has announced its racing activities for 2010. And while Formula One has already been removed from the program, the Japanese automaker has plenty going on in other disciplines, including the domestic Super GT series, Formula Nippon, NASCAR and…what’s that? The Nürburgring 24 Hours.
As you may recall, Toyota’s division took prototypes to the ‘Ring in both 2008 and 2009 for the round-the-clock race to help drum up some excitement and give the prototypes some competition testing. Since then, the LFA has gone from concept car to race car to production car and is now going back to endurance racer for this year’s event.
The pair of cars, now based on the production LFA, will be fielded once again by Gazoo Racing, piloted by a roster of Japanese and German drivers with a wealth of experience between them in sportscar racing. They’ll be supported by Toyota factory personnel, potentially to include once again company president Akio Toyoda.
The announcement comes hot on the heels of the similar news regarding a track-oriented LFA special edition, reportedly bearing the Nürburgring name as well. The race takes place in May, but in the meantime, you can check out the press release after the jump and the fresh images in the gallery below.
Of all the fictitious captains of industry and superheroes ever to grace the silver screen, Tony Stark’s got to be one of our favorites. Why? Well aside from flying around the world in his super-suit and kickin’ terrorist butt, he’s also a hardcore car guy. Just look at the , Saleen S7 and the poor old Shelby Cobra he nearly ruined in the first episode. Now the sequel is almost upon us, and Tony is taking to the track in a Stark Industries-sponsored single-seater. (See for yourself in the trailer .) But though the company and its eponymous chief may be fictitious, that won’t stop them from actually sponsoring a real race car of their own.
As you can see from the photo above, Iron Man 2 will be sponsoring Stephan Verdier’s Crawford Performance-prepped Impreza in this season’s Formula Drift series. That’s nothing new: Movies, superhero movies especially, often sponsor racing teams. (Just check out David Coulthard on the podium in a superman cape or to see what we mean.) But if you look closer, you’ll see the Stark logo on the quarter-panel. So while we wait to see Stark’s on-screen heroics in the upcoming movie, we can enjoy Verdier’s on-track heroics in Formula D as well. Top Tip, Andy!
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn with Leaf EV – Click above for high-res image gallery
Will ’s upcoming electric car compete directly with the ? Well, that depends on who you ask. Apparently, Nissan head Carlos Ghosn doesn’t believe the two eco-friendly automobiles will be competing on a large scale. Says Ghosn:
“Frankly, I mean so far there is no competition. Let’s be serious. It’s not because someone is coming with a prototype and one car that this is competition. The question is how much capacity are you building… What I am sure is that in 2011, I am going to be the only one on the market.”
Ghosn wasn’t necessarily referring directly to the Chevy Volt when he made those comments at the Geneva Motor Show, but the sentiment would surely include ‘ extended-range electric vehicle by proxy. We’d imagine that a good deal of Leaf or Volt buyers would consider the other car a competitor for their hard-earned dollars.
If the issue between the two electric cars is production numbers, Nissan certainly takes the (currently theoretical) win as it plans to build 500,000 Leaf EVs by 2012. By way of contrast, GM has been mum on actual production goals for its Volt program, but we know the initial launch at the end of 2010 will be a comparatively small one.
When it was first announced that the 5.0-liter engine was making a return to the , none of us here at Autoblog were really that concerned with the fuel economy. We were all about the horsepower, and at 412 ponies underneath the hood, the 5.0 doesn’t disappoint. , however, was thinking about appearances and earth-hugging as well, and managed to make the 2011 Mustang even more efficient than the 2010 model despite all that extra extra power. According to the numbers released today, the new Mustang GT gets 17 miles-per-gallon city and 26 mpg highway with the six-speed manual and 18/25 mpg with the six-speed automatic.
These numbers are not only a huge improvement from the 2010 Mustang with the 4.6-liter V8 (15/23 mpg w/manual, 15/22 mpg w/automatic), but they also best the figures achieved by the SS – 16/24 mpg when equipped with a manual and 16/25 mpg with the automatic. As reported earlier, the 2011 Mustang V6 claims top honors against its Camaro counterpart as well with an in six-speed automatic form.
So what accounts for the improved fuel economy despite the increase in displacement and horsepower? According to Ford, having an extra gear in the car’s transmissions play a large role in addition to the Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) that can quickly adjust the intake and exhaust valves. Read more about the Mustang’s powertrain improvements for 2011 after the break.
Whenever introduces a new model, chances are that the folks at Abt Sportsline are going to get their hands on one. The German company has been tuning Volkswagens and Audis since the 1970s and has enjoyed success racing the in DTM and more recently the new . Needless to say, Abt knows how to properly modify cars bearing the four rings.
Abt’s latest project is the droptop version of the . Visually the car gets a new front grille, front fascia with carbon fiber spoiler, side sills, rear fascia, rear spoiler and lightweight five-spoke wheels. Even more importantly, the 5.2-liter V10 has been massaged to provide 600 horsepower, good for 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph. Finally, Abt provides a sport suspension system for improved handling. Follow the jump for full details and browse through the high-res gallery below.
Audi A8 Hybridconcept – Click above for high-res image gallery
Thanks to the Group’s strategy to be the leading player in the alternative-powertrain market within the next decade, has announced a rapid expansion of hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years. The German automaker wants to improve efficiency of its internal combustion engines (both gasoline and diesel) by 30 percent – and it wants five percent of the brand’s model line to be electric. “In the future, our customers will be able to choose from an increasingly broad range of driveline technologies,” said Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.
Joining the sedan, shown in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show, will be the Hybrid arriving on its next-generation platform within the next two years. That will be accompanied by the soon-to-be-launched Hybrid crossover. Audi intends to brand its “e-tron” name to represent the company’s electronic mobility lineup (just like it did with “quattro” – now synonymous with all-wheel drive). Unlike its competitor , which is working on smaller commuter-type urban-based EVs, Audi is engineering its vehicles for a more expensive niche. The new models are expected to debut in 2012.
The all-new Touareg lightens up and flies right with new powertrains, more amenities and a features list that could finally endear it to U.S. buyers.
We’ll never understand people’s penchant for posting their illegal endeavors on YouTube, and one GT-R owner is learning the hard way that publicizing your crash isn’t the best way to make an insurance claim.
We got the scoop and now we’ve got the details. Lexus is readying a limited edition LFA that’s tuned for the track and inspired by the supercar’s Nürburgring experiences.
Also of interest:
cannibalizing sales of the Corvette?
investigation of runaway Prius begins to answer questions
Volkswagen Type 2 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Many automakers will build cars for decades and never create a product that can truly be considered a cultural icon. Few that do produce multiple such models. One of those is .The original Beetle/Bug/Type 1 is recognizable almost anywhere and even by people that know nothing about cars. The Beetle itself spawned another icon in the form of the ), a vehicle that is celebrating its diamond anniversary in 2010.
Like the original Bug, the Microbus had an air-cooled flat-four cylinder engine hanging off the back of the rear axle. The front seats were moved up over the front axle creating a format that was eventually copied by Ford, Dodge, General Motors and countless Japanese automakers.
Over sixty years, the bus became the ride of choice for surfers, hippies and iconoclasts everywhere. Many surviving examples from the 1960s are still hauling surfboards and Deadheads today. In the 1980s, the third-generation bus morphed into the still-loved but less iconic Vanagon, with emissions standards forcing the adoption of water cooling in 1983. The last of the rear-engined VW vans ceased production in 1992. A tip of the hat to Brooks!
Anthony Lo (center) works on the design for the Saab Aero X Concept
According to a report from Car Design News, , Director of Advanced Design at Europe, has resigned his post to join as Vice President of Exterior Design.
Lo has been credited with such interesting and well-regarded concept vehicles as the from the 2006 Geneva Motor Show and the Opel Flextreme from the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. Apparently, he has a thing for unique vehicle entry systems and rear-mounted Segway Transporters.
Shortly after his graduation from the Royal College of Art’s Vehicle Design program, Lo began his career at Lotus in England. Later, Lo moved to Audi and then Mercedes-Benz before taking his last position with General Motors. Quite a career path, no? And it should be interesting to see what he churns out under Carlos Ghosn’s watch.
Easy come, easy go. Only it was anything but an easy arrival for USF1, the highly anticipated and much-hyped American grand prix team that was slated to hit the grid this past weekend for . And in the end, much as , the team to make it.
FIA president Jean Todt had dispatched his technical chief Charlie Whiting to assess where things stood at USF1 headquarters in South Carolina, and reported back on the construction of several cars at the factory. As it turns out, that wasn’t enough to get them to the starting grid and joining , and HRT which did.
According to reports, USF1’s management is still holding out hope that they could join the grid for next season. In order to do so, they’d have to retain a workforce that largely blames the team’s two principals – Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson – for misleading and mismanaging the team’s entry, re-apply through a selection process which the FIA intends to re-open for next season, and face possibly penalties from its World Motor Sports Council.
2010 Saab 9-3X – Click above for high-res image gallery
While newly emancipated has some fresh product in its near-term pipeline, it’s fair to say that the biggest challenge for the Swedish automaker over the long haul will be the development of costly new technologies and platforms. To that end, Spyker CEO Victor Muller has let slip to Automotive News Europe that Saab is actively looking at technology sharing arrangements with other OEMs – and they aren’t just looking in former parent ‘ direction.
More to the point, Muller says that Saab has already been contacted by around a half-dozen OEMS, including “some German brands,” although the unnamed Deutsch companies are said to exclude and . Saab presently has production and intellectual property agreements in place with GM to keep fresh product flowing through the rollout of its next-generation 9-3 in 2012, but after that line launches, it could receive parts developed from outside partners, including things like new powertrains, and potentially down the road, platforms.
In other company news, GMAC has been selected as the preferred source of financing for Saab franchises, providing a bit of continuity to the company’s dealer base, as GMAC was also a major source of new car financing under GM. You can read the official announcement after the jump and check out our newly expanded gallery of the 9-3X below.
Need for Speed SHIFT Exotic Racing Series DLC – Click above for high-res image gallery
Playstation3 gamers: If you were disappointed that only XBox 360 players got the for Need for Speed SHIFT, take heart, because the next one’s got your name on it, too. The Exotic Racing Series pack is being released by EA for both platforms (though not for PC, PSP or mobile platforms) on March 18, with some of the most alluring machinery this side of Maranello.
Included in the downloadable content package are the McLaren MP4-12C and SLR Stirling Moss, the and , , Gumpert Apollo and Acura NSX. The DLC costs $10 (or equivalent points) on either XBox Live or PlayStation Network, and also includes an array of new events and track layouts. Video and press release , screen shots in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Andrey!
walked a fine line this afternoon when it revealed that its own two-day investigation of near San Diego, CA had reached the same conclusion as the . That is, the brakes on Jim Sikes’ 2008 Toyota Prius should have been able to stop the car. Toyota did not, however, go so far as to call Sikes a liar.
The investigation determined that the front brake pads were worn so far down from overheating that the rotors were scraping the pads’ metal backings. According to investigators, this could have only happened if the brake pedal were applied lightly (less than 50% or so) for an extended period of time, not pressed firmly to the floor as Sikes claimed he was doing. Only by “dragging” the brakes lightly could they become so overheated and worn, as firmly pressing the brake pedal while the car is accelerating would engage the brake override system that cuts engine power.
Though asked repeatedly if they had concluded that Sykes was lying, representatives for Toyota insisted that was not their judgment to make and they could only say that the investigation’s findings were not consistent with the scenario that Sikes describes.
Follow the jump for Toyota’s official statement in which it details all eight points of its findings.
Lynch Hummer dealership in Chesterfield, Missouri – Click above for image gallery
You’ve heard of art imitating life? Well how about life imitating war? That’s another story entirely, but not so far fetched when it comes to the . The sport-’ute that met the public eye during Operation Desert Storm has all but completely gone through its entire life cycle in the intervening years: first as a military-only vehicle, the original model became available to the public, then GM bought the rights and started churning out pickup-based H2s and H3s, the U.S. armed forces went back Iraq, the original H1 was discontinued and now GM is preparing to wind down the brand entirely. But not before one last pistol-shootin’ hoorah, courtesy of the one dealership that arguably sees the truck for what it is more than any other: Lynch Hummer.
The St. Louis-area franchise last year when they started filling their emptying showroom with gun racks, selling firearms to make up for dwindling sales in the gigantic SUVs. Now the dealership is connecting the dots with a one-of-a-kind promotion: Buy a Hummer, get a free shotgun.
The Browning Citori White Lightning is worth $2,000, and one will be given away with each purchase of a new Hummer. Fortunately, the same legal measures apply to the promotion as they would to anyone buying a new firearm, but if you’re looking for a one-stop shop to jump-start your own private militia, Lynch Hummer is clearly the place. Details in the press release after the jump.
2011Hyundai Sonata – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s no secret that has been enjoying a healthy dose of praise lately, especially with fresh new products like the , and garnering a lot of media attention. But it isn’t just the press that thinks Hyundai is on a roll – Kelley Blue Book now reports that the automaker now holds the Number One spot in brand loyalty, with 56.3 percent of Hyundai owners looking within the brand for new car purchases. continues to hold the second place rank at 55.8 percent, and Toyota, in light of its recent recall woes, is down 4.4 percentage points to 53.3 percent, putting it in the third place spot.
Furthermore, the Sonata is now KBB’s fifth most-researched new vehicle, mostly due to the hype surrounding the stylish new 2011 model. The only vehicles ahead of it on the list are perennial mainstays, such as the Honda Civic, Accord, and .
KBB market analysts believe that Hyundai should continue to promote its attractive new products, competitive price points and great warranty program in order to keep the momentum going (duh). These analysts also suggest that domestic automakers ( and , specifically) will prove to be Hyundai’s biggest competition in the near future, as these brands are set to roll out a host of new products to win over consumers. Follow the jump to read the full details in KBB’s press release.
Nobody knows like Mattias Ekström. The Swedish driver has been campaigning four-ringed racing machines in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters series (DTM, Germany’s touring car championship) for the past nine years, and has taken the title twice. Who better, then, to put the latest performance Audi through its paces?
Having come up through the touring car ladder, Ekström may know tin-tops, but open cockpits are a novelty for him. The Spyder, with its 5.2-liter V10 engine running at full bore, sounds – and looks – like a good place to start. Follow to see Ekström and the R8 do the sideways thing through an underground parking lot, complete with dub-tastic dialogue. Thanks for the tip, Braun!
2011 Infiniti M – Click above for high-res image gallery
Take a look at the line-up compared to other top-tier luxury automakers and something’s missing. Nissan’s luxury arm hasn’t had biggie-sized luxo-barge after the brand killed the Q45 in 2006, and it doesn’t look like a replacement is coming anytime soon.
Speaking with Automotive News, Toru Saito, Infiniti’s veep of global business contends that the recently released will “play a flagship role” for the automaker going forward, and judging by the dimensions of the new M – which comes in around the same size as the old Q – he’s partially right.
Despite matching , , and point-for-point on its entry-level and mid-size models, Infiniti’s offerings have always straddled segments. The is noticeably larger than the , , IS and C-Class, while the M – which would traditionally take on the , and – has grown considerably since it’s last iteration.
According to Saito, if there’s significant demand for a larger vehicle in Infiniti’s line-up, the automaker will consider reviving the Q, but for now “the No. 1 challenge is the environment and efficiency.”
Britain is rife with cottage-industry sportscar-makers, but two are joining forces as racing manufacturer Ginetta has reportedly acquired supercar start-up Farbio.
The Farbio GTS was the brainchild of one Arash Farboud, who since divested from the venture to build his own Arash AF10. Farbio was left to operate independently, launching various versions of the GTS over the past couple years of operation. The company’s acquisition gives Ginetta – known principally for its racing cars – a ready-made supercar offering to add to its portfolio, as well as a second factory with an in-house carbon fiber manufacturing facility. The unit will continue to operate more or less independently, however, with current Farbio chief Chris Marsh (previously with Marcos, another British sportscar-maker) remaining at the helm.
The Farbio GTS will be rebranded as a Ginetta product (the top-spec Farbio GTS400 renamed the Ginetta F400, for example), and pricing is expected to remain the same for the time being. Ginetta, however, feels that the chassis could accommodate more power, and while Farbio’s marketing strategy placed emphasis on Japan and the Middle East, Ginetta hopes to increase its market share domestically in the UK. Plans are also reportedly afoot to bring the supercar to the North American market, with a homologation team en route Stateside to begin the certification process.
Britain is rife with cottage-industry sportscar-makers, but two are joining forces as racing manufacturer Ginetta has reportedly acquired supercar start-up Farbio.
The Farbio GTS was the brainchild of one Arash Farboud, who since divested from the venture to build his own Arash AF10. Farbio was left to operate independently, launching various versions of the GTS over the past couple years of operation. The company’s acquisition gives Ginetta – known principally for its racing cars – a ready-made supercar offering to add to its portfolio, as well as a second factory with an in-house carbon fiber manufacturing facility. The unit will continue to operate more or less independently, however, with current Farbio chief Chris Marsh (previously with Marcos, another British sportscar-maker) remaining at the helm.
The Farbio GTS will be rebranded as a Ginetta product (the top-spec Farbio GTS400 renamed the Ginetta F400, for example), and pricing is expected to remain the same for the time being. Ginetta, however, feels that the chassis could accommodate more power, and while Farbio’s marketing strategy placed emphasis on Japan and the Middle East, Ginetta hopes to increase its market share domestically in the UK. Plans are also reportedly afoot to bring the supercar to the North American market, with a homologation team en route Stateside to begin the certification process.
Maybach Landaulet – Click above for high-res image gallery
If a recent report out of the UK is to be believed, is set to get the axe in the very near future. However, as a last hurrah, all three models from the ultra-luxury division of (57, 62 and Landaulet) will receive facelifts this year. The last round of top-zoot Maybachs will debut in late April at the Beijing Motor Show. Expect the changes to the lineup to be very minor – new grilles and LED lights should be about the only differences from the sedans currently on sale.
So, why kill off Maybach? Ever since the brand was resurrected in 2002, it has suffered from very slow sales. Not surprising, considering the high price tags, comparatively low content levels and the hard financial times the world has fallen on in recent years. Furthermore, parent company Mercedes-Benz has big plans to expand the S-Class range, which includes adding more upmarket versions which should fill the void of Maybach’s current offerings. Look for the new S-Class to arrive in 2014, along with a fully updated version of the R-Class people-mover, as well.
