If the idea of building a four-seat hard-top convertible supercar in Holland strikes you as off-the-wall, then its racing counterpart should blow your mind. We’re talking about Savage Rivale, the markers of the Roadyacht GTS and the model it just unveiled at the Top Marques show in Monaco.
Packing upwards of 700 horsepower from a turbocharged 6.2-liter V8, the Savage Rivale GTR is said to be good for 2.8-second sprint to 62 miles per hour and a 360-km/h (234-mph) top speed. With those capabilities, the race-ready Savage is earmarked to tackle the Nürburgring Norschleife lap record for four-door automobiles, a distinction which (to the best of our understanding, anyway) currently belongs to a driven by rally ace Tommi Mäkinen for Car and Driver in 2010 to a 7:55 lap time, edging out Pikes Peak legend Walter Röhrl in the at 7:56 the previous year.
Only 69 examples are slated for production. We’re still waiting on final specifications to be released, but in the meantime you can check out the gallery of high-resolution images from its unveiling in Monte Carlo in the gallery above.
The folks over at Saabs United have been a fixture on the Swedish automobile scene for some time now, cementing themselves as the hub for all manner of news and gossip as the fight to keep the brand alive has ebbed and flowed over the past couple of years. So significant was SU’s bond with the automaker that its principle, Steven Wade, had the ear of buyer Victor Muller throughout the General Motors extrication process, and eventually Wade , leaving others to run the website.
With Saab having slipped into bankruptcy and the company’s Trollhättan plant idled, Saabs United now finds itself at the center of a new fight – an effort to preserve the final – possibly the final Saab ever. An Arctic White Griffin sedan, the 9-3 exists in a state of partial build but is scheduled for final assembly at the end of this month. The car is part of a special batch of about 50 partially finished cars and a cache of spares that Trollhättan dealership group ANA , and it will be for sale. Saabs United has taken it upon itself to rally the faithful in an attempt to purchase the car for donation to the Saab Cars Museum, which was itself .
It seems only fitting that the 9-3 Griffin would join other final examples of various models in Saab’s history at the Museum, but even then, the car’s fate might not be entirely secure. According to SU, “A number of cars at the museum from the history of Saab that was written in the last two years are NOT secured. They are either borrowed to the museum or are still missing.”
As of this writing, the funding effort is well on its way, with Saabs United faithful and various clubs and investors having raised over 15,000 Euros (around $19,750 USD), with a goal of 28,500 Euros ($37,500) within the next 18 days. If the total amount needed is not reached, fundraiser proceeds will still go to the Saab museum, and if extra money is raised, it’ll be donated, too. If you’re interested in learning more or making a donation, .
Yellow cabs are synonymous with New York. It doesn’t matter if it’s an old Ford Crown Victoria, an even older Checker Cab or the new Nissan NV200: paint it that deep yellow and put a dome light on it, and you’re looking at a New York taxicab. But the Big Apple is about to get a new type of taxi, painted a different color altogether.
We’re talking about the new Boro Taxi which the city’s Taxi & Limousine Commission has just launched. Targeted at New York’s outer boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island (as well as Northern Manhattan) – the Boro Taxis can take just about any vehicle you’d expect to see in yellow (including the NV200), painted a bright shade of “apple green” (that looks like matte lime to our eyes) and put them on the streets of the outer boroughs exclusively where it’s notoriously difficult to hail a cab.
The color was apparently chosen to stand out from existing vehicles on New York City roads, including private automobiles (because who would paint their own car that color?), police and emergency vehicles and traditional yellow cabs. The first 6,000 of the 18,000 permits will be issued by the commission starting in June. So the next time you’re looking to hail a ride in New York anywhere but Manhattan, look for this shade of green and raise your hand.
Say what you will about The Monkees, but the guys in the band had great taste in automobiles. Take the Monkeemobile, for example. Built off a 1967 Pontiac GTO Convertible, the custom featured genuinely interesting bodywork and some wild engine bolt-ons. If you’re a fan of 1960s pop and yearn to relive the genre’s glory days, eBay Motors may have what you need. A recreation of the 1967 Monkeemobile has showed up for auction. This particular replica was built by Dakota County Customs using an four-speed GTO, just like the original.
Built for the band’s 45th anniversary and the final Monkees tour last year, this Monkeemobile is faithful down to every last detail. Unfortunately, the trumpet exhaust poking out of the front fender wells and the massive gold-flake blower are for show only. Seems fitting.
If you like what you see, this machine is up for bid in Richfield, Minnesota with two days left on the auctions. So far, bidding as whipped up to $60,000 with the reserve not met. Head over to to have a look.
Watching television news can be depressing. Between the political rancor of election season and the “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality of most news directors, positive stories are scarce. But here’s one that should make any lover of fine automobiles pleased.
The story, as reported by CBS This Morning, starts when the owner of a Los Angeles-based rental car company that specializes in exotics and luxury cars noticed that one of his vehicles was uncharacteristically sitting still for a few days after being rented. The $2,000-per-day 2010 was equipped with a GPS tracking system, and the Italian Stallion’s lack of use made Eric Blumberg suspicious. So he notified the police, who eventually found the car – in Hong Kong. It had been shipped through the Port of Los Angeles, labeled as “used fitness equipment,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
It seems that the would-be joyrider who had “rented” the was part of an international crime syndicate worthy of a screenplay, according to the CBS report. When the police investigated further, they found between 15 and 20 other vehicles that were being loaded into shipping containers and exported to Asia, a total of $1.5 million worth of four-wheeled loot.
The investigators told CBS that the vehicles can command up to twice their value overseas. While no arrests have yet been made in the case, at least these cars now have a chance of being returned to their rightful owners.
Why The World’s Top Automakers Are Flocking To Beijing
Beijing’s government has had to resort to a registration lottery to hold down its growth.
Skip a couple years in , as I had, and you’re not likely to recognize it when you return, especially the capital city of Beijing. Peering out from my hotel, through the ever-present smog, new high-rises have transformed the landscape and even on the Sunday afternoon I arrived I could see and hear the construction crews at work across the city.
My first trip to China came shortly after opened its first joint venture assembly plant a dozen years ago. Back then, Beijing was a city of countless hutongs, the narrow alleys and neighborhoods where most residents once lived. Today, most of those traditional communities are gone, the few remaining ones hidden behind modern skyscrapers.
Those old streets never could have handled today’s traffic. Not that the grand new boulevards and highways are coping much better. You can still find the odd rickshaw in tourist neighborhoods. And motorcycles and electric scooters are everywhere. But today, the automobile is king, and traffic is so thick the local government has had to resort to a registration lottery to hold down its growth.
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
The upper end of the Chinese market is all about chauffeured luxury automobiles, and given the prevalent Anglophilia in the Far East, would be remised not to jump at the opportunity being seized by so many of its competitors. So it is only fitting that the stoic British marque chose the to announce what is billed in every sense as the Ultimate version of the sedan.
One of two products launched in Beijing by the new Engineered To Order division of Jaguar (alongside the ), the XJ Ultimate packs everything a pampered passenger could desire: individually adjustable rear seats with power everything (separated by an illuminated and leather-trimmed center console), motorized fold-down tables, chilled champagne bucket and flutes, iPads with keyboards mounted to the backs of the front seats and a 20-speaker Meridian sound system. Exclusive finishes like Herringbone veneer, machined aluminum and LED lighting round out the package.
All that gear is set in motion by Jaguar’s 510-horsepower supercharged V8, riding on an adjusted suspension and 20-inch wheels. While the Chinese market may be the target for luxed-out limos like this one, the XJ Ultimate isn’t exclusive to China. In fact 30 examples (all in black) are earmarked for the United States, with price tags pegged at $155,000. for the pair of press releases on the XJ Ultimate and the Engineered To Order department.
Okay, so maybe this isn’t much in the way of confirmation, but M division president Friedrich Nitschke told Car and Driver that the company was “considering” building an M Performance version of the . While that’s not quite an M7, it’s close.
Remember, that BMW has created to offer a higher performance version of its vehicles to slot between the standard models and the full-blown M cars. M Performance will also allow BMW to create performance diesel and all-wheel-drive models without sullying the M badge.
Of course, enthusiasts looking for a full-size BMW performance sedan can already have an like the one pictured above, but there’s something alluring about a real M-badged 7-Series. Given that BMW has already , it only seems fair that the 7-Series gets some love too, even if it’s just in M Performance form.
Nitschke’s interview revealed a few more interesting details about BMW’s product plans, namely that turbocharged engines are here to stay. He said BMW has no plans to use superchargers for its M products, and it sounds like naturally aspirated M engines are a thing of the past as well. Manual transmissions will continue to be offered, as according to Nitschke, new models will be equipped with transmissions that use software and electronics to “protect” the tranny from mismatched shifts. We won’t be seeing a hatchback M135i here in the U.S., however, nor are any of the diesel M Performance models headed towards our shores.
When it comes to German luxury vehicles, it’s always the same old story: and duking it out for first place, with gaining ground while locking down third. So why should it be any different when it comes to naming conventions? BMW has clearly taken the lead for which car brand can have the most confusing and illogical alphanumeric badging, and thus, Mercedes is readying a new naming regimen of its own.
According to a report in Automobile, Benz will be completely overhauling the familiar “-Class” designations to make them more logical. To Germans. Who are engineers. How will this shake out? We’ve read the article three times and can’t make much sense of it, but Automobile indicates that we should expect SUV’s and crossovers to continue using the G prefix, while coupes and convertibles will use the C prefix, and the prefix will be reserved for sports cars. After that, well, we give up.
Supposedly a third letter of the name will designate the model range, meaning that the front-drive, four-door coupe based on the A- and B-Class architecture won’t be called CLC, but . And the forthcoming will be unveiled as the GLA. The GLK will probably get renamed GLC, according to the magazine, and now we’ve entered the rabbit hole, because as Automobile writes:
But what of the rumored A-Class based coupe and cabriolet models? CLA comes to mind, but this name is already spoken for. Would it make more sense if the CLC-turned-CLA is renamed once again to become the CLB, since its MFA platform is also shared with the B-Class? If so, Benz has to move quickly, as at the .
Then there’s the problem with the . It won’t be receiving a new name, according to the report, which means the forthcoming two-door version of the can’t be called CLS. And the won’t get any of the extra letters, retaining its single-letter name.
So there you have it. If Automobile is correct, Mercedes’ new naming scheme will take something that was confusing and illogical and make sure it’s still confusing and illogical, but unfamiliar as well.
Victor Muller’s on-again, off-again love affair with Spyker seems to be back on track. During the executive’s fling with , Spyker was up for sale to the highest bidder. No one stepped forward to take the exotic Dutch luxury manufacturer off of Muller’s hands, which has apparently turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Now that Saab has collapsed into bankruptcy, Muller has renamed Swedish Automobile Spyker once again. With the goal of running an international car company all but faded, Muller is expected to return his attention to building up Spyker.
According to reports, the executive aims to push Spyker to produce 1,000 units a year and introduce a handful of new models. Those include the seen above, a model first unveiled in 2006. Of course, that plan hinges on securing investors for the company. Spyker needs around $32 million to get production up and running again, and Muller is currently courting a number of potential funding sources.
Not surprisingly, investors are a bit skittish after the executive’s failed attempts at both Formula One and Saab.
Some automakers roll out a new model and that’s pretty much it, while for others, a new model’s introduction is just the starting point. most definitely falls in the latter category. When a new rolls out, for example, you can bet there will be a dozen or more versions to follow. A new ? Slap a roof on it and in another year or so you’ve got a new . So it only stands to reason that the German automaker would do the same with its more family-oriented offerings, the and .
Automobile magazine’s European bureau reports that, when Porsche rolls out a restyled Panamera next year, the four-door model will yield the variants that the current model does not. That will likely include a long-wheelbase model for the Chinese market, as well as a potential shooting brake and a possible four-seat cabriolet.
A slant-back version of the Cayenne is also said to be in the works to take on the , with a new Cayman to put a roof over the new Boxster’s head later this year and a generous array of 911 variants to come out year after year. Couple all those spin-offs with the new crossover, the Pajun (baby Panamera) and a pair of new supercars (918 and 960) to slot in above the 911 range and they’re suddenly looking very busy at Zuffenhausen over the next few years.
At present, has the capacity, through its joint venture Changan Ford Automobile, to build about 600,000 vehicles per year in . That’s not enough to sustain the brand’s , so it makes sense that the automaker has officially announced plans to build a new facility in Hangzhou.
This $760 million expansion will bring Ford’s total investment in China to $4.9 billion, and it will double the automaker’s production capacity in that country by 2015. Ford calls this its most rapid expansion in 50 years – not surprising, given that the Chinese automobile market is expected to crest 30 million vehicles by 2020 – and it will make this region in China its largest manufacturing base outside its traditional playground in Southeast Michigan.
Ford isn’t saying what vehicle(s) it plans to build at this new Chinese plant, but it is suggesting that it will increase its available models from five to 15, along with 20 new powertrain options, by 2015. Feel free to read Ford’s official press release by .
Designing a luxury automobile is easily as much about the cabin space as it is about the exterior styling. knows that very well, and as if to showcase what its design department can do outside the confines of a modern automobile, the German automaker is gearing up to launch a collection of furniture at the upcoming Milan Furniture Fair.
A collaboration between the Mercedes-Benz Style division and furniture manufacturer Formitalia, the collection includes items as varied as sofas, dining tables, home theater systems and beds. The pieces are all crafted out of familiar automotive materials like aluminum, glass and wood, with styling details borrowed from automotive design.
Suffice it to say, the items would look right at home in our ever-growing fantasy living room. Check ‘em out in the gallery of high-resolution images and renderings released ahead of the show, and the press release .
There’s no doubting the driving talents of one Sebastian Vettel. He won his first grand prix when he was still with backmarker team Scuderia Toro Rosso, and went on to win back-to-back World Championship titles for Red Bull Racing. Heck, he’s even taken the Nations Cup at the Race of Champions with Michael Schumacher for the last five years running now. You might even call his skills the stuff of super heroes. But if it came down a bar fight, the grinning whiz kid wouldn’t exactly inspire fear. (Not like , anyway.) But his latest collaboration might stand to change that.
While in China for this coming weekend’s grand prix, the reigning World Champion met up with action star Celina Jade for a little kung fu lesson. They even shot a short film called Kung Fu Vettel: Drive of the Dragon that’s set to be released next month. And then they headed to the track so Vettel could return the favor.
The crossover is the first in a series of promotional events under the “Inspired Performers” banner, orchestrated by sponsor . What any of this has to do with luxury automobiles is beyond us, but it made for a decent photo and video op, as you can see from the gallery above and the video teaser .
If the makes its official, cars are going to be more expensive, and that’s going to shut millions of buyers out, argues the . “If the price of a vehicle goes up by the government estimate of almost $3,000,” says David Wagner, an analyst for the NADA Used Car Guide, “millions of people will no longer be able to finance a new vehicle.” The proposed standard is aiming for an average of 54.5 mpg for both cars and trucks by 2025, and is predicted to add $2,000 to the cost of a vehicle. Add to that the $1,000 or so that’s going to be added to the price of vehicles as the phase-in between now and 2016, and the $30,000 average price of a new car rises to the point where lower income buyers may not be able to qualify for financing.
If that happens, the net effect would be a reduction in the buyer pool for the more fuel efficient, cleaner cars these fuel economy regulations are intended to create. While the increased fuel efficiency is estimated to save average owners of $8,000 over the life of the vehicle (offsetting the higher monthly payments), if people can’t afford the payments or secure lending, the total ownership cost will be a moot point. “Disregarding vehicle affordability will undermine the environmental and national security benefits the administration is seeking,” says Doug Greenhaus, chief regulatory counsel for environment, health, and safety for NADA.
The government’s 2017-2025 rules aren’t yet final, and Grenhaus and NADA suggest the Obama Administration and NHTSA study the impact the rules will have on buyers before moving forward.
You have to love the global auto industry. will be introducing a Chinese-built version of the American , a car that’s based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, at the on April 23. Dubbed “Viaggio,” production of the new sedan will launch in July, with sales commencing in China by the end of the year.
While Fiat isn’t saying whether the model will be exported from China, the Viaggio will be powered by Fiat’s 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. Two versions will be available, one making 120 hp and the other 150, with either a five-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. From the teaser images Fiat released, we can see that the car basically looks like a Dart with different front and rear fascias, which give it a somewhat less sporty look. As is Fiat’s way, some tasteful application of chrome makes the Viaggio seem like a more upscale product than the budget-oriented Dodge.
The Italian-American-Chinese mutt will be produced under Fiat’s partnership with Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group. GAC also has joint ventures with , , Isuzu, and (and formerly with Peugeot), giving us cause to wonder whether GAC employs more factory workers or lawyers.
Scroll down to read the full release and be sure to check out our .
How important is the auto industry to state and federal governments? According to the Center for Automotive Research, the industry accounts for $135 billion in annual taxes. In fact, a reported 13 percent of all state taxes comes from the automobile, or $91.5 billion in total.
Just as impressive is the overall money that Americans pour into their four-wheeled transportation. CAR estimates that auto sales come in at $564 billion, and parts, repairs and other services add in another $173 billion. And those are the staggering numbers generated in an auto market of only 12 million units per year. So far, 2012 auto sales appear to be moving closer to 14 million units, which should help push the $735 billion total closer to the $1 trillion mark.
The income generated by cars and trucks is certainly significant, but a good portion of that income goes toward new roads. Of the $43 billion that ends up in federal coffers, $29 billion comes from fuel taxes. On the state level, two-thirds of the $91.5 billion comes from taxes on fuel. Still, that amounts to 10 percent of California’s overall revenue and a knee-wobbling 23 percent of revenue in Oklahoma.
Auto jobs also contribute serious coin to Uncle Sam, with Michigan leading the way. Uncle Sam took in $2.2 billion from The Mitten State, followed by Ohio and California. to read the CAR press release.
Back in 2010, the small Dutch producer of exotic GTs bought an ailing from and proceeded to focus all its energies on keeping it afloat. And as if to reflect that shift in focus, changed its name to Swedish Automobile NV – or SWAN for short.
Now that Saab has gone bankrupt, however, the Dutch holding company has officially changed its name back to Spyker. Just what that means, however, when the cars are built in the UK by CPP and the sportscar business was sold last year to North Street Capital, remains to be seen.
J.D. Power and Associates created the Power Information Network (PIN) in 1993 to collect and analyze dealer transactions on new and used cars. Power uses the data from more than 10,000 dealerships to “improve business for automotive dealers, manufacturers, lenders, and other companies in the industry.” The wider use of consumer data captured at the point-of-sale is what concerns dealers, and it’s probably that reasoning which has led to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) partnering with J.D. Power to codify how the information is used and to enhance its application.
It isn’t yet spelled out clearly how the tie-up will alter the relationship between dealers and J.D. Power, but it appears to give the NADA a better position in the food chain and flow of customer data, and more protection for dealers and for the data itself. for a press release about the announcement.
The Detroit News reports the sum total of the remaining assets is worth less than a third of the defunct automaker’s debts. All told, the company owes a hefty $1.9 billion at current conversion rates, though its total property value rings in at a comparatively paltry $532 million. The debt includes $89 million owed to former employees, $107 million to General Motors and $388 million to Sweden itself. With so many hands to feed and so few dollars to go around, Saab says only those who hold securities are likely to have their debts paid.
That means those who were employed by Saab Automobile likely won’t see a dime. The horizon looks a bit more rosy for Saab Automobile Powertrain workers, however.
Saab had said the company has six or seven investors interested in saving the manufacturer’s name from falling into obscurity, though it’s unclear how many of those remain dedicated to the prospect currently.
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
J.D. Power and Associates created the Power Information Network (PIN) in 1993 to collect and analyze dealer transactions on new and used 
