A biweekly roundup of automotive news, good, bad and just plain weird:
Dodge readies the Hellcat
Every other week it seems like there's a bit of news from the pony-car wars, with specialized versions of the Camaro blitzing some far-flung racetrack, or yet another leak of the Ford Mustang's upcoming 2015 redesign. You'd think they were the only two cars in the segment.
Meanwhile, Dodge's Challenger languishes in the doldrums, a wallflower with a 470 horsepower Hemi V-8. That ain't right.
After all, the Chally is probably the best representation of a proper modern-day muscle car. While the Camaro and Mustang boast of their handling prowess, the Dodge is all about straightline speed and menacing curb presence. It also has something of a tire-smoking habit.
Testing currently going on in Death Valley has resulted in a few camouflaged Challengers being caught on film, the whine of a supercharger clearly evident under their bulging hoods. Rumour has it, the powerplant is a 6.4-litre V-8 with somewhere in the neighbourhood of 640 h.p. - a match for the Viper.
So, take your pick. You can either have a machine that's track tested for high speed corners which is restless and twitchy on the street, or you can roll up to the local White Spot in a ground-pounding allblack menace called the Hellcat. I'll take the George Thorogood option, please.
End in sight for Subaru Tribeca
Debuting with a somewhat wonky grille didn't do Subaru's three-row crossover effort any favours, but over the years, it has improved. Just not enough.
One of the worstselling cars on the market, the Tribeca is simply overshadowed by the competition despite perfectly ordinary road manners, and Subaru fans seem to prefer the Forester or Outback. As Subaru is a company that has always built alternatives to big SUVs, small wonder that their own SUV hasn't done all that well.
However, if you're looking for a family hauler with a flat-six engine, you've got until January to get your order in. Come the beginning of next year, Tribeca production will cease.
Nissan exec sneers at Subaru's sportscar
Calling the BRZ a car "for a mid-life crisis," Nissan executive Andy Palmer fired verbal shots in a discussion with Motor Trend as to his own company's plans for a small two-seater car. "It was a car designed for a 50-year-old," he said of the BRZ. "That's not what we do."
Presumably he didn't climb into a Nissan Maxima right after making this statement. That would have been embarrassing.
Your humble author hasn't been able to conduct an informal poll to find out if Nissan's ageist comments are accurate, but can only report having seen mostly 30-somethings behind the wheel of the lightweight two seater, including an attractive young woman driving a stick-shift version who was loading the week's groceries into the trunk. Your humble author is already married, otherwise your humble author might have asked for her phone number.
Nissan stands ready to put its money where its VP's mouth is - so to speak - with a reveal at this year's Tokyo Motor Show of a new sportscar to slide under the current Z in terms of price and performance. Seeing as Nissan's current two-door offerings are priced a little out of reach of many would-be buyers, competition in this segment is great for enthusiasts. No matter their age.
Honda shows off automatic valet
OK, maybe you're not comfortable with the idea of a car handling high speed highway driving for you. But who the heck likes parking?
Honda's just come up with a solution for one of the least popular driving-related activities with an automatic valet system. This autonomous control was demonstrated with the electric version of the company's compact Fit hatchback.
Dropping off their cars at the “entrance” to a theoretical store, two drivers jumped out and left them sitting in the spaces. With the push of a touchscreen button, the two cars were dispatched, and they wandered off and parked themselves in two empty spots.
The system operates at a fairly low speed, but not any slower than crawling around the parking garage yourself. When ready to leave, drivers simply “called” their cars with the push of a button.
As the unexpected arrival of eggnog in grocery stores may have already alerted you, Christmas is on the way. Imagine five or 10 years down the road being able to pop down to Park Royal and being assured that you can just abandon your car at the front door and leave it to park itself. Now, if they can only come up with a way that it could actually stand in line for the cashier.
Tom Cruise to play Carroll Shelby
Ron Howard's historical F1 biopic, Rush, has been such a success that other filmmakers are already looking to yesteryear racing for new material. Next up on the big screen will be an adaptation of the book, Go Like Hell!, the story of the Ford GT40 and its eventual dominating wins over Ferrari in 1960s LeMans racing.
The interest in racing these days is such that Tom Cruise has signed on to play the role of Carroll Shelby in the flick. Shelby, the man behind the V-8 powered Cobra, played a large part in the success of the GT40 racing team, although never behind the wheel himself.
Cruise will have a lot of upward acting to do, as Carroll was well known for being a long-legged, rangy Texan, well over six feet tall.
