no longer stands alone as the only Swedish automaker with a Chinese partnership. According to Autoblog.nl, and The People’s Republic’s Hawtei are reportedly set to announce that the two companies have joined forces. Hawtei, formerly Hautai, is likely best known on this side of the globe for strutting a logo that could have been the bastard child of the roundel and the Microsoft window. At this point, it’s unclear exactly what each automaker hopes to gain from the alliance, though something tells us that Hawtai will likely supply the capitol needed to keep the lights on at Saab.
The news comes after Saab announced that it had secured a loan to in the short-term.
Autoblog.nl reports that Victor Muller, the current owner of Saab, will be part of an announcement about the Chinese partnership on Tuesday.
Ordering a new Alfa Romeo is a daunting task. Or at least, so we’ve come to understand. In the UK alone, the MiTo hatchback was available in no fewer than 17 different versions. Which you might expect of, say, a pickup truck with a choice of cabin sizes, bed lengths and drivetrain configurations. But the MiTo is the MiTo: it’s a three-door hatchback with front-wheel drive. That’s that.
So to make things a little easier, Alfa has streamlined the MiTo’s catalog down to nine versions as part of a refreshed range. The entry level model has been rebranded as the Progression, the Turismo and Lusso trim levels have both been replaced by the Sprint, the Veloce by the Distinctive and the Cloverleaf by the Quadrifoglio Verde.
The engine range has likewise been revised, the new 78-horsepower 1.4 and 105-hp MultiAir 1.4 replacing the 95-hp engine and a new 1.3-liter JTDM-2 diesel eligible for emissions exemptions under overseas regulations. The top-of-the-line QV carries over the same 170-hp MultiAir 1.4, while the bronze metallic paint pictured above is new. Read more about the revised range in the press release after the jump.
Around the same time that as chief executive of , the Swedish automaker announced its expansion into the Russian and Chinese markets – a vital move if Saab is to increase its global market share. But it’s not just the cars that Saab and its parent company Spyker are interested in selling in these two giant markets. It’s also looking to offload shares in an effort to raise much-needed capital.
The first address is Vladimir Antonov, a man who shares a considerable history with Spyker. The Russian banker and multimillionaire oligarch was once the company’s largest single shareholder and acted as its chairman, and is also the owner of CPP Manufacturing, to which Spyker its own sportscar business. After investigations alleged ties to organized crime, however, stipulated that Antonov had to before it would transfer ownership of Saab. Those allegations have apparently now been either disproven or swept under the rug as Antonov has now been cleared by both GM and the Swedish National Debt Office to invest as much as 30 million euros in Saab for a 30-percent stake in the company.
Following that revelation, Saab is also said to be closing in on a deal with a major Chinese carmaker, following a similar path that led crosstown rival to align itself with Geely following its sale by . Among the manufacturers with which Spyker is reportedly undergoing discussions are the Great Wall Motor Co., China Youngman Automobile Group and Jiangsu Yueda Group, all relatively small players even in China’s domestic market. Even so, they could provide the capital Saab needs to continue operating, and if they can, Saab’s certainly in no position to pick and choose.
2007 Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
It was late in 2007 when lifted the veil on the . And it seemed absurd then. First of all, Audi only had the gigantic in its crossover range then, and had yet to offer its own . Several years on, that drop-top is on the open market and Audi has expanded its line-up with the Q3 and . And suddenly the notion of a drop-top CUV from Audi… well, it still seems pretty silly, but maybe not quite as much.
Now, word has it that Audi could be considering at least a limited run of Q5 Cross Cabrios. If production, as sources suggest, were limited to around 5,000 units, the contract could go to an independent coachbuilder rather than trying to fit the square peg of a niche model into the round hole of a mass-production automaker. In typical Audi style, Quattro all-wheel drive, a variety of TFSI and TDI engines and a fabric roof would likely be part of the mix. And while we may very well be getting ahead of ourselves, that’s what people said before Audi and its German compatriots started busting segments with their ever-expanding model lines.
Fast Five trailer – Click above to watch the video
We were hoping Universal’s would be a watchable installment to the Fast and Furious franchise, and while we didn’t see the flick ourselves, it appears many Americans did. According to Hollywood Reporter, the movie raked in $83.6 million over the weekend, easily giving the fifth installment of the franchise the top opening weekend of all theFast and Furious flicks to date. The movie fared especially well at 243 Imax theaters nationwide, with sales of $8.3 million. The blockbuster film also hit the jackpot overseas, with $45 million in receipts.
The film also garnered an A from CinemaScore, which means audiences are leaving the theater satisfied. The film brought in plenty of young moviegoers, with 53 percent of viewers under the age of 25. If Universal wasn’t sure what The Rock was cooking before, we’re thinking they’re catching a whiff now. to watch the Fast Five trailer one more time, and if you went and saw the movie, let us know what you thought about it in the Comments.
Live stream of this year’s One Lap of America – Click above to watch the video
Doug Wilks and Leh Keen swept to victory in at the wheel of a GT2. This year, Keen and Wilks have partnered up again, only this time they’ll be piloting a prepared by Wilks’ Topspeed Motorsports. Better than that, the pair will be live-streaming the eight-day event, thanks to an in-car webcam.
Besides live footage of every inch of the 3,000-plus-mile event, the pair will have Google Maps tracking their location, a blog and live interactive chat with viewers. All the interactive goodness is available on Topspeed as you read this.
With the power of the GT-R, already a proven One Lap winner, the Grand Am and ALMS driving skills of Keen and Wilks’ mechanical expertise, Topspeed Motorsports looks poised to make another run at the top spot. to see Topspeed’s live feed, or head over to for the full interactive experience. Thanks for the tip, Nathan!
The five worst cars Ben Collins has ever driven – Click above for high-res image gallery
Over the course of his years donning the white suit and helmet for Top Gear, pro driver Ben Collins has had the chance to drive an enviably wide array of cars. Their track times all went up on the power lap board, but there are better ways of evaluating how a car handles under pressure – like asking the guy who drove them. That’s what Australian car site Drive did, and got the former Stig to jot down some notes. They weren’t in Morse Code, but while his list of the worst five cars he’d ever driven includes some obvious choices, a couple may surprise.
First up on Ben’s hit list: the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. When we drove it, we found its dynamics were lightyears behind its looks, and His (deposed) Stiginess apparently agrees. At the end of Collins’ list is another supercar – the TVR Sagaris – which he feels was horribly emblematic of the company that produced it, while pointing to the fact that Jeremy Clarkson loved it as evidence enough of its dubious distinction.
In between these two European supercars on Collins’ list comes the Multipla, whose horrid styling was surpassed only by its dismal performance, and the Cadillac Escalade, which the Englishman found to be all show and no go – particularly off road. Finally, the previous-generation drew the Stig’s ire for its gross weight and lamentable slushbox. If for America’s sake alone, we can only hope that, heavier still though it is, Collins might take a crack at the new model.
Production at Trollhättan, Sweden plant has been shut down due, as these things often are, to a lack of cash needed to pay suppliers. That should change in the next week, though, as Saab parent Spyker has announced that it has secured a convertible loan agreement with Gemini Investment Fund Limited worth 30 million euros.
The Swedish automaker says the loan will help reboot the plant, but Saab is also counting on a 29.1-million-euro draw-down from the request to the European Investment Bank, which will reportedly arrive next week. With both loans, Saab says in the post-jump press release that it will be able to resume production at Trollhättan, pending a delivery schedule agreement with suppliers.
The loan, which matures in six months and carries a seven-percent interest rate, will act only as a stopgap measure to enable a production restart. Saab is reportedly also trying to with a Chinese automaker to help stabilize its operations and provide much-needed funding. Saab is said to be continuing to work out a deal with Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov, who hopes to own 30 percent of the automaker. to read over the press release.
Mini Inspired by Goodwood – Click above for high-res image gallery
Tasteful application or shameless marketing ploy – say what you will about the , but it’s here to stay. According to reports, the retro hatchback trimmed out by craftsmen is just the first of many.
Although the special-edition “ Inspired by Goodwood” – borrowing its handle from the ancestral home of the Spirit of Ecstasy – will initially be produced in a limited run of 1000 examples, word has it that the name will be applied to an entire range of top-of-the-line offerings. In that way, the Goodwood range will parallel the performance-oriented John Cooper Works trim level as the luxury-oriented pinnacle model for Mini.
So should we be expecting Goodwood editions of the Convertible, , and the various other Mini body styles in the pipeline? It would seem that way. But while their interiors may be festooned with plush cornsilk leather and glossy burlwood veneers, don’t go looking for a V12 under the hood.
The compact crossover went on sale in Europe in November 2009, and ever since its launch, we’ve heard plenty of reports about the CUV’s on-sale date being . The X1 is in very high demand in Europe, and limited supplies are what’s causing the crossover’s launch here in the U.S. to be delayed. Automotive News now reports that the X1 will not arrive on our shores until the end of 2012. BMW had initially planned to launch the X1 in the U.S. earlier this year.
Another key factor for the X1’s late arrival in the U.S. is strong early demand for the larger crossover, which received a complete overhaul for the 2011 model year. BMW sold 5,710 X3s in the first quarter of 2011, compared to 1,355 units in Q1 2010. Even with its delay here in the U.S., the X1 is in the very near future.
BMW M3 vs. BMW S 1000 RR – Click above to watch video
Common logic says that where two wheels are good, four wheels are better. That’s especially true when the skies open up and the track turns wet. BMW Motorrad wanted to put that logic to the test, so the company recently lined up two of the meanest pieces of machinery in the German manufacturer’s stable: the mighty and the sinister S 1000 RR. Thanks to some tinkering by Akropovic Evolution, the 4.0-liter V8 engine in the M3 now kicks 442 horsepower to the rear wheels with a curb weight of 3,571 pounds.
The BMW S 1000 RR, meanwhile, was strung out to around 198 horsepower while weight was stripped down to a mind-boggling 434 pounds soaking wet. The two were made to square off on opposite ends of the same track. The first racer to catch the other won bragging rights for not just themselves, but the auto or moto faithful as well. How’d it go? We won’t spoil it for you, but we will say it took the victor just 15 laps to reel in his adversary. to check it out for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Craig!
Ron Fellows Performance Driving School – Click above for high-res image gallery
Pahrump, Nevada is a smallish city in the acute, southern tip of Nevada. The population is roughly 70,000 and most of it, when behind the wheel, sticks to the posted speed limits of anywhere between 25 and 45 miles per hour. At any given time, however, a handful of drivers will be doing well beyond those numbers. They are the temporary residents who have shacked up at for the .
Free tuition is just one of the many perks that comes with purchasing a ZR1.
Set up to teach drivers how to get the best out of their own driving and, if they happen to own one, the best out of America’s sports car, it’s one of just two official schools in the country. In fact, free tuition is just one of the many perks (including ) that comes with purchasing the most almighty of all Corvettes, the . Within one year of taking delivery of your car, either at the dealership or the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, you can seek tutelage at no additional cost from Mr. Fellows, or attend in Phoenix. We sought our training in Nevada.
Being Nevada, it’s hot. With Corvettes to train in, it’s fast. And having been developed with Ron Fellows, it’s thorough. It also happens to be a lot of fun.
Gallery:
Photos copyright (C)2011 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL, courtesy of Ron Fellows Performance Driving School
2010 Ford Escape – Click above for high-res image gallery
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently investigating 2010 and 2011 and due to several complaints of shattering rear glass. According to The Detroit News, there have been 18 reported complaints of the glass braking “simultaneously” while opening or closing the liftgate, and one of the incidents reportedly resulted in the vehicle owner and a 10-year-old child receiving cuts from the glass.
The NHTSA investigation adds that issued a technical service bulletin to dealers last November for 2010-2011 Escape and Mariner models. The TSB states that the incidents tend to occur in colder temperatures, and instructs technicians to inspect the glass for signs of impact or external damage, followed by glass replacement.
The investigation covers 200,000 vehicles built on or before October 15, 2010, but that total pales in comparison to a recall that has already been issued for the same problem. In 2004, Ford recalled 955,000 2002 and 2003 and for liftgate glass issues. Ford received more than 5,000 complaints for that recall – far and above what NHTSA has received for this latest issue.
Lincoln Concept C – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to Automotive News, there may be a new concept headed to this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, based on Ford’s global small car platform. Information on the car is scarce for now, as is keeping its lips buttoned on the rumor. Though the company won’t spill its guts on the possible luxury compact, anonymous insiders claim designers are plugging away as we speak and the car is forthcoming.
We first got a glimpse at a possible Lincoln-branded compact at the 2009 , where the automaker debuted the (pictured above). This concept was powered by a 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, so perhaps this new, Los Angeles-bound concept is simply a further evolution of the funky little Lincoln from a few years back. The Concept C was said to ride on next-gen (2012) architecture, after all.
The move would certainly make sense for Dearborn, as and both have luxury concepts penned and aimed at production. For now, we’re left to wait until the LA Auto Show in November to see what the Blue Oval’s luxury department has in store.
Maybach Exelero – Click above for high-res image gallery
Back in 2008, we that the Maybach Exelero was available for custom order for chump change just under $8 million. The original prototype was developed by ’s ultra-high-end division as a high-speed test vehicle for Fulda Tires, and packed a 700-horsepower version of ’s twin-turbo V12 to drive it to speeds in excess of 350 km/h (217 miles per hour). But who on earth has that kind of cash to blow, and the motivation to do so?
According to the latest reports, Birdman does. The rapper, otherwise known as Bryan Williams, already has a garage packed with million-dollar rides like the Maybach Landaulet and the , and now he’s reportedly ordered himself an Exelero to go with them. Birdman is rated as the fourth richest hip-hop recording artist in the world, coming in just under Sean “Puffy” Combs, Jay-Z and Dr. Dre with a fortune estimated at around $100 million. And with that many Benjamins to his name, an $8 million ride seems like little more than a drop in the bucket.
Of course, Williams could have went the (relatively) more cost-effective route with a or a Xenatec coupe, but as the saying goes, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. For a man whose latest album is titled PRICELE$$, that certainly holds some sway.
Fresh from his back-to-back Oscar nominations for The Hurt Locker and The Town, actor Jeremy Renner (pictured at right at the Spirit Awards) has got his plate full with an endless stream of new projects. He’s just finished filming , is currently filming a Hansel & Gretel movie before he stars in The Avengers and possibly the next Bourne movie as well. But a new film in its embryonic stage is arguably of the greatest interest to car nuts.
According to reports, Renner is working on a new biopic focusing on the legendary Steve McQueen. In addition to starring as the King of Cool himself, Renner is reportedly involved in the film’s production, along with Greg Shapiro (who produced The Hurt Locker) and others. Writer/director James Gray is reportedly basing his screenplay on Marshall Terrill’s definitive tomes “Portrait of an American Rebel” and “The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon”.
What this means for Brad Pitt, who has long been to be working on a McQueen flick, remains to be seen, but if Renner’s project can channel any the talent he’s displayed so far (and given that the actor’s name roughly translates from German as “racer”), we could have a winner on our hands.
It’s been years since had a credible performance option, but if recent rumblings are true, the situation could be rectified soon.
Nearly every luxury automaker has some kind of branded performance line, be it M, AMG, F or S and RS models. To compete in that rarified air, Lincoln needs to join the fold. But what form could it take?
With Lincoln buyers and turbocharged EcoBoost engines beginning to proliferate throughout the line-up, these two technologies could be leveraged to give Lincoln a much-needed injection of excitement. Crank the boost on the turbocharged – something to the tune of the 365-hp engine found in the Taurus SHO – fit a rear-bias AWD system and Lincoln could have a serious sports sedan offering on its hands. Do the same to the fitted with the EcoBoost 2.0-liter four-cylinder and maybe a revamped dual-clutch gearbox, and Lincoln’s off to the races with a fun and fuel-efficient four-door.
But would it find favor with performance-minded buyers?
One Lincoln spokesperson we contacted wouldn’t confirm or deny plans to enter the fray, only saying that the automaker is “fully committed to making Lincoln a world-class luxury brand” and that it is “studying the luxury automotive market very closely in defining Lincoln’s future.” Wishy-washy as that might be, if Lincoln wants to compete with the Bimmers and Benzes of the world while pulling itself away from an aging customer base, making a play for the performance set should be part of the plan. And we suspect we’ll hear something more solid by year’s end.
has announced a profit of $116 million for the first quarter of 2011, the company’s first profit since exiting bankruptcy. This came from $13.1 billion in revenue, which represents a 35 percent increase compared to Q1 2010. Profit from operations was up, as well, as Chrysler managed to earn $477 million, more than tripling the positive cash flow of Q1 2010. Sales were up 18 percent on the quarter to 394,000 vehicles, and the automaker cites its 16 new or refreshed vehicles as reasons for the increase in revenue.
Equally exciting news comes in the form of extra security. Chrysler announced that cash reserves now total $9.9 billion, while available United States Treasury and Canadian government loans bring total cash available to $12.1 billion. Team Pentastar did pony up $348 million in interest payments for its government loans in the quarter. The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker is hoping to cut that number down in future quarters by with bank loans with smaller interest rates.
The quarterly profit has led to many smiles at Chrysler headquarters, and CEO Sergio Marchionne is one of them. “Chrysler Group’s improved sales and financial performance in the first quarter show that our rejuvenated product lineup is gaining momentum in the marketplace and resonating with customers.” to read over the Chrysler press release.
Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy Los Angeles – Click above for high-res image gallery
Last month we brought you of ’s plan to open a teen driving program in the United States, and with the annual California State PTA Convention kicking off in Long Beach, the German automaker’s American subsidiary has confirmed its plans and revealed a few details along the way.
The first such program will open in Los Angeles before similar initiatives are launched across the country. The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy aims to make new drivers better drivers by integrating their advanced curriculum with the mandated state accreditation process to make for one, all-encompassing program that will take teens from theory through practice and on to their driver’s permit.
Other custom-tailored programs will be offered as well, and Mercedes is also teaming up with Impact Teen Drivers, unfortunately named though it is, to deliver free two-hour parent/teen workshops at 20 schools across the city beginning late this summer. MBUSA is in the process of recruiting the best driving instructors it can get its hands on with a plan to officially open the program this coming October. Details in the press release after the jump, with photos in the gallery below.
Fiat 500 art car by Malangatana – Click for high-res image gallery
The opening of a new car dealership might not be a major event in most places, but in small towns and countries it can be cause for celebration. In the case of the new and Alfa Romeo dealership in Maputo, Monzambique, the occasion included the unveiling of a hand-painted art car by Malagantana Valente Ngwenya.
Malangatana, as he’s known internationally, made a huge mark on Mozambican culture, and has been acknowledged both at home and abroad for his contributions. His works touch on themes as varied as colonization and civil war, romance and the rigors of daily life, and have been displayed worldwide.
Last year, he met with the Ferreira Dos Santos family, which runs a large industrial conglomerate in Mozambique, and agreed to create an art car for an Italian car dealership they were opening in Maputo. Over the course of days, he labored over the that served as his canvas, and “The Italian Woman” you see here is the final result.
Sadly, Malangatana died shortly after completing the art car and never saw its formal unveiling. It will now be auctioned online at , with the proceeds benefiting the Malangatana Foundation to help his needy countrymen.
According to the latest reports, Birdman does. The rapper, otherwise known as Bryan Williams, already has a garage packed with million-dollar rides like the Maybach Landaulet and the , and now he’s reportedly ordered himself an Exelero to go with them. Birdman is rated as the fourth richest hip-hop recording artist in the world, coming in just under Sean “Puffy” Combs, Jay-Z and Dr. Dre with a fortune estimated at around $100 million. And with that many Benjamins to his name, an $8 million ride seems like little more than a drop in the bucket.
