Australia Wins

I have been quite intrigued lately by the new push in NASCAR to return to actual stock car racing. What I mean to say is that the cars that are being used in stock car racing this year are closer to actual production cars used by Chevy, Ford, and Toyota. Personally, I love this. I feel like its a bit of a revival. The rebirth of something that had been killed by the inception of those cookie cutter so called "stock" cars that were all essentially the same but held different badges on the front.

However, I am not going to ramble about on NASCAR racing. What I have been recently excited by with all this is the new Chevy, the Chevrolet SS.

There it is. The right one, of course, is the one I'm mostly talking about here. The fact that it is similar to the racing car is simply a nugget of extra excitement for Chevy fans.

Here's a few other reasons that I can't wait to see more about when this car is released for public sale:

• 6.2L V8
• 6 speed automatic transmission with TAPshift - we'll have to see if that actually works at all.
• Front Brembo brakes
• Sport Suspension - which is probably just a bad thing.

Here's the spec sheet if you're curious yourself.

http://www.chevrolet.com/content/dam/Chevrolet/northamerica/usa/nscwebsite/en/Home/Chevy%20Culture/News/PreReaveal%20SS/02-PDF/SS_HeroCard.pdf

Let me tell you something else that is of great concern to me: The new flagship sports sedan for Chevrolet is designed by a group of some Aussie horseback riders.

Yes. Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors has designed the Chevy SS.

Here is the Holden Commodore SS.

I do not feel that I need to argue this point any further. they are identical.

I simply find this to be rather intriguing, since within the next two years, I expect that many middle aged American men will be so excited to talk about their new personal 4-door race car that, to them, should be really be associated with Steve Irwin and Outback Steakhouse.

I am sure that the BBC Top Gear three just love this. The Americans stealing from Australia to have a decent sedan.

I am also fearful. Why you ask? Because, as a traditionalist American, I hate cars that have stupid designations like the LP640, or the MP4-12C. There is a simple reasoning behind this. I feel that cars are not just things. They aren't washing machines or robots. They have personalities. We can connect with them. I have only known one person to be okay with calling his friends C3PO and R2D2, and even then, they weren't his best friends. When it came down to it, Lando and Chewy were more personable.
So, I am okay with calling my car a Commodore, or a Stratos, or even a Fiesta. They are names that add to that character. I fear that Chevy will become like Infiniti or Lexus, who give their cars only these sort of code sequence designations. I don't want Chevy to let go of this character that they have had forever.

That's neither here nor there. 

I am genuinely, very anxiously, and hopefully anticipating the release of the bow-tie SS in the States. I think that it will be a good, solid little replacement for the SS Impala and SS Monte Carlo that Chevy has recently done away with entirely. 

I will be posting more later to confirm my happiness over what is likely going to be the best, somewhat reasonably priced GM car to have been released in the US for several years.

Until then, if you would like to make a commentary in regards to Australia becoming invested in middle-aged Americans, feel free.

The Viper

Lets start with a video about the history of the Viper, from its creation, up until today. 

http://vimeo.com/39664078

Right. So here's a little list of reasons why the SRT Viper is great.

1. Its roots: The Viper started basically as a dream, that took shape with a couple of guys with a passion for genuinely great, fast cars, working after hours for pure enjoyment. The Viper was born as a commitment to American muscle, but not in the way that we see so commonly, sacrificing handling and grip for tail-happiness and straight-line speed. The Viper is the American supercar.
2. The maker: Street and Racing Team, or SRT, has taken on different names since they first conceptualized the Viper in 1989, but their goal has remained the same: build a supercar that, while rooted in American muscle, can win against the best on a track
3. The performance: The engine is just a massive V10. The power that the Viper's engine puts out was enough to break the record time for an American production car around the Nürburgring in 2011 - only second in all "production" cars to the Gumpert Apollo. The Viper ACR of the same year also broke lap time records at Laguna Seca and won numerous events Le Mans.

But all those records was the old Viper. That is in the past.

This new 2013 Viper, is almost definitely going to be even quicker - take a second to think about that.

A picture comparison: notice the body styling and and the lines. They have barely changed.

This car was released for retail sale in 1991. Not far off a Ferrari 599. In truth, it looks so modern that I would buy this if it came out today. The Viper's production team was a group of visionaries.

Now two little things have changed that have drawn some complaints; the lights and the logo. The lights have been changed  due to new government mandates, that require headlamps to be a certain height. The logo was voted in by current Viper owners. Beautiful customer involvement strategy, SRT. Outside of those little things, the meat of it is the same. The engine and tuning is about the same, but apparently this one is going to handle better and be more grippy while cornering.

You may want to hear what is realistically wrong with this car, after all, the Americans could have never actually built a supercar that is any good, could they? Oh yes. They have done just that.

The only real complaint I heard that may be of concern to prospective buyers, or car enthusiasts was from racing car driver Randy Pobst, who, while taking the Viper around a track test at Laguna Seca, said it is "fun and satisfying, but you better be on your game if you're going to drive fast in a Viper." So okay, maybe its still a little bit of a bear to drive,  but I think that SRT weren't going for the same target market as Hyundai and Kia. 

Pobst also said that the "ride is terrible, but who cares on the track." He's exactly right about this. Viper drivers aren't into their speedy investment because is comfortable or plush. 

That, to me, is what's great about the Viper - unashamedly loud, uncomfortable, and blazing fast. And in addition to that, this can serve to silence all of those European petrol-heads, who seem to think that Americans can't make a proper supercar.

The old Viper was undoubtedly a wonderful car.
The new Viper is just as fantastic, but improved in terms of grip. I can't wait to see some of the records it'll break.

indisputably

GREAT CAR

The Worst Car Ever Created

or at least, worst made in recent American history

Living in the United States, you are surrounded by cars all of the time. Most everybody in the country either owns a car, or you at least see cars regularly as you commute to work or school. But, in the recent history of automotive production in America, what is the worst car? 

This.

In 2001, the car-making industry in America was just starting into a period of nearly half a dozen years economic decline that would nearly finish many automotive companies. Chrysler was one of these companies that were having difficulty in the ailing economy, so they decide to release the PT Cruiser.

This is directly from the Chrysler Group, in the press kit they released upon the PT Cruiser launch:"In the U.S., potential customers often view themselves as the 'social chairperson' and are not afraid of going their own way... The PT Cruiser can be whatever the individual owner wants it to be and fits any lifestyle."
They go on to say that their target market was young, adventurous people, who need an affordable, stylish car that could be versatile enough to fit the needs of a young person.

They created a car with the target market in mind being a group that doesn't care one lick about a car that is especially fast or good looking, but rather, seeks out a car for its functionality. I must admit, most of us value this in a car, but the PT doesn't have functionality. Chrysler gave the PT an impressive amount of cargo space in the back, but then cut that space in half with a ridiculous and pointless plastic shelf that they claimed could be useful "in tailgates or parties". They actually wanted college kids to buy this car.

Chrysler eventually realized that young people absolutely abhorred this car because it just looks terrible and there is nothing to it at all to be proud of. 

So they changed their target market to elderly people, who they found were buying them up in great numbers. Why were oldies attracted to this car? I can not say, but Chrysler was quoted in saying that "the older client base was attracted to the PT Cruiser... it reminded them of the days when they had family wagons." 

So nostalgia was what they were shooting for... and they give us this.

Dreadful.

So lets talk about some other things they did with this car, that, according to Chrysler, "transcends traditional automotive expectations by creating a new segment". 

• The interior is possibly the most cramped, miserable thing ever. Its like a prison cell on wheels.
• There is virtually no suspension. Because they were marketing to people who were older and clearly don't care about cars for performance, they created this little gremlin of a car that has no handling, no turning radius, no speed, and no acceleration.  (Unless or course you bought the one with the Turbo, in which case you probably aren't intelligent enough to even read this blog)

The only positive about this car - affordability. I would list affordability as a positive for a loaf of bread as well. 

The biggest negatives -this car serves little purpose at all, outside of the fact that it can roll forward. The ride comfort is much like sitting down on a skateboard, and even being near one makes you feel embarrassed.

Because they failed to ever actually find what they wanted to accomplish by being so unique, what came from the PT Cruiser is, well basically nothing. Truly a pile of worthless nothing, that hurts your stomach to look at. I would rather drive an 8 foot wide cheeseburger in my everyday commute.

This is what we should do to all remaining PT Cruisers.

http://youtu.be/G9_tuqAawJE

We should all seek to be as enterprising as these lads.

In summation, though you still see a lot of these cars still on the road, this car is about as useful as a snooze button on a smoke alarm.

THE WORST CAR EVER MADE
Chrysler PT Cruiser

1. If you disagree because you are an oldie who is enamored with your precious wood-grain paneled PT, I would love to hear your complaint via comment.
2. If you are a college kid who bought one to go tailgating and has loved your PT, I would love to hear your complaint via comment.
3. If you think that you have an argument as to which car might actually be worse, comment.

A Brief Introduction & The Ford Taurus

So here's how its going to work.

I'm Preston. I enjoy things that have engines and wheels. I am going to blog about different cars, and nearly any and all things related to motoring. This is the beginning of it all. Enjoy my musings.

The Ford Taurus: Then and Now

This is my first car - 1998 Ford Taurus SE. A wonderful piece of American machinery, this Taurus and all others will always be sort of special to me, because this one has served me well in my young age. It was my portal to freedom.

some specs:

• 3.0L 12-valve V6 engine
• 145 horsepower at 5200rpm
• 170 ft-lbs of torque at 3250rpm
• 4 speed automatic

It might seem like this would be a fast car, but that V6 has to carry over 3 tons of senseless weight.

The older Taurus models, this model year in particular, was not a looker at all, and really, there is nothing special about them at all. Honestly, if the government were to distribute basic transportation to us all, this would be it.

it pains me to say this because I adore my Taurus, but...
1998 Ford Taurus -- bad car.

Without any clever transition, this is the 2013 Taurus. More appealing to the eye, no question, than the 1998 model, this new Taurus looks more like a Jaguar or an Aston Martin, and much less like basic transportation.

This car is much quicker than the older model, and it looks much better. I look at this car and I actually want to drive it.

In researching I found that, if you're feeling creative, you can create your own 2013 Taurus here.
http://bp3.ford.com/2013-Ford-Taurus?branding=1&lang=en#/Models/

If you're not feeling like doing creativity,
some specs:

• 3.5L 24-valve DOHC TiVCT V6 engine - standard
• 6-speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive - standard

There's plenty of other boring technical things like electronic assisted this-and-that. But without any of that, I'll just go ahead and say it for you: in comparison to the fish-faced 1998 Taurus, this car is so much better in every single way.

now I want one because...

2013 Ford Taurus -- good car.

*This entire post leaves out of the picture the new 2013 Taurus SHO, which I hear is actually quite nice not only on the road, but also on the track. If you would be willing to drop over 40,000 on a heavy 4-door with AWD, this is my recommendation.

If you have any thoughts, please comment. 
I'd love to hear from you. especially if you disagree with me.