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REMEMBERED Phil Hill 1934 Triumph “The Beast” 1973 K5 Chevy Blazer
ISSUE 1114
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ROAD TRIP Texas Hill Country EVENTS Dodge Rocks! Tour 2015 BMW X5 M and X6 M We Visit Bowling Green, Kentucky
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CONTENTS 1014 Car Guy Magazine 8
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TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
32
16 To Llano
965 16
Enchanted Rock 783 83
648
Crabapple
Willow City
1323
Sandy 16 Harper
83
783
1320
1631
965
2721
290
1631
Fredericksburg 16
1623
290
1376 Luckenbach 1623 10
783 16 1688 10
87
Kerrville 10 1376 To Boerne
473
1623
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04 Publishers Note 06 Masthead 08 Phil Hill Remembered 18 1934 Triumph 8C2600 GS 26 Car Guy Snapshots 28 Dodge Rocks! Tour 32 Road Trip - Texas Hill Country 40 2015 BMW X5 M & X6 M 50 Bowling Green, Kentucky 54 1973 Chevy Blazer 60 Rallycross Championship 62 Guy Fieri and His Red Camaro
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leven years ago this past August I had the opportunity to meet legendary Phil Hill in California at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. He was a guest judge for the concours. Not much was said, just a “hello” and “nice to meet you” after a handshake on the 18th Fairway. He said he liked my magazine although the first time he saw it was most likely at that moment when I gave him a copy. None the less he was greatly appreciative along with a big smile and a gentle nod of the head. John Lamm provided this article on Phil Hill for the March 2007 issue of my previous publication American Driver. Of course the following year in 2008 is when Phil passed after attending the same weekend’s series of events in Monterey. Automotive photographer Al Satterwhite graciously provided the incredible photos pulled from his archived collection of great race car drivers. The article still reads well and looks good today as we “Remember” Phil Hill in this issue of Car Guy Magazine. We also revisit one of my favorite cars of all time known as “The Beast.” The 1934 Triumph owned by John Ridings Lee in Dallas, Texas just leaves me weak in the knees. Watching it being photographed for the article and listening to it roar to life was a thrill to my senses that I will never forget. You’ll understand why after you’ve read the article. Writers Paula Felps, Glenn Zanotti and photographer Jim Muise did a great job with this feature that first ran in the “Premiere Issue” of American Driver in 2007. Again this car is timeless and was well worth another look here today. Our roadmaster Ted Glover introduces us to an exciting Road trip through the Texas Hill Country and I visit Bowling Green, Kentucky to assist in assembling a new Corvette engine. We also meet up with Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage and Fast and Loud fame at the Dodge Rocks! event and much more. Enjoy your November! Sincerely, Tim Miller tim@carguymagazine.com
the publisher’s note
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PUBLISHER Timothy Miller AUTOMOTIVE EDITOR Hank Ford GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tim Chase SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Jayzlynn Leno ASSISTANTS Madison Nicole, Adam John CONTRIBUTORS John Lamm, Ted Glover, Paula Felps, Glenn Zanotti, Dale Jewett PHOTOGRAPHY Al Satterwhite, Glenn Zanotti, Jim Muise ADVERTISING SALES Timothy Miller • tim@carguymagazine.com • 972.325.8795 ON THE COVER CAHIER ARCHIVE: PHIL, 1961 NURBURGRING KARUSSELL
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R E M E M B E R E D WORDS JOHN LAMM PHOTOS AL SATTERWHITE
“Kid, I’ve got a word of advice for you. Stay away from automobiles.” This sage suggestion was given to young Phil Hill by his father. “I was an older teenager,” Phil recalls. “I think I’d been caught for driving the car on the street without a license. I said, ‘Yes sir.’” Happily for all of us, he then ignored his father. In 1961 Hill, a Santa Monica resident who began his racing career in California, raced throughout Europe to become the first American who could call himself a Grand Prix automobile champion. Though his birth certificate, dated April 20, 1927, was issued in Miami, Florida, Hill’s real home has always been Santa Monica. Moved to California when he was one, the driver’s childhood remembrances are of that city and growing up just a few hundred feet from the famous race track that wound through its major streets.
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ighty five years ago he moved into the house in which lived until he died in 2008. And it was just a few years later – he was only twelve – when Hill got his first car, a Ford Model T, and was sneaking off to slip and slide it through the beach city’s dirt alleys. Champions tend to be irrepressible right from the start. In the late 1930s, Hill and his teenage friends were attending races at such tracks as Los Angeles’ Gilmore Stadium or Legion Ascot Park. Though his career would see Hill race in such exotic venues as Monaco, Monza in Italy and Germany’s famous Nürburgring, one of his first competitions was a midget car race at the Orange Bowl Stadium in San Bernardino east of Los Angeles. Making the main event his first time out still ranks as one of the World Driving Champion’s fondest racing memories. Hill’s early racecars included in a supercharged MG-TC, a historic Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 ex-Mille Miglia racer that currently belongs to Ralph Lauren and a now-famous Jaguar XK-120. He bought the latter while training as a mechanic in England, shipped
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it back to the U.S., stripped it down to lighten it and opened the engine to 3.8 liters. With his pal and future Ferrari teammate, Richie Ginther, Hill took the car to the Pebble Beach road races in 1950 and won the main event, the first win by a Jaguar in the U.S. Hill was also one of the early quick drivers in this country in the Jaguar C-Type. Hill was so fast and consistent he caught the eye of Luigi Chinetti, the three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans who was Enzo Ferrari’s agent in the U.S. Chinetti helped Hill buy his first Ferrari and put him in touch with the wealthy owners of the Italian cars who were eager to have them raced. Soon Hill was a favorite to lead or win races in such places as the airport courses at the Santa Barbara (Goleta), Glendale and Palm Springs airports and the Santa Ana blimp base. Another course wound through Torrey Pines just north of San Diego. Hill also did some driving for racing movies made in the early 1950s. He recalls roaring down Reseda Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley at over 120 mph in a Ferrari for the Kirk Douglas movie, “The Racers.” Years later he would be a major player in arguably the finest auto racing movie ever made, John Frankenheimer’s “Grand Prix.”
Phil Hill being interviewed by Stirling Moss for NBC “Wide World of Sports� at the Daytona Continental race in 1964.
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In 1953, Hill raced for the first time in Europe. In those early years it was driving sports cars in events such as the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. Eventually Hill would win that event three times (1958, 1961, and 1962), always in a Ferrari, just as he was a three-time winner in Florida’s 12 Hours of Sebring. By 1958, it was obvious the young American was ready for his first Grand Prix attempt. Ferrari wouldn’t provide it, so Hill raced in an older Maserati 250F at the very fast Rheims, France circuit. Just a few grid positions behind him in another 250F was a Texan who was beginning his European racing career: Carroll Shelby. Scuderia Ferrari, as the team is known, got the hint and began to allow Hill in open-wheel Formula Two race cars later in 1958. This was a very dangerous time in Grand Prix racing, and Hill would lose a friend and teammate, Englishman Peter Collins, in the German Grand Prix, essentially opening a place on the Formula One team for Hill. Fellow Brit Mike Hawthorn went on to win the World Driver’s Championship, only to die in a road accident the following January. Hill later wrote the award-winning book, “Ferrari, A Champion’s View,” about his racing career. In it, he explained that deadly era: “It sounds cold, thinking about it now...they were all good friends. We were very defensive about anybody delving into the life or death aspects of racing. We tried to avoid it and not talk about it. In retrospect, I’m pretty certain we knew it was a losing discussion. We would have had a tough time rationalizing why it was okay to continue. In that atmosphere, a lot of things that don’t make any sense now were logical.” Hill quickly became a sensation in Formula One, usually placing well up on the starting grid. At times during the next several years, he was teamed with two other Californians, early friends of his, who had gained the respect of Luigi Chinetti and made it onto the Ferrari team: Ginther and Dan Gurney. Hill’s first Grand Prix win came at the Monza circuit in Italy 1960. It was the last win by a front-engine Formula One car and a preview of the following year. The 1961 season was so filled with drama it would have made a thrilling movie. There was a new formula that year, as 1.5-liter engines and Ferrari had finally made the move to midengine Grand Prix cars. They were wonderfully different machines with dual-intake noses, and Hill proved their worth when he astounded everyone with the first sub-eight-minute lap of the Nürburgring tortuous Nordschliefe circuit. After a season-long points battle with his Ferrari teammates, it came down to a dual between Hill and Wolfgang von Trips. The young man from California against a German count. At the Italian Grand Prix in September, Hill won the race and the
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Hill running from the car during a driver change at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1964. CarGuyMagazine.com
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driving title. Trips was killed early in the race in an accident with Lotus driver Jimmy Clark. In a bit of tragic irony, the only other U.S. citizen to become World Driving Champion was Mario Andretti. It was in 1978, and Andretti’s title was also decided at Monza. His main rival was his teammate, a Swede named Ronnie Peterson, and he also died as the result of an accident that happened early in the race. After a disappointing 1962 season, Hill left Scuderia Ferrari to join the new ATS Grand Prix team created by other former Ferrari men. Unfortunately, things never really gelled at ATS and it was a forgettable year. Ditto in 1964 with the Cooper team. That was essentially the end of Hill ’s Formula One career, though he continued to compete. Now his career centered on sports car racing, in which he already had an enviable record, having won not only at Le Mans and Sebring, but also having scored victories in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Sweden; and on Germany’s Nürburgring. He drove for Aston Martin, helped establish the early reputation for Carroll Shelby’s Cobras and was one of the early development and race drivers of the Ford GT40. Hill then joined the Chaparral team of Texan Jim Hall and with Jo Bonnier had the distinction of winning at the Nürburgring in 1966 – the only sports racing car to win a major event with an automatic transmission. Hill finally bowed out when the 1967 season was over, having the distinction of being victorious in his final race, the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch in England. Hill’s interest in racing was converted into working as a commentator with ABC’s broadcasts of European automobile races. He continued a career as a writer for Road & Track magazine, where he had been a correspondent for decades, and now began a series of articles on great racecars. After years of living out of a suitcase, Hill returned permanently to Santa Monica and married. He and his wife, Alma, have three children. Their only son, Derek, has enjoyed his own wins as a race driver and is currently building his business career, though ready to get back to racing. In the early 1970s, Hill made a major career change that was actually a fulfillment of another aspect of his lifelong love of automobiles. Even in the early 1950s Hill had enjoyed the restoration of vintage automobiles. After a number of incidents that brought the mortality aspects of racing to the fore, Hill backed out of racing. He spent his time with his brother Jerry, restoring the 1931 Le Baron-bodied Pierce-Arrow Town Cabriolet that had belonged to their aunt.
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Obviously the retirement from racing didn’t last, and the result for the Hill brothers was a Best of Show award at the Pebble Beach Concours in 1955. Phil Hill still owns the Pierce. Too busy with racing to exercise that side of his love of cars, Hill had put it on the back burner, but now relit that side of his life. In the early 1970s he joined his old friend Ken Vaughn in establishing Hill & Vaughn, which became one of the top automobile restoration firms in the world. Instead of making high-tech racecars go quickly, Hill helped make old, historic automobiles go properly. “There’s always a sort of pleasant obsession involved in making race cars be at their best for you. That’s an enormous part of one’s involvement with race cars. I found that same type of pleasant obsession restoring classic cars,” he says. Though Hill & Vaughn closed its doors in 1994, it was such an influence that a restoration by the company is a proud note for any of the cars that went through its doors. Afterward, Hill wasn’t about to sit back in an easy chair and put up his feet. There were more stories for Road & Track, speaking engagements, leading tours to Ferrari and Grand Prix races, annual treks to the Monterey Historic Automobile Races and to the Pebble Beach Concours, where he has been a judge for decades. It has been tough to keep track of his travels. In a world in which Grand Prix drivers aren’t very approachable and athletes in some sports are as likely to have a rap sheet as a sport record, Phil Hill is a true gentleman. The World Driving Champion, the three-time winner of Le Mans and Sebring and so many other races has always been unfailingly friendly and polite with fans. Just turning eighty, Hill is, unfortunately, battling Parkinson’s disease, but doing so with the same strength and dignity with which he has taken on all the challenges in his life...like a true champion.
After traveling to the Monterey Historic Automobile Races in August 2008, Hill was taken to a hospital, where he died after a short illness from complications of Parkinson’s Disease in Salinas, California on August 28.
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From the moment Dallas car collector John Ridings Lee first laid his eyes on the Triumph Dolomite 8 C2600GS, he knew he would have to own it. “I knew that if it ran like it looked, it would be a cross between a Grand Prix car and a class B dragster,” Lee says. “In short, it is both.” In the two decades since Lee purchased the car, the striking 1934 roadster has won numerous awards and also has made appearances at the Rodeo Drive Concours and the Pebble Beach Concours, where it drove off with Best in Class honors. Last year, it took home the Road & Track award at The Quail Concours. Those winning ways add to an already lengthy and colorful history, one that began when successful racecar driver and engineer Donald Healey moved from the racetrack to the inside track at Triumph.
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WORDS PAULA FELPS & GLENN ZANOTTI PHOTOS JIM MUISE
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Healey, who had built his reputation at Triumph by winning a number of rallies and trials, became experimental manager for the automotive company late in 1933. His first mission was to persuade Col. Claude Holbrook – Triumph’s chairman – to greenlight the production of a prototype sports car that could go head-to-head with any other car out there. Convinced that he could elevate Triumph’s status to a more prestigious class of racing, Healey earned Holbrook’s support and, along with Tommy Wisdom – Triumph’s leading driver at the time – they set out to create what remains the greatest racecar Triumph ever built. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, Alfa Romeo should have been pleased. When Triumph unveiled its Dolomite 8 in October 1934, it was obviously inspired by Alfa’s 8C2300, which was the most successful car of the era. Drawing its name from a rugged mountain range that was well known to rally drivers of the time, the Dolomite drew immediate attention. And it so closely resembled the Alfa that one rumor claims Triumph considered naming it the Triumph Alfa. The similarities, both inside and out, were no accident. Healey had actually purchased an Alfa and dismantled its Monza supercharged Straight-eight, then built an engine that was nearly identical. At the car’s debut at the Olympia Motor Show, it was immediately evident that the new Triumph had been patterned after the Alfa, but the British press kindly turned a blind eye to this fact. “The Dolomite was totally unexpected, but from the day it appeared, it was hailed as a supreme accomplishment – and deservedly so,” notes automotive author Graham Robson, who has covered the industry for more than four decades. “Dwell on its excellence as a pure automobile, praise its creator Donald Healey, and be thankful that he had the chance to build it at all.” There were many who were thankful for Healey’s handiwork from the outset. Triumph had a reputation for building well-crafted cars, and the Dolomite continued that tradition. The hand-built engine, designed by Vittorio Jano, had two blocks of four cylinders that were joined together in-line, with a gear in the middle that drove the engine’s two overhead cams. The block was machined from an aluminum alloy, and the engine had detachable heads that formed a hemispherical combustion chamber. A Roots-type supercharger force-fed the engine through two downdraft carburetors. The outer beauty was a breathtaking complement to its inner strength. Designed by Walter Belgrove, Triumph’s chief
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body engineer, the sleek body featured a long bonnet and sweeping fenders that gave it the illusion of moving fast – even when it wasn’t in motion. Those original fenders were later replaced with bicycle-style fenders similar to those on the Alfa production cars and, in the end, the car bore a striking resemblance to the 8C2300 Alfa – right down to the small fin on the rear deck. The Dolomite made its racing debut at the 1935 Monte Carlo Rally, but then saw its dreams smashed in a collision with a train. It was rebuilt and was entered into the same race the following year, where it made a respectable showing by finishing in eighth place. Despite its promise, the Dolomite project faced a quick demise. A high price tag made it desirable but not necessarily practical, as it out-priced even the uber-expensive three-liter Bentleys. At the same time, Triumph’s financial stores were dwindling. The company sold off its bicycle and motorcycle businesses in 1936, but it wasn’t enough to save the ambitious project. In the end, only three cars and six engines were ever produced. By 1939, the company went into receivership and although it retained ownership of the Dolomite name, which was
used on later models, the cars themselves were sold. Rumors surrounding the Dolomite’s demise, however, have been greatly exaggerated. Or, at least the facts surrounding it have been changed. While most accounts point simply to a business decision – the car didn’t sell well – a much more colorful rumor gives a different reason as to why Triumph’s finest creation couldn’t make it off the showroom floor. “Over the years, it has been incorrectly rumored that the reason for the demise of the Dolomite project lay in Alfa Romeo threatening to sue Triumph over patent infringements,” said historian Simon Morre. “Nothing could be further from the truth.” In fact, Healey always claimed that Alfa was pleased that a company of Triumph’s pedigree would choose the 8C2300 as the basis for its new racer. Triumph was open about emulating
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AC H I E V E M E N T S the well-established Alfa design, and history shows no evidence of quarrelling between the two car manufacturers over the Dolomite 8. As additional proof, Morre asserts, by the time the Dolomite came on the scene, Alfa Romeo already was eying other projects. So what about the rumor that claims that, in an effort to settle the suit, the Dolomites were ordered to be destroyed and Triumph was directed to make restitution by providing a few hundred motorcycles to the Italian army? Although it makes for good storytelling, there’s no historical evidence to back up this tale. The Dolomite in John Ridings Lee’s collection has been through two restorations in its storied life, with the most recent one performed by Bob Smith Coachworks. Since that restoration, it has made appearances in selected Concours d’Elegance, where it never fails to draw a crowd. Adding to the personal appeal of the car is the fact that Lee’s collection also houses a meticulously restored 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C2300, which enjoys its own storied past. Individually, the cars are spectacular; together, they create a team that is pure pleasure for any car enthusiast to witness.
‘34 •Olympia Car Show •Brooklands Performace Trials: Flying 1/4 mile: 122.47 mph Flying mile: 13.24 30 mph to stop: 24 feet Drivers: Donald Healey, Jack Ridley •Autocar - British Design Award ‘35 •Monte Carlo Rally: Hit train in Denmark, D.N.F. Drivers: Donald Healey, Lewis Pearce •Autocar: Fleetest Sports Car in England ‘36 •Monte Carlo Rally: 8th Place - Highest finish for a British driver Driver: Donald Healey ‘37 •Leinster Trophy: Lap Record 95.53 mph •Donington Speed Trials: Lap Record: 2 min. 16 sec. ‘39 •Disappeared into hiding ‘47 •Reappearance: Nottingham, Rally 1st Place, Open Car ‘49
•Prescott: Best Overall
‘50 •Prescott: Best Overall ‘54 •Private Museum, London ‘71 •Sold at Christie’s Auction to Tom Perkins of San Franciso, CA ‘79 •Pebble Beach Concours: 1st in Class ‘84 •Purchased by John Mozart of San Francisco, CA from Tom Perkins ‘86 •Purchased by John Ridings Lee of Dallas, TX from John Mozart ‘89 •Pebble Beach Concours: 1st in Class ‘93 •Primary Division Senior Badge Award C.C.C.A. Grand Classic: 1st Place ‘99 •Senior Ring Awarded Senior Division C.C.C.A. Grand Classic: 1st Place ‘00 •Pebble Beach Concours: 1st in Class Lord Montague Award, Best British Automobile ‘02 •Dallas to Denver by Night 2,000-mile Road tour at average speed of 77 mph ‘03 •Rodeo Drive Concours: 1st in Class, Most Elegant Roadster
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Above: John Ridings Lee with his Dolomite, and driving his Alfa 8C2300.
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CAR GUY SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS Nerces Mavelian
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Submit your favorite artistic “car guy snapshot” for publication to tim@carguymagazine.com
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Dodge Rocks Dallas! By Dale Jewett, Courtesy of FCA Digital Media
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f Sunday morning soreness is a definitive gauge of Saturday night fun — an entertainment Richter scale, if you will — then the Dodge Rocks Gas Monkey Live party in Dallas set a record. The Dodge brand celebrated its 100th anniversary in the Big D with the brashness and in-your-face performance that have put a Challenger or Charger SRT Hellcat on the wish list of thousands of car people this year.
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The odor of the day was burned rubber! More than 2,000 members of Dodge Nation — some driving from as far away as Massachusetts and California and Manitoba, Canada – filled the parking lot of Gas Monkey Live. That’s the newest part of businessman and entrepreneur (and Dodge pitchman) Richard Rawlings’ business empire that includes the garage featured on his reality TV show, and a restaurant. Fans willingly waited in line for their turn to ride shotgun in a Dodge Viper SRT
The Car Guy Show Host Tim Miller talks with Fast and Loud’s Richard Rawlings and Dennis Collins at the Dodge Rocks event hosted by Gas Monkey Live!
as it slid through a drift course as one end of the lot. Then they got back in line for a rapid ride-along in a Challenger SRT Hellcat on a temporary drag strip. Sunny skies and temps in the mid-60s made perfect viewing conditions for the more than 850 cars that filled the concert venue’s parking lots — a rainbow-colored sea of modern cars peppered with classic Mopar muscle. Want a photo op? The Dodge Brothers — John and Horace — roamed the grounds and
posed for plenty of pictures. A local band provided the sound track, and Rawlings and friends entertained the crowded and showered them with special event t-shirts launched from the stage. The icing on the cake (other than the massive Dodge ice sculpture sitting on the bar)? Legendary rockers Motley Crue played a private show. Dodge is sponsoring the band’s The Final Tour: All Bad Things Must Come To An End and members Tommy Lee, Mick Mars,
Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx stormed into the Gas Monkey Live lot in a quartet of tire-smoking Challenger SRT Hellcats – then rocked the packed house – the smallest venue they’ve played since their early days — with an earth-shaking set of their greatest hits including “Kickstart My Heart.” It was quite the anniversary celebration. Every Dodge owner we talked with doesn’t want to wait another 100 years to do it again – they’re ready to go again next year. We agree. CarGuyMagazine.com
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is dedicated to the Corvette lifestyle and the people that own them. Our Club slogan says it all:
Good Friends…Great Cars! Founded in 1983, the Club now enjoys over 1,100 members, each with his or her own story to tell of how they found that perfect ‘Vette. LSCC offers just about any activity an owner of America’s Sports Car could want: Road Trips Day Trips Garage Tours Drag Racing Open Road Racing Autocross NCRS Car Shows Displays and Parades For 26 years, our signature annual event has been the Lone Star Corvette Classic, now held each May at Texas Motor Speedway The Club meets on the second Saturday of each month at various locations around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. We would love to have you join us at a meeting; dates and locations are on our website: www.LoneStarCorvetteClub.com. While you’re on our website, take a look at the latest issue of our award-winning online newsletter. Just click on the Newsletter button and enjoy!
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Corvette Club Revving Fun, Friendship and Charity - Since 1983
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TEXAS HILL
COUNTRY SOME OF THE BEST ROADS YOU’LL EVER DRIVE
WORDS & PHOTOS TED GLOVER
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F
or most Texans, the words “Hill Country” conjure up images of small German towns filled with antique stores and quaint bed and breakfasts or picturesque hills speckled with bluebonnets and longhorn cattle. For non-Texans, this description is a far cry from the scorching Texas heat and flat terrains portrayed in old John Wayne movies. But only Texas drivers know what Hill Country is all about—it’s all about the roads.
The best twisties, scenery, curves, and marvels are all found in the Texas Hill Country. But to understand what and where Hill Country is, you must become acquainted with the geography. The Texas Hill Country is 60,000 square miles of the most beautiful scenic vistas and roads that Texas has to offer at the center of the state. It stretches 270 miles from Austin to its western edge at the Pecos River and encompasses approximately 220 miles in between its northern edge near Goldhwaite to its southern edge near the town of Uvalde. Historically, the largest number of European settlers were of German descent. These immigrants fled Germany with hopes of escaping persecution, over-population, and economic turmoil. For these people, Texas sounded like the land of opportunity and bratwurst and strudel. The towns, named after villages they had departed from or royalty they respected in the Old Country, began to prosper and today offer
some of the best-kept secrets in the Lone Star State. Fredericksburg, east of the center of Hill Country, is a hub to many of the great roads. It was established in 1864 and today it is filled with antique stores, German and eclectic restaurants and bed and breakfasts. One of the main attractions is the National Museum of the Pacific War housed in the building where Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was born. Southwest of Fredericksburg on Farm Road 1376 is the tiny town of Luckenbach, settled in 1850. Made famous by Willie, Waylon, and the Boys, the town is small enough that everybody is somebody and there is always something going on. Good luck finding the town by looking for signs - they are pilfered as quickly as they are replaced. East of Fredericksburg on Hwy 290 (which eventually leads to Austin), is LBJ country: Johnson City and the Texas Whitehouse. You can tour the home where LBJ was born in 1908, and also tour the car collection, which includes an Amphicar. North of Fredericksburg on Farm Road 965 is Enchanted Rock State Park, the second largest mountain in the U.S. Its main attraction is a large, pink granite rock. American Indian superstition says evil spirits haunted the rocks, but in reality, the groaning noises made by the rocks were a product of the science of expansion and contraction. The rocks expanded after being baked in the hot Texas sun all day long and, as they cooled off and contracted during the night, it made a sound that led to the park’s name.
Every drive through the Hill Country in April requires a few stops to admire the bluebonnets.
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The BBQ is worth the wait at Coopers in Llano. North of Highway 16 is the almost-a-town of Willow City located on Farm Road 1223, which is best known for being either the beginning or the end of one of the most beautiful bluebonnet drives in Texas. This scenic drive is known as Willow City Loop. During the days of rustlers and renegade Indians, parts of the loop were named Hell’s Half-Acre, the Dungeon, or the Devil’s Kitchen. The best time to view bluebonnets is during the month of April, usually in the morning or evening to accentuate the vibrant colors. Contrary to popular belief, it is not illegal to pick the State Flower of Texas. However, don’t trespass on someone else’s property; that is still illegal in Texas. North of Willow City Loop on Highway 16 is the town of Llano, settled in 1855. Llano is known as the “Deer Capital of Texas” and is the source of two important items: llanite, a rare form of granite with a unique type of dark pink granite inclusions only found in Llano, and Coopers BarB-Q. Cooked in brick ovens and purchased by the pounds, Cooper’s Bar-B-Q is some of the best Texas has to offer. East of Llano on Farm Road 1431 is the town of Kingsland. It is home to The Antlers Hotel, built in 1900, and was a train destination for Texans from big cities who wanted to relax and experience the stress-free surroundings of the country. With the growing popularity of the automobile
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and decrease in train travel, Kingsland became a ghost of its former self until 1996, when the Antlers Hotel and the surrounding restaurants enjoyed a resurgence. It is also where the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” movie was filmed. East of Kingsland is Longhorn Cavern State Park and Park Road 4. A section of Park Road 4 is a two-mile long asphalt roller coaster. The best approach is from the east entrance off Highway 281. Just north of Park Road 4 is a Bavarian Castle built from blueprints designed for King Ludwig II. Going south on Highway 16, which runs north and south from Mexico and almost to Oklahoma, take Farm Road 962 east to Hamilton Pool. This grotto-like pool has a sixty-foot waterfall with deep, cascading jade green water. The vegetation, waterfall and seclusion give the feeling of a lost island paradise. Follow the road east to Farm Road 12 and head south to the small but growing town of Wimberly. Wimberly is filled with majestic hills and green meadows and is adjacent to the Blanco River. Stop and visit the Wimberly Glass Works before heading west out of town on RM32, better known as the Devil’s Backbone. As you take the Devil’s Backbone west toward Highway 16 and the town of Blanco, you will navigate a winding path along the top of a sharp ridge through the hills of one of the most scenic roads in Texas. The vistas on either side of this road are magnificent. When driving this road during the day, whitetail deer are abundant and cross whenever and wherever they desire. At night, beware of ghosts; legend has it that the highway is haunted. From Highway 16, take Farm Road 473 west past some of the many vineyards developing in the Hill Country and through the small towns of Kendalia
Luckenbach, Texas is more than just a song. and Sisterdale. Just before the town of Comfort, you come to the intersection of the Old San Antonio Road. Old San Antonio Road goes north by the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area. The old tunnel was built by the F&N railroad after they decided that it would be a lot easier for the trains to go through the hills rather than struggle over them. The F&N moved out in and took the iron rails with them. They were reused and became bullets for soldiers in WWII. When F&N railroad abandoned the tunnel, three million Mexican free-tailed bats decided to move in. It is quite a spectacle to watch these bats leave the tunnel every night and consume twelve to fifteen tons of insects every night. Settlers who became weary of traveling established the town of Comfort in 1854. They were drawn in by the pure water and picturesque site and christened it Camp Comfort.
As you leave Comfort you will enter the Hill Country via south I-10. The difference between north and south I-10 is that there are not that many towns and not as many roads. However, these are the roads that you have been searching for. It’s like trying to find the perfect wave when surfing or the perfect moguls when skiing. As a warm up, Farm Road 1341 between Comfort and Kerrville should get the adrenaline flowing. After this road, get your game on: As well marked as these roads are, there is a surprise at every turn.
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Highway 16 south gets twisty and leads you to RR337 - one of the Three Twisted Sisters of the Hill Country. First, you have to stop in the town of Medina, the “Apple Capital of Texas.” If you like apples, explore Love Creek Orchards Cider Mill & Country Store. Stop and eat something. You are going to need it. If you are still unprepared for the killer roads after eating all of that apple pie with cinnamon ice cream, but rather see real cowboys, head south on 16 to Bandera, the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” You are now in the land of dude ranches and honky-tonks. After getting your fill of riding and roping, head north up 16 and then west on RR337. Strap on your seatbelt, because the real ride has just begun. RR 337, first built in 1948, starts your adventure into the heart of the best roads in the Hill Country. RR337 takes you through Vanderpool along one of the most spectacular routes in the Hill Country. It crosses creeks, pastures, and then rises almost half a mile above sea level into steep canyons and wooded hillsides. It is mountainous and rugged; as you can imagine, a straight road will not follow this terrain. It will
Deadwood BBQ in Mason.
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eventually meet up with the other two Twisted Sisters, RR 335 and 336. Do these three roads all day and you won’t even care about the Tail of the Dragon. North of Vanderpool on RM 187 is the first museum of Texas dedicated to vintage motorcycles. The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum, owned by Allan and Debbie Johncock, houses over fifty bikes in pristine condition in a 7,300-square-foot building with a blackand-white checkered floor. One of the most stunning motorcycles ever produced, the 1954 Vincent Black Shadow, is housed here. Also, you can get genuine Aussie pies from Allan’s native Australia. For lunch, Vinny’s Italian Restaurant is world-class food found right in the heart of Texas. Vinny is a Brooklyn native who married a Texan and retired in the Hill Country. Heading north will get you to RR 336, another Twisted Sister with the curves, elevation changes, rugged mountains, steep cliffs and thirty miles of black ribbon twisties. These roads are through open range cattle country, so be cautious. Built into the road at property lines and fences are metal pipe cattle guards that have been placed there to keep cattle from wondering from one farm to the next. Amazingly, these units of pipe are quite smooth and
Texas Longhorn Cattle.
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The Texas Hill Country is a driver’s paradise.
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when driven over, will not impede your speed. Although the sound can be startling — especially the first time you roll over one. Following RR 337 west to Camp Wood, there will be more timbered hills, steep cliffs, small but deep secluded valleys, more streams, lots of winding roads and few automobiles. Camp Wood, originally a Spanish mission, was founded in 1762. This abandoned mission later became an army fort and then a Texas Ranger facility following the Civil War. Going north from Camp Wood is RR 335, the third Twisted Sister. With another thirty miles of attention getting curves, remarkable elevation changes with steep and sudden drops and spectacular scenery, it is comparable to an asphalt roller coaster carved out of hills. West of Camp Wood is the town of Bracketville. Bracketville was a supply town for Fort Clark established in 1852. One notable military officer who served there was General Patton. About seven miles north on RR 674 is the movie set built by John Wayne for his version of “The Alamo” filmed in 1959. The set and surrounding western town is still used for filmmaking today. R674 has everything you would expect in a Hill Country road, but more of it. It is twice as long as most of the other roads so you can see more of everything that is great about Hill Country. Heading back into Kerrville on FM 1340, you will see another sight that similar to one that you have seen before: Stonehenge 2. It is a half-scale replica of the original Stonehenge, envisioned by the land owner Al Sheppard and erected by Doug Hill. At Stonehenge 2, you are welcomed to walk through the grounds and experience what the Druids experienced at the original Stonehenge. In Texas Hill Country, seeing is believing. A truism about the Hill Country roads is that they are all good roads, but some are better than others.
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY 16 To Llano
965 16
Enchanted Rock 783 83
648
Crabapple
Willow City
1323
Sandy 16 Harper
83
2721
290
783
1320
1631
965 1631
Fredericksburg
1623
290
16
1376 Luckenbach 1623 10
783 16 1688 10
1623
87
Kerrville 10 1376 To Boerne
473
Online Information www.texashillcountry.com
www.texaswinetrail.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Hill_Country
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/hill_country
2015 BMW
X5 M & X6 M In-Depth Examination NEW JERSEY, October 29, 2014 /PRNewswire
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he new BMW X5 M and new BMW X6 M see BMW M GmbH setting the pace once again in the highperformance Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) and Sports Activity Coupe (SAC) segment. When the previous generation of the two vehicles arrived in 2009, it was the first time the high-performance character distilled by BMW M GmbH had been transplanted into an all-wheel-drive BMW X model. The result was class-leading dynam-
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ics. The X5 M and X6 M pull no punches in writing the next chapter in this success story with another significant step forward in dynamic excellence, distinct M design and outstanding efficiency. The 2015 BMW X5 M will be offered at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $99,650 and the 2015 BMW X6 M will start at $103,050, including $950 Destination and Handling, both models will arrive in US showrooms in the Spring of 2015. The X5 M and X6 M combine the characteristic features of the successful BMW X family – exclusivity, robustness, agility and every-
day usability – with the commitment to high performance that defines an M vehicle. The latter is resoundingly highlighted by the vehicles’ impressive performance figures. Both models complete the sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds in conjunction with the new eight-speed M Steptronic transmission. Innovative engine technology The new M TwinPower Turbo V8 for the X5 M and X6 M is the most powerful engine ever developed by BMW for an all-wheeldrive vehicle. Boasting innovative M TwinPower Turbo technology with a pair of Twin-
Scroll turbochargers, cross-bank exhaust manifolds, VALVETRONIC and High Precision Direct Injection, the 4.4-liter V8 produces maximum output of 567 hp between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm. That represents a 3 percent increase over the predecessor models. The step up is even clearer when it comes to the power development of the new engine. Peak torque has been boosted by 53 lb-ft which equates to a rise of 10 percent. Its 553 lb-ft can be enjoyed across a broad rev range between 2,200 and 5,000 rpm. At the same time, fuel consumption of
the new X5 M and X6 M in the European cycle (official EPA values will be available closer to the start of sales) has been cut by 20 percent, CO2 emissions are likewise down by more than 20 percent, to 258 g/km. The two models accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds through the standard eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Powerful looks and exclusive equipment. With their striking use of forms, the looks of the new X5 M and X6 M foretell their performance potential. With their exteriors
painted fully in body color, both models cut a low-slung figure on the road, while mixed tires showcase their sporty track width. Additional exterior design modifications, moreover, elevate the M models even further than before from the standard BMW X5 and BMW X6. Large air intakes at the front end, side gills with a model badge and Air Breathers, signature M exterior mirrors in twin-stalk style, a typically M four-tailpipe exhaust system and a rear spoiler (for the BMW X6 M) give them a
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standalone look M fans will immediately recognize. Setting the seal on this exclusive range of features are standard M-specific, forged 21inch M light-alloy wheels. The high-quality interior impresses with its well-thought-through combination of sporty features, exclusive materials and flawless workmanship. The M instrument cluster, M leather steering wheel with aluminum gearshift paddles and M gearshift lever – which works in the same way as the familiar M Double Clutch Transmission gearshift lever – are complemented by electrically operated M multi-function seats for the driver and front passenger, an M driver’s footrest and the optional Head-Up Display which, in addition to the standard information, also includes an M-specific display with gear indicator, rev band and shift lights. New X5 M and X6 M customers also have the choice between various options exclusive to the M models, such as Merino full-leather trim. And there’s also a choice of two new and exclusive M paint finishes – Long Beach Blue Metallic and Donington Grey Metallic. A finely balanced overall concept. At BMW M GmbH, high performance is about more than engine output and top speeds alone. Here, high performance means all of a vehicle’s components working in perfect harmony and the precise interplay of various details resulting in maximum performance, agility, precision, poise and assurance out on the road. This sense of balance is a defining feature of all the vehicles produced by BMW M GmbH and is, needless to say, also present in the new X5 M and X6 M. Function-led design. The function-led design of the new X5 M and X6 M is immediately clear with athletic, muscular looks betraying their high-performance credentials before they so much as turn a wheel. The four large air intakes and flaps at the front end, and the diffuser at the rear, are fully functional, they are an essential part of the engineers’ drive to optimize aerodynamics and ensure efficient cooling. Thanks to a clever aerodynamics concept, the airflow is guided so efficiently around the vehicle that drag is minimized and lift is also reduced. The engine, powertrain and brakes are all kept sufficiently cool, even when placed under extreme loads on the track. Elements which look like pure design accents when they first catch the eye, in fact, fulfill functional tasks. For example, the M-specific Air Breathers behind the front wheels reduce turbulence in the front wheel arches. Optimum temperature management. The high-performance engine under the hood of the new X5 M and X6 M requires a high-performance cooling system in order to guarantee the optimum operating temperature in all conditions – i.e. normal everyday driving, stop-start traffic and extreme action on the race track. A highly efficient, newly developed combination of lowtemperature and high-temperature radiators, which also handles the cooling of the turbochargers, charge air and transmission oil, maintains an optimum temperature, even with all components working flat out. New Eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic. The new X5 M and X6 M send their engine power to the wheels via the newly developed eight-speed M Steptronic transmission
with Drivelogic, which closely follows the operating philosophy of the M Double Clutch Transmission used by other M models. With its instantaneous responses, rapid gear changes and direct reaction to load changes, the torque converter automatic transmission links up seamlessly with the new higher-torque turbocharged engine and showcases its talents. At the same time, its wider ratio spread allows it to offer a clear drop in fuel consumption over the six-speed transmission offered in the previous generation, as well as an increase in driving comfort and improved performance. The new eight-speed M Steptronic transmission allows drivers to sit back and enjoy automatic shifts or change gear manually using the gearshift paddles on the M leather steering wheel. And for the perfect getaway, the driver can activate the Launch Control system adapted from use in racing vehicles. Here, the driver keeps their foot on the brakes and pushes the accelerator down almost to the floor, which prompts the system to dial in the ideal getaway rpm. Releasing the brakes prompts Launch Control to let the vehicle off the leash, and it accelerates off the line with maximum propulsion. The driver can also use the three-stage Drivelogic function to choose whether to prioritize fuel economy, comfort or Sport performance. This functionality is available both in automatic and manual shifting modes. Intelligent all-wheel drive. BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive and Dynamic Performance Control play a key role in the outstanding dynamics of the X5 M and X6 M. The xDrive system employs an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch to allow fully variable distribution of drive between the front and rear axles – from 100 percent at the rear to up to 100 percent at the front. This ensures the best possible traction in all road conditions. In the interests of greater agility, xDrive normally operates with a rear-biased torque split-in the BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M. Dynamic Performance Control oversees the continuous distribution of torque between the rear wheels – both under load and on the overrun – regardless of engine output. Working in combination with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, the result is a whole new bracket of dynamic flair, agility and traction. The vehicle follows the course set by the driver far more accurately, whatever the road surface, and the system also reduces the amount of wheel work required of the driver: the steering responds more directly and far fewer corrections are necessary. Moreover, the inherent propensity of conventional all-wheel-drive vehicles to understeer is eliminated. An improvement in traction is also impressively noticeable (on road surfaces with differing friction levels, in particular), and active safety is markedly enhanced as a result. The driver can see how Dynamic Performance Control is operating on the display, with arrows at all four wheels visualizing where the engine power is currently being sent. An open door to controlled drifts. Among the other highlights of the overall concept behind the new X5 M and X6 M is Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). The control functions of DSC have been Optimized over previous versions of the system to improve driving dynamics further still. The extra functions which have become part of DSC enhance active safety (Brake
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Standby, Brake Drying, Fading Compensation) and comfort (Start-Off Assistant, parking brake with automatic hold function). Dynamic Stability Control allows the driver to choose from three modes: DSC on, MDM (M Dynamic Mode), DSC off. While DSC on counteracts understeer and oversteer to great effect with selective brake activation and torque reductions, MDM allows greater wheel slip – to give keen drivers the chance to execute some mild drifts. However, the driver aids will also intervene to assist the driver in this mode if a predefined limit is exceeded. Deactivating DSC (through DSC off) gives the driver the chance to fully explore the vehicle’s limits on the track and nudge the vehicle into power oversteer (i.e. a drift) using the accelerator. In this mode, the system will only intervene in extreme situations involving significant shifts in lateral acceleration. The new M TwinPower Turbo engine. A V8 with even more torque, backed by an emotionally rich soundtrack. To say the newly developed engine of the new X5 M and new X6 M has a pounding heartbeat would be something of an understatement. After all, the 4.4-liter V8 uses innovative M TwinPower Turbo technology – consisting of cross-bank exhaust manifolds, a pair of TwinScroll turbochargers, High Precision Direct Injection and VALVETRONIC – to push torque and output to higher levels still. This unrivalled combination ensures that a strong wave of torque is maintained from low revs and allows direct and rapid responses, linear power delivery and customary M soundtrack. Maximum performance meets outstanding efficiency. The peak output of the new M turbocharged engine powering the X5 M and X6 M is, at 567 hp, three percent higher than that of its predecessor and is available between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm. At the same time, the engine’s peak torque has been boosted by around 10 percent to 553 lb-ft, which can be enjoyed across an extremely broad rev band – from 2,200 to 5,000 rpm. The extraordinary power development of this M turbocharged engine allows the new M versions of the BMW X5 and BMW X6 to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 4.0 seconds. The top speed of both is electronically limited to 155 mph. The outstanding efficiency of the new M TwinPower Turbo engine is illustrated by its 20 percent lower fuel consumption and emissions in the in the European cycle (official EPA values will be available closer to the start of sales) compared to its predecessor. All of which means that the range of the two vehicles on a single, identically sized tank of fuel has increased by 26 percent to 475 miles) in each case (European cycle). Optimized responses. The turbocharged V8 engine fitted in the X5 M and X6 M delivers impressive performance with lightning-fast responsiveness. The key factors here are the engine’s High Precision Direct Injection (2900 psi injection pressure), state-of-the-art VALVETRONIC system and cross-bank exhaust manifolds, which send two converged exhaust gas streams to drive the two TwinScroll turbochargers through four separate exhaust ducts. The new engine features a closed-deck crankcase with an extremely rigid construction. This enables higher cylinder pressures to
be achieved, paving the way for improved power output. A forged, torsionally stiff crankshaft is used to transfer the impressive torque, its low weight contributing to a significant reduction in rotating masses and thus a further sharpening of the engine’s responses. From race track to road. In the development of every model at BMW M GmbH, a familiar maxim applies: it must be “fit for the Nordschleife”. The aim in the development of BMW M cars is to master the world’s most challenging race track at race speed without a hitch. The extreme lateral and longitudinal acceleration generated when lapping the Ring places huge demands on the engine’s oil supply. But sophisticated oil sump and suction snorkel geometry allows the new BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M to safely operate up to 1.2 g lateral acceleration. The cooling systems for the new X5 M and X6 M are similarly track-ready, as highlighted the first time you set eyes on the vehicles by the large air intakes in the front end. A combination of low-temperature and high-temperature radiators ensures that the optimum temperature is maintained for engine cooling fluid, charge air, engine oil and transmission oil – even when venturing into high-performance territory. The exhaust system has been modified to satisfy the sporting ambitions of the new M models. A distinctively familiar BMW M engine note resonates out across the whole rev range via electrically controlled flaps, which open or close according to demand, and sounds even sportier and richer than that of its predecessor. Selecting one of the preconfigured driving modes, moreover, engages a finely balanced set-up that also provides acoustic feedback on the engine load at any one time. The chassis. Heights of agility, precision, poise and assurance. The new X5 M and X6 M once again set the pace in the highperformance Sports Activity Vehicle and Sports Activity Coupe segments thanks to extensive chassis upgrades. These combine to provide outstanding performance together with unbeatable directional stability and excellent traction, along with the type of neutral selfsteering typical of M vehicles, in particular when accelerating out of corners and approaching with the dynamic limits. To this end, the double-wishbone front suspension features revised kinematics. A modified upper wishbone (increase in camber, optimized camber progression and steering pivot axis) allows a further increase in cornering force potential and agility. At the same time, M-specific elastokinematics with more rigid bearings improve wheel guidance and therefore directional stability – both at the front suspension as well as the Integral-IV rear suspension (an independent suspension system with anti-squat and anti-dive geometry). Firmer suspension spring tuning and a 10-milimeter drop in ride height team up with the Active Roll Stabilization to bring about an effective reduction in body roll, pitch and yaw. In addition, the X5 M and X6 M come standard with self levelling rear air suspension. Dynamic Damper Control with electronically adjustable dampers – the driver can select from three modes (COMFORT, SPORT and SPORT+) at the touch of a button – ensures the perfect balance between dynamic flair and ride comfort.
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Mixed tires for optimized handling. Another central element in the driving characteristics of the new X5 M and X6 M are the special tires, whose development closely followed that of the front and rear axle design. In the high-performance segment, tire choice for the front axle focuses – alongside lateral stability and brake forces – primarily on steering precision and feel. By contrast, the engineers’ attention in the development of the rear tires centerd on traction, lateral stability and directional stability. In order to meet these part-contradictory, part- complementary demands, the BMW M GmbH engineers have developed two sets of mixed tires for the new X5 M and new X6 M. The interconnected development of tires, steering and axles endows the new vehicles with assured handling properties and good rolling comfort. Both models are fitted standard with low-weight non-runflat 21-inch forged wheels (front: 10 J x 21, rear: 11.5 J x 21) shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport UHP tires (front: 285/35 R21 Y, rear: 325/30 R21 Y). M Servotronic steering with individual adjustment. One of the most important interfaces between driver and vehicle is the steering. Here, BMW M GmbH’s high-performance models have set the benchmark from day one when it comes to providing a direct steering feel, precise feedback on the driving conditions and a finely-tuned balance when exploring the dynamic limits. Continuing this tradition, the M Servotronic steering in the new X5 M and X6 M comprises M-specific gear ratios and an intelligently composed overall set-up. This rack-and-pinion system with electric power assistance uses no energy when the vehicle is travelling straight ahead. The Servotronic function familiar from hydraulic systems, which controls the degree of steering assistance according to the vehicle’s speed, is another integral element. Furthermore, drivers can choose from three steering settings (COMFORT, SPORT, SPORT+) – at the touch of a button in the center console or by storing their preferred settings in the M Drive buttons – to adjust the steering characteristics to personal tastes or the situation at hand. High-performance brakes borrowed from motor sport. The remarkable high performance potential of the X5 M and X6 M is backed up by the M compound brakes with large six-piston fixed calipers at the front and single-piston floating callipers at the rear. Excellent stopping power, precise feel, low weight and increased resistance to heat are their headline features. The brake discs in compound systems – which were originally developed for racing – use a cast iron, ventilated and cross-drilled rotor mounted to an aluminum hat. The surface of the brake pads is 50 percent larger compared with those on the predecessor models. At the same time weight is down by 1.6 kilograms, helping to reduce unsprung and rotating masses. This also contributes to the improved acceleration, responsiveness and handling of the X5 M and X6 M. The compound brakes signal their performance capability visually as well. All the brake discs are perforated and inner-vented, and the brake callipers are painted in Dark Blue metallic, in typical M fashion, and marked at the front wheels with the M logo. The design. High performance, even when standing still. The outstanding performance of the new X5 M and X6 M are
also showcased through their M design signatures. The close ties between the two models – they have identical performance and equally strong dynamic potential – are reflected particularly clearly in the shared design of the front end with its large air intakes. However, the individual characters of the two high-performance Sport models are still very distinct, as is clear the first time they come into view. The proportions of the BMW X5 M provide an instant showcase of its muscular power and elegance, not to mention its impressive versatility. The flowing lines of the BMW X6 M, meanwhile, accentuate the prominent coupe lines and sporting athleticism of the BMW Sports Activity Coupe. The new X5 M and X6 M have been designed for use on the road. Both of these elite Sport machines combine the raised seating position of an all-wheel-drive BMW X model with the outstanding overall concept balance of a BMW M vehicle. In order to visually reinforce the further improved on-road attributes of the new M models, the whole body is painted the same color. In combination with a 10-millimeter reduction in ride height and the wider track created by the use of mixed-size tires, the vehicles have a lower, more powerful stance, cut an even sportier figure even when stationary, and as a result enjoy a very distinct personality when compared with their BMW X5/BMW X6 siblings. Visually striking yet fully functional front end. The shared front-end design of the BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M is likewise a clear departure from that of the respective standard models and follows the classic “form follows function” maxim. The large air intakes and voluminous “kidneys” of the radiator grille, with the now customary M double-bar look, are mandated by the high cooling air requirements of the powerful engine, transmission and high-performance front brakes. Despite the large amount of cooling and more stringent pedestrian protection requirements, the designers have managed to integrate foglamps into the front end of the vehicles. Both new M models borrow their headlights from the BMW X6, complete with headlight washer system. Elsewhere, the special flaps low down in the outer air intakes –adapted from those on racing vehicles – reduce lift and emphasise the optimized aerodynamics of the two new models. Same genes, distinctive looks. The differences in the character of the X5 M and X6 M are particularly evident when the two models are viewed from the side. The BMW X5 M reinforces its presence and functionality with its upright stature, long roofline and large window surfaces. By contrast, the X6 M displays the unmistakable, flowing lines of a BMW Sports Activity Coupe through its gently curved glasshouse, sloping roofline and pronounced wedge shape. M‑specific features of both models include the familiar twin-stalk exterior mirrors with integral side indicators and optional display for the Active Blind Spot Detection. Another signature element of models from BMW M GmbH are the gills in the front side panels featuring chrome trim that includes a model badge and Air Breather. Powerful rear end with racing accents. The rear ends of the X5 M and X6 M also differ significantly from
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their standard siblings, exuding a stronger aura and majoring on bold, sporty accents. This approach is underlined in particular by the wide rear tires (which are a different size from the fronts), the distinctive M rear aprons painted in body color and the hallmark M four-tailpipe exhaust. The diffuser element (likewise in body color) adapted from racing vehicles helps to ensure aerodynamically optimized airflow at the lower edge of the rear bumper moulding, allowing the new M models to highlight once again the impressive functionality of their design features. A rear spoiler painted in body color on the BMW X6 M reduces rear-axle lift. Sporting ambience and flawless ergonomics. As with all vehicles from the BMW brand, the design of the interior prioritizes intuitive, quick and error-free usability. And M GmbH also makes its own distinctive mark here. For example, the X5 M and X6 M come with a newly developed, ergonomically optimized M leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles, while the M gearshift lever has an equally distinctive design. The instrument cluster, M Drive menu in the information display, displays in the optional HeadUp Display and special multifunction switch with M Drive buttons on the steering wheel also fit the M template. The sporting ambience on board the new BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M is accentuated by the exclusive, electrically operated M Multifunction seats for the driver and front passenger – in fine-grain Merino leather with contrast stitching and embossed M logo in the backrests – and by the leather-covered BMW Individual instrument panel. Door sill strips with model lettering, aluminum interior trim strips and the standard Alcantara anthracite roof liner lend the interior an additional touch of exclusivity. High-quality standard equipment and options. The new BMW X5 M and new BMW X6 M come with an extensive range of exclusive equipment from the factory which illustrates their character as high-performance Sport machines that can be used every day. Customers can also dip into a large selection of optional equipment with which to make their vehicle even sportier, for example, or to satisfy the most exacting requirements in terms of comfort. Standard-fitted exterior features painted in body color and fitting the classic M profile are a key factor in the striking appearance of the new BMW X5 M and new BMW X6 M. These include a front apron with large air intakes, a double-bar kidney grille, familiar M twin-stalk exterior mirrors, side gills with the M logo and Air Breathers, a rear apron with integrated diffuser and a four-tailpipe exhaust system in chrome. Both models are fitted with standard forged 21-inch BMW M light-alloy wheels in Orbit Grey and with mixed non-runflat Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. High-quality interior with an exclusive allure. Elegance and impressive functionality are also defining features of the interior of the new X5 M and X6 M. As well as the new M leather steering wheel with integrated aluminum gearshift paddles and M multi-function seats in Merino leather for the driver and front passenger (with electric adjustment and memory function), the M-
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specific standard equipment of both models also includes a Nappa leather dashboard, an Alcantara anthracite roof liner, aluminum interior trim strips, door sill finishers with model lettering, knee pads on the center console and an M footrest for the driver. Likewise included as standard equipment for the new X5 M and X6 M are an alarm system, power tailgate, automatically dimming rear-view and exterior mirrors, a headlight washer system, 4-zone automatic climate control, a Harman Kardon surround sound system, Park Distance Control rear-view camera. Xenon and adaptive headlights are also part of the standard equipment for the X5 M and X6 M. These items are in addition to the driver assistance systems familiar from the regular X5 and X6 and the mobility services from BMW ConnectedDrive. Among the highlights here is the new-generation Navigation system Professional, which boasts even greater capability and sharper graphics and incorporates 3D elements into its map display. In keeping with their high-performance pretensions, the two new M models also come as standard with an M-specific instrument cluster – complete with displays showing the gear selected, system status (engine dynamics, Dynamic Damper Control, M Servotronic), M Drive mode and a compass, the M Drive menu in the information display and M-specific buttons on the M leather steering wheel. Over and above the information projected by the standard system, the optional Head-Up Display for the new X5 M and X6 M also features a special M display including a digital speed display, gear display, rev band and Shift Lights. Accurate analysis of driving style with the M Laptimer app. BMW M GmbH has developed the BMW M Laptimer app for smartphones so customers can access extensive analysis of their personal driving style on the track. With the smartphone linked up to the vehicle, the BMW M Laptimer app can be operated using the iDrive Controller. The app records the vehicle’s speed, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, the gear currently engaged, steering angle and accelerator position. This data can subsequently be used to precisely analyze the driver’s actions and reactions at the various points around the track via graphic displays on the customer’s smartphone. Another feature allows two recordings on the same track to be compared corner-by-corner. The readings used here can be either the driver’s own or data shared by other drivers via email or social networks.
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We Visit Bowling Green, Kentucky PHOTO GALLERY National Corvette Museum NCM Motorsports Park Corvette Assembly Plant By Tim Miller
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e were excited to be invited by Mobil 1 to visit beautiful Bowling Green Kentucky and tour the GM Corvette Assembly Plant, National Corvette Museum and drive “hot laps” on the new NCM Motorsports Park in the 2014 Corvette Stingray Z51. All we had to do was sit through a 90 minute timeshare presentation, no not really. They enticed the media with the “hot laps” in order to announce their new sponsorship of the NCM Motorsports Park. I’ve included a small gallery of photos outlining the activities of my visit here for your review.
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National Corvette Museum
We learned that the infamous sinkhole would be filled in.
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NCM Motorsports Park
Media from print to online enjoyed the track
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Corvette Assembly Plant
I installed a supercharger on a new Corvette motor - watch for the video on The Car Guy Show!
A genuine Car Guy thanks to our host Mobil 1 and Dave Tsurusaki for an informative and enjoyable media visit, your team is top notch! CarGuyMagazine.com
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Streetside Classic’s HOT PICK of the Month!
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1973 K5 Chevy Blazer
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t’s not too easy to find any early Chevy Blazer, but to find one restored to the level of this 1973 K5 Blazer is quite extraordinary. Wearing a cool period-correct color scheme and upgraded rolling stock, it has a fantastic look and with a robust small block and a long list of options, this is the one to own if you’re looking for an early Chevy SUV. If someone described this truck to you, you’d probably not picture this gorgeous orange and white combination with a black hardtop, you have to admit that it’s downright spectacular. Thanks to a full rotisserie restoration, the truck is probably better than new in most of the ways that matter, with a high-quality paint job that simply glows. Factory paint CarGuyMagazine.com
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never looked like this and with crisp masking lines, excellent gaps, and a ton of block sanding under the paint, this might just be the nicest Blazer we’ve ever featured. The removable top still proposes having fun in the sun and with a roof rack, this is a truck that’ll go anywhere and do anything you’re interested in doing. Great chrome, nice badges, and oversized side mirrors that have been painted black to match the top all help give this truck a fantastic look.
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The black interior has also been treated to a no-holds-barred restoration, including fresh leather seat covers on the front buckets and rear bench, new black carpets, and door panels that are so crisply rendered that they have to be new, too. There’s a surprising amount of woodgraining inside, all of which still shows remarkably well, giving the big SUV a rather upscale feel. Options include factory A/C and the original AM radio, which seems to be the only thing on the truck that wasn’t fully restored. There’s
a broad center console for convenience and while the shift lever for the TH350 3-speed automatic transmission is on the steering column, the 4-wheel-drive system is managed by a floor-mounted lever. The cargo bay is dominated by a full-sized spare with its own cover, but there’s still lots of room for your gear and it’s all covered in more black carpet to give it a very finished look. This is the original, numbersmatching 350 cubic inch V8 under the hood and it will prove to be more
1973 K5 Chevy Blazer
than adequate for getting this Blazer anywhere you need to go. Rebuilt to stock specs, it’s all about the torque and still uses a factory air cleaner, 4-barrel carburetor, and cast iron exhaust manifolds to do it. The A/C system was upgraded to R134a refrigerant and all the ancillary parts are new, including belts, hoses, fasteners, and even the power brake booster and master cylinder. The TH350 3-speed
automatic transmission shifts easily and feeds a 2-speed transfer case and a pair of beefy axles: a Dana 44 up front and a GM 12-bolt out back. The chassis is fully detailed with bodycolored floors framing a semi-gloss chassis with red oxide primer on the mechanicals and a new dual exhaust system. New lines, hoses, and a fresh gas tank out back ensure reliability in the brush and big 265/75/16 Cooper
off-road radials and 16-inch MB alloys give it a great 4x4 stance. Documented with restoration receipts and photos, this awesome Blazer is a no-disappointments ride that’s both unusual and unusually beautiful. Call Streetside Classics today!
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Tanner Foust and Scott Speed
2014 Red Bull Global
Rallycross Championship
WATCH THE VIDEO! Tanner Foust and Scott Speed race Rockstar Energy Drink Beetle and 7UP Polo in final round of the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship http://youtu.be/gb6Ke9Pup0A
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ith nine races completed in this year’s series, the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team heads to Las Vegas for the tenth and final round of the season. The race, which will decide the driver’s championship winner, will take place Wednesday, Nov. 5, at approximately 10:30 p.m.
“I’m excited to head to Las Vegas and feel we have a great chance to win our fourth race this season,” said Speed. “We’re going to push ourselves to the limit...”
Scott Speed, driver of the No. 77 7UP Volkswagen Polo, is one of four competing for the driver’s championship. Speed is currently in fourth position, but with more series wins this season than any other driver, he is confident the team will have a strong performance. “I’m excited to head to Las Vegas and feel we have a great chance to win our fourth race this season,” said Speed. “We’re going to push ourselves to the limit, hoping to come out on top of the championship. Regardless of the outcome, it has been a great first year for the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team.” Tanner Foust will again be racing the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle. While he is
currently outside of championship contention, the team is taking the opportunity to further test the new GRC Beetle before its first full season of racing in 2015. “Having won two out of the last three races in Las Vegas, I enjoy running there,” said Foust. “Historically, the tracks have been good and the backdrop is a perfect place to wrap up the season!” Red Bull Global Rallycross Las Vegas will take place at The LINQ Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, from Nov. 4-5. NBC will air the race on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Follow @VW and @FollowAndretti on Twitter for live updates throughout the event. For tickets and further event information, visit: http:// rbgrclv.com/
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GUY FIERI AND HIS TRIPLE D CO-STAR THE RED CAMARO
CAR GUY FIERI BY RICHARD S POLLAK, THE TRAVELING GOURMET
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uy Fieri is my inspiration when it comes to cars, food and traveling the United States. My favorite Food Channel Star has turned his signature wheels, a 1967 Red Chevy Camaro into the co-star of the most successful reality food show on television, DINERS,DRIVE-INS AND DIVES. Because of his food stitch, he has raced to the top of reality food world driving his Red Camaro all the way to the checkered flag of great food fame! As I travel around Dallas writing locally about eating and cars, I imagine expanding my galloping gourmet adventures like Fieri around the entire United States. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Camaro to tool around DFW’s traffic on my way to my next restaurant review! My childhood dream was always a Red Chevy Camaro, although sometimes it did waver now and then
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to that slick Pontiac Firebird with the giant chicken logo on the hood. But I would soon come back to the Camaro of my dreams. I can picture the memories returning to my mind, as I watched the TRIPLE D threat eating King Ranch Casserole in Austin with movie star, Matthew Mcconaughey. The Texas movie hero drove onto the scene of TRIPLE D in his own Black Firebird to share a taste of he Monument Cafe’s signature dish. It was Truly, the best of both worlds to watch on TV; GREAT FOOD AND GREAT CARS!
The Red Camaro was so treasured by the Fieri family that Guy and his son, Hunter even stopped eating the best Pastrami sandwich in Santa Barbara because of Dennis Miller. The Camaro was stolen on camera by Miller as he co-hosted the show. Then Guy’s car was hijacked in New York City by fellow Food Network Star, Iron Chef Mario Batali. The Red haired, Batali was mad that Fieri was sampling the famous Veal meatballs at John’s in NYC before dining at one of Batali’s own 14 restaurants. It has become a subplot theme to the show with celebrities from all aspects of the entertainment industry stealing Guy’s Red Camera!
Rock Star Kid Rock drove Fieri all around his Michigan hometown on one episode in his own favorite wheels, a classic Black Lincoln Continental convertible before they ate a dainty Chicken Pot Pie and sipped on Kid Rock’s own Labeled Brewed Beer: AMERICAN BADASS BEER! Kid Rock is to be congratulated for pumping up his hometown economy with FOOD, CARS and BADASS BREWED BEER. The only time that Fieri hasn’t driven the Camaro on his show was when he was filming in Hawaii. There, he had to leave his favorite car at home for a black Jeep Wrangler in order to “four wheel” around the Island and eat Spam! In Dallas, the first food establishment to make the TRIPLE D show roster was Jason’s Boso’s Twisted Root Burger. A cult Burger joint in Deep Ellum that played hamburger host to the SMU FRAT CROWD coming in their new BMW convertibles most likely purchased by mom and dad! Today, the Twisted Root Burger empire covers the
entire metroplex with 12 pit stops and 3 more on their way plus franchising. The success is greatly because of Guy Fieri and a great burger! Fieri has pounced on the best dives in Dallas including Avila’s where the Highland Park Mercedes, Lexus and Porsches’ crowd park their luxury automobiles for the Marinated Pork on a Corn tortilla. In another episode, for next season, Fieri crossed Commerce Street in his Camaro to sample the wet pizza from IL Cane Rosso. It was exclusively Fieri’s following that totally created the stir for the sleepy pizza joint to now expand. It certainly was not the food in my estimation. At Louie’s on Henderson, the parking lot is packed with the classic car crowd that favored a much better pizza at this TRIPLE D waterhole. Truthfully I totally credit Fieri and the 67 Camaro’s notoriety for the impact on catapulting restaurants like Maple & Motor and IL Cane Rosso to national awareness. Famous television shows with automobile costars over time have showed the staying power on television. “ There are always going to be more Diners, Drive-ins and Dives for us to visit and we will find them so watch for the next time” shouts Fieri as he drives off into the sunset with his costar 1967 Red Chevy Camera! CarGuyMagazine.com
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CONSIGN YOUR CAR WITH US TODAY!
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Catch Some Fresh Air
On TV and YouTube!
THE CAR GUY SHOW’S “Car Life & Car Culture” explores the country in search of “Car Guys.” Join show hosts Tim Miller, Kristin Treager and Luke Betchner as they meet car guys and their interesting cars, walk through their incredible garages, attend their exciting car shows, car club events and much more!
WEEKLY TV SHOW and on YouTube Dallas Cable Channel KTXD 47 Saturdays 12:30pm, Sundays 6pm and Fridays 1:30am