It appears to be pretty simple: the classic t-bone incident at an intersection, only this one involves buses. But that’s not the spectacular part. What’s most eye-popping is what happens after the crash. We won’t spoil the surprise tucked into the video , but just watch for the bolt of green that pops through the wreckage as if nothing happened.
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about the . That could be because the current model dates back to 2003, undergoing the facelift we know today back in 2008. But now we’ve got news, and it’s a mixed bag of good and bad.
The bad news first: word is, Mercedes is discontinuing the twelve-cylinder versions of the SL. The SL600 was the first to be phased out, and now it appears the SL65 AMG is getting the axe as well. There’s no word yet on whether or not that includes the hardcore, fixed-roof .
The good news, however, is that phasing out of the V12 roadsters could signal the imminent arrival of the next-gen SL. That’s expected to show up sometime next year as a 2013 model, and will come as good news for SL buyers as the current model has lived longer than anything in the Mercedes-Benz range this side of the .
When Formula One opted to switch from the planned four-cylinder engine regulations to the new six-cylinder format, it came as good news (or at least, less bad news than originally expected) to just about everyone involved. With the possible exception of PURE.
As you may , former BAR- team principal Craig Pollock started the outfit called Propulsion Universelle et Recuperation d’Energie a few months ago with the aim of joining Cosworth, Renault, and as F1 engine suppliers. The firm got what it believed would be a head start by beginning development of its new turbo four earlier than the existing suppliers could. The change in direction must have thrown a wrench in the proverbial works over at PURE’s headquarters in France, but its latest hire might help it get back on track.
The hire in question is Gilles Simon, well known in the racing world as a certified guru when it comes to motorsport powertrains. He was the brains behind the engine that powered Peugeot’s Le Mans program in the early 90s, then followed Jean Todt to Ferrari to run its racing engine program, and joined Todt again in 2009 as an FIA propulsion consultant.
Now that he’s leaving the FIA to join PURE, however, the other engine manufacturers have raised some concerns. Namely, that in his capacity with the motorsport governing body, he was privy to each supplier’s engine specifications, information he could potentially take with him to their new competitor. Looks like someone’s gonna have some explaining to do.
Choosing the right tires is an integral element of a good race strategy. Part of that went out the window a number of years ago when Formula One switched to a single tire manufacturer, but the teams are still left to choose between compounds. When it’s dry, they go with slicks, alternating between levels of softness and stickiness. When it’s wet, they’ve got a couple of rain tires to choose from. But when the conditions keep changing over the course of a race, it makes for some captivating action. And that’s precisely what we had this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Follow to read how it went down.
Hungarian Grand Prix pits rubber against the rain [spoilers]
For an automaker with just two model lines, sure has a lot of room to expand in the coming year or two. With the newly facelifted now out on the market, a new drop-top to be unveiled in , after which we can expect the next , and then the inevitable variants of each bodystyle.
The is also expected to spawn a new coupe and convertible, and reports of new model lines, including an , have been circulating. But in the middle of all of this expansion, Bentley is preparing to downsize (in a sense).
It’s been no secret that Continental range will add a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine option alongside the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 currently on offer. And now comes word that the new mill will drop at January’s .
No word on output just yet, but you can expect it to undercut the 567 horsepower of the current twelve by some margin. And as , the lighter engine is tipped to provide a sportier drive than the larger mill it joins.
Earlier this month we showed you the built by for this year’s EAA AirVenture. The car features a unique blue chrome paint scheme and hand-painted graphics done by , along with plenty of Ford Racing Performance Parts goodies, an interior styled after the Blue Angels pilot suit, and beautiful HRE 590RS wheels.
The Blue Angels Mustang was not only built to celebrate 100 years of U.S. Naval aviation, but to raise money for the EAA Young Eagles program as well. It did just that at the EAA charity auction Thursday evening, commanding a high bid of $400,000. In addition to the car, the winning bidder also received a Blue Angels flight helmet signed by all of the current pilots.
You can read more about the car and the auction in Ford’s PR after the jump, or browse through our photos of the car in the gallery below.
Vintage racing is one of the more beautiful forms of motorsport. Classic machines returning to the track create a flurry of aural and visual delights. It’s also a test of the person behind the wheel, as older race cars are more difficult to drive than their modern counterparts.
Morgan driver Luther Blissett left the Silverstone Classic with a personal reminder of vintage racing’s inherent dangers. When taking a sharp inside line, his Morgan roadster caught the curb, which sent the lightweight two-door tumbling. Fortunately, Blissett came out of the scrape unhurt, but his classic Morgan was in rough shape. for the clip.
Motorcycles were built to have two wheels pointing towards the Earth with the rider above the machine. Over the years, the insane and/or insanely talented athletes of the X Games have flipped that notion on its head. Literally. We’ve seen backflips, spins and even double backflips, but at the 2011 X Games, one rider has gone against the grain. Ladies and gentleman, Jackson Strong has just landed the first front flip in competition.
Now, credit goes to Jim DeChamp for landing the first forward aerial rotation back in 2009. Strong, however, is the first rider to successfully throw down the move in competition. His front flip wowed both the crowd and the judges, allowing him to ride off with the gold medal.
to see Strong’s winning flip.
front-flip in competition
of America President Johan de Nysschen recently went on the record about future product plans via the forums at enthusiast site . In addition to clarifying the big news regarding Audi’s diesel initiative in the United States, de Nysschen let some other product plans slip out.
First, he confirmed that the next-generation will be sold as a sedan in the United States. The sportback will be discontinued, but the A3 Cabriolet may join the U.S. lineup. The new A3 will be a 2013 model, but might not be available right at the beginning of the model year. All we can say is, we hope it looks exactly like the stunning concept car that bowed in Geneva.
As for performance models, de Nysschen says that an S variant of every car in the automaker’s lineup is likely, and hinted at the being offered here. The is still slated to arrive next year, though it will benefit from the / facelift that’ll introduced in the U.S. over the winter.
Fourtitude’s interview that clean diesel versions of the , and are in the cards, presumably with the 3.0-liter TDI V6. The is also expected to gain a TDI variant, though it will likely be powered by a 2.0-liter four. The Q5 crossover will also spawn a hybrid variant, which will be on sale sometime in 2012.
Head over to Fourtitude’s forums to read .
kicked off the Fiesta Movement in 2010, but the little hatchback’s history goes back 35 years. In 1976, Ford launched the , and since then, it’s gone on to sell 15 million units. The latest iteration joined the family in 2010, and Ford’s keeping it fresh for 2011 with new colors and upgrades to the highest trim level.
Mars Red and Fashionista are the new hues on the Fiesta color palette, and the Fiesta Titanium adds a dash of chrome to the grille, new wheels, and a woven headliner. You can also order partial leather seats for it.
Check out the progression of the Ford Fiesta in the gallery and for the full press release.
As a company, has helped shape the automotive landscape in more than one way. Has any other nameplate been responsible for more iconic models in its history? Names like Nomad, , Apache, Chevelle, , , and Bel Air defined their segments and were emblematic of their respective generations, but which is the best Chevrolet of all time? Is it the ‘63 split-window Corvette or the fuel-injected ‘57? Maybe the mighty is the truck of choice, or the first Chevrolet in history, the Series C Classic Six? With 100 years of history, there are plenty of models to choose from, so that may be an unanswerable question
As part of the brand’s centennial celebration, Chevrolet has organized a bracket tournament to pick the best Chevrolet out of 16 contenders. Those include the ‘57 Bel Air vs the ‘62 Impala, the ‘11 Volt vs the ‘36 Suburban and the ‘70 Chevelle SS vs the ‘10 Camaro. Head over to the to cast your votes, and check out the full press release .
Toyota was busy introducing all flavors of the 2012 to the media earlier this week, but since all that stuff’s embargoed, there’s not much to tell. Yet. But what isn’t under embargo is this collection of spy photos showing the 2012 Camry Hybrid in its birthday suit while shooting a television commercial.
The new Camry’s familiar roofline communicates practicality overall, but the updated sheetmetal has more crisp lines, with new fascias fore and aft. The hybrid’s grille treatment apes that of the facelifted , and yes, those headlights are indeed the ones a few weeks ago.
In a nutshell, it’s still a conservative look, but decidedly less frumpy than before. Now, let’s see what changes Toyota’s made below the surface to bring the Camry in line with the current midsize family-sedan competition.
The El Toro Marine Base in Irvine, CA has become somewhat of a quasi West Coast testing ground for the automotive industry in the past several years. Currently, it’s perhaps best known for being the site of the Top Gear USA test track, but we’ve , , and watched a variety of on the military compound’s abandoned runways.
Most recently, Ford turned the strips of tarmac into a replica of the X Games 17 RallyCross course and brought out two-time WRC champ Marcus Grönholm and Moto-X-legend-turned-rally-driver Brian Deegan for a practice session ahead of this weekend’s main event. Lucky for us, they also asked us to tag along with the enticing offer of a shotgun seat in a 575-horsepower all-wheel drive Fiesta racecar. Count us in.
to continue reading…
Bow-Tie brand fans are chomping at the bit to get more information on the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. General Motors decided to show off its latest high-performance coupe at the Camaro Homecoming event in Oshawa, Ontario. Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser brought the car to the crowd, and then spent a few moments talking about the Zed ZL1 on camera.
For those unaware, the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 gets a host of upgrades over the rest of its siblings. On the outside, improved aerodynamics are in full effect from nose to tail. Inside, Chevrolet adds suede to the seats, steering wheel and shift lever. But the real heart of the ZL1 lies under the hood, and it seems we’ll have to wait for official word to get the full skinny on the power output of the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine. Rumor has it that , but for now, all GM’s saying is “at least 550.”
As soon as we get the official figures from GM, we’ll bring them to you. Until then, to wach Oppenheiser break down the rest of the 2012 Camaro ZL1.
Captain America, the summer blockbuster movie based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, has officially had the of any comic-based flick in 2011. Incidentally, it also knocked the latest Harry Potter flick, which opened one week before, out of first place.
But we don’t really care about all that. What we’re more interested in are all the cool vehicles seen in the film, not the least of which is the motorcycle that the U.S. war hero himself rides. Befitting a man who is apparently the Captain of America, the film’s superhero finds himself atop the most quintessential of American motorcycles: .
Meant to be a modern interpretation of H-D’s classic WLA military motorcycles, Captain America’s custom machine started life as a stock model. Fitting, as the Cross Bones, with its spring-mounted solo saddle and springer fork, is arguably the most period-correct platform in H-D’s current line from which to begin.
Want to know more? Check out the video , where Harley-Davidson breaks down the thought process that went into creating Captain America’s motorcycle. You’ll also see a few brief snippets with riding footage from the film.
One more thing: for details on how to win your own customized Harley as part of a Captain America-themed promotional giveaway. Enjoy!
We’re sure the suits at are excited about finally managing to launch the here in America. It seems the folks at Chrysler’s customizing arm, Mopar are just as happy to see the little Italian land in the States. To show their enthusiasm, Mopar has announced a plethora of parts that will allow Cinquecento owners to make their new hatchback their own.
We’re talking about 20 or 30 items here, either. Mopar has 500 fever, and will offer over 150 parts and accessories for the little Fiat. This includes everything from custom key covers, exterior decals and roof racks on to a WiFi-supplying Uconnect system offering 3G broadband internet.
Check out a few of the Mopar goodies in the gallery, and read more about the items in the full press release .
has signed an agreement with , whereby the Oak Park, MI firm will integrate its plug-in hybrid technology into Ford’s trucks.
Working in collaboration with Ford, Azure’s plug-in hybrid technology will debut on the F-550 Super Duty chassis cab in early 2013. This agreement also allows for Azure to perform plug-in hybrid powertrain conversions on all available configurations of Ford’s F-350 and F-450 trucks. Azure says that roughly two-thirds of its plug-in hybrid system will be applicable for all Super Duty configurations, with approximately one-third needing to be powertrain-specific (i.e. gasoline or diesel).
Additionally, the Azure-Ford agreement includes a so-called “ship-thru” provision that will allow Azure to sell its converted vehicles through qualified Ford Commercial Truck dealerships in North America. In 2009, Azure with Ford for the .
Automakers are officially choosing sides on the new proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, and while nearly every company has come out with statements of support, has chosen to head the camp opposed to the plan. The German company has released an official statement on President Barack Obama’s 54.5 mpg corporate average by 2025, saying that VW doesn’t endorse the move. Why? Apparently the people’s automaker feels that the regulations unfairly target passenger cars while giving large trucks special treatment.
According to VW, passenger vehicles face a five percent annual increase in fuel economy, while light trucks merely have to attain 3.5 percent annual increases. While it’s true that Volkswagen doesn’t produce anything that could compete with the , the company’s stable is stocked with a few vehicles that will fall under the light truck designation, including the minivan and SUV. Additionally, Volkswagen says that the proposal pushes automakers to manufacture more large and inefficient models.
Volkswagen finds itself in thin company when it comes to its stance. So far, nearly every other automaker has come out in support of the move, including , , General Motors, and among others. for VW’s official statement.
We’ve just wrapped up a series of workshops in Germany about all things i, but before we drop our “Behind i” feature on you next week, we wanted to give you a few tasty morsels to chew on while you’re pursuing our massive gallery of the all-new and concepts.
If you haven’t read our breakdown on both models, , as it includes the basic specs, powertrain, suspension, chassis and a cursory look at all the techy tidbits behind the i3 and i8. But here’s the latest…
The i3 will tip the scales at 2,755 pounds, while the i8 will come in under 3,300 pounds. While that might sound slightly chunky, consider that the average gasoline-powered car converted to EV duty normally tacks on around 500 pounds courtesy of the battery, motor and cooling system. When looked at in this way, both models could be considered rather svelte.
The carbon fiber “Life” structure that envelops the i3’s passengers is so strong (yet very light) that BMW’s engineers didn’t have to include a B-pillar for structural rigidity. That means ingress and egress should be easy, aided by the fact that both models utilize ultra-thin carbon fiber and plastic bits for the interior elements. Click past the jump for a whole mess of videos featuring the new i3 and i8 concepts in more detail.
According to Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President of BMW Design, those oh-so-low side windows probably won’t make it to production, but the design team is intent on bringing as much light into the cabin as possible – particularly on the i8. However, the i3’s glass roof will make way for a full carbon fiber piece when production begins next year.
In our previous story, we mentioned that the i3 could be outfitted with an optional range extending engine, and after much poking and prodding, we got an answer on what it is and how it’ll work. The engine will be rear-mounted, right against the electric motor (not compromising luggage space), and it will be a two-cylinder gasoline mill with a displacement of around 600cc. Cooling will be provided by the liquid system keeping the battery pack in check, and the i3 will be a true range-extender – no engine torque will reach the wheels mechanically (unlike the ). How much of an extension? Double, or around 186 miles.
And as for the i8, this will be the first mid-engine BMW in nearly 30 years, likely to be fitted with a dual-clutch gearbox and some kind of torque vectoring system to put out a combined 402 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels when the turbo’d 1.5-liter three-cylinder and electric motor are working in unison.
Check out a whole slew of videos from BMW .
A new Australian study may indicate that depressed teens are more likely to get into an accident than their mentally-fit peers. According to our peers over at AOL Autos, a recent report published in the journal Injury Prevention translates the fact that depressed individuals are more likely to engage in self-destructive behavior into teen driving habits.
It’s no secret that younger drivers are more likely to get into an accident. Researchers point out that individuals between 17 and 24 years old accounted for 22.3 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2008, but the study of 1,284 young drivers showed that those who had signs of depression and anxiety also freely admitted to speeding.
Those involved in the research seem to think the results indicate a strong correlation between mental illness and risky driving behavior, though it’s important to note that the findings rely on self-reported behavior instead of actual scientific observations. Even so, the study suggests that mental evaluations can be used to determine which young drivers will be more of a danger behind the wheel.
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