Can't Have It All

By Bruce McCulloch

After a recent slew of magazines journalists downplaying the newly released, 4th generation BMW M3 for being ‘soft’, ‘smooth’ and ‘matured’, I can do nothing but shake my head. Not because I disagree with their assertions, but rather because I see our society has killed yet another legend.

This unfortunate news is deeply saddening to not only BMW enthusiasts, but to enthusiasts around the world who once viewed the iconic ‘M’ badge as a symbol for race-inspired, pure built road-going race cars. Those who are old enough to remember the glory days of the lightweight, compact, 4 cylinder rocket of the late 80’s/early 90’s, the E30 M3, will be sorely disappointed to hear that the special genes which once made an ‘M car’ are slowly fading away.

Mind you (and for those really paying attention), this discussion is not new to the world of BMW. Truth is, each and new coming generation of BMW M3 has undergone such criticism. That being said, it’s clear that for the longest of time the M3 has been evolving into a something less compact, more luxurious and comfortable, while ultimately becoming more powerful.

Frankly, automotive enthusiasts worldwide are not open to the thought that the M3 could soon become a luxury car and while I cannot hide my disappointment with the thought, I feel the majority of enthusiasts are acting obtuse about the whole thing – viewing the whole picture through a key hole. Many are muttering the words, “has BMW gone mad”, “how could they let this happen”?

But who’s really to blame? BMW or our ever growing needs as consumers to have everything? I think it’s only fair to say a little of both.

Evolution:

Obviously, evolution is not a new concept and BMW is most certainly not the only automotive company ‘going with the flow’. For instance, such criticism has followed the current generation of 911’s (codename: 997) which when first released was constantly bombarded with complaints from Porsche enthusiasts for being tamer, more refined and easier to driver than the previous generations. Furthermore, people were saying the exact same thing about the 996 911 when compared to the 993 911.

Problem is, evolution is somewhat of a necessity as a means of trying to please a growing body of potential buyers. Unfortunately with each coming decade our once “four-wheel transportation” continues to morph into a digital office. I suppose the real question is when is too far, ‘too far’? We consumers ask far too much and then complain about it. Hell, if you want a sports car, buy a Lotus Elise; if you want a luxury sedan, buy a Lexus LS.

There are those companies would have us believe you can have it all but few truly deliver. Case in point, BMW M5 – with a flick of a button you turn an ‘underpowered’ 400 horsepower civilized sedan into a so called 500 horsepower ‘snarling beast’. Please... I don’t deny that the M5 is a great car, but this rubbish has gone all too far.

Now, you might be gathering the impression that I feel there are absolutely no upsides to our ever-growing consumerism - however, that is incorrect. If there is any upside to this I believe it to be in the world of exotic metal which has surely benefited as these gas sucking, face-pulling, wallet-crushing autos are no longer the back-breaking, dangerous beasts they once were. On the other hand, one could argue that today’s Ferrari Enzo is nowhere as entertaining as Ferrari’s 40th anniversary supercar simply because it is tamer and more sophisticated.

It’s a debate which will gather a different opinion from different enthusiasts, but make no mistake; in the opinion of this automotive enthusiast it is us who are ruining the car industry. Our constant need for unnecessary items such as IPOD connectivity and MP3 adaptors are leading us further down a road which is forcing manufacturers to struggle to find the perfect threshold between the two ideals of luxury and performance.

Top Gear - Chevolet Corvette Z06

<

Renaissance

And it was a long time coming...

By Bruce McCulloch

I cannot help but tip my hat to the folks not only at the performance division that is AMG, but to Mercedes-Benz themselves. Why, you ask?

For the longest of time, we Mercedes-Benz fans have had to live with one hard fact and that fact was that Mercedes-Benz products couldn’t quite offer the excitement, or entertainment (as drivers’ cars) when compared to their Munich rival, BMW. Admittedly these two manufacturers have never really appealed to the same type of buyer, but the rivalry is far too blatant to be hidden. Fans of both of the iconic manufacturers have been at ‘war’ (so to speak) for a long time, but that over-used cliché that Mercedes-Benz only makes products for the elderly seeking a vehicle with lush ride and no driving experience is fading away – extremely fast.

As Bob Dylan once said, “The Times They Are A-Changin'’”. They most certainly are for Mercedes-Benz and affiliates who are currently gaining a reputation for developing ‘sporty cars’. Now I know what you’re thinking, aren’t the words ‘Mercedes’ and ‘sporty’, a contradiction? Contrary to what some may believe, such a combination is not a contradiction and the recent flood of complimentary magazine reviews confirms this to be the case.

However, before we move onto to the actual praise of the newer AMG models, I think it’s only fair to mention some of Mercedes-Benz’s greatest drivers’ cars. People often label Mercedes-Benz as a manufacturer with no sporting intent, but excuse me, that’s just rubbish.

Mercedes motor sport-inspired road-going models actually hark back as far as the 1950’s - the most notable of them being the 1954 300 SL “Gullwing”. The iconic 300SL Gullwing was one of the Mercedes’ first road-going automobiles which was labelled as a ‘road-legal race car’ – evidenced by the fact that it was loosely based upon the company’s 1950 race car, the W194 300SL.

The following years saw a steady trend of Mercedes road-going race cars, but none that made as much of an impact on enthusiasts as the release of the 190E 2.5-16 ‘Evolution’ models – the first of which was released in March of 1989. Aside from an obvious body make-over (inspired by Mercedes’ own DTM vehicles, allowing a drag coefficient of just .29), the Evolution took Mercedes to a whole new level by settling itself firmly in the sports sedan section. This was achieved through the addition of such equipment as a: short-stroke engine with a bigger-bore (thus increasing the flexibility and revv band); an adjustable suspension with adjustable ride height; and just about everything thing else you could think of that was available at the time. And to top it off, the 190 Evolution was a homologation special, and that alone secured it a place in Mercedes history.

190E 2.5-16 Evolution II

What made this particular vehicle first popular, and subsequently legendary, was it’s ability to please it’s driver like few before it. Problem was, we Mercedes fans didn’t see much anything with the allure or special traits of that Stuttgart classic for an unbelievably long 16 years. Sure, Mercedes had a few attempts along that nearly two-decade timeline, none of which lived up to the Evolution name, but, thanks to the release of a homologation special in 2005, this sporting trait was brought back to life once again. The vehicle? Why of course, it was the one and only ‘CLK DTM’.

Wait just a minute! Before you go and utter words such as, “Mr. McCulloch, have you forgotten about the supercar that McLaren motorcars co-developed with Mercedes-Benz? What about the eye catching, carbon fibre-bodied 626bhp monster that is the SLR McLaren?”

No, I haven’t forgotten about it. The SLR may be superbly fast and an amazing performance car, but truthfully, it’s just a big GT (no pun intended). What you should be aware is that even Mercedes themselves doesn’t advertise the SLR as a sportscar, but rather a high performance GT and having said that, it’s clear that various magazines agree with their analogy. British magazine EVO was quoted as saying that they’d rather own the CLK DTM than the SLR, mostly because it boasted a level of driving excitement which the SLR could not match.

This particular vehicle was brought to life in mid 2004 when Mercedes-Benz motorsport division (in connection with AMG), decided to produce a homologation special with no marketing logic whatsoever. Mind you, the words ‘homolgation’ and ‘logical’ have never gone hand in hand, but let’s be honest – 236,060 € for a vehicle (and a Mercedes, after all!) which shared the same base 5.4 litre supercharged 8-cylinder with a number of lesser AMG models and a body style loosely based on the road-going CLK doesn’t fare too well on paper. In fact, most enthusiasts questioned the need for such a vehicle - often implying that it was no more than a standard CLK with a power boost. Nevertheless, such an intial reaction did not affect Mercedes who managed to sell the entire production line (100 units), before any automotive journalists got their hands on the vehicle.

572bhp CLK DTM

Furthermore, the performance figures which this monster eventually turned out surely shocked the majority of sports car enthusiasts. The CLK DTM easily broke the 8-minute barrier on the famous Nurburgring Nordschliefe and matched the best from Italy, Germany and America when it came to slalom courses, braking tests, etc. Once the word spread, those familiar with Mercedes history soon knew that something was a little different this time around. After all, this vehicle had a few advantages which no other Benz could offer, like semi-slick tyres and a stripped out interior full of lightweight bits made of materials such as alcantara and carbon fibre. Far from being the answer to a question no one asked, as auto enthusiasts originally conjectured, the CLK DTM is instead the answer to the prayers every Mercedes-Benz enthusiast had uttered for years.

Thankfully the wonderful CLK DTM has paved the way for a new generation of AMG and Mercedes models. Since the release of the homologation special, the magic has been passed along to other AMG models. They include the SLK55 AMG Black Series; CLK63 AMG Black Series and the recently released, M3 fighting, C63 AMG.

Black Series models, CLK63 (top), SLK55 (bottom)

And yep, you guessed it; all three of these vehicles have Mercedes being considered in a much different light. With respect to the C63 AMG, British magazine AutoCar recently made the claim,"I can’t remember a more entertaining, a more dynamically rounded Mercedes model since the original 190 2.5 Evo." Big claim, wouldn’t you say?

Make no mistake; both Mercedes and AMG are evolving and what makes this achievement even all more impressive is that it appears they been able to do this without any compromises – without alienating the large group of customers that has always known and respected Mercedes for luxury motorcars.

BMW and Audi - watch out! Fair warning is being given right now. Stuttgart’s driving enthusiasts’ models are back and heading your way, at high speed, real soon.

Newly Released C63 AMG

Recommended Auto Magazines

Try something a little different...

By Bruce McCulloch

Tired of the same old repetitious and uninteresting newspaper clippings and/or common mainstream magazines about automobiles? Want a magazine offering entirely different perspectives on your favourite automobiles? If so, I’ve got five magazines which I’d like to recommend, and they happen to be ones which I guarantee will fuel every North American sports car enthusiast needs.

My list includes five paper-back products which I believe offer exciting and entertaining journalism on vehicles commonly not spoken of in most North American magazines.

‘EVO’


Origin: Great Britain

If you’re expecting a roster of reviews on vehicles such as the Opel Astra and Peugeot 407 you’ll be sorely disappointed. On the other hand, if you’re interested in the world’s most thrilling and exciting drivers’ cars, then EVO is the magazine for you. In addition to unique humour and writing, you’ll get a chance to see what is arguably the best photography of some of the world’s rarest and unknown vehicles.

Where to Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Chapters, Borders, etc
Price: Anywhere from $8 to $13 (depending on country)
*Note: Occasionally shipped a month late (IE. June issue arriving in July)
Website: http://www.evo.co.uk/

'Sport Auto'


Origin: Germany

Sport Auto is most definitely a magazine which all ‘performance buffs’ should check out. This magazine, which is written entirely in German, offers what is arguably the best performance test in the world. The monthly ‘Supertest’ is in fact what set it apart from all other performance oriented magazines.

In Europe the Supertest has become a benchmark not only among automotive enthusiast groups, but also among the automotive companies themselves. As Sport Auto is a monthly magazine, they choose to restrict output of the Supertest to one vehicle per month – as a result, the waiting lists for automotive companies to get a spot in this exclusive test can easily build towards the length of a year!

This comprehensive performance test includes two different racing circuits. The first is the world famous Nürburgring Nordschliefe (which spans over 13 miles), the other a much shorter, twisty 2 mile circuit referred to as the “Hockenheim Ring”. The advantage of offering two entirely different circuits is important as it gives us a look at those vehicles that can tackle the fast and sweeping corners of the Nürburgring Nordschliefe and those that are able to adapt to the tight and challenging corners of the Hockenheim.

Furthermore, this amazing test also includes: various slalom courses, braking tests, acceleration figures (standing and rolling acceleration) and last but not least, a wet-handling circuit.


Where to Purchase: Availability is scarce in North America, but there are a few select shops which choose to sell it. Although I’m afraid I cannot point you to any specific distributor as I’m not aware of the retail locations that may carry the publication where you live. If you truly desire Sport Auto, but are unable to find it any of your local stores, I’d suggest ordering from such websites as websites as Ebay, etc.
Price: Anywhere from $5 to $10 (depending on country)
Website: http://www.sportauto-online.de/

‘GT Purely Porsche’


Origin: Great Britain

For any Porsche enthusiast, ‘GT Purely Porsche’ remains the undisputed ‘king’ for information and subjects on the Stuttgart firm. Not only does it offer a wide of assortment of newer vehicle tests, but also offers useful additions such as a buyer guides, complete specifications for every vehicle Porsche has produced as well as information and tidbits on the rarest of Porsche automobiles.

Where to Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Borders, Chapters, etc
Price: Anywhere from $8 to $15 (depending on country)
Website: http://www.gtpurelyporsche.com/

‘Sports Car International’


Origin: United States of America

Sports Car International (or alternatively known as ‘SCI’), is often viewed as the American magazine which reads and looks European. That being said, SCI provides information and test reviews of vehicles not commonly covered in North American magazines. Thanks to a large variety of journalists from around the world, it’s both well written and informative. This magazine is among the best at providing cultural differences and opinions.

Where to Purchase: Borders, Barnes & Noble, Chapters, etc
Price: Anywhere from $5 to $8 (depending on country)
Website: http://www.sci-mag.com/

‘European Car’

Origin: United States of America

Contrary to what its name may suggest, European Car is actually a product of North America, and it certainly covers more than just European automobiles! For those with the interest in high performance tuner vehicles (Brabus, Nismo, Ruf, etc), as well as a general interest in regular exotics (like Porsche and Ferrari), European Car may well be the magazine for you.

Where to Purchase: Borders, Barnes & Noble, Chapters, etc
Price: Anywhere from $5 to $8 (depending on country)
Website: http://www.europeancarweb.com/

The Wiesmann MF4 GT

One of Germany's finest supercars.

Pagani Revamp

According to EVO Magazine, Italian manufacturer Pagani Automobili has now received a total of six orders (with four waiting to be confirmed) for the next iteration of the Zonda, the 'Zonda R'. With a total production amount of just ten units, Pagani is asking an astonishing 1.2 Million Euro's for this all-inspiring track monster.

Company owner, Horacio Pagani also indicates that he has secured a new factory which is not only three times the size of his current operation, but just a kilometre away from the current factory. Such a purchase and move will allow Pagani to achieve his goal of selling cars around globally with a yearly capacity of around 60 units.

EVO Article here

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG & Rivals (Opinion Piece)

Tuesday, the 2nd of July, was a very important day for Mercedes-Benz fans such as myself. Why you ask? Well, that was the day when Mercedes released its brand new M3 fighter, the C63 AMG.

How do I feel it compares to it's upcoming and current rivals?

BMW M3 vs Lexus IS-F vs Audi RS4 vs Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

As is obvious, I have no real experience with any of these vehicles but I'll happily offer my first impressions.

Design Analysis:

Audi RS4:

I'm happy to say that I've been a fan of the RS4's exterior since the day it was released. Always appreciated the race-car flared wheel arches and while I'll admit to once questioning the need for a such a large front-end grill, it all now seems rather fitting complimenting Audi's new design direction. Nice design with nice selection of hard edged and smooth surfaced lines with the addition of sublime touches like: mesh grills; oval exhausts; chrome polished items; etc.

Positive: Just about everything..
Negative: The lack of coloured plastic through-out the tail lamps. It's all a little too red and doesn't fair to well when it contrasts against a red body.

BMW M3 Coupe:

Hmm, what is there to say about the E92 M3? Honestly, I cannot say that am I'm overly impressed with its exterior design as it all seems rather overly uninspiring, and rather unimaginative. BMW (and its fans) refer to the 3-Series as 'svelte', but personally, this is not an attribute which I feel works well on this vehicle. If anything, it's all a little too svelte for my tastes and while this M3 benefits from a number of so-called body 'improvements', I can't say that I am pleased with any of them.

Positive: Stubby nose and uhh..
Negative: Hood scoop; mirror design; rear airtray/undertray diffuser; lack of hard lines

Lexus IS-F:
Oh God, where do I start? Well, I'll start by saying what I said on GermanCarZone: "The transformation is something like a good-looking chick (the regular IS) who thought that she wasn't good looking and then decided to destroy herself (IS-F) by overtanning, while overusing botox and adding 48DD silicon breasts." I feel that certain aspects of the design are very much disproportioned and bloated. The addition of those front-end flared wheel arches and nose heavy front undoubtedly give the car an unbalanced look. However, one particular aspect of this design that I do appreciate is the rear-end and its quad assembled exhausts. Hopefully the design will look better in the flesh (but I'm not counting on it..)

Positive: Quad assembled exhausts
Negative: Thanks to it's body add-ons and what-not, the IS design now looks frumpy, clumsy & bloated.

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG:
While I'll admit that the standard C-Class didn't do a whole lot for me, I must say that the C63 sure as hell does. The new C63 AMG manages to carry a recent tradition of AMG vehicles: it looks as if it directly came out of Mercedes' motorsport factory. The addition of the wider track at the front end with it's DTM-inspired wheel arches and redesigned front air dam means the C63 portrays a character far more aggressive than the others in this competition. Thankfully, I feel that AMG has been able to retain the smooth and elegant lines of the standard model while adding everything that was necessary (and vice versa). Top notch job

Positive: Just about everything
Negative: Rear-end looks a little short in certain pictures

Head to Head

Engines:
As I have no experience with any of these vehicles, I cannot make judgment to say which of the four boasts the best engine, I will however say that I don't believe there is a 'best' among the four. Let's face it, all four of these vehicles offer excellent engines with great strengths respective of their brands.

Interior:
Unfortunately, this is where I believe the Mercedes-Benz gets trampled. I feel its interior is a step behind the other three and it's not even that bad, but it most certainly could have been better! Ahead of the C63, I'd place the M3 and that of course would indicate that I believe the IS-F and RS4 are dueling it out for the 'best interior award'.

Head to Head

Verdict:

4th: Lexus IS-F

3rd: BMW M3

That all being said, it's down to the Audi and the Mercedes-Benz and my choice is? The C63 please. Sure, its interior is most certainly behind that of the RS4 and it isn't available with a coventional manual (like the RS4). However, you do get: RWD; an agressive DTM inspired body design; an AMG masterpiece for an engine and lastly, but certainly not least, an all-enticing 7-speed AMG automatic transmission with a selectable manual

mode.

Love at first sight? Yup!

America's Best: Ford GT

By Bruce McCulloch

What is the best American sports car ever made? Is it the Dodge Viper? No, I don’t think so. Is it the Chevrolet Corvette? Arguably it is, but I’m going to have to give ‘Vette fanatics an answer they will most certainly be unsatisfied with - NO! Is it Carol Shelby’s monster, aka the ‘AC Cobra’? Nope, not quite, but you’re getting warmer.

Hint: it’s made by the oldest American motor company in the world. Does that make it obvious enough? The Mustang? I’m afraid not. I’ll give it to you in the brief; it’s the 2005 Ford GT.

In the humble opinion of this automotive enthusiast, the Ford GT stands above all other American sports car attempts as it not only encompasses everything an American sports car should have, but does it in such a manner where many others have failed. Since the beginning of this decade we’ve seen a whole new crop of American sports cars emerge and try to steal the gauntlet, but frankly, very few have succeeded at making any impression whatsoever. What makes that last comment even more ironic is that even Ford themselves have suffered a few mistakes – like the creation of the awful ‘GT90’ concept in the mid ‘90’s.

A brief history: In 2000, with Ford’s centennial year quickly approaching, the design department was asked to create a few concept vehicles which would be presentable at the 2002 North American International Autoshow. That being said, the idea for a recreation of the 1960’s Ferrari-eating “GT40” was not one of those concepts originally expected - in fact, company executives only expected a mocked-up Mustang and a recreation of the Thunderbird for NAIAS. The idea for a “GT40’ concept car came to life on a plane over Sweden, when Wales- born Richard Parry Jones (a long time project director in the Ford Motor company who had worked on such projects as the ’97 Focus, the Escape Hybrid, etc) teamed up with the concept-stylist J. Mays and the Vice President of Advanced Product Creation (APC), Chris Theodore. After a short discussion, the three agreed a ‘GT40’ concept would make the most fitting design for Ford’s upcoming centennial year. Shortly thereafter and with the help of Ford’s Chief of European Operations (Nick Scheele), the wheels were set in motion to make the concept a real car with an aim of slating production for early 2004.

By the time the 2002 North American International Autoshow arrived, stylist J. Mays already had completed a full-sized concept. With introduction, the concept sparked great interest among sports car enthusiasts world wide and whilst the GT40 was only intended as a concept car, Ford soon realized that there was a potential market to produce such a vehicle.

But, uppermost in their mind was the fact that they knew if they were going to create this vehicle, it was going to have to be good. No half-assed operations, no cheapening out – it had to be something which would honestly carry the tradition of the LeMans winning GT40 into the 21st century.

Unfortunately, this was all easier said than done. One of the first and foremost problems which they encountered was retaining the ‘GT40’ name for the production vehicle. While the original rights to this name had long been given up to an English replica manufacturer by the name of ‘Safir Engineering’ and then to a small American firm by the name of ‘Safir GT40 Spares’- the latter allowed Ford to use the GT40 name for concept, but not for the production vehicle. That being said, negotiations between Ford and Safir did in fact take place, but to Safir claims that Ford refused to pay a sum totalling $8 million to purchase the trademark. Nevertheless, such was not going to stop this project and as a result Ford decided to name their new supercar, the ‘GT’.

Further problems ensued, such as making sure the vehicle’s body design was in fact legal for the road, and this further slowed the project. I think most would agree with me in saying that J. Mays GT40 concept offered exactly what an American sports car enthusiast wanted. Unfortunately, while his design was absolutely flawless in terms of paying proper homage to the original vehicle, it featured a few design cues which made it illegal for road use. As a result, the concept vehicle was sent to yet another department where it underwent numerous changes – thankfully none of which undermined the meaning and beauty of the concept.

Concept top, production bottom

The first major rework of this design actually started where most would not have thought, the dimensions. While engineers were able to keep a ride height reminiscent of GT40 Mark II road car (44.3 inches), they were forced to extend the wheelbase by a rather massive 12 inches to accommodate a more spacious interior.

Along with that, road regulations required extensive work to be performed through out the rear-end bumper units and what-not. Not wanting to destroy the design, engineers thought of an intelligent way to implement a bumper unit which not only left the original design unharmed, but also had the advantage of making the entire production process less expensive, and ultimately, easier to assemble. What I speak of is the single attached reinforced steel beam which braces the rear end of the vehicle. Furthermore, the addition of the steel rear bumper meant that for Ford to retain the seamless aerodynamics of both the concept and the original, they made sure the under-body of the vehicle more than made up for it. Such is evident by the fact that the GT featured an under-body covered almost entirely by large sheets of aluminium, not to mention the addition of a front bumper air diffuser and a set of venturi tunnels at the rear. The GT would be not only be able top the sacred 200 mph, but stay planted to the ground when it achieved such a figure.

While most of these changes are noticeable to the naked eye, I cannot bring myself to utter one complaint. The GT invokes every emotion of the original vehicle while retaining a modern feel to the design. It is my humble opinion that J. Mays design work is easily the best retro-recreation of our time.

Fortunately, Ford was faced with fewer issues when it came to redesigning the interior for the production GT. Honestly, with the smallest of changes (most likely not even noticeable to the casual observer) Ford was not only able to retain the GT40-inspired design with it’s ventilated seats and angled gauges, but were able to attach all of the modern necessities (and amenities) required and expected.

That all being said, I think it’s clear that when Ford originally designed the concept, they put a lot of work into it. Such minimal changes to the body, etc cannot be achieved by sloppy design work. That alone, shows a true commitment to this project – even when it was a concept.

Technology, development, drivability, etc:

Frankly, the design alone paved the way for this vehicle, but nevertheless the GT is by no means a low-quality supercar just riding along on the GT40’s heritage. There are no “smoke and mirrors” here…

The interesting thing about the Ford GT is that it’s a supercar which manages to be ‘old school’ without actually being old school. In other words, the GT benefits from various sources of modern day technology, but implements in ways which are only functional – rather than for the purpose of showboating. For instance, the GT’s exterior aluminium body panels are comprised of something which Ford referrers to as ‘super plastic forming’ (or ‘SPF’). This particular operation includes heating the aluminium sheets to 950 degrees Fahrenheit, while forming them to a single-sided die with extremely high air pressure. According to Ford, such an operation not only allows more complicated shapes than what the conventional operation of steel bonding would allow, but is also cheaper and has the added advantage of being lighter. Another weight-decreasing advancement which the GT boasts is an all-aluminium space frame chassis which consists of 35 extrusions, various complex castings and numerous aluminium panels.

While a number of these ideas originated in-house, Ford chose for much of the work to be carried out by a number of outsourcers. Companies including Italian brake supplier Brembo and British transmission assembler Ricardo, gave a great deal of input on the product and obviously, were happy to provide their applicable services to Ford.

So yeah, that’s great and all, but what really defines the GT as the best American sports car ever made is its ability to boast Ferrari-beating performance with usability like no hardcore American sports car before it.

Ford knew if they were going to boast that they had created a “Ferrari killer” they were going to need something fast and make no mistake, the GT is certainly that. Ford knew that whereas Ferrari had been utilizing Formula One technology for their 8-Cylinder engines, similar application would not be appropriate for the historic muscle car. Therefore, Ford reached back into their current vehicle line-up and decided the 5.4 litre V8 found in the Lightning performance pickup truck, would be the best fit. Whilst the concept version boasted 500bhp (certainly more than enough considering the same age Ferrari 360 Modena had 400bhp), it was decided that the production GT would not have 500bhp as press previews had revealed, but rather a sublime 550bhp. Thanks to the addition of a modified exhaust system and a Lysholm supercharging unit the final production version of the engine was putting out a not-too-shabby 550bhp and a rather massive, 500lb-ft of torque peaking at a rather meaty 3,250rpms.

While Ford had originally claimed a zero-to-sixty time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph – it’s clear that they understated the performance by a tad bit. The final production version reached an unprecedented 212mph at the hands of Ford’s test driver; meanwhile, other various testers often broke the double ton with regularity. Of course, while such a figure was expected and rather common these days, seeing Ford yet again achieve their goal was indeed glorious. The straight line performance of the GT was even more impressive than it’s lavish top end – for instance, British magazine ‘AutoCar’ timed the GT with a zero-to-sixty time of 3.5 seconds and a zero-to-one hundred time of just 7.8 seconds. These figures not only meant the GT was able to annihilate its rivalling competition such as the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo in an ol’ fashion drag race, but hold it’s own against Italian super-exotics like the Lamborghini Murcielago and Pagani Zonda (both of which are considerably more expensive).

That being said, it’s clear that Ford had indeed succeeded in creating a straight line monster, but if other aspects of the vehicle were lacklustre, Ferrari would continue to take the trophy of public opinion.

In all honesty, while the original GT40 was a straight line monster, even its admirers admitted that it was an awful sports car when it came to handling, braking and most everything else. It won races (and man, did it win) by pounding the opposition into the pavement with horsepower and durability. My reason for saying that is not to diminish the original classic, but to rather prove my point about the new-age GT. The same complaint cannot be said for the current GT which manages to consistently tear its European rivals up on various race tracks, no matter what the layout, and while it hasn’t won every race it’s contended in, it’s obvious that the GT boasts very good handling, and consequently, more than a few wins for the trophy shelf.

The best example of this is Sport Auto’s Supertest where the nearly 1600kg GT completed the Nürburgring Nordschliefe in an impressive 7 minutes, 52 seconds. Despite its 50 or so horsepower advantage over rivals, it’s worth mentioning that this robust monster is a great deal heavier than most of its competition. Nevertheless, it is impressive that the GT rips around this famous circuit in a time which not only matches the Lamborghini Gallardo, but out performs the following vehicles: Ferrari F430; Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM; Porsche 997 Turbo, etc. Although this performance glory doesn’t stop at racing circuits, because through out the Supertest the GT remains strong as it out performed both the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo in the 36 metre slalom course, and surprisingly, the wet-handling course. It’s also worth taking note that the GT’s successes have been achieved without many of the technology advantages which its rivals offer - such as: ceramic brakes; traction control; a limited slip differential; Sequential F1-Style Gearboxes, etc.

As I mentioned above, another area where the GT had succeeded all-so fabulously is in its ability to behave itself on the road. People who had imagined the GT would be a stripped-out racer unfit for the road were soon proved wrong. The magazine reviews soon flooded in and they all said the exact same thing – “this a proper recreation of a historic vehicle which not only flaunts good looks and excellent performance, but offers user friendly attributes which we did not think was possible from an American manufacturer”. In 2005, British magazine EVO gave the award of “Car of the Year” to the GT and constantly complimented it for, well, being great.


So there you have it - In my eyes the GT remains the absolute best American sports ever made because it manages to encompass everything a supercar should have. It’s good looking, it’s fast, it handles well and it has great history backed up by the emotional impact expected of any great supercar. Since the release of the GT, Ford has faced a great threat with the Chevrolet and their Corvette Z06 which has already managed (amazingly) to out-perform the GT in most categories. It doesn’t matter though – the GT has a level of allure which the Z06 can only dream of.

Hello and Welcome!

Hello!

I'm am pleased to announce that today (July 4th, 2007), is the official opening of my a brand new automotive Blog. As is rather obvious, I have a great deal of interest in automobiles and in particular, the higher performance ones.

I boast much knowledge when it comes to supercars/exotics and specifically regarding smaller firms, such as: Wiesmann; Pagani; Koenigsegg; Bristol; Noble; Ascari; Spyker; Saleen; etc.

My Favourite Automotive Brands?
Pagani; Lexus; Mercedes-Benz; Spyker; TVR; Honda; Porsche; Ascari; etc

My Favourite Car?
The Pagani Zonda F

Automotive Related Interests?
I am a member on a number of automotive forums and am a Moderator on both GermanCarZone & SuperCarZone. I also write automotive related articles for AutoSavant.net.

Do I have any other Blogs?
Yes, two in fact.

-In Myself (personal Blog)
-Kate Beckinsale Blog (celebirty based Blog)

Non-Automotive Interests?
Ahh, you know, the usual: women; music; movies; running; reading; writing; etc

That all being said, I hope you stop by often and enjoy what I provide.