Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Chevy Camaro.

In this automotive day and age, any vehicle that has even a trace amount of performance in its DNA has to make the rounds around the Nurburgring. The new Chevy Camaro SS isn't exempt. So after GM revealed the Camaro on Monday, one of the scribes at InsideLine ran up to an engineer to find out what kind of time the Camaro put down at the Nordschleife. According to Doug Houlihan, GM's chief engineer for global rear-wheel-drive vehicles, the Camaro SS ran the 'Ring in 8:20.

To put that into perspective, the recently released 2008 Cobalt SS did the deed in 8:22, along with the BMW E46 M3 and the last generation BMW M Coupe, followed by the Lotus Exige S and Porsche Cayman S at 8:25.

Ed Welburn, GM'S veep of global design, concedes that the Camaro's shape is merely adequate from an aerodynamic standpoint, with a coefficient of drag on the SS of 0.35 and on the LS/LT models of 0.36 – largely a result of the recessed headlamps and full-width grille.

Houlihan went on to say that their time at the 'Ring allowed them to dial in the steering response and suspension settings, and that the StabiliTrak traction control system on the Camaro will be the best GM can offer. Settings on the SS model allow drivers to choose between track and performance modes, along with completely disabling the system. A launch control feature will also be available on the SS.

The only question now is: where's the video?


[Source: InsideLine]

Click above image for photo gallery

OntarioStreetCar caught sight of a transporter loaded with Detroit Muscle being used in the filming of the fourth installment of The Fast and the Furious saga, innovatively titled, Fast and Furious. This is one truck we'd gladly hijack with a crew of accomplices driving tuned Civics, as it's hauling, at minimum, a pair of Chargers, a Chevelle SS, and the wicked Torino GT you see above. Not included in the attached gallery are studio shots of Vin Diesel with a Grand National and yet another Chevelle, both of which you can see at OntarioStreetCar. The F&F films may be light on plot, but they're long on car porn, and we can say without a hint of embarassment that we are totally going to see this movie. Thanks to Jesse for the tip!


[Source: OntarioStreetCar]

Click above for a photo gallery courtesy of AB reader Aleks Witko

Thanks to reader Aleks Witko, who sent in the enclosed shots of the SS-ified (but certainly not sissified) 2008 edition of Bumblebee. The Transformers crew was shooting scenes at Drexel University in Philly, and Aleks scored some nice overhead shots of the car down on the street below. (One nice thing about movie sets: the lighting's going to be good.) Even better (for him), he reports, " Lucky for me, I also got to meet Megan Fox." Lucky, indeed.


[Source and Photos: Aleks Wytko]

Click through to the source for more pictures of the Cobalt SS Sedan

Chevy's Cobalt SS Coupe goes on sale soon, but the door count comes up short for some folks who would otherwise consider the turbo-fed modern-day Z24. Powered by the 2.0 liter turbocharged Ecotec four that does an uncanny impression of a small block V8, the Cobalt SS looks to offer a significant grin coefficient for $22,995. There's only a few options, this being a top-dog model. A limited-slip differential will help hardcore drivers power out of turns and costs $495, and the only other boxes to tick are for a sunroof, metallic paint, and a rear wing – all items we'd gladly omit to save weight and cost. In contrast to the equally-priced HHR SS, the Cobalt SS wears summer-only Continental tires and also carries a beefier brake package from Brembo. The porting of the hot rod powertrain to the four door bodyshell is another beacon of hope for those who find a two door impractical (ever tried to wrangle a baby seat into a coupe?) but still want to have some fun, and the reasonable price of entry makes the SS and its quick, competent performance an attainable domestic entry in the economy missile segment.

[Source: MotiveMag]

Click image for a high-res gallery of the VE Sportwagon SS-V

Wagons are cool. They're practical, too -- a fact most of the world outside North America seems to fully understand. Alas, we're here in the land of the crossover. Sure, there are some nice ones, but they aren't nearly as fun as what Holden has brewing. Following up the "concept" that made its debut in Sydney last October, Holden has formally unveiled the VE Sportwagon, which comes in the same range of trim levels as the VE Commodore sedan, up to and including the musclebound, tire-immolating SS-V, which is shown above.

Depending on trim level, non-SS models generally come with one of two 3.6L Alloytec V6 engines (this is the same 3.6 you'll find in any number of US GM vehicles -- the Alloytec-branded motors are manufactured in Australia, however). The standard one is good for 241 hp / 243 lb-ft via a 4-speed automatic. The "high-output" version delivers 261 hp / 250 lb-ft courtesy of a 5-speed auto with a manumatic feature. The SSvand SS-V get the 6.0L, 362-horsepower / 390 lb-ft V8 as standard equipment. It's mated to a 6-speed automatic, also with a manual-shift feature. Optionally, the Calais V can be had with this powertrain as well.

The SS-V is our fave, with HID lamps, big 19" wheels, and the full muscle-machine look of its sedan counterpart, just with more space for your stuff. Sadly, Pontiac won't be getting a version of the VE Sportwagon, which would have been a much cooler Poncho family hauler than the '87 Safari 9-seater (navy blue with the woodgrain stickers and yacht-like steering) this Autoblogger learned to drive in. Chalk up yet another win for Aussie gearheads, who'll get a highly practical and stylish vehicle that can do burnouts at will.



[Source: Holden]

The hotrod version of Fiat's new 500 was snagged by photographers in frozen Scandinavia practicing its flick. Wearing a tape job, the Abarth 500 SS doesn't do a whole lot to disguise its body mods. The snout and rump have their details pretty well obscured, but the overall motif is discernible. The wraps will come off this extra-aggressive Lilliputian in Geneva, and we'll finally get to see if it's kyooooote or aggressive. Either way, the Abarth will have a taste of Brobdingnagian power served up by the turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder sending 150-plus horsepower twirling down to the front wheels. Two models are planned, one less powerful than the other. Prices will cover the range from £13,500 to about £16,000. It's small, lively cars like this that make us hope fuel prices continue to spur their continued development.

[Source: AutoExpress]

click above image to view video

Our reaction to the official press shot of the Corvette ZR1 was a little guarded. The bright blue car that accompanied the lifting of the embargo left us thinking a bit more about Hot Import Nights than we were comfortable with. 0-60 Magazine recently had a photo shoot with another ZR1, and this one dressed nice. All the tungsten instruments around 0-60's ZR1 really play up the surface detailing of the C6 Corvette, and the handsome metallic gray hue made this particular ZR1 a stealth bomber. There's the minor detail of that polycarbonate skylight in the hood, and the humongous brake package peeking from behind equally huge rims is far more striking in person than pictures will ever convey, too. So, even in a subdued color, the ZR1 still manages to announce to the world that it's packing something special. There's nothing of any consequence in the video, it's a few walkarounds of one of the hottest cars extant. It's a nice holiday treat, so stop feasting on goodies for a couple minutes and hit the jump for some eye candy instead.

[Source: 0-60]

Autoblog Podcast #83 was judiciously held back until after the embargo cleared, but we can now talk freely. The biggest news this week is the official unveiling of the Corvette ZR-1/Blue Devil. Powered by the new LS9 supercharged small-block, the car's performance is sure to be astounding. After laying eyes on the un-camoflaged car, hood porthole and all, we have to ask: is it overwrought? From ridiculous speed to ludicrous wordsmithing, we talk about the Nissan FORUM concept mainly for the chance to bash the hilariously composed press release. Maybe it was written in Japanese and they just passed it through translation software before releasing the announcement.

While we're being scornful, we turn our gaze to the new Knight Rider. We've been keepig an eye on all the news, and let's just say we expect the show to fail. The new Mustang-based KITT, even in Attack guise, is no Super Pursuit Mode original KITT. We wrap up with some discussion of Hyundai's move toward a turbocharged 2.0-liter direct-inject engine (GEMA?) and take that off into a discussion about the expanded selection of good, inexpensive, and powerful coupes. The finale is some speculation about the rendering of a new McLaren supercar, as well as analyzing the absurdly high price of the BMW 1-series. 43 minutes will do it, see you next week!

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click above image to view high-res gallery of the Fiat Grande Punto Abarth SS

Fiat has big plans for the resurrected Abarth brand, wasting no time with a 180 HP splash in the body of the Grande Punto Abarth SS. Fiat plans to use Abarth as an in-house tuning and racing concern, and this car demonstrates the kind of tuning they have in mind.

There are two Grande Punto Abarths: the base model comes to the party with "just" 150 HP, but the SS takes it up to 180 HP. The Abarth SS models also get a nice body kit that looks like it came from a Transformers spare parts bin. The interior is clean and basic, but not spartan, and well-laid out. Good luck to anyone who doesn't plan on racing everyone and everything at every stop light. For a small hatch, it's one of the hottest cars out there -- check out the special edition Frankfurt Auto Show wheels -- and the hottest presenters didn't hurt either.

Check out the press release after the jump, and be sure to check out the gallery of hi-res images.

It's another slew of Corvette Blue Devil/SS/Stingray/Who-Really-Knows spy shots, this time in yellow with some modifications. Speculation continues that it will have a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with a carbon fiber roof and hood, which probably does not include the transparent Plexiglas panel that was all the buzz a few months back. There's a new decklid lip, conjecture about a second vent higher up the front fenders, and a different shape for the lower rear fascia.

It also is possible that the uber-Corvette will ditch its Goodyears in the closet and slip into some Michelins for the big dance, a first for the Vette it seems. The rubber shoes in the photo contain markings and designs particular to each wheel. The rear rims -- the same staggered, double dual 5-spoke design seen before -- measure a whopping 20-inches, and slight mud flaps do little to hide their girth.

Thanks for the tip, Marco!

[Source: Popular Mechanics]