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2010 Audi R8

2010-05-18T04:02:00.000-07:00

Audi R8 is a Sports car from Audi.

Ford Kuga reviews, videos and pictures

2010-04-22T13:16:00.001-07:00

Ford Kuga pictures:

Ford Kuga videos:

Official video about Ford Kuga:

Ford Kuga promo video:

Another review about Ford Kuga:

Ford Kuga road test video: A french one.

Ford Kuga crash test video:

BMW 1 series

2010-02-08T13:18:00.001-08:00

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Spider Spied In Czech Republic [Spy Photos]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.049-07:00

These unusual spy photos show a development mule running a hacked up Ferrari California body. Could this be a drop top Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Spider or even the mysterious Ferrari Hybrid?

Snapped in the Czech Republic by CzechFerrari (obviously), the most immediately noticeable feature is the boxed out rear window. It's that which leads them to believe a new convertible lies underneath the California body. World Car Fans goes one step further, suggesting that the unusual venting in the body indicates there's more going on underneath than just a new roof, speculating that this could be the hybrid first revealed in the Ferrari Hybrid patents. [CzechFerrari via WCF]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Decadent American Corvette Burned By Ukrainian Proletariat [Car Class Warfare]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.047-07:00

It's not just temperamental Lamborghinis and Ferraris catching on fire; it looks like even the C6 Corvette's plastic body will burn. Allegedly, this one had a little help from Ukrainian class warfare. Gallery below.

According to English Russia, this symbol of ostentatious wealth - American cars are exponentially more expensive there thanks to taxes and import costs - was set on fire by Ukrainians unimpressed with the Vette's giant-slaying performance. [via English Russia]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Hoon Of The Day: Spirit Of Ecstacy Goes Slideways [Hoon Of The Day]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.045-07:00

In this gross display of look-what-we've-got-and-you-don't mixed with financial negligence, a couple of dapper hooligans get their brand-spankin-new, nearly 3.5-ton Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe luxo barge slideways in a battle against the friction addiction. Hooray for sloppy over-weight body-roll!

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[Source: Jalopnik]

GM hits two million Buick sales in China

2009-06-23T11:08:00.043-07:00

Filed under: China, Buick, GM

2009 Buick Regal (China Spec) - click above for high-res image gallery

It took General Motors eight years to sell one million Buicks in China, but the second million came in only three. Brisk auto sales in the land of the Great Wall are part of the reason for the increase, but the General has also stepped up its product lineup with new offerings, including the Regal, LaCrosse, and Park Avenue. Shanghai GM's two-millionth Buick was a red Regal, delivered to a customer in the southern city of Guangzhou.

While those vehicles have brought some high-end class to GM Shanghai's Buick operation, they haven't come close to the success of the smaller Excelle. Shanghai GM has sold 900,000 copies of the Excelle sedan, hatch, and wagon since 2003, and sales are still going strong with 94,000 units moved in the first five months of 2009.

While Buick has struggled as a brand here in the States, the marquee has enjoyed blockbuster success in China. Buick was a smash success in China in the 1930s, as provincial presidents and emperors chose the brand over more austere offerings from the likes of Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz, and it appears some of that goodwill has been projected into modern times.

Gallery: 2009 Chinese-spec Buick Regal

Continue reading GM hits two million Buick sales in China

GM hits two million Buick sales in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Girls In Seat Belts Fetish: Equal Parts Creepy, Hot [Buckle Up]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.041-07:00

As far as fetishes go, girls in seat belts makes sense to us, it's also probably one of the safest. All we know is, we bet you'll never look at a seat belt the same way after this NSFW mega-gallery.

Since we're fetish n00bs, we turned to Fleshbot editor Lux Alptraum for some insight. While she's no seat belt fetish expert, she does spend all day trolling the Internet for pr0n, so she's probably a better source of knowledge than say, Matt Hardigree, who only uses the internet for cars and Lutheran podcasts.

"It's bondage without having to take on the trappings of bondage," says Lux. "It's like why boys wank to Sears catalogs, because that's what's available. It could be related to a feeling of safety as a child or just be an attraction to restraints.

"Combining the idea of a car as a sexual power symbol with the seat belt as a restraint is a plausible explanation for the attraction."

And that makes a lot of sense. At once empowering women with control of a powerful car, then controlling them with the restraint of a seat belt creates a powerful fantasy. Now if we could just get a shot of Sarah Palin winkin' at us in a seat belt while firing a machine gun we'd be all set. It's still trashy as all hell. But somehow we don't think that'll stop you from walking through the entire gallery.

Image credit: Picasa

Image credit: College Humor

Image credit: Picasa

Image credit: AutoJunk.nl

Image credit: Picasa

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[Source: Jalopnik]

First 2010 Taurus SHO to receive involuntary restyling

2009-06-23T11:08:00.039-07:00

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Ford

Smashed 2010 Ford Taurus SHO - Click above for image gallery

The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO hasn't even gone on sale yet, and already an example of the twin-turbo sedan is sitting in the body shop. Chicago SVT member The Beast alleges that the once elegant-looking red SHO had barely left the lot on dealer demo rounds, only to return shortly after in a flat-bed. The brand-new SHO was reportedly involved in a three-car pileup, leading to some serious damage to an otherwise swell sports sedan.

We don't know the exact details of the incident, but whatever happened during the crash left the freshly christened SHO with a well-mangled rear including a hosed trunk and bumper, along with a fairly substantial ding to the front fascia. Click on the image above or the gallery below to view the crash damage in more detail.

Gallery: Smashed 2010 Taurus SHO

[Source: Chicago SVT]

First 2010 Taurus SHO to receive involuntary restyling originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

83-Year-Old Man Lands Plane On Florida Expressway [Planelopnik]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.037-07:00

An 83-year-old pilot was forced to land his plane on a Florida expressway Sunday morning after experiencing engine trouble, successfully merging Jalopnik and Planelopnik. [NBCMiami]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Once More, With Feeling: Mercedes reveals details on updated S63, S65 AMG bahnstormers

2009-06-23T11:08:00.035-07:00

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Mercedes-Benz, AMG

2010 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG - Click above for high-res image gallery

What, again? We know, we know...it seems like Mercedes has been unveiling its flagship sedan for eons already. The updated S-Class first appeared back in April, then the pair of AMG versions leaked out on the web before they were given their official debut at the Shanghai Motor Show. But for some reason unbeknownst to us, Benz is only now revealing the full details behind the facelifted S63 and S65 AMG muscle-sedans.

First, the essentials: the S63 is motivated by an AMG-tuned 6.2-liter V8 producing a whopping 525 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, and in case that ain't enough, the Mercedes tuning department also offers the twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 pumping out a mind-boggling 612 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque.

To keep all that power in check, the big AMG sedans feature adaptive braking, torque vectoring, active steering and braking, as well as a crosswind stabilizing system. Carrying the same visual updates as the rest of the refreshed S-Class range, the AMG models are further distinguished by LED lights, a full aero kit with integrated diffuser, and 19- or 20-inch titanium-finish alloys.

With sales beginning Stateside in September, U.S. pricing has yet to be revealed, however European pricing places a short-wheelbase S63 at €115,700 ($160k) with a €6k premium for the long-wheelbase version and the full-fat S65 AMG bi-turbo commanding a hearty €185,900 ($257k). Full details are available in the press release after the jump and photos in the high-res image galleries below.

Gallery: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG

Gallery: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Once More, With Feeling: Mercedes reveals details on updated S63, S65 AMG bahnstormers

Once More, With Feeling: Mercedes reveals details on updated S63, S65 AMG bahnstormers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Israeli Flying Car Nears First Test Flight [Flying Cars]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.033-07:00

In early 2007, Urban Aeronautics announced it'd have an "air jeep" flying car dubbed the X-Hawk ready for flight by 2009. The future's now, and while the X-Hawk isn't quite ready, the test mule almost is, and this is it.

The Urban Aeronautics concept for a flying car, or "fancraft" as they like to call it, centers on a ducted fan concept which was tested by the US military long ago with unacceptable results. Fast forward several decades and add much larger control surfaces, high-power and more reliable hardware, much better controls logic combined with the magic of modern computer processing speeds and the concept is no longer so far-fetched.

The Israeli company currently has a proof of concept scale prototype which runs on electricity, but they're in the final stages of completing a full scale test mule powered by a pair of gas turbine engines which will supposedly be ready for its maiden voyage in about two months. When fully developed, the craft should be able to achieve vertical takeoff, hover, rotate 360 degrees at a standstill, reach speeds up to 115 MPH and drop vertically into a tight urban landing zone.

Currently envisioned uses include ambulances and general rescue vehicles, "air jeeps" for military usage, since the vehicle would be able to get into places no helicopter would dare, and holding down a parking space at Jalopnik HQ. [The Register]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

DC Metro Red Line Train Crash Leaves Nine Dead, 75 Injured [Mass Transit]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.031-07:00

Yesterday's terrifying crash of an at-speed Red Line Metro train into a stopped Red Line train in Washington, DC left nine dead and 75 injured. A gallery from the scene below. Warning: a couple shots are somewhat gory.

Photo Credit: Robert Giroux / Getty Images News, Win McNamee / Getty Images News

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Akio Toyoda Takes Over As President Of Toyota [Carpocalypse]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.029-07:00

Akio Toyoda takes over as President of Toyota today. Good luck with that. [Bloomberg]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Elon fires back at Eberhard in Tesla lawsuit's latest twist

2009-06-23T11:08:00.027-07:00

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sports/GTs, Government/Legal, Green, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

Shortly after Tesla Motors co-founder Martin Eberhard filed a lawsuit against Tesla Motors and its Chairman, Product Architect and CEO Elon Musk, the Silicon Valley automaker had this to say:

This lawsuit is a fictionalized, inaccurate account of Tesla's early years -- it's twisted and wrong, and we welcome the opportunity to set the record straight. Incidentally, Tesla will also be filing counterclaims and in the process present an accurate account of the company's history.

The first bit of record-resetting has shown up on the official Tesla blog. Not surprisingly, Elon Musk has lots to say in regards to the early years of the Roadster's development, and he seeks to offer his side of the story, along with a number of emails to back up his claims.

What does Musk say? Well, his initial response is a long, informative and interesting read. Here are some choice lines:

The facts are that when I requested through AC Propulsion to meet Eberhard, he had no technology of his own, he did not have a prototype car and he owned no intellectual property relating to electric cars.

At the time [early 2004], "Tesla Motors, Inc." consisted of Eberhard, Tarpenning and Wright, plus an unfunded business plan and they were looking for an initial round of funding to create a more advanced prototype than the AC Propulsion Tzero. While there was a basic corporation in place, Tesla hadn't even registered or obtained the trademark to its name and had no formal offices or assets.

Make the jump for more.

Gallery: Martin Eberhard's Founders Series Tesla Roadster

[Source: Elon Musk / Tesla Motors]

Continue reading Elon fires back at Eberhard in Tesla lawsuit's latest twist

Elon fires back at Eberhard in Tesla lawsuit's latest twist originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Incentives for a Toyota Prius plant in the US?

2009-06-23T11:08:00.025-07:00

Can protectionism save US auto jobs?

For a few years Toyota has been toying around with the idea of a US plant to manufacture its red hot Toyota Prius. Unfortunately, the current recession crushed any such plan for the short term.

Would it be wise for the US government to help bring such a plant to the US, or should the government only protect US companies, or only just UAW workers?

Likewise, Nissan is now planning a US plant for electric vehicle and electric vehicle battery development, with a significant eye on US government help. Should they get it?

Are incentives for transplants to bring more manufacturing jobs to the US a good or bad idea?

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[Source: Hybrid Cars]

Elderly Driver Accidentally Overturns BMW 2002 [Car Crash]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.023-07:00

Sometimes the world is cruel in ways we don't understand, like this senseless instance of smash-em-up wherein an elderly driver somehow backed into and onto a lovely BMW 2002, resulting in a seriously goofy accident scene.

The entire story comes from our shooter here, who was awakened by a phone call from the police and rushed down to the scene where he reports the following:

So the police call me at home at 9:30 AM Sunday morning ... and tell me my car was involved in an accident. My first panicky thought was "what'd I do?" and my second was "what'd my car do without me?" and my third was to grab my camera as I dash out the door and up the hill. I am greeted by the scene you see here.

The SFPD just wants me to move my car (not shown), which was parked seven feet away from the modern sculpture you see above. My vehicle was just an innocent bystander.

Somehow the driver managed to build this little masterpiece while backing out of his driveway Sunday morning. My car needed to move so they could fit the tow truck in there for some artistic deconstruction.

No one was injured in the accident (whew).

The presumed owners of the BMW 2002 (shown on its side), in pajamas, were present sitting on their steps — they had parked in front of their house. She was sobbing on the telephone as the police dropped flares to block off the street. Neighbors and joggers stood around and tried to reverse-engineer the physics.

The driver was an older man, with handicapped plates. He called the police.

We're left wondering how the heck that happened, and just how much the bill will be to fix that piece of sweet Bavarian steel. [Automatt's Flickr stream]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Robogasm 2 Begins In 24 Hours... [Transformers]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.021-07:00

In honor of the Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen robogasm, we'll have special coverage starting midnight-plus-one tomorrow night at the Transformers 2 tag. You won't want to miss it. Unless of course you hate giant freakin' robots. And America.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

What's The Most Photogenic Car? [Question Of The Day]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.019-07:00

Susan Sontag, in her essay On Photography, called cameras "fantasy machines whose use is addictive." Just like cars. Therefore, taking photos of cars should be exponentially more fantastic and addictive. This makes us wonder: what's the most photogenic car?

The premise of this question is that there's a difference between being beautiful and photogenic. We believe the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is one of the most beautiful cars in existence, but this is a fact not easy to prove merely in photos — especially press photos. In person, it's breathtaking, but this doesn't always translate to photography. Subtle, curvaceous bodywork is wonderful in the flesh, where you can appreciate it. The lens favors sharper angles, numerous levels, recessions.

This is why the Audi R8 manages to be the most photogenic car in our eyes. It's both an extremely attractive vehicle and one with the appropriate amount of ornamentation to look great portrayed either in pixels of red, green, and blue, or in a matrix of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. One look at those cat eyes, taken in the dark, and it's clear this was a car built by the eyes not by the hand.

(QOTD is your chance to answer the day's most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good "Question Of The Day" send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Devil in a Blue Dress Selling BMW E30 Touring for $15,000! [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.017-07:00

We groove on BMWs. We also like wagons. Blonde girls in tight dresses elicit a raised eyebrow of approval from many of us too. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe brings you all three for $15,000.

Yesterday, you didn't have to one-hit-wonder much about the Mercedes ML55, with 54% of you blessing its $14,000 price tag as nice-pricetastic. Today, we're going back to Germany for something with a little less celebrity, but greater rarity. Plus there's a girl!

The E30 3 series was the last of the boxy beemers. Upright and formal, with tidy styling, and available in four body styles: two-door, four-door, convertible and estate, which BMW tagged Touring.

Today's 325i Touring, as presented by the Vanna White impersonator in the ad, was the one body style never imported to the land of mono-linguists, despite its handsome proportions and potentially easy federalization. The only smallish German wagons offered at that time in the U.S. were the VW Quantum and Mercedes Benz E-Class, neither of which was as compact, nor flingable as the BMW 3 series. The Benz is typically driven by scotch-drinking soccer moms, and the Quantum only finds love these days with out of work MIT grads, and yuppies without the means to own a Volvo. This little family hauler would have fit an Audi A4 Avant-esque niche at the time, but, BMW didn't see fit to bring the body style over, and in fact denied the U.S. release for small kraut-wagon hard-ons until the E46 update, two generations later.

Under the hood, the SOHC M20 engine is stout and puts out 171bhp in Euro-guise, which should move the Beemer's ton and a half weight with reasonable alacrity. The seller offers a laundry list of updated consumables and notes a rare armrest/cupholder as a valuable incentive to purchase. Countering that is the 200K on the clock, which is 124,000 miles to those of you metriphobes. That's a lot of Autobahnstorming, and the 3-series, while sturdy, only have so much life in them, so take that into consideration. It's also important to note that this car is not kitted like most U.S.-bound cars were; it's mostly manual, with hand-crank windows and sunroof, and lacking factory A/C.

So what do you think of this E30 Estate? Is fifteen grand a nice price for so rare a wagon? Or is the only thing it's hauling is a big-ass case of crack pipe?

You decide!

San Diego Craigslist or go here if the ad gets deported. Hat tip to eldo500!

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Chinese Fan-Boys Tart Up Random Cars To Show Bumblebee Love [Transformers 2]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.015-07:00

The Chinese love the new Camaro, especially dressed up as Bumblebee from Transformers 2, evidenced by their unapologetic pledge to rally stripe any yellow car they can including our favorite, the Volkswagen Santana-maro one of many Bumblebee-flavored 'maro wannabes.

Over the weekend a group of Shanghainese got together to celebrate a visit by one of their Transformers idols, the Bumblebee-esque 2010 Camaro SS. To show their support, they've taken their yellow-painted cars and rally striped the hell out of them for a coordinated parade lap around the city. [via ChinaCarTimes]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Commenter Of The Day: Mike Jones Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.013-07:00

While we're using COTD to talk about Houston rappers, it's probably the day to mention Mike Jones. He's one of the more commercially successful rappers to come out of Houston's famous Swishahouse. His first major studio album, "Who Is Mike Jones?" included such Houston hip hop all stars as Paul Wall, Slim Thug and Bun B. He gained a special notoriety for giving out his own cellphone number in songs and in person. If you wanted to reach Mike Jones you could just dial the rhythmic 281-330-8004. It was a successful marketing plan and a good way to communicate with fans as an up-and-coming artist. The number even landed on the pages of the New York Times. The spy shots of the poorly camouflaged BMW 7-Series Hybrid include a watermark from photographer Christian Wimmer that includes his email addy. This is common practice among spy photogs though, as SirNotAppearing mentions, there's maybe a downside to the practice.

Christian Wimmer, your inbox is about to be filled with comments about zombies, hookers, dragons, and things that will buff right out.

Welcome to a close approximation of the Jalopnik tips email, Christian.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

VIDEO: Schumacher's Ferrari FXX blitzes the Top Gear test track

2009-06-23T11:08:00.011-07:00

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupes, Videos, Supercars, Ferrari, UK, Special/Limited Editions

Schumacher's Ferrari FXX hot lap - Click above to watch video after the jump

Alright, so whether you've seen it already or not, most of the enthusiast world is aware that Top Gear has revealed its mystery "tame racing driver" as none other than F1 maestro Michael Schumacher. That unhelmeting came as part of the new season's first show which aired in the U.K. on Sunday, and we now have a clip from that show of Schumi's own FXX tackling the Top Gear track. How how the World Champion's personal Prancing Horse stack up? Click on the through the jump to find out.

[Source: Top Gear via You Tube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Schumacher's Ferrari FXX blitzes the Top Gear test track

VIDEO: Schumacher's Ferrari FXX blitzes the Top Gear test track originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Transformers 2: When Gremlins Attack? [Transformers]

2009-06-23T11:08:00.009-07:00

Want to know what it's like to see a Camaro destroy a bunch of household appliances that've turned into little assassin-bots? Yeah, us neither — but this newly-released clip from Transformers 2 will help sate that never-known desire anyway. [Gizmodo]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Kia reportedly takes a liking to Saturn retailers

2009-06-23T11:08:00.007-07:00

Filed under: Car Buying, Kia, Saturn

Most Kia dealerships are in rural and second-tier urban areas because real estate in markets like New York and Chicago are just too expensive. With the contraction of Ford, GM and Chrysler dealerships in those areas, Kia retailers are finding that now is the time to enter the big time.

In particular, Kia appears to be interested in Saturn dealerships. Kia executives told Automotive News that they like Saturn stores because they're newer, more exclusive, and - more to the point - available. Kia is going after Saturn dealers in three ways: Current Kia dealers are opening up additional locations at former Saturn sites; Saturn dealers are converting their stores to sell Kias; and Kia is asking Saturn store owners to open a separate Kia store close-by, then share a common parts and service center.

One Kia dealer, Billy Fuccillo, has turned a Saturn dealer near Syracuse, NY into a $2.8 million super Kia dealership equipped with such indulgences as granite-lined bathrooms. Fuccillo already owns the top-selling Kia dealership in the US, and he says his new store, in a more prominent location, will fare even better. He plans to sell more than 3,000 vehicles per year and as many as 500 this month. As part of his opening marketing push, Fuccillo will give away five Kias and four Hyundais to one person. He's going to deliver all nine vehicles via car-hauler to the individual's home. That's a bit crazy, but converting Saturn dealerships to Kia stores seems to be anything but.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. | Image Source: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Kia reportedly takes a liking to Saturn retailers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Analyst: Detroit 3 to be outproduced by foreign transplants on U.S. soil by 2012

2009-06-23T11:08:00.005-07:00

If you think life can't get any worse for the bloodied and battered Detroit three automakers and their suppliers, you're wrong - at least according to a new study from Grant Thornton LLP's Corporate Advisory and Restructuring Service. The accounting and management consulting firm used data from CSM worldwide that forecasts U.S. automakers will produce fewer vehicles on U.S. soil than Asian and European automakers by the year 2012 despite an expected return to profitability.

Included in these projections are a 35% reduction in U.S. manufacturing by domestic automakers and a 20% increase from import automakers like Volkswagen, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai. The end result would be a total of 7.5 million units from Chrysler, Ford and General Motors and eight million from all other automakers combined.

With that in mind, Grand Thornton has some advice for North American suppliers that manage to make it through the next few years but still find themselves tied too closely to domestic automakers: diversify now or face the consequences. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: Grand Thornton]

Continue reading Analyst: Detroit 3 to be outproduced by foreign transplants on U.S. soil by 2012

Analyst: Detroit 3 to be outproduced by foreign transplants on U.S. soil by 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO offers excellence without emotion

2009-06-23T11:08:00.003-07:00

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Ford, First Drive

2010 Ford Taurus SHO - Click above for high-res image gallery

Incendiary Statement of the Day: American automakers haven't made many good sport sedans. It isn't because we can't build 'em - it's just that for one reason or another, U.S. automakers have historically refused to take the segment seriously, all but ceding it to the Europeans and the Japanese.

Thankfully, the Detroit 3 have produced some models that buck the trend, and even better for us, most of them are recent offerings. Cadillac's stonking new CTS-V isn't just a sport sedan - dollar-for-dollar, it may very well be the best in the world. Pontiac's G8 GT and GXP are two excellent examples, and Chrysler's 300C SRT8 and Charger SRT8 make decent cases for themselves, although they're arguably more muscle cars in sedan wrappers than four-door barnstormers. What else is there? In the last 25 years or so, not a whole lot. Once you get past the first-gen CTS and perhaps the Lincoln LS, you're dealing with short-lived, small-volume factory skunkworks models like the Dodge Spirit R/T and SRT4, as well as the Ford Contour SVT. In fact, you're skating on thin (sport compact) ice... until you get to the first- and second-generation Taurus SHO of the late-Eighties to mid-Nineties.

Ah, the Taurus SHO. While it's probably true that the fog of time has conspired to give us a rosier view of the 1989-1991 SHO and the 1992-1995 model that followed the original, few would deny that its spirited 220-horsepower Yamaha-sourced 3.0-liter V6 was anything less than a wondrous engine, or that the standard Taurus' revolutionary slipstream bodywork and tidy dimensions lent itself well to the genre's ethos. Further, for an American mid-size sport sedan, it was the only game in town, yet it acquitted itself handsomely against contemporary Nissan Maximas, and pricier competitors like the BMW 3-Series.

The SHO took a wrong turn (as did the entire Taurus franchise) with the softer V8-powered 1996 third-generation model, and slow sales saw the model expire by 1999. A decade has passed since that car went off to the Great Crusher in the Sky, and now Ford has returned with an altogether different SHO for 2010. Does it live up to the original, or is it more in keeping with the underwhelming model that preceded it so long ago? Let's find out.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO

Continue reading First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO offers excellence without emotion

First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO offers excellence without emotion originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Spy Shots: Ferrari 599 GTB Spider?

2009-06-23T11:08:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari

The crew from CzechFerrari made an interesting discovery in an unknown location: a Ferrari California-bodied prototype with an awkward removable roof. At first glance, it's easy to dismiss the mule as just another California being readied for testing, but peering through the driver's side window reveals an interior that's noticeably different from the entry-level Fezza - it's closer to the Ferrari 599. While it's hardly conclusive evidence that Maranello is working on a convertible variant of its V12 super-tourer, it's compelling nonetheless. And with rumors of a drop-top version circulating for months and a facelift right around the corner, Ferrari could be preparing a 599 Spider before the new model debuts in the next two years.

[Source: CzechFerrari]

Spy Shots: Ferrari 599 GTB Spider? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Lexus, Porsche Top 2009 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey [Car Rankings]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.049-07:00

The 2009 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey is out. Lexus takes top marks followed by Porsche, Cadillac, Hyundai and Honda. The worst? Land Rover, Smart, And Mini.

J.D. Power And Associates ranks brands by the number of problems per 100 cars sold. The industry average is 108 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), down from 118 the previous year. The best performers were Lexus (84 PP100), Porshce (90 PP100), Cadillac (91 PP100), Hyundai (95 PP100) and Honda (99 PP100). Domestic automakers Ford, Chevy and Mercury were all above the industry average, with Chrysler way down near the bottom at 136 PP100. The worst performance came from Mini, with a whopping 165 PP100. Full results below.

J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
Embattled U.S. Automakers Make Substantial Gains in Initial Quality,
Outpacing Industry-Wide Improvement

While Quality Gap Continues to Narrow, Import Nameplates Capture 15 of 22 Segment Awards

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 22 June 2009 - New vehicles sold by Chrysler, Ford and GM's domestic brands have improved in initial quality by an average of 10 percent, compared with 2008, surpassing the 8-percent rate of improvement by the industry overall, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) released today.

Overall, the industry average for initial quality is 108 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2009, down from 118 PP100 in 2008. Initial quality for domestic brands has improved to an average of 112 PP100 in 2009 from 124 PP100 in 2008. Lower PP100 scores indicate a lower rate of problem incidences and higher quality.

"Even in the face of unprecedented challenges, the Detroit automakers are keeping their focus on designing and building high-quality vehicles, which is a precondition for long-term success," said David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates. "High quality generally translates into reduced re-engineering costs and lower warranty expenses during a vehicle's life cycle. High quality also enhances an automaker's reputation for reliability, which is a critical purchase consideration for many consumers."

In addition to the marked improvement by domestic automakers, many import brands continued to perform well in 2009. Lexus leads the overall nameplate rankings, averaging 84 PP100. Following in the rankings are Porsche, Cadillac (which moves from 10th rank position in 2008 to third in 2009), Hyundai (improves from 13th rank position in 2008 to fourth in 2009) and Honda, rounding out the top five. Suzuki posts the largest improvement in ranking, moving from 32nd place in 2008 to ninth in 2009.

The study finds that initial quality for newly launched and redesigned models in 2009 has improved compared with previous years. Historically, all-new models have typically launched with below-average levels of initial quality. However, several all-new models in 2009, including the Hyundai Genesis, Kia Borrego, Toyota Venza and Volkswagen CC, perform considerably better than their respective segment averages. Many redesigned models in 2009 also show notable improvement from the previous generation-particularly the Acura TL, Ford F-150, Honda Pilot and Nissan Z.

"Achieving high levels of initial quality in all-new models is one of the greatest challenges for manufacturers," said Sargent. "Now that more manufacturers are getting their launch quality right straight out of the gate, consumers can expect the quality of new vehicles to continue to rise."

The Initial Quality Study serves as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership. The study is used extensively by manufacturers worldwide to help them design and build better vehicles and by consumers to help them in their vehicle purchase decisions. Initial quality has been shown over the years to be an excellent predictor of long-term durability, which can significantly impact consumer purchase decisions. The study captures problems experienced by owners in two distinct categories-design-related problems and defects and malfunctions.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Jesse James Sets Hydrogen Land Speed Record At 199.7 MPH [Alternative Energy]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.047-07:00

Jesse James set a record speed of 199.712 in the hydrogen-powered Streamliner at the El Mirage Dry Lake Bed last week, besting the hydrogen record previously held by the BMW H2R, thus proving Americans lead in increasingly obsolete technology.

Full press release:

Quantum-Jesse James Team Shatters the Land Speed World Record for a Hydrogen Powered Vehicle
IRVINE, California, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:QTWW) today announced that its advanced gaseous fuel injectors, fuel metering components, lightweight fuel storage system and powertrain engineering expertise successfully supported Jesse James in shattering the land speed record for a hydrogen powered vehicle. On June 16, 2009, Jesse James clocked 199.712 mph in the hydrogen 'Streamliner' at El Mirage Dry Lake Bed in the Mojave Desert, to beat the world record holder, the BMW H2R, which had attained 186 mph in Germany. This historic event will be shown as the season one finale of "Jesse James Is A Dead Man" premiering on Sunday, August 9 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on Spike TV.

"Jessie James approached Quantum for our world-class expertise in hydrogen and advanced powertrain engineering," explained Alan P. Niedzwiecki, the President and CEO of Quantum. "This, I honestly believe, is world-changing," Jesse James said of the emissions-free race car. "We can't rely on gasoline forever. I'm paying it forward."

Jesse James' record setting run was supported by 24 Quantum hydrogen injectors that fuelled an 8-cylinder engine that was optimized to yield 704 HP. Quantum's patented fuel injector has been designed, tested and validated specifically for precision fuel metering and durable service with cleaner burning, dry gaseous fuels such as hydrogen and natural gas. With several years of R&D, Quantum's gaseous fuel injectors are featured in Ford's hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles and Prius and Escape hydrogen hybrid electric vehicles developed by Quantum.

The record-breaking Streamliner was fitted with 3 ultra-light weight, advanced carbon-fiber composite, polymer-lined 5000 psi Quantum hydrogen storage cylinders to help with vehicle performance and drivability. Quantum has supplied some of the lightest hydrogen cylinders in the world for weight-critical automotive and aerospace applications. Quantum has developed industry-leading 3600 psi natural gas on-board storage cylinders, and 5,000 and 10,000 psi hydrogen storage cylinders and related valves and pressure management systems.

The initial development of Jesse James' Streamliner was performed at Quantum's Advanced Vehicle Concepts Center in Lake Forest California. This facility is equipped with all disciplines and capabilities to take advanced powertrains and vehicles including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen, and natural gas vehicles, from concept to production. Over the past decade, Quantum's expert team has developed and built 20,000 natural gas vehicles, 2,000 hydrogen and hybrid systems and vehicles, as an OEM, and also in partnerships with world's leading auto makers. Quantum has designed advanced hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and powertrains for the US Army, and for Fisker Automotive, for the award winning Fisker KARMA, a luxury plug-in-hybrid car that was introduced at the Detroit International Auto Show in January, 2008.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Sarah Jessica Parker Pulled Over For Not Using Headlights, Brain [Celebrities]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.045-07:00

Sarah Jessica Parker was given a warning for driving-without-headlights after explaining she didn't know how to turn them on in her new Mercedes. Add this to the list of things Parker no longer knows how to turn on. [PageSix]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Winged UKDM Mugen Civic Type-R 3D For Hardcore Boy Racers [Tuner Cars]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.043-07:00

Last week we brought news of a harder-core Mugen-tuned Civic Type-R for the European market. This week we're presented with the fruit of Mugen's labor, the multi-winged and vented UKDM Mugen Civic Type-R 3D.

It's still unclear whether or not this is a full bore performance enhancement or a multi-faceted attempt at bringing some attention to the now aging Euro-spec Civic Type-R, but what we do know is that this seriously Mugen kitted 3-door will launch later this summer across the pond.

Currently the Euro-spec Civic Type-R features a 200 HP 2.0-liter i-VTEC inline four, but sources indicate the Type-R 3D may in fact receive the truly hardcore JDM Type-RR's 237 HP 2.0-liter. The addition of the Mugen-designed rear wing, side skirts, hood, rear bumper, exhaust, grille, front bumper, front fenders and gunmetal wheels certainly does spice up the space case Euro-spec Type-R, but will it be enough of an enhancement to compete with the newest hot hatches without the power boost. We'll have to wait and see. [via carscoop]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Ford, Nissan, Tesla all big winners in DoE advanced technology loans

2009-06-23T11:07:00.041-07:00

Filed under: Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green, Plants/Manufacturing, Tech, Ford, Nissan

Ford Focus EV Mule - Click above for high-res gallery

The U.S. Department of Energy has finally announced the first recipient of low interest loans under its Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Incentive Program. The first recipient is Ford, and analysts believe the DoE will award sums to Nissan and Tesla Motors, as well. Ford applied for up to $11 billion in loans, but instead it was awarded $5.9 billion in financing. The Dearborn-based automaker will use the money to fund its electric vehicle program that will launch a battery-powered version of the Transit Connect in 2010, and it will also likely use the capital to help pay for the $550 million renovation of its Wayne, MI sport-utility plant to build the next-generation Focus in both internal combustion and electric flavors.

For its part, Nissan wants to add production of its upcoming electric car and lithium ion batteries at its assembly complex in Smyrna, Tennessee, and it will receive $1.6 billion.

Despite receiving the smallest sum of the three automakers, Tesla is arguably the biggest winner this round, as the $465 million it may receive will allow the fledgeling EV maker to proceed with completing development and production of its Model S sedan. Recent investment in the company by Daimler was probably a big help in getting the loan approved, as companies had to demonstrate viability. And since the ATVM program favors re-tooling of older existing plants, Tesla will probably look at acquiring a closed factory from another company. Recent rumors had the company possibly getting a former McDonnell-Douglas factory in Long Beach, although there are plenty of other properties available.

The current Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings at General Motors and Chrysler made those companies ineligible in the current round. It's not known if any announcements will be made about loans for battery makers like A123 or EnerDel.

Gallery: ABG Quick Drive: Ford Focus EV mule

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

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

Ford, Nissan, Tesla all big winners in DoE advanced technology loans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Who's The Worst Person In The Automotive World? [Question Of The Day]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.039-07:00

The automotive world is full of creative, dedicated and hard-working men and women. Some of them we even like. But there are also some complete assholes. Who's the worst person in the automotive world?

We know Max Mosley is an easy target. Not because he's son of Britain's most infamous Nazi, he can't be blamed for that. Not because he's reportedly a sex freak, because who isn't? Not even because his lawyers crawled up our ass last year. No, Max Mosley is the worst person in the automotive world because, through his incompetence, his intractability, and his posturing, he's let Formula One get so bad it's now no longer going to be a series anymore. For a primer on just how bad he's done read this. He's Darth Vader to Bernie Ecclestone's Emperor Palpatine. And today's news he's dropped his lawsuit just tops it all off. Where are the balls we saw in those sex dungeon videos?

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Win Four Transformers 2 Tickets [Transformers]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.037-07:00

First person to Direct-Message me gets four Transformers 2 IMAX tickets for-midnight-plus-one-tonight in NewRochelle, NY.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

CNBC's Darren Rovell Rides In NASCAR Car, Screams Like Little Girl [Nascar]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.035-07:00

OK, so CNBC's Rovell doesn't scream like a little girl, but if you want to see CNBC's sports reporter look scared out of his mind riding smokey-burnout-shotgun, here's a teaser for the network's upcoming documentary airing 9PM, July 9th. [Hulu]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

First Smashed-Up 2010 Ford Taurus SHO In Chi-Town [Car Crash]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.033-07:00

This 2010 Ford Taurus SHO was spied by a member of ChicagoSVT at his local dealership for demo rides. We'd say they demonstrated perfectly how not to treat your brand new EcoBoost-equipped Taurus SHO. Full gallery below.

Word is, the SHO was involved in a three car pile up, likely by someone ogling the SHO's rear end and then simultaneously being hit by someone else with a desire for tasty Mandel Bread. [via ChicagoSVT] (Hat Tip To Joseph!)

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[Source: Jalopnik]

REPORT: Toyota's push to build green cars may destroy 17th century Japanese rice paddies

2009-06-23T11:07:00.031-07:00

Filed under: Toyota

Toyota has worked hard to cultivate its image as the "green" automaker. And with so many hybrids on the road, it's hard to argue. Some critics have cited the fact that mining for battery components is bad for the environment and the thousands of miles that massive, CO2-spewing ships travel to park those hybrids on our shores more than negate the positive effects. It's hard to argue with 50 mpg for $22,000, though, and, after all, politicians love them some hybrids.

Toyota's plans to build a new technical center and test track only 30 miles from its Aichi, Japan headquarters has those critics chirping anew, as the land pegged for construction is a 17th century rice patty. Toyota plans to use the facility to fine-tune its vehicles and stay ahead of Honda and GM in the hybrid game, but the cost of the price may be a bit too steep.

To clear the 1,631 acres to create the facility, Toyota will need to deforest 691 acres, fill the rice paddies and flatten mountains. Flatten mountains? Really? Good thing Toyota also owns Hino heavy trucks. Activists allege that the construction will destroy the habitat of the endangered gray-faced buzzard and oriental honey buzzard, too.

[Source: Bloomberg | Image: Three Lions/Hutton Gallery/Getty]

REPORT: Toyota's push to build green cars may destroy 17th century Japanese rice paddies originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Is The Stig Really Michael Schumacher? [Top Gear]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.029-07:00

Lifting Stig's helmet and revealing the Teutonic features of former F1 champ Michael Schumacher certainly made for some great TV. However, the German race car driver is not Top Gear's Stig. Or, we should say, he's not the only Stig.

Warning: I've already spoiled this for you. Aww, too bad. Suck it up, take it as a loss, man up and move on. You should have been here yesterday if you wanted to be all namby-pamby and spoiler-free.

Despite being the first to tell you that Stig would lift his helmet during last night's episode and it would be none other than Michael Schumacher underneath, we're now going to provide three reminders to everyone that no, the blonde-haired track-meister's not the only Stig.

First, one look at Shumacher's record-setting time around the Top Gear test track in a Ferrari FXX, and you realize he's not the same Stiggie we've seen on the show the last two seasons. Schumi was more balls-to-the-wall around the corners than the previous incarnation of our beloved Stiggie.

Secondly, Ferrari's only going to let an owner drive the Ferrari FXX. Make sense to us then that since they were testing Schumi's FXX, they'd have Schumi be the Stig.

That makes sense given the truth is, as most know, there have been many drivers who've played the Stig. From the original black-nomex racing suit-encased Stig played by Perry McCarthy, former Formula One racer and test driver for the Benetton, Arrows and Williams teams — to "Big Stig" who we're pretty sure was played by Tony Stewart after ingesting a small cow, there is a different Stig for different needs. And we're pretty sure African Stig was not at all Lewis Hamilton. Basically, we've been told by the BBC there's been no less than eight drivers donning the white nomex.

The most high-profile is Heikki Kovalainen, the 27-year-old Finnish Formula One McLaren driver who is Lewis Hamilton's partner. Forty-one-year-old former GT world championship racing driver Chris Goodwin, from London, has also starred as the Stig. As has fellow Londoner Julian Bailey, a 47-year-old former Formula One racing driver who raced for the Tyrell and Lotus teams.

Stunt driver Terry Grant from Bushey in Hertfordshire has also slipped into the white racing leathers to become the Stig. Stunt driver Russ Swift is another who has become the Stig. Then of course there were those Ben Collins rumors.

Finally, Dan Lang, a Swedish snow mobile racing champion played the Stig in a Top Gear stunt where he jumped a snow mobile off a ski jump. So to every Stig there is a purpose and yesterday's Ferrari FXX season belonged to Schumacher. Who will be the next to turn, turn, turn in the white racing duds? We guess we'll have to tune in to find out. Which is really what the BBC wants.

And that brings us to the third reminder. See, this was totally a tongue-in-cheek PR play. And it worked. We went all ga-ga over the Schumi as Stig story and you know what, so did all of you. And that's cool, because frankly, it was entertaining as hell. And when it comes down to it, we don't watch Top Gear to be informed, we watch Top Gear to be entertained.

Incidentally, on an almost entirely unrelated note — there's some serious props that need to go out to the Beeb for figuring out the importance of not only having a clip up on YouTube of last night's unmasking (we've included it again here), but for having it up within moments of the show's completion. Good work by Her Royal Majesty's TV service for understanding there's people outside of the BBC's broadcast network interested in seeing this momentous occasion — and beating out the thousands who'd be dropping pirated clips up and online. Already the clip's got thousands of comments and tens of thousands of views. Bravo, BBC.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Elon Musk Smacks Down Eberhard, Predicts Tesla Profitability Next Month [Auto Slap Fight]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.027-07:00

Tesla-cofounder Martin Eberhard's lawsuits and smack-talking of the electric automaker's got current CEO Elon Musk deciding to set the record straight in a ginormous blog post. Bottom line: He expects the company to be profitable next month. Also, Eberhard sucks.

Along with airing pretty much all of Eberhard's dirty laundry, refuting from his perception, all of the claims in the lawsuit, Musk also makes Eberhard look like something of an incompetent nincompoop. There are some real stingers buried in the enormous writing, complete with emails copied in to back up Musk's story, some of our favorites include:

There were several smaller items I suggested, such as the touchpad door latch that Eberhard tries to use as an excuse for why it cost over $140M to bring the Roadster to market instead of the $25M that he estimated in the 2004 business plan. That would have to be one hell of door latch! The $140M excludes any costs associated with the Model S."

and this not-so-subtle slap:

"All he had was a business plan to commercialize the AC Propulsion Tzero electric sports car concept. Three years later, when Eberhard was asked to leave Tesla, most of the work that he had been paid to do had to be redone."

Ouch.

In any case, Musk goes on to say over the last few years of work, the total bill of materials price which was pegged around $140k when Eberhard was running the show has been reduced to around $80k. Along with improvements to the supply chain, the optional Tesla Roadster Sport and a run rate around 20-30 cars a week, Musk is expecting to see the company turn the corner and see profitability next month.

It's a bit of a long read, but if you want a look at all of Tesla's dirty laundry being aired in pretty much one place and understand a lot of the history behind the car and its delays, it's well worth the time. [Tesla]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

BMW 7-Series Hybrid Engineers Very Bad At Camouflage [Spy Photos]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.025-07:00

The BMW 755ih will be hybridized so the plutocrat inside appears empathetic to the concerns of the peasantry. BMW wants everyone to know how much they care, so the mule's emblazoned with "Hybrid Testing Vehicle" stickers written in German. Jawohl!

The new premo sled for the faux-green and Hollyweird types alike will undoubtedly be this newest BMW luxo-barge, complete with a 4.4 liter, twin-turbo V8 good for 407 HP and 442 lb-ft of torque, which gets "assisted" by a 20 HP electric motor that contributes 155 lb-ft of torque. The whole shebang is expected to provide a 15% bump in fuel economy over the 750il, and a 75% bump in self-satisfied BMW driving smugness. For the complete spy photo set, head over to BMWBlog.

Photo credit: Christian Wimmer

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[Source: Jalopnik]

AutoblogGreen for 06.23.09

2009-06-23T11:07:00.023-07:00

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Elon fires back at Eberhard in Tesla lawsuit's latest twist
Up next, Pandora's box.

Wike Electric Sun = bike + WTF?
It can go 30 mph and fold up. It's awesome.

STUDY: The way to profits in Detroit? Make fuel efficient cars
Sound advice, but is there time to implement it?

Other news:

Analysts: There's no guarantee that cash-for-clunkers will really drive car sales

Spy Shots: Is this the all-electric Renault Twingo ZE?

Demand for VW Jetta TDI remains strong in U.S.

AutoblogGreen for 06.23.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

BMW to introduce more powerful and efficient version of twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel

2009-06-23T11:07:00.021-07:00

BMW has just announced an upgraded version of its 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder diesel engine. The new version retains the same displacement, yet output for the European spec version is increased from 286 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque to 306 hp and 442 lb-ft. At the same time, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced by four percent compared to the previous version.

BMW has updated the fuel injection system to its latest generation common rail system. That means the injector pressure has been bumped from 1,600 BAR (23,000 psi) to 2,000 BAR (29,000 psi), allowing for even more precise metering of the fuel flow. The dual stage turbocharger system is now also more efficient. Since BMW only just introduced a version of the previous engine with U.S. legal after-treatment systems in late 2008, it seems unlikely that the U.S. will receive the upgrades in the near future.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW to introduce more powerful and efficient version of twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel

BMW to introduce more powerful and efficient version of twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Energy Secretary Chu: All American cars should be E85 capable

2009-06-23T11:07:00.019-07:00

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green

In early May, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $786.5 million "third-generation" biofuel program. Yesterday, ex-biofuel researcher Stephen Chu, the Energy Secretary, said that all cars made in America should be able to burn ethanol (E85). Earlier this month, Chu said electric vehicles were "inevitable."

Predictably, Chu made the E85 statement deep in corn ethanol country - in Des Moines, Iowa - yesterday, even though he has previously said that, "corn is not the right crop for biofuels." Chu's promotion of E85 capability seems to be driven by the low cost of making a standard internal-combustion vehicle able to burn the biofuel. Chu said that:

I've been told it costs about $100 in gaskets and fuel lines to turn a car so that it can go all the way to E85. But a new car, it would only cost $100 out of $15,000. Wouldn't it be nice to put in those fuel lines and gaskets so that we can use any ratio we wanted?

While Chu made clear that the Obama Administration is not ready to mandate any flex-fuel capability at this time, that "any ratio" line surely caught the attention of those pushing for an increase in the nation ethanol blend to 15 percent. For more on the E15 debate, click here.

Gallery: Ford E85 Escape Hybrids

[Source: Des Moines Register]

Energy Secretary Chu: All American cars should be E85 capable originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

SPOILER ALERT: Holding Back the Reign at the 2009 British Grand Prix

2009-06-23T11:07:00.017-07:00

Filed under: Motorsports, UK

2009 British Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

Did summertime showers put a damper on your Father's Day plans? That game of catch in the park or trip to the local Six Flags may not have worked out, but despite seemingly year-round rain in England, race fans at Silverstone enjoyed beautifully dry weather for this weekend's running of the British Grand Prix.

Clear skies may not have been enough to hold back the gathering storm clouds darkening F1's skies: the future of the British Grand Prix hangs in the balance as officials debate the merits of the planned move from Silverstone to Donington, while the sport itself threatens to split in two as the FIA holds its line and the teams prepare to form their own series. But none of that mattered when the lights flashed green on the starting grid at Silverstone. The question on everyone's minds, of course, was whether the so-far dominant Jenson Button would be able to carry his momentum into a sought-after home-turf victory, or if his challengers would be able to turn the tides. Follow the jump to find out who came out on top.

Gallery: 2009 British Grand Prix

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: Holding Back the Reign at the 2009 British Grand Prix

SPOILER ALERT: Holding Back the Reign at the 2009 British Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

VIDEO: LightLane adds instant bike lane for night bicycle rides

2009-06-23T11:07:00.015-07:00

Filed under: Gadgets, Green, Safety, Lifestyle

LightLane - Click above to watch a video after the jump

There's no question that well-designed and implemented bike lanes improve safety for cyclists by making them less likely to be hit by passing automobiles, and that's especially true after the sun goes down. LightLane thinks it has the solution in the form of ~~frickin' laser beams~~ downward-pointing green lasers on either side of a flashing red LED tail lamp. Designed to clamp on to nearly any seatpost, as the bicycle moves forward, an instant virtual bike lane appears in bright green on either side of the rider.

A single charge of the onboard lithium ion battery pack provides three hours of continuous use, and any universal cell phone charger is reportedly capable of recharging the battery pack. We'd still suggest wearing a reflective jacket or vest along with the rest of the applicable safety gear, but anything that improves the safety of cyclists is fine by us. Click past the break for a video of a LightLane prototype in action.

[Source: LightLane]

Continue reading VIDEO: LightLane adds instant bike lane for night bicycle rides

VIDEO: LightLane adds instant bike lane for night bicycle rides originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

2012 Honda CR-V: Bigger, More Akira-Like [Over The Back Fence]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.013-07:00

According to Japanese magazine Mag X, here is what we should expect from the 2012 Honda CR-V. Basically, slightly larger and a design that's a bit more Anime-like.

According to a Mag X article helpfully translated by the good folks at the Honda-happy Temple of VTEC, the 2012 CR-V will be based on the current platform and feature the same K24a 2.4-liter inline four as well as the 2.0-liter in FWD configurations only. The European model will receive the i-DTEC diesel engine, though there are no immediate plans to sell that configuration anywhere else. The U.S. will not receive a V6 option this time around. It's heavily rumored that Honda will completely revise its engine lineup for the 2012 CR-V's mid-cycle refresh, but what that means at this point is anybody's guess.

We're also told exterior design should be finalized by November of this year, with an announcement date of September of 2011, with a formal introduction taking place in October of 2011 at the Tokyo Motor Show.

If you were to believe the Mag X-provided illustration, then we'll likely see a more anime-styled CR-V for 2012 rather than the quirky model that's currently on the market. The design is scheduled to be finalized around November of this year with its public debut occuring at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. [via TOV]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

World's Fastest Convertible: 253 MPH Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport [Super Cars]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.011-07:00

The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport is officially the fastest road legal production convertible. That is, if you consider a 223 MPH top-down jaunt across the French countryside road legal and you consider 150 units a "production" model.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

VIDEO: K.I.T.T. - Is that really you? Camaro owner gets all Hasselhoff on his new ride

2009-06-23T11:07:00.009-07:00

Filed under: Coupes, Videos, Chevrolet

Click above to watch the video after the jump

When the new Knight Rider hit the airwaves, some were ~~a bit disappointed~~ thoroughly livid that Michael's new ride was a Mustang. Since the original KITT was a Trans Am, purists cried foul and said a more natural replacement would be the all-new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. Fortunately or unfortunately, one enterprising Camaro owner decided to take up the task and right the show's perceived wrongs. Camaro5 poster Spaceballone picked up a $135 Scanner Light equipped with 64 ice blue LEDs and three built-in patterns. The hood slot in the Camaro fit the kit perfectly, with juice provided by the car's battery.

Hit the jump to view the video for yourself. It's not NBC quality (that could be a good thing), but we think you'll agree that KITT lighting looks good in blue.

Continue reading VIDEO: K.I.T.T. - Is that really you? Camaro owner gets all Hasselhoff on his new ride

VIDEO: K.I.T.T. - Is that really you? Camaro owner gets all Hasselhoff on his new ride originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Tesla Gets Full $465 Million In Federal Loans [I Feel Gassy]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.007-07:00

The Department of Energy just announced electric automaker Tesla will get the full $465 million in Federal loans it asked for. Ford will receive $5.9 billion and Nissan will get $1.6 billion. America will get three I.O.U.'s. [AP]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

George Michael Gets License Back, Buys Ferrari California [Celebrities]

2009-06-23T11:07:00.005-07:00

Remember when George Michael got so high he fell asleep behind the wheel? Well he's just gotten his driver's license back and celebrated by buying a 193 MPH Ferrari California.

George is one of the first people to take delivery of the $200,000 hard top convertibles, one of the cheaper models in Ferrari's range. He chose to have his in black, creating the opportunity for all kinds of jokes combining that color and large phallic objects like this front-engined Ferrari. [WENN via Luxist]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

What is Hybrid car?

2009-06-23T11:07:00.003-07:00

Hybrid cars the half-gasoline-powered, half-electric vehicles that were mocked by many when they first appeared on the road are becoming more and more mainstream. Honda is coming out with a hybrid version of its popular Civic model, and GM, Ford, and Chrysler are set to come out with their own hybrid vehicles in the next couple of years.

City drivers are beginning to take notice of the hybrid car its higher fuel efficiency and strong acceleration from 0 to 30 make it an appealing option to those just driving across town. Are hybrid cars on the road to replacing the conventional gas-guzzlers we drive today? Or are the hybrid's backers heading down a dead end street?

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[Source: Hybrid car future]

BMW gives up on KERS for the remainder of the 2009 F1 season

2009-06-23T11:07:00.001-07:00

Filed under: Motorsports, Green, BMW

After using its KERS hybrid system on and off through the first half of the 2009 Formula One season, the BMW-Sauber team has decided enough is enough. The team will shelve the system through the remainder of the year while it focuses on aerodynamic development. In spite of the utter lack of success using the kinetic energy recovery systems this year, team boss Mario Theissen said the development process has been useful for the company's production hybrids. Lessons learned in developing the electric hybrid system on the race cars has been transferred to engineers working on the upcoming 750h mild hybrid and X6 two-mode hybrid.

BMW isn't totally giving up on the system though, having voted to retain KERS for future seasons. Under the current rules, there are not enough performance benefits from KERS and Thiessen says that unless KERS is mandatory for all cars, it will likely be dropped by all teams.

[Source: F1-Live]

BMW gives up on KERS for the remainder of the 2009 F1 season originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

DOTS-O-Rama Sunday, Tomsk Edition: The American Dream [Down On The Street Bonus Edition]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.035-07:00

This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. Wagons!

Tomsk has shot a couple of beautiful Ford wagons down on the Orange County street. We've got one mildly customized '57 Ford and one survivor Country Squire. Tomsk:

1957 Ford Ranch Wagon: How many 1957 Ford Ranch Wagons do you see these days? Okay, now how many of those do you find parked on the street? Well, this one was, its shooting brake-ish glory on display for all to see. Dig the old speed shop sticker and the Bush the 41st era Boyd wheels.

1972 Ford LTD Country Squire: Check out this delicious behemoth. Aside from the paint and plastiwood paneling being tired in some places, it looks pretty much mint. And dig the almost-certainly-genuine Montgomery Ward Gold Seal Protection Plan sticker in the windshield! If that doesn't make a would-be-thief quake in his boots, nothing will!

DOTS FAQ

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Japan reportedly pondering $3,000 green car stimulus program for consumers

2009-04-07T08:00:00.033-07:00

Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Japan

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

The U.S. automotive market is in a rut the size of the Grand Canyon, but it's not alone. Most nations are experiencing lackluster sales, and the Japanese car market is experiencing its own free fall. As a direct result, Reuters is reporting that government authorities are looking at steps to help its domestic industry with a range of consumer subsidies for the purchase of efficient vehicles. Up to 300,000 yen ($3,000 US) in breaks are available for buyers of electric or hybrid vehicles, along with gas and diesel engines that reach certain clean air and efficiency standards.

Among the monetary incentives on the table is a 100,000 yen ($1,000 U.S.) subsidy for the purchase of a kei-class mini vehicle with a 660 cc or smaller powerplant. Larger vehicles that qualify under the plan would receive twice that amount. Car buyers in the Land of the Rising Sun would also eligible to receive an additional 100,000 yen if they turn in a 13-year-old (or older) vehicle for a vehicle that applies under the plan. Japanese officials are reportedly looking to institute the subsidies by summertime, with the assistance available through March 2010. The initiative will reportedly be announced as part of a larger Japanese stimulus package later this April.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: Reuters]

Japan reportedly pondering $3,000 green car stimulus program for consumers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Tesla's Elon Musk Continues War Of Aggression Against Volt, REVs [Tesla]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.031-07:00

We thought Tesla's Elon Musk decided to give up anti-Detroit not-so-Big-Three rhetoric, but he's gone on the attack again against GM's Chevy Volt and Range-Extended Vehicles. Oh, that rapscallion!

Musk, responding to a question posed by Lyle Dennis at GM-Volt on his feelings about the range-extender concept behind the Chevy Volt and why he's not considered it it any Tesla products, says:

We looked closely at a range extender architecture for Model S. It ends up costing about the same in vehicle unit cost, a lot more in R&D and a lot more in servicing. Also, although performance is ok when both battery and engine are active at the same time, it turns really bad when the battery runs out and an undersized engine is carrying all the dead weight of the pack. Essentially, a REV is neither fish nor fowl and ends up being worse (in our opinion) than either a gasoline or pure electric vehicle.

That'd be perfect, make it clear you looked at the idea for the Tesla Model S Sedan and dismissed it after a simple cost-vs-return analysis, then pivot into a positive statement about your product. Musk, who's not yet figured out the best way to go after the competition is by talking flowers, sunshine and honey publicly, saving the knife-and-dagger treatment for his PR team during after-party drinks with the press later on, should have just left it there. He didn't.

An important consideration that people without a technical background don't understand is that you can either have a high power or a high energy cell chemistry, but not both. Since the battery pack in a plug in hybrid like the Volt has to generate the same *power* as a much larger battery pack in a pure electric vehicle, it has to use a low energy cell chemistry.

So, is he saying GM's Volt engineering team lack a technical background or is he saying potential customers lack a technical background? Unknown. Either way, he probably should have left it with just the "REV doesn't make sense" comment. Lesson learned? [GM-Volt]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Inside Project M: Nissan GT-R-Based? [Inside Project M]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.029-07:00

One episode of Bradley Farrell's "Inside Project M" documentary on Bertone's new concept left before the car's officially unveiled. For now, there's this new teaser shot that's got us asking, is it Nissan GT-R-based?

Here's what we know so far:

1.) The Shanghai car will be a styling model not the real car
2.) The actual car will be released on on the track April 23 at the Balocco proving grounds near Turin for a VIP showing let me know if you would like to come and I can make sure you can get in I can also get you a exclusive interview with Jason as well?

3.) On April 25 and 26, the Bertone one-off will have its first public outing on the lawn at the concours d'elegance at Villa d'Este on Lake Como.

4.) perhaps the biggest news is it's a front-engine car so that kills the Lamborghini theory despite many believing it was going to be on a Lambo chassis.

5.) The car will have a full greenhouse effect like P4/5

6.) The car will be 250 lbs lighter, be all carbon fiber with better areo and downforce then the donor shell.

What we don't know? Whether it'll be made from a Nissan GT-R body as Edmunds Inside Line believes. Of course, they think everything is a GT-R, don't they? But regardless of their GT-R-gasm, those design lines leading up to the rear wheels, combined with the rear wheel arches shown near the end of this latest YouTube video look very GT-R like. Here's the frame screen capture, tell us what you think. [Inside Project M]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Did another automaker keep Hyundai from being in Fast & Furious?

2009-04-07T08:00:00.027-07:00

Filed under: Coupes, Hyundai, Rumormill

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe - Click above for high-res image gallery

The fourth Fast & Furious has shot out of the gates with a $72.5 million opening weekend payday. Movie-goers are checking out the new flick for the fast-paced action, the Vin Diesel and the cars, but one vehicle you won't see on the silver screen is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The all-new RWD Hyundai was originally slated to be featured in Fast & Furious 4, but for unknown official reasons, it was later pulled from the script.

Last minute changes happen all the time in Hollywood, but Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson thinks the competition may have helped keep the Genesis Coupe off the big screen, saying "another manufacturer blocked us." Johnson says the Genesis Coupe was even supposed to be included in the action-packed opening sequence.

The news didn't set well with the Korean automaker, considering Hyundai prepped a red 2.0T SE Genesis Coupe especially for the movie. Johnson didn't hypothesize which automaker may have done the blocking, and since several makes and models made the final roster of FNF4, your guess is as good as ours. With the amazing success F&F4 is experiencing, though, we're guessing we'll have another chance to see a Genesis Coupe in the fifth installment.

Gallery: Fast and Furious 4

Gallery: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe - First Drive

[Source: Inside Line]

Did another automaker keep Hyundai from being in Fast & Furious? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

I must be sick. There is no other way to ... [From Comments]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.025-07:00

I must be sick. There is no other way to explain this sudden lust over a live axle Mustang.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

New York Preview: Nissan 370Z Roadster and NISMO version coming to NY

2009-04-07T08:00:00.023-07:00

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Convertibles, Nissan

Tomorrow night in Manhattan, Nissan will officially drop the top on the new 370Z Roadster, but before then, a teaser site is up with a singular image of the convertible Z for the world to see. A webcast of the event will take place tomorrow at 7 PM EST, where the 370Z Roadster will be shown alongside the NISMO variant of the new Z car.

The convertible Z will be fitted with a power-retractable soft-top rather than the all-too-fashionable folding hard-top, which should keep both weight and complexity in check. The NISMO version is expected to be equipped with a new aero package, along with upgraded suspension, braking and rolling stock and possibly a few tweaks underhood. We'll be on hand Tuesday evening with cameras and laptops in hand, so check back tomorrow for all the details.

New York Preview: Nissan 370Z Roadster and NISMO version coming to NY originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

VIDEO: Ken Block's Gymkhana practice remixed, B-roll

2009-04-07T08:00:00.021-07:00

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

Click above to view the videos after the jump

Ken Block solidified his place in the automotive master-race last November when he released his Gymkhana practice video onto an unsuspecting internet. 15 million views later, Block has created a dedicated microsite for the video and released some B-roll footage to show what went into his epic run. Both vids are posted below the fold and include several scenes left on the cutting room floor, along with a few painful interventions between his Subaru, a wall, a barrier and one incredibly trusting Segway pilot. Naturally, he's planning a sequel and you can count on us being there when Block attempts to one-up himself later this year. Oh, and that "I heart Segway Donuts" T-shirt on the right - you can pick one up for $20.

[Source: Gymkhana via 0-60]

Continue reading VIDEO: Ken Block's Gymkhana practice remixed, B-roll

VIDEO: Ken Block's Gymkhana practice remixed, B-roll originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

The Mob Has Spoken: The Superkak Racing Mustang GT Must Die! [24 Hours Of Lemons]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.019-07:00

We had another landslide vote in the 24 Hours Of LeMons People's Curse: the Superkak Racing v2.0 1995 Ford Mustang GT has a date with some heavy construction equipment!

Now, in my opinion, these guys were totally legit on the $500 car-cost front; they had extensive documentation of all their expenses and all the money they got selling parts... but that's not how their competition saw it. Not only that, we hear that they weren't driving in gentlemanly fashion at all times, so that's all she wrote for this Stang. This time, we had a donated appetizer for The Crusher's hungry jaws: the Grayman Motor Club's Mazda 626, which was so tired from winning 7 dirt-track trophies in recent months that it more or less fell apart after about 10 minutes of LeMons racing. So, prospective LeMons racers, keep in mind that the battle is only half done when you sell the judges on your car's budget- you still need to convince the other teams that you're legit!

Be sure to check out the live LeMons video feed to stay updated in real time.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Michael Harvey steps down as editor of Top Gear magazine

2009-04-07T08:00:00.017-07:00

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK

Reports that the editor-in-chief of Top Gear, Michael Harvey, is stepping down from his post have now been confirmed. Sort of. According to correspondence received from Harvey and the BBC by our El Camino-lovin' compatriots over at Jalopnik, Harvey will be resigning as editor-in-chief in favor of a more flexible position as Editorial Consultant and an as-yet undisclosed new part-time position on this side of the Atlantic.

Over the course of his six-year tenure, Harvey achieved unprecedented success in expanding the publication. Top Gear magazine's creative director Charlie Turner will be moving into Harvey's office temporarily while they search for a new chief, so feel free to write in and let them know which of your favorite Autoblog editors or contributors you'd most like to see ~~deported to the UK~~ in the newly vacated position.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Michael Harvey steps down as editor of Top Gear magazine originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

Prius Best Hybrid For the Money - Cars.com

2009-04-07T08:00:00.015-07:00

Surprise, surprise - not!

Cars.com has published its list of Best Hybrids for the Money and the Toyota Prius is the Best Hybrid for the Money. I guess that's why it continues to far outsell all other hybrids.

The other hybrid vehicles on the list, based on size and class, aren't too surprising either since there really isn't much competition in each class quite yet.

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[Source: Hybrid Cars]

2010 Shelby GT500: First Drive [Jalopnik Reviews]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.013-07:00

With the 2010 Shelby GT500, SVT's engineers claim they've turned a 500 HP Mustang into a 540 HP super car. They've succeeded, but don't worry; it'll still do enormous burnouts.

Like the 2010 Ford Mustang GT, this new GT500 isn't an all-new car, but rather an extreme development of the previous platform. That old 2007 Shelby GT500 set the world alight with its 500 HP, 480 Lb-Ft 5.4-liter supercharged V8, offering an unprecedented level of straight line performance — running the quarter mile in the low 12-second range — for just $41,675. But it was a one trick pony, floating with dangerous imprecision around corners and offering very little feel on its way to spinning at the slightest provocation. Driving that car was an exercise in point and shoot: slam on the brakes, drive slowly around the corner, then stomp on the gas once the steering's pointed straight. According to both Ray and Ford representatives, I'm the only person in the world who actually liked its kill-you-at-the-slightest-mistake personality.

This 2010 model couldn't be any more different. Starting with the $79,995 2009 Shelby GT500KR, Ford's SVT engineering team set out to make a friendlier, faster package that could defy its muscle car roots and genuinely compete, in more than a straight line, with real super cars costing many times its $48,175 price tag. Compared to its predecessor, the new GT500 gains stiffer springs both front and rear along with firmer damping, intended to reduce roll in corners, dive under braking and squat under acceleration. New 19" wheels and bespoke Goodyear F1 Supercar tires boost grip. Revised aerodynamics mean downforce is up and drag is down. Thanks to a cold air intake and other tweaks, power and torque are up 40 HP and 30 Lb-Ft, respectively. Combined with a change in rear differential ratio from 3.31 to 3.55 and longer fifth and sixth gears, acceleration is improved from 4.6 to 4.3 seconds to 60 MPH and fuel economy on the highway is boosted 2 MPG to 22 MPG.

We didn't get 22 MPG while driving the 2010 GT500. There's two approaches you can take to going fast in this Shelby: work hard or take it easy. The first is more fun; take advantage of the new-found control to finish shedding the immense speed as you enter a corner, hit the redline downshifting, get on the throttle, use the power to get the front end around then bounce off the rev limiter before grabbing another gear. It's a dramatic approach that would have sent you off the road in the old car and it'll still scare the crap out of your passengers. That 540 HP is now eminently exploitable thanks to the increased grip and greater feel, but it arrives at 6,200 RPM, just 500 RPM before the redline, meaning it's difficult to blend gears together up-shifting under maximum acceleration on the road. That's not made any easier by the short shift on this Tremec TR6060 6-speed; already a somewhat notchy gearbox, the newly lost length in throw can make shifts slower than you'd hope, blunting otherwise outrageous acceleration.

The other way to drive the GT500 is by taking advantage of the 510 Lb-Ft of torque, which peaks at 4,500 RPM, to hold a gear higher than you'd normally think possible at this pace. Driving smoothly like this is probably faster, taking advantage of the new-found grip and composure to tackle corners smoothly, but still incredibly quickly. This is now more than just a muscle car, its A-to-B mountain road pace has just moved up with some of best AWD cars — the GT500 can exploit its all-conquering power just as competently, but with a bit more drama.

Part of that much-increased ability is down to Ford's new AdvanceTrac stability control system. Combined with the new clutch — a very light throw, but it engages too far up the stroke — AdvanceTrac makes the GT500 a very friendly car; you could now safely lend it to a less-than-talented driver and stand greater than 50:50 odds of seeing it in one piece again. Like many similar systems, AdvanceTrac has a "Sport" mode that's a good halfway house between the no-fun, fully-on mode and the you'd-bettter-be-paying-attention, fully-off. Sport allows a reasonable amount of slip from either front or rear wheels before reining them in to boost speed and safety. The system even helps avoid understeer, to which the chassis is now biased. Turn everything off and throw the GT500 into a corner too fast and it'll push the front. Trail braking or stomping on the gas will, of course, counteract this; at which point the slide is still controllable with hefty application of countersteer. For a 540 HP, RWD car, this new Shelby is is a baby, both forgiving and easy to drive fast.

That new control isn't apparent on the drag strip. On a cold, greasy strip, into a 20 MPH headwind, this drag racing neophyte wasn't able to turn in a time faster than 13.7 seconds. Despite the standard launch control — run through AdvanceTrac, so it's on if the system is — and even with traction control switched on, I couldn't stop the rear wheels spinning up under full throttle all the way through third gear. Experienced racers were able to turn in 12.3-second figures, which were very impressive given the conditions. Without AdvanceTrac the result was more dramatic, but much slower.

It's hard to get this far into a review of a Mustang without talking about the live rear axle. The 2010 Shelby GT500 still uses one. It's this piece of throwback mechanical componentry that critics center their anti-Mustang arguments around and that Ford inexplicably continues to use, even at this price point. While the live rear axle still does define the Mustang's unique character, it doesn't appear to provide much limitation now that the rest of the package is so refined. You can see it jumping up and down underneath the rear when the GT500 runs the 1/4 mile and you can feel it spinning away back there in corners, but you'll be more focused on using the excellent steering feel and adjustable chassis to care.

In fact, the only place where that live rear axle rears its ugly head is while doing burnouts; axle tramp is still so incredibly violent you'll be convinced you've broken the car every time the rear wheels spin up for more than three seconds. Now though, despite the new power, the GT500 isn't likely to find itself doing that unless you really want it to.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Jason Plato's Epic BTCC Sliding Save [Racing News]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.011-07:00

Veteran BTCC driver Jason Plato gives rookie Jonathan Adams a lesson in control after the youngster's BMW slams into Plato's Chevy Lacetti at Brands Hatch yesterday. You have to see it to believe it.

This was Adams' first British Touring Car Championship race and, being new, he apparently missed the breaking point for the turn and went full speed underneath Plato's rear. The sliding save works because the FWD Chevy accelerates itself out of the slide and into the next turn by getting hard on the gas. Plato slid back one place to second but, thanks to a ruling on Adams' bad stop, the four-second penalty put the veteran back in the lead. It was the first BTCC win for Chevy since 1975.

[Youtube via AutoBlog]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

600 GM workers change mind on buyouts, cling to jobs instead

2009-04-07T08:00:00.009-07:00

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM

In these uncertain economic times, a job working for an automaker with a possible bankruptcy looming in the distance may be better than no job at all. This fact must be readily apparent to the 600 or so General Motors workers who have changed their mind and turned down the automaker's latest round of buyout offers, in this case worth $20,000 in cash plus a $25,000 voucher to buy a brand new vehicle from The General. Previous buyouts had offered as much as $140,000 to leave, depending on the individual worker's total years of service.

Even with the 600 workers who chose to stay, GM did get over 7,000 employees to accept the buyout package. That brings the total to more than 60,600 total buyouts since 2006. If and when these workers are replaced, GM's latest contracts with the UAW allows it to hire new workers with a starting base pay of $14 per hour, which is about half what current auto workers earn.

[Source: The Detroit News, Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty]

600 GM workers change mind on buyouts, cling to jobs instead originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

The Fast And The Bi-Curious: Original Parts, Slightly Gayer [Fast And Furious]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.007-07:00

What would happen if you crossed La Cage aux Folles with Fast and Furious and added bad car-guy speak? Saturday Night Live's spoof: The Fast And The Bi-Curious. Or, you know, Tokyo Drift.

Note, SNL claims it's "Like the original, only slightly gayer" than the Vin Diesel movies. Wethinks that remains to be seen. We mean, did you see the end of the first movie? The heart-rending nature of the break-up between Vin and Paul? Yeah, we thought so.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

VW likely to pass GM as World's Second Largest Automaker this year

2009-04-07T08:00:00.005-07:00

Filed under: GM, Volkswagen

Sometime last year, General Motors lost the title of the World's Largest Automaker to Toyota. As you surely know by now, GM hasn't really been enjoying the time it's spent as number two, having been hit with what are surely the toughest conditions ever seen by the American automaker in its 100-plus years of existence. Perhaps some time at the number three spot would help?

According to market research company R.L. Polk, Volkswagen is projected to overtake General Motors in total sales sometime this year, assuming GM's sales continue at their current pace, which is down by about 31% from last year. For it's part, VW is expected to see a much smaller 15% drop in global vehicle sales in 2009.

Things may start to look better for The General once the pivotal U.S. market starts to recover, assuming that the automaker is able to ride out the storm with the assistance of the federal government. Polk's own predictions indicate that the worldwide auto market will increase somewhat in 2010 and hit a new record by 2012.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

VW likely to pass GM as World's Second Largest Automaker this year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

How To Follow Jalopnik on Twitter, Facebook and E-mail [Pick Your Poison]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.003-07:00

All the cool kids follow Jalopnik on Twitter, Facebook and E-mail. Well, maybe not Twitter.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

California Woman Flips Boss's Ferrari [Accidents]

2009-04-07T08:00:00.001-07:00

A 23-year-old woman flipped her boss's Ferrari 360 on a California road this weekend, thus begging the question: why was a young, attractive woman driving her boss's Ferrari? Oh, right.

(Hat top to Ritch!) [via Inside Bay Area]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Spy Shots: Replacement for Ferrari 612 Scaglietti could get a greener engine

2009-04-07T07:59:00.063-07:00

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari

There's been discussion recently of an updated 599 GTB Fiorano and a replacement for the F430, but the oldest Ferrari in the stable is the 612 Scaglietti. So it would stand to reason that Maranello would be planning to replace the controversial 2+2 flagship before its smaller siblings were updated, and reason may now be affirmed by the latest reports and spy shots emanating from Europe.

This prototype Scaglietti was spied around the factory in Maranello wearing some intriguing bodywork around the front section, suggesting that Ferrari may be testing a new or updated V12 engine for the 612's replacement. With increasing pressure to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy, Ferrari could be working on a more efficient powerplant for the next generation of its largest model.

The current Scaglietti has been on the market essentially unchanged since 2003, and its replacement is tipped to arrive by 2011.

[Source: AutoWeek.nl]

Spy Shots: Replacement for Ferrari 612 Scaglietti could get a greener engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

VW May Pass GM As World's Second Largest Automaker This Year [Carpocalypse]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.061-07:00

VW may pass GM this year as second largest automaker... in the world. [Automotive News]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Maserati GranTurismo MC: A Trident To The Heart Of GT4 [Racing News]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.059-07:00

Maserati has officially unveiled the Maserati GranTurismo MC, a limited-edition track version of the popular GT-S engineered for the FIA GT4 European Cup.

The production version of the car will be sold through Maserati's sporting arm Corse and qualifies for the FIA GT4 European Cup. The price is a reasonable $180,000 (before taxes), which gets you the new GT prepped for the track with the ever important rollcage, racing style exhaust/intake, carbon fiber body panels, racing console and Lexan windows.

Following on the success of the MC12, Maserati hopes to drive buzz and develop new tech by getting their cars in the winner's circle. Power numbers haven't been revealed but, even if it doesn't have the juice to capture the checkered flag, it certainly looks the part.

OFFICIAL DEBUT OF THE NEW MASERATI GRANTURISMO MC
Le Castellet (F), 6 April 2009 - The new Maserati GranTurismo MC will be officially unveiled during the FIA GT "Media Days" at the Paul Ricard circuit. The new model is an offshoot of the Maserati GranTurismo MC Concept introduced last September in Monza and based on the Maserati GranTurismo S road version, with electro-actuated gearbox system.

On 17 and 18 March the car participated in the "Balance of performance", two days of practices organized by SRO at the Paul Ricard circuit in order to analyze and balance the performance of the models that will be racing in the GT4 European Cup.

A Maserati GranTurismo MC entered by a private team is to participate in some GT4 European Cup events during the second half of this season.

A limited series of the Maserati GranTurismo MC produced for gentlemen drivers who wish to race in the 2010 GT4 European Cup and the national series, will be on sale as of October 2009. The indicative price is 135,000 Euro + VAT. The cars will be sold directly through Maserati Corse.

In 2010 Maserati intends to once again organize a European single-make cup race. The cars participating in this Cup shall naturally present specifications that will set them apart from the GT4-version Maserati GranTurismo MCs.

Maserati chose to create a model with GT4 features because GT4 is the category with the closest links to production models. There is a niche of GranTurismo road car owners who love racing and want to be able to test their mettle on a track driving a racing version of the same model they own.

The Maserati GranTurismo MC is the result of a development work carried out during many test sessions that started in the Summer of 2008.

Various drivers have taken turns developing the Maserati GranTurismo MC Concept from which the Maserati GranTurismo MC stemmed. With their strong professional and racing background, each and every one of them contributed to the creation of the final version.

The predominant part of the fine-tuning work was conducted by Andrea Bertolini, official Maserati tester as well as incumbent FIA GT Champion at the wheel of the MC12.

Bertolini worked together with Thomas Cremonini, Maserati series production tester, and Vitaphone Racing Team teammate Michael Bartels, also 2008 FIA GT champion.

During the most recent tests, the Maserati GranTurismo MC with GT4 specs was also tested by former F.1 driver Ivan Capelli.

With the creation of the Maserati GranTurismo MC, the tradition of the Trident logo car manufacturer who remains loyal to its origins - those of a company founded in 1914 to tune and subsequently build racecars - lives on.

The Maserati list of wins is abundant and it includes a two consecutive wins at the famous Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and in 1940, with Wilbur Shaw at the wheel of the 8CTF "Boyle Special". This year is the 70th anniversary of that first success.

Juan Manuel Fangio won two F1 world titles in 1954 and in 1957 at the wheel of a Maserati 250F. In the 1950s and 1960s cars with the Trident logo won a good many Endurance races, while the last victory in a Formula 1 GP was clinched by Pedro Rodriguez on a Cooper-Maserati in 1967.

In 2004 Maserati Corse started racing again internationally in the FIA GT Championship featuring the MC12; it achieved three victories at the prestigious Spa 24 Hours (2005, 2006, and 2008 Vitaphone Racing Team) and no less than ten absolute titles:

- Three FIA GT Drivers Championships in 2006 (Michael Bartels/Andrea Bertolini), in 2007 (Thomas Biagi) and in 2008 (Michael Bartels/Andrea Bertolini)

- Four FIA GT Teams Championships in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 (Vitaphone Racing Team)

- Two FIA GT Manufacturers Cups in 2005 and 2007

- One Citation Cup for gentlemen drivers in 2007 (Ben Aucott).

Race have always been the most demanding test-bench for all cars. Traditionally, reliability and performance are checked on track. It is in races that new technologies and materials are tested. And it is on the circuit that Maserati has decided to raise the much praised-sporty verve of its Maserati GranTurismo S to even higher levels to create the Maserati GranTurismo MC.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

USD Mallett Z03: A Sexy, 999 HP Twin-Turbo Corvette Cruise Missile [Custom Cars]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.057-07:00

With its UgurSahinDesign-penned exotic sheet-metal and Mallett-engineered 999 HP twin-turbo V8 Corvette Z03 is looking more fleshed out than when we last saw it just over one year ago.

In fact, it's more likely to be mistaken for a wild new Lamborghini or Lotus than half-of-a-Z06. So if you've felt your standard Vette was a bit pedestrian and you didn't make it on to the ZR1 waitlist, USD has teamed up with Mallett Cars to create this limited edition conversion. From the images we've seen it's clear the design benchmark for this vehicle is more of the Italian, mid-engined variety than anything available on this side of the Atlantic. The cost of looking good will set you back $69,000 on top of the cost of your donor Corvette.

To back up your new Vette with some power you can add one of two Mallett performance upgrades. For an additional $32,700 over the cost of your conversion you can opt for a supercharged LS7 with a host of tweaks good for 700 HP. The real value is going to be the twin-turbo conversion, which for an extra $3,000 ups power to 999 HP.

We're sort of curious who would consider spending $92,000 over the cost of their Corvette for a 700 HP monster but stops short of spending $95,000.

UgurSahinDesign Mallett Z03 Press Release
"Since the first press release early 2008 Ugur Sahin and his team have been involved in a lot of preparations to take the Z03 concept from art to parts.

Several exterior design adjustments have been made for optimal engine cooling and improved downforce. The headlight units have been shaped into a more aggressive, yet distinctive design to fit the shape of the new powerdome hood.

For fabrication and engine tuning of the limited Corvette series Ugur Sahin Design has teamed up with Mallett Cars from Berea, Ohio.
Mallett Cars has a long history with racing Corvettes and the Mallett brothers have tuned and upgraded hundreds of Corvettes over the years.

Now that Ugur Sahin Design and Mallett Cars have set their minds on the Corvette C6, they are aiming to push the bar even higher for the American performance car enthusiasts.

Proof of this statement is that Mallett Cars has developed a full 24000 mile/ two year guaranteed 999 hp Twin Turbo engine upgrade, which makes the Mallett Z03 the most powerful Corvette series ever produced. Every body part will be precision engineered by the state of the art engineering equipments to ensure the maximum build quality.

Pricing of the conversion of your Corvette C6 or Z06 into a USD Mallett Z03 is set at $ 69.000 for the full bodywork conversion including reference class paintwork.
Pricing does not include cost of the donor vehicle, which will be supplied by the customer.

The Mallett Z03 will be available with two optional performance packages based on the GM's LS7 engines, a 700 hp supercharged conversion and a 999 hp twin turbo conversion.

Mallett Z03 700 hp Dead Blow Hammer Conversion $ 32,700.00

Technical specifications:

Vortech Supercharger Kit w/ Mallett Modifications
Custom Designed Fuel System Upgrade
Custom Ported LS7 Heads, Flow Matched & CC Matched
Custom Ported / Polished 90mm Throttle Body
Custom Mallett Billet Monster Camshaft
Custom Crower Valve Springs
Custom Crower Titanium Valve Spring Retainers
Cometic Headgaskets
Manley 4340 Chrome-moly Push-rods
2618 Alloy LS Series Pistons & Rings
K1 Technologies Forged Connecting Rods
Clevite 77 Coated Engine Bearings
Professionally Balanced Rotating Assembly Service
Kooks Headers, Cats & X-Pipe
Corsa Touring Muffler System
Mallett Body Graphics & Seat Embroidery
Mallett Custom Shifter
Custom Number Plaque
Custom ECM Calibration With Dyno Tune4.0 C6 ZO6 Corvette 700hpn

Mallett Z03 999 hp APS Twin Turbo Hammer Conversion $ 35,795.00

Technical specifications:

APS Twin Turbo Hammer Conversion
Custom Designed Fuel System Upgrade
Custom Ported LS7 Heads, Flow Matched & CC Matched
Custom Ported / Polished 90mm Throttle Body
Custom Mallett Billet Monster Camshaft
Custom Crower Valve Springs
Custom Crower Titanium Valve Spring Retainers
Cometic Headgaskets
Manley 4340 Chrome-moly Push-rods
2618 Alloy LS Series Pistons & Rings
K1 Technologies Forged Connecting Rods
Clevite 77 Coated Engine Bearings
Professionally Balanced Rotating Assembly Service
Mallett Body Graphics & Seat Embroidery
Mallett Custom Shifter
Custom Number Plaque
Custom ECM Calibration With Dyno Tune

Read More...

[Source: Jalopnik]

On our way to the 2009 New York Auto Show!

2009-04-07T07:59:00.055-07:00

Filed under: New York Auto Show

Click above for complete coverage of the 2009 New York Auto Show

Press days for the 2009 New York Auto Show begin tomorrow and continue through Thursday, and your friendly neighborhood Autoblog team is on its way to the Big Apple today. We'll bring you live coverage of each automaker's press conference from the show floor of the Jacob Javits Center and make sure you don't miss a single production vehicle or concept that debuts.

Though the show doesn't start until tomorrow, start keeping a close eye on Autoblog today in case anything gets an early reveal. We can tell you that the fun will start bright and early at 12:01AM EST tonight, so stay tuned. This year we have three great ways to keep tabs on all the action: Our recently launched New York Auto Show hub page, our New York Auto Show RSS feed and the Autoblog Twitter feed. Our coverage team is en route, so sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Visit our...
New York Auto Show hub page

Subscribe to our...
New York Auto Show RSS feed

Follow us on the...
Autoblog Twitter feed

On our way to the 2009 New York Auto Show! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

The name of the 700 hp conversion is way ... [From Comments]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.053-07:00

The name of the 700 hp conversion is way better than the 999 one. Dead Blow Hammer conversion? Hells yeah!

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Commenter Of The Day: The Edible Frog Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.051-07:00

Frogs come in many varieties, both poisonous and benign, but none are so beloved as Pelophylax/Rana esculentes. Why do people like this amphibian so much? As a hint we'll give you the more common name: edible frog. With a taste described as similar to a chicken wing, they're a delicacy in many parts of the world. Cooking a frog can sometimes be unnerving because it looks as if it is still twitching while being cooked. This is because the cold-blooded animal doesn't enter rigor mortis as quickly as warm-blooded animals. In the U.S., these treats are typically fried with a cracker breading and served in restaurants along the Gulf Coast. As delicious as they can be, we can't imagine being part of the trial-and-error process to determine what was and what was not poisonous. We're fearful it may be similar to the Alzheimer's driving tests being performed on senior citizens. Or, even worse, it may be like bigblockautox's fable.

There was a scientist who studied frogs. One day, the scientist put the frog on the ground and told it to jump. The frog jumped four feet.

So the scientist wrote in his notebook, "Frog with four feet, jumps four feet."

So the scientist cut off one of one of the frogs legs. The scientist told the frog to jump. Frog jumped three feet. So the scientist wrote in his note book, "Frog with three feet, jumps three feet."

So the scientist cut of another leg. He told the frog to jump. The frog jumped two feet. So the scientist wrote in his notebook "Frog with two feet, jumps two feet."

The scientist cut off one more leg. He told the frog to jump. Frog jumped one foot. So the scientist wrote in his notebook, "Frog with one foot, jumps one foot."

So the scientist cut off his last leg.

"He said, "Frog jump. Frog jump. FROG JUMP!"

So the scientist wrote in his notebook, "Frog with no feet, goes deaf."

Photo Credit: Flickr

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[Source: Jalopnik]

2010 Shelby GT500: Why The Convertible Sucks [Jalopnik Reviews]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.049-07:00

Early this morning, our first drive review told you how awesome the new 2010 Shelby GT500 is. There's only one problem: none of those compliments apply to the convertible.

Well that's not totally true. The 2010 Shelby GT500 Convertible does get the new 540 HP engine, but power was never a weakness with the GT500. Handling was. The new convertible carries over the suspension and steering of the 2007 Shelby GT500 Convertible.

Where the coupe gains larger, 19" wheels, firmer damping, stiffer springs, a smaller front anti-roll bar and a stiffened steering, the convertible doesn't and still floats with dangerous imprecision and, with the new AdvanceTrac stability control system off, still wants to spin and kill you. It also suffers from the usual convertible issues of scuttle shake and chassis flex thanks to the roof getting lopped off. It runs the smaller wheels in an attempt to mitigate the effect bumps have on stability. Basically, it's the old car with new styling and 40 more horsepower. And as you remember, the old GT500 was an exercise in praying to whatever god you may believe in that the car would hold on to the road if it hit even the slightest bump, gulley or pothole.

It costs more too. While the coupe starts at $48,175, the convertible is $53,075 (including destination and delivery). So while the new Shelby coupe's a better beast, be afraid of the drop-top. Be very afraid.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Saab Has 20 Interested Buyers? [Carpocalypse]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.047-07:00

Saab claims 20 interested buyers. Wait, for the brand or to buy a Saab? [NYT]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

What Automaker Cock-Blocked Genesis Coupe's Fast And Furious Screen Time? [Bonus QOTD]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.045-07:00

According to Hyundai, Fast And Furious producers initially wanted a Genesis Coupe for the film but never used it. Now the Korean company believes "another manufacturer blocked us." Who could the cock-blocking automaker be?

If you look at our Cars of Fast And Furious feature you'll notice a wide variety of brands, including Subaru. If we have to put our finger on one company wanting to distance itself from the competition and threatened by a cheap performer it's the maker of the WRX. According to the film's main car guy, Dennis McCarthy, Subaru was actively involved in supplying cars and excited about involvement in the film. We guess maybe they weren't as excited about sharing the screen with a sexy red turbocharged Genesis.

Or, it could have been Ford. Maybe they're just pissed Hyundai's gobbled up all of their PR folks. But who do you think cock-blocked the Genesis Coupe?

[Edmunds: Inside Line]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

GM, Segway To Unveil New Two-Wheeled Urban Vehicle [PUMA Pod]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.043-07:00

GM and Segway will announce today they're working together to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle part of the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility or PUMA project. No, seriously. UPDATE: We now have video!

The companies plan to announce Tuesday that they are working together to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a fast, safe, inexpensive and clean alternative to traditional cars and trucks for cities across the world.

The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, or PUMA mobility pod, also would involve a vast communications network that would allow vehicles to interact with each other, regulate the flow of traffic and prevent crashes from happening.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and uses Segway's characteristic two-wheel balancing technology, along with dual electric motors. It's designed to reach speeds of up to 35 miles-per-hour and can run 35 miles on a single charge.

The companies did not release a projected cost for the vehicle, but said ideally its total operating cost — including purchase price, insurance, maintenance and fuel — would total between one-fourth and one-third of that of the average traditional vehicle.

Larry Burns, GM's vice president of research and development, and strategic planning, said the project is part of Detroit-based GM's effort to remake itself as a purveyor of fuel-efficient vehicles. If Hummer took GM to the large-vehicle extreme, Burns said, the PUMA takes GM to the other. Full release below:

GM and Segway Join Forces to Reinvent Urban Transportation

* Unique solution opens new horizons in personal mobility

NEW YORK � General Motors Corp. and Segway today demonstrated a new type of vehicle that could change the way we move around in cities.

Dubbed Project P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), GM and Segway are developing an electric two-seat prototype vehicle with just two wheels, which could allow people to travel around cities more quickly, safely, quietly and cleanly, and at a lower total cost. The vehicle also enables design creativity, fashion, fun and social networking.

GM and Segway announced their collaboration, while demonstrating the Project P.U.M.A. prototype in New York City this morning.

"Project P.U.M.A. represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world's people live," said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development, and strategic planning. "Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them. Now, connect these vehicles in an Internet-like web and you can greatly enhance the ability of people to move through cities, find places to park, and connect to their social and business networks."

Trends indicate that urbanization is growing, and with that comes increased congestion and more competition for parking. Cities around the world are actively looking for solutions to alleviate congestion and pollution. Project P.U.M.A. addresses those concerns.

It combines several technologies demonstrated by GM and Segway, including electric drive and batteries; dynamic stabilization (two-wheel balancing); all-electronic acceleration, steering and braking; vehicle-to-vehicle communications; and autonomous driving and parking. These technologies come together in Project P.U.M.A. to increase mobility freedom, while also enabling energy efficiency, zero emissions, enhanced safety, seamless connectivity and reduced congestion in cities.

"We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility," said Jim Norrod, CEO of Segway Inc. "There's an emotional connection you get when using Segway products. The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle embodies this through the combination of advanced technologies that Segway and GM bring to the table to complete the connection between the rider, environment, and others."

Project P.U.M.A. vehicles will also allow designers to create new fashion trends for cars, and to focus on the passion and emotion that people express through their vehicles while creating solutions that anticipate the future needs of urban customers.

The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle integrates a lithium-ion battery, digital smart energy management, two-wheel balancing, dual electric wheel motors, and a dockable user interface that allow off-board connectivity. The result is an advanced and functional concept that demonstrates the capabilities of technology that exists today.

Built to carry two or more passengers, it can travel at speeds up to 35 miles per hour (56 kph), with a range up to 35 miles (56 km) between recharges.

Since the introduction of the Segway Personal Transporter (PT), Segway has established itself as the leader in the small electric vehicle space. Its approach to congestion and environmental challenges is balanced with a strong understanding of the functional needs of its customers, enabling them to do more with less. Segway has delivered more than 60,000 lithium-ion batteries to the market.

GM has been a leader in "connected vehicle" technologies since it introduced OnStar in 1996. Today, this on-board communications package connects six million subscribers in North America to OnStar safety and security services. GM has also pioneered vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications systems and transponder technology. These and additional connected vehicle technologies could ultimately enable vehicles that don't crash and drive themselves.

"Imagine moving about cities in a vehicle fashioned to your taste, that's fun to drive and ride in, that safely takes you where you want to go, and "connects" you to friends and family, while using clean, renewable energy, producing zero vehicle tailpipe emissions, and without the stress of traffic jams," said Burns. "And imagine doing this for one-fourth to one-third the cost of what you pay to own and operate today's automobile. This is what Project P.U.M.A. is capable of delivering."

# # #

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), one of the world's largest automakers, was founded in 1908, and today manufactures cars and trucks in 34 countries. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 243,000 people in every major region of the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. In 2008, GM sold 8.35 million cars and trucks globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

[Embargo break via AP]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

GTA Concept supercar finishing testing, launching next month

2009-04-07T07:59:00.041-07:00

Filed under: Supercars

GTA Concept supercar - Click above for image gallery

Between Ferrari and upcoming new projects from McLaren, there is no shortage of supercars developed by F1 teams. But now, even some Formula 3 teams want to get in on the action, as evidenced by the new GTA Concept. The mid-engined supercar on which we initially reported a little over a year ago is the brainchild of Spanish racing outfit GTA, and while we hadn't heard much out of them for a while now, the car now reportedly finished its testing regimen in preparation for its official launch by the end of this month.

In anticipation, GTA has released some mouthwatering details on the supercar, whose official name will be revealed along with the car itself at an unveiling event in a few weeks. A mid-mounted V10 provides a quoted 780 horsepower and 678 lb-ft of torque, with power rolling through a seven-speed sequential gearbox with optional paddle shifters. All that juice is said to be enough to propel the supercar to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than three seconds, en route to a top speed in excess of 350 km/h (217 mph). Custom wheels measuring 255/35-19 at the front and 335/35-20 at the rear are to be shod shod with Pirelli Pzero tires, beneath which figures to be a set of 380mm carbon-ceramic ventilated discs with six-piston AP Racing calipers and ABS modulation.

GTA says it will only produce 99 examples of the titanium, carbon-fiber and Kevlar supercar, and it says that the advanced design yielded five international patents, including one for the tinting glass roof panel. We'll keep an eye out for the vehicle's debut, so watch this space. In the meantime, we've added a pair of shots of the GTA undergoing testing to the gallery of renderings below, so check 'em out along with the details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: GTA Motor supercar concept

[Source: GTA]

Continue reading GTA Concept supercar finishing testing, launching next month

GTA Concept supercar finishing testing, launching next month originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

AutoblogGreen for 04.07.09

2009-04-07T07:59:00.039-07:00

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Money-losing Chevy Volt will stay alive even if it can't "pay the rent"
Apparently, the Volt is kind of like that really cool, constantly broke college roommate that never gets kicked out because he has the best music.

Fuelmaker goes bankrupt, Honda to blame?
Will the CNG car movement ever recover?

Oregon mileage tax program shows how to do it right
There are still heaps of problems with the idea, but at least Oregon figured how to jump a few of the pay-by-the-mile hurdles. Photo by Broken Chord. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Other news of import

Barbie's Fiat 500 comes to London, crystals and pink lipstick at the ready

Chrysler to use A123 cells in its electric vehicles

Federal funds quitting hydrogen for plug-ins

AutoblogGreen for 04.07.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

0-60 Drifts Genesis Coupe Project Car [Hyundai Genesis Coupe]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.037-07:00

The guys at 0-60 Magazine get to have all the fun, this time drifting Irwindale Speedway in their Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T. We bet those carbon fiber mirrors add at least 10 HP.

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Spooky Motorcycle Helmets Are Spooky, Inexpensive [Novelties]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.035-07:00

Want to terrorize the general populace as you ride your open-piped chopper to work at the accounting firm? Then these spooky DOT-approved motorcycle helmets may be just the thing for you.

Created by a Brazilian artist by applying teeth, fangs, bones, hair and "fine stones" found along the Amazon to basic, open-faced helmets, the New Jersey-based Craigslist entrepreneur selling them claims they're fine to ride in. We wouldn't do the same, not just because they look really gross, but because all the stick-on animal parts would fundamentally compromise the crash worthiness of the helmets by altering the way in which they control neck movement on impact. But hey, they're only $99! [via Craigslist]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

Aston Martin LMP1 debuts at Le Mans Series season-opener in Catalunya [SPOILER ALERT]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.033-07:00

Filed under: Motorsports, Aston Martin

European Le Mans Series, Catalunya 2009 - Click above for image gallery

Ambition is good. Ambition backed by competence is better. Aston Martin Racing would appear to have both.

Since landing on the endurance racing scene in 2005 with a victory in its first race, the competition arm of the venerable British sportscar-maker has become an indomitable force, taking victory in the GT1 category at Le Mans two years in a row and expanding into every other GT class along the way. But AMR wasn't satisfied with class wins, so for this year, David Richards and company took aim at the diesel-burning big boys from Audi and Peugeot by entering the Le Mans Prototype Class with a DBR9-powered Lola chassis in partnership with Charouz Racing Systems. The Gulf-liveried Astons were unveiled less than a month ago, but made their racing debut this past weekend in Spain at the 1000 km of Catalunya, the season-opener to the European Le Mans Series. Follow the jump to read how it all unfolded.

Gallery: European Le Mans Series - Catalunya 2009

Continue reading Aston Martin LMP1 debuts at Le Mans Series season-opener in Catalunya [SPOILER ALERT]

Aston Martin LMP1 debuts at Le Mans Series season-opener in Catalunya [SPOILER ALERT] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]

2010 GT-R Warranty Voided For Denying Nissan Access To Your Black Box Data [Nissan GT-R]

2009-04-07T07:59:00.031-07:00

Additional exclusions unearthed in the customer disclosure form for the 2010 Nissan GT-R indicate the warranty is voided should you go insane and dyno test it or deny Nissan access to your black box data.

We're beginning to wonder why Nissan even offers a warranty on their apparently fussy supercar, as it would just better off to sell it sans protection and cut the price. It seems no matter what you do, you're bound to void the warranty in the course of enjoying the car anyway. This new agreement comes out for the 2010 model year, and in addition to the previous no-VDC launch control warranty killer, now we learn you can't even take it to a track or airstrip, run it on a dyno for purposes other than emissions testing, disconnect ANY on board computer or deny access to the data on the car's event data recorder, among many other stipulations

Reading through the agreement, it seems you aren't really the owner of the GT-R, only a minor inconvenience in Nissan's perfect engineering exercise. Complete GT-R customer disclosure form below:

GT-R CUSTOMER DISCLOSURE FORM
For use with 2010 Model GT-R

IMPORTANT Customer Information

Nissan GT-R

Congratulations on your order to purchase a new Nissan GT-R. In order to ensure a well informed decision to purchase a GT-R, maximize your driving satisfaction, and enhance your ownership experience, it is important that you understand that the Nissan GT-R is a low production, high performance sports car which has been designed and manufactured to maximize its performance capabilities. Therefore, the Nissan GT-R offers unique capabilities but also has unique characteristics that are intrinsic to the GT-R's normal operation that are outside of or different from other vehicles. Owning one therefore requires additional and special consideration and understanding regarding the GT-R's driving and operation characteristics, sounds and increased service and maintenance requirements. We encourage you to test drive your GT-R with your GT-R Certified Dealer to better understand its unique characteristics.

Vehicle Sale

You are buying one of the most anticipated vehicles recently introduced in the USA. Please read the pre-sale disclosure information. Unfortunately, because demand may exceed the monthly supply, availability of the Nissan GT-R may be limited and dealers may not have an inventory. There may be a period of time between placing an order for a vehicle and taking receipt of it. Depending on the duration, it is possible that:

There may be changes in the specifications of your vehicle, or availability of colors and features. Your dealer will be able to keep you advised of any changes.

While there may be changes in final MSRP pricing of your vehicle, in accordance with state law, your actual purchase price will be determined by your selling dealer and subject to your contract(s) with your selling dealer.

Vehicle Operations

Before operating your vehicle or contacting your dealership with concerns regarding your vehicle's operations, please carefully read your Owner's Manual, Nissan GT-R Warranty Booklet, and the Service and Maintenance Guide for necessary additional information concerning the proper operation, operational characteristics (including different types of sounds, noises or wear which are normal for this vehicle) and service and maintenance requirements.

Because the Nissan GT-R is a high performance sports car, some of the vehicle's systems operate differently and exhibit different characteristics than less sophisticated vehicles. For example (not intended as a comprehensive list � please refer to your owner's manual):

1. Brakes

The brake system is designed for and uses materials which enhance maximum performance under a wide range of operating conditions. Brake sounds such as squeaks and squeals during use are to be expected on this vehicle; this characteristic is intrinsic to this vehicle and cannot be eliminated. The rate of pad and rotor wear may also be greater than you have experienced on other vehicles.

2. Suspension

The suspension and tires are specially designed for the Nissan GT-R and are designed and calibrated for maximum road performance. The tires and suspension are calibrated to deliver vehicle performance, not a premium luxury ride. As a result, there will be more, different and louder sounds and road feel from the tires and suspension than with other vehicles. These conditions are normal and are to be expected. Different road surfaces will increase or moderate the road noise.

3. Transmission

Due to the performance capabilities and requirements of the GT-R, the sequential six-speed dual clutch transmission is unlike a typical automatic transmission. You will likely hear pronounced mechanical sounds from the transmission, particularly at slow speeds, at idle and in neutral. This condition is normal.

This vehicle is equipped with hill start assist. This system automatically keeps the brakes applied to help prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards in the time it takes to release the brake pedal and apply the accelerator pedal when the vehicle is stopped on a hill. Hill start assist is designed to hold the vehicle for only a short period of time and is not a substitute for proper driving technique.

4. Fuel Filler

When filling the Nissan GT-R with fuel, do not top off the fuel tank after the automatic shutoff activates. It is possible that spills will occur should the fuel tank continue to be filled beyond the automatic shut-off.

5. Driver Break-in Period

The Nissan GT-R requires a special break-in schedule to obtain maximum engine performance and to ensure the future reliability and maximized economy of your new vehicle. Failure to follow these recommendations may result in shortened engine life, reduced engine performance or damage resulting in repairs not covered by your warranty. Refer to the Owner's Manual for details regarding the break-in period.

Special Maintenance & Warranty

The Nissan GT-R is specially designed and engineered to maximize its performance capabilities and has unique features and service requirements requiring specially trained technicians and some specialized equipment.

1. Warranty

All warranty repairs may only be completed at a Nissan Certified GT-R dealership, and it is most highly recommended that all services be performed by a Nissan Certified GT-R dealer.

2. Delivery

Your GT-R's proper operation, including its engine and suspension settings, was specially tested by Nissan after production. Your vehicle will therefore be delivered with some mileage reflected on the odometer.

3. Performance Optimization Services

In addition to regular periodic maintenance recommended by Nissan, the Nissan GT-R requires the following special inspections to be completed at a Certified GT-R dealership at the assigned intervals. Failing to timely have these services performed will affect both your warranty coverage and your continued proper operation of and satisfaction with your GT-R:

Measurement and adjustment, if needed, of wheel alignment

Engine settings

Transmission settings

These inspections are required at the following intervals: 1,000 miles, 12 months, 24 months and 36 months. As set out in the GT-R Owner's Manual and Service Maintenance Guide, these Performance Optimization Services will be completed free of charge.

4. Maintenance Costs

Engine/Transmission: As a high performance sports car, the cost of maintaining the Nissan GT-R (parts and labor costs) will be higher than other vehicles. Among those requirements are:

The VR38 engine, with its plasma-sprayed bores, was developed using Mobil 1 (0W-40, 100% synthetic) motor oil. This oil should be used to ensure proper engine operation and durability.

The VDC unit and other related parts were specially designed for R35 Special 2 Brake Fluid. This brake fluid should be used to ensure the best performance and proper operation of the vehicle.

Genuine Nissan Transmission Oil R35 Special (100% synthetic) is unique to the Nissan GT-R and was specially developed to maximize the friction characteristics of the clutch and the lubrication of the gear bearings. This fluid is required and the use of additives is prohibited.

To efficiently transfer high power to each axle and to protect the GT-R's mechanical limited slip differential, Castrol SAF-XJ 75W-140 (100% synthetic) high viscosity gear oil was used.

Please also note that the coolant mixture ratio impacts cooling performance and freezing temperature. See the Owner's Manual for proper coolant mixture ratio.

Brakes: The Nissan GT-R's rotors are cross-drilled with six-piston front and four-piston rear floating calipers, helping to achieve excellent stopping performance and fade resistance. The rotors are not designed to be machined, therefore, all four sets of brake pads and rotors should be replaced at the same time. This is normal maintenance for this vehicle.

Tires: The Nissan GT-R is equipped with high performance, low profile, run-flat tires that are optimized for performance and handling. The life of these tires will be less than those of tires installed on a typical vehicle; and you are likely to experience reduced tread life, uneven tire wear and tire noise regardless of the type of tire used. In many situations it may be necessary to replace all four tires if only one tire is worn or damaged.

5. Body Repairs

Due to the types of materials used for the body and given the precise assembly of the vehicle, body damage requiring certain repairs will need to be completed at a GT-R Certified body shop. Your Nissan Certified GT-R dealership can direct you to a qualified body shop. Because of the specialized body repair requirements, it may not be unusual for the nearest GT-R Certified body shop to be a considerable distance from either the Nissan Certified GT-R dealership or your current location, requiring additional vehicle transport at your expense. Additionally, repair times for body work may require more time than you may have experienced with other vehicles.

6. Data Recorders

The Nissan GT-R is equipped with a Vehicle Status Data Recorder which is capable of recording the vehicle's operating conditions and monitoring component replacement or reprogramming and may be used to perform and administer warranty repairs. Other vehicle operational information may be logged in the Electronic Control Module and the Transmission Control Module which may also be accessed during investigations into component failure and in performing and administering warranty repairs. Additionally, the Nissan GT-R is equipped with an Event Data Recorder which records crash data in the event of a crash.

Advisory of MY2010 Specification Change

The MY2010 Nissan GT-R features enhanced programming that will optimize clutch-engagement control for improved driveability. The maximum RPM for initial start with VDC ON has been increased, providing increased power at launch with smooth and powerful acceleration which will be improved compared to the original specification MY2009 vehicles prior to implementation of this upgrade. Maximum RPM at launch with VDC OFF (which should only be used when stuck in snow or mud) has been decreased, and acceleration with VDC OFF will be moderated.

The GT-R will continue to offer supercar characteristics of exceptional handling, maneuvering, and overall driving experience. You are reminded to drive safely and obey all traffic laws. The GT-R Owner's Manual expressly warns against driving with the VDC OFF (except to free the vehicle when stuck in mud or snow) to avoid damage. Repairs for damage caused by driving with VDC OFF are expressly excluded under the terms of the Nissan GT-R New Car Limited Warranty. To avoid risk for such repairs, you are reminded to drive with VDC ON at all times. Except when stuck, there is no reason to be driving with VDC OFF.

Exclusions and Limitations to Manufacturers Warranty

Please read your GT-R Warranty Information Booklet carefully. The Nissan GT-R warranty provides you with extensive coverage when the vehicle is operated in accordance with the Owner's Manual. The warranty includes a number of other specific conditions, exclusions and limitations, which include (but are not limited to) exclusions due to failures resulting from:

Racing, competitive driving of any sort and/or any use on a track or airstrip, or otherwise not operating or maintaining the vehicle as set out in the Owner's Manual and Service and Maintenance Guide;

Operating the vehicle with the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) off, except when rocking vehicle when stuck in mud or snow;

Not adhering to the service and maintenance requirements set out in the Nissan GT-R Owner's Manual and the Service and Maintenance Guide, including failures resulting from the use of non-Genuine Nissan Parts or required or recommended fluids;

Improper repairs or services rendered at facilities other than Nissan Certified GT-R dealerships;

Failing to have the Performance Optimization Services completed in a timely manner;

Genuine Nissan Parts not intended for use on the GT-R, including NISMO parts not specifically designed and manufactured for application to the GT-R, or any non-Genuine Nissan Parts;

Replacing a GT-R special specification part with a non-GT-R special specification part (see GT-R Owner's Manual for the list of GT-R special specification parts);

Operating the GT-R on a dynamometer, except a dynamometer test performed to comply with applicable local law for emissions testing.

Additionally, some modifications will VOID your GT-R New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage. Read your warranty information booklet carefully for specific details of all terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions.

Important: Additional Exclusion and Warranty Voiding

Damage to the powertrain, or any drivetrain component(s) that occurs when there is a record in the Vehicle System Data Recorder (VSDR) that the vehicle was driven with the VDC off during the period when the damage was incurred is excluded from coverage under this warranty.

Adding, replacing, reprogramming, attempting to reprogram, altering or disconnecting any computer, control unit, or electronic module or deleting any or all stored information in any computer, control unit, or electronic module, or denying access to any data or information stored in any computer, control unit, or electronic module VOIDS ALL COVERAGE under the 2010 Nissan GT-R New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Such actions are also "misuse" and "tampering" as those terms are used under "What Is Not Covered" in the warranty. See your Owners Manual for additional important information and related warnings

[Corner Carvers Forum via Andi Baritchi]

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[Source: Jalopnik]

P1 reportedly following other British supercar clubs into bankruptcy

2009-04-07T07:59:00.029-07:00

Filed under: Trends, Government/Legal, Supercars, Earnings/Financials, UK

While the idea of the supercar club has yet to take hold here in The Colonies, across the Atlantic in jolly old England, the notion developed into a popular alternative to the costly prospect of owning and maintaining high-priced exotica. The idea, in a nutshell, was to provide customers with the opportunity to occasionally borrow vehicles from a stable of supercars. Since most privately-owned supercars sit around unused most of the time, membership in a supercar club seemed - and, for a while, was - a logical alternative, offering most of the benefits with none of the hassle.

Unfortunately, the weakened global economy has meant that many of these supercar clubs have had to close down. With membership dropping and fleets of supercars losing their value, these businesses haven't been able to stay afloat. Over the course of the past year, Seagrave, Group 20 and Club Velociter - all supercar clubs based in the UK - shut down, and now the grand-daddy of them all, P1, has gone into court-administered bankruptcy.

P1 International was the first such club, founded in 2000 by former F1 world champion Damon Hill and business partner Michael Breen, and it was arguably the most successful, with 300 members and a fleet of 40 supercars - including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Aston Martins and Bentleys - in two locations. Hill, now the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, withdrew from the company three years ago, but claimed he was still owed money. A legal battle ensued, resulting in the club being put into bankruptcy by local courts. What this will mean for the club's members remains to be seen, but with used supercar values in the dumpster, it is reasonable to think that some well-used Astons and Ferraris will be up for grabs in short order.

[Sources: F1-Live and Car]

P1 reportedly following other British supercar clubs into bankruptcy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Source: Autoblog]