truth about domestics

Apparently Jaguar has decided to pull the XFR out of the competition with the Cadillac CTS-V that was to take place against GM’s Bob Lutz.  Jaguar’s PR Stuart Schorr said they aren’t afraid that the XFR would lose to the Caddy.  No, their reason?  That the brakes couldn’t hold up to track duty for 5 time attack laps and could pose a danger to the driver.  It seems that the only car willing to take on the CTS-V is the CTS-V itself.  The Jag was originally going to be piloted by Jalopnik’s Wes Siler, but it appears they will now use Lutz’s V or a Mitsubishi EVO that they drive up in.  For more, head on over to Jalopnik.

On a side note, the picture is from a comparison between the XFR and CTS-V, in which case the V won.

(Image source: Motor Trend)

The video above shows a Hennessy tuned CTS-V with 700 horsepower pulling 0.99g’s of acceleration as it takes off to run the quarter mile.  It’s an impressive feat for such a heavy vehicle, but that’s not even the most shocking part of the video.  The car took off so hard, it set off some of the built in OnStar telemetry equipment, prompting a call from one of OnStar’s operators.  In other words, this car takes off like you got hit in the rear…

That’s right folks, the challenge was thrown by Bob Lutz for anyone to step up who thought they (and their car) could beat Lutz himself in a race in a CTS-V.  Well the cars range from a BMW M3, to a Jaguar XFR, and a few other nice ones in between.  Hopefully the race takes place soon, all the hype is killing me!  For more, head on over to Autoblog or Cadillac Notes.

Bob Lutz has laid down the CTS-V Challenge.  He stated in his blog that anyone who thinks they can take on the CTS-V with him as the driver are welcome to step up to the track and race him.  According to InsideLine, more than 120 people have taken the challenge, but that number will be whittled down to around 5-10 before the actual showdown.  Also reported is that John Heinricy will be on hand to take on any weekend racers who might have more skill than Mr. Lutz.  For more details, head on over to InsideLine.

(Image source: InsideLine)

According to two sources, the CTS-V Sportwagon has been given the green light at GM. Now the General hasn’t announced anything official but lets all keep our fingers crossed that this one actually comes true! For more, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

I am personally glad that I do not have the job of selecting the 10 best American-branded cars.  I don’t even know where I’d begin.  Ok so I do (Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Cadillac CTS-V, Mustang GT, Ford Fusion Hybrid, etc.)  That’s not the point of this article.  No, it’s to showcase the 10 best that MSN has selected.  Click the link here to head over and see if you agree or disagree with the list.

(Thanks for the tip Megan!)

(Image source: GM)

Motor Trenddecided to put together a group of 10 cars they called “Today’s Ultimate Performance Cars” and from them they picked America’s Best Driver’s Car.  When you look at the list, it’s quite an impressive group of cars, ranging from an Audi R8 to a Mazda Miata MX-5.  The interesting thing is that 4 of the cars are from the Domestic manufacturers, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, Cadillac CTS-V and Chevrolet Camaro.  Not surprising, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Kia all failed to post a car in the test, simply because they don’t really produce a single car that would ever be in the same sentence as the word “performance” – well unless the word “horrible” was in front of it.

For the full 18 page test, head on over to Motor Trend.

(Image source: Motor Trend)

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS (GM)

There you have it ladies and gentlemen.  The Camaro SS has been taken to the ‘Ring and it’s time comes in at 8 minutes 19 seconds.  Head on over to Jalopnik for a comparison to other GM performance vehicles, like the Pontiac G8 GXP, Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR1.

While this is an impressive number, it is by no means the fastest car on the track.  Not to mention the times are given by the manufacturers, so they should always be taken with a grain of salt.

Chevrolet Colorado SS

It’s a sad, sad day in automotive news.  GM has put all high-performance projects on indefinite hold.  The group that brought such amazing cars as the Cobalt SS, HHR SS, Cadillac CTS-V, STS-V and XLR-V, as well as the Corvette ZR1 has been disbanded.  In a recent Motor Trend comparison, the Chevrolet Cobalt SS beat 6 other competitors to come in second.  Not too shabby for a car that still manages 30 mpg with a 260 hp turbocharged inline 4-cylinder.  Read the report at Jalopnik.