The Exasis
Meet the fully transparent eXasis from the Swiss company Rinspeed. As you'd guess, something this weird would have to be a concept. The eXasis has open wheels, tandem seating, and a Baja-vehicle look (if you squint really hard and don't look at it). It features a 150hp, bio-ethanol-fed, two-cylinder, 750cc, supercharged engine and has light-as-a-feather plastic body construction, making its overall weight about 1,650 pounds. It's rear-wheel drive and has a six-speed manual tranny, an aluminum chassis, double-wishbone suspension, and, we hope, a dress code.
Victory Lane Lifestyle Development
Everything in life seems to need a theme, so why not a home site for motorsports and outdoors enthusiasts? That would be Georgia-based Victory Lane (unlimitedspeed.net), which will have a 4.5-mile road course and an FAA-approved airport in the Phil Hill Motor Sports Complex. About that complex: The 500-acre facility will have a track built for both car and motorcycle drivers, including a 2-mile technical track and a 2.5-mile open track. The straightaway will double as a runway. Home site lots will start at $675,000.
Thoroughly Modern Ford
The Blue Oval is spending about a billion dollars to upgrade six of its Michigan-based plants, including the ones that focus on transmissions, trucks, and parts-stamping. In return, Ford gets $151 mil in tax incentives.
Playboy's Cars Of The Year
We don't normally like to provide other magazines' "best" lists, but when it's Playboy, it's hard to resist. For example, Best Two-Way Player? The upcoming Volkswagen Eos. Best Cross-Dresser? The Mazda CX-7. The Al Gore Special? The Lexus GS 450h. The staffer who told us about the list this swears he was only reading the magazine for the naked girls.
NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion Honorees
June's fifth annual National Hot Rod Reunion will be the party to end all reunion parties-including drag cars, street rods, customs, and all-you-can-eat churros-and the list of those being honored has been announced. Here are a couple of their noteworthy historical moments:
John Abbott: Top Fuel title in 1981
Don Cain: Top Gas victory in 1967
Ted Harbit: Won Stock class at the NHRA Nationals seven times
Fred Hurst: Won Street Eliminator at the '68 World Finals
Gary Rupp and Pat Dakin: Took home the top spot in the '89 IHRA World Championship
Jeg Coughlin Sr.: Division III champ in 1977, 1978, and 1980, plus is the Jeg in Jeg's mail-order speed parts
Frank Hawley: Has two Nitro Funny Car NHRA World championships, created Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School
By Tori Tellem
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