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CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Paring Lot – The 1974 Pontiac Ventura GTO

Welcome to another installment of the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, a regular feature which aims to expand the definition of what a muscle car is, and to discover hidden treasures while doing so. When I started this series of posts, I stated that all of the vehicles featured were not generally thought of as muscle cars, or were rare oddities within the muscle car period. I’ve introduced you to the first turbocharged American car, an English Touring car with the heart of a Chrysler, a couple of German Uber Sedans, even a couple of V-8 equipped Japanese models, among others. I even tried to convince you that turbocharged 4 cylinder models were muscle, and made an argument for front wheel drive vehicles. So, you wouldn’t think I would be showcasing a car with one of the most revered names in the Muscle Car category, but this car is a one year only model, the 11th of the series, and the last American made version. Let’s take a look at the 1974 Pontiac (Ventura) GTO.

Continue reading after the jump!

Pontiac started selling a version of the Chevrolet Nova during the 1971 model year named the Ventura II, and utilized Chevrolet engines for the first year, including the 250 CID Six Cylinder, 307 CID V-8, and the 350 CID V-8. However, Pontiac decided to drop the Chevrolet 350 and install their own 350 CID V-8, to try and align their new compact with the rest of the Pontiac lineup. This became the only V-8 offered on the Ventura for the 73 and 74 model years (having dropped the II designation in 1972). 1973 also saw the introduction of a hatchback coupe (Along with the Chevrolet Nova), giving the vehicle more versatility. All in all, a very nice compact. Yet Chevrolet offered an SS version of the Nova, and the new for 1973 Pontiac GTO was under performing in the market (It shared the new “Collonade” styling of all the GM intermediates that year), so something drastic was called for.

For the 1974 model year, Pontiac introduced the Ventura GTO option package, which sold for $195 over the price of a comparable V-8 equipped Ventura. The base engine (and the only engine) was the Pontiac supplied 350 CID V-8, producing 200 HP, with 295 lb. ft. of touque. The Ventura was updated this year featuring a quasi Firebird styled grill, with driving light styled lamps inserted in the grill, so the “Baby” GTO looked right. Other equipment that came with the GTO package included Radial Tuned Suspension, including front and rear stabilizer bars, Power Steering, “Rally II” wheels, dual exhaust with “splitter” tips, and a rear facing “shaker” air scoop. The GTO option was available on the base Ventura Coupe or Hatchback Coupe, or the Ventura Custom Series Coupe or Hatchback. On the Custom series, carpeting was standard, as was all vinyl upholstery, added bright trim, and other miscellaneous items.

In its May 1974 issue, Cars magazine compared a well-optioned ‘74 GTO complete with four-speed manual transmission and 3.08 gears to a ‘64 GTO with a 389 four-barrel engine, automatic transmission, and 3.55 gears. With Brooklyn legend Nunzi Romano behind the wheel, the ‘74 posted a best quarter-mile pass of 15.72 seconds at 88 mph with the 64 model turning 15.64 at 90 mph. Zero-to-60-mph times were 7.7 for the Ventura GTO and 7.4 seconds for the 64 model. But even though the new model was not as quick, writers raved not only about its performance balance, but also how much ride and handling had improved since its inception.

Some car enthusiasts consider the ‘74 as an anomaly within the GTO family tree. Just 7,058 were built during the ‘74 model year. Total production numbers can be broken down to 687 hatchbacks with manual transmission, 1,036 hatchbacks with automatic transmission, 2,487 coupes with manual transmission, and 2,848 coupes with automatic transmission. But when you consider that only 4,806 “Collonade” GTOs were built during the ‘73 model year, it appears the smaller, X-body GTO may have offered to buyers more practicality than earlier models.

CarDomain Members Rides

There are eight 1974 GTOs represented in the CarDomain community, and they can all be seen here. However, let me show you a couple of my favorites.

Here is Bob’s 1974 GTO from Deerfield Beach, Florida. It is very clean, and original. Check out the Red and White interior, something that could only come from the 70’s. Check it out, and leave Bob a comment.

There you have it, the last US Built Pontiac GTO, built from what essentially is a Chevy Nova. Did you know they ever existed? This one is a great example of that Obscure Muscle Car, and while I think it deserves a place on the Parking Lot, what do you think? I look forward to your discussions.

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VIDEO: KITT vs. KARR, the official preview

Filed under: Videos

Click above to watch video after the jump

Alex should be writing this post, as he's the sharp end of the stick with which we've been poking NBC for the past 11 episodes of the new Knight Rider. His Knight Rider Liveblogs are ruthless and hilarious at the same time, and next weeks will be a high watermark for his creative series of posts. That's because episode 12 of what will surely be the first and last season of Knight Rider in the modern era will feature the showdown between our beloved KITT and his nemesis KARR. In the original series, KARR (Knight Automated Roving Robot) was the prototype version of KITT and a little rougher around the edges compared to KITT himself, i.e. he had a programming error that made him "unstable" and liable to kill an innocent pedestrian with a Turbo Boost to the chest. The modern KARR, however, is a full on Transformer that's bipedal and has a mean right hook. Take a gander at the official preview after the jump that appeared at the end of episode of 11, and come back next Wednesday night when Alex enters the ring with KITT and KARR and only one comes out alive.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: KITT vs. KARR, the official preview

VIDEO: KITT vs. KARR, the official preview originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota's Residual Values are Dropping Faster than its Competitors

For years Toyota and Honda have been able to boast that their vehicles retain their value longer than their many of their competitors due to their higher perceived quality, but times are changing.

At the end of 2008 a three-year old Toyota was worth 46.5% of its value compared to 50.5% two years earlier. Critics are suggesting that the reason Toyota's residuals are dropping is due to a growing awareness of quality issues. Large SUV and truck values have been hit very hard across the industry and Toyota is no exception with values dropping from over 60% to 45.4%. Tundra residual values have managed to drop from 59.5% a year ago to 40.1%. Tundra residual values are still higher than the Silverado and F-150 at 39.8% and 32.2% respectively.

The main issue for automakers is that residual values are tied to lease rates. Monthly payments for leased vehicles are largely based on their expected residual value. When a vehicle loses more of its value than expected, the automaker has to eat that loss.

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2010 Kia Sorento Revealed..Sort of

Kia World has posted the first official photos of the 2010 Kia Sorento.

The overall styling of the Sorento is in-line with the styling of the new Forte and Optima. It's more stylish than the last generation and is expected to now have room for seven passengers. The Sorento is expected to have its public debut at the Seoul Motor Show next month. In the US it will be powered by a 170 hp 2.4L 4-cyl and a 260 HP 3.8L V6.

The Sorento will most likely have its US debut at the New York Auto Show.

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Subaru-Toyota RWD Coupe Put on Hold

Subaru and Toyota have reportedly been working on a pair of small RWD compact coupes that were going to be released by the end of 2011. Now it looks like the project has been put on indefinite hold due to the economy.

The 2+2 compact coupe was expected to use a version of the Subaru Impreza's platform, including the horizontally opposed boxer engine and transmission. The Subaru and Toyota versions would have had different exterior designs.

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A Scale Model of a Ferrari 312PB Built By Pierre Scerri

Back in 1978, a Frenchman named Pierre Scerri wanted a Ferrari. He was a racing fan and loved the look and sound of the Ferrari race cars he saw at the circuit. He knew he couldn’t afford one, so he decided to build one himself, a Ferrari 312PB… but one that would fit in his living room. So he took pictures of the 312 PB, the real one, and sketched out all details.

It took him 3 years to complete every schematic and drawing. Then it took him another 12 years and 20,000 hours after that to build it, in its entirety. By entirety, I mean, he built everything: the body, interior, seat belts, switches, spark plugs, engine, gearbox, electrical system, lights… everything is there, perfectly. And it works.
Check out the pictures and info after the jump:

It has exact scale operating Ferrari gauges which precisely indicate RPMs, oil pressure, water temperature and oil temperature. Scerri had to learn how to make glass so he could make the exact pattern lens for the headlights. He learned to make rubber so he could mold his own tires. He built a perfect 1/3 scale pressurized fuel injection system and the electrics and the hydraulically controlled brakes from the brake pedal, which have actual quick-change brake pads just like the real car.

The best part, though, is the sound. The flat 12 cylinder, fuel injected, dry sump engine starts up and runs, with the same beautiful Ferrari sound as the original. It apparently took Pierre six months of running the engine on his own dynamometer to tune the header pipes so they would give off the same sound value as he had recorded from the engine of the real car.

You can visit Pierre Scerri’s website here

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Pharrell Williams & His Black Ferrari Enzo

One half of hip-hop group The Neptunes as well as the drummer/singer for the alternative band N.E.R.D, Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams is one of those rare hip-hop artists who lives up to the high standards set by industry pioneers like Run DMC and Slick Rick.

Ipso facto, I don’t feel like a sellout reporting that Pharrell has been spotted recently cruising in Miami in a murdered out Ferrari Enzo.

More photos after the jump

[Photo Cred: Coolspotters.com]

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AutoblogGreen for 01.14.09

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

click to visit AutoblogGreen

Tesla made the most of their press conference on the last day of media previews, announcing a smart ed battery supply deal and giving a few more hints on the Model S to what was left of the assembled press corps. We also heard about Ford's plans to give all their cars auto start stop technology and saw the smallest Lincoln ever before we left Cobo Hall. Until next year, NAIAS.

AutoblogGreen for 01.14.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Russian Daredevil Caught Drinking And Diving At 120 mph

In Russia, an enterprising young adrenaline junkie struck out to prove that one can drink and skydive without catastrophic results. Replicating the 120 mph wind force of an actual skydive using a vertical wind tunnel, the man then proceeded to guzzle a bottle of samogan, a Russian blend of moonshine that was illegal in the country until recently [presumably due at least in part to the fact that the main ingredients include: distilled sugar, potatoes, and plywood].

Wind tunnel hilarity continues after the jump

[Source: The Telegraph]

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U.S. Senate Approves Tax Breaks for New Car Shoppers

Yesterday the U.S. Senate voted to make car loan interest and sales taxes on new vehicle purchases tax deductible. The proposal was brought forth by the National Automobile Dealers Association and received a 71-26 vote.

The proposal, which would mark the first time since 1986 that you will be able to write off the interest on your car loan has been added to the economic stimulus bill. The proposal was devised as a way to generate more new car purchases.

If the plan goes through buyers will be able to write off about $1,500 a year on a $25,000 loan.

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Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Takes a Break for 2009

Slow sales of 2008 models and remaining inventory have forced some automakers to not release certain models for the 2009 model year.

Last week it was announced that GM was not going to release a 09' Saturn Astra due to high inventory levels and now Mitsubishi is going to do the same thing with its Lancer Evolution.

According to Mitsubishi spokeswomen Christine Jew, there were no changes planned for the 2009 model year and there are enough 2008 units available to last until the 2010 model is released later this year.

Although there is still a significant number of 2008 Lancer Evos available sales were up 50.9% in 2008.

There are a few minor changes in store for the 2010 Lancer Evolution.

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Detroit 2009: Post-Bailout Booth Tour - GM

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Etc., Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, HUMMER, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn

Click above to start the GM booth tour

Seeing as this is the first post-bailout Detroit Auto Show, we figured it might be interesting to take a look at the display areas for the two automakers that are now taxpayer-subsidized. Would we find extravagant layouts, visible signs of austerity, or pretty much business as usual? First up is General Motors. For now, it's still eight brands. But who knows what that number will be a year from now. Jump into the gallery below for photos and accompanying observations. And note that some of the cars shown here (like the Cruze and Beat concept above) are likely to be relocated when the show opens to the public.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: GM Post-Bailout Booth Tour

Detroit 2009: Post-Bailout Booth Tour - GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Pics of The Chevy Orlando Hit The Internet: Neon Blue Awesome

Next month, at the Paris Motor Show, Chevy will finally release their seven-seat family concept car, the Orlando. Unfortunately for Chevy, some snapshots made it to the internet pre-launch. They look like pictures from backstage during a promotional shoot. Either way, here they are.

The Orlando, based on the Chevy Cruze platform, is supposed to be this sporty MPV in a small package. It has a GM turbo diesel putting out 150 horsepower, five doors, seating for seven and home theater style setup in the back, which makes it a modern alternative to the big bulky gas eaters that large families need today. I quite like it, but for more that just those reasons.

Check out the pics after the jump:

You RideLust readers may or may not be aware, but I’m an EPCOT freak. EPCOT Center is the greatest place on Earth and if I had my way I’d live there on it’s magical technological paradise grounds and never step foot back in the “real world” again. So having a vehicle named after the Mecca of all things fantastic and wonderful, Orlando, Florida…well, Chevy just needs to make this a production car.

Really, I liked the name when I heard it, I liked the look when I saw it, and now, after seeing the blue lights all around that fit perfectly with the EPCOT theme I had in my head, I love it.

So without further blahblahblah…PICS: