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Twenty-three-year-old Carlos Lago of Rocklin, California is a regular Inside Line reader, a CSU Sacramento college student and one of maybe 25 people in the United States of America that has driven a 2009 Nissan GT-R.

Carlos blew off a few classes last night to come out to Sacramento Raceway. I think he’ll tell you it was a smart move. When our night of racing was over, Carlos became the second Inside Line reader in two days to get some seat time in the GT-R.

“Wow, the power surge is just fantastic,” he said after his first real run through the GT-R’s lower gears. “It just makes you want to go faster.”

Being 11 pm, the roads were empty, so Carlos was able to lay into it a few times. “I’ve driven a Z06 Corvette, but this feels even faster than that,” he added. “I really like the sound. It’s quiet, but when you hop on it really sounds good. Nice scream.”

Between bouts of laughter (Wouldn’t you?), and hard runs through the second, third and fourth gears, Carlos turned his attention to the GT-R’s interior. “The steering feels awesome, every car should have a wheel like this. And the seat is really nice. Good bolstering.”

And when the ride was over, Carlos thanked us and jumped into his newly acquired 1999 BMW 328 coupe. Nice car, a super clean, unmolested example of a very desirable German sports coupe, although we’d bet a weeks salary it felt a bit sluggish after his run in the GT-R.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 770.4 miles

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It was the one condition we agreed to when Nissan handed us the keys to this white pre-production GT-R. “You can do whatever you want,” Nissan engineer Bruce Robinson told us. “But no testing. We’ll get you a production car for that in a few weeks”

“No problem,” we said. “Cross our hearts.”

But drag racing isn’t testing. Well, sorta. And last night we went drag racing. Sacramento Raceway grudge night. The place was packed. And the 2009 Nissan GT-R was the star of the show.

The crowds around the car were four deep most of the night. Everyone wanted to know how we got it, how much it costs and of course, how fast it could go. We popped the hood, opened the doors and let anyone who wanted to sit behind the wheel. Every camera phone ever sold seemed to be pointed at the car.

And when it was our time to make a pass the stand packed like John Force had come to town with his funny car.

We made three runs down the quarter mile, hoping to match the 11.5 second run we recorded a few months ago when we tested a JDM-spec GT-R in Japan. But no dice. Even with the car’s fuel tank nearly empty and temperatures in the high 40s the best we could do was 11.8 seconds at 118.5 mph.

We were a little disappointed, but 11.8 is sick fast and the track’s regulars were impressed. “Not bad for a Japanese car,” said one Camaro owner, and everyone was talking about how incredibly quick the GT-R shoots off the line with its launch control.

Even the joker that had earlier dismissed the car as gussied up 350Z, came by to tell us how wrong he was. “Man,” he said between drags of his Marlboro red. “That thing gets it done. I had no idea is would run 11s. Sweet ride.”

It is a sweet ride. You don’t know what a hard launch is until you’ve set the launch control on a GT-R, brought the revs up and lifted your left foot off the brake. The car comes out of the hole like it’s been rear-ended by the Earth and first gear is over by the time your eyes refocus. Incredibly, even with the GT-R’s advance all-wheel drive system I was getting quite a bit of wheelspin off the line. Now that’s power. And it’s probably the reason we ran an 11.8 instead of an 11.5.

Well, that and I’m just not as good a driver as our Senior Road Test Editor and new daddy Josh Jacquot. He told me to short shift second to keep the engine out of the rev limiter, but my right hand just wasn’t quick enough on that paddle shifter. At least I didn’t crash the thing.

But the best part, besides being the first in the world to take GT-R to an American drag strip, was meeting all the Inside Line readers that showed up to meet us and check out the car. They were there by the dozens and I personally thank them for the support. We’ll have a video of it all up later.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 705.8 miles

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We?re back on the road again, this time headed to the Bonneville Salt Flats. We had a great time at the dragstrip last night, but we haven?t finished getting the video together just yet. It?ll be up shortly so you can see just how fast the GT-R runs the quarter mile after a 500 mile drive slog up the interstate. Until then, we?ll be piling on the miles and wondering if the ?comfort? mode is really just a cruel joke by the engineering team.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 624 miles

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www.StevesAutoBlog.com A group of Virginia Tech students have developed an intelligent brake light that changes color and flashes as braking becomes more urgent. Under normal braking the center section of the light is amber; but as braking increases, the outside edges flash red. Under the most extreme deceleration, all of the lights flash red.

Right now this is being aimed at the trucking market, as an additional safety feature. It would not replace current brake lights, but would be additional rear brake lighting. In order for this to replace existing brake lighting, either for cars or trucks, a change in federal brake laws would be required.

I’ve seen a number of motorcycles that have flashing brake lights, and this appears to be an extension of that idea. I like it. I would hope that the federal brake law does get changed so that this type of brake lighting can move forward in cars. It sounds like a very good safety advance.

Full story here.

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Because of tougher emission requirements and more stringent fuel requirements, both here and in Europe, BMW is ending production of their V8 diesel. They also feel because of turbocharging and direct injection, that 6-and 4-cylinder diesels will be more than adequate for those customers. Mercedes-Benz is also rumored to be following this same path, although nothing officially has been announced yet.

Full story here.

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As you may know, the military is looking for a replacement for the Humvee, and what you see above is the latest contender for that roll. Hard to believe, but much of this truck is made up of off-the-shelf Navistar “>parts, which should keep the costs down. One of the the primary design requirements for this vehicle is that it be as mine resistant as possible, something the Humvee is not.

Full story here. Other info and contenders are here, here and here.

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If you’ve ever been passed by a big rig during a heavy downpour, you would appreciate this device. It was developed by Spraydown of the UK, to help reduce the spray obscuration from passing vehicles; clearly a worthy safety development if ever there was one.

Check it out here to see how it works.

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www.StevesAutoBlog.com Okay everyone, here’s your chance to tell Chrysler LLC what you want. The company has just started recruiting folks for their Customer Advisory Board (here), which is an online forum where Chrysler staffers will solicit feedback from customers.

“We want to harness insights and customer dreams into things we can use concretely with our different groups, such as engineering, design, marketing,” states Chrysler’s Debra Meyer, a vice president and chief marketing chief officer, and pictured to the right.

Sounds like a great idea. I hope other automakers pick up on this too.

Full story here.

Here’s AutoObserver’s take: Chrysler Creates Online Customer Advisory Board

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As we all know there is far more the cost of vehicle ownership than just what you paid for it. It involves depreciation, insurance, fuel costs, wear and tear, and so on and so forth.

Another factor to consider is where you live, as some states are cheaper than others. For example Hawaii, California, Alaska, Nevada and West Virginia are the most expensive places in which to own a vehicle; while New Hampshire, South Dakota, South Carolina, Oregon and Wisconsin are the cheapest states in which to own a vehicle.

Edmunds has done a study on this, and some of info you may find surprising.

Full story here.

True Costs to Own (TCO)

Go here if you want to calculate the costs of your car.

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Two powerful coupes go head to head.

Inside Line tested the new BMW M5 alongside the 2008 Audi S5. See how they matched up.

Which one would you buy?

Read the M3 vs. S5 Comparison Test on Inside Line.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

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We’re still planning our route, but here’s what we know: We’ll visit at least one racetrack and we want to come to your house. That’s right, we want to drive a new 2009 Nissan GT-R to your house. We’ll probably regret this, but driving the car to an Inside Line reader’s home (somewhere in the southwest) just sounds cool. We’ll stay about an hour, bomb your bathroom, empty your fridge and make eyes at your sister.

Oh, and we’ll let you drive the GT-R around the block. You heard me. Your friends too, if they’re cool.

So tell us, why you?

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

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This sort of fell between the cracks in our Geneva show coverage. It’s an Opel GT with a V8 of unspecified origin by “>performance enhancer Irmscher, and is called the Irmscher GT i40.

Full story here.

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www.StevesAutoBlog.com Frankly I’m not surprised to hear this, as Audi has done wonders with diesels in racing. My guess is the Touareg V10 diesel will be the basis from which Porsche will undoubtedly tweak so that it meets their needs. In addition to this, there are rumors that there could be a Panamera hybrid as well.

The reason for doing this? Apparently it’s due to the tougher upcoming emission requirements that will soon be upon Europe.

Full story here.

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Eugene Brakke of Burbank, CA had his 1965 Ford Mustang stolen in 1965, only to just find out it has actually been found. Sounds like a story ripe for TV’s Cold Case show, no?

Apparently shortly after being stolen, it was sold to a used car dealer in Bellflower. Not long thereafter it was bought as a gift for a young Judy Smongesky, who was then graduating high school. Ms. Smongesky loved the vehicle, and has kept it ever since. Sometime during the 1990s car car fell into disrepair, and Smongesky was considering selling it to a neighbor. The neighbor discovered that the vehicle identification number tag on the door was different from the one inside the engine compartment, an indication that it may have been stolen. She then notified the police, who indicated that the car’s record was clean.

Not convinced, and considering investing $4,000 in repairs, she contacted the DMV, and sure enough, found out the vehicle had been stolen. And that being the case, Eugene Brakke was entitled to get the car back.

“It is his car and he could take it, even though I spent all this money,” Smongesky said. “This is my baby. I’ve had it since I was 18.”

So it looks like Eugene and his car will finally be reunited after 38 years.

Full story here.

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Tucked in a far corner of the New York auto show is this rare Chrysler Thunderbolt. It’s an early concept car from an era when life-size concept cars were not common. Alex Tremulis was one of the designers, notable because he was responsible for the Tucker — there are clearly similarities. Tremulis also worked with American Bantam and Crosley earlier. The Thunderbolt is said to be Chrysler’s answer to the Buick Y-Job.

The Thunderbolt has a power-folding hardtop, plus doors that open with the push of a button — notice no door handles. There’s also no grille, as air intakes are located below the front bumper.

This car is in nearly perfect condition; even the interior is spotless. Only five Thunderbolts were built, and four still exist. This one belongs to the LeMay museum in Tacoma, Washington. They have five other cars on display at the New York auto show. — Brian Moody, Road Test Editor

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Now that lithium-ion batteries exist, manufacturers are willing to take the risk of actually letting people drive all-electric cars. Forty Subaru R1e hatchbacks are motoring around Tokyo as we speak, as part of a partnership with the Tokyo Electric Power Company. Today in New York, Subaru announced it’s giving two of these tiny, electric-powered subcompacts to the New York Power Authority.

Obviously, this is not a money-making venture, and so Subaru didn’t even bother to change the front fascia on the R1e, even though it’s the memorable snout from the last of the previous-generation Imprezas. Actually, the company didn’t even bother to make a left-hand-drive version.

Range is only 50 miles on the Subaru R1e, but Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer for Subaru of America, said it can be recharged to 80-percent capacity in 15 minutes at a dedicated charging station. (Presumably, the NY Power Authority will be installing a couple of these.) You can do a full overnight recharge by plugging the R1e into a standard household outlet.

The lithium-ion battery provides juice for a 40kW electric motor. Top speed is 65 mph.

Mounted in the cargo bay, the lithium-ion battery is “easily recycled,” according to Subaru, but it has an estimated lifespan of 10 years or 100,000 miles, so the company has some time on this issue anyway.

Although the specific use of the two NY-bound R1e hatchbacks has yet to be determined, one Subaru official speculated they might be turned over to the NYPD to use for patrol routes in Central Park.

Unquestionably, this is a very small step toward a future in which electric vehicles are a major player, but Subaru will build 100 more of these vehicles for a consumer test program in Japan next year. – Erin Riches, Senior Editor, Inside Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Lightly refreshed for the 2009 model year, the Kia Optima was the other Kia off to the side at this morning’s unveiling of the Koup concept.

“If there’s a poster child for the old school of Kia, it’s got to be the Kia Optima,” Communications Director Alex Fedorak admitted. “But as Edmunds.com put it, ‘When it comes to design, the Optima looks like it was styled by the witness protection program.’” (Credit for this now famous turn of phrase goes to Edmunds Automotive Editor James Riswick.)

To remedy the situation, Kia designers gave the Optima a new nose and tail. The front end borrows from both the current-gen Honda Accord and the current-gen Toyota Camry. The back has a mix of current-gen Hyundai Sonata and previous-gen Accord. We doubt these retouches will break the Optima’s cover, but this midsize sedan is at least a bit more attractive.

In other news, the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is now an even more appealing option over the underachieving 2.7-liter V6. The addition of variable intake and exhaust valve timing, along with a new intake, provide an extra 13 horsepower. So its totals are now 175 hp and 169 pound-feet of torque compared to 182 hp and 182 lb-ft from the V6. Kia is hoping to eke a bit more power out of the six as well, but hasn’t gotten it certified yet. There’s plenty of time, since the 2009 Kia Optima won’t hit dealers until the fourth quarter of this year.

A new SX trim level is the obvious driver’s choice in the 2009 lineup, as it includes both a sport-tuned suspension and sport seats. Interior illumination is all in red for ‘09 Kia Optimas, and a USB port and a three-month Sirius subscription are standard. We couldn’t get a look at the new interior, though, because the exact furnishings are not yet final. – Erin Riches, Senior Editor, Inside Line
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Even though Mitsubishi’s i MIEV press conference wasn’t until today, that didn’t stop the manufacturer from driving its prototype electric car around the Javits Convention Center yesterday, parking it in front of competing manufacturers’ “green vehicle” displays.

In the photo above, the i MIEV is hanging out at the Toyota Highlander Fuel Cell Hybrid display.

With the silence of the car’s motor and the background noise of near-constant press conferences, it seemed as if every time you turned around you’d find that the i MIEV had snuck up from behind.
 
The i MIEV is based on the gas-powered JDM Mitsubishi i subcompact, which is currently on sale in Japan.
 
In addition to the standard i MIEV, Mitsubishi will also be officially showing a restyled Sport version, and a clean-diesel subcompact SUV, the Concept-cX. Stay tuned. – Brady Holt, Student Journalist

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Cadillac used to be known for firsts. The first production V8, the first electric starter and the first automatic transmission in a luxury car. Then things got quiet for the next 50 or 60 years. The innovation has returned, however, in the way of the first fully functioning LED headlights on a production vehicle. It will be an option on the top-of-the-line 2009 Escalade Platinum Edition. Unlike the systems used in the Audi R8 and Lexus LS 600h, Cadillac?s system includes both high- and low-beam LED lights in addition to LED turn signals and parking lights. Cadillac says the LED beams produce light that?s closer to actual daylight than the blue-tinted beams of most xenon headlights. And more importantly, they look cool. Expect to see the rest of the world’s luxury brands catch up shortly, but for now it’s another automotive first for Cadillac. – Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Right?

Must be as here’s yet another report that BMW is exploring the possibility of doing a city car. Internally it’s called ‘Project i,’ and BMW’s CEO Norbert Reithofer has stated: ?The task of the Project i team is to present specific solutions in the first half of the next decade. Whether this will require a fourth brand or not, will be decided at a later date.?

Another interesting comment he made was: ?An electric motor is an option we are looking into. It does not only work at zero-emission level. The technology is now sophisticated enough to offer driving pleasure.?

So maybe we might see an “Ultimate Driving Machine” for dodging trash cans as we blast through back alleys and down one-way streets.

Full story here.

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