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Nissan’s latest Leaf-related ad asks: “What would the world be like if gas powered everything?”

Well, according to the spot, a middle-aged man would wake up for work to the burning whistle of his gas-powered alarm clock, and with a few fierce tugs at his coffee maker’s rip cord, he’d manage to fire up the gas-gulping machine. That same man, while at the office, would walk up to a miniature gas pump to refuel his laptop computer.

Oh, and the owner of a Chevrolet Volt, while standing at the gas pump refueling his plug-in hybrid, would watch in envy as another man across the street unplugs his Nissan Leaf and drives off.

Well, as you may have guessed, some General Motors execs aren’t too thrilled that Nissan has taken a public shot at the Volt. Autoevolution says that in a “rare, but delicious unofficial reply on Twitter,” GM’s Executive Director of Product and Technology Communications, Jason Laird, tweeted:

“A carmaker poking gentle fun at our product ignores tow trucks they need and rental cars they recommend as backup to their product.“

On the other hand, GM spokesman Rob Peterson, called the commercial “cute,” but says that it’s “misleading and damaging to the electric vehicle movement,” according to Autoevolution.

Hit the jump to watch Nissan’s now-controversial “Gas Powered Everything” clip.

Continue reading GM responds to Nissan Leaf “Gas Powered Everything” ad [w/video]

GM responds to Nissan Leaf “Gas Powered Everything” ad [w/video]

We already told you that BMW has decided to limit production of the 1 Series M, making it a one-year proposition. Now, we may know a bit more about this decision. The German automaker has reportedly filed trademarks on the terms “M2″ and “BMW M2.” Where is the 2 Series upon which these terms could apply? Rumor has it that the next-generation BMW 1 Series will grow up and become the 2 Series.

Of course, a BMW 2 Series is not a foregone conclusion, but it’s always a wise idea to stay a step ahead. At the very least, BMW is making sure that the M2 name will be ready should it choose to go the 2 Series route.

BMW files trademark for M2

If you had told us last year that this year’s most controversial redesign would be the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, we would’ve politely walked away and laughed at your outrageous claim behind your back. We’re like that. But here we are, and the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is, arguably, the most controversial redesign of the year.

Jetta fans and auto journalists have been less than enthused with the changes. Buyers, however, apparently disagree. Sales of the new Jetta through April are up 68.8 percent. So which camp is right?

After the untimely demise of our last long-term Jetta (follow the jump for the whole story), a 2010 model year TDI Cup Street Edition, we were offered a 2011 model to take its place. Driving these two diesel Jettas back-to-back will help us craft a before-and-after snapshot of what the car has gained and lost with this latest redesign.

Continue reading 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI joins Autoblog’s Long-Term Garage

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI joins Autoblog’s Long-Term Garage

Lewis Hamilton may be best known for his racing, but in the wake of a controversial performance at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, it was another race card he played altogether.

The young Brit was called in to speak with the race stewards regarding an incident with Williams rookie Pastor Maldonado. Towards the end of the grand prix, Hamilton collided with Maldonado and the latter was taken out of the race. The stewards deemed Hamilton at fault and handed him a 20-second time penalty (the post-race equivalent to a drive-through), though with Adrian Sutil finishing far behind him a lap down, the penalty affects neither Hamilton’s sixth-place finish nor his position in the championship standings.

Speaking with the BBC after the stewards’ decision, the McLaren driver jokingly channeled Sacha Baron Cohen’s character Ali G and mused that the stewards were picking on him because he’s black. Realizing the joke could be misconstrued and taken seriously, Hamilton doubled back and apologized to the stewards for his remarks.

The Maldonado incident was one of several that marred Hamilton’s performance this weekend. After being docked several positions on the starting grid due to an illegal qualifying maneuver, Hamilton started in ninth place. Around halfway through the race, he tried to overtake longtime rival, Felipe Massa, but ended up colliding with the Ferrari that crashed out mere seconds later. The stewards had faulted a frustrated Hamilton for that incident as well and handed him a mid-race drive-through penalty.

Lewis Hamilton apologizes for joking insinuation of racism after Monaco GP penalty

Renault has a new chief operating officer. Carlos Tavares, formerly the Chief Executive Officer for Nissan Americas, will now fill the void left by former Renault COO Patrick Pelata. Pelata left the French automaker amid a botched spy scandal investigation that saw a rash of Renault executives lose their positions. Taveres has a long history with Renault, having served with the company for 24 years before being assigned to the U.S. with Nissan Americas in 2003. His move back to Renault has been rumored for some time and the company hopes that its new executive can help point sales in a better direction.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Tavares’ old role will be handled by many hands. Colin Dodge will serve as chairman of the Americas in addition to retaining his title as Executive Vice President, Chief Performance Officer and Chairman of Nissan operations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India. Dodge will be joined by Bill Krueger, who will now take up the mantle of Vice Chairman.

Krueger previously served as the Head of Manufacturing, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management for Nissan. TheDetroitBureau.com reports that Krueger will move farther up the chain should he be able to prove himself in his new role. Click past the break for a look at the full press release.

Continue reading Nissan Americas’ Tavares becomes Renault COO on heels of spy scandal

Nissan Americas’ Tavares becomes Renault COO on heels of spy scandal

Seriously, BMW, enough with the 2012 M5 teasers. In addition to the buffet of spy shots that we’ve published, BMW debuted the production-looking M5 Concept in Shanghai and has released quite a few videos teasing the new M flagship sedan doing what it does best. Almost nothing has been left to the imagination at this point.

Who are we kidding? We can’t get enough of this car.

This time around, we see the lightly camouflaged M5 doing high-speed testing at Italy’s massive Nardo Ring – an important part of any M car development. As you can see by the driver’s expressions, hitting the highest numbers on the speedometer is a piece of cake for the twin-turbocharged M5.

BMWBlog.com reports that the M5 will officially debut at the automaker’s M Festival, held from June 23 to 26 to celebrate the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. The car will make its grand auto show debut in Frankfurt this fall. Hit the jump to watch and hear the latest teaser.

Continue reading 2012 BMW M5 teased again during Nardo high-speed testing

2012 BMW M5 teased again during Nardo high-speed testing

Staying on top demands constant improvement, and Nissan has certainly proven itself up to the task with the current R35-generation GT-R. Since its domestic introduction in 2007 and global roll-out in 2009, Nissan has launched successive improvements on its flagship sportscar, and now word is coming of another upgrade on the way.

According to the folks at 7Tune, output from the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 is set to increase from 530 horsepower up to 560. And to supersede the current Spec V model, a Spec R is said to be in the works, dropping another 70 pounds or so for even more extreme performance.

Development of the new GT-R has reportedly been postponed in the wake of the quake fallout in Japan, pushing the car’s launch back by several months. These are expected to be the final iterations of the R35 before its successor arrives.

Nissan GT-R to get power bump, Spec R version

Last week at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este, BMW unleashed its lovely 328 Hommage on the world as a tribute to its legendary 1936 328, the car that still holds the fastest average speed ever achieved at the Mille Miglia. This week, they’ve pumped out a video of the car in motion, disguised as a behind-the-scenes look at its California photo shoot. As you might expect, the video just serves confirm our earlier conclusion: this car has some beautiful details.

For those who need a refresher course, here’s how the numbers break down: The 328 Hommage tips the scales at just over 1,700 pounds thanks to the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics. Pushing that scant poundage around is BMW’s venerated inline six, backed up by a mystery transmission. To ogle the video, click past the jump.

Continue reading BMW 328 Hommage even sexier in motion

BMW 328 Hommage even sexier in motion

Updated Best-Selling Coupe Doesn’t Err From Its Luxury Mission

Somewhere around the world, floating amid a sea of crystal-clear water, is a Hatteras 100 Motor Yacht. It is hardly an ordinary boat.

Built for long passages, with a sturdy sea-keeping fiberglass hull, the Hatteras offers unparalleled engineering, meticulous craftsmanship and immense power. Its staterooms feature exquisite wood cabinetry, double bullnose moldings, and polished natural stone countertops. The main salon is equipped with plasma video screens and multi-channel surround sound for entertainment, while the pilot house features state-of-the art digital electronics for monitoring systems and navigation. And under the stern deck, there are twin 16-cylinder turbo diesel powerplants generating 2,400 horsepower each. It’s enough propulsion to move the 270,000-pound yacht through the water at speeds approaching 30 mph.

On open water, the 100-foot Hatteras is the ultimate expression of luxury and sport unequalled in its ability to project wealth and prestige. However, only thirty percent of the world is land – with many a mile of paved road. All of which begs the question: What does an uncompromising Hatteras owner motor about in when they come ashore?

They drive their new Bentley Continental GT, of course.

Continue reading 2011 Bentley Continental GT

2011 Bentley Continental GT

Production of the current E90 and E92 BMW 3 Series will come to an end for good in October, in preparation for next spring’s launch of the all-new F30 3 Series. Before the gas models bow out, the oil-burning 335d will cease production in August.

The death of the current 3er makes room for a sleeker, less cluttered version of the car which clings closely to the more aggressive new BMW design language. Among the changes will be flatter kidney grilles as well as shorter overhangs, as well as a more muscular stance.

The new 3s will also get a bump in efficiency, with a range of turbocharged four- and six-cylinder mills, with the outside chance of a three-banger joining the lineup later on. The next M3 will ditch V8 power in favor of a twin-turbo inline-six sporting about 450 horsepower.

BMW 3 Series production to end in October, next-gen model coming in spring 2012

Volkswagen is reportedly seriously considering moving production of its compact Tiguan crossover to this side of the pond in an effort to cut costs. If the Tiguan moves to North America, it will likely be built alongside the Jetta and Passat. By moving production of the small CUV here, Volkswagen would cut down on shipping and labor costs, as well as put its plants closer to some parts suppliers.

According to Automotive News, VW execs hope such a move would stop exchange rate fluctuations diminishing profits from the world’s number two car market and allow it to better stay ahead of consumer trends. The proposed move of Tiguan production coincides with the opening of VW’s new $1 billion plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. If everything goes according to plan, the new plant will crank out 150,000 vehicles a year starting in 2012.

Volkswagen Tiguan to be built in North America?

The aging Chevrolet Impala is finally getting a major overhaul for the 2014 model year, and General Motors has just shoveled $69 million into its Detroit-Hamtramck plant to support production of the next-generation sedan. According to Automotive News, GM will work on repositioning the Impala within Chevrolet’s lineup. Currently, the automaker feels that there is too much price overlap between the Impala and smaller Malibu.

2014 Chevrolet Impala to move upmarket, share platform with Cadillac XTS

In December, 2010 there were reports that a Cadillac SRX plug-in hybrid electric vehicle was in some pipeline somewhere, and that it would eventually plop into some sort of consumer reality. The same outlet that reported that story, Reuters, now cites six GM Deep Throats as saying General Motors has killed the SRX PHEV program.

Overlapping timetables were apparently the problem – by the time the vehicle was ready, the Theta platform that supports it would be at the end of its life. And it didn’t help that the SRX PHEV was expected to lose money. That made GM’s decision to cancel it, in spite of having spent money to develop the powertrain for three different vehicles so far, a little easier. On top of that, the program was never officially made public, so it’s not like GM has anything to apologize for.

The suggestion in the Reuters report, though, is that GM isn’t walking away from it altogether. A spokesman said, “I’m not going to comment on specific products or timing for applications, but we still see promise in the technology,” and it is known that GM CEO Dan Akerson wants to get Chevrolet Volt range-extending tech into other models, pronto. But after Saturn, Buick and Cadillac haven’t made the cut, what’s next?

Cadillac SRX PHEV not gonna happen after all

Getting beyond the drama of the Chevrolet Volt and its high-profile development process was supposed to mean that General Motors could focusing on enjoying the car’s green halo. But that has not exactly been the case. On the other side of numerous awards and glowing reviews there have been the sales numbers and stories of dealer gouging. Speaking of dealers, a new story by Mark Modica on the National Legal and Policy Center site suggests that Chevy dealers are selling Volts to one another and claiming the car’s $7,500 federal tax rebate for themselves, then selling the cars to private buyers as used. sans rebate.

According to Modica, a Chicago dealer selling a Volt with 10 miles on the odometer flat-out admitted that it would be seeking the credit for itself: “When I asked if I was eligible for the $7,500 tax credit, I was told that I probably wasn’t, since the dealership was applying for the subsidy.” Even stranger, a Kia dealer in California was selling a Volt that had just 30 miles on it, and Modica was told that “the Volts offered at that dealership were rental cars with higher mileage on them.”

We’d love to get some other research into this, because if this is true, it could help explain a lot of things – including the model’s depressed sales.

Are Chevy dealers gaming the system to keep Volt’s $7,500 consumer rebate?

Audi and all-wheel drive go together like mothers and apple pie. The German automaker has cultivated its Quattro systems as emblematic of its raison d’etre, incorporating it into its rapidly expanding range… with one exception: the A1. But that’s about to change.

After launching the diminutive hatchback in front-wheel-drive only, Audi is working on extending the traction to the rear wheels as well. And to give us an idea of what to expect, the company has launched the A1 Clubsport Quattro concept among the 18 vehicles on display at its annual celebration in Wörthersee.

The little beast is built around an extensively tuned 2.5-liter turbo five with just under 500 horsepower. Optimized by direct injection and channeled to all four wheels through a six-speed manual, Audi claims the concept can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in a scant 3.7 seconds, doubling that speed in 10.9 en route to an electronically limited, Autobahn-crunching top end of 250 km/h (155 mph).

The package is rounded out by an aggressive wide-body aerodynamic kit, decked out in matte white paint with a carbon-fiber roof, with a side-exit exhaust and 19-inch alloys. While the production A1 Quattro and the S1 or RS1 to follow isn’t likely to pack the 500 horses of the show car, gamers can check it out in Need for Speed ​​World for a limited time.

Audi has also released a series of visual mods – including decals and aero kits – for the existing A1 at the show. Want to read more? We’ve got the full press blast after the jump along, with an extensive batch of images in our high-resolution gallery.

Continue reading Audi unveils 500hp A1 Clubsport Quattro show car at Wörthersee

Audi unveils 500hp A1 Clubsport Quattro show car at Wörthersee

Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Powertrain and SKF want to re-capture the energy that’s normally lost as heat during braking and use it to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 percent. Need a quick shot of muscle? Volvo’s Flywheel Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is hooked up to the rear axle to augment the conventionally driven front wheels with up to 80 horsepower to the back tires. This technology isn’t new, but this consortium’s implementation is the first time a system like this has been fitted to a car’s rear axle while a conventional power unit drives the front wheels.

The KERS system’s quick buildup and dissipation makes it most effective in urban driving, which, conveniently, is highly inefficient. The flywheel is made out of carbon fiber and spins in a vacuum at speeds up to 60,000 rpm. That stored energy allows a four-cylinder-powered car to step off the line with more authority, and since it’s a through-the-road style system, a complex and expensive torque-split device isn’t needed to reap the fuel economy benefits of supplementing (or even shutting off) the gasoline engine at opportune moments.

Derek Crabb, Vice Preident of Powertrain Engineering for Volvo Car Coroporation says the relatively inexpensive and highly adaptable flywheel system could be in showrooms within a few years if tests and technical development don’t hit any major snags. Press release and video after the jump.

Continue reading Volvo shows off KERS flywheel tech [w/video]

Volvo shows off KERS flywheel tech [w/video]

Ford versus Ferrari? These two car companies seemingly have nothing in common today. Back in the 1960s, however, things were a bit different. Ferrari ruled the world of motorsports, and Ford was vying for a piece of that international glory.

Starting in 1960, a Ferrari won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six years in a row. Ford wanted to put a stop to that, and in 1966, the Blue Oval entered the winning GT40 Mk II, which ended Ferrari’s amazing streak. That was just the beginning, however, because a Ford GT40 would go on to win at Le Mans for the next three years.

The story about these battling automakers was captured in a book written by A.J. Baime, called Go Like Hell. This book takes readers into the heart of the road racing war that was waged over 50 years ago.

Now, the story has captured the attention of Hollywood. Director Michael Mann is in talks with 20th Century Fox to turn Go Like Hell into a movie. This presents us with some interesting questions. Most notably, we wonder which actors will be cast to play the various roles of larger-than-life motorsports icons. Have you got a good idea of who might fit a specific part? Sound off in the Comments.

Go Like Hell book about Ford beating Ferrari at Le Mans being turned into a movie

The 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe has been setting hearts on fire across the automotive press since Munich started teasing the car a couple years ago. Now that it has finally arrived, Autocar decided to see if it lived up to its own hype when faced with the lithe 2011 Porsche Cayman R.

We’ll save giving away the outcome of the comparison in the video, but suffice it to say the 1M Coupe satisfies expectations. It brings back the raw, visceral driving experience characteristic of the old M cars and is relatively affordable. All things we dig. With that knowledge safely in hand, click past the jump to see how the little M rocket stacks up to the competition.

Continue reading Autocar pits BMW 1 Series M Coupe against Porsche Cayman R

Autocar pits BMW 1 Series M Coupe against Porsche Cayman R

Some lucky hoon will be getting his Dr. Grant on in the most authentic Jurassic Park recreation Jeep Wrangler we’ve ever seen. The graphics are painted on, rather than being rendered in vinyl, which means this Jeep’s look is there to stay. Even the complicated and expensive light bar is functional.

Underneath its prehistoric bodywork sits a 118,000-mile 1995 Jeep Wrangler Sahara with an impressive list of new or refurbished parts, not to mention rare-for-YJs air conditioning. The thing sold for a heady $9,000, which is way more than any reasonable person should spend on a 118K-mile 1995 Jeep under normal circumstances. But with this level of workmanship and the important maintenance done, the figure doesn’t sound so horrifying.

eBay Find of the Day: Jeep Wrangler Jurassic Park edition

If you were hoping for a “cheap” Infiniti M, it appears that your wish won’t come true. Inside Line reports that there will be no entry M25 for the U.S. market, leaving the $47,700 M37 as the base model.

While it’s unfortunate that Infiniti won’t offer a more affordable alternative to the nearly $50,000 M37, we’re thinking that the decision may be for the best. After all, the 2.5-liter V6 that currently resides under the hood of the G25 only produces 218 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque, and since that already feels a bit weak in the G, we can’t imagine that it’d make for a truly engaging M.

It’s not like the 2.5-liter engine is all that more efficient than Infiniti’s outstanding 3.7-liter V6, either. Under the hood of the G sedan, the mill averages 20 miles per gallon in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway. For comparison, the 330-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 averages 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

Infiniti M25 not bound for U.S. market