Matt hates video games for several reasons, but mostly it’s because they aren’t nearly as much fun as the real thing, which he proves in this video. In 2006, Art Morrison won the “Gran Turismo Award” at the SEMA show, which means that they put your show car into the video game Gran Turismo. After testing the video game version, Matt can’t help but dream of driving the real thing. Hit the jump to see what happens when your wish is granted.
Video: Art Morrison 3G 1960 Corvette – From Reality to Video Game and Back
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011Cadillac CTS-V Wagon Review and Top Speed Run
Friday, June 3rd, 2011
The words “practical” and “powerful” a rarely friends. The same way “playmate” goes with “PTA meeting.” But this week we got something that is able to mesh those two words together. It’s the American offering to the uber wagen market. An offering from Cadillac that has enough power and performance to not only run down Europe’s best family haulers, but some of the world’s best sports cars as well.
It’s the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. After driving it around L.A. for a week, we needed to see what it could really do. So we took it to the El Mirage dry lake bed, one of the greatest places in the U.S., where speed limits do not exist. How else will you find out if a car can make Dora the Explorer horrifying? We wanted to see not only how fast the CTS-V could go, but how it would contend against it’s cousin, a C6 Corvette. Make the jump to see what happened when we took away tarmac, and speed limits.
Bonus Video: Cadillac CTS-V Wagon vs. Tuned C6 Corvette Dry Lake Bed Drag Race
Monday, May 30th, 2011
You’re going to like the next episode of The Smoking Tire. In it, I take a Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, the most impractical, practical car in history, to El Mirage Dry Lake Bed for a little high-speed testing. I’m going to find out just how fast you can get your kids to school, and see if I can figure out why Cadillac would bother with a wagon in the first place, even if it can hit sixty in 4.3 seconds and do massive burnouts.
But first, a little teaser video. My friend Chris decided to bring out his tuned up 2008 Corvette to the desert as well, and we had a half-mile drag race to see if the “Corvette of Station Wagons” had what it takes to keep up with its more established little brother. Chris’s car has some basic bolt-on performance parts and a tune, and spins the dyno to the tune of 420 wheel horsepower, translated into 480 crank horsepower. That’s 76 horsepower less than the Caddy, but it also has nearly 1,200 fewer pounds to lug around.
Video after the jump.
Best Motoring Goes out with a Pricey Bang
Monday, May 16th, 2011
Let’s cut the fluff shall we? Best Motoring is cancelled, and for their last race, their lineup was awesome: Lexus LF-A vs. Porsche GT2 RS vs. Corvette ZR-1 vs. Nissan GTR vs. Ferrari F430 GT3. There’s street cars, super-cars and might-as-well-be-a race-cars. The price is all over the board, as are the cylinders and countries of origin. Each of our favorite countries is represented in a cool, if not the best, way. Thanks Best Motoring, for all your hard *cough* work over the years. You’ve put together some of the coolest and most expensive super-cars in wheel to wheel races.
Make the jump to see who won. (more…)
TST Dream Garage: The Entire ALMS GT2 Grid
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Text and Photos submitted by TST reader Nick Busato
Porsche 911 GT3 RS, F430 Scuderia, Corvette ZR1 and the M3 GTS are all names that will induce any automotive enthusiast’s mouth to water uncontrollably. Based on already ludicrously quick road cars, these thoroughbreds are seen as the ultimate track day toys. It seems to be an easy formula for any car manufacturer to follow; strip out unneeded bits, toss on some Brembos, coilovers and sticky tires, massage some more power out of the engine and for added bonus points put an “R” in the car’s badging. These are the speed machines that occupy the prised poster space of many car fanatics’ bedroom walls. If these cars are seen as the superior versions to their more limp wristed counterparts then surely an even more race bred car would be that much more illustrious.
Enter the realm of the American Le Mans Series GT2 class where you will find the dreamiest racing versions of road going sports cars. While other series like DTM, Nascar and Grand-Am may have fairly recognizable body shapes the cars actually share very little if any parts with their production counterparts. In contrast, the ALMS GT2 cars are based on their respective production variants and must use the same chassis and primary bodywork. What you are left with is a car with no comprises made in the interest of comfort, they have a single purpose: to go fast.
Inaugural California Cars and Cockpits Event – Mega Photo Gallery!
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
The Smoking Tire was fortunate enough to be able to attend the first-ever “Cars and Cockpits” event at the Lyon Air Museum this past weekend. It was a great change of pace from the usual Cars and Coffee and Supercar Sunday, because not only were there several million dollars worth of metal in the parking lot, but also the museum opened its doors to us, so we could appreciate some fine vintage aircraft and military vehicles. Some highlights of the show included the famous “triple black” Ferrari Enzo (pictured above), many other Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, Aston’s Bentley’s, Nissan GTR’s, BMW’s, Porsches, and crazy tuner cars, including the world’s ugliest vehicle, the Mansory Panamera Turbo. In the gallery, check out the yellow F430 Spider, which isn’t special except that it’s fitted with carbon fiber hand controls so its wheelchair-bound owner can wind out the 4.3L V8 using his right hand. Inside the Lyon Air museum, we were treated to some elegantly restored World War II-era aircraft and vehicles, my favorite of which was the minimally restored and completely functional 1934 Mercedes 6-wheel parade car, formerly owned by Adolf Hitler. Hit the jump for the 80-image mega gallery of the event.
TST Dream Garage: Chevrolet Corvette ZL-1
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
The legend goes that back in the late ‘60s, GM developed an engine so powerful that it ran on liquid hot magma, and could make the earth spin backwards when fully unleashed. The name of this incredible powerplant? The ZL-1.
While the ZL-1 doesn’t burn molten lava (would it even be possible to burn lava?), it has become one of the most storied engines ever created by General Motors. Built with racing in mind, it found its way into the engine bay of the 1969 Corvette Stingray, creating the equally rare Corvette ZL-1. How rare? Though a few hundred engines made their way from the parts counter into racing cars, it’s whispered that only two production cars were ever built with the powerplant factory installed.
Video: 2011 Corvette Grand Sport vs. Matt’s Modified 1998 Corvette
Thursday, September 16th, 2010
My Corvette is probably my single most prized possesion. Surprised? Probably not. I bought it new in 1998 and have only put 24,000 miles on it in 12 years. I’ve also modified it considerably to improve not only the horsepower, but also the overall driving experience. I’ve made changes all over my car in the 12 years I’ve owned her, but the question is this: Has GM made the same changes that I’ve made to improve the car? Or is their vision of a better Corvette completely different from my own? Hit the jump to find out.
Update: NASCAR Driver Who Led Police Chase In Trouble Again
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Remember Jimmy Neal? The former NASCAR driver who led cops on a 50-mile high speed chase from San Clemente, CA to LaJolla, only to surrender when the engine on his 2003 Corvette grenaded? Well, he got out of jail at 1:30 this morning, and was arrested again within 5 hours, this time for false imprisonment and attempted rape. Escalating much? It seems that Jimmy got out of jail and went straight to the home of a woman in Lake Forest, CA, and police were called several hours later for a “disturbance.”
Story unfolding….
[Source: LAIst]
Retired NASCAR Driver Leads Police on 50-Mile High Speed Chase
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
James Neal raced in NASCAR, somewhat unsuccessfully, in the 1980′s. Not used to leading races, he’s decided he’d rather lead chases, which is what he did on Monday in his 2003 Corvette. Neal led authorities on a 50 mile chase from San Clemente, CA to La Jolla, at speeds up to 140 mph, before blowing up his engine and surrendering.
Cops didn’t know they were chasing a pro driver, but probably could have guessed Neal raced in NASCAR, when he started making repeated left hand turns. Neal plead guilty to Misdemeanor Felony Evasion and will be spending a month behind bars.
[Source: LAist]
