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Turns out the Volkswagen Cross Coupé concept shown off at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show may be a smoke signal for an impending new product. And apparently the reaction was positive enough to the integrated grille and sloping hindquarters that the picaresque four-door crossover could inspire a production version within three years.

VW execs believe CUVs will continue to grow in popularity, and that as they do, customers will want perhaps more car-ish variety in their styling, with more muscle and sportiness. According to Autocar, this vehicle wouldn’t come alone, either, with “several variants” being pledged if this one does see the light.

The concept itself was done with that in mind, seeing as it sits on the transverse matrix architecture that will support the next Golf and Audi A3. When we saw the concept in person, we couldn’t help but notice the production touches like partsbin window switches and seat rails, so we had a strong feeling that we were looking at a thinly disguised new model (though the hybrid powertrain will likely be a thing of the distant future).

Check out a video of the Cross Coupé on the stage in Tokyo after the break.

Continue reading VW Cross Coupé concept presages 2014 Evoque rival [w/video]

VW Cross Coupé concept presages 2014 Evoque rival [w/video]

Used vehicle prices have been on a tear for over a year now, as slow new vehicle sales during the financial meltdown of 2009 have created a dearth of available used models today. Yet the sluggish economy means demand for used vehicles is high, so dealers are going to ever-increasing lengths to acquire inventory.

According to Ward’s Auto, the latest tactic is buying vehicles from service customers. Dealers are appraising customer cars and trucks before they pay their repair bills, then offering to buy the vehicles rather than charge the owners for the service visit. Dealers are even giving service personnel incentives to bring in trades.

One dealer said his service areas have signs reading, “Before you pay your service bill, you might want to find out the value of your car.”

Tight used car supply has dealers looking in their own service bays

A study by the University of Michigan shows that auto manufacturers could meet tougher fuel economy standards simply by increasing the size of the vehicles they sell. A “footprint-based” formula for calculating mileage targets was adopted when Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards were revised in 2007. Researchers now think this could lead to bigger vehicles on the road rather than increases in fuel economy for our nation’s fleet.

“It’s cheaper to make large vehicles, and meeting fuel-economy standards costs [manufacturers] money in implementing and looking at what consumers will purchase,” one of the researchers told Automotive News.

The study simulated changes that auto manufacturers could make to 473 different vehicles in order to meet the new regulations. The model allowed for changing the size of vehicles, as well as adding fuel-saving technology, wile balancing acceleration and performance with fuel economy. Pricing was also taken into account. The researchers think that the size of light trucks is likely to grow, even more than the increases they forecast for cars, with the changes coming about as soon as 2014.

“This study illustrates that there may be a substantial financial incentive to produce larger vehicles, and that it can undermine the goals of the policy,” said the lead researcher, who wants the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to revise its formula. Click past the jump to read the University of Michigan’s press release on the study.

Continue reading Why CAFE changes could lead to larger cars, not smaller ones

Why CAFE changes could lead to larger cars, not smaller ones

Mercedes-Benz may engineer its vehicles like no other in the world, but its flagship New York City dealership is another story. According to the New York Post, neighbors have complained to the city for weeks about loud air vents and showroom lights.

“They’re horrible neighbors,” one disgruntled Manhattanite told the newspaper.

Nearby residents describe the noise as “like a roar,” “like a vacuum cleaner in a wind tunnel,” and “overwhelming.” The dealer has been cited for exceeding legal noise levels, according to the report, but has yet to do anything about the problem. While the general manager at the dealership seems contrite, fixing the problem is going to take time.

“Our engineering company has put together an initial study but not a final proposal of what materials and engineering are going to be required,” he told the newspaper. “When that’s going to be finalized I can’t tell you.”

Here’s an idea: Service loaners to the neighbors until it gets fixed?

Neighbors complain about Mercedes-Benz’s flagship NYC dealership

Here we go again, boys and girls. One day after a couple grainy black-and-white brochure shots of the new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL leaked out early, a massive stash of official shots has hit the web via GermanCarForum.com.

We still can’t say what powertrains Mercedes-Benz plans to put under the SL’s stately hood, but we do know those horses will be saddled with 308 fewer pounds to move around. That can only mean good things for driving dynamics.

What we can say with certainty, though, is that the 2013 SL bears a completely new look that draws inspiration from its smaller SLK sibling and the SLS AMG supercar. Note the upright grille, the shape of the light clusters and the overall boxier sheetmetal.

We like what we see inside the big Benz – there’s a nice mix of modern materials, leather and genuine wood trim, plus what will surely be a boatload of technology thrown in for good measure.

Pricing, as you would imagine, is unavailable as of yet. While we wait for the proper time to publish all the details, satiate your curiosity with the high-res image gallery above. And remember, you’ll get the chance to see it live at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL leaked in all its glory

There are plenty of automotive phenomena we don’t entirely understand. Take sound system competitions, for example. We just never saw the practical use for a stereo worth more than your vehicle, especially when the largest fraction of that investment gets channeled into bowel-wobbling subwoofers. That is, until now. The owner of this particular Pontiac Grand Prix has found a unique way to shed snow from his car in the winter. Instead of standing in the cold with a brush and scraper, he simply cranks the volume on his Rockford Fosgate P3 subwoofers and lets physics take over.

Thanks to a little pounding bass, the vehicle’s windows are clear of snow in no time flat. Of course, the gentleman’s neighbors might have a word or two to say about his turning the community’s winter wonderland into a pounding dance floor. Hit the jump to check out the clip for yourself, just be sure to nix the volume.

Continue reading The other way to get snow off your car

The other way to get snow off your car

What’s the only thing better than a 700-horsepower super-coupe? Why, a 700-horsepower supercar roadster, of course! Since the last two V12 supercars from Lamborghini – the Diablo and Murcielago (not to mention the Reventon) – both spawned open-top derivatives, we knew it would only be a matter of time before the Aventador would follow suit.

Now the word on the street (and by street, we mean the internet chat rooms) is that Lamborghini has got the Aventador Roadster all but completely ready to go, and that it is likely to present the roofless despot at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

We’re hearing that the Murcielago Roadster’s notoriously useless umbrella roof contraption has been replaced by something more functional, which we can only hope for. One way or another, we’ll be finding out soon enough, as the Swiss auto expo is only a few months away.

Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster headed for Geneva

When you’re starting up a new luxury automaker – especially a high-end one – it’s easy for prices to quickly escalate beyond their anticipated targets. And that’s just what’s happened with the Fisker Karma.

Way back when (in 2008), the upstart automaker was talking about selling the Karma for $80,000. Then, the initial base MSRP was set at $87,900 until Fisker raised prices again – and began taking orders – for its hybrid luxury at $95,900. As of this Thursday, even this price will jump by some six percent to $102,000.

That’s for the base Eco Standard model, while the top Eco Chic trim level will now sell for $116,000. Those who put down deposits at the previous prices, however, will have another month to firm up their orders to get theirs at the original rate.

Fisker hikes Karma price… again… now above $100k

Let’s face it, nobody pays MSRP anymore. In fact, the most savvy car buyers among us don’t even pay invoice price. Thanks to Internet pricing sites like TrueCar.com, it doesn’t take negotiating skills or friends in the business to get dealers to sell you cars at deep discount. And that fact has Honda ticked off.

According to Automotive News, Honda has issued an ultimatum to its dealers: Stop selling cars below invoice price through these websites, or lose the per-car marketing spiffs that the factory gives dealers. Since Honda corporate turned the screws on its dealers in October, TrueCar says Honda sales through its service are down.

While many dealers do opt to play ball with TrueCar, offering guaranteed discounted prices up front and hoping to make more money on other aspects of their business, some are not thrilled with TrueCar. AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson has called TrueCar’s pricing transparency a “death spiral” for dealers, according to AN.

Honda fighting below-invoice online pricing deals

Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, has been forced to go to bat for Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson after the television host jokingly suggested striking public sector workers should be shot in front of their own families. Yep. That sounds like Clarkson to us.

According to the UK’s Guardian and Telegraph dailies, members of the UK Parliament then began calling for the government-owned BBC to oust Jezza, with Labor Party member Jim Sheridan asking whether or not Clarkson was a luxury the BBC couldn’t afford. Around 32,000 people sent complaints to the network about the host’s disparaging remarks, but Thompson countered, suggesting that Clarkson is one of the UK’s chief cultural exports at the moment.

The BBC executive also said far more people would be upset to see the gregarious host disappear from Top Gear than had complained about his flippant remarks.

This is just the latest episode in a long line of Clarkson’s skirmishes with various nationalities, religions and organizations, but it doesn’t look like the British personality is going anywhere any time soon.

UK Parliament comes down on BBC over Jeremy Clarkson

There are many number of ways you can support your country’s athletes heading into the Olympics. You could watch them on television. You could follow them to the site and get tickets for your favorite events. You could buy and wear some official team apparel. But if you’re BMW, none of that will do. No, you’re going to do some hooning. Something that involves, say, pulling donuts on the beach in a twin-turbo super-sedan.

That’s just what the Bavarian automaker, which acts as official automotive partner (read: car sponsor) for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, has done to promote its participation and support the athletes. Which is fine by us, because it gives us the opportunity to watch… a twin-turbo super-sedan pulling donuts on the beach. Or to be more specific, the new M5 at the hands of stunt driver Wolfgang Weber at Pendine Sands in Wales.

Follow the jump to watch the footage.

Continue reading 2012 BMW M5 irks Welsh seagulls with a romp in the sand

2012 BMW M5 irks Welsh seagulls with a romp in the sand

In August of last year, a 19-year-old pickup driver received 11 texts in as many minutes while traveling down a Missouri highway outside Gray Summit. The truck rear-ended a stopped tractor trailer at speed, which was then struck by not one, but two school buses, resulting in a massive, multi-car pileup that left 38 people injured and two dead – including the serial texter and a 15-year-old student riding in one of the buses.

The crash made national news and gained even more press after the driver’s phone records were released. Today, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending a nationwide ban on using a mobile phone while driving.

The key word there is “recommending.” The NTSB doesn’t have the power to enact legislation; it can only persuade lawmakers to pass a bill making it illegal for the driver to operate a mobile phone unless it’s an emergency. But the NTSB is taking it a step further. The government group doesn’t want drivers to use any electronic or Internet-connected device in the car, and that could include some of the newest ‘Net-enabled infotainment systems embedded into vehicles. Further, the proposed ban means even using a Bluetooth headset to take calls could be illegal.

Currently, mobile phone bans are enacted by states, with nine states and the District of Columbia prohibiting their use while behind the wheel, and 35 states banning texting while driving. Those figures doesn’t include the other states that ban novice or bus drivers from using a mobile phone while driving.

The NTSB’s hearing was held earlier today, but the official text of the recommendation has yet to be released. We’ll update this post accordingly when the NTSB offers us more than its initial findings and a tweet.

UPDATE: The text of the NTSB’s recommendation is available after the jump, and as suspected, it’s a sweeping suggestion for all States and the District of Columbia to not only ban mobile phone use, but any electronic device while driving.

Continue reading NTSB wants to ban mobile phone and electronics use in cars across the country [UPDATE]

NTSB wants to ban mobile phone and electronics use in cars across the country [UPDATE]

Dodge Dart teased, Scion FR-S First Drive, Fiat 500 crash test, Acura NSX and ILX, BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

Episode #260 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Chris Paukert and Zach this week. Topics include the teaser images Chrysler has released of the 2012 Dodge Dart, our first drive of the Scion FR-S, the Fiat 500 crash test aftermath, A new Acura NSX and ILX, and the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #260:

• 2013 Dodge Dart teased
• Scion FR-S First Drive
• Fiat 500 crash test results
• Acura NSX and ILX coming to Detroit Auto Show
• BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Crew Cab
2012 Land Rover Evoque
2012 Buick Regal eAssist
2012 Infiniti M37

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #260

Autoblog Podcast #260

Chrysler made a huge splash when it put the Viper into production way back in 1992. But over the course of some eighteen years and 22,000 units of production, we all became used to the idea of having the Viper around. Then it was discontinued about a year and a half ago, and we started missing America’s gnarliest of sports cars.

Fortunately the Viper is coming back, and coming back to the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant. The factory had been home to Viper assembly since it was moved there in 1995, but has laid dormant since July 2010. Now that the next-generation Viper is coming ’round the mountain, Chrysler is re-opening Conner Avenue to the tune of some 150 jobs. The re-opening of the facility makes Chrysler, in its own words, the only automaker with multiple assembly plants in Detroit proper.

Intriguingly, the press release after the jump refers to the upcoming new Viper not as a Dodge, but rather as an SRT product. The performance division was recently spun off by Chrysler into its own unit (much like the Ram truck brand was separated from Dodge), with Chrysler’s chief designer and former Dodge chief Ralph Gilles at its helm, and the language seems to indicate that the new Viper could be the brand’s first product. Color us officially excited.

Continue reading Chrysler confirms next-gen SRT Viper for Conner Avenue assembly

Chrysler confirms next-gen SRT Viper for Conner Avenue assembly

Though some have spread their wings to other markets, when push comes to shove, the Japanese luxury marques are targeted right at North America. That’s certainly the case with Acura, a brand that only sells here and in China. Honda’s luxury marque has been quiet in recent years, but it’s readying a major product push set to launch at next month’s Detroit Auto Show.

When the doors open at Cobo Hall, Acura will present NSX supercar and ILX sedan concepts as well as the 2013 RDX crossover. The latter will be a Civic-based entry-level luxury model targeted at the likes of the BMW 1 Series and Lexus CT 200h, will be available with either conventional or hybrid drivetrains, and will – as just announced today – be made right here in the United States for local consumption.

Final assembly will take place at Honda Manufacturing of Indiana (pictured above) in Greensburg, with the gasoline engines brought in from Honda’s facility in Anna, Ohio. As such, the ILX will not only be the first-ever Acura hybrid, but also the first hybrid that Honda will build in North America. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Acura to build Civic-based ILX in Indiana

Acura to build Civic-based ILX in Indiana

Volvo is laying claim to the first production diesel plug-in hybrid title with the company’s new V60. The vehicle makes use of a five-cylinder 2.4-liter turbo diesel engine with 215 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission as well as an electric motor good for up to 70 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque. The forced-induction internal combustion engine puts power to the front wheels while the electric motor feeds its grunt to the rear. An 11.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack fields power storage duties, and Volvo says the V60 plug-in diesel hybrid can travel up to 32 miles on all-electric power with a single charge.

As with most plug-ins, charge times vary depending on the available current, but Volvo claims the V60 can top off its cells in as little as 3.5 hours on a 16-amp line. Interestingly enough, the vehicle allows the driver to chose between three drive modes. Pure mode relies on the electric motor as much as possible while Hybrid mode splits the difference between the diesel mill and the electric motor. Finally, Power mode calls on the full 285 horsepower and 362 pound-feet of torque for the most driving enjoyment. Volvo says the V60 diesel plug-in hybrid can kick up to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds in Power mode.

It’s worth recalling that Peugeot was the first automaker to bring a production diesel hybrid to market, but the fact that the new V60 can plug in to charge its cells earns Volvo a spot in the pantheon of green firsts. For now, the model is only slated for European dealerships. Hit the jump to check out the full press release.

Continue reading Volvo introduces production V60 diesel plug-in hybrid

Volvo introduces production V60 diesel plug-in hybrid

The premier episode of The List is here, and the first thing anyone should do if they’re considering tackling a must-do roster of automotive things is attend a high performance driving school. We have to make sure that our hosts Jessi Combs and Patrick McIntyre are prepared for everything that’s in store for them, so we sent them both to Skip Barber Racing School for a two-day High Performance Driving class. The action takes place at California’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, which means they’ll have to get good enough to handle serious turns like the famous Corkscrew. Follow the jump to see how they do.

Do you have an idea for The List? Click here to tell us what would be on yours.

You can also click here to learn more about the hosts of The List.

Continue reading The List #0001: Graduate From A High Performance Driving School

The List #0001: Graduate From A High Performance Driving School

A Utility Knife For The Sensible Shoes Crowd

There are stories in every culture about a young man or woman who is supposed to marry someone sensible, attractive, a good cook and good provider. But when the protagonist of the story meets the would-be fiancee’s more interesting, vivacious, funny and unconventional sibling or best friend, sparks fly and the original relationship doesn’t stand a chance.

And so it was when we drove the 2013 Subaru XV through the roads and highways of Tuscany. On Day One, we drove the version the U.S. will get in the third quarter of next year. The first thing to hit us: déjà vu. This is the 2012 Impreza hatchback, albeit with cladding above the wheel wells and a a seriously jacked up stance. It will have the same, brand-new 2.0-liter flat-four as the Impreza hatch we tested a few months ago that is just hitting dealer lots. So what’s the verdict? The XV can cook an acceptable pot of tomato sauce and cleans up nicely for Sunday mass. She’s a nice girl and good company.

We should have left it there. We should have called it a test after Day One. We should have simply driven off with the girl we came to meet. Why? Because on day two of our drive, we met the cousin with the better personality, the longer legs, the Sophia Loren cheekbones and the killer personality: the 2.0 liter turbo-diesel with the manual transmission. We drove her through the winding back roads north of Florence amidst the Chianti vineyards, villages and Fiat fix-it shops, but she refuses to come to the States. You see, she will only date Europeans.

Continue reading 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek

2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek

We’ve seen some pretty strange legislation crop up when it comes to curbing crime, but Honduras has reached new extremes. According to the BBC, the country has outlawed passengers on motorcycles in an effort to fight a homicide epidemic. Honduras has the world’s highest murder rate, with 82 people killed out of every 100,000 per year. Two recent high-profile killings involved shooters who fired at their victims while riding shotgun on motorcycles, and President Porfiro Lobo has responded by asking congress to put a ban on bike passengers for six months as a result.

The country faces a rash of problems as Mexican drug cartels move to expand their influence. Honduras currently serves as a corridor for cocaine traffic from South America, and the presence of violent gangs in the nation has only serve to further destabilize the area. The country began deploying armed troops as police enforcers in November.

Honduras outlaws motorcycle passengers to… curb shootings?!

Have we told you how badly we want a reboot of the Toyota Supra? One of the iconic cars of Gen X youth, the Supra died an untimely death in the mid-1990s along with the rest of the Japanese sports car market. This was, of course, long before most of us had managed to graduate from college and get decent enough jobs to be able to afford anything more exciting than a used Honda Civic.

So yes, we hang on every word out of Japan, and the latest comes via Motor Trend. It’s reporting that a hybrid, 400-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 powertrain is being tested for possible release in 2015. The new Supra would look a lot like the FT-HS concept that Toyota showed at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, according to the magazine, which also says that if we really want to see this Supra successor, we’d better hope the Toyota GT 86/Scion FR-S does well.

Toyota Supra rumors continue with 400-hp hybrid power