6-Speed DSG® auto transmission with Tiptronic® and Sport mode.
280hp and 258 lb-ft torque
Sports suspension
Regular gasoline
Estimated fuel economy is at 28 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in the city.
Exterior
Based on the R-Line trim level, the Passat GT gets the same sporty-looking front bumper with LED headlamps and DRLs (daytime running lights). It is available in four colors; Pure White, Reflex Silver, Platinum Grey, and Deep Black with a red accent line (similar to the Golf GTI’s) on the grill. Volkswagen’s sporty design also includes a black roof to match black mirror caps and door trim. Painted red calipers sit behind the 19″ ‘Tornado’ design wheels. An ever-so-subtle spoiler adds some sleekness to the rear along with blackened LED tail lights. The Piano black trend is also part of the Passat, with the interior featuring a piano black center console. A twin exhaust finishes the look at the rear.
Interior
Volkswagen’s leatherette would have you fooled for leather. In the GT, it’s black with grey inserts and grey stitching. The driver’s seat is 8-way power adjustable and both front seats can be heated. The touchscreen offers 6.3′ of capacitive and colored entertainment. Voice control, Bluetooth, CarNet App-Connect, Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto are all standard. SiriusXM comes with a three-month trial period.
Safety
Tha 2018 Volkswagen Passat is awarded a 5-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Features include; Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), and Engine Brake Assist (EBA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution (EBD), and Brake Assist (HBA).
The drive
The Passat GT handles well due to it’s sports suspension. Acceleration is good with a noticeable difference in revs between ‘Normal’ mode and ‘Sport’ mode. With the car being an automatic, in ‘Sport’ mode, it will rev match (a.k.a blipping the throttle) when braking to keep those revs at an optimum for acceleration. Transmission shifts up are quick and smooth. The exhaust has a subtle growl from the V6. In ‘Sport’ mode, the engine definitely has a European revvy attitude., but in ‘Normal’, the car is easily comfortable enough as a daily commuter if you don’t mind a firmer suspension.
2018 Passat GT, Photo: L Baures
Price
Starting at $29,995 MSRP (as per VW website), makes this great value/power compared to its competitors. Check with your preferred Volkswagen dealer for a quote.
Want More Power?
Fremont Motor Volkswagen in Casper, WY are authorized APR tuners. A stage 1 tune would increase horsepower by around 50, giving it more horsepower than it’s rivals. Find out more about APR Tuning.
I’m just going to jump right into the nitty-gritty about this Mustang Shelby GT350 because let’s face it, if you’re looking at this car it’s not for the towing capacity, it’s about performance. 2018 model year didn’t change much from 2017 other than colors. The 2017 model year included the track pack which added an; engine cooler, transmission cooler, differential cooler, aluminum strut brace, the adaptive dampers and rear spoiler.
2018 Mustang Shelby GT350 in Sheridan Wyoming, Photo: L Baures.
Performance
Shelby GT350 Specs:
5.2 liter V-8
526 hp
429 lb-ft torque
0-60 in 4.2 seconds
First stop in the Shelby is to go get gas, and this is where the car lured me into a false sense of security. The gas station was less than 500 yards away so I potted along gently, easing on the accelerator and clutch not knowing what to expect. It drives just like a ‘normal’ car at slow speeds and through the town. The car is fairly low to the ground (helping aerodynamics and handling) which means care is to be taken on steeper inclines as to not scuff the front underside.
Opening up the car you are met with the meanest of growls from the exhaust, that will sometimes pop and cackle, which in my case, makes me giggle like a 2-year-old. Acceleration is worked for, if you want it, it’s there. You’ll get back what you put in.
Push it half-heartedly and you’ll be met with a normal car, push it hard and the car responds like you just gave it an energy drink. The exhaust is an ‘active valve exhaust’ with a switch in the center stack to make it louder or quieter.
I switched it to quieter briefly going through the town although didn’t notice a huge difference. This may differ on a track though and might be a handy feature not just for your neighbors but if end up at a track that noise tests. This car is after all meant for the track but can also be an everyday driver.
The GT350R is a more aggressive track version of the GT350 with no back seats, bigger front splitter, carbon fiber wheels, wing, and stiffer suspension. The GT500 is the straight-line version, Shelby.
An exhaust note that’ll make you grin like a Cheshire cat.
Ford worked hard on the sound of the exhaust, in a press release they said, “Strum a chord on an acoustic guitar, and you get a clean, simple sound wave – that’s your quiet Brahms’ Lullaby kind of mood,” he said. “Plug that guitar into an amp and crank it up to 11, and that’s your aggressive, crackling sound that really rocks your soul. We call that track mode.”
Video
Transmission
Exclusively available with the TREMEC® 6-speed manual transmission, gear changes are short, easy, and satisfying. Especially considering the redline is 8250rpm. The clutch is not at all what you’d expect for a performance car. Usually, they are stiff with short travel and heavy. No need to be doing left leg squats for this Mustang. The clutch pedal has a lot of travel, sits high off the floor and soft enough to manage even in traffic. The downside to this is if your short like me (5’3″) my knee is up slightly higher than normal.
Handling
It is a muscle car, which to most people might bring up connotations of sloppy soft suspension, but the Shelby GT350 is meant to be taken to the track (you know, one that has corners) so, a soft suspension wouldn’t be much fun in that instance. It’s more like a cross, that I’d call a ‘toned muscle car’. It has the muscle and the grunt, yes, but it’s refined to where it can perform …on the corners.
There is a very distinct feeling of the rear wheels pushing the car around corners. I approached a corner that was initially a big wide sweeping corner. It turned into (no pun intended) a much tighter (from a left 5 to a left 3 tightens in rally driving terms). Feathering the throttle, with weight on the outside of the corner, the g-force takes my ponytail.
The car turns in tight and the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires grip beyond what you’d normally expect. This is very much a drivers car that could easily have potential to go wrong. To help get the most out of the car and hone in those driving skills, Ford performance offers a complimentary track day for GT350 owners.
The MagneRide® suspension is adaptable to both comfortable cruising and more aggressive driving between ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport ‘ modes. I did not have the opportunity to try out ‘Track Mode’ although I’d love to see what this car is capable of on the track.
Interior
The deep Recaro bucket seats are a lot more rigid than say the likes of the Challenger bucket seats. Challenger seats are softer and more ‘forgiving’. You can’t argue the Mustang seats do a great job of holding you in place.
Again, with me being smaller, I don’t have much room between the bolsters and my elbows. Mainly because my legs are short. I don’t think Ford really had in mind a small female when they were designing the car so not the cars fault. Other than the bolsters being too big for me to be comfortable turning the steering wheel, I prefer the more rigid Alcantara bucket seats in the Mustang. This reduces the chance of sliding around in the seat.
Also wrapped in Alcantara is the steering wheel which is beautiful. It is just the right size, with good feedback, ever so important flat bottom and the line at the top. In the center console at the bottom are toggle switches reminiscent of a race car with features embedded such as; launch control, line lock and active exhaust.
Don’t get too excited about the rear seats. Yes, they are there and yes you might fit a small human (unless I’m driving thus making more space in the back!). They are more of a glorified shelf in the form of rear bucket seats.
Apparently, if you fold them down, you hear the exhaust better or create more cargo room.
Some of the features included are;
Track Apps
Aluminum instrument panel (Shelby exclusive)
Aluminum foot pedals
Grey accent gauge cluster
Miko® Suede seats and door trim.
Ford Mustang GT350, Photo: L Baures
In front of the BigHorn Mountains, Photo: L Baures
Brad Lehmam, Sales Consultant at Fremont Ford and Lincoln, Riverton, WY
We interviewed him to find out a little more, here are the questions we asked;
How long have you worked in the Auto Industry?
Brad has worked in the industry as a sales consultant for almost a year.
What is your favorite part of the job as a sales consultant?
His favorite part of the job is meeting new people and getting the experience he gets when selling them a new vehicle.
Where did you grow up?
Brad grew up in Riverton Wyoming.
When you aren’t working, what are you doing?
When he’s not working, Brad says he’s usually spending time with his family, hunting, fishing or in the outdoors. Brad had just gotten back from a week-long hunting trip.
What are you passionate about?
Brad says he is passionate about his family, which is currently expanding.
What is your favorite food?
His favorite is pasta or a steak. “Can’t go wrong with a steak ha”.
What is your favorite Color?
Brad’s favorite color is blue.
How about music. What kind of music do you like?
“My favorite music is country music”.
What was your first car?
Brad’s first car was a 76 Chevy Pickup.
If money was no object, what vehicle would you own?
“If money was no object, I would own a fully restored 1970 Chevy pickup”.
Contact Brad
If you would like to know more about Brad or have him assist you in purchasing or trading vehicles, feel free to give him a call on 307 332 4083. You can also send him an email at [email protected]. Send him a congratulations on his expanding family! Pop into the Riverton Ford and Lincoln Dealership at 1601 N Federal Blvd, Riverton, Wyoming, 82501.
For more information on the dealership, click here.
In June 2018, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing in Washing D.C. to discuss the future of autonomous vehicle and transportation infrastructure. Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Senator Barrasso’s opening statement included, “New vehicle technologies offer many potential benefits and could transform the way that we view surface transportation all together”. He went on to say that, “Soon, elderly and disabled American’s, as well as those without a car of their own, may be able to travel via vehicle with greater ease and greater independence. Likewise, these innovations have great potential to reduce crashes and fatalities, to improve mobility and to increase the efficiency of the roadway system.”
Bill Panos, Director, WYDOT Photo courtesy WYDOT
Wy Dept. of Transport Director William Panos testifies at Senate hearing.
During the discussion that lasted an hour and a half, William Panos opening statement addresses some concerns looking to the future. He questions how autonomous vehicles will handle roadwork zones, and what are the signage and striping requirements. Panos also brings up, that enabling DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) on long rural highways could be costly, so would there be an alternative, such as using cellular networks. He also mentions that the FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) announced a series of meetings to discuss autonomous vehicles and infrastructure and encouraged Congress to move forward with those meetings. WYDOT is currently testing DSRC on I-80.
Wyoming testing connected vehicles.
During the entire hearing, Wyoming was mentioned more times than Detroit. Probably because it’s one of only 3 States currently testing connected vehicles. The Wyoming Dept. of Transportation (WYDOT) runs a connected vehicle pilot program that includes Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication, Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communication and Infrastructure to Vehicle (I2V) to communication. The idea behind this is to ultimately improve safety by monitoring I-80 and alerting drivers of road conditions. Panos stated that in 2016, there were more than 1600 crashes on I-80, which resulted in 18 fatalities and 271 injuries. In December of 2016, I-80 was only fully open for 8 days.
“The Wyoming pilot program will test new safety technology, such as advanced forward collision warnings, to let travelers know of crashes ahead,” Panos said. “It will also provide immediate situational awareness warnings about weather alerts, speed restrictions, parking availability, and so forth; detailed and current work zone warnings; specialized spot weather impact warnings for ice, fog, and other hazards; and notifications from disabled vehicles.”
Connected vehicles, aren’t necessarily autonomous vehicles, Panos says, but people are driving cars increasingly equipped to able to receive DRSC data. In fact, over 100,000 DSRC equipped Toyota’s are currently on the road in Japan, according to automotive journalist Aaron Turpen of TorqueNews. Turpen’s article also states that Toyota and Lexus will have the technology in the U.S. by 2021.
The system was initially tested on WYDOT vehicles but has now expanded into fleet and freight vehicles.
Shailen Bhatt, President, and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) also testified at the hearing. “Advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, and wireless communications have inspired a race to make the next generation of mobility a reality. We are on the leading edge of a technology revolution that will define the way people, goods, and information move in the 21st century.” He also talks about maintenance of existing roads, bridges and other infrastructure is critical to being globally competitive.
Bhatt requests for long-term sustainable funding and that there be a Federal framework in place for consistency. “…so that we don’t have 50 different States (and then along with other cities and jurisdictions) developing their own standards when it comes to the operation of these vehicles.’
New York Commissioner says it should be up to the vehicle’s, not the city’s infrastructure.
New York Commissioner Trottenberg said, “Comments from industry suggest that cities need to get their infrastructure ready for the deployment of HAV’s (Highly Automated Vehicles). I would argue just the opposite.” she said. “New HAV technology should instead be prepared to operate safely and effectively in complex and urban environments, in snow, with traffic control officers managing an intersection when signals are out, and judgment is needed. Or when pavement conditions or lane markings are deteriorated.” Trottenberg says, “It’s simply not realistic or feasible to expect cities to overhaul their existing roadway infrastructure to accommodate a still, somewhat, unproven technology.”
Moving forward
Further discussion brought up points such as; a ‘vehicle eye test’ to make sure the vehicle knows what it is seeing is real, a rating system for cybersecurity of that similar to the NHTSA 5-star safety rating and a roadway classification system (that would determine the difference in roads from dirt roads to highways). There was also mention of a road usage charge to fund the new technology.
“Autonomous Vehicles and Transportation Infrastructure .” C-SPAN.org | National Politics | History | Nonfiction Books, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, 13 June 2018, www.c-span.org/video/?446972-1%2Fsenate-committee-examines-infrastructure-autonomous-vehicles.
Inama, Aimee. “WYDOT Director Bill Panos Addresses U.S. Senate Committee about Intelligent Driving Systems.” WYDOT, Wyoming Department of Transportation, 15 June 2018, www.dot.state.wy.us/news/wydot-director-bill-panos-addresses-us-senate-committee-about-intellig.
Turpen, Aaron. “Toyota to Have Connected Vehicle Technologies in the US by 2021.” New Atlas – New Technology & Science News, New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2018, newatlas.com/toyota-connected-vehicle-dsrc/54283/.
Two Times National Finals Rodeo (NFR) Bullfighter Nate Jestes is in Casper, Wyoming for the College National Finals Rodeo.
A Fort Collins, Colorado native, Nate went to school at Montana State University but currently lives in Douglas, WY. Nate and his wife travel all over the United States from the Ellensburg WA to Billings MT for Nate to fight bulls. Whilst in Casper for the CNFR, we get an interview to find about more about him.
The CNFR continues at the Casper Events Center every evening this week until the Finals on Sat June 16th.
Just some of Nate’s bullfighting titles are as follows;
Twice NFR Bullfighter
Two-times Columbia River Circuit Finals Bullfighter
Twice PBR Velocity Tour Finals Bullfighter
2015 NFR Top 5 Shortlist Selection
2015 Ram Mountain States Circuit Finals
2016 Bullfighters Only – Las Vegas – Reserve Champion, RFDTV’s The American – Champion, Oklahoma City PBR – Champion, Lewiston Round-Up- Champion, Dodge City Round-Up-Champion
Twice National Western Stock Show and Rodeo Champion Freestyle Bullfighter
2015 Bulls of the West Freestyle Bullfight Champion
2014 American Bullfighting Year End Champion
2013 Rex Dunn Memorial Champion Freestyle Bullfighter
2013 Colorado State Fair Champion Freestyle Bullfighter
2013 James Pierce Invitational Champion Freestyle Bullfighter
You could win a Jeep and help fundraise for Hunting with Heroes Wyoming
1890 Screen and Stitch and 1890 Craft Apparel based out of Caper, Wyoming, have partnered with Hunting with Heroes Wyoming on a joint fundraiser. They will be giving away a brand new 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon from Fremont Motors and a 2018 Polaris General 4 1000 from Driven Powersports and Marine. These won’t just be any vehicles though, both of them are getting outfitted with top of the range accessories. Not only that, but the Wrangler is top of the range to begin with; an off-road trail rated Rubicon.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon will be the 1st place prize
Scott from 1890 Craft and Apparel decided that Hunting with Heroes WY was a great non-profit organization to partner with due to the appeal of what they do for people. Scott said in our interview he wanted to able to give back.
How to purchase a raffle ticket
To be in with a 1 in 5000 chance of winning, raffle tickets are available to purchase for $100 online at www.wearewyo.com or visit Fremont Motors in Casper, Driven Powersports or 1890 Craft and Apparel. There will be a live drawing on Oct. 4th in Casper.
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