My Blog

Category: News

  • Aston Martin’s New V12 Vantage

    Aston Martin’s New V12 Vantage

    Aston Martin, purveyors of the auto I’d most like to have sex with, have decided to take their oh-so-delicious Vantage and add 4 more cylinders. The New 6.0 V12 pumps out 510 horsepower and 420ft/lbs of torque and utilizes a Carbon Fiber Driveshaft mounted to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

    With all that grunt from the new motor, Aston didn’t slack and gave the new Vantage some real stopping power. This sex kitten on four wheels gets 6-piston calipers clamping down onto a massive 398mm carbon ceramic disk for the front, and 4-piston calipers gripping onto 360mm rotors in the rear.

    The wheels are something serious here and are staggered like crazy. The front wheels measure 19×9 inches, wrapped in 255/35 Pirelli P Zero Corsas and the rears are a wide 19×11 with 295/30’s putting it to the ground.

    Continuing with the exterior, the 6 liter monster gets all new front and rear bumpers, front splitter, sills, rear diffuser, hood and trunklid as to not be confused with its lower powered sibling.

    Inside, Carbon-kevlar seats, personalized sill plates, premium 700w audio system, and carbon fiber door pulls are optional. Carbon fiber is used in the hood vents and diffuser to try to reduce some of the load of the new motor.

    Aston Martin hasn’t released pricing info yet, but expect a pretty hefty sum. Grab ’em quick, because they only plan on Producing 1000 of these V12 powered monsters. I’ve always had a soft spot for these machines, and this one only makes that stronger.

  • Ford's New "Coyote" 5 liter Spotted in Mustang Mule

    There’s much hype over the new 2010 Mustangs, and the most important part is the engine choices. There’s been a lot of gossip and smack talk about potential Mustang engines, and now you can add one more to the fire. 400 Horsepower sound good?


    Enter Coyote. A DOHC 4 valve V8 engine with 5 liters of displacement. Utilizing an aluminum block (Yay!) and an aluminum intake manifold, this new 5 liter is going to be no slouch. Unlike the OHV “302”, this is a true 5.0. Not too much is known yet, but sources say this will most likely be a motor choice for the new mustang. Other motors that are potentially in this lineup are the 2.0 Ecoboost motor for the base model, the 3.5 liter Ecoboost V6, and the 400HP, 5.0 liter for the Premium.

    FoMoCo is doing a good thing reintroducing the V8 into the lineup. Lots of folks were worried that with the new Ecoboost motors, that a V8 option would no longer be there — what’s a Mustang without a V8?!?

    Kudos to Ford for keeping the Good ol’ V8 as an option. Not only keeping it, but ramping it up in design and power as well. Whether or not Ford has what it takes to beat the new Camaro and its 422 horsepower remains to be seen…We’ll just have to see if this Coyote gets ugly when it hits engine bays everywhere in the near future.

    [Thanks for Brian Williams for the Spy Shot]

  • National Speed's New Coat of Paint

    So you may have noticed we’ve given the National Speed website a face lift. A little nip here, a tuck there. But not to worry, we didn’t go all Kenny Rogers on you. We’re still the same National Speed you’ve come to know and love.

    “OMG! They Killed Kenny!”

    But this isn’t just a new coat of paint. We wanted this updated version of the site to be easier to navigate, provide a tighter focus on news and upcoming events (in all areas), show you the media you frequently come for such as event photos and videos, and easier access to fresh performance articles written daily. We’re still working on bringing over a few of the old site’s features (the customer cars/featured rides section will return!), so please hang in there while we work out the kinks.

    Please feel free to let us know what you think of the new and improved National Speed website by using the comment section below. Many of the changes we put into place came out of the comments that we’ve heard from you all, so keep them coming! We crave your feedback and want your opinions. Enjoy the site!

  • Top Gear's "Stig" Officially Revealed!

    Yep, that’s it folks. The white horseman of Top Gear has officially been revealed. There’s been much speculation as to who the legendary “stig” is, and the cat is finally out of the bag.

    National Speed - Ben Collins Stig

    It’s 33 year-old Ben Collins! Ben Collins has raced everything from NASCAR and Lemans, to doing movie stunt work. Most recently Ben has been a test driver for racing manufacturer Ascari during the Ascari A10 development.

    National Speed - Stig Ben Collins

    Ben apparently let the secret out himself to an Art Gallery owner in Bristol, while trying to produce a limited-edition print of The Stig. Also, while doing work to Ben Collins’ home, a home builder found the games white suit and gloves on display. I personally wonder who got fired over this, because I doubt BBC is going to take this very well. I look forward to the latest episode of Top Gear to see what Clarkson and crew have to say about this.

  • Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Concept [Cadillac WTF]

    Well here’s one that’s rather off the wall.

    National Speed - Cadillac WTF

    Created by Loren Kulesus, the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Concept (WTF) is designed to last 100 years without any normal maintenance. That means tires, gas, oil, or anything for that matter. How would they go about achieving this, you might ask? Apparently they’re using something called “Thorium” (Element #90 for those of you that failed chemistry like me) to use as a Nuclear Fuel powering the batteries. That sounds rather sketchy. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be sitting inside of a nuclear powered cheese grater every morning.

    National Speed - Cadillac WTF Rear

    As far as tires go, well, there aren’t any. No rubber, at all. In fact, there’s 6 individual wheels located at each corner of the car, making a grand total of 24 wheels in total with an induction motor for each wheel. WTF Indeed…I somehow doubt this nuclear powered, 24 wheeled, nonsensical, monolithic pile of fail is going to make it out of the concept stage, but that just might be me. Here’s to the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel concept…WTF?!?

  • Top Gear's the Stig Secret Identity Revealed — Not Quite

    Right up there with the greatest unsolved mysteries of the world (who’s the second gunman on the grassy knoll? Who shot J.R.? What happened to Steven Seagal’s career?) — the true identity of Top Gear’s The Stig has finally been revealed…

    Sort of.

    News of the World reports that the anonymous driver is a happily married man in his 30’s that lives a quiet life in a modest home, drives an average car and get this…was once afraid of driving.

    According to the tabloid, the true identity of the superdriver was found in a leak within the Top Gear infrastructure. Senior BBC officials have confirmed that there was indeed a leak of info, but News of the World is cooperating with BBC officials who do not want the secrets of Top Gear’s driver revealed.

    As much as I’d like to know the true identity of The Stig, it’s better left as a mystery — half of the fun is speculating on who’s behind the driver’s helmet and that’s something that should not be ruined by a British tabloid seeking a surge in circulation. As for my guess for who’s behind the helmet? I’m going with Steven Seagal. Seriously, what the hell happened to him?

  • Ford Interceptor Plans Derailed

    For those of you looking forward to the stout and sleek Ford Interceptor, you can pretty much throw that idea out of your head.

    National Speed - Ford Interceptor

    J Mays, Ford’s design chief is officially saying that Ford Motor Company’s plans for a new RWD Sedan is done-for. Mays states that FoMoCo has “Other Priorities” and that “We’re going down a path right now that is all about fuel-efficiency”. Well, I guess that’s how it works then. Gas prices are on the rise again and it’s supposed to continue for quite a while, so fuel efficiency is now prime again. Sucks…I was looking forward to the Interceptor.

    National Speed - Ford Interceptor Interior

    Fuel efficiency isn’t such a bad thing. With Fords new Eco-boost motors, it seems that they haven’t completely killed the fun. The Twin Turbo 3.5 liter pumps out 340HP and 340lbs/ft Torque, so that’s no slouch for the displacement. If the V6 is any indication of power per liter, then I’m pretty excited for the potential of their smaller motors as well. I think that the POTENTIAL of any factory boosted motor is obviously going to do very well with the aftermarket, so I hope that Ford hasn’t made it impossible to modify.

  • First Hybrid Convertible: Fisker Karma S

    I may not be the biggest fan of hybrid automobiles, but it would appear my prayers have finally been answered. Fisker Automotive, the newest American manufacturer of green automobiles for aging hippies, has actually made a Hybrid that doesn’t look like a hulked out electric shaver.

    Click to biggie-size for extra sexiness.

    Not only is the Fisker Karma S the world’s first hybird convertible, it should provide drivers with 50 emission-free miles on a single charge from its lithium-ion battery pack. According to the official press release, “it’s [Fisker’s] belief that driving style and performance need not be compromised for environmental friendliness.”

    Thank God, somebody finally gets it. I hope Toyota and its ugly Prius take note: it’s possible to save the environment and do it with a little bit of style!

    But don’t strap on your Birkenstocks just yet eco-friends, saving the environment comes with a considerable price: the Fisker Karma S will retail for $87,000. Better start polishing your pennies and selling some hemp because this sucker doesn’t come cheap.

  • The 2010 Hennessey Camaro: 705HP Supercharged LS9

    Hennessey, of Twin Turbo Viper and SRT fame, has got their hands on a 2010 Camaro already.

    National Speed - 2010 Hennessey Camaro

    A supercharged 6.2 liter LS9 fuels the new Camaro (dubbed the HPE700) and it pumps out 705 horsepower and 717lb/ft torque routed through Michelin PS2’s (not PlayStation’s) wrapped around lightweight HRE wheels. Slowing down the Camaro is a set of 15″ carbon ceramic brakes borrowed from the Corvette ZR1. Coilovers and Front and Rear sway bars round out the handling package.

    National Speed - 2010 Hennessey Camaro Rear

    Exterior-wise the Camaro has received a vast improvement. Steve Everitt, a British designer has created the Cam-Aero body upgrades (Cam-Aero….REALLY?). These unoriginally cleverly named pieces consist of a: Carbon fiber rear lip spoiler, carbon fiber side rocker panels, carbon fiber front splitter, front fascia with hideaway headlights and a front billet grille. To top it all off is a ZR1 inspired hood with a window, showing off the HPE tweaked LS9.

    The bad news? Price starts at $109,000. Is that a fair price to pay for a Camaro on steroids? I can’t pass judgement, but I’m leaning towards a resounding “No.”. You are almost into ZR1 territory with that kind of cash. Either way, I look forward to seeing what one of these things can do.

  • New Godzilla Specs Released [GTR Spec V Specs]

    Yep, it’s time folks. For a while now, the GTR Spec V has been speculated on more than Britney Spears or Oil prices. It’s officially official! Nissan released the scoop this week. Unfortunately though, it will NOT be sold in the US.

    National Speed - GTR Spec V Front

    So what does this Spec V have that the GTR doesn’t? Well first off check out that super sexy Black Opal Paintjob. Next up are those lightweight Forged Nismo Wheels (seen on the Tokachi 24hr Racecar). And sticking with the exterior, they also added a rear Carbon spoiler, grille and brake ducts.

    National Speed - GTR Spec V Rear Seats

    Moving inside, the most obvious change is the removal of the rear seats. The original GTR seats have been replaced with two carbon fiber Recaro buckets (Bucket seats, not literally buckets). Interior trim is now swathed in carbon fiber as well.

    National Speed - GTR Spec V Interior

    Performance-wise there isn’t much in the way over the stock GTR. A Titanium exhaust, Reworked suspension and Carbon-Ceramic Brakes are the main pullers here, as well as a new Overboost function which will increase PSI through the turbochargers for a limited amount of time (thank you, Porsche). I wonder if there’s a way to rig it up to “overboost” all the time.

    National Speed - GTR Spec V Rear

    Alrighty, so you basically got brakes, exhaust and a new paintjob and carbon fiber appointments. With all the weight reduction you figure it should be very planted and menace around the track. So…why do I not hold this GTR in as high regard as the original?

    Quite simply, it’s the price. It weighs in at a whopping $169,000. Where in all of those modifications do you see what warrants the price being TWICE as much as the GTR? Sure, they added some neat stuff, but I really don’t see what warrants adding 90k to the price of the original. The reason the original GTR was so loved was for the affordability. For that much cash you’re in the price range of a Porsche GT3 or a Chevrolet ZR1 and could still have money left over.

    Perhaps there will be justification for the price hike when the official times come out, but I highly doubt it.