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The future is looking bright for the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata. According to Inside Line, the head honchos at the Japanese automaker have instructed the company’s engineers to strip a whopping 720 pounds from the vehicles already comparably light 2,480-pound curb weight. If successful, that would put the new comer into the feathery 1,760-pound range, which is 400 pounds less than the first-generation roadster. How do they plan to do it? Engineers are turning to high-strength steel for the vehicle’s chassis and contemplating a smaller-displacement engine.

A turbocharged, direct-injection 1.4-liter four pot could work its way under the hood, though IL reports that the vehicle may also be considerably narrower than the current car. Other clever weight-saving moves include the deletion of the dashboard glove box and the replacement of the traditional paper owner’s manual with an electronic copy on a USB stick.

Here’s hoping you’ve got your laptop on you the next time you need to check your service intervals.

The report claims that the engineers at Mazda aren’t entirely sure they can hit the weight target, but the vehicle will be much closer to the waif-like 2,178-lb 1989 Miata than the heftier 2011 model.

Mazda targeting 1,760-pound target for next Miata – 400 pounds lighter than first-gen

Car sales fell for the first time in eight months in May. According to Kicking Tires, it took dealers 54 days to move a brand-new vehicle off their lots compared to 48 days in April, thanks in part to steep fuel costs, supply issues due to the earthquake and tsunami tragedies in Japan and skimpy incentives.

But the news isn’t all bad. A few star models bucked the trend, including the 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The compact popped off of dealer lots in just three days, effectively cinching the title as the quickest-selling model of May. In fact, the 2011 Elantra landed itself in second place by only lingering 7 days on the lot.

Kicking Tires points out that the Chrysler 200 is also beating the average. The Sebring successor took 19 days on average to find a new home.

Meanwhile, the 2011 Jaguar XKR found itself at the very bottom of the list. The high-power coupe languishes on showrooms for an average of 212 days. The Infiniti M56 is next up from the basement. The sedan takes 173 days to sell on average. Head over to Kicking Tires for a closer look.

Days On Lot: What cars are moving the quickest and slowest out of showrooms?

It’s not always the lucky automotive journalists that get first crack at the world’s newest automobiles. Sometimes an automaker will hand over the keys to someone more… special. Mercedes-Benz has done just that, giving tennis superstar Roger Federer some seat time in the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster.

Federer is very impressed with the car, and we’re very impressed with the glass-smooth desert road he found to push the Merc’s pedal down to the carpet. The new droptop is a looker that also makes truly glorious noises thanks to its 563-horsepower 6.3-liter V8. We suggest you see and hear for yourself in the video posted after the jump.

We bet Federer’s just happy he’s not facing Rafael Nadal in a race…

Continue reading Roger Federer ditches racquet for SLS AMG Roadster

Roger Federer ditches racquet for SLS AMG Roadster

The sporty German two-door may be wearing camo in these photos, but it certainly looks like we’re going to see the naked BMW M6 in the very near future.

The convertible has already been subjected to the spy photographer’s lens, but now its time for the cam-clad coupe to jump into the spotlight. We expect both the drop-top and hardtop to pack the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that’s found under the hood of the newest M5. Output for that hi-po sedan is rated at 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque.

It’s going to be tough, but we’ll just have to sit tight for BMW to ditch the psychedelic paint job before we can see the coupe and its engine up close and personal. For now, these exterior spy shots will have to do.

BMW M6 coupe looks production-ready

Roads that are forged through the wilderness can occasionally pose a hazard to drivers. Animals can emerge from tree-lined scenery without warning, and if the animal is large enough it can cause serious damage to a vehicle, and possibly to the occupants inside. Two unfortunate Canadian motorists became a tragic example of what can happen when animals and automobiles collide.

A 300-pound black bear (the smallest species in North America, for what it’s worth) wandered into traffic on a road located 25 miles northwest of Ottawa, Canada. A passing Pontiac Sunfire collided with the bear, sending it directly into the windshield of an oncoming Nissan Pathfinder. Two of the Pathfinder’s three occupants were killed when the large bear went through the glass of the SUV. The driver and passenger of the Sunfire were unhurt.

There are questions as to whether a bait station used to lure bears to the area that was set up by hunters may have contributed to the accident. The bait station is reportedly less than 100 feet from the road. That seems awfully close to us, but apparently it’s placement is within legal limits.

This is certainly a freak accident, but it can also serve as a reminder to remain alert when traveling down a road that passes through areas inhabited by animals. Click past the jump to watch a news clip discussing the accident.

Continue reading Freak bear collision leaves two dead in Quebec

Freak bear collision leaves two dead in Quebec

Nissan, Japan’s second-largest automaker, apparently believes it has a more talented executive staff than Toyota or Honda. According to company CEO Carlos Ghosn, Nissan delivers its shareholders “the best performance possible with the best talent.”

Talent like that deserves to be rewarded, and Nissan is happy to put its money where its mouth is. According to Bloomberg, Nissan, the second-largest automaker in Japan, pays its executive staff at least double that of Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda.

Here are the numbers: Toyota paid an average of 41 million yen ($513,279) per executive, plus bonuses of 13 million each. Honda paid an average of 31 million yen ($388,089) per executive, plus bonuses of 15 million yen each. Nissan paid an average of 186.4 million yen ($2.3 million) per executive, which doesn’t include a total of 194 million yen of share appreciation rights divided up amongst the top seven execs.

Ghosn earned more money than any other Japanese CEO (at least among companies that report such figures) with a total of 891 million yen, which translates at current exchange rates to a $11.1 million. A heap of cash to be sure, but still shy of the $27 million Alan Mulally, America’s top-paid auto executive, made last year, not including uncashed stock option bonuses.

While it could be argued that Nissan’s execs deserve such compensation – the company posted a net income of 31 billion yen for the first three months of the year while Toyota posted a loss – the pay scale actually appears to follow a similar format as previous years.

Nissan bigwigs paid twice as much as Honda, Toyota counterparts

As expected, Buick has announced that its new 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist is priced identically to its more powerful V6-powered sibling. $29,960 (*plus an $860 destination charge) will get the buyer either 25 city and 37 highway miles per gallon (along with about 180 horsepower) or 303 horsepower (along with fuel economy that’s not yet EPA rated but should be close to last year’s 17/27 mpg rating).

For what it’s worth, the new eAssist-equipped LaCrosse is thriftier on the highway than the smaller Lexus HS 250h (35/34) and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (41/36 mpg) but not nearly as frugal as either of those competitors in the city.

The departing 2011 LaCrosse, you’ll remember, was available with either a 2.4-liter Ecotec rated at 182 horsepower or a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 280 horses. In other words, the standard four-cylinder has been replaced with the mild hybrid powertrain while the optional V6 (available for no extra charge) has received a 23-horsepower bump. Parsimony or performance at your prerogative.

So, buyers will have the option of significantly improved fuel economy or horsepower – two highly desirable traits. Of course, there’s a catch. Last year’s base LaCrosse, which carried with it an MSRP of $26,995, is no longer available. That means the least expensive LaCrosse for 2012 is about $3,000 more than it was in 2011. That said, at least buyers will clearly get more for their money. See the complete press release after the break.

Continue reading Buick LaCrosse with eAssist priced from $29,960*

Buick LaCrosse with eAssist priced from $29,960*

James May. Top Gear co-host, motoring enthusiast, burgeoning oenophile, Lego lover and… fashionista? It would appear so, as May recently took to a UK catwalk in order to show off his new line of clothing.

All is not as it seems, however, as the “clothing line” is merely Captain Slow’s attempt to simplify male fashion. James has decided that all men need is a one-piece workman’s jumpsuit, which can then be fitted with the necessary accessories depending on the occasion at hand. A belt for tools when one is working on the car, or a collar and tails if a bit of class is called for.

James’ foray into the fashion industry is part of his BBC show Man Lab. May uses the series to try and teach emasculated men how to get their balls back do manly things. Fashion may not seem like a manly subject, but James has decided to flip it around to suit his needs. How does he fare? Click past the jump to watch for yourself.

Continue reading James May invades the world of fashion with “default clothing”

James May invades the world of fashion with “default clothing”

We miss the first-generation Honda Insight. The aluminum-bodied hybrid represented a no-holds barred quest for fuel efficiency with innovative weight saving techniques, an aerodynamic design and a tiny 1.0-liter gasoline engine. As a result, the two-door garnered an EPA-rated 70 mpg highway and 61 mpg city – a far cry from the 43 mpg highway of the much larger current car. Of course, the Insight of yore also begged to be modified, even if it wasn’t done that often. Still, some tuners simply couldn’t resist the thought of plopping a high-horsepower engine into a featherweight chassis, which is exactly what CincyStreetScene forum member Cheezoto did with his first-gen Insight.

A 210-horsepower K20A2 lifted from an Acura RSX Type S is now bolted in place of the old IMA lump and motor, and the seller promises the swap was done as cleanly as possible. There are no check engine lights, and the gauges, anti-lock brakes and cruise control all work as they should. The seller did the swap himself back in 2007, and the engine now has around 45,000 miles on it. The chassis, meanwhile, sits at a shave under 300,000 miles.

Surprisingly enough, the asking price is a reasonable $9,900. Considering that a non-modified 2000 Insight will set you back close to $9,000, we’d say this sounds like a deal. Head over to CincyStreetScene for a closer look.

Online Find of the Day: K20-powered Honda Insight recalls ‘88 CRX Si

The United States government still has a vested interest in the success of General Motors. In fact, the U.S. government is sitting on 500 million shares, which are currently worth about $14.3 billion dollars based on current prices. There is a problem, though, as the U.S. Treasury Department was hoping to get a larger pile of green for its GM investment.

When GM initially hit the stock market with its IPO, the per-share price was $33. Now, it’s down around $28.78, which doesn’t sound like much of a drop, but across 500 million shares, that figure represents a massive hit to the wallet.

For the time being, BusinessWeek reports that the U.S. government is going to sit on the stock in the hopes that it climbs back to IPO levels.

U.S. hesitant to sell its GM stock due to low price

Honda is heading to Le Mans. No, we’re not talking about the Acura ARX-02a that competes against Audi and Peugeot in the LMP class. Honda Performance Development is taking its race-prepped CR-Z to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to run exhibition laps before the start of the big show.

Currently, the HPD CR-Z serves as pace car for the Speed EuroSeries. It’s also spent time running on American soil, when Honda entered the hybrid racer in the Spinal Tap of endurance racing, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The car ran wonderfully, finishing 2nd in its class.

The stripped-down racing CR-Z produces 200-horsepower and 201 pound-feet of torque. That energy is funneled through a six-speed manual gearbox, and we’re pretty certain the whole setup rotates rather nicely thanks to the 7kWh Li-ion battery pack in the back. Check out more details in our gallery and in the official press release after the jump.

Continue reading Honda Performance Development CR-Z ready to hit Le Mans

Honda Performance Development CR-Z ready to hit Le Mans

In conjunction with this week’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines, and part of the new approval process includes a section that prohibits the inclusion of DUI checkpoints in iOS apps.

Section 22.8 states:

Apps which contain DUI checkpoints that are not published by law enforcement agencies, or encourage and enable drunk driving, will be rejected.

The updated terms come a few months after a group of U.S. Senators sent letters of concern to Apple, Google and RIM, asking the smartphone companies to remove any and all apps that would inform users of DUI checkpoints.

While developers might be able to remove the DUI stop functionality from their apps, most of the programs that identify law enforcement activity and speed traps are crowd-sourced, meaning users could submit the checkpoints themselves without the app’s devs knowing what they’re identifying.

Neither Google or RIM have modified their app review guidelines yet, but if history holds true, where Apple goes, so goes the industry…

Apple to reject apps that include DUI checkpoints

Uh oh, looks like someone just got Red Bulled. Don’t know what that means? Remember back to the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix, in which the Red Bull racer driven by Mark Webber was leading the race with his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, right behind in second. It appeared to everyone watching that the famous energy drink’s team would earn the first two spots on the podium, but it was not to be.

Vettel dove to the inside in a daring and dangerous maneuver and collided into his teammate. Vettel’s day was done, Webber managed to finish the race in third. Stupid.

So memorable was the incident that it’s now become a verb. The latest set of teammates to pull a Red Bull? Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, who race matching Honda Civics in the British Touring Car Championship. On the last lap of the second race at Oulton Park on June 5th, Neal, who was in second place behind his ‘mate, decided he deserved to take the win. His passing maneuver, though, ended in tears.

See for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Honda teammates collide on last lap of British Touring Car race

Honda teammates collide on last lap of British Touring Car race

Stylish Five-Door Earns Respect Right Out Of The Box

It’s only just arrived, and the new 2012 Audi A7 reminds us of a trusted old friend. That’s quite a compliment.

The five-door is fresh on the scene, with gorgeously sleek sheetmetal hiding an advanced supercharged engine and all-wheel drive. Inside, there is a four-place cabin loaded with luxury and some of the industry’s most innovative technology. Impressive, but that isn’t what sets the Audi apart.

While most original designs require time for familiarization, the A7 seems to be an exception. Unlike most cars that cross our paths, this new luxury hatchback welcomes occupants into one of the warmest and most inviting passenger cabins we have encountered in years. Even though it is thoroughly modern and sophisticated, all controls are intuitively placed and their operation is second nature. Everything, from throttle and steering response to passenger space and cargo utility, works exactly as one would expect it to.

This may sound crazy, but after just two minutes behind the wheel, we are as comfortable as if we were entering the tenth year of a long relationship…

Continue reading 2012 Audi A7

2012 Audi A7

A group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students may have come up with the perfect solution to our electric vehicle charging woes. Instead of relying on lithium or nickel, the new battery design stores its electrons in semi-solid flow cells. Charged particles are suspended in an electrolyte solution and pumped between compartments used for storing or releasing energy. The tech supposedly makes the batteries up to ten times more efficient than their traditional counterparts, and even more importantly, the new tech is cheaper to produce. Estimates say that the design could cut the size and expense of current batteries by as much as 50 percent.

That’s all well and good, but the really cool part is that charging the cells is as simple as pumping the drained fluid out and pumping fresh charged fluid in. That means that getting on your way could take as little time as a standard gasoline fill-up, greatly reducing the inconvenience and range woes associated with modern EVs. An operational prototype is expected to be completed in the next 18 months or so.

MIT students develop liquid fuel for electric cars

Want to get your hands on the latest special-edition Fiat 500? Don’t book your flight for Malpensa – head to Japan instead, where the Italian automaker is offering this limited-run Pop-Bi edition.

Characterized by its yellow and black paint, the Fiat 500 Pop-Bi is available with either a fixed roof or the retracting canvas panel of the 500C. Though the special hatchback gets a black upper, the convertible version’s is limited to the canvas, which seems like a shame.

The color scheme continues to the interior, save for the light roof-liner. Otherwise, it’s essentially the same as Japan’s base model, which means it comes with a 69-horsepower, 1.2-liter eight-valve four-cylinder and automatic gearbox. Pricing for the hatchback comes in at 2,100,000 yen (equivalent to about $26k), which places it right in the middle of the Fiat Japan’s 1.2-liter 500 range. Only 50 examples will be offered, though, which are sure to be snapped up by the Sailor Moon crowd in short order.

Fiat rolls out limited edition 500 Pop-Bi in Japan

Consumer Reports put four new sports sedans to the test, and the Buick Regal Turbo and Infiniti G25 came out on top. The G25 managed a score of “Excellent,” as the consumer advocacy magazine gave the sedan high marks for ride and handling and well-weighted steering. The G25 now lags only the more powerful G37 on CR’s list of the 13 best sports sedans in the mid-size segment.

The Regal Turbo finished right behind the G25 with a score of “Very Good.” The boosted Buick also received high praise for handling, and the sedan’s 2.0-liter turbo mill “brings much needed power while attaining the same fuel economy as the base four-cylinder model.” CR now ranks the Regal Turbo just ahead of the naturally aspirated Regal. The post-jump press release claims the Regal Turbo now ranks in the middle of the pack of 13 sports sedans.

While the Regal and G25 received kudos, the 2011 Audi A4 and 2011 Volvo S60 didn’t fare as well. The A4, which has been given the coveted “Recommended” nod from CR, now ranks 12th out of 13 vehicles, trailing only the Saab 9-3. Ouch. The Volvo S60 fared a bit better, with a ranking of 10th.

Hit the jump to read over the Consumer Reports presser. The release also includes info for the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, which were tested separately.

Continue reading Infiniti G25, Buick Regal Turbo score well in latest Consumer Reports tests

Infiniti G25, Buick Regal Turbo score well in latest Consumer Reports tests

Aston Martin may make more than sports cars these days, but sports cars are all that are built at its own facility. The Cygnet city car is built by Toyota (though trimmed out by Aston’s own) and the Rapide is built by Magna Steyr on a dedicated assembly line. But that last bit is about to change as the four-door coupe shifts its production to the company’s own assembly plant at Gaydon in Warwickshire, England.

The move will take effect in the second half of next year, and follows an expansion of the Gaydon facility, which itself followed the shift there from the historic compound at Newport Pagnell. Aston Martin went to lengths to stress that the shift comes about as a result of its own increasing capabilities, and not because of any failure on Steyr’s part. But whatever the reasoning, the news can’t be good for the Austrian supplier. Official announcement after the jump.

Continue reading Aston Martin shifting Rapide production from Magna Steyr to Gaydon

Aston Martin shifting Rapide production from Magna Steyr to Gaydon

Nova Scotian Lee Wilbur is without a driving license, and his Registry of Motor Vehicles isn’t looking to give him a new one anytime soon. What did Mr. Wilbur do? According to the CBC, he tailgated and flashed his high beams at a woman who cut him off, while she was talking on her cell phone. That’s it, according to Lee. Four months later, he received a ticket for failing to remain at the scene of an accident, and his license was toast.

The odd part, is that Wilbur was never convicted of any crime, and his case was dismissed. Despite this, the RMV refuses to give Wilbur a new license and has denied his appeal of their decision. While we can’t condone tailgating and even the minor bouts of road rage, this appears to be a case of one group stepping over the limits of its power, and the full story posted over at CBC News Canada will only have you scratching your head.

Is there a side of this story we’re missing, or is the Canadian government coming down a little too hard on Wilbur? Sound off in Comments.

Canadian motorist’s license revoked without driving conviction

Nissan has officially cranked out 1 million of the company’s Frontier pickup trucks. By the time the first truck to bear the Frontier name rolled off of the line in 1997 as a 1998 model, Nissan had already established itself as a purveyor of fiendishly tough, inexpensive midsized pickups. According to PickupTrucks.com, the Japanese automaker first got into the American truck market back in 1959 when the Datsun 1000 landed on our shores. But it wasn’t until the Datsun 520 showed up six years later that sales began to really take off.

Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to manufacture pickups in the U.S. in 1983 when the company began producing vehicles at its Smyrna, Tennessee plant. The move avoided a 25-percent tariff on foreign-built pickups, and since then, Nissan has built more than 2 million small trucks at the facility.

PickupTrucks.com reports that Nissan is working hard at the next-generation Frontier, but the model is facing poor sales at the moment. Last year, the automaker managed to sell just under 40,500 units – less than half of the 100,000 Hardbody pickups Nissan sold in 1987. Head over to PickupTrucks.com for an excellent rundown of the history of Nissan trucks in America.

Nissan Frontier hits 1,000,000 units