El Camino revival hopes scuttled by Aussie dollar?

Could Chevrolet sell a reborn El Camino in the United States? Let's ask an expert, General Motors International Operations boss Tim Lee, what he thinks. Speaking to the Aussies at CarPoint.com.au, Lee had this to say: "I think here in the US that vehicle has a tremendous amount of cache so if we could [import it] we would if it makes sense."

Great! So, we'll be getting a pickup car within the year, right? Well, not so much. Lee continues, "You tell me about what the Aussie dollar is going to do over the next 12 to 24 months and I'll tell you the export potential of cars like that." Obviously, nobody can say with certainty what the exchange rate between the US and Australia will be in two years, but as of right now, the Aussie dollar is worth a nickel more than a US dollar.

To quote Mr. Lee once again, "You can't make a business case of something like that." Indeed you cannot.

But what about the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, isn't that built in Australia? Indeed it is, and the upcoming Chevy SS performance sedan will be important from Oz as well. Thing is, Mr. Lee says the SS "will have to take a very premium price position" in order to be sold in the States, and that's apparently not in the cards for an El Camino.

Also not an option: Building the Australian Zeta-chassis machines in the US. Being that we've quoted Lee so many times already, here's one more to close out the discussion: "We will not be investing one penny to implement the Zeta architecture in the United States. I am the chief manufacturing officer of the company – that is written in stone." 

News Source: CarPoint.com.au

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Ford wants you to give the gift of "some assembly required" for Father's Day

Father's Day lands this weekend, and if you're anything like us, you're doing your best to put off trying to find a gift. Ford has an idea for those of us too lazy to pull up dad's Amazon list and click purchase. The automaker says it takes roughly two years for a hobbyist to complete a classic vehicle restoration from the ground up over nights and weekends. That means that a project Mustang started this summer will be ready just in time for the car's 50th anniversary in a couple of years.

How's that for clever? The company says roughly 95 percent of all Mustang parts are available brand new as reproductions right now through FordRestorationParts.com, including full body shells like the one seen above.

Father's Day Is the Perfect Time to Kick off Restoration of America's Favorite Classic, the 1964-66 Ford Mustang

• Mustang restorations started this summer should be ready in time for the car's 50th anniversary in April 2014

• Ford-licensed restoration parts for classic 1960s Mustangs can improve quality, lower costs and shorten restoration time


DEARBORN, Mich., June 12, 2012 – With the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang less than two years away, this summer is the time to begin restoring your classic pony car so that it can be ready for one of the most important milestones in American automotive history.

"Working nights and weekends, and as your budget allows, it takes roughly two years to do a complete wheels-up classic car restoration," says Brian Martin, director of automotive restoration development at McPherson College in Kansas. McPherson is the only school in North America that offers a four-year bachelor's degree in automobile restoration.

Martin says with careful project planning and outsourcing of some specialized jobs such as painting and transmission rebuilding, a father and son following a detailed plan can easily restore a first-generation Mustang in a good-sized home garage. What's needed are basic hand tools, proper manuals, good mechanical skills and a realistic budget.

Restoring a classic Mustang is a great father and son project, and this Sunday, June 17, is Father's Day – a great day to kick off a Mustang restoration with the goal of having the car ready for its 50th anniversary on April 17, 2014.

Jonathan Brand and his dad have restored three classic Mustangs in their home garage, a '65 coupe and two '69 models. It was an experience Brand says he will never forget.

"My dad and I weren't as close before we restored the Mustangs," says Brand, an artist who now lives in New Haven, Conn. "It definitely brought us closer together, all those hours working on the cars. He taught me a lot about cars, and we had a lot of fun."

Brand's advice: Have patience, manage the budget and use Ford-licensed restoration parts, especially for the sheet metal repairs.

"We tried using panels from junkyards, but when you consider the time it takes to get them off and then to get them to fit properly on your car, it just isn't worth it. We found the new parts fit really well," Brand says.

95 percent of classic Mustang parts available
America's love affair with the original Mustang is still going strong after nearly 50 years. Debuting in April 1964, the original Mustang sold more than 1.2 million units – including more than 174,000 convertibles – before its first redesign in 1967.

The original Mustang has long been America's most popular classic car of the postwar era and is usually No. 1 or 2 on the list of most popular cars Hagerty Classic Car Insurance of Traverse City, Mich., insures.

Ford Motor Company aggressively supports the original Mustang with thousands of high-quality, officially licensed reproduction parts available at www.fordrestorationparts.com. These replacement parts look, fit and perform exactly as the originals. Many Ford restoration parts are actually made from the original Ford tools that have been preserved for the restoration market. About 95 percent of all the parts needed to build a "new" classic '64 to '66 Mustang are available today.

"We offer everything from a door handle to a complete Mustang body," says Dennis Mondrach, Ford Restoration Parts licensing manager. "We just recently launched a 1965 Mustang convertible body – the complete assembly, all the sheet metal from the hood to the trunk. It is designed to enable fans of the original Mustang to build the classic of their dreams using a body that is stronger than the original."

Reproduction Mustang bodies are available in every classic model year from 1965 to 1970 along with the ever-popular 1965 and 1967 convertibles. All cars feature modern welding and assembly techniques and are made from high-strength, modern automotive-grade steel. Officially licensed fenders, bumpers, door skins and other body parts for project cars that have restorable bodies are available to replace parts susceptible to rust or damaged in accidents.

Mondrach says it is nearly impossible to pluck a restorable 1964-66 Mustang or such parts as fenders, bumpers and grilles from scrapyards. Most have been wrecked, or rusted, and Mustangs with any parts good enough to be reused were long ago picked clean by restorers.

Classic Mustang restoration: Easier than you might think
Because the original Mustang uses technology that was state-of-the-art for mass-produced cars in the 1960s, the car is extremely easy to work on compared with today's vehicles. Also, the Mustang's mechanical components have always been easy to find and affordable, further adding to the car's appeal among collectors. In addition, the car can easily be modified with better suspension, performance and safety options that were unavailable at the time.

Ford Racing, for example, offers many optional crate engines and performance options to meet the needs of every Mustang enthusiast.

Mondrach suggests starting a restoration with a Mustang whose body is sound and not in need of major rust, welding or accident repairs. "The costs add up quickly when you are cutting out and replacing damaged body panels. It may be more cost effective to start with a complete new body and use the engine, transmission, suspension and major trim from a donor car," he says.

Martin, of McPherson College, recommends refurbishing the drivetrain, suspension and other mechanical components before the body and paintwork. He says a reasonable budget for a complete restoration is between $30,000 and $50,000, but that would include a new or rebuilt performance engine, transmission, rear axle, brakes, suspension, cooling and electrical systems, as well as all the trim, paint and interior parts to be as good as new.

Before starting a restoration, experts say, knowledge is the first and most important thing to attain. "Join a club. Buy the original Ford-issued repair manuals," Martin says. "Ford service manuals from that time were really good. They were designed to speak to mechanics with a high school education, not like today's repair manuals that assume you have an engineering degree."

Other tips for restoring a classic Mustang
• Decide how you will use the car when it is done. This will influence the cost of the restoration. Building a 100-point show car is far more expensive and time consuming than building a very clean weekend cruiser
• Keep track of all the money you spend on parts, service and supplies, says Jonathan Klinger of Hagerty Insurance. You will need to document your costs to prove to the insurance company what you have invested, and receipts will be required when registering a custom-built "assembled vehicle" for title
• Join the local Mustang club, a good source for used parts and knowledgeable members

Via: Ford

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Ferrari restoring Steve McQueen's 275 GTB/4 to factory condition

Even 32 years since his death, Steve McQueen captures the imagination of driving enthusiasts. The actor's cars continue to fetch big bucks at auction. Last summer at Pebble Beach, McQueen's personal 1970 Porsche 911S, driven in the opening scene of Le Mans, sold for $1,375,000 - a figure nearly matched by the racing suit he donned for the same movie. His metallic brown 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso sold at Christies a few years back for $2.3 million, and now another Ferrari from McQueen's past has returned home to Maranello.

The car in question is a 275 GTB/4 that the King of Cool acquired in San Francisco while filming Bullitt. Sometime after McQueen sold the car, its subsequent owner had its roof chopped off, transforming it into a de facto Spyder (there are only 10 real 275 GTB/4 NART Spyders). The car's new owner, however, has sent it back to Ferrari to have its roof rebuilt and the car returned to original factory specification.

The conversion is being undertaken by the Ferrari Classiche division, which will certify its authenticity once the process is completed. The unit was established in 2006 specifically for that purpose, and has since then dealt with some 3,300 classic Ferraris. 

AN ICON IN MARANELLO: STEVE McQUEEN'S 275 GTB4

Maranello, 11 June 2012 – Ferrari Classiche recently took delivery of one of the more interesting cars ever to leave the factory – a 275 GTB4 that originally belonged to legendary American star, Steve McQueen who took delivery of the car in San Francisco when he was on the set filming Bullitt.

The new owner brought the car to Ferrari Classiche for the company's authenticity certification process, knowing that at some time during the 1980s, when under previous ownership, the car had been converted to a Spider.

Under the provisions of the certification process, a Ferrari can only be authenticated if it is to exactly the same specifications as when it left the factory. To this end, the new owner wisely decided to return the car to its original coupé form and Ferrari Classiche has undertaken the restoration reproducing the roof and buttresses with hand-beaten steel panels.

Ferraris continue to be an excellent investment, as has been shown in a recent report by Business Week on a private treaty sale for $35 million of a 250 GTO built for Stirling Moss.

A world record price that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the launch in 1962 of this homologation special (hence the designation Gran Turismo Omologata), of which just 36 examples were built, and which achieved a seemingly endless series of victories in GT racing in the early 1960s, culminating in three consecutive Manufacturers' titles in 1962, '63 and '64.

The Ferrari 250 GTO has been revered in classic car circles for decades for its combination of thoroughbred looks, performance and motor sports heritage and, in 1990, a 1962 example set a then record auction price of $10,756,833. This world record was to stand for 18 years until it was beaten in 2008 by another Ferrari, a 1961 250 California sold by RM Auctions in collaboration with Sotheby's in Maranello for $10,910,592. That record was again beaten in 2011 by the sale in Pebble Beach of a 1957 250 Testa Rossa for $16.39 million.

A considerable contribution to the interest for classic Ferraris in recent years has come from the company's direct involvement, with its dedicated department providing certificates of authenticity which testify to the originality of a car. Set up in 2006, Ferrari Classiche has to date processed over 3,300 certification requests using the company's exhaustive archive records and original designs.

via: Ferrari

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Top Gear finishes its Nissan Deltawing knockoff, looks surprisingly good

If you've been keeping tabs on the crew at TopGear.com, you know they recently embarked on the ambitious task of building a replica of the new Nissan DeltaWing prototype race car. After enlisting the help of custom-car builder Andy Saunders, the crew looks to have succeeded, and the machine is on its way to cover this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The finished product looks no more ludicrous or phallic than the real deal. Surprisingly enough, the creation will have no part in either the actual race or even the "Top Gear" television show we all know and love.

Power comes from a 1.6-liter Ford four-cylinder engine, and the rear wheels are borrowed from a Ford Mondeo. The steering rack originally belonged to a Hillman Imp, and the body work comes from such eclectic nameplates as the Peugeot 207, Fiat 126 and Morris 1000. All told, the machine took Saudners 337 work hours over fewer than 40 days to stitch together. Not too shabby. 

via: autoblog

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B&B Audi A8 4H Tuning Programs

German Tuner B&B offers upgrades for the new Audi A8 (model 4H). B&B can upgrade both the petrol and diesel engines of the Audi flagship with performance increases up to 510hp and 950Nm of maximum torque. This takes the luxury saloon from Ingolstadt in to sportscar territory with a possible sprint time of 0-100km/h in 4.3sec, 0-200km/h 15.5sec and top speeds in excess of 300km/h. B&B offers three stage upgrades for five different engine versions: 

The first stage program for the 3.0 TFSI engine in the A8 starts with a change in the electronics and a slight increase in boost pressure to increase the power of the 3.0 TFSI engine to 367 hp and 475 Nm. In stage 2 390hp and 510Nm are achieved by optimizing air induction, air ducts and intercooler, the boost pressure will be increased about 0.25 bar and the injection map tuned to these new changes. 

Stage 3 reaches 408hp and 54 Nm and includes in addition to stage 2, a B&B sport exhaust system that reduces the exhaust back pressure and exhaust temperature. Finally, an adaptation of the motor management closes this setup. This results in a higher power output while reducing the thermal load of the engine is reached.

The 4.0 TFSI engine in the A8, the three-stage motor program begins with a change in the electronics and a slight increase in boost pressure to increase the power of the 3.0 TFSI engine to 475hp and 670Nm. In stage 2 495hp and 700Nm are achieved by optimizing air induction, air ducts and intercooler, the boost pressure will be increased about 0.25 bar and the injection map tuned to these new changes.

Stage 3 (510hp / 710Nm) includes in addition to stage 2, a B&B sport exhaust system that reduces the exhaust back pressure and exhaust temperature. Finally, an adaptation of the motor management closes this setup. This results in a higher power output while reducing the thermal load of the engine is reached.

The three-stage engines program for the A8 3.0 TDI with 204hp starts with a change in the electronics and a slight increase in boost pressure of 0.15 bar to get the engine to 250hp and 470Nm. The second e-optimize performance achieves 272hp and 495Nm. By special injection elements in conjunction with work on intake paths, air ducts and intercooler, this engine reaches its third stage, 300hp and maximum torque of 520Nm.

The three-stage engines program for the A8 3.0 TDI with 250hp starts with a change in the electronics and a slight increase in boost pressure of 0.15 bar to get the engine to 280hp and 585Nm. The second e-optimize performance achieves 300hp and 625Nm. By special injection elements in conjunction with work on intake paths, air ducts and intercooler, this engine reaches its third stage, 325hp and maximum torque of 660Nm.

The two-stage engines program for the A8 4.2 TDI with 350hp starts with a change in the electronics and a slight increase in boost pressure of 0.2 bar to get the engine to 390 hp and 910Nm. By special injection elements in conjunction with work on intake paths, air ducts and intercooler, this engine reaches its second stage, 420hp and maximum torque of 950Nm.

Prices range from €1,498 for the first stage upgrade for the Audi A8 3.0 TDI to €7,950 for the Stage 3 510hp upgrade for the Audi A8 4.0 TFSI version. Additionally B&B offers an electronical lowering of 30mm for all models with air suspension and a stainless sport exhaust system, six-piston high performance brake system and a range of wheels in 19 to 21 Inch for all new A8 models.

Via gtspirit

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Last Lexus LFAs up for Sale

Rumours emerged that the limited Lexus LFA (500 pieces) is nearly sold out. Apparently the last ten cars on the initial production run are up for sale. Based on reports from mid 2011 Lexus aimed to produce 20 LFAs a month and was on par from a December 2010 production start, this would mean that by the end of this year all 500 Lexus LFAs could be produced. Although Lexus wouldn’t comment if the 500 LFAs including 50 Nurburgring Editions are indeed nearly sold out, it is a good moment to look back at what Lexus achieved with its special supercar. 

Back in 2005 the Lexus LFA was first presented as a concept car, it made its public debut at the Tokyo Motor Show four years later in October 2009. With a base price of $375,000 US it was one of the most expensive Japanese cars ever and from its launch on position in a special league of supercars. We had the pleasure to review the Lexus LFA in Monte Carlo in 2010. Over the years more and more rumours hit the web that Lexus enjoys playing in the supercar league and works on a Lexus LFA II.

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Hybrid Imperia GT to Enter the Market This Year

Imperia Automobiles, a new and ambitious carmaker from Belgium, is working on a retro-looking hybrid GT designed to show that “a socially- and environmentally-responsible approach does not rule out the finer pleasures in life.”

The Imperia GT will be powered by a so-called PowerHybrid propulsion system consisting of a 1.6 liter four cylinder engine, which provides 211 horsepower and a maximum torque of 260Nm. An electric motor provides an additional 100kW (136hp) and 300Nm of power. In all-electric mode, the Imperia GT should have a range of 70km. In hybrid mode, the car has an average fuel consumption of 1.9 liter per 100km and an emission level of less that 50 grams per kilometer. 

According to the carmaker, the Imperia GT will also be the only hybrid car that can be recharged from the mains, via a power socket. The price of refuelling is also quite interesting. Imperia’s website states that “full charge is obtained in 4h30, for an unbeatable cost per kilometre ratio (€ 0.034/km on day tariff, € 0.016/100 km on night tariff).”

As for its performance, the GT accelerates from standstill to 100km/h in 6.0 seconds in purely electric mode, and in 4.0 seconds in hybrid mode. At this stage there is not information regarding its top speed.

The development mule of the Imperia GP has been tested already. The car is scheduled to enter the market later this year for an estimated price tag of €90,000. 

Via Autoblog.nl

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