The Auto Blog .ru

The world’s oldest running car is officially up for auction. The 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trapardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout has been owned by the same family for the past 81 years, and perhaps even more remarkably, has only had four owners in 127 years. With a top speed of 38 mph and a range of 20 miles on a single tank of water, the steam-powered tricycle has made the trek from London to Brighton four times and participated in the world’s very first auto race. To be fair, it was was the only vehicle to show up, but that didn’t stop it from averaging 16 mph and clipping off a top speed of 37 mph over the 20 mile course.

If the Runabout’s motorsports credentials aren’t enough for you, the vehicle brought home double awards at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours.

A total of 20 De Dion tricycles were manufactured, and of those, only six remain. This is the only operable example in existence, and if you want to make it yours, you’ll need to give your checkbook a workout. RM Auctions expects the De Dion to command bids between $2 million and $2.5 million. Hit the jump for a quick video on the vehicle.

Continue reading World’s oldest running car up for auction

World’s oldest running car up for auction

The Big Three are finally done one-upping each other in this year’s Michigan State Police vehicle evaluations, with the 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit V8 laying down some heady numbers on the test track. The Charger emerged with the fastest lap time ever recorded in the Michigan State Police test’s history, at 1:33.7.

That, boys and girls, is something else. The Chevrolet Caprice PPV may have the best top speed and braking, but the Charger has shown it has the chops to slice up the twisties as well. The Hemi-powered Charger also gets to 60 in under six seconds with the optional 3.07 gears.

The only strike against the Charger is that needed a V8 to post those numbers, while both the Chevrolet Caprice and Ford Interceptor employ less thirsty V6s. Full presser after the jump.

Continue reading Dodge Charger Pursuit claims its victories in Michigan State Police tests

Dodge Charger Pursuit claims its victories in Michigan State Police tests

General Motors auctioned off a special 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the public at this weekend’s Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction for an estimated price of $250,000. Proceeds from the sale go to the YMCA of Southern Nevada, so the winner shouldn’t feel guilty about laying down the heavy cash on what will inevitably become a highly collectible automobile. The car in question will be the 69th ZL1 produced, and will be the only one finished in the Carbon Flash Metallic exterior color.

With its supercharged 6.2-liter V8, the 2012 Camaro ZL1 delivers 580 horsepower and over 550 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, as are programmable launch control for drag-strip glory and adjustable magnetic shocks for precise handling. The winning bidder gets to pick up ZL1 #69 next spring. Head over to the Barrett-Jackson site for more information.

Unique 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 auctioned at Barrett-Jackson

Getting a ticket can ruin even the best of days, but at least American motorists have the ability to fight moving violations in court. Challenging a ticket at least gives drivers a shot at avoiding or reducing fines and/or points charged to their records.

In Massachusetts, however, a new state Supreme Court ruling means drivers have to pay, win or lose. The Newspaper details the case of Ralph Sullivan, who was charged $70 in non-refundable fees even after he successfully fought a lane violation ticket ($20 for appealing the summons to a clerk, then another $50 to get the case in front of a district court judge). Sullivan argued to the Massachusetts Supreme Court that the policy violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution, as motorists are saddled with fees that offenders in more serious cases are not required to pay. The court disagreed and ruled against Sullivan.

In the ruling, Justice Ralph D. Gants writes, “Where the legislature provides greater process that imposes greater demands on the resources of the District Court, it is rational for the legislature to impose filing fees, waivable where a litigant is indigent, to offset part of the additional cost of these judicial proceedings.”

Yeah, we get it. The courts are busy and they’re expensive to run, so the $3,678,620 Massachusetts courts received as a result of fines in 2010 is needed to keep the doors open. We’re of the opinion that anyone found not guilty should never have been pulled over in the first place, so the fine is levied as punishment for no crime committed. Isn’t wasting half a day in court punishment enough?

Massachusetts Supreme Court upholds policy of charging $70 fee to innocent motorists

Gamers, Turn 10 Studios is about to have you say goodbye to your family and friends. Forza Motorsport 4 is nearly available for purchase, and the creative team has let slip a few goodies that will be included with the game. We’ve already heard about the involvement of Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson, and how the developers turn a real track into a virtual one. Today, however, we’ve learned that there’s a whole lot more in store for us.

The game hits stores on October 11th, but XBox Live Gold members can grab a demo version starting on October 3rd. Everyone else needs to wait until the 7th for their shot at the demo. When the full version of the game hits a few days later, fresh downloadable content will be available.

Now, DLC will be offered throughout the game’s life cycle. To make sure you have access to it as it becomes available, Forza 4 offers a season pass. Paying $29.99 ensures that you get access to all six of the soon-to-be-released content packs. Buying in bulk also saves you 30 percent over buying each pack individually. This plan also provides you with a bonus American Muscle car pack. It adds the 1965 Pontiac GTO, 1968 Pontiac Firebird, 1970 Buick GSX, 1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee, 1966 Chevrolet Nova SS, 1969 Shelby GT500 428CJ, 1971 Plymouth GTX 426 Hemi, 1967 Dodge Coronet W023, 1968 Dodge Dart HEMI Super Stock and 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt to your list of playable vehicles.

Turn 10 has gone to great lengths to include famous race tracks from around the world, and has announced that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the latest to be added to the game. Click past the jump for the full skinny from Turn 10.

Also, be sure to check back next week when we share our thoughts on the game… oh, we didn’t tell you? We’ve already gotten to play it. Stay tuned!

Continue reading Forza 4 announces Indy track, Season Pass, Day One DLC and demo date

Forza 4 announces Indy track, Season Pass, Day One DLC and demo date

Porsche is good at building race cars, and what the company learns on the track trickles down to its passenger vehicles. This is what makes driving them so rewarding.

In a new video, Hartmut Kristen, head of Porsche Motorsport, discusses the link between Porsche’s track and street cars, and he also takes a look at the future of motorsports. Click past the jump to watch.

Continue reading Porsche looks into the future of motorsport

Porsche looks into the future of motorsport

In the latest Prius family commercial by Toyota, actual actors, loads of computer animation and a miniature set combine to create the illusion of a Godzilla-sized man made of people. He then steps out of his house to find that his Toyota Prius has morphed into four vehicles: a regular Prius, Prius V, Prius C concept and Prius Plug-In. This is the end of Mr. People Person, as he quickly disintegrates, leaving only his size-bazillion shoes and a bunch of little people behind.

Toyota’s narrative behind its Prius People Person ad states:

Not long ago, there was one model of Prius for everyone to share. But now that one Prius has become a family: There’s one for everyone. There’s the original one, the bigger one, the smaller one and the one that plugs in. They’re all a little different, just like us.

We’d say the spot makes sense conceptually, but it’s a bit over the top, and creepy to boot. See it for yourself after the jump and let the disintegration begin.

Continue reading Toyota goes creepy with new Prius People Person commercial

Toyota goes creepy with new Prius People Person commercial

PickupTrucks.com asked five half-ton truck manufacturers to provide their best trucks for $30,000. The entries consisted of the 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 Extended Cab, 2011 Ford F-150 Regular Cab, 2011 Nissan Titan King Cab, 2011 Ram 1500 Quad Cab and 2011 Toyota Tundra Double Cab, all of which were put through a variety of tests over four days in and around Detroit. Unlike a comparison that seeks model-feature parity, this one allowed for manufacturers to provide whatever they thought was best, which is how you get Ford supplying the only regular cab among the field.

After being run through load tests, brake tests, the drag strip, 0-to-60 and even an autocross run, the crown was given to the Ram 1500 Quad Cab. It didn’t scorch its competition, but it was always near the top of the field, which gave it enough to take the glory. There’s a video of the test after the jump, or head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full piece.

Continue reading PickupTrucks.com names Ram 1500 best truck for $30K

PickupTrucks.com names Ram 1500 best truck for $30K

According to the American Community Survey conducted by the Census Bureau, “The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area had the longest average
commute, at 34.6 minutes.”

We think that maybe more New Yorkers filled in the survey than anyone else. We can’t help but think there are thousands of people in the Los Angeles metro area who would laugh at a 34.6-minute commute. Los Angeles, in fact, didn’t even make the top five, even though it’s a city so impervious to normal driving that distances are measured in time, not miles. But if that’s what the Census Bureau says, then we believe it, the 405 be damned…

Other revelations are that average commute time has only gone up a few minutes since 1980, the foreign-born are more likely to use public transportation than native citizens, and that it takes an average of 14.2 minutes to get to work in Great Falls, Montana. Click here for the full survey. If you’re in New York, you can read it on the subway.

New Yorkers have longest commutes, also use public transport most

Justin Bell and eBay Motors have teamed up for a new web-based car show called, fittingly enough, “The World’s Fastest Car Show.” The premise is pretty straight-forward, with Bell taking to the wheel of some piece of drool-worthy metal in the first half of the show before heading off to an event in the latter half. The inaugural episode features a stint in the delicious Ford Mustang Boss 302 on Mulholland Drive as well as a stop in at Pebble Beach for a peak at the concept lawn.

Bell spends some time with a variety of concepts before deciding that the electrified Porsche 918 RSR is the belle of that particular ball. Race fans will likely recognize Bell as the same champion race driver who has campaigned at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA GT series. “The World’s Fastest Car Show” will debut a new episode each week. Hit the jump to check out the first episode for yourself.

Continue reading eBay Motors launches World’s Fastest Car Show with Justin Bell

eBay Motors launches World’s Fastest Car Show with Justin Bell

Our favorite racing series just got a bit of competition, and it comes in a surprising form. We’re not saying this will take the place of the 24 Hours of LeMons, but it’s certainly captured our attention. Called the Power Wheel Racing Series, this form of electrified motorsports pits racers against each other as they pilot uprated kids toys around a track.

To put it rather simply: this is awesome, and we want in.

The series needs a bit of help, however, to go from a singular event into a full-blown season for 2012. The minds behind the mayhem have turned to Kickstarter, and they are accepting your cash in exchange for a differing level of gratitude based upon how much you’re willing to plunk down.

If you need some convincing, click past the jump to learn more about the series. After that, head over to Kickstarter and show this fledgling race series some love.

Continue reading Power Wheel Racing needs your help

Power Wheel Racing needs your help

It’s been 20 years since Honda first unleashed the CBR900RR on the unsuspecting world, and to mark the occasion, the manufacturer has unveiled the 2012 CBR1000RR Fireblade at the Endurance World Championship at Le Mans and the 2011 World Superbike Championship in Imola, Italy.

The new bike packs a revised fairing, complete with a fresh nose and reworked tail section, but the really fun bits are still under the plastic. Honda has implemented an all-new rear shock design with dual-tubes that supposedly offer a smoother and faster response over the old hardware. Up front, the CBR1000RR works with 43-millimeter telescopic front forks.

Engineers also reworked the engine’s fuel-injection mapping for a smoother idle and easier operation lower in the rev band. A set of new gauges and two 12-spoke wheels wrap up the changes over the 2011 model. Hit the jump to check out the full press blast.

Continue reading Honda unveils 2012 CBR1000RR Fireblade

Honda unveils 2012 CBR1000RR Fireblade

The Highway Loss Data Institute has rolled out its latest figures on vehicle theft, and the crew from CarBuzz have taken the time to compile a list of the 10 models most and least likely to be stolen based on the number of claims per 1,000 vehicles. It should come as no surprise to hear that the Cadillac Escalade once again takes the honor of the most stolen of them all, followed quickly by a bevy of full-size pickup trucks, including the Ford F-250 Crew 4×4 and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew. In fact, the only two cars to break the top 10 most stolen vehicles are the Chrysler 300 at number six and the Chrysler 300 Hemi at number 10.

Meanwhile, the Audi A6 has managed to rank as the least-stolen vehicle, followed by the Mercury Mariner and the Chevrolet Equinox. Surprisingly enough, the Volkswagen CC, Lexus RX 350 and Mini Cooper Clubman all got a nod as grand theft auto untouchables. Hit the jump for a look at the full infographic.

Continue reading Infographic: Car thievery gets broken down

Infographic: Car thievery gets broken down

Before, there was just one Toyota Venza. Oh sure, you could boost the equipment and outfitting by ordering option packages, but since its launch, the Venza has not carried a suffix. For 2012, Toyota is changing its strategy and now there are Venza LE, XLE and Limited trim levels for buyers to choose between.

The LE starts it off, and it gets cushier and better-equipped from there with the XLE and Limited, though even in the base model, you won’t find a Venza without a six-disc changer, Bluetooth, and USB and auxiliary input. The top-dog Limited is a leather-lined, V6-powered box of rock thanks to a JBL Synthesis surround-sound audio system. Navigation, panorama roof, automatic high-beams are some other highlights. In between, the XLE covers the middle ground with a whole bunch of optional choices.

The changes add a new bit of shorthand to the Venza that makes it easy to pick out the sybarites from the skinflints. Toyota thinks the move brings the Venza in line with its other products and makes choosing more convenient for buyers. The full press release is after the jump.

Continue reading Toyota expands Venza model line to three trims for 2012

Toyota expands Venza model line to three trims for 2012

Argentina has apparently brought stock car racing to Antarctica for the very first time. The Asociacion Corredores Turismo Carretera recently teamed up with the Argentina Air Force and the interior ministry to bring one racer to the frozen continent. Hugo Mazzacane, vice president of the racing organization, piloted the car down 3,937 feet of runway in temperatures of four degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. We aren’t exactly sure of the motivations behind the stunt, but our Google Translator informs us that the trip had something to do with bringing renewed passports to those already stationed on Antarctica.

Then again, if you have to ask why, you probably shouldn’t be anywhere near motorsports in the first place. There’s no indication as to what kind of preparations were taken to ensure that the car could perform in the cold or what kind of driving suit Mazzacane had to don in order to keep from freezing himself out of the cockpit. Still, looks like a fun time to us.

Stock car racing comes to…. Antarctica?!

Company: Toyota

Brand: Toyota

Medium: Online

Product: Toyota Yaris

Campaign: It’s a car!

What We Like: Placing Michael Showalter in your ads earns automatic bonus points with us. These spots are pretty funny, and Showalter is the driving force behind the humor. Also, it’s refreshing to see an automaker take a self-deprecating point of view from time to time.

What We Don’t Like: We think Toyota is basically saying that the new Yaris is as simple of an automobile as you can find. The tounge-in-cheek humor is used to mask the fact that the Yaris isn’t much more than an appliance on wheels.

Strategy: Toyota is really going out on a limb by using humor to highlight the fact that the new Yaris is a rather basic automobile. Still, the spots do manage to point out the fact that this vanilla machine has some solid features for its price point. Despite that fact, we’re torn on this campaign. The spots themselves, which you can view after the jump, are hilarious but ultimately come across as spoof material put together by a competing automaker.

Grade: C (We’re split, and this grade reflects our feelings. Showalter helped keep the grade from falling lower.)

Watch the videos after the jump and give it your own grade below. Also, if you use Chrome as your browser, you can head to Toyota.com/ItsACar for a more interactive experience.

View Poll

Continue reading AdSpotting: Toyota Yaris is a car, and apparently, not much else

AdSpotting: Toyota Yaris is a car, and apparently, not much else

The Land Rover Evoque is headed to participate in the next running of the Dakar Rally with a few necessary modifications. The British Excite Rally Raid Team is planning to take to the sands of South America with three cars shelled in the body of an Evoque. Under the hood, however, the T3 racers will make use of BMW straight-six power. The 3.0-liter turbo-diesel engine is good for 275 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque with a ZF six-speed gearbox handling the shifting duties.

Each machine will be built by RaBe Race Cars, which has a long history of churning out Dakar-ready hardware for other teams. All three Evoque bruisers will be campaigned by a fully British crew that includes names like Martin Rowe, Andrew Coley and John Hardy. The 2012 Dakar Rally Raid kicks off on January 1, 2012.

Range Rover Evoque readies for Dakar with BMW power

Earlier this week, reports out of Japan stated that Nissan would be lending a version of its Fuga sedan to Mitsubishi. The Fuga, better known in the United States as the Infiniti M, would serve as Mitsubishi’s new flagship sedan in the Japanese market. Now, the two automakers have released a statement confirming plans for Nissan to supply the Fuga to Mitsubishi, beginning in the summer of 2012. At this time, it is still unclear whether or not we’ll see a Mitsubishi-baged Fuga here in the U.S. Hit the jump for the official release.

Continue reading Nissan, Mitsubishi confirm plans to share Fuga sedan

Nissan, Mitsubishi confirm plans to share Fuga sedan

BMW is on a mission (not from God) to create something grander than just an electric vehicle. The German automaker’s stated mission is to reshape history and “redefine the boundaries of the way we live, and the way we move.”

The next step of the mission starts soon, using the all-electric 2012 BMW Active E. But first, BMW is seeking 700 mobility pioneers to lead this “all-electric era,” specialized individuals who the German automaker has dubbed “Electronauts.”

The steps to becoming one of BMW’s pioneering Electronauts are simple. First, you’ll fill out an Active E reservation form. Next, you’ll complete a charging station consultation. Lastly, you’ll sign a closed-end, two-year, $499-a-month lease. Follow the jump to discover, via a 90-second clip, what becoming one of BMW’s history-reshaping Electronauts entails.

Continue reading BMW seeks 700 “Electronauts” for 2012 Active E test fleet

BMW seeks 700 “Electronauts” for 2012 Active E test fleet

Here’s an interesting tidbit we missed while scouring through BMW’s massive press release on the 2012 M5. According to the text, BMW has employed a system it’s calling “Active Sound Design” on the new M5, which takes in engine speed and load data from the ECU and plumbs it through the stereo to play a real-time recording of the M5’s engine.

Here’s BMW’s official explanation:

The Active Sound Design technology specially developed for the new BMW M5 takes its cues from the driving situation at any one time to deliver an accurate reproduction of the engine’s sound through the car’s audio system. The system’s digital signal processing exchanges data directly with the engine management, allowing it to reflect the engine’s revs and torque, and the car’s speed over the road. The result over a smoothly driven journey is a discreet soundtrack in keeping with the harmonious and assured characteristics of the V8 powerplant. A stamp on the accelerator, meanwhile, prompts an immediate audible response to match the instantaneous – and typically M – burst of power from beneath the bonnet.

BMW claims the system provides an “extremely accurate impression of current engine load” and that the sound has been optimized to spread across the entire cabin. Not only that, but when Sport or Sport+ is engaged, the sound inside the M5 is enhanced and perfectly sequenced with induction, engine and exhaust noises. We’re not sure if we’re geeked or disturbed, but it’s certainly trick.

Active Sound Design enhances V8 burble inside BMW M5