Motor City Muscle Cars

Sketches Confirm 2014 Ford Mustang based on Evos Concept

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:04:30 +0000

BREAKING NEWS! Motor City Muscle Cars has uncovered the first spy photos showing sketches of the Ford Evos concept car based 2014 Ford Mustang!

Earlier today we reported that the 50th anniversary 2014 Ford Mustang would draw heavily on the Ford Evos concept’s styling. The first sketches / spy photos that the confirm that Ford is using the Evos architecture for the new pony car.

The preliminary sketches are from prior to April 2011 and are based on the Evos concept car that Ford launched in August 2011 in Berlin at the Frankfurt International Auto Show. The 2014 Mustang will keep the Evos rear styling and exhaust that exits through the lower fascia. The front end of the Mustang in the drawing appears to accommodate the Evos more trapezoidal shape and larger grille opening. Though we doubt the Mustang will retain the cabin forward styling of these early sketches.

The Evos is leaner and ever so slightly smaller than the current Mustang, but still very mean, and packs the all important visually aggressive stance for which the legendary muscle car is famous for. The newly launched 2013 Mustang GT has a larger grille that hints that Ford is leaning to the larger Evos grille design. They sexy Evos is 9in shorter than the current steed, but 3in wider and 2in taller on a nearly identical wheel base. The production Mustang will lose the fancy touch screens and gullwing doors, but keep the sexy sculpted body lines and fastback shape to become Ford’s first global pony. Hopefully one that will connect well with Gen X and Y buyers who prefer the sleek Asian and European imports.

Is the 2014 Mustang the Ford Evos?

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:07:06 +0000

With the 50th Anniversary of the Mustang looming in 2014, Ford is hard at work redesigning the legendary pony car. But just because the Mustang is an American icon, don’t expect the new Mustang to incorporate the same retro styling we have become accustomed to over the 20 years.

The 2012 Mustang is leaving its competitors in the dust and is tearing up the drag strip, but lags behind the Chevy Camaro when it comes to launching off the showroom floor. With fewer Mustang being sold than any other time in it’s history, Ford will depart from the retro styling cues that defined Mustang product launches in 1994, 1999, 2005 and 2010. With Baby Boomers retiring Ford must alter the Mustang’s principal demographic if it hopes to sell its muscle car to up and coming Gen X and Gen Y buyers. Enter the Ford Evos.

With the demise of the Panther Platfrom (the Lincoln Continental and Mercury Grand Marquis) the Mustang is the last remaining rear wheel drive car in Ford’s stable. When it was refreshed in 1999 the Mustang shared its underpinnings with the Lincoln LS sedan. Production of the LS ended in 2006 leaving the Mustang with sole use of its platform. As Ford looks to redesign the aging pony for its 50th anniversay sales no longer justify the millions it would cost for the it to have its own unique chassis. Sales have fallen over 60% for the Mustang since 2006.

Ford design chief J. Mays’ meteoric raise to fame came from such retro-futuristic designs as VW’s Concept 1 Bettle Bug, Ford GT, Thunderbird, Fairlane, Shelby GR-1 and “427″, but now Mays says that retro styling is dead. Yes, dead. Strong words for a man who owes his lively hood to sketching out modern interpretations of classics designs. The Mustang will go back to its roots by paring down it’s weigh and size. One insider revealed, “The design studios in Europe and Australia are working on it, as well as those in America. It will be smaller and closer in spirit to the original 1964 Mustang.”

Ford touted the Evos as a “sexy GT fastback” with a “muscular trapezoidal form” in Berlin last August. Ford’s wording caused us to announce, “ that the Evos is the 2014 50th Anniversary Ford Mustang, without the running pony or tri-tail lights”. A Wall Street Journal insider that has seen the 2014 Mustang confirms that the new Pony is based off the Evos concept.

The Evos is leaner and ever so slightly smaller than the current Mustang, but still very mean, and packs the all important visually aggressive stance for which the legendary muscle car is famous for. The newly launched 2013 Mustang GT has a larger grille that hints that it will incorporate a larger Evos’ styling grille in future designs. They sexy Evos is 9in shorter than the current steed, but 3in wider and 2in taller on a nearly identical wheel base. The production Mustang will lose the fancy touch screens and gullwing doors, but keep the sexy sculpted body lines and fastback shape to become Ford’s first global pony. Hopefully one that will connect well Gen X and Y buyers who prefer the sleek Asian and European styling.

2013 Shelby GT500 Kicks A$$ and Takes Names With 650 HP & 200 MPH Top Speed

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:42:58 +0000

The 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 was suppose to be the new heavy weight champion of the (muscle car) world. At 580 horsepower, not only did it have more horsepower than a Ferrari 458, more torque than an Aston Martin DB9 V12, and a better power-to-weight ratio than a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, it was going to knockout the Shelby GT500. it wasn’t even going to be fair fight. And it wasn’t. As the bell rung the seemingly dated overweight fighter we assumed the GT500 was landed a left hook that transformed the vaunted ZL1 from the favored contender to a pretender. With 650 horsepower the and a top speed of 215 mph the 2013 Mustang GT500 proves it is still the King of the Road.

Forget the 1960′s, this is the golden age of muscle cars. You can stop proclaiming that the OPEC Oil Embargo killed the pony car. Yes, the 1970′s turned turned Mustang II’s into Pintos, in the 1980′s we traded our Pinto ponies for Honda styled hatchbacks, and the 2000′s nearly killed the F-Body, but the muscle car survived and evolved.

We have tried to play the Mustang off as dead. For the second consecutive year the Mustang will post it worst annual sales ever. At forty-seven the Mustang was middle-aged at best. At worst they were out of touch with the youth movement they had once powered. Ford engineers were too arrogant to perceive the new Camaro as a threat, and to cautious to change the formula that had proved successful time and time again. As a result The Camaro is poised to capture the sales crown away from the iconic pony second year running. Something that has only happen four of the previous forty-four years the two muscle cars have gone head to head. The Camaro has been riding a wave of high demand fuel by their aggressive Aussie styling, and the pent-up demand caused by their six year hiatus that even the return of the 5.0L engine couldn’t halt.

And then something totally unexpected happened… Rather than watch America’s most favorite muscle car go the way of the dodo bird, Ford responded. They decided to give the 2013 Mustang GT and V6 a shot of adrenaline by adapting the aggressive Shelby front end styling, rather than wait two additional years till the schedule body change. But the move to copy the GT500′s styling left auto pundits and enthusiasts asking how Ford could differentiate their high end model.

The answer? A 5.8-liter V8 aluminum-block engine producing 650 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque, the most powerful production V8 in the world. The Shelby shed weight to tip the scales at 3,850-pounds ans remain exempt from the gas-guzzler tax.

“SVT keeps the Shelby GT500 on the cutting edge of technology and takes muscle car performance to new heights,” said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development. “We encapsulated every aspect of performance in this car – whether it’s 0-60, top speed, racetrack or quarter-mile times. Beyond that, the daily driver also will find this car perfectly fits his or her needs.”

SVT? Did you just read that right? Yes, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team, also known as SVT is back, The skunk works program had been around since 1983 when Ford rolled out the 1984-1986 SVO Mustang, but the moniquer was ditched in 2005 in favor of Shelby nameplate. Now the team credited with the 1995 Mustang Cobra R, Ford Raptor pick-up truck, and the 2005-2006 Ford GT supercar.

Now nearly every part of the powertrain has been optimized by the SVT Team for producing the additional horsepower, including a new supercharger, new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, a new carbon fiber driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle. A larger, more-efficient supercharger flowing more air through the engine is key to helping produce the massive 650 horsepower. The new TVS series 2300 creates 2.3 liters of displacement and is a unique design to the 5.8-liter engine.

The entire cooling system has been significantly updated on the new 5.8-liter engine. It now includes a larger cooling fan, fan shroud with high-speed pressure-relief doors, a more efficient charge air cooler, a higher-flow intercooler pump and an intercooler heat exchanger with volume increased 36 percent.

Nearly every gear on the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 was revised to manage the torque and use more of the power in a way that makes it more driver-friendly. Engineers considered more than 35 gearing combinations, finally deciding on one that delivers less torque all the way through the wheels to the ground and still enables the car to achieve fuel economy targets.

A key piece of the driveline, the six-speed manual transmission, offers upgraded gears, bearings and housing so it can properly manage the torque. The final drive ratio is now 3.31:1 for optimized overall vehicle gearing to complement the massive torque. Every gear besides fourth was optimized for competing performance metrics. The clutch has increased torque and rpm capacity and uses a dual-disc design.

“It might just seem like we’re putting a bigger engine into the car. But it’s been a balanced approach through and through,” said Jamal Hameedi, SVT chief engineer. “We’ve completely redone the car to be even more sophisticated in terms of handling and control than the prior model.”

When customers order the optional Performance Package, they will get a Torsen limited-slip differential that helps the rear suspension deliver maximum torque and traction better and longer under track conditions. A new launch control system lets drivers set the desired launch rpm depending on tire temperature, street surface or other conditions. Unique to SVT’s launch control is that it is integrated with both the engine control and traction control. A new six-piston caliper Brembo brake system offers drivers enhanced stopping power to help keep their car under control, both on the road and the track.

The front fascia and splitters were modified to handle the extreme loads at 200 mph, resulting in a car that tracks more securely and feels more planted to the road at higher speeds. It offers 33 percent more effective aero loading at 160 mph compared to the 2011 model.

“We took a completely different approach with this car so drivers can choose their settings instead of a computer making the selection,” Hameedi said. “Nearly every system the driver interacts with can be tailored to his or her situation including the Bilstein electronic adjustable suspension, launch control, AdvanceTrac and steering assist levels.”

The 2013 Shelby GT500 offers two new sets of forged-aluminum wheels including a unique wheel for cars with the optional packages. The 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels are coupled with Goodyear Eagle® F1 SuperCar G: 2 tires on all vehicle configurations.

Sometimes Ford Shelby GT500 customers want to enjoy their car on surface streets. Other times they just want to let loose on the track. Two new optional packages on the 2013 model give them the choice.

Available as part of the optional Performance Package, SVT-designed Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers are accessed on the dash with a simple push of a button. Normal mode gives customers a more comfortable ride over road irregularities. Sport mode is all about performance, delivering improved response time on the track and less body roll while cornering and pitch under braking. The Torsen limited-slip differential also comes with the Performance Package.

“The adjustable shocks let us develop our car on the track without any compromise,” said Kerry Baldori, Ford SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer. “Before, we had to tune the car with street implications in mind. Now we can go as extreme as we want on the track setting and still offer the customer a comfortable ride on the road.”

Enthusiasts can upgrade their Performance Package with an additional Track Package for all-out performance. The option comes with an external engine oil cooler, rear differential cooler and transmission cooler for further durability. The coolers play an essential role in preventing crucial components from overheating under high-speed conditions.

The end result? The 2013 Shelby GT500 is kicking a$$ and taking names. It starts with the 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1.

Road Atlanta Offers Mobile App for IPhone, IPad and Andriod Users

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:35:11 +0000

Finally! One of the first race track phone apps has been released! Road Atlanta is right with the curve of technology trying to make the fan experience even better! This application can be downloaded for free on iPhones (click here) or Android (click here).

The app serves many purposes for our fans:

Navigation
The Road Atlanta phone app is intended to help fans navigate around the facility. It has an interactive track map that is GPS enabled. The map shows everything from the turns of the track, restrooms, concessions and souvenir locations to medical and camping/parking areas. The most important part of the app shows fans where the shuttle stops are and what routes they take.

News Updates
The app also keeps fans connected with the latest updates from Road Atlanta and Petit Le Mans with the news section. This is updated frequently so fans can check back anytime throughout the year.

Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda Timing/Scoring
Petit Le Mans can be a difficult race to follow and keep track of who is in the lead. We are making this easy on fans with live timing and scoring. Check in anytime here to know lead teams.

Track and Event Schedules
Of course, we added our yearly schedule and event schedules as well. This will help keep our fans in the loop of what is happening year-round and during each event!

As you can see, the Road Atlanta app will be helpful on many levels and will be a very useful tool for those at the track for an event and for those at home wanting to stay in touch.

2013 Ford Mustang Unveiled With New Shelby Style Grille

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:52:50 +0000

The Ford Mustang – an American icon of muscle car performance and style – has lost its swagger in recent years. Even with the return of the 5.0L engine the Mustang just couldn’t compete with the stylish new Chevy Camaro. Ford is hoping that a more aggressive looking Shelby-esque bumper cover and grille and a list of smart features for the 2013 Mustang, signal renewed life popular pony car before the redesigned 2014 50th Anniversary Mustang goes on sale.

This is not the first time Ford Motor Company has copied over design features from a Shelby Mustang. The rear quarter windows that first appeared in the 1966 Shelby GT350 became a standard feature on the 2005-2012 Ford Mustangs. The 1969-1970 Shelby GT350 & GT500 (built by Kar Kraft Engineering) feature a long front fenders and open grille, styling cues that Ford used from 1971-1973. Rear brake scoops from the Shelby Mustangs became faux copies on the 1969 Spoortsroof Mustangs. Dual racing stripes? Yep, you can thank good ‘ol Carroll Shelby for those “Le Mans” stripes. The question is can Shelby save the Mustang again?

More aggressive design

The new model Mustang, which goes on sale in spring (April) 2012, offers a more aggressive design with a significantly more prominent grille. A more powerful splitter adds to that appearance. Functional heat extractors on the hood of the GT were specifically placed and designed to help move hot air out of the engine compartment and cool the engine. The honeycomb still grille design gives a nod to the 1965 and 1973 Mach 1 grilles that used a similar pattern.

“We are delivering a more distinctive and emotional design presence that celebrates the total performance of Mustang,” said Darrell Behmer, Mustang chief designer. “This latest Mustang design is very respectful of its heritage while continuing to look forward with a more powerful and modern look.”

Rocker panels running along the car are now body-color, making for a more premium appearance. The rear tail panel is now high-gloss black instead of body colored. Ford is keeping the sequential turn signal tri-tail lights that the Mustang is known for, The are recessed and LED ring in a manner that mimics the rival Camaro tail lights.

Also new for Mustang design are standard high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps on both V6 and GT cars. Signature lighting plays into the technology upgrades for 2013 as well, with two individual light-emitting diode (LED) bars accentuating the front headlamps and three LED ropes forming the iconic three-bar rear lights.

The new Mustang offers a revamped wheel lineup, ranging from the standard 17-inch wheels for V6 all the way up to 19-inch optional wheels on the GT and V6 Performance Package. With updated designs, the wheels also offer new finishes and touches for a more powerful appearance.

There are two different finishes on the 17-inch wheel – machined-aluminum and painted. Three optional V6 wheels include an 18-inch polished aluminum set, an updated 18-inch painted aluminum and a 19-inch painted wheel design, with a new theme for the V6 Performance Package.

The standard 18-inch painted aluminum wheel on both GT and premium GT is an evolution of the five-spoke design. The 19-inch optional GT wheel comes with a gloss-black finish with machined face for a more sinister look.

The new car also offers mirrors with pony projection light, which casts the image of Mustang’s famous pony emblem on the ground when the unlock button is activated (think Batman). New colors – Deep Impact Blue and Gotta Have It Green – join the existing sporty colors for 2013.

Also new on V6 and GT are optional leather-trimmed or cloth Recaro® seats that are currently available on the Shelby GT500 and Boss 302. Designed to enhance the high-performance driving experience, lateral bolsters in the cushion and seatback are used to ensure drivers have the support needed on the track during hard cornering and to deliver a comfortable ride.

The seats also come complete with integrated head restraints with ample room for drivers and passengers wearing helmets when at the track. Openings on the seatback are included for customers looking to create performance setups for their car on track days. The Recaro seats are the result of a global team effort led by SVT along with the Mustang engineering group in North America, Team RS in Europe and Recaro.

New driving technologies

The 2013 Mustang with 5.0-liter engine will now deliver 420 horsepower, up from 412 ponies. Based on learnings from developing the high-output 444-horsepower 2013 Mustang Boss 302, the team was able to adapt several of the designs to the 5.0-liter.

The new Mustang can be specified with a six-speed SelectShift Automatic™ transmission. This advanced control strategy offers the driver a choice between fully automatic operation and manual control. The system is controlled with a selector button on the side of the shifter. The shifter has been upgraded for 2013 with more modern style and improved accessibility.

“This lets owners take an automatic out on a track day or whenever they want to drive sportier, and lets them have the convenience of switching to manual control,” said Tom Barnes, Mustang vehicle engineering manager. “It’s a significant improvement to our powertrain offerings that lets the driver take control.”

This capability makes the Mustang experience sporty yet smooth. Unlike some competitors’ transmissions, SelectShift won’t second-guess the driver with an override shift. With SelectShift, manual control is truly manually controlled.

A new option, the GT Track Package, debuts for 2013 for customers who want to push their Mustang even further at the track. Available only on manual GT Mustangs with a 3.73 axle, the package gives track enthusiasts an engine cooler, upgraded radiator, performance friction brake pads and the same Torsen® differential that’s on Mustang Boss 302. The package includes everything in the current Brembo™ Brake Package, with 14-inch vented front discs, unique 19-inch alloy wheels and summer performance tires.

Other optional package updates for 2013 include offering the Brembo Brake Package on both manual and automatic transmissions on Mustang GT. The V6 Performance Package is now available on automatic Mustangs for the first time.

Hill start assist makes its debut on manually equipped Mustangs. This feature helps keep the car from rolling backward, making it easier to pull away when on a slope or hill. With the brake pedal pressed, if sensors detect the car is on a slope, the system is automatically activated. Brake pressure is held in the braking system and the car remains stationary on the slope for up to two seconds after the driver releases the brake pedal.

A new 4.2-inch LCD productivity screen that lets customers access information related to fuel economy and vehicle performance also makes its debut on Mustang. The screen is navigated through a five-way control button located on the steering wheel and offers Track Apps, which delivers performance metrics for drivers right from the factory. The app measures g forces, shows acceleration times in quarter-mile and 0-60 increments, and displays braking times, complete with automatic and countdown starts.

The 2013 Mustang also offers customers two new audio systems for even better sound quality for incredible clarity and crispness. The optional Shaker^™ system comes with eight speakers and pumps out 370 watts of power. The upgraded Shaker Pro offers nine speakers and delivers 550 watts of power.

The 2013 Ford Mustang will continue to be built at AutoAlliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.

2014 Mustang 50th Anniversary Plans Revealed

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:34:42 +0000

The Mustang Club of America (MCA) revealed their plans to celebrate the Ford Mustang’s 50th anniversary on the original pony car’s birthday April 17th. The celebration will take plan at two locations from April 16-20, 2014, with Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway playing hosts to the east coast / west coast events. Ford Motor Company, whom is among the sponsors of the event(s) will also play host to its own Mustang birthday bash to be held over July 4th in Dearborn.

All American Pony Car first debuted at the World’s Fair in New York on April 17th, 1964. Ford projected annual sales of 100,000 units of the coupe and convertible sports car, but sold through that amount in the first 90 days alone. The Mustang went on to set records sales of over 500,000 units in its first 12 months and topped a million units sold before the end of the 1966 model year. Ford quickly added three assembly line to keep up with production and added the fastback 2+2 and GT variants on the Mustang’s 1st anniversary.

The MCA is the result of Stan Jones placing a classified ad in the Atlanta Journal Constitution suggesting that classic Mustang owners meet for a car show at Stone Mountain Park on April 11, 1976. Thirty enthusiasts replied and attended that first event. By 1978 more than 100 were attending the bi-annual car show and the club was formed by Stan Jones, George White, Gary Goddard, Tom Taylor and 10 other s who attended the first business meeting. The club originally focused on the classic 1965-1973 Mustangs, but expanded in 1986 to include all Mustangs. Today the club has more than 11,000 members and almost 200 regional chapters throughout the world, and more than 7 million Mustangs have been sold.

The Mustang Club of America has gone on to host the 30th, 35th, 40th, and 45th Anniversaries of the Mustang in cooperation with Ford Motor Company and other sponsors. Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte has was host to the first two events including the 30th Anniversary Show which President Bill Clinton attended along with his ’67 convertible flown in from Arkansas on a USAF C-141 jet transport.

The 50th Anniversary will mark the first time the MCA has held the Anniversary Show in two locations with the East Coast / West Coast format. The July 4th celebration at Ford’s Corporate Headquarters will most likely be the largest single gathering of Mustangs ever. We expect that show to follow the format of Ford’s recent 100th Anniversary Celebration.

Skip Barber Hosts Road Atlanta Open House

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:43:03 +0000

Skip Barber Racing School will host the 3rd Annual FREE Open House at Road Atlanta on Friday, May 4, 2012. Tickets are limited, register ONLINE today for either the morning or afternoon session.

Spend the day getting free seat time in Mazda MX-5 Miata on the Autocross course, taking hot laps arounud the full 2.54 mile track in a Playboy Cup Car, drifting the RX-8 on the Skidpad, or riding along in a Lotus Evora, Lexus ISF, Porsche 911 or Cayman.

Last year we had a great time attending the event at the 2.54 mile 12 turn road course that hosts the Petite LeMans. I took dad along and meet up with our friend Brian Medford from AutoTrader Classics. After passing pleasantries our competitive edge (egos) got the best of us and we battled it out on the Skipad and infield Autocross course to see who was the best driver. Brian took the 2012 Miata out first in Autocross, but appeared to be out for more of a Sunday drive than a record lap attempt. The fact that I daily drive a Miata proved to be a huge advantage as I dazzled the race instructors and set the base lap of session. Dad, who drives a Mustang, was quickest of the line, but his brisk pace was offset by his off track excursions.

On the Skidpad we all found the RX-8 slightly unresponsive, under powered and overweight. The car suffers from alternating understeer and overtsteer and the back end wants to dance around as soon as you lose traction. One dad decided that driving the RX-8 was like have a dance partner with two left feet he decided to set the record for consecutive 360s. He managed 3 full spins before being hauled back to the pits. I managed to drift a quarter lap before losing control, but spent the vast majority of my time on the pad dodging other drivers. Brain rebounded from the Autocross and had the Mazda sideways for 3/4 of a lap.

The verdict? Great fun was had all in Hotlanta. Dad got the win for having the most fun. Skip Barber and Road Atlanta get props for hosting such a fun event, and having nice cold water on hand. Can’t wait to get back to the track again!

3rd Annual FREE Open House at Road Atlanta on Friday, May 4, 2012

Activities include:

- Riding Hot Laps on track in a Mazda MX-5 Cup Car with the best instructors

- Driving a Mazda RX-8 on the Skid Pad

- Driving a Mazda on the Autocross

- Riding in a Lotus Evora, Lexus ISF, Porsche 911 or Cayman

Attendees will be able to receive up to 20% OFF retail programs purchased at the event.

Don’t wait to use your vacation time, if your boss doesn’t understand, just bring them along. See what Skip Barber Racing School has to offer at one of the world’s most famous race tracks. Click on the links below to register for either the 8AM-12PM or 1PM-5PM session.

Be prepared, having fun is mandatory.

*Minors will not be permitted to attend this event.
**No open-toed shoes permitted

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.

Skip Barber Racing School

speed@skipbarber.com

2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet the World’s Fastest Car 0-60 or 0-100!

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:56:07 +0000

Move over Bugatti, there is a new leader atop the leader board for the world’s fastest production car. The 2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet shattered the 2012 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport 0-to-60 mph time of 2.57 seconds by knocking a full second of the record. Bo Butner’s factory production racer hit 0-60 in a mere 1.52 seconds!

Incredibly, Butner was unaware of just how fast his Mustang truly was.

“As drag racers, we look for different numbers to tell us how the car is performing,” said Butner after claiming the first American Drag Racing League’s SuperCar Showdown title. “We’re much more concerned with the car’s first sixty feet of travel and we always use elapsed time, rather than speed, as the reference. The only actual speed reading we’re concerned about comes at the finish line and, even then, we’re more concerned about the elapsed time.”

Officials from the ADRL were granted access to the onboard telemetry of Butner’s event-winning Cobra Jet and found the Ford was unknowingly shattering records almost every time it ran down the dragstrip. On his best eighth-mile run at the fabled Texas strip, the past World Champion launched from a standstill and hit sixty miles per hour in a mere 1.52 seconds! During the event, Butner also clocked a 0-to-100 mph time of 3.26 seconds to eclipse any known claim for the same performance by an auto manufacturer.

0-to-60 mph in 1.52 seconds (68.61 feet)

0-to-80 mph in 2.491 seconds (159.06 feet)

0-to-100 mph in 3.26 seconds (283.94 feet)

0-to-120 mph in 5.80 seconds (649.82 feet)

“I’m truly stunned!” exclaimed the Hoosier state campaigner as he discovered the results embedded in the acceleration graphs displayed from the readout of the onboard data. “I had no idea these cars were reaching these speeds so quickly. We honestly didn’t realize we had the quickest zero-to-sixty production car on the planet!”

Butner’s Mustang utilized the production 5.4-liter, (330 cubic inch), V8 engine equipped with a 2.4-liter supercharger, a production automatic transmission and a factory-produced chassis. The Ford weighed in a 3,550 pounds was also required to compete on drive tires no wider than nine inches, (228 mm). The 900 horsepower Cobra Jet Mustang might be a blow to the wallet at $91,990 for a base version and $103,980 for the model with the bigger blower, but it is still a bargain Veryon. The All wheel drive Bugatti’s 8-liter, sixteen-cylinder engine with four turbochargers which produces 1,180 horsepower, tips the scale at 4,162 pounds and carries a list price of $2.4 million dollars. Some $2.3 million more than the purpose built pony car.

“The fact the weather conditions at Houston weren’t really conducive to developing maximum power makes me really wonder just how quick these cars can eventually run,” said Butner. “We really haven’t applied all the power-making techniques, such as changing gear ratios, to these cars yet. I have to believe they’ll be quicker and faster in the coming SuperCar Showdown events.”

Earlier in the season, Butner became the first drag racing competitor to pilot a production car to a quarter-mile performance under nine seconds, (8.993 seconds). At the ADRL Houston event, his Mustang clocked an eighth-mile best of 5.83 seconds. Here are some other interesting figures which came from the onboard data during Butner’s first SuperCar Showdown title.

Former drag racing World Champion Butner, who operates his family’s half-century old auto sales company in Clarksville, Indiana, displayed astonishing consistency during actual competition. In three rounds of eliminations, his Mustang ran between 5.83 and 5.86 seconds and each winning effort was clocked at over 119 mph. In the semi-finals, Butner outran three-time World Champion Kevin Helms in another 2011 SRT Dodge Challenger V-10 while Holbrook defeated past National Championship runner-up David Buckner whose Texas-based Evolution Custom Auto-sponsored 6.1-liter Dodge Challenger was the only naturally-aspirated V-8 entry to qualify for the field.

“Throughout the race, we were receiving text messages from Jesse Kershaw and Brian Wolfe at Ford Racing,” noted Butner during winner’s circle ceremonies. “They were watching us all weekend and we knew it was really important to the guys in Detroit that we do well in this new series. We made the right tuning decisions and ran as hard as we could. The fans loved it, we loved it and I really think this SuperCar Showdown is going to be big. It was just a great race!”

Kershaw, Ford’s Drag Racing Competition Manager, was equally enthusiastic about his team’s victory.

“Bo and Chris are extremely tough racers and both are committed to the Ford brand and its fans,” said Kershaw after the event. “They both jumped at the chance to showcase the Cobra Jet Mustang in front of the ADRL’s prime-time audience and Bo’s win was a huge accomplishment.
“At Ford, we are truly excited about the SuperCar Showdown and firmly believe it will be a drag racing category which will show continuous growth throughout the year and into the future. The ADRL has given us a venue to race these cars as hard as they can be raced. We know there is plenty of tough competition out there and we’re not taking lightly our involvement but to win the first event with two Fords in the final round was a fantastic accomplishment. It will only get better from here!”

Although open to all production vehicles, the ADRL’s SuperCar Showdown requires strict adherence to factory equipment and modifications are not permitted. The next event in the 2012 SuperCar Showdown Series will be the American Drag Racing League Spring Drags III to be held at Bristol (TN) Dragway on April 20-21.

(Photo Credit: ADRL/Richards)

Death Defying Mazda2 Tackles the Wall of Death

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:11:09 +0000

Wall of Death. Probably not the three best words to be running through your mind as you floor the throttle and head out on to the track. You want words like victory, pace and skill to fill your head. Not Wall of Death. But then this is track like no other. It measures just 31-foot in diameter and it’s 85 years old. It’s made almost entirely of wood, and it’s redolent with the tang of oil, sweat and fear. Oh, and the track walls are completely vertical.

The Mazda2 slowly edges up and away from the horizontal base of the Wall of Death and onto its upright walls. The right front and rear tires chirp, momentarily slip, and then grip as the driver’s side of Mazda2 rides up onto the edge. Behind the wheel, Dynomyte Dave guns the supermini’s punchy 102ps 1.5-liter engine. With a burst of speed the Mazda2 flies up onto the wall, all four wheels leaving the floor. Time to go vertical on the Demon Drome Wall of Death…

The Demon Drome is the world’s oldest operating Wall of Death. It was built in America in late 1927, at the height of popularity for these adrenalin-fuelled vertical raceways, before being shipped over to Britain by Pat Collins Funfairs shortly after construction was completed. The bespoke wooden structure was then sold on and eventually ended up as an attraction in Skegness where it played to audience until the early 1980s.

The Wall of Death enjoyed a new lease of life when it was rebranded the ‘Motordrome’ and travelled around the country until the turn of the century when it was packed away in storage and forgotten. It was rescued and revived by Cornwall-based ‘Dynomyte’ Dave Seymour and his family who completely refurbished the historic wooden track in a meticulous three-year project, christening it The Demon Drome in the process.

Dynomyte Dave, his son Duke and daughter Alabama look completely at home circling the Demon Drome on their 1920s Indian Scout motorcycles. They make dealing with the 4g force that pools blood in their legs and gives them tunnel vision while hurtling around the wall look like an absolute doddle. They can ride their motorbikes one-handed, standing up, side-saddle and even blindfolded. But a car is something entirely different.

The concept behind the feat of bringing together the Mazda2 and the Demon Drome is simple – it takes Mazda’s convention defying approach to the ultimate level. In this case that level is perfectly vertical. The key to any success on the wall is a combination of low weight, agility and perky performance – qualities the lithe and effervescent Mazda2 has by the truckload. Unsurprisingly, there was little in the way of preparation needed.

The Mazda2 – a flagship 1.5-litre three-door Sport model – was handed over to Kent-based Jota Sport, the same celebrated motorsport outfit that also developed the race-winning MX-5 Miata GT that currently campaigns in the British GT Championship. It’s ace technicians removed the seats and installed a grippy driver’s bucket chair with full race harness. Simon Cotterell, one of Mazda’s own technicians, was then on hand at the track to deactivate the Mazda2’s sophisticated electronic stability system and dual front airbags.

The front foglamps were also removed to allow more flexibility in the bumper and the supermini’s MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension was fitted with uprated bump stops to handle the incredibly high compression rate – at least twice the force of gravity – as it hurtled around the wall’s diameter. Everything else about the car was completely standard. No chassis gimmicks, no electronic trickery.

With Dynomyte Dave behind the wheel – and his son Duke Seymour standing at the centre of the track to guide him – the Mazda2 begins a slow circle of the track, it’s right front and rear tires flirting with the vertical wall. Dynomyte Dave feeds in more power and the Mazda2 begins to rocket around the base of the Demon Drome, two wheels on the vertical, two on the horizontal. The driver’s side of the car seems to cock its eye upwards and with another perfectly timed and aggressive burst of speed the Mazda2 suddenly launches itself up the vertical wall.

The reinforced wooden structure bends and groans as it takes up the load as the car rises higher and higher up the 16-foot vertical wall until it reaches the centre of the track, rocketing round the round at dizzying speed and lapping the Demon Drome every two-and-half seconds. All within an incredibly tight diameter that’s tighter than the car’s own 9.8-metre turning circle. No doubt the original builders of the Demon Drome never envisaged their track still entertaining crowds 80 years into the future – and with such a modern twist.

Responding to the roar of spontaneous applause that instantly fills the track, Dynomyte Dave raises his arm triumphantly out the window and waves at the cheering crowd. He rockets around the Drome a few more times before bringing the Mazda back down to the horizontal. “That was incredible. Just amazing – I’m so stoked!” says Dynomyte Dave at the end of his ground-breaking run. “It was a bit tricky getting the Mazda up onto the vertical, but once it was there it was rock steady. Great fun. But I don’t think I’ll be doing it again. Not for a long while…”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtZyxsAT6VA

1967 LeMans Winning GT40 in Ford Booth at SEMA Show

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:41:07 +0000

Sitting in Ford’s 2011 SEMA booth, might be one of the most important Ford of all times, but that won’t stop most SEMA Show attendees from walking right by it. Sitting on a container high above the show floor, is the red #1 1967 Ford GT40 Mark IV, but with all the glitz and booth babes most show, most attendees have their eyes a little lower than iconic Ford. As a result most don’t even notice the Le Mans winner amid the sea of latest models, and the revived 1965 Ford Mustang body shell.

The Mk. IV ran in only two races, the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring and the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans, it won both. Unlike the earlier 1964-1966 MK I and MK III GT40′s that were based on the Lola GT and assembled in England, the MK IV was built entirely in the USA. It remains the one and only American built car to claim the overall victory at LeMans. It was driven to victory by the duo of A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney, who piloted their Ford to top speeds of over 220 mph. The led all but the first 90 minutes, and the 2nd place Ferrari 330P4 trailed more than four laps behind when the Americans captured the checkered flag.

Though Ford won again in 1968 and 1969 the 1967 Mk IV was the last model to sport the 7.0 litre 427 CI engine, as new rules required the GT40 to use the smaller displacement 5.0 liter 302 after 1967.

At total of six MK IV J-cars were built by Shelby America and Kar Kraft for the 1967 season. Ken Miles died while testing his car in Riverside, California in 1966, just two months after Ford’s historic 1-2-3 finish at LeMans that year. As a result of his accident, Ford fitted the full NASCAR style tube roll cage. The move to the roll cage saved racing legend Mario Andretti life when he totaled his car in a violent accident at LeMans in 1967.

It rather sad that such a legend attracts so little attention in the sea of silicon booth babes, replica Shelbys, lifted Jeeps, and matte paint jobs that are ever present at here at SEMA. Perhaps, show goers are simply unaware of the legend in their midst. I understand why Ford placed the multimillion dollar race car on a container above the busy show floor. I just wish they had done more to draw attention to its legacy. In a sea of imitations it nice to recognize a winner.