Mazda Kazamai Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
spoke of expanding its line with a small crossover as far back as 2008, with such talk led by the . According to Autocar, Mazda is preparing to have said “new small SUV” prepped for sale at the end of 2011. When it was mentioned two years ago, the idea was that the vehicle would help position Mazda as an aspirational brand; now it sounds like it could be extravagant design meeting frugal economy.
For Mazda, a CX-5 would provide an option in a segment it knows consumers are moving toward, and the vehicle being discussed could be a gas mileage champ. Mazda is reportedly boasting of a 100kg weight savings vs. the competitors (that’s a not-insubstantial 220 pounds), as well as power from the company’s already frugal Sky engines. Some whispers about three- and five-door versions have been recorded, but remember, for the moment these are all still whispered rumors, not facts.
One fact seems indisputable: Americans have come to hate taxes and any suggestion by a politician to raise them is tantamount to political suicide. The problem is that public infrastructure requires funding – and lots of it. Critics of this disparity would argue that a lack of political will to raise fuel taxes has left roads, bridges and tunnels across America crumbling in recent decades.
A new survey conducted by HNTB Corporation suggests that Americans would prefer to pay tolls or let their roads crumble rather than pay higher fuel taxes. While this may well be a valid survey, it’s important to note that HNTB is an infrastructure firm that supplies toll collecting equipment, among other things.
In any case, the study’s findings note that “when given a choice between new roads funded by an increased gas tax, by new tolls or no new roads at all, Americans prefer tolls (41 percent) or no new roads at all (41 percent) over increased gas taxes (18 percent).” Further, “A strong majority of Americans (84 percent) feel tolls should be considered project-by-project or as a primary source of transportation revenue. Only a small minority (16 percent) say tolls should never be used.”
In the old days, toll booths were a pain because every car had to stop and pay. The advent of affordable radio frequency transponder systems like EZ-Pass now allows commuters to drive toll roads and pay automatically without stopping – or even thinking about how much money using such systems costs them. Of course, this type of toll collecting raises other issues including invasion of privacy concerns, since the operators know where specific cars are at certain points in time. There’s also the possibility of account hacking or errors where someone could end up charging their driving to other accounts.
What do you think about tolls? Check out the full press release after the jump for more of the study’s findings, then drop your fellow readers a line in Comments.
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz on Top Gear – Click above to watch the video
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have been all over the world pushing their not-so-blockbuster movie Knight and Day, and while moviegoers haven’t exactly filled local theaters, enthusiasts should most definitely witness the Hollywood A-listers on the latest episode of Top Gear. The two stars appeared on our favorite BBC show to compete against other celebrities in “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car,” and their performance far outshines their recent box office receipts.
to watch as the two push hard around the Top Gear track in a Cee’d. We won’t ruin the results for you, but we will reveal that Diaz shows that she can swear like a trucker while looking good with a helmet on, and Cruise proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a very competitive guy. Seriously, the man literally finishes the race on two wheels, nearly giving Clarkson a heart attack in the process. Who got the better part of their co-star? You’ll to find out.
Toyota FT-86 G Sports Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to 7Tune, recently held at shindig in Japan for select scribes in order to get some things straight about its . Naturally, talk quickly turned to the FT-86 (or ) Although it was reported two months ago that the much-anticipated sports coupe would be delayed until 2013 for design and powerplant reasons, the Toyota engineers at the event reportedly attested that “the car is on schedule” and still has a planned release date of November 2011.
Clarity on the lineup was offered as well: Three spec levels will be available with at least two engines, and the mid-range model is expected to run around 2.5 million yen ($28,500 USD). Further, it appears that a turbocharged variant will take the top slot. According to 7Tune, none of those engines will be a hybrid – that tech is being reserved for .
If there’s any news from the event that makes us as excited as word that we might see the car next year, it’s the head of the sports division saying that “because of Toyota’s connection with Subaru, there was no way that the car wasn’t going to be great.” We hope he knows what he’s talking about. Top tip, Andrew!
As a testament to its success in starting the four-door coupe movement, the is nigh on its second version, yet competitors have only recently begun to crowd the room. With the about to gain membership in the club, couldn’t hang back, so it has reportedly slapped a sales date on the : it’ll be here in 2012.
Rumored for the summer of 2012 by German publication Automobilwoche, that puts its introduction a year behind the next-generation 6 Series. Engines are said to be a mix of gas and diesel, and BMW evidently spoke of a potential hybrid application. Perhaps most importantly, design cues such as the frameless doors and LED lighting will be carried into production. Those trick exhaust tips, however, not likely. for a video walkaround of the exterior and check out our high-res gallery below for a refresher.
We’ve decided to stop trying to guess what will do before its IPO – which might come or later this year or early next year. What we do know is that GM has before an IPO, a process that , then , and then, BAM!, GM whips out . That has made at least one senator do a double-take, asking whether spending that much money and loaning to the subprime market is the best thing for the Detroit automaker to do.
Republican Charles Grassley is quoted by Bloomberg as saying, “If GM has $3.5 billion in cash to buy a financial institution, it seems like it should have paid back taxpayers first,” adding that The General should remain “clear of repeating its effort to make high-risk car loans.” He has written a letter to the inspector general of the TARP program seeking an inquiry into the purchase.
Grassley has little hope of scuttling the purchase, however. As long as GM stands by the terms of the bailout, it can do just about anything it wants, which includes buying a bank. The move is also explained, of course, as a way to bolster GM’s bottom line, something everyone wants. Company CFO Chris Lidell notes that if GM can add just one more percent to the number of buyers – people with credit scores between 500 and 650 – that’s a “significant” benefit, as well as the additional leasing it can offer. And that one additional percent of subprime purchasers would still leave it in-line with the industry average.
The IndyCar Series stayed north of the border after the last race in , moving from the street circuit around the CN Tower to the City Centre Airport course in Edmonton. One of the best tracks for fans, the flat circuit offers views of most of the action from virtually any vantage point. The view the drivers were seeing going into Sunday’s race was all too familiar – Will Power was back to his dominating ways, with quickest times in practice and through much of qualifying. Would last year’s winner hold on for the pole? Would he capture another win, distancing himself even further from the rest of the pack in the championship standings?
to see how the 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton played out.
Gallery:
[Images: Robert Laberge, Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images, Jeff McIntosh, John Ulan/AP]
1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Vutotal Cabriolet by Labourdette – Click above for high-res image gallery
The star car at this year’s will wear the Spirit of Ecstasy on her hood and no less ecstatic a design all along her body. The 1939/47 Rolls-Royce Phantom III “Vutotal” Cabriolet by Labourdette, now in the collection, started off as a standard Phantom III designed by Henry Royce. It was re-envisioned by coachbuilder Hooper and Co. in 1938 with a Sedanca de Ville body style, then showed off in Europe before being tweaked for the U.S. market.
When the very same show car ended up in the Parisian studio of Henri Labourdette in the Forties, he threw out everything but the running gear and rebodied the car in gold-plated-and-brass-adorned aerodynamic bodywork that swooped back into a boattail. He also got rid of anything that identified it as a Rolls, save for its mascot and a couple of interior trim pieces. The final detail: the Vutotal windscreen, a thick slice of glass that appears to support itself. The conversion cost $44,000 at a time when the average price of a home was about $4,000.
Elsewhere on the Concours docket, featured judging classes will include Porsche, Bugatti, Period Hot Rods and Custom Cars from 1948 – 1964, there will be regional vintage club gatherings, an auction conducted by RM Auctions, and photographer Jesse Alexander will be the featured artist. The is a new one this year and is still accepting submissions to go with dusty, rusted hulks that will include a 1949 Willys Panel Wagon and 1961 AC Greyhound.
The seventh annual Fairfield Concours opens its lawn on Saturday, September 11, 2010.
After reviewing this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in the , the latest installment looks at the off-track activities that preceded the race. Once the cars and drivers have established their place on the starting grid, they’re able to take a short break from competition to interact with the fans – especially the rabid Danish crowd that showed up to cheer on Jan Magnussen. Judging from the narration, you’d think that eight overall victories at the Circuit de la Sarthe aren’t enough for Tom Kristensen to gain any attention from his countrymen. (If you’ve seen , however, you know full well that the Danes treat TK like a rock star, too.)
Apparently the narrator missed the memo from the marketing department about referring to Chevrolet as Chevy. Rather than vuvuzelas, Le Mans fans prefer to express their enthusiasm using air horns, so the Corvette crew brought a very special one of their own this year. Wanna see? Then check out video .
Tiff Needell scares the life out of Jason Plato – Click above to watch video
We revel in watching someone get their wits scared out of them in the passenger seat of a car. It’s why we take the time to watch for the 2011 sedan any time we’re feeling down. It would appear that we’re in good company. During filming of a somewhat recent episode of the UK’s , Tiff Needell was charged with scooting the Cabriolet around the show’s test course with Jason Plato in the passenger seat. Based on the outtakes, it looks as if it took a few tries to get Plato around the course without a profusion of expletives.
It’s no secret that Needell is one of the hottest shoes around when it comes to coaxing big speed from a vehicle. With a racing resume packed with references to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula One, the guy could run the wheels off a shopping cart. to see Tiff make Plato hold on for dear life. Thanks for the tip, Brad!
While fire-breathing performance cars and hot rods are car-show fixtures, there aren’t many environmentally-friendly car shows out there, so Prince Charles is having one in his front yard. The Prince of Wales will open his gardens at Clarence House to the public from September 8-19 (neighboring gardens at Lancaster House and Marlborough House will also open their respective gardens) for what’s being dubbed “The Garden Party to Make a Difference.” Proceeds from the event will support the Prince’s Charities Foundation, whose aim is to help people “lead more sustainable lives and to show what a more energy efficient, cleaner and healthier future could look like.”
The garden party will feature a number of eco-friendly vehicles, music, comedy acts and a race from Glasgow to London pitting the sustainable stallions against the Prince’s royal train, which runs on waste vegetable oil. Entry to the gardens costs £15 (about $23 USD), but the display of green cars is free. Is a green car show worth a trip across The Pond? We’re thinking no – unless of course we can burn some rubber racing Charles’ choo-choo – all in the name of environmental responsibility.
While fire-breathing performance cars and hot rods are car-show fixtures, there aren’t many environmentally-friendly car shows out there, so Prince Charles is having one in his front yard. The Prince of Wales will open his gardens at Clarence House to the public from September 8 to the 19th (neighboring gardens at Lancaster House and Marlborough House will also open their respective gardens) for what’s being dubbed “The Garden Party to Make a Difference.” Proceeds from the event will support the Prince’s Charities Foundation, whose aim is to help people “lead more sustainable lives and to show what a more energy efficient, cleaner and healthier future could look like.”
The garden party will feature a number of eco-friendly vehicles, music, comedy acts and a race from Glasgow to London pitting the sustainable stallions against the Prince’s royal train, which runs on waste vegetable oil. Entry to the gardens costs £15, but the display of green cars is free. Is a green car show worth a trip across the pond? We’re thinking no, unless of course we can burn some rubber racing Charles’ choo-choo – all in the name of environmental responsibility.
may be in the process of as a step toward securing a captive in-house financing operation, but the company says it will continue to nurture its relationship with Ally. As you may recall, Ally () has financed dealer floor plans for years, and GM says that it will continue to rely on its former financing arm for that very reason. While AmeriCredit has been able to weather the rise and fall of consumer confidence with nary a scratch, the company doesn’t boast same level of assets as other lenders. Note also that AmeriCredit has next to no experience financing dealer floor plans, and it’s easy to see the holes in GM’s financing strategy.
Ally seems happy to fill in those bald spots. According to Automotive News, the company provided financing for around a third of all GM vehicles sold at retail during in the first quarter of 2010 and 90 percent of The General’s vehicles in inventory. That leaves AmeriCredit to take care of subprime borrowers and leasing duties. Consider the two the dynamic duo of GM financing.
1972 BMW 3.0 CSi – Click above for high-res image gallery
An increasing portion of revenue in recent years has come from dealing in older cars. The Munich brand’s certified pre-owned program that reconditions and sells warranted used cars has reportedly been very profitable. Now BMW is taking that idea to a whole new level by . The Classic Center offers a variety of services from parts re-manufacturing to full vehicle restorations.
The facility recently finished its first complete restoration of a 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi coupe. In addition to bringing the CSi back to pristine condition, the owner had BMW convert the coupe’s transmission, originally a manual, to an automatic. The owner took possession of his restored beauty at the BMW Welt in Munich, which until now has only been used for new car deliveries.
2011 Audi A7 Sportback – Click above for image gallery
Tomorrow afternoon, at a museum in Munich. While that fanfare will go on as scheduled, as is so often the case nowadays, the big reveal has been undercut somewhat as leaked official images have made their way onto the web a day early. , giving us the first solid looks at the production car’s bodywork and interior. As you can see, the five-door A7 remains true to the concept car that made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Carscoop further reports that the Audi A7 Sportback is a four-seater only, and will be offered with a selection of gas and diesel V6 engines (in European guise, we assume). We’ll have full details and more images tomorrow once the car gets unveiled at 2:30 PM Eastern. In the meantime, have a gander at the leaked shots below to whet your appetite.
Jorge Lorenzo at the 2010 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’re live from Raceway Laguna Seca for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix this weekend, and we’ve just finished unloading our memory cards after qualifying. Let’s just say that the race is even more awe-inspiring in person than it is on television. The sights, the sounds and the smells truly are amazing. We can only hope that our high-res image gallery below can offer at least a bit of the excitement that we feel after witnessing the amazing athleticism required to handle the famous Corkscrew.
We also found a way to sneak away a few of Jorge Lorenzo’s rather valuable time, and we asked a couple of questions that we know are on the minds of MotoGP fans the world over. First up, Lorenzo tells us that Ben Spies is very likely to be his teammate on Yamaha’s Factory Team in 2011. Where will be? Lorenzo’s not going to speculate, naturally… but on that one.
Further, Lorenzo – who is on pole for tomorrow’s race – indicates that relations between he and Rossi are “not good.” Again, not exactly earth shattering news to anyone paying attention, but we still thought it was interesting that Lorenzo chose those words in our interview. And finally, for those who may be interested, Lorenzo’s last name is indeed pronounced “Lorentho,” as you hear on American television every MotoGP weekend. So there you go.
Stay tuned for actual racing results tomorrow, and be sure to check past the break for the official qualifying results.
The first production examples of the are hitting dealer showrooms as you read this, and whether you’re seriously considering buying your own 556-horsepowercoupe or just feel like killing a little time dreaming, now has a fully-functional configurator online.
It takes at least $63,465 (plus another $825 for destination) to get your own super-Caddy, which comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, navigation and premium sound system. Another $3,400 nets you a set of race-ready Recaro performance seats, and if you opt for the up-level thrones, a suede-rimmed steering wheel and shift knob combo is available for another $300. If rowing your own gear isn’t appealing, you ought to be ashamed of yourself the six-speed automatic is a $1,300 option. Check every conceivable box, including an up-level paint job and you’re looking at a $72,560 sticker. That’s a lot of cheddar no matter how you slice it, but a quick comparison against the other mega-performance coupes on the market shows that this Caddy is a relative bargain. Have fun blown two-door Caddy. Thanks for the tip, Khalid!
Tata Motors chief executive Carl-Peter Forster has acknowledged that Jaguar needs a smaller, higher-volume vehicle and it appears that just such a car is already under development. Unlike the less-than-stellar X-Type which was based on the second-generation Ford Mondeo, the new car should actually be a real Jaguar.
Jaguar is reportedly working on a new modular aluminum platform that would be shared between the new smaller car, the mid-sized XF and the next-generation XK. In renderings posted by AutoExpress at least, the baby Jag bears a strong resemblance to the XF but with curvier rear haunches and XJ-style taillamps. Of course, what the real thing will ultimately look like is anyone’s guess.
Power will likely come from downsized and boosted four-cylinder gas and diesel engines, with the current 3.0-liter diesel V6 as a range-topper. Also look for a hybrid to enter the mix. All of this will help Jaguar meet the new EU CO2 emissions limits once the new smaller Jaguar debuts, which could happen as soon as soon as 2012.
The idea of driving around with a glass of water on your dashboard may seem ludicrous, but if told you that a single glass of water could help you reduce your fuel consumption by 10 percent, would you think differently? Now, Toyota doesn’t want you to literally place a glass of water on the dash. Instead, the company is pushing the idea that driving in such a way that a theoretical glass of water there remains full would reduce fuel consumption significantly. To spread the word about this fuel-saving concept, Toyota has created a website appropriately called “A Glass of Water.”
So, how do you keep this imaginary glass of water topped off at all times? Well, provided you aren’t in a hurry to get somewhere, it should be quite simple. Begin by accelerating gracefully, leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle ahead, brake gently, and apply .
If you’d like to learn more about Toyota’s “A Glass of Water” challenge and are interested in giving it a try, then click . iPhone users can also download a virtual glass of water app by clicking .
How does one make the more exclusive than it already is? If you’re Mercedes, you unveil the gonzo AMG variants. Appearance-wise, changes are minimal for the 2011 and AMG, save for the addition of Mercedes’ new corporate face, which includes the standard LED running-light strip and some small tweaks to the rear fascia. The big news, however, centers on the changes underhood.
Gone is the naturally aspirated 6.3 6.2-liter AMG V8 in favor of a smaller and more powerful . In base form, this V8 cranks out 536 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque (increases of 18 and 125, respectively), and with the optional AMG Performance Package, these numbers increase to an even more robust 563 hp and 664 lb-ft. Sweet stuff, and when matched with Mercedes’ AMG Speedshift seven-speed automatic, 0-60 runs will take just 4.4 seconds (4.3 if you opt for the more powerful setup). What’s most impressive, though, is that even with this added power boost, fuel consumption has been reduced by 27 percent. The range-topping CL65 AMG will carry over its 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12, though Mercedes has managed to coax an additional 17 horsepower from it for 2011. Output for the CL65 is now rated at 621 horses and 738 lb-ft of torque.
Both AMG CLs get a host new standard equipment as well. Mercedes-Benz’s Direct-Steer system is on hand, as is a new crosswind stabilization feature that alters wheel-load distribution to keep things in line during heavy breezes. From there, a new torque-vectoring brake system applies one-sided braking during instances of understeer. The full suite of Mercedes-Benz driver aids is thrown in as well, including drowsiness detection, night-view assist, active lane-keeping assist and blind-spot assist. After all, with so much power on tap, you’ll need a nanny (or several) to help keep things in line. Interior upgrades are similar to what we’ve already seen in the .
Official pricing hasn’t been released yet, but expect MSRPs to increase slightly over the 2010 models ($145,200 for the CL63 and $207,170 for the CL65). Shoppers in that tax bracket shouldn’t have any trouble shelling out a few grand extra for the latest in CL-Class exclusivity.
