Alfa Romeo Guilietta – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to the latest reports, the will serve as the basis for the Dodge Caliber’s successor, and it’s set to arrive in late 2011 as a 2012 model. USA Today credits Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, with the proclamation that some form of Giulietta will wind up as a Dodge. Considering last year’s that shows the Caliber discontinued after 2011, Chrysler will need something to fill its place in showrooms.
Refreshes will carry the venerable , and the Sebring has been transformed into the more promising , but those moves are mere stopgaps. Without a small car to sell against its domestic rivals, and will be at a significant disadvantage. Fiat has expressed its desire to in Chrysler beyond its 20 percent level, and the only way that’s going to happen is if the automaker succeeds Stateside. Enthusiasts have looked longingly across the Atlantic at the Giulietta, and if the car connects as well with the public at large and carries the right blend of quality and verve, it could be a boon for Chrysler.
2010 Korean Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery
The cars aren’t the only thing that move fast in Formula One; everything’s on an accelerated scale, even the calendar. It seems every new season in the modern era of F1 demands a new race. In 2004, Bahrain and Shanghai were added. Turkey joined the calendar in 2005. Things went backward in 2006 and 2007 with the elimination of Belgium (temporarily) followed by San Marino and Hockenheim, respectively. Singapore was added in 2008, followed by Abu Dhabi in 2009. India is set to join next year, the United States the year after and Russia by 2014. This year, however, the new slot belonged to Korea.
Ambitious plans were laid down by ubiquitous track architect Hermann Tilke, who’s firm is responsible for every one of the aforementioned new circuits and then some. But as recently as a couple of weeks ago, there were serious doubts over whether the site would be ready for this weekend’s inaugural grand prix. Fortunately, the hosts managed to get it all together in the end, putting on a race that would enter the books as one of the most exciting christenings in motor sport history. Follow the jump to see how it went down.
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[Images: Mark Thompson, Paul Gilham, Clive Mason/Getty Andy Wong, Mark Baker, Greg Baker/AP]
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, there are around 8.4 million recalled vehicles on the road right now that have never been serviced for a potential fire risk. The vehicles are the remainder of a 14 million-unit recall that covered 1993-2003 pickups, 1995-2003 Windstars, 1995-2002 Explorers and 1995-2003 Rangers that were built with faulty cruise control units. The units could leak onto the vehicles’ anti-lock brake system and cause a fire even if the vehicle is off.
Ford says that it has done its best to notify owners of the problem multiple times and NHTSA agrees that the company’s efforts have been adequate. Unfortunately, many of the current owners may have bought the recalled vehicles used and thus may not even know that there’s a potential problem.
The recall is the largest in the history of the automotive industry, so it should come as no surprise that there are still some loose ends to be tied up. Owners can search to see if there are outstanding recalls on their vehicles . If that’s the case, NHTSA urges owners to take their vehicle to the dealer as soon as possible.
Sebastian Vettel laps the Korean F1 circuit – Click above to watch video
Karun Chandhok was the the track that will be used for this month’s Korean Grand Prix. Now Sebastian Vettel has gotten his turn. On this go-round, it sounds like the track is still so slippery that revs were a bigger issue than anything else.
With the same camera angle as Chandhok’s run, there isn’t much more to see. The track is further along than a month ago, but it’s still not going to be pretty for the folks who make the journey into the South Korean bush to watch it live. While we figure out how to say “cat fight” and “ghost town” in Korean, you can entertain yourselves with the video .
Racing and random sponsorships go together like corn dogs and beer, but even so, we’re amazed by some of the partnerships that the marketing gurus of the world cook up. Allow us to introduce you the newest fragrance from Avon: Turn 4XT. The new cologne is being promoted by none other than NASCAR wonder Carl Edwards, and Avon says that the scent is packed full of manly traits like strength, determination, dedication and real bits of panther.
Fine, that last part’s not true.
If you know someone who’s itching to smell like a winning NASCAR driver, you’re in luck. Turn 4XT hits the shelves next month. for the full press release, but be warned: the term “exude” is used with maximum seriousness.
Gran Turismo 5 continues to while enraging with baited breath, for that one day when we can place the disc into our Playstation 3. The game was supposed to be released on November 2nd, but an announcement on the US Playstation blog said it was pushed back… again. The only clue to the new release date was that it would be available this holiday season. What does that mean exactly? Apparently it means that you will have to shake off your hangover and pick up a copy of the game on New Years Day… or Eve… or the day after New Years Day. Honestly, we’re not entirely sure and we don’t think Polyphony Digital is either.
Best Buy, Gamestop and Amazon.com have updated their respective pre-order pages to reflect a new release date. lists 12/31/10, has 01/01/11 and shows a date of 01/02/11. For some reason, believes the game will be available on November 1st, which is awfully hopeful. Wal-Mart has apparently given up listing a release date, which may be the wisest move of all. Thanks for the tip, Billfred!
Yamaha VMax by Hermès – Click above for high-res image gallery
Anyone who’s anyone knows that motorcycles and leather go together like gin and tonic. But usually the leather’s on the rider. Yamaha evidently figured it was time to turn that particular convention on its head, and teamed up with no less prestigious a clothier than Hermès to pull it off.
Now as you may recall from the – or for that matter from their or – the French fashion house knows a thing or two about trimming a motor vehicle. So they started with the Yamaha VMax, the very epitome of the muscle bike. With its four-cylinder engine and brushed metalwork, the VMax is about as mean as they come, until Hermes came along and decked it out in fine buffalo skin, covering everything from the head lamp to the exhaust pipe.
The special VMax was just recently unveiled at a motorbike show in Cologne, Germany. Unfortunately it’s a one-off creation at the moment, but it’s not the first time the two powerhouses have collaborated: go back fifteen years and you’ll find evidence of Hermes having similarly worked its magic on the Virago, the first Japanese V-Twin cruiser to give the likes of Harley-Davidson a run for its money.
You may not have guessed it on your own – we probably wouldn’t have, either – but Australia ranks as the fifth largest market worldwide for . And yet all the exciting show cars are almost invariably unveiled at auto shows in the United States or Europe. You couldn’t blame the Aussies for feeling neglected, so Mercedes arrived this year at the Australian International Motor Show with two special AMGs.
The first is called Concept 358, and it’s essentially a tweaked sedan featuring the AMG Performance Plus package (which boosts the 6.3-liter V8’s output up to 480hp), 19-inch alloys, special leather interior and a unique Pearl Orange paint job.
The unique unveiled Down Under also features a special paint scheme: in this case a unique Night Black matte-finish with red accents. They’re not ground-breaking concepts, but interesting takes on some of Affalterbach’s best. Details are in the press release after the jump.
Audi A1 TFSI – Click above for high-res image gallery
surprised us all when it hatchback packing everything but the kitchen sink…and the S1 nameplate. The reason, according to reports, was that every S model in the company’s history has featured Quattro all-wheel drive, but the PQ25 platform on which the A1 is based can’t accommodate it. At least, not yet.
The UK’s Autocar now suggests, however, that a business case is being made inside the Group to engineer the platform to accept the extra driveshaft. Doing so would allow for proper Quattro-driven S1, but that’s not all. In order to justify the cost, the Volkswagen Polo could get a couple of models driven on all fours, including a Polo R hot hatch to slot in above the Polo GTI and a soft-roader with actual traction to back up its butch styling.
The dream of having an American team in Formula One may be dead, but that doesn’t mean our friends South of the Border can’t take a stab at it. A couple of years ago, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim was when the Japanese automaker was preparing to withdraw from the sport. That deal never came to be, but the world’s wealthiest man (having recently surpassed the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett) appears to be moving in on the Sauber team.
After racing for years as an independent team, Sauber sold out to a few years back, which then subsequently followed off the grid, leaving Peter Sauber to support the team on his own once again. Strapped for cash, the team has been racing plain white cars largely without major sponsorship this season, but a new deal could secure the team’s future.
The deal involves sponsorship from Slim’s company Telmex for an untold amount. Along with it, Sauber has signed Mexican driver Sergio Perez to a race seat for next season. Perez won the national class in British Formula Three back in 2007, drove for Team Mexico in A1GP and has won several races in GP2, a series in which he currently sits second. He’s never driven an F1 car, though, but will race alongside Kamui Kobayashi next season. The news leaves without a seat yet again as Perez signs as well with the .
Coupled with the contract to bring in GP3 champion Esteban Gutierrez, who also races under the Mexican flag as the team’s test/reserve driver for next season, the news gives the struggling Swiss team a decidedly picante flavor for the upcoming season.
AMS Alpha 10 Nissan GT-R claims a quarter-mile record – Click above to watch the video
AMS Performance has broken its own quarter-mile record in a , this time gussied up with its Alpha 10 package. The most important thing you need to know about the suite of changes is that it takes the car up to 1,100 horsepower. The details include an Alpha 10 turbo system on top of a blueprinted engine, with all that horsepower routed through an Alpha 10 transmission. Naturally, just about everything else from the turbo inlet pipes to the fuel injectors to the downpipes have been upgraded or reworked.
The result was a 9.33-second run at 153 miles per hour. That takes 0.56 seconds off AMS’ time from March of this year in its GT-R SR850 at the TX2K10 Supra & GTR Nationals. Video footage of the run (completely with overly dramatic music and buildup) is , and a few shots of the runner itself are in the gallery of images below. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
2010 Japanese Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Japanese Grand Prix has long held a special place in the Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of, if not the very last race of the season, Japan has crowned many a champion: in fact the title has been decided there 12 out of the 24 times the Pacific island nation has hosted a grand prix. And of the drivers who’ve won there the past ten years running, all but Kimi Raikkonen lined up there again this weekend, Suzuka taking back the hosting duties from Fuji once more.
Would this year’s race see a new winner atop the podium? Or would Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher or even Rubens Barrichello add the trophy alongside their previous wins in the Land of the Rising Sun? Follow the jump to find out.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants to make our roads a safer place. Distracted driving is arguably his number one issue, and LaHood is waging a concerted campaign to try and curb it. Is he taking things a step too far, though? According to Automotive News, LaHood has now stated that he believes motorists are distracted by any use of a mobile device while driving. This includes making hands-free calls through the use of in-car or in-ear Bluetooth devices. LaHood’s department is going to begin researching all types of mobile device usage to see how they affect drivers. He also plans to meet with automakers to try and gain support for his campaign to eliminate distracting driving.
According to the report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration feels that Ray LaHood is focusing too closely on one area of motoring safety, rather than the bigger picture. NHTSA officials are quoted as saying that because not all law enforcement agencies are properly trained to recognize a distracted driving accident. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety even went so far as to release a .
Ray Lahood has quite an uphill battle on his hands. Even if he and his team can prove that hands-free usage of mobile devices increase accident rates, the practice is so deeply ingrained in the brains of the overall driving public – not to mention the businesses associated with it – that it will be difficult to convince motorists to not use their phones while driving at all. LaHood is optimistic, however,
“The bottom line for me is to get where we’re at with seat belts and with drunk driving. When those programs were started, people were very skeptical that you could get people to buckle up.”
So don’t adopt the “You can pry my iPhone from my cold dead hands” attitude just yet. Secretary LaHood is merely investigating the matter at this point. There are no plans to call for a ban just yet, but at least one NHTSA official admits it’s a possibility.
hasn’t let much slip about the V8 that will be available in the . However, each article that appears about ’s use of the engine has one more little bit of information on it. According to what has been written we can piece together that it will be a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 550 horsepower. Bentley, though, hasn’t given any indication of power output yet, though the 550 number was mooted in reference to . If that were true for a V8 Continental GT, it could be uncomfortably close to the base V12 output.
Regardless, the latest news has the V8 will reduce CO2 emissions by 40 percent compared to the W12, listed as 396 g/km. Bentley said during the release of the second-gen Continental that the V8 would have “a class-leading CO2 emissions-to-power ratio,” but even with that in mind, 40 percent is still a huge jump. Unless they’re talking about simply piling on a huge amount of emissions equipment, there figures to be a serious rise in the Conti’s EPA mileage rating, currently at 13 miles per gallon. It still wouldn’t break 20 mpg, but it would be close closer, and not inconsequential.
Rolls-Royce Ghost Diva edition by Fenice Milano – Click above for high-res image gallery
Between the gallons of chrome and the Spirit of Ecstasy protruding from its prominent grille, the contemporary offerings from have become a favorite among the bling crowd. But there are always those looking for something more outlandish. We thought Mansory had them covered with on the , but even that’s looking subdued in comparison to Fenice Milano’s Diva.
Decked out in more gold than an aging Mediterranean playboy’s neck, the Diva edition takes the borderline tasteful way over the top. The hood, grille, side sills and mirrors have all been coated in 24-karat gold, as has the interior, along with custom teak, leather and Alcantara trim. It’s enough to make Liberace spin in his grave, and if you’re wearing your gold D&G sunglasses, you can check it out for yourself in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.
2011 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI – Click above for high-res image gallery
Less than a week about the A1’s lack of a U.S. visa comes word that is considering bringing the second generation entry-level hatch to the States. Speaking with Automotive News at the Paris Motor Show, Audi AG board member Peter Schwarzenbauer said the chances of the next A1 coming to the U.S. are “quite high,” although a decision wouldn’t be made for at least another year and a half.
When development of the current A1 was underway several years ago, Audi decided that fuel prices and consumer demand were too low to justify bringing the A1 into North America. However, sales of the combined with strong consumer interest in diesels – not to mention the warm reception of the – have Audi reconsidering the A1’s business case in the U.S. And if Audi wants to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s largest luxury automaker by 2015, it will need all the sales it can get in the States.
2011 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI – Click above for high-res image gallery
Despite the success of the and , continues to deny us the all-new A1. There are a variety of reasons for excluding the pint-sized hatch from the U.S. market (marketing, brand image, average transaction price, etc.), but the introduction of the twin-charged A1 here at the Paris Motor Show has us questioning all of them.
Packing a 1.4-liter TFSI (read: both turbo and supercharged) inline four-cylinder engine, the A1 puts out 185 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque, sends it to the front wheels through a seven-speed S tronic gearbox and can sprint to 60 in 6.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 141 mph. Think of it as the luxury alternative to the , with a price tag to match: €24,250 or just over $30k at current exchange rates. Get all the details in the press release .
recently to get your heart pumping a bit. Today the British automaker wants to get your wallet pumping. Pricing has just been announced for the new Conti and the MSRP rises by just under four percent – an increase from $182,800 (2010 Continental GT MSRP) to $189,900.
What does that four percent rate hike get you? A lot actually. The W12 engine produces more power to the tune of 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque; an increase of nearly three and eight percent respectively. The interior has been upgraded and features a welcome-to-the-modern-era-finally navigation system as well as an increase of 46 mm of rear seat legroom. This is good news for any owners looking to date taller supermodels.
What can’t be measured by facts and figures is the updated appearance of this handsome car from Crewe. The new lines on the 2011 Continental GT look downright Muscle Beach without detracting from the overall elegance. The fenders arc and crease beautifully, grabbing the lines started by the nose, flowing into the shoulder and then back out into the tail.
The 2011 Bentley Continental GT may be getting a four percent price increase over the outgoing model, but that $7,100 buys you a whole new ultra-luxe touring experience. Check out all the details in the press release .
Gran Turismo 5 continues to while 
The dream of having an American team in Formula One may be dead, but that doesn’t mean our friends South of the Border can’t take a stab at it. A couple of years ago, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim was when the Japanese automaker was preparing to withdraw from the sport. That deal never came to be, but the world’s wealthiest man (having recently surpassed the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett) appears to be moving in on the Sauber team.
