Corvette Karma

Imagine your 29 years old. You make plans with friends to meet up at a favorite bar. You get dressed, and climb into your 5 year old Corvette, turn the key and revel and the throaty-roar as you pull of on your way for a night on the town.
Young and single, you park the car, head inside, maybe with a pen in your pocket, just incase your lucky enough to find a woman willing to hand-over her phone number.

Life is great, or at least it is till you go outside a find your car is gone. That pen you were hoping would record the number of some "Future girlfriend"; instead is used to mark down a Police report number. You end up catching a ride home from a friend.

This is what happened to Chance Mayfield; sad as the story is, as an Insurance Agent, I have the duty to tell you this is not all that uncommon. In fact a car is stolen every 28.8 seconds, that's more than 1 million cars stolen in an average year in the U.S.—.No what makes this story so unusual is that the theft took place in 1970 and now 39 years later received a call, on his 68th birthday, no less, saying his car has been found. I'm sure that Mr. Mayfield was happy to get the call and see his old car. Imagine his further surprise, and stroke of good luck when he found out his old car had been completely restored.

It seems a collector who recently bought the 1965 Corvette for $65,000; stopped by the Arizona department of motor vehicles for inspection and to get plates; only to find after a routine serial number check, that the Hot Car he had purchased was literally a "Hot Car". I can only assume that the man, that laid-out $65,000 for the auto; believing he had legal title, had his day-in-court with business that sold him the car.

In the end the Scottsdale, police returned the 65 Vette back to Mr. Mayfield.

I would like to think they attached a Happy Birthday card.

Will 2013 look like this for Porsche?

Posted on 12.4.2009 16:00 by Terence Keon

Forward thinking automotive designers are getting younger and younger these days. At age twelve we were exploring the world of middle school, girls suddenly became less icky and the homework started piling on. However there is one such 12 year old who has put down the PlayStation controller long enough to come up with a few rendering of what Porsche’s lineup of high performance sports cars will look like in 2013.

What is so amazing is that these renderings look good enough to have come from a drafting table in Stuttgart. For the 2013-2014 model year, according to our up and coming designer, the 911 will be a few inches longer thanks to a new nose inspired by the GT3 race cars with larger air intakes and a more pronounced smile. Porsche’s latest entry level model will be a Spyder based on the rebirth of the classic 356. A few other drawings reveal a future 928 that is in fact a two door Panamera coupe and the Roxster that as far as we know won’t go into production. However these are some really good renderings that we feel will be right in line if not spot on as to what the German sports car builders will be rolling off the assembly lines a few years from now.

Woodard Dream Cruise 2009

Turn on the news or watch a car commercial, and all you seem to hear is about "Cash for Clunkers." Well over the weekend, centered in Birmingham, Michigan, the streets were filled with old cars, but none were "Clunkers"

http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/
Detroit has always been the home of the American Auto industry, and the annual Dream Cruise is the Mecca of the classic car world. Not only does this event feature the best examples of classic American cars; It also does so it a particularly American fashion. This is not a show where priceless cars sit behind red-velvet-ropes, while their aloof owner's sip Champagne from
Waterford Crystal goblets, while waiting for the "Workers" to load the autos back into the trucks that brought them. No, the Woodward Dream Cruise is about driving the cars in an unscripted parade. It is part car show, part "Tail-Gate party.

If the film "American Graffiti" was about the tail-end of the Saturday night cruising culture, then this is the event for those that refuse to let those day die.

To think of this event as a celebration of "Old Cars" is to miss at least half of the true reason for the event. this is not just about cars, it is a part of Americana. It is about our youth, both individually, and as a society. It is about the power of the engines; but also the power of the US.

Nowhere is that more true than in Detroit. Has NASA got us to the moon; but the astronauts, were driving Mustangs and GTOs.

In 1969, Made in Japan, was not something anyone wanted stamped on the back of their car. Detroit muscle was the only way to go! They were making cars that people "Wanted," today they are fighting to make cars that people will think are a practical alternitive to a Toyota or Honda.

After spending a few hours wondering around Woodward, I can't help but ask if Deroit will ever get back to making cars that people truely desire, or has that role been left to only $100,000.00 + Super-Cars?

The SuperBird was a car that was put into production just to please NASCAR.

If you were going to put a car onto the track, you had to actually have a production car available to the public. In 1970, NASCAR raised the production requirement to one car for every 2 Manufacturer's dealers in the United States; this required Plymouth, to build 1,920 Superbirds.

1970 would be its only production year.
The Superbirds came fitted with the 426 Hemi engine, the 440 Super Commando with a single 4-barrel carburetor, or the 440 Super Commando Six Barrel with three two-barrel carburetors. Only 135 models had the 426 Hemi under the hood.

The 1958 Edsel came in two sizes - big and bigger!

230 Miles per Gallon?

General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson announced that GM was going forward on the Volt and that they are going to be advertising the car with a MPG of 230.
Yes that's right I said 230!
Personally, I own two cars, neither of which gets 23 miles to a Gallon; so excuse my exclamation point after the number 230. Truth be told, that number is in large part based on combined electric only driving and charge sustaining mode with the engine running. We are all use to advertisements saying "Your mileage may vary", but usually that variation is just a few miles. Because this vehicle is designed to run principally on electric power stored in batteries charged from your home current; GM is free to pick almost any number they want.
The EPA had to determine a method to calculate fuel economy standard for extended-range EVs. The difficulty is trying to get an average that combines both time the car is running on stored battery power as well as burning fuel. Based on the EPA's new guidlines, the Volt will have a composite urban fuel economy rating of 230 mpg! This figure is reach because while running on the electric, the Volt will consume 25 kW/hours per 100 miles. That allows GM to claim that the Volt is the first car ever to get a triple digit fuel economy rating.

Wow, that makes the Toyota Prius look like a Hummer.

Dracula's Ride

There are cars that are designed to be comfortable. Spacious, well insulated; they surround you in a world all your own. There are cars that exist to give the driver the illusion they are behind the joystick of an F18 fighter, as you are pinned against the seat with a hart-stopping G Force.

There are cars that seem to have been created just to say to the world " I've made it."

But then there those special few that hark back to your childhood fantasies before you were necessarily aware of what cars cost; they were cars of Television or the movies, the cars that Super heroes drove. These were famous, "One-of-a-kind autos where the driver was better known even than the car. These were the cars that were in our Hot-Wheel collection when we were nine years old; and as my wife reminds me, men seldom really grow up, or grow past that nine year stage especially when it comes to cars.

Buy the Black Beauty and you become the Green Hornet. I doubt there are more than a handful of men that have bought an Aston Martin that did not ask for a martini "Shaken- not stirred. While any adult male would recognize the impracticality of trying to make the daily commute to your office in the Batmobile; given the opportunity, it would be a difficult car to turn down.

The Munsters TV show was responsible for producing not one, but two amazing vehicles. The Coach, a cross between a model T, an 18th century funeral coach, and a full out dragster - This was best discribed as the "Family Car". The car show here was GrandPa's personal toy for when he wanted to "Fly by" on four wheels rather than as a bat. This was yet one more of the cars to come out of Barris along with the Coach.

I have to admit, even we would have a tricky time getting Herman SR-22 insurance on this baby.

2009 Ferrari 599 California

Ferrari had built it’s reputation building autos for the racetrack. As any designer of racecars will tell you, weight is your enemy. The idea is to build cars that are light but stiff. The lighter the car; the greater the ratio of horsepower to weight. But if the car is going to remain “True” through the curves, the body needs substantial rigidity.

The story goes that in the 1950s when the West Coast Ferrari distributor, Johnny von Neumann, asked the designers at Ferrari to build a special Ferrari convertible for America, Enzo was at first reluctant. In fact he was quoted as saying,
"Convertibles are for playboys. Hardtops are for serious drivers."

Enzo Ferrari realized that any convertible is inherently less rigid, because of the removal of the hard top. What might surprise many, is that in an attempt to deal with the “Missing roof structure” a builder must strengthen various part of the body, resulting in convertibles actually out weighing their Hard top sibling.

While Ferrari might have had some reluctance to tamper with her hardtop designs; he was more reluctant to miss out on a new revenue source. Ferrari built von Neumann his convertible for the American market and called it the "California" since Enzo seemed convinced California was loaded with movie stars and wealthy playboys.

The New for 2009 599 is an attempt to create a new Spider harking back to the original California. At the risk of being called a “Playboy” mark me down as an admirer.

California Specifications

Engine Type = 4,300 cc /V8
Displacement cu in (cc) 262.4 cu in. 4300.7 cc.
32 valves. 4 valves per cylinder.
Horsepower 460.00 BHP (338.6 KW) @ 7500.00 RPM
HP/Liter 107.0 BHP / Liter
Transmission = 7-speed dual clutch/ Semi-Automatic

Performance
Speed 0 to 100 km/h less than 4.0 seconds
Base Price: 2009 Ferrari 599 California –
Rumored to be just under $200,000

I assume these will fly-off the showroom floors, after all, It's only the worst ressesion since the great depression.

Larry writes for Urban Insurance Agency
If you have a question, please contact us at 1-800-680-0707.

CAMPAGNA MOTORS T-Rex

Download theT-REX Brochure (pdf)
Retail price (M.S.R.P.) T-REX 1400R
$49,995.00

TRANSPORT* $1,000.00
OPTIONS
CARBON KIT $999.00 SOFT COVER $499 SUITCASES BLACK (41 L) $1,199.00 or (52L) $1,399.00
CHROME KIT $3,499.00 TALL KIT $699.00 WIND DEFLECTOR $299.00

CAMPAGNA MOTORS is a young Canadian company that design, manufactures and distributes 3-wheel vehicles. Our mission is to create and provide vehicle that are safe, fun, stylish and perfomant. Both the T-REX and the V-13R were designed by those principles.The T-REX is specifically oriented towards the race car / sports car fan; with performances often surpassing those of supercars that cost multiples of the T-REX. Powered by an Inline four cylinder 1400cc engine designed by Kawasaki and producing over 200 hp, the T-REX will get your attention on the road.
On the other side of the spectrum, the V13R, with its hot-rod styling and relaxed driving position; powered by the Harley-Davidson® Liquid-cooled Revolution® 60° V-Twin engine’s will let you cruise on the boulevard or on the highway with style. Its soul inspiring sound and acceleration will paint a smile on your face for miles and miles. Designed as Hot Rod with sex appeal, the V-13R is a true head-turner.
The two vehicles share some common denominators, fun, style and performance. After several years of development and extensive market feedback, the cofounders of this innovative Canadian company (André Morissette - President and David Neault - Vice-President) have translated their love for recreational vehicles into three-wheel machines that are as exciting to ride and easy to handle as they are affordable to own. Their first model is the road savvy V-13R.

Ferrari party at Palwaukee airport

Alan Craine and Laura C. Dantuma attending the Ferrari party at Palwaukee airport

2010 Ford Shelby GT500

The new GT500 is the most powerful factory production Mustang ever.
By SAM ABUELSAMID

When Ford introduced the new 2010 Mustang at the LA Auto Show in November, marketing boss Jim Farley promised the next chapter in the Mustang story would be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Well that time has arrived and to anyone who has been following the Mustang pattern over the last several years, it should come as no surprise that it's the Shelby GT500. Just like the last iteration, the new GT500 is the most powerful factory production Mustang ever.Like the more prosaic Mustangs, the GT500 is mechanically an evolution of the older model. Just as Ford used the current-gen Bullitt model as the starting point for the 2010 Mustang GT, the lessons learned from developing the limited edition GT500 KR fed directly into the latest Shelby-badged variant. Output of the supercharged 5.4L V8 has now been cranked up to 540 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, and the handling is claimed to be better than before.

Like the last GT500, this one gets more aggressive styling, particularly in the nose, and reprises many of the same detail elements. The horizontally mirrored trapezoidal shape of the grille in the upper and lower front fascia is meant to echo the oval shape of the Shelby Cobras of the '60s. The upper grille is tilted forward at a steeper angle than the GT and the grille surround is separated entirely from the hood. The leading edge of the hood on other Mustangs forms the upper frame of the grille, while the new GT500 has an extra bit of bodywork there.The hood of the GT500 still has a functional air extractor allowing some of the massive heat generated by the blown V8 to escape. The power dome of the V6 and GT is supplanted by a smoother bulge that now encompasses most of the hood. The driving lamps stay in the lower fascia reprising the last edition and leaving the grille area open for air flow.Careful observers will note that the snake badge has moved from the right to the left side of the grille (when viewed from the front). This has nothing to do with the blowing of political winds, but is actually functional. Like the GT, the GT500 now has a cold air intake that sits directly behind the snake's former residence.

60 Seconds of Fun

You have to love a movie that combines a custom Shelby GT500 named Eleanor with Angelina Jolie. Ok, so no one is going to confuse "Gone in 60 Seconds" with Masterpiece Theater, but there are times when want a break from Whole Roasted Squab Breast with Birch, Black Trumpet Mushrooms & Devil’s Club, and just want pizza and a beer.

From it's "staring role" in Bullet, to it's cameo in Bond, the Mustang has had a long history on the Silver Screen. Shelby's Mustang not only saved Ford back in 64, but he created an Icon that became a part of the American culture and a symbol of Detroit's magic in the 60s.Since the first one rolled out on April 17, 1964, at the New York World's Fair the Mustang has been the great American sports car. True the corvette held the title as the "Top of the line" sports car; but the Mustang offered something the Corvette could not- affordability. The basic model price was $2,368. Within a year, Ford had sold 417,000 models.

The car was so successful that it created a subset of autos called "Pony Cars and helped lead the way to the Muscle Car era.