Jalopnik

Go Like Hell for $8,000! [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

Graverobber — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST

Carroll Shelby's heart transplant in 1991 didn't phase him as he had been doing the same to cars for forty years. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a GLHS that, for $8,000, you could transplant to your driveway.

Yesterday, the SVO Mustang - looking like it should be brought to life by Tesla coils and then chased by a pitchfork-wielding mob - garnered a 60% nice price vote. Seeing as how popular that pony was, let's let it ride with another factory-blessed four cylinder turbo car from the eighties- one with an even longer acronym, and signed by the snake master himself.

Nineteen eighties Mopar performance doesn't all ride on the seven K-cars of the apocalypse, there were also the Japanese imports tearing up tires, as well as the subject of today's examination- the Dodge Charger-based Shelby GLHS. This 1987 example, in contrast to yesterday's madly-modded Mustang, comes as a time-capsule of pure come-back kid Chrysler kick ass. Lee Iacocca and Carroll Shelby have been long-time buds- the former being instrumental in brokering the deal between Ford and Shelby that resulted in the GT350, 500 et al. Hoping to capture some of that same lightening in a bottle after landing atop Chrysler's hierarchy in the ‘80s, Lido punched up ol' Shel' on the speed dial and asked him to have a go at what was in the Dodge garage at the time.

Shelby took full ownership of the GLHS' going so far as removing the Dodge badging and fitting a new cam cover emblazoned with his moniker in replacement of the Pentastar. Along with revised seats, Momo shift knob, commemorative dash plaque and identifying stickers, Shelby - in their Whittier, CA shop - also modded the engine and added Centurion wheels and Koni shocks to the car. The last change - as a finger in the face of the DOT - was the application of a sticker to the bottom of the speedo, elevating the maximum delineation from the government-mandated 85 to an easily achievable 125.

All that stuff is there on this car, including the konis, which by this time have usually worn out and been replaced by something cheaper on these things. The car is number 536 of 1000 built, and comes with the intercooled 175-bhp 2.2-litre ~~grenade~~ engine that's an amalgamation of Turbo I and Turbo II pieces, and is fitted with Shelby's own ECU program. Bolted to that is Chrysler's A525 rod-actuated five-speed transmission. The seller claims the linkage was rebuilt two years ago, and that the car drives like new.

Unfortunately, not everything is as new, and there are some age-related problems with the car, such as the out of order sign on the A/C, and a headliner that's missing opening night. With a little more than 45K on the clock, it's not unreasonable that such things should come to pass, nor that the paint and interior are starting to show their age, as well as some door dings to be dealt with.

But it's still a righteous and complete Shelby GLHS, with all the go-faster stuff that Shelby could scrounge and bolt onto the Dodge Charger front-driver. The $8,000 asking price is firm, and the placement of the ad in the TurboDodge forum indicates a seller more interested in finding the car a good home, than enacting a fast sale.

So, what do you think, would an $8,000 transplant from your bank account be the panacea for your GLHS fever? Or, does that price make this a GLHS that's DOA?

You decide!

TurboDodge.com Forums, or go here if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD: Big Bowtie Finally Out-Guns Ford's Super Duty [Chicago Auto Show]

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:30 EST

Chevy's been getting its ass kicked by Ford's Super Duty pickups. Now the 2011 Chevy Silverado Heavy Duty finally boxes the frame, adds triple rate springs and offers a stupefying 20,000lb towing capacity thanks to the new Duramax diesel.

When a company does a mid-cycle refresh, they have basically three bins to throw money into: Powertrain, chassis/ frame, and body/interior. Throwing money at all three would mean an all-new product, but two of three or one out of three is usually considered a refresh. The heavy truck market is a little different than most. Buyers are interested in increased capabilities rather than fancier duds, and as a result the new Silverado HD looks pretty much the same as it's predecessor. The only visual distinctions are more chrome on the front bumper, a slightly revised hood and "Duramax" hood badge, the end of 16" wheels at the bottom in favor or 17-inchers and the addition of 20" wheels at the top. It also gets hydraulic cabin mounts in the back, but that's it. If you want a pretty new face wait two years, that's probably when we'll be seeing it. What's under the skin is the important part here.

The most important change to the Silverado this year is the frame — going from a full-length C-channel design to a fully boxed frame with through-welded cross members. The frame is five times times stiffer in twisting, 92% stiffer in bending, 20% stiffer in beaming and the front subframe is 125% stiffer by itself. The rear suspension has also been upgraded, now with offset leaf springs that have more spring behind the axle than ahead of it, which works to reduce axle hop under loaded take off.
Up front the truck maintains the double wishbone suspension with an adjustable torsion bar spring to level truck height with a plow attached. It has been upgraded with a second jounce bumper and a anti-roll bar with a longer lever arm for better control with a front load. The front brakes have also been upgraded with a set of massive 14" vented rotors clamped down on by stiffer calipers over a bigger swept area.

There's also a significant upgrade under the hood with the fourth generation of the Duramax Diesel and Allison automatic transmission combination. The newest iteration of the Duramax shares about 40% of the parts with the last version with the remainder being slightly to significantly new. Compression ratio drops from 16.4:1 to 16.0:1, which in diesel world results in more power. The combustion chamber is fed by a new 30,000 PSI peizo-based fuel injector system. About 22 lbs was added to the block to improve block stiffness and improve NVH, and as a result the idle speed drops to about 900 RPM to reduce consumption. It's also B20 capable now, if you want to run diesel with a bit more bio-matter than the B5 the trucks are currently capable of. They've also significantly reduced the amount of EGR gasses injected back into the cylinder as part of a rework of their emissions strategy and added a bigger radiator to keep everything cool.

Emissions is a big part of the change to the new Silverado. In order to meet the EPA requirements for NOx and particulate emissions, GM's installed a huge catalyst system and urea injector under the truck, but it's not all bad. Previously, trucks with particulate filters injected engine gasses into the combustion chamber (reducing power) and dumped fuel into the exhaust stream to burn the collected particulate, but in this case both of those actions have been moved downstream, outside of the engine, which allows it to breath cleaner air and produce more power while reducing consumption. The 5.3 liter urea tank costs about $3 a gallon to refill.

The engine and transmission control systems have been significantly upgrade as well, which has allowed Chevy to more intelligently manage engine braking in normal operations. The turbo controller and transmission controller act in unison to create something akin to a sophisticated Jake brake for use in hilly terrain, and can be activated by a button on the center console. There's also a hill start system that holds the brake 1.5 seconds after a release (one of the few times it makes sense to have this system).

So what's the bottom line on this big brawler? It's probably going to best the long-time towing and hauling champ at Ford (if we're talking about the 2500 and 3500 pickups vs the F-250 and F-350 pickups — not the F-450) — at least until we find out the numbers on Ford's next-gen Super Duty pickup. Payload is now 6,300 lbs, which GM expects to beat Ford and Dodge's best numbers by 2,400 lbs. Hitch towing is a whopping 16,000 lbs on the 3500, bed-mounted hitch towing is a humongous 20,000 lbs, with an expected 1,200 lb advantage. The final point is one GM is allowed to dance around at this weight class. They're saying the truck's got a 36 gallon fuel tank and a range of 680 miles... gee, wonder if it gets 18.8 MPG on the highway. That's an 11% improvement over the current truck. Of course, nobody's showing their full hand yet. Both Ford and GM are playing some silly game-of-power-figure poker, and until either shows a hand we won't know who's got the bragging rights on horsepower and torque. GM's saying they'll lead on torque, Ford's saying nothing. We do know GM's got 'em on towing and hauling, at least for now. We'll have to see when PickupTrucks.com does their heavy duty shootout later this year who's really on top.

2011 Ford Edge: There's Only So Many Ways To Re-Skin A Jellybean [Chicago Auto Show]

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:01 EST

Take the 2011 Lincoln MKX's upgrades: 3.7-liter V6, MyFord Touch and button-free interior. Now restyle it. That's the 2011 Ford Edge. Frankly, if it wasn't for the first application of the new 2.0-liter Ecoboost, we wouldn't care. We still don't.

Audi A1: Aluminum Und Small [Geneva Motor Show]

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

Despite being the tiniest car in the Auto Union lineup, the Audi A1 still has those signature LED eyes, wind-sucking grille and R8-esque silver-rimmed greenhouse. However, unlike an R8, the MINI-fighter's top-end engine ekes out a meager 122 HP.

The smallest Audi will officially go on sale in Europe with four drivetrains; two gasoline engines and two oil-burners putting power down through the front wheels via a seven-speed S-tronic transmission or six- and five-speed manual. The 1.2-liter or 1.4-liter TFSI either throws down 86 in wimpy form or 122 HP with a 0-to-62 MPH time of 9.1 seconds and EU test cycle 44 MPG. A larger 1.6-liter TDI stirs the pot a bit more with 185 lb-ft of torque, 105 HP and 60 MPG. If you really must, another version of the same TDI squeezes out 62 MPG.

Otherwise, the A1 incorporates the same details as every other Audi, including an MMI infotainment system on the inside and LED lights everywhere. In sportier-looking S-line trim, the A1 gets larger 18-inch wheels, sportier suspension, leather-wrapped sport steering wheel and sport seats. So it may look the S-porty part, but somehow we doubt it'll drive like one.

This Post Is Not Brought To You By Toyota [Beige Bites Back]

Ray Wert — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Toyota: The automaker moving you forward... into a Tesla electric roadster... at a high rate of speed... and beyond your control. [Twitpic via AnnoyingTweeple]

First Lotus F1 Car In Fifteen Years Spied Lapping Silverstone [Formula One]

Wes Siler — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST

After fifteen years, Lotus will return to Formula One this season with this car, spied undergoing its first test at Silverstone. No details 'til Friday, but damn is it good to see green and yellow in F1 again. [Autosport]

Toyota Recall: Unexpected Veering Is The New Unintended Acceleration [Beige Bites Back]

Ray Wert — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:15:00 EST

Something we missed in our earlier post on the newest pain-in-Toyota's-wallet NHTSA recall investigation on the Toyota Corolla is that they're calling it "unexpected veering." Apparently it's when a driver thinks their Corolla can drive itself at 40MPH. Oy.

Automotive News found that the Corolla has been the subject of 83 power-steering complaints since April 2008, 76 of which have reported that the vehicle unexpectedly veers to the left or right at 40 miles an hour and up.

Complainants have compared the movement to being buffeted by strong winds, sliding on black ice, or hydroplaning. They said that after trying to straighten the car, it can overcorrect — requiring the driver to use a tight, persistent, two-handed grip on the wheel to travel in a straight line. Yes, that's right — keeping both hands on the wheel constantly will solve the problem.

"If you take your eye off the road for a second, the car will drift into another lane," said one driver who lodged an Oct. 18 complaint.

The complaints cite 10 injuries resulting from six accidents, which sometimes left the vehicle upside down, at the bottom of a cliff or in a ditch.

Seriously, we told you Toyota building beige cars would eventually come back to bite them in the ass. Sure enough, here's yet another example — people who don't realize that their car cannot self-drive and are forced to learn — the hard way — that concentration is key to driving.

Commenter Of The Day: Yes, Thank You, We Knew That Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

It's been something of an obvious day. We spent most of the afternoon with the TV on in the background, watching news anchors prattle on about snow-day this and OMGDrivingBad that. Most of this was done for entertainment, and not informational, reasons — like many people, we cannot stand televised news, and the absurd commentary ("Your house just burnt down, Sally Jim! How do you feel?") is part of the problem. Snowfall and civic disruption ("Your school day is canceled, Timmy Sue! How do you feel?") just add fuel to the fire.

In that light, Turboner's comment on The Joy of Night Driving was fitting. He reminded us that sometimes, even when it seems obvious, there is humor in, well, the obvious:

Yes, we know you didn't mean fishing. Who in the hell would mean fishing? What kind of fishing do you do that gets all . . . you know, dirty? And for that matter, how do we get some?

Thanks for the laugh. Now quit playing with that, er, rod and reel. You'll go blind.

Liz Phair Goes To NASCAR Race, Writes About It, Teenage Girls Feel Empathetic [I Feel Gassy]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:45:00 EST

Liz Phair drives a Prius. She went to a NASCAR race, and she has some thoughts. Also, Sheryl Crow likes something called "V-12 American muscle." Oof. [The Atlantic]

Economical Transportation For The Snowpocalypse [Custom Cars]

Wes Siler — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:30:16 EST

Need to get around during the Snowpocalypse but can't afford to shell out for a Honda S2000? This ski-sporting, track-equipped Nash Metropolitan could be just the thing for thrifty winter motoring.

As you can see from the hand-written window sticker, the original 1.5-liter, 55-hp BMC B-series four has been ripped out in favor of a 700-cc, 120-hp Yamaha snowmobile two-stroke. The interior has received a healthy dose of diamond-plate, and the Metro's body appears to have been lifted and possibly placed onto a custom chassis. Something crazy must be going on under there to make the two snowmobile tracks fit next to each other.

(Hat tip to Mcbonkowski!)

BMW Registers For Le Mans For The First Time In Eleven Years [Racing News]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST

Attention, Herr Frog! We return to your land of speed und cheese without ze mighty prototype but with two M3s und ze British touring-car dynamo known as Andy "Hammer" Priaulx! Faszination: Ze Porsche is easy Le Mans for little girl!

No official announcement has been made, but French motorsport paperwork rarely lies: According to the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's 24 Hours of Le Mans entry list, BMW is registered for this year's running of the French endurance classic. Two M3 GT2s, piloted by Jörg Muller and British touring-car champion Andy Priaulx, are set to compete. Both cars will receive factory backing.

In case you aren't up on all things propellerhead, this is a big deal. There hasn't been a factory-sponsored BMW at La Sarthe since 1999, the last year that the firm's V-12 LMR prototype competed. We can only assume this is where all that F1 money went. Booyah.

BMW Fanboy Note: For the record, Priaulx is awesome. He drives a 320si in the WTCC and is the only FIA touring-car champion to win an international sedan title for four years in a row (2004-2007). The previous record-holder, Italian Roberto Ravaglia, won three (1986-1988). You get three guesses as to which car he drove, and the first two don't count. (Hint: It wasn't an E90.)

[Lemans.org via BimmerFile]

L.A. TV Station Gives Over Prime-Time Newscast To Ford Advertorial [Ad Watch]

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EST

Toyota can't buy good coverage this week, but Ford has apparently come pretty close. KTLA-TV in Los Angeles ran a three-part blue oval ~~fellatio fest~~ news feature shortly before airing the Ford-produced documentary "The New American Road."

According to station executives, Ford didn't pay for the flattering segments, just the hour-long documentary. KTLA's efforts, dubbed "The View From the Driver's Seat," aired over the course of three nights immediately prior to Dearborn's self-congratulating piece. Sure, some of the footage in the "news" program came from Ford; there's nothing wrong with that. And maybe it was a mouthpiece for Ford executives and included no news value or reasoned evaluation of other automakers. Who hasn't been there before?

No, the line was crossed elsewhere: KTLA has admitted that it expressed interest in doing the piece to Ford while the automaker was in talks to buy air time for its documentary. We can't blame Ford's marketing team for trying to buy positive coverage. We can, however, blame anyone who agrees to sell it to them.

If you're curious, this is the "documentary" that Ford produced. If you don't have time to watch it, you're not missing much — just imagine what Leni Riefenstahl could have done with Final Cut Pro and a bunch of Ford product B-roll.

Dearborn has officially denied requesting or compensating for KTLA's efforts. The key word there is "request" — no one turned down the offer after it was made. Why would they? Here's the official line:

Ford Statement On News Series
At the request of our dealers, Ford collaborated to create the documentary "The New American Road" to share our transformation story. Ford dealers across the country have partnered to air this show in their local markets. While Ford provided funding for the airing of this program in Los Angeles, we did not request nor compensate KTLA for the three part series entitled "The View From the Driver's Seat."

[LA Times]

Yesterday: Lambo Mustang. Today: Lifted Aztek. What's In The Water? [LOLCars]

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Leave it to Canadians to build a customized Pontiac Aztek complete with lifted suspension, bull bars, a roof rack with light bar, a questionable paint job, and a whopping sound system. Did we mention the fuzzy tiger-print fabric?

What's under the hood? What else would it be but the Aztec's wheezy 3400 V-6? There's very little about this thing that doesn't make your stomach turn.

Why? Why lift an Aztek and attempt to butch it up? Why try to tart up the plastic interior with orange paint? Is nothing ~~sacred~~ too boring to screw with? We need a drink. (You're a sick, sick tipster Matthew)

[Carpages.ca]

The Lancia Delta Integrale Limo: Would You Like Some Oppo With That Prom Dress? [Custom Cars]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST

So, so wrong. And yet so very right. Needs Repsol colors like nobody's business. $135k, a trip to Italy, and it's yours. [Autoblog.nl]

How Did This Snowboarder's Bird End Up On Google Street View? [Google Street View]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

Google Street View usually provides us with ground-level shots of the world's road network. What was Street View doing on a ski hill, and for that matter, how did it get there?

One word: ~~plastics~~ snowmobiles. The Street View team has mounted its camera on everything from cars to tricycles, but to cover ski slopes (the top shot was taken at Whistler in preparation for the upcoming winter Olympics), they're using motorized sleds. Nice.

(Hat tip to Mark!)

The Snowpocalypse As Seen From A Honda S2000: All-Wheel Drive Is For Pansies [Snowpocalypse]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST

A Washington, D.C. man hit the remains of this weekend's blizzard in an unlikely chariot. The photos are strangely mesmerizing. Winter, meet the 8000-rpm, rear-wheel-drive wonder. Snow tires make the world go 'round. [Tomolesnevich.com]

How Many Drinks Was That: Winky The Wert Edition [Official Car Pundit Drinking Game]

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

Our fearless leader was talking Toyota recall last night on G4 TV's Attack of the Show. He claims he was expecting Olivia Munn to be standing there for his wink. Yeah, sure dude, whatever. Video below.

[Attack of the Show]

Step Into Black: The Joy Of Driving At Night [Rants]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST

On the surface, it is negative space, an environment defined by what it lacks. We immerse ourselves in it so often that we take it for granted. It is nighttime, and it is perfect for driving. Are you still asleep?

Most people do not have a positive image of night. Ask an elderly woman, a young girl, or a four-year-old boy preoccupied with the monster under his bed, and you'll likely get different versions of one answer: When the sun goes down, the potential for Bad Things goes through the roof. Nighttime is a world of dark corners and fuzzy edges, a place we tolerate but rarely prefer.

On a certain level, this is understandable. But from a driver's perspective, it's a load of garbage.

Consider the car and how your body works within it. The automobile, oddly, can be operated with a significant amount of physical detachment. You can ditch four of your five senses — smell, hearing, taste, touch — and still safely drive a car. Lose your sense of sight, however, and roads are suddenly are out of the question. Is it any wonder that night, nature's mandatory hour of blindness, is rarely thought of as a time for cars?

This approach misses the point. If driving, at its core, is an escape, then night driving is the ultimate distillation of the concept. Taking a car out in the dark removes you from Normal and places you in a world of your own definition — if you can't see it, you can almost pretend that it doesn't exist. For a few precious hours, life seems simpler, and we feel like we have control. Isn't that what the car is all about?

On a certain level, nighttime takes us back to why we first climbed behind the wheel. Partial blindness means a greater capacity for surprise, which means that we have to stay on our toes to stay alive. A dark, winding road offers danger, suspense, and a magnified sense of speed. The cloak of evening gives us license to be ourselves, and as Samuel Clemens once wrote, it subtly urges us to go primal:

In my age, as in my youth, night brings me many a deep remorse. I realize that from the cradle up I have been like the rest of the race — never quite sane in the night. — Mark Twain

There is more to night driving, however, than mere adrenaline. Winding ribbons of pavement can suck you in and jolt you awake, but expressways are also part of the magic. At night, they become endless treadmills to nowhere, passing through everything and nothing all at once. The view out the windshield rarely changes, and every gas stop reminds you of the last. It forces you to sink deeper into your thoughts, to pour yourself into your own head. Cities are the exact opposite — there isn't a city on the planet that doesn't become more interesting at night, and it has nothing to do with traffic or stoplight cycles. When the sun goes down, cities reveal their true personalities, bombarding you with the throbbing glow of distraction or the subtle, quiet pulse of sleep. The car allows you to observe all this from a mobile, objective fishbowl, immersed but not involved.

Predictably, motorsport governing bodies rarely understand the night. Popular racing — NASCAR, F1, the IRL — uses giant halide or halogen lamps to sterilize the dark into something harsh and disturbingly clinical. By the same token, the most interesting and relatable forms of competition rarely attempt to tame nature — the switch from light to dark is a mind-hump we can all relate to, and it makes speed that much more impressive. (200 mph at noon on a sunny day at Le Mans seems reasonable, but somehow, that same speed at midnight seems impossibly, almost foolishly, brave.) Take this nighttime lap of a V-8-powered Lola at Le Mans:

That isn't video trickery, and they didn't shut the track's lights off for the sake of drama: La Sarthe at night is actually that dark. At over three miles a minute, the Mulsanne straight is an inky, pencil-thin tunnel where heroes are forged. This is ManBraveAwesome and distilled primordial balls, and it's a large part of why they call Le Mans the Greatest Race in the World.

Unlike most motorsport moguls, Hollywood gets darkness, but it rarely depicts the automotive world in the proper way. Surprisingly, Madison Avenue often takes up the slack, offering us thirty-second reminders of the romance of the evening. (Remember the Volkswagen/Nick Drake "Pink Moon" clip?) The Ave's most memorable effort is also its most recent — the VW ad below features a deserted city, a Golf, and an eerily appropriate reading from the Dylan Thomas play Under Milk Wood. It makes you feel something, even if you're not quite sure what that something is:

That idea, then, is night in a nutshell: It's a universal experience that thrives on its abstract essence. Like the automobile, night is a gloriously subjective thing; because it lacks definition and clarity, it's free to be all things to all people. And there's no better way to see it than from a car.

What does it mean to us? Simple: To drive is to remind ourselves that we are alive, and to drive at night is to remind ourselves, in every sense of the phrase, that we are not asleep. So go. Roll the windows down, throw the sunglasses into the glovebox, and venture forth into blackness. It may be dark, but if you can't see the world around you, you're not looking hard enough.

Photo Credits: Flickr/Lucas Janin, Gmanviz, 4PIZON

Beige Continues To Bite Back: NHTSA Fielding Toyota Corolla Steering Complaints [Toyota Recall]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering a formal investigation of alleged steering problems on 2009 and 2010 Toyota Corollas. Consumer complaints prompted the agency's interest. [Automotive News]

What's Your Favorite Ridiculous Tuner Car? [Question Of The Day]

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST

There are fun tuner cars, exciting tuner cars, ridiculous tuner cars, and cars that manage to be all of above. They exist where insanity meets opportunity. What's your favorite ridiculous tuner car?

One word, two engines: Twinstar.

Take a Cadillac Eldorado equipped with a Northstar V8 upfront and then add another Northstar in the trunk, connect one to each axle and you've got an AWD, 600 HP super coupe capable of doing insane circular burnouts. We hear they were super popular with ~~drug dealers~~ Miami area businessman because ~~cops~~ concerned citizens occasionally shot out the front engines they could continue to escape. It's the work of Warren Mosler and is just as crazy/brilliant as he is.

Oh, there are so many, especially from the 1980s.

(QOTD is your chance to answer the day's most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good "Question Of the Day" send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)

Lexus HS250h And 2010 Toyota Prius Undergoing Voluntary Recall [Toyota Recall]

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:15:00 EST

Yep, 2010 Prius and Lexus HS250h are now officially under a voluntary Toyota Recall. [Toyota]

Meet Sinky, The Amphibious British Bus Of Your Dreams [Amphibious Vehicles]

Sam Smith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

This amphibious bus is part of a proposed plan to improve public transport in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It's currently undergoing "sea" trials on the River Clyde. It has encountered problems, but it has not sunk. Yet.

Let's be realistic: The bus you see here probably won't sink. Amphibious buses have been in service around the world for several years (who knew?), and as far as we know, there are no recorded instances of one meeting a watery demise. The $1 million, Dutch-built bus you see here uses twin jet drives when in the water and can carry 50 passengers. It's currently being evaluated for full-time commuter use.

You'll note that the bus is both yellow and, well, a bus. You will also note that we resisted the urge to make any "Britannia schools the waves" jokes. You are welcome.

(OK, so the bus's name isn't really "Sinky." The amphibus people are actually calling it "20,000 Leagues Under That Smelly Guy In The Indianapolis Greyhound Station Who Tried To Sell You A Half-Eaten Bologna Sandwich." Mmm! Tastes like diesel!)

[Mail Online]

Kid's Honda Odyssey Concepts More Exciting Than Real Deal [Chicago Auto Show]

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST

A new Honda Odyssey Concept will debut at the Chicago Auto Show as a thinly veiled peek at the replacement for America's favorite minivan. These kid-created concept drawings are definitely more exciting. On-board cotton candy machine? Brilliant.

Click through for descriptions of these imaginative concepts not yet influenced by the cynical real world

[via Honda]

Chinese VW Jetta Facelift Comically Bad [Spy Photos]

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST

What we know as the second-generation VW Jetta has been in continuous production in China since 1991 and, because they also sell newer Volkswagens there, they've constantly upgraded it to match the corporate image. Now it's just ridiculous.

Despite molding a pair of headlights and a grille similar to the latest Jetta, the flat-sided old vee-dub looks hilarious. It just doesn't work. The best part, though, is the Phaeton-esque taillights. Remember, this isn't a clone. This is Volkswagen. [China Car Times]

Asian-Americans Upset "Yellow Line" Runs Through Their Community [Infrastructure]

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST

Atlanta's transit agency switched over to a color-coded system for their train system last year and renamed the line running through the heart of the Asian-American community the "Yellow Line." You don't wanna know where the "Pink Line" goes. [AJC]

2011 Volvo S60: How Do You Say Buick In Swedish? [Geneva Motor Show]

Ray Wert — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:30:45 EST

The Chinese have bought Volvo, but can the newly-redesigned 2011 Volvo S60, unveiled this morning ahead of next month's Geneva Motor Show, finally elevate the Swedish-founded and American-tainted brand from knock-off Canal St. faux-luxe to a true entry-level luxury contender?

The all-new Volvo S60, first previewed as a concept at last year's Detroit Auto Show, makes its international debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. After first teasing the new S60, then dropping a couple of photos, Volvo's let loose with the full monty. What we're seeing is a new sedan continuing the new hotness in design language of claiming a four-door has a coupé-like design. Luckily, the new S60 at least looks like it's trying.

It certainly looks from the exterior to be sportier and more distinct than previous Volvo sedans. The C-pillar stretches all the way to the tail lamps — and the roof line is accompanied by a new contour on the shoulders on either side of the lower body. This creates a gentle double wave in the line from the headlamps at the front to the tail lamps at the rear. The S60's athletic stance is accentuated by a sculpted bonnet and short overhangs on both the front and rear, plus what Volvo's design team calls a "racetrack" design. We're not sure what that means but Volvo claims the car's lines "do not end abruptly but instead continue to flow organically, echoing the smooth shapes of the racetrack." Whatever that means. We just know is it's pleasing to look at.

Although not what you'd call a sporty car, you can make the new S60 look sportier with an exterior styling kit that incorporates front and rear skid plates, two frames in the lower valence, side scuff plates, exhaust tailpipe finishers and 18-inch alloy wheels. We say stay away.

In the engine compartment, the 2011 S60 range will, from launch, be available with a choice of two diesels and one gas engine, including an uprated high-performance 3.0-liter T6 gas engine (a Ford shortinline-six) rated at 304bhp, a 2.4-liter 205bhp D5 and a 2.0-liter 163bhp D3 powerplant. A DRIVe version powered by a 1.6-liter diesel engine with CO2 emissions of approximately 115g/km and fuel economy of up to 65.7mpg (combined cycle, preliminary figure) will join the range later in 2011. Sorry folks, no "R" version — at least not yet.

The new S60 also has all the safety bits you're expecting out of a Volvo including a new Advanced Stability Control and corner traction control system.

All well and good but it's the interior that kills the entry-level luxury experience for us. While we haven't seen it in person yet we're not thrilled with how it looks in press photos. They show what appears to be a plastic-filled interior that simply screams "Ford" or worse, "Chevy." All in all, the attractive exterior mated to a nothing-to-write-home-about engine lineup and a "meh" interior make the new S60 more a rival of Buick's vision of world class than a serious contender for the real world class — Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

How Your BMW Gets From Europe To Your Driveway [New Cars]

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:45:00 EST

When cars arrive statewide they go through a vehicle distribution center, like the one visited by The Diesel Driver, to assure faulty vehicles don't end up at dealerships. Sound boring? Nah, it's actually pretty cool. [TheDieselDriver via BMWBLOG]

1984 Mustang SVO Børkenstein for $6,950 [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

Graverobber — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST

Turbocharging the Pinto 2.3 was a good idea. Intercooling it and bolting it to the SVO Mustang was a great Idea. Now, Nice Price or Crack Pipe wants to know if Volvo-izing an SVO 2.3 gives you any ideas.

1980 Canada felt your warm embrace yesterday, as the Aurora Cobra GRX grabbed a 77% nice price win for its $29,000 asking price. Now, that's a lot of hockey tickets and Alanis Morrissette records, so today we're going to go for something newer and cheaper. And some mights say, weirder.

Here we have a 1984 SVO Mustang, that refuses to stand still. For those unfamiliar with what an SVO Mustang is, here's a quick run-down: Having discovered that car buyers were finding favor in cars that were able to turn as well as go in a straight line, Ford decided to build a Mustang that used BMW as its role model. The SVO (Special Vehicles Operation) iteration emerged as the most expensive and highest performance ‘Stang in Ford's mid-eighties corral. A 175-bhp turbo'd, fuel-injected and intercooled Pinto 2.3-litre twitched nervously under under its NACA-ducted hood while underneath, a revised geometry suspension with adjustable Koni shocks and big-ass disc brakes made the fox platform be all that it could be. Inside, ‘80s plastic-fantastic Ford met Lear Siegler bolstered seats and a short-throw shifter for what was the best the Blue Oval could offer at the time, demonstrating that most of the money went into what was under the hood rather than under the roof.

That was all well and good for 1984, but the world has moved on, and even a secretary's ‘Stang today puts out over 200 ponies. Not only that, but bi-plane spoilers are like parachute pants, having had their day and are now out of fashion. But that doesn't mean you have to have an SVO that's stuck in the era of Bret Easton Ellis, and you can take it from Less Than Zero to American Psycho with some rockin' mods.

That's the case with this $6,950 SVO that's seen some underhood tweaking which included a Swedish massage for its head. Overall, the car doesn't look all that special, and in fact the top plane of the spoiler has been removed, lending the car even greater anonymity. Inside it's a little rough, but the basics are there- there are chairs to keep your ass off the carpet and an aftermarket wheel for you to saw with when the boost knocks the back end out on you.

 There's a reason you'll want to hang onto that Grant wheel for dear life, because what's living under the hood is a Pinto motor that's been to the island of Dr Moreau, and has come back with a second frontal lobe and a Swedish accent. You see, Ford had been developing the 2.3-litre turbo for years, and had screwed it into the engine sockets of the T-Bird, ‘Stang, and Merkur XR4Ti for most of the '80s. But, at the same time the pocket-protected and horn-rimmed glasses-wearing engineers were beefing up the 4-banger, down the hall were a bunch of guys in white tee-shirts with packs of cigarettes rolled up in the sleeves, and they were working on the cheaper, and eventually, higher-reaching 302 HO. The 302 gave the SVO turbo a wedgie, and development ceased on the Pinto four, just before a twin-cam head was set to debut as an aftermarket part through Ford Motorsports. As all the cool kids have twin-cams these days, this seller adapted a Volvo B23F head to the Pinto bottom end, and obviously, hilarity ensued.

Now you might think that's something akin to grafting Megan Fox's head onto Janet Reno, but it looks like it's working, and he says the oil leakage is only minor. The seller also makes the supposition that, based on a different car, this SVO should be pumping out between 240 and 250 bhp. Maybe. Helping get those hypothetical ponies to the pavement is the bolt-in IRS and vented discs from a Cobra, as well as Cobra spindles and brakes up front, meaning that stopping will result in skid marks on the street, not in your tighty whities.

His list of updated and add-on parts reads like the back pages of 5.0 magazine, and you can bet that the $6,950 asking is less than he's got in it, unless he's some sort of Mustang parts Robin Hood who forgot the part about giving to the poor.

So, would you like to part with $6,950 for an ‘80s SVO whose engine is now Danish Modern? Or, does that price make you say its just So Very Old?

You decide!

Roanoke Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears. Hat tip to JSmith53!

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

Ford Transit Connect Taxi: Say Hello To The Next NYC Cab [Chicago Auto Show]

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Ford's got two new flavors of Transit Connect targeted squarely at the commercial market. One's an all-electric. The other's a customized Transit Connect running compressed natural gas or LPG for taxi fleets across the country — including New York City.

The Ford Transit Connect is one of the rare cases of commercial vehicle that's actually pretty neat. It's compact, fuel efficient, has massive payload capacity and tons of room. Now Ford's adding a couple new twists to the lineup — CNG or LPG capability for a Taxi version and an all-electric version for other commercial applications. The Transit Connect Electric serves as a harbinger of things to come, with the electric Focus Sedan will launch following the Transit Connect and a next generation hybrid system including pug-ins coming in 2012. So what's under the hood on the electric Transit? Well, literally there's a motor controller and a electric motor to start with, but in a more figurative sense there's also a lithium-ion battery good for eighty miles of driving. With a 220V charging system it'll charge in four hours, the traditional eight hours at 120V. The finished chassis comes into the US without a powertrain and will head to an as-yet unannounced site in Michigan for electrical upfit by Azure Dynamics, the supplier on the controls and drive line. Acceleration is on par with the standard Transit Connect with a top speed of 75 MPH.

The Taxi version's the one with more upside potential for Ford. With the ubiquitous Crown Victoria nearing the end of its long and illustrious taxi career, something will have to replace it — especially given the NYC TLC has put out a new bid for a replacement product. Enter the Transit Connect Taxi. It's the standard Transit Connect passenger version outfitted for taxi duty with 3 inches of additional leg room in the back, an integrated fare tracking system, a specialized version of the Ford Works Solutions system up front, and a combined information and entertainment and fare collecting system in the back. The Taxi is also being shown with the Compressed Natural Gas system fitted to the vehicle. It includes modified engine controls and fuel delivery system as well as a tank behind the passenger seat. There's also the option of LPG and both systems can be had on a non-Taxi Transit Connect, if you place a big enough commercial order.

Ford spokespeople are clear "the New York City taxi business is very important to us" but they're also telling us that they're still examining the bid by New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) for the next-generation taxi cabs. But, that said, for the moment we're being told that the Transit Connect taxi you see above stands a damn good shot at being their candidate to replace the ol' and busted Crown Vic. So although it's not yet Ford's final choice, they frankly don't have any other choices to throw down with.

Commenter Of The Day: Defying Expectations Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

A girl I dated once shared a college class with Jenna Bush and, despite what you'd expect, the first daughter was about as normal a college student as you'd find with the exception of the secret service detail. So as not to interfere with the life of a young person, the Secret Service agents protecting her took her classes and tried to blend in with the background as best they could. Everyone in the class was convinced the agent was a tall young man with a well-deep voice built like a football player instead of an English major. One day this girl and I were at a bar in Austin when she pointed out the secret service agent. It was none other than an old friend of mine who, in reality, was an English major and not the protector of the president's daughter. When we asked does your car interfere with your love life our own Maximum_Sarge also turned expectations around.

For the record, I meant I expected a comment mentioning someone owns a newer Porsche to be obnoxious. I was wrong.

Is This The 2012 Indy Car? [Racing News]

Sam Smith — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:40:00 EST

2010 was originally set to be the last year of competition for the aging Dallara IndyCar chassis. Political turmoil has postponed the changeover, however, and the IRL is currently evaluating its options. This car is part of Swift Engineering's proposal.

The Indy Racing League has had a tough couple of years. Rising costs, shrinking TV audiences, and the very public CART battle have left the series on somewhat unstable ground. Its star drivers have a bad habit of defecting to greener pastures (see Hornish/Patrick/NASCAR, etc.), and its spec car is neither dramatic nor particularly inspiring to watch run. In a nutshell, the IRL is floundering, a series in search of a soul.

Plans to revamp the league have been underway for some time, but concrete results have yet to appear. The current car — a dumpy-looking spec chassis built by Italian manufacturer Dallara and powered by a Honda V-8 — is one of the areas targeted for change. Several meetings between IRL officials and potential engine suppliers took place in 2009, and chassis proposals have been recieved from manufacturers like Lola, Dallara, and the Chip Ganassi-backed Delta Wing. Exact specifications are still up in the air, but the engine package has reportedly been narrowed down to a vague set of requirements: a displacement under two liters, no more than four valves per cylinder, and allowable direct injection and turbocharging.

The car you see here is part of a proposal by American racing-car manufacturer Swift Engineering, one designed to help reinvigorate the series while offering fan- and driver-friendly qualities. (Swift has a long history of race-car construction; the firm essentially reinvented Formula Ford in the early 1980s and is responsible for the current Toyota Atlantic chassis.)

There isn't much available in the way of specifics, but Swift's proposal appears to offer two separate body styles — a low-drag setup for ovals and a downforce-heavy arrangement for road courses — and an exposed driveline. Will it or one of its competitors be enough to jolt some life back into the IRL? Only time will tell.

[PaddockTalk]

Dodge Confused By Women, Seeks Beard [Super Bowl Ad Watch]

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:20:00 EST

Dodge's Super Bowl ad was all about women making it hard for men to be themselves. A companion ad involves dumping a slightly butch woman and their Facebook campaign's a search for "super" beards. Something you wanna tell us Dodge?

If the Super Bowl commercial was a treatise on how hard it is to be a man then their companion ad — a female version — is about how hard it is to date a woman who really likes Heart and flannel shirts. This would just be a coincidence if there wasn't a simultaneous campaign on Facebook involving a search by Dodge for the "Super Beard."

And who said CBS wouldn't let anyone run a Super Bowl ad targeting gay people?

(Hat tip to Aaron)

Life Too Normal? Try The Alfamino Project [Found On EBay]

Sam Smith — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST

The dude that owns this thing calls it the "Alfamino." Cool conversion, lame name. (We prefer "Giuliamino" — it doesn't match the sticker, but it doesn't sound quite as dorky.) eBay, your wonders never cease.

This beast is sitting on eBay with six days to go and twelve grand on the clock. It was converted from a sedan in 1986, and the seller has owned it since 2001. The last time it ran, it sported Bosch L-Jet fuel injection and air-conditioning. The block and head are from a 2.0-liter Spider; those wheels are supposedly Jongbloeds. The car is half-assembled and fresh from a bout of rust repair and a respray.

You want this. You do not want this. We know the feeling. Who in their right mind would cut up a Super? Who in their right mind wouldn't cut up a Super? You sit and you start thinking up excuses — anything to justify the weirdness. Maybe a tree fell on it. Maybe it was rear-ended. That back glass is pretty cool. If only it weren't twelve — twelve! — freaking grand. Maybe we just want a Colli instead.

Still, cool. La Giulia che vince indeed.

(If you're interested, additional pictures can be found here.)

(Hat tip to James!)

[Craigslist]

The Funniest Lap Of The Nurburgring Ever [LOLCars]

Wes Siler — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EST

Think that jerkoff track day instructor was bad? Wait till you see this driver/instructor combo arguing through an entire lap of the Nurburgring. Worse, this driver actually manages to pass a few people.

Hat tip to D-Fence

Protoscar Lampo2: Ugly, Electric, Interesting [Geneva Motor Show]

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

The Protoscar Lampo2 is built on GM's Kappa platform but dispenses with the attractive Solstice/Sky shell for bad sci-fi styling and replaces the gasoline engine with two separate electric powertrains tied together to deliver 408 HP.

While having a look that burns like fire, the Lampo2 does has some slick ideas, not the least of which includes two completely separate powertrains at each axle. Running together the engines have a total output under full power of 408 HP and 472 lb-ft of torque. The car weighs in at a respectable-for-a-full-EV 3,483 lbs and delivers a 0-to-60 MPH time of five seconds flat and a top speed of 124 MPH. Not too shabby.

If you run out of juice you can take the traditional deep charge which takes about 8 hours and delivers a 124-mile range, though the second and more interesting option is a 10-minute quick charge using a stand-alone, high-power charging system for a claimed 62 miles of additional range — it's like Xanax for range anxiety.

Burnouts In A 300SEL 6.3: Hoon Or Heresy? [Hoon Of The Day]

Wes Siler — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:15:00 EST

Take one of only 6,500 Mercedes 300SEL 6.3s ever made and give it to a couple of Aussies with a workshop. The smokey result is predictable, but is this any way to treat a rare classic?

Skip to about the 3:00 minute mark if you want immediate burnout gratification.

Hat tip to LiketheWord

2011 Shelby GT500: A Snake With A 550 HP Aluminum Heart [New Cars]

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST

The 2011 Shelby GT500 only gets minor exterior tweaks, but underneath the hood it chucks the heavy iron block truck engine for an all-aluminum 5.4-liter supercharged V8 for 102 lbs less weight and a smokin' 550HP.

102 lbs lighter. The new aluminum engine is 102 lbs lighter than the outgoing iron block engine — for a combine full-car reduction on the coupe of 120 lbs. There are plenty of other spec upgrades on the new Shelby GT500 that we'll get to in a moment, but the one that's got our jaw slackened is the weight reduction provided by this new engine. It's almost like taking an entire passenger out of the cabin and yeah, it'll probably have an impact on steering feel, track performance and overall balance in the notoriously nose-heavy GT500.

But, just because we're quite pleased with the weight reduction doesn't mean the increase in power isn't noteworthy. The lighter 5.4-liter dual overhead cam supercharged V8 makes another 10 HP over the outgoing model, with 550 HP and 510 lb-ft of torque (same as current) with 80 percent delivered between 1,750 and 6,250 rpm. It's also made the change to electronic power steering to reduce accessory belt drag and completely does away with iron cylinder liners, using a patented Plasma Transferred Wire Arc liner system to apply a 150-micron composite coating for friction reduction. These efforts have come together to make not only improve horsepower but improve fuel economy, with Ford expecting the car to move off the gas guzzler tax roles, with projected economy of 23 MPG highway and 15 MPG city (remember, that's with 550 HP!)

The rest of the car has undergone some noteworthy tweaking as well. Since the front end has been significantly lightened, the tuning up front has been adjusted to provide appropriate grip and the front struts get a coat of red paint because, um, why not? The cars now get the option of the glass roof currently on the lower level cars, standard HID headlights, MyKey (which will come in really handy when tossing the keys to Junior), and fold down rear headrests to comply with new visibility standards.

Finally, the SVT Performance Package, designed for the track-day fiend who wants to eke out more performance from the Shelby GT500. The package includes Goodyear Eagle® F1 SuperCar G:2 tires designed specifically for the Shelby, lighter wheels, stiffer springs, a higher rear axle ratio and all are available on both convertible and hardtop. We're told the package reduces track time by an average of 3 seconds on a 2.3 mile track. So, basically, the Shelby GT500 is lighter, more powerful, gets better fuel economy and is faster around the track. Yes, we're happy about this upgrade.

Jerkoff Track Day Instructor Outed On YouTube, Fired [LOLCars]

Wes Siler — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

A High Performance Driving Event is usually a great place to safely learn the limits of your car, on a track, with a helpful and professional driving instructor. Unless your instructor is this asshole.

As this was the first time the owner took his MazdaSpeed3 on the track it's surprising the instructor freaked out. Seriously, he seems to have done nothing wrong other than a couple of jerky shifts. Luckily, the student got it all on film, uploaded it to YouTube, and the instructor's boss saw it. Guess who won't be frightening newbie drivers at Thunderhill anymore?

(Hat tip to Joe!)

Man Builds Mustang Out Of Lamborghini, World Goes "Huh?" [Custom Cars]

Sam Smith — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST

So get this: Guy likes Lamborghinis. Guy likes Fords. Guy takes a 2007 Mustang and shoves a massive V-10 and transaxle into its middle. We can't look away.

Building this monstrosity took one Mustang shell, one Mustang parts car, one Lamborghini Gallardo parts car, and several thousand hours of labor. Everything from the transmission to the all-wheel-drive system is claimed to work. And we'll be damned if we know what to do with it.

What we have here depends entirely on how you view the universe. A few things are undeniable: The fabrication is impressive, the attention to detail staggering. It is like that time you saw that gorgeous, six-foot-tall blonde in line at the grocery, heard her surprisingly deep voice, and then noticed she had an Adam's apple. You want to look away, but you can't. And whether or not you like the end product, you cannot help but admire the effort that produced it.

The only details we have come from the folks who put it up for sale on Jameslist:

The crown jewel of our private collection: The Tractorri. The short version? This is a body-in-white '07 Mustang shell with the mechanicals from a Lamborghini Gallardo underneath. From the ABS to the AWD to the E-gear transmission everything works. The long version adds two more Mustangs for parts, thousands of hours of labor and enough one-off parts to make most show cars blush. Oh, and our president drives it around—he put over 1500 miles on it this summer alone! Built and maintained by our own Rick Roush this is a werewolf in wolf's clothing! Check out the pictures for now and we'll have a full description of the build and show history up shortly!

Admit it: Much like the Alfabeast, this is appealing. And you can't explain why. Neither can we.

(Also, "Tractorri," the official name for this project, ain't cuttin' it. What would you call this thing? Stangallardo? Lambostang? Disgusting Ball of Horrible Greatness?)

(Hat tip to Love!)