2011 Ford Fiesta at SEMA – Click above for image gallery
We’ve only just gotten over our jet lag from the Paris Motor Show, but there’s no stopping the yearly auto expo schedule and the aftermarket insanity that is the annual SEMA show is just around the corner.
This year’s show will see the continuing to make a lot of noise with its effervescent little subcompact juggernaut, the , along with a string of debuts planned from various tuners. But that isn’t stopping the Blue Oval from bringing a little heat of its own to the Las Vegas show floor, including a concept car that features a 350-horsepower 2.3-liter four-pot (a bored-out version of the production 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine) and a slew of off-the-shelf Ford Racing Performance parts.
Also on the floor will be a series of other Fiesta showcars including models put together by 3dCarbon, H&R Springs, FSWerks and Steeda Autosports, among others.
We’ll be on-hand to capture all the zaniness that is SEMA from November 2 through November 5, so stay tuned. While you’re waiting, however, be sure to check out our gallery below and Ford’s official release after the jump.
BMW M6 Convertible spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
unveiled its at this year’s , giving us a preview at what the next-generation Sixer will look like when it debuts sometime next year. Fear not, fans – this latest set of spy shots clearly shows that BMW has every intention of giving its latest grand tourer the high-power treatment.
Aside from the revised styling of the next-gen , we can clearly see a set of large wheels wrapped in fat tires, not to mention the M-signature out back. Expect the M6 to use the same twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 setup that will debut in the new sedan, meaning power numbers should be somewhere around 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. It all sounds delicious, and we can’t wait to see how the M treatment looks on the even sleeker coupe.
Rejoice, two-wheel fans: Aprilia has decided to grace the land of the free with the delectable . According to the moto-obsessed crew over at Hell For Leather, the bike is coming our way next year and we can expect to see it in showrooms as soon as this Spring.
The bike gets underway courtesy of a water-cooled, 1200 cc, 130-horsepower twin-cylinder engine that, according to Aprilia, is a completely new design. With four-valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams and three throttle maps for varying riding conditions, the powerplant sounds like an engineer’s wish list.
The whole party comes to a stop courtesy of twin 320 mm floating discs clamped by Brembo four-piston calipers. Throw in the traditional up-right riding position of the supermoto set and you’ve got a recipe for ridiculously powerful riding perfection. So far, there’s no word on how much the Dorsoduro 1200 will set you back, but we’re guessing that it won’t be long before Aprilia drops the MSRP. Spring is right around the corner, after all.
Sure, the sticker price for the 240V Voltec home charging unit designed to quickly and efficiently recharge the is a wallet-friendly $490, but this is a case where reading the fine print is important. That’s because the cost to install this charger in your garage is slightly more. estimates that installation of the Voltec unit will cost you around $1,475, so we’re talking about a near $2,000 premium to have your Volt suck down electrons faster than it would if just plugged into a wall.
The Volt can charge just fine from a standard outlet and comes with a 120V-to-J1772 charger. Using that method will take around ten hours to reach a full charge from empty, while using 240V charger Voltec charger will cut that down to around four hours. For people who have short commutes or plan to leave the Volt plugged in every night, a 240V system might be overkill since the Volt has a gasoline-powered generator on board to extend its range should the electrons dry up.
The Voltec system’s $2,000 overall cost, however, is in line with the Aerovironment 240V charge station for the all-electric . Nissan says that charger installed, though Leaf fans began complaining that Nissan was forcing owners to use just one installer and the automaker has since pointed out that .
Of course, there are (i.e. luck out and live in place with local incentives or be one of the first Volt buyers), but most people looking to add a Volt to their garage will need to cough up an extra $2,000 to receive quick-charging functionality. For an in-depth look at Chevrolet’s Volt chargers, click .
[Source: General Motors]
Volt home charger priced at $490 or nearly $2K with installation
Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale – Click above for high-res image gallery
We weren’t looking for any more reasons to fall hard for the new . It’s the hottest machine to wear the Trident emblem since the Enzo-derived MC12 homologated supercar, packing a 450-horsepower V8, a track-ready chassis, optimized aero that increases downforce without dialing up the drag and a stripped-out interior. In short, it is to the “ordinary” GranTurismo what its sister-company’s Scuderia is to the Ferrari F430: a transformation. But in case we needed any more convincing after seeing it , Maserati has released a whole slew of fresh media for your drooling enjoyment.
Click on the thumbnails below to view the new crop of high-res photos, to watch the video or click to hit the dedicated mini-site, complete with online configurator.
has announced a voluntary recall of the 2010 luxury CUV over concerns of possible damaged power steering lines. The recall affects 3,996 units, and of those GM believes only two or three are actually affected by this issue. If the power steering lines in question are damaged, they could leak power steering fluid onto the engine and start a fire, which has actually happened in one case. GM’s official statement . [Source: GM]
2012 Volkswagen Eos – Click above for high-res image gallery
The trouble with hard-top convertibles – four-seat cabrios especially – is the added weight penalty. German automakers in particular have proven adept at counteracting the dynamic drawbacks that open-air flexibility brings, but sooner or later you’re just going to need more power. And that’s exactly what is doing with the Eos.
Often derided as a “hairdresser’s car”, the 2012 Eos has been treated to one of our favorite engines: the 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the . This 208-horspower engine – available with either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch transmission – can now take the Eos from a full stop to highway pace in 7.8 seconds. Overseas buyers can also specify the 138-hp 2.0-liter diesel (with the same transmission choices). Volkswagen has also included Hill Start Assist standard on the 2012 Eos, along with Vienna leather upholstery, heated seats, 17-inch wheels and some sheetmetal enhancements that brings its look in line with the rest of the brand’s small car lineup.
Details have only been announced for foreign markets, and we’ve included the Australian press release after the jump while we wait for confirmation from Volkswagen of America. In the meantime you can check out the high-res images in the gallery below.
2012 Ford Grand C-Max – Click above for high-res image gallery
Historically speaking, the has been successful at a great many things, but building minivans hasn’t been one of them. Perpetually mired in the shadow of offerings from and Japan’s automakers, the Blue Oval folded up its sliding-door tent and went home years ago, killing off its undersized Villager in 2002 and then extinguishing the Windstar-turned-Freestar (and its short-lived Mercury Monterey counterpart) in 2007. Brand supporters will doubtlessly note that the family-ferrying segment was in decline for some years before Dearborn walked away from it, but the truth is that Ford never managed to crack the market’s top ranks despite more than 15 years of trying.
So why, then, is red-hot Ford risking a return to the segment in 2012 with the Grand C-Max shown here – a vehicle that’s conspicuously smaller and less powerful than the segment norm? Do they know something that we don’t? We hopped a puddle jumper to Nice, France after covering last week’s Paris Motor Show in an attempt to find out.
has been slowly releasing the full details about the , and while we’ve already seen the exterior from many angles, the interior has only been revealed in … until now. What you see here is the first shot of the all-new Durango’s interior, and if its sister is anything to base judgments on, things should be pretty cozy inside the full-size Dodge.
Unlike its Jeep kin, the Durango appears to use a center stack that’s completely housed within the dashboard, leaving room for a larger storage compartment in front of the gear shifter. We like the two-tone color combination (seen here on the Citadel trim level), and extra touches like upholder lighting and small amounts of aluminum and chrome accents make this cabin look more luxurious than before. We still need to get some butt-in-seat time before we can truly give it a thumbs-up, but so far, we definitely like what we see.
2011 Mini Countryman – Click above for high-res image gallery
The has a price: $22,350. Mini USA head Jim McDowell announced the starting figure at the North American launch of the compact crossover in Austin, Texas with our own Jeremy Korzeniewski in attendance.
According to McDowell, the Countryman’s interior room compares favorably with the , so for comparison’s sake, the Rogue starts at $20,810 and the larger at $23,200. Nissan’s funky new , on the other hand, runs just $18,960, although we’d wonder how many Mini-philes could also be considered Juke-philiacs.
A “well-equipped” All4 all-wheel-drive Countryman will ring the register well under $30,000, but with an entry price less than $4,000 over a base and just $550 above a , and a slew of people looking for a Mini with more room, they might sell more of these than many expected. The Countryman’s fuel economy figures probably won’t hurt, either. Mini quotes EPA estimates of up to 35 miles per gallon for the manual transmission Cooper model, with 32 mpg highway for the Cooper S model and 31 mpg for the All4 Cooper S Countryman with either gearbox.
knows better than most the value of customer satisfaction and confidence in one’s products. Having suffered a series of blows to its image with all of the recalls and safety issues that emerged regarding its vehicles recently, the automaker has responded by launching a complimentary maintenance plan for its customers. But while that promotion was initially part of a seasonal sales initiative, overwhelming positive feedback for the promotion has prompted Toyota Motor Sales USA to announce its continuation.
The two-year maintenance plan goes into effect immediately, and is offered on both new Toyota and models. Called Toyota Care and Scion Service Boost respectively, the plans include complimentary oil and filter changes, tire rotations, lubrication of key chassis parts/components, regularly-scheduled 19-point inspections and 24-hour roadside assistance for a duration of two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first. Details in the press release after the jump.
[Source: Toyota Image: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty]
Chinese Market Buick Excelle – Click above for high-res image gallery
Dealers are working hard to sell every they can , and the should arrive in the near future to give them a new version to push on car shoppers. If that doesn’t do the trick, the smaller Buick Verano premium compact sedan is slated to arrive in 2012. The Verano, upmarket version of the , will be built at GM’s Orion Assembly plant in Michigan alongside the new .
had previously said it planned to restore nearly 1,200 jobs at the Orion Assembly production facility, a plant that used to build Pontiacs. This announcement suggests that it’s sticking by that statement – though the automaker to do so.
Jaguar C-X75 Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
Remember the at the Paris Motor Show? Of course you do. The company repeatedly said it was “a pure concept” that wouldn’t ever learn what the word “production” meant. Well, along with Galileo, is reportedly joining the list of those who took it all back – well, almost – by admitting it’s studying the production feasibility of what would become the X-75.
The stats again: Two 96-horsepower micro gas turbines powering batteries which in turn feed a quartet of 195-hp electric motors at the wheels for a shuddering 780 hp and 1,187 pound-feet, a 3.4-second run to 62 miles per hour, a top speed of 205 mph, an electric range of 68 miles and a range-extended blast of 560 miles. Autocar says that although Jag is studying only making 1,000 or 2,000 per year and could charge a fortune for every one of them, it’s those turbines that could decide – or more likely, terminate – the car’s fate.
See, Jag doesn’t want to stick a plain old combustion engine in it. Otherwise it would have to be redesigned because the turbines’ small footprint don’t allow room for what would need to be a very powerful V8 or a large V12. Even though the company says developing the turbines for production would cost less than doing so for an ICE, it will take up to eight years to get them ready – for even a low-volume item. Of course, we can’t imagine Jaguar is going to stand up at the 2016 Paris Auto Show and declare “The six-year-old concept car you loved in 2010 will be here in two more years! Get ready!” As far as we’re concerned, we’re happy to imagine gas turbines coming in some kind of Jaguar at some kind of date, whenever it is.
2009 Formula Drift Championship Round – Click above for high-res image gallery
Are you a fan of tire-smoking, sideways automotive action? If so, the best way to get your fix is to head to a Formula Drift event and experience it in person. Can’t do that? The next best thing is coming to your television, assuming you’ve already spent your dough on a fancy new 3D TV. DirecTV and Formula Drift have partnered up to produce the first three-dimensional televised drifting event.
DirecTV has a 3D channel, creatively called “n3D,” and it will air special segments from Formula Drift’s season-ending Round 7 event from the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California.
Volarri Valeta prototype – Click above for image gallery
Everybody and their cousin wants to start their own supercar company. Aside from the major ones that made it, like Enzo , Ferdinand , Ferruccio and even their modern successor Horacio Pagani, the industry is littered with attempts – some more successful than others – to do the same. One such venture was called Volarri. The American outfit was another stab at the stratosphere that didn’t make it. But just as science stands on the shoulders of giants, if you want to try your hand at the same, you can pick up where Volarri left off.
This eBay Motors auction isn’t just for the car. It includes the prototype, the blueprints, the patents and other properties you’d need to keep the project going. Hundreds of thousands have already been sunken into the ill-fated project before the owner called it quits, but bidding now stands at a reserve-unmet $20k. Have a closer look at the , the details on the aborted or the (unfortunately low-res) image gallery below.
Leica M9 Titanium by Walter de’Silva – Click above for image gallery
Walter de’Silva has worked his magic on countless Alfa Romeos, Seats, and now, as head of design for the entire Group, is responsible for styling even more brands and their products than just about anyone in the industry. But he can now add one more to his resume: a Leica camera.
The iconic German optics company brought de’Silva in to give its compact M9 camera a bit of a make-over. Rising to the task, de’Silva refitted the camera in titanium, gave its screen a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, trimmed it in Nappa leather, a diamond-texture surface and even reworked Leica’s famous logo, centering it above the lens like a hood ornament. A gun-holster-like shoulder harness completes the package as de’Silva follows in the footsteps of fellow car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed for Canon and whose ItalDesign studio de’Silva’s employers .
Only 500 examples of the limited-edition, de’Silva-designed Leica M9 Titanium will be produced, fetching a suitably car-like $31,300 apiece. Zoom in on the images in the gallery below for a closer look.
We’ve seen the Camaro Z28 from , but we haven’t seen it driven in anger. That’s rectified today with the release of a new spy video showing 500+ horsepower pony car being flogged at the Nürburgring in preparation for its debut within the next few months. More impressive than the supercharger whine emanating from the 6.2-liter LSA V8, is the surprising lack of squat, dive and body roll as the Z28 launches out of the starting gate, tackles a few high speed turns and comes flying out of the Carousel. See for yourself in the video .
Galatea Revision – Click above for high-res image gallery
Examples of high-end coachwork usually draw long, wistful stares and high levels of admiration, with skilled craftsmen taking . An Aston Martin DB4 is a wonderful machine, but a looks so good it’ll melt your face clean off. Same with the James Glickenhaus-owned Ferrari Enzo that evolved into the . The examples of high style and peerless engineering are as numerous as they are arresting. And then this showed up in our inbox.
This is the Galatea (pronounced: Gal-ah-tay-ah) Revision, a custom coupe built upon none other than the – you guessed it – Hyundai Tiburon. Says Galatea:
“Unlike many kit cars that are based on a fairly old donor car, the Galatea is a comparatively modern car with modern features…The kit is available for $5,180 in fiberglass and includes all lights, hardware, emblems, and a detailed instruction book to make installation easier. The parts included are a new hood, fenders, front bumper, headlights, rear bumper, and taillights.”
While it’s certainly not the worst custom Tiburon we’ve ever seen (you’ll see far, far worse at any HIN show), it doesn’t quite evoke the spirit of true coachbuilt styling. It’s a body kit. An elaborate, ambitious and oddly proportioned body kit, but a body kit nonetheless. It seems strangely appropriate that Galatea has chosen this particular Hyundai coupe as a basis for the project, as the Tiburon itself was both widely criticised and lauded for deriving its styling from a much more exotic automobile – the .
If you own a last-gen Tibby or just want to see it in person for yourself, the Revision will be making its debut at the Alpine Invitational Car Show and Concorso d’Eleganza on October 10 in Palisades, NY.
Sure, the sticker price for the 240V Voltec home charging unit designed to quickly and efficiently recharge the is a wallet-friendly $490, but this is a case where reading the fine print is important. That’s because the cost to install this charger in your garage is slightly more. estimates that installation of the Voltec unit will cost you around $1,475, so we’re talking about a near $2,000 premium to have your Volt suck down electrons faster than it would if just plugged into a wall.
