Rams Eye The Track Guy

When the Chevrolet SS was first announced, I assumed that the decision between the SS and the Charger SRT8 wouldn't be difficult. Assuming no brand loyalty and narrowing your choices down to full size sedans with good ole' American muscle, the choice would come down to your driving style. The Chevy SS would be your favourite of you're more of a canyon carver and the Charger would be your choice if you wanted more of a grand tourer, judging by the fact that the Camaro is smaller and sharper than the Challenger. Chevrolet may want to give buyers another reason to consider the SS though, as Motor Trend sources report that the SS may be getting a six-speed manual transmission and magnetic ride control suspension.  Full size sedan with a V8 in the front, power going to the back and a manual transmission? Seems too good to be true. I don't know if a manual would make the car any quicker because GM builds a good auto and I believe I have read a few times that the ...

After Ford re-introduced the Boss 302 and Boss 302 Laguna Seca, many parts became available such as the wheels, the front splitter and more. The GT500 spoiler has long been a favourite amount many Mustang owners (myself included - I have a genuine GT500 spoiler on my Boss 302). GM doesn't want you to be able to do that, though. To prevent people from borrowing design cues or all out cloning the mighty Camaro Z/28, GM is restricting sale of 35 parts to only those who own the car.  The restricted parts include the brake callipers and carbon ceramic rotors, forged wheels, helical differential, half shafts, seats and many aerodynamic parts such as the fender flares, rocker panels, rear spoiler and more. Here is a  list of parts (courtesy of GM Authority) including part numbers: 22958646 ROTOR-FRT BRK 22958647 ROTOR-RR BRK 22958658 CALIPER ASM-FRT BRK 22958607 CALIPER ASM-FRT BRK 22958637 CALIPER ASM-RR BRK 22958634 CALIPER ASM-RR BR 23179350 MOLDING ASM-RKR PNL...

This is the new BMW M4 which is powered by a twin-turbo 3-litre straight six making 425 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque which is 11 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque. While that is a healthy upgrade, specially the increase in torque, the engine noise is rather disappointing.. Below is a video showing a 2015 BMW M4 start up and rev. You can actually hear someone in the background saying that it sounds like a Prius. Many diehard M3 fans and auto enthusiasts in general were bemoaning the switch to a turbo engine and now there's another disappointment, the engine noise. If you have a laptop, I recommend plugging in good speakers, preferably with a woofer, or at least head phones because laptop speakers will make it terrible. This is the new BMW M4 which is powered by a twin-turbo 3-litre straight six making 425 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque which is 11 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque. While that is a healthy upgrade, specially the increase in torque, the engine noise is rather disappointi...

A 245 hp, FWD midsize family sedan with extremely mild sporty aspirations should not have four exhaust outlets. Other than that, it looks much better than the current generation, although that's hardly a compliment in my books because the current generation looks like an over-designed mess. Reducing power seems like a trend with all new Hyundai models now. Someone up there probably wanted to boost all peak power ratings to grab attention while the brand was redefining itself but they are trying to improve drivability now, which is a positive. Background: Hyundai plans to give the 2.0-litre turbo Sport revised electric power steering system as well as 12.6-inch front brakes (the Mazda6 Grand Touring and Honda Accord Sport have 11.7 and 11.5-inch front brake discs, respectively) and a unique sport-tuned suspension.  For 2015, HP is reduced for both engines. The 2.4-liter naturally aspirated I4 now produces 185 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque compared to the 2014'...

Just over a week ago, the Mustang nameplate turned 50 years old. Not many cars can claim the honour and even more importantly, the rich heritage. It found success on the streets, in motor sports and even a few iconic roles. Check out the video below put together by Ford Racing to celebrate 50 years of Mustangs in motor sports. Ford made sure that no one forgets the anniversary by offering a 50th anniversary limited edition model and only 1964 will be built to pay homage to the year 1964, the year the Mustang was born. It will be offered with every available option on the Mustang GT, except colour and transmission. Customers will pick the colour and an automatic or a manual transmission.  Not only that, Ford also repeated the great feat of putting a Mustang on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State building - 1,000 ft high. There is one "gift card" that Ford might not have been excepting though.. a Happy Birthday from Chevrolet and none...

This week, Chevrolet introduced the convertible version of the highly anticipated, C7 Corvette Z06. Yes, the Z06 will be available with a drop top. A power operated tonneau cover will be offered that is identical to the one offered on the standard stingray. The top will be offered in four colours and can be operated up to speeds of 30 mph. It features a thick fabric top with sound absorbing padding and a glass rear window to provide a quiet cabin.  This is guaranteed to upset a few die-hard fans. Let's not forget, this is a car that used to be exclusive to a very specific group of people. The Z06 was not offered with a convertible top since the very first Z06 - the 1963 Corvette Stingray. According to GM records, 199 C2 Corvettes with the Z06 package were sold, only one of which was a convertible. However, the C5 and C6 Z06's being offered only as coupes and without an automatic option, they excluded many Corvette buyers who may have wanted extra oomph or b...

By now, I imagine all F1 fans have probably watched the first Grand Prix of the season. I finally had a chance to watch it last weekend and I must say, I was quite disappointed with the noise. The major changes to cars have been decreasing engine size, rpm limit and cylinder count, a return to turbocharging, limiting fuel use, body changes to promote safety and increase passing opportunities and increase available power boost from the electric motor, both in duration and magnitude. If you want to learn more about the changes, click here to go to the summary on the Formula 1 official website  or watch the video below prepared by the Red Bull. The changes to the engine itself are the ones that most affect the noise. Firstly, a drop from a V8 to a V6 means fewer cylinder fires per engine revolution and, therefore, per unit of time (second, minute, etc.). This is coupled with a drop in maximum rpm from the typical 18,000 - 19,000 to 15,000. This means fewer fires per r...

I unfortunately haven't been able to write lately but, luckily, it was for a very good reason. I am very happy to say that just over two months ago, we were blessed with a healthy little boy and I became a very proud father. Things are finally starting to settle down a bit and get into a routine (except for his sleeping schedule but, luckily, the wife is taking care of that) so I will have more time to start writing again. Now, to make this post as car related as possible, I'll conclude this with a few tips for new or expecting parents: 1 - Make sure you put the baby seat in the middle position. Many manuals and forums recommend the middle position but, aside from safety reasons in case of a crash, putting the seat on the left or right sides is less practical because it renders the door on that side basically useless for anything besides getting the baby in and out. Putting it in the middle will also make it easier to get the baby out from either side of the vehicle which is...

The 2015 Mustang is finally here and it must be said, I'm pleasantly surprised (for the most part). The folks at Car and Driver were almost bang on with the final rendering that they posted a few weeks ago ( 2015 Mustang Leaked ). This isn't a rendering though, this is the real thing straight from Ford. Although I am not a fan of a few things, it is much better than I thought it would be. Considering all the talk about the Mustang going global and ditching traditional styling, I am very happy with the result. I think it looks absolutely fantastic. There's one problem, though, which is that it is unmistakably a Mustang only from most angles, not all. Looking at the picture below, if you remove the iconic pony from the wheel centre cap, it does not look like a Mustang. And it doesn't have to look retro to look like a Mustang because the rest of the car is very distinctly Mustang but looks very modern. From the front wheels back, it looks excellent; the pr...

As long as Mustangs and Camaros are in production, Ford and Chevy will always be trying to one-up each other. Ford announced that it will be using a 4-cylinder EcoBoost that's larger than the one used in the Focus ST for the next generation Mustang. Instead of Chevrolet trying to one up Ford by offering a turbo 4-cylinder with more power, better fuel economy or both, they skipped the 4-cylinder option all together. Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer, recently said that the next gen Camaro will continue to have a V6 as the smallest engine offering. "As long as they'll pay me to be the chief engineer, I'm going to fight for every horsepower I can and every cylinder I can," he said. The benefit, in my opinion, isn't power or performance. I would actually expect that the 4-cylinder turbo to have a slight edge in performance compared to the base V6 options in both the Mustang and the Camaro plus there will be a far better aftermarket potential. It's s...