The Weekend Drive Blog

Fuel Economy goal set at 54.4 mpg by 2025

2011-07-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

The EPA announced that a CAFE of 54.5 mpg will be required by 2025, about twice the current fuel economy standards. That all sounds great, but VW has lashed out at the new standard saying it favors truck makers, and others fear the electric infrastructure won't be up to speed in time for the inevitable swarm of electric cars that will help raise the CAFE of a carmaker.

Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Toyota signed onto the agreement. The standards already call for a CAFE of 35.5 mpg through the 2012 to 2016 model years, with the 54.5 mpg standard taking effect in 2025.

I seriously doubt the 2025 mpg goal, and all the stakeholders get to evaluate the progress in a few years and readjust if needed.

SEMA Show 2010 - Where everything new will make its debut!

2010-10-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS, NV -- The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. Even though its not open to the public, it draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW (Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week), the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, and RV markets.

SEMA Show 2009 drew more than 50,000 domestic and international buyers. The displays are segmented into 12 sections, and a New Products Showcase featured nearly 1,500 newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more! We'll be at the SEMA Show 2010 all week reporting what we find!

The Coolest Electrics and Hybrids You Know and Some You Don't

2010-03-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

Tesla Roadster
Step on the accelerator and go... 0 to 60 in less the 4 seconds...top speed of 125 mph, with a mixed city and highway estimated range of 244 miles. Recharge in 3.5 hours at an average of 2 cents per mile. Base purchase price of $105,000. Order with a reservation fee of $9,900. Available in the U.S., Europe and Canada.

Lightning GT
Estimated range of 188 miles after a standard charge of 4.5 hours, the Lightning GT will have a top end limited to 130 mph. 0 to 60 under 5 seconds. Currently only available to order in the U.K. with a reservation fee of £3,500. Base purchase price of £120,000

Aptera 2E
The 2E is the all electric model and has a range of 100 miles with an overnight recharge on 110v, faster with 220v. The hybrid will have a range of 350 miles. 0 to 60 in under 10 seconds with standard mode and 3 driving modes available, standard, sport, and economy. Top speed will be limited to 90 mph. A reservation fee of $500 is required, California residents only. Depending on options and power trains, the car is estimated to sell between $25,000 and $40,000.

Fisker Karma
A hybrid, with a small gasoline motor, the Karma drives its first 50 miles all electric. 0 to 60 in less than 6 seconds with a top speed of 125 mph. Two driving modes, Stealth Drive, economy, and Sport Drive. A deposit of $5,000 for the Karma and the Karma S, convertable, will require a $25,000 deposit. Available in North America and Europe, the base price is $87,900.

Velozzi Supercar
To be powered by a 770 HP AC induction electric motor, the Supercar will be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in only 3 seconds, with a top speed of over 200 mph. The first 200 miles will be driven 100% by battery power and then at a predetermined discharge rate will switch to a diesel fueled Capstone microturbine to recharge the batteries on the fly, extending the range to 1000 miles. Pricing unavailable.

Porsche 918 Spyder
Concept car shown at the Geneva Auto Show, the 918 a hybrid capable of a 16 mile range in E Drive with electric power alone and then Hybrid Drive which will utilize the 3.4L V8 and electric drives, Sport Hybrid mode uses both systems with the focus on performance, and then Race Hybrid which is running at full perfomance. With the battery sufficiently charged, a push-to-pass button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), when overtaking or for even better performance. The high-revving V8 develops more than 500 horsepower and a maximum engine speed of 9,200 rpm – as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 horsepower. 0 to 60 under 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph.

BMW Vision EfficentDynamics
An all wheel drive plug in hybrid concept with a three cylinder diesel motor and an electric motor on both the front and rear axle combining for an overall 356 horsepower. 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds with an electronically limited top end of 155 mph. In all electric mode the car is able to cover 31 miles.

Honda CR-Z
Honda's CR-Z Sport hybrid-electric has a 1.5L 4 cylinder with IMA (intergrated motor assist). The CR-Z has a three mode drive system (Sport/Normal/ECON). The motor is rated at 122 horsepower. With a late summer of 2010 introduction, 0 to 60, top speed and pricing were unavailable.

Toyota FT-HS
Toyota's Concept Sports Car hybrid debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. A front-engine, rear-drive sports car with a projected zero-to-60 acceleration in the four-second range. A powerful V6, 3.5L-engine is coupled with a 21st century sports hybrid system with a target power output of approximately 400-horsepower.

Ferrari HY-KERS
The HY-KERS vettura laboratorio (experimental vehicle) at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. Ferrari adapted an advanced, lightweight hybrid drivetrain to the 599 GTB Fioranounveiled. Ferrari developed a new kind of electric motor coupled to the rear of the dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission. It operates through one of the transmission’s two clutches and engages one of the two gearbox primary shafts. Thus power is coupled seamlessly and instantaneously between the electric motor and the V12. This experimental vehicle thus maintains the high-performance characteristics typical of all Ferraris while, at the same time, reducing CO2 emissions on the ECE + EUDC combined cycle by 35 per cent.

NLV Quant
Prototype rear wheeled drive and battery powered with 4 electric motors with an estimated 800 bhp, on a carbon fiber chassis with carbon body. The projected specs are 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds with a top speed of 234 mph.

Audi A8 Hybrid
A technology concept at the Geneva Auto Show, the A8 was powered by a 2.0 TFSI and an electric motor, which produced 245 horsepower and 354.03 lb-ft of torque. 0 to 60 of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 145 mph.

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid
3.5L V6 and an electric motor, a seven speed automatic combine for 295 horsepower. 0 to 60 in 7.2 seconds with this mild hybrid. MSRP $87,950

Nissan Pivo
All electric concept powered by Nissan's compact, high-performance lithium-ion battery and its unique Super Motor, resulted in zero emissions. Introduced at the 2005 Tokyo Auto Show, the cabin revolved 360 degrees eliminating the need to reverse. No specs were available as to performance or cuteness.

The Power(trains) Behind the Detroit 3

2010-01-31T12:06:00.000-08:00

"Won't Get Fueled Again" was the working title.

Fluctuating gas prices seem to catch the Detroit 3 at the most inopportune times. They are ready for the next crunch.

Highlights from the media pages of Ford, GM, and Chrysler.

At Article's End - American Iron and Cubic Inches :-)

Ford

Ford's New Ecoboost(TM) gas-turbo engines can provide up to 20% better fuel economy without sacrificing the power that drivers want.

Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, for example, can deliver upwards of 340-plus lb.-ft. of torque across a wide engine range – 2,000 to 5,000 rpm versus 270 to 310 lb.-ft of torque for a conventional naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V-8 over the same speed range. At the same time, this V-6 gives customers an approximate 2 mpg improvement and emits up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions to the environment.

3.5 L Ecoboost Performance of a V8 with the Economy of a V6

Upgraded Lightweight Die Cast Aluminum Block
Improved fuel economy, performance, and lower CO2 emissions than from a V8.
Electronic Wastegate Control
4 Valves per Cylinder
Electronic Wastegate Control
High Pressure Direct Injection Fuel System
10:0:01 Compression Ratio
Variable Camshaft Timing
Dual Watercooled Turbochargers
Higher Alloyed Crankshaft and Connecting Rods
Oil-Cooled Pistons with Fully Machined Direct Injection Features

GM

GM's 'Boost' In Efficient Four-Cylinders Includes More Turbos

GM will double its global production of small four-cylinder engines (1.0L to 1.4L) by 2011, with more than half of the increase coming in North America.

One-third of GM’s North American engine volume will be four-cylinders by 2011, and 21 percent of the four-cylinder volume will be turbocharged – a seven-fold increase over today’s volume of turbo engines.

“Power-dense four-cylinders such as the 1.4L Turbo are an integral part of GM’s portfolio of advanced propulsion technologies, including cam phasing, direct injection, Active Fuel Management, clean diesels, hybrids, flex-fuel vehicles, six-speed transmissions and electric propulsion,” said Tom Stephens, executive vice president, GM Global Powertrain and Global Quality. “GM is focused on delivering vehicles that look great, are fuel efficient and fun to drive.”

At 100 horsepower per liter, the new turbocharged 1.4L has the power of a larger engine but retains the efficiency of a small-displacement four-cylinder in most driving conditions.

Chrysler LLC

“Chrysler Group will attain leadership by rapidly applying Fiat Powertrain technologies, such as Multiair, direct injection, turbocharging and transmission systems to its powertrain portfolio,” said Paolo Ferrero, Senior Vice President, Chrysler Powertrain.

New Four-cylinder Engines
Four-cylinder engine options are being expanded at Chrysler Group with the introduction of Fiat Powertrain's 1.4-liter, in-line four-cylinder Fully Integrated Robotized Engine (FIRE) featuring Multiair.

Specifications
1.4-liter I-4 FIRE with Multiair

100 horsepower (75 kW) at 6,750 rpm
95 lb.-ft. (129 N•m) of torque at 4,250 rpm

1.4-liter I-4 FIRE Turbo with Multiair

170 horsepower (128 kW) at 6,750 rpm
170 lb.-ft. (231 N•m) of torque at 3,000 rpm

Both versions of the 1.4-liter FIRE feature four valves per cylinder and incorporate state-of-the-art technology for Fully Variable-valve Actuation (FVVA), also known as Multiair. Fiat’s Multiair technology significantly reduces emissions, while improving fuel economy and power. This sophisticated electro-hydraulic variable-valve actuation technology delivers an increase in power up to 10 percent, an improvement in low rpm torque up to 15 percent and a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions up to 10 percent when compared with similar engines without the technology. The Multiair system is based on a series of Fiat Powertrain patents related to hardware, combustion strategies and controls that allow for full control of the lift and timing of engine valves, independently on each cylinder and during each single engine stroke. Well suited for a small car application, the first North American vehicle to feature the 1.4-liter FIRE with Multiair is the Fiat 500.

All-new V-6 Pentastar Engine
Chrysler Powertrain will streamline its V-6 gas engine offerings from six options to the new fuel-efficient, state-of-the-art 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar engine. The first application of this engine will be in the all-new 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee, due out in the second quarter this year.

The Pentastar delivers a fuel efficiency improvement of up to 8 percent on average when compared with previous Chrysler Group V-6 engines and delivers 90 percent of its available torque from 1800-6400 rpm. In the all-new 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine offers an increase of 33 percent in horsepower and an 11 percent improvement in torque over its predecessor. The Pentastar V-6 is designed to use technologies such as Multiair, direct-injection and turbocharging for future applications.

Specifications
3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar

280 horsepower (209 kW) at 6,400 rpm
260 lb.-ft. (353 N•m) of torque at 4,400 rpm

"There is no substitute for American iron and cubic inches."

Ford

2011 Mustang GT
The 2011 Mustang GT 5.0-liter will set a new
standard for high-volume production engines.
Delivering 412 hp and 390 ft.-lb. of torque on
premium fuel, this new powerhouse provides
in excess of 80 hp per liter. The objective
was offering a Mustang GT engine, at the
historically significant 5.0-liter displacement
with more than 400 hp, but without
compromises in drivability, fuel economy
and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH)
control.

Specifications

5.0L 4V Ti-VCT V-8
Redline 7,000 rpm
DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, variable intake, variable camshaft timing
302 cu. in./4,951 cc
Horsepower 412 @ 6,500 rpm (est.)
Horsepower per liter 82.4
Torque 390 lb.-ft. @ 4,250 rpm (est.)

“Ti-VCT is a win-win-win technology,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president, global powertrain development. “It helps our new range of engines to deliver high performance with unsurpassed projected highway fuel economy of 25 miles per gallon and reduced emissions.”

“Ti-VCT technology will continue to proliferate across the Ford powertrain portfolio,” said Samardzich. “By 2013, you can expect to see this advancement available on 90 percent of our nameplates.”

GM
2010 Camaro SS

Two 6.2L V-8 engines are offered in the Camaro SS, including the new L99 on automatic-equipped vehicles and the LS3 on manual-equipped models. Both engines are derived from the LS3 that debuted on the 2008 Corvette.

Specifications
L99

Horsepower 400 (298 kW) at 5,900 rpm
Torque 410 lb.-ft. (556 Nm) at 4,300 rpm
Compression ratio 10.4:1
The L99 is paired exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission.

LS3

Horsepower 426 horsepower (318 kW)
Torque 420 lb.-ft. (569 Nm)
Compression ratio 10.7:1

A Tremec TR 6060 six-speed manual is standard on the SS, and the Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic is optional.

Chrysler
2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8®
The SRT’s exclusive and proven 6.1-liter HEMI® V-8 engine, which represents the highest naturally aspirated specific-output V-8 engine ever offered by Chrysler. Its 69.8 horsepower-per-liter rating exceeds even that of the legendary 1966 “Street HEMI.”

Specifications

Horsepower 425 (317 kW)
Torque 420 lb.-ft. (569 N•m)

The 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is available with either a standard five-speed automatic with Auto Stick or an available Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual transmission that was first offered on the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10®. The result is a Dodge muscle car packed with modern amenities and features any enthusiast will love.

Epilogue:

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again No, no!

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again

Goodbye, Saab

2009-12-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

Update XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Spyker Cars Finalizes Purchase of Saab Automobile from GM

2010-02-23

General Motors and Spyker Cars NV today announced that they have finalized the deal for Spyker to purchase Saab Automobile AB.

Going forward, Saab and Spyker will operate under the Spyker (AMS:SPYKR) umbrella, and Spyker will assume responsibility for Saab operations. The previously announced wind down of Saab operations has ended.

GM statement regarding Saab inquiries

2009-12-20

Following Friday's announcement that GM will begin the orderly wind down of Saab, GM has received inquiries from several parties. We will evaluate each inquiry. We will not comment further until these evaluations have been completed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Weekend Drive has had a soft spot for the Swedish Automaker. Vince Bodiford reviewed the 60th Anniversary models in this video, and we had a print review of the 2005 9-2X, of which Vince said, "A 'real' Saab driving experience at a real bargain. Very cute car". A 2003 9-3 who's first impression was...It’s lines and stance beckoned to me. “Let’s hit the road - get out of here - let's drive.”

Contributing editor Ben Miller reviewed the 2000 9-3 Viggen, "If you're thinking that Saab's image is way too stodgy, you should get behind the wheel of a 9-3 Viggen." and Vince's 9-5 Sedan impression, "an experience much like flying a jet too close to the ground." Vince also had this this to say of the 2000 9-5 wagon, "Free of gimmicks and gadgets, there is a place and purpose for everything." My two Saab driving impressions were equally enthusiastic and never once did we use Snaab.

Vince, overall winner of the 1994 One Lap of America with The Weekend Drive's Price Cobb, drove a Saab 9-3 Viggen in the 2000 One Lap of America with The Weekend Drive's contributing writer, Dave Young. Driving over 4,200 miles they finished a respectable 8th in class, their adventures complete with pictures can be found here.

Thanks to GM Media for the following:

Saab Sale Cannot Be Concluded
Brand to be Wound Down
2009-12-18

Detroit. General Motors announced today that the intended sale of Saab Automobile AB would not be concluded. After the withdrawal of Koenigsegg Group AB last month, GM had been in discussions with Spyker Cars about its interest in acquiring Saab. During the due diligence, certain issues arose that both parties believe could not be resolved. As a result, GM will start an orderly wind-down of Saab operations.
Read More

3,400 impacted employees and worldwide 1,100 dealers.
GM Press Conference Call

Saab's Philosophy:

Over sixty years ago, we started a company on a simple philosophy. That driving a car shouldn't feel like an act of necessity, but feel like you're flying through the clouds. That your car should be so intelligent, so intuitive, you couldn't imagine its features any other way.

That cars should combine the simplicity of beautiful design and an affinity for nature.

And all these years later, that's still who we are. The little Swedish car company that used to build jets. After all, isn't making the road disappear and the sky open up before you what driving should be all about?

Saab History and Background - Born From Jets

Some companies make cars. Others make history.

One of the comments we hear most is how Saabs seem to be built around the driver, almost as if they were more the cockpit of a plane than the cabin of a car.

People who make this claim are more right than they could possibly know. Because the fact is, before Saab AB made cars, they made jets.

And the very first Saab car was designed and hand built by 16 aircraft engineers. Only one of which had a driver's license. Amusing as it sounds, this anecdote sums up all that makes Saab different: Clean, aerodynamic lines, efficiency and functionality, and innovations beyond what people would expect from a car.

Over the years, our designers' contributions to the automotive industry have been as significant as turbocharged technology and side-impact protection systems, and as sublime as disappearing cup holders.

It's easy to get caught up in Saab's history. It's even easier to get excited about its future. We invite you to explore both here.

Saab Heritage

From: 2007: Saab 60th Anniversary
Celebrating Sixty Years of Independent Thinking

It was back pain suffered by a senior Saab executive that prompted the development of the heated driver’s seat, an innovation from Saab in 1971. The pain was particularly bad on cold, frosty mornings and a colleague devised a means of heating the driver’s seat to minimize the
discomfort. As the result was so effective, and also so popular, the solution was put into production.

A 1:10 scale model of an early Saab 92 prototype was tested in an aircraft wind tunnel in 1946. Such testing was very unusual for a production car manufacturer of the time but very much second nature for an aircraft maker. The final prototype’s 0.32 co-efficient of drag was
exceptionally low for a production car of time and would still be competitive today.

Rather like the first T-model Ford, you could have an early Saab 92 in any color you liked – as long as it was bottle green. The paint was readily available in surplus army supplies left over from the war. Saab did not offer a color choice until 1952.

Saab engine guru Dr Per Gillbrand – often described as the father of the production turbo – has a very simple explanation for his commitment to turbocharging. “All engines have an oil pump, a fuel pump and a water pump”, he said. “So why not an air pump, which is all a turbo really is? I
think it's odd that all engines don’t have one!”

In 1966, to keep the arrival of the upcoming Saab 99 secret, endurance testing of prototypes was carried out inside an old aircraft hangar. Nonstop runs were conducted as the prototypes circled round and round for several days at a time to test driveshaft durability.

When the cameras roll and the action begins, it is the Saab Convertible that often gets the part. Jack Nicholson (As Good As It Gets), Matt Damon (The Bourne Supremacy), Richard Gere (Final Analysis), Paul Giamatti (Sideways), Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld TV show) and Reese
Witherspoon (Sweet Home Alabama) have all appeared in a Saab Convertible on screen.

There are several good reasons why the ignition in Saab cars is traditionally placed between the front seats. Good ergonomics, inherited from the cockpit design of Saab aircraft, dictated an easy-to-use location adjacent to the handbrake and gearshift lever. This position also reduces
the risk of knee injury in a crash impact. And it is no coincidence that the central console is where most controls can be found in aircraft.

In 1985, long before green energy became an agenda item, Saab’s first concept car, EV-1, featured solar roof cells to power a ventilation fan to keep the interior cool when parked in hot temperatures. It also included integrated, self-repairing bumpers and an instrument ‘Night Panel’ facility, both features to appear on later production cars.

The brand name ‘Saab’ is an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, Swedish Aircraft Company Limited, founded in 1937. A stylized aircraft wing, a feature of early Saab car badges, can still be seen in the grille design of today’s cars as homage to Saab’s unique
aircraft heritage.

The ‘92’ model designation was chosen for Saab’s first car as the number was next in sequence for what had until then been civil aircraft projects. The Saab 91 was a two-seater training aircraft and the Saab 90 a 24-seat passenger plane.

Sixten Sason, the designer of the early Saabs from the original 92 to the highly innovative 99, was a leading exponent of the emerging discipline of industrial design. Working as a freelance, he also designed the first Hasselblad camera, Husqvarna motorcycles and Electrolux domestic
products.

The steel body panels of the first Saab prototype (92.001), built in 1946, were pummeled into shape by panel-beaters working on wooden benches standing in horse droppings. Apparently, this cushioned surface gave them just the right responses and feel for their work. An earlier
full-scale wooden mock-up was covered in shiny, black shoe polish instead of paint.

In 1957, a press advertising photograph illustrating the versatile ‘beddable’ attributes of the Saab 93 caused controversy in Sweden. It showed a young couple settling down for the night on flat-folding seats inside the car – but the woman was clearly not wearing a wedding ring.
This caused public objections and a ring was hastily drawn in on the woman’s finger.

In 1986 and again in 1996, a fleet of Saabs stormed the high speed Talladega Speedway in United States, setting a string of speed and endurance records for standard production cars. In 1986, the lead 9000 turbo covered 100,000 kms (62,140 miles), stopping only for servicing,
fuel, tyre and driver changes, at an average speed of 213 kph (132 mph). Ten years later, the fastest 900 turbo covered 40,000 kms (24,800 miles), achieving an average speed of over 226 kph (140 mph).

A Saab car is designed to help you survive hitting a wild moose. Saab’s simulated moose crash test, developed in the mid-80s, involves the car striking a 350 kg (770 lbs) dummy moose head-on at 70 kph (43 mph). Hitting one of these large animals is a relatively common occurrence on rural roads in Sweden and the introduction of this demanding test is typical of Saab’s real-life safety approach.

Did you know...2007 Saab 60th Anniversary

Goodbye, Sob :(

Boyd Coddington complete

2009-11-13T06:10:00.000-08:00

BOYD CODDINGTON Exclusive Interviews
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Never-before released interview with hot-rod legend Boyd Coddington. In multiple-parts, in tribute, now through SEMA Show 2009. By Joe Mavilia for The Weekend Drive. This includes Part I & II and the final Part III for the complete interview.

What-the-haye, let’s talk about Boyd Coddington –

“Did you say Deuces Wild?”

Ever notice life is like a card game and like ‘em or not you have to play the hand you’re dealt or fold? I can hear Kenny Rogers singing, “You gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em…” I think Boyd Coddington must have said, “I’ll play these.” And the farm boy was holding a pair of deuces.

In the game of life you’ll also notice there are big deals and little deals and everyone is looking for a ‘good’ deal. Well, I was excited about meeting Boyd because he’s a big deal in the auto industry. Just goes to show you what you can do with a pair of deuces if the rest of the world doesn’t pair up in the hand you’re playing.

When I was a young teenager my dream car was a custom ’32 Ford and I suspect every young guy had a similar favorite. There is a strange perception that our manhood depends on how cool we look in that perfect car that will surely put us on Route 66 to somewhere or even nowhere. It doesn’t matter. It’s the ride that counts. Well, this is a story of a guy who started out nowhere in the Midwest and ended up somewhere at the end of Route 66 … Huntington Beach, California, the land of sun, sand, surf and oodles of custom rods. It would be there Boyd would realize his dream and become King of the Road of custom rods.

Yes, Boyd grew up on a farm in Idaho, but from his early days he began cutting and shaping existing steel on old cars into what he thought they should look like. It was Thomas Edison who said, “Sometimes, all you need to invent something is a good imagination and a pile of junk.” Later, at the top of his game Boyd would be seen as an American Idol. You know, those people who ride out the inevitable storms of life because they are survivors. Generally, they are self-made. And we common people love to raise them up on our shoulders so we can live vicariously through their successes. At the end of the day, we’re more interested in guys like Boyd Coddington because we can relate to them. We, too, can win a hand and feel the exhilaration of being a winner and finding our own pot of gold.

Photographer, Peter Linney, known around the world for his work, which is featured on magazine covers in a dozen countries, sent me some photos of a custom rod Boyd had just finished and Peter had photographed. He wanted me to get the story behind the car. The name of the car is the Whatthehaye. What? Yes, said Peter in his thick Norwegian accent. No, what’s the name of the car? I retorted. What – the – haye! Ok, I thought, forget any explanation, I will have to ask Boyd about the story behind the name and perhaps I’d warm up to it as I did the photos of the car.

Anyway Whatthehaye is a work of art and as easy to fall in love with, for me, as the beauty of the image of the Greek sculpture of Venus De Milo. For the ladies it might be like looking upon the statue of David who would become king and was sculpted from another piece of stone by Michelangelo. The Whatthehaye is also a sculptured work of art and does not only have beautiful flowing lines, it is functional as well. Whatthehaye is not a restoration. It is new from the ground up and you don’t have to be a car lover to appreciate such an accomplishment. Creative people can turn a hunk of meaningless stone or flat sheets of metal into classic forms.

So who is this man behind the art and the machine? A myth, a legend? – Perhaps. But unlike Michelangelo, Boyd is still alive so we can talk with him and about him to dispel the myths. I drove to his Garage in La Habra to learn more about the man. But as things turned out, I also learned as much about him from others who know him from TV, visiting his showroom or being a neighbor. I met those people a week following my meeting with Boyd. I was attending my nephews wedding aboard a boat in Newport Harbor… a big boat. The setting was private, elegant and peopled by movers and shakers. You always find people like that on a road less traveled. It was just the setting where you’d expect the name Boyd Coddington would be known.
Part II

I hadn’t seen Marty and Sharon in a decade but as we got to talking about old times, I found they now live in the ‘Heights’ above La Habra. After a few connections and coincidences Marty told me about the house he built there … a big house. One day while he was out jogging, this guy, Boyd Coddington, was driving by and stopped Marty just as he rounded the final turn to his house. “Who owns this house”, Boyd asked. Looking more like the gardener than a prosperous businessman, Marty replied, “I do!” Later the men and their wives got together and discussed the possibilities of the Coddington’s buying the home, even though it was not for sale. Money was no object, but in the end the answer was still no. Some things not even money will buy. Personalities enter the play like a poker face in a smoke filled room. Obviously there wasn’t a meeting of the minds and it must have been a disappointing rejection.

Boyd was also disappointed with the recent loss of his chief designer Chip Foose and that required a lot of adjustment. But Boyd says the move was ok and he talks with Chip often. A look around the boat on this beautiful sunny California day, somehow contradicts such outcomes. The bet doesn’t always matter. In both cases, the answer was… I’ll see you and raise. The stakes are not always about money.

Boyd seemed distant and aloof when we met and I concluded that he’s just shy. But he hosts a TV show so how can that be, you say. Well, I’m pretty outgoing but my knees knock when I get in front of an audience. Anyway, it was our first meeting and that can make such celebrities, appear removed. People who are successful are by any measure bizzzzy bizzzzy people. They have demands placed on them 24/7. And that, in part, explains why I felt like I was an irritation to his busy day. But for all the demands, Boyd was outwardly calm. Or maybe he was about to fall asleep. I don’t usually have that effect on people. But then his cell phone would ring and wake him up. “Now where were we?”

Like so many of us, the cell phone is our constant companion and our umbilical cord to the world anywhere, anytime. Boyd spends even more time on his cell than most because the world is his office. There is no question that I was more excited about meeting this “legend” in the custom rod world than he was in meeting me. It was I who wanted to know more about him and he did share a little of his life and feelings about family, business and success, all of which he says require a lot of hard work.

True enough. Hard work matters a lot, which brings to mind the saying that “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” – Thomas A. Edison. I suspect most of us want to believe we too have worked hard for what we’ve accomplished, even if we fell into it or married it. But Boyd’s beginnings were indeed humble. The farm was small, as farms go, at 40-acres. It was primarily a dairy farm but also produced some of those famous Idaho potatoes. What kind of man was your dad, I asked? He didn’t hesitate or blink. “Dad was a great guy, who worked hard from morning to dark milking cows and all the many other things you must do on a small farm.” His dad’s heritage is Danish and Welsh and his mom is English. Both were born in Idaho.

Boyd has good memories of his youth. He recalled his first car for me. “I traded a shotgun for a 1934 Chevrolet Pickup Truck, but Dad made me give it back.” He was 20 years old when he left the farm and traveled to California. Why California? I asked. “After I finished high school and a Trade Tech, I figured California was the place for custom rods.” Armed with an extraordinary work ethic he hit the road. He didn’t pass Go, didn’t collect $200 and didn’t find any rods when he got there either. He was greatly disappointed.

Part III

He spent the mid 1960s through the mid 1970s working as a machinist at Disneyland. That’s when he began building rods, in his garage in his spare time, for himself and to sell. The machinist training was perfect for the opportunities that would present themselves down the road. I didn’t sense there were any regrets about the move to California. After his dad died, he brought his mom out to live in California. He is a family man and has five boys age 22 to 38.

The ride is never smooth all the time and Boyd says he has experienced some rough spots along the way. He says, “I wonder if perhaps I trusted too many people at the same time, which got me into trouble.” But he has overcome the troubles and the disappointments and has earned a special place in the industry. I believe he earned that place because, as he says, “Cars are my life, and I go to a lot of car shows.” He simply has a passion for being around automobiles, even if he seldom turns a wrench any more.

The Boyd Coddington Garage is an immaculate shop in La Habra. I tried to stay out of the way of the “shoot” going on for the weekly Discovery Channel program that Boyd hosts Friday’s at 10PM in the Los Angeles market. The shop employ’s 20 people and another 55 people work in the wheel division. The operation is squeaky clean and first class. So what does it cost to build your own, “One-of-a-Kind” custom rod? Boyd didn’t bat an eye. "The average is $175,000, the high would be about $500,000 and the low at about $75,000.”

Celebrity has opened up other opportunities for Boyd, like a Boyd Coddington label on a clothing line and the TV show. So, you say, what’s in a name? A good name is in great demand and everyone wants a little angel dust to fall on his or her parade so they try to get close. That good name also speaks of credibility and a proven track record. And because people have a fascination with “Designer Names” they look for products with distinctive name logos of almost anything from shirts to underwear and even Hogs and Rods and Fine Automobiles.

WHATTHEHAYE is just one of the nearly 300 Custom Rods Boyd has built over the past 30 years. He created this particular work of art for Scotty Gray in Texas. Gray has a stable of about 20 cars, four of which were built by Boyd Coddington including the Whatthehaye. The design is inspired by the French-built 1936 Delahaye. The name mimics the original car’s name and was crafted by Boyd’s son Chris, the youngest of the five. Chris and the next youngest son Greg, work in the shop.

Whatthehaye took just about a year, and was finished in January of 2004 with a price tag of $400,000. The process included fabrication of the chassis using Art Morrison frame rails with an independent front suspension and a Boyd Coddington Pro Ride independent rear suspension. Also bolted on were Boyd Coddington disc brakes and Boyd Coddington coil-over shocks. Once completed the chassis was sent to Marcel’s (Marcel Delay) to hand-fabricate the body using sheets of steel; the removable hard top and deck lid were shaped using aluminum. Once Marcel finished shaping the body it was delivered back to Boyd Coddington’s Garage where it was pre-assembled, readying it for a DuPont silver and black paint scheme. Power is supplied by a Dodge Viper V-10, backed by a six-speed gearbox. A set of 18-inch, one-off Boyd Coddington billet wheels were designed for the car using Goodyear tires.

After final assembly the Whatthehaye was shipped to Gabe’s (Gabe Lopez) for upholstery. The theme of simple elegance was carried throughout the car’s interior, with black leather on the seats and door panels, and black carpet for the floor. Boyd Coddington gauges installed in the steel dash monitor the V-10. To follow the theme of a strikingly clean design, the interior features anodized black steering wheel, shifter handle and foot pedals. This beautiful automobile made its debut at the 2004 Barrett-Jackson Auction Gala in Scottsdale, Arizona to an awe-struck crowd.

The future? Boyd says, “I’ve been toying with the idea of franchising the tire, wheel and accessory business in shops across the country.” Keep your eye peeled for the emergence of that expansion.

Meanwhile as Boyd rakes in his chips, from a hand well played, and lights a cigar you can hear the rest of the guys at the table saying…
… Deal!

PEE WEE'S SPEED SHOP WINS AWARD

2009-09-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

PEE WEE'S SPEED SHOP wins another "TOP 25"

award at the "Shades of the Past" Rod Run in

Pigeon Forge, Tn. with the recently completed

'55 Chevy built for and owned by Tim Nuckles.

see pics of the car here at

http://www.peeweesspeedshop.com/WHAT_S_NEW.php

Cash for Clunkers Ends

2009-08-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood declares program "wildly successful"

$2.877 billion in rebate applications were submitted for 690,114 vehicles, according to a press release from the Department of Transportation. Toyota was the biggest winner with 19.4% of the transactions. GM was second with 17.6%, followed by Ford, Honda and Nissan. Dodge was 7th on the list with 6.6% of the transactions.

Six of the top ten new vehicles purchased were from Japanese and Korean Automakers, with the Toyota Corolla, number one, followed by the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and finally a domestic at number four, the Ford Focus.

The Ford Explorer lead the top ten trade in vehicle list followed by 9 other domestic models.

The government went on to say that on average, vehicles bought under the program averaged 19% above the average fuel economy of all new cars currently available, and 59% above the average fuel economy of cars that were traded in. The new vehicles averaged 24.9 MPG while the trade ins averaged 15.8 MPG for an overall increase of 9.2 MPG or a 58% improvement.

You can read the complete press release here. http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot13309.htm

Top 10 New Vehicles Purchased:
Toyota Corolla
Honda Civic
Toyota Camry
Ford Focus FWD
Hyundai Elantra
Nissan Versa
Toyota Prius
Honda Accord
Honda FitFord
Escape FWD

New Vehicles Manufacturers:
Toyota - 19.4%
General Motors - 17.6%
Ford - 14.4%
Honda - 13.0%
Nissan - 8.7%
Hyundai - 7.2%
Chrysler - 6.6%
Kia - 4.3%
Subaru - 2.5%
Mazda - 2.4%
Volkswagen - 2.0%
Suzuki - 0.6%
Mitsubishi - 0.5%
MINI - 0.4%
Smart - 0.2%
Volvo - 0.1%
All Other - <0.1%

Top 10 Trade-in Vehicles:
Ford Explorer 4WD
Ford F150 Pickup 2WD
Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD
Ford Explorer 2WD
Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 2WD
Jeep Cherokee 4WD
Chevrolet Blazer 4WD
Chevrolet C1500 Pickup 2WD
Ford F150 Pickup 4WD
Ford Windstar FWD Van

Cheaper by the dozen

2009-08-27T09:43:00.001-07:00

Although I love the exotic equipment of the ALMS, I've always been one to say that the actual racing is more important than the equipment. It is always about the drivers. (What'd you expect, I was one once)

In this light I struggle with so few cars on their grids that can actually race each other. Here I feel that Grand-Am has the upper hand (again, I'm setting aside the tech part of the equation so no flames!) by having fewer classes and full of cars that are relatively easy to get and run.

So I am elated to see that ALMS have chosen to permit a new spec-racer prototype division--to be called the LMP Challenge that will join their grid this coming year in an effort to boost car counts and competition amongst the drivers and teams.
I've learned from their own postings that the LMP Challenge was introduced earlier this year as part of the Le Mans Series in Europe and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

It is there that the ORECA Courage-built FLM09 that comprises the class with a minimum weight of 900 kg (1985 pounds to us colonials, or 142 Stone to our English friends) which is similar to its LMP 1&2 classmates. However this thing will have a good old American pushrod Chevy 6.2 liter Vee-Eight loping along at 6000 revs (450 hp, 460 lb ft torque). (this is a bit less powerful than the LMP1 and LMP2 cars, which range from 500 hp to 700 hp but are much higher strung)

Based on my own personal behaviour with these engines this bad boy ought to live for a good 150,000 miles! Now that is a deal!

The LMP Challenge car is positioned as an affordable entry to prototype racing. The whole enchilada with engine will cost $385,000, according to the ALMS. To be called the FLM09, it comes with a full carbon-fiber chassis, carbon brakes and an Xtrac sequential gearbox with paddle shifting. This new class car will race on a spec tire, brand to be determined.

With luck this new Franco-American hot-rod based class will grow and become a sustainable high-count class where we will see a lot of multi-car action which has been missing for a while.

My fingers are crossed.

Later, PC

Part II - Boyd Coddington Exclusive Interviews

2009-08-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Never-before released interview with hot-rod legend Boyd Coddington. In multiple-parts, in tribute, now through SEMA Show 2009. By Joe Mavilia for The Weekend Drive.

Part II of three parts

(Part I was posted July 17, 2009)

... So who is this man behind the art and the machine? A myth, a legend? ...

...as things turned out, I also learned as much about him from others who knew him from TV, visiting his showroom or being a neighbor. I met those people a week following my meeting with Boyd. I was attending my nephews wedding aboard a boat in Newport Harbor… a big boat. The setting was private, elegant and peopled by movers and shakers. You always find people like that on a road less traveled. It was just the setting where you’d expect the name Boyd Coddington would be known.

I hadn’t seen Marty and Sharon in a decade but as we got to talking about old times, I found they now live in the ‘Heights’ above La Habra. After a few connections and coincidences Marty told me about the house he built there … a big house. One day while he was out jogging, this guy, Boyd Coddington, was driving by and stopped Marty just as he rounded the final turn to his house. “Who owns this house”, Boyd asked. Looking more like the gardener than a prosperous businessman, Marty replied, “I do!” Later the men and their wives got together and discussed the possibilities of the Coddington’s buying the home, even though it was not for sale. Money was no object, but in the end the answer was still no. Some things not even money will buy. Personalities enter the play like a poker face in a smoke filled room. Obviously there wasn’t a meeting of the minds and it must have been a disappointing rejection.

Boyd was also disappointed with the recent loss of his chief designer Chip Foose and that required a lot of adjustment. But Boyd says the move was ok and he talks with Chip often. A look around the boat on this beautiful sunny California day, somehow contradicts such outcomes. The bet doesn’t always matter. In both cases, the answer was… I’ll see you and raise. The stakes are not always about money.

Boyd seemed distant and aloof when we met and I concluded that he’s just shy. But he hosts a TV show so how can that be, you say. Well, I’m pretty outgoing but my knees knock when I get in front of an audience. Anyway, it was our first meeting and that can make such celebrities, appear removed. People who are successful are by any measure bizzzzy bizzzzy people. They have demands placed on them 24/7. And that, in part, explains why I felt like I was an irritation to his busy day. But for all the demands, Boyd was outwardly calm. Or maybe he was about to fall asleep. I don’t usually have that effect on people. But then his cell phone would ring and wake him up. “Now where were we?”

Like so many of us, the cell phone is our constant companion and our umbilical cord to the world anywhere, anytime. Boyd spends even more time on his cell than most because the world is his office. There is no question that I was more excited about meeting this “legend” in the custom rod world than he was in meeting me. It was I who wanted to know more about him and he did share a little of his life and feelings about family, business and success, all of which he says require a lot of hard work.

True enough. Hard work matters a lot, which brings to mind the saying that “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” – Thomas A. Edison. I suspect most of us want to believe we too have worked hard for what we’ve accomplished, even if we fell into it or married it. But Boyd’s beginnings were indeed humble. The farm was small, as farms go, at 40-acres. It was primarily a dairy farm but also produced some of those famous Idaho potatoes. What kind of man was your dad, I asked? He didn’t hesitate or blink. “Dad was a great guy, who worked hard from morning to dark milking cows and all the many other things you must do on a small farm.” His dad’s heritage is Danish and Welsh and his mom is English. Both were born in Idaho.

Boyd has good memories of his youth. He recalled his first car for me. “I traded a shotgun for a 1934 Chevrolet Pickup Truck, but Dad made me give it back.” He was 20 years old when he left the farm and traveled to California. Why California? I asked. “After I finished high school and a Trade Tech, I figured California was the place for custom rods.” Armed with an extraordinary work ethic he hit the road. He didn’t pass Go, didn’t collect $200 and didn’t find any rods when he got there either. He was greatly disappointed.

Look for the final part III that picks up after his trek from Idaho along Route 66 and Boyd's new life after he got to Huntington Beach, California... No rods but the beginning of the next chapter in his life and a new job at Disneyland.

Alonso + Ferrari - Raikkonen

2009-08-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

Reports say that Ferrari are set to dump Kimi Raikkonen at the end of this season to make room for Double World Champion Fernando Alonso. Ferrari have reportedly offerred him half of his annual salary of 25 million pounds to walk away with one year left on his contract.

His poor results and lack of motivation seem to be a big part of his pending departure from the Scuderia. Speculation grew as he competed in his debut World Rally Championship event recently. During this event he even stated that Rallying could become his occupation once his contract was fulfilled with Ferrari.

It is widely believed that Alonso already has a contract to drive one of the red cars next season, from 2010. Alonso nor Ferrari have done nothing to leads us to believe those rumors are untrue and it is expected that the Scuderia will make a formal announcement of the same at Monza in a few weeks time. Stay tuned as this could get interesting.

Andy Lally finishes 27th in debut

2009-08-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Andy Lally finished 27th in his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut at Watkins Glen International monday. The race being run on monday as rain caused the race to be cancelled sunday. Lally ran most of the race on the lead lap and was quite competitive until being caught up in the Kasey Kahne, Sam Hornish accident.

He came out of turn 9 and the track was completely blocked with no where to go and hit the 6 car. After pitting for the crew to repair the car and going a lap down, he got the lucky dog and was put back on the lead lap where he finished. Andy said he was happy with how competitive he was but not happy with the finish. No word on when he may get another NASCAR opportunity but with his abilities and work ethic one should come his way. Stay tuned.

Lally Qualifies 15th in Sprint Cup Debut

2009-08-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

Andy Lally qualified 15th in his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut at Watkins Glen International today. Lally turned the 2.5 mile road course at 121.722 mph which was good enough to be the 2nd best of all the cars that had to qualify on time. The only other car of that group to beat him was the 08 of Boris Said.
That is a great result for Andy with his limited experience in a Sprint Cup car. Stay tuned as we will update his race performance. Good Luck Andy!!!

ANDY LALLY TO MAKE NASCAR SPRINT CUP DEBUT

2009-08-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Andy Lally will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy Impala SS this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

Lally is a regular in the ROLEX Grand-Am Series where he has 3 Championships in the GT Series. He will have to qualify on time as the car is outside the top 35 owners points although he would make the race if qualifying is cancelled or rained out. This is quite a break for the road racing ace but he will be exceptionally prepared and will surely do a great job. Stay tuned as we will update as practice and qualifying get underway.

TRG MOTORSPORTS SIGNS TAXSLAYER.COM

2009-08-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Taxslayer.com has signed on as sponsor for David Gilliland in the #70 TRG Motorsports Chevy Impala SS at Watkins Glen International this weekend.

Gilliland will drive the #70 while Road Racing ace Andy Lally will wheel the #71 TRG Motorsports car. Stay tuned for more updates as practice and qualifying begin tomorrow at The Glen.

Michael Schumacher returns to F1

2009-07-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ferrari has issued a statement announcing that seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher could come out of retirement to replace the injured Felipe Massa in Valencia at the end of August. Schumacher will undertake intense training in the following weeks to prepare himself for the event. Schumacher said, "The most important thing first: thank God, all news concerning Felipe is positive. I wish him all the best again.

I was meeting this afternoon with Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo, and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe. Though it is true that the chapter of Formula 1 has been completely closed for me for a long time, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation. But as the competitor I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge.

"Ironically, the announcement came only one day after Schumacher's manager, Willi Weber, ruled out his return. He told The Daily Mail on Tuesday, "Whoever sits in the car at the next race in Valencia, it will not be Michael Schumacher. I am not 100 per cent sure; I am 200 per cent sure. The pressure on him would be huge. He would be expected to win, but he has not driven this car. When Michael was racing he would get as close to perfection as possible. In this case, it would not be perfection; it would be a gamble - and that's not Michael's style."

BMW quits F1

2009-07-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

BMW will not continue its Formula 1 campaign after the end of the 2009 season. Resources freed up as a result are to be dedicated to the development of new drive technologies and projects in the field of sustainability. BMW will continue to be actively involved in other motor sports series. The landmark decision to restructure BMW Motorsport's activities was made at the Board of Management's meeting yesterday.

"Of course, this was a difficult decision for us. But it's a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment," explained Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. "Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. In line with our Strategy Number ONE, we are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability. Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us.

Mario Theissen has been in charge of our motor sports program since 1999. We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula One racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this," said Reithofer.

Dr. Klaus Draeger, the member of the Board of Management responsible for development, said: "It only took us three years to establish ourselves as a top team with the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Unfortunately, we were unable to meet expectations in the current season. Nevertheless, our ten years of Formula One experience have had a major impact on our development engineers. We have racing to thank for numerous technological innovations as well as the competitive spirit that drives us to develop mass-produced cars."

Possible redundancies in Munich and Hinwil cannot be quantified at present. "Since we only made this decision yesterday, we cannot provide any more precise information. We will develop and assess various scenarios and do our best to find a solution for the employees in Hinwil and the staff members involved in the Formula 1 project in Munich. We are aware of the responsibility we shoulder and will inform the staff as soon as we can make a clear statement," Draeger said.

"Of course, we, the employees in Hinwil and Munich, would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years," said Theissen. "But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective. We will now focus sharply on the remaining races and demonstrate our fighting spirit and put in a good result as we bid farewell to Formula 1 racing."

BMW will continue its programs in a number of motor sports series: BMW will appear on the starting grid in the touring car series and young driver promotion program in Formula BMW. This will be supplemented by BMW's participation in ALMS, the American Le Mans Series, endurance races and close-to-production customer sports.

BMW Leaving F1?

2009-07-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

Is BMW about to leave Formula One? With a hastily announced news conference to take place tomorrow ( Wednesday ) morning at 10:00am at the headquarters in Munich, and among the high level execs scheduled to attend being Dr. Mario Thiessen, head of the motorsport program, it is strongly believed that 2009 may be their last in F1. All the teams are to sign the new Concorde agreement this week which will oblige all the teams to participate until 2012, it seems that BMW have decided to step aside. Stay tuned as we will bring you more as the news comes.

Felipe Massa Seriously Injured in Crash

2009-07-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Felipe Massa is in serious, life threatening, but stable condition following surgery for a head injury he recieved when he was struck in the helmet by a part that had apparently fallen from Rubens Barrichello's car in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Officials from the AEK military hospital, where Massa was airlifted after the accident, say he will be sedated and kept on a respirator at least until sometime Sunday.

During the Q2 qualifying session, Massa came out of turn 3 and a piece of debris bounced up from the track and hit him on the left side of his forehead. He then apparently was knocked unconcious as the car went straight on into the tire barrier at the next turn. The engine continuing to run, Massa just sat still in the cockpit. The medical officials got to him and removed him from the car and he was almost immediately airlifted to the AEK military hospital where he underwent the surgery.

This is the second race weekend in a row that a driver was hit in the head by a foreign object as last weeks F3 race when Henry Surtees lost his young life in a similar accident.

Ferarri will issue another update Sunday morning. Felipe and his family will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Since when is Porsche a peoples car?

2009-07-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

About now it seems!

After some years of dreaming big, it appears that Porsche’s ill-fated bid to purchase Volkswagen won’t be happening but a reverse of that just might.

The German paper, Spiegel, was reporting that VW would take over the now laboring Porsche in the good old Texas 2 Step by purchasing 49 percent of the stock now, with the remaining 51 percent at a future date. Latest news is that it will be almost a single purchase foregoing a drawn out double purchase. However all of this changes quicker than a freewheeling Porsche engine at full boost so bear with me. Its the gist that counts.

It all started when Porsche wanted VW and were flying high, bloated with confidence and cash. Cars were selling, customers were happy, races were being won and JD Powers kept on saying that Porsche was a heck of a well built car.

So with that in mind Porsche starts to purchase blocks of VW shares with some interesting loan strategies, all bolstered by Porsche’s strength at the time, when suddenly the world’s economy turned and they were left holding the bag. Oops. Instantly they were in debt to the tune of almost $12 billion dollars.

This obviously created a huge vulnerability with the banks and before you know it, VW comes back with an offer.

Point of all this is that some have their reservations of the purchase, I do not. I will at least give the marriage a chance to show the world what might happen. Recent history has shown that larger companies like VW treat their acquisitions of high end niche car companies with respect and at arms length. They seem to let the smaller company do its thing while lending immeasurable engineering and financial support.

Sadly it appears that Porsche ended up getting stung by the world market. Had they pulled it off how cool would that have been? Regardless I still believe that it will be a good place for Porsche to be a part of.

All I ask VW is this: Can you keep your parts prices down? We often purchase VW parts that are the same as the ones for a Porsche, but at a much reduced rate.

Good luck to both Porsche and VW. The world loves your products.
Later, PC

Chevrolet announces the 2010 Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition

2009-07-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

DETROIT - Fans of the new Camaro and the blockbuster TRANSFORMERS movies can now combine their love of the car and the films with the Chevrolet Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition announced today at Comic-Con in San Diego.

"When the first TRANSFORMERS movie was setting box office records, we had countless customers asking to purchase the 'BUMBLEBEE' Camaro," said Karen Rafferty, product marketing director, Chevrolet. "Now, they can buy one with the new Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition. Streets all over North America will be buzzing in no time."

Features such as an EPA-rated 29 highway mpg on the V6-powered Camaro, Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB connectivity, XM Satellite Radio and OnStar combined with TRANSFORMERS design cues add to the car’s status as a 21st century sports car.

“Hasbro is thrilled to team up with Chevrolet and excited to see the Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition come to market for our fans to enjoy,” said Samantha Lomow, Global Brand Leader for TRANSFORMERS at Hasbro. “The yellow Camaro with the black stripes has become so iconic and closely associated with the BUMBLEBEE character that this edition was a natural fit for both companies.”

While the aggressive styling of the Camaro is unmistakable, true TRANSFORMERS fans will notice some of the unique, but subtle features of the Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition includes the following:

AUTOBOT® shield on the driver and passenger side panels
AUTOBOT® shield on each of the four wheel's center cap
AUTOBOT® shield embroidered on interior center console
"TRANSFORMERS" logo on driver and passenger doors' sill plates
"TRANSFORMERS" logo embedded into the hood rally stripes
High-gloss black center rally stripe package
Manufacturer’s suggested retail price of package: $995
Dealers are now taking orders for this car. Customers can order the TRANSFORMERS Special Edition as either a Rally Yellow LT or SS model. The optional RS appearance package can also be added.

The V6-powered Camaro uses a 3.6L engine with variable valve timing to optimize performance and fuel economy. It is SAE-certified at 304 horsepower (227 kW) and 273 lb.-ft. of torque (370 Nm). A six-speed manual transmission is standard with the 3.6L engine; a Hydra-Matic 6L50 electronically controlled six-speed automatic, with TAPshift control, is available.

The high-performance Camaro SS is equipped with a powerful 6.2L V-8, with a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmission-equipped models receive the LS3 engine, SAE-certified at 426 horsepower (318 kW) and 420 lb.-ft. of torque (569 Nm). It is paired with a TR6060 six-speed transmission.

A new, L99 V-8 engine is used on automatic transmission-equipped SS models. It is based on the LS3, but also includes GM’s fuel-saving Active Fuel Management feature. It is SAE-certified at 400 horsepower (298 kW) and 410 lb.-ft. of torque (556 Nm). It is matched with a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed transmission that helps delivers an EPA-estimated 25 mpg on the highway.

Henry Surtees dies in crash at Brands Hatch

2009-07-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Henry Surtees 1991-2009

Henry Surtees, the 18-year-old son of Formula 1 World Champion John Surtees, has died after an accident in the Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch. Jack Clarke spun his car at the exit of Westfield, hitting the barriers with the left rear corner of the car. The wheel was torn off and bounced back on to the circuit, hitting Surtees as he arrived at the scene. The car continued on up to Sheene's Curve (formerly known as Dingle Dell) at unabated pace and went straight on into the barriers there. There was no sign of any attempt to brake and the accelerator was jammed on after the impact with the barriers, although the car came to rest as one of the rear wheels had been torn off.
The driver did not move at all in the cockpit after the crash. Medical teams were on the scene immediately and Surtees was taken to the circuit medical centre before being transferred by helicopter to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, one of the foremost trauma units in Britain. His parents John and Jane Surtees were both at the circuit watching the race.
It was perhaps inevitable that Surtees would follow his father into racing. John Surtees was a seven times motorcycle World Champion and won the F1 title in 1964. He went on to run his own F1 team. Henry Surtees was born when his father was 57, but was racing karts at the age of eight. He moved on to single-seater racing in Formula BMW and then moved to Formula Renault in 2008 with Manor Motorsport. He finished 12th in the championship but moved to up to Formula 2 this year and has scored his best result of the year - third - in the race before the accident occurred.
The Formula 2 cars are fitted with wheel tethers and the head protection conforms to the latest F1 standards.
Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

A Shifting Technology

2009-07-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

It wasn't so long ago that the quintessential driver drove a manual gearbox. No real driver would be caught dead behind a slush box, and every one of us was measured by how we could shift that box, the gearbox that is.

We spent lots of time perfecting our shifting technique. Earlier transmissions were comparatively fragile, the linkage sloppy and indirect. To drop our ET’s or lap times, we needed accuracy and speed. Some folks even built static machines for us to sit behind and to practice on.

For a while many cars came with a three-on the-tree but this tree (steering column mounted shifter) simply couldn't support the loads of a young gun trying to power shift his car and had a painfully indirect and flexible linkage connecting the lever to the gearbox. All of it terribly slow, imprecise and clunky. We were looking for a quicker way to shift which focused the attention to something we already had. The floor mounted shifter. Four-on-the floor quickly became the standard.

Floor shift cars all sported some kind of lever, but most simply weren't stout enough to support the ugly human efforts to rip it out. The best news was that the lever was often anchored directly to the gearbox itself with relatively short direct links to the shifting forks within. These became so good that you could literally feel the action of the synchronizers and the slick engagement of each gear.

So now we had the tools to get the job done but the race was on for the most resilient, the strongest, the smoothest, and quickest shift on the planet giving rise to the Hurst Shifter. From here on out, during the muscle car era, most cars had a Hurst shifter and eventually the now legendary "T" handle mounted on top.

For the longest time it was as if the shifter mechanism was the only part being looked at as a means to speed up the shift. No one seemed to ever consider how the shift was happening inside the box itself. From some poorly designed synchronizers to even the present dog clutch, gearbox internals simply did not lend themselves to speeding up the process of selecting gears even if all the stars were aligned. There had to be a better way.

Welcome the Twin Clutch Transmission. Even though there are still cars with both a standard automatic (slush box) and a standard shift (with clutch and stick), we now have twin clutch manual gearboxes that are astounding. These boxes are manual in the sense that there is no energy being lost in a torque converter, but other than the driver making a shift demand via a button or a steering wheel mounted lever, they are also automatic in their actuation and performance. Let’s look.

Although it has been my belief that the twin clutch has been around for some time in development waiting for a world debut, others brought their auto-shifting single clutch versions to the market in a rush to be first.

These early gear-boxes had computer controlled single clutches and semi-auto sequential shifting mechanisms within. For the person who wanted a manual but never quite figured out how to use the clutch pedal, this was an OK design but redefined the word slow. The last well known Italian hot-rod I drove with this pseudo manual was so slow I had time to read War and Peace before the box was done getting to 7th. I'm still wondering why they bothered.

Enter the Twin-Clutch design: Back in 2003 VW/Audi brought out the first mass produced twin clutch transmission called the DSG. Today all performance minded companies now sell cars with a version of the twin clutch transmission. Not sure where the idea first started, but I saw this in some cars I raced against years ago. The Porsche 956 had one called the PDK (for Porsche-Doppel-Kupplungsgetriebe), so clearly the Germans have been working on this for a while. It is ironic that Porsche were fairly late to the game on the open market, but like a fine wine my guess is they were waiting for the right time to market.

Today, on the street, this is it. Simply stated for descriptive reason the twin clutch transmission has a clutch that connects to the odd ratio gears (1,3,5 etc) and another that connects to the even ratios. From a stop as you release the brakes and start to add throttle , the computer engages the clutch connected to first gear. As the car accelerates the transmission’s computer thinks about what is going on and decides what is most likely to happen next so naturally in this case preselects the next higher gear in anticipation. Here is where the second clutch comes into play as the transmission will now up-shift based on either a request from the driver or when certain predetermined parameters are met (as if it were a true automatic) and it does so by releasing the first- gear clutch, and engaging the second-gear clutch. As you can imagine this happens simultaneously which translates to almost instantly.

The still common manual gearbox where you must use the clutch and row the shifter, it would take a very good and aggressive driver at least .2 of a second (which is 200 milliseconds) to complete the shift. Compare that to the latest DSG gearbox’s .07 of a second (which is 70 milliseconds) to accomplish the same shift and you can see the staggering gains. So consider this: back in the day, to shift from first gear to fourth during acceleration would take a herculean effort to do so in at least .60 of a second (for the 3 shifts). The DSG box can do the same 3 shifts in .210 seconds. Almost two thirds less time.

Along with that you get the added benefit of perfectly matched downshifts as the same computer blips the throttle for you when you slow and downshift resulting in perfectly matched gear selection with no accompanying rear tire chips from a typical human mismatch.

As a decided techno-freak you would think I'd be done with my rant but alas you'd be wrong. You see, I love to work on good shifting technique alongside practicing my heal-toe abilities needed to match the engine speed to the gearbox needs. Nothing stirs my soul more than a well executed downshift while braking hard into a corner without any outward signs of the task beyond the rise and fall of the engine. Marvelous, simply marvelous.

Meanwhile, enjoy the technology. Cars continue to get better with every passing day and I'd expect the latest round of go-green mania will accelerate this further. It will be the next spectacular technology wave and associated growth.

Life still comes at me plenty fast so electronic speed shifting has no real attraction beyond the technology for me. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the simple pleasures of matching the shifts myself.

PC

Beam me up Scotty

2009-07-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

For years we’ve all been mesmerized by the laser. From the common pointer, to tools we use daily, the laser has always possessed huge possibilities all of which have only grown in number with time.

My most recent memory of its mention was when Mike Myers’ Dr. Evil spoke of “Lay-Zers” in his infamous rant about sharks with “frickin' laser beams” mounted to their heads. As I said before, their possible uses seem to be endless.

Almost 11 years ago a friend of mine hinted at yet another use as an ignition source for our cars. I’ll admit I forgot about it until 2002 when I heard of it mentioned again. I figured some day there might be technology enough and our ability to build the necessary bits to do this economically. It isn’t far now.

A few days ago Ford mentioned that along with the help of Liverpool University, they have developed a laser ignition for gasoline engines. This is exciting because of what the laser can bring to the game.

Lasers permit a wider range of mixture ignition possibilities (remember the talk of the stratified-charge engines not too long ago? Very hard to ignite)
Engineers are limited to placement of the existing spark-plug due to size, and charge tuning is hindered because of the same single point ignition source. Now that direct injection has become common, the possibilities grow rapidly.
By splitting the beam a laser can have more than one source in each cylinder giving rise to a much greater ability to fire the highly atomized but very lean mixture.
Laser’s can be used to read combustion as it happens (reducing the need for other sensors to give the same information)
Lasers will permit much leaner mixtures allowing fuel mileage to go up and emissions down.

So Doctor Evil, we might not have them mounted to living Sharks today, but for the Hyundai Tiberon, it won’t be long now. Does it make you randy baby? Doesn’t it?

Later, PC

BOYD CODDINGTON Exclusive Interviews

2009-07-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Never-before released interview with hot-rod legend Boyd Coddington. In multiple-parts, in tribute, now through SEMA Show 2009. By Joe Mavilia for The Weekend Drive.

Ever notice life is like a card game and like ‘em or not you have to play the hand you’re dealt or fold? I can hear Kenny Rogers singing, “You gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em…” I think Boyd Coddington must have said, “I’ll play these.” And the farm boy was holding a pair of deuces.

Photographer, Peter Linney, known around the world for his work, which is featured on magazine covers in a dozen countries, sent me some photos of a custom rod Boyd had just finished and Peter had photographed. He wanted me to get the story behind the car. The name of the car is the Whatthehaye. What? Yes, said Peter in his thick Norwegian accent. No, what’s the name of the car? I retorted. What – the – haye! Ok, I thought, forget any explanation, I will have to ask Boyd about the story behind the name and perhaps I’d warm up to it as I did the photos of the car.

PART 2 OF INTERVIEW POSTING SOON

Harvick and Shell to Stewart-Haas

2009-07-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Kevin Harvick has told RCR CEO Richard Childress that he wants out of the last year of his contract in 2010 to go with his pal Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing. Problem is that Shell / Pennzoil, whose contract with RCR ends this year, will go with him. Before you get to upset with Harvick remember racing is a performance based business. Either you perform at the highest levels or you are left in the dust of those that do. That's true at any level of motorsport and RCR is struggling this year at all levels. We'll see what happens here but I say it is a good bet that both Harvick and Shell / Pennzoil will be in the Hendrick fold at Stewart-Haas next year.

Mosley will stand down...again.

2009-07-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

In a letter sent to all the clubs that make up membership in the FIA, Max Mosley has confirmed he will not stand for re-election in October. Although I will believe this when I see it, it is the news many F1 fans have been waiting for. Now maybe we can get on with the important stuff. Racing. With this news it appears that a new Concorde agreement will be signed today between the teams and FOM, the commercial rights holder for F1 as the teams had stated that they would not sign until they had a concrete agreement that Mosley would stand down. Following is the letter from him.

Geneva, 15 July 2009
Dear President,
Since my announcement on 24 June that I was not going to seek re-election, I have received almost 100 messages from FIA member clubs urging me to think again. This absolutely unprecedented level of support is very rewarding and I am deeply grateful.
Following the World Motor Sport Council meeting on 24 June, we were expecting to extend the 1998 Concorde Agreement with a few minor amendments. In the event, we received a completely new draft. However, after three weeks of intensive negotiations (including weekends and evenings), Nick Craw, (as deputy president, sport) and I feel that, with the help of our lawyers, we have negotiated an agreement which brings to Formula One the new teams and lower costs which were so urgently needed.
At the same time, again largely thanks to Nick, we now have very satisfactory contracts for the World Rally Championship and the new World Championship for GT cars. In addition, a new structure is evolving on the mobility side which I believe will greatly strengthen the FIA in this area.
From a personal point of view it would be very difficult for me to change my mind and stand again. I began some months ago to rearrange my family life with effect from next October. I also informed senior FIA staff that I would not be a candidate. To continue now would greatly complicate my domestic arrangements and be inconsistent with my obligations to my family, particularly after our recent loss. Also, I have felt for some time that I would like to work less. After all, I will be 70 next year.
Therefore, with these new arrangements in place, extremely grateful though I am for all the letters, emails and messages I have received, I have decided to reconfirm my decision. I will not be a candidate in October.
I believe the objectives of those who have been kind enough to support me can be achieved if you elect a strong, experienced, competent team, one which will maintain the independence of the FIA and ensure that both the sport and the mobility side are properly run. As an ex officio member of the Senate, I hope to play a modest role myself.
I believe the right person to head that team would be Jean Todt.
Jean is unquestionably the outstanding motor sport manager of his generation and arguably of any generation. Teams run by him have won the World Rally Championship, Cross Country rallies including Paris-Dakar, the Le Mans 24 Hour Race and, in the last 15 years, one Formula One World Championship after another.
He has also been CEO of a successful car manufacturer. He thus has experience in charge of a large and complex organisation, something which is an essential qualification for any future president of the FIA. From his road car experience, he has a thorough understanding of the unseen but vital work of the FIA away from the race track and the special stage.
Most recently he has been involved with his partner Michelle Yeoh in FIA road safety and environmental campaigns all over the world, thus demonstrating a commitment to the major public policy initiatives which are such an important part of the FIA's work.
Finally, I must emphasise he would not in any way be a motor industry candidate. He would have no special relationship with his former company, Ferrari, nor with Peugeot Citroen, the manufacturer behind his former World Rally, Cross-Country and Le Mans teams. He would preserve the independence of the FIA.
If he agrees to stand, I think he would be the ideal person to continue but also to extent the work of the past 16 years. He can be relied on in all ares where the FIA is active. I very much hope you will give him your support.
Finally, thank you once again for your support and for the trust you have placed in me. I have enjoyed the last 16 years as president of the FIA and I believe that together we have made much progress with an organisation of which we can all be proud.
Yours sincerely,
Max Mosley

Peugeot says "game on" for 2010

2009-07-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

After its historic win over Audi at Le Mans, Peugeot has indicated it will defend its title in 2010. That defense will likely include a return to Sebring as well. Audi has also vowed to return to Le Mans to recapture the top spot on the podium. "Obviously, we are a little disappointed by the result," stated Audi Motorsport Chief Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "We didn't manage to extract the full potential of the Audi R15 TDI in the race ... we will analyze the problems we had to ensure we come back stronger in 2010."

David Brabham, who drives the Patron Highcroft Acura in the American Le Mans Series, drove the winning Peugeot at Le Mans. "It's such a great feeling to have won," stated Brabham. "Peugeot did a tremendous job, it's a great team and they gave us a 100 percent reliable car."

Formula One Update

2009-07-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Mark Webber gets his first pole position in his 130 Grand Prix career. Sebastian Vettel starts 4th as the Red Bulls have the Brawns surrounded in 2nd and 3rd. Lewis Hamilton has his best start of the recent past in 5th. With the very unpredictable weather in the eiffel mountains it should be an interesting race tomorrow which will be carried on tv at 3:00 est on your local Fox affiliate. Here is the starting grid.

POS DRIVER NATIONALITY ENTRANT TIME
1. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault 1:32.230
2. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn-Mercedes 1:32.357
3. Jenson Button Britain Brawn-Mercedes 1:32.473
4. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault 1:32.480
5. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1:32.616
6. Heikki Kovalainen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.859
7. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes 1:34.316
8. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari 1:34.574
9. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari 1:34.710
10. Nelson Piquet Brazil Renault 1:34.803
11. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber 1:42.310
12. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault 1:42.318
13. Kazuki Nakajima Japan Williams-Toyota 1:42.500
14. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota 1:42.771
15. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Toyota 1:42.859
16. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber 1:32.190
17. Sebastien Buemi Switzerland Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:32.251
18. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Force India-Mercedes 1:32.402
19. Timo Glock Germany Toyota 1:32.423
20. Sebastien Bourdais France Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:33.559

Tokyo - here we come!

2009-07-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

So... I have just sent my RSVP to the Tokyo Motor Show this coming Fall. It's a great spectacle of motor shows, and I particularly enjoy Asian shows because they give me a glimpse into the future of North American products and trends.

The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association - a small group with just a few members (like Toyota, Honda, etc) invited me to the show as their guest just today. Thier e-mail note to me included the photo - promising "the finest models you will expect from Japan and Asia."

Ahemm... I've been to Asian motor shows... and yes, Mitsubishi does have some fine models these days!!

Will it ever end?

2009-07-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

F1 is back in deep trouble as the FOTA Teams were told in their meeting today that they were only spectators and had no input on the new rules changes. Remember, the rules changes that they ( FOTA and the FIA ) aggreed on just 2 weeks ago. Following is the FOTA statement:

Representatives of all FOTA teams attended a meeting of the Sporting Working Group at the Nürburgring today.

During the course of this meeting, the team managers were informed by Mr Charlie Whiting of the FIA that, contrary to previous agreements, the eight FOTA teams are not currently entered into the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and have no voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations thereof.

It will be remembered that all eight active FOTA members were included on the “accepted” entry list as endorsed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and communicated by FIA press statement on June 24.

In light of these claims, the FOTA representatives requested a postponement of today’s meetings. This was rejected on the grounds that no new Concorde Agreement would be permitted before a unanimous approval of the 2010 regulations was achieved.

However, it is clear to the FOTA teams that the basis of the 2010 technical and sporting regulations was already established in Paris.

As endorsed by the WMSC and clearly stated in the FIA press statement of 24 June “the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to 29 April 2009”. At no point in the Paris discussions was any requirement for unanimous agreement on regulations change expressed. To subsequently go against the will of the WMSC and the detail of the Paris agreement puts the future of Formula 1 in jeopardy.

As a result of these statements, the FOTA representatives at the subsequent Technical Working Group were not able to exercise their rights and therefore had no option other than to terminate their participation.

The FOTA members undertook the Paris agreement and the subsequent discussions in good faith and with a desire to engage with all new and existing teams on the future of Formula One.

The FIA has once again has a different opinion of what took place today as their "official statement" reads that the FOTA teams walked out of the meeting. Of coarse they walked out after they were told by Smax's representative that they had no say. Here we go again!

From Blacktop to Laptop, the "Tune-Up" has changed

2009-07-07T11:44:00.001-07:00

It is not in me to divulge how long ago "back in the old days" might be, but suffice it to say I will stick to this:

"Back in the old days"...when I was growing up the phrase tune-up was an exciting proposition to a budding hot-rodder since it was probably a Friday afternoon just before you went out to challenge your buddies to a race at the strip. Regardless you were messing with your car which was always good.

After gathering all the acutrements of the pending job your afternoon started by looking at the carburetor. More often then not I re-set the float level, reset the idle mixture and on some days poured a can of carb cleaner down the carb throats as the engine tried it's hardest to continue to run. This invariably irritated your parents, killed some bugs and messed up the plugs which is why it was important to do first.

From here I check the points for wear, checked the points gap opening, clean and gap the spark plugs if not replace them all together. Look over the distributor rotor and cap for fouling and carbon tracks, check the plug wires for cracks and other signs of break down. I'd then pull the valve covers and set the valve clearances which by some miracle were never quite the same as I'd left them. Finally everything would go back together with a last check of the air cleaner by holding it up to the sun. If any light came through it had to be clean enough to continue using it right?

At best, and I mean if all the stars aligned and you stood on your tippy toes just so, the tune-up was spot on. You'd be able to count on it for a good fortnight if not a whole month and it never took longer than 20 minutes to clean the decidedly carcinogenic crud from your hands and beneath your fingernails. Now that is living the life.

Fast forward to now and it is difficult to understand how far the automobile has come. A tune up? Huh? Not today. Cars are so good today that parts last a virtual lifetime in comparison. There aren't anymore carburetors (good ridance even though I was good at it), no distributor, points, rotor or caps. Plug wires? Well yes in a manor on some cars but not all. Adjust the valves? I don't think so. Many engines control the cam timing and valve lift negating the need to ever look at the mechanisms much less adjust them so put away your feeler gauges as them days are gone.

So forget all this tune-up talk today. With the advent and perfecting of the ECU (the Engine Control Unit, a computer) we can now see what needs tweeking or replacing before we even open up our hand-tool box as the ECU will rat out any malfunctions it finds. Just plug into the OBDII port and read the results. OK, this too takes a computer but that is what I'm talking about. This is remarkable to say the least.

To add icing to this already tasty morsel of cake everything the engine is doing or is being asked to do can be displayed real time. Like right now. Glory be and haleluya! This saves tons of time looking and all of that high falutin' mental ciphering that went along with the guessing back then. Did I say that?

Some folks will rightfully argue that what I describe just isn't the same today since anyone could fix a car from "back in the old days". I can't disagree but none of those cars ever run as long or as well as most any modern computerized car of today. The tune stays sharper for much longer all the while the ECU is monitoring everything and making minute adjustments. If it fails the ubiquitous CEL (Check Engine Light) will call attention to the problem but the ECU will not let us down. It will find a way to let us get back home one way or the other. How great is that?

So what might be called a tune-up today is better described as a check over with the ability to modify some of the engines ECU controlled parameters if needed or desired. In many cases you don't even have to open the hood. Did I say I love it?

Ok, to us forty-somethings this computer stuff and how it all is interconnected can all be overwhelming at first but these newbies get it. They are intrinsically able to connect their computers to the car's ECU and with a few key strokes find out what is ailing their ride or make some significant changes to the engines behaviour.

These new hot-rodders are blessed with remarkable computer skills and the understanding of what is going on inside their car's ECU. They come from their mom's wombs somehow knowing how the interaction of TP (Throttle Position) , MP (Manifold Pressure) MAF (Mass Air Flow) EL (Engine Load) IAT (Intake Air Temperature) EGT (Exhaust Gast Temperature) FP (Fuel Pressure) RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) AFR (Air Fuel Ratio) IK (Ignition Knock) ST (Spark Timing) CT (Cam Timing) VL (Valve Lift) WT (Water Temperature) all relate and that these things should be addressed all together as a single cohesive functioning group all with the expectation of greater performance. One can always hope anyways.

Today we are having a ball with the current crop of tuner cars. These cars generally have some sort of forced induction (though not always the case) which give rise to some serious power when accompanied with the right ECU adjustments and/or hardware all of which attract the new hot-rodders because of the relative ease and huge reward.

The modern computer has brought nirvana to this industry and as stated is almost beyond comprehension. Today we can watch in real time all that is happening at that instant. Marvelous, simply marvelous.

In the end, it is because of this new breed of young people that I get to see this. The future is apon us and I enjoy, above all else, seeing the enthusiasm and desire to do what I did as a kid. Only these guys do it better by any definition.

Until next time!

PC

(Editor's Note: if you're looking for a good selection of vehicle underhood books, visit the book section at The Gear Store , our online catalog, with nearly 500 titles of books at discount prices).

2009-07-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished road-testing and reviewing the 2010 Lincoln MZK and said in the review that the MKZ carried the torch for the Lincoln Versailles - among the first successful mid-sized luxury cars from Detroit, joined by the Cadillac Seville.
This photo shows a 1979 model in factory photo, in Wedgewood Blue (top selling color), with alloy wheels and trunk treatment.
Few luxury cars today can link so firmly a connection to history like Lincoln.

Happy 233rd Birthday USA!

2009-07-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Happy and Safe 4th of July to all! If you are motoring over the weekend, drive safe!

Pony Car revival - Camaro and Mustang!

2009-07-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Glad to have the "Pony Cars" back! Just this week, GM announced that the 2010 Camaro sales surpassed the Ford Mustang in June, and that demand and orders are exceeding factory capacity. That's great news for BOTH Ford and GM... excitement in pony cars will help both the Mustang and the Camaro. In this economy, I'm less concerned about the rivalry and I just want them BOTH to survive, and thrive!

Follow The Weekend Drive on Twitter!

2009-07-03T12:56:00.001-07:00

Follow The Weekend Drive on Twitter... ID there is @theweekenddrive and direct link is here.

Welcome Message

2004-09-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Weekend Drive Blog, the blogging companion to The Weekend Drive automotive feature, at http://www.theweekenddrive.com/