Autoblog

Super sleeper Saab 900 does 174 mph in the standing mile

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Saab

Somewhere behind Hennessey setting a new top speed record at this year's Texas Mile with its camouflage Ford GT, a stock-looking 1996 Saab 900T pulled up to the line to see what it could do. The dealer showroom wheels wouldn't offer any indication that the 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood was getting help from a Garrett turbocharger, a tuned ECU and E85 gas to put out 465 horsepower at the front wheels.

Knowing that, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that at the other end of the mile the sky blue Swedish wonder was doing 174 miles per hour. The four-cylinder class at the Texas Mile has plenty such rockets, too, this Swede coming just behind a Dodge Neon that did 175.8 mph. You can watch the Saab do its thing in the video below.

Continue reading Super sleeper Saab 900 does 174 mph in the standing mile

Super sleeper Saab 900 does 174 mph in the standing mile originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Watch the Hennessey Ford GT makes its record run at Texas Mile

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ford, Specialty

We said they'd probably be out with an official video, we did not lie. The Hennessey-powered camouflage Ford GT sat at one end of the runway at the Texas Mile sitting still. At the other end of the runway it had broken its own speed record, the twin-turbo 5.7-liter V8 pushing the aerodynamic supercar up to 267.6 miles per hour, a 4.3-mph improvement over the old mark.

There's not much in the video you haven't already seen, this just makes it official. That said, who doesn't want to see a twin-turbo Ford GT set an incredible speed record? You can watch it below.

Continue reading Watch the Hennessey Ford GT makes its record run at Texas Mile

Watch the Hennessey Ford GT makes its record run at Texas Mile originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Watch a modified Ford GT go 283 mph in a standing mile

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ford, Specialty

The BADD Ford GT built by Performance Power Racing - with the help of its two whirlygigs hanging out back and a fancy new metal called "Pandalloy" - set two records last week at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. From a standstill, the twin-turbo powerhouse got up to 283.232 miles per hour in just 5,280 feet, as measured by Tag Heuer timekeeping.

That meant a new record in the standing mile as well as a Guinness World Record for top speed in a street-legal car. And that means the engineers in Molsheim, home to Bugatti, just might spend this evening getting to work on something even faster.

Check out a video of the PPR GT at work below.

Continue reading Watch a modified Ford GT go 283 mph in a standing mile

Watch a modified Ford GT go 283 mph in a standing mile originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Watch a Hennessey Ford GT set a new standing mile world record

Zach Bowman — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Ford, Racing

It was a big weekend for Sean Kennedy, Mark Heidaker and the team at Hennessey. The trio managed to walk straight past the previous world record for the standing mile with a top speed of 257.7 mph. Kennedy took the wheel of Heidaker's Hennessey-prepped Ford GT for the feat. The vehicle used to be both twin-turbocharged and supercharged before Heidaker decided he needed a little more thrust. Hennessey then ditched the supercharger for a more efficient twin-turbo setup. The work seems to have paid off. Putting down that sort of speed in the span of a standing mile is nothing short of amazing, and the engineering behind the machine deserves all sorts of respect.

Of course, commanding the roided-out GT to do your bidding is also plenty impressive.

Tucked beneath that wild wrap is a white GT with a blue stripe, one of our favorite color combinations on this iconic shape. Hit the jump to see the run from inside the cockpit.

Continue reading Watch a Hennessey Ford GT set a new standing mile world record

Watch a Hennessey Ford GT set a new standing mile world record originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V Wagon breaks own Texas mile speed

Zach Bowman — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Performance, Wagon, Videos, Cadillac, Luxury

John Hennessey recently returned to the Texas Mile with his 700-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon for another shot at high-speed glory. The long-roof rocket managed to clip off a top speed of 189.7 miles per hour in the standing mile, which beat out last year's figure by a safe margin.

That speed is certainly a feather worth sticking in the Hammer Wagon's cap, but it may not be the most impressive part of this story. Hennessey didn't trailer the CTS-V Sport Wagon to the track. Instead, the builder drove the car to the event, made his full-speed run, topped off the tank with pump gas and headed 175 miles home.

Could this be the perfect vehicle? We certainly hold a special place in our hearts for the stock CTS-V Sportwagon, and Hennessey's efforts with the platform have made the vehicle no less desirable. Hit the jump to check out a video of the Texas Mile run for yourself.

Continue reading Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V Wagon breaks own Texas mile speed

Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V Wagon breaks own Texas mile speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments