Death Race - first trailer

This is the first trailer of the Death Race that will be released this August.

Ex-con Jensen Ames (Statham) is forced by the warden of a notorious prison (Allen) to compete in our post-industrial world’s most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory.

The secret life of the Chevy Volt

An article in the Atlantic Monthly examines the genesis and gestation of the Chevy Volt, and concludes with an intriguing mix of potential hits and misses. Calling the Volt "the Barack Obama of automobiles-everyone's hope for change," even the Atlantic Monthly knows that this car currently means more to GM and perhaps the U.S. car buying public than anything else. There is a huge amount of emotion behind the Volt, and not all of it is supportive.

The article is just as much about GM and how the company operates as it is about the car. The case is put forward that this is less about the viability of the Volt and more about whether GM can finally execute a proper long term follow through. GM has had brilliant ideas before, but its commitment and track record of seeing them through to successful ends isn't so great.

GM CEO Rick Wagoner said, "If I've learned anything over the past three or four years, it's that a lot of this business is sticking with it and persistence. In the coaching vernacular, we're going to leave it on the floor to make this happen." That's a telling quote from the captain of the ship. More heartening is the quote from another GM exec on what the Volt means to the company: "The empire strikes back." Atta boy.

GM seeking Chinese suitor for HUMMER?

The continual grousing over fuel prices has earned the HUMMER brand a place on consumers' fecal roster. There's nothing wrong with what HUMMER has on offer, other than the fact that large, off-road capable trucks make terrible commuter cars, and the idiots misusing their H2s for tasks better suited to Cobalts are finally wising up. This re-thinking of emetic consumption has sent HUMMER sales down the sewer, and with no end in sight, GM is seriously considering selling the brand to stanch the cash bleed.

China is a huge emerging market for General Motors – Buick is big there, for example. As such, GM's Fritz Henderson has indicated its willingness to hold discussions with any Chinese company interested in buying the division. It's not like HUMMER is a brand with lots of history, anyway. Only the H1 had any legitimate claim to military lineage, and that vehicle hasn't been available for a while. The survival of the brand in the U.S. market may hinge on competing more directly with the Jeep Wrangler, regardless of ownership. The same way as Jaguar and Land Rover are a handy entre into serious carmaking for Tata, HUMMER could be a way for Chinese automakers to crack the U.S. market.

Volkswagen Golf Mk VI not U.S.-bound?

Germany's Spiegel Online is reporting that currency concerns will force Volkswagen to not sell the upcoming Mk VI Golf in the United States, Brazil, and Australia. It all boils down to profitability, and it appears that the forthcoming Golf simply cannot be sold in our market (or Brazil or Australia) in the current economic climate without falling short of VW's targets. Thus, Spiegel reports that VW boss Martin Winterkorn told a meeting of the board that the next Golf won't make an appearance here in the States, period. The original article (in German) is here, and any German-speaking readers are welcome to add clarity to the report in the comments below.

In the US, the Golf (Rabbit) family is VW's second-highest seller behind the Jetta. If this drastic measure does indeed come to pass, we're left wondering what, if anything, would fill that void. Would the current Mk V soldier on, much in the same way VW continues to offer the Mk IV in markets like Canada under the City moniker? This is going to be an interesting story to follow, regardless of what ultimately transpires.

Ford to launch Mustang Cobra Jet factory drag racer this summer

Ford has a long history of creating factory-built racers based on its regular production cars. Over the past four decades, most of those have have been derived from the Mustang. Since the mid-90s, that has included several runs of Cobra Rs, and today, a couple of variants of the FR500. Later this summer, Ford will revive another Mustang variant from the first generation when the Cobra Jet is reborn. The original Cobra Jet was built as a drag racing special with a high-torque long-stroke 428 cu. in. V8. Forty years later, Ford will be building a new Cobra Jet this summer.

The new Cobra Jet will be powered by a supercharged 5.4L 32-valve V8 based on the GT500 engine. This engine, dubbed the Romeo 605 by Ford Racing officials, will use an upgraded supercharger as compared to the GT500. The car will come from the factory detuned to a mere 400 hp in order to meet NHRA rules. The 605 gives an indication of the true power potential of the engine with only minor tweaks from the competitor. Ford is only planning to build 50 new Cobra Jets at the behest of a handful of dealers, who may end up buying all the cars and then re-selling them. The new drag racing specials are expected to be priced at $69,900.

Bumblebee on set at Drexel University

The Transformers crew was shooting scenes at Drexel University in Philly, and Aleks scored some nice overhead shots of the car down on the street below. (One nice thing about movie sets: the lighting's going to be good.) Even better (for him), he reports, " Lucky for me, I also got to meet Megan Fox." Lucky, indeed.

Chrysler 'Cuda Convertible Concept at Cars & Coffee

Maybe the 'Cuda is alive after all. While we have speculated about the existence of one ever since we first heard a hint of the SEMA show car from last year, all we've had to work with since are rumors and sketches of what might be. Well, today at the weekly Cars and Coffee show in Irvine, a genuine 'Cuda Concept was parked right in the midst of everything. A convertible nonetheless. It just sat there with only a few people really spotting it for what it was. Considering that real original '70s 'Cudas are plentiful at this show and that several Challenger SRT-8s have already made appearances, it doesn't seem surprising that people might not spot this concept immediately. The surprising part is that it is painted purple with a white convertible top that can't be ignored no matter how hard you try. While the car sported no badges, it wore a mock "NEWCUDA" Colorado plate and had a seemingly stock Challenger-like interior, complete with a Hurst pistol-grip shifter for the automatic trans. While many of the details emulate the 70-74 cars, the bulk says Challenger. Particularly fun is the grill and headlight setup and the Shaker hood scoop. Very nicely done. The only badge we spotted was a big G on the front fenders, the mark of Metalcrafter's Gaffoglio boys. Looks like we have a SEMA '08 preview on our hands.