still has to go over the river and through the woods before it can , but this fall it will begin building them. Primary production will commence this summer at Porsche’s factory in Zuffenhausen, where the is also built.
Overflow production will be handled by VW at its Osnabrück plant, which also handles assembly for the and overflow production. The arrangement isn’t unexpected, with plans for the Osnabrück option mentioned .
, one of the largest employers in the state of , has been urged by a group of 15 civil rights organizations and labor unions, including the and NAACP, to help overturn Alabama’s immigration law.
The law was put into effect in September of 2011, and it requires police, among other things, to check the identification and immigration status of anyone detained and suspected of being an illegal immigrant. of foreign automakers in Alabama have had over the law. Wade Henderson, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said this in a statement:
“We came today as shareholders working within the company to press our case. By [Hyundai's] silence in Alabama, it is acquiescing to a human rights disaster. We hope we will engage leaders in thoughtful conversation about taking steps to repeal this law.”
According to Automotive News, Hyundai executives in Korea have “agreed to consider the matter.” That doesn’t sound particularly meaningful to us, and, for that matter, we’re not entirely clear on what the groups expect Hyundai – or or , other large automakers with operations in Alabama – to do about the controversial law anyway.
Remember when that Sergio Marchionne didn’t receive a paycheck from during 2011? As it turns out, it’s because he was busy raking in the big bucks from .
Automotive News reports that Marchionne earned 14.5 million euros ($19 million U.S.) in 2011. The pay includes seven million shares of Fiat stock, which can be exercised between 2012 and 2015, plus a base salary of 2.45 million euros ($3.2 million U.S.).
That’s a lot of money for the vast majority of us, but the Chrysler/Fiat CEO is being paid close to what all the other successful chief executives are receiving. The most direct comparison (since both companies are based out of Europe) is CEO Martin Winterkorn, who made 17.5 million euro ($23 million U.S.) in 2011. Given that VW in 2011, we’re thinking Winterkorn has a good argument for saying he’s worth the extra $4M.
With every new set of spy shots, we become increasingly more excited for the launch of the (or is that ?). This tapered wagon version of the shapely is certainly a looker, even in pre-production, camo-clad protype form, and after giving its shockingly quick sedan counterpart high marks for its driving dynamics, we can only assume that the complete Shooting Brake package will be really, really sweet.
Oh yeah, there’s an AMG version, too.
Seen here for the first time, the CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake takes the same sleek long-roof shape of the CLS550 Shooting Brake prototypes we’ve seen, but adds all of the bulgy bits fitting of any high-performance Merc. All we can say is, it looks absolutely stunning, and we can’t wait to see the finished product.
Power is expected to come from the same twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 found in the sedan, sending 518 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via Mercedes’ seven-cog Speedshift transmission. Like the sedan, we expect that will offer an AMG Performance Pack, which boosts power to 550 hp and 590 lb-ft in the sedan. Holy moly.
Wipe the drool from your keyboards and click through our attached high-res image gallery to see the CLS63 Shooting Brake prototype for yourself.
There was a point in time where if we read one more lede that started with “ sure is on a roll these days,” we would have clawed our eyes out. Fact of the matter, though, is that those words were absolutely true. Hyundai has really come a long way here in the United States, especially in the past couple of years. And the only reason people have stopped writing about Hyundai’s forward momentum is because, frankly, we expect nothing less now. Every new product blows the doors off of the one that came before it, and brand-new ventures like the line or funky-fresh are nothing short of impressive.
But every family has its black sheep, and unfortunately for Hyundai, that might be the largest one in its herd. You see, while Hyundai has worked hard to create a unique brand identity here in the United States by offering cars that are designed specifically with our market in mind, the was simply a vehicle hauled over from Korea with a few minor Americanized tweaks. Don’t get us wrong, the Equus is a plenty good car, and through its faults, we praised it in both our and as being a tremendous value that’s pretty darn up to snuff with its competitive set. But over time, can something that’s simply a good value work in the highly competitive full-size luxury set?
That in mind, we ordered a White Satin Pearl for our in order to see if after one year of day-to-day use, the big flagship would be able to stand tall with the rest of its Modern Hyundai kin, or simply be another budget-minded also-ran from the days of Old Hyundai. 52 weeks and 22,638 miles later, all we can say is, man, what a difference a year makes.
The 2013 has an appointment for some cosmetic surgery, according to a report in Car & Driver. The restyle will be minimal, with detail changes around the fascia going just far enough to let other 7 Series owners know that you have the latest model.
A more substantive change could occur under the skin of the ActiveHybrid 7, however. It’s nearly $13,000 more expensive than it’s non-hybrid counterparts but doesn’t make an equally hard-to-ignore case for efficiency: the ActiveHybrid 750i has 55 more horsepower than the standard car, but is rated at 17 city / 26 highway versus 15 city / 22 highway. Speculation is that the ActiveHybrid 7 could get the six-cylinder powertrain from the to improve its green credentials.
According to a report from Reuters, has been sued for allegedly selling pickup trucks and vans with defective fuel tank linings. The suit alleges that Ford knew about the problem and continued to sell affected vehicles over a 10-year period.
According to the complaint, the fuel tank lining of Ford’s full-size trucks and vans built between 1999 and 2008 can “separate and flake off,” clogging the fuel system and causing the truck to stumble or stall. Further, Ford is said to have issued a “secret” technical service bulletin to dealers about the problem, but never issued a recall or offering to fix customer vehicles for free.
The complaint, brought on by Coba Landscaping and Construction Inc of New Jersey and its principal Galo Coba, is said to be seeking class-action status on behalf of all owners of affected models. Considering that the Ford F-Series pickup was the best-selling vehicle between 1999 and 2008, that’s a heck of a lot of owners.
Ford has yet to comment on the issue, saying it has not received the complaint. Apparently, the issue is unrelated to the found by certain F-Series owners in snowy climates.
As we said when we first drove the Blue-e-motion, is . Given the tremendous ups and downs that electric vehicles and EV start-up companies are going through, maybe making sure you have a car where everything is working smoothly – to say nothing about - isn’t such a bad idea. And it now seems like VW is confident enough in its Golf EV, which is , to push up its estimated release date from 2014 to late 2013.
Sure, technically, that could be a difference of just one day, but we don’t think that’s what VW of America president Jonathan Browning meant when he confirmed next year’s U.S. release date with Automotive News. Late 2013 is also when the car will go on sale in Europe. A .
Even though VW is getting ready to move into electric vehicle territory, it is well behind other automakers. Perhaps that’s why it is also a bit less optimistic about the potential success of plug-ins. The automaker expects just three percent of its new vehicles to be EVs or hybrids by 2018. You can .
If you’ve got that compact crossover itch that only something as sporting as the can scratch, you’re in luck. The smallest crossover is on sale now, and its online configurator tool is live.
Starting price is $20,695 plus a $795 destination charge, for a total of $21,490. That kind of cash will get you a front-drive CX-5 Sport with a six-speed manual. Opting for all-wheel-drive will force you to also take the six-speed automatic and bump the price to $24,140. (The manual transmission is not available with any of the higher trim levels, either.) Like most Mazda models, the Touring model is the next rung up the ladder, with prices starting at $24,690 for FWD and $25,940 for AWD. Grand Touring models are the most loaded CX-5 models, at $27,840 and $29,090, respectively.
We liked the CX-5 quite a bit when and look forward to getting some quality time behind the wheel of the actual production model soon. Click for the full pricing press release, then bounce on over to the configurator.
So where are we at with the 2013 ? We’ve seen , along with . We’ve seen a shot of the car , and of course, in a conventional disguise, but got a good look at its interior in the process.
Now comes with this, a brief video that shows off the Altima’s new hind end. Like most every sedan on the market these days, it looks like the will be getting a bit of a Bangle butt. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) We do get the first really good view of the Altima’s taillights, which have a bit of spindle thing going on.
We’ll have to wait until the on April 4-5 to see the full reveal, though we wouldn’t put it past Nissan to eke out another shot or two of the car before then.
Click on the image above to enlarge, then feel free to see the very brief video yourself .
By all accounts, vehicle theft is down to some of the lowest levels in over 25 years. Even so, cars are still getting pilfered every day, and LoJack has gone through the trouble of crafting a detailed infographic displaying some of the more interesting information associated with the 10,251 LoJack-equipped vehicles that were stolen and then recovered last year. The company says that, of all vehicles equipped with the theft recovery system, 92 percent are brought back to their rightful owners. Last year, the most stolen and recovered 2011 model was the ubiquitous , while the took the top slot overall.
The oldest model saved from the clutches of thieves in 2011 was a 1948 Fleetline, while the priciest of them all was a worth $116,825. Not too shabby.
Not surprisingly, California led the list of states with the most stolen and recovered vehicles, with Texas, Florida, New York and New Jersey fleshing out the top five. The full, expanded infographic can be seen .
Sorry, Phillips de Pury & Company, but you guys evidently had no business auctioning this car at a sale of contemporary art. Because no matter what the dynamic rap duo of Kanye West and Jay-Z did to it, this 2004 is, first and foremost, a used car. Clearly the art community has voted with its wallets – and decided that the vehicle’s value is about what you could make if you parted it out. Frankly, that’s sad.
For those that don’t remember, the Grammy Award-winning hit from Kanye’s 2011 album Watch The Throne. Despite its overt ugliness, the car certainly has provenance. (Did we mention that the song won a Grammy?) We only hope that whomever ponied up the paltry sum of $60,000 for the “Otis” is either a real music fan or someone who goes on to resell it at Barrett-Jackson or another car auction .
Be sure to of the “Otis” Maybach, and click to watch the music video.
is recalling 275,000 crossovers over potentially faulty rear seatbelts that may not properly allow for the secure attachment of a child restraint. The affected models are from the 2009 to 2012 model years, built between November 26, 2007 and March 13, 2012.
According to the recall summary from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automatic locking retractor in the seatbelt assemblies of the rear center seat are at fault here. Obviously, if a child restraint is not properly secured to the seatbelt anchor, this can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The recall is expected to kick off in early April, and Subaru dealers will replace the rear center seatbelt assembly free of charge. In the meantime, owners can contact Subaru directly at 1-800-782-2783, and the full summary of the recall can be read in NHTSA’s report .
has a hit on its hands with the trim, but for some reason the brand’s most popular crossover still hasn’t donned the signature chrome grille. That will change for the 2013 model year with the introduction of the .
The freshly minted Terrain Denali will of course feature a chrome front grille, 19-inch wheels (V6 model only), satin chrome accents, body color rocker panels and front and rear fascias, new headlight and taillights and a dual exhaust. The top Terrain will also receive a high-end interior, including a leather-wrapped steering wheel with mahogany wood accents, a soft-touch instrument panel with French stitching, Denali-embossed leather seats and illuminated Denali sill plates.
The biggest news for the Denali is the introduction of a more powerful 3.6-liter V6, which will replace the 3.0-liter V6 across the Terrain lineup. The larger V6 will output 301 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque, or 37 hp and 50 lb-ft more than the 3.0-liter. And if you’re thinking fuel economy will suffer as a result, think again. The added power will result in the same fuel economy as the torque-deficient 3.0-liter, with 24 miles power gallon on the highway and 17 mpg in the city.
Fuel-thrifty buyers can purchase the Terrain Denali with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder, which outputs 182 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque and boasts 32 mpg on the highway. The four-cylinder-equipped Denali will feature slightly smaller 18-inch wheels. All-wheel drive will also be available with both engines.
The Terrain Denali will feature a cadre of top tech amenities too, including , Bluetooth, Pandora and Stitcher integration and iPod controls with Gracenote tech. This Denali also utilizes advanced safety features including lane departure and forward collision warnings and blind spot radar tech to look for vehicles the driver may not see.
Pricing will be released later this year, so for now check out the official word from GMC below and additional images in our gallery.
The British sure , don’t they? As if living in the police state that is modern Great Britain isn’t bad enough for motorists, what with all the speed cameras and , there’s a new plan afoot: Keep the uninsured from pumping gas.
According to The Mirror, a new government proposal would have surveillance cameras at gas stations determine whether a vehicle carries valid insurance and registration before turning on the pumps. Automatic license plate recognition is already in place at thousands of British fueling stations, acting as a deterrent to driving off without paying. The new measure would be as simple as allowing the systems to cross-reference databases of the national Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, according to the report.
One in 25 drivers in the UK are uninsured, according to The Mirror - some 1.4 million motorists. While the report calls this rate “one of the worst records in western Europe,” it’s far better than here in the United States.
According to data from 2009, , nearly 14 percent of U.S. drivers, or one in seven, has no insurance. In that report, the south stood atop the list of U.S. states with the highest rates of uninsured drivers, with Mississippi, New Mexico, Tennessee, Florida, Oklahama and Alabama all topping 20 percent.
What do you think about this initiative? Is it it a good idea or a bad one? Would you welcome similar legislation here in the States? Take part in our survey below and feel free to leave your thoughts in Comments.
The partnership beween and is , yet in that time, more acrimony and court proceedings have been created than jointly developed products – not hard to do when that product number is zero. Continent-crossing accusations have included Suzuki being upset at and that VW hasn’t shared its technology, while the German automaker has been miffed at from .
Suzuki filed for arbitration in London and hopes to compel VW to sell back the 19.9-percent stake it took in Suzuki in 2009. A line in VW’s annual report, however, reads that it “considers the claims to be unfounded and has itself filed counterclaims.” VW doesn’t expect a court decision on Suzuki’s arbitration to come before 2013. We know they say it’s always darkest before the dawn, but we have a feeling the sun won’t be rising on this union for quite some time.
It’s a funny thing, being rich and famous. You can afford anything you want, but everything comes to you for free. Just ask Sebastian Vettel, who – as reigning Formula One World Champion two years running now and brand ambassador for – can get any luxed-up Datsun he wants. Which may not be quite as exciting as Fernando Alonso having his run of the motor pool or Lewis Hamilton getting his hands on the new McLaren MP4-12C, but it’s not without its perks, to be sure. Like the .
Unveiled as a concept vehicle at the back in September, the Vetteled packs a 5.0-liter V8 good for 414 horsepower and an estimated 5.6-second sprint to 62 mph, along with carbon fiber aero bits aplenty, reduced weight and a lowered suspension.
Back in October, we received that Infiniti was, indeed, planning on offering the special edition performance crossover – based, as it is, on the FX50S Premium model – in limited quantities, and the company has now officially announced its availability.
Only 200 examples will be made at an as-yet undisclosed but assuredly lofty price, with orders being taken now for delivery next year. But before you go racing down to the local Infiniti dealership, know that the model will only be offering in Europe and the Middle East. Which is just as well, because we can’t imagine many American buyers ponying up the kind of cash Infiniti will be asking for the privilege just because it’s named after some kid from Germany, no matter how many grands prix he’s won. Official announcement .
is hard at work on a refresh for the , and thanks to our intrepid spy photographers, we’re now getting our first glimpses of the subcompact’s new schnoz. It appears as though the car’s somewhat cutesy face will now have a more aggressive shape, complete with smaller headlamps that integrate LED running lights – which appears to be right in line with the revised design language seen on the all-new .
It’s unclear exactly what other changes are in store for the next Fiesta, though reports have suggested that EcoBoost power may soon be found underhood. Ford has long stated that it plans to incorporate EcoBoost powertrains into the vast majority of its vehicles, and the Fiesta would be a seemingly perfect home for the recently launched 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbo. , this engine is available with either 99 or 118 horsepower and a respectable 125 pound-feet of torque. For comparison, the current Fiesta’s 1.6-liter inline-four pumps out 120 hp and 112 lb-ft.
Scroll through our attached high-res image gallery to see the facelifted Fiesta blasting through the snow undergoing winter testing and stay tuned for more details.
Where does he get those wonderful toys? We’re speaking, in case you didn’t catch the movie quote, of Batman. Specifically, his most famous car, otherwise known as the . There have been since the first, a 1936 Cord, was used in 1941.
Seventy-one years later, Bruce Wayne’s number-one ride has gotten considerably more expensive to procure. According to the sleuths at Centives, between 1940 and 1970, Batman spent a miserly (and inflation adjusted) $32,000 for the average Batmobile. After that date? A whopping $358,000. Holy Toledo, Batman!
While some Batmobiles are completely custom designed for the Caped Crusader, others are based on more pedestrian production cars… like the or . Indeed, over the years Batman has, among others, made use of various models, a or two, a number of models and even a British .
After it’s all tallied up and recorded for posterity, Centives guesstimates that the average Batmobile set Batman back roughly $214,700. Remember, there’s been over a hundred Batmobiles in comic book land. We guess it takes a multi-billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne to afford the crime-fighting lifestyle of an alter-ego like Batman.
When it comes to handing out awards, nobody works harder than J.D. Power. With surveys concocted to measure , , , , and , we sometimes wonder whether the company’s plaudits aren’t becoming a little like “participant” medals awarded at the end of kids’ sports seasons.
This latest J.D. Power survey, the 2012 , measures service satisfaction at dealerships. The most interesting find is that overall satisfaction at dealers is nearly four percent greater than at independent repair facilities. Visits to dealers among owners of vehicles less than three years old are up as well.
Of course, the numbers that people will be most interested in relate to how each brand fared in the survey. J.D. Power ranks each marque on a 1,000-point scale, “based on dealer service performance during the first three years of new-vehicle ownership, which typically represents the majority of the vehicle warranty period. Five measures are examined to determine overall customer satisfaction with dealer service (listed in order of importance): service quality; service initiation; service advisor; service facility; and vehicle pick-up.”
The brands are broken into either luxury or mainstream categories, and the top performers in each list are clustered fairly close together. scored 861 points, followed by (852) and (849) on the luxury side. The mass market competitors finished even closer, with leading at 809 points, followed closely by three General Motors brands: (805), (803) and (801).
for the full press release.
, Mini take home dealer satisfaction laurels in latest J.D. Power survey
![76918 2004 maybach 57 otis 1 opt Auctions: Jay Z and Kanyes wrecked Maybach fetches just $60,000 at auction [w/video]](http://theautoblog.ru/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/76918_2004-maybach-57-otis-1-opt.jpg "Auctions: Jay Z and Kanyes wrecked Maybach fetches just $60,000 at auction [w/video]")
