JUNE 30, 2021

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

(Porsche images)

The latest from the "Bring Ca$h" File: Porsche is introducing a new high-performance variant at the top of the Cayenne model range: the new Cayenne Turbo GT. Its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 develops 631HP - 90HP more than the Cayenne Turbo Coupe. Torque also increases from 567 to 626 lb-ft. As a result, the Cayenne Turbo GT can accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, complete the quarter-mile sprint in 11.6 seconds and achieve a top track speed of 186 mph, making it the quickest and fastest production Cayenne ever offered by Porsche. The Cayenne Turbo GT, which is only available in the Coupe body style, is equipped as standard with an array of performance-enhancing suspension systems and high-performance tires that were made exclusively for this model. The result is a performance SUV that remains very much a Cayenne to its core, and yet possesses reserves of power and ability that allow it to be adept on a demanding road or even a track. By way of demonstrating its capabilities when pushed to the extreme, Porsche test driver Lars Kern took to the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife where he set a new official SUV lap record of 7:38.9 minutes with the Cayenne Turbo GT for one 12.9-mile lap. (Which will really be helpful on the way to Costco. -WG)
The Details? Compared to the Cayenne Turbo Coupe, the Turbo GT has a 17 mm lower ride height. The suspension components as well as the electronically controlled chassis systems were specifically calibrated to enhance performance. The three-chamber air suspension is up to 15 percent stiffer and the damper calibration of the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is retuned, as are the Power Steering Plus and rear-axle steering system. The active Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) has also been retuned to further reduce body roll and leads to more precise turn-in at higher cornering speeds. To complement this, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+) and the further improved front axle sharpens the vehicle handling and turn-in response. The front wheels are one inch wider compared to the Cayenne Turbo Coupe, and the negative camber has been increased by 0.45 degrees to allow the specially developed 22-inch Pirelli P Zero Corsa high-performance tires to maximize their contact patch with the road. Stopping power is induced by the standard Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), which are wrapped in yellow calipers, but can be optionally equipped in high-gloss black. The rotors measure 440 mm in the front, 410 mm in the rear.
The twin-turbo engine in the Cayenne Turbo GT is the most powerful V8 currently offered by Porsche. Just about everything is tweaked, including the crankshaft, turbochargers and direct fuel injection system, as well as the intake and charge air cooling. The V8 of the Turbo GT is significantly altered compared to the engine found in the Cayenne Turbo Coupe, with a different crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods, timing chain and the torsional dampers. The eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission has been modified to offer quicker shift times. Porsche Traction Management (PTM) on the Cayenne Turbo GT has been fitted with a water-cooled transfer case, which further increases the thermal capacity of the drivetrain under high loads. The standard Sport Exhaust system is fitted with centrally-mounted tailpipes specifically developed for the Cayenne Turbo GT. The exhaust is made of lightweight and particularly heat-resistant titanium, which, due to the lack of a center muffler, reduces its weight by approximately 40 lbs.  
Optionally available in the new color Arctic Grey (shown), the Cayenne Turbo GT features a number of model-specific design cues: A GT-specific front fascia with a pronounced front lip and larger side air intakes; contoured carbon fiber roof, black fender arches and the 22-inch GT Design wheels in Neodyme; the upper rear wing features side plates in carbon fiber along with an adaptive rear spoiler that features a two-inch (50 mm) gurney flap, which is twice the size of the one on the Cayenne Turbo Coupe. The rear diffusor cover is made of carbon fiber. And the interior has an extensive level of standard equipment, including eight-way Sport Seats in the front and a sport seat arrangement with two seats in the rear. All seats are GT-specific with perforated seat centers in Alcantara®, contrasting stitching in Neodyme or Arctic Grey and "Turbo-GT" designations on the headrests. The multifunction sport steering wheel has a yellow 12-o'clock center marker. The Cayenne Turbo GT is available to order now and will hit U.S. dealers in early 2022. How much? $180,800 (not including a $1,350 delivery, processing and handling fee).

(Volvo images)
Volvo Cars is calling its Concept Recharge "a manifesto for the next generation of all-electric Volvos." True to the heritage of Scandinavian design - according to Volvo PR minions - Concept Recharge has the mantra of "less but better." The next generation of Volvo’s fully electric cars – the first of which is the company’s first SUV on a completely new electric-only technology base – will feature flat floors, as previewed in the Concept Recharge. By removing the engine and replacing it with a full battery pack under the flat floor, the designers have extended the wheelbase and the wheel size of the car. The result is shorter overhangs, as well as a lot more interior space, including a large storage area between the front seats. Designers have repositioned the seats, optimized the roof profile and lowered the hood of the car while retaining the high eye-point drivers of SUVs are accustomed to. This approach creates gains in aerodynamic efficiency compared with a typical SUV, which improves range. Expect the Concept Recharge to influence Volvo Design for years to come.

(SpeedKore images)
Now this is an Autoextremist-certified machine. The “Hellacious™” Charger, built by SpeedKore, is a road-going version of the movie car used in Universal Pictures’ new Fast & Furious , F9. The “Hellacious™” Charger is the custom car builder’s first mid-engine muscle car. “This Charger is one of our most extreme builds to date,” said Jim Kacmarcik, president and owner of SpeedKore. “After commissioning renowned designer Sean Smith to design the car and working with F9’s picture vehicle coordinator Dennis McCarthy to build the nine chassis and vehicle bodies for the film, we wanted to bring the movie magic of F9 to life. ‘Hellacious’ is a road-going version of the movie car with the functionality of a purpose-built performance car. We couldn’t be more excited to debut ‘Hellacious’ alongside the actual film as yet another unique representation of our design and engineering capabilities as a custom car builder.” The “Hellacious” Charger gets its power from a supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 mounted between the rear axles in a custom SpeedKore-engineered frame. The engine’s 707HP and 650 pound-feet of torque make it to the rear wheels via a gated-manual Graziano transaxle from a Lamborghini Gallardo. Both the engine and transmission use Motul fluids for reliable performance. The Hellcat V8 breathes through a custom exhaust fabricated from MagnaFlow components; the SpeedKore-designed headers and dual mufflers are routed high in the chassis to clear the mid-engine powertrain before exiting through downward-facing tips. A front-mount Saldana performance radiator keeps the engine cool while accommodating the mid-engine architecture of the car. At the rear, high-performance intercoolers feed cool air to the 2.4-liter supercharger. The machine features a SpeedKore-designed perimeter frame with double A-arm front suspension from Detroit Speed and an integrated rear cradle with double wishbone suspension from Race Car Replicas (RCR). It is equipped with an Ididit steering column and Detroit Speed steering rack; QA1 shocks with track-focused dampening; Brembo 6-piston calipers up front and dual Brembo 4-piston calipers out back. Custom HRE 18-inch “Hellacious” center-lock wheels with 275/35R18 front and 345/35R18 rear tires complete this purpose-built setup. “Hellacious” is rendered in full carbon fiber like SpeedKore’s previous Chargers but adds a bespoke wide body styled by Sean Smith Designs. Pronounced fender cut-outs, unique body siding and a glass rear hatch to expose the engine compartment complete the aggressive bodywork while BASF Glasurit matte-black paint completes the bad-ass look. Inside, “Hellacious” is equipped with low-back racing seats and Simpson harnesses. Classic Instrument gauges are mounted in an aluminum dashboard, and an integrated roll hoop and rear-facing firewall complete the interior packaging. The SpeedKore Charger uses a vertical-slat grille and factory 1968 Charger hideaway headlights finished with metal brightwork, complimenting the brushed steel front and rear bumpers. Shaved rain gutters and flush-mounted glass present a seamless side profile while a rear fascia with round quad taillights and a bronze stripe keyed to the color of the wheels finish the look. For more information on the 1968 Hellacious Dodge Charger and SpeedKore carbon fiber parts, you can visit www.speedkore.com.

The AE Song of the Week:

I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
When you put me on the Wolverine up to Annandale
It was still September
When your daddy was quite surprised
To find you with the working girls in the county jail
I was smoking with the boys upstairs when I
Heard about the whole affair, I said oh no
William and Mary won't do

Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I'm never going back
To my old school

Oleanders growing outside her door
Soon they're gonna be in bloom up in Annandale
I can't stand her
Doing what she did before
Living like a gypsy queen in a fairy tale
Well, I hear the whistle but I can't go, I'm gonna
Take her down to Mexico, she said oh no
Guadalajara won't do

Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I'm never going back
To my old school

California tumbles into the sea
That'll be the day I go back to Annandale
Tried to warn you
About Chino and Daddy Gee
But I can't seem to get to you through the U.S. Mail
Well I hear the whistle but I can't go, I'm gonna
Take her down to Mexico, she said oh no
Guadalajara won't do

Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I'm never going back
To my old school

"My Old School" by Steely Dan from the album "Countdown To Ecstasy" (1973)*; written by Donald Jay Fagen and Walter Carl Becker; Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group; lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch Steely Dan perform "My Old School" live @ Pine Knob Amphitheatre, in Clarkston, Michigan, Aug. 11, 2003, here.

 *The "Old School" referred to in this song is Bard College in Annendale, New York, where Donald Fagen and Walter Becker met. The song is at least partially inspired by an event that occurred at Bard, where both Becker and Fagen, along with their girlfriends, were arrested in a pot raid on a party that was orchestrated by an ambitious young District Attorney named G. Gordon Liddy (hence the line "Tried to warn ya about Geno and Daddy G"). Despite the fact that California has not (yet) tumbled into the sea, both Fagen and Becker have returned to Bard. By the way, the "Wolverine" is the train that went to Annendale. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)