Supercharged '53 Corvette
World's first supercharged Corvette
As a prelude to our upcoming feature of the Lingenfelter collection, we are going to present the world's first supercharged Corvette.
Prepared in 1953 as a possible performance upgrade, a supercharger was developed by McCulloch Motors Corporation. When GM rejected the idea, only two cars had been built and the idea was forgotten.
Now part of the Lingenfelter collection, one of these development cars is at home with many modified Corvettes, muscle cars and supercars. Later this week we hope to present them all.
Museum Porsches at Sandown
Porsche 911 GT1 ’98
Earlier this month Porsche exhibited three of their exceptional race cars at the Sandown raceway near Melbourne, Australia. Among them was the only road-going version of the 1998 Porsche 911 GT1, a car which can be described as the ultimate.
This year we had a in depth look at the ’98 Straßenversion and we can now share more great pictures courtesy of Tristan De Carro. Also included is a factory Porsche 935/77 and the most developed version of the 356 known as the Dreikantschaber. Porsche should applauded for showcasing their historic cars in this way.
LA Auto Show Gallery
Subaru Press Conference
With the second press day now complete we can offer a gallery of the LA Auto Show. Not exactly full of super cars, the show catered more to economy cars and newly launched convertibles.
More than anything else at LA, the 2010 Ford Focus and 2012 Fiat 500 will change American roads. Looking further into the future, Honda also appear prepared to enter the plug-in hybrid segment very soon with their Fit EV.
Somewhat selfishly, Lamborghini revealed their new Gallardo at a private event. Thankfully, there are still some exciting cars to see on the show floor including the Jaguar C-X75 and Mazda Shinari concepts.
Debuts from LA
Gallardo Spyder Performante
With the LA Auto Show well and underway, many new cars have been announced. One of the most powerful is Lamborghini's Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante--essentially a spyder version of the Superleggera launched earlier this year. With a twin-turbo 550 bhp V8, the new Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG could be considered a luxurious alternative to the Lambo.
In an attempt to re-imagine the sedan, Nissan are showing their new Ellure Concept. In a similar fashion, Subaru also have an Impreza Concept which looks to be larger than any previous Impreza.
Ford are releasing the 2012 Ford Focus at LA. With it they have several tuned versions including a specially-prepared Race Car Concept. GM have finally officially launched the regular convertible version of the Camaro SS after the Neiman Marcus edition sold out in just minutes.
Porsche are using LA for the world debut of a lightweight Cayman called the Cayman R. At $66,300 USD, it's 55 kilograms (121 lb) lighter and slightly more powerful than the Cayman S. Porsche says its an homage to the first 911 R from 1967.
2012 Lamborghini Aventador
Lamborgini's new 700 hp V12
Today Lamborghini is revealing details of the new drive train that will power the Murciélago's replacement. Codenamed L539, a new short-stroke V12 displaces 6.5 liters and is good for 700 bhp. This is designed to work with a robotized transmission known as ISR which reduces shift times well below the outgoing E-Gear.
The new model is set to debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor show is currently being shown at private functions around the world. After being previewed in Singapore and Germany, we know that the new name is Aventador and it can only be ordered with a 7-Speed ISR gearbox. One of the best features of the Aventador is its fully carbon-fiber monocoque.
Today we can only present images of the Aventador's drive train until the official pictures are released. It leaves us wondering what other cars might use this engine in the future and whether or not we will see it in motor sports.
Classics at SEMA
First Shelby Cobra: CSX0001 at SEMA
Most of SEMA focused on forward-thinking modifications, but in and amongst the conspicuous show cars were some authentic and very important classics. For instance, the blogosphere completely missed the first Shelby Cobra Prototype which was on display in between the halls. This car, CSX0001, remains in largely original condition and has been retained by Shelby from new.
Not far from the Cobra was another car which launched a corresponding series. On display was one of Jack Roush's first modified Mustangs. This red 1995 prototype was the inspiration behind his comprehensive Mustang program which began two years later. Also displayed was the Lawman 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 which is one of the most radical from era.
For GM fans, two new continuation cars were present. The first by GM themselves to showcase their new engine and electronics package called E-ROD. The new engine, computer, cats, gas pedal and fuse box were put into a Superformance Corvette Grand Sport to show what was possible. E-ROD might be a solution for the new Scarab Continuation Car which is delivered without engine or transmission.
More SEMA Showcars
SLP 585HP Mustang
We kept up with most of the major manufacturers and their barrage of releases leading up to SEMA, but the show is always full of surprises. Take for instance SLP's new Camaro supercharger package which raises peak output to 585 BHP. In a similar vein, SMS Supercars also presented their Mustang 302 SC. Although not a performance upgrade, we appreciated the Vörsteiner GTRS3 M3 too.
Toyota's whole stand would have been a low point for performance if the RK Collection Camry NASCAR Edition didn't show up. Likewise KIA used their Grand-Am challenger to come up with the Kia Forte Koup Type R Concept.
Mazda brought out a new MX-5 called the Mazda MX-5 Super20 to celebrate 20 years of the Miata. On the more aggressive tip was their Redline Time Attack Mazda3. Honda focused soley on the CR-Z with a Hybrid R Concept, HPD CR-Z Racer and a CR-Z with JDM Mugen Accessories.
Corvettes were a favorite at SEMA and a couple couchbuilt specials were around. Take for instance the Rossi SixtySix or CRC Corvette '62 which redesign the C6 platform. A new company called Vortex from Seattle, Washington also launched the Vortex F1
SEMA Wrap Up
Ford Racing Fiesta
Today SEMA closed it doors and we have compiled as many of the highlights as possible. Even with four days, it is hard to discover everything that SEMA has to offer.
This year the two 'it' cars were the Mustang 5.0 and Ferrari 458. We also found many companies that were finally showing off their dedicated Camaro packages. Furthermore, the Camaro won the SEMA Award for the 'Hottest Car'.
Now that we've included the Racing & Performance hall, our gallery is closer to the representing the entire show. We also have some of the cars which surrounded the front entrance and parking area. The finished Ford Racing Fiesta is also included, complete with a wild paint scheme slowly completed live on the floor.
SEMA Day 2
Honda Shows off the CR-Z
Today we finished collecting images from the manufacturer showcases at SEMA. While they all put on impressive displays, GM should get extra marks for the Pratt & Miller-designed track cars. They also used the occasion to showcase their crate engines, complete with mototronics, shifter & gas pedal called E-Rod.
Chrysler came very prepared with 35 cars at SEMA. Among them was the new Redline Charger which sets a very high standard of finish usually associated with premium brands. They also brought along the new Fiat 500 with some curious Mopar bits added on.
Ford spend considerable time to ensure everyone could be entertained at SEMA. They had Mustangs, Fiestas, Classic Broncos, Hot Rods and racecars on their stand. Center stage was a Ford Racing Fiesta which had paint dropped on it during the show by designer Camilo Pardo.
Honda focused in on the CR-V and brought numerous performance versions, while Hyundai gave money to some design teams to come up with eccentric designs. They also had the PM580 Pikes Peak car which was a welcome sight.
SEMA Day 1
GGI Launch the ABT R8 GTR
We are back at SEMA and our first day has too many highlights to list. Many of the press conferences showed that most of the manufacturers, and especially the big three, are dedicated to making products that people can individualize.
As usual, the Wheels & Tires hall provided some of the most outrageous displays and none was better than Giovanni's. This year they had an impressive display of supercars headlined by the Ferrari 599 GTO of Michael Fux. Many other of his cars were on display with new tires and wheels.
New to the show for 2010 was both the Mustang 5.0 and Ferrari 458. Many can be seen in our feature gallery which we will expand over the next couple days. Later in the week we hope to explore the new products section which generally shows great innovation. Until then we have our highlight gallery of the Wheels and Tires hall.
SEMA Preview 2
Camaro SSX Track Car Concept
With just one day to go before the opening of the 2010 SEMA show, everyone has now revealed their upcoming plans. Earlier today GM announced a bunch of Camaros and Convettes including the Camaro SSX and Corvette Z06X track-day concepts. They also have a new appearance package called the Camaro Synergy Series which will be available on all models.
Chrysler will use SEMA to promote their MOPAR brand including the first ever Mopar edition Challenger. They will also show off the first modified 2011 Dodge Charger R/T called the Redline. Probably Chrysler's biggest announcement is the Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 which gives the car 470 bhp.
Ford will present a lineup of Ford Fiestas, Mustangs and F150s at SEMA. One of the more interesting concepts should be the Fiesta outfitted by Ford Racing Performance Parts. Among the Mustangs, we only have pictures of the MRT-prepared Predator.
