Rams Eye The Track Guy

I've read one or two interviews before with Ford that discussed Nurburgring lap times and why there aren't any for the various performance models over the years. I think it was Jamal Hameedi and he said that he didn't like posting Nurburgring lap times even though they test cars there. The reason why was because a lot of parameters aren't consistent between manufacturers so they are meaningless when it comes to comparing cars. Someone close to Ford seems to not have got the memo, though. According to a Horsepower Kings' source, the Shelby GT350R laid down a very impressive lap time of 7:32.19 at the Nurburgring. Not only that, the number also wasn't a hero lap, it was easily repeatable. Even more impressive, the standard GT350 (presumably with the Track Pack) was within a few seconds despite being on much more street friendly tires. That would put the GT350 neck and neck with the Camaro Z/28's 7:37.4 lap time, although it is worth mentioning that ...

Ford. Struck. Again. Another high horsepower, high performance model. This time, it's the return of F-150 Raptor, which will once again set the standard for production high performance off-road vehicles. This time, Ford reengineered more of the truck to differentiate it from the standard F-150 compared to the last generation and make it more formidable. For starters, the Raptor gets a bespoke, purpose built frame that is unique to the Raptor, making it the toughest in the lineup and stronger than the outgoing Raptor. Using the same (high strength, military grade) aluminum alloy that deputed on the body of this F-150 generation, Ford claims a 500 lbs weight reduction compared to the outgoing Raptor. Lighter and tougher? Can't complain. The exterior is still easily distinguishable from the rest of the lineup and it doesn't disappoint. I think the truck looks absolutely menacing. Some of the updates, though, are sure to upset a few people. The ...

As if revealing the Ford GT wasn't exciting enough for car enthusiasts, Ford gave the world another treat in the form of the Mustang Shelby GT350R. It seems like more people have been talking about the Ford GT and the new F-150 Raptor and this may have been a little overshadowed. In my opinion, it's not due to it being less significant than either (okay, maybe it isn't quite as significant as a new GT), but because the biggest surprise came when the GT350 was revealed a few weeks ago and a lot of people were expecting a more hard core version to come at some point. Still, the fact that this is announced now is great. The new Mustang has been on sale for just a few months and typically it takes one model year or two to reveal a higher performance version of a model. Look at the history of Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and even exotics from across the pond. The run-of-the-mill Mustang has been on sale for relatively little and then Ford announced the King Cobra Roush su...

I was in complete and utter disbelief when I saw this. I read a few articles about a possible GT replacement but how many times have we heard the same? How many times have we heard rumours and saw concepts before the last return of the GT? Now that it is here, it's hard to argue that the legendary name has returned. Beyond the car itself, another shocking detail is the engine. A 3.5 litre, twin turbocharged EcoBoost V6. No longer is it a V8. Whenever a V6 replaces a V8, that's always a sin in my books but this may be the first case where I liked something about it. It ties it to Ford's racing efforts in Tudor with the Daytona Prototypes (DP) cars, which use a racing variation of Ford's famous 3.5 litre EcoBoost engine. I always like ties to racing. I still would have much rather seen a V8 and I'm afraid this is a sign of things to come but it's hard to argue with more than 600 hp, which is what Ford said it will make. Ford fitted the engine w...

Okay, this is over three weeks old new. But, as I've done in the past a few times, I simply cannot exclude some cars when they debut from my blog. This is a perfect example, the new CTS-V. For one, look at the thing. I think it looks awesome. It's aggressive but not vulgar and, besides the grille and hood vents, looks almost discrete in a dark colour like the gunmetal grey below (okay, the quad exhausts are a giveaway as well). We haven't even got to the best part yet, the supercharged beating heart making 640 hp. 640 hp. That is a lot more than the last generation's 556 hp and it actually needs less to be as quick. I was expecting Cadillac to give it a number around 600 hp and would have been very happy with that. It would have been a nice jump of about 50 hp from the last generation while having a better and lighter chassis. You can't complain about that. But no, they gave it 640 hp. For those who are bored by numbers, skip to the next paragraph. T...