MotorWorld

Cadillac Declares 2009 CTS-V The World’s Fastest Sedan

By Jim McCraw
Only a few days ago, veteran GM engineer and racer John Heinricy, executive director of GM performance car programs, took a bone-stock 2009 Cadillac CTS-V around the famous Nurburgring circuit in seven minutes, fifty-nine and thirty-two one hundredths seconds, making it the fastest production sedan ever to have lapped the ‘Ring circuit. They had to wait to make the announcement until the car could be shipped back to Detroit and demonstrated to the media at the GM Milford Proving Grounds.
Heinricy says the car was run on stock Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires at standard inflation pressures of 32 psi, and that the car was heavier than stock due to the inclusion of a roll bar, driving seats, five-point harnesses, and fire extinguisher in the cockpit, about 4300 pounds. He said the car, an automatic left in Drive the entire lap, got airborne in several places around the track, and hit a top speed of 175 mph at redline (6200 rpm) in fifth gear, averaging well more than 90 mph all the way around the circuit.

The production 2009 CTS-V will have a larger grille for more cooling air flow, a power dome hood to accommodate the supercharger, and the usual V markings inside and out. It will be powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter GM smallblock engine now rated at 556 horsepower at 6100 rpm and 551 foot-pounds at 3800 rpm, higher than previous estimates. Transmission choices include a new 6L90 six-speed automatic with paddle shifters or a new short-throw Tremec 6060 six-speed manual. With the manual, the rear-end ratio will be 3.73:1, and with the automatic, 3.23:1. The former will have an unrestricted top speed of 191 mph, the latter, 175 mph. Cadillac says the CTS-V will run 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, a quarter-mile in 12.8 seconds at 118 mph, and push well into the .9g range on a skidpad.
The chassis of the CTS-V has been upgraded substantially compared to the previous version. A second-generation version of GM’s Magnetic Ride Control, using magnetic rheological shock absorbers, is standard equipment.
MRC uses a combination of electric current, magnets and a special fluid with precisely sized and shaped iron particles in each shock absorber body. GM-developed algorithms in the control electronics create the fastest-acting suspension in the world, capable of reading the road every millisecond, with each of the four corners operating independently of the other three, in combination with StabiliTrak yaw control, traction control, steering angle, brake pressure and other inputs.
The MRC 2.0 system has two modes, Touring and Sport; same algorithms, different calibrations. With a new type of magnetic fluid, and a new piston shape inside the shock, Cadillac engineers say that the soft setting can be softer, and the firm setting firmer, with a system that has more predictive capability based on data.
The suspension acts on Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires, 285/35R-19 rear and 255/40R-19 front, on alloy wheels, with Brembo 370-mm six-piston front brakes and 365-millimter four-piston rear brakes, about an inch larger on each end than the last generation CTS-V brakes.
The entire rear axle and differential assembly has been upgraded to handle the torque. The driveshaft has a larger outside diameter and wall thickness to handle the additional torque, the limited-slip differential housing is made of cast iron, with offset mounts, and the half shafts are different sizes, 55 millimeters left and 35 millimeters right, to counteract the forces that create axle hop. It’s all mounted on a huge steel subframe to isolate it from the rest of the car.

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Woman Logs 1.1 Million Miles on Stock 1970 Chevy Camaro SS350!

In April, 1970, Emma Ely bought her third Chevy Camaro, an SS350 in an eye-popping Nassau Blue color with decorative white stripes. 38 years later, Emma not only continues to use the Camaro as a daily driver but she has managed to stack more than 1,100,000 miles on the coupe’s odometer –all on the original motor, transmission, and rear end! Just recently the 72-year-old retired nurse paid about $6,000 –nearly twice what she paid for the car in 1970, to perform a mini-restoration to the Camaro SS350 that included a new paintjob and some new parts that she hand picked herself. Amazing to say the least.

Wireless AMBER Alerts™

Sign up for Wireless AMBER Alerts ™
The first three hours after a child is abducted are the most critical to recovery efforts1. Wireless AMBER Alerts™, an initiative of NCMEC and the wireless industry, have the potential to reach more than 242 million wireless subscribers with information to help bring abducted children home quickly and safely.

Wireless subscribers capable of receiving text messages and those whose providers participate in the initiative can sign up to receive free text message alerts in one of three easy ways:
Text AMBER followed by a space and five-digit ZIP code to AMBER (26237) (available for most eligible wireless subscribers);
Visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org; or
Register on your carrier’s Web site.
These subscribers become the eyes and ears of law enforcement when a child has been abducted.

To date, AMBER Alerts have helped to safely recover more than 360 children. Join those who have already signed up for Wireless AMBER Alerts™ and help bring an abducted child home safely.

Scranton is the birthplace of which reclusive playwright?

Jason Miller
George Gershwin
Edward Albee
Arthur Miller

See answer under Car Doctor.

Tire Wear

The condition of your tires is one of the most important mechanical factors in vehicle safety. There are four ways you can improve the safety and performance of your tires.
Keep tires properly inflated. Check them at least monthly to notice if tire pressure appears to be getting low. Incorrect tire pressure can cause uneven tire wear, poor handling, excessive heat build up, and possible tire failure. Check your vehicle manual for recommended tire pressures. If you have new tires installed, check their pressure. Recommended tire pressures can vary depending on the brand of tire. When you check tire pressure, do so the first thing in the morning for an accurate reading. Driving the car heats up the tires and changes their pressure.

Rotate tires to increase life. Follow the rotation schedule in your car’s owner’s manual.
Keep tires balanced and aligned. Improperly balanced tires can produce an uneven ride that can result in poor handling. Defective alignment can cause excessive tire wear and the vehicle to pull to the side.

Replace tires when the tread gets too low. What is too low? All tires have “treadwear indicators” built right into them. These indicators are molded into the bottom of the tread groves and will appear as “bands” when the tread depth reduces to the size of 1/16th of an inch. When the indicators appear in two or more adjacent grooves, the tire should be replaced. Look in your vehicle’s manual for more information. Usually the manual will have a picture showing what the tread wear indicators look like. Take a look at your tires on a regular basis. Have a professional check them out further if you have any doubts about their safety.