By the early 1950s, Alfa Romeo had grown tired of dominating (and spending huge sums of money on) grand prix racing, and shut down its program. Along with it, a program to develop a small-displacement two-liter V8 was aborted. But Alfa couldn’t keep away from racing altogether for very long, and by the early 60s the factory noticed that its customers were competing in endurance sportscar races and set about fielding its own works effort.
Development of the high-revving 2.0-liter V8 picked up again, finding its way into a variety of prototypes and GTs, but this was arguably the most alluring. Shortly after its debut in 1967, the T33/2 scored an impressive 1-2-3 class finish (and 5-6-7 overall) in the 24 Hours of Daytona, giving the car its nickname. And while Alfa and its racing partner Autodelta kept notoriously sketchy historical records on their racing cars, chassis 75033.029 is believed to be one of the most successful.
The extensive history of the vehicle you see here – regarded as one of the most desirable of racing Alfas of an era that stretches from the 1960s through the 70s – includes victory at the 500 km of Imola in 1968, punctuating a series of races campaigned by the works Alfa/Autodelta team and various privateers that followed. You can read more about the Tipo 33/2 Daytona in the text after the jump ahead of its consignment to the RM Auctions event in Monaco next month, or you could let the pictures in the high-res image gallery speak for themselves.
Episode #277 of the is here, and this week, Chris, Dan, and Executive Editor Chris Paukert are joined by to chat about the . Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #276:
In the Autoblog Garage
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Runtime: 01:26:42
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There are lots of automotive videogames, from realistic racing games like Gran Turismo and Forza to fun driving games like Mario Kart to social games like Disc Drivin’ for iOS. But there is only one Grand Theft Auto.
No other video game brings the dark humor inherent in mayhem like the GTA franchise, and it looks like a new installment will be here in a scant six months. According to a report on Joystiq, a Linked In resume for an animator and employee at game developer Rockstar was spotted listing Grand Theft Auto V with a shipping date of October 2012. Since then, the resume has been removed from the site and Rockstar is not commenting, according to the report.
Of course, the video game industry is as notorious for slipping shipping dates as it is for rumor mongering, so while you might want to place your preorder on Amazon, don’t be surprised if you’re still waiting come Christmas. Joystiq is skeptical about an October shipping date, pointing out that Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has already announced BioShock Infinite for an October launch, which would put the two titles in unnecessary competition.
Until then, we still have the , which you can see if you scroll down.
While we’ve already reported that BMW’s from is , this footage all but confirms it. Britain’s Car magazine has over a minute of video showing a rather sporting three-door testing at the Nürburgring.
Of course, this latest bit of news only for us North American lovers. We’ve yet to see a 1 Series hatchback of any sort for sale on our shores, and whether the new F20 hatch is headed our way is entirely up in the air. Outside of the bizarre , BMW has been reticent to sell a hatch here since the E36 318ti, which has been out of production for a solid decade now.
While we loved the , now that its one-and-done model year is over, it would be dandy if BMW would throw us a bone and ship the M135i here. With rumors of all-wheel-drive availability and 300-plus horsepower coming from BMW’s TwinTurbo, three-liter inline-six, it looks to be one heck of a car.
Back in February, announced a to its entry-level model – the – for European markets, and subsequently it to the public at the . Of course, we knew it would only be a matter of time until the updated Vantage would find its way Stateside, and that time has now come.
Many of the updates are borrowed from the slightly up-market Vantage S, including some mild cosmetic changes and the optional seven-speed Sportshift II sequential transmission replacing the clunkier six-speed version that preceded it. The suspension and brakes have also been upgraded on the new model, but the 4.7-liter V8 and its 420 horsepower carry over unchanged.
So how much will a new V8 Vantage set you back with all these updates? $118,370 for the coupe, or $132,870 for the Roadster – which actually represents a slight discount over the previous coupe model and a negligible increase on the convertible. Like what you see? You’re invited to dive into the full press release and specifications , along with the high-resolution images in the gallery above.
The kicks off in less than two weeks, and has just released two teaser sketches for concepts it will be showing in China.
While the tiny images don’t reveal much, the top sketch seems like its a coupe, one that bears a resemblance to the . The bottom one looks like some sort of people mover, with lines that seem drawn from both the North American and international versions of the .
Honda says it will also be displaying three hybrids in China: , and Hybrid. The ILX and and the Acura NSX Concept will also be on hand. All five of those, excepting the NSX, will be launched in China this year, says Honda.
While we normally don’t care whether or not Justin Beiber wakes up and takes a breath each morning, it is unfortunate news when the teen pop idol is produced by one of the world’s best designers, and then proceeds to wrap it in chrome, stick on some fuscia LEDs and drive it around on giant black wheels.
Celebrity-stalking site TMZ caught the Beiber taking his one true love, the also-famous-for-reasons-beyond-our-comprehension Selena Gomez, to Chick-fil-A in the reflective Karma. The editors at TMZ seem to agree with us that Bieber’s treatment of his Karma is criminal, but were surprised to discover that chroming one’s car is well within the rule of law.
That doesn’t mean the Bieb’s daily driver is entirely copacetic, as the tiny strip of fuscia LEDs installed under the front grille violate California law. It also violates the laws of good taste, but that’s just our opinion.
How’d you like to go see Metallica at this summer’s Orion music fest? Sounds good to us, but this makes it even better; the cost: Free.
Yes, that’s right, if you’re into the hot rod and custom scene and you want to display your car or bike there, the band will comp you two passes to the weekend’s festivities. It turns out that besides being the lead singer of Metallica, James Hetfield (that’s him in the picture above) is a big car guy. One who wants to share his automotive passion with his legions of fans, hence the Custom Car and Motorcycle Show planned as part of the two-day Orion festival, scheduled for June 23-24 in Atlantic City, NJ.
To stock the 300-plus field of cars and bikes Metallica has planned, they’re looking for entries and dangling the aforementioned free tickets as bait. Entry is restricted to 1972 and earlier American models and the deadline is May 15. (Full details are available at the Orion .) It won’t be Pebble Beach, but hey, we’re pretty sure there’s more fun to be had headbanging to “Metallica” (a.k.a. The Black Album) and “Ride The Lightning,” which the band will be performing in their entirety on consecutive nights, than standing around on a golf course in a blue blazer anyway. If Metallica isn’t your bag, the Orion festival will also feature performances from acts like the Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Modest Mouse and comedian Jim Breuer.
to watch a video of Hetfield talking about his love of classic cars.
Buyers in China have been snapping up models for 20 years now, and the Italian automaker is marking the anniversary with the introduction of a special-edition . Dipped in a new Marco Polo red and swaddled in a “dragon-horse” livery with gold imagery and black stripes, the vehicle is supposed to pay homage to Chinese culture. Buyers will also enjoy unique gold wheels and a cabin fitted with gold embroidery to match. A start button with 20 stars and a unique dash plaque are also part of the package. So far, there’s no word on how much the machine will cost.
The company plans to build just 20 examples, the first of which will be unveiled at the debut of the first “permanent” brand exhibition outside of Maranello. Ferrari will set claim to nearly 3,000 square feet at the Shanghai World Expo Park, where the exhibition will remain for three years. Examples from the Maranello Museum will be arrayed in order of topic, from green technology to product, design and racing as well as Ferrari in China. for the full press release.
These days, most models are about as likely to get your pulse up as the latest hardware from Frigidaire. But it wasn’t always so. There was a time when Toyota counted itself among the world’s sports car manufacturers with vehicles like the Supra, Celica All Trac and MR-2. Those two-doors helped forge generations of enthusiasts before the company shuttered its go-fast ambitions, a door that is only now starting to open again thanks to the new GT 86/ codeveloped with . Now, according to Automotive News, the company has unveiled a new development and manufacturing framework designed to aid in producing more exciting vehicles. According to CEO Akio Toyoda, the revamped system will allow the company to design multiple models at the same time to reduce costs.
It will also cut the number of executives tied to the design review process to streamline decisionmaking. The company says that with too many people involved, vehicles have been built by “eliminating negatives” instead of focusing on their strengths. Added cooperation between the automaker’s planning and design units may foster more innovative styling, including models with lower centers of gravity and better aerodynamics. Think .
The Toyota New Global Architecture will first be applied to front-wheel drive models.
The is the new face of the brand, and as it turns out, that spindle-grilled mug can take a serious punch. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the GS a Top Safety Pick after the reshaped Lexus sedan held strong in front, side and rollover crash testing.
To earn a Top Safety Pick designation, a car, truck or utility vehicle must achieve a top score of “Good” in front, side and rear impact crash tests. The IIHS test features taller cement crash barriers to simulate a collision with a larger vehicle and the front impact test is conducted at a speed of 40 miles per hour. The vehicle must also feature stability control and a roof that maintains integrity even at a weight equal to or greater than four times that of the vehicle. The IIHS reports that the GS could withstand 4.88 times its 3,715 pound weight.
The GS joins the and the as the third Lexus model to net a Top Safety Pick.
Do you miss the opportunity to buy a Volkswagen Scirocco? You’re not alone. Of all the Group products offered overseas but not in these United States, the Scirocco tops our list. (Though we understand there are plenty out there pining for a Transporter van.) Discontinued in its previous iteration in 1988, the Scirocco made its triumphant return to the market in 2008, but with the global financial crisis setting in around the sometime, Volkswagen wasn’t up to spreading itself thin enough to bring it here.
That could change with the next-generation model, however. According to Automotive News, Volkswagen is working on a next-generation Scirocco, and this one could very well make it Stateside. This according to Volkswagen of America CEO Jonathan Browning, who admitted as much while speaking with journalists at the this past week. While it’s unclear if he’s referring to a facelifted version of the current model (expected to launch next year) or an all-new model, the prospect of finding a Scirocco – any Scirocco – in U.S. showrooms is tantalizing.
While he was at it, Browning reportedly also suggested the – which was shown in “concept” form in New York – could be sold here in diesel form, which strikes us as tantalizing (if expensive). Further, Browning reiterated that the company is looking into a mid-size crossover to slot in between the and the , something we’ve heard before and fully expect to happen.
Former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz went bicep-to-bicep with “America’s ballsiest pundit,” Stephen Colbert, last night – and came out ahead. Ostensibly, Lutz was on Colbert to talk about his new book, Car Guys Vs. Bean Counters, but as one might expect, the discussion veered into Mitt Romney vs. President Obama territory pretty quickly.
The actual car industry part of the discussion, though, revealed more potential good news for the , the car that Lutz is obviously trying to make his legacy and called “a huge success.” Sure, Colbert talked about , but Lutz responded by predicting that sales would be “about 3,000 a month from here on out.” This would not only set a new record (Volt sales for March 2012 , the highest so far) but would also put GM’s plug-in car into the 36,000-a-year range. That’s commendable, but still this year. Of course, Akerson’s 60,000 number could have included the Opel Ampera and its Vauxhall twin. In any case, things are looking up for the Volt, and that’s something Lutz is more than happy to tell Colbert or anyone else. Watch the video – including an impromptu push-up contest between the two – right now by .
The Most Fun You Can Have In A Full-Size, All-Weather American
The American full-size segment isn’t an overly welcoming place for those of us who worship at the altar of skinny-pedal antics. While European automakers are happy to deliver their customers a raft of monolithic luxury barges with Saturn V levels of thrust, We The People have been largely left with coma-inducing hardware like the , and . Meanwhile, bruisers like the , and all boast all-wheel drive capability with sports-car besting performance cocooned in the threads of a tailored three-piece suit. These days, if you want serious big-car, bad-weather go with a domestic badge on the hood, you have just a few options, including the .
So far, says it hasn’t had any trouble convincing buyers to abandon traditional big-boned performance vehicles for the SHO resurrection. Around 10 percent of all Taurus sales leave the showroom with a SHO badge on the fender, and half of the performance sedan’s sales have been conquest buyers sniped from brands like and . For 2013, this D-class athlete boasts a slew of mid-cycle changes to keep the model fresh. If, like us, you have a hard time imagining a buyer skipping the 5 Series for a Taurus, a few new exterior tweaks, a more aggressive brake system, a reworked version of MyFord Touch and a new track performance package are all designed to help change your mind.
The second coming is finally here, and it goes by the title of the 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS. Porsche has put 20 more horses under the hood to bring matters to 420 horsepower, and to get more out of them it has lowered the chassis a further 20 mm and installed a lower final-drive ratio. The one unkind note: whereas the first GTS was available with a six-speed manual, this one is fitted exclusively with Porsche’s eight-speed Tiptronic S paddleshift gearbox.
In the search for improved fuel economy, stop-start is standard, and when things get underway, the extra go-fast means a 5.4-second roar from zero to 60 mph. Along with unique side skirts and wheel arches, features only on the GTS include new Peridot Metallic (as shown) and Carmine Red paint, unique 20-inch wheels and eight-way GTS seats inside. There’s an available Sport Chrono package to keep tabs on your 162-mph SUV, but that won’t be included in the $82,050 base price (which includes $975 in delivery fees).
The GTS will be revealed at the later this month, but you can find out more in the video and press release and get few choice glimpses in the gallery of high-res photos.
What is thought to be a band of thieves broke into eight cars at a park-and-ride lot in Salem, New Hampshire. Then it is thought they went next door to Cars, Inc. and stole a , a and a 2003 . The and getaway drivers reportedly went on about their business quietly. The driver, on the other hand, decided to flaunt what he got: at 2 a.m. he drove eight miles over the border to Methuen, Massachusetts, pulled into the local police station and did donuts in their front lot.
But wait, there’s more: he took off, entertained himself for two hours, then went back to the police station at 4 a.m. and whipped up a few more hot, rubbery circles. A police cruiser was on scene and gave chase, but the 911 pilot got away.
A little later in Lawrence, MA, two miles from Methuen, someone called police to report a rolled 911. The stolen wheels were recovered, the thief in question was not. We have no doubt the Methuen PD – once the screaming stops – is preparing to put that through a forensic and DNA investigation that would make CSI proud. for the news report from WHDH.
More than two years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the 1997-2008 Econoline/E-350 and E-450 over faulty HVAC temperature controls. According to The Detroit News, stories of melting switches leading to smoke and hot buttons on the dash were recounted in 1,036 complaints received by NHTSA. Two years ago, the government agency upgraded the case to an engineering analysis, but its testing has led to the case being closed without determining that a recall is required.
Two fires due to the short circuits were also reported, but NHTSA found that the layout of the switch tended to prevent a fire when it went bad. Although there won’t be a recall, Ford has redesigned the switch and is informing dealers and customers about replacing the switch and electrical connector.
The vans that were under the agency’s microscope overlap with the 1999-2008 models in question in a . Still, for perspective, the E-Series has been America’s best-selling full-sized van for decades, and according to Ford, those from 1997-2008 have done more than a billion miles.
knows sound, and it wants its upcoming plug-in cars to have as distinctive a grumble as possible, just like its fossil-fuel-burning brethren. That’s why Audi engineers are working on “new sound signatures” for future models. You can tell how seriously Audi is taking this by the way it references the sounds a car makes to music and “emotional sound structures” in the press release .
The stated reason for all this e-sound work is so pedestrians will be able to hear the near-silent EVs, but you could just use any old beep to meet that requirement. Audi wants something a bit more refined, to stand out from the space-y blips that the puts out or the E-Golf’s .
to see a video of the Audi e-sound in progress. In its current form, the sound changes based on what the e-tron is doing. It comes out of a speaker blasting up to 40 watts that is attached to the bottom of the car.
Of course, the question from some blind-advocacy groups is whether having each EV make its own sound is reasonable, or if there should be one “EV sound” that all battery-powered cars are required to emit to tell those with limited sight “a car is nearby.” In the U.S., the laws governing EV sounds are not yet set, but some sort of low-speed warning requirement seems to be coming.
The next year and a half will be an interesting period for . The automaker has announced that it will launch five new models over the course of 15 months, starting with the that at the last week. What’s next? Take a close look at the image above and those mysterious shapes under the white sheets aren’t exactly tough to decipher.
Left to right, first up is clearly the hatchback, the five-door follower of the not-so-highly regarded sedan that launched late last year. Want another glimpse of what could be in store for the large-rumped Versa? Have a glance at its overseas cousin, the . The North American model will no doubt be different, but the Tiida indeed previews what could be in store.
The next two models aren’t really a surprise – that big crossover is the that we’ve already seen in , and the middle car is the midsize Altima sedan. Moving one more space to the right, there’s a smaller CUV that is, without question, the next-generation . Lastly, that’s the new hanging out at the far right. The next Sentra has already been tipped to receive an Altima-like front fascia, and that’s immediately noticeable even under the white sheet.
The 2013 Pathfinder will go on sale later this year, following the launch of the new Altima. As for what’s next, your guess is as good as ours. As Car and Driver reports, the fact that Nissan has confirmed that one of these cars is the new Sentra makes us think it’ll be the next one to arrive, not to mention the fact that it’s the one most desperately in need of replacement.
A sale is a sale, right? Well, at least in the automotive world, that’s not entirely true. A sale to a regular consumer is, generally speaking and for a number of reasons, much more attractive to an automaker than a sale to a fleet company (sales to companies or the government, for instance).
With that in mind, it’s not surprising to hear America CEO John Krafcik tell Automotive News that his company is looking to cut its fleet sales in half to about 32,000 units while simultaneously increasing retail sales by 100,000. If Hyundai manages to achieve those goals, it would post a 10-percent sales increase in 2012.
