Latest Cars Reviews Blog

Sixth-Generation VW Golf GTI Headed to the US this Summer

2009-10-07T01:37:00.001-07:00

VW has announced that the sixth-generation of the iconic VW Golf GTI will be hitting dealerships in Germany in a few days. The more exciting news is that the new GTI will be available in North America by late summer.

The Mark VI builds upon the successes of the current generation with slightly more aggressive styling and a front-end similar to the Scirocco. The GTI is powered by a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder with 210 horsepower (up 10). It reaches 0-62 mph in 6.9 seconds. The GTI is available with either a six-speed manual or the six-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG). The DSG equipped GTI achieves the same 0-62 mph time as the manual.

Detroit 3 pull out of 2009 Tokyo Motor Show

2009-10-03T08:40:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Trends, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, GM

Word that Detroit automakers are pulling out of this year's Tokyo Motor Show may strike some as retribution for Japanese automakers' very public failure to show at this year's North American International Auto Show. After all, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki all pulled out of the Detroit show, right? In reality, the true answer is less conspiratorial and more financial in nature. Exhibiting at a major show requires a seven-figure outlay (General Motors reportedly spent $2 million for their presence at the 2007 Tokyo show), and none of the Detroit 3 have what could be called a major presence in the Japanese market.

No matter the reason, GM and Chrysler are now confirming that they have pulled out of October's Tokyo Motor Show, and word is that Ford didn't meet last year's sign-up deadline, so they probably won't be in attendance, either. Given the high cost associated with building and staffing an international auto show stand - not to mention diminishing crowds and increased exposure through other forms of media (*ahem*) - this sort of story is likely to become more and more common until industry and the wider economy sorts itself out. In fact, if recent reports are accurate, the entire Tokyo Motor Show is itself in doubt.

[Source: Automotive News- sub. req'd.]

Detroit 3 pull out of 2009 Tokyo Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wolfgang Bernhard is back... at Magna?

2009-10-01T06:20:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

This is the man who brought the world the Dodge Tomahawk and advised the three-headed dog in its acquisition of Chrysler from the Germans. Former Chrysler Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Bernhard is apparently working in an advisory role to Magna International at is tries to find its way through the morass that is today's auto industry. Automotive News reports that Bernhard is currently focusing on Magna's Russian business. More than half of Magna's business is currently with U.S.-based automakers, which are going through a particularly hard time right now in case you hadn't noticed. Magna wants to increase its overseas sales and that's where Bernhard comes in. It's not known yet if Bernhard will take up a full-time spot with Magna, but we for one would like to see him back in the role of a major power player in the global auto industry.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Wolfgang Bernhard is back... at Magna? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Germany’s E-Wolf Is Targetting Ferrari With New Electric Supercar

2009-10-01T04:17:00.001-07:00

It seems these days that a new electric sports car concept is announced almost every month but it’s not often that we get to see the actual concept in the metal, so to speak, or in the case of the new E1, in the carbon-fiber composite. The E1 electric roadster is the latest creation of German firm E-Wolf and it is just one of two new electric vehicles from the company, with the latter vehicle set to compete with the likes of Ferrari in the performance arena.

Working in partnership with the Saxony Lightweight Center and the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology at the Technical University of Dresden, E-Wolf unveiled its street-legal E1 roadster at the recent 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show and plans to add the E2 supercar to its lineup in about two years.

The key to the cars’ performance is a light weight structure. In the case of the E1, the entire chassis weighs in at just 1,102-pounds but this comes at a cost as the vehicle can only accommodate drivers weighing up to 150-pounds.

Power comes from a 150-horsepower AC induction motor with 185-pound-feet of torque. This is enough to propel the E1 from 0-62 mph in less than five seconds and see it reach a top speed of 143 mph. An array of lithium-ion batteries will see the E1 drive up to 200-miles on a single charge.

While the E1 can be bought today at a price of €150,000 (approximately $218,818), E-Wolf is also working on an E2 supercar due in 2011.

The E2 will feature four electric motors, one in each wheel, delivering a combined output of 544-horsepower and 737-pound-feet of torque–All this in a chassis that is expected to weigh around 2,000-pounds.

So far the E2 only exists in computer-generated rendering form but its designers promise the car will be able to reach a top speed of 155 mph. Hopefully the production version will stay true to the concept’s lines.

Originally post at Motorauthority.com

RideLust Random: Kavinsky’s Testarossa Overdrive

2009-10-01T02:17:00.001-07:00

Kavinsky is a zombie in need of revenge, killed when he crashed his Ferrari Testarossa in 1986. His records are the story of his first steps in the world of the living dead.

Electric-Powered MINI E Delayed Due to High Demand

2009-10-01T00:18:00.001-07:00

BMW had hoped to release the electric powered MINI E early this year, but due to overwhelming demand the release has been delayed until April. BMW has received 1,800 applications for the car, but only plans on producing 450 units. The high number of applications have delayed the process.

Since only 450 units are going to be produced BMW now has to go through the task of notifying most of the interested parties that they will not be receiving the vehicle. In order to qualify for the MINI E, a potential driver must live in Los Angeles, New York or New Jersey. In addition the driver must have a lockable garage that can accept a built-in charger to charge the MINI and lastly they must be willing to pay $850 a month to lease the car for a year.

2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids are Eligible for $3,400 Tax Credit

2009-09-30T22:35:00.003-07:00

Ford has announced that the new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids are now eligible for a $3,400 tax credit.

The $3,400 tax credit is the highest credit amount offered for a hybrid since the end of 2005.

The Fusion and Milan Hybrids have been rated at 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, which is better than its closest competitor, the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

If you are planning on buying one of Ford's newest hybrids you better do it before March 31, 2009 because after that the tax credit will be cut in half.

GM Gets First $4 Billion, Chrysler Not So Much [Carpocalypse Now]

2009-09-30T22:35:00.001-07:00

GM gets first $4 billion. Chrysler? Still waiting. [CNNMoney]

Detroit 2009: Third-gen Prius arrives with 50 mpg combined rating [w/VIDEO]

2009-09-30T20:45:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hatchbacks, Toyota

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius

After teasing us for months with photos of switches and boot up screens, followed by a leak of the whole car, Toyota finally dropped the third generation 2010 Prius today in Detroit. We already heard many of the mechanical details over the past year or so, but today it was confirmed that the Prius will get a combined EPA rating of 50 mpg. That's 50 mpg under the new tighter EPA testing method, mind you. The engine has been up-sized to 1.8L with an output of 98 hp and the total net output of the hybrid drive system is 134 hp.

The basic design is still instantly recognizable as a Prius, but the body does have a bit more character than before. Nonetheless the shape is smoother with a drag coefficient of just 0.25. The peak of the roof has now been moved back 4 inches giving the car a slightly less egg-shaped profile and increasing rear headroom. Aside from optional extras like LED headlights and lane departure prevention, the most interesting new option is the solar roof. A roof-mounted photo-voltaic panel will power the air recirculation system when the car sits in the sun, reducing the internal temps and the subsequent load on the air conditioning system. The Prius goes on sale later this spring but pricing hasn't been announced yet. Hit the jump to view video of the live press conference.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: 2010 Toyota Prius

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Third-gen Prius arrives with 50 mpg combined rating [w/VIDEO]

Detroit 2009: Third-gen Prius arrives with 50 mpg combined rating [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beat The Housing And Transportation Crisis, Live In A Shipping Container

2009-09-30T20:44:00.001-07:00

PNFC Global Communities co-founder Paul McCarthy and his three partners, Pablo Nava, Kyle Annen, and Mackenzie Bishop have made being destitute almost chic. According to the report in AZCentral, the creation of PNFC was inspired by a trip McCarthy took three years ago as an MBA student to the impoverished Mexico border city, Juarez, where he observed the deplorable living conditions of Fortune 1000 employees. Co-founding PNFC Global Communities, McCarthy made it his mission to change that by converting empty shipping containers into affordable homes, complete with air conditioning, ventilation, electrical wiring, and running water. Although technicalities have complicated mass production, the prototype PNFC managed to design illustrates their larger goal, which is to create entire communities of affordable, aesthetically tolerable housing. The current design model is a standard shipping container, measuring 40′ x 8′ x 8½, and features a modestly sized kitchen, bathroom [including the necessary plumbing], dinette area, and two separate bedrooms. Windows are carved out on either side of the container, and the exterior has been painted white to help deflect the heat.

The biggest problem McCarthy and his associates are facing is akin to similar hurdles designers in the auto industry face, which is keeping the production design true to concept form. More specifically, PNFC is struggling to maintain the core principle on which the container homes were conceived: portable and affordable. The concept container measures a total of 320 square feet, the standard size for shipping containers, in order to allow mass quantities of the units to be transported as well as efficiently stacked to create neat little apartment units [replete with balconies and staircases]. The problem is engineering such compact quarters while keeping the total cost under $8,000. Ultimately, the homes are intended to raise the standards of living in Juarez and places in similar conditions, where hard working families often live in ramshackle housing. McCarthy is quick to explain that PNFC’s housing developments are not intended to be welfare, however, but rather as a stepping stone for workers looking to build up some equity and move onto bigger and better things.

Currently, McCarthy and his associates are in talks with a Mexican law firm local to the Juarez area that has dealt with work-to-housing programs in the past, attempting to make deals with local Fortune 1000 companies in the area to fund PNFC’s start-up costs. They hope to begin production in the near future.

[Photo Cred: www.lwarc.com]

Detroit 2009: Lincoln MKT debuts with a big, toothy smile

2009-09-30T18:37:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Lincoln

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Lincoln MKT

Ford has a major-league hit on its hands with the 2009 Flex crossover - with the media. Sadly, despite its varied and considerable charms, sales haven't met the Blue Oval's admittedly lofty expectations. Blame the recession, blame the marketing department, blame the Flex's divisive styling, blame what you will, but Dearborn is plainly going to have to find more volume for its D4 platform. Enter the 2010 Lincoln MKT.

It doesn't take more than a brief glance to realize that Ford's stylists have exacted much more than a quick nip/tuck on the rectilinear Flex en-route to minting this new Lincoln. But beyond the crossover's assertive looks, there is a host of new technology on offer inside and out that should help put the MKT on luxury crossover shopping lists. Follow the jump to learn more about the MKT and read Lincoln's official press release.

Gallery: 2010 Lincoln MKT

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Lincoln MKT debuts with a big, toothy smile

Detroit 2009: Lincoln MKT debuts with a big, toothy smile originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Active Park Assist: In Action! [Detroit Auto Show]

2009-09-30T18:37:00.001-07:00

We gave you the info late last night about Ford's new Active Park Assist. Now here's video of the system in action along with the first look at the 2010 MKS's paddle shifters.

Ford's Active Park Assist looks to be much more controlled than the system Lexus debuted on the LS460 and will be available as an option on the 2010 Lincoln MKS and the upcoming 2010 Lincoln MKT crossover that will debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

Active Park Assist will accompany Ford's new Electric Power Assisted Steering in the 2010 Lincoln MKS and MKT and will be featured in the rest of Ford's lineup in 2012.

A new six-speed auto-transmission with steering wheel flappy paddle shifters will be available on the 2010 Lincoln MKS and upcoming 2010 Ford Taurus. You'll notice them in the video above if you're paying attention. It's the first time these new shifters have been spotted in the wild.

[YouTube via Ford]

GM Reportedly Kills the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST!

2009-09-30T16:35:00.003-07:00

Pickuptruck.com is reporting that GM has quietly decided to kill plans for the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST.

GM unveiled the Pontiac G8 ST last year at the New York Auto show. The unibody pickup version of the G8 sedan was expected to be V8 powered, feature a 74-inch cargo bed and be able to tow up to 3,500 pounds. The vehicle immediately recalled previous vehicles like the Chevrolet El Camino and Ford Ranchero.

Last month, Susan Docherty, vice president of Buick-Pontiac-GMC stated that GM was going to pare down the number of Pontiac vehicles and that the G8 ST was under review to see if it made sense.

The G8 ST was expected to be launched as a 2010 model with prices starting in the low $30,000's. It was also rumored that GM was going to introduce a V6 version of the vehicle with the same direct-injection V6 as the upcoming Camaro.

Should we be sad?

Remember When Top Gear Got the Bugatti Veyron Up To Top Speed?

2009-09-30T16:35:00.001-07:00

Top Gear is the only show I watch consistently anymore (I used to watch Arrested Development, until they were canceled). I remember when this was aired originally, and I loved it. I loved the way it was filmed and edited and I loved how they got James May to do the driving, since he’s usually the slow one. His expression really shows how awesome that kind of speed is.

407km/h=253mph

Detroit 2009: Volvo S60 Concept debuts sexy Scandinavian design

2009-09-30T14:46:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Volvo

Click above for high-res gallery of the Volvo S60 Concept

Volvo's big deal for the 2009 Detroit Auto Show is the S60 Concept, which debuts a new design direction for the Scandinavian brand once known for elevating the art of boxes on wheels. Volvo has continually evolved its signature design language, adding curves and bulges to make its vehicles look more organic than cubic. The culmination of that movement is the S60 Concept, which previews the next-gen S60 production sedan.

The concept features a coupe-like roofline and elegant front end brandishing the largest version of Volvo's iron mask badge that we've ever seen. A new character line running along the sides of the concept nicely updates the broad shoulder that's common on the brand's current cars and SUVs. There are lots of other cool exterior details, which you can read about in the press release after the jump, but the interior is the concept's crown jewel. The floating center stack, inspired by current Volvo production interiors, was made by hand out of Orrefors crystal.

The S60 concept is also full of safety tech, including a Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and pedestrian detection system that will debut in the production S60. It works to avoid collisions with pedestrians under 20 km/h altogether and minimize injury for ones occurring at faster speeds. Powered by a 1.8L four-cylinder turbodiesel with direct injection, the S60 Concept is also frugal with fuel, burning through just 5.0 liters of petrol every 100 km (about 47 mpg U.S.)

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Volvo S60 Concept

Gallery: Volvo S60 Concept

[Source: Volvo]

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Volvo S60 Concept debuts sexy Scandinavian design

Detroit 2009: Volvo S60 Concept debuts sexy Scandinavian design originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LeMons Arse Freeze-A-Palooza People's Curse Winner: The Blues Brothers Ford Crown Victoria! [24 Hours Of Lemons]

2009-09-30T14:45:00.001-07:00

At every 24 Hours Of LeMons race, the teams vote on the car they'd like to see destroyed… and they get their wish! This time it was the manual-trans-equipped Crown Vic of Blues Brothers Racing.

The Curse was a really tough call this time; sometimes a team really stands out for its overly aggressive driving (e.g., Salazar Racing at LeMons South), and other times the perception of budgetary cheating dooms a team's car (e.g., the Bum Steers Miata at LeMons Texas), but this time things weren't so black-and-white. I wasn't on judicial duty when the Blues Brothers' Crown Vic went through the BS Inspection, so I don't know how the team explained away that manual transmission (which is a tough conversion), and the engine power seemed orders of magnitude beyond what the other Police Interceptors on the track were managing. Maybe they were completely legit, or maybe they were doing some Smokey Yunick-grade cheating, but it's the mob's perception that counts here, and word in the pits was that they had an OHC Cobra engine (they didn't) and a 6-speed (not sure). There were mixed reports concerning their on-track conduct as well; some teams accused the Blues Brothers of being rogue cops on a rampage, bashing and crashing their way around the track, while others said they were driving like perfect gentlemen. When the ballots were counted, however, the will of the people became clear: crush the cop car!

Chief Perp Jay Lamm felt that the Blues Brothers got a bum rap, so he instructed the People's Curse Executioner to use his skills to rip up the car pretty well, but not destroy it so thoroughly that the car couldn't be used in a future race (as he did to the widely loathed Mazdasaurus Wrecks a year ago). So, the doors, hood, and trunk were torn off and the body chewed up quite a bit, but the frame and drivetrain were left intact.

As it turned out, the Blues Brothers team thrashed away on their cursed machine and got it back into racing condition within an hour. It went back onto the track and was faster than ever, thanks to the weight reduction. In fact, this Crown Victoria turned the fastest lap of the entire race! That time was an absolutely stunning 1:31.474, which was nearly five seconds quicker than the race winner and more than a second quicker than the second-quickest lap (by the Eyesore Racing Frankenmiata). You Caprice owners can consider the gauntlet officially thrown down- you going to let this Ford dominate the Reno race in May?

Thanks to Mad_Science for the photos!

Jeremy Clarkson Names 2009 Corvette ZR1 Best Car Of 2008 [Jeremy Clarkson]

2009-09-30T12:57:00.001-07:00

Cranky Brit auto-journalist extraordinaire Jeremy Clarkson has, shockingly, named the 2009 Corvette ZR1 the best car of this past year. Of course, he also selected an American car as one of the worst.

When Jeremy Clarkson first reviewed the ZR1 he claimed love for the American-made supercar despite the propensity for it to disintegrate. In his year-end retrospective for the Sunday Times he essentially repeats this claim but says, despite this, it was the best car of the year.

And then out of nowhere came the ZR1, which has a supercharged V8 that manages to be both docile and extraordinarily savage all at the same time. I’ve been trying to think of a dog that pulls off a similar trick, but there isn’t one. And anyway, this car is not a dog.

Oh, it’s not built very well. After just three days in my care, the boot lock disintegrated and the keyless go system refused to acknowledge the keys were in the car, but I didn’t mind because there is simply no other car that looks this good, goes this fast – in a straight line and around corners – and that most of the time bumbles about like a forgetful uncle. And when you throw in the price tag of just £106,690 – lots for a Corvette but modest next to a similarly powerful Ferrari – the case for the defence can sit down and put up its feet knowing that the prosecutor simply has nowhere to go.

It is an epic car and I’m only sad that unless the healthcare and pensions company that makes it can be turned around, it will be the last of the breed.

By selecting the new Corvette ZR1 as the best car of this past year Clarkson is agreeing with our ZR1 review, in which we stated it was "the best car ever made" and had an Amerigasm so massive the earth shook. He also seconds our fear of the Carpocalypse halting the return of the great American car.

Of course, he has some bad things to say about the Chrysler Sebring but, c'mon, who doesn't hate the Sebring?

The Sebring is an extraordinary car. Ugly to behold and hateful to drive, it is not cheap, elegant, comfortable, practical, prestigious, clever, economical, luxurious, well designed, well thought out or, if the rental car I drove in America this year is anything to go by, especially well made either.

As always, it's an entertaining read. Hat tip to Manic Synic.

[Times Online]

Photo Credit: TopGear.com]

Random: The Delicious Daewoo Watermelon Car

2009-09-30T12:56:00.001-07:00

I don’t care how silly everyone else thinks this car is, I love it. It’s a watermelon for pete’s sake, the most delicious of all the very large fruits. The paint job is actually really well done, it’s even has the black trim inside against the watermelon red interior. Perfect.

Here are the rest of the pictures:

Ten Cars And The Type Of Women They Attract [Top Ten]

2009-09-30T10:50:00.001-07:00

The primary concern of many males purchasing a vehicle (not us of course) is what type of member of the opposite sex it may lure. Here's ten cars and the corresponding women they attract.

Many guys hope their new car purchase will allow them to roll up to the line standing in the cold at their corner club on a Saturday night, and have the hottest woman waiting decide the car running its engine is the coziest place on earth for them. We here at Jalopnik know better. We know unless you're driving up in the hottest of hot supercars, the car you drive has less to do with attracting the girl you really want and more to do with attracting — well — other types of women. So instead of snagging Hottest Woman of 2008 Jennifer Connelly (seen to the left), you'll probably be swingin' with the following. Depending on which car you're driving, of course.

Click On The Photo To See The Woman Each Car Attracts

10.) 80's Era Muscle Car

9.) Late Model Euro Tuner

8.) Jacked-Up Offroader

7.) Rare Italian Exotic

6.) Clapped-Out Rice Rocket

5.) Classic VW Microbus

4.) Mack Daddy Pimp Cadillac

3.) NASCAR

2.) Old School Hot Rod

1.) Sensible Japanese Import

[via Motive]

Eddie Murphy Spotted Facing The Wrong Direction In California Traffic

2009-09-30T10:47:00.001-07:00

In Culver City, California, the giant likeness of Eddie Murphy was photographed trailing behind a pick-up truck on the Sepevulda Pass. Some speculate it’s a marketing move from Murphy, but I think he’s got enough sense to know it’d take more than a paper mâché bust to undo the damage caused by Meet Dave and Norbit. Unfortunately, no details were provided with the picture beyond its location when it was taken, and since Eddie Murphy is less relevant to mainstream pop culture than MST3k [sadly, but I'm rooting for you anyway, Cinematic Titanic!], I really don’t have anything else to give you.

So hit the jump, and enjoy the awesome head

[Photo Source: TheJay.com]

What Would Santa Drive? [Question Of The Day]

2009-09-30T08:54:00.003-07:00

It's Christmas Eve and, if you're anything like us, you're trying to avoid doing any work. Instead of chatting up the receptionist, give us your thoughts on what Santa would drive.

Though we like the idea of classic American metal, as shown above, we're actually thinking a bit more practically. It needs to be fast enough to get around the world in seconds. It needs to be able to hold presents for the good and, even more ridiculously, coal for everyone else. It also needs to be reliable enough to make it through visits to a million homes. Also, the cockpit needs to be able to hold a portly man on a cookie and whole milk binge. Clearly, the answer is an Audi RS6 Avant.

It's a wagon, with room for Hannah Montana DVDs and coal. The cabin was designed for portly Germans, easily holding old St. Nick. Fast? That puppy features a Lambo twin-turbo V10 propelling the heavy wagon to Audi R8-level quarter-mile and 0-62 times. Plus, it looks freaking cool.

Frohe Weihnachten, Pelznickel!

Photo Dossey's Diversions

Winner of the RideLust Caption Contest: …CALCULATING NEW ROUTE

2009-09-30T08:54:00.001-07:00

We have a winner of the RideLust caption contest.

It’s Jonnyg with his caption “…CALCULATING NEW ROUTE.”

Unfortunately Jonnyg, we gave away all of our diamond encrusted iPhones last time, so all we can send you is our unending gratitude. Good job.

Detroit Auto Show: Green driving comes to Cobo's basement

2009-09-30T07:31:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Unless you're trying to outrun a Corvette in a Fiesta, driving indoors is not typically recommended, what with the toxic fumes and all. Low-emissions vehicles may change that and the Detroit Auto Show's organizers will illustrate it by converting Cobo Center's Michigan Hall into a green test track. Sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the MEDC EcoXperience will offer show-goers the chance to drive a variety of environmentally-friendly new vehicles around a forested 1/8-mile test track.

The list of participating vehicles has yet to be confirmed, but it could include some six to twelve different (almost assuredly all American) vehicles, including the Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. Public visitors will have the chance to put-put around the track at 10 mph with a professional co-pilot in between trees and waterfalls. And just in case the low- or zero-emissions vehicles manage to spew a bit more fumes than the trees can convert, there will be air quality monitoring devices in place.

Of course, none of this would have been possible if all those automakers hadn't withdrawn from the show, allowing the Chinese companies that were previously relegated to the Michigan Hall to move upstairs, thus clearing the way for the forest track to be installed. We'll check it out for you next week when the Autoblog caravan rolls into Detroit.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Detroit Auto Show: Green driving comes to Cobo's basement originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano with the Mirror Finish

2009-09-30T07:31:00.001-07:00

Every other website that posts this Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano picture has the inevitable “Those Saudi freaks and their money…they’re douchebags and they lack class”.

Whatever. This car is freaking awesome and you know it. Look how shiny it is. I mean… it’s so shiny.

What’s the deal, you ask? Is that a chrome finish on there. No, the 599GTB has an all aluminum body, and if you sandblast off all the paint, and spend thousands of hours polishing aluminum, you get a badass mirror finish. Say what you will, I respect the effort.

Check the pics:

SEMA 08' Preview: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Unveiled

2009-09-30T06:04:00.003-07:00

GM officially unveiled the Pontiac Solstice Coupe at the New York Auto Show earlier this year and now the automaker is going to show off a GXP version of the coupe at this year's SEMA show.

GM Plans Chevy Orlando Concept All-In-One Utility Vehicle, Apparently Unfamiliar With Idiom: “Jack of All Trades, Master of None”

2009-09-30T06:04:00.001-07:00

Beating the Ford Kuga to the American punch, Chevy has announced plans to unveil their new crossover SUV, the Chevy Orlando, at the Paris auto show next month. The 7-seater multi-purpose vehicle is part of Chevy’s attempt at shifting with the growing trend, namely, growing young families who need the space, but resist buying a minivan like a cat avoids water. Chevy spokeswoman Nancy Libby explained to Auto News, “Chevrolet is looking at all its options to meet the needs of buyers…We’re looking at what works in markets around the world.”

Apparently, what buyers around the world want is a family wagon/van/SUV crossover that is just ambiguous enough to convey either “I’m a single guy who mountain bikes on the weekends” or “We’re late for soccer practice.” For the ambitious single father whose going for both, however, the Orlando’s rear tinted windows provide the perfect cover for the dual car seats you’ve got riding in the back while you lay your best mack down on the knockout sitting next to you at the red light.

Green Update: If We Build It, They Will Come

2009-09-30T02:54:00.001-07:00

The Cars

We talked about “Volt Contenders” back in March; one of these was the Think City, a less than Volt-sized EV that may be coming to production in the US in 2011. The Detroit News reviewed a pre-production version (around $30K in Europe, not cheap!) and found the car “almost adequate” for driving around the city: good interior space, OK acceleration, easy and quick recharging. The top speed was only 63 mph, however, and so accelerating onto a freeway was something akin to exercising a death wish. Passing? Passing what? But the car is good for the city and for short hops. Still not the “electric car for the masses… [which] no one has offered yet.” Figure another two years at least for that.

Myers Motors has been around for a while. They are trying to make a splash with another pint-sized machine, this one a glorified motorcycle really, again for in-town use. The three-wheeled, two-passenger NMG2 will go on sale late in 2010, and the company is running a contest for a name (no maligna gasolina?). The car has a 60-mile range, will do 75 mph and costs less than $30K. I like it. The letter from Myers’ president (on the website) makes the point that some 70 million people commute alone and drive less than 40 miles to work. That sounds like a reasonable niche market—if they can be convinced to ride in an enclosed three-wheeler.

E-Wolf E2 Concept, Electric Ferrari-killer

E-Wolf E1 Electric Roadster, for 150-lb driver

At the other end of the madness scale is a concept from German firm E-Wolf called the E2, supposedly to evolve as a supercar in two years (544 hp, 2000 lbs, “to compete with the likes of Ferrari in the performance arena”). Well, guys, judging from the E1 which was shown at Frankfurt (150 hp, 1100 lbs, “can only accommodate drivers weighing up to 150-pounds”), you’ve got a ways to go.

More practical, maybe, is Volvo’s move to put more plug-in hybrids on the streets and a fleet of test cars. The firm announced it would start selling plug-ins by 2012 and showed a V70 with two charging ports—one in front for home charging, the other at the rear for fast-charge (1.5-2.5 hours) stations.

The Power

In order to get electric cars to a sizable market, you must have power companies that not only feed the grid but use the product. Otherwise, it’s a Catch-22. The New York Times reports that

FPL Group, the company that includes Florida Power and Light, and Duke Energy, which serves 11 million people in the South and Midwest, together operate about 10,000 vehicles. And they said this week that by 2020 all new purchases of fleet vehicles will be plug-in hybrid or all-electric.

Clearly, that is putting one’s money where one’s mouth is. The ridiculous situation with ethanol is just the opposite: Farm-state senators (Ben Nelson, D-Neb., among them) are pushing to increase the amount of blended ethanol in gasoline to 15 percent, while the automakers are fighting it, citing the many cases where too much ethanol damages or disables engines.

It isn’t bad enough that we use corn almost entirely for ethanol, which is terrible for all kinds of environmental, agricultural and economic reasons. The industry has been totally unwilling to commit to biofuels or cellulosic ethanol, and is now getting set to inhale some $787 million in federal money for biofuel research, which it would not do on its own. Instead of priming the biofuel pump, federal money is serving as a substitute for private capital and encouraging the farm states to continue their misguided policies. End of rant, for now.

Applause, however, for GM which announced last week that it was partnering with the Reva Electric Car Company of India to develop the market for electric vehicles in India. Well, why shouldn’t they, you ask, with over a billion people as a market? RECC, we understand, has done work on infrastructure, biofuels and has test marketed electrics in many countries as well as India. Working on alternative propulsion strategies and fuels, GM has also reached out to world markets. It could be an ideal combination: Volts in Mumbai!

How soon can we expect EVs to penetrate the market for short-commute cars in our cities? We know you have an opinion.

—jgoods

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Is Ford Trying to Sell Volvo to BMW?

2009-09-30T02:53:00.001-07:00

Earlier this year there were rumors that Ford was thinking about selling Volvo, but those rumors were quickly denied. Now rumors are circulating again that Ford is now talking to BMW about Volvo.

TimesOnline is claiming that Ford is in preliminary talks with BMW to sell its stake in Volvo. Of course sources are claiming that there were talks even though both automakers are denying it.

It was also rumored two years ago that Ford was in talks with BMW about Jaguar and Land Rover although both brands were eventually sold to Tata of India.

Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least

2009-09-29T05:32:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Bentley

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Bentley GTC Speed

The Bentley GTC has only been out for two years and a bit, but you might not know that; the car is so popular in some parts that it has become something like Ugg Boots for the monied-up automotive fashionista. Like its other Continental stablemates, Bentley has finally taken the drophead into their Speed garage for the transformation from really fast to "Egads!" fast.

It emerges from said garage with its twin-turbo W12 producing 553 lb-ft. of torque and 600 horsepower - 100 ponies more than the Azure T, making it the most powerful convertible Bentley has ever made. The Speed treatment alters the front end, with a more upright, dark-tinted matrix grille flanked by chrome bezels around the headlights, and the face is framed by firmer lines sweeping up from the lower air dam.

While it is still not - and isn't mean to be - a sports car, the handling ante is upped by a lowered ride height, low-friction dampers, stiffer rear axle bushings, wider tires, and retuned steering. When it's time to stop, newly available carbon-ceramic brakes, at 16.5 inches up front and 14 inches in back, are the largest factory-fitted brakes on a passenger car today.

When it's time to get on it, you'll reach 60 in 4.5 seconds, and with the top up you'll find terminal velocity is 200 miles-per-hour with the lid up. Should you not wish to go easy on your follicles, the GTC will still reach 195 mph with the top down - just make sure to lather up your 'do with plenty of product.

There are two new official exterior paint choices from the factory: Aquamarine and Blue Crystal, and you can get the interior done in Aquamarine as well. However, since Bentley's bespoke department will make your GTC any color you want, that's probably of little concern to most buyers. Even so, we must ask: who's been requesting an Aquamarine interior? Check out the full GTC Speed press release after the jump, and the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Detroit 2009 Preview: Bentley GTC Speed

[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least

Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Science Proves Hot Cars = Hot Girls

2009-09-29T05:31:00.001-07:00

A study commissioned by the ultra-exclusive British insurer Hiscox proves beyond all doubt that supercars turn women on, and econo-cars just don’t.

David Moxon subjected 40 men and women to the sounds of a Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and a Volkswagen Polo then measured the amount of testosterone in their saliva (a measure of arousal). He found everyone had higher levels of the stuff, especially women, after hearing the first three revving supercars. As for the VW Polo? Everyone had less testosterone after listening to it.

“We knew owners of luxury cars felt a connection with the sound of their vehicles,” says Steve Langan, managing director of the insurance company. “We have now scientifically proven the physical attraction people feel when it comes to cars.”

100% of the women were aroused by the Maserati.

“We saw significant peaks in the amount of testosterone in the body, particularly in women,” Maxon says, noting that even women who said they had no interest in cars were turned on. “Testosterone is indicative of positive arousal in the human body so we can confidently conclude from the results out today that the roar of a luxury car engine actually does cause a primeval physiological response.”

And yet, a survery by GM found that nearly nine in 10 women would rather talk to a guy in a Prius than a Porsche, and eighty percent of respondents said they find people who drive fuel efficient cars more interesting than those that don’t.

So theres a disconnect here, as always, between what women say they want, and what they actually want. How surprising.

Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept Headed to SEMA

2009-09-29T04:12:00.001-07:00

Not to be overshadowed by the Camaro, Dodge is planning on unveiling the Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept at the SEMA show this year.

The Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept is powered by the Viper's 8.4L V10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb-ft. of torque. In addition to the upgraded engine, the concept also receives upgraded brakes and shocks. Tornado Red paint with a carbon-fiber decklid and "shaker hood" round out the other additions to the Challenger SRT10 Concept.

A List of Every Speedtrap in the Country - Thanks National Motorists Association

2009-09-29T04:11:00.001-07:00

I’m a proud member of the National Motorists Association, and if you agree with some of my past articles (Red-Light Cameras, National Speed Limits), you may want to join too. They’ve been working for the rights of motorists since 1982.

They also run a few great websites in addition to their homepage, Motorists.org. One good site is LaneCourtesy.org, which advocates driver courtesy, things like staying in the right lane except to pass and getting out of a faster cars way. They have real world driving tips and links to some other related sites like DriveRightPassLeft.com.

NMA also runs the Roadblock Registry, which is a website that talks about the legality of roadblocks and lists all of the roadblock locations in the country; and The SpeedTrap Exchange which lists speedtraps all around the country. Like I said, working for the rights of motorists since 1982, the NMA is an amazing organization.

Click here to join the NMA

Ecstasy on your Wrist: Corum's 1976 Rolls-Royce timepiece

2009-09-28T02:35:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Gadgets, Rolls-Royce

Here at Autoblog, we've reported on a variety of automotive-themed wristwatches. But for all their branding and marketing efforts, few of the timepieces commissioned from Switzerland's finest bear much resemblance or connection to the cars they're meant to compliment. However, in 1976, Swiss watchmaking atelier Corum, known today primarily for their sailing-themed watches, struck an agreement with Rolls-Royce to produce the timepiece you see here.

The watch incorporates into its design the iconic Romanesque grille that adorns the front of Rolls-Royce automobiles, complete with a tiny Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament. The watch face is visible through the slats on the grille, realized in 18-karat gold. The timepiece from over thirty years ago is, of course, no longer in production, but remains a highly-valued collector's item. The closest we've seen recently is the unique wristwatch crafted by Girard-Perregaux to accompany the one-off Pininfarina Hyperion, but the link there between watch and car is no closer than any other's, and nowhere near as direct as Corum's vintage creation. Who knows, maybe the two will revive the partnership and bring the Phantom's grille to a wrist near you in the near future.

[Source: Luxist]

Ecstasy on your Wrist: Corum's 1976 Rolls-Royce timepiece originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Toyota puts hold on Russia, Thailand plant plans

2009-09-28T02:34:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Just because Toyota is still spending on Formula 1 and the Lexus LF-A doesn't mean its not cinching up the fiscal belts -- scaling back at the Detroit Auto Show, killing Australia's TRD division, and delaying a highly anticipated sports car. And now you can add stopping construction on new factories to that list.

Toyota has a Camry assembly plant in St. Petersburg, Russia where it expected to build 20,000 cars in its first year. The plant didn't make its quota, so a proposed expansion of the facility to begin in 2010 has been put on hold.

In Thailand, Toyota intended to build a diesel engine plant this summer. The $155 million factory would have gone online in 2010 and made powerplants for Toyota pickups. That plan has also been scrapped for the time being.

[Source:Bloomberg]

REPORT: Toyota puts hold on Russia, Thailand plant plans originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fumina Hara

2009-09-28T01:09:00.001-07:00

Fumina Hara is one of Japan’s fastest up and coming models and with good reason, it’s hard to take one look at this girl and then peel your eyes away, you just want to keep looking. Fumina is currently trying to turn her modeling career into an acting career, and we hope that she succeeds.

Fumina Hara

Detroit 3 win Ben Stein's money support

2009-09-28T01:08:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Earnings/Financials, Celebrities, Carsumer Advocacy, Opinion/Editorial

Ben Stein is a pretty smart guy, and impressing him usually involves showing him up on Comedy Central or showing up to your high school economics class on time. Detroit's automakers may have done neither, but Stein's in their corner just the same.

In the actor/commentator's opinion, the Big 3 are part of the fabric of America, employing hard-working Americans and building cars which are, in his view, second to none. He even credits their products which "have saved [his] life many times on the freeway." Bailing out Detroit is an imperative for Stein, making the case on emotional as well as logical grounds. But the steadfast Republican who cut his teeth working in the Nixon and Ford administrations can't understand how the government of the United States can find the money to bail out a mismanaged Wall Street and finance foreign intervention - the kind he supported when it was Nixon's call - while dragging its feet on helping the Big Three "slim down, shape up, and keep making great cars and trucks". Follow the link to read his take.

[Source: Yahoo! Finance]

Detroit 3 win Ben Stein's ~~money~~ support originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Alonso could have switched to Ferrari immediately

2009-09-26T21:06:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Renault, Rumormill

Fernando Alonso, who some believe is the best driver in F1, has seen his name in the news a lot these last few days. First, reports popped up that the Spanish racer has signed a (still unsubstantiated) secret deal that would put him in the seat of a Ferrari Formula 1 car beginning when his contract with Renault expires after the 2010 season. According to the latest set of rumors, Ferrari actually wanted Alonso to break his contract with Renault for the upcoming season, but the driver chose to honor his current deal out of loyalty. If true, Alonso would have taken Kimi Raikkonen's seat at Ferrari, racing alongside Felipe Massa. The starting grid for Formula 1 has always been a bit of a roundtable affair, and these most recent rumors would appear to keep the ongoing soap opera going for the next few years, at least.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Rumormill: Alonso could have switched to Ferrari immediately originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW is Worried About the Launch of the All-New 7 Series

2009-09-26T21:05:00.001-07:00

BMW's new North American chief, Jim O'Donnell is worried about the launch of the all-new 7 Series in the US next spring.

The US economy is so bad right now that O'Donnell has little hope for increased sales of BMW's flagship sedan, which will be in dealerships in March. O'Donnell's main goal is that the new 7 Series does better than the overall import luxury segment.

2009 Ford F-150 SFE Unveiled with Unsurpassed Fuel Economy

2009-09-26T19:30:00.003-07:00

Ford has announced today more details about the all-new 2009 F-150 and the new F-150 SFE.

Junkies Love Catalytic Converters: Scrap Prices are Up

2009-09-26T19:30:00.001-07:00

A Catalytic Converter, cut from a car

Working at an auto salvage yard, you see a lot strange things. The auto scrap business has been tied to scoundrels, freaks, and weirdos for most of it’s history. In fact, the term Junkie actually comes from the fact that heroin addicts used to collect (read:steal) all sorts of scrap metal and turn it in for the few dollars they needed for their next fix. That led to heroin being called junk.

At our business, we had people willing to sneak in, steal 50 dollar aluminum rims, and scrap them just for the metal, which is worth about 7 dollars to them. The worst were catalytic converters (called cats), which contain small amounts of precious metals. Most people don’t realize this, but some of the bigger ones can contain upwards of 200 dollars worth of metal. A bin filled with cats is a big target for thieves.

That high price is because of a recent spike in the metal market; precious metals have gone through the roof and catalytic converters have gone with them. One of the common metals, Rhodium, went up above $10k an ounce recently. Because of that rise in prices, police have seen an equal rise is people stealing cats right from under cars parked in the street. Apparently, even 50 dollars a cat is reward enough for the those maniac thieves to set loose on the honest citizens of the city with their wrenches and their reciprocating saws.

How catalytic converters work:

A Diagram of a Catalytic Converter

A catalytic converter interacts with the fumes from your engine, turning them from dangerous and deadly to cute and cuddly. Actually, it just makes them mostly inert. More specifically, it has 3 main functions, it turns the hydrocarbons into water and carbon dioxide; the nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and oxygen; and the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.

It does this using a catalyst, almost always one of three precious metals, platinum, palladium, or rhodium; or a combination of them. It’s those precious metals that make the cats so expensive, even though theres only a sprinkling of the metal in there.

Inside the converter, there is usually a very tight honeycomb structure made of ceramic that’s coated with the precious metals, the fumes pass through the honeycomb and come out the other side as inert gases. About 90% of the badness in your exhaust is converted as it passes though.

Most converters are welded on to the exhaust system, but some cars, especially some SUVs, have bolt on converters. This allows homeless junkies to slip right under the car with an adjustable wrench and a can of WD-40 and be done in no time at all. Even if they’re not bolted on, 2 minutes with a reciprocating saw, and a thief could have your cat and be halfway to the dealers house.

MG Kills TF Roadster’s American Debut, Correctly Assumes U.S. Market Already Saturated With Fruity Little Cars

2009-09-26T18:06:00.001-07:00

MG TF Roadster

After China’s Nanjing Automobile Corporation bought the ailing MG Rover back in 2005, all traces of new production had virtually disappeared. Three years later, MG’s ghost town of a plant in Longbridge, England has begun to churn out cars again, though in a very small capacity. According to NAC MG’s Sales & Marketing Director, Gary Hagen, the small number of TF Roadsters currently being assembled are meant to serve as the comeback kids for the MG line. Originally, a slightly over-ambitious NAC MG had plans to introduce the MG TF Roadster to the United States, but Sales & Marketing Director Gary Hagen reportedly told UK’s Austin Rover that the U.S. “just isn’t on the short-term radar as an anticipated market for us.”

According to Hagen, MG is planning 4 new models, the first of which is slated for launch in 2010 and will share the Roewe 550 platform. “After that,” Hagen continued, “There will be a C-Segment compact and a B-Segment supermini.” Although an eventual North American launch is still very much in the cards, MG is wisely opting to regain their footing on their home turf before throwing themselves into the cutthroat U.S. market.

[Source: Austin-Rover UK]

Lexus Nuaero: Self-Absorbed Car Designers Rejoice

2009-09-26T18:05:00.001-07:00

Jon Rådbrink’s Lexus Nuaero concept

Ah, car design students, they’re pretentiousness embodied. Aside from actors, there really is no more self-absorbed group. Young Swedish designer, Jon Rådbrink, presented this concept at the Royal College of Art graduation show in London last month. This really is function sacrificed at the altar of faux-futurist form.

It’s called the Lexus Nuaero, and instead of a transmission, it has individual motors located at each wheel. That design also allows for open, catamaran underbody, since there’s no driveshaft or trans under there. There’s also no brake or gas pedal, all the controls are in an airplane style steering wheel. To apply the brakes, you push the wheel away from you. That’s actually all well and good, new design is interesting and shakes things up, what bothers me is the designers idea of what defines quality.

See, the Nuaero is 15 and a half feet long, 6 and a half feet wide, 4 feet high, with a 11 foot wheelbase…yet it weighs 1700 pounds, about the same as a Smart Fortwo. It seems like a stiff wind would loft this car up like a kite.

“I believe that this design paradox of low weight and large presence could be the way we’ll define premium in the future,” the designer says.

Really? Because that’s actually how most human beings intuitively define “low quality”, the exact opposite of premium. Low weight + large presence = no substance. It’s just a big hollow plastic form. But then again, maybe I was a little harsh, what do you think?

Here’s the pics and a video:

Detroit Preview: 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 bites back

2009-09-26T09:52:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles, Coupes, Ford

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500

When Ford introduced the new 2010 Mustang at the LA Auto Show in November, marketing boss Jim Farley promised the next chapter in the Mustang story would be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Well that time has arrived and to anyone who has been following the Mustang pattern over the last several years, it should come as no surprise that it's the Shelby GT500. Just like the last iteration, the new GT500 is the most powerful factory production Mustang ever.

Like the more prosaic Mustangs, the GT500 is mechanically an evolution of the older model. Just as Ford used the current-gen Bullitt model as the starting point for the 2010 Mustang GT, the lessons learned from developing the limited edition GT500 KR fed directly into the latest Shelby-badged variant. Output of the supercharged 5.4L V8 has now been cranked up to 540 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, and the handling is claimed to be better than before. Check out everything that's new on the GT500 after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang

Continue reading Detroit Preview: 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 bites back

Detroit Preview: 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 bites back originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler Improves Gas Mileage by 2 MPG on 2009 Minivans

2009-09-26T09:52:00.001-07:00

Chrysler has announced the changes to the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.

Hamilton victorious in British Grand Prix besides bad weather

2009-09-26T08:18:00.003-07:00

Lewis Hamilton raked in his third victory of the season as the 23-year-old F1 driver pushed his McLaren-Mercedes to first place at the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit this past Sunday....

Spy Shots: 2009 Kia Forte (Spectra) interior scooped

2009-09-26T08:18:00.001-07:00

Last week we saw the first exterior images of the 2009 Kia Forte sedan which gave us a hint at what the next-generation Kia Spectra will look like when it debuts in the U.S. next year. Today,...

Infiniti's 1-Series Fighter is Still 3 Years Away

2009-09-26T06:40:00.003-07:00

There have been rumors that Nissan, Infiniti's parent company is working on a new entry-level Infiniti coupe that would compete the new BMW 1-Series.

2009 Kia Soul Officially Unveiled

2009-09-26T06:40:00.001-07:00

Kia has officially taken the wraps off the all-new 2009 Kia Soul that is going to be officially unveiled in Paris next month.

Bid farewell to BMW's legendary M inline-six

2009-09-26T02:44:00.003-07:00

Filed under: BMW

Click above for a high-res pic of the S54B32

Say what you will about their design department, but BMW is known for producing some of the most amazing engines on the market. Especially the Bavarian automaker's stoic M division, whose current V10 engine has won its fair share of awards and then some. The same goes for the S54B32, Bimmer's internal code-name for the 3.2-liter iron-block straight-six which the company is now preparing to retire after seven years in production.

Over its lifetime, the 3.2 provided motivation for such performance icons as the E46 M3, the Z3-based M roadster and breadvan, and the Z4 M, as well as the exotic Wiesmann MF3. But with a new Z4 on its way, S54B32 is being sent to pasture, replaced now in various applications by Bimmer's highly-rated twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six. The latter is a a fantastic engine, but there will always be a special place in our hearts for the cast-iron 3.2.

[Source: Car via Motor Authority]

Bid farewell to BMW's legendary M inline-six originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Chevy Cruze Photos Officially Released

2009-09-26T02:44:00.001-07:00

GM has officially released three photos of the upcoming 2011 Chevy Cruze small sedan that is going to be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October .

Nice Price Or Crack Pipe: World's Nicest 1981 Chevette For $8,995? [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

2009-09-26T01:21:00.001-07:00

The overwhelming majority of voters thought that the Callaway '83 Porsche 944 was reasonably priced at $45,000; not bad for a Late Malaise Era machine. Today we're going to ponder a car from the same era, and it may be even more rare than the Callaway 944: a really straight, all-original Chevy Chevette!

I could have sworn that I'd already posted on this car, but I must be mixing it up in my memory with the $20,000 Pinto Squire. That was a full-on rock-smokin' price, but this Chevy is priced far more reasonably: $8,995. Sure, knocking the five bucks off the price to put it under nine grand makes it appear to be on sale at Nickel Nick's Gently Used Brougham Coaches, but the seller was able to take his or her eyes off the 16,700-mile odometer reading long enough to take note of the Chevette emblems on the outside. Just about all the other Chevettes were crushed 15 years ago, and the few that remain are sunk to their axles in trash-strewn lots- this is likely your only chance to own a show-quality Chevette! But is $8,995 a good price? You tell us!

[Hemmings Motor News], thanks to many, many of you for the tip!

$8,995 for the World's Nicest '81 Chevette?
( surveys)

Kerkorian unloads rest of Ford stock

2009-09-25T23:03:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials

Back in June, Kirk Kerkorian, billionaire investor and auto industry meddler, bought up 140.8 million shares in Ford Motor Company at $8.50 a pop, gaining a 6.49% stake in the automaker and becoming the largest single shareholder outside of the Ford family. By October, FoMoCo stock was hovering around $2.50 a share and Kerkorian's investment firm, Tracinda Corp., decided that it was time to unload a chunk of the stock. At the end of the day, Tracinda held onto 133.5 million shares and lost some $44 million, and less than a week later dropped another 26.4 million shares. Today, Kerkorian sold off the rest of his stock, with FoMoCo shares selling for just $2.22. While none of this comes as a surprise (Tracinda talked about selling off the remaining shares when it began unloading in October), analysts contend that the fire sale has less to do with Kerkorian's confidence in Ford (Mr. K has continued to applaud Ford CEO Alan Mulally), and more to do with Tracinda's declining MGM Mirage shares.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Kerkorian unloads rest of Ford stock originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford's New EcoBoost Engines Will Add About $700

2009-09-25T23:02:00.001-07:00

Next year Ford is going to debut its first line of EcoBoost engines and Ford is expecting them to add about $700 to each car.

Rotary Engines go Eco-Friendly? The Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE

2009-09-25T11:49:00.003-07:00

The Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE

Honda’s been in the news lately with their hydrogen FCX Clarity, but Mazda’s been pushing the hydrogen envelope as well, and with a rotary engine car. They were actually trying to create a workable hydrogen rotary engine all the way back in the early 1990s. And by 2003 they actually developed a concept, dual fuel RX-8 capable of burning both high pressure hydrogen and gasoline in it’s rotary engine.

The dual fuel Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE (Rotary Engine) is exactly the type of vehicle that would be needed as a ’stepping stone’ while a hydrogen re-fueling infrastructure is being built. The Renesis hydrogen engine puts out 210 hp when it’s running on gasoline and 110 hp running on hydrogen. In the city, where high speeds are less important, and where re-fueling stations would first start to pop up, drivers could switch to the more efficient but less-powerful hydrogen fuel. Meanwhile, the gasoline option could be used in remote areas with no hydrogen filling stations, where open roads would require higher speeds and more power.

A rotary engine is perfectly suited for burning hydrogen too, since it uses separate chambers for intake and combustion, which would automatically negate any of the backfiring issues that piston engines have when they use hydrogen. Plus, the RX-8 Hydrogen RE uses engine parts and production facilities that already exist in Mazda’s inventory, so this duel fuel engine can be built with a high degree of reliability at a relatively low cost. Looks like everything is falling into place for Mr. T Boone Pickens.
Sales are expected to start in 2012.

The Honda FCX Clarity: Lease a Hydrogen Car in California

2009-09-25T11:49:00.001-07:00

The Honda FCX Clarity

The Toyota Prius finally has some competition in the ultra-green category. Honda has begun the consumer test run of it’s zero-emission hydrogen car, the FCX Clarity. About 200 select drivers will be able to lease the Clarity for $600 a month, but only in California. They’re limiting the cars to California because that state has the most developed infrastructure of hydrogen refueling stations. There will be more added in time, but as for now, only Cali residents like Jamie Lee Curtis and Hollywood producer Ron Yerxa are able to drive hydrogen.

The FCX Clarity costs about $20 to fill up, gets a combined fuel economy equivalent to 74 mpg (three times the fuel efficiency of a modern gasoline-powered automobile), and has a driving range up to 280 miles. The Clarity is powered by an electric motor that runs on the electricity generated in the hydrogen fuel cell. And just like all hydrogen powered vehicles, its only emission is water. Drinkable H2O.

No matter how small the number of available cars, this is still big news. As of right now, there are hydrogen Hondas out there in the hands of consumers. And this is only the beginning. It’ll be a while before they’re mainstream since we have to get a whole refueling infrastructure set up, but we’ve taken the first step. The future is now people. Toyota will get in on it, Mazda will ramp up the hydrogen rotary engine cars they have planned, everyone will start it up. Get ready for flying cars and laser beams.

Not a Honda FCX Clarity, just an artist’s rendition of THE FUTURE

Vintage ‘71: pickups, pickups and Sperry Rand

2009-09-25T08:55:00.001-07:00

I’m still assembling my collection of Mechanix Illustrated magazines, and reader Jim Eickelman of Mogadore, Ohio, kindly sent me a copy of the August 1971 issue recently. Jim had a particular soft spot for this issue: Tom McCahill printed one of Jim’s letters in the “Mail for McCahill” column. Interestingly enough, McCahill, in his response to Jim’s letter, rails against planned obsolescence and writes, “If any of the 1971 cars ever make it big in a future antique show, it’ll be a bigger miracle than television, penicillin or golf on the moon.”

To commemorate Uncle Tom’s observation, we’re thus reprinting the interesting car ads that ran in that issue, just to prove that McCahill didn’t always get it right.

Thanks, Jim!

It's not just California: Michigan wants to raise the gas tax, too

2009-09-25T08:54:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

California isn't the only one taking aim at the pumps in an effort to raise state revenue. The Michigan state legislature is also proposing a hike in its gas tax that could potentially make its gas taxes the highest in the nation. The current nineteen cent per gallon tax on gas, and fifteen cent per gallon tax on diesel, would be replaced by a simple 18% tax on the wholesale prices of both. Michigan says that the state isn't earning enough now that people are driving less, and driving more fuel efficient cars.

The reasons in for the tax are the same in MI as they are in CA: the transportation sector and road funding are sorely inadequate. Michigan has legendarily bad roads -- not the worst in the nation, but close in some cases. The oil and gas station lobby, however, wants none of it. One oil company exec said, "Cheap fuel prices are fueling the (economic) activity we have now. Taxing gasoline to fix roads is an old way of doing it." They are also worried that when gas prices inevitably go back up, the tax will make pump prices exorbitant.

A Michigan transportation rep said "We didn't necessarily see memos coming out from them when the price of fuel exceeded $4 a gallon." He also said that the tax is capped in the first couple of years, so no one needs to be concerned. The measure, along with a rise in DMV registration fees, is expected to raise $1.5 billion per year. If it doesn't pass this year, the legislature is expected to resurrect it next year. Hat tip to Braggin Dragon!

[Source: Michigan Live]

It's not just California: Michigan wants to raise the gas tax, too originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Commodore and Falcon have gone down slugging

2009-09-25T06:25:00.003-07:00

Posted by The Best Blog For Car tips

The fiercest rivalries in the automotive world the Commodore-versus-Ford Falcon battle
with two more efficient and more powerful V6 engines. Vital to the achievement of each company, the big family sedans symbols of Australian…

Toyota Looks To Export Tundra, Sequoia; Says Big Girls Can’t Get No Love

2009-09-25T06:25:00.001-07:00

Toyota Tundra Gets Dumped By North American Buyers

In response to large-vehicle sales reaching record lows in North America, Toyota announced tentative plans to begin exporting the Tundra pick-up truck and Sequoia SUV. Explaining Toyota’s plan [still in the preliminary stages of implementation], Steve St. Angelo, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, said that the large vehicle market overseas isn’t nearly as dismal, there could be a sizable niche for exported pick-ups and SUVs [see: military junta fleet sales].

According to Toyota reports, sales of the Toyota Tundra were down this past month 15.2% while the Toyota Sequoia enjoyed a momentary break from the trend with a 32.8% increase this month. After recording high inventories of both vehicles, however, on Friday, August 8th, Toyota began idling plants responsible for production while they attempt to navigate through the rocky economy. Production is scheduled to resume in mid-November, but the near future for the Tundra and the Sequoia on American soil is looking grim.

[Source: Automotive News]

Five Possibilities For National "Car Czar" [Carpocalypse Now]

2009-09-11T22:40:00.001-07:00

An agreement on the shape of a rescue plan for the not-so-Big Three automakers appears close. Included in oversight will be a federal "car czar" to oversee the rescue package. Here's a look at five possibilities for the position.

5.) Lee Iacocca

Pro:
• He found a way to make Chrysler relevant
• He's friends with Snoop Dogg
Con:
• He created the Eagle brand
• Somehow he couldn't find a better car to buy despite a plethora of available options

4.) Steve Jobs

Pro:
• Turned around Apple almost magically
• True digital iPod connectivity in every vehicle would become mandated
Con:
• He knows nothing about the auto industry
• Thomas Friedman thinks the world of him
• He's already got a job

3.) Katsuaki "Ken" Watanabe

Pro:
• CEO of Toyota Motor Company — why not just go with a winner
• Sings in a men's chorus
Con:
• He's not a U.S. citizen
• As head of the Toyota Motor Company he sort of has a stake in seeing the not-so-Big Three sell less cars

2.) Mitt Romney

Pro:
• He has investment, executive and government experience
• Possesses a familiarity with both Detroit and public-private partnerships (SLC Olympics)
Con:
• May actually oppose the bailout
• If he takes the position it either makes it better for him in 2012, which Democrats won't support, or it makes him worse off for 2012, which he won't support

1.) Jack Welch

Pro:
• He squeezes so much out of his employees' mind grapes they named the juice after him
• Six Sigma — a master of the way to turn any company into an uber-efficient powerhouse
Con:
• Six Sigma — a program of turning legitimate, intelligent engineers into pedantic assholes
• His Six Sigma protege, Bob "The Builder" Nardelli isn't doing too well over at Chrysler

Conclusion

Though we like the idea of a magical Car Czar that can come in and fix the industry, the real purpose of the Car Czar will be to supervise the distribution of funds, meaning it'll likely be someone who has legal experience and a knowledge of handing out government money. Since the position is designated by President Bush, it could be someone he's tapped before. The early guess: Kenneth Feinberg, a lawyer from D.C. responsible for overseeing the federal Sept. 11 victims' compensation fund.

Spy Photos: Acura's Newest Crossover Caught Testing at Night

2009-09-11T16:48:00.001-07:00

Spy photographers recently caught up with what appears to be an new Acura crossover.

Volkswagen Scirocco R, V-dub teases us with the evil twin

2009-09-10T23:49:00.001-07:00

Now that the Volkswagen Scirocco is ready to take over Europe, it’s time to start teasing people (and pissing us, in the U.S., off) with teasers of its evil twin, the Volkswagen Scirocco R....

Papa John’s Delivery Car Stolen By Disgruntled Teenager, Parents Receive Official “Failure” Notice

2009-09-10T17:47:00.001-07:00

According to a story reported by Darren Toms of Cleveland’s Newsradio WTAM 1100, a 1987 Nissan Sentra was stolen last Friday from the parking lot of Papa John’s. It’s owner, a driver for Papa John’s, had left the car idling with the keys still in the ignition [hey, it's an '87 Sentra, we would too] while she went inside to pick up her next round of deliveries.

While the vehicle was unattended, a 15-year-old boy who had been hiding in the nearby bushes commandeered the vehicle and sped off.

After reporting the incident and while filling out the requisite reports for the stolen vehicle, the officers witnessed the Sentra speed past the Papa Johns, this time with a young woman riding shotgun. Refusing to stop of his own volition, the pursuing officers deployed Stop Sticks [they are exactly what they sound like], damaging the vehicle’s tires and eventually forcing the boy to abandon the car and bail out. After being taken into custody, the boy explained that he had been hiding in the bushes for almost 3 hours after engaging in an argument with his father. When he saw the car idling, he jumped at the chance for a joyride - picking up a female friend of his along the way.

We here at RideLust usually like it when the bad guy gets caught, but when it’s a 1987 Nissan Sentra and the “bad guy” is a 15-year-old kid with a rough home life…well, then we just feel a little sad.

[Source: Cleveland Newsradio WTAM 1100]

Police to test fleet of Smart ForTwo electric cars

2009-09-10T15:14:00.001-07:00

The Metropolitan Police will soon be fighting crime and chasing down speeders (we have no idea how since top speed of this Smart ForTwo is 60mph) as a part of a fleet test of the Smart ED - Electric...

New ings N Spec kit for Evo has a deviated septum

2009-09-10T14:00:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Mitsubishi

Click above for a gallery of the Ings Lancer Evo X body kit

Japanese tuning house Ings has prepared a kit for the Lancer Evo X consisting of a front bumper and a Z-Power Wing. The bumper houses not only the odd-ified upper intake, it also wears new canards, brake ducts, and intercooler shrouds. The Ing site has little to say about the kit, but it looks to have been tuned on a race-tested car. If you're keen, you can order the bumper here in either fiberglass or hybrid aero, a combination of urethane and fiberglass. It won't be available for a few months, so you'll have to be happy with the pics in the gallery below for now.

Gallery: ings Tuned Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10

[Source: Ings]

New ings N Spec kit for Evo has a deviated septum originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saki Seto

2009-09-09T21:10:00.001-07:00

Let’s all take a second to thank the earth for Japanese girls, especially Japanese girls like Saki Seto. Saki is a regular on Japanese TV as well as being a model. To top it off, she is on a comedy show called “Haruka 17?, which means not only is she beautiful, but she is genuinely funny too.

Saki Seto

Slide Rule Chic: Edgy can be aerodynamic, too

2009-09-09T16:16:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Etc., Green, Tech

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Ford Flex

The classic idea of aerodynamics gives rise to mental pictures of vehicles shaped like a smooth suppository. Reality turns out to be different, thankfully. Cars like the Ford Flex may appear weighty and as slippery to the wind as a barn while actually sliding through the atmosphere far more gracefully than one might guess. Aerodynamics studies by all automakers have led to the startling discovery that vehicles like the squared-off Flex actually manage their airflow quite well, thank you, and sanding off the corners hinders, rather than helps.

It's the same over at Toyota where they're calling strategically-placed folds "aerocorners." While it's long been held that a teardrop shape is the most aerodynamic, that's not necessarily the case and a droplet-shaped vehicle isn't terribly practical; just try to put that armoire in your first-gen Honda Insight. The worry that all cars will look the same when aerodynamicists start to take over is unfounded, as discoveries in the wind tunnel show that things aren't always as they appear, and there's plenty of room for uncommon design to still cheat the wind.

[Source: NYT]

Slide Rule Chic: Edgy can be aerodynamic, too originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mexico, and Some Thoughts on Kia

2009-09-08T23:28:00.001-07:00

Yrs trly has finally gone south—south of the border, that is, to take up residence in this lovely land and become Oaxaca’s Car Guru of record. Not that I intend to talk only about car stuff from this part of the world, but as I get to know the car stuff better, so will you. I moved here to get a different perspective on life in this hemisphere, and it was personally time to shift gears, as it were.

One of the first things that strikes you here is how large and awkward big SUVs like the Grand Cherokee and trucks like the F-250 appear next to the ubiquitous smaller cars. They don’t fit the streets. They spew (or appear to spew) lots of pollutants. They tower over the Beetles and the Kas, as their owners no doubt intended.

The small-car world will eventually make inroads into the U.S.A., which forever has resisted its appeal and rationale. One of the companies betting heavily on this is Kia. It just introduced the Forte Koup (above) at $16,595 ($1,100 more gets you leather, a moonroof, plus 17 more hp – a great-deal upgrade). You will, we predict, be hearing more about this car, even as certain humorists make fun of its ridiculous multinational, misspelled name.

Kia is also an interesting company, with some real successes to crow about (the Soul from Seoul, even if we don’t like its looks) and, more recently, its high rating among franchises in the UK and elsewhere, we presume. Hyundai owns 40 percent of Kia, now South Korea’s second-largest carmaker. Kia Motors America is on a big push into the U.S., having built a billion-dollar factory in Georgia three years ago.

I know you all have your opinions about cars like the Sportage, but you’ve got to admire the way Kia is pushing ahead, bringing new people to their cars. Yup, they are all over Mexico.

Which of Kia’s models do you like most—and which least?

—jgoods

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Black Beauty Wrecked!!

2009-09-08T19:31:00.001-07:00

Did Kato wreck the Black Beauty? Yes. Was it supposed to be wrecked? Hm.

Although this looks like an accident on set, it also looks planned. As in, “we menat to do that.” And since there were several Black Beauty’s built for the film, there’s a good chance that this is a set up. The only givaway is the fact that for an accident, it’s kinda cheesy. Keep you posted.

Source: Jalopnik and JustJared

Subaru Impreza diesel delayed for the UK

2009-09-08T15:32:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Japan, Subaru, UK

In this installment of "As the Yen Skyrockets," Autocar is reporting that the introduction of the long-awaited Subaru Impreza diesel has been delayed indefinitely due to unfavorable exchange rates. A source inside International Motors, the firm that imports Subarus into the UK, told Autocar, "At the current rate we would have to charge vastly more than we can justify for the diesel Impreza if we were to make a profit. As a result we can't guarantee when the car will go on sale as we can't predict when the economy will change."

Both Toyota and Honda are facing the same problem, with Honda CEO Takeo Fukui going so far as to threaten moving Honda's headquarters outside of Japan. Analysts predict that the yen could begin to sink in the coming weeks, but if the market doesn't correct itself, the Japanese government might have to intervene and begin devaluing its currency.

[Source: Autocar]

Subaru Impreza diesel delayed for the UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan NV2500 Concept Revealed Live [Nissan Nv2500]

2009-09-07T23:29:00.001-07:00

Since Nissan unceremoniously removed itself from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show last month, we've wondered just how they planned to unveil the Nissan NV2500 concept scheduled to debut there. Now we know. We're here at Nissan's Farmington Hills, MI design facility where the curtain was just publicly dropped on the heavy duty industrial-style truck van hybrid which features a fully mobile office and enclosed cargo area. This concept forecasts Nissan's intent to enter the commercial vehicle market in the 2011 model year, coinciding with Nissan's 75th anniversary in commercial vehicles world wide.

The NV2500 Concept is a peek at where Nissan will be going with industrial vehicle and if it's any indication they'll be doing a lot of innovation in the segment. The NV2500 starts off as what is essentially a Nissan Titan with a full sized van body grafted on the back, in plainer terms it's the return of the long-dead panel truck. The side door opens like a traditional forward opening door and combined with a swing up rear body panel makes the cabin open to the outside for easy collaboration with colleagues. The rear section of the vehicle is kept airy with a large skylight with integrated solar panels.

Inside the vehicle is divided up into three cabin segments, Driver and Passenger Zone, Work/Design Station Zone, and Conference Center/Cargo Bay Zone. Up front, the driver and passenger are greeted with a utilitarian setup, fabric seats, navigation system, cubbies, shelves, and lockable storage. The work area is focused on usage for a construction site, so this truck has a workstation with a snazzy looking but ergonomically awkward laser scanner keyboard. Turning around you're faced with the cargo/conference area. There are several neat-o feature here, prominently featured is the open side panel combined with a folding conference table, but perhaps more functional in this customized version are the power tool storage and charging racks in the doors, plentiful 12V outlets, and compressed air hookups for air tools.

Yes, this is a concept, but it's a look at the direction Nissan is heading in when looking at the industrial market. Considering that in the long term, they'll be bringing three commercial vehicles out to market beginning in 2010 you have to wonder what else they have up their sleeves. With the Titan heading to Mexican production by Chrysler, and the Canton, Mississippi plant is freed up for products like the NV2500, commercial suppliers all the way up to class three commercial status should be thinking long and hard about the products they'll have when Nissan hits the market.

At A Glance: Nissan NV2500 Concept

The Nissan NV2500 Concept presents a preview of Nissan North America, Inc.’s
upcoming entry into the growing Commercial Vehicle (CV) market, which launches in
2010 with a lineup that includes vehicles developed specifically for North America.

The NV2500 Concept is designed as a highly capable work vehicle that offers low-
impact solutions to high utility needs. It is configured as a “mobile, on-site
construction office,” equipped with a computer work station, wireless laser blueprint
printer, fold-down conference table, storage compartments, cargo/tool tie-down
racks, a near-six foot walk-through interior height and an awning-style side panel
that opens to create a standing outside work table.

Other features include a front passenger seat swing arm bracket that allows the seat
to be used for both the computer station and the workbench. Along with task-
focused lighting throughout the interior, an oversize fixed glass panel roof with
integrated solar panels provides light and power for auxiliary tools and accessories.

The NV2500 was developed by Nissan Design America, Inc. (NDA) and is built on a
modified Nissan Titan full-size pickup all-steel, fully boxed ladder frame.

Highlights of the Nissan NV2500 Concept include:

Exterior Features
• Aggressive styling with wide stance, flared fenders and Nissan signature grille
• LED headlights and taillights
• Retractable outside mirrors
• Fixed lower front door visibility windows
• Front tow hooks with integrated engine compartment access steps
• Multi-use doors, including 180-degree driver’s-side door, 60/40 split “barn door” style vertical rear cargo doors, workshop “awning style” flip-up side panel
• Built-in door storage compartments
• Oversized fixed glass roof with integrated solar panels
• Motorized access steps with lights (driver and passenger side doors, rear cargo doors)
• Wide 20-inch 6-spoke billet aluminum-alloy wheels with Michelin tires

Interior Features
• Three Zones: Driver and Passenger Zone, Work/Design Station Zone, Conference
Center/Cargo Bay Zone

Driver and Passenger Zone
– Wide, comfortable, durable fabric-covered seating
– Customizable navigation/audio system/HVAC display with three adjustable angles
– Wide instrument panel with integrated power outlet and extension cord
– Overhead storage console with visor shelves
– Ceiling-mounted interior cooling fan
– Integrated storage closet behind driver’s seat, with work boot storage and floor drainage system
– Large center console with lockable, invisible storage
– RearView Monitor system
– Integrated storage compartments

Work/Design Station Zone
– Oversized monitor with laser-projected easy-clean keyboard
– Front seat moves to a position in front of computer station (360-degree rotating seat)

Conference Center/Cargo Bay Zone
– Front seat swivels to a position in front of workshop table (inside position)
– Ceiling-mounted overhead laser blueprint printer
– 110/220V power outlets
– Integrated in-door tool storage with custom-fit holders for power drills, saws, etc.
– Built-in shop vacuum with air hoses
– Cargo wall above workshop table opens as an awning, table can pivot to outside standing work table
– Multi-position Utili-track™ cargo tie-down channel system
– Sustainable wood slats for tying down or securing cargo
– Functional task lighting throughout the interior and cargo area

Powertrain
• Powerful, efficient V8 with 5-speed automatic transmission
• Front engine/rear-wheel drive

Nissan NV2500 Concept Serves as a “Rolling Idea Lab” For Company’s Entry Into North American CV Market

– “On-site Construction Office” Configuration One of Many Possibilities for New Van –

The Nissan NV2500 Concept is, as its dimensions suggest, a multi-tasker of large
order. One of the largest concept vehicles Nissan has ever produced, the NV2500
Concept, offers fresh design and fresh thinking – including a 3-Zone interior and
flexible utility and storage solutions.

Not only does the NV2500 Concept provide an original take on Commercial Vehicle
(CV) design, it also provides a preview of Nissan’s entry into the CV market in North
America. With Nissan CVs already sold in 73 percent of the world’s markets,
including Japan, China, Mexico, Europe, South America, Australia and the Middle East
among others, Nissan will enter the CV business in North America in 2010.

The line will incorporate three all-new products in three years, as well as products
from the global stable. As a result, in the mid-term, Nissan will offer a multi-
segment CV lineup up to class 5 gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR).

The three new products are being developed by Nissan specifically for the North
American market and will be built at Nissan’s manufacturing facility in Canton, Miss.
Nissan is investing $118 million to expand Canton’s production to manufacture CVs.

“The Nissan NV2500 is a rolling idea lab – bringing a new perspective to the
Commercial Vehicle segment,” said Bruce Campbell, vice president, Design for
Nissan Design America, Inc., which developed the NV2500 Concept. “We see the
NV2500 Concept as an ongoing exploration of ways to make these vehicles more
than just a box on four wheels. Our goal is to enhance utility through creative
design solutions, providing a platform for a wide variety of specific professional
applications.”

In this configuration, the Nissan NV2500 Concept is designed for construction use. It
bears the logo of Habitat for Humanity® only to illustrate the partnership between
Nissan and Habitat. Over the past three years, Nissan has donated $3 million in
cash, vehicles and house sponsorships, along with thousands of hours of work
volunteered by Nissan employees.

The NV2500 Concept’s “wall-less” mobile office/workspace design includes a
computer workstation, fold-down conference table, numerous storage
compartments, cargo/tool tie-down racks, nearly six feet of interior height and an
awning-style side panel that opens to create a standing outside workshop table.

“Aside from construction site applications, the NV2500 Concept, with its unique
configuration and array of features, could be used in infinite ways by infinite users.
Whether a mobile Farmers’ Market booth, a hot-air balloon launch or chase vehicle or
to support a beachside surfing school, the usage possibilities of an LCV are endless,”
he said.

A Solid Workhorse Foundation
The NV2500 is conceived first and foremost as a powerful, multi-purpose utility
vehicle. Built on a modified Nissan Titan full-size pickup all-steel, fully boxed ladder
frame, engine choices would be selected for competitive power and fuel efficiency.
Other under-skin components include an automatic transmission and solid rear axle.
The wheels are a special 20-inch billet aluminum design, while the Michelin tires
include a special tread pattern designed for a good payload capacity and fuel
efficiency.

Dimensionally, the NV2500 Concept has a 147.6-inch (12.3-foot)) wheelbase and
measures a full 19.5 feet bumper-to-bumper. It stands 8 feet tall and is 6.6 feet
wide. Inside, from the front of the passenger compartment to rear door, there is
room to carry objects up to 10.5 feet long with the passenger seat moved out of the
way.

The NV2500’s exterior design is highlighted by a wide grille, pronounced wheel
arches, stepped roofline, well-defined fenders and unique window and roof
treatments. Along with wraparound-style windshield/front door windows, the
NV2500 Concept features lower door-glass cutouts and an oversized, fixed-glass roof
panel that stretches from behind the B-pillars to the rear doors – adding a visual
lightness to the design and illumination to the interior.

The NV2500 Concept’s roof panel includes integrated solar panel technology to
power interior equipment, lights and accessories. Additional exterior features include
large, retractable outside mirrors, motorized flip-down AMP Research side and rear
door steps, LED headlights and taillights, and dual-purpose tow hooks located in the
grille that also serve as steps for easier access to the engine compartment.

The most intriguing aspect of the exterior, however, is the multi-use doors. On the
driver’s side, the Titan King Cab-style Wide Open Door offers unfettered access to
the front of the vehicle, with integrated storage compartments for carrying items
such as tool/safety vests, ear protection and first aid kit. In the rear of the NV2500
Concept are vertical 60/40 split cargo access “barn” doors with additional storage
compartments and power rear step for walk-through capability and easy access.

The passenger side features a combination of a 90-degree opening vertical door
directly behind the front passenger door and an awning-style clamshell panel that
hinges upward and locks in place, creating a protected, standing workshop table on
the outside and an open “picture window” view from the fold-down interior work
desk. The passenger side door also has integrated workshop tool storage with fitted
compartments for power saws, drills, screwdrivers and drafting equipment.

“The entire rear wall of the NV2500 Concept opens up so, for example, the
construction supervisor can see and communicate with associates without leaving the
desk,” said Campbell. “It also serves as an additional, flat workspace that is
protected from the elements, providing unlimited flexibility for whatever task might
arise.”

An Innovative 3-Zone Interior
Inside the commanding NV2500 exterior is a 3-Zone interior that combines simple,
organic solutions with elements of advanced technology.

“The NV2500 Concept challenges the traditional thinking regarding show vehicles,
not only in size but in its approach to technology,” said Campbell. “Though it
features a number of high-tech features such as a RearView Monitor, navigation
system and wireless PC, wherever possible we also used ‘lower-tech’ solutions such
as the manually adjusting multi-position passenger/workstation seat and the double-
sided workbench that manually converts from an inside table to an outside work
surface.”

The NV2500 Concept’s front Driver/Passenger Zone is anchored by a wide instrument
panel with a customizable navigation/audio/climate display. The instrument panel
also has an accessory power outlet and a built-in retractable power cord. Overhead
is a full ceiling storage console with visor shelves, center shelves and a cooling fan
that can be powered by the roof-mounted solar cells. Located behind the driver’s
seat is a customizable, lighted storage closet designed to hold hardhats, flashlights
and work boots – complete with a mudroom-style grated floor for drainage.

Additional storage is provided in the center console’s locking compartment and the
instrument panel’s floating shelf. The wide, front-passenger seat can swing rearward
on a sliding arm, manually moving and locking into position in front of the
workstation console located behind the driver’s seat or pivoting toward the work
table. The workstation includes an oversized computer monitor and computer with
laser-projected “easy clean” keyboard.

“The passenger seat functions as both a traditional forward-facing seat and a
comfortable, swiveling desk chair,” said Campbell. “All elements of the interior are
designed to be multi-functional and highly durable, able to stand up to the rigors of
heavy use at a job site or other real world locations.”

As fitting of a true work truck, the centerpiece of the NV2500 Concept is the third
zone, the Conference Center/Cargo Bay Zone. Dressed in its construction office
configuration, this zone includes a fold-down inside/outside workshop table.

Nissan NV2500 Concept

Key Dimensions and Specifications

Engine V8 engine

Transmission 5-speed automatic

Platform Modified Nissan Titan ‘F-Alpha” all-steel, fully boxed ladder
frame

Drive Configuration Front engine/rear-wheel drive

Suspension Double wishbone front, leaf spring/solid axle rear

Wheels/Tires 20-inch 6-spoke billet aluminum-alloy wheels with Michelin tires

Wheelbase 147.6 inches/3750 mm

Length 196.4 inches/4987 mm

Width 79.6 inches/2023 mm

Height 96.1 inches/2442 mm

Door Configuration Titan King Cab-style Wide Open driver’s side door; 60/40-split
vertical rear cargo doors; passenger’s side front door, mid-
vehicle 90-degree door and flip-up rear side awning-style panel

Roof Panel Oversize center fixed glass panel roof with solar panel
technology

Seating Fixed, adjustable driver’s seat; two-position swing arm-
mounted passenger seat (forward-facing, computer station,
worktable)

Interior standing height 69.0 inches/152.4 mm

Interior cargo length 126.0 inches/3204 mm

PRESS RELEASE

Nissan NV2500 Concept Makes World Debut – Previews Nissan’s Entry Into U.S. Commercial Vehicle Market

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (Dec. 4, 2008) – Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today unveiled the Nissan NV2500 Concept at a media event at its Nissan Technical Center North America’s (NTCNA) Michigan headquarters. The NV2500 Concept provides an original take on Commercial Vehicle (CV) design, as well as providing a preview of Nissan’s entry into the CV market in North America.

The Nissan NV2500 Concept offers fresh design and fresh thinking – including a 3-Zone interior and flexible utility and storage solutions. Its “wall-less” mobile office/workspace design includes a computer workstation, fold-down conference table, numerous storage compartments, cargo/tool tie-down racks, nearly six feet of interior height and an awning-style side panel that opens to create a standing outside workshop table. All elements of the interior are designed to be multi-functional and highly durable, able to stand up to the rigours of heavy use at a construction site or other real world locations.

In addition, making its North American debut was the Nissan NV200 Concept, another conceptual depiction of a potential future Nissan commercial vehicle product. The NV200 Concept, which was originally shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, represents a fuel-efficient, delivery-type van and mobile office in one. The NV200 Concept is a cab-forward design with a unique sliding cargo “pod” that extends from the rear to reveal an IT workspace and living quarters.

Nissan will enter the CV business in the United States in 2010 with a product lineup that will incorporate three new products being developed by Nissan specifically for the North American market. These products will be built at Nissan’s manufacturing facility in Canton, Miss. Nissan is investing $118 million to expand Canton’s production to manufacture CVs.

The new vehicles will be joined by commercial vehicles from Nissan’s global CV lineup, creating a multi-segment CV lineup up to class 5 gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR).

Spy Shots: 2010 Lincoln MKT caught in the cold

2009-09-07T19:31:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, Crossovers/CUVs, Lincoln

Click above for high-res image gallery of 2010 Lincoln MKT spy shots

Just a year after the MKT Concept debuted at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Lincoln will be unveiling the production version of its new three-row CUV next month at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Fortunately, our spy photographers have snapped the most revealing views yet of this new Lincoln being driven out on the snowy streets of Dearborn. As you can see, the production MKT holds true to the design direction set by the concept with the largest version yet of Lincoln's signature split-wing grille and that conspicuous kink at the base of the C-pillar. In profile, the MKT seems to share a roofline with the Audi Q7 that creates a soft arch from front to back, and the rear gate is also tilted far forward to avoid the upright, boxy look of a traditional SUV or CUV.

Though the MKT is based on the same platform and shares many components with the Ford Flex, you could never tell by looking at it. There's no badge engineering going on here, and one could argue whereas the Flex design focuses on slab sides and accentuates the horizontal, the MKT is soft and organic with a focus on being sinewy rather than blocky.

Our spy photographers also snapped the dash, which continues a trend at Lincoln of upgrading the materials and incorporating the latest technology. That's real wood stretching across the instrument panel, and you'd be hard pressed to find a larger navigation screen in any other production vehicle (other than another Ford or Lincoln).

Finally, we also noticed that this particular prototype is wearing all of its badging, including an EcoBoost badge that confirms at least one engine choice will be an EcoBoost V6 that features turbocharging and direct injection. Keep your eyes on Autoblog in early January for our coverage of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show where we'll finally see Lincoln's future in person.

Gallery: 2010 Lincoln MKT - spy shots

[Photos: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: 2010 Lincoln MKT caught in the cold originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac production Provoq and CTS Coupe coming in 2010

2009-09-07T15:28:00.001-07:00

Cadillac is planning to start production next year for global sale. The GM brand has already shown the Provoq and CTS coupe concept and is also working on a CTS wagon version to compete with the...

Video: Audi R8 vs. Porsche 911 GT3 - Sabine Schmitz vs. Stig

2009-09-07T11:28:00.001-07:00

There is no doubt that Jeremy Clarkson is a big fan of the Audi R8. After taking it for a spin on Top Gear, Clarkson even wrote in his review of the car for TimesOnline that he likes R8 more than the...

2009 Corvette Z06 Gets a Few Upgrades

2009-09-07T07:30:00.001-07:00

Yes, we know all the Corvette news lately has been about the uber fast ZR1, but for 2009 the Z06 version gets a few updates.

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