2015 Subaru Outback

With previous models receiving a steller performance rating in safety, the all new 2015 Subaru Outback is announced bringing with it all-road capabilities and refinement. 

                                            

Looking past the 2015 Outbacks upgraded front fascia, raked windshield, and the light weight aluminum hood, Subaru has upped the safety features as well. All Outback models will receive side curtain airbags that will be set off by rollover sensors and seat-cushion airbags to help keep occupants in place during a frontal collision. Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection System, standard on the Limited trims and optional on the 2.5i Premium, offers several functions including blind spot detection through the side view mirror mounted LED's. Best of all, the 2015 Outback offers EyeSight driver assist system, which is the highest rated front crash prevention system ranked by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

The 2015 Outback will be offered with a 175 hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a 256 hp 3.6-liter six-cylinder BOXER engine. All the Outback models will feature Subaru's Lineartronic CVT transmission, with the six-cyliner receiving a high-torque version. The CVT transmission does not shift gears, which in return gives the driver smoother performance, but also has a "manual mode" for those sportier driving days. Upgraded McPherson front struts and double wishbone rear suspension keep the car firmly planted in the turns, while the All-Wheel drive keeps the car on the road. 

The Outback premium will bring 10-way power driver's seat, dual climate controls, All-Weather Package, leather wrapped steering wheel, fog lights, and dark-tint privacy glass.

 

The Outback Limited trim brings the highest level of luxury for an Outback by adding perforated leather upholstery, memory 10-way power driver's seat, 4-way power front passenger seat, dual-mode heated rear seats, and a power rear gate with memory height. 

With a quieter ride, more safety features and interior space, the 2015 Subaru Outback is a winner in Subaru's line-up.

Source: Subaru

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible

When most car manufacturers design a convertible model, weight has to be added to help create a more structurally rigid frame. That is not the case with the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z06 Convertible. Thanks to recent technological advancements created over the last five year, Chevrolet was able to create a car that is exactly identical to the hardtop Z06, except you can drive with the top down.

"We wanted a frame that was lighter than the steel frame of the previous Corvette, yet strong enough for both a 600-horsepower convertible and a 24-hour endurance racer," said Ed Moss, engineering group manager for Corvette structures. "That would not have been possible without improvements in computer-aided engineering software, which allowed us to model more than 17,000 frame iterations, with each iteration improving strength and stiffness, while reducing mass."

Both the Z06 hardtop and convertible will feature the supercharged LT4 V8 pushing a whopping 625-horsepower and 635-lb-ft of torque. The power passes through a 7-speed manual transmission, or an 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, before planting the power down with 285/30ZR19 front and 335/25ZR20 rear Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Two options are available for brakes, with the Z06's Z07 package offering the better 15.5x1.4-inch front and 15.3x1.3-inch carbon ceramic brake rotors to assist with the brake heat known to occur during track days.

The Z06 convertible will feature an electric soft-top that can not only be lowered with the car's key fob, but also has the ability to lower the top while driving up to 30 mph. The tops fabric is made thick with added padding to keep road noise low while driving with the top up.

Being the first Z06 to offer a convertible option since 1963, this will be one car to keep an eye out for.



Source: Chevrolet

Dodge Scat Pack Pricing and Details

Back in November 2013, Dodge announce they would be bringing back the Scat Pack name onto its Challenger, Charger, and Dart line-up. No further details were given at the time, but Dodge has released pricing and power details for the Challenger and Charger. The best news of it all- performance packages all retain the factory warranty. A big plus for anyone wanting to get more power, but hesitant about voiding their warranty. The Scat Pack will comprise of three different stages that offer its own power gains to the 5.7-liter Hemi V8.

 "The new Scat Pack kits reinforce our commitment to the performance arena," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC's service, parts and customer-care brand. "By maintaining the vehicle warranty, we are demonstrating to customers our confidence in the kits, which were built to exactly complement the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger by working hand-in-hand with the engineers who use factory specs to create these vehicles - exclusive knowledge available only to Mopar."

The Scat Pack 1 will have a gain of up to 18 horsepower and 18 lb.-ft of torque. The power gains will come from a Mopar cold-air intake, Mopar cat-back exhaust, and a re-calibrated engine controller to optimize these modifications to the Hemi engine.

Scat Pack 2 adds up to 30 horsepower and will be the "first stage" geared towards the performance enthusiast (maybe Scat Pack 1 is a tease?). The modifications added to this pack is a Mopar camshaft to take advantage of the components of the Scat Pack 1's intake, exhaust, and engine controller. 

Scat Pack 3, probably the better, yet more expensive option, will gain up to 58 horsepower and 47 lb.-ft torque thanks to the addition of Mopar CNC ported heads and hi-flow headers. 

With the additional cost of the car, the packs are priced as followed:
Scat Pack 1- $2,195

Scat Pack 2- $1,895

Scat Pack 3- $4,995

While the performance gains might not agree with your wallet, remember that the performance parts will be fully covered by the warranty.

Source: Dodge

2014 Ford F-150 Lariat

With the Ford F-150 holding the ranking as the best selling truck in America for three consecutive decades, it seemed fitting to test the 2014 F-150. With a quick stop to Tallahassee Ford Lincoln dealership, I was placed in a new F-150 Lariat Crew Cab with all the amenities you could want or need in a truck.

Don't let the size fool you - with a wheel base of 145", the F-150 is not small. However, you wouldn't believe how small the truck felt when driving. The F-150 hugged the lane as I drove and handled every narrow road I could find without an issue. The ride quality of this truck was good and the look of the truck was even better. The Ruby Red Metallic two-tone paint made this truck truly stand out in traffic in a good way.

Acceleration was not an issue with the 5.0-Liter 360-horsepower V8 backed by a 6-Speed automatic and 3.55 rear gear. This mix moved the truck effortlessly through town with the intoxicating sound of the V8. With trailer sway control and tow package included, this truck was ready to tow your everyday needs and then some. An EPA estimated 14-city and 19-highway, the truck is not what you would call fuel efficient, which one would expect from a full-sized pick-up.

The interior was nicely designed and featured a 4.2" LCD screen with Microsoft SYNC, adjustable pedals, memory seat, heated and cooled front seats, and a nicely illuminated instrument panel. After talking to an employee about SYNC, I was notified that customers reported having issues using the interface. However, after spending 15-minutes playing with SYNC, I found it to be fairly easy to use. While I still prefer to use the old fashion way of changing the radio station, the voice command was a nice feature. I really enjoyed the sunroof and the rear sliding window - mainly to hear the sound of the motor, but the feel of the plastic dash, glove box, and the faux wood radio bezel left something to be desired.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed driving the 2014 F-150 and hope to be able to test Ford's all new 2015 F-150 lineup due to release later this year.

For a detailed list of this trucks features and pricing- Click Here

Local Motors to Deliver the First 3-D Printed Electric Car

Local Motors Rally Fighter that took 5 days to build from the ground up

With the popularity and affordability of 3-D printing, it was a matter of time before someone took to the plate to print a car. Local Motors is doing just that, but taking it a step further by printing a hybrid.

Local Motors announced they will be building and delivering the first direct digital manufactured vehicle at this years International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. Using the material science and advanced manufacturing techniques available through the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility in Oak Ridge Nation Laboratory (ORNL) and the Local Motors global community, Local Motors will produce the first 3-D printed car for urban transportation.

"Local Motors is undeniably the first disruptive entrant into the U.S. automotive industry in decades," said Bonnie Gurney, Director - Communications for AMT. "The innovations they are driving in the design, manufacture and sale of vehicles has been empowering individual innovators since 2007. Partnering with them to deliver safer, more functional, lightweight and efficient vehicles via new, innovative manufacturing technologies is core to our commitment to bring global technology advancements to the local level."

The possibilities with 3-D printing are endless and Local Motors will be showing the world a way to utilize advanced manufacturing that can deliver stronger, safer, faster, and more efficient vehicle. Local Motors will be a brand to keep an eye on later this year. The IMTS will take place September 8, 2014.

Source: Local Motors

Jacksonville's Hidden Gem Project

As a collaborative assignment for my Emerging Media, we were required to create a Wiki map locating a few places that only local people would know. Seeing as this blog is based around cars, I thought it would be suitable to pin Golden Era Motors. Please take some time to check out Golden Era Motors and other places that have been pinned with the help of my class.
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View Jacksonville Hidden Locales in a larger map
Stay tuned for a future post regarding my experience with Golden Era Motors and a review of the car I will be test driving.

2015 Jeep Renegade

While having a slight baby Wrangler feel with its My Sky removable roof, the all-new Jeep Renegade brings a best in-class trail rated 4x4 (Trailhawk) while offering over 70 security and safety features. With safety and security at the forefront of the development of the Renegade, Jeep enters the global market with its first small SUV.

The Renegade will be the brands first small SUV and will offer a class first nine-speed automatic transmission- paired with the 2.0-liter diesel or 2.4-liter gas engine- that is said to offer aggressive launches, improved fuel economy, and smoother power delivery than a six-speed automatic. The Renegade will stay true to its nature by offering a trail rated version, the Trailhawk, for customers who want off-road capabilities.

The interior will have a mix of rugged and functional features that will be suitable for storage, sports gear, and the adventurous lifestyle. Award-winning hands-free is standard. Lets not forget the My Sky roof, said to date back to its Willys MB Jeep days, with its open-air feel.

While not as rugged looking as a Wrangler, the Renegade could fit the lifestyle of someone in the city who enjoys a weekend escape into nature. Keep an eye out for the Renegade later this year.

"Jeep Logo" © by inajeep, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Souce: Ford

Pictures: Ford, unless otherwise specified.