In the Pits at the Ferrari Challenge

There isn’t any really any racing in this clip, but the camera man had some great access to the pits, and just getting to see the FXX and some vintage Ferrari F1 machines up close makes it worth watching. Towards the end, one of the techs gives some explanation of the FXX’s diagnostic computer, which I thought was kind of cool. Apparently, if you’re lucky enough to own one of Enzo’s old racing machines, you also wind up stuck with whatever vintage computer they were using back in the day, as they were basically hard-wired into the car. But hey, if getting to drive a Ferrari race car means having to use an ancient DOS machine, I think I could get used to it…

Related posts:

• Top Gear Australia 2×05 Out Now
• Jonesin’ for a cool ride?
• Caterham RS Levante Sold Out
• FinalGear Shirts Available for Purchase!
• REPORT: Lamborghini hybrid coming in 2015, next-gen models available with either AWD or RWD

Related posts:

• 2009 Honda Pilot Debuts, Honda Says, “Jump Up Off Our Nuts About The Design Now, Would You? Damn.”
• Detroit 2009: Jeep Patriot EV joins the ENVI lineup
• No Dummies: CPR instructor, others win custom Ford Transit Connect vans
• VIDEO: 6-year-old learns to drive in GTA, takes mom's Taurus to school
• ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight, 63.4 mpg!

Mini John Cooper Works Hard Top

MINI John Cooper works engine modifications deliver 211hp and 0-62 in 6.5 seconds with the on-the-road prices at £20,500.

[Source: Mini]

Related posts:

• Nissan GT-R SpecV Model
• Top Gear Russia 01×04
• Italian State Police Get Gadget-Filled Lamborghini Gallardo Police Car [Police Cars]
• Such a deal: Ten 300-hp used cars under $10K
• Top Gear Australia 2×02 Now Available

Related posts:

• BMW is Considering 4-cylinder Powered 1-Series and 3-Series Models in the US
• Dude, Where's My Car? Dvd Downloads
• BMW X1 Concept Officially Unveiled
• Download Dude, Where's My Car? Movie
• BMW is Worried About the Launch of the All-New 7 Series

2008’s most satisfying cars

Consumer Reports has just released their list of 2008’s most satisfying cars, and the results aren’t what I would have guessed! 

Topping the list (for the 5th year in a row so I guess that’s not TOO surprising!) is the:

Toyota Prius!

Ninety three percent of owners said they’d buy or lease another one.

A very close second was:

The Corvette Z06

Yes, more people would buy their Prius again than would buy their Z06 again. Still 92 percent of owners wouldn’t think twice about plunking down the cash for this American gem of a car that can beat a 911 Carerra and a Jaguar XK8 to 60. 

And coming in third…

The Mini Cooper Clubman

Hey, it’s kinda like a Suburban. Only smaller. And German. 

At the other end of the list is some sobering news: 20 of the 23 least satisfying vehicles were American. 

At the very bottom is the Jeep Commander, preceded by the Chevy Equinox, the Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon. 

Thank goodness Chevy still makes the Corvette!

What car do you drive, and would you buy it again?

-tgriffith

Related posts:

• Jaguar wants to be 'Mainly a Sportscar Manufacturer'
• Jaguar Drivers Club (Auckland) 10th Annual Car Show
• Jaguar X-Type 2.2 Diesel Saloon Specifications Performance 0 to 60 mph ...
• Jaguar XF Wins 12th International Award
• New Jaguar XF-S Diesel

Related posts:

• 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS Sedan, Part One [Jalopnik Reviews]
• The Caterham Super 7: don’t call it a kit car
• GM Recalls 857,735 Vehicles, Cue The Late-Night TV Class Action Law Suit Ads
• The Hyundai Genesis Is Officially 5-Star Safe, Still 5-Star Boring
• Race Around the Clock: Alpina times the 12 Hours of Sebring

Infiniti Wants to Increase Its Lineup with New Models and a GT-R Based Coupe

According to Nissan's global design chief Shiro Nakamura, Infiniti is considering adding new models to its lineup that will stray from Infiniti's current image. A new small car, a large "people mover", a GT-R based coupe and new smaller engines are reportedly in the works.

Related posts:

• 2007 Ford Edge: First Look
• Plants Growing Green
• GM works a deal with UAW to cut gap on labor costs
• PCH, Hell Uber Alles Edition Revisited: BMW 745i or Audi V8 Quattro? [Project Car Hell]
• Roadster Aplenty: Dodge Demon Concept

Related posts:

• Infinity QX56
• Suburban Dad: 2007 Nissan Armada
• Bulletproof GT-RR Not Death Proof [Sema]
• The Ten Small Cars Of The Future [Size Does Matter]
• 2009 North American Car Of The Year Nominees

Such a deal: Ten 300-hp used cars under $10K

Filed under: Car Buying, Time Warp, Etc.

300 horsepower. Not too long ago, that was a number to brag about. Nowadays, minivans edge close to that number, making 500 or even 600 horsepower the new 300. While the proliferation of big horsepower might scare the beejeezus out of average drivers, car lovers see it as an opportunity to get a musclebound automobile at a fire sale price. If you've got a need to have the latest, best stuff, then the idea of picking up 300 still-exciting horsepower under the hood of something interesting from the last two decades might not do it for you, but the idea that you can get 300 horsepower for less money than an Aveo has a real appeal to us. Next Autos has whipped up a list of what they think are some of the better options in the sub-10K marketplace that pack the magic triple-hundred rating. We agree with some of the picks, one we've even singled out in the past as a Future Classic, but as is the case with any list, opinions will vary. One thing to bear in mind when contemplating the purchase of some of these cars is that while the price of entry might be pleasant, service costs can add up to monumental sums. Not that maintenance costs would stop us from being suckers for the roar of enraged pistons and the firm shove of hundreds of horsepower. Hit the link to see if the list is right on or full of beans.

[Source: Next Autos/Winding Road, Photo: Edmunds]

Such a deal: Ten 300-hp used cars under $10K originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read |  |  | 

Related posts:

• Fuel sipping station wagons sold in Europe
• What’s safer: a 1966 Cadillac or a 2009 Civic?
• INVASION! Of the hatchback
• Commenter Of The Day: Mandatory Minimums Edition [Commenter Of The Day]
• New EPA Fuel Economy Guide Reveals Ten Most Fuel Efficient Vehicles For 2009 [I Feel Gassy]

Related posts:

• 2010 Nissan 370Z image leaked on the web
• Nissan previews next-generation ‘Z’ with hidden sculpture
• Nissan, Chrysler team up for compact car and pickup
• Ghosn: Nissan sees American partnership as an opportunity not an obligation
• Nissan, Chrysler team up for compact car and pickup

LA 2008: Jerry Seinfeld's sublime Porsche 550 Spyder

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Time Warp, Porsche, Celebrities

Click above for a high-res gallery of Seinfeld's '54 Porsche 550 Spyder

Alongside the facelifted Cayman and Boxster, Porsche brought this gorgeous 1955 550 RS Spyder owned by none other than car nut Jerry Seinfeld. While we love the silver in which we usually see this car painted, the light blue really makes it stand out. The 550 Spyder holds a special place in the hearts of Porsche fans, giving the make its first overall win back in the 1956 Targa Florio. Just 70 examples were produced, making it one of the most valuable Porsches, as well. Power comes from a 1.5L air-cooled aluminum flat-4 producing 110 horsepower and 88.5 lb-ft torque. That might not sound like much, but the motor only had to push around a mere 1,213 lbs. Check out the gallery of high resolution photos below for more proof that Jerry Seinfeld has good taste in cars.

Gallery: LA 2008: Jerry Seinfeld's 1955 Porsche 550 RS Spyder

Live photos copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

LA 2008: Jerry Seinfeld's sublime Porsche 550 Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 |  | 

Related posts:

• Did you think the VW-Porsche deal was done? Nein.
• Porsche Cayman 2010 unveiled at LA Auto Show
• The 1985 Corvette: Better Than Lotus Esprit Turbo, Ferrari 308GTS, Porsche 928S, Porsche 944! [Classic Ad Watch]
• Video: Receiving Your Brand New Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
• Porsche considering selling 49% of sports car business to VW?

Related posts:

• Google Streetview Catches Porsche Engineers With Their Pants Down [Spy Photos]
• Porsche Panamera
• A Waste Of A Porsche
• Porsche is Considering Diesel and Targa Top Versions of the Panamera 4-Door
• Porsche Panamera

Momentum Race Group to run Camaros in KONI Challenge

Posted by Autoblog

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

Momentum Race Group Chevrolet Camaro – Click above for a high-res image gallery

It might be late, but it’s better than never. The Chevrolet Camaro is set to battle the Ford Mustang and the…

Related posts:

• Ford Abandons Small Car Plan for More Fuel-Efficient Model
• Scooped By Moriarity
• Ford's New Plan
• REPORT: U.S. Border Patrol considering Ford F150 SVT Raptor
• Four-Links - Willys road trip, steam-powered Ford, Wyoming junkyard, Curtiss update

Related posts:

• 2009 Corvette ZR1 could beat Nissan GT-R’s 7:29 Nurburgring run
• Wagoner: Chevy Volt could cost less than $30k
• Chevy Camaro won’t debut at Indy in Sept., but before that…
• Corvette ZR1 hits up Nurburgring with lap times in the low 7:40s
• Volt is no electric Camaro: Be interested in what it can do, not how it looks

The Next Ford Fusion and Ford Focus Will be Global Cars...Finally!!

Ford CEO, Allan Mulally has announced that the next generation small and midsize cars from the Blue Oval will be global cars. This means that models like the Ford Focus, which differs from the model in Europe will finally be the same car.

Related posts:

• Fuel Efficient Saturn Vehicles for 2009
• Detroit CEOs fly private jets to Capitol Hill beg-fest
• Jaguar wants to be 'Mainly a Sportscar Manufacturer'
• The Art Gerrick Car
• PCH, Hell Uber Alles Edition Revisited: BMW 745i or Audi V8 Quattro? [Project Car Hell]

Related posts:

• Aston Martin has released at Frankfurt Motor Show a car that gets in the ...
• Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Unveiled...The World's Fastest Roadster
• Scrapheap, or, you can’t save them all
• Intellichoice: Say Good-bye to Nissan Armada?
• PCH, Ticket To The Afterlife Edition: WRX-Powered Beetle or Granada Hearse? [Project Car Hell]

2008 Saturn Astra Will Start at $15,995...Better than the Old Saturn Ion?

The Saturn Astra is one of more of the exciting new GM models that is going to be offered for 2008. Basically because the Astra that we will get here is essentially the same as the Opel Astra sold in Europe. The Opel Astra is one of the most popular small car in Europe.

Related posts:

• CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot: the Dual Ghia & Ghia L6.4
• Lamborghini SuperVeloce: New Bull In The Stable
• Audi Races into the 2008 Model Year: the TT Coupe
• May Sets Records in Hybrid Searches

Related posts:

• Christchurch Chevette Gears Up To Conquer Antarctica [Down On The Street Bonus Edition]
• Consumers want their Hummers…? Pontiac and Hummer take top spots on list of GM brands auto consumers want to survive.
• Short Term Memories: the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky say Goodbye
• The Newest Star of Transformers - a Motorcycle?
• Tasty Cars

Commenter Of The Day: Sarah Palin Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

The domestic pig has been an integral part of human civilization for over 10,000 years. While its primary use has been for food, pig parts have also been used to make weapons, tools and rhetorical devices. Yes, the pig has long been featured in such idioms as the Biblical "pearls before swine," "a pig in a poke" and "pig's ear." The indispensable 1796 tome The Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue notes that a "hog in armour" refers to an "awkward or mean looking man or woman, finely dressed." Wearing armor, however, is frowned upon today and the expression has evolved to "lipstick on a pig;" in both cases, the idea is that adding superficial upgrades to a poor product is ultimately futile. When we asked you today to list the worst automotive design features of all time, LamerX responded in classic lipstick-on-a-pig fashion:

Fake chrome kills me. You know, the chrome strips embedded in the door panels in your 1982 Dodge? The ones that when you were a kid in the back seat, you'd sit back there and peel the chrome off exposing the white plastic underneath. Your parents yelling at you "QUIT PEELING THAT OFF!"

But there was nothing you could do. You'd be bored, and have nothing to do. You'd just sit there and look at that chrome hanging off, and want to pick the whole thing off to make it at least look uniform. The sweat would start building up on your brow, your fingernail reaching out. You'd wait until a couple miles up the road when your parents were focused on the road. Maybe wait until they were in traffic, and couldn't see you in the rearview.

I guess peeling that stuff up was like picking a scab. So satisfying to rip it off and expose the raw flesh underneath... Except you didn't want to eat the chrome.

Public Service Announcement: We at Jalopnik would like to remind you that we don't endorse eating anything from a 1982 Dodge. Thank you.

Related posts:

• Dodge Ram 2500 Car Profile
• Fuel sipping station wagons sold in Europe
• Audi Shark Concept Car
• Citroen Hypnos Concept 2008
• Dodge Viper Car Profile

Related posts:

• A Scale Model of a Ferrari 312PB Built By Pierre Scerri
• CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car parking Lot – The 1969 AMC Hurst SC/Rambler
• 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan S, Part Two [Jalopnik Reviews]
• Mercedes Unveils Luxurious New Actros Trust Edition Semi For Euro-Trash Truckers [Mercedes Benz Actros]
• AutoblogGreen for 01.14.09