The Auto Blog .ru

Who will want to buy a brand-new, nicely equipped 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco for $25,995? If you peruse General Motors’ press release, then you may think it’s people who are cross-shopping a Volkswagen Passat TDI or a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, a Toyota Camry Hybrid or a Ford Fusion Hybrid. These are the vehicles that GM helpfully points out cost more than the new Malibu, and the green competition is completely intentional. The Eco trim level, coming in the first quarter of 2012, will be the first 2013 Malibu released and gets 26 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway (GM estimates). The other trim levels for the 2013 model year – LS, LT and LTZ – are not coming until the summer. Until then, the 2012 model will still be produced.

As it was getting the new Malibu Eco ready, GM looked at who buys green cars, and they found are people who tend to like a little bit of fancy technology inside. That’s why, Russ Clark, GM’s Director of Marketing, Midsize and Performance cars, told AutoblogGreen, the main marketing message will be that the Malibu Eco offers a compete technological package, combining good fuel economy (thanks to eAssist) and an infotainment system that is more commonly found in higher-end models. “It really is an outstanding package of fuel economy and price,” Clark said.

Nonetheless, even with the Eco label, the 2013 Malibu Eco certainly doesn’t have the same green cred that a car with the hybrid label does. Clark said that “Someone who is dead-set in their mind that they have to have a hybrid,” will be difficult to persuade, but that, “this kind of technology [eAssist] will continue to grow over time. It’s something that people will become more familiar with.”

This is similar to how the Chevrolet Volt is being received. People don’t necessarily know everything about the Volt’s powertrain, but they may come into the dealership to find out. Once there, they may purchase a Volt or a Cruze or, soon, a Malibu Eco. “With new technology, you will attract people to your products,” Clark said.

*Pricing includes a $760 destination charge.

Continue reading 2013 Chevy Mailbu Eco will start at $25,995* and offer 38 highway mpg

2013 Chevy Mailbu Eco will start at $25,995* and offer 38 highway mpg

Porsche has finally officially unveiled its 2012 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and the model will boast the same sleek profile with its soft top in place as its hardtop twin for the first time in the vehicle’s history thanks to a unique roof mechanism. The vehicle blends the aluminum and steel chassis of the standard 911 with a folding top manufactured from a slew of lightweight materials, including canvas magnesium and advanced high-strength steel to keep weight as low as possible. Porsche isn’t saying exactly how many pounds engineers managed to shave from this vehicle compared to the previous generation, but the company assures us that the latest iteration is “significantly lighter.” Sounds good.

With a 350-horsepower 3.4-liter flat six in the base 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet, the vehicle can scoot to 60 mph from standstill in as little as 4.4 seconds. The 911 Cabriolet S, meanwhile, can do the deed in 4.1 seconds thanks to its 400-horsepower 3.8-liter engine. Look to shell out $97,300 for the Carrera Cabriolet and $108,800 for the Carrera Cabriolet S. Hit the jump for an official video and the press release.

Continue reading 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet drops its innovative top [w/video]

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet drops its innovative top [w/video]

Porsche has finally officially unveiled its 2012 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and the model will boast the same sleek profile with its soft top in place as its hardtop twin for the first time in the vehicle’s history thanks to a unique roof mechanism. The vehicle blends the aluminum and steel chassis of the standard 911 with a folding top manufactured from a slew of lightweight materials, including canvas magnesium and advanced high-strength steel to keep weight as low as possible. Porsche isn’t saying exactly how many pounds engineers managed to shave from this vehicle compared to the previous generation, but the company assures us that the latest iteration is “significantly lighter.” Sounds good.

With a 350-horsepower 3.4-liter flat six in the base 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet, the vehicle can scoot to 60 mph from standstill in as little as 4.4 seconds. The 911 Cabriolet S, meanwhile, can do the deed in 4.1 seconds thanks to its 400-horsepower 3.8-liter engine. Look to shell out $97,300 for the Carrera Cabriolet and $108,800 for the Carrera Cabriolet S. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet drops its innovative top

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet drops its innovative top

There are currently 588 Volkswagen dealers in the U.S., and in 2010 they sold 256,830 examples of the brand’s products. Come 2018, however, VW plans on selling 800,000 vehicles here, and the current dealer body just won’t be enough. In April of this year Jonathan Browning, head of VW of America, said there would be an “evolutionary” increase in dealers for the next couple of years, after which a “radical change” would be necessary.

Browning indicated that 2014/2015 would see the ramping up of dealerships. He predicted the brand to sell in excess of 300,000 cars this year and improve on that by a “double-digit” amount next year.

How many VW dealers might 800,000 units mean? In 1970, when VW set its sales record with nearly 600,000 units moved here, Wikipedia claims it had more than a thousand dealerships in the U.S. Dealer dynamics have surely changed in 41 years, but Nissan might be a guide: the Japanese maker sold a tad more than 800,000 cars here in 2010 and is said to have about 1,100 dealers in the U.S.

Ambitious sales goals may push VW to consider more dealers

While BMW (and by relation, Mini) have been pioneering in-car connectivity for the last few years, Hyundai is still playing catch-up. The Korean automaker’s focus has been squarely set on bringing world-beating products to market, but consumer demand for infotainment systems isn’t abating. So Hyundai is joining BMW and a range of technology companies to work on the next generation of in-car networking solutions.

Broadcom, NXP, Freescale and Harman have banded together to create the OPEN (One-Pair Ether-Net) Alliance special interest group and BMW and Hyundai are the first two automakers to sign on.

The group will be working towards ethernet-based automotive connectivity, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be running a CAT5 cable out your house and into car.

The SIG is backing Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach cable – specifically developed for automotive applications – that’s able to transmit up to 100 Mbps over a single, unshieled wire. This should reduce internal networking costs and also shave a few pounds from production vehicles in the process. If you want to geek out on the details, hit the jump for the release.

Continue reading BMW and Hyundai work with tech consortium on in-vehicle networking

BMW and Hyundai work with tech consortium on in-vehicle networking

While Porsche styles its own sports cars, SUVs and sedans, its consumer goods division, Porsche Design, styles all manner of goods: watches, phones, yachts, bars, appliances, tools, toys, clothing and accessories… even condominium buildings. At least it does now as a new project on Miami Beach prepares for construction.

Called Porsche Design Tower, the project is a joint effort between the design studio and real estate developer Gil Dezer. The 57-story block on 2.2 acres of prime Collins Avenue real estate is set to incorporate 132 housing units, each with its own parking spaces. That bit is straightforward enough, but it’s where the slots are situated that is the novelty.

Rather than have residents park downstairs and take elevators up to their condos, the project includes three robotic car elevators that allow residents to take their cars right up to their pads. It’s not the first project that incorporates car elevators, but is the first planned by Porsche Design, and could lead to similar projects across the United States. So even if you don’t want to live in your Cayenne, you can still live with it.

Porsche Design Tower opening in Miami complete with car elevators

At the end of the day, every mass-market automaker is nothing more than a company looking for profits. And while you can have a great-looking vehicle that performs well and draws critical acclaim, but if it doesn’t sell and it doesn’t have decent margins, it doesn’t do the company much good. So when it comes down to pure profit, what automobiles are the biggest cash cows?

That’s what analyst Max Warbuton aimed to find out. With the help of his team at Bernstein Research, Warbuton looked at the automotive population and created this list of the twelve best money-makers since 1990. According to Automotive News, Warbuton said the top twelve cars and trucks all combine “high prices, huge volume and long periods of production that spread development costs over a long period.” While we might quibble that not all of the entries are high in price, the volume side of Warburton’s equation makes a lot of sense, especially considering that the Number One most profitable vehicle of all time is – glance back up at the lead image once more – the Ford F-Series.

F-150 aside, all of the American full-size pickups did particularly well in this study, with the Ram 1500 and General Motors twins (Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra) filling out the second and third place spots. (No surprise, given that body-on-frame vehicles like pickups and SUVs are known to be cash cows). German and Japanese automakers round out the top twelve, and we urge you to click through our attached image gallery to see exactly which vehicles have been raking in the most cash for their companies over the past 21 years.

These are the industry’s most profitable cars and trucks

When society finally crumbles and the human race vanishes from the face of the Earth, the cockroaches will still be passing around certain automotive rumors. Their antennae will twitch with whispers of an independent-rear-suspension Mustang and a mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette. Now it appears that they’ll have a new story to chew on. The rumor of the V10-powered Lexus GS simply refuses to die off. Autocar reports that Lexus has its eye on crafting a BMW M5 fighter, and that the vehicle will boast none other than aversion of the snarling V10 found at the heart of the Lexus LFA.

Don’t get us wrong. The mere thought sends our saliva glands into overdrive, even if hopped-up GS would come packing 4.6 liters instead of 4.8 as Autocar suggests. The report claims that the reduced displacement would yield around 450 horsepower. Don’t get too excited, though. All of this rumor-stoking appears to be based on the sole fact that shadowy figures inside Lexus have said that the company “would love” to build a high-performance V8. That’s far from being carved in stone.

The LFA-powered Lexus GS rumor that won’t die

We know that the Fiat Doblo is coming to the Ram brand as a cargo van, but what about a passenger-hauling variant? Automotive News reports that the Ram team is debating just such a move.

The Doblo panel van will compete with the Ford Transit Connect when it hits U.S. streets in early 2013. Ford decided to offer a passenger van version after its small hauler gained a foothold in the States. Ram President Fred Diaz can see that happening to the new Fiat-based van, adding that “it could have passenger car applications.” To do that, Chrysler would only need to add a second row of seats and some windows for scenery, items that are already available in other markets.

Fiat is investing $160 million to upgrade its joint venture plant in Turkey so that the Ram version of the Doblo can pass U.S. regulations.

Ram mulling passenger version of promised Fiat Doblo van for U.S.

Chances are if you’ve ever spun a wrench on a vehicle, you’ve likely had a Haynes service manual in your hands at some point as well. The company prides itself on producing inexpensive and informative volumes on just about every late-model vehicle manufactured these days. Now, the company’s efforts are available online.

So far, the top 50 selling Haynes titles are accessible in electronic form, and the publisher says that more are on the way. Each volume can be viewed from any mobile device with an Internet connection, including smartphones, tablets and laptops, but these are more than just PDF files of the paper versions.

Haynes says that shadetree mechanics can take advantage of videos depicting the tasks at hand, hopefully eliminating time-consuming mistakes in the process. As anyone who has ever suffered through erroneous forum advice can attest, knowing really is half the battle.

Users can purchase a one-year subscription for $25 or a lifetime subscription for $30 per vehicle. Hit the jump for the full press release as well as a quick video on the manuals.

Continue reading Haynes officially releases car manuals online [w/video]

Haynes officially releases car manuals online [w/video]

The Volkswagen R performance sub-brand isn’t just a niche cog in the massive machine known as the Volkswagen Auto Group. If R GmbH’s heads are to be believed, it’s an instrumental component of the German automaker’s push to offer something for everyone. And after speaking with the two men shepherding R into the future, it appears that good things are on the way.

With the Golf R set to go on sale in the U.S. early next year and R-branded performance parts already proliferating throughout VW’s core products, Ulrich Riestenpatt gt. Richter, R’s Executive Director, and Dr. Hendrik Muth, R’s marketing head, are looking to the future. Fortunately, they were thoughtful enough to provide Autoblog with a small glimpse into what’s on the way.

“The future is diesel and all-wheel-drive,” Richter told us on the floor of last week’s LA Auto Show. That could mean that the next great performance offering from VW R could come in the form of an AWD diesel hatch – essentially an oil-burning Golf R. Further, Richter contends that he can make an R version of any vehicle in the VW stable, so don’t be surprised to see a Passat R in the coming years and the Beetle R getting the green light.

Just as telling, Richter says that while hybrids have their place (VW will be introducing a Jetta hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show), the fuel savings of hybrid-electric systems pale in comparison to weight reduction. “You can get the same efficiency [as a hybrid] by dropping 100 kilos,” Richter admits, but the high cost of advanced composites – namely carbon fiber – is still too high. So that means more aluminum is on the way, and partnered with a high-performance diesel powerplant, enthusiasts should be able to have their tire-shredding cake and eat less at the pump in the process.

Volkswagen R cars’ future is diesel, AWD; light weight trumps hybrids

We won’t say it’s human nature to cheat, but humans and cheating go together often enough to make us consider it.

In another example of trying to make crime pay, Castilla y León television captured an auto shop in Spain that it says was intentionally damaging cars in order to get insurance money. The shop reportedly drove cars into walls, into lifts and even into other cars. The Spanish-language video is after the jump, and it includes sacrificial Audi, Renault, Mercedes-Benz and SEAT autos, among others. It ain’t pretty.

Continue reading Watch an auto shop commit insurance fraud

Watch an auto shop commit insurance fraud

Turning a Formula One team into an automaker is no mean feat. Ferrari did it decades ago, and now McLaren is following suit. The first product of the newly formed McLaren Automotive – an offshoot of the F1 team – has already hit the market in the form of the MP4-12C, with several additional models planned over the coming years. But in order to do so, they’ll need a state-of-the-art production facility.

Fortunately, that’s just what McLaren has built at its cutting-edge factory in Woking, England. The new McLaren Production Centre has just opened its doors, inviting British Prime Minister David Cameron to swing by for a tour.

In announcing the visit, McLaren has also revealed the name of its next project as the MP4-27. It isn’t immediately clear if the MP4-27C will be the successor to the legendary McLaren F1 road car, or if it will simply be the company’s next race car.

Either way, that’s not all that McLaren is working on these days, beyond fielding its own front-running, World Championship F1 team, it’s supplying the electronics for the next generation of F1 engines as well as those for IndyCar, NASCAR, airplane engines and the BMW-redesigned BART subway system in San Francisco. In other words, there’s not a lot of sitting still going on in Woking, and that’s just the way they seem to like it.

Follow the jump for the full press release and a pair of videos from the facility’s opening, and scope out the high-res images in the gallery for a look behind the curtain.

Continue reading McLaren dubs next model MP4-27 at Production Centre opening [w/videos]

McLaren dubs next model MP4-27 at Production Centre opening [w/videos]

It’s been a while since we’ve seen prototypes of the BMW i3 making the rounds around Germany, but today we get a glimpse of the entry-level EV with new body work and possibly fitted with a range-extending engine.

When the i3 was revealed earlier this year, BMW engineers divulged to Autoblog that the automaker plans to fit a 600cc, two-cylinder engine pull from its motorcycle line to the REx model. That variant is slated to hit the market soon after the standard electrically-powered i3 goes on sale in 2013. The system – similar to the Chevrolet Volt’s, but without feeding any power directly to the wheels – would extend the 100-mile range and be mounted alongside the 125kW electric motor (the same fitted to the Active E and i8) in the rear. But why do we think this is the REx model? Stickers on the doors and hatch state “Hybrid Test Vehicle.”

Stylistically, the profile of the i3 has carried over from the concept, including the compact rear window between the B- and C-pillars and the suicide rear doors. Interestingly, BMW appears to have nixed the rear door’s handles, so in order to enter the back seats, you’ll have to open the front doors first, ala the Mini Countryman. The front and rear light assemblies appear to be closer to production spec, as does the hood and hatch. And with development well underway, we should see the production version early next year.

BMW i3 REx spotted packing range-extending engine

Never underestimate a vehicle’s willingness to lock you out in the cold. Or, in Jennifer Lopez’s case, on stage. Lopez once again teamed up with the Fiat 500 for the 2011 American Music Awards this weekend. The choreography during a performance of “Papi” called for the singer to hop into the driver’s seat for a quick spell, but when she tried the door handle, the car was locked. Fortunately, the windows were down, and the quick-thinking performer immediately popped the locks from inside. The rest of the performance went off without so much as a hitch.

Lopez has already starred in a number of Fiat 500 ads as part of the Italian automaker’s new advertising offensive for the retro hatch. The 500 also spent some time on screen during the “Papi” music video. Hit the jump to check out the video of the lockout for yourself, as well as the Fiat press release on the AMA awards.

Continue reading J.Lo struggles to open door of Fiat 500 on stage during AMA performance

J.Lo struggles to open door of Fiat 500 on stage during AMA performance

Whether he’s hosting an episode of Top Gear, writing a column for a magazine or newspaper, or putting together his own DVD special, there’s little doubt that Jeremy Clarkson has an enviable level of access to pretty much any car he wants. That ranges from the latest supercars to everyday commuters to oddball one-off classics like the Brutus. So which, of all the cars at his disposal, is his favorite this year?

The answer might surprise you. While the BMW 535d M-Sport Touring is Clarkson’s choice for the best car of the year, it’s not his favorite. No, that accolade belongs to the one that can put the biggest grin on his mug. So which gets the top prize from the UK’s top automotive personality? Follow the jump to watch a clip from his new Powered Up DVD to find out.

Continue reading What’s Jeremy Clarkson’s favorite car of the year?

What’s Jeremy Clarkson’s favorite car of the year?

Uncorking This Road-Legal DTM Coupe At Laguna Seca

Turn Two at Laguna Seca is one of racing’s more interesting creations. Get it wrong here and the rest of your lap will get really grumpy really fast. The AMG-Mercedes people thankfully gave us around 20 hot laps in their new C63 AMG Coupe Black Series over the course of the day – enough that we were able to get into a groove for the final 16 sorties or so. GT cars of about this size, setup and power tend to take to Laguna Seca like yuppies to mesquite.

And so we cooked all day in a fully accoutered C63 Black Series. The fixins’ on our coupe went well beyond the standard model’s race-car-for-the-road spec: Track Package, Aerodynamics Package, AMG Performance Media suite, Exterior Carbon Fiber Package, 19-inch matte black forged light alloy wheels and a fire extinguisher. We’d have preferred if some of these options actually came as standard equipment, but last we checked, we don’t own and run Daimler. Not yet anyway.

Goosing the well-weighted throttle pedal to the floor at the right moment in second gear out of Laguna Seca’s insidious Turn Eleven left-hander, the C63 Black Series filled all of Monterey County with its divine quad-barrel noise. The sound was almost enough to make that difficult corner worth tolerating.

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series [w/video]

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series [w/video]

With the X-Type standing as a rare exception, for the entirety of its history, Jaguar has meant rear-wheel drive. Want drive at all four corners? That’s what its sister brand, Land Rover, has been for. But not everyone who wants luxury with foul weather prowess wants an SUV. In fact, a growing number of luxury sedan buyers look for power channeled to all four wheels, and Jaguar apparently thinks it can no longer afford to sit by and watch those buyers go to the likes of Audi (with its iconic Quattro models), BMW (with its xDrive offerings) and Mercedes-Benz (which offers 4Matic on several models).

As a result, a new story from Autocar indicates that Jaguar is preparing to launch all-wheel drive versions of the XF and /or XJ sedans. The move is targeted specifically at “the snowbelt of America,” where Jaguar reportedly believes all-wheel-drive vehicles account for some 70 percent of sales.

The development of an all-wheel drive system is likely being conducted in conjunction with Land Rover, and is expected to arrive within the next two years. The project is being given a higher priority than the development of hybrid propulsion, since Jaguar estimates that its buyers are more willing to pony up for an extra set of driving wheels than a battery pack and a pair of electric motors.

Jaguar to launch all-wheel-drive sedans within two years

When the first Audi TT hit the market in 1998, its design was nothing short of revolutionary. The current model (pictured above in RS form), while dynamically superior, has been mainstreamed a bit, going with a more evolutionary approach. But now, rumor has it that Audi is preparing to launch an all-new third-generation model at the rapidly approaching Tokyo Motor Show, and our interests our piqued.

Little in the way of details is known as to the direction Audi is preparing to take with the new TT, but sources expect it to go slightly upmarket in order to make room for a smaller, less costly R4 mid-engined sportscar. The TT, however, is expected to retain its front-engine, all-wheel-drive layout. Stylistically, we’d expect the new TT to adopt some of the design cues laid down by recently concept cars like the Quattro from last year.

Audi, for its part, is staying mum on the subject, announcing the five-door A1 Sportback as its major debut for the Japanese expo. Whether a new TT – be it in concept form or production-ready – will join it remains to be seen.

Audi to preview next TT at Tokyo Motor Show?

Alabama’s strict immigration laws have helped land a Mercedes-Benz executive in jail. The Associated Press reports that an unnamed Mercedes executive was arrested after being pulled over for a routine traffic stop.

The arrest came after the 46-year-old exec was unable to produce any identification other than his German ID card. The executive was pulled over because his rental car reportedly did not have any tags, but he was later released after an associate was able to present his passport for inspection. Mercedes-Benz spokesperson Felyicia Jerald called the incident “unfortunate,” and added that the incident was resolved once a colleague was able to produce a driver’s license.

When Alabama Governor Robert Bentley heard of the executive’s arrest, he reportedly contacted State Homeland Security Director Spencer Collier to get details. We’re guessing that doesn’t happen when most other immigration arrests in Alabama, but Mercedes-Benz has a substantial footprint in the state. Mercedes has built vehicles in Tuscaloosa since 1993, and the facility currently produces the ML, R-Class and GL.

German Mercedes manager arrested in Alabama under new illegal immigration law