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Cadillac’s ATS is scheduled to hit dealer showrooms this summer, and General Motors has finally divulged pricing. Its smallest luxury sedan will start at $33,990 including destination(*), but that price will only snag you the entry-level model, powered by a 200-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired with a six-speed automatic. Stepping up to the turbocharged, 270-hp 2.0-liter will push the price up to $35,795, and bring all-wheel-drive and manual transmission options into play. The top-of-the-line ATS carries a $42,090 price tag and is powered by a version of the 3.6-liter V6 from the Cadillac CTS, rated at 320-hp and mated to an automatic tranny, with all-wheel-drive available.

While these prices are hard to evaluate without a full breakdown of standard equipment – which Cadillac promises in due time – we can compare them to two benchmarks, the all-new 2012 BMW 3 Series and the slightly larger CTS. While Caddy does undercut the base 3 Series price of $35,795, that entry-level ATS is down some 40 horsepower. The mid-priced ATS, the one with the turbo 2.0-liter, however, trumps the 328i’s 240-hp engine by almost that much. With equivalent starting sticker prices, it only makes the inevitable head-to-head battle all that more interesting.

The CTS, however, starts at $36,810, which makes the top-level ATS seem spendy at first glance. Granted, the CTS is nearing the end of its life cycle, but clearly those looking for a more luxury-oriented, V6-powered sedan are going to have to closely study the standard equipment sheet to determine what justifies the $5,000-plus price premium for the smaller car.

Scroll down for the full press release, and be sure to check out the new images in our gallery.

Continue reading GM announces pricing for 2013 Cadillac ATS, starting at $33,990*

GM announces pricing for 2013 Cadillac ATS, starting at $33,990*

Mazda sales are up 22 percent this year, but the company’s American operation is enduring acute pain. It is in the midst of a complete, five-month reorganization while trying to raise funds and shrink its workforce. In March, Mazda announced its intention to offer voluntary buyouts to its U.S. employees, after which it would assess the plan and then lay off other workers if needed. Of the firm’s 701 local workers, 107 have accepted the voluntary buyout.

Having seen its North American year-over-year operating loss swell by more than 25 percent to $505 million from $397 million, every aspect of the company has come under review. Mazda has said it doesn’t know if involuntary layoffs will be necessary yet, but CEO Takashi Yamanouchi does know this: “It’s a must-win situation.”

Over 100 take buyouts at Mazda USA ahead of layoffs

The United States tax code will never be accused of being simple or easy to comprehend. With a tangle of exceptions and loopholes, individuals and corporations can work their way around paying their full income tax rate with ease.

According to The Detroit News, General Motors continues to avoid paying its federal income taxes since the company exited bankruptcy. In 2008, the Treasury Department ruled that the automaker could use $18 billion in losses from “old” GM to offset any profits. That means from a tax perspective, GM still hasn’t earned enough money to overcome its losses. The automaker has raked in more than $13 billion since 2009.

Of course, GM isn’t the only company dodging the federal income tax. Ford, for example, payed $268 million in worldwide income taxes last year, despite claiming an income of $7.8 billion. Likewise, since Chrysler Group, LLC. is a limited-liability partnership, it isn’t required to pay federal income taxes. According to The Detroit News, very few companies pay the full 35 percent federal corporate income tax rate.

But that doesn’t mean GM or other companies get off entirely. GM says it pays considerable state taxes, and the company reports that its global tax rate for 2012 may jump to 12 or 13 percent, up from an earlier estimate of 10 percent.

Legal loophole allows GM to avoid paying federal taxes… still

Those looking to get around the Nürburgring with a quickness will soon be able to hop into a Jaguar XJ. The luxury automaker has announced it will bolster its fleet at the infamous German track with the addition of an XJ Supersport. The-510 horsepower sedan will feature a few tweaks to set it apart from its kin, including matte grey paint and both the Sport and Speed packages. The latter of those two nudges the vehicle’s top speed from 155 to 174 miles per hour. Jaguar also nixed the standard leather seats for a set of four race buckets, each with their own four-point harnesses.

A full roll cage also takes care of keeping everyone safe as they rocket around Green Hell. The XJ Supersport will begin giving Jaguar fans rides around the Nurburgring at speed sometime soon. Scroll down for the full press release.

Continue reading Jaguar debuts XJ Sport and Speed Nürburgring taxi

Jaguar debuts XJ Sport and Speed Nürburgring taxi

BMW, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen are among the eight U.S. and German automakers that will demonstrate a single-port fast-charging system for electric vehicles at the Electric Vehicle Symposium 26 (EV26) in Los Angeles starting next week.

Audi, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and Porsche will also show off the so-called DC-fast system, which will be able to recharge most battery-electric vehicles in as little as 15 minutes.

With a combination AC and DC charging capabilities, the DC-fast system is supposed to start sales by the end of the year and will enable U.S. and German plug-ins to be able to be recharged at most public charging stations while also accommodating high-powered fast-charging stations. The International Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has officially tapped the system as the standard for fast-charging.

Electric-vehicle proponents consider the establishment of a fast-charging standard to be an important key to plug-in vehicle adoption because the availability of publicly accessible fast chargers that can recharge a vehicle in minutes instead of hours makes range anxiety a moot point. Pike Research said last year that annual revenue generated by makers of electric-vehicle charging equipment will increase more than tenfold between 2011 and 2017 to about $4.3 billion.

Still, the fast-charging issue is far from settled because a separate fast-charging standard – CHAdeMO – has been proposed by the Japanese automotive industry. Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries are all partners in the CHAdeMO Association.

Continue reading U.S., German automakers will demo fast-charging system at EVS26

U.S., German automakers will demo fast-charging system at EVS26

The Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team has been using its drivers to open up the dark world of F1, and in this video Nico Rosberg demonstrates what we’ve long suspected: the driving position in a Formula 1 car is outrageous, with drivers reclined on a carbon-fiber gynecologist’s table pretending to be a seat.

Scroll down to watch Nico explain finding a balance between comfort and weight. And how it’s kind of hard to see above the wheel.

Continue reading Nico Rosberg explains F1 cars’ unique seating position

Nico Rosberg explains F1 cars’ unique seating position

Automobile’s Georg Kacher goes deep into the Volkswagen product plan, looking at the 32 models that the group’s ten brands will roll out over the next five years. These vehicles are expected to drive VW to the top of the mountain in 2018, where the flag for World’s Largest Automaker awaits.

The armada is based on three platforms: MQB for transverse FWD/AWD cars like the VW Golf, MLB for the longitudinal FWD/AWD cars in Audi’s stable, and MSB for AWD/RWD front-, rear- and mid-engined cars like the Porsche 960.

Said to be due in 2015, the 960 is the supercar discussed last year as a bridge model between the 911 and 918, but Kacher has it listed with the MSB-M platform cars like the Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Lamborghini Aventador, not the front-engined MSB-F or rear-engined MSB-H cars. Yet the 960 is said to be a Ferrari-fighting “four-door coupe” powered by a twin-turbo flat-six. We’ll wait for clarification on the number of doors, since in September of last year, Kacher’s scoop for Car posited the 960 as a mid-engined coupe priced “on the creepy side of €200,000.”

Other intriguing notes from the plan: for VW, a CC coupe is planned for 2016, the Passat might get a coupe variant, the second-generation Scirocco “has the potential” for U.S. sales and the Eos will be replaced; Audi is desgining an even edgier third-generation TT, the A4 will experiment with e-quattro, and the next-generation A6 will break the same-sausage, different-lengths design mold.

Porsche 960 to be a Ferrari-fighting four-door coupe

Mini has been involved with Life Ball, one of Europe’s largest charity events, since the brand first bowed in 2001. This year, the automaker turned a brand-new Mini Roadster over to Franca Sozzani, chief editor of Italian Vogue, for a complete makeover. Sozzani dipped the convertible two door in matte Deepest Purple paint with contrasting rally stripes and added steel accents on the side mirrors and wheels to help set the machine apart from the standard model. The charity car also sports a unique floral design on the roof. Mini will auction off the special Roadster at the Hall of Ceremonies at Vienna’s Hofburg palace.

Life Ball highlights the fight against AIDS. The celebrity-studded event features live music and a fashion show, and Mini says that sales of its past Life Ball models have raised over $654,000 for AIDS research. Scroll past the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Mini previews 2012 Life Ball Roadster

Mini previews 2012 Life Ball Roadster

After Lawrence Drake gave up his pickup truck for a Chevrolet HHR, he wanted a camping shelter more hardy than a tent. The trick? Finding a solution that was in line with the HHR’s 1,000-pound tow capacity. He found it when he designed the Teal Camper, a modular enclosure that fits on a four-by-eight trailer and weighs just 630 pounds empty, including the trailer.

Basically, the camper is a set of weather-sealed panels that are bound with Phillips-head bolts and a strap. They come in a few configurations, such as corner pieces and those with windows and door openings, and you can assemble them in rectangular shapes as small or large as you like. The standard kit comes with a bed that sleeps two and a table, but Drake has designed lightweight optional fixtures like canvas cabinets. There’s also a pop-top that can extend headroom to six feet, and the entire assembly can be bolted to a plywood floor with straps or angle brackets.

Drake’s gone as far as he can on his own resources and is looking for investors for manufacturing. As such, there’s no price tag yet but he projects around $3,000 for an empty shell. It’s a neat concept that we think deserves a shot. Check it out in the gallery of photos.

Teal Camper brings modularity to the outdoors

After Lawrence Drake gave up his pickup truck for a Chevrolet HHR, he wanted a camping shelter more hardy than a tent. The trick? Finding a solution that was in line with the HHR’s 1,000-pound tow capacity. He found it when he designed the Teal Camper, a modular enclosure that fits on a four-by-eight trailer and weighs just 630 pounds empty, including the trailer.

Basically, the camper is a set of weather-sealed panels that are bound with Phillips-head bolts and a strap. They come in a few configurations, such as corner pieces and those with windows and door openings, and you can assemble them in rectangular shapes as small or large as you like. The standard kit comes with a bed that sleeps two and a table, but Drake has designed lightweight optional fixtures like canvas cabinets. There’s also a pop-top that can extend headroom to six feet, and the entire assembly can be bolted to a plywood floor with straps or angle brackets.

Drake’s gone as far as he can on his own resources and is looking for investors for manufacturing. As such, there’s no price tag yet but he projects around $3,000 for an empty shell. It’s a neat concept that we think deserves a shot. Check it out in the gallery of photos.

Teal Camper brings modularity to the oudoors

The FIA’s R2 rally class offers factorry-tuned racers at privateer costs. Peugeot has unleashed its 208 R2 in asphalt and gravel versions, powered by a 1.6-liter engine with 185 horsepower and 140 pound-feet running through a five-speed sequential gearbox.

Improvements over the 207 R2 include a bodyshell that’s 40 kilos lighter; a new gearbox with reduced weight, quicker shifts and the shifter mounted on the steering column; better gas mileage; a revised Öhlins suspension with three-way adjustable dampers; and more shared parts to enable faster changes between asphalt and tarmac setups.

It will make its debut on May 10 at the Tour de Corse. If you want one, kits can be had for €37,500 ($49,061 U.S.), a turnkey model for €57,500 ($75,227 U.S.). If you just want to check it out, hit the photo gallery and give the press release a once-over.

Continue reading Peugeot debuts new 208 R2 rally car

Peugeot debuts new 208 R2 rally car

This weekend, Audi marked the competition debut of its latest R18 race cars at the World Endurance Championships at Spa Francorchamps. Yet the most spectacular race car running on any track this weekend was thousands of miles away at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in the 24 Hours of Lemons “Loudon Annoying” event taking place at the very same time.

Yes, that’s a camper trailer that’s been converted into a race car. And there’s video of it after the jump. Now, before you click, see if you can guess what the car underneath is. (Hint, there’s another photo in the gallery that makes it very clear.) That answer is also posted after the break, and it makes the whole rig even more fantastic.

Thanks to our friend (and Consumer Reports hotshoe) Jake Fisher for the on-site photos!

Continue reading This is why LeMons is the best race series

This is why LeMons is the best race series

With a couple of high-level U.S. defectors from the RallyCross series into other motorsport disciplines there was a domestic vacuum at the top, and we know what nature thinks about that. Enter German shoe/sportswear Puma, which is throwing its sponsor dollars behind the factory-backed Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team.

Dave Mirra heads up the trio of drivers, joined by Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen, and they’ll run all six RallyCross rounds this year in 2012 WRX STi’s. Of course, you can’t properly launch a team without some smoke and sliding action, so you’ll find that in the video after the jump. And make sure to peep the “Zombie Cat” Puma skeletons on the cars while you’re at it…

Continue reading Puma becomes RallyCross team sponsor, releases obligatory Gymkhana vid

Puma becomes RallyCross team sponsor, releases obligatory Gymkhana vid

What has six legs, gas, weighs more than a ton and can walk over cars? Stompy the Rideable Hexapod, that’s what. Stompy is a project envisioned by the Robotics Intensive class at Artisan’s Asylum in Boston, and with your help, it could become a reality.

Stompy’s six hydraulic legs are powered by a 135-hp, propane-fueled forklift engine and can carry two passengers high above the terrain.

What are the chances of this thing coming to life? Pretty good, actually. The president of Artisan’s Asylum and leader of this project is Gui Cavalcanti, who has workd with DARPA on a four-legged pack robot to help soldiers with heavy loads.

Also on the team are Adam Bercu, two-time collegiate Battle Bots champ, robotic engineers Dan Cody and James Whong, and several others with backgrounds in open-source software and robotics.

The biggest obstacle looks to be funding, of course. After the team works up a list of stuff it will need to build Stompy, they plan to launch a Kickstarter campaign sometime around August.

Meet Project Hexapod: A six-legged car-straddling robot

Always looking for ways to one-up its Japanese competitors, Hyundai has announced that a brake override system will be standard equipment on its full line of vehicles, starting this month.

Truth be told, every 2012 Hyundai model save for the Elantra Touring already had a brake override system fitted. So why the announcement, and why now? Well, other than just tweaking Toyota, whose unintended acceleration problems led to widespread recalls, a Congressional investigation, and prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to propose requiring brake override systems on all new cars, the announcement likely has more to do with the end of Elantra Touring production than it does with anything else.

The old Hyundai i30, on which the Elantra Touring was based, has been redesigned, and reviews of the new model have already started showing up on foreign automotive websites. We won’t get our version of the i30, dubbed Elantra GT here in the U.S., until later in the summer.

We’ll be driving the GT in June and we promise to issue a full report, though we’re going to try to avoid testing this new technology.

Continue reading Hyundai announces standard brake-override for all models

Hyundai announces standard brake-override for all models

Alex Zanardi is an impressive person. Despite losing both his legs (and almost his life) in what many assumed was a career-ending crash during a 2001 CART race at Lausitzring, Zanadari wasn’t content to accept that fate. After being disappointed with the prosthetic limbs doctors offered at the time, he designed his own and it wasn’t long before he was back behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Two years later, he returned to competition using hand-operated throttle and brake controls on the same track that almost took his life. He’s since competed in a wide range of automotive racing events. Now Zanardi has turned his focus to hand-bike racing, and BMW has produced a video previewing this new chapter in the determined competitor’s ongoing story. Hit the jump to watch.

Continue reading Alex Zanardi’s hand-bike racing previewed in inspirational film

Alex Zanardi’s hand-bike racing previewed in inspirational film

Of the three “Top Gear” hosts, Richard Hammond may be the most sympathetic towards American tastes. He’s made no secret of his love for American machinery, including our big-boned muscle cars and pickup trucks. Hammond even spent some time filming in our neck of the woods while working on his new show, “Crash Course.” The series puts Hammond behind the wheel of the largest machinery on the planet, and not surprisingly, the first episode focuses solely on the monstrosities of America.

Hammond sat down with GQ to discuss the project as well as some of his favorite vehicles from the States. While cars like the 1969 Dodge Charger and 1968 Ford Mustang GT are obvious picks, Hammond also seems to favor creations like the modern Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the Jeep Wrangler. Head over to Wired to take a look at the full list for yourself. “Crash Course” airs Mondays at 10 on BBC America.

Richard Hammond picks 10 best American cars

Yes, it’s spring time in Indiana, and although Jim Nabors won’t be singing ahead of the drop of the green flag, it’s time for another One Lap of America.

Having been part of the timing and scoring team for well over a decade, we tend to see a lot of the same faces and sheetmetal year in and year out, though there’s always a steady stream of newcomers. Every few races, however, there seems to be a bumper crop of new cars that show up as old ones get tired and drivers find something different to play with. This is clearly one of those times, perhaps brought about by the dominance of the Nissan GTR over the last several years. As a result, there are a glut of the Japanese supercars in the fold, along with other noteworthy new models including an Audi TT RS, a BMW M5 and 1 Series M Coupe, not to mention a factory-prepped Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. As ever, there’s a brace of Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette models of various vintages, along with a Dodge Viper or two and a Ferrari 430. There’s even an E-Series ambulance and an incredible sounding Honda Odyssey, also running with factory support.

Unfortunately, one key classic will be notably absent from the paddock this year: Brock Yates. Father of One Lap Of America and the legendary Cannonball Run that spawned it, Yates’ health has been deteriorating due to Alzheimer’s. Yates’ son, Brock Jr. has been ably running the event for many years, but this is the first time that Senior won’t be in attendance.

As has become the usual, this year’s event kicks off in South Bend, Indiana at title sponsor Tire Rack’s massive headquarters with a wet skidpad event. The motley crew of madmen and their motors will then jog down the road a few miles to the South Bend Motor Speedway (a paved oval) before hoofing it over to Autobahn Country Club’s road course in Illinois. After that, it’s off to a string of road courses starting with scenic Pacific Junction, Iowa, for the Mid America Motorplex, then on to Oklahoma’s Hallett Motor Racing Circuit before heading to High Plains Raceway in Colorado. After that, it’s off to Motorsports Park Hastings in Nebraska followed by a northwestern jog to Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota. Then it’s over to Wisconsin’s legendary Road America before the sleepless and bedraggled horde stumble back into South Bend next Saturday, April 14 for a final dry skidpad event. Got all that? If you don’t, you can check out a map here.

As we’ll be working the event, we won’t have the ability to give you daily updates on the rally’s progress, but if you’re interested in keeping tabs on the action, check out One Lap Of America’s official website and Facebook page, both of which figure to have live updates as the race gets underway this morning. In the meantime, you can check out our massive gallery above. It doesn’t have every one of the roughly 75 that are scheduled to race, but if you are new to One Lap, it’ll give you a good idea of the automotive diversity on display.

We’ll see you in 3,300 miles or so, if not sooner…

2012 One Lap Of America starts today

Apparently, the world’s population of talking frogs have turned their allegiance from Budweiser and are now shilling for Ford of Australia. At least, those that haven’t been smashed into great green globs of greasy, grimy cane toad guts.

Let’s set the scene: A pair of Australian cane toads – the species, native to Central and South America, was imported into Australia in an unsuccessful attempt to control Beetle populations – are having a nighttime chat on a random road somewhere in Oz. The subject matter ranges from the tastiness and arousing properties of the toads’ own back secretions to the velocity with which a four-cylinder car can travel. In this case, the car is powered by one of Ford’s turbocharged EcoBoost engines.

And then… disaster strikes. It’s certainly an odd advertisement, but at least it’s unique. Oh, and if you’re a member of PETA, you might want to look away. See for yourself by scrolling down below.

Continue reading Ford’s EcoBoost is a toad-killing powerhouse

Ford’s EcoBoost is a toad-killing powerhouse

Moderately obese people, who have a body mass index greater than 30, typically shave three years off of their lives, just by being overweight. (Morbidly obese people lose 10 years, according to one study.) And then there’s that long list of potential health problems obese people face in America ranging from asthma and diabetes to heart disease and cancer – as well as scorn and ridicule from skinny judgmental people. So it only makes sense that obese people are statistically less likely to survive a severe automobile accident.

A study of fatal accidents by the University of Buffalo suggests that the bigger you are, the more likely you’ll die from injuries sustained in an accident.

In a severe accident, moderately obese people face a 21 percent greater risk of death and morbidly obese people are 56 percent more likely to die than those of lesser weight.

“The severity and patterns of crash injuries depend on a complex interaction of biomechanical factors, including deceleration velocity at impact, seat belt and air bag use, vehicle type and weight, and type of impact,” says Dr. Dietrick Jehle, professor of emergency medicine at University of Buffalo School of Medicine.

With nearly one-third of the American population now considered obese, Jehle suggests carmakers begin testing safety equipment with big boned dummies and devise other means to help obese people better survive accidents.

“The rate of obesity is continuing to rise, so it is imperative that car designs are modified to protect the obese population, and that crash tests are done using a full range of dummy sizes,” Jehle states.

Dieting and exercise were never mentioned.

Obese drivers more likely to die in car crashes