THE $20,000 CAR RIDE ACROSS AMERICA

I dropped the pedal and listened to the roar of the Challenger’s naturally aspirated V8 swell, and we lurched forward, overtaking car after car." 

The madness started somewhere in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The 2012 Bullrun Live Rally had just left a lunch pit stop at Pioneer Meadows Golf Course, nestled high in the evergreens of Pioneer, CA, when Highway 88 was hit with an explosion of high-performance combustion that hadn’t been seen in the area since entrepreneur/adventurer Steve Fossett crashed his Bellanca Super Decathlon airplane into these mountains in 2007.

Upon leaving the Meadows, the clip of high-end exotic cars and modified street racers soared into the two-lane mountain pass and immediately floored their collective throttles, beginning a lunatic time warp across the asphalt roller coaster of dips and climbs that carve across this most beautiful region of America. And there I was, clutching the thick steering wheel of a 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 -- yes, the “Big Boy,” as Wiz Khalifa calls it in his “Black and Yellow” video. Only this SRT8 wasn’t black and yellow but rather the signature HEMI orange made famous by these certain Dukes over in Hazzard County.


My photographer Tom and I had spent the last leg of the Bullrun driving utterly alone from San Francisco to Pioneer, somehow losing the entire pack of Bullrun cars, condemning us to six hours of solo cruising through rural townships. Sure the drive was gorgeous and the scenery unforgettable, but neither Tom nor I had signed up for scenic drives. We wanted action, and now we had more than we could handle.

The most salient element to driving the SRT8 is, quite simply, its namesake 392 cubic-inch engine. The transcendent 6.4L V8’s 470 lb-ft of torque is enough to send your neurons into an explosive fit. And its sound… Well, when you hear its full herd of horses (also 470, coincidentally) galloping through the Alcantara-wrapped interior of your Challenger, there’s not another place on Earth you’d rather be. The sound is deep, low and throaty. And although its melodious tones are smile-inducing, the pull of its full power when the throttle is depressed and you’re quick-shifting through its six-speed manual gearbox will have you seeing stars.

So there we were, a Ford Mustang GT500, Porsche PanameraS, BMW X6, Aston Martin DB9, Subaru WRX STI and a drift/rally-tuned Scion FR-S cutting through the switchbacks of Highway 88, all engaged in a sort of vehicular back-country hoedown where dance partners switch positions every time a passing lane opens up. And if a legal passing lane doesn’t? Well, then it comes down to a battle of testicular fortitude as double-solid lane dividers suddenly turn into dotted lines, and basically a honky-tonk jailbreak ensues with a rabid reshuffling of the car(d)s. 

With Tom firing away furiously on his Canon, at times perilously leaning out the window, I dropped the pedal and listened to the roar of the Challenger’s naturally aspirated V8 swell, and we lurched forward, overtaking car after car. As we approached the front of the line, there was only a plaid -- yes, plaid -- Ferrari 430 left to overtake. We were set on capturing first place, and the SRT8 was up for the challenge. Gripping the wheel, Tom and I looked at each other and shared one of those silent nods, the type you see in buddy cop flicks, and we mashed the throttle to the floor; Tom squeezed the door handle with white knuckle fervor.

That’s when Godzilla attacked. Team Hudson’s heavily modified GT-R Skyline blitzkrieged past us on the left hand side, crossing double yellows in an emasculating backhand that made it seem as if we were cruising in neutral. He overtook us and the Ferrari with one blistering fell swoop and disappeared into the horizon. As hard as we were whipping the 470 horses in the Challenger, we would never match the brute force of Godzilla (the GT-R would go on to accumulate over $14,000 worth of speeding tickets throughout the course of the rally; it was easy to see why). No matter how fast you’re willing to go, there is always someone willing to go faster. If there is a place for subtext in the Bullrun, this would be it.

And that is the way of the Bullrun, America’s most notorious homegrown rally. While the eight days are spent locked in high-velocity mechanical jousts like the one above, the nights are spent in similar bouts of high-velocity jousting. Except, instead of gallons of high-octane petroleum, gallons of high-octane Don Julio and Belvedere are consumed. Hotels are evacuated. Road blocks erected, netting millions of dollars in exotics. Tabletops are danced upon and hangovers studied like Higgs boson subatomic particles. Mistakes are made. For the $20,000 entry fee, you surely get your money’s worth of bar-stool tales.

“Mate, I was up until 4:30 a.m. last night,” a grinning Brit named Tim told me during one day’s lunch stop overlooking Pismo Beach. Nursing what appeared to be the ne plus ultra of migraines, he continued an anecdote that included a visiting Russian model and a herd of her stiletto-ed friends, an illegal excursion onto the Hyatt Sunset rooftop and enough illicit consumables to settle Colombia’s trade debt.

And that was opening night, before the rally had even started.

“Well, he paid for it,” laughs Matt, his partner, another jovial Brit with an affability akin to Fozzie the Bear. “This is the first time he’s talking all morning. He was proper green in the car -- I almost considered stopping by the ER!”

In the world of automotive pairings, few duos fold together so neatly as the reinvigorated Challenger SRT8 392 and the Bullrun. Both are loud, belching beasts that roll through your town frightening the pedestrians, sending shudders of fear into the hearts of inhabitants and tingles of curiosity through the loins of innocent coeds. They’re both brash symbols of American Muscle declaring their existence while bullying those in their way into submission. There’s a lot to be said for subtlety in the modern world, a place where the entire message is in the subtext of the metaphor. Neither in the Bullrun nor the 392 is there place for subtext or metaphor. Here, you either go fast or get out of the way.

Read more : http://www.askmen.com/cars/car_tips/bullrun-2012-2.html

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REDLINING A JAGUAR ON A WET RACETRACK

The XKR and XFR are the automaker’s attempt at offering a practical luxury sports car with some real road gravitas at a decent price." 

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” In the abstract, that Friedrich Nietzsche saying almost sounds romantic. But in the context of real life experience, it’s more than just a cliche. Racing Jaguars on an unexpected wet track definitely falls into this second category.

To try the stunt I traveled with R Performance Academy, Jaguar’s driving school, to Monticello Motor Park, 90 minutes northwest of New York. I’d never driven on that track, a challenging road course full of elevation changes and twisting turns, nor had I driven the cars: Jaguar’s two-door XKR and four-door XFR.

Formally introduced in 2009, the machines come from a long line of X-types dating back to the mid-20th century. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the classic XKE (also known as the “e” type), considered by auto purists as the most beautiful of all Jags. The XKR and XFR are the automaker’s attempt at offering a practical luxury sports car with some real road gravitas at a decent price (the cars start at $97,500 and $82,000, respectively).

Both are powered by a 5.0-liter, 510 hp supercharged V8 engine. In manual mode, paddle shifters on the steering wheel (like an F1 car -- upshift on right/downshift on left) bring you through six gears without a clutch. Four-wheel 15-inch disc brakes stop you faster than you can accelerate, which is pretty quick; the XKR goes from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, the XFR in 4.7 seconds. As with most advanced sports cars today, a traction control system (computer software that corrects driver errors) is included.

With production XFR and XKR models, top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph via a governor, but the cars are capable of more. In a special prototype test in 2008, Jaguar took an XFR to the Bonneville Salt Flats and, sans governor with weight reductions, ran the thing at 225 mph. You and I are not able to do this, but it does show how powerful the engine is. Heck, that's quicker than the much pricier Lamborghini Aventador.

The day of my scheduled Monticello event dawned overcast, and the weather just got worse. A dense fog turned to heavy rain by the time I arrived at the track. It was so bad that, at one point, I thought they would cancel, even though you can race on a wet road course up to a point.

R Academy's team of instructors is an impressive group. Ours included Roberto Guerrero, a Formula 1 veteran with five top-five finishes at the Indianapolis 500; sprint car racer Adam Andretti, a nephew of Mario; and Davy Jones, who placed second in the 1996 Indy 500.

First, we congregated in a dry classroom, as is the usual start for events like this. Racing is all about physics, we quickly learn, whether on a dry track or in the rain. Only brake in a straight line otherwise you upset the balance of the car. Slow enough before a corner, then accelerate out -- much faster than barreling in too quickly, then having to scrub speed in the turn. Use the entire track to maximize turning radius and hold momentum. And look far out to where you want to go, not where you don’t.

This sounds like common sense until you encounter a problem at high speed and have to do it all at once, as may be the case on a track -- or the highway. And rain, well, it only exacerbates the challenges.

After class, we paired into groups and headed to the parking lot. Instructors wanted us to feel the power of 510 hp in close quarters. A series of autocross, figure-eight and small ovals defined by orange cones became our miniature tracks. While we all made mistakes and knocked over cones, the cars handled surprisingly well on the drenched pavement using the traction control systems.

Lest we become too confident, the instructors occasionally turned off the TCS, and quickly we realized we were so not Lewis Hamilton. When Andretti secretly switched mine off on the figure-eight, I spun wildly. Better to do this in a parking lot, though, than on-track where soft cones are replaced by a heavy steel guardrail. We quickly learned that in the rain, everything must be smooth and done at three-quarters speed.

Following lunch it was decided that, despite the continuing downpour, we would head to the main track. But because of puddles, some four inches deep, we only would use the 1.6-mile south course (the entire track is 4.1 miles). With 12 separate corners, some more than 90 degrees, the smaller venue would be challenging enough. 

Most of the early afternoon was spent in a lead-follow situation, with a pro out in front of four students. The arrangement ensures maximum safety because, first, speed is regulated by the leader, and second, a student following theoretically runs the same line as the instructor, the quickest (and safest) way around the track.

As we circled, we gained confidence and the instructors picked up the pace. We got to know where the really wet spots were and generally avoided them. And, of course, as we became more comfortable we began to think about what we were doing. Sure enough, you really can go faster by "apexing" (hitting the inside sweet spot of a corner) and exiting with a wide arc. Yes, if you are patient, braking correctly before a corner and accelerating out makes it easier to keep up with the speeding instructor in front of you.

Despite ACS and safety procedures, it is possible to push the cars beyond the limit, especially in the rain. My "big" moment was with Andretti coaching me from the passenger seat. Coming over a hill at fairly high speed, the car suddenly began hydroplaning. I started to panic but Andretti, in a calm voice, coaxed me to relax, told me to look where I wanted to go (I, of course, was fixated on the scary guardrail!) and handle the wheel gently. I'm not exactly sure what I did, but after three interminable seconds I was able to save the car and continue on-track. Andretti was right: Once I looked ahead, where I wanted to go, my hands magically corrected the line.

Unfortunately, two other students were not so lucky. Both had separate encounters with the guardrail hard enough to deploy air bags. Thankfully, just sheet metal was mangled, and the two students were soon back with our group after being cleared by track doctors.

At the end of the day, we all got to ride on a hot lap with the pros. Here, we could see what the cars were really capable of. Guerrero, in a red XFR, waited for me, smiling. He said this was his "revenge" lap after having had to endure the mistakes of students all day. Suffice it to say, after that run I could see why he held the qualifying record at Indianapolis -- 232.6 mph -- for four straight years (1992-1996). I also was able to more fully appreciate the potential of these magnificent machines.

Afterward, I felt I had really learned something. While I have driven the real supercars -- Bugattis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis -- at over 200 mph on long straights (check out my article on what it's really like to drive this fast here) or big ovals in good weather, I had never pushed a sports car so hard in the rain. Surprisingly, I found the machines (and, gulp, myself) up to the task.

(The one-day basic R Academy program is offered at no cost to purchasers of new XKRs and XFRs. Regular folks can take it, too, for $1,850. The program is a good way for owners to experience a track environment, but also for those who never have driven a Jag to give one a spin -- pun intended!)

Common Sense Wet-Weather Driving Tips
- Slow down and concentrate -- on everything.
- Use headlights, even in day hours.
- If you have a traction control system (TCS), use it.
- Do everything smoothly and gently -- accelerating, cornering, braking. With the brake and accelerator, pretend an egg is between your foot and the pedals.
- Leave more space between the car in front, both for hampered visibility and braking reasons.
- The less tread on your tires, the more these rules apply. Deeper tread channels more water, adding to stability.
- If you start to lose control, don’t panic. Always look to where youwant to go, not to where you do not.


Read more : http://www.askmen.com/cars/car_tips/jaguar-xjr-xkr-test-drive-2.html

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Citroen Taranis

 

 

 

 

Citroen Taranis

 

Is it a car, or is a transformer pretending to be a car? The jury is still out on that one. But Peter Norris’ Citroen Taranis concept is an interesting design direction that the current crop of off-roaders (or if you live in London, Chelsea Tractors) should take note of.

The name has been borrowed from the Celtic god of thunder, who is normally depicted holding a wheel in one hand and a thunderbolt in the other. The cabin’s height off the ground is indicative of the Taranis’ intentions as an off-road vehicle. To counter the raised cabin, Morris installed four electronic motors inside each of the four wheels to bring down the car’s center of gravity, while also paying homage to its Celtic namesake.

The arms that connect the wheels to the cabin have been double jointed, allowing for large suspension setups to soften and adjust to the terrain. They can also turn in the direction of travel, reducing the size of the Taranis’ turning circle.

Not forgetting an element of style with the off-roader, Morris has dropped in a pair of gull-wing doors and a high-spec interior. So when do we get to drive one? Sadly, this is just a concept that forms part of the UK designer’s expanding portfolio. Someone give this man a job.

Pictured here:
The two-seater cabin looks like it's been set on a monster-truck chassis.

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Ford Sync

Ford Sync

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© Ford

The Basics

• Price: Model-dependent
• Official Site: SYNC homepage
• Specs: 400 MHz processor; 256 MB DDR SDRAM; 2GB flash memory; Microsoft Auto OS; 2 USB 2.0, SD Card, RCA A/V inputs; Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; AM/FM/CD; SIRIUS/XM Satellite Radio; HD Radio; text-to-voice; voice recognition
• Company: Ford

89 The HowToDoEverything1 Take

Automobile manufacturers have always been a little slow on the uptake with in-car tech. Sure, we’d get an iPod connector here and voice recognition there, but in-car entertainment always seemed to be an afterthought. Ford’s SYNC takes aim at the limited and confusing nature of previous systems and blows them out of the water. Now integrated in over 3 million vehicles, it’s an option on 15 different Ford models, from the workhorse Super Duty to the city mouse Fiesta. For men on the hunt for a new ride, consider this the benchmark for in-car tech.

88 Uniqueness

Built on a Microsoft backbone, SYNC technology was completely engineered in-house at Ford. And instead of choosing one or two solid features to build into SYNC, Ford figured it’d swing for the fences and incorporate almost every connectivity standard it could think of. Beyond the standard iPod connectors and voice recognition (in 19 languages, by the way), Ford included two USB slots, inputs for RCA A/V cables and an SD card slot. This means that you could, if you were so inclined, race a Ford Focus rally edition on your favorite console game in your Ford Focus. Take that, Xzibit.

But what really sets SYNC apart is its ability to integrate your iPod, phone or other mobile device with the car. Bluetooth connectivity means you can browse your favorite music on-screen using your voice instead of clicking around on your MP3 player. SYNC will personalize and display news, horoscopes, weather, and even movie preferences on-screen. Other, more ubiquitous features are there, like voice-activated, hands-free dialing. But Ford ups the ante with a text-to-voice feature that will read your text messages to you while you drive. And if you’re in an accident when the airbag deploys, the car will dial 911 for you automatically through your Bluetooth-connected phone.

An entertaining and novel feature is the ability to turn the car into a Wi-Fi hot spot. Using a USB broadband modem, you can connect to the internet on your iPad 2 or laptop, or surf the internet on the built-in browser. Your car will even function as a wireless router. (Put it in park first, please.)

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90 Shelf Life

BMW’s iDrive led the charge against the Luddite car interiors of yesteryear. Its initial foray was met with scorn, mostly due to its system’s steep learning curve. Perhaps learning from those mistakes, Ford’s SYNC hit the ground running on its launch, with its innumerable features and ease of use. And while iDrive had to undergo complete hardware overhauls in subsequent generations, Ford planned for SYNC’s evolution by integrating a plan for USB or SD software upgrades. With its broad availability and upgradability, SYNC should remain a viable option for many years to come. And when cars start driving themselves, you’ll at least still be driving in your car -- in Gran Turismo, of course.

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