Those crazy kids over at Auto Express have managed to get their hands on a leaked photo of the next generation Volkswagen Passat. The car is set to debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show, and so far, the German manufacturer has been quiet about exactly what we can expect from the mid-sized fighter. From what we can tell from the leaked photo, it looks like the company will be giving the Passat a dose of familial styling. A sharp chrome-laced grille replaces the black plastic of the current generation, and crisp headlights similar to what’s currently found on the Golf have been swapped in place of the old units.
It looks like the car will also wear slightly more aggressive body work all over, including aggressively arched fenders. Details are still scarce as to exactly what will crop up under the hood, but we don’t expect too many big surprises. American buyers will likely still be able to get their Passat with the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower while our European cousins will be able to enjoy a range of and small-displacement gasoline powerplants.
2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage – Click above to watch video
If you’ve felt an unexplained disturbance in the automotive force recently, it can probably be attributed to the scheduled arrival of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage on American shores. We’ve been lusting after this thing since it first cropped up as concept way back in 2007, and now the ridiculously wealth or the fantastically in debt can finally get their paws on the car here in the U.S. The recipe is simple – take the brawny, 510 horsepower 6.0-liter V12 from the , cram it into the engine bay of the lithe Vantage, add louvers and call it a day. Sorta.
has taken it upon itself to prime the collective American pump for the V12 Vantage debut by releasing a quick teaser video. It’s dipped in sweet, slow-motion glory shots of the car doing what it does best – sending tires to their smoky grave and conning otherworldly speed out of seemingly plebian strips of asphalt. There are even a few shots of the race-derived version loftily beating its way around the Nurburgring. We’re in love. to see it for yourself.
2010 GMC Terrain – Click above for high-res image gallery
GMC’s “Professional Grade” tagline works best when it’s being used to upsell truck shoppers into Sierras instead of Chevy Silverados, but even wider mass-market success comes from snaring folks who couldn’t care less about payload. And while the Yukon has its place at the table for some families, the thirsty brontosaur’s broad appeal vanished with the disappearance of super-cheap gasoline. Hence, traditionally truck-focused has crossed over, so to speak. The three-row Acadia was the beginning, and while the trucks are still there for those who want or need them, if you’re shopping for a family car, the nice man in the tie would like to show you something different: the .
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Photos by Alex Nunez / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
Marc Gene goes joyriding the Ferrari California – Click above to watch video
During a Ferrari event at the Yas Island Formula 1 circuit, test driver Marc Gene took some willing participants out for laps of the track, going high on the oversteer and tire smoke. The ride of choice was a , and it’s good to see the hardtop coupe is still a leering stallion… but even so, it’s still a California. If that’s what you’re into, there’s 2:03 of goodness in the video . Enjoy!
is getting out of the business in a , and that means no 2011 models, no more Jill Wagoner commercials and cash compensation for the 1,700+ dealers who sell Ford’s long-abused step-brand. Automotive News quotes unnamed sources who say dealers will receive up to $200,000 to stop selling Mercury cars and crossovers, along with money for any new service parts they have lying around.
Ford sales boss Ken Czubay tells AN that the company has worked out a formula for compensation that calculates the three-year average of Mercury vehicles sold at a dealership as a percentage of overall Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales. The formula also calculates the cost for dealer signage and parts. An AN source claims that dealers who sell zero to 25 percent Mercury products receive $1,500 per unit retailed annually. The number shoots up to $1,650 per unit at 26 to 50 percent of sales and $2,000 for dealers at 51 to 75 percent. The dealer repayment program tops out at $2,500 for dealers who averaged a high 76 to 100 percent Mercury sales over the past three years. Dealers will also get 100 percent of their money back for Mercury parts purchased, and the dealers get to keep those parts free and clear.
Ford President Mark Fields called the dealer payoff “reasonable and fair,” adding that it is “beyond what the franchise agreement states. It is beyond what state law states. It’s well beyond what other competitors have done in the marketplace.”
Some dealers, of course, say the payment is far too small to cover their investments in the Mercury brand. One dealer, who didn’t want to be identified, reportedly told AN that he would be losing money even if Ford gave him $500,000.
has just added a helpful new function to its 911 Assist app. Emergency services can now easily locate distressed motorists via a vehicle’s GPS coordinates and call for assistance, thereby diminishing response times. Ford says that the service is completely free, and will show up on 2011 models equipped with MyFord and MyLincoln Touch, along with some SYNC-equipped vehicles. Don’t think the new tech is a direct challenge to the equivalent, though.
Ford says that 911 Assist requires the user to have a phone paired to the system via Bluetooth in order to make any emergency call. Left your phone at the house? You’re out of luck. Even so, the Blue Oval manages to take a few pot shots at GM’s service in the press release by saying that the 911 Assist app doesn’t require an intermediate call center (making it faster) and doesn’t force users into a monthly subscription plan.
If you’re planning on dropping in on the National Emergency Number Association 2010 Conference in Indianapolis, you’ll likely see Ford there pontificating on the benefits of the new system. Feel free to to check out the full press release for yourself.
A woman is suing for allegedly providing her dangerous walking directions through . According to The Wall Street Journal, Lauren Rosenberg used the free service to get walking directions from one end of Park City to the other. The plaintiff claims that the route led her onto a busy highway with no sidewalks and that she was struck by a driver as a result. Rosenberg is seeking over $100,000 in restitution, and her lawsuit names the driver who allegedly struck her as well.
The Wall Street Journal says that so far, Google hasn’t received a copy of the lawsuit and can’t comment to the situation. It does note, however, that Google Maps walking directions comes with a disclaimer that says not all routes will have sidewalks or pedestrian paths. What do you think, does Rosenberg have a chance in court? Does her case deserve to go there? Hit the jump to take part in our highly unscientific poll.
Witness the Hoenshell Shutter – Click above to watch the video
Packing up from a good riding session or is never fun, and if you’re anything like us, the task may suffer from a bad case of the monotonous blues. If you’re looking for a way to put a new spin on the old routine, motorcycle stunt rider Eric Hoenshell has you covered.
During a film session for new motorcycle series Stealth Rider, the cameras caught Hoenshell as he shut the tailgate in host of Super Bikes and all around stunt superstar face. Britton and fellow stuntman Tony Carbajal were pumped to witness the invention of the new trick bearing Eric’s namesake, the Hoenshell Shutter. This is where we should give the don’t try this at home speech, but who are we to put the brakes on creativity? for the full video, just don’t break your neck spicing up your routine. Thanks for the tip, Allan!
Armando Galarraga with Corvette Convertible Grand Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery
On Wednesday evening, Detroit Tigers baseball fans came within one out of watching Armando Galarraga throw the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history. Plenty of pitchers have come within an out or two from greatness, but only Galarraga lost his bid at retiring all 27 batters he faced by the first base umpire. decided to give the hard-luck pitcher a significant consolation prize Thursday in the size and shape of a brand new, cherry red .
GM President Mark Reuss says in the post-jump press release that The General gave Galarraga the 436-horsepower droptop as a reward for an excellent performance and because of the way Galarraga handled himself in a tough situation. GM has been a big sponsor for the Detroit Tigers for years, which makes sense considering the fact that the company’s Renaissance Center headquarters is clearly visible beyond the center field fence. The General has also paid to advertise on the Tiger’s center field fountain. GM couldn’t afford to sponsor the fountain in 2009 due to bankruptcy proceedings, so team owner Mike Ilitch placed all three Detroit automakers on the fountain in a show of support for the Detroit automakers.
We’re sure the Corvette isn’t quite as nice as having a perfect game on the resume, but it’s not a bad consolation prize, either. GM gets something from this situation as well, as the Corvette giveaway will probably make its way to many local news outlets, along with some time on ESPN. That kind of advertising probably costs a bit more than $58,580. Hit the jump to read over the GM press release.
For safety’s sake, most of what we hear about phones and cars in the same news piece is about not dialing or texting while driving. The rest is usually about connecting your phone to your car… so you don’t have to dial or text while driving. But once in a while it comes down to phones inspired by cars. has done a few, and so has – with a range of manufacturers from to . The latest, however, is the product of Maranello’s partnership with Taiwanese computer firm Acer.
The tie-in has already spawned a number of laptop computers, but as phones get smarter and smarter, they’ve evolved into small computers to the point that computer companies are becoming some of the biggest players in the mobile phone market. Acer’s flagship model is the Liquid E, a touchscreensmartphone with a Snapdragon processor running Google’s Android 2.1 mobile operating system. Now they’ve done up a special edition for Ferrari, decked out all in Rosso Corsa and coming paired up with a similarly trimmed Bluetooth earpiece.
Aside from the racy color treatment, the Ferrari edition Liquid E comes emblazoned with the Prancing Horse badge surrounded by carbon fiber trim, a microphone cutout designed after the air intake on the side of a Scuderia Ferrari F1 car, and will surely come packed with Ferrari-themed wallpapers, icons, screen savers and ring-tones. The model’s just been unveiled at the Computex trade show, so no word on pricing just yet, but expect that to be suitably Ferrari-inspired as well.
Bob and his wife Patricia exchanged vows on the tarmac of the track on May 14. Spectators who gathered for the F1 race were treated to a different kind of spectacle when the two walked out onto the track with a handful of friends and family as witnesses. Bondurant has a special affinity for the Monaco course – he snagged a fourth-place finish there in 1966 and helped film the legendary movie on the track as well. While the Bondurants were already married in the U.S., they were looking for a special way to cement their commitment to each other, and officials said that the wedding was the first of its kind.
Bondurant made a name for himself as a race car driver, though more recently he has helped to instruct over 250,000 students on the finer points of car control through his racing school. for the press release.
It’s a question few are asking the day after announced that – named after the “messenger of the gods” in Roman mythology – would after 70 years of business. Why? Mercury lost its way so long ago that being shuddered at some point was a foregone conclusion. The only question was when. And now we have the answer.
But that doesn’t answer why Ford chose June 2, 2010 as the day to announce the death of Mercury. What’s so special about this year and this time in the auto industry that made Ford pull the trigger? to find out.
The may be one of the purest to date, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. However, unlike the majority of tuning firms, is different. They take a holistic approach to the project at hand and in the case of their white-on-black Spyder, they’re not just looking to improve the Porsche’s performance, they’re out to build a supercar.
We’ve and there’s no doubt they’ve got the skills to accomplish the task (20+ years of motorsports knowledge helps), but how do you improve on something that’s damn-near perfect right out of the box? In this case, the answer (predictably for TPC) comes in the form of forced induction.
Although they’ve already increased the output of the flat-six to 321 horsepower with a few ECU tweaks, the planned turbo upgrade will boost the power to 470 hp… at the wheels. In a 2,811-pound roadster.
But if you only want the power upgrade, look elsewhere. TPC won’t offer the engine work alone, opting instead for a comprehensive upgrade package that includes a round of suspension mods that won’t just make the Spyder stick harder, but offer infinite adjustability through Porsche’s two-mode shock system. The whole kit-and-caboodle will set you back around $16,000 ($10k for the engine mods and $6k for the suspension), but once it’s completed, the $80,000 entry price should be enough to shame some of the world’s most high-powered exotics.
will be following the build, so expect more updates to come in the following weeks.
We finally take the GLK350 for a spin to see if the cute ‘ute is capable of more than shuttling insufferable forty-somethings.
An automobile manufacturer doesn’t survive for 70 years without producing its fair share of television commercials, so we take a rose-tinted look back on the best ads from Mercury.
The next Dodge Charger has been unmasked by our spies, it appears that the Italian invasion hasn’t toned things down one bit.
Insurance just completed its annual survey of driver knowledge, and the results don’t look good. Of those questioned, drivers proved to know the least about the rules of the road, with 20 percent failing the written exam and 85 percent not knowing basic information like what to do when approaching a yellow light. The trend continued for most of the North East with the region managing the lowest average test score of 74.9 percent.
Meanwhile, the Mid-West took the highest average test score by region with 77.5 percent average. It turns out drivers are the most knowledgeable of traffic laws. The state’s residents managed to pull down an average test score of 82.3 percent. GMAC surveyed a total of 5,000 licensed drivers from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. for its research, and looked into distracted driving issues as well.
GMAC didn’t provide average test scores for the entire nation, but we can guess they’re nothing to brag about. Our country’s approach to is outdated and underfunded at best, and hand-me-down at worst. Bi-annual testing, behind-the-wheel training (complete with an understanding of vehicle control in emergency situations) and law-enforcement for infractions other than speeding would be a good place to start. It ain’t gonna be cheap, but it certainly would be worth it in lives and insurance costs.
The cynical among us learned long ago that life just isn’t fair. Those still holding out hope, however, can look to the European touring car championships for cold, hard evidence. While Americans are stuck with NASCAR and their “Car of Tomorrow”, Europeans get to watch machines like , and duke it out on some of the world’s finest race tracks. (Don’t even get us started on Japanese SuperGT and Australian V8 Supercars.)
The latest to join the fold is this touring car being prepared by N.Technology. Those familiar may recognize the racing powerhouse for successfully campaigning Alfa Romeo touring cars in the BTCC and WTCC and Abarth S2000s in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, as well as running the International Formula Masters series and for their eventually unsuccessful bid to join the F1 grid for this season. Now they’re turning their attention to the native SuperStar Series, but with German machinery.
The Porsche touring car packs the 4.8-liter V8 from the Panamera S, but tuned to 450 horsepower instead of the stock 394 and driving to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. An aggressive race-spec aerodynamics package – incorporating the series standard rear wing – has been developed for the touring car, and weight has been trimmed to 2,910 pounds. Former multi-national touring car champion Fabrizio Giovanardi will be handling driving duties, ensuring that the Panamera will stand a fighting chance against the reigning triple champion, motorcycle scion and former F1 driver Gianni Morbidelli, and the rest of the field when it debuts at the Hockenheimring on June 12.
The end of May celebration of Memorial Day signals the unofficial start of Summer in the States, and that means tons of local car meets, shows, concours and drives. Some of the biggies in June include the and Orphan Car Show, and the 46th Annual LA Roadsters Show, , , and Pismo Beach Concurs in Southern California.
Smaller, but no less important events around the country and around the globe include AutoMat’s 53rd Anniversary Car Show, Friends of Steve McQueen Car Show, 14th Annual CycleFest, Red Mill British Car Day, Westbury Gardens AACA Automobile Event, Viking Classic Auto Show 2010, The Drive-In, 15th Annual San Clemente Car Show, British Motorcar Gathering, Classy Chassis Concours d’Elegance, Concours de Nice, Citroën Rendezvous, 18th Annual Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival, East Coast Annual Ferrari Meet, SoCal Euro CARnival 2010, and the weekly CruzinPort meet and Friday Night Classic Car Cruise Night out east.
Racing fans will be busy with the Grand Prix of Canada and Europe in Formula 1. NASCAR visits Pocono, Michigan, Sonoma and Loudon before gearing up for a return to Daytona in early July. Fresh from its namesake Indy 500, IndyCar heads to Texas and Iowa. The ALMS guys and gals have the month off as their European counterparts partake in 24 hours of grueling action at the series’ signature track – Le Mans. No WRC races either in June, but Rally America fans can catch the Susquehannock Trail Rally. Grand-Am holds the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen in June. The NHRA circus is busy every single weekend with races in Chicago, Bristol and Norwalk, Ohio bracketing the SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ.
Other racing action in June includes vintage racing at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival and the 40th Annual Antique Nationals vintage drag racing festival. LeMons heads to Dallas and Summit Point too, while a new season of Pinks All Out launches this month as well.
June auctions include RM sales of The Pate Collection and the Classic Muscle and Modern Performance sale. Bonham’s hosts the Collector’s Motorcars and Memorabilia and Barrett-Jackson makes its first stop in Orange County, California.
If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please don’t forget to use the comments section to add or modify listings.
Every F1 season has its wild cards, but in his typical style, few have proven as wild as Kimi Raikkonen. When cut his contract short at the end of last season, the 2007 world champion – who came within spitting distance of stealing the title in 2003 and 2005 too – shocked the motor racing world when he simply packed his helmet and switched disciplines to the World Rally Championship.
Now learning the rally ropes with highly-rated promise, Raikkonen is still proving the wildest of wild cards for next season and beyond. As a contracted Red Bull driver in the WRC, speculation has been rampant that the “Ice Man” could make his triumphant return to the grand prix scene behind the wheel of a Red Bull F1 car.
Infamously resistant to interviews, the Finn refused to comment on his next career move, but the brakes seem to have been put on the rumors when Red Bull Racing chief Christian Horner nixed the idea. However, the team’s influential “advisor” Helmut Marko – himself a former F1 driver and Le Mans winner – is reportedly in favor of replacing current championship leader Mark Webber – whose contract expires at the end of this season – with Raikkonen. Kimi’s manager isn’t ruling anything out, neither committing his client to another season in the WRC nor refuting the possibility of his return to F1.
So could Raikkonen be back in single-seaters with Red Bull next season? Entirely too early to say for sure, especially with reports that Felipe Massa is with Ferrari, thereby closing for Webber. But for a talent as versatile as Kimi’s, the sky is the proverbial limit.
The Indy Racing League has yet to the of its new , but in the meantime has announced that will take effect in 2012.
The saga of engine suppliers in the series has been a convoluted one. During its inaugural season in 1996, carry-over engines from CART were allowed, but were replaced the following season by naturally-aspirated V8s provided by (under the Oldsmobile Aurora name) and (bearing livery). and came on board in 2003, while GM rebadged its program under as Oldsmobile was being shut down. Three years later Honda got the exclusive and has been supplying all the teams on the grid since, but that contract is nearing its end.
In its place, the IRL has issued a new open formula in the hope of drawing a diverse array of manufacturers to the series. For the first time since splitting with CART (with which it has since reunited), IndyCars will race under turbocharged power. Ethanol will continue to fuel the series, but beyond that, teams and engine suppliers will be free to use as many as six cylinders (in whatever configuration they choose), with displacements not exceeding 2.4 liters and power ranging between 550 and 700 horsepower.
The use of turbocharging and the variety of configurations allowed under the new formula should make for some interesting racing, and we’ll be waiting to see which manufacturers jump – or pass – at the opportunity.
