Pony Car Comeback

In 1964, Ford rocked the automotive industry with the introduction of the Mustang. The impact was so large a new class of car was created, and Pony Cars were born. Rival auto manufacturers started building their own versions to compete. Plymouth had debuted its pony car, the Barracuda, two weeks before the Mustang made an appearance, but the Mustang was exceedingly more popular and thus gets the recognition of being the original pony car.
1967 saw the birth of the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird and Mercury Cougar. The Dodge Challenger followed in 1970.
Sadly, not all of these cars had what it took to survive. The Barracuda met its final model year in 1974, and the Challenger was discontinued the same year only to be revived in 78, before going AWOL in ’83.
The Camaro and Cougar continued production until 2002.
The Mustang has been in production for 44 years now and is still one of Ford’s best selling models.
In 2005 Mustangs underwent a redesign drawing from the look of the past and inspiration from the future. The new look was probably one of the best retro-chic makeovers to hit the market, putting the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Chevy HHR to shame. The Mustang gave new life to the pony car class, and like in ’64, other manufacturers are jumping back on the bandwagon.
The 2008 Dodge Challenger is simply hot. And when you think about the 6.1 liter hemi it’s packing under the hood, there is no doubt about it — this car was reborn to rock. Unfortunately, only about 10,000 of the 2008 model will be produced and they won’t be on the streets until later this year.
The Chevy Camaro will also be making a comeback. Since the Camaro left the market in 2002, the Mustang has been ruling the pony car class unopposed, but its reign may be ending.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Camaros, but when I saw the 2009 concept model, my jaw dropped. It’s probably one of the hottest things to come off the Chevy line (except the Corvette, of course).
Like the Mustang and the Challenger, the redesigned Camaro pulls its design lines from its earlier years, specifically 1969. But don’t expect GM to move to fast to get back into the competition. It’s rumored that the 2009 Camaro won't make an appearance until the 2010 model year.
Ford fans, don’t worry just yet. The Mustang has no plans of handing over its crown without a fight. A special edition Mustang, the Bullitt, is also available in 2008. Yes, this is a remake of Steve McQueen’s car in the iconic movie, “Bullitt.” A version was also available in 2001, but it is not really comparable. The 2008 version resembles the 1968 fastback, and all the Mustang emblems have been stripped, leaving only a badge that says “Bullitt” on the back.
With each new model year, after-market companies find new ways to add a little more zest to the country’s favorite.
Something to look for this year: the 40th anniversary Shelby GT500KR. That's "King of the Road," to you.
It took some time, but Americans can once again be proud of the cars produced here. And in international automotive arm wrestling, we finally have some muscle behind us.

In loving memory

Saoirse 1998-2008

It's been a very rough nine days. And sometimes, it doesn't seem like it really happened. But I hope she knows that even though I was careless, and occasionally complained about her size or the way she consumed gasoline, I loved her. I loved her very much, I still do. She was my first, my favorite, my Saoirse (freedom).
But let me start at the beginning.
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, I was leaving the bank and about to go to the mall. I turned right out of the parking lot and drove down Granda Avenue, away from Second Street in Long Beach. I stopped at the stop sign, the intersection was Granada Avenue and The Toledo. I had a stop sign, but no one else did. I waited for a few cars to pass, and when I thought it was clear, I proceeded into the intersection.
Now, you should know, there's another street involved in this situation, Livingston, it runs diagonally, intersecting with the Toledo. There's no stop sign going from Livingston to The Toledo, so needless to say, when most cars turn on to the Toledo from Livingston, they don't really slow down. And that's when it happened. My nose was in the intersection and all of a sudden a Jeep Cherokee from probably 1994 was in front of me. And I hit him. He sustained a dent to the back passenger-side door, but my poor baby was in far worse shape.
Her whole frame was bent. The bumper was pressed up against the tire, all the headlights were strewn about the street along with the license plate. But one of the most heart breaking things I saw, was the small silver Mustang that usually stands proudly on the grill was face down, right in the middle of all the debris.
I didn't need anyone to tell me she was beyond repair. I knew the moment I hit that I was responsible for the death of the 1998 Ford Mustang given to me by my parents. She had been part of our family for about 10 years, first being driven by my dad, then my two older sisters. And though I constantly hinted at the fact that I wanted a new car, something faster, smaller and more efficient, it doesn't change how much I loved and appreciated the one I had. Sure she had a few cosmetic defects, but I bet your face isn't perfect either.
I won't list all the memories I have with my car, but I did learn how to drive on her. And we've shared many bonding experiences making the drive from Long Beach to the Bay Area several times a year.
She was also the ultimate tension tamer for me. No tea can compare to the drives down PCH at night, windows down and music up.
It's the end of an era, and I'm sad to see it end, but the time she was mine was the best time of my life thus far. I only wish she could have gone in a more dignified way.
Everyone, a moment of silence for Saoirse, my 1998 Ford Mustang.

Who said the electric car is dead?

Whoever it was is sadly mistaken.
Ladies and gentlemen, after years of uncertainty, waiting lists and deposits, the dream might actually become a reality.
The first time I laid eyes on this machine was at its debut car show, the 2006 San Francisco International Auto Show. When I stepped off the escalator, my jaw dropped, and that was even before I knew what exactly I was looking at.
It was an electric car for people who care about more than the environment.
The Tesla roadster has an electric powertrain, which is an electric motor moved by a battery.
The battery is made up of lithium-ion cells measuring about 16mm wide and 65mm long. That might not sound very big, but imagine 6,831 of those cells, that's what the Tesla roadster is packing.
The batteries power an electric 3 phase, 4 pole AC induction motor, which can spin at about 13,000 RPM. It produces roughly 248 horsepower (or 185 kW) and can reach its top torque at any RPM.
According to the manufacturer, Tesla Motors, the roadster can go 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph.
I asked to test drive a roadster, but apparently the Daily Forty-Niner isn't important enough for the guys at Tesla Motors, so I don't have my own recorded numbers to give you, but I can tell what some other people found.
Car and Driver claimed that on a slightly wet road, it took the Tesla from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds.
Motortrend did it in 4 seconds flat.
I'll never know what I would have gotten, but I like to think I could do it in 4 seconds or less.
The roadster is based on the Lotus Elise and even built in the same factory in England. It has a mid-rear engine with rear wheel drive.
The transmission is sequential. For those of you who don't know what that means, it's an electronic clutch (so there's no actual clutch pedal on the floor) and you either shift up or down. You can't choose the gear you want to go in to, you can only move up or down one at a time, usually using paddles behind the steering wheel.
Though people have been putting their names on waiting lists for years, production of the roadster is finally supposed to begin in March. Let's hope there aren't any more delays.
The roadster is priced at about $98,000, but think of what you'll save in gas.
In case you're wondering why it's called a Tesla roadster, or Tesla Motors, read the history books. The company is named for the Serbian electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, inventor and physicist Nikola Tesla.

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