Friday, January 31, 2014

Tesla Vs. Corvette C7 Z51

Have you Seen This ?

 


 

For those who tune into our Utah Car Cents podcast and Radio Show on 1280 The Zone Saturdays from 10-Noon; we are always talking about the new Tesla's and thought we would show one in action. 



Thursday, January 30, 2014

Throwback Thursday - The 1969 Ford Boss 302

The 1969 Ford Boss 302 Mustang

Throwback Thursday - Car Cents

 

 4.9L 302, Naturally aspirated, 290hp @ 5900 rpm, 290 lbft torque @ 4300 rpm




1969 was a year of war, innovation, scandal and freedom.  The very first U.S. troop withdrawals of the Vietnam War,  U.S. President Richard Nixon declares the Nixon Doctrine, stating that the United States now expects its Asian allies to take care of their own military defense. This starts the "Vietnamization" of the war.

 The "miracle" New York Mets win the World Series, beating the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles 4 games to 1. Sesame Street is broadcast for the first time, on the National Educational Television (NET) network and NASA launches Apollo 12 (Pete Conrad, Richard Gordon, Alan Bean), the second manned mission to the Moon. 





Developed to compete in the national Trans-Am series with a custom "tunnel port" Windsor block and large Cleveland heads. The Boss 302 Mustang was designed by Larry Shinoda, a former GM employee.


The name "Boss" came about when Shinoda was asked what project he was working on, he answered "the boss's car" because the project was a secret...



Ford Motor Co. remade the BOSS in 2012 to recreate it's legacy. We could go on and on, but why would we do this when we could just let Harwell Motors play it out for you.


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

KIA is Trending to the Top

KIA's New Optima and K900 sends it to the top of the search list





If there is an automotive manufacturer out there that's starting to set the pace for growth, it's KIAFord & Honda are still holding the top of the charts as far as trends and search results go, but the KIA optima is rising at 400% according to google trends.  It's registering as a breakout for KIA Motors as a whole, practically tripling over the past 5 years.


 

Most of which is coming from the growing popularity from east coast states.



KIA has launched an aggressive advertising campaign for their new K900 Luxury Sedan and their Turbo/Hybrid Popular growing Optima and they are making a statement.





Sales and growth is off the charts for the little car company that could. The Optima and K900 have been completely redesigned and with the newest latest tech and luxury auto makers can get their hands on. KIA, a sister company to Hyundai has been around for a bit, but they have rigorously put themselves through a new branding and quality process.


KIA is out and they have something to prove, no longer the little, cheap, affordable and "unreliable" commuter car that it used to be known as. They even have new logos out on there luxury cars and their cars are backed by the same 10 yr 100,00 mile warranty as Hyundai.  Ford, Honda, Subaru, Toyota, may want to keep their eyes on KIA, because they out to prove something, and it's working.

KIA has even dropped more than $6 Million large for this years Superbowl AD with Matrix star Laurence Fishburne.  Do you take the Blue Key, or the Red Key???






Bet you didn't even know that KIA has a racing division too ...



 Oh, did I mention that they have a plant in the US of A ?



Auto Manufacturers 2014 Superbowl Car Ads

2014 Automotive Superbowl Car Ads - KIA - Volkswagen - Audi




KIA Brings a new title to luxury ?

Laurence Fishburne guest stars as Morpheus form the Matrix.
Do you take the red key, or the blue key?
The KIA K900 - Woah'







Audi - Doberhuahua - Don't Compromise!


Audi wants to make sure we don't compromise with our decisions; or else we may end up with a doberhuahua infestation, of evil little dogs with a creepy similarity to that of the dog from The Mask, featuring Jim Carrey.



Volkswagen - Earn your Wings!







Everytime a Volkswagen hits 100,000 miles, a VW engineer gets his wings. Creating a 1 minute, $8.5 million dollar superbowl ad with an angelic presence.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Subaru Announces Operation FOX

Subaru's Operation FOX Gives Financial Aide to Subaru Dealers



Subaru announced operation FOX, an acronym for fixed operations expansion for it's dealerships nation wide.  This program will help Subaru meet it's goal of a 70% increase for service capacity within 4 years.  FOX is to help expand the number of lifts, certified techs, service bays and to upgrade to new technologies for diagnoses and repair efficiency.


This is all in efforts to boost customer satisfaction and create a prime environment for Subaru's customers. "Additional and more modernized service areas are key to improving Subaru's low ratings in customer satisfaction surveys, said dealers and executives. Subaru has been rated near the bottom in recent J.D. Power and Associates service satisfaction surveys." Said Diana Kurylko of Autonews.com






Turns out, Utah houses some of the best Subaru dealerships, one in particular that has received Subaru's Stellar Care Award two years in a row is Mark Miller Subaru. With Two Locations in the Valley. 



Friday, January 24, 2014

Performance Friday Pick 2015 Lexus RC F Coupe

2015 Lexus RC F Coupe

Utah Car Cents : Performance Friday


The 2015 Lexus RC F Coupe

Engine: V-8

Horsepower: 450+

Torque: 383

Displacement: 5.0 L

0 - 60 MPH : 4.5 Sec

Top Speed : 168mph  (Electronically limited)

Transmission: 8 Speed Sports Direct Shift



Lexus is calling it their First RC two door coupe. "Built to intensify exhilaration... from the asphalt up."  Lexus aim is at BMW and their new M4. The new RC has aggressive styling all around, from the wheels to the fenders. 



Topspeed.com writes - "The engine that delivers more than 450 horsepower and more than 383 pound-feet of torque. For the first time in a sports car, the engine uses the Atkinson cycle at cruising speeds that will help lowering fuel consumption.
No performance figures were announced, but Lexus announced the new RC F will be faster than the IS F, meaning that the 0-to-60 mph sprint time should be made in less than 4.5 seconds. Top speed is limited to 168 mph."






Thursday, January 23, 2014

Throwback Thursday Porsche 911

1963 Porsche 911

1/23/14

 


It was 1963 when the first Porsche 911 landed on US Soil.

 





 The Beatles release their first album Please Please Me in the United Kingdom. Director Alfred Hitchcock's film "The Birds" is released in the United States. Buddy Rogers becomes the first WWWF Champion. (WWE now...) The Coca-Cola Company introduces its first diet drink, Tab cola and Assassination of John F. Kennedy: In a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, President of the United States John F. Kennedy is shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, and Governor of Texas John B. Connally is seriously wounded.








The Porsche came with a B6 Configuration with a whopping 9:1 Compression ratio. She was naturally aspirated and packed 130 bhp and 129 ft lbs of Torque.  A 9 sec 0-60 and could make 0-100 in 23.7 sec.



The 911 was made to step up the performance from the Porsche 356. And that it did, with strides and continued to do so year after year.


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Honda Fit & Fiat 500 Top Worst Crash Tests

Crash Tests Results Are In

Falling in love with those tiny little mpg savers? Think again.


 Mini cars, tiny cars, small cars or MPG savers; they have several nicknames, and they are growing in popularity. But are they safe?

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, only one car, the Chevy Spark qualified for an "acceptable" crash test rating out of 11 others for the minicar categories.



11 Cars were tested; The Chevrolet Spark, Mazda 2, Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Versa, Toyota Prius, Hyundai Accent, Fiat 500 and the Honda Fit.



The worst vehicles out of the group included the Honda Fit, and the Fiat 500. According to the IIHS, both vehicles had compromised frames at a 40 mph Front Crash Test Rating. The Fiat 500 was noted as being torn apart at the hinges.




See for yourself.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Hyundai & Verizon Team Up!

Hyundai & Verizon Team Up to Bring Wireless to Cars

1/21/2014







Hyundai has announced a team up with Verizon Wireless to help make 2015 Models Wireless Compatible for it's consumers. According to Auto News,  Hyundai is calling it a 'must have' feature for their cars, as 39% of all auto buyers consider in car tech a top selling point for their future vehicles. The service will start with their 2015 Genesis and move to other models. They will also start with a 3G platform and eventually move to a 4G. Hyundai Spokesperson Mike Johnson said their reasoning for Verizon is because their "Robust" coverage.



 Kia, Hyundai's corporate sibling will be hopping on the wagon as well. Kia's sales dropped last year with a total of about $535,000 and Hyundai, close to $721,000 sales in 2013. With this new tech they hope to not only gain consumer attention, but appeal as well.


AT&T and General Motors have announced at similar team up as well for their Chevrolet brand. Something we will most likely see taking place amongst automotive brands in the future.





Other brands teaming up with Verizon include Toyota and Mercedes Benz!





Monday, January 20, 2014

Monday Match up! Ferrari F12 berlinetta or the Lamborghini Aventador?

Utah Car Cents - Monday Match-up

Ferrari F12 berlinetta vs. Lamborghini Aventador

 Lamborghini says it's Aventador is a relentless force from the future.  Ferrari says the F12 Berlinetta the most powerful super car yet.  Who would prevail in a match-up? 

The Specs



Aventador: Carbon Fiber Monocoque frame with an Aluminum front and rear.
Horse Power: 700hp @ 8,250 RPM
Compression: 11.8 : 1
Torque: 690 Nm @ 5,500 RPM
Transmission: 4WD Haldex generation IV
Gearbox: 7 Speed ISR w/ Double dry Plate Clutch
0-62 MPH : 2.9 sec.
Top Speed: 217 mph
Curb-to-curb turning: 12.5m (41ft)
Brakes: Dual hydraulic, vacuum boosted, 4 & 6-cylinder callipers,  400 x 38 mm - 380 x 38 mm



Berlinetta: Weight distribution of 46% Front to 54% Rear
 Horse Power: 740hp @ 8,250 RPM
Compression: 13.5 : 1
Torque: 690 Nm @ 6,000 RPM
Transmission: 4WD Haldex generation IV
Gearbox: 7 Speed Dual Clutch
0-62 MPH : 3.1 sec.
Top Speed: 211 mph
Curb weight: 3600lb
Brakes: 15.7 x 8.8 x 1.5 inch Front  14.2 x 9.2 x 1.3 Rear set up.


Normally, I would go into some big description and analysis about who's better and why. but this time, I will just let Evo.co.uk  tell us with one of their Youtube Videos.





Friday, January 17, 2014

2014 Utah International Autoshow Pics and Highlights

2014 Utah International Auto Show Pics and Highlights

January 17, 2014

More to follow... 


It's the 2014 Utah International Auto Show at the South Towne Expo Center and we have some sneak peaks... 

Subaru has the new 2015 WRX on display and pictures cant tell the whole story. The car is wider and the new interior is lined with Carbon Fiber Trim and new sport inspired steering wheel.  
The New WRX isn't as aggressive as we would have liked to see, but the handling and drive time alone will make or break this new ride. 


 Subaru has a brand new x-ray display that shows the the craftsmanship and engineering behind the Subaru Boxer Motor, and it's redesigned CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission).  Along side all the new gadgets, they have included every model and full interactive displays.



Volkswagen Has a new interactive display that allows users to spray paint their color of choices onto any of its 2014-2015 models.


 Chevrolet has the new 2015 Stingray on display as well

http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette-stingray.html



 New cars are being featured from every make,  
Nissan
Scion
Ford
Honda
Jaguar
Kia
Volvo
Lincoln
Volkswagen
 RAM
Jeep
Chrysler
Dodge
Fiat
Toyota
Acura
Chevrolet
Hyundai
Buick 
GMC
Mercedes Benz
BMW
Mini
Infiniti