Autoblog

In case you missed our update on the original post: mere days after rolling out a neoclassic Challenger done up like the lead character in Vanishing Point, Erich Heuschele stuffed it into a tire wall at Road America. Hey, things happen. At least only his ego was bruised; the damaged car was driven 200 miles without incident, proving that the scarring was little more than a flesh wound.

The nice thing about being in an automaker's inner circle is that you can make a phone call and get a car dropped off like a cup of coffee from an intern. Breaking the early morning stillness of a Sunday sunrise, an orange Challenger SRT-8 sporting black stripes rode into the pits at Iowa's Mid America Motorplex. One Lap rules preclude running for points after a vehicle replacement, so co-drivers Heuschele and Gillies are competing for giggles and exposure at this point. Never fear, though, the white-dunked Challenger is currently undergoing repairs, and should resurface for the Targa Newfoundland.

[Source: CarDomain]

Click above to see what the Vanishing Point Challenger looked like before

The Chrysler employees who entered the prototype Dodge Challenger in this year's One Lap of America may have taken the car's Vanishing Point theme a bit too seriously. Just like in the classic film, the stark white Challenger came face to face with a solid object. The car met its demise in Round 2's time trial event at Road America after getting loose through turn 1. It then left the track and came to a stop perched atop a tire-wall. This course of events departs slightly from the original movie plot, where the Challenger did not meet its destructive fate until the final frames. The film version also somehow managed to survive its own slew of off road adventures without much harm, proving that Hollywood doesn't necessarily mimic real life. Fortunately the Challenger driver, Erich Heuschele, came away from his off track excursion unscathed. The crew has reported that the car will be out for the remainder of events, though it was spotted leaving the track under its own power so a return might be a slim possibility. Check out the source link below for more images of the carnage.



5/4/08 - 2:40 PM EST - UPDATE: The team came back today with a second, orange Challenger, but since One Lap rules forbid changing cars mid-campaign, they're out of the running for points. On a related side note: one of the Chrysler employees drove the wrecked Challenger some 200 miles with no mechanical issues. The vehicle is current at a friend's shop, being repaired and prepped for the upcoming Targa Newfoundland Rally.

[Source: Car Domain Blog]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Dodge "Vanishing Point" Challenger

It's good to know that there are folks at Chrysler who are still having a good time despite the rubbish state of auto sales in the U.S. The best evidence of this is the automakers's entry this year's One Lap of America "cross-country" race. Chrysler's Vice President Ralph Gilles and Erich Heuschele, Vehicle Dynamics Supervisor for SRT, are entering a blank white Challenger inspired by the 1970 Dodge Challenger that stars in the cult film Vanishing Point from 1971. The plot of the original movie revolves around a guy named Kowalski who has to deliver a white 1970 Challenger from Denver to San Francisco. He's aided by a blind DJ named Super Soul who listens to the police band and delivers helpful if not clairvoyant info to the protagonist over the radio. It's fitting then that Gilles and Heuschele have entered the One Lap race this year under the names of Kowalski and Super Soul, and the car they'll be driving is the very first preproduction Challenger prototype that was ever driven on public roads. It's been rescued from the crusher and slightly modified with a fresh coat of white paint (the first ever seen on a new Challenger) and new wheels to more resemble the original. Check out our gallery of the "Return to Vanishing Point" Challenger below, and glimpse the fun film Chrysler produced after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Michelle!


[Source: Chrysler]

That's right people, the original gonzo-automotive journalist is back in the saddle, and judging by his first post on the One Lap website, he's still full of all the piss and vinegar we've come to expect. Hopefully, Yates' Engines With Attitude blog gives regular updates and editorials from its incredibly un-PC author, providing those of us with a thick skin and a disturbed sense of humor some gasoline-fueled thoughts for the day. His first rabid rambling is online and it's worth a read if you're a fan of the man and his ability to simultaneously irritate and amuse. Welcome back to the 21st century Mr. Yates! We anxiously await your next posting.

Thanks for the tip, Horst.

Between our periodic bouts of rage and disappointment for not making it to this year's One Lap, we've been able to keep tabs on the event by checking in with our friends at Winding Road and also with the power-obsessed folks at GSC Motorsports. They've been making consistent posts on their blog, while campaigning a 580 WHP Mk. IV Supra in the event.

Most of the posts are your typical sleep-deprived, stream of consciousness blatherings that provide an authentic insight into the stages, the travel, the antics and the competitors that make up this great event. What's even better, their Supra has been consistently running with some of the heavy hitters of past events, including the Davias 996 Turbo, the Hennessy Viper and an assortment of other high-powered, high-maintenance iron.

In addition to their progress, the site also gives readers a glimpse into what technical hurdles await competitors, be it removing the sway bars and softening the shocks to make things stick on the skid pad, or watching a competing team's engine eat itself mid-stage. It's entertaining and educational. Plus, they've got pretty pictures too.