Drive Your Dream Blog

The folks at Tesla are at it again. You’ll probably remember Tesla as the company that recently introduced the all-electric sports car, the Roadster. The Roadster attracted plenty of attention and even Hollywood celebrities ended up on the production car’s waiting list.

Problem is, at $100,000, it’s only Hollywood celebrities that can afford the Tesla Roadster. Keeping to earlier promises of making a more affordable electric car, Tesla’s newest production car is the Model S.

The Tesla Model S is a five passenger electric hybrid sedan with a comparatively modest price tag of $60,000. Although no pictures of the Model S have been released, some claim the new electric sedan will travel 225 miles on a single charge.

The Tesla Model S is set for production somewhere in California (no specific location has been announced). The choice of California as the home base marked a hard fought victory for the Golden State over New Mexico.

The production of the Model S will likely begin in 2010. When asked about the time frame for more affordable models, Tesla Chairman Elon Munsk stated that Tesla Motors would be coming out with affordable electric cars “a lot sooner than everyone thinks…4 years at the most.” Tesla Motors is looking to produce an electric hybrid for around 30k. They can expect to compete with the Chevy Volt at that price.

The timing for such innovations is perfect considering gas prices are above $4/gallon. “Tesla appears to be designing cars that are both environmentally efficient and fun to drive,” states Ron Sturgeon.

Owner of a DFW exotic car rental company and DFW car sharing club, Mr. Sturgeon stated, “We are very interested in the Tesla Roadster and the other electric hybrids that Tesla engineers are developing. They understand that a car can be both fun to drive and economical,” said the auto industry veteran.

Sturgeon’s exotic car club boasts an impressive exotic car garage and allows members to purchase and use points so that they can tailor make their own exotic car driving experience.

Finally, Sturgeon offers exotic car tours that allow participants to tear up the streets of Texas behind the wheel of five exotic cars. There is a half-day and full-day tour offered.

So far, Sturgeon DFW Elite Auto Rental.com doesn’t offer any electric hybrids, “but I could see a day when we have something from Tesla Motors in our rental fleet.”

Written by G.D. Gregory. If you are interested in having me write stories for you or seeing my portfolio, please contact me at ggpsu@yahoo.com.

For those who missed 1968 the first time around, not to worry: The sequel is way better.

We were there—this journal and your enduring correspondent—back when Bullitt was a movie, not a Mustang. About a year later [C/D, November 1969], we put the original Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi through its test-track paces, too. Fun? Yeah. Gas was thirty-some cents a gallon, and our hormones were raging. That said, those were the carburetor days, and we’d never go back.

But now that Detroit is doing remakes, we’re first in line. The Dodge Challenger SRT8 is still a few weeks short of its showroom debut as we buckle into our test car. In Hemi Orange, it draws men like nickel beer, mostly guys who remember the muscle-flexing 1970–74 originals. Dodge will build mild Challengers, too, your choice of SE, standard with a 3.5-liter V-6, or the R/T, packing the 5.7 Hemi V-8, but we’ll get to those another day. Big orange is the muscled-up 6.1-liter, 425-horse Hemi. As remakes go, this one is a thriller.

Parked beside the Dodge, the dark Highland Green Mustang might as well be invisible. It draws only dust. This is the Bullitt, an evolution of the Mustang GT that includes the $3310 “Bullitt package,” limited to 7700 cars. In keeping with the covert-ops theme of the 40-year-old movie, the Bullitt package deletes the froufrou: no chrome horsie in the grille, no snakes, no fogs. You get grayed-out five-spoke mags, a shorter axle ratio (3.73 instead of 3.55), more exhaust snort, a cold-air engine intake, carbon pads on the front brakes, and a power spike of 15 horsepower, to 315 at 6000 rpm.

Oh, yeah, and the driver gets an aluminum shift ball atop the five-speed lever that he’ll grab a lot and a classy-looking engine-turned metal panel all across the dash.

The muscle-era standouts had style, but rarely did they have grace. Both of today’s re-enactors still play off four-decade-old shapes and cues. But the oldies had their unsatisfying aspects, the result of stuffing weighty V-8s into small cars that cringed from the torque and recoil. The bodies were flexy and rattly, they cornered with felony understeer, and you drove with the wheel in your chest and a roar in your ears.

On the other hand, we’d never had so much fun, and we stayed up late prowling for chicks. Or GTOs just achin’ to be ­whupped. Whatever kept the night going.

Yearly improvements add up to a sea change in 40 years. Horsepower is everywhere now, and cars don’t cringe from it. Moreover, there’s a whole new crop of car guys who have logged their miles in agile Hondas and turbo Subarus. So today’s question: Are these muscle-car reloads merely desperate nostalgia plays by a troubled domestic industry looking for something—anything—that works? Or are they great new choices in today’s automotive smorgasbord?

A two-man jury has been specially selected to consider this question, one of them the same guy who road-tested the Challenger 426 Hemi in 1969, the other an insightful young staffer who wasn’t born till 1978. After due deliberation, the jury finds as follows.

When a car leaves a journalist speechless, it means it’s a really beautiful car. As is the case with this official gallery of the new, and splendid, Maserati GranTurismo S: the refined sports version of the coupè from Modena, equipped with a 4.7 V8 at 440 hp. Enough said.

Alfa Romeo’s Cloverleaf or as Alfistas prefer to call it, the Quadrifoglio badge, is making a comeback to the UK in the form of a special edition series GT Coupe which goes on sale on 1 July. Available with two petrol and two diesel engines, the Alfa GT Cloverleaf models come equipped with bespoke 18-inch alloys, red brake callipers, satin-effect front grille and door mirrors.

Moreover, three versions sport a subtle Cloverleaf badge on the boot lid, while the 1.9 JTDM Q2 170bhp version features the Cloverleaf inside a white triangle above the front wheel arch. Buyers will be able to choose from three individual exterior colours: Carbonio black, Alfa Red and Atlantico blue. Inside, the Cloverleaf series models get leather sports seats, aluminium sports pedals, sport dials with a red background and a high-end Bose sound system.

Prices start at £18,890 for the 1.8-liter petrol engine version and go up to £21,980 for the range-topping 170Hp 1.9JTDM 16V that features a Q2 limited slip differential.

High rollers party every night on race to finish

Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis aren’t a rare sight in Calgary these days, thanks to the hot economy.

But more than 100 high-end sports cars in one spot — that’s different.

Exotic cars congregated on downtown’s Stephen Avenue on Saturday for the start of the fifth Bullrun Road Rally.

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More than 100 exotic cars such as this Ferrari left Calgary for various points in the United States on Saturday.

Ted Jacobs, Calgary Herald

Drivers of the cars are celebrities and high rollers, each paying a $20,000 entry fee to participate in the invitation-only run.

“I used to be an investment banker back in 1995 and I started participating in events like this in Europe,” says Bullrun co-organizer Andrew Duncan, 38. “We worked long hours in London and wanted to do something different — call it adventure tourism.”

In 2004, Duncan and Bullrun partner David Green came to North America and organized the first Bullrun, a cross-country Los Angeles-to-Miami romp. Drivers stop in seven cities and party hard each night before moving on the next morning.

In 2007, the rally started in Montreal and headed to Key West, and included Paris Hilton behind the wheel of a 2007 Spyker Spyder C8 convertible.

Before leaving Calgary on Saturday morning, Bullrun participants spent Friday evening at The Whiskey nightclub.

This year Duncan wanted to incorporate the continental divide and the Rocky Mountains as the backbone of the Bullrun. Calgary was chosen over Vancouver.

“Calgary was attractive for some logistical reasons, and the city has a very good developing downtown area,” Duncan says. “Calgary’s not a small city in terms of its population, but it has a small-city feel with a youthful nightlife.”

The rally stopped in Big Sky, Mont., Saturday night, and carries on to Aspen, Colo., Park City, Utah, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Tucson, Ariz. before culminating June 27 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The $20,000 entry fee covers food, lodging and entertainment.

“No bones about it — it’s not a cheap event,” Duncan says.

“And it attracts a wide range of people: investment bankers, media types and business owners, all between 25 and 45 years old

In a rare occurrence, Ferrari has issued a recall for 366 of its 612 Scagliettis built between the 2005-2007 model years for a faulty clutch sensor in the F1 sequential-shift transmission. According to the Italian automaker, the sensor could malfunction as a result of the tremendous heat the 612’s inner workings produce, causing the clutch assembly to have difficulty selecting gears. In the event of a sensor failure, a warning light is illuminated in the cockpit to notify the driver of the condition. The 612 Scaglietti is a four-seat coupe that represents the grand touring end of Ferrari’s lineup.

Though we’ve seen plenty of Ferraris wrapped around telephone poles, slammed into walls, and even burned to a crisp, recalls of the exotic sports cars are notably rare. The last recall involved 2005-2006 F430 Coupes and Spiders with the manual six-speed transmission for a potentially crack-prone hydraulic line in the clutch system.

In any case, we’re glad the problem didn’t effect our very own Ron Kiino when he drove a stint in the 612 Scaglietti during the Magic India Discovery Tour.

If you’ve got a 612 Scaglietti that may fall under the recall, give your local dealer a call to have the clutch sensor, cable holder, and magnet replaced free of charge.

By Scott Marley

Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is the defining racing simulation for the PlayStation 3, PS2, DS and Wii, offering you the ability to drive some of the world’s most exclusive vehicles without having to remortgage your house to buy one! Featuring over 15 world renowned tracks and over 50 different models of Ferrari to storm around in, you’ll be able to take part in the official Ferrari Challenge series, enter endurance races, or take the race online against 15 other racers for the championship.

After release, there will be downloadable tracks and a slew of new cars designed to give you every ingredient to realise your dream of driving some of the most beautiful and exotic cars in the world. With a comprehensive solo mode and incredible online races, Ferrari Challenge will have you roaring past the opposition into first place as the Ferrari of video games.

They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Would I be interested in driving six supercars in one day?

Heck yeah.

And what a lineup.

A Callaway Corvette, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, Ferrari F 430, the legendary Ford GT, a Spyker Spyder and an Aston Martin Vantage. That’s more than $1 million worth of motoring nirvana.

The weekday drive - along twisting canyon roads through the Santa Monica Mountains and up Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu - came courtesy of World Class Driving. The company, based in Wilmington, Del., has a fleet of 10 cars that it transports to driving events around the country.

The fee is $1,495, and one acquaintance said it would be money well spent.

Each event starts with a breakfast meeting, where drivers go over rules for the road. Jean Paul Libert, the company’s co-founder, says he wants us to feel like we own each car for a half-hour.

“We are proud to let people try to achieve their dream,” he says. Heads nod in agreement. “We want to behave as a responsible driver.”

That means no impromptu racing or tire-squealing starts. And we are cautioned to be alert at all times. “A supercar must be driven with finesse and good common sense,” Libert cautioned.

And then we are off. Here are the cars in the order that I drove them.

Callaway Corvette: “This is probably the only car here that will hold two golf bags,” says Reese Callaway, owner of the company that takes stock Vettes and kicks them into the supercar stratosphere. I ease out of the parking lot and join the line.
“It’s fairly smooth to operate,” I say.

“Yes it is. But it works better in first gear; you have it in third,” he says with a smile.

This model doesn’t have all the cosmetic touches of the company’s production model, but mechanically it’s definitely a Callaway, especially with a 580-horsepower supercharged V8 and six-speed manual transmission.

Zero to 60mph is reachable in 3.6 seconds, a blink faster than the Ferrari F 430 and Lamborghini Gallardo. “This car can run and hide from a Lamborghini,” Callaway says. The top speed is 200 mph.

After sampling the power, I don’t doubt it.

Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder: I’m on familiar ground here, having had one for a review. The Lambo is canary yellow, a good color for this type of car and one of four convertibles in the lineup.

It has all-wheel drive and an E-gear paddle shift transmission. Flick both left and right paddle at the same time to put the transmission in neutral, and step on the brake and flick the right to engage first gear.

I have no trouble keeping up with the Ferrari in front of me, and the engines on both cars let go a primeval scream when we down shift to negotiate corners. Top speed is 195mph.

Ford GT: This is one great American supercar and one I’ve always wanted to drive.

I wasn’t disappointed. The doors actually serve as part of the roof, so getting in and out takes care. The cockpit is comfortable, though, and the six-speed manual transmission is easy to operate.

There are a couple of blind spots because the car sits low to the ground. And, with a top speed of 205mph, it can gobble up pavement at an alarming pace.

Ferrari F 430: “Would you mind if I ride in the Ferrari with you?” asks Jackie Wald, one of the public relations representatives for World Class Driving.

That would be a common question if this were a daily driver. We turn left off PCH and head up Mulholland Highway, which climbs and dips and twists and turns heading inland.

The Ferrari tracks close behind the Lambo, both cars in their element, and we momentarily loose sight of the Ford GT in our rear-view mirror.

Both long for an open stretch, too. Top speed for the F430 is 198mph.

Spyker C8 Spyder SWB: Of all the supercars on display, this one got most of the attention. It simply screams, “Look at me” with its bright-blue paint job and sexy curves.

The Dutch automaker takes its styling cues from old airplanes, and the dashboard is festooned with toggle switches, including one that changes the exhaust note.

The C8, which costs about $300,000, is fast and the handling nifty, especially in tight corners.

Top speed is 187, and the power comes from an Audi V8.

Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: This is the biggest supercar in the lineup and a prime example of top-down driving luxury.

It’s plenty fast, too, with a top speed of 175 mph, sedate for the company it was keeping this day. The car can be driven in automatic mode or via the paddle shifters.

I opted for the latter and never could get a good rhythm going, as evidenced by my passenger pitching forward against his seat belt every time I shifted gears. And the Vantage was the best one suited for a road trip out of town.

Which one did I like best? That’s what everyone wanted to know. They all got the same answer.

“I have no clue. That’s asking me which one of our cats I like the best.”

To enjoy this experience in the Dallas Fort Worth area contact DFW Drive Your Dream.

From the press-releases-we-never-thought-we’d-see file comes the announcement of the 2008 Neiman Marcus Special Edition Hennessey Venom 700NM, a car with a name long enough to pretty much tell the entire story, full as it is of contradiction and detail and excitement about a car that is equal parts white trash and fat-cat aristocrat. What’s next? The Kmart Blue Light Special Phantom drophead coupé?

That’s right. Instead of the usual sassy AMG Benz or M-powered Bimmer, Neiman Marcus thought it would be a good idea to offer a souped-up Dodge Viper in the pages of this year’s men’s catalog, complete with special touches such as jet-black paint, a red-and-black leather-trimmed custom interior, matching fitted luggage (of course!), special badges, and more.

Hennessey’s contribution to this whole mess includes a naturally aspirated version of the Viper’s 8.4-liter V-10 engine tuned to 700 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque; upgraded brakes, wheels, and suspension pieces; and an aero kit brazen enough to turn the Viper into a machine capable of offending even more Neiman Marcus customers than the standard Viper can do on its own. Can we mention the heinous rear wing?

If nothing else, it will be fast. Hennessey claims the Venom 700NM coupe can hit 60 in 3.3 seconds on its way to a rather elevated top speed of 214 mph. And we expect that a trunk full of the wife’s makeup and shoes shouldn’t slow it down too much.

All of this will come at a price of $179,500, which includes a three-year/36,000-mile warranty and, thankfully, a full-day driving school at Lonestar Motorsports Park near Hennessey’s Houston-based bunker to help keep the buyers, likely unaccustomed to driving such unruly beasts, from killing themselves (and others) at the first stab of the throttle.

Kidding aside, we have no problem with Hennessey or Neiman Marcus, however unlikely their alliance. But will two rights make a wrong? We’ll probably never find out ourselves, as only seven Venom 700NMs will be built, with no breakdown of how many will be coupes or convertibles.

If this sounds like your cup of, uh, venom, get yourself on the horn to 877-885-7077 promptly at 9:00 a.m. PST on Monday, April 10, 2008.

When we were in Phoenix for the launch of the 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Automobili Lamborghini president Stephan Winkelmann asserted that Lamborghini is committed to bringing a new vehicle or derivative of a vehicle to market every year. After the Gallardo Superleggera, he said, the next vehicle might seem obvious, but he told us we’d be surprised.

At that point, most of us figured he was hinting at a Gallardo Spyder Superleggera or a Murciélago Superleggera. Judging from these spy shots, we think those in the Murciélago camp were correct. Surprised? Well, no. He was right. This seems obvious. Hopefully, Lamborghini can surprise us with the car’s power output.

Given the bump from 572 horsepower to 632 in the new-for-2007 Murciélago LP640, we’re not sure how much higher Lamborghini can go. Figure another 30 or so horsepower, tops. Anything above that would be the surprise Winkelmann was talking about. What a pleasant little treat that would be; like a date who tells you she’s a twin and gives a wink to acknowledge that first thought that popped into your head.

As we saw with the Gallardo, when Lambo says superleggera (which means “superlight”), it is focusing more on cutting weight than adding power. Extensive use of carbon fiber cut about 140 pounds from the U.S.-spec Gallardo Superleggera, so we’d expect to see the Murciélago Superleggera to drop a similar number—figure a little more weight loss on the bigger car, right around 200 pounds on U.S. cars. Even so, it would still weigh upwards of two tons, not exactly living up to that Superleggera name.

Following the Gallardo formula, expect to see carbon fiber for the side mirrors, engine cover, underbody tray, and rear diffuser. The droopy wing seen on this prototype may make production, albeit on a less offensive scale. The world certainly doesn’t need lighter, faster Lamborghinis, but we’re really liking this Superleggera business.