Blastolene B-702

If I ever become a crime-fighter THIS will be my car.
Designed and built by American engineer Randy Grubb, the car is now owned by Jay Leno.
It weighs 9,500 pounds and it is 21 feet long.
BUT...it can pull the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds at 93 mph and has a 140 plus top speed.
Why?
Because it has an 810 horsepower Continental AV1790 tank engine.
Well it started out that way, Jay had fuel injection and twin turbochargers added and now it puts out 1,600 horsepower.
Listed at "only" $250,000, this beauty gets about 5 miles to the gallon.

1970 Chevelle SS

The Chevrolet Chevelle was introduced in 1964, and the model could be anything from an economy car to a very powerful muscle car.
The Chevelle came with (I think) every engine Chevrolet put out, from the 194 CID Inline-Six to the 454 CID Big-Block V8.
The 1970 Chevelle SS equipped with the LS6 454 V8 was probably the pinnacle of the high performance version.
Right out of the showroom, the 454 put out 450 horsepower and 500 foot pounds of torque.
That pushed the 3260 pound car through the quarter mile in 13.1 seconds at 107 mph.
And like I said, that was stock.

I had a friend growing up that had a SS that he had modified that would almost literally tear up the pavement.
More than once I hit my head on the headliner when he popped the clutch and yanked the front wheels off the ground.

Good times.

1963 Dodge Ramcharger

The 1963 Dodge Ramcharger.
The Ramcharger (not to be confused with the large sport utility vehicle) came equipped with a 413 V8 bored out to 426 cubic inches.
Dodge rated the engine at 425 horsepower, but as with a lot of figures from back then, a lot of people think the horsepower ran much higher.
Aluminum front fenders, hood and front bumpers helped to lower the weight of the car, bringing it in at around 3,200 pounds.
On the strip this translated into a 12 second quarter mile at 117 mph.

1968 Plymouth S/S Barracuda

One of the fastest Muscle cars ever made was the 1968 Plymouth S/S Barracuda with the dual 4-barrel carburetor 426 Hemi.
The Hemi put out 525 horsepower (although it was rumored that it was actually 600+ horses) and turned the quarter in 10.5 seconds at 130 mph.
Now this is stock times.
Imagine what a few modifications would do.
Not that there was a lot of need.
Besides coming equipped with the dual 4-barrel 426 Hemi, it also had Competition Hooker headers, exhaust pipes, and mufflers from the factory.
Of course not a lot of these were made.
And when you ordered one of the beasts, you had to sign a disclaimer indicating that you understood the vehicle was sold without warranty and that it didn't conform to Federal Vehicle Safety Standards.
It came from the factory without a heater, outside mirrors or a right side seat belt.

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

The Challenger name has been carried by three different Dodge models since it was introduced in 1970.
While the new Challenger model has created a lot of interest, this entry is about the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T.
Both the Challenger and it's sister ship the Plymouth Barracuda were created to compete against cars like the Mercury Cougar and Pontiac Firebird.
The Challenger had a longer wheelbase, larger dimensions and more luxurious interior than the Cuda, and was of course aimed at young American buyers.

The top of the line Challenger was the R/T powered by the 426 Hemi V8.
The Hemi cost an extra $1,228, but it gave the Challenger 425 horsepower and 490 pounds of torque.
That allowed the Challenger to cover the quarter mile in a little over 13 seconds at 107.12 mph.

A 1970 Challenger was driven by Jake Kowalski in the original "Vanishing Point" movie.

Ferrari 360 Spider

Launched in 2000, the Ferrari 360 Spider is powered by a mid-mounted 3.6 liter V8 with 400 horsepower, shown off under a glass hood.
This engine allows the Spider to pull a 12.8 second quarter mile at 110.8 miles per hour.
And it gives the Spider a 0 to 60 time of about 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 185 mph.
The Ferrari's fuel economy is 10 mpg city, 16 mpg highway.

I actually found a place where you can rent one online.
How cool is that?

And if renting isn't your style, you can pick one up starting at around $221,720.00.

Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG

Comfort, style and speed.
The Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG is powered by a 6.0 litre V12 BiTurbo engine that puts out 612 horsepower and 737 foot pounds of torque.
That allows this beauty to go from 0 to 60 in 4.2 seconds.
This also gives the CL65 an 11.8 second quarter mile time at 120.9 mph.
It's estimated top speed is 186 mph.
The downside of this car is that the CL65 AMG is made to order in very small numbers.
And for the mundane stuff, the MPG is 11 in the city, and 17 on the highway.
The base price is around $203,700.

The Mosler MT900S

Okay this is not a widely produced car.
As a matter of fact, unless you are George Lucas (he took delivery of the first street legal one in December 2006), you may not have ever heard of it.
The MT900s is built by Mosler Automotive.
It's powered by a Corvette LS6 V8 with an Eaton supercharger, with a maximum boost pressure of 6.0 psi.
This gives the 346 inch engine 600 bhp and 557 foot pounds of torque.
In real time that allows the MT900S to get from 0 to 60 in about 3.1 seconds, 0 to 100 in 6.5 seconds and 0 to 150 in 13.8 seconds.
And it also enables the MT900S to blast through the traps at 135 mph in 11 seconds.
Base price is about $189,000.
Or you can add around $50,000 and opt for the MT900S Photon, which is 220 pounds lighter than the MT900s and has a few extra goodies.
And you know, the MT900 gets 15 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.
Thats really not too shabby for a 600 horsepower car.
A Lamborghini Murcielago only gets 8 mpg city and 13 highway.

SSC Ultimate Aero TT, Faster Than the Bugatti Veyron?

The SSC Ultimate Aero TT may be the only rival to the Bugatti Veyron.
In road tests, the SSC turned in a 254.88 mph top speed compared to the 253 mph of the Veyron.
But the Ultimate Aero accelerates from 0-60 mph in 2.78 seconds which is slower than the Veyron's 0-60 in 2.46 seconds.
The engine in the Ultimate Aero model is a supercharged 387.2 cu in (6.35 L) V8 engine rated at 1,183 bhp , with 1,094 ft·lb of torque.
Amazingly, the first production 2007 Ultimate Aero TT car was sold not in a show room, but on eBay for $431,100.
Yes eBay.
And I forgot to mention that the SSC Ultimate Aero TT is built by Shelby SuperCars.
And that NASA (yes NASA) put the car in a wind tunnel testing facility and proved that the SSC Aero could be aerodynamically stable enough to reach speeds up to 273 miles per hour.
And to be as Green as anyone else, this supercar will soon be available in an electrical version.
Of course this SSC will be the fastest electric car on the market, powered by a 500 horsepower electric motor. Yes I said a 500 horsepower ELECTRIC motor.

The 2000 BMW Z8, the fastest BMW?

Not counting concept cars like the Nazca, the 2000 BMW Z8 may be the fastest BMW ever produced.
Powered by a 4941 cc(4.9 L)V-8 engine producing 394 bhp, this BMW could cover the quarter mile in 12.6 sec at 112 mph.
It's zero to 60 was 4.2 seconds, and going into hyper drive, it could run 0 to 100 in 10.2 seconds.
The top speed is listed at 155 mph, but I'm guessing it's a tad higher, barring any electronic governors.
The price for blasting around the country side at warp speed?
Around $128,000.
That, of course, is not counting how high your automobile insurance would go up!
The car was featured in the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough in 1999.

The Jaguar XF

The Jaguar XF was launched in the UK in 2008.
It is a mid-size luxury car / sports sedan made by Jaguar, designed to replace the S-Type.
The Jaguar XF won the What Car? (a long-running UK monthly automobile magazine and website) Car of the Year award and the Car of the Year 2008 from What Diesel? magazine.

The base model of the Jaguar XF carries the 3-litre V6 (adapted from the Ford Duratec V6). It also comes with the Jaguar AJ-V8 4.2-litre engine.The standard version produces 300 hp but the supercharged SV8 model produces a very respectable 420 bhp!

The Jaguar 420

The Jaguar 420 was produced, starting in August 1966 by Jaguar.
It was designed to be the ultimate compact sporting saloon (sedan).

Believe it or not, with its twin carburetor 3.8 liter engine, this boxy looking vehicle could do 0 to 60mph in under 10 seconds, and had a top speed of over 125 mph!

The Jaguar 420 ceased production in September 1968.

The Jaguar S-Type

The Jaguar S-Type saloon was built by British car manufacturer Jaguar. It was announced in 1963, but actual deliveries didn't begin till 1964.
The S-Type came with the 3.4 or 3.8 L I6 Jaguar XK engine.
Slower and heavier than the Jaguar Mark 2, The S-Type had a better ride.
In the United States, the only engine offered was the 3.8 L engine, until the larger 4.2 L engine was introduced in the Jaguar 420.
The S-Type was replaced in August 1968 with the release of the larger Jaguar XJ6, but the name was brought back in 2000 for the retro-styled mid-range Jaguar S-Type.

Really nice page on the Jaguar 3.8 S-Type:
http://www.webfocus.co.nz/jaguar/

The Jaguar Mark 2

The Jaguar Mark 2, also known as Mk2, Mk 2 or MkII, is a medium sized saloon (sedan) car built during the 1950s and 1960s by Jaguar.
Rated at over over 200 bhp and with a top speed of about 125 mph, these sedans were often used as police patrol cars. But on the flip side, they were often used as getaway cars by bank robbers.
The Mark 2 was eventually replaced by the XJ6.

The Jaguar Mark 1

The Jaguar Mark 1 was a saloon car (sedan) produced by Jaguar between the years 1955 and 1959.

Originally known as the 2.4 and 3.4 'Compact' saloons, they have come to be called "Mark 1" to fit with their more famous successor, the Mark 2. They were the company's first "small" saloon since the demise of its 1½ Litre cars in 1949 and were an immediate success, easily outselling the larger Jaguar saloons.

A 2.4 litre saloon with overdrive was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1956. It was found to have a top speed of 101.5 mph and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 14.4 seconds. Not exactly burning up the road compared to other Jags. A fuel consumption of 18.25 miles per imperial gallon (15.20 mpg US) was recorded. The test car cost £1532 including taxes.

They went on to test a 3.4 litre automatic saloon in 1957. This car had a top speed of 119.8 mph (192.8 km/h), acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 11.2 seconds and a fuel consumption of 21.1 miles per imperial gallon (17.6 mpg US) was recorded. The test car cost £1864 including taxes of £622.


Technorati Tags: Jaguar Mark 1 cars automobile automobiles car auto automotive vehicle autos vehicles

The Jaguar Mark IV

The Jaguar Mark IV, pronounced mark four, was a saloon (sedan) car built by Jaguar from 1945 to 1949.
It was a relaunch of a pre World War II model made by SS Cars Ltd from 1936.

Before World War 2 the name Jaguar was the model name given to the complete range of cars built by SS Cars Ltd. The saloons were titled SS Jaguar 1½ litre, 2½ litre or 3½ litre. The two seater sports car was titled the SS Jaguar 100 2½ litre or 3½ litre.

After the war the company name was changed to Jaguar Cars Ltd. While the post war saloons were officially the Jaguar 1½ litre, 2½ litre and the 3½ Litre, the term 'Mark IV' was applied by the trade simply to seperate them from the officially named Mark V.

http://www.saloondata.com/ is an online site that keeps track of all the Classic Jaguar Saloon's still around.

You can also get a ton of info on the early Jags here:
http://www.jag-lovers.org/firstcats/mkiv.php3

Jaguar recalls some XFs for faulty seat belts

Jaguar recalls some XFs for faulty seat belts

If you have a 2009 Jaguar XF, you should hop down to your dealer to have the rear safety belt assembly looked at. Jaguar is recalling 7,900 of the '09 cars because in an accident the rear occupants might not be properly restrained.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/29/jaguar-recalls-some-xfs-for-faulty-seat-belts/

Now would this have happened when Jaguar was still British owned?

Jaguar XK60

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the launch of the XK120, Jaguar is launching a special series of the current XK for the UK market – the aptly named XK60.
XK60s will be built from July 2008 and include 20-inch Senta alloy wheels, a sporty alloy gear knob and selector-gate surround, plus distinctive body enhancements: a new front spoiler and rear valance panel, chrome-finished side vents and bright upper and lower front grille meshes, special tailpipe finishers and appliqués on both sides of the car.

The Jaguar XK , part 3

In Europe the 4.2-S was unveiled at Geneva on March 1, 2005. This was the last XK to be rolled out that was based upon the original 1996 design. Features for the 4.2-S Four included new exterior and interior colours and two distinct veneer options for the instrument panel, polished door treadplates with chequered-flag emblems and embossed, leather-edged floor mats. The revised white Jaguar badge on the bonnet also feature chequered accents. New 19" Atlas wheels plus cross-drilled Brembo brake discs, red wheel badges and red brake calipers were also fitted.
Jaguar also produced a concept car called the XKR-R which was very similar to the production XKR, but boasting a more powerful 450 bhp (340 kW) engine, a manual gearbox, a limited-slip differential and improved handling. The naming convention is similar to that of the S-Type R special edition. Unlike the S-Type R, it will never be realised on a Mk.1 XK chassis although a model of the same name could appear on the Mk.2 XK later this year.

The Jaguar XK , part 2

Both the XK8 and XKR are electronically limited to a maximum of 155 mph, lower than the top speed of its predecessor. The XK8 heralded a change in direction for the company, resulting in the S-Type and X-Type.

The XK8 and XKR come standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, and 19 and 20-inch wheels are available for additional cost. A navigation system and self-leveling xenon headlamps come standard with the XKR and as options for the XK8. Jaguar's Adaptive Cruise Control is an optional feature available on both models. Both come with all-leather interior, burl walnut trim, and side airbags. Jeremy Clarkson, during a Top Gear, a UK motoring magazine/TV show, test-drive, likened the interior of the original XK8 to sitting inside Blenheim Palace. In 2005 the grille design of the XKR was refreshed.

Only 600 XKR Silverstones were made, in celebration of Jaguar's return to F1 racing in 2001. It featured a Platinum paint finish, high-performance package (with the same engine as the standard XKR, but improved transmission, suspension and brakes), 20" Silver BBS "Detroit" wheels and a custom interior.

Built to celebrate the centenary of Jaguar's founder, 500 'XKR 100' coupés and 500 convertibles were made in 2002. The XKR 100 featured an Anthracite paint finish, Recaro seats, 20-inch BBS alloys, Brembo brakes, and custom interior.

The convertible-only Portfolios were produced in 2004 exclusively for the US market. Of the Portfolio models, 100 featured unique Red paint with matching Recaro sports seats and interior, whilst the remaining 100 had Blue paintwork and interiors.

There is also a 2008 Portfolio model planned which will be available worldwide, featuring the most powerful brakes featured on any production-line Jaguar.