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Johnson wins at Martinsville Speedway

Teammates Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon duked it out over the final 18 laps of the Goody's Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway yesterday afternoon, with Johnson holding on for a .065-second win, according to the speedway's Web site.
The final lap was entertaining as Gordon slammed Johnson's rear bumper in the third and fourth turns and pulled halfway alongside his teammate before the two slammed together. Both kept their Chevrolets under control and Johnson edged ahead for the win.

Posted by   at 10:59 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

What's a Turn Under?

Check out a fabulous piece in Sunday's New York Times about the official names that designers give to parts of the car. Do you know what the cowl is, for example? (The base of the windshield) Or the greenhouse (the glassed-in upper section of a car's body), the beltline (the line that divides the greenhouse from the lower body), or the tumblehome (angle formed by the inward slope of the greenhouse sides as they rise from the beltline)?
The online article is accompanied by an interactive graphic.

Posted by   at 10:20 AM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford to show off three hot vehicles in N.Y.

Ford says it will show off a trio of specialty vehicles at the New York International Auto Show next week, meant to lure enthusiasts who influence the opinions of other buyers and to boost troubled Ford's image, according to USAToday.
Each of the three, which were unveiled in Dearborn, Mich., late last week, will be a high-price, limited-production model co-designed with an automotive celebrity, according to the USAToday:
The 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR is a 540 hp Mustang modified by Carroll Shelby. KR stands for "king of the road," a designation used on a now-classic 1968 Mustang.
The 2008 F-150 Foose Edition has huge wheels, a lowered stance and dramatic racing stripes mark the specialty truck styled by Chip Foose. Foose is a car customizer, known for a cable-TV show called Overhaulin' on TLC. Ford says the supercharged V-8 engine will be rated 450 horsepower and 500 pounds-feet of torque.
The 2008 Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition comes with wild paint and a jazzy interior. Funkmaster Flex is a hip-hop music disc jockey and auto enthusiast who has designed vehicles for celebrities.

Posted by   at 10:13 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

GM to debut 1-liter Trax concept car in New York

General Motors will introduce its 1-liter Chevrolet Trax concept car at the New York Auto Show later this week, according to thecarconnection.com
The Trax is one of three Chevrolet minicar concepts featuring an array of powertrain options, starting with the 1.0-liter gasoline engine under the hood of the Trax, that will be unveiled at the show, thecarconnection says. The concepts will
Fuel economy is clearly part of the goal for GM in developing these all-new minicar concepts, but the automaker says it has put an equal emphasis on value and, notably, on design.

Posted by   at 10:02 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0