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The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), which oversees various Le Mans series in Europe and elsewhere, laid out a number of changes to the 2011 LMP1-class cars, aiming to equalize performance between diesel- and gasoline-engined cars. Sniffing a chance to not only steal some thunder, but perhaps beat Audi and Peugeot over the head with it, Aston Martin plans a brand-new LMP1 entrant for 2011 to go for overall Le Mans victory.

An open cockpit, monococque single-seater with a new engine, it would be the first racing Aston developed entirely in-house in fifty years. The biggest X factor is whether, and how much, the regulations will actually work to close the diesel/gas disparity. If it’s close, Aston Martin Chairman Dave Richards believes his company is in with a shout. Follow the jump for the press release.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin sketches out Le Mans-bound 2011 LMP1 racer

Aston Martin sketches out Le Mans-bound 2011 LMP1 racer

Perhaps on the corporate side Porsche hasn’t had much to gloat about lately, but on the product side it’s cigars and bubbly and told-ya-so’s. When the Panamera took to the track it won its very first race in the Italian Supercar series, and that came just as the 25,000th four-door was being built at the Leipzig factory. It’s a good thing the factory was working so hard: 22,518 of those Panameras have been sold after just a year on the market.

A finer peek into the numbers reveals the Panamera 4S is the sales king, followed by the Turbo and the Panamera S. And in the “No Surprise At All” file, Los Angeles leads individual markets with 890 deliveries. Follow the jump for the press release on the ugly-but-quick duckling turned sales swan.

Photos Copyright (C) 2010 Drew Philips, Michael Harley / AOL
[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Tally Ho: Porsche delivers over 22,500 Panamera models in year one

Tally Ho: Porsche delivers over 22,500 Panamera models in year one

You can quit biting your nails waiting for Nissan to unveil pricing information on the2011 Pathfinder, Xterra, Frontier and Altima. The company has just announced that, starting next year, the Pathfinder will start at $27,840 for the two-wheel drive, V6 S model. That marks a $300 increase over the 2010 version. Topped out, the SUV will set you back $42,600 for the four-wheel drive V8 LE.

Meanwhile, the base, two-wheel drive Xterra X commands an MSRP of $23,850, which is about $1,100 more than the outgoing model. Option up to the range-topping four-wheel drive PRO-4X with an automatic gearbox, and you can expect to hand over $30,100 of your hard-earned cash.

If a pickup is more your flavor, Nissan will let you hop into a Frontier S King Cab two-wheel drive for $17,750, though the topped-out SL Crew Cab with four-wheel drive, long-wheelbase chassis and a V6 engine coupled to a five-speed automatic gearbox will cost significantly more at $31,630.

Finally, the company has priced the 2011 Nissan Altima sedan at $19,900 when equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a CVT gearbox. Look to pay $22,940 for the Altima Coupe and $26,780 for the hybrid sedan.

None of the prices above include destination, so you can expect things to be just a bit more expensive by the time you leave the dealer lot with keys in hand. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading 2011 Nissan Xterra, Pathfinder, Frontier and Altima pricing announced

2011 Nissan Xterra, Pathfinder, Frontier and Altima pricing announced

Volvo received a €200 million loan from the European Investment Bank in March of this year, and sought another €300 million to cement its finances as it navigated the process of being sold by Ford. The rest of the funds were put on hold as Ford concluded the deal with China’s Geely, but now that the sale is complete Volvo is ready to take delivery of the additional sum.

Geely-owned Volvo has revised its product timeline compared to when when it first applied for EIB assistance, however. As a result, it now seeks €600 million. At the moment, the process is on hold while Geely discusses loan guarantees with the Swedish government, but perhaps that extra dosh – assuming it’s approved – will help pay for Volvo’s 7 Series and S-Class competitor.

[Source: Reuters]

Geely-owned Volvo seeks €600 million EIB loan

You can get graphics for your Ford Fiesta, Mustang and Taurus, and now the 2011 F-150 SVT Raptor joins the wrapped-up bunch. There will but one customization option: a black hood inspired by the racing Broncos of the 1970s – wilder trucks in wilder days. As well as lending a little bit of old-school-style badass, a side benefit of the new graphic is a reduction of glare coming off the hood. The digital mud bedside graphic available since the Raptor’s debut remains an option. Follow the jump for the press release and see what Ford hath wrought in the gallery of high-res photos below.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Graphics offered for 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Graphics offered for 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Proof Positive That Chrysler Can Still Compete — The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is as capable off road as it is jousting with mid-town traffic. If this is the new face of Chrysler, we like what we see.

Video: Team tears down then rebuilds a Jeep in under four minutes

A team of soldiers from the Canadian Armed Forces start with a fully-assembled and running vehicle, tear it down then put it back together again… in under four minutes.

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 dealer allocation will be limited, determined by sales and lottery

Ford is being very particular about how many 2012 Mustang Boss 302s each of its dealerships will get. There will be both a special allocation for top dealerships and a lottery for the rest.

Also of interest:

• New GM CEO Akerson to earn salary of $1.7 million
• Report: Nardelli almost sold Chrysler to U.S. for $1
• Traffic deaths in U.S. fall to 60-year low
• Super Duty’s Power Stroke diesel gets 800 lb-ft of torque reflash
• Travis Pastrana smashes 12-year-old Mt. Washington Auto Road record

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 9.10.10

Ford is ready to come up for air. The automaker has been updating its product line with great quickness and now it’s ready to take a breather. 33 percent of the Blue Oval’s product line has been replaced for 2010 and Ford says it will be scaling that back next year. The lineup is currently bolstered by the likes of the 2011 Ford Edge, Fiesta, Explorer and, of course, the Mustang with its wonderful new engines.

Still, the plan is to outpace the rest of the competition and move to a fleet built upon global platforms. Ford’s goal is to accomplish this by 2013 which will allow the automaker to reduce costs across the board and cut away at its $5.4 billion debt. This is welcome news to people who bought 2011 Mustangs, yet owners of not-as-fast 2010 models are still being monitored for signs of depression.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: Ford scaling back on model changes in 2011

The full-size truck market here in the United States is about as accommodating as a pool full of piranhas and rusty razor blades. In this one, shining segment, the Big Three enjoy unparalleled dominance; safe from attack from intruders from Japan and Germany thanks to a quirk in the tax structure and a lifetime worth of experience in crafting vehicles built to work.

Toyota is attempting to lure buyers away from the F-150, Silverado and Ram by offering a more powerful V6 engine in the 2011 Tundra. The automaker says that the reworked 4.0-liter V6 now packs the company’s variable valve-timing technology, helping it churn out a full 270 horsepower. That’s a bump of around 34 ponies compared to last year. Similarly, torque will see a nudge up to 278 pound-feet of twist, though the company hasn’t said where in the rev band those numbers show up. Toyota has been using its twin variable valve timing system on both its 4.6- and 5.7-liter V8s to increase power and fuel economy for years, but this is the first time it has shown up on the smaller displacement six-pot. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading 2011 Toyota Tundra gets more powerful V6

2011 Toyota Tundra gets more powerful V6

Dan Akerson, the man who just recently replaced Ed Whitacre as General Motors‘ CEO, will be paid an annual salary of a cool $1.7 million. That’s an awfully pretty penny, but Akerson indeed has his work cut out for him – The General is finally on its way to public ownership, with a stock IPO in the works for later this year.

In addition to his $1.7 million, Akerson will also receive $5.3 million worth of GM stock, delivered over the course of three years beginning on September 30, 2011. Furthermore, he will receive an additional $2 million in stock under GM’s long-term incentive plan.

This may seem like quite a bit, but things are a lot richer (literally) just down the road in Dearborn. Ford’s CEO, Alan Mulally, makes substantially more – he netted $17.9 million in cash and bonuses in 2009 – though this is largely due to the fact that the government bailouts have limited the CEO salary amounts for both GM and Chrysler.

[Source: Edmunds Auto Observer Image: John F. Martin/AFP/Getty]

New GM CEO Akerson to earn salary of $1.7 million

KTM has somewhat unequal helpings of good and bad news for riders salivating over the thought of the company’s new 125cc creation. The marketing gurus have finally settled on a name for the contraption, and despite some fears that the Austrian bike-maker would slather the out-played “Avatar” name all over the new commuter, “Duke” – which has been used a number of times already by the Austrian company – was chosen as a fitting moniker. We couldn’t be happier. Of course, that elation was short lived when we heard that the company has absolutely zero intention of selling the flingable little bike on our shores.

Heartbreak.

We understand the reasoning behind the move. It’s not like 125cc street bikes sell like hotcakes over here. With a dearth of dense city centers and miles upon miles of open highway between most domiciles and their respective work places, American buyers tend to clamor for a little more displacement. That’s fine, KTM. Build us a Duke 250cc and we’ll call all things square. In the meantime, our cousins across the pond can look forward to hooning the rubber off of the newest Austrian starting in March of 2011. Our envy knows no bounds. Hit the jump for yet another video of the bike’s development.

[Source: Asphalt & Rubber]

Continue reading KTM Duke 125cc not fit for U.S. consumption [w/video]

KTM Duke 125cc not fit for U.S. consumption [w/video]

Proof Positive That Chrysler Can Still Compete

We’re finally beginning to get a glimpse of exactly what Chrysler has been up to since snagging a whopping $6.6 billion in federal funding during the automotive implosion of 2009. While General Motors has been busily chugging along like nothing happened, the Pentastar hasn’t exactly rolled out a wave of new and refreshed models. There’s been an obvious hitch in the Chrysler giddy up, and those loyal to the company’s three brands have been forced to settle for little more than slightly reworked option packages… until now. As 2010 comes to a close, the company is pulling the covers off a range of new models, each as important to its future success as the last.

At the front of the pack is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a vehicle that’s become synonymous with Chrysler’s righting of itself in the public eye thanks to some of the most well-crafted advertisements in the industry. If you don’t know what we’re on about, we highly suggest pointing your browser toward YouTube and spending a few minutes watching the company’s “The Things We Make, Make Us” spot. Be prepared for an overwhelming sense of patriotic duty, as well as a burning desire to pick up a hammer and bang some nails.

You’ve been warned.

Even before Chrysler’s run-in with Chapter 11, there were flickers of hope within the company’s fleet. The Dodge Ram packed one of the best interiors in the segment, and the previous-generation Grand Cherokee wasn’t a horrible place to spend a few hours. The 2011 Grand Cherokee picks up those cues and runs with them in all directions, resulting in a vehicle that’s as capable off road as it is jousting with mid-town traffic. If this is the new face of Chrysler, we like what we see.

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

We don’t remember feeling at all disappointed when Ford released power figures for its new 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engine available in the 2011 Super Duty. After all, who’s going to argue with 390 horsepower and 735 pound-feet of torque? Then General Motors published power figures for its new 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel of 397 ponies and 765 stump-pulling lb-ft of twist. Oh snap! That left Ford on the shallow end of the power pool, but engineers were secretly working on a flash update for its in-house oil burner. The engineering tweak is now available and brings the Power Stroke’s figures up to 400 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of torque, besting the General’s mill by three ponies and 35 pound-feet.

Our friend Mike Levine over at Pickuptrucks.com dyno’d the engine before and after the reflash. The new Power Stroke has a lot more low-end torque than it did before the reflash, with an extra 45 lb-ft available at the rear wheels at a measly 2,000 rpm. But as the power band stretches towards 4,000 revolutions, the torque totals swing back into the favor of the pre-calibration engine by 22.1 lb-ft. Is that a big deal? Probably not to truck drivers, as low-end torque is the name of the game when you’re pulling and hauling for a living.

Beyond added capability, Levine tells us that the reflashed Super Duty feels less jumpy, adding “gear shifts were smoother and less noticeable after the update than before getting on the freeway and driving on surface streets.” New 2011 models heading down the assembly line will receive the updated mill, but existing customers can get a free reflash from their dealer. For the next 12 months, some early purchasers of the 2011 Power Stroke will also have to visit a dealer for the upgrade. The whole process reportedly takes all of 30 minutes, or enough time to think about what else you can tow with your newfound torque. Head over to pickuptrucks.com to read the extensive review of the new engine calibrations.

[Source: Pickuptrucks]

Super Duty’s Power Stroke diesel gets 800 lb-ft of torque reflash

Just the other day we mentioned that Travis Pastrana was spotted on Mt. Washington. We were curious if he was going to try and take on the Auto Road. Well, he didn’t just “take it on” – he went after the 1988 record set by Frank Sprongl. The time set back then was a blistering six minutes and 41.99 seconds.

Pastrana beat it by 20 seconds.

Driving a rally-prepped 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Pastrana attacked the 7.6-mile long course and slid across the line in six minutes and 20.47 seconds, also beating our own Editor-in-Chief’s time by some 19 minutes. The Mt. Washington Auto Road is 149 years old, features over 100 turns, a one-mile unpaved section and the road climbs from a base of 1,527 feet up to the summit, 6,288 feet above sea level. The average gradient for this road is 11.6 percent.

The project is being called the Red Bull Speed Chasers and it seems Pastrana and his crew did just that. The Subaru was prepared by his Vermont Sportscar team and it’s clearly an extremely quick machine. Pastrana, along with officials from the Mt. Washington Auto Road, used this run to evaluate the conditions of the route ahead of the 2011 Climb to the Clouds. The event is scheduled to run June 22-26 in 2011 and marks the first time in 10 years it will take place. It also coincides with the 150-year anniversary for the road itself.

Pastrana was quoted as saying:

“This is an amazing road, it’s just so much fun, it’s extremely challenging, there is no room for error and the scenery is epic. The Mt. Washington Auto Road has some amazing history to it.”

General Manager of the Auto Road, Howie Wemyss added:

“Travis’ run was incredibly thrilling on a number of fronts… It’s amazing that he was able to drive that car to the summit in 6:20, and all the more so when you realize that he and his co-driver had just seen the Auto Road for the first time the day before, and the top quarter-mile was in thick fog! Our racing heritage here at the Auto Road runs deep, having started in 1904 and now Travis is part of that heritage as the fastest person to the summit by automobile.”

Congratulations are in order to Travis Pastrana and his Red Bull team. Do we spray him down with an energy drink or a bottle of champagne?

Continue reading Travis Pastrana smashes 22-year-old Mt. Washington Auto Road record

Travis Pastrana smashes 22-year-old Mt. Washington Auto Road record

Milestones and goals are great things to strive for in life. Mazda just reached a pretty impressive one with their mid-size Mazda6. The two millionth example has just rolled off the assembly line. It took the Japanese automaker eight years and six months to get here.

Production began on the first generation Mazda6 back in 2002 and it served to give the Zoom-Zoom campaign a major push. That first-gen car was redesigned in 2007 (the changes arrived in the US in 2009) and a third generation will be arriving soon.

Take a look at the gallery and you can see that the why-so-serious mug has been toned down. The style is more mature without losing the subtle aggressiveness found in the rest of the lineup. The future looks bright for the Mazda6. Now if we can just get them to bring over the wagon and the Mazdaspeed6 we could push them to three million units even faster.

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading Congrats, Mazda! Two millionth Mazda6 rolls off the line

Congrats, Mazda! Two millionth Mazda6 rolls off the line

	Hyundai unveils i10-based BlueOn electric vehicle in South Korea One to watch.		Nissan and this polar bear want to love you – if you drive a Leaf Awwww.
	Paris Preview: Nissan teases Townpod electric vehicle concept for “the masses” Is this a new model for the Leaf platform?	Other news: 20 Audi A1 e-trons headed to Munich, Germany for pilot program Edmonton will go from trash to gas in 2011 thanks to Enerkem Alberta Biofuels Joule EV update: prototype phase complete, production vehicles coming in 2014

AutoblogGreen for 09.10.10

First Drive: 2011 Honda Odyssey

Honda did something silly during the launch of its all-new 2011 Odyssey minivan. The automaker built a large autocross-type “track” in the parking lot of San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium and invited journalists to take its latest eight-passenger family hauler for hot laps.

Followup: Bad Habit monster truck breaks longest jump record

You know what they say; if at first you crash your monster truck in the pursuit of a world record, try, try again. Joe Sylvester, the owner and driver of the Bad Habit monster truck, has officially nabbed the world record for flying contraptions of that variety, sailing 208 feet through the stratosphere before touching ground on the other side.

Hennessey VelociRaptor APV is the Raptor-based SUV of our dreams

Hennessey has just pulled back the sheets on what can only be described as a raging pile of awesome – the VelociRaptor APV.

Also of interest:

• Video: Nissan and this polar bear want to love you, if you drive a Leaf
• Mini Countryman rally car shown testing for WRC
• Nissan teases Paris-bound Townpod EV concept
• Hotter Subaru Forester in the works?
• New record set for world’s fastest furniture
• IIHS rates 72 booster seats for belt fit
• Infographic: The Unstealable Car

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 9.9.10

It’s time for X-Games fetishists and lovers of sideways, dirt-slinging action to get excited – the 2011 Subaru WRX is one-step closer to being in your driveway. If you head over to Subaru.com, you can play with their online configurator and create the new WRX that appeals to you.

Available as a sedan or five-door hatchback, the Impreza WRX is offered with either six or seven colors to choose from. This is dependent on which engine you want under the hood. The 265-horsepower WRX gets the standard set of color options while the 305-hp WRX STI gets more than a power boost – you can also add Plasma Blue Pearl to the available palette.

Our virtual 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI wears Obsidian Black Pearl and is going to cost us $39,130 (we know, we know – it needs gold wheels). There are plenty of ways to make that dollar figure go way up or way down, so head over to the configurator and have some fun. Thanks for the tip, Peter!

Photos Copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Subaru]

2011 Subaru WRX lineup configurator now online

As subtle as a box of hammers to the face, global warming’s most iconic animal has taken a starring role in the latest advertisement for the Nissan Leaf. Called, simply, “Polar Bear,” the one-minute spot follows a polar bear on a trek from watching glaciers calve into the sea down south through a city and into a residential neighborhood to find a man about to start his commute. Then, well, you’ll see. Check it out
after the jump.

For comparison, we’ve also pasted Nissan’s ad from June about the “New Car,” which highlights the changes the Leaf will bring to the industry, below. This ad shows off the ways the Leaf is different from other cars, including the tidbit that it will be made of at least 30 percent post-consumer material. While “New Car” is all about smartphones and batteries and other tech, the polar bear ad is all emotion. Still, the new spot does miss a chance to show the driver unplugging the Leaf before getting in, which would help get a little bit of that “new car” messaging across. Watch both here.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Video: Nissan and this polar bear want to love you, if you drive a Leaf

Video: Nissan and this polar bear want to love you, if you drive a Leaf

Doesn’t redefine the minivan, strives to perfect it

Honda did something silly during the launch of its all-new 2011 Odyssey minivan. The automaker built a large autocross-type “track” in the parking lot of San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium and invited journalists to take its latest eight-passenger family hauler for hot laps. It was an interesting “fish out of water” introduction to Honda’s fourth-generation people mover.

Designed, developed and manufactured in the United States, Honda considers the 2011 model an “American Odyssey.” The domestic development team, owners of 46 Odysseys between them, labored to deliver a minivan with distinctive style, greater interior versatility and improved fuel economy. Did Honda build itself a worthy successor and how did it fair on the autocross?

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Michael Harley / AOL

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Honda Odyssey

First Drive: 2011 Honda Odyssey

First Drive: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Lincoln has finally stuck a balance between luxury and fuel economy with the 2011 MKZ Hybrid.

Vauxhall GTC concept completely revealed ahead of Paris Motor Show debut

The Astra Sport Hatch hasn’t arrived yet, but the Vauxhall GTC, with it’s aggressive styling and turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, is a good indication of what will be hitting the streets next year.

General Motors unveils Chevrolet Aveo show car ahead of Paris Motor Show

The all-new Aveo is ready for its big day in Paris, but before the show, Chevrolet takes the wraps off its all-new subcompact.

Also of interest:

• Next Mazda RX-8 to use Sky G rotary
• BMW’s dontblogaboutthis.com car revealed on forum
• GM testing OnStar Facebook and texting functionality
• Video: Mazda Shinari concept and Kodo-fied Mazda3 make the scene
• Nevada governor candidate pitches speeding for dollars plan as budget fix

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 9.8.10