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Right now, saying that the individuals who pre-ordered Nissan Leaf EVs are a little disappointed about the slow rate of deliveries would easily catapult you to the reigning monarch of the nation of understaters. After the Japanese automaker happily snapped up over 20,000 pre-orders for the electric hatch, the company managed to deliver a paltry 19 units in December. No, not 19,000 or 1,900 – nineteen. Not surprisingly, the Internet has erupted into a rousing chorus of conspiracy theories about the holdup, with everything from cars being held at the docks for wiring repairs to Nissan holding vehicles so that the Japanese market can be satiated first. According to Nissan, however, none of that is true.

The hangup boils down to a good old-fashioned corporate slip-up. Instead of parceling out the allotment of Leaf EVs to dealers like manufacturers typically do, Nissan decided to go with a more democratic but experimental online pre-ordering program. As a result, those who were first in line got the first cars. Everyone else has been left out in the cold.

According to PlugInCars.com, Nissan admits that in hindsight, it could have handled the vehicle’s launch better. Moving forward, as production ramps up, the company says that it will likely return to a more traditional dealer model for the Leaf, and that in six months time, few people will remember the delay. Nissan says that while there have been some cancellations as a result of the delays, the company believes that it’s been a relatively small number compared to overall reservations.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Damon Lavrinc / AOL

[Sources: Jalopnik, PlugInCars.com]

Report: Nissan admits Leaf EV launch could have been handled better

Automotive News Europe is reporting that BMW may be looking into expanding the number of models that the company manufactures here in the States. While the German automaker says that there are no solid plans on the table right now, it’s possible that both the 3 Series and the 5 Series could join the X3, X5 and X6 on the production line at the BMW facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina (shown above). The move is being considered as the U.S. threatens to overtake Germany as the company’s largest auto market. In 2010, the U.S. fell a mere 252 vehicles shy of taking the sales crown from Germany.

BMW currently holds a 2.3-percent market share in the U.S. with 266,000 vehicles sold in America in 2010. With the U.S. economy in a slow but steady state of improvement, the company fully expects to eclipse that number in 2011. As a result, the Spartanburg facility will operate at its full capacity of 240,000 units this year.

So far, it’s unclear as to whether the company would eye building a new facility for the American-built 3 and 5 Series vehicles or if BMW would simply add on to its South Carolina plant.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req.]

BMW reportedly pondering building 3 and 5 Series models in U.S.

The Dodge Viper has always been an impressive looking vehicle, but its muscled lines haven’t ever been what we’d call feminine. That may change with the next-generation version of the Snake. Ralph Gilles, head of Chrysler design and the Dodge brand, says that the look of the next Dodge Viper will be inspired by “a naked woman on the beach.”

Sorry, but we’re having a hard time coming up with a witty quip after that one (well, other than the one in the headline).

Gilles made the announcement while speaking with reporters at the Automotive News World Conference, and while the revelation about the vehicle’s design inspiration was a big highlight, he also announced that the next Viper would take dead aim at stealing buyers away from both the Porsche brand and the Chevrolet Corvette. That’s especially true when it comes to the crowd of younger buyers – guys and girls under 45.

The next-generation Viper is set to debut in 2013, and while that gives Dodge plenty of time to get the car right, we don’t expect either Porsche or Chevrolet to sit back and allow the Viper to play catch up. Suddenly we’re very excited to see what the sports car world looks like in two years.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Gilles: Next Dodge Viper inspired by a “naked woman on the beach.” Aren’t we all?

The Super Bowl is just around corner and before the New England Patriots celebrate another victory and that means a new crop of automotive commercials are getting ready to pry your attention away from all the drinks and food you are consuming. Audi has revealed its new ad spot that takes direct aim at established premium sedans like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The commercial is based on Margaret Wise Brown’s popular children’s book Goodnight Moon, Audi says goodbye to old luxury, then welcomes progress with its all-new 2011 Audi A8 sedan.

Hop the jump to watch the new Audi Super Bowl commercial.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Audi A8 Super Bowl commercial riffs on children’s Goodnight Moon book

Video: Audi A8 Super Bowl commercial riffs on children’s Goodnight Moon book

Alpina Delivers Its Best Impression Of An M7

Try as it might, the BMW M3 Coupe can’t lose the Alpina B7. The two of us are an unlikely automotive pair, playing cat-and-mouse on one long road to nowhere deep in the reaches of an unincorporated area of the California coastal mountains. The air is cool and the canyons are mostly quiet. Only the sound of two wailing V8s breaks the silence.

While the M3 dives into the corners with confidence, the B7 launches out with ferocious conviction. The M3 pulls energetically on the short straights, but the B7 puts its power down with resolve and steadily reels the smaller coupe back in. Even mid-corner, when the M3 is in perfect step, the B7 clenches a slightly wider line but still holds its ground.

We’ve been at this game for more than an hour, and neither of us is willing to raise a white flag. Only the illumination of the low fuel light in the smaller coupe has us calling it quits. Want to learn what it takes to harass an M3 owner?

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2011 Michael Harley / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 BMW Alpina B7

Review: 2011 BMW Alpina B7

If you’ve been listening to the whispers about a new smaller version of the Maserati Quattroporte and wondering exactly what the machine will look like when it debuts, you can quit your pondering. Sort of. Our task force of stealthy spy photographers have managed to lay their lenses on a mule version of the new baby Quattroporte. This particular evaluation car sports a shorter wheelbase and smaller brakes than its bigger brother, and a single exhaust outlet hints to a slightly lower level of performance. Though this tester seems to have raided the parts bin of the larger Quattroporte for some ill-fitting glass, we’re told that the production version of the car will look significantly different.

Maserati has been itching to tango with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz AMG E-Class, Jaguar XFR and BMW M5, and this machine could be the beast that allows the company to do just that. As of right now, there’s no indication as to exactly what will lurk underhood when it debuts in 2012, though with a mule running around, we’re guessing it won’t be too long before we hear more about the smaller Quattroporte’s drivetrain.

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Baby Maserati Quattroporte mule snapped hiding in plain sight

When asked about the arrival of the production Coupe and Roadster at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, Mini Communication Manager Nathalie Bauters told us that the Mini Coupe “will go on sale in the fall, probably as a 2012 model year. The Roadster will come six months later as a 2012 or 2013 model.”

What won’t ever make the retail playground is the Mini E. “It will not go on sale, it was for research,” she said. Some of the leases on the first year trial for consumers and electric companies have been extended to a second year, but the end of the second year will mark the phase out of the program. A lease program with the 1 Series-based BMW Active E will follow, also to gather intelligence on electric cars, with both programs helping to prepare for the arrival of the BMW Megacity.

Mini E to be phased out in a year, Coupe goes on sale this fall

A chat with Scion Vice President Jack Hollis was probably the biggest ‘Let’s get something straight’ moment we had at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Sales were down 20 percent in 2010, the new 2011 tC didn’t get the warmest reception from its former proponents, and the perception is that Scion is losing a grip on its youth-oriented message. Hollis sought to address those points and more:

• “Some people have the impression that we’ve lost youth… but it’s about identical: the median age for the tC was 28 last year, now it’s up to 29. It’s still the youngest in the market.” As a brand, Scion has a median age of 41.5 years, up from 40.
• Scion’s sales were down 20 percent last year, but Hollis says that’s only the point “if volume is your goal.” He went on to say, “We could double sales, but we don’t rely on traditional incentives.” Sale prices remained non-negotiable throughout the recession and the only two cash incentives – $1,000 off for college students and military personnel – are handled through Toyota Financial Services. Hollis is more focused on “Who is the buyer you’re capturing? The average age of our buyer in a recession was under 30. We have exactly the buyer we want.” That means that “we lost numbers, not youth. That’s not a Scion problem, that’s an industry problem.”
• “The key tenet of Scion is to sell to people who have never purchased a Lexus, Toyota or Scion before.” Seventy percent of buyers of the first xA and xB had never bought into the Toyota group before, and Hollis says that although the second generations of both models were very different, they achieved the same percentage of first-time buyers. “It’s not my intent to have loyalty retention, but Toyota brand retention,” to get the buyer started on an investment in Toyota’s products.
• Still, volume is on his mind. “My goal is to increase sales.” The 2011 Scion tC had an 80 percent increase in Q4 last year compared to 2009, and “I have the tC all year this year.” Hollis expects sales better than last year, “absolutely,” and even to make gains on 2009 numbers.
• On keeping up the momentum, he’s admits that “Scion has got to find new ways to attract youth,” adding “I think Scion will take the lead.”
• If you have your eye on a Scion iQ, it’s “coming out in summer,” and you’ll be able to tweak it as you would any other Scion. There will be less customization possible than on a tC “on a percentage basis,” but the ethos remains, “when you bring out a Scion you need to have personalization.”

Scion sales down 20%, but “we have the exact customer we want”

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is looking to reduce the number of injuries sustained by people ejected from vehicles during accidents. To that end, the government organization has just ruled to establish a new mandate that forces automakers to institute new ejection mitigation systems.

In the common tongue, that means side air bags will need to be more robust and longer than they are at present, and that in some cases, side glass will need unique glazing. There’s also some indication that side impact air bags will now need to be tethered at the bottom. The rules only apply to vehicles under 10,000 pounds.

Automakers only have a short period of time to implement the new standard. NHTSA says that the law will begin being enforced starting September 1, 2013.

While the rules seem to be aimed at catering to people who refuse to wear their seatbelts, NHTSA says that the regulations will help protect everyone in the event of a rollover, even those who are properly secured with traditional restraints. Head over to the NHTSA using the link below to read the full ruling.

[Source: NHTSA - PDF link]

NHTSA announces new ‘ejection mitigation’ regulation

From the ‘We Almost Missed It” file comes word Kansas man has set about testing his state’s new seatbelt law. Kansas has just joined the handful of other states that have moved not wearing a seatbelt while driving up to a primary offense, meaning that law enforcement officers can pull over and cite offenders simply for failing to buckle up. According to KWCH CBS 12, Paul Weigand says that he wants to challenge the law because he believes wearing his seatbelt should be up to him. Since the law says that an individual simply has to wear a seatbelt, Weigand has apparently taken to donning a seatbelt that he made himself around his waist at all times. The law apparently makes no mention of the seatbelt needing to be factory equipment nor that the belt needs to actually be fastened to the vehicle.

Not surprisingly, Weigand was cited under the new law and decided to fight the citation. A district judge decided earlier this month that the seatbelt crusader can take his case to court. According to the report, Weigand knows that he’s poking fun at the law, but believes that seatbelt use should be up to individuals. He claims to have a phobia of being trapped in a crashed vehicle. Click on the KWCH link below to watch a video and see the homemade safety belt for yourself.

[Source: KWCH CBS 12 via USA Today]

Kansas man goes to court over homemade seatbelt

While Toyota has been happy to supply the world with glimpses of and whispers about its version of the FT-86 sports coupe, Subaru has been suspiciously quiet about its planned version of the car. But it looks like that’s about to change. The Pleiades has announced the vehicles that it plans to show off at this year’s Geneva Motor Show in March, and tucked amongst the already-revealed Impreza Concept and the new Trezia econobox is word that the Subaru Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Car Technology Concept will also make an appearance. The news answers the question of whether or not the Subaru end of the venture would boast the company’s trademark all-wheel drive when it debuts. All signs point to no – at least in concept form.

Other than the fact that the RWD Subaru will bow in Geneva, there’s no indication as to what the car will look like or whether or not it will ever show up in American showrooms. We do know that the vehicle will boast a Subaru boxer four-cylinder under its hood, though it’s unclear whether the engine will be a next-generation interpretation of the engine it currently markets or if Subaru will stick the old turbo lump out front. We’ll probably find out soon enough. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: Subaru Images: CarPix]

Continue reading Subaru confirms ‘Toyobaru’ sports coupe for Geneva

Subaru confirms ‘Toyobaru’ sports coupe for Geneva

By most metrics, Ural serves up a portfolio that’s rife with oddities of motorcycle design. You’ll find no staggering technological advances on board and the company’s heavy-as-a-freight-train designs won’t be setting any speed records any time soon. Hell, Ural only recently began begrudgingly equipping its bikes with disk brakes in the front and an electric starter.

It should come as some surprise to hear that the company managed to grow its sales by a dizzying 39 percent in 2010. If your eyebrows aren’t currently mingling with your hairline at the moment, allow us to throw in the fact that the company’s products start at a shave under $10,000 with the Ural T.

That, ladies and gentlemen, ain’t peanuts.

What could have possibly sent buyers scurrying to the Russian bikes? Well… we’d like to think it was our glowing near-death review of the 2010 Ural Patrol T, but you never know. Even with its huge jump in deliveries, Ural says that it was hoping to see its figures back to 2008 levels, and that would have required an additional 18 percent improvement.

Congrats, comrades. Here’s wishing for an equally successful 2011.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski

[Source: Hell for Leather]

Ural motorcycle sales leap 39 percent in 2010

Obtaining a legal title and registration is oftentimes one of the most difficult procedures custom car builders will face on the long road to getting their beloved hobby cars out of the garage and into the parking lot at the local Friday night car show.

Good news, automotive hobbyists: the SEMA Action Network is here to help make the process just a wee bit easier with a handy-dandy 50-state guide that cuts through some red tape and outlines the various steps in order to make you legal.

SEMA is quick to point out that its guide is merely meant to be an informative supplement, and that it still may not be an easy process to get your hobby car on the road. Feel free to peruse your state’s guidelines here.

[Source: SEMA Action Network]

SEMA releases 50-state guide to help you tag and title your hobby car

	Detroit 2011: Toyota Prius Family plan gets bigger, smaller And more popular?		Tesla superfan takes high road, gets to Scotland before the BBC Way to show ‘em up.
	Detroit 2011: Smart president Jill Lajdziak says “We’re in far better shape” for 2011 Smart’s future could be something with two-wheels, four doors and no ownership (not all at once).	Other news: Think delivers 17 electric City cars to Indiana utilities Mercedes-Benz offers start/stop on all 2012 European SLK models, none in America EV Cup 2011 racing season will include America, The Stig and very fast Think Citys

AutoblogGreen for 01.14.11

Regardless of where you stand on the “drifting is/isn’t a form of motorsports” debate, it’s fun to watch a car being piloted on full opposite lock. But is it possible on a motorcycle? Icon Motorsports rider Nick Brocha answers with a fat sideways-smoking yes.

Icon may be know for providing gear for maniacs fans of two-wheeled transportation, but they also sponsor a team of skilled bikers. Brocha is one of those riders and he pits his modded Kawasaki ZX10 against Jim Guthrie and his Corvette-powered Mazda RX-7 drift machine. Add in some cameras and a prime location and we have ourselves an entertaining video, which you can watch after the jump.

[Source: Icon Motorsports via Hell for Leather]

Continue reading Video: Drift battle pits Mazda RX7 against Kawasaki ZX10

Video: Drift battle pits Mazda RX7 against Kawasaki ZX10

The Belgians may not be known as much for military prowess as, say, for beer or waffles – at least not since conquering the Congo, anyway – but Brussels is also the seat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was established as a united front against the Communist bloc, and still stands as one of the most formidable alliances of nations this side of the Star Wars empire. A perfect place, then, to unveil a paramilitary-type vehicle like the X-Tech Limited Edition.

Easily as tough as any Hummer or Jeep, the X-Tech is based on the Land Rover Defender – one of the most rock-solid rock-crawlers ever devised. It’s available in either silver, three-door Defender 90 form or in five-door Defender 110 long wheelbase in olive green, both offset by black roof, wheel arches, interior and new “saw-tooth” alloys. Not a major upgrade on the standard model, but just enough to give it the attitude it deserves.

Unveiled at the Brussels Motorshow, the Defender X-Tech is unfortunately unavailable in the North American market, but you can dream by checking out the gallery below.

[Source: Land Rover]

Continue reading Muscles in Brussels: Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium

Muscles in Brussels: Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium

Review: 2011 Toyota Highlander

Will new tweaks to the seven-passenger crossover help this perennial top-seller stay near the top of the pack, or could the lack of a more comprehensive redesign relegate this CUV to also-ran status? We find out.

Rumormill: Chevrolet Camaro Z28 production beginning 1/1/2012

Chevrolet Camaro Z28: 6.2-liter, supercharged V8. Over 500 horsepower. Rumors say it’s going into production on 1/1/2012… you won’t want to miss this.

Video: 125cc shifter karts lap Laguna Seca

Shifter karts at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Need we say more?

Also of interest:

• Report: Thieves swipe $140K BMW 7 Series in Detroit during auto show
• Officially Official: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK pops its auto-tinting lid [w/video]
• 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible photos leak out
• Spy Shots: Jaguar XK facelift spotted
• Report: Ford’s Kuzak hints that GT successor may be in the cards
• Kia says KV7 Concept presages some sort of production model; Hamstars to return?

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 1.13.11

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium plays host to a variety of racing events, ranging from from Formula One and touring car to weekend track days. When out on the course in a production car, it might feel like you are conquering the Eau Rouge better than any human on the planet. This video mashup is here to remind that you’re not.

This isn’t ground-breaking information, but it is interesting to see just how much faster an F1 car is around a series of high-speed turns. Someone over in the VWVortex’s Car Lounge decided to overlay two videos of the same corner, and while they don’t line up perfectly, you get the point. Check it out after the jump.

[Source: VWVortex]

Continue reading Videos: Your Porsche 911 GT3 isn’t that fast…

Videos: Your Porsche 911 GT3 isn’t that fast…

China Automaker BYD is in no hurry to launch in the U.S., and it shows in its plan.

BYD has been showing cars at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit for three years now, originally planning to launch an electric car by the end of 2012 to consumers. Now that’s looking like 2013, according to Mike Austin, VP of BYD’s U.S. division.

In the meantime, BYD is testing some cars in a fleet with the Housing Authority of Los Angeles.

The plan is for the company to find at least five dealers who are willing to not only sell a BYD e6 electric and a plug-in hybrid, called the f3DM, but also BYD LED lights, solar panels and other products related to “green” living. “We aren’t pursuing the typical sales and distribution model,” says Austin.

BYD has gained notoriety for its rapid rise in China and for the investment in the company made by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which owns 10% of the company best known for lithium-ion batteries for cellphones and other consumer electronics.

BYD last year sold 520,000 vehicles in China, impressive but well short of the 800,000 it stated as its goal.

Austin says the company has not selected dealers yet, but acknowledged that the business model for selling BYD’s other products will not appeal to some dealers. “That’s okay, because we are doing something unique here. We are in not in a hurry to launch in the U.S.,” says Austin, who noted the growth in the Chinese market that BYD is trying to manage.

The five dealers BYD is looking for to launch is the start of a network planned to grow to 20 and according to Austin not all of the dealerships at launch will be in California.

BYD: Want to sell our cars? Sell our light bulbs too!

We operate under the impression that on the whole we live in the best period of automotive innovation and power that the world has ever seen. Manufacturers are turning out four-cylinder engines with more horsepower and torque than the mighty V8 lumps of just two decades ago and eight pots that boast fuel economy numbers as impressive as their dyno charts. These days, mega power is mega cheap and more accessible than ever. But, as Uncle Ben reminds us, great power comes with great responsibility, and to that end General Motors is offering all Corvette buyers a chance to learn how to get the most out of their machines.

For a limited time, GM is giving away vouchers to both of the company’s Corvette Driving Schools to anyone who buys any model of a new Corvette. Typically, the driving schools are free only to those who lay down the coin for a mighty ZR1, but for a limited time, The General is splurging for Coupe, Convertible, Grand Sport, Z06 and ZR1 buyers to go on the company’s dime. The schools are at the Bob Bondurant school in Phoenix, Arizona and Ron Fellows school in Las Vegas, Arizona.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / AOL

[Source: GM]

Chevy offers free driving school to all Corvette buyers for limited time