An unusual topiary sculpture took the top honors at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show in London. It took King & Co. a full seven years to grow these bushes into a replica of a Williams F1 car, including a full standing pit crew.
Owner Paul King said he wasn’t entirely sure the design would be embraced by the Chelsea judges because of its off-the-wall nature, but the show’s organizers took a shine to the creation, and even Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principal of the Williams F1 team, stopped by the show to take a look. The piece also featured a few components from an F1 car and Bruno Senna’s race helmet.
There’s no word if the Williams team will roll out of the paddock with a Miracle Grow livery next year.
Anyone considering a German-built car might want to buy it now. It could be a long summer.
Europe’s largest industrial union, IG Metall, is taking a tough stance against some job rules German carmakers want to enforce, potentially creating the possibility of a strike, according to .
“Talks are resuming, but so far five rounds of negotiations have produced little movement and a round of warning strikes earlier this month at several companies, including , and Daimler, suggest that the powerful union is gearing up for a confrontation,” the Bureau reported earlier this week.
The union wants a 6.5-percent pay raise for its workers and a limit in how many temporary workers the carmakers can use. Around the world, carmakers use temporary workers as way to increase production without increasing union membership and save money.
The union was offered a 3-percent pay raise, but that offer was rejected. Currently, German auto workers are some of the highest paid in the automotive world. And while parts of Europe remain in economic turmoil, Germany has shown signs of slow growth, which might be one reason some government officials are backing IG Metall.
All of this doesn’t bode well for General Motors’ German-based Opel. GM was hoping to get some concessions from the unions representing its workers as part of its restructuring. But if other carmakers are paying more for its workers, it’s unlikely the troubled Opel would be able to squeeze much of its people.
Calling it “Holden’s worst kept secret,” a report in Australia’s Drive indicates that the General Motors antipodean brand will announce “very soon” that it will be exporting “thousands of Commodores to the U.S. from 2013.” Or, put another way, we will be getting thousands of Chevrolet SS Performance sedans – the in a previous life – starting next year.
The report says Holden is divulging the news earlier than planned because leaks just about everywhere, , as well as and speculation about , have got everyone looking southward for confirmation of the answer we already (almost) know.
Drive says our rear-wheel drive will get a revised take on the that has an aluminum hood to make it lighter and less aggressive wheel arches to make it more slippery. No hard numbers are attached to the export rumors, but it is expected to number “much fewer than the 50,000-odd” units that were predicted for the Pontiac G8 program.
The scintillating line for bitter enthusiasts still chafing over the confirmed-then-cancelled corn tease is that the exports “could also expand to involve ute and sportwagon variants.” Drive didn’t, but we will emphasize the word “could,” since we’ve been here before. However, that does jive with indicating the same thing. Holden’s announcement could be made as soon as later today right now – see below for update.
*UPDATE: Well that didn’t take long. General Motors has officially confirmed that the new Holden-derived sedan sold in the U.S. will be called simply Chevrolet SS. The “limited production” SS will race in NASCAR beginning with the 2013 Daytona 500 and will appear in showrooms in 2014. GM isn’t getting into specifics, but says “The much anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances which enhance overall performance.” As to additional bodystyles like a wagon or pickup, well, GM isn’t saying. See more in the official press release added , and click on the image above to get a look at GM’s newest racer all camo’d up.
The extended-range plug-in vehicle will start production about a year after its previously estimated mid-2013 date, Inside EVs blog reports, citing leaked company documents that were dated “a few weeks ago.”
The Atlantic, formerly known as Project Nina, will compete pricewise against the and sedans, as well as the and , and and . That would put the model in the $50,000 to $60,000 range, according to the publication. The model, which will still be produced at Fisker’s Delaware plant, will have 300 horsepower, a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds and emissions of 50 grams per kilometer of CO2, Inside EVs reports, citing the documents.
“As these documents are obviously leaked investor documents and highly confidential, I am not prepared to comment any further,” a Fisker representative tells Autoblog sister site, AutoblogGreen.
The status of the Atlantic has since plans for the former plant in Delaware were put on hold once the U.S. Department of Energy froze most of the $529 million in loans earmarked for the California-based company.
Fisker the Atlantic at the last month, saying that the car’s price tag would be “a much lower price point” than Fisker’s sedan.
and have spent the past two years becoming BFFs under the covers of their small cars. In addition to the production version of the Infiniti Etherea using the and Nissan in Tennessee, two years ago it was reported that the next Infiniti G would get engines from the German automaker. As the launch draws nearer, a report in Autocar indicates that Mercedes four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines will be under the hood from the beginning.
Infiniti has been investing heavily in growing the brand across the world, especially in Europe. The G range had no four-pot in the lineup, and without that, few buyers would even consider it. Having economical engines right from the start will at least give purchasers a reason to cross-shop the G with the and , its target market. It will need that expanded consideration to move from 2011’s 145,000 global sales to the 500,000 sales it seeks in 2016.
If you’re wondering why Mercedes would provide engines and know-how to an entry-level luxury car that competes against the 3 Series, one of Mercedes main rivals, Renault- CEO Carlos Ghosn said . “People buying Infiniti or Daimler, they don’t cross-shop between the two brands…. We came to the conclusion that Mercedes collaborating with Infiniti will not be hurting each other.”
Congratulations are in order: Saabs United has , what is likely to be the last of any sort ever produced. The group will be installing the car in the Saab Cars Museum on a permanent loan, as well as donating the additional money it raised during its fund drive.
Forgive us for being just a bit cynical here, but it’s really a shame this particular car is so mundane. It’s a Aero Griffin, a run-of-the-mill sedan that’s a direct descendant of the 2003 model year 9-3. Based on the global General Motors Epsilon platform that also spawned the similarly extinct , the 9-3 is arguably the car that killed Saab – or at least failed to save it – as GM was never able to sell enough of them or derive enough profit from the ones it managed to move in the U.S. to make a go of the brand.
We’re sure all Saab enthusiasts agree that the marque certainly deserved better treatment than it got from Detroit, and when we look back in fond remembrance on Saab, there are any number of models that will come to mind before we think of the final 9-3. Most of them are included in our .
Nevada has officially granted a license to test autonomous vehicles on public streets. The tech giant underwent demonstrations in both Las Vegas and Carson City to prove its vehicles are as safe or safer than those piloted by mere humans. The state requires two people to be in the test vehicles at all times, including at one occupant in the driver’s seat and another monitoring the vehicle via an onboard computer. If anything goes wrong, the human “driver” can take over by simply applying the brakes or taking hold of the steering wheel.
As of right now, Google has only applied to license three vehicles. Each one will carry a red license plate with an infinity symbol. According to Bruce Breslow, Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles director, vehicles with autonomous capability could be on the road within three to five years. When that happens, the machines will wear green plates.
The Detroit News reports presidential hopeful Mitt Romney believes he deserves credit for the auto industry’s recovery, despite the fact that he adamantly opposes the bailout. While speaking with a Cleveland, Ohio television station, Romney said he deserves “a lot of credit” because he supported the idea of managed bankruptcy. But both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama believed General Motors and couldn’t survive the process without backing from the United States Treasury.
Meanwhile, in a 2008 opinion article for The New York Times, Romney warned the bailout would mean the end of the American automotive industry, saying “It won’t go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed.”
Through the lens of hindsight, we know that statement was a bit exaggerated. Both Chrysler and GM are on the right path, with the companies posting profits in North America. The Detroit News reports the auto bailout is an important topic in two crucial swing states: Ohio and Michigan.
We’ve been guilty of putting a vehicle or three on two wheels occasionally, but never on purpose. James “Ski” Smith, on the other hand, has made a habit of standing a car on edge for extended periods of time. That’s impressive enough by our standards, but Smith recently attempted to take his skills to the next level by piloting a fox body all the way around Laguna Seca. Why an old Mustang? Probably because no one would shed a tear if the car wound up on its roof.
Unfortunately, Smith ran into another piece of trouble before he could tackle the track’s more daring corners. The extreme angle caused oiling issues with the V8 engine, flooding one bank with oil while depriving the other. As a result, Smith came to a stop just past Turn Six. Still, he hopes to try again soon. May we suggest he take something a little better suited to the task? A , mayhaps? to check out the clip for yourself.
Automobile’s Georg Kacher goes deep into the product plan, looking at the 32 models that the group’s ten brands will roll out over the next five years. These vehicles are expected to drive VW to the top of the mountain in 2018, where the flag for World’s Largest Automaker awaits.
The armada is based on three platforms: MQB for transverse FWD/AWD cars like the VW Golf, MLB for the longitudinal FWD/AWD cars in Audi’s stable, and MSB for AWD/RWD front-, rear- and mid-engined cars like the 960.
Said to be due in 2015, the discussed last year as a bridge model between the and 918, but Kacher has it listed with the MSB-M platform cars like the Porsche / and , not the front-engined MSB-F or rear-engined MSB-H cars. Yet the 960 is said to be a -fighting “four-door coupe” powered by a twin-turbo flat-six. We’ll wait for clarification on the number of doors, since in September of last year, posited the 960 as a mid-engined coupe priced “on the creepy side of €200,000.”
Other intriguing notes from the plan: for VW, a coupe is planned for 2016, the might get a coupe variant, the second-generation Scirocco “has the potential” for U.S. sales and the will be replaced; is desgining an even edgier third-generation , the will experiment with e-quattro, and the next-generation will break the same-sausage, different-lengths design mold.
We can’t tell you how many times we’ve asked an automotive executive about future product plans only to be given the default, “We’re investigating new options,” or, “Anything is possible,” write-offs. So, to that end, here’s another bit of grease for the ever-spinning rumormill.
Auto Express reports that could possibly launch a sportier version of its entry-level , dubbed – wait for it – Evoque Sport. The news comes after the British magazine sat down with Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s design director, at the recent . When pressed about plans to expand the Evoque range, McGovern stated, “For the moment, we’re looking at the and – we could do a more overtly sporty one, for example.”
A suggestion, Land Rover: Move the Evoque Sport above the cabriolet on your to-do list.
McGovern didn’t spill any more beans about what a Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Sport (what a mouthful) would be powered by, but Auto Express suggests it would likely be a boosted version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four found in the current model. Of course, more visual aggression would be added in the way of larger wheels, a body kit and a lowered suspension. Beefier chassis and brake components would likely be added to enhance the drive experience, as well.
Assuming the Evoque Sport does come to fruition, we likely wouldn’t see it until the end of next year since the current vehicle is still a newborn in the market. So, for now, rumormill, keep on spinning.
was in the off-road business before the cult classic LM002, on a military vehicle concept dubbed in the mid-seventies that it hoped to sell to the U.S. armed forces. The 4,500-pound, fiberglass-bodied troop carrier used a 5.9-liter, 180-horsepower engine mounted in back. Hardly Cheetah-like, the vehicle delivered lackluster performance and didn’t handle well.
Even worse, it was a of a by another firm, which landed MTI and Lamborghini in court when the Cheetah was revealed at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show. The U.S. military tested the sole prototype and totaled it.
Perhaps this is the worst part: the Cheetah was such an expensive failure for Lamborghini that it was one of the reasons the company was unable to follow through on its commitment to BMW for the M1 project.
And with that history lesson digested, you’ll get even more wry satisfaction from the narrator’s dialogue in the Cheetah promo video, which you’ll find .
Alfa Romeos were meant to be on sale here after summer, but we all know that’s not happening. Nevertheless, lentamente, Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S. progresses. According to a story in Automotive News, was earlier this month granted the U.S. trademark for “Alfa Romeo 4C” for the car and ancillaries. We can at least take that as certain; Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne’s statement that the 4C will go on sale at the end of 2013 we’ll take with a bit more caution.
is in Italy, and the is projected to go on sale in Europe early next year. Only 2,500 will be made per annum, and here they’ll give Alfa a much needed halo car to entice less spendy buyers into showrooms and into giving other Alfa models – and the brand itself – a chance.
We know the 4C will eventually be joined by the based Giulia sedan and a crossover or two. As for when, well, you can circle late 2013 on your calendar. In pencil.
Ford design chief J Mays tells Automotive News that the controversial grille design that on the at the won’t necessarily be pasted onto the front of every model. Mays means something quite specific, though: the perimeter of the grille and headlight form will remain, but the “grille texture” – the horizontal lines on the MKZ – could be reworked on other models.
Says Mays, the split-wing outline “is what makes a Lincoln.” But with Lincoln commencing “a pretty long year journey,” his comments to AN give his design team latitude while the brand seeks its new, younger consumers instead of being “trapped” into one grille style.
It’s an interesting position to take – allowing the possibility of different faces – when the brand only has four models (we’re not including the aging stepchild Navigator in this discussion) and is devoted to rebranding itself and making an impression among groups who haven’t paid attention to it in some time – if ever. Of course, Mays isn’t saying that other models won’t have the MKZ grille, but we look forward to seeing how this plays out.
Episode #278 of the is here, and this week, Chris, Dan, and Zach are joined by of Autoblog and AOL Autos to chat about Dodge Dart pricing, the next Ford Mustang shying away from retro styling, Chevrolet quietly developing an Impala SS, and a NHTSA proposal to mandate brake override systems. 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 #278:
In the Autoblog Garage
Hosts: , ,
Runtime: 01:34:50
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The Associated Press reports General Motors has pulled all 11 IndyCar engines from testing after racer James Hinchcliffe blew one during testing at Sonoma. GM evidently was concerned enough about the 10 other engines having similar problems that it decided to swap them all and face the resulting sanctions.
Under IndyCar’s current rules, Hinchcliffe, driver of the GoDaddy.com will be penalized for the failure despite the fact that it had nothing to do with the driver. IndyCar prohibits engine changes until the units have reached a minimum of 1,200 miles, a figure that is set to jump to 1,850 miles after this weekend. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, meanwhile, maintains that the rule is meant to reduce costs for teams. He also pointed out that both and have received similar penalties this season. But that hasn’t stopped some from grumbling about the rules.
Until this point, Chevrolet has done exceedingly well this season, nabbing the first two poles and taking a victory at the season-opening race. The company currently holds the lead in the manufacturer’s title with 18 points – six points ahead of Honda.
Hinchcliffe, meanwhile, says he’s excited about the challenge that the engine swap presents. He, along with a smattering of other racers, will now start at the back of the pack, and Indycar’s rulemakers have themselves a new controversy to contend with.
If you’ve ever tried installing an infant car seat in say, a , you understand that just because a car has LATCH anchors doesn’t mean your car seat is going to fit. Those anchors are supposed to make child restraint installation a breeze, but according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, many automakers aren’t following the spirit of the law requiring them.
The study looked at the 98 top-selling vehicles from 2010-2011 and found just 21 that met its criteria for having “easy-to-use” LATCH hardware. Making the list were the ; ; , , and ; ; , and ; and ; ; ; ; ; and ; and ; and .
The researchers used a test fixture that adhered to guidelines developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers to develop three criteria for evaluation. The first was having anchors that were easy to see and not buried beneath rear seat cushions. The second was having the LATCH attachment points unobstructed by seatbelts, foam or other parts of the seat. The third was that adults could correctly install the seats using less than 40 pounds of force.
While the study found that the majority of models didn’t nail all three criteria, the list of vehicles that didn’t meet any of them was much shorter: ; ; ; and ; ; and .
to see a video about LATCH and read the full release from IIHS.
One of the great insufferable truths of adulthood is that toys are always cooler when you’re too old to acceptably play with them. Take this custom-built baby stroller, for example. A scale model of the iconic ‘60, the stroller features underbody lighting, sweet whitewall tires, unique pin striping and a slick red interior. Of course, that’s just what’s on the surface. Doting parents may also press a button to make the stroller shoot flames. That’s right: shoot flames. We’re in love.
If you’re as smitten as we are and happen to have a rug rat on the way, you can actually purchase fiberglass pedal-car shells for just $199.99 from eBay. Of course, you’ll need to throw your own blood, sweat and tears into the mix to create a final product on par with the the one in the video after the jump. Not a Cadillac fan? No problem. You can also snap up everything from ‘32 roadsters to ‘51 Mercury convertibles and even ‘41 Willys Truck shells as well. You can find them . In the mean time, for a little video inspiration.
As an American living in Italy, there are often entire month-long stretches where I drive nothing but European cars that will sadly never come out to play on American soil. Such is the case for the abundantly adored Audi A6 Allroad Quattro seen here. I was initially of the assumption that since the had already been confirmed for the U.S. that the A6 Allroad would be coming as well, but I am dismayed to report otherwise.
Such a pity, too. The business case for giving North America the whole range of Audi models that Germany offers apparently just doesn’t pan out financially – and for some of us, it’s the old predictable story of unrequited love across the chilly Atlantic.
Team Ingolstadt brought me into their home in Neckarsulm just north of hilly Stuttgart for this drive through the area’s precisely cultivated fields of hops. The aroma of beer is everywhere here, which may go some way toward explaining just why the new A6 Allroad felt so good under and around me as we freight-trained along the Swabian two-lanes.
The Koenigsegg Agera R recently took to the Nürburgring for a little fun. Not surprisingly, there were a few cameras on hand to see the 1,100-horsepower titan whomp its way around the course, including one lens stationed at the exit to the pits. At the end of the track’s long straight, the vantage point allows viewers to see the vehicles on track at the peak of speed. For the Agera R, that means a flyby at somewhere around 250 mph. Now, we’ll be the first to say there’s no way of discerning just how fast the Koenigsegg is actually traveling when it comes by the pits. Sadly, “damn quick” isn’t an acceptable unit of speed.
Check out the video to see what we mean. The first half of the clip shows the supercar simply cruising around. If you want to see the real action, we suggest jumping ahead to around 1:30.
