Cool Viper Engine Ideas

Source: enginelabs

As I learned last year, Fiat Chrysler killed the SRT car brand--leaving the one of a kind Viper back to its Dodge division.

So what?

Well, Automotive News announced last week through their Web site that the UAW union voted on not continuing to produce the Viper after 2017.

So, a replacement then? Or something? Anything?

No. No replacement for the V-10 powered sports car.

After first being introduced at an auto show by Carroll Shelby in 1989, the car began production not entirely long after in 1992. It ran steady until 2010, after Chrysler basically got divorced and screwed over by Mercedes-Benz's parent company, then picking back up again for 2013.

Other than its Dodge Ram-based, Lamborghini-modified V-10 engine, the car never really took off. Here, I would love to include some fun engine ideas for the car as a Last Hurrah of sorts.

1. current Supercharged "Hellcat" V-8. Output: 707 horses

The Hellcat 6.2 is a mean but logical engine that is probably a lot cheaper to build than the Viper's literally unique, variable timing V-10 engine. It even eclipses

2. Base 6.4 liter Hemi. Output: 485 horses

Well, the mighty SRT Hemi engine from the Challenger, Charger and Grand Cherokee I also thought would be an excellent idea for under the hood. Cheap, too!

3. Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6, fully modified, turbos, direct injection, variable valve timing lift and control

Ok, so this engine does not really exist. But it would be frugal, interesting, and probably make it competitive something like the $80,000 Mercedes-Benz SL400, which as a base car, also has a twin turbo V-6.

2016 Car of the Year. Excuse me?

Motor Trend magazine of North America announce their Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year awards last month. That's fine and all, but I think a big shocker came when they announced Car of the Year.

It was the Chevrolet Camaro, both six and V-8 versions of it. Mother of pearl, yes, the Camaro!

This is the same model of car that Chevrolet left almost unchanged for years, specifically the last consecutive generation of the old car. It went from 1993 until the end of 2002, essentially unchanged save for some cosmetic modifications, and the addition of the Ram Air hood-to-engine power increasing system. 

Power for those old cars stopped climbing, and were rated at 315 horses for its final few years (SS version), and was long criticized for its aged looks and unrefined driving habits. A rough ride didn't help. It was "cheap" speed, though, sometimes overshadowed by unemployed car nuts such as myself. 

I may have been paying more attention to Hondas, instead, but 315 horses for a little less than $30,000 is still 315 horses, my friend. Of course, especially back in 2002 for those numbers.

But back to the main point here, and away from that rabbit trail. Has Chevy really perfected the pushrod sports car that much that a major publication hailed it as Car of the Year?

While I can understand why to an extent, I don't understand why because of the car's poor access, and its terrible windows and no vision.

Why is that enough to crown a car of the Year award? I am not sure, and I would satirically question if Motor Trend is sure other than the Camaro's go-fast mission, and GM's claimed ability for the Camaro "handle well."

Motor Trend, try to think with your head next time, and not your lead foot.

Car Opinion: Could the new Bronco be a hit for Ford? BOTFG takes a look...

13 November 2015

Ford Motor Company is at it again.
Automoblog.net, the website that I write for, spilled the beans last week that we will be getting a new midsize-about SUV possibly dubbed the Bronco.
If you are new to cars and do not live in a rural area, you may not know what a Bronco is.
The Bronco, sold here from the 1960s well until 1996, was a midsize, if not almost full size, truck-based SUV that had a great reputation. Decent power, hard-working engines from the F-150, and excellent torque in the later Power Stroke diesel versions coupled to capable off-road driving made for a good nameplate.
After being phased out and being replaced by the V6-only Explorer urbanite of the 1990s (and still even today), Ford lost their two-door betweener-sized SUV. They also lost another diesel.
I think it is excellent news that they want to bring this famous nameplate back to Ford, and like the continued Research and Design division at Ford with strongly evolving technology, could mean renewed share of a the market for Ford, whom has lost to GM with the Tahoe/Suburban full sizers.
Long live the Bronco, and for oil's sake, sell us a powerful award-winning diesel in the U.S.

In Search of the Fountain of Youth: What happened to fun cars?

Hello there Facebook and Blogger world. So, it has been occurring to me that the car industry is not really interested in making cars for the small crowd like me. A few cases in close: Back in 2003, Infiniti as well as some other Japanese manufacturers made interesting, driver focused cars with manual trannies with optional automatic transmission.  

Take for example the Q50, which started out as the Infiniti G35 sedan and coveted Motor Trend 2003 Car of the Year G35 coupe. The coupe was available with standard V-6 power, a 6-speed manual, rear or all wheel drive, great shifting action, decent in the snow, and great acceleration. 
This car has evolved into the Q50, which in turn is NO longer available with any kind of manual; the closest you can get here in the States is the standard 7 speed auto with paddle shifters on the S package. It also handles much worse than the G35 did. No driving excitement there, except for the Q’s still relatively frivolous acceleration, clocking in at around 5 seconds to sixty. Techie, yes, but is that what Infiniti customers really want? What happened to the lesser expensive, manual transmission car that we had for those precious few years? At least make a manual a cost, stripper based option, and give it another gear or two (8

speed manual anyone?). If Porsche can do it for the 911 for everyone else, why won’t Infiniti do it here?

I can’t explain it.

Also, back in 2011, Mazda announced the end of the most unique car of the 21^st century. The RX-8 was quirky, practical, idiosyncratic, quick, weak on torque, had kind of a loud exhaust, and very much a driver’s car for the everyday world. 

Not a car for "Everyman," and not a car for those low on common sense (see any RX-8 user forum online, and you will see) it was. It was also fast however, very fast for a car with 240 horsepower and ~150 pound feet of torque. It looked great too. Mazda executives talked about a replacement, but development of the mass market CX-5 took center stage instead, as well as the company’s all new 3 and 6 sedans. We can still hear you spin in your grave, you dirty little Rotary engine. With smart engineering and head-turner looks, it could again be a world-class sports car. That was 3 years ago, and nothing out of Mazda factories has replaced it.

Honda had the S2000 for a whole decade, and its performance was even better than the wonderful RX-8 at the time with its incredible performance numbers and crazy top speed, nailing the 150 mph barrier even for the smaller 2-liter engine without the use of any forced induction. OK, that’s nice you may say, but here’s the catch. When you see one on the road, it looks futuristic. It doesn’t look or sounds like a Honda. It doesn't drive anything like an Accord or Civic or whatnot. No, rather it is just a purpose-driven 150 mph missile of a sports car. 

I loved it, as well as current Honda enthusiasts. 

It was and is a marvel of engineering, and if it was updated a bit with a new design and some new nuts and bolts, then it could be a real gem. Add some good looks to the package, or at least a unique brand of Honda design language, and presto—you have a successful, global sporty car. Toyota had the old MR2 as well as the stylish Celica, Chevrolet the Camaro, then nothing, then the Camaro again, Pontiac brought back the GTO, Chrysler had the Crossfire, Dodge had the Magnum, Acura had the RSX sport coupe, et cetera. There has been a death of artful looking cars. 

Except for a Porsche or maybe the new Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S twins, and the current gen Honda CR-Z, there are really no artfully styled cars on the market right now that scream ‘look at me.’  Those cars I mentioned all looked interesting and had power and driving finesse to back them up. Japan was responsible for many of them, which is where Infiniti comes from, and they appear to feel that American customers don’t need any cake, don’t want cake, or second helping of good looking cars. Yes, the Ford Fusion looks good, but it does not really do anything the old car didn't. 

There is what I call an overall aura of “boring-ness” in development studios right now. Cars look the same. They pretty much are the same. How does anything from Cadillac right now look any different than current Hyundais and Kias? 

Yes, I just said it, it doesn't. Hyundai and Kia have really been trying too hard with their current, over styled, cross-eyed design language that is the bone I most want to throw. I could go on, but the gist has been made: Detroit and Japan seem to be happy exclusively building cars for the masses, and no more limited edition cars for the few who love cars the most.