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We may have gotten our first glimpse at what the production version of the Chrysler 200C will look like. Website Noticas Automotivas is reporting that it has managed to get its hands on a slew of patent drawings of the car, and from what we can tell, the new, smaller four-door has stuck fairly close to the concept we first saw at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. That includes the car’s stylish curled front fenders and bulging rear sheetmetal. It looks like the 200C will also wear similar shaped headlights, though whether they turn out to be as sharp looking as the LED/projection units on the concept remains to be seen.

We haven’t heard a whole heck of a lot about the 200C since the car cropped up in the Motor City. With the Sebring finally on its way out for good, we knew that Chrysler had to be hard at work on a replacement – and if these patent drawings are any indication, the new model may just be the 200C. If Chrysler can manage to infuse the car with same attention to detail that we’ve seen in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and shove the new Pentastar V6 under the hood, it could be a force to be reckoned with. Head over to Noticas Automotivas to check out all of the patent shots.

[Source: Noticas Automotivas]

Chrysler 200C patent drawings leaking out?

Attention all you engineers, technicians, assembly line workers and anyone else out there with great ideas in Southeast Michigan. Coinciding with the first ever Detroit Maker Faire that we have been covering over the last few days at the Henry Ford Museum, Ford and TechShop announced today that a public access workshop will be opening up in Detroit before the end of this year. TechShop is an idea that was spawned out of the first Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA in April 2006.

If you’ve got an idea for a product or just some one-off project you want to build but you don’t have the skills or the tools to proceed, TechShop is the place for you. Think of it like the workshop at MythBusters open to the public. Techshop has all kinds of amazing tools from CNC machining equipment to computer aided design workstations. For a monthly membership fee of $100, you get access not only to the equipment but also to people that can teach you how to use it properly and other members to bounce ideas off of.

Dream coaches are on staff at TechShop to guide makers in the right direction and connect them with the people that can help complete their projects. A prime example of what is possible at TechShop is the DodoCase for iPads. The creator came into the shop earlier this year with a concept and after a couple of classes and guidance in working with bamboo, fabrics and adhesives had a prototype in less than four weeks. He now has $400,000 in back orders.

The first TechShop opened in Menlo Park in October 2006 and was followed by a shop in Durham, NC. New shops will open in San Francisco and San Jose this fall along with Detroit. The idea of opening in Detroit was inspired by garage tinkerers like Henry Ford and Ransom Olds that went on to build the American auto industry. Ford officials met with TechShop at the San Mateo Faire two months ago and will now be helping the TechShop crew find a location and make connections in the local scene. Ford will also provide support to makers and consider any worthwhile ideas that come out TechShop that could be viable on its cars. Check out all the details in the press release after the break.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Attention Car Makers: TechShop to open facility in Detroit with help from Ford

Attention Car Makers: TechShop to open facility in Detroit with help from Ford

You’ve got to hand it to Erik Buell. The man was dealt a very bad hand by his ex-employers at Harley-Davidson, but Buell decided to take a bowl of lemons and make some tasty lemonade. The first batch of sweet citrusy goodness came as Buell formed his eponymous racing team, but it seems ‘ol Erik has bigger and better things up his sleeves.

A new video is circulating the interwebs today that clearly shows a Buell 1190RR race bike equipped with decidedly non-racy parts, including a license plate mount with turn signals and a set of electric cooling fans for the radiators that aren’t necessary on the track-only models. Interesting, no?

There’s still some time left on Buell’s agreement with H-D not to build and sell any street bikes, but it seems like a foregone conclusion that Erik will once again be offering road-going machines to fans of unique American sportbikes just as soon as he’s legally allowed to do so. Stay tuned, and check out the short teaser video after the break. Thanks for the tip, Gary!

[Source: Erik Buell Racing via The Kneeslider]

Continue reading Buell shows off a new street bike? [w/video]

Buell shows off a new street bike? [w/video]

After months of protracted negotiations, Ford has officially sold Volvo to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company Limited – aka Geely – for $1.8 billion.

The Chinese automaker originally included a $200 million note and the balance in cash, and today, it paid the remaining $1.3 billion to wrap up the sale, although the final sale price won’t be released until later this year and could put more cash in the pockets of FoMoCo.

Under the terms of the sale, Ford will continue to supply Volvo with everything from powertrains to stamping systems and other vehicle components for differing periods of time. Additionally, Ford and Geely have come to an agreement on intellectual property usage, with Volvo allowed to grant sub-licenses to specific systems to third parties, including Geely.

Stefan Jacoby – formerly of Volkswagen – will take the helm as the new President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars, and under the new ownership, the automaker will continue to keep it headquarters and manufacturing centers in Sweden and Belgium.

Full details in the dueling press releases after the jump.

[Source: Ford, Geely]

Continue reading BREAKING: Ford officially sells Volvo to Geely for $1.8b

BREAKING: Ford officially sells Volvo to Geely for $1.8b

	Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Power Racing Series As grassroots as it gets.		GM will increase Volt production by 50% – to 45,000 units – in 2012 GM says it’s an increase, but we’d also heard 60,000 a few years ago.
	Obama drives the Volt… all of 10 feet He still needed permission from the Secret Service.	Other news: Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog quadricycle Report: Large SUV segment outpacing small car sales growth in America Video: GM releases short clip touting Volt’s superiority over other electric vehicles

AutoblogGreen for 08.02.10

Race day for the X Games rally car action started out much like the practice sessions had begun the day before – with plenty of frustration. The drivers finally figured out how to deal with the steep drop-off in the dirt portion of the track that led back into the L.A. Coliseum, but a new challenge presented itself. The course layout for the rally racing portion of the event was designed with some very tight turns. So tight, in fact, that after a few practice laps only a handful of drivers could actually make it around the course without having to execute a three-point turn.

Much of the morning saw drivers working with course officials to create a course that the cars could actually drive on. After a few different configurations were tried, one was found, but at that point there wasn’t any time left for practice. Essentially, the drivers would be competing on a course that they had never driven on. Would that result in excitement, chaos or both? Follow the jump to find out.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading X Games 16 Rally offers up plenty of high, lows, and double gold

X Games 16 Rally offers up plenty of high, lows, and double gold

There’s less than one month of summer left and many of you have yet to take a vacation. Might we suggest a road trip? Whether you head out to see Wally World or the world’s biggest ball of twine, many challenges await you along the way. Between lousy truck-stop food, random mattresses left in the road, bickering children and your significant other taking over the climate controls like some sort of tin-pot dictator, there’s plenty of nonsense to deal with. So, we’ve gathered a list of some gadgets that might make your life easier, safer and more entertaining on the road. Follow the jump to check out our official Autoblog End-of-Summer Road Trip Gadget Guide.

Continue reading Autoblog End-of-Summer Road Trip Gadget Guide

Autoblog End-of-Summer Road Trip Gadget Guide

Dual-clutch transmissions have become increasingly popular in small cars and have even appeared in high-performance machines like the Porsche 911 and Bugatti Veyron. Now, Mitsubishi Fuso has become the first commercial truck maker to offer one of these fancy new gearboxes in a hauler.

The new six-speed M038S6 “Duonic transmission” features wet clutches and incorporates the ability to creep in traffic for smoother operation. Although Duonic-equipped trucks will probably be driven mostly in fully-automatic mode, the transmission can also be manually shifted. Mitsubishi Fuso is 85-percent owned by Daimler, with the remainder being held by Mitsubishi.

[Source: Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation]

Continue reading Double-clutch transmissions graduate to the world of commercial trucks

Double-clutch transmissions graduate to the world of commercial trucks

One of the makers we encountered setting up for the Maker Faire Detroit on Friday afternoon was Douglas Amick. Amick was unloading the A2, a three-wheeled, battery-powered, wind-assisted tandem-two-seater. The A2 was originally built by Amick’s late father, James, who devised the aerodynamic arch on the rear of the vehicle. That element is claimed to help propel the vehicle forward in crosswinds.

Apparently, airflow coming in at an angle to the vehicle will swirl around as it passes through the arch, actually applying force to the A2’s rear, giving it some boost. We’ll have to check with some contacts with aerodynamic expertise on the veracity of this claim. Regardless, the Amick A2 is kind of cool-looking. Apparently, it originally had aluminum air batteries installed but they’re no longer functional.

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Amick A2 wind-assisted electric vehicle

A new report from the The Wall Street Journal claims that the Department of Transportation is blocking the release of National Highway Transportation Safety Administration findings on the Toyota unintended acceleration issues. According to the article, NHTSA has compiled all the relevant information and written a report on its findings, but George Pearson, the former head of the agency’s recall division, says that he was told that the Transportation Department doesn’t want the information released. Why? Pearson didn’t say, but the Journal seems to think that the information could add fuel to the argument that NHTSA is too close to automakers.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Department says that the report is incomplete, and that it will take more time to properly review all of the data associated with the issue. Pearson, on the other hand, claims that the report shows that in the majority of unintended acceleration cases, the vehicle’s black boxes clearly indicated that the accelerator was depressed and the brake pedal was not. That means that the cases could be chalked up to driver error – something that would serve to vindicate Toyota. Thanks for the tip, MKIV!

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Report: Feds block Toyota ‘unintended acceleration’ doc release

There are races, and then there are races. And this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, ladies and gents, was the latter.

Instead of the usual parade of high-tech machinery proceeding in procession, sapping the excitement out of the sport – or worse yet, lamentable team orders sullying the day – this latest round in the Formula One World Championship was packed with fate-altering, nail-biting action – and rivalries both old and new – from start to finish. A fitting way, then, to sign off before the season takes a nearly month-long summer break.

Care to see what we mean? Follow the jump to read on.

Continue reading 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix will still be strong after the boys of summer have gone [SPOILERS]

2010 Hungarian Grand Prix will still be strong after the boys of summer have gone [SPOILERS]

August is here, meaning it’s time for our annual pilgrimage to Monterey for the smorgasbord of classic and collectible cars that awaits. Events there include Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival, The Pebble Beach Tour, Concorso Italiano, The Quail, the auctions, The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Concours d’LeMons and the granddaddy of them all – The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. We’ll be on hand to cover it all for you, just in case you can’t make the trip yourself.

For those of you more inclined toward American iron, Hot August Nights is going on and there’s the annual Woodward Dream Cruise happening in Detroit as well. Those are in addition to many other end-of-summer-type events happening around the rest of the country, like New York Autofest, Legends of Motorsport: Corvette Grand Sport, BMW West Coast Summer Concours, The 53rd Annual New Hope Automobile Show, Columbia River Concours d’Elegance, The Milwaukee Masterpiece, The Morgan Adams Concours d’Elegance, BlackTop Nationals, 4th Annual Garage Cruise, 15th CARS Inc. Open House, 20th Annual Sultans Car Show, Vista Rod Run 21, VW Jamboree, 40th Annual North – South F100 Run and the 10th Annual Woodies at the Beach to name several.

Motorsports aficionados have plenty of choices in August as well. Formula 1 hits Hungary and Belgium, while NASCAR visits Pocono, Watkins Glen, MIS and Bristol. The IndyCar Series stops at Mid-Ohio, Infineon and Chicagoland, while ALMS heads to Mid-Ohio, Road America and Mosport. WRC will be in action in Germany, while Rally America fans can catch the gang at the X-Games 16 and then at New Jersey Motorsports Park at the end of the month. LeMons brings its budget racing action to the LeMons Arse-Sweat-Apalooza and LeMons Mutually Assured Destruction of Omaha.

If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please don’t forget to use the comments section to add or modify listings.

Continue reading Event Alert: August 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events

Event Alert: August 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events

One of the highlights of this weekend’s Detroit Maker Faire was the Michigan premiere of a new grassroots racing event: the Power Racing Series. The brainchild of Jim Burke, the Power Racing Series is like LeMons in that the machines have budgets limited to just $500 not including safety equipment. Unlike LeMons, the Power Racing Series vehicles are based on Fisher-Price Power Wheels or Little Tykes toys that have been modded to support the mass of adult drivers and larger 12-volt lead-acid car batteries.

This weekend’s competition features three individual events including a drag race, a 15-lap road race and a one-hour enduro on Sunday afternoon. The drag race was won by Royce Pipkins, president of the Milwaukee Maker Space, in his Grave Digger. When the 15-lap event began on Saturday afternoon, the #3 car built by the crew at the I3 Detroit hacker space clearly had more speed than any other vehicle. Unfortunately, about halfway through the race, the car ground to a halt. A key connecting the rear wheel to the axle had sheared the soft metal of the axle. The crew repeatedly tried pounding in new keys, but the car would only run another lap or two before running into trouble. Ultimately Pipkins had the durability and speed to finish 15 green-flag laps before anyone else. Look for the Power Racing Series at a parking lot near you soon.

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Power Racing Series, as grassroots as it gets

After more than a quarter century as a mid-summer fixture at Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester, Michigan, the annual Concours d’Elegance is moving in 2011. Come next summer, the renamed Concours d’Elegance of America will take place at the Inn at St, Johns in Plymouth, Michigan. The Inn is a significantly larger facility and will be able to accommodate the cars, their owners and visitors much better than the old mansion.

The Inn, a former catholic seminary, was renovated into a hotel with a 27-hole golf course in 2006. The concours organizers wanted a location with an on-site hotel and banquet facilities.

[Source: Detroit News]

2011 Meadowbrook Concours moving to Plymouth, Michigan

We managed to make our way to the 23rd annual Z Car Convention at the Nissan North America headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee this weekend. Aside from a slew of Zed-related goodness of unmatched acclaim, the 2011 Nissan Rogue was also rolled out as part of the celebration. Overall, the little crossover sticks close to last year’s recipe, though some subtle visual updates help the ute better stand out from the rest of the mall parking lot crowd.

The tweaked front fascia now has a more angular look aimed at giving the nose of the Rogue some definition. Likewise, the grille has been massaged to incorporate a larger Nissan badge, and the optional fog lights now reside in sculpted inserts. A chrome strip spans the 2011 Rogue’s flanks, and a similar piece of brightwork now glams up the rear liftgate. Lastly, buyers who opt for the 2011 Nissan Rogue Krom or Rogue SL will get new 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, too. Otherwise, it’s much of the same from Nissan’s compact people hauler. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading 2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention

2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention

A few weeks ago, Ferrari officially debuted its latest Challenge race car, based on the 458 Italia. Now they’ve released new photos of the car during its test session at the Vallelunga race circuit. Factory test drivers Maurizio Mediani and Jaime Melo were on hand to provide feedback on the 458 Challenge, and predictably, both seem impressed with the car’s capabilities. Mediani described his drive as “very quick and extremely good fun,” while his counterpart commented, “I am sure that Prancing Horse competition owners will be very pleased with the car.”

Using the standard roadgoing 458 Italia as a base, Ferrari creates the Challenge version by increasing output of the 4.5-liter V8 to 570 horsepower, cutting weight via thinner and lighter body panels, adding a race-specific suspension setup, fitting 19-inch BBS wheels with Pirelli racing slicks, installing a set of carbon ceramic Brembo brakes and more.

So equipped, Ferrari claims the 458 Challenge can lap Fiorano over two seconds per lap quicker than its predecessor, the F430 Challenge, while pulling a cornea-yanking 1.6g’s worth of lateral acceleration. You can check out the new photos below, and we’ll be sure to bring you any more if Ferrari sends them our way.

[Source: Ferrari]

Ferrari drops new photos of 458 Challenge test session at Vallelunga

A few weeks ago, Ferrari officially debuted its latest Challenge race car, based on the 458 Italia. Now they’ve released new photos of the car during its test session at the Vallelunga race circuit. Factory test drivers Maurizio Mediani and Jaime Melo were on hand to provide feedback on the 458 Challenge, and predictably, both seem impressed with the car’s capabilities. Mediani described his drive as “very quick and extremely good fun,” while his counterpart commented, “I am sure that Prancing Horse competition owners will be very pleased with the car.”

Using the standard roadgoing 458 Italia as a base, Ferrari creates the Challenge version by increasing output of the 4.5-liter V8 to 570 horsepower, cutting weight via thinner and lighter body panels, adding a race-specific suspension setup, fitting 19-inch BBS wheels with Pirelli racing slicks, installing a set of carbon ceramic Brembo brakes and more.

So equipped, Ferrari claims the 458 Challenge can lap Fiorano over two seconds per lap quicker than its predecessor, the F430 Challenge, while pulling a cornea-yanking 1.6g’s worth of lateral acceleration. You can check out the new photos below, and we’ll be sure to bring you any more if Ferrari sends them our way.

[Source: Ferrari]

Ferrari drops news photos of 458 Challenge test session at Vallelunga

BMW has decided to officially compete for the inaugural Intercontinental Le Mans Cup with the M3 GT2. This year’s initial iteration will include three races at England’s Silverstone, the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, and Zuhai in China. Peugeot has already committed to run the LMP1 class 908 and Audi is considering running the R15+ TDI.

The M3 GT2 debuted in the American Le Mans Series in 2009 with Rahal Letterman Racing and BMW added Team Schnitzer in Europe for 2010. Schnitzer will campaign the cars in the cup runs at Silverstone and Zuhai, while Rahal will be responsible for the American race. In 2011, the Intercontinental cup will expand to six races, including Sebring and Le Mans.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW commits to Intercontinental Le Mans Cup with M3 GT2

BMW commits to Intercontinental Le Mans Cup with M3 GT2