2011 BMW X3 teaser shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
The 2010 Paris Motor Show may be five months out at this point, but that isn’t stopping manufacturers like from getting the ball rolling on the long, slow, aggravating striptease of new models. The German manufacturer has just dropped a few sneaky shots of the all-new 2011 X3 for the motoring world to start speculating over. So what do we see? A hood, a taillight, a few body lines and not much else.
It’s clear that the hood now wears similar styling to what you’ll find on the and thanks to a few more contours than the previous piece. Beyond that, we don’t know too much about the new Bavarian high-rider other than it can whip up a in a hurry.
Judging from the we’ve come across thus far, we aren’t expecting particularly dramatic changes to the X3’s exterior. A reworked fascia is likely to join the new hood and taillights, and there is some talk of a four-cylinder engine making its way under the hood for the first time.
is continuing her tour of General Motors’ vice president offices. The 47-year-old executive has spent time both as the company’s vice president of U.S. marketing and the VP of U.S. sales during her career with the Detroit-based automaker, but as of June 1, 2010, Docherty will get the new title of Vice President of International Operational Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, and she’ll report to Tim Lee, President of International Operations.
We knew Docherty was headed elsewhere in the company after she was by Joel Ewanick earlier this month. Shortly after her replacement was announced in early May, several observers claimed that Docherty had been given the shaft after a wave of contentious ads centering on GM repaying its federal loans hit the airwaves. Analysts felt that Docherty was unfairly receiving the brunt of the blame for the negative reception of the ads, and that was the real reason for her loss of the marketing position.
We won’t hold our breath waiting for GM to respond to those charges. Either way, moving from VP of marketing to VP of international operational sales isn’t exactly a fall from grace. Hit the jump to read the full press release.
To the German government authorities who think is financially sound enough to pay for Opel’s restructuring without loan-guarantee assistance, Opel CEO Nick Reilly says that’s not the case. “You need to remember that GM is first of all founded by U.S. taxpayers,” Reilly was quoted as saying. “Frankly, GM needs the money it has got.”
Not surprisingly, GM has found an ally in Opel’s German workers. The General has come to an agreement with the local labor heads who have agreed to forgo €1.26 billion ($1.586B U.S.) in earnings over the next four years. The deal requires that the money ’saved’ be committed to developing Opel products, and if it isn’t, then GM has to pay it back.
To help everyone keep track of the money and perhaps make financial assistance a more attractive option, Adam Opel AG will become a listed company. Germany hasn’t given any indication of when it will declare its position on giving aid, but with 24,000 workers added to the plea and everyone unsure of how long GM can wait before it needs to take other measures, Germany will probably want to close this chapter out rather soon.
2011 Audi A8 – Click above for high-res image gallery
One day, we’ll be able to have wireless internet access from nearly every point on the globe. And while many cities and towns are making efforts to offer free wireless service across a broad range, automakers are now looking to bring WiFi connectivity to cars. is on board, and it has just announced that the will be available with factory-installed in-car wireless hotspot.
The WLAN hotspot is located within the rooftop antenna, and passengers can connect to the internet via any laptop, netbook or new-age tablet, like the Apple iPad. Audi says that the network is capable of speeds up to 7.2 Mbit/sec and that WAP2 encryption is on hand in order to securely transfer data. Audi claims that this is the first such factory-installed system, although other automakers offer WiFi connectivity with dealer installed accessories.
The new A8 is already packed to the brim with the latest and greatest in automotive technological achievements. Things like the automaker’s second-generation MMI control interface, the and an impressive LED lighting system up front set it apart from other vehicles in the class, and the addition of wireless internet will only strengthen the appeal to prospective buyers. The full details are available in Audi’s press release, after the jump.
Episode four of the video series is out, with a focus on the and how it’s helping to make the . We already knew that the Corvette C6.R has been running on cellulosic E85 for the past two years, but that’s just the beginning of the improvements to these race cars.
The engineers and technicians that create and maintain the racers have been working for a decade to make them better. When the original GT1 class C5.R started racing ten years ago, it would get about 10 laps per tankful at Le Mans. Today the cars get 15 laps per tank, meaning they spend a lot less time sitting idle in the pits and more time out running for position.
Reducing friction and parasitic losses throughout the car has helped tremendously. The team has worked with its air conditioning supplier to reduce the compressor power draw from five horsepower to just 1.8 hp. Similarly, going from traditional steel wheel bearings to ceramic bearings has added three mph of straightaway speed and improved durability. The next big change that could eventually make its way to road cars is zero viscosity engine oil to cut internal engine friction.
has developed social media initiatives aimed at “digital natives,” folks 16-to-33 that have grown up with the web, that don’t stop at posting photos and blasting a few characters at a time. One is a community called Gen-Benz, with 580 members who provide Mercedes comments and commentary on the brand.
The other forum for feedback comes via a group of 1,800 M-B Advisers who provide feedback on the marque’s advertising and branding. Interestingly, Mercedes has used the group to get input on marketing the , not just the models you might think more appropriate for the 16-to-33 demographic.
The results being promoted do raise an eyebrow. In one instance, some Gen-Benz members were dispatched to dealers as mystery shoppers and they reported that dealers didn’t treat them well, a verdict that Mercedes’ VP of marketing described as “a truth we wouldn’t have known about for a couple of years.” In another case the M-B Advisers told Mercedes to stick with an emotional pitch for its SLS AMG, yet we aren’t sure how many other ways there are to advertise a nearly $200,000 car. Still, a fairly conservative company going this far to interact with current and new buyers is a smart move.
Look at any legislation related to cars, and it seems pretty obvious that lawmakers hate automobiles. While it seems odd that people who get driven around Washington D.C. gridlock in full-size SUVs are railing against the same kind of vehicles, there’s also a contingent of legislators on the state level who understand that “” has nothing to do with .
For the last five years, SEMA has partnered with state lawmakers interested in preserving and protecting the automotive hobby in the form of the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus. If you’re a gearhead interested in knowing who your friends are at your state’s Capitol when it comes to the love of cars, SEMA’s list of state Senators, Reps and Assemblymen who are members of the Caucus is where to go.
There are even photos of some members posing with their personal rides. , but you can easily figure out where to send your greasy-fingerprinted, crayon-composed love letters.
The Italians don’t play when it comes to tax evasion and financial crimes, with a special branch of the army called the Guardia di Finanza solely devoted to busting those who play with numbers. Flavio Briatore is one of the most recent big fish caught in the Guardia’s net; his $22-million yacht, Force Blue, was impounded over the weekend off the coast of the Italian Riviera.
The perma-tanned Briatore keeps the yacht registered in the Cayman Islands and claims it’s hired out by the week, but Italian authorities contend that Briatore spends a hefty portion of the year on the vessel. In fact, when the dawn raid was carried out, Briatore’s wife and son were on board. If customs authorities can prove VAT evasion, Briatore could be on the hook for a fine of $5 million.
Given that Briatore owns and operates a $22-million yacht, he probably won’t have a hard time paying the penalty. He shouldn’t feel bad either way, since he joins luminaries such as Bank of America, soccer club Juventus, and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il on the list of folks nabbed by the Guardia di Finanza.
It would seem that the only good time Lewis Hamilton had at the Australian Grand Prix was when he was actually smoking the tires of his loaner . Once that burnout was complete, though, the wheels came off: Hamilton got under Melbourne’s anti-hoon laws, had the car impounded, qualified 11th for the race and .
And it’s not over: Lewis has been officially charged by a Melbourne court with intentionally losing control of a vehicle. A summons for a court date of August 24 was given to his Australian solicitor, but with the Belgian Grand Prix taking place on August 29 the chance of his appearing on that date seems slim. If nothing else, charging a former Formula 1 world champion – and Swiss resident, to boot – is the best lesson to every non-world-champion out there who plans to visit Melbourne: Do. Not. Hoon. Hat tip to Robert
It’s not often that a race car manufacturer gets to celebrate the production of its 1,000th unit, but that’s exactly what happened at Radical Sportscars this week. It has taken Radical 13 years to reach this milestone, and the SR2 has accounted for over half that volume. Radicals compete in a wide variety of series worldwide, including four runs in the 24 hours of Le Mans with the LMP2-class SR9 model.
Radical has also shown off a concept for a battery-powered race car dubbed the . Developed in cooperation with the Energy Futures Lab at Imperial College London, the SRZero sends energy from its 550-volt battery through a pair of electric motors that produce a combined 400 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The SRZero appears to be based on the SR3 chassis, and whether it will ever compete is unclear. Also unknown: how far the SRZero can go on a charge. Evidently, it supports simultaneous charging from two outlets.
The 1979 BAAAAD1 Datsun Z – Click above for image gallery
There are many, many words you could use to describe this car, but the one we’ll use comes straight from the seller: “unreal.” Indeed. This 1979 Datsun is also called “The wildest Z on the planet period,” which we would never contest based on looks alone. When you add the custom headers into side pipes, four-barrel Holley carbs, full roll cage and the Subaru rear end we might even throw “embarrassment of riches” into the mix. And we thought we knew what a rear wing was, but oh, we had so much to learn.
It’s in Nevada if you’re interested, and the sound is said to be so glorious that the seller will play it over the phone for you if you wish. At the time of writing, the bids were up to $13,105, but you don’t have long on this one, so check it out in the gallery below before heading over to eBay to make your move. And please keep it above the belt when commenting on the photographic embellishment…
2010 Mazda3 – Click above for high-res image gallery
There’s a battle raging over the northern border between the and : the Mazda3’s 5,436 units sold in April outdid the Civic by 135, and through the end of last month the Zoom-Zoom ride leads the by just 21 units. The rest of April’s Canadian top five is filled out by the , and . Compare that to April’s American top five of the Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic and Ford Fusion. Mazda (and higher gas prices) really have a hold on the Canucks, it seems – even if they’re …
Tata Motors has milked the minicar’s “most affordable” status for a ton of press, but it might soon hand the title belt over to a new challenger. According to a report at TopNews.in, Geely’s reportedly got its own ultra-frugal compact in the works for 2010. Called the IG, it’s expected to bring a $2,250 price tag and a 1.0-liter, 70 horsepower motor to the party.
We have no idea what to expect from a new car that’s , but word is that Geely aims to surpass the Nano from a quality standpoint. We already have a good idea of what the IG might look like if/when the Chinese microcar hits crowded city streets in a couple years, since Geely showed off the IG Fantastic concept car at last year’s Shanghai Motor Show.
While we’re certain the concept’s gullwing doors will never see life outside an exhibition hall, we’re thinking that a cute little runabout could fare quite nicely with a $2,250 price tag. We’ll likely never see the IG here in the States, but the folks in China and India will probably love it.
Given the level of when it comes to their motorcycles, it comes as no surprise that somebody has given one the Munsters treatment and created the . Built in Auckland, New Zealand by an automotive engineer, the bike can carry up to 440 lbs in an underbelly cradle. Push a button and the rig slides out to let the pallbearers do their thing. A complex system of hydraulics helps stabilize everything, and two riders are needed to get the deceased from place to place.
Power comes courtesy of a 1,350 cc engine, and the motorcycle hearse’s inventor, Mike Price, says that he originally wanted to partner with them on the project. Harley wanted Price to sign a lengthy contract before they’d even look at his design, however, so he politely told them where they could stick that dotted line and built the bike himself after work. Are there classier ways to get to your final resting place? Sure, but few are any cooler. for a check out a few videos.
1967 Porsche 910 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Today’s eBay find of the day is a particularly rare , a 1967 910 Spydercoupe. “Spyder Coupe,” you say? But that makes no sense! This particular car began life in early 1967 as the third of five 910 Spyders built by the factory for European hillclimb competition. After winning two of four races in ‘67 as part of the factory team, the car was rebuilt and offered for sale. It was purchased by John von Neuman, who raced it for the next two years in the U.S.
Eventually, the original Spyder bodywork was replaced with a coupe shell and the car passed through several collections over the next 30 years. It currently resides at in La Jolla, California, where we stumbled across it a couple of months ago while browsing. If you happen to be in La Jolla, Symbolic has a pretty impressive inventory; at the time of our visit, it included two , a Lamborghini Reventon, a 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra and a number of whose vintages range the 1960s to the present.
Oh, and the asking price for the Porsche 910? A cool $995,000.
Earlier this week, a plastered the – rather, Ram – logo on a Fiat 500. It looked pretty bad. Now, Fiat USA is offering Yanks a chance to choose a more conventional logo for the cute little bugger, and thankfully, the mountain mammal doesn’t factor into the equation.
Elsewhere, the 500 logo is the horizontally-split numerical graphic at the top. Your job is to let Fiat know which of the five supplementary graphics you think should grace the car. Whether Fiat plans on listening to any of you or using your majority choice anywhere remains to be seen, but as long as it isn’t number three then we’ll have fun playing. And as Mr. Letterman would advise, please, no wagering. Hop on over to and cast your vote.
2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT – click above for high-res gallery
Over the last few months, we’ve had some time to come to grips with how comfy and capacious the interior is in our long-term , but despite this, we think it could still do with a sportier feeling cabin. A big part of the staidness of the interior can be blamed on our test car’s spears of orangey woodgrain trim – we would have gladly substituted the silver trim in lower-rung models, but it wasn’t an option.
Thankfully, has recognized the incongruity – and the opportunity – and they’re substituting faux carbon fiber , which ought to be a great improvement and help sell the ‘performance’ aura. Better still, they’re adding aluminum pedal covers and silver seat stitching which should definitely liven up the place a bit.
Pricing for the 2011 model – now in ‘Limited’ trim only – goes up by $405 to $31,395. but includes Harman/Kardon audio with XM – two items that cost extra in our 2010. They’re also adding folding side mirrors, which should make at least one AB commenter we’ve heard from very happy. Either way the modest price increase is money very well spent in our book. Now, if Subaru would only make its excellent Xenon headlamps available as an option (they’ve already got the next to the power mirror controls), we’d be even happier campers…
Updates on our year-long experience with this Subaru can be found by checking out its . Bookmark it, subscribe to our RSS feed and (#ablongterm) as we travel along the road ahead with our Legacy 2.5GT.
Gallery:
Photos by Chris Paukert / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
For John Hennessey, too much is never enough. How else can you explain a 1,000 hp Camaro?
Pininfarina wants to set the tone for the future of electric vehicles, and its new Nido prototype is the yet another step towards a marketable electric city car.
Spies snag shots of the 2011 CLS before its big reveal at this year’s Paris Motor Show.
Also of interest:
means we can protect the V12“
Golf MkVII to get ‘Net-connected 8-inch touchscreen
Mini’s Mission Control gets a voice transplant – Click above to watch video
Remember the in the special edition Camden – the one that was obscenely annoying? There are something like 1,300 audio phrases within Mission Control, and Mini gives owners the audio files on an SD card. That means you can record your own phrases in new voices… or use voices that are already out there… like K.I.T.T.’s.
Automobile swapped the three limey characters for that of the Knight Industries Two Thousand, so taking the car out of Sport mode gets the warning, “Don’t touch turbo boost. Something tells me you should touch turbo boost.” That’s more like it. For the rest of the Frankenstein results, check out the video .
