2013 Porsche 911 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Sources within Porsche told us that KERS would be , but now, a executive calls it “nonsense.” While the automaker is developing ways to make electric range extenders work in some Porsche models, a hybrid 911 reportedly isn’t in the cards – for now.
When and if there’s a hybrid, it will be a long way down the line and will likely employ a plug-in system rather than a KERS-style regenerative braking setup. The reason the 911 won’t get a hybrid drive anytime soon is pretty simple: Porsche has no interest in homogenizing its driving experience across the entire lineup.
Since electrics deliver all their power from zero rpm, they offer an extremely predictable power curve, and Porsche would rather each of its cars vary from its stablemates in power delivery and behavior. For now, it seems hybrid technology will be limited to the likes of the and .
Between the and the – both packed with nail-biting action right to the finish line – there was no lack of excitement for racing fans this Memorial Day weekend. But open wheels weren’t the only ones turning yesterday as NASCAR headed back to its heartland at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. And while the top-tier Sprint Cup was the headline event, our eyes were on the second-step Nationwide Series as Kimi Raikkonen made his next step up the stock-car racing ladder in the Top Gear 300.
Following his last week in the Camping World truck series, the former F1 champion turned rally driver took the next step up, driving the #87 fielded by NEMCO Motorsports and prepared by the same Kyle Busch Motorsports with the same from his truck debut.
So how’d he do? Not bad. Not amazing, but not bad, considering this was only his second oval-track race, his second outing in a stock car and the first in the Nationwide Series. Kimi was up to fifteenth for much of the race, running on the lead lap and taking advantage of green-flag restarts to gain position. He struggled, however, with the car’s front-end handling, as well as heat burning his feet inside the cockpit, and dropped down several laps after a series of disadvantageous trips to the pit lane – one for fresh fuel and rubber, one to remove debris from a crash and another to serve a drive-through penalty.
In the end Raikkonen finished 27th out of 43, running but four laps down on the race leaders. Sprint Cup drivers ended up dominating the race, with Matt Kenseth taking the checkered flag. So what’s next for Kimi? Well he’s back in the WRC next month for the Acropolis rally in Greece, but there’s no telling when he might be back Stateside for more NASCAR action. The Sprint Cup road-course race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, could give Raikkonen a chance to shine, but his team fears there’s precious little time to put it together with less than a month to go.
On the heels of its official unveiling, has dropped a video of the in its natural habitat. Let the ogling begin. If you were floored by the still shots of the latest confection from AMG, the video will leave you gibbering lump.
Though the Roadster loses the coupe’s iconic Gullwing doors, it keeps its performance credentials and only gains a scant 88 pounds. Power doesn’t budge, but somehow Mercedes claims the topless SLS is quicker than the coupe to 60 by one hundredth of a second. That isn’t much, but faster is faster. To see the newest SLS in action, .
It’s the oldest journalism adage in the book. Dog bites man, not news. Man bites dog, now that’s news. So what does this have to do with cars? We’ll tell you.
Whereas most sports racers are converted for the purpose from existing, commercially available road cars, once in a while we see a car going the opposite way. Take the , for example, which was first unveiled in concept form, then went racing at the Nürburgring, and only afterwards hit the market.
Now is following the same path with the V12 Zagato. The show car was first unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, and was fielded in the VLN race at the ‘Ring this weekend – while the and were under way elsewhere – before the final street version is released.
How the V12 Zagato actually performed hardly matters, as this initial outing was strictly for developmental purposes. But we’ll tell you anyway. It finished just five laps before it kicked the bucket. But that’s alright, because other works entries from Gaydon fared better (including a second-in-class finish for one of the factory’s V8 Vantages), and the Zagato racer will be back next month, in tandem, for a full-on assault. We’ll be watching.
Unfortunately Aston Martin has yet to release any high-res photos of the Zagato doing its thing, but we’ll keep an eye out and update you if and when it does. In the meantime you can for the official factory release and check out the existing images in the gallery below.
2012 Hyundai Elantra – Click above for high-res image gallery
With a raft of newly redesigned compact sedans hitting the streets this year, . The editors gathered eight of the most popular models in the segment and pitted them against each other, battle royale style.
The magazine started by selecting the three best-selling Japanese compact sedans, the , and , which, combined, accounted for 700,000 sales last year amid fears fostered by a weakened economy. Those were joined by America’s two best sellers, the and . Korea added the and the , and the from Germany rounded out the list.
MT tried to get the cars as closely matched as possible; all the cars were front-drive, four-cylinder automatics with alloy wheels and stability control, all stickering somewhere in the low-$20,000 range. Still, despite its efforts, there wound up being a fair amount of variance among each of the cars, which helped shape the results of the test.
In the end, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra came out on top, thanks to radical new styling, a raft of standard features and a new found sense of sophistication. The 2012 Honda Civic EX brought up the next spot in the line, followed by the 2011 Mazda3 Touring. The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI snagged fourth, followed by the 2012 Ford Focus Titanium and the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ RS. The 2011 Kia Forte EX edged out the 2011 Toyota Corolla to take seventh place.
Which one would take your top honors? Let us know in the poll, and head over to Motor Trend to .
Tribute 2010 Chevrolet Camaro – Click above for high-res image gallery
To some, Memorial Day is the first real kick-off to summer. Swimming pools open, the grill is fired up for burger and hot dog duty and we all take a day to kick back and enjoy the warmth. (Especially up here in the northern half of the country where the winter seemed to drag on forever.)
But the real purpose of Memorial Day is to pay tribute to the men and women of our armed forces who have died serving our country. So, while you may be enjoying a Monday off from the work-week grind, make sure you take a moment to honor the fallen, and salute those who voluntarily fight to keep our country free.
And if you didn’t see it , be sure to scroll through our attached image gallery for the most American we’ve ever come across. It practically screams, “Born in the USA!”
Italian gas station by Damilano Studio Architects – Click above for high-res image gallery
When luxury becomes a commodity, there’s little left but to make commodities luxurious. This is a newly constructed gas station in Cuneo, Piemonte, Italy, designed by Damilano Studio Architects, and it’s rather pleasant to look at if modern architecture is your thing. Reinforced concrete enclosing a glass wall creates staggered, latitudinal forms that are sliced by aluminum canopies front and back, with blood red fuel pumps.
We have no idea if a beautiful station sells more fuel or makes the Skittles taste better, but a little more pulchritude in one’s day never hurt, did it? As to that absurdity, around back is a red steel block bearing a work of art that looks like a long armed, dog-headed man on a toilet. It is actually “a wolf howling, illuminated at night, draw[ing] attention to the urgent needs.” Now that will definitely make the Skittles taste better. Thanks for the tip, John!
When gearheads aren’t trawling Craigslist for the next old-lady-owned tucked away in a barn, they’re dreaming of cool places to put their toys.
Usually, dream garages never become reality. It’s rare to find someone with enough ambition and/or cash to make it happen, but credit one Florida couple for creating something remarkable: the Hangar Home.
Their house’s rear facade doubles as a garage door that conceals a cavernous work and storage area, complete with a set of cushy-looking armchairs for when the weekend project is over. We can’t imagine how long this place took to complete, but all the time and effort really paid off. for two videos of the Hangar Home in action.
2011 Indianapolis 500 – Click above for high-res image gallery
The crowd at the Brickyard for today’s Centennial running of the Indianapolis 500 certainly got their money’s worth. Once all the was out of the way, the 100th Indy 500 provided a spectacle full of drama, lead changes, and a shocking, exciting finish. Click past the break to see how the race shook out, right up to the final corner.
Boris Bally Transit Chairs – Click above for high-res image gallery
Industrial designer and artist Boris Bally has taken the urban decay aesthetic to a new level, crafting tables and chairs from worn-out . Bally cranks out everything from high-backed dining-table chairs, to coffee tables, to armchairs.
Bally has been working with metal in one sense or another since he was just 13 years old. Rumor even has it that he cut his teeth in metalworking by building himself throwing stars and brass knuckles.
By using recycled materials, Bally isn’t only doing the environment a good turn, he’s ensuring uniqueness in each piece of furniture. Bally leaves the source material’s patina alone-and makes sure it’s visible. Such individualism comes at a price, naturally; chairs start at $1,100 and tables range from $900 to $4500. Have a closer look in the gallery below.
2010 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible by CFC – Click above for image gallery
German company Car Film Components decided to add a little style to the outgoing Volkswagen New Beetle. It seems strange to supply radical appearance modifications to a car that’s leaving the marketplace soon, but CFC hopes its sticker package can add some much-needed love to the New Beetle’s appearance.
The foil-wrap aesthetic upgrade covers the fenders, bumpers and side skirts. Some interior bits get the treatment as well. Setting off the look of the busybody sticker package is a set of 19-inch Oxigin wheels wrapped in Kumho rubber. Buyers can also specify a coilover suspension kit.
The bad part? Customers should expect to pay around €5,000 to achieve the look. That’s a lot of coin to stickerbomb your . To hear more, check out the CFC press release after the jump.
Team Hot Wheels’ “Fearless at the 500″ record jump attempt – Click above for high-res image gallery
Prior to the start of today’s Indy 500, fans finally got to see the Team Hot Wheels world-record jump attempt. The mystery “Yellow Driver” piloted specially-prepared truck down the 90-foot ramp that had been in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s infield over the last several weeks. The neat gimmick behind Hot Wheels’ “Fearless at the 500″ event was that the launch ramp itself was built to simulate that orange track we all grew up with, hung from a giant 10-story door. Talk about pandering to a guy’s inner child…
Anyhow, the stunt itself was a success, and fans at the Brickyard watched the truck sail, ramp-to-ramp, 332 feet through the air, setting a world record for four-wheeled vehicles in the process. Upon landing, the mystery driver doffed his helmet to reveal himself as American Top Gear host Tanner Foust. If you want to see the jump yourselves, be advised that ABC will air the stunt at 3:30 PM Eastern time today, following the conclusion of its Indy 500 race coverage. Check out the first few photos from the event below, and for the press release.
Cars.com rounded up the year’s crop of new minivans for a comparison, the rare thrill being that minivans from every major maker are completely fresh for 2011. The entrants were the (pictured), , , , and .
The testing format was also novel, in that Cars.com paired its own editors with reviewers from USA Today and the MotorWeek television show, plus the Weatherby family, an ‘average’ family of five – husband, wife and three kids.
After three days of testing and the tallying of numerous criteria, there was, of course, one 7-seater to rule them all. We won’t tell you which one it is, but its reviews included both “It doesn’t look like such a mommy car” and “Distressingly ugly in profile.” The Cars.com videoreview is after the jump, or head over to the link for the long-form skinny.
Note: Due to a technical issue, the addition of race photos to this post has been delayed
The funny thing about speed is that it’s relative, at least in a cognitive sense. Sure, you can measure the pace at which a moving object travels over ground, water, air, or even space. But place a Formula One race car on a wide-open track-say, Turkey’s Istanbul Park, for example-and it doesn’t look or feel like it’s going nearly as fast as the same car does along the tight, winding streets of Monte Carlo. That’s what makes the Monaco Grand Prix so exciting. This year’s especially, packed as it was with nail-biting action. Follow the jump to read how it went down.
Monaco Grand Prix is as tight as it gets [spoilers]
2012 Chevrolet Camaro 45th Anniversary Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery
officially unveiled the to a crowd of dealers and enthusiasts on the eve of the Indianapolis 500. The droptop muscle car boasts a slew of tweaks that are destined to eventually make their way to the greater lineup, including new soft-touch materials on the dash, a new steering wheel that’s not ridiculous to use, and a few suspension changes. GM tells us that SS models will be equipped with the new FE4 suspension package, born from the development the upcoming Camaro ZL1. V6 Camaros will now pack 323 horsepower, a gain of 11 over the 2011 model-year cars.
GM will produce the Camaro 45th Anniversary Edition to meet demand, so there should be plenty to go around. In addition to the interior and mechanical adjustments, the car wears special logos on the fenders, seat backs, door sills, steering wheel and dash to separate it from the rest of the Camaro stable. Pricing will be available closer to the convertible’s fall launch date. for the full press blast.
After the endless parade of rumors, conjecture, spy shots and even official information, has finally dropped the full batch of details and photos of its latest flagship: the Roadster.
The new droptop loses the gullwing doors of its coupe counterpart, but those German engineers have gone to great lengths to ensure it loses nothing else in the process. Chopping the roof, fitting conventional doors, and stiffening the body as required results in a convertible that only weighs 88 lbs more than the coupe. The roof-available in black, red or beige-can be dropped or raised in just eleven seconds at speeds up to 31 mph.
Top speed is electronically limited in either position to 197 mph, while officially quoted acceleration times, for some reason, drop from 3.8 seconds in the gullwing coupe to 3.7 in the Roadster. Along with the convertible roof, Mercedes has also packed in a new electronically-controlled Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension, AMG Performance Media system to track and display vehicle telemetrics, and an AMG Drive Unit to control it all.
The Roadster – which beats the anticipated convertible versions of the Ferrari 458 Italia, , Pagani Huayra and to market – will be officially unveiled this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show, around the same time that deliveries are set to begin Stateside. In the meantime, you can follow the jump for all the details and check out the extensive photo gallery for a closer look.
How not to flip a car carrier back over – Click above to watch the video
We’ve seen a lot of how-not-to videos over the years. How not to load your , , from a frozen lake, and . It’s also become clear that tow trucks frequently play a big part in these matters. Today’s example is no different.
to see what happens when a tow truck attempts to return a tipped auto transporter to the upright position. Hint: It probably wouldn’t have been posted to YouTube if it ended well.
Are you a owner? Are you tired of watching r drivers effortlessly fly across desert sand dunes and mall parking-lot curbs? Well, it’s payback time. Mopar is ready to sell you the Ram Runner Kit.
Designed for installation on 2009-2011 Ram trucks, seven component sets compose the full Mopar Ram Runner Kit (they can also be purchased separately if you want to do the build in stages). The largest and most expensive item on the list is the Pre-Runner Stage II Lift Kit. Priced at $13,270, it includes a five-link coil-spring rear suspension, 4130 chromoly lower control arms, upper control arms, rebuildable high-angle ball joints, and forged steel, high-angle tie rods. Couple that with three-inch internal bypass shocks from Fox, and you now have fourteen inches of suspension travel.
All those suspension components can be dressed up with a variety of Mopar exterior upgrades. An off-road bumper, front and rear fenders and a Mopar sport performance hood are offered as individual add-ons. Mopar also offers a rear tire carrier and a cat-back exhaust system to let your 5.7-liter HEMI breathe a little easier.
Twenty-five-year-old Australian Jessica Dunn spent five months riding a motorcycle in Indonesia as a foreign exchange student, and that meant hauling a helmet around all that time. Weary of that grind after just 150 days, Dunn developed the Proteus folding helmet and it is now shortlisted for the .
An outer layer of polycarbonate covers polystyrene foam, and the innermost layer is a material that’s pliable during normal use but instantly hardens when it registers an impact. The helmet itself collapses in a manner reminiscent of a hardtop convertibles, the visor slides back on top while the sides and back fold into the helmet’s interior cavity. The Proteus helmet has been engineered to meet Australian safety standards, and when folded fits into a standard backpack. Have a look at the gallery of high-res images for a better view, and if you think that’s funky, you should check out .
The UK-market Hyundai i30 – Click above to enlarge
It’s official: five million vehicles have been paired with paying customers in Europe since 1977. It began with a Hyundai Pony sent home with a UK buyer, and the latest milestone was achieved with the sale of an i30 (pictured). Although it works out to roughly 147,000 cars per year over those 34 years, the Korean firm didn’t hit the million-sales mark until 1996. The second million came in 2001, the third million in 2005, and it’s been another million every three years since.
More than half of those sales are accounted for by just five European countries, with Germany in the lead at 714,260 units. There’s a press release with all the info.
