Auto Almanac
Drawing Board
Cadillac Elmiraj Concept: The rear-wheel-drive Elmiraj four-passenger coupe was created for “exploring new dimensions for Cadillac’s ongoing expansion.” Whether the car makes it into production, it would appear that Cadillac is bent on building at least one premium model above the current XTS sedan, which would give it car to sell against the higher offerings from Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW. Under the coupe’s elongated hood is a 4.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 with an estimated 500 horsepower.
Auto Trivia
n Just one of the eight cylinders of a National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel Dragster makes about 1,000 horsepower, about 200 more than all eight cylinders of a NASCAR engine.
n The source for this statistic is unclear, but on average, a driver will apparently curse 32,000 times in his or her lifetime behind the wheel.
Who am I?
To guess his secret identity, read the following clues.
1. He dropped out of school in 1888 to work in a machine shop.
2. Working in a bicycle factory, he built an early version of a motorcycle.
3. As an inventor, he developed carburetors for racing.
4. He also created a supercharged engine that was under the hood of the 1922 Indy 500 winner.
5. The Mazda Millenia even used his technology.
Still stumped?
His name is Harry Miller, and under the hood of the Mazda Millenia there was a supercharged Miller Cycle Engine.
What’s up, auto doc?
Which tires have better tread life? Tough to say since you can’t try them all out. Well, there’s a value expressed on the sidewall — 140 for example. So, another tire rated at 280 would theoretically have twice the longevity, right? There’s a problem with that since there’s no real standard for establishing these numbers. They’re generalizations, perhaps even somewhat arbitrary, by the tire maker. The wider the spread, the more obvious the differences should be, but that’s about all you can take to the bank. The Auto Doc just replaced a set of tires rated at 280 — a fairly good number — that lasted only 6,300 miles (pictured).
What’s the point of the rating, then? Excellent question. The answer seems to be to provide you with a simple guideline. Wear is so dependent on the vehicle and how it’s driven that the same tire could have half the life from one vehicle to the next. This also means you need to soak up as much information as you can from forums on tire purchases, such as the comments at www.tirerack.com.
eBay watch
1966 Ford Mustang Convertible, sold, $17,500: There are legions of first-generation Mustangs around, but this restored 43,000-mile Florida-based ragtop has to be one of the nicest. It has a 289 cubic-inch V-8 connected to a three-speed automatic transmission. Mustang convertibles in this shape normally sell for much more, but these kinds of bargains occasionally turn up.
Top Gear
Scale Formula One nose wing, 85 euros (about $115), www.amalgamcollection.com. Need some new desk appeal? Try a 1:12-scale replica of the front wing of a Formula One car from Amalgam Fine Model Cars. These authentic-looking parts show off the nose and wing components of the Red Bull RB8, Lotus Renault E20, Vodafone McLaren, Mercedes AMG Petronas and Ferrari F2012 race cars in all their intricate detail. Each nose is mounted on a special base and comes with a certificate of authenticity.
