The Earliest Test Tracks, Roof Top

The following story was forwarded to me by "BC the third."  It's a great account of the early test tracks built by Studebaker, Packard and Fiat once you read through the story and into the comments. I had no idea that Fiat built a track on the rooftops of their factory.  Amazing.

When it opened in 1923, Fiat’s Lingotto Building was the largest car factory in the world. It featured an entirely unique design where raw materials entered on the ground floor, and the cars were constructed on an assembly line which climbed through the building. Eventually, the finished cars emerged onto the roof – directly onto a rooftop test track that had high bank turns.

Check out these links.

• Studebaker test with signature sign made out of trees.

• Packard test track.

• Fiat test track on the roof tops. 2nd photo.

Going Topless

Normally, seeing this title “going topless” would spark some sort of excitement. However, in the case of the Porsche Panamera… this leaves me scratching my head and saying, “don’t do it man”. It has been recently reported that Porsche has been seeking patent approvals for the United States and European countries for a convertible Panemara model. I may be one of very few who has the opportunity to run all three trim levels through their paces on a Porsche sponsored road course here in the Bay Area; and was left with the desire to own this technologically advance sport sedan some day.

I hope that the latest report is just one of design rumor. I truly believe that this vehicle should retain its nimble maneuverability by staying with the structurally sound metal/glass greenhouse. Can you imagine how heavy this vehicle will become once the top is removed and structural support is added back in to the vehicle? VW’s approach with the limited production Audi R8 is a more plausible option to execute. This vehicle is a racy two passenger that warrants the look of a topless option. Think of it as poor man’s Bugatti Veyron. The Panemara is the latest jewel in the Porsche crown that provides the similar driving dynamics of a 911 but the ability to carry three more friends and their golf bags. I personally don’t believe you need to remove the top on this sedan to achieve more market share for this vehicle line.

That’s just me.

Red Light Cameras A Money Machine

Tell me something I don't know.  Well, did you know that the crooks in Chicago actually admit that they don't give a shit about safety?

"Aldermen today questioned whether Chicago's red light cameras are making drivers safer or simply filling city coffers during debate on a measure that would offer traffic school for drivers whose violations are caught on film...."

"It's a money machine, that's all. Period," he added.

Read the entire story.

Thanks again to the wetnoodle for this heads up.

Simple Nomenclature

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 / A, E, Q, R, S and T.

Audi is developing a reincarnation of the A2 small car that will slot between the A3 and the A1 minicar introduced in Geneva last week for the European markets. It is still undetermined if North America will see this Easter egg shaped vehicle any time soon.

Audi does make it rather easy to see where this vehicle fits in its offered line-up simply by its numerical nomenclature. Rather refreshing for those who don't even follow Audi that closely... could this simple attribute have something to do with its recent increased sales which has dealers screaming for more inventory with less than 14 days supply?

• A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8
• E-Tron (electric concept)
• Q5 and Q7
• R8
• TT

Sub categories:

• Avant (wagon)
• Cabriolet (convertible)
• Coupe (2-door)
• L (extended length, ie. A8)
• Sedan (4-door)
• S-Line (performance/appearance enhanced)
• TDI (clean diesel)

It all comes down to offering a product that the consumer wants or desires. The KISS (keep it simple stupid) method sure helps.

Cars We Will Never See Again, Unless It's The Thunderbolt

My father-in-law forwards me emails that I always take the time to read.  I figure a minute out of my day for a little entertainment and a possible reply to the ol' man ain't wasted time.  The latest was of cars and trains.  The train shots were beautiful and had me missing Greenfield Village.  Can you only imagine turning off your engine at this crossing to watch time go by?

The second half of the email had a bunch of old cars shots that were one offs for auto shows back in the day.  The Thunderbolt was wrongly referred to as being gone.  I don't mind telling you that I shed a tear at this email thinking about these cars and how no one cared for them after while.  Show cars, race cars and everything special became old news, washed up and practically given away.  

A few smart people held on to what they could, including the two brothers who showed up at Pebble last year with the Thunderbolt.  They had gone through a painstaking 10 year (or something like that) restoration.  Only question when they were all done.  How much paint stripper did you actually inhale before selecting the color palette?  

A Rare Find

They ARE still out there somewhere! ! ! 1950 Chevrolet Club Coupe 437 original, actual miles, only 3 owners. Check out the dealer installed "oil filter”, the rusty carb, and you can even see the spark plugs if they need changing.

Purchased new by Mr. And Mrs. Jessie Trueblood of Modesto. Shortly after purchasing this car, Mr. Trueblood took a day off to go fishing. While waiting for the "big one" to bite he witnessed a woman fall out of her boat. Mr. Trueblood jumped in to help only to fall victim of a fatal heart attack. Mrs.. Trueblood returned the car home and placed it in the garage for the next 12 years. The odometer reading at that time (1962) was 413 miles.

Mrs. Trueblood lived next door to a used car lot owned by Mr. William E. Wilson (now 81 years old). Mr. Wilson spoke with her frequently and often told her he would like to buy the car for himself to keep. In 1962 the time had come. Mrs. Trueblood told Mr.. Wilson she needed a car for her bookkeeper that didn't really care for the ol' Chevy and would prefer a Rambler. No problem. Mr. Wilson went down to the local Rambler dealer and bought a brand new one for $1,650.00 ($100.00 over cost) and made the swap. He then took the car home and parked it with 433 actual miles. There it sat for the next 45 years, occasionally being started and moved in and out of the garage... In 2007 Mr. Wilson decided to sell the car and started spreading the word around Modesto that the ol' Chevy with 433 miles on it was for sale. Many had heard about the car, but hardly anyone had ever laid eyes on it. In fact, according to Mr. Wilson he believes he only showed the car to about 5 people in 45 years. Word spread quickly about the car and soon a buyer arrived ready and willing to pay the $60,000 asking price.

When Mr. Wilson told the story of this car he complained heavily of the "capital gains" tax he was required to pay and wished he had never sold it. As of this writing, Mr. Wilson is still alive and well in Modesto and can verify the miles and originality of this car. Simply put, this is a true 100% factory original survivor (that includes the air in the tires). This ol' Chevy now has 437 original miles and is most likely the world's lowest mileage 1950 Chevy.

Cockroaches May Survive Nuclear War

Well, I finally have the 912 engine apart and started looking at the crank, main bearings and what nots.  Stuff found inside the engine:

- Three and a half dead, oil soaked cockroaches
- One seed of some sort
- Miscellaneous small bugs of another sort
- Oil and parts that actually belonged there

Keep in mind, this is the engine block that I bought from a guy who had it in his garage for years.  It's pretty solid and should serve me well for the rebuild because it was low miles.  Next steps: plant the seed, study the cockroaches for new pesticide that will make me millions and then get the heads, valve train and everything else lined up for resurfacing.

 

General Motors Vice Chairman Robert A. Lutz Will Retire

From a bulletin: "General Motors Vice Chairman Robert A. Lutz will retire effective May 1, 2010, capping a 47-year career in the global auto industry that included senior leadership positions at four of the world's leading automakers. Lutz, 78, rejoined GM September 1, 2001, as the head of product development, and has led the company's resurgence in developing great cars and trucks. He also worked at BMW, Chrysler and Ford. Lutz said he decided to retire now in part because hot-selling vehicles like the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac SRX, GMC Terrain, Chevrolet Equinox and Chevrolet Camaro, along with the growing strength of GM's four brands, prove that a product-focused mindset inside the company is in place for the long term."

Difficult to say how I feel about this it is.  I mean on the one side, I like talking in the Yoda vernacular.  It makes pondering a point like the great car czar retirement more thorough.  But simply from the above quote, without digging into everything Lutz, how can a resurgence be led when including bankruptcy and a bailout?

Tag You're It

Tag Heuer has long been affiliated with likes of celebrities, sports figures, models and the racing scene to promote their attractive wristwatches. With the recent departure of Tiger Woods from their celebrity sports business vertical… it looks as though Tag has found a new pursuit in the way of Silicon Valley, CA. The Tag Heuer Tesla Roadster, the first fruit of a new partnership between the longtime Swiss watchmaker and the electric-car startup, features a specially designed center console. The console was made for Tag Heuer's concept watch, which is set for a formal unveiling at a watch exposition on March 18 in Basel, Switzerland. The car's exterior paint is Foucault Field Gray, which takes its inspiration from the concept watch, said to feature a "technical milestone in mechanical movements."

"Engineers at both Tag Heuer and Tesla understand intuitively that technology — whether worn on your wrist or driven on the road — can help us live better while we tread more lightly on this planet," said Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a statement on Monday. Putting aside the over the top decals and the funky driver's side red skull cap mirror cover and the passenger's side being green ... It isn't that bad. In fact it would be interesting to see what price "tag" this will have.

Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid

The Porsche 918 Spyder concept mates a 500-hp V8 with three electric motors in a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The 918 Spyder is one of three Porsche models with hybrid drive making their world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. This trio, made up of Porsche's new Cayenne S Hybrid SUV with parallel full-hybrid drive, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car with electric drive on the front axle and a flywheel mass battery, and the two-seater high-performance 918 Spyder mid-engine sports car with plug-in hybrid technology, clearly demonstrates not only the great bandwidth of this new drive technology of Porsche as a genuine pioneer in hybrid drive.

The highly innovative 918 Spyder concept car combines Porsche's Intelligent Performance philosophy with the high technology from motorsport, with classic but modern design to make a truly convincing statement. This open two-seater is powered by a high-revving V8 developing more than 500 horsepower and a maximum engine speed of 9,200 rpm, as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 horsepower. This vehicle is intended to offer the performance of a super sports car with acceleration from a standstill to 60 mph in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 198 mph, and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nurburgring in less than 7:30 minutes, faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT.

Sign me up for one of these super-hybrids!