It’s popped its mean mug up a bit too early, thanks to one eager Instagrammer. What you’re looking at is an early peek at the upcoming 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. The maddest of the Mustangs, outside of the not-street-legal Cobra Jet factory drag car. Actually, this one might be more insane because it most likely has essentially the same engine as the drag car but can dance in more directions.
Early speculation says to expect at least 720 horsepower, but some are saying that figure might be conservative. And that’s crazy. This may be the last hurrah for the horsepower wars, but it’s undoubtedly a targeted shot.
That maw? It’s gaping. That wing? It’s large. Both are easily overlooked because the prospect hiding behind the exaggerated body bits is the most powerful street-legal production Ford Mustang ever built.
Like you, I assume, I’m very ready for the Adding Lightness Wars to commence. But I’m not in a total rush to see the Horsepower Wars fizzle out just yet.
When your plan is to take a powertrain from Formula 1 and adapt it for road-car use, there are bound to be hurdles. Mercedes-AMG is experiencing this with its bonkers One hypercar. According to a story in Road & Track, the F1-derived engine likes to idle at 5,000 rpm and that is less than ideal for the purposes of emissions.
The goal is to have the car idle happily at 1,200 rpm but down there the engine isn’t comfortable. It’s breaking up. It’s not stable. This is, after all, an AMG Petronas turbo V6 normally ripping down a race track as the revs soar over 10,000 rpm and onward towards 15,000 rpm.
Fret not, hypercar fans. AMG engineers have already started cranking on further engine development. This sets the project back nine months from its initial delivery estimate, but AMG’s top brass say the car is once again moving forward.
It should be ready for arrival some time in the second half of 2020.
Kris Meeke made an early exit from his Citroën WRC career. The race team supporting him at the time felt he was crashing far too often and that led to a dismissal for Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle. Despite his recent slew of offs, Meeke is a talented driver and a likable one to boot, so it’s good to see him pick up with another team. That would be Toyota Gazoo Racing, which just snagged Meeke to run its Yaris through the woods and over the hills.
Meek seems genuinely happy to be back in a race car and also seems at ease with his new team:
It’s just a huge pleasure and honor to be back. Three years ago, I sat down with Tommi Makinen and discussed the possibility of me going there, but at the time it was just a vision. I would have needed to commit to a season without any rallies at first, and at the time, I needed to do a full season because I had never done one up to that point. Tommi understood my point of view, but the simplicity and logic of his vision never went away from me, and even once I had made my decision, part of me wondered if I’d missed an opportunity. So I’m delighted and grateful to have that opportunity again.
The 47th season of the WRC series kicks off in January 2019 in Monte Carlo.
[Source: YouTube via Road & Track]
What’s the dirtiest car you’ve ever cleaned? Perhaps a junkyard slag you’ve hauled out of your local spot needed some shining up, or maybe your daily driver was being neglected and needed a proper detail. What about a car that’s been left to sit in the woods, what would that look like? Larry Kosilla from Ammo NYC has found out because he just detailed a 1994 Eagle Talon that’s spent the last ten years tucked away in the trees.
The owner has relocated to the Caribbean and wants to export this car down to the islands so that it may once again be properly enjoyed. To start the process, the car needs to be extricated, cleaned, and then repaired. Larry’s in charge of the first two parts, and he sets in for one hell of a job.
It’s a job that includes the removal of many critters, both living and deceased, and a decade of mold and grime accumulation. The finished product is remarkable, and it shows that Kosilla is a true expert of his craft.
Well… maybe not the episode itself, but I am! So I’ve enlisted the help of Josh Ostrander to sit in with myself and Chris Hayes. He’s here to talk about the Formula Drift season ender that went down at Irwindale the prior weekend. After that we talk about:
And we take your questions as well. Tune in for some sniffly automotive rantings and ramlbings!
NBC Sports is working on bringing more car content to its channel. Alongside its motorsport offerings, the network is adding a new show called Proving Grounds. Bolstering that lineup is the return of another car show; /Drive. This is the one helmed by Mike Spinelli and Chris Harris. Normally Matt Farah is there with them, but he’s stepped away from the show. So a few new faces have been added to the mix.
Alex Roy rips a go-kart across a full-size race track. Zack Klapman goes on an adventure. And though she’s not in the trailer video above, Kristen Lee arrives to the car party.
Since /Drive first launched a number of years ago, Chris Harris has gone on to become a global megastar in the automotive space. Alex Roy has become a unique voice in the ongoing conversation about autonomous tech. And Mike Spinelli has gotten a haircut.
In the quick teaser above, you can see a truly varied mix of cars. Some great locations paired with solid banter. And a growing cast of characters to help keep the content interesting. In fact, I’m personally excited to see Klapman’s role in this show. He’s a great dude and hilarious as well.
/Drive on NBC Sports premieres Sunday October 21st at 8pm EST. It’s right after Proving Grounds, actually. The 5th season of /Drive unfolds over the course of seven episodes, and it culminates in a pilgrimage to Le Mans.
The interior looks clean. The engine sounds fun. The body style is right. This is a 1964 Ford Country Squire and there’s a stonking big 390 sitting under the long hood. Per the seller, this wagon has been treated right in the past and it seems plenty ready to find a new home.
Here’s the text from the ad:
1964 Ford country squire wagon booger wagon!
390 big block
Fresh tune, wires/ coil/oil/ distributor/ fixed all wiring bugs
4 speed on floor
Drum brakes just gone through new master cylinder
Straight piped so it’s loud but fun
Air shocks in rear
Static drop all around 3″ in front 4″ in rearRuns and drives great bought it about 2 years ago and had to do a lot of work to get it driving safe. It’s a driver and we use it to go to shows and down to the beach it gets attention everywhere and is a super fun driver.
Built by Gambino Kustoms in 2004
I’m hemming and hawing on the asking price. The seller is asking for $8,800. That’s not unreasonable, especially if the car is running well and stopping great. Also, a sorted interior goes a long way. But for some reason $7,500 feels more appropriate. That’s not far from what the seller is asking of course, and maybe it’s enough to snag the keys to this one.
One of you should find out…
[Source: Craiglist]
The Ultimate Kidney Machine is here. Look at those gigantic beans sitting on the bow of this behemoth. What you see before you is the new 2019 BMW X7 Cayonero.
Length? Just .6-inches shy of a Cadillac Escalade, at 203.3-inches. It’s ten inches longer than the X5. This is a big Bimmer.
BMW will offer the X7 in two versions; the xDrive40i and xDrive50i. One is a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine while the other is a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8. The former is good for 335 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, while the latter produces 456 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Each is paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
People want crossovers. People like big. And those with cash like the latest shiny thing. We expect these to sell quite well for BMW, and we also look forward to the bastardized “M” version driving this brand ever farther away from the Ultimate Driving Machine factory that it used to be.
(Though a Dinan-tuned xDrive50i would absolutely be a glorious highway commuter…)
You love wagons. I love wagons. We’re truly sane automotive enthusiasts, and it’s the rest of the world that’s gone crazy. That said, there have to be a handful of wagon models that we perhaps hold in too high a level of esteem?
Is the W123 wagon (S123) a holy grail machine? Actually, with a diesel engine under the hood, it’s a gutless wonder. As much as I love the look and classic styling of any Benz from this era, there’s a reason why I’m stuffing a V8 into my own example.
What about vintage muscle wagons? Some might argue that you have even more metal for which rust can find a home. Those who love modern wagons often have to turn to a German luxury brand to find an example, and that could lead to finicky repairs and a high cost of ownership.
Surely the Swedes have it right with the new V60 and V90? Good luck with that twin-charged engine.
There may be a few lovely longroof examples that we, as enthusiasts, have overstated “the goods”. What’s your prime example of an overrated wagon?
And don’t worry, no matter what your answer, we all know that deep down inside you still love it. You’re safe here.
Radwood Philadelphia took place this past weekend. Did you make it out to soak in the glory of the 1980s and 1990s? Regular Cars did and the resulting video is… RCR Pop Art. It’s filled with a number of familiar faces, some pretty cool time capsule cars, and a backing tune that will make you think Stranger Things 3 is ready to air.
Also… Radwood needs to collaborate with Stranger Things somehow.
Anyway, did you go to the show? If so, what did you see and what was your favorite vehicle there?
