1982 Porsche 928 with a Boeing T50 turbine engine – Click above for image gallery, watch video
How often are you going to see the phrase “Flame Shooter” in an eBay Motors description? And of those instances, how often will the seller be referring to flames that emerge a Boeing T50 turbine shoved under the hood? This is one of those instances, wherein a fellow has installed a 350-horsepower turbine from a Vietnam-War-era QH50 helicopter drone in the engine bay of a 1982 928.
In addition to the coupe retaining its conveniences like heating and air conditioning, the car is supposedly used as a daily driver. You might be able to do the same, but since the Porsche generates 130 dB at idle and the temperature around the exhaust is 517 degrees – before you turn on the afterburners – it might only be meant for daily driving in places with very kind neighbors. Or another planet. It does, however, get 17 mpg… of jet fuel.
You’ll find a gallery of images below, and be sure to check out the start-up videos . The seller wants $20,000 for it, and while that might sound a little steep, it’s a Porsche with a frickin’ turbine, and professionally done at that. FYI, it doesn’t come with a warranty. But you probably suspected that anyway.
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Chris Shunk rejoins Sam, Alex and Dan for Episode #184 of the Autoblog Podcast. Topics we mull are actual IPO and ‘ apparently impending public offering. Gordon Murray’s T.25 city car makes the cut before we do a 180 and talk about the possibility of a 480-horsepower and a manlier minivan. It ends with your feedback, a tidy hour and ten minutes. See you next week!
Autoblog Podcast #184 – IPOs, Manly Minivans, City Cars and Hemi Horsepower
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Got a question for our intrepid team of podcasters? Now’s the time to ask away. Don’t forget to vote on which questions deserve our attention the most, though we’ll try to get to as many as we can. Discussion topics for Autoblog Podcast #183, which we’ll record tonight, can be found below. Finally, subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already to hear your question answered.
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2011 Aston Martin DB9 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Despite the fact that few people would actually argue that the really needed a nip and tuck, that’s exactly what it’s getting for 2011. Given how well the DB9 has held up over the last seven years, the changes have been kept pretty discreet. The lower front grille has been reshaped and new mesh inserts have been added, while the rocker panel crease now sweeps up into the rear wheel arches.
Mechanically, the DB9’s 6.0-liter V12 powertrain has been carried over, as has its 470 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The most significant upgrade for 2011 is the adoption of an adaptive damping system similar to the one already available on the DBS and Rapide. Thanks to the improved handling offered by the damping system, Aston has decided to drop the Sport Pack previously available on the DB9. Production of the upgraded models has already started and customers should be getting the new cars in the coming weeks.
Would a by any other name smell as sweet, if the name were K3 and those judging the smell were American buyers? That’s the question Kia executive are mulling as they decide whether to switch to alphanumeric model designations in the U.S. Some of the company’s cars that go by names in other markets wear letter-number identifiers in South Korea, such as the Optima, known in South Korea as the K5. Others, such as the Soul and Sportage, retain their proper names in South Korea.
According to Automotive News, Kia’s vice chairman, Chung Eui-sun, believes that alphanumeric names can strengthen a brand as long as buyers don’t get confused, but he also notes that Americans may prefer proper names. Kia would probably do well to study Acura’s long road from “Legend” and “Integra” to its current system, and Infiniti’s period of trial-and-error with its alphanumeric concoctions.
From where we sit, we think that Kia should think long and hard about the equity continuing to build in solid offerings like its and new , and if they’re going to go alphanumeric, they ought to do it sooner rather than later to avoid adding to the confusion. If it were us, we’d leave well enough alone – the automotive landscape is rapidly devolving into an alphanumeric soup and we’re not in favor of another automaker reaching into the Scrabble tilebag. How about you? Have your say in ‘Comments.’
Nobody actually needs image and fashion statements like ,and , but those who choose to buy them anyway naturally want to have the latest and greatest. And we don’t blame them. As such, Bentley reportedly wants to get on a schedule of introducing a new model at least every 18 months, if not sooner. Expect to see further variations on existing models like the SuperSports coupe and convertible in lieu of completely new platforms.
The rapid turnover of model variants goes hand-in-hand with Bentley’s ongoing migration back to performance-oriented luxury and away from the more staid approach that took precedence under Rolls-Royce ownership. Ever since Bentley and Rolls were split up and sold to and respectively, the two brands have developed distinctly different character traits, and you can expect that pattern to continue.
Those wacky Germans. They’re always on the hunt for the next new niche and the second one of them discovers the next big thing in automotive packaging, the others dog pile on. The most obvious example is the – the so-called four-door coupe. beat everyone to market with their swoopy, low-slung sedan. Then did the , launched the , is readying the and BMW will most likely put the four-door into production. Still not convinced? How about //?
Now it looks as if is now looking to muscle in on new niche, the five-door sport-luxury yacht, the . What’s that you say, Bentley’s British? Sure, in execution, but peel back the skin a bit and the Continental rides on a Volkswagen/Audi chassis – the and last-gen if you must know. Let’s not forget that Bentley’s president is named Franz-Josef Pfaegen and that he considers the Continental to be Bentley’s, “911.” That’s 911 as in Porsche 911, not emergency/national tragedy. So yes, Bentley is as German as schweinebraten und hefeweizen.
In a conversation with the about the next generation , a source within Bentley admitted that they’re looking at adding a five-door Panamera-type hatchback to the super coupe, sedan and convertible line up. They feel there’s growth potential in that particular body style. Bentley has been in rapid growth mode since Volkswagen rebooted the brand in 2003 by launching the Continental GT. Adding a five-door would only further expand the brand’s appeal to the world’s wealthier citizens.
Should Bentley build it? Why not? That said, it should also be building a three-door shooting brake version like Touring Superleggera’s doing with the . However, a five-door probably has a slightly larger audience. Additionally, if the new Bentley hatch is anywhere near as , owners will love the car. Besides, a Panamera-like Continental will be as close as we’ll ever get to a twin-turbo W12, AWD Bentley station wagon. Bring it.
It looks like could file its first paperwork for an initial public stock offering as soon as next week. The IPO registration is the first step in the process of getting approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to become a publicly traded company again. A stock sale could come as soon as November and probably no later than early 2011.
At this point it appears that most of the shares to be sold will come from the block held by the United States Treasury, which accounts for 60.8 percent of the automaker. The Treasury would like to start unloading its stake as soon as possible and preferably before this year’s election. Roughly one third of the government’s holdings are expected to be sold in what may well be the biggest IPO of all time. Depending on the IPO price, the sale could bring in anywhere from $10-20 billion for what would be about 20 percent of the company. At the time of its bankruptcy last year, GM’s market capitalization was barely $700 million.
2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R teaser – Click above to enlarge
In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a new crop of superbikes terrorizing the roadways and racetracks of the United States. And more than any other point in recent history, the Big Four Japanese brands aren’t leading the way. Instead, it’s the European brands – Specifically , BMW, and – that are encroaching on , Kawasaki, and Yamaha’s territory.
Team Green isn’t likely to let the newest challengers turn its flagship Ninja into an also-ran, and the latest evidence of such can be seen in a new teaser of the 2011 ZX-10R. Expect a completely new motorcycle for next year, including a new engine, frame and suspension package. In order to compete with the latest from Europe, we’d also imagine the literbike to get an upgraded electronics package.
While we don’t have any details on those hard bits, we do have one rendering that shows an aggressive new look with a gaping ram air scoop front and center. Want more? Check out an enlarged version of the teaser image above and be sure to for the accompanying video.
In the span of three years, has been bought and sold more times than Duke Cunningham. Its warped “merger of equals” with Daimler ended in 2007 and the disastrous reign of incompetence extended into its relationship with Cerberus Capital Management – now a “bad word” within the hallowed halls of Chrysler, according to one exec.
After filing for bankruptcy in April of 2009, the reformed Chrysler Group partnered with the Italian automaking juggernauts at Fiat and have since rolled out a five-year business plan that’s nothing if not unambitious.
But you didn’t come here for an abbreviated history lesson on Chrysler and its failed suitors. You want to find out how your $6.6 billion in federal funding is being spent and if the company’s products are finally up to snuff. Well, here’s the short version: The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the first Chrysler product since the 300 that deserves your attention. to find out why.
Gallery:
Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
Just a few days back, we glanced over and discovered some well-buried words that suggested . The words from Tesla actually read, “We have not entered into any agreements with Toyota for any such arrangements, including any purchase orders, and we may never do so.”
Tesla snuck that word “may” in there, leaving the possibility open that some sort of jointly-developed vehicle may come in the future. If a report surfacing from the newspaper in Japan is accurate, Tesla and may have already struck a deal to develop an electric prototype by the end of the year.
The Nikkei doesn’t provide much to go on, nor does it give many specifics. Without detailed info or confirmed sources, we’ll have to call this one nothing more than a rumor, but we certainly hope that it pans out to be true. Here’s what the Nikkei reported:
Upon forming capital and business ties last month, Toyota and Tesla said that they will jointly develop electric vehicles and share expertise, such as Tesla’s electric-vehicle technologies and Toyota’s production know-how. As the first step, the two firms aim to develop a prototype based on a current Toyota model using Tesla’s lithium-ion-battery-based system. Actively utilizing Tesla’s technologies will likely enable Toyota to lower the cost of its future electric vehicles, a Toyota executive said.
Like we said, we can’t confirm any of this yet and it may just be a well-placed rumor, but it piques our interest and we’ll certainly keep a close eye on it.
[Source: via Image: Speculative rendering by reader Joona Kallio]
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France (chassis #1321) – Click above for high-res image gallery
With this year’s enduro at Le Mans in the books, when better to break the news of a past winner going up for grabs? The racer in question is a 1959 250 GT LWB Tour de France – class winner and third overall at the ‘59 24 Hours of Le Mans and winner of the 1000km of Nurburgring the same year.
The pristine example still sports its original race-winning red-and-orange livery bearing the number 11. Since 1959, it’s only changed hands a few times, and has been held by the same owner for decades.
Following a showcase on the Del Monte Golf Course, its first public showing since the early ’90s, chassis number 1321 will cross Mecum’s auction block at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa on August 13-14 during the Pebble Beach concours weekend, which is already shaping up to be one for the books. Details are in the press release after the jump.
Peugeot 908 HDi qualifying for Le Mans 2010 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is getting quite predictable, with the big question being which of the Peugeot 908s will come out on top. After three timed sessions over two days, the No. 3 Peugeot of Pedro Lamy, Sebastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud came was quickest as the four French diesels filled the first two rows on the grid. Right behind them are the three factory R15+ TDIs and then the two -Lolas.
Down the field in the LMP2 ranks, the powered ARX-01c campaigned by UK-based Strakka racing lapped the eight-mile circuit 1.46 seconds faster than a similar car being run by defending American Le Mans Series champs Highcroft Racing. 2010 is the final year of eligibility for the GT1 class at Le Mans and Aston Martin hopes to go out in style. The DBR9 driven by Tomas Enge, Christoph Nygaard and Peter Kox edged out a pair of Ford GTs and the ex-factory GT1 Corvettes.
In GT2, ALMS regulars ruled the roost. The No.82 Risi ran fastest but its time was disallowed because of an unknown technical infraction. As a result, the two C6.Rs will lead the GT2 field to the green flag with Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Emmanuel Collard on the pole. Unfortunately for the team, the cool green-and-black leaping cat livery has not translated into much speed with the finishing dead last in qualifying, nearly 13 seconds slower per lap than the lead Vette. The green flag falls at 3PM CET on Saturday, so stay tuned.
Gallery:
[Sources: Le Mans, Corvette Racing, Audi, Peugeot]
Following the introduction of the and One-77, and with the miniaturized Cygnet on its way, is turning its attention to its two core model lines. But rather than replace the existing and with all-new, ground-up redesigns, word from the UK is that Gaydon is planning thorough revisions of the existing models, including to their chassis and engines.
Both the DB9 and the Vantage are based on Aston’s flexible VH platform, which will reportedly carry on for another generation. However Aston’s aiming to cut weight by around 10 percent. Although the VH is made of aluminum, the vehicles based on the platform are heavier than they should be. A comprehensive re-engineering of the platform components, as well as the possible use of lightweight composite body panels, should help Aston trim the weight off the next-gen mode – expected to arrive around 2013/14 – thereby helping the company reach EU emissions targets.
The current DB9’s V12 engine is also expected to carry on for another generation, although significant revisions are expected there as well. Technologies developed for the brand’s racing program will be brought to bear for the road car, although it remains to be seen whether the potential benefits of incorporating direct injection will outweigh the costs involved.
Stylistically, both the DB9 and Vantage are expected to take their cues from the One-77, with a low, wide grille and strong character line running from the signature front-fender vent to the rear, albeit somewhat toned down for the volume models.
We don’t know about you, but when we were 11 years old, most of us here at Autoblog were dreaming about one day driving a . Never in our wildest dreams could never have imagined being signed to a contract with the Scuderia. Not at that age, anyway. But that’s exactly what’s happened for Lance Stroll.
An eleven-year-old racing prodigy from Montreal, Stroll has already been kickin’ butt and taking names in pro karting series at home and around the world. He’s won several karting races and titles, and was named Rookie of the Year and then Driver of the Year by the Fedération Sport Automobile du Quebec. Not bad for a kid who hasn’t even reached his Bar Mitzvah yet.
As part of the , Stroll will be joining a rapidly growing roster of older drivers – including several European feeder formula champs – being supported by Maranello in their budding careers. Stroll’s contract was announced in the ramp-up to the Canadian Grand Prix which returns to his home town of Montreal this weekend.
Against the backdrop of aspiring drivers being recruited by Formula One teams at decreasing ages, Ferrari’s program was launched after Felipe Massa was sidelined last season and the team struggled to find a suitable replacement. Massa’s contract, incidentally, was also officially renewed for another couple of seasons, confirming . Both announcements can be found after the jump.
With a rapidly expanding grid and only four engine suppliers left in the series, the burden on each is getting mighty heavy. Renault only supplies its own team and Red Bull, but four teams are running under Cosworth power, three under and another three run engines. Those parameters are expected to change next season as Red Bull looks for alternatives to Renault engines, which have proven an unreliable liability so far this season, and have been known to be keen on Mercedes power. But at least one team principal thinks having the same engine as his main rivals would be a big mistake.
That one team principal is Ross Brawn, mastermind of numerous world championships. Thing is, Brawn’s not the head of just any customer team. He runs Mercedes’ own F1 effort, which runs the same engines as those that the German manufacturer supplies to both McLaren and Force India. Hardly amenable to offsetting his employers’ considerable costs, Brawn has said that Mercedes should think “long and hard” before even considering supplying engines to a fourth team. And there’s little doubt as to who he’s referring to.
A year after entering bankruptcy protection, the executive shuffling is still ongoing down at . The latest moves come in the wake of the creation of GM’s which will be headed up by Jon Laukner, whose previous job was vice president in charge of product planning and program management.
Product planning responsibility will now fall to Steve Carlisle, formerly VP of U.S. sales. One of the main goals of the changes made by CEO Ed Whitacre since taking over has been flattening the organization and removing layers of management. To that end, Carlisle will now be a direct report to Whitacre, who will henceforth have the final say in future product planning at GM. Previously, Laukner reported to vice chairman Tom Stephens, who retains control over all product development activities.
Many executives we’ve spoken to at GM in recent months say that while more people are increasingly reporting to Whitacre, the ex AT&T man is not micromanaging. Instead, they argue, Whitacre is trying to put the right people into place and then relying on them to do the job. Still, the move to put someone with no previous auto industry experience in charge of product planning at GM has .
Is this a good move or a bad one? Check out the full slate of executive changes in the links below, then have your say in ‘Comments’
has announced a new project aimed at sourcing and encouraging new automotive technologies. The company has set up a venture capital subsidiary under the General Motors Ventures, LLC banner, and it plans to use its new arm to bring a slew of new to market. What kind of goodies are we talking about? We honestly have no idea, but it’s clear the General is interested in everything from fuel-saving engineering to new infotainment gear.
GM says that the new organization will be headed up by Vice President Jon J. Lauckner. The guy will still retain his standard VP duties, but will also be responsible for directing exactly where the new $100 million venture capital firm goes over the next few years. for the short press release.
Love it or hate it, the Formula One circus is . The reinstated United States Grand Prix is set to take place in the Lone Star capital city starting in 2012 and the annual event will surely infuse an added boost of tourism revenue into the Austin area. But just how much will the initiative cost Texas taxpayers?
The first indication could be the licensing fee which Formula One Management chief Bernie Ecclestone charges race organizers for the right to hold the event and its inclusion in the championship. The fee varies for each venue, and nearly every grand prix is financially supported in some capacity by local governments eager to put their locations on the map. Austin’s bill reportedly comes to $25 million for the first year, and will be passed on to local government for the first year at least. After that, the revenues from the previous year’s race will go towards Ecclestone’s fee for the following season.
Assuming Bernie applies the same 7% annual increase as he does to other venues, that means the race will need to generate $26.75 million in its first year to cover just the licensing fee for the following year. Considering that – with advertising, concessions and just about everything else going straight to Bernie’s pockets and some to the teams – ticket sales remain as one of the few ways for race organizers to recuperate the costs.
