Auto Trends

“Ooo laa laa,” and she was looking fine!

Yesterday was a big day for the Chevrolet Camaro fan. She pulled into the Detroit Michigan design center in front of hundreds of thousand watchful eyes, and all rumors were finally laid to rest. No… those Mustang owners won’t get a 4-cylinder model in the line-up to beat up on, and there is no supercharged Z28 to beat up on the Mustang owner. But the Camaro SS will receive a hood scoop like the concept and does have a powerful LS3 6.2 liter V-8 featuring the estimated 422 horsepower and 408 ft-lbs of torque.

Of course the big sellers are going to be the entrance models, which are no slouches themselves by any means. The 3.6 liter V-6 used for both the LS and LT model will have variable valve timing, which will help the midsized V-6 achieve numbers close to the Mustang GT range, or other words about 300 horsepower/273 ft-lbs torque.

This kind of output matched to a six speed transmission, pretty much guarantee a fun ride in even the very lowly base model, which we suspect will not be treated on the streets as lowly at all. But even variable valve timing on a mid-size V-6 without some kind of forced induction (supercharger, turbo) you are not going to be able to see the torque numbers that really makes an enthusiast grin. This will be where the SS trim level will come in.

The high-performance Chevrolet Camaro SS will not only be equipped with a powerful 6.2L V-8, with a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, but it will share a little go fast hardware from the 2008 Corvette just as expected.

The LS3 engine which debuted on the 2008 Corvette will be fitted on the manual Camaro’s and boast the same high-flow cylinder heads that are on the infamous Z06’s LS7 engine. For the automatic breed Camaro’s, they will see the new L99 engine, which is based on the LS3.

The V-8 automatics (with TAPshift control) will also include GM’s Active Fuel Management, which allows the engine to run on just 4 cylinders during highway cruising speeds. So, in a sense there is a 4-cylinder Camaro, just not one with a full-time job!

The Active Fuel Management gets the big 6.2 liter V-8, 23 mpg on the highway, which is only 3 less than the 3.6 liter V-6, which is capable of 26 mpg. GM has certainly kept up with its promise to help ease the consumer’s mind during the oil crunch.

Here are a few of the New Camaro’s highlights:

• 10 available exterior colors
• Four-wheel independent suspension
• Variable-rate rack and pinion power steering
• Four-wheel disc brake system, Brembo calipers on SS models
• StabiliTrak stability control system and traction control standard
• Competitive/Sport modes for the stability system offered on SS models, including launch control on SS models equipped with the six-speed manual transmission
• Choice of 18”, 19” and 20” wheels
• Frameless door windows with automatic indexing glass
• Detailed interior with heritage-inspired design, excellent attention to detail and available ambient lighting via LED light pipe technology (ah, we don’t know about this, but to each their own)
• Robust uni-body construction
• Six standard air bags, including head curtain side-impact air bags and front seat-mounted thorax side air bags
• RS appearance package available on LT and SS, will be available with HID headlamps (with integrated halo rings), spoiler, and 20-inch wheels
• Bluetooth capability
• Boston Acoustics audio system
• USB connectivity
• Ultrasonic rear parking assist (late introduction)
• Remote vehicle starting system
• OnStar (of course)
• XM Satellite Radio

US Patent #6125480: Bumper Dumper

The “Bumper Dumper” is a unique toilet seat set up (once featured on the Jay Leno Show) that can be attached to the bumper of most any truck or SUV. The unit fits on a 2X2 hitch and can be fitted with either a trash bag or a sealable 5 gallon bucket that conveniently attaches to the under portion of the seat..

These dumpers must be hot, as just last year they were selling for $59.95, and now they are up to $69.95 (toilet paper holder sold separately).

eBay Motors: Magnetic Sunroof

Have you ever wished that your car, truck, or SUV had the look of a real sunroof? Well now it can… and all in under 5 minutes! These fashionable beauties are simply a rectangular slab of magnet made to give the illusion of a sunroof to any vehicle.

This just might make you slightly cool with everyone that you don’t know. But for those you do, they will think you are so lame, it will cancel out what little coolness you once had.

Hitch Hands and Testicles

These novelty items have already been bashed plenty, but they just keep coming back. The hitch hands is a rubber/plastic hand you place on your hitch giving drivers behind you, ahem, a hand gesture of some sort. The testicles are, just that, a pair of either skin colored, neon coated, chrome, or gold plated cahoonies, designed to make the driver macho.

But they don’t, they make the driver look tacky and most people (especially women) hate them. Some states like Virginia hate the testicles so much that they have taken steps to have them banned under penalty of law.

They have been trying to dash some of their negative attention by donating to testicular cancer research for each testicle hitch they sell. This makes having one of these on your vehicle like having a pink ribbon magnet… only much tackier!

Engine Overhaul Kit in a Bottle

Okay, So I’ll admit that I fell for this when I bought my first car at 15. I will however give myself credit that after putting the liquid “fixer” in and got to the wax/metal pellets you are instructed to drop onto your warm pistons through the spark plug holes, I came to my senses and gave them to a friend I didn’t like much at the time.

This kit has been laughed at for over 40 years, but there’s still enough people buying it that it may be around for another 40. Not even the popularity of the pet rock and cabbage patch doll can touch that!

Ever since White House press secretary, Dana Perino, walked out on Monday (July 14th, 2008) to tell reporters that President Bush was calling for congress to lift the ban on offshore drilling, a lot of questions and thoughts have begun to surface.

What is our future in gas prices if we continue to be dependent on foreign oil? What are the ultimate consequence of offshore drilling in the US? Where do things stand on finding another fuel source for transportation now that oil drilling has come back into our lives?

Not all that long ago, Senator John McCain was offering a $300 million taxpayer-funded cash prize to to the first inventor/researchers who could come up with the most advanced hybrid/battery technology. “A small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency,” said McCain, who also proposed to have a $5,000 tax credit for zero-emission vehicles.

Next thing we know, McCain jumps on the oil bandwagon along with President Bush and we’re talking about dropping the offshore drilling ban and digging up a storm around the coastal shelves to reduce the gas drain on the American pocket book.

This ban has been in place for over 18 years, approaching the 20th anniversary of the devastating Exxon Valdez oil spill. But perhaps it is our only alternative at this point. Indeed this action may bring some much needed relief at the pumps, while also reducing some of our dependency for foreign oil.

Is this however just putting a bandaid on the real problem at hand? Putting off the search for alternative fuel for another 40 years until our next crisis? Or is this a savvy move by the republican party to show a brand new hand to the voters, just in time for the election.

Yes, we know that a lot of people are criticizing the drilling action, saying that the Republicans have just handed the presidency over to the Democrats. But have they really? Are they really that crazy… or perhaps more like crazy like a fox?

Meanwhile on the Democratic front, Obama has come back stating that we shouldn’t need to offer a reward as incentive to find the best hybrid, “put a bounty out for some rocket scientist to win.” Instead we should count on the good old fashioned “ingenuity and innovation of the American people” to find a solution to the fuel dilemma.

But how does he feel about oil drilling in our coastal regions? It’s “dangerous and deceptive” is about all we have heard over at the Obama headquarters…

Something tells us that this story has only just begun. Stay tuned…