Autoblog

eBay Find of the Day: 1991 Dodge Stealth is the Indy 500 Pace Car that never was

Zach Bowman — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chrysler, Dodge, Mitsubishi

1991 Dodge Stealth Indianapolis 500 Official Car - Click above for image gallery

Way back in 1991, Chrysler was charged with providing a pace car for the 75th running of the Indianapolis 500. At the time, the company was blood brothers with Mitsubishi, and the automakers had decided it would be worth everyone's while to rebadge the popular 3000GT as a Stealth and sell it under the Dodge banner. Chrysler was thrilled to have something resembling a sports car on its dealer lots and wanted to get the word out by handing pace car duties to its newest creation. Only there was a problem. Once the public got wind that Chrysler wanted to run a Japanese-built car out front of the red, white and blue Indianapolis 500, near riots ensued, with the United Auto Workers among the most critical parties.

Chrysler pulled a 180 and decided to roll out a Viper prototype for the race, but not before it built a Stealth for pace duty. The car was dipped in some very visible yellow paint, and safety equipment like a roll cage, racing harnesses and a communication system was installed. The car was never called to pace at the Brickyard, however, having been relegated to the duty of an official festival car. Thereafter, it spent its years parked in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum instead.

Now, that very would-be pace car is up for auction on eBay. With just 8,000 miles on the clock and an opening bid of $25,000, the car is someone's chance to own one very odd piece of Detroit history - the Indy 500 pace car that never was. Check out the auction here.

Gallery: 1991 Dodge Stealth Indy 500 Pace Car

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1991 Dodge Stealth is the Indy 500 Pace Car that never was originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 May 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hurst debuts Ford Racing Mustang Challenge pace car at VIR

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Ford, Specialty

2010 Hurst Ford Mustang Pace Car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford and Hurst have a long and illustrious history of working together to create special edition Mustangs, and the latest fruits of their labor can be seen in our high-res image gallery below. The 2010 Hurst Mustang Pace Car will make its first official appearance during the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge race that will be held at Virginia International Raceway on April 25, 2010.

There will only be one 2010 Hurst Mustang Pace Car, and it will make appearances at the Hot Rod Power Tour, a slew of Larry H. Miller dealerships and finally at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas before being auctioned off next January. Proceeds from the car's sale will benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. A hot Mustang convertible for a worthy cause... what's not to like?

Though you won't be able to march into your local Ford dealership and drive off in a new Hurst 'Stang, you will be able to get "promotional items" inspired by the car... including 'skins' for pinewood derby racers. Sadly, the miniature version won't be sporting the full-size car's polished 20-inch wheels, Hurst shifter or 550-horsepower supercharged V8 engine. What they will have in common, though, is the iconic black and gold Hurst color scheme. See below for images and click past the break for the press release.

Gallery: 2010 Hurst Ford Racing Mustang Challenge Pace Car

[Source: Hurst Performance Vehicles]

Continue reading Hurst debuts Ford Racing Mustang Challenge pace car at VIR

Hurst debuts Ford Racing Mustang Challenge pace car at VIR originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Camaro Indy 500 pace car entering limited production

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Some of the most desirable Chevrolet Camaros are the factory-made replicas to celebrate the pony car's inclusion in the racing world as a pace car. And it looks like we have yet another pace car rep to add to our growing list of potential collectibles with General Motors' announcement that it will build 200 or fewer 2010 Chevy Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Limited Edition models.

Each of the Pace Car models will be based on an SS with the RS appearance package. A 400 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine will be mated up with a six-speed automatic transmission (what, no manual?), with power put to the ground through 20-inch polished aluminum wheels. A throwback-style front grille recalls the old '67 Pace Cars, and the whole shebang will be painted in Inferno Orange, including the engine cover.

Now, for the most important bits:

Premium floor mats with accent colors
2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo decal on both doors and embroidered on driver and passenger headrests
2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo badges on front fenders

Price? $41,950 (including an $850 Destination Freight Charge). Get the rest of the details in the press release after the break.

Gallery: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading 2010 Camaro Indy 500 pace car entering limited production

2010 Camaro Indy 500 pace car entering limited production originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Camaro SS Pace Car ready for Indy 500

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Chevrolet, Specialty

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Indianapolis 500 is still more than five months away, but General Motors is getting a jump on the 2010 season with the unveiling of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Pace Car.

Shown today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the tangerine Camaro is a rolling homage to the original pony pace car that rolled onto the track in 1967, complete with Inferno Orange Metallic paint, White Diamond rally stripes and a color-matched instrument panel. While the auto-box equipped, 400-hp 6.2-liter V8 apparently remains unchanged, the rest of the modifications are primarily cosmetic, including the Indy 500 logos adorning the doors, front fenders and seat headrests, along with an all-new front grille that's slated to be available as a Camaro accessory in the future. The only safety equipment is the strobe light system mounted inside the rear window, negating the need for a traditional roof-top light bar.

The 2010 Indy 500 Camaro will be on display at the Indianapolis Auto Show starting on December 26, but you can get all the details by checking out the gallery below and the press release below the fold.

Gallery: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car

Continue reading 2010 Camaro SS Pace Car ready for Indy 500

2010 Camaro SS Pace Car ready for Indy 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Hurst Mustang debuts as droptop pace car

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Convertible, Performance, Ford

2010 Hurst Mustang Pace Car - Click above image for hi-res gallery

We've seen a rendering of the 2010 Hurst Mustang pace car, but this is the first time we're seeing the car in the ~~flesh~~ pixels. And... not bad at all. Sure, perhaps the wheels are a bit much, but we love the stripes. The basket handle doesn't even look too bad and at least it's functional - it serves as a home for the low-profile light bar.

Lest we forget, the Mustang Challenge pace car features a Roush supercharger that boosts horsepower from 315 all the way up to 435, and there are also some suspension tweaks to go along with the extra grunt. Suddenly, racing under caution looks a bit more entertaining. Best of all -- to future owners -- only fifty copies will be made. Full press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 Hurst Mustang Pace Car photos

[Source: Mustang Blog]

Continue reading 2010 Hurst Mustang debuts as droptop pace car

2010 Hurst Mustang debuts as droptop pace car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Chevy won't be offering Indy 500 Camaro Pace Car replicas

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 24 May 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Chevrolet, Specialty

The car above is the pace car for this year's Indianapolis 500, a special edition 2010 Camaro. If you want to see it in action, then you'll need to watch the race -- Chevrolet says it won't be making a pace car replica for people who don't drive on the oval. Chevy copied and sold the four previous iterations of Camaro Indy 500 pace cars thousands of times.

This time, though, a spokesman said, "In order to keep special editions special, we can't go to that well too often." Which means someone decided that a rare trip to the well would be better served by producing a Bumblebee Camaro than an Indy pace car edition, even though the original Camaro Indy 500 pace car editions still attract collectors 42 years after the fact...

Gallery: 2009 Chevy Camaro Indy Pace Car

[Source: Inside Line]

REPORT: Chevy won't be offering Indy 500 Camaro Pace Car replicas originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 May 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safety First: Wiesmann MF5 sets the pace for FIA GT Championship

Noah Joseph — Sun, 03 May 2009 10:11:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

Wiesmann MF5 FIA GT Safety Car - Click above to view in high resolution

The 2009 FIA GT Championship kicked off this weekend at England's stoic Silverstone circuit, and with it a number of new racing machines - including competition versions of the Nissan GT-R, Audi R8 and Ford GT - started their bid for the crown. But at the front of the field was another beast entirely. While other racing series tend to go with more mainstream, albeit high-end vehicles to set the pace at their events - Corvettes at Indy, Bimmers at MotoGP, Mercedes AMGs at F1 grands prix and DTM - the FIA GT Championship has opted to go with something decidedly more obscure: the Wiesmann MF5.

The niche retro sportscar is made by small German exotic automaker Weismann, and is differentiated from the stock GT by the motivation of one of the most lauded engines in autodom: the high-revving V10 from the BMW M5 and M6. With over 500 horsepower under the hood, the MF5 hits 60 in less than four seconds, giving it the pace it needs to stay ahead of the field.

[Source: Wiesmann]

Safety First: Wiesmann MF5 sets the pace for FIA GT Championship originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 May 2009 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG returns as F1 safety car for 2009

Drew Phillips — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG F1 Safety Car

AMG has been involved in Formula 1 for well over a decade now, starting with a Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG serving as the safety car back in 1996. Most recently, the SL63 AMG earned the spot last year, and it is returning for 2009 to set the pace at each F1 race this year. To ensure that it's capable of performing its duties in any situation, the car has been fitted with quite a few upgrades, including an upgraded coilover suspension system, a three-stage traction control system, massive composite brakes - 15.4 inches up front and 14.2 inch in the rear - and additional coolers for the oil, transmission, coolant, and power steering. The overall weight of the car has also been reduced by 485 pounds thanks to carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body components and the removal of the convertible top mechanism. Follow the jump for more details in the press release from Mercedes-Benz, and check out the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG F1 Safety Car

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG returns as F1 safety car for 2009

Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG returns as F1 safety car for 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago Auto Show: Special edition Corvettes

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 10:26:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

click image above or images below to view new live shots of these exclusive Corvettes

General Motors unveiled a pair of special edition Corvettes at the Chicago Auto Show yesterday, both of which commemorate the Vette's involvement in motorsports. The Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06 and Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car edition are both only trim packages with stock mechanicals, yet the visual impact of any Vette in Atomic Orange or the ultra exclusive Arctic White is breathtaking.

The Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06 was developed to celebrate the first man to win an ALMS race in the C5.R back in 2000. The Fellows Z06 is even more exclusive than the Indy 500 Pace Car replica, with only 399 cars being built. In our eyes, it's the better looking of the two (that's why we took more pics of it), with an exclusive coating of Arctic White paint accented by subtle red and silver fender badging. The Z06 wheels are coated in chrome and the windshield's adorned with a full-width Corvette banner, just like the C5.R.

The Indy 500 Pace Car edition is a capable vehicle already by virtue of being a Corvette Convertible with the Z51 performance package. As such, the car will need hardly any modfications to pace the Indy 500 in May. Chevy will be offering 500 of these replica cars to the public, which, along with the radioactive color, includes many Indy 500 logos on the car's exterior and interior, new aluminum split-spoke wheels, and a rear spoiler from the Z06. To be honest, we'd be way more into this car without all the Indy 500 badging, but we're sure Chevy will find 500 people (collectors?) who won't mind it.

GM hasn't made a big deal about these cars at the show, and it's true they're just trim packages for a car we're already very familiar with. Nevertheless, there always seems to be a crowd of journalists hanging around these jewels.

Gallery: 2007 Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06

Gallery: 2007 Chevy Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car edition

Continue reading Chicago Auto Show: Special edition Corvettes

Chicago Auto Show: Special edition Corvettes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Feb 2007 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago Preview: Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car edition

John Neff — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Motorsports, Convertible, Performance, Chevrolet

click above image to view an additional 21 high-resolution images

Nine times. No, we're not referring to how many times Ferris Bueller's been absent this quarter, we're referring to how many times the Chevrolet Corvette has handled the official pace duties of the Indianapolis 500. Actually, the ninth time will occur on May 27th of this year for the 91st running of the most historic motorsport event in America. It also marks the fourth time in a row a Corvette has led the pack at Indy.

General Motors will be producing 500 replica Indy Pace Car editions of the car to be offered to the general public. They'll be Corvette Convertibles in Atomic Orange with Indianapolis 500 exterior graphics, Indy 500 fender badges, a rear spoiler cribbed from the Z06, new aluminum split-spoke wheels in Sterling Siver finish, seats with embroidered Indy 500 logos, interior trim pieces painted Atomic Orange to match the exterior and Atomic Orange engine covers. Of course, the 400-hp LS2 is standard and the cars come with the Z51 performance package and a standard six-speed. Each car will have a base price of $66,995, although if one goes for the only option, a paddle-shifting six-speed automatic, the price rises a bit to $68,245.

You can read the official press release after the jump and don't let the Atomic Orange paint burn your retinas when you check out all the photos in our high-resolution gallery.

[Source: GM]

Gallery: 2007 Chevy Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car edition

Continue reading Chicago Preview: Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car edition

Chicago Preview: Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford shows off three new pace cars for NASCAR's season finale

John Neff — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ford

click on image to enlarge

Ford probably paid a lot of money to sponsor NASCAR's season ending series of races at Homestead Miami Speedway in November. Dubbed Ford Championship Weekend, season enders for the Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series will precede the Ford 400 on November 19th, the last race of this season's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Where there's NASCAR racing there's going to be wrecks, and when wrecks occur you need a trusty pace car to lead the field.

Yesterday Ford unveiled its trio of pace cars for the Championship Weekend, which include an F-150 FX-2 to pace the Ford 200 Craftsman Truck race, a Ford Edge to pace the Ford 300 Busch race, and a Shelby GT500 to pace the race with top billing, the Ford 400 Nextel Cup race. The vehicles will be stock save for pace car decals and a light bar, which essentially prepares them for anything they might encounter during their pace duty. With as frequent as crashes seem to occur in NASCAR races seem as of late, we expect these three vehicles will rack up some decent mileage before the Championship Weekend is over.

Matt Kenseth was on hand at the unveiling of the pace cars, which took place at Homestead Miami Speedway itself before a test session. Currently Kenseth and his DeWalt Fusion are 45 points out of first place in the race for the cup with just a few races to go. Fellow ROUSH Racing teammate Mark Martin is ranked No. 4 in the standings, 102 points out of first place. Jeff Burton and his Cingular-sponsored Chevy Impala are currently the cup race leaders.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford shows off three new pace cars for NASCAR's season finale

Ford shows off three new pace cars for NASCAR's season finale originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda Civic Type-R sedan pacing Japanese F1 GP

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 09:09:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Japan, Honda

Click to enlarge

UPDATE: Press release, hi-res photo gallery added

The 'R' in Type-R stands for 'racing,' so the deciders for Formula 1 thought it best to name the Civic Type-R Prototype as the official vehicle for this week's Japan Grand Prix. The four-door prototype has been given the go ahead for production and will likely hit dealers in its home country in late 2007. The overall shape bears significant resemblance to the current Civic sold stateside, however a revised front and rear fascia give the JDM Civic a bit more flow, when compared to its angular sibling abroad. Motivation will come in the form of a 2-liter, inline-four, producing upwards of 220 HP and sending power through a six-speed manual.

The race, to be held at the world-famous Suzuka Circuit in the Mie Prefecture, is the second to last race of the season and may prove to be one of the most entertaining races of the year. With a course rife with passing opportunities and the two leaders, Schumacher and Alonso, running neck-and-neck in points, we've already planned our Sunday around the race and even if you're not into F1, this may be the race to see.

(Photo gallery, press release after the jump)

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda Civic Type-R sedan pacing Japanese F1 GP

Honda Civic Type-R sedan pacing Japanese F1 GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Oct 2006 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lance Armstrong to drive Indianapolis 500 Corvette pace car

Stuart Waterman — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:34:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet

Chevrolet announced Tuesday that seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will drive the 2006 Corvette Z06 pace car at this year's running of the Indianapolis 500.

The striking red, white and blue 'Vette will be the eighth to pace the Indy field in the race's history, marking the 17th time a Chevy has had the honor.

The stars and stripes color scheme is intended to tie in with Chevy's "An American Revolution" marketing campaign, and looks to be a vast improvement over the purple and yellow extravaganza that graced Jay Leno's Corvette pace car at this year's Daytona 500.

[Source: GM]

Lance Armstrong to drive Indianapolis 500 Corvette pace car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda pacing IRL with Accord Hybrid

John Neff — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Green, Honda

If one needed more proof that Honda's Accord Hybrid is an eco hot-rod, here it is. IRL officials have announced the Accord Hybrid will be the Official Pace car for the 2006 IndyCar Series. The entire Delphi hIRL Safety Team will be outfitted with Honda vehicles that include the Accord Hybrid, Honda Ridgeline and Honda Pilot.

The Accord Hybrid Pace Car is modified for pacing duties with a roll cage and high-performance wheels and tires. It will pace every race of the 2006 season except for the Indianapolis 500. The big honor at Indy will go to the Chevy Corvette Z06, which marks the 17th time a Chevy has paced the big race in Indiana.

[Source: Honda]

Honda pacing IRL with Accord Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Mar 2006 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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