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BMW’s latest introduction to the U.S. market bowed today at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, and it’s a machine that’s meant to light the true enthusiast’s heart aflutter: the 2012 1 Series M Coupe. We must say, it looks rather striking in the metallic orange hue you see in our live photo gallery below.

Even more importantly, the 340 horsepower put out by its 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine is said to “capture the soul of the original M3.” Or so they say… BMW claims this new sportster was inspired by the 1988 M3, and the German automaker’s intention is reportedly to “illustrate its ability to build race car performance into a small car, capable of everyday use.”

Expect to see the new 1 Series M Coupe hit dealership lots in the spring of 2011 for $47,010, in limited quantities according to BMW. In the meantime, check out the live photos in our high-res image gallery below.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

Detroit 2011: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe revs its beating heart

Volkswagen has serious plans for its market share here in North America. The automaker hopes to sell 800,000 cars per year in the United States by the year 2018, and it’s vehicles like the refreshed 2011 Jetta and this, the all-new 2012 Passat, that will be the bread-winners moving forward.

If your first thought about the Passat’s design is “big Jetta,” you aren’t alone. The last-generation Passat wasn’t exactly a looker, but at least it stood out within Volkswagen’s lineup. The new Passat honestly and truly looks like a longer, wider, taller Jetta, and the nondescript design language makes it look extremely unforgettable. It isn’t bad looking, but it doesn’t spark any emotion within us.

Much like the Jetta, the Passat gets a much lower price point for the 2012 model year – base pricing is expected to start around $20,000 when the car goes on sale later this year, some $8,000 below the 2011 model it replaces. Both five- and six-cylinder gasoline engines will be available, as well as a 2.0-liter diesel inline-four (the same engine we enjoy in the Golf and Jetta currently). Interior quality is much better than the dumbed down cabin of the Jetta, though we’d still like slightly more refinement, especially considering how good the interiors of $20K competitors are these days.

We’ve just returned from checking out the 2012 Passat live at the Detroit Auto Show, so scroll through our high-res gallery of live shots below to see the new car for yourself.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 John Neff / AOL

Continue reading Detroit 2011: 2012 Volkswagen Passat is one big, fat Jetta

Detroit 2011: 2012 Volkswagen Passat is one big, fat Jetta

If you were wondering how General Motors was planning to differentiate the 2012 Buick Verano from its Chevy Cruze counterpart, wonder no more. According to Buick, its newest addition will offer the quietest ride in its segment thanks to heaps of laminated glass, triple door seals and a host of other muting technologies. Buick calls the cabin “library quiet,” though there’s no word as to whether the interior smells of old books. They’ve also made sure to throw in the same levels of refinement as found in the likes of the Lacrosse, and drivers can expect to find the same high-quality leather and a host of tech goodies as the bigger four-door.

That’s all fine and good, but we’re more excited about what Buick has thrown under the hood of the 2012 Verano. Buyers who opt for the base car will be met with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine capable of 177 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. Mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, Buick is shooting for around 31 mpg highway. The really juicy news is that the Verano will also be available with the same turbo 2.0-liter four cylinder found in the Regal Turbo, and again with your choice of six-speed manual or automatic! That means this significantly smaller, lighter four-door will be available with a full 220 horsepower. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

Continue reading Detroit 2011: 2012 Buick Verano is quietly powerful

Detroit 2011: 2012 Buick Verano is quietly powerful

A Ferrari is a heck of a first car to start off with. But then John Lennon was a heck of a guy. The famous singer-songwriter and Beatles frontman didn’t get his driver’s license until 1965. By then he was 25 and one of the most famous – and famously wealthy – figures in the world. So when news broke, car dealers didn’t wait for him to come to their showrooms; they brought their showrooms to him.

The dealers lined up outside his residence at Kenwood with Maseratis, Aston Martins, Jaguars and this ‘65 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2. Lennon ultimately picked out the blue Ferrari for £2,000, and though he soon bought a Rolls-Royce Phantom V and a Mini to go with it, the 330 GT will always have been his first car.

The French racing blue GT is now heading to the auction block in Paris under consignment to Bonhams for February 5 with pre-sale estimates placing its value around €120,000 – 170,000 ($155-220k). Details can be found in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Bonhams]

Continue reading This Ferrari was John Lennon’s first car, and it’s up for auction at Bonhams

This Ferrari was John Lennon’s first car, and it’s up for auction at Bonhams

It may look like the strange lovechild of the 2012 Ford Focus and the European-spec Kuga crossover, but the Blue Oval’s new Vertrek crossover concept is indeed a visual upgrade compared to current small CUV offerings. The Vertrek, which makes its world debut here at the Detroit Auto Show, previews what’s in store for Ford’s new global small crossover, set to replace both the Escape here in North America as well as the Kuga abroad.

Powering the Vertrek is Ford’s new 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline four-cylinder engine, and the addition of Auto Start-Stop technology means it will be even more efficient. Ford has said that Auto Start-Stop will quickly spread across the brand’s product portfolio, and since 90 percent of Blue Oval-badged vehicles will have an EcoBoost option by 2013, fuel efficiency is expected to rise quite dramatically across the automaker’s entire lineup. What’s more, Ford will be incorporating regenerative braking into its gasoline-powered vehicles, and this system works with the Vertrek’s turbocharged engine and start-stop system to boost fuel economy even higher.

The Vertrek also builds upon Ford’s Kinetic design language, first seen on the Fiesta hatchback and then carried over to the new Focus sedan and five-door. Sure, the large wheels, small headlamps and futuristic mirrors are purely conceptual design, but Photoshop on some bits from the Focus (with which the Vertrek shares its platform) and a possible production car is indeed in sight. The interior, too, is wholly forward thinking, and while we’d love to see this sort of design on a road-ready crossover, we fully expect a much more toned-down approach.

We’ll have live shots of the Vertrek shortly, but in the meantime, click through our gallery of official high-res shots below, and follow the jump for Ford’s official press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Detroit 2011: Ford Vertrek Concept previews future global small crossover

Detroit 2011: Ford Vertrek Concept previews future global small crossover

Lamborghini isn’t presenting anything at the Detroit Auto Show because it doesn’t even have a stand. But that doesn’t mean that the Sant’ Agata company had nothing to say. CEO Stephan Winkelmann and head of R&D Maurizio Reggiani spoke briefly about the Murciélago successor at a Sunday evening event outside of Cobo Hall, putting together a few more pieces of the Lamborghini 834 – otherwise known as the car many assume will be called the Aventador. Winkelmann said he wants it to be “the trendsetter of the next decade.” The main points:

• Cues: the 834 will have all the traditional modern Lamborghini cues, meaning all-wheel drive, scissor doors and prominent air intakes. Winkelmann said it would be revolutionary but recognizable, and that its inspiration has come from the military (not unlike the military-aircraft inspired Reventon)
• Chassis: “Stiffness and lightness are the words to remember,” said Winkelmann, and the company has planted its flag on the battleground known as “power-to-weight.” The body-in-white is 229 kilograms, torsional stiffness is 35,000 Newton-Meters/degree and it has been homologated worldwide already. The entire monocoque cell is carbon fiber – the tub is a Lamborghini-developed process patented by the company as RTM (Resin Transfer Molded) Lambo, a slightly different process than standard RTM, the A- and B-Pillars and rocker panels are braided carbon fiber, and the roof is prepreg carbon fiber. The RTM Lambo process has been developed in conjunction with its work with Boeing and the University of Washington.
• Engine: The new 6.5-liter V12 has 18 percent more power but emits 20 percent less CO2 – 398 g/km – than the 6.5-liter V12 in the now-discontinued Murciélago. It develops 700 horsepower at 8,450 rpm and 509 pound-feet at 5,500 rpm; although displacement is the same, the bore and stroke have been changed to provide better acceleration and smoother, more elastic power delivery in stop-and-go traffic.
• Transmission: The 834 uses a seven-speed, single-clutch transmission developed and patented by Lamborghini as ISR (Independent Shifting Rod) and built by Graziano. A single clutch was chosen because it is 20 kilograms lighter than a dual clutch and, said Reggiani, “You have to have the drop in torque so you feel like you’re shifting, to give the emotion.” There will be five shift modes: Auto, Auto Strada (’strada’ being for comfort), Strada, Sport and Corsa. The gearbox’s syncros can disengage one gear as they’re engaging the next, so shift times in Corsa will be 50 milliseconds (Formula 1 is about 40 ms), 150 ms in Sport, and 300 ms in Auto Strada.
• Suspension: According to Lamborghini, the 834 will mark the first time a pushrod suspension with horizontal dampers appears on a production car. The setup will keep the wheel in perfect alignment throughout the range of suspension travel.
• Brakes: There will be 400 mm carbon discs up front, 380 mm in back, and it will have an electronic parking brake.
• Interior: There will, of course, be improved roominess all around, the driving position is now dead ahead and not skewed to the right, and the dash cluster is a single, large TFT screen.
• Safety: The 834 will have passive pedestrian protection, four front airbags and two side airbags

One final note: Communications director Raffaello Porro confirmed that the company is still debating making both the Sesto Elemento and the Estoque. The Estoque is the natural way for the brand to grow (not an SUV), but if the Sesto Elemento is made it won’t be homologated. A decision on both is expected in the first quarter of this year.

Detroit 2011: Lamborghini shares more info on the Aventador 834

Small MPVs are all the rage in Europe, but here in North America – the land of “bigger is better” – these moderately-sized people-haulers have never quite sold in droves. Ford firmly believes that it’s time to bring the small MPV segment back to North America, and the 2012 C-Max is its first foray into offering this sort of pint-sized family-hauling package here in America.

We’ve already driven (and enjoyed) the European-spec Grand C-Max, and the good news is that not much will change mechanically before the car arrives here in the States. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine will be the base powertrain with an all-new 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four being the up-level mill. The C-Max offers seating for seven (or “five plus two,” as Ford says), and the latest crop of Blue Oval tech will be found inside.

The C-Max will go on sale later this year shortly after production begins at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant. We’ve just finished perusing the new C-Max live at Cobo Hall during the opening hours of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, so scroll through our high-res gallery of live shots to see the new MPV in the flesh.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

Detroit 2011: 2012 Ford C-Max struts its mini-minivan stuff

The competition for this year’s North American Car and Truck of the Year was certainly stiff, but at the opening ceremonies for the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, the winners have finally been crowned. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2011 Ford Explorer take top honors as the Car and Truck of the Year for 2011.

We aren’t necessarily surprised by either winner, especially the Volt, which has taken the automotive industry by storm in recent months. General Motors‘ range-extended EV has already been named Motor Trend Car of the Year and Automobile of the Year, and regardless of the sedan’s shortcomings, it is no doubt an impressive engineering feat for GM. The Volt also won the Green Car of the Year award and the Detroit Free Press’ Car of the Year title.

Thomas Stephens, GM’s vice chairman of global product operations, said that the Volt represents the soul of the new General Motors, so critics (we’re looking at you, Rush Limbaugh) will probably continue to have lots to complain about in the coming years.

With the Explorer’s win, Ford has now taken the North American Truck of the Year award for the past three years, with the Transit Connect and F-150 winning in 2010 and 2009, respectively. The new Explorer’s transition from a traditional body-on-frame SUV to a modern crossover certainly hasn’t weakened its appeal to both the media and consumers alike, and with an EcoBoost version arriving within the next few months, the Expy’s market share will undoubtedly get larger.

Congratulations to both the Volt and Explorer, and a tip of the hat to runners-up Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Leaf, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Chris Paukert and Drew Phillips / AOL

Chevrolet Volt, Ford Explorer named 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year

Porsche has rolled out a race-bred version of the company’s 918 Spyder Concept at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Packing the same drivetrain as the track-proven 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car, Porsche says that the 918 RSR will bring a whopping 767 combined horsepower to the party when it shows up in the paddock. A total of 563 of those ponies are provided by a 6.2-liter V8 that revs to an atmospheric 10,300 rpm. Porsche has partnered its beastly eight-pot with two electric motors capable of 75 kilowatts of juice positioned at each front wheel.

The 918 RSR stores braking energy in a flywheel accumulator stationed where the passenger seat would traditionally rest, and the tech allows the driver to summon up an extra bump in power for passing or acceleration. The pilot can command the boost in grunt for up to eight seconds.

Like the 918 Concept, the bones of the 918 RSR are built of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and the body was penned to pay respect the legendary racers like the 917 short-tail. Hit the jump for the press release.

Live Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips, Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Detroit 2011: Porsche 918 RSR racer is a single-seat dream [w/ video]

Detroit 2011: Porsche 918 RSR racer is a single-seat dream [w/ video]

General Motors is showing its CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show today, and we dutifully pointed our camera lenses in its general direction. Naturally, it sits just a few millimeters off the ground, is painted up in an eye-catching paint scheme and covered in a serious set of ducts, flares and massive wings. Par for the course, really, but pretty glorious all the same.

If there were an awards category here in Detroit for the vehicle most likely to be turned into a radio-controlled parking lot racer – and really, why isn’t there? – the CTS-V Coupe racer would be at the very top of that list. See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below, and feel free to review the official press release after the break.

Lice photos copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing and Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

Continue reading Detroit 2011: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car opens the show

Detroit 2011: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car opens the show

	Consumer Reports tests aging 2002 Prius Turns out, the car “retains its youth.”		As new Congress opens, Republicans disband global warming committee *Feigned shock*
	CES 2011: Ford Focus Electric ready to steal the EV spotlight The Blue Oval’s EV entry is a bit late, but is ready to play catch up.	Other news: Enterprise Rent-a-Car to offer Chevy Volt rentals by end of month More GEMs on the horizon: Chrysler offers new 2011 low-speed electric vehicle options GM, Argonne detail new agreement for better, safer and cheaper batteries

AutoblogGreen for 01.10.11

General Motors has officially yanked back the sheets on the newest sub-compact from Chevrolet, the 2012 Sonic. Just don’t call it the Aveo. The five-door hatch and four-door sedan are set to be officially unveiled later today at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, but the Bow Tie brand has been kind enough to share the skinny on this vehicle that’s supposed to tango with the likes of the new Hyundai Elantra and the Ford Fiesta. The Sonic will be available with a standard 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, though buyers can opt up for a turbocharged 1.4-liter producing 138 horsepower, which GM underscores is 18 ponies more than the Fiesta. Shifting duties are handled by either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic gearbox.

In fact, it’s clear that The General had its sights locked on the Fiesta from the get go. The Sonic hatchback packs more back seat room than its Blue Oval competitor and, with the rear bench folded flat, delivers more cargo room, as well.

GM also put plenty of effort into the suspension by tasking the geometry gurus responsible for the Corvette’s mighty grip. Up front, the Sonic benefits from a MacPherson strut design, while a torsion beam handles suspension duties out back.

There’s also plenty design-wise to differentiate the Sonic from its homely predecessor, including a more aggressive front fascia with massive headlight arrays. Judging from the photos, the biggest changes are indoors, where a stylish cockpit replaces the bland, bargain plastics of the Aveo. Stay tuned for live photos from the show floor of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show and hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading 2012 Chevy Sonic shown off as sedan and hatchback

2012 Chevy Sonic shown off as sedan and hatchback

As part of the Volkswagen quest to carve out an ever-larger slice of the American auto market, the German manufacturer has unveiled the newest addition to its lineup – the 2012 Passat. Penned specifically to cater to big-boned tastes of American buyers, the next-generation sedan wears a 110.4-inch wheelbase to make it larger than any of its predecessors. Even so, VW says that when the Passat goes on sale later this year, it will arrive with a price tag of less than $20,000. Buyers will be able to choose one of three different power train options, including two gasoline engines and one diesel powerplant.

Things get started with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder gasoline engine with 170 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, followed by a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder with 140 ponies and 236 pound-feet of twist. Those who opt for the top-of-the-line mill will be rewarded with a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

The 2012 Passat will be built at the new VW manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee later this year. Check out our high-res image gallery below, then hit the jump for a video and full press release.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading 2012 Volkswagen Passat is German bred, Chattanooga born [w/video]

2012 Volkswagen Passat is German bred, Chattanooga born [w/video]

Automakers typically try to keep prying eyes away from the show cars that they wheel into convention centers for major auto shows. Porsche, however, made a video of the process and posted it online.

With only hours to go until the German automaker marks its return to the Detroit Auto Show after a four-year absence, speculation has been running wild as to what Porsche has in store for us. Earlier reports pointed towards a racing car based on the 918 Spyder concept from Geneva, then Stuttgart announced it was bringing a concept car.

From watching the video after the jump, it seems both could be right. The camouflaged shell seems to blend elements of the 918 with the tail of the all-conquering 956, and has the precise effect of revving up our anticipation even more. Whatever it is, we’ll be finding out very shortly, 6:30AM EST to be exact. But in the meantime, we invite you to check out the footage after the jump.

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Video: Porsche teases Detroit-bound show car

Video: Porsche teases Detroit-bound show car

In 2009, China became the largest auto market on the planet, surpassing the United States. 2010 proved to be more of the same, as China cemented itself as the king of car sales. But while automakers are living the high life in China, the capitol city of Beijing is trying to slam the brakes on new vehicle sales.

The problem, according to a Christian Science Monitor report, is that traffic has become so bad in the densely populated metropolis that the government has banned car sales until an auto sale lottery takes place. That’s right; if you’re in Beijing and you’d like a new car or truck, you’re going to have to put your name in a hat and hope for the best.

The first monthly lottery will take place on January 26. Each will give 20,000 prospective motorists authorization to actually buy a car. So far, a reported 100,000+ buyers have already entered the lottery. China will draw 240,000 names during the course of the year. Customers who sell their vehicle or lose it in an accident will be exempt from the lottery and they’ll be able to keep their plate for a future vehicle purchase. The lottery is expected to help Beijing car sales in half this year, compared to the 850,000 units moved in 2010. To further free up the stifling rush hour traffic, the government has also banned cars with out-of -city plates from traveling on Beijing roads during peak travel times.

The lottery will doubtless slow the pace of car sales, but that won’t do much to solve Beijing’s traffic woes. Motorists and dealers alike tell The Christian Science Monitor that they hope the move to a lottery system will buy Beijing officials the time needed to improve the city’s infrastructure and improve public transportation.

[Source: The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! Image: Stan Wiechers via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 License]

Overwhelmed by traffic, Beijing turns to new car sales lottery

We’re less than 24 hours away from Volkswagen’s big reveal at the Detroit Auto Show and while our man Paukert was staked out at a media gathering at VW’s corporate headquarters in Herndon, VA he learned that the NMS will carry the Passat badge when it goes on sale later this year.

Up until now, there was some question whether V-Dub would continue to use Passat for its new mid-size sedan, but after the NCS (New Compact Sedan) debuted with the Jetta badge, it was all but assumed that the Passat nameplate would carry on. We’ll have all the details on the 2012 Passat later tonight and live shots from the floor when the wraps come off tomorrow.

Confirmed: Volkswagen NMS will be named Passat

The US Auto Industry may be looking at a 2011 filled with sales gains, if NADA’s forecasters are correct. The National Automobile Dealer’s Association predicts that US auto sales will rise 11.3 percent. That puts total volume just shy of 13 million units.

The reason for the increase? The average age of cars and trucks on the road is approximately 10.3 years. Therefore, the increased sales will be driven by consumer needs rather than desires. Basically, people will have to upgrade their heaps for something shiny and new (and running).

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Image: Kevork Djansezian/Getty]

NADA projects 11.3% rise in auto sales in 2011

Like us, reader Tristen Hipps is a fan of the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon. After perusing the recently-released images of the CTS-V Coupe race car, Hipps decided that he wanted to see what a wagon version might look like. I think we can all agree that it looks damn sexy…

Hipps stated that he “just tweaked the photos” of the CTS-V coupe to produce his vision of the Sport Wagon racer. If we tried that, we ‘d probably end up with something resembling a Pontiac Aztek.

Click through the gallery below for two angles on Hipps’ design, each set done with and without a rear spoiler.

[Source: Hipps Design]

Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon racer rendered by reader

Back in 1999, about one in four new vehicles purchased were leases. That number dropped throughout the last decade until the Great Recession put leasing on the endangered species list. Automakers were losing money due to poorer-than-expected residual rates. At the same time, customers weren’t in the mood to spend money on a new car or truck. As a result, Chrysler stopped leasing altogether in 2008, and General Motors limited leasing to its most popular models.

Wards Automotive reports that while leasing has taken a considerable beating, the two- and three-year vehicle rental is now on the comeback trail. GM and Chrysler are back in the leasing business, and according to Wards, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia are pushing hard to increase lease transactions. Are automakers rolling the dice in an effort to move more metal? Maybe not.

With vehicle inventories in check, there’s less chance residuals will take a dive, and at the same time the certified used car programs get a shot in the arm with low-mile, warranty-equipped cars and trucks. We probably won’t see 25-percent lease rates anytime soon, but Automotive Lease Guide Inc sees the practice jumping to a 20-percent take rate by 2015.

[Source: Wards Automotive sub. req. Image: Caitlin Regan / Flickr via CC BY 2.0 ]

Report: Auto leasing making a strong comeback

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently put his 1977 Peugeot 504 on the auction block. The original price for a ‘77 504 was in the neighborhood of $9,000, and a used one like Ahmadinejad’s could fetch $2,000 in its local market. The bidding just got a massive shot in the arm, however, because someone thinks the car is worth a million bucks.

The million-dollar bid came from an Arab country but further details have not been released. Proceeds from the sale of the 504 will be used to build a low-income housing project.

[Source: CNN]

Report: Ahmadinejad’s tired 1977 Peugeot 504 draws $1M bid