Fast. Precise. Cutting-edge performance. These qualities come to mind when describing the abilities of a renown sports car like the Callaway Corvette and can also be used when taking a look at the software used to develop the exclusive Callaway performance package.

During a recent visit to Callaway Cars in Connecticut, Callaway engineers showed how they used PTC’s Pro/ENGINEER 4.0 Wildfire program to help design, test, and develop their parts. On the outside, the carbon fiber hood is a stand-out visual clue that distinguishes a Callaway-prepared Corvette from others but it’s also the supercharger, suspension, exhaust and more that work together to deliver 580 bhp and 510 lb-ft torque. As Callaway Managing Director Michael Zoner and Chief Engineer Patrick Hodgins explained, since 1997, Callaway has been using Pro/ENGINEER to design and build exclusive vehicle systems that are powerful, emissions compliant, reliable, able to be reproduced and driven under real road conditions.

A tour of the Callaway facilities included viewing all the milling machines, lathes, flow benches and the dynamometer room. After walking amongst this collection of equipment, it’s fascinating to see how Pro/ENGINEER is used in such and environment. Callaway engineers can design and produce their performance-enhancing parts right there and Pro/ENGINEER lets them work out much of their design challenges in a virtual space before testing and fitting actual parts in the shop. For example, a Callaway engineer can obtain an original file from an OE for a part such as an air induction tube, then, Pro/ENGINEER lets one design from the top-down to work within the space where the re-engineered air tube must be installed.

Being able to go into the manufacturer’s original design file and work within certain end constraints is an important part of Pro/ENGINEER’s capabilities since it allows companies to bring their product to market faster. When you don’t have to start with a blank page, you can keep up with design changes and edit the part right in the assembly.

It’s important to note that even though many 3D design programs can import and export all kinds of files, Pro/ENGINEER has the ability to clean incoming and outgoing data so as to minimize or eliminate the loss of data in translation. Imagine opening a file for a vehicle’s exhaust manifold that you were going to re-engineer and being met with a drawing full of gaps and other geometric problems. At this point, Pro/ENGINEER’s Import DataDoctor can be called upon to save time and make the necessary repairs.

Callaway doesn’t just work on Corvettes; they have designed systems for Holden Special Vehicles, Land Rover, Mazda, and others. When Mazda decided to enhance the 2003 MazdaSpeed Protege’s turbo system, Callaway was hired to design, test, and manufacture 5,500 turbo systems. Pro/ENGINEER’s ability to test the durability of the turbo package was a necessary tool when it came to ensuring the proper level of MazdaSpeed performance. Other project points handled by Callaway included the development of installation instructions, installation training and related documents. Pro/ENGINEER helped speed up the process letting the engineers concentrate on component design since the program can track revisions as they are made and make sure that information is linked to the correct files.

A final key component to Callaway and Mazda’s success with this project was the fact that Pro/ENGINEER enabled engineers from both companies to communicate effectively. In under 10 months, Callaway completed its largest production run to date by manufacturing 5,500 turbo systems for the MazdaSpeed brand, all while sharing files with project engineers in Japan, California and Michigan.

Overall, when designers and engineers can spend more time prototyping, less time chasing a paper trail, and communicate easily, development time can be greatly reduced. Although there are dozens of other intricate features packed into the latest version of Pro/ENGINEER, this visit to Callaway proved that the software helps Callaway develop and install their highly-refined performance packages and please a healthy flow of customers. The line of Corvettes outside the shop awaiting their improvements can attest to that.

How Callaway got started with GM

In 1985, GM tested one of the Alfa Romeo Callaway Twin Turbo GTV-6 cars. This Alfa was Callaway’s first OEM project and GTV-6 proved to be quite impressive when tested against the Corvette. After seeing the Callaway name underneath the hood, GM contacted Callaway and work on the Callaway Corvette began. From 1987-1991, Chevrolet sold around 530 Callaway Corvettes, each featuring 403 hp and 565 lb-ft.

Interested in a Callaway Corvette?

Interested buyers can contact an approved Chevrolet dealer. The new Corvette is shipped to Callaway to receive its upgrades and returned to the Chevrolet dealer upon completion.

From the department of cheap happines for gearheads comes this 1977 Topps trading card, featuring the relatively obscure Volvo 264 GL. A friend of mine was recently cleaning out his baseball card collection and discovered this piece of automobilia which features a color photo on one side followed by matching statistics on the back, just like a baseball card.

What does this mean for my fledgling collection of auto literature? It means that it’s time to search for more of these car cards, but for ones that feature my favorite Jeep and AMC vehicles! Current prices for auto cards like this on ebay are easy on the wallet, ranging from $2-4.50, so keep that in mind for the car lover you might know who’s got a birthday coming up soon. Similar cards turn up for AMC cars at the same prices but a search for Jeep cards came up empty.

A fun find such as this is right up there with grabbing an iced coffee on the way home from work, when all you want is a little instant treat. Or, it could also be a small-yet-treasured detail in that collection of literature surrounding your favorite automotive brand. Either way, the few quick searches I performed on ebay only brought up 1977 model year cards. Were these auto cards from Topps a limited offering? Let the research begin.

“I hope he doesn’t break anything…” is what the announcer said, right before a Toyota Tundra pulled the sled out the back door of a recent truck pulling event in Swanzey, NH. The glossy blue Tundra was competing in the street-legal class and bested an F-350 diesel that, in all fairness, was at least a couple years old. However, you could almost hear the comments in the stands before the Tundra hooked up, about how the Toyota probably wasn’t up for the job. Judging by the amount of other Tundra pulling videos on YouTube, it’s safe to say that the latest Tundra is prepared to take on any vehicle in the street legal classes of truck pulling.

In these two videos, it’s unknown if either truck had any bolt-ons or otherwise custom work done to their respective drivetrains. Who knows if one driver had more experience than the other in pulling? The difference in the two pulls was a matter of about 20 feet. It appears that the Tundra gathered a little more momentum in the early stage of the pull which might have helped it at the top end of the track.

Maybe the F-350 driver selected the wrong gear? Perhaps it was just a matter of tires and traction? Any number of reasons could be suggested for why the Tundra twice made the pull look easy. Maybe what’s interesting is that truck commercials could do without all the CGI and improbable stunts. How about some homegrown video of trucks proving their mettle?

Getting back to the Toyota vs. Ford issue at hand, on the day of this particular contest, the Tundra appeared to be the newest vehicle hooking up to the sled. The Dodges and GMs of the day didn’t come close, but, again, who knows if any of these drivers had ever competed before. I just wonder if the ranks of Tundra drivers are going to grow to Super Duty proportions? Is it possible? You probably know at least one convert in your town and if the Tundras keep pulling their way to the front of the pack then what are we to expect? It’s just obvious that trash-talking the import isn’t going to hold up anymore.

For other videos from this event, including modifieds and tractors, see my YouTube channel.

Looking for something to do tonight that might get you out of your A/C-challenged apartment? Try heading to the Charles River Museum of Industry and checking out a film from local New England Motor Press Association member Gene Ritvo. The film will showcase the vintage automobiles of the most recent Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance, where Great Gatsby-style cars compete for top honors. Vintage racing machines are part of the mix too, and tonight’s lecture in Waltham will feature a number of actual classic vehicles on display (weather permitting.)

When: June 11, 2008, 7:30 PM

Where: Charles River Museum of Industry, 154 Moody Street, Waltham, MA

Cost: $10.00

If you’re looking for a different kind of automotive activity that lets you race your own vehicle on a 1/4 mile dragstrip, head up to Epping, NH each and every Wednesday night for Street Night at New England Dragway. For a few bucks, you can get as many runs in as you can before 10 p.m. and gates open at 5:00. Street Night also happens on Fridays.

How much fun can you have in second gear? You can have plenty - when there’s 280 hp and 295 ft.-lb at the ready while trying your best line through the cones. In this special edition, all-wheel-drive Saab that’s only available in black, good times and a memorable driving experience is easy to find.

The 2008 Saab Turbo X is a rocket. It’s the kind of car that you’ll want to keep driving - on vacation, commuting, running around town, or just for the sake of driving - the Turbo X has that kind of allure. The moment you leave the driver’s seat, you’re thinking of the last shift you completed, while at the same time, anticipating the next launch.

During a recent media event where drivers got the chance to get aggressive with the Turbo X SportSedan and SportCombi wagon, I got a taste of what Saab’s XWD system (pronounced: cross-wheel-drive) is capable of delivering. The Turbo Xs on hand were fitted with either the six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions which were ready to deliver the 295 ft-lbs of torque on this dry, sunny day. The course, set up in a large parking lot with a sandy corner at one end offered ample room to get to know the Turbo X, in addition to driving the surrounding back-roads and highways.

Admittedly, I’m no seasoned pro when it comes to pushing the limits of the Turbo X in the slalom, but I know traction when I feel it - and traction combined with turbo power had me feeling in control, which lead to more driving joy. The seats felt comfortably firm with the right amount of plush bolstering and the gearshift knob was a favorite touch of mine. Finished in a rounded triangle form - which fit my fingers well during rearward throws and let my palm grip firmly in forward throws - I looked forward to shifting. I’m naturally drawn to standard-shift cars, but it deserves mentioning that the automatic featured up and down shifting capability both on the console and through steering wheel-mounted tabs.

In the quick passes around the parking lot track, the Haldex Gen 4 XWD system really showed its poise though an S-curve that greeted the driver with a large patch of loose, dry sand. After picking up some tips from Saab Turbo X Engineering Project Manager, Tommy Sundin, I chose my line, aimed the car into the turn then hit the gas. Grip is a beautiful thing! The Turbo X went where I directed it and had power to spare coming out of the turn. There are other cars with all wheel drive systems, but I can only speak to how properly engineered this drivetrain felt as I’ve not had the chance to drive other the other brands on a course such as this.

Looking at a cutaway display unit of the Turbo X’s Rear Drive Module, Sundin explained that the electronically controlled limited slip differential (eLSD) controls the torque being applied to the right and left rear wheels. Up to 40 percent of the available torque can be applied to whichever wheel has the most traction. Also housed in the Rear Drive Module is the Torque Transfer Device (TTD) which controls the amount of torque distributed to the front and rear differentials. As expected, the Turbo X’s anti-lock braking and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) communicate with the XWD system to yield optimum handling and braking, but the driver retains the option of switching off the ESP. If the system detects and emergency situation, the ESP will reactivate itself automatically. A unique Turbo X specification is that the suspension has been lowered 10 mm. The 18″ alloy wheels are unmistakably inspired by those found on the much-loved 900 Turbo, looking strong and stable with a wide, triple-spoke design.

Driving the Turbo X on the interstate let me know that with a turbo, you always feel like there’s more power available. I’ve never owned a turbo car, but the power reserve just didn’t seem to have an end when cruising at 65+ mph, negotiating your average interstate traffic. Top speed on the Turbo X is unrestricted and the brakes measure 13.6″/345 mm at the front and 11.5″/292 mm at the rear. Don’t loan this car out to your kids - ever. It’s unrelentingly quick, absolutely comfortable, and stops under control, but cannot be trusted to an unseasoned driver.

In the cockpit, you notice another nod to the cult-car that is the 900 Turbo - the return of the analog turbo gauge with the white, orange and red graduations. Near the OnStar and stereo interface, one cup holder pops out at the touch of a button and unfolds with a jack-knife kind of motion. Classic Saab A/C and heating vents let you direct the airflow by rotating the joystick-like knob on each vent and a subtle, brushed silver-colored molding encompasses the main controls on the dash. The “black panel” button is, of course, there when you need it, and the ignition is on the console, between the bucket seats. Depending on how you grip the emergency brake lever, your knuckle may contact the carbon fiber trim when releasing the e-brake. A nice touch is the cruise control stalk which is operated by easily rotating a rounded, rubber selector wheel.

Production of the Turbo X will be limited to 2000 units worldwide. Within these 2000 cars, 600 will be available in the U.S., consisting of 475 SportSedans and 125 SportCombis. Pricing starts at $42,510 and $43,310, respectively. Obviously, a car produced in such limited quantities should be considered by anyone who’s loved a Saab, but should also be considered by those beginning their shopping for an all-wheel-drive, fun-to-drive sport sedan or wagon. Saab has been producing high-torque, turbo-equipped engines for many years and the Turbo X is looking to convert you into a turbo-believer.