Car Throttle

In Part 1 of this article, I covered 5 recent sales failures of the automotive world.  This time we dive into some more odd, idiotic, or just misjudged cars.  Onto the list... 5) Lincoln Blackwood

Luxury Pickup Truck.  That should be a contradictory term.  Pickup trucks are made to haul things, do work, go off-road: these are not luxurious attributes.  A Luxury Pickup Truck is a fairly stupid idea.  Yet, ask Cadillac: people buy stupid.  In their case, Escalade EXT's: an Escalade with a pickup bed.  Considering this is just a Chevrolet Avalanche (admittedly a pretty clever, if ugly, pickup truck) with some Cadillac trim glued on and a larger price tag, they sell quite a lot of them.  Sales were their highest in

For those enthusiasts with turbos on the brain, this is a question that has bounced around since the early 90's. There's still not a definite answer today - but with the recent coverage of 3000GT VR-4 tuner 3SX Performance, I thought it would be a good CT: Asks for our readers to share their input on this question. The 90's were arguably the resurgence of real performance, after the mediocrity of the 80's and the depressing malaise of the 70's.  Horsepower was no longer taboo, the speed limit was no longer 55, gas was cheap, and financing was easy.  Out of this was born the unique class of Japanese supercars - viciously powerful cars packed with technology, slick styling, turbocharging, and exhilarating performance.  There really

Picking up where Part I left off, we find ourselves in the back of 3SX Performance's service shop. In addition to a handful of lifts in the main service bay, 3SX also has a number of other rooms filled with interesting stuff in the back of their shop - starting with the dyno room.

This is 3SX's photo, because I somehow forgot to take one of the dyno.

3SX's dyno is a SuperFlow AutoDyn 88, which is a four-wheel-drive unit.  This seems like a no-brainer, but the vast majority of dynos at private shops are only 2WD models, as they're cheaper, easier to set up, easier to keep working right, and easier to use.  But when the bulk of your business

One of the things I'm trying to do in an effort to bring more interesting content to you, the reader, is cover more local items. There are plenty of places you can read a rehash of the latest press releases, but here at CarThrottle we strive to bring you coverage and features you won't find anywhere else.  So to get the ball rolling on this, I introduce our new "Shop Tours" series, where I'll be traveling around the eastern seaboard of the US, highlighting the best and brightest of performance and modification shops our country has to offer.  First up is 3SX performance in Concord, North Carolina. If you're familiar with the world of Mitsubishi performance, chances are you've heard of 3SX before.  They are the

Throughout the Porsche 911's history, there has been remarkably little change to the basic formula. And for good reason - the 911 doesn't need to be revolutionized. We like it the way it is! That doesn't mean there can't be some unique variations of it though. Auto Express says a 911 Speedster is in the works, based off information from a Porsche document the magazine obtained. It supposedly revealed detailed Porsche product plans until 2012. The 911 Speedster model would pay homage to the classic 356 Speedster, with a limited run of only 100 units at a price of around $300,000 (£200,000) each. As far as design, there will be a cut-down windshield, wider bodywork and oversize rear humps for what will be a strict two-seater. When

If you have a lot of interest in the automotive industry, chances are you know the immense value of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Over the years it has proved to be one of the most sought-after and valuable cars in the world. Not only for the renowned Ferrari name and rarity, but for its beautiful styling. The car is responsible for many replicas the world over. Now, one is going for sale by RM Auctions, with the buzz being that the car could set a new record. This particular car was in the possession of the current owner (ahem, "custodian", according to REM) since 1996, as part of a Japanese collection of rare vehicles. The GTO is one of 36 GTOs, and out of an even smaller group,

The 3000GT VR-4 is a sign of both what's right and what's terminally wrong with the automotive industry. Which is remarkable, because they haven't made one since, oh - 2000.  US imports ceased in 1999, meaning the freshest of 3000GT's are more than a decade old at this point, so the relevance of the VR-4 is questionable.  But it was quite telling. The 3000GT (marketed in Japan and other countries as the GTO, which you know wouldn't have gone over well here) was Mitsubishi's flagship halo car, a rolling testbed to show just what the company could do.  It replaced the ancient (but awesome) Starion Coupe when it debuted in 1990, and when the specifications were announced it sounded like a world-killer. Based on a shortened Diamante

Where I live we have a Farmers Market on Thursday's - streets downtown are closed and visitors are free to walk around and walk the vendor-lined streets. There is even something for gear heads. On one of the streets that's closed off, local car owners sometimes bring their vehicles for an impromptu car show. In the past, I've seen such high-end machinery as the Bentley Continental GT and Ferrari Testarossa. This time, there was a less exclusive display but still cool nonetheless. Probably most interesting is the (once) beautiful and rare 1937 Cadillac V-12 Limousine which is being restored for a local hotel. I can't wait to see it finished - should be amazing. I will be sure to take some photos of it once it's completed. For now,

Everyone's favorite British shed-built supercar company, Noble, has been pretty quiet lately. Sometimes no news is good news, and sometimes (like in the case of TVR) it isn't.  I've been wondering what Lee Noble's automotive offspring has been up to lately, and apparently the answer is "a lot." Up until  now, Noble has been marketing a serious of raw, hardcore sports cars for people who don't care about badges.  The M12 (and the GTO, GTO-3R, etc) were plastic-bodied mid engine rocket ships, powered by a twin-turbocharged version of Ford's 3.0L Duratec 24v V6 (found in the old Mondeo ST220), making 400-450bhp.  Car & Driver said the M12 GTO offered Ferrari Enzo performance for Porsche 911 prices, which really sums it up - 0-60 in 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