CAR ADVICE ONE

2010 Shelby GT500 Coupe and Convertible

2009-01-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

Ford has unveiled the flagship 2010 Shelby GT500 Coupe and Convertible, injecting some serious performance into the next generation Mustang range.

The new GT500 boasts the same engine that featured in the previous limited-edition GT500KR - a 5.4-litre supercharged V8.

The engine develops and impressive 402kW at 6200rpm and 690Nm at 4500rpm, mated to a six-speed manual transmission with a twin-plate clutch.

The clutch has been upgraded to a copper/fibreglass blend, ensuring a firm bite during hard launches, while a mechanism controls the intermediate plate making for smoother launches and shifts in normal driving conditions.

“We were charged with creating the ultimate GT,” Jamal Hameedi, chief program engineer for the car said. “I think we did that, but I’m a bit biased. This car is the direct result of all the work we did on the KR. But this car has a better ride, better handling and a more refined powertrain.”

The transmission has also received a minor upgrade with taller gearing in fifth and sixth for improved fuel consumption at highway speeds.

These subtle improvements over the KR ensure its acceleration will be faster, but by how much is still anyone’s guess with the current GT500KR covering the 0-96km/h (0-60mph) dash in just 4.2 seconds.

While the overall powertrain is virtually identical to the KR, the exterior has brought the GT nameplate into the next generation with a serious of modern yet menacing visual enhancements.

“We worked hard to get as much downforce with as little drag as possible,” said Kerry Baldori, chief functional engineer for SVT. “We worked to seal off the air that comes in the front so it can’t go underneath the car. We spent a lot time sealing components such as the radiator and intercoolor to get rid of all the leak paths. The result of this evolution of aerodynamics is we’ve increased downforce, reduced drag and improved the overall efficiency of the 2010 Shelby GT500.”

The Shelby Cobra logo has been moved from its traditional location on the left hand side of the grille to clear a path for the cold air intake that feeds the V8.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 will arrive in showrooms in the first quarter of 2009, with the very first car to be auctioned alongside the first 2010 Mustang and the first 2010 Chevrolet Camaro at the Barrett-Jackson auction.

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Camaro boasts 10,000 advanced orders

2009-01-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

General Motors has reportedly received over 10,000 advanced orders for the Australian-designed Chevrolet Camaro sports car.

While the new Camaro will instead be manufactured overseas in the US, this announcement still bodes well for the viability of Australian design.

GM-Holden designed the Chevrolet Camaro from scratch following overwhelming response from what was initially a concept-only showcase at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show.

“We’re a little bit surprised at the model mix. We thought we’d have a lot of V8 orders, SS orders, that type of thing, which we do.

“But we are getting a considerable amount of V6 orders,” said Mark LaNeve, GM’s head of North American marketing and sales. He said the orders are coming from “people who are just interested in a very stylish car that gets pretty good fuel economy. It’s kind of a sign of the times.”

Although there may be a delay in its release, with GM suing Cadence Innovation, a bankrupt interior parts supplier that is liquidating, to get back parts and equipment it needs for the Camaro.

As is standard industry practice, GM supplied Cadence with the parts it needed to produce components for the new Camaro.

However after the firm entered liquidation it refused to return any of the production equipment which if not returned by January 12, GM has said the start of Camaro production will be delayed.

Budget cuts for Top Gear UK

2008-12-31T03:27:00.000-08:00

The BBC has ordered Top Gear to ‘tone down’ the program’s world renowned signature car stunts in a bid to curtail the budget.

Inflation, the current economic situation and ever increasing utility bills are said to be driving cost cutting exercises throughout the BBC with Top Gear being no exception.

Despite a 30 percent cut in the program’s budget, a BBC spokesperson has said that “the next series would be as compelling and exciting as always.”

"Andy Wilman, the channel’s executive producer, writes in his blog on the Top Gear fan site “No point in moaning about that. All shows are suffering and nobody’s got a pot to p— in any more anyway, so no reason why we shouldn’t suffer as well. Our problem though, is that there is no fat to trim off the show, in that we waste almost nothing behind the scenes and the old cliche of ‘every penny goes on screen’ is actually true.”

Top Gear attracts an audiences of up to eight-million each Sunday night in the UK alone, with each episode said to have a current budget of £200,000.

Despite the cuts Clarkson, 48, signed a lucrative contract earlier this year, reported to be worth $4.2 million a year, to present Top Gear.

Hammond, 39, and co-presenter James May, 45, also agreed to new deals worth $52,000 and $42,000 per show respectively.

(caradvice.com.au)