Trans Am Depot Shows Off Hurst Edition In New Commercial: Video

Do you long for the days of bell-bottomed jeans, 8-track tapes and billowing chest hair? Do you mourn the passing of the Screaming Chicken, emblazoned on a hood with a protruding intake? Take heed, retro muscle car fans: thanks to the team at TransAm Depot, the Pontiac Trans Am lives on.

In fact, it’s not just living, it’s thriving. New for 2013 are Hurst Editions of the once-iconic muscle car, boasting many familiar touches. The honeycomb-style wheels are present and accounted for, as is the classic black-with-gold livery (though white with gold and silver with black color schemes are also available).

Turning an ordinary Camaro into modern-day Hurst Trans Am takes some doing, and each of the Hurst Edition cars gets an Eibach suspension; forged Hurst wheels; an OEM-style Shaker hood; redesigned front and rear fascias; a complete body kit; HID headlights; LED taillights and brake lights; LED turn signals; a Hurst shifter and a Hurst decal kit.

Inside, the car gets unique sill plates; a Hurst dash plaque; carbon fiber trim on the dash, doors and gauge cluster; two-tone leather seats with the Hurst logo and Hurst-emblazoned floor mats.

The option list includes both supercharger and twin-turbo kits; long-tube stainless steel headers; a 2.5-inch stainless steel exhaust; a coil-over suspension and a T-top roof.

While the above TransAm Depot commercial, found on Autoblog, will do nothing to further the cause of women’s rights, it is a tongue-in-cheek trip back to the 1970s, when women in Daisy-Duke shorts and clingy gold cocktail dresses were regular staples of television and advertising.

If the Hurst Trans Am doesn’t quite do it for you, however, Trans Am Depot will also be happy to build you a car styled like the 1977 Trans Am, the 1969 Trans Am or even the 1969 Pontiac GTO. Like the Lingenfelter Trans Am conversion, these manage to blend both retro and current styling rather effectively.

Interested? Head on over to the TransAm Depot site to fill out a contact form.

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1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake Is The Most Expensive Mustang Ever Sold

While all eyes at last week’s Dana Mecum 26th Original Spring Classic Auction in Indianapolis was on the sale of the ‘Eleanor’ Mustang from 2000’s hit movie Gone In 60 Seconds, another rare Mustang also went under the hammer and ended up selling for considerably more.

That other rare Mustang was a 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake, which ending up selling for a staggering $1.3 million, $300k more than what the Eleanor Mustang sold for.

The selling price, according to Mustangs Daily, makes this particular ‘Stang the most expensive ever to be sold at auction. In fact, it’s likely to be the highest sum ever paid for a Mustang.

Why, you ask? This is not only the first Mustang to be called a Super Snake, but it’s also the only one of its kind.

It started off life as a demonstration vehicle for tire company Goodyear, but at the behest of Shelby engineer Fred Goodell it had a lightweight 427-cubic-inch race engine from Shelby’s Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 stuffed under the hood. The end result was a Mustang with well over 500 horsepower and a top speed of 170 mph, the latter confirmed by Carroll Shelby himself during a test run.

Later, a former Shelby dealer, Don McCain, proposed selling a limited run of 50 examples to the public and gave the car the Super Snake name. Unfortunately, the car’s estimated cost of around $8,000 (an astounding amount at the time), meant production was unviable and so no more were ever built.

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Chevrolet And Hot Wheels Team Up For Hot Rod Power Tour

Chevrolet has teamed up with Hot Wheels once again, this time to organize a tour that will see a number of the automaker’s performance cars, including some Hot Wheels specials, take part in a road trip designed to kick off the summer cruising season.

Called the Hot Rod Power Tour, the trip will start this Saturday, in Arlington, Texas, and will wrap up six days later in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The route will include stops in Texarkana and Little Rock, Arkansas, Memphis, Tennessee, Birmingham, Alabama, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and at each of these stops thousands of additional spectators and local hot rods are expected to show up.

From Chevrolet, there will be the stars of last year’s SEMA show including a 1967 Camaro Hot Wheels concept car as well as the latest Camaro Hot Wheels Editionand Camaro Convertible. There will also be a couple of Corvettes including a Corvette 427 Collector Edition Convertible.

But it won’t just be about the cars, as Chevrolet Performance will also be present, showcasing a range of its performance parts. These will include LSX454R, ZZ572 and ZZ383 crate engines; a partial chassis with an LS376/575 engine and 4L85E transmission installed; an LSA engine/4L85E transmission Connect & Cruise powertrain package; and a parts board with critical components like engine controllers and other vehicle-specific parts.

If you're in the area, make sure you head down.

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2014 'GTO' Teases Return Of The Goat: Video

Are you longing for a new Pontiac GTO? If so, Trans Am Depot might have your next mullet mobile muscle car. Pontiac may not exist anymore, but that isn't stopping "The Judge" from coming back to the market for 2014.

Trans Am Depot has released a teaser for a new commercial promoting the new 2014 "GTO". All we know is that it's coming soon. The commercial features what it calls the new "GTO," drag-racing a last-generation Ford Mustang GT500.No details have been released regarding the new "GTO's" powertrain, but a post on the Trans Am Depot's Facebook fan page revealed that it has 614 horsepower at the rear wheels. Since it's based on the new Chevrolet Camaro, we would venture to guess there's a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine under the hood.

Trans Am Depot is the same company that brought you the new Hurst Edition Trans Am commercial back in March.

For now, we'll have to sit and wait for "The Judge" to hold court. Until then, enjoy the commercial teaser above.

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Classic Recreations' 1966 Mustang Fastback Shelby GT350CR Is A Beauty

Classic Recreations is in the business of building Mustangs that look like the cars of yesteryear, but with modern underpinnings. That means they look just as good but drive much better.

The company has a license to build continuation Shelby Mustangs, which means its cars are also recognized by the official Shelby American Worldwide Registry.

Until recently, Classic Recreations was focused on building replicas of the 1967 Shelby GT500 but now it’s added a 1966 Shelby GT350 replica to its portfolio.Featured above is the very first example, a standalone prototype that will be auctioned off to the highest bidder at a Mecum auction taking place at next month’s 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. After the auction, the order books for Classic Recreations' 1966 Shelby GT350 replica, officially titled the 1966 Mustang Fastback Shelby GT350CR, will be opened.

Like all its replicas, Classic Recreations starts with an original Mustang donor car, in this case a 1965 or 1966 Mustang Fastback. The company’s staff then goes about stripping the vehicle and installing numerous modern day performance parts including a 545-horsepower 7.0-liter V-8.

The list of parts are numerous but the basic package, which retails for $119,000, gets you the aforementioned V-8 plus a Tremec manual transmission, Shelby racing seats, GT350CR floor mats, and a wood and aluminum steering wheel. You also get a set of 17-inch aluminum wheels, a Magnaflow exhaust and Shelby brakes.

From here, a lost list of extras can be selected. Things like an aluminum engine block and supercharger kit help lift output to 645 horsepower, but will also send the price north by about $9,500. Ordering the car in right-hand drive will also inflate the price by $12,500.

Production of Classic Recreations' 1966 Mustang Fastback Shelby GT350CR will be limited to just 10 units per year. For more photos of this beauty, head over to Mustangs Daily.

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Carroll Shelby-Owned 1969 Shelby GT500 Heading To Auction

A classic Ford Mustang is a wonderful item to put in anyones garage. Make it a Shelby GT500, however, and you're owning an excellent example of a rare piece of motoring history. What could you do to make it even more rare? Find an GT500 that was owned by the man whose name is on the back, Carroll Shelby.

Now's your chance to do just that because Mecum is set to auction off an ultra-rare pony car owned by the man himself.The car in question is a 1969 Shelby GT500. According to Mustangs Daily, the Grabber Yellow paint it wears makes it just one of eighteen built in that exterior shade. Additionally, it's just one of three to be equipped with a 3.50 Traction-Lok rear axle. The current owner purchased the car from Mr. Shelby and then proceeded to restore it over a ten-year period.

Under the hood is a 428 Cobra Jet V-8 engine, and it's paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. With just 4,317 miles on its odometer, the Shelby ownership history, and the rare color and rear axle, this should be one rather expensive muscle machine. It will cross the Mecum block at the Monterey auction in August. Our pre-auction guess? This should fetch low-to-mid six figures.

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Ford Rationalizes Mustang II As A Good Idea, 40 Years Later

1974 Ford Mustang II

Forty years ago, the Ford Mustang II replaced the Mustang. It was (and remains) ugly and slow. Fortunately for the Mustang II, it was only a little uglier and a little slower than the Mustang it replaced, so it sold well. It was also considerably less ugly than the Pinto it was loosely based on.

The Mustang II was also a car of its time, the early 1970s, when clothing was uglier than any Ford product and gas prices were skyrocketing. Oil shortages, OPEC, Vietnam led the nightly news.

But the Mustang II was never a good idea, whatever Ford has to say about it 40 years after the fact.

Today Ford issued a press release commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Mustang II's 1973 launch. In the release, the company makes a case for the smaller, more boring car's existence.

Says the release: "Despite being among the best-selling Mustangs of the past 49 years, Mustang II has been maligned by hardcore pony-car fans as the black sheep of the family almost since it went on sale. Looking back now, however, it’s clear that without the new direction forged by Mustang II, Ford almost certainly wouldn’t be celebrating 50 years of Mustang today."

Ford goes on to note the Mustang II's 500-pounds-lighter curb weight, more efficient engine range (no V-8s were offered initially), and greater agility, meaning overall performance was about the same as the bloated late-run proper Mustangs. "Coping with dissatisfied Mustang enthusiasts, and the emergence of federal environmental and safety requirements, Ford realized that Mustang needed to return to its roots. Initial proposals for a redesign based on the 1971 to 1973 platform were scrapped. A smaller, lighter car was created."

While that all may be true--the Mustang may have had to take a hiatus, or been killed altogether if it hadn't downsized--there's no sound argument for the way that Ford did those things with the Mustang II.

Taking a pony car that grew into a muscle car and turning it into the automotive equivalent of a brown polyester zoot suit was a bad thing. No matter what incidental good may have come of it.

Fortunately for the new generation of pony car buyers, the upcoming four-cylinder EcoBoost Mustang looks like it will escape this fate. The current run of the Mustang has seen its share of bloat, particularly in the high-performance GT500 models, even though they've come out quite good in the end. It's time to pare things down again, but this time, Ford looks to be well-equipped for the task.It's not entirely Ford's fault of course (except for that hideous body), as the government had decided to get its thick fingers in the mix with emissions regulations, flummoxing engineers seeking real horsepower for years afterward.

Based on our spy shots and our own experience with Ford's current line of turbocharged four-bangers, we expect the next-generation Mustang, which is going to sport an EcoBoost turbo four-cylinder, to be a proper take on the idea of an efficient, nimble pony car. One that doesn't remind you of the gas you're saving every time you put your foot in it. One that makes you smile, or maybe even giggle a bit.

That is not the Mustang II, Ford. No matter how you try to spin it.

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Ford Racing's Largest Small Block Ever Hits The Dyno VIDEO

Upgrading your street ride with a bigger, more powerful engine, is something every enthusiast has either done or dreamed of. For Ford fans, the new Ford Racing Z460 might just be the new holy grail.

It's not the most powerful engine in the world, nor is it the most insane. But it's still pretty badass.

The Z460 is the largest small block crate engine Ford Racing has ever built, packing 460 cubic inches, or 7.5 liters into its 351-based block. According to the team behind it, it's streetable. And it puts out 575 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque. On pump gas. It even comes with a two-year/24,000-mile warranty.

As this dyno video shows, peak power arrives at 5,500 rpm, while peak torque hits at 4,700 rpm--but there's over 540 pound-feet on tap (and close to 400 horsepower) from just 3,500 rpm.

The new crate engine will run you $9,999 without a carburetor, intake, or accessories.

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Watch An 1100-HP Car Do A Burnout Video !!!

Burnouts are fun, but what about burnouts with trailers?

1320 Video caught just such a spectacle. The crew of a Chevy Nova participating in Hot Rod Drag Week decided to make a rather unconventional run down a busy city street. They even attached the car's parachute to the back of the trailer.

The Chevy may look a little beat up, but under the hood is a twin-turbocharged V8 producing 1,100 horsepower. That was more than enough to spin the wheels but, if this is how they behave on a typical night of cruising, they should probably get that taillight fixed.

This is the kind of automotive spectacle that is incredibly satisfying to watch, yet makes absolutely no sense.

Sure, burnouts are mostly for show, but at least they serve a purpose in the context of a drag race.

Yet until trailer drag racing becomes a legitimate form of motorsport (and it may; we already have trailer figure-eight racing), there will be no reason for this. It's hard to explain why adding a trailer makes this burnout so much more fun to watch than the millions of others already floating around YouTube.

There's just something about a trailer being engulfed in tire smoke that makes you want to hit "replay."

Check out the video and see for yourself.

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Big Red

Big Red. The name conjures up a ginger-haired Texan who chews cinnamon gum. Or, arguably, the granddaddy of all Pro Touring cars, a 1969 Camaro that has been decimating all comers for 25 years already.

photo 5 1 300×225 imageBut, now, it’s time for something different for ol’ Red.

Bonneville. Salty and sweet. While a known quantity on the paved road, Big Red has been exploring lakes, first at the dry lake at El Mirage while qualifying for SCTA landspeed trials and now at Bonneville – here’s HOT ROD’s Elana Scherr on location:

Big Red is now at Bonneville trying for the 250 mph record in AA/Classic Blown Fuel Altered (CBFALT). They are doing okay – 218 mph on the last pass – but are finding that straight-lining on the salt is a bit different from pavement, plus the big tires and nimble handling of a road car cause pretty twitchy behavior on the salt. The team is currently “clearancing” the rear wheel wells to allow for tire growth, putting thinner tires up front, and adjusting toe-in and camber for stability rather than quick turning. They are also wrapping the air dam to try and direct the air around the tires in front.

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Ford takes us back to the first Shelby Mustang

The company has released a new video, which looks back at the development of the original Shelby GT 350 as part of its countdown to the Mustang’s 50th anniversary.

When then Ford Vice President Lee Iacocca called Carroll Shelby, in 1964, and asked him to make a Mustang race car thinks didn’t quite go according to plan as the original Shelby man responded by calling the Mustang a “secretary’s car” and saying he didn’t think it could be done.

Of course, we all know that such thinks would not hamper with Iacocca’s vision of the future (and it turned it was dead accurate) so he told Shelby “lets take the V8 and hop it up to 300-350 bhp (223- 261 kW),” and also change the brakes, the suspension and take out the rear seats.

Finally, the last debate was over the name of the model, as reportedly in the end Shelby called the shop foreman and asked him to count out the steps from the corner of the building to the Van Nuys airport. He walked out and counted 347 steps, so Shelby decided to round up and call the car the GT 350.

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Brazilian millionaire buries Bentley Flying Spur for after life use

A wealthy Brazilian millionaire decided to bury his Bentley Flying Spur as he believes by doing so he will be able to enjoy the car in afterlife.

62-year-old eccentric businessman “Count Scarpa” got this idea after watching a documentary on Ancient Egypt about the pharaohs of Egypt which he found to be very interesting. He bought the car as new for 310,000 GBP and now has begun digging a huge “grave” in his backyard for the Bentley.

Interestingly, back in 2009 he was in coma for 63 days after a superbug almost killed him following a surgery for stomach reduction. During this difficult period, he was pronounced legally dead twice and received last rites from a priest on both occasions. Following this incident, he became more aware of his mortality which is why we assume he decided to “secure” his afterlife transportation.

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Ford Mustang Named the Most-Wanted Classic Car in Europe

According to a recent survey made by the online auto site AutoScout24, the Ford Mustang is the most desirable classic car in Europe.

The survey has been taken by more than 75,000 users from Belgium, Austria, Germany, Italy, Holland and Spain. A total of 37% of them said that the Ford Mustang is the classic vehicle they would most like to own, followed by BMW M1 with 20% and the VW Beetle with 11%. It has been confirmed that the Ford Mustang will hit the European market soon.

“Ford Mustang is more than a car, it’s the freedom of the open road and the spirit of performance driving,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. “Mustang has been a fundamental part of global automotive culture for almost half a century and is one of the world’s most recognizable vehicles.”

The automaker also announced that the downloadable and online app Mustang Customizer has so far more than 500,000 visits from Europe. The app was launched in 2012 and since then more than 4.5 million people all over the world have accessed it. Customers using this app can build dream Mustang vehicles, pit them against other fans, earn badges and points for each vehicle built, compete in drift challenges and save picture to be used as desktop wallpapers.

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2006 Foose 1969 Camaro

Unique Performance, along with Foose Design and Year One

unveiled their first line of 1969 Camaro street machines, at the 8th Goodguys PPG Nationals.

The industry icons have teamed to build limited edition super cars with designs by 

Chip Foose based on 1960’s era vehicles. The Foose ’69 will be given away at the 9th 

Annual Goodguys PPG Nationals July 7-9 2006 as an official

 Goodguys Grand Prize Giveaway Car.

Motor:

572cid /620 HP Big Block V8 Engine
Arizona Speed and Marine Intake
Concept One Serpentine Belt System
Transmission:

Tremec TKO 5 Speed Manual Transmission
Hydraulic Clutch
Rear End:
Currie 31 Spline 9″ Posi-Traction TrU-Track Differential
3.25:1
Interior:

Foose Designed Leather Interior
4 Point Roll Bar
Crow Enterprizes 5 Point Quick Release Harness
Hot Rod Air A/C System
Custom Lower Console
Kenwood AM/FM/CD/DVD
Classic Instruments Gauges
Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel
Wheels & Tires:

Foose Designed 18″ Wheels
BFGoodrich G-Force Tires Front: 245/40ZR18 Rear: 295/35ZR18
Electrical:

MSD Ignition Control & Coil
FAST Fuel Management System
Exterior:

Jaguar Door Handles
Foose Badges both Exterior & Interior
Integrated PIAA Reverse Lamps
Custom Front Valence & Front Grill RS Style
Custom Hood
Smooth Bumpers
Exhaust:

Lemon Headers with Ceramic Coating
Fuel Cell:

Rick’s Hot Rod Shop – 18 Gallon Stainless Steel Tank
Brakes:

Front: Baer 12″ X 1.1″ Track System, PBR
Rear: 12″ X .81″ Touring System, PBR
Slotted, Cross Drilled & Zinc Washed
Cooling:

US Radiator Aluminum Cross Flow Radiator
Chassis & Suspension:

Chris Alston Chassisworks Front Chassis
Subframe Braces
Chris Alston Chassisworks Power Steering Rack
Unique Performance Products Adjustable Rear Coilover

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World’s Coolest Ford Pinto Does 345-Foot Wheelstand

There are roughly 3.4 million reasons not to like the Ford Pinto, but there’s one really,
really good reason to like it: this.

It’s nowhere close to a stock Pinto, of course, and it’s not alone in its unlikely
transition from fire-prone econobox to fearsome dragstrip demon,
but this little yellow monster, found via Bangshift, might just be the coolest Pinto ever.

Why? Because it took to the Thunder Valley Dragway in Marion, South Dakota and laid
down a beastly 345-foot wheelstand. The driver is just about as cool as his Pinto,
never lifting and shifting hard even while the nose points toward Saturn.

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A Mustang Fastback with the Heart of a ZR1: Meet the Equus Bass770

Singular in feeling with fastback styling, authentic and sensual body silhouette, here’s a flawless jewel, a collector’s piece with gutsy pioneer spirit. Full aluminum bespoke frame and body, tailored leather interior and authentic, skilled craftsmanship meet in hushed eloquence suited to a genteel lifestyle. An enraptured marriage of refinement and sportiness.

- QUICK SPECS -

MAKEEquus

MODELBass770

YEAR2014

ENGINE6.2L Supercharged V8

0-60 TIME3.400

PRICE$250,000

HP638

The interior cabin is entirely leather wrapped by hand with tastefully chosen pelts, and delicately highlighted by bright metal accents. A living collection of elegant colors, materials and finishing are developed by our designers in order to fulfill your wildest dreams for your EQUUS BASS770.

We have partnered with established automotive specialists and renowned luxury craftsmen, in order to rig out the EQUUS BASS770 with the most reliable and meticulously designed components.

Muscle car legacy elevated to a new climax of blazing luxury and driving pleasure. Feel the thrill behind the wheel and be transported into the privileged universe of an exceptional GT that redefines coolness. Back of the aluminum Supercharged 640 HP V8 engine, you’ll rev up to a truly modern motoring experience and enjoy the sensual rush and husky buzz of power and freedom. While the very best of american savoir faire assures you confidence and reliability.

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1953 Bosley GT Mk1

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