Click above for high-res gallery of the FPV F6, more galleries after the jump
FPV's seemingly endless rollout of its new FG Falcon-based lineup has finally culminated in the actual launch of the cars (how novel), which we've already touched upon. To that end, we'll keep this brief and turn you loose on the multiple new photo galleries now available (check out the rest after the jump). The FPV range encompasses both Falcon sedan and Ute bodystyles, and power comes from either the turbocharged F6 inline-six or the 5.4L Boss 315 V8. The six delivers 415 horsepower and a tire-humbling 416 lb-ft of torque. The eight's no slouch either, pumping out 422 horses (315 kW, hence the engine's name) and 406 lb-ft. A Tremec TR6060 6-speed stick is available across the full range of cars.
FPV GT E (Top-of-the-line V8 FPV sedan, more subtle styling than GT, GT-P)
You can see galleries of everything below and after the jump. We'll take an F6 sedan in the lime green. In fact, we need one of those approximately yesterday.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang
Sometime around late 2003, I first saw the car that was at that time still known as Condor. Condor was the Ford internal code name for the SVT version of the yet to be publicly shown S197 Mustang. At that time, most everyone outside of Ford was still anticipating that this car would be the new Mustang Cobra. Somewhere along the line to launch, Ford had settled its long standing conflict with Carroll Shelby and Condor ended up wearing one of the other classic Mustang badges from the '60s. The Shelby GT500 eventually started rolling off the Flat Rock, MI assembly line in both coupe and convertible forms for the 2007 model year.
Ford recently dropped off a Grey 2008 GT500 coupe at the Autoblog Garage for a few days, and we just had to share. By coincidence, the GT500 arrived about three weeks after the Mustang Bullitt we reviewed. While the Bullitt was about as understated as a modern Mustang can get, the GT500 is anything but. The Shelby is slathered in stripes, badges, spoilers and driving lights. The GT500 also has a very different powertrain from the Bullitt. Find out how the GT500 compares to the stealth 'Stang after the jump.
Click above for more photos of classic cars and dogs
City of Long Beach police cruisers were movie stars in the original Gone in 60 Seconds film. The 1970's cult classic featured the black and white playing chase with a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1. These days, though, the officers use more efficient methods to capture muscle cars; they invite them over for a fundraising car show. Over the weekend, the Long Beach Police Academy held a classic car show to benefit the department's K9 Officers Association. A few dozen impeccable examples of automobile preservation took over the grounds of the Long Beach Police Officers Association Park. Not to be rude hosts, the organization even showed off an old Dodge Cornet and Model T police cruiser amongst the numerous Bel Airs, Mustangs and Vegas.
Browsing through the rows of vintage automobiles wasn't the only event incentive for us to attend. The Orange County German Shepherd rescue showed off dogs available for adoption and the K9 officers put on a training demonstration. As a new GSD owner, I could not resist the combination of sleek cars and furry wet noses. The dual purpose car show/charity event is always a relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Be sure and check out the event gallery in the link below.
Gallery: 2008 Long Beach K9 Officer Benefit Car Show
Click above for photo gallery, watch video after the jump
It doesn't get much simpler than this. Turbine-powered cars are, as a rule, extremely cool. So too are all vintages of the Porsche 928. Therefore, a turbine-powered Porsche 928 is positively... Arctic. Owning this might well cause snowfall in your garage, and you can actually find out, because this divinely-inspired combination is up for grabs on eBay. Better still, the bid at the time of this writing this is a little over six-thousand bucks. I paid more than triple that for each of the last two used cars I've bought, neither of which is a Porsche 928, and neither of which has a Boeing 502-6 turboshaft engine underhood. Sure, it's not for everyone, and the video after the jump suggests that your neighbors might not like the noise so much, but come on. It's a turbine 928. This rules on several levels. Don't miss the hilarious item description and seller Q&A, either. Apparently, this thing use to be new. Neff should buy it to replace his Alero.
Click on the Ferrari California for some wallpaper quality high-res shots
Just days after Ferrari launched the teaser site for its new GT, the first full images and details of the Ferrari California have been revealed. Even though the countdown timer on the teaser site still indicates there's a week to go before the next info reveal, the countdown itself is little more than a formality.
Like other modern Ferraris, this one is fabricated from aluminum to keep mass under control. The 460 hp 4.3L V8 is the first from Maranello to use direct injection while following the racing tradition of using a flat-plane crankshaft. This car of firsts also debuts the production application of a dual clutch gearbox from Ferrari. The 7-speed unit is mounted in a rear transaxle configuration and should provide smoother shifting and even better performance than the existing hydraulically-actuated units that Ferrari currently uses. Acceleration to 60 mph should come in under 4.0 seconds.
The California is also Ferrari's first retractable hardtop convertible. From the shape of the hood scoop and headlights to the sweep of the rear fenders and vents behind the front wheels this car obviously draws on the heritage of the original 1960s 250 GT California. At the same time, it's blended with modern Ferrari design elements drawn from the current F430 and 599. We're looking forward to seeing much more of this car over the months leading up to the Paris Motor Show! Thanks to Mobius and Ovidiu for the tip!
Click above to view the Alfa Romeo brothers in hi-res
When I was a little kid I wanted to be like my big brother. I would dress the same as him, go to the same places as him, do the same things as him... It never really worked because, at the end of the day, I never looked anything like him. So while I doubt I was the only one, I had one eyebrow raised when Alfa Romeo set out to mimic the design of its show-stoppin', range-toppin' 8C Competizione with a new entry-level model. A mass-market hatchback designed to look like an ultra-exclusive supercar? Well Alfa arguably achieved just that with the new MiTo, and to prove that point it's graced us with a whole gallery of new images of the two siblings side by side. The kid brother may look that much more junior in juxtaposition, but the resemblance is uncanny. See for yourself in the gallery by clicking the thumbnails below.
Martin Eberhard first conceived of what ultimately became Tesla Motors and the Tesla Roadster when he couldn't get AC Propulsion to build him a TZero. Since he wanted a battery-powered sports car, Eberhard set out to bring together a team that would build his dream car. Of course, it was always his intention to buy the first car for himself, but creating a car company from scratch is not a low budget proposition. Hence Eberhard had to bring in some investors to fund the program. PayPal founder Elon Musk came in big with a pile of cash in return for which he requested the first car. After some haggling, Eberhard agreed to take Roadster number 2 and things moved along.
As we now know, Tesla encountered some speed bumps along the way and production got delayed by many months. The first production model was completed in December 2007, and delivered to Musk in February. Series production officially kicked off on March 17 of this year with the car with serial number 2 starting down the line. That car destined for Eberhard has yet to leave the Lotus factory in England. Meanwhile two other cars have been completed and one has been delivered to a customer in the U.S. while the other has been touring Europe for the last couple of weeks. Needless to say, Martin Eberhard is not pleased about other people getting their Roadsters before him. The problem is that automotive build sequences are a very complicated matter, which are only made worse when you blend big egos into the mix. The matter comes down to the difference between what the VIN numbers say and which cars we're actually built when. AutoblogGreen has a detailed report on what was "promised" to Eberhard, and what is being delivered, including documents provided by Eberhard.
Like the sedan and ute before it, the Holden Commodore Sportwagon will also soon have a corresponding HSV performance variant. The HSV Tourer is essentially an HSV Clubsport R8 Wagon, as it features the muscle sedan's front clip and 425-horsepower (317kW) LS3 V8 powertrain. Look for it to arrive arrive in Australia this October and in the U.S. as a Pontiac, well, never. (Pontiac has no plans to bring over the Commodore Sportwagon, remember.)
HSV admits that the Tourer could take some sales away from the Clubsport R8 upon which it's based, but that the presence of the wagon in the now-complete HSV lineup should still help HSV's sales numbers overall. Drive.com.au notes that the Commodore Sportwagon was supposed to launch back in March, but has been delayed while Holden continues to work out kinks with the wagon bodystyle. We expect to get plenty more info on the HSV Tourer closer to its launch, but today, we're more bummed than ever that Pontiac isn't importing the Commodore Sportwagon. Imagine what the possibilities could have been... Pontiac G8 Safari GXP? Not bad. And unfortunately, not gonna happen.
In 1963, Henry Ford II wanted to win Le Mans badly and was all set to buy Ferrari to boost Ford's racing program. Enzo Ferrari pulled out of the deal at the last moment, angering Ford II so badly that he went on to fund development of the legendary GT40 that went on to take many motorsports victories.
A few years later, Mr. Ferrari pissed off yet another powerfully rich American businessman with the outcome being the automotive abomination you see before you. Bill Harrah of Harrah's Casino fame asked Ferrari to construct for him an Italian 4X4 wearing the prancing horse badge. While no one thought to archive the response from Ferrari, we imagine it involved the words 'hell' and 'no'. In Italian, of course.
Undeterred and with more money than taste, Harrah created the Jerrari. Its ass-end is a 1970 Jeep Wagoneer, the nose is from a 1969 Ferrari 365GT. On the day of its birth, this one-of-a-kind offroading Ferrari sported V12 power, but now all four wheels are turned by a 350 V8.
The eBay auction for this abomination includes numerous pieces of documentation, like a 1971 review of the car by "Road & Track." Another is a letter from a previous seller in 1984 that indicates there could be more than one of these hideous creations out there. Maybe that's what's been starting all these rumors.
Watch a walk-around video of the Jerrari after the jump, and check out an extensive gallery of photos below.
As if 1000 horsepower, 0-60 mph in 2.25 seconds and the huge rear wing didn't attract enough attention. It just had to be in Snake Skin Green. According to Hennessey, this is the first and only Venom Twin-Turbo in this color, and it's listed for sale on HennesseyPerformance.com. It comes with the 1200-horsepower upgrade option, VenomAero body kit, KW adjustable coilover suspension, Brembo brakes, lightweight wheels, and more. The car's new owner will also be able to make Bugatti Veyron owners green with envy as they see this Viper's taillights fading into the distance. Click away in the full-res gallery below.
BONUS: Video of said Venom Viper spinning out while racing a Porsche 911 added after the jump.
James Garner recovering from mild stroke
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Officially Official: New Ferrari California exposed!
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang
Future Classic: 1984 Chrysler Minivans
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First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
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_thumbnail.jpg "Lamborghini Reventon unboxed in Las Vegas")
