2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee to Start at Less Than $33,000 for Four-Wheeler
By Greg Migliore
Perhaps the most important vehicle to be launched by Chrysler this year, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, will start at a price that's a shade less than $33,000 for a four-wheel-drive model. The base model with two-wheel drive is $30,995.
This Jeep, shown in concept form for more than a year, is critical to refreshing the Detroit automaker's aging lineup and generating some much-needed product mojo.
The Grand Cherokee arrives in June and will be joined by updated versions of the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler 300 later this year. These vehicles, along with the well-received Ram and the soon-to-be-refreshed Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring (or whatever it will be called), will form the basis of Chrysler's revitalization efforts.
Large and In Charge
Two big luxury sedans are named IIHS Top Safety Picks
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has taken time from petitioning the government to mandate anti-lock brakes on motorcycles in order to hand out its Top Safety Pick awards to two large luxury sedans: the 2010 Hyundai Genesis and the 2010 Mercedes E-Class.The IIHS takes into account front, side, rollover and rear crash protection ratings; vehicles must receive top marks in all four. In addition, the vehicles must have electronic stability control, which is a standard feature on both the Genesis and the E-Class.
European Union Cuts CO2 Emissions
Is there a lesson America can learn from it?
The European Union has taken a hard line against carbon dioxide emissions over the past few years, and according to one new study, the work is beginning to pay off. A Jato Dynamics report says that over the past six years, total CO2 emissions have dropped by as much as 12 percent in Europe. That’s a significant downturn in greenhouse gases, especially when you consider that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, from 2005 to 2008 the United States saw CO2 emissions from fossil fuel consumption in transportation grow by 6 percent. (U.S. data are not readily available for 2003-2009.)Volvo's Collision Avoidance Not Quite Up to Snuff
Guess which half the Swedish carmaker got right?
That must have been what the PR folks at Volvo were thinking after trying to demonstrate to the media the company's collision-avoidance system, which uses forward-looking sensors to automatically slow a car before impact if the system reads that the brakes are not being applied correctly. They launched an SC60 out of a safety tunnel at 30 mph, piloted by only a safety dummy, aimed directly at the back of a parked truck.
Any guesses as to how the test turned out? Take a look for yourself, after the jump.
'Officially Road Legal' -- But Just Barely: BMW Releases More Details on the M3 GTS
By Greg Migliore
We love how BMW describes the M3 GTS: perfect for the track yet “officially road legal.” How’s that for a wink and a nod? That’s OK. We can all grin.
Because the M3 GTS, the most powerful version of the M3 coupe, can hit 62 mph in 4.4 seconds and peaks at a top speed of 189.5 mph, according to figures released on Wednesday from Munich.
The M3 GTS is the race-bred version of the iconic two-door that makes about 450 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque from a high-revving V8 boosted from 3,999 cc to 4,361 cc. The cylinders are banked at 90 degrees, and BMW is billing this engine as V8 technology at its best. It’s hard to disagree.
Welcome to the Danger Zones
Top 10 most dangerous cities for drivers -- or are they?
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Johnstown, Pa.
- Portland, Maine
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Erie, Pa.
- Bangor, Maine
- Birmingham, Ala.
- Austin, Texas
- Manchester, N.H.
- Lincoln, Neb.
Foiled Again!
Mazda's affordable, amenity-packed commuter is Japan-only
Given that we normally fret about the small, sporty cars that won't be hitting U.S. shores -- the Audi A1 comes to mind -- we must say that it's odd to experience a pang of regret that a boxy Mazda commuter like the Carol likewise won't be seen stateside.But when you consider what the Carol represents -- a fuel-efficient, features-heavy (and, dare we say, cute) micro-mini commuter that goes extra easy on the wallet -- it's a shame the vehicle won't hit the roads here if for nothing else than to raise the subcompact bar.
Bavarian Treats for Sale
BMW trots out its wares for 2010 and beyond.
Talk about kids in a candy store: From bright blue M3s and a "hot chocolate" MINI to a silvery Rolls-Royce Ghost, BMW rolled out a jelly-bean assortment of cars to satisfy media cravings at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Row upon row of showroom-buffed BMWs made it easy to remember the go-go days, when it seemed like even the pool boy could afford a Bimmer. But even as BMW keeps one eye open toward a modest sales comeback this year -- it's hoping to reel in a 10 percent gain in 2010 -- its executives still see troubling factors that suggest car sales aren’t about to race out of the woods.
Richard Brekus, BMW's general manager for sales, said that the depressed housing market continues to impede BMW and other luxury brands. Brekus noted that there’s a 23-month supply of homes with $1 million-plus price tags. And with 23 percent of homeowners underwater on their mortgages, owing more than the homes are worth, you can strike a lot of those people from any list of potential luxury-car shoppers.
But since automakers can’t just hang a “Gone Fishin'” sign on their design studios, factories and showrooms, brands like BMW must keep the new cars coming, jealously guard their market share and hope to lure as many flush buyers as possible.
Porsche Reveals Extreme 911 GT2 RS
By Greg Kable
WITH VIDEO Porsche has revealed its most powerful and arguably most extreme road-going 911 to date: the GT2 RS.
The new rear-wheel-drive road rocket will debut publicly at the Moscow auto show in late August and will go on sale in the United States in October. Sticker price: $245,000.
The GT2 RS, to be built in a limited run of 500, is powered by the latest evolution of Zuffenhausen's 3.6-liter, twin-turbocharged, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine, tuned to deliver a Le Mans-grade 620 hp. That's 90 hp more than the out-of-production 911 GT2 and 8 hp beyond the German carmaker's previously most powerful road car, the 5.7-liter, naturally aspirated V10-powered Carrera GT.
Time to Go Forward With Stopping
Insurance group petitions government for ABS on motorcycles
First, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted the tests. Now, it's appealing to the government.The tests were on the effect of anti-lock braking systems on motorcycles, and the results were dramatic: According to the institute, ABS can reduce fatal motorcycle accidents by up to 37 percent. A separate study by the Highway Loss Data Institute found similarly compelling numbers: 30 percent fewer injury claims, and 22 percent fewer damage claims.
Their appeal is equally noteworthy: a government mandate for ABS systems on all motorcycles.
Price Matters for Would-Be Electric-Car Buyers, Survey Finds
By Izzi Bendall
Less green power for fewer greenbacks--that's a compromise some potential electric-car customers are willing to make, according to a recent survey.
Conducted by electric-vehicle maker Think, the survey found that half of respondents would accept a 70- to 80- mile range if the vehicle's cost was cut by $5,000. However, 55 percent of those who responded said they would be willing to pay an additional $5,000 for an EV with a 150- to 160-mile range.
But there are limits.
The Look of Things to Come
Cisco's dashboard of the future.
We've already seen the Apple iPad incorporated into a car's dashboard, but tech pioneer Cisco has envisioned a future when your entire dashboard operates in pretty much the same manner.As reported by The New York Times "Wheels" blog, Cisco has created a prototype dashboard where the icons for applications -- such as your GPS navigation, fuel-use data and weather information -- can be manually manipulated just like on an iPad, by dragging and dropping, or made larger or smaller via pinching or expanding finger movements.
Porsche Releases Accessories for Owners Who Want to Upgrade
Want more info? Contact your local Porsche dealer.
Porsche is making it possible for owners of older cars to add some modern- or classic-looking equipment.
The classic look comes from the availability of 19-inch wheels styled to replicate the look of the Fuchs rims used on the 911 Sport Classic in 1966. The wheel's five spokes are painted black with a silver look to the outer rim and the Porsche logo in color on the wheel hub. The wheels, which include tires, are available for all-wheel-drive versions of the 911 Carrera, the Targa and the Turbo.
A Man and His Dream
We found a piece of American automotive history, a 1948 Tucker sedan, in a not-so-unusual place.
Preston Tucker was a true American dreamer -- and he created one of the most memorable failures the automotive industry has ever seen: the radically unconventional 1948 Torpedo, later renamed the Tucker 48.
Only 51 Tuckers were made before the company folded on March 3, 1949, due to negative publicity initiated by the news media, a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and a heavily publicized stock-fraud trial. The whole sordid ordeal was immortalized on film by legendary director/producer Francis Ford Coppola, in 1988 (recent Oscar winner Jeff Bridges delivers a great performance as Tucker).
While established manufacturers were offering warmed-over prewar designs at the time, Tucker promised a car-starved nation aerodynamic efficiency, 100-mph cruising speed and safety features including a padded dash, “pop-out” windshield and disc brakes -- and he delivered them all. Not to mention a fully independent suspension with “Torsilastic” rubber and torsion bar springs, and a 5.5-liter rear-mounted aluminum helicopter engine converted from air- to water-cooling.
BMW Z4 sDrive35is Mille Miglia
BMW gives its roadster the special-edition treatment.
BMW may have abandoned its “Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan, but that doesn’t mean the company has turned its back on its motorsports history. The German automaker has been mixing it up fender-to-fender for generations, and in order to commemorate one of its greatest victories, the company has just released a new, special-edition Z4.In 1940, BMW entered five racers in the infamous Mille Miglia -- a 1,000-mile road rally through the Italian countryside that punished both drivers and their machines. The company managed to take a number of top honors that year, including overall victory and team victory. BMW walked away with first, third, fifth and sixth places in one of the manufacturer's greatest motorsports campaigns.
Adopt a Diesel
Clean diesel engines show a higher-than-expected adoption rate among consumers
Proponents of clean diesel engines have seemingly taken a large step forward in winning the hearts and minds of the American automotive consumer, according to new registration data from R.L. Polk & Co. The numbers suggest that buyers, when given a choice, pick diesel engines at a higher rate than previously expected and far surpassing the choice of, say, a hybrid system.For example, using the 12-month period from January 2009 to January 2010, we see that 8 percent of buyers chose the Toyota Camry Hybrid, which has been available since the 2007 model year. During the same 12-month period, the Audi Q7 TDI had adoption rate of 30 percent, which is even less than the 49 percent of VW Jetta customers who chose the clean-diesel TDI version.
That's good news for all of us who have been waiting for European manufacturers (and domestic ones) to wise up to the fact that there's a market for clean diesels in the States -- which means, of course, a larger selection of fuel-efficient and torque-heavy fun machines (we hope).
A breakdown of some adoption rates for diesel engines by model, via Autospies:
When You Need More Than the Force to Guide You
TomTom releases first of four 'Star Wars' voices for GPS directions.
Not literally, of course. Instead, that $12.95 will buy you the voice of Darth Vader on your TomTom GPS device, according to Consumer Reports. The legendary villain is the first "Star Wars" character -- of a planned four, including C-3PO (June), Yoda (July) and Han Solo (August) -- to get a spot on the company's roster of fictional characters giving you real-time driving directions. The service, available only on TomTom software version 5.0 or higher, also includes free "Star Wars" downloads with startup screens, icons and sound effects.
Check out a funny promotional commercial for the new service, after the jump.
Hamann Tunes the BMW 5-series GT
By Greg Migliore
The BMW 5-series GT is already a striking ride, and now German tuners Hamann have worked their magic on the crossover with performance, aero and visual enhancements.
The 5-series GT is thoroughly modified by the speed shop. The exterior is marked by a host of custom parts, including side skirts, front and rear spoilers and four stainless-steel exhaust pipes that measure 90 millimeters in diameter.
The wheels immediately signal that this is not a conventional people hauler, with 22-inch designer alloys. The air suspension is lowered for a more sinister appearance.
Sonata Skips 6
Hyundai's new engine shows the company deals from strength.
If anyone could squeeze 200 horsepower and 35 mpg out of a big family sedan, you’d think it would be Honda or Toyota. Instead, it’s the new 2011 Hyundai Sonata -- armed with its new 2.4-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder engine -- that shoots holes in Honda, Toyota, Ford and everyone else, offering both the most horsepower and the best fuel economy of any 4-cylinder family sedan.
That one-two punch of power and economy shows why Hyundai's decision to not even offer a V6 in the Sonata was smart. Why bother with a fuel-sucking six when you can save so much money (hundreds at the pump and thousands off the sticker price) by downsizing to a 4-cylinder engine that doesn’t demand the old compromises in power or performance?
Throw in the Sonata’s undercutting price (just over 19 grand to start) and overachieving styling that highlights a slope-roofed elegance inspired by the Mercedes CLS and Volkswagen CC, and it’s clear that South Korea’s auto juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down.
Ford's Step Back
Ford to double its number of flex-fuel vehicles.
Given all that, this is disappointing news.
The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Ford plans on keeping its promise from 2006 that it will double its amount of flex-fuel vehicles (numbering, at the time, 185,000) by this year.
Antique Automobile Club of America Celebrates 75th Anniversary
By Izzi Bendall
The 15 founders of the Antique Automobile Club of America would be proud: The organization's membership has grown to nearly 60,000 since the club launched in 1935.
And to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the AACA will hold a four-day celebration, June 30-July 3, in Louisville, Ky. A car show on the last day will be the spotlight event, and more than 600 vehicles spanning more than a century will be displayed. The 1909 Sears, the 1916 Milburn and the 1929 Essex will be among the featured cars.
The End of an Era
The beginning of another? Ducati takes out Harley Davidson on a flat track for the first time in 17 years.
How about some historic motorcycle news this fine Friday? Yes? All agreed? Good.For the first time in 17 years, a motorcycle company not named Harley Davidson has won a flat-track one-mile race, with Ducati placing first on the performance of Joe Kopp, who last Saturday piloted a customized dirt-racing chassis to a Grand National victory at the Yavapai Downs Mile in Arizona.
Not only that -- and good news for recreational motorcycle riders -- the contest marks the first time a Grand National race has been won by a readily available production motor in a full 29 years. Kopp's customized bike was powered by the same 2010 Desmodue engine that powers Ducati's Hypermotard 1100EVO.
Enthusiast Demand Forces Aston's Hand: V12 Vantage Coming to America
By Greg Migliore
Thanks to enthusiasts, the most powerful road-going Aston Martin ever is coming to the United States.
The British sports-car maker confirmed on Friday that the V12 Vantage--packing 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque--will be sold in North and South America.
This is a reversal from a year ago, when Aston tantalizingly showed off the car and promptly said it wasn’t coming here. Now the company says that it has no choice but to respond to the huge demand from enthusiasts to bring the car to the Americas.
Why the change in plans?
Take This Thing Out in the Rowboat and Do What Needs to Be Done
The Godfather Roadster -- ouch.
Some people argue that aesthetic quality is purely subjective; that standing cultural mores are nothing but byproducts of a particular time and place; that beauty -- or lack thereof -- is solely in the eye of the beholder.For those people, I give you what is possibly the ugliest car (the Scion xB notwithstanding) ever: the custom-built, Cadillac XLR-based Godfather Roadster -- now selling on eBay for a mere 50 grand.
Ludicrously extended wheelbase? Check. Gaudy red leather seats, with "Godfather"-styled stitching? Check. Extraneous tubes, double side-mounted spares, freaking foot-long horns extending from the grille? Check, and mate. (You can see the rest of the pictures, via Jalopnik.com, here.)
GMC Extends Denali Trim to 2011 Sierra 3500
By Greg Migliore
More Denali. That's what GMC says heavy-duty truckers want, and that's what the truck maker aims to give them.
GMC announced on Friday that the Denali trim will be added to the 2011 Sierra 3500 model in several configurations. It will be offered on the single-wheel and dualie setups, and in two-wheel and four-wheel drive. The trim will come with the standard bed or a long box.
Don't 'Don't Buy'
Consumer Reports lifts its 'don't buy' designation on the Lexus GX 460.
If you'll recall, after the Lexus GX 460 failed Consumer Reports' emergency handling tests -- its electronic stability control failed to kick in with enough gusto, causing the back end to kick out and potentially posing a rollover problem -- the magazine issued a "don't buy" designation on the vehicle. Toyota responded by immediately pulling the vehicle, and promised a quick fix. And, according to Consumer Reports, it's done just that via a software upgrade.On a retest, and after taking their vehicle to the dealer for said software upgrade, Consumer Reports testers found the problem was indeed fixed: no more skidding out, thanks to solid response from the ESC. Subsequently, Consumer Reports lifted its "don't buy" designation for the vehicle.
We can argue all we want about the relative merits of ESC -- whether it really increases safety or is simply a nanny program that creates bad, reckless drivers -- but it is interesting to see the side-by-side test results when the ESC isn't working properly and when it is. Check out that video after the jump.
GM Trashes Landfills in Many Plants
By Izzi Bendall
General Motors is making good on its word to convert half of its global manufacturing plants into landfill-free operations by the end of 2010. To date, 43 percent of GM facilities, or 62 sites, have stopped sending production waste to landfills.
Instead, 97 percent of the plants’ waste material is recycled and reused. Three percent of the waste is converted to energy, replacing fossil fuels.
If You Build Them, They Will Come
Buick expects major sales boost
Well, lots of Buick news this week. Or more than we're used to, at least.According to the Detroit Free Press, Buick has announced that it expects to move double its current volume over the next few years, thanks in large part to new models like its redesigned Regal midsize sedan and the bold new LaCrosse.
I particularly enjoyed this comment from Exhaust Notes reader xquzit98, from the article on China's influence on car design (most notably on Buick and other GM models):
"Im 30 and never thought [I'd] say it, but I'd buy a Buick! Move over Grandpa, I'm drivin!"
Reuse, Recycle, Recharge
Telekom Austria finds a new use for outdated telephone booths.
And yet that infrastructure remains, while the infrastructure for emerging technologies -- such as charging stations for electric vehicles -- languishes. Telekom Austria (which, as the name suggests, is a telecommunications company based in, yes, Austria) is in the middle of rolling out what essentially transitions the emerging technology into the fading one by placing EV charging stations in their telephone booths.
VIDEO: Ferrari 599 GTO Conquers the Track
Watch it here.
What's it like to drive the most potent road-going Ferrari ever, the 599 GTO? Only a few will ever know. But today, we're getting video of one of the most powerful cars in history from Maranello.
In this footage, legendary test driver Dario Benuzzi takes us for a spin in the 599 GTO. This new rocket from the Prancing Horse makes 670 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. Watch it all on display in this video.
The Writing on Buick's Wall
Are Buick show rooms going to get a little more crowded?
There’s a pesky rumor going around that General Motors is considering introducing a new compact utility vehicle to the Buick lineup in an attempt to lure younger buyers onto dealer lots. The company has already made it clear that it will sell a new small car based on the same platform as the Chevrolet Cruze, but so far it hasn’t mentioned word one on whether or not a people-mover is in the cards as well.A new report from MLive.com credits an unnamed source as saying that the company’s Orion Township, Mich., assembly plant is gearing up to produce the new small Buick, and that it will be based on the upcoming Chevrolet Aveo successor. On the surface, that makes plenty of sense, especially considering that GM is currently shipping all of the hardware it will need to produce the Aveo to the Orion plant. At the same time, we’re left with a few questions as to why General Motors would be interested in pursuing a new CUV or crossover with the Buick brand, especially after announcing that Chevrolet would not be selling the Orlando here in the United States as initially announced.
Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Increased Safety's Gotta Go
Foreign automakers join to oppose stricter auto safety standards.
As it turns out, Nissan, Honda, Subaru and a good number of Republican lawmakers.
The foreign manufacturers are opposed to increased fines for cars with safety defects -- specifically any increase to the $16.4 million penalty cap currently in place -- and want more time before brake-override systems and vehicle black boxes are mandatory.
Hottest 911 Ever!
A shot of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS
A few weeks back, we revealed spy shots of the next-gen Porsche 911 GT2.
But now the Web is awash in reports from a Porsche dealer meeting in Germany where the company revealed the even-hotter GT2 RS.
Reportedly pushing 620 hp from its turbocharged boxer-six engine, the track- and street-legal GT2 RS is said to be 200 pounds lighter than the GT2. The combination of extra power and shaved weight means the GT2 RS reportedly will run from 0 to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds and has set a record time of 7 minutes, 22 seconds at the Nürburgring. These numbers may not be entirely accurate, but we expect they are fairly close to the mark.
Vetting the Newest 'Vette
Grand Sport a Grand Time
When the Corvette and its buyers start getting bored, Chevrolet has the answer: Let’s do a special-edition Corvette! This has been going on for a half-century, with varying degrees of success. Some models or option packages are modern classics, like the original Z06 from 1963: This was a race-ready Corvette with a massive 36.5-gallon fuel tank, created by 'Vette godfather Zora Arkus-Duntov to sneak around GM’s self-imposed ban on factory racing. Only racers and other in-the-know buyers knew to check off the Z06 option box, which added a hefty $1,818 to the Sting Ray’s $4,252 base price -- and since only 199 were ever built, a primo Z06 can fetch a cool $1 million today.
The downside has been a welter of self-serving commemorative or “anniversary” Corvettes, including several Indy Pace Car models. These tend to add little or nothing to stock 'Vette performance while slapping on lurid paint schemes and decals so tacky that the cars appear to have been conceived by a 14-year-old NASCAR fan who may have found his way into daddy’s Wild Turkey.
So it’s always reason to cheer when Chevy gets it right, as it has with the reborn Z06 and ZR1 models. Yet those cars -- especially the 638-horsepower ZR1, which runs $110,000 -- are out of reach for many of the Corvette faithful. Well, allow me to tout the new Grand Sport coupe and convertible, themselves named for the Corvette prototype racers of a bygone age, along with limited-edition models from ’63 and ’96.
Design Your Own Ghost With the New Rolls-Royce iPhone App
Mix and match the colors and options on your dream Rolls-Royce Ghost with the new app.
So you want to build your dream Rolls? Now you can.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said its first app for the iPhone and iPod touch is now available at the App Store. The app allows you to configure your own Ghost, Rolls' newest model.
The Ghost app allows you to choose from the thousands of design combinations available at Rolls-Royce dealerships. There are 12 paint finishes, three wheel styles, visible exhaust tips and a Silver Satin hood.
In the Clear
Shell Helix Ultra has one of the coolest car commercials we've seen.
Shell Helix Ultra and the creative team at JWT have made a damn cool car commercial. In order to show how their particular oil works in an engine, they created a completely clear (and oversized) engine, housed in a glass car. No computers, no CGI -- nothing but a whole bunch of research, plenty of man-hours, incredible amounts of labor, add some cameras and ... action.
The best part of this video, after the jump, is the behind-the-scenes details showing how the 30-second spot was made.
Really, it doesn't need much more introduction than that. Enjoy.
Ken Block and His Ford Fiesta Slide Into Forza Motorsport 3
By Dale Jewett
Rally and gymkhana driver Ken Block is torturing tires with a Ford Fiesta these days. So our Microsoft friends at Turn 10 Studios, makers of Forza Motorsport 3, have their version of Block and his rally Fiesta sliding their way around some open space and through the warehouse available for viewing. So here you go. And keep an eye out for the subliminal advertising of your favorite car-enthusiast magazine.
The Alternative Alternative Fuel
Natural-gas-powered Honda Civic reaches another retail market.
We've covered vehicles that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) before, though mostly in their use as fleet vehicles. Despite the efforts of enormously wealthy former oilman-turned-environmental-crusader T. Boone Pickens to make CNG vehicles a reality, in terms of consumer vehicles they exist in far fewer numbers than hybrids and, if we had to guess, probably even pure electrics at this point.Despite the fact that compressed natural gas burns far more cleanly than gasoline and is also far less expensive, in the U.S. the only commercially available CNG-powered car is the Honda Civic GX NGV, and up until recently it was available only in California, New York and Utah, where CNG refueling stations are (relatively) available. Oklahoma has just been added to that list, as well, boosting the number of major markets to just four.
China Style
As China reigns as the world's largest auto market, the industry is styling cars for its tastes.
When you see the smooth, flowing lines of the redesigned Buick LaCrosse, the extended wheelbase of the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Mazda's Mazda2 compact sedan, you're seeing three examples of the same thing: how China is shaping the look and feel of automobiles destined for every part of the globe.China is now the world's largest market for automobiles, and as this article over at CNet points out, size matters.
Everything from extended wheelbases to extra-roomy back seats to high-tech features to fuel-efficient 3-cylinder engines are incorporated with at least a partial eye to China's incredible demand for cars. GM, whose Buick vehicles have been far more popular in China than the U.S. of late, even has a word for the design language: the C-factor.
A New Record, But Not in the Good Way
The most expensive speeding ticket -- ever.
There's an interesting article in Gizmag today about the new world record for most expensive speeding ticket.As with any law, the particulars vary from country to country. In some places, like Switzerland and Finland -- previous countries of origin for world's most expensive speeding fines -- speeding tickets are calculated based on a combination of the severity of offense and the offender's net worth to discourage the ultrawealthy from flaunting the law, which led to the aforementioned fines of about $290,000 and $200,000, respectively. Those records have not only been broken, but shattered.
In the Netherlands, egregious speeding can be punished, in the most severe cases, by the forfeiture of the vehicle being driven, which recently led to the seizure of a Bugatti Veyron priced at about $2.35 million. And get this: The Veyron's owner wasn't even driving the car.
Some 2005 and 2006 Chevrolet Corvettes Are Set to Be Recalled
By Greg Migliore
Add the mighty Chevrolet Corvette to the list of recalled cars.
General Motors is recalling some 2005 and 2006 models for a steering-column problem. About 40,000 cars produced between March 2004 and January 2006 could be affected.
The problem is that repeated movement of the tilt-and-telescoping steering column could cause a signal interruption, resulting in a warning message appearing and the brakes coming on.
You've Got Mail -- in Your Car
E-mail is coming to the car, but can we handle it?
BMW and Research in Motion have been hard at work on a system that will allow the carmaker’s iDrive system to “read” BlackBerry users’ e-mails over the car’s stereo, just like a hands-free cell phone call. Using Bluetooth Message Access Profile, the system transmits the e-mail to the BMW iDrive system, where a text-to-speech program then broadcasts the body of the text over the car’s speakers. Users won’t be able to send replies just yet, but it should add an extra level of accessibility to a company that prides itself on its business clientele. And while the new tech should also keep BlackBerry users from trying to read their e-mails while driving, it adds yet another layer of distraction to an already demanding driving experience.Oh Sure, Blame the Media
Well, actually, that may be right in regards to EVs, says a retired fuel-systems engineer.
And it's not like the related questions of range anxiety and recharging infrastructure haven't been brought up more than a few times -- but that's hardly the end of questioning EVs' current viability, retired fuel-systems engineer Tom Kuchnicki says in a piece for Automotive News.
Some of the questions he poses have to do with cost. For example, has there been any thought as to taxing electricity for car use to help pay for the roads, as is the case for gasoline now? And if, as is the case now, there is no viable recharging infrastructure, doesn't that make EVs essentially nothing more than a commuter vehicle -- and who can afford $25,000 for something that just takes you to work and back?
12 Teams, 17 Vehicles, 100 Miles Per Gallon
Consumer Reports on hand for the Automotive X Prize shakedown stage.
The main criterion, of course, is that the winning vehicle must achieve the fuel-efficiency equivalent of 100 mpg -- "equivalent," of course, because the vehicles run the gamut of power sources, from all electricity to gas-battery hybrids to even, amazingly, steam. However, that doesn't mean that it's the only requirement. Teams must show their cars can handle properly, accelerate and brake sufficiently, and pass a number of other tests.
To that end, the X Prize team contacted those widely regarded as the best vehicle-testers in the world: our friends over at Consumer Reports. A number of the Consumer Reports staff were on hand to help out, and the result is a pretty cool behind-the-scenes video during the this week's shakedown stage. Check it out after the jump, and see Consumer Reports' own post about the experience here.
On the Chopping Block
Allstate Insurance hosts live 'chop sessions' to show how auto thieves get it done
Allstate Insurance, to drive this point home, is hosting a live chop-shop demonstration in 13 cities across the country: Houston; Chicago; Atlanta; Memphis, Tenn.; Denver; Boise, Idaho; Los Angeles; Las Vegas; Baltimore; Long Island, N.Y.; Philadelphia; Miami; and South Bend, Ind.
The show will demonstrate for viewers just how quickly their cars can be broken down -- in the case of the show professionals less than 10 minutes, and they say real car thieves can do it even faster.
As the show demonstrates, many cars are not taken because they are exotic or rare; in fact, quite the opposite. Reliable cars end up in junkyards and scrap heaps less often, meaning that spare parts are rarer. So common, reliable cars -- your average Honda Accord, for example -- are quite tempting to thieves. After the jump, Allstate's seven recommendations for keeping your car in your driveway and out of thieves' hands:
Chevrolet Cancels Plans to Sell the Orlando Crossover in the United States
By Greg Migliore
Chevrolet is canceling plans to sell the Orlando, a seven-passenger crossover, in the United States.
The Orlando, based on the Cruze platform, will still be sold in Europe, Asia and Canada. The Orlando was shown in concept form at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, and a production model has not yet debuted.
The reasons: Chevy has a fresh lineup of crossovers and SUVs, including the Traverse and the Equinox, which have been well-received. The automaker is also launching the Cruze and the Volt, and the company believes concentrating on its core vehicles makes more sense.
What the World Needs Now: A $375,000 Lexus
Hot laps in the LFA supercar
You’ve got to be a different kind of person -- and not simply wealthy -- to spend $375,000 on a car. You’ve got to be a whole lot different to drop $375,000 on a Lexus.
That’s the going rate when the Lexus LFA starts production this December, and it's at least $125,000 above what the filthy rich will pay for a Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Gallardo or other exotics with more pedigree than this top-shelf Toyota. I drove the LFA at New Jersey Motorsports Park last week, and my initial impression hasn’t changed: The price is insane. But my test laps on the winding road course did soften my skepticism. The LFA is a brilliantly engineered supercar and a performance match for any rival. It delivers electrifying handling, a symphonic V10 engine that sounds like a Formula racer as it zings past 9,000 rpm, and the user-friendly features and quality that mark it as a Lexus.
If I wasn’t impressed after chasing Scott Pruett -- the three-time Trans Am champ and seven-time 24 Hours of Daytona winner -- around the course, then riding shotgun with Pruett as he drove the Lexus did the trick. Pruett coaxed virtuoso laps out of the LFA, pushing its performance envelope to places that no amateur would attempt.
At GM, the Tail Fin Is Back — But Now It's a Blade
By Hans Greimel, Automotive News
Tail fins are making a comeback at General Motors Co., although they are a far cry from the saillike appendages of the 1950s. And this time the company is calling them blades.
The look, pioneered on the Chevrolet Volt to improve aerodynamics, will appear on other models to boost fuel economy, said Ed Welburn, GM's global design chief.
"The blades in the rear, the hard edges, you'll see on other cars," Welburn said in an interview at the Beijing auto show. The blades will be more overt on Chevy models--hybrid or otherwise, he said. But they also will be carried over into other GM brands in a more subtle way.
A Bit of Friday Fun
You call that camouflage? The barely disguised 2011 BMW M5 tackles the Nurburgring.
Unlike most spy shots or videos, the camouflage here is half-hearted at best, and a swirly, Trapper Keeper-like exterior pattern at worst. That being said, the exterior of the 2011 iteration of the M5 was not going to be revolutionary to begin with, and worrying too much about the sheet-metal specifics detracts from watching this machine pull some serious Gs around the corners.
A short video, but enjoy:
From Russia, With Love of Safety
The safety-first Izh 2012 Concept motorcycle
Here's a bit of trivia: Did you know that the same Russian manufacturer that produced the AK-47 machine gun (also known as the Kalashnikov) also put out one of the highest number of motorcycles, per year, of any factory in the world?The motorbike concept you see to the left is an updated version of one of those motorcycles -- the Izh-1 -- called the Izh 2012, and it is all about safety. The concept has an incredible amount of features designed to keep drivers safe -- many of which we don't normally associate with motorcycles, such as the dual front airbags you see in the image.
In addition, a crumple zone is built into the skeleton fork design, not to mention the type of crazy electronics you'd expect to see in the latest Volvo. From Gizmag:
"Like some systems in high-tech cars, the bike would be able to detect vehicles braking suddenly in front and automatically apply the brakes safely. It would also include proximity side sensors to detect blind spots, and the handle bars vibrate to warn riders of potential collisions."
Check out a video of the Izh 2012 concept, after the jump.
Attention Acura Owners
Recall of TSX cites potential fire hazard.
Honda is recalling about 167,000 TSX models from its luxury badge, Acura, due to a potential fire hazard. This is the fifth such recall for similar problems in Acura vehicles, pushing the tally to almost 500,000 vehicles affected by the issue.According to The New York Times "Wheels" blog:
"The automaker said 'prolonged under-hood temperatures' on the TSX may cause a hose to the power steering to crack and leak fluid, which could catch fire. The automaker told the [government] it first had a report of such a fire last September and began an investigation leading to the recall. However, the company is not unfamiliar with such problems on other models."
I'm Just a Bill, Yes I'm Only a Bill, and I'm Sitting Here on Capitol Hill
New auto-safety bill is drafted.
Brake override systems -- like the ones already seen on many German luxury cars and what Toyota has pledged to install on all vehicles going forward -- and "black box" event data recorders are among the mandatory safety features outlined in the bill. (Editor's note: Not to get nit-picky, but isn't a black box a "safety" feature in the same way an autopsy would be considered one? Figuring out what happened after the fact by definition isn't a real-time safety feature for a driver.)
Toyota Resumes Sales of Lexus GX 460
By Izzi Bendall
Toyota has resumed sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV, two weeks after it announced a recall of the 9,400 models already sold.
The Japanese automaker stopped sales of the vehicle after Consumer Reports magazine declared the SUV a safety risk, warning readers that it was prone to oversteer in turns.
That's a Gas
Suzuki promotion gives away free gas for the summer.
Anyone looking for a new car is lucky to find himself in the middle of an incentive war kicked off by manufacturers such as GM and Honda looking to poach Toyota customers in the midst of that company's safety and recall fiascoes -- incentives that Toyota was then forced to match. Since then, plenty of automakers have jumped into the incentive game, and the results have been pretty much what you'd expect -- zero percent financing, rebates, that sort of thing. Suzuki, though, is taking a somewhat different approach: free gas.Taking Charge
A smart charging station picks the best time to re-up an EV.
According to Gizmag, a German engineering group called Frounhofer has come up with a potential solution to this problem in the form of a smart charging station that powers up the vehicle when demand is otherwise low. It works like this: You clock out, head home and plug the car into the charging station -- just like everyone else. However, you have two charging options. The first is to charge immediately; the second is to let the system wait to charge until the local power grid is under the least load. To side-step the problem of waking up to an uncharged car because the system is still waiting, you simply enter the time you'll need your vehicle again, and the system will pick a time beforehand.
Chrysler Sebring to be Renamed Nassau, Report Says
By Greg Migliore
The Chrysler Sebring will reportedly get a new name later this year: Nassau.
The midsize sedan is due for a freshening, including an updated interior, along with its Dodge sibling, the Avenger. The Detroit Free Press, citing anonymous sources, says the new name will be Nassau. Chrysler is not commenting on the possible name change.
"[We] definitely don't have anything to announce about the possible name change later this year," spokesman Rick Deneau said.
The Nassau moniker should ring a bell with car fans. It was the name of Hemi-powered, four-passenger luxury concept shown at the 2007 Detroit auto show. With striking looks and a prominent grille, the concept displayed a dash of panache--potentially for a future Chrysler. The concept rode on a 120-inch wheelbase and was meant to look more visually compact than a comparable Chrysler 300C, summoning the style of a shooting brake.
Safety First
Consumer Reports lists its best cars for teen drivers.
Over at the Consumer Reports blog, they've put up a list of the best new and used cars for teens. The vehicles pass all their standard criteria in terms of safety and reliability, and they have some features that the magazine deems necessary for new drivers, such as electronic stability control (not the same as traction control, as they point out), curtain airbags and a low center of gravity. They rule out sports cars (obviously) as well as trucks and SUVs -- the former due to the temptation of speed, the latter due to the high center of gravity and typically poor handling, which could be a bad combination for an inexperienced driver. Best of all, many of the used cars on the list can be had for under $10,000, even in good condition.
Check out Consumer Reports' list after the jump.
China Automaker Brilliance Halts European Exports, Executives Say
By Automotive News Europe
Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd., BMW AG's partner in China, has halted its car exports to Europe after its BS4 and BS6 sedan met with a cool reception, and there is no timetable for a resumption, senior executives said on Thursday.
The head of Brilliance's former importer for Europe, Hans-Ulrich Sachs, told Automotive News Europe in March that another reason the automaker struggled is because it refused to lower the starting prices on the BS6 and BS4.
"They didn't want to lose any money per car," said Sachs, the former boss of the now dissolved import company HSO Motors Europe. "We told them that this is the entry fee you have to pay to get established in Europe. They told us that we should make the investment to cover the shortfall; that we would have to subsidize the brand."
The Real Weight Watchers
Lotus helps engineer a more efficient Toyota Venza by putting the crossover on a diet.
The minds at Lotus engineering have a funny habit of taking other manufacturers' vehicles and making them better. Spend a little time digging through Google, and you’ll find that the company has lent a hand to everyone from Chrysler to BMW. Usually, those collaborations result in a high-strung sports machine that’s more fit for a racetrack than commuting to work, but that’s not necessarily the case with this latest project. Lotus wanted to take a hard look at how it could make the sizable Toyota Venza more efficient -- but without touching the engine.How do you make a vehicle use less fuel without ever opening the hood? For starters, you put the thing on a serious diet. The team of Lotus engineers started the program with a goal of cutting 20 percent of the vehicle’s weight by 2017, and 40 to 50 percent of the current weight by 2020.
Eyes in the Back of Your Head
The Reevu motorcycle helmet has a built-in rearview mirror.
As Lawrence pointed out earlier today, anti-lock brakes can significantly help motorcyclists drive safer. Now, the first step toward motorcycle safety -- the helmet -- is getting a major upgrade.The Reevu helmet has a built-in rearview mirror panel, giving motorcycle drivers increased vision and situational awareness. The concept was revealed back in 2005, and the manufacturer's RV MSX1 helmet just passed European standards testing and is now available for distribution.
In the Co-Driver's Seat
Taking to the course with rally champ Travis Pastrana
The 2010 Rally America Championship made its third stop of the season along the Washington coast, and MSN Autos' Mike Meredith was lucky enough to snag a quick ride with four-time Rally America Champion Travis Pastrana, before Pastrana went on to take his second win of the season at the Olympus Rally. Here's Mike's report:
If you follow motorsports at all, you're familiar with the name Pastrana. The superstar daredevil cemented his reputation in freestyle motocross -- winning six X Games Gold Medals in the process -- before turning his attention to four wheels. Since 2006, Pastrana’s day job has been driving a Subaru WRX STI for the Subaru Rally Team in the Rally America Championship.
The move to rallying (which Pastrana refers to as motocross with a roll cage) has not stopped him from continuing to perform extreme stunts: At X Games 12, in 2006, Pastrana landed the first-ever double back flip in Freestyle Motocross. And just a few months back, on New Year's Eve, Pastrana broke the world record for a rally car jump when he flew his Subaru WRX STI rally car 269 feet from the Pine Street Pier in Long Beach, Calif., to a barge out in the harbor.
Pastrana has mastered the rally driving technique of sliding the car sideways through every corner, whether on dirt, gravel or tarmac. Because a rally is run over hundreds of miles of road, the driver rarely sees the same corner twice, so sliding the car into a corner is the quickest — and safest — way through the turn. Once the car is sliding, the driver can make adjustments throughout the turn with the steering wheel, throttle or hand brake.
The $73,000 Bar Tab
Brazil's Bar Aurora hosts an intelligent, anti-drunk-driving ad.
Appeal to the weight of their wallet.
After the jump, a neat video from The Concept Mechanics shows what happens when regular bar-goers in Brazil have "the real costs of drunk driving" -- such as $980 for a day's stay in intensive care, a $3,050 ambulance tab and (gulp) $34,160 for an amputation -- added to their bar tabs.
The customers' reactions to seeing that they owe, say, $22,000 for a few beers are priceless. Even better, the stunt is a quick, high-impact and free way to get people's attention (especially when drunk) about the very real costs of driving while intoxicated. Check it out:
Porsche Panameras Recalled for Seat Belt Fix
By Jake Lingeman
Porsche is recalling all 11,300 units of the 2010 Panamera to fix a problem with the front seat belts.
According to Porsche, the Panamera's seat belt mounts could fail in a crash when the front seats are in the full forward position. No injuries have been reported.
Full Stop
Anti-lock brakes sharply reduce motorcycle deaths.
Car-crash fatalities have fallen to record lows, thanks to safer cars, more people buckling up and fewer people drinking and driving.
It’s the opposite with motorcycles, though. Deaths from motorcycle crashes are on the upswing, with more than 5,000 fatalities in 2008 -- the most since the government started collecting bike-injury statistics in 1978. An explosion of new riders is largely behind the rise in injuries and deaths, with 7.7 million motorcycles registered in ’08 compared with 4.3 million in 2000.
The troubling trend led the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to study both causes and potential cures. New studies suggest that equipping more motorcycles with anti-lock brakes would make a huge difference in saving motorcyclists’ lives.
The IIHS looked at motorcycles produced from 2003 to 2008 and found that riders who chose models with anti-lock brakes were 37 percent less likely to be killed in a crash -- a remarkable edge for a single safety technology. The Highway Loss Data Institute found that ABS-equipped cycles had 22 percent fewer insurance damage claims compared with bikes without ABS.
Diesel Power
USA Today reports diesels gaining ground in the U.S.
Good news for those of us who have been waiting for diesels to gain a real foothold in the States: According to USA Today, many of the largest diesel manufacturers think we're on the right track in this country.The major German automakers, such as Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, and Audi -- which sell big numbers of diesel vehicles in Europe -- have expressed encouragement at the pickup in interest in diesel-powered vehicles in the U.S. Not to mention that some of the major Japanese automakers, including Mazda, are poised to enter the market with their own U.S.-spec diesels.
And while the fuel efficiency of diesels have never been in doubt (they can get up to 30 percent better fuel economy than a standard gasoline engine, and it's been found that this efficiency pays for its higher sticker price faster than even hybrid vehicles), but many car buyers still remember the smoky, belchy versions that stank up the nation's highways during the 1970s, and diesel's reputation has suffered ever since.
Like Click and Clack for the Digital Age
Car Care Council rolls out free podcasts on iTunes.
At least until this press release hit my inbox today, which details how the Car Care Council is rolling out a series of free podcasts on iTunes. Want to guess what they're about? (Yes, they deal with issues revolving around caring for your car -- tips, preventive maintenance, that sort of thing.)
You can find the first three podcasts here, and while you're rooting around, be sure to check out the council's digital car-care guide right here.
General Motors to Invest More Than $850 Million to Build New V8s
By Chrissie Thompson, Automotive News
General Motors Co. said Tuesday it will invest more than $850 million to upgrade five North American factories to make its next-generation V8 engines more fuel efficient.
The new V8s will differ from the current versions by using direct injection and a new combustion system, spokeswoman Sharon Basel said. The next-generation engines will also be lighter. GM will build them exclusively from aluminum, compared with the current versions' aluminum and iron makeup, Basel said. All of the engines will be able to run on E85 ethanol.
Do the Hustle
Top 10 mechanic scams.
The word "scam" may have a more sinister connotation here than what's really being discussed; for the most part, it's not about them upcharging for some completely made-up part or service, or swapping out your turbocharger to sell it on the black market. Rather, it's mostly about adding extra work, too soon -- which can in fact be more of a problem for those who are both careful about maintenance and susceptible to taking an expert at his word. As the article points out, many drivers can be talked into anything from new air filters to fresh struts to new brake pads, even when they're not yet necessary.
Porsche Nearing 900 Orders for its 918 Spyder Hybrid Concept
The Porsche 918 Spyder concept was revealed in Geneva
When Porsche AG showed the 918 Spyder at the Geneva show in March, we said it was a car to “make anyone a believer in hybrid
supercar tech.”
Well, maybe not anyone, but Porsche now says it has almost 900 potential buyers for the two-seater hybrid prototype as the German automaker gets closer to approving production.
Fisker Secures Federal Funding
What can $528.7 million buy you these days?
It’s official: Fisker Automotive has secured a $528.7 million loan from the federal government. That’s an impressive amount of cash, especially for a company that has yet to deliver a single model, but the government is hoping that a relatively small investment now will return big dividends for the future of the automotive industry. Fisker is primarily known for its work on the Karma -- a luxury plug-in hybrid vehicle that’s as attractive and powerful as it is efficient. While the company doesn’t expect everyone to be able to purchase an $87,900 sedan, the federal funds should go toward helping the company produce a more affordable model.Electric Avenue in the Big Apple
GM, Columbia University explores 'New York and the Electric Car.'
A pre-production Chevy Volt was parked on College Walk at Columbia University in the City of New York (my alma mater), representing the "New York and the Electric Car" forum sponsored by the university and General Motors.The forum, according to The New York Times Wheels blog, was more of "celebration" than anything else -- there was also a lot of cross-interest, with longtime former GM Vice President Lawrence Burns, also director of sustainable mobility for Columbia's Earth Institute. Jeffrey Sachs, who heads the institute, said that the world is on the cusp of a global electric revolution and that it will start in the world's biggest cities.
Arthur Kressner, director of power-supply research and development at Con Ed, said New York has a grid capable of handling the demand from electric vehicles, with the exception of rare peak demand times. The Wheels blog post doesn't say whether the grid can handle the demand because the demand, right now, is about zero.
Driven to Distraction
Anti-texting campaigns are on the move.
First, the Governors Highway Safety Association and member state highway safety agencies are teaming up with Oprah Winfrey, the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and Harpo Productions for a No Phone Zone Day on April 30. This will be in conjunction with a very special episode (aren't they all?) of Oprah's show in which the media queen addresses the dangers of distracted driving. This will likely be followed up soon after by Oprah claiming to have eradicated the scourge once and for all, accompanied by some tears and harpsichord music in the background. If interested in the details, you can check out the press release here.
For those who prefer humor, rather than self-satisfied melodrama, as an antidote to the world's ills, check out Ken Jeong and Joel McHale, from NBC's show "Community," and the off-beat anti-texting-while-driving public-service announcement they've put out, after the jump. The humorous announcement was released via a partnership between dosomething.org and Sprint, and promotes the use of anti-texting "thumb socks" -- you'll understand when you see the video. It's a humorous attempt to solve a very serious problem, especially among teenagers, for whom car accidents are the country's No. 1 cause of death.
Audi, Bugatti Factories are Detailed in Cable TV Shows
By Dale Jewett
Fans of the Audi R8 and Bugatti Veyron sports cars--a group that includes all of us here at AutoWeek--have the chance on Monday night to go behind the scenes and see how these road rockets are built.
The National Geographic Channel, available on cable and satellite TV systems, tells all about the Audi R8 on an episode of Ultimate Factories that airs at 10 p.m. Eastern. The show takes views into Audi's assembly plant in Neckarsulm, Germany, where workers build up the R8's aluminum space frame by hand.
Attention Toyota Tundra Owners
Expensive fix, unfortunately not under warranty, suggested for Tundra owners.
Nope, this isn't another recall -- which, if you're a Tundra owner faced with fixes that could pull upwards of several thousands of dollars from your wallet, may actually sound like a bad thing.Owners of 2007 and 2008 Tundra models are being asked to replace the air induction pump and/or the vehicle's air injection switching valves, which according to reports have been taking on water. Two points of bad news here: First, these systems seem to be failing right around the time Toyota's 3-year/36,000-mile warranty expires; second, the total cost for fixes can run up to four grand.
Where Are Nissan and Infiniti Design Headed? Just Look at the Lamps
By Hans Greimel, Automotive News
For a glimpse at future styling trends from Nissan Motor Co., look to the headlamps on the Nissan Leaf electric car and the sculpted rear of the Infiniti M.
Front and rear lamps raised from the body surface and pronounced spoilers are two tricks Nissan will use more often to improve the aerodynamics and handling of vehicles--in addition to giving them a futuristic flair, global design chief Shiro Nakamura says.
The goal: Win young drivers and bring sales of models such as the Nissan Altima in line with Japanese rivals
"The important thing is the front end and the rear end," Nakamura said during an April 12 interview at the company's main design studio south of Tokyo. "Traditionally, the lamp surface has been flush with or a continuation of body surface. Now we are disconnecting that surface."
Improving aerodynamics is a key strategy for Nissan as automakers race to improve fuel efficiency and meet stricter global emissions standards. Nakamura says he aims for a drag coefficient below 0.3 for all his designs. The Toyota Prius, by comparison, has drag of 0.25.
Where To, Sir?
Volkswagen's latest electric vehicle is purpose-built to serve the public as a taxi.
Lots of alternative fuel technologies get an early jump integrated within fleet or public-transportation vehicles -- airport buses that run on condensed natural gas, for example, or gas-electric hybrids used for short-distance hauling.Pure electrics, though, seem to have hit the natural consciousness as the next logical step in the clean, green and mainstream car movement. EVs such as the Nissan Leaf have been eagerly awaited by both the media and more than 100,000 potential buyers, while the Tesla Roadster has shown what electrics can do on the high end.
Volkswagen, the world's third-largest automaker, has its own EV slated for showrooms in 2013; however, its newest electric concept is more akin to those airport buses: a purpose-built, all-electric taxi, aimed at congested urban markets.
Underground Racing Lamborghini Cracks 250 mph -- Watch the Video Here
By Dale Jewett
Earlier this year, we told you about Underground Racing, a shop in Charlotte, N.C., that makes a business out of upgrading Lamborghinis with twin turbochargers to boost engine output to more than 1,000 hp.
Now, a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera upfitted by Underground Racing cracked the 250-mph mark at the Texas Mile event.
Car owner Richard Holt made the 250.1-mph run in late March, but video was posted just this week.
We gave you a look at Underground Racing and what it does back in January. You can read the article, including a test drive with IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, here:
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100104/CARREVIEWS/100109992
The twice-yearly Texas Mile is a three-day, high-speed challenge staged on a runway for the Goliad Industrial Air Park, about 90 miles southeast of San Antonio. Participants drive to post a top speed for a one-mile section of the runway.
Click below to watch the video of the 250.1-mph run:
A Bit of Friday Fun
VW Golf versus foam boars
Oh, and it's entirely in German.
Why, you ask? The whole thing appears to be safety-related, but frankly, I just think it's funny. And isn't that reason enough? So sit back, relax, let that soothing German language wash over you, and watch the Golf kill some foam boars (or is it vice versa?).
Check it out after the jump.
Big News in Little China
Beijing Auto Show comes to a close.
If you spend any time covering, writing or reading about cars, you realize that the auto show cycle is pretty much never-ending. Aside from major shows that take place annually in Geneva; New York; Tokyo; Frankfurt, Germany; and Pebble Beach, Calif., there are smaller venues and up-and-comers -- like Beijing, which took place this week.Of course, most manufacturers will save their most groundbreaking debuts for the heavy hitters listed above, but that's not to say Beijing didn't have its share of oohs and aahs. We already covered Mercedes-Benz's Shooting Break concept and the less pricey iteration of the Porsche Panamera that was shown, and introductions from BMW, Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan and others kept things interesting. Here's a rundown of some Beijing highlights:
Shahzad Sheikh to Consumer Reports: You Were Wrong
Car Middle East Online calls out magazine over Lexus GX 460.
The crux of his argument:
"But the most dangerous part of this whole façade is that Consumer Reports seem to be telling drivers that it’s okay to expect to be able to dive into a tight bend at nearly 100kph in your two-and-a-half ton tall-riding SUV."
There Is a Substitute
Panamera on track to become Porsche's best-seller, and V6 models should put it on top.
To borrow a hit from Yogi Berra, the Porsche Panamera looks like déjà vu all over again.
Early returns suggest that Porsche’s new whatchamacallit -- be it a fastback, hatchback, sedan or 4-door sports car -- is already on track to be a huge success. That would defy the purists who scoffed at the idea of a 4-door Porsche car, just as critics insisted that the Cayenne SUV was an abomination, something that no Porsche lover would possibly want.
That one turned out as these things often do: The Cayenne became Porsche’s top-selling model around the world, including in Russia and other fast-growing markets, accounting for a full half of all Porsche sales. The purists and Web whiners were left to spill crocodile tears, oblivious to the reality of today’s auto business and to the fact that the Cayenne, rather than being the death of Porsche’s sports cars, was their lifeblood, a 2.5-ton wagonload of profits that Porsche continues to use to develop and refine cars like the 911 and its many offshoots.
Now, Porsche has used the Beijing Auto Show to unwrap a more affordable pair of Panameras: the $75,375 Panamera and $79,875 all-wheel-drive Panamera 4, both powered by a new 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine. But in the wake of that announcement, no one has yet sussed out what it really means. The addition of these two new models, which undercut the current Panamera S and 4S by about $15,000, will almost certainly make the Panamera the No. 1 seller at Porsche.
Ferrari Sets Nurburgring Record
Ferrari says the 599XX broke the 7-minute barrier on the Nurburgring.
Ferrari is reporting that its 599XX set a record on the legendary Nurburgring. The company says it is the first time a production-derived sports car has bested the 7-minute barrier on the classic 12.9-mile Nordschleife circuit, lapping it in 6 minutes, 58.16 seconds.
The 599XX, which inspired the 599 GTO, is designed for track use -- but not for racing, Ferrari says. Only 29 copies will be built.
The 599XX is powered by a development of the V12 engine in the 599 GTB Fiorano producing a whopping 690 hp. The 599XX features Ferrari's High-Performance Dynamic Concept, an integrated design and chassis setup that uses electronics to govern the mechanical limits of the handling for maximum performance.
The car also has what Ferrari calls Actiflow -- it increases downforce and/or cuts drag depending on the car's trim during cornering.
Click below to watch video of the Ferrari 599XX lap of the Nurburgring:
The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves
Toyota, already down, faces incentives from other automakers designed to lure its customers.
In the wake of unintended-acceleration and other safety issues, massive and ongoing recalls, the largest-ever single penalty by the federal government, and getting hammered in the press day in and day out, Toyota also faces predatory incentives by automakers such as GM and Volvo, which aim to lure Toyota drivers. Both of these manufacturers, according to Consumer Reports, are offering an additional $1,000 to Toyota buyers, on top of other incentives.
Toyota, uncharacteristically and at a time when it can use every dollar from every sale, has had to offer its own competing incentives to keep customers coming in.
But GM and Volvo aren't the only ones playing this game. Check out Consumer Reports' incentive breakdown, after the jump. (Note that all deals expire April 30.)
Pursuit Rated: An Up-Close Look at the New Ford Police Interceptor
By Greg Migliore
Don't look now--though it might be wise to check you rearview mirror--but cop cars are suddenly quite cool. The latest evidence of this is found at Ford, where a new Police Interceptor based on the Taurus is set to go on patrol in 2011.
And it's not just the Blue Oval that's in hot pursuit of the police market. Chevrolet recently revealed the V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive sedan we've all been waiting for. No, not an Impala SS. This is a cop cruiser called the Caprice. At the moment, you have to be in uniform to drive this Bow Tie beauty, which is a crime.
And of course, Chrysler is also hitting the streets with fury--not with the Gran Fury famously used by police forces decades ago, but with its modern muscle car, the Hemi-powered Dodge Charger.
With all of this Detroit muscle on patrol, what chance does a perp have? Not much, if he's being tailed by officers in the new Ford Police Interceptor. It replaces the Crown Vic next year.
We got an up-close look at the new cop car on Thursday at Ford's development facilities in Dearborn, Mich. It's an impressive sedan with all of the modern amenities police need on the mean streets of America.
Oh Big Brother, Where Art Thou?
England, apparently.
Speed traps are bad enough as they stand now. Add a technology that normally we normally like -- GPS -- and some license-plate-reading software, and speed traps just got a lot more scary.England's Home Office is testing GPS-based speed traps -- a system called "SpeedSpike," which uses a global positioning satellite receiver -- in two locations: Southwark, in London, and a spot between Antony and Torpoint, in Cornwall.
What's scary about SpeedSpike is that it can cover a grid of streets, rather than just one road. It can calculate average speed between any two points on the covered grid, meaning if you head from your house to the grocery store, the system can figure out if you arrived too fast based on posted speed limits -- even if you took five roads to get there.
Be Kind, Recycle
On Earth Day, a primer from Consumer Reports about recycling your car battery.
The bad news, for the Earth anyway, is the whole highly toxic, lead-plastic-acid thing; the good news is that car batteries are recyclable and usually wind up as new car batteries, circle of life-style. From the blog post: "According to the industry trade group Battery Council International, more than 97 percent of all used battery lead is recycled into new batteries." The plastic cases are melted down and turned into ... new plastic cases, and even the acid can be made to serve a purpose. It can be turned into sodium sulfate -- used in the production of glass, detergents and textiles -- or neutralized and turned into water.
Of course, you can't just park the battery on the curb next to your old soda bottles and stacks of newspaper.
Question and Answer
Where does the $16 million fine Toyota has been hit with go once it has been paid?
When we told you that Toyota had agreed to pay the Transportation Department the full $16.37 million fine the government recommended for the automaker earlier this week, a few of you in the comments section wondered where, exactly, that money would go. It’s a fair question: Would the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration use the cash for safety awareness programs? Would it go toward cutting the deficit? Or would the millions of dollars simply go toward offsetting the agencies' operating costs? As it turns out, the answer is quite a bit less exciting.According to NHTSA, that sizable lump of cash is headed straight into the massive pool of money that is the U.S. Treasury, which means that in a way, Toyota is putting it right back in the hands of the American taxpayers. The federal government will be able to use the fine for whatever it sees fit -- education, defense, public health, you name it. In the end, we'll probably never know exactly where each penny went.
The Golden State... Not so Golden Anymore
TeleAtlas shows the most polluted roads in the U.S.
Not that anyone in California needs reassurance that their roads are congested, clogged, eco-destroying or otherwise... but in case the need arises, here's an article that tells us what we already know: California roads are the most polluted in the country.
That's right: according to TeleAtlas study of TomTom's latest traffic data (TomTom, the GPS company, funded the study based on GPS data from drivers willing to make their driving stats available for two years) California has some of the worst-polluting roads in the country.
Let's look at what the study had to say:
Chrysler and U.S. Market to Play a Key Role in Alfa Relaunch
By Automotive News
The Chrysler Group will play a key role in plans to revive Fiat S.p.A.'s ailing Alfa brand. The U.S. automaker will build two new Alfa crossover models for sale in North America and Europe.
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne made a strong commitment to the money-losing sporty brand, which will be 100 years old in June, during a presentation of Fiat's five-year strategy on Wednesday.
Marchionne announced the launch of seven new Alfa models from 2010 to 2014 and said Fiat is determined to transform the brand into a "full-line premium carmaker."
Marchionne also said North America will account for 85,000 unit sales in 2014 out of 500,000 that Alfa aims to sell in that year.
Audi's Comic Book Hero
R8 Spyder fits Iron Man like a high-tech suit.
There’s no longer any doubt that when a movie star needs a hot new car to drive in an action flick, Audi has become the badge of choice. From Jason Statham’s sinister black Audi A8 in the “Transporter” films to Robert Downey’s exotic R8 Spyder in "Iron Man 2," Audis have that edgy, break-the-mold attitude we like in our action stars. (Yes, I realize that car companies often pay for placement in films, which can lead to such sore-thumb spectacles as Robert Pattinson -- as Edward, the brooding vampire in the tween-appeal “Twilight” series -- driving a Volvo XC60 crossover. He must have borrowed it from his vampire mom.)
With the Audi R8 Spyder going on sale late this summer, Audi has unveiled a television campaign that spends as much time hustling “Iron Man 2” as it does the baby-blue convertible that Downey’s Tony Stark drives in the film (check out one of the commercials after the jump). But that’s OK: Audi knows that moviegoers aren’t going to race from the theater to buy the roughly $180,000 R8 Spyder, the most expensive, exclusive Audi ever made.
What the R8 does onscreen, according to Jeff Kuhlman, Audi’s U.S. communications chief, is introduce the brand to an audience that might not be aware of its bona fides, nor its ongoing streak of high-design, tech-savvy cars.
Big Shoes to Fill
BBC, History Channel to create 'TopGear US.'
The most beloved British export since dry gin will now have a version dedicated toward a U.S. audience.That's right: BBC and the History Channel are teaming up to create "TopGear US," with Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond replaced as hosts by three Yanks: stunt driver and racer Tanner Foust, stand-up comic and "Rescue Me" actor Adam Ferrara and NASCAR race analyst Rutledge Wood.
Foust is probably the most recognizable name to gearheads and "TopGear" faithful. He was a stunt driver for some of the insane chase scenes in "The Bourne Ultimatum" and an X-Games rally gold medalist who has also tackled Pikes Peak and international ice racing championships.
Porsche Preps the New 911 GT2
By Dale Jewett
The Le Mans-bred Porsche 911 GT2 has been captured by spy shooters on the Nürburgring, and we expect the sports car to officially debut later this year at the Paris Motor Show for the 2011 or 2012 model year.
Styling changes are minimal. To enhance performance, there are large air intakes in front, and a prominent wing marks the back end.
Yes, Please
Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break concept revealed in Beijing.
A 4-door Mercedes-Benz sporting wagon based on the second-generation CLS design language? It's been revealed at Beijing this week, and all I can say is: Yes, please.I think most would agree that pictures of the Shooting Break concept -- with its swooping lines; low, wide, aggressive stance; and clean, logo-forward grille headlining what looks like acres of steel and glass -- are stunning. (Though, this being the Internet, I won't be surprised if I'm shouted down about this.) What's even better, though, is the quick walk-around video posted by MercedesBenzTV on YouTube, where we get up close and personal with the Shooting Break. Seriously, watch the host get into the back seat and try to think of another 4-door wagonlike vehicle in which you'd rather hold up the rear. Though not a perfect analogy, the Porsche Panamera comes to mind, but other than that, not much.
Check out said video, after the jump.
Audi Sales Race Past Competition
The German badge outpaces all others in the luxury segment when it comes to 2010 sales.
Audi is pivotal to VW's plans to become the world's largest automaker sooner rather than later -- the goal was to double the luxury badge's U.S. sales to 200,000 by 2015 -- though the recent recession by all accounts should have put the high-end badge on the bench for the foreseeable future.Except that Audi buyers seem to be asking, "Recession? What recession?"
At least that's how it seems based on a report in the Detroit Free Press saying that, amid the slow recovery from economic turmoil, Audi sales have increased by 35 percent so far this year, outpacing all other luxury brands. Overall, the luxury segment is up, though not by much, seeing only a 4 percent bump.
Ford's Sync Lives Up to the Name
In-car system will integrate with Twitter, Pandora and Stitcher -- all voice-controlled.
More good news for Ford Fiesta fans: The new, much-hyped small car from the Blue Oval will be the first to offer software that integrates three major online applications -- music application Pandora, social media behemoth Twitter and news and entertainment hub Stitcher -- into its in-car infotainment system, Sync. Better yet (and good news for those concerned about distracted driving), the software, called App-Link, will allow all three to be controlled through voice commands.Rhys Millen Aims to Conquer Pike's Peak With New Hyundai Racer
By Greg Migliore
Rhys Millen is attempting to tame two formidable beasts in June at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. He's aiming to beat vaunted Suzuki driver Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima and to smash the 10-minute barrier for the course.
To accomplish this, Rhys Millen Racing is entering a Le Mans-style racer in the unlimited category of the event. As the name implies, this section is pretty wide open in regard to what can be done to the car, and the RMR Hyundai Genesis PM580 pushes the limits in both weight and power. The car was revealed on Monday.
The car will use Hyundai's turbocharged Lambda V6, which was stroked from 3.8 liters to 4.1 liters. Output grows to potentially 750 hp, and its estimated 675 hp is the minimum to have a competitive power-to- weight ratio.
The racer has an active rear wing, Brembo brakes and 17-inch wheels. It also has a chromoly frame and roll cage, a semiautomatic, all-wheel-drive transmission and custom stainless exhaust manifolds.
Toyota to Pay $16 Million Fine
Largest-ever fine paid by an automaker to the Transportation Department.
Toyota has officially agreed to pay a $16.37 million fine levied by the Transportation Department, although the carmaker says it did no wrong in reporting its faulty vehicles. Federal investigators disagree, however, and found that it took Toyota nearly four months from the time the company received the first reports of unintended acceleration until the time it alerted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a branch of the DOT, about a potential problem. (The government allows automakers five business days to inform the department about a defect.)Wasting Away
Traffic congestion on the rise in major U.S. cities.
I live in Los Angeles, so I know from traffic.As you can see from Martha Kang McGill's chart (at left, also enlarged after the jump), I live in the worst city in the country, trafficwise. (Then again, spend some time -- which will be significant -- on Interstate 5 at 4:00 p.m. on a weekday and you wouldn't need a chart to tell you this.) The chart shows how much time the average commuter in 14 cities wastes, per year, stuck in traffic. Not only that: Things aren't getting better when it comes to congestion -- they're getting worse.
Well, not everywhere. As you can see from the "red needle" indicator, which shows congestion levels in 1997, one major city has actually improved: The average Seattle citizen's yearly commute time dropped almost 10 hours, from more than 50 to closer to 40.
UPDATED: Another Day, Another Toyota Recall
Or so must it feel for the embattled automaker as it recalls 600,000 Sienna minivans
(Update: Toyota has added yet another recall to the list: About 9,400 2010 model year Lexus GX 460s, due to potential rollover issues.)Yep, another one.
Only days after Lexus' parent company halted sales of the GX 460 for poor electronic-stability-control response, word comes -- here, from MSNBC -- that Toyota will recall 600,000 Sienna minivans to "address potential rusting spare tire cables that could break and create a road hazard in the latest safety problem to strike the beleaguered automaker."
Add that 600,000 tally to the almost 9 million vehicles that have been recalled, worldwide, since the widespread unintended-acceleration fiasco started gaining attention.
The recall covers 1998 to 2010 model year Siennas -- specifically those with 2-wheel drive that have been sold or registered in 20 cold-climate states, plus the District of Columbia.
The problem, according to Toyota, is that road salt could cause rust on the carrier cable that holds the spare tire; eventually and with enough degradation, the cable could break and dump the spare tire into the road, endangering other drivers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has thus far received six complaints of spare tires falling off Siennas.
Say what you want about what, exactly, got Toyota into its current situation, but the company has been nothing but fast-twitch response to any recent allegations of safety issues -- almost to the point of knee-jerk reaction. And while that can help toward rebuilding some customer loyalty and image resuscitation, a halt of recalls and safety issues to begin with would be far more effective.
To Catch a Leaf
Reservation list opens, with higher priority for interested parties.
If you want a car without a tailpipe, now's the time to jump at the chance for a new Nissan Leaf.Nissan North America is opening up a reservations list for its all-electric vehicle, starting April 20. Of potential reservations, priority will be given to the more than 115,000 who signed up for more information about the Leaf at NissanUSA.com; if you haven't done so but would like to, registering at the above site by the end of day today will put you in the running. The reservation process opens up to the general public on May 15 and is a necessary step toward buying or leasing a Leaf when they roll out to select markets in December.
Someone Out There Is Listening
New Web tool lets car makers hear what you really think.
The next time you rant online about your balky car or dicey dealership, be careful: Someone might be listening. But as opposed to, say, the government monitoring your e-mail, this time it sounds like a good thing. The explosion of Facebook, Twitter and other social media has automakers looking to not only spread their message in cyberspace, but to get unvarnished feedback from owners and consumers. Now, J.D. Power and Associates has created its Auto Intelligence Monitor, a Web tool that lets automakers listen in on social media to see how people really feel about their cars, dealership experiences and more.
The tool automatically follows what people are saying online about 37 automakers, nearly 300 models and 12 key topics -- everything from auto safety and environmental issues to styling, value, technology and automakers’ business, marketing and communications practices. J.D. Power will use the monitor to create industry benchmarks, helping manufacturers track their progress or see where their products, images or services rank against competitors.
Now, the worst-case scenario is that the manufacturers treat this independent feedback like the complaint box at a giant corporation -- a place where gripes and suggestions go to die. Done right, though, this kind of tool could empower consumers, or just make them feel like, well, a valuable customer.
2011 BMW 528i: Less Is More
By Roger Hart
BMW has priced the all-new 2011 BMW 528i sedan at $45,425.
Based on the 6th-generation 5 Series, the 528i is powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder making 240 hp and 230 lb-ft of torque. These figures represent improvements of 10 hp and 30 lb-ft over the previous-generation 528i. BMW says a 0-to-60-mph sprint should take just 6.6 seconds compared with 7.1 seconds for the previous model.
Another Day, Another Toyota Recall
Or so must it feel for the embattled automaker as it recalls 600,000 Sienna minivans.
Yep, another one.Only days after Lexus' parent company halted sales of the GX 460 for poor electronic-stability-control response, word comes -- here, from MSNBC -- that Toyota will recall 600,000 Sienna minivans to "address potential rusting spare tire cables that could break and create a road hazard in the latest safety problem to strike the beleaguered automaker."
Add that 600,000 tally to the almost 9 million vehicles that have been recalled, worldwide, since the widespread unintended-acceleration fiasco started gaining attention.
The recall covers 1998 to 2010 model year Siennas -- specifically those with 2-wheel drive that have been sold or registered in 20 cold-climate states, plus the District of Columbia.
Saleen and Mustang, Together Again
Steve Saleen debuts his 2011 SMS 302 Mustang.
Ford's Mustang may have a horse as its insignia, but the new version of this rebirthed muscle car has been reproducing like a bunny -- between limited editions, special or collector editions and every tuning house under the sun having a go at the pony car, there are almost more iterations of the Mustang than gearheads to drool over them. One name, though, has been missing of late: Steve Saleen and SMS Supercars.Well, that wait is over: Saleen today debuts, on the day before the 46th anniversary of the original Mustang (launched on April 17, 1964), his 2011 SMS 302 Mustang, part of the trio of SMS Signature Series, kicked off last year with the 2010 SMS 570 Challenger and to be followed by an SMS Camaro.
Let's get to the real meat of the story, shall we? According to the press release:
"The SMS 302 4V utilizes the all-new normally aspirated twin overhead cam 5.0L V8 engine
with over 440 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. This is accomplished with an all-new 4-valve head
design, a high flow exhaust system, an optimized pulley drive system, premium fuel
calibration and performance filtration.
Recall News
Acura ZDX goes in for airbag issues, and GM partners with Carfax for a better-informed buyer.
According to Christopher Jensen over at The New York Times Wheels blog, Acura is calling back about 1,850 ZDX models due to an issue -- an improperly laser-scored dashboard cover -- that might prevent the passenger side airbag from deploying during a crash.No problems have been reported by customers, according to the manufacturer; instead, it says it was told of the problem by a supplier.
In other recall news, Phil LeBeau is touting the partnership between General Motors and the used-car information site Carfax in his Behind the Wheel column at CNBC.
The Holdouts
Electronic stability control is pretty much everywhere these days -- except in these 2010 models.
Thanks to the system's proven safety bona fides, ESC is almost as ubiquitous as a standard feature at this point -- "almost" being the key word. As Barth points out in her blog post, there are still some holdouts -- manufacturers that either offer the system only as an option or don't offer it at all.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, AW Takes Another Look at the Swoopy Sedan
By Greg Migliore
It starts low in the front quarter panels and sweeps back, creasing the doors and culminating at the top of the taillights before breaking around onto the trunk lid. With a simple, dramatic styling line on the sides of the 2011 Sonata, Hyundai is defining a new identity for itself in the midsize-car segment, and announcing its presence as a force to be reckoned with in that brutally competitive arena.
That may be overstating a simple design cue, but it gives the Sonata a sharper profile than nearly any Hyundai in recent memory--more unique than the conservative Genesis and on par in individuality with the Genesis coupe.
To be blunt, this looks different--different than a Honda Accord, a Toyota Camry, a Ford Fusion, a Chevrolet Malibu or a Nissan Altima. It's not boring, and some consumers might think it's a bit much. But Hyundai is taking some risks with a stark design that will catch eyes on the street and has a premium look akin to the swoopy Volkswagen CC.
Eco, Boosted
Ford's new My Touch applications help drivers increase fuel efficiency.
The automaker has just announced new fuel-saving applications for its My Touch driver connect technology that "coach" drivers on how to gain the greatest fuel efficiency and tell drivers how to plan the most fuel-efficient way to get to their destination.
Like in a Toyota Prius, the My Touch driver connect tech will provide real-time feedback to drivers relating their current driving habits to fuel-efficiency performance. Not only that, but the in-car navigation system will now offer three options for choosing a route: fastest, shortest and Eco-Route. The nav system uses historical and real-time traffic data (as well as posted speed limits); Eco-Route might not be the fastest or the shortest, but it is the most efficient. Ford of Europe tested the feature and achieved a 15 percent (at the high end) improvement in fuel efficiency.
Leasing the Wheel
GQ's best and worst lease deals
Glad to know some things don't change -- and some things do. Jamie Lincoln Kitman over at GQ has put together a piece highlighting the five worst and five best lease deals on the market.
Of course, in GQ style, the five worst are an excuse to highlight the five most ridiculously opulent -- like $85,000 down and $6,000 a month for 48 months for a Lamborghini Murcielago.
Restoring Stability at Lexus
A safer GX 460 requires just a quick, but necessary, fix.
Consumer Reports' decision to brand the new Lexus GX 460 as an unsafe vehicle -- a bombshell that led Toyota to temporarily halt sales of its luxury SUV -- sparked an instant reaction from me: We’ve come to take for granted the way that electronic stability control has made all vehicles, but especially tall-riding trucks, vastly and demonstrably safer. That’s why the Lexus' poor performance in an emergency-handling test rightly raised alarms at the magazine and with Lexus’ corporate parent, Toyota.
The magazine's testers and engineers found that the Lexus GX’s electronic stability control system intervened too late to prevent the SUV from sliding sideways in a common emergency situation: being caught off guard by an unexpectedly tight turn, or having to swerve suddenly to avoid an obstacle. For those unfamiliar with how the systems work, electronic stability control (ESC) constantly monitors a vehicle’s acceleration, traction and cornering stability. If the vehicle is about to veer off what the system senses is the driver's intended path, it automatically applies individual brakes through the anti-lock braking system to put the vehicle back on course -- often before a driver is even aware of what’s happening.
As someone who drives everything from Kias to Ferraris for a living, I’ve come to count on the safety net that ESC provides, whether I’m whipping down some mountain road or driving through a snowstorm. The systems really, truly work, and when you don’t want the electronic nanny, all it takes is a push of a button to shut it off. I’ve been a vocal proponent of ESC from the moment I tested one on the Chevy Corvette in 1997. Mercedes had pioneered ESC systems, and only a handful of pricey cars at the time featured one. Then came the Ford Explorer rollover scandal in 2000; as I suggested at the time, ESC seemed tailor-made to prevent rollovers in big, tall SUVs that were notoriously clumsy and hard to control in emergency maneuvers. In fact, once the safety feature became standard on most SUVs, their rollover rates fell dramatically.
And don’t believe suggestions that ESC is some kind of antidote for bad drivers, that it's a technology that any “good” driver would never want, or need.
Audi RS5 Headed to the U.S.
The German sports coupe battle has suddenly heated up in a big way.
In its base form, the Audi S5 is no slouch. With a 354 horsepower 4.2-liter V8 engine, the sculpted coupe is capable of dancing with equivalent metal from rival BMW. But as we all know, not all cars are created equal. To that end, BMW’s ace up its sleeve has always been the mighty M3 – a fire-breathing V8 coupe capable of running four rings around the S5. In its quest to match BMW toe-to-toe in key markets like the U.S., Audi has just confirmed that we will finally get a chance to drive the hopped-up coupe from Ingolstadt.The Fuel That Powers the Movement
Efficient Fiesta to debut alongside predicted year-high gas prices.
Ford has had great success with its new, spunky Fiesta small car -- and it hasn't even launched yet. Its Fiesta Movement campaign for the new model generated a lot of buzz, media attention and consumer good will, culminating in a full-scale blowout bash at the most recent Los Angeles auto show.Well, according to the Detroit Free Press, it looks like the Fiesta will have more good will heading towards its launch: The fuel-sipping Fiesta (expected to get 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway) will roll out this summer, when gas prices are expected to hit their yearly peak.
(Updated) Consumer Reports Calls the Lexus GX 460 'Unsafe'
The bad news keeps on coming for Toyota; now its luxury brand takes a major hit
(UPDATE: As has been reported around the Web, Toyota -- no doubt hypersensitive about safety issues and public perception at this point -- has halted sales of the Lexus GX 460.)When it rains it pours. But the folks in the Toyota camp have to be saying to themselves: When will it stop? For the first time in nearly a decade, Consumer Reports, a widely respected authority on automotive quality and reliability, is urging its readers not to buy an automobile: the Lexus GX 460. Why has the magazine slapped a “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” label on the 7-passenger SUV? It could potentially roll over in real-world driving situations, such as when a driver enters a highway exit ramp or powers through a sweeping turn and encounters an obstacle or finds he has entered the turn with too much speed for the vehicle to stay firmly on the asphalt.
It's (Almost) Alive: GM and NASA Develop Humanlike Robot for the International Space Station
By Izzi Bendall
General Motors and NASA have teamed up to develop Robonaut 2, which will be the first humanlike robot to take up permanent residence on the International Space Station.
Known as R2, the 300-pound robot will use its “hands” and “arms” to utilize the tools of the station. It will assist astronauts, which GM says has parallels with helping its workers in factories.
R2 will launch on space shuttle Discovery as part of the STS-133 mission this September. How the robot fares inside the station will provide insight into how robots might work with astronauts in the future. Ideally, these robots might stand in for astronauts during space walks.
A Smart Move?
Smart the go-to car for Daimler's Car2go program, now rolling out publicly in Austin
The fortunes for Smart have been waning of late, with lackluster sales and a host of upcoming competition in the form of small, fuel-efficient cars (hybrid or otherwise).Perhaps, though, Smart can turn itself around in the U.S. as a car-share service fleet company, based on the success of Daimler's Car2go pilot programs in Austin, Texas, and in Germany. The Austin pilot program will be expanding and going public, according to The New York Times Wheels blog (previously, the cars were available only to city and state officials). Car2go uses 200 strategically placed Smart fortwos around the city, accessible via a smart card that can open the vehicles. Fees are based on per-minute usage. (The program, while not identical, should seem familiar to anyone who has used the already-public Zipcar service.)
Alfa Romeo Has no Plans to Export the Giulietta to North America
By Greg Migliore
Alfisti, control yourselves: There are no plans right now to bring the sultry Alfa Romeo Giulietta to North America.
In the wake of numerous sometimes conflicting reports circulating about the hot hat hatch's future, we wanted a straight answer from Torino. This is what we got:
“There are no plans at present to export the Alfa Romeo Giulietta to the North American market,” Richard Gadeselli, vice president of communications for Fiat Group Automobiles SpA, wrote in an e-mail to AutoWeek.
Now, that clearly doesn't rule out the Giulietta ever coming to the States. And with all of the planned engine- and platform-swapping among Chrysler and its Fiat siblings, we certainly hope some Alfas will come to North America soon in some form. The company has said the cars will be sold in “all the major markets.”
Ford Turns to the Public
The automaker launches a new Web initiative soliciting product improvement ideas from you, the consumer
Yesterday, Ford’s president of the Americas, Mark Fields, announced a new online initiative designed to solicit ideas and spark debate about automotive technology. The “Your Ideas” social media portal will be part of the Ford Story Web site, which launched in December 2008. Ford Story already gives people a platform to post their favorite stories, photos and videos related to their blue oval vehicles and to converse with other Ford owners and company management about the problems and concerns they have about their cars. The Your Ideas section will take that managerial commitment to collaboration with consumers and other auto-industry outsiders to the next level, in hopes of building better products that people want -- and need.
Your Ideas will allow consumers to “submit, share and suggest ideas and technologies they believe fit in the automotive space.”
2010 Acura ZDX Recalled
By Greg Migliore
Acura said on Tuesday that it is recalling 1,850 versions of its freshly launched 2010 ZDX crossover for a potential airbag problem.
The recall stems from a dashboard material that was cut wrong, which would cause the airbag to deploy improperly. About two percent of the vehicles recalled are likely affected, spokesman Gary Robinson said.
Is Your Car Insurance Expensive Because of Your Home State?
Insure.com examines the cost of car insurance, and ranks them based on cost by state.
Do you want to save on your car insurance? Then you should move to Maine or Vermont, according to a recent survey by Insure.com. Those states have the lowest average car-insurance rates in the nation -- $902.85 and $968.58, respectively. Low commuter miles and uncrowded highways were credited with keeping the rates low.
Those who live in Louisiana ($2,510.87) and Michigan ($2,098.29) pay the most for insurance.
In the survey, average rates were calculated for more than 2,400 vehicles in 2010. Rates were based on a 40-year-old male driver who commutes 12 miles to work, has a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage and carries limits of 100/300/50, meaning a $100,000 maximum injury liability for one person, $300,000 for all injuries and $50,000 property damage per collision.
Click through to see what the average driver pays in your state for car insurance.
1 Million Served
The BMW 1-Series is one hot potato -- everywhere else but here in America
BMW took the time to blow its own horn by announcing that the company has produced more than 1 million 1-Series models. Believe it or not, buyers around the globe have found reason enough to snap the car up over healthy competition from other manufacturers. It’s kind of hard to believe BMW has had that much success with the 1-Series, given the model’s less-than-stellar sales here in the United States.
U.S. consumers can have their tiny BMW in either coupe or convertible, with a choice of two powerful engines -- which all sounds good until you start eyeing the price tag. Start choosing your options and before long, you can easily justify the jump to the much larger and more costly 3-Series.
Consumer Reports Calls the Lexus GX 460 'Unsafe'
The bad news keeps on coming for Toyota; now its luxury brand takes a major hit
When it rains it pours. But the folks in the Toyota camp have to be saying to themselves: When will it stop? For the first time in nearly a decade, Consumer Reports, a widely respected authority on automotive quality and reliability, is urging its readers not to buy an automobile: the Lexus GX 460. Why has the magazine slapped a “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” label on the 7-passenger SUV? It could potentially roll over in real-world driving situations, such as when a driver enters a highway exit ramp or powers through a sweeping turn and encounters an obstacle or finds he has entered the turn with too much speed for the vehicle to stay firmly on the asphalt.
2011 Chevrolet Volt streaks toward production
The roll out of this game changing electric vehicle remains on track
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt continues to rack up test miles as it streaks toward launching in the United States late this year.
Engineers said they have put 250,000 miles collectively on test Volts since November, and have flogged the extended range electric vehicle in extreme cold weather conditions. Some individual test cars have more than 20,000 miles on the clock. The Volt, the most anticipated General Motors vehicle in years, remains on track for its rollout in some parts of the nation, officials said.
Electric Mini Laps the Nurburgring
The Mini E Race hit a top speed of 115.9 mph while running a hot lap of the Nurburgring.
We don't think it broke any lap records but it is impressive--an electric-powered Mini has lapped the 12.9-mile North Course of Germany's Nurburgring race track in 9 minutes, 51.45 seconds.
With former German Touring Car driver Thomas Jaeger at the wheel, the electric Mini hit a top speed of 115.9 mph.
Jaeger said: "The power of the electric motor has an incredible effect, as you can access its full reserves of torque at all times. Another element of this fascinating experience is the lack of noise from the drivetrain. All in all, that was certainly the cleanest and quietest race lap I've ever driven."
Last Run for an American Badass
Dodge Viper is headed toward extinction.
The Dodge Viper is being placed in mothballs -- for now anyway -- as the 50 "Final Edition" Viper SRT-10 coupes, convertibles and race-ready ACRs get ready to roll off their Motown assembly line this summer.
All will feature a slick graphite-and-black color scheme, and be stuffed with a 600-horsepower 8.4-liter version of the 10-cylinder engine that’s been one of the Viper’s high-decibel calling cards since it first blew away crowds as a concept car at the 1989 Auto Show in Detroit. However, we can't pronounce the legendary nameplate dead yet; there are rumors a new Viper will hit the streets in 2013 that will have just as sharp fangs but be a bit more domesticated than current models.
Saab 9-2: Just a Pipe Dream?
A new, small Saab car might adopt some heritage styling cues from the original Saab prototype, shown
The Web is lit up today with stories of an upcoming Saab 9-2 because Spyker CEO and Saab owner Victor Muller evidently has sketched what he sees as a new small Saab.
It could be a pipe dream, but Muller insists the Swedish automaker really wants it to happen.
Muller has been quoted as calling it "a small car, a quirky car, a Saab in the truest sense of the word."
Eyes Up Here, Buddy
New study finds voice-activated controls keep drivers' eyes front and center.
Of course, that's an oversimplification of the conclusions drawn by an in-depth study on the use of hands-free tech devices in vehicles. Yesterday, we reported that Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood advocated complete abstinence from using mobile communications technology while behind the wheel, which seems a bit far-fetched at this point, considering the cat is already out of the bag. However, good news from the VTTI study: Voice-activated in-car tech keeps drivers' eyes on the road for more of the ride, which in turn leads to fewer accidents.
BMW Classic Center Opens to Customers
BMW has opened its factory workshop to help customers restore their classic cars
Great news for vintage BMW owners: The German automaker has opened its Classic Center to customers.
BMW says global demand for its vintage cars and motorcycles is growing. Its 200 clubs have about 200,000 members, and the company estimates there are 600,000 classic BMWs on the road--and those are just the ones the company knows about. Add in about 70,000 classic motorcycles, so roughly one in 10 BMWs built until the 1980s is still on the road today. That's definitely a market you'd want to develop.
Now the company has expanded the Historic Workshop, which until now was responsible for the company's own vehicles, into the BMW Classic Center, based in Munich and now accepting outside jobs. The center will buy and sell vehicles, authenticate them and give advice to buyers.
"The great advantage for customers who bring their vehicle back to the original manufacturer is the complete range of services available under one roof," says Ralf Vierlein, head of sales and aftersales for BMW Group Classic. "We have the theoretical knowledge of the vehicles, the technical know-how, the original BMW parts and the necessary infrastructure to connect everything up systematically."
As an example of the center's capabilities, there's a story of the owner of a 3.0 CSi who wanted an automatic gearbox installed in his 1970s coupe to replace the original manual gearbox. This combination was never on sale so he couldn't find an independent workshop to do the work. But in February 1972, BMW fit two of the high-performance coupes with automatic gearboxes. The cars never got beyond prototypes. But since BMW had the engineering documents in the archives, the Classic Center was able to build a replica of the transmission, faithful to the original.
To cope with the rising demand, BMW partners abroad with which it can work in future; the first was the Classic Center in Zurich, Switzerland. That was followed by the branch in Düsseldorf.
Since the BMW Car Club of America has more than 70,000 members and the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association of America about 50,000, BMW Classic plans to set up a center in the United States as soon as a suitable partner can be found. BMW intends to target the interests of these large customer groups. Ralf Vierlein said, "We are planning to set up a Classic Center in the USA with its own spare-parts supply for professional and private customers."
For more information, go to www.historischesarchiv.bmw.de.
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Shelley, Frankenstein Car
Autonomous Audi, aka 'Shelley,' to take on Pikes Peak in September.
Of course, the car's public debut won't be something as simple as navigating a traffic-cone course or a 130 mph blast through the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah (something the autonomous Audi has already done, by the way), but will instead consist of a 4,721-foot climb up a partially paved, largely gravel road on a 14,110-foot mountain that contains a 12.4-mile race course with 156 turns, including some legendary switchbacks.
If that course sounds familiar, it's because we've just described Pikes Peak, the Colorado mountain famous for the grueling Race to the Clouds, which has given fits to even professional drivers since 1916. Shelley, in fact, is named after one such driver: Michele Mouton, the first woman to win the Pikes Peak hill climb.
The Audi is supposedly capable of real-time adjustments based on course, road grade and various other conditions, and while it won't be competing in this year's Race to the Clouds (that happens on June 27), choosing instead to go on its own in September, it would still be an astonishing feat -- should the team pull it off, that is.
Check out USA Today's article on Shelley here, and after the jump, watch a Pikes Peak highlight video that includes Mouton winning -- and setting a new record for -- the hill climb in 1985 in an Audi Quattro S1.
All Play, No Talk
More attention for, and campaigns against, distracted driving.
It seems as if general consensus has congealed around that very sentiment, and Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood said yesterday that he would be spearheading an effort to ticket motorists in New York and Connecticut caught texting or talking (sans a hands-free device), in order to escalate the war against distracted driving. An estimated $2.2 million dollars have been spent on campaigns in the areas against distracted driving, based on the "click it or ticket" seat belt promotional campaigns of the past.
Follow the Map
The 'roadmap' for EV acceptance includes some sacrifices for American consumers.
Thus far, the roll-out of electric vehicles -- to say nothing of the associated recharging infrastructure -- has seemed somewhat willy-nilly. An upcoming, much-hyped EV from this manufacturer; a totally different, less-hyped version from that carmaker; the odd charging station in someplace like San Francisco or Los Angeles. And while grassroots growth is a tried-and-true basis for political campaigns, it tends not to work with large-scale industry initiatives.That's why, according to Eric Evarts over at Consumer Reports, a host of electric-car experts gathered last week in New York at the Japan Society to discuss the future of the industry -- and the future, it seems, does not look bright.
Well, depending on how you look at it, that is. American consumers, some say, have been spoiled by a government that has traditionally insisted on cheap fuel (relative to the rest of the world and regardless of true cost), which led to a belief by American car buyers that cars should be bought on preference, rather than need.
The Muscle Car War Heats Up
Ford ups the ante; GM can't be far behind.
The 2011 Ford Mustang is a whole new breed of horse. While the big news is that the 5.0-liter V8 engine has finally returned to the Blue Oval, the company has also sharpened its V6 considerably, producing more horsepower and better fuel economy from the same 6-cylinder found in the car’s closest rival, the Chevrolet Camaro. It’s a smart move on Ford’s part, especially considering the company is likely to move quite a few more base Mustangs than the well-dressed GT versions.Quick Draw
iPad meets dashboard -- already
Despite the fact that it went on sale just this past Saturday, the SoundMan Car Audio crew has already figured out how to integrate Apple's much-hyped new tablet -- and all the applications and programs it runs -- right into your car, or at least into the Toyota that was the test vehicle for this project.
As you can see from the video, after the jump, this is a task best left to the professionals.
Audi Lightly Updates 2011 TT, Adds Power Boost
By Greg Migliore
Audi's nifty two-door TT gets a light update for 2011, with a bit more power under hood and some minor modifications inside and out.
The spotlight change is to the engine. The 2.0-liter TFSI is bolstered to 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque thanks to Audi's valvelift system, which also improves efficiency. Last year the power ratings were 200 hp and 207 lb-ft.
The car launches in the first quarter of 2011, and the six-speed S-tronic automatic is standard.
Zoom-Zoom Service
Mazda unveils roadside assistance mobile app.
It's amazing how mobile phone applications have changed the face of various technologies, and how they're integrated. Consider that in-car navigation systems and dedicated GPS units have recently seen a new, serious competitor from GPS apps on smart phones like the BlackBerry and the iPhone. The same, it seems, is happening to roadside assistance programs such as AAA and OnStar.
Mazda has created a roadside assistance app, complimentary with its warrantied roadside assistance program, which lasts for 36 months or 36,000 miles. The app requires the vehicle's basic info, including the VIN. Once the app has the car's identity, anything from a flat tire to an engine failure can be remedied by a tap on the touch-screen, which will bring up the closest roadside service provider (via a company called Cross Country Automotive Services). In fact, you can enter specific details of the problem so the Mazda call center can better help you.
You Like This Pen? I'll Throw In the Pen
Toyota extends, expands incentives for new customers.
I'm back in Massachusetts visiting family (I'm normally based in Los Angeles or New York), and I just overheard something funny while working from my parents' kitchen. My mom is having a conversation with a friend over a cup of tea; turns out her Jeep Grand Cherokee is in the shop and she just found out that there are serious (and costly) steering issues that need to be addressed. She relays this to the friend, who says, "Oh, that reminds me, I need to get my maintenance issues taken care of, too." They then compare prices. The cost of repairs for the Jeep was upward of $1,600; her friend's price: nothing. Why? "It's a Toyota," she said. "At this point, they'll do anything to keep me happy."According to this article in the Los Angeles Times, such all-out effort is being applied to new customers as well as old.
Red Subaru, Blue Subaru
Sarah Palin stirs up Subie sterotypes.
No one who writes about cars can resist stereotyping the owners of various brands. C’mon, give it a try: Lamborghini = South Beach nouveau riche; Corvette is the baby boomer flaunting both chest hair and a full-on midlife crisis.
But it was interesting to hear Sarah Palin insinuate that if you drive a Subaru, you must be an Obama-loving Democrat. Last week, in tiny Searchlight, Nev., Palin said the following during a Tea Party rally: "That bumper sticker that maybe you'll see on the next Subaru driving by -- an Obama bumper sticker -- you should stop the driver and say, 'So how is that hopey-changey thing working out for ya?'”
Sure, the "hopey-changey" line is a stock Palin talking point, but the brand-specific message spread quickly to Subaru forums, where owners expressed dismay or anger at being pigeonholed thusly by the former Alaska governor. The truth, of course, is that there’s no such thing as a Democratic car or a Republican car -- as much as most of us like to tweak Saabs as being first in the hearts of liberal college professors. And Palin’s instantaneous backpedal, in which she assured the audience that she has nothing against Subarus, made it clear that Palin realized the minefield she had stepped into: No savvy politician goes out of her way to alienate members of any group, just for the sake of an easy punch line. Can you imagine any high-profile partisan calling out Pepsi drinkers and suggesting that they must belong to the other team?
GM Begins Clearance Sale for Hummer
By Chrissie Thompson, Automotive News
General Motors is shutting down the Hummer brand for good, taking the last of its four discarded U.S. brands off the market.
GM had said it would consider offers to buy Hummer after a deal to sell the brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery failed to receive Chinese government approval in February. Now GM has decided to move forward with closing the brand, Hummer spokesman Nick Richards said.
With the brand shutting down, Hummer CEO Jim Taylor has retired, effective immediately, Richards said.
Taylor took over Hummer in late 2008 after playing key roles at Cadillac, including general manager.
Jim Bunnell, GM's general director of network support, broke the news to Hummer dealers on a conference call Tuesday morning, Richards said. Bunnell said GM had not found any viable buyer, according to dealers who listened to the call. Hummer has 153 U.S. stores.
Bullet Train Speed on Four Wheels
Probably the only way we'll see what 241 mph looks like from inside a car.
The F1 is a painfully cool car, but what makes this video noteworthy 12 years later is that it shows racing driver Andy Wallace hitting 241 mph on the 5.6-mile straight at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track.
Buckle up and enjoy after the jump (and thank Jalopnik for pulling up the vid).
Dodge Uncages 2010 Viper SRT10 Final Edition
By Greg Migliore
Packing 600 hp and clad in a sinister black-and-gray paint scheme, the ominously named 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 Final Edition was unwrapped on Tuesday.
This snake is yet another special edition of the supercar as Dodge celebrates the final year of the current generation. The car's future is unclear.
Production of the Final Edition will launch this summer at the Viper plant in Detroit. Just 50 copies of the car will be made--20 coupes, 18 roadsters and 12 ACRs. Dodge also did a 360-unit “Final Edition” of the Viper in 2002 with red cars.
The 2010 range will draw power from the 8.4-liter V10 with 560 lb-ft of torque. Look for the cars to hit 60 mph from a standstill in a less than four seconds and to perform the quarter-mile in the mid-11-second range. Top speed is 202 mph.
Bizarro World
A hybrid-only Mercedes S-Class line?
The stricter emissions standards that are right around the corner in both the U.S. and Europe are bringing significant pressure to bear on luxury automakers. How significant? Enough so that Mercedes-Benz is actually considering making its flagship S-Class sedans a hybrid-only line.Say that aloud: hybrid-only Mercedes Benz. Has a weird ring to it, no?
Weird, but considering that the top-of-the-line, $149,700 S600 gets only 11 mpg city from its V12 engine, perhaps necessary for the upcoming fleet requirements.
2010 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace-Car Replicas to be Sold to the Public
By Greg Migliore
Camaro's long history at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will mark another chapter with the launch of a replica version of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro pace car.
Chevrolet will make up to 200 copies of the Camaro that will lead off the Indy 500 in May. The cars will sticker for $41,950 each, including destination charges. This is the fourth time Chevy has offered a Camaro pace car to the public, and the first since 1993.
This is the sixth time Camaros have paced Indy. The first was in 1967, and the most recent in 2009.
Time to Pay the Piper
Toyota faces $16.4 million fine for delaying recalls.
Yesterday, the Obama administration slapped Toyota with a $16.4 million fine -- the largest allowed for a single probe -- for delaying a recall of accelerator pedals allegedly responsible for unintended acceleration. And this could just be the beginning: The administration is considering more fines for other delays, including one for faulty floor mats.The fine says in no uncertain terms that Toyota acted illegally in its handling of the unintended-acceleration issue by hiding known issues from both consumers and the government. Actually, let's hear what U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said (from the source article by the Detroit Free Press):
U.S.-Spec 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Gets Unique Equipment
More airbags, sound deadening for U.S. buyers.
The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is bound to be a game-changer for General Motors when it finally touches down here in the U.S. Reportedly, buyers can expect upwards of 40 mpg and a low price, making the car more than capable of taking on the competition from Honda, Toyota and -- more recently -- Ford. European buyers have been able to take advantage of the little 4-door for a good while now, and though the car will be nearly identical when it shows up over here, there will be a few small changes.To begin with, we can expect the American Cruze to weigh quite a bit more than its European counterpart. Why? Because GM has decided that the competition is a little fiercer in the domestic market, and it has bolted in quality-boosting bits like an acoustic windshield, additional sound deadening and extra airbags to keep the car competitive. While a quieter, safer cabin will likely appeal to buyers, the additional weight of those tricks will likely impact the Cruze's fuel economy and handling.
Keep Your Enemies Close, and Your Friends off Your Road
Distracted driving an admittedly common occurrence.
But here's the thing: I was young and dumb, and all I managed to do was rack up my insurance points, speeding tickets and parents' blood pressure. It didn't take me long -- perhaps a year or so -- to realize that I was piloting a very large piece of metal at high speeds -- essentially, a deadly weapon with the controls firmly, and only, in my hands.
So I learned my lesson; that's the good news. The bad news is that, according to the Washington Post, most people haven't.
Little Cars, Big World
The $2,500 Tata Nano opens up a world of possibilities.
If you were among those who didn't believe that a fully functional, mass-produced car could be built and sold for less than some computer systems, you weren't alone -- most major car manufacturers didn't think it possible, either.And yet that's exactly what Tata Motors has done with its wildly popular (in India, anyway) Nano. The microcar, originally built to replace the hordes of motorbikes in the company's home country of India, was built not from the ground up, but from the sky down, seeing how much could be taken out of the existing auto model while keeping it safe and functional -- and sold for a mere two grand.
The Origin of Specious
GM to install brake override system worldwide by 2012 -- but does it fix unintended acceleration?
But here's my question: Is GM actually combating unintended acceleration, or simply the perception of the problem? Look, the brake override system, in which the electronic throttle control favors the brake over the accelerator when both are deployed, is a good safety measure. It's smart to have it in vehicles, because it can prevent or rectify several safety issues. (Toyota, for its part, has promised a similar system in all its vehicles by the end of this year.) However, I'm just not sure that it solves the unintended-acceleration issue -- and from what I can tell, no one is sure, because no one has conclusively proved what does and does not cause the problem in the first place.
Born From Jets?
Volvo's new S60 has as many high-tech gadgets as an airplane -- all designed to keep your family safe.
Written by Matthew de Paula
Saab once had the slogan “Born from Jets,” which played up the Swedish automaker’s lineage as an aircraft builder. It turns out that tagline could work for Saab’s archrival Volvo, as well.
Not that Volvo has any ties to the airplane industry, though the grille of the new Volvo S60 looks like something off a stealth fighter jet. But it does have performance and safety technology rivaling what you'd expect on some aircraft, such as its prominent camera, which captures a 180-degree image of what’s in front of the car and displays it on the navigation screen, alerting drivers to unseen traffic in a parking lot.
Opposite the little camera is a black box that looks like another high-tech aerospace gadget -- and the technology it houses is, in fact, employed on aircraft.
Rise of the (Small) Machines
The New York show -- like others before it -- was all about the green
As one carmaker after another extolled their latest green hybrids and tiny fuel-sippers at the New York International Auto Show, you’d have thought that the idea came to them as an epiphany... rather than the reality, which saw manufacturers having to be dragged, kicking and screaming, toward higher-mileage cars.
The timing couldn’t have been better: During the show (which runs through April 11 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center) the Environmental Protection Agency finalized rules that, for the first time, will regulate global warming emissions. The upshot is that car companies will have to boost the mileage of their fleets to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. For an industry that has barely budged the mileage needle over the past three decades, it’s by far the biggest regulatory jump since the Clean Air Act established the first economy standards in the 1970s.
Throw in a still-shaky economy and lust-worthy but no-show brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini, and the result was a show that focused almost exclusively on tiny cars and new hybrids from unexpected sources like Porsche and Lincoln. High-performance offerings were virtually nonexistent: The redesign of the budget Scion tC and the (previously shown) Bentley Supersports convertible were about it. Even the luxury cars were less about decadence, and more about utilitarian and altruistic values. The Hyundai Equus aims to deliver Lexus LS or Mercedes S-Class levels of space, luxury and dealer pampering, but for closer to $60,000. The Volvo S60’s biggest claim to fame, besides appealing styling, was a camera-and-radar system that can detect stray pedestrians and automatically stop the car. And the Lincoln MKZ hybrid was essentially a Ford Fusion Hybrid, plus a toothy chrome grill and jazzed-up interior.
Do You Have Disconnection Anxiety?
If so, worry no more: Your car is probably about to become a mobile hotspot.
The Internet is everywhere today. In fact, for a lot of people, spending any time “offline” causes serious separation anxiety. And it’s easy to understand why. Many of us don’t read books or newspapers any more. Instead, we download the text to our e-readers, or surf the Web for the latest headlines. We buy and sell goods and services on Craig’s List and eBay, rather than at the local market or by word of mouth. We even socialize electronically. People don’t meet and greet, they tweet and text. Don’t get me started on Facebook. (It’s more addictive than heroin.)
Automakers are starting to recognize this affliction and are turning their attention from the desktop to the dashboard to help assuage the public’s fear of “disconnection” when they take to the road.
Jumpin' Jeeps
Jeep Design and Mopar roll out new treats in Moab
Jeep and Dodge treat the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, the same way Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche approach the Frankfurt motor show--it is a serious event deserving of its own concepts and visits by top executives. The fact that Moab, perhaps less so than Frankfurt, is also a ton of fun is purely coincidental.
So every year, Jeep and sometimes Dodge roll out concepts in Moab to gauge customer interest and to thrill the faithful. This year there were several trailers full of wild Jeeps, and at least one Dodge, and Chrysler let us drive a few of them in their natural habitat.
AMP’d Up!
World's First Electric SUV Displayed at New York Auto Show
Written by Erik Sofge
The first major exhibition of the Amp Equinox at the 2010 New York International Auto Show wasn't exactly a surprise; the Cincinnati-based company unveiled the pure-electric SUV, a conversion of the Chevy Equinox, at its headquarters back in February. But parked in the Jacob Javitz Center next to a lineup of electric cars that included the MINI-E, the Mitsubishi iMiev and THINK's City, the Amp's first real appearance spoke volumes.
While major automakers struggle to bring an EV to market that can seat two, here was an electric truck, a fully-featured, 5-seat Equinox, its cargo space unspoiled by bulky battery packs. Part of Amp's decision to use the Equinox was the SUV's volume—with the engine and gas tank pulled out, there's enough room for 37 kWh-worth of lithium-phosphate cells. The Nissan Leaf, by comparison stores 24 kWh. According to Amp Electric Vehicles CEO Steve Burns, the company is working on a 47kWh-version of the truck, similar to an optional V6, for customers who don't mind even longer recharge times. The truck currently takes 16 hours to charge to full on a standard 110 V outlet, or four hours on a 220 V.
It's April, Fools
The auto industry's idea of poking fun during some bleak times
By the way, it's April Fool's Day today. So... uh, happy April Fool's Day? Do people say that?Anyway, I originally thought of writing a joke post, but then I realized something: I hate when people do that.
So instead, here's a rundown -- from the funny crew over at Jalopnik, natch -- of the "creative" press releases and hoaxes sent around from automotive industry PR flacks. Entries range from the clever (like BMW's take, above) to the "F for effort" variety. Below, a rundown -- and note that none of these, of course, are real.
One Large Appliance
Microsoft's Hohm energy management system to integrate Ford Focus Electric vehicle, others
The program, called Hohm, will expand its capabilities to cover the energy use demanded by plug-in EVs, specifically starting with the electric version of the Ford Focus due next year.
The Crossover Show Continues
Four small and one big ute make their debuts in The Big Apple
The Crossover Revolution just keeps marching on as yet another batch of these small utility vehicles is unveiled here at the 2010 New York International Auto Show. While this might not be surprising (wow, automakers are sacrificing size for fuel-efficiency, once again), what might raise an eyebrow or two is the fact that one luxury carmaker is bucking the “smaller-is-better” trend and opted to unveil a brand-new full-sized utility vehicle here in the city that never sleeps.
Mercedes Wagon Goes Old-School
Harkening back to the station wagon's glory days, M-B releases a rear-facing third-row seat
Written by Matthew de Paula
Mercedes-Benz is a leader in cutting-edge technology, but at least one feature on its new E-Class wagon, shown at the 2010 New York International Auto show, is a throwback to the good old days: Rear-facing third row seats.
Like the behemoth American wagons of decades past, the new E350 4Matic Wagon has two small seats that face the rear (and also fold into the floor). For us Gen Xers, the rearmost row in our parents’ or grandparents’ station wagon was always the best seat in the house, so to speak. Plus, no one seemed to worry about the potential dangers of rear-end collisions.
Crash specs for the E350 Wagon weren’t available at the show, but spokesman Rob Moran said that you can guarantee Mercedes would not have included the feature if it was in any way unsafe -- especially when children are involved. And the third-row seats are indeed designed exclusively for kids; specifically those no taller than 4-feet, 7-inches who weigh 110 pounds or less.
Hybrids Invade New York
Gas-electric vehicles are all the rage in the Big Apple. It seems everyone is producing one.
If you still have any doubts about hybrid-electric vehicles, you need to at least accept the reality: They're here, so get used to them. Nowhere is this more apparent than here at the 2010 New York International Auto Show, where these vehicles are taking center stage, as they have at every major auto show for the past 12 months. But now it seems everyone, not just the tech-loving Asian brands, are getting into the game, even the German automakers who laughed at the idea just a few years ago. Here is a look at the most notable hybrid unveilings in the city that never sleeps. It’s a diverse group, for sure.
Public Transportation and EVs: The Perfect Match?
New study shows 82 percent of Americans want better public transportation options
According to a new study commissioned by the bi-partisan Transportation for America advocacy group, 82 percent of Americans would like to see public transportation broadened in the near future. That means additional funding for rail and bus transportation. It may come as a surprise that a nation so thoroughly enthralled with the car would be crying for more buses and passenger trains, but the reality is, public transportation in the U.S. lags far behind what can be found in other parts of the world, especially Europe and Japan.It's Here!
The New York auto show kicks off
As always, MSN Autos has full coverage of the goings-on, including new model reveals, industry news, and full reviews of redesigned models. And while we'll have some blog-specific content specifically created for Exhaust Notes, the best place to get into the empire state of mind is at MSN Autos dedicated New York international auto show page.
After the jump, we have links to some interesting stories already on the wire.
Opening the Door
With its sale of Volvo to China's Zhejiang Geely, Ford welcomes its own competition to the U.S.
So much for the Ford family jewels. The luxury brands once seen as Ford’s financial savior -- Jaguar, Land Rover and now Volvo -- have been packed up and sold off to fast-rising countries of the East. Those veddy-British brands, Jag and Land Rover, were bundled off to Tata Motors, of India, in a sweet bit of reverse-colonization. Now Volvo has been sold to Zhejiang Geely of China, the second-largest privately held carmaker in that country.
It’s a sweet deal for Geely, which gains what has eluded every Chinese automaker up until now: instant entree into the lucrative U.S. and European markets. Plus, it reaps instant respect by arriving with the safety-first Volvo brand, rather than with some unpronounceable and quality-suspect Chinese name. Geely even gets to continue sharing technology with Ford -- and all for the bargain price of $1.8 billion, a far cry from the $6 billion that Ford paid for Volvo back in 1999.
And what does Ford get in return? Another cash infusion to offset its roughly $30 billion in debt. Volvo, for its part in all this, lives to fight another day. It's the second Swedish brand to come under the sway of an obscure new master. Saab was sold off by GM to Spyker, the tiny Dutch super carmaker.
Everyone’s happy to see Volvo stick around; where would nervous, air-bag-counting consumers be without these guys? But, as with Saab, the deal is littered with risks and potential pitfalls.
The Price is Right, Nissan Hopes
Sticker price for upcoming Leaf EV announced
Nissan's Leaf EV will finally, after seemingly years' worth of hype, go on sale in December. The price will be $32,780 -- unless you ask a dealer, in which case you'll probably be quoted a sticker number of $25,280.That's because Nissan is pushing the $7,500 federal tax credit offered to Leaf buyers (an incentive program for early adopters that Steve Jobs would kill for after the release of the iPad), hoping that potential customers see the Leaf competing, in terms of price, with a Honda Insight rather than, say, an Audi A3.
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