Tag Archives: Auto Shows
2013 BMW X1 EPA Estimates, New Photos, On Sale This Fall
Posted on 02. May, 2012 by admin.
We already knew the 2013 BMW X1 would be on sale this year, starting from $31,545, but now we have some more detail on the specifics. There’s one thing that’s still not quite specific, however: the exact on-sale date. BMW says today the X1 will arrive “this fall,” but doesn’t pinpoint the calendar, perhaps because production in Leipzig needs to…
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Charity Auction Lets You Bid On Meeting Patrick Dempsey
Posted on 02. May, 2012 by admin.
Patrick Dempsey has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and even the SCORE Baja 1000 off-road endurance race. These days, the owner of Dempsey Racing splits his time between driving a Mazda RX-8 and an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in the Grand Am road racing series. That’s when he’s not also dabbling in the American Le Mans…
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Five For $25,000: Performance On The Cheap
Posted on 01. May, 2012 by admin.
With the dollar doing gymnastics and the average American likely to make less real money than their parents for the first time in generations, you might think owning a performance car is a dream for the wealthy or the past–but that’s just not true, as several new entries into the sub-$25,000 segment of the market prove. These are five cars that…
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Wet Weather Affects F1 Testing At Mugello
Posted on 01. May, 2012 by admin.
Formula One is holding its first in-season official test in a long time at Mugello, the Italian circuit that hosts lower formulae and sports cars on a competitive basis. Only one team, HRT is not attending the practice sessions as the F1 teams prepare for their European season, starting in Spain next week. Teams thought they’d be escaping…
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Ford Concept Rescues Tornado Victims
Posted on 01. May, 2012 by admin.
If you saw any coverage of the most recent Chicago Auto Show, it's likely you saw a pretty concept fire and rescue 2012 F-550 in the Ford display. What you probably don't know is that just a few months later it had been on display at a local Rodeo outside Houston when a seemingly unending series of tornados hit the area.
The New York Times has the full story of how this “concept” truck, built by a marketing company for Ford, got turned into a “reality” truck when people and lives in the near-by city of Arlington needed to be rescued. For the full story, click here.
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Tony The Tiger NASCAR Car Of Tomorrow Up For Auction
Posted on 30. Apr, 2012 by admin.
Ever wanted to own a relatively modern piece of NASCAR Cup-car machinery? Well, here’s your chance: a Tony the Tiger-liveried, Car of Tomorrow-bodied, 2007 Chevrolet Impala SS. Best of all, it has a brand-new GM CT 400 racing engine under the hood. The 2007 #5 Kellogg’s car was driven by Kyle Busch, where he took the win in the inaugural race for…
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Neff Earns Improbable NHRA Funny Car Win At Houston
Posted on 30. Apr, 2012 by admin.
After the 25th annual NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway outside Houston, TX one streak ended but another continued. Robert Hight wasn’t able to continue his rampage on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car contingent, but his teammate Mike Neff, who tunes, crew chiefs and drives his Castrol GTX Ford…
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Saying Goodbye to Chrysler’s Dan Knott
Posted on 30. Apr, 2012 by admin.
Story and photos by Richard Truesdell
Two-and-a-half weeks ago, I learned that Dan Knott, Chrysler's senior vice president of purchasing and supplier quality, was taking a medical retirement. From past industry events over the years I developed a strong friendship with Dan. I also knew he was six years younger than me, so I suspected that his medical situation might be serious. I sent off a quick email to say hello, wish him the best and ask for him to contact me. Unfortunately, the message bounced back as his Chrysler email account was already closed. I took this to be an ominous sign.
This morning, I woke up to Automotive News’ “First Shift” program and learned of Dan's passing. I had tears in my eyes as I watched the program. Immediately I Googled his name and saw that there was an article on The Detroit News website and saw that some of my colleagues had already left condolence messages.
Over the last 15 years, as I have forged a career in automotive journalism, I had many opportunities to talk and interact with Dan at launch programs and at auto shows. While he will be best remembered by the industry as the Chrysler executive who rebuilt the company’s frayed relationships with its suppliers in the period immediately after its 2009 bankruptcy, I will remember Dan as a consummate car guy. And on this day when many of his friends lament on him leaving us all too soon, I appreciate the chance PUTC has offered me to share my remembrances.
Back in 2004, Dodge launched the Ram SRT10 in Austin (a monster vehicle that Dan had a big part in bringing to market), and as there were an odd number of journalists, I asked Dan to pair up with me on the morning ride-and-drive. (At manufacturer press events, usually two journalists drive together.) I knew that Dan started his career at American Motors, and as I have owned many “classic” Ramblers, Jeeps and AMCs over the years, the in-truck conversation shifted immediately to the passion we shared for AMC. We immediately missed a turn and spent much of the rest of the morning catching up with the main group.
What I learned from Dan at the time was that he was part of the small team at Jeep that put together the 1998 5.9L Limited version of the first-generation (ZJ) Jeep Grand Cherokee. This was a one-year-only model that stuffed the 245-horsepower Chrysler 360 V-8 between the Grand Cherokee's front wheel wells and was the precursor of all the hot rod SUVs and half-ton pickups that followed, including the last-generation Grand Cherokee SRT8. (Dan headed the SRT division at the time of the third-generation WK Grand Cherokee.) The 5.9L Limited Grand Cherokee was a legitimate 140 mph SUV that, while biased for on-road performance, still had the chops (and ground clearance) to go off-road. About 15,000 were built here in the U.S., with a few built in Graz, Austria, as well.
A year later, in 2005, Chrysler had an SRT program at Willow Springs International Raceway, and Dan was one of the presenters. A few months earlier I had done a road trip from London to Maranello, Italy, in a Ford GT and Dodge Viper and had scheduled a week with a Ford GT here in California for the same time period as the SRT event. My idea was to get shots of the Viper and Ford GT together at Willow Springs after the conclusion of the program.
The photo session worked out great as it was very overcast, and we got some dynamic shots. After we pulled into the pits, I saw Dan walking up to me, helmet in hand. He asked me if he could take out the Ford GT for a couple of laps. Not thinking much about it, I said sure “but bring it back to me in one piece,” which he did. But what I remember most from that day was Dan pulling into the pits and getting out of the Ford GT. He had a giant boyish grin that stretched from ear to ear. I asked him what he thought about the Ford GT, and he replied, “It's a fine piece of work. I tip my hat to Ford.”
That tells you a lot about Dan. What I think will be well-known in the days that follow, was how well respected and liked he was. He was passionate about everything automotive. If you look in the dictionary for the definition of “car guy,” you'll likely see Dan's picture there.
All I can say right now is that this world is a much poorer place for Dan's passing. But he left behind a great legacy, the respect of his peers, and those of us as journalists who knew him, and his personal stamp on some damn fine cars and trucks.
Goodbye, my friend.
Richard Truesdell is editorial director at Automotive Traveler magazine.
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Guy Fieri’s Stolen Lamborghini Found In Teen Gunman’s Storage Container
Posted on 30. Apr, 2012 by admin.
Guy Fieri may be one of the luckiest people alive–after rising to fame by winning The Next Food Network Star competition–despite zero training as a chef–the frazzle-haired foodie’s stolen 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo has been found, apparently unharmed, in a storage container. Fieri’s Gallardo was stolen in May of last year, snagged Mission…
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Video: Alex Zanardi Takes To A New Form Of Racing
Posted on 30. Apr, 2012 by admin.
If you’re a new fan of motor racing, chances are good the name Alex Zanardi means nothing to you. While the Italian driver spent five seasons in Formula One (1991-94, 1999), his greatest success behind the wheel came in the American CART open-wheel series, where Zanardi raced from 1996-98, than again in 2001. In 1996, Zanardi finished third…
