Nikolai Smolenski’s tenure as owner of TVR, the formerly revered maker of hairy-chested British sports cars, is nothing if not quizzical. He bought the company from late founder Peter Wheeler when it was in trouble, didn’t do much with it, declared it bankrupt to clear its debts, then bought the company out of bankruptcy. Since then there’s been little news save for a legal battle with and a couple of hints about to power the firm’s next car.
The V8 issue has finally been decided: the Corvette’s 638-horsepower LS9. The car it will go in is to be called the MD-1. A new question that has arisen, however, based on Smolenski’s comment that he wants to “draw a line under the Wheeler era once and for all.” Will the car be at all British? The MD-1 is being developed by a UK firm, but Smolenski says production could go to the Continent or South Africa just as easily.
Would a German-built, American-engined TVR still be a TVR like the Griffith and Chimera (or the Tasmin shown above)? Smolenski thinks TVR fans wouldn’t think so, but he doesn’t much care. He says, “What’s important is to remain faithful to your brand values” no matter where you are. The MD-1 is expected to arrive in 2012, with just 250 made annually.
White Lake F1 Ring slot car track – Click above to watch video
Ah, enthusiasts. Damn the torpedoes, time and money; when the dedicated maven decides to make something of his own, he doesn’t just do it a little. Hence, when James-Michael Gregory Harlan of Pontiac, Michigan wanted a slot car track as long as his name, he made it himself and called it the White Lake Formula 1 Ring.
An exhibit designer by trade, Harlan brought his massive skills to the endeavor by creating a track he believes “comprised many of the challenges one might encounter on a modern F1 circuit.” Hermann Tilke should take notes. The track itself is CNC routed on the AC2car system that lets two cars run on the same slot – giving racers a chance to pass each other using the lane changers.
Built in a 20-square-foot space, the ring is 1/32-scale, the lap is 145 feet long, and it features 19 turns and 2.5 feet of elevation change. Surrounding it is a hand-built and painted environment that includes pit lanes, a helipad and crane, bleachers and viewing towers, and lights for night racing. It comes as no surprise that he’s been working on it for years. You can see the fruits of his labor in the video and the gallery of high-res photos below. Once you’re done with those, be sure to check out even more pics on .
V-Vehicles started making noises back in 2006 about building an environmentally friendly car that ran on compressed natural gas, and doing it here in the U.S. The company is backed by oilman billionaire T. Boone Pickens and the VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the latter of which also backs Fisker. Its head designer is Tom Matano of Mazda Miata and RX-7 fame. In May of this year, Pickens was still talking about the car being on the way, even though all anyone’s ever seen of it is a few teased angles, like the headlight above.
It looks like things are finally getting serious, though. V-Vehicles had planned to build its car in a former General Motors plant in Louisiana, but that fell through. Now the company’s been rechristened Next Autoworks and the top spot has been taken by Kathleen Ligocki, whose resume includes top positions at Ford, Tower Automotive and Mexico’s GS Salinas. It’ll probably be a while before Next is in a position to announce anything, but with an experienced auto and turnaround veteran in the lead, they’ve got a much better chance of hanging around at all.
The 2010 British International Motor Show in March 2009 due to the industry troubles inflicted as a result of a steep sales drop. There were hopes that the show could return for 2012, but they’ve been dashed. The UK Press Association reports that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has decided to one again cancel the biennial show. Chief executive Paul Everitt says that in recent years, BIMS had less influence on customers’ buying decisions, adding that “vehicle manufacturers are focusing their limited resources on events and activities that have a more direct impact on brand awareness and consumer decisions.”
Will the British Motor Show ever again see the light of day? Sadly, two consecutive cancellations since the 2008 exhibition lead us to believe that it’s very unlikely.
Thinking of buying a 2011 ? If so, you’ll soon have the ability to watch it come together before your eyes; Saab is installing cameras in its Trollhättan factory. Customers will receive text messages with photos of their cars as they reach certain points in the assembly line. Eventually, Saab plans to add a real-timevideo feed of the cars being built. This sounds way more interesting than most reality television shows.
In addition to the cameras going in, Saab will soon offer customers the opportunity to take delivery of their cars right from the factory. The automaker says it is moving back towards building cars with a more personal touch, by manufacturing cars to order rather than churning out a steady stream of vehicles.
Ferrari 458 Italia – Click above to vote in our design poll
How does one grade automakers on their design skills? Our friends at Car and Drivergave it a shot using the not-so-scientific “eyeball test,” with grades getting bumped up or down based on the use of proven design talent.
C/D graded 20 automakers in all, giving out four As, 11 Bs, two Cs, a D and two grades of incomplete. got a top score thanks to the intensely hot-looking 458 Italia. / also came up big for hits like the new , while more mainstream and each managed an A thanks to their leaps in design quality.
and were each given an incomplete thanks to some very recent changes at the top of their respective design management teams. / came up short, receiving the only D of the group, prompting author Phil Patton to ask if there were recalls for dullness. Ouch. for all the design grades, and for a poll on the best designs for a mainline manufacturer.
Ferrari 458 Italia – Click above to vote in our design poll
How does one grade automakers on their design skills? Our friends at Car and Drivergave it a shot using the not-so-scientific “eyeball test,” with grades getting bumped up or down based on the use of proven design talent.
C/D graded 20 automakers in all, giving out four As, 11 Bs, two Cs, a D and two grades of incomplete. got a top score thanks to the intensely hot-looking 458 Italia. / also came up big for hits like the new , while more mainstream and each managed an A thanks to their leaps in design quality.
and were each given an incomplete thanks to some very recent changes at the top of their respective design management teams. / came up short, receiving the only D of the group, prompting author Phil Patton to ask if there were recalls for dullness. Ouch. for all the design grades, and for a poll on the best designs for a main line manufacturer.
Claymation ad for the 2011 Land Rover Freeland 2/LR2 – Click above to watch video
is getting ready to roll out a new ad campaign in support of the . You might expect Land Rover to go the traditional route of glamorous clean shots of the car mixed with a flurry of scenes highlighting its off-road capability. That’s not the case here, as it has decided to go in another direction… a rather squishy one at that.
Land Rover is harnessing the advertising power of claymation to promote the new . The “star” of the commercial, besides the little luxury utility vehicle, is a character by the name of Clay Mason. The Mason character discusses his past claymation acting history, his tough work schedule on this shoot and what it was like to drive the 2011 LR2. It’s actually a little on the creepy side…
The spot took five weeks to shoot and then another four weeks were required for editing and production. There’s an astonishing two-tons of modeling clay on display, and the team built a fully operational scale LR2 model for the shoot. It will air in the United Kingdom starting January 2011. The clip, along with a making-of video, is available for your viewing pleasure .
Hero car K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider is for sale – Click above for high-res image gallery
For sale – Celebrity car. One lightly used crime-stopper of a coupe, has go-fast looks with a fuel-efficient powertrain. If you want attention, this is the car for you. Valued between $25,000 and $35,000.
Looking to add some celebrity “muscle” to your garage? Profiles In History is hosting a Hollywood memorabilia auction and lot #122 is one of two hero cars from the modern version of Knight Rider. Surely you recall the series… our very own Alex Nunez sat through every single episode to provide you with details of what was going on.
In the updated show, which first aired in 2008, K.I.T.T. is a that wears Shelby GT500KR parts. The car in this auction has all those parts, inside and out, except it falls short one kind of important aspect: there’s no supercharged V8 underhood… or any V8 at all for that matter. And it’s not even the . Inside the engine bay sits the old 4.0-liter unit and it’s paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. That’s right… this K.I.T.T. is all show and no go.
Sadly, the most interesting thing about this car is that it also includes the wooosh-wooosh signature Knight Rider sweeping red light up front. Even that would get old quickly. Buying this car does have its benefits though, as the auction proceeds are being put towards a children’s charity. The auction is a one-day affair scheduled for November 6th, 2010 at The Globe Theater in Universal Studios. David Hasselhoff sold separately.
We’re living in the future, and it’s a place stocked with a blazingly-quick, fully capable and quasi-efficient SUV from Germany with love.
Subaru Forester S-Edition concept previews what the automaker says is “an exciting development in our Forester range” set to debut early next year. Consider our interest piqued.
“Conan” premieres November 8th at 11pm on TBS. Watch the funnyman drive a ‘69 Dodge Dart off a cliff. Oh yeah: Dynamite, fireworks and popcorn… oh my!
has begun its PR assault to attempt to assure its customers that the Cygnet is more than a gussied-up Toyota iQ. The company just released a new video detailing exactly what makes the compact fit into the Aston Martin bloodline. Brace yourself for an onslaught of terms like “tailor fit” and “owner-customized.” As with the rest of the company’s products, buyers will be able to slather their Cygnet in a bevy of custom interior materials and colors, as well as an array of exterior paint colors. We’re even assured that the pint-size Aston will smell like the real deal.
And to think we were worried.
All jesting aside, the Cygnet should help Aston Martin significantly raise its average corporate fuel economy in preparation for ever stricter emissions regulations. Still, we don’t exactly see James Bond getting the girl from behind the wheel of this thing. to see the video for yourself.
In the market for a ? Lord knows has more than enough variants to choose from. And a fair few of them – like the and the – draw their inspiration from 911s of yore. But if those aren’t to your liking, venerable tuning house Ruf has a new option at your disposal.
Ruf calls it a Roadster, but it takes its cues (as well as its form) from the original 1967 Porsche 911 Targa. The Ruf Roadster features a solid roll bar that offers the structural rigidity of a coupe with a variety of configurations for open-air driving. Because the roof panels and rear window can be removed separately, the Roadster can be driven with the roof open and the rear closed, the rear open and the roof closed, or completely open or closed. You could even take one of the split roof panels off to let the sun shine in on the driver while keeping the front-seat passenger sheltered.
Buyers can choose from naturally aspirated (400-horsepower) or turbocharged (560hp) engines, with prices starting at €195,000 (approximately $275k at today’s conversion rates). Hey, nobody said flexibility came cheap.
Toyota teases the new Prius MPV – Click above to watch the video
Recently, to the family during its 10th anniversary party for the automaker’s infamous hybrid. Now, Toyota has tweeted that the new vehicle, which obviously takes the shape of a -sized MPV, will make its official debut at the 2011 in January.
Rumors have suggested that the Prius MPV will offer seating for seven via three rows of perches, though there’s no word on whether or not the larger Prius variant will use sliding doors or stick to a more -like shape. Expect the Prius’ powertrain to be slightly revised for MPV duty, as well, probably with a few more lithium-ion batteries on hand to keep things extremely economical. We’ll know more come January, but for now, to see a video of the Prius MPV’s teaser billboard coming to life.
2010 Dodge Ram HD – Click above for high-res image gallery
Owners of and pickups are being asked to head to their nearest dealership. The trucks are part of a recall focusing on a label printed with incorrect information. For some vehicles, the tire-pressure label lists incorrect weight or seating capacity information. If the inaccurate information on the labels is followed, it could lead to safety issues as a result of improperly loaded trucks.
New labels will be installed free of charge at your nearest dealership. The recall is scheduled to begin this month (October 2010). For more information, take a look at the press release posted .
Gallery:
Photos copyright (C)2009 Chris Shunk / AOL
[Source: ]
Honda VFR Adventure Concept – Click above to enlarge
is planning to debut an arsenal of eight bikes in Milan, and we may have our first inclination of what to expect from at least one of the machines. Behold the VFR Adventure Concept – a 1200cc behemoth designed to cater to those who like the style of dual-sport tourer but loathe the notion of actually heading off of the beaten path. Think more along the lines of the Ducati Multistrada than the KTM 990 Adventure.
As of right now, details are remarkably scarce about what to expect from the machine, though some seem to think that the bike will likely show up as a 2012 production model.
So what does the VFR Adventure bring to the table over the current VFR? From what we can see, it looks like riders can expect a slightly taller stance with more ground clearance and a skimpier fairing, but not much else. Honda has been pretty tricky about letting this one out of the bag, keeping news of the concept to its European press site. Does that mean that American buyers won’t be able to get their gloves on this one? Hard telling.
BMW is returning to the DTM – Click above for high-res image
has announced that it will once again knock fenders in the DTM. The company has said that it will make its way back to the race series for the 2012 season after a lengthy 18-year absence. The German automaker is in the process of restructuring its involvement in motorsport, and DTM is going to play a key part in that effort.
According to the company’s press release, BMW has been in talks with DTM organizers for some time about future regulations and technical requirements. After it began to look like the brand would in fact be welcome in the series once again, BMW broke the news to fans at the DTM race weekend at Hockenheimring.
So far, it looks like the will be the bruiser of choice for going toe-to-toe with the rest of the field, but as of right now, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be behind the tiller when the green flag drops on the company team. Stay tuned and for the full press release.
has issued a recall for 392,409 2009 and 2010 Chevrolet Impalas. The issue at hand lies with front seatbelt anchors. A number of Impalas may have front belts that were not properly secured to the anchor pretensioner mounted nearest to the door. In a crash, this could cause the seatbelt anchor to separate and not act very much like a safety feature.
There have been no reported injuries to date and GM is ready to fix this free of charge at your nearest dealer. Both front anchors will be inspected and, if need be, replaced. Impala owners will be notified of this recall by mail, on or around October 25th, 2010. For more information, take a look at the press release .
has just released its annual sustainability report – a tome that delves into everything from the company’s air-conditioning habits and the environmental impact of its individual models to the health of its employees. Needless to say, there are plenty of revelations stacked into the report, but one of the most surprising is that Toyota employees are now less likely to smoke and be obese than they were four years ago. According to Automotive News, only 36 percent of the company’s workers are likely to smoke occasionally compared to 42 percent in 2006. Likewise, the number of overweight employees fell from 28.5 percent to 24.7 percent this year.
In addition, the company revealed that its using recycled snow to cool its Hakkaido facility during the summer, helping to drop the factory’s ambient temperature by 14 degrees. Apparently the workers aren’t sweating out that weight…
Toyota also revealed that while the produces fewer emissions once it’s on the road, the manufacturing process for the hybrid yields greater than average nonmethane hydrocarbons and particulate matter compared to the rest of the company’s fleet. Head over to AN for a full recap of the report.
The is set to have a little extra (and very well deserved, we may add) time in the spot light. The slinky machine has been chosen to headline Australia’s first international concours d’elegance at the end of this month, where it will be joined by classic and exotic vehicles from around the world. Holden first debuted the Efijy back in 2005, and the car immediately garnered praise from hot rod fans and designers alike thanks to its ’50s-inspired lines and otherworldly powertrain. You see, under that retro skin sits a thoroughly modern driveline, including a chassis borrowed from a .
This thing isn’t just a looker, either. Under that lead-sled coupe hood sits a fire-breathing, supercharged, 6.0-liter LS2 V8. Should you decide to open up both taps, there’s a full 645 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque at your beck and call.
The Australian International Concourse d’Elegance kicks off on October 22 and runs until the 24th. to see the full press release.
Conan O’Brien does his own stunts – Click above to watch video
Conan O’Brien is getting ready to launch his new late-night talk show. “Conan” premieres November 8th at 11pm on TBS. He wants to show everyone just how bad-ass this new television show will be. Ditching , O’Brien jumps behind the wheel of a ‘69 Dodge Dart that is pointed straight at a cliff. He ups the stunt-ante by packing the car with C4 explosives, fireworks from New Hampshire (which technically are not illegal if you fire them off in the Granite state) and un-popped popcorn kernels.
Having the Dart loaded with stuff that explodes and ceremoniously removing his stunt man from the equation, Conan nails the accelerator towards the cliff then Thelma and Louises it over the edge. The result is a loud, explosion-filled wreck that O’Brien walks away from while putting out his flaming hair and leather jacket. It’s epic.
Are you still here? Seriously already, check it out .
