Automobile Magazine scribe Jason Cammisa was sent into the desert to referee four carbon-fiber-bodied wild animals fighting it out over the quarter mile: the V8 McLaren MP4-12C, the V10 , the V12 and the W16 . It’s a tough job, innit?
The Head 2 Head race was run elimination style, with the winner of each two-up challenge facing the next devil up the totem pole. Although you might not have any doubts about the eventual victor, how each of these supercars fared is good watching. See all the screaming for yourself in the video .
, McLaren MP4-12C and Lambo Aventador in 1/4-mile shootout… who wins?
It looks as if General Motors may be considering a version of the Buick Encore. L’Automobile Magazine managed to source a few patent drawings depicting the vehicle with a Chevrolet face. If our Google translator and murky comprehension of the French language are to be trusted, the images originated in the European patent office. All told, the model is likely to be a little more than a foot shorter than the current but still offer buyers the option of all-wheel drive.
So, is this vehicle headed to the U.S.? It’s entirely possible. While GM already has a platform heavy with crossover vehicles, the truth is the company could use a smaller model to compete with the likes of the , and .
Odds are the smaller Chevrolet CUV would be targeted at European and Asian markets, including China, though there’s a chance the vehicle could also show up as a Canadian-spec model. L’Automobile seems to also suggest the baby hatch could also play a role in the new partnership between Citroen and GM.
may be out to improve the fuel economy of its powertrains by throwing extra gears into the transmission. Automobile Magazine reports the Japanese automaker is currently working to use a new nine-speed gearbox developed by ZF in its products as soon as 2014. If you’re keeping track, this is the same transmission set to debut in a host of products, including the replacement for the .
Despite the additional gears, ZF says the transmission is surprisingly compact, thanks in part to the fact that it uses planetary gears in place of a traditional design. Called the 9HP, the German transmission can be used in either front- or all-wheel drive applications and handle up to 354 pound-feet of torque.
All told, ZF claims the 9HP can improve a vehicle’s fuel economy as much as 10 to 16 percent. Given the torque capacities and relatively small size, the transmission could show up in nearly everything Honda makes, but odds are the company will debut the gearbox in models like the and as well as the and .
It seems we at Autoblog are not the only group of enthusiasts who are ready to announce to the whole world their for the . The men and women from Automobile Magazine have named Audi’s coupe-like five-door hatchback as their 2012 Automobile of the Year. There’s a whole article worth of reasons why the A7 has won the coveted trophy, so if you’re interested, we suggest to read all about it yourself.
In related news, Peter Schreyer, chief design officer for , has garnered the magazine’s for the contributions he’s made to the Korean company’s overall design aesthetic. We wholeheartedly support that notion. laurels go to the “Turbo Tech Trifecta,” that being Automobile-speak for turbocharging, direct injection and variable valve timing. Finally, the has been awarded to the . We’re betting that last decision will be the most controversial.
Got an opinion? Feel free to voice your own choices for Automobile, Man, Technology and Design of the Year in Comments.
trekked to the headquarters of Automobile Magazine in order to show off the . John and Doug arrive in the office of editor Jean Jennings, and things don’t exactly get off on the right foot.
After their initial introductions, Doug and John discuss the 2012 Ford Focus in front of the magazine staff. A boring PowerPoint presentation leads to some track time with the car, and it’s all captured in five short videos.
Mosler MT900 GTR XX – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ever since Steven Spielberg brought the fiercest of dinosaurs to the silver screen in Jurassic Park, the name Raptor has come to symbolize the most ferocious of creations, from fighter jets and birds of prey to , and even an NBA basketball team. That last example might not exactly live up to the name, but the next supercar from Mosler looks like it very much will.
The niche automaking Floridian known for its racing cars detuned for road use is reportedly working on a new model that will pack a 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 650 horsepower, but less than 2,000 lbs to schlepp around. That stratospheric power-to-weight ratio promises blistering performance, particularly when you consider that its previous creations, like the MT900 GTR XX pictured above or the 550-hp Photon just tested by Automobile Magazine – are already faster than most everything else on the road. Couple that with fresh styling to upgrade on the existing model’s dated curves and Mosler (and its clients) could have a real winner on their hands.
1969 Ferrari 365 GT Speciale – Click above for image gallery
If one name is synonymous with in North America, it’s surely Luigi Chinetti. The Italian-American was Maranello’s first importer and dealer in the United States, and was also the founder of the North American Racing Team (NART) that campaigned Prancing Horses on American circuits. And in case that wasn’t enough to prove his credentials, he also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans no less than three times.
Chinetti’s considerable influence with Ferrari also led to a handful of road cars built to his specifications. The convertible version of the iconic 275 GTB/4, for example, was known as the NART Spyder. Chinetti also had a pair of these 365 GT Speciales built to his specifications by of Modena, and one of them is now up for sale out of Seattle.
Given the 80s styling, we’d venture that the conversion was undertaken years after the vehicle’s production. And while its coachwork may be divisive, it is consistent: one look at the NART’s later 512 BB LM and you’ll immediately see the family resemblance. Based on the 365 GT 2+2 (not to be confused with the Daytona that replaced it), it packs a 4.4-liter triple-carb V12 and independent suspension.
According to the seller, this unique example (chassis 12611 in red over black, as opposed to the second example in black over cream) was featured on the cover of the April 1989 issue of Automobile Magazine. Ferrari of Seattle is , which may seem like a big chunk of change, but for such a rare example of American Ferrari history – one which sold for $314k in Tokyo way back in 1991 – this could worth it.
Former executive editor and veteran automotive journalist Mark Gillies has signed on with the PR machine as product and technology communications manager. Gillies spent 28 years making the rounds among automotive publications, working as an editor at David E. Davis, Jr.’s , and churning out copy for England’s CAR and Autocar. Gillies also spent time hunting down stories for AutoWeek and Classic & Sportscar.
Inhis new role at Volkswagen, the former scoop will report to Scott Vazin, the company’s newly-hired vice president for public relations formerly from .As a former journo, Gillies will be shouldered with helping to promote new VW products and technologies.
Gillies’ new boss has been working in the automotive PR business for more than 20 years, getting his start at Mitsubishi in 1990. From there, he moved on to a job at Nissan, finishing his time there as general manager of Corporate and Public Communications in Europe.
Vazin starts his new job on April 18, followed by Gillies on May 1.
David E. Davis, Jr. has died at age 80. The longtime Car and Driver editor, Automobile Magazine founder and man with his fingerprints all over this great business of ours passed away unexpectedly after complications from bladder surgery at 5:15pm Eastern on Sunday. A hugely witty man with a talent for honing a magazine’s voice and recognizing and refining talent in those around him, Davis stands among the founding fathers of modern automotive journalism.
In recent years, Davis had returned to C/D as a columnist after helping to get pioneering digital auto magazine, , off the ground. He has held sway over nearly every great print title in the American auto journalism world at one point or another, including Road & Track and Motor Trend, and earlier in his professional life, he cultivated a distinguished career in the automotive ad business, where he was instrumental in the creation of ‘ seminal “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and ” campaign, among others.
As an editor, publisher, ad man, racer, mentor and raconteur extraordinaire, Davis leaves an indelible mark on the industry. As a family man, he leaves behind his beloved wife, Jeannie, a daughter and two sons, including our own European Editor, Matt Davis.
Ever eloquent, where others might simply inquire “How are you?”, Davis was known for asking colleagues and friends “Is your life a rich tapestry?” Davis’ own life was certainly a vibrant and detailed work of art. Everyone in auto world owes this icon a debt of gratitude… and some of us even owe him our careers.
David E. Davis, Jr., has died at age 80. The longtime Car and Driver editor, Automobile Magazine founder and man with his fingerprints all over this great business of ours passed away unexpectedly after complications from bladder surgery at 5:15pm Eastern on Sunday. A hugely witty man with a talent for honing a magazine’s voice and recognizing and honing talent in those around him, Davis stands among the founding fathers of modern automotive journalism.
In recent years, Davis had returned to C/D as a columnist after helping to get pioneering digital auto magazine, , off the ground. He has held sway over nearly every great print title in the American auto journalism world at one point or another, including Road & Track and Motor Trend, and earlier in his professional life, he cultivated a distinguished career in the automotive ad business, where he was instrumental in the creation of ‘ seminal “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and ” campaign, among others.
As an editor, publisher, ad man, racer, mentor and raconteur extraordinaire, Davis leaves an indelible mark on the industry. As a family man, he leaves behind his beloved wife, Jeannie, a daughter and two sons, including our own European Editor, Matt Davis.
Ever eloquent, where others might simply inquire “How are you?”, Davis was known for asking colleagues and friends “Is your life a rich tapestry?” Davis’ own life was certainly a vibrant and detailed work of art. Everyone in auto world owes this icon a debt of gratitude… and some of us even owe him our careers.
The Pinewood Derby is a right of passage and an American institution. First run in 1953 in Manhattan Beach, California, the Pinewood Derby can help ignite fiery automotive passion in young men across the country. Automobile’s Joe Loriorecently put together a derby project car with his son and the results are impressive. The car they chose to model their own after? The presidential limousine.
After a three-year losing streak, the Lorios aimed not for first place, but rather the prizes awarded for creativity. Not only did they successfully recreate the limousine, they added sound by ripping the noise-making components out of an audio greeting card and sticking them to the bottom of the pinewood limo.
Joe and his son managed to eke out third-place finishes in each of their races with the limousine. Bigger victories, however, came in the form of the Most Original and People’s Choice awards they received for their efforts. .
1987 Lamborghini Countach – Click above for video .
Cars have come a long way since 1987, when 60 Minutes sent its dour, gray-suit-clad crew from New York to Italy to have an extended look at the Countach. If nothing else, we’ve become jaded to how much car the Countach actually was, distracted by the fact that its brakes could have been sharper, its road manners more civil and its huge V12 less temperamental.
Yes, this video has made the rounds in years past, but it’s time to revisit it again. We love that Morely Safer gets squired around by a young-looking Valentino Balboni, who takes him to 180 mph on Italian public roads around Sant’Agata. We love that David E. Davis, Jr., then of Automobile Magazine fame, still looks much the same as he does today, waxed mustache and all. The video is strictly non-P.C., and that’s what makes it so good.
From Lamborghini factory drivers terrorizing public roads (they didn’t even have a test track), to its head of marketing breathlessly comparing the Countach to a “beautiful virgin,” the 60 Minutesfeature reminds us what Lamborghini should be. If, like some of us, you remember watching this the night it originally aired, will make for a welcome trip back in time.
The finalists for this year’s North American Car and Truck of the Year awards may have been no big surprise, but the vehicle that our readers chose from the car finalists came as a bit of a shock.
The NACATOY judges picked the , and as their three finalists in the car category. While the Leaf saw a little bit of love with 2,820 votes in our unofficial poll and in , the final tally came down to bare-knuckles fight between the Volt and the 2011 Sonata. Surprisingly enough, eked out the lead with 8,058 ballots cast its way. That marks 42.7 percent of the total votes cast – besting the Volt’s 7,985 votes with 42.3 percent of the total.
That’s not a huge margin of victory by any means (a statistical dead heat, as they say), but considering that the Volt has whirred away with honors like the , Automobile Magazine’s and Motor Trend’s awards, we fully expected the Bow Tie to handily walk away with our impromptu poll.
We were pretty smitten with both the 2.0T and the hybrid variants of the Sonata when we hopped behind the wheel earlier this year, and buyers were no less taken with the base model. The 2011 Sonata has had a big year in terms of sales, knocking out by early December.
Meanwhile, the handily beat out the and in our North American Truck of the Year poll. You can check out the results from both surveys .
Automobile has compiled a list of the 2011 model year vehicles deserving of all-star recognition. To show off each choice, the buff book has enlisted illustrator . The list of 2011 Automobile All-Stars features:
/
It’s hard to argue with that rundown and you can head over to to be honored.
2011 Buick Regal – Click above for high-res image gallery
NADAguides has officially picked its Car of the Year for 2011, and the choice may surprise you. While the , and have been big media mongers this year, NADAguides shunned those stars in favor of the . According to , the newest Tri-Shield beat out 10 other would-be winners on the basis of fuel economy, price and performance, among other attributes. This isn’t the first time that the 2011 Regal has gotten a nod from NADAguides, though. The sedan also won a Car of the Month award from the organization back in September.
General Motors has been raking in the trophies this year, with the picking up Car of the Year wins from both and , as well as being named today at the 2010 LA Auto Show. The good press is likely music to the company’s ears as its . for the full press blast.
2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
As much as we’d like to say that we didn’t see this one coming… well, we did. But, despite the fact that it would seem to be the obvious choice to take home the Automobile MagazineAutomobile of the Year award, the voting crew claims that it “wasn’t a shoo-in.”
In fact, claims Automobile, “the endured more scrutiny and skepticism than any of the nine other semifinalists.” We don’t doubt it, either. There’s no denying that the Volt has and will continue to receive more close scrutiny than just about any other vehicle that will be introduced this year or any other, and the voters are well aware of this fact. In other words, if the Volt wins a bunch of awards and turns into a major flop, the award-givers will have …
Fortunately, it seems that the Chevy Volt is mostly worthy of the admiration it is receiving from the automotive press (the Volt was ). Automobile Magazine calls the Volt a “game changer,” and, with its innovative powertrain that should allow a large number of owners to drive almost completely without the use of gasoline, it’s hard to argue with that assessment.
for a video of Automobile’s Editor-in-Chief, Jean Jennings, explain why the Chevy Volt is a worthy recipient of Automobile of the Year. When you’re finished, feel free to for a massive 10-page missive on the same topic.
Have you prepared your Car of the Year bingo board? The end of 2010 is upon us and this means two things: 1) We are a step closer to fulfilling the Mayan’s end of the world prophecy, and 2) Automotive publications, both in print and online, are beginning to share their “Best of” vehicle picks.
Automobile Magazine has just announced finalists for its own 2011 Automobile of the Year award. Grab your markers, check your cards and see if you have any of the following vehicles in play:
Coupe/Wagon
Taking a , Automobile will be announcing its winner by means of its Facebook page. The lucky vehicle will be announced November 16th at noon EST, but in the meantime, you can read why each vehicle made the cut in the press release .
2010 BMW 335i Sedan – Click above for high-res image gallery
has always had a gem of an inline-six on its hands, regardless of which particular powerplant you’re referring to. But over the last couple of years, it’s the German automaker’s turbocharged 3.0-liter N54 engines that have been lighting enthusiasts hearts afire, and steering more than a few buyers away from the and into the seat of a . And when the N54 proliferated across the rest of the automaker’s lineup, it was well-received in nearly every application.
For 2011, though, there’s a new engine in town, and the big question is whether or not the single-turbo N55 is better than the or, at the very least, not worse. Helping shed some light on the matter is the crew from Automobile Magazine, who managed to snag a trio of various N54-powered 3-Series’ – one of which was the , which uses a high-output version of the old N54 – along with one new model powered by an N55.
And the results? Well, it’s pretty much more of the same: good peak horsepower (266 horses) and a nicely flat mid-heavy torque curve, cresting at a stout 302 pound-feet. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that the new N55, while seemingly offering than its predecessor, appears to be a wee bit less powerful overall than the N54. Progress?
DTC Convertible Cadillac CTS – Click above for image gallery
The shop behind the beautiful convertible that stole the spotlight at last year’s SEMA show is at it again. Drop Top Customs has announced that it will set about creating a topless version of the ever-sexy for this year’s aftermarket shindig. We’re not entirely sold on the thought of hacking the razor-sharp roof line from the coupe and replacing it with a folding soft top, but we’ll reserve judgment until after we see the final product in the flesh, er, sheetmetal.
DTC has been cranking out convertible versions of production hardtops for around 30 years, so the company knows what it’s doing when it sets to taking the plasma cutter to an otherwise unsullied vehicle. Last year, that infamous convertible Challenger actually walked away from SEMA with a design award from itself, so chances are the new drophead CTS will have the fit and finish of a factory effort. Still, we’ve got to wonder just how many people are clamoring for a convertible Caddy these days. After all, there didn’t seem to be much pent-up demand for the …
As a general rule, the things that us car journalists typically enjoy – things like manual transmissions, no-frills interiors and wagon variants – don’t necessarily sell well. The same can be said for expensive non-powertrain performance options, which is why we were surprised to learn that the Brembo brake package for the has been selling quite well.
According to Automobile Magazine, says that the take rate for the option has “exceeded our expectations” and sales are “running substantially above last year’s Track Pack.” Perhaps we should give Mustang buyers, ostensibly only interested with drag racing, more credit than we initially thought.
Priced at $1,695, the Brembo brake package includes a set of 14-inch front discs with four-piston calipers, rear 11.8-inch discs with four-piston calipers, special 19-inch wheels, summer performance tires, and unique tuning for the suspension, stability control and steering.
Part of the reason for the high take rate might be that choosing the option is actually much cheaper than buying the same parts in the aftermarket. The 14-inch brake kit in the Ford Racing parts catalog will run you $1,489, which doesn’t include the rear brake upgrade, and you still have to buy new wheels and tires. For aftermarket-obsessed Mustang owners, checking the option box to get it straight from the factory just makes more sense.
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Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
David E. Davis, Jr. has died at age 80. The longtime 
David E. Davis, Jr., has died at age 80. The longtime 
