The demise of America’s engine that couldn’t- Saab- to die out in the coming year

Unfortunately for us Swedish car lovers, Saab will officially seize production of its vehicles by the year 2011. Talks with the potential buyer of Saab failed, and now the world will never again know the beauty of the poor man’s Volvo.

As of December 29, 2009, General Motors is considering letting the brand linger past it’s December 31, 2009 buyout deadline. As those of us who watch the news, listen to the radio, or watch television know, GM was recently- and controversially- bailed out by the government earlier this year. Despite the generosity of President Obama and his goons of government misfits, General Motors is still struggling to survive. Execs of GM have recently stated that despite its efforts ( and we’re sure there were a lot of efforts) Saab will have to get cut in order to salvage what’s left of the Motor company. Well, at least they waited until after the holidays to break the hearts and wallets of Saab’s estimated 3,400 employees.

So what’s next for Saab owners? Many dealers across the U.S. have agreed to honor the brand’s warranties until the brand officially dies. As for employees of Saab? ………….if only we had the all the answers.

When on the topic of track-day toys we don’t often think of the 60’s. A few months back while walking around the local car show in Sterling, VA on a Friday evening I found a unique GM A-body owned by Herbert Lumpp. This 1966 Chevelle was acquired from a friend in non-running condition (project car), as trade for Herb’s ‘76 Corvette. The Chevelle was completely torn down and rebuilt into what we have today – a track monster.



The internally forged 468ci engine sports AFR 305 heads, a .612″ lift cam and an 850CFM carb mounted atop of an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake. A McLeod Street Twin clutch/flywheel combo puts the power through a TKO-600RR transmission while a Ron Davis Racing radiator keeps the temperatures in check. The result, a whopping 620hp and 570tq. Top speed? 170+ MPH.





Out back you’ll find a Fab9 rear with Richmond 3.25 gears and a True Trac differential turning the 31 spline Stange SS axles.





A combination of SPC and Global West suspension components keep things tight while brakes courtesy of the C5 Corvette slow it down from 175 MPH. Yes, those are Forgeline SP3P wheels holding on for dear life by ARP 1/2″ studs.

And there’s the aerodynamics, a custom front splitter supplies both down force and additional brake cooling while a trunk spoiler in the rear applies down force to the BFGoodrich 295’s.






Herb’s future plans include converting to electronic fuel injection, converting to a hydrolic clutch, tweaking the suspension a bit, and getting as much seat time as possible. Look for Herb’s Chevelle on the cover of magazines, cruising around northern Virginia or blowing your doors off on a road course.

I mentioned the other day that Gran Turismo fans (in Europe, at least) once again have a chance of a life time. December 17th, after the release of the Gran Turismo 5 demo, gamers will have about a month to post their fastest lap. The winner gets a trip to the GT Academy at Silverstone where they could prove they have what it takes to compete in the European GTA Cup in a real race tuned Nissan 370Z.

It wasn’t too long ago that a 22 year old MBA student by the name of Lucas Ordoñez was just another one of us. A hardcore console racer without the funds to take his passion to the big leagues. Lucas was one of the fastest drivers from select European countries, and was invited to participate in the newly established Playstation GT Academy, a boot camp of sorts for hardcore racing geeks, where they got to race real cars. After the training, Ordoñez made it, being chosen to fill one of only two available positions to the next level.

Throughout the rest of the year, Ordoñez continued his studies and participated in grueling physical training to prepare his body for the challenges of being a true race car driver. On weekends, he participated in smaller races, such as in the UK with the RJN Motorsport Team, to obtain the mandatory amount of track time to obatin his international ‘C’ race license. Before long, Ordoñez had secured his ‘C’ license and was entered to compete in the GTA Dubai International 24 Hour race in 2009 – where after Ordoñez finished a very respectable 9th place in a Nissan 350Z. To add to his success, Ordoñez went on to win the Euorpean GTA Cup for RJN Motorsport!

Now in 2009, Sony is pushing the 2010 GT Academy more than ever. Console racers will now need to complete five stages of grueling qualifications before they can be accepted onto the real track to race in the European GTA CUP. Online qualifying for Gran Turismo 5 for Playstation 3 will run from December 17th until January 24th, and the GT Academy will take place from late February to early March.

If you’re in North America and think you have it what takes, then it’s time to relocate to Europe where you can compete. For more information check out http://eu.gran-turismo.com/gb/academy/2010/

The Gran Turismo demo will be released on December 17th, 2009. On January 24th, the fastest racer from the US and Canada will win a trip to the Indianapolis 500. Wait, it gets better. If you’re in a select European country, the winner gets to enter the GT Academy and will be eligible to race a 370Z in the European GT4 Cup. Once again, North America gets shafted.

Look for Gran Turismo 5 in March of 2010. Then, after you’re disappointed, sell your Playstation3 and purchase an XBOX360 with Forza 3.