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BMW shocked the motorcycle world in 2009 with the launch of its S 1000 RR superbike. Here was a bike, produced by a company known mostly for its touring and adventure machines, that wasn’t just competitive with the best from Japan and Italy, but class-leading in power and technology – and all for an extremely reasonable price. And it has sold rather well.

So, how do you go about updating such a successful product? Carefully. BMW has chosen not to reinvent the wheel with its 2012 S 1000 RR, and that’s certainly fine by us. Still producing a peak of 193 horsepower, there’s no change to the engine other than a remapped throttle curve that’s said to improve low-speed performance along with an additional riding mode (Rain, Sport, Race and Slick).

Suspension updates, on the other hand, are many. Geometry of both the front and rear suspenders has been adjusted, as have the spring rates. Structural updates include a new forged and milled fork bridge plus a reconfigured air passage through the steering head. Naturally, the electronics package has been “refined” for 2012, as well.

We’re pleased with the new color schemes BMW worked up for its sportiest model. Before, we really only liked the red, white and blue motif that made up BMW’s Motorrad Motorsport package, but now there are more attractive options that included Racing Red with Alpine White and Black, Sapphire Black Metallic and Bluefire (a light shade that you can see in our gallery). Oh, and don’t forget the revised RR logo…

Check out all the details in the full press release after the break.

Continue reading 2012 BMW S 1000 RR refines the sportbike paradigm

2012 BMW S 1000 RR refines the sportbike paradigm

Does Technology Make A Segment Leader?

Want to give yourself a headache? Go out and shop for a new compact sedan with the stipulation that it must have seating for up to five passengers and a highway EPA fuel economy rating in the high-30-mpg range or better. You won’t have to look hard, because it seems nearly every automaker is jumping into an already crowded segment and delivering this type of vehicle. Without much effort, we can alphabetically list the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla. Spend a bit more time, and the list opens up even wider.

Sticker prices, fuel economy numbers and warranty terms are objective and indubitable. Driving dynamics, styling and passenger comfort, in sharp contrast, are subjective. To differentiate itself from the crowd, and win consumers over on both fronts, Mazda has worked hard to deliver a competitive compact that is objectively frugal and subjectively stylish and fun to drive.

Enter the new 2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv.

Fitted with a new high-compression engine and offered with two new transmissions, the latest of the Mazda’s energy-efficient variants sounds impressive on paper – but so do most redesigned cars at first glance. We recently spent a day in Southern California putting the updated Mazda3 Skyactiv through its paces to determine if the Japanese automaker has really provided us with something revolutionary, or just another round of marketing hype.

Continue reading 2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv

2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv

Auto sales have grown steadily since the U.S. and its auto industry performed a synchronized swan dive. But, unfortunately for automakers, those numbers have risen at a painfully slow pace.

The ’slow and steady’ trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, but The Detroit News reports that both Ford and General Motors see continued sales increases in 2012. Ford economist Jenny Lin thinks that sales should progress beyond the 12.5 million to 13.5 million units forecasted for 2011. Lin added that a lack of new car sales over the last few years has led to a quickly aging fleet of vehicles on U.S. roads. In fact, the average vehicle on our roads is 10.6 years old, an all-time high.

GM chief economist Mustafa Mohatarem seems to agree, adding that demand is high and sales would be higher if Honda and Toyota could ramp up production. Mohatarem says the two Japanese automakers are still struggling to fill dealer lots in the wake of Japan’s March earthquake and tsunami. As a consequence, he believes some buyers are sitting on the sidelines until they can pick up the Toyota or Honda of their choosing.

As for what the new yearly sales figure is projected to be, Mohatarem sees U.S. new vehicle sales hitting 16 million units as soon as 2014 or 2015.

Ford and GM think new vehicle sales will increase in 2012

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 Chrysler, Ford 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.

Gap widens between average price of U.S. car and foreign-built auto

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is set to add an additional category to its Hybrid Incentive Voucher Program (HVIP) that awards buyers of zero-emissions light-duty commercial vehicles, including the Ford Transit Connect Electric, a discount of up to $15,000 on their green vehicle purchase.

Starting in November, light-duty zero-emissions commercial vehicles with a GVWR between 5,001 and 8,500 pounds will be eligible for vouchers of up to $15,000 in California. This discount will reportedly be available to all fleets, public or private, that register the zero-emissions vehicles in the state of California. This $15,000 discount, coupled with the federal government’s $7,500 tax credit, means that some buyers of the Transit Connect Electric will get a whopping $22,500 off the vehicle’s $57,400 price tag.

Vouchers for the light-duty zero-emissions category are valued at $15,000 for a fleet’s first vehicle ordered, with $12,000 off all purchases thereafter for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011. Proposed vouchers for Fiscal Year 2012 dip to $12,000 for the first three vehicles, $10,000 for the next 27 purchased, $8,000 for vehicles 31-65 and $6,000 for vehicles 66-100.

Ford Transit Connect Electric to qualify for $15,000 rebate in California

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 Aston Martin 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. Follow the press release for further details.

Continue reading Aston Martin launches Works Tailored department at expanding Newport Pagnell

Aston Martin launches Works Tailored department at expanding Newport Pagnell

As much as we may wish otherwise, the vast majority of those reading this will never find themselves behind the wheel of a Formula 1 race car. And even if they did, actually piloting one of these beasts at speed around a real race track (video games don’t count) is a practice best left to the professionals.

This being the case, the closest you’re likely to get to seeing what it’s really like to drive an F1 car is by watching the video after the break. Lucas di Grassi, formerly a driver for Virgin Racing and now the official test driver for Pirelli, strapped an eye-level camera to his helmet and set out for a lap at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.

According to di Grassi, driving with such an apparatus affixed to his head wasn’t an easy task. “I had to drive with only one eye open as the camera was blocking my other eye, quite tricky,” he said. We bet. See it all shake down after the break.

Continue reading See what an F1 driver really sees while racing

See what an F1 driver really sees while racing

Now that we have a clear glimpse of the 2012 BMW 328i and 335i, it’s time for us to set our sights on the next chapter of the 3 Series story: the M3. Our trusty spy photographers caught this prototype doing its thing on the Nürburgring, and though there’s still lots of swirly camouflage, it’s pretty easy to see how the new 3 Series’ design will adapt to the bulgier M shape.

What’s still unknown, however, is exactly what’s powering the next M3. It’s no secret that BMW will be dropping the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 in favor of a turbocharged six-cylinder setup, but we’ve heard reports that the automaker’s traditional inline-six may be nixed in favor of a brand new V6 configuration. Either way, expect the new M hotness to pack somewhere around 450 horsepower, and by using a forced induction setup, there should be substantially more torque on tap than the current car’s seemingly puny 295 pound-feet.

BMW M3 Sedan being worked out on the ‘Ring

First introduced way back in 1999, the Pagani Zonda has had a nice long run. Twelve years, to be precise. Now the Huayra – also named after a wind, like its predecessor and so many Volkswagen models (Scirocco, Passat, Bora, etc.) – is upon us. But before the Zonda speeds off into the sunset, Pagani had to finish fulfilling orders for the outgoing model.

While we can’t say for sure that what you see here is the very last Zonda, we can tell you it is the last Zonda F Roadster – one of the ultimate expressions of the original, with the 600-horsepower 7.3-liter AMG V12 and an open roof.

This last of the 25 units built is decked out in purple carbon fiber and is being delivered to one very extroverted customer in Ukraine. We think we may have found where the Joker has been hiding all this time.

Final Pagani Zonda F Roadster delivered to Ukraine

The season for gift-giving is quickly approaching, and if you’re all out of ideas for that certain someone special on your list, Neiman Marcus may have just the thing. This year’s fantasy gift is a Ferrari FF. For the low, low price of just $395,000, buyers can snag a unique Neiman Marcus version of the all-wheel-drive, 650-horsepower Ferrari hatch. Only 10 versions of the vehicle will be built for the holiday season, each packing its own complimentary custom luggage set as part of the deal. As with each standard FF purchase, owners will be treated to the Ferrari Winter Driving Experience in Aspen, Colorado, as well.

As you may recall, the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible received the Neiman Marcus treatment last year with special paint for a staggering $75,000. That model sold out before we could bat an eye, and if we were the betting type, we’d say the same thing will happen to the Ferrari FF Neiman Marcus Edition. Head over to the Neiman Marcus site for more information.

This year’s Neiman Marcus fantasy car gift? Ferrari FF

Say what you will about what he’s done since, but nobody was as hot a talent as Jacques Villeneuve in the mid ’90s. The French Canadian driver – and son of Gilles Villeneuve, who died while racing for Scuderia Ferrari – won both the Indy 500 and the IndyCar title in only his second season in the series. Then he moved up to Formula One and repeated the feat by taking the championship in only his second season, having only lost out to his Williams teammate Damon Hill the season before.

The 1997 world championship was nothing short of epic, pitting the newbie against Michael Schumacher in a battle that came down to the last race and saw Schumi disqualified from the standings for some questionable driving tactics. Needless to say, Williams was elated at securing what would, unfortunately, be the end of its dominant winning streak. And so were their sponsors. So much so, in fact, that Rothmans – the tobacco brand that was the team’s title sponsor – gave Jacques the very special gift you see here.

What might look like an ordinary Viper, in fact, packs some serious Venom – modified by Hennessey to the tune of over 600 horsepower, and decked out in Rothmans racing stripes to boot. It cost $135,000 new, but with a 3.3-second sprint to 60 and a 205-mile per hour top end, was capable of keeping pace with the half-million Ferrari Enzo that wouldn’t come out for another few years. Of course, with all that power driving the rear wheels and no electronic aids whatsoever, you’d have to be an F1 driver to keep it all under control.

The car traveled with Villeneuve as he contested the 1998 world championship to considerably less success, and, with 23,000 miles on the odometer, is now up for grabs in the UK with a £39,995 asking price – equivalent to $63k at today’s conversion rates. Which may be worth it for the performance capabilities alone, never mind the provenance.

Find of the Day: Jacques Villeneuve’s 1997 title-prize Hennessey Viper Venom

Here’s a handy trick: Say you find yourself in the middle of nowhere with a dead battery and no way to roll-start your vehicle. What do you do? If you happen to have enough rope lying around (or belts, for that matter), you can conceivably lift the drive axles, wrap the rope around a tire and pull with all of your might with the transmission in gear and the ignition on. The motion should be enough to turn the engine over and start the combustion cycle.

Of course, it’s worth noting that the vehicle needs to be properly supported during this whole endeavor, or you could wind up with a runaway hulk in a hurry. Fortunately, the enterprising youths in the video after the jump had their derelict ride well secured before pulling the old rope trick.

We should mention a few safety precautions here. First, make well sure that you can release the rope as soon as the engine fires, or you’ll quickly be introduced to the front fender well. Second, don’t waste your effort on an automatic. There isn’t a power in the ‘verse that can cause a slusher to turn over its engine. Finally, be warned that it’s going to take a significantly larger amount of effort (thanks, compression!) for any vehicle with more than four cylinders. Check out the video after the jump to see the trick in action.

Continue reading How to start a car with a dead battery without jumper cables

How to start a car with a dead battery without jumper cables

Pixar movies have a history of being massive commercial success stories. They seem to mint money, and CARS 2 was no different. The sequel to CARS pulled in $551 million in global box office receipts and vast riches await thanks to a DVD release date that coincides with the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Oh, and did we mention that the CARS franchise has already produced $2 billion in merchandise?

Is all that monetary success cause for celebration? We’re thinking yes, but at the same time, Pixar has received a great deal of flack for CARS 2. We thought it was a fun movie, but plenty of critics and naysayers feel otherwise.

The New York Times sat down with director John Lasseter, who is also a founding member of Pixar, to talk about some of the controversy surrounding the movie. Lasseter appears mostly unaffected by the criticism, and he denies that parent Disney forced Pixar to make CARS 2 to maximize profits. Lasseter goes on to call CARS 2 “a very, very special film to me,” and adds that he makes movies for kids who love the characters so much that he wants to “pack his clothes in a Lightning McQueen suitcase.”

Head over to NYT to read the entire interview for yourself.

Pixar’s John Lasseter defends CARS 2

Autocar reports that Mini may be working on a more sinister version of Countryman. The hotter crossover would receive the once-over by the rally kings at Prodrive using lessons learned from the Mini WRC effort. Dave Richards, the head honcho at Prodrive, has made it clear that road-going versions of the Countryman WRC are a possibility, and Autocar was able to snag a few photos an aggressive Countryman wearing a fixed carbon fiber wing and custom alloy wheels. The report dishes on further details by saying that the vehicle will pack a Prodrive Milltek exhaust and a more potent version of the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder currently available in the Mini Cooper S.

That’s interesting and all, but we hear word that Prodrive is focusing its efforts on creating a powerful version of the three-door Paceman. Is it possible that Mini and Prodrive are currently working on more than one model? Hoping certainly doesn’t cost us anything at this point. Head over to Autocar to check out the photos for yourself.

Prodrive working on WRC-inspired Mini Countryman

The Black Series epidemic has claimed the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG as its latest victim. Our spy photographers recently managed to catch a few photos of the SLS AMG Black Series out for a little testing on the Nürburgring.

What will the vehicle bring to the table when the production version arrives? The whispers kicking around the web indicate that buyers will enjoy around 650 horsepower wrapped in a package that’s lighter than the standard car. The extra power and reduced weight should get the Black Series to 60 miles per hour in around three seconds flat.

No one knows for certain, but we feel confident in guessing that the machine will also embrace a host of suspension and brake modifications for an even higher performance threshold. Don’t think that all of those toys will come cheap, however. Chances are the model will cost over $500,000.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series takes to the track

We’ll admit it, this video isn’t exactly new, but it’s the first time we’re seeing it and, honestly, we’re stunned. The creators have dubbed this “The Mother of All Hot Wheels Tracks,” and after sitting at our desks with wide eyes and dropped jaws, we’re inclined to agree. And not just because it’s amazing to watch a little toy car run a claimed 2,000-foot gauntlet of orange plastic – it’s remarkable from a construction standpoint, too. Think about it: How many times would you design an elaborate Hot Wheels track only to have the whole thing come apart around Turn Four?

Consider this thing the Nürburgring of the Hot Wheels world.

Being the skeptics that we are, we so have to question the authenticity of this race course, only because the changing camera angles leaves some wiggle room for building the sections separately with much less track. You can vote yea or nay in our poll below, but frankly, we want to live in a world where this is 100 percent real.

Regardless, it’s an amazing feat of Hot Wheels engineering, and we highly encourage you to take four minutes out of your day to watch the full video, posted after the jump.

View Poll

Continue reading Mother of all Hot Wheels tracks leaves us speechless, if real [w/poll]

Mother of all Hot Wheels tracks leaves us speechless, if real [w/poll]

Holden has resurrected the company’s ground-breaking 1969 Hurricane Concept with a complete restoration. The low-slung, mid-engine coupe served as a showcase for technology that wouldn’t find its way into production vehicles for almost three decades, including a turn-by-turn navigation system, automatic climate control and a rear-view camera. At the time, engineers relied on genuine ingenuity to load the Hurricane with equal parts performance and technology. The navigation system relied on magnets embedded in the road surface to illuminate a series of arrows on the dash while the rear-view camera borrowed from closed-circuit TV.

A group of dedicated Holden workers took it upon themselves to put the Hurricane back in working order using as many original parts as possible. That includes the experimental four-barrel 253ci V8 mounted mid-ship. Holden eventually used the design as the platform for its small-displacement V8 effort, which began later in ‘69, though as GM points out, the V8s wouldn’t receive the four-barrel treatment until much later in the ’70s.

Holden has been working to restore the Hurricane since 2006, and now that it’s finished, the concept will be on display at the Motorclassica Car Show in Melbourne from October 21-23. Follow the jump for a quick video on the car as well as the press release.

Continue reading Holden restores its first ever concept car, the 1969 Hurricane [w/video]

Holden restores its first ever concept car, the 1969 Hurricane [w/video]

Some concept cars don’t die off into the unknown oblivion of some random unmarked warehouse. Instead, they just fade into eBay Motors. The 1994 Ford Power Stroke Concept is the latest refugee from the show circuit that has shown up on everyone’s favorite auction site.

Originally designed to show off the Ford Power Stroke diesel engine, the bulbous and somewhat homely concept is about as aesthetically far from any full-size truck as it gets. The seller says the vehicle functions as it should and comes with the custom wheels and tires that it rolled onto the stage with way back when. Apparently the show electronics are also included in the deal.

Unfortunately, this machine isn’t registered as a street vehicle and likely never will be. As such, the winning bidder will receive a bill of sale. As of the time of writing, the truck has six days left on the auction with zero bids and a $40,000 starting bid. Head over to eBay Motors to check out the auction for yourself.

eBay Find of the Day: 1994 Ford Power Stroke Concept

Yikes. The EPA has finally released its official fuel economy rating for the Fisker Karma, 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 the numbers that Fisker reps were bandying about in past years: 67.2 mpge and an all-electric range of 50 miles.

American conservatives – who really have it out for plug-in hybrids that the federal government helped fund with loan guarantees – are already calling the Karma’s numbers a “flop.” 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 Fisker. 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.

Continue reading Fisker Karma gets EPA certified: 52 mpge, 32-mile electric range, 20 mpg on gas

Fisker Karma gets EPA certified: 52 mpge, 32-mile electric range, 20 mpg on gas

In the right weather and with the right person, riding in a horse-drawn carriage around Central Park can be romantic… if a little corny. Of course, it can also be a bit odorous and, for those on foot who have to deal with the horse by-product, messy. It’s not just joggers and bikers who object to the city horses; animal welfare groups have long worried about the poor working conditions. Not only do the animals spend their days shuffling along on hard pavement through slow-moving traffic while inhaling exhaust fumes, most of the horses return at night to narrow stalls beneath tenement buildings with never a chance to step into a pasture and graze. A recent petition drive gathered nearly 45,000 signatures in favor of retiring the carriage horses.

Welcome to the 20th century. Central Park may be about to reenact the transition from horse-drawn to horseless carriage as the four-footed form of horsepower is replaced by electric motors. The organization NY CLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets) has commissioned designs for electric carriages, modeled after some early cars, as horse replacements. The plan is to make the cars available to the same people who currently own and drive the horse-drawn carriages so no one will lose a job – except possibly the horses, who may finally get a chance to step onto some of that grass they’ve been circling for years while never getting a hoof off the blacktop.

Right now, the horse-replacements exist only as foot-long models (a bit small for a romantic evening), but if the New York City Council moves forward on legislation to phase out the carriage horses, the electric cars could be replaced with full-size versions in the next few years.

History Repeats Itself: NYC horses may be replaced by electric carriages