Columnist Will Harris got the opportunity to attend NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400 from Daytona a couple of weeks ago and had a blast. He shared his experiences with Bullz-Eye.com and here’s a taste:
Day 1:
As I have never, ever taken a trip for Bullz-Eye that hasn’t involved some sort of flight delay, it doesn’t really come as any surprise that the trip from Norfolk to Daytona finds me stuck in Charlotte for longer than I’m supposed to be. I didn’t even bother to try and find out what the problem was. I just shrugged, sat down and plugged in the laptop, and kept myself occupied until my flight finally did get around to taking off. I did have one brief panic attack when I called the hotel in Daytona to make sure that my delay wouldn’t complicate the rest of the day’s plans, only to learn that there was no reservation listed under my name, but it all worked out in the end. (Turns out everything was booked under the blanket name of “Dodge.”) Once I successfully manage to fly Charlotte to Daytona, I take a taxi to the hotel, check into my room, and gaze longingly at the beach outside my window, never realizing that the weekend will work out such that I will never get to take advantage of it. Still, it sure looked nice…
Since it’s summer time we have to keep dreaming about those exotic cars that you seldom see on the road. Well in that tradition check out these pics of what is believed to be the a Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni Spyder prototype. Some have labeled this jewel the Superleggera Spyder and we say either way it is one beautiful machine from the people at Lamborghini. Look for the debut of this rear wheel drive sports dream at the Paris auto show.
From Inside Line:
This is the car everybody’s calling a Superleggera Spyder, but Inside Line has confirmed that this is actually a Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni Spyder prototype. That’s right, another rear-wheel-drive Lamborghini, courtesy of the Italian automaker’s esteemed test driver, Valentino Balboni, and this time it’s a drop top.
Although the all-wheel-drive Gallardo Superleggera and rear-drive Balboni have some similar design details, if you look closely at those gaping lower intakes, you’ll see they’re in the style of the Balboni hardtop.
Around back, you’ll see quad exhaust pipes that protrude beyond the back edge of the bumper. Both the Balboni and Superleggera have these, but as on the Balboni, the rear deck is blissfully wing-less. The superlight coupe, you’ll recall, has a big, fixed carbon-fiber piece.
CarandDriver.com took a quick road test in a 2010 Jaguar XF Supercharged and believe them when they tell you this is one fast machine. It also looks fabulous…Nice to see Jag getting back in the mix with contemporary styling while holding on the the rich Jag heritage.
Just a single model year after the new Jaguar XF hit the streets, considerable powertrain improvements have found their way under its shapely hood. The previous 4.2-liter V-8 has disappeared from all but the base XF Luxury model, and the main mill has grown to 5.0 liters, gaining both horsepower and torque in its supercharged and naturally aspirated applications. Beyond uprating the engines, Jag added the snarly XFR to the mix, creating a sort of intramodel rivalry and relegating the once top-cat XF Supercharged to middle-child status. How does it stack up now?
You have to check out Bullz-Eye.com’s photo gallery of the 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster with model Brittany Myers! The car is freaking badass and Brittany is smokin’ hot!
Here’s a small taste of the write up by Paul Miller and for more photos, see our gallery below.
We love sports cars here at Bullz-Eye.com, and this will be the first installment in an ongoing series of profiles of some of the world’s top exotic cars along with some classic muscle cars.
The 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago Reventon Roadster is a special conversion option offered by Rev-Air of West Palm Beach, Florida. By utilizing the modern day 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster, and by supplying it with exact replicas of the limited production Reventon options from Lamborghini, Rev-Air has created a rare masterpiece – a custom Reventon roadster.
The Murciélago Roadster was introduced in 2004 as a 2005 model. Lambo designers cited the B-2 stealth 2010 Lamborghini Rbomber as their inspiration for the roadster’s revised rear pillars and engine cover, and that inspiration comes across in the photos of this supercar. The hard top coupe version on the limited production Reventon model has never been seen as a roadster, until now.
Now you know hybrids are not only for real but really cool. Porsche is unveiling a hybrid 911 called the GT3 R.
From CNN.com:
Porsche revealed images late Wednesday of its first hybrid sports car, a track car it plans to unveil at the Geneva Motor show next month.
While you won’t be able to park this car in your driveway — it’s a race car intended for LeMans endurance racing — it is based on the same production 911 you can buy today. A future 911 hybrid for public consumption is “open for discussion,” a Porsche spokesman said.
Carroll Shelby’s own tuning company Shelby American has announced the return of the GT350 model, debuting it at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale 45 years after the original GT350 was released.
Based on the new 2011 Mustang GT, the GT350 gets a Ford Racing supercharged mated to the stock car’s 5.0-liter V8 to make roughly 500-hp – which shouldn’t be hard considering the stock motor already makes 412-hp. The engine also gets some bling with Blue Shelby GT350 valve covers and billet caps.
I was pretty excited when Mustang invited me to experience the last installment of the Mustang Unleashed campaign in Las Vegas for Dashboard News and Bullz-Eye.com. We stayed at Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip and were witnesses for an incredible illusion.
The 10th experience of the Mustang Unleashed campaign featured famous Las Vegas magician Steve Wyrick, who regularly performs at Planet Hollywood. We met Steve the night of the event and he peaked our interest right away with some incredible illusions as we enjoyed our drinks around the dinner table.
We also met world champion drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr., who kicked off Ford Mustang’s ‘10 Unleashed campaign by taking the American muscle car to the streets of Japan to drift the streets where drifting was born. Vaughn is a Mustang fanatic and he was pretty pumped about his role in Steve’s plans.
Ford and Wyrick shut down the Las Vegas strip to perform what was one of Wyrick’s biggest illusions yet. In front of Planet Hollywood in the middle of the night, Wyrick shackled himself in the middle of the Las Vegas strip and asked Vaughn to come racing down the street in the 2010 Mustang and slam into him. Check out the video below and you can see what happened next. Vaughn’s driving alone was a site the see, but that just set the stage for Wyrick’s big surprise. I have to admit it was just as spectacular seeing it live. The crowd that waited late into the night to see it wasn’t disappointed.
This was the last of 10 dream Mustang experiences Ford brought to life this year with the Mustang ‘10 Unleashed campaign. Famous drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. slid sideways around Japan, consumer Roger Keeney drove blindly, 18-year-old consumer Derek Murrell drag raced his high school shop teacher, Queen Latifah hit the track with NASCAR racing phenom Colin Braun and Los Angeles resident Daniel Verlarde got inked and customized his own 2010 Ford Mustang. Videos were created for each event and you can see them here.
What the common driver knows about tires could probably fill a napkin on one side: They’re round, black and you need four of them to make a car function.
But what the common driver doesn’t know about tires is what could save him or her in the long run. We’re talking both financially and in terms of safety for themselves and their passengers.
The Setup
When Michelin asked us to take part in an event to learn and test the new LTX M/S2 tires, we jumped at the opportunity. The original LTX M/S tire has been a long-time consumer favorite of Michelin’s and has remained at the top of its category for years. So we knew that if the company was going to expand and improve on the LTX M/S, then they had to be introducing a quality product.
For the event, Michelin sent me (along with several media members) to North Carolina and South Carolina for a complete presentation on the LTX M/S2 tire. And since the company stands by what they believe in, they also allowed us to take a three-hour drive through the winding hills of the Carolinas and also complete a series of field tests that weren’t just informative, but incredibly enjoyable as well.
Did I mention former NFL and Hall of Fame great Ronnie Lott was going to be there to lend his expertise on the LTX M/S2 tire, too?
Volkswagen had a cool event last week where they introduced the new 2010 GTI in a unique way.
Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced the launch of the all new 2010 GTI via the App Store by making available a free version of the popular Firemint Real Racing game that exclusively features the all-new 2010 GTI. This is the first time an automotive manufacturer has used the App Store to launch a new vehicle. Additionally, users of the Real Racing GTI App in the U.S. can compete for the chance to win one of six, limited-edition 2010 GTI’s that are fully customized inside and out.
The free Real Racing GTI App is available worldwide and spares no detail, allowing players to experience every thrilling aspect of the all-new 2010 GTI right in the palms of their hands on iPhone and iPod touch. From the redesigned exterior with more aggressive headlights and the famous red-striped grille, to the sporty interior with a race-inspired steering wheel, the all-new 2010 GTI races its way to life on the screen for a thrilling gaming experience.
The contest sounds very cool, and you can go here for more information on how to enter. Registered players of the Real Racing GTI App can win one of six limited-edition 2010 GTI models. The more you play, they more chances you have to win. Each week for six consecutive weeks beginning today, one player will be chosen to win the ultimate racing prize: the exclusive GTI MkVI, an individually numbered, specially tuned version of the legendary hatchback. Each model includes the GTI’s 2.0T 200 hp four-cylinder engine, a performance tuned suspension finished with black, Volkswagen motorsport 18-inch all-new wheels, and special interior touches, including carbon fiber-look trim, a numbered dash plaque, and unique stitches in the front headrests.
The Cadillac CTS-V held the record for the fastest lap by a sedan at Nürburgring since May 9, 2008, but now that time has been beaten by the Porsche Panamera Turbo. Of course, as pointed out by AutoGuide.com, the Caddy costs about half of what you’ll pay for the Porsche.
That said, Porsche has to be pleased by the performance of this beautiful sedan.