Sure, you can enjoy the LMP1 race car, a and the deviously capable in the new April Alpinestars Pack for Forza Motorsport 4. But a little further down the list of ten cars are some delightful sleepers: the 1972 300 SEL 6.3 that would inaugurate AMG’s tuning and motorsports credentials (our personal favorite), the 1995 that cemented that model’s reputation, and the 1997 850 R that was still glowing from the wagon’s racing campaign in the British Touring Car Championship.
The pack will be available for 560 MS points on April 3 (or free for those with a Season Pass), and is rounded out by the Sport GT S, 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE, 1959 Eldorado Biarritz Convertible, and 2012 . You’ll want to watch the associated video trailer, so for that.
300 SEL 6.3 the star of Forza 4’s April Alpinestars Pack
Few know performance and racing like Jost Capito. The speed-obsessed auto exec started out developing high-performance engines for , then headed the motorsport department at before taking up senior management positions with the Sauber Formula One team.
He also won the Dakar rally as a co-pilot, but his most recent post has been with . There he oversaw the amalgamation of the company’s global performance divisions – including SVT in the States and RS in the UK – and ushered such vehicles as the , Focus RS, new Fiesta ST and the into production, all the while managing Ford’s effort in the World Rally Championship.
The Ford chapter in Capito’s considerable career, however, is drawing to a close as Dearborn has announced his departure and Wolfsburg his arrival. Effective May 1, Capito will be heading up Motorsport, taking over for Kris Nissen, who managed the back-to-back-to-back victories Volkswagen took at Dakar.
In his new capacity, Capito will presumably be running the company’s new WRC effort, but we wouldn’t mind seeing his footprint on the next generation of GTI and R models, either. for the official announcement.
Car companies worldwide have had a terrible track record creating cars that attract hip, young buyers. Despite all their best efforts to cater to the cool cats, the 18-24 demographic prefers to defy categorization.
But now it seems car companies have a new, more vexing problem. The 18-24 crowd doesn’t want cars at all.
General Motors knows all too well about its aging demographics and has turned to a creative new marketing firm to have a shot at bringing down the age of their average buyer. The firm is called and is part of MTV (owned by Viacom). Ross Martin, 37, is executive VP of Scratch and says 20-somethings really don’t even want a car.
“They think of a car as a giant bummer,” Martin tells the . “Think about your dashboard. It’s filled with nothing but bad news.”
Research showed 60% of 18-24 year-old drivers would choose Internet access over owning a car. To the Autoblog staff, that’s like asking them to choose between air and water. And if your dashboard is all bad news, you’re doing it wrong!
The New York Times story is full of tidbits about how GM and MTV are chasing the cool crowd, like how they’re trying to “General Motors with the same insights that made MTV reality shows like ‘Jersey Shore’ and ‘Teen Mom’ breakout hits.” Hmmm. Yeah, that oughta make recent college grads want to buy a .
Whatdya think? MTV still got enough cool cred to help transform the old gray General?
took the NFL Films crew to the 2008 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and with the footage gathered created the rather excellent documentary (it’s still free to view on and ). It turns out Audi took a crew to last year’s race as well, and soon we’ll be treated to the sequel, Truth in 24 II.
We’ll assume Audi had no idea how that race would end up being, with Allan McNish in one of three R18 Ultras out – literally – just two hours in, and a second Audi out six hours later. After a battle of fuel, tires and pit stops the fight with the Peugeot 908s went to the last lap, making the 2011 race the fourth closest Le Mans run in 79 editions.
A forum member at Ten-Tenths said “The film should be finalised over the next 8 weeks” and that it will deal much more with the race than the backstory. If that timing is correct, it should come just in time to get us ready for this year’s running.
has a lot riding on the 2012 . In addition to the , the Japanese automaker will show off its new and models, and these aren’t exactly minor updates.
Under the hood of 2.5i models will be a brand-new 2.5-liter DOHC boxer four that puts out 173 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque – improvements of three and four, respectively. Furthermore, the 2013 Legacy’s new engine and the latest version of Subaru’s CVT automatic gearbox achieve estimated fuel economy ratings of 24 miles per gallon city, 32 highway and 27 combined. That’s one mile per gallon better across the board, and a six-speed manual will also be available.
The Outback, which boasts 8.7 inches of ground clearance, will manage an estimated 24/30/26 mpg with the same drivetrain. Both models will be available with an optional 3.6-liter flat-six engine mated to a five-speed automatic that offers up 256 horsepower. All-wheel drive is, of course, standard.
Subaru’s new EyeSight driver-assist system, which integrates Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking and Vehicle Lane Departure Warning, will debut on the 2013 Legacy and Outback, and you can read plenty more about this technology . Bluetooth connectivity is also new, along with iPod controls and a USB port. A seven-inch navigation screen will be optional on top-end models.
Styling is tweaked a bit, with a new front fascia standing out as the most obvious change, and Subaru claims that the ride and handling have been improved thanks to a stiffer structure and revised suspension geometry. We’ll be sure to bring you live photos from New York, but in the meantime, check out the few shots released so far and the official press blasts for both models .
Pikes Peak. It’s one of the most grueling races in the world, climbing steeply uphill some 20 kilometers around 150 curves to the summit at 4,301 meters. These days the course is paved, but back in 1987 it was all dirt. That’s when the legendary Walter Röhrl drove the 600-horsepower Sport Quattro S1 up the mountain in a blistering 10:48. Sure, others have done it quicker since, but they’ve done it on pavement whereas Röhrl did it in the dirt.
Twenty-five years later, Audi is bringing Röhrl and his mighty S1 back to Pikes Peak for a high-speed trip up memory lane. The pseudo reenactment will take place on July 8, but for those not planning a trip to Colorado this summer but are heading to Germany this week, the car is on display at Techno Classica, the mega classic car expo in Essen, with Röhrl himself on hand Sunday, March 25. Details in the press release , and feel free to click on the image above to enlarge.
As a European auto giant with a strong presence in the North American market, there are some products that the group doesn’t offer on this side of the pond. Like the entire Skoda and Seat brands, for example. With the exception of the Scirocco, there aren’t many that we really feel like we’re missing over here. That, and perhaps the Skoda Yeti.
Highly praised by a publication so performance-oriented as Evo (among many others), the Yeti is said to be an excellent little sport-ute, and a cost-effective one at that. And no, there are no plans we’re aware of to bring it Stateside. But as if to rub salt in the wound of its absence from American showrooms, Volkswagen’s Czech brand has announced a new version of the capable soft-roader in the UK.
Called the Skoda Yeti Urban, the special edition is based on the SE trim level but features a number of special touches and optional extras bundled in. Two-tone black and chrome 17-inch alloys, fog lights, flared fenders, and an interior with black or red sports seats and a whole mess of electronics are all part of the package, available with either a 1.2-liter TSI with 104 horsepower or (for a premium) a 108hp 2.0-liter TDI.
British buyers – or 750 of them, anyway – can also choose between black, white, silver or grey, but the Yeti Urban can be had only in front-wheel drive with a manual. Check it out in the high-res image gallery and the press release .
Few rivalries are as heated as that between the and the . And with both models having recently been updated, Evo magazine has taken the updated GT-R and the new 911 Carrera S to the Bedford Autodrome for a little head-on-head action. And who better to put in front of the camera and behind the wheel than Tiff Needell, the longtime Fifth Gear co-host who’s now doing a series of video tests for the magazine British enthusiasts love best.
Now if you’re thinking that the GT-R really ought to be compared to the 911 Turbo and not the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera S, well, you’re probably right. Particularly since Nissan hiked the price on its latest performance flagship to nearly $100,000. But Porsche hasn’t released the turbocharged version of its latest 911, so the Carrera S will have to do. Skip to see how they compare, as well as which one is Tiff’s favorite.
We’re already familiar with the infotainment system that’s slowly making its way across the brand’s entire portfolio, but today, we were able to get our first look at the next big feature being added to ‘ Bowtie tech. First available on the and , GogoLink is a smartphone-based app that works with the car’s touch-screen display to provide a fully functional navigation feature to the MyLink system.
We spent some time with Sara LeBlanc, GM’s program manager for global infotainment systems, who showed us exactly how the GogoLink app works. When your smartphone is tethered to the car, the app can be launched from the MyLink interface and works just like any other high-quality navigation system. GogoLink includes things like points of interest, 3D mapping, emergency information (police, fire, etc.), local search via Google and live traffic details. Disconnect your phone from the car, and your maps and routes are available right on your phone. (Note: Even though that last part doesn’t show up in the video, trust us, it works.)
Pricing for the GogoLink app has not been announced as of this writing, and will be confirmed closer to the system’s on-sale date this fall. The 2013 Spark will go on sale before the GogoLink app is available, so the first round of Sparks will require a simple MyLink upgrade that can be installed for free at Chevy dealers.
Now, take a closer look at the MyLink head unit in the video below – there’s no CD player. LeBlanc provided this explanation for us:
We talked to our Sonic and Spark customers and we asked them about the features they were looking for. They wanted connectivity. They said, “We have all that music on our smartphone, can’t you just find a way to transfer it? We don’t want CDs. We don’t use that.”
Of course, LeBlanc assures us that this is only for the Sonic and Spark MyLink system right now. The rest of the Chevrolet products will continue to be offered with CD players.
The MyLink system with GogoLink arrives this fall, and pricing has yet to be announced as of this writing. for a tour of the new system, as well as the official release from GM.
The Toyota Hilux can attribute a fair portion of the its celebrity to the Top Gear crew’s exuberant doting. After attempting to destroy the truck via a smattering of inhumane methods, traversing the frozen wastes of Antarctica and braving the fires of Icelandic volcanoes, the show has given the globe-conquering more love than nearly any other model.
It looks as if that won’t slow down anytime soon. According to Toyota, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond will once again take to the wheel of a specially-prepared Hilux for an all new challenge.
Just what will that task entail? Toyota is keeping its mouth shut at the moment, and Top Gear isn’t typically one for spilling secrets early. Judging by the photos, however, it appears as if the vehicle will need to withstand substantial water crossings and support the trio for at least one night in the wild. Color us excited. for some of the vehicle’s finer moments on the show.
Williams without Frank Williams just wouldn’t be Williams, but the elderly, wheelchair-bound founder of the eponymous Formula One team knows he can’t be running things forever. That’s where Adam Parr came in, but now he’s on his way out.
Parr joined Williams back in 2006 as chief executive officer, was subsequently promoted to chairman in 2010, and was seen by many – including Sir Frank himself – as a potential successor to take over the team when the founder was ready to retire. Under his direction, Parr oversaw a comprehensive restructuring of the team’s technical staff, a new engine supply deal with Renault, the team’s emergence as a hybrid powertrain consultant outside the sport, and the company’s IPO.
However, Williams has officially announced that Parr is stepping down and leaving the company. In his place will be appointed Nick Rose, a board member of Williams Grand Prix Holdings and a former CFO of liquor giant Diageo. No word on where Parr will be headed next – the statement alludes only to his desire to find “a better balance in his life” – or the real reason behind his departure, but it looks like Sir Frank will have to find a new successor.
It’s been two years since the , and now the first fruits of that labor are about to be unveiled. The joint venture will sell a line of electric vehicles under the Denza brand name, starting with the E6 built on the platform from the first-generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class, a preview of which is shown above in a .
is said to be handling design and chassis duties, while BYD is developing the lithium-ion phosphate cells and driveline that will occupy the sandwich floor. Prototypes have been , at least 40 of which have racked up nearly two million miles as taxis. Range is said to be up to 186 miles, and we should get a first look at the real thing at next month’s .
Even at a team like (which has more grand prix victories to its name than any other team in Formula One – 217 to be specific), every win counts. Especially these days when they’re far more scarce than they were in the Michael Schumacher days of back-to-back championships. So when Fernando Alonso took home the checkered flag in Malaysia this past weekend, there was cause for celebration in Maranello.
After winning the second race of the season and taking the lead in the standings, Alonso swung by Ferrari headquarters for a nice long chat with chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, some training in the on-site gym and the traditional raising of the flag to mark the occasion, after which the two-time world champion apparently was gifted a brand-spankin’ new .
Whether the four-seat, all-wheel-drive, V12-powered shooting brake was a bonus outlined in his contract or a simple gesture of appreciation from his employers is likely known only by Alonso, Montezemolo and very few others, but either way, we doubt Fernando is complaining. The FF joins a growing stable of cars the star driver has received since signing with Ferrari, including a custom , a , an and a special edition . Nice work if you can get it.
As impressive as the is, someone at Shelby apparently thought 950 horsepower wasn’t good enough. With a few clicks of the mouse, a photo of one of the muscled-up pony cars was given a little drama to boost excitement.
At first, was that nothing in the photo was altered except shadows and that, yes, the super Shelby’s front end did in fact lift several inches off the ground in the photo you see above.
But anyone with at least one good eye can see several problems. Apparently, that does not include the Autoblog staff. We totally missed it, but one of our attentive readers, , caught it well before anyone else.
First, there’s an odd blur just beneath the front passenger side tire and just a sliver remains of the tire that was airbrushed out. If you’re gonna fake a photo, show some skill.
Second, a wheelstand would be virtually impossible to do with that much horsepower on street tires.
Third, check out those rear tires. They’re standing stock still and, as another reader, , points out, there’s light showing through the tread. The rear tires aren’t digging into the tarmac at all.
Shelby, rightly, now admits to that the front wheels were lifted not by a super powerful engine, but instead by super powerful photo manipulation software. Why, Shelby, why? You had us at 950 hp!
At this point, we’ve salivated all we can salivate over this year’s Easter Jeep Safari Moab concepts. The and Mighty FC will always hold a special place in our hearts, and now has released a video describing how the vehicles will help shape future product development. While it’s no surprise we won’t see a new Forward Control lounging on dealer lots any time soon, Jeep may shift some of the paint options shown on the concepts to production. Jeep famously brought the portal axles found under the Mighty FC concept to the Mopar accessory catalog after receiving such a strong reception at last year’s East Jeep Safari, and other elements of the concepts may become a reality as well.
The biq question, of course, is whether or not Jeep will ever make the leap to building a legitimate small pickup. The company’s executives have repeatedly acknowledged consumer demand for a diesel-powered model of that ilk in the past, and the company says that it is currently taking those views into consideration as it develops the next generation . That means that we won’t be seeing the J-12 on the street any time soon, either. to see the video for yourself.
The is off to an impressive sales start in Japan. According to Subaru, the two-door is besting the automaker’s sales projections by wide margins. As of right now, has sold 3,551 of the coupes, which is around four times the company’s estimates. Fuji Heavy Industries put out a very conservative number of 450 units per month as a sales goal for the BRZ before the vehicle hit the market.
Perhaps more interesting is the fact that a whopping 60 percent of buyers are under 40 years old, and two-thirds of all BRZ owners are opting for the six-speed manual gearbox. Those numbers are particularly impressive given the reports indicating a declining interest in cars and driving in Japan’s youth. According to the company, over a quarter of buyers are under 30.
BRZ sales kick off in the U.S. on April 20, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see similar demand levels in our neck of the woods, at least initially. .
Not to be outdone today by Ford’s debut of a , has taken the wraps off its redesigned .
The big news is all up front, where the 2013 Traverse features what Chevy is calling the new face of its crossover utility vehicles. It includes a three-bar upper and two-bar lower grille design, as well as a “powerdome” hood, though no changes have been made to the direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 underneath. Though everything was redesigned ahead of the A-pillars, the rest of the body was left alone until you reach the D-pillars. Aft of those you’ll find a redesigned rear end with new taillights and liftgate and a relocated license plate pocket.
Chevy has tinkered with the interior too, but not much. The Traverse’s biggest selling point has always been its voluminous interior passenger and cargo space, and that hasn’t changed. The most noteworthy addition inside is that of MyLink, GM’s branded infotainment system that supports Bluetooth voice and audio, as well as apps like Pandora and Stitcher.
Minor suspension adjustments round out the rather short list of changes for this mid-cycle refresh. The segment’s current leader is the aforementioned , which sold around 135,000 units last year. The Traverse wasn’t too far behind with sales surpassing 107,000 units. Our guess is that these 2013 model year changes probably aren’t enough to unseat the Explorer, but should be enough to keep the Traverse selling well in this quickly growing segment.
has just revealed its to the assembled media in Dearborn ahead of its debut. And while the 350-horsepower, 350-pound-foot-of-torque crossover will be the performance capstone for the nameplate, Autoblog has learned that the Sport also previews a number of subtle performance updates that will roll out throughout the entire range for the new model year.
The Sport isn’t just an engine upgrade and appearance modifications – there are meaningful tweaks across the entire vehicle.
Among those changes is a new solid mount for its electric power steering rack, a move designed to take some of the slop out of the system and deliver more accurate direction changes (the Sport also receives its own unique boost tuning to add both quickness and heft). In addition, engineers have gone over the Explorer’s suspension and steering, fitting new ball- and steering joints, with the goal of increased stiffness so that shock and bushing tuning can be more finely adjusted. The result, say Ford officials, is a better controlled vehicle – one that allows for greater performance differentiation model to model (Sport versus XLT, say) through simple tuning of the vehicle’s compliant bits.
To be clear, the Explorer Sport stops well short of a full-on performance model like the – Ford itself suggests likely competitors include the and its . Even so, the Sport isn’t just an engine upgrade and appearance modifications – there are meaningful tweaks across the entire vehicle, including everything from a 3.16:1 final drive ratio to a water-cooled Power Take Off faceplate cooler that keeps the standard all-wheel-drive system at proper operating temps when it’s being worked harder by those 350 pound-feet.
Ford says the Sport knocks a full two seconds off the 0-60 time of other models.
Apparently Ford has learned its lesson based on feedback it received from (a vehicle that shares much of this CUV’s architecture and drivetrain). Like the , the Explorer Sport has received a brake upgrade, moving from 13.1-inch rotors to 13.8 inches. In addition, the discs themselves are thicker, leading to a 22-percent increase in stopping power. That’s good news, because Ford says the Sport knocks a full two seconds off the 0-60 time of other models, but it declined to cite a hard number.
Other Sport-specific hardware changes include a throatier dual exhaust with large polished tips, a reworked Terrain Management System to take advantage of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine’s extra torque in all conditions, as well as larger shock tower braces and a new cross tunnel brace for added rigidity.
Ford says it sold 135,000 Explorers last year, and fully 50 percent of those were conquest buyers. Of that percentage, 12 percent were luxury brand converts, so Ford is clearly betting that the 2013 Sport’s augmented performance and style can yield even more higher-end transaction prices.
It’s going to be a big year for , which will soon be reloading its model lineup with the new and XTS sedans. The compact slots in below the , while the larger 2013 XTS aims to take care of traditional Caddy buyers looking for immensity above all else. While at diametrical ends of the spectrum, the two new models will share a technology package that all revolves around a new seat.
General Motors is throwing around fifty-cent words like “haptic” and phrases like “directional tactile sensation” to describe its new Safety Alert Seat, which vibrates to warn the driver of potential dangers like wandering out of one’s lane. The seat employs two electric motors to create its directional feedback, and it’s at the center of both safety packages Cadillac will be introducing this year. The first is aimed at merely providing the driver with safety alerts, while a more comprehensive suite will also offer vehicle intervention. Cadillac is using six radar sensors, eight ultrasonic sensors and two vision cameras to drive the new safety systems.
The Driver Awareness Package will debut with the launch of the XTS in the spring and offers the seat, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. In the fall, Cadillac will begin offering the Driver Assist Package, which adds Adaptive Cruise Control, Front and Rear Automatic Braking, and Automatic Collision Preparation. Both packages will also be offered on the crossover, details of which we expect to hear about at the . Click to read more and to view two demonstration videos.
Being a bus driver in China must be awful. Lots of traffic, lots of people, no tipping. And the job has just gotten worse in Jinghua, where a bus company has instructed its drivers to please stop hitting expensive supercars.
To illustrate the point, with supercar logos to watch out for and how much the associated cars were worth. Hit a Lamborghini, you’ll be out 5 million yuan (almost $800,000 USD). And right there, the last vestige of fun was taken away from the under-appreciated Chinese bus driver.
The poster even includes the logo, which can’t possibly be all that common in China. Odder still is the omission of the insignia, which we take to mean it’s open season on Boxsters and Caymans.
Few know performance and racing like 
Car companies worldwide have had a terrible track record creating 
