The Auto Blog .ru

Back in 2009, we gave you an inside look at a truly amazing car collection located in Michigan. At the time, the owner preferred an air of anonymity, so we referred to him as the “Sultan of Michigan.” His collection is both expansive and all-encompassing, containing automobiles from a range of eras and locations. The man’s name is Ken Lingenfelter (cousin of the late John Lingenfelter), and the doors to his collection will open to the public on Saturday, June 18th.

For $15, you will gain access to a collection of over 150 vehicles that range from early Chevrolet Corvettes to the Ferrari Enzo wearing build plaque number 399. Lingenfelter has amassed the type of automotive showcase that makes all enthusiasts envious, while also providing a timeline of exciting vehicles that spans decades.

This isn’t just about viewing a collection that’s rarely shared with the public. Ken Lingenfelter is hosting the event to support the Detroit Institute of Opthalmology. The organization is devoted to being the leader in collaboration of vision related research, and a champion of helping those with impaired vision.

You can get a look at Lingenfelter’s cars by way of the Lingenfelter Collection website. If you’re in the Brighton, Michigan area, however, we suggest you pony up some dough and see the vehicles in person. You’ll feel good about helping a charity, and we’ll feel jealous that we’re not there to see the cars for ourselves. This is a collection that is not open to the public, but is occasionally available for car clubs to view when they donate proceeds of the viewing to charity.

Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone (313-824-4710), or at the door (7819 Lochlin
Brighton, MI). We’ve gone ahead and posted an older video showing just a portion of the Lingenfelter Collection after the break.

Continue reading Sultan of Michigan opens doors to his collection for charity [w/video]

Sultan of Michigan opens doors to his collection for charity [w/video]

Once the current Mazda6 reaches the end of its life cycle, Mazda will begin production on the next-generation car. The automaker won’t be building the midsize sedan in the U.S. anymore. Currently, the Mazda6 is built in Flat Rock, Michigan, at the AutoAlliance International assembly facility that the Japanese automaker shares with Ford. The Blue Oval brand churns out the Mustang in Flat Rock, and with Mazda moving on, there could be trouble ahead for the pony car.

According to analysts polled by Bloomberg, the current pace of Mustang production is not enough on its own to sustain the Flat Rock plant. The AAI has a capacity of 240,000 vehicles in a year, yet the Mustang sold 73,716 units in 2010. Ford is reportedly working with Mazda to find other uses for the site, which would be a better alternative to having Mazda simply walk away.

The flipside of Mazda ending U.S. production of its Mazda6 is that Ford will have increased options as to what it can do with the Mustang. Still, unless the Blue Oval starts churning out a hybrid, wagon, crossover and pickup truck version, Ford will need something else to keep Flat Rock in the business of building cars, especially until the ‘Stan’s next scheduled redesign for 2014.

Is the Ford Mustang plant in jeopardy now that Mazda is pulling out of Flat Rock?

Tax evasion. It’s how they got Al Capone, and it’s how European authorities are pinning down a team of car-jackers who made off with a trio of top-end automobiles.

The thieves reportedly broke into a house in Switzerland and drove off in the proprietor’s BMW 750Li, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Bugatti Veyron. Not just any Veyron, either, but the ultra-rare Grand Sport Sang Bleu.

According to reports, they drove the cars through Germany on the way to Poland, and were easily spotted along the way. A million-dollar chromed supercar does not exactly blend into traffic, after all, the way a Volkswagen Golf or Toyota Camry would. The drivers of the Bugatti and BMW were apprehended by German police, and the Veyron was unfortunately scraped up in the process. The driver of the Ferrari reportedly escaped, however, ditching the car at a railway station and disappearing into the crowd.

Now the two apprehended thieves are being hit with a half-million-dollar tax bill. That’s right, they’re being charged for importing the stolen cars into Germany from Switzerland, which is not part of the European Union. That, and probably a count or two of grand theft auto…

European car-jackers hit with import duties on stolen exotics

Factory Five hosted a contest to find a new design for its upcoming 818 sports car. The call went out to designers from around the globe, and winners have been crowned. The top dog goes by the name Nouphone Bansasi, and his hard work netted him $5,000.

The 818 sportscar is going to be Factory Five’s next project. Designers needed to adhere to a few guidelines as part of the contest. The production vehicle will utilize a Subaru WRX donor car, stick to a 95-inch wheelbase, seat two people, work with a mid-engine/rear-drive configuration and weigh no more than 818 kilograms (1,800 pounds, and hence the name).

Many entered, and the designs are pretty impressive. Bansasi took the the top spot, but many received recognition for their work. You can check out the top creative creations in the gallery below. Also, we’ve got video of Factory Five discussing the outcome of the contest and the upcoming 818 sportscar posted after the jump.

Oh, and not that anyone asked us, but we’re kinda partial to the design by Romain Ferrands, which is included in our gallery.

Continue reading Factory Five announces winners of crowdsourced WRX-based sportscar design [w/video]

Factory Five announces winners of crowdsourced WRX-based sportscar design [w/video]

It would be an understatement of biblical proportions to say that Saab is having a bad year. Near daily accounts of the automaker’s financial issues roll in like a rash of plagues, while very few vehicle are rolling out of the assembly plant. Now comes word that a consortium of businesses are preparing to turn the screws and, quite possibly, push the Swedish automaker into bankruptcy.

According to The Truth About Cars, a group of 48 business entities have joined up with the Swedish Collections Agency known as the Kronofogden. Owed debts among those joining together range from $198 up to $774,083. The total amount owed to all 48 in the consortium rings the registers at $3,672,944.

That figure is solely comprised of those appealing to Kronofogden for assistance. Others are waiting on payment from Saab, and that $3.6 million is only a fraction of the automaker’s tota debt load. A Chinese cash infusion can’t arrive fast enough at this point.

Consortium of businesses threaten to push Saab into bankruptcy

We know it’s coming, we just don’t know when. During the long-winded marathon set of product announcements and long-term strategies laid out by Fiat and Chrysler head Sergio Marchionne, it was revealed that both Chrysler and Dodge would get new compact vehicles to replace the no-longer-in-production PT Cruiser and unloved Caliber hatchback.

Both machines were scheduled for release mid-year 2012, and, assuming things are still on track, you can be sure the Detroit-based automaker plans to make a splash with the unveiling of its new compact warriors. After all, both the Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze have been extremely well received by both the press and new car shoppers, and Dodge has nothing that can directly compete.

That said, there’s no bigger place to make a big splash for an American automaker than the Detroit Auto Show. Wowing the home-town crowds and receiving international coverage from the media would be a major boon for Chrysler, so it comes as little surprise to read reports that Dodge is eying the Detroit show floor in January of 2012 for a hopeful debut of its 2013 Dodge Caliber replacement.

According to Wards Auto, only the Dodge small car is confirmed for debut in Detroit; we don’t know what that means for a would-be PT Cruiser replacement (Chrysler 100 anyone?). In any case, expect the next-gen compact (which may or may not keep the Caliber moniker) to be based on the Fiat C-Evo platform with slightly larger dimensions for the U.S. market.

We don’t yet know what it will look like, but if you’re thinking Alfa Romeo Giulietta with a Dodge-appropriate fascia and styling cues, we bet you’re probably not far off.

2013 Dodge Caliber replacement to be unveiled at 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Porsche is being forced to recall a handful of its most sporting models. Certain Porsches equipped with center-locking hubs need to head back to the dealership for a new set of wheels. Why? The hubs can prematurely wear, which means the wheels could separate and take a vacation from the rest of the car.

Affected model year 2010 and 2011 Porsches include:

-Porsche 911 Turbo
-Porsche 911 Turbo S
-Porsche 911 GT2
-Porsche 911 GT2 RS
-Porsche 911 GT3
-Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Basically, all of the most exciting new Porsche 911 coupes that you would consider buying. Apparently, they can become even more exciting, but not in the way we like.

This recall affects 1,702 units. Click past the jump for the full NHTSA bulletin.

Continue reading 1,700 Porsche 911 models with center-locking hubs recalled

1,700 Porsche 911 models with center-locking hubs recalled

The 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is nearly upon us. We got to spend some time with Rhys Millen and father Rod, as the Rhys Millen Racing team gets its cars ready for Colorado, and now Red Bull has put together a video clip that shows how the RMR team is progressing.

Remember we said that the Weismann tranmission was giving Millen fits? It’s gone. The Hyundai-powered PM580 is no longer a semi-automatic transmission car, with Rhys instead opting for a manual gearbox. The new transmission was a gift from Rhys’ father Rod, as the unit came out of Millen Sr.’s famous hill-climbing Toyota Tacoma.

Rhys is clearly more happy with the manual transmission. The car appears ready to break through a longstanding barrier, and it seems that history might just be made this year. Click past the jump to see why.

Continue reading How Rhys Millen prepares for the 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

How Rhys Millen prepares for the 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Italian tuning house Romeo Ferraris is best known for tuning Italian cars – its got the name of two famous examples right there in its own moniker – the Fiat 500 especially. But RF has also brought us carbon-fiber Corvettes and tricked-out Land Rovers. And this time, the tuner turned its attention to the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

Called the WhiteStorm (we’d prefer Storm Trooper, but nobody asked…), this custom C63 packs an extra 79 horsepower for a total of 536 from its remapped and re-piped 6.2-liter V8. The package also includes a full aero kit with front spoiler and five-spoke alloys in black, complimenting the blacked-out brightwork and carbon-fiber roof and spoiler, and contrasting nicely with the matte white paint job. The high-contrast approach takes a different tack on the interior, where two-tone red and black leather upgrades the stock. Check it out in the high-res image gallery for a closer look.

Romeo Ferraris tunes out Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG WhiteStorm

Few classics possess the same level of mystique as the Bugatti Type 57. But while it may be the Atlantic that draws all the attention, every 57 is a special specimen unto itself. This one especially.

One of only ten Grand Raid Roadsters to be built, this was one of just two that featured custom coachwork – from its swoopy art deco panels and covered wheels to its rumble seat – by Switzerland’s Carrosserie Worblaufen. The car was completed just in time for the 1935 Concours d’Elegance at Montreux where it won first prize.

Seven decades later, after a comprehensive restoration, it won second prize at the 2005 Pebble Beach concours, and now it’s going back to Monterey where RM Auctions has it up for grabs in August with pre-sale estimates placing its value at over $1 million. Take a closer look at it in our high-resolution gallery.

Stunning 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Grand Raid Roadster headed for Pebble Beach

Bellflower is the story of two friends named Woodrow and Aiden. They enjoy preparing for a perceived forthcoming global apocalypse by building muscle cars and flamethrowers. As one would be want to do in such a situation. The dynamic shifts when Woodrow meets a girl and falls in love. Woodrow and Aiden begin to move into different circles, and so opens a rabbit hole of love, anger, betrayal and violence.

Why are we droning on about an upcoming indie flick? We’re not movie critics, but we do love cars, and Bellflower features one of the meanest machines to grace the silver screen in some time. The car is known as Medusa, and it started life as a standard 1972 Buick Skylark. A supercharged Chevrolet 455 sits in the engine bay, and a pair of semi-truck grade exhaust stacks climb out of the trunk. With the flip of a switch, those stacks can spew 30-foot high flames or engulf the surrounding area in smoke.

Medusa is essentially America’s own Mad Max machine.

The film hits theaters on August 5, and initial reviews have been very strong. The trailer is waiting for you after the jump, as is a clip of Medusa entertaining the crowd at the recent SXSW festival in Austin.

Continue reading Bellflower trailer mixes homebuilt Mad Max motoring with flame throwers, angst

Bellflower trailer mixes homebuilt Mad Max motoring with flame throwers, angst

Honda has launched a new compact wagon in its home market of Japan. Called the Fit Shuttle, the mini MPV comes in two flavors; the Fit Shuttle 15X and the Fit Shuttle Hybrid. The 15X gets its name from the 1.5-liter i-VTEC motor under the hood, which returns nearly 44 miles per gallon using the Japanese 10·15 testing procedure, which matches that of the standard Fit. If you desire even more fuel efficiency, the Fit Shuttle Hybrid utilizes a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine that’s paired with Honda’s IMA hybrid system. The hybrid will leisurely sip fuel at a rate of nearly 59 miles per gallon using the same test, again matching the regular Fit Hybrid.

Both Fit Shuttle variants are five-passenger people movers that feature a veritable arena of cargo space, relative to the vehicle’s compact size. Storage is readily available above the low load floor, but there’s more hiding underneath. The rear row of seats can be stowed, creating a flat cargo space. The varying rear end arrangements allow for a wide variety of cargo to fit inside the Fit Shuttle.

Besides the cargo being comfortable, passengers will be entertained by the InterNavi system that’s equipped with the Linkup Free system. Utilizing a 3G connection, Linkup Free allows users to quickly transmit and receive data while on the go.

The Honda Fit Shuttle 15X starts at 1,610,000 Yen, or about $19,943 U.S. at current exchange rates. Pricing for the Fit Shuttle Hybrid begins at 1,810,000 Yen, which is around $22,420 U.S. Click past the jump for the full press release, and check out the all-new Honda Fit Shuttle in the included image gallery.

Continue reading Honda Fit Shuttle goes on sale in Japan in gas and hybrid spec

Honda Fit Shuttle goes on sale in Japan in gas and hybrid spec

Chrysler has issued a recall that spans across its family lines. A missing or incorrectly installed rivet on the steering column could result in a loss of control.

The recall affects the following 2011 model year vehicles:

• Chrysler 200
• Chrysler 200 convertible
• Chrysler Town and Country
• Dodge Avenger
• Dodge Caliber
• Dodge Grand Caravan
• Dodge Journey
• Dodge Nitro
• Jeep Compass
• Jeep Liberty
• Jeep Patriot
• Jeep Wrangler

In total, 11,351 Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles need to be inspected by a dealer. Affected vehicles will have their steering column inspected and adjusted as needed, at no cost to owners. The recall will begin this month. Click past the jump for the full National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bulletin.

Continue reading Chrysler recalling 11,000 new vehicles over steering concern

Chrysler recalling 11,000 new vehicles over steering concern

Cars weren’t actually the only machines with smiles in Cars. The Disney/Pixar animated feature that’s about to spawn its second installment also included trucks, trains, combine harvesters and even helicopters with anthropomorphic faces. But now Disney is planning on taking things one step farther with a new movie called, simply enough, Planes.

The film’s not due for release until 2013, and when it does, it will buzz the theaters and land directly on DVD. But to give us a taste of what’s yet to come, Disney has released a little teaser video, hinting at the story of a prop plane trying to make it in a jet’s world. Looks entertaining enough, but we’ll let you judge for yourself from the Top Gun-esque trailer after the jump.

Continue reading Planes trailer previews Disney tail-spinning off Cars franchise

Planes trailer previews Disney tail-spinning off Cars franchise

You can order a Rolls-Royce Phantom in nearly any color you’d like. That’s a fact the luxury automaker takes very seriously and is quite proud of… But what if you liked a lot of different colors?

One Phantom owner decided to taste the rainbow go the custom route and incorporate a handful of his favorite hues. The varied palette can be seen throughout the entire vehicle, as the exterior bodywork, interior trim and even the grille and wheels get a pop of color.

We are going to call upon every inch of willpower we have in order to refrain from comment on this one. Barf. We’ve included two clips of the car so you can draw your own opinions. See them for yourself after the jump, and feel free to sound off in the comments.

We’ll end this way… To each their own, but this is pushing it.

Continue reading Rolls-Royce owner can’t figure out what color he wants, chooses them all

Rolls-Royce owner can’t figure out what color he wants, chooses them all

As far as racing disciplines go, F1 and NASCAR may appear to have about as much in common as soccer and the NFL; they may be classified under the same banner, but that’s about the extent of it. But recent years have seen more crossover than ever before.

Juan Pablo Montoya may be the first among contemporary F1 drivers making a name for themselves in NASCAR, but he’s hardly the last. Scott Speed has made the jump, as has Kimi Raikkonen. And there’s sure to be more to follow. But the latest crossover just took place at Watkins Glen, where Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart – both champions in their own series – swapped cars for the day, just as planned.

Stewart slithered into the cockpit of Hamilton’s McLaren-Mercedes MP4-23, while Hamilton climbed into Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet Impala. The experience was a first for Hamilton, who was keen to put his disastrous weekend in Montreal behind him and have a little fun. And it was a first for Stewart too, but this wasn’t the first time he drove an open-wheel racer, having wracked up the IRL title in 1997, or his first time at The Glen, where NASCAR races every year.

The track is one of the few in the world to have hosted both NASCAR and F1, making this an ideal meeting place for a bit of a culture clash, enabled by Mobil1, which sponsors both their cars. Follow the jump for two videos documenting the encounter along with the brief press release, and check out the high-res images in the gallery for a closer look.

Continue reading Tony Stewart and Lewis Hamilton swap cars at The Glen [w/video]

Tony Stewart and Lewis Hamilton swap cars at The Glen [w/video]

First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550

We’re of no station to make you endure endless, uneducated platitudes cribbed from the car-as-art schtick. We just know the new CLS looks damned good from any angle, particularly the waning sunlight of California’s Napa Valley.

Official: BMW opens the floodgates on 2012 M5

Power? The 4.4-liter twin-scroll twin-turbo V8 makes 560 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. Speed? 0-60 in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 190.

Autoblog Beta: Now open to all

Our Beta preview site, showing off our next top-to-bottom redesign, is now open to anyone with eyeballs at http://beta.autoblog.com.

Also of interest:

• Spy Shots: Are you the Mini Cooper JCW Challenge edition?
• Video: 2012 Buick Regal GS hits track with 270 hp, 15 more than planned
• Video: Top Gear teases new season in montage clip
• Are you the new Toyota Yaris?
• Upset Detroit woman tears down own home with pickup truck

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

What you missed on 6.15.11

Toyota has been showing off its plug-in hybrid Prius since it debuted in concept form at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Japanese automaker is getting ready to deliver the 2012 production version, and we just found out that it will have some significant changes over the prototype versions we’ve seen so far.

The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle boasts two unique features; a selectable EV driving mode, and the ability to apply recaptured energy to the electric-only driving range.

The selectable EV driving mode will be quite useful for trips requiring the use of a highway or that cover longer distances than simple in-town errand running. This will allow Prius PHEV drivers to conserve energy for electric-only jaunts. A button will allow you to turn the EV mode on or off.

Any run-of-the-mill Prius hybrid uses regeneration to replenish the battery. In the protoptye PHEVs, no more energy can be recaptured and stored for later use than the regular non-plug-in model. That means there was no way to extend EV-only range without plugging back in. On the production version of the Prius PHEV, the car will be able to take advantage of that regenerated energy, and extend the time the car can spend in EV mode.

2012 Toyota Prius PHEV to feature selectable EV mode, full regen

According to Reuters, Mazda is preparing to announce a recall that could affect any Mazda3 built between January 2008 and July 2010. The recall has been issued because of an electronic glitch keeps the windshield wipers from working properly. So far no accidents have been reported that relate to this defect.

Approximately 494,500 cars fall under the umbrella of this recall. In North America, the total number of vehicles potentially affected is 157,700. If you own a Mazda3 built within this time period, perhaps it’s time for you to stock up on Rain-X until you can bring the car into your local dealer to have the issue repaired…

Nearly 500,000 Mazda3s recalled over windshield wiper defect

Mazda hasn’t had an all-new product since the spiffy little Mazda2, but that will change in 2012 with the introduction of the Minagi concept-inspired CX-5 crossover. The smallish CUV will reportedly be the first crossover to incorporate Mazda’s Skyactiv technology, and, according to Autocar, it will also be available with a diesel and a six-speed manual.

Of course, the diesel engine Autocar speaks of will most likely be a European affair, displacing 2.2-liters and pushing 173 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The oil-burner will reportedly be 20 percent more efficient than the automaker’s current 2.2-liter diesel. It will also be able to pass Euro 6 emissions standards, which are more than two years from enforcement.

We’re not all that hopeful that we’ll be able to experience the 2.2-liter diesel in the U.S. (we’re almost always left out of the diesel equation), but Skyactiv measures will likely help improve efficiency either way. The promised tech will reportedly include a lightweight modular platform, smaller, more efficient engines and transmissions, and so on.

Mazda CX-5 to get 2.2-liter turbodiesel, six-speed manual