hot auto review

After years of rumors the Corvette ZR1 has finally arrived. As anticipated, the Mega-Vette's LS9 engine employs a positive-displacement blower and integral charge cooler. While the powerplant has yet to complete SAE dyno testing, GM is confident the final rating will be at least 620 hp with around 600 lb-ft of torque. Which makes this the most powerful engine ever offered in a factory Corvette, or in any American production car for that matter.

At 6.2 liters, the blower motor uses a smaller, 103.25mm bore diameter than the 7.0 liter LS7 (104.8mm) in order to stiffen the cylinder case to handle the additional combustion pressure. An Eaton R2300 2.3L supercharger with four-lobe, 160-degree twisted rotors runs at 10.5 psi, while the dual-pass charge cooler resides in the intake plenum. The aluminum block is standard LS3/Gen IV architecture, but with forged steel main caps, while the cylinder heads are new to the LS9, rotocast in A356T6 aluminum. The alternator and A/C compressor are driven by one serpentine belt, while a wider 11-rib belt on the outboard side drives the power steering, water pump, and supercharger. Pankl titanium connecting rods and forged 9.1:1 pistons with poly-coated skirts top off the list of trick pieces in Chevy's latest screamer.

The very limited-production powerplant will be virtually hand-assembled in GM's high-tech engine facility in Wixom, Michigan, just northwest of Detroit. When the new Corvette ZR1 equipped with the LS9 engine (six-speed manual transmission only, automatic unavailable) appears this coming summer, it will become the first supercharged production Corvette in history. The sticker price will be around $100,000.

We told you it was coming. Whether you credit the current wave of popularity in musclecars or the stagnation in the street rod market, there's no denying that the fodder deemed acceptable for building a high-end street rod has quietly crept into the musclecar era. Street rod builders are turning to where the customers (and the money) are, and while well-done checkbook-breaking musclecars certainly aren't news nowadays, the shift in how some of the cars are being built is.

A street rod is by definition a hot-rodded or customized pre-'49 vehicle, but the line between those and today's crop of custom-built musclecars is blurring. Witness Bobby Alloway's latest creation, this '67 Mustang fastback built for George Lange. Though each of his previous builds was radical in its own right, Bobby has practiced some level of restraint on his past musclecars, such as the sinister black '70 Challenger known as She-Devil built for Ken Nestor. Though that car raised quite a few eyebrows and attracted attention for the massive amount of custom work involved, it retained an unquestionable musclecar persona with one foot firmly planted in its heritage. For this project, however, the slate was wiped clean, and the Mustang became an exercise in reinventing how a musclecar can be built. It's reasonable to say that this car stands as the current pinnacle of this new genre of "musclerods."

Ironically, the execution of the car wasn't intended to be a radical departure from the norm; it's simply how Bobby likes to build cars. Bobby will be the first to tell you that he is first and foremost a street rod builder, and it's fair to say that he's good at it since his cars have taken pretty much all of the top honors in the past, including America's Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR), the Ridler Award, Street Rod of the Year, and Street Machine of the Year. With his induction into the Rod & Custom Hall of Fame in 2004, you can say he's done it all. Pretty much everything that rolls out of his Louisville, Tennessee, shop has an unmistakable Alloway flair. Whatever platform he begins with, all Bobby's cars have a look that includes his trademark raked stance and huge rear wheels, but the most important unifying factor to Bobby is that every car must be finished like a show car from top to bottom. Even Bobby's personal '49 Ford convertible, which he enjoys driving regularly, is as slick underneath as it is on top.

Though it's perhaps the most definitively street-rodded musclecar to date, surprisingly the original inspiration for this '67 fastback actually came from a radically different type of car, Ford Racing's FR500C Mustang "Boy Racer" Grand-Am Cup car. Bobby had happened upon the '67 a couple of years back as an abandoned project that had spent the better part of three decades in pieces. The body was solid, so he happily paid the $3,200 asking price and dragged it back to his shop with visions of creating his own version of the FR500C complete with the race-prepped 5.0 Cammer, except wrapped in vintage '67 steel and with the requisite Alloway touches. Good connections within Ford had even allowed him access to one of the first 5.0 Cammer race engines available to the public, which sadly ended up being too tall to fit under the planned '67 Shelby hood.

After seeing some of the sketches and ideas being tossed around for the fastback, George Lange, one of Bobby's biggest fans and the owner of a few past projects, liked the concept so much that he convinced Bobby to build the car for him, which shifted the focus. Bobby is enormously picky over his own car, but he admits that when it comes to a customer's car his need to finish every inch of it becomes a matter of pride. Nevertheless, Bobby did at least get to build the fastback exactly as he wanted. George had faith in Bobby's abilities, so he gave him and his crew free reign over how to construct the fastback. The only stipulation was that it needed to be a driveable car.

In spite of looking like an over-the-top show car that will never be driven in anger, Bobby says that this is in fact a solid car that's meant to be driven. It may have traded in its masculine persona for a more plush vibe, but at least Bobby retained the soul of a hot rod. The drivetrain isn't just polished aluminum eye candy; the 281ci twin-turbo mod motor belts out 839 hp at an unholy 8,700 rpm on 93 octane. They even discovered the hard way that 900 hp is a little out of reach on pump gas. Underneath the sheetmetal lives a modified Art Morrison Max-G chassis and suspension capable of making the Mustang perform on par with high-buck sports cars. Bobby told us, "We've driven it pretty hard in testing, but I'll be honest-the wheels, tires, and rake aren't going to let the car be driven to its potential. They're just for style. But with a different set and a little chassis tweaking it could be driven much harder." But no one has to just take his word for it. Bobby plans on bringing the fastback on a leg of the Power Tour(r) this year, not to prove anything, but just to have fun with the car.

The street rod and show car world is a constant game of one-upmanship, but where is there to go from here? So the question then becomes whether this immaculate fastback stands as a shining example of cars to come, or whether it has set a standard that simply can't, or shouldn't,be surmounted.

Quick Inspection: '67 Ford Mustang fastback
Alloway's Hot Rod Shop/George Lange * Louisville, TNPowertrain

Engine: Beginning with a standard 4.6L block, Keasler Racing of Maryville, Tennessee, assembled the bottom end of the 281ci screamer using a forged steel crank, Crower rods, Clevite bearings, and 8.5:1 JE pistons with Total Seal rings. On the top end a set of heads from the Ford GT are fitted with Comp Cams valves, FMS cams, and Jesel rockers. That custom-designed intake is fed through two 72mm Accufab throttle bodies and sees 12 psi of boost from two 76mm Turbonetics turbos with Newgen wastegates.

Power: In its street-friendly tune, the 4.6 pumps out 839 hp at a shrieking 8,700 rpm on 93-octane fuel. Bobby is confident there's a few hundred more horsepower left in it with race gas and more boost.

Transmission: With an 8,700-rpm redline you gotta have a stick. A T56 six-speed transmission from G-Force Racing was chosen to back the powerful modular and provide long enough legs for the steep 4.88 gears. At 60 mph, the engine is only turning 2,200 rpm.

Rearend: The 9-inch centersection and axles are from Strange Engineering. A set of 4.88 gears was chosen to counteract the size of the rear tires and let the engine happily wind to nearly 9,000 rpm.

Chassis
Frame: After a good experience on his '70 Challenger project, Bobby went with another Art Morrison MuscleCar Max-G chassis for this fastback. The frame is actually Art Morrison's prototype of the Max-G chassis available for '67-'68 Mustangs and features extra braces that connect the frame solidly to the rocker panels for more rigidity.

Suspension: The front suspension is based upon Morrison's control arms and spindles with Strange Engineering coilover shocks with 525 -pound springs. Steering comes from an AGR rack-and-pinion. The rear suspension is Morrison's triangulated four-link rear with Strange coilovers using 250-pound springs.

Brakes: With the prospect of an 839hp car banging gears at 8,700 rpm, Bobby wanted to make sure that George could slow down as fast as he could accelerate, so all four corners are fitted with Wilwood six-piston calipers on 14-inch slotted and cross-drilled rotors.

Wheels: Boyd Coddington's wheel shop built these true knock-off wheels for the Mustang at 17x6 and 20x10 inches.

Tires: B.F. Goodrich KDWS tires stick the power to the street with 215/45R17s in the front and 265/50R20s in the rear.

Style
Body: The subtle body mods are numerous, but the most notable are the rear wheelwells (which were stretched 2 inches to accommodate the tires) and the distinctive Mustang body cove, which was recessed by an inch on the quarter-panel. The nose uses reproduction '67 Shelby parts, but the rear quarter extensions and spoiler were fabricated in-house at Alloway's Hot Rod Shop. To smooth the appearance further, the fastback C-pillar louvers and '67-specific side louvers were shaved as were the door handles.

Paint: The unique paint scheme was created with Mercedes Brilliant Silver, and the blue is Neptune's Jewel from DuPont's Hot Hues lineup.

Interior: The custom interior was created by Paul Atkins Interiors in its Cullman, Alabama, shop. The front and rear seats are hand-fabricated and wrapped with leather, the blue leather inserts carefully dyed to match the exterior color. The dash uses a stock Mustang lower, but the top half was made in Alloway's Hot Rod shop. The custom gauges from Classic Instruments rest in a billet bezel from Goddard Industries.

The 2009 Ford Glass Roof Mustang provides a third roof option.

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 11, 2007 - Hot on the heels of the new Ford Bullitt Mustang and the new Shelby GT500KR, America's favorite muscle car drives into its 45th anniversary year sporting a new factory-installed glass roof.

The 2009 Ford Glass Roof Mustang provides a third roof option for customers and responds to their growing desire for more natural light.  Production of large sunroofs has increased nearly 200 percent in North America since 2003, according to Just-auto.  The growth is driven, in part, by consumers' daily commute time.  The number of consumers with commutes lasting more than 60 minutes grew by almost 50 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The new glass roof will be available as an option on both the V-6 Mustang and Mustang GT beginning next summer.

At $1,995, the new roof provides customers a less expensive option than a convertible, without compromising the coupe's versatility, headroom or climate-controlled environment.

"Mustang is an icon in our product lineup, and we are committed to keeping Mustang news fresh every year," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president, Global Product Development.  "As the automotive landscape becomes increasingly competitive, features such as a panoramic glass roof will help differentiate our products from the competition."

Nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in America is a Mustang, and it remains the best- selling convertible.  The new glass roof addresses the fact that 62 percent of buyers in the sports car segment are interested in a sunroof or moonroof on their next vehicle, according to J.D. Power and Associates research.

Mustang's Glass Roof is made of tinted privacy glass, which reduces both infrared rays and vehicle cool-down time by 50 percent.  A manual roller blind is built in, allowing owners to further control exposure on sunny days.

The specially formulated glass also protects interior fabric material from solar radiation deterioration and discoloration by reducing solar light transmittance.  To help improve acoustics and Mustang's interior quietness, the glass also features a layer of vinyl that reduces noise, vibration and harshness.

The glass roof Mustang is built like a coupe and has been developed to maintain the structural integrity of Mustang.  The glass itself is safety glass, meaning that it shatters without sharp or jagged edges, like other automotive glass.

Glass Roof Mustangs will be assembled at the Automotive Alliance International plant in Flat Rock, Mich.  The unique glass is installed at Ford's adjacent vehicle personalization facility.

Like its coupe and convertible counterparts, the Glass Roof Mustang has endured a battery of tests measuring quality and craftsmanship.

During the development phase, production-level prototypes ran through a rigorous prove-out, including various water, air leakage, durability, squeak and rattle and vehicle dynamics tests. Top quality drives the development team - as evidenced by Mustang's first-in-its segment ranking in the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates IQS, VDS and APEAL studies.

"Quality is a continuous process.  The whole team is passionate about it, which results in our paying attention to the smallest details," says Paul Randle, chief nameplate engineer.  "Our owners have high expectations, and we always want to meet them - with strong features like this new roof option, quality and performance."

In addition to the new Glass Roof Mustang that goes on sale next summer, two other derivatives join the Mustang V-6 and GT in Ford showrooms early in 2008:

* The Mustang Bullitt returns to the streets four decades after hitting the Big Screen and features the latest in Ford Racing Technology.  Inspired by the original movie car, this modern classic is designed to deliver a perfect balance of power and performance for enthusiasts, delivering 315 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque.  With limited production planned, Bullitt carries on the Mustang tradition of affordable performance with a $31,075 Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. * The Shelby GT500KR arrives in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Shelby Cobra GT500KR, known as "The King of the Road."  Building on the strong foundation of the Shelby GT500, the KR features a 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 with a Ford Racing Upgrade Pack and a SVT-tuned suspension.  It is estimated to deliver 540 horsepower.  The Shelby GT500KR carries forward the spirit of the original car - with 1,000 units planned for production.

The 2009 model year marks Mustang's 45th year.  Mustang was first introduced in 1964 at the World's Fair in New York with a price tag of $2,300.  Ford sold more than 417,000 Mustangs in its first year.

In Detroit this year, the North American International Auto Show recorded its 100th anniversary, and the city joined in on the celebration as the domestic automakers hogged the spotlight. General Motors won both the Car and Truck of the Year awards with the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Silverado-the first time in history that one manufacturer swept both categories. Ford and Chrysler generated plenty of attention with their new hardware as well. It was a very good show for Detroit, in Detroit.

Naturally, the mainstream media focused on Detroit's leading-edge efforts in hybrid, electric, alternative-fuel, and high-mileage vehicles. But the same green technologies that have boosted efficiency and reduced emissions have spun off an additional benefit just for us: lots of horsepower. While only a few years ago, 500 hp in a production vehicle was unthinkable, thanks to all these advances, that number has become the new baseline. Suddenly, a manufacturer is not a serious player in the Motown horsepower wars unless it has a 500hp engine in its lineup. And now, Detroit has raised the bar again, this time all the way up to 600 hp in a single jump.

Chrysler
Dodge is the first to blow past the 500hp benchmark and officially raise the ante to 600 hp with its new Viper. Formally launched at the Detroit show as an '08 model, the new-and-improved snake goes on sale this summer. The Viper's old truck-based V-10 engine has evolved a bunch since it was introduced in 1992 and even since the previous (third-gen) version was revamped for 2003-the one rated at 500 hp. "It's the same architecture but almost every part has been touched," says SRT Engine Team Supervisor Kraig Courtney, whose group developed the powerplant with engineering input from Ricardo and McLaren Performance Technologies. The displacement is now up to 8.4 liters due to a 1.0mm bore increase, but that's mainly so the V-10 can share the forged pistons and cracked connecting rods of the 6.1 Hemi V-8. The real keys to the big power boost are in the cylinder heads and valvetrain. "We've used the classic racing-engine strategy: make more power with airflow and rpm," Courtney says.

The new cast-aluminum cylinder heads sport CNC-cut combustion chambers, and the valve angle has been reduced from 18 to 12 degrees. Intake-port cross-sectional area has been increased 13 percent for 23 percent greater airflow, while the exhaust ports are up 13 and 10 percent, respectively. A freer-flowing intake manifold uses a pair of 74mm throttle bodies (borrowed from the 4.7L V-8) with fly-by-wire control. There is a revised airbox, a new Motorola CPU that is 10 times faster with 100 times the processing power, and the redesigned roller lifters have been lightened 28 grams each. But easily the trickiest and most intriguing piece in this new engine is the camshaft.

Any rodder who has degreed a camshaft is familiar with lobe separation angle (LSA). A defining factor in engine performance, LSA is the angle between the intake and exhaust lobe centerlines, and on a single-cam engine, it is locked in when the camshaft is manufactured. A wide LSA is generally good for low-end torque, driveability, and emissions, while a narrow LSA means increased overlap and usually better top-end power. When you select a camshaft, you unfortunately have to pick one or the other or settle for a compromise somewhere in the middle-until now, that is. No such compromises are required in the Viper V-10, which uses a novel form of variable valve timing (VVT) Chrysler calls CamInCam.

Conceived by Mechadyne International in Great Britain and developed and manufactured by Mahle, the Viper camshaft can change its LSA on the fly.Actually, the piece is a camshaft within a camshaft, made up of two concentric elements (hence the name CamInCam). The exhaust lobes are fixed upon the outer element, while the inner camshaft carries the intake lobes. As commanded by the engine's ECU, a hydraulic actuator built into the cam sprocket alters the lobe separation angle between the intake and exhaust lobes up to 40 crankshaft degrees, while a sensor at the rear of the camshaft keeps track of it all.

For the Viper's engine calibration, the intake-lobe centerline is fixed at 118 degrees, while the exhaust-lobe centerline varies continuously from 108 to 140 degrees according to speed and load. (So LSA ranges from 113 to 129 camshaft degrees.) But in this case, more low-end torque was not the goal. "That has never really been a problem with the Viper," Courtney says with a smirk. Here, the strategy was to improve low-speed smoothness and emissions without sacrificing top-end breathing. While the long-stroke, odd-firing V-10 has never lacked for torque, it has never been much of a revver. The original 1992 version ran out of wind at only 5,400 rpm. Thanks in part to the CamInCam system, the new Viper redlines at 6,400 rpm and is rated at 600 hp at 6,100 rpm. And from what we hear, the horsepower number is conservative.

'08 Dodge Viper Specifications
Wheelbase: 98.8 inches
Length: 175.6 inches
Height: 47.6 inches
Front track: 61.6 inches
Rear track: 60.9 inches
Powertrain: 8.4L V-10 rated at 600 hp, six-speed manual transmission
Front suspension: Double wishbone independent, cast-aluminum control arms
Rear suspension: Independent, cast-aluminum control arms
Brakes: Four-wheel disc, 14-inch rotors, Brembo calipers
Wheels: Forged aluminum, 18-inch front, 19-inch rear
Tires: P275/35 ZR 18 front, P345/30 ZR19 rear
Curb weight: 3,450 pounds

General Motors
Once Chrysler threw down with its 600hp Viper, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz made it known that Chevrolet already has hardware in the pipe to answer the challenge. "As you all know, it is not our policy to discuss future product programs," Lutz said at the Detroit show. "However, it is very important for Corvette to be the most powerful, most capable, best handling sports car in the United States." Lutz acknowledged that "a recent competitor" had trumped the Corvette Z06's 505 hp. "But the Corvette vehicle-line executive will not take that lying down," he asserted. Very well, then.

The car to which Lutz coyly refers-the "Blue Devil" or "SS" or "LS9" Corvette as it is variously known-might be one of Detroit's best kept/worst kept secrets in years. While GM's communications people refuse to confirm or deny the car's existence, everyone in town seems to know about a new Corvette model due to appear in 2009. The hyper-Vette is shrouded in so many rumors and stories (and at least one hilarious hoax) that the absolute truth is impossible to pin down. But since HOT ROD loves motor gossip as much as anyone, here's what we think we know about it.

The new Corvette mill will actually be smaller in displacement than the Z06's LS7, Chevy's current top engine option. Instead of 7.0 liters, the new engine will displace 6.2 liters. The cylinder bores are smaller to provide greater block rigidity, which will be needed, as they are bolting up a blower to the Gen IV V-8. That's right, here comes the first supercharged production Corvette in Chevrolet history (reportedly). The blower system is said to be similar in layout and configuration to that used in the Northstar V-8 that powers the Cadillac STS-V: a beltdriven Roots blower and air/water intercooler are neatly enclosed in a compact module on top of the engine. It's an elegant setup that in the Caddy is good for a very refined 469 hp and 439 lb-ft of torque from only 4.4 liters. Word on the street is that with 6.2 liters to work with, the new Corvette will be making 650 hairy horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. Allegedly, Active Fuel Management (GM's version of displacement-on-demand) will be incorporated into the supercharged V-8, but not variable valve timing. We'll see.

The most popular car with the civilians at Cobo Hall this year was far and away the new Camaro convertible. The Detroit News awarded the Hugger Orange ragtop its Readers' Choice honor in a landslide. Both Camaro prototypes in public circulation-the silver coupe that did the HOT ROD Power Tour(r) last year and the convertible as well-are powered by LS2 V-8s rated at 400 hp. However, GM insiders have blabbed to HOT ROD the range of potential powertrain options for the new Chevy ponycar. There will be two V-6 choices and at least three V-8s, including a 550hp version of the supercharged 6.2L V-8 for a high-content Z28 model. Sources indicate there will be two base V-8s, one stick and one automatic, both of them over 400 hp.

'09 Chevrolet Camaro Specifications
Wheelbase: 110.5 inches
Length: 186.2 inches
Height: 53 inches
Front track: 63.8 inches
Rear track: 63.3 inches
Powertrain: V-6 and LS2 V-8 options with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions
Front suspension: McPherson struts with double wishbones
Rear suspension: Multilink independent
Brakes: Four-wheel disc, 14-inch rotors, with four-piston calipers
Wheels: Cast aluminum, 21-inch front and 22-inch rear
Tires: 275/30R21 front, 305/30R22 rear
Curb weight: 3,750 pounds (estimated)

Ford
Now that the '07 Shelby GT500 has officially been rated at 500 hp, Ford has a player in the Detroit muscle game at what has now become the Division II level. It remains to be seen just how and when Ford intends to step up to the new 600hp standard, though there are clues in the concept vehicles it placed on the floor at Cobo Hall in Detroit. The Giugiaro Mustang, previously unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, uses a 4.6L Modular V-8 with a Ford Racing supercharger and intercooler. With 11 psi of boost, the three-valve engine has been rated at 500 hp.

The Ford Interceptor concept car is a "four-door coupe" aimed squarely at the Chrysler 300 and other rear-drive sports sedans, including BMW. Based on a stretched version of the Mustang S197/D2C platform, the Interceptor is equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox and a 5.0L Ford Cammer V-8, the same basic package found in the Mustang FR500C Grand Am Cup racer. Here the engine gets a revised induction system and recalibration to run on E85 fuel. It is rated at 400 hp. While it seems as though Ford may be lagging behind in the current horsepower wars, it could be the company is just looking a bit farther down the road.

At the Detroit show, Ford unveiled the Lincoln MKR concept vehicle, another four-door sports-luxury sedan, and like the Interceptor, it is based on a stretched Mustang chassis. While the styling and interior drew praise from the Cobo Hall crowd, what is special about the MKR is its engine. Ford calls the approach TwinForce: small displacement and high efficiency for low emissions and fuel consumption and tandem turbochargers and intercooling for big horsepower on demand. While the concept is hardly new, Ford is relying on some new technology to make it truly viable this time around.

The MKR's TwinForce engine is based on the new 3.5L Duratec V-6 used in the Ford Edge, turned from east/west to north/south orientation. Two small, intercooled turbos boost output from 265 to 415 hp, while direct fuel injection permits Ford to maintain the Duratec's original 10.3:1 compression ratio even at relatively high boost levels. Known in the industry as GDI (gasoline direct injection) or SIDI (spark-ignition direct injection), this system delivers fuel straight into the combustion chambers, which allows far more precise metering and controls peak combustion temperatures.

And as GDI/SIDI is developed, the industry is betting this technology will inevitably lead to another important breakthrough: HCCI, or homogeneous charge compression ignition. Imagine a high-speed, high-efficiency gasoline engine with no throttle or ignition system, combustion and output controlled entirely at the injectors, and with the fuel economy of a diesel and the performance and emissions of a gasoline engine. Insiders say this technology could be on the road in the next five to ten years. Back to the immediate future: All three domestic manufacturers have direct-injection systems in production or development for their smaller engines, and it won't be long before that technology is applied to the big V-8s and we see another huge leap in performance. Seven-hundred horsepower, anyone?

'07 Ford Shelby GT500 specifications
Wheelbase: 107.1 inches
Length: 188.0 inches
Height: 54.5 inches
Front track: 61.9 inches
Rear track: 62.5 inches
Powertrain: 5.4L supercharged V-8, six-speed manual transmission
Front suspension: McPherson struts, independent
Rear suspension: Live axle, three-link with coil springs
Brakes: 14-inch rotors with Brembo four-piston calipers front, 11.8-inch rotors with two-piston calipers rear
Wheels: 18-inch cast aluminum
Tires: P255/45R18 front, P285/40ZR18 rear
Curb weight: 3,920 pounds

Ford Interceptor Concept SpecificationsWheelbase: 120.8 inches
Length: 201.6 inches
Height: 54.8 inches
Front track: 66.5 inches
Rear track: 67.8 inches
Powertrain: 5.0L Cammer V-8, E85 fuel, 400 hp, six-speed manual transmission
Front suspension: Double wishbone independent
Rear suspension: Independent, three-link
Brakes: NA
Wheels: 22-inch forged aluminum
Tires: NA
Curb weight: 4,250 pounds (estimated)

Lincoln MKR specifications
Wheelbase: 112.9 inches
Length: 195.7 inches
Height: 52.7 inches
Front track: 63.7 inches
Rear track: 63.8 inches
Powertrain: 415 hp, 3.5L twin-turbocharged V-6, six-speed transmission
Front suspension: Independent, double wishbone
Rear suspension: Independent, multilink
Brakes: N/A
Wheels: N/A
Tires: N/A
Curb weight: 4,075 pounds

World land speed record holder Art Arfons passed away December 3 at the age of 81.

The sport has lost another pioneer. Art Arfons, a WWII Navy veteran who led the introduction of aircraft piston engines to drag racing and jet engines to Bonneville, has passed away at 81.

Through the mid-'60s at Bonneville, he and Craig Breedlove fought one of the most amazing battles in the history of motorsports, swapping the absolute land speed record for wheeled vehicles six times in two years. Art would eventually exceed 600 mph in his homebuilt, J79-powered "Green Monster."

A native of Akron, Ohio, he was an inductee of the Motor Sports Hall of Fame of America, the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, and the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame.

World land speed record holder Art Arfons passed away December 3 at the age of 81.

The sport has lost another pioneer. Art Arfons, a WWII Navy veteran who led the introduction of aircraft piston engines to drag racing and jet engines to Bonneville, has passed away at 81.

Through the mid-'60s at Bonneville, he and Craig Breedlove fought one of the most amazing battles in the history of motorsports, swapping the absolute land speed record for wheeled vehicles six times in two years. Art would eventually exceed 600 mph in his homebuilt, J79-powered "Green Monster."

A native of Akron, Ohio, he was an inductee of the Motor Sports Hall of Fame of America, the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, and the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame.

NHRA has formed the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series that will crown year-end points champions in 14 categories.

Courtesy NHRA - To help preserve NHRA's rich history and tradition while capitalizing on the success of nostalgia drag racing competition, NHRA has formed the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series that will crown year-end points champions in 14 categories.

"This new series is an exciting step that will appeal to drag racing fans young and old," said Peter Clifford, NHRA executive vice president and general manager. "It's a great way to introduce the younger generation to the history of our sport and give fans young and old a glimpse of racing the way it used to be."

The NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series will kick off with the famed March Meet in Bakersfield, Calif., March 7-9 and conclude Oct. 10-12 at the California Hot Rod Reunion presented by Automobile Club of Southern California back at Bakersfield's Auto Club Famoso Raceway.

Among the highlighted stops in between are Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho, for the 36th annual Pepsi NightFire Nationals and Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, Calif., and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In all, there will be seven independently produced events with each class of competition competing at and earning points toward series championships at five of those seven events. The four groups comprising the 14 categories are Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragster; Nostalgia Funny Car; Group 1, consisting of A/Fuel, Junior Fuel A, Junior Fuel B, and AA/Gas Supercharged; and Group 2, containing the following eight categories: Nostalgia Eliminator 1, Nostalgia Eliminator 2, and Nostalgia Eliminator 3; A Gas, B Gas, C Gas, and D Gas; and Hot Rod.

Each of the seven events will feature at least two of the four groups, and only the first two events, the March 7-9 March Meet and the April 18-20 So Cal Shootout in Fontana, will feature all four.

"This series will benefit everyone, from the racers to The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum," said Steve Gibbs, director of The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. "It provides a great opportunity to preserve NHRA's rich heritage through nostalgia drag racing competition."

Hundreds of "race-ready" drivers are anxious to compete in competition that will be conducted under existing, well-established NHRA nostalgia rules. The year-end champions in each of the 14 categories will earn the most coveted trophy in all of drag racing, the NHRA Wally.

NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series Schedule*
Date/Event/Location/Groups
March 7-9/March Meet/Bakersfield, CA/TF, FC & Groups 1 & 2
April 18-20/So Cal Shootout/Fontana, CA/TF, FC & Groups 1 & 2
May 2-4/FC Feature/Las Vegas/FC & Group 2
May 30-June 1/TF Feature/Bakersfield, CA/TF & Groups 1 & 2
Aug. 8-9/NightFire Nationals/Boise, ID/TF & FC only
Sept. 13-14/Sports Special/Fontana, CA/Groups 1 & 2 only
Oct. 10-12/California/Hot Rod Reunion/Bakersfield, CA/TF, FC, and Group 1

* Schedule and categories subject to change