Contact Us

First, I would like to thank you for stopping by and catching up on all the latest automotive news.

Second, you can now follows us on Myspace at myspace.com/autowatch411. We also have a Facebook fan page, all you have to do is search for Auto Watch 411 to follow us. You can of course contact us at autowatch411@gmail.com. Please feel free to comment, critique, and question. We appreciate, and value, your opinion.

Thank you,
Anthony Alaniz
Executive Editor

Term of the Day

Drafting - A racing technique where one car follows closely behind another, allowing both cars to gain straightaway speed. Their combined aerodynamic drag is actually less then their combined drag when separated by several car lengths. The lead car cuts through the air like a wind breaker for the following car. The following car reduces the turbulent flow that is normally created at the rear of the first car.

-Anthony Alaniz
(Photo: Drafting in NASCAR from onebadwheel.com)

Car Fact of the Day

BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works. BMW is a German automobile, motorcycle, and engine company that was founded in 1916. BMW produced aircraft engines up until the end of World War I, when the Versailles Armistice Treaty forced the company to cease production. Consequently BWM moved to producing motorcycles in 1923 and then began automobile production in 1929.

-Anthony Alaniz

Video of the Day: Spyker C8 Aileron

Ferrari Designer new Director of Design at Lotus

Former Ferrari designer, Donato Coco, was hired by Lotus as its new Director of Design. Coco was a key player in the designs of the Ferrari F430 Scuderia and the new Ferrari 458 Italia. Coco will be working at Lotus' headquarters in Hethel, England come January 4th. Lotus is known for hiring other ex-Ferrari personal. Lotus CEO Dany Bahar also worked for Ferrari.

-Anthony Alaniz

(Photo: Ferrari F430 Scuderia from personal archive)

Shelby Automobiles to Change Name

Shelby Autos is reverting back to its roots by changing its name back to Shelby America. It is the same name that Carroll Shelby founded the company under in 1962. The name change came from enthusiasts wanting the company to remember its heritage "of building great cars like the G.T.350 and Cobra," said Shelby. Don't expect a change in business operations as everything is running normally during the name change.

-Anthony Alaniz

(Photo: Shelby Logo from mustang.com)

Ford and Mazda to Continue Partnership

Ford recently sold its controlling share in Mazda, and ended the two companies long standing habit of sharing platforms. Executives from both companies recently stated that they will, however, continue to work together on creating advanced technologies. Mazda's smaller company size lacks the competition it needs to survive on the mass market against larger companies like Ford and Toyota. Mazda board member, Masaharu Yamaki, said that, "Ford will remain an important partner for Mazda."

-Anthony Alaniz

Chrysler to Announce More Investments

Chrysler is set to announce that it is investing even more into Michigan. Governor Jennifer Granholm and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne will announce the new investment and its impact on jobs and the economy in Michigan. The announcement is set for Thursday at Chrysler's corporate headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

-Anthony Alaniz

Porche's 9ff GT9 254 mph Not Fast Enough

Porsche's 9ff GT9 seemed like an ideal supercar. The GT9 can rocket from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and has a top speed of 254 mph, exceeding the Bugatti Veyron's 248 mph. 9ff, a German tuning company, was not satisfied. Now comes the GT9-R, the "R" added to annotate ridiculous. The 9ff GT9-R is offered in three stages so the consumer can learn how to handle the car in steps with a lessened risk. The high note of the 9ff GT9-R is its third stage. A 6 cylinder 4.0L turbocharged boxer engine is used to produce a remarkable 1,120 horsepower and 774.4 pounds of twist. This allows the GT9-R to achieve a 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, and a 0 to 186 mph in just 15.8 seconds. The GT9-r can reach a top speed of 257 mph.

-Anthony Alaniz

(Photo: 2011 Porsche 9ff GT9-R from egmCarTech)

Car Fact of the Day

The 2009 Corvette Supercar, the ZR1, is not the first Corvette to receive that nameplate. The C3 Corvette, from 1969 to 1971, and C4 Corvette, from 1990 to 1995, all had ZR-1 models, though the difference is that the previous versions had a dash in the nameplate.


-Anthony Alaniz
(Photo: 2009 Corvette ZR1)

Term of the Day

Connecting Rod - This is the link between the piston and the crankshaft. This turns the piston's reciprocal motion into rotary motion.


-Anthony Alaniz
(Photo: Connecting Rod from garagelibrary.com)

New Honda Element Coming Despite Slow Sales

Honda is designing the next generation Element. Honda is using the underpinnings of its Honda CR-V to be the base of the next-gen Element. Honda does not appear to be diminishing the cross-over, despite dismal sales, saying that the Element hits a key segment where their CR-V does not.

-Anthony Alaniz

Ford EcoBoost to Power 800hp Kepler Motors MOTION

World Speed Record Holder, Russ Wicks, founder of Kepler Motors, is unveiling his new supercar at the 10th annual Dubai International Motor Show this month. The Kepler Motors MOTION is an all wheel drive Dual Powertrain Technology (DPT) vehicle, producing a combined 800 horsepower. The power comes from a modified Ford 3.6L V6 EcoBoost twin-turbocharged engine producing 550 horsepower, that powers the rear wheels, while a 250 horsepower electric motor powers the front wheels. This all wheel drive system launches the MOTION from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds with a top speed of over 200 mph. The car remains light with the use of a carbon fiber body. Only 50 will be produced, with each being hand built. Deliveries are expected to start in 2011.

-Anthony Alaniz

(Photo: Kepler Motors MOTION from emgCarTech)