Spyker has announced that Hans Go will step down as the company’s Chief Financial Officer on July 1. Automotive News reports that since the sports car manufacturer’s operations are being sold to Vladimir Antonov, the Spyker group will now focus solely on . Rob Schuyt is currently acting CFO for the company, but the Swedish automaker is expected announce a permanent CFO later this year. Schuyt is also serving as the statutory director of Saab as well. Meanwhile, things are looking up for the embattled carmaker, as its new Chinese partner Pang Da placed an order for a whopping 630 vehicles.
All told, that deal will be worth around €15 million, or $21.69 million at current conversion rates. According to Automotive News, Pang Da eventually wants to snag a 24 percent equity stake in Saab for a total investment of around €65 million ($94M). That stake is part of a greater deal worth around €110 million ($160M).
Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
The annual hot-hatch gathering at Lake Wörthersee has been packed so far with enticing show cars. Audi came with a , and Skoda rolled in with a . But you didn’t think the VW brand itself would let its sister companies have all the fun, now did you?
Of course not. So feast your eyes on the Golf R Cabriolet concept. The recipe is as simple as can be: take one Golf Cabrio, and one . Put ‘em in a blender to extract the best parts of both, and voilà! The fastest droptop VW ever.
Along with fitting the Golf R’s 265-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo four, the show car’s suspension has been dropped by an inch and fitted with 19-inch alloys shrouding massive 17-inch brakes. The interior has likewise been upgraded to Golf R specifications, all decked out in blue and gray with piano black and carbon-fiber trim.
Like the production Golf R tin-top, VW says the Golf R Cabriolet concept can reach 62 mph in under six seconds and power on to a top speed of 155 mph.
While the car you see here is strictly for show for the time being, if public reaction among its most dedicated fans and customers at the Austrian lakeside expo proves sufficient, there’s no telling what might ensue. In the meantime, you can check out the trio of images in our high-resolution gallery below and the official press release .
The federal bailout of and cost U.S. taxpayers roughly $80 billion back in 2009, but only two years later, it appears Uncle Sam will get most of its money back. The Associated Press reports that the Obama Administration now estimates that the bailout will “only” cost taxpayers $14 billion. That’s down significantly from the projected 60 percent loss estimated by the Treasury Department back in 2009, and the money is also expected to arrive much sooner than originally expected.
The Obama Administration released the more optimistic view of bailout payback prospects in advance of a visit by the President to a Chrysler plant in Ohio. Conveniently, Chrysler last week its $5.9 billion in U.S. loans and $1.7 billion in Canadian loans, putting the bailouts back in the news, albeit with a positive spin. GM, meanwhile, has already paid back more than half its $50 billion in loans, and the government still holds a significant portion of GM stock, which it can sell to further cut the cost of the bailout.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner points to the bailouts as a cornerstone of the resurgence of manufacturing jobs, adding “While we will not get back all our investments in the industry, we will recover much more than predicted.”
Ford F-150 Ecoboost – Click above for high-res image gallery
hit a milestone with its pickup last month. According to PickupTrucks.com, the Blue Oval sold more trucks with V6 engines than V8 mills. Forty-one percent of F-150 sales left the lot with the company’s 3.5-liter Ecoboost six-pot under the hood. That number is up four percentage points compared to last month.
Additionally, the base, naturally-aspirated 3.7-liter V6 engine took home a 14 percent slice of the total mix, bringing the grand V6 total to 55 percent of all F-150 sales. The news comes as little surprise to anyone who’s spent time in the full-size truck.
The twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine provides more power and better fuel economy than the 5.0-liter V8 alternative. While it carries a $750 premium over the larger displacement engine, buyers are keenly aware of just how much a few extra mpgs can save at the pump. As PickupTrucks.com points out, fuel prices are currently a dollar higher right now than they were at the same point last year.
The Group’s annual -Treffen festival on the shores of Lake Wörthersee in Austria may be named for VW’s iconic tuned , but by now – in its 30th rendition – it’s turned into a multi-marque celebration of the hot hatch. Case in point: the unveiled there this year by . And now Skoda has joined in on the action with a hatch-based custom of its own.
To create the dramatic Fabia RS 2000 concept you see here, Skoda has taken its existing Fabia RS hot hatch, lopped off the roof and fitted a widebody kit housing 18-inch powder-coated alloys for a stance similar to its counterpart. The brightwork has also been blacked out, the open-air cabin fitted with four individual buckets with racing harnesses and carbon-fiber trim, and the hood louvered to vent the 200+hp 2.0-liter twin-turbo four.
All in all, a rather dramatic take on a bread-and-butter hatchback that blends the best of a road-going rally car with a four-door convertible. But while its occupants may enjoy the wind in their hair, the Wörthersee show stand is about probably as much daylight as this concept will ever see. Have a closer look in the high-res image gallery and the press release after the jump.
Mini Cooper by Vilner – Click either image for high-res gallery
Want a but not impressed by the plasticky interior? If you’ve got the cash, you could always upgrade to the to have an interior outfitted by the same people who trim the cabin of a . But if that’s not your cup of Earl Gray, Bulgarian customizer Vilner has got a package that could be more up your alley.
Demonstrated on a Mini Cooper dubbed “The Italian Job,” Vilner has decked out the interior in diamond-quilted Nappa leather and two-tone Alcantara. The result looks fit for a Pagani, and is complemented on the outside by a silver paint job with matte black roof and trim and a rather Gumball-style decal package.
The look is pretty sweet, particularly inside, but we dare not ask if it’s any more than Mini’s own Goodwood special. Check out the press release and the images in the high-res gallery for more.
2012 Audi A6 Avant ad – Click above to watch the video
The has all the makings of an instant classic. The two-minute long spot had star power, a terrific soundtrack and an uplifting message that struck a chord with the working man. We loved the commercial, and after a strong reception, we fully expected other automakers’ ad agencies to ape elements of Team Pentastar’s idea.
We just didn’t expect that someone to be , which has a strong track record of independent advertising thinking here in the States, even if much of it relies on direct comparisons to the competition. Interestingly, while the German automaker is the one that finds itself squarely in the intellectual property crosshairs, isn’t the one doing the complaining. The Detroit Free Press reports that Eight Mile Style, Eminem’s song licensing company, is suing Audi for this German ad for the that is said to use an unauthorized interpretation of “Lose Yourself” from the Eight Mile movie soundtrack.
So Audi is using a song that sounds like “Lose Yourself.” That has little to do with Chrysler’s spot, right? Well, not so much. See, the ad is also over two minutes long, the eerily similar song is used in almost the exact same way, and, well, the two spots look awfully alike.
With the way the songs were used, the way the ad was shot and edited and the similarities between some of the shots, it seems obvious to us that Audi’s ad agency was (*ahem*) inspired by Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad. But don’t take our word for it. to watch both ads and judge for yourself.
Karen Mok finds love on Route 66 with the Cadillac SRX – Click above to watch video
Like just about every other automaker on the planet, is looking to stake out a larger claim of the Chinese automotive industry. Right now, that many in the U.S. see as being on equal ground.
Perhaps, then, Cadillac will look to try something new. In a new short film for the Chinese-market SRX, Cadillac attempts to bridge East with West via Route 66. The ad shows actress and singer-songwriter Karen Mok taking on Will Rogers Highway with a male friend. The Mother Road calls, romance blooms and the is the tool that unites the pair. to view the spot.
Jeri Ellsworth on building a race car – Click above to view video
Jeri Ellsworth is a certified renaissance woman. A high school and college dropout, she’s a self-taught computer programmer and an ace welder and circle track race car builder. She has also started her own race car building business while her peers were at prom and went on to open a chain of computer shops.
More recently, Ellsworth has taken to YouTube to show aspiring NASCAR-types how a street stock racer should be built. Ellsworth is extremely careful and meticulous, knocking out some seriously pretty welds on her way to completing a 1981 racer.
Her work (and plumber’s crack), looks to be enough to impress embarrass all of her male peers, both in the garage and on the race track. To check out Ellsworth’s skill, hit up the video . It’s the first in a series, so if you like what you see, we urge to watch ‘em all.
Mercedes-Benz finally intends for the coupe body to play a much more serious role in its C-Class lineup, despite the next-gen C-Class lurking only a couple of years away.
Subaru is reportedly planning on a longer-than-average lifecycle for the coupe, with multiple packages popping up down the line to keep the car fresh… including an STI model.
Overall, auto sales were down a bit in May, though there certainly were a few bright spots in the industry.
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Will there be one fuel standard to rule them all? CEO Alan Mulally certainly hopes so, and he’s letting Washington know. As manufacturers spend time and money pushing to reach established Corporate Average Fuel Economy goals, some states are looking to set their own rules. That could prove to be a tricky – and hugely expensive – proposition for the automakers.
We know we said “some states,” but you all know the one we’re talking about. California is (once again) considering the idea of setting its own average fuel economy rules starting in 2017, and the federal government is (once again) considering letting them. Currently, California and the federal government agree that fleet-wide fuel efficiency will be required to hit 34.1 miles per gallon starting in 2012, a figure that runs through 2016.
As part of a visit to D.C. this week, Mulally told House members and Bill Daley, White House Chief of Staff (among others), that he wants the government to step up and standardize fuel economy and emissions rules, which would prevent states from breaking out their own guidelines.
2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S China Edition – Click above to enlarge image
To celebrate its tenth anniversary in the ever-hungry, ever-growing Chinese market, is unleashing a special edition version of its . The car comes with the Turbo S’ 530-horsepower, twin-turbo flat-six, mated to Porsche’s PDK sequential gearbox.
Rather than go crazy with mechanical mods, Porsche is sticking with an appearance package for the commemorative . Outside, there’s special Gold Bronze Metallic paint set off with flat black and carbon fiber accents. The car rides on sexy black 19-inch Fuchs-style alloys borrowed from the .
Inside, customers get a gold commemorative plaque, and all the Alcantara you could ever want. Porsche sets off the acres of black fabric with contrasting gold stitching.
If you want one, you’re pretty much out of luck. Porsche is only going to build 10 examples, and they’re all going to China.
The is officially ready for use by warlords and dictators the world over. Thanks to the work of ArmorTech Motors, the world’s tyrants can safely roll over crowds of protesters and the odd land mine swaddled in the comfort of Connolly leather and a high-def entertainment system.
ArmorTech will stretch your Mulsanne a minimum of 20 inches, and refinish the interior with all the bespoke touches your heart desires, including a top-shelf entertainment system and passenger compartment divider wall. If a 20-inch stretch won’t cut it, ArmorTech will be happy to stretch the big a mind-boggling 45 inches.
Armor plating is an optional extra, so if you don’t expect to encounter a hail of bullets any time soon, you can opt not to have the extra poundage tacked on. In any case, with the appropriate application of funds, you can distance yourself even further from the Great Unwashed – and those who opted for the plebeian standard Mulsanne.
KISS and Mini create custom Countryman models for charity – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ready for your garage to rock and roll all night and party every day? Break out your checkbook. has teamed up with legendary rock group KISS to create a quartet of customized crossovers for charity. , , and have applied their trademark style to the exterior of four examples of the 2011 Mini Countryman.
The vehicles, which debuted at the New York Auto Show, each have their own auction listing on eBay Motors, and the proceeds from these auctions will be donated to UNICEF. The organization is working hard to raise money for children affected by the recent disasters in Japan.
These customized CountrymenCountrymanscars aren’t wearing decals. Each vehicle was hand painted by a group of BMW employees who provided the artwork while off the clock. The four vehicles have been named after the members of KISS they mimic; , , and .
The full press release is located after the jump, and you can check out all four Mini Countryman custom cars in the gallery below.
Overall, auto sales were down a bit in May, though there certainly were a few bright spots in the industry. For instance, the Chrysler Group, which consists of , and vehicles, posted a 10-percent sales gain for the month when compared to the same period a year ago, led by strong sales of its Jeep brand. sales were up 192 percent, while the (up 92 percent) and (up 80 percent) also made big gains.
The star of the Chrysler show, however, is undoubtedly the . Sales of the reborn ‘ute shot up 217,800 percent… though that’s not terribly enlightening since Dodge only sold two Durangos in May of 2010.
Chrysler’s strong sales, combined with an extremely poor showing (albeit not entirely its own fault) from allowed the Pentastar brand to slip into the number three sales spot behind and .
The Korean conglomerate of and similarly performed very well, knocking out of the fourth spot. , however, fell short by less than a thousand units.
sales are hitting their stride as well, with the new (16,671) leading the way.
Japanese brands took the brunt of the sales hit in May, due in large part to fallout from the earthquake and tsunami that hit the island nation hard in March. Of the three major Japanese automakers, Toyota was hit the hardest, down over 30 percent. , Toyota’s luxury brand, fared ever worse, down nearly 45 percent from May of last year.
Fuel efficiency continues to sell cars like the (22,303), (22,711) and (20,006). What’s more, Eco editions accounted for about 15 percent of all Cruze sales, and Volkswagen reports that its TDI diesels managed to snag 22.2 percent of its share.
And finally, the earned 13,318 sales, its highest tally in nearly four years, proving what a genuinely good redesign can do for a neglected nameplate.
*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in May 2011 versus 26 selling days in May 2010, so the change in monthly sales volume will be different than the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.
Mosler MT900 GTR XX – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ever since Steven Spielberg brought the fiercest of dinosaurs to the silver screen in Jurassic Park, the name Raptor has come to symbolize the most ferocious of creations, from fighter jets and birds of prey to , and even an NBA basketball team. That last example might not exactly live up to the name, but the next supercar from Mosler looks like it very much will.
The niche automaking Floridian known for its racing cars detuned for road use is reportedly working on a new model that will pack a 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 650 horsepower, but less than 2,000 lbs to schlepp around. That stratospheric power-to-weight ratio promises blistering performance, particularly when you consider that its previous creations, like the MT900 GTR XX pictured above or the 550-hp Photon just tested by Automobile Magazine – are already faster than most everything else on the road. Couple that with fresh styling to upgrade on the existing model’s dated curves and Mosler (and its clients) could have a real winner on their hands.
There’s no question that needs to sell more cars if it is to survive in an industry rapidly centralizing into major groups. But when CEO Dany Bahar talks about looking for new buyers, he’s not talking about selling cars. He’s talking about selling the company itself.
Of course, Lotus is not Bahar’s to sell, strictly speaking. The company belongs to Proton. But the Malaysian state automaker may not have the necessary resources to provide Lotus with the synergies and shared development which Bahar identifies as crucial to Lotus’ future success.
A new report from Inside Line quotes Bahar as saying that Lotus may need to partner with a larger automaker in order to develop into a serious player in the sportscar business. All eyes are on , the Japanese automaker whose engines and other components Lotus currently uses.
The partnership could emerge as something akin to what is fostering with – that is to say, some sort of an alliance that does not involve selling the company – or could result in the brand being sold, lock stock and barrel, to the auto giant. One way or another, Lotus probably can’t go it alone.
2011Toyota Matrix – Click above for high-res image gallery
may not invest in a next-generation version of the company’s when the arrives. According to Ward’s Auto, the hatchback’s sales have fallen off of a cliff, with just 14,592 deliveries last year. That’s down from a height of 66,836 units in 2002. But that’s just here in the typically hatch-averse United States. In Canada, the Matrix is still kicking in teeth, though the Corolla still outsells its long-roof twin by more than twice the volume.
While there’s been some speculation that the upcoming compact Prius variant will supplant the Matrix in the Toyota family tree, Bob Carter, Toyota’s Group Vice President and General Manager, says that the two vehicles are expected to appeal to vastly different audiences.
Still, we have to think that Toyota would be wise to invest a little coin in the aging Matrix when the Corolla gets a revamp in a few years. American buyers seem to be slowly warming to the idea of hatches and wagons, and competitors from to are all offering five-door variants. As Ward’s Auto points out, 43 percent of sales have been hatchbacks to date.
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe – Click above to watch video
has dropped a new ad for the 2012 C63 AMG Coupe onto the Interwebs. Rather than bombard viewers with a litany of boring horsepower figures, the marketing gurus at the Silver Arrow turned toward our emotional side. The spot focuses on a young couple who have taken a break from eating strawberries in bed to meditate on how best to spend their day. A quick frolic through the mountains, perhaps? How about a dash along the coast? Either would be perfectly acceptable to our pallet, but the young lass in the video has other ideas.
The whole spot is interspersed with images of the C63 AMG Coupe doing what it does best – consuming tarmac to the delight of all on board and looking like a stack of cold $100 bills while it does it. to check out the ad for yourself. Thanks for the tip, AMG!
-Benz C63 AMG Coupe commercial gets our pulses racing
2012 Jaguar XJ – Click above for high-res image gallery
An automaker can’t make it in the fringe anymore. Everything’s going either upmarket or mainstream, and has opted primarily for the latter. The company that not so long ago offered essentially one sedan and one two-door is rapidly expanding to a full lineup. So what’s the next step? According to the rumormeisters over at Autocar, it’s ditching its current model naming strategy.
According to the UK publication, Jaguar is preparing to jettison nameplates like and in favor of a more conventional alphanumeric system like those employed by its German and Japanese rivals. The thinking is that while the faithful know Coventry’s naming system, it’s not immediately evident to newcomers and outsiders where one model sits in the line-up vis-a-vis the next. Besides, it won’t be the first time Jag has slapped alphanumeric badges like XJ8 on the flanks of its cars.
One model could possibly hold out, though, as the heads down the road to production. Filling the shoes of the iconic XJ220, the company is reportedly toying with the idea of naming the new supercar XJ330. The original was named for the 220 mph top speed it was aimed to reach (but never did), and the new model is targeted to hit a more realistic 205 mph – or 330 km/h on the metric scale.
Overall, auto sales were down a bit in May, though there certainly were a few bright spots in the industry. For instance, the Chrysler Group, which consists of , and vehicles, posted a 10-percent sales gain for the month when compared to the same period a year ago, led by strong sales of its Jeep brand. sales were up 192 percent, while the (up 92 percent) and (up 80 percent) also made big gains.
