May the (U.S. Air) Force Be With You: Dodge Challenger Vapor and Ford Mustang X-1 Concepts

The U.S. Air Force has spent taxpayer money collaborated with Galpin Auto Sports, which is widely known through its involvement in MTV's Pimp My Ride show, to create customized versions of the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger pony cars. Why, do we hear you ask? Well, the Air Force needed something a bit more spectacular than your typical TV ads to draw the attention of new recruits. The result is the air-force-inspired white Ford Mustang 'X-1' and black Dodge Challenger 'VAPOR' that will travel across the country this year.

The 'X-1' Mustang features a 'jet cockpit that includes a single-driver ejection seat placed centrally, short shifter, flight stick, and a high-tech instrumentation panel. On the outside, the heavily modded 'Stang gets a wide bodykit, dark alloy wheels and a pair of Lambo-style scissor doors. Power is provided by a custom 4.6 liter V8 engine with 500HP, courtesy of Ford Racing.

The more radical looking Dodge Challenger 'Vapor' continues the air-force theme with a 'Stealth' bodykit, carbon fiber exterior trim, a custom stealth exhaust mode that gives the driver the option to run the vehicle in complete silence, one-off carbon-fiber wheels, radar-absorbing paint, proximity sensors, and a 360-degree camera with a quarter-mile range.

Like its Ford counterpart, the Vapor's interior comes with aircraft style controls plus a passenger side steering wheel, GPS tracking, night and thermal vision via a film on the front windshield, and what Galpin calls, as the "most technologically-advanced computer system with remote control UAV-type access from anywhere in the world utilizing the internet."

Dodge Challenger Vapor

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Ford Mustang X-1

Unlicensed 16-Year-Old Jumps Pool and Lands into Home with his Father's Saleen Mustang

It's the same old story, just different names, places and cars. A 16-year-old teen without a driver's license from Placentia, California decided to take his dad's Saleen Mustang for a very quick spin around the block. And when we're talking quick we mean it, as according to Placentia police Sgt. Ken Alexander, the teen was going around 85mph or 137km/h before he lost control (duh...) of the Saleen Mustang crashing into a brick wall, jumping over a pool (!!!) and ending up into the family room of a neighboring house.

Unfortunately the teen learned a very harsh lesson from the crash as he suffered multiple injuries, including a broken leg, ankle and back. Luckily, even though the family was inside the home at the time of the incident, no one was injured.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

R.I.P.: Knight Rider TV Series Officially Terminated

Not that anybody will miss it, but NBC officially announced that its new Knight Rider TV series featuring Justin Bruening in the role of Michael Knight and a specially modified Ford Shelby GT500KR as KITT, is out of gas after only one season and some 17 episodes. To be completely frank, the series was so bad that we only managed to watch / tolerate a couple of episodes of the new Knight Rider before calling it quits.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Australia: The Pricey World of Right-Hand Drive Conversions

Car buyers in Australia and other RHD countries have long got the short end of the stick in terms of American muscle cars. The reason is quite simple: they drive on the "wrong" side of the road.

Most manufacturers are unwilling to do right-hand-drive conversions on what are essentially specialist models: cars like the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Viper, Ford Mustang and the like. There just aren't enough buyers to rationalize the cost.

Fortunately, a cottage industry (or rather a man-in-a-shed industry) has popped up offering RHD conversions of American muscle cars for eager buyers in countries like Australia, the UK and Japan.

In Australia, for instance, you can get just about anything from a AU$359,990 Corvette ZR-1 (or around three times as much as it does in the U.S.) to a AU$139,000 Chevrolet Camaro (or the same as an Audi S5 Cabrio in Australia).

Want a 2011 Mustang GT convertible? Be prepared to pony up AU$142,500 (the same as brand new Porsche Boxster Spyder) for that Pony. And it becomes even more laughable when you look at the U.S. prices for these same cars:

We do not claim to know the full details involved with importing a car and converting it to RHD, but it can't be so difficult as to demand the of a new entry-level Porsche 911...

So the next time you harrumph at some foreign nobody, whining about, "How good you bleedin' Yanks have got it" – spare a thought for the poor, cash-strapped Aussie... selling his 911 to buy a RHD Corvette ZR-1.

By Tristan Hankins

Here's where we found pricing information for the RHD conversions:

Corvette Clinic - makers of the RHD ZR-1
Mustang Australia - builders of RHD Mustangs
Performax - makers of the RHD Camaro and other cars

And Top Gear Australia magazine's August 2010 issue.

Shelby Releases 800-Horsepower Super Snake on the Unsuspecting Public

Shelby American, the company responsible for creating modern "Shelby" Mustangs (except for Ford's own GT500), has released details about its Super Snake package for the 2011 Mustang GT500. No surprise there, except that the "post title" package can be pushed up to 800 horsepower (no torque figures have been released for that one, yet). Interested? Get in line, because only 1,000 will be built for 2011.

The base 2011 Super Snake package gets people a 660-horsepower / 590 lb-ft supercharged V8, a Ford Racing suspension kit, Borla exhaust system, new Shelby-designed Alcoa rims, and more (check out the rest below, because the list is just your standard bolt-ons and my fingers grow weary).

Package options include a supercharger upgrade to Shelby / Ford Racing or Shelby / Kenne Bell supercharger - anything to tack "Shelby" onto a part - that puts out 750 horsepower and throws in a new driveshaft, throttle body, and badges for good measure; or, if you're really in the mood to spend some cash, you can opt for that 800-pony package. Shelby American says that its Super Snake packages will only be available from the company or one of its "mod shops".

Company president John Luft says, "Ford Motor Company did a marvelous job making the 2011 model year GT500 lighter and more powerful. Our team applied its experience building Super Snakes over the past several years to offer a package that dramatically increases the new car's capabilities. And with the visual changes we've made, it will be a definite stand out on the road or track."

To give you an idea of pricing, the 750-horse package will run $30,245 including installation. You know, don't worry about getting in that line I mentioned earlier; if the price adds that kind of cash to the $49,500 price of a base...BASE...GT500, just go get yourself a Viper. Hell, at least you'll be driving one hell of a cool snake-themed sports car. That, and your neighbor's kid won't have a V6 version of the same thing.

By Phil Alex

Via: Jalopnik , Source: Shelby

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The 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake post title package includes:

• Ford Racing handling pack including dynamic adjustable dampers, lowering springs, tuned stabilizer bars, and front strut tower brace
• 6-speed manual transmission with 3.73:1 rear axle ratio
• Shelby/Ford Racing supercharger upgrade producing over 660 HP and 590 ft.-lbs. of torque
• Either a Shelby/Ford Racing or Shelby/Kenne Bell supercharger kit producing 750 HP with upgraded drive shaft, billet twin 75mm throttle body and exclusive badges
• Optional Shelby/Kenne Bell 800 horsepower tune on pump gas
• Borla exhaust system
• An optional Shelby / Eibach handling pack is also available
• Shelby-designed Alcoa 20-inch wheels in durabright or anthracite
• Short-throw shifter
• Forged Shelby / Baer brakes with 6 piston calipers and cross drilled / vented rotors
• Front brake cooling ducts and behind the door side scoops
• Unique fiberglass hood featuring classic Shelby design and pins
• Shelby signature Super Snake stripes in either matte black or matte white
• "Shelby" lettering across the rear deck lid
• "Super Snake" vehicle badges and official Shelby CSM interior plate
• Optional two tone leather interior
• Shelby signature embroidered headrests, floor mats and other Shelby designed components

Real-Life Transformer Fulfills All Our Childhood Fantasies

This video of a real-life Transformer snapped rolling on Hollywood Boulevard has been making the rounds on YouTube for a few months. No, it's not a lame viral marketing attempt by Citroen or a trailer for a new shaky cam Michael Bay / Jerry Bruckheimer movie.

It's a guy in a transforming Transformers costume. How cool is that? Remember when you were a kid and you had that cardboard box that you used to hold around your waist, pretending to be a fire truck? This is like that, but a million times cooler.

The video says its Optimus Prime but come on; everyone knows Optimus is a big rig. Binaltech has a Mustang Transformer called Wheeljack, but that's pretty obscure even from a fanboy perspective. It could be Barricade from the 2007 movie but if so, where's the police get up?

The pièce de résistance of course is the vinyl roof. Well, it's either that or a convertible roof, but the former is much funnier.

By Tristan Hankins

ROUSH 5XR Mustang GT with 525HP Supercharged 5.0 L V8

Michigan based Ford tuner ROUSH has taken on the new Mustang GT, resulting in the 2011 ROUSH 5XR Mustang. The 5XR will be limited to just 150 units and is available in either coupe or convertible body style, albeit only with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Utilizing ROUSH's R2300 ROUSHcharger (supercharger), the Mustang GT's 5.0-liter V8 will be good for 525-hp and 465 lb. ft. (630 Nm) of torque. All ROUSH components and the powertrain come with a 3 year, 36,000 mile (58,000 km) warranty.

Jack Roush, ROUSH chairman said:

"I'm always excited to get an opportunity to work on a new engine, and the Ford 5.0-liter is a great platform. It has 412 horsepower [307 kw] to begin with, but our group was able to coax out another 113 horsepower [84 kw] with the ROUSHcharger. The 2011 ROUSH 5XR runs fast, sounds great, and is another amazing addition to the ROUSH Mustang heritage."

ROUSH has upgraded the Mustang's suspension with new front struts, rear shocks and springs and front and rear stabiliser bars.

The exterior gets a square tipped exhaust, full bodykit, new front fascia with driving lamps and upper billet grille, a front chin splitter, side rocker splitters, rear valance and a three-piece boot spoiler. The whole thing sits on 20' chrome rims wearing Cooper RS3 rubber.

The 5XR also gets body stickers, unique 5XR badging inside and out and a lettery of authenticity signed by Jack Roush himself. Options include color-matched sports leather and four-piston brakes with slotted rotors.

The ROUSH 5XR Mustang will only be sold as a post-title vehicle (you have to buy a Mustang before you can get order the ROUSH modifications) and is not available in California. The recommend retail price will be US$15,390, on top of the price of the Mustang base car.

By Tristan Hankins

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