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Blame it on our Rust Belt sensibilities, but we can’t think of anything cooler than rally cars racing full-bore around a steel mill. The video after the jump is about as heavy metal as it gets, and the gritty action is coming to your television in a new Speed TV series called Battle Cross. The steel mill pilot shown here – airs on November 17 at 10 pm Eastern. That’s this Thursday, kids, so set your DVR now, or ask your parents for permission to stay up late.

This first episode features 2011 Rally America Champion David Higgins driving against Subaru Rally Team USA teammate Dave Mirra. The competition is a two-round affair, the first a standard fastest-time-wins, autocross-style challenge, while the second is a judged “freestyle session.” Think: figure skating – but with sequins and feathers replaced by popping wastegates and two-foot wings.

A whole host of other names are attached to the series. Rally driver Andrew Comrie-Picard and Stacy Keibler, she of WWE and girlfriend of George Clooney fame, will co-host the show. Drifting star Samuel Hubinette and rally driver Stephan Verdier will serve as judges. Battle Cross is produced by The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen, so if nothing else, we can at least expect it to look great.

If you miss the premiere, Battle Cross will be rebroadcast on Nov. 18 at 1:00 am EST and 10:00 am EST, and Nov. 20 at 2:30 pm EST. Click through the jump to see the trailer.

Continue reading Trailer for Battle Cross gymkhana series on Speed released

Trailer for Battle Cross gymkhana series on Speed released

A car accident near Cove City, North Carolina left a nine-year-old girl stranded upside down in a 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for two days. According to the Associated Press, a pedestrian spotted the overturned car and alerted authorities, who discovered the child alive. Temperatures at night dropped below 30 degrees, but the child’s coat kept her warm and a supply of Gatorade and Pop-Tarts kept her fed and hydrated until help arrived. Sadly, the accident claimed the life of her 39-year-old father, Douglas Landon. The little girl, meanwhile, is currently recovering at a local hospital. The Washington Post reports that the vehicle’s speedometer was stuck at over 100 mph, but friends and colleagues of the victim are quoted as saying that there’s no way Landon would have been driving that fast.

Landon’s daughter is recovering with her mother, who says that her child is talkative but very upset about the loss of her father. Medical personnel expect her to make a full recovery. Click past the jump for a video clip, and check out the WaPo article for more on this heart-wrenching story.

Continue reading 9-year-old trapped by accident survives for days on Pop-Tarts, Gatorade

9-year-old trapped by accident survives for days on Pop-Tarts, Gatorade

With alternative powertrains staking a larger claim in the mainstream, it’s simply a matter of time before automakers begin adapting the technology for performance applications. The in-house tuning division of Mercedes-Benz won’t be left behind, and we’ll see the first all-electric AMG product by the end of next year.

Mercedes will begin taking orders for the SLS AMG E-Cell towards the middle of 2012, with test drives and deliveries slated to begin late next year and in early 2013. Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management at Mercedes-Benz AMG, says development of the all-wheel-drive, all-electric supercar is moving along at a brisk pace, although official specs, range and curb weight haven’t been firmed up just yet. However, Källenius is confident that despite the additional weight of the lithium-ion battery packs occupying the torque tube tunnel, performance will be exceptional, particularly with AMG’s ability to independently control torque output to each wheel via the four electric motors.

But the SLS AMG E-Cell is only the first step – even though it’s a massive leap forward for the brand. Electric drivetrains and implementing some sort of a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) will be part of AMG products in the future, although Källenius won’t commit to saying which models would benefit from the technology. “We must look at everything,” Källenius told Autoblog, and utilizing alternative powertrains in the pursuit of ultimate performance will be key to AMG’s tire-shredding efforts in the future.

The future of AMG includes electrification, starts with all-electric SLS E-Cell

Honda seems to believe that America’s car-buying slump is coming to a close. According to Automotive News, the automaker has announced that it will spend $84 million to grow engine and light truck production at its Lincoln, Alabama assembly plant. The money will be used to help create an additional 100 jobs and should see the facility increase its total output from 300,000 units per year to 340,000 in anticipation of a sales recovery in the States. Automotive News suggests that may be a smart move. Consumer demand for new cars and trucks has grown by around 10 percent through October of this year.

Honda expects that demand to translate into greater Odyssey, Pilot and Ridgeline sales. Each of those models is produced at the Alabama facility, though the Acura RDX may join that mix as part of the new investment.

The Japanese automaker has also said that it will resume its normal production schedule at its North American facilities as its supply line continues to recover from the impact of flooding in Thailand.

Honda to boost vehicle and engine production in Alabama

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL isn’t set to debut for another two months at the Detroit Auto Show, but M-B gave us a sneak peak at the “S-Class of Roadsters” at its Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, California earlier today.

“SL” stands for Super Light, but the last several iterations were anything but. Loaded with luxury and designed as a drop-top Grand Tourer, the SL – despite its badge – has always been a heavy weight. But for 2013, Mercedes is attempting to bring the SL back to its roots with a body in white comprised of 90 percent aluminum. Only the A pillars and roof crossmember use high-strength steel for rollover protection, and unladen with body panels, the chassis comes in 243 pounds lighter than the current model, with the production version tipping the scales at approximately 3,900 pounds – 308 pounds lighter than the 2012 version. With a revamped drivetrain (no details yet), Mercedes claims that fuel consumption will also be reduced by 30 percent.

The aluminum chassis is a first for M-B, and utilizes a smattering of high-tech production methods, including chilled cast longitudinal members, hollow extruded aluminum, a mig-welded frame and front longitudinal beams that are hydroformed for stiffness and improved packaging. All told, torsional rigidity is up by 20 percent and NVH levels should be down across the board.

Mercedes engineers and execs wouldn’t go into much detail regarding powertrains and equipment – they’ve got to save some details for the Detroit show – but two new technologies will find their way into the SL when it goes on sale next year.

In addition to Magic Sky Control – the glass roof originally fitted to the SLK that allows drivers to adjust the amount of sunlight entering the cabin – Mercedes is introducing yet another “Magic” system. The magniloquently named Magic Vision Control is a new take on – yes – the windshield wiper, which utilizes two rows of laser-drilled holes to disperse washer fluid evenly and won’t get the liquid inside the cabin when the top is down or soak pedestrians when the SL is stopped – a suitably Germanic solution to a problem no other automaker has addressed.

The SL will also be the first model fitted with the new FrontBass system, comprised of two 20-cm sub-woofers mounted flush in the bulkhead. We had the chance to sample the system in a prototype and it gets the job done, even if the inside of an automobile is still one of the worst places to get your audiophile on.

Expect more details on the 2013 SL to be revealed towards the middle of December before the wraps officially come off in Detroit.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SL begins a return to its roots

It’s not every day that we get to feast our eyes on a new Corvette, and even if this isn’t the much-anticipated C7, well, at least this one is in the here and now. This 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype will race in the Grand-Am Road Racing Series next season, making its competitive debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway on January 28.

“The 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype was developed by a multifaceted effort involving Chevrolet, Corvette designers, Pratt & Miller and Grand-Am. Chevrolet also worked closely with chassis builders Riley, Coyote and Dallara,” said Mark Kent, General Motors Racing Director, in a statement.

Four teams will run the Corvettes, the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing, No. 10 SunTrust Racing, No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, and the No. 5 and No. 9 Action Express Racing teams. The new race car will participate in testing at Daytona on Wednesday, Nov. 16. The Corvette Racing crew last won Daytona with its C5-R in 2001. Follow the jump to read the press release, but be sure to check out the racer in our high-res gallery first.

Continue reading 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype unveiled

2012 Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype unveiled

Time is running out on the Memorandum Of Understanding between Saab parent Swedish Automobile and the automaker’s two Chinese suitors. The MOU technically runs out today, though Automotive News reports that the three companies will continue talks even outside of a formal setting.

Under the proposed agreement, Pang Da and Youngman will buy Saab for around $142 million. The two Chinese companies then plan to invest more than $678 million Saab to help get the company back on track to profitability. That sounds like the company’s best hope yet of surviving into the future. Unfortunately, former Saab owner General Motors has said that it is reluctant to allow the deal to proceed as-written because of technology sharing concerns, leaving Swedish Automobile officials to try to work out an amended agreement. Additionally, the Chinese government must also sign off on the deal, though they have allowed

Saab, meanwhile, says that all parties involved continue to work toward a workable solution to the tangle, but the company has just a week left to come up with a proposal to pay its creditors. The company has been under creditor protection while it works to restructure itself, but that protection dries up on November 22 and there’s no indication that an extension would be handed out by the courts.

Despite expiring deadline, Saab talks with Chinese investors continue

The term “Batmobile” is one that gets thrown around a lot in automotive circles. Pretty much anything black and sinister is described as the Dark Knight’s new ride. But aside from the handful of custom vehicles made for the various TV shows and movie installments over the years – ranging from campy to badass – few have been truly worthy of the name. Enter the Wiesmann MF5 Black Bat.

Starting with the top-of-the-line V10-powered MF5 retro roadster, customizers SchwabenFolia and Dahler have produced the closest thing to a genuine Batmobile this side of the Tumbler… particularly when photographed against the backdrop of a rather Wayne Manor-esque gothic mansion. They’ve wrapped it in matte black, blacked out the chrome and given it a set of noir BBS 20-inch alloys with polished rims.

There’s even a little Batman logo on the back, but the party piece is the ECU reflash and new exhaust that have brought output up from the 507 horsepower featured in the old BMW M5 and M6 to a nice, round 600. Six-piston Brembo calipers keep the power in check, but with that much bat-juice under hood, we wouldn’t expect to see this beast sitting still for long – so you’d better check it out in the high-res image gallery if you want to catch a glimpse.

Wiesmann MF5 Roadster channels Caped Crusader with Black Bat special

After a five-year absence, the United States is set to gain two Formula One races within the next two years: one in Austin, Texas, and another in New Jersey. But recent comments vocalized by F1’s ever-outspoken commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone have cast doubt on the former.

Speaking at this past weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ecclestone has been quoted as saying that progress on building the Circuit of the Americas that’s set to host the United States Grand Prix next year is lagging behind schedule. According to the ESPN report, Ecclestone says the relevant parties behind the project on the ground have “forgotten to talk to each other.”

Does that mean the race won’t happen? Hardly. Setbacks, of course, happen all the time with construction projects like this one, and similar concerns have been expressed over new venues such as the Indian Grand Prix, the Korean Grand Prix and the aforementioned Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that have been successively added to the calendar over the past three years.

The American race, however, isn’t the only one who’s future is in doubt. Financial concerns stand to cancel the Turkish Grand Prix next season, and after political unrest caused the removal of the Bahrain Grand Prix from this year’s calendar, there’s no telling what continuing tumult in the Middle East could mean for the prospect of F1 racing there.

Ecclestone casts doubts on Austin F1 race in 2012

Just a few days ago, we brought you footage of Fifth Gear hostess Vicki Butler-Henderson flogging the Ferrari 458 Spider along the hills outside Maranello. Epic, to be sure, but is Ferrari the only show in town? Of course not.

Many have challenged the legendary Italian marque over the years, but among the proudest moments – for Americans, at least – was when Ford, still reeling from a snubbed takeover deal with old man Enzo himself, took to Le Mans to take on Ferrari.

The showdown went down in the books as one of the most grueling battles in motorsport history. And now Vicki has relived the experience by taking one of Ford’s latest performance machines – the Mustang Boss 302 – down to La Sarthe to take on a few Prancing Horses of her own. She may cite some tired chapter and verse from The Standard List of British Complaints About American Cars, but Butler-Henderson still seems to enjoy herself a great deal. Follow the jump to watch the segment.

Continue reading VBH thrashes Ford Mustang Boss 302 at Le Mans for Fifth Gear

VBH thrashes Ford Mustang Boss 302 at Le Mans for Fifth Gear

It’s been a full year since the General Motors Initial Public Offering, and the company’s stock isn’t performing as well as anyone in Detroit or Washington, D.C. would like. As The Detroit News notes, the stock has dipped by 30 percent from its initial price, thanks in part to troubles in Europe and internal dissatisfaction with the company’s profit margins. As of last Wednesday, the company’s stock fell by 10.9 percent to $22.31 when GM announced that its fourth-quarter earnings wouldn’t make any gains over 2010. That news has prompted the U.S. Treasury, which still holds a 27-percent stake in General Motors, to hold off indefinitely on selling its remaining 500 million shares.

The Detroit News reports that if the government were to sell off its stake in the company at current trading prices, the country would lose around $15 billion on the country’s investment in GM. Even with the indefinite hold on selling off the shares, the federal government has readjusted its projected losses on the automotive bailouts from $14.33 billion to $23.6 billion.

One year after IPO, GM stock is down by a third

Subaru may have withdrawn from the World Rally Championship years ago, but the Japanese automaker couldn’t stay out of motorsports forever. That’s why Subaru has announced that it will campaign a racing version of its hotly anticipated BRZ coupe in Japan’s domestic Super GT series.

So far, all we have to go on is the Japanese-language announcement and the teaser sketch above, but what we can tell you is that the Subaru Tecnica International (STI) will field the BRZ not in the top-tier GT500 category against the likes of the Lexus LFA, Nissan GT-R and Honda HSV, but in the lower GT300 class. That means it will probably replace the Legacy-based touring car that STI currently fields.

That also means, as the category’s name suggests, that the BRZ’s boxer four will be limited in output to 300 horsepower. But with GT300 regulations as close as they are to GT3 rules in other series, could we be looking at a further assault on overseas series as well?

Subaru BRZ to challenge Japan’s Super GT series

The Fiat 500 may have taken overseas markets by storm, but that isn’t quite the case here in North America, where a delayed rollout, overly optimistic sales projections and related issues have hampered the retro supermini’s sales. So much so, in fact, that Chrysler has reportedly had to stop production of the 1.4-liter engine that powers the Cinquecento until demand catches up to supply. As a result, it has had to lay off a portion of the employees that build it.

The exact layoff numbers are in dispute, but according to a new Automotive News report, Chrysler itself pegs the number at 30 while the United Auto Workers’ local representative says it’s more like 100. Fiat initially pegged its sales projections at 50,000 units this year, but as of just a couple of weeks ago, it had barely sold 16,000.

Will the advertising campaign with Jennifer Lopez and the launch of the 500 Abarth performance model help the Fiat’s numbers climb? Only time will tell, but one way or another, it won’t come fast enough for the workers waiting at home by the phone.

Sluggish Fiat 500 sales triggering layoffs at Chrysler engine plant

Ferrari has worked hard over the past several years at differentiating its products from each other. Where its lineup once consisted principally of mid-engined supercars of different sizes, today’s range includes as well a front-engined GT, an all-wheel-drive shooting brake and a 2+2 hardtop cabriolet. The latter is known as the California, and while it certainly serves a purpose in Maranello’s catalog, it’s hardly the most heart-pumping Prancing Horse on offer.

That’s where these spy shots come in. Following reports that Ferrari was preparing to update the cabrio with a combination of increased engine output and reduced weight, we’ve now got the spy shots to prove it.

This test mule seen driving Ferrari’s private Fiorano test track and the vicinity, aside from sporting a rather garish red and black color paint and wrap job, has its hood all carved up like a pumpkin. There’s a pair of NACA ducts on the nose, some strange bulbous protrusion on the passenger side, and the whole hood doesn’t seem to want to close. The question is, what’s that modified hood hiding?

According to our paparazzi on the scene, the prototype had a distinctive turbo wail. If that’s the case, this would be the first time Ferrari’s used forced induction on a road car since the F40. Whether the upgrades will feature on a straightforward update for the California or breed a more hard-core version along the lines of the 430 Scuderia or 599 GTO remains to be seen, but Ferrari obviously has something up its sleeve for its most sedate model.

Ferrari developing hotter California?

This is what we call making an entrance. Classic & Sports Car Magazine contributor Alain de Cadenet recently took to the Mille Miglia North America in one very beautiful 1957 Ferrari 250 GT. The car literally swept the event’s presenters off their feet at the ceremonial start when de Cadenet came across the line just a little too quickly. The inertia of the stopping Ferrari pulled the stage floor along for the ride, effectively yanking the rug out from under the five people on stage. No one was harmed in the little fiasco, but the event makes for a pretty hilarious clip.

Hit the jump to check out two videos of the Ferrari bowling everyone over as well as a brief interview with de Cadenet after the Mille Miglia North America came to a close.

Continue reading Alain De Cadenet makes ‘em swoon at Mille Miglia NA in vintage Ferrari

Alain De Cadenet makes ‘em swoon at Mille Miglia NA in vintage Ferrari

A Flywheel-Equipped Race Car Leaves Us Whirring for More

Spinning at 36,000 revolutions per minute just two feet from my right thigh, a 31-pound flywheel is screaming like a five-horsepower Shop-Vac with the filter removed. The sound pierces the composite shell of my racing helmet and drills through my form-fitted foam earplugs before painfully slamming into my eardrums.

Yet despite the aching annoyance, I welcome and embrace the high-pitched drone. It means, in the simplest terms, that the monster inside this ballistic carbon fiber cocoon is not only awake, but completely energized.

With a stab of the throttle, the kinetic energy in the spinning flywheel is automatically exchanged for electricity – the charged ions power two strong electric motors on the front axle. Instantaneously bestowed with 200 torque-laden horsepower, the sticky Michelin slicks claw at the pavement with a vengeance. I clench the wheel as the carbon-fiber bodied race car lunges forward with more accelerative force than an F-16 fighter jet at takeoff power.

Welcome to the driver’s seat of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0.

Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0

How does fifty-five grand for 580 horsepower sound? Probably not as good as the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at full scream.

General Motors has come clean with pricing and performance details for the most powerful Camaro ever, and as expected, it’s something of a bargain. An official MSRP of $54,995 includes a $900 delivery charge, and that pile of cash buys a 6.2-liter, supercharged and intercooled LSA V8 that’s good for 556 lb-ft of torque. The ZL1 will also pack standard Performance Traction Management, a suite of electronic suspension and steering enhancements including magnetic ride control, launch control, traction control, stability control and electric power steering. Chevrolet is also touting the Camaro’s track-readiness, thanks to standard rear differential cooler, engine and transmission oil coolers, and brake-cooling ducts.

Chevy’s official performance specs for the Camaro ZL1 favor the automatic, which can do 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in 12.0 seconds at 119 miles per hour. The manual is a tenth of a second slower in both exercises. Know too, that Chevy’s stopwatches time from a rolling start. Top speed for the manual is 180 mph and the automatic is four miles per hour faster. Both cars can pull 1.0 g on the skidpad, according to the automaker.

There are only six options on the ZL1, starting with the choice of transmission. An extra $1,185 will get you a six-speed automatic with manual shift mode. Adding bright aluminum wheels will set you back $470, as will stripes. A sunroof is priced at $900, while the carbon fiber hood insert is $600. Finally, a suede package for the steering wheel and shifter is $500. Leather interior is standard, along with heated power seats, and a nine-speaker audio system with USB port and Bluetooth.

Dealers should get their ZL1 coupes in the spring of 2012, getting a head start on the forthcoming 2013 Ford Shelby GT500. Read the full press release after the jump.

Continue reading GM announces 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 specs, pricing from $54,995

GM announces 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 specs, pricing from $54,995

The New York Times reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has broadened its investigation into faulty transmissions used in the Saturn Aura. A total of nearly 89,000 vehicles are now being looked at, including 2007-2008 Auras and 2008 Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid models. Before the investigation’s expansion, about 44,000 units from the 2007 model year were under scrutiny. Multiple crash incidents have been reported, and General Motors apparently says the problem is limited to four-speed automatic transmissions.

According to NHTSA, affected vehicles may not shift correctly, creating a mismatch between the gear selected and the shift lever. For instance, the transmission may stay in Drive, even when the gear lever is moved to the Park or Reverse position. This can lead to some potentially dangerous situations where a vehicle can roll or power away from an unsuspecting driver. The problem seems to be caused by deterioration of the shift cable jacket, which can even lead to a complete loss of shifting.

NHTSA investigating GM gearbox issues

Police in Calgary have partnered up with a company to install the Noise Snare, a sound-activated traffic camera designed to automatically ticket loud vehicles. According to The Calgary Herald, the device would typically cost municipalities around $112,500 Canadian, though the company behind the technology has been kind enough to supply one unit free of charge as part of a pilot program that could see the system spread across North America.

Those cited by the technology will likely be forced to pay a $200 fine, though the final amount will be decided by Calgary’s city council soon. The city also plans to offer free clinics to motorists who may be concerned that their vehicles are too loud.

The Noise Snare was originally invented by Mark Nesdoly after a motorcycle woke up his daughter one evening, and the system seems to be geared toward targeting loud bikes.

We aren’t of the mind that loud pipes save lives, but we do see more than a few issues with the plan if it were to be applied in the States. Most states lack concrete ordinances on vehicle noise, relying instead on improper equipment citations to discourage loud aftermarket exhausst. Then there’s the question of what happens when a factory vehicle earns its owner a crisp new ticket in the mail.

Calgary ready to adopt sound-activated noise camera to automatically ticket loud vehicles

Americans everywhere are feeling the pinch of high unemployment and a stagnant economy. Even the gainfully employed are having a tough go of things, as wages aren’t keeping up with inflation.

ABC News took a look at holiday spending, showing how much the price of a turkey dinner has changed in only one year. The big dinner is expected to cost 13 percent more than it did a year ago, and the big bird will cost about $4 more than last year. Those costs are expected to rise in line with the hike in raw materials, but gas prices are to blame as well.

Follow the jump to watch the ABC News video. Gas prices are up on average 53 cents more per gallon than last year, and some experts claim a gallon of petrol could hit $4 per gallon in time for Valentine’s Day. We can hardly wait.

Continue reading ABC News says gas prices might affect holiday spending

ABC News says gas prices might affect holiday spending