Fun Rocking

Iacocca Silver Edition Ford Mustang

Lee Iacocca helped in the design of this Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang. Only 45 of these cars will be available, exclusively at Galpin Ford in Southern California. The car can be outfitted with either a 4.6L 320 hp V8 or a 400 hp supercharged model. Forty-five years after he introduced the original Ford Mustang, launched at a dramatic press conference at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, auto industry visionary Lee Iacocca today announced a new version of the famous muscle car – the Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang – a breathtaking vehicle that utilizes the latest in Ford performance technology with a style and panache that screams, Mustang fastback. Only 45 “2009½” Iacocca Silver Edition Mustangs – all painted a special “Iacocca” chosen silver hue – will be built.

Nearly two years in the making, the Iacocca Silver Edition Mustang is a collaborative effort by Iacocca, designer Michael Leone, and Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters, the world-class coachbuilding and Design Company in Fountain Valley, Calif. The new business venture is called I Legacy, and it will be in concert with Galpin Ford, the exclusive Ford dealership to offer these Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustangs to the public.

In a word, the new Iacocca Silver Edition Mustang is stunning. The lines flow organically from front to rear. The hand-crafted piece of rolling art, with its innovations and impact of the fastback design is truly exceptional in every way. With its sunken headlights, slanted grill and low stance, the car gives you “street attitude.”

“Once in a while a car comes along that changes everything, and that was the original Mustang,” said Iacocca.

The Silver Edition Mustang perpetuates the Iacocca mystique.

The car begins life on a 2009 Mustang platform, which is then uniquely modified and coachbuilt. While the exterior fastback design of the Iacocca Silver Mustang is compelling, the mechanical underpinnings are true American muscle. Two power plant options will be offered, a normally-aspirated 4.6-liter Ford V8 rated at 320 horsepower and an optional supercharged version that delivers a head-snapping 400 horsepower. Both engines are covered by a factory Ford warranty. Drivers will harness the power through a quick-shifting 5-speed manual transmission.

The car’s suspension has been upgraded to keep pace with the power delivery. A Ford Racing Handling Package adds firmer springs and re-valved shock absorbers. A 14-inch Ford Racing Braking Package is optional. All suspension components will be covered under a factory Ford warranty, as well.
Inside the Iacocca Silver Mustang, the interior is resplendent with luxurious touches that highlight the car’s special heritage, including Iacocca Diamond Design leather seats with embroidery stitching, an Iacocca signature dash plaque with serial number, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with “I” badge, and Iacocca-badged aluminum door sill plates.

The cars will initially be revealed and then available at a reception in late July, at Southern California’s Galpin Ford dealership, the world’s largest volume Ford dealer for 19 years, as well as an innovator in the promotion and retail of specialty automobiles. The price is yet to be announced.

The “Father of the Mustang” returns to the legend that started it all.

Iacocca Silver Edition Mustang – Specifications

Engines
• 4.6-liter V8 with 320 HP (Ford Racing Cold Air – under WARRANTY)
• 4.6-liter V8 with 400HP Supercharger Optional (Ford Racing Supercharger – under WARRANTY)

Drivetrain
• 5-speed stick shift transmission (there might be automatics)

Suspension
• Ford Racing Handling Package (Ford Racing Package – under WARRANTY)
• 14-inch’ Brakes Optional (Ford Racing Package – under WARRANTY)

Wheels & Tires
• Iacocca Design 20″ Chrome wheels with “I” Design center cap
• 20”x 9 ½ ” (F), 20″x 9 ½ ” (R)
• Goodyear Eagle RSA 245 X 45 X R20

Interior
• Iacocca Diamond Design Leather Seats with Embroidery Stitching
• Iacocca Signature Dash Plaque with Serial Number
• Iacocca Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel with “I” badge
• Iacocca Aluminum Door Still Plates
• One-Touch Up/Down power Windows
• Two Power Outlets
• Variable-Speed Windshield Wipers
• Rear Window Defroster
• Air-Conditioning

Exterior
• Iacocca DESIGN FASTBACK
• Iacocca Design Hood Emblem
• Iacocca Design Trunk Cap “I” Emblem
• Iacocca Design Trunk Lettering

Aston Martin LMP1

Aston Martin is into the thrill of racing and with it, a new LMP1 will be launching at the Asian Le Mans Series in Okayama, Japan. This young racer to be maneuvered by Driver Stefan Mücke, is expecting opponents from European teams. This is a stunning Halloween treat to all the Aston Martin followers.

For its current Le Mans prototype racing program, Aston Martin has teamed up with veteran chassis builder Lola to create a car powered by a race-ready version of its production V12. But the current 6.0-liter twelve-cylinder won’t be allowed under the new Automobile Club de l’Ouest prototype rules that go into effect for 2011, so a new powerplant will be required.

The victory could hardly be classified as domination, but it was a victory nonetheless. As the thousand-click race wound down to its closing laps, the number 007 Aston Martin looked poised to take second place behind the Pescarolo-Judd driven by Christophe Tinseau and Jean-Christophe Boullion, until the French team’s car stalled during its final pitstop. The front-running Aston, driven by Stefan Mucke, Jan Charouz and Tomas Enge, took the lead, and with only 40 minutes of race time to go, the safety car was deployed as Tinseau closed the lead down to just 6.2 seconds. When the safety car went back into the pits with just six laps to go, the Aston’s lead over the Pescarolo was only four seconds, but that would prove enough for Aston Martin to claim its first victory in LMP1 in its first attempt, even extending its lead to fourteen seconds ahead of the Pescarolo by the finish line.

The drivers of the second Aston would have joined their counterparts on the podium had it not been for an unfortunate spin that took the 009 car out of the running near the end of the race. Instead, third place went to another notable entry: LMS regular Stephane Ortelli was joined by Bruno Senna, nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna, a rated F1 hopeful in his own right and runner-up in last year’s GP2 championship. Ortelli and Senna took the bottom rung on the podium behind the wheel of a Courage ORECA, the former French racing manufacturer purchased last year by the latter (whose name you might recognize for their work preparing Dodge Vipers for endurance racing) claiming a GT2-class victory at Le Mans way back in 1991 and continuing to produce the Viper Competition Coupe to GT3 regulations through last year.

Farther down the field, Italian team Racing Box took the LMP2 honors in a Judd-powered Lola chassis, Reiter Engineering took the GT1 trophy with their Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT, and Porsche regained its honor against the Ferrari F430 GTs that dominated previous seasons as the #77 911 GT3 RSR hoisted the trophy for the GT2 category.
In entering the top-tier LMP1 category, Aston Martin demonstrated it has ambition in spades. And in taking the checkered flag on its race debut, the team has certainly demonstrated that it has the competence to back it up, and then some. We’ll have to wait until June, though, to find out how the team fares against the diesel-powered heavy-hitters of the Audi R15 TDI and Peugeot 908 HDi at this year’s Le Mans 24, so stay tuned.

Audi GT3 Sports Car Race Car

Audi has just announced plans to offer the 2010 Audi R8 GT3, or internally codenamed “R16,” to a very few lucky customers late next year. The new R8 race version supercar features lots of performance upgrades over current R8 models, and has been designed to conform to GT3 racing regulations that require automakers to release a set number of race cars with identical performance specs and styling to the cars used in GT3 racing series.

Homoglamated production race cars such as the 2010 Audi R8 GT3 are an exciting consumer perk required by the rules of some race series. In the past, the rule set which calls the R8 GT3 into production has brought us such cars as the BMW M3 CSL, Mercedes-Benz 190 Evolution II and the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Mechanically speaking, the 2010 R8 GT3 features several changes from the production car.

As per GT3 regulations, Audi ditches the Quattro AWD system characteristic of the R8 in favor of a RWD setup. Rest assured the team at Audi Sport is putting significant attention into the RWD system used in the R8 GT3. The Le Mans racing series Audi R10 has proven, with its unprecedented record in endurance racing over the past couple of years, that Audi is committed to its motorsport division.

Rounding out known info for the performance upgrades on the 2010 Audi R8 GT3 are a menacing track-ready aerodynamics kit promising greatly increased downforce and handling prowess, a 6 speed sequential manual transmission, and a gasoline motor promising more than 500 horsepower.

Which brings us to the next question. Will the 2010 Audi R8 GT3, or Audi R16 if you prefer, be street legal? Audi has not released the official word on this yet, saying only that the R8 GT3 “will offer customers a racing sports car equipped with high-calibre technology and the typical Audi qualities, but which is nevertheless easy to handle.”

The first test races in various European racing series are scheduled for the 2009 season. Delivery to the customers is planned from the autumn of this coming year.