Lamborghini Gallardo LP560

The All new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 -4

Presented to the public at the 2008 Geneva auto show for the very first time is the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Somewhere in the gray area between a "face-lift" and an "all-new car," the LP560-4 replaces the current Gallardo when it goes on sale this spring. (At that time, the Gallardo Superleggera will be discontinued, although the Gallardo Spyder will continue in its current form.)
The new car's name follows Lamborghini tradition and is in a similar format to that of its big brother, the Murcielago LP640. LP stands for Longitudinale Posteriore, the position of the engine - longitudinally mid-mounted. 560 is its metric horsepower count, and Lamborghini chose to insert the "-4" as a reminder that the Gallardo is a full-time four-wheel-drive machine.
Our reaction, of course, is to assume that there will be a "LP560-2" rear-wheel-drive model in the future. No matter how hard we tried, however, we couldn't get anyone from Lamborghini (not even engineers) to admit to that plan. Next time we'll try tickle torture.

Meanwhile, the LP560-4's layout is no different from the previous Gallardo's, although the differentials and the axles are revised for weight savings. As before, transmission choices are a six-speed manual or a six-speed E-gear automated manual. The 2009 E-gear is new, and it changes gears by way of a rotational selector instead of a fore/aft movement. This, according to Lamborghini, promises smoother gearchanges that take place 40% more quickly.
The 2009 edition of E-gear also has a new, more aggressive "Corsa" program and a "Thrust Mode" - otherwise known as Launch Control. In Thrust Mode, the computer takes over , optimizing the launch and shifting so that even your grandmother could achieve a 3.7-second run to 62 mph. (This is 0.3 second quicker than last year's car.) The LP560-4 goes on to beat the 2008 Gallardo by a half second to 200 km/h (124 mph), hitting that mark in only 11.8 seconds. And flat out, the LP560-4 will reach 202 mph (up from a measly195 mph).
The oomph responsible for making the Gallardo a true 200-mph supercar comes from a completely new engine - it's a 90-degree, aluminum V-10, just like the old unit, but with bigger bore spacing. It displaces 5.2 liters and, with the help of FSI direct injection, produces 560 metric hp at 8000 rpm - up from 520 in the 2008 model. Torque is also up, from 376 lb-ft at 4250 rpm to 398 lb-ft at 6500 rpm, but don't let the elevated peak rpm fool you - the new engine has more low-end torque than the old one. FSI allows a much higher compression ratio, at 12.5:1 instead of 11.0:1, and the new engine makes more grunt everywhere in the engine's operating range.

Lamborghini is also proud of the LP560-4's improved environmental friendliness. It's not only faster than last year's car, it emits about 18% less carbon dioxide (327 g/km compared with 400). With that improvement comes a similar reduction in fuel consumption: on the European combined cycle, the LP560-4 achieves just over 17 mpg - last year's car guzzled fuel at a rate of 14 mpg.
At 3300 pounds, the LP560-4 weighs 20 kilograms (about 45 pounds) less than the 2008 Gallardo's, despite the new car's larger engine. The difference is mostly due to weight-reduction strategies in the driveline, as the LP560's body is similar to the 2008 Gallardo. The wheelbase is unchanged, as are width and height, but thanks to new front and rear fascias, the length has been increased by almost two inches.
The new front bumper now comes to a point in the center of the car, resembling the front-end treatment of the Gallardo's big brothers, the Murcielago and the Reventon. Larger air intakes improve engine-cooling efficiency, and a new hood helps the LP560-4 meet pedestrian-crash-test standards. New headlight units are much shorter front-to-rear and incorporate Y-shaped daytime running lights into their housings.

The 2009 Gallardo LP560-4 also has a new rear end. Its new taillights (each with triple Y-shaped flux-capacitor-looking elements) no longer wrap up and onto the horizontal plane in the rear. A single strip of black aluminum mesh under the taillights serves as an air outlet, and four absolutely gorgeous chrome exhaust tips are incorporated in the rear diffuser.
Although the rear looks a little plain in photographs, it - and in fact, the whole new car - is stunning in person. From the rear, the LP560-4 looks wider and lower. When viewed side-by-side with the old car, the outgoing Gallardo starts to show its first wrinkles. After six years of production, it's still a modern design - but the LP560-4 is even more so.
The LP560's suspension is completely revised. Similar to the 2008 model in design, the multilink front suspension features new mounts that allow easier adjustments. The rear suspension features an additional toe link as well as all-new mounts. Engineers told us that the suspension changes result in a drastic reduction in NVH, along with markedly improved ride quality and better handling.

Wheels are 8.5x19 front and 11x19 rear - and all three available wheel choices are new: The Apollo wheel is a silver, double-five-spoke design; Cordelia is a polished, forged aluminum with a basket-weave pattern; Callisto is a new glossy black with five split spokes. The black Callisto wheels look particularly stunning when mounted on a car with Lamborghini's new, optional matte-black paint.
Inside, the 2009 Gallardo features new gauges with a font similar to that used in the Murcielago. The seven switches on the center console have been redesigned for better usability, and they're now textured to appear like knurled aluminum.
Lamborghini has not yet released official pricing for the new Gallardo. However, we were lucky enough to be in the factory to help build the very first production 2009 Gallardo LP560-4. Be sure to check out the May 2008 issue of Automobile to read the feature story!

The Lamborghini Revention

The Rare Million dollar Exotic......

The ultra-exclusive Reventón is revving it up for Lamborghini. I got to drive number 0 out of 20 on its native soil.
SANT'AGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy - The thing about the Hope diamond is that there is exactly one of them.Sure, it is big, and beautiful in its own right. But what really makes it valuable is its scarcity.
And you can't get much scarcer than "one".
This was part of the thinking behind Lamborghini's decision to build an ultra-rare supercar, the new Reventón. There will be exactly twenty of these cars built, with a selling price of one million euros ($1.45 million).
Just twenty cars? By that standard, the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT were Honda Civics.
How successful will this strategy be? Will the ultra-rich go for such a plan?
I guess the answer lies in the proper tense of the verb "to be". It is not a matter of "will be" but "has been" - the car was revealed to the public just last September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and all twenty have already been sold. And one of them is coming to Canada: identity of buyer undisclosed...
Wow.

Sorry kids; you'll have re-write that Christmas list.
This is especially remarkable given that the Reventón is based on the Murciélago LP640 coupe, which costs about one fifth of the Reventón's price tag.
As the old saying goes, if you have to ask...
Actually, there will be at least 22 Reventóns built, including the one that was on the stand of the Los Angeles Auto Show where the car had its formal North American public debut a few weeks ago, and car number "0 of 20'', the development prototype, which I had the exclusive Canadian privilege of driving in the hills around this suburb of Bologna recently.
A pure Lamborghini, and that's no bull...Like most Lamborghinis, Reventón is named after a famous fighting bull. Oh, and the 'v' is pronounced like a 'b'.

Murciélago and Reventón share only windshield and mirrors, but those familiar with the former car will instantly see the connection to the latter.
For example, the doors pivot upwards, as they have on all 12-cylinder Lambos since the Countach.
Lamborghini says Reventón's styling was influenced by the F-22 Raptor jet fighter, hence is more angular, more extreme, than Murciélago, with massive air ducts everywhere to get oxygen and coolth to all the places that need either. (Hey - if there's 'warmth', shouldn't there be 'coolth'?)
Carbon fibre - strong and lightLike its 'poor' cousin, Reventón is constructed of strong, lightweight carbon fibre panels, glued to the carbon fibre and steel chassis.

Carbon fibre blades screwed onto the spokes make the black aluminium wheels look like they came from a gigantic blender.The blades are intended to create a unique visual effect, but also help send cooling air to the brakes.In keeping with the jet fighter theme, all Reventóns will be painted what Lamborghini calls a 'mid opaque green grey without the usual shine'.
Call it "stealth'', then.
Looks appropriately sinister, yet eye-catching - a lot of cell phone batteries were harmed in the execution of my test drive, as every kid in Sant'Agata had to take a picture of this thing as we flew by.
The interior is also Murciélago-based, but trimmed in aluminium, carbon fibre, Alcantara and leather, the soft materials carrying on the gray-green-olive colour scheme.
A new concept in digital dashboardsIn the big aluminium instrument binnacle lurks a digital dash to end all digital dashes. At the touch of a button you can call up two different displays, one with semi-conventional circular gauges, the second with a big digital speedometer on the right and a bizarre tachometer on the left. This latter item looks like the letter A with the top third chopped off. As revs rise, green lines climb up each leg of the A, connected by a yellow line which also runs through the gear ratio you're in - these numbers rise in the middle of this display.

Rev hard in first, then, the green lines rise like a pair of hyperkinetic thermometers, and the yellow line joining the two scales looks like a spider on steroids doing push-ups.
Select second, the yellow line jump-shifts up about half a centimetre to 2, still connecting the two green rev-counting lines.
Yes, it is hard to visualize, and I apologize for my limited skill at trying to describe in words what can only really be seen in the pictures.
But it is unlike any gauge you've ever seen - unless maybe you fly an F-22 for a living.
I can't see this catching on as it is. What might be a portent for the future is the concept of a re-configurable instrument panel, by which each driver could call up whichever information he or she feels is desirable, and perhaps even influence how that information is conveyed.
Regardless of which read-out you choose, it is surmounted by a semi-circle with grid lines on it, and a small green circle in the middle. This is a g-force metre - the green circle moves forward, back, right and left around as you accelerate, brake, or corner, tracing your friction circle as you drive.
But please, keep your eyes on the road...Except when you're at the wheel of a 650 horsepower V12-engined supercar, you really don't want to be looking at this gauge, or anywhere, but 'way down the road. Because you're gonna get there right smartly.

The Reventón has 10 more ponies than the Murciélago, but Lamborghini gives the same performance numbers: 0 - 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, and a top end over 340 km/h.
Not that I went that fast - as noted, this particular car was a development prototype, was speed-restricted to 130 km/h, and the traction control system off-switch had been deactivated.
Oh darn.
I guess Lamborghini wanted to make sure that the fewer than two dozen journalists who were to drive this car each had their shot, perhaps mindful of the American journo who trashed the very first Diablo during a press preview drive. (I was the guy waiting at the hotel to get into the car next.)
No conventional manual transmission will be offered in Reventón, only Lamborghini's Formula One-style eGear automated manual transmission with steering wheel paddles. The Automatic mode is disabled - you do have to shift for yourself.
Like all current Lambos, Reventón has full-time four-wheel drive.
Driving a collector's itemOut of respect for the car, I asked Moreno Conti, one of Lamborghini's test drivers, to take the first stint behind the wheel, to warm the car up and allow me to get a bit familiar with it from the right seat.

Apart from some impossibly narrow laneways he chose - we did have to back up once for a gigantic farm tractor - the Reventón felt pretty docile.
And so it proved to be when I took over.
It quite naturally feels a lot like the Murciélago, since underneath, not much has changed. You still sit a bit off-set to the left of the steering wheel - or at least it feels that way.
You still try to remember how to best shift the eGear transmission to reduce shift shock.
And visibility to just about every direction, but notably to the rear and rear three-quarters, is marginal.

You'd expect a car like this to be prodigiously fast, to grip the pavement in the corners like lichen hanging on to a rock, to brake like you've run into an invisible mattress, to make exhaust noises that seem to come from the very bowels of hell.
Yes, yes, yes, and yes, respectively.
Perhaps influenced by the video game instrument panel, it felt almost unworldly to accelerate this fast. Is that a windshield or a really sophisticated plasma monitor?
Are those real Fiats, Vespas and Apecars backing up towards me at the apparent speed of light or mere digital representations?
Um, no - those are the real deal. This car defines fast.
Fast, yet surprisingly comfortableYou might not expect the car to ride so smoothly, to be so easy to steer, to in fact be so civilized.Or to be so beautifully finished inside - until you remember that Lamborghini is owned by Audi, the industry leaders in interior design and execution.

It could indeed be a daily driver, although there's as much chance of any of the twenty lucky owners using the car that way as they would use a Jean-Paul Riopelle to hide a nasty stain that's lying there on their bedroom wall.
The Reventón is an automotive work of art that will be purchased for the sake of ownership, rather than the pleasure of driving.
Not that there isn't great driving pleasure to be had. But I expect most owners will restrict their seat time to race tracks during lapping days. Or maybe they already have their own race track.
Because something like the Reventón is so valuable, so rare, so attention-grabbing (possibly from the wrong sorts of people) that taking it on the street might just not be wise.
I glad I got my chance.
And for sure it'd be more fun than putting your Jean-Paul Riopelle in your minivan and just driving around.
The Data PanelFull model name: Lamborghini ReventónType: Two-door two-seat mid-engined supercar coupe.Price: 1,000,000 euros (same price internationally).Engine type: 6.5-litre V12, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, dry sump lubricationEngine output: 650 horsepower at 8,000 rpm - 487 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpmTransmission: Six-speed automated manual gearbox, steering wheel paddles - Full-time four-wheel drive with viscous couplingFuel Consumption (European ratings): 32.3 / 15.0 litres per 100 km (city/highway)

Here are the salient points and overall rating of this new model, as established by our reviewer:
Overall rating: 9.0 / 10
ProsSpectacular looks and performanceSurprisingly civilized to driveThe automotive ultimate in rarity
ConsSeems churlish to even mention this, but it is rather expensiveAnd you can't have one even if you could afford itVisibility challengingYou can't go anywhere without someone wanting to take a picture... Or maybe take the car

The Upgraded Lamborghini Murcielago SV

Less Weight , RWD , More power....

It seems like just yesterday when Lamborghini launched the Murcielago LP640, the upgraded version of its "full fat" supercar. However, Lamborghini's work to enhance the Gallardo with the LP560 version, and its 20-unit production run of the Reventon, has helped to move the spotlight elsewhere within the brand. But, for fans of the big bull, never fear - Lamborghini is giving its flagship yet another update.
The upcoming SV will be the fastest and quickest Murcielago yet. LP640s are pictured. (Photo: Lamborghini)
Much like the Diablo, the Murcielago's predecessor, Lamborghini will be producing an SV version of the newer car as a way of celebrating the end of its production run. Output from the 6.5-litre V12 engine is expected to jump to 680 horsepower, up from the LP640's 640 horsepower.
This comprehensive power upgrade will be allied to a reduction of weight. Like the Diablo SV, the Murcielago will lose its all wheel drive system, which will help to contribute to its 100+ kg weight loss program. In addition, the Murcielago SV will gain a fixed rear spoiler in place of the current retractable unit, and new lightweight wheels will be featured.
Inside, the Murcielago SV will be stripped of many of its luxuries. Leather, Alcantara and plenty of carbon fibre will be standard, but, don't expect to see much by the way of infotainment - it's been ditched to save weight.
Lighter, more powerful, faster and more furious, the ultimate Murcielago is expected to make its debut this fall - most likely at the Paris Auto Show. Production volumes will be extremely limited, and you know the saying about price; if you have to ask...

Nissan 350z Fairlady

350 Z Aerodynamics

The Z's role as symbolic flagship of Nissan is an important one, and the Nissan 350Z design reflected that role. The prior Z car, the 1990-1996 300ZX, was a technological showcase. It demonstrated that the corporation's engineering talent could build a car every bit the match of long-respected sports and GT cars, such as the Porsche 944 or the Corvette -- and then some.

©2007 Publications International, Ltd.The 2003 Nissan 350Z was designed to be practical in terms of technology and price.But in so doing, the prior 300ZX lost the scent of the affordable-performance trail pioneered by the original Datsun 240Z. In contrast, the 350Z's engineering was best described by the term "appropriate technology." There was no ultra-trick systems that might push its price too high. No Super HICAS 4-wheel steering, as on the 300ZX. No twin turbochargers. No active damping. No voice-recognition functions. No variable-induction manifold. And so on. Although the new Z was right up to the minute in features and technology, there was nothing that was untrue to the original Z concept. After all, what good is it to build the best car in the world if only a few can afford to buy it? To deliver everything customers expect of a high-quality, state-of-the-art sports car, a good foundation is crucial. Nissan called the unit-body structure of the 350Z a High Damping Body, in essence a dynamic spring with a stabilizing effect. The body wasn't designed to achieve just high static-bending and torsional-rigidity numbers. The rigidity was designed as a dynamic system with the tires and suspension in place in order to improve driving stability and ride comfort. It resulted in a body with significantly higher torsional and bending stiffness than that of the previous 300ZX.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

The unit body of the 350Z was designed to be rigid yet devoid of performance-robbing weight. But the body wasn't just stiff for stiffness' sake. It had been analyzed not only on computers but also through multiple trial-and-error procedures using actual prototypes. This resulted in the placing of extra beef where it needed to be for strength, and the removal of excess fat where a weight reduction would contribute to performance and efficiency. Key structural elements of the car's design included a double-panel floor, a double front bulkhead and large-section door sills. The double-panel floor gave the necessary foundation for future bodystyle variations. Roof rails and side panels were laser welded for a strong, accurate fit.

And a rear strut brace, bolted and welded in place, restored any rigidity lost by adopting a rear hatchback and foregoing the traditional steel rear bulkhead of a notchback coupe bodystyle.350Z AerodynamicsIn developing the 350Z's body, engineers spent lots of time in Nissan Technical Center's wind tunnel testing the 350Z aerodynamics. But not for the reasons you might think.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.The underside of the car was designed to be perfectly flat and reduce lift.This was a sports car, bulging with muscularity and character -- not some bar-of-soap science experiment.

The bragging rights for the car with the world's lowest coefficient of drag would have to wait. Instead, the aerodynamic work was directed primarily at attaining zero body lift. Increased stability would be the benefit, with lower wind noise a pleasant side effect. By managing the airflow under the car, the tendency of the body to lift during high-speed driving was eliminated and the car felt as if it was driving in a vacuum. The precise handling experienced at low speeds could also be enjoyed at high speeds. The myriad changes that resulted from this research were subtle, but important. For starters, the 350Z's floor was designed to be as flat as possible, with few pieces protruding and creating drag. The exhaust system was routed to hug the underbody, with the crossflow muffler laid out flat. The fuel tank was tucked up under the floor beneath the luggage area. The front bumper and engine undercover were shaped to help compress the air and increase its velocity -- thus decreasing the pressure and creating a vacuum under the car, sucking it to the ground. At the rear of the engine, undercover airflow was dispersed to reduce lift. Air was guided and further hustled along through floor side farings and underfloor deflectors. In addition to a rear diffuser to reduce rear lift, the

Track model featured a small chin spoiler behind the bumper and an equally minimal deck spoiler at the rearmost edge of the hatch door. Considering the not-inconsiderable bulges over its wheelhousings, the base 350Z netted a respectable 0.30 coefficient of drag. For the Track model, the Cd dropped to a rather slippery 0.29.

POWER & SOUND OF THE Z

350Z Power and SoundThe Nissan 350Z power and sound befit a true sports car. Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) aided drivability and maximized low- and midrange torque. It also reduced valve overlap at idle for smoothness, and at cruising speeds it was configured to enhance fuel economy.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.Exhaust sound was maximized at low engine speed and toned down for normal cruising.Furthermore, CVTCS eliminated the need for an exhaust gas recirculation valve because the increased valve overlap it allowed permitted sufficient exhaust-gas to re-enter the combustion chambers and reduce combustion temperatures, thereby reducing oxides of nitrogen. To accomplish its tasks, CVTCS incorporated a 32-bit microprocessor for fast response. It analyzed a number of parameters including engine speed, engine load, throttle position and road speed. The processor directed a duty-cycle electric solenoid atop each cam cover to vary the oil pressure to the intake-cam timing-chain sprockets. As oil pressure changed, it moved the position of vanes inside the sprockets, rotating them relative to the camshafts and thus varying the intake-valve tinning. The result of all these efforts was a potent, tractable powerplant that was well-suited to a car intended to be both sporty and refined. In the inaugural 2003 350Z, the 3498-cubic-centimeter dual-overhead-cam, 24-valve V-6 produced 287 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 274 pound-feet of torque at 4800 rpm. That was up substantially from the VQ engine's applications in the Pathfinder and QX4 SUVs. Though peak power occurred at 6200 rpm, maximum torque was moved a bit higher in the rev range. Redline was 6600 rpm, signing off earlier than the 300ZX's 7000-rpm limit. The Sound of Z Power From the very start, a core goal of engineers working on the 350Z engine was to deliver a powerful sound from the intake and exhaust, without high-pitched, "tinny" mechanical sounds or the low-frequency booming or rumbling that can grow tiresome on long trips. From driving Italian exotic cars, such as the Maserati 3200GT and the Ferrari 360 Modena, F355 and F40, Nissan studied the "emotional" aspects of intake and exhaust sounds. Benchmarks for the 350Z's induction sound were the BMW M Coupe, Porsche Boxster, and Nissan Skyline GT-R. The exhaust sound was maximized at low engine speed (1000-3500 rpm), but quiet at normal cruising. And intake sound maximized at high engine speed (3500-6000 rpm) -- especially at wide throttle openings -- but toned down during cruising. Nissan used straight intake ducts and removed the 0.5 harmonic to give a "clear" intake sound. A variable intake manifold was not used in the 350Z. The 350Z's exhaust had reduced back pressure and was freer flowing than in any other Nissan. Its equal-length exhaust-manifold branches fed a large-diameter single pipe, which fluted to dual outlets aft of the rear axle. A complete dual system was discarded due to cost, weight and aerodynamics.

Foose article about the 71 Chevelle they designed..

On The Seventh Day
It All Happened On Overhaulin'
By Bob Mehlhoff
photographer: Henry De Los Santos

Man, he had no idea, but in just one week Jeff Miller's life would change forever. It was November 2003 when his boss Tony walked in and asked him somberly if he'd like to have his $1,800 faded green Chevelle featured on a Mother's Wax infomercial. You know, the kind of TV spot where someone shows you a dull hood on some sort of beater and then you see the "after" shot with the hood brilliant and glistening. The deal would take a week, and in the meantime he'd get to drive a new rental car. And when he got his '71 Chevelle back, its dry green paint would sparkle and shine.

Since Jeff works the counter at Original Parts Group (Huntington Beach, California) and his boss Tony Genty (the main guy at OPG) knows all the suits at the car wax companies, he believed the offer made perfect sense. But Jeff had no idea Tony was really using a decoy to have the Chevelle be THE STAR CAR for the pilot episode of Overhaulin'.

For those who haven't seen the show (on TLC), lead automotive designer Chip Foose and his crew spend exactly seven days transforming vintage iron from junker to gorgeous. They begin by ripping the car down to a shell, and with the clock ticking, turn it into Foose-designed eloquence with a custom paint job, a killer drivetrain, custom wheels and tires, and a new interior. A trusted friend or relative of the selected car's owner initiates the caper. Then the highlights of the weeklong build, as well as the owner's candid reaction of the finished car, are revealed on hidden camera and edited into one episode.

Getting Jeff to OK the decoy-deal was the easy part. After the crew at Overhaulin' had the Chevelle hidden away in their shop, they found lots to fix. Aside from the dried green paint and scuffed side panels, all four curb-scrapped whitewall tires leaked air, and up above, the bubbling green vinyl top barely held onto random spots of rust.

Foose went to work drawing the astounding example shown here. After the body had been media-blasted to bare metal, Foose designed a paint scheme of cinnamon and copper hues to coat the Chevelle. To that he laid color-reversed champagne ghost flames over an OPG domed hood to simulate factory Super Sport stripes. Next, the Foose crew installed a modified front bumper (minus the license-plate recess) and a new Chevelle rear bumper bar. On the inside, they completely restored the interior with parts from Original Parts Group.

Then the folks at Edelbrock hauled over a 350ci Performer RPM E-Tec EFI motor to power the Chevelle. To direct the exhaust, on went Doug's shorty headers, connected to a full Flowmaster ceramic-coated 3-inch exhaust system. Next, famed trans builder Art Carr supplied one of his 200-4R creations from California Transmissions.
With the motor and trans in place, the Chevelle needed a hot set of hoops. So Foose and the lead designer at Budnik Wheels designed the perfect one-off set to jibe with the Chevelle's look--19s for the front and 20s in the rear. Then they wrapped them with four BFG tires. Behind the wheels, they added a full set of Baer four-wheel disc brakes and Hotchkis Suspension components.

On day seven, Tony brought Jeff over to the shop to pick up his "wax job." Upon his arrival, the guys told Jeff that his green Chevelle had accidentally been shipped to San Diego. But before Jeff could get distraught, they laid the real deal on him: his Chevelle had been completely redone by the Foose gang. He thought the gorgeous car belonged to someone else and kept thinking his faded green car would roll in. But within the next few moments they handed him his keys, he slid behind the wheel, and it hit him. Jeff had been overhauled.

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/featuredvehicles/0602ch_1971_chevrolet_chevelle/specs.html

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle

The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle

The age of muscle cars peaked as the 1970s began -- and the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 helped to herald the ascent. When GM lifted its displacement ban on midsize cars, Pontiac, Olds, and Buick responded with 455-cid mills with up to 370 bhp. Chevy's retort was a 454-cid V-8 that started at 360 bhp and ended at a barbaric 450.





For 1970, the Chevy Chevelle had a new design and a more powerful engine. The wrapper was a restyled Chevelle that again presented the Super Sport as an option package for hardtops and convertibles. As the SS 396, it cost $446 and came with a 350-bhp 402-cid V-8, power front discs, F41 suspension, Polyglas F70x14s, and a domed hood. Fat dorsal stripes were optional, but were included with the new $147 cowl-induction hood, which had a flapper near the base of the windshield that opened at full throttle to feed air to the engine.



©2007 Publications International, Ltd.Chevy actually had two different 454-cubic-inch enginesthat could be had in its SS 454 package.The new SS 454 package cost $503 and included a 360-bhp hydraulic-lifter 454 called the LS5. Then there was the LS6. This was the take-no-prisoners 454, with a 800-cfm Holley four-barrel on an aluminum manifold, 11.25:1 compression, solid lifters, four-bolt mains, forged steel crank and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons, and deep-groove accessory pullies. No production engine ever had a higher factory horsepower rating.





With mandatory options -- including either the Rock Crusher four-speed or special Turbo 400 automatic -- total cost for an LS6 was more than $1,000. Axles ranged from 3.31:1 to 4.10:1, with Positraction a $42 extra.The SS Chevelle had a handsome new dash, and on the road, exhibited far more poise than its weight and size would suggest. But the LS6 made it a superstar. Sub-14-second ETs at over 100 mph were routine.But the LS6's thunder also seemed to signal an approaching storm, one that would dampen muscle for years to come. Testers sensed it. "Without even raising the specters of insurance and social justice," said Car Life after an LS6 experience, "it's fair to say that the Supercar as we know it may have gone as far as it's going."
The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454SpecificationsWheelbase, inches: 112.0Weight, lbs: 3,800Number built: 8,773Base price: $3,800Top Available EngineType: ohv V-8Displacement, cid: 454Fuel system: 1 x 4bbl.Compression ratio: 11.25:1Horsepower @ rpm: 450 @ 5600Torque @ rpm: 500 @ 3600Representative Performance0-60 mph, sec: 6.11/4 mile, sec. @ mph: 13.7 @ 103

2000-2007 Caddilac escalade

The Cadillac Escalade

The Cadillac Escalade serendipitously began Cadillac's image rehabilitation. From the first, it sold quite well for a premium SUV, and kept on selling even after soaring gas prices scared off many prospects in the mainstream market. And why not? Anyone who could splurge on a $50,000-$70,000 rig wasn't likely to worry about pump prices -- or big-truck fuel thirst.

A success from the start, the Escalade revitalized Cadillac. This is an interior shot of the 2000 Escalade.
The Escalade bowed as a late addition to GM's "T800" full-size truck family, using the same "short" 116-inch wheelbase as the GMC Yukon/Denali and Chevrolet Tahoe wagons. Strong initial demand prompted new front-end sheet metal for 2001 that intentionally previewed the Art & Science look of upcoming Cadillac cars. The bolder face only stoked demand for a vehicle that was already generating big buzz in trendier circles.

Wasting no time capitalizing on its unexpected hit, Cadillac added the Escalade EXT for 2002, a full-bling take on Chevrolet's new Avalanche four-door SUV/pickup. Riding a 130-inch wheelbase, EXT combined a five-foot-long open cargo box with GM's novel "midgate," a panel that folded forward together with the rear seats for carrying items up to eight-feet long with the tailgate closed. The midgate also served as a housing for a standard power drop-down rear cab window. Following for 2003 was an ESV wagon, based on the 130-inch-wheelbase Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon XL. Both Escalade wagons came with three-row seating for seven or eight status-seeking passengers. The EXT carried five.

An innovative midgate was introduced with the 2002 Escalade EXT.
Except for an early two-wheel-drive version with a 5.3-liter V-8, all Escalades through 2006 carried a 6.0-liter pushrod V-8 with 345 bhp, delivered through a four-speed automatic transmission to an all-wheel-drive system without low-range gearing. Also exclusive to Escalades among T800 trucks were Cadillac's automatic-adjusting Road Sensing Suspension and a specific dashboard.

As expected of GM's top-tier brand, Escalades were loaded to thrill: power everything, brake and accelerator pedals included; trailering package; antilock brakes; Stabilitrak antiskid/traction control; OnStar assistance; rear-obstacle detection; and more. Among the few options were power sunroof, navigation system, and rear-seat DVD entertainment. By 2006, Cadillac was offering 20-inch wheels, a nod to the many customized 'Slades cruising city streets on "dubs" purchased from non-GM sources.

With a 6.0-liter pushrod V-8 with 345 bhp, the 2002 Cadillac Escalade was built to thrill.
No one was more surprised by Escalade's strong youth appeal than Cadillac itself. But appeal it had: a shiny big bruiser with a street-tough attitude and interior glamour fit for a music video. By mid-decade, the Escalade line accounted for nearly 40 percent of total Cadillac sales. To division marketers and GM accountants, this was manna from heaven.

All three Escalades returned for 2007 with a full redesign on GM's much-improved T900 platform. Dimensions weren't greatly changed, but styling was, becoming "more Cadillac" to set these trucks more clearly apart from corporate siblings. The powertrain was also new and again exclusive, comprising an upsized 6.2-liter V-8 with a rumbling 403 bhp and a six-speed automatic transmission. AWD remained standard. So did most previous no-cost features, but Cadillac lengthened the list with standard curtain side airbags that covered all three seating rows and deployed by special sensors designed to detect an impending rollover. Power-adjust pedals were made standard too.

Wagons now came with heated first- and second-row seats, plus a power liftgate with a handy flip-open window. Unsurprisingly, the '07s also boasted several new options: front-seat cooling, power-retractable "runningboard" steps, a convenient one-latch "spring-up" feature for the second-row seats -- and to the delight of "hip-hoppers" everywhere, 22-inch wheels. Last but not least, the available navigation system added a rearview camera that used the dashboard screen to show what lay behind when backing up.
Cadillac's Art & Science design signature, previewed in the 2001 Escalade, took off with 2003 Cadillac CTS.