The Original Aston Martin Vantage Supercar Still Impresses To This Day

The Vantage name is still very much at the forefront of the Aston Martin brand with the 2019 V12 variant a virtual showstopper. Not a far departure from the late 70s first-generation Vantage which brought Aston Martin into the world of supercars.

Originally debuting in 1977 this 1979 Vantage is an ‘Oscar India’ version which gave the 2+2 coupe a boost in horsepower to 390 from the 370hp of the standard V8 Vantage. In fact, in this specific configuration their were only 12 delivered to North America, ultra-rare due to the left-hand drive nature of the British car which would traditionally be right-hand drive.

When sold at Auction earlier this month the ’79 Vantage had 41,000 actual miles and had undergone a full restoration and mounted with a factory five-speed ZF transmission. Further adding to the rarity is the factory electric sunroof which partnered with the low number in existence helped the car to bring in $240,800 at auction.

[Photography courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.]

The post The Original Aston Martin Vantage Supercar Still Impresses To This Day appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170359125722

2019 Ram Goes Lux With 1500 Laramie Longhorn Edition

Well, it didn’t take long into 2018 for Ram to ramp back up their special edition announcements and kicking off the years is the 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Edition.

If the name wasn’t a big enough of an indicator for you, the Longhorn Edition has roots closely tied to Texas. In fact, it was voted “Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas” from the Texas Auto Writers Association two years in a row. Granted that seems like a fairly niche title, but nevertheless the Laramie Longhorn Edition is luxurious with full-grain leather and barn-wood accents throughout the interior.

Via Ram:
Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn models are distinguished externally by the standard two-tone RV Match Brown trim or monotone paint, premium LED headlamps and tail lamps, and unique wheels and grilles.

Inside, the 2019 Ram 1500’s Laramie Longhorn trim exudes quality with a segment-exclusive hand-wrapped, 100 percent full-grain leather dashboard and southwestern-design-inspired door-panel and armrest coverings. Throughout the cabin, a new embossed alligator skin pattern leather covers surfaces including the center console, instrument panel, seats and door panel inserts. Other unique details include satin chrome accents, a brushed-nickel metal badge flush-mounted on the console lid and a new “Longhorn” branding mark burned on the wood-trimmed upper glove box door.

Real barn-wood accents are used throughout the cabin. Wood tandem doors on the center console reflect the heightened attention to detail and provide closed storage. At night, the cabin is accentuated with ambient lighting to create a luxurious and soothing atmosphere. Longhorn interior colors include Mountain Brown/Light Mountain Brown and Black/Cattle Tan full-leather seats with contrast piping. Heated, full-leather rear seats and class-exclusive rear seat ventilation are available on Longhorn.

The post 2019 Ram Goes Lux With 1500 Laramie Longhorn Edition appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170347547987

Watch Eight Ford Performance Models Go Head To Head On The Track

Ford brought eight models from their global performance lineup to do battle verse one another on the Motorland race circuit near Barcelona, Spain. The eight models included, the Ford F-150 Raptor, Fiesta ST, all-new Fiesta ST, Focus RS, new Mustang GT, Mustang GT350R, Ford GT road car and Ford GT race car all on the track at the same time with staggered starts. However, Ford knew just when to start each car to make for a pretty exciting finish…

The post Watch Eight Ford Performance Models Go Head To Head On The Track appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170312636062

Entire Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Company Hits $1.9 Million, Fails To Sell

It’s not quite Willy Wonka in that at the end of the day you will need to cut a check, but it’s damn near as close as an adult can get to being a kid in a candy factory… Excelsior-Henderson motorcycles went to auction, but failed to sell.

Part of the “Big 3” of motorcycles, along with Harley and Indian, Excelsior was founded in 1907 as a subsidiary of Excelsior Supply Company which began over 30 years prior focusing on bicycles. The auction was held January 27th at Mecum’s annual motorcycle auction in Las Vegas, NV, and consisted of the brand and its intellectual property. As well as, “10 federally registered trademarks, web domains, previous motorcycle frame and engine designs as well as 18 expired patents that can only be effectively exploited by the owner of Excelsior-Henderson.”

The post Entire Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Company Hits $1.9 Million, Fails To Sell appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170308076912

Emissions Testing Event Begins at TRC

Today kicks off the EcoCAR 3 Emissions Testing Event (ETE) at the Transportation Research Center (TRC) facility in East Liberty Ohio. Over the course of two weeks, EcoCAR 3 teams will attend the ETE in three separate waves. Teams will have the opportunity to utilize TRC’s dynamometer equipment and facility to conduct a variety of tests and collect valuable data on their Camaros.

Before teams have a chance to participate in dynamometer testing they will undergo a Safety and Technical Inspection. Safety Tech includes a variety of key checks on vehicle hardware, electrical systems, safety systems and controls functionality performed by EcoCAR 3 organizers from Argonne National Laboratory and General Motors. Once they pass through Safety Tech, teams will be able to conduct a series of tests on TRC’s dynamometer.

Students from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) will be among the first wave of students attending ETE.  UTK Engineering GRA and Controls Lead, Aubrey Casey, is looking forward to participating in live emissions collection and evaluation.

“Since Team Tennessee has a post-transmission parallel hybrid architecture, and we’re not a plug in, energy recovery is of utmost importance in our controls strategy,” Casey said. “We’re going to test a more aggressive regenerative braking strategy, specifically a brake pedal activated regen, so we’re mainly looking for the impact on state of charge (SOC) and fuel consumption. We’re also going to test on a UTK specific drive cycle we’ve developed that is essentially a route from The University of Tennessee towards the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC) in Knoxville. We’re wanting to compare our very simplified emissions collection equipment data to the TRC equipment and hopefully yield insight and calibration in our data collection and analysis process.”

Each team will have the opportunity to utilize TRC’s state of the art equipment to run tests on their vehicles and gather useful information for improving their design before the Year Four Competition. The Penn State team will be among the group of teams attending ETE in the third wave.

According to PSU Electrical Lead, Aizat Mohammad, “We can’t wait to test our Camaro on TRC’s dynamometer with some highway drive cycles. It will be interesting to see how much we have reduced emissions while being able to potentially improve our hybrid strategies!”

Now that the event is officially underway, excitement is beaming from the facility by not only EcoCAR 3 teams, but also from Joanna Pinkerton, TRC’s Chief Operating Officer. “At TRC we are thrilled to be a multi-year sponsor of the EcoCAR program, and are pleased each of the teams will be hosted at TRC for this event,” She said. “This work being performed with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, and many other companies and suppliers is a tremendous example of how they leverage incredible talent and resources in academic programs across the nation.  We welcome everyone to Ohio where incredible innovations take place every day!”

Stay up to date on the progress happening at the Emissions Testing Event on Facebook and Twitter!

The post Emissions Testing Event Begins at TRC appeared first on Ecocar 3.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170268667952

Everything You Need To Know To Watch The Rolex 24 At Daytona

The 56th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona will take the green flag at 2:00pm ET today and will be televised LIVE from Daytona International Speedway on Fox Networks and streamed live in its entirety on the Fox Go Mobile App as well as on Fox Sports 1. Below you will find some handy spotting charts so you can easily find your favorite on the course which also conveniently has a map below. Additionally, you will find the full entry list for each classification of car along with drivers and car make and model.

Basically all you have to do now is sit back and enjoy 24 hours of non-stop racing action from Daytona International Speedway.

The post Everything You Need To Know To Watch The Rolex 24 At Daytona appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170189601392

Gas Monkey Energy To Take On The Rolex 24 At Daytona Saturday

Turner Motorsport will be back on the track this year at the 56th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, but this time with Gas Monkey Energy helping fuel them in the grueling 24-hour endurance race which begins the 2018 WeatherTechSportsCar Championship season. Taking their partnership beyond a traditional wrap on a car, Gas Monkey Energy is putting a driver IN the car! One of the brands Principle Financial Investors, Don Yount, will share driving duties of the no. 96 BMW on the world-famous Daytona International Speedway’s 12-turn road course spanning 3.56 miles.

A race like few others in the world, the Rolex 24 will put drivers not through a distance race, but a timed race beginning Saturday, January 27th at 2:40pm and end the following day at 2:40pm. And while there will be little rest for the drivers and teams during that time, the same can be said for Gas Monkey Energy as we will be covering all of the action live on our various social networks so be sure to follow along!

FB: @GasMonkeyEnergy
IG: @GasMonkeyEnergy
#GasMonkeyEnergy
#GMERolex24

The 56th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona will take the green flag at 2:00pm ET on January 27th and will be televised LIVE from Daytona International Speedway on Fox Networks and streamed live in its entirety on the Fox Go Mobile App as well as on Fox Sports 1.

The post Gas Monkey Energy To Take On The Rolex 24 At Daytona Saturday appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170154138402

French Designed, This Is 1 of 36 Vegas With Original Dual Quad 354 Hemi

You don’t usually associate cars with France the way you do the U.S. or Germany, nor would you ever associate a French car with a dual quad 354 Hemi engine, but that’s exactly what this 1958 Facel Vega FV4 Typhoon out of France is packing.

The Faces Vega was short lived being produced from 1954-1962 having originally debuted at the Paris Salon in that first production year. Immediately the Vega stood out as a result of its unique, and luxurious, interior having taken styling cues from aircraft of the time. Adding to the uniqueness of the car, especially this ’58, was the Chrysler engine. Seeming to increase year over year, this ’58 featured a dual quad 354 Hemi, the same engine used in the famous Chrysler letter car the 300B. Only 36 of the dual quad 354 variants were produced and this one has experienced a body off restoration, new air conditioning, upgraded brakes and new power windows. A rare car in its time, its become even rarer today and a once in a lifetime buy at Mecum Los Angeles next month.

[Photography courtesy of Mecum Auctions.]

The post French Designed, This Is 1 of 36 Vegas With Original Dual Quad 354 Hemi appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170130525537

Jeep Blacks Out Flagship Grand Cherokee For Special Edition

The world’s most awarded SUV, the Grand Cherokee, will get a limited edition model S. Aesthetically speaking, the special edition will be very apparent thanks to its dark exterior, gloss black grille and dual exhaust with a black chrome finish. Additionally, the exterior will feature 20-inch Granite Crystal and further Granite Crystal accents.

The blacked out exterior makes its way to the interior with black Napa SRT leather seats, Anodized Gun Metal accents, black wood finishes and black instrument panel accent stitching. Under the hood the usual options remain the same with the various options, “3.0-litre Multijet II 250 horsepower diesel engine, the 3.6-litre V-6 286 horsepower or the 5.7-litre HEMI V-8 352 horsepower petrol engines, all mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission.” Unfortunately for those in the states the S is currently only available in select European markets.

The post Jeep Blacks Out Flagship Grand Cherokee For Special Edition appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170119316712

Motor Mega Week Returns With ‘Fast N’ Loud’ Vs. ‘Street Outlaws’ Mega Race

Motor Mega Week is back and it’s poised to be the greatest yet, with three series premieres, one finale, a sneak peak and another Street Outlaws vs. Fast N’ Loud Mega Race.

Joining veteran shows, like Fast N’ Loud, are newcomers Twin Turbos, Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings and Shifting Gears With Aaron Kaufman. Additionally, an old favorite, American Chopper, returns with a sneak peak at its new season. All the while, the Street Outlaws and Fast N’ Loud crews will return to the track for another Mega Race following a four episode build up to the main event. The full Motor Mega Week schedule is below:

Monday, Feb. 26
8pm Kickoff to Mega Race
9pm Street Outlaws vs. Fast N’ Loud: Build to Mega Race Part 1
10pm Street Outlaws: Memphis (finale)

Tuesday, Feb. 27
9pm Street Outlaws vs. Fast N’ Loud: Build to Mega Race Part 2
10pm Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings (series premiere)

Wednesday, Feb. 28
9pm Street Outlaws vs. Fast N’ Loud: Build to Mega Race Part 3
10pm Twin Turbos (series premiere)

Thursday, March 1
9pm Street Outlaws vs. Fast N’ Loud: Build to Mega Race Part 4
10pm American Chopper (sneak peek)

Monday, March 5
8pm Countdown to Mega Race
9pm Street Outlaws Mega Race
10pm Shifting Gears With Aaron Kaufman (series premiere)

*All times Eastern*

The post Motor Mega Week Returns With ‘Fast N’ Loud’ Vs. ‘Street Outlaws’ Mega Race appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170087329902

Driving A Sports Car More Thrilling Than Watching Football, Kissing | Study

Not excited for the big game featuring the Patriots and Eagles? Hop in a sports car instead! That’s right, driving a sports car provides you with more buzz moments, “peak thrills that play a vital role in our overall wellness,” than watching football and even kissing, a new study by Ford shows.

Building a Ford Focus RS with Designworks the brand was able to convey the driver’s buzz moments to all those within eye shot via a series of 200,000 LED lights via an AI attachment to the driver. The results found that those behind the wheel of a sports car had 2.1 buzz moments on their commute. Using the same artificial intelligence to measure the participants Ford found that this beat out shopping with 1.7 buzz moments, football with 1.5, Game of Thrones with 1.5 and kissing which recorded a surprising zero. In fact, the only scenario tested which registered higher was a rollercoaster with 3.

The post Driving A Sports Car More Thrilling Than Watching Football, Kissing | Study appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170081495997

Liberty Walk Gives Its Famous Treatment To A ‘Lamborghini Miura’

Most adjectives used to describe Liberty Walk cars can also be attributed to its owner, Mr. Kato: crazy, insane, extreme, the list goes on. This newest widebody creation from the famed Japanese garage does not escape the adjectives as they’ve wide-bodied a Lamborghini Miura… Well, it’s not actually a Miura, but a Ford GT40…Well, not actually that either, but a replica. The man maybe crazy, but he’s not THAT crazy. Nevertheless the result is one pretty spectacular looking car bridging the gap between classics, like the Miura, and Mr. Kato’s younger audience.

The post Liberty Walk Gives Its Famous Treatment To A ‘Lamborghini Miura’ appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170054851337

Two Chevys, Two Fords Combine For Over Five Million Raised For Charity

Two Chevrolets and two Fords were sold for charity at Barrett-Jackson and raised total of $5.15 million. Chevrolet’s Carbon 65 was no surprise, but the presence of President George W. Bush on stage with it and his signature on the car was, helping it to bring in $1.4 million. Joining the Carbon 65 was the first Corvette ZR1 which, as many of you guessed, was bought by Rick Hendrick for $925,000.

On the Ford side of things it was a 2017 Ford GT which brought home a cool $2.5 million plus an additional $50,000 all benefiting autism based charities. Additionally, Mustang Bullitt VIN001 was sold for $300,000 to benefit Boys Republic. Together the two of the big three combined for the bulk of the $6.21 million raised overall for charity.

The post Two Chevys, Two Fords Combine For Over Five Million Raised For Charity appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170043503827

Dennis Collins Unloads Nearly Two Decades Of Foxbody Mustangs

Perhaps one of the greatest collections of low mileage Foxbody Mustangs came and went yesterday at Barrett-Jackson’s annual Scottsdale auction. The 18 car collection was put together by Dennis Collins who was able to bring together all but a 1980 and 1981 to represent the run of the Foxbody Mustang. And more impressively that the entire collection is made up of cars with less than 20,000 miles.

The post Dennis Collins Unloads Nearly Two Decades Of Foxbody Mustangs appeared first on GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N LOUD.

via Tumblr https://markgreeley576.tumblr.com/post/170017085122