თანამედროვე და, მით უმეტეს, მომავლის „ჭკვიანი ავტომობილის“ ტექნიკური სისტემის მართვა წარმოუდგენელია მისი შემადგენელი მექანიზმებისა და მოწყობილობების მუშაობის მუდმივი (თვით)დიაგნოსტიკის გარეშე. ეს აუცილებელია, რათა მართვის სისტემამ დროულად მოახდინოს რეაგირება სისტემაში მომხდარ არასტანდარტულ მოვლენებზე და ეცადოს, თავად აღმოფხვრას იგი; ან ოპერატიულად გააფრთხილოს მძღოლი უწესივრობების შესახებ; ან (უკიდურეს შემთხვევაში) დაიმახსოვროს ისინი, რათა მოთხოვნისთანავე მიაწოდოს მათ შესახებ ინფორმაცია სერვისის თანამშრომელს (ან მძღოლს).
არსებობენ ავტომობილები, რომლებიც ხანდახან დროს უსწრებენ: ტექნოლოგიით, ვიზუალით თუ ა.შ. უშუალოდ კი ეს ერთგვარი "მუშტაიდის საბავშვო მანქანა" სინამდვილეში 1958 წლის Sir Vival-ია. რომელიც ვოლტერ ჯერომის შთაგონებთი მისია იყო შეექმნა მსოფლიოში ყველაზე დაცული ავტომობილი. პროექტი 10 წელი გაგრძელდა. საბოლოო ჯამში, მას მართალია დასახული მიზანი ბოლომდე ვერ გამოუვიდა მაგრამ მისმა ქმნილებამ მსოფლოში ყველაზე უცნაური ავტომობილის ტიტული მაინც დაიმსახურა. რეალურად, იგი ერთ-ერთი პირველი ავტომობილია 1957 წლის Aurora-სთან ერთად რომელიც ექსპერიმენტალურ უსაფრთხო ავტომობილად შეიქმნა.
საავტომობილო ტრანსპორტში დღეისთვის გამოყენებულია ნავთობური წარმოშობის თხევად საწვავზე (ან აირად საწვავზე) მომუშავე შიგაწვის ძრავები. აღნიშნული ენერგეტიკული დანადგარის დანიშნულებაა ნავთობური წარმოშობის საწვავის წვის შედეგად მიღებული ქიმიური ენერგია გარდაქმნას მექანიკურ ენერგიად.
თუკი გნებავთ შექმნათ მაღალი სიძლიერის მქონე 4 ტაქტიანი (Stroke) ძრავა, არსებობს რამოდენიმე მეთოდი მის მისაღწევად.
პირველი: გავზარდოთ ტაქტი.
მეორე: დავაყენოთ ტურბინა/სუპერჩარჯერი.
მესამე და ბოლო: შევცვალოთ ბენზინი სხვა უფრო ენერგეტიკული საწვავით.
ხოლო რაც შეეხება Top fuel დრაგსტერებს, სამივეს ერთიანად აკეთებენ.
The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado has already, single-handedly, brought the smallish-sized pickup truck segment back from the dead. The Tacoma and Frontier have been the sole holdouts in the segment for years, and they are creaking and groaning under the weight of carrying water for the entire US medium truck market.
And then, Chevy shows off a segment-busting diesel-powered concept. The Colorado ZR2 Concept pairs a storied offroad trim package with the new-to-the-US 2.8-liter four cylinder diesel, branded as a Duramax. Other tweaks are a 4-inch wider stance front and rear, a 2-inch lift, a revised front fascia that eliminates some overhang, and integral skid plates. The combination is good for increased approach and departure angles (30.7 and 22.7 degrees respectively), and upgraded offroading capabilities thanks in part to monotube King coilovers with remote fluid reservoirs and electronic-locking differentials front and rear.
Those are pretty much all the goodies you'd want to bolt onto a stock Colorado to hit the dirt anyhow. And it looks a lot more aggressive than the handsome stock truck. That revised front end, the fender flares, the bead-lock wheels, the front tow-hook … it all looks great.
And that Duramax is what makes it all work. In case you don't recall, the 2.8-liter four puts out 181 hp at 3400 RPM and 369-lb-ft of torque at 2000 RPM, thanks in part to a variable-geometry turbocharger. All of that rock-crawling torque is pushed through a 6-speed auto in this concept.
If Chevy actually builds the Duramax-powered Colorado ZR2 Concept, it'll be completely unique in the segment, and it should have diesel-heads and offroad enthusiasts foaming at the mouth.
If your reaction to the 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 unveiling this week included thoughts along the lines of, "Man, I cannot WAIT for the convertible," well, you will in fact be waiting a long time. Like, forever.
Unlike the GT500 that preceded it, don't look for Ford to pull the wraps off a ragtop at the Chicago Auto Show (where the GT500 verts usually made their debut). A convertible, we're told, was never in the product plan. And the reasoning is simple (and obvious): the GT350 is about maximum performance and carving up road circuits. Cutting the roof off would reduce stiffness so much, that the point of the GT350 would be negated. It's the same reason we didn't see a Z/28 convertible from Chevy.
That's not to say a max-perf convertible can't happen with the right chassis. For that, you need only look at the Corvette Z06, whose ragtop version is still a huge leap ahead of the old car. Frankly, I think GM should troll the universe and use a convertible automatic to set their undoubtedly fast Ring time, but I digress.
Also not in the cards for the GT350? An automatic—no surprise, as the GT500 never got one either. And sorry, Australia, while you guys are getting a right-hand-drive Mustang, the Shelby will only be built in a left-hand-drive configuration.
The best part of the GT350 story is that the car in LA isn't even the true Z/28 stalker. That'll be the still-behind-the-curtain GT350R (to put it in context, the R will be the Laguna Seca to the GT350's Boss 302), and it should be ultramega great. Look for that one—with better brakes, tweaked aero, stickier rubber, and more—in Detroit come January.
So yeah. This video...it's pretty great. The venue is Road Atlanta, where Chevy held the media launch for the 2015 Corvette Z06. As such, the track was full of Z06es doing Z06 things, namely moving with urgency and sounding the business. This week has been largely about the Shelby GT350 and how incredible its flat-plane 5.2L V8 sounds.
But let this serve as a reminder that the Corvette Z06's pushrod LT4 V8 gives it a run for its money in the audio department. This is ear sex writ large. Enjoy:
The Audi Prologue concept car is a big deal, literally and figuratively. The first vehicle produced under Mark Lichte's tenure as head designer, the Prologue is a concept, yes, but its name indicates that what you see here, you outght to get accustomed to. All of this is good news. The big luxury coupe is aimed directly at competitors like the drop-dead-gorgeous Mercedes-Benz CL and the BMW 6 Series.
How big is it? Imagine a really sexy A8, minus two doors—the Prologue is essentially as wide and long as the sedan, but the roofline is much lower than the A8's formal limousine profile. If you're rooting for this to get greelit for production, join the club. The concept car's power comes from a monster version of Audi's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, whose wick is dialed up to 605 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque (553 lb-ft with overboost), channeled through an 8-speed auto to all four wheels via quattro. Audi saus 0–60 takes just 3.7 ticks. All-wheel sterering is part of the package, as are giant carbon-ceramic brakes behind the 22-inch wheels—the front rotors are 20 inches in diameter and squeezed by six-piston calipers. The whole car weighs in at 4365 pounds.
There's no mistaking this for an Audi, mind you, but the changes pull the design language forward. The shield grille is shorter, wider and mounted lower, making the front end look immediately sportier. The Eurofighter-style winglets under the air intakes are a nice touch. Move to the car's rear and gaze at the 3/4 view, and longtime Audi aficionados will see an nod to the beloved urQuattro in the form of a soft interpretation of that car's signature box-flared haunches. Up front, Audi's matrixed laser headlamps cut through the darkness,
Inside, we get a high-tech instrument panel that offers the necessary concept-car glitz, yet also reeks of feasibility. The Audi Virtual Cockpit, debuting in the new TT, is obviously in place, but in lieu of physical controls, well, anywhere, the car is loaded with high-resolution, touch-sensitive displays on the dash face itself. The areas on either side of the wheel let the driver control the essentials like lighting and media. The area in front of the passenger seat also lets that person control entertainment features and perform tasks like entering navigation info, which can then be swiped, tablet style, to the driver.
Audi
In lieu of the usual centrally mounted MMI screen, an OLED touch-sensitive panel lives in the transmission tunnel. When not in use, Audi says it's essentially invisible. Some of the aforementioned gee-whiz stuff may sound somewhat familiar, because BMW took a similar approach with the cabin of its Future Luxury concept last year. Clearly, this is the direction in which the luxury automakers are headed.
If this is how Audi sends us into its take on our luxury-car future, well, all the better.
The reveal of an all-new subcompact crossover typically elicits reactions from us that border on comatose. We look up, shrug, and then pour a beer and fantasize about all the bolt-ons we want to buy for our track cars. Or that classic Ford Bronco we could totally bring back from the brink of death. To this bleak landscape comes Mazda, bursting in with its all-new CX-3, talking up a storm about driving pleasure and Jinba-Ittai at the 2014 L.A. auto show. Hold that beer a sec, will ya?
Miata fans will recognize the phrase, which in Japanese loosely translates to: “man, horse, one body.” Over the years, it has come to define Mazda’s philosophy for the MX-5 Miata and is a perfect distillation of the company’s efforts to entertain drivers. To Mazda, Jinba-Ittai represents the ideal mixture of handling, power, braking, and steering. No single element overpowers the other. They’re all balanced and easily exploited by the pilot, and the idea that Mazda even considered this when developing the CX-3 is cause for enthusiasts to stop and take notice.
It Looks Great
Sharing the attractive Kodo design language with the brand’s Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-5, and the upcoming Mazda2, the new SUV features a tight greenhouse perched atop flowing fender flares. In top-spec trims, the CX-3 wears 18-inch wheels that fill the cutouts nicely and impart an athletic stance. The front and rear end treatments are essentially scaled down versions of the CX-5’s. This is not a bad thing.
The passenger cabin is very similar to the 2016 Mazda 2’s, which should come as no surprise given that the two share a platform. In fact, the CX-3’s Italianate three-vent dashboard and neat center stack appear to be swiped directly from the 2. Style and substance abounds, with a high-resolution, seven-inch touchscreen center display, a McLaren-style three-pod gauge cluster, and an infotainment control knob that'd look at home in a BMW 7-series.
SKYACTIV-ate
Mazda’s full suite of Skyactiv engine, transmission, and chassis technologies is on display here. Essentially a strict weight-control regimen blended with efficient-but-powerful engines, the Skyactiv ethos is intended to keep fuel economy in check without murdering the driving experience. The wheelbase measures 101.2 inches, exactly the same as the 2016 Mazda 2. Other CX-3 dimensions are slightly bloated relative to the global Mazda2, including its 168.3-inch length (8.5 inches longer) to its 69.5-inch width (2.8 inches wider) to its 61.0-inch height (1.9 taller).
All US-market 2016 CX-3s will be powered by Mazda’s 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder paired with a six-speed automatic. Although we lament the unavailability of a manual transmission (Mazda is torturing us by having a global model with the stick on the show display), Mazda’s in-house automatic is among the better such gearboxes we’ve sampled. No further details have been provided for the CX-3’s engine, but the same unit produces 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque in the abundantly fun Mazda3, specifications we expect will carry over nearly—or totally—unchanged. If that’s the case, look out, as a2014 Mazda3 with the same powertrain that CAR and DRIVER tested hit 60 mph in 7.6 seconds.
Front-wheel drive is standard, and an all-wheel-drive system derived from the CX-5’s is optional. Choosing four driven wheels adds extra bracing for the body around the spare-tire well and behind the rear seats. On the safety front, Mazda’s i-Activsense bundle of technologies is promised; that means that blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, radar-based collision warning with automatic braking, and even adaptive cruise control should be offered on the CX-3.
Expect full specifications, features, and pricing to trickle out over the next several months as we approach the CX-3’s mid-2015 on-sale date. The most important missing detail, of course, is how the CX-3 lives up to its sporty promise. The most recent Mazdas are, frankly, a ball to drive, so we can't wait to get our hands on the CX-3.
Subaru has fully revealed the fully-digital Viziv GT Vision Gran Turismo, which will find its way into Gran Turismo 6 when the next update happens. It took up the mantle from the Viziv 2 Concept that debuted at the Geneva show earlier this year, but this is clearly a much more extreme version of a vaguely similar idea.
A dried fish? Yes, but think of it more like the Japanese version of truffles, a savory delicacy. Andkatsuobushi is hard, like wood. The device to shave it looks like a woodworker's tool. It's a delicacy with an iconic shape. Very Japanese, right?
Leaving the katsuobushi aside, the virtual Viziv GT is powered (virtually) by a 2-liter boxer four featuring both direct injection and turbocharging to the tune of 591 imaginary horsepower. The Viziv GT has one fun detail: little lights over each fender that light up when the axle is receiving torque vectoring courtesy of three electric motors, one up front and two in the rear, which provide AWD. Subaru compares it to their iconic "Symmetrical AWD" in an attempt to link it to their road-going cars, but this is a hybrid system unlike anything the company is doing now.
Maybe it's where the company is headed? Mitsubishi is already going down that road. Enthusiasts will scream bloody murder, but this could be a sneak peek at a hybridized, CUV-like future for the iconic WRX and STI. Or it could just be a digital flight of fancy, which of course it is.
Actor, team owner and Porsche spokesman Patrick Dempsey is expected to announce an ambitious racing schedule that will see the 48-year-old contest a portion of the domestic TUDOR United SportsCar Championship rounds and as many international events with the World Endurance Championship that fit his calendar. Multiple sources have confirmed Dempsey will place most of his emphasis on the WEC as part of an expanded relationship with Porsche where he’ll return to contest his fourth 24 Hours of Le Mans in partnership with the German Proton Competition team.
Dempsey, Dempsey Racing co-owner Joe Foster, and Porsche factory driver Patrick Long piloted the No. 88 Dempsey Racing-Proton Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE-Am category this year at Le Mans, placing fifth in class, and will continue the relationship at La Sarthe and other WEC rounds with a driver lineup expected to feature another Porsche factory driver. Foster will concentrate on Dempsey Racing’s return to a series in North America, and will not be involved in Dempsey’s racing plans in the WEC or the TUDOR Championship.
Dempsey Racing entered two Porsche GT Americas in the inaugural TUDOR Championship’s GT Daytona class, with Dempsey, Foster, and Andrew Davis sharing the No. 27 while Madison Snow, Jan Heylen, and others shared the No. 58 that was run in a partnership with Wright Motorsports that began in Detroit. Dempsey’s TUDOR Championship plans are said to include at least the first two rounds of the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Championship at Daytona and Sebring in a Wright Motorsports Porsche featuring Snow and at least one factory driver. It’s believed the season finale at Petit Le Mans is also a high probability, and compared to the costly season of GTD incurred by Dempsey Racing, the blended WEC/IMSA arrangement is said to offer a friendlier rate due to the Porsche factory’s increased commitment to Dempsey’s racing activities.
The full measure of Dempsey’s plans is expected to be revealed this week during the LA Auto Show.
There’s a lot of backchannel chatter about Ford and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We hear a P2 proposal is out there, just waiting to be approved. For a number of reasons, it makes sense. We also heard that someone inside floated the idea of a GT campaign, timed to to coincide with the Mustang’s 50thanniversary, but got shut down. But minds can be changed. Here’s why we think a Ford Mustang needs to run against the world’s best GT cars at the world’s greatest endurance race.
1. The car would be spectacular
Sure, the spaceships in P1 are cool, and the insectine P2 cars have their appeal, but the GT cars evoke an entirely different sort of passion. It’s easy to see why—they’re based on real production sports cars. You know them. You see them on the street. And if you have the means, you can buy them.
They’re also wicked-looking in all the right ways. A GTE-class Mustang would be no different. The drawing above, created for us by the immensely talented Andy Blackmore, shows what a proper factory Le Mans Mustang might look like—wide, mean, and confident. With the impending arrival of the new Shelby GT350, Ford has a legitimate halo car on which to base the racer, too. The Marshall Pruett Archives
2. From a marketing perspective, it’s a no-brainer
We’re in the midst of the Mustang’s 50th anniversary celebration, with the brand-new car landing in showrooms later this year. Interest is at a fever pitch, and the announcement of a Le Mans program would ramp it up even further.
Also remember that the 2015 Mustang finally goes global. Ford’s pony car will be sold in Europe, meaning a competition version at Le Mans wouldn’t just be an American-market novelty act. Race attendees would be able to buy their own. Ford knows that as well as anyone. Win on Sunday …
Meanwhile, stateside race fans would get to see it run against the GT big guns in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Don’t think IMSA wouldn’t love to have Mustang in the mix on that race calendar.
3. Ford vs. Chevy (and Ferrari, and Porsche, and Aston Martin)
Look past P1 with its insane lunar-mission budgets and bleeding-edge technology, and it’s undeniable: The next most attractive class is GTE, thanks to the heavy manufacturer involvement. You'd have instant, juicy rivalries.
Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin all have factory-backed teams in the GTE slugfest. It only gets better if Dodge returns with its works Vipers after taking a sabbatical this year.
There’d be no shortage of “villains” for the Mustang faithful to root against and gloat over if Ford were to pull off a win.
Ford in P2 should be great, but it's not the same. A Ford-engined prototype vs. Honda, Nissan, and Judd power just doesn’t have the same cachet as, say, Mustang vs. Corvette.The Marshall Pruett Archives
4. The history is waiting to be written
There’s great Le Mans history tied to Ford and Carroll Shelby, but it’s not about the Mustang. We all know about the GT40’s incredible run from ’66 to ‘69 and about the legendary 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe.
The Mustang? No success.
In 1967, a Shelby GT350 driven by the Belgian team of Claude Dubois and Chris Tuerlinckx completed just 58 laps. 30 years later, Steve Saleen went to Le Mans and fielded a pair of his Saleen-Allen Speedlab Mustang RRR race cars. Both were DNFs.
Ford has had great success with the Mustang in sports-car racing—think of the legendary Trans-Am cars as well as the wild IMSA GTO and GTP monsters—but it’s got no history on the sport’s grandest stage.
Ford has been teasing us with the GT350 version of its new S550 Mustang platform since the car was first spied testing on the Nurburgring in July 2014.
Finally we have confirmation of many of the GT350 rumors, yes it has a 5.2L V8 with a flat-plane crank, yes, it’s naturally aspirated, yes, it was built with track day triumphs in mind. We got our first glimpse of the white and blue racer at the Carroll Shelby Foundation in Gardena, California. There was smoke, and lights, and a very peculiar grumbling sound from behind a curtain as the new pony car came fishtailing in to the garage. It came to a stop in front of a presentation screen, and Jim Farley, Executive VP of Ford stepped out to give a brief talk about Shelby and Mustang history.
All the expected things about a new performance car were said, “Motorsports legacy since Day 1,” “Racing connects to customers,” “Something impressive about NASCAR wins.”
Finally, we got to the good stuff, details on the 2016 GT350. It still features the Shelby name, but in a much quieter capacity than the previous generation. We only saw Carroll’s brand on one spot, somewhat subtly embossed on the carbon fiber front splitter. Ford has made no secret of the fact that its going for a world-wide audience, and the more understated design of the 2015 Mustang carries over into the 2016 GT350.
That’s not to say the car doesn’t look aggressive, or that it isn’t a distinctive design, unique from the base cars. In fact, the GT350 has an entirely different shape and function from the A-pillar forward, with a front track width increased by 35mm and dedicated springs, bushings, and bodywork. Speaking of bodywork, the aluminum hood and fenders are lower and wider than the base Mustang, a change which we think greatly improves the look of the car, and also suggests that the GT350 is meant for North American audiences, rather than the European continent—which has much stricter rules about front crumple zones for pedestrian safety, the reason for the 2015 Mustang’s somewhat puffy front end.
In the rear, the GT350 has a functional diffuser—which directs air both out from under the car, and over a dedicated rear differential cooler. Quad-tipped rear exhaust plays that exotic flat-plane sound to the outside world. Inside the driver and passenger get a slightly sound-system enhanced version of the exhaust note from the 5.2L V8.
That overhead cam V8 is a wet-sump, port fuel-injected aluminum block engine based on the 5.0L Coyote but sharing almost nothing in way of components. “Externally there’s little difference,” said Hermann Salenbauch, director of advanced product creation. “Inside you’d be replacing pretty much every part.” The block makes use of spray-in cylinder linings, a process that Hermann says saves nearly eight pounds in the engine and allows for better heat-transfer and oil control. Those of you wondering about rebuildability might have to wait for the technology to trickle down to your local machine shop, but it’s already widely in use in the heavy equipment industry as a way to repair expensive blocks that can’t be bored out or sleeved.
Horsepower is more than 500, specific numbers haven’t been given yet. Also vague is the exact redline that the “high-revving” flat- plane crank allows. Based on gauges and conversation, we’re going to guess it’s around 8,200 rpm. That should save you some shifts on the roadcourse, if you can get used to winging it up so high. Certainly Ford wants you to take the GT350 racing as often as possible. “The original GT350 wasn’t even intended to be a street car,” Jim Farley said in his introduction. “It was built to win SCCA races.”
If you want to take on the SCCA in the 2016 GT350, Farley and Salenbauch assure us you won’t be disappointed. The chassis is stiffer, using carbon fiber both for aero control and to reduce body flex. An optional track pack can be added for additional cooling, although Salenbauch says that oil control and underhood temperatures will more than stand up to the average 20 minute track session. In fact, the cooling is so effective that a peek in the grille will show that the opening is actually partially blocked rather than straight through. No badge-blocking concerns here. “As air comes in it creates drag,” Salenbauch explained. “We wanted to minimize drag so all the ground effects, splitters and rear spoilers are designed for the most efficient downforce with the least amount of drag. Same with the cooling vents.”
If you want to bring the Mustang to a stop after all that high-RPM fun, Brembo six-piston calipers in the front with 15.55-inch rotors and four-piston rears with 14.96-inch rotors using SHW’s aluminum hat-to-iron rotor connection saves weight, cool efficiently, and will, according to Salenbauch, make believers out of anyone who gets behind the wheel. On the subject of wheels, the GT350 rides on lightweight aluminum alloy 19-inchers, 10.5-inches wide in the front and 11-inches in the rear, both clad in specially formulated Michelin Pilot Super Sports.
Inside, Recaro seats and the requisite flat-bottomed steering wheel proclaim the GT350’s racetrack readiness. A built-in track recorder will make it easy to compare your roadcourse performance.
What will this cost? We’re expecting to see the GT350 start around $65,000. That’s a lot less than the Porsche GT3 that Farley hinted was in the crosshairs for the GT350 during its design process. Think we should take one to Germany and see if we can hunt down a few Porsches? Scroll through our photos from the launch, as well as from the Shelby car show held outside the press conference. Do you think the new GT350 captures the spirit of the early cars?
VW produced new diesel engine(2.0) with 4 piston and 272 horsepower. This engine is the most powerful diesel engine in German mark. This engine has 14% much more power and shoreting burning. It is much more better than new moder 3.0 V6 engines. VW going to product this engine into CrossBlue first,then in others
History will repeat itself again as Ford pulls back the covers on one of the most anticipated, most Internet-leaked Mustangs in history—the Shelby GT350. Based on the vaunted, new S550 platform the latest Shelby GT350 looks to carry the name proudly into the future thanks to the performance-oriented transformation orchestrated on the latest Mustang by Ford’s engineering team.
There’s more to the new Shelby GT350 visage than just a new front fascia. All of bodywork in front of the windshield is unique to this car. Accentuating its aggressive look, the GT350 it sits up to two inches lower than Mustang GT. Its splitter and belly pan maximize downforce. This example is painted in a GT350-exclusive hue called Avalanche Gray.
“When we started working on this car, we wanted to build the best possible Mustang for the places we most love to drive – challenging back roads with a variety of corners and elevation changes – and the track on weekends,” Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, said. “Every change we made to this car was driven by the functional requirements of a powerful, responsive power plant—nimble, precise handling and massive stopping power.”
Stealing most of the headlines will be the 500-horsepower, 5.2-liter engine birthed to deliver the high-revving power worthy of a track-tuned specialty Mustang. This engine achieves stratospheric rpm courtesy of a technology successfully applied by European exotics for years—a flat-plane crank. It is proclaimed as the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 built by Ford to date.
There’s more than just pretty carbon-fiber grille to the front end of the GT350. That grille is angled and vented to draw air across the radiator, while feeding the intake system and cooling ducts for the front brakes.
“The final product is essentially an all-new powerplant unique to GT350—and one that takes true advantage of the new chassis dynamics of the Mustang platform,” Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Global Performance Vehicles, enthused.
This crankshaft design differs from traditional, American V-8 dogma by placing the connecting rods along the crank at 180-degree intervals, rather than the more traditional 90-degree positions. Doing so sets up the firing order to alternate between cylinders, which reduces exhaust overlap. Combined with numerous other improvements we are sure to learn in the near future, this technology contributes to the engine’s robust 500 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque ratings.
The wheel and tire package on the GT350 is the real deal. Can you say grip? Fitted with specially tuned Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires mounted on 19×10.5-inch front and 19×11-inch rear wheels, the GT350 should have plenty of grip to put its 500 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque to the pavement.
Of course, those European flat-plane-crank engines typically offer up an unusual exhaust note, which might not play well to the more traditional Mustang audience, but having heard the car in the videos, it’s not hard to believe it will sound great in the Shelby GT350.
“Make no mistake, this is an American interpretation of a flat-plane crankshaft V8, and the 5.2-liter produces a distinctive, throaty howl from its four exhaust tips,” Jamal added.
While it won’t grab quite as many headlines as the powerful, new engine, the GT350’s revised suspension brings a welcome technological boost that Brand X cars have benefitted from for several years—magnetically adjusted dampers. Dubbed MagneRide by Ford, these dampers are filled with hydraulic fluid laden with iron particles. When an electric current is applied at the behest of the PCM, the personality of the struts and shocks can be altered in an instant in response to changing conditions and vehicle dynamics. And, we mean instantly. Each corner can be independently adjusted every 10 milliseconds.
In back the focus was on this rear diffuser that is designed to not only increase downforce, but also feed air to the rear differential cooler. The modest decklid spoiler also chips in to improve downforce. Inside the GT350’s 8.8-inch rear is a specially tuned Torsen limited-slip differential.
“Everything we changed on GT350 is purely functional-driven design, with the goal of improving the overall performance of the car,” Chris Svensson, Ford design director, The Americas, said. “We optimized the aero shape of the car, and then fine-tuned what was left to increase downforce and cooling airflow.”
Combined with a lower ride height, an increase in front track width and a revised spring-and-bushing package, the GT350 promises to deliver the pinnacle of S550 handling. It will also have the braking horsepower to back up its precision and power thanks to two-piece, 15-inch rotors fore and aft. Biting down on those iron, cross-drilled rotors mated to aluminum hats are six-piston Brembo calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear.
Underneath the heat-extractor hood is the long-rumored 5.2-liter V-8 engine. As we suspected, it is equipped with a flat-plane crankshaft, which reduces exhaust overlap for improved efficiency and higher revving. It is said to produce peak outputs of 500 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 Ford has ever created.
Speaking of the front and back, the Shelby GT350 is the first Mustang to receive a serious wheel and tire package. It is legit, with the front wheels clocking in at 19×10.5 inches and the rears measuring an astounding 19×11.5 inches. These aluminum wheels are shoed with unique GT350 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires featuring a sidewall, tread, and compound specific to this car.
With all that technology lurking beneath, the Shelby GT350 couldn’t look like any other Mustang either. Clearly the reputation of the original was about performance and style, and these two characteristics are blended in the latest version. It looks great, but the changes were made with performance in mind.
If you opt for the optional Track Pack, the front end will also feed air to the engine oil cooler and transmission cooler.
The new Shelby GT350 wears a completely revamped front clip highlighted by a lower hood featuring heat extractor-style venting, which lets heat and air pressure escape. It sits between bulging aluminum fenders that house the car’s wider track. Like the hood, they feature air-management designed to maximize its aerodynamics. The lightweight fenders are vented to draw air out of the wheel wells and direct it under the car to reduce turbulence.
Not to be out done, even the interior of the Shelby GT350 is equipped with numerous unique upgrades. Most noticeable is the race-car-inspired flat-bottom steering wheel, but even the cloth Recaro seats were built just for the GT350 to balance comfort and on-track support. Engineers even tweaked the gauges to reduce glare so the driver can focus on the road.
From that updated cockpit, drivers are said to be able to adjust the ABS, stability control, traction control, steering effort, throttle mapping, MagneRide tuning, and exhaust settings via an integrated driver control system.
“We took the best Ford Mustang yet and massaged every aspect of the car that affects the performance driving experience,” Jamal said. “We tested endlessly on the most challenging roads and tracks in the world, and we believe serious drivers will love the Shelby GT350 Mustang.”
We’ve been spying a few different Ford trucks lately going around the country. They seem to be a bit smaller than the full size SUVs we are used to but bigger than the CUVs they’ve begun to build. Now it seems we might know what those heavily camo’d trucks are, the Everest SUV.
Based on the overseas Ranger platform, the Everest essentially is a smaller Explorer but with all the ruggedness that the Ranger offers. The new truck just made its debut at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Beijing.
The Everest uses a range of engines including a few turbo diesels, an EcoBoost, and a 3.2L inline 5 cylinder and can wade into 30-inches of water. While the truck hasn’t been confirmed for the U.S. market, you can see that a slightly larger CUV could be good marketing sense from Ford. Especially considering the truck’s off-road abilities.
Hopefully Ford brings the Everest over here because it’s way better looking than any of the Flexs or Explorers we are already used to.
If you have been looking for a new IGC challenger for Class S, look no further. The new in-game cash car in this IGC Car Rotation is the Porsche 911 Carrera S. The other incoming cars this week are the little bull called Gallardo, the original 1970 Hemi 'Cuda and the rally classic Impreza WRX (Sedan).
Here's the full shopping list:
Porsche 911 Carrera S (991) "Silver" Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 "White" Plymouth Hemi Cuda "Red" Subaru Impreza WRX STI (Sedan) "Red
new bmw? maybe yes but news about it are very secret. but what we know is that base of new BMW X will be UKL and it will be like X1 and minicountry adopted.
Dave aizack is shephard man. His shephard died just now and it was so bad for him that he made shephard car.
Car is usually Peugeot and it can go with 65 km/h and has 109 horse power.he spent 2550 euros and he is going to sell his car.Car is very big and its very hard to usage it everyday
The Marshall Pruett Archives
The Marshall Pruett Archives
