Put that hammer to the floor….

Hmmm what would you do with $130k?  Buy a house?  A Vette Z06???  Or this?

The Burt Reynolds Trans Am by Year One…

They come in various specs, with different engines, and other cool stuff…with the coolest being a 8.8 540 c.i. 650 hp fire breathing monster under the hood…awww I drooled on the keyboard again….

http://www.yearone.com/yodnn/Home/tabid/54/Default.aspx

L8R,

ThirdCoast

Halo 3 and Pontiac?

Well if you know me, and look at the other blog I run, you know I am a huge gamer.  And one of the games I hold near and dear to my heart is Halo.  I like the story, the characters, the multi-play, I like Halo.  Today is 9/24/2007, the day before Halo 3 comes out, the day before the end of the trilogy.  So poking around online I came across something…odd.

Hmm….well you can win this vehicle…details here.

http://pontiachalo3.onlinepromo.com/

ThirdCoast

GM at Ecofest…

Hybrids and Hydrogen

I read this article on GM.com, link at bottom, about this “Ecofest”. Hmmm Ecofest…what is that? A convention of tree-huggers, anti-Bush people, and P.E.T.A.? So I checked out their site on the inter-web and found some information. Here are a few points from their mission statement

- To create an informed and realistic approach to environmental issues

- To integrate environmentally safe choses for effective use within day to day lifestyle

And what I was intrested in in relation to GM,

- To showcase products, services, technology, programs, and research which can make our lives more environmentally friendly.

So what did GM bring to the table? Well first and what grabbed me was a their fuel-cell SUVs powered by hydrogen emitting nothing but water vapor.

Here is a good animation on how a fuel cell works -

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/fuelcell_animation.html

Now by no means is the fuel-cell exclusive to GM or new and inventive, according to Wikipedia the fuel cell was first developed by Sir William Robert Grove in 1843.

Now something that peaked my interest was that anyone can apply for a test program, as long as the live in a certain area…aka not Texas.
http://www.chevrolet.com/fuelcell/checkzipcode/

But it should be interesting to see the results of the test.

The second item was the Hybrid Aura that will taken to Ecofest. A 25% increase in fuel economy, no big deal right? But for $2,500 bucks!?!?!?   No the car is not $2,500 but the hybrid upgrade is. Now you don’t have to consider the Toyota Turtle…I mean Prius. You can actually get a good looking sedan hybrid for a decent price.

But we all know how i feel about trading my truck in on a hybrid…

ThirdCoast

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=39745

Pics of the new Tahoe Hybrid…

Not much to say, it kinda makes me laugh….

According to the Chevy website a 2007 Hybrid gets 15/21…a 25% increase in fuel economy.  I get that now…with no extra weight to haul around….but I guess its a step n the right direction.

ThirdCoast

New blog…

Decided to do a second blog so check it out yo!

www.threeredlights.wordpress.com

ThirdCoast

Maybe the sexiest car ever…

Back in 2005 Holden released a concept that shocked the automotive world. It was retro, but new, classic but modern, wild but tasteful. It had a supercharged six liter, adjustable suspension, touchscreen LCD, and fan cooled LED headlights…FAN COOLED.

So what is this modern day marvel? Can you get one? How much?

Now you know its the Holden Efijy Concept, but you might not know that Holden and GM have recently considered producing a small quantity of this car for the low low price of…

ONE MILLION DOLLARS…

So its out of my price range…and why do I say this is the most sexiest car ever “maybe”…

Go take a look at Cadzilla, Copperhead, a 1963 Corvette Split Window…well the list could go on…but the Efijy is near the top.

ThirdCoast

The Chevy Volt…SHOCKING!

Now I am all for a cleaner environment, plant a tree, save the seals, all that stuff.  So when I saw the Chevy Volt, I thought to myself, now that is cool. 

But the more I think about it, would I miss the rumble I get when I step on the gas and the RPMs rise on my 5.3l? Or the smile I get as I drive by that 40 year old guy in a four door 1998 Accord with a Pep Boys wing ,more stickers than a the latest Dora the Explorer sticker book, and a custom cold air intake made from PVC pipe bought at Home Depot, sorry that is another rant I have yet to make.

So for now the Volt is not for me, as cool as it is its not as cool as the next post I have planned….

L8R,

ThirdCoast

Sorry, been out for a bit…whats new?

Work had me out of town so its been a few days…

Frankfurt happened…so what was there?

 Saab, born from jets.  Now I agree!

The new Saab Turbo X. 

Details found here…

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54526

Sorry for the short post…..

ThirdCoast

Corvette SS? Blue Devil? Nope…a throwback name for a new Vette…

According to Motor Trend the new name for the 600 HP beast will be a throwback to the old school powerhouse….the ZR-1.

I think that fits it well, Blue Devil was too Duke, and Z07 was m’eh.  

Taken from Motor Trend:

Chevrolet’s 650-horsepower Corvette, developed under the codename “Blue Devil,” will be called ZR1. That badge will appear on the January 2008 Detroit show car, and on the production version set to go on sale later next year as a 2009 model. GM has been developing this car for several years, using a supercharged version of the new 6.2-liter small block V-8 used in the 2008 Corvette(pictured). GM also considered such names as Z07 and Super Sport for the ultra-low-volume car. Price will be much higher than the 505-horsepower Z06, and Chevy will continue production of that car when the ZR1 launches.

Chevy first used the ZR1 moniker for a reported eight cars built in the 1971 model year with a 370-horsepower, 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) small block V-8. The option cost $1,010, while a 425-horse 454 was $1,221. The ‘71 ZR1 came with no special bodywork or badging. Chevy revived the name in 1990 for a 32-valve Lotus-designed, Mercury Marine-built 375-horsepower quad-cam V-8. That car had a wider tail to accommodate P315/35ZR17 Goodyears on 11-inch wide wheels and was built through the ‘95 model year. Badges included a hyphen, as in ZR-1, which doesn’t fit GM RPO nomenclature.

GM has never confirmed nor denied rumors that “ZR” stands for “Zora’s Racer.”

The blown 6.2 also looks like the engine that will power the next Cadillac CTS-v, rather than something based off of GM’s new high-feature overhead cam V-8 debuting in ‘09.

 by Todd Lassa 

Got a GM Flex-Fuel Vehicle?

In all my life, a short 26 years, I have seen one flex fuel pump.  It was on the side of the road, not attached to a station, going into San Antonio.  Well Kroger’s, Vera-Sun, and Enterprise Rent-a-Car are about to change that….for some people.

 Taken from the GM.com website…

VeraSun-Branded VE85 Ethanol Will Fill Kroger Pumps

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Designates FlexFuel Branch Featuring GM Vehicles

CINCINNATI, August 28 – The Kroger Co., VeraSun Energy Corp. and Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced several moves Tuesday to make VeraSun-branded VE85TM ethanol an easier choice for rental customers.

Under a first-of-its-kind supply arrangement, Kroger will sell VeraSun-branded VE85TM – a clean-burning fuel made from corn – at pumps in 20 Kroger locations in Ohio and Kentucky. It brings to more than 100 the number of VeraSun VE85TM outlets around the country.

“The partnership between VeraSun and Kroger is a continuation of efforts being made to expand the use of E85 through improved availability and education,” said Bill Honnef, VeraSun Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiative. “In just over two years, we have been able to expand VE85TM from the initial seven stations in South Dakota to more than 100 stations in 11 states and Washington, D.C. We are encouraged by the effort being made by both the retailers and auto manufactures to develop E85 as a mainstream fuel option in our nation.”

To help drive consumer awareness and use of E85 in Cincinnati, Enterprise has designated its rental location at 6610 Glenway Ave. as a VE85TM/FlexFuel branch.

A quarter of the branch’s rental fleet will be General Motors FlexFuel vehicles. Enterprise is committed to keep these cars and trucks fueled with VE85 TM from nearby Kroger locations, and to encourage its customers to do likewise, providing them with in-car materials on fueling locations, as well as about the benefits of E85 fuel.

“It’s important to us as a company to reduce the environmental impact of our vehicle fleet,” said Bobby Willard, vice president and general manager of Enterprise’s Central SW Ohio Group. “But we know that our customers care about the environment, too. Offering these FlexFuel cars fueled with VE85 TM is one more way to help them make sustainable choices they can feel good about.”

GM has more than 2 million FlexFuel vehicles on the road that can run on any blend of petroleum and ethanol up to 85 percent ethanol. GM is producing more than 400,000 FlexFuel vehicles annually.

“The significance of these moves is that they help to build a national ethanol infrastructure,” said Mary Beth Stanek, GM director of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy. “Agreements like the one between VeraSun and Kroger will begin to create a public perception of a brand around E85, and consumers relate to brands.”

Cincinnati-based Kroger sells E85 ethanol in markets around the nation. There are about 1,300 fueling stations nationwide offering E85 ethanol today. While a small percentage of the total fueling stations, the availability of E85 has more than doubled in the last two years.