The Auto Blog .ru

Cash-strapped enthusiasts may not have had much to get all sticky over from Camp Toyota in recent years, but the automaker’s new GT 86 / Scion FR-S coupe promises to mine a rich paystreak of driving enjoyment. And while we’re big (okay, huge) fans of the car’s low-speed dynamic thrills, not every enthusiast is so forgiving of its rather middling power and acceleration figures. We knew it wouldn’t take long for the aftermarket to remedy this perceived power deficit with things like forced induction and ECU reflashes, but we foolishly expected a full engine swap to take a bit longer than it apparently has.

What you’re looking at here is Manabu “Max” Orido’s Toyota GT 86 prepped for drifting in D1 Grand Prix events. In this case, that means the two-door has been gutted and stuffed with the 5.0-liter V8 from the Lexus IS F, one of Toyota’s more emotive offerings thanks to its honkin’ great eight.

Orido’s GT 86 is shown here undergoing shakedown testing, and from the looks of things, the transplant appears to be going rather swimmingly. At first glance, we even dig the more aggressive widebody look, lack of paint and all. Check it out for yourself below, and be sure to have your speakers on.

Continue reading Well That Didn’t Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing

Well That Didn’t Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing

If you’re Alan Mulally’s gardener, it’s probably a good time to ask the boss for a raise. The Ford Chief Executive Officer just pocketed $58.3 million in stock earlier in the month, and now his 2011 compensation has been made public – and it’s increased some 11 percent.

Mulally received $29.5 million in 2011, according to The Detroit News, more than twice the next-highest-paid Ford officer cited in the report, Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr., whose total compensation was $14.46 million. While Mulally’s salary amounts to a paltry $2 million, he was paid a $5.46 million bonus, with the rest coming in “stock and option awards as well as personal expenses, which can entail personal use of private aircraft, cell phone use, security, and fuel and car washes,” according to the report.

The News says Ford surpassed its profit targets in 2011, but missed other internal benchmarks.

Doing some quick math, Ford sold 5.7 million vehicles globally in 2011, meaning that Mulally pocketed $5.17 for each one.

Mulally receives nearly $30M in compensation for 2011

When a McLaren hits the race track, the competition had better watch out. The British outfit is, after all, one of the most successful in Formula One, having won 176 grands prix, a dozen drivers’ championships and eight constructors’ titles. But McLaren’s prowess extends beyond F1. The Woking firm was a force to be reckoned with in Can-Am in the late 60s, and the last time it built an endurance racing sportscar – the famed F1 GTR back in 1995 – it trounced even the advanced prototype racers to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Now, McLaren is back in the sportscar racing game with the new MP4-12C GT3. Based on the MP4-12C road car, the GT3 racing version took only a year to develop, and McLaren GT has delivered 25 examples of its racing car to independent racing teams around the world. Included in the purchase price are test sessions organized by McLaren and access to the team’s advanced driving simulator and deep expertise in all things motorsport.

The cars are set to compete in the Blancpain Endurance Series (where the MP4-12C also serves as safety car), the VLN series at the Nürburgring, German’y ADAC GT Masters, the International GT Open and the FIA GT1 World Championship. The first of these are set to take place in Germany this weekend at the Nordschleife and Oschersleben, where the MP4-12C will be making its parallel race debuts. Can’t wait that long? We’ve got two high-quality video clips of the car undergoing testing for your viewing pleasure (together with the full press release) after the jump and a fresh crop of high-resolution images added to the gallery above.

Continue reading McLaren delivers 25 MP4-12C GT3s to customer racing teams for 2012 racing season [w/videos]

McLaren delivers 25 MP4-12C GT3s to customer racing teams for 2012 racing season [w/videos]

What started as only a cute little hatchback, the Fiat 500 will now be growing into a full range of models. The new cabriolet and Abarth versions have already launched here in the United States, and we just got our first glimpse at the larger 500L (pictured above) during the Geneva Motor Show. But now, Automotive News reports that an even larger 500 crossover, dubbed 500X, will be heading into production next year.

Like the 500L, the 500X will use a widened version of Fiat’s small car architecture that currently underpins the Punto in other markets. The new crossover will be built at the company’s Mirafiori, Turin plant, and will replace the current Sedici (a rebadged version of the Suzuki SX4 crossover).

As of this writing, it’s unclear whether or not the 500X will be offered in the United States. But that doesn’t mean we’ll miss out on some small CUV goodness. Automotive News also reports that the 500X will be built alongside a new Jeep crossover, currently codenamed B-CUV, which is set to launch in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2014. It will be smaller than both the current Patriot and Compass, and reportedly be offered with a Trail Rated designation here in the States.

Fiat 500X crossover will debut next year

We normally don’t seek accolades, but when we’re up for something, we like to win as much as the next guy. AutoblogGreen is currently a finalist for TreeHugger.com’s Readers’ Choice award for Best Transportation Website, and the voting ends tonight at midnight. You can help us by just clicking here and voting for AutoblogGreen. We’d greatly appreciate the support (if you think we deserve it), as we do the support you give us every day by visiting our little corners of the Internet.

Click here to VOTE.

Vote for AutoblogGreen as TreeHugger.com’s Best Transportation Website

By now you’ve probably heard about “Batman” getting pulled over by the cops in his Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. The story has been all over the Internet this week, thanks to the in-car video from the local Maryland police department that stopped the caped crusader. But now we’ve got the real scoop on this would-be Bruce Wayne, thanks to the Washington Post.

His name is Lenny B. Robinson, and being Batman is only a part-time gig for the wealthy philanthropist. Robinson visits sick children in hospitals around the Baltimore area, decked out in a $5,000 neoprene-and-leather Batman suit, according to the report. He hands out Batman toys, signs autographs and gives the kids some much-needed fun, while boosting the morale of the parents, as well.

The Lamborghini is just part of the fun, though Robinson told the Post that he’s having a “real” Batmobile built. (Which of the various movie cars he’s having replicated was not specified.) While this episode marked Robinson’s first time in a national spotlight, it wasn’t his first encounter with the police while in costume. Patch reported on a distress call made by “Batman” back in November 2011, when Robinson’s Gallardo had a flat.

Scroll down to see video of the police stopping Batman.

Continue reading The real story behind the speeding Batman

The real story behind the speeding Batman

Today’s automobiles are more connected than ever, and the National Transportation Safety Board doesn’t seem to approve. The Detroit News reports that NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman is standing behind a recommendation to ban drivers from making hands-free phone calls that aren’t of the emergency variety.

Hersman is battling automakers head-on when it comes to distracting technologies, and there are plenty of those technologies in today’s vehicles. That includes hands-free calling made via Bluetooth, which has long been viewed as a safer alternative to grabbing a phone and calling someone the old-fashioned way. The proposed ban on hands-free calling reportedly doesn’t include OnStar, which integrates calling directly through the vehicle. Hersman reportedly went as far as to suggest that automakers make their number one priority “safety, not sales.”

While we think distracted driving is worth fighting, it’s difficult to see where banning hands-free calling is the answer. And we’re not alone. Even National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Ray LaHood feels the NTSB recommendation goes too far. If automakers are forced to remove the tech from new vehicles, we’re thinking many drivers will simply revert back to hand-held calling.

The NTSB thinks that hand-held and hands-free are equally dangerous, but it’s difficult to argue that case, especially if integrated technology like OnStar is permitted. Once a phone is paired, what’s the difference between pressing the hands-free button and pressing the OnStar button? We’d argue that having kids in the back seat is far more distracting than hands-free calling, and we don’t see the NTSB calling for a ‘no kids in the car’ policy any time soon.

NTSB still pushing to ban hands-free phones in cars

The strength of the Yen is forcing many Japanese automakers to consider building cars for export markets outside their home country. Honda is no different, and has confirmed that it will build the Fit hatchback at its new plant in Mexico starting in the spring of 2014.

The plant in Mexico is not the only location where Honda will build the Fit, but it will be used to supply the small hatchback to the large United States, Mexican and Canadian markets. Honda expects to build up to 200,000 subcompact vehicles per year at its plant near Celaya, Guanajuato.

Honda already builds a huge number of vehicles in North America. In fact, as pointed out in the press release after the break, more than 85 percent of the Honda and Acura models sold in America were built in the United States, Canada or Mexico. What’s more, the addition of the Fit to the Accord, Civic, and CR-V means that all four of Honda’s global nameplates will be produced in North America.

Continue reading Honda announces Fit production moving to Mexico

Honda announces Fit production moving to Mexico

Do you consider yourself a driving enthusiast? If so, does the thought of handing control of your car over to a series of computers scare you to death? We understand. But perhaps it’s time to remember that those of us who love to drive aren’t the only ones who want to use the road.

As you’ll see in the video after the break, autonomous cars hold out hope for some men and women who are simply unable to drive themselves. Take, for instance, Steve Mahan, who lost 95 percent of his vision over the course of several years, leaving him clinically blind. Obviously, Mahan isn’t able to drive.

What Mahan can do, however, is sit behind the wheel of an autonomous car, in this case, a Toyota Prius converted to operate sans driver by Google. And when he does, he directs the car to take him to Taco Bell before picking up his dry cleaning.

Questionable food choice aside, we hope that one day in the not-too-distant future people like Steve Mahan will be able to regain the kind of mobility made possible by the automobile that most of us take for granted. Just so long as we can share the road in our old-fashioned drive-it-yourself cars, too. See the video after the break.

Continue reading Watch Google’s autonomous car drive a blind man to Taco Bell

Watch Google’s autonomous car drive a blind man to Taco Bell

Chrysler today is launching a continuation of its Halftime In America ad effort for the Ram pickup, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Jeep Wrangler.

The new ads do not feature Clint Eastwood, as the February Super Bowl ad did.

The Ram ad, titled “Tommy and The Ram,” is a vignette that depicts a wife’s admiration for her husband’s hard work and determination to provide for his family in any economic environment. There is a great line in this ad as he drives his Ram to a job site: “Where there’s a truck, there’s a job.” The idea here is that as long as he has a reliable truck, he always has a chance to earn.

The ad for the Chrysler 300 is told through a father talking about his pride in his son making his own way in life, while the Wrangler spot is told through the story of a young daughter adapting to a new life and new city with her family.

The ads will be breaking during the NCAA Men’s basketball semi-finals, NHL games, NASCAR, Mad Men and the American Country Music Awards.

Watch all four ads below.

Continue reading Chrysler turns to ground game with new “Second Half” ads post Super Bowl

Chrysler turns to ground game with new “Second Half” ads post Super Bowl

We will now know the “baby CLS” – the small four-door “coupe” built on the MFA platform supporting the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (pictured above) and B-Class – as the CLA. It will debut at April’s Beijing Motor Show, and it’s just one of the five variants that Mercedes has planned for its MFA underpinnings.

When it hits the streets in 2013, advance reports indicate that both front- and all-wheel-drive versions will be available. Power will come from a range of gas and diesel engines with anywhere from 110 to 150 horsepower (there’s even a potential AMG model with more than 300 hp on the way), mated to seven-speed dual-clutch and six-speed manual transmissions.

Of note, though, over its long gestation, the CLA has been referred to as the CLC, but the CLA and CLC are different cars. The CLC is the Concept Style Coupe, said to be based on the A-Class concept, which was a two-door hatchback, yet also said to be an evolution of the F800 concept, which was a sedan. The CLA will make its debut in China, but the CLC will be unveiled in Los Angeles at an Mercedes-sponsored art festival called “Transmission LA: AV Club.” The Beijing show and the art festival overlap, so we’ll find out which car is which and what they both look like soon enough.

Mercedes-Benz CLA is official name of small four-door coupe debuting in Beijing

Instead of letting everyone else leak shots and scale models of the 2013 Viper, SRT has gone insider trading and released its own teaser shot of the upcoming snake’s interior. What we can see of the overall layout appears familiar from the second-generation car, but the materials look to have been significantly upgraded: ornately bezeled vents, soft-touch trim, cross-stitching and aggressive two-tone accents.

There’s been some bother about the evolutionary exterior design of the 2013 Viper, but for a car that had just two generations in 20 years, it can still stand up to anything from Italy for badass presence. What it really needed was an interior and chassis that could deliver on its looks, and it appears the new 2013 model will be getting just that.

We’ll continue to wait on its official appearance at the New York Auto Show next week to judge, but based on this shot, we like the look of where things are headed. Click on the photo above for a high-res version and stay tuned for the full debut live from New York next week.

SRT teases 2013 Viper interior on Facebook

Italy’s Superstars Series may have seemed like an insignificant championship in the past, but drivers and manufacturers alike are beginning to take notice of what is rapidly emerging as Italy’s equivalent of Germany’s DTM, Japan’s Super GT or Australia’s V8 Supercars series. One of those drivers is Tonio Liuzzi, and one of those manufacturers is Mercedes-Benz.

The German automaker had been represented in the series before, but is now launching an officially factory-sanctioned works effort with a specially-prepared C63 AMG touring car fielded by Caal Racing. And it has lined up an experienced driving talent to man the wheel.

A veteran of 80 grands prix, Vitantonio Liuzzi has driven for Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Force India and HRT, but unfortunately failed to distinguish himself with a single podium finish, pole position or fastest lap in the span of his six years in Formula One. Prior to ascending to the pinnacle of motorsports, he had won the International Formula 3000 championship, and has also tried his hand at A1GP (representing Italy) as well as the Speedcar Series (a stock car series held briefly in the Middle East).

Will he prove himself a greater talent in touring cars than he did in F1? We’ll have to wait and see, but given the factory support in a privateer-dominated series and the number of championships Caal Racing has won, things are looking up for Liuzzi and Mercedes. Follow the jump for the official announcement (in Italian) and check out the batch of official high-resolution images in the gallery above.

Continue reading Tonio Liuzzi heading home to Itay’s Superstars series with Mercedes AMG

Tonio Liuzzi heading home to Itay’s Superstars series with Mercedes AMG

Back in 1967, Mini shocked the world by winning the Monte Carlo Rally. The man behind the wheel was one Rauno Aaltonen, and now Mini is honoring the Finnish driving legend with a special edition bearing his name.

Available (in parts of Europe, anyway) on the classic three-door hatchback with either the Cooper or Cooper S engine spec, the Rauno Aaltonen edition comes painted red, while white features prominently on the roof, stripes up the hood, down the back and across the quarter-panels, side mirrors, hood intake and 17-inch wheels. Inside, Aaltonen’s signature graces the speedo and the leather-wrapped steering wheel is unique as well.

The best part is that buyers of the Cooper S Rauno Aaltonen get a day of instruction at the ice-driving school run by the honoree’s son Tino Aaltonen. Check out the special edition in the high-res image gallery.

Mini honors Rauno Aaltonen with special edition hatchback

Put the word Grand in front of a nameplate and you’ll likely be looking at something from the Chrysler stable: a Jeep Grand Cherokee, for example, or a Dodge Grand Caravan. But Auburn Hills isn’t the only automaker to use the moniker: so does Renault, as in the Grand Scenic, Grand Modus, Grand Espace, and this latest release.

The Grand Kangoo is based, as you might have guessed, on the Kangoo commercial van, but has been configured for passenger use. Seven passengers, to be precise. Easily among the smallest seven-passenger vehicles on the market anywhere, the Grand Kangoo features a highly modular and adaptable cabin that ought to make it a popular choice for those who need the flexibility to carry larger-than-usual loads of cargo or a large family, but not so much in the style department.

European buyers can opt for two levels of output from the 1.5liter dCi engine with either 90 horsepower or 110, and two trim levels, with prices starting at €20,750 (in France, inclusive of taxes) and order books opening next month. See the press release after the break.

Continue reading Renault launches new seven-passenger Grand Kangoo

Renault launches new seven-passenger Grand Kangoo

Still think drinking and driving don’t mix? Well you’re right. They don’t. But every once in a while something comes along to make us rethink that rift. Like that set of radiator decanters, those Alfa Romeo and Lancia wines, Krug’s 1979 Rolls-Royce panel wagon or really any racing car bearing the Martini livery. Or this special one-off Range Rover Evoque.

Crafted by the British luxury SUV brand in collaboration with Italian customizers Aznom, this unique Evoque features a wine-red paintjob with bronze trim and a mate black roof, with an interior bathed in cream leather. It was made for the champagne house Bollinger for the 2012 Vinitaly wine festival, and will accompany a Luxury Lounge motorhome across Europe to promote Bollinger and its fine bubblies. Of course, if your home town is not on its route, you can always check it out in the high-res image gallery for a closer look.

Range Rover and Aznom craft a special Evoque for Bollinger champagne

In the Forza Motorsport 4 vs. Gran Turismo 5 debate, no one questions Forza’s commitment to genuine engine noise. Normally, the Turn 10 sound engineers use Dyno Authority in a business and residential area of Seattle to record their cars’ sounds, but when it came to the 1991 Mazda 787B that was unleashed in February’s ALMS DLC, the Le Mans-winning racer was just too loud.

In fact, the 700-horsepower 2.7-liter Wankel-engined legend with four rotors and its continuously variable intake was the loudest car that Forza engineers have ever caught on mic. Look below to watch a video on how they did it.

Continue reading How Forza 4 recorded the Mazda 787B, its loudest car ever

How Forza 4 recorded the Mazda 787B, its loudest car ever

If you have a phone, you’ve probably been offered a (last, final, only, etc.) chance to extend your car’s warranty. Hopefully you realized an anonymous caller from an unknown number had no idea what kind of car you drive much less when your warranty expired and promptly ended the call.

Way back in 2008, several state attorneys general teamed up to hang up on the auto warranty scammers, and the next year a federal judge ordered two companies to cease the annoying, probably illegal calls.

Finally, yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission slammed the hammer down on LA-based SBN Peripherals (aka Asia Pacific Telecom, Inc.). The FTC’s report says the company made more than 2.6 billion random calls in less than 20 months. Unfortunately, 12.8 million of those calls paid off with some consumer being scammed.

For their many, many, many telephonic transgressions, the company was ordered to pay $5.3 million. The company is conveniently unable to pay that amount, of course, so the FTC is claiming more than $1 million from a Hong Kong bank account, a $357,000 lien on a house, 50% interest in a Saipan office building, interest in seven tracts of land, a 2004 Corvette, a 2005 BMW X5, a 2004 Dodge Durango, a recreational vehicle and a partridge in a pear tree. We’re betting the extended warranties on those cars is not transferable. All defendants are also ordered to never, ever again engage in telemarketing. EVER.

But if you’re still in need of an extended warranty for your car, email us with your credit card number and we’ll get right back to you. (We’re joking of course! We prefer cash.)

You can read the full FTC report here.

FTC shuts down auto warranty robocaller

The Mint 400, held in the Nevada desert outside of Jean, is legendary for more reasons than being a grueling race: Rick Mears, Al Unser, Jr. and Steve McQueen are among the marquee names to have entered it, Wonder Woman Lynda Carter and Vanna White were Mint 400 Girls, and Hunter S. Thompson’s assignment to cover it for Sports Illustrated turned into Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. Robby Gordon managed to avoid both of Thompson’s conditions on his way to winning the latest edition of the General Tire Mint 400 held last week.

Estimates have 65,000 total spectators watching 300 teams and 900 drivers in 20 categories going for the top podium spot over three days. The race was four laps of a 92-mile loop through the rock and gravel, with Gordon completing the 368-mile deed in 6:05 in his Class 1500 runner, just three minutes ahead of second-place driver David Maurice in a Class 1400 truck.

Scroll down for the post-race press release and a video of this year’s action.

Continue reading Robby Gordon triumphs at Mint 400 [w/video]

Robby Gordon triumphs at Mint 400 [w/video]

When the IRL and Champ Car reunited a few years ago, the fear among drivers from the latter series was that the calendar would remain dominated by oval speedways. But these days the resulting IndyCar Series races on more street circuits and road courses than it does speedways, and soon we’ll be able to add one more as the series has announced its return to Houston, Texas.

Dubbed the Grand Prix of Houston, the race – scheduled for the first week of October, 2013 – will be held on the concrete parking lots of Houston’s Reliant Park adjacent to the Astrodome (where the Astros played baseball and the Oilers played football) and Reliant Stadium (where the Houston Texans football team currently plays) – the same location where Champ Car raced in 2006 and 2007.

Drivers at the time criticized the track’s rough surface for its devastating effect on tire wear, something that race organizers – who’ve outlined plans to use the same 1.7-mile, 10-turn layout as the previous races – will have to try and fix for next year. The event will be promoted by veteran open-wheel race organizer Mike Lanigan and title sponsored by Shell and Pennzoil, who are undoubtedly as eager as the series organizers to tap into the fourth largest market in the United States.

Continue reading IndyCar Series returning to Houston at Reliant parking lot street circuit

IndyCar Series returning to Houston at Reliant parking lot street circuit