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The Fiat group has a knack for (or a habit of) dressing up its most affordable hatchbacks in tribute to its most expensive exotics. Alfa Romeo did a special MiTo and Giulietta for Maserati dealers, and Abarth did a special 500 to honor Ferrari. But since the latter has run its production run, the Scorpion marque is celebrating Maserati with this latest version.

Destined for unveiling at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, the new Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati features the same 180 horsepower 1.4-liter turbo four as the aforementioned Tributo Ferrari, but with different 17-inch alloys. The Maserati version also adopts the 500C’s retracting roof panel and a more elegant design approach than the previous Ferrari edition, topped by a three-layer burgundy paint job and sand beige Pontrona Frau leather.

Only 499 examples will be offered, and probably spoken for in quick order. But whether you think this gussied-up Cinquecento is any more worthwhile than the Mini Goodwood edition or the Aston Martin Cygnet will probably depend mostly on whether you’ve ever tried to drive a GranTurismo or Quattroporte through Europe’s notoriously crowded city streets. Check it out in the trio of high-res images below and the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Abarth pays homage to Maserati with Geneva-bound 695 cabrio special

Abarth pays homage to Maserati with Geneva-bound 695 cabrio special

SRT, the recently formed standalone brand of Chrysler, is determined to reveal the new 2013 Viper nice and slow. After releasing the first teaser image last month and offering a first look at the new ‘Stryker’ Viper logo, SRT has just posted a second teaser image of the 2013 Viper on their official Facebook page. While this second photo is much more clear than the first, what exactly is shown in the image is up to debate. Yes, it looks to be a carbon fiber scoop, but what kind?

While we may not know exactly what’s in the second Viper teaser, here’s what we do know about SRT’s next gen flagship: Traction control will be used for the first time in the model’s history as mandated by federal law, and while the 2013 Viper’s powertrain is still unconfirmed, there are rumors that the V10 could get a bump in displacement to an incredible 8.7 liters.

We’ll have all the details and photos when the 2013 SRT Viper is revealed during April’s New York Auto Show. Until then we’re sure that SRT will have more teasers, which we’ll be sure to pass along. If you think you know what’s being shown in this latest image then let us know in the comments section below.

SRT releases mysterious second teaser for next gen Viper

We’re almost ready to record Episode #270 of the Autoblog Podcast. Check out the topics below and you can join us live via UStream, as well, and we’ve embedded our UStream player after the jump. Thanks for listening!

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #270

• Porsche Macan
• Fisker on the ropes?
• DOT proposes distracted-driving guidelines
• Could smartphone integration be the solution for the DOT?

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #270 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern

Autoblog Podcast #270 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern

A year-and-a-half-ago we heard that the model to replace the Ferrari Enzo was peeking over the fence at the Bugatti Veyron for inspiration. Then we heard, nearly one year ago, that this Ferrari would also be a hybrid. Add those two ingredients to a 7.3-liter V12 and stir in Ferrari’s talk of light weight, and the resulting supercar will be a 920-peak-horsepower celestial stallion that weighs just 2,500 pounds, according to a report in Automobile.

The V12 will be responsible for 800 of those horses, 100 more than the 599 replacement, the F620, that will use a 6.2-liter version of the same V12 and that we’ll see at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. The supplemental 120 hp will be provided by a KERS hybrid setup.

The carbon fiber body is expected to hold largesse down to around 2,500 pounds, which – if all of these numbers come true – would mean a supercar that weighs 500 pounds less than 651-hp Enzo, and about the same as the 2,546-pound, track-only FXX, but that has about 100 more ponies. If all goes to plan we’ll see it in the fall – until it starts moving, at least, when we’ll just have to listen for the sonic booms.

Ferrari Enzo successor to churn out 920 horsepower, weigh 2,500 pounds

Mazda hasn’t turned its back on “Zoom-Zoom” in the least, but from now on the double onomatopoeia takes its orders from the company’s SkyActiv technologies. Mazda has been prepping us for the suite of engineering innovations that it plans to use to make its cars, like the 2013 CX-5, more Earth-friendly but just as much fun to drive, and company CEO Takashi Yamanouchi got big into it during the LA Auto Show.

The first commercials to publicize SkyActiv are here, in 30- and 60-second flavors, and you’ll find them along with a press release after the jump.

Continue reading Mazda debuts “Revolution” ad to promote new Skyactiv tech

Mazda debuts “Revolution” ad to promote new Skyactiv tech

All things being equal, we’d generally rather have more cylinders than fewer. But Bentley upset that particular applecart with the latest Continental GT. Not only is the 500-horsepower V8 version less expensive than the 567-hp W12, it also boasts better handling (thanks to less weight in the nose) and better fuel economy, too – all with a scant 67 less horsepower.

So why would anyone want the twelve-cylinder version? That’s a good question, and one which Bentley is apparently not afraid to ask itself.

Some customers will likely opt for the W12 for snobbery’s sake or because their last Conti had one, but the crew at Crewe aren’t about to let that stand at the extent of it. So word has it that the British automaker is gearing up to substantially improve its W12 engine in due course.

So what will those improvements encompass? Hard to say, but sources in the UK suggest a similar process that brought the Audi-sourced V8 up to Bentley specifications. The speculation is also that an eight-speed automatic is in the cards to replace the current six, and that hybrid technology is under consideration, too.

Aside from the fuel economy aspect, however, we ought to be looking at around 600 horsepower from the updated W12 – and that’s just in base trim, with the Speed model and maybe even a new Supersport version to pack even more.

Bentley improving W12 to justify over V8 Continental

Inside Line is reporting that Ferrari has promised to show the replacement for the 599 GTB Fiorano at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Currently dubbed the 620 GT, the new coupe will be powered by a more powerful version of Ferrari’s 6.3-liter V12 and have a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, according to the report. The last time we heard rumors to this effect, power output was pegged at more than 700 horsepower.

No doubt the new model will help boost Ferrari sales even further. The company reported record sales last year, some 7,195 cars, according to the report – a 9.5 percent increase from 2010. Revenue was up over 17 percent, to nearly three billion dollars, while Ferrari turned a $210 million profit.

Ferrari rings in record profits, promises 599 successor for Geneva

Ken Block might not be the world’s best World Rally Championship driver, but he might be the sport’s best entertainer. The Gymkhana superstar knows how to rack up YouTube views with jaw-dropping stunts and a panache that most of us can only dream of.

Beyond the jump is the latest Ken Block production, but instead of the real KB, we get funnyman Nick Swardson dressed up in full Block gear. Swardson pokes fun of Block just about every way imaginable, and the real Block sits in disguised as the interviewer.

It’s hilarious, and you can watch it after the jump. We’d watch it again, but we’re too busy looking for Ken-chantment cologne on Amazon.

Continue reading Latest Ken Block video is drift-free, full of laughs

Latest Ken Block video is drift-free, full of laughs

It used to be that we couldn’t even find a picture of the U.S. Army’s Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV), but times have changed.

At the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, the Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) displayed the CERV, which uses a diesel-hybrid “Q-Force” powertrain from Quantum that Quantum says, “saves taxpayer dollars and – most importantly – saves Soldiers’ lives.”

With a top speed of 80 miles per hour and a “run-silent” range of eight miles (we assume this means all-electric range), the CERV prototype can produce over 5,000 pound-feet of torque and go up hills with up to 60-percent grades. It does all this while using 25 percent less fuel, which is critical when you have to pay up to $400 a gallon to use the stuff in theater.

The Army says that today’s soldier uses an average of 22 gallons of gasoline a day. In World War II, it was one gallon a day.

Continue reading U.S. Army’s CERV puts a machine gun on a “green” military vehicle

U.S. Army’s CERV puts a machine gun on a “green” military vehicle

Hiccup or death knell?

That’s what watchers of California-based automaker Fisker Automotive are trying to figure out after the maker of the Karma plug-in luxury sedan laid off about 65 workers and contractors in Delaware and California while renegotiating loan details with the U.S. Department of Energy. Fisker, which was to receive a $529 million loan from the DOE, has received less than $200 million of that, with the fate of the balance in question because Fisker has not met certain loan conditions due to production delays.

Here’s the death knell perspective: With the Obama Administration under political pressure to reduce spending, Fisker is unlikely to receive the remaining $336 million, Wunderlich Securities analyst Theodore O’Neill said in an interview with the Boston Globe. Without that funding, Fisker will go out of business, O’Neill said, adding that A123 Systems, which makes lithium-ion batteries for Fisker, will also likely go under.

But no, say others, the problem is temporary. Investment advice site Seeking Alpha, for example, says A123 is a “buy.” Fisker also downplayed the issue, with its spokesman, Roger Ormisher, calling the shutdown a “bump in the road” in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Ormisher said production of the Karma hasn’t been impacted, nothing that Fisker has delivered about 250 vehicles, and that the remaining DOE funds are to be used purely for the lower-priced Fisker Nina vehicle.

Fisker said in a statement last week that the company, which most recently received cash from the loan last May, is in talks with the DOE and raised $260 million in equity in late 2011. Fisker is pursuing “alternative funding sources,” the company said in a Feb. 6 statement.

Additionally, the Orange County Register reported last week that a Fisker investor is suing the company for fraud. The plaintiff, Daniel Wray, invested $210,000 in Fisker and said the company informed him in January that he had to invest another $84,000 or risk losing the rights he gained with the original stock purchase. Ormisher told the newspaper at the time that he wasn’t aware of the lawsuit.

Analyst predicts Fisker’s demise; spokesman says that’s premature

Honda took it on the chin for its boring redesign of the Civic, but here’s one thing it got right: Reducing the use of toxic chemicals in the manufacturing process for its interior. According to the Ecology Center’s new report on HealthyStuff.org, the 2012 Civic uses the least off-gassing plastics, materials that can lead to volatile organic compound emissions. VOC’s have been linked to health problems including cancer and birth defects, according to the report.

“Research shows that vehicle interiors contain a unique cocktail of hundreds of toxic chemicals that off-gas in small, confined spaces,” said Jeff Gearhart, Research Director at the Ecology Center, in a statement. “Since these chemicals are not regulated, consumers have no way of knowing the dangers they face. Our testing is intended to expose those dangers and encourage manufacturers to use safer alternatives.”

Honda does not use bromine-based flame retardants in the Civic and specs PVC-free interior fabrics and trim, while also eliminating most heavy metals from the interior.

The worst vehicle tested, the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, “contained bromine and antimony-based flame retardants in the seating and center console; chromium treated leather on several components; and over 400 ppm lead in seating materials,” according to the report.

The good news is that PVC use is declining overall, with 17 percent of new models boasting PVC-free interiors, up from none in 2006, according to HealthyStuff.org. Some 60 percent of new vehicles do not contain bromine flame retardants. It seems that automakers are backing efforts to eliminate these hazardous chemicals from vehicle interiors, with HealthyStuff.org pointing out that Ford and Volvo have adopted voluntary third-party eco labels for some of their vehicles. The average ratings for Ford’s vehicles showed a 30-percent improvement from the 2009/2010 study.

Click past the jump for a video and the full press release, including the 10 best and worst vehicles in the study.

Continue reading Honda Civic interior rated least toxic, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport worst [w/video]

Honda Civic interior rated least toxic, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport worst [w/video]

There’s a part of us that wishes the automotive industry were packed with more eccentric characters like Lapo Elkann. The rakish heir to the Fiat empire (and possible future president of Ferrari) is anything but dull, overdosing on coke and heroin in a transsexual prostitute’s apartment one minute and changing the outcome of an NBA basketball game the next.

As much a fashion icon as an industrial tycoon, Lapo is the darling of published arbiters of style like Intersection and Wallpaper magazines, the latter of which got a behind-the-scenes look at Lapo’s favorite cars for a photo shoot. So what’s in his garage?

Well, we already knew he had a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and a California done up with denim upholstery, but apparently one of his favorites is the Fiat 500 Abarth that he had painted matte olive green. And then there’s a Ferrari 458 Italia decked out in camouflage, as if you could hide one of the loudest, most head-turning cars on the road. Want to see the rest? Follow the jump to watch the video.

Continue reading Fiat heir Lapo Elkann takes Wallpaper magazine into his garage

Fiat heir Lapo Elkann takes Wallpaper magazine into his garage

GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is trailing in the polls in Michigan ahead of that state’s February 28 primary, and the former Mass. Governor thinks the way to close the gap is to bash the bailout of the auto industry in 2009 that saved General Motors and Chrysler from being broken up and liquidated in bankruptcy court.

Romney’s timing is tough, what with GM’s setting an all-time record profit for 2011.

Polls have suggested that despite the obvious benefit from the bailout to Michigan, state residents have been divided about whether Uncle Sam should have stepped in to keep the automakers in tact.

My big beef with Romney is not that he opposes the bailout in principle (though he did support the bailout of Wall Street), but that he fictionalizes events of 2009 when GM and Chrysler went through bankruptcy. Romney asserts that the companies could have gone through a managed bankruptcy without the help of the federal government. Not true.

Perhaps a better tack for Romney would be to suggest that as long as GM is making such huge profits the company might pay back some of the loans granted it under President Bush. GM got billions before the bankruptcy that it is not required to pay back.

Read my entire column about Romney’s odd take on history at HuffingtonPost Detroit.

Romney doubles down on auto bailout opposition?

The luxury vehicle aficionados at Robb Report have chosen the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 as their 2012 Car of the Year. This is the 19th time the magazine has announced a COTY award, and any vehicle introduced in the previous year (in this case, that’d be 2011) is eligible.

The Lamborghini was one of a dozen vehicles singled out by Robb Report for consideration, and it managed to edge out such competitors as the Maserati GranTurismo MC, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster and Audi A7 (listed in the order they finished).

Robb Report praised the Lamborghini Aventador for the ease with which it allows drivers to access its prodigious performance and for its technically sophisticated seven-speed gearbox. Two-thirds of the 100 voters chose the Aventador as their first-place pick, making it the runaway victor. Feel free to read the press release after the break.

Continue reading Lamborghini Aventador named Robb Report Car of the Year

Lamborghini Aventador named Robb Report Car of the Year

Chevrolet’s fire-breathing, Nürburgring-shredding Camaro ZL1 can now be custom configured for your very own garage – at least your virtual one.

The 580-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8-powered Chevrolet won’t come cheaply, starting at $54,995, and choices are limited. Major options include paint (we’re kind of fond of the $325 Rally Yellow scheme shown above, though perhaps it’s a little too Transformersque), transmission choice (six-speed manual or automatic), wheel finish, sunroof and faux suede interior bits. Given that this is a small-volume model with serious performance intentions, we’re not bothered by the limited decision tree offered by the configurator, and it helps tamp the bottom line down.

Build your own by checking out the link below, or compare and contrast builds against the ZL1’s nemesis, the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 by checking out the latter’s configurator here.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 configurator burns up the internet

This past December we reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had found traffic fatalities in 2010 were at their lowest level since 1949. Unfortunately, another study released yesterday by the Governors Highway Safety Association reveals that the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver deaths is headed in the opposite direction.

While NHTSA has yet to release overall numbers for motor vehicle deaths in 2011, projections for the first six months have overall fatalities declining 0.9 percent. The number of teen driver deaths during that time, however, increased 11 percent from 190 the year before to 211, according to the report. The study is based on preliminary data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia that counts the number of drivers in this age group who died behind the wheel during the first six months of 2011. The states with the highest increase in teen driver deaths during that time were Florida, Texas and North Carolina.

While data for the last half of 2011 wasn’t included in the report, if the trend continued through New Year’s, it would mark the end of eight straight years of decline fatalities for this age group. As for why it’s happening, the researchers behind the study specifically cite the benefits of Graduate Driver Licensing laws, which have been around in many states since the ’90s, finally leveling off.

Teen driver deaths increase despite decrease in overall fatalities

General Motors stock is down 45 percent over the last year, which would lead the uninformed to think that the automaker is still losing money by the bucketload. On the contrary, The General pulled in a healthy $7.6 billion in 2011.

Does that mother lode of cash make GM a buy for 2012? Capital research Global Investors seems to think so. The Detroit News reports that the investment firm has purchased 5.8 percent of the Detroit automaker. That’s 92 million shares, which translates to about $2.3 billion at $25 per share.

The investment firm claims GM stock is a strong buy even though its European sales are lagging. David Kudla, CEO of Mainstay Capital Management LLC, points out that there are a lot of automakers selling vehicles in Europe, adding “everybody who does business there is struggling.” The Capital Group also points to continued growth in the U.S. market due in part to pent-up demand as a reason for the big bet on GM stock.

Investment firm buys 5.8% of GM

There are a few car photographers out there that we count among our favorites. Our own Drew Phillips is at the top of the list for obvious reasons (have you seen his recent ZR1 shots?), but close behind is Jordan Shiraki. We’ve shown you his work before, including a very special photoshoot where the Lamborghini Murcielago came face to face with the supercar that’s replacing it.

Jordan mainly shoots Lambos, rare ones at that, and he shoots them well. Recently, however, he decided to do something extra special for a shoot with an ultra rare Lamborghini Superleggera LP570-4 Blancpain Edition. Only 12 of these special edition Gallardos were made; this one is #11. So to set this shoot apart, Jordan decided to try his hand at producing video, and the result is after the jump.

The three and a half minute video is every bit as beautiful as his still photography, if not more so. We suggest setting the YouTube player to 720p and turning up the sound. Oh, and he didn’t forget to pull out his DSLR during the shoot either, so check out the gallery below.

Continue reading Our favorite Lambo photographer lets loose on Superleggera Blancpain Edition

Our favorite Lambo photographer lets loose on Superleggera Blancpain Edition

Good news, race fans: the Baltimore Grand Prix may be returning this year, after all.

The IndyCar and ALMS race extravaganza was held last year over Labor Day weekend at the Maryland city’s picturesque harborfront, but though the event itself was deemed a success, a financial dispute between the city and the race organizers jeopardized its future. The city ended up canceling its contract with Baltimore Racing Development LLC, but a new one is reportedly now being negotiated between municipal authorities and a new promoter, Downforce Racing – organizers of similar street races in Toronto and St. Petersburg.

The tentative arrangement was announced yesterday by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, pending approval by the city’s Board of Estimates, set to meet on February 22. If given the go-ahead, Downforce Racing would receive a five-year contract with a renewal clause for another five years, with the city’s expenses to be recovered from ticket sales and a profit-sharing clause that would see the city receive ten percent of profits over $1 million.

Assuming everything comes together, the ALMS race will be held on Saturday, September 1 and the IndyCar race on Sunday the 2nd.

City finds new promotors for Baltimore Grand Prix

General Motors will freeze the defined benefit pension plans of 19,000 workers on Sept. 30, 2012, shifting them instead into 401(k) plans. Affected workers were all hired before 2001 and are salaried employees. Hourly workers are not affected by this change.

Because the retirement plans will be frozen, contributions will no longer be accepted into them; however, any funds contributed prior to that date will remain intact and will be paid out upon the worker’s retirement.

GM has hired around 7,000 salaried employees since 2001, but these workers will not be affected because they were entered into a 401(k) plan right off the bat in lieu of the old pension program. CNN reports GM made the switch to shift investment liabilities from the company its employees.

General Motors has announced its full-year earnings for 2011, and by nearly all measures performed extremely well. Apparently, though, its old pension plan remains 88-percent underfunded, and it remains to be seen how the company will deal with that issue.

GM takes final step to eliminate pension plans, switch entirely to 401Ks