Category Archives: performance

Older C6R Corvette to Race in American Le Mans This Year

Posted on 13 January 2013 by Ken Zino

While the success or failure of a revised 2014 model C7 Chevrolet Corvette will be much debated this week at the North American International auto Show this week in Detroit, the success of Corvette’s racing program seems certain, as the C6.R will return for the 2013 season. The C7.R is expected to make its racing debut in 2014. Continue reading →

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2014 Corvette Sticks with A Revised LT1 V8 Engine

Posted on 25 October 2012 by Ken Zino

When Chevrolet Corvette arrives late next year, most of the sports car will be all new, but not the 6.2L V8 engine. The latest Corvette LT1 engine, the first of the so-called Gen 5 family of Small Block engines, combines several advanced technologies, including direct injection for the first time, cylinder fuel shut off and continuously variable valve timing to support an advanced combustion system. Zero-to-60 mph times of less than four seconds are predicted for the base car. The new LT1 is the third engine in the Corvette’s history to be so-named, with previous versions introduced in 1970 (Gen 1) and 1992 (Gen 2). Continue reading →

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“Upscale” McLaren P1 Concept to Debut at Paris Motor Show

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

McLaren Automotive will show a concept of what it is calling the next generation ultimate supercar later this month. The P1 will be at the center of the McLaren stand at its first big league auto show, the Paris Motor Show or Mondial de l’Automobile 2012. The British company says the car is only a design study, next year a production version will be revealed and go on sale. Continue reading →

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Toyota Hybrid in First Win Beats Audi in Six Hours of Sao Paulo

Posted on 17 September 2012 by Ken Zino

A Toyota hybrid turned in a dominant performance at the Six Hours of Sao Paulo this weekend going from the pole to first place during the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. It was the first overall win this year for the new hybrid racing team, which challenged Audi’s clear dominance in endurance racing by showing up at Le Mans last June, a year ahead of announced plans. Continue reading →

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First Look – McLaren Spyder Carbon Fiber Super Car

Posted on 10 September 2012 by Ken Zino

During a road tour visiting its eight North American dealers and offer private showings to their affluent customers, McLaren stopped off in Detroit to show media its new 12C spider that debuted at Pebble Beach in August. No surprise that it’s a sleek, well finished sports car, with good outward visibility and reasonably room inside for this type of conveyance. At $265,750 plus $2,500 delivery (plus any customization), it will also be as rare as an honest politician when deliveries start early next year. Continue reading →

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New Thermaltake Mouse Designed by BMW as E-Sports Thrive

Posted on 30 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Forget Formula One, the future of motorsports might be in the hands of gamers. BMW DesignworksUSA has created the latest mouse for Thermaltake, a Taiwanese based company well known for gaming. The so-called Thermaltake Level 10 M mouse that just went on sale is a high-tech extension of a gamer’s hand in computerized sports competition.

Traditionalist sports fans, as in occupiers of stadium or race track or couch potato seats, might be surprised to learn that that e-sports have evolved from simple Nintendo or Playstation set-ups at home to professional competition at the annual World Cyber Games with millions of dollars in prize money. So much money is floating around from sponsorships that professional gamers can now earn hundreds of thousand of dollars a year. At peak times, 15 million gamers could be online – and football and auto racing are the top games, err sports. Continue reading →

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First Look – Bentley Continental GT Speed Flagship

Posted on 22 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Bentley has released details of its Continental GT Speed, a revised 205 mph, all-wheel drive performance coupe ahead of its official international debut at the Moscow Motor Show on 29 August. The Continental GT Speed is the fastest road-car Bentley has ever produced with deliveries scheduled to start in October 2012. Continue reading →

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Buick Verano Turbo to Be Priced at $29,990 This Fall

Posted on 8 August 2012 by Ken Zino

The 2013 Buick Verano Turbo sedan will be priced at $29,990, including a destination charge of $885. The turbocharged Verano uses GM’s Ecotec 2-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection and continuously variable valve timing to produce 250 horsepower (187 kW) at 5300 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm) of torque at 2000 rpm. Continue reading →

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Red Tail Mustang to be Auctioned at EAA Oshkosh for Eagles

Posted on 23 July 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor will auction a one of kind Red Tails Mustang at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture convention in Oshkosh next Thursday. The single edition Mustang has VIN 00051 in honor of the red tail P-51 Mustang planes flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during more than 1,500 missions during WWII. Pervasive racism in the army kept the black unit segregated during the war. Continue reading →

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Aston Martin has Web Darling in Vanquish. Sales to Follow?

Posted on 27 June 2012 by Ken Zino

A week after its internet debut, the new Aston Martin Vanquish is breaking viewing records at the British automaker’s site. The end of last week saw the three highest traffic days ever recorded on Aston Martin’s global website – www.astonmartin.com – as car fans around the world clicked to find out more about a new V12-engined touring car. Whether web interest actually translates to sales to punters with the minimum of £189,995 when the Vanquish goes into production late this year remains to be proved. Continue reading →

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First Look – 2013 Ford SVT Raptor Off-Road Pickup Truck

Posted on 26 June 2012 by Ken Zino

Since launching as a 2010 model, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has gathered small notoriety as an off-road performance pickup truck. A two-door Super Cab debuted first, then came a 2011 add, a four-door Super Crew model. Prices now start at more than $44,000. Continue reading →

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Le Mans Test Day – Audi and Toyota Hybrids, Nissan DeltaWing

Posted on 6 June 2012 by Ken Zino

Two new unlimited racecar entrants – Toyota with a pair of TS030 hybrid cars and Nissan with its lightweight DeltaWing – successfully participated in the traditional test day to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours on 16-17 June. They were joined on the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans by Audi dieselR18 ultra and R18 e-tron Quattro models, the latter another hybrid design. Missing, sadly was Peugeot, which last year placed four Peugeot 908s in the Top Five finishing list, but whose endurance-racing program fell victim to the Eurozone crisis. Continue reading →

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Mazda to Race Diesel Engines in U.S. Grand Am GX

Posted on 4 June 2012 by Ken Zino

With the RX-8 no longer in production for the U.S. market, Mazda is moving to bolster its marketing efforts by combining racing with a car that will be on sale here. The racing effort also begs the question when and where a Mazda Skyactiv-d production engine will appear in the United States. No Japanese automaker is currently selling a diesel in the U.S. – a possible area Mazda could exploit, building on its fuel-saving technologies. Continue reading →

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How Long does the Shelby Brand Survive at Ford?

Posted on 18 May 2012 by Ken Zino

The challenge going forward for both Shelby International and Ford Motor Company is how to remain relevant with a marketing proposition that grows more backward looking as time passes. Continue reading →

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Airlines Post Record On-Time Performance but Complaints Up

Posted on 14 May 2012 by Ken Zino

Between January and March this year, the nation’s largest airlines posted their best on-time arrival rate for the first quarter of any year since the Department of Transportation began collecting comparable flight delay data in 1995. Supporters cite this as a clear example of the effectiveness of government regulation back by stiff fines. Continue reading →

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