We love Mini’s sense of humor, and its April Fools’ Day pranks this year were among . While we really, really wanted the Cowley camper to be real, actually went ahead and built the Amphibious “Yachtsman” – and then brought it to the , just as promised to in its fake April 1 press release.
Considering that some car companies have been known to release , we’re even more bemused by Mini’s antics.
Click to read the entire absurd press release, then go ahead and check out our of high-res images of the Yachtsman.
While it doesn’t even appear as a bad pixel on most enthusiasts’ radar, the serves legions of mainstream consumers perfectly well. To keep the unassuming family hauler from lagging behind its advancing competition, the automaker has introduced a refreshed and tweaked at the .
Look carefully on the exterior and you may notice the freshened fog lamps or redesigned grille on the front fascia. Out back, there are restyled taillamps. Three new colors join the pallete (Attitude Black, Cypress Pearl and Cosmic Gray Mica). Under the hood, the engines are carried over from last year (2.7-liter four-cylinder or a 3.5-liter V6, depending on trim level, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission).
With the exception of the new interior color (black leather or black cloth upholstery) and new buttons on the steering wheel, the cabin appears virtually identical. However, there are more standard features on the LE trim (blind spot mirror, eight-way power-operated driver’s seat, puddle lamps, tilt/telescope steering wheel, and more) and the range-topping Limited receives LED running lights and a premium navigation system with Entune connectivity. Most of the new features are offered across the model range, but at an additional cost. The updated 2013 Toyota Venza goes on sale in late May.
Everything has been thrown at the 2013 to make it not only the largest SUV Mercedes offers, but the equivalent of a jacked-up . It grows by an inch in length and gets fractionally wider and taller, with the extra size providing more head, shoulder and elbow room for all three rows of passengers. It is also loaded with new standard features like a “photo quality” color instrument display, self-leveling air suspension, Collision Prevention Assist and Crosswind Stabilization.
Three flavors are available: the V6 GL350 BlueTec, and the two twin-turbo V8s in the GL450 and GL550, each with more power than before. The GL350 gets 240 horsepower and 455 pound-feet, up 30 hp and 55 lb-ft; the GL450 returns 362 hp and 406 lb-ft, a raise of 27 hp and 67 lb-ft; the kingly GL550 turns out 429 hp and 516 lb-ft, up by 47 hp and a not-inconsequential 127 lb-ft.
Of course, being Mercedes, the options list has expanded, too, with details such as the On- and Off-Road Package and Active Curve System to help you maintain steady control of the beast no matter the surroundings. for all the details, and take a glance at it in the gallery of high-res photos above.
You know things are rough when you have to sell your corporate headquarters to raise some cash. But that’s just what PSA Peugeot-Citroën did this week, unloading its Parisian office building for about $327 million, according to Automotive News.
The 48-year-old headquarters is located in Paris’ central business district, not far from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. According to the report, the French carmaker will continue to lease the building from its new owner, Ivanhoe Cambridge, a real estate subsidiary of Canadian pension fund management company Quebec Deposit and Investment Fund.
This latest move follows several efforts by PSA Peugeot-Citroën to reduce debt, cut costs and boost profitability. Last fall, it and in January it . In February, it announced a plan to liquidate assets and agreed to sell a seven-percent stake to General Motors, as part of that could help both car companies trim costs through shared purchasing.
To hear tell it, the company stumbled on something of a hit with the . According to the automaker, the vehicle didn’t just waltz past sales projections. It crushed them. Last year, 3,193 Equus models went home to loving families, and while that’s not a huge number by any stretch of the imagination, the figure is well better than the 2,000 units Hyundai expected to sell. It was also good enough to snag the company a 5.7-percent share of the premium luxury sedan segment in 2011. So, how does the Korean automaker plan to build on this early Equus momentum? By adding power, of course.
For 2012, the Equus packs the same 5.0-liter V8 engine found in the as well as a new eight-speed automatic transmission that helps keep fuel economy in check. With a few interior tweaks thrown in for good measure and the same gamut of standard equipment, the Equus continues to be a great reason to give the old stalwarts of luxury a second thought.
made all kinds of news during its recall woes, with one headline item being the it paid to the . The charge was levied by NHTSA because it considered Toyota tardy in announcing its recalls, and was almost twice the additionally record-setting $16.4 million fine that Toyota paid to address the recall itself. According to a report in Reuters, though, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland believes that such fines aren’t strong enough deterrents for automakers.
Currently the maximum fine the NHTSA can levy per infraction is $17 million. Due to last year’s climate catastrophes, Toyota’s profit for its 2011-2012 fiscal year is expected to drop 42 percent from the year before, but this month the company ($2.5 billion U.S.) for operating profit. Having to pay government fines is never ideal, but Toyota’s total fine of $48.4 million, when compared to $2.5 billion, probably made the public stoning far more painful than writing that check.
Carmakers are said to be doing more, and doing it more quickly, when it comes to investigating and announcing recalls. Still, Strickland wants the maximum civil penalty raised by almost a factor of 15, to $250 million per infraction. The language to do so has been included in a transportation bill approved by the Senate, but a House version omits that provision. Republicans – and automakers – have no interest in seeing it added, but unless he’s just rattling the cage to keep the heat up, this probably won’t be Strickland’s last effort to get a bigger bat.
The New York Times reports the European Central Bank may have inadvertently helped buyers looking to take home a new Volkswagen Up! secure low-interest loans. Volkswagen Financial Services was one of many institutions that took advantage of the €1 trillion the central bank set aside to be loaned out at just one percent interest. borrowed €2 billion (about $2.6 billion USD) of that money, and plans to offer the cash to buyers in the form of loans with low three to four percent interest. While the goal of the low-interest loans was originally to stabilize uncertain markets, automakers and other industries are taking advantage of the effectively free cash.
Mercedes Bank has already taken advantage of the generous terms, and PSA Financing, a unit of Peugeot and Citroën, has made mention of doing the same in an attempt to stave off looming poor sales. According to The New York Times, the European auto industry may be facing down its second downturn since 2009. Registrations for new vehicles were down 8.3 percent between January and February of this year compared to the same period in 2011.
may be looking to fill the void between the A4 Avant and with a new model, according to Automobile. The company hasn’t nailed down a name just yet, but reports suggest the vehicle will be a crossover version built on the underpinnings of the . That means a taller ride height, more commanding seating position and room in the rear for additional cargo. Specifically, the German automaker is aiming for the deep pockets of households with two incomes and no children as well as retirees with some extra cash to blow.
The company may call the creation the A4 Superavant or A4 Avantissimo, but no decision has been made just yet. Either way, Audi probably doesn’t want the crossover to resemble a minivan. Just ask how well .
Designers are reportedly paying special attention to elements like the rear overhang, total vehicle height and the proportion of glass to sheetmetal to keep that image at bay. There’s even some word that the vehicle will arrive with a plug-inhybrid variant, complete with the same 226-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a 35-horsepower electric motor snugged into the transmission.
Either way, we can expect the genre-straddling model to do battle with , which will hopefully look – and sell – nothing like the larger . Style it with the same grace and sense of proportion that marks out the and nobody gets hurt, ‘k?
Remember that new 36-mpg 2012 , the 328i that got better fuel economy in EPA testing than even the ? Well, those early estimates haven’t held up.
has confirmed to Autoblog that the EPA has issued revised numbers for the eight-speed automatic-equipped F30 328i, with highway fuel economy taking a 3-mile-per-gallon hit to 33 mpg and the city number dropping by a single digit to 23 mpg. BMW is investigating the discrepancy but says the 2012 figure will stay at 33. Spokesman Tom Plucinsky: “Unfortunately, there is no provision in the EPA rules for a re-test this year. Therefore regardless of the results of our investigation, the new rating will stand for this model year.”
Though BMW says its testing showed the car capable of 36 mpg on the highway, the EPA decided to validate BMW’s numbers and came away with different results. As we type this, the government’s website has not yet been updated, though BMW’s consumer website reflects the new numbers. According to Plucinsky, buyers of the six-speed manual 328i can expect to see a 34 mpg highway figure on their window sticker, which fueleconomy.gov corroborates at 23/34.
What’s surprising about this situation is that , BMW told our Matt Davis it was estimating only 32 mpg highway. Plucinsky suggests that perhaps the 32-mpg figure was an “early estimate was based on the previous version of the 328i.”
While the efficiency hit is disappointing, even with the downgrade to 33-to-34 miles per gallon, the 3 Series’ fuel economy figures are still class-leading, besting competitors including the and , , , , and .
With all of that said, we can’t help but wonder if this development will add fuel to the fire of those who have been in the wake of owner complaints?
Click to read BMW’s email explanation to us in full.
Former and current driver Neal Bates started his rally career over 20 years ago. While that seems like a long time to have been racing, even back then a 1980 Toyota was pretty old school. Mr. Bates and his friends at Toyota set out to prove that the old Celica is still cool by giving the RA40 dirt runner a full restore ahead of its ARC debut in Melbourne.
Bates, Coral Taylor and the 32-year-old Celica took first in the opening round of the 2012 Australian Rally Championship, and if you , you’ll see why. Bates put the beefed-up Celica through its paces, and it looks like he hasn’t lost a step.
has announced that it’s recalling 209,724 models for lower control arms that may fracture due to rust. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says the recall covers certain vehicles manufactured between July 3, 2003 and July 14 2005, which were originally sold or are currently registered in states with a high probability of rust.
In the right conditions, the lower control arms could rust to the point of fracture, leading to a loss of control and a potential accident. Reuters reports Chrysler is unaware of any accidents caused by the defect.
The automaker intends to notify owners and begin the recall by the end of April this year. Those vehicles covered by the campaign will have their control arms replaced free of charge. for the full recall notice.
We weren’t exactly smitten with the when we got the chance to tae one out for a spin, thanks in part to the eAssist wizardry aimed at improving the vehicle’s fuel economy. With a lackluster drivetrain, regenerative brakes and low rolling resistance tries, the simply isn’t capable of keeping its head high among the competition. Even so, we were told to wait for the Ecotec 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder set to debut this year. Now we know why. According to General Motors, the engine is good for 269 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. More importantly, all that torque comes on at a very low 1,700 rpm.
The direct-injection engine helps the Malibu hit 60 mph in a scant 6.3 seconds. Trust us when we say that’s an improvement over the Eco model. While there’s no word on fuel economy, we would expect the engine to return well better than the 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway supplied by the outgoing 3.6-liter V6, an engine that was only good for 252 horsepower.
This isn’t the first time GM has dabbled with a turbocharged four-cylinder. The company supplied buyers with a 2.0-liter Ecotec in vehicles like the Pontiac Solstice GXP, HHR SS and Cobalt SS that put out 260 horsepower. for the full press release.
Malibu’s turbo four rated at 269 HP, 0-60 in 6.3 seconds
If you’ve never played Reckless Racing 2, odds are you’ve taken the helm of similar games in the past. Players are given control of a vehicle viewed from above as it bashes its way around a dirt track with other cars.
Sony Ericsson recently partnered up with noted car hacker James Brighton to create a real-life version of Reckless Driving 2 using a pair of droptop MG models and Sony’s new Xperia Studio smartphone. Sony and Brighton then invited Martin Noriander, the developer behind Reckless Racing 2, and journalist Hunter Skipworth to compete head-to-head with the real-life cars.
Who came out on top? We won’t spoil it for you, but we will say there was a good bit of carnage as the duo tried to manipulate their chariots around the course. to check out the quick video for yourself.
Above all else, is known in car circles as being the foremost innovator in technologies intended to improve the safety of its vehicles. While we most often think of the safety of a car’s internal occupants, it’s important to remember than a two-ton weapon of mass destruction moving at highway speeds is also extremely dangerous to pedestrians outside the car.
In addition to a new Pedestrian Detection system, Volvo has introduced the world’s first external airbags on its new five-door . Located at the base of the windshield, the airbag deploys from a cavity that expands upward from the rear of the car’s hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.
We like this solution to the strict European legislation for pedestrian safety, as it doesn’t require significant changes to a car’s overall styling while still helping to save lives. Check out a brief demonstration of the technology in a rendered video , along with a related press release that covers all of the V40’s safety equipment.
Following in the footsteps of the U.S.-bound , Audi has unveiled its bigger, stouter brother here at the .
The takes the same proven formula of past rough-and-tumble models and applies it to the Avant version of the latest , raising the ride height by around 2.5 inches, slapping some plastic cladding around the wheel arches and fascias, flaring the fenders, tucking a few stainless steel trays to the underbody and topping it all off with a pair off roof rails.
Three diesel powerplants will be available ranging from 204 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque to 313 hp and 479 lb-ft of twist. The lone gasoline engine – the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 from the – puts out 310 hp and some 324 lb-ft though a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box to all four wheels.
However, unlike the A4 Allroad, we likely won’t be seeing the A6 in the U.S., so only one beefed up Audi wagon will have to suffice.
Behold, the stars and stripes of the . As you may recall, this patriotic little hatchback isn’t headed to our shores anytime soon. has decided to offer up the America F-Yeah edition to European customers only, which seems like an odd move to us. Fiat seems to agree. The company is only producing a total of 1,000 units draped in the U.S. theme, with 500 of those leaving the factory in hard-top guise and the rest as convertibles. Changes are pretty scarce beyond the special decal treatment and unique wheel accents.
Fiat says the 500 America will go on sale this March, followed shortly by the new Fiat 500 Color Therapy edition in June. No matter how badly we wish it were, that’s not a joke. for the press release.
The production team from Korea averted a serious disaster after a helicopter used during filming crashed into the Arizona desert. Amazingly, both the pilot and the camera person escaped the incident relatively unharmed. CNN reports that the pair credit their survival to the thick exterior of the retired military chopper.
to watch the video of the actual crash. The footage only reveals the last few seconds before the impact, but the aftermath video shows a chopper that is wrecked nearly beyond recognition. We’re amazed and thrilled that nobody was seriously injured.
continues to openly toy with the idea of producing a racy luxury sports coupe, following on the heels of 2009’s Geneva Motor Show star, the . This year, Infiniti has gone in a more overtly sporting direction with this hot little number, the Emerg-E.
Fortunately, this coupe’s styling isn’t as contrived as its name suggests thanks to a rakish form that comes across as more of a supercar than the Essence’s large-scale grand touring aesthetic. The Emerg-E looks even better in person than in photos, with an organic quality to the flowing lines that’s nicely emphasized by the car’s smoky matte finish. If we have any complaints, it’s that the nose looks a bit long, and incongruously, it seems to offer a riff on the spindle grille that is rolling out portfolio-wide. No matter, this is clearly one of this year’s most impressive debuts.
Powered by a 400-horsepower range-extended powertrain, Infiniti says the Emerg-E can bolt to 60 miles per hour in four seconds dead while offering a 300-mile range.
We’re officially ready for Infiniti to stop teasing us with handsome concept cars and get on with producing an upscale sports coupe.
Now that Forza Motorsport 4 developer Turn 10 Studios and finally “found the right terms,” you can have in your Forza. The Porsche Expansion Pack will be available for 1,600 MS points or $19.99, and will reward you with 30 products from the Stuttgart maker including the 2010 . Turn 10 says that seven of the 30 will be completely new to the series, which probably means you can expect the return of classics from Forza 3 like the 962.
The pack isn’t included in the game’s Season Pass, but your Porsche Expansion Pack won’t just get cars, either: there will be 20 new events, 10 XBox Live achievements and a Rivals Mode all based on Porsches as well. The pack is scheduled to be available on May 22 and will take FM4’s car count (with DLCs) to 625. The licensing deal isn’t long-term, so if Porsches are your thing you should mark May 22 on your calendar.
The other two new events on the Forza 4 horizon are that level caps have been raised from 150 to 999, and a new game called Forza Horizon is on the way. It’s being developed by an outside studio called Playground Games and no one seems to know anything about it beyond Turn 10’s assessment that “it’s a fast-paced pick-up-and-play racing game.” There’s a video trailer for Horizon which won’t tell you anything more than you already know, but sounds pretty cool.
We got a look at a short time ago. It’s a looker that’s got a whole lotta BMW going on. We still don’t know anything definitive about its internals other than that the big is the BH platform-mate of the and .
It’s also been caught on South Korean highways from just about every angle. Check it out in the videos and see what you think.
The sedan is still in search of a name, too. Among those suggested by Kia fans are Sleek, Majestic, Amanti, Prime, Cerulean and Tempest. Check in at Kia’s page to throw your own naming ideas into the mix.
You know things are rough when you have to sell your corporate headquarters to raise some cash. But that’s just what PSA Peugeot-Citroën did this week, unloading its Parisian office building for about $327 million, according to Automotive News.
