tucked its amongst a flotilla of pickups at SEMA 2011. The slammed hatch is set to compete in the SCCA B-Spec class with BMX guru Jamie Bestwick behind the wheel. The race-ready was built by SportsCar Magazine and features a stripped-out interior and an Autopower Industries eight-point SCCA roll cage for less weight and greater driver safety. OMP supplied the complete fire suppression system as well as a six-point racing harness and a WRC-style steering wheel.
A Cusco Zero-3 suspension gives the hatch greater grip and Cusco center-lock pillow ball upper mounts provide greater rigidity and less suspension flex than the stock components. Enkei 15-inch wheels shod in Hoosier racing tires help keep the car stuck to the tarmac as well.
SportsCar Magazine gave the Yaris B-Spec Club Racer a little nudge in power as well thanks to an AEM series 2 engine management system, a Beta Motorsports cat-back exhaust and a custom tune by Church automotive testing.
Superminis are big business for European automakers, and Peugeot has just released its latest salvo in the form of its new 208.
Available in both three- and five-door body-styles, the 208 represents a complete overhaul of the French carmaker’s core model. Its wheelbase is the same as the 207 it replaces, but while overall exterior dimensions have shrunken, Peugeot says interior volume has increased.
Meanwhile, weight has decreased, and the new 208 range is motivated by a pair of 1.0- and 1.2-liter gasoline engines with about 75 and 100 horsepower, respectively, designed to replace the 207’s 1.4 and 1.6 models, with a range of five diesel engines paired with stop-start ignition and hybrid assist on most models to return exceptional fuel economy and emissions figures.
The new Pug range is certainly distinctively styled, particularly the three-door shown above, with its sculpted doors and unusual chrome trim flourish at the rear of the windowline (a treatment not shown on the family-oriented five-door). The interior is no less interesting, with on select models and a .
Peugeot is also expected to roll out a 208 GTI based on the three-door that promises to channel much of the beloved 205 GTI hot hatch’s sporting characteristics in the new form. That may still be a year away, but for now, you can check out the standard models in the high-res image gallery and the press release and video .
As fast as tarmac and competing drivers can vanish behind you in Formula One racing, so can the unfortunate events of the past. In some cases, anyway. Flavio Briatore may still be banned from the sport due to his involvement in the Crashgate debacle, but Mike Coughlan is making short business of putting his scandal behind him, and returning to F1 racing in a big way.
As you may recall, Coughlan was a central figure in the Spygate scandal between McLaren and . While waiting for his suspension to expire, he went over to NASCAR and helped Waltrip engineer some new cars. Then when the coast was clear, he with Williams. That resulted in a , but now that that’s all , Williams has confirmed Coughlan as its new technical director – the #2 position in any F1 team.
It’s a move that’s been anticipated by many ever since Coughlan was as chief engineer back in May, around the same time that outgoing technical director Sam Michael left the team. But the announcement – made by company chairman Adam Parr at this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix – is hardly the end of the rumors circulating around Williams.
Back in September we on rumors that Kimi Raikkonen was negotiating a potential return to Formula One with Williams. The 2007 world champion left the series after the 2009 championship when Ferrari wanted to make room for Fernando Alonso. Since then he’s been racing in the World Rally Championship and in NASCAR, biding his time until he could find a top team with a shot at the title with which he could return to the series he once dominated.
Those rumors are now intensifying, suggesting that Kimi could be brought in to replace Rubens Barrichello and partner with the young Pastor Maldonado. If true, they’d ostensibly demonstrate tremendous faith on Raikkonen’s part in a team that was once at the very top and has been clawing its way back up ever since.
When an animal makes its way onto a freeway, the result could be a significant accident with the real possibility for casualties. But while your local Interstate could see speeds of 80 miles per hour, it’s nothing like Formula 1.
During testing at the Indian Grand Prix, a dog with a death wish made its way onto the track. Luckily, the dog was unharmed, and a potentially serious accident was avoided. The incident comes three years after driver Bruno Senna actually hit a dog during a GP2 race in Turkey. Senna reportedly told ESPN that he saw the very same dog around the entrance to the paddock, adding that it was “difficult to believe” that the dog actually made it onto the track.
Officials at the track were quick to respond to the incident by red flagging the session. Senna was quick to point out that while waving the red flag was the right thing to do, the circuit must be more vigilant in keeping animals off the track.
Low volume vehicle manufacturers may soon find it easier to have their products approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Congressman John Campbell (R-Calif.) has introduced the “Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturer’s Act,” which aims to introduce a regulatory system specifically designed for companies that build fewer than 1,000 vehicles per year. Currently, it’s difficult for boutique carmakers to shoulder the burden of safety and emissions evaluations tied to bringing a new vehicle to market. The bill, which has bipartisan support, would make it possible for the Environmental Protection Agency greenlight low-volume cars and trucks that use engines that have already been EPA-certified in other vehicles.
That would allow small carmakers to skip the costly exercise of having their creations subjected to emissions evaluations. The legislation also has provisions for alternative-fuel powerplants, which would theoretically make it easier for green-car startups to take to the roads. The bill is also being advocated by the Specialty Equipment Market Association.
The is 16.5 feet long and tips the scales at 5,300 pounds. Sounds more like a 1960s than an extended-range green machine capable of 32 miles on electric power alone, doesn’t it? Actually, if you ask the Environmental Protection Agency, the Karma is a lot more like a subcompact.
That’s because the Karma features interior volume of less than 100 cubic feet, and Auto Observer reminds us that the EPA classifies vehicles based on cabin volume. This odd determinant of vehicle size means that the , and the are all subcompacts. If that makes no sense to you, you’re not alone. Automakers have long used the overall exterior length to classify vehicle size.
As you can imagine, Fisker isn’t all that thrilled with the EPA’s subcompact label or its methodology for determining fuel economy. The automaker claims that the EPA used a worst-case scenario to come up with , and the company maintains it is certain that the Karma can travel 50 miles without using any gasoline. Overall, the Karma received a rating of due to the fact that it averaged just 20 miles per gallon on gas-only power during EPA testing.
Music, motorsports and well-executed videography are an irresistible cocktail. Just ask The Piano Guys. The group has made a name for itself by composing beautiful classical arrangements and pairing them with well-shot videos, and their latest effort took the group to the Spring Mountain Motorsports track just outside of Las Vegas. With three percussion tracks, six piano tracks, a staggering 43 acoustic cello tracks and 48 vocal tracks, The Piano Guys created a flawless arrangement of Carl Orff’s “O Fortuna Carmina Burana” that plays well against the raucous noise of a couple of Radical SR3 racers screaming their way around the desert track.
According to the YouTube description, The Piano Guys created the arrangement in just three days. Orin Harker and Simon Shepherd were kind enough to lend their behind-the wheel talent for the on-track shots, and the finished product will make your hair stand on end. to enjoy the video for yourself.
General Motors has announced its final factory investment, a $275 million spend on the Fort Wayne, IN, plant that assembles full-size pickups.
Back in May, the General promised it would be spending $2 billion on factory investments over the next year and a half. A series of announcements followed, with upgrades promised to the in Bowling Green, KY, in Flint and Bay City, MI, and a , among others. Most of GM’s money will be saying close to home in the Midwest, with over $1.4 billion spent in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
Today’s announcement follows a previous earmark for production of the next-generation and pickups. GM had already confirmed . Previous reports have indicated that .
Touch – the Euro-spec version of Entune – is gaining one more functionality in the Toyota (not ) : Toyota Touch Life.
The system is the first to use the Car Connectivity Consortium’s (CCC) MirrorLink technology, which can port an exact replica of a connected smartphone’s display to the iQ’s seven-inch touchscreen.
The first platform supported by Toyota Touch Life comes from Nokia – a key partner in the CCC – and its Car Mode app, which can be download from the Nokia Store for devices running Symbian Belle (which, ironically, is about to be phased out in favor of Windows Phone 7).
Apple iPhone users aren’t left out of the mix and will be able to download the Application Launcher app from the App Store, allowing them to access the Garmin StreetPilot app, Stitcher radio and Facebook and Twitter integration through a clean and supposedly distraction-free interface. However, functionality in U.S. models remains an open question, something which should be cleared up in the coming months. Full details in the press blast .
is mulling a range of new engine configurations, according to CAR Magazine, including a new straight six. The news comes courtesy of an unnamed engineer who also said that the German automaker is currently planning a range of smaller-displacement, forced-induction V8 engines, as well as a larger selection of four-cylinder options.
The company’s larger vehicles will subsist on straight-six power moving forward, if the report turns out to be accurate. Buyers will conceivably be able to choose between single- and twin-turbocharged configurations depending on their power demands.
The report doesn’t mention exactly when we can expect to see these new engines in production vehicles, and with no specifics on application, displacement, fuel economy or horsepower, we have to imagine that the program is in its infancy at this point.
Back in 1999, settled on the location for a new factory in Leipzig, Germany. It opened its doors in 2002 with production of the , and further expanded in 2009 to gear up for the . As of November, 2011, the assembly plant has built some 420,000 vehicles, but that’s just the start as Porsche further expands the facility to make way for the new Cajun.
With the laying of the corner stone, the expansion plan will create 1,000 new jobs, encompass 500 million euros (~$700m) in investment and take up another 17 hectares (42 acres) of real estate.
The expansion is earmarked to be finished by the end of 2013 when the tentatively-named Cajun – a baby brother for the Cayenne SUV – will begin production. Details in the press release .
Nebraska’s , an art installation built in 1987 by Jim Reinders, is up for sale. A 38-car tribute to the druid monument in England, Reinders built the automotive megalith on a farm once owned by his father on the outskirts of Alliance, Nebraska.
Not to be confused with the Ranch in Texas, the site is owned and operated by the non-profit group, Friends of Carhenge, and it attracts some 80,000 visitors a year. Trouble is, the site doesn’t charge admission and Friends of Carhenge is in debt, having taken out loans to maintain the structure.
The organization hopes to find a buyer who can fund amenities like a campground and go kart track on the property, which would give visitors reason to pay admission. Check out the website for additional information.
These men are, or at least were until recently, Libyan rebels in battle against the dwindling forces of the now-deceased Muammar Gaddafi. And the red, black and green lump they’re standing in front of was once a bulldozer.
It was transformed in the city of Misrata from a plain old earth-mover into a battlewagon: steel-plates sandwich reinforced with concrete. The only views outside were through portholes just big enough for gun barrels and RPGs.
It was built to take Tripoli but wasn’t called into action, instead being trekked to Sirte to defend against snipers and push through barricades. Obviously, it didn’t fail. There’s a vid of the concrete leviathan .
This year marks the fifth anniversary of Classic, the official U.S. restoration arm of the Stuttgart firm. Although it sits on an easy-to-miss corner of yet another ochre-hued industrial complex in Irvine, California, what is inside is anything but common
The technicians who refurbish Benz history believe it is their job to make everyone else believe that no such job has been done. Mercedes Classic isn’t where old is made new, but where old is made as-new. And that means that, yes, they will turn down certain requests that go too much against the grain of the brand. You can get a brief look at the men and their machines in the video , and if you’re a fan of the Silver Arrow, then a trip to the Classic Center is highly recommended.
There are many things to love about the Rennsport Reunion. Stacks of beautiful metal, the chance to meet racing legends face to face and the sound of historic race cars barking at the paddock walls all make for an experience unlike any other. But for us, the best part is watching those vintage racers take to a track like Laguna Seca in anger. This year, Mark Hotchkis hopped behind the wheel of the Hotchkis Porsche 962 for a few quick laps on the renowned road circuit . He wasn’t there for a leisurely Sunday drive.
Hotchkis wasted no time slicing through traffic and generally consuming tarmac like only a properly-wielded 962 can. The Replay XD guys were kind enough to strap a few dozen cameras to the car to give us an idea of the action from every angle, and the result is pretty entertaining way to blow four minutes and change. to check it out for yourself.
Automotive News reports that domestic automakers are gaining market share thanks in part to the weak dollar. Import vehicles are currently selling at the highest price premium in 12 years compared to their domestic counterparts.
Whereas imports sold for an average of $31,636 in August, domestic vehicles left the lot for an average of $23,922. That’s a difference of over $7,000, and the largest gap since 1999. That fact has helped , and General Motors pick up some market share. In addition, the earthquake and tsunami activity in Japan earlier this year resulted in tight supply of some Japanese vehicles, further pushing buyers into the waiting arms of domestic automakers.
The report says that total domestic light-vehicle deliveries increased by 10 percent from this time last year. That pushed GM to gain a full point of market share and Ford to pull an extra tenth of a percentage point.
Special orders departments are nothing new for upscale automakers. These specialized divisions allow carmakers to offer their customers a level of personalization over and above the usual catalog of colors and options. But what is doing with the new Works Tailored department goes one step further. Or should we say, one big step backwards into the company’s history.
With the new Works Tailored department, Aston Martin will give the owners of its vehicles – whether factory fresh, slightly used or veritable classic – the opportunity to have specialized work performed, including unique colors, materials and finishes, on any Aston no matter how old or new.
It’s part of an extensive expansion plan at Newport Pagnell – the historic home of Aston Martin that, until the 2007 move to Gaydon, was the company’s principal factory, and is now home to its Works Service department that has offered factory-level service to Aston owners since 1924. The plans also include a factory dealership to sell Astons old and new direct from the manufacturer. for further details.
We’re beginning to think Australia is the Promised Land. The wayward continent embraces all things motorized in a way that never fails to make us smile. Lately, we’ve become aware of the growing number of vastly talented motorcycle builders coming from that corner of the globe, including Matt Machine.
Machine is responsible for a volley of well-executed bikes, including a Mark 1 Le Mans that will stop your heart and start it back up again if you look at it for too long. A few video-oriented friends recently swung by the Machine farm for a few days to work up a quick flick on the man’s inner workings as well as his creations. The result is fantastic.
The video after the jump is a well-shot ode to hand-crafting works of two-wheeled obsession. As Machine says, “It’s about me learning how to use my hands and use tools and use my brain to build things from scratch.”
Yikes. The EPA has released its official fuel economy rating for the , and it’s not high: just 52 MPGe, an all-electric range of 32 miles and 20 miles per gallon on gasoline when the battery runs dry. This is well below : 67.2 mpge and .
American conservatives – who for – are already calling the Karma’s numbers a “.” It’s kind of hard to say if that’s the right word to use since luxury car buyers probably won’t be turned off by these figures – 20 mpg is nothing surprising for the class – but we agree that the PHEV needed to be more efficient when running on gasoline to truly impress us on the green front. At least a 32-mile electric range isn’t all that shabby, and company CEO and co-founder Henrik Fisker said he still thinks most drivers will beat the EPA estimate and be able to wring 50 electric miles out of their $95,900-plus cars.
Whatever they are, the numbers do contain some good news for . With EPA certification now in the bag, sales can officialy begin. Fisker said the first sales marked a “major milestone” and that his company “can deliver many more of these truly amazing automobiles to customers during the remainder of 2011 and for many years to come.” The first 39 Karmas should be rolling out “now-ish” to dealers for use at demonstration vehicles and the first customer vehicles should arrive from Finland in about two weeks.
gets EPA certified: 52 mpge, 32-mile electric range, 20 mpg on gas
Designers tend to be forward-thinking people, and Brooks Stevens was one of the most clever, visionary car designers ever. In December 1942, Stevens imagined for magazine what the consumer auto market might evolve into after World War II.
The wartime focus was on sacrifice to feed the hungry furnaces of industry churning out tanks, armaments, ships, and aircraft, and that likely colored Stevens’ opinion that Americans were going to lean toward smaller, more efficient vehicles. The explosion of ever more gaudy designs throughout the 1950s was likely a result of the austerity required to stamp out fascism. Stevens did understand the civilian appeal of the , and rightly suggested that it would make the transition to desirable consumer vehicle.
The Corvair was perhaps the ultimate expression of the auto ideals of the 1930s with its rear-mounted air-cooled engine, and it’s just the type of car that Mr. Stevens thought would take hold in America. Perhaps he was surprised at how reality received the kind of family car he considered in the 1940s. While he may have missed the mark on the Corvair, misjudging the effect of heart-versus-head when consumers consider cars, Stevens was accurate suggesting the proliferation of wraparound glass, bodies without separate fenders and even the way the eventual re-starting of production would ultimately happen, with carryover designs being the first cars to go on sale after wartime production finished.
There’s more, of course, like some soothsaying about plastics in automotive use, and it’s a fascinating signpost in automotive history. It’s tough to read what Brooks Stevens thought about the eventual cars of the 1950s and not try to imagine what he might say about the actual automobiles of the 21st century.
