Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Nanananannanana...Preview of our 1966 Batmobile Trip in Indiana
Initially we were going to bring you a teaser of our trip up to Logansport, Indiana on Thanksgiving (in case you weren't following the trip live) to check out the first ever officially licensed replicas of the 1966 Batmobile. However, as tends to happen with family holidays, everything went s(l)ideways. Now that the time is available, we've got a little something for you while we wrap up the full shebang.
Check back later in the week for the full story of how one man went from collegiate filmmaker to official Batmobile builder. Until then, enjoy a few pics below.
Read more »Toyota to Voluntarily Fix 378,000 Prius Hybrids for Overheating Problems
Toyota's US division has issued what it describes as a "limited service campaign" (and not a recall…) on approximately 378,000 U.S-spec Prius hybrids from the 2004 and 2007 model years to resolve a potential problem with the water-pump that can cause the cars to overheat. Read more »
Official: 2012 Audi A6 Sedan Adopts A7 Styling and Gains 2.0TFSI Hybrid Engine [81 Photos]
Audi has (officially now) lifted the sheets of the all-new 2012 A6 that will take on the latest generations of BMW's 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz's E-Class executive sedans. The new A6 is set to make its market debut in early 2011 and will be available at launch with a variety of four-cylinder and V6 petrol and diesel engines, and later on, with a hybrid powertrain claimed to combine the power of a V6 with the fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder unit.
With Audi continuing its "one-style-fits-all" approach to design, there's not much to add about the car's exterior and interior works that hasn't already been said on our A7 Sportback posts. Even though the most accurate description of the new A6 is an A7 with a boot, we won't disagree with those of you waving the "larger A4" or "smaller A8" banner.
Moving on to the more technical aspects of the new A6, the sedan is 4.92 meters (16.14 ft) long and 1.87 meters (6.14 ft) wide, but just 1.46 meters (4.79 ft) high. It has a trunk capacity of 530-liter (18.72 cubic ft).
Read more »U.S. Government Buys 1 out of 4 Hybrid Models Produced by GM and Ford
Hybrid vehicles have been on sale for more than a decade now, but despite all the efforts, they have not yet won broad acceptance in the United States. Two years ago, President Obama’s administration set out to to simultaneously support auto workers and a national transition to fuel efficient technologies by heavily investing in a government fleet of hybrids. According to a report from Bloomberg, Uncle Sam bought almost one out of every four hybrid cars produced by Ford Motor and General Motors since President Obama took office in early 2009. Read more »
Power to the People: BBR-Cosworth Supercharge Mazda MX-5 to 235HP
Owners of the latest generation MX-5 / Miata seeking more oomph from Mazda's best seller will be happy to know that BBR has joined forces with Cosworth Engineering to develop a supercharged conversion package for the 2.0-liter version. The BBR-Cosworth collaboration for the Mk3 2.0-litre MX-5 focuses around a fourth-generation Eaton MP62 supercharger mated to a Cosworth designed cast integral inlet manifold, which is said to be optimized for both performance and fuel economy - although we'd take the latter with a grain of salt. Read more »
Find of the Day: 10 Famous Racing Driver Helmets up for Sale
Many car and motorcycle enthusiasts consider themselves to be far more skillful than your average drivers / riders. And true enough, some really are, constantly honing their skills during weekend track events. But the odds of an enthusiast becoming a Formula 1 World Champion are slimmer than winning a lottery ticket twice in a row.
Facing reality is never an easy task, but what can you do? Well, if your pocket can handle the cost, you can always keep your fantasy alive with some cool motorsports memorabilia like a famous driver’s racing helmet. Besides being a good investment, you’ll be the talk of the track day for sure. Check out our selection after the break, compiled from the extensive list found on The Memorabilia Experience (TME) sales site.
Read more »VIDEO: New Range Rover Evoque 5-Door Launch Film
Now that Land Rover has unleashed most of the details surrounding its new Range Rover Evoque 5-door, the British company is turning its attention on promoting the crossover model to the social media. Beginning from Wednesday, December 1st, the automaker will share a new animated film of the five-door Evoque on its official social media pages including Facebook. For those curious enough (or bored...) to want to take a look, follow the break for the official clip. Read more »
Mazda Logo Evolution through the Century - Plus 185 Historic Pictures
Mazda, the maker of cars such as the RX-7, RX-8 and MX-5/Miata, turned 90 this month. So what a better time to take a trip down memory lane and see how the Japanese company’s logo and cars evolved over the past century.
The first corporate logo dates back to 1936. It was registered as a trademark when Mazda began manufacturing its first three-wheeler. The name itself is a derivative from Ahura Mazda, the god of wisdom, intelligence and harmony in early Asian cultures. It also derives from the anglicized version of the founder’s name, Jujiro Matsuda.
Read more »VIDEO: Bang, Bang, Bang it's the 2012 Hyundai Azera Sedan
Having wow'd us with teaser renderings at first followed shortly after by official real-life photographs, Hyundai continues to build hype around its all-new-2012 Azera before the full reveal by giving the car a promotional role in a South Korean TV drama called "The Fugitive Plan B".
While official information around the new Azera, which will be sold as the Grandeur in its home market, remains scarce, one of our South Korean readers, Jinhwan H. claims that word around local news sites is that the car will be offered locally with a choice of three engines. These include the Sonata's 2.4-liter GDI with 200hp and 184.4lb-ft torque, a 3.0-liter V6 GDI delivering 263hp and 225.7lb-ft torque plus a 3.0-liter LPI running on Liquefied Petroleum Gas with 230hp, 204.7lb-ft torque.
Read more »HONDA UNVEILS BRIO PROTOTYPE THE CITY CAR
Honda Brio Prototype Previews New City Car for Asian Markets
As a follow up to the New Small Concept model showcased this past January at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi, India, Honda revealed the pre-production version of its new small city car called the Brio at the 27th Thailand International Motor Expo (press day: November 30, public days: December 1-12.).
Developed for Asian markets and scheduled to be introduced in Thailand and India in 2011, the Brio has a small footprint measuring just 3,610mm in length, 1,680mm in width and 1,475 mm in height. Even though the Brio keeps the basic styling theme of the concept car, the pre-production prototype's design has been watered down with the new grille looking like a last minute addition and a not very attractive one at that.
Read more »BREAKING: 2012 Audi A6 Sedan Photos Leaked
We can now add the 2012 (or 2011, depending on your market) Audi A6 sedan to the long list of leaked reveals as the first pictures of the Ingolstadt's executive mid-sizer have surfaced on the Dutch car site Autoblog.nl. We’ll soon bring you a full plate of info on the all-new A6 sedan, but for now, you can check the full image gallery after the jump.
Being based on the more upscale A7 Sportback, it comes to no surprise that the new A6 looks like a sedan version of the first with a less curvalicious roofline and a more mundane rear-end that brings to mind the smaller A4 sedan. The similarities are far more evident in the interior as with a few exceptions aside such as the door panel detailing, the A6's cabin is identical to the A7 Sportback.
Read more »All-New Buick GL8 Minivan Fully Revealed, Only for China
After selling more than 330,000 units of the original Buick GL8 since 1999, General Motors unveiled an all-new version of its MPV model featuring several key improvements and innovations, destined exclusively for the China market. Built by the firm's Shanghai GM joint venture, the new GL8 is said to offer an "unmistakable Buick experience" - always according to the automaker.
“The new GL8 was developed by Shanghai GM in cooperation with the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai with the specific needs of our customers in mind”, said Terry Johnsson, Shanghai GM Vice President of Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. “It offers everything that consumers have come to expect from Buick, including a dynamic, smooth, quiet and comfortable ride. Like its predecessor, the new GL8 is the right product at the right time.”
Read more »Wimmer RS Brings a Surplus of Ponies to the Ariel Atom 3
Combine a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged Honda engine at the rear pushing out up to 300-horsepower with a lightweight construction that tips the scales at just 469 kg (1,034 pounds), and you don't need to be an expert to know that even in completely stock form, the Ariel Atom 3 is a one helluva pocket rocket.
Nevertheless, the tuning industry is always eager to push the limits on any type of vehicle. This time the culprit is Germany tuning house Wimmer RS, which has introduced a new power kit for the Atom 3 300.
Read more »Nissan Leaf Wins the 2011 European Car of the Year Award
While our readers favored the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in our poll, the jury of the 2011 European Car of the Year Award (COTY) announced that the Nissan Leaf is the winner, earning a total of 257 points. This is the first time in the 47-year history of the competition that the award goes to an electric vehicle.
“The jury acknowledged today that the Nissan LEAF is a breakthrough for electric cars. Nissan LEAF is the first EV that can match conventional cars in many respects”, said HĂĄkan Matson, President of the Jury, Car of the Year.
The Giulietta came in second with 248 points, while the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva took the bronze, with 244 points.
Read more »Fiat to Supply Opel with Commercial Vehicles Made in Turkey
In this day and age, automakers are either buying each other up forming new groups or constantly deepening their cooperation with their counterparts. The Fiat Group, which recently acquired a 20% stake in Chrysler, is now expanding its commercial vehicle joint ventures to include GM's European Opel and Vauxhall units.
The Italian company, which has a joint venture for larger LCVs with the PSA Peugeot-Citroen Group, has signed a contract agreement with GM to supply vehicles comprising of several variants to Opel starting from December 2011. The new model will replace the German firm's Combo light commercial vehicle, keeping the same name. The range will include a number of derivatives, such as cargo vans, passenger vehicles and chassis cabs.
Read more »Monday, November 29, 2010
2010 Mercedes-Benz Sport Cars Biome Concept
2012 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Exterior and Interior
The Engine
The Competition
When Can I Get One?
New Audi TT GT4 Concept with 340HP comes to Life at DTM Race in Shanghai
When we saw the Ginetta G55 GT4 class racecar, we were impressed. Packing a potent 370HP engine at an affordable price, it's good looking, too, even though for obvious reasons that matters a lot less in the world of motorsports. Now, Audi also wants a piece of the GT4 action. On the occasion of the DTM race in Shanghai, the German automaker presented the concept of a GT4 car based on the TT sports coupe. Read more »
Fiat's Split Into Two Groups Results in New Logos
In about a month's time, on the 1st of January 2011, Italy's Fiat will have completed the separation of its truck and tractor business from its car making operations. The split will result in the creation of two separate groups; Fiat SpA with a clear focus in the automobile sector, and Fiat Industrial SpA incorporating the firm's truck, commercial vehicles, agricultural and construction equipment, and related powertrain divisions. Read more »
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Porsche 911
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR
PERFORMANCE
PRICING
2007 Porsche 911 Turbo Competition
2007 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe by Vorsteiner
German firm, Vorsteiner, knows the Porsche and the 911 all too well, having done a number of aftermarket projects on the brand and the model in the past. This particular project is a 2007 model that is being sold with a pretty generous discount. We’re not going to reveal how much the price is until after the jump, but if you’re looking for a tuned-up Porsche done by an authority in aftermarket projects for the Stuttgart brand, you won’t find anybody else better than Vorsteiner.
VIDEO: 7.4-liter V8-Powered Polaris ATV from Hell
In general, Polaris is regarded as one of the best ATV makers in the world. However, not everyone agrees with their engine choices. For example, these folks had the crazy idea of fitting a GM-sourced 454 cui (7.4 liters) big block V8 on one of the firm's four-wheelers, thus creating the ATV from Hell. The Chevy engine with the dual Holley carburetors is matched to a 350 Turbo Transmission. Just hearing the V8 burble gives you the goose bumps. Check out the video after the break to see this beast in action.
Read more »
Saturday, November 27, 2010
2010 SUZUKI CONCEPT GSX-R4 VERSION
J'S RACING S2000 THE EXTREME HONDA
HONDA CR-Z ROADSTER DIE-CAST MODEL
Honda CR-Z Roadster Die-cast Begs the Question; Should it Become a Reality?
From what we know, Honda has no official plans to build a roadster version of its CR-Z hybrid coupe. But that hasn't stopped others from trying - even if in this case, we're talking about a scaled down die-cast model. Too bad we couldn't find any additional pictures of the toy-sized model, and especially of the rear end. If you happen to have any information and/or pictures, you know the drill... Follow the break and share your thoughts on whether or not Honda should create a two-seater drop top version of its CR-Z.
Read more »
Booth Ladies of the 2010 Essen Motor Show
Sharing the spotlight with myriads of modified production and concept cars at this year's edition of the Essen motor show in Germany, are the booth professionals, which are always strategically placed to draw the attention of the male crowd. Below you will find a photo collection of some of the ladies of this year's tuning show, which runs from November 27 to December 5. And for those of you wondering, the older tall blonde woman with the short hair and tight black outfit is none other than Dutch actress and TV persona, Brigitte Nielsen.
Read more »
2011 Porsche Sport Cars Cayman R