Hot Rod Girl isn't one of those movies that will be studied a hundred years from now by critics studying the development of American cinema, but it's an interesting way to blow about an hour and a half. Filmed in super-grainy black-and-white with the technical assistance of "Fritz R. Burns of The San Fernando Drag Strip" and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), many of the scenes in the film were actually shot at early NHRA events. That means the film is overstuffed with cool cars from the era, and provides an interesting look at how events were run nearly half a century ago. What's surprising isn't how much things have changed, but how essentially they're still the same
The plot is, naturally, thoroughly lame. Chuck Connors (of The Rifleman) plays Detective Ben Merrill, who wants to make sure that "the kids" have some place to race that's legal and safe. Meanwhile, the kids (including Frank Gorshin, who went on to play the Riddler on Batman during the '60) are always managing to screw up somehow and bring trouble down upon themselves. Lori Nelson plays the title role and the main voice of reason among the younger generation. It's all crap-cheaply filmed crap, too. Most of the sets look like they were built from construction paper, the cinematography doesn't always hold focus, and the acting is an abomination. But there is some good stuff here, including a solid jazz score by Alexander Courage, who also wrote the theme for the original Star Trek TV series and is still orchestrating music for films today.
The DVD presentation itself is murky at best and includes a dopey DVD quiz and a Casper The Friendly Ghost short subject. It's probably an early DVD, but we didn't see it on the remainder rack at Blockbuster until recently. So sue us for being late.
0212 h/o[holdover]First Drive: '03 Dodge Viper SRT-10[Photo 116-0211.SCUP 3A through 3D]During the '90s there simply wasn't any car that had the visual and visceral impact of the Dodge Viper. But how do you follow up a car so outrageous?
The second-generation '03 Viper SRT-10 doesn't even try to match the original Viper's exterior audacity. Instead, the new Viper gets a much more refined chassis; a bigger, more powerful yet more tractable engine; a more comfortable cockpit; and a true convertible body that even an insurance adjuster could love.
The basic chassis design of the new Viper is still a ladder frame with double A-arm independent suspension both front and rear. The frame itself is significantly stiffer than before, the wheelbase has been stretched 2.6 inches to 98.8 inches, the front track has been squeezed down a full 2 inches to 57.8 inches, and the rear track remains unchanged at 60.9 inches. The front wheels remain 18x10 monsters wrapped in P275/35ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport ZP, but the rear wheels have grown to truly gargantuan 19x13 and are encased in massive P345/30ZR19 Michelins. The wheels still bolt to Dakota-derived six-lug hubs while the four-disc brakes have grown an inch in diameter to 14.0 inches both front and rear, and they're now controlled by a new advanced ABS system. These are the biggest (and on first impression, best) disc brakes ever installed on an American production car. The steering remains power rack-and-pinion with a 16.7:1 ratio.