You know things are rough when you have to sell your corporate headquarters to raise some cash. But that’s just what PSA Peugeot-Citroën did this week, unloading its Parisian office building for about $327 million, according to Automotive News.
The 48-year-old headquarters is located in Paris’ central business district, not far from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. According to the report, the French carmaker will continue to lease the building from its new owner, Ivanhoe Cambridge, a real estate subsidiary of Canadian pension fund management company Quebec Deposit and Investment Fund.
This latest move follows several efforts by PSA Peugeot-Citroën to reduce debt, cut costs and boost profitability. Last fall, it and in January it . In February, it announced a plan to liquidate assets and agreed to sell a seven-percent stake to General Motors, as part of that could help both car companies trim costs through shared purchasing.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ryan Leaf last Friday and charged with being in possession of prescription Oxycodone pills that weren’t his. Three days after posting a $76,000 bond, the Associated Press says he’s been arrested again.
According to the report, the owners of a Great Falls, Montana home came home to find a “tall man with an athletic build” and shiny shoes waiting for them. The police report says the man stated he was in the wrong house and left.
The wrong house part is the most interesting part of this story for Autoblog readers, because police say they searched Ryan Leaf’s truck and, whaddaya know, the fallen quarterback’s GPS showed he had been in the driveway of that Great Falls house at the same time the owners claim. Leaf’s navigation system data also suggests he pulled into between five and ten other driveways in the neighborhood. Whoops.
Leaf is charged with two felony counts of burglary, two felony counts of criminal possession of a dangerous drug, two misdemeanor counts of theft and a probation violation.
To be clear, Leaf remains innocent until proven guilty. Heck, maybe he was just following the real thief from house to house trying to do a favor for the police. Great Falls indeed.
Though it’s never going to post particularly impressive sales figures, the is, at least to us driving enthusiasts, the most important debut at the 2012 . As such, it comes as little surprise that has done its best to keep its new snake under cover ahead of its official debut.
Despite those efforts, here we have what appears to be photographs snapped during a video presentation showing the 2013 SRT Viper looking rather sinister in crimson. Based on previous , , and other , these pics sure look like the real thing, and the reborn Viper looks just as venomous as ever.
There’s plenty of inspiration drawn from the first and second generations of the Dodge Viper, especially the gorgeous Coupe model, but we also note a fair bit of European flair courtesy of the automaker’s recent tie-up with Italy’s . Some of the coupe’s sinuous and feminine curves recall the Alfa Romeo 8C in particular.
You won’t have to wait long for the 2013 Viper’s official debut, as the New York Auto Show gets underway tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to browse the image gallery above and let us know what you think of the new Viper in Comments.
Episode #276 of the is here, and this week, Chris, Zach and Dan cover the known knowns so far at the , the ChevroletCamaro 1LE, and the 2013 Ford Explorer Sport. 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
Hosts: , ,
Runtime: 01:17:04
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It boasts the best highway fuel economy for any non-hybrid midsize sedan: 38 miles per gallon.
Perhaps more than most people realize, the is a hugely important car here in the United States. In 2011, it was the second best-selling car in the country (trailing its classmate, the ), and with the launch of this fifth-generation Altima, appears to simply be going for an evolutionary enhancement rather than completely reinventing its successful midsize sedan formula.
That said, this step forward for the Altima should make it more competitive than ever in one of the most highly shopped segments of North America’s automotive marketplace. Nissan has not only been able to shed enough weight to make the Altima the lightest car in its class, it now boasts the best highway fuel economy for any non-hybrid midsize sedan: 38 miles per gallon when paired with the 182-horsepower 2.5-liter inline-four. Combine that with a new rear suspension setup, class-exclusive driving aids such as Active Understeer Control and a slew of new infotainment functionality, and Nissan’s midsizer looks to have what it takes to keep running with the segment’s best.
for an in-depth look at what’s in store for the 2013 Altima.
Another chapter has been written in the comeback story of , which reported a 69.7-percent sales increase in March compared to a year earlier. We’re starting to wonder, though, what will happen if gas prices continue rising. If consumers begin to shift their tastes back to smaller, more fuel efficient cars, Chrysler will find itself without much to offer. The promising is coming but not here yet, and Chrysler doesn’t offer any passenger vehicles as hybrids or diesels. The is of course available with a diesel, but we doubt consumers will flock to it for a respite from rising fuel costs.
also had a good month of sales in March. Actually, it had the best month of sales in its history of selling cars in the U.S. Nearly all of its high-volume products are selling well, while the is picking up momentum and adding all-new sales to the mix. Soon, the completely redesigned will go on sale, which means this new all-time sales record likely won’t last long. Its Korean counterpart, , also enjoyed its best month ever.
A couple of automakers who seem to be teetering on the edge of trouble are General Motors and . GM can be happy with positive performances last month from and , but and continue to falter and find themselves on the very bottom of our sales chart trends this month. Honda, meanwhile, hasn’t seemed to have found its footing as well as rival , despite both companies reporting that their production lines are completely restored following a year of disruptive natural disasters.
Check out how the rest of the industry did in our monthly sales chart below, and visit our By the Numbers section to see all past months.
*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 28 selling days in March 2012 versus 27 selling days in March 2011, so there will be a difference between monthly sales volume and the average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.
, but the is now history. While is still building out the model run, it has closed ordering and “all cars are spoken for,” according to Car and Driver.
The report comes from the magazine’s European correspondent, so we assume any remaining cars are destined to remain in Europe, meaning that our friends across the Atlantic are just now catching up to our situation here. Perhaps this news should come as no surprise, as the 1 Series M Coupe was sold in the U.S. for just a single model year, 2011.
Of course, if your heart is set on owning one of fewer than 1,000 1 Series M Coupes that were offered in the States, the only thing standing between you and your dream is money. We imagine values of these cars will not depreciate much (the at the moment has been essentially bid up to MSRP), though whether the 1 Series M Coupe will achieve the cult status of the remains to be seen.
Toyota has been teasing us with of the redesigned 2013 over the last month, and now we get to see its modest makeover just before the vehicle’s debut.
The new, less fussy grille is the first thing you’ll notice. Fewer horizontal bars above the bumper and a chrome accent goes some way toward below classing up the crossutilitywagon thing. The headlamps are new, and the fog lights have also been blacked out with chrome accent ring. Finishing off the new light fixtures are reworked door mirrors fitted with the obligatory built-in turn signals.
In back, the taillights have been slightly updated, but everything else seems to be much the same as the 2012 model. Venzas can now be ordered in Attitude Black, Cypress Pearl and Cosmic Gray Mica.
Interior changes also seem to be minimal except for updated steering wheel buttons and the option of adding Toyota’s package that integrates your smart phone with the vehicle’s dashboard display. The interior is also available in black for 2013.
Engine choices stay the same, with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter V6 on offer.
Check the for more photos and to the press release for more details.
We’ve long maintained that we live in the best era of automotive history to date. Today’s vehicles are safer, more efficient, faster, more powerful and more controllable than ever before.
Need proof? In an age dominated by talk of ever tighter fuel economy regulations, buyers now have access to a staggering number of vehicles with more than 500 horsepower. Just 10 years ago, if you wanted to bring home a showroom stock vehicle with that kind of power, your options were limited to either the or the Lamborghini Murcielago. Now there are over 70 models with that kind of grunt on tap.
All told, there are over eighteen brands with at least one 500+hp model for sale in their ranks right now. Even better, those dyno numbers are being accomplished with smaller, more fuel-efficient engines. While most of the big-power vehicles come from European brands like , and , General Motors and have also entered the fray lately. will do the same with the company’s soon-to-be-unveiled SRT Viper.
Interestingly enough, buyers have an even loftier horsepower goal to look toward these days. Of every car sold in the U.S., just 13 produce more than 600 horsepower.
We love crazy promotional videos with hair-raising stunts that seem to defy gravity, and this particular spot certainly checks all those boxes. has teamed up with The Demon Drome crew to determine if its can successfully whirl around a motor drome.
The motor drome is essentially a cylinder about 30 feet in diameter with wooden planks that are positioned at an impossible angle. Trained men and women have traditionally used motorcycles in these stunts, but the Japanese automaker evidently thought its tiny Mazda2 would be an ideal four-wheeled replacement.
We knew the Mazda2 was nimble, but this is pretty sweet. to watch the video for yourself… and try not to be alarmed by the demonic-sounding backwards talk.
Despite the unusually warm winter we’re having this year, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have Jessi and Patrick check ice racing off . So we sent them to New York to meet our good friend and ice-racing expert, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens, for an inside look at this very special and frigid sport. Thanks to the courtesy of the , they were able to get in and complete their objective before the warm temperatures returned the track back into a lake.
As Tim explains in the episode, the great thing about ice racing is the amount of time you actually spend racing. And with two classes that cover both stock and modified vehicles, anyone can race with whatever they’ve got in their garage. But as Jessi and Patrick learn, racing on ice is easier said than done.
to watch The List #0032: Go Ice Racing.
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The has been a boon for since it arrived in 2007, with impressive sales complemented by profitable transaction prices. And even though the big Buick has gone without a refresh since its debut, the Enclave managed its best year ever in 2011, with a segment-leading 58,000 units sold.
Buick is hoping to stretch that streak with the Enclave’s first refresh for 2013. The tweaked three-row crossover will receive several updates, starting with a new front fascia that includes a black chrome waterfall grille and redesigned hood. The front also includes a new headlight design with standard Xenon headlamps and LED daytime running lights. Out back, the 2013 Enclave features new LED taillights and a fresh design with integrated exhaust outlets.
Overall, the exterior redesign is evolutionary, but more dramatic changes await inside. The Enclave’s cabin was fast becoming outdated, but Buick upped its game with a fresh dash that includes more modern-looking materials and contemporary center stack. There are also tasteful wood treatments, a smattering of chrome accents and attractive stitching throughout. The cabin also features blue LED ambient lighting that accentuates the size of this voluminous crossover.
The 2013 Enclave will also inherit Buick’s IntelliLink infotainment system, which offers a brilliant LCD and interactivity with smart phones via Bluetooth and USB connections. The Enclave also features tri-zone climate control and an industry-first front center airbag for additional crash protection.
Buick engineers hasn’t made any changes to the tried-and-true 3.6-liter V6 or the six-speed automatic, but the ride and handling setup has been given a bit of love. The front and rear dampers were revised for a smoother ride, with adjustments that also ensure big bumps don’t loosen your fillings. The ride has also received more “Quiet Tuning,” (read: insulation) which keeps even more unwanted road noise out of the re-imagined cabin than before.
The 2013 Buick Enclave will make its official debut at the tomorrow. Scroll down to read over the press release from Buick and peruse official high-resolution images in the gallery above.
Google Maps has reinstated the feature letting you know how long a trip will take in current traffic. According to Autoblog’s sister site, Engadget, the previous algorithm didn’t pass muster, so the updated calculations uses both historical and current traffic conditions to arrive at an estimated time of arrival. It appears on the journeys for which information is available beneath the no-traffic estimate.
If the map can’t find information on your chosen roads, you can assist The Goog and your fellow travelers by turning on if you have a Google Maps for Android. Your phone – and a bunch of others – will update home base as to your velocities and help fill in those traffic blanks.
is getting in on the diesel craze with its first diesel-powered vehicle ever offered in the U.S. The 2013 will be available with a turbo-diesel V6 option pumping out 240 horsepower, permanent all-wheel drive and a staggering 406 lb-ft of trailer-towing torque. That’s enough power to propel the super-SUV to 60 in 7.2 seconds and 135 miles per hour on the track. That’ll outrun your neighbor’s base Cayenne by .2 seconds, but don’t try to take on a Cayenne Turbo (0-60 in 4.4 seconds).
Porsche says the diesel’s estimated fuel economy numbers are 20 city / 28 highway. The offers the same diesel engine but with 15 fewer horses and EPA estimates of 19/28 mpg. Bad news, however, for anyone who likes shifting their own gears. Looks like only the 8-speed Tiptronic will be available with the diesel.
While the least-expensive Cayenne will set you back at least $48,850, adding the diesel engine runs the base price up to $55,750. That’s not too bad when you consider the platform-sharing Touareg TDI starts at just below $47k and runs all the way up to $59k for the Executive level VW.
Car spotters can ID the latest Cayenne variant by the “Diesel” badges behind the front wheel wells.
Check out the gallery above for more pics and for the official details from Porsche.
It takes but six months to crown a new American Idol, but the search for a replacement New York City taxi has taken five years, and is finally ready to collect its flowers and contract.
The production taxi version of the NV200 is, except for its looks, just about all a cabbie and his passenger could want from their voyages together: more room, more lighting, a panoramic roof, airbags front and rear, climate control for back-seaters, charging ports and an active carbon headliner to absorb odors are just the start.
We’ve seen , but the is where locals will get a chance to meet their lemony carriages before they enter service next year. A mobility version for disabled passengers is being developed with Braun and will go on sale next year as well. for the full skinny on the Taxi of Tomorrow, and click the image above to enlarge.
debuts production NV200 “Taxi of Tomorrow” for New Yorkers
The LA Weekly reports there may have been more to the viral news story of a police officer who ended up with his legs in the air in the back seat of a after a traffic collision. Following an 18-month investigation, prosecutors have officially dropped the three misdemeanor assault charges against driver Brian Hitchcock after the man’s lawyers discovered Hermosa, California officer Anthony Parente had a history of questionable accidents and hefty workers’ compensation claims.
Hitchcock was charged with assault, reckless driving and a third misdemeanor after Parente accused the man of speeding in the parking lane, swerving in front of the officer and then jamming on his brakes once Parente hit his lights and sirens. The bike then struck the BMW, catapulting Parente into the rear seats of the vehicle. The two had been next to each other at a stop light moments earlier.
But Hitchcock reportedly maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, saying he accelerated normally and never cut the motorcycle off. Eye witnesses corroborated his version of the story, and Hitchcock’s lawyers found Parente had filed for workmans’ compensation six times in recent years, three of which were in his four years with the Inglewood School Police Department where he served before joining the Hermosa Beach Police Department in 2005.
Furthermore, Hitchcock’s lawyers discovered Parente had allegedly pulled a similar stunt with a cop car after ramming one Peter Brown. Brown’s insurance paid Parente’s claim. Hithcock’s did not, with the man vowing to fight the charges tooth-and-nail in court. Parente, meanwhile, is currently on medical leave with workman’s compensation for soft tissue damage some 20 months after the accident.
We’re almost ready to record Episode #276 of the Autoblog Podcast, and you can check out the topics below, add your own to the and join us live via , as well, and we’ve embedded our UStream player . Thanks for listening!
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #276
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, which Ford hopes will turn around its stagnant luxury brand. Based on the that was at the , the production version looks largely unchanged except for practical concessions like visible door handles and larger side mirrors. Whether or not the new look, described by Lincoln Design director Max Wolff as “elegant simplicity,” will resonate with buyers remains to be seen, but it has the Autoblog team split right down the middle.
Where the 2013 MKZ sets itself apart most from rivals are its suite of driving and safety technologies.
We’re all in agreement, however, about the improved interior design, especially the Push Button Shift gear selector that makes for a smooth, uncluttered center console. The MKZ will of course be available with SYNC and MyLincoln Touch, which are complemented by a large 10.1-inch LCD instrument cluster and 8-inch center touchscreen. The interior is covered wall-to-wall in leather, real wood trim and metal accents, and Active Noise Control, which cancels out offending audibles, is standard equipment. Optional is a unique 15.2-foot Retractable Panoramic Roof that takes sunroofs to the extreme.
Three powertrains will be available for the MKZ at launch. Standard is a turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine producing 240 horsepower (on premium fuel) and 270 lb-ft of torque while returning 22 mpg city / 33 mpg highway. More power is available via a 3.7-liter V6 generating 300 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, which returns 18 mpg city / 26 mpg hwy. The MKZ Hybrid is also back offering a combined output of 188 hp from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder and electric drivetrain. EPA estimates aren’t available for the MKZ Hybrid, but Lincoln says it should remain America’s most fuel-efficient premium sedan. All-wheel drive is an option for both non-hybrid models, which also receive six-speed automatic transmissions and paddle shifters, while the MKZ Hybrid is front-wheel-drive only with a CVT.
Where the 2013 MKZ will set itself apart most from rivals are its suite of driving and safety technologies. First up is Lincoln Drive Control, which effectively coordinates every system on the car to continually refine the ride and handling in real time. The most interesting of these systems is the Continually Controlled Damping suspension system, which offers normal, comfort and sport modes and activately adjusts the dampers up to 50 times per second.
As for safety, the MKZ may set a new benchmark for the number of sensors onboard. There’s a mono-vision camera integrated into the rearview mirror to read lane markers on the road, radar sensors for the adaptive cruise control and active Collision Warning with Brake Support, and more short-range wide-angle radar sensors for help with parking and backing up. The MKZ will also class-exclusive inflatable second-row seatbelts that compliment the eight airbags located elsewhere around the vehicle.
We’re very eager to see the 2013 Lincoln MKZ in person at the New York Auto Show this week, so until we can bring you our own in-person live shots, take a look at the gallery above and scroll down for Lincoln’s official press release.
put nine of its own engineers inside of a new car they helped create, the , so they could experience its capabilities for themselves. Nothing out of the ordinary there, but Ford also thoughtfully put NASCAR driver Carl Edwards in the driver’s seat, and it turns out that the boffins didn’t realize how capable their car was until the Sprint Cup driver showed them.
In a new series of TV and internet spots called “Rocket Science,” Edwards spends most of his time going tire-smoking sideways while engineers discuss the features of the hotted-up all-wheel drive Taurus, like the blind-spot assistance system and its 475-mile range. There’s a press release with the particulars, but you’ll want to click to check out the vids showing a string of very nervous engineers in the hands of a very professional driver on a very closed course.
It’s that time of year again. April Fools’ came and went over the weekend, and a handful of the world’s automakers joined in on a little Spring time fun. From intelligent anti-theft devices and TSA-inspired driver aids to automated NASCAR racers and high-performance hybrids, this year’s raft of pranks were as good as any we’ve seen in past years. With April 1 falling on a Sunday, we saw fewer wise-cracking creations than before, but that didn’t spoil the fun, so we thought we’d recap them for your enjoyment.
took the cake this year with the company’s Cowley Caravan and Swindon Roof Top Tent. The automaker went through the trouble of working up a full press release, complete with 20 photos and translations into a wide range of languages. We’ll admit to being a little disappointed when we discovered the add-ons were a clever rouse. We’ll just have to scrap our plans for a Mini safari. For now.
You know things are rough when you have to sell your corporate headquarters to raise some cash. But that’s just what PSA Peugeot-Citroën did this week, unloading its Parisian office building for about $327 million, according to Automotive News.
Another chapter has been written in the comeback story of , which reported a 69.7-percent sales increase in March compared to a year earlier. We’re starting to wonder, though, what will happen if gas prices continue rising. If consumers begin to shift their tastes back to smaller, more fuel efficient cars, Chrysler will find itself without much to offer. The promising is coming but not here yet, and Chrysler doesn’t offer any passenger vehicles as hybrids or diesels. The is of course available with a diesel, but we doubt consumers will flock to it for a respite from rising fuel costs.
