Mr Norm's Super Cuda

So Allpar.com just posted an article introducing Mr. Norm's Super Challenger and Super Cuda; both based on new SRT8 Challengers. It was love at first sight:

I absolutely need this car. I must have the blown 6.1 bored out to a 426... 900 hp. Yes, you read that correctly. Nine-hundred.

Simply stunning. Mr. Norm has also put together a new Super Challenger:

If you opt for a Legends Edition Super Challenger or Cuda, you'd better act now; only 12 will be offered each model year. If only I had the means...

Turbo Bookends

I have some fairly exciting news: my bookends are finished! They feature the compressor and turbine from an old Mitsubishi turbocharger that was pulled from an 80s turbo Dodge. Very cool. If you are at all interested in cars and/or turbochargers, I recommend taking apart a junk turbo. I found it very interesting.

In case you think they just look cool, there is a hidden message here. Just like most bookends are A to Z, alpha to omega, etc, these bookends range from compressor to turbine (intake to exhaust); pretty clever right? Right.





























Now I know you all want a set (well... maybe) but for now these are one of a kind items. I just wanted to show them off.

2009 Cleveland Auto Show

My dad and I went to the Cleveland Auto Show this past Saturday, and I must say that Cleveland has been getting gypped these past few years.

Case in point: the 2008 Chrysler ecoVoyager concept... at the 2009 auto show. Now last year I was pumped to see this car (and the Jeep Renegade and Dodge ZEO; what happened to those ones???). But this year I was pumped to see the 200C and Circuit EV. Instead we get the old news. Don't get me wrong, this car is pimp; but why can't we get the new stuff too? Damn Geneva Auto Show; they need to get that conflict straightened out...

So anyway, here are some other photos from the show:

Photos from top: 1 Maserati Gran Turismo; 2 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T (note old school script "Challenger"); 3 2009 Dodge Viper hood louvers; 4 1970 Plymouth Superbird 440-6; 5 2009 Lincoln C Concept

Poll

Ok, so the king poll has closed, with Jeep winning by a huge margin (the single vote was cast for Jeep)... Oh well.

In other news, GM has closed their performance division. Even though I am clearly not a GM fan, this saddens me. Let's hope this is not an indefinite decision, as this could be beginning of the end for fun and exciting performance vehicles from any manufacturer.

The good news is that the performance engineers will be transferred to other divisions (brake guys will go on to design mass production brakes, engine guys will go on to design mass production engines, and so on and so forth). This could at least mean the cars for mass market will get a tiny bit of fun infused in. I will likely not find out as I do not intend to purchase any future GM products, but whatever.

I have yet to mention the Chrysler - Fiat deal that is set to go down in the near future. Seems like very good news for both parties, as Fiat needs a break back in the US, and Chrysler really needs some good small cars. Fiat makes what appears to be a very nice little car in their 500. The performance version of the car, the Fiat 500 Abarth, looks very intriguing, and I would be tempted to give it a shot if it came to America, especially if it was given a Dodge flare. Let's hope it will give the Mini Cooper a run for it's money.

Yep... Tagged.

Alrighty, xtine has lured me back into my blog by tagging me:

The rules: link to the person who tagged you > post the rules on your blog > write six random things about yourself > tag six people at the end of your post and link to them > let each person know they've been tagged.

Random things:

1. I work as an engineer in Willoughby at an investment casting company. We make any casting you want, but mostly stick to aircraft and industrial turbine components.

2. I am engaged to be married. No date set as of yet.

3. I live with two fraternity buddies, Chase and Jason.

4. My parents live in Milan, Ohio with my sister, Elizabeth, and my shar-pei, Jeep. There are two cats there too, Thomas and Sparky.

5. I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My family moved to Ohio in 1996.

6. I will be moving in May into a two-bedroom apartment with my fiance, Christine.

New ZR-1

Ok, here is my first blog entry... I will go ahead and warn you now that it is completely biased toward Mopar (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep), but "I assure you we are open" (Clerks quote, sorry). No, I assure you that all information here is factual... really... seriously, trust me. : )

So anyway, Chevy has finally released details about the upcoming ZR-1 Corvette, yawn. They say that the horsepower rating will be "comfortably above 600" blah blah. So all sources I've seen (Car and Driver, Popular Mechanics, etc) say there will be 620 horses delivered from a 6.2 L supercharged V-8. Ok, not too bad I guess, but that from 10.5 pounds of boost?!?! Seriously? With that much boost, you're only getting 620 horse?

Whatever, then they go on to say that the suspension will be softer than the Z06? What happened to this being the top-of-the line Vette? So anyway, that's ok, all I care about is it's acceleration; 0-60 for the ZR-1 is 3.5 seconds, very good.

Ahhh, but get this, the Viper with 600 horsepower from its 8.4 L naturally aspirated V-10 is also 3.5 seconds. And the Viper has to shift when accelerating to 60; the Vette doesn't need to, you can do 65 in first gear, so it's obvious that if you re-geared the Viper it would smoke the Vette.

Ok ok, the biggest point to make here - the price. Guess what, the ZR-1 is gonna break 100 thousand bucks. The most expensive Corvette ever, and for the first time it is more powerful and more expensive than the Viper. But you're getting the same performance AND much better looks from the Viper. That's right.

And guess what, Hennessey has Mopar's back. For like an extra 11,500 bucks you can get an extra 78 horsepower with the Venom 650R package. With this you can do 0-60 in 3.3 SECONDS!!! Serious stuff; you'll be smoking Lambos and Ferraris all day.
Dude, and the Viper will be cheaper than the ZR-1 still! So would you rather have a soft sports car, or a SUPER CAR! That's what I thought; go with the Viper; go with Dodge.