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One word: plastics. That’s where the future lies for automotive glazing. Like the line from The Graduate, there’s a great future in plastics as a replacement for glass, especially as pressure ratchets up on fuel economy standards.

Hyundai and GE Plastics demonstrated the new automotive possibilities for plastics back in 2007 with the Hyundai QarmaQ, and emerging markets are key to the continued rise of polycarbonates. If a Chinese or Indian automaker buys into plastic instead of glass on a large scale, it might spur the rest of the auto industry to make the switch, Venkatakrish Umamaheswaran, director of automotive products and marketing for Sabic Innovative Plastics, tells Ward’s Automotive.

Sabic is short for Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, which bought up GE Plastics. GE Plastics and Bayer MaterialScience had previously formed Exatec, a subsidiary to develop polycarbonates for automotive use. Polycarbonate glazing is lighter, which saves fuel right off the bat. Heating and cooling loads can also be reduced by applying UV-blockers to the plastic, which reportedly saves as much fuel as the material’s lighter weight. The biggest barrier? Cost.

Sabic hopes that it can deliver increased value to manufacturers to make its glass-replacement technology more attractive. One of the biggest advantages of polycarbonate windows is that they’re injection molded, making possible all sorts of shapes that are not feasible in glass. To deliver more bang for the buck, a supplier could provide a manufacturer with an assembled module that includes not only the window, but also trim, lighting, handles and even badging.

It’s not here yet, though. Umamaheswaran admits that while Sabic has been getting larger projects, no high-volume operations are underway. If expectations hold out, however, that should change by 2015.

Will lightweight plastic car windows shatter the glass market in China or India? originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The 2012 BMW 6 Series coupe will hit dealerships on October 1st, and it can be yours for a cool $83,000. That is, before you tick any of the boxes for options. BMW just launched the online configurator for the 650i coupe, and with every option selected, you’ll go just a hair over $100,000.

While the 650i coupe goes on sale first, BMW will also offer the turbocharged, six-cylinder 640i in the U.S. at a later date. For now, though, only the V8 can be built online, so head to BMW’s website and start playing around.

2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe configurator now playing originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

12-year-old kids looking to jump behind the wheel should stick to go-karts and video games. Or maybe empty fields. Otherwise, things don’t usually end well, as was the case for a preteen girl in Pikangikum, Ontario.

The 12-year-old reportedly swiped the family pickup truck, then loaded it up with ten friends: three 10-year-olds, three 13-year-olds, three 14-year-olds and one 21-year-old.

When police tried to intervene, the girl sped away. Out of safety concerns for the young driver and her passengers, officers elected not to pursue. She wound up crashing anyway. All parties fled the scene, and luckily, it appears no one was seriously injured. Unfortunately, everyone in Pikangikum was inconvenienced as a result.

You see, the truck smashed into a utility pole, knocking out the town’s power. Charges are pending against the young joyrider.

12-year-old girl crashes stolen pickup, takes out town’s power originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Upon their initial arrival in Japan, privacy concerns led many citizens to view Google’s Street View cars with great skepticism. PCWorld reports, however, that in the wake of the March, 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami, that mentality is fading.

As Japan works to rebuild the areas devastated by the twin natural disasters, Street View cars are providing valuable assistance. Not only are they being used to document quake-damaged neighborhoods, they’re also tracking the progress in those areas as they are repaired.

Once unwanted, Google’s all-seeing technology is now playing an important role in Japan, one that’s being met with appreciation instead of distrust.

Google Street View cars helping to rebuild quake-ravaged Japan originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SRT cars love doing burnouts. This is not news. So, how do you get an all-wheel-drive 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 to produce as much smoke as any Challenger, Charger or 300C we’ve ever seen? By messing with the ECU, of course.

You see, in Track mode, the Jeep sends 65 percent of its power to the rear wheels, and, according to SRT engineers, there are certain instances where 100 percent of the engine’s power can be sent to just one rear wheel. Loading some special software into the engine’s control system can easily allow for sending all the power to both rear wheels, and thus, burnouts ensue.

We’ve just returned from driving the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 for ourselves, so stay tuned for our full impressions next week. For now, hit the jump to watch the big SRT monster making huge plumes of smoke.

Continue reading 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 already reflashed for crazy burnout action

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 already reflashed for crazy burnout action originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apparently, now is not a good time to be a brunette woman in your mid-20s. Why, you ask? It turns out you might be mistaken for Casey Anthony. And there might be lunatics out there doing their best to kill you.

Sound far-fetched? It’s already happened. A woman named Sammay Blackwell of Chouteau, Oklahoma, was just finishing her nightly shift at a convenience store when she first met Shireen Nalley. A half-hour later when her shift ended at 10:30, Blackwell left in her Nissan pickup.

Unfortunately for Blackwell, Nalley had been waiting for her to leave, and she followed her out of the parking lot. A short time alter, Nalley rammed Blackwell’s truck with her Chrysler minivan, and later collided with it again, causing Blackwell’s truck to flip several times, landing on the driver’s side.

Fortunately, Blackwell escaped without serious injury, and Nalley was later apprehended by the police. The reason she gave for trying to kill Blackwell? According to the attacker, she looked like Casey Anthony and she was “trying to save the children.”

Salley is currently being held in jail, and police say there was evidence she was under the influence of drugs when they took her in. As a final indignity, Blackwell says that Nalley’s insurance company is claiming it’s not liable for damages if its client caused the accident on purpose.

Although Blackwell says she doesn’t really look like Casey Anthony in any meaningful way, there is one coincidence: Blackwell has a young daughter named Caylee. Check out a video from the reporting Oklahoma news station after the break.

Continue reading Woman’s minivan rammed because attacker thought she looked like Casey Anthony

Woman’s minivan rammed because attacker thought she looked like Casey Anthony originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The average American listens to about 17 hours of radio each week. Half of that is in the car. Pandora recognized this early on and began partnering with consumer electronics companies to bring its music streaming services to as many devices as possible. And in just the last year, Pandora has announced in-car integration with some major OEMs. Ford was the first up with its AppLink system for Sync, followed by BMW, and now Toyota’s Entune and GM’s MyLink will be on board when both systems launch this fall.

So what does this have to do with Spotify? It’s the next major evolution in music consumption. And it’s got the potential to completely change how you jam out in your car.

Continue reading Why you should care about Spotify

Why you should care about Spotify originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here’s a measure of how bad the economy is. Ford is getting ready to start assembling the upcoming all-new Escape at its Louisville Assembly Plant after having built the Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer there since 1990 (see the last one ever made in the mob of people above). To that end, the company recently began accepting applications for 1,800 open positions to shore up the 1,100-strong workforce already there. According to reports, nearly 17,000 people showed up to apply – 16,837 souls to be exact.

Unfortunately, most of those people don’t have much of a shot at becoming part of the Blue Oval family. According to USA Today, the open spots will first go to Ford workers laid off at the Louisville plant since production of the Explorer was moved to Chicago, then to workers laid off at other Ford plants around the country. If there are any spots left after that, Ford will hold a lottery to determine who gets to move on for consideration, but even then, current Ford workers can refer friends and family as potential applicants, making the lottery pool that much larger.

What do they get if they make it to the factory floor? $15.51/hour, which is the lower second-tier wage that’s now being offered to new workers, a concession the United Auto Workers granted Ford in its last contract negotiations.

Ford receives nearly 17,000 applications for open positions in Louisville originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With Android outselling Apple’s iOS devices by a lofty margin, we’ve been asking every automaker when Android connectivity will finally come to cars. Automotive supplier Harman International has answered the call with its latest infotainment system, which integrates the Android Open Accessory Protocol to allow users to connect their Google-powered smartphone or tablet and control their devices through the head unit, steering wheel buttons or voice commands.

By adopting and implementing the Android protocol, Harman’s systems have access to user’s music, movies and navigation apps, along with SMS and email functionality. Other integrated apps – particularly nav and POI programs – are already available, including Harman’s own Aha Radio app, which allows users to hear Facebook and Twitter updates, get customized news feeds, listen to podcasts, traffic and weather alerts and Internet radio streaming.

The protocol currently supports Android 3.1 running on tablets and 2.3.4 on smartphones, and the first automaker to bring the system into their vehicles is set to win big. And not just with geeks. Make the jump for the full details.

Continue reading Harman to bring Android integration to cars… finally

Harman to bring Android integration to cars… finally originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, that was fast. Just days ago, we got our first glimpse of the next-generation Lexus GS out testing on the Nürburgring, and now, AutoGuide reports that the production car is set to debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California next month. Lexus has yet to confirm this report.

Not surprisingly, the 2012 GS will take many of its styling cues from the Lexus LF-Gh concept that bowed at the 2011 New York Auto Show in April. Even in the spy shots, we could see that the LED running lamps up front were left intact, along with the unique grille shape and arched lower air intake openings.

AutoGuide reports that the car shown in Monterey will likely be a hybrid, though Lexus is expected to also offer conventional gasoline versions of the GS. A high-performance F variant is in the cards, as well.

2012 Lexus GS to debut at Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Those of you who read our First Drive of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo already know that the highest-performing version of the iconic Bug will require you to write a check for $23,395*. Step up to the well-received six-speed DSG transmission and you’ll be looking at a $24,495 window sticker.

Not interested in the tire-squealing performance promised by a turbocharged engine? Base model Beetles, equipped with the 170-horsepower 2.5-liter MPI inline five-cylinder engine, start at $18,995 with VW’s age-old five-speed manual gearbox. Step up to the Tiptronic six-speed auto for $20,895.

There will be three versions of the Beetle, whether it’s equipped with the base engine or the turbo: Base, Sunroof and Sunroof, Sound and Navi. A top-shelf 2.0T with the panoramic sunroof, Fender hi-fi sound system and navigation will start at $27,995 with the manual gearbox or $29,095 with DSG.

At some unannounced point in 2012, Volkswagen will begin offering the Beetle with its 2.0-liter TDI engine with 140 horses and 236 lb-ft of torque. VW estimates that it will be the most efficient Beetle ever, scoring 40 miles per gallon highway, 29 mpg city, and 33 mpg combined.

Want a full rundown of all the prices and option packages? Find it in the press release pasted after the break.

(*All prices exclude $770 for destination)

Continue reading 2012 Volkswagen Beetle pricing at a glimpse

2012 Volkswagen Beetle pricing at a glimpse originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

General Motors has launched its new Kuncheng pickup at the Changchun International Automobile Fair in Changchun, Jilin, China. The first model from FAW-GM’s new manufacturing facility in Changchun, the Kuncheng (best translated as ‘Earth Journey’) promises a better interior, more cargo capacity, improved handling, more modern styling and a priority on safety technology.

According to GM, the four-door truck will offer both 2.2-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines in either gasoline or diesel formats. The powerplants are equipped with “unique combustion, air-changing, lubrication and cooling technologies to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize emissions while generating low levels of noise,” says GM (without elaborating).

The automaker does define the safety equipment, citing anti-lock brakes and a “front impact-absorbing structure and four-door impact steel beams (to) help minimize damage in the event of a collision. Among the other safety features are three-point seat belts in front, a collapsible steering column, child-proof doors in back and a center high-mounted stop lamp.”

Not the sexiest of machines, then, but likely a capable workhorse.

Continue reading GM celebrates launch of new small pickup – for China

GM celebrates launch of new small pickup – for China originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When we reviewed (and fell in love with) the Morgan 3 Wheeler, we said that deliveries in the United States would start in the first quarter of 2012, though TV personality and car enthusiast Jay Leno would probably get his a bit earlier. And after watching this video of Leno getting his first stint behind the wheel of the 3 Wheeler, we bet he’s counting down the days until the open-top beast arrives in his garage.

Leno recently drove the 3 Wheeler and wrote a subsequent review for Wired, having this to say:

You know, when you drive cars like the Bugatti SuperSport or the McLaren, 100 miles per hour feels like 40. When you drive a car like this, 40 miles per hour feels like 200. And that’s the fun of it really. You get that wonderful sensation of speed, you’re close to the ground – you can scrape your knuckles as you go along. It’s sort of… the ultimate motorcycle. It just makes you smile.

We couldn’t agree more, Jay. Follow the jump to see Leno’s full test of the Morgan 3 Wheeler.

Continue reading Jay Leno takes his turn behind the wheel of Morgan 3 Wheeler

Jay Leno takes his turn behind the wheel of Morgan 3 Wheeler originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

That being a presenter on the hit TV BBC show Top Gear is the dream job of nearly a third of British men isn’t surprising in the least. After all, what red-blooded male wouldn’t relish the opportunity to drive the very latest (and often enough, the very fastest) automobiles every single day of their lives? And who wouldn’t love to travel to the most distant and beautiful places on the planet while acting out a slew of ridiculous stunts all involving cars, trucks or motorcycles? And, naturally, who wouldn’t want to be paid good money to do it?

If there’s any surprise to the survey results of nearly 1,400 men, it’s that a Top Gear gig didn’t win by a wider margin – 29 percent of responders named it their top choice, while the next most popular dream gig was “Video games tester” with 25 percent, followed by “Professional sportsman” with 24 percent. Interestingly, Formula One driver only netted fifth place with 19 percent of the voting.

Yep, Top Gear presenter has a pretty nice ring to it. But here’s the real question: Which Top Gear presenter would you want to be?

Consider that the UK show has a very defined set of hosts. There’s the grizzly old veteran Jeremy Clarkson, who’s more opinionated than anyone this side of a Tea Party organizer. He’s joined by the too-smart-for-his-own-good James May (affectionately referred to as Captain Slow) and finally the cute, cuddly and very short Richard Hammond, who offers up plenty of comic relief that is all too often at his own expense. Oh, and let’s not forget The Stig… the masked racing driver who never gets to show his face and is fired if he ever reveals his true identity.

So, we ask you, dear reader: Which Top Gear presenter would you most like to be?

View Poll

What is the No. 1 dream job of British men? Being a Top Gear host [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ferrari sure had a lot to celebrate this past weekend at Silverstone. Not only did Fernando Alonso score the team’s first win of the season, but he did it on a rather momentous occasion for the Scuderia: Sixty years ago in 1951, José Floilán González scored the team’s very first victory at the same grand prix, held on the same second weekend in July as this year’s race.

In what might be seen as a bit of a premonition of Alonso’s victory, or maybe just a little touch of good luck, the two-time world champion borrowed the very same car in which González took the checkered flag there sixty years ago around for a couple of hot laps, and even got it a little sideways coming out of the corners.

The 1951 Ferrari 375 today belongs to F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, who was evidently glad to bring it over to the Northamptonshire circuit for the historic demonstration and entrust it to a pair of hands that, as proven on race day, are some of the most skilled in the world. Follow the jump to watch the video.

Continue reading Alonso laps Ferrari’s first grand prix winner at Silverstone… sixty years later

Alonso laps Ferrari’s first grand prix winner at Silverstone… sixty years later originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Small vans are all the rage overseas, and General Motors has just unveiled its latest European offering, the Opel Combo. Like the majority of small vans found around the world, the Combo will be offered in short- and long-wheelbase forms – measuring 108.5 and 122.2 inches, respectively – and can be had as either a passenger van (with seating for five or seven) or a true cargo-friendly work van.

Obviously, the most attractive feature about the Combo is its cargo area. In short-wheelbase form, the Opel is capable of hauling up to 134.2 cubic feet of stuff, while the long-wheelbase Combo can manage 164.2 cubic feet of cargo.

Under the hood, six engines are available. Of the six, four are (naturally) diesels, with one 1.3-liter, two 1.6-liters and one 2.0-liter powerplant rounding off the choices. From there, a 1.4-liter gasoline engine is offered, as is a 1.4-liter CNG (compressed natural gas) version. All powertrains are available with start/stop for improved fuel economy, as well as a range of five- and six-speed manual transmissions.

The Opel Combo will be available for order in the fall. Follow the jump for GM’s press release to scan over the full details.

Continue reading GM unpacks Opel Combo van line

GM unpacks Opel Combo van line originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Subaru unveiled its 2012 Impreza at the New York Auto Show in April, and upon seeing the new car’s new shape, we instantly started to picture it with all of the hardcore WRX and STI bits (including gold wheels, of course). However, it might not be as simple as slapping on some bits and pieces to the Impreza body anymore. According to Motor Trend, a source within Subaru says that the next-generation WRX will be very different from its Impreza kin.

First and foremost, the name “Impreza WRX” as we know it may soon be defunct. Since Subaru is planning for the new ‘Rex to be a greater departure from the Impreza-based cars that came before it, the car’s nomenclature may simply change to solely “WRX” and “WRX STI.” Fine, since that’s what 90 percent of people call it, anyway.

In speaking to Motor Trend, a Subaru spokesperson said that, “Apart from a few nuts and bolts, every part on the WRX will be unique. Even the engine and body.” From there, the source stated that while the WRX will use a version of the Impreza’s platform, it will be “radically modified and significantly shortened.” How short? A little bigger than a Toyota Yaris, Motor Trend reports. Yikes!

What’s more, it looks like the WRX’s turbocharged Boxer engine may lose some displacement, with the new car using a 1.6-liter unit capable of producing somewhere around 270 horsepower. A twin-charged (turbocharged and supercharged) version is also said to be under development.

Look for the next-generation WRX to land in 2014.

Subaru to split WRX from rest of Impreza line, make it smaller originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Residents of the metropolitan Los Angeles area have been bracing for what’s been dubbed Carmageddon. No, not the video game from the late ’90s, but the scheduled closure of Interstate 405 over the course of this weekend.

The temporary shutdown of the hugely busy 10-mile stretch of highway is being affected so that it can be widened to ease traffic congestion, including the demolition and reconstruction of the Mulholland Bridge and the addition of a carpool lane.

Such a big move obviously needs to be brought to public attention, and to that end, Caltrans – the California Department of Transportation – brought in no less suitable a celebrity than Erik Estrada, best known for his role as California Highway Patrol officer Frank Poncharello on the TV show CHiPs. Estrada reportedly did the Public Service Announcements for free in English and Spanish, both of which you can view after the jump (we snuck in a video of the CHiPs intro sequence for you nostalgic types, too).

Continue reading CHiPs veteran Erik Estrada warns Californians to avoid Carmageddon

CHiPs veteran Erik Estrada warns Californians to avoid Carmageddon originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Euro Hatchling Gets Worked Over But Still Won’t Come Over

It has been brought to our attention that there are many Americans besides just us who wish they could more easily get their hands on the sort of two- and four-door hatchbacks that Europeans buy by the truckload. Not only that, but we also dream of having access to the full range of clever four-cylinder gas and diesel engines our Old Country brethren take for granted.

In yet another example of such forbidden fruit, we traveled to Berlin, Germany this month to drive the latest “F20″ four-door version of the car considered by many to be the first hatchback to take the premium European compact genre big-time. Admittedly, that judgment call is a bit of a toss-up between the 1 Series and the Mini Cooper and Audi A3, but the 1 Series has done BMW proud selling nearly 1.3 million units worldwide in a single generation since late 2004. This success story is not unlike that of the X3 compact crossover that is just now entering its more sophisticated second generation.

For this drive, we had a matte corral red 118i with 1.6-liter TwinPower Turbo inline four-cylinder at our disposal. The N13 engine’s 168 horsepower were ably complemented by 184 pound-feet of torque available between 1,500 and 4,500 rpm. This powerplant is actually a heavily adapted and retuned longitudinal version of the transverse N18 1.6-liter found in the Mini Cooper S. To go with this single twin-scroll turbocharged unit, buyers will need to choose between an optional eight-speed Steptronic automatic or the happy little car seen here with the same six-speed ZF manual found in the fantabulous 1 M Coupe.

Continue reading 2012 BMW 1 Series Five-Door

2012 BMW 1 Series Five-Door originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In response to automakers – in particular, the Detroit Three – crying foul over the Obama Administration’s proposed CAFE target of 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025, the powers that be will reportedly ease standards for the fuel economy of future trucks and SUVs, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ reports that as part of an effort to break the stalemate between government regulators and automakers, the White House is considering a proposal that allows for the fuel economy ratings of full-size trucks and SUVs to improve at a lesser pace than required for passenger cars. Word is that small trucks, compact SUVs and crossover vehicles will still be required to meet the 56.2-mpg target, but even that seems open for debate. The report further claims that several proposals are in the works, with one calling for the fuel economy of small trucks and SUVs to advance at a rate of 3.5 percent per year, well below the five percent requirement for cars.

Government regulators hope to finalize a proposal by early next week and issue formalized rules by September.

Obama Administration to ease CAFE standards on full-size trucks, SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.