Hyundai Genesis Prada – Click above for high-res image gallery
As recently as a decade ago, mentioning brands like and Prada in the same sentence would have seemed laughable. But today’s Hyundai is a very different company with a very different image. And no car could sum up such a transformation more than the .
, the Korean automaker announced a partnership with the Italian fashion house with a concept car, but has now launched the production Genesis Prada in its home market. The special edition luxury sedan is distinguished by special paint – either Brown Moro, Blue Baltico or Black Nero – with a shark-fin antenna on the roof, offset by dark chrome trim and special 19-inch alloys. Saffiano parchment leather swaths the interior along with piano lacquer black trim and a rear-seat entertainment system. And of course you can count on the requisite badges to identify this Genesis as different from all others.
Hyundai’s celebrated 5.0-liter V8 with 424 horsepower is on pushing duty, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Distribution will be constricted initially to South Korea, before availability will commence in limited numbers of China and Middle Eastern markets. for more details and check out the high-resolution images in our gallery for a closer look.
The price of a gallon of crude may have dropped by $16 in the past month, but for the most part, gas prices haven’t followed suit. In fact, the nationwide average hit just last week, or $1.10 higher than it was at this time in 2010.
But while relief at the pump feels far from fruition, Reuters reports that the worst may be behind us. Gas prices have dropped to a national average of $3.96, the first decrease in eight weeks. Diesel fuel is cheaper as well, down 4.3 cents to $4.03 per gallon.
Phil Flynn of PFGBest Research in Chicago reportedly told Reuters, “I think we’ve turned the corner and we should expect to see substantial price drops in the coming weeks.” Flynn adds that we should see a national price of $3.50 per gallon at some point in the summer. Guy Caruso of the Center for Strategic and International Studies goes a step further, speculating that we may have already seen the peak gas price for 2011.
It’s hard to believe that we’re looking forward to $3.50 per gallon gasoline, but even a cut of 50 cents per gallon can be a big relief on the family budget. If, for example, you drive 15,000 miles per year and your vehicle averages 25 miles per gallon in mixed driving, a per-gallon drop of 50 cents could result in another $300 in your pocket at the end of the year.
It’s still early, but we’re thinking that the downward trend of oil prices means that relief at the pump is relatively close. Of course, we’re not likely to pay $2.50 per gallon again anytime soon, but we’ll take whatever we can get.
Recently, we learned that , and now it seems that our beloved GPS has turned on us. , and it’s a term that refers to folks who wind up in dangerous or fatal situations because they blindly follow the directions provided by their electronic navigational aid.
and into a remote part of Northern Nevada. The husband set out for help while the wife remained with their vehicle for seven weeks until being discovered (still alive) by a group of hunters.
We live in an age where we rely quite heavily on the technology around us. It’s no surprise then that we put blind faith in our personal devices, yet we should take a step back to see them for what they really are. The GPS is a tool to aid with navigation, yet it’s not an infallible machine. Data (and a clear line of sight to orbiting satellites) is a major requirement for a navigation unit to function at its best. More remote areas have less data because of the infrequent amount of traffic they receive, thus a navigation unit would have less information with which to provide feedback.
If you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle, and you’re heading into unfamiliar territory, it’s a good idea to remember that your navigation system is part of a team. Your brain should also be part of that team. to watch a CBS News clip discussing the “Death by GPS” phenomenon.
Rutledge Wood, part of the Top Gear trio here in the States that went out to find the best car from recent past, (wisely) picked a Buick Roadmaster as his steed. He then used the wagon to wind up victorious over the choices of his co-hosts. Now, Rutledge has shown that he truly cares about the LT1-powered five-door, as he just purchased a 1996 example to put in his own driveway.
Regardless of your stance on the U.S.-version of Top Gear, you have to admire a man who understands the timeless appeal of a good station wagon. owners should look upon the Buick Roadmaster with a fond gaze, because the Roadmaster is part of your hot-rod wagon’s DNA.
This may not be , but we’re pretty sure he’s still smitten with his new ride.
There’s no refuting that has a rich motor racing heritage, one which it continues to build in series around the globe. And to celebrate its racing prowess, the Japanese automaker is launching a special GT Edition.
The special model features retro stripes running down the rocker panel over either black or white paint options (including a unique shade of black exclusive to the GT edition), anthracite-finish 19-inch Rays forged alloys and some suspension enhancements. The chassis in particular has been recalibrated at Nissan’s European technical center for high-speed driving, further facilitated by extra underbody sound insulation.
Nissan’s also thrown in the Premium Connect sat-nav system and rear-view parking camera, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and a new snow mode on the optional seven-speed automatic that starts the car in second gear to minimize the potential for wheelspin. Unfortunately, there’s no indication as yet of plans to offer the 370Z GT on these shores, so for a closer look you’ll have to scope out the images in the high-resolution gallery and the press release .
A lot can change in two days. Remember that prototype we spied ? Well, it’s turned into the car you see here, now complete with a more aggressive body kit and a proper wing out back.
Adding the body kit makes the FR-S look much more like the concept car that , and while that big rear spoiler will certainly look more appropriate on the -badged version of the joint venture, it still makes us swoon. (Supra Turbo, anyone?)
We fully expect to see more of the Toyobaru rear-wheel-drive sport coupe as it goes through the full gauntlet of summer testing. Stay tuned for more information as the swirly camouflage gets peeled away.
Chinese-market Long-wheelbase BMW 5 Series – Click above for high-res image gallery
The automotive market in is expanding, and it’s doing so quickly. Chinese car shoppers helped the industry grow 33 percent in 2010. Luxury automakers enjoyed even more prosperity with a 75-percent increase in sales. So what brand catches the eye of a Chinese consumer looking to put some luxurious wheels in his driveway? Not American ones, apparently.
has a strong hold on the Chinese luxury market. Nine of the top ten luxury vehicles sold in 2010 to a Chinese buyer were German. somehow snuck on the list, but there is nary an American automaker in site. In fact, , which saw a 139 percent sales increase last year, sold 17,000 vehicles there in 2010. , by comparison, sold 115,353 sedans alone.
Now, that 115k+ performance is quite ahead of the rest of the pack. However, even the 10th-best-selling luxury model in China’s 2010 buying market () sold over 12,000 units. Audi also saw success with its , which placed second in sales by moving 58,466 examples.
Honda CR-Z Mugen – Click above for high-res image gallery
That could have done more with the than the lukewarm hybrid sport-hatch that resulted is no big news. But Mugen is here to highlight the point.
After us with some initial details, a rendering and a shot of the engine bay, the pseudo-works Honda tuner has released the first photos of the modified CR-Z it is preparing to unveil at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
Performance figures haven’t been finalized just yet, but earlier, Mugen pegged combined output from the supercharged 1.5-liter four and electric assist at 197 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Combined with the 110 pounds of weight shaved off the chassis, Mugen figures that ought to be enough to make the custom CR-Z match the acceleration times of the Civic Type R.
Unfortunately, this is strictly a concept car for the time being, but there’s no telling what could result from enough positive response. for the press release and check out the trio of images in the high-res gallery.
You know anything about a fight in Shanghai? Nah, me neither
Well, Adrian Sutil can kiss his chances of ever driving for the Renault F1 team goodbye. Lewis Hamilton too, from the looks of things. At least as long as its owned by Genii Capital.
Reports from the F1 paddock indicate that Sutil, who drives for the Force India team, was celebrating at a Shanghai night club called M1NT (along with Lewis Hamilton after the latter won the there a couple of weeks ago) when an altercation erupted. Few details are available as to exactly what transpired, but Genii Capital CEO Eric Lux was seen afterwards with scars on his neck. Word has it Lux had to get stitches and broken glass removed following the incident. We’ll let you fill in the blanks yourself.
Sutil has reportedly apologized for the incident and the injuries, which he described as accidental. But now Lux has filed a charges against the German driver for “grievous bodily harm.” Neither party is saying much at this point, but we suspect this won’t be the last we’ve heard of this action.
A rare motorcycle coming up for auction looks poised to break records when the gavel drops at Bonhams’ auction at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California, come this August.
Called the Porcupine (due to the spiked cooling fins on its cylinder heads), this 1954 racing bike was one of just four built by British motorcycle manufacturer AJS. (Another of the four, incidentally, won first place when Pebble Beach inaugurated its first motorcycle class in 2009.) The centerpiece of the collection at England’s National Motorcycle Museum, this particular example has recently undergone an extensive overhaul and is expected to fetch upwards of $750,000.
The AJS is just one of the 50 motorcycles on the docket for the annual event this year, part of Bonhams’ extensive motorcycle auction circuit that sells around 1,300 motorbikes – or about $8 million worth – every year. for the full details in the press release.
City of Tomorrow at Ferrari Store London – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ever get the nagging feeling that there are tiny little people or creatures of some sort living inside your engine? Call them gremlins, engine gnomes or what have you, but you’re not alone. Duggan Morris Architects took the concept to the next level in a display billed as the Cities of Tomorrow.
The architecture firm participated in an initiative of the Royal Institute of British Architects to craft tiny models of futuristic city-scapes, using a variety of finely-crafted mechanical components from race and road cars. The result could very well challenge Detroit for the title of Motor City, though in a very different sense.
Far-fetched? Maybe, but hardly unprecedented: facilities like Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and embody the same Prancing Horse spirit in full-size living spaces, even if the buildings aren’t shaped like crank shafts. Stop by the Ferrari Store on Regent Street in London to see the display up close, or if that’s a little out of reach, have a closer look in our high-resolution image gallery.
Best Motoring Fuji supercar battle – Click above to watch the video
If you were one of the many automotive enthusiasts to shed a tear when it became known that , we have a little piece of good news to cheer you up: there’s one final track battle for your viewing pleasure.
Even better news: Best Motoring went out with a bang, pitting the up against such performance benchmarks as the , , and Ferrari F430 GT3.
Yes, there are two almost-race-cars in the mix there along with three machines intended solely for the street, but it doesn’t really matter. All such contests should be taken with a grain of salt anyway.
When it’s all said and done, what we have here are five mouth-watering supercars on a track together being driven in anger. Want to know how it all shakes out? Check out the video .
1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider – Click above for high-res image gallery
Wait a second, a 500 with a four-cylinder engine? Come on, Autoblog – check your facts. Don’t we mean a ? Maybe that special-edition Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari? Nope. What we have here is a genuine four-cylinder Ferrari. And a highly coveted one at that.
The Ferrari 500 TRC (that’s Testa Rossa Type-C) Spider was one of the last models Maranello ever built with an inline-four, the engine originally designed by Aurelio Lampredi for Formula Two, but later adapted for sports racing prototypes after the engineer’s departure. Derived from the Monza, this was the first Ferrari to bear the Testa Rossa name for its red valve headers. And though the styling is similar, it’s even rarer than the 250 Testa Rossa that followed: only 19 of these cars were built, all during just one year or production, making this rarer than the more powerful 12-cylinder 250 TR and 250 GTO that rake in the big bucks at auction.
This particular example – chassis number 0670 MDTR – was the sixth made, ordered by a customer in Sicily who entered it in numerous races around the world in its heyday. While other 500 TRC Spiders went on to claim class victories at Le Mans and the Targa Florio, this one took its class win at the Monte Pellegrino Hillclimb in Palermo – the same locale where we drove on its launch several decades later.
The car stands as the latest consignment to RM Auctions’ docket for the upcoming Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where it is expected to fetch €2,600,000 to €3,300,000 (equivalent to $3.6M to $4.6M at current rates). There it will stand alongside such notables recently covered on these pages as the , the and in what’s shaping up to be an historic event in its own right. Follow the jump for more details on the 500 TRC and take a closer look in the high-res image gallery.
It’s the news we’ve all been waiting for: the imminent return of everyone’s favorite car show, Top Gear. The hit BBC television program has been on break since the 16th season ended on February 27 with episode 6, in which Hammond drove the 959 and F40, May tested NASA’s new lunar rover and Clarkson raced the sun in a .
Now FinalGear.com – the website that tracks everything Top Gear – reports that the new season (that’s #17 if you’re counting) will begin airing on June 12. The report comes courtesy of the May issue of the Dutch edition of Top Gear magazine.
So what can we expect from season 17? Hard to say – so far we know Clarkson and May have , we’ve heard the newly-wed Prince Harry could be to the Dunsfold Aerodrome (a.k.a. the Top Geartest track) and we’ve seen reports that the McLaren MP4-12C may have already claimed the fastest lap time on the board. For everything else, we’ll just have to wait (less than a month now, mind you) to find out.
Bill Rombauts and his buddy Dave Sherer have taken the patina’d rat rod look to new heights, applying the rust-first philosophy to a . Before going all Father Time on the paint job, the two spent close to $100,000 giving the car as much go as it has show.
Underneath all that affected rust and thinning paint lives a worked-over Kenne Bell supercharged 485-cubic-inch V8 based on a GM Performance Parts block. Before the addition of the blown 485, the was pumping out in the neighborhood of 650 rear-wheel-horsepower and tripping the lights in around 11 seconds through the quarter mile. Now, Sherer and Rombauts are looking for the 10-second range, and won’t say what kind of power the car makes.
Say what you will about the decision to make a brand-new Camaro look like it’s 30 years old, but you definitely can’t argue with this thing’s gusto. With prodigious power, a $100K mod list and a paint scheme some might call ugly, it’s also guaranteed to make a stir on Power Tour 2011. To make that goal a reality, Rombauts and Sherer are looking for sponsors to get their car to and from the Tour.
If you’re anything like us, trolling for cars you can only hope to one day own is like teeth brushing or hair combing – you could go without it for a day, but it wouldn’t be a very good day. Thankfully, the chances of that happening have just dropped to nothing with this week’s introduction of the eBay Motors iPhone app []. Sure, eBay itself has had an iPhone app for a while, but it’s a PiTA to use if you’re just looking for cars.
What we like about the new eBay Motors iPhone app is that it’s designed around how we use eBay Motors’ website. The app will of course let you search eBay Motors’ big database of vehicles and parts for sale, but it also has an area of the app called the Garage. This is where you input both the vehicles you own (My Vehicles) and the vehicles you want to own (Dream Vehicles), making it easy to search for either with the flick of a finger. One slick feature is that you can add vehicles to your Garage by using the iPhone’s camera to scan a VIN barcode, which is usually located on the inside of the driver’s door.
There are some things we’d like eBay Motors to fix with the app’s first update, mainly that the app’s search parameters are so limited. For instance, when filling the app’s Garage with cars, you have to input a specific Year, Make and Model, which means you can’t, for instance, claim an entire generation of vehicle as a Dream Vehicle you want to own, just one particular model year. Likewise, you also can’t dig deeper and pick a particular trim, which means my own vehicle, a 1991 Ford Taurus SHO, shows up in My Vehicles as just a 1991 Ford Taurus, making a search for the right parts damn near possible.
That said, we’re still happy that eBay Motors finally has its own iPhone app and hope the team behind its development will take a serious look at the limitations we mentioned. to check it out in iTunes, and why not download the new while you’re at it.
The family of automobiles is a small, tight-knit clan of exotic Italian machinery that sounds as good as it looks. Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne wants to expand that family, and capture more of . What does this all mean to the Trident brand?
, but the grown-up sedan is also due for a refresh. Each model may get an all-wheel-drive version thanks to the new tech found under the body of the . In addition to the pair of four-doors, a Maserati SUV (to be based off the latest ) is in the works. Once here, it will surely do battle the for the title of “most hated vehicle amongst purists-slash-best seller.” That vehicle may be built in Italy at Fiat’s .
And finally, according to a report from Car and Driver, the Italian brand may use a turbocharged and MultiAir-equipped version of Chrysler’s Pentastar V6 engine with 400 horsepower along with a turbodiesel from Fiat in lieu of a V8 borrowed from .
South African fans has a new special edition vehicle coming their way. Described by Chrysler as a way to “satisfy the boy racer in all of us,” the Dodge Caliber Mopar Edition is a blacked-out hatchback rolling on 18-inch powdercoated alloy wheels.
Under the hood sits a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s been juiced up courtesy of a cold-air induction kit and an upgraded manifold and exhaust system, and the mill is paired with a manual transmission. The Caliber Mopar Edition is dropped two inches, wears Mopar decals and gets a unique hood as well.
Priced at 259,990.00 Rand, the Dodge Caliber Mopar Edition will set you back a bit over $37,000 at current exchange rates. We understand that car cost is a hard thing to directly translate, and if you ditch the stripes it’s not half bad looking, but that’s still a ton of money for a tarted up Caliber… and it’s a far cry from the . Check out the South African press release .
Spy Shots: Audi R8 GT Spyder – Click above for high-res image gallery
keeps churning out more exciting versions of its two-door supercar, the . It began with the R8 V8, went power hungry with the R8 5.2 FSI V10, topless with the R8 V10 Spyder and on a track-focused diet with the R8 GT. Soon, , a lightweight droptop poised to bring a more aggressive open-air motoring to R8 fans.
The Audi R8 GT Spyder is powered by the same 5.2-liter V10 found in other non-V8 R8 coupes and convertibles. The mill produces 560 horsepower and sends marching orders directly to both the car’s four tires and your ears, seeing as it’s mounted right behind them. Audi is going to build 333 of them, so get your cash in line now. so bring at least $200,000 for the convertible, just to be safe.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s been an on-again, off-again affair with rumors of a possible R version of the Volkswagen Polo. But according to the latest from the Old World, things are looking up for the prospective pocket rocket.
The change in fortunes come down, according to Autocar, to the launch of the , the car with which the German automaker is preparing to mount its assault on the World Rally Championship. As you can see, the rally machine carries R branding, prompting the British publication to press VW board member Ulrich Hackenberg on the renewed possibility of a production Polo R hot hatch.
Hackenberg admitted such a vehicle is more likely with the launch of the WRC Polo, but that it wouldn’t arrive before 2013. As for specs, that’s all up to speculation. Autocar figures on a version of the ’s 1.4-liter twin-charger four with over 200 horsepower, with or without the built on the same platform. One way or another, we’ll be watching this development as it unfolds (or doesn’t).
