Archive for October, 2010
USA Today Reviews the 2011 Ford F-150
Posted on 30. Oct, 2010 by admin.
USA Today has Jim Healey’s first drive review of the 2011 Ford F-150 and its revamped engine lineup, with special attention paid to the powerful and efficient new six-cylinder engines.
What did Jim think? Here are a few quotes:
3.7-liter V-6
“We’ll note that the base V-6 Ford two-wheel-drive truck was a honey at the lights. Rasping to full fury quickly, the new six-speed automatic snapped off solid shifts to keep the engine boiling along.”
3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6
“Pulling a 6,500-pound trailer with an EcoBoost V-6 was eye-opening. It felt more V-8-like than the V-8 rivals that Ford had hitched up for comparison.”
5.0-liter V-8 and 6.2-liter V-8
“In tests at Ford’s Romeo, Mich., proving grounds, the new 5-liter V-8 and the carryover 6.2-liter V-8 went about the business of moving heavy trucks with fair aplomb.”
We’re big fans of the 2011 F-150′s new powertrain lineup too.
Check out Jim’s full review with his thoughts on the new electric power steering system, interior revisions and more. And look for the results of PickupTrucks.com’s and USA Today’s V-6 Work Truck Shootout coming November 10.
[Source: USA Today]
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Rumble in the Rockies: Are These the Most Evenly Matched HD Trucks Ever?
Posted on 30. Oct, 2010 by admin.
Photo: Harry Rawlins
How evenly matched were the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 and 2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty that faced off in Chevy's Rocky Mountain towing challenge? We'll let you be the judge after you consider the following facts:
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 LT 4WD Crew Cab
Engine: 6.6-liter Duramax V-8
Transmission: 6-speed Allison Automatic
Horsepower: 397
Torque (pounds-feet): 765
Rear Axle Ratio: 3.73
Measured Curb Weight (lbs.): 8,220
Max 5th Wheel Trailering (lbs.): 21,100
Max GCWR (lbs.): 29,200
Wheels/Tires: 235/80-R17 = 31.8 inch overall diameter
Odometer Reading in Denver (miles): 1,731
Price as Tested: $54,740
Place of Purchase: Mike Savoie Chevrolet, Troy, Mich.
Download 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Window Sticker (Adobe PDF)
2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty XLT 4WD Crew Cab
Engine: 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8
Transmission: 6-speed 6R140 Automatic
Horsepower: 400
Torque (pounds-feet): 800
Rear Axle Ratio: 3.73
Measured Curb Weight (lbs.): 8,440
Max 5th Wheel Trailering (lbs.): 21,700
Max GCWR (lbs.): 30,000
Wheels/Tires: 245/75-17 = 31.46 inch overall diameter
Odometer Reading in Denver (miles): 1,549
Price as Tested: $54,805
Place of Purchase: Harry Zeigler Ford Lincoln, Elkhart, Ind.
Download 2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty Window Sticker (Adobe PDF)
In our opinion, it doesn't get more “apples-to-apples” than these two trucks.
We'll have the full results of the Rumble in the Rockies on Nov. 15.
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Cadillac Escalades Easy To Steal Due To Security Flaw? Not So Fast
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin.
You just parked your shiny new Escalade at the curb 15 minutes ago. You walk back outside to see an empty stretch of asphalt where your Cadillac should be. What happened? According to one report, a security flaw made it vulnerable to an easy form of smash-and-grab theft. But things may not actually be that simple. The curators of all things car…
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2010 SEMA Preview: Toyota And Lexus Prepare An Armada
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin.
Two kinds of cars will be making their debut from Toyota and Lexus at this year’s SEMA show: the NASCAR-inspired Camry, which is focused on performance, and the rest. The rest is composed of hybrid Lexus vehicles slammed, stanced, and body-kitted to present the most street-worthy image possible. Since go-fast is a bit more interesting than…
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Remember All Those New Lotuses? Only The Esprit Is Real
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin.
Just a few weeks ago, Lotus loosed a crew of portly, modern, and Chapman-defying models on the world at the Paris auto show. But it turns out only the Esprit is real–at least for the time being. According to Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, who admits he’s “not a car guy,” only the new Esprit is actually under development. Why? Just developing the one car…
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Review: 2010 Lancer GTS
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin.
I say “Mitsubishi.” You think “Evo.” And not much else, except perhaps, “Are they still around?” The problem: not many people are willing and able to spend BMW money for a Mitsubishi, even if it does offer stellar performance. So Mitsubishi developed the Lancer Ralliart, with a detuned Evo engine, less sophisticated AWD system, and [...]
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Dream Pickup Project Has a Nightmarish Start
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin.
By Robby DeGraff
Many automotive enthusiasts constantly search Craigslist for a project vehicle. Whether it’s a 30-year-old Porsche or a rusted-out Ford F-100 pickup, any time you commit to a Craigslist buy, a good story usually comes out of it.
“That site is like Krispy Kreme doughnuts dipped in crack cocaine for any connoisseur of bad ideas, and I, loyal readers, am the world’s foremost authority on poor decisions,” Zach Brown wrote in an Autoblog article.
Browsing Craigslist for a tough, big pickup, Zach came across his dream project: a low-mileage 1975 International 150 with a four-speed manual and two-speed New Process 205 transfer case. Even better, this three-quarter-ton pickup was California-bred, meaning almost no rust.
We tend to know when a Craigslist ad is telling a lie. A stock four-door Honda Civic EX does not have a racing-inspired V-8, and a 1987 Mitsubishi Mighty Max pickup truck with 150,000 miles in “great condition” cannot tow a 6,000-pound power boat up hills with “great ease.”
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Back in Black: Fastlane’s 427 SS Silverado
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin.
By Robby DeGraff
When we think of performance pickup trucks, models like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Dodge Ram SRT10, Chevy Silverado SS, Toyota Tacoma X-Runner, Chevy SSR and the almighty Ford Raptor come to mind. These sport pickups are not designed to be used as a work truck, but rather as rear-wheel-drive tire fryers.
With the SEMA show coming up in a week, let’s look back to the 2006 SEMA automotive show, where Chevrolet gave us a sneak peek at a sleek concept truck, the 427 LS7 SS Silverado. This dark blue single-cab monster made our jaws drop in hopes that Chevrolet would produce it. Unfortunately it didn’t, but there is a saving grace: Almost four years later, Houston-based Fastlane has resurrected the concept and turned it into a reality.
The 427 SS Silverado is back in black (literally), powered by a 7.0-liter naturally aspirated V-8 borrowed from the insanely fast Corvette Z06. For a full-out $33,900, Fastlane takes your standard Silverado and straps on a mean-looking ram-air hood and body kit, color-matched front grille, aerodynamic rear tonneau cover, Baer brake kit for added stopping power, 22-inch chrome SS rims wrapped in grippy 305/40/22 Kuhmo tires, and a lowered sport suspension that includes a four-link rear suspension and a big Hellwig anti-sway bar in the front.
And we can’t forget about the heart of this sport truck: the 505-horsepower, 7.0-liter V-8. Even though the engine is already powerful enough for just about any vehicle on the road, Fastlane takes it one step further by adding a custom cold air intake, Callies crankshaft, H-beam rods, forged pistons, stainless steel headers and a thundering custom ground camshaft. Match this modified motor to a fully built transmission and a custom SS side-exhaust system, and the sinister 427 SS Silverado will easily boast an astonishing 550 hp!
The 427 SS Silverado not only sounds like a Z06 Corvette on the track and dyno, but I’m sure it would give a Ferrari 458 Italia or a Corvette ZR1 a run for its money at the drag strip.
Fastlane’s 427SS packages start around $18,500. Make sure to catch Fastlane’s turbocharged 2011 Ford Mustang 5.0 at this year’s SEMA show.
[Sources: Fastlane via Jalopnik]
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Mercedes-Benz Goes In-Depth On 2012 SLK’s Magic Sky Control Roof
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin.
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK is still more than a few months from its world debut, but Mercedes is so amped about the “Magic Sky Control” roof, it’s already dumping the details on its photochromic folding hardtop. Like those lenses your nerdy physics professor used to wear, the glass in the Magic Sky Control roof is able to change its shade…
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Cadillac to Add Small Car to Lineup
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin.
GM will expand its exclusive Cadillac only assembly plant by adding an all-new small car there, the automaker announced this week. The new vehicle will add 600 jobs to the Lansing Grand River plant in Lansing, Mich. GM says it will announce the name and look of the vehicle as well as when it will launch the car at a later time, likely at the L.A. or Detroit auto shows.
The new Cadillac will be a small car, according to GM’s CEO Dan Akerson. It’s an interesting move for GM’s flagship brand, which lacks a proper flagship vehicle to compete with the Lexus LS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series, but a smaller car also makes sense. It's unknown if the smaller car will be based on the Chevy Volt like the Cadillac Converj concept shown above.
While the CTS is Cadillac’s current base sedan entry, the vehicle is actually a lot larger than its BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class competitors, which are technically compact sedans. In fact, the CTS is more than a foot longer than the BMW 3 Series; it nearly matches the exterior dimensions of the BMW 5 Series. Because of its price and smaller interior dimensions, the CTS' competitors are by and large the popular smaller sedans from the German brands.
By the time the new smaller sedan is released, the CTS could get an overhaul, as well. Add the anticipated large XTS flagship and the brand would have a trio more in line with the 3, 5 and 7 Series from BMW; the A4, A6 and A8 from Audi; and C-, E- and S-Class from Mercedes.
