Let’s take a stroll into a parallel universe for a spell; one where Michael Bay doesn’t soak his Transformers films in vats of teenage testosterone for a fortnight. What would that realm look like? Chances are the mighty Bumblebee wouldn’t be a pre-production . After all, here in real-life, the average teenager is stuck driving something a little more pedestrian, even if he is saddled with saving the world. We’re thinking something along the lines of the . Apparently, is where this alternate universe manifests itself, because has just released a Bumblebee Edition Cruze in the People’s Republic.
The car comes with a suitably yellow paint scheme with black accent stripes, as well as an Autobot insignia on the fenders, wheel caps and spread around the interior. Speaking of the insides, illuminated Transformers sill plates are standard fare as well. The standard 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is the only available powerplant.
For what it’s worth, this isn’t the world’s first Bumblebee Cruze, though it is the first to use the proper yellow and black color scheme. Check out this for all the details.
What We Like: Going to back when Toyota launched its very amusing campaign for its “” TV ad and Youtube videos, the Japanese automaker has been looking for ways to engage consumers by not taking its very practical models so damn seriously. The Prius is an unabashed market success. It defines the hybrid segment. And it is the market leader in fuel economy. It does everything but run on actual crunchy granola in the gas tank. Prius ads do not need to play up the fact that they are super fuel efficient. Everyone knows. So, , turning to this approach of having NBA star Steve Nash talk about how driven he is, as if it was a Nike ad, is a creative homerun. His deadpan monologue about how competitive he is, talking about making constant adjustments and improvements to his game, while driving a Prius and finally edging out a grandma for a parking space is a way to stand out from the usual hybrid ad that merely screams the highway fuel economy rating. Gotta love Nash’s trash-talk dance at the end too.
What We Don’t Like: Tough one here. The agency nailed it.
Strategy: Prius has owned the hybrid market. But it is undeniable that and the Dearborn, MI automaker’s coming all hybrid brand will begin to cut into Prius’s perceived leadership. If there is a weakness in the Prius brand at all, it is that it is widely viewed as a car for celery eaters. Honestly, the current Prius is a bit bloodless to drive. Pumping some hemoglobin into it via clever advertising that doesn’t take the car so deadly serious seems like a decent idea for a brand that is this mature.
Since Cadillac first unveiled the CTS as a 2003 model, the entry-level Caddy has come a long way. In fact, it is now a world-class luxury sports sedan. We’ve also been blessed (yes, blessed) by the arrival of the Cadillac , which is available in both the enjoyable 3.6-liter flavor and the downright orgasmic .
The current wagon is a brand-new varietal of the CTS family. There was no first generation CTS Wagon. Or was there?
Evan McCausland of Automobile fame ambled across a General Motors-owned parking lot that serves as a final resting place of discarded project vehicles. Parked amongst the unwanted heaps of GM iron was a wagon that caught McCausland’s eye. More specifically, it appeared to be a first-generation Cadillac CTS Wagon.
Clearly, the engineers at GM have had a wagon on the brains for years. We, however, are thankful they waited for the current model to bring this plan to fruition.
Check out the lookalike over at Automobile’s site.
Insiders say the jockeying for Mulally’s position has already begun.
There was a time when some folks in Detroit were convinced Lee Iacocca’s last name was really an acronym for: I Am Chairman of Corp. Always. Indeed, it took a shove from an increasingly frustrated board to finally get Lido to name his successor.
If anything, those on the Motor Co. board of directors are putting CEO in a bear hug, Chairman suggesting he’d keep the chief executive firmly planted in his office at Glass House until he was 80. For his part, the still-boyish former Boeing executive has said on more than one occasion that despite turning 65, he’s not rushing to leave as long as he’s having “fun.” But as his fifth anniversary in Dearborn approaches it is no surprise that there’s about who might eventually replace Mullaly, if not when.
In decades past, Ford was land of the long knives, where power trumped all, and doing away with your rivals was only slightly less bloody than when the Borgias ruled in Rome. Mulally has made much of instilling a sort of “greater-good” mindset and one of the reasons for the maker’s recent success has been that the highly political nature has been toned down a number of notches. Nonetheless, insiders say the jockeying for position has already begun.
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of , and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
One of the last remaining General Motors Futurliner busses failed to live up to expectations at auction. Bidding on the restored machine started at $500,000, but after a week on , bidders had only managed to turn the volume up to $505,600. That’s a tall stack of cash, but still well below the owners’ reserve and under the estimates that said the Futurliner would fetch of dollars. Of the 12 original busses, only a handful remain, and one example recently brought home $4.1 million at Barrett-Jackson.
This auction was supposed to break all previous eBay Motors records.
What kept this particular piece of history from drawing similar money? It’s difficult to tell. Maybe the previous auction was over-inflated or maybe there are only so many collectors out there with the means to care for a 33-foot long, 12-foot-tall beast of this nature. Perhaps part of the high-stakes bidding fun is being there live with the cameras rolling.
At this point, it’s unclear whether the owners will hold onto their Futurliner for a little longer or if we’ll see it under the gavel one more time.
You expect to hear about ultra-rare fetching record prices at auction. Pre-war , too. But this $11 million beast is a .
And not just any Jaguar, either. This 1956 long-nose D-Type, arguably the most beautiful creature ever to leave the gates at Coventry, was driven by Ivor Bueb and Duncan Hamilton to a win at Reims in 1956 before placing sixth at Le Mans and third at Sebring with Bueb and the legendary Mike Hawthorn, the British driver who went on to win the F1 championship for Ferrari before retiring only to die in a crash behind the wheel of another Jaguar while suffering from kidney failure.
Jaguar took 393RW out of its archives earlier this year to run it at the Mille Miglia revival race, but it needed a little work. So rather than undertake the restoration in-house, they turned to the JAGtechnic department at the Harvington Motor Company, which rebuilt the engine, overhauled the brakes and suspension and generally got it up to spec for the event.
to see the result and take in that delicious raspy burble as it glides across the English countryside.
We love a good crash-testvideo as much as the next auto-obsessive website, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is chock full of them. Unfortunately, the insurance watchdog used a video player system most likely designed back when Geocities was an Internet staple. Now, however, the IIHS has launched an updated player, and the videos are arranged neatly for your viewing pleasure right on the Consumer Reports website.
After first selecting a make, you can filter by model before selecting the video you want to see. for a sample, then head over to the .
The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission has approved the and , which join the on the list of vehicles approved as interim taxi cabs for the Big Apple. According to USA Today, New York cab companies are permitted to purchase those models for fleet duty until the Nissan NV200 “Taxi of Tomorrow” goes on sale. The NV200 beat out competitive designs from and the Turkish Karsan V1 to earn the taxi commission’s nod, though the isn’t set to be available until 2013 at the earliest.
In the meantime, cab companies are going to need vehicles to replace their aging fleets of Ford Crown Victoria sedans. That’s where the new models come in. Once incorporated into cab company stables, they can remain until they retire, even past the 2013 arrival of the NV200. Once that date arrives, however, the Nissan Van will be the official vehicle of the New York taxi service.
Click past the break for an official press release from Nissan.
Altima and Impala also approved as NYC taxis, but not for long
Shipping goods from China to the U.S. is big business. And when we say big, we’re talking 1,300-foot-long ships that weigh 170,974 tons. The cargo ships in question can carry 11,000 20-foot shipping containers at a breakneck speed of 31 knots.
That’s a lot more oomph than the typical 20-knot cruiser, and the reason for the extra push is the world’s largest engine. The 109,000-horsepower Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C, which first set sail in the Emma Mærsk in 2006, weighs in at a rotund 2,300 tons, and it’s 44-feet tall and 90-feet long. In other words, the TRA96 is the height of a four-story building, and longer than a Christmas Eve line at Sam’s Club. Within that massive exterior rests 14 cylinders that each consume 6.5-ounces of diesel fuel every cycle. And, if you like torque, there’s enough twist to rip an M1 tank to shreds, though the massive mill churns at only 102 rpm.
That’s a lot of motor to ponder, and we’d be imagining the size of that camshaft, if it had one. This turbocharged two-stroke features common rail tech that utilizes a high-pressure fuel rail to supply fuel to individual solenoid valves. That means improved fuel economy and better performance, which is nothing short of essential in such a massive ship.
So far there are 25 such engines patrolling the world’s oceans, and another 86 are on the way. And since these mills can get a shipment from China to LA in four fewer days than their competitors, we wouldn’t be surprised to see still more engines on the way.
We’ve seen some pretty strange races in our days. From pitting cars against and the London public transportation system to skydiving maniacs and jet fighters, nearly every hair-brained race you can think of has been put to the test for the public’s enjoyment. Now we can add one more to that list.
EVO Magazine recently took the time to pit the against an Extra EA-300LP stunt plane in a race around the Bedford Autodrome. Did we mention that the guy in the sky is none other than former Red Arrow pilot Myles Garland?
While the prop plane is only good for 296 horsepower, it can also comfortably pull plus or minus 10 g while turning the pilot into a floppy rag doll. The , meanwhile, comes to the fight bearing 562 ponies and the miracle of all-wheel drive. Who comes out on top in such a ludicrous shoot out? You’ll have to click to watch the video and find out for yourself.
recently invited 30 visually-impaired individuals to its Merkenic Development Center test track in Cologne, Germany to put them behind the wheel for a few high-speed exercises. The program was designed to give the disabled individuals a better understanding of how vehicles behave in traffic and how they react to driver input at speed.
According to Ford, since the blind rely on sound to gauge how fast a vehicle is approaching, they may not always calculate accurately. Ford allowed the individuals to build up speed with the help of a driving instructor, and the company says that the fastest driver of the day ratcheted the vehicle all the way to 74 miles per hour.
The blind weren’t just behind the wheel of vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, either. In many cases, participants had never driven a manual transmission before, but the instructors said that they took to the mechanics quicker than most licensed drivers. Being forced to listen to the engine and feel the vehicle under you likely goes a long way toward improving your third-pedal learning curve.
This isn’t Ford’s first foray into helping blind people live their dream of driving. In 2009, the automaker of a brand new 2010 Mustang convertible, which he then proceeded to have quite a bit of fun with… as you can see in the included image gallery.
Ford says that with the advent of radar-based driving aids, it could be possible to help the visually-impaired drive on their own in the near future. Head over to for the full tale.
is giving buyers – – a chance to juice up their S60s without going all the way model. Polestar is the tuner responsible for Volvo’s STCC program and the firm has engineered an ECU reflash that boosts the S60’s power numbers from 300 horsepower and 335 pound-feet of torque to 325 hp and 354 lb-ft.
Swedespeed was given a chance to test a pre-production version of the software and had it installed on their project S60 T6 AWD. The unofficial results were a 0.3-second drop in the 0-60 mile-per-hour time, getting the S60 within sight of the lighter, rear-wheel-drive 335i and the heavier, all-wheel-drive S4. Mid-range torque, though, appeared to be the big winner, with Swedespeed noting improved passing chops.
When it’s officially offered, the upgrade is expected to cost around $1,500 or so, and be a quick install at the dealer. Fuel economy numbers aren’t on the table yet, but Swedespeed will have more details of their time with the car soon. for the full story.
According to a new study, children who ride with their grandparents are half as likely to be injured in an accident as those who ride with their parents. The news comes from research organized by Dr. Fred Henretig, an emergency medicine specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Henretig and his team poured through the State Farm data from insurance claims between 2003 and 2007 across 15 states. The research included information on over 12,000 children below the age of 15, and the study interviewed drivers involved in the accidents.
While older drivers are typically more prone to get into an automobile accident and may not always follow proper installation instructions on child booster seats, younger passengers are still less likely to be injured in an accident with their grandparents. The researchers aren’t entirely sure why this is, though Henretig says that it may have something to do with the fact that grandparents are more careful drivers with their grandchildren in the vehicle.
Tata is out to offer the world a cheaper way to live. In addition to producing the , the Indian company has its sights set on cranking out a flat-pack home for the princely sum of $720. According to MSNBC, the domicile boasts a heady 215 square feet of living space and can be erected in as little as a week. The walls are hewn from coconut or jute fiber, and as such, the building is only good for around 20 years of use. As such, Tata doesn’t envision the small homes as suitable for city construction.
Instead, the low-cost houses could be ideal for putting a roof over the heads of homeless or as temporary structures for government agencies. The houses are set to hit the market in the next six to eight months. A prefab kit will also contain necessities like windows, roofs and doors, and the company is already drawing up plans for a more spacious model with solar panels and a tidy veranda.
The crew from EVO magazine managed to talk their way into a ride in the newest piece of insanity from Pagani. The Italian automaker is currently in the midst of endurance testing the Huayra for U.S. certification, and as a result, five of the cars are currently frolicking around Europe racking up precious kilometers. Pagani recently hosted a few of the company’s customers at Sardinia, and EVO’s Harry Metcalfe jumped into the passenger seat of the carbon fiber creation for a quick blast down the road. Fortunately for all of us, Metcalfe taped the whole experience.
The video shows the best look yet at the vehicle’s adaptive aerodynamics, complete with plenty of active flaps that pop and dance as the Huayra builds speed. There’s also the delicious sound of the supercar’s twin-turbocharged 6.0-ltier V12 barking out 720 horsepower, too. The noise is nothing if not intoxicating. to check it out for yourself.
We couldn’t help but ask officials point-blank about what cars their 2012 300 SRT8, the brand’s self-proclaimed “Ultimate combination of world-class luxury and performance,” will compete against. Their answer, delivered with zero hesitation and a perfect poker face? The . That utterance shut us up so quickly that we had to sit back in our chair to ponder the bold response.
The new , the highest-performing model ever in Chrysler’s lineup, boasts a powerful 6.4-liter Hemi V8 punch, massive Brembo brakes, lightweight forged wheels, countless hours of suspension tuning and a slew of cosmetic goodies. It is, without question, a very impressive sport sedan. But choosing a target like the CTS-V, Cadillac’s highly regarded flagship performance vehicle, may reveal a bit too much confidence. After all, the CTS-V isn’t just more powerful – its chassis is a bit lighter, it’s shorter in stature and it wears stickier shoes. Of course, it’s also much more expensive.
We didn’t question Chrysler’s comment, or even raise an eyebrow to their claim. We were, after all, sitting at a racetrack with a 300 SRT8 idling in the hot pits just a dozen yards away. Instead, we walked out of the building, donned a helmet and climbed into the driver’s seat to find out for ourselves.
, but he can’t teach the Dark Knight how to drive it. Murray’s latest automobile was created for the new Batman Live show, a stage production that tells the story of how Batman and Robin came to team up. Murray’s take on Bruce Wayne’s iconic ride plays a major role… during an early live rehearsal, that role included crashing into a Bank of Gotham set piece.
There were no reports of any injuries, and a stand-by Batmobile was ready to fill in. Batman Live will make its way stateside later this year. In the meantime, at least one Batmobile is currently undergoing repairs in the Bat Cave.
to see some video of Murray’s Batmobile being unveiled.
Just when we thought the four-year drama of a U.S. factory for might be clearing up, we’re back to the muddy. Not even two weeks after a that the decision has already been made to build an Audi plant in the States, German Manager Magazin quotes Audi boss Rupert Stadler as saying he’d like a factory in Mexico for production of the .
According to Manager, that has resulted in blowback from honchos who want Audi to take advantage of the VW factory in Chattanooga. Remember, Automobile magazine hinted in February that an expansion at the Tennessee location could be used to build crossovers for Audi and .
When might there be some clarity about this matter? What’s German for “Who knows?” Last month, Stadler apparently said a decision would be made in 12 months, the recent Detroit article claimed a decision would come in 36 months, and an Audi spokesman responding to this latest Mexico news said “before 2015.” What we know for sure is that Audis will be built somewhere in North American at some point in the near-ish future. That much is crystal clear. Maybe.
has gone from a local automaker to a major industry powerhouse in a relatively short span of time, increasing its own market stake while taking over to expand its global reach. But something’s gotta give, figured the industry analysts, leading to speculation that one of its most valuable properties could be sold – at least in part – to raise capital for the rest.
Following much speculation that Fiat could begin selling off shares in , the latter’s powerful chairman Luca di Montezemolo has reportedly flat-out denied any possibility of an initial public offering on the open stock market.
Now, that’s not to say that Fiat couldn’t opt to sell all or part of Ferrari via other channels – say, privately to another automaker or group of investors. Montezemolo has been known, after all, to issue somewhat misleading statements, such as the repeated denial of an upcoming entry-level model right up until the introduction of the . So we wouldn’t quite put the issue to rest just yet, but we won’t be calling our stock brokers with a standing order, either.
Rumors of a diesel-powered have been floating around the Intertubes ever since the sedan’s launch last year, but now, we have the official word straight from : A diesel Cruze is definitely coming to the United States. Unfortunately, we won’t see the oil-burning Cruze until sometime in 2013, likely as part of the car’s mid-cycle refresh.
As of this writing, GM has yet to confirm any powertrain details, though had suggested that a 2.0-liter engine with 147 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque could be the powerplant of choice. However, since GM is using the new diesel model as a way to “bolster the already fuel-efficient Cruze lineup,” we wouldn’t be surprised if a less-powerful but more-efficient engine was offered. Currently, the with a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four is good for 138 hp, 148 lb-ft and up to 42 miles per gallon on the highway.
What say you, readers? Could a diesel-powered Cruze hit the lofty 50 mpg mark? Give us your best fuel economy estimates in the comments, and for GM’s official press release.
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of , and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
