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Roar of the Engines? It’s an Electric Hum

Portland, Ore. - Michael Kadie pressed the accelerator of his electric-powered Cobra replica and took off down the quarter-mile at Portland International Raceway, pulling away from his opponent, a gas-powered Subaru WRX. As he braked, red numbers blinked on in the board that stretched over both lanes: 13.69 seconds at 94 miles an hour. Not bad for a first-ever run in an electric car he built himself.

The run took place at the 10th Anniversary National Electric Drag Racing Association Nationals in August, according to the New York Times.

About 40 people from the West Coast gathered here to watch and participate. Racers competed against each other’s times, though it was usually a gas-powered car in the next lane. (Electric vehicles don’t usually race in the same heat because the silence drains some of the excitement for the spectators.) They were also at the track to swap tips and talk shop about a true 21st-century sport.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:16 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0

A Cloud Over Reborn Shelby Mustangs

Five years ago, amid a sharp rise in prices of vintage muscle cars, Carroll Shelby licensed his name to a Texas company to construct replicas of the 1967 Shelby GT500E used in the 2000 remake of the drive-in classic “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

Mr. Shelby, the racing legend who had built Shelby Mustangs and the Cobra sports car in the 1960s, correctly perceived an eager market for the movie car, known as Eleanor. The cars were to be built by Unique Performance in Farmers Branch, a Dallas suburb.

But this month, after a public dispute between Mr. Shelby and Unique Peformance, and following lawsuits against Unique from customers who say they put down large deposits but never received their cars, the story took a new twist, according to the New York Times.

Farmers Branch police and Texas state officials raided Unique and seized 61 cars in varying states of completion at five sites.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:13 AM to Collecting | Permalink | Comments 0

For Chrysler, redoing brands just a start

Forget about dropping or radically redefining brands. Chrysler LLC needs to focus on patching the holes in its model line, sharpening the definition of its Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands and developing first-rate vehicles to cure what ails it, according to the Detroit Free Press's Mark Phelan.

"It can be done," said Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics, a Birmingham-based industry analysis firm. "Chrysler can become a premium brand, Dodge could appeal to younger buyers, and Jeep could be the tough, off-road brand."

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:25 AM to Chrysler , commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil retreats as OPEC supply rise in prospect

LONDON - The weak dollar helped oil rise above $99 a barrel on Monday, close to the $100 milestone, but it retreated from session highs partly on expectations that an OPEC meeting next week could decide to increase supply, according to Reuters.

Iran's Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari said at the weekend that some OPEC members were advocating an increase in production when they meet in Abu Dhabi on December 5 to debate whether to raise output for a second time this year.

U.S. light, sweet crude for January delivery was down 66 cents at $97.52 by 9:06 a.m. EST, still within striking distance of the all-time high of $99.29 from last Wednesday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:11 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0