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The New Ford GT500
It’s here. And it’s going to be powerful. Over 700 horsepower powerful. It’s the new Ford Shelby GT500.
Muscle car fans are getting excited. Ford has now brought out their new GT500 at the recent Detroit Auto Show, and it looks as tough as the details sound! As far as Ford history goes, this will be the most powerful street legal model they’ve made, with a supercharged 5.2 liter V8 Eaton blower pushing 12 psi with above 500 horses – its the same supercharger in this Shelby GT as is used in the 2019 Covette ZR1!
Also of note: they’ll be using a Tremec 7-speed dual clutch transmission for super fast shifting (under 100 milliseconds) according to the manufacturer.
The popularity level is already going crazy. The first model of the 2020 GT500, model #001, has already sold, for $1.1 million dollars at Barrett-Jackson – it was actually a bid by B-J’s chairman and CEO Craig Jackson. The price for regular purchases will obviously be a lot lower.
Get a Look at the New Sol Trailer
For RVers familiar with the Luna teardrop trailer (maybe you’ve seen it at an RV camp or being towed out to the mountains?) comes this new small RV trailer, the “Sol” which debuted recently at this years winter RV shows.
Compared with the Luna you may be familiar with, the Sol is bigger (longer, taller, and wider), with more space and also features a more modern looking exterior design.
The inTech RV Sol weighs just over 3,000 pounds (3050-3200), so it can be towed comfortably by most trucks and SUVs on the market, and sleeps 2-4 adults comfortably (the Luna was built for a single or double occupancy – you can see a photo comparison in the gallery). The Sol also has a bathroom and shower, so RVers will be way more comfortable when it comes to creature comforts.
One of the biggest features you’ll notice from the photos is the wide tempered glass windshield that wraps around the front – similar to the Luna but bigger. This provides a wide single view from inside.
There are also options for the RV like a 10 foot awning and outdoor kitchen. All models come with LED lighting, 2-burner cooktop stove in the kitchen, farmhouse style sink, countertop, cabinets, queen bed, dinette, bathroom, fridge and microwave. We’ve indexed inTech RV in our directory now.
Toyota Brings Back the Supra
The Toyota Supra is back with a brand new edition. It’s been 21 years since the last Toyota Supra was produced, and the company is looking backward and forward with this new model. Now the company thinks its time for a new 2000GT-inspired Supra (the 2000GT is still a super-popular car, and was Toyota’s first worldclass sportscar in the 1960s – they’re so popular still they sell for over $1 million at auction.)
Also, the Supras produced in the 90s are still very popular cars. In part this is because of how well they stack up against other cars of the same era and class. European sports cars were more expensive, and the Supra is still famous for allowing owners to modify it to a high degree, both the body and also the engine. Everyone has seen customized Supras, right? People have really pushed that 6-cyl to huge horsepower ratings.
What about power?
The 2020 rear-wheel drive Supra will be made in Austria and will come in 4 (mostly for non-North American markets) and 6 cylendars. The 6 will have 33hp and the 4 will have between 197 and 255 hp. The expectation is that the 6 will run a 7:40 on track.
The price will be $50k plus $1k for destination charge for the 6 cyl, with the 4 being less expensive.
Extreme Light Travel Trailers
Having a travel trailer on site when you go camping and RVing is great, but even for people on a luxury RV budget weight is something you have to consider. The lighter the travel trailer, the more flexibility you have: you can tow it with a smaller truck (or car), and it costs less to transport in some cases (for ferries). You can also feel more confident when crossing small streams and sketchy parts of offroad trails. And finally, it’s less worrisome when going up or down hills.
For those reasons, we’re looking today at lightweight travel trailers. In this case, it’s the Extreme Lit Travel Trailers by Forest River. How do they stay light? Their construction is based off of fiberglass and aluminum, which keeps quality of the build up but keeps weight of the final product down. The dry weight for these (there are various sizes) is from 4400 – 5900 pounds, so they can be towed with almost any truck, SUV, or van on the market.
Let’s look at the smallest and the biggest. You can click our photos to expand them.
The smallest: the Vibe Extreme Lite 21FBS: “This is the smallest of the Vibe Extreme Lite floorplans and features a huge rear bathroom. There is plenty of elbo room in the corner shower as well as large linen storage area. This also features a dinette slide out in the main living area, and a murphy bed that doubles as the sofa. This creates a great multipurpose room without sacrificing your queen bed mattress! At under 4500 lbs, you can tow this with almost any truck or SUV!”
The biggest: “This is a tried-and-true bunk house floor plan done up in Vibe Extreme Lite fashion. This trailer weighs less than 5900 lbs and can sleep up to 10! The bunk room is closed off by a solid door, as is the front bedroom. This trailer also features a huge U-shaped dinette that can actually fit the family, and a comfortable sofa that folds into a bed for extra sleeping if needed. Also, the bottom bunk in the bunkroom can be sacrificed for an outdoor kitchen if you choose.”
Citroen Tubik
The Tubik’s predecessor, fondly recalled as “The Tub”, played a major part in its design, as the Tubik is a passenger van, and it’s designed as the perfect SUV/van for shuttling businessmen back and forth between hotels, business meetings, and corporate lunches.
Vehicle designers are beginning to understand that things have changed since the introduction of personal and passenger vehicles. Many people are beginning to prefer carpooling, or sharing a shuttle rather than having to drive their own vehicle back and forth to the airport, work, or a special event. It is becoming easier to share rides, especially with apps like Uber. This is why Citroen has decided to continue in the market with its latest addition, the Tubik.
What makes the Tubik special, however, is its futuristic design. It has sleek, striking lines, with a panoramic passenger window and a side door that curves over the top, providing ample space to move in and out of the vehicle to any of the nine possible passengers. The driver also has a specially designed door, which closely resembles a gull wing door, which has to be one of my favorite features from any sports car, now residing on a shuttle van that looks like it could be owned by the Jetsons.
The outside isn’t the only part of the Tubik that appeals to those who enjoy a bit of futuristic design. The inside is maybe even more advanced, with a driver’s “cyclotron”, Citroen’s vision of a one-stop, one-spot, circular apparatus that combines everything the driver will need to direct the vehicle. The Tubik also sports fingerprint recognition, as well as cameras placed in the front and back, allowing for a wider range of vision than most drivers have ever had.
Seats can be laid down, providing those with wanderlust a perfect vehicle in which to hit the open road, though from the looks of it you’d be going from glamorous party to photo opp instead of stopping at campsites and tiny museums. Whatever it will be used for, the Tubik is prepared for anything.
If you’re curious about Citroen’s new model, you may want to head over to their official website and take a glance through all the Tubik photos. You’ll be mesmerized by the shifting lines, the bright visuals, and the decadent luxury that oozes from this vehicle. Trust me, if you get a chance to ride this shuttle, jump in, you’ll be in for the ride of your life.
Rivian Electric Truck
The Rivian Electric Truck seems like it would be something of a conundrum for the regular truck buyer. Most trucks these days are large, loud, and powerful, capable of hauling thousands of pounds of materials whether for work or pleasure. An electric truck conjures up the image, at least at first, of a quiet, smaller vehicle. Rivian, however, has decided to change the game when it comes to capable work trucks and recreational trucks with the induction of its newest vehicle, the R1T.
The Rivian name may be new to most of us, but the startup is already making waves in the automobile industry, most recently at the 2018 LA Auto Show where it not only introduced the R1T, but their electric version of an SUV, the R1S. Another way Rivian has made a name for itself is in its decision to retain the rights to sales and services instead of extending that possibility to car dealerships. The reasoning behind this is the knowledge that the world of sales has been changing and that buyers are now more savvy when it comes to vehicles and their pricing.
The electric truck is scheduled to be rolled out and ready to drive off the lot in 2020, while the SUV will arrive one year later. While dealerships won’t have the traditional relationship with the company that others have come to expect, there will still be ways in which dealerships will be involved, though these details have yet to emerge.
With a 55-inch bed and a choice of three different battery packs, the vehicle may just change people’s minds about the likelihood of an electric future. Its power derives from four different electric motors, which, when combined, will create about 820 pound-feet of torque as well as 750hp. The truck will also, depending on the battery, be able to travel 300 to 400 miles (with two of the three options) before needing another charge.
At this critical moment in time, it is a good point in which to stop and reconsider our usage of fossil fuels and look into other ways we can still live our lives relatively easily without having to waste precious resources. It might take some time to adjust to the idea of quieter, less powerful vehicles that need to be recharged instead of refilled, but it is an idea worth promoting, especially with the continued trend toward a complete drain of our resources.
Whether you support alternative means of energy or you think what we have is good enough already, I urge you to explore options like the Rivien vehicles when purchasing a new model. In order to enjoy our world and to make it enjoyable for the next generation, we will need to make some changes (and perhaps sacrifices) so that the world is around for quite a bit longer. One of these changes doesn’t have to be horrible, however. The Rivien R1T looks like it packs quite a punch, with modern, clean lines, bright lights, and the ability to drive us toward the future.
Avanti
I’ve always thought the Studebaker brand was solid, yet luxurious, able to transform the nouveau riche into something akin to respectability with a single click of its doors. It isn’t something made for a punchline, but something that makes a bold statement about itself and its owner. Even now I would jump at the chance to drive one, gas mileage and expensive repairs aside. There’s something about that old majestic look that I would love to experience by driving down winding country roads on sunny Sunday afternoons.
The Avanti, though short-lived, is perhaps one of the most notable of the Studebakers, mostly for its high performance in both safety and speed, its record breaking times made at the Bonneville Salt Flats (29 records, to be precise), as well as its entrance into the post-war market, which was marked as a high point for both the company and the industry at large.
Studebaker’s introduction of the Avanti in 1962 was used as part of its marketing campaign to create “America’s Only 4 Passenger High-Performance Personal Car”. Styled as a 2-door coupe, the Avanti, closely related to the Studebaker Lark and preceded by the Studebaker Hawk , came with a wheelbase of 109 inches, with a curb weight of over 3,000 pounds. The engine used was a V8, but each buyer could choose between a 3-speed or 4-speed manual transmission, or a 3-speed automatic transmission.
In order to counteract the difficulty of building and the resulting incredible weight of a steel body, Studebaker tapped Molded Fiberglass Body in Ohio to create the bodies that would then be sent to the assembly plant in Indiana. Funnily enough, that same company also produced fiberglass parts for Chevrolet, specifically for their Corvette line. It seems the Avanti was in good company.
When the Avanti arrived in the early 1960’s, it was introduced in meetings, shows, and racetrack events. The winner of the 1962 Indy 500, one Rodger Ward, even took one home as part of his prize winnings, therefore becoming the first official private owner of Studebaker’s new vehicle.
Unfortunately, the Avanti underwent a barrage of issues regarding the companies providing materials for its build. After struggling to keep up production, the Avanti was discontinued a year after its release, though there has been talk that it was to be re-released during the mid-1960’s.
Despite its disappearance from sales lots, the Studebaker Avanti has not in fact vanished from sight completely. After the Studebaker company went under, a few car dealers purchased the Avanti name along with the remaining assembly plants and equipment and continued making small batches of Avantis over the years, at least until 2006.
If you are one of the people who continue to be interested in vintage vehicles, you may want to avail yourself of information regarding like minded people. Joining a group like the Avanti Owners Association International will not only introduce you to people who share the same hobby, it will also grow your appreciation of the vehicle still deeply loved by so many.
Go-Kart With A Suzuki Hayabusa Engine
How about these hybrid vehicles, the ones created by people who dared to be curious (and sometimes foolhardy). People who traded parts of various vehicles to create their own unique vehicle, one that would stand out from the crowd and show what recreational vehicles are capable of – like the creator of the go-kart with a motorcycle engine.
If you’ve ever driven a go-kart, you know how wildly they careen around curves at the lowest of speeds. They’re simply a higher form of bumper cars, with a little more freedom. This does not deter anyone from driving them, of course, but it is a bit of a downer to buy one for yourself and then realize how slow it is once you’ve got it home.
Enter the brilliant mind that paired a go-kart with a motorcycle engine. Some background: the Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle has been produced by Suzuki since the late 90’s as a sports bike. It is distinct in that it holds the title for fastest production motorcycle, topping out at around 186mph. There are also cars that have had this engine installed, but for the purpose of this post, we will be sticking with the smaller vehicles that have utilized this engine.
This engine was placed inside a go-kart that weighed next to nothing, so the Hayabusa engine was given almost unlimited power – very few limitations on what it can do when its cage is nearly light as a feather. It can pull some incredible tricks. You can practice drifting, off-roading, or any number of party tricks on the vehicle, like a high speed pull.
Once you get to drive something like this, however, it can be a slippery slope to take time away from it. You’ll want to plan trips based on where you want to drive the go-kart, finding ways to build a course with friends, and to show it off at rallies, races, and other events. You may even find yourself with a group of new friends, who will introduce you to the world of recreational vehicles. Hopefully you’ll have just as much fun as we had when we were growing up.