There's some debate on the origin of the alley-oop, which refers to one basketball player lobbing the ball in the vicinity of the hoop for another player to drop into the net for a basket. There's no general agreement on either the first player to use the maneuver or what the term means. Was it Al And Gerald Tucker? Was it David Thompson? Does the term come from the French acrobatic term allez-oop? We're not sure. But we know one when we see one. Like in today's 2010 Chevy Camaro Production post from Tonyola to Van_Sarockin.

First Tonyola throws it up:

Yes! Someone in the dark depths of GM truly understands. There's no such thing as too many gauges in a performance car, and I see eight of them on the Camaro. Why do so many hot and wannabe-hot cars only have speedo, tach, fuel, and temp gauges?

Oil and Differential Temperature? Right over there. Altimeter? Absolutely. Spark Advance, Phase of Moon, I think we can squeeze them into the middle of the Speedo.

And about 275 toggle switches. With lights. One marked 'Eject'.

[Photo: Getty Images]

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! In our last matchup, the big-block '72 Ford Torino took advantage of Graverobber's Mad Max-themed PCH Tirade™ to unleash the Lord Humungus' dogs of war upon the '70 Mercury Cougar. Today, we return to a couple of familiar themes rolled into one: the perennial Britain-versus-France PCH Superpower battle and good ol' Fun With Engine Swaps!

I admit it- after finding the '60 Peugeot 403 near my house, I've been searching for a French car project to call my own (this in spite of having been the owner of a sadistically unreliable Peugeot 504 in the past). Thing is, the old Peugeots have something of a power deficit, and it just seems wrong to take the easy way out by doing a Japanese drivetrain transplant. Then Vintage Racer found this genuine Offenhauser turbo engine. Now we're talking! The Offy is a torque monster of a four-banger, with pistons the size of gallon paint cans and a racing history nothing else can touch, and it would be just the powerplant for this '68 Peugeot 404 sedan... which is priced at approximately 1/25th the price of the engine. This 404 gets PCH points for the classic statement "Ran when parked" and the inclusion of a parts car in the deal. You'll need to deal with the transmission and rear end issue, of course, and we suspect the Pug's frame might not really be up to Offy-style twistage... but imagine the looks of awe you'll get as you cruise your town's main drag with the sound of a 30s Indy racer bellowing from your little French sedan.

Did I mention that the engine here was "Overhauled many years ago, not run since?" No? Hey, when you get the impossible-to-find vintage turbo intake and exhaust components as part of the $21,500 deal, you can't complain- you'll sort it out! And you'll definitely be motivated to do so every time you look in your garage... because you'll see that amazing engine sitting on the concrete right next to this '65 Rover 2000 sedan. We don't know how much the seller wants for it, but it's a safe assumption that he or she hasn't exactly been overwhelmed by offers so far, in spite of the fact that it's "all origional, paint is ever pritty good." You can sell the engine (which the seller claims has "less than 8000miles on it since rebuild") to defray, oh, 0.03% of the cost of the Offy, and recline in that fine, fine Rover seat and dream of the day when you own the only Offenhauser-powered Rover sedan in your time zone.

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1,635 HP sounds like an awful lot, but when it comes to the Mosler MT900S Red Devil, it's not even the whole story. Its owner, Mike Vietro, called off the dyno run at a measly 5,600 RPM with power still climbing 70 HP every 100 RPM. Corvette Mike estimates he could have seen as much as 1,800 HP had he let the test continue up to 6,200 RPM. So how does his LS7-powered supercar do it?

The 7.0-liter, 550 HP stock engine is equipped with twin turbos from Nelson Racing Engines and needs race fuel to hit those figures. It carries an auxiliary fuel tank expressly for that purpose, while the main tank hold premium pump gas, which automatically switches the engine into "low 1,000s mode."

The engine will now be put through a final tuning phase before taking to the track I the near future with the aim of setting many speed and performance records.
[via World Car Fans]

After years of lusting for the shape he created as a student at Art Center College of Design in 1990, Chip Foose is finally selling his Hemisfear-inspired Foose Coupe to the public. This one is number 4, the second one on sale to Joe Public, and it's just been delivered to a buyer out Californee-way. You may be wondering why we're reporting on rich guys buying cars today. Well. Considering the massive meltdown of the US auto market, we're forced to actually tell you about every car sold in the US. Each one is big news. Press release below.

Hillbank Motor Corporation, Home of Superformance Distribution, Delivers Its First Foose Coupe

Irvine, CA - On Tuesday, July 17, Hillbank Motor Corporation, the home of
Superformance Distribution and Shelby Distribution USA delivered its first
Foose Coupe to its lucky new owner. "It was a very proud day for us," said
Lance Stander, CEO of Superformance Distribution. "We wish the new owner all
the best and lots of fun driving."

This particular Coupe is the fourth built and only the second available to
the public. It features a unique paint scheme featuring a carbon fiber
spears on the front, back, and sides surrounded by flames hand painted by
Chip Foose himself. Power comes from a 392ci (6.4L) Hemi V8 producing
approximately 500 horsepower and 480 lb-ft torque, with power being sent to
the wheels through a 5-speed manual transaxle. The polished aluminum wheels
are Foose-designed, and are wrapped with Pirelli PZero tires. Inside, the
Foose Coupe features plush leather seating with 4-point safety harnesses,
carbon fiber trim, and a pistol grip shifter.

About the Foose Coupe

The Foose Coupe debuted at the 2006 SEMA Show to incredible reviews from the
automotive press and community and is available to the public as a signature
series limited edition vehicle available through Superformance Distribution.
Production will be limited to just 50 vehicles. The Foose Coupe features a
carbon fiber monocoque body, independent front and rear suspension, 14-inch,
6-piston Baer brakes, and 20-inch Pirelli PZero tires. Each vehicle is
signed by Chip and will be documented in the Foose Registry.

Foose Coupe Features:

* Design: Stylized and Conceived by Chip Foose
* Builder: Metalcrafters, Inc.
* Vehicle Type: Limited Edition, Mid-Engine, Rear Wheel Drive, 2 Passenger, 2 Door Coupe
* Engine: 6.4 L (392 cu.in.) Mopar Hemi V-8, Iron Block, Aluminum Heads or 5.4 L DOHC, 32-Valve, 90-Degree V-8, Ford GT Aluminum Heads
* Fuel Delivery System: Individual Hilborn Throttle Bodies with Velocity Stack Air Intakes (8), AEM Electronic Fuel Injection
* Transmission: ZF 5-Speed Manual Transaxle
* Body and Chassis: Carbon Fiber Monocoque Cabin on Modular Steel Space Frame
* Suspension: Front: Independent, Unequal Length Control Arms, Inboard-mounted Koni Coilover Shock Absorbers Actuated by Rocker Arms. Rear: Independent, Unequal Length Control Arms, Koni Coilover Shock Absorbers
* Brakes: 6-piston Baer Monoblock Calipers, 14" Cross-drilled and Vented Rotors, Tilton Series 75 Master Cylinder
* Steering: Woodward Rack and Pinion
* Tires/Wheels: Front: 225/40 ZR 18 Pirelli PZero on 20 x8 Foose Polished, Rear: 315/35 ZR 20 Pirelli PZero on 20 x12 Foose Polished
* General Data: Weight: 2775 lbs, Overall Length: 163.89", Overall Width: 91.50", Overall Height: 45.39", Wheelbase: 120", Track: 60.94" (Front), 65.51" (Rear)

AP - Sometimes, I guess, timing is everything. When DaimlerChrysler AG announced in 2006 that it planned to bring the Smart fortwo micro car to the United States after nearly a decade in Europe, gas prices had reached about $2.80 a gallon. Now, Americans are paying more than $4 a gallon at the pump, SUV sales are plummeting and consumers are hungry for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.