The Lumma Design BMW M5 breaks most design standards and has some interesting colors, wide fenders, and some very deep rims. The BMW V10 engine is twin turbo to produce 730 horsepower, which will cause some havoc on the streets of Europe. Lumma claims that it’s powerplant is the “most powerful engine” ever seen on a road-legal BMW. Lumma’s previous work was on another M5 that was dubbed the CLR 500 RS. This took place back in 2007 and the car managed a very puny by comparison 560 horses.

The interior is the craziest part of this car with an interesting red and white theme. Not my style, but definitely different.

By Ken Glassman, Nov. 10, 2009

Station wagons were once a common sight on American Roads, and virtually every U.S. car brand had one or more in their lineup. Wagons were built off sedan platforms, only with an extended roof and squared-off back end. It was a perfect vehicle for those who needed more cargo space than a standard trunk would offer. Families bought them in large numbers in the years after World War II when the rise of suburbia began, and frequent trips to the landscape nursery, hardware store and lumber yard were a Saturday ritual. And, of course, for packing up the wife, 2.3 kids, and dog, to travel across the country and see America.

The downfall of the trusty station wagon began in the early ‘80’s when a struggling Chrysler Corporation introduced the Mini-van, helping to save the automaker, and transforming our ideas about family vehicles. The mini-van did everything the station wagon could do and much more, (except drive like a car) and became the first “utility vehicle.”

Not long after, truck based vehicles were modified and gentrified, and were marketed as “sport utility vehicles.” And soon the new trucks became almost a fashion statement for suburban moms and dads who liked the high seating position and rugged image that SUVs provided, and the cheap gas supply didn’t cause concern about poor gas mileage. So the station wagon went the way of the buggy whip

In the last decade, “crossover vehicles” have become the new station wagon. The truck chassis were replaced by car chassis, and the vehicles kept the tall stature for high seating positions, more bold truck-like styling cues, but received the creature comforts of sedans, and their more car-like ride quality and handling. And now, crossovers come in almost every size and shape, and from almost every manufacturer, including sports car icon, Porsche. It wouldn’t surprise me anymore if even Ferrari or Lamborghini got into the game.

In the last few years, however, the true station wagon – meaning a production sedan with an extended roof and liftgate – has made a small comeback here in the states. Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi all have traditional wagons in their lineup. While the total market in the U.S. is estimated to be a meager 30,000 vehicles each year, traditional station wagons have remained wildly popular in Europe, where gasoline prices are high and gas mileage is very important. So the three German manufacturers mentioned have all enjoyed strong sales there and import those models here.

But now Cadillac has entered the station wagon fray, and while they don’t expect sales to explode here, they do want a share of the roughly 250,000 units that sell each year overseas, where Cadillac is making strong inroads in the global marketplace. And with the CTS being its most successful selling model, it was a natural to receive the wagon treatment.

DELIVERS AS PROMISED WITH SPORTS SEDAN PERFORMANCE, EXTRA CARGO ROOM

I got to spend a week with the all-wheel drive version of the mid-size CTS hauler, and I was impressed with the vehicle, just as I was with the sedan version. It’s really no surprise, because it’s basically the same as the sedan, except for the extended roofline and rear hatch. The wagon adds some weight, but it’s mostly over the rear wheels, which gives the wagon a better weight distribution, so it’s even more balanced than the sedan model. And that balance is appreciated when you feel like driving the CTS Sport Wagon aggressively on a challenging road. You won’t feel the high center of gravity or excessive body lean that a true SUV or crossover delivers, but a hunkered down, sure-footed sport sedan that is ready to take on the twisties with ease… and yes, even some driving excitement!

While a driver can marvel about how a crossover can almost approximate the handling of a car, with the Sport Wagon, there are no compromises – you get true sports sedan handling. The ZF Servotronic power rack and pinion steering provides excellent steering response, and the Premium AWD model comes standard with an independent performance suspension, and 18-inch polished aluminum wheels with all season tires. Traction control and Stabilitrak are always on the job. So you can drive the Sport Wagon hard into a corner, and feel it track smoothly to the apex, and power it out to the next turn with ease and with a smile on your face.

When relaxed cruising is the order of the day, you’ll find the wagon to be very quiet, with little mechanical noise form the engine and drivetrain, and no discernable wind noise. The ride quality on the interstate is luxury smooth, and even the sport suspension is well mannered over potholes and broken pavement.

TOP LEVEL V6 DELIVERS 304-HP

My test car came with the optional 3.6-liter V6 direct-injection motor, which puts out 304-hp and 273 ft-lbs of torque. That’s up from 270-hp and 223 ft-lbs on the base models. Full EPA fuel mileage estimates are not yet available, but Cadillac does expect a gas mileage rating of 18-mpg city and 26-mpg highway for 3.6-liter RWD models – so AWD models should be slightly less.

As for acceleration, those power numbers are good enough to scoot the CTS wagon to 60 mph in 7 seconds. A sporty 6-speed manu-matic transmission is standard and lets you play boy racer if you feel like rowing through the gears yourself

And while this CTS has all the juice in the “go-pedal,” it also pays attention to the “whoa-pedal,” with large, powerful 4-disc ABS brakes that offer excellent feel. In short – it’s a driver’s car. And by the way, if you feel like hauling some cargo, you’ll almost double the carrying capacity of the sedan’s trunk with 25 cu.-ft. behind the rear seats and 58 cu.-ft. with the rear seats folded.

MODERN AND STYLISH INSIDE AND OUT WITH JUST A HINT OF RETRO FLARE

Since the front of the Sport Wagon is the same as the sedan, the styling is crisp and creased. The back end gets a unique styling treatment with long, slim, slivers of tail lights that run from the top of the car to the bumper, and is somewhat reminiscent of the famous Cadillac tail fins of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Chrome moldings outline the windows, and chrome strips highlight the roofline and disguise the roof rack rails. The profile is long, low, rakish, and sleek looking. The Sport Wagon is handsome from any angle, and nobody will ever mistake this Cadillac for a hearse.

The interior is stylish, classy and not overly busy. The dash has wood trim, along with the doors, steering wheel and shift knob, and the right amount of chrome accents can be seen on the bezels of the three gauges in front of the driver, outlining the heat vents, and judiciously sprinkled throughout the cabin. It’s actually quite nice to see more chrome coming back into car interiors.

All controls are easy to use and well laid-out on the dash and center stack, and the interior switches are very well lit for night driving. You can leave the key fob in your pocket to open the doors and to start the car. The perforated leather seats are very comfortable, 10-way adjustable, and are both cooled and heated for comfort year round. There are memory settings for the seats, and they can be programmed to retract (along with the power tilt and telescope steering wheel) when you shut the car for easy in and out.

The rear seats are nicely contoured for comfort and there is good head and legroom for two adults. The middle seat is small, and the transmission hump robs legroom, so it’s best used for a child. The rear seatbacks split 60/40, and leave a flat floor for cargo. The cargo bed has handsome trim rails for adjusting a cargo net to meet many needs, and is nicely carpeted. There’s also a removable cargo screen to keep prying eyes from seeing what you’re carrying back there. And the liftgate is electric and can be programmed to open at full height or three-quarters height, in case one has limited clearance in the garage.

PREMIUM MODEL FULLY OPTIONED OUT

Also standard on the Premium model is a large dual section moonroof. The front section slides open or tilts, and the rear section provides the back seat passengers with light and a view of the sky. An electric sunshade is made from an opaque material that will block out the warm sun, but still allow some light into the cabin when closed. The 10-speaker, CD/DVD/MP3, Bose sound system is excellent, and is Satellite ready.

The only thing I didn’t like was the standard Navigation System. I found it hard to program addresses into the address book, and it wouldn’t even accept my daughter’s address in the city of Chicago. Unless you go to the split screen view, you don’t get to see what radio station you’re listening to, and the information offerings on the screen are limited. That was a big disappointment since a few weeks earlier I had a GMC Yukon Denali that had an excellent Nav system. For once, I’m lamenting that GM didn’t share something across its products.

The CTS Sport Wagons start at just under $40,000, which is about $3,000 more than the sedan. The top of the line 3.6L Premium AWD model that I tested stickers for $53,620. The only extra on the test car was the $995 Blue Diamond Tricoat paint. But don’t bother looking for a long option list to check off; the Premium model comes loaded and outside of the dealer installed rear passenger DVD screen, the only options are things like roof rack crossbars and all weather floor mats.

THE VERDICT

This is a great car that offers luxury and honest-to-goodness driving excitement in a mid-size package while simultaneously allowing you to haul some cargo when you need to. And with gas mileage of 18/26 mpg, you won’t need to stop at the gas station every other day. Plus, it’s a luxury car that doesn’t require premium fuel!

I think that more people can use this vehicle, and would enjoy this vehicle, rather than a crossover or SUV. But I’m afraid that few Americans will buy this vehicle, opting instead for more traditional luxury crossovers – luckily Cadillac also launched one of those (the 2010 SRX) this year.

When it comes to station wagons, the Europeans have the right idea and follow-through. Cadillac’s new Sport Wagon offering is right on target and when you look at the price it’s the winner of the bunch.

Sadly, not to many folks are likely to take notice on this side of the pond, but Cadillac should win over quite a lot of followers in Europe.

[Source: AutoGuide]

KYLE ALMOST COLLECTS ‘TEXAS TRIPLE’ – Busch Misses Series Sweep After Nationwide and Truck Series Wins

FORT WORTH, Texas (November 8, 2009) — This weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch almost accomplished what no other NASCAR driver has ever done before — win races in NASCAR’s top three series during a single event weekend. Busch recorded victories in the Nationwide Series Saturday afternoon and the Camping World Truck Series Friday night — but he ran out of fuel with three laps remaining and finished 11th in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race to miss a weekend series sweep.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)

Busch started the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race fifth in his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 18 M&M’s Camry and dominated much of the 334 lap race at the one-and-half-mile Texas oval. The Las Vegas-native led the field six times for a total of 232 laps, before he ran out of fuel in the closing laps and had to make one last pit stop. Busch ended up 11th and his older brother Kurt managed to make it to victory lane.

“This 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry deserved to be in victory lane,” said Busch’s crew chief Dave Rogers, following the race. “I thought we had one of the best cars throughout the entire race, but it just didn’t work out that way. We were a little short on fuel. We had Kyle (Busch) back down and we thought we would save enough fuel, but we missed the numbers somewhere, or we didn’t get it full, or we didn’t pick up all we could pick up.”

Rogers, who was making his debut as Busch’s Sprint Cup Series crew chief, made the decision to keep Busch out on the track late in the race.

“Looking at our numbers and the lap times that he’d fallen off from what we had previously run — I thought for sure that we were going to make it until off turn four of the final lap,” explained Rogers. “We had several green flag runs this race so we were pretty confident we knew what we had for fuel mileage. I’m not sure what happened. We’ll take it back to the shop, look at it and learn from it. We’ll focus on how well we ran and not where we finished today.”

While Busch dominated the race, but ended up with a disappointing finish, his JGR teammate Denny Hamlin struggled most of the day before ending up with a runner-up result. Hamlin started 25th in his JGR No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry and led just two laps during the race. However, pit strategy after a scrape with the wall enabled Hamlin to finish second.

“Mike (Ford, crew chief) said we were half a lap to good, even if I ran hard like I did the previous run,” Hamlin said, after the race. “I got in the wall when I just made a mistake. We struggled on pit road today and really got ourselves back in the pack. Mike (Ford) came through and had a great pit strategy. All those other guys were short pitting and he decided to put our FedEx Office Camry out there for a while. When we decided to pit, it was just in time.
“Hats off to Mike (Ford, crew chief) and this whole race team,” said Hamlin. “I was trying to make something happen and got in the wall which ended up killing our car. The good part about that is I was able to save fuel because there was no pressure from behind. I was able to save fuel and our Camry got the best fuel mileage it got all day.”
JTG Daugherty Racing’s Marcos Ambrose (15th) and Michael Waltrip Racing’s David Reutimann (16th) followed Hamlin and Busch to the finish line. Reutimann ran among the leaders throughout the race and was as high as second, before he also ran out of fuel.

Other Camry drivers in the field were Scott Speed (18th), Joey Logano (19th), Michael Waltrip (23rd), Brian Vickers (26th), Robby Gordon (27th), Michael McDowell (41st) and Joe Nemechek (42nd).

In the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings, Hamlin gained three spots in the Chase standings and now sits eighth and Vickers is in 12th-place. Busch (13th), Reutimann (16th), Ambrose (18th) and Logano (19th) are also in the top-20 in the point standings.

The NSCS returns to action at Phoenix International Raceway, Nov. 15.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)

Busch dominated Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Texas — leading the field six times for 179 of 200 laps — to earn his second victory in two days of NASCAR racing at the Ft. Worth oval. This triumph was also his fourth consecutive Nationwide Series victory at Texas.

Busch started sixth in his JGR No. 18 Z-Line Designs/WWE Camry and moved to the head of the field on lap 11. The Las Vegas-native led 52 of the first 71 laps, and then moved into the lead again on lap 72. He led the final 92 of 93 circuits en route to victory lane.

“I wanted to win this — not just get it — you know,” said Busch, after the race. “We
outwrestled all these guys with this ‘Smackdown vs. Raw’ Camry. This track is fun — of course, its fun when you have good cars. We love coming out to Texas. For some reason, this is one of my best race tracks. I seem to really like getting around here. This car was flawless again today, and we’ve had cars that have been flawless like this for the past four races here at Texas. That is a testament to this team. They do such an awesome job preparing these cars with all the extra hours at the shop, and all the guys that do a great job.”

“We’ve been running well all year long and we’ve been able to capitalize on good runs,” added Busch. “This is one of the races that we were able to capitalize on. This is our eighth win of the year. Unfortunately, we missed out on 11 others where we had second-place finishes. When you get to victory lane, it’s cool that you can get your team to victory lane and really celebrate with them because those are the guys that deserve to be there.”

In 2009, Busch has eight Nationwide Series wins and 25 top-five finishes in 33 starts. In addition to his Texas victory, Busch recorded race wins earlier this season at California, Texas (April), Richmond, Nashville, New Hampshire, St. Louis and Charlotte.

It marks the 14th Nationwide Series win for Toyota this season and the 36th victory for a Camry driver since Toyota became a participant in the series at the beginning of the 2007 season.

Following Busch to the finish line were Jason Leffler (third), Vickers (seventh) and Mike Bliss (10th). Other Camry drivers in the field included Michael Annett (22nd), Logano (24th), Kasey Kahne (30th) and Chase Miller (39th).

After 33 of 35 races this season, Busch leads the unofficial NNS standings following the Texas race with 5,374 points. He now sits 272 points ahead of second-place Carl Edwards. Other Toyota drivers in the top-15 in the point standings include Leffler (fourth), Annett (10th) and Logano (14th).

The next race on the NNS schedule is at Phoenix International Raceway, Nov. 15.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)

In Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Texas, Busch extended his series winning streak and also picked up his first NCWTS victory at the Texas track in the Billy Ballew Motorsports No. 51 Miccosukee Resort/Graceway Pharmaceuticals Tundra.

Busch has now won Truck Series races the last five times he has buckled the seat belts of the No. 51 Tundra. Along with his victory Friday evening in Texas, he had previously picked up first-place trophies in his last four series starts at Talladega (Oct. 31), New Hampshire (Sept. 19), Chicagoland (Aug. 28) and Bristol (Aug. 19).

In addition to his own winning streak, Busch also helped Toyota achieve a series milestone. When the Las Vegas-native crossed the finish line first at Texas, it was the 14th series win for Toyota in a single season — bettering the previous record of 13 wins by Tundra drivers in a single season, set in each of the past two years (2007 and 2008).

“That’s cool man — what a Tundra,” said Busch, following the race. “This Tundra was awesome and Richie (Wauters, crew chief) and these guys have really done their homework lately. It’s an accomplishment to beat the 33 (Ron Hornaday, Jr.) bunch here, that’s for sure. We got it done today. It was a great race and it was a lot of fun. It’s a pretty proud accomplishment to be here in victory lane — and to win five in a row. That’s pretty sweet.”

Busch started 12th and led twice for 54 (of 147) laps around the Texas track to record his seventh series victory of the season and his 10th career win behind the wheel of a Tundra. He took the lead for the final time on lap 98 and led the final 50 circuits on his way to victory lane.

Tundra drivers recording top-10 results behind Busch were Todd Bodine (fourth), Brian Scott (seventh), Skinner (eighth) and David Starr (ninth). Other Tundra drivers in the field included Aric Almirola (14th), Tayler Malsam (18th), Timothy Peters (19th), Stacy Compton (22nd), T.J. Bell (23rd) and Terry Cook (24th).

Toyota drivers have now won 65 NCWTS races since the start of the 2004 season.

Skinner remains third in the unofficial NCWTS point standings following Texas and now trails leader Ron Hornaday, Jr. by 355 points. Tundra drivers Bodine (fourth), Scott (sixth), Peters (eighth) and Starr (ninth) are also in the top-10 in points with two races — Phoenix and Miami – remaining this season.

The next NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the schedule is at Phoenix International Raceway, Nov. 13.

Toyota NSCS Driver Finishing Positions at Texas Motor Speedway
2nd, DENNY HALIN
11th, KYLE BUSCH
15th, MARCOS AMBROSE
16th, DAVID REUTIMANN
18th, SCOTT SPEED
19th, JOEY LOGANO
23rd, MICHAEL WALTRIP
26th, BRIAN VICKERS
27th, ROBBY GORDON
41st, MICHAEL MCDOWELL
42nd, JOE NEMECHEK

Toyota Drivers in NSCS Point Standings — following Texas Motor Speedway**
8th, DENNY HAMLIN 5,975 points##
12th, BRIAN VICKERS 5,777 points##
13th, KYLE BUSCH 4,183 points
16th, DAVID REUTIMANN 3,969 points
18th, MARCOS AMBROSE 3,637 points
19th, JOEY LOGANO 3,600 points
** unofficial point standings
## competing in the 2009 ‘Chase for the Sprint Cup’

Toyota NNS Driver Finishing Positions at Texas Motor Speedway
1st, KYLE BUSCH
3rd, JASON LEFFLER
7th, BRIAN VICKERS
10th, MIKE BLISS
13th, TREVOR BAYNE
22nd, MICHAEL ANNETT
24th, JOEY LOGANO
30th, KASEY KAHNE
39th, CHASE MILLER

Toyota Drivers in NNS Point Standings — following Texas Motor Speedway**
1st, KYLE BUSCH 5,374 points
4th, JASON LEFFLER 4,349 points
6th, MIKE BLISS 3,818 points
10th, MICHAEL ANNETT 3,395 points
14th, JOEY LOGANO 3,206 points
19th, BRIAN VICKERS 2,403 points
** unofficial point standings

Toyota NCWTS Driver Finishing Positions at Texas Motor Speedway
1st, KYLE BUSCH
4th, TODD BODINE
7th, BRIAN SCOTT
8th, MIKE SKINNER
9th, DAVID STARR
14th, ARIC ALMIROLA
18th, TAYLER MALSAM
19th, TIMOTHY PETERS
22nd, STACY COMPTON
23rd, T.J. BELL
24th, TERRY COOK

Toyota Drivers in NCWTS Point Standings — following Texas Motor Speedway**
3rd, MIKE SKINNER 3,302 points
4th, TODD BODINE 3,150 points
6th, BRIAN SCOTT 3,050 points
8th, TIMOTHY PETERS 3,009 points
9th, DAVID STARR 2,987 points
11th, STACY COMPTON 2,890 points
12th, TERRY COOK 2,835 points
13th, TAYLER MALSAM 2,796 points
16th, T.J. BELL 2,509 points
18th, KYLE BUSCH 2,279 points
20th, ARIC ALMIROLA 2,005 points
** unofficial point standings

[Source: ToyotaRacing.com]

Chevrolet delivers a futuristic vision of technology and design with the 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept. A version of the model was first shown at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show and stars as “Sideswipe” in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The Corvette Stingray Concept represents both the iconic legacy and an exciting future for Corvette.

The Corvette Stingray Concept was developed as an internal design challenge to combine classic Corvette cues with surprisingly high-tech features, modern materials, and a striking new appearance. The car is well-appointed with a clamshell hood, scissor-style doors, ergonomic seats, rear-view camera with night vision enhancement, and a high performance hybrid drive. Interactive touch controls allow the driver to customize the power and efficiency of his or her ride and share it with friends via the in-car camera system and advanced telemetrics.

Looks like the 2009 Race of Champions is only days away. This year the racers are leaving Wembley Stadium in favor of The Birds Nest, which was built for, and made famous by the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

This years roster of drivers include Michael Schumacher, Sebestian Vettel, Tanner Foust & Travis Pastrana among 14 other chapions in their own right. These drivers will be piloting an array of cars including an 09 Ford Focus WRC, KTM X-Bow, VW Scirocco and a couple special edition ROC cars.

Per usual, no one will be broadcasting this fantastic event on US Television, however you can watch a streaming webcast via www.raceofchampions.com. Festivities begin November 2nd and conclude November 4th with the 2009 Race of Champions.

ROC China
Monday November 2nd

◦6:30 – 6:40AM – ROC China Opening Ceremonies
◦6:40 – 7:10AM – ROC Celebrity Race
◦7:10 – 7:30AM – ROC China Drivers’ Presentation & Exhibitions
◦7:30 – 9:30AM – ROC China
◦9:30 – 10:30AM – ROC Beijing Challenge (Challenge Top 4 ROC China vs International Legends)

The ROC Nations Cup
Tuesday November 3rd

◦6:30-7:00AM – The ROC Nations Cup Drivers Presentation & Exhibitions
◦7:00 – 10:00AM – The ROC Nations Cup

The Race of Champions
Wednesday November 4th

◦6:30 – 6:40AM – The ROC Drivers’ Presentation
◦6:40 – 7:00AM – The Race of Champions Round 1
◦7:00 – 10:00AM – The Race of Champions