has teased its 2013 car for the Sprint Cup series, and perhaps it goes farthest with NASCAR’s switch to bodies at its top level that look more like their street counterparts. In the deep red and shadows above you can make out the same greenhouse and character lines from the Charger in the showroom.
It will be revealed in full on March 11, just before the Sprint Cup race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. While we’ll know what it will look like then, we probably won’t know who’ll be driving it in the aftermath of that he’s switching his team to .
The body, however, has already been revealed accidentally. Scale modeler paid a visit to Roger Penske’s shop to get details on liveries for other modelers, and while he was there in the public area, two shop employees wheeled the new body across the floor. If it’s any conslation to Dodge, we agree with Sam Hornish: it does look good.
Roger Penske has run a NASCAR operation off and on since 1972, and continuously since 1991. In that time his drivers have piloted cars from AMC, , , , and, for the last nine years, . Penske announced this week, though, that 2012 would be his team’s last year with Dodge and that 2013 would inaugurate a new partnership with Ford. There’s another Dodge in the Sprint Cup field driven by Robby Gordon, but Penske has been .
Autoweek reports that the move isn’t over money, but Penske’s desire against some same-brand competition, and that the association with Ford would make that possible. To us that sounds like excessive chivalry. Had Penske Racing been winning with Dodge, would it really swap makers just to make closer comparisons? In the last eight years Penske took the Nationwide series in 2010 with Brad Keselowski, but in the Sprint Cup, the team has won just 18 times in 764 starts.
The 2013 Sprint Cup car is set to be revealed next week at the race in Las Vegas. The question now is, who will run the new car?
Both Penske and SRT CEO Ralph Gilles say they’re focused on winning this year, and in a statement Gilles added, “We do value our NASCAR program and will be evaluating the opportunities available moving forward.”
Follow the jump for the press releases from Dodge and Ford on the latest events.
Just as nature abhors a vacuum, the Internet abhors secrets. got so close to keeping its i-oniq concept coupe away from us before the , but the web won again when someone uploaded images of ithe i-oniq’s blood red interior and McLaren MP4-12C-like doors.
We don’t have any hard information except that the car hints at future Hyundai styling elements and is a hybrid with a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gas engine. Stay tuned for details from the Geneva floor in the coming days.
A Chinese driver is in trouble for using toothpaste to avoid the law. The owner used the cavity-preventing goo to change the 1s on his license plates to 7s. This ended up attracting the attention of Qingdao police, who thought the 7s didn’t look right.
The owner will be able to reflect on his mistake over some long walks: he was fined 2,200 yuan ($349 USD) and got six points taken off his licence. Since he only had six points left to give, he won’t be driving for a while.
NBA basketball fans who watched last year’s slam dunk contest on All-Star Weekend saw a by Blake Griffin over a , with an assist from former teammate Baron Davis, who passed Griffin the ball through the sedan’s moonroof.
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the dunk, commissioned a spoof of the dunk for Funny or Die. The spot features Griffin and Jeff Goldblum, plus a “high-flying” Optima.
Will the Optima make the dunk over the 6′10 Griffin? Well, there’s a reason Blake’s calling for a timeout in the screengrab above. to watch.
Back in January we caught wind of a special edition McLaren MP4-12C dubbed the . A project of , the High Sport benefits from aerodynamic enhancements developed for the MP4-12C GT3 race car and features a new front end and rear bumper, larger vents and diffuser, a modified rear wing and unique wheels. Topping it all off, McLaren has boosted the twin-turbo 3.8L V8 by 75 horsepower, further increasing performance. Just five will be produced in total, all of which have already been spoken for.
At the time of our initial report, only a single low resolution photo and amateur video were available for the special edition McLaren. Thankfully that has been remedied, as the official photographer for McLaren Special Operations has sent us a stunning gallery that includes all five MP4-12C High Sport examples. You can see the entire set of photos in all its glory in the gallery above.
Apparently, a video featuring a heavily modified Graves Motorsports Yamaha R1 ridden by stunt rider Bill Dixon isn’t enough of a draw to attract the easily wandering eyes of the YouTube crowd. So, in addition to the blacked-out bike, which Dixon describes as “the epitome of badass,” the film crew also brought along a couple cars, all of them black, including a Stillen-modified and some sort of supercharged-Hemi-powered police car.
Not enough? Fine. How about aerial shots from a helicopter and a couple of leggy models named Angela and Destiny, dressed in both impossibly skimpy (NSFW!) bikinis and Holloween-ready police girl outfits?
Yep, this video’s got all the chichéd stereotype boxes checked. All that’s left to do is watch. You’ll find it … and remember, it’s probably best not to do so at work.
When we first drove the barely a month ago, we couldn’t help but feel that it had, essentially, usurped the place that had until now been taken by the Convertible. The Roadster is, after all, sleeker, more stylish, that much more fun and – for some reason – even a little cheaper ($600 lower MSRP) than the four-seat cabriolet. But does that leave the Convertible without a place in the brand’s ever-expanding lineup?
Since both are based on more than just the same platform, the specs are just about identical. That is, except when it comes down to interior space. While the Convertible has a pair of seats in the back – however small, still good for taking the kids for a spin or tossing an extra duffel – the Roadster has none. The Roadster, however, makes up for that with a relatively usable trunk where the Convertible has practically none. The Roadster also weighs 66 pounds less, and has more headroom (up front, of course), though front elbow room takes a three-inch hit.
So with a fresh crop of images released by Mini showing its two droptops side by side, our question is which, if any, you’d choose if you were in the market for a little retro convertible. Cast your vote in the poll below.
Rubens Barrichello may be down, but he most definitely is not out.
The Brazilian driver – a longtime teammate of Michael Schumacher in the glory days – has been on the Formula One grid since his fallen countryman Ayrton Senna was still with us, but in the end, he was replaced at Williams by Ayrton’s nephew Bruno, effectively ending his F1 career. But while his grand prix racing days may be behind him, Rubinho still has too much talent to simply vanish into retirement.
So where is he going? To IndyCar, following a similar path taken by former masters like Mansell, Fittipaldi and Andretti, but also by contemporary pilots Takuma Sato, Sebastien Bourdais and Jean Alesi. We’ve been the move since January when Barrichello was lining up for a test drive with KV Racing, and now the two racing stalwarts have reportedly sealed the deal.
While Rubens had previously considered racing just the road course and street circuit races on the Indy calendar in deference to his wife’s reported concerns over oval-track safety, he will, in the end, contest all sixteen races this year, including the Indianapolis 500 and the four other speedways on what was once a calendar dominated by oval racing.
The signing of a multiple grand prix winner like Barrichello stands as a coup for American open-wheel racing, which has been clawing its way back into relevance after the rift between CART and Indy was repaired, attracting more automakers to supply engines for a new Dallara chassis. Rubens will be partnered at KV Racing – the team owned by former Champ Car chief Kevin Kalkhoven and former Indy champion Jimmy Vasser – by longtime friend and race winner Tony Kanaan (with whom he is pictured above at the press conference) and Venezuelan driver EJ Viso. for the official announcement.
Despite its various and sundry dangers, urban spelunking has become something of a rite of passage for adventuresome types living in and around Detroit. And while Corktown’s legendary is probably illicit explorers’ favorite quarry, the derelict 3.5-million square foot Packard Plant is likely a close second.
Built in 1903, the sprawling factory complex hasn’t churned out any Packard Motor Company vehicles since the automaker went belly-up in 1952, and it’s long been on the city’s “To Do” list to force the plant’s owners to raze the area. In fact, the city ordered the plant’s leveling in April of last year.
According to The Detroit News, that long-in-coming demolition day appears to be close at hand, as the facility’s purported owner (there has been ), Dominic Cristini, says he plans to start the teardown process within a month and is working to obtain the necessary permits. According to the report, Cristini estimates it will take $6 million to tear down the Packard Plant, but he believes that recovered scrap metal will be enough to pay for the dismantling. Cristini further states that his crew may try to save historically significant portions of the facility if possible. It isn’t immediately clear what – if anything – Cristini plans to do with the land once the Packard Plant’s remains have been cleared.
For an eerily beautiful slideshow of the Packard Plant, check out .
Even with the new HOV-eligible 2012 models and , has reportedly decided to shut down production of the plug-inhybrid for five weeks because of overall sluggish sales. With a 150-day supply of Volts sitting on dealer lots around the country, this shutdown will temporarily lay off 1,300 employees.
What’s perhaps even more interesting is that this production hiatus comes after a lengthy “holiday” retooling break that only ended in early February. The upcoming shutdown is scheduled to last from March 19 to April 23. As a GM spokesman told MLive, “We’re matching our production levels with demand and building to market.”
Another month, another pack of downloadable content for Forza Motorsport 4. This month’s DLC car pack, called the March Pirelli Car Pack, features 10 new cars that could potentially find their way into your Forza garage. Why call it the March Pirelli Car Pack? The team from Turn 10 Studios responsible for developing Forza Motorsport 4 says that actual tire performance data from Pirelli helped them dial in the most realistic handling possible for each car.
This month’s car pack includes some true gems, most notable of which is the Aston Martin V12 Zagato. As the was just revealed less than a month ago and won’t make its official debut until next week at the , the car in the game is the on which it’s based, though you’d be hard pressed to tell any differences between the two.
The most peculiar car in this month’s car pack is definitely the 1966 Ford Country Squire. The giant woody wagon comes from era of Country Squires that featured the Magic Door Gate, which both flipped down like a tailgate and swung open from the side. An interesting factoid, though Turn 10 says it doesn’t make a difference in the game.
We’re also excited to try the Ultima GTR, versions of which have set all sorts of world records related to speed and quickness. The version in the game is less powerful than those headline-makers, being powered by a Corvette engine producing 565 horsepower, but it still weighs just 2,200 lbs.
Check out the full list of 10 cars in the March Pirelli Car Pack below and for the official trailer. The pack will be available on Tuesday, March 6 for 560 MS points ($7) or is free for those who have already purchased the Season Pass.
The string of early reveals in front of the continues with bonafide auto-porn shots of the And if it’s true that sex sells, could seriously clean up if it put this hot hatch into production.
Coachbuilder Carrozzeria drew heavily from the Touring Disco concept it created for Alfa in 1952. The boattail-like rear window and tiny twin taillights are direct descendants of the 60-year-old muse. Same goes for the long hood, short rear deck proportions that just scream speed.
Beneath the sexy skin is an , including its 443-horsepower, 4.7-liter V8 and six-speed tranny.
Looking to add a Disco Volante to your harem of supercars? Get in line. Quickly. Carrozzeria says it will build only a few for the very wealthy who probably aren’t you.
While the headline might seem shocking, given the circumstances of the 2009 global economic meltdown, it only makes sense. Ford’s dealings with two of its biggest competitors were centered around mutual self-preservation in the form of trying to keep a beleaguered supplier base afloat, according to The Detroit News. According to the report, , and cooperated to buy from common suppliers in a bid to keep those parts-makers from going under, which would have threatened the automakers’ viability. That revelation comes courtesy of a new book, American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman.
The auto industry is far more complex than many people realize, especially in this modern era, with ever-more demanding regulations and brutal competition from all corners of the globe. Tier One suppliers, as the biggest parts companies are known, have assumed much of the engineering and product testing and development work for new vehicles, even including big chunks of assembly.
When times get tough, as they most certainly did in late 2008, . At least 27 automotive suppliers filed for Chapter 11 in 2009, meaning that Ford had good reason for taking such precautions, referred to as “Project Quark” internally, according to the report.
Interestingly enough, General Motors and , the pair that eventually sought bankruptcy, chose not to participate in the alliance, with GM allegedly expressing concerns over the legality of such a maneuver. The book says Ford’s antitrust attorneys were careful to avoid setting foot on the wrong side of such laws, which prohibit collusion on pricing, among other restrictions on cooperative behavior by competitors.
There are quite a few other interesting anecdotes in Hoffman’s book, including between Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas (now said to be in line to succeed CEO Alan Mulally), and Don Leclair, the company’s then chief financial officer. According to Automotive News, a passage in the book declares that Leclair suggested that Fields cut the advertising budget for Ford’s Bold Moves campaign in 2006. This led to heated argument, that ended up with Fields making a move toward Leclair while spouting some choice four-letter words. The altercation was broken up by none other than Bill Ford Jr.
The top class of endurance racing like what we see at Le Mans tends to follow trends. Open cockpits gave way to closed ones in LMP1 racers, but while diesel engines continue to dominate, we’re now entering the age of hybrid prototypes.
Peugeot was said to be working on just such a powertrain for its 908 before suddenly its program. is still developing its own version for the TS030 Hybrid. And now Audi has announced its title defender, the new .
Unveiled yesterday, the R18 e-tron Quattro takes the same form as the conventionally powered R18 Ultra, but with one important difference: its TDI diesel engine is assisted by a regenerative braking system that gives it not only hybrid power but (through-the-road) all-wheel drive. Now we’ve got our first video clip of the hybrid prototype from its track tests and press conference unveiling, which you can see for yourself .
A runaway caused quite the disturbance in The Force Philadelphia on Thursday, March 1, when it broke through a chain-link fence and careened onto and across several active runways at Philadelphia International Airport.
Air traffic control contacted all incoming planes – including one U.S. Airways Express plane that was 10 seconds from landing on the now-occupied runway – that there would be a delay after their radar showed the vehicle on the runway. According to Philly police, the incident took place around 11:00 am, and foggy weather prevented pilots and crew from seeing the dark-colored Jeep, which had its headlights turned off.
Authorities chased the Jeep across three runways. Said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, “A man is in custody and being processed by Philly police. It appears he was high on something. There is no apparent nexus to terrorism.”
High on something? Never would have guessed… In any case, the airport was shut down for 35 minutes out of “an abundance of caution,” said Vicki Lupica, public information officer at Philadelphia’s airport. The driver, Kenneth Richard Mazik, 24, of Chadsford, Pennsylvania, has been charged with driving under the influence, recklessly endangerment, resisting arrest, defiant trespass, criminal mischief, aggravated assault and simple assault.
A runaway caused quite the disturbance in The Force Philadelphia on Thursday, March 1, when it broke through a chain-link fence and careened onto and across several active runways at Philadelphia International Airport.
Air traffic control contacted all incoming planes – including one U.S. Airways Express plane that was 10 seconds from landing on the now-occupied runway – that there would be a delay after their radar showed the vehicle on the runway. According to Philly police, the incident took place around 11:00 am, and foggy weather prevented pilots and crew from seeing the dark-colored Jeep, which had its headlights turned off.
Authorities chased the Jeep across three runways. Said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, “A man is in custody and being processed by Philly police. It appears he was high on something. There is no apparent nexus to terrorism.”
High on something? Never would have guessed… In any case, the airport was shut down for 35 minutes out of “an abundance of caution,” said Vicki Lupica, public information officer at Philadelphia’s airport. The driver, Kenneth Richard Mazik, 24, of Chadsford, Pennsylvania, has been charged with driving under the influence, recklessly endangerment, resisting arrest, defiant trespass, criminal mischief, aggravated assault and simple assault.
As you might remember, we were left unfulfilled by the 2012 GS. , which is why when we read about the possibility of a tuner version of the GS from SLP Performance Parts on Inside Line, we got on the phone posthaste.
SLP is best known for building the Firehawk and SS versions of fourth-generation F-body Firebirds and Camaros for General Motors, and owning the “ZL” trademark that both it and GM have used on the current-gen . But the company is also the rights holder of fabled monikers “Grand National” and “GNX,” names that it intends to put back into play.
An SLP spokesman confirmed the report that a 300-plus-horsepower Buick GNX based on the GS is in development, saying that it should have a final mock-up based on the above sketch by the middle of this month. But SLP also told us that it has plans to revive the Grand National name, which would presumably fall somewhere between the GS and the GNX on the performance scale.
But before we get too lathered up about this, remember that SLP has dipped its toes in the performance Buick game before, with middling results. The company rolled out a Buick GSX back in the early part of last decade, based on the supercharged, 3800 V6-powered Regal GS. This dealer-installed kit was a good idea applied to the wrong car, as the front-drive, fourth-generation Regal just wasn’t enough of a performance machine out of the box to bother with.
The current GS, on the other hand, offers a much more intriguing proposition for a little bit of aftermarket improvement. As long as SLP does the full-blackout treatment that was a hallmark of the original GNX, we’d be willing to take it for a spin.
While it’s not a complete redesign, has quite a few tweaks planned for its range. We got an initial glimpse of the crossover’s new face via a grouping of , and now, it appears that some semi-official stock shots have hit the Interwebs prior to the CUV’s debut at the next week.
We like the look of the RX’s new front fascia, but that’s probably because we already like it on the , and , not to mention the ; it’s that same pinched spindle grille with LED running lamps flanking either side. What’s most interesting about the 2013 RX, however, is that an F Sport model (pictured right) will be produced, offering a sportier appearance that includes things like a new front bumper, honeycomb grille, larger wheels and tinted front and rear lamps, among other things.
The 2013 RX’s interior is slated to get a decent overhaul as well, with a new center stack with an infotainment screen that’s now recessed into the top tier of the dash. Expect both RX 350 and RX 450h models to be offered with their powertrains likely untouched from the current models, save a slight massaging or two. We’ll have the full scoop as part of next week’s Geneva madness.
Italian Firm’s Turbine-Powered Calling Card For A New Era
The global meltdown that boiled to the surface in 2008 was really hard on a lot of car companies, but it was categorically horrendous for the tradition of Italian car craftsmanship out of Turin.
Of the three big players left in the traditional Italian design mecca – Italdesign Giugiaro, Bertone and Pininfarina – only Giugiaro has managed to avoid administrative takeover of its debts and assets by working out a major deal with longtime allies to sell them 90.1 percent of the firm. Both Bertone and Pininfarina are currently trusted to oversee their own operations but are nonetheless bonded to pay off significant operational debts to Italian banks after having hammered out merciful sweetheart low-interest deals. Neither has succeeded in closing mutually agreeable VW-style takeover bids, but both would probably prefer not doing so anyway.
The has been treated as Italy’s (and my) hometown gig ever since the once wonderful Turin auto show fizzled away in 2002. One of the great spectacles of the Swiss salon is seeing the three major houses unveil their trinkets to the press, their stands traditionally placed side-by-side for maximum effect. This year, Italdesign Giugiaro will naturally show off some Volkswagen conceptual thinking, while Bertone has once again chosen a whimsical dream showcar approach with its 1970 Stratos-inspired meant to commemorate Corrozzeria Bertone’s centenary.
But the Pininfarina stand will most likely steal the attention of showgoers. How can you lose with a spanking new and hot and a concept that seems to hint at a future replacement for the ?
