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Even though U.S. production of the Think City started off well the other day, all is not fine in Think land. The company is recalling 850 City cars throughout Europe because the brakes on the electric car can weaken under “extremely humid conditions.”

A Think representative told AutoblogGreen, “Major, prolonged exposure to water could cause a small malfunction in the electronics. The brakes would still work, but required increased pressure to use.” This problem could appear in instances of severe rain or after intense car washes. James Andrew of Think Europe tells NRK (Google Translated) that the repair includes wrapping the pump circuit in an epoxy, which “solves the problem fully.” Importantly, new models are not affected. We’ve driven the City in wet conditions and have never experienced this problem.

There are also stories floating around that say that Think has not provided City vehicles to the European crash testing organization EuroNCAP, like this one on VG Net (Google Translated). EuroNCAP needs three vehicles to crash, but VG Net reports that Think reportedly said it could not spare the vehicles. In fact, Think told AutoblogGreen, it will send vehicles to EuroNCAP in early 2011, adding, “We are of course supplying the vehicles. There is no story there.”

[Source: NRK, VG Net (both Google Translated), Think]

Think recalling 850 City EVs over braking issue in “extremely” wet conditions

DeLorean Motor Company recently teamed up with Nike, to bring us a limited-edition sneaker modeled after the iconic, gullwing DMC-12. The Nike Dunk 6.0 DeLorean was limited to just 1,000 pairs and they sold out as soon as stores flipped the sign from CLOSED to OPEN. If you’re a fan of the DMC brand but were unable to snag a pair of kicks, don’t fret, because the Texas-based automaker reportedly has big plans to expand its brands.

According to Forbes, the DeLorean team is partnering up with companies like Mattel, Microsoft and Now & Zen. This means a line of DMC-branded toys, clothing and … WinAmp skins? We’re not quite sure what DeLorean and Microsoft are working on, but if the DMC brand stays hot, then the two could produce DeLorean-themed computer mice and they’d sell like hotcakes. Wait… we’d actually buy one of those. Quick, someone call RoadMice.

[Source: Forbes Source Image: TheSelvedgeYard]

DeLorean branding coming to Microsoft, Mattel and more

Strapping a car to a dyno and giving it the boot is not as safe as it might seem. Sure, the car is not actually going anywhere, but a lot of forces are at play in the drivelline. The owner of this particular Shelby Mustang GT500 in the video available after the jump, learned this firsthand when his prized pony when boom.

No postmortem discussion is available to find out what happened, and we’re not sure what (if any) modifications were done to this previous-gen GT500, but it certainly sounded pretty mean right until it barfed up a lung. Hop the jump to check out the unfortunate carnage. Thanks for the tip, Brent W!

[Source: YouTube via Mustang Evolution]

Continue reading Video: Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 dyno run goes boom in spectacular fashion

Video: Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 dyno run goes boom in spectacular fashion

After a nine-year run, the Honda Element will officially be killed off after the 2011 model year. The Element has suffered from slow sales numbers over the past few years, and in the model’s death notice, Honda specifically cites that a large amount of customers prefer the better refinement and improved fuel economy of the automaker’s CR-V crossover.

Since its debut in December of 2002, more than 325,000 Elements have been sold in the United States. During its lifespan, we saw the introduction of the bolder-looking SC model in 2007, and just last year, Honda began offering the 2010 Element with a dog-friendly package (pictured). Modest facelifts over the years have helped keep the Element somewhat fresh, but newer competitors on the scene have helped expose weaknesses in refinement and power. That said, Honda’s boxy sport-ute has long been praised for its utility-oriented and easy-to-maintain interior – not to mention kicking off the modern styling trend of boxy vehicles.

Follow the jump to read Honda’s official statement. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Photos copyright (C)2010 Alex Nunez / AOL

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda announces end of Element production

Honda announces end of Element production

An Also-Ran Matures Into A Real Competitor

With all of the Chrysler models receiving updates both significant and otherwise, it’s understandable if you’ve gotten a little lost in the fray. Here’s what you need to know: One of the most surprising bright lights to come out of the company’s refresh bender is the 2011 Dodge Journey. While the 2011 Dodge Charger and Durango may have stolen the spotlight with their new sheetmetal, the Journey has transmogrified into a small family hauler that offers plenty of horsepower, acceptable fuel economy and a massively updated interior. There’s even one of the quickest and largest touchscreens of any vehicle we’ve come across nestled in the dash.

Given Chrysler’s recently discovered love of installing much-improved interiors in its vehicles, the newfound goodies indoors should come as no surprise. But the company’s engineers seem to have spent just as much time tweaking the crossover’s driving character, resulting in a complete package that has turned it from being a washed-up never-was into a competitor almost overnight.

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading Quick Spin: 2011 Dodge Journey

Quick Spin: 2011 Dodge Journey

“On November 30, 2010, Toyota issued a Technical Service Bulletin that instructs technicians how to repair two weld nuts that may be damaged when removing the bolts used to attach the accelerator pedal to the bulkhead.” So says the automaker in a statement you’ll find after the jump.

It seems this pair of weld nuts on the 2007-2010 Toyota Camry and 2005-2010 Avalon are occasionally stripped during the process of performing one of two recalls instituted last year by Toyota – either inserting a little metal spacer in the throttle pedals in order to ensure the pedals don’t stick in the open position or when slicing three-quarters of an inch off the bottom of the pedals so that they can’t interfere with the floor mats.

According to Toyota, it’s not particularly uncommon for nuts such as this to become stripped when removed, which is certainly true. Where some reports differ from Toyota’s own statement is whether or not owners prompted the secondary repairs after noticing that their pedals weren’t firmly attached to their cars after the original recalls were completed.

Consumer Reports writes that “as many as 500 owners of those cars have complained of gas pedals that feel loose or have play side-to-side.” Toyota, on the other hand, claims that “no customer vehicles on the road are affected” and that “suggestions that this TSB was issued to resolve customer complaints about accelerator pedal feel after the recall or that this TSB is a recall are wrong.”

Whose report is accurate? That’s up for discussion. Feel free to read Toyota’s official statement after the jump and read CR’s initial report here and try to figure out this mess for yourself.

[Sources: Consumer Reports, Toyota]

Continue reading Camry pedal recall prompts secondary repair, Toyota denies it’s recalling a recall

Camry pedal recall prompts secondary repair, Toyota denies it’s recalling a recall

This is an ad for the all-new 2012 Audi A7 Sportback in Berlin. It looks perfectly normal, but would you believe that it’s nearly 10,800 square feet in size? How about the fact that it was painted with 200 cans of spray paint and took 14 days to create?

Translated to English, the billboard roughly reads, “Nothing is more inspiring than a blank sheet of paper. It is the opportunity to create something unique.” Unique, indeed, and very fitting for a vehicle as segment-warping as the new Audi A7 Sportback. It’s Audi’s answer to the Porsche Panamera, and if we’re honest, we find it absolutely stunning.

Follow the jump to watch a video showing how Audi’s latest (and largest) marketing campaign came to life.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Audi spraypaints massive new A7 billboard

Video: Audi spraypaints massive new A7 billboard

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing new regulations to mandate back-up cameras in all passenger cars, trucks, minivans and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less. If the proposed law goes into effect, automakers must get 10 percent of the fleet in compliance by 2012, 40 percent by 2013 and 100 percent of new vehicles by 2014.

These measures are being proposed by NHTSA to try and reduce the number of back-over fatalities and injuries that occur on a yearly basis. According to NHTSA, 292 people die every year from back-over accidents while another 18,000 are injured. Will making rearview cameras mandatory help curb this? Is it possible but is this another case where drivers are moving further away from knowing actual driving skills and closer to reliance on digital assistance?

In this case, perhaps not. Rearview cameras simply allow for a better picture of what’s going on behind your vehicle, and with rollover standards and the increasing size of vehicles, rearward visibility in new vehicles seems to be getting worse, not better. Still, if NHTSA’s proposal becomes law, there will be added cost passed on to consumers. Most luxury vehicles are already equipped with this technology – particularly those with navigation systems – but even if the systems aren’t that expensive for automakers to install, they’re likely to have a disproportionate impact on the MSRPs of inexpensive models.

In any case, you can read some more insight into NHTSA’s proposal in their official press release after the jump.

[Source: NHTSA Image: Damon Lavrinc/Autoblog/AOL]

Continue reading NHTSA proposes mandatory backup cameras by 2014

NHTSA proposes mandatory backup cameras by 2014

A handful of actors get bitten by the motorsports bug. Some have gone on to great success while others merely fizzled on the starting grid. One actor who likes to jump beneath the helmet and behind the wheel is Paul Walker. He’s best known for his work as Brian O’Conner, main character of the Fast and the Furious film franchise that just went to post-production on its fifth installment. Walker is not happy merely pretending to push sports cars to the limits for the big screen and he is actually quite active in the Southern California racing community. Ready for a real test of his skills, Paul Walker has joined up with Motorsports Enterprise Racing (Team MER) to drive at this year’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

Starting on Saturday the 4th, around 10:45 in the morning, teams from all over the map will watch as the green flag falls, signaling the start of the longest endurance race in North America. Team MER, which includes the aforementioned Walker, also boasts Carl Rydquist, Jeff Westphal and Roger Rodas. It’s a skilled team of drivers who will all get seat time behind the wheel of Playboy Cup Mazda MX-5.

The 25 Hours of Thunderhill will put Walker, and his entire team, to the test. They better be good to their Hankook rubber, because just one tire is allowed to be changed per pit stop. Thankfully, the car Team MER is piloting has already been around this track before. Says Westphal:

The MER MX-5 cup car is a well sorted and front running package. Actually the very car we will be using won its class in the 25 two years back, so i have no hesitations that we will be in a great package come saturday afternoon.

Still, this is Paul Walker’s first Pro-Am race and it’s a lot more exciting than the average Time Attack event he usually competes in. If we could offer a word of advice? When you get to the Cyclone, just point and pray… the track will be waiting on the other side, we promise.

Paul Walker to race Mazda MX-5 at 25 Hours of Thunderhill

It’s no secret that Lotus has its sights set firmly on Ferrari. Need proof? Well, besides the fact that company CEO Dany Bahar (who’s previous job was as an executive at Ferrari) has come right out and said as much, we have the (smallest to largest in this order): Elise, Elan, Esprit, Elite and Eterne concepts from the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

It’s not the least bit surprising, then, to find out that Lotus has just appointed Guillaume Chabin, formerly of Ferrari and Bentley, to serve as its new Director of Sales. Further, Lotus has hired Karl-Heinz Kalbfell from BMW, who “will provide operational support and advise Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar on the most efficient delivery of the business plan.”

Hit the jump for the complete press release, which includes statements from Bahar on each of these new hires.

[Source: Lotus]

Continue reading Ferrari General Manager heads to Lotus

Ferrari General Manager heads to Lotus

The overpriced custom chopper fad seems to be over, but that doesn’t mean enterprising individuals aren’t still welding together custom motorcycles in an effort to stand out from the crowd. Exhibit A: The $55,000 custom Tron Light Cycle replica from Parker Brothers Choppers in Florida.

The standing-out-from-the-crowd part is easy enough… just looking at this thing in the garage is likely enough of an enticement that the builders will be able to sell the 10 machines currently planned for production. The actual act of riding one of these suckers, though, looks to be the significantly more difficult part of the equation.

Want proof? Check out the video after the break, where a couple of guys (presumably the builders) take their creation out for a quick spin in a parking lot. First, note how wide the bike is, both in the middle where the rider’s legs are splayed and at the front, where the clip-on handlebars are wide enough to clip side mirrors down a narrow street – necessarily so due to the ridiculously wide tires. Looks comfy, no?

Power comes from a 1,000cc liquid-cooled V-twin cribbed from a Suzuki TL, which means the Light Cycle replica should be plenty fast in a straight line. With 474 pounds of mass, a 100-inch wheelbase and those aforementioned steamroller tires, we’d bet that handling won’t exactly be this machine’s strong suit. See for yourself in the video after the break.

[Source: Parker Brothers Choppers via Wired]

Continue reading Tron Light Cycle Replica: Apparently street-legal, somehow [w/video]

Tron Light Cycle Replica: Apparently street-legal, somehow [w/video]

Now matter how you slice it – and no matter how many of us admit to doing it – distracted driving is pretty dumb. At first blush, then, it seems odd that a new poll commissioned by InsuranceQuotes.com indicates that well-educated and well-to-do American drivers are the most likely culprits of distracted driving.

When you consider that drivers in higher income brackets are more likely to have electronic gadgetry inside their cars with them at any given time, you begin to understand why drivers with a college degree that make more than $75,000 per year are the highest offenders of talking on cell phones or texting while driving. Or worse.

Not that the picture is particularly rosy for the rest of the class… a full 93 percent of responders admit to driving while distracted, regardless of age or class, and 40 percent report that their habits have gotten them into trouble, be that by being cited with a ticket, getting into a near-miss or even a full-blown accident. Indeed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2009 were attributable to distracted driving, and we’d only expect that figure to get worse as more distracting devices hit the market. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: InsuranceQuotes.com Image: Corbis]

Continue reading Ironic: Study says distracted drivers more likely to be well-educated

Ironic: Study says distracted drivers more likely to be well-educated

Audi has issued a press release announcing that it will advertise during the Super Bowl for the fourth consecutive year. Buying ad time is usually a non-newsworthy affair, but a single 30-second spot during the Big Game represents a financial commitment of $3 million or more. That’s a fairly hefty chunk of Audi’s annual ad spending budget here in the States, so why do it?

Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer, Audi of America, says that buying ad time during the Super Bowl has led to “record levels of awareness and showroom traffic with national consideration numbers showing significant spikes post game.” That’s a big deal for a luxury automaker looking to grow big during the next few years. The four-ringed automaker has managed to achieve record sales in the U.S. over the past few years in spite of the down market for autos.

Past Super Bowl commercials from Audi include the “Green Police” ad featuring the A3 TDI and a 2009 spot featuring Jason Statham chasing down luxury competitors. Audi isn’t talking about the theme for the 2011 spots just yet, but we’re going to go ahead and place our bet on the 2012 A6 making its way to the big stage. Hit the jump to read over the press release from Audi.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi signs on for fourth consecutive Super Bowl ad

Audi signs on for fourth consecutive Super Bowl ad

	First Chevy Volt charity auction has 12 days to go, but it’s already up to $180,000 That’s like one-and-a-half Tesla Roadsters.		Report: First Nissan Leaf delivery to a U.S. customer happening very soon It’ll happen somewhere in California.
	BAIC to roll out 30 electric cars by year’s end; produce 3,500 more in 2011 China’s EV numbers keep growing.	Other news: Infiniti turns up hybrid volume with pedestrian warning system Hire Electric installs Washington’s largest solar-powered charging station Video: Hyundai launches Save the Asterisks campaign for 40-mpg Elantra

AutoblogGreen for 12.03.10

Denis Malevanyi is one skilled hot shoe and he can hustle a BMW M3 around the ‘Ring with the best of them. He’s also pretty good at driving virtual cars in simulation series like Race2Play, as well as in Gran Turismo 5. We’ve seen how a virtual driver’s skill can translate when placed into reality, but Malevanyi already knows what he’s doing behind the wheel. He recently captured video of himself running the Nürburgring in an E92 M3, both in reality and the digital world, and stacked the footage together.

Hop the jump to see how he does in both versions. Thanks for the tip, Daniel!

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: GT5 vs. Real Life, Nürburgring Edition

Video: GT5 vs. Real Life, Nürburgring Edition

The Internet Car and Truck of the Year voting jury has just announced its pair of winners for 2011, and top honors go to both the Cadillac CTS-V and Jeep Grand Cherokee. For 2011, the CTS-V is offered in a trio of body styles, all of which boast a 556-horsepower supercharged V8 and seriously good driving dynamics. Likewise, the 2011 Grand Cherokee remains one of the best off-road vehicles in its class, and points the way forward for the “new Chrysler.”

In addition to the vehicles picked by the Internet Car and Truck of the Year jurors, the motoring public was able to cast its vote for the “Average Joe” awards. Unlike the professional jury, the public voters named the 2011 Ford Mustang GT as Car of the Year, its new 5.0-liter V8 and reworked suspension geometry making it more of a true sports car than a stereotypical muscle car. However, both the “Internet Pros” and “Average Joes” saw eye to eye on the Truck of the Year award, with the Grand Cherokee taking the cake from both segments of voters.

Vehicles aside, the ICTOY jury also honored recently deceased and legendary automotive journalist Jerry Flint with the 2010 Journalist of the Year award. Flint, who died on August 7th of this year, covered the automotive beat for over 50 years, and was once named one of the 100 most prominent business reporters of the 20th century.

For the full details on all of the awards, follow the jump to read the Internet Car and Truck of the Year press release.

Photos copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: Internet Car and Truck of the Year]

Continue reading Cadillac CTS-V, Jeep Grand Cherokee named 2011 Internet Car and Truck of the Year

Cadillac CTS-V, Jeep Grand Cherokee named 2011 Internet Car and Truck of the Year

First Drive: 2011 Mini Cooper S

The newest Mini Cooper evolves and continues to impress.

Leave a Facebook comment, win a copy of Gran Turismo 5!

If you didn’t camp out at Best Buy last week to purchase your copy of GT5, you’re in luck. We’ve got one copy of PolyD’s latest and greatest sim and all you’ve got to do is like us… on Facebook.

Ferrari 458 Challenge debuts at 2010 Bologna Motor Show

Ferrari unwraps its latest Challenge car before next year’s races heat up.

Also of interest:

• GM announces $4B pension fund deposit
• 2012 Nissan GT-R officially goes 0-60 in 2.9 seconds
• Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe caught uncloaked
• Rumormill (Yet Again): Lexus GS-F is coming
• IIHS Obvious Conclusion of the Day: Mismatched bumpers cost thousands in repairs

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 12.2.10

Following the launch of the Regal, Buick will be introducing its next all-new model sometime in 2011. Set to launch as a 2012 model, the Verano compact will slot in beneath the Regal sedan, though we’ve been told on several occasions that it will not share a platform with General Motors‘ other new small car, the Chevrolet Cruze.

According to the infomongers at GM Inside News, the automaker recent sent a letter to its Buick dealers inviting them to participate in an order study in an attempt to gain knowledge about what pricing and trim levels would be most attractive to potential buyers. The details, available after the jump, reveal that the Verano will be powered by a 2.4-liter inline-four (same as the Regal) that produces 180 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, and will be initially offered in four trim levels.

If the letter is to be believed, the base Verano 1SB (the alphanumeric likely being an internal designation) is estimated to start at $20,900. From there, the 1SD model adds Bluetooth, automatic climate control and remote start, and will be priced from around $22,100. 1SG models add a power driver’s seat, heated mirrors and rear park assist and should command roughly $23,300. Top-trim 1SL Veranos will have heated leather seats, premium audio, a heated steering wheel and 18-inch wheels. Expect the top-rung 1SL to retail for around $25,600, with pricing reaching as high as $26,200.

We don’t expect GM to reveal official Verano specifications and pricing until closer to its launch date, with the car being officially debuting sometime in the early 2011 auto show season. Top tip, Ed!

[Source: GM Inside News]

Continue reading 2012 Buick Verano details and pricing leaked in dealer letter?

2012 Buick Verano details and pricing leaked in dealer letter?

Most people would love a chance to show their stuff behind the wheel of racecar. Problem is, most people probably wouldn’t be any good at actually driving one. We can all try to hone our skills through the use of racing simulators, but just how much can they actually teach you without the visceral feedback and life-or-death consequences that you can only get from real life? Apparently, they can teach us plenty. One person in particular, who goes by the name Greger Huttu, got to put his virtual racing prowess to the test.

Greger Huttu hails from Vaasa, Finland, where he can be found spending putting a lot of time into the iRacing simulator. Huttu is not just good at the game, he utterly dominates it. For the last six years, he’s turned 2,581 laps and led for 2,339 of them. He’s won every race from the pole position, including the iRacing World Championship that netted him a cool $10,000. Still… he’s never actually driven a real racecar, and the folks at Top Gear were curious to see if he actually could.

Top Gear flew Huttu out to Road Atlanta – one of America’s toughest tracks – and stuck him in a Star Mazda racer. Both the track and the car are familiar to Huttu because he’s experienced both in the iRacing simulator. How did he do? Quite frankly, he did amazingly well. Entering corners at 100 miles per hour, which is just 10 mph shy of where experience drivers come in, Huttu was able to rip off clean lap after clean lap and eventually came within three seconds of what the experts consider a solid time at Road Atlanta.

The difference between a professional driver and a professional simulator driver soon became apparent, however, as Greger Huttu’s body began to be affected by the G forces. The pros work hard to stay fit for a reason, and the toll on Huttu resulted in a helmet full of vomit. Though he wanted to continue, Huttu had to eventually throw in the towel because his body could take no more.

Still, his accomplishments are pretty remarkable and suggest that a good simulator can indeed prepare the armchair racer for a car and a circuit. Head over to Top Gear to get the full scoop on Huttu and his real-life racing adventure.

[Source: Top Gear]

iRacing star gets chance to try real thing at Road Atlanta

The U.S. government’s Commercial Paper Funding Facility was established towards the tail-end of 2008. The CPFF was created to offer companies short-terms loan when traditional means of establishing credit were crumbling. Lehman Brothers had collapsed and AIG was taking expensive trips while showing the world its pocket lint, but that didn’t mean that other companies weren’t in need of cash, and Washington stepped in to oblige. According to Bloomberg, among those parties taking advantage of the Federal Reserve program were a long list of automotive clients, German automaker BMW among them.

According to Bloomberg, German automaker secured funding assistance intermittently between 2008 and 2009, with the largest single transaction a reported $3.62 billion. This line of credit helped BMW survive during a time when other automakers were getting by on life support. Some of the funds were used to expand the South Carolina facility that produces X3, X5 and X6 models. While suffering its lowest profit in a decade, BMW was still able to produce a positive cash flow of nearly $2 billion.

Taking a look at the data provided by the Feds (download the spreadsheet here – *Warning: Excel spreadsheet), we see that a number of automakers and compnaies also made use of the CPFF, including Harley-Davidson (33 separate instances totaling $2.3 billion), Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and Mitsubishi.

[Sources: Bloomberg, The Washington Post Image: Drew Phillips/AOL]

Report: BMW, Harley-Davidson among those that tapped Federal Reserve for billions during crisis