1969 Chevrolet Camaro Ss, 396ci 375hp, 4 Speed Muncie on 2040-cars

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Sabine Schmitz to compete in WTCC race at Nurburgring, hopes for rain

The World Touring Car Championship is set to return to the Nurburgring this year after a 30-year absence. Who better, then, to lead the pack than Sabine Schmitz? One of the most skilled drivers around the Norschleife, 45-year-old Schmitz has been known to compete in the VLN series and in the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring (which she's won twice), and regularly drives tourists on hot laps around the Green Hell. Nobody can drive the circuit better than Schmitz when the rain starts to fall, and fall it often does in the German spring, but she'll have a new challenge on her hands when she makes her WTCC debut in a Chevy Cruze for the Munnich Motorsport team for the German round next month. It'll be interesting to see how Sabine does in the race, given that she has no experience with the vehicle she'll be driving, but has immense knowledge of the notoriously difficult track. She'll have the chance to acclimate a little during the WTCC test session at the 'Ring later this month, and hopes to compete in one of the two races – in Morocco or Hungary – before tackling her home track in unfamiliar machinery. News Source: WTCC via YouTube, BridgeToGantry.comImage Credit: Newspress Celebrities Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Motorsports Chevrolet wtcc

Cruze Diesel Road Trip reveals the good and bad, but no ugly

Most of us have strong opinions on diesel-powered cars based on our perceptions of and experience with them. I used to thoroughly dislike oil burners for their noise, smoke and lackluster performance, and the fact that they ran on greasy, smelly stuff that was more expensive than gasoline, could be hard to find and was nasty to get on your hands when refueling. Those negatives, for me, trumped diesel's major positives of big torque for strong acceleration and better fuel economy. Are any of those knocks on diesel still valid today? I'm not talking semis, which continue to annoy me when their operators for some reason almost never shut them down. At any busy truck stop, the air seems always filled with the sound – and sometimes smell – of dozens of big-rig diesels idling endlessly and mindlessly. Or diesel heavy-duty pickups. Those muscular workhorses are far more refined than they once were and burn much less fuel than their gasoline counterparts. But good luck arriving home late at night, or departing early morning, without waking your housemates and neighbors with their clattery racket. No, I'm talking diesel-powered passenger cars, which account for more than half the market in Europe (diesel fuel is cheaper there) yet still barely bump the sales charts in North America. Diesel fuel remains more expensive here, too few stations carry it, and too many Americans remember when diesel cars were noisy, smelly slugs. Also, US emissions requirements make them substantially more expensive to certify, and therefore to buy. But put aside (if you can) higher vehicle purchase and fuel prices, and today's diesel cars can be delightful to drive while delivering much better fuel efficiency than gas-powered versions. So far in the US, all except Chevrolet's compact Cruze Diesel come from German brands, and all are amazingly quiet, visually clean (no smoke) and can be torquey-fun to drive. When a GM Powertrain engineering team set out to modify a tried-and-true GM of Europe turbodiesel four for North American Chevy Cruze compacts, says assistant chief engineer Mike Siegrist, it had a clear target in mind: the Volkswagen Jetta TDI 2.0-liter diesel. And they'll tell you that they beat it in nearly every way. "I believe we have a superior product," he says. "It's powerful, efficient and clean, and it will change perceptions of what a diesel car can be." The 2.0L Cruze turbodiesel pumps out 151 SAE certified horses and 264 pound-feet of torque (at just 2,000 rpm) vs.

Millionth Corvette now being restored after sinkhole damage

Among the original American sports cars that were damaged by the sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum over a year ago was a 1992 convertible that was the millionth Vette made. And now that milestone vehicle is starting its restoration process. The landmark Corvette's rehabilitation is being carried out by the GM Design Center in Warren, MI, by a team of skilled craftsmen and technicians. The crew is more accustomed to building prototypes and concepts, but will face a new challenge in bringing this millionth Corvette back to its original condition. The white-over-red convertible was one of eight Corvettes that were swallowed up by the sinkhole at the museum in Bowling Green early in the morning on February 12, 2014. Five will be preserved in their compromised condition as part of a display demonstrating the effects of the sinkhole, while the remaining three were earmarked for restoration. The Design Center team has already completely the restoration of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 "Blue Devil" prototype, while the remaining 1962 Corvette will be restored by the museum. Related Video: Sinkhole-Swallowed 1 Millionth Corvette Restoration Underway Milestone damaged when earth opened beneath National Corvette Museum 2015-06-10 WARREN, Mich. – Craftspeople and technicians at the General Motors Design Center are painstakingly restoring the historic 1 millionth Chevrolet Corvette damaged nearly 16 months ago when a sinkhole opened beneath the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky. The restoration crew is part of GM's Mechanical Assembly group at the Design Center, which typically spends its time building prototype and concept vehicles. The white 1992 Corvette is a challenge because rather than build an all-new vehicle from the ground up, the workers are trying to preserve the original appearance of a production vehicle. It is the second of three sinkhole-damaged Corvettes that Chevrolet has pledged to restore. The first, a 2009 Corvette ZR1 prototype known as the Blue Devil, was only lightly damaged and was returned to its original condition last fall. The National Corvette Museum will oversee the restoration of the third car, a 1962 Corvette. Five other Corvettes swallowed by the sinkhole will remain in their as-recovered state to preserve the historical significance of the cars. They will become part of a future sinkhole-themed display at the museum. Sinkhole summary On Wednesday, Feb.