The Renault Scénic is king of Europe’s compact MPV hill, and changes for the 2012 model arriving in February aim to keep it there. Outside, the range (Scénic and Grand Scénic) gets restyled schnozzes with LED running lights, new taillights, new wheels and two new colors, Azzurro Blue and Damask Red.
The engine range has been expanded with two smaller-capactiy four-cylinder powerplants, one being a 1.2-liter gas engine and the other a 1.5-liter diesel. And if Renault’s involvement in Formula One means anything to you, those lumps are said to benefit from F1 tech, notably Stop & Start and brake energy regeneration.
Carryover technology like the TomTom navigation will be supplemented in the 2012 models with Hill Start Assist and Renault’s Visio System that bundles a lane-departure warning feature with automatic high beams. You’ll find out about the rest of the goodies in the press release after the jump, and every angle of the newer, handsomer Scénic is in the gallery of high-res images.
It all comes down to this: Mr. Guy Lofalk, the administrator in charge of Saab’s reorganization for the Swedish government, has signaled his intent to apply for termination of the voluntary reorganization of the automaker.
That means has five or six days, by its own estimation, to submit a successful plan to the Swedish District Court outlining how it will secure the necessary funding to stay in business.
Saab boss Victor Muller is reportedly seeking a loan worth over $800 million from proposed Chinese partner Youngman and an unnamed bank now that has between Saab and its would-be Chinese saviors.
Carmakers are constantly coming up with new innovations to advance the automobile. But, let’s face it: most of them are rather evolutionary, rather than revolutionary. That’s why, every once in a while, the auto industry needs some creative out-of-the-box thinking. And that’s where Frank M. Rinderknecht comes in.
The brain behind Rinspeed never fails to raise some eyebrows with his innovative twists on the automobile which he invariably unveils at the annual . And here we have this year’s debut.
Called the Dock+Go mobility concept, the Rinspeed design provides an interesting approach to a modern problem: While city cars (like the upon which this concept is based) may be a practical solution for those living in crowded cities, they don’t offer the kind of capacity needed for longer trips. Rinspeed’s solution isn’t to make the city car bigger, but to make it expandable with a third set of wheels and an extended cargo box.
The resulting appendage not only gives drivers some extra space for hauling what they’ve got, it also offers extra battery capacity. Plus, the rear wheels recharge the battery pack, giving the industry more to think about when it comes to extending the range – and space – of electric vehicles.
You may conjure up visions of luxury sedans and boulevard cruisers when you think of , but the Leaping Cat marque has also made some wickedly fast sports cars over the years.
Foremost among them is surely the XJ220, the all-out, world-conquering supercar Coventry produced in the early ’90s. A Jaguar XJ220 set the Nürburgring lap record in 1992 when John Nielsen recorded a 7:46 lap – a record that held until it was finally unseated at the turn of the millennium.
The question is, could Jaguar’s latest production model match the aging Super Cat for pace around the Norschleife? To find out, Evo’s Chris Harris took the new down to Eifel and brought along the XJ220… piloted by the same John Nielsen, no less. to see how it went down.
began building buzz for the long before we caught a glimpse of the first spy shots. The company’s executives were throwing phrases like “fun to drive,” “masculine” and “-derived styling” toward the would-be Beetle successor as far back as the 2010 Paris Motor Show. In this business, you either learn to read through hyperbole or choke to death on it, so it goes without saying that our hackles were quivering with skepticism at the time. Volkswagen could hardly blame us.
We had been living with the Type 1C New Beetle for nearly 13 years at that point, and the vehicle had grown into a caricature of itself. Back in 1997, the plucky bubble design was fresh and innovative, but as other automakers began to cash in on the retro design movement, the half-circle Beetle grew very tired very quickly. As a driver, it was merely adequate when it first bowed, and time hadn’t been particularly kind to the chassis. Volkswagen wasn’t just asking us to stretch our imaginations to cope with the notion of a sporty-looking, engaging Beetle. They wanted us to snap them in two.
Then the 2012 Beetle debuted, and sure enough, the two-door rolled onto the scene with a more vertical windshield and a longer nose. Those two attributes alone are enough to put it more in line with original Beetle design, and, as a result, give the 2012 Beetle a portly Porsche 911 appearance. Car gods help us, we like it, but what about that whole “fun-to-drive” thing?
Everything is bigger in Texas. So it’s appropriate that the hubbub surrounding the imminent return of the United States Grand Prix to the Lonestar State should come down to a big last-minute deal.
As you may recall, Formula One was set to come to Austin next year at a new track complex currently being built. However, construction on the Circuit of the Americas came to a halt after F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone expressed his doubts that they’d be able to pull it off. The problem apparently came down to public funding, which was reportedly delayed when the state comptroller told organizers they’d have to wait. With the $25 million bond due to Ecclestone’s Formula One Management this week, an undisclosed last-minute deal has reportedly come through to get Bernie his money.
As a result, race organizers have reportedly secured the event’s place on next year’s calendar as planned, and construction will reportedly resume immediately now that the deal is a go. Somehow, we doubt this will be the last hiccup along the path of bringing Europe’s favorite racing series to Texas, but for now it looks like everything is racing ahead.
Spontaneous combustion concerns weeks after a crash may prompt to spend about $1,000 per to fix, according to a report from Reuters. The proposed , which would cost a total of $9 million, would likely include reinforcements around vulnerable areas of the car’s battery pack, lamination of electric circuitry and better protection for the coolant system to stop leaks.
After a severe crash that causes damage to the Volt’s battery pack, coolant can leak out, and if the battery is not discharged, a fire may start. The discovered the fire danger this past summer when three weeks after testing. Two more batteries later caught fire when put through simulated crash testing by NHTSA.
Despite the fire risks, both NHTSA and the have said they have no plans to change their safety ratings for the Volt. Both organizations gave Chevy’s electric car after initial crash testing.
GM has repeatedly said that the Volt is safe to drive and poses no immediate risk of fire after an accident. Yesterday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood . Buyers have been offered loaner cars while the automaker investigates a solution and has vowed to buy back Volts from any owners who no longer want the car due to safety concerns. So far, a “couple dozen” Volt owners have .
Most car marques can be easily recognized by their emblems. But some model lines have their own emblems, too. The stands out as a clear example, and now is projecting that image even further. And we mean that quite literally.
For the new 2013 Mustang, Ford has fitted a tiny projector lamp into the side mirror that casts the shape of the galloping horse logo onto the ground beside the vehicle when the driver unlocks the doors. This illuminated “Easter egg” seems simple enough, but apparently it took Dearborn’s engineers quite a while to get it just right, going through six or seven designs before managing to get it to work.
The result was apparently so captivating that it shut down Ford’s Flat Rock assembly line when one of the auto workers hit the button and everyone came to look. We’ll be interested to see it for ourselves when we get our hands on the new model. It might be purely aesthetic and almost entirely without function, but something tells us this could be one of those new gimmicks – like, say, illuminated sill plates or ambient cabin lighting – that we may see proliferating across the industry.
Think of the name Dartz and, if you’re up on your whale foreskin-upholstered SUVs, you’ll invariably arrive at the Prombron. But while glad to furnish Eastern European mobsters with the machine that makes the look like a beauty queen, Dartz is keen to break out of the Prombron’s mold with sleeker offerings. That’s what led to the design of the chopped-down sedan and, more recently, to the roadster. Now Dartz has followed up with another design it calls the Jo-MoJo.
As promised, the Jo-Mojo is an electric roadster. Designed, like other Dartz concepts, by Eduard Gray, the Jo-Mojo packs an 80-horsepower electric motor that can be recharged (over who knows how long a timeframe) by a retractable solar panel that encloses the cockpit when parked and acts as the only roof to speak of.
For some inexplicable reason, even though the occupants are exposed to the elements in the open-air cabin, Dartz has also bothered to make the vehicle’s body partially bulletproof. Thus, anyone riding shotgun might survive an attack from a rival syndicate, though anyone tall enough to see over the nonexistent windshield likely wouldn’t.
Dartz says the roadster is slated to debut at the Top Marques show in Monaco – where else? – but if Monte Carlo isn’t on your itinerary, you can check out the video clip and press release , along with the renderings in the high-res image gallery.
The lads and lasses at have teased numerous different versions of their urban two-door in an effort to get more Americans to pay more attention to it. Car2Go is a worthy attention getter, and the Smart For-Us concept might be another, because who among us red-blooded U.S. of A’ers doesn’t love a pickup truck – even one the size of a ladybug?
It “translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of 21st century urban traffic for the first time” with a longer wheelbase and wider track, a tiny bed, a 75-horsepower, 98-pound-foot electric motor, a “friendly yet assertive face” and (unlike other Smarts?) “extremely short overhangs.”
We’ll be at the next month to capture all 11.6 feet of it. Until then, you can read about it in the press release after the jump and have a look at sketches in our high-res gallery of images.
As any parent will tell you, not all children are the same. Some are tall, some are short. Some are slim, and some are… less slim, if you catch our politically correct drift. This : Do overweight children need specifically engineered ?
According to a study released by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Injury Research and Prevention, the answer is no. An overweight child, as long as he or she is placed in the proper seat for their size and age, is no more likely to be injured in an accident than any other child – assuming the seat is correctly installed, of course.
This is an important finding, says lead author Dr. Mark Zonfrillo, because some 32 percent of all children in the United States are considered overweight or obese. That’s a sobering statistic in and of itself, but at least parents can rest assured that both their lightweight and heavyweight bundles of joy are safe in their child seats. Read more in the press release .
Professional racing drivers are a different breed than the rest of us mere mortals. While fear – of dying, of killing or of simply making a fool of yourself – keeps most men and women from pressing their automobiles to the very limits of their capabilities, some people choose instead to embrace the fear, turn it into adrenaline and hit the track.
That includes Barton Mawer, who was chasing down a for the overall lead in his during Australia’s Island Magic Enduro 2011 race at Phillip Island. Only one problem: in his path were a pair of slower cars; a and the of Team Chapman Racing.
What happened next is the things dreams are made of… or nightmares, depending on which seat you’re in.
See for yourself, from both points of view, in the videos pasted .
Long before turned its attention to building one of the most capable production off-road trucks in all the land, the company’s SVT engineers spent their time trying to wring the most straight-line speed possible from an . The result was the first-generation Ford F-150 Lightning – a vehicle that still manages to pull at our heart strings eighteen years after it debuted. If you’re still sore you never got the chance to own a brand-new F-150 Lightning, eBay Motors has something special for you. A seller in Saint George, Utah is auctioning off a 1993 Lightning with just 37,850 miles on the clock.
Judging by the photos and the description, the truck is as close to factory perfect as you’re likely to find anywhere. The owners is proud to say no aftermarket equipment of any kind has been added to the vehicle in its life, and the 351 V8 still looks fresh. Purists may cry foul at the tonneau cover, but the seller says that piece is a dealer-installed original. The paint, interior and engine bay all look clean enough to dine on with no rust, stains or leaks anywhere to be found. It looks like a million dollars, but the seller is only asking $15,500. Head over to to take a look.
Ken Block has extended his tireless promotion to SYNC, equipping his with FoMoCo’s infotainment system to star – along with DC BMX rider Kelly Bolton – in his latest video.
The day-in-the-life comes in three acts, beginning with Block driving one of his Gymkhana-prepped to LA’s Cars and Coffee, followed by a brief lunch, filming of the previously released and wrapping up with a parking lot smoke fest where Block and Bolton do what they do best. Although we’re not sure what we’re impressed with more: Bolton doing a backflip off a ladder after Block topples it going sideways or the fact that Ken was able to drive his hardly street-legal H.F.H.V. around LA for the day. Check it all out .
The New York Times is reporting that the Formula One Teams Association is losing momentum. Both and Red Bull have announced their departure from the organization that was supposed to be a forum for advancing the goals of the sport’s teams, big and small. In a statement, Ferrari simply said that the FOTA had “run its course.” The organization never quite managed to accomplish its goals, including installing a cap on spending to level the playing field and increase competition in this notoriously well-funded branch of motorsport. The 11 member teams of FOTA all agreed on the Resource Restriction Agreement in principal, but the movement seems to have stalled there.
Ferrari and Red Bull were two of the largest teams in FOTA, and their absence will likely be felt by the organization moving forward. Red Bull won both the 2011 and the 2010 Constructors’ Championships, and Ferrari has a long and storied history with the sport.
For years Detroit automakers carped about the low value of the Japanese yen versus the U.S. dollar, but these days, the opposite is true. The yen has rocketed up in value versus the dollar, and Japan’s automakers are taking significant measures to mitigate its bottom-line-killing effects. In October Toyota from its Japanese supply base, and now the will be built in the U.S. and shipped overseas.
Toyota notes in the post-jump press release that it will build 6,000 Toyota Camry units in Georgetown, Kentucky and ship the units to Korea. The massive Georgetown plant employs nearly 7,000 employees working around the clock. This marks the first time Toyota will export the American-made Camry, yet Toyota isn’t new to U.S. exports. The automaker exports 100,000 vehicles built in the U.S. annually, shipping them to 19 countries.
The announcement is likely an exciting one for workers at the Georgetown plant, and Toyota feels more exports could be forthcoming. Toyota’s North America President, Yoshimi Inaba, states “we look forward to other opportunities to continue growing exports from our American operations.” Hit the jump to read over the press release.
Tokyo highlights, 100-million small blocks, Hyundai MPG flap, Honda Crosstour sales
Episode #259 of the is here with Chris, Dan, Chris Paukert and Zach this week. Topics include highlights form the Tokyo Motor Show, the dust-up about fuel economy between a consumer group and the Hyundai Elantra, Honda’s position on the Crosstour and Civic in the face of disappointment, and General Motors reaching the 100-million mark with small block V8s. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #259:
In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Volkswagen Passat 3.6 SEL
2012 Mazda CX-9
2012 Fiat 500C
2012 Toyota Prius V
Hosts: , , ,
Runtime: 01:18:21
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Believe it or not, we cherish our time at the gas pump. Topping off the tank is a good excuse to step outside for a moment and let our minds wander for a spell. It’s a little slice of meditation we’ve been practicing since before we could legally drive, so the thought of being dragged into an impromptu game show while at the local gas station is enough to turn your author’s stomach. That’s premise behind the new reality show Pumped! on Speed. Comedian host Greg Fitzsimmons pounces on motorists just trying to get on their way and offers them cash and Sonoco gas cards if they answer a set of questions correctly, so at least there’s an incentive. It’s all a bit like Discovery Channel’s long-running New York taxi trivia show, Cash Cab.
The teaser clip after the jump features a newlywed couple fresh from the altar on their way to take photos and meet up with family and friends at the reception. The questions range from U.S. history to NASCAR trivia and basic automotive knowledge, and the couple fares about as well as we would expect. to check the clip for yourself, and let us know if you’d be happy be ambushed by these guys at your local gas station in Comments.
is inching ever closer to liquidation. Reuters reports General Motors will not support a proposed deal that would see the Swedish brand rescued with cash from a Chinese bank. GM has repeatedly cited concerns that any deal with a Chinese partner could conceivably hurt the American automaker’s competitiveness in one of the world’s quickest growing markets. The fear is that Saab would share technology pioneered by GM with its competitors. Saab could conceivably still move ahead with the deal, but losing GM’s technology licenses and production contract would likely kill the brand just as swiftly as liquidation. It isn’t immediately clear if Saab’s parent company, Swedish Automobile, will try to revise the latest Chinese ownership proposal to GM’s liking or attempt to go another way altogether.
Why is GM’s approval a necessity? Despite having sold Saab, The General still holds preferential shares in the company. So, with the plan off of the table, what will Saab do to continue operations? The company isn’t saying, but Reuters reports that Chief Executive Victor Muller said, “There’s always Plan B.” It seems like there’s always a Plan B when it comes to Saab (and a Plan C, Plan D, Plan E, ad nauseam), but the company’s factory has been idle since April, its employees have not been paid yet for November, and the brand’s dealers are withering away.
has been wining races in Formula 1 for 60 years now, and to celebrate, the company has unleashed a new special-edition version of the 599. The is available to buyers through the company’s Tailor Made program, and includes the performance suspension components of the HGTE package. Those include stiffer springs with dampers to match, a larger rear stabilizer bar, more aggressive tires and a lower ride height. Befitting a low-volume model, the 599 GTB 60F1 will only be available in three liveries, each representing a specific win in the automaker’s history.
The 375 F1 livery pays tribute to Froilan Gonzalez’s first victory for Ferrari at the 1951 British Grand Prix, while the Ferrari 150 Italia scheme is a tip of the hat to Fernando Alanso’s win at Silverstone, the same track that Gonzalez conquered for the automaker’s first gold. Alonso took the honor of the company’s 60th time at the top of the podium. Ferrari also plans to sell the 599 GTBM 60F1 in a third variant that plays off of the 150 Italia livery.
