Tuesday, October 1, 2013

1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda For Sale: $3,200,000





In the muscle car world, the Plymouth Hemi Cuda is a by-word for the Holy Grail,
hen's teeth, or free beer. In other words, it's elusive and highly sought after.
But if you're in the market for one, look no further: there's a pristine example up
for sale, and all you need is the $3,200,000 asking price.
Yes, you read that right.

This 1970 Hemi Cuda, with just 17,729 miles on the clock, will set you back
the price of roughly 1.5 limited-edition Bugatti Veyrons. What makes
this car so special? It was rare when it was built, and it has a storied history in
Trans-Am racing at the hands of legends like Dan Gurney and Swede Savage
--though not this particular example, of course.


What really makes this car special is that it's the first E-body Hemi Cuda,
build by hand at Chrysler's Claire Point, Michigan facility. It was a prototype
never intended for sale, but it eventually found its way into private hands.
If you have the cash, and already have your own private island, hit the link
 below to see the auction site.

700-HP Raybestos 1964 Pontiac GTO-R Could Be Yours: Video


Raybestos 1964 Pontiac GTO-R. Image courtesy of Raybestos.

The 1964 Pontiac GTO is a legend in American muscle, being the progenitor of the breed, the original muscle car. Now a souped-up, 700-horsepower Hot Rod Chassis & Cycle-built GTO-R could be yours. For Free.

That's right, Raybestos is giving away a unique, custom-built and very impressive LSX 454-powered 700-horsepower 1964 Pontiac GTO-R Road Racer. All you have to do is sign up for the drawing on the official contest site.

Curious to know a little more about the car before you divulge your personal info? Read on.

This Goat is no common farm animal. Built from the frame up by Hot Rod Chassis & Cycle to be a street-legal road race car, including a GM LSX crate engine, Tremec six-speed manual transmission, Moser 9-inch rear-end, custom fabricated body and suspension, $20,000 Raybestos NASCAR brakes, and a reverse-sweep 180-mph speedometer. It's built to be a jack of all trades, too, as at home on the drag strip or the boulevard as it is at the track.

Check out the videos below to get a feel for the car and the people behind the project, and hit the official link below for your chance to win.




2015 Ford Mustang Complete Redesign Rumors


2012 Ford Mustang BOSS 302









The new 5.0-liter Mustang GT is a blast, and incredibly capable considering its somewhat ancient mechanical roots (particularly in the suspension) but Ford is no longer content to let iterative upgrades dominate the Mustang range. The latest reports have an all-new model debuting in 2015.

That's a change from previous expectations of a 2014 unveiling for the all-new Mustang, meaning it'll also arrive a year later, sometime in 2014.
What should you expect of the coming redesigned pony car?

 It could use a global platform with a smaller footprint, independent rear suspension, and--fear not--rear-wheel drive. Beyond that, it's all up in the air.
We expect Ford's growing range of turbocharged EcoBoost engines to play a central role as well, though a V-8 option is likely to remain available. Turbo fours and sixes could be the mainstay models, however, delivering similar performance to the current V-6 and V-8 models while eking out slightly better efficiency.
In the meantime, Ford may refresh the 2013 model, including the 2013 Shelby GT500, with new options and features.
Stay tuned for more on the all-new 2015 Mustang.

Inside Look At Camaro ZL1 Wind Tunnel Testing: Video

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 undergoes wind tunnel testing


















As muscle car fans everywhere–us among them–await the arrival of the Camaro ZL1 next Spring, Chevrolet has released a new video that explains in great detail the efforts that have been made to improve handling. To the wind tunnel!

Chevrolet spent more than 100 hours of testing in their aero lab, and the result is apparent: The Camaro ZL1 will be the first performance car from GM to generate neutral or negative lift, possibly generating downforce.

Lead development engineer–and retired F-16 pilot, so you know he means business–Thomas Froling demonstrates how new additions like the front splitter, hood extractor and rear spoiler help to keep the car glued to the ground. That's essential to a car hauling a 6.2L V-8 powerhouse with 580 horsepower and 556 lb-ft. of torque.

Despite the car's major power, Chevy is emphasizing the handling and aerodynamics – perhaps in an effort to change the stigma of big, American muscle cars that are allergic to curvy roads. How is that working out so far? Last month, the Camaro ZL1 laid down a Nurburgring test time of 7:41.27, more than a second faster than the Corvette Z06 (7:42.9) and just a tick off the pace of a Porsche 911 Turbo S.

So will this new focus on handling, drag and downforce make its way into other models in the Chevy lineup? The research and subsequent developments in the Camaro ZL1 have to bode well for future performance cars like the C8 Corvette, expected to debut in 2013.
Check out the video for plenty more technical and visual goodies.



Latest Ford-Licensed Body Shell Lets You Build A New '67 Mustang Convertible












Remember the brand new 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible body shell unveiled at the 2011 SEMA show?

Well, now you can add this 1967 Mustang Convertible body shell to the growing stable of Ford-licensed restoration parts as well.
This means that classic Mustang fans can now build or restore the ’65 convertible, ’67 and ‘69 fastbacks and the ’67 convertible versions of the iconic muscle car with the safe knowledge that their vehicles have a body that’s literally good as new.

To qualify as an official Ford-licensed restoration part, the ’67 body shell has to meet or exceed the fit, finish and quality of the original. That challenge was met once again by the guys at Dynacorn, which have not only replicated the original ’67 convertible, but made it better.
The body panels, for example, are stamped from modern automotive-grade ‘virgin’ steel that’s slightly thicker than the original. Then, to further add strength, the panels are assembled using modern welding techniques.

To build up a Mustang using the body shell, the powertrain, suspension and brakes, the electrical systems, the interior and trim can either be bought new or transferred from an existing car to the new body. The good news is that more than 90 percent of the parts needed to restore a 1967 Mustang convertible are available new as Ford-licensed reproduction components.
This means that the ’67 convertible body can be built to just about any specification that was available when the car was new. Ford’s big-block engines from that era, including the 390, 427 and 428-cubic-inch motors, bolt right in with no modifications necessary. Also, the ’67 body can be used as a basis to build a replica of the Shelby GT350 or GT500 convertibles.

The 1967 convertible body shell is now available to order from the Ford Restoration Parts catalog and is priced at $15,995. And while this may seem steep for what is essentially an empty shell, the chances of finding a rust-free ’67 Mustang that’s never been wrecked will be next to impossible. As the value of classic Mustangs has increased over the years, garages, barns and junkyards have mostly been picked clean.



2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: New 5.8-Liter Engine Photo

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 5.8-liter supercharged engine


The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was unveiled at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show last month, and we were there to cover it. What isn't widely known, however, is that the car on the show floor didn't have the new 5.8-liter, 650-horsepower engine under the hood. It still had the previous 5.4-liter version. This image shows what the new engine will look like.



As you might expect, it looks a whole lot like the current one--the main differences are on the inside. A new TVS series 2300 supercharger displacing 2.3 liters sits atop it, however, helping the big V-8 reach its phenomenal production car power figure by flowing more air than the previous 550-horsepower 5.4-liter's supercharger.
For the full details on the 2013 Shelby GT500, check out our preview here or the video below. Otherwise, enjoy the gallery.

New Details On Chrysler's Alleged Barracuda Comeback

1967 Plymouth Barracuda
1967 Plymouth Barracuda
























If rumors from January’s Detroit Auto Show are correct, the current Dodge Challenger is living on borrowed time.

Even in SRT8 trim, the Challenger is more of a Grand Touring coupe than a pony car, which limits its appeal to the Mopar faithful.


Chrysler thinks it can sell more units of a smaller, more mainstream rear-wheel drive muscle car, and Motor Trend reports that Ralph Gilles is already at work on the design of a new Barracuda. Like the upcoming Viper, this model will probably be sold under the SRT nameplate.


Don’t expect the new Barracuda to be a retro design, though it will likely employ some styling influences from all three generations of Plymouth Barracuda, originally built from 1964 to 1974. The Chrysler group rear-wheel drive platform to be used is currently under development, and will likely be shared with future Alfa Romeo models.


With new versions of the Mustang and Camaro coming for the 2014 or 2015 model year, expect the SRT Barracuda to launch around the same time. The current pony car performance bar will likely be raised, as the next Mustang is expected to get an independent rear suspension, while the Camaro is said to be moving to a smaller (and lighter) platform.
We’ve got mixed emotions on this, since we’re fans of the current Challenger’s styling. As much as we like the car, it’s simply too big for track-day fun, so we’d welcome a more sporting muscle car from Chrysler. The Challenger’s LY platform is also getting up in years, and there simply isn’t enough demand to warrant a redesign.


We’ll miss the Dodge Challenger when it’s gone, but we’re confident that an SRT Barracuda will keep our grieving process short.