ZR1 RELEASED

Take one Chevrolet Corvette and add 200 horsepower. Strip some weight. Add other miscellaneous peformance addenda. Make the Z06 look weak. Name it ZR1. Price it around $100,000. Call yourself General Motors and run to the bank. Here's the photos you want. Watch it in action at Laguna Seca right here at GoodCarBadCar.

Stop by CorvetteGuys.com and check out

their selection of Corvette Zr1 Wheels

FERRARI CALIFORNIA TRUNK IRONY

Ferrari has released a photo of a trunk-filled California, the Italian company's new four-seat hardtop convertible. The Good Car Guy just showed pictures of the apparently useable rear seat but in this case, Ferrari appears to have been making somebody else's case.

Hardtop convertibles are known for lacking a useful trunk. By the time the top is squeezed into the rear of the car, space for luggage and groceries is typically limited because the top ate into that space. This is why on a bright summer's day when you most expect convertible owners to be enjoying the open air, they're cruising down the interstate with the top up. If they don't do that, they don't take their luggage.

Well, Ferrari proves the point in a picture where the luggage isn't fully inside the trunk. It's as if they're saying, "Oops, guess we can't fit all this stuff in there, can we? Take the picture anyway, Giacomo." As you can see in the image, the Ferrari California's top is not in place but instead, is resting on top of the trunk. The luggage is covered in the same leather as the golf bag and suitcases that Ferrari previously placed in the rear seat; quite clearly fitted Ferrari kit. With that being obvious, the irony is even more humourous. Ferrari can't even fit California-specific bags in the trunk of the California? 

Ach, I know it was just for the sake of display in the same way pictures of women in the front seat usually show them with one leg out of the car. But it's still funny, and still ironic.

FERRARI CALIFORNIA BACK SEAT - 5 PICTURES

Considering the likelihood that future Ferrari California buyers are more like us than the buyers of Ferrari's other cars, it's very possible that these California owners will use their cars for normal purposes. 

With a rear seat and the ease of flipping back the roof, genuine trips will/could become something regular for these people who chose not to take the Scuderia Spider 16M. And if part of their reasoning for purchasing the California was its rear seating perches, they better be useable. 

Choosing a California over a regular 430 Spider won't necessarily save you a whole lot of coin, but no Ferrari lacks in the power department and large chunks of the masses won't know that this is - in the minds of many enthusiasts - a softer, compromised Italian supercar. Supercar? Meh.

Are they? These pictures (click to see'em larger) show the Ferrari California rear passenger area with a child seat, golf clubs, set up as a load shelf, used as a load shelf, and as a traditional rear seat. Decide for yourself. Check out Ferrari's California trunk irony, too.

RUF/STUDIO TORINO RK

Is the regular Porsche Cayman tired, dated, or dowdy? I hope you've not tired of Porsche's all-rounder, but.... if you want your Islands (or car) a little spicier, Ruf and Studio Torino did one up just for you. Take note, if you were under the impression that the recent Part I and Part II of the mid-engined sports car profiles were a backhanded bash of the formula.... you were wrong.


The RK Coupe is more than just a design masterpiece. Every Cayman driver seems to believe that the mid-engined Boxster coupe could handle a LOT more power. Ruf supplies. The 3.8L motor normally found in the 911 S has been supercharged to 440 horsepower. Only 49 of these cars will be built, and they'll be mighty expensive. Figure 911 Turbo money.

Those 49 owners have a tasteful & classy but also aggressive & distinctive body on top of an even more capable Cayman, tuned by one of the world's most revered Porsche tuners.

evo BOSS TRADES ZONDA FOR CATERHAM WITH EDITOR

Henry Catchpole decides to convince his boss at evo magazine, Harry Metcalfe, that every great garage needs a Caterham. Well, lookie there: Henry has a Caterham long-termer that Harry Metcalfe can try. The side-effect for Catchpole? He gets to drive Metcalfe's Pagani Zonda for the first time. The video from evo is below. Catchpole's facial expressions would make the video worth watching if the driving footage wasn't even as good as it is.

FERRARI BRINGS SCUDERIA SPIRIT TO 430 SPIDER

Back when Ferrari strode back to the firm, indisputable top of the pack, the F355 was a 380-horsepower supercar. 380 horsepower? You mean five more horsepower than Hyundai's V8 luxury sedan? Quaint.

One received the impression since the F355's time that Ferrari didn't want to play in horsepower wars - Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz AMG both outpunched Maranello in that department - but managed the acceleration of horsepower increases quite capably. For instance, take the car you see here: Ferrari's new Scuderia Spider 16M. In the Ferrari of the past, a convertible would never be treated to the most outrageous of Ferrari's performance equipment. Now, the 430 Scuderia has joined with the 430 Spider in fitting the Scuderia Spider 16M with a 510 horsepower 4.3L V8. In the F355's era, even the hyper-expensive 456M GT, a V12 supercoupe, only had 442 horses.

Better yet, the Scuderia Spider has shed 176 pounds. Worse yet, the Scuderia Spider will likely feature a base price of close to or over $300,000 USD.

Yes, Ferrari's manufacturing of a new hardtop convertible, the California, spoke volumes about the Italians' willingness to work with open-top cars. Now cometh the Scuderia Spider 16M. Only 499 will be assembled. (2700 F355's were built by Ferrari, by the way.) 

Not only was the 430 Spider's predecessor never built with the most powerful Ferrari V8 of its time; the 360 Spider was never available with the Scuderia Spider 16M's sound option either. A special 16GB Ferrari iPod Touch will rest prominently in a central dock in front of the dashboard. 

LAMBORGHINI MAY NEED FRANCHISEE - WILL PRODUCE ESTOQUE

On the same day Lamborghini lets out that the Estoque four-door concept will be produced (thank goodness), the planet's best-selling Lamborghini dealership announces its doors will close. Shut. Lock. Firmly.

Santa Ana, California's Lambo store accounts for 10% of worldwide sales. Imagine for a second that were true of a Chevrolet dealer. Okay, now picture the profits attributed to this one dealership. Now picture Lamborghini's consternation at the thought of that dealer closing up. Okay, now start collecting donations from your friend so you can re-open that very same Lamborghini dealer. Because quite clearly, sales were not the issue.

True, Lamborghini doesn't sell a lot of cars. Typically, however, the vehicles sold cost above $200,000 and sometimes close to $400,000. Usually, OC Lamborghini could sell 240 cars per annum in modern Lambo times. With a middling profit margin of, say, 4%, OC Lamborghini would easily pull in more than $2,000,000. You could nudge that 4% upward safely and nudge up the earnings for "used" Lamborghinis and and servicing too. 

So, real estate issues are the suspected culprit. Many formerly rich Californians are just that: formerly rich. Perhaps the issues affecting OC Lamborghini are completely disconnected from sub-prime meltdowns. Nevertheless, there's never been a better opportunity to confront Lamborghini brass with a few million in coin with a suggestion that you run the OC Lambo biz. Get on the phone.

OTHER EXOTIC POLICE CARS

Don't take any of these as a serious part of your local police force's method for tracking you down next time you crack 100 in a 60. The Caparo T1 police-edition inspired me to find some other great "paint-and-lights" jobs, most of which are publicity stunts to one degree or another.

500+ bhp Lamborghini Gallardo's do a fantastic job of transporting kidneys and livers down the autostrada. All-wheel drive helps the driver ignore the rain, too.


High horsepower numbers is not a part of the Lotus Exige game. Granted, the S version isn't exactly a weakling. But for crossing the Yorkshire Moors behind too-fast Mitsu Evo's and Subie STi's, nothing will work as well as Lotus' racer for the road.



Brabus is a renowned Mercedes-Benz tuner, probably the most famous aftermarket Benz manufacturer now that AMG is in-house. The Brabus Rocket truly shares characteristics with a high-powered space machine - humanity has never moved so fast (730 horsepower, 360km/h) in a sedan before. Oh... forgot, Mercedes calls it a coupe. Sorry, Benz. It ranked #1 in yesterday's Top 5 Cars Bought for Beauty. You won't see Brabus CLS Rocket's cruising by your 330d on the autobahn but you will see it used as a German tool (like the Techart 911 below) to encourage safe tuning of automobiles.


More than the CLS or Exige - but perhaps less than the Gallardo or Caparo - this 911 really handles the polizei livery quite nicely. I'm not a 911 drooler; but I am a Porsche respecter. And this 911 looks about as good as any.

I'm curious to know why the car enthusiast world gets so enthusiastic over a fast police car, whether it reaches your local constabulary or not. Drop a line to goodcarbadcar@gmail.com or share your thoughts with the GCBC Nation by clicking the Comments button below.

MCLAREN F1 SELLS IN LONDON FOR RECORD HIGH PRICE

Over a decade ago, the silver McLaren F1 you see here left the factory and became part of a fraternity of what many still call the greatest supercar ever. Slightly slower than a Bugatti Veyron, outlived by upper-echelon Porsche 911s, and out-produced by most every other supercar, the McLaren still engenders unique sentiment among all enthusiasts.

Check out other results from the October 29 auction at RMAuctions.com 

and read more about McLaren here

Though 1997 may mean nothing to you, it clearly combined with the McLaren F1 to mean something to some very wealthy individual at the RM Auctions/Sotheby's London event. That certain someone paid more than double what was expected for the McLaren at £2,530,000. Converted to USD (a practice not recommended for new cars if you're looking for exact MSRPs), that sterling price would be $4,008,174.91 as of the moment of writing or €3,155,447.13 or $4,775,649.88 CAD. 

That's expensive. To put in perspective, were Lewis Hamilton to repeat as world champion in the 2009 Formula 1 season, McLaren has promised him the keys to an especially rare McLaren F1 LM. I gotta say, it seems easier to come up with $4,008,174.91 than it does to win two F1 championships. But apparently it's not too dissimilar. The F1 sold at this auction was pretty much a £1,000,000 when new and has never been sold before. 

GM WILL SELL YOU CORVETTE ZR1s ENGINE IN A CRATE

There's no dining room centrepiece quite as intimidating as  a 6.2L supercharged V8. Need your future son-in-law to know just who the boss really is? Park the LS9 Corvette ZR1 V8 between the roast beef and potatoes. Just don't let any candle wax drip on the manifold, ok?

638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft of torque could combine to make any current new car fast. Thus, General Motors won't restrict its fitment to the Corvette ZR1. No, you can purchase the engine seperately from GM Performance Parts late next year.

(For more on the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, click here or here or here)

Designed to feel rather different from a typical old-tech V8 or most supercharged engines, the LS9 is high-revving; producing power down low and in its upper range. GM will sell the V8 crate package fully fitted with ignition, supercharger assembly, and exhaust manifolds. You'll need your own ECU/wiring harness. Have fun with that.

TECHART UNVEILS NEW BODY KITS FOR THE PORSCHE 911

Renowned Porsche tuner TechArt has released images of their latest Porsche 911 aerokit. With a front spoiler that manages to "reduces buoyant forces on the front axle" while also ensuring "optimal air flow for the effective cooling of the brakes", style does seem as though it may be secondary.

Decorative items include varnished wing mirrors; carbon fiber or chrome. Special wheels and double oval exhaust tips add TechArt flavour. TechArt took some heat here at GoodCarBadCar.net for overdone 911 GT2 modifications. Nevertheless, the German manufacturer, almost 22 years old, seems to have hit the right note with these aero kits.

LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP560-4 FOR ITALIAN POLIZIA - 20 PICTURES

I know exactly what you're thinking: apparently the Italian troopers were insatiable. The regular Gallardo wasn't good enough? In 2004, a Lamborghini Gallardo began a stint in the police service with tasks that - generally speaking - weren't related to tracking down high-octane speeders. Transporting organs for transplants was one of the Gallardo's more likely tasks, in theory. 

That first Gallardo has almost 88,000 miles on its odometer. A second Gallardo used in more northern areas since '05 has almost clocked almost 70,000 miles.

Check out the older Gallardo along with other wild police vehicles here 

and here along with police vehicle suggestions here

Apparently Lamborghini and the polizia believed more everything was required. The upgraded LP560-4 features 59 more horses than the original Gallardo with fewer pounds to propel. Thirty officers are trained in driving the Gallardo as well as in the use of its medical equipment. Thus, police personnel accustomed to Fiat Bravos won't be seen steering the LP560-4 off a cliff at 200mph.

500 ALFA ROMEO 8C SPIDERS RIPE AND READY

Sadly, only thirteen photos are available. But what photos. Oh. My. Goodness.

For detailed information on Alfa Romeo's 8C project, check the Lowdown on the 8C Competizione. Decked out in wicked red paint, the 8C with a roof was nice. In all white, the 8C Spider - supercar convertibles not normally my cup of tea - is equally spectacular. Check out the gallery below for justification.

FOUR DOOR LAMBORGHINI ESTOQUE IN PICTURES

Along came the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide, Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed, and.... multiple drum rolls pleeeeeeeeez.... the Lamborghini Estoque. 

Sporting four doors, a sporting reputation, and a super-luxury pricetag, this segment is about to be blown wide open by a Lamborghini four-door that is oh-so-very Lamborghini. It's modern, aggressive, and unlike anything else available to mankind. Expect all-wheel drive and a high-octane V10, although Lambo is good at surprises.

L'Auto Journal has pics. Because of poor quality, GoodCarBadCar.net has switched them to B&W and boosted the colour a bit. This'll help show off the lines.

MCCAIN MANSION IN PHOENIX HAS BENTLEY CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR IN GARAGE

Senator John McCain of Arizona, along with his wife Cindy - the real breadwinner in the family - will be auctioning off their 2.7-acre Phoenix compound soon through The Larsen Company. How does this relate to GoodCarBadCar.net?

Apart from The Good Car Guy's in-depth following of American politics, the brief look at the "first" garage was interesting. Now, it's true that the Senator no longer resides in the house. Perhaps friends or squatters renters have taken up residence at 7110 North Central Ave. Thus, assuming the vehicles in the garage to be the Senator's would be just that, assuming. Because, after all, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur wasn't listed in the Republican presidential candidate's recent rundown of automobiles - eight automobiles.

Watch the CNN video below, obtained through KTVX, and pay close attention at the 1:03 mark. This link will take you to the list of McCain cars, this link to the Bentley Continental Flying Spur site, and this link to the Cars.com price scheme for Bentley. I'll trust Senator McCain on this one as far as now owning a Bentley. More disclosure would, however, be wonderful.

NEW TESLA ROADSTER PICTURES

In recent days we've seen the LCC Lightning move about, and even with its higher-than-Tesla pricetag, it surely moves the technology goalposts. Nevertheless, the $100K Tesla Roadster is a Lotus Elise in the electric emperor's new clothes, so one sits up and pays attention.

Selecting the best of the most recent Tesla photos, GoodCarBadCar.net wishes it to be known that the Tesla has some angles on its side and some.... not so much. The first three photos you see are Tesla, the bottom shows its Lotus origins.

LIGHTNING ELECTRIC CAR HITS THE ROAD - IN MOTION

Imagine plugging your new 664-horsepower car into the powerbar in your garage. Leave it there for twelve hours, and you've got enough power to drive 200 miles or 322 kilometres. Your car weighs about the same as a Chevrolet Corvette and can accelerate to 60mph in about 4 seconds.

Hrm.... but there's still that one distinctly annoying problem. We did just read twelve hours, didn't we? That, oh Good Car Nation, royally sucks. Yet good news persists. "But on a three-phase industrial supply, the kind most business premises have, a full charge will take just ten minutes," Arthur Wolstenholme told evo magazine.

Wolstenholme is the technical director the Lightning electric car. Ah, we might as well be honest. Wolstenholme is the technical director for the Lightning electric supercar. This vehicle will be a true competitor for Ferrari and Lamborghini, not the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius.

When GoodCarBadCar.net first brought the Lightning to your attention, it seemed a little flash in the pan. However, LCC just put the wheels in motion in front of cameras, and man did it look good. 

Thousands of car enthusiasts are worried about these futuristic cars and what they'll do to the joy of driving. Few characteristics are worse than a leaden feel caused by excessive unsprung weight. Wheels and brakes that outsize the car are the usual offenders. But LCC is powering each individual wheel with over 160 horsepower. They do so with nano-titanate cells that should function normally from -25C to +75C for twelve years. And most unfortunately, they add 55 pounds to the weight of each corner.

Yet good news persists."The motors bolt straight on to the suspension upright and take the place of the heavy duty hub, bearings, driveshaft, brake disc and caliper. As a result we only weigh about 3kg more per corner than a conventional set-up," John Paterson told evo. Paterson is the technical project manager for LCC and has reason to be impressed with the company's work. 

If LCC can get their electric car perfectly honed over the next nine months, they'll start delivering to some of the hundreds of customers who've placed deposits by the end of 2009. Don't bother to do a direct currency change - it never works with UK car prices - but the Lightning will cost around £120,000. On the surface it seems to be the cat's pajamas. 

Imagine with me again. Imagine the r&d goes swimmingly and LCC doesn't have the trouble experienced by Tesla and its customers. Imagine the trickle down of technology to a day when gasoline is $9.50/gallon, your electricity is generated by solar and wind and your car is plugged into a power source that jumps your pickup 400-horsepower truck in 10 minutes. 

AUDI Q7 V12 TDI IN PRODUCTION FORM

Despite its arching roofline and gracefully styled tail, the Audi Q7 isn't a vehicle you'd ever call pretty. Dramatic. Aggressive. But pretty? The full gallery is below.

Nor will anyone leap to a defensive stance when, in discussing the diesel-powered Q7 V12, I suggest it won't be economical. For one thing, the V12 TDI sits in a hugely expensive vehicle. Secondly, Audi suggests it'll consume - on average - about 20 miles per gallon. That's a wonderful figure for a vehicle with 500 horsepower and 736 lb-ft of torque, but it's no Prius. (Check out a fuel efficiency comparison between this Q7 and another at AutoEnergy.) The Q7 V12 TDI will, says Audi, will be hitting dealers before the end of the year. The 6.0L V12 is being built in Hungary. 

Nevertheless, GoodCarBadCar.net will go on record as saying that the Audi Q7 V12 TDI is wicked sweet. It's abnormal and tremendously unique - traits craved at GCBC. There are four inter-connected rings in its grille; something usually appreciated in these parts. And while not pretty, she do look nasty. Picture that front-end filling your rear-view mirror. 

Now pull over. The train is pulling through.

If we North Americans gain permission from Audi HQ, it's expected the price could top $100,000 USD, some $40K more than any other Q7. Though its quite likely that any sane Audi buyer with that kind of money would head straight for an RS6 Avant, the Q7 V12 TDI isn't about sanity. It is about wicked sweetness. 

CORVETTE ZR1 HITS NURBURGRING - IN MOTION

7 minutes and 26 seconds of hard-running V8 really ought to be seen and heard firsthand. Too bad, you weren't at the Nurburgring in June when the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 outlapped its competition. Believe it: excessive Nurburgring-based developing is partially responsible for the stiff ride you're forced to endure in many performance cars these days. To the 'Ring's credit, we also enjoy vehicles with greater high-speed stability; low down torque; and grip as strong as mortar on bricks. 

CORVETTE ZR1 IS FASTER THAN NISSAN GT-R AFTER ALL?

GoodCarBadCar.net's Good Car Guy was one of many who reported on the approximate laptime of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 back in early May. It was known by then that Nissan's remarkable GT-R could loop the Nurburgring in 7:29. Unfortunately for 'Vette engineers, their second digit was a 3. Uh-oh.

(Necessary background reading at this post and in the links found therein)

Hadn't the chief engineer suggested that his baby, the 638bhp ZR1, would outlap any production car on any track? Was this embarrassing; or purely just another underestimator of the Nissan GT-R? 

Neither. Now that the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has had a proper lap around the Nurburgring, General Motors can reveal its might. 

7:26.4 sounds niiice. We await the Nissan GT-R Spec V to watch the 7:26.4 time fall by the wayside.