2015 Lotus Elise Appears in Paris - With Live Pictures and Video

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The new Lotus Elise jumps into entirely new styling territory, not so much evolving from the current model but fully reinventing itself as a baby Esprit. The only similarities are the mid-engine layout driving the rear wheels and 2-seats around corners.

Below, Lotus has been kind enough to provide a nicely-designed chart for your convenience instead of spreading all the car's stats across a 15,000-word press release.

The new baby Lotus will get a standard 6-speed manual (with an optional 7-speed DCT) and be powered by a Toyota 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine putting out 320-horsepower.

If the Elise is putting out that kind of go for a £35,000 [around US$55,500] base price, this is looking to be a bargain basement killer. To make that 320 ponies extra green, it will also offer mild hybrid tech and an optional start/stop system when it comes out in Spring 2015.

By Phil Alex

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Post Title → 2015 Lotus Elise Appears in Paris - With Live Pictures and Video

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Coolest Dodge Caravan of the Day

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Everyone needs a gas turbine powered Dodge Caravan.

And a burnout.

It looks like the turbine spins a shaft that drives the wheels. Interesting. These videos are a few years old, so I wonder what happened to the van.

Post Title → Coolest Dodge Caravan of the Day

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Last Dromo 1 Race : Indoor Go Karting

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Our favorite local in door go kart track Dromo1 ,closed May 29,2010. 

Taken with a Contour HD camera mounted to my helmet.Check out the links below for some information on the Contour HD camera.

 

Post Title → Last Dromo 1 Race : Indoor Go Karting

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EPA Exempt Nissan Skyline GT-R : 21 Years Old

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Well not yet.  I went into some more information on the 21 year EPA exemption in another post, and I decided to put up a video on Youtube.  Videos are always more fun than just words.  Subscribe to my videos for more vehicle import information.

Source : GT-R USA Blog

Post Title → EPA Exempt Nissan Skyline GT-R : 21 Years Old

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OWLE iPhone Camera Platform

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I put up a few Youtube videos, something like 280 total videos as of today over the last few years.  Mostly car, mostly Nissan Skyline GT-R related. I can’t say I am very good at taking or editing videos, but its something I am working on.

While browsing the MotorMavens site yesterday I noticed this OWLE camera adaptor for the iPhone.

The OWLE Bubo's universal "Coldshoe" mount is great because it doesn't care what kind of light or microphone you attach to it. If you are like us and one light just isn't enough, then we have extra cold shoe's that thread into any of the Bubo's 4 tripod mounts.

THe OWLE Bubo comes Standard with 37mm lens threading, as well as a 0.45x Wide angle/macro combination lens. The ability to change filters and lenses will give you the freedom to choose what your audience sees.

Check out this side by side comparison. You can see how much clearer the OWLE video is compared to a standard iPhone video. Obviously the iPhone is not a dedicated video platform, but as an add on device, or something you already carry with you, its a cool new product.

Some in car footage in Arizona.

I am ordering mine today. It will give me a few more options on shooting videos on my iPhone. I will get some OWLE shot videos up soon.

Post Title → OWLE iPhone Camera Platform

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Time Lapse Engine Build : Cobb Time Attack R35

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Cobb Tuning has been competing in the Redline Time Attack with their R35 this year. The car runs in the Modified class and won the modified class, and overall at New Jersey Motorsports park, after losing an engine at Buttonwillow.  After Buttonwillow the team replaced the expired engine with one from a wrecked street car.  They had a few issues at New Jersey, but not enough for them not to take the overall win.

At Las Vegas some issues from the wrecked street car engine reared their head, and the team decided to build the engine.  The next round of Redline Time Attack is at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Ca this weekend, May 29-30th.

Source : Cobb Blog via GTRBlog

The Redline Time Attack is going to be covered Live Streaming in a partnership with the guys at Owle. I was browsing some sites yesterday, and saw this neat add on for the iPhone. Its a better lens/ holding system for the iPhone that will give you good quality video for only $129. They will have up to a dozen cameras streaming at the same time, with some of them inside or on cars. John Naderi and Kerryann De La Cruz will also be in the paddock doing live interviews.

Post Title → Time Lapse Engine Build : Cobb Time Attack R35

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Stillen IMSA Nissan 300ZX on the Dyno 2010

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Steve Millens IMSA Nissan 300ZX on the dyno at the 2010 Stillen Open house. Sorry I did not get a dyno number off the car. It was spinning the tires quiet a bit on the dyno.

Josh from Stillen said :

It put down a whopping 65whp.. :)

Yes the turbos spool so fast it had issues getting traction to the dyno, even at lower RPMs in top gear.. just did burnouts..

Post Title → Stillen IMSA Nissan 300ZX on the Dyno 2010

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8 Second R32 GT-R From the UK

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This R32 is pretty impressive for what modifications it has. It turned a number of 8 second passes. On slicks, and good fuel. The engine is a 2.6 with a standard R33 crankshaft, JUN rods, HKS pistons, Tomei oil pump , HKS 272 cams , HKS T51 Kai turbo , Veilside plenum. Its running an OS 88 sequential transmission, and a little squirt of nitrous to get it hustling.

 

Source : GTROC

Post Title → 8 Second R32 GT-R From the UK

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Switzer P800 Nissan GTR vs Koenigsegg CCR x 2 Races

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Koenigsegg might be a name you have never heard of. They are a semi- obscure Swedish super car manufacturer that tried to purchase Saab in 2009 from General Motors.  However, they never carried though with the sale.
The CCR was produced from 2004-2006 by Koenigsegg, so this car is pretty rare. It was also listed as the “fastest production car” in the world, in 2005 to 2006 when the Bugatti Veyron beat it.  Power is listed as 896 hp, and weight is listed as 1180 kg (2601 lbs) dry giving it an impressive power to weight ratio.

On February 28, 2005, at 12.08 local time, the Koenigsegg CCR broke the production road car speed record, achieving a new official top speed of 387.37 km/h (240.7 mph) at hoi Italy's Nardo Prototipo proving ground. A team of five Koenigsegg engineers and mechanics together with founder Christian von Koenigsegg ran a technically standard CCR, driven by famous supercar test driver and veteran record breaker Loris Bicocchi.

In this video, from 2nd gear, the CCR clearly walks away from the Nissan GT-R at higher speeds. From the 1st gear roll, the CCR spins the tires , and then again in 2nd gear, giving the Nissan GT-R enough space to keep it out in front.  With nearly 900 hp, and more than 1000 lbs lighter than a GT-R, its suprising the CCR didn’t pull harder on the Switzer P800 GT-R.   I was just reading about a Switzer GTR 1RK 1000+hp GT-R on Nagtroc today.  Heres a sneak peak video.

Source : Wikipedia ,  Youtube  , and Koenigsegg

Post Title → Switzer P800 Nissan GTR vs Koenigsegg CCR x 2 Races

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Long Beach : World Challenge Touring Car : Scion tC

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In my off time, I do a little side thing. This blog is about Nissan GT-R’s , but I have been involved with cars and racing most of my life. In 2006, I did World Challenge as a crew chief on Igors – Automotive Forums R34 GT-R.  Fun, tough, expensive. Those would be the three words I would use to describe that year.

For the last couple years I have been helping Dan with his Scion tC. Dan was a Nissan guy, I actually met him though Freshalloy, when I was at Motorex.  Dan has done well, he works hard, has a routine, and he sticks to it.  This year the one car NASA team, has grown to a two car SCCA World Challenge effort.

So far this year, we have built the second car #36 for Dan Gardner in three weeks, with lots of help, and raced at St. Petersburg and Long Beach.  At St. Petersburg we had two races, the #18 car with Robert Stout driving finished in 2nd place in both. The #36 car finished in third and fourth place.  At Long Beach, the #18 car won the Touring Car class, and the #36 car found the wall at turn 8 while we were 1-2.

During the second practice session at the World Challenge race in Long Beach, we lost an oil line, that then caused us to lose an engine. Time lapse of the engine replacement. Start to finish, it took us a while. First engine or transmission I have had to deal with since I started working on the DG Spec Scions. We qualified the #18 car P4.

Some behind the scenes video and pictures from the event.

Next race is Mosport in about 14 days. I have been so swamped in regular work, that I haven’t had any time to dedicate to helping prep the cars for Mosport.  The #18 car is now carrying 75 lbs in “REWARDS” weight for the two 2nds and 1st place showing.  Robert is in 1st place in the drivers points, and Scion is leading the manufacturers championship in Touring Car. 

Post Title → Long Beach : World Challenge Touring Car : Scion tC

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Toyota Sienna : Swagger Wagon

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This might not be SwaggCertified , but Toyota does their best with the Swagger Wagon.

Watch as the Sienna Family drops their hot new single, Swagger Wagon. This goes out to all you minivan families out there who get a Sienna SE for space but fill it with your family's swagger.

Funny, I’m diggin it.

Post Title → Toyota Sienna : Swagger Wagon

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