2011 Mustang GT 350 could be be Last Shelby full body build

[Dallas News]

Mustang legend Carroll Shelby is thinking about hanging it up, and retiring from the car business.  The 87 year-old has confirmed that the 2011 Mustang GT 350 may be his final project.

The departure has little to do with Shelby's age.  He believes performance parts development and sales is more profitable than his Mustangs

"It's hard to make any money on a car," Shelby told the Dallas News.  "But our parts business is growing 15 to 20% a year."

If he does go through with the plan, the automotive icon will continue production of the GT 350 for a few more years, with 500 units built annually.  He may also franchise his name to a series of authorized shops nationwide to build Mustang tuners and Super Snake models.

Sales at the tuner outfit have dropped off substantially from the 6,000 Shelby models of the 2007-8 Mustang Shelby GT.  Since then, the company has let go of nearly 40% of its staff.

His catalogue booming, it is no surprise that Shelby would want to push his 1,000-hp 5.4-liter V8 engines, and their parts, out the door.  Still, it will be a big blow to the American muscle car industry if Shelby walks away.

Revenge Verde Supercar Concept Hits the Detroit Show Floor

[WCF]

On Tuesday in Detroit, Revenge Designs President and CEO Peter Collorafi introduced the Revenge Verde Supercar Concept at the North American International Auto Show. Based in Decatur, Indiana, the engineering firm plans to build 3,000 Verde supercars in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana over the next four years.

Built by Roush Performance, the Verde prototype's carbon fiber body sits on an aluminum chassis with three engine options. They include Ford Racing's 605-horsepower crate engine, Corvette ZR1 engine with 630hp, and a hybrid V8 engine built by Ohio based HP2G. That H2PG powertrain runs on E85 (ethanol) fuel coupled with an electric motor. It claims a mileage figure of over 110 mpg (2.14 liters/100 km). Power is said to max out at 400 hp and 500 lb-ft (677 Nm) of torque.

Revenge Designs previously stated that the hybrid powertrain would not be featured in the Verde prototype at Detroit. They did not have enough time to get the hybrid version of the Verde ready for the show. Over the past three months, engineers at Roush Performance developed a clay model followed by the 1:1 prototype on display in Detroit.

Besides the domestic market Collorafi is planning to sell the Verde outside of the United States. With a price of $200,000 Collorafi makes references to competitors such as AC Cars Cobra MkVI replica and the Veritas RS III.

2011 Ford Mustang Live in Detroit

[WCF]

The 5.0-liter V8-powered 2011 Ford Mustang GT was unveiled at the NAIAS yesterday.  The beefy engine produces 412-horsepower and up to 390 ft-lb of torque to power the car to 60mph in under 4.7 seconds.

Ford's upgrade of the engine from a 4.6-liter V8 accounts for a 97-horsepower and 65 ft-lb increase.  Even with the bigger, more robust engine efficiency is increased slightly.  Using the six-speed automatic generates a 17/25mpg rating.  A six-speed manual will also be available, though no improvement in the 16/24mpg rating is expected.

With more power, you would expect the Brembo brakes to be standard, but they are being sold separately, as are the new 19-inch alloys.  Standard equipment will include a new suspension, electronic power-assisted steering, and a more aerodynamic rear decklid.

Pricing on the 2011 Ford Mustang GT has not yet been revealed.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze U.S. Production Version

[WCF] GM brought the North American production edition of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze to the NAIAS.  Already being sold in Asia and Europe, the Cruze came back to the States following its Los Angeles launch last year.

The Cruze LS will feature a 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine generating 136 horsepower and up to 123 ft-lb of torque.  Cruze LT and LTZ buyers will instead get a turbocharged 1.4-liter Ecotec generating 138 horsepower and as much as 148 ft-lb of torque.  The engines may be mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.  Fuel economy is expected to be around 40mpg.

Standard equipment includes stability control, six-speaker stereo, 16-inch wheels, and soft-touch interior components.  Options include Bluetooth, heated seats, leather, and satellite radio.

Consumers looking to purchase the 2011 Chevy Cruze can expect to spend at least $16,000.  The car will come on the NA market beginning in the second half of the year.

MS Supercars 620 Camaro First Photos Released

SMS has released the first pictures of the 620 Camaro as it makes its official unveiling at the North American International Auto Show.Boasting a modest body kit (with a ‘Red Butterfly' side induction hood, revised side skirts, and a new front spoiler), the 620 looks aggressive but restrained. Inside, the car features new gauges and sport seats upholstered in Alcantara and leather. Power comes from a 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 575 hp and 600 ft-lb of torque. It enables the Camaro to accelerate from 0 to 60 in under 4.3 seconds. If that isn't impressive enough, SMS also offers the 620X. Packing 715 hp and 700 ft-lb of toque, the 620X can run from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds or less.Both models are outfitted with a SMS 296TM Supercharger, a high performance braking system, and a six-speed manual transmission. Options include magneto-rheological semi-active dampers, a torvec isotorque rear differential, a six-speed automatic transmission, and 21-inch rear wheels.

Look for more information to be released when the 620 Camaro is launched in the second quarter of 2010.

[Via:SMS Supercars]

100 Fisker Karma test vehicles to be built in Finland this year

[Automotive News Europe]

Fisker Automotive Inc., the California electric-car start-up, will be building 100 units of its Karma plug-in hybrid model this year to be used for testing, according to an investor in the firm.

The company has contracted Finnish manufacturer Valmet Automotive to build the Karma at its plant in Finland where Valmet also builds the Porsche Boxster and Cayman models, and the electric City car for Think, the Norwegian automaker. According to investor Ray Lane, production will be ramped up next year to a volume of 15,000 units annually.

Lane is a managing partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm which has previously invested in successes such as Google and Amazon.com.

"These will be tested internally, crash tested and used for other testing purposes," said Lane. Some units will be delivered to customers for real-world testing too.

The Karma is a premium 4-door sport-sedan coupe and plug-in hybrid model with two electric motors producing a total of 300 kW (402 bhp / 408 PS) and 1,300 Nm (959 lb/ft) of torque. It has a range of around 50 miles/80 km running on electric-current alone. In hybrid mode, with an internal-combustion engine charging the 200kW lithium-ion battery pack, its range is extended to 300 miles/482 km. The drive wheels are solely powered by the electric motors.