Cobra GT500

“McLaren Readying Ferrari F430 Adversary” or so says the good folks at CarScoop. This has been in the wings, and on again/off again (depending on the relationship between McLaren & Mercedes) for awhile.

My first thought was, “Yeah, McLaren wants it to build a Ferrari F430 adversary, but they got a long way to go to beat that, given that Ferrari has been kicking their ass around the world for the past nine years .”

Look, I’ve got nothing against the McLaren F1; very impressive car in every respect (although Mario Andretti said the car was “aerodynamically spooky”, and the last time he said something like that was when he was racing CanAm, and THAT GUY knows whence he speaks). It’s just that lately, McLaren have been showing themselves to be struggling to maintain 4th place in the constructors championship, being stomped by the likes of Renault & BMW, let alone being able to challenge the likes of Ferrari.

Anyway, the main details come from Autocar in the U.K which basically boil down to this:

The new car, codenamed P11, will be in showrooms by March 2010, the official unveiling is slated for autumn 2009. The P11 will be available in both open-top and hardcore versions of the base model. It will be noticeably lighter and more compact than the Ferrari F430. The Mclaren P11 will be powered by a 550bhp V8 engine, built by Mahle (who bought out the old Cosworth business) in Northamptonshire, possibly based on an existing Mercedes unit. The Spider version of the P11 is expected to appear in March 2011.

OK Ron, let’s see what you can do.

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Via Tony

The Hertz Corporation is teaming up with Kruse International and Dyno Marketing on an exclusive deal to manage the public auctioning of Hertz’s inventory of its Limited Edition 2007 Hertz Shelby GT-H convertible rental fleet of Mustangs.The limited run of 500 Shelby GT-H Convertibles were produced by Carroll Shelby at his Las Vegas facility exclusively for Hertz.

Hertz will launch the auction process by offering 75-100 Limited Edition 2007 Hertz Shelby GT-H Mustangs at Kruse’s 17th Annual Auburn Spring Motorfair to be held on May 29 - June 1, 2008 at the 480 acre Kruse Auction Park in Auburn, Indiana. We expect prices for these to be well below the $250K price tag the first Shelby GT-H sold for at Barrett-Jackson.

According to David Stolt, Hertz’s Senior Director of Car Sales Operations, “Hertz offered 40 Mustang GT-Hs for sale at the 2008 Kruse / Dyno Marketing Race Car & Sports Car Auction this past January in Concord, NC. The demand was overwhelming and all of the cars were sold. Kruse International and Dyno Marketing did a fantastic job and Hertz has decided to expand the program and launch a major Shelby Mustang GT-H Convertible sale at the famous Kruse Auburn Spring Motorfair this May.” Stolt also said that “Hertz commissioned only 500 of the Shelby Mustang GT-H Convertibles and they are an extremely popular but hard to find vehicle in the Hertz Fun Collection. Therefore, we handle countless inquiries from renters and collectors who want to own that car. Shelby Mustang GT-H Convertibles are rarely available for purchase by the public and Hertz believes that its relationship with Kruse International and Dyno Marketing will provide Shelby GT-H enthusiasts with a fair chance to buy one.” It was also noted that the buyers of the Shelby GT-Hs will be provided with all ownership documentation and membership in the official Shelby Registry.

Kruse International is the largest collector car auction company in the world and we are very pleased that Hertz has chosen to work with us and Dyno Marketing again to offer these wonderful, truly limited edition collector cars for sale to the public” said Dean Kruse, President of Kruse International. “We believe that as many of the Shelby Mustang GT-H Convertibles as possible should be gathered for sale at the same time so that potential buyers and fans will have a great experience. Bidders will also be able to bid live online during the auction. If you have ever wanted to own one of these rare “instant classics” you MUST attend!” The 17th Annual Auburn Spring Motorfair is one of the premier annual auction events, featuring 1,000 outstanding collector cars in the Auction, swap meet, and car corral. This event is held at the 480 acre Kruse Auction Park on May 29 - June 1, 2008 and is fun for the whole family. For additional information concerning the auctioning of the 2007 Hertz Shelby GT-H Convertibles, including how to register to bid, please contact Malinda Blue-Barfield at (800) 968-4444 x 242.

Via CobraMatt

I know this is not the hot off the presses news you are looking for but I came across this 2009 45th Anniversary Mustang badge photo posted on themustangsource forums. These badges will only make their way onto the base 2009 model Mustangs. The badge is approximately 4-5 inches in height and width. Check out a larger pic of it below.

Via CobraMatt

Jack Roush took some time out of his day to visit Town & Country Ford, one of the top dealer’s of ROUSH Performance vehicles and high-performance parts for a fan appreciation day on April 24 in Bessemer, Alabama. He signed alot of autographs and talked with Roush owners who stoped by to see the motorsports legend. Check out the video above.

Via CobraMatt

OK … OK … calm down … breath … breath … slow down and breath … stay calm … calm … calm …

It seems that at the upcoming “Ferrari Leggenda e Passione” auction in Maranello, Italy that’s organized by RM Auctions, and by ‘upcoming’ I mean this weekend will feature an extremely rare 1964 Ferrari 250 LM.

It’s been around a lot (relatively speaking for this kind of car); one of its previous owners “converted” it for street use, but it has undergone a recent and complete restoration back to full 1964 racing specs. This 250 LM’s racing provenance is OK, but not stellar. The stated high watermark of its career is ” … in 1965 when driven by Jochen Rindt, it claimed first place at the Austrian Grand Prix.”

To me, these cars have it all.

They’re Italian. They’re red. They’re mid-engined AND they have 12 cylinders. And, best of all they were made for, and dominated The 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the world’s great races and THE greatest sportscar race still running (maybe The Mille Miglia and The Tagra Florio are better, but they don’t run those anymore, sadly). Few manufacturers can say that, and no one can say it with this much style and grace, and let’s face it purity of purpose as Ferrari can.

RM Auctions says it’s expected to fetch around $6,500,000 - $7,500,000.

It’s worth every penny.

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Via Tony

NASCAR too high-falutin’ for ya?

Thing those monster truck athletes are gettin’ a little too big fer their britches?

Tractor pulls have sold to corporate interests, ruining the purity of the sport?

Then look no further than Combine Demolition Derby!

You heard me, I said Combine Demolition Derby.

In years to come, people with speak of Lind, Washington with the same reverence the speak of Indianapolis or Monaco or Daytona (and if you don’t see the irony in that statement, then you don’t know what kind of town Indy was 100 years ago, or what a paradise Monaco was for smugglers and pirates … Daytona has always been like it is though (Oh, and by the way, the race is run in Speedway Indiana, NOT Indianapolis)). For Lind, Washington is the home of, from what I gather, the first demolition derby held exclusively for combines.

You know, those big farm rigs the size of small apartments that move just as fast?

Yeah, those. Combines!

This’ll finally be Lind’s chance to show up those stuck up jokers in Ritzville.

(Don’t believe me? Look it up on a map.)

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Via Tony

Ford really seems to be turning things around lately. They’ve just announced that they will redesign the Focus Coupe for the 2009 model year, giving it a more sporty appeal. Although not a huge change in design, it does look good:

They’ll be debuting the car on the popular TV show American Idol tomorrow (Wednesday, May 14th,) of which Ford happens to be a huge sponsor. The changes are typical for a significant facelift:

• New Front Grill & Fascia.
• Side Vents are gone.
• 17″ (SVT Style) Sport Wheels.
• Power increase to 143 horsepower.
• New rear diffuser.
• New rear high mounted spoiler.
• New rear lights.
• Revised front lights
• Free flowing exhaust system.
• 4.2 final drive ratio for automatic transmissions.
• New optional electronic stability control (ESC).

Continue reading for more information, photos, and a 2008/2009 comparison…

The redesign comes from customer feedback, which is the type of thing that attributed to Ford’s 88% increase in sales last month compared to April 2007. The Focus had a lot to do with that; attracting a younger crowd to Ford, booming in late 2007 with the release of the new generation Focus.

The new sport-tuned exhaust gives the Focus SES Coupe slightly more horsepower and a “throatier” sound, while continuing to get the excellent 35 mpg (hwy) fuel efficiency rating. The automatic transmission also gets a 4.2 final drive ratio, giving it a slightly better off-the-line acceleration.

Altogether, the new look is nice. I could see it attracting a lot of younger buyers that would otherwise steer clear of anything that isn’t an import. Take a look at the direct comparison below:

2008 Focus Coupe:

2009 Focus Coupe:

I do like the overall change. I think the wheels are a bit much, but speak of the car in the right fashion. The redesigned front-end looks good overall, but I really wish they wouldn’t have gotten rid of the side vents; I thought that gave the car a higher-end feel, which it needed. The rear high-mounted spoiler, just like every other high-mounted spoiler in the world, looks silly. That’s objective, of course, as it seems there are plenty of people who like it. The performance enhancements are always welcome, especially when you can continue to get the excellent fuel economy the Focus does, and the addition of the optional Stability Control is great.

2009 Ford Focus Coupe Photos
:

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Via Chris

Via Jennifer

Well, seems like the French are about as happy with traffic cameras as the Brits or us (although last time I heard, the Brits were leading the way in wanton camera destruction).

The folks over at AutoblogGreen had this nifty little story up lately.

The latest victim was in Saint-Gervais and is the TWELFTH radar camera that has been blown out of existence. And at this juncture, I have to say that destroying these things via bombing has a certain, I don’t know what, that the British traffic cam vengeance seems to lack (the Brits have a habit of lighting them on fire using old tires). Ten of these bombings are attributed to a group named FNAR (Fraccion Nationaliste Armé Révolutionaire) - how continental!

Since it seems like fear of big government is about as American as baseball, apple pie and phony wars to some segments of U.S. society, I’m surprised there hasn’t been more of this here in the good ol’ U. s. of A.

C’mon America, you’re falling behind the British and the French!

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Via Tony

I’m not one who shows his emotions a whole lot. (The word “never” comes to mind.) However, a story I read yesterday in the Wall Street Journal really struck a chord with me. It was about a man who had to come to grips with the loss of his mother by finally getting rid of her favorite possession: a bright red 1994 Pontiac Bonneville.

What got the gears turning in my head with this story wasn’t the sentimental implications of honoring your mother this weekend or the tough decisions we have to make in life. Those were a given. What got me thinking was how someone who never really cared for the automobile like we enthusiasts do could still be attached to something that has become so important in our everyday lives.

Here we had a woman who saw this two-ton piece of steel and plastic as nothing more than a rolling appliance. However, every time she got behind the wheel of her big Pontiac, she felt this exhilaration and excitement that she had the ability to do what she wanted, and she could go anywhere she wanted.

That’s the underlying message here, and a very important point to understand. With the cost of gas going up, our roadways becoming more and more congested, and the constant bouts with poor/bad/aggressive drivers, it seems we as a society have taken advantage of a great privilege that hundreds of millions of people across the globe cannot enjoy for one reason or another. And then we have someone who respects and enjoys this freedom that we have in owning and operating a vehicle. And she’s not even an car person!

Now, this isn’t me getting on my soapbox ranting to the world. I just feel it is important to see and read the story for this reason, in addition to the timeliness of the holiday. Just keep it in mind as you spend time with your mother on her day of celebration.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there.

Wall Street Journal Article

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Via Nick Borgia