2008 BMW M3 Coupes arriving at US dealers, priced at $100k+!

BMW’s latest M based performance car, the 2008 BMW M3 coupe is starting to trickle into dealers across the US. Powered by a 4.0 Liter 32 valve V8 engine putting out 414 horsepower and 295 pounds of torque, BMW’s new high RPM screamer has been eagerly anticipated to arrive stateside.
We’re not sure how bad buyers are looking to get into this new M, but dealers are trying their best to make the most of out of it, pictured below is a new M3 sitting in a California showroom with a $70k+ MSRP and an obnoxious $30k dealer market adjustment, for a grand total of $100,720.00!
We’re looking for the first poor rich soul to pick up one of these beasts, strap it down to a dyno and get it on the track for some real world dyno figures, 1/4 mile times and trap speeds, so keep checking in for the latest updates and stats. If you’re not sure about spending the $100k, you might want to consider BMW’s 335i, with a simple computer upgrade these cars are making more power and a lot more torque than the almighty M3, for less than half the price! Check out some 335i dyno sheets and 335i 1/4 mile times while your here.

Stock 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 1/4 mile Drag Racing trap speed 0-60

Rob MacNeil aka oldgixxer ran his bone stock Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG down the 1/4 mile during a private track rental at Atco Raceway in New Jersey last week. After a couple low 12 second shakedown runs, he managed to produce a record breaking run of http://www.dragtimes.com/Mercedes-Benz-E63-AMG-Timeslip-14763.html. Weather was excellent for the track rental with an approximate DA of -1600 during the runs and the track prep was good allowing for some aggressive launching. His 60′ time for the run was 1.83, which shows the car could have went even quicker with a more aggressive launch - providing the tires and track prep could keep the car from breaking loose.
This is a significant run since it’s been long thought that the E63 was not nearly as stellar of a “drag car” as it’s predecessor, the E55 AMG, due to it’s normally aspirated engine and comparatively less amount of torque. It just took the right car, driver and conditions to produce the first 11 second run. For comparison purposes, the quickest stock E55 we have was produced by Enzom running a http://www.dragtimes.com/Mercedes-Benz-E55-AMG-Timeslip-11697.html.
Click on the link below to check out the scanned timeslip, pictures and most importantly video, showing Rob’s E63 breaking into the 11’s, with the baby car seat in the back and all, congrats Rob!
http://www.dragtimes.com/Mercedes-Benz-E63-AMG-Timeslip-14763.html

1/4 Mile ET:
11.952
1/4 Mile MPH:
118.320
1/8 Mile ET:
7.756
1/8 Mile MPH:
92.960
0-60 Foot ET:
1.830
Temperature F:
40.0
Timeslip Scan:

Car Make:
Mercedes-Benz
Car Model:
E63 AMG
Car Type:
Car Year:
2007
Driver:
Oldgixxer(Rob)

US Spec Nissan GT-R runs 11.8 @ 118 MPH at Sacramento Raceway

Edmunds took their US spec 2009 Nissan GT-R to Sacrament Raceway this weekend and ran it down the 1/4 mile. We don’t have all of the timeslip details, but the video shows it running a http://www.dragtimes.com/Nissan-GT-R-Timeslip-14966.html. Without the 60′ time we can’t really tell how well it launched, but the video shows a bit of spinning and hopping before it really took off. The 118 MPH trap speed is quite a bit less than the 124 MPH the “Magazines” are reporting for the GT-R (about 60HP worth). Since Sacramento is around sea level we would guess the DA was decent for this uncorrected real world GT-R run. Given the GT-R’s weight, power (dyno results) and AWD, 118 MPH does seem to be inline with what we would expect. Of course 124 MPH traps would be fantastic, but in the end everyone knows these GT-R’s will have a huge aftermarket scene around them and they’ll be boosted and modded to scream down any track. How long will it be before we see the first GT-R in the 10’s? Hopefully not long!

1/4 Mile ET:
11.807
1/4 Mile MPH:
118.620
1/8 Mile ET:
0.000
1/8 Mile MPH:
0.000
0-60 Foot ET:
0.000
Temperature F:
0.0
Timeslip Scan:
Car Make:
Nissan
Car Model:
GT-R
Car Type:
Car Year:
2009
Driver:
Edmunds
E-Mail:
Private

Mercedes S600 on Nitrous runs 10.5 @ 132.4 MPH

April 7th, 2008 Stephen Selden might have the quickest and fastest documented Mercedes to run down the 1/4 mile to date. Stephen’s 2003 S600 came from the factory with a 5.5L V12 Twin Turbo engine outputting 510 HP and 612 pounds of torque. At least that’s what Mercedes states, most people know that these are cars are significantly underrated from the factory and actually put out much more power and torque (stock S600 Dyno). Knowing that the twin turbo V12 under the hood had much more potential, Stephen started upgrading. Stephen upgraded the ECU from RENNtech which upped the output from the turbos, replaced the rear exhaust sections with an Eisenmann system to relieve some back pressure, and installed a Nitrous Express 150 shot of nitrous.

After putting on a pair of Mickey Thompson drag radials and adding some race gas, Stephen went on to his record breaking run of 10.585 @ 132.46 MPH at Maryland International Raceway during a private track rental on March 26th, 2008. Weather was cool and cooperative with a DA of -600 for the runs. With a running weight over well over 4650 pounds, sticky drag radials and extreme amounts of horsepower/torque, a subsequent run resulted in a broken drivers side axle during the launch. Congrats to Stephen for producing this record breaking run, we hope you’re already back up and running as well as planning for another trip to the track!

IHRA Drag Racing Game Review

As far as I can remember I've enjoyed driving simulations in every shape or form. We saw a lot of thrilling titles in recent years that had brought fresh and new features to racing simulations (Ignition, Midtown Madness, Driver, Need For Speed, etc. etc.). There are always exceptions to the rule; mostly games with misplaced self-motivated gameplay. In games like these, the developers intend to sustain the real-life atmosphere; therefore they forget to introduce more electrifying aspects to a game. What comes before us this time is another game of this sort. Taking a further step into the world of car racing simulations, Bethesda has developed an IHRA drag racing game. Regrettably, we have to inform you that the game doesn't seem to offer any tangible qualities. If you go back one year you can probably recall the NIRA Intense Import Drag Racing game from Bethesda Softworks and the complexity of vehicle customization it has presented - with an enormous variety of dragster options, transmission, engine, and so many well-defined vehicle settings. Maintaining this feature in IHRA, Bethesda seem to have left out the key elements that are supposed to hold the player's attention. IHRA Drag Racing can be exciting, sorry to say only for a short while.

Starting point.

A nice camera view, don't you think?
The thing which defines IHRA is certainly the considerable variety of vehicle settings. The dragster you'll be driving needs a lot of tending and care. I have to admit that it took me quite a while to set everything up for racing (improving the transmission and engine abilities and so on). Acceleration, car handling, gear shifting, and general vehicle performance depends greatly on your assessment of the situation in a particular race. Namely, you're gonna have to look out for the opponent's car capability and then modify your machine accordingly.
You may take a crack at driving one of the fifty available vehicles. Each dragster has his own specific qualities; they all differ in engine and transmission characteristics. Six car classes are accessible: classic, funny, pro-modified, pro-stock, stock, and rail. To make the most of your dragster and in order to overpower the opponent, you're going to have to assemble car parts which will offer you maximum engine performance. Putting the components together might sometimes demand expert knowledge in car mechanics - tires, aerodynamics, and electronics are presented in a manner which may prove to be very difficult for casual gamers to comprehend. Every detail that you change in the vehicle configuration will surely effect its racing capability. Bethesda has also put in the necessity of looking after the type of fuel that you inject into your machine (methanol, ethanol, nitro methane). Of course the fuel brand depends largely on the category of the dragster you'll be using (funny car, pro-stock and so on). Constructing a strong engine is very important for maximum car efficiency. You have to build an engine which has a good ignition capability and reasonable acceleration possibilities - so that you can maintain your speed during the race. Following this you'll need a fast and effective shifting gear is that can allow you to change speed faster than your adversary.
The chassis elements should be the last thing to worry about. Every feature was designed to make your driving more effective, yet they take too much of your patience so you have very little energy left for the racing itself. When you complete all of these settings you can use the inspection option which will point out any mistakes you may have made while putting the engine together. Personally I found that the best car for me was the pro-stock John Montecalvo vehicle with a high race Cam Shaft, a custom built engine, Corvette ZF 6-speed manual shifting gear, and a Drag Race 5000 clutch. After I've finally enhanced the performance of my race dragster, I actually initiated a single race event. Standard options have been instituted here: practice, events, single race, season, multiplayer, and load.

The visuals are not particularly striking. We've seen a lot better object and background rendering in other car racing games. The graphic settings can be applied to your desires in the Settings Menu; sadly even if you set maximum effects on everything the game still looks crappy. Details of the environment and the animations in general need a lot more work - the spectators look more like paper cutouts than ordinary people (Hey, that's 2D pixels for ya - Ed). Weather conditions are not very visually impressive, for example you will find that there's no actual difference between snowy and foggy climate. Night and day effects are present, as well as the air temperature, humidity, wind speed etc. Anyway, you can correct the driving conditions to your preference, so that's an additional benefit at least. Car models are not too bad though, and you will explore all kinds of car drag racing types. The textures in the game have a pleasing overall and during the racing you're gonna observe some nice features like tire tracks, smoking engines, and car damage visibility. Collisions occur occasionally, which may cause your car to tumble and toss - this appears realistic. It wouldn't have been a bad idea to add a few more features here; like engine explosions and hull bursting, that sort of stuff. The music sometimes creates a dynamic atmosphere; regrettably though, you become sick of the recurring sound of the commentator's voice. Furthermore, some of the engine sounds could have been a lot more genuine.

The crowd doesn't seem to like their seats...

More smoking tires.
The main interface shows the main readouts: speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure, oil, water, and transmission temperature. Next to that you will observe a scale which displays the distance to the start line (it will make the line-up for the start of the race much easier to accomplish). When the race lights turn yellow you may blast off at last! During the race I noticed that the vehicle controls are very hard to manage and I could barely turn sideways (than again this is not very important in drag racing is it?). As you pass the finish line, colorful parachutes will be released from the car's rear and, wahooo! The race is over! Now you can observe the standard race statistics screen, which shows you how much Mph your dragster achieved and the time it took him to complete the track. Later, you can view the replay of the race on your personal VCR (it is possible to record a single racing event and show it to your girlfriend, if you wish). Camera movement in the game deserves praising; it moves about freely and has all sorts of different angles with zooming capability.
To begin with, the disappointment comes from the fact that there's no option for a two-player game. Although you can find the standard selections for Internet and LAN modes, it's still a presents a nuisance not being able to play with a live player on one computer. This mode becomes tedious when all of the players suddenly start adjusting their car parts, so that they can have a better and faster vehicle that the other guy. As you may have guessed, playing the single-payer mode is not exciting for very long. Throughout playing the season for instance, I detected the dreariness of the tracks - what Bethesda could have done here is create more background detail or a simply a greater number of tracks.
For all you drag racing fans out there, you can be sure that this is an extremely authentic dragster driving simulation with all kinds of vehicle customizations and similar features. However, the whole game gets really tiresome after a few hours of gameplay. More features need to be presented on a racing track, mostly in the sense of the atmosphere - which is not vigorous enough and therefore makes the game less enjoyable. I excepted to see more explosions and damage effects, like in real life drag racing. Drag Racing is supposed to be a thrilling event that should make the adrenaline leak out of your ears. In this case you will probably cough up blood; cause after a while drag racing really becomes a 'drag.'

http://www.actiontrip.com

Bracket Drag Racing Doesn't Require Fast Cars

Bracket Drag Racing Doesn't Require Fast Cars
By Brooks Weisblat

Bracket Racing which is also known as ET racing is a competitive drag racing sport that allows just about anyone with any kind of vehicle to competitively drag race against each other even if one car is inherently faster than the other and has quicker quarter mile times. Bracket racing tends to favor more consistent and reliable drag racing cars/drivers and doesn’t require fast cars to win.

Before the start of each race series the cars are divided up into classes depending on how the fast the cars are estimated to cover the quarter mile. Each driver is then allowed to race a few practice runs down the track to get an idea on how the car is performing with the given track and weather conditions. Using the practice runs, also know as time trials, each driver will estimate what their car will run in the quarter mile drag race and mark it on their rear window. This estimate is known as the car’s dial-in.

When both cars are staged at the starting line the dial-in numbers are posted to the track’s scoreboard for the drag racing fans to see. The car with the higher dial-in time will get a head start in the race. The amount of the head start is calculated by subtracting the lower dial-in time from the higher one. For example, if two cars are staged with 12.51 and 13.51 dial-in times, the car with the 13.51 dial-in will get the green light 1 second before the other car. This is essentially handicapping the cars to make the race more dependent on the driver and the car’s consistency rather than which car is actually faster.

The winners of bracket drag races are determined by which cars cross the end of the quarter mile finish line first, without running quicker quarter mile times than their dial-in times. If a car ends up running quicker than their dial-in time, it’s known as a breakout and that car automatically loses the race, unless both cars breakout. If both cars breakout then the car with the smallest difference between their actual run and their dial-in wins the race.

Bracket racing is heavily dependent on the driver’s reaction time at the start of the race and how consistent the car is with regards to launching and running down the quarter mile. Each driver is allowed to adjust the car’s dial-in time throughout the series of eliminations depending on the weather and how the car is performing. The bracket races continue until all competitors are eliminated and there is one winner for the each class.

Brooks Weisblat is drag racing/sports car enthusiast and writer for DragTimes.com,
an online fast cars drag racing

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brooks_Weisblat
http://EzineArticles.com/?Bracket-Drag-Racing-Doesnt-Require-Fast-Cars&id=384233

Eleven Drag Racing Greats to Be Inducted

Eleven Drag Racing Greats to Be Inducted
By Jenny McLane

he U.S. has been known to be the home of the most speed oriented group of people. Through the years, drag racing in the U.S. has achieved much success and popularity. Different names through the years have been synonymous with drag racing. These legends in their own rights have been inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Recently, the organization announced that eleven new members to the hall of fame will be inducted and would then be officially part of the group. The induction ceremony will take place in Gainesville, Florida. The event will be hosted by the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing and sponsored for the 16th year by Mopar® Performance Parts.

The eleven inductees at this year’s are appreciated for their contribution to the sport. Kenny Bernstein is one of the eleven inductees in this year’s induction ceremony. Bernstein is the winner of six NHRA championships in Top Fuel and Funny Car racing classes. Frank Bradley, the only Top Fuel driver to win one NHRA race in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and in the ‘90s will also be inducted to the hall of fame. Donnie Hampton, champion drag racer and supercharger manufacturer will likewise take a spot next to the greats of the sport already inducted into the hall of fame.

Ted Jones, a drag strip owner and automotive television producer, will also join the ranks of the people who have contributed to the popularity and promotion of the sport. Jim McLean, the owner of Champion Speed Shop, car builder, driver, and a drag strip owner as well, is also one of the eleven which will be inducted into the hall of fame. Dale Pulde, dubbed as “the finest driver to ever sit behind the wheel of a funny car” will be inducted at the hall of fame by virtue of him having the most wins in IHRA history.

Another inductee is Don Schumacher, a member of Team Mopar. Schumacher won numerous titles - five in the NHRA and nine in the IHRA. As an owner, he also has three Top Fuel championships and a Funny Car title.

Dave Uyehara, the championship dragster builder, will also be inducted into the hall of fame. Dave Zueschel, the legendary dragster engine builder, will join the ranks of the immortalized drag racing greats. Darrell Zimmerman, a longtime NHRA Division V director, will also be inducted to the hall of fame for his contributions to the sport. Bill Bader, the drag racing promoter and owner of the Norwalk Raceway Park in Ohio, will be presented with the Founders’ award.

These men will be inducted to the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame for their contribution to the sport. Whether they once drove, promote, or directed cars which an EBC brake component can safely stop, these men have given a part of themselves to the sport of drag racing.

Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.