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2003 SoCal Special news, pictures, and information | ||
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Burke's car was a success, going more than 150 mph and establishing a 1949 land speed record for hot rods. His work attracted the attention of Alex Xydias, the founder of the So-Cal Speed Shop. Xydias purchased a particularly completed tanker chassis and body from Burke, finished the car and began campaigning it on the dry lakes. The car, which came to be known as the So-Cal Lakester truly epitomized the ingenuity and innovation of hot rodding. It was constantly evolving, wîth changes to its suspension, body and engine. Along the way it established numerous land speed records, finally topping out at 198.340 mph.
The Ecotec-Powered Lakester is a joint venture between GM's Performance Division and the So-Cal Speed Job. The body was designed using advanced digital techniques to mimic the original Lakester design. Rather than aluminum, it is constructed of lightweight high-tech materials. one of the goals of the new Lakester was to demonstrate the versatility of GM's Ecotec engine and to demonstrate the versatility of GM's Ecotec engine and to inspire enthusiasts to think outside the box about the premier four-cylinder powertrain. The supercharged 2.0-liter Ecotec engine is mounted transversely, just as it is in the production Saturn ION Red Line.
The new Lakester would make Burke and Xydias proud; it broke the 200 mph mark at Bonneville in 2004. This car is on loan to the AACA Museum courtesy of the GM Heritage Collection.Source - AACA Museum| ICONIC BLOWER BENTLEYS PRIMED FOR MILLE MIGLIA CHALLENGE | |
 | Famous, supercharged Bentleys set for 1,000 mile Italian epic •'Bentley Boy' Tim Birkin's 1930 Le Mans racer leads charge •Original Bentley Motors 'demonstrator' completes team (Crewe, 14 May 2013) Bentley Motors will compete in this year's Mille Miglia with two unique 4 ½ litre Supercharged 'Blowers'; a 1930 Le Mans race car belonging to perhaps the most famous and daring of the Bentley Boys and a company demonstrator that is still going strong even after nine decades on the road. The N...[Read more...] |
| Land Rover Celebrates 65 Years Of Technology And Innovation | |
 | SIXTY-FIVE YEARS OF LAND ROVER From our earliest days, the desire to create a vehicle that will tackle any terrain has made Land Rover famous around the world. Over the past 65 years, the Land Rover family has grown into the highly respected range of vehicles that are sold in record numbers today. As Land Rover continues to go from strength to strength, we thought it was time to look back at the milestones in our history that have got us here. The last 65 years have been an adventure. ...[Read more...] |
| VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE TURBO AND JETTA GLI RECEIVE POWER BOOST | |
| - New EA888 Gen 3 engine, produced in Silao, Mexico, makes its U.S. debut - Engine offers 10 hp increase over previous Gen 2 powerplant - Beetle models have a manufacturer estimated fuel economy improvement of up to eight percent on the combined cycle - Beetle R-Line® coupe will be priced from $30,135 with the six-speed manual transmission Herndon, VA - The Volkswagen Beetle Turbo, Beetle Turbo Convertible, and the Jetta GLI receive a number of running changes to 2013 model year car...[Read more...] | |
| Bentley Ready For Classic Thousand Mile Challenge | |
 | •Iconic Bentley Blowers ready for great Mille Miglia adventure •Bentley Continental W12 and V8 models join historic cars in Italy (Crewe, England & Brescia, Italy. 16 May, 2012) W.O. Bentley's gift for creating cars that combined the speed of a thoroughbred racing machine with an enviable reputation for strength and comfort, allowing them to effortlessly cover hundreds of miles, is set to be underlined once again at the 2012 Mille Miglia when two 4½ litre Bentley Blowers take on the ...[Read more...] |
| JAGUAR EXPANDS POWERTRAIN CHOICE WITH TWO ADDITIONAL FORCED-INDUCTION PETROL ENGINES | |
 | As Jaguar expands its product offer in key global markets it is introducing two additional petrol units to its range to enhance customer choice; the new 3.0-litre V6 Supercharged Petrol, and the 2.0-litre I4 Turbocharged Petrol. Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars, said: 'Jaguar currently has its strongest range of products for several decades. Our continued growth is dependent on two things; activating the awareness of the brand, and expanding our range to enable us to access...[Read more...] |
| SoCal: 2001-2010 |
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