Back in 2004, there was no , no , no or . Just the CLS: the four-door coupe that started it all. But after six years of production, the first-gen CLS has ended its production run after more than 170,000 units made and sold.
In its place, Mercedes is expected to introduce the second-gen CLS at the upcoming Paris Motor Show next month. And it’ll be a tough act to follow, borrowing cues from the and concepts.
The final unit of the current model, a CLS 550 with the AMG styling package, is being delivered to an American customer who will undoubtedly enjoy the pioneering svelte lines of his new four-door coupe as it races its way into the history books.
We’ve yet to glean any hard facts about what has planned for an Avenger/ replacement. While a few scant rumors have cropped up that hint to the possibility of a partnership with , we simply haven’t heard anything substantial. You’ll find few souls out there who argue that the malaise twins aren’t in serious need of some updating, and judging from a handful of spy shot nabbed by the crew at Secret New Cars, it may be awhile before we see any significant changes to the chassis as a whole. For now, it appears that Chrysler is hoping the rental car buying public will be satisfied with just a nosejob.
The shots show a heavily camouflaged mule with its entire schnoz wrapped in disguising fabric. That leads us to believe that the next iteration will feature a completely new front fascia, possibly with new fenders and a hood to boot. Whether that means that the headlights will receive a similar update remains to be seen. Head over to for a look see at a full gaggle of spy photos of the car. Thanks for the tip, Jeremy!
Brabus Smooth-Ride Suspension – Click above for high-res image gallery
Brabus has developed an electronically controlled suspension for the , replacing the standard units with gas-pressure shocks with adjustable valves that go from “extra comfortable” to “sporty comfortable.” Actuation is handled via a knob installed just above the shifter, and swapping your comfort takes a scant five milliseconds. When we were pleased with its balance of suspension compliance and firmness, but we wouldn’t be against sharpening it, even at Brabus prices. Follow the jump for the presser and see the difference some shocks make in the gallery of high-res photos below.
Bentley Continental GT “SS” by Dartz – Click above for high-res image gallery
Snakeskin? What snakeskin, you ask? Look closer, because while it may not be as in-your-face as the treatment on those cowboy boots you spotted while on vacation in the Southwest (or the tights on those girls from Jersey), this is literally covered in the stuff.
The snakeskin texture on the you see above is carried out by Dartz, the same Russian firm behind the Prombron SUV. Fortunately, having apparently learned from the whole , the snakeskin treatment is applied as a pattern to a white vinyl wrap that gives the Bentley a unique texture. Along with it, Dartz has also applied white alloys, blacked-out brightwork and smoked tail-lamp lenses for a decidedly shine-proof look.
The same treatment carries on to the interior, and Dartz calls the finished product the Continental GT “SS” – a presumable reference to the snakeskin theme, while nodding to the similarly-shaded . And while it may not be everyone’s proverbial cup of tea, in this case we can say at least it’s not whale penis.
Nearly every major media outlet has pitted the against the best and brightest from the high-powered sports coupe segment, and thus far, the results have been predictable. Motor Trend brought the supercharged Caddy coupe to Germany for a against the and , while Car & Driver brought the three sleds together for a with ear-bleeding audio.
Road & Track have taken another tack with CTS-V Coupe, opting for an all-American drag-race of the 556-horsepower Cadillac against the 550-horsepower . The GT500 and the CTS-V Coupe are made within 100 miles of one another in southeast Michigan and two vehicles are within .3 inches of one another in overall length. The CTS-V Coupe has 41 more pound-feet of torque, while the Mustang is lighter. But which vehicle posts a better 0-60 time? How about the fastest quarter mile? to find out.
Exactly a year ago today, we got our first real-life glimpse of the , an American/Italian mash-up built atop the C6 and coated in custom carbon fiber coachwork. 365 days later and the dream has turned into a nightmare.
Joseph Viloa (aka Giuseppe Viola), a 58-year-old investment consultant based in San Francisco, CA and the man behind SV Motors, has reportedly been indicted by a federal grand jury on aggravated identity theft, mail and wire fraud. In the process, he allegedly bilked victims for around $7 million – two million of which went into the design and production of the SV 9. And this wasn’t the first time he’s run afoul of the law.
Viloa was previous convicted of fraud, serving five years in Arizona, and is currently behind bars in Maricopa County where he’s awaiting trial for another fraud case from 1990. His latest round of illegal escapades reportedly ran from 2004 to 2010, during which he may have defrauded at least 60 investors.
From what we can gather, only a handful of SV 9s were produced, so assuming the Feds get their conviction, the only time you’ll see a Competizione is at the occasional auto show and – yes – as Lafayette’s ride in True Blood re-runs. Top tippage Brian!
You can’t accuse the guys at Road & Track of lacking ambition. The magazine has announced plans to tackle the seemingly impossible by building a to do battle at Speed Week on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The crew will be shooting for not one, but two different land speed records. On the low end is the naturally-aspirated gas coupe record which, for some odd reason, sits at a lowly 103 mph. The plan is to unbolt the factory turbo and run the car as a naturally aspirated machine. That shouldn’t be so much of an issue considering that the stock Kizashi can knock off that kind of speed without so much as turning a wrench under the hood.
The really impressive feat will be seeing whether or not the Kizashi can topple the blown gas coupe category. That record sits at a more respectable 202 mph, which means the Road & Track team will need to work the little up to at least 203 mph. To do that, the crew turned to Richard Holdener – a man with plenty of experience pulling other worldly speed out of common cars. for a look at the first three in a series of videos about the build.
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Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 AOL
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Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari – Click above for high-res image gallery
How much would you be willing to pay for a Fiat 500? Fifteen grand? Twenty? Thirty? How about nearly $50,000. That’s how much the crème-de-la-crème is going for now that it’s reaching the market.
For a quick refresher, the special-edition 500 was . It packs a 180-horsepower 1.4-liter 16-valve turbocharged four-pot, beefed-up suspension, wheels and brakes and a special paint scheme inspired by its big brother, the 430 Scuderia. A scant 152 examples are being produced in right-hand drive for the British market, and each is carrying a whopping price tag of £29,600, or about $47k in American greenbacks.
Now the 695 Tributo Ferrari may be the ultimate manifestation of the Fiat 500 to date. It may even be the next best thing to a Ferrari, though we doubt it. But is it worth $47,000? Fiat will surely sell the entire production run, but then “value” isn’t the objective value it once was. Check out the press release after the jump, images in the twin galleries below and weigh in with your own thoughts.
board member has reached the ripe old age of 72, and as such, he is no longer eligible for re-election to the company’s controlling body.
Kresa originally came to GM after retiring from Northrop Grumman Corp. where he helped lead the aviation giant through troubled waters of its own. Kresa joined ‘old GM’ in 2003 and served on the board until the company’s bankruptcy in 2009. You might best recall that Kresa stepped into the chairman slot left vacant when former CEO left the company just prior to The General entering into Chapter 11. When ‘new GM’ formed its board, the executive was there to lend his experience in leading a company through difficult financial decisions.
Kresa was also instrumental in bringing in a wide array of new talent onto the GM board, including the company’s 13th board member, Cynthia Tulles. Don’t expect Kresa to be spending his days playing shuffleboard, though. He also serves on a number of other corporate boards, including Fluor Corp in Irving, Texas and MannKind Corp in Valencia, California. for the GM press release.
Truth be told, our has been running like a top from day one with not a single issue arising that has required a trip to the dealer for repair. We did get her oil changed around 5,000 miles, though we had to skip the dealer experience since we were pressed for time and they couldn’t squeeze us in on short notice. But there are some recalls in effect for the 2010 Legacy, three to be exact, so we made our first appointment at in North Olmsted, OH to have our 2.5GT inspected.
Kudos to Ganley for making the experience as painless as possible, as well as accommodating a very late cancellation and rescheduling. Upon arrival, they took the keys and put our 2.5GT in the air on one of six lifts in their service area.
Of the three recalls in effect for the Subaru Legacy, affects our particular car. It’s for a bundle of wires in the steering column that could crack and cause certain functions to stop working. If that happened, the problem could manifest itself as the horn not working or something more severe like the driver’s front airbag failing to deploy in an accident.
Our car was inspected and deemed roadworthy with no repair needed. The dealership also let us know that affects our car. Apparently some units were shipped with cracked covers for their anti-lock braking ECU modules, so the action has dealers inspect and replace the affected part if needed. Again, ours was looked at and showed no such issues.
We were in and out in less than an hour and the total cost was $0, so our trip to the dealer went off without a hitch and our long-term Legacy carries on trouble-free. Stay tuned for a report on what we did during our summer vacation with the long-term Legacy, which included logging over 2,000 miles traveling through a beautiful part of the country that’s absolutely obsessed with crab.
- 7,906 miles
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 chromed by Laureus – Click above for high-res image gallery
Is nothing sacred? We’ve seen all manner of chromed-out Mercedes, from the to a (and more than we care to remember in between), but some things ought to be left alone. If the weren’t enough to warrant exclusion from this most Middle Eastern of practices, we’d have hope at least that the would be. We’d hope, but we’d be wrong.
The example you see here was rolled out by the , an organization that promotes athletics as a remedy to youth issues. The foundation is supported by Mercedes-Benz, among other sponsors, and the livery is also featured on a DTM C-Class touring car. Offset by the red accents, the bright finish “mirrors” that of McLaren’s F1 cars, which remain powered by Mercedes engines, though the automaker has switched its patronage to its own team this season.
The car was displayed during the a couple of weeks ago at Hockenheim, the only place where it stood a decent chance of not standing out. At least it was for a good cause.
According to recent reports, nanotechology – controlling matter at an atomic and molecular level (thanks, !) – is about to hit the automobile world full-force. And the results could be both good and bad.
First, a few examples of the good: First we have a German chemicals company called Lanxess that’s used nanotechnology to create tires that perform better than traditional rubber in both overall performance and wear. Secondly, under the hood of diesel models is a particulate filter coated with tiny carbon nanotubes, enabling it to remove 99 percent of all particulate matter. And finally, has partnered with PPG to create a nanotech paint with a glass-like outer coating that’s three-times less likely to scratch.
According to Wards Auto, though, nano particles “can behave in unexpected ways, passing through human skin into the blood or even brain.” While we’re not experts, the idea of nano particles on the brain doesn’t sound very enticing. It’s also not fully understood how these tiny materials can damage the environment and nature. In deference to these facts, the European Union is reportedly considering how best to define nano particles so it can regulate the technology.
The United States is also looking into nanotechnology regulations. Sally Tinkle, senior science advisor to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said, “The technology is new enough that we are not yet looking at tires or car bumpers that have nano elements and which have reached the end of their lives… But we understand the immediacy of these questions and the need to protect public health and the environment.”
1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic at the Mullin Automotive Museum – Click above for high-res image gallery
Back in May history was made when an unnamed buyer shelled out a record $30-$40 million for a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. Regarded as one of the most beautiful cars in the world, this particular 57SC Atlantic is just one of three built and one of only two still in existence. The sale, done through the Gooding & Company auction house, is the second time this exact car exchanged hands for a record sum. The previous owner, Dr. Peter Williamson, purchased the car in 1971 for the unheard of price of $59,000. The car competed in the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and was easily declared the Best of Show.
While the 57SC Atlantic rarely made public appearances outside prestigious concours events, the has announced that they will have the car on display at its Oxnard, CA facility starting on August 10th. “I am honored to have the opportunity to display the Bugatti Atlantic at our Art Deco museum,” said Peter Mullin. “In the historic pantheon of automobiles the Atlantic is without peer.”
Those interested in seeing the car in person can head over to the . Tickets must be purchased in advance for select viewing days. Follow the jump for the full press release.
Let’s try this again, shall we? has announced that it will jump back into the mild hybrid game by the third quarter of 2011. Larry Nitz, the company’s director of hybrid and electric powertrain engineering, made the announcement at a seminar in Traverse City, Michigan, though he declined to comment on exactly which models would get the fuel-saving tech next year. Nitz did say that at least one American model and one Chinese model would be a mild hybrid by the end of 2011, which leads us to believe that the tech will work its way into the lineup.
GM walked away from mild hybrids after was sent to the company’s scrap heap. At the time, both the Chevrolet Malibu and the wore the tech, but with the Vue out of the picture, the company couldn’t justify the cost of investing in the drivetrains. Unlike a full hybrid, mild-hybrid vehicles can’t cruise along on just electric power. Instead, the system allows the gasoline engine to shut off when the vehicle is stopped. The electric motor then starts the engine again when the accelerator pedal is depressed.
If we were guessing, we’d say that GM will debut the rebirth of the tech on the – a model that has enjoyed equal success in China and has the potential to revitalize the brand in the U.S.
Mazda MX-5 Miata – Click above for high-res image gallery
The original made its U.S. debut in 1989, and back then, the Miata was a lithe little roadster that immediately drew praise for its superior handling and a fun-to-drive nature. Each generation that followed packed on more pounds and additional amenities, slightly blunting the car’s appeal as a simple roadster at an affordable price. But the next MX-5 – due to arrive in 2012 – has set a target weight of 2,200 pounds and returning it to its former glory.
At just over a ton, the next-gen MX-5 will tip the scales slightly more than the original 1989 model, but it will still retain its 50/50 weight distribution that makes the . To keep weight in check, Mazda will employ one of its newly-developed, which the company claims will boost efficiency by 15 percent while also increasing power over previous engine designs. Mazda predicts that its next-gen MX-5 could touch 50 miles per gallon, a remarkable achievement for the quintessential roadster.
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Photos copyright (C)2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.
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is nothing if not ambitious. The Korean automaker announced today that it will continue its efforts to be the most fuel-efficient automaker in America through the next two decades, with plans to achieve a Corporate Average Fuel Economy rating of 50 miles per gallon by 2025 for its entire vehicle lineup.
The cornerstone of Hyundai’s approach is its Blue Drive strategy, which incorporates a range of engine technologies – from turbocharging and direct-injection to lightweight materials and both traditional and plug-in hybrids – to reduce consumption and improve overall efficiency.
Hyundai points to the as the first in a wave of new products to utilize its new and improved drivetrains, available with either hybrid, turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines. And Hyundai appears to be in a better position than other full-line automakers to reach its lofty mpg goal, as it doesn’t offer any pickup or body-on-frame SUV models. for the full blast and read our for details on its gas-electric system.
2011Nissan Elgrand – Click above for high-res image gallery
is set to release the next-generation Quest minivan in the States later this year, but we may have gotten an early peek at the people mover thanks to Japanese unveil. Nissan pulled the sheets off of its JDM-only Elgrand – the corporate cousin to the Quest – and the van looks suspiciously similar to the we’ve seen so far. If the information on the Elgrand is any indication, buyers can look forward to getting their minivan with either a 3.5-liter V6 or a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, with all-wheel drive available on select models and both seven and eight passenger configurations.
That’s not to say the two vehicles will be identical. For one thing, it appears that the American version of the van will wear slightly tweaked front and rear fascias compared to what we can see on the Elgrand. Likewise, we expect significant changes to the interior for the American market when the 2011 Quest debuts at the LA Auto Show in November.
2011 Volvo S60 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Geely isn’t wasting any time in shaping up its newest acquisition’s product line. The Chinese automaker officially to purchase from earlier this week, and already the Swedish brand’s new chairman is making noises about a new large luxury sedan to go toe to toe with the likes of the and . Li Shufu, Volvo chairman and co-chair of Geely, said that the brand already competes with luxury German carmakers in most markets, but lacks all of the hardware to do so effectively. To remedy the problem, Li wants to put the rush on a new saloon to take the fight to the Bavarians.
According to the Financial Times, Volvo repeatedly ran into roadblocks when it attempted to develop a large four-door under Ford. Evidently the Blue Oval was concerned about a long-wheelbase Swede nabbing sales from – another brand Ford owned at the time. A new Volvo sedan is far from a done deal, though. Li says that the thought of a range-topping sedan is his, and he’ll have to convince the company’s new board to give it the green light. With an ambitious goal to double Volvo to 600,000 units in five years primarily through growth in large-car loving China, a D-segment player sounds like a good bet – at least for select markets.
