Obama talks to Jeep workers in Toledo, Ohio – Click above to view video
The is renowned for its off-road capabilities. With recent updates, it has evolved from a slightly crude utilitarian workhorse, to a utilitarian workhorse with a long list of comfort options. To say the workers in Toledo, Ohio who assemble the trucks are proud of what they do is an understatement. They’re fanatical about their work.
So, when President Obama jokingly questioned the Wrangler’s capabilities this week, some workers didn’t laugh. The President was in Toledo to take credit for repaying money owed to the federal government for the bailout. During his speech, he said Chrysler had faced bumps in the road that even a Wrangler couldn’t drive over. workers immediately voiced their consternation, and the president defused the situation with a joke. To see excerpts of Obama’s Chrysler appearance, check out the video .
2012 BMW 1 Series – Click above for high-res image mega gallery
There’s no point, or so the saying goes, of closing the door once the horses have bolted. So shortly after the first handful of images their way onto the Internet, has released the full kit n’ kaboodle on its new entry-level model.
The all-new 2012 is expected to make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall. And when it does, it will be a substantially different car than the model it replaces. The new model – code-named F20 and based on the same platform that underpins the (now only slightly larger) 3 Series – has grown considerably over the E81 it succeeds, with every dimension but height increasing. The changes benefit both interior and cargo space, two aspects where the outgoing model fell short.
The new sheetmetal has also bears revised styling, with a bigger face incorporating the giant eyes featured on BMW’s latest concept cars, a more pronounced swage line and taillights moved outboard across the wider track to offer a larger liftgate aperture for increased ease-of-use. The Bavarians also appear to have paid close attention to the interior fit and finish to improve on the previous model’s rather spartan cabin.
Under that long nose, the new baby Bimmer is being launched exclusively with four-cylinder engines, and while more variants are expected to follow, for now it’s just the five-door hatch. A pair of 1.6-liter gasoline engines pack direct injection and offer 136 horsepower in 116i trim and 170 in the 118i. Three 2.0-liter turbo-diesels are also being offered overseas, ranging from 116 horsepower up to 184 in the flagship 120d. A 1.5-liter three-pot is expected to come in gasoline and diesel variants, while the top 128iS is slated to get a 245hp turbo 2.0-liter gasoline four to take the place of the current six-cylinder 130i.
All engines come mated to either a six-speed manual or an optional eight-speed auto from ZF, with an array of earth-friendly technologies including stop-start ignition and regenerative braking. Of course, this being the latest offering from a leading German automaker, all manner of electronic assists are on offer, from self-adjusting high-beams and lane departure warning to automatic traffic sign recognition and a back-up camera.
Overseas buyers will also be able to choose between Urban and Sport trim levels offering different aesthetics, but we’ll have to sit tight to see which models will make their voyage to this side of the Atlantic. In the meantime, you’re invited to peruse the massive 127-image high-resolution gallery for all the angles and the extensive 21-page press release – complete with spec sheets – after the jump.
There’s a car club out there for everyone. Case in point: across a large portion of the country. In all, 24 Pintos are making the 1,600-mile trek from Denver, Colorado to the Ford Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. By the time the group arrives in PA, a few more Pinto fans will join the unique train of cars, bringing the total number of vehicles up to 32.
Along the way, the Ford Pintos are making a few pit stops. For instance, the group already dropped by Kansas Speedway, where drivers pushed their Pintos as high as 95 miles per hour. If that last sentence doesn’t sound frightening, you’re braver than we are.
The start to this year’s Formula 1 championship was delayed when civil unrest in the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain forced the of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Since then, a question mark has loomed over whether the round would be reinstated later in the season, and now we have our answer. In its meeting over the weekend, the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council voted to bring Bahrain back into the F1 calendar on October 30.
That date was originally planned for the debut Indian Grand Prix to close the season, but in order to accommodate Bahrain’s reinstatement,the Indian race has been pushed to a later date that will be combined with the FIA Annual General Assembly, where the prizes are awarded to the winners of the F1 and other FIA-sanctioned championships.
The decision to bring Bahrain back into the fold despite the country’s use of lethal force against its own protesting civilians is sure to raise more than a few eyebrows, and the backlash could potentially force the FIA to reverse its decision. Red Bull driver Mark Webber was the first to speak out against the move, as did former FIA president Max Mosley. Rumors are mounting, meanwhile, that the Formula One Constructors Association – which has yet to make an official announcement on the subject – could move to boycott the event.
We suspect this isn’t the last word on the subject.
Guinness Book of World Records donuts attempt – Click above to view video
It’s not clear from these videos who owns the world record for most simultaneous donuts, but it doesn’t much matter. Both attempts were good for some sweet video of cruelty to tires. The first video shows a 2009 attempt in England, which set the record with a collection of 29 , and a doing donuts simultaneously.
The second video chronicles an Australian attempt that appears to have shattered that record at 57. While the description for the Guinness Book of World Records video cites the Australian attempt as the new record, we can’t find any other documentation to confirm it. Either way, the footage in both instances is incredible. to check out both videos.
Motor Trend’s Angus MacKenzie drives Ol’ Calhoun – Click above to watch video
Angus MacKenzie has driven cars that many men and women dream about even catching a glimpse of. But what is the Motor Trend editor in chief’s dream ride? Nothing less than the car Parnelli Jones drove to victory at the 1963 Indianapolis 500: Ol’ Calhoun.
Jones drove Ol’ Calhoun at Indy for four consecutive years. In 1961 he came close to winning the race, but the car let him down. In ‘62, Jones used Ol’ Calhoun to become the first driver to qualify at over 150 miles per hour, yet he still finished the race in seventh. Victory came in 1963, when Jones led for 167 of the 200 laps. Still, Ol’ Calhoun nearly put an end to that thanks to a cracked oil reservoir. Luckily, race officials didn’t black flag Jones for the leaking oil, and he continued on to take the checkered flag.
For MacKenzie, that car has been an object of affection ever since he was a boy, and this year, he finally got opportunity to drive his childhood love on the hallowed grounds at Indy. Motor Trend filmed the event, creating a 22-minute video that also includes the history of the car and a chat with Parnelli Jones himself. to watch Angus MacKenzie meet the legend and his race car.
Jensen Interceptor “Viperceptor” – Click above to view video
of the legendary Jensen Interceptor appears to be progressing nicely, as a video showing the car in near-finished trim has made its way online. As previously reported, Anderson is stuffing an 8.3-liter Dodge Viper V10 under his Jensen’s bonnet to supply power (a natural evolution, if you ask us, given the Chrysler V8s used in the production Interceptors).
A four-speed automatic and commensurate suspension and brake upgrades will help the super-restomod harness the monster power underhood. The video description pegs the car’s completion for July. Unfortunately, that’s about it for details thus far, but we’ll keep you updated as more info comes to light. In the meantime, to check out new video of the in-progress .
2011Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’re hearing less and less about the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the resulting supply chain disruptions, but that doesn’t mean the issues have gone away. Inside Line reports that the brand new is the latest vehicle hurt by the natural disaster.
The earthquake struck Japan just as Murano CrossCabriolet production was ramping up, and as a result the automaker was able to ship only 40 to 50 vehicles to customers. That’s bad news for any new vehicle fresh off a launch, but it’s especially damaging to a convertible at the beginning of the summer buying season. With the production of the CrossCabriolet stalled, Nissan likely won’t be able to make up volume until fall or later, and convertible sales almost always drop along with the temperature.
The Murano CrossCabriolet delay is bad news for a unique, ultra-niche vehicle that’s a bit of a risk in terms of function and price. After all, there aren’t many models that start at $47,190, and there no other crossover coupes with a stowable top.
Hopefully, Nissan can jump-start production of the Murano CrossCabriolet before it’s too late, if only to give Nissan’s topless gamble a fair shot at success.
Fisker Karma at Monaco – Click above for high-res image
The may have been driven for “a couple of laps” by Prince Albert of Monaco in late May, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to hit dealerships in the U.S. anytime soon. In fact, word is the of the plug-in has been pushed back again. Sort of.
According to , Roger Ormisher, Director of Global Communications for , says that the “first dealer [demonstrator vehicles] and customer cars will arrive on these shores in July.” Of course, that means the automaker will log zero sales in May and, as Ormisher told GCR, “probably not June either.” Previously, that:
We will start shipping cars to retailers and importers in both U.S. and Europe to arrive during May/June and the first deposit holders will be in their cars in the June/July timeframe.
Let’s hope this is the last of the Karma’s already numerous delays.
Volvo P1800 – Click above for high-res image gallery
The was always supposed to be eye candy. Despite never being intended as the highest-volume Volvo, the P1800 is still setting records in its own way. The 1800 debuted in 1961 as a way to draw people in to Volvo dealerships in the hope they’d drive away in something. The design has been credited to , and while the famous Italian studio did submit drawings, it was Pelle Petterson, a student of Frua’s and son of Volvo consultant Helmer Petterson, who penned the winning sketch. The classically handsome coupe shape still turns heads, though the way the proposal was snuck in at the last minute caused agitation for Volvo’s then-president Gunnar Engellau and cheated him out of his desire to have an Italian-designed car. The subterfuge doesn’t seem to have mattered, and shrewd moves like giving a car to Roger Moore to drive for television series helped develop interest.
A pretty shape and good publicity only go so far, so it’s a good thing Volvo had robust mechanical components to borrow from its model. The world’s highest-mileage automobile is an 1800S, currently , proving the 1800’s diamond-hard durability. A new 1.8-liter engine, the B18, debuted with the P1800, and through its run, the car received a displacement increase and electronic fuel injection. In 1971, a hatchback morphed the sports car into a Grand Turismo Estate that inspired today’s .
It’s good that the Volvo P1800 was attractive and strong-boned, with niche-level sales expectations. Volvo’s limited production capacity led to a rocky launch, forcing the decision to subcontract England’s Pressed Steel for body construction and Jensen for paint and assembly. It didn’t go well. Labor problems, quality challenges and supplier issues led Volvo to make room within its own production facilities for the 1800 in 1963 after 6,000 cars were built. The 1800 would remain in production for ten more years, and today, fifty years removed from its introduction, this model is a vital piece of the company’s history. Volvo’s official press release is posted .
Old muscle versus new muscle – Click above to watch the video
All day long, boys. All. Day. Long.
To what are we referring, you ask? Well, that’s how long all six muscle cars rounded up by the staff at Motor Trend will eviscerate their tires. Such is the nature of the beast, and, in fact, it’s why many automotive enthusiasts just can’t get enough horsepower at the rear wheels.
What we have here are Camaros, Challengers and Mustangs, gathered in pairs – one vintage example from the height of the muscle car’s reign of terror in 1969 and ‘70 along with one 2011 model. This begs the question: Which era of American performance resulted in the better car?
Well now, that depends on just what you’re looking for…
There’s simply no arguing the fact that the , and can accelerate (though the quarter-mile results would be closer if the old bias-ply tires were replaced with something more… modern), turn and stop better than their old-timer predecessors.
But, as the editors of Motor Trend found out, that’s not the whole story. Check out the video to find out what we’re on about.
One last thing: Words cannot express how badly we want the keys to that 1970 Challenger. It’s nothing short of muscle car perfection.
Top Gear Eco Challenge spoof – Click above to watch the video
Facts are facts, right? When you’re talking electric vehicles, a few salient details can completely make or break your experience with the machine; two of the most important being the time it takes to achieve a full charge and how much distance the car can go at a certain speed on that charge.
Of course, a creative person (or television series) can wreak havoc with such facts and do it all in the name of entertainment. Take, for instance, the reviewTop Gear made of the , the result of which – a not-really-dead dead battery and a push to the garage – led to a . And if that wasn’t enough to get EV fans in a tizzy, we know that the TG crew has that also ended up with pushing, presumably due to dead batteries. We’re expecting controversy…
Whether more Top Gear reviews of electric cars are a good or bad thing depends largely on your point of view – do you trust a show like Top Gear enough that it would influence your purchasing decisions or do you merely watch to get a good laugh and witness automotive hijinks?
If the latter is true of you, we’d like to direct you to one particularly hilarious spoof of Jeremy Clarkson and James May, two of the three stars of the hit UK show. Two electric cars are put to the test (well, sort of… actually, not at all, but that’s hardly the point) by two young Brits who have rather spot-on interpretations of their characters.
Keep in mind that the real version of the Top Gear episode in question is , and we’re really looking forward to it. In the meantime, kill 10 minutes of your life by watching the spoof video , it’s worth it.
Possessing the elegant style of a fashionable fat kid, the Escalade Hybrid manages to produce brutish noises and surprising bursts of speed. Call it the anti-Prius.
We only have a few angles (so far), but the 2012 BMW 1 Series hatch looks to be a polarizing design.
This may sound surprising, but Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal has gone on record saying he wants the price of oil to decrease. Why’s that you ask? It’s all about the long-term game, says the Saudi Royal Family’s stock market and real estate magnate. In a recent interview with “,” Al Waleed admits:
We don’t want the West to go and find alternatives, because, clearly, the higher the price of oil goes, the more they have incentives to go and find alternatives.
Talal goes on to say that he thinks the price of oil should be closer to $70 to $80 a barrel instead of the current $100/barrel rate. With such high oil and gasoline prices, Talal fears that new technologies are being pushed ever harder to squeeze more and more miles out of each gallon of gas. Further, Talal worries that U.S. efforts to increase its Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to 35.5 mpg by 2016 and anywhere from 47 to 62 mpg by 2025 (along with automakers’ burgeoning EV strategies) could eventually lead to reduced or eliminated dependence on Saudi oil.
2012 BMW 1 Series leaked images – Click above for high-res image gallery
Oh dear. It appears that the overhauled has leaked onto the Internet ahead of its debut, and while we only have images of it from a few angles, the new car’s design has us scratching our heads. It’s true that the 1 Series has never been a particularly gorgeous thing, but we’re going to have to see this one in person to wrap our head around its upsized visage.
As is the way with such things, the 1 Series will grow in size compared to the car we currently enjoy, and a range of new four- and six-cylinder turbocharged engines should be seen underhood. BMW is expected to further its Efficient Dynamics program by fitting the new 1 with start/stop technology, as well as regenerative braking, though it isn’t immediately clear what technologies will come on the 1 Series when it reaches the States.
2011Chevrolet Caprice PPV – Click above for high-res image gallery
Do you own a fast car? Does your inner conscience often lose control of your right foot? If so, dear speeder, we have an important Public Service Announcement you’ll be keenly interested in:
The first batch of Australian-built 2012 Chevrolet Caprice PPV police cruisers has reportedly made it to the States. So says Automotive News, who reports that the tally is currently very small (just 23 were sold in May to unidentified law agencies), but more are clearly on the horizon – AN helpfully reminds that police car sales can average 65,000 to 70,000 units when the economy isn’t in a funk.
So, all you horizon scanners out there on the lookout for the Boys in Blue (or is that the boys in the black and whites?), you’ve got one more silhouette to burn into your brains. Take a good look at the in our high-res image gallery below, and commit it to memory. You have been warned.
(Or, ya know, you could just obey the posted speed limits…)
2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
The has , and new tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program prove that the earlier results were not a fluke. The Volt scored a five-star overall safety rating, which is the highest-possible score in NHTSA’s new and more strict safety tests for 2011 model year vehicles.
says that a comprehensive system of safety features – specifically the StabiliTrak electronic stability control system and a bunch of air bags – helped the Volt become the first electric vehicle to get five stars.
The “first” part might be simply because NHTSA has not yet tested a . , and we expect the all-electric hatch will match ’s plug-inhybrid for safety – . Until then, we can view with fascination the Chevy Volt crash videos .
“Fly, my pretty, fly!” – Click above to watch video
The video posted shows some good ol’ boys, never meaning no harm. They’ve been causing trouble at Michigan’s Silver Lake dunes since the day they were born. And whoever’s behind the wheel did cause some harm, however, because this particular is going to need Cooter’s tow truck to get home.
We give the driver major hoon points for the amount of air achieved, though we have to knock off a few points for the amount of destruction caused (and the lack of a Dixieland car horn). Honestly, we’re impressed that the right-front suspension and wheel are still attached to this pickup, since it seems to take the brunt of the forces upon landing. to see a Silverado catch some serious air.
Advancement through Technology, 40 years later – Click above for high-res image gallery
Forty years ago, the slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” was used by as part of campaign to gain publicity in Germany. In 1983, British advertising agency BBH used the term in a spot for Audi’s United Kingdom-based advertising arm. The German phrase means “Advancement through Technology,” and those three words have come to serve as the automaker’s motto.
The term actually dates back to 1971, when Audi was looking for a way to describe its NSU line. Now, 40 years later, Audi continues to apply the phrase to its ever-evolving fleet of vehicles. Check out a bit of the phrase’s history by clicking through the gallery below. Also, be sure to read through the full press release, which is posted .
Nissan Leaf Nismo – Click above for high-res image gallery
In mid-May, the . Come late next week, the electric racer will return for more on-track action.
has just announced that the Leaf Nismo RC will hit the tarmac during the “Le Mans vers le futur,” a demonstration event that will take place prior to the 79th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC will hit the track for two demonstration runs; the first on Thursday, June 9 and the second on Saturday, June 11.
