With both my hands gripping the leather wrapped, flat bottom steering wheel of the 2013 Dodge Charger SRT8, we were tearing down the freeway toward Beeville, Texas. Somewhere along the way, as Kid Rock was screaming about Detroit through the 900-watt, 19-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, the speed needle climbed and the fuel needle dropped, my co-pilot and I began to discuss what we liked and did not like about the latest Charger from the performance nuts at SRT.
At the top of the list of likes was, of course, the reason for all this speed and fuel consumption: the 6.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 and each of the 470 horses it produced. Also receiving high marks from us were the seats (not the color), dash and user-friendly center stack. The unique, for SRT8, front seats were comfortable for our long drive while the added side bolsters and suede inserts held us in place when the roads began to twist. The instrument cluster is comprised of easy to read analog gauges and a screen that is located between the oversized tachometer and speedometer, which can display a variety of additional information, such as trip, DTE, average MPG and tire PSI. The simple in design and use center stack houses the basic hvac controls and can be topped with an optional 8.4-inch touch screen that provides a clear and fast interface for controlling the audio and navigation system. Also accessed through the touch screen are a variety of performance readouts, including acceleration timers, breaking distance and real-time horsepower and torque use. Read more »
Posted in cars, Reviews on April 24th, 2013 by admin
The Lexus LS has never been an attention grabbing car. Since its introduction, almost two decades ago, the LS has established its niche as a big, luxury, four-door, with emphasis on comfort and technology rather than performance or style. The introduction of the 4th generation LS stays true to form, however now, thanks to an all new F-sport package, performance and style are emphasized just as much as those other things.
We recently drove the 2013 Lexus LS F-sport for a week and logged over 1,000 miles. It was better than we expected, but not everything we wanted. What we truly wanted was BMW M or Mercedes-Benz AMG power. What we got was no slouch, but the 386-horsepower produced by the naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V8 cannot be compared to the aforementioned German hotrods and their forced induction V8’s that make north of 500-horsepower. Read more »
Recently, Buick has decided to expand its Verano line of compact sedans with turbocharged model. Verano Turbo is considered amongst the heavy duty service providing sedans, as the engine power is quite impeccable. The 2.0 liter engine makes 260 foot-pounds of torque at 2,000 RPM and credited with the ability to generate 250 HP at 5300 RPM. Such compact composition or specification of this sedan has lifted it up to the list of smashing sedans that are highly sold in the year of 2012. Read more »
Awards are only given to the best of the best. There is never a small competition in the automotive industry; usually the number of candidates is endless, so take into consideration just how amazing the 2013 Jeep Patriot must be! So amazing that it has racked up 4 accomplishments including: the Kelly Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own Award, the TOP SAFETY PICK award from the insurance institute for Highway Safety, it was recognized by NADAguides.com as a “ Top 10 Most Versatile Car Under $20,000,” and lastly it was listed on “ Consumer Guide Automotive’s “ 10 Coolest Cars Under 18,000.”Wondering why? Maybe it’s because it has low projected ownership costs or because it has art-like features that are beautiful to admire. Wait it could be because of its safe design for protecting all passengers in crashes. One could also explain that the versatility in the car is amazing. There are three models to the car: Sport model, latitude model, and a limited model. Being Trail rated means this vehicle can manage, and manage well in a variety of terrains. I could lose my breath going on about the Jeep Patriot, but this information must be spread! It’s urgent, because its perfect for exploring the great outdoors with an engineering technology that allows the Patriot to attain up to 408 miles on a tank-full.
At the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, Nissan showed off their exciting new Resonance concept car. Featuring what the company calls “V-Motion” styling, it features a grill that sweeps upwards and a windshield/ A-pillars that are steeply raked. The impression is dramatic and portrays a car in motion. Nissan says its designers were inspired “by the future allure of hypersonic travel.” Dimensionally, the Resonance is similar to the current Nissan Murano with proportions that imitate the mid-size crossover’s, with an oblong profile, short hood and rear wheels close to the rear deck. High styling details include a panoramic glass roof, a tinted translucent acrylic grille, 22-inch wheels and boomerang-shaped lights. Read more »
Porsche has always made sure that their vehicles are top of the line, and they need to do so because of how expensive they usually run. Creating a luxury brand requires proper preperation of each manufactured model, and they need to make sure they offer not just competitve luxury features—but also features that are incredibly beneficial. So when they announced that they were going to offer a unique charging system for its new Panamera S E plug-in hybrid. When compared to the non-hybrid versions of the Panamera as seen on the Porsche of Towson inventory, there really isn’t much to differentiate the models beyond the fact its part electric. Read more »
The Tucker automobile was the brainchild of Preston Thomas Tucker. It represented one of the last attempts by an independence car maker to break into the American automotive marketplace before WW II. After Tucker’s attempt, the big three automobile manufacturers would dominate domestic car sales for almost 40 years. The folks at Deery Brothers Automotive (visit www.deerybrothersic.com) told us the full story. Read more »
Buick LaCrosse – Best For Safe Urban Driving
Buick LaCrosse is considered as the best vehicle for driving in urban areas. The new Buick La Crosse has been modified to give maximum comfort to driver and passengers. The designers of the new model have lavished much care making the vehicle easy to handle on tight urban roads full of parking on both sides. It comes dressed in highly premium and soft material in surroundings of the front and rear seats. There is greater legroom in the rear than other similar models like the Infiniti G37 Sedans, Lexus ES 350 and the Acura TL. Read more »
Another Texas Mile in the books and another record set by the camo wrapped, twin-turbo Ford GT owned by our friend Mark, prepped by the Hennessey team, tuned by Shane and this time driven by Patrick. At the end of a standing mile, the street legal Ford GT had set a new Texas Mile record of 267.6 mph.
Unfortunately the 4th generation black Camaro of KP Racing (aka: The World’s Fastest Camaro) suffered a horrific crash on the 2nd day of the event. The car will not live to race again, but fortunately the driver will.
Our friend’s Ford GT has set another Texas Mile record. On March 23, 2013, the Hennessey prepped, camo wrapped, twin-turbo monster, driven, this time, by Patrick O’Gorman, went 267.6 mph in a standing mile. Congratulations Mark, Kevin, Patrick, Shawn and the rest of the crew!
