Autoblog

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 runs quarter mile in 11.93 seconds [UPDATE]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet, GM

We've taken the bone-stock 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 down the quarter-mile drag strip at Bondurant in Arizona several times. The very first pass we made netted us a time slip in the mid-12-second range. That's an impressive performance for a car wearing road-legal radial tires with zero preparation and a driver familiarizing himself with the car.

We instantly knew this car was capable of more, and wondered how long it would take before we saw our first elapsed time in the 11s. Turns out the wait is over.

General Motors itself is the perpetrator of the blazing-fast quarter mile. Chevrolet engineers took two completely stock ZL1 coupes to Milan Dragway in Michigan - one automatic and one manual - and recorded a best pass of 11.93 seconds at 116 miles per hour. That was with the automatic; the row-your-own model managed 11.96 at 117 mph.

Those looking to drag their new Camaro ZL1 ought to be pleased with this news. But even if your race track aspirations lean more toward a curvy strip of asphalt, the baddest production Camaro ever made has you covered. Consider its Nürburgring lap time of seven minutes and 41 seconds as proof of its prowess.

Likely sensing that there would be plenty of ~~Ford fans~~ skeptics demanding proof of its quarter mile performance, Chevrolet has released a video showing off its drag strip exploits at Milan. Scroll down below for the video, along with the related press release... and join us in waiting for a response from Ford.

*UPDATE: We've placed a call to Chevrolet inquiring whether these times were recorded on stock tires, as the press release indicates, or on drag radials. We'll add another update as soon as we hear back.

*UPDATE TWO: The times quoted in the press release - 11.93 for the auto and 11.96 for the manual - were recorded on the stock Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 tires. According to Chevrolet, the team knocked about a tenth of a second off those numbers with the Mickey Thompson drag tires.

Continue reading 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 runs quarter mile in 11.93 seconds [UPDATE]

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 runs quarter mile in 11.93 seconds [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: AMS Alpha 10 claims new quarter-mile record for Nissan GT-R

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Nissan

AMS Alpha 10 Nissan GT-R claims a quarter-mile record - Click above to watch the video after the jump

AMS Performance has broken its own quarter-mile record in a Nissan GT-R, this time gussied up with its Alpha 10 package. The most important thing you need to know about the suite of changes is that it takes the car up to 1,100 horsepower. The details include an Alpha 10 turbo system on top of a blueprinted engine, with all that horsepower routed through an Alpha 10 transmission. Naturally, just about everything else from the turbo inlet pipes to the fuel injectors to the downpipes have been upgraded or reworked.

The result was a 9.33-second run at 153 miles per hour. That takes 0.56 seconds off AMS' time from March of this year in its GT-R SR850 at the TX2K10 Supra & GTR Nationals. Video footage of the run (completely with overly dramatic music and buildup) is after the jump, and a few shots of the runner itself are in the gallery of images below. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Gallery: AMS Performance Alpha 10 GT-R

[Source: AMS Performance]

Continue reading Video: AMS Alpha 10 claims new quarter-mile record for Nissan GT-R

Video: AMS Alpha 10 claims new quarter-mile record for Nissan GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spectator killed by debris at NHRA drag race in Arizona [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Racing

Antron Brown's crash during NHRA Arizona Nationals - Click above to watch the video after the break

Motorsports are dangerous, there's no doubt about it. Drivers, co-drivers and track personnel are well aware of the possibilities of serious injury or even death, but perhaps those watching from the stands should be more concerned with their safety as well. This point was driven home over the weekend when a female spectator was reportedly struck by a dislodged tire during the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler near Phoenix.

The woman, who has not yet been identified, was airlifted to Good Samaritan Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The wheel spun away from driver Antron Brown's Top Fuel dragster when it flipped on its right side and slid down the guard rail before bursting into flames. Brown was pulled from the wreckage and was apparently unharmed. A video of the crash can be seen after the break.

[Source: ESPN]

Continue reading Spectator killed by debris at NHRA drag race in Arizona [w/video]

Spectator killed by debris at NHRA drag race in Arizona [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Laughing (Gas) Matter: Mississippi becomes 39th state to ban nitrous in street cars?

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Government/Legal

Granted, we're a little weird around here, but we've been dreaming of a multi-stage nitrous system since the sixth grade. We saw our friend's big brother lay down some fat rubber marks all around the cul-de-sac in his primer'd and blown '72 El Camino and BAM!, we were sold on the idea that increasing the air part of the air/fuel equation was the smart, righteous thing to do.

Sadly, nitrous ain't all that legal in most places. Mississippi was one of the dozen remaining hold outs until some idiots in a blown car decided to take some police on a high speed chase that ended in the death of Trooper Steve Hood. As such, NOS is now illegal in Mississippi street cars, and is the 39th state to pass such a law.

As far as the specifics go, no one's sure exactly how the law is written. We know (for instance) that in California you can have a nitrous oxide system in your car and the bottle can even be hooked up, however said bottle must be 100% empty. In other states you're not allowed to have the bottle screwed in. Still, in others, a NOS system is illegal period.

Our pals at Bangshift.com (who know a whole heck of a lot more about this subject than we do ) are telling Mississippi residents, "Seeing as though this is a law fresh in the minds of law enforcement and represents an emotional event for the Mississippi State Troopers, we'd stow our bottle well away from the mount when headed to the race track." Sage advice, and much wiser than our hide-a-NOS-system in a fake battery ala Smokey Yunick suggestion.

[Source: Bangshift]

No Laughing (Gas) Matter: Mississippi becomes 39th state to ban nitrous in street cars? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safety concerns cause NHRA to limit races to 1,000 feet

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety

The NHRA has acted very quickly in an effort to improve the safety of its Top Fuel and Funny Car races. Due to the tragic death recently of '94 and '95 Top Fuel champion Scott Kalitta, the drag strip for these two fastest classes will be shortened from the traditional 1,320 feet to 1,000 feet. Race officials and team managers believe that this compromise will continue to make for an entertaining race as the cars will still be hitting speeds of around 300 mph. This is an interim change as the sanctioning body investigates the crash and its causes, and will stay in effect until more definite changes can be made. The first race which will incorporate the new shorter track length will take place on July 11-13 at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado.

[Source: NHRA via AutoWeek]

Safety concerns cause NHRA to limit races to 1,000 feet originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drag-racing legend Dick Landy passes on to the big strip in the sky

Eric Bryant — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:36:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports

Dick Landy, the man synonymous with Dodge's wildly-successful factory drag racing program in the 1960s and '70s, has died from kidney failure. He was 69 years old.

Landy made a name for himself and his factory sponsor by combining the legendary Hemi with an altered wheelbase to create the first "funny car". The combination of horsepower and traction led to the banning of his vehicles by the NHRA; relegated to the exhibition circuit, Landy then introduced nitromethane, mechanical fuel injection, and supercharging to the equation and established the foundation for the highest tiers of modern drag racing. Landy later returned to the world of officially-sanctioned racing to participate in the formative days of the Super Stock and Pro Stock classes, and remained involved with Chrysler for the remainder of his long career.

The muscle car era would not have been the same without Dick Landy, and he will be missed.

[Source: NHRA; a hat tip to Jalopnik]

Drag-racing legend Dick Landy passes on to the big strip in the sky originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford opens the Dearborn Development Center

Eric Bryant — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology, Ford

As part of Ford Motor Company's Way Forward plan, the automaker has transformed its Dearborn Proving Grounds facility into the new Dearborn Development Center - a $43M renovation that allows for thorough physical testing of a vehicle's performance and durability.

To test a vehicle's performance, the company has installed a 43-acre "vehicle dynamics area", a 12-acre wet pad, a 2.5-mile steering and handling course, and a 4000-ft straightaway. Sign us up for a session with the Shelby GT500, please. The "World Road" area samples driving surfaces from around the world, and rest assured that the majority of it is not simulating the super-smooth Autobahn. Bring your own kidney belt to this one, and check your fillings afterwards for any looseness. Traffic around the sprawling complex is coordinated via a centrally-mounted control tower with a 360 degree view of its surroundings.

The site, which previously was employed only for limited fuel-economy testing, sits next to Ford's $65M Safety Innovation Center.

Eighty-some years ago, the Dearborn Development Center started its life as a commercial landing strip, and Ford Air Transportation Service provided the first regularly-schedule airline service with flights between Detroit and Chicago.

[Source: Ford Motor Company; the complete press release is located after the jump]

Continue reading Ford opens the Dearborn Development Center

Ford opens the Dearborn Development Center originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors demos diesel, gearing against heavy truck rivals

Joel Arellano — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Contests, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GM

General Motors recently hosted a drag strip race against its Ford and Dodge rivals to demonstrate a new diesel and transmission powertrain. In an old airstrip up in Beiseker, Alberta, Canada, the world's largest automaker showed off its new 6.6 litre turbodiesel V8 Duramax engine with 360 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque contained in a Chevrolet Silverado. The Ford truck was an F-250 with a 6.0-litre V8 pumping 325 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque, while the Dodge Ram had a 5.9 litre turbodiesel engine that produced 325 hp and 610 ft-lbs. of torque. All vehicles were automatics and each hooked to an equipment float holding a 3,200-kg (over three tons) tractor.

The Silverado won the race, followed by the F-250 and the Dodge Ram. While the Chevy's extra oomph no doubt played a part in its victory, the writer rightly attributes the win to the Silverado's new six-speed Allison transmission that kept the pickup in its powerband's sweet spot more often that its rivals with traditional four-speed autos.

More details can be found at the link.

[Source: Toronto Star with picture by Howard J. Elmer]

General Motors demos diesel, gearing against heavy truck rivals originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Mar 2006 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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