Mopar is spreading its parts support network into new global markets. and have opened new parts distribution centers in Shanghai and Dubai at 16,000 and 18,000 square feet, respectively. The new warehouses will help support Chrysler, , , and Fiat brands around the world with a more comprehensive parts distribution system as the American marques continue to grow globally. Chrysler says that the facility in Shanghai will stock over 35,000 part numbers while its counterpart in Dubai will stock slightly less at 30,000. Chrysler is also planning to bolster its Middle East presence in other ways, however.
The company says it will open 12 Mopar Express lanes in the region. In 2011, five opened in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, while seven more will begin business in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait in 2012. The service centers will provide customers with comprehensive vehicle inspections and factory-backed service. for the press release.
has filed for bankruptcy in Sweden, which is likely to be a death knell for the storied automaker. But just because headquarters has filed doesn’t mean that Saab North America will follow suit.
The Detroit News reports that Saab has hired Michigan firm McTevia & Associates to deal with creditors, and that there are no immediate plans to file for bankruptcy. Saab president Tim Colbeck reportedly acknowledged to DetNews that the company doesn’t have much hope of staying out of liquidation, but added the best chance for survival is a company purchasing Saab out of bankruptcy. On the flip side, even though Saab NA feels that it is cheaper and easier to stay out of bankruptcy court, Colbeck adds that creditors could eventually force the company into bankruptcy.
McTevia chief Jim McTevia tells The Detroit News that the hope is that Saab NA will continue operating long enough for another company to come in and purchase Saab. Saab NA has 188 dealers, and there are 2,400 vehicles still sitting on dealer lots. Saab also employs about 50 employees in Royal Oak, MI.
When it comes to blowing up cars, the boys (and girl) from are starting to get some serious competition from the Stuntbusters crew. While Discovery’s myth-busting show bases its explosions around some sort of crazy science experiment, its competitor from Speed seems simply content with fireballs and bombs just for the sake of good television.
Just so long as Stuntbusters keeps its auto explosions to old, unwanted machines like the much unloved Corsica and the never-going-to-be-collectible 929, as seen in the video after the break, we’re okay with wonton destruction in the name of entertainment.
Check out the video past the jump, where you’ll learn the proper ingredients for a couple types of bombs; one powered by gasoline and one with a fiery mixture of moth balls and black powder. You are interested, aren’t you? See the conflagration in all its glory .
A new study commissioned by British parking lot operator NCP has found that nearly half of all UK drivers name their vehicles. Researchers questioned a total of 3,000 UK drivers ranging in age from 17 to 45 to determine whether or not they have a special moniker for their vehicle. The study also took the time to look into which names drivers chose.
In the UK, most drivers tend to prefer names derived from celebrities, with 24 percent of those surveyed opting for high-profile labels. Prince William and Lady Gaga are apparently two of the most popular vehicle names at the moment, though drivers also favor cartoon characters, sports figures and politicians.
Interestingly enough, three percent of those surveyed say they name their vehicle after coworkers. It makes us wonder what kind of vehicle Dwight Schrute from The Office would be. Clearly, not everyone feels attached enough to their car to give it a name, with 20 percent of those surveyed saying those who do are “sad.” Some people just don’t know how to have any fun, eh?
Our staff’s driveways are filled with plenty of unique vehicular characters, including one very determined ‘78 International Scout Terra that goes by the name Death Proof. Do you name your vehicles? Let the world know what you call your car in the Comments, but not before taking part in our brief poll below.
The and its GTI hot-hatch twin might only be six generations old, but the hatchback meant to replace the is more than 35 years old. That makes it one of the dwindling members of the old-growth forest of car models, standing in the shade of holdouts like the and .
To celebrate its 35th year in the UK, the limey VW reps put all six generations together and ran them around a track. Fair warning, it’s short and they didn’t wring them out so don’t expect the sound and the fury, but if nothing else perhaps a glimpse of that Mk II will inspire stories that begin with “So this one time at band camp…” for the action.
That can’t sell enough superluxury sedans to justify the brand’s existence is the worst-kept secret in the entire automotive industry. The numbers don’t really make a dent in what its competitors sell, and they are but a drop in the bucket of what the company moves as a whole. That’s what’s prompted Daimler to seek out more cost-effective alternatives to the current Maybach line, and what’s .
So you’d think that the prices on buying a new Maybach would be dropping considerably as a result. And you may very well get your local Maybach dealer to cut one heck of a deal to get one of their limousines out of the showroom. But you wouldn’t know it from the latest pricing updates released by Mercedes-Benz USA.
Instead of slashing their prices in an effort to turn a profit before shutting down the brand, Daimler has actually increased the MSRPs on 2012 models. Not by much, mind you – about $4,000 across the board (save the $1.38m , which stays the same). Of course, that probably isn’t enough to deter someone willing to shell out this kind of money from buying a Maybach. But the sheer audacity of raising the sails on a sinking vessel is certainly an interesting tactic to save the ship.
has expanded its licensed reproduction body shell offerings. The company announced professionals and enthusiasts alike would be able to purchase brand-new shells earlier this year, and now the automaker has added the 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible shell to the mix, as well. Now, instead of being forced to source a shell and repair the inevitable rust, restorers can simply snap up new metal, thereby saving time and money in the process. Like the ‘65 Convertible, ‘67 Fastback and ‘69 Fastback, the ‘67 Convertible will carry a price tag of $15,995.
That lump of change gets you a shell that meets or exceeds the original specifications, including higher-quality metal than was used when the vehicles first rolled off of the assembly line. Dynacorn International will produce the shells under license from Ford. to view the full press release for yourself.
Danny Douglas and Jay Campbell, have been sentenced to 18 months and 12 months plus one day, respectively, after being convicted of extortion. It seems the two former United Auto Workers officials agreed to end an 87-day strike at a GM plant in Pontiac, MI back in 1997 – but only after agreed to hire Campbell’s son and the son of another UAW official for high-paying jobs they were evidently not qualified for.
It’s been a rather long and winding road for Douglas and Campbell. According to the Detroit Free Press, the case first went to trial in 2002, and in 2003, the charges were dismissed by U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds. Shortly thereafter, a trio of judges from the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision and reinstated the charges.
The maximum penalty allowed for the pair of law breakers – both are now 70 years old – was up to 30 years in prison and fines of $750,000. Judge Edmunds, however, sentenced them much less strictly, with six months of house arrest and two years of probation. Both Douglas and Campbell appealed the ruling, and the case went back to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
That was apparently a bad move on their part. Their convictions were upheld and the Sixth Circuit actually sent the case back to Judge Edmunds, ruling that her sentences were too lenient. So now, it’s off to prison for Douglas and Campbell.
We really should just shut up and let the absurdity of this contraption sink in for a spell, but the details of the Lazareth Wazuma V8F are just to insane to leave unmentioned. A 3.0-liter V8 lies at the heart of the newest Lazareth Wazuma, and the 250-horsepower lump is bolted to a six-speed manual transmission sourced from a .
A set of 12.8-inch Brembo brakes help bring the blur down from speed. All told, the V8F tips the scales at a relatively portly 1,433 pounds, which is still light enough to scare your underwear inside out given the power on tap.
If you’re looking for the best way to kill yourself on four wheels, this is likely it, but don’t expect the assisted suicide to come cheap. The Lazareth Wazuma V8F will set you back just under $261,000 at current conversion rates. What can we say? This kind of twisted engineering doesn’t come for free.
– or Prodrive, the outfit that preps Mini’s rally cars – has inexplicably failed to file for entry into the 2012 World Rally Championship before the series’ December 20 deadline. Mini’s first year back at the top level of rallying as a development team yielded two podiums, and the company hasn’t stepped back from its stated desire to . Word is that parent is gung-ho to continue but that there are “significant issues which need to be resolved” between it and Prodrive.
In an update to the situation today, UK site PistonHeads said has spoken to Prodrive and has been told Mini will somehow gain entry and be at the first race in Monte Carlo. Prodrive is in discussions now with the FIA to clear the way to entry, but apparently told PistonHeads that had “some concern” over WRC promotion with respect to television coverage. We have no idea if that has anything to do with the supposed issues with BMW, but we do know we’d like to see the little red flyer in action again this year.
has just spilled the beans on how it plans to keep its MVP fresh for the 2012 model year. The recipe for the lineup hinges on a new Touring package (from $2,065) that adds many of the features of the without adding any actual power.
Offered on all three bodystyles, the CTS Touring pack includes such niceties as a buttoned-up suspension (presumably not the actual magnetic ride control setup at the CTS-V given the price), faux suede inserts on the seats and steering wheel, Sapele wood trim and metal pedal pads. The extensive package also includes exterior touches like HID headlamps, dual exhaust, a darker grille finish, different wheel packages and a decklid spoiler cribbed from the V.
There are some equipment differences with the Touring Package depending on whether you stick with the base 3.0-liter V6 or opt for the 3.6-liter. The 3.0-liter package costs less at $2,065, but the 3.6-liter Touring group ($2,810) also includes grippy Recaro seats and larger 19-inch wheels shod in either summer or all-season tires. While we’d much rather have the 556-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 of the real-deal CTS-V, either package seems like a screaming deal for all of the extra equipment.
For 2012, General Motors has also updated the entire CTS range with Bluetooth as standard fit and added blind spot assist and rain-sensing wipers to the options list. New paint colors include Opulent Blue Metallic, Black Diamond Tri-Coat and Mocha Steel Metallic. Pricing starts at $36,790 for the sedan, $39,590 for the rakish coupe and $39,890 for the Sport Wagon.
Playboy has been around since 1953 for a reason: It’s an arbiter of good taste in the arena of male interests. Sure, that includes naked ladies, but it also encompasses fashion, movies, music and any other consumable that tugs at the heart strings of a man’s billfold. The fashionable male of the modern era also consumes cars, and so Playboy has an opinion about which ones are worthy of their hard-earned dollars. Each year the magazine’s resident four-wheel expert, Ken Gross, and its editors pick their cars of the year, and this year’s list is out in the January/February issue hitting newsstands now.
We’ll spoil the surprise between the pages and tell you that the magazine’s overall 2012 Car of the Year is the . A solid pick to be sure, and an impressive win for Jag considering its company on Playboy’s short list.
The and occupy the six-figure side of the list’s price spectrum, while solid luxury sedans choices like the and offer room for some family and friends. If a sports car is what you’re after, Playboy recommends the and , while the budget-conscious among its readership should look at the and . While the list contains no serious off-roader, one could venture off your tree-lined driveway with the magazine’s choice of the , and last but not least is the for those looking for luxury, performance, practicality and fuel efficiency in one gloriously compromised package.
You can check out the full list for yourself over at (yes, the page – but not the whole site – is Safe For Work), as well as vote for which vehicle you think should be Heff’s Car of the Year.
Turns out the stunt team isn’t finished finding things to do with its . Not long after skater (or barrel-rolled, whichever you prefer) a Sonic, one of the team that put that stunt together decided to take his Sonic ’skiing,’ which means putting it on two wheels. Then, once on two wheels, decided he’d take a casual drive through the workshop of J.E.M. F/X, a special effects outfit in Valencia, California. Then he parked it.
The hatchback antics are in the video , this time minus Dyrdek’s contortionist faces. And we’re pretty sure that after one more of these oddball excursions we can start calling the Sonic “hedgehog.”
The Rose Bowl – The Grandaddy Of Them All, as they say – is one of the most storied bowl games in college football, and the pre-game parade is a big part of the pageantry of the event. Last year, Natural Balance broke the record for the world’s largest float with an 84,300-pound rolling display, but the pet food company seems thirsty for more world-record glory.
For 2012, Natural Balance is building a 100,000-pound monstrosity that is 116 feet long and contains a 65-foot wave pool built specifically for one Tillman the Dog. Tillman will be surfing the waves on the float, which sounds impressive if you didn’t already know that this super dog is also an avid skateboarder.
To tow this massive float, the folks at Natural Balance are counting on power from the tried-and-true 6.8-liter V10. The 362 horsepower mill, which boasts 457 pound-feet of torque, is completely stock. The same can be said for the six-speed automatic transmission, save for a custom gear reduction setup behind the output shaft to get the float moving. The beefy 10-pot was pulled directly from an , but we’re guessing the 28-foot long truck won’t be getting a 100,000-pound tow rating anytime soon.
to check out the entire infographic for yourself. You’ll learn that the float is larger than 2,000 Tillmans, and you’ll also catch a glance of the custom rig that will house Ford’s big V10.
Owners of 2010 and 2011 model year utility vehicles, lend me your ears: Your luxury crossover may be facing a recall. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some 8,789 affected units could have an improperly fitted transmission shift cable.
According to the government agency’s notice, the faulty installation could result in the cable popping out of the transmission bracket. If that happens, NHTSA says the transmission may not shift at all, rendering the vehicle immobile. The gearbox could also appear to be in Park when it isn’t, resulting in a potential rollaway.
will begin notifying owners of vehicles covered in the recall next month, and dealers will be tasked with inspecting the cable and making sure it’s properly routed and secured. For more details, check out the official notice .
SRX models recalled for faulty transmission cables
You better watch out, you better not cry. You better not pout, I’m telling you why: One day, Santa Claus himself might pull you from your burning Ford Explorer Sport Trac before you’re engulfed in flames. Brad Luddeke was on his way to deliver gifts to needy children when he came upon an accident just outside of Dallas, Texas. Luddeke saw the vehicle was beginning to catch fire and helped pull the man from the vehicle before the flames consumed the rest of the truck. No one was seriously harmed in the incident, but Luddeke wasn’t through performing his good deeds for the day.
The good Samaritan then proceeded to direct traffic through the smoke-filled intersection to prevent another collision. Something tells us the former fire fighter has definitely made the ‘Nice’ list this year. to view a quick clip of Santa’s traffic-directing skills in action.
We never want to forget that many if not most auto enthusiasts have progeny, and while it’d be all too easy to blame your spawn for the simple fact that there is a Honda Odyssey instead of a Porsche Boxster in your garage right now, the truth is that you could be raising the next Ayrton Senna.
With that in mind, we want to help kick off your child’s racing career with his or her very first seat (, ): the designed for children 37 to 61 inches tall and weighing between 30 an 120 pounds.
As a bonus, we’re also going to include a few of those we last week.
NOTE:Make sure to check your spam folder to see if you’re a winner of any of this week’s giveaways.
HOW TO ENTER
Leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all of your entries will be disqualified)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
Limit 1 entry per person during entry period
The entry period ends at 1:00 PM EST on Friday, December 23th, 2011. We’ll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive a Recaro ProBOOSTER child seat valued at $129.99.
As we prepare to flip our calendars from 2011 to 2012, it’s time to say goodbye to a handful of vehicles that are being sent to the Great Parking Lot In The Sky before the 2012 model year completely takes hold. And while we’re not exactly upset about having to bid farewell to things like the , or , there are a few vehicles that we’re truly going to miss.
The , for example, has grown to be one of our favorite sports cars since its introduction in 2003. We love its lightweight construction, high-revving rotary engine and surprisingly functional suicide door design. It’s kind of like a with a roof and rear seats. Speaking of the Miata, Tesla’s two-seat – the automaker’s first production vehicle – proved to us that open-top motoring can be thrilling even with a stack of batteries driving the wheels.
We’ll miss the and its rugged, utilitarian nature. We’ll miss the and its capacious cargo area made for Ikea runs. And we’ll really miss those large lords of luxury, the and . We’ve already said goodbye to the faithful but overripe , and as ridiculous as the was, it was a shockingly good-to-drive electrified crossover.
There are plenty more models that won’t be making the journey to the 2012 model year, so have a look at the full list in our attached image gallery, then let us know which ones you’ll miss (if any) in the Comments.
Big old is back to thinking small, and it’s finally doing it right. After two frankly awful attempts at supplying the rest of the world with cheap tin boxes called Fox and Lupo, company bosses have done some soul searching and this is the result: a tiny road warrior that’s absolutely worthy of the 6.3-inch wide emblem on its grill.
It might seem like only yesterday, but the Up! was back in the pre-crisis days of 2007 at the . Talk about fortuitous timing, because this 2+2 three-door minicar is exactly the sort of car that much of economically stunned Europe is craving nowadays. We all, Euro or Yank, want as much premium feel in our cars as cheaply as possible, and this is exactly why the little Up! is destined to clobber The Continent’s vast field of city cars.
We’ve just spent 12 days in a top-trim Up! White Edition driving around in what certainly will be one of the car’s major markets: the piratical, everyone-for-themselves streets of Milan, Italy. With our American brainset, at first we thought, “Yeah, it’s really cute and useful, well built and all, but…” That qualifying “but” was just because the Up! is so small in every dimension save front seat room. As we would come to learn over our dozen days, with an all-new 1.0-liter, 74-horsepower three-cylinder and a serviceable five-speed manual, this little bugger can be a little roll-y in tight curves taken with any spirit, but she sure is fun.
has unveiled the automaker’s very first production electric vehicle. The Kia Ray EV will offer buyers a range of around 86 miles depending on driving conditions and will include a fast-charge option that should top off the cells in around 25 minutes. Otherwise, expect the 16.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack to take around six hours to charge on a 220-volt circuit. A 50 kW electric motor provides power to the front wheels, which is good enough to get the EV to 62 mph in 15.9 seconds. That may seems slow by most standards, but its worth noting that the internal combustion Ray with its 1.0-liter gas engine makes due with significantly less torque.
Kia says that Ray EV boasts 123 pound-feet of torque, which is 77 percent more than the 1.0-liter machine. The boxy EV also uses a new type of regenerative braking system in which the electric motor generates boost for the hydraulic brake assist – just like on an internal combustion vehicle. The automaker says that the result is a linear brake that still manages to recuperate energy that would otherwise be lost during deceleration. As wonky brake feel is one of our chief sticking points with all EVs, this comes as welcome news.
Kia will manufacture 2,500 Ray EVs for government agency use in Korea, so don’t expect to be able to get your hands on one anytime soon. for the full press release.
