hot auto review

I'll need a new car. I gotta have a new car to block for the truck, ya know. Speedy car. Speedier than that."

As Little Enos Burdette peeled off the hundreds, the world was one scene away from first sight of the most iconic vehicle in movie and pop culture history. When Burt Reynolds as the Bandit wheeled his black and gold '77 Pontiac Trans Am out of the big rig in Cledus Snow's driveway, the car world would never be the same. Over the next two hours we witnessed the glory of a 6.6L automatic T/A, big gold screamin' chicken and all, tearing it up from Atlanta to Texarkana and back with the goal of scoring 400 cases of Coors beer in 28 hours, picking up chicks, jumping bridges, and making Smokey look stupid in the process. It was movie magic.

Regardless of how hilarious Jackie Gleason, Burt Reynolds, and Jerry Reed were, and how smoking cute Sally Field was, the star of the movie was the car. A year off of Pontiac's 50th Anniversary package of black paint with gold stripes and hood bird, Pontiac made that treatment the SE option in '77, and after the movie came out everyone, and we mean everyone, wanted a Trans Am. Sales jumped by 20,000 units for a total of 68,744 in '77. Your author still remembers sitting behind the wheel of one in the dealership at the tender age of 12, begging dad to buy it. We got a big Buick four-door instead.

For those of us who watched the original Smokey and the Bandit (parts II and III sucked; don't bother) in the theater or drive-in, it's shocking and depressing to realize that the movie is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and Burt Reynolds is 70 years old. This anniversary coincides nicely, however, with the growing popularity of second-generation F-bodies, particularly Trans Ams. Year One has noticed a marked increase in demand for second-gen parts and accessories, and the company's main man Kevin King always had a thing for the boogie-fever Trans Ams, so he decided to build one with '70s kitsch but modern Pro Touring sensibilities.

As bench racing sessions about new projects so often go, this one snowballed, and pretty soon they had Burt Reynolds on the phone. A deal was struck where Burt would lend his name and support to a limited run of custom Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Ams built by Year One, and the project got underway. The plan is to build somewhere between 10 and 50 cars and sell them to whoever wants one. There are three stages of seriousness: BAN1, BAN2, and BAN3, with 1 the mildest and 3 the wildest. All levels will look pretty much the same, with subtle body mods, bitchin' 18-inch billet snowflake wheels, special interior appointments and logos, and tastefully demure versions of the original car's garish, in-your-face decals and stripes. And yes, a CB radio with antenna is an option! The differences among BANs 1 through 3 are under the skin.

The car you see here is the very first one finished, a BAN1. Upgrades include tubular front upper control arms, big Baer brakes, a stock leaf-spring rear suspension locating a 3.42-geared 10-bolt, and a 450hp Pontiac 455 backed by a Tremec five-speed. BAN2 will be one notch nastier, with a four-point roll bar, an aftermarket front subframe, coilovers, bigger brakes, more gear, rear minitubs to hold 18x11 wheels and 335/35ZR18 tires (BAN1 has 18x9s with 275s), and two engine options: a Butler Performance-built 550hp Pontiac or a 550hp GM LS7 crate engine. Finally, BAN3 has all that plus a 700hp Butler 496 Pontiac (or a hotter version of the LS7), a road-race-style four-link rear suspension, six-piston calipers with 14-inch rotors, and a six-point bar. You can get an overdrive automatic in the BAN1 and BAN2 cars, but BAN3 is for macho men and can be had only with a five-speed.

The body mods done to car number one are significant but subtle enough that you either need to be a real Trans Am buff or have a stock one nearby to compare it to. The most aggressive is flush-mounted front and rear glass, which required Year One to have a brand-new, curved rear window created. It's real glass, not Lexan, and nowhere near cheap. The stock urethane front and rear fasciae that are so well known for warping and cracking have been redesigned and cast in fiberglass, with LED taillights in the back and relocated driving lights in the front. Modern projector headlights from a Chevy truck have also been used, which required significant surgery to the headlight buckets. Year One is first and foremost a restoration and performance parts company, so most of these parts (except maybe the rear window) will soon be in its catalog. (Year One also has stock-configuration fiberglass front and rear replacement fasciae.) The front and rear spoilers and wheel flares are mandatory for the proper look, but these have been flush-fit to the body to make them cleaner. Again, you wouldn't be able to tell unless you parked this car next to a stocker (which we did-check out the photos).

We can't tell you how much the cars are going to cost. As we write this the first car is barely finished, so even Year One doesn't know how much it's put in. Forced to guess, we'd say a BAN1 will be pretty close to six figures and a BAN3 will push 200K. But that's the price of entry with a complete turnkey, Pro Touring ride these days. You could always build your own, which we encourage and hope to see flooding our inbox soon.

Standard Safety. Side air bags are now standard on all Mustang models.Cool New Features. Available interior ambient lighting and HID headlampsadd a touch of upscale class. Bold Design. Three new colors andavailable 18-inch premium wheels on the V-6 coupe enhance Mustangis boldAmerican style. Shelby Mustang Magic. The 2008 Ford Shelby GTconvertible and 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR the most powerful productionFord Mustang ever produced n complete the modern Shelby Mustang lineup.More Choices. Warriors in Pink Package join Mustangis extensive lineup.

Ford Mustang charges into 2008 as the one and only pony car on thestreets, and looks to stretch its segment leadership with new featuresfor that personalized look and feel that Mustang enthusiasts love.

Mustang remains one of the greatest automotive sales success stories ofall time. Nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in America is aMustang, and Mustang remains one of the hottest-selling cars in America.It is also Americais best-selling convertible.

The 2008 Mustang intends to hold on to that sales leadership with newavailable features that will add personal appeal, including HighIntensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, 18-inch wheels on the V-6 coupe,and an interior ambient lighting system.

Three new colors (Vapor Clearcoat Metallic, Dark Candy Apple RedClearcoat Metallic, Silver Clearcoat Metallic replace Tungsten, Redfire,and Satin Silver) enhance Mustang's bold, American style while safetyimproves with the addition of standard side air bags.

Two new Shelby Mustangs are available for 2008 n the 2008 Mustang ShelbyGT and Shelby GT500KR. The 2008 Mustang Shelby GT offers consumers a newVista Blue exterior color with silver stripe, and the choice of two bodystyles, coupe or convertible. Under the hood, the Shelby GTis 4.6-literV-8 engine is modified with Ford Racing Performance Parts and generates319 horsepower. Coil springs drop the overall ride height by aninch-and-a-half and stiffer dampers and a front swaybar further enhancecornering feel and body control.

To mark the 40th Anniversary of the original 'King of the Road' Mustang,2008 sees the return of the Shelby GT500KR. Hailed as the most powerfulproduction Ford Mustang ever produced, the 2008 Shelby GT500KR featuresan estimated 540-horsepower 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 with a FordRacing Power Upgrade Pack, 3.73:1 rear axle ratio, short-throw shifter,and unique suspension tuning. Available in spring 2008, the exteriordesign draws inspiration from the classic Shelby KR Mustangs andfeatures unique carbon composite hood, Shelby-designed 18-inch wheels,and special 40th Anniversary badging and unique striping.

Also new for 2008 is a limited-edition Warriors in Pink Mustang ndesigned exclusively in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.Produced in celebration of Susan G. Komen for the Cureis 25thAnniversary, the vehicle features unique pink exterior and interiordesign accents. Sales from the Warriors in Pink edition will help raisefunds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Highlights include:

* Pink ribbon and Pony fender badge.

* Pink 'Mustang' rocker tape stripe.

* Charcoal leather seats and Charcoal floor mats with Pink contraststitching.

* Leather-wrapped aluminum spoke steering wheel with Pink contraststitching.

* Unique Pony grille with chrome bezel and fog lamps.

Mustang comes in both coupe and convertible body styles, V-6 Deluxe, V-6Premium, GT Deluxe and GT Premium. All Mustangs are built in Flat Rock,Mich., with final assembly of the Shelby GT and GT500KR taking place atthe Shelby Automobiles facility in Las Vegas.

Design and Equipment

Mustang epitomizes pure American muscle. The signature long hood andshort rear deck capitalize on more than 40 years of Mustang heritage, asdo classic design cues that have defined Mustangs since the 1960s:C-scoops in the sides, three-element taillamps, and a galloping horsebadge in the center of the grille.

The Mustang's menacing shark-like nose imparts an attitude not seensince the 1967 model, while jeweled, round headlamps in trapezoidalhousings are part of its modern architecture. The caris aggressive rakegives the design visual motion, while the short overhangs and up to18-inch wheels and tires anchor the design visually and physically tothe road.

Mustang continues to offer unique packages for 2008

The Pony Package, available on the V-6 model, first launched in 2006. Itfeatures a GT-handling package that includes a larger front stabilizerbar, the addition of a rear stabilizer bar and

P235/55ZR17 tires on painted cast-aluminum wheels. Also included arebright, machined rims and unique tri-bar Pony center caps. Furthertouches include fog lights, Pony front fender badges, lower door tapestripe, carpeted front floor mats with special brushed chrome iMustangilogos and a rear spoiler.

The Mustang GT California Special is available on GT Premium models andincludes 18-inch wheels, side scoops, unique tape stripes, rolled brightexhaust tips, black leather trimmed seats with unique iCal Specialicontrasting Dove or Parchment leather inserts, a larger air intake, achin spoiler (1.5 inches lower than GT), and unique front and rearfascias.

An appearance package is available for the Mustang GT featuring rolledexhaust tips, an engine cover with a Pony emblem and a hood scoop.

The California Special and GT appearance packages can be orderedseparately or combined to give Mustang enthusiasts one of the mostexpressive Mustang GTs ever offered.

Customizable Interior to Fit Any Mood

Inside, Mustang's industry-first MyColor color-configurable instrumentpanel offers the ultimate in personalization. Mustang owners can mix andmatch lighting at the touch of a button to create more than 125 colorbackgrounds to suit their personalities, moods, outfits or whims.

For 2008, Ford also lets Mustang owners color outside the lines with anavailable interior ambient lighting package. This unique feature offersthe option of illuminating the front and rear footwells and frontcupholders with any one of seven colors. The driver or front passengercan choose from red, orange, blue, indigo, violet, green and yellow.

Additional modern interior touches mix with Mustang history andheritage. Chrome-ringed air vents are aligned vertically across thedash, precisely in line with the gauges, and the steering wheel hasthree spokes with a center hub marked by the horse and tricolor barslogo, echoing the design of the 1967 Mustang.

Numerous standard features include an auxiliary audio input jack,one-touch up-down power windows, power mirrors, keyless entry and powerlocks, a heated rear window, interval wipers, air conditioning, speedcontrol and a CD player. Available interior options include SIRIUSSatellite Radio, heated front seats, voice-activated navigation and aShaker 1000 premium audio system.

Power and Performance

Muscular engines infuse Mustang with tire-smoking performance. The4.6-liter aluminum V-8 has three valve heads and cranks out 300horsepower. Thatis more than 50 percent more power than the small-block,289-cubic-inch V-8 found in the classic 1964.5 model.

The standard engine, a 60-degree, 4.0-liter, single-overhead-cam V-6produces 210 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque.

Both engines are paired with a standard 5-speed manual transmission oran available 5-speed automatic, which provides a unique combination ofoff-the-line jump and good highway fuel economy.

At the front suspension, MacPherson struts with reverse "L" lowercontrol arms deliver comfort. The three-link rear suspension has alightweight, tubular Panhard rod that provides precise control of therear axle. This technology stabilizes the rear axle as the wheels move,particularly during hard cornering.

The standard four-wheel disc brakes have the biggest rotors and stiffestcalipers ever fitted to a mainstream Mustang. Twin-piston aluminumcalipers clamp down on 12.4-inch ventilated front brake discs on GTmodels. In the rear, the brake rotors are 11.8 inches in diameter.

A four-channel anti-lock brake system (ABS) with traction control isstandard on GT models and available on V-6 models. It uses electronicsensors to constantly monitor road conditions and feed the informationto a dedicated control computer thatis capable of determining withinmilliseconds whether the vehicle is on dry pavement or negotiating aslippery surface. When traction control isnit desired, drivers candeactivate the system with a button on the instrument panel.

Safety and Security

The 2008 Mustang adds standard side air bags to an already comprehensivesafety package. Along with the addition of seat-mounted thorax side airbags, safety features also include dual-stage driver and front passengerair bags, safety belt pretensioners, seat weight sensing system for thepassenger seat and crash severity sensing.

An optional active anti-theft package offers customers an added level ofsecurity. It includes a sensing module to guard against tow-away thefts,an interior motion sensor to detect smash-and-grab break-ins, a separatealarm sounder o in addition to the vehicle horn o to thwart thievestrying to disable the horn, and a high-capacity, 60-ampere-hour batterythat sounds the alarm longer.

Major Features and Options

V-6 Deluxe: Auxiliary audio input jack; One-touch up-down power windows;Power mirrors and door locks; Keyless entry; air conditioning; AM/FMaudio system with single CD; Tilt steering wheel; Speed control; Rearwindow defroster; Stainless steel exhaust; 16-inch wheels; Four-wheelpower disc brakes; Cloth bucket seats with 50/50 split-fold rear oncoupe models; Seat-mounted side air bags; LATCH; Personal SafetySystemAE; SecuriLockAE; and Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

V-6 Premium adds: 16-inch, painted bright machined-aluminum wheels withchrome spinner; Shaker 500 audio system with six-disc CD changer and MP3capability; Six-way power-adjustable driver seat.

GT Deluxe adds: 4.6-liter, 3-valve, V-8 engine; ABS with tractioncontrol; Stainless steel dual exhaust; Front fog lamps in grille;Complex reflector halogen headlamps with integral turn signals; Rearspoiler; Performance tires with 17-inch, painted cast-aluminum wheels;and AM/FM audio system with single CD.

GT Premium adds: Shaker 500 audio system with six-disc CD player; andAberdeen leather-trimmed, Embossed sport bucket seats.

Options include: Ambient interior lighting; GT California SpecialPackage; GT Appearance Package; Comfort Group; Shaker 1000 premium audiosystem; SIRIUSAE Satellite Radio; Touch-screen navigation system; V-6Pony Package; Interior Upgrade Package with satin-aluminum trim or darkaluminum trim and MyColor custom instrument panel; Sport InteriorAppearance Package; Premier Trim with Color Accent Package, SportExterior Appearance Package; Five-speed automatic transmission; Twostyles of 18-inch, cast-aluminum wheels; Active anti-theft system.

Milestones

1964 - Mustang introduced April 17 at Worldis Fair in New York

1964 - 250,000th Mustang sold

1965 - Mustang becomes the most successful new car by selling 418,812 units in its first model year

1966 - One millionth Mustang rolls off the line at Dearborn Assembly plant in Michigan

1967 - Mustang 390 GT wins Cars magazineis "Top Performance Car of the Year"

1974 - Mustang II wins Motor Trendis iCar of the Yeari award

1983 - The California Highway Patrol purchases 400 Mustangs to help troopers keep pace with high-speed pursuits

1983 - Mustang SVO introduced as 1984 model

1993 - First-generation SVT Mustang Cobra introduced with a 5.0-liter V-8 producing 235 horsepower

1995 - SVT Mustang Cobra R model produces 300 horsepower from its 5.8-liter V-8

2003 - With a 4.6-liter supercharged V-8, SVT Mustang Cobra offers 390 horsepower

2004 - Mustang celebrates its 40th anniversary with a special edition and a concept car at the North American International Auto Show

2005 - All-new platform and clean-sheet design make Mustang faster, safer, more agile and better-looking than ever

2006 - The modern Shelby Mustang lineup is born with the debut of the 2007 Shelby GT500 coupe and convertible

2006 - Ford, Carroll Shelby, and Ford Racing joined forces to create a retail version of the Shelby GT-H Hertz rental car called the Shelby GT for the 2007 model year

2007 - Ford Mustang receives top honors as Best Midsize Sporty Car in 2007 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS)

2007 - Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the original Shelby Cobra GT500KR, Ford and Shelby collaborate on and debut a new eKing of the Roadi Mustang with the 2008 Shelby GT500KR

The 1932 Ford, the car that brought style and performance to the mass market and went on to become the quintessential hot rod nicknamed the “Deuce,” is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2007.  The August 19 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is marking this important automotive anniversary with a class of historically significant ‘32 Ford hot rods.

The 1932 Ford, the car that brought style and performance to the mass market and went on to become the quintessential hot rod nicknamed the “Deuce,” is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2007.  The August 19 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is marking this important automotive anniversary with a class of historically significant ‘32 Ford hot rods.  

“The 1932 Ford continues to have a tremendous impact on many aspects of the automotive world and on contemporary culture,” said Ken Gross, chief class judge for the Pebble Beach Concours’ Historic Hot Rod Class.  “It was a landmark car for Ford Motor Company, beginning a period of styling dominance for the company and, most significantly, offering the world’s first mass-produced V8 engine.  

“Not long after its introduction, the ‘32 Ford played a major role in another revolution - the development of the hot rod.  Built in backyards and small garages, modified ‘32 Fords performed far beyond their original capabilities and often rivaled the performance of the best in the world.  Hot rods are a uniquely American form of automotive expression.”

The ‘32 Ford hot rod has been immortalized in a number of movies, including American Graffiti, and songs like the Beach Boys “Little Deuce Coupe,” by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian.

Since 1997 the Pebble Beach Concours has included a biennial class focused
on landmark hot rods.   The first two classes concentrated on roadsters, the
2001 show featured historic hot rod coupes, in 2003 the class honored road racing hot rods and in 2005 the class focused on early custom cars, 1935-1948.

Historic hot rods are usually referred to by their original builder or by the person who owned the car when it earned its most notoriety.  The nine historic ‘32 Ford hot rods to compete at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours
are:


* Lloyd Bakan 3-Window coupe

* Berardini Bros. “404 Jr.” roadster

* Paul FitzGerald roadster

* Doyle Gammell 3-Window coupe

* Pete Henderson roadster

* Tom McMullen roadster

* Walker Morrison roadster

* Mitchell Rasansky/Chuck Adams roadster

* Carl Stone “Rollin’ Stone” roadster

“The Deuce is the hot rod ‘gold standard’ because of Henry Ford’s remarkable flathead V8 and Edsel Ford’s design influence,” said Gross. “It’s a testament to the ‘32 Ford’s intrinsic strengths that individuals continue to put so much of themselves into personalizing these cars.  The nine selections in this year’s Pebble Beach Hot Rod Class are some of the most significant and influential ‘32 Fords of all time.”