1962 Corvette C1-RS is a worthy Goodguys Street Machine of the Year

1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1-RS - Click above for a high-res image gallery

It takes a lot to win the the Goodguys Street Machine of the Year award, but this custom 1962 Corvette convertible you see here easily deserves the honor. The car not only looks incredible, but it posted the fastest time at the Goodguys autocross track as well! Every single one of the body panels on the car has been modified, and the majority of the components are constructed either of aluminum or carbon fiber.

Powering the C1-RS is an LS7 V8 putting out more than 600 horsepower, but we were most impressed with the eight carbon fiber intake trumpets on either side of the engine that bring air into the intake manifold. The interior was beautifully crafted as well, with a custom fabricated aluminum dash and console and Alcantara and leather seats. Check out the high-res gallery below to see all the details yourself, or follow the jump to read more about the car.

1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1-RS

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Toyota execs deny cover-up after feds rebuke automaker over runaway car investigation

Remember Toyota's massive 3.8 million unit unintended acceleration recall that was attributed to pesky floor mats? It appears defective floor mats doesn't tell the whole story, as the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared in a statement that "this (unintended acceleration) matter is not closed," adding "removal of the floor mats is simply an interim measure, not a remedy of the underlying defect in the vehicles."

Up to 2,000 Toyota customers claim to have experienced a sudden surge of acceleration, and some reportedly told ABC News that they didn't even have the recalled floor mats in their vehicles. Even more disturbing are the results of an ABC News investigation that reportedly found "hundreds" of accidents and up to 16 deaths as a result of unintended acceleration.

Four of those deaths occurred in August when an off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer, traveling with his wife, daughter and brother in-law, were killed after their Lexus accelerated uncontrollably. The driver's brother in-law called 911 and said that the brakes didn't work before the vehicle reached an intersection, struck another car, went into a ditch and caught fire. Some Toyota owners feel there is an electronic glitch in the system that controls the throttle and the ABC report shows that there is some anecdotal evidence which illustrates that incidents rose after the system was put into place in 2002, but so far, NHTSA has found no evidence to support those claims after six investigations.

ABC News caught up with Toyota Vice President Yukitoshi Funo (pictured second from left) and asked him if Toyota was covering anything up. Funo replied "It is not part of the Toyota culture and Toyota way to cover up anything," adding that the Japanese automaker is working with NHTSA to come up with an agreement on how to proceed going forward.

If you own a Toyota or Lexus and you are concerned about this issue, it appears that there is little that will be done in the short term other than tie down or remove the floor mats. If you do experience the acceleration issue, Consumer Reports suggests shifting your vehicle into neutral, pressing the brake and holding it down in an effort to bring your vehicle to a stop. This post and video from CR demonstrates how to effectively resolve the situation, and the risks of pumping the brakes. Turning off your vehicle could be a bad idea, as turning off the engine will also result in the loss of power steering and power brakes.

Grunewald Racing Camaro sets its sights on 2010 Formula Drift season

2010 Grunewald Racing Camaro - Click above for high-res image gallery

Conrad Grusewald has been an occasional participant in the Formula Drift series for the past several years with a supercharged C5 Corvette as his vehicle of choice for piloting around clipping points and narrowly missing concrete barriers while in opposite lock. For the 2010 season, however, he plans to step up the efforts with an all new 2010 Camaro built specifically as a drift car with Hankook Tire as the lead sponsor.

In addition to providing the Camaro for Grusewald, Chevrolet also pitched in an LS-A crate motor from GM Performance Parts that should produce more than 600 horsepower at the wheels. The car also features an Eibach suspension, carbon fiber body panels from Seibon, Forgeline aluminum wheels and more. Expect to see more of this car when the Formula Drift season starts in April, but until then you'll have to settle for our gallery of high-res photos below.

Grunewald Racing Camaro

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Renault board considering following Toyota out of F1

Things have never been this bad for the Renault F1 team. Their performance is light-years behind where it used to be, their star driver is bolting once again, their top management has been thrown out of the sport in disgrace, and its biggest sponsors are leaving en masse. And now, following months if not years of speculation, the French automaker could be preparing to cut its losses and shut down its racing team altogether.

Reports indicate that Renault's board of directors is currently weighing its options, with possibilities including maintaining its full participation in the series, reverting to acting as an engine supplier for other teams (like Red Bull), or following Toyota and BMW out of the sport before next season. However reports that the FIA is considering taking legal action against Toyota for breach of contract which locked the company into the series through 2012 could make the decision a little more difficult.

The anticipation must be especially gut-wrenching for Robert Kubica, who just signed with Renault for next season after BMW Sauber exited the series. One way or another, the company is expected to announce its decision in the coming days.

include Hummer contacting vehicle manufacturing from GM

General Motors has reached an agreement to offload Hummer onto China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery, with Tengzhong taking an 80 percent stake and a private investor consuming the rest.

Details on the deal (available in the press release after the jump) include Hummer contacting vehicle manufacturing from GM, with the General's Shrevport and Mishawaka plants continuing to produce vehicles through June of 2011, with a possible extension until 2012. A recent report says the sale will net GM around $150 million, although the transaction still has to be approved by both U.S. and Chinese regulatory agencies, which could come later this year or in early 2010.

Tengzhong, which only produces commercial trucks and industrial equipment, has never entered into consumer vehicles before, but according to Yang Yi, chief executive officer of Tengzhong. "We are excited about some of the initiatives already underway at HUMMER that we believe our investment will be able to accelerate, particularly related to the creation of the next generation of more fuel-efficient vehicles to meet not only future regulations but also customer expectations."

2009 Meet Brian Deese, the 31-year-old in charge of breaking up GM

Many of us ABers being in our early- to mid-30s, we're less amazed that another of our ilk has risen to a decisive government position. We are, after all, a generation on the rise. The surprising part about Brian Deese's story is that he's been instrumental in shaping the Obama administration's moves to save General Motors, and this is his first official tour of duty in Washington. What qualifies a guy who hasn't even finished his Yale Law degree to steer President's automotive task force around? From what's been said about Mr. Deese, his quick ability to boil down the often competing economic and political aspects of any given issue.

Deese piped up in favor of Fiat's rescue of Chrysler, pointing out with a memo that a fire sale of the ailing automaker would send unforseen ripples out into the economy as a whole. Speaking out in such an influential manner is definitely unusual considering Deese doesn't appear to be an auto enthusiast or business propeller-head with his nose buried in studies and reports about the car industry. A childhood spent in the Boston suburb of Belmont, Massachusetts under the parentage of a college professor an an engineer, Deese did his undergraduate time at Middlebury College in Vermont before heading to Washington to work for Nancy Birdsall on international aid. A turn with former Clinton policy wonk Gene Sperling before the move to Yale, Hillary Clinton's bid for nomination brought Deese back to DC. With friends in Washington, Deese found himself hooked into the Obama team, and from there he's been running busily around our nation's capital.

If General Motors can successfully navigate Chapter 11, we'll all get to see just how well Brian Deese has done digesting the thorny chestnut that is saving our domestic auto industry.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Specifications

2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Specifications

Drivetrain
Layout	Front Engine, RWD
Transmission	Rear-Mounted 6 Speed Manual
Engine
Type:	DBS-Sourced V12
Horsepower	510 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque	420 lb-ft of torque @ 5750 rpm
Exterior
Body Type	2 Door, 2 Seat Sports Car
Curb Weight	3700 lb.
Performance
Acceleration 0-60 mph s:	4.1 seconds
Lateral Acceleration	1.3g
Top Speed	190 mph

Base Price: 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage: Reported $250,000

2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Pictures

Aston Martin Vantage Gets V12 Power, New Exterior High on Style

The Aston Martin Vantage has broken cover with a 12 cylinder model featuring some new exterior design and performance technology that should bring the aging Vantage back into relevance. The 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, as the new British sports car is aptly called, gets a big bump in power and a new stability control system to help put it to the road.

Shaking the "grand tourer" moniker often applied to larger, more unweildy Aston Martin models, the V12 Vantage is pure sports car through and through. A 6 speed conventional manual is mounted behind the driver for better weight distribution and drives the rear wheels.

The V12 powerplant is the same excellent unit found in the current DBS, producing 510 horses and 420 lb-ft. of torque, good for 4.1 seconds through 60 mph and a top speed of 190 mph, Aston says.

On the outside, the 2010 V12 Vantage gets a host of minor styling changes to differentiate itself from "lesser" V8 Vantage models, most noticable of which is the louvered hood. Carbon fiber front and rear air dams, as well as low and lean skirts from Aston Martin Racing round out the package.

2010 V12 Vantage pricing is not yet announced, we'll have to wait for Geneva for that. Initial reports have put the V12 Vantage at around $250,000.

For those who want a piece of serious Aston Martin performance but don't want to drop a cool million for the exclusive One-77, Aston Martin may have just the remedy. Expect a V12 Vantage release date of Q3 2009.

-RSportsCars






V12 Vantage: Aston Martin's Most Exhilirating Sport Car

Official Aston Martin Press Release

• Fastest and most agile Vantage ever; ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range
• Purposeful, striking and functional styling signalling performance capabilities
• Everyday usability associated with a modern Aston Martin
• Race-derived technology used throughout

Gaydon, Warwickshire, Wednesday 4 February 2009. Aston Martin will present the most potent production sports car in the marque’s 95-year history at the Geneva motor show on 3 March. Based on the hugely successful V8 Vantage, the V12 Vantage will feature a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 kp/h) time of 4.2 seconds.

The latest incarnation of the Vantage family has been designed to provide a unique character, appealing to different driver tastes and complementing the other models in the current Aston Martin line-up.

The original V12 Vantage concept was unveiled to guests at the opening of the Aston Martin Design Studio in December 2007. Continuing the marque’s impressive record of bringing concepts through to production, Aston Martin engineers have brought the V12 Vantage to market in an incredible 12 months.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “This is the ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range, combining our most agile model with our most powerful engine. It represents the definitive driving package; providing spectacular performance to ensure a dynamically thrilling and everyday useable driving experience.

“The V12 Vantage has a unique character, one unlike our other cars. This will appeal to different people with different tastes, allowing more people to enjoy the Aston Martin experience.

“This also illustrates one of Aston Martin’s key strengths – the ability to act quickly and turn concepts and ideas into reality.”

Designed for the focused driver, every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed with pure driving enjoyment in mind. Benefitting from race-developed materials and components, and featuring lightweight carbon fibre; performance and agility have been tuned to perfection.

Visually enticing, the V12 Vantage expresses its performance potential through its purposeful stance created by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids optically widening the car, while retaining traditional understated Aston Martin design. Equally inviting, the cosseting interior permits the driver to extract maximum performance ability from the car while also enjoying customary levels of Aston Martin comfort on longer journeys. High levels of power and torque are available at all engine speeds making the V12 Vantage responsive and tractable in any driving situation.

The V12 Vantage will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire joining the DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage model lines which are built in the state-of-the-art production facility combining hi-tech manufacturing processes with traditional hand-craftsmanship. Production will be limited up to 1,000 examples over the life span of the car, making the V12 Vantage a truly exclusive driver’s car.

Deliveries of the V12 Vantage are expected to commence during quarter three 2009 with prices to be confirmed at the Geneva motor show.