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Unlikely though it may have seemed just a couple of years ago, Austin, Texas, has become the site of a battle between Formula One racing and economic development on the one hand, and government spending restrictions and fiscal responsibility on the other.

The showdown is over the United States Grand Prix, set to be held on the new Circuit of the Americas on the outskirts of Austin next year. Holding an F1 race almost invariably involves government support in the form of public funds, and a vocal lobby has vehemently rejected to the notion of government coffers being opened up to support the race. However after weeks of deliberation, the Austin City Council has reportedly voted by a majority of 5-2 to support the event.

The rationale, as is common with other grands prix, is that the public investment – some $25 million per year in this case – will encourage a big boost in tourism. Those coming to Austin for the race – be they spectators or F1 personnel – are expected to spend around $700 per day per person.

Another element offsetting the naysayers revolves around plans to make the track complex currently under construction one of the greenest circuits in the world, with public transportation, bike lanes and some 800 trees planted around the grounds of the circuit.

A potential change of date, however, is being considered for the race. The race is currently scheduled to take place on June 17, one week after the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. But with temperatures in Austin reaching over 100 degree Fahrenheit in June, organizers could lobby to have the race moved later in the year, possibly to be twinned with the Brazilian Grand Prix in November instead.

United States Grand Prix gets key approval from Austin city council

Carlos Ghosn has the honor of being the highest-paid foreign executive of any Japanese company. The Nissan CEO brought home a staggering $12 million for his efforts at the automaker last year alone, which marks a 10-percent increase over his take-home pay last year. For the sake of comparison, The Economic Times reports that Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota Motor Company, drew just $1.6 million in compensation and stock options last year.

It’s not as if Ghosn has been sitting on his hands, though. The executive helped lead Nissan to increase its net profit from $524.6 million from March 2008 to March 2009 to $3.95 billion the following year, and he doesn’t seem to be anxious to slow down anytime soon. Ghosn just unveiled a new business plan for Nissan called Power 88, which is supposed to help Nissan capture a total global market share of eight percent. Currently, the automaker holds onto around 5.8 percent of total market share.

Nissan’s Ghosn earned $12M in 2010, making him Japan’s highest-paid foreign exec

We saw the Xplore FJ Cruiser at SEMA, and then the company appeared in Moab to show off its all-new Xplore Wrangler. Now the adventurous minds at Xplore are ready to pull back the sheet off its latest creation – the Xplore Grand Cherokee.

We’re going out on a limb here, but we think this Jeep is Trail Rated. At least it appears that way thanks to the the beefy BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tires wrapped around Method Race wheels. We don’t have the official spec sheet just yet, though we know the past Xplore vehicles have been outfitted to handle plenty of tough terrain. The sinister flat paint scheme might not help with Jeep’s off-road capability, but it certainly helps give the Xplore Grand Cherokee a darker edge.

As with the rest of the Xplore family of vehicles, the goal behind this vehicle is to promote awareness of our national parks. Xplore wants you to… well, explore. When you purchase an Xplore Grand Cherokee, you’re given a one-year pass to America’s national parks. You also get a one-year subscription to the Xplore Lifestyle Journal, which talks about the places you should be taking your vehicle. Click past the jump for the full press release, and check out the Xplore Grand Cherokee in the included image gallery.

Continue reading Xplore gets adventurous with Jeep Grand Cherokee

Xplore gets adventurous with Jeep Grand Cherokee

Combine rising raw materials costs, reduced production capacity and manufacturing bottlenecks, and the result for the world of tires is this: not enough hoops to satisfy automaker demand. According to Automotive News, even before The Great Recession hit, a Bridgestone tire executive said that plant closures alone killed 71 million units of capacity in the U.S. New factories and factory expansions are on the way, but they won’t run at full power until 2013.

Current production is also slowed down by having to construct low-volume tires and niche sizes, with more specialty cars and more sizes on the market. On top of that, the prices of materials like steel, carbon black and rubber that go into tires have risen an average of 52% in each of the last two years, sending tire prices “up very sharply.”

Although it’s predicted that “the shortage won’t be resolved any time soon,” from the looks of it car manufacturers are in control of the situation – as well they must be, since they can’t sell cars without tires. OEMs haven’t discussed what its done to the bottom line – or how much of the cost is passed on to buyers – but if you see spec sheets begin to list more tire makes as original equipment, maybe this is why.

Today’s scarce automotive supply? Tires

A car like the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé isn’t about raw power and performance. It’s not about the latest technologies. It’s not even about bragging rights. More than anything else, it’s about making the owner feel special. But this particular DHC is more special than most.

Created specially for the Masterpiece London 2011 luxury goods show, this one-off packs a suede Asprey jewelry case in the glove box with intricate rings, cufflinks and earrings and a trunk full of matching leather fitted luggage. The one-off is also the first come painted in Mazarine Blue, the latest of 44,000 colors available to Rolls-Royce buyers, and features Santos Pallissander wood veneers (whatever that means) inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Check it out in the high-res image gallery and the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé for Masterpiece London is especially special

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé for Masterpiece London is especially special

Bentley and Bugatti may be under common ownership these days, but back in the day, they were bitter rivals. That rivalry lead one Ettore Bugatti to deride his English competition as “the world’s fastest lorries” (the British term for commercial trucks). He was speaking figuratively, because while the notion of a Bentley sport-ute has been rumored every now and then, the company doesn’t actually make trucks. This, then, stands as an exception.

This classic started life in 1956 as a Bentley S1, purchased by the owner of a large retail chain before changing hands to the Earl of Stradbroke who had it converted to a pickup. The work was carried out in New South Wales, Australia, where they’ve always been bonkers for utes. They painted it yellow and gave it a woody-style pickup bed.

The car was donated by Stradbroke to the Trinity Grammar School, which is now auctioning the vehicle through insurance broker Shannons to raise funds to build a new library. The vehicle will hit the auction block during the Australian Motor Show on July 10, where it’s expected to fetch between $22,000 and $32,000 in Australian funds, or about $23,600-$34,400 in equivalent American greenbacks.

Custom 1956 Bentley S1 ute up for charity auction in Australia

“If you buy this truck, I’ll come deliver it,” Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally told his friend Rob Johnston. Proving that his pledge was more than just an empty sales tactic, Mulally stayed true to his word and dropped in at Satcher Ford in Aiken, South Carolina to personally hand over the keys to Johnston’s 2011 Ford F-150. Johnston’s likely still marveling at the luck that comes from having friends in high places, chuckling that “the CEO of Ford brought my little truck down to me” while taking delivery last Friday.

Maybe it’s a new type of sales perk Ford could offer. Who wouldn’t want, say, a Boss 302 dropped off by Parnelli Jones? There’s a rich tapestry of Ford drivers in NASCAR available for Ford Fusion buyers, too. It could even be a line-item on the order form. Pay a little more for personal celebrity delivery, and the public figure of your choosing gets a vacation in an unlikely spot, like the overnight Mr. Mulally spent at Aiken’s Willcox Hotel. If anything, it’s a way for Mr. Mulally to spend time outside of Dearborn and speak with the public that buys his company’s products.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally personally delivers F-150

Porsche is known for some of the sleekest driving machines on the market. LaCie, meanwhile, makes some of the slickest hard drives. Where they intersect is the latest range of external storage devices, penned by Porsche Design for LaCie.

Collaboration between the two companies dates back to 2003, and the new LaCie Porsche Design mobile and desktop hard drives feature minimalist brushed aluminum cases that would instantly look at home next to your Acer Ferrari or Asus Lamborghini laptops for the ultimate in automotive-inspired computer hardware.

The devices are available in sizes ranging from 500 gigabytes all the way up 2 terabytes with prices starting at $104.99. Follow the jump for more details in the press release and scope out the designs in the high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Porsche Designs sleek aluminum hard drives for LaCie

Porsche Designs sleek aluminum hard drives for LaCie

Take three wheels, add one 115-horsepower V-twin engine, a five-speed manual gearbox and barely enough metal bits and pieces to hold it all together. Blend and half-bake. What do you get? The Morgan Threewheeler. We’re in lust.

If we were to strap ourselves into one of these crazy contraptions, we can think of only one accessory needed to truly do the machine justice, and you can see exactly what we mean in the video after the break. An old-timey Morgan deserves an old-timey set of goggles, no?

If you happened to find yourself sitting behind the three-spoke steering wheel of a Morgan Threewheeler, what would you do? How about a bunch of donuts followed by a one-wheel burnout in the middle of an empty parking lot? Yep, sounds about right.

Live vicariously through the man with the goggles in the video after the break.

Continue reading Morgan Threewheeler drifts back into history

Morgan Threewheeler drifts back into history

We’re suckers for well-shot automotive videos, and our friends at Autoblog Canada (eh?) came across a good one. Filmmaker Stephen Brooks spent time at New Jersey’s Wall Speedway to take in a Formula Drift event, and left with plenty of good stuff. His lens work is sharp, his footage is entertaining and his interviews provide a touch of insight into the minds of the folks in this industry.

If you’re a drifting fan, a few familiar faces step in front of Brooks’ camera to talk about their favorite sideways motorsport. Click past the jump to check out Drifting the Gauntlet, and see if you can spot where Brooks was influenced by the film Days of Thunder.

Continue reading Drifting the Gauntlet takes a look at life turned sideways

Drifting the Gauntlet takes a look at life turned sideways

Review: 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon

Station wagons are a bit like free dinners. Your parents appreciate them, auto journalists love them and nobody buys them. Who needs a station wagon when a crossover is just as roomy, not as efficient and generally more expensive?

Video: First Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol trailer shows glimpses of BMW i8, 6 Series

We see plenty of hand-to-hand combat, gun fights, beautiful ladies and exotic locals… plus the BMW i8, and even a gut-wrenching scene with a BMW 6 Series convertible.

Spy Shots: Bentley Continental GTC Speed getting worked out in the Alps

Expect a horsepower rating well above 600, and a torque figure to make one-ton pickups jealous.

Also of interest:

• Volkswagen: What’s Going On With Chattanooga’s Newest Resident? – Part 1
• HRE hosts open house, shows us how its forged wheels are made
• Exclusive: BMW to offer six-cylinder 6 Series Coupe in America after all
• Official: New R8 Limited Edition celebrates 10 Le Mans victories for Audi
• Report: Supreme Court to hear automotive GPS tracking case

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

What you missed on 6.29.11

When the Fiat 500 launched here in the U.S., we didn’t expect Texas to be one of the vehicle’s largest markets. But according to Ward’s Auto, that’s exactly the case. Fiat boasts a total of 10 franchises in the land of cowboy boots and ten gallon hats – a figure that’s only bested by the likes of California and tied with New York and Florida. The Italian automaker’s North American boss, Laura Soave, says that a host of green and tech-industry workers, sprawling suburban living and the fourth-largest metropolitan center in the country in Houston, Texas is the perfect place for the 500.

Even more surprising is word that most Fiat dealers are ordering up the 500 with an impressive manual transmission take rate. In a country where most drivers believe their left foot is only good for mounting and dismounting their Hoveround, a full 70 percent of 500 dealer orders have been placed for manual transmission models – a figure that has surprised Fiat execs. Is there hope for the row-your-own way of life, or are these suckers destined to languish on dealer lots? Let’s hope for the former.

Early sales show Fiat 500 going strong in Texas, manual transmission take rate high

Few companies do crossovers quite like Nissan. Even after setting aside actual SUVs like the Xterra, Pathfinder and Armada, Infiniti’s offerings QX, EX and FX, and the crossovers its developed for its sister company Renault like the new Koleos, the Japanese automaker produces its own crossovers by, well… the truckload. Here we’ve got the Rogue, the Juke, and the Murano, joined overseas by such models as the Patrol/Safari, the X-Trail, and this, the Qashqai.

You may not be familiar with this particular CUV (pronounced “KASH-ky”) because it’s not sold in North America, but it’s closest in size and mission to our Rogue. Available in standard five-seat and long-wheelbase seven-seat configurations, the Qashqai was launched in 2007 and facelifted in 2010. It’s offered with a range of four-cylinder engines, driving either the front wheels or all four through CVT or manual transmissions, and takes on the likes of the Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Outlander. It’s also popular in the Japanese and Australian markets, where it’s known as the Dualis.

In addition to production in Japan and Iran (whose nomadic tribe Turkic Qashqai gives it its name), the crossover is built primarily in the UK at Sunderland, where the vehicle’s production has just passed the million-made mark, standing as one of the most prolific automobiles ever made there. In fact, no other vehicle has reached that number in such a short time in Britain’s considerable automaking history.

According to Nissan, over the course of the four-and-a-half years of production, Qashqai production at Synderland has accounted for as much steel as is being used to build all the facilities that will support London’s Olympic games next year. And if you line up every Qashqai produced at the Sunderland plant, they’d measure 2,700 miles end-to-end – that’s enough to line Britain’s entire coastline.

Not about to stop there, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn recently announced during a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron that an all-new Qashqai will be entirely designed, engineered and built in the UK. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Nissan builds one millionth example of vehicle with name nobody can pronounce

Nissan builds one millionth example of vehicle with name nobody can pronounce

When Ford rolled out the new Focus, it launched a program to adapt the car to various touring car racing specifications. The car has been performing admirably in the British Touring Car Championship, winning several races last season with Arena Motorsport to finish second in the teams standings. But now Ford’s reportedly got its eye on a bigger prize.

According to Autosport, Dearborn is considering sending the Focus ST touring car up to the World Touring Car Championship. To that end, they’ve reportedly retained the services of the same Arena Motorsport that fields the car in the BTCC and which has, in its considerable history, run teams in A1GP, Formula Three, Le Mans and even Fomula One – scoring a podium finish under the Onyx Grand Prix banner with Stefan Johansson behind the wheel and Ford power under the hood at the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix, just behind Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost.

The last time Ford competed in the WTCC was in 2005. But while the World Championship may not currently race in America, don’t think that American automakers aren’t interested in the series. The Chevrolet Cruze currently dominates the standings its factory drivers Robert Huff, Alain Menu and defending champion Yvan Muller currently holding the top three slots in the standings. Ford, it would seem, is eager to take a slice of that particular pie.

Ford evaluating Focus ST for World Touring Car Championship

The best part about any fantasy sports league is being able to pick and choose your team from the full crop of professional athletes in the business. The folks at Autoline After Hours are now bringing this to the automotive space with their first-annual Automotive Fantasy Draft.

Veteran automotive pundits John McElroy, Peter “Auto Extremist” DeLorenzo, Ed Lapham and Jim Hall will gather ’round the AAH table to draft auto executives for four fictional car companies. The AAH crew have even gone so far as to create logos and mission statements for these fantasy automakers, which you can check out in the attached image gallery.

The show airs on Thursday, June 30 at 7:00PM Eastern, and you can watch it live on the Autoline After Hours page. Until then, follow the jump to watch a zany trailer for the Automotive Fantasy Draft featuring Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics.

Continue reading Autoline After Hours holding first annual Automotive Fantasy Draft [w/video]

Autoline After Hours holding first annual Automotive Fantasy Draft [w/video]

Audi has worked up a special edition version of the company’s R8 to commemorate the German automaker’s victories at Le Mans. Powered by the same 430 horsepower, 4.2-liter V8 found in the base coupe, the R8 V8 Limited Edition models are available with special titanium-effect paint with titanium-toned wheels to match. Those rollers are 19-inch double Y-spoke bits that were crafted in the spitting image of the hardware found on the R8 GT Coupe. Buyers can also expect to find a set of red brake calipers tucked behind the wheels. All of the company’s standard metallic and pearl effect paint options will also be available on the commemorative cars.

Inside, the R8 V8 Limited Edition comes with satellite navigation and Audi Music Interface with a Bang and Olufsen sound system as well as a unique interior lighting package and Bluetooth hands-free calling. Prices start at £93,935 in the UK. That figure translates to around $150,000 (including Britain’s costly Value Added Tax), though there’s no clear indication as to whether or not any of the 100 examples will make their way to the States or how much Audi will ask U.S. buyers to pay. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading New R8 Limited Edition celebrates 10 Le Mans victories for Audi

New R8 Limited Edition celebrates 10 Le Mans victories for Audi

If you asked a group of enthusiasts what company makes the best wheels, the answers would undoubtedly be varied. HRE, however, would probably be mentioned in that conversation. The HRE Peformance Wheels team has been creating rollers for everything from luxury cruisers to some of the most exciting vehicles in motorsports.

The current lineup of HRE wheels is as impressive as it is expensive. Wheels start at around $1,300 per corner. Curious to learn how the company justifies charging so much for its wares, we traveled to the company’s Vista, California headquarters for its recent 2011 HRE Open House. We wound up with an inside view at how the wheels are made and a peek at the company’s diverse (and loyal) customer base.

Continue reading HRE hosts open house, shows us how its forged wheels are made

HRE hosts open house, shows us how its forged wheels are made

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety is tough on vehicles. The institute’s crash tests are among the most difficult to ace, with very high standards for front and side impacts, plus rigid roof strength standards. But while some vehicles struggle to achieve the top score of “Good,” the Infiniti EX35 seems to have had the answers to the test.

Infiniti’s smallest luxury crossover achieved the top score of “Good” because it features standard stability control, it passed the all-important rear and side impact protection tests and it has a roof that can handle the pressure of more than four times its overall weight. The roof test is measured by pressing a metal plate into a corner of the roof at a constant rate. The pressure continues to build until five inches of crush is achieved. If the roof can withstand at least four times the overall weight of the vehicle, it receives a score of “Good.” Since the EX35 checked off every box with a score of “Good,” the IIHS feels comfortable calling the CUV a “Top Safety Pick.”

But while the EX35 was aces in the roof test, the similarly sized Acura RDX didn’t fare nearly as well. IIHS gave the RDX an overall score of “Marginal” after the Acura roof was found to only be able to withstand 2.9 times the overall weight of the vehicle.

Hit the jump to read over the Infiniti press release.

Continue reading Infiniti EX35 nabs Top Safety Pick from IIHS, Acura RDX falters

Infiniti EX35 nabs Top Safety Pick from IIHS, Acura RDX falters

Hillclimb Records, Lambo SUV Or Sedan, Nissan Power88, Wrangler Demand

Episode #236 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, one day later than usual. Chris, Zach and Dan start with a chat about the hillclimb records that were smashed at Pikes Peak and Mt. Washington and then we move on to consider whether Lamborghini should create an SUV or sedan. Nissan and its exceptionally ambitious Power88 plan is our next topic before we discuss the intense worldwide demand for the Jeep Wrangler and lament the reported shelving of a pickup derivative. Your questions and comments finish us up, and it’s a tidy hour and twenty-three minutes this week. Live podcasts will be back soon at our UStream channel, but we went with the legacy format this week because of schedules. We’ve embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #236:

• Pike’s Peak and Mount Washington Hillclimb time records fall
• Should Lamborghini go with an SUV or a sedan?
• Nissan’s Power88 plan – possible lunacy?
• International Jeep Wrangler demand high, pickup shelved?

In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Hyundai Elantra
2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

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Autoblog Podcast #236

During the U.S. launch of the 2012 9-4X, Saab CEO Victor Muller told us that he was good at raising money, and he is probably going further than he ever wished to prove his point. It was announced this morning that Swedish Automobile, parent company of Saab, secured a €25-million ($36M U.S.) bridge loan from Gemini Investment Fund. It is the second infusion from Gemini in as many months, and brings to €66M ($95M) the amount of money Saab has raised this week alone.

The latest life preserver allows Saab to pay its June wages. The production lines are still idle while Saab deals with suppliers, but it wants to start making cars again in two weeks. Saab is also waiting on regulatory approval for €245 million ($353M) from two Chinese partners, and hopes to access a drawdown of €29.1 million ($42M) from the European Investment Bank in hopes of manifesting a Rocky-like comeback.

Saab secures $36M bridge loan from Gemini Investment Fund