Polish Street Racers? Sounds like the beginning of a good joke. Well street racing has become no joke in the city of Lodz (pronounced “Woodge”) which has given it the reputation as the Amsterdam of street racing. The younger inhabitants of the city have taken the recent rise in personal wealth and did the only valuable thing with it, dumped it in their cars. Unfortunately most of these boy racers were no Robert Kubica, so the death toll rose with the wealth. Something had to be done.
So what does the city of Lodz do? Legalize it. Why not? After all, making it illegal would only reinforce the outlaw culture of street racing. The government even invested $20,000 in timing equipment, embracing its reputation as the car capital of Poland by hosting monthly races that draw crowds of 70,000 and counting.
Some frown on the "harm reduction" technique Lodz has taken toward criminal activities. Harm Reduction is simply the idea that people will engage in bad behavior, so you might as well attempt to reduce the amount of damage the behavior causes. Lodz has reported that statistics show illegal street racing has declined by nearly 90%.
Lottery prizes are sometimes so great that the winner can quit his/her job and buy a Ferrari. Well one new prize is just making it easier to drive to work and earn that Ferrari. Florida began a prize earlier this month that awards runner-up winners "Free Gas for Life". This has become a popular enough idea that Georgia and Oklahoma are giving out similar prizes. The catch in Florida is that winners actually receive 26 gas cards annually worth $100 each. So it likely still won’t completely fund the fuel for you daily-driver Ferrari, but every little bit helps.
Ian Cook, the 25-year-old artist from Solihull, West Midlands, has found his artistic niche using remote controlled cars and old tires. Chevy took notice of his unorthodox style of art work and commissioned two paintings from Cook for the London auto show. One was of the Camaro convertible, done live during the opening day of the auto show, and the other of the Beat concept car.
The artwork were created using remote control cars driven through acrylic paints, with further detail added by using old car tires. “I wanted to be an artist from a young age and decided that to be successful I needed something completely unique,” said Ian. “I’ve always been mad about anything with wheels and I figured that using cars to paint cars would capture peoples’ imaginations, so I experimented at home by driving some remote control models through paint.”
Technology can hurt a driver as much as it can help him. For example, those convenient automated toll systems (i.e. EZ Pass, FasTrak, SunPass, etc.) can also use their time/distance data to figure out if you were speeding. GM may be hitting even closer to home with a new OnStar feature. Right now General Motors will use OnStar to pass on information to their GMAC Insurance arm about your annual driving mileage for possible insurance discounts.
This is purely voluntary program, and GM assures that the data will go no further than annual mileage. But how soon before they want data on speed or acceleration, all disguised under the cloak of lower insurance premiums?
The same side of me who wants to build a bomb shelter in my tool shed is also having trouble with this new OnStar service. After all, Ford is developing cars that talk to each other, GM is putting money into cars that drive themselves, and now your car wants to tattle on your driving habits. Big Brother is no longer trying to get in the passenger seat; it’s trying to drive!
I think it’s too late for me; I’ve already given in to sat nav and climate control. At least for now GM is doing no evil, and instead letting you save some additional cash on car insurance if you drive less then 15k miles a year. Besides, Big Brother technology is nothing new in cars. For almost a decade GM and other manufactures have been installing a “black box” like device that records driver stats, but your car has kept the secret to itself …so far.
It’s fast, it’s rare, and it can be yours possibly for low six-figures - it’s the SSC Aero. The car is a predecessor of sorts to the record setting SSC Ultimate Aero, and it’s now on eBay. This is an american-made speed machine produced by Shelby Super Cars. Although this company has no association with legendary builder Carroll Shelby, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a look.
The Aero features supercharged V-8 creating 787 hp, and at the time of this post, the car was under $150,000. The owners claim it is one of only two ever created, which may make it worth the price alone.
It’s a one of a kind muscle car, and its built by the factory. Usually these kinds of cars don’t get into enthusiast hands, but Ford built this one to raise money for charity. It’s called the Mustang AV8R, and it is built with an airplane in mind. It will be featured this August at the AirVenture Oshkosh event in Michigan, and then later sold through auction. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Gathering of Eagles fund, which supports aviation education and preservation.
The car stated life as a 2009 Mustang GT with options including a glass roof, which is a new option on Mustangs this year; special front and rear fascias; integrated spoiler; and Shelby GT500 wheels. Ford Racing then added a handling pack (dampers, lowering springs, anti-roll bar kit and strut tower brace), supercharger and tuned exhaust that will generate 400 horsepower from the aluminum block 4.6-liter, 24-valve V-8 engine. The one of a kind touches include Satin Silver matte paint with Black Gloss accents, "bomber jacket" distressed leather inserts, and an area where notable aviation legends and enthusiasts can sign the car. According to Ford, potential signers may include Chuck Yeager, Jack Roush, Harrison Ford, John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Edsel B. Ford II and Jim Lovell.
It’s only fitting that the Mustang is associated with an airplane charity. According to Lee Iacocca, who is considered the father of the Mustang, although the name “Mustang” was chosen out of a list of animal names for the original production car, one of the concept cars that was the basis for the production version was named after the P-51 Mustang airplane from World War II.
HSN today officially revealed the W427, a model that was first unveield at the Melbourne Motorshow in ‘showcar’ format. The car began production at the company’s Clayton based facility this week and sales of the seven litre 375kW ‘Supercar’ have begun in dealerships around Australia. The car is limited to only 427 units, and the entire 80 units for 2008 have been pre-sold and will retail for $155,500, plus on road costs.
The W427 is powered by a 7.0 litre LS7 V8 engine with specific HSV calibration that delivers 502 hp. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual TR6060 high strength transmission.
It features: Front Driving lamps, Projector headlamps, 3 piece rear spoiler in carbon fibre, Unique W427 front fascia, Quad exhaust outlet with active bi-modal rear mufflers and Metallic Paint.
Last week we told you about the new TECHART GTstreet RS, based on the Porsche 911 GT2 (997), the latest masterpiece from the German tuning house powered by a 700 hp engine. Today the tuner revealed officially all the data about its new car. The vehicle features a new body kit consisting in a front apron GT RS with carbon splitter, new side carbon-flics, aero bonnet, headlight shades, mirror shades, new side sills, a carbon roof spoiler, a rear spoiler GT with winglets and carbon gurney and a rear apron GT RS with carbon diffuser and air outlet as well as carbon air wings.
techart gtstreet rs
In order to obtain the astonishing power the tuner added new carbon sports pipes, a high performance intercooler, high-performance header, a new turbocharger, new engine electronics and a sports exhaust system.
Saleen’s SpeedLab unveiled today the SuperShaker, a new technology for air induction systems. The SuperShaker will fit all 2005-current model Mustang GT’s. The SuperShaker kit will increase your total power from 500 – 700HP.
The SuperShaker induction path is much shorter and less restrictive compared to existing designs, and is a true “cold air” intake that is sealed off from the engine compartment, thus enhancing vehicle performance. The SuperShaker induction system sits above the hood and is isolated from the hot air in the engine compartment. This is especially beneficial in static situations such as at stop lights or take off during drag racing. Once up to speed, the shaker hood scoop rams fresh cold air into the air box where it is pressurized, allowing greater boost at higher speeds.
By angling the custom air filter forward, water and debris will be deflected down to the bottom of the air box where it can be evacuated and not affect the performance of the filter. There are two molded pieces that make up and include the air box, providing a skirt that mounts to the rear of the box which protects the compartment from water, debris and environmental hazards. This unique design does not require any extraordinary mounting or securing devices, allowing the air box to utilize the maximum space available within the tight constraints.
Two days ago we reported that Porsche will add a new special edition to its Cayman line-up: the Cayman S Sport. And today we bring you the first official image.
The sports car will be priced at £49,890 and will feature Porsche Active Stability Management, 303bhp and that tasty two-tone body/wheel combo. It’s been lowered by 10mm too.
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