Do you own a 2008-2010 and now regret not waiting for the revamped 2011 models? There’s no need to worry, as has just the prescription to make you feel better. The performance company normally known for making go-fast has turned its attention to Mopars, offering a supercharger package for the first-generation V8 Challengers.
The forced induction comes in the form of a Magnuson TVS2300 supercharger complete with a 160 degree thermostat, upgraded fuel injectors and a high-flow intake system. The package can be installed on both the 5.7- and 6.1-liter V8 engines. Lingenfelter says that its 6.1-liter test car put out 500 rear-wheel-horsepower and knocked out the quarter-mile in a hair over 12 seconds at 120 miles per hour – just fast enough to make the owner of a new Challenger SRT8 392 feel disheartened with his new purchase.
You can read more details about Lingenfelter’s supercharger package for the Dodge Challenger in the press release .
It’s not love of the limelight. Or propelling raw talent onto the world stage. It’s not a taste for performance, either, although these are all attributes that Lewis Hamilton shares with American Idol. (And no, Hamilton hasn’t signed a sponsorship deal with , though McLaren has run Dearborn’s engines in the past.) What binds them together in contract – as well as spirit – is the deal which the former Formula One World Champion has signed with American Idol creator Simon Fuller and his talent agency, XIX Management.
The move comes a full year after Hamilton relieved his father Anthony of his duties as his manager. Like fellow champion Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton has managed his own affairs since, taking his time to find the right representative before settling on Fuller, whose XIX Entertainment also manages soccer superstar David Beckham and tennis talent Andy Murray.
The move has sparked speculation that Hamilton could switch teams next year if McLaren doesn’t up its game. Lewis has been a McLaren driver through and through from the start, fostered by the team in his ascension up the racing ladder, making his grand prix debut in the chrome car in 2007 (and nearly winning the Championship in his first season) and clinching the title the following year. In the seasons since, Hamilton has landed fifth and fourth in the standings respectively, and has been struggling in pre-season tests so far. Follow the jump for the official announcement.
Intrigue, thy name is the 5.0-liter, supercharged V8 planted behind this kitty’s headlights. Until the first check engine light, and then the second…
We pick the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World drive back up a full 5,651 miles from where we last parted ways with the round-the-world hydrogen-promoting caravan.
According to Scott Bartosiewicz, TweetDeck for the iPhone is the real culprit that led to his firing.
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In an effort to gain some viewership, has teamed up with NASCAR to rename the May 28 Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway the Top Gear 300. To tease season two of the American spinoff of the so-far superior English car show, clips from Top Gear America will be broadcast during the race.
Top Gear America clips will also air on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 200-foot high-definition jumbotron, the biggest high-def TV in the world. That’s gonna make Rutledge’s head look extra big, no? (Just kidding, Mr. Wood, your head’s just fine.)
Details are scant as to what TGUSA paid for all this, but we can’t imagine it came cheap. The green flag waves on the Top Gear 300 at 2:30 EST on May 28. Only time will tell if this move ends up boosting TGUSA’s ratings for season two.
With the new now uncovered and sold out for at least the next year, is undoubtedly preparing its next model. And the one after that. And incoming reports have detailed what could be the Raging Bull marque’s product plan for the next several years.
First to come could be the limited-production version of the Sesto Elemento concept car. Rather than taking the place of any current model, the Sesto Elemento could take up a Reventon-like position in the line-up, offering limited numbers at high prices.
The Estoque concept also appears to be edging closer to production, sharing its underpinnings with the next-generation versions of the , and . The four-door model could also be joined by a GT coupe.
Of course, we can expect to see variants of the Aventador coming ’round the mountain as well, including potential Roadster and eventual Super Veloce versions.
Finally the will eventually need replacing, and sources suggest that its successor could carry the Cabrera nameplate in reference to a bloodline of famous fighting bulls. Given that the Gallardo has spawned a good dozen variants over the years, you can bet the Cabrera will give rise to a few of its own, as well.
ESPN Global Rally Cross – Click above to watch video
Taking a break from its endless stream of SportsCenter, followed by SportsCenter, followed by NFL Draft analysis, followed by SportsCenter, ESPN will be running the Global Rally Championship this Spring and Summer.
The Global Rally Championship will be a series of sprint-style races like the ones featured at last year’s Summer X-Games, only spread out over an entire season, and utilizing tracks other than the L.A. Coliseum.
The courses will combine dirt, gravel and pavement stages to keep everything as unpredictable as possible. The cars will be the same mix of , and compacts that ran at X-Games, which means they sport ludicrous power figures and should hit 60 in just over two seconds. That said, we can’t help but doubt the claims of street legality made by ESPN’s announcer in the ad . Check it out, then head over to the for more info.
Auto critic Scott Burgess has reportedly resigned his post at The Detroit News effective immediately. The well-respected scribe gave no reason for his sudden departure from the paper, but Jalopnik is citing unnamed sources who claim the writer’s departure was spurred on by the unthinkable; a review that was neutered to appease an unnamed advertiser that wasn’t .
The was for the , which has been substantially updated (apparently not enough) for 2011. Yes, the same 200 that was featured in the excellent “Imported from Detroit” ad that Chrysler spent millions on to air during the Super Bowl, and the same vehicle that is essentially a reworked Sebring.
We don’t have an official account detailing why Burgess called it quits, but the following facts are cut and dry. In the original review, which hit newsstands last week Thursday, Burgess called the 200 “a dog,” adding “If this is the best vehicle Detroit exports, then Glenn Beck is right.” Nice zinger, but unfortunately it didn’t make its way to the online version of the review. The online version of the review was clearly diluted at least seven times (you can see all the editorial deletes/rewrites ), taking the edge off of an otherwise scathing account that paints the 200 as coming up short against the midsize competition.
While The Detroit News hasn’t admitted to any inappropriate behavior and the advertiser in question is still unknown, evidence points to this whole thing stinking to high hell. If this turns out to be true then we tip our hat to Mr. Burgess for standing up for what he believes in, and for Jalopnik for bringing this to light.
Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon versus 2011 Nissan GT-R – Click above to watch video
Hennessey is once again bringing its super station wagon out to the drag strip. The Texas tuner has taken Cadillac’s 556-horsepower fast family-hauler and tweaked it so that the 6.2-liter V8 now produces 650 hp. We previously showed you how , and now Hennessey has brought the back to the track, and this time, the opponent in the other line is driving a .
A 2011 Nissan GT-R to be more precise. The model that produces 485 horsepower and runs down Hennessey’s track in 11.8-seconds. That’s a hair slower than the 11.7-second run ripped off by the Sport Wagon – an amazing time for the 4,398-pound American muscle machine.
However, the pumps out 530 horsepower, runs from 0-60 miles per hour in less than three seconds and will cover a quarter-mile in about 11.6 seconds. Now, you can take that to mean Hennessey should’ve run against the newer GT-R… or that they’ve built one hell of a station wagon. to watch the two cars run down the strip.
is very proud of that . It’s taken the necessary steps to protect the phrase, which includes applying for for the trademark rights as it pertains to both vehicles and clothing.
This was a wise move, because some enterprising folks have apparently already tried to cash in on the phrase. A company called Pure Detroit has started selling clothing with the tagline, while also claiming to be an exclusive clothing provider for the automaker.
Chrysler is not exactly thrilled with Pure Detroit, but according to The Detroit News, it initially attempted to solve the matter away from the court system. It asked Pure Detroit to stop using the phrase, and to send a portion of any proceeds received to charity. Pure Detroit has evidently decided to give Chrysler a Bronx Salute, leaving the automaker with no choice but to make this an official legal matter.
Regardless of what the purists think of it, found a winning business model with the SUV. And based on that success, the German automaker is proceeding with to build its little brother at its Leipzig plant.
The new model, tentatively dubbed “Cajun,” will be produced alongside the Cayenne and the . The decision by the company’s supervisory board paves the way for over 1,000 new jobs to be created at the plant as well as at its headquarters in Stuttgart, with the addition of a 1.54 square-mile expansion of the Leipzig, Germany, plant to begin later this year. Details in the press blast after the jump.
[Source: Porsche]
: Porsche greenlights Cajun production for Leipzig
The golden age of horsepower ended a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, right? Well, no. In reality, it seems that every new model year brings more and more ponies from the likes of the reborn and along with the stalwart .
According to the internet rumormill, that pattern isn’t going to change any time soon. Car and Driver reports that the will boast as much as 620 horsepower. Naturally, the powerplant providing all those ponies will be a supercharged V8, in this case bored out to displace 5.8 liters instead of the 5.4 we’ve been seeing for the last several years.
Car and Driver’s math tells us, assuming the power and weight estimates are in the ballpark, to expect a scorching 12.0-second quarter mile time from the 2013 GT500, a top speed that could be as high as 190 miles per hour and a sticker price of roughly $60,000.
For what it’s worth, that the supercharged and intercooled 6.2-liter LSA V8 engine that will power its – the top run (so far) of Chevy’s muscle car lineup – will put out around 550 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. Naturally, that’s all subject to change…
The 2012 SLK’s driving experience was a good one. It did, however, leave us wondering about a few things. We’re looking forward to some time behind the wheel of the lighter SLK250. The SLK350’s smaller-engined sibling could end up being the better of the two offerings – that is, until the V8 AMG model enters the mix.
At the recent Geneva Motor Show, a source within Mini revealed to Autoblog that the automaker will be bringing a new concept, dubbed “Goodwood,” to the Shanghai Motor Show next month.
Trust us when we say that we’re going to sleep more soundly tonight knowing that somewhere in the world, this creation exists. We have no idea what the BMW engineers are up to with this one, though we love the idea of an M3-powered spiritual successor to the El Camino throne (bonus points for the camouflage as racing stripes motif, too).
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Chris Bangle talks supercars – Click above to watch video
Regardless of where you stand on Chris Bangle’s contribution to design, the man possesses a unique insight on the state of automotive design today. The guys at recently got the chance to catch up with Bangle at the Geneva Motor Show, and rather than ask him about whether or not he has any intention of returning to the automotive sector any time soon, Editor Eric Gallina pinged the former BMW design boss on what he thought of supercar design today.
The answer was far more enlightening and entertaining than any pre-manufactured sound bite.
By and large, Bangle seems to think supercar design has hit a plateau, and that if automakers are willing to be politically incorrect by manufacturing high-horsepower, fuel-thirsty speed machines, they also need to be willing to take some risks on the design front as well.
Oh, there’s also a bit where he says that products were typically designed to be given to prostitutes. Or something. If you can stand a little shaky-hand-cam to the max, the clip will be well worth your time.
As head of the McLaren Group, Ron Dennis has been responsible for some devastatingly fast cars. Like the iconic McLaren F1 supercar, and the new MP4-12C that succeeds it – not to mention countless championship-challenging grand prix cars. Unfortunately for Ron, though, he won’t be able to drive any of them. At least not on the road, anyway, and not for the next six months.
According to reports, Dennis has had his license suspended for half a year after exceeding the number of demerit points allowed. The needle that broke the proverbial camel’s back was a recent occurrence in which Dennis drove through a red light.
The McLaren chairman reportedly admitted having gone through the traffic light, claiming that he needed to do so in order to avert a collision with a friend’s car following behind, but unsuccessfully argued that he needed his license for his work and family life. If only McLaren had any skilled drivers – say, a couple of former world champions, for example – to chauffeur Dennis around until he gets his license back.
2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS – Click above to watch the video
The first 20 examples of the GT2 RS were delivered last month at El Toro Air Station in Irvine, California. Owners who picked up their cars at the event had the opportunity to log track time with Porsche driving instructors before being released on the streets with their new 620-horsepower terrors.
Porsche High Performance Cars manager Andreas Preuninger was on hand to oversee delivery of the car he spent the last four years developing as a skunkworks-style project. According to Preuninger, he and the engineers who developed the 997 GT2 and GT3 RS started the project during testing of the “regular” GT2 at the Nurburgring. Essentially, the design brief was to combine the stripped-down nature of the GT3 RS and the power of the GT2 to build the fastest 911 possible.
To get every detail nailed down, Porsche engineers logged nearly 435,000 testing miles and another 80,000 hours of engineering time.
The end result is a 620-horsepower lightweight Porsche 911 that set a 7:18 lap time around the Nurburgring. The most-powerful Porsche ever built, the 911 GT2 RS was designed not as a money-making venture, but an exercise in supercar muscle-flexing by Porsche. The fact that Porsche stuck with the project despite its dubious profitability makes it even more amazing. to watch video of the GT3 RS in action.
1976 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL Sbarro Gullwing Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery
Franco Sbarro apparently had a lot of orders for these wide-bodied modern gullwings back in the late ’70s. According to the eBay listing, Sbarro made 28 Gullwing Coupes in total, most based on a two-door chassis with either a naturally-aspirated or twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8.
The car you see before you, however, is among the rarest of these rare supercoupes. It’s based on a four-door 1976 450 SEL 6.9 chassis. Apparently one of six built for the new wife of an Arab prince, this car spent part of its life in the hands of an NBA star. (Shocker, we know.)
The custom gullwing doors look more than a little heavy and cumbersome, and must have taken weeks of careful figuring to get right. The details, however, are what really set this car apart. For starters, it’s been updated with chrome 20-inch Giovannas, to make add a contemporary to its bling. Then there’s the original-equipment Sbarro horizontal ‘phantom’ bar grille hiding the big Benz’s stock headlamps and marker lights.
Top all that off with a set of ridiculously-wide fender flares and a lowered roofline, and you have a delicious recipe for 1970s-style excess. The price for all this exclusivity and opulence? The “Buy It Now” option lists $49,995. Thanks for the tip, Csaba!
A few videos of the new BMW i8 undergoing winter testing have managed to make their way to the web courtesy of YouTube. The clips surfaced after our managed to lay eyes on the greensupercar frolicking through the snow. The clips give us a good idea of what the i8 will look like in motion. We’re still not completely smitten with the roof-mounted sideview mirrors, and watching the i8 drive around on the ice and snow hasn’t done anything to sway our opinion. We can’t help but think that the pieces look like hippopotamus ears.
It’s impossible to tell whether the mule we see dashing through the snow is equipped with the same small-displacement diesel engine of the concept or whether this machine wears the turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that’s rumored to debut with the production version. Either way, the clips are worth a look. to see BMW’s next flagship in action for yourself.
In case anyone was accusing supercharged, the 556-horsepower LSA V8 that powers the of lacking versatility, refer to this video and stand corrected. Custom boatbuilder Seven Marine has taken the enormously powerful engines and adapted them to a marine outboard application.
According to Seven Marine, its 557 is the most powerful outboard ever made. The grunt is channeled to the water through an electronically-controlled ZF transmission. The Seven Marine 557 is also the first outboard ever to be joystick-controlled.
According to Seven, it can be hung as a single-engine setup on a 25 to 27-foot boat, or in a double, triple or quad setup on boats ranging up to 55 feet. Seven Marine claims the engine should be good for a 10-20 percent efficiency and performance increase over standard onboard engines because it requires fewer gear sets to operate, which means less drag. You can check the CTS-V-powered marine setup in the video .
We’ve been hearing quiet whispers for a while now of an from . Now more rumors are surfacing that say the monster coupe will show its face on April 7th. Word on the virtual street is that this super RS will be powered by a 4.0-liter engine producing 500-horsepower. That’s 50 more than the currently-crazy 2011 GT3 RS.
The new car is also said to be lighter than the current RS. This means the extra power will push the car harder than our brains can comprehend. Expect a super price-tag to go along with this super sports car when it finally makes its entrance… assuming, of course, that this rumor is accurate.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the world’s largest barbecue on wheels, the Johnsonville Sausage Big Taste grill. It’s been travelling the country since 1995, hitting up events like the Superbowl and , and turning ton after ton of pork into delicious, juicy bratwurst.
Not only does it rove the land dishing out grilled delicacies at every turn, the Big Taste Grill is a rolling fund raiser for a host of charity organizations. According to Johnsonville, they’ve used it to raise more than $3 million since its inception.
And with that… it’s high time for some tasty beer brats, don’t you think?
is very proud of that . It’s taken the necessary steps to protect the phrase, which includes applying for for the 
