The Auto Blog .ru

Nice as it may be, the BMW 6 Series convertible doesn’t really make our heart beat any faster. It’s a soft, plush open-top tourer, and though the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 underhood certainly doesn’t skimp on the power, it doesn’t really make for an enthusiastic driving experience.

Enter Alpina, the BMW tuning house that has given us the 7 Series-based B7 here in the United States, not to mention creations like the B5 abroad. Like the rest of its work, the appropriately named B6 Biturbo Cabriolet adds more power to the 650i engine – 507 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, compared to 400 hp and 450 lb-ft in the standard car. What’s more, the suspension geometry gets tweaked slightly, and the car features new styling touches like a more aggressive front fascia, Alpina’s iconic blue paint, and – of course – the tuner’s signature 20-spoke wheels.

Nice, yes, but we think we’ll stick to the B5 wagon that bowed in Geneva back in March. Still, see the B6 for yourself in our attached high-res image gallery.

Alpina unveils 507-hp B6 Biturbo Convertible

The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show is shaping up to be one for the ages, as you can see from the display of new vehicles and concepts that we covered today.

But wait, there’s more! Tomorrow is a new day, and our intrepid scribes will be coming to you live from the show floor before you even wake up in the morning with a whole ‘nother steaming plate of auto show goodness. Stay tuned!

Kia GT Concept	2012 Subaru XV	VW Beetle R Concept
2012 Audi S7	Citroen Tubik Concept	2012 Hyundai i30
Fisker Surf Concept	Audi Urban Spyder	Gallardo Super Trofeo
Infiniti FX Vettel edition	2012 Honda Civic (Euro)	Yo-Auto Concept
2012 Lotus Exige S	Skoda MissionL Concept	Maserati Kubang
Volkswagen Nils Concept	Ducati Diavel AMG	Land Rover DC100
2012 Volkswagen Up!	Ford Focus ST-R	Mercedes-Benz F-125!
2012 Porsche 911	2012 Honda Insight	Ford Fiesta ST Concept
Aston Martin V12 Zagato	Lotus Exige R-GT	Audi A2 Concept

Day One of the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show (obsessively covered)

Aston Martin makes beautiful cars. There’s no argument there as this is an automotive fact. The Milan, Italy-based Zagato design house, however, can take any car and make it mobile art. It’s done just that with the Aston Martin V12 Zagato, a limited-edition show stopper that makes our hearts hurt here in Frankfurt.

Why the heartache? We don’t have the necessary £330,000 to buy one. That figure works out to roughly $522,000 U.S. greenbacks, and once you hear the noise this car makes you’ll feel a bit better about the pricetag. It also helps that Aston Martin and Zagato will only build 150 examples in total. Production is slated to start in the summer of 2012, which means we have an awful lot of lawns to mow to get ready.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato is modern mobile art

Lotus has continually stated that it has big plans for the future. One of those being a return to the rallying world, and it will do just that with the all-new Lotus Exige R-GT. Sitting on the Frankfurt floor, the R-GT evokes visions of classic rally cars while also providing a showcase of Lotus’ current and future styling.

The car will compete in the FIA R-GT class, and it tips the scales at 2,646 pounds. Some of that weight comes in the form of class-mandated underside and side protection for driver and passenger, as well as the steel rollcage.

The Exige R-GT is powered by a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 engine, which produces 302 horsepower. That energy is routed to the wheels through a six-speed sequential transmission. The engine is the same as the one found in the standard Exige, however 34-millimeter air restrictors have been put in place to control the power, as is required by the FIA rulebook for R-GT racing.

Lotus will first offer the Exige R-GT to motorsports customers rather than dive into rallying with its own factory team. Either way, we’re happy to see the Lotus name once again applied to a rally race car. Feel free to read the complete press release after the break.

Continue reading Lotus Exige R-GT looks Group B fantastic for the modern era

Lotus Exige R-GT looks Group B fantastic for the modern era

Lotus may have gone off the reservation with its plan to be all things to all people (again), but at least a few engineers back in Hethel still seem to have their heads on straight. And here’s proof.

The next generation Exige gets a reworked body and tweaked interior, but the real news is under the clamshell. Lotus has pulled the 3.5-liter, supercharged V6 from the Evora S and slotted it into the back of the Exige S to create a 2,380-pound, 346-horsepower track sled designed and engineered to be, in the words of CEO Dany Bahar, “the ultimate Lotus experience.”

Although the 200-plus pound weight increase isn’t something Lotus founder Colin Chapman could get behind, the performance should be more than enough to make even hardened Lotus aficionados temporarily forget the “add lightness” edict.

Specially-developed Pirelli P-Zero Corsas are fitted at all four corners, while the Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) system allows drivers to switch between Touring, Sport and DPM Off traction control modes. Option up for the Race Pack, and “Race” is included in the settings, along with Launch Control and a reworked suspension.

Two interior packages – Premium and Premium Sport – will be offered when the Exige S goes on sale next year, but Lotus isn’t giving out performance figures just yet. But considering the current Exige S does 0-60 in 4.1 seconds, it’s safe to assume the added grunt will bring that figure down deep into the threes, and have the handling chops to match. Details in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading 2012 Lotus Exige S gets supercharged six and pays the price in pounds

2012 Lotus Exige S gets supercharged six and pays the price in pounds

The 2012 Volkswagen Up! production model is finally here. To be made available in several flavors, the go-to vanilla offering is remarkable as much for its meandering gestation as it is for its price: €9,850 for the Move Up! “convenience-oriented model” (about $13,500 USD, including Germany’s costly Value Added Tax). That model will have the 59-horsepower gas engine that slots below the available gas-powered 74-hp engine and 67-horsepower natural-gas engine.

In keeping with the fixed-menu offerings that characterize the small-car segment, there will be a convenience-oriented Up!, High Up!, Up! Black and Up! White models that bring a set number of options to the party. (We! Don’t! Know! About! You! But! We’re! Getting! Tired! Of! All! This! Ridiculous! Marketspeak! Naming! And! Crazy! Punctuation!)

According to VW, an innovative financing plan called AutoCredit2 will roll into overseas dealerships to aid sales of the car, but we don’t know anything about that yet. Also, still no word on whether the Up! franchise will make it to North America, but we wouldn’t count on it, at least with this generation of products – after all, we’re still waiting on something like the next Polo.

So hop on into the gallery of high-res photos for some Up! White and see if it might be worthy of your wily financing schemes.

Continue reading 2012 Volkswagen Up! finally ready for production

2012 Volkswagen Up! finally ready for production

With the long-serving Defender not… well, long for this world, Land Rover is gearing up for its eventual replacement – targeted to launch in 2015 – and we just got our first glimpse of it on the show floor here in Frankfurt. Or glimpses, we should say, as JLR surprised us with the debut not only of the concept we were expecting, but a pair of them.

In one corner, the white-roofed silver DC100 three-door wagon we’d been shown (at least, in part) a couple of weeks ago. In the other, the DC100 Sport, an open-air version decked out in yellow-orange. Both preview the next generation of the iconic, go-anywhere truck of choice for expeditionary teams worldwide, and pack such innovations as an off-road terrain scanning device to detect potential obstacles and – get this – a sonar depth-sounder for fording through rivers. Plus, you know, a whole lot more style than the model it envisions succeeding.

Check ‘em out in our pair of high-resolution galleries live from the show floor, follow the jump for the brief press release, and stay tuned for more info in our ongoing coverage of the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Continue reading Land Rover Defender successor visualized in pair of DC100 concept trucks

Land Rover Defender successor visualized in pair of DC100 concept trucks

With a vehicle as iconic as the Porsche 911, even small changes are a big deal. Take this new 2012 model, for example – its design has only been tweaked ever so slightly, and the non-visual modifications include some powertrain tweaks and overall chassis enhancements. We’ve been gushing over the official 911 details for a while now, but here at the Frankfurt Motor Show, we’re finally able to get up close and personal with Porsche’s new hotness.

Arguably the biggest bit of news regarding the 2012 911 is its seven-speed manual transmission, available with both the 3.4-liter and 3.8-liter flat-six engines. That, combined with start/stop technology means the new 911 will be more efficient than ever, though its impressive output numbers (300 horsepower for the 3.4-liter mill, 400 hp for the 3.8) mean it’ll still be an excellent enthusiast machine out on the road. Porsche claims 0-60 times of 4.4 seconds for the base Carrera and 4.1 seconds for the Carrera S.

This is one car we’ll surely be starting at quite a bit during our time here in Frankfurt, so stay tuned for plenty more live shots to come over the next few days. In the meantime, scroll through our high-res image gallery to see Porsche’s new icon for yourself.

2012 Porsche 911 is the icon, tweaked

Ford’s EcoBoost offerings may have started off big and powerful, but the Blue Oval is quickly moving towards small and thrifty. Ford will soon offer its smallest turbocharged offering yet, as a new 1.0-liter, three-cylinder has been announced in advance of the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new EcoBoost truoke will be available in the Ford Focus, C-Max and B-Max, and it will be available in 99 horsepower and 118 hp variants. A respectable 125 pound-feet of torque is available from a scant 1,300 rpm thanks to a turbocharger that can spool up to 250,000 revolutions per minute. Ford was able to extract so much power out of such a small, boosted engine thanks to improved twin variable camshaft design and an exhaust manifold cast that is cast into the cylinder head. And get this: While other EcoBoost offerings start with an aluminum block, the 1.0-liter includes an iron engine block, which isn’t only cheaper, it reduces engine warmup time by 50 percent.

The key benefits sought from engine downsizing, of course, are improved fuel economy and lowered emissions. In this scenario, Ford promises 120 g/km C02, which works out to right around 45.5 miles per gallon (U.S.) on the European cycle. That 120 g/km figure, in case you’re wondering, is identical to the much smaller Scion iQ, which gets a 36 city / 37 highway EPA rating. The diminutive engine will be fitted with five-speed and six-speed manual transmissions.

The three-liter EcoBoost will start off as a Europe-only affair, arriving early in 2012. Ford hasn’t announced any availability of this engine in the U.S., though presumably consistently high fuel prices could change that over time. Hit the jump to read over the Ford press release.

Continue reading Ford 1.0L EcoBoost three-cylinder finds a home in the Euro-spec Focus

Ford 1.0L EcoBoost three-cylinder finds a home in the Euro-spec Focus

When the sheet is lifted from the Rimac Automobili Concept One electric hypercar on September 13th at the Frankfurt Motor Show – Hall 4.0, Stand A43 at 3:00 pm, in case you plan on attending – we hope the Croatian company has some heated neck pads on hand. There may be a few cases of whiplash that need treating.

No, they won’t be offering the assembled journos a sub-three-second ride to 60 miles per hour in the Messe. Rather, we suspect the injuries to occur from sudden head turning and double takes. It’s not every day you come face to fascia with a battery-powered supercar that makes 1088 horsepower and 2800 pound-feet of instantaneous torque that can take you up to 190 miles per hour before the computer steps in to bring you to your senses. Especially not one that’s produced in a country with no automotive industry. Besides all that, if these teaser photos we got our little grubbies on are any indication, it’s a stunner.

Check out the gallery and let us know if you think the looks will match up with its performance promise.

Rimac Automobili Concept One electric supercar boasts 1,088 hp, lots of carbon fiber

It’s a big deal when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety honors a vehicle with a Top Safety Pick designation, and now the 2012 Audi A6 and 2012 Volkswagen Passat can join the big deal club. The IIHS gave both VW Group vehicles the award after they received top scores in stringent front, side and rear impact testing. Both vehicles also feature electronic stability control; a must for any Top Safety Pick winner.

The last check mark any Top Pick needs is a top score in roof strength testing. Top Safety Picks need a roof that can withstand the pressure of four times the overall vehicle weight, and the IIHS says that the A6 can withstand 4.9 times its weight, while the Passat can withstand 6.3 times its weight. Hit the jump to read over the IIHS press release.

Continue reading Audi A6 and VW Passat earn pair of IIHS Top Safety Picks

Audi A6 and VW Passat earn pair of IIHS Top Safety Picks

Audi has been racking up motorsports wins all over the world thanks to its R8 LMS track star. The GT3 racer has compiled over 100 victories in Europe, Asia, South America and Australia. Now it’s time for the four-ringed race car to earn a few checkered flags in North America, as Audi has announced that it is bringing the R8 LMS Stateside to run in the Grand-Am series.

If you’re the owner of a racing team here in the U.S., now is the time to get excited. Audi will sell you a Grand-Am-ready R8 LMS, and offer support through its Audi Sport customer racing group. The R8 LMS will make its U.S. debut at the 50th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Principles of racing teams, click past the jump to read the full press release. OK fine, even if you don’t own a race team, you can still read it.

Continue reading Audi homologating R8 LMS for Grand Am racing

Audi homologating R8 LMS for Grand Am racing

The very first Baltimore Grand Prix wrapped up this weekend with Will Power taking the top of the podium, but some of the most intense action of the event happened before the green flag ever dropped. During practice laps Sunday morning, Tony Kanaan lost all brakes in his car on the 180 mph front straight and wound up careening into and over Helio Castroneves before turn one. While we can imagine that being airborne in a race car is a terrifying experience, being run over by one can’t be a walk in the park either.

Miraculously, both drivers were unscathed in the dustup, and Kanaan went on to take third place with a backup car in the main event. While the video of the crash is nail-biting through and through, we’ve got to say this is the first time we’ve heard an IndyCar announcer compare anything on track to “The Dukes of Hazard.” Click past the jump to check it out.

Continue reading The only video you need to see from the Baltimore Grand Prix

The only video you need to see from the Baltimore Grand Prix

The world isn’t lacking for niche British automakers, but Eterniti Motors thinks we can do with one more. The upstart released little more than a teaser video and a single sketch of its first offering, and now it’s come back with a little something else before next week’s show in Germany.

Called the Hemera, it’s not a painful posterior condition, but what Eterniti calls a “Super-SUV”. Several automakers (such as Bentley, Lamborghini and Spyker) have sought to pioneer such a segment, but if Eterniti can actually make it to market, it will be (as claimed in the press copy after the jump) the first of its kind.

Little in the way of details have been disclosed, but the Hemera is slated to offer a “limousine-like rear cabin” with reclining seats, iPads and a drinks cooler and rumors suggest it’s based partially on the Porsche Cayenne. Development is being lead by Alastair MacQueen, the chap who engineered the XJ220 at Jaguar (as well as its and Bentley’s victorious Le Mans campaigns) with test driving duties undertaken by former F1 driver Johnny Herbert.

We’ll have to wait another week or so until the Hemera is unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but with this level of talent on board, Eterniti may stand a real chance at producing an impressive product.

Continue reading Eterniti Hemera ’super SUV’ inches closer to Frankfurt

Eterniti Hemera ’super SUV’ inches closer to Frankfurt

General Motors is set to give its “Chevy Runs Deep” ad campaign some tweaking a little less than a year after the slogan was adopted. According to Bloomberg, GM has found that while the campaign has helped steady sales, it hasn’t exactly pushed potential buyers into the driver’s seat. Chevrolet adopted the slogan shortly after GM Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick joined the company last September, though the campaign’s slow momentum has spurred the company to re-evaluate its creative strategy.

Bloomberg reports that GM is set to continue to air the “Chevy Runs Deep” ads that have performed the best with consumers throughout the fall. The slogan was originally intended to underscore the lengthy heritage behind the Chevrolet brand in America, but some of the spots failed to make the connection.

Cadillac is also set to receive similar advertising attention. Advertising will focus more on specific product attributes than blanket statements in the near future.

Faltering “Chevy Runs Deep” campaign to get retooled

Say what you will about the Alfa Romeo 159, but it’s arguably one of the most attractive sports sedans on the (foreign) market. And when it’s gone, it will be missed. But gone is precisely what it will be soon, as the Fiat group begins its gradual discontinuation.

According to reports, production of the 159 has already ceased as the assembly plant in Naples where it’s built is re-tooled for production of the new Fiat Panda. The entire model line has reportedly disappeared from the order books in several keys markets, including the UK, while other markets continue offering the 159 from stockpiles built up ahead of the factory’s temporary closure, but that means only four colors and one engine are available.

The 159 was a model mired by its shortcomings from the get-go. Although the Giugiaro styling turned heads, its edgy front end made for pour aerodynamics. The GM-sourced platform didn’t serve the car well, and neither did its engines. And while it was originally engineered to meet U.S. regulations, the brand’s return to the American market was pushed back time and time again, and is still yet to arrive.

The departure of the 159 leaves a gaping hole in not only Alfa Romeo’s but the entire Fiat group’s line-up. Aside from the Maserati Quattroporte and Lancia-badged Chryslers, the Golf-sized Alfa Giulietta, Lancia Delta and Fiat Bravo hatchbacks now stand as the largest passenger vehicles the company offers. And with the 159’s successor – expected to be dubbed Giulia – not expected until later in 2013, it looks to stay that way for another couple of years at least.

Alfa Romeo 159 heading for the edgy dustbin of history

When Alfa Romeo pulled back the veil on its 4C Concept at the Geneva Motor Show this past March, we were as taken in by its unique matte red finish as we were by the rest of the package. In a few weeks, Alfa will showcase the 4C once again in Frankfurt, and its new paint job – among other things – is sure to impress.

As you can see from the quartet of high-res images released so far, the 4C Concept has been given a “fluid metal” finish that looks similar to the highly sought-after Alubeam paint Mercedes-Benz offers on the SLS AMG. It seems to show the Alfa in a completely different light, one we look forward to scoping out in person at the Messe next month.

Alfa also says it has refined the technical package of the concept. Trimming the fat, as it were, to optimize the power to weight ratio, the aluminum and carbon fiber construction is motivated by over 200 horsepower from the 1.75-liter turbo engine that drives the rear wheels through the company’s new dual-clutch transmission that is also making its debut in the Giulietta. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Alfa Romeo gives 4C Concept liquid metal finish for Frankfurt

Alfa Romeo gives 4C Concept liquid metal finish for Frankfurt

Car and Driver is reporting that the Mini Paceman has been given the go-ahead for production. The news comes courtesy of company chief Kay Segler, who said that the high-riding three-door is headed to the States.

The Paceman is based off of the tall Countryman CUV, which means that buyers will probably be able to snap up the vehicle in all-wheel drive if they feel so inclined. Even so, it will be a while before the Paceman makes it to dealers. Car and Driver says it will likely land in 2013 as a 2014 model.

What can we expect in terms of styling? If Mini patent drawings are any indication, the wee beastie will stick as close as possible to the Paceman Concept, though the name may change before the production car lands. We think the long roof line and upright nose on the Paceman is plenty becoming, though we have to wonder how many consumers are looking at the Countryman and thinking, “Just like that, but can you make it less functional?”

Mini Paceman confirmed for production

We said it once, and we’ll say it again: it’s a good thing racing drivers aren’t required to hold a valid driver’s license in order to race. We know it sounds funny, but if they did, some of our best drivers would be out of work.

The latest high-profile incident, as you may recall, revolves around Kyle Busch. The NASCAR driver was busted back in May behind the wheel of a yellow Lexus LFA, driving 128 mph in a… well, at those speeds, it hardly matters what the posted limit was, but it was a 45 mph zone. At the time, Busch received a citation, but now he’s had his day in court.

So… how did it go for the current Sprint Cup points leader? Not all that well, we’re afraid. Apparently instead of taking Busch’s proven superlative driving skills into account, the judge opted to throw the book at Busch to make an example of him. The champ had his license revoked for 45 days, was find $1,000, sentenced to 30 days of community service and put under probation for one year.

Do you think the sentence was fair and proportionate to the crime? Cast your vote in our poll below.

View Poll

Kyle Busch loses license for 45 days for speeding in Lexus LFA [w/poll]

Patron-Saint Of Mid-Sizers Gets Massaged

Toyota has manufactured and sold 15 million Camry models across 100 countries since it debuted way back in 1983. It’s a number that’s nearly unfathomable. If all of those polite four-doors were still roaming the earth, there’d be one for every man, woman and child in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. combined, and you’d still have a almost a million vehicles left over. Even more eye-widening is Toyota’s claim that of the Camry models built and sold over the last 15 years, 90 percent are still happily enduring a daily commute on nearly every corner of the planet. By sheer volume and longevity, the Camry is nothing short of an engineering and manufacturing wonder.

Almost by default, the Camry has grown to become the vehicle by which all other mid-sized creations must measure themselves, and over the past two years, Ford, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen have unveiled products designed specifically to lure buyers from the Toyota model’s swollen ranks. In response, Toyota City has turned out the seventh-generation Camry – a model that’s been altered with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it delicacy. But as millions of current Camry owners will tell you, that may not be a bad thing.

CLICK HERE to read AutoblogGreen’s First Drive review of the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Continue reading 2012 Toyota Camry

2012 Toyota Camry