Welcome to the Hooniverse News – Slow News Week Edition! As always, this is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. I just throw in a little opinion of mine because I can. Stuff did happen, but most of the big announcements were all done last week which leaves this week as a week to sort of catch our breath after the dozens of supercars shown in Geneva. This week:
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Galpin Auto Sports to begin production of the Rocket
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McLaren confirms pricing and availability for 675LT, configurator goes live
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Mazda and Microsoft to give Forza Horizon 2 players a chance to win a real 2016 MX-5 Miata
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Chevy drops the first teaser for the all-new Spark
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What’s your automotive news? (Please?)
Production-spec Galpin Rocket
At last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, Galpin Auto Sports and Henrik Fisker unveiled their concept for a coach-built super Mustang appropriately called the Rocket. Yesterday, GAS proudly revealed the Rocket in its final production form in their shop and via the interwebs. It will make its first public appearance at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance along with some other awesome stuff and will officially enter its limited production run shortly thereafter.
The Rocket is the product of Henrik Fisker’s design pen and GAS’s keen eye for performance. Fisker took inspiration from various Mustangs of the 60’s and early 70’s for his design, especially the 1968 Shelby GT500. But unlike the Mustangs of the 60’s and 70’s, this one is built like a modern supercar.
The car’s construction is composed of carbon fiber and brought to life with the help of GFMI Metalcrafters of Fountain Valley, CA. In the four months since its LA Auto Show debut, GAS and GFMI worked to finalize the molds for the production carbon fiber body panels and even developed the rest of the car further to add more standard and optional performance and appearance upgrades. And since it’s a coach-built car, the buyer can pick any color/stripe combo they like. Also, the press photos show that the car has since dropped its out of place “ROCKET” badge that spanned the trunk lid… which is good.
The most important performance feature on the Rocket is the very thing that earned this car’s title: the available 725 horsepower supercharged V8. Not much was said about that engine in the release though, but it seems the car does not come standard with the supercharger kit. Either way, it dumps through a new Bassani cat-back exhaust system with quad tips.
Other standard equipment on the Rocket includes Ford’s optional Mustang performance pack, which adds improved cooling, unique chassis tuning, unique driver aids tuning, a 3.73 Torsen rear diff and Brembo six-piston front brake calipers with larger rotors. A more extreme Gran Turismo Brembo braking package is also available and adds fifteen-inch front and rear two-piece drilled rotors. Wheel options include a ten-spoke twenty-one inch wheel designed and built in conjunction with ADV1 and a super-light twenty-inch wheel intended for track use.
Prices start at $109,100 and that includes nearly everything except the supercharged performance package, which starts at $125,000.
[Source: Galpin Auto Sports]
McLaren 675LT production information
Since it’s a bit of a slow news week right after the Geneva Motor Show, I’ll take a step back and discuss something that I missed last week. McLaren’s 675LT “Longtail” (it’s not actually that much longer) is going gold and ready to ship, so McLaren released its production figures and pricing.
The 675LT commands an entry price of £259,500 ($382,000) plus the price of a few optional extras to choose from. There’s a Club Sport pack which adds titanium roll hoops and racing harnesses, optional paint colors, and whatever else they have available here in their 675LT configurator. For those looking to kill time on a lazy Friday, you’re welcome.
If you happen to see a 675LT on the roads near you, it’ll be a fairly rare occasion since only 500 will ever be produced worldwide. Deliveries will commence this July.
[Source: McLaren]
Drive the 2016 MX-5 in Forza Horizon 2
[youtube]https://youtu.be/7SCE3yONvOA[/youtube]
If you, like some people, own an Xbox One and Forza Horizon 2 and, like everyone, want to drive the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, then you’re in luck. Mazda and Microsoft are giving players the chance to drive the 2016 MX-5 Miata in a perfect virtual world starting on March 17th. Not only can you drive the virtual Miata, you can also win a real one by taking part in the new Time Trial Rivals Contest.
Starting on March 17th and ending on April 30th, players will need to click on the banner ad for the Mazda MX-5 that they’ll see on the Games, Music, Movies, or Apps page on their Xbox One. That ad will lead to a landing page where players can register to compete in a time trial with the MX-5 on the Sisteron Perimeter Sprint Track. The two top players in that event will then be flown out to Los Angeles to compete head-to-head in a winner-take-all race. The winner receives the 2016 MX-5 Miata and some cash to help with the taxes. The loser will be sacrificed to the Kodo gods.
So if you’re on Forza Horizon 2 with Xbox One (Xbox 360 apparently gets no love), start brushing up on your Miata skills.
[Source: Mazda, Turn 10]
Chevy Spark teaser
Chevrolet is promising a “Spark of sophistication” for this year’s New York and Seoul auto shows in the form of the all-new Chevy Spark. The compact will apparently have a sleeker and more aerodynamic profile and feature and aggressive take on Chevy’s signature styling. According to the teaser, it will be more athletic and sophisticated in appearance at least.
The debut will take place on April 2nd with simultaneous events in Seoul and New York. The Spark has sold 1.1 million units in 71 countries since its inception, selling the most in South Korea, the US, and Mexico.
If it looks good, I’ll keep you posted.
[Source: Chevrolet]
What was your automotive news?
I saw a dog.
Since this is a relatively slow news week compared to how it’s been recently, let’s hear from you! If you saw, drove, bought, fixed, broke, or otherwise did anything hoonworthy that you’d like to share, sound off in our shiny new comment system. Pictures are encouraged so I don’t have to keep taking pictures of dogs at traffic lights… unless you don’t mind.
[Source: me]
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