"Substantially Less" Doesn't Mean CheapForget the name GT40 for Ford's upcoming production version of the GT40 concept car. Instead it will be called Ford GT after the original '66 LeMans racer that inspired it. Turns out Ford somehow lost the rights to the GT40 name, and rumor has it the company that acquired them wanted $40 million to give them up. So GT it is! The mid-engine two-seater, powered by a supercharged 5.4L, DOHC, 32-valve V-8 will, says Ford Division President Steve Lyons, be available for "substantially less than $150,000."
Ford also announced that just three cars will be produced in 2003 to celebrate Ford's 100th Anniversary as a company, symbolic of the company's 1-2-3 victory in the '66 24-Hours of Le Mans. Starting in 2004, Ford will produce about 1,000 cars per year until everyone who wants one has one. Only dealers with high customer-satisfaction ratings and solid sales numbers will be allowed to participate in a lottery for the privilege of selling the GT.
What are the chances of Ford letting us drive a GT when one is available? Pretty good. What are the chances of us being able to afford to buy one? At least as good as anyone else playing the California Lottery.
Das CupAs holders of the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup, the Detroit Red Wings can do practically anything they want with the trophy. So they took it to the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where Chrysler's German-born CEO Dieter Zetsche threw away all sense of propriety and kissed the Cup.
Afterwards, the Cup remarked that Zetche's moustache was "kind of itchy."
A Whole Lot of AspA new '03 Dodge Viper SRT-10 driven by NASCAR's Sterling Marlin led the longest parade of Vipers ever assembled through the rainy streets of Nashville last September. How many Vipers were there? At least 1,500 according to Dodge. Left unreported was the number of side curtains that leaked on the original Viper RT/10 roadsters in the parade.
Quote Of The Month"His death was caused by the heart attack and losing control of the car because of that-not driver or car error."-Assumption Parish Sheriff Mike Waguespack to the Baton Rouge Advocate about the death of Ronnie Robinson Sr., 53, at the No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, in October.
Robinson was driving his '67 Camaro during a test-and-tune session in the left lane of No Problem's quarter-mile dragstrip and had a fatal coronary during his run. According to No Problem's Web site, the Camaro passed the finish line and then skittered along the wall for 700 feet before rolling off the end of the track. Efforts at the track to revive him were unsuccessful.
Death at a young age is especially tragic, and our hearts go out to the Robinson family in their time of loss. For a long-time racer like Robinson, there's something both poetic and tragic about leaving this life on a dragstrip.
Winner Of The MonthJamie McMurrayBy winning October's UAW-GM Quality 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, 26-year-old Jamie McMurray radically simplified our selection for Winner of the Month. After all, McMurray took the victory in only his second Winston Cup start-an unprecedented and unequalled feat (discounting Jim Roper who won the very first NASCAR race back in 1949 and Red Byron who won the second one).
McMurray was driving the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge in that race because the regular driver, Sterling Marlin, had injured his neck and couldn't compete. The way Chip Ganassi Racing came back with a neophyte pilot to win the race so handily shows the strength of the team's character and preparation.
Now, why had McMurray never won in either the Craftsman Truck or Busch Grand National series?
Journey To NowhereWhile GM's Australian arm is turning out compelling V-8-powered supercars as concept machines, the Brazilian part of the company is screwing around with the idea of a Chevrolet crossover SUV.