The land speed record, which was set in 1906 by American driver Fred Marriott, was 127 miles per hour.  That record has been on the books for over 100 years, but now there’s a new record to beat.  On Tuesday, British Steam Car Challenge driver Charles Burnett III screamed around the course at speeds of up to 151 miles per hour.

(British Steam Challenge media photo. Used with permission.)

“It was absolutely fantastic,” said Burnett, who set the offshore water speed record in 1999.  “I enjoyed every moment of it.”

The British Steam Car Challenge, established in 1999, is designed to attract attention to steam as a power source and a viable alternative to fossil fuels.  The goal of the challenge was to create a vehicle that would set a new land speed record for steam, and that record was set on Tuesday.

“The car really did handle beautifully,” Burnett said.  “The team has worked extremely hard over the last 10 years and overcome numerous problems. It is a privilege to be involved with such a talented crew, what we have achieved today is a true testament to British engineering, good teamwork and perseverance.”

The car is a true engineering marvel.  It weighs in at three tons, and is made up of carbon-fiber, steel, and aluminum.  Its sleek, 25-foot-long chassis is a head-turner, and it boasts 12 boilers and almost two miles of tubing.

To power the car, steam is superheated to a temperature of 400 degrees Celsius.  The steam is then injected into the turbine of the car at a rate that is twice the speed of sound.

“This kind of technology is amazing,” said Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Ft Worth car storage business.  “It’s like going back and taking the other fork in the road with automobile propulsion.”

Exotic vehicles like Lamborghinis, Bentleys, and Porsches use internal combustion engines to create their power.  Gasoline engines have been criticized for producing too much carbon, but many exotic car drivers are reducing emission by joining exotic car sharing clubs.

Exotic car clubs give car fans access to an entire garage of exotic vehicles.  Because these clubs reduce the number of cars owned, they are considered a great economical and environmental alterative to owning an exotic vehicle.

While steam-powered engines may not be in the near future for many of us, exotic car rental and exotic car clubs are viable alternatives to exotic car ownership.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.

GM has sought for four years to unload the medium duty trucks, and in 2007, it seemed likely that Navistar, a manufacturer of truck and engine parts, would purchase the line.  Negotiations were also held with Isuzu, but neither deal panned out.  Exotic car enthusiasts are closely watching the struggles of GM.

Once noted for its production of impressive sports cars and large SUVs like the Hummer H2, GM is now fighting for its life.  If things don’t look up soon, the only way to drive a Hummer may be through exotic car rental.

The cease in production of the GMC Topkick and Chevrolet Kodiak means more plant closings for the already desperate auto industry.  One plant in Flint, Michigan, employs 398 people on the assembly line for medium duty trucks.  GM and the United Auto Workers union are still discussing the fate of these workers.

The Chevy Kodiak and GMC Topkick are the only medium duty trucks made by GM.  Medium duty trucks are designed for commercial use, mainly as tow trucks and dump trucks.  This sector of the market has been especially hard hit by the economic downturn, with sales slumping 30 to 40 percent 2007 to 2008 and an additional 30 to 40 percent so far this year.

Several GM dealers will be significantly affected by the change.  470 dealers sell the medium duty trucks, and of those, 129 deal exclusively in GM products.  Dealers now have 18 months to unload their existing inventory of medium duty trucks.

For fans of American automobiles, the last couple of years have been hard to watch.  GM, Chrysler, and Ford have all struggled to remain competitive amid a perfect storm of high gas prices, a credit crunch, and other factors of the economic downturn.  GM’s decision to cease production of the Chevy Kodiak and GMC Topkick is only the latest installment in a sad story.

If you are interested in the fate of Hummer, it sounds like that brand may be purchased by a Chinese company.  Right now, you can drive a Hummer with exotic car rental or an exotic car sharing club.  Exotic car rental also makes it possible to experience the thrill of other great American cars like the Dodge Viper.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.

(Image Courtesy of Knox News. See the other missing cars in the Knox news photo gallery.)

Among the most desirable cars on his sales lot were a red and black 1971 Chevelle Super Sport Convertible, a red and white 1972 Super Sport Chevelle, and an orange and white 1972 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible. (American Idol Bikini girl not included…)

The theft of these three classic muscle cars took place about 5 a.m. on Thursday morning according to an article on Knoxnews.com by J.J. Stambach. Bledsoe’s place of business is called Smokey Mountain Traders and is located at 11840 U.S. Highway 321 in Lenoir City, TN.

Mr. Bledsoe estimated the value of the lost cars conservatively to be $80,000.

Security camera footage shows that at about 4:15 on Thursday three people pulled up to the business in a truck with a trailer. The three walked to a covered car storage area and about 45 minutes later, they drove the cars around a locked gate and were gone.

Having a collector car stolen is absolutely a nightmare for anyone who loves cars,” said DFW Elite Car Storage leasing manager Josh Davis. “I hope that all three cars are recovered soon,” said the Dallas car storage employee.

Bledsoe has upped the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the classic car thieves from $5,000 to $7,500. Anyone with information can contact the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office at 865.986.4823 or Mr. Bledsoe at 865.988.8088.

This article was written by SEO copywriter Eric Anderson. His recent writing projects include copy for a company that provides strategic planning help for small businesses.

The lightly armored H2 looks like your average every-day H2, but is equipped with a Level 2 protection as classified by the US Military. This translates to: it has bulletproof glass on all windows and can withstand gunshots from weapons up to a .30 caliber carbine! It is also impenetrable by such instruments as hammers, bats and hatchets. Underneath, you have ballistic steel plates protecting its front, sides and roof.

In addition to all the above, the vehicle’s undercoating is designed to repel the shock effects of any kind of explosive charge, including land mines and grenades. The steel reinforced Run-Flat tires won’t deflate, even when punctured by an object such as a nail, spike or bullet.

This is truly the perfect way to travel low-key in protection, in what looks to be a standard H2 Hummer. No one but the driver will know without a doubt that they and their party are safe from most means of harm. This is the ultimate in personal protection!

This baby doesn’t come cheap in Australia. In the US it sells for $75,000 but in Australia it can run over $240,000 to include the import duty, luxury car tax and GST, and the cost of the conversion to get the car to meet local compliance regulations (included in the $240k price tag).

Chevrolet will pull the wraps off the 2007 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Replica Corvette Convertible at the Chicago auto show. Chevy said it will build and sell 500 pace-car replica convertibles, all painted Atomic Orange, beginning this spring.

A second special-edition Vette, this one based on the Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Championship Z06, also will be unveiled at the Chicago show. Painted Arctic white and accented with a racing-style fender stripe and Fellows’ signature, the special Z06 also goes on sale in the spring.

Callaway Cars today unveiled its Callaway C16 – the 16th in an impressive lineup of exclusive, built-to-order Callaway automobiles. Based on the current Chevrolet Corvette platform, the C16 takes performance and style to the next level, with 616 supercharged bhp and 582 lb-ft of torque. The new sports car incorporates Callaway’s race-proven technologies, superlative craftsmanship and arresting style.

The Callaway supercharged 6.0-liter LS2 V8 produces an impressive 616 bhp at 6,200 rpm and develops 582 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm. The Callaway C16 does 0 to 60 in 3.3-seconds, and a quarter mile in 10.9 seconds. Top speed of the manual transmission coupe is 206 mph. Equally impressive is its fuel efficiency rating of 18 city/28 highway. It is emission compliant worldwide.

To read more…