Free Republic

If you want to see what's really wrong with America, go to the Greater Minneapolis and St. Paul International Auto Show. We don't drive cars anymore. We drive jellybeans. Black ones. That leave a bad taste in your mouth. The Official Show Vehicle is the Dodge Caliber, which replaced the Neon (need I say more?). You'd think the show organizers could have picked something a little more exciting to showcase. Like the Ford Shelby GT500. A nod to the Shelby Mustangs of the late 1960s, this baby has a 5.4-liter, 32-valve V-8 engine that cranks out 450 horsepower. Or the...

The New York Police Department is adding some muscle to its car fleet: the 2006 Dodge Charger, whose 1969 model is best remembered for outrunning a hapless sheriff in "The Dukes of Hazzard." The department plans to buy 15 police versions of the car for a pilot program that will begin this summer, officials said Thursday. In a recent analysis by Michigan State Police, Chargers equipped with a V-8 engine had the quickest acceleration (6.52 seconds to 60 mph) and fastest lap time (150 mph) of any police vehicle tested.

Automakers will be flexing some muscle at this year's North American International Auto Show, with a slew of performance cars that harken back to the V-8-charged glory days of the 1960s and early '70s. On Sunday, the first day of media previews, Ford Motor Co. planned to introduce the Ford Shelby GT500, a souped-up Mustang, and Chrysler Group planned to unveil the Dodge Challenger concept, a revamp of its 1970 model. Later in the show, General Motors Corp. will take the wraps off its Chevrolet Camaro concept. Lamborghini is joining in, bringing out the Miura concept, an update of the...

Edmunds Inside Line is reporting that Chevrolet and Dodge are headed for an RWD concept-car showdown at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, with Chevy unveiling a new Camaro prototype and Dodge introducing a two-door Challenger concept. Both companies, it’s said, are evaluating potential entries to compete with Ford’s new Mustang — though any new model from either company likely won’t likely appear before 2008 for Dodge, and 2009 for Chevrolet. The Camaro concept, unfortunately, won’t likely get any cues from California artist Chris Horton’s Camaro concept .

Critics of last year's reborn Pontiac GTO coupe disliked the car because it didn't look rakish, as did most versions of the iconic 1960s GTO muscle car. But the 2005 GTO looks sportier, with such things as new hood scoops, and its more potent 400-horsepower V-8 makes it the fastest GTO ever. No wonder GTO sales in the first quarter of this year were up 81 percent over the same year-ago period, with 3,261 units sold. Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson said the GTO is "red hot in Southern California, which isn't exactly one of our biggest markets. Los Angeles is...

I remade "Vanishing Point" before I became a Freeper, but its conservative politics are worn proudly. Those of you who saw it when it aired on the Fox network should weigh in with your comments. I look forward to hearing from everyone else when the DVD hits the street March 8th.

On now...

<p>Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997. Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.</p>

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...