Tag: Videos

  • Jay Leno drives legendary Old Yeller II race car

    Max Balchowsky’s Old Yeller II is a classic racing underdog, and not just because it’s named after a famous movie canine. Featured on the latest episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage,” this homebuilt special beat pedigreed Ferrari and Maserati sports cars back in the day.

    Built in 1959, Old Yeller II was one in a series of specials built by Balchowsky, a California-based mechanic and race driver, and it was raced locally by legendary drivers like Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby. It’s now in the care of Dr. Ernie Nagamatsu, who appeared in the episode explaining the car’s history and quirks.

    Old Yeller II is the ultimate expression of function over form. Its massive grille houses a radiator from a Studebaker truck, chosen by Balchowsky to address cooling issues with the car’s Buick “Nailhead” V-8 engine. The Goodyear whitewall tires aren’t a fashion statement; Balchowsky chose them because they had a softer rubber compound than conventional racing tires of the period.

    Max Balchowsky's 1959 Old Yeller II on Jay Leno's Garage

    Max Balchowsky’s 1959 Old Yeller II on Jay Leno’s Garage

    As the styling implies, Old Yeller II was cobbled together using parts from many different sources. The Buick engine drives the rear wheels through a Muncie 4-speed transmission, the kind used in period Corvettes, Leno noted. The suspension uses Jaguar XK120 upper A-arms and Studebaker lower A-arms, all with holes drilled into them. That was for “crushability,” allowing parts to deform and absorb crash forces, Nagamatsu said.

    That’s not the only clever engineering feature of this car. Balchowsky also installed a nerf bar on the driver’s side, but with lots of clearance between the bar and the driver’s hip. That offered better protection than most race cars of the period, Nagamatsu said. The engine is also mounted far back in the chassis to improve weight distribution, which likely helped Old Yeller II win so many races against purpose-built sports cars.

    Watch the full video for more details on this important piece of racing history, and to see Leno drive it on the streets of Los Angeles.

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  • 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 73e 4-Door Coupe spy shots and video: 800-plus-hp super hatch coming soon

    Mercedes-Benz AMG is readying a new plug-in hybrid version of its GT 4-Door Coupe.

    Our spy shots and video show a prototype of the AMG super hatch with a concealed flap on its rear fascia, located just below the taillight on the right. On the corresponding rear fender is the regular filler cap.

    When the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Concept bowed in 2017 as a preview of the GT 4-Door Coupe, the striking show car packed a powerful electrified V-8 under the hood. So far such a powertrain hasn’t taken shape but that is now about to change. In fact, AMG has already revealed it. It will debut in this new GT 4-Door Coupe variant later this year.

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    The electrified hatch will be positioned as the range-topper in the GT 4-Door Coupe lineup, similar to how Porsche’s Panamera and Cayenne also feature plug-in hybrids as their top option. Expect the AMG to be called something along the lines of GT 73e, the small “e” representing AMG’s new E Performance branding for electrified cars.

    The powertrain, which replaces AMG’s former V-12 line, is confirmed to feature a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 mated to a 9-speed automatic up front and a single electric motor mated to a 2-speed transmission at the rear. There will also be a 6.1-kilowatt-hour battery kept charged to provide power during high-performance driving, rather than pure electric range although an electric mode will be possible. Drive will be to all four wheels via a conventional all-wheel-drive system.

    The exact output hasn’t been confirmed but we know it will be at a minimum 804 hp, with the electric motor making 94 hp on a constant basis and up to 201 hp during high-load situations. Currently, the GT 4-Door Coupe range tops out with the GT 63 S, whose output is 630 hp. With over 800 horses, expect the super hatch to sprint to 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. The GT 63 S does it in 3.2 seconds.

    Mercedes-AMG E Performance

    Mercedes-AMG E Performance

    The plug-in hybrid system will eventually filter across to other high-end models in the AMG lineup. AMG’s version of the new S-Class is likely the next recipient.

    Eager buyers should expect a premium price for the extra performance the powertrain brings. The GT 63 S already starts at $159,995. For this kind of money, buyers could also opt for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid or the battery-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo S and new Tesla Model S Plaid+.

    AMG doesn’t have an answer to the Taycan or Model S Plaid+ just yet, but its first dedicated electric vehicle is coming this year. It will be based on the recently revealed Mercedes EQS.

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  • Edd China gets a driveable orange back on the road in “Workshop Diaries” episode 6

    For the latest episode of his “Workshop Diaries” YouTube show, former “Wheeler Dealers” host Edd China starts work on one of his more unusual projects. It’s an Outspan Orange, a fruit-shaped vehicle built in the 1970s to promote a South African orange grower.

    China acquired his driveable Orange directly from the company, restored it, and has driven it occasionally ever since. Because it’s been acting up recently, China puts aside his other projects temporarily to focus on it in Episode 6.

    The Orange is based on a classic Mini, though with a tiny 48-inch wheelbase that matches the track. Owing to the unusual bodywork, the engine sits under the dashboard. So if it breaks down at the side of the road, China will be sheltered from the weather while working on it, at least. The spherical interior has a definite ’70s vibe, with a smattering of Mini gauges and controls.

    Edd China's Outspan Orange

    Edd China’s Outspan Orange

    After removing a bird’s nest from the engine compartment, China finds a leaking fuel line. Fixing that smooths out the previously rough-running engine, seemingly addressing the problem, but because the Orange had been sitting for awhile, China also replaces the air filter and the spark plugs.

    The work gets the car back on the road—a dirt road in this instance—and a short test drive reveals plenty of other problems, including a hesitant engine, a bearing in need of replacement, and steering that pulls dangerously to the right. China plans to tackle those issues in future episodes, so instead he segues into a segment answering viewers’ questions, which in turn leads him to briefly pop the hood of his ongoing Land Rover Range Rover project to make the sure the engine has oil pressure.

    This episode also continues the story of the world’s fastest electric ice cream van, which China started building in 2018 for a successful Guinness World Record run. He started out with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and has spent the past few episodes focusing on how he got the stock transmission to couple with an electric motor. That continues in this episode, where China discusses machining down the flywheel to save weight, and machining an adapter to allow the motor to fit with the transmission. That leads to the next issue, which is the need for a bellhousing of sorts. The finished product will certainly be included in a future episode.

    Watch the full episode for a complete explanation of the processes China uses to work on all three of his ongoing projects.

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