You don’t have to be a pollster to know that for the most part, the American public remains none too happy about the federal government handing over the people’s hard-earned tax dollars to pull and out of the fires of insolvency. Despite the fact that both companies have managed to keep their lights on, doors open and paychecks flowing due to their generous federal loans, Joe Plumber still can’t stand the thought of paying the price of the two companies’ failures. With midterm elections right around the corner, President Obama is in Detroit to attempt to sway that opinion.
The Commander-in-Chief will speak to crowds at Chrysler’s Jefferson North plant about the positive side of loaning close to $85 billion to two of our country’s largest automakers, including the fact that in 2010, the Big Three have re-hired a total of 55,000 of the 334,000 workers it sent packing a year prior. That may seem like a fraction of the total, but the President is certain to point out that without the loans, that job loss figure would have been much higher.
And then there’s the matter of getting the federal government’s money back. is also focusing on sharing his belief that a large majority of the country’s money will be returned once GM and Chrysler go public once again.
Interested in keeping tabs on Obama’s visit to Motown? The Detroit Free Press has a liveblog that you can follow along with (including live audio) by clicking .
Engine downsizing has now come to the almost top-of-the-line with the adoption of AMG’s new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8. The new direct-injected V8 bumps output up from a mere 518 horsepower to 571 horsepower along with generating 663 pound-feet of torque between 2,250 and 3,750 rpm. That’s sufficient to propel this behemoth to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds in normal trim or 4.4 seconds if you opt for the AMG sports package.
The 2011 S63 also swaps out its previous torque converter automatic transmission for the multi-clutch unit from the SL63, a move which should lend it a more sporting feel. Just as other automakers get both performance and efficiency benefits from boosted direct-injected engines, the S63’s combine fuel economy numbers have jumped from 16.3 miles per gallon (U.S.) to 22.4 mpg on the EU test cycle. The EPA numbers aren’t yet available, but we would expect a similar real-world increase from the 2010 model’s 14 mpg, though perhaps a bit smaller since the EPA’s testing methodology won’t show any benefits from the S63’s new automatic start-stop feature. Official press release and driving footage video , spanking new high-res gallery below.
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[Source: Mercedes-Benz]
-Benz unveils 2011 S63 AMG with twin-turbo 5.5L V8 [w/video]
Funny car checkup yields some unexpected excitement – Click above to watch video
If you aren’t terrified on some primordial level of the funny car class, odds are it’s only a matter of time before natural selection comes a-callin’. Most funnies run a variation on the 500 cubic-inch, supercharged big-block formula while slurping down nitromethane/methanol fuel by the drum. No one’s exactly sure how much power these suckers dish out, but estimates in the 8,000 pony range are typically considered conservative. Yeah. Wrap your noggin around that one for half a second. The whole concoction is designed to hold together just long enough scoot down the eighth or , so it should come as no surprise that accidents happen.
We don’t want to blow the surprise for you (you’ll have to for that), but according to the video’s YouTube comments, the son of the driver was beginning to check his dad’s car over one last time when the vehicle’s supercharger broke a stud. to see what happened next.
2010 Lexus ES 350 – Click above for high-res image gallery
The entry-level luxury sedan segment doesn’t command the enthusiast attention of, say, the ultra-premium luxury sports sedan. But if you ask automakers to choose between the two, we’d wager that most would rather have a best-in-class $35,000 sedan than a world-beating $70,000 sports tourer.
The reason? Very few fortunes are made selling a few thousand highfalutin’ rocket launchers, but bottom lines can easily be bolstered or crippled based on the success or failure of a plush, high-volume cruiser. Luxury marques from to have experienced varied levels of success at the low end of the luxury market, but few have enjoyed the consistent sales dominance of the Lexus ES. In the past decade, has cranked out over 600,000 copies in the U.S. alone, with another 650,000 units shipped around the world. And those sales have traditionally been overwhelmingly of the retail variety with little or no incentives. Not bad for what many consider a glorified .
Enthusiasts take note: Lexus didn’t reach such lofty sales levels with a rear-wheel-drive architecture or pavement-punishing quantities of horsepower. The road map to success for the ES has been simple: a soft, compliant ride; a pampering interior; and unmatched quality. The fifth-generation ES350 has built nicely on those attributes with smoother power, a quieter cabin and more technology. But the competition is still striving to overtake the ES in sales, so Lexus has gone and given its top-selling sedan a mid-cycle refresh for 2010. We spent a week in a Starfire Pearl ES350 to see if it still had the goods to remain a top option in the entry-level luxury segment.
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Photos by Chris Shunk / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
: 2010 Lexus ES 350 is soft-riding royalty that’s lost its crown
2011 Toyota Tacoma TRD TX Pro – Click above for high-res image gallery
If you’re like us, you’d probably do all manner of unspeakable acts to be able to call the your very own. Unfortunately, FoMoCo isn’t in the business of accepting black market kidneys as payment, which has left us without a desert stomping pickup in the driveway. Fortunately, has come out of left field with a stopgap savior in the form of its new 2011 Tacoma TX and TX Pro models. The packages are built around the TX concept from the 2009 SEMA show, and pack much of the hardware we saw on that particular show truck.
Both packages are available on the Tacoma V6 Access Cab or Double Cab Prerunner models that are equipped with the TRD off-road package. In addition to the sweet electronic locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks and Rugged Trail rubber, the TX package throws in 16-inch blacked-out beadlock wheels and black tube side steps among other good-looking pieces. Step it up to the TX Pro, and you’re also rewarded with a TRD cat-back exhaust.
Both trims cost $1,699 and represent a savings of over $700 compared to if you’d simply raided the TRD catalog yourself. The TX and TX Pro packages may not put you on the same level as Ford’s mad hatter, but it’s a start. for the press release and check out our massive gallery below.
Up until now, anyone with an iPhone or Blackberry and a vehicle with a Viper alarm system could control a range of features from their SmartStart-equipped smartphone. Now Viper is extending that functionality to Google-powered devices through its free app in the Android Marketplace.
Vehicles equipped with the SmartStart hardware can start their engines remotely, pre-warm or pre-cool the insides and, depending on the implementation, lock and unlock doors, pop the trunk and arm their vehicle through their phones. If a baddy cracks the window, an alert is sent to the smartphone and if you’ve got more than one vehicle equipped with the hardware/software combo, you can keep tabs on all your rides through the system.
Full details in the cheese-laden video and accompanying press release
2010 Toyota 4Runner – Click above for high-res image gallery
Cars and trucks here in the U.S. are being invaded by more efficient four-cylinder engines. Both the and , for example, feature four-pot-only lineups. Even the 4,800-pound has an entry-level 2.7-liter four. Well, at least the off-road-ready Toyota did offer a four-banger for one model year.
Motor Trend is reporting that will discontinue the four-cylinder model from the 2011 4Runner lineup due to an anemic take rate of less than 10 percent. That’s pretty amazing given the fact that the V6 option costs nearly $4,000 more than the four-cylinder model, but the power and fuel economy stats tell the whole story. The downsized engine option only provides 157-horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. That’s down a whopping 113 ponies and 100 lb-ft compared to the optional 4.0-liter V6, while combined fuel economy is within one mile-per-gallon of the more powerful engine.
If taking away 1.3-liters and 113-horsepower only nets you a fuel economy gain of one measly mpg, we can’t blame customers for overwhelmingly opting for the far more powerful V6. And we really with a 4.0-liter equipped 4Runner, too, so we’re thinking the extra money is well-spent.
Gallery:
Photos by Chris Shunk / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
2011Nissan Rogue – Click above for high-res image gallery
The 2011 Nissan Rogue is a getting a slight efresh when it goes on sale in mid-August. The most obvious external changes are a nose job that brings with it an eggcrate grille shaped more like the one on its bigger Murano sibling, along with new pockets around the foglamps that give the front a more sculpted appearance and revised front and rear spoilers. 18-inch wheels are also newly available for the SL and S Krōm Edition models. The exterior alterations strike us as subtle but handsome, particularly the new grille, which minimizes the odd ‘chrome bucktooth’ look of the 2010 model.
Perhaps the more important changes outside the vehicle are of the type that only James May would be likely to notice: spats in front of the wheels and a new underbody tray cut the aerodynamic drag and contribute to 1 mpg improvements in both the city and highway fuel economy numbers. The front-wheel-drive model is now EPA rated at 22/28 mpg while the all-wheel-drive variant manages 22/26 mpg. Inside, the Rogue doesn’t look much different but does get upgraded entertainment systems.
The 2011 gets its first public showing this weekend at the annual Z Car Convention in Nashville, TN.
Toyota FT-HS Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
What’s in a name? Well now, that’d depend on the name, wouldn’t it? For instance, while both are sporty cars from , there’s a big difference to Blue Oval fans when discussing the merits of the Ford versus the Ford Probe. When talk turns to , the name that conjures up the most memories in the hearts and minds of enthusiasts is ‘Supra.’
Despite all this, the Japanese automaker inexplicably let its trademark for the iconic Supra moniker pass by in 2006. Luckily, nobody tried to punish Toyota by trying to snap up the name, and now the chance is over. According to Car and Driver, Toyota has reapplied for the trademark on the Supra name, and now has three years to make use of it.
This revelation just so happens to coincide with reports that Toyota president Akio Toyoda wants “to see the next Supra tested in the near future.” Kinda makes you wonder, doesn’t it? We’re thinking that it’s unlikely that Toyota would use the Supra name for its long-anticipated FT-86 revival, so we’ll of course be keeping our ears to the ground for any coming out of Japan.
If it weren’t for the somewhat obsessive and frankly narrow-minded love by taxi drivers and police officers for the body-on-frame Crown Victoria, we’d imagine the old Panther platform would have been put out to pasture a very long time ago. As it stands, though, New York cabbies especially seem hell-bent on keeping it around on life support as long as possible.
Interestingly, though, a report from USA Today suggests that cab drivers make more money when operating a Crown Vic than any otherautomobile, and that supposedly includes hybrids. According to John Shaban, a 27-year-old cab driver, “I don’t like the hybrids… Mechanics charge an arm and a leg for them.”
Could it be that customers inherently prefer the Crown Vic? Shaban believes so, saying, “People wait for the Crown Vic because it’s roomier. They’re more likely to get in.” Regardless, that’s all set to change soon as Ford finally discontinues its long-running rear-wheel-drive people mover. It’s expected to be with – you guessed it – a hybrid or some other fuel efficient alternative.
The has opened a second investigation into 1999-2003 Windstar minivans. The new probe has arisen amidst reports of front subframe corrosion that can cause the vehicle to lose steering. Apparently, a number of owners in salt-belt states have complained of front steering components rusting to the point of failure, causing a total loss of steering in the process. NHTSA will be looking into a total 900,000 potentially affected vehicles as part of the first stage of a process that could ultimately lead to recall.
As we , Windstar minivans of the same vintage are currently under investigation for a similar corrosion concern in the rear of the vehicle. The government agency launched an investigation after receiving 234 complaints of the vehicles’ . Owners claim that the design allows for road salt and grime to collect in certain places, accelerating corrosion in the process.
Ford says that it is doing everything it can to cooperate with the investigation and address any design issue, should one exist. According to Automotive News, the Windstar, which was built between 1994 and 2003, has been the subject of a total of 10 recalls so far.
Off-road racing fans will no doubt be familiar with the name Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, winner of 17 Baja 500s and three Baja 1000s over his 37-year career. Apparently, even an iron man can only take so much pounding and Stewart has decided it’s time to ride off silently into the sunset.
Stewart has decided to auction virtually all of his off-road racing memorabilia, race truck building business and vehicles. Instead of pounding dirt, Stewart will be peddling electric bicycles out of a new shop in San Diego, California.
The Ivan Stewart Electric Bike Center will sell, service and rent battery-powered bicycles from an initial shop in downtown San Diego, followed by two additional stores in La Jolla and Del Mar to the north.
Just when we thought the softer-riding SpecM had disappeared for good, the car shows up at the Nurburgring for a little abuse. The crew from Auto Motor und Sport managed to lay their hands on a lengthy video of a few barely-cloaked examples of the car scooting around Green Hell, and everyone’s best guess is that the vehicles are a peek at what we can expect out of the 2011 supercar lineup. As you likely recall, the SpecM is designed to be a more comfortable interpretation of the company’s no-holds barred bruiser. The suspension is tuned more for the street than busting around your favorite road course, and the interior is supposedly swaddled in more high-grade materials.
Judging from what we see in the video, we’re guessing that the new will wear aero additions borrowed from the mighty Spec-V, along with wheels swiped from the same car. to see the flick for yourself.
Just when we thought the softer-riding SpecM had disappeared for good, the car shows up at the Nurburgring for a little abuse. The crew from Auto Motor und Sport managed to lay their hands on a lengthy video of a few barely-cloaked examples of the car scooting around Green Hell, and everyone’s best guess is that the vehicles are a peek at what we can expect out of the 2011 supercar lineup. As you likely recall, the SpecM is designed to be a more comfortable interpretation of the company’s no-holds barred bruiser. The suspension is tuned more for the street than busting around your favorite road course, and the interior is supposedly swaddled in more high-grade materials.
Judging from what we see in the video, we’re guessing that the new will wear aero additions borrowed from the mighty Spec-V, along with wheels swiped from the same car. to see the flick for yourself.
Elon Musk on The Colbert Report - Click above to watch the video
Elon Musk apparently has a sense of humor. Proof of which can be found in the video after the break, where you’ll see the co-founder of Paypal, and Space X sit-down with Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.
As always, Colbert takes a lighthearted slant with the interview, making a few comic-relief jabs along the way. For instance, after detailing Musk’s seemingly heroic take on the automotive and space exploration industries, Colbert point-blank asks Musk whether he’s a super hero or a super villain. We’ll let you figure that one out…
Our favorite quote, though, is this: “You have these electric cars that uses no fossil fuels, but then you’ve also got this rocket, this Space X that puts the rocket into space, using about as much fuel as 2,000,000 Hummers. So… are you just trying to break even as spectacularly as possible?”
There are plenty more gems in the video, and we don’t want to spoil the whole thing for you. So just check out the video .
Retired Ferrari F1 cars take to the Nurburgring – Click above for high-res image gallery
If you’re lucky wealthy enough to own one of retired works Formula One machines, the automaker’s F1 Client department takes care of maintenance and preparation of your historic racer, whether it be Nigel Mansell’s ex-F190, Michael Schumacher’s championship-winning F2001 or any number of pedigreed prancing ponies.
This week, the crew brought 10 of its most prized possessions out to the Nürburgring so current owners could spend some quality time behind the wheel. And the open wheelers weren’t the only exotic wares in Germany. Four of the Enzo-based FXXs and 15 of the newer 599XXs were on hand, each track-only variant equipped with cutting-edge technologies that the Maranello boffins are experimenting with for future products. The “owners” of these XX models are essentially paying for the privilege of being Ferrari beta testers, but to our eyes, there are worse ways to spend a few days at the Green Hell.
If you reside or frequent a large metropolitan area, you’re probably all too aware of the cost to park your vehicle. In cities like New York or Chicago, you can pay upwards of $30 or more for a full day of parking. To make matters worse, even with astronomical costs many drivers can’t even find an open spot.
San Francisco is looking for a permanent solution to its parking problems by going high tech and paying big bucks to do it. Frisco is investing $25 million on a new electronic parking system that will constantly gauge demand for spots and raise or lower pricing accordingly. So why go to all this expense and trouble to set parking prices?
Parking that’s too cheap may lead to spots getting filled too quickly, which will lead to cars circling around waiting for spots, clogging streets with unnecessary congestion. The goal of the $25 million project is to make parking cheap enough for people to afford it while at the same time expensive enough to ensure spots are always available.
The electronic parking system will work as a network, setting prices between a quarter and $6 per hour depending on demand. The high-tech solution will start with 190 new meters in the Hayes Valley area of San Francisco and in two years end with 6,000 metered spaces and 12,250 spots at the city’s 15 parking garages. The system will eventually make it possible for advanced planners to go online to find where the most spots are located. Distracted driving aficionados will be able to search for spots on their smartphone, making it easier for multi-taskers to park and harder for pedestrians and other drivers to avoid getting hit.
Man pays nearly $200,000 to park truck in his own drive – click above to
Beware of the home owner’s association. Considered this country’s most basic, ruthless unit of government, HOAs are typically organized and manned by retirees with little better to do than tell you what to do with your property – something A.J. Vizzi recently learned the hard way. When Vizzi purchased his home in Odessa, Florida, he was told he would be allowed to park his in his home’s , even though the neighborhood’s rules forbade keeping vehicles anywhere other than the garage. The truck didn’t fit in the home’s garage.
The local HOA soon changed its mind, and before long a lawsuit ensued. In 2008, a judge ruled in Vizzi’s favor, but the association quickly appealed the decision. In March, a second judge sided with Vizzi, and the courts awarded him $187,000 in legal fees to be paid by the HOA. In total, the association claims that the ordeal has cost over $300,000, including the cash it now has to pay to Vizzi. to watch a local news report on the legal battle. Thanks for the tip, Sea Urchin!
Off-road racing fans will no doubt be familiar with the name Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, winner of 17 Baja 500s and three Baja 1000s over his 37-year career. Apparently, even an iron man can only take so much pounding and Stewart has decided it’s 
