By Greg Kachadurian
Welcome to the Hooniverse News! This is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or the bull. I also throw in a little opinion of mine, just because I can. This week:
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Tanner Foust and Cobb Tuning show how to properly tune a Focus ST
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Acura RLX priced under $50,000
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Henrik Fisker resigns from Fisker Automotive
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2014 Range Rover Sport possibly leaked on Facebook
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In case you missed it: Meguiar’s Forza Horizon DLC now available
Tanner Foust Edition Ford Focus ST
I would imagine that many of you know the name Tanner Foust pretty well. The professional driver and Top Gear USA host we all know and love has teamed up with Cobb Tuning to create a limited edition, high(er) performance Ford Focus ST that you can actually buy.
Cobb Tuning, one of the top tuners in the nation, contributes a custom ECU tune, intercooler, intake, and exhaust system to bump up the power to 300 hp and 380 lb.-ft. of torque (up from 252 hp and 27o lb.-ft). A full sport suspension and super-sticky tires contribute to better handling, which might help when you want to send all that torque through the front wheels. The car also features a graphics package, carbon fiber aero kit, bespoke grille, and racer-ish wheels.
Pricing and more details will be revealed sometime in April on their official website, but they did mention it will be on sale at Ford dealerships as well as from Cobb Tuning. They’ll also give you the choice to buy the whole package or just individual components, so presumably you can have a 300 hp Focus that isn’t as flashy as what you see here.
Source: Cobb Tuning via Autoweek
Acura RLX priced
Acura’s newest flagship sedan was revealed earlier this year in Los Angeles and it’s been hailed (by Acura) as being the most technologically advanced, the freshest, and the most powerful luxury sedan in company history. With all that said, it can be yours for $48,450 in standard trim or $60,450 (plus $895 for destination charges) in its highest trim. It goes on sale nationwide today.
Acura’s most powerful sedan uses a new 3.5-liter V6 producing 310 horsepower and 272 lb.-ft. of torque which gets sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters. All-wheel-drive was confirmed back in L.A., but we don’t have a price or release date for that yet. Variable Cylinder Management, “advanced” aerodynamics, and an emphasis on a lightweight body contribute to a respectable 20 mpg city / 31 mpg highway. Some other nifty features include Precision All-Wheel Steer which uses slight rear-wheel-steering input to help improve cornering, a comprehensive AcuraLink infotainment system, and “Jewel Eye” LED headlamps to piss off anyone coming the other way.
Source: Acura
Henrik Fisker resigns from Fisker Automotive
Henrik Fisker, founder and chief executive of Fisker Automotive, announced his resignation earlier this week. Autoweek reports that Henrik had cited “several major disagreements” between him and Fisker’s current executive management, who are in the process of “some serious negotiating” to acquire funds for the Fisker Atlantic’s release.
The Atlantic (pictured), which is nearly everything a Karma is but smaller, was set to be released with the help of a federal loan, but that was put on hold due to slower than anticipated sales of the Karma. So far, Fisker Automotive has attracted the attention of Chinese holding group, Zhejiang Geely (they’re the ones who bought Volvo), who currently lead the bidding race to take control of the company. Tony Posawatz, who was Vehicle Line Director for the Chevy Volt, is Fisker Automotive’s current president and CEO.
Insert sensationalist speculation about Fisker Automotive’s future here.
Source: Autoweek
Range Rover Sport leaked?
If leaked photos of cars we know little about is your thing, then have a photo of what ought to be our 2014 Range Rover Sport, leaked on Facebook of all places. More photos and details will be available closer to the RR Sport’s actual debut at the New York Auto Show later this month, which some of us will be covering live.
Source: [someone who probably got a lovely call from a lawyer] via Sam Moores Photography
Meguiar’s Forza Horizon Car Pack
In case you missed it, our pals at Meguiar’s car care have some downloadable content (DLC) for those of you who play Forza Horizon. A total of 7 new cars are coming – one of which is free for everyone, that being the 1998 Nissan R390, and the other is only for players who have purchased a Season Pass for access to every DLC, which is a 2010 Joss JT1.
The rest of the car pack consists of a 2013 Audi RS4 Avant, 2013 BMW M135i, 2012 Mercedes-Benz G65 AMG, 2003 Ferrari Challenge Stradale, and a 2004 Peugeot 206 RC. You can get it now in the XBOX LIVE Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points (about $5 US).
Source: Meguiar’s
Ross Ballot
Are those oil leaks in the leaked photo of the Range?
I was really surprised to hear about Fisker. I mean, if some asshole board members wanted muthalovin to step down from Muthalovin Inc, they could go fuck themselves.
I've heard of this happening a lot when a corporation starts to gain traction. I can imagine once you have a board of directors to contend with, as well as stock holders to please, owner vision and financial needs/goals can become a Venn diagram with rapidly reducing overlap…
That said, the board of Scandinavian Flick Corp. can go Scandinavian Fuck themselves as well.
With a capital F!
Yeah, I see what you're saying. I mean, look at what they did to Steve Jobs! They killed him!
Things turned out okay for the Henry Ford Company after they got rid of that one guy who, by 1902, clearly had run out of ideas.
Also, that Focus is going to cost as much as that RL, if not more. Calling it now.
I'd say a little bit less than the RLX. But even if it's more expensive than the Shelby American Focus ST [overpriced appearance package], it's already won.
TOTALLY AGREE!
We brought up the Shelby Focus while recording the podcast last night… I got a bit angry about it.
Hell, it won just by the fact that it appears to have the sweet Recaro seats instead of the base model buckets that the weaksauce Shelby effort has.
That's MeGuiars with a G.
I wish I could blame auto correct… but really I have no idea how that's happened haha. I swear I typed in a g…
That's some impressive gains from those modifications on the Focus. I mean, mod for mod, that's on par with gains you could expect from a V8 powered car, especially in regards to torque.
"Insert sensationalist speculation about Fisker Automotive’s future here."
Nice "subtle" jab there, Greg. 😉
In motorsports news, big announcement yesterday about the Grand-Am/ALMS merger. The unified series will be called USCR, sanctioned by IMSA.
Classes will be: Prototype (P), P2 & DeltaWing; Prototype Challenge (PC); GT Le Mans (GTLM); GT Daytona (GTD); and GX.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/grand-am-2…
2014 is going to be very interesting.
Also, in MotoGp, Honda and Yamaha did testing at Circuit of the Americas this week. Rookie Marc Marquez is goddamn fast, and no one could catch him.
Good point. Here's a video that COTA posted today.
[youtube 5VNmkbUZ3Qc&feature=youtu.be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VNmkbUZ3Qc&feature=youtu.be youtube]
OK, the embed isn't working. Try this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VNmkbUZ3Qc&fe…
[youtube 5VNmkbUZ3Qc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VNmkbUZ3Qc youtube]
You have the magic touch.
Related to nothing in particular: last week I went to a Ford dealer to test drive a Focus ST, mostly just to confirm to myself that I wasn't going to get one. The sales manager tore a strip off the salesperson I was speaking with when he went to get the keys for me, "THAT CAR IS NOT A TOY, IT WILL DO ZERO TO SIXTY…BLAH SELF-RIGHTEOUS BLAH…" I walked over to him and informed him that he was welcome to step back into his office and fornicate vigorously with himself, which I re-stated when he told me I could drive it if I made a cash offer on the spot. Not sure what he thinks he's got on his hands there…
He's right – a Focus is not a toy, and he's not a toy salesman. He sells cars, and cars get tested before they're purchased.
What a moron.
I could understand if I was 18, but I'm a grey-haired gent of advanced early-middle age. I wonder what speech he would have given had I been shopping a Mustang GT.
"Sir, you'll need a parent or legal guardian to ride with you during the test drive".
Back on topic though, that's ridiculous. When the brand you're trying to sell has a car that's all about fun the last thing you want to do is take the fun out of it with all that BS.
Well when I went to my local Ford dealer to look at the ST, I found out I was too fat for the seats.
Then I was sad.
I'm not even that fat.
They are ambitiously constrictive. I'm a normal 6'2", 205lbs and they were big man little jacket. Between that and the assmanager, it's off my list.
At least you got to see the st. I went to my local ford dealer the beginning of last november and they said they would have two by the end of the month, the manager took my phone number and said he would call when they arrived. It is now the middle of march and still no phone call.
Of all the featured cars and images, this olelongrooffan wants the Wagoneer with hood up behind the Range Rover
I'd take the Focus, but that's a good-looking Wagoneer.
Why do all the new Range Rovers have eye infections? Can anyone fix that?
Can ghe focus be ordered without the tread tape and tanner foust plastered all over the side of it?
They hinted at that being an option. I'm sure Cobb Tuning is more than willing to sell someone that performance kit and nothing else but we'll know for sure sometime in April.