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. Check out for a local news report on the legal battle. Thanks for the tip, Sea Urchin!
Sure enough, the upcoming Carfax 400 will be paced by none other than the Blue Oval’s tiny 2011 Sedan. With less than a third of the displacement of the tube-frame beasts lapping Michigan International Speedway, we wouldn’t quite expect lightning-quick pace laps, but hey – safety first. While pace cars are typically some sort of performance product, manufacturers aren’t past parading less than muscular new hardware in front of the captive audiences of the raceway.
If was looking for a way to bring its marketing for the Fiesta out of the social media realm and into a more mainstream American venue, they could have hardly done better than the Sprint Cup. On average, the series races net 7.9 million viewers. On Sunday, August 15, each and every one of those souls will get to watch a maroon four door fiesta lead the pack, complete with a massive Blue Oval decal down the side. Talk about cheap advertising. Check out the gallery for a few shots from the car’s unveiling.
Nissan object detection and Forward Collision Avoidance Assist Concept – click above for high-res image gallery
Vehicles from an increasing number of automakers are becoming more aware of their surroundings than the drivers that operate them. The latest is , which has announced several new safety technologies set to be added to its lineup, including a Forward Collision Avoidance Assist Concept. The system works like similar systems from other manufacturers including , , and , but evolves the concept even further.
A front-mounted radar sensor detects when the vehicle is closing too quickly and first warns the driver and then applies the brakes automatically to avoid or minimize the effects of a crash.
Additionally, the moving object detection uses the surround-view camera system to determine if there are pedestrians or other objects moving in proximity of the vehicle. Unlike pedestrian detection systems from and Lexus, this system only functions at very low speeds and doesn’t apply the brakes. Instead, the driver gets an audible and visual warning of anything moving around them. No specific vehicle applications or timing have been announced, but it’s safe to assume we’ll be seeing this tech featured on Infiniti’s wares sometime next year.
may finally part ways with by the end of next week. The Detroit Free Press reports that the Blue Oval is aiming to close its $1.8 billion sale of the Swedish automaker to in as little as 10 days, though Ford has merely said that its goal is to hand over the Volvo reigns by the end of the third quarter of this year. The move to send Volvo packing is part of Ford CEO Alan Mulally’s strategy to slim the company down to focus on its core brands – a scheme that seems to be working so far.
In the meantime, Volvo managed to turn a profit of $53 million before taxes in the second quarter of this year. The news is a big leap from the same time last year – in the second quarter of 2009, the brand lost a heady $237 million. Ford’s sale of Volvo seems to have been on glacial pace, partly due to the number of government agencies in the U.S., Europe and China that were needed to sign off on the deal. By the time the ink dries on the last document, Geely will have secured the largest overseas acquisition of any Chinese automaker so far.
2010 BMW X6M – Click above for high-res image gallery
The good people at AutoExpress are doing their best to fan the flames of the X4 rumors. The site claims to have snagged a bevy of information on the Bavarian brand’s product plans, including a more detailed account of what we can expect out of the much-rumored . Supposedly the new high-rider will borrow a heaping helping of design cues from the , so if you aren’t a fan of that brute, odds are you won’t like the new model, either. Unlike the big boy, the site claims that the X4 will make use of a double-gated hatch in the rear similar to what’s found in the – a smart choice to help load and unload parcels.
AutoExpress also lays out drivetrain possibilities, including the likelihood of one very thrifty 2.0-liter turbo diesel mill that promises around 50 mpg. The site says that in that configuration, 0-60 is likely to click off in a somewhat loping 8.6 seconds, though there will be more potent variations available, including one powered by a turbo 3.0-liter inline-six with north of 300 horsepower.
It all sounds good, but BMW itself hasn’t said word one about seriously mulling a new ‘ute.
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Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.
2011 Porsche Panamera – Click above for high-res image gallery
When the was introduced in 2009, skeptics panned the sedan as oddly proportioned and thoroughly unattractive. Later, as the media began to the all-new , skepticism gave way to fanaticism as the Panamera’s amazing handling and jaw-dropping powertrains won over even some of its biggest doubters. Less than a year after the vehicle’s introduction, Porsche has ample reason to celebrate as the Leipzig factory has just built Panamera number 25,000. That’s peanuts for a mass-market automaker, but an incredible feat for a sports car maker that in most years is thrilled to produce 100,000 models globally.
Panamera number 25,000 is Ruby Red and packs a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 that was added to the lineup back in May. The special Panamera will be delivered to the U.S. market, where to date 5,000 copies of the sedan have been sold. Porsche looks to keep up the Panamera momentum with a hybrid variant that is expected to bow in 2011. Hit the jump to get the details in the release.
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Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Porsche]
A little over a month ago, I got a call from Jonny. Something was up. He was excited and anxious, and before the words “MacKenzie offered me a job, and I’ve accepted” came out of his mouth, I knew he was off to greener pastures.
I’m proud of a lot of things at Autoblog, but getting Dr. Lieberman on board is near the top of that list. And now he’s gone, taking the Senior Editor position at Motor Trend after the buff book’s editor-in-chief called and said, “We need to talk.” Plenty of people have moved on from Autoblog over the years, but given Jonny’s penchant for prose and never-say-die attitude, we asked him to pen a farewell letter before heading off to do some ludicrous comparison test for MT. You’ll be missed, sir, so the floor is yours… one last time.
Damon Lavrinc – Senior Editor
Working at Autoblog has been one of the best experiences of my car-writing career. As you may or may not know, if there’s a website about cars, odds are it’s hoisted my byline at some point. From to to and most points in between, I’ve cranked out some auto-centric virtual ink nearly everywhere. But Autoblog was the feather in my digital cap. No car website commands more respect, is more widely read or opens as many doors. And yeah, a pretty big door just got opened for me.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful men behind the screen. I’ve worked at some sites filled with mega-friendly people that weren’t capable of pouring piss from a boot. Other places were hyper-competent and staffed almost totally with assholes. Autoblog combined near-ruthless professionalism with the kind of positive working environment you only dream about in any job. It really is a wonderful operation, one that sent me Japanese whiskey as a wedding gift. Thanks to Damon Lavrinc for always being in my corner and John Neff for not only giving me the chance, but for running such a tight ship. I’d like to thank especially Drew Phillips, “my photographer,” for putting up with my right foot on all those canyon runs.
But of course, it’s not all roses and sunshine. There are quite a few things I regret. In true Butthole Surfers fashion, allow me to quote, “Well son, the funny thing about regret is, it’s better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven’t done.” Sadly, while there’s nothing I regret doing at Autoblog (well, maybe SEMA), there’s a whole slew of things I regret not doing. With that in mind, that for one reason (lazy!) or another (extra lazy!) I never got around to sharing.
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Crash Testing – Click above for high-res image gallery
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is set to debut a new testing procedure for the 2011 model year that will make it more difficult for new cars and trucks to earn the government agency’s coveted five-star safety rating. Just as interestingly, the recent influx of electronic safety gadgets, such as lane departure and collision warning, will be included in the testing regiment as well.
NHTSA will calculate one simple-to-understand grade for each vehicle based on how it manages to perform throughout the agency’s testing. While the revised parameters promise to make safety-minded comparison shopping between new automobiles a bit easier, it also means that pre-2011 ratings will not be directly comparable to the new ones.
A total of 55 new 2011 cars, trucks and minivans (including the seen above ) will be tested by NHTSA with the new procedures, and the list is made up of both brand new models and some of the more popular nameplates Americans seem most likely to purchase in large numbers next year. You can check out NHTSA’s official release and the initial list of what cars will be subjected to this new testing regime after the jump.
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[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]
has pulled back the sheets on the company’s newest breed of rally heathens. Built by Vermont SportsCar, the all-wheel drive bruisers will be piloted by the likes of Travis Pastrana and Sverre Isachsen at this year’s X Games. The tuning house started with a bone-stock 2011 before gutting the interior, seam-welding the entire chassis and stitching in a full roll cage. The stock gas tank was scrapped for a rally-legal fuel cell, and a fire-suppression system installed in case things go fricassee. Down below, a set of EXE-TC adjustable coilovers were swapped for the stock bits to help the car tackle the varied course of X Games 16.
The speed gurus at Vermont SportsCar managed to yank a full 500 screaming ponies and 560 pound-feet of twist from the turbo 2.0-liter flat four under the hood, even with a 45 mm restrictor plate in place. Not too shabby. The fire-breathing mill is laced with an anti-lag system as well as launch control and bolted to a five-speed dog box transmission. The stock electronically adjustable center differential remains in place, though boasts a more advanced controller.
The is debuting a new rally feature this year. Called SuperRally, the track pits four cars against one another simultaneously. Subaru is hoping the new car will help the company fend off competition in the new event. Hit the jump for the full press blast.
2011 BMW 535i – Click above for high-res image gallery
The 2011 can stick another feather in its jaunty Alpine cap. The has awarded the German automaker’s middle child the coveted Top Safety Pick accolade. The newest generation of the 5er managed to nab the highest ratings possible for front, side, rear and rollover crash protection, becoming the first 5 Series to win the Top Safety Pick in the model’s history. Surprisingly enough, the 2011 5 Series is also the first BMW to take the award since the IIHS incorporated its new roll-over test.
The institute says that has made up impressive ground in the area of side impact protection. Last year’s car only managed a “marginal” rating during that section of testing, while the new car was granted the highest rating possible. The institute goes on to say that its test replicates an impact from a larger vehicle, such as an SUV of a pickup truck, to accommodate for the higher number of these vehicles on the road today. Full details at the link below.
Smyth Performance G3F concept – Click above to watch the video
Reduce-Reuse-Recycle is the tri-directive that could help us become more sustainable as a society. Soon, a kit for the G3F from Smyth Performance – a new venture by co-founder Mark Smith – will follow those guidelines, enabling you to convert a previously-enjoyed into something you can really look forward to driving. The finished product will be lighter, faster and burn less than the original vehicle, offering up to 60 miles per gallon and boasting a very naughty top speed of 140 miles per hour. All for about $10,000 and less than 100 hours of labor.
It’s a simple recipe. You start by procuring a TDI diesel Jetta four door sedan. Cut away about 800 lbs of metal, reusing a large chunk of the chassis, including the entire safety structure. The engine gets chipped, modded and moved from in front of the driver to behind. Add the body, seats, wheels and all the other included bits from the kit and voila! You now own a recycled VW that increases your joy of driving while reducing the amount of petroleum product you’ll need to pump.
Okay, maybe we’re making it sound a little easier than it actually is, but Smith is confident there is enough interest to make a go of it with a line of depositors already being formed. Despite deliveries (optimistically) planned for September, the original prototype is still under construction. The operation doesn’t have an officialwebsite either – that’s coming this fall – but you can follow the progress of both car and company on both and the unofficial . for video of Mr. Smith explaining his concept and tell us what you think.
Porsche’s 911 GT3 pays a visit to Jay Leno’s Garage – click above to
recently dropped off a new at Jay Leno’s garage where racer Justin Bell picked it up for a bit of a road trip. Before the trip, Leno and Bell discuss their preference for normally aspirated manual transmission Porsches over the more powerful turbos and dual-clutch PDKs.
On his way to Laguna Seca for the spring American Le Mans Series event, Bell finds a perfect little road for his own private hill climb and gushes over the responsiveness of the non-turbo engine and enormous Brembo binders. At Laguna, Bell hooks up with factory pilot Patrick Long to discuss the differences between the Flying Lizard Motorsports 911 he races and the roadgoing GT3 which spawned it. Even within the limits of the rules set out by the ACO, Flying Lizard and Porsche have managed to find a lot of creative ways to extract more speed out of their competition machine. Check out the full video .
2010 Honda Civic Si HFP – Click above for high-res image gallery
There was a time was when any serious discussion of “hot hatches” – small, lightweight economy cars pumped full of go-fast parts and body modifications of dubious taste – always included the Si. Back in the day, the D16Z6-engined Si would routinely do battle against the and for import tuner supremacy. Times, however, change.
These days, the battle for hot hatch supremacy starts and essentially ends with turbocharged beasties like the and /, with a dash of or thrown in for flavor. The Sentra SE-R is little more than a sad shell of its former self (a fact we find odd considering just how much cache Nissan has built up for the brand with its ) and the Volkswagen GTI has evolved into an entry-level – lots of interior and NVH refinement, but lacking the kicked-in-the-you-know-where power necessary to keep up with the all-wheel-drive Japanese kids. But what about the Civic Si? Where does it fit into the import tuner lexicon, especially when loaded up with lots of Honda Factory Performance (HFP) parts? Make the jump as we attempt to find out.
It has long been apparent that the more successful a talk radio host is, the less relevant the facts become. Case in point is this week’s apparent tirade by Rush Limbaugh against the . No doubt came in higher than most of us had hoped at $41,000, and Limbaugh may have had a slight point there. However, suggesting that the federal $7,500 tax credit for plug-in vehicles like the Volt and the Nissan Leaf was there as an admission that no one wants these vehicles strikes us as disingenuous at best, especially when you recall the tax write-offs that were available to people buying Hummers and other large SUVs just a few years ago. As far as we know, Limbaugh also made no mention of the more palatable $350-per-month lease deal available for the Volt.
Limbaugh also ripped into the Volt’s 40 mile range, implying that the 40 miles of range from the battery is all that is available. He was either unaware of or chose to ignore the fact that in charge-sustaining mode, the car’s onboard engine-generator can keep the battery going for another 300 miles on a tank of gas. If you don’t have time to sit around while the battery charges, you can just take a couple of minutes to fill the tank and be on your way again, just as you would in a normal car.
Perhaps we should just give Limbaugh the benefit of the doubt and assume his cochlear implant was on the fritz.
2010 Toyota Sequoia – Click above for high-res image gallery
Earlier this week, we heard word that would be sending its sluggishly-selling after this current product cycle came to a close. Those whispers were evidently enough to ruffle a few feathers at the Japanese automaker, as the company has come out with a cleverly-worded denial:
Toyota denies any reports of the discontinuation of the Sequoia. For obvious competitive reasons, Toyota does not discuss future product plans. Sequoia continues to be a profitable, high-quality vehicle for Toyota and several years remain in the life of the current generation. Our focus remains on building our vehicles, including the Sequoia, with the highest possible quality.
Call us crazy, but the statement above doesn’t do much to assure us about the future of the high-riding family hauler beyond this generation’s expected lifecycle. Either way, we can certainly say that the current Sequoia will continue to dominate mall parking lots for at least a few more years. Past that, Toyota isn’t saying what its plans are for its biggest vehicle.
The automotive landscape is changing quickly with a raft of smaller, more efficient autos coming to market. We’re even on the verge of mass-market electric vehicles like the and the . The bogey has shifted and will continue to shift over time, so is aiming to get ahead on the changes of tomorrow. The Japanese automaker issued a press release Wednesday to inform the world that it is working on a “Health & Well-Being” concept to make driving in a Nissan safer and healthier than ever before… and we can see some out of the box thinking showing through.
Have dry skin? The Nissan of two or three years from now could pump breathable vitamin C into the cabin, helping to keep your skin moisturized. Just when we were beginning to wonder if we would ever fix our dry elbow problem. Exciting stuff, and there’s more.
The next-generation climate control system could control the filtering of air, a plasmacluster ion generator and inside/outside air control with but one control. How about a speedometer that keeps you out of trouble by reminding you of important dates like anniversaries and birthdays? As long as it doesn’t tell us to slow down and it can shut up when prompted, we’re okay with that. The Japanese automaker is also working on “easy chars” that utilize NASA research to promote proper blood flow in the legs and back during long trips. Another new seat design is new Comfortable Captain Seat, which utilizes an integrated leg rest, articulated seatback and three-layered cushion pads to keep passengers comfy for long periods of time. Hit the jump to read Nissan’s invigorating presser.
N.Technology Porsche Panamera touring car – Click above to watch video
We’re guessing that had to do some head scratching when it came to figuring out which motorsports arena would best suit its big . After all, the company prides itself on forging its wares in the fire of competition. Heck, it even managed to find a suitable arena for the high-riding in the Trans-Siberia Rally. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the scientists at Stuttgart to locate a racing league that would suit the portly Porsche’s talents: The N.Technology team chose to campaign a modified version of the fast four-door in the Italian Supercar series.
The field is made up of other massive bruisers, complete with front-mounted V8 power plants. On any given race day, you can easily see a Chrysler 300C tango with a – something that few other race leagues on the planet can boast. Evidently, the big Panamera is off to a good start – the car managed to take the checkered flag on its very first outing. We haven’t been able to lay our hands on any footage of the N.Technology car dishing out heaping spoonfuls of hurt to the rest of the field, but we have found a quick clip of last year’s season for a little taste of incredibly compelling action. to see for yourself.
While the BP oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico may have shifted the media spotlight away from from recall problems over the last several months, that doesn’t mean the crisis has ended. covers 39,000 SUVs built between the 2003 and 2007 model years.
According to Toyota, a snap ring that retains two sections of the SUV’s steering column can get dislodged following a heavy impact on the front wheels of SUV, such as hitting a severe pothole. Without the snap ring in place, using the steering can result in the column working itself free.
Toyota claims that no accidents have resulted from the problem and that a redesigned snap ring will keep the part where it belongs. LX owners can expect to see notifications in their mailbox starting in about two weeks. In the meantime, interested parties can check out the official recall press release .
Terrafugia Transition – Click above for high-res image gallery
Surely, you’re familiar with the Jetsons, the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon world from the 1960s that was said to take place in the year 2062. Too futuristic for your blood? How about Ridley’s Scott’s Blade Runner, which starred Harrison Ford and was supposed to show life in the year 2019? And then there’s Back to the Future II, which is even closer to our modern day, depicting life at 2015.
What’s the constant in all of these retro-futuristic takes on what tomorrow may hold? Hoverboards. Flying cars. We’re not sure about you, but we don’t see no stinkin’ flying cars floating down our streets. So, what gives? Besides reality, of course. Well… actually, reality is the key. The problem with flying cars from 50 years ago all the way until today remains the same: because the machine needs to operate just as capably in the sky as on the ground, compromises have to be made.
Compromises don’t exactly equal success in the automotive or airplane marketplace. To meet government regulations, an automobile must pass a stringent series of safety and environmental tests, and the same is true for airplanes. Needless to say, then, combining the two is pretty darn difficult to accomplish. That said, Popular Mechanics has found reason to be excited about the prospect of the Terrafugia flying car. If that’s a topic that interests you, we suggest you click here to read all about it.
2003 Toyota Avalon XLS – click above for high-res image gallery
Motor Corporation’s recall woes have resurfaced today with official word that the company will recall some 373,000 second-generation Toyota Avalon models built between the 2000 and 2004 model years.
According to the Japanese automaker, the full-size sedans’ steering lock bars can crack, eventually leading to a break. If that failure occurs, the steering column interlock system can become difficult to unlock when parked, potentially disabling the vehicle. Worse, if the driver is in a right-hand turn with “sufficient lateral acceleration,” under very specific conditions, the damaged lock bar can actually engage, locking the steering wheel and disabling steering control of the vehicle, a condition that increases the likelihood of an accident.
For its part, Toyota says it is unaware of any crashes stemming from the Avalon’s steering interlock issue, and it will replace the steering column bracket in affected vehicles for free. The complete press release is available .
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[Source: Toyota]
: Toyota to recall 373,000 2000-2004 Avalon sedans in U.S. over faulty steering locks
The automotive landscape is changing quickly with a raft of smaller, more efficient autos coming to market. We’re even on the verge of mass-market electric vehicles like the and the . The bogey has shifted and will continue to shift over time, so is aiming to get ahead on the changes of tomorrow. The Japanese automaker issued a press release Wednesday to inform the world that it is working on a “Health & Well-Being” 
