Category Archives: The Octane Lounge

Not to be out done . . . Viper ACR
The Octane Lounge April 27, 2015

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The Detroit horsepower arms race continues to escalate.
As if the introduction of the Corvette Stingray Z06 and the Shelby GT350R weren’t already enough to make 2015 a watershed year, Dodge has jumped into the furball in a big way with the 2016 Viper ACR. Dodge says the new two-seat coupe is the fastest street-legal Viper track car ever. That’s right. A street-legal track car.

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Last chance?
The Octane Lounge April 20, 2015

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Jeff Gordon won’t be racing in the Indy 500, and he says the pace car might be the closest he ever gets. Chevrolet has had a long association with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, dating back to the earliest days of what is arguably the most famous race track in the world.
Arthur Chevrolet competed in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, his brother Gaston won it in 1920 and a third brother, Louis, who co-founded the automaker Chevrolet in 1911, raced in it, too.

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Why wait
The Octane Lounge April 13, 2015

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The Ford Shelby GT350 isn’t ready yet, but Shelby itself might have something better anyway. And it’s here. When Ford introduced its hot new Shelby GT350 Mustang and GT350R Mustang pony cars, there was just one problem: they won’t go into production until late this year. And that leaves diehard fanatics to wait to get their hands on one.
The Mustang, of course, was totally redesigned for the first time in a decade for 2015, and demand has been high so far.

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Fast fraternity
The Octane Lounge April 6, 2015

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Since the original “The Fast and The Furious” movie debuted in 2001, the series has produced a total of seven films (so far), a couple of spin-offs and a popular video-game series. The series is reportedly the biggest money maker in the history of Universal Pictures. According to the Wall Street Journal, the newest film, “Furious 7” is on track to gross $1 billion. Yes, that’s billion with a “b.”

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Why not?
The Octane Lounge March 30, 2015

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Concept cars by their very nature are teasers. Maybe the splashy prototype a given automaker rolls out onto the auto-show circuit will make it into production and maybe it won’t. That’s why they are called concepts in the first place.
If the exotic piece some designers and engineers created receives seriously bad reviews, that vehicle can die a peaceful death without getting pummeled in the marketplace.

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2016 Miata
The Octane Lounge Jan 5, 2015

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MORE than most automakers, Mazda has consistently embraced the importance of building cars that are fun. Not the fastest, not the most powerful, but cars that put a smile on your face, whether it be the Mazda3 or Mazda6 sedans.
Whether you call it an MX-5, a Miata, or an MX-5 Miata, the fact remains that you’ve known what it is and what it’s all about for 25 years . . . FUN.

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High time for a new XF
The Octane Lounge Dec 29, 2014

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Jaguar went to new heights to introduce its all-new 2016 XF sedan. Literally. The British luxury automaker chose to unveil its newest model in dramatic fashion in late March, when veteran British stunt man Jim Dowdell drove it across two wires that stretched 787 feet along the Royal Dock in London’s Canary Wharf. Why, you ask? Good question. According to the fine folks at Jaguar, the answer is simple: “to highlight the lightweight aluminum-intensive architecture featured on the vehicle.”

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High-demand Hellcats
The Octane Lounge Dec 22, 2014

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Whether speculation is to blame, or there’s an insatiable demand for outrageous horsepower – or both – Dodge has stopped taking orders for the Hellcat until it gets a handle in the situation. Meanwhile, there’s advice for buyers. Some dealers are taking deposits for Hellcats that might not arrive for months, or years, or maybe never. The situation has generated rather drastic action from parent company Fiat Chrysler.

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The Octane Lounge Dec 15, 2014

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It’s not the most powerful or most expensive 911 model, but in many ways it’s the best. Million-dollar supercars provide a certain “wow” factor, but when it comes to getting from Point A to Point C when Point B is the Nurburgring race track, most can’t hold a candle to the relatively cheap Porsche 911 GT3 RS. How? Where others strive for a compromise of driving comfort and speed/agility, this newest model from the German automaker lives for one thing: lap times.

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McLaren 675LT
The Octane Lounge Dec 8, 2014

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McLaren has taken the wraps off of its latest supercar and it is an absolute stunner.
Called the 675LT – 675 is the car’s “PferdestÅ rke” power rating (roughly equivalent to U.S. horsepower) and the letters are short for “longtail” – McLaren vows its new offering will be “the most track-focused, yet road legal, model in the McLaren Super Series.” Based on the existing McLaren 650S Coupe and Spider, which will both remain in production, the 675 LT features fully one third of it parts modified from its forebears.

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