The Auto Blog .ru

In the latest release of its BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study, market researchers Milward Brown have given BMW the highest ranking of any carmaker, according to Automotive News. Toyota – last year’s winner – finished second, followed by Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Nissan, according to the report.

BMW had last finished atop the rankings in 2010, according to the report, with Toyota taking the crown from 2006-2009. The highest-ranked American brand was Ford at seventh, trailing sixth-place Volkswagen. The top ten was filled out by Audi, Hyundai and Lexus. Toyota’s drop was attributed to its production interruptions due to the natural disasters that affected all of the Japanese automakers last year, according to AN.

BMW’s win among auto manufacturers was only enough to place it 23rd in the overall brand ranking, with an estimated brand value of $24.6 billion. Apple, the overall winner, according to the report, had a $182.9 billion valuation, ahead of IBM ($116 billion) and Google ($107.9 billion). Toyota’s valuation was $21.8 billion, with Mercedes-Benz and Honda far behind at $16.1 billion and $12.7 billion respectively. No other carmaker had a valuation over $10 billion.

BMW named most valuable car brand

Reimagining An Iconic Sports Car With Some Modern Parts

We first placed our hands on Singer’s “reimagined Porsche 911″ nearly three years ago when it made its world debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Shortly thereafter, we caught up with the company’s orange prototype for a photo shoot in the Los Angeles basis. While we were both intrigued and impressed with the sports car at the time, full disclosure admits that we were very skeptical about the start-up back in September 2009. Sadly, we’ve watched this industry shatter far too many dreams.

But Singer has prospered. Very well, it appears.

Rob Dickenson, the creative genius behind the vision, recently invited Autoblog to Singer’s headquarters in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley for an extended ride in the company’s latest offering. After a detailed tour of the facility where we saw other vehicles in production, we dropped into the passenger seat to see what the “Porsche 911 restored by Singer” was all about – only bummed as it was a customer car, meaning we still weren’t allowed behind the wheel.

Continue reading Porsche 911 restored by Singer [w/video]

Porsche 911 restored by Singer [w/video]

BMW M3 purists, rejoice. According to F30Post.com, BMW’s North American boss, Ludwig Willisch, has confirmed that the next-generation M3 will be powered by an inline six-cylinder engine. That’s right, the V8 is dead and the rumors of a possible V6 have officially been squashed.

To wit, Willisch told F30Post.com that a V6 was under consideration for quite some time, and the original thought was to use a chopped version of the S65 4.0-liter V8 found in the current car. But plans for a V-configuration have indeed been ruled out, and all that’s left to speculate on is exactly how much help the new inline-six will get from forced induction.

In order to be more powerful than the current M3, no less than two turbochargers will likely be bolted to the new six-cylinder powerplant. In fact, we’ve even heard rumors of a tri-turbo setup being engineered for use in the M3. In any case, expect about 450 horsepower to be on tap.

Next BMW M3 returning to inline six-cylinder engine

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is officially on its way to dealerships. Outlets in California, New Jersey, and New York – 67 in all – are going to be the first to receive the electron-fueled Focus, with about six cars each winding up on lots. To help dealers build more excitement for what’s likely to be a slow-starting sales story, the dealers will hold one of the Focus EVs as a demonstrator.

Even if fewer than 5,000 Focus Electric models find buyers this year, Alan Mulally won’t be disappointed. While Ford ultimately expects electrics and hybrid vehicles to account for up to 25 percent of its sales volume by 2020, the company is moving deliberately. Rather than develop and tool an entirely new platform, Ford’s move to modify the Focus for electric propulsion is said to allow some semblance of a profit margin, but it’s going to take time for consumers to warm to the idea of a $40,000 Focus, even if a third of that price is the battery, and Ford appears to be keeping this in mind.

After the initial 350 or so cars are delivered to the pilot stores, the rest of the Ford dealers across the nation will start getting the Focus EV before spring turns into summer.

First Ford Focus Electric models en route to dealerships

Unlike his pre-BAR Honda F1 days, Jacques Villeneuve’s NASCAR career has been strewn with potholes – and by “potholes” we mean crashes, mechanical failures and lowly finishes. But there have been a few successes, with third-place finishes at Montreal in 2010 and at Road America in 2011 – both road courses – and pole position at Montreal last year in the Nationwide Series.

Penske Racing is giving Villeneuve a chance to improve those placings, having offered the French-Canadian a drive in the #22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger for both of those races. Villeneuve subbed for regular Penske team driver Brad Keselowski during those two rounds in 2011, adding a 27th in Montreal to his third at Road America.

The adventure will give Villeneuve 12 NASCAR starts in the last five years, and having taken pole position at Montreal and been on the podium twice, it’s not outrageous to figure he’s in with a chance. “I feel, after winning the pole last year at Montreal,” he said, “that we can have a lot of success. A NASCAR victory is something I want.”

Penske hires Jacques Villeneuve for two NASCAR Nationwide races

If Jesus had treated Lazarus’ resurrection like Renault has treated that of its Alpine brand, Lazarus would have politely requested, “Please, leave me alone.” In 2008, the Alpine’s return was rumored to come riding on the platform of the Nissan 370Z. In 2009 the revival was declared D.O.A along with the co-developed Nissan 200SX. In 2010 it was back on, the new Alpine to be based on the reputation-making Alpine A110 Berlinette. In January of this year there were still rumors but still no car, with scuttlebutt pegging a concept showing at this year’s Paris Motor Show.

Finally, just this month the goat entrails predicted a showing of a new Alpine at the Monaco Grand Prix, which arrives in the principality this weekend. And the leaked rendering pictured above of the Renault A110-50 concept is the very Alpine purportedly to be revealed on Friday. Looking more inspired by the Renault DeZir concept (right) from two years ago, with some uneven assistance from Photoshop, all Renault needs to do is omit the two supplementary nostrils on the leading edge and tell us where to send a deposit. The built-up concept is loosely based on a Renault Megane with a tube-frame chassis, hiding a 400-horsepower V6 amidships.

Not that it will ever be made, but at least we have something to look at now and perhaps even to touch come this Friday. Or could it get made? One more false start we neglected to mention was just last year when Renault scrapped the Alpine brand again, opting to provide a new roadster for its Renaulsport brand. The car proposed for that endeavor: a production version of the DeZir. We hope to know more on Friday, so stay tuned.

Renault Alpine A110-50 concept leaked ahead of Monaco debut

It seems like it was just a few years ago that car manufacturers used to laugh at us when we’d ask why a new model didn’t get any better fuel economy than its outgoing predecessor. “Car buyers don’t care about fuel economy,” was the refrain, “They certainly won’t pay for it.“

A few years of three- and four-dollar-per-gallon gas has apparently changed that attitude. According to a new study by Consumer Reports, 37 percent of respondents said fuel economy was now their leading consideration in car shopping, topping all others by a landslide. Quality was the second-most-important factor at 17 percent, while safety was mentioned by 16 percent, and value by 14 percent of shoppers. Two-thirds of respondents said they expected their next new vehicle to beat their current one on fuel economy. And yes, it is the economy, stupid, as 90 percent of those surveyed said high gas prices were the reason why they wanted a more fuel-efficient vehicle.

None of this is too surprising, given what has been going on both in the auto industry and in the larger economy since the economic meltdown of 2008. But we still kind of wonder how performance managed to rate number one with just six percent of those surveyed? Is that it then, there are six times as many tee-totalers than auto enthusiasts out there in the world?

CR says that it called 2,009 people across the country to get its results, obtaining 1,702 responses from adult car owners. Scroll down to read the full press release.

Continue reading Survey Says: Fuel economy is #1 factor when buying a car

Survey Says: Fuel economy is #1 factor when buying a car

It looks like we weren’t the only ones to get our hands on the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500. Jamal Hameedi, SVT chief nameplate engineer, recently stopped by the Big Dog Garage to show off both the Mustang Boss 302 and the GT500. It’s no secret that Leno has always been a Mustang fan, and with the ridiculously powerful supercharged 5.8-liter pumping out more grunt than the comedian’s own Ford GT, the 2013 Shelby has earned itself another proponent. Leno takes the big horse out for a ride around town, including over some of the more punishing stretches of Los Angeles freeway before heading home.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage without a proper burnout, and the clip doesn’t disappoint. Looks like fun to us. Now the only question is whether Leno will add one of these machines to his own personal collection. Scroll down below to watch the video, which concludes with a little tribute to the recently deceased Carroll Shelby.

Continue reading Jay Leno gets nostalgic driving Shelby GT500 and Boss 302

Jay Leno gets nostalgic driving Shelby GT500 and Boss 302

There have been rumors of an Apple iCar for much longer than five years. But it was five years ago that there was enough heat under them for a German newspaper to report that Steve Jobs and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn had met to discuss the idea. A year later another German outlet printed a photo of a VW concept (pitured) alongside an iPhone, and a columnist in the New York Times kindly asked Steve Jobs to save Detroit.

But did the iCar ever really exist as more than an idea? Mickey Drexler is the CEO of J. Crew and sits on the board of Apple Computer, and at a recent conference in New York he said that Steve Jobs’ “dream before he died was to design an iCar.” Drexler doesn’t say when Jobs had this dream, whether it was just before he died or so long ago that it could substantiate the ancient rumors. No matter, Drexler said “He never did design it.”

The edited video of Drexler’s comments is posted below. And know that this doesn’t mean the rumors, nor the iCar itself, are dead.

Continue reading Apple Board Member: Steve Jobs’ dream was to design iCar [w/video]

Apple Board Member: Steve Jobs’ dream was to design iCar [w/video]

A rally race in France ended in a tragedy this weekend, when a driver missed his turn and hit a crowd of people. Two deaths were reported, with 17 injured including a race marshall and several children, according to the BBC.

Four of the injuries were deemed “serious,” and the scope of the accident overwhelmed rescue services, according to the report. The driver was also injured, and is in the custody of the police, who have launched an investigation, according to iafrica.com.

The Pays des Maures race was being held in Southern France, with the accident occurring on Saturday afternoon near Toulon, according to the BBC.

Scroll down to see a TV report on the accident, in French.

Continue reading Rally car plows into crowd in France, kills two [w/video]

Rally car plows into crowd in France, kills two [w/video]

Think back to childhood for a moment. What did you do when you wanted, say, a new skateboard, but mom and dad were dragging their heels about ponying up for one? That’s right, you built your own, out of bits of scrap plywood and some old wheels discarded by an older sibling. And it sucked.

We see the same situation playing out here. The children at Top Gear are absolutely gaga for the DeltaWing race car, which Nissan will be campaigning at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. And even if they are Top Gear, nobody at Nissan is going to just give them an experimental race car for futzing around. So they are building their own. Or at least a simulacrum of the DeltaWing, out of what appears to be junk.

Details are scarce, but the image gallery Top Gear has on its website tells enough of the story that we’re pretty sure they aren’t going to come anywhere close. Not only does the 1,100-pound curb weight of the revolutionary race car present something of a challenge when you’re basically welding the thing up from scratch, but whatever that ancient engine sitting in the nose of the Top Gear project is, we’re plenty sure it won’t be packing the 300-plus horsepower of Nissan’s turbocharged four.

But just as your pre-pubescent charm and pluckiness eventually prevailed in the skateboard scenario, we’re thinking Top Gear might be on to something with its fanboy-ish DeltaWing replica. After all, mom may have embarrassed you in the skate shop, but she did get you the real thing, didn’t she?

Top Gear building its own Nissan DeltaWing race car

While we get the Volkswagen Eos, other markets get this: the Golf GTI Cabriolet. We had a good look at it under the lights of the Geneva Motor Show, and now VW has dropped a slew of photos of the convertible in its natural environment.

Under the hood is a 207-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, mated to either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch gearbox. The car’s feminine aspect has been mentioned, but VW would like to focus people’s attention on the 0-to-62 time of 7.3 seconds, making it the fastest GTI convertible ever, the top speed of 147 miles per hour, and it being “the most economical model in its class.” And the man at the wheel in the press photos.

You can have a good, varied look at it in the gallery of high-res photos, and check out the press release by scrolling down.

Continue reading Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet toots its 207-horsepower horn

Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet toots its 207-horsepower horn

During a meeting of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Toyota president Akio Toyoda offered a “Chapeau!” to his fellow CEOs by listing his favorite cars from other makers. He listed just one vehicle from five makers represented on the board, in alphabetical order: the Honda NSX, Isuzu Bellett, Mazda Cosmo, Mitsubishi Pajero (our Montero) and Nissan Skyline.

Toyoda didn’t give his reasons for choosing these car beyond each being “memorable.” Even so, going through the list any car enthusiast knows the Honda (Acura in the States) NSX needs no introduction nor explanation. The Mitsubishi Pajero is probably as well known for it’s off-road excellence as it is for its name change in Spanish-speaking lands due to the word “pajero” – all the more intriguing when it’s apparently named after an Argentine cat, Leopardus pajeros. And although the “Skyline” moniker was made famous overseas by the GT-R, the Nissan Skyline that Toyoda references has a long history and is our Infiniti G.

The Mazda Cosmo (pictured) was an Italian-esque little coupe produced from 1967 to 1995, the first series production vehicle with a two-rotor rotary engine. The Isuzu Bellett was that firm’s in-house replacement for the English Hillmans it was rebranding, the first Japanese car to get GT badging (it would also get a GT-R version), and it would cover just about every segment with sedan, coupe, station wagon and pickup truck variants.

Toyota CEO lists favorite cars from other automakers

If you sift through eBay Motors like a junkyard dog looks for bones, you may have already come across a Studio Effect image from Dimostra. They look a little out of place in an eBay Motors auction gallery, perhaps because they’re a bit too perfect compared to the usual lot of hastily snapped images. The irony, however, is that these glossy-looking glamor shots don’t come from a physical studio at all, but are rather the result of renting the Photoshop expertise of Dimostra’s digital artists to turn those hastily snapped images into something special.

This Chicago-based company offers a number of services related to vehicle photography, but the Studio Effect is what caught our eye. Company spokesman and partner David Nawrocki tells Autoblog that many hours of Photoshop manipulation go into each Studio Effect image despite the price of just $49 per image. Doesn’t sound reasonable to you? Try finding an independent digital artist with skills like this and see what he charges. That price includes a digital copy of the resulting Studio Effect image, but Dimostra also offers accessories on which you can emblazon your Studio Effect shot – everything from a keychain and coffee mug to a T-shirt or framed gallery picture.

We were curious how the process works, so we sent Dimostra some images of one of our own cars – a 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo – to see what they could do. Turnaround time was a few days, during which time the company helped us choose the best image to use from ones we already had, as well as offered tips on how to go out and shoot the sort of image that results in the best looking Studio Effect shot. Check out the results in the gallery above, as well as some other before-and-after shots from the Dimostra artists.

Studio Effect turns your snapshots into studio glamor shots

With a starting MSRP of $90,695, the 2013 BMW M5 is spendy to begin with. But loading it up with all the trimmings, you’ll see a sticker price north of $116,000. And we know this because we just spent a few minutes playing with the M5 configurator, which is now live on the BMW consumer website.

While we’re not really that shocked by the price, we are kind of confused by the M5’s color palette. While mainstays like Monte Carlo Blue Metallic and Alpine White are there, you cannot have an M5 in red – Sakhir Orange Metallic will have to do if you’re the flamboyant type. If you’re into earth tones, however, BMW has you covered, with five silver and gray tones, three shades of black, and two browns.

When it comes to options and packages, there’s all kinds of way to drop several thousand dollars at the tick of a box, including an Executive Package that bundles together a bunch of stuff you probably don’t need – active front seats, heated rear seats, sunshades, soft-close automatic doors, yada, yada, yada – and charges you $5,500 for it. It makes the Driver Assistance Package with lane departure warning and blind spot detection seem like a steal at just $1,900. A night vision system with pedestrian detection ($2,600), a head-up display ($1,300), and a rear-seat entertainment system ($2,200) are also offered, though the best piece of optional kit is one BMW isn’t charging for: a manual transmission.

Check out all 14 exterior M5 colors in our gallery.

2013 BMW M5 configurator revs up

Our trusty spy photographers have caught the upcoming Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet with its top down and its tail up on a stroll through German streets. To our eyes, the extended length and wheelbase are accentuated in the rear-end packaging, but it’s still a looker.

Some reports say that motivation will come from a twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six, others say there will be three turbos affixed for immediate low-end action. Horsepower ratings are also a muddle for now, with various reports suggesting 515 horsepower or thereabouts, making for a 15-hp increase over the current Turbo, and that would be followed by a Turbo S with somewhere around 550 hp, a 20-hp bump on the present Turbo S. Other reports say the regular turbo will go straight for the 550-hp jugular, leaving the S to haunt the neighborhood of 600 hp.

What we do know is that it will pack all-wheel drive, a seven-speed transmission in traditional stick or PDK, and every electro-bauble in Porsche’s arsenal when it finally is revealed. For now, catch what you can in the high-res gallery of spy photos.

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet caught topless

Big trucks just aren’t appealing enough on their own, at least in some places. For proof, look to a Shanghai GMC dealer who is offering about three years worth of free gas to anyone who buys a new Sierra Denali. Too bad it’ll take about 20 years to pay off the big truck.

The dealer is giving away five tons – about 2,000 gallons, worth around $8,000 in China – of petrol to new Sierra Denali buyers in China’s largest city, according to The Detroit Bureau. The offer appears to be a nod to rising China gas prices, which are climbing towards levels similar to those in the U.S. now that the Chinese government is doing less to artificially keep gas prices down. Full-size trucks have been sold in China for about three years and are known to be status symbols in China, says The Detroit Bureau.

There is, of course, a catch. The Denali, unlike most General Motors vehicles sold in China, is built in the U.S., so the price tag is about $134,000, or almost three times what the model sells for in the States. Here’s hoping a few free car washes come with those full tanks.

Shanghai GMC dealer offering five tons of free gas with truck purchase

Lexus has announced a voluntary recall of roughly 650 2013 GS 350 F Sport models over a potential issue with one of the electronic control units.

When the vehicle is parked with the steering wheel turned, the calibration of the ECU for the Variable Gear Ratio Steering can cause the steering wheel to “become off-centered” if the car is immediately restarted.

Lexus will be notifying owners in early June, at which time they can take their cars to the dealer to have the ECU recalibrated free of charge. Scroll down for the press release.

Continue reading Toyota recalling 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport over faulty ECU

Toyota recalling 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport over faulty ECU

There are plenty of dangers to contend with at a track day. High speeds, inexperienced drivers, faulty equipment and foul weather can all play havoc on an otherwise friendly fender-to-fender weekend. We can now add carbon monoxide poisoning to the list of potential threats.

One Finnish Toyota MR2 owner took his machine out for a quick sprint at Ahvenisto just outside of Hameenlinna. After a few minutes behind the wheel, the driver begins struggling to keep control of his car, eventually spinning into the infield. He maneuvers back on track and pulls off, and it isn’t long before he blacks out entirely. Later, he would have no recollection of anything after the car hit the grass.

He stays unconscious for nearly 11 minutes before rescue workers resort to smashing his passenger window to gain access. By the time he receives medical attention, his blood was packed with 67 percent carbon monoxide. Any longer in the vehicle’s cabin and the day very well could have been his last. Check out the scariness for yourself.

Continue reading Carbon monoxide nearly costs this track day racer his life

Carbon monoxide nearly costs this track day racer his life

The Biggest Hammer Of Them All Is Sharper Than Ever

We would love to be able to look you square in the eye and say, “All you need to know about the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 can be summed up in one figure: 662.” After all, that’s the obscene amount of horsepower ripping at the rear tires courtesy of the supercharged 5.8-liter V8 under the hood. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. For the first time in its life, the GT500 has found itself lined up against a legitimate competitor in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The muscle car/supercar crossbreed from General Motors is stitched to conquer not only the quarter mile, but nation’s road courses as well.

In order to answer that threat, the engineers at Ford have laid a hand on nearly every mechanical and electrical system on board the GT500. While that means the blown V8 churns out a diabolical 112 more horsepower than the previous model, it also means the top-tier Mustang now comes with tricks like user-selectable Bilstein dampers, adjustable electronic power steering, larger brakes and an array of optional cooling systems. In fact, if this car came wrapped in a slightly different shade of sheetmetal, we’d be talking about an all-new model instead of a refresh.

Continue reading 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 [w/video]

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 [w/video]