The Auto Blog .ru

Well… look who lives! Our spy photographers have managed to snag a few photos of what may very well be the next interpretation of the Chevrolet Impala SS. Long thought to be a casualty of the General Motors bailout, the biggest member Club SS was reportedly shelved a few years back. The Impala line hasn’t offered an SS performance variant since 2009, and the more aggressive grille, front fascia and tweaked head- and taillight arrays on this prototype hint at something more sinister than any topped-out LTZ model could offer. Our spy shooter’s supplier sources indicate GM is, in fact, still working on an Impala SS, and they suggest the sedan may bow with a new LF3 twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 under the hood.

If true, that means the brawny Impala could scoot down the road with a heady 380 horsepower. As far as we know, no vehicle since the limited production 350-hp Ford Focus RS500 has tried to push anywhere near that many ponies to the front wheels, which begs the question: will the Impala offer all-wheel drive despite recent reports to the contrary?

Doing so would seem to position the Impala SS quite well against the freshly updated Taurus SHO. Either way, we’re excited to give this big boy a go.

Is Chevrolet testing an Impala SS?

For a car that still hasn’t donned its new body yet, not even under copious camouflage, there’s been chatter about the 2014 Lexus IS for an awful long time. We saw the first mule 18 months ago, and it was about that time that intel predicted Lexus’ next-generation small sport sedan would run on a four-door version of the Scion FT-86 chassis and be followed by a coupe.

The snappers at CarPix caught a modern mule out on test, the only change so far from 2010 being the panels obscuring the front intakes and a roll of packing tape applied to some panel gaps. The car we eventually see will continue the sportification of the Lexus brand in both appearance and capability. As well, the IS-F begat by this IS, having been planned for and developed from the beginning, should really show us what an M3-fighting Lexus can do.

Next-gen Lexus IS mule caught circulating

Matt Ramsey from The Wall Street Journal claims that the next-generation Ford Mustang will be ditching its ’60s-inspired retro styling. Citing people familiar with Ford’s plans who have seen the new Mustang, Ramsey claims the new model will look more like the 2013 Fusion and be a dead ringer for the Evos concept car that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall. The reason for abandoning the retro-inspired styling, says Ramsey, is Ford’s desire to appeal to Generation Y consumers – people born between 1980 and 1999.

It may very well be the case that the next Mustang, which Ramsey says will be a 2014 model (we suspect it will be labeled a 2015), will look a lot like the Evos concept, but we don’t buy some of the author’s reasoning for why the Stang’s retro look might be going away. He cites declining sales of certain retro-styled vehicles like the Volkswagen Beetle and Mustang itself, but having just experienced an economic recession, many models saw their sales decline during the past two years compared to prior peaks, not just ones with retro styling. In particular, he cites Volkswagen selling just 6,468 units of the New Beetle last year compared with over 81,000 in 2000, but last year was that generation’s final year of sales. It has been replaced with the all-new-but-equally-retro 2012 Beetle, sales of which are up 2,722 percent so far in 2012.

And as for the Mustang, after enjoying a competition-free pony car market from 2002-2010, it’s now sharing that segment’s sales with worthy competition from both Chevrolet and Dodge. Its sales are certainly below their peaks from last decade, but again, a recession and new competition where there was none before will do that.

So while we have no reason to argue against Ramsey’s claim about the next Mustang moving away from its retro roots, we’re not sure we buy his evidence for the reason behind it.

Next Ford Mustang to ditch retro look in favor of futuristic Evos styling?

We’ve seen the Nissan DeltaWing running shakedown laps, but now the bonanza of teaser vids will truly begin as the DeltaWing prepares in earnest for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since it has shown it can actually handle a track at speed, the latest step in the process is to verify how it handles the wind.

Nissan Europe will be producing a video roughly every two weeks tracking the DeltaWing’s evolution, and after the race Audi’s sequel to Truth in 24 will be joined by a documentary on Nissan’s isosceles racer. Scroll down for Nissan’s take in words and video.

Continue reading Nissan launches new DeltaWing video series with wind tunnel teaser

Nissan launches new DeltaWing video series with wind tunnel teaser

You had to figure that this might happen when BMW decided to reinvent the gearshift lever for the 2002 7 Series. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating the 2002-2008 7 Series since last fall, and has now “upgraded the probe to an engineering analysis,” according to an Associated Press report in The Detroit News. The Feds have found 16 crashes and five injuries related to transmission issues, and received 50 complaints about the issue, according to the report.

NHTSA’s Monthly Defect Investigations Report calls the problem “Vehicle Rollaway Allegations,” which are likely related to the design of the gear selector in the E65/E66. This generation of the 7 Series moved the traditional gearshift lever from the floor console to the steering column to make more room in the center console. In doing so, BMW abandoned the traditional P-R-N-D layout and adopted an electronic push-button selector for “Park.” The AP says at least some of the problems may be related to owners not realizing their cars were in neutral instead of park.

Our own experience has shown that even in more recent BMW’s with floor-console-mounted shifters, it can be difficult to tell whether the vehicle is in Park or not, and we find the BMW gear selector as a whole to be non-intuitive – we’re frankly surprised that NHTSA has not received more than 50 complaints concerning the issue.

NHTSA: BMW 7 Series gearshift issue has resulted in 16 crashes, 5 injuries

Remember JAC? It’s the Chinese company so dedicated to cloning the Ford F-150 that it changed its logo to a blue oval in the grille. JAC is back with a new car for this month’s Beijing Auto Show, this time showing off less consistent plagiarism and more pastiche with the Heyue SC coupe.

With a snout lifted from the Lotus Esprit or the other four Lotus concepts, mirrors that seem to be lifted from a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Factory Five rear end with Ferrari Enzo taillights, the Heyue SC isn’t a bad looking car for being an agglomeration of reanimated parts. Inside is a dash cluster that looks cribbed from the Audi R8 parts bin along with an Opel steering wheel.

Power comes from a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 162 horsepower and 160 pound-feet of torque, which should make for reasonable gumption unless the Heyue is made of lead. The price is 200,000 yuan ($31,807 U.S.), which places it in between its competitors in specs and price, the better looking, more powerful and less expensive Brilliance BS3, and the miniature Mercedes-Benz CLK clone known as the BYD S8. Head over to China Car News to get a few more looks at it.

China’s JAC Heyue SC has a bit of Lotus and a dash of Ferrari in it

The Mercedes-Benz A25 AMG has disrobed almost completely compared to the last time we saw it. It makes minimal changes to the A-Class form, just a fiercer set of wheels and, under the last remaining camo, a brace of larger air intakes in front and a restyled diffuser in back. We’d also expect those oval pipe finishers to be swapped for trademark AMG quad pipes come production time.

The engine is what will make the real difference, with its 2.0-liter four-cylinder rumored to be rated as high as 350 horsepower and sending that glory to all four wheels through a dual-clutch gearbox. Those specs mean the A25 AMG is a shoo-in for heaps of comparos with the all-wheel drive, 340-horsepower Audi RS3, the driving prowess of the 256-horsepower Volkswagen Golf R and the rumored 320-horsepower BMW 135i hatch. Check it out in our gallery of high-res spy photos.

AMG-fettled Mercedes-Benz A-Class caught testing

If you thought pacing a NASCAR race with a Ford Fiesta was an odd choice, prepare to be properly shocked. Ford has announced the company is once again heading out onto the nation’s tri-ovals, this time with the Focus Electric. The automaker claims the battery-powered hatchback will be the world’s first all-electric pace car when it leads the field at the Richmond 400 later this month. The public will get its first shot at seeing Focus Electric Pace Car on April 25, when Lt. Governor Bill Bolling drives the EV to Richmond International Raceway.

Earlier this year, Ford announced the Focus Electric will offer buyers a range of around 75 miles depending on driving conditions. We assume that figure will fall off precipitously at pace speed. With around 123 horsepower on hand, Ford has been quick to brag that the company’s EV offers buyers more horsepower than the Nissan Leaf. Of course, at $39,200, it is also $4,000 more expensive.

Continue reading Ford Focus will be first all-electric pace car in NASCAR

Ford Focus will be first all-electric pace car in NASCAR

The enthusiast world typically falls into two camps: those who love rat rods and those that loathe them. As with every corner of automotive world, not all rats are created equally, but we tend to find ourselves firmly rooted in the former camp more often than not. That’s especially true when we catch a glimpse of something as perfectly blasphemous as this BMW 2002. Crafted by the twisted minds at Atlanta Performance and Fabrication, the car actually started life as a running, driving round-taillight 2002 that owner John Lee had owned since high school.

During a slow day at the shop, Lee rolled the car in, busted out the plasma cutter and got to work with parts just collecting dust in the garage. After crafting a frame from spare tubing, the suspension went together using coilovers from a C5 Chevrolet Corvette, a steering rack from a Cobalt SS and control arms from a derelict Panoz racer. While not originally a right-hand drive car, Lee swapped things around to accommodate the newer components. The rat Bimmer even uses a roof-mounted shifter for reasons that remain unclear.

APF keeps the lights on with Corvette modification and small-block conversions, so it’s no surprise power comes from an LS1 V8 bolted to a TH350 automatic gearbox. Throw in a set of custom fabbed headers and you have the beast above. Scroll down to watch a quick video of the BMW 2002 rat rod coming to life for the first time (Warning: there’s some brief foul language), then head over to the StanceWorks forums for the full build thread.

Continue reading BMW 2002 makes for one unique rat rod [w/video]

BMW 2002 makes for one unique rat rod [w/video]

A G hatchback By Any Other Name…

In the past, many of us have been guilty of approaching the crossover segment with the same zeal a toddler typically reserves for mashed peas. Equal parts revulsion, befuddlement and betrayal have danced across our faces as we’ve struggled to comprehend why anyone would willingly put their hard-earned money towards a vehicle saddled with inherently poorer driving dynamics and fuel economy. As lovers of curve-conquering wagons and hatchbacks everywhere, throwing a couple of extra inches of ride height into the recipe has rarely done us any favors. Not surprisingly, we find ourselves in familiar territory once again: far removed from even the outskirts of popular opinion.

Last year, Honda sold a dizzying 218,373 CR-V crossovers, and despite fuel prices determined to bend us over and give us something to cry about, other automakers have fleshed out their lines with a wide array of high-riding vehicles. Ford boasts a total of five crossovers and SUVs in its stable, and it isn’t alone. With vehicles like the Juke, Rogue and Murano, Nissan offers buyers a total of seven different models that fit into the segment. The news doesn’t bode well for those of us who prefer a vehicle with superior handling mixed with the ability to haul people and cargo.

And there’s virtually no refuge in the suede-lined halls of our favorite luxury manufacturers, either. Brands from every corner of the globe are cashing in on the CUV/SUV craze with unabashed ferocity. So when the 2012 Infiniti EX35 showed up in the driveway, we braced ourselves for a week of eating our vegetables, now fortified with doctor-recommended understeer and an extra helping of body roll. But this isn’t your typical CUV. With a 3.5-liter V6 pumping nearly 300 horsepower to the rear wheels and a lower-than-it-looks stance, this is a sport hatch masquerading in crossover clothing.

Continue reading 2012 Infiniti EX35

2012 Infiniti EX35

With the compact segment becoming ever more crowded, Dodge is getting aggressive with its new Dart. As promised, pricing on the Italian-bred sedan will start at $15,995 (*before a $795 delivery charge). That undercuts key rivals like the $16,800 Chevrolet Cruze, $16,500 Ford Focus, and $16,130 Toyota Corolla. You can still buy a Honda Civic sedan cheaper, but by only $40.

Above the base Dart are four more trim levels. However, even the $15,995 SE gets Dodge’s 160-hp, 2.0-liter Tigershark four-cylinder and a six-speed manual. Occupants get 10 airbags, a seats clad in “denim” cloth, power windows, LED taillights, a CD player with MP3 hookup and projector headlights.

Anyone living in warmer climates should definitely look at the SXT, though. An extra $2,000 gets the most-appreciated feature ever: air conditioning. We can’t imagine living without it, but not every competitor offers A/C on their base models. The SXT also adds 17-inch alloys, power door locks, keyless entry, split rear seat, a security system and upgraded sound system. Options include navigation (natch), backup camera, sunroof and a 506-watt sound system.

Go for the Rallye level for $18,995 if you want the Multiair turbocharged 1.4-liter engine that has more torque (184 pound-feet) but no additional horsepower. The force-fed powerplant is optional, but the Rallye’s sportier body trim and wider selection of interior colors are standard.

The $19,995 Limited level adds a seven-inch “reconfigurable instrument cluster display,” fog lamps, active grille shutters and premium accent stitching. Leather seats also become optional at this level.

At the top of the heap is the Dart R/T (shown above) starting at $22,495. In the third quarter of 2012, Dart buyers will be able to buy the R/T and get a 2.4-liter, Tigershark four-cylinder with 184 horses and 171 lb-ft yoked to either a six-speed manual or Autostick automatic. The R/T also comes with all the goodies on the Limited but adds 18-inch alloys, sport suspension, more aggressive front fascia, dual exhaust, unique seat leather and a heated steering wheel.

The first Dart shipments will hit dealers beginning in June.

Check out the press release after the jump for even more details.

Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart pricing ranges from $15,995* SE to $22,495 R/T

2013 Dodge Dart pricing ranges from $15,995* SE to $22,495 R/T

The Chicago Sun Times reports food truck operators in Chicago have met with a police crackdown. Some operators report officers lying in wait for the mobile food services to show up, threatening a variety of citations before the trucks even open their doors. How is that possible? The miracle of the Internet. Operators routinely announce their location or route for the day on social networking tools like Twitter or Facebook. While the Chicago Police Department hasn’t said whether or not officers are mining the web for locations, it seems likely.

Food trucks have emerged as a popular way to grab a quick lunch bite in Chicago over the past year, though owners face charges from parking in loading zones to operating too close to an existing restaurant. A group of operators recently met with city officials in an attempt to establish new ordinances governing the trucks’ legal operation. During the meeting, the city asked for a list of the most popular food truck spots, and it wasn’t long before the police were waiting for them when business time rolled around.

Chicago cops using social networking tools against food trucks that use them

The 2013 Escape will soon arrive in dealerships, and it appears Ford has quite a few excited buyers waiting in the wings. The Detroit Free Press reports that Ford already has about 8,000 pre-sales in-hand before buyers have even had the chance to drive the handsome crossover.

That’s good news for Ford for obvious reasons, but the new Escape is going to need all the sales it can muster. That’s because the current Escape, which dates all the way back to 2001, has been one of the most consistently hot-selling Ford vehicles ever made. For reference, Ford managed to sell 22,679 units in March – enough to make those 8,000 pre-sales seem like the first few drops in a very large, very important bucket. In fact, in 2012, the outgoing Escape is already ahead of its 2011 sales pace by nearly 3,000 units.

At this point, it’s difficult to project whether the new Escape will be able to surpass sales of the outgoing model, but we are pretty sure Ford will achieve higher transaction prices. The departing CUV features a hoard of cash incentives, but the new model features pricey options and a top-of-the-line Titanium trim model that can crest $37,000 with options. Speaking of pricing, Ford has finalized the numbers and options on its Escape configurator since we first told you about it in January, and you can check it out here.

Ford says it already has 8,000 orders for new Escape

Ferrari is known for hyper-exotic supercars, speed and big price tags. There is a reason, though, that we didn’t mention fuel efficiency. Hopped-up V8 and V12 engines don’t exactly conjure up images of tree-hugging, and, for the most part, we’re more than okay with that.

That could change, at least a little bit, with a patent that describes a hybrid powertrain that passes on flywheel technology in favor of a more mainstream effort. Car and Driver reports that the Italian supercar maker has filed patents for hybrid technology that would use a pair of electric motors and a battery pack.

The hybrid system would utilize one electric motor that assists the powertrain while the other runs auxiliary systems like air conditioning, infotainment and power steering. The patent also reportedly mentions that the technology would play nicely with a front-mounted 90-degree engine, making the California a likely destination if this system ever sees the light of day.

There has been some speculation that Ferrari might opt for a production version of its racing-derived Kinetic Energy Recover System (KERS) that captures energy via a flywheel to provide short bursts of energy. KERS, which doesn’t utilize a battery pack, is already used in Formula One racing, and Ferrari introduced a 599 concept in 2010 that included the fuel-saving tech.

Patents reveal Ferrari working on non-KERS hybrid

Automotive News reports Audi may make a decision on where the automaker plans to build a North American facility as soon as Wednesday of this week. The Volkswagen supervisory board is already scheduled to meet on April 18, and an unnamed source claims the new plant is on the agenda for discussion. Earlier reports indicated the manufacturer plans to build a new plant in Mexico, though Audi has been quick to denounce the notion, saying the board had yet to make a decision one way or the other. Publicly, Audi has made noise about locations in both Mexico and the United States.

Volkswagen investigated the possibility of building Audi vehicles alongside the Volkswagen Passat in Chattanooga, Tennessee, though it’s now clear the luxury automaker is hungry for a plant of its own. Either way, the new plant will likely produce vehicles for sale in North America and export to other markets.

Audi to decide on North American plant on Wednesday?

Adam Carolla has thrice contested the Toyota Celebrity/Pro race held before the Long Beach Grand Prix, previously finishing third and ninth but this year taking the chequered flag in first place. After qualifying positions were set based on the last free practice times due to washout rains, Carolla started second behind Kim Coates of the F/X show Sons of Anarchy.

Three laps in, Carolla had got into the lead and crashes behind gave him some daylight. With under two laps to go, however, Hill Harper from CSI: NY had the front bumper of his Scion tC tapping Carolla’s rear, but there wasn’t enough time left in the race for Harper to get around.

Third place was nabbed by Toyota dealer Biff Gordon, with drifter Frederic Asabo (above left) the first professional to cross the line, in fourth.

Adam Carolla wins Long Beach Grand Prix Celebrity/Pro race

Toyota engineers have worked hard to get the emissions that come out of the tailpipe of the Prius V down to a low level, but that doesn’t mean everything is copacetic with the car’s exhaust system. To fix a known problem, Toyota has announced a service campaign for the Prius V, both in the U.S. and Japan.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the problem is with “weak actuators-control mechanisms” in the exhaust-heat-recovery systems that can end up leaking engine coolant, which will then force the car into a “safe” mode. Some second-gen, 2004-07 standard Prius models were affected by a similar problem in the past.

The new issue affects about 8,000 vehicles in Japan and 20,000 in North America. Prius V owners will get the problem fixed for free.

Toyota announces service campaign to fix exhaust on 28,000 Prius V hybrids

The first Volvo, an ÖV4, drove through the factory gates in Göthenburg around 10AM on April 14th, 1927. To celebrate 85 years of building its uniquely Swedish cars, Volvo President and CEO Stefan Jacoby recreated the moment along with Olof Persson, President and CEO of the Volvo Group (the truck-building Volvo).

From a modest start – Volvo only sold 300 cars in its first year – the company built its business by building solid trucks and buses that help earn the profits to support the car business that took off like wildfire with the eventual introduction of the PV444. Volvo Car Corporation and the Volvo Group are separate companies now, with China’s Geely owning the automotive side of the business, but they’ll be forever joined by that spring day in 1927. The press release can be seen by scrolling down.

Continue reading Volvo celebrates 85 years by repeating history

Volvo celebrates 85 years by repeating history

Some would say that the Chevrolet Camaro already looks like a Hot Wheels car come to life when fitted with the factory installed 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels. But others – including the folks in this video, apparently – would say that those wheels simply aren’t large enough. Twenty-fours? Still too small. Twenty-sixes? You’re getting warmer.

No, the Camaro you see here is rolling on 32-inch wheels – in chrome, of course. We can’t even imagine how this hinders the Camaro’s drivability, but as for whether this modification is hot or not, we’ll leave that for you fine readers to discuss in the comments.

Scroll down to see two videos starring the donked-out Camaro coupe, as well as a matching droptop model, as well.

Continue reading Chevrolet Camaro rolling on 32s is a Hot Wheels come to life

Chevrolet Camaro rolling on 32s is a Hot Wheels come to life

Matt Hagan, the reigning NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champ, kicked off this weekend’s Four-Wide Nationals qualifying session at zMAX Dragway in North Carolina with a bang. Hagan’s funny car dropped an intake valve into one of its cylinders about halfway down the track and exploded, launching bits of engine and funny car across three of the four race lanes.

Amazingly, Hagan suffered no injuries and managed to keep his car in its lane. Upon exiting the vehicle, he can be seen ripping a piece of the car off and throwing it on the ground in frustration. Turns out he has a right to be frustrated: This is reportedly the third year in a row that Hagan has been involved in an explosion at the Four-Wide Nationals.

Scroll down to watch video of the explosion from a couple different angles, as well as gifs of the explosion and his memorable reaction.

Continue reading Watch an NHRA funny car explode in a four-wide drag race

Watch an NHRA funny car explode in a four-wide drag race