Author Archives: Trevor Freeman

About Trevor Freeman

Trevor is a real gearhead who loves everything from classic American muscle cars to high-performance exotics. When he's not reading about cars or taking photos at a car show, he's probably out cruising around. He is currently working on restoring a 1980 Chevrolet Monza hatchback.

Spotted: 2012 Tesla Model S

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What is the fastest American sedan you can buy today?

You might be surprised to learn that it’s not the twin-turbo Lincoln MK-S, the Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee, or even the mighty Cadillac CTS-V. The fastest American-made sedan is none other than the Tesla Model S – and it shuts these other cars down without using a drop of gasoline.

Just how quick is this car? Take a look at these figures:

2012 Tesla Model S P85
0-60: 3.9 seconds
1/4 Mile: 12.5 @ 110.9 mph1

2013 Lincoln MK-S EcoBoost Twin Turbo AWD
0-60: 5.2 seconds
1/4 Mile: 13.9 @ 100.8 mph2

2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee
0-60: 4.4 seconds
1/4 Mile: 12.8 @ 112.6 mph3

2009 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan
0-60: 4.3 seconds
1/4 Mile: 12.6 @ 114.6 mph4

With numbers like these, you can understand why I was ecstatic to see a Model S Signature in real life the other day at the Scottsdale Pavilions car show.

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Report: 2013 Arizona International Auto Show

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For me, Thanksgiving is about more than just turkey: it’s also about cars. Every year the Arizona International Auto Show comes to town on Thanksgiving weekend. This show features the newest vehicles from dozens of manufacturers. You can sit in them, play with the knobs, and there are no sales people anywhere. My favorite part is going on test drives!

Last year, I drove four different turbocharged cars as well as a Chevrolet Volt and a Camaro SS convertible. This year, I broke my old record and went on seven test drives in one day! The cars I drove are as follows:

  • 2013 Ford Mustang GT 5.0
  • 2013 Lincoln MK-S
  • 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  • 2013 Kia Optima SX Limited
  • 2013 Subaru Legacy CVT
  • 2013 Dodge Challenger V6
  • 2013 Dodge Charger Super Bee
  • 2013 Hyundai Equus Signature

I’d like to take a moment to talk about each one, but first I want to go over some thoughts from the Auto Show itself. Attendance seemed down this year, it didn’t seem to be as busy as last year.

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SEMA 2012: Chevrolet 2014 LT1 V8 Engine

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You may have heard that Chevrolet will be unveiling the new seventh-generation Corvette in 2014. What you may not have heard is that it will also be packing an all-new powerplant: the LT1.

We got a sneak preview of the new engine at SEMA 2012. Chevrolet had a completed engine on a stand as well as a display showing each of the engine’s internals. Before we go into what’s new, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the history of the LT1 name.

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SEMA 2012: Kombat T98 Luxury Armored SUV

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Have you ever thought about quitting your day job and becoming a supervillain? If so, you’re going to need a vehicle every bit as crazy as you are. That vehicle is the Kombat T98.

If an armored Mercedes or BMW is too subtle for your tastes, the Kombat T98 will surely stand out. It is a luxury armored SUV which meets the needs of your average arms dealer, supervillain, or third-world dictator.

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SEMA 2012: Factory Five Racing GTM Supercar

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I love the GTM Supercar from Massachusetts-based Factory Five Racing. I’ve written about it before when a beautiful blue one showed up at a local cruise-in here in Phoenix. At this year’s SEMA show, I spied this very sharp red and black GTM Supercar at the Factory Five Racing booth.As it turns out, the car belongs to Bob Bailin of Pennsylvania, a Factory Five customer. According to what I could find online, this car features a 505 horsepower LS7 engine from a Corvette Z06 and a Porsche transaxle. The car also features Corvette suspension parts.

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SEMA 2012: Acura NSX Roadster Concept Car

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One of the many cool things about attending the SEMA show is that they have something for everyone. Besides the endless rows of muscle cars, classic cars, new cars, and off-road vehicles, there are cars on display which are just pure eye candy.

Take for example this Acura NSX Roadster concept car. It was built for and appeared in The Avengers movie which came out this summer.

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