Aside from the recent dust-up over immigration law in , we’ve heard very little about America’s efforts on border patrol lately. Where once we heard all about fences, militia parties and night-vision, now the collective media consciousness is focused elsewhere. That doesn’t mean that the challenges facing border patrol have exactly evaporated, of course. The men and women charged with keeping an eye on the line between the U.S. and Mexico still face mile upon mile of some of the most grueling terrain on the planet, which is exactly why the Yuma Sheriff went ahead and ordered up a before the official government-issue fleet arrives.
Automobile Magazine’s Eszra Dyer decided to tag along with Major Leon Wilmot to see how the truck handles itself in an official capacity and just what this border patrol business is all about. As it turns out, the majority of the operation is concerned with large expanses of sand, moon dust, non-exploded ordinance and the cleverness of a people who want nothing more to outwit American law enforcement. If you’ve got a hot second, click over to Automobile for a quick read.
The Grand-Am Cup has changed names more times than Prince, but the series remains largely the same. Two classes run in the Continental Tires Sports Car Challenge – Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) – the former comprised of , and (among others), with the latter covering everything from Honda Civics to and .
Depending on the event, both classes run at the same time, which can make for some entertaining action. Such was the case at last month’s race at Mid-Ohio, where and his Camaro fought tooth-and-nail in the GS class. The on-track antics had us screaming expletives for the better part of three minutes. .
That’s the word from spokesperson Mike Michels on the automaker’s investigation of some 2,000 vehicles reported to suffer from unintended acceleration.
Speaking with TheNew York Times, Michels said that a small amount of Toyota vehicles had issues with sticking accelerators, while a large number of the cases involved the previously recalled floor mats interfering with the pedals. However, he notes, none of these cases have resulted in a crash.
More importantly, and seemingly in-line with that human error was likely the cause of most unintended acceleration claims, Michels says “in instances where they reported having their foot on the brake pedal, there is very clear evidence that this is pedal misapplication.”
Toyota says that its investigation into all the cases of unintended acceleration remains ongoing, and for its part, that it has reached “no conclusions” about the causes.
2009 Toyota Corolla XRS – Click above for high-res image gallery
has announced that it will voluntarily repair a number of issues that have arisen with 2001-2003 crossovers as well as certain 2009-2010 Matrix and vehicles. According to Reuters, around 235,500 RAV4 models will be repaired outside of a recall for a “hard shift” problem. Owners have complained that under certain circumstances, the vehicle’s transmission would either abruptly shift or otherwise fail to change gears properly. The culprit is typically a faulty engine control module, though in some cases, damage to the transmission may lead to outright replacement. Owners who have previously had to pay for this work out of pocket can apply for reimbursement.
Meanwhile, around 500,000 Matrix and Corolla models will be serviced for “steering drift.” The company hasn’t exactly elaborated on what that means, but as we ,Toyota hasn’t issued a recall because the automaker says that the issue doesn’t pose a danger to the vehicle’s occupants – this, despite reports of 18 crashes and 11 injuries. Instead, the Japanese manufacturer has labeled the steering problem a customer satisfaction issue. Like the RAV4, owners can have a fix performed free of charge.
Gallery:
Photos by Dan Roth / Copyright (C)2008 Weblogs, Inc.
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2011 Buick Regal television ad spot – Click above to watch the video
The has had a lot of premature exposure ahead of its on-sale date in the U.S. In fact, we’ve driven it not , not , but , and we’re fairly confident that has done right in letting us Yankees taste the goodness that is the .
is now starting its full Regal ad campaign in the States and the first television spot doesn’t hide the fact the Regal was honed in Germany before making its way to our shores. It certainly isn’t a bad thing to brag about. And as for Buick’s suggestion about creating an American Autobahn, consider our hands raised.
to watch the first television ad for the 2011 Regal. The official press release from GM is available for your reading pleasure, as well.
Click above for gallery of the graphics from J.D. Power and Associates
once again grabs the top spot (for the sixth time in a row) in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study. This year’s study asked 76,000 owners 90 days after purchasing their 2010 model-year cars “how gratifying their new vehicle is to own and drive.” The answer, for the first time since 1997, was that the domestic brands were more “appealing” as a whole than the imports (the domestics earned a score of 787 on a 1,000-point scale – 13 points greater than the imports).
When it comes down to specific awards (as shown in the ), leads with five. The automaker earned one each for the Expedition, Explorer Sport Trac, Flex, Fusion and Taurus. , , , and each garner two awards. The Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Avalanche, both segment leaders, are the only two models that ranked highest in the 2010 APEAL study and in the (IQS) announced in June. is credited with the greatest improvement this year, while drops one slot from last year’s and falls to the bottom of the list for 2010. Check out the gallery for the graphics, and read the full press release after the break.
2011 Ford Shelby GT500 – click above for high-res image gallery
We’ve just gotten off the horn with ’s SVT performance division, and we’ve learned that the Blue Oval’s hot-rod arm is going to limit production of the to 5,500 units for this model year. According to Ford spokesman Henry Platts, the move is not the result of slow sales, but rather a desire to maintain exclusivity. In fact, sales of Ford’s king of the range have “exceeded expectations,” with in excess of 3,300 orders already placed.
The 550-horsepower GT500 has not only been performing surprisingly well in a down economy, it’s been going out the door loaded-to-the sills with options. According to Platts, there have been three times as many GT500 coupes ordered with the $1995 glass roof option as compared to the regular Mustang. In the “News That Makes Us Happy” category comes word that a full 68 percent have been spec’d out with the $3,495 performance package (includes 19- and 20-inch painted forged alloys, 3.73 limited-slip, tuned suspension, Gurney flap rear spoiler, etc.), and additionally, 70 percent of all GT500s have been ordered with the $2,340 electronics package (navi, dual-zone HVAC and Sirius/HD radio). With the GT500 starting at an out-the-door price of $49,495 before options, we’re guessing that the GT500 is more than carrying its weight for Dearborn’s bottom line.
While Ford is limiting total output of the GT500 to 5,500 units for 2011, Platts says the automaker has no plans to dictate how that shakes out in the coupe/convertible bodystyle mix. That said, if you’ve been fence-sitting on whether to pick up a GT500 of your very own this year, might we suggest that you make up your mind… quickly.
2010 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
For every engineering stroke of genius out there, there are a million duds – projects that someone slaved over in good faith, only to realize that someone else had already come to market with a superior and/or more viable alternative. Both the electronic and automotive industries are awash with tales of second-place finishes in two-man races. Blu-ray vs. HD DVD, VHS vs. Betamax and vs. are all stories of outright champions and also-rans. It’s rarer, however, to see a company build and sell an ugly duckling right alongside the varsity all-stars of the family, which is exactly what has done with its 2010 Hybrid.
It’s clear that GM desperately wants to mix the seemingly unblendable worlds of full-size pickup trucks and hybrids with its electrified Silverado, and to some degree, they’ve succeeded. Yes, our tester has a bed, four-wheel drive and a meaty V8 up front. And yes, it packs an electric motor and a mammoth battery pack. But the finished product feels like the road-going equivalent of a spork – a utensil to be used as a last resort. The only problem is, there are far better alternatives, many of which are available from The General’s stable.
Gallery:
Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
: 2010 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid is all swing, all miss
When that crash data obtained by the U.S. Department of Transportation pegged the blame for Toyota’s unintended acceleration on drivers, one line stuck out:
“A NHTSA spokeswoman declined to comment on the findings, which haven’t been released by the agency.”
With no official word from the DOT or NHTSA on its findings in the case, the WSJ’s sources have been called into question.
According to an unnamed NHTSA spokeswomen speaking with Just-Auto, “The story was planted by Toyota. Toyota is the source – yes we know that for definite [sic]. It is [the] Toyota PR machine. We knew they were going to put it out.”
There’s no doubt Toyota is in close contact with the DOT and NHTSA, so there’s a good chance that Toyota has been privy to the findings ahead of their official release. However, until something official comes down from the Feds, the exact causes of unintended acceleration aren’t simply open and shut.
We’re in the process of contacting both NHTSA and Toyota about the story and will update you as more information is collected.
UPDATE: A NHTSA spokesperson has confirmed that the agency hasn’t released any information to the WSJ, but declined to comment if Toyota has gained advanced access to the agency’s findings.
UPDATE 2: A quotes NHTSA Administrator David Strickland as saying that the agency has “several more months of work” to complete before it can definitively come to a conclusion on the cause of unintended acceleration.
GM’s H50-1 ATD in action – Click above for high-res image gallery
has made an unusual donation to the Smithsonian: a . Well, not just any crashtest dummy. The company handed over its H50-1 anthromorphic testing device, or ATD, to the museum to help catalog the advancement of vehicle safety in this country. After a full 15 years of service, H50-1 was ready for retirement, and rather than spend his days playing shuffleboard, The General decided to allow him to continue educating by going on display at the National Museum for American History.
GM also donated a slew of other “safety artifacts” along with its ATD. According to the Smithsonian, GM’s dummy design helped to set the industry standard for crash safety research. While H50-1 was constructed as a stand-in for the typical male, the company says that it has over 200 ATD designs to represent every sort of vehicle occupant under the sun. We’d like to see that family portrait. for the full press release.
Come August 23, GMAC’s auto lending business will be brought under the Ally Financial banner. While GMAC had already rebranded its other financial divisions, the auto business still went by GMAC. The move continues GMAC’s distancing itself from its mothership, and if we read more into it, this could make it even clearer that Ally has to majority ownership by the automaker (GM still maintains a small stake in the company post-bankruptcy).
In its announcement, GMAC said it would continue to finance , , and Thor Industries buses and RVs, and that the name change would allow “the company to invest in a brand it owns while continuing to grow” the business of “serving dealers and their customers.” As long as those , at least.
Watch yourself, a whole lot of people sitting on the electric motorcycle fence are about to get knocked off. has just revealed the Empulse – a brand new naked street fighting machine with the ability to carry you to speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Not only is it fast, it also goes the distance, coming in a trio of range-differentiated models. The 6.0 is said to be able to cover 60 miles on average, the 8.0 for 80 and the 10.0 for, you guessed it, 100 rapturous miles. To paraphrase a popular meme, electric motorcycles just got real.
After top speed and range, the next question usually asked about electric tech is the price and this is another area where the bike surprises. The Empulse 6.0 starts at $9,995. If that seems a bit high, consider that’s $2,000 less than the price we were originally quoted for the when a couple years back. Add, or rather, subtract from that the different Federal and State incentives that have come into play and you could see the $13,995 cost for the 10.0 model drop to as low as $7,000.
There are still a lot of unreleased details about this road warrior. While we know the motor is liquid-cooled, we can’t yet give you numbers for the horsepower, torque or any of the battery pack specifics. We do expect we’ll have them for you long before the mid-2011 delivery date and perhaps as soon as July 24th. That’s when CEO Craig Bramscher will officially unveil the company’s latest creation at the 2010 Red Bull Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where the North American edition of the FIM e-Power series is taking place.
Of course, it would be somewhat lame to show up at an electric motorcycle race and not compete and Brammo is promising not to disappoint. They have entered the 15-team fray with an Empulse RR race bike in a quest for both gold and glory.
If you’re as impatient as us, you don’t have to wait until then to see the Empulse in action though. Simply for video of the new machine rolling along a sweet piece of highway and while you’re there, check out all the details in the official press release. Game on.
Chevrolet’s Spark Some Fun commercial – Click above to watch video
Europe has posted a call for commercial ideas at Idea Bounty. You, in the role of Creative Agency, are tasked with composing a brief for the Bowtie brand’s next spot that will “communicate that Chevrolet is both passionate and practical.” If your idea is chosen, Chevrolet has enlisted the services of and producer John Landau to turn that idea “into a consumer facing TV ad.”
There’s quite a bit of background for you to get through first, making sure that you know Chevrolet “cars inspire passion in our customers lives everyday” and that the company believes people “buy our cars because they want a trusted partner to stand behind them, doing the everyday things with a little more flair and enjoyment.” Once you get that locked in, your job is to write a 30- to 60-second script that shows “that the Chevrolet brand and it’s vehicles are both passionate and practical.”
You need to register at Idea Bounty for the complete specs, but you’ll find samples of the kind of creativity Chevrolet wants . You have until August 9 to prove you’re one of the best Mad Men out there. Thanks for the tip, Stacey!
2011 Infiniti G25 in China – Click above for high-res image gallery
Finally caught where the eyes of the general population can see it, the posed for a few photos at a Chinese dealership, and from the outside it’s hard to distinguish the entry-level Infiniti from the 3.7-liter V6-powered .
As you might guess from the name, the entry-level G25 has a 2.5-liter version of the VQ-Series V6 that produces 232 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque. Interestingly enough, it’s also possible to get this same powerplant in the Chinese-market crossover as… you guessed it, the EX25. For its part, the G25 is also starting to become available in select additional markets including Russia.
At the moment, there is no word about any plans for either model to be launched in North America.
Chopard GT XL Chrono Alfa Romeo (above) and table clock (below right) – Click either image for high-res image gallery
In a field of automotive-inspired wristwatches, one marque stands above the rest as the connoisseur’s choice: Chopard. From its ongoing sponsorship and participation in the annual revival rally to exquisite timepieces like the , Chopard’s made a name for itself among lovers of classic cars. And this year they celebrate their 150th anniversary, conveniently in the same year as Alfa Romeo marks their 100th.
To celebrate, Chopard has rolled out not just a single model, but a whole line of timepieces honoring Alfa Romeo. The range includes the Gran Turismo XL Alfa Romeo and the GT XL Chono Alfa Romeo (available in either stainless steel of carbon-coated steel), both of which feature COSC-certified in-house automatic movements, 46-hour power reserve, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, 44mm cases and Chopard’s signature vintage Dunlop-inspired rubber straps. Only 500 of each of the three variants will be offered, along with a table clock in PVD-coated steel and a black leather, red-stitched case, and an additional travel alarm clock.
All in all, not a bad way to celebrate a birthday. Read about ‘em in the press release after the jump and take a closer look in the gallery below.
During the first quarter of 2010, Russian automaker Avtovaz lost 2.6 billion rubles ($85M U.S.). In the second quarter it made almost a third of that back when it posted a net profit of one billion rubles ($32.7M U.S). The spike came courtesy of Russia’s cash-for-clunkers program, which more than doubled the firm’s sales over Q1 numbers to 149,100 cars.
The cars that sold were reported to be mainly “older and cheaper models.” In response, Russian Prime MInister Vladimir Putin advised Avtovaz CEO Igor Komarov to modernize the company, rather than flogging ancient Lada designs even if the flogging is good. Komarov said Avtovaz is sending a team of 500 to methods, which could mean they’re finally broached almost a year ago. Now if we could just get that built…
2011 BMW X3 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Behold the 2011 BMW X3. It’s longer, wider and taller than its predecessors, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it looks remarkably similar to the last X3.
Naturally, twin-kidney grille is affixed up front, but like the and , it’s more upright and slightly larger than before. The lower air dam is slightly chiseled while staying true to BMW’s recent organic shapes, and the wider headlamps come equipped with “Corona Rings” and optional Xenon bulbs.
Viewed in profile, the outgoing X3’s slab sides have been augmented with a character line running aft of the front wheels and kicking up over the rear fenders, while an upswept D-pillar compliments the redesigned LED taillamps and subtle crease over the rear-mounted Roundel. All in, the new X3 (F25) is half an inch taller, 3.36 inches longer and 1.1 inches wider with a half-inch increase in ground clearance. In keeping with tradition, it’s a “lifestyle” vehicle first with no pretenses of hardcore off-roading.
Like the outside, the interior is a subtle evolution of its forebear, with a staid German style balancing functionality and form. The joystick-style transmission lever carries over from BMW’s most recent models, along with an 8.8-inch iDrive-controlled screen and a redesigned steering wheel with aluminum accents on the paddle shifters and lower spoke. With the rear seats set in place, rear cargo volume comes in at 19 cubic feet, growing to 56.6 cubes with the 60:40 rear seats folded flat.
The entry-level X3 xDrive28i comes equipped with BMW’s naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline six rated at 240 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque, allowing BMW’s best-selling ‘ute to sprint to 60 in 6.7 seconds – about a half second quicker than the outgoing model. Step up for the X3 xDrive35i and you’re basking in 300 hp and 300 lb-ft provided by BMW’s new single-turbo N55 inline-six. The 0-60 run clocks in at a claimed 5.5 seconds, with a top speed of 150 mph when kitted out with the optional Sport package.
Channeling that power to the ground is a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox with wider spreads and taller cruising gears to keep fuel economy in check, while standard all-wheel drive splits torque 40:60 front-to-rear thanks to an electronically controlled multi-disc diff and a host of other gizmos.
The MacPherson front struts have been redeveloped along with the multi-link rear suspension, while an optional electronic damping control adapts to the road and driver inputs. Normal, Sport and Sport Plus modes are mounted next to the gear selector, tweaking throttle response, transmission shifts, steering assist, DSC settings and suspension firmness.
The newest electronic system for the X3 is the Performance Control feature, which shuffles 80 percent of the torque to the rear under steady-state throttle. Like Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, the BMW’s system brakes the inside rear wheel and powers the outside roller to curb understeer and provide a more neutral driving feeling.
Production of the X3 will remain at BMW’s Spartanburg, SC plant and sales are set to begin towards the end of the year. for the full details and check out the positively massive gallery of images below.
Perana Z-One – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Zagato Perana Z-One debuted in Geneva in March of 2009, a custom-built, limited-production, -powered coupe with Italian styling by Zagato and slated to be built by South African manufacturing firm Hi-Tech. Up until now we weren’t sure the rolling masterpiece would ever be sold in the States, but we’ve finally received word that Superformance has been named the exclusive U.S. distributor and that the American version will debut at the Concorso Italiano event this August. Apparently there was strong enough demand from American buyers to allocate 99 units per year to sales in the Colonies.
The Perana will be priced “under $100,000″ and can be ordered with either the 436-horsepower E-rod LS3 or the 505-horsepower LS7 from the . Either will be backed by a six-speed manual transmission and a ZF limited slip differential. There will be an available brake upgrade and color choices inside and out, but other than that, the options list will be short. Not that the car will be lacking in amenities. The cockpit is swathed in leather and Alcantara, and a navigation-equipped infotainment system will be standard. Besides the anticipated performance capabilities of this 2,800-pound GT, owners get exclusivity and a body designed by the same crew that brought us the , , , and . We’ll be sure to get as many pics as possible during our annual Monterey coverage next month. For now, check out the live and studio shots below.
The Audi A5 marks the return of the personal luxury coupe, and with a fuel-efficient four-pot, it’s a premium blend of frugality and class.
IndyCar has picked Dallara as the new chassis manufacturer for the 2012 season and the decision has the potential to finally make the series more appealing to both fans and advertisers.
The race-prepped version of Ferrari’s newest masterpiece has finally been revealed, and well-heeled gentlemen racers have a lot to look forward to.
Come August 23, GMAC’s auto lending business will be brought under the Ally Financial 
