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With the massive Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), there are performance vehicles of all stripes, but only one has the distinctive Yenko stripes. As previewed in the autoMedia blog , General Marketing Capital Incorporated ( GMCI ) showed a 2010 Yenko Camaro Prototype based on a Camaro SS . The Phase 1 Yenko boasts a supercharger to boost output to 600 horsepower, Tremec six-speed manual transmission, Hurst short-throw shifter, six-piston big brake package, and Magnaflow high-flow cat-back exhaust system. The appearance is given the full Yenko treatment with the essential, distinctive strips, emblems, and retro-styled 22-inch aluminum wheels. The interior features Yenko Super Car (sYc) embroidered headrests, Yenko/SC sill plates, Yenko/SC embroidered floor mats, and more. GMCI is exploring options for producing more Yenko project cars and product lines. It is also developing a Web site to support the business and nurture a Yenko community. The name Yenko is legendary in muscle car circles, with classic Yenko Camaros demanding 10-times the price as a traditional factory car at major auctions. It was Don Yenko who was responsible for creating the Yenko Stinger Corvair, Yenko...
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Hyundai flirted with the import performance crowd with the Tiburon , but the Korean-automaker is pink-slip serious about appealing to the aging “The Fast and Furious” crowd with its latest coupe. The new, rear-drive Genesis Coupe is a well-executed sporty car with impressive fit-and-finish and decidedly performance-driver bent. For those enthusiasts with a passion for customization and factory-besting performance, Hyundai is introducing the 210-horsepower Coupe 2.0T R-Spec at the Specialty Equipment Market Association ( SEMA ) Show this week. Consider this new edition as a blank slate for tuners. Priced at just $23,750, it gives enthusiasts an affordable head start on their wrench-turning adventures. The hardware is based on the Track model, with the track-tuned suspension, 19-inch wheels, Brembo brakes, and Torsen limited-slip differential. It also adds a set of front strut camber adjustment bolts to further enhance initial turn-in and handling response. R-Spec comes only with a manual transmission. While it has the performance goodies, the R-Spec eliminates “non-essential” features for both cost and, to a lesser degree, weight, including Bluetooth, automatic headlights, cruise control...
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As the fifth-generation 2010 Chevrolet Camaro recalls the classic 1967-1969 original, it is only natural that the most legendary Camaro return, as well. At the upcoming Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) next week, General Marketing Capital Incorporated (GMCI) will show a 2010 Yenko Camaro Prototype certain to bring an instant grin to any bowtie enthusiast. The prototype is based on a Camaro SS that has been upgraded to a “Phase 1” Yenko. Initial information shows the transformation includes a supercharger to boost output to 600 horsepower, Tremec six-speed manual transmission, Hurst short-throw shifter, six-piston big brake package, and Magnaflow high-flow cat-back exhaust system. The appearance is given the full Yenko treatment with the essential, distinctive strips, emblems, and retro-styled 22-inch aluminum wheels. The interior features Yenko Super Car (sYc) embroidered headrests, Yenko/SC sill plates, Yenko/SC embroidered floor mats, and more. Production will include Phase II and III offerings with greater power increases and more aggressive chassis upgrades. Today, original Yenko Camaros command head-spinning prices. Rest assured, this will not be an inexpensive package...
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In just a few more days, the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) will open its doors in Las Vegas, showcasing the latest aftermarket components and high-performance project cars. The event allows manufacturers to meet with wholesalers, establishing new business and continuing partnerships. For those in the media, it is a chance to learn about the latest chromed widgets, emerging product trends, and fuel our automotive fantasies. To that end, Ford will be celebrating the Mustang’s 45th anniversary with a diverse herd of modified Mustangs. (See our 2010 Ford Mustang review .) The Mustang is the most customized car in the $31.8 billion aftermarket industry. As proof, it is hard to find a stock Mustang outside a rental fleet. Daresay, the vast majority of pony cars are customized in some way. Ford even makes it easy with an online customizer , and an abundant catalog of cosmetic and go-fast goodies. In the aftermarket, there is a vast array of offerings from dedicated, talented companies. Some of the best examples will be on hand at the show, which in the past has drawn over 100,000 industry attendees. And a few bloggers. Ford Vehicle Personalization will display a carbon...
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The latest high-performance creation from Hennessey Peformance Engineering (HPE) is so quick that OnStar was alerted by a recent acceleration test. In a video , posted by AutoBlog , a Cadillac CTS-V700 billed as a “four-door ZR-1” ran the quarter-mile in 11.07 seconds at 128 mph. In doing so, the musclebound CTS-V pulled .99 g, enough to alert OnStar that something beyond the norm for a production car was going on. A great nod to the performance accomplishment, an OnStar operator calls the car after the run and the driver reports all is fine. (Learn how OnStar works .) The CTS-V700 with 20-inch drag radials claims a 10.9 second quarter-mile time at 129 mph. It blasts 0-60 mph in just 3.1 mph, reaching a 211 mph top speed. The V700 package includes: Four-inch cold-air induction system Supercharger pulley and snout upgrade Engine management software upgrade Long tube 1 7/8-inch stainless-steel headers Three-inch stainless mid pipes High-flow catalytic converters Intercooler heat exchanger system upgrade V700 camshaft upgrade V700 high-flow cylinder heads 160-degree thermostat Hennessey embroidered head rests Serial numbered dash and engine plaques Should that transformation sound too...
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A rolling nostalgia machine, the 2010 Dodge Challenger will be available in a classic Plum Crazy paint scheme. Plum Crazy was one of several vibrant colors available on the Challenger in the early 1970s that helped define the era, along with Banana, Go-Mango, and Sublime. The head-turning purple will be available on the Challenger R/T ($35,140) and SRT8 ($44,155) variants. On the Challenger R/T, the Plum Crazy Pearl Coat will be offered with a choice of matte black or new bright white dual-wide R/T body-side stripes. The purple package also includes “Challenger” script badges, polished-chrome heritage wheels, classic egg-crate grille with heritage “R/T” badge, body-color rear spoiler, functional hood scoop, and chromed fuel-filler door. The R/T features the Track Pak with a “pistol-grip” shifter, 3.92:1 differential, and throaty dual exhaust system. Underhood is a 5.7-liter, 376-horsepower Hemi V-8. The Plum Crazy SRT8 benefits from the comprehensive performance transformation that trim entails, including a 6.1-liter, 425-horsepower Hemi V-8 engine. The interior is highlighted with purple seat piping. Production of the Plum Crazy Challenger begins in November. Read our Dodge Challenger...
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It’s hard not to be a fan of the Acura TSX. In its first generation, the lithe and nimble sedan offered great looks and refinement, with a rev-happy four-cylinder engine thrown in to boot. In 2009, a new TSX appeared, larger, more luxurious, but still enjoying that incredible fun-to-drive feeling, and keeping that sweetheart four-cylinder. But the marketplace can be a fickle thing, and just about every competitor of Acura’s near-luxury sedan either featured a standard six-cylinder engine, or offered one as an option. So for 2010, we now have a new TSX V6 model to top out the range. And this is no mild-mannered six, but a very powerful 3.5-liter V6—taken from the Acura TL—that pumps out 280 hp (79 more hp than the four-cylinder) as well as 254 lb.-ft of torque. The V6 comes standard with a five-speed automatic with paddle shifters. That the added power makes a quantum leap in performance is not a big surprises—40 percent more horsepower will do that, but it also makes a huge change in the personality of the TSX. Where the four-cylinder feels light and spirited, the V6 moves out with real authority, yet feels much more serious. Tap on the gas and you’re gone. And the sound is a rich deep...
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Toyota will use the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show to unveil its latest concept car, the FT-86 sports car. The name doesn’t roll off the tongue, but the car itself is quite tasty. The FT-86 is the long-rumored coupe co-developed with Subaru, and it suggests fun may be returning to the rather conservative product line. The FT-86 is rear drive, with a 2.0-liter boxer engine under hood. Toyota has not yet released the horsepower, though it may be rather entertaining, for Subaru offers a turbocharged 2.0L in Japan. The car measures 163-inches long and 69-inches wide, making it about the size of the Nissan 370Z . For contrast and historical perspective, it is more than a foot shorter than the Subaru XT sports car from the 1980s and about seven inches shy of the last-generation Toyota Celica . Toyota refers to the FT-86 as a five seater, though from the photos it is hard to imagine it holding that many full-sized humans. Subaru is expected to introduce its own version of the FT-86 on the show circuit this year. Naturally, the car will feature all-wheel drive. It could be quite interesting with a 2.5-liter engine family, like the Impreza, ranging up to the 265-hp WRX and 305-hp STI. This is definitely...
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Legendary, Florida-based Ford tuner Steeda is best known for its quality Mustang transformations and aftermarket parts. The perennial centerpiece for its potent pony line has long been known as the Q, as in Q Ship, or to quote Lightning McQueen, “Quicker than quick.” Following tradition, the high-octane mechanical maestros have prepared a 2010 Steeda Q Series Mustangs, and the potent pony’s formal unveiling will be at the November Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. With hundreds of hours of computer-aided design (CAD) work completed, and extensive computer and wind tunnel analysis completed, as well as vigorous road coarse testing, Steeda is confident they have pushed the boundaries for its fabled Q Series. Dario Orlando, the founder of Steeda Autosports, said, “In all of our Q Series of high-performance Mustangs, we never compromise or take shortcuts, our customers who demand maximum performance, bullet-proof reliability, and class-leading, race-honed styling wouldn’t have it any other way.” Steeda is mum on details, but we know from past Q cars that their approach is thorough, with exterior and interior styling wrapped around serious powertrain and chassis...
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Designed to be the most dynamic and agile Mini ever built, the Mini Cooper Coupe makes its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week. Production intent has not been announced for this concept, though the automaker says it aims to offer a varied and exciting range of small premium cars to customers in the coming years and has reaffirmed that a crossover model is in the final stages of development. Looking like a chopped Cooper hatchback with a toupee, the coupe retains all the essential Mini styling cues below the beltline. Despite the dramatic look, it measures just two inches lower than a production hatchback. The roof is constructed of weight-saving aluminum, and it visually lowers the profile while retaining head room. Inside, there is sculpted, two-tone bucket seating for just the driver and a front passenger. The interior appears common with the production cars, with the exception of two Chronoswiss clocks to the right and left of the tachometer remniscient of earlier Mini concept cars. Rear luggage space is access via a liftgate hinged above the rear spoiler. Mini says the car was engineered to accept the most powerful engine in the current line-up, the 1.6-liter turbocharged...
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Planning for SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) 2009 is in the works for its November 3rd opening in Las Vegas. Ford will be the featured automaker, but accessories for nearly every make and model of car, truck and SUV will be on display for those who covet anything having to do with automotive customization. Mercedes-Benz kicked off its sponsorship of Fashion Week in New York September 10th with a super model that some may consider the ultimate fashion accessory: the 2010 Limited SL63 AMG Edition IWC. The IWC reference comes from Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhauser, who has created a limited edition "Grosser Ingenieur" (Great Engineer) watch that will be featured at Fashion Week in connection to the car and delivered as a gift with purchase to the few and lucky buyers. Two hundred SL63 AMG Edition IWC roadsters will be built, with only 63 available to U.S. customers. The matte-finish Magno Cashmere White paint is the first of its kind on a Mercedes-Benz model. The roadster's interior features Tobago Brown Nappa leather and carbon fiber touches on the center console and door panels. Each Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG roadster is powered by a 6.3-liter, 518-horsepower...
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The Pontiac division is an unfortunate casualty of the General Motors restructuring, denying rear-drive enthusiasts the G8 sedan and a next-generation, production Firebird or GTO. Unless enterprising Poncho enthusiasts contract Trans Am Depo t to build a modern Firebird from the new, retro-themed 2010 Chevrolet Camaro . This Florida-based Firebird restoration shop will introduce a one-off " Phoenix T/A " Concept at the 2009 Trans Am Nationals, previewing a conversion the company will offer later in the year. Designer Kevin Morgan has created a look inspired by the 1977-1978 Trans Am, merging the “Bandit” look with the profile recreated from the first-generation Firebird. The posted illustrations bring an instant smile to our face, and we hope to see an variety of such Camaro Ams on the car show circuit next year. The Trans Am Depot has said the kits will be available as an installed conversion only. Order details, pricing, and delivery information have not been announced, though the package specifics have: Exterior 1” - 1.5” lowering kit w/sway bar handling upgrade Front: 20x9.5x120 CB-66.9 gold or silver machined face snowflake wheels. Front: Pirelli PZero 275/45ZR20 Rear...
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The consummate sports car gets a subtle makeover and a new engine for 2010. Porsche revealed photos and announced updates for the 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo in advance of its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Lighter, faster and more fuel efficient, although maybe a little too cute (with its Beetle-esque face), the new 911 Turbo ups the competitive ante by housing the Carrera S’s 3.8-liter direct-injected flat six, with two variable-vane turbochargers and 500 horsepower. Starting at $132,800 for the coupe and $143,800 for the cabriolet, we’re not sure the mileage increase from 22.1 to 24.1 mpg with the manual transmission will be realized by or even matter to the person who can afford to buy and drive any car that costs significantly more than $100k, but that’s what you get with direct injection technology. Optional is Porsche’s seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (Double-Clutch Gearbox, and PDK for short) that nets an even better 24.8 mpg. Porsche says, “Unlike most other cars in its segment, the new Turbo remains even further below the crucial level of fuel consumption for gas guzzler tax in the USA, the special tax imposed on cars with substantial fuel consumption...
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Automaker Web sites often showcase the latest Flash-based bells and whistles, but Ford really out did itself with the “ 2010 Experience Customizer .” In just a quick minute, or two if you’re detail oriented, a user can customize a Mustang with color, decals, body kit, wheels, spoilers, and all the usual trim bits. Where it truly stands out is with a gritty background that can be modified to show burnout marks, graffiti, and distant landscape. The finishing touch: just the right tire smoke. The image can be sent to friends, or downloaded as a wallpaper. Should you be in the market for a Mustang, you can download a pdf detailing the modifications you made to the virtual pony car. Very cool, and well worth the visit. Check out the car we made . Could this be part of the reason Mustang has been selling strong against the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger ? (Read " Muscle Car Sales Shootout – Which is the Most Popular? ") If this gets you interested in buying a pony car, read our 2010 Ford Mustang review .
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The July automotive sales numbers were released yesterday, showing a tremendous surge over the past week driven by the cash for clunkers program. (Read: “ Cars for Clunkers Works, Time for a Sequel? ”) As a result, sales on fuel-efficient small and midsized vehicles have soared the last few days. Hybrids and fuel sippers are flying off the lots, leaving trucks and SUVs behind. As enthusiasts, we’re left wondering about a certain segment that received too little attention lately, the muscle cars. Car nuts have been bench racing the latest Chevrolet Camaro , Dodge Challenger , and Ford Mustang , as the experts have weighed in with their professional reviews . Horsepower has been boasted, quarter-mile slips compared, and value debated. In the end, the popularity contest that matters most to manufacturers is the sales race. So, for the month of July, the figures break down to: 7,113 - Chevrolet Camaro 886 - Dodge Challenger 6,686 - Ford Mustang More significant is seeing how these reborn legends fair over time, but the midyear introduction of the Camaro and 2010 Mustang mean it is too soon to draw conclusions there. Since we know you’re curious, year to date: 22,510 - Chevrolet Camaro 15...
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