Friday, April 30, 2010

Arden Teases New Range Rover AR5/10


The upcoming Tuning World Bodensee auto show in Germany that runs from May 13 through 16 will see British car specialist Arden taking the wraps off its latest proposal based on the recently facelifted 2010 Range Rover.

The tuner is keeping details about the AR5/10 under a tight lid, but apart from the cosmetic upgrades seen in these teaser photos, buyers should also expect a raft of performance enhancements.

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Tulsa Man Drives Mercedes through Parking Wall Backwards! [with Video]


A couple of days ago, 67-year-old Ralph Hudson backed his Mercedes-Benz C-Class out of a parking garage in Tulsa, Oklahoma (let's hear it for the Golden Hurricane!).

Only problem is, he was 7 stories up. According to his statement, his foot was caught between the accelerator and brake pedals. Luckily, he wasn't hurt or killed.

The same can't be said for some of the cars below, which got beat up by falling bricks. Ah well, accidents will happen... Video after the break.

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Bavarian Cops Testing BMW X3 Police Car


The Bavarian State Police has begun testing a prototype version of the BMW X3 fitted with all the necessary equipment to patrol the German highways. The all-wheel drive X3 police car is powered by a 218HP turbocharged six-cylinder diesel engine and comes equipped with more LED lights than a Las Vegas Christmas tree show. You can check out the rest of the pictures right after the jump.

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Formula DRIFT Singapore 2010: Live shots


Drift fan Darren sent us some sweet pics from Formula DRIFT Singapore 2010, which took place on April 24th and 25th.

According to Darren, "Forty-two drivers...from Asia-Pacific countries such as Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand and New Zealand took part." Some even used smoke screens to mess with the competition's heads.

When perusing the gallery below, keep an eye out for this year's champion, the FX Formula Bridgestone Tandem Assassin Nissan 200SX driven by Tengku Djan Ley.

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VIDEO: Ferrari 458 Italia vs. Porsche GT3 - The Comparison


Sent over by Señor Chris Harris from EVO were these tasty videos featuring an "unauthorized comparo" between Ferrari's 458 Italia and Porsche's GT3 RS. According to Mr. Harris, "I'm probably banned from Maranello for life. Hey-ho. At least I got to rinse a 458 and a GT3 RS."

HEY-HO indeed.

For an interesting run-through and comparison of these two track-day supercars (Ferrari isn't releasing the 458 Scuderia/track model for a while), check out the vids after the jump. Don't forget, we over here aren't afraid of no stinkin' Ferrari. I'm watching you, Montezemolo.

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Fiat to Celebrate Half-a-Million 500s with Photo Covered Special


Fiat has chosen a unusual way to celebrate the production of the 500,000th 500 mini just 31 months after its launch. The Italian automaker is going to create a special edition version of the 500 entirely covered by 1,500 photos displaying the faces of Fiat 500 customers, celebrities and fans.

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Everybody Join in! More Hedge Funds Join Anti-Porsche Lawsuit


In a continuation of the Porsche-Volkswagen takeover/stock controversy, 18 hedge funds added their names to a list of people taking Porsche to court in a $2 Billion lawsuit here in the States.

Porsche, Wendelin Wiedeking (former CEO), and Holger Härter (former CFO) are said to have committed fraud and "manipulated the market" over a four-year period in order to keep the company out of bankruptcy.

The alleged shady dealings were "an attempt to recoup large losses suffered by [Porsche, Wiedeking, and Härter] after a VW share price surge in 2008 triggered by Porsche's takeover attempt on Europe's largest carmaker."

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Acura Recalling More Than 167,000 TSX Sedans for Fire Hazard


Honda Motors' Acura division is recalling 167,255 of its 2004 - 2008 MY TSX sedans with the 2.4-liter inline-four in the U.S. because the power steering hose can potentially deteriorate prematurely and leak fluids causing a fire hazard.

"Oil leaking onto a hot exhaust pipe will generate smoke and a burning smell, and could potentially result in an under hood fire," Honda said in a notice on the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

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Fiat's 500 Goes Atomik, Gets Electrified


Atomik Cars wants to make an electric Abarth 500, which is a good idea from the start.

Claimed to have "supercar performance in a city car's size", Atomik's 500 features a bunch of fancy tech under its carbon fiber skin: "high performance LiFePO4 batteries", brushless synchronous motors, two new transmissions (resulting in permanent AWD), a ceramic heater, and a carbon/Nomex rear chassis (by the way, Nomex is what Batman's suit is made out of).

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Boston Says "Yes, Please" to Ford Transit Connect Taxis


The city of Boston, Massachusetts has become the first city in America to officially approve of Ford's Transit Connect (2010 North American Truck of the Year) as a taxi.

Mark Cohen, Boston PD Licensing Division director, says this about the Transit Connect: "It's the closest thing to a purpose-built vehicle for taxi use that I've seen in 25 years." I guess he's never been to the UK...

For many places, the issue with replacing the large, Panther-based Crown Victorias has been the regulation of vehicles that are allowed to perform taxi duties. A successor would have to meet various size/measurement/cargo/safety standards before approval, and the city of Boston has deemed the TC Taxi worthy of the job.

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Peter Brock's Anniversary BRE Edition Nissan 370Z Revealed


AutoTrader Classics' Michael Boulton snagged the very first photos of the finished BRE Edition Nissan 370Z racer that was revealed on Thursday during the Brock Racing Enterprises reunion dinner honoring Peter Brock (not to be confused with the famous Australian racing driver who passed away in 2006) and crew.

Built to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Brock Racing Enterprises' (BRE) win at the SCCA National Championship at Road Atlanta with a 240Z in 1970, the specially modified Nismo 370Z racer features the classic vintage red, white, and blue BRE paint scheme.

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Peugeot Hoggar: Pickup Truck Version of 207 Fully Revealed


Following a teaser announcement back in early March, French carmaker Peugeot has fully revealed the Hoggar, a new pint-sized pickup truck designed and developed in Brazil for the domestic market.

Borrowing a name from a two-seater buggy concept from 2003, the Hoggar pickup makes use of a hybrid platform developed from the rear end of the Partner van and the front end of the Brazilian-market 207 supermini, which itself is derived from the older Peugeot 206 and not the latest 207 hatch sold in Europe and other parts of the world.

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Skoda Begins Full Production of Fabia in Russia


The facelifted version of the Fabia supermini has become the second model in the Skoda range after the Octavia to enter full-cycle production at the VW Group's Kaluga plant in Russia, the automaker announced today. Full-cycle production includes welding and painting.

The Volkswagen Group opened the factory in Kaluga in November 2007, and its planned capacity is 150,000 cars a year.

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Thursday, April 29, 2010

SCOOP: Porsche Continues Testing of All-New 2012 Boxster


Once again, our spy photographers have snagged the brand new iteration of Porsche's Boxster model during testing in Germany.

The prototype version seen here continues to be under camouflage, though to a lesser extent than previous. According to our spies, the new model appeared to be slightly longer and wider than the current version, something that should benefit the roadster's interior space.

As with most Porsches, the exterior looks of the new Boxster will be a subtle evolution over the previous model. However, bigger changes are expected in the interior that will most likely take styling cues from the Panamera.

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VIDEO: 2011 Hyundai Elantra / Avante Sedan gets Animated


Earlier today, Hyundai pulled the wraps off the all-new 2011 Avante, or as we will come to know it, the next generation of the Elantra sedan. Along with the first details and photos, the South Korean automaker also released an animated film on the new Elantra that you can check out right after the jump.
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Professor Claims General Motors "Repaid Us With Our Money"


Temple University Economics Professor William Dunkelberg recently posted a nice, succinct article on how GM really didn't repay us after all.

He explains that the $8 Billion that GM gave back was clearly nowhere near the $80 Billion of TARP funds US taxpayers "invested" in GM and Chrysler. Instead, taxpayers received 61% of GM ("and a block of stock for the UAW").

Dunkelberg slams GM by saying that such a loss hardly represents the returns necessary to drive up the stock price "needed to insure a return of taxpayer money", hinting that he really doesn't believe GM will be able to pay everything back.

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2011 BMW M5 Sedan [F10] Rendered Again


From Alpine325Ci, the 'Bimmerpost' artist who created last week's pretty 6-Series photoshop (and those previous M5 renderings), comes another look at the next BMW M5.

As we can see, his take on the big M retains the new 5's attractive snout while gaining the M division's dumbfounded-expression front bumper and more aggressive skirts.

The mirrors also get a little tweak, and it wouldn't be a stretch to believe the F10 M5 would be coming with that carbon fiber roof.

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Japanese Mag Speculates on Hardcore Toyota FT-86 "F" Variant


Another edition of Best Car, another rendered speculation. In its latest edition, the Japanese magazine features a story on a more hardcore version of Toyota's forthcoming rear-wheel drive sports coupe which it names the "FT-86F".

Being that the article was written in Japanese, details are limited, but we assume that the magazine suggests the "F" version would fit between the standard FT-86 and the track-ready "G" model that was previewed in concept form at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon in January.

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Chrysler Reportedly Kills Sebring Name, Gives Birth to Nassau


According to a news report from the Detroit Free Press, Chrysler's super-refreshed Sebring replacement will be called the Nassau, after executives decided the Sebring name has been "tarnished". More like utterly destroyed.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Nassau name, it's derived from a few previous Chrysler concepts (most recently the 2007 Nassau 4-door coupe/wagon concept) and the location where Bond won his Aston martin DB5 in a poker game.

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne explained one reason for the name switch, referencing Chrysler's poor image/entry in the mid-size segment: "If you look at the Sebring and benchmark it against the competition, it's not where it needs to be." Hopefully a redesign and a new identity will help out.

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European Toyota Corolla Sedan Receives Subtle Facelift


The European-market version of the Corolla that's offered exclusively in sedan form has just received a mid-life facelift for 2010 with freshened exterior and interior styling.

On the outside, the updated "Corolla 2010" gets a new front fascia with a redesigned bumper, upper and lower grille, as well as restyled headlamps. To the rear, changes include the new license plate garnish, tail lamps and bumper.

The new, power retractable door mirrors with integral turn indicators and fresh designs for the hub-caps and alloy wheels complete the exterior makeover.

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Malignant Rumors: The SRT8 Super Jeep Returneth


Car and Driver is under the impression that Jeep engineers are crazy enough to create a second-generation of their hi-po SRT8 Grand Cherokee. The basis? No one will confirm or deny anything (good enough for me!).

According to their contacts, SRTs come out in the opening years of a newly-released model. That means a preview this year would make for a prime 2012 SRT8 Grand Cherokee.

With Chrysler woes and reorganization, we shouldn't expect anything super-new with the power plant. Look for is a stroked version of the current 6.1 liter engine (at 6.4 liters), still naturally aspirated, and putting out over 500 horsepower / lb-ft.

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Lexus Announces Fix for 2011 GX460's Stability Problems


Lexus has released an update to fix its recalled GX460, and if you're an owner they should be contacting you shortly.

"Our dealers began contacting customers yesterday offering to make arrangements to perform the update, and we expect them to get in touch with most GX owners within one week."

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Buick's LaCrosse gets a Daewoo Badge, Heads to Korea


GM just announced that it will be bringing the Chevrolet brand to Korea, and now it looks like the General will be bringing Buick over as well in the form of a re-badged LaCrosse.

The Daewoo Alpheon, a LaCrosse in everything but name, recently debuted at at the Busan Motor Show. Powered by GM's 3.0 liter V6 and hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission, the Alpheon is meant to be "a stand-alone luxury product brand in GM Daewoo's product portfolio".

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Peugeot 406 Coupé Club Celebrates Three Anniversaries with Special Meeting


This year marks the Peugeot brand's 200th birthday, the 80th birthday of Pininfarina and the fifth anniversary of the UK based Peugeot 406 Coupé Club. In celebration of these three anniversaries, the 406 Coupé Club announced today that it will be holding a special meeting on Sunday, 23rd May, in the grounds of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.

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All-New Hyundai Elantra / Avante Sedan Unveiled at Busan Motor Show


Only days after the unveiling of the new Accent small sedan (Verna for South Korea) in Beijing, Hyundai rolled out the next generation of its Elantra saloon - badged as the Avantre in its home market- at the 2010 Busan International Motor Show today.

Boasting a much sportier look than its rather dull predecessor, the new Elantra continues Hyundai's 'fluidic sculpture' design philosophy in a package that most automakers would describe today as a "four-door coupe".

There are no photos of the new Elantra's cabin, but we assume that the interior styling will be heavily influenced by the larger Sonata.

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GM to Launch Chevrolet Brand in Korea Next Year


After years of importing cars to the U.S. from its Daewoo unit, General Motors is getting ready to turn the tables around as the Detroit automaker will soon start exporting vehicles to South Korea (albeit, at a much slower pace..).

At a press conference today held in conjunction with the opening of the Busan International Motor Show, GM Daewoo Auto & Technology President and CEO Mike Arcamone announced that the firm will introduce its Chevrolet brand into South Korea in 2011.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Alfa Romeo UK Announces Pricing for New Giulietta, Including 235HP Cloverleaf Model


Pricing for Alfa Romeo's new Giulietta C-segment hatch has just been announced for the UK market. The 147's replacement will go on sale in Britain this summer with five powerplants and prices ranging from £16,995 to £24,495.

The range comprises of three petrol and two diesel powerplants, all turbocharged. The petrol lineup includes a 1.4-liter TB with 120 bhp, a 1.4-liter TB MultiAir producing 170bhp and a top-of-the-range 1750 TBi with 235bhp for the Cloverleaf model that boasts a top speed of 150 mph and a 0–62 mph (100km/h) acceleration time of 6.8 seconds

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Opel Corsa OPC: Nürburgring Edition Spy Shots


Here are some spy shots of what is believed to be the Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition special.

Based on the standard OPC, this should basically be the Corsa version of the Astra-based 2008 Nürburgring Edition model. That means it'll most likely come with the standard Corsa OPC's 192-horsepower (141 kW) / 170 lb-ft (230 Nm) turbocharged 1.6 liter mill and extra add-ons.

Other baubles to expect are upgraded Brembo brakes, Recaro leather seating, carbon-look decor for the interior, unique lightweight wheels, and maybe even a tuned suspension.

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Audi Releases Video and Photos of R8 Spyder from Iron Man 2


As you've probably already heard, Audi has once again teamed up with the creators of the original blockbuster Iron Man marketing its R8 Spyder in the sequel as the personal car of billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).

Of course, the German firm is trying to make the best of its participation in the movie releasing a dedicated commercial as well as photos from the world premiere of Iron Man 2, which took place on Monday in Los Angeles and saw Robert Downey Jr. arriving at the El Capitan Theatre in the drop-top supercar. Hit the jump for both the video and photo gallery.

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Unichip Introduces New ECU Upgrade for Nissan 350Z


The Nissan 350Z has long been replaced by the all-new 370Z but the tuning industry isn't about to stop introducing performance upgrades for the Japanese sports car any time soon.

Now, Unichip Europe has released a new plug and play 'U-connect' piggy back ECU for the 350Z that adds another 20bhp raising the V6's peak output from a measured 264bhp to a mighty 284 bhp. Similarly, torque increases by 26 lb.ft, bringing the total from 236 lb.ft to 262 lb.ft.

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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

VIDEO: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid hits the Nurburgring

Remember the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid that was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show this past March? Well, Porsche has released a new video of its hybrid racer with which it will compete at the Nürburgring 24 hour race on 15/16 May.

Williams Formula 1 pilot Nico Hülkenberg tested the orange and white liveried 911 GT3 R Hybrid on the Nordschleife in the lead up to the third round of the VLN Long Distance Championship. Check out the video after the jump.

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Obama: Auto Industry Bailout was the Right Thing to do


President Barack Obama is using GM's recent loan repayment and Chrysler's operating profit as proof that his "unpopular" auto bailout decision was the right thing to do.

"I knew this wasn't a popular decision. But it was the right one," Obama said. Without the bailout, the American economic outcome could have been much more disturbing.

"General Motors and Chrysler...were on the brink of collapse. The rapid dissolution of these companies -- followed by the certain failure of many auto parts makers, car dealers and other smaller businesses -- would have dealt a crippling blow to our already suffering economy."

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VIDEO: BMW Concept Gran Coupé Presentation from Beijing


BMW held a special private reception on the evening of the first press day at the Beijing Motor Show to unveil its all-new Concept Gran Coupé as well as the long wheelbase versions of the 5 Series, specially developed for the Chinese market, and this here video includes scenes from that event.

Most of you will probably be interested only in BMW's conceptual answer to Merc's CLS sports saloon, so in the video after the jump, fast forward to the 1:25 minute mark for the part with the Gran Coupé.

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Lotus puts Toyota's Venza on a Strict Diet


Lotus just released a concept based on the Toyota Venza where the goal was to trim the fat, ultimately reducing CO2 emissions. Officially, the project was meant to showcase a "viable mass reduction strategy" on two representative models: a 2017 near-term version and a 2020 long-term version.

Comparing the Lotus Venza versus the off-the-lot Toyota Venza, overall mass was reduced by as much as 38% on the 2020 (minus power train) at only a 3% increase in component costs. The 2017 model's mass reduction was 21%. All this was done using processes and tech that should be available and affordable by 2020.

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6,000 Square Foot Malibu Home Offered with Ferrari F40 in its Garage


Since the housing market decided to collapse, people have been luring buyers into their properties with incentives. Vahe Hagopian, a listing agent in Malibu, even offered up his Ferrari to try to make a sale.

If someone were to buy his client's house (6,000 square feet, $4.4 million), he'd throw in a classic Ferrari F40 to sweeten the deal. Hagopian says, "Nothing is moving in this area. It's unprecedented."

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SCOOP: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster with Retractable Hardtop


Our spy photographers have snagged the next generation of Mercedes-Benz's SL roadster, which is due to arrive in 2012. As you can see in the pictures, Mercedes-Benz obviously will continue with the front-engine, rear-drive format, as well as with a retractable metal hardtop.

The prototype model's heavy disguise and body cladding makes it difficult to distinguish any details, but it's safe to assume that the new SL will carry styling hallmarks from the German firm's "artsy" design language previewed in its most recent concept models such as the CLS Shooting Break and the F800 Style.

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