The First Generation to Present Mustang

• The first generation Mustang was introduced to the public in 1964 at the New York World Fair. The Mustang when introduced in 1964 shared a number of its characteristics with the Ford Falcon. The Mustang was launched as a coupe or as a convertible. It was 181.6 inches long. The Mustang derived its power from a wide choice of engines. The engines were a 2.8-liter OHV; a 3.3-liter OHV; a 4.3-liter OHV V8; a 4.7-liter V8; a four-barrel 289 engine and at the last a four-barrel 289. In 1999 the Eighth generation Mustang made its debut. Changes were made to the Mustangs 3.8-liter V6 engine and its 4.6-liter V8 engine.

Mercedes students create B55 using big V8 and little B-Class

• After the nuclear apocalypse wipes out all of civilization, there will still be cockroaches wedging huge engines into tiny cars. You just can't kill the oldest recipe in hot rodding history, and for good reason. As a handful of trainees at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt just found out, the big engine, small car combo is the easiest way to mint cheap speed. Plant manager Peter Wesp got the idea to squeeze a 5.5-liter 385 horsepower V8 from the likes of the big E550 into the Silver Arrow's trim B-Class.
• After finding a B200 CDI that had been sacrificed to training, Wesp and his team set about the mechanical contortions necessary to pull off the swap. Surprisingly enough, the workers were able to use the original engine mounts, and with a little parts-bin raiding, everything was sitting pretty under the hood. The team snugged in a rear axle from a W 2010 E-Class, front brakes lifted from a C32 AMG and bolted on snazzy 18-inch wheels from AMG as well. How's that for perfection? Hit the jump for the full press blast.
• More...http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/21/mercedes-b55-big-v8-b-class/

Lotus Esprit Concept @2010 Paris Auto Show

Lotus Esprit Concept



• Lotus is ready to make a big impact at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. It brought five concept vehicles to the show (more on the other four in short order), and one in particular has us salivating. Lotus plans to revive the much-loved Esprit for the 2013 model year. Before we see a production version of that car, the automaker is showcasing its Lotus Esprit Concept.
• Taking cues from the old Esprit, the Esprit Concept plunks its engine amidship, though instead of honoring the turbocharged four-cylinders that powered the originals, the concept makes do with a meaty supercharged 5.0-liter V8. That V8 will look familiar to fans of the Lexus IS-F. The two-seater will produce 620 horsepower, accelerate from 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds and then blast onward to a 205-mile-per-hour top speed. The plan is to bring the production version to market in the spring of 2013 with a price tag around $175,000.
• In addition to the massive, and massively exciting ,V8 power, the Lotus Esprit will also be offered with KERS as an option. KERS, or Kinetic Energy Recovery System, is a system used by Formula 1 cars to recover heat energy generated during braking. The energy is stored until the driver wants a powerful boost and with a push of a button propels the car with more force than two bottles of NOS... the big ones.
• Stay tuned as we'll update this post with more official images as well as live shots from the show floor soon.
• More...http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-lotus-esprit-concept-previews-upcoming-revival-of-a/

Google's new robot car: Crazy good or crazy crazy?

Google's new robot car: Crazy good or crazy crazy?

There is something charming about engineers who decide they will alter the world. Just because they can.

So Google's announcement that it has already been testing cars that drive themselves should be met by warm feelings in many of one's more imaginative nerve-endings.

As I grasp this vastly ambitious project, Google is intending that these cars, manned as they are by vast arrays of excellent soft- and hardware, will avoid crashes and allow for fuel savings and more cars on the road (as, deductive reasoning goes, there will be no crashes). They will also allow drivers to get drunk to skunk levels, given that no self-respecting Google car would actually let the drivers take the wheel, even when they're sober.

While several parts of me want to emit songs from the works of the finest gospel authors, there are other parts that yield a B-flat of discomfort.

Read more


http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20019139-71.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody;1n#ixzz12jdi2HQM

Honda shows new minivan concept in Chicago

The Odyssey concept presages the 2011 production version coming out in the fall. (Credit: Honda)

Not prone to building outlandish or highly speculative concepts, Honda showed off a very mundane concept version of its upcoming new Odyssey minivan at the Chicago Auto Show. The real thing is coming out this fall, so the concept is fairly close to production trim.

Honda notes that the new Odyssey will be lower and wider than the current version, improving aerodynamics and fuel economy. Some versions of the car will get 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, according to Honda. But it sounds like the powerplant options will remain unchanged, as Honda says the current i-VTEC V-6, with cylinder deactivation technology, will still be available.

more.. 

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10450909-48.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave