2012 Roush RS3 (via Autoblog)
Red, white and blue
The Z06 is the Lite beer of Corvettes. All the grip of a ZR1, but with slightly less power. Still enough to dominate on the track, but not quite enough to rival the technology of the Porsche Turbo S on the street.
“The ZL1 takes the SS to a new level. Roughly 30 percent of the car has been engineered to go out and dominate…our new leadership has told us we don’t just compete anymore, we win.” - Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser
One shouldn’t judge a muscle car by its stripes.
Beneath the blue and white nostalgia resides modern mechanicals with fuel injection, 6-speed transmissions, traction control and ABS. The newest Dodge Challenger SRT8, an inaugural edition 392 model, rivals the performance of its present-day peers. The Shelby GT350 aims to repeat history, not on the track, but by raising a Mustang’s performance to the level of a sports car.
The Dodge Charger R/T hails from Detroit with the distinctive aromatic musk only American steel carries.
The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is rated at 370 bhp and 395 lb.-ft. of torque, and can propel the Charger to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 13.7, beating the V-6 Mustang.
The 2011 Dodge Charger R/T’s performance numbers are in the same league as the BMW 5 Series, all for $30K less.
Detroit had chances to continue the good stuff. We still wonder why Ford didn’t build a proper Taurus SHO wagon. Then the vehicular herpes known as the SUV infected the nation and wagons were shunned.
“
| — |
John Lamm, Road & Track (Source: roadandtrack.com) |
