has released the first handful of (CG-enhanced) pics of the bound for next week’s , and it’s not bad – assuming you’re partial to your refrigerator.
Appliance-inspired styling aside, the A2 is Audi’s answer to the BMW i3, but is rumored to arrive two years after BMW’s premium EV in 2013.
An 85kW electric motor drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission, with a maximum of 199 pound-feet of torque and an estimated range of around 125 miles thanks to its lithium-ion battery pack. Charging will take around four hours on a 240-volt outlet, while the A2 will zip from 0-to-60 miles per hour in just over nine seconds before topping out at a limited 93 mph. A fair amount of aluminum and carbon fiber keeps the weight down to 2,535 pounds – about 200 pounds less than the i3 – and Audi says an autonomous driving mode will be part of the package.
Expect more from the Frankfurt show floor next week.
A judicial inquiry has found Colin McCrae at fault for the that killed the rally driver, a friend and two children, including Colin’s son Johnny McCrae, in 2007. According to The Guardian, McCrae wasn’t properly licensed to fly the helicopter, and he had undertaken a number of dangerous maneuvers in the air before crashing into a wooden hillside. The inquiry evaluated evidence related to the crash, including video taken by 36-year-old Graeme Arthur Duncan shortly before the impact. The video showed McCrae buzzing farm buildings at an elevation of 275 feet before banking sharply.
From there, the helicopter descended into a wooden valley before crashing down. First responders said that the aircraft struck the ground with such force that it was impossible to tell what sort of accident had occurred without further investigation.
Despite the finding, the McCrae family say that Colin was a capable and experienced pilot, and that they will never truly know what caused the crash.
Modifying a high-performance vehicle like the is a tricky feat. With all the engineering prowess of one of the world’s most successful manufacturers behind every nut and bolt on the car, tweaking the recipe can easily lead to diminished performance. Even so, CLP Automotive has turned out a new widebody kit for the M3 Coupe that the aftermarket company is calling the M3 GT. According to our trusty Google Translator, the total package includes a front apron, hood, front fenders and side skirts. A set of 19-inch wheels are also part of the get up.
But the M3 GT isn’t all about looking pretty at the prom. Under the hood, the engine has been tweaked up to around 600 horsepower thanks to the miracle of forced induction, and a set of Bilstein shocks give the vehicle a little more precision on the track. CLP Automotive says the whole conversion will set you back around €69,000, or $97,034 at current conversion rates.
According to , over the last 30 years the company has sold a staggering 9 million models in the United States. In other words, practically everyone has had some experience with Toyota’s ever-popular mid-sizer. Toyota wants to explore how those figures have impacted the world around us with a new advertising campaign. “The Camry Effect” aims to figure out exactly how many visitors to the company’s web site have interacted with the sedan over the years.
Toyota is collecting stories about Camry owners and their adventures behind the wheel of the four-door. If you drove your parent’s Camry to college, took one across country or otherwise enjoyed some time behind the wheel during a pivotal moment in your life, Toyota wants to hear from you. Head over to to share your story and answer a few questions about your experience with the Camry nameplate. to take a look at the campaign’s introductory video.
You might figure that horse riding enthusiasts would be diametrically opposed to SUV drivers, but you’d be wrong. At least in the case of Zara Phillips. The British equestrian competitor has been a brand ambassador for several years now, and was lucky enough to snub Victoria Bekham take delivery of the very first this weekend.
The first model to roll off the production line, Philips’ Evoque is a five-door in Stornaway Grey with a 2.2-liter diesel and six-speed automatic. The model’s delivery took place at the Burghley Horse Trials, which is sponsored by Land Rover and where officials made use of a fleet of more than 60 vehicles from the legendary off-road marque.
That’s horse power for you. And with 20,000 orders on the books, this is just the beginning. to watch footage of the delivery and for the official press release.
We’ve all heard auto dealership horror stories that end with a bad deal on a used car or an elderly relative that got talked into some ridiculous extended warranty. It’s sad that bad things can sometimes happen to good people, but those examples likely pale in comparison to what one Chicago-area man says he went through.
WLS radio reports that an unnamed man has filed a $600,000 lawsuit that claims he was brutally harassed by five employees of Grossinger City Autoplex in Chicago. The man, who wasn’t identified as a customer or employee at the dealership, was allegedly choked with a phone cord, called a homosexual and threatened with great bodily harm. The accuser also claims he was given a wedgie several times, including one instance where he was given a “hanging wedgie,” which means he was hung up off the ground by his underpants.
To make matters worse for the dealership, the man claims that the five employees were all on the clock when the incidents occurred. Of course the dealership and its employees are to be considered innocent until proven guilty, but it seems that such a brutal suit could look awful bad for Grossinger City Autoplex.
When you put on a car show, you can expect a little bit of traffic as people rumble into the appointed lot when the gates open. When your car show is called the Wilton House Classic Rendezvous and Supercar Day, you might expect a few more folks to show up. That’s just the case here, for the third annual undertaking of this high-end and ultra-exotic car show. A record number of cars and gawking eyes arrived on scene to take in gasoline-roasted air, and that caused quite a traffic backup.
Everything that is exotic was in line, and the multi-million-dollar parade was captured on film as it moseyed into the lot. Examples from the likes of , , , , , , Ruf, , TVR and Koenigsegg all sauntered past to claim their bit of show grass by the Wilton House. to watch the most exciting traffic jam you’ve ever seen.
General Motors has announced pricing for the upcoming 2012 Buick Verano, and the compact luxury sedan looks set to bang heads with the segment’s best. Starting at $23,470 (which includes the $885 destination charge), the base model 2012 Verano is priced to undercut similar offerings from Japan. The , for example, starts out at $30,495, while the will cost you $34,170.
Three trims will be offered on the 2012 Verano, with the top tier set to start at $26,850. All three versions will be powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which is rated at 180 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque. The standard features list is filled with items such as 18-inch forged alloy wheels, a seven-inch LED touchscreen in the center stack, the Buick IntelliLink system and a host of other products designed to make your commute an enjoyable experience.
Luxury automakers like have been enjoying increasing success in the Chinese market. But with every factory owner and their cousin clamoring for a new , some will invariably demand something a little more unique. So to satisfy its most demanding clientele, Bentley has teamed up with high-end furniture craftsmen Linley to create a special edition specifically for China.
Only ten examples of the Linley special edition will be offered in the Asian country, each outfitted with such unique features as Santos rosewood veneers around the cabin with intricate marquetry inlay, a specially crafted humidor in the rear console, branded treadplates, rhodium-coated plaque, contrasting piping on the leather upholstery and a leather bag with cashmere blanket.
We won’t ask how many yuan the special edition will sell for, because even if we lived halfway around the world, this would still be far out of reach. The closest we’ll get, then, is the press release after the jump and the high-resolution images in our gallery.
The Detroit News is reporting that a federal judge has thrown out a portion of the lawsuit brought against the federal government by Delphi retirees. The former employees of the automotive supplier brought suit against the federal government after their pensions were terminated in bankruptcy proceedings. U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow dismissed claims against the U.S. Treasury Department, Timothy Geithner, the auto task force, Steven Rattner and Ron Bloom, though the judge did allow the lawsuit to continue against the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation serves as the federal government’s pension insurer.
Delphi Corporation walked away from pensions covering around 70,000 people during the company’s bankruptcy proceedings in 2009. The Detroit News reports that those pensions were underfunded by around $7 million and that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation took responsibility for $6.1 million of the deficit. That marks the largest loss in the institution’s history. Even so, some pensioners may lose as much as 65 percent of their benefits, including life and health insurance.
The has always been a strong seller, and apparently the Swedish automaker sees no reason to rock the boat with a full-scale retooling of the luxury crossover. Still, that doesn’t mean an update wouldn’t breathe a bit of fresh air into the XC90 – and by our clock, it’s (over)due for a freshening, as the segment stalwart is entering its ninth year of production. has done just that for the 2012 model, and both the exterior and interior get a few tweaks to bring the styling up to par with the rest of the market.
Like the rest of the automotive world, Volvo has decided to add LED daytime running lamps to the front of the XC90. The lower silver trim on the bumper helps add a touch of masculinity, and it blends nicely with the silver-clad roof rails. The LED upgrades make their way to the rear of the car in the form of bright taillamps, and the exterior upgrades are literally rounded out by the new 18-inch wheels that wear a silver-matte finish. Inside, the 2012 XC90 features new gauge faces inspired by watch dials, a new three-spoke wheel, aluminum trim and Bluetooth streaming audio.
In addition to standard trims, Volvo will continue to offer the racier-looking R-Design model. Customers jumping into the XC90 R-Design will get more aggressive styling that’s set off from the outside by Ixion 19-inch wheels.
You can check out the 2012 Volvo XC90 by clicking through the gallery. Be sure to for the full press release.
Just one minute and 45 seconds after purchasing a Mobile Utility Surveillance Tower from Terrahawk, you can have a (low-flying) bird’s-eye view of your surroundings. You’ll be more comfortable than any bird, however, in your climate-controlled guard tower, but you might be slightly more constrained when it comes to handling your ‘business.’
Pitched as a tool for surveillance or emergency response, Terrahawk will be demonstrating the M.U.S.T. for Congress this week. it’s a seriously sinister-looking , but we suppose bad guys can’t be caught with the Good Ship Lollipop. Still, Terrahawk might want to paint “Free Hugs!” on the side and avoid parking near any schools if the 25-foot tower isn’t deployed. Either way, we can see this being just the thing for anything from well-heeled game hunters to the NASCAR fan who wants to outdo everyone else in a camper. No word on cost, but while you check your disposable income, you can to watch the video of it in (slow) action.
There are driving and flying experiences for all kinds of wheeled and winged machines, but what’s been missing? Obviously, a place to play with heavy machinery to relive the sandbox fantasies of one’s youth. Leave it to Las Vegas to fill the void with Dig This, a giant dirt pit where anyone at least 14 years old and 48 inches tall can pay a fee to spend hours pretending to do the kind of job many people would rather avoid.
At your disposal are some of Caterpillar’s finest: three 15-ton excavators and two 10-ton bulldozers. After a bit of classroom instruction, you’ll be led to your workhorse for some in-cab instruction. Then, depending on which of the three ‘experiences’ you’ve purchased, you have anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours to perfect your earthmoving technique.
If throwing 15 tons around isn’t enough, Dig This has also partnered with other entertainment venues like The Spa at Trump on packages like Excavate and Exfoliate. They can sign us up for Dig & Destroy on our next trip to Vegas… To learn more, you’ll find a video .
has been a bit of an enigma of late. Honda’s premium marque has endured its share of struggles, with new entries like the and more established models like the falling short of buyers’ expectations. Even the mighty , which has been Acura’s top-selling sedan for years, has seen better days.
At the height of its popularity in 2005, Acura moved 78,218 copies of its mainstream luxury sled, putting the TL behind only the and in luxury car sales. But then two things happened to turn the TL’s world upside-down. First, vehicle sales took a dive beginning in the second half of 2008, and at the same time, Acura unveiled a newly styled TL that stoked more controversy than conquests.
To steer its bread-and-butter mid-sizer back on the right course, Acura designers nipped and tucked the TL this year to quell some of the car’s disagreeable design decisions, while engineers worked to improve its already excellent driving dynamics. Has it worked? We’ve taken the reins of a well-equipped 2012 TL SH-AWD to see if Acura’s cash cow is ready for another shot at and .
The United Auto Workers are currently negotiating new labor contracts with The Detroit Three. Due to bankruptcy restrictions, UAW members working at and and can’t go on strike. , on the other hand, didn’t get a no-strike clause since it didn’t go through the bankruptcy process. That means the UAW can walk off Blue Oval production lines if it chooses to do so, and it is already threatening to do just that if it doesn’t get the agreement it wants when the current contract expires on September 14.
The Detroit News report on the matter is reminiscent of sports press reportage on the former NFL and current NBA lockouts: haves and have-nots, short memories, separate legal actions, and phrases like “they don’t believe Ford’s claims of poverty.”
A couple of days ago, it was reported that , and that wasn’t a fluke: strike authorization is running at 97 percent – well above usual. But some UAW workers feel that the plants that are doing well, like the Dearborn Truck plant making the , is a case of “The fat-cat plants want more,” while plants that want more work are content for now to let Ford get healthier before asking for more.
A strike authorization from Bob King and company does not necessarily mean that there will be a strike if an amicable conclusion can’t be reached, but it does give the UAW more ammunition than it has with GM and Chrysler.
is preparing an fighter for 2013 based on the company’s B-Class architecture. Dubbed the , the smallest will deliver grunt to its front wheels, a first for a two-door drop top wearing the three-pointed star.
Engines include a 1.6-liter direct injection turbo four-pot, or a 1.8-liter turbo diesel for our friends in Europe. Transmission options will include either a new seven-speed dual-clutch arrangement or a six-speed row-your-own.
Apparently, a soft top will be the only roof option available, in an attempt to keep costs reigned in. Speaking of costs, we don’t have a solid number, but GoAuto.com reports it should ring the register at about $65k Australian.
Our elite squad of highly-trained spy photographers has nabbed a handful of new photos of the soon-to-be-unveiled Subaru BRZ. The front engine, rear-wheel drive sports coupe was spotted out and about on public streets wrapped in suitable camouflage ahead of its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week. says that the BRZ moniker for Boxer engine, Rear-wheel drive Zenith, but it sounds more like a phonetic interpretation of a weedeater to us. Nomenclature aside, we’re told to expect good things from the coupe. Word on the web is that Subaru may use the vehicle to unveil a new 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine.
Even more interesting is rumors that the coupe will use a similarly new six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Either way, we’ll know more when the Japanese automaker pulls back the sheets in Germany next week. Stay tuned.
Look at the from most angles, and you’re bound to be taken by its svelte lines and sumptuous curves. Less so, one might argue, with the split grille that dominates the nose. But that’s not the part that celebrated designer Henrik Fisker and his team are reportedly tweaking for the . It’s the tail.
According to the UK’s Car Magazine, Fisker is preparing to unveil a shooting brake (read: station wagon) variant of the Karma at the rapidly approaching German expo. The adaptation of the four-door coupe – which has already been showcased as a convertible – reportedly comes in response to feedback from potential customers who found the trunk on the four-door model too constricted because the plug-inhybrid drivetrain encroaches on luggage space.
Of all of the divisions under the Group’s vast corporate umbrella, Skoda’s wouldn’t exactly be what you’d call the most exciting. But the Czech automaker is working on improving that. Skoda plans on releasing a new product every six months for the next two years, and this is the first in its new model offensive.
Called the MissionL, what you see here is a concept car, but one in which – according to Skoda, at least – will lead directly to a new production model. The styling already looks edgier than the company’s existing range of models, and will be unveiled next week at the .
After that, the MissionL is set to be turned into a new production five-door liftback targeted at the European, Russian and Chinese markets, with a sedan version headed to India. We’ll reserve judgement for when we see the show car up close, but if this is a sign of what’s to come from Skoda, it looks to be a rather sharp sign indeed.
Way back when, animated characters were voiced by anonymous folks with great pipes. These days, you need A-list celebs to sell pixelated fish and other playthings. The disembodied and slightly stilted voices of navigation systems appear to be going the same way, and Top Gear host is the latest talent to contribute his voice to giving directions – ironic, considering he’s made his disdain for GPS clear in the past.
According to the UK’s Daily Mail, will unveil a device next month in which the famously ornery BBC star will advise you to execute handbrake turn – going all, well, Clarkson, when you miss your offramp. If he ever gets to be too much, apparently the unit will allow you to get directions from The Stig, which we expect will sound like not getting any voice directions at all.
