Sunday, November 8, 2009

Ten of the best American-branded cars

Want to be patriotic or snag a deal? Consider these cars from Big Three









Ford F-150

Need a pickup? It’s hard to go wrong with any of the domestic trucks, which are all excellent. But Ford’s F-150 and Chevrolet’s Silverado have earned good reliability ratings besides having the ability to engage in all manner of useless and unlikely derring-do for television commercials.
Both trucks earned Consumer Reports’ “Recommended” label, and they tied for second place in J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study. The F-150 also earned first place for pickups in J.D. Power's Initial Quality study, which could be considered a tie-breaker. And it was also named the 2009 North American Truck of the Year. Each of these trucks boasts unique features which can help sway the decision when picking between them.

Limited Edition Alfa Romeo Brera S 3.2

Alfa Romeo Brera S 3.2



A recent car project between Alfa Romeo UK and Prodrive, the limited edition Brera S 3.2 that features many upgrades the most significant being a weight loss of 100 kg (220 pounds). They suggest the use of front-wheel drive rather than the standard Brera V6's Q4 all-wheel drive system and a sportier suspension. Autodelta's proposal completes the overall package by adding a supercharger to the mix as well as further improving handling. The addition of Autodelta's supercharging kit with an intercooler boosts the 3.2-liter V6 engine's output from 260 bhp and 322 Nm to a more potent 352-horsepower and 435 Nm (320.8 lb-ft) of torque. No performance figures have been released yet for the Brera S 3.2 Compressore.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Britcar Championship: New Honda NSX Racer Debut

new honda nsx racer
The matte black Japanese sportscar was built to comply with the Britcar Production regulations and already completed a successful shakedown test at Snetterton in Norfolk last Friday ahead of its debut at the season's final round at Brands Hatch on November 7. The UK-based racing team said that this newly built NSX Racer is equipped with all the latest technology gizmos such as engine control and data-logging capabilities with GPS, Fly by Wire and live feed video while custom solutions have been adopted for for dampers and brakes.

The NSX racer will be driven by motoring journalist and TV persona Vicki Butler-Henderson alongside John Danby Racing regular James Barclay in the daytime Production race while the car's owner and Britcar regular David Fenn will drive the NSX in the evening GT race alongside Barclay.