2013 HOT ROD POWER TOUR: CHEVROLET EDITION!

HOT ROD magazine’s David Freiburger talks about the ultimate car guy cruise 

and why you should be there!

Arguably the finest enthusiast automotive tour in the world, this year’s HOT ROD Power Tour - presented by Chevrolet Performance and driven by Continental Tire - embodies everything that HOT ROD Magazine has represented throughout its 65-year history. The seven-day, seven-city tour will wind its way from Arlington, TX at the Kick-Off on June 1 and will end in North Concord, NC on the 7th. As the Tour journeys across the country, enthusiasts can bring their vehicles to be a part of the Tour to the first city, or to any city along the way. From their 

point of origin, the participants can sight-see, explore and show off their rides in car crazy towns in each participating city and points along the way. Throughout the seven days, 

owners will be able to pick up and take off from any city following fellow enthusiasts 

to the final destination in North Concord.

For the full interview with HOT ROD Editor-In-Chief, above, please check out
https://theblock.com/news/hot-rod-magazines-david-freiburger-dishes-2013-power-tour?utm_source=fuel&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_campaign=fuel%20issue%204

SUPERCARS AT SUMMIT: JEFFERSON 500!

Our man ‘Mike’ was trackside when the Vintage Race Group brought the 20th running of the Jefferson 500 to Summit Point Motorsport Park.

The VRG brought a swarm of racecars to the West Virginia circuit, running the gamut from small production-based racers through sports racers and open-wheel cars to big hulking American iron (Trans-Am & Can-Am Supercars). The racers were greeted by weather that ran from bright sunshine to rainy, cloudy skies.  But that seemed to only add to the enthusiasm and action on the track. Hre are some of the highlights.

Speaking of the Trans-Am, Erich Bollman’s ‘69 Boss 302 Mustang, above, is powered by a
Boss 302 engine equipped with a Bud Moore “Bathtub” intake. Note the typical Trans-Am
trick “drooped” front fenders. Erich has brought the car back to the track after a long
hiatus in storage. He is still attempting to track its history.

CLASSICS, CUSTOMS & HOT RODS: WHEELS & WAVES!

Since 1999, hundreds of head-turning cars & trucks have been displayed at the Wheels & Waves Car Show in Santa Barbara, CA. Our Jim Palam was on site.

This year was the 14th annual Santa Barbara show and more than 350 exceptional enthusiast vehicles were on display on State Street, between Micheltorena and Guiterrez in downtown Santa Barbara. As in the past, Wheels & Waves was free for spectators, attracting locals, tourists and visitors from abroad. Chopped & channeled '49 Plymouth coupe, above, is owned by JR & Dee Dee Washburn. Even Elvis was there!

MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG GT3: BLACK FALCON FLYS!

Mercedes-Benz & AMG clean house at the 24-Hours of Nurburgring, claim first 

overall wins at classic enduro.

Mercedes-Benz and AMG today secured the first overall win in the 24-Hours of Nürburgring. The GT3 #9 Black Falcon SLS AMG with Bernd Schneider (Germany), Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Sean Edwards (GB) and Nicki Thiim (Denmark) went from sixth position on the grid to finish the legendary endurance race 2:39 minutes ahead of the second-place car after 88 laps. Record-breaking five-time DTM champion Bernd Schneider had a largely trouble-free race in the Black Falcon; an excursion off track this morning ended without drama. The victory was rounded off by positions three and four for ROWE RACING.

ASTON MARTIN CC100: STUNNING SPEEDSTER!

Aston Martin’s latest Concept is powered by a naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 with automated sequential manual gearbox.

Created to celebrate Aston Martin’s 100 years of sports car excellence, the one-off CC100 looks both to the past and the DBR1 – Aston Martin’s greatest sporting triumph on the track – and to the future with glimpses of potential future design cues. The 6.0-litre V12-powered Concept debuted by completing a lap of the famous Nordschleife at Germany’s ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. It lapped the circuit together with the 1000-km race-winning
1959 DBR1 with Sir Stirling Moss at the wheel. It is the most tangible expression yet of
the brand’s yearlong centenary celebrations.

‘13 FIAT 500C ABARTH: DOLCE VITA!

Slick scorpion lets the fun shine in, blogs Dan Scanlan.

To fully appreciate the Abarth-edition Fiat 500, you have to drive it. Between its snarling exhaust note, turbo whistle and go-kart acceleration and handling, this pug-nosed compact has magnetic appeal. Its fold-back cloth top and integrated roof spoiler make it even more appealing. At a touch of a button, al fresco motoring can brighten up any day!

Fiat’s scorpion gets its sting from a l.4-liter turbocharged and intercooled 16-valve SOHC Four rated at 160 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and generating 170 pound-feet of torque starting at 2,500 rpm.  A deeper lower air intake, flanked by brake inlets and mesh grilles, adds some menace to the Fiat 500’s smiley face. There’s a black lower lip air dam that flows around both edges, with more ducts ahead of the thin-spoke white Abarth wheels wearing sticky P205/40R17-inch Pirelli P-Zero Nero rubber. The performance rubber gives the convertible a wide stance and lower ride height; the white wheels show off red painted brake calipers.  

CLASSIC WOODYS: MUCH MORE THAN A BOOK!

Author, photographer and consummate car guy, David Fetherston, creates a book that’s also collectible art.

Before the Internet, self-publishing, publishing-on-demand and China being the epicenter of book printing, coffee table books had special meaning. They were typically large in format, printed on incredibly expensive coated stock, quality bindings, and subjects that usually ranged from art, architecture and antiques to fashion, jewelry and collectible cars. Fast forward and now just about any hefty hardcover book with nice paper and photos is considered to be a coffee table book. And how could we forget the iconic Seinfeld episode with chaotic Kramer writing a coffee table book on coffee tables, complete with folding table legs!

2013 LEXUS LS 460 F SPORT GETS SOUL!

Lexus finally gets around to adding some sporting sparkle to its flagship LS,  

blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker.

Luxury cars don’t come more refined, or whisper-quiet, or silky-smooth than Lexus’ flagship LS. If ever there was an automotive equivalent of maple syrup with a whipped cream topping, this is it. Since its debut way back in 1990, it seems as though Lexus has been quite content to sit back and leave the driving excitement to the boys at BMW, Audi and Mercedes. To me, an LS has always been the pair of comfy slippers to the Germans’ Nike Airs, the velour pantsuit to their black leather zippered mini!

But the winds of change are finally swirling around Lexus HQ. Tired of being branded soul-less, or creators of four-wheel tofu, or chewing gum for the senses, they’re fighting back.
Welcome to Lexus F Sport.

BLOWER BENTLEYS: MILLE MIGLIA CHALLENGERS!

Famous, supercharged Bentleys ready for 1,000-mile Italian epic road trip.

Bentley Motors is competing in this year’s Mille Miglia with two unique 4 ½-litre Supercharged “Blowers.” A 1930 Le Mans racecar belonging to perhaps the most famous and daring of the Bentley Boys and a company demonstrator that is still going strong even after nine decades 

on the road are up for the challenge.

The No. 2 Team Car – raced at Le Mans by Captain Tim Birkin – was bought by Bentley Motors in 2000 and has been regularly campaigned across the world by the company ever since. Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who has helped prepare the car for its third Mille Miglia at Bentley’s Crewe headquarters, explains:

“This is a fantastic car to drive and remains extremely rapid as well. We take great pride in making sure all the cars Bentley owns continue to regularly compete or run and are not museum exhibits. We are all looking forward to the unique Mille Miglia experience.”

HOT CARS & COOL DAY: IMPA SPRING BRAKE!

The International Motor Press Association (IMPA) hosts its annual Ride & Drive 
in New York’s beautiful Bear Mountain State Park.

More than 50 years old, IMPA is the oldest, largest and most influential organization of automotive journalists and public relations professionals in the U.S. Founded in New York City, 

I have been an active member since Day One, when I started freelancing to hot rod and custom car magazines in the late-1950s.

BUICK ‘HELLCAT’ TANK DESTROYER: WW II HOT ROD!

The same GM studio that gave us the iconic and industry-first Concept Car, 

Buick Y-Job, also was responsible for the Hellcat Tank Destroyer. This year 

Buick celebrates its 110th anniversary.

Buick production lines have been rolling for 110 consecutive years but for a short period during World War II, the vehicles produced looked decidedly different. In February 1942, the last civilian car left a Buick facility before full attention was placed on engineering and producing aircraft engines, ammunition and the M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer.

The M18, top, with Enclave, above with Marty Schorr test driving, originated in the design studio of Harley Earl, whose team also worked extensively on early camouflage paint. Earl’s
staff designed even the Hellcat logo and patches worn by its crew. Flanked by the words
“Seek, Strike, Destroy,” it depicts a wildcat biting down on crushed treads, signifying the Hellcat’s mission of targeting enemy tanks.

LAMBORGHINI EGOISTA: 600-HP EGO-BOOSTER!

Lambo gives a self-indulgent 50th birthday gift to itself, blogs Howard Walker

Lamborghinis have always been about screaming, “Look At Me.” Remember those lime-green Muiras? So if you’re Lamborghini, why not celebrate your 50th birthday with the ultimate “Look At Me” car. It’s called the Egoista.

You’re gazing, no doubt in awe, at arguably the craziest, wackiest, wildest and most self-indulgent Lamborghini ever. It’s said to be inspired by an Apache attack helicopter,
with a front end designed to resemble a snorting bull about to charge. Oh, and did
we mention it only has one seat?

INDY LIGHTS RACING: ENDANGERED SPECIES!

 Stephen Cox blogs about Indy Lights possibly pricing itself out of existence.

Imagine you’re in a McDonald’s and you order a Big Mac. The cashier plops your sandwich on the counter and says, “That’ll be $612.00, sir.”

“Uh… excuse me. Did you actually say $612.00?”

“Yes, sir. Our Big Macs come with special sauce, lettuce and cheese. They’re really
very good.”

You would probably respond, “They’re not that good!” and walk out of the restaurant. 

I was recently offered a sponsorship package for the Indy Lights Series. My sponsors were willing to spend $50,000 as an associate sponsor in four or five races. But it soon became apparent that no other sponsors were willing to chip in on the deal. No problem. My sponsors are reasonable people. They reduced the expected number of races to only two, the Freedom 100 and any other race of choice. And I had specific offers from three teams. But the sponsorship necessary to support a two-race deal ranged from $92,500 to $160,000.

JAGUAR HERITAGE RACING: MILLE MIGLIA!

Jaguar enters three C-Types and three XK120s in the famous event and previews 

its entry with a short film featuring David Gandy, Yasmin Le Bon, 

Norman Dewis and Alex Buncombe.

Taking the seats of outstanding examples of Jaguar C-Type and XK120 heritage racecars, above, will be six-time Olympic cycling Champion Sir Chris Hoy, supermodel David Gandy, Le Mans 24 Hours race winner Andy Wallace and Chairman & CEO of 20th Century Fox Jim Gianopulos. Other team members include actress Hannah Herzsprung, Salvatore Ferragamo Jr., fashion icon Yasmin Le Bon and Michael Quinn, grandson of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons.  

This exciting list of classic car enthusiasts will be led by Jaguar Heritage Racing’s own multiple race winner Alex Buncombe with Norman Dewis, top, and motoring journalist Chris Harris, who will link up for the event in a Jaguar C-Type once owned by former Formula One Champion Juan Manuel Fangio. The Mille Miglia is the pinnacle of classic motorsport, and the competitive event in 1952 saw Jaguar debut disc brakes on its C-type, piloted then by Jaguar Chief Development Engineer Norman Dewis and Formula One legend Sir Stirling Moss.

JIM CLARK TRIBUTE: GOODWOOD REVIVAL!

On the 50th anniversary of the first of his two Formula One World Championship victories, legendary Scottish racer Jim Clark will be honored at this 

year’s Goodwood Revival.

A daily track parade at the Goodwood Motor Circuit will include a variety of Jim Clark’s most famous cars to honor the life and achievements of this incredible and versatile man. 

The track parade will feature a wealth of famous competition cars, spanning a variety of different genres. In the course of his all too brief career, Clark achieved success in single-seaters, sports, GT and saloon cars, and even excelled at rallying, setting fastest stage times in a Lotus-Cortina on the 1966 RAC Rally. He won the 1965 Indy 500, top, in Ford-powered car. The track parade will include the Lotus 25 in which Clark won the F1 World Championship in 1963, the Lotus-Cortina in which he won the 1964 British Saloon Car Championship, and the Lotus 38 in which he won the Indianapolis 500 in 1965. Clark in 1965, left, Lothar Spurzem photo, at Nurburgring.

FORD POWER: STAMPEDE IN SALEM!

Virginia’s Roanoke Valley Mustang Club hosts its 25th Anniversary Mustang 

& Ford-Powered Celebration and jumps the gun on the Mustang’s 

2014 Silver Anniversary.

There were Mustangs of just about every period in the nameplate’s long and storied history at the show. One that really caught our eye was a white ‘68, Six- cylinder, three-speed stick coupe.  It’s a one-owner Mustang that has racked up almost 375,000 miles in nearly 45 years since selling for $2,788.53 when new. For comparison, that would be about $18,700 today versus a new Mustang’s sticker price of $22,200. The engine remains untouched and the 

car has been repainted only once during the two-year period the car was off the road 

for restoration. Unlike a number of collector cars, it has never been stored inside. 

The accompanying pedal car was a Grandfather/Grandson project, perpetuating 

the hobby for yet another generation.

CAMARO SS: LAW & ORDER EDITION!

A Chevrolet Camaro SS - the first to be used by a police force in the Middle East - is helping enforce the law in Dubai.

Powered by the venerable 6.2-liter V8, the Camaro SS boasts 426 horsepower, acceleration to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. It’s the perfect addition to Dubai’s Police force and fleet of high-performance exotics.

Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, managing director of Al Ghandi Auto and John Stadwick, president and managing director of GM Middle East, handed the keys of the Camaro SS to Dubai Deputy Police Chief Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina in a ceremony at headquarters today.

“The Camaro is highly regarded around the world. It is the ideal car for Dubai Police as we look to upgrade our vehicles to meet the Emirate’s world renowned standards in safety and security,” said Dubai Deputy Police Chief Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina.

2014 PORSCHE 911 TURBO: 0-TO-60 IN 2.9 SECONDS!

Porsche unveils its fastest 911 Turbo in 40 years, blogs Road Test 

Editor Howard Walker

Now that’s how you celebrate 40 years of magic!

Back in 1973, Porsche introduced its first 911 Turbo creating essentially the first real-world, use-it-every-day Supercar. Forty years later, Porsche has unwrapped its greatest, and most potent 911 Turbo ever: '14 Turbo S, above.

PRO TOURING CAMARO GURU: MARK STIELOW!

Unless you’ve been living on Mars, you should know that Mark Stielow is synonymous with PRO TOURING and the quickest, fastest and best-handling 

Pro Touring Gen I Camaros.

Pro Touring cars are vintage vehicles with modern power and amenities that can compete and excel – accelerate, handle, stop - on drag strips and road courses and cruise across the country. Popular nameplates in this hobby are Camaro, Mustang, Barracuda and Challenger.

Whether GM engineer and consummate car guy Mark Stielow actually built the first Pro Touring Gen I Camaro or built the ones that have become the genre’s halo cars - The Mule, Red Devil, Red Witch & Mayhem - is irrelevant. What is relevant is that Stielow has literally written the book on the subject (Pro Touring, Engineered Performance) and he and his cars have become media darlings, being featured in the field’s leading print and online publications.

For more about Mark Stielow, check out this interview on Chevrolet Performance’s The Block, https://theblock.com/news/gm-engineer-mark-stielow-pro-tourings-camaro-master?utm_source=fuel&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fuel%3A%2Bissue%2B3

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-Y2Hvnfrg

TURBOCHARGED TERRORS: BOOST IS GOOD!

Single or dual turbochargers can turn mild-mannered daily drivers into kick-ass screamers. Quad turbos turn the Bugatti, below, into a four-wheeled rocket ship.

While forced induction actually dates back to the late-1800s when Gottleib Daimler patented the concept of gear-driven pumps forcing air into internal combustion engines, it was not until 1905, when compressors driven by exhaust gasses and forcing air into diesel engines surfaced. During World War I, French fighter planes powered by turbocharged Renault engines demonstrated superiority in dogfights. Turbochargers found their way into combat aircraft in both World Wars, and GE experimented with turbos on  WW II V12 Liberty engines.

2013 BMW Z4 sDRIVE 28i: HOT DOG!

‘I’ve got an almost mustard-yellow BMW Z4 Roadster, and everyone seems to want to catch up with me,’ says Dan Scanlan.



 But whether it was the color - officially Citrus Yellow – or the shape or the hardtop convertible on it that tagged everyone’s interest was a question we would ponder during our weeklong test of the smallest BMW. This being prime top-down season in Florida, we had plenty of miles of sweeping interstates, winding saltmarsh roads and oceanfront lanes to drive the BMW Z4 sDrive 28i topless. Let’s see if this BMW lives up to its strong history of agile little convertibles, stretching back to the 1930s and its beautiful 328.



About 25 years ago, BMW introduced its first modern two-seat convertible with the innovative Z1, known for its unique drop-down doors. It never came stateside, but the long-nosed/short tail Z3 roadster did. In 2003, it was replaced by the edgier and longer Z4, done under the controversial, then-BMW’s chief designer, Chris Bangle. In 2009, the crisper rounded lines of the first-gen Z4 were sharpened by designer Juliane Blasi into what you see here.


DATSUN ROADSTERS: SHOWDOWN IN SOLVANG!

Before the venerable Z-cars, Datsun offered sporty roadsters that have become 

very cool and very collectible. Jim Palam checks out the annual 

Solvang Datsun Roadster Classic.

The Datsun Roadster Classic has been held in Solvang, CA since 1988 and has become the most important event for stock, custom and race-prepared Datsun Roadsters in the country. Spectators this year came from all over the U.S. and well as from Europe, making this event 

the best attended of its kind. Jeff Silvey’s ’60 Fairlady roadster, above.

CORVETTE C7 INDY PACE CAR: 12th TIME!

A '14 Corvette Stingray will lead the field to green and the start of the 97th running of the Indy 500 on May 26th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

This year will mark the 24th time a Chevrolet has served as the official Pace Car of the Indy 500, dating to 1948 with a Chevrolet Fleetmaster. Camaro has served in the role seven times. For Corvette it’s Number 12.

“It is an honor to help inaugurate the all-new Corvette Stingray at the hallowed Brickyard and further the legacy between Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500,” said Jim Campbell, GM vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s performance was influenced by racing, making this prestigious assignment even more fitting.”

LaFERRARI WATCH: HUBLOT TECHNO-MASTERPIECE!

Just 50 $320,000 Hublot MP-05 watches will be offered, blogs Howard Walker. 

If you’re interested in just telling the time, use the money to buy a 

new 458 and a Swatch!

The dilemma for each of the 499 loyal Ferrari Tifosi lucky enough to have their name on the order form of the new $1.2-million LaFerrari Supercar, is going to be picking the perfect accessories. Somehow I think a set of logo’d car mats, a LaFerrari baseball cap or Pep Boys seat covers aren’t going to cut it!

So how thoughtful of the Swiss watchmaker Hublot to come to the rescue with its quite remarkable new Hublot Masterpiece MP-05 LaFerrari watch. This is definitely not your average chronograph. No, like
the LaFerrari, the MP-05 is more a display of how much advanced technology you can squeeze into
a small space. A very small space.

So the MP features no fewer than 11 barrels arranged in a line just like the discs in a spinal column. You wind it up using a mini version of a Black & Decker drill that then provides a 50-day power reserve. You only need to wind it once every seven weeks.

CLASSICS, EXOTICS, HOT RODS & MUSCLE CARS: INSURANCE 101!

Jeff Rieger blogs about what you need to know about finding affordable and appropriate insurance coverage for specialty cars.

Sometimes finding your dream collector car is a lot easier than choosing insurers and getting good information about coverage and costs. It really doesn’t matter if you lust for a hot rod, muscle car, classic or an exotic, or would like to buy a car you can “track” on weekends, Jeff’s advice, published at The Simple Dollar, is spot on!

CLASSIC FERRARI 2,000-K RUN: PARIS TO LA ROCHELLE!

Some of the most beautiful exotics in the world competed in the 

Tour Auto Optic 2000.

From Paris to La Rochelle, at the wheel of the most beautiful classic cars in the world, they traveled round the Hexagon, passing through places and race tracks that have played as much of a part in the history of France as in the history of motor racing. That was the experience enjoyed by those taking part in last week's 22nd run of the Tour Auto Optic 2000. The most fortunate? Definitely the 32 crews that tackled the event at the wheel of some of the most amazing Ferraris from the 1960s and 1970s: the 275 GTB, the 250 GT Tour de France, the 365 GTB/4 Competizione and the Group IV 308.

2013 RANGE ROVER: ALL NEW & TREADING LIGHTER!

Adding luxury and shedding weight - 700 pounds of it - helps create the finest 4x4 by far, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker.

No longer can the abbreviation ‘SUV’ ever again be associated with that icon of British style and elegance, the Range Rover. Sport utility vehicle? You obviously haven’t laid eyes on the all-new version. There’s nothing even remotely utilitarian about this latest, fourth-generation Range Rover. Which is the reason why I’m officially changing its moniker from ‘SUV’ to ‘SLV’, as in Super Luxury Vehicle.

To prove my point, join me if you will, for a moment of comfort and hedonistic relaxation in the re-configured, re-designed rear cabin of the ‘13 Range Rover Autobiography I’ve been piloting. Getting in and out is now so much easier thanks to bigger, barn-door-wide door openings, along with an ‘Access’ ride height mode for the standard air suspension that lowers the car by two inches. Now you can leave the step ladders at home in the garage!

McLAREN CAN-AM RACERS: THEN & NOW!

Legendary Can-Am racecars from the 1960s-1970s will join the latest model 12C 

to climb the Goodwood Hill this summer.

As part of 50th anniversary celebrations, McLaren will showcase a selection of iconic models from the company’s heritage collection at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Alongside some of the most famous vintage racecars and championship-winning models
will be the latest McLaren 12C GT Can-Am Edition.

The McLaren name is synonymous with Can-Am racing throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with the McLaren Racing Team winning five back-to-back world championships between 1969 and 1974. It was the most successful team in the history of the Can-Am championship.

FORD MODEL-A SPEEDSTER: FUN RACER!

Competing in Pre-War Speedster Racing Group road racing events offers great wheel-to-wheel excitement and low operating costs.

Built using a ’31 Ford chassis and engine, #28 Speedster is actually titled as a Model A and plated for street use in Florida. The grille shell is from a ’28 Ford and the chassis has been pinched front and rear to allow the hood line and boat tail rear to be covered. Front axle has been dropped four inches and the rear spring cut two inches. Hiding much of the steel frame and components is a handcrafted aluminum Speedster body. Back in the day, Speedster bodies were available for converting early Fords into track cars.

RODS & CUSTOMS IN ROANOKE: MDC CAR SHOW!

 M. M. “Mike” Matune, Jr. checks out the biggest small car show in Roanoke, VA.

Do you remember car shows before they became Concours and lifestyle events? That’s when Car Guys (and Gals) gathered together to show off their passion, before poseurs, jet setters and cubic dollars took over. Back in the day, shows were in military armories, civic centers and exhibition halls and gray hot dogs and watered down Coke were sold. That’s before they became destinations, hosted on manicured fairways at exclusive resorts. And gourmet burgers, craft beers and champagne were available. OK, maybe that last one is better today than back in the day!

I discovered the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) car show at the Roanoke Civic Center while we were visiting our daughter in the area. I saw the show advertised and stopped to see the show, and outdoor swap meet, on the way home. It was a neat show, but more importantly I learned that innovation, creativity and passion are most definitely still alive
in our hobby. I’ll be back next year!

2013 INFINITI G37S: SIX-SPEED SPORT!

Dan Scanlan test drives Infiniti’s G37 Sport, a GT coupe for those who need a 

road rocket with a back seat.

For a six-year-old human, the whole world is just opening up for them – an interesting yet daunting place to explore, but you are sure you are ready for it at that age. If you are a six-year-old dog, half your now middle-aged life is over, but there’s still some life left in Fido. But if you are a six-year-old car design, well, that’s almost ancient these days. So then 

why does the ‘13 Infiniti G37 Sport still look like a six-year-old kid ready to romp in a 

field with his puppy, full of fitness and fun?

The G-Series coupe was born in 2003, then heavily revised and redesigned for 2008 into this sleek G37. Its flowing wedge shape seems stretched over a body with muscle underneath, edges framing curves from its rounded nose to its muscular rear shape. Four smoked
chrome blades form the leading edge of the slim grill flanked by upswept HID headlights,
the dip in between flowing into the edge that delineates the front fender tops. A deep
center air intake gets a lower lip that is framed left and right by blades that look like
the supports for a Formula One racecar’s nose wing.

MERCEDES-BENZ AMG SILVER ARROW: NURBURGRING!

Michael Schumacher to drive 2011 Formula 1 Silver Arrow on 

Nürburgring Nordschleife.

 

Formula 1 record-breaking world champion Michael Schumacher will take to the track in 

the run-up to the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring next month. It will be the first 

outing for a modern Formula 1 Silver Arrow at the Nürburgring Nordschleife since 

Juan Manuel Fangio’s victory in 1954!

On Sunday, May 19th, before the start of the 24-hour race, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher will take to the track. Schumacher will run a demonstration lap on the Nürburgring’s legendary Nordschleife in a MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W02 to say ‘thank you’ to his fans for their years of loyal support during his F1 career.

ZAGATO DESIGN: PRIVATE TOUR!

Some of the most beautiful as well as functional automotive designs have come from this Milanese design studio.

Established in 1919, Zagato is a legendary automotive and lifestyle products design company most famous for producing iconic, limited-edition Zagato-branded sports and GT cars. Founded by Ugo Zagato, it is now headed by his grandson, Andrea Zagato and his wife, Marella Rivolta-Zagato. Marella is the daughter of
Piero Rivolta, best know for Iso sports-GT cars from the 1960s. The black & white photos were taken in the Zagato restoration shop and of Piero Rivolta, Andrea Zagato and wife Marella with a city-car prototype in the 1990s.

This week a group from the Iso-Bizzarrini Owners Club and Italian car enthusiasts, including Piero Rivolta, is on tour of Italy, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Iso Grifo and 60th anniversary of the Iso Isetta minicar. This week they are visiting Zagato.

Mike Gulett, owner of an Iso Grifo and a Bizzarrini and editor of My Car Quest is on the tour. He just filed photos from Zagato, http://mycarquest.com/2013/04/a-visit-with-zagato.html

CARS & COFFEE AT KATIE’S: CAPITAL AREA CAR GUYS!

Our M. M. “Mike” Matune, Jr. joins the local enthusiasts for Saturday morning coffee in Great Falls, VA.

Cars & Coffee events are popping up all around the country as car guys seek a place to meet other enthusiasts in an informal setting. They are bound by a common passion for the automobile in all its forms. Here in the Washington, DC Area, we are blessed with a number of such events, including Cars & Coffee at Katie’s Coffee in Great Falls, VA. Held each
Saturday morning from 6:30 to 9:30 AM, it is a great way to kick off a Saturday without
having to commit the whole day.

Here is a nice contrast between two applications of the Ford FE 427 engine, above.  The red ‘63½ Ford Galaxie “Fastback” is an example of the lead vehicle from Ford’s 1963 Total Performance program. They saw competition on drag stripes, oval tracks, road courses and rallies. In the foreground, a Cobra represents the cars that would take Carroll Shelby, Ford and others around the world and to a plethora of racing successes. 

FORD GT40 ROADSTER: THE MISSING LINK!

Ford Advanced Vehicles built four GT40 roadsters in 1965, two went to Shelby American for race testing; two have been missing for years. Mike Gulett blogs about the rare roadsters at My Car Quest.

It all started with the handcrafted Ford X-1 sports racer, above, top, a lightweight, open-cockpit version of the Mark II GT40. It was run with very limited success in classes for modified sports cars. Ford Advanced Vehicles used the X-1 and subsequent GT40 roadsters to test ZF transaxles, as the GT40s were originally fitted with Coletti units. In 1966, an open-top Ford Mark II sports-prototype, above, based on the X-1, won the Sebring 12-Hour.

For more about the open-cockpit Ford GT40s, please visit http://mycarquest.com/2013/04/two-1965-ford-gt40-roadsters-one-was-lost-and-found.html