Hold your horses, ladies and gents. All 700 of them. It appears that earlier reports of the Pagani Huayra’s exclusion from the U.S. market may have been a tad premature.
As you may recall, we on a ruling from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that denied Pagani its application for exemption from certain airbag regulations. The assumption was that this would put a big damper on , but if the latest reports prove accurate, that now appears to be little more than a speed bump. And as little as exotic supercars and their drivers like speed bumps, they can, one way or another, be overcome.
According to GTSpirit, Pagani appears to have been prepared for the NHTSA’s refusal. The application had been submitted some three years ago, and since Pagani Automobili had not received a reply until now, it had already begun work on the advanced air bags as required. The request – such as had been granted to other niche supercar manufacturers – was simply to give Pagani some extra time to implement the rules and allow it to sell in the U.S. in the meantime. Clever.
Reports highlight just how far Pagani has gone to heighten the safety measures in the new Huayra with such features as a carbon-titanium passenger tub from which the rear subframe breaks off in the event of a catastrophic crash, and a fuel system that cuts off pressure if the fuel line is severed. In other words, over and above what NHTSA mandates.
The rigorous application of the advanced airbag regulations may mean that Pagani’s planned deliveries for late 2012 could be pushed back to early 2013, but one way or another, Pagani is determined to sell here in the United States. And given the speeds of which its cars are capable, we wouldn’t count on them arriving too late, either.
originally appeared on on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:27:00 EST. Please see our .
Having a car in high school can immediately vault you several rungs on the cool-kid class meter. However, choose the wrong car and you can actually lose points, sending your popularity down faster than the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Kelley Blue Book has put together a list of vehicles that it believes will appeal to the kids out there with driver’s licenses, and we’re not entirely sold on all of the choices.
Here is a quick breakdown of KBB’s choices for both new and used vehicles:
New:
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Used:
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
The new choices all make sense, since the vehicles are affordable, efficient and attractive enough not to make our inner teens cringe in shame. Something tells us the little Fiat might really score much higher on the desirability list.
The used car choices, however, have at least one eyebrow raiser in their midst. While we’ve grown to fully appreciate the utility of a minivan, there isn’t a teenager in the entire country that wants to be seen driving one. Sure, they’d be able to pack all their friends inside, but teens aren’t known for making sensible decisions.
We’re also a bit curious about the F-150. Yes, it’s best-selling vehicle in America and arguably the leader of its class, but it’s hardly fuel efficient. Not quite an obvious choice in our minds.
Still, it’s hard to say no to any car at that age, which explains why our first cars are far from our dream rides. We’re curious: What was your first car? Feel free to sound off in the comments.
originally appeared on on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our .
Episode #242 of the Autoblog Podcast is here. This week, Chris and Dan are joined by John McElroy, long-time host of , Autoblog columnist and a fixture to listeners of WWJ. We start by getting our supercar fix, mulling the Pagani Huyara and its eventual move to the U.S. market. From there, we bring some informed analysis to General Motors regaining the largest automaker crown from Toyota and discuss the newly-confirmed Cadillac XTS and ATS. Your questions and comments power the last third of the podcast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #242:
In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Infiniti M56
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
2012 Fiat 500
Hosts: , , Guest: Runtime: 01:13:50
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originally appeared on on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our .
Through the end of July, sales of diesel vehicles in the United States were up 38.5 percent, compared to the same seven-month period in 2010. Led by the and , diesel vehicles appear to have escaped the quake-related supply issues that for months, though they’re tally of 8,653 vehicles sold in July still only represents 0.82 percent of the total market.
Sales of the segment leader, the Jetta TDI, were 5,206 last month, bringing the diesel sedan’s year-to-date total to 56,717. The oil-burning Golf didn’t enjoy nearly the same level of demand, but its sales of 966 units in July landed the hatchback in second place among all diesel vehicles. In third, with sales ringing in at 562 units was the diesel-fueled .
Looking for more details? Head over to for a model-by-model breakdown of diesel vehicle sales for July 2011.
originally appeared on on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our .
If you’ve already placed your order for one of the fifteen examples of the Pagani Huayra set to , you might either be getting your check back in the mail or asked for a bigger one. As it turns out, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is giving Pagani a bit of a hard time.
Back in 2000, NHTSA established new guidelines for advanced air bags. All automakers had to comply with the regulations, but a few low-volume manufacturers like and were given exemptions. Pagani applied for a similar pass on the grounds that it didn’t have the financial resources to develop such a system, but the administration has denied its request.
As a result, Pagani will either have to go back to the drawing board and develop – at a cost of around $5.7 million – the required advanced airbag system as required by the NHTSA to sell their car in the United States, or else skip out on this market as they did with the previous Zonda.
It certainly would be a shame if we had to admire the Italian supercar from afar like so many before it, but then again, given the immense velocity of which the Huayra is capable, maybe mandating the very best in safety technology isn’t such a bad idea.
originally appeared on on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our .
We’re almost ready to record Episode #242 of the Autoblog Podcast. Tonight we’re joined by John McElroy of Autoline Detroit. Check out the topics below and you can join us live via , as well. Thanks for listening!
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #242
originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:50:00 EST. Please see our .
has big plans for . The luxury brand from Dearborn has been producing solid machinery as of late, but its vehicles often seem to get lost in the shuffle. The cars look too much like their Ford-branded siblings, and that means a major injection of new style is in order, and quick. That’s just what Ford has in mind, and Lincoln will now have its own in-house design studio working right alongside the product development team.
Our friends at and, while they can’t reveal anything yet, say that Lincoln is moving into a design space of its own. The automaker will utilize fresh styling alongside Lincoln-specific interiors and powertrains. Autoline says that the new engine and transmission options will also result in huge jumps in fuel economy. New styling, upgraded interiors and more efficient vehicles? Sounds like a smart plan, and it shows that Ford understands that Lincoln needs help.
It’s also worth noting that Ford recently announced brand. It seems we’ll have Lincolns to get excited about in as little as three to four years.
originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our .
We record Episode #242 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and we’re joined by Autoline host and Autoblog columnist . Drop us your questions in our Q&A module (below) and check out our discussion topics or chime in to helm determine what the crew chats about this evening. You can subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #242
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originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our .
We’re in the middle of yet another slow striptease of prototypes from , this time starring the 2013 6 Series Gran Coupe. We’ve seen and of , not to mention the that – unsurprisingly – looks very, very similar to the almost-ready development cars caught out on the road.
For round three, we’re getting our first glimpse at the four-door ‘ M Sport package, complete with the usual performance-ish upgrades like larger wheels, a more aggressive front fascia and revised exhaust. Truth be told, we like the M Sport additions to the awkward 6 Series nose, and we’re sure the finished product will be quite a looker (especially in black). Scroll through our attached image gallery to see the sporty Sixer for yourself.
originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our .
It’s not official – yet – but Car and Driver caught executives . Rumor has it that the German automaker is looking to add a mid-engined supercar to the family, slotting above the range, but below the upcoming 918. This new model will be Porsche’s answer to the .
Early estimates on the price tag? Somewhere in the neighborhood of €400,000 – about $568,000 based on current exchange rates (yikes!). Car and Driver speculates that this exotic supercar will utilize a powerplant that produces over 600 horsepower, which should help push 0-60-mile-per-hour times into the three-second range, while top speed could hover as high as 220 mph.
This move should help keep Porsche purists happy, with the knowledge that a high-performance coupe will join a lineup of vehicles they’re entirely in love with. Still, those vehicles (read: and ) supply the cash to build super sports cars. You can’t have the sweet without the sour… and in this case, the sour is actually pretty sweet, too.
originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our .
It’s loud, powerful and wears the three-pointed star up front. Sure, that could describe the host of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG cars, but in this case, we’re talking about the latest hotness: the . This performance two-door keeps popping up in videos to tantalize our senses, and now, has hired a pair of stunt drivers for a trio of new clips that show the sports coupe engaging in fan-approved activities.
The German automaker reached out to its fans on Facebook, who then decided on what stunts they wanted to see the C63 AMG Coupe perform. The first shows how the C63 AMG Coupe can be used to link drifts together to form a figure eight. Said figure eight happens to occur within close proximity to a pair of C63 sedans. In the second clip, a stunt driver threads the needle between a pair of parked sedans, and he does so while moving fairly quickly… in reverse. Lastly, the final clip appears fairly tame at first glance, as both stunt drivers intersect each other at high speeds. However, the timing has to be just right for that maneuver or Mercedes would have to send out a cleaning crew to pick up tiny bits of sports car from the ground.
We’ve got all three clips, idling loudly for you .
originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our .
In Australia, a muscled-up showcar has given way to the real thing. Earlier in the year, , which boasted a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine under the hood. The FPV Concept was shown to the public at the Australian International Motor Show, and the team behind the car were happy with the overwhelming support for the blacked-out brawler. Their thumbs-up reactions helped Ford’s Australian brass give the concept car a green light, albeit with limited production.
The end result is called the FPV GT Black, and it’s limited to a run of just 125 units. There’s only one color choice, and it’s staring you in the face right now. Power is supplied by the aforementioned 5.0, which enjoys a bit of forced induction to help push output to around 450 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. All of that twist is available from 2,200 rpm up through 5,500 rpm.
We already know , and this limited-edition sedan is no exception. Still, we’re rather curious how the $74,290 sticker price would translate stateside. Still, this is as close as we’ll get to wondering about that, because these sports sedans are staying in Australia. for the official press release.
originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:28:00 EST. Please see our .
Pagani unveiled its new supercar, the Huayra, to the media at the Pasadena Art Center Colleage of Design this past week. The car was in March, but this is the first time the car has been seen on North American soil. In fact, this is the first time Pagani has officially brought any car to the United States despite producing its first supercar, the Zonda, for more for than a decade. Company founder Horacio Pagani said that the reason his company is only now beginning to sell cars in North America isn’t for lack of potential customers. According to Pagani, there was actually quite a bit of interest in the car, but unlike other supercar makers, he is in no rush to expand too quickly.
“At the time, the production capacity was not enough to fulfill all the demand an inquiries that we got from our worldwide customers,” he told us through his Italian translater. “The customers for these very special high end cars are very sophisticated, and when they come to Pagani they have to get not just a supercar but super attention and service together with the car. It’s not easy to properly look after each of them, so this is why, step-by-step, we are developing new markets just to make sure that every new customer coming into the Pagani family is very well looked after and pampered by our staff and to meet every request.”
Unfortunately, that attention to detail and customer service means that U.S. buyers will still have to wait a little longer before getting their cars. Horacio says that current customers need to be attended to before orders from new markets can be handled. “Pagani plans to enter the U.S. market only at the end of the 2012,” he told us. “We already have a huge demand for the car from our existing market, which is outside North America. We have to allow for some time for Pagani to fulfill the demand of the existing customer, and then start with our new ones.”
originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our .
, New Zealand’s only supercar company, has finally started accepting orders for its long-promised, much-hyped supercar. Along similar lines as the , the Hulme’s goal is to provide an F1 car experience for the street.
To do so, the beast is loaded with a 700-horsepower, -derived V8 stuffed into the middle of a carbon fiber and kevlar shell. Weight is kept down to just over 2,300 pounds, which Hulme hopes will mean a 0-60 sprint of under 3.5 seconds. Denny would be proud.
The order books for the limited-production supercars are now open, but deliveries likely won’t begin until the second half of 2012. Hulme is hoping to get the car classed as a limited-production vehicle in Europe, which would mean the car could be sold freely across the continent.
originally appeared on on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our .
Last year, RM Auctions held a special during the Monterey car week, offering a unique chance to buy various concept cars built in the last decade. While that was a one-time event, RM is once again be working with Ford to auction off a select number of concept cars for this year.
First up is the Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept, first introduced to the public at Pebble Beach in 2004. Built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the legendary Shelby Daytona Coupe, the car features a silver paint scheme with blue stripes and 12-spoke 19-inch wheels. Unfortunately, the car is not a running example, unlike the polished aluminum version that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show a few months later.
Next up is the Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster Concept that was first shown at the 2001 Detroit Auto Show. A precursor to the Ford Thunderbird production car, the Sports Roadster is set apart by a molded fiberglass tonneau that’s neatly integrated into the rear decklid.
As is custom for Ford when auctioning off cars, proceeds from the sale will be donated to charity. The sale of the two concept cars, each valued between $125,000 and $200,000, will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
originally appeared on on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:06:00 EST. Please see our .
Car seats are undoubtedly a must-have if you want to keep your child safe in the car. Yet, as with so many other things, they can hide surprises that you might want your child to avoid. In this case the surprise is chemicals that, according to , possess “known toxicity, persistence, and tendency to build up in people and the environment.” They include bromine, chlorine and lead, among others.
Some of the seatmakers, such as Graco, earned spots on both the best and worst lists. Although the best and worst performers in the tests earn a numerical score, the tests don’t indicate the exact amount of the detected chemicals. Things have gotten better, though, with average car seat rankings improving by 64 percent since 2008.
You can find the press release with more details after the jump, and all of the tested seats .
originally appeared on on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 12:03:00 EST. Please see our .
Ford is offering car shoppers the opportunity to participate in a rather unique take on the test drive experience. Instead of simply handing over the keys and taking a lap around the block, Ford equipped a group of test cars with telemetry equipment, commandeered a parking lot and set up an obstacle course. The data of the test run was fed through a recording device, and a real-life video game was born.
Players score points based on the way they navigate the course, and their time is taken into consideration. It sounds fun, but it’s also allowing people to get up close and personal with the handling ability of the 2012 Ford Focus.
After watching the video shown , we can only say that we’re rather interested in competing. We love driving, we enjoy video games and we’re a competitive bunch here at the Autoblog.com HQ. If this event makes it out our way, just know we’re gunning for the top spot.
test drive into a game
originally appeared on on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our .
Buying an exotic luxury car can be an exciting process. You’re not likely to run into other examples of your high-end machine on the street on a daily basis. Still, other examples do exist, and there will come a day when your rare ride meets its equal. Outfits exist to make sure that doesn’t happen, one of which has taken a customer’s and transformed it into a bespoke one-of-one supercoupe.
The company is called Imperium, and it’s turned up the exclusivity knob on this particular . Carbon fiber body panels have been shaped to replace the old metal ones, and new subtly aggressive features are achieved. A set of forged one-off wheels complete the look, resulting in the handsome Imperium Continental GT seen here.
Imperium doesn’t list a price to achieve this look. However, it states that only a few cars are completed each year, and every one is built to the exacting standards of the specific client, so you can bet it ain’t cheap.
originally appeared on on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our .
Josh Clason (he of the Depth of Speed series) is teaming up with eGarage. Two great flavors that will certainly taste great together. Clason and eGarage plan to bring us plenty of visual automotive delight, and the duo have just realized a teaser clip of what’s in store.
Verbally, the pair are mum on what’s coming up. The teaser video, however, speaks volumes. We’ve seen the , but the rest of the video takes on everything from rat rods and lead sleds to modern high-horsepower coupes. to watch the video.
One warning for the easily offended; there is a brief swear shown on screen. Don’t laugh… some have rather sensitive work environments, and we don’t want anyone getting in trouble.
originally appeared on on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our .
Is the Acura Legend a bit too “Asian” for your late-80’s tastes? Perhaps you’re attracted to its 2.7-liter V6, but not the packaging surrounding it. Your love for Fawlty Towers, Manchester United and Winston Churchill push you towards an automobile that lets everyone know you prefer the Union Jack to the Stars and Stripes. Well, we’ve found your next car, and you can Buy It Now for a mere pence under four grand.
A former unidentified automotive journalist has decided to part with his Sterling 827SLi (sadly, he’s not an Autoblog scribe, or we’d have smacked him until he came to his senses). The rare five-door in question was a former member of Sterling’s press fleet here in the States, and it’s claimed to be the last one ever sold in the States. 150,000 miles or so later, it can be a proud part of your fleet.
In case you don’t remember, Sterling was a U.S. automobile company produced by Austin Rover Cars North America, the U.S. arm of British carmaker Rover. Engines (and in truth, most of the car beneath the skin) was supplied through a partnership with , with the 827SLi you see here benefited from the same mill stuck under the hood as the Legend. Unlike the Legend, which was arguably a paragon of precision and reliability in its day, Sterling’s reputation for build quality stood in opposition to its Japanese roots. Leave it to the British to make a Japanese car unreliable.
The Sterling legacy in America only lasted from 1987 to 1992, and most of the cars that were produced were the more conventional 825 sedan, not this comparatively rare 827SLi liftback. Toward the end of its run, Sterling products actually began to improve a bit, but it was too late in the minds of American car buyers. It’s not too late for you though, so to check out what is probably the finest example of this dying breed while it lasts.
originally appeared on on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our .
