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Under the cover of darkness a Ford Motor Company Semi pulls into Shelby American Museum tonight with a top-secret payload. The 2005 Ford GT 40 street able racecar makes its American debut at the museums annual $110 dollar a plate sold out fundraiser. One might be able to sneak a peak at the GT as its known before the event begins on Saturday night.
The GT 40 is a 21st century version of the same car that Ford dominated Le Mans with in the 1960�s. On hand will be the 67 Ford team including Carol Shelby, Ford family members, celebrities and basically a who�s who of the Ford Cobra and Shelby fame. Corvette and Ferrari fans need not attend.
Boulder's world famous Shelby American Collection hosts the largest collection of Shelby�s in the world out gunning Fords Detroit museum. Many of the racecars here are worth millions of dollars and it�s worth the five-dollar admission fee to take your son or daughter just to see the golden age of American racing.
Now for the new Ford GT 40. It is built on a tubular frame with coil over shocks; front and rear anti sway stabilization bars. The GT�s all aluminum V8 produces 500 ponies with a top speed of 220 mph. 220 Yikes! It goes zero to 100 in 7 seconds. Ford is building 4000 GT 40�s and they will be available at dealers in April at a price of $150,000. To keep the price down Ford is using many standard parts such as ball joints and is being built by hand picked UAW workers in a Ford plant.
The comparable F1 Ferrari costs $225,000. The two have not raced yet but my two-day test of the 550 hp F1 earlier this year in South beach shows that the GT 40 will have to go some. Even though Ford touts the GT as a Ferrari beater, early tests show the GT to be heavy handling at 3200 lbs. The F1 has paddle shifters; the GT has a six-speed stick. Will Ford be able to sell 4000 units at 150,000? The GT has so much brute horsepower buyers should be mandated to go to race driving school.
Having driven and raced high horse power cars it�s just about a given that your average know it all guy car buff will get into trouble in the new GT 40. They are dangerously fast and will put you in a tree in a heartbeat: your last.
Jann Scott
[email protected]
www.jannscott.com
303-447-1-JAW
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Oh my God! Not enough can be said about the 2003 Honda Element. Originally marketed as a �kid car� aimed at youthful buyers, now everyone wants one. It looks like a toaster mated with a bulldog and has the vibe of a WWII German staff car especially in the green and gray trim. But once you drive one it grows on you and then suddenly you are in love. It�s like not having the best looking car in the bar but it has that certain freakish cachet that makes you look like a fashion model - sexy and militant.
Enough hyperbole. The Honda Element drives with ease. It drives like a Honda and does not have that trucky bumpy feeling of most SUVs. This is a true Sports Utility Vehicle complete with built-in tent for camping excursions.
The floors are not carpet but thick vinyl so you won�t have to worry about getting the interior stained. You can hose the Element out after a muddy excursion to Moab. Functionally, it�s doors open from all angles and sides. They are wide with no posts to get in the way, and there is plenty of room for bikes, skis or groceries. But it only has 4 seats, so unless you duct tape the kids to the floor it won�t do as a soccer van. And, it is one of the safest SUV�s on the road because of its width and roll stabilization bars. This is no RAV 4 or GM Yukon, which will go over in a heartbeat. The 2003 Honda Element is built to slide rather than roll.
The Element has a crazy price range from $16,500 to $ 27,000, and they are so in demand that there is no dickering with the dealer. You will have to look hard online to find a low priced Element and then wait for 3 months. The good news is this car holds it�s value, and I think it is a bargain even at its highest price. Fisher Honda sells every single one they get in, and Boulder is currently flooded with them. Haven�t you noticed? They are everywhere!
Jann Scott
[email protected]
www.jannscott.com
303-447-1-JAW
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Jann Scott's Boulder County Drive |
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Today we look at short reviews of three distinctively new cars for 2003 and 2004. I do this occasionally because there are a plethora of new cars worth mentioning and not enough room to write about all of them.
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The 2004 Chrysler Pacifica is a crossover SUV/Minivan for mom. The auto industry has taken heat for SUV's and minivans that roll over or peel apart upon impact, so Chrysler�s answer is a very wide vehicle that is stable on the road. Finally! At $34,000 this is a deal. The interior of this AWD provides big cushy seats front and back plus a third row of fold downs. Four solid doors and excellent handling make the Pacifica the only safe choice among American automakers. GM has nothing according to their California press spokesman Chuck Harrington (that�s a bad sign). But Ford promises safety surprises and a newly designed Expedition for safety (that�s a good sign). But Chrysler got the Pacifica out first. Hooray! It is as wide as a Hummer at half the price.
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Next it's the 2004 Hyundai XG350 Sedan. This is Hyundai�s $27,000 luxury car made to look like a Jag. It is way loaded with sunroof, 8 CD-changer, real leather seating, power everything and memory for it all plus real wooden trim. It has adequate horsepower but nothing like Audi 's 300 ponies. Hyundai is trying to make a comeback from its dark years and the XG350 is a step up, but the closest dealership to Boulder is Longmont.
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If there ever was ever a Boulder car the 2003 Nissan Xterra fits the bill. This SUV is a sturdy frame construction with 210 horsepower supercharged V-6. It is built for off roading, skiing, camping, raging snowstorms and floods. It is basic and truck like yet stylish for urban driving. The ride is stiff so outdoor types need only drive.
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Jann Scott
[email protected]
www.jannscott.com
303-447-1-JAW
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Model: 4DR SUV � Ton |
The 2003 Chevy Suburban � ton is best suited for the ranch or construction site in our Boulder world. It is 20 feet long and nearly 8 feet wide and won�t fit in any of our small car parking spaces. Boulder Police department show suburban number one in Shopping center accidents and vandalism reports by radical environmentalists. So it is a controversial vehicle here even though Craig Fisher at Fisher Chevrolet says Suburban sales are up for 2003.
The suburban is ideally suited for hauling horse trailers, which Boulder County has more registered than any other county in Colorado. It�s good for commercial use such as a TV production truck. I had one and it worked fine so long as I didn�t have to make a U-turn.
Saudi Prince Abdul A. Abdul has 16 of them, each mounted with a 50-calibar machine gun. There is a company in Colorado Springs, which will outfit your Suburban for security detail including bulletproof glass and machine guns.
Suburbans are not suited as a soccer mom vehicle. It is a huge truck, which should require a special use permit or license, and training before any family members is allowed to drive it.
However, the resale value of the Suburban is the highest of any American vehicle. They just plain don�t break. In this area it beats the Ford Expedition or Chrysler Pacifica whose resale values plummet after the first year. Chevy has been building Suburbans since 1936.
The ride is smooth and comfortable with the Quadrasteer four-wheel steering system. There are no rattles unlike other SUVs. Chevy finally added more stabilizing bars to keep it from rolling over. Standard is a Bose audio system, XM satellite radio and a DVD player in the back seat. The Suburban pulled my race car trailer up over Wolf Creek Pass through snow, up 30 degree hills, 3,000 - 14,0000 feet elevation with no problem. Then I parked it out at the racecar shop. And that�s what it�s made for. If you own one, park it at the truck stop, not at Wild Oats market.
Jann Scott
[email protected]
www.jannscott.com
303-447-1-JAW
