rather than later. According to Ward’s Auto, the gloriously upright off-roader faces an uncertain future amidst slumping sales and ever-tightening federal fuel economy regulations.

Ward’s data indicates that the Xterra has sold just 12,186 units through July, and even that modest figure is well ahead of last year’s glacial pace brought about by the stagnant economy. By comparison, Nissan shipped 88,578 new Xterras off to owners in 2000.

The Xterra hasn’t received more than modest changes since its redesign back in 2005, and although Nissan’s vice president of advanced product and product planning and stategy, Larry Dominique, says the automaker will try to build the SUV ‘”as long as we possibly can,” there isn’t a redesign in sight.

Despite the Xterra’s likely demise, Ward’s says that the Xterra’s mid-size kin, the Frontier pickup and Pathfinder, don’t appear to be going anywhere, though Dominique seemingly hints that the latter could continue on in a new form, saying “Pathfinder will live on… how it will live on, wait to see. There’s no reason to get rid of a three-row crossover or SUV.” Could Nissan be pondering a shift to a car-based Pathfinder, like the 2011 Ford Explorer and the forthcoming Dodge Durango? We should know within the year.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan Xterra

[Source: Ward’s Auto]

Nissan Xterra not long for this world? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peel looking to reintroduce world’s smallest car [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., UK, Specialty, Electric

Peel P-50 and Trident pose with a Rolls-Royce – Click above for high-res image gallery

Sure, there’s an increased emphasis on small cars here in America and all around the rest of the world, with brands like Smart and Mini vying for customers that think it’s a big deal to go small. But none of these current machines can hold a candle to the 1962 Peel P-50, which to this day holds the record as the smallest car ever produced.

Just how small are we talking? Here are some stats: Wheelbases measures 50 inches, total length measures 52.8 inches, width measures 39 inches and height comes in at 47.2 inches. Perhaps most impressive of all, though, is the weight: just 130 pounds ready to drive.

Naturally, not a lot of power was needed to get this microcar moving, so a DKW single cylinder engine displacing 49cc was mated to a three-speed manual transmission without reverse, unless you count the handy grab bar at the very rear. One door was available on the left side of the car, which led to a lone seat and room for a grocery bag. Want one? Yeah, we do too, but there were only 50 made on the Isle of Man in the UK, so they aren’t particularly easy to come by.

Fortunately, then, Peel Engineering has recently reopened its doors and is planning a small production run of 50 new cars, divided up between the aforementioned P-50 (above, blue) and the bubble-roofed Trident (red). From what we can discern, the reborn Peels will each go for a heady £12,499 and will use an electric powertrain in lieu of a scooter engine. No other specifications have been released that we are aware of.

We also don’t know if any of the 50 pint-size Peels will make it Stateside, though with three wheels, it would seem the machines would be classified as motorcycles and would therefore eschew any need for crash testing requirements… which would seem rather important, don’tcha think? Click past the break for a couple of videos of the Peel P-50, including one from Top Gear where the six-foot five-inch Jeremy Clarkson takes one for a drive to through the office.

Gallery: Peel P-50 and Trident

[Source: Peel Engineering via The Scooter Scoop]

Continue reading Peel looking to reintroduce world’s smallest car [w/video]

Peel looking to reintroduce world’s smallest car [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack?

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Europe, BMW, Luxury

G-Power M5 Hurricane RR – Click above for high-res image gallery

The mad scientists at G-Power have reworked the company’s sinister M5 Hurricane into something even more impressive. Meet the M5 Hurricane RR – an 800 horsepower beast that G-Power claims is the fastest sedan in the world. The company started by plopping a new set of superchargers onto the M5 sedan’s already potent BMW V10. With a theoretical capacity of 900 horsepower, each belt-driven supercharger delivers air to a single bank of the engine. According to the tuner, this configuration allows for 25 percent more air to enter the combustion chamber. The engine’s internals have been completely reworked and balanced to handle all of that extra boost as well.

All of that mojo is good for a top speed of 231 mph on track, which the company says makes their matte monster the fastest four-door extant. If lofty top-speed numbers aren’t your bag of tricks, maybe acceleration figures are. G-Power says that 0-60 mph takes around 4.35 seconds and 0-120 mph clicks by in 9.5 seconds. Yep, that’s pretty darn quick for a two-ton sedan. Even better, G-Power will be more than happy to convert any old BMW M5 into the beast you see above, all for the low, low price of $71,780 – plus donor M5. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: G-Power M5 Hurricane RR

[Source: G Power]

Continue reading G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack?

G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World’s fastest 3D film showcases SLS AMG

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Celebrities, Luxury

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – Click above to watch video after the jump

We finally know what Mercedes-Benz was up to when Tiff Needel stopped by the Isle of Man to drop in on some sort of high-budget commercial shoot. It turns out that the Silver Arrow wanted to nab the title of the world’s fastest 3D film by shooting David Coulthard as he pushed the company’s new SLS AMG to 167 mph. The whole shindig was captured by an army of camera vehicles, including at least one helicopter, a boom truck and, fittingly enough, another SLS AMG. The company even talked rally fiend Robbie Head into piloting the lead car ahead of Coulthard.

The full feature will air this coming Sunday on the Sky 3D pub channel, but the rest of us can catch the action when the footage hits Mercedes-Benz dealerships all over the world later this year. Here’s hoping they’ll hand out some equally classy 3D specs just for the occasion. Hop the jump to enjoy a lengthy teaser of the feature as well as a making of video showing just what goes into creating a film with an extra dimension.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 3D Feature

[Source: Piston Heads]

Continue reading World’s fastest 3D film showcases SLS AMG

World’s fastest 3D film showcases SLS AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: CTS-V Coupe vs. The World continues with Shelby GT500

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Cadillac, Ford

Cadillac CTS-V Coupe versus Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Click above to view the video after the jump

Nearly every major media outlet has pitted the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe against the best and brightest from the high-powered sports coupe segment, and thus far, the results have been predictable. Motor Trend brought the supercharged Caddy coupe to Germany for a full-scale battle against the BMW M3 and Audi RS5, while Car & Driver brought the three sleds together for a entertaining track tango with ear-bleeding audio.

Road & Track have taken another tack with CTS-V Coupe, opting for an all-American drag-race of the 556-horsepower Cadillac against the 550-horsepower 2011 Shelby GT500 Mustang. The GT500 and the CTS-V Coupe are made within 100 miles of one another in southeast Michigan and two vehicles are within .3 inches of one another in overall length. The CTS-V Coupe has 41 more pound-feet of torque, while the Mustang is lighter. But which vehicle posts a better 0-60 time? How about the fastest quarter mile? Hit the jump to find out.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Ford Shelby GT500

[Source: Road & Track]

Continue reading Video: CTS-V Coupe vs. The World continues with Shelby GT500

Video: CTS-V Coupe vs. The World continues with Shelby GT500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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