Car FYI

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company If there is one thing to know about the Ford Motor Company, the automaker certainly does not tolerate a competitor’s attempt to best their F-Series pickup truck (and for good reason). Ford’s light duty F-150 as well as the tougher F-Series Super Duty products combine to become the best-selling vehicles in North America. Along with 42 consecutive years leading the American truck sales charts, the Ford F-Series brand in Canada is actively working on extending its moniker of being the country’s top-selling pickup truck to 54 years in 2019. To keep their position as a leader in the market, Ford is dedicated to providing a configuration to please almost any potential customer. In recent years, Ford’s truck line has showcased engineering and innovation meant to outshine the competition from General Motors and Ram as well as to a lesser degree Nissan and Toyota. With the anticipation that Tesla Motors is planning to enter the pickup truck market with an...

Photo Credit: Chris Owens Enduring several hours of severe rain, the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series would finally run 300 laps the short oval of Iowa Speedway. Taking the checkered flag at 2:14 am Eastern time on Sunday morning, Josef Newgarden the Iowa 300 in fantastic style. Crossing the line 2.8527 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Newgarden and his #2 Hitachi sponsored car actually For 2019, Iowa Speedway and fans successfully lobbied IndyCar to move the race back to Saturday night after three years being held on a Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to a nighttime short track ambiance as well as colder, more comfortable temperatures, weather didn't cooperate with the event as the 300-lap race was originally set for a 7:10 pm Eastern start time. Due to persistent rain and thunder in the Newton, Iowa area, the race was considerably delayed with the green flag being thrown on the 23-car field just 15 minutes before midnight in the Eastern Time Zone. While weather conditions would a...

Photo Credit: Chevrolet Though the commitment to a Chevrolet Corvette with an engine positioned ahead of the passenger compartment remained the production standard for another generation, a host of concept cars would continue to sell notion of a different powerplant layout. Intended as a research vehicle, the Astro I featured a fiberglass body that did not use conventional doors. An electric-powered roof would open in concert with elevating seats provided a unique entry and exit experience for passengers for a vehicle measuring only 35.5 inches in height. Finished in Crimson-Flame Acrylic Pearl paint, the Astro I design study also consisted of an air-cooled engine, fully automatic air conditioning, twin grip steering wheel and active aerodynamics to facilitate emergency stops. Another concept vehicle displayed a more reality-focused proposal. The XP-880 concept car came to fruition in 1968 under the engineering expertise of Frank Winchell and Larry Nies. Using existing productio...

Photo Credit: Chevrolet On April 11th of 2019, the sports car world was mesmerized by a sight roaming the roads of New York City. A camouflaged version of the upcoming 2020 Corvette teased what would be one of the boldest iterations of the sports car seen the vehicle’s nearly 67-year history. For 2020, the Chevrolet Corvette will operate with an engine mounted behind the driver and passenger for the first time. The Corvette’s retention of a front engine had been viewed as a personality trait for the American performance machine Opening new possibilities in aerodynamics and handling, the notion of a Corvette using this powertrain layout has actually been debated for decades. As the new car debuts on July 18th of 2019, the moment marks the conclusion of a historic battle within General Motors and Chevrolet dating back to the early days of the Corvette taking place with many forms. The first seeds of a mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette were planted in 1960 through the creation of ...

Photo Credit: Shawn Gritzmacher The Honda Indy Toronto is the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series' only stop outside of the United States. With 22 well-tuned open wheel race cars and drivers arriving to do battle on temporary street circuit surrounding the grounds of Exhibition Place, a 85-lap main event awaits on Sunday. Prior to the head-to-head action that serves as the centerpiece for a weekend's worth of motoring festivities, Saturday qualifying would settle the running order for the 2019 Honda Indy. Competing on a tight, challenging track, preferential starting spot is coveted to ensure the best chance of Sunday success. Recording the fastest lap time during Friday practice sessions, this year's Indianapolis 500 champion Simon Pagenaud parlayed this pace in Saturday's qualifying for the Honda Indy Toronto. The #22 DXC Technology-sponsored race car from the Team Penske stable demonstrated superiority on the 11-turn, 2874-kilometer (1.786-mile) Canadian street course b...