2011 Williams-Cosworth FW33 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Williams joined the cadre of Formula 1 teams testing and revealing their 2011 challengers at the Valencia test session, pulling the wraps off the new FW33.
Unlike rival team LotusRenault GP, which unveiled its new before rolling out the new F1 , Williams opted once again to run its new car at the test sessions in plain dark blue paint with minimal sponsor logos. The independent racing team is sticking with Cosworth power for 2011, but despite having developed a flywheel-based KERS apparatus for 2009 (which it never actually ran, but was supplied to ), Williams F1 switched to a new battery-based system that it ran for the first time at Valencia.
Otherwise, the Williams-Cosworth FW33 follows the same general idea as most of its Formula 1 rivals: a high nose with a sculpted engine cover and side pods. Rubens Barrichello returns to the wheel alongside newcomer (and reigning GP2 champion) Pastor Maldonado.
In a related development, Williams announced its plans to proceed with the IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, floating a little over a quarter of the shares while ensuring that Frank Williams remains controlling shareholder and team principal for years to come. Follow the jump for more details on the new FW33 Formula 1 racer and check out the high-resolution images of the car on track in the gallery below.
Mahindra Pik-Up – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s hard to understand how Indian truck/SUV maker could miss its fuel economy goal by one-third. Mahindra’s supposed U.S. distributor, Global Vehicles of Marietta, Ga. (which has been embroiled in an opera of lawsuits, name-calling and musical chairs management concerning its deal with the Indian manufacturer), has had an oft-stated goal of 30 mpg highway fuel economy for the clean diesel truck.
According to , however, the four-wheel-drive Mahindra TR40 crew-cab pickup with a four-cylinder diesel engine and automatic transmission has been rated by the EPA at only 19 mpg city/21 mpg highway. By comparison, the 4×4 2011 Dodge Dakota with a 3.7 liter V6 engine is rated at 14/18. The TR40’s miserable highway mileage doesn’t even match the 3.7 liter 4×2, which is rated at 16 city/23 highway. The 4×4 Ford Ranger, like the aforementioned Dodge, is rated at 14 city/18 highway. Mahindra’s compact pickup truck offers a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and a payload of 2,765 pounds.
and GV had been counting on the fuel economy angle to get on truck buyers’ radar. But the current differential between the Mahindra TR40 diesel truck’s mileage and that of the gas-powered competition is unlikely to turn heads or create headlines. Global Vehicles told : “Good fuel economy will be an important part of the truck’s appeal, and we’re eager to see the fuel economy for all of the models, especially the two-door, two-wheel-drive model, which Mahindra told us to expect would achieve close to 30 mpg.”
It’s hard to imagine Mahindra squeezing out nine additional highway miles per gallon just by stripping out the 4-wheel-drive system.
2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery
has big plans for the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. At the exposition opening this week, GM will unveil a pair of new vehicles, although details on what form they’ll take remain scarce.
The news comes from reports quoting GM’s North American president Mark Reuss. All he’s revealed at this point is that one of the two cars will be based on the ’s platform. That tells us it will be a front-engine/rear-drive vehicle, but little else. So, commence speculation: Camaro Z28? ? (Which we think should be called Chevelle, because hey, if Dodge can call its sedan Charger…)
As for the second car slated for the Windy City salon, your guess is as good as ours. So we’ll just have to sit tight and see what the General has got in store for us.
2011 McLaren MP4-26 – Click above for high-res image gallery
While rival Formula 1 teams unveiled their new 2011 challengers at or before the recently test session at Valencia, McLaren opted to run its 2010 F1 car instead. The reason? Ostensibly to focus on the varied effects the new Pirelli tires. This week in Berlin, however, the British Formula 1 outfit joined the field and took the wraps off its new racer, the MP4-26, revealing a number of innovative and radical design elements.
In the German capital, the team rolled out the car in pieces and put it together in front of the gathered crowd (not unlike the ). McLaren used a plastic engine and exhaust system so as not to reveal all their secrets, but what we do know is that MP4-26 F1 car features a longer-than-usual wheelbase, an even higher nosecone than its rivals, and odd U-shaped sidepods. That last feature is designed to channel cleaner air to the new rear wing in an effort to regain downforce lost from the regulatory elimination of the double diffuser.
The MP4-26 is also the first McLaren Formula 1 car designed to accomodate Jenson Button’s taller frame, since last year’s racer was largely finalized before his release from Brawn GP. McLaren remains secretive on the rest of the design, releasing only the handful of images you can see in the gallery below. Has McLaren got enough tricks up its sleeve to drive Button or Hamilton to another title? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Formula One teams take a huge risk when they let one of their star drivers contest other forms of motorsport during the offseason. Never mind questions of focus: crashes happen all the time in every motorsport discipline, and one false step can have disastrous consequences for both driver and team.
Renault, however, has long permitted Robert Kubica to have his run at rallying on the side. Not unlike Kimi Raikkonen, Kubica has been proving himself a competent rally driver, but his skills didn’t prevent him from suffering a high-speed crash today at the Ronde di Andora rally. This was the first time Kubica – fresh from topping the time sheets in the third F1 test session at Valencia – was driving a top-spec Super 2000 rally car, in this case a Skoda Fabia, which he crashed during the opening stage.
The Polish driver was airlifted to a local hospital, and though sources confirm that he remained conscious throughout, reports of multiple broken bones are circulating. This close to the opening of the 2011 F1 campaign, observers can’t help but wonder what will happen if Kubica isn’t well enough to start the season. Fortunately for the team, they’ve , including Bruno Senna, who is tipped as the top among them.
Of course we wish Kubica – who bounced back well from his spectacular crash at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix – a full and (characteristically) speedy recovery, and hope to see him back at the wheel in full health in short order. Follow the jump for the brief statement from Renault, and watch this space for more.
UPDATE: Lotus Renault GP reports that Kubica is undergoing surgery for multiple fractures to his right hand, arm and leg. Updated statement posted after the jump.
Formula One teams take an enormous risk when they let one of their star drivers contest other forms of motorsport on the side or in the off-season. Never mind questions of focus: crashes happen all the time in all sorts of motorsport disciplines, and one false step can have disastrous consequences for both driver and team.
Renault, however, has long permitted its star talent Robert Kubica to have his run at rallying on the side. Not unlike Kimi Raikkonen, Kubica has been proving himself a competent rally driver, but his skills didn’t prevent him from suffering a high-speed crash today at the Ronde di Andora rally. This was the first time Kubica – fresh from topping the time sheets in the third F1 test session at Valencia – was driving a top-spec Super 2000 rally car, in this case a Skoda Fabia, which he crashed during the opening stage.
The Polish driver has been airlifted to a local hospital, and though sources confirm that he has remained conscious throughout, reports of multiple broken bones are circulating. This close to the opening of the F1 season, observers can’t help but wonder what will happen if Kubica isn’t well enough to start the season. Fortunately for the team, they’ve , including Bruno Senna who is tipped as the top among them.
Of course we wish Kubica – who bounced back well from his spectacular crash at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix – a full and (characteristically) speedy recovery, and hope to see him back at the wheel in full health in short order. Follow the jump for the brief statement from Renault, and watch this space for more.
[Sources: Renault, ]
: Robert Kubica medevac’d from crash at Ronde di Andora Rally
Porsche 911 and Daytona go way back – Click above to watch video
and Daytona have a long history dating back to 1968, when the automaker won its first 24 Hours at Daytona. Porsche has spent the last 43 years dominating the event, leading all other manufacturers with 22 overall wins (38 victories total, when you add in class wins). Its closest competitor is , which has managed five.
Hurley Haywood knows a thing or two about driving Porsche racing cars. He’s responsible for putting five of the company’s 22 overall Daytona wins on the board (as well as a class win, to boot). Before the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours at Dayona, Haywood discussed the long history between the racetrack and Porsche’s sports cars. to watch the clip.
Hurst is thinking bigger for its next automotive offering. Rather than turning wrenches on the , or , Hurst has focused its attention to the pickup.
Starting with a 2011 Ram 1500 R/T regular-cab, Hurst adds its signature white-and-black paint scheme, badging, interior upgrades, Hurst colors on the factory 22-inch wheels, and a numbered dash plaque.
Looks are only part of the package. Hurst adds power underhood by fitting a supercharger to the Ram’s 5.7-liter Hemi V8, then adding a performance exhaust system. Unfortunately, we don’t have any figures yet. We’re anxious to hear what the Hurst Hemi Hauler is putting down to the pavement.
Only 50 of these sport trucks will be built annually, and each comes with a letter of authenticity. No word yet on pricing, but expect to pay more than $50,000 and less than $100,000.
TGMY electric conversion of the Mitsuoka Himiko – Click above to watch the video
The Himiko roadster has received an electric makeover that adds green cred to its retro-style allure. , the company responsible for the conversion, debuted the car at the show, and the two-seater got at least as much attention for how far it could go – the stated range is 341.8 miles – as it did for its looks.
Typically, the Himiko comes with the running gear found in the that it’s based on, but instead of a 2.0 liter DOHC gas engine and a 6-speed manual, TGMY’s version features an AC induction motor and controller from mated to a 2-speed gearbox from Shigehara Inc. The batteries that give the electric Himiko its industry-leading range are lithium polymer.
Orders are expected to be taken during the second half 2011. Hopefully by then we’ll have more details regarding specs, performance and pricing. For now, though, for video of the car being presented by company president Takashi Ashida. Thanks to David for the tip!
2012 Volkswagen Tiguan – Click above for high-res image gallery
While it won’t make its official debut until March 1st at the Geneva Motor Show, European customers can begin ordering the 2012 compact SUV right now. VW made this announcement and released a small set of official photos yesterday (a earlier in the week).
The base price for the freshened Tiguan, whose styling reflects the automaker’s new corporate design language, is set at €24,175 for the Trend & Fun trim, which features the 120-horsepower 1.4L four-cylinder TSI engine. Volkswagen says that it’s opening up ordering so far in advance because the old Tiguan is sold out due to its popularity. VW is also quick to point out that the new-look Tiguan’s base MSRP is unchanged from the previous version.
No other specs were released at this time, and we’re still in the dark as to the updated Tiguan’s U.S. launch timetable and pricing (we figure it’ll be on hand at the New York Auto Show in April). More info will likely become available as we get closer to Geneva. In the meantime, check out the high-res gallery of the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan below. VW’s press release is posted after the jump. Thanks to Kyle for the heads-up.
Are Formula One cars getting too sophisticated? A handful of drivers think so… and they’re beginning to speak out about the technology creep invading their vehicles. A modern F1 car utilizes aerodynamics that are adjustable on the fly and a steering wheel fitted with more buttons than Jenson’s last family reunion.
Mark Webber of Red Bull Racing feels that driving his car is akin to jailbreaking a phone. The drivers need 100% of their focus on the race, and pushing a button to adjust the rear spoiler can take away from that. Weber isn’t alone with these feelings as Rubens Barichello and Nico Rosberg have expressed similar sentiments.
Driving a Forumla One car is one of the most demanding jobs on the planet. It takes levels of concentration far above what the average person expands on another round of Angry Birds. Adding greater levels of sophistication and complexity sounds like it makes the already difficult task of keeping the machine on the road that much harder.
According to Automotive News, some analysts are accusing of sliding back into bad habits by boosting sales with heavy incentives. The report says that GM’s 22-percent sales jump in January was largely fueled by laying piles of cash on the hood. On average, GM handed out $3,762 per vehicle last month – the highest incentive figure of any of the six largest automakers. That number represents a 29-percent increase over the same month last year, and Edmunds.com analysts are concerned that the automaker has begun pushing too many models on dealers with plans to move them with incentives.
GM, meanwhile, says that while the company did institute a “modest” increase in incentives last month, it doesn’t plan on falling back into the rut of driving production with the cash. The company saw sales jump 19 percent, while and enjoyed a 32-percent increase, all of which were driven largely by more free-flowing consumer credit.
Bound to be faster and more furious than ever before, the fifth installment of the franchise is set to open in a theater near you on April 29, 2011.
Once again starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris, but with the addition of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, this is sure to kick off the summer movie season with a bang – not to mention lots of star power to get the kiddies interested.
The flick, cleverly titled Fast Five, just got its first movie poster. We see the two main stars in some unidentifiable muscle cars with very serious looks on their faces. Clearly, these men live their lives a quarter mile at a time. Click on the image to the left to enlarge.
Help pick Autoblog’s long-term Mini Countryman – Click each image for high-res version
When we found out that we’d be adding a to our long-term test fleet, our editors headed right to the to start building our perfect car. We all agree that we want the turbocharged Countryman S with the automaker’s All4 all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission, and we had no problem ticking the boxes for options like the sport, premium and cold weather packs, not to mention the new Mini Connected infotainment system. But when it came to decide on aesthetic things like interior and exterior color schemes, we hit a wall. With hundreds upon hundreds of possible build combinations, we just couldn’t agree on one car.
That’s where you come in. Our editors have narrowed down our Countryman configurations to four finalists, and we’re asking you, our readers, to decide which one will be invited to spend one year with the Autoblog staff. Again, the only differences between these vehicles are purely visual, consisting only of paint, roof, mirror, stripe and wheel colors on the exterior, and seat fabric, main color and accent color on the interior. It’s also important to note that the paint colors you see here appear slightly darker in the Mini configurator than they do in real life. Here’s the rundown:
Countryman #1 – Surf Blue, white roof, white mirrors, no bonnet stripes, 18-inch light silver alloy wheels, polar beige leather interior, carbon black interior accents
Countryman #2 – Bright Yellow, black roof, black mirrors, black bonnet stripes, 18-inch dark anthracite alloy wheels, light tobacco cloth/leather interior, carbon black interior accents
Countryman #3 – True Blue, white roof, white mirrors, white bonnet stripes, 18-inch light silver alloy wheels, light tobacco cloth/leather interior, polar beige interior accents
Countryman #4 – Oxford Green, white roof, white mirrors, 18-inch white alloy wheels, no bonnet stripes, polar beige leather interior, carbon black interior accents
We’re leaving the final decision up to all of you. Scroll down to vote in our poll for the Countryman that you want to see as Autoblog’s next long-term car. This poll will officially close on Monday, February 7 at 3:00 PM EST, at which point we’ll let Mini know which car has the most votes. You can also build your own ideal version at ; let us know what you come up with in the comments.
Our long-term Countryman order is in your hands. Choose wisely!
Mexico takes on Top Gear in animated form – Click above to watch video
It started with politically incorrect commentary from Jerermy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May; the hosting trio of the BBC’s Top Gear. When discussing the Mexican-built Mastretta MXT, the three quickly turned to s.
Shortly thereafter, the Mexican Ambassador didn’t find the spot humorous and complained to . Now this entire affair has reached the modern pinnacle of worldwide attention… it’s been (That’s right, you guessed it!) turned into a cartoon by . Finally!
to view Taiwan’s take on the the show’s falling out with Mexico. And remember, Top Gear can suck it!
42 MPG… That kind of lofty highway fuel economy is typically relegated to hybrids, clean diesels and subcompacts – not roomy four-door compact sedans.
Mercedes-Benz is throwing its hat into the Super Bowl advertising fray – for the first time ever – with a pretty new 60-second spot designed to celebrate the company’s 125th anniversary.
The 2011 Optima is apparently desirable to anyone and everything across time and space.
Also of interest:
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2012 Ferrari FF plays in the snow – Click above for high-res image gallery
is taking a bold leap with the unveiling of its brand-new 2012 FF all-wheel drive shooting-brake. The Italian automaker also understands basic accounting principles, noting that demand is currently high for any images or video of the four-passenger super wagon, yet yet supply is low. Helping satiate our requirement for a fix of the FF, Ferrari has released five additional photos of the car playing in the snow.
We would prefer to hear the wail of the 651-horsepower, 6.3-liter V12 engine, but we’ll take what we can get. Check out in the 2012 Ferrari FF exploring a winter wonderland in the gallery below.
Is a bicycle an electric vehicle? How about a ? These are some of the things that Americans claimed were hybrids, alternative-powered or plug-in electric vehicles on their tax forms, reports . What’s more, the false claimants managed to get $33 million back from the federal government. According to the daily, $33 million is about 20 percent of the $163.9 million total that has been claimed under the tax credit programs so far.
The information comes from a new report, published by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (read ), which found that the problem lies with the IRS, which apparently doesn’t have the “adequate procedures” required to ferret out which claims qualify and which don’t. The IRS responded by saying it, “has already implemented measures to address some of the problems highlighted in the report.” Okay, that’s all somewhat understandable, but a getting money back for a bicycle? We love bikes, seriously, but we’re pretty sure that they’re not cars…
has fired up a website for its new Shuttle. The B-segment fighter’s larger twin is set to use the same center-tank design as the smaller of the duo, which means that buyers can look forward to a surprising amount of interior room. While the extended hatch will come with a gasoline drivetrain, the engineers have also cooked up a hybrid variant for squeezing the most out of every last whisper of fuel.
Word from Honda is that the Fit Shuttle will get an official unveil in March, which leads us to believe that the new creation will show its face at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show next month. That said, don’t expect to see the Fit Shuttle on our shores. This machine is likely to keep itself tucked away as a JDM-only model, though there is some chance that the car will show up in Europe as well. You can check out the Japanese site .
20th Anniversary Mazda MX-5 Miata special edition – Click above for high-res image gallery
has announced that the automaker has turned out 900,000 units of its since the car first put tire to pavement in 1989. Of that astronomical number, a staggering 45 percent were sold here in North America, which means that 388,000 of the droptops have been shipped to our continent over the past 22 years.
Mazda attributes the vehicle’s success to its ability to adhere to what made the convertible a sales winner in the first place – offering basic sports car appeal with one of the highest fun-per-dollar ratios of any vehicle out there. Since 1989, the convertible has undergone two complete redesigns and a slew of minor updates along the way. The MX-5 crested the 500,000 unit mark back in 1999, and sales of the winsome roadster continue to march on impressively. Click to check out the full press release on the occasion for yourself. Thanks for the tip, The Typical Guy!
