Driver's Life - Bringing automotive news, reviews, photos and commentary to enthusiasts

Merry Christmas!

admin — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 10:49:14 +0000

To the five of you that actually bother to read Driver’s Life, I’d like to wish you a merry Christmas! (Or a happy Jews go to the movies day. Or whatever floats your secular, heathen boat!)

Keep reading Driver’s Life. I swear to god, it is my new year’s resolution to start posting on a semi regular basis once again.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Revealed!

admin — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:16:24 +0000

It’s been a long time coming! GM has finally unveiled the Corvette ZR1, and its a beauty! I don’t even know where to begin here, so lets talk about appearances first. At first glance, the ZR1 doesn’t really look all that different from the current Z06, and that is probably due to the fact that the aluminum and magnesium frame of the current generation Z06 forms the basis of the ZR1. There is a carbon fiber splitter on the front, not dissimilar to the chin splitter found on the Le Mans winning Corvette C6R. The hood bulges out on the top to cover the impressive new engine, but on the top, lies a transparent lexan window to show off the powerplant. Moving to the side of the vehicle, an astute observer would notice 2 vertical fender vents. All that hot air in the engine bay has to go somewhere, and 2 massive holes aught to help that. The roof of the ZR1 is all carbon fiber, to help lower the center of gravity, and to make it look absolutely badass. But to help with the latter, GM spent a small fortune to develop a special clearcoat to put on top of the carbon fiber to help prevent resin oxidization, which on any other car would turn yellow and crackly over time. GM wanted to ensure the carbon fiber would look good for the lifespan of the vehicle, and apparently a gallon of the clear coat cost $60,000. The front clip of the ZR1 is also carbon fiber, although painted to match the rest of the vehicle.

Lets talk engines.
The new ‘Vette uses a new V8 LS9 engine, which produces at least 100hp per liter of displacement. Though GM hasn’t released any info about the power output, they told us that engine displacement is 6.2L. Now, obviously, simple minded folks wouldn’t be able to form the kind of hypothesis that I am about to, but then again, not everyone has been a 3 time winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for being a math whiz either. Not to brag or anything… I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that the ZR1 will produce between 620-650 horses. How do I come up with that number? I am a genius, that’s how.

Make the jump for more info on this beast of a Corvette
(more…)

We’re All Guilty of Thinking This

admin — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:51:13 +0000

If I find more auto related comics, I’ll throw them up here every now and then…
Mostly because its a copout for me to not have to try and be funny. Do you think living a life as hilarious as mine is easy? No sir, it is not.
Yes, its true that there is no human being on this planet who is funnier than I am… I once told a joke so funny that Chuck Norris could be heard laughing hysterically. From space. True story.

McLaren P11 Supercar is Sex on Wheels

admin — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:26:49 +0000

A british car magazine claims to have inside information surrounding McLaren’s latest automotive offering, tentatively codenamed the ‘P11.’ This time around, it seems McLaren isn’t trying to break any records, or beat the Veyron and SSC in a battle for top speed supremacy. Instead, McLaren is seemingly taking a step downmarket! (It feels so wrong even saying that…)
The P11 is targeting Ferrari 430s and Porsche 911 GT2s. Not that this is a bad thing! Power is thought to come from an AMG sourced 6.3-liter V8, generating an expected 500 horsepower down through the rear wheels. The P11 should be quick, with an anticipated sub-4-second run to sixty and a top speed over 200 mph. It should be able to stop quickly as well thanks to carbon-ceramic brakes and a lightweight frame made from aluminum and carbon fiber.

The McLaren P11 will be the first new vehicle from the British company since they paired up with Mercedes to make the SLR. But everyone knows that McLaren’s major claim to fame is the F1 supercar, which for many years had held the record for its staggering top speed.

CAR says the renderings are fairly close to the mark for the supercar that will launch in 2010. In this blogger’s humble opinion, this is a very very good thing. Because these renderings have the potential to reverse the effects of advanced erectile dysfunction in a way that could make Viagra jealous. Plus, I haven’t seen such a sexy rear end since… well, since I woke up next to three supermodels this morning. Yep. That’s how I roll.

[Source: CAR online]

Sorry Folks!

admin — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:08:20 +0000

To all of our RSS subscribers, I’d like to say I’m sorry.
Due to computer problems, and general challenges in life, I’ve been pretty neglectful of Driver’s Life.

Trust me, its not due to a lack of interest on my part. I’ve just been dealing with a lot of stuff.
Moving forward, Driver’s Life should have fresh content flowing through its veins pretty soon, as well as some new features that we’re pretty excited to launch.

We appreciate your readership, so please keep checking back!

Dodge Viper vs. Suzuki Hayabusa on Video

admin — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:12:58 +0000

Ok, so the video is a bit on the amateur side, but its always cool to watch supercars take on superbikes.
In this case, we’ve got a 731 horsepower Dodge Viper racing against a 164 horsepower Suzuki Hayabusa. There’s a definite weight advantage for the bike, but the Viper just has so many more ponies. Oh, did we mention that both vehicles are modified?

Enjoy!

Dodge Viper VS Suzuki Hayabusa - The funniest home videos are here

Nissan Could bring back the Silvia and 240sx

admin — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:45:25 +0000

There have been rumors circling the interweb for some time regarding Nissan’s plans to bring back the much loved, much missed Silvia/240sx. There seems to be some some evidence to support these rumors too! Now, a website known as Rocket Punch Auto Blog claims to be in the know. Rocket Punch is saying that a new Silvia has gotten the green light by Nissan execs, and will make production by 2010 with a price point between ¥2,000,000 and 2,500,000 (Which roughly equates to $18,435 and 23,044 USD).

This is good news. A rear wheel drive, performance oriented yet low cost sports car is exactly what the market is missing. The word on the street as for the Silvia and 240sx is that it will be based on a shortened 350z platform, likely powered by a Renault engine.

Oh, it should be noted that the above images are just artist renderings, and not officially sourced by Nissan.

Sweet. Give us your thoughts.

[Source: Autoblog]

VW Says No Scirocco for North America

admin — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 19:47:40 +0000

Volkswagen CEO of America, Stefan Jacoby, has revealed to Car and Driver that the Scirocco will not be returning to North America. He was quoted as saying “we need to focus on our core products” meaning VW’s next-generation Golf, the Tiguan SUV, and some new budget models currently being developed.
There is also concern that a Scirocco model may cannibalize sales from the Golf GTI and Eos convertible. “The 2009 Scirocco is lovely, but we can’t have everything,” Jacoby lamented.

Now, us folks in North America are lamenting. The possibility of a Scirocco on our shores was certainly an exciting prospect. We’re probably not the only ones a bit choked about this decision. What’s your take?

[Source: Motor Authority]

Lutz Says the Volt Will Be In Production by 2010

admin — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 19:27:46 +0000

General Motors car tzar, Bob Lutz spoke at the Reuters Auto Summit recently, and was quoted as saying that the Chevrolet Volt series hybrid will be in production by the end of 2010. Executives at GM sound pretty intent on meeting their deadline, because Lutz admitted to reporters that employees working on the Volt “are becoming increasingly nervous” about getting this thing out by the end of the decade.

The biggest challenge in meeting the production deadline is the battery technology that will be used in the Volt. GM’s two battery suppliers, A123 Systems and Compact Power, are working around the clock to improve the life span and performance of the lithium-ion batteries. GM has its own internal R+D team working on a solution as well, applying for patents every step of the way to ensure their investment is secure.

GM aims for the Volt to get a 40 mile range on its batteries alone, and if they can get it on the market by 2010, competing auto makers will have some serious trouble on their hands.

[Source: Autoblog]

Volkswagen Nardo W12 Supercar Concept

admin — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:00:51 +0000

I came across something pretty interesting today while scouring the web for the latest automotive news. While this is certainly nothing new, I’d like to present you with Volkswagen’s answer to Ferrari. What you’re about to see is the promotional video for the 2001 Volkswagen Nardo concept car.

The Nardo had a top speed of 217 mph and reached 62 mph in around 3.5 seconds.i Powered by Volkswagens W12 engine, it has twice broken the world 24 hour speed record. In February 2002 it covered a distance of 7,749.4 kilometers at an average speed of 322.89 km/h.
Weighing just 1200kg, it is one of the fastest sports cars in the world.

I’m not entirely sure why it wasn’t made, although I would guess that it would cannibalize sales from Lamborghini, whom Volkswagen owns.
Either way, this was a sweet car!

[Source: Volkswagen]