Car Throttle

Some people have all the luck. Like AutoCar's Steve Sutcliffe, who recently had the chance to chase one of Lamborghini's test drivers around the challenging hill track at the Millbrook Proving Grounds. Now, some important information: the lead car is a Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV, which is Lambo's limited production (at least by Lamborghini standards) top-of-the-line hardcore supercar.  The driver is Max Venturi, a Lamborghini factory hotshoe.  Behind him is Steve, a journalist driving some leaf-sprung American jalopy called a Corvette "Zed" Arrh One - which we in America call a ZR-1. Now, on paper it seems that the Lamborghini wouldn't have much trouble shaking the relatively primitive Corvette from it's tail; it's 60 pounds lighter, has 30 more horsepower, and viscous all-wheel-drive for faster corner exit speeds.

When researching information for my article on SV Motor Car's 9 Competizione and other coachbuilding manufacturers, I came across one that I haven't seen before. I think coachbuilding is such an unique industry and I love seeing the creative things the companies come up with. Other than the 789 from N2A Motors, it seems as if most companies base off the Corvette and attempt to make the car more Italian. Innotech is no different, but I think their approach is. Yes, I definitely think this conversion is quite different. It goes for a much more subtle approach than nearly all aftermarket bodywork changes for the Corvette. The changes in the front end in particular are not drastic. The only thing altered is the front grille and lower fascia.

The Corvette is a performance vehicle that has been an enduring icon. In it's current generation, GM has chosen to take the car even beyond it's usual level of performance. Normally the Z06 has been the highest-end Corvette model. Enthusiasts wanted more though and GM saw the money-making (and image making) potential of giving it to them. Blue Flame, SS - many names were thrown around, with the result being ZR1. ZR1 is a name that has been used for two generations of Corvette production, C3 and C4 (current generation is C6). I never thought SS would be a good one - Chevrolet has devalued the performance value of the name with all the undeserving cars it is has stuck the badge on. With that as the

The Corvette has proven itself to be extremely versatile in lending itself to the underpinnings of custom coachbuilt creations. There have been many that have based off the Corvette like N2A Motor's 789 and Anteros, Bertone's Mantide and many more. The newest one to join the fray is Superior Glass Works a company that has been in business for over 30 years serving "street rodders, drag racers, customizers and restorers". The original, classic Corvette is so much different then the modern Corvette of today that it seems a funny contrast. Not to mention a wagon? There would be an outrage from Corvette fans today if GM were to attempt something like that. However, GM did back in 1954 Motorama. It was called the Nomad, and was styled

Outlandish? Yes. Completely nothing like you have ever seen? Check. If you want proof that some cool things are still going on in the automotive industry, look no further than the Bewerp Savage Revale Roadyacht GTS. What a mouthful! Indeed the guys over at Autoblog were correct in saying that the car is deserves a better name. What kind of name is that; Bewerp? Road yacht? Regardless, the actual product is what matters and in that Bewerp delivers. We've heard of supercars and 4-doors, even the much vaunted new automobile sector of "4-door coupes".  But never a 4-door supercar! The  Savage Revale Roadyacht GTS changes that, and with it's introduction at the Top Marques show in Monaco, becomes the only convertible 4-door supercar in the world. The Corvette has been the

One topic that automotive enthusiasts can never seem to agree on is: what is the best-sounding car? I realize it's a HIGHLY subjective field, and there isn't a possible definitive answer.  Everyone has different tastes in what sounds good - heck, some people think Harley V-Twin's sound good - but I've compiled my top ten favorite automotive noises here for you to pass your judgement on.  I think they cover a wide spread, but I welcome your comments and critiques on my choices.

10) Subaru EJ20ET Displacement: 2.0L Mechanical Layout: 180° Horizontally-opposed Flat Four Valvetrain: Dual overhead cam, 4v/cyl Aspiration: Turbocharged Applications: Subaru WRX

The EJ20 is one of the most unique sounding powerplants out there.  It's got this off-beat staccato burble

A storied name is returning to the Corvette lineup for 2010 - the Grand Sport. Unlike the last Grand Sport, which was a send-off for the last of the line C4 generation Corvettes, the new Grand Sport will be a regular production option package for the C6 generation base-model Corvettes.  It's intended to sit between the base Corvette and the hardcore 7.0L Z06 model, making the 'Vette lineup more confusing than ever. The old Grand Sport was only available in blue with white and orange stripes, with a production run limited to only 1,000 units.  It had the hot-shot high-compression LT4 small-block V8, ZR-1 rolling stock, and numerous mechanical upgrades.  It looked like this, and went like stink. The new one follows a similar pattern.  While the

These days, the 1980's have something of a bad reputation. There was Rick Astley,MC Hammer pants, Metallica (personal opinion here!), a minor recession, massive inflation, and a general air of bad taste was prevalent.  However, you have to give the 1980's it's fair share of credit.  Cars were quite bad in the 1970's; by the 1990's the automotive world was well on it's way to the glorious state it's in now.  Cars of the 70's were awful almost entirely without exception; they were inefficient, unattractive, poorly performing, poorly built, crippled by emissions regulations, and filled with tacky tasteless features. The 1980's bridged that gap between then general feeling of Malaise in the 70's, and the revival of the automobile as we know it.  It was a

After resting up in Asheville overnight, we set out at 7am westward - towards the Tail of the Dragon.  If you're not familiar with the Tail of the Dragon (also called Deal's Gap), here are the statistics: 318 turns in 11 miles.  It's a section of US-129 that crosses over the North Carolina-Tennessee border, and it's just about as intense as a public road can get.  Although to be honest, the drive up there was quite breathtaking as well. the Great Smoky Mountains presents challenging driving and some rather distracting scenery.  Here, the turbo Saab really came into it's own - the only need to downshift out of 5th was for the steepest of uphills (boost builds quicker in 4th) or the hairiest of downhills

During the 70's, there were quite a few vehicles of questionable taste produced. So I decided to borrow the column that James created here on Car Throttle, and turn up the bad taste-o-meter up to 11, and introduce you to a series of posts called "They Actually Made These". James is very good at describing mainstream cars that have strayed from their roots, but I'm going to introduce you to one of the most bizarre and obscure trends during the Disco Era, the Neo Classic. These are cars that were made to look like "Classic" cars, with questionable taste, haphazzard build quality, and outrageous price tags. First up, say hello to the Dunham Coach Caballista. The Dunham Motor Coach Company was the brainchild of Les Dunham,