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U.S. congressman Anthony Weiner has had more than his fair share of rants during his time in the House of Representatives. And let’s face it, the man seems to really enjoy grandstanding and shouting – or perhaps he just suffers from voice immodulation.

At a recent hearing concerning the de-funding of National Public Radio, the Democrat from New York took to the podium packing some serious decibels. The congressman didn’t show up for rant duty empty-handed, either, carrying a poster of NPR Car Talk hosts Click and Clack. In his own unique tongue-in-cheek fashion, the New York congressman takes the stance that the longtime gearhead show is worthy of government funding. Hit the jump to watch the impassioned clip. Hat tip to Marcus!

[Source: YouTube via Capital Tonight]

Continue reading Video: Weiner stands up for Car Talk during congressional hearings on NPR funding

Video: Weiner stands up for Car Talk during congressional hearings on NPR funding

There are ways to make friends, and ways to make enemies. Telling several members of your party they’re unwelcome is a sure way to the latter, but then, Bernie Ecclestone has never shied away from controversy. In his latest statement, the Formula One chief has indicated that the field should be cut down from its current grid of 13 teams to just 10.

The number of teams grew in recent years to adopt Virgin, Hispania and Lotus, but the former two in particular have struggled to keep the pace with the competition. Ecclestone also reportedly feels that there isn’t enough sponsor cash to go around, as evidenced by the lack of corporate logos on HRT’s new car. The outspoken racing chief, however, appears to support Lotus, which he apparently feels has a stronger chance of overcoming its teething pains and catching up to the rest of the grid.

In related news, Ecclestone is reportedly cooperating with German authorities who are investigating alleged corruption in the sale of F1’s commercial rights five years ago to CVC Capital Partners, whom Ecclestone represents. Authorities are looking into the personal finances of German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky who at the time chaired the series’ previous commercial rights holder, and was discovered to have received a mysterious $50 million payment into an offshore account.

[Source: ESPN Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

ESPN: Bernie Ecclestone lashes out at the newbies, calls for cutting the grid back to 10

J.D. Power and Associates has released its annual Vehicle Dependability Study for 2011, and there are a few surprises in store for those who religiously keep track of who outperforms who on the automotive reliability front. For the first time ever, Lincoln, with 101 problems per 100 vehicles, leads the chart, followed by Lexus with a score of 109.

Number three on the list is also something of a surprise: Jaguar, who’s score of 112 problems per 100 vehicles seemingly proves not all leaping kitties leave unwanted presents outside the confines of their litter boxes. Porsche (114) and Toyota (122) round out the top five. The industry average comes in at 151 problems per 100 vehicles, which of course means that some brands perform rather poorly in J.D. Power’s rankings.

Bringing up the rear in this year’s study is Mini, with 221 problems per 100 vehicles. That’s not good. BMW’s smallest brand is followed by Jeep (214), Land Rover (212), Dodge (206) and Chrysler (202). The study also ranks individual models in each category, and Toyota’s seven individual segment victories gives the Japanese automaker more individual victories than any other brand.

A brief explanation of how this particular study is compiled: J.D. Power polled 43,700 original owners on problems experienced during the past 12 months on 2008 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. As such, this study is not ranking the latest vehicles by any given manufacturer, but is instead intended to help consumers predict the durability of a potential automobile purchase.

There’s lots more detail in the press release and graphs found after the break, so click here and put your number-crunching hats on.

[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]

Continue reading JD Power’s 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study names Lincoln best brand, Toyota wins most segments

JD Power’s 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study names Lincoln best brand, Toyota wins most segments

BMW may be planning to set up a new manufacturing facility in Brazil. The automaker currently only sells around 10,000 units per year in the South American country, but BMW has seen sales leap by 50 percent annually in the market for the past few years. According to Reuters, standards of living in Brazil are increasing at a rapid pace as the country prepares to host both the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Those increases have helped to fuel light vehicle sales, which ticked up by 11 percent in 2010 to 3.33 million units. That figure surpasses even Germany’s appetite for passenger cars.

If BMW does decide to set up camp in the southern hemisphere, odds are the company will simply outfit its Manaus motorcycle manufacturing facility to handle assembly of completely knocked-down vehicle kits, at least at first. Should sales increase by leaps and bounds, Reuters reports that BMW would consider a full-fledged manufacturing facility to help satiate demand. The company says that sales of as little as 50,000 units could make such a move worthwhile.

[Source: Reuters]

BMW pondering first Latin America plant?

The Congressional Oversight Panel charged with overseeing America’s $700 billion federal bailout fund admits that it still isn’t sure if the measure will save the auto industry in the long run, The Detroit News is reporting. As you’ll recall, the $700 billion was divvied up between banks, insurers and General Motors and Chrysler, among others.

According to the panel, the Treasury had no specific goals for the $85 billion it gave automakers, so it will be hard to gauge the success of the loan in the long term. For now, it would seem that the bailout worked, with GM and Chrysler both posting their first profits in years in 2010.

Last year, GM cleared a $6.2 billion profit – its first year in the black since 2004. Chrysler also managed a profit, and Ford, who didn’t take any money from the government, ratcheted a $6.6 billion profit.

As part of its final 236-page report, the oversight panel also reduced its estimate of how much money the bailout would cost taxpayers, from $40 billion to $17 billion.

[Source: The Detroit News Image: Mark Wilson/Getty]

Report: Fund oversight panel says jury still out on auto bailouts

A group of New York hedge funds have filed suit against Porsche for cornering the market on Volkswagen stock, according to Reuters. The lawsuit claims that the German automaker caused $1 billion in losses by discreetly buying up every freely traded share of Volkswagen stock in an attempt to take over the company in 2008. When Porsche revealed what it had done, Volkswagen stock prices leapt. The hedge funds, meanwhile, had bet big that Volkswagen shares would actually see a dip, and the reversal caused major losses.

The plaintiffs include Greenlight Capital LP, Tiger Global LP, Glenhill Capital LP and Glenview Capital Partners LP among others.

Porsche has rejected the allegations as inadmissible and unsubstantiated. Some of the hedge funds included in this lawsuit were part of a similar filing that failed against the automaker last year. That lawsuit caused some concern about whether or not Porsche’s merger with Volkswagen would sail on smooth seas, but thus far, at least, investors seem less concerned about the latest legal woes.

[Source: Reuters]

Report: U.S. hedge funds file lawsuit against Porsche, traders unconcerned

Roland Sands, champion motorcycle racer and founder of Roland Sands Design, is turning his wrenches and sketchpad loose on the Ducati Desmosedici RR – the very rare and expensive street version of the MotoGP racer.

At $72,500 apiece, Ducati’s entire North American run of 500 bikes sold out in five hours. One of Sands’ customers has three in his collection, and one of those is getting a flat-track makeover.

The bike in question has zero miles on it, so performing this transformation is an act of sacrilege in the eyes of the Ducati faithful. The tear-down and fabrication process on the Desmo is only just underway. The final product will be either an amazing machine gone nuclear-hot or a trashed masterpiece. We can’t wait to see how things turn out.

[Source: Roland Sands Design]

Roland Sands working on custom Ducati Desmosedici street tracker

Russian investor Vladimir Antonov says that Saab will miss its sales target of 80,000 vehicles this year. According to Reuters, Antonov helped Spyker buy Saab last February, and is looking at taking over Spyker’s sports car operations. Antonov also said that missing the sales goal would mean capital problems for Saab.

Victor Muller, CEO of Saab-parent Spyker Cars, dismissed Antonov’s statements as bogus. According to Reuters, Muller called Antonov’s comments “complete nonsense,” and said that Spyker was staying with its sales goals for Saab.

Spyker is in hot water, too, operating at a loss last year and looking for investors, including Antonov.

Antonov told the Swedish press that he sees Saab moving closer to 65,000 cars for 2011. Saab brass say the company is on target to make its sales goal, but are more concerned with sticking to its new business plan than meeting a specific sales target. According to Reuters, Saab moved 31,696 cars in 2010, after cutting its sales goal from 45,000 to 30,000.

[Source: Reuters Image: Chris Paukert/AOL]

Report: Russian investor Antonov believes Saab will miss 2011 sales target

2009 Lagonda Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

As far as automakers go, Lagonda has something of a checkered past. Founded in 1906 by a former Scottish-American opera singer, Lagonda built its own cars in the UK up until WWII, after which it was bought by Aston Martin.

The joint company only sporadically used the Lagonda name over the course of subsequent decades, building the Lagonda Rapide in the early 60s, the knife-edged Aston Martin Lagonda sedan in the 70s and 80s, a series of sedans built on Aston Martin underpinnings in the 70s and again in the late 90s, and a couple of concept cars here and there. The Lagonda Vignale concept bowed at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, and two years ago, the crossover concept above was unveiled to largely negative reviews at the same show.

People may not have cared for the showcar, but Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. (as the company is known in full) insists that it was the form – not the idea itself – that was rejected by the public. Based on that assessment, plans are reportedly proceeding to revive Lagonda as a brand of high-end SUVs.

Rather than badge-engineering a version of the Aston Martin Rapide, Autocar suggests that Lagonda will target emerging markets like Russia and China with a range of luxury crossovers. The reported £100-300k ($160-480k) price spread will put it far above even fully-spec’ed out versions of the Porsche Cayenne and Land Rover Range Rover. Underpinnings could be borrowed from Mercedes-Benz, particularly if plans for AML to produce the next generation of Maybach luxury cruisers go through.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Aston Martin confirms Lagonda relaunch with high-end SUVs

What seems more plausible: that a thief dropped down from a dealership’s roof, Mission Impossible-style, to boost a Lamborghini? Or that the car in question belonged to a chef? In an alternate reality where the world actually makes sense, the answer would ostensibly be “neither,” but we’re talking about California here.

The yellow 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo in question didn’t belong to any random short-order cook, but to celebrity chef Guy Fieri (above), host of such TV shows as Minute to Win It and the long-running Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Fieri’s car was back at the exotic car dealership on San Francisco’s Van Ness Avenue overnight when a thief climbed onto the roof of the building, rigged up his gear, rappelled down into the showroom, busted the lock on the garage door and made off (presumably at a rather rapid pace) in Fieri’s Gallardo.

Local police figure it wouldn’t be easy for the thief to offload the exotic supercar, but from our read of the story, we’d bet that such a prepared thief already had a buyer lined up. And while it may be difficult to sell a stolen rare car locally, if he or she could get it to the docks, it could already be in another country by now. Top tip, Tony!

[Source: San Francisco Chronicle Image: Jay West/Getty]

Guy Fieri’s Lamborghini stolen from dealer by rappelling thief?

This year’s Geneva Motor Show was as packed as ever with new concept cars that point the way forward for the world’s automakers. And with their debuts now behind us, reports are pouring in on their prospects for production.

First came word that the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept is destined for U.S. showrooms, then reports surfaced of Jaguar passing on Bertone’s design pitch. Now sources from across the pond are indicating that Mini plans to go ahead with production of its Rocketman concept.

The subcompact show car aimed to pacify purists who bemoan the enlargement of the modern Mini range, and the new model could bridge the gap between the original Mini and the contemporary iteration.

According to Autocar, Mini plans on producing the Rocketman based on the BMW Group’s new front-drive platform and i-initiative technologies. Rather than replace the existing three-door hatchback, however, the production Rocketman would slot in below it (at least in terms of size) in the company’s rapidly expanding range.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Mini Rocketman headed for production

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone seems to believe he has a recipe to make his sport a bit more entertaining, and it involves heaping buckets of artificial rain. That’s right – no longer content to simply play with KERS and points systems, Ecclestone has reportedly turned his attentions towward bending weather to his will.

The F1 honcho says that overtaking in the dry is nearly impossible thanks to marbles on the course, but the instant things turn wet, the racing gets more exciting by the second. Some tracks are already outfitted with systems to water down the tarmac, and Ecclestone says that it would be relatively simple to fit other courses with irrigation.

While speaking with the official F1 website, Ecclestone said that he could imagine flooding tracks for 20 minutes during the middle of a race or for the last 10 laps with a two-minute warning.

Why not just drop Sebastian Vettel and the rest of the F1 gang in row boats and make them paddle around the Seine? We’re sure that would be plenty entertaining, and probably a good bit safer. Thanks for the tip, Andre!

[Source: Yahoo Sport Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Report: Ecclestone wants fake rain to make F1 racing more exciting

The list of finalists for World Car of the Year has been whittled down from 39 entries to just three, and the finalists were announced yesterday at a press conference hosted by Bridgestone at the Geneva Motor Show.

The finalists for overall Car of the Year are the 2011 Audi A8, the BMW 5 Series and the Nissan Leaf. The performance category is occupied by the the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Representing the green catergory are the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Edition. The green car of the year will be decided by votes from three of the world’s top green technology experts.

The final category in the World Car of the Year competition is design. In that category is the Aston Martin Rapide, Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Ferrari 458 Italia.

The winner of the World Car of the Year award has to represent some aspects of each category in the competition and will be decided, along with the winners in from the other categories, at the New York Auto Show on April 21.

[Source: World Car of the Year]

Continue reading Geneva 2011: World Car of the Year finalists shortlisted

Geneva 2011: World Car of the Year finalists shortlisted

Jaguar has been mulling the idea of taking another stab at the venerable BMW 3 Series after its last attempt, the underwhelming X-Type, failed in spectacular fashion. This is the other stab.

The Jagaur B99 concept is a team effort between Jag and Bertone and serves as way for Bertone to celebrate its 99th Anniversary. The new compact Jag’s name is a melding of the company’s first initial and its age.

Bertone says the concept is a design study in what it calls “dynamic imbalance” between parallel lines and “leaping forms.”

It represents not only Bertone’s new direction and a possible answer to the ubiquitous 3 Series, but a big leap in terms of technology. The B99 is powered by an all-new extended-range hybrid drivetrain designed by Bertone to run on two electric motors whose batteries can draw a charge from a small onboard engine. Bertone says they’ve been looking into sustainable energies for the last two decades and the B99 is the top of that evolution chain.

Bertone also presented a race car iteration of the B99 Concept (inset, right), saying it is working on a GT2 version of the B99 in hopes of proving the car is not just a pretty face.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Bertone]

Continue reading Geneva 2011: Jaguar B99 Concept by Bertone is a futuristic 3-Series challenger

Geneva 2011: Jaguar B99 Concept by Bertone is a futuristic 3-Series challenger

Truth be told, we didn’t really see the need for a new Aston Martin to slot between the DB9 and DBS, but after getting the low-down on the new 2012 Virage, we’re welcoming it with open arms. Based on the same VH architecture as the other cars in the English brand’s lineup, the Virage uses Aston’s wonderfully vocal 6.0-liter V12 to crank out 490 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. In the Virage, those dozen cylinders are stirred exclusively through the company’s six-speed Touchtronic 2 paddle-shift transmission.

While the Virage’s design isn’t vastly different from anything else in the automaker’s portfolio, it’s definitely got some pizzaz. Much like the larger Rapide, we can’t help but stare at this coupe for long periods of time – it’s simply gorgeous. Need proof? Click through our high-res gallery below to see the Virage from all angles, then learn more in the press release after the jump.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading Geneva 2011: 2012 Aston Martin Virage is more of a good thing

Geneva 2011: 2012 Aston Martin Virage is more of a good thing

Let’s be honest. After months, if not years of anticipation, we were all a little disappointed at the results when Pagani finally unveiled its new Huayra. But you know what? After seeing it up close and personal here on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show – in red no less, which is invariably more suitable to an Italian exotic than beige champagne metallic – we’re convinced afresh that Horacio Pagani and company make some of the most desirable machinery known to man.

That gaping maw, for example, that everyone felt detracted from an otherwise sleek shape? Hardly noticable in person, less evident in the more vibrant hue, and besides, out on the road you’ll likely see more of the sculpted tail disappearing rapidly over the horizon than you will of the nose anyway. But don’t take our word for it. Have a look through our ace photographer’s lens in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

Geneva 2011: Pagani Huayra is better (and redder) in the flesh

Yannick Sire got his start building muscle cars for the racetrack back before the pro touring craze really got under way. In his younger days, he cut his teeth on the L.A. car scene in a heavily modified 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle while drawing a paycheck from Ted Toki at Westside Performance.

That eventually led to Sire opening his own shop, Sire Custom Performance in Inglewood, CA. It was at this shop that his love of high-revving small blocks met with an imagination too wild to languish in the ever-growing pro touring scene. Sire, having decided that nobody had built anything truly cool in ages, took it upon himself to change that.

Enter the Priapism (yes, it means what you think it does, med students). It’s a home-built twin-engined roadster employing a keep-it-simple philosophy. The interior? No nonsense. Seat, steering wheel, seat belts. That’s it. The engines? Chevrolet 350 small-blocks with hydraulic-roller cams and AFR heads which put down about 900 hp between them. That much power is pulling around a scant 2,307 pounds, even with heavy 20-inch wheels borrowed from a BMW X5.

Power goes to the ground via a Dana 60 rear axle holding 3.54 gears. Keeping the power at bay is a set of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 brakes and Continental 275/35 R20 tires up front and ludicrous 315/35 R20s out back. If you’re a Hot Rod magazine subscriber, you may recognize this car from a feature a couple years back, but this California beast continues to evolve, and the video after the jump is a newly produced (and wholly spectacular) feature. Check it out.

[Sources: Oli + Joe via Vimeo, Hot Rod]

Continue reading Video: Twin small-block V8 Priapism is enviable hedonism

Video: Twin small-block V8 Priapism is enviable hedonism

You may know Mansory more for doing terrible things to supercars like the Bugatti Veyron than for motorcycles, but it turns out their gold plating and leather cladding skills know no bounds. To keep things interesting, Mansory has just rolled out a bespoke motorcycle developed with customizer Thomas M. George, and it actually looks pretty good.

The Mansory Zapico has been swathed generously in carbon fiber, as any custom anything must be these days. From the bug shield to the gas tank to the exhaust silencers, no surface has been left untouched. According to the company, the carbon pieces and the wheels of the bike are all hand built in Mansory’s factory in Bavaria.

While the Zapico plays up the carbon fiber rather than the company’s normal trademark leather work, the seat, while thin, is a one-off leather concoction.

As with any self-respecting chopper, the 124 c.i. V-twin mill comes from famed American engine builder S&S packing 160 horsepower. That’s enough grunt to get the big bike to 60 in 3.3 seconds, despite its 750-pound heft. Check it out in our high-res gallery below and read more about it in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Mansory]

Continue reading Mansory gets into the custom bike game with Zapico

Mansory gets into the custom bike game with Zapico

Motocross, rally and extreme sports superstar Travis Pastrana recently made his NASCAR debut, taking the wheel in Irwindale, California in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series race. In his debut, the fountain-leaping X-Games champ finished a none-too-shabby sixth place overall.

His second race was Thursday, February 24th at Phoenix International Raceway, and this time, however, he didn’t fare so well. Pastrana was running in the top 10 when he crashed his number 99 Toyota Camry, falling back a few positions, but staying in the top 15.

Pastrana then wrecked again with three laps to go, and ended up finishing three laps down in 25th. Pastrana hopes to make his next-level Nationwide Series debut next season, but by the looks of things, he’s much closer to leaping the fountain at Caesar’s Palace than he is to Victory Lane.

[Source: Scene Daily Image: Getty Images for NASCAR]

Travis Pastrana wrecks twice in second NASCAR race

It looks like Bentley isn’t wasting any time when it comes to capitalizing on the company’s latest feat of speed. According to Cars UK, the automaker is planning to roll out 100 special-edition models to commemorate Juha Kankkunen’s recent record-breaking ice-speed run. Officially called the Bentley Continental Supersports Ice-Speed Record Convertible, the special-edition cars will be available with one of three unique paint colors; Beluga, Quartzite and Arctic White. Red detail accents will be found all over the vehicle, and a special dark gray soft top caps off the whole shebang.

Under the hood, buyers won’t be disappointed to find a 6.0-liter W12 engine with a galactic 631 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque on tap. Those numbers are identical to the standard edition, though given that Kankkunen’s record-breaking vehicle was powered by the same lump, we can’t exactly fault Bently for not turning up the heat.

Bentley isn’t saying exactly how much the new special-edition vehicle will set you back, but we do know that the drophead is supposed to show its face at this year’s Geneva Motor Show next month. Expect to hear more then.

[Source: Cars UK]

Report: Bentley Continental Supersports “Ice Speed Record” Convertible coming to Geneva