Category Archives: Automotive News

I don’t follow current events unless you count knowing who builds the awesomest cars in the world a current event.

The Return of the COPO Camaro

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Some people say that we are in the second golden age of the muscle car. Each of Detroit’s Big 3 have revived their performance car nameplates and the horsepower wars are on again. Further proof that the muscle car is alive and well is that you can buy factory built drag racing cars again. Ford turned the Mustang into the Super Cobra Jet and Dodge has a MOPAR Drag Package for the Challenger. Now GM has joined the game by reviving the COPO Camaro. COPO stands for Central Office Production Order which was a process used by a dealer in the 60’s to get GM to install a 427 into the Camaro even though that combination was never intended for production. 69 COPO’s were built in the 60’s and now GM will only build 69 of the new COPO’s. The new COPO was developed during the off-hours at the GM Powertrain Plant in Wixom, Michigan by all the hot rodders who worked there. The rear suspension has been converted to a 4-link solid axle and it will be available with three engine options.

The guys from Hot Rod Magazine also got a chance to tour the Wixom Performance Build Center in the other half of the building in Wixom. That’s where they hand build all the LS3’s for the Corvette Grand Sport, LS7’s for the Corvette Z06 and the supercharged LS9’s in the Corvette ZR-1. They also got to play with the Camaro ZL1 on the dragstrip and take a look at the new 1LE handling package.


Source: Motor Trend on YouTube

Pagani Huayra on the Road

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Pagani of Italy is following up their hugely successful Zonda with a new model called the Huayra. The Huayra is named after a Spanish trade wind which is something you will find highly appropriate after watching the video. The car is powered by a 6.0 liter twin turbo AMG V8 that makes 720hp. It also has a very sophisticated active aerodynamics system that responds to cornering and braking. Evo magazine goes along for a ride with Horacio Pagani in one of the Huayras they are using for legalization testing for the US. Pagani explains that while the Zonda was inspired by a race car, the Huayra’s inspiration is an airplane taking off. Between the whooshing of the turbos and the flaps controlling the airflow over the car, I would say they did a good job living up to that inspiration and the name they chose.


Source: Evo TV on YouTube

Motor Trend Head 2 Head: Subaru BRZ vs. Ford Mustang V6

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Kudos to Motor Trend for coming up with an interesting comparison on this one. Lets say you are in the market for a mid-range (under 30 thousand) new car with a warranty that is rear wheel drive, has a back seat and is sporty enough to do some autocrosses or track days on the weekend. The best candidates on your list would be the new Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ, Ford Mustang V6, Hyundai Genesis coupe and maybe the V6 Chevrolet Camaro. In reality, probably not too many people are going to cross-shop the two cars in this comparison, but they do belong in the same genre. As with the rest of the high quality FT-86 reviews, there is a lot of talk about being a balanced driver’s car vs. having power and the contrast with the Mustang illustrates it very well. Editor Angus Mackenzie drives both cars on some mountain roads and then they are turned over to Randy Pobst for a lap time around Streets of Willow.


Source: Motor Trend on YouTube.

AutoCar’s Long Term Verdict on the BMW 1M

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The BMW 1M is, conceptually speaking, one of my favorite modern cars. Right off the bat the car was made for the enthusiasts without making a lot of compromises for broad market appeal. To keep development costs down, BMW Frankensteined the 1M together with stuff they already had in the parts bin. The rear axle is from the E46 M3 and the 3.0 liter twin turbo inline-6 is the same as the one you can get in the regular 1-series and 3-series, but with an upgraded turbo, exhaust and fuel mapping. This is the first M-car to have a turbocharged engine, but that’s not a bad thing. Between variable valve timing and direct injection, modern turbocharged engines like this one feel very much like larger displacement naturally aspirated engines. The plus side is you get much better fuel economy and gobs of fun torque instead of a high strung peaky power band. That’s what makes this car so much fun. Unfortunately the 1M was only sold for one model year to preserve its classic status. That’s a shame becuase BMW definitely got it right with this one.

Source: AutoCar on YouTube