|
Video: Promolicious clips of the Audi RS5 meeting its Ür Quattro brother Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi, Luxury 
2011 Audi RS5 promo footage - Click above to watch video after the jump
In what is currently raw footage but what will soon undoubtedly be slickly produced promotional material, the brutalicious 2011 Audi RS5 growls around a track and on various European roads. For a brief spell it even shares the screen with one of its spiritual brethren, the Ür Quattro.
These things don't need lots of explaining - follow the jump for the sight and sounds of two of the finest Audi models ever.
Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Carscoop]Continue reading Video: Promolicious clips of the Audi RS5 meeting its Ür Quattro brother Video: Promolicious clips of the Audi RS5 meeting its Ür Quattro brother originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Video: Gran Turismo 5 "Nights" trailer has it all Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games 
Gran Turismo 5 "Nights" trailer - Click above to watch video after the jump
Perhaps Polyphony Digital should just go into the commercial rendering business. Gran Turismo 5 remains stuck behind a palisade of silence, but new trailers for the game are thrown over the barriers to the salivating hordes every couple of weeks.
A few days ago, Polyphony laid out a NASCAR feast, while this latest, called "Nights," is a potluck dinner with regular gameplay, sports car racing, pit stops, NASCAR, night racing and damage scenes. Plus, a lot of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. And music from Ibiza. Follow the jump to sample the newest dish.
[Source: Joystiq]Continue reading Video: Gran Turismo 5 "Nights" trailer has it all Video: Gran Turismo 5 "Nights" trailer has it all originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Review: 2011 Jaguar XJ is indisputably British and not afraid of a storm Filed under: Sedan, Jaguar, Reviews, Luxury 
2011 Jaguar XJ - Click above for high-res image gallery
Xynthia ripped into France merely hours after our arrival. Packing gale-force fury, the ruthless wind and rain battered the coast before moving inland with its crushing blow - sadly, it was the country's deadliest storm in more than a decade. While we were spared most of its rage, the countryside outside Paris was a soggy debris-laden mess - not exactly optimal conditions to test the latest flagship sedan from Jaguar.
Soldiering forth - and more intrigued than ever with the all-new saloon - we ignored the rain and spent a long day trekking around the drenched landscape with both the short- and long-wheelbase models. What makes this new XJ so different from its predecessors? Does its performance mirror its powerplants? And, what's up with that painted C-Pillar? The answers, and more, are found after the jump.
Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Review: 2011 Jaguar XJ is indisputably British and not afraid of a storm Review: 2011 Jaguar XJ is indisputably British and not afraid of a storm originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rendered Speculation: Ford Taurus SHO wagon is the apple of our eye Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Ford, Design/Style 
Many of us who sit around the Autoblog campfire every day are fans of station wagons. We love cars and love the idea of having some extra utility without giving up the generally superior driving dynamics of cars versus SUVs or crossovers. We also like the idea - if not necessarily the execution - of the Ford Taurus SHO.
Being aware of that fact, one of our readers put his Photoshop skills to work and created the rendering you see here of a SHO wagon. Ford, of course, has never officially built an official SHO wagon - either with the current model or with its predecessors. Naturally, there have been some aftermarket and homebuilt conversions over the years, and even at least one that we know of that was built inside Dearborn.
Of course, building a wagon off of previous models was substantially easier because Ford actually marketed a wagon bodystyle in the first couple of Taurus iterations. Not so with today's massive-yet-handsome sedan. Judging by reader Josiah's rendering above, that's a real shame, because the 2010 Taurus could really put some of its continental bulk to good load-lugging effect with an estate variant. Unfortunately, we'll likely never see anything like this slick wagon produced. The closest we figure to get is an Ecoboost Flex, which isn't exactly a bad alternative. Thanks for the great rendering, Josiah!
[Source: JosiahLacolla.com]Rendered Speculation: Ford Taurus SHO wagon is the apple of our eye originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Hummer plant coming back online to fill 849-unit order? Filed under: SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Hummer, Off-Road 
Hummer H3T - Click above for high-res image gallery
Unless a buyer for Hummer materializes in the next few months, General Motors will continue to wind-down its environmental group dart board. The slow death of Hummer has actually been in process since before The General announced that the sale of the brand to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery fell through, as the company's Shreveport, LA facility stopped making H3 and H3T models in January.
But while Shreveport has been down for two months, it looks like the plant could dust off the H3 tooling to fill one more big order. Brandcentric site Hummerguy.net is reporting that GM is ramping up production of the H3 from April 12 to May 13 to fill a 849 unit order. The General reportedly didn't announce the purchaser of the reported mega Hummer order, but the Detroit, MI-based automaker did say that the order was not related to the brand's wind-down or sale.
We're thinking this news won't stop Hummer from off-roading into the sunset, but it does at least prove that there are still people that like Hummers. Now all GM needs is a Hummer lover with a spare $150 million laying around the compound to step up and buy the withering brand.
[Source: Hummer Guy]Hummer plant coming back online to fill 849-unit order? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Video: San Diego 'runaway Prius' has media buzzing Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Videos, Hatchback, Toyota 
Runaway Prius in San Diego - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Both the second- and third-generation Prius are part of Toyota's massive recall - the former for floormat problems, the latter for braking issues - but a new incident from California has the automaker looking into more potential issues with the second-generation car.
As CNN tells it, Jim Sikes was driving his Prius on Interstate 8 in San Diego County when he pushed the gas pedal to pass a slow-moving car, but then, as Sikes says, "[the pedal] did something kind of funny ... it jumped and it just stuck there." Sikes called 911 for assistance, but a California Highway Patrol officer caught up to the car, and the officer used a loudspeaker to give Sikes instructions on how to safely stop the vehicle with the emergency brake. "As it was going, I was trying the brakes... it wasn't stopping," Sikes recounts. The highway patrol officer said that Sikes had reached speeds of over 90 miles per hour.
Neither Sikes or any other drivers were hurt during this alleged unintended acceleration incident. In a statement issued Monday night, Toyota says that it has dispatched a field technical specialist to investigate the case. Click through the jump to watch the CNN video and you can read more about it in Los Angeles Times link below. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
[Sources: CNN, Los Angeles Times]Continue reading Video: San Diego 'runaway Prius' has media buzzing Video: San Diego 'runaway Prius' has media buzzing originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Automobile takes a look at the early history of 'sudden acceleration' Filed under: Classics, Technology, Audi, Chrysler 
Unintended acceleration didn't start with Toyota, nor did it start with the Audi 5000 - it's probably been around since the first man put a leg over what he thought was a tamed horse.
Automobile Magazine takes a look at the phenomenon of accidentally wide-open throttles circa 1957, when Chrysler began the process of putting Bendix Electrojet fuel injectors into four of its models. At one point, a test car flooded when the injector's signals were confused while passing a radio broadcast tower. It's a good read so we won't spoil it for you - follow the link below for the full story. And if you see the only remaining Electrojet-equipped Chrysler - the rest were retrofitted with carburetors - keep an eye on it...
[Source: Automobile]Automobile takes a look at the early history of 'sudden acceleration' originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Saab/Spyker badges hit eBay Filed under: Auctions, Saab, Spyker 
A designer in Portugal has created a decal to celebrate Europe's most recent celebrity wedding. The 2.5-inch, self-adhesive decal is waterproof and UV resistant, and fits Saabs from 2003 to the present day. You can own this instant classic for just $10, and the creator can probably expect a ping from the gents at Spyker in three, two...
[Source: eBay]Saab/Spyker badges hit eBay originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in peril over Toyota recalls? Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota 
After Dave Chappelle threw himself overboard the USS Hollywood, he did an interview in which he said, "When a person tells you something's... just business, that means some ice-cold [stuff] might be about" to happen. We can imagine that Toyota, doing everything it can to make its case better in the eyes of the American government and public, called its fellow members of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers to let them know "Don't take what we're about to do personally..."
What Toyota did was send a graph of recent recalls and safety complaints to certain Congressional reps on important committees. That graph showed that the Detroit Three have led the way when it comes to recalls and safety issues, posting three times the number of issues seen at Toyota. The problem: Toyota is being questioned about its transparency and commitment, not about how many cars have been recalled and how that might compare to other automakers.
And that is said to have Ford, General Motors and Chrysler in black moods, since they see the graph as a disingenuous move to make Toyota look a little better at their expense. One Detroiter is said to have claimed "It's tearing the whole industry apart." That might be a bit much, but at the very least it could do some serious damage to the Auto Alliance, whose membership consists of Toyota, the Detroit Three, and the German automakers. But hey, it's just business...
Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.
[Source: Detroit Free Press]Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in peril over Toyota recalls? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Daytona Bike Week 2010: The magic number is 69 Filed under: Motorcycle 
Festivities and events once again shifted into high gear this year in Daytona, Florida, as the 69th installment of Daytona's "Bike Week" roared into town with all the usual suspects present and accounted for. Year after year, bikers far and wide have flocked to the beach to cut loose and congregate in the warm Florida sun.
It all started on January 24th, 1937, when Ed Kretz wrung out his Indian on the hard sand beach winning the first ever Daytona 200, or 'Handlebar Derby," as it is know by most locals. It was official, Daytona was a two-wheeled town and what's now known as Bike Week was born. Each year popularity grew for the races, and soon, as non-race related activities flourished, crowds became more and more rough-edged. The invasion, as it came to be called, became so rowdy that after the 1986 event a special task force was formed in cooperation with the city and chamber of commerce to manage the gathering.
Some things have not changed. Daytona's Bike Week is now a ten-day festival and is known as "the worlds largest motorcycle gathering." It also continues to attract crowds from all over the globe... as well as corporate sponsors, including the likes of Budweiser and Harley-Davidson. With this event aging along with it's patrons though, will Daytona hang on to it's bad-boy, bar-banging reputation?
Take a look at this years events schedule. It reveals a discount prescription card and a section dedicated to the event's "Executive Riders," who apparently "shed the confinements of day-to-day business and evolve into a completely different self." Whatever that means. Only time will tell what the next phase of Daytona Bike week will be. We certainly hope it includes a little bit of the spirit Mr. Kretz and others in the early days displayed, hanging it all out atop two wheels on a beach in Florida.
[Source: Official Bike Week]Daytona Bike Week 2010: The magic number is 69 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Video: Ken Block's one and only Rally Focus test before Mexico Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ford, Racing 
Ken Block testing the Ford Rally Focus before last weekend's Rally Mexico - Click above to watch video after the jump
A snowy, icy and muddy Greystoke Forest in England probably isn't the best place for a new rally driver to practice for the WRC's Rally Mexico, but that's where Ken Block had to get his testing done, and he had just one day to do it. Follow the jump to watch the DC Shoes maestro getting to grips with his steed. Having already seen the results of the race, it appears he didn't do all bad.
[Source: Monster World Rally]Continue reading Video: Ken Block's one and only Rally Focus test before Mexico Video: Ken Block's one and only Rally Focus test before Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
AutoblogGreen for 03.09.10 
AutoblogGreen for 03.09.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Mazda designer wants to revive RX-7 Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Mazda 
Mazda Kabura Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ikuo Maeda, Mazda's design overlord, designed the soon-to-be-Stateside Mazda2. He also penned the Mazda RX-8, following quite literally the path his father laid before him: Maeda's father created the original Mazda RX-7. Now Maeda wants to bring the RX-7 back to life, saying "I do have a strong yearning to revive the RX-7 during my tenure."
Even though many enthusiasts would like nothing more than for Mazda to tap that root, we have heard that other Mazda officials queried on the subject poo-pooed the idea, asking "Why go backwards?" If we were to answer, we'd say "Because things were awesome back then. Except for the warranty claims..." That latter point being another reason the last RX-7 is not exactly a fond memory for the Japanese brand.
For it to have any chance at all, though, Maeda said "... we need the U.S. economy to come back, first and foremost." We hereby give you our permission to begin buying everything.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]Report: Mazda designer wants to revive RX-7 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Video: Sears Pointless LeMons crash puts another rollcage to the test Filed under: Motorsports, Videos 
If you were following the news coming out of Infineon this weekend during the Sears Pointless 24 Hours of LeMons race, you might've heard about a nasty crash involving the ONSET Cavalier.
Going into turn 11 at about 1 PM on Saturday, the wagon - an easy top ten contender - squeezed through an opening on the back straight before being tapped on the left rear, sent into a wall and then flipped. The Cavalier slid well over 100 feet before coming to a rest mid-track and just as the driver was extracting himself from the car, the red wagon burst into flames.
Although he was able to remove his harnesses and wiggle his way out the window, the driver did suffer from a back injury resulting in two vertebrae surgeries carried out on Saturday and Sunday. We've gotten word from a close friend of Tyler that he's recovering and doing well, and we wouldn't be surprised to hear that LeMons could begin requiring HANS devices for future races.
After the jump we've got two videos of the wreck: One from inside the ONSET car and another from a vehicle traveling further back in the pack. Both are very telling and further proof that LeMons' strict safety requirements work, even in $500 crap can racers.Continue reading Video: Sears Pointless LeMons crash puts another rollcage to the test Video: Sears Pointless LeMons crash puts another rollcage to the test originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 3.8.10 
The F-Series Super Duty is ready for battle and Ford's all-new heavy hitter is packing more than just class leading power and towing.
A hybrid hatchback with a six-speed manual? Honda dealers have heard that story before and were less than thrilled when the automaker announced plans to bring the CR-Z to the States.
Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 3.8.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lexus announces IS350C F-Sport Special Edition, priced from $58,375* Filed under: Convertible, Lexus, Design/Style, Luxury 
Lexus IS C F-Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery
As much as we'd love to see a convertible version of the pulse-quickening Lexus IS F, it doesn't appear to be in the cards. Instead, Lexus is offering up plenty of F-Sport accessories for the IS C, including the new IS350C F-Sport Special Edition which goes on sale later this month. Only 100 of these F-tuned droptops will be produced, retailing for $58,375 (including the $875 destination charge).
Available in either Obsidian or Tungsten Pearl, the F-Sport isn't any more powerful than a standard IS350, but it includes things like new 19-inch wheels, a front and rear brake upgrade and Blistein shocks. Additionally, new lowering springs set the IS one inch lower to the ground, and a beefier sway bar is in place to aid in better overall handling. Inside, there's a leather-wrapped shift knob, embroidered floor mats and a numbered badge, all with F-Sport logos, of course.
While this is all well and good for the IS C, we can't help but think that, at over $58K, our money would be better spent on a BMW 335i or Audi S5 cabriolet. Still, Lexus buyers looking for a more sporting edge should like the F-Sport touches, and with only 100 units being made, we doubt the automaker will have any trouble moving them off of dealer lots. Hit the jump to read all of the details in the press release.
[Source: Lexus]Continue reading Lexus announces IS350C F-Sport Special Edition, priced from $58,375* Lexus announces IS350C F-Sport Special Edition, priced from $58,375* originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
"Style your Smart" contest elicits 50,000(!) design ideas Filed under: Coupe, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Smart, Design/Style 
Daimler rang in the new year with an online design contest called "Style your Smart." Apparently, the idea of decorating a virtual Smart Fortwo appeals to a lot of people, since 50,000 design ideas we submitted by over 8,000 people from 100+ countries. The winner, pictured above, was submitted by Tamir Shefer from Jaffa, Israel. For his entry, Shefer will get €1,500 (about $2,000 USD) and had his car described on the contest website as:
The winner of the contest meets the philosophy of the brand perfectly and encourages the observer to open his mind. You cannot miss this car due to the artistically high level. It combines the joy of life, humanity and the spirit of the city in a modern, fresh and graphically convincing way. It is urban and human friendly at the same time and shows that cars and humans do belong together.
Not bad. Contest participants could also win cash awards for being active on the company's website, and three other designs drove off with some prize money. All told, Daimler gave out just €5000 (@ $6,800 USD) and received a lot of fan exposure for the money. Well played.
[Source: Smart]Continue reading "Style your Smart" contest elicits 50,000(!) design ideas "Style your Smart" contest elicits 50,000(!) design ideas originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
TVR 'remanufacturer' facing legal opposition? Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., MISC 
TVR Sagaris - Click above for high-res image gallery
We don't hear all that much about classic British muscle/sportscar maker TVR, so here's a quick refresher on what's been going on over the last few weeks: Russian owner Nikolai Smolenski has signaled his intent to bring the overpowered brand back to the market using a classic American V8 engine of unknown origin, and we'll know more about that later this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Shortly after that revelation, we found out that remanufactured versions of the Tuscan, Sagaris and T350 were already available through Carmel Motorsports in Indianapolis, sans powertrain. As we told you at the time, these cars were being supplied by a company called Total Vehicle Remanufacturing... which, though that does indeed have the correct initials, is not the real TVR.
Not surprisingly, then, the "real" TVR doesn't sound all that pleased with its newly found competition. Says TVR Motors co-director James Oxley, "We'd like to make clear that this has nothing whatever to do with us, and it appears to conflict strongly with what TVR is trying to achieve in future." According to PistonHeads, "TVR intends to closely scrutinize the operation to ensure its own interests are appropriately protected." Ought to be interesting to see how this one plays out, no?
[Source: PistonHeads]TVR 'remanufacturer' facing legal opposition? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Audi working on successor to A2? Filed under: Hatchback, Audi, Rumormill, Electric 
Audi A1 e-tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Seeing the Audi A1 and A1 e-tron concept at this year's Geneva Motor Show provides proof that the quad-ring automaker is putting a much larger focus on its small car offerings. With that in mind, new rumors are cropping up about a possible successor to the A2 - the quirky little hatch that never came to the U.S. and only had minor success in Europe.
"There's clearly room for another product and another concept between the A3 and A1," Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told AutoWeek during the Geneva Motor Show. The new A2 would likely be A1-based and use an electric powertrain, possibly sourced from the A1 e-tron concept. European media has reported that the A2 successor is expected to debut by 2014, and no word has been given about a possible U.S.-spec version. However, with Audi keeping the A1 away from American soil, it's likely that the A2 would be a Europe-only affair, as well.
[Source: AutoWeek]Report: Audi working on successor to A2? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Geneva 2010: Our top Fantasy and Reality vehicles of the show Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show
After years of covering the world's auto shows at Autoblog, the Geneva Motor Show never ceases to amaze. It's in Switzerland, so by nature, it's neutral, and since there's no "home team" like in Detroit, Frankfurt or Paris, every automaker comes out to play. And play they did.
While this year's showing wasn't nearly as impressive as the end-of-the-recession shindig we endured in Germany last September, the shear number of reveals boggles the mind and cramps the fingers. But despite six pairs of aching feet, one broken laptop, countless espresso triple-shots and braved our fair share of sharp-elbowed shooters and clueless colleges, we survived (mostly) unscathed and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our time in Switzerland.
After the jump we've assembled our favorite debuts from the show, but rather than creating another "Best and Worse" or "Top Picks" post, we've singled out two vehicles: One that embodies our no-cost, no-holds-barred, fantasy ride and another production-ready example that we could conceivably drive home tomorrow given our meager (or not-so-meager) means. Check out our picks after the break and let us know what your own choices are in 'Comments.'Continue reading Geneva 2010: Our top Fantasy and Reality vehicles of the show Geneva 2010: Our top Fantasy and Reality vehicles of the show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
