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Volkswagen is bringing its diesel-powered Passat Alltrack to the States after all. But don’t get too excited – it’s only coming in the form of a concept car at the New York Auto Show. At least, for now.

We last saw the Alltrack at the Tokyo Motor Show in November where VW announced that it would offer the all-wheel-drive wagon in the UK with two versions of the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-four. The engines are rated at 138 and 168 horsepower, the smaller of which is available with a manual transmission.

Despite the fact that the Tokyo show car was a full-on production model, VW is calling the New York-bound Alltrack a concept to presumably gauge the U.S. public’s perception. If Americans seem open to the Alltrack, it would be a welcome alternative to Audi’s pricey Allroad and granola-flavored Subarus.

Check out our Tokyo Motor Show gallery below, and scroll down for the official press blast. Be sure to tell us if you think the Passat Alltrack should come to the states in our poll, as well.

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Continue reading VW bringing Passat Alltrak to New York as a concept [w/poll]

VW bringing Passat Alltrak to New York as a concept [w/poll]

Ford must be expecting the 2013 Fusion to be a hit when it arrives in showrooms this fall. As a way to make sure that demand won’t outstrip production, Ford is investing $1.3 billion in its Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly facility. Hermosillo currently employs over 3,300 workers, and as part of its investment, Ford will be adding 1,000 new jobs in order to handle production of the 2013 Fusion and its Lincoln MKZ twin.

The Fusion, with its wide range of powertrains and exceptional fuel economy, has mainstream sedan-watchers eager for seat time, and the Lincoln MKZ will be a direct beneficiary of the work done on the Fusion. Ford isn’t saying what its production capacity will be rising to after the upgrades are completed, but the company clearly wants to have enough available for every interested buyer. Scroll down for the official press release.

Continue reading Ford investing $1.3B in Mexican plant that builds Fusion, MKZ

Ford investing $1.3B in Mexican plant that builds Fusion, MKZ

Garmin, a company known largely for its aftermarket navigation systems, will officially debut its first factory-installed in-car infotainment system at this week’s New York Auto Show. In the past, Garmin has partnered with some automakers to offer pop-up navi systems as an affordable solution to buyers who want the functionality in their vehicles. This new system, which will be available in most 2013 model year Suzukis, now offers a full suite of infotainment tech.

The Garmin interface uses a 6.1-inch touch-screen display that fully incorporates all audio functions, as well as Bluetooth, backup camera support and, of course, navigation. There’s even a way to operate Pandora, though the app will run via a connected smartphone. The system also has full voice control functionality for all of its applications.

Additionally, this new infotainment system can provide real-time information such as traffic, weather, dynamic parking and fuel prices via the Android-based Garmin Smartphone Link app. The company says that Smartphone Link works off of the customer’s existing data plan, so users don’t have to shell out any extra money for additional data.

We’ll be checking out the new Garmin infotainment system this week at the New York Auto Show, so stay tuned for more impressions. For the full details, scroll down to read Garmin’s official press release.

Continue reading Garmin’s first factory-installed nav units will be offered by Suzuki

Garmin’s first factory-installed nav units will be offered by Suzuki

We’ve seen some dumb ideas before, but this one may take the cake. The post-jump video shows what happens when a dragster that should stick to the strip goes on a track that requires a mild left turn. Actually, this “track” looks more like the cart path at the local golf course, except most owners wouldn’t put the path this close to a ditch.

Of course the dragster ends up in said ditch, and we’re thinking the driver is mighty lucky that his car rolled back into the upright position, or he could have been in a heap of trouble. Hit the jump to watch the video for yourself, if only to enjoy the second vantage point of the crash, which shows just how useless a steering wheel can be in a drag car.

Continue reading This is why drag racers should stay on dragstrips

This is why drag racers should stay on dragstrips

This week, the racing yacht VOR70 Maserati finished its run from Miami to New York City. Intended as a record attempt, skipper Giovanni Soldini elected not to have the final time of the transit ratified because he didn’t feel it was reflective of the real speed Maserati is capable of. (The boat had to deal with several weather systems on its way up from Florida, which slowed it. Another attempt at a better time will be made in the future.)

With the boat spending a few days at Manhattan’s North Cove marina, just outside the World Financial Center, Maserati invited us down to take a look in person. Maserati, a 70-foot, carbon-fiber monohull, contested the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race under a different moniker. It was subsequently overhauled, had its weight distribution adjusted, and made 10 percent lighter, after which it was reintroduced in its current form, with Maserati as its primary sponsor.

It’s capable of traveling at an incredible 40 knots under sail (hence the 46 mph reference in the headline), and what’s striking about Maserati in person is that in addition to the hull itself, almost everything else on board is made of carbon fiber: the wheels at the helm, the mast, the grinders and winches, and so on. I pointed at one of the big winches on deck and asked watch leader Brad Van Liew, “How much is that?”

“Around $80,000,” he answered. The whole boat apparently cost around $8,000,000. It’s the state of the art, and if you’re in Manhattan, you might still be able to check it out in person. It’s due to head out on another speed record attempt (destination: Cape Lizard, UK) in the coming days.

If you want to follow the ongoing exploits of VOR70 Maserati, bookmark Maserati.Soldini.it for news, blogs, video, the crew’s Twitter feeds, and more.

An $8 million “Maserati” that goes 46 mph

Here it is, folks. This is the car that was under cover in the spy shots we showed you a few days ago, and it’s going to be called the Fisker Atlantic when it debuts this week at the New York Auto Show. These two images of the car appeared today on a Czech website, and the rear shot clearly shows a license plate bearing the name “Atlantic.”

Previously called Project Nina, the Atlantic will slot in Fisker’s fledgeling lineup below the Karma, and reportedly cost considerably less. While any talk of pricing is just a guess at this point, rumor has it the Atlantic will be about half the price of the Karma, putting it squarely in the $45,000-$55,000 range. It’s a plug-in series hybrid, just like its big brother, but the Atlantic will reportedly use a turbocharged four-cylinder from BMW as its range-extending generator.

We’ll have more detailed information about the Atlantic when it officially debuts at the New York Auto Show this week, so come back for our live show coverage on Wednesday and Thursday, April 4-5.

Project Nina revealed as Fisker Atlantic, images leak early

It appears the right-wing wall against the Chevrolet Volt is starting to crumble. Following months of beating on the Volt, Fox News aired a puff piece on how great the Volt is earlier this week. Now we hear that former president George H.W. Bush has purchased a Volt for his son Neil as a birthday present. As our friend Chelsea Sexton said on Twitter, “Can’t wait to see what Fox News makes of that!”

In a sense, the Bush family should be among the first to buy one of GM’s plug-in hybrids, since the $7,500 federal tax credit that the car qualifies for was put into place during President George W. Bush’s second term. Since President Obama has also promised to buy a Volt when he gets out of office, that makes the Volt a vehicle that presidents from both major American parties can agree on.

Happy Birthday! President George H.W. Bush buys son Neil a Chevy Volt

10,000 General Motors owners can make an impact.

After being confronted with a petition against the money that the GM Foundation gave to the Heartland Institute – known as one of the biggest funders of climate-change denial – following an exposé on DeSmogBlog, CEO Dan Akerson said earlier this month that he would review the situation. Based on a press release put out by the group that organized the petition, Forecast the Facts, it appears that GM will no longer give the Heartland Institute any money. In 2011, the GM Foundation donated $15,000.

Forecast the Facts’ petition was signed by over 20,000 people, including 10,000 who own or owned a GM vehicle. Following the announcement, Forecast the Facts campaign director, Daniel Souweine, said in a statement, that, “We applaud GM’s decision and the message it sends: that it is no longer acceptable for corporations to promote the denial of climate change, and that support for an organization like Heartland is not in line with GM’s values.”

Continue reading GM ends donations to climate-change-denying Heartland Institute

GM ends donations to climate-change-denying Heartland Institute

Much like Mini at its launch, Fiat remains largely a one-model make (here in the United States, that is). While that may not change anytime soon in the U.S., there are rumblings that the model lineup in Canada could expand.

Buoyed by sales proportionately larger above the 49th Parallel than below it, Fiat is apparently plans to add the new Panda (pictured above) and the aging Punto to the Canadian market. Coupled with the expected arrival of the 500L in Fiat “studios” both in Canada and the United States, suddenly the availability of affordable Italian cars looks on the up in the country where Sergio Marchionne was schooled.

Fiat to expand Canadian lineup with Panda and Punto?

Much like Mini at its launch, Fiat remains largely a one-model make (here in the United States, that is). While that may not change anytime soon in the U.S., there are rumblings that the model lineup in Canada could expand.

Buoyed by sales proportionately larger above the 49th Parallel than below it, Fiat is apparently plans to add the new Panda (pictured above) and the aging Punto to the Canadian market. Coupled with the expected arrival of the 500L in Fiat “studios” both in Canada and the United States, suddenly the availability of affordable Italian cars looks on the up in the country where Sergio Marchionne was schooled.

Fiat to expand Canadian lineup with Panda and Punto?

Much like Mini at its launch, Fiat remains largely a one-model make (here in the United States, that is). While that may not change anytime soon in the U.S., there are rumblings that the model lineup in Canada could expand.

Buoyed by sales proportionately larger above the 49th Parallel than below it, Fiat is apparently plans to add the new Panda (pictured above) and the aging Punto to the Canadian market. Coupled with the expected arrival of the 500L in Fiat “studios” both in Canada and the United States, suddenly the availability of affordable Italian cars looks on the up in the country where Sergio Marchionne was schooled.

Fiat to expand Canadian lineup with Panda and Punto?

Much like Mini at its launch, Fiat remains largely a one-model make (here in the United States, that is). While that may not change anytime soon in the U.S., there are rumblings that the model lineup in Canada could expand.

Buoyed by sales proportionately larger above the 49th Parallel than below it, Fiat is apparently plans to add the new Panda (pictured above) and the aging Punto to the Canadian market. Coupled with the expected arrival of the 500L in Fiat “studios” both in Canada and the United States, suddenly the availability of affordable Italian cars looks on the up in the country where Sergio Marchionne was schooled.

Fiat to expand Canadian lineup with Panda and Punto?

Soon Ferrari will disocntinue the 599 as it ushers the new F12 Berlinetta into production, but until then the GTO holds its place as king of the hill. So before the ultimate incarnation of the 599 is swept off into retirement, Romeo Ferraris has developed a series of enhancements to the Ferrari flagship.

Given that Maranello has put just about everything it has into the 599 GTO, there wasn’t a lot of room to play around. So the tuner has released two small upgrades. Stage 1 encompasses a new air filter and exhaust for a 15-horsepower boost, while the Stage 2 kit remaps the ECU as well for 40-horsepower upgrade to bring overall output up to 710 hp – putting the final iteration of the 599 within spitting distance of its replacement’s 740 hp.

A series of extra carbon fiber components are also offered, but Romeo Ferraris apparently holds enough reverence for the donor cars to keep the modifications to a minimum.

Romeo Ferraris tweaks the Ferrari 599 GTO

We pity the fool who don’t think this is cool. Put aside the celebrity provenance of this “authentic replica,” allegedly “certified” by George Barris, for now and just take a look at the thing. It appears to be a spot-on knock-off of B.A. Baracus’ bad attitude van, the perfect midlife-crisis toy for anyone who grew up watching The A-Team. Imagine how cool it would be to drop the kids off at school in this?

Okay, the traffic snarl during drop-off time won’t clear out any faster, but when it comes to “manly vans,” you can’t top this custom 1983 Chevrolet G10. Wait, what’s that you say? B.A. drove a GMC? Of course he did. But this is a replica, and one that seems to have been built from a nearly identical Chevy donor.

The seller claims the van was built for none other than Mike Myers, he of Wayne’s World and Austin Powers fame. We’d like to see some documentation of this celebrity provenance, though it’s not the sort of thing that we’d see too much value in, regardless. We’re also curious about the last line of the sale ad: “Movie coming out in June!” It was back in June 2010 that the A-Team feature film debuted, which makes us think the seller might be willing to deal on his $20,000 price.

Find of the Day: “Authentic” A-Team van replica commissioned by Mike Myers

BMW i, the sub-brand within BMW with its eye towards the future of mobility, has unveiled its third concept, the i8 Spyder. Based on the i8 coupe that debuted last year alongside the i3 city car, the i8 Spyder is at once an obvious followup, but also appears to be a couple of steps closer to the production models that will eventually go on sale to the public.

Like the coupe, the i8 Spyder is a plug-in through-the-road hybrid with a 96 kW (131 horsepower) electric motor up front powering the front axle and a mid-mounted turbocharged three-cylinder gas engine (presumably with a displacement of 1.5 liters like the coupe) producing 223 hp that powers the rear. A pack of lithium-ion batteries are located in a center tunnel between the two power sources, which together can produce a total system output of 354 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. On electricity alone, the i8 Spyder can travel about 19 miles before the gas engine turns on to recharge the batteries. BMW says the system is good for 94 miles per gallon on the Imperial cycle, which converts to upwards of 78 miles per gallon on our own EPA cycle.

The beauty of the i8 Spyder’s drivetrain is the car can be front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive depending on whether efficiency, performance or all-weather traction is called for. Like the coupe, the i8 Spyder also features a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and BMW claims to have completely cancelled out the extra weight of the hybrid drivetrain through extensive use of lightweight materials like carbon fiber and aluminum. Performance is also impressive, with 0-62 mph happening in five seconds and a top speed governed at 155 mph.

Not everything between the coupe and spyder is the same, though. The i8 Spyder has a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length. Its upward-swiveling, windowless doors are also different. The car’s developers have also whimsically included a pair of electric scooters underneath a glass panel in the rear. Aside from a few more exterior tweaks to accommodate the open air design, which can be closed again with a two-section folding roof, the rest of the i8 Spyder is identical to the coupe, including the interior that features a slightly warmer choice of colors.

Scroll down for the official specs and info from BMW, and stay tuned while we hunt down the i8 Spyder for some in-person impressions. Though BMW makes no mention of its appearance at next week’s New York Auto Show, the timing of this debut suggests it will be there.

Continue reading BMW i8 Spyder pops the top on future mobility

BMW i8 Spyder pops the top on future mobility

“Fleet” is sort of a dirty word when describing vehicle sales, and the Detroit Three have traditionally been quite smitten with bulk buyers. Unfortunately fleet sales have been demonized for a reason. They can adversely affect resale values, and since fleet buyers tend to expect warehouse store pricing, they’re obviously not great for the bottom line, either. But one automaker seems more than happy to sell to fleets: Ford.

Bloomberg reports that a larger percentage of Ford’s overall sales are going to fleets, rising from 22 percent of in 2006 to 27 percent in 2011. Of those vehicles, 41 percent reportedly went to the likes of Hertz and Enterprise. That leaves the rest of the sales at the local, state and federal level, plus a smattering of commercial buyers. In other words, needy customers with cash in hand. And those buyers tend to want high-margin rides like trucks, crossovers and SUVs; vehicles Ford make money on.

Ford fleet director Kevin Koswick tells Bloomberg that the automaker knows what it’s doing, adding “I don’t see it as an issue as long as you manage your fleet and you’re balanced in what you do.”

Ford defends ballooning fleet sales

We’re big fans of the Volkswagen bus, from the original Type 2 and its descendants, to the Vanagon that replaced it, and even the front-drive Eurovan. While VW hasn’t sold one of these in the U.S. since it discontinued the Eurovan in 2003, the rest of the world has enjoyed the Transporter T5 for the past decade. The VWs are immensely popular camper vans in Europe (especially those with pop-top roofs), and the novel Doubleback conversion shown above takes the formula to another level.

With an electric, slide-out rear pod similar to what you find on many modern RVs, the Doubleback can extend a Transporter by an additional six-and-a-half feet, offering an entire rear bedroom. The company says the extra room adds only 286 pounds to the vehicle’s curb weight and extends in under 45 seconds. The conversion eliminates any rear seating, so your camper will be a two-seater, or you can get a front bench installed to fit an extra passenger in the middle.

At today’s exchange rates, the Doubleback sells for about $87,975, including British taxes, or the company can convert your vehicle. Be sure to check out the photo gallery to see more of this cool bus.

The Doubleback fits a big RV into a small space

Sales of the RAV4 are down five percent so far in 2012, but that won’t stop Toyota from increasing North American production. Automotive News reports that Toyota will spend $80 million to retool its Woodstock, Ontario plant to increase production from 150,000 crossovers per year to 200,000. The increased production will also lead to the hiring of an additional 400 workers at the plant.

Some speculate that Toyota is ramping up North American production to combat the high Japanese yen. Only 13 percent of the RAV4s sold in North America in 2012 have been Japanese imports. Toyota has steadily decreased its reliance on Japanese plants in general; it’s only building 35 percent of its vehicles in Japan this year, compared to 53 percent in 2006.

Toyota spokeswoman Carly Schaffner tells AN that there are currently no plans to build the RAV4 exclusively in North America. Schaffner says that the reason for the production increase is that Toyota is finally able to get enough supplies to the plants after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan a year ago. That said, Toyota has already moved all Highlander production to North America and could do likewise for the RAV4 if localized demand for it warrants a similar move.

It’s also important to remember that the RAV4, basically unchanged for several years, is due for a makeover, so the plant upgrade might coincide with a model refresh.

Toyota to ramp up Canadian production of RAV4

Nobody packs it in like the Geneva Motor Show. Every spring, the exposition boasts more debuts than we could count on all the fingers on all our hands combined.

It’s a mind-boggling venture to cover it all, but with this year’s show now behind us, it’s time to look back on all there was. And for that reason, CarBuzz.com has put together this nifty infographic that catalogs all the new cars unveiled at the Swiss expo this year and arranges them all by color. This year’s predominant colors? Silver and white. Check out the rainbow in all its colorful, expandable glory after the jump.

Continue reading Infographic colorizes the Geneva Motor Show

Infographic colorizes the Geneva Motor Show

Cash-strapped enthusiasts may not have had much to get all sticky over from Camp Toyota in recent years, but the automaker’s new GT 86 / Scion FR-S coupe promises to mine a rich paystreak of driving enjoyment. And while we’re big (okay, huge) fans of the car’s low-speed dynamic thrills, not every enthusiast is so forgiving of its rather middling power and acceleration figures. We knew it wouldn’t take long for the aftermarket to remedy this perceived power deficit with things like forced induction and ECU reflashes, but we foolishly expected a full engine swap to take a bit longer than it apparently has.

What you’re looking at here is Manabu “Max” Orido’s Toyota GT 86 prepped for drifting in D1 Grand Prix events. In this case, that means the two-door has been gutted and stuffed with the 5.0-liter V8 from the Lexus IS F, one of Toyota’s more emotive offerings thanks to its honkin’ great eight.

Orido’s GT 86 is shown here undergoing shakedown testing, and from the looks of things, the transplant appears to be going rather swimmingly. At first glance, we even dig the more aggressive widebody look, lack of paint and all. Check it out for yourself below, and be sure to have your speakers on.

Continue reading Well That Didn’t Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing

Well That Didn’t Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing