Author: Tabitha
You might not have the funds to acquire a classic hot rod, but you can drive (push, actually) the Roddler baby stroller along the sidewalk with your youngster comfortably seated in front. Each custom-built Roddler is constructed with an aluminum frame and suspension, stainless-steel hardware, chrome grips, painted steel fenders and rubber tires that are mounted to a 52-spoke pivoting front wheel. The convertible top is made of vinyl leatherette, as is the seat, but it also comes with a suede insert. And when the passenger is past the crawling stage, the Roddler can be converted into a hot rod…
Ford will offer the 2016 F-150 full-size pickup truck with an available “gaseous fuel-prep package” that enables its 5.0-liter V8-powered models to run on cleaner-burning, lower-cost compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane. The CNG pickup will be able to tow the same amount as similarly sized gasoline engines, Ford said. Payload capacity is the same as well, “minus the weight of the installed CNG or propane system.” Comprised mainly of methane, compressed natural gas is stored and distributed in pressurized containers at about 3,600 pounds per square inch. CNG can reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by about 20 percent when compared with…
Shedding 200 pounds of weight over the current model will give the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro coupe better fuel economy with more nimble and responsive handling, the company says. Adopting a new, 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged base engine will also help achieve those goals, said GM product chief, Mark Reuss. The smaller, lighter engine combined with a slightly smaller body and more extensive use of aluminum shows that, for a new generation of buyers, the 2016 Camaro “incorporates our most innovative engineering ideas.” It’s built on the same chassis that underpins the Cadillac ATS and CTS sedans, an architecture that helped make…
Parent company General Motors confirms that it will upgrade its Bowling Green, Ky. factory that exclusively produces the iconic sports car. Specifically, most of the $439-million improvement budget will be spent on building a new 450,000-square-foot paint shop that will house new robotic painters. That’s equivalent to about one-half the size of the existing ‘Vette plant. The new paint shop for the Corvette rings in at nearly $1,000 a square foot, by The Sleuth’s math.
The Sleuth’s first glimpse at Chevrolet’s latest pony car didn’t deliver the same heart-pumping thrills he experienced when the Mustang arrived for 2015. The Chevy’s rounded nose, tongue-shaped hood and gun-slit windows leave him nonplussed. Also, the cabin’s awkward pop-up-look gauge pod doesn’t excite. Conversely, the Camaro’s fastback roofline, the Corvette-influenced haunches and the crisply shaped tail are way cool. He also likes the Camaro’s 200-pound weight reduction and an engine lineup consisting of a turbocharged 275-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder, 335-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and Corvette-based 455-horsepower 6.2-liter V8. All are available with six-speed manual transmissions, or optional eight-speed automatics. Bottom line:…
There is no shortage of rumors concerning Honda’s increasing interest in two-seat machinery. As previously reported by The Sleuth, a small (as in smaller than Mazda’s MX-5 Miata) mid-engine targa-top sports car, dubbed the S1000, could soon be a go for production. Now Your Obedient Gumshoe reports that Honda is considering a more affordable Honda-ized version of the 2016 Acura NSX hybrid supercar arriving later this year. Apparently Honda’s deep thinkers feel that reclaiming the automaker’s performance heritage is the proper pathway to future growth. Fitting that plan are image-enhancing sports models plus turbocharged four-cylinder Civics that are coming our…
The First 240Z arrived in 1970 and was revived as the 350Z by Nissan (neŽ Datsun) for 2003. Since then the coupe and roadster have experienced only modest changes, but there’s word that an all-new Z-car is on the horizon, but not likely for a few more years. The buzz is that Nissan plans to shrink the size (and weight) of the current 370Z’s successor and will also switch to a turbocharged four-cylinder power from the current non-turbo V6. In addition, coupe and roadster body styles might cost less than the current iterations, which range from $30,000-$50,000. The Spy Guy…
BMW plans to convert the bulk of its product lineup to electric power over the next 10 years, according to British magazine, Autocar. Virtually every BMW model would be powered by electric motors, with all-wheel-drive and range-extending engines throughout the line. In what it calls “the latest thinking from BMW’s advanced engineering department,” even BMW’s core model, the high-volume 3 Series sport sedan, would be included. “It would not be the next generation … meaning a launch in 2022 or later.” BMW has concluded, the magazine says, that it must convert all its vehicles to some configuration of plug-in hybrid,…
Honda is in the process of phasing out efforts to develop natural-gas-powered vehicles and will instead focus on gas-electric hybrids and electric-vehicle development. The automaker is developing a next-generation, two-motor hybrid system that will appear in a new Accord due by 2018, reports industry trade publication Automotive News. A new plug-in hybrid, a new battery electric car and a three-motor hybrid system are also in the works. It quotes John Mendel, executive vice-president of American Honda Motor Co. as saying that hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles, battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids “will become a mainstream, volume pillar for the Honda brand.” Honda will…
Keeping your cell phone and other portable electronics fully juiced can be problematic if you’re nowhere near a plug-in power source. For that reason the new Brunton Revolt 9000 power supply can literally be a lifesaver. This shockproof and waterproof all-weather energy source has a built-in lithium-polymer battery (good for charging the equivalent of six smartphones) that can be replenished through an AC adaptor. Restore also includes a three-in-one adaptor cable for linking with USB, Lightning and 30-pin devices. If the Revolt ever breaks, the company says it will fix it or replace it for free. Pick one up for…