This, ladies and gentlemen, is the world’s largest barbecue on wheels, the Johnsonville Sausage Big Taste grill. It’s been travelling the country since 1995, hitting up events like the Superbowl and , and turning ton after ton of pork into delicious, juicy bratwurst.
Not only does it rove the land dishing out grilled delicacies at every turn, the Big Taste Grill is a rolling fund raiser for a host of charity organizations. According to Johnsonville, they’ve used it to raise more than $3 million since its inception.
And with that… it’s high time for some tasty beer brats, don’t you think?
Chevrolet Orlando Play-Doh Sculpture – Click above for high-res image gallery
is building buzz for the Chevrolet Orlando in Europe with a rather unique guerrilla marketing campaign. The company crafted a full-scale Play-Doh model of the MPV and parked it in downtown London. The instillation weighs in at a staggering 1.5 tons and measures 15 feet long by almost six feet wide. If you’re trying to work out the connection between Play-Doh and the Orlando, don’t stretch your gray matter too hard. As it turns out, the connection has less to do with any correlation between the vehicle and the malleable goo than it does with some research conducted by the minds at Chevrolet.
The automaker pinged 1,000 UK adults in an attempt to discern the most popular toy of yesteryear. Play-Doh handily took that title with 19 percent of the vote. We’re a little disappointed to see that the modeling compound beat out Lego blocks at 17 percent. A full-scale Play-Doh Orlando is impressive, no doubt, but we’ve got a special place in our hearts for huge Lego builds. for the full press blast.
2010 ChevroletCorvette Convertible Grand Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to Automotive News, has seen sales increase slightly after months of decline. The General’s sports car saw sales jump by 13 percent in both January and February compared to the same months one year ago. All told, saw 955 Corvette models slip off of dealer lots in the first two months of 2011. That’s good news for General Motors. Well, maybe good is too strong of a word.
See, Corvette sales haven’t exactly been breaking any records as of late. Automotive News reports that, since 2006, the vehicle’s sales have been in a steady state of freefall. In fact, back then Corvette models were selling at a rate of roughly 3,000 units per month for a total of 36,518 vehicles. Last year, that figure was just 12,624.
So, why the slump? It’s no secret that C6 Corvette is growing long in the tooth. The latest generation of the baddest Bow Tie was introduced in 2006, and muscle cars like the , and are now flexing similar power figures for significantly less cash. While it’s true that neither of those offerings can deliver the kind of handling that the still-wicked Corvette serves up, the majority of the population simply doesn’t care.
Of the many criticisms leveled at the U.S. interpretation of Top Gear, perhaps the most stinging is that the show relies on re-baked ideas lifted wholesale from the grand-pappy of all motoring shows, Top Gear UK. That may be true, but it’s also a trick that the producers of the show’s various ethnicities have been employing for years. What’s more, it doesn’t look like it will stop any time soon.
A video of Top Gear Poland’s latest antics has leaked to the interwebs, and fans of the OG TG will likely recognize the premise.
The show’s presenters have been unleashed on an unsuspecting shopping mall in the middle of the night, and the video shows a Peugeot 107, a Chevrolet Spark, a and a Toyota iQ zooming around with a . One of these things is most certainly not like the other ones.
We’re not entirely sure what the premise behind the clip is, considering that the video lacks any of the tire-squealing glory of the infamous vs. battle helmed by Jeremy Clarkson. Still, we’ve always wanted to wheel around in the display vehicles in the mall, so the clip at least lets us live out that fantasy. to check it for yourself.
The Golf R is Volkswagen’s new poster child for hot hatchery, and if you’ve ever fallen in love with a GTI, be prepared to be absolutely smitten with this little number.
What is it, when is it coming and where will it be sold?
The Pagani Huayra has finally shown its face in motion.
Also of interest:
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Hennessey HPE600 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible – Click above to watch video
If for some strange reason you find that the doesn’t quite pack the punch you need, Hennessey has you covered. The Texas tuner has officially pulled the sheets back on the very first example of the company’s HPE600 Camaro Convertible, complete with a walloping 602 horsepower. That’s a full 172 ponies more than the most powerful production version, and the nudge in grunt comes courtesy of a TVS2300 supercharger and host of other upgrades designed to help the big V8 breathe a little easier.
As we’ve come to expect from Hennessey, the company’s wrenches also turned their attention toward the vehicle’s suspension, and buyers who opt for the muscle-bound droptop can expect to find a KW adjustable coilover suspension and wider 20-inch wheels wrapped in super-sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
Hennessey says that the topless wonder is good for dashing to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and can clip off the quarter mile run in 12 seconds flat at 118 mph. That’s moving. to take a look at a video of the car in action as well as the full press release.
Next-generation Chevrolet Colorado teaser – Click above for high-res image
let a sneak peek at its new global-platform Chevrolet Colorado slip ahead of the truck’s official debut at the Bangkok Motor Show in Thailand. The show starts March 25, so GM is giving us just enough to get the gist of what our next-generation Chevrolet Colorado/ may look like.
The General says it picked Thailand for the truck’s debut because the Southeast Asian market is becoming a huge player for the automaker, and people in Thailand are buying pickups at an alarming rate. In 2010, pickups accounted for 43 percent of vehicles sold in Thailand.
The truck will be built in Thailand for global consumption, but will most likely carry over Stateside as the new Colorado/Canyon, and is being prepped by GM of Brazil for the American market. for The General’s official press blast.
2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
Chevrolet says the will cost €41,950, including Europe’s hefty value added tax, when it goes on sale in Germany later this year, and will carry a similar price tag when it launches on the rest of the continent. European Volts will come with standard leather seats, and Chevrolet’s eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty. The Volt’s -badged twin will also hit the streets of Europe in the coming months, as well.
The warranty covers the car’s powertrain as well as its lithium-ion battery. Chevrolet says that it offers the most comprehensive battery warranty of any EV manufacturer. Between its electric motors and gasoline-fed generator, the Volt is good for a combined range of 375 miles, and recharges on a normal household outlet. for GM’s press release.
Our crack team of spy photographers have managed to set their lenses on an automotive quandary. Reports from the field say that this particular machine was spotted last year wearing even more camouflage, and that at the time, it was suspected that the vehicle could be the sedan successor to the . Now, though, we’ve seen the four-door Sonic that’s heading to our market later this year, so our guess is that this particular vehicle isn’t aiming to take the States.
That still doesn’t answer exactly what the pint-sized four door is, nor does it give us any idea of where the production version will touch down.
There’s some indication that is readying a new compact fighter to tango in markets in South America, India and China, and that the checkerboard prototype you see above is that very vehicle. Still, with the Sonic being manufactured in Korea, we have to wonder why GM would be interested in pursuing an additional model for the rest of Asia. We’ll keep our ears down and our eyes open and let you know what we find.
2011 Ford Police Interceptors – Click above to view the videos
The long-serving Crown Victoria Police Interceptor will take its final bow this year, leaving behind a legacy of protecting and serving that outstrips even the legendary Chevrolet Caprice. To fill the void left by the stout-but-dated Crown Vic, Ford is releasing a fleet of new Police Interceptors, and they’ve got a legacy to uphold.
Ahead of their launch, Dearborn pitted the new Interceptors against their competition from Dodge and Chevrolet, the Dodge Charger and the Chevrolet Tahoe. Ford is releasing 2011 and 2011 versions of the Interceptor, with the Explorer getting a 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V6 making 300 horsepower and the Taurus available with either a 3.5-liter 280-hp V6, or the 365 hp 3.5-liter EcoBoost mill from the SHO.
Ford is offering the Interceptors in front or all-wheel drive guise, eschewing the Crown Vic’s rear-drive-only platform. to see how Ford’s efforts stack up to the competition.
And… we’re spent. Over the past three days we’ve tried to make you feel as if you were at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show with us, and in doing so showed you 76 production and concept vehicles that were unveiled or on display here. For those counting, that’s a new record for the number of vehicles that Autoblog has covered at one auto show, and you can find every single one below.
But now we’re done. Most of us are power napping right now so that tomorrow we can return to the normal business of Autoblog. It’s been fun and we hope you enjoyed the coverage. See you next month in the Big Apple for the 2011 New York Auto Show.
Ford Fusion Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
For the , the has not only come out as the top family sedan pick in Consumer Reports‘ list of the 2011 American Top Picks, once again eclipsing the and in reliability.
Topping the list in the budget car segment is the , though CR admits they aren’t sure how reliable the car will be, given that it’s a clean-sheet design. The takes the small car category.
Ford captures CR’s small SUV category with the , and Chevrolet has nailed down the family SUV category with its 2LT. The funky takes the family hauler category, and the is the top pick among sporty cars.
The only non-Ford or Chevrolet product on the list is the , which takes top honors for CR’s sports sedan category. The (above) garners the American green car pick for 2011, and the Chevrolet Avalanche rounds out the list in the pickup truck category.
It should be noted that some categories in CR’s list only have a top-scoring American vehicle, not a top pick. In the budget car segment, the sports sedan segment and the small car segment, CR passes on picking a favorite because there are models in the segment that are too new to have reliability data yet.
The list of finalists for World Car of the Year has been whittled down from 39 entries to just three, and the finalists were announced yesterday at a press conference hosted by Bridgestone at the Geneva Motor Show.
The finalists for overall Car of the Year are the , the and the . The performance category is occupied by the the Ferrari 458 Italia, the and the .
Representing the green catergory are the Nissan Leaf, and the EfficientDynamics Edition. The green car of the year will be decided by votes from three of the world’s top green technology experts.
The final category in the World Car of the Year competition is design. In that category is the , Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Ferrari 458 Italia.
The winner of the World Car of the Year award has to represent some aspects of each category in the competition and will be decided, along with the winners in from the other categories, at the New York Auto Show on April 21.
2012 Ford Focus – Click above for high-res image gallery
The fuel economy wars have heated up in the hotly contested C-Segment. The latest salvo from comes in the form of the (Super Fuel Economy) capable of on a single gallon of petrol. That ties the similarly new 2011 (40 mpg) and it’s close to the 42 mpg from the . But like its competitor from , most Focus models won’t be able to keep pace with the big four-oh.
According to Kicking Tires, the rest of the Focus lineup will return a slightly less exciting 38 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg around town (31 mpg combined) when equipped with a six-speed automatic gearbox. The manual transmission Focus will hit 36 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg in city driving (30 mpg combined). Not best-in-class, but not too shabby, either.
It would have been a big win for the Focus if it could best the Elantra at the pump. On the other hand, the Focus does pack 12 more horsepower than the Hyundai and we’re thinking it looks every bit as good. It’s a good time to be in the market for a compact car.
We’re up to 62. That’s 62 cars we’ve covered at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. And no, we’re not done. Our all time record is 72 vehicles covered in one auto show, thanks to a bountiful Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. Will we beat our record tomorrow? Um… absolutely, because we’ve still got a lot more cool cars from Switzerland to show you. See you tomorrow morning when the fun continues. Until then, check out our updated batch of Geneva cars below.
SEAT IBX Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Geneva Motor Show is in high gear, and subsidiary SEAT has no intentions of sitting on the sidelines during the massive European show, as the IBX crossover clearly illustrates.
The IBX was penned to show the Spanish brand’s future design direction, as well as the company’s commitment to environmentally friendly technology. Power for the front-wheel-drive concept comes from a -like mixture of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery pack. SEAT hasn’t provided many details about the powertrain, only mentioning that the vehicle could travel 45 kilometers (28 miles) on an electricity alone, with the range-extending gas or diesel engine kicking in once electro-juice is exhausted. SEAT says that the engine could come courtesy of one of the gas or diesel offerings already available in its lineup.
On the design front, this little ute’s two-door design carries some coupe-inspired lines while still
aiming for the roominess of a crossover. The overall form is clean and attractive, if a bit nondescript (an impression no doubt enhanced by its relentlessly white paint). Chief designer Luc Donckerwolke says in the company’s press release that the IBX represents the footprint of future SEAT design, adding that “this design DNA will have a profound impact on every one of our models.” Hit the jump to read over the official press release, and peruse the high-res images of the IBX concept by clicking on the galleries below.
While you were tucked in last night dreaming of Geneva’s finest, we were still awake, still working to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show possible. But don’t feel bad for us, that’s what we do.
We’ve updated our group of production and concept cars below with 17 more vehicles, all worth your time to check out. And no, we’re still not done, so stay tuned throughout the day to see the last batch of vehicles that are worth seeing in Geneva.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety semi trailer crash test – click for high-res gallery
A new study by the has found that underride guards on semi trailers are prone to failure. Despite major advances in passenger car safety since the mid-1970s, it seems the guards on tractor trailers still fail to reliably prevent vehicles from sliding under trailers in the event of a collision – a similar result to studies conducted over 30 years ago.
Of course, some trailers are better than others, but there is no testing standard for evaluating the underride guards and their attachment points and hardware. Despite this, there is a federal safety standard for the guards, and there’s also a more stringent Canadian specification which requires the guards to be stronger and absorb more crash energy. In analyzing the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, a federal database of about 1,000 actual crashes from 2001-2003, the Institute determined that of the 115 crashes where a passenger vehicle struck the rear of a truck or semi, nearly 80 percent involved underride, and nearly half of those vehicles suffered severe or catastrophic damage.
The guards aren’t required on as many trucks as you’d first think, despite a 1996 standard calling for increased strength, guard size and energy absorbtion. Many trucks are exempt due to their trailer or chassis configuration, with dump trucks being a notable )and notably dangerous) example. When hit straight-on, the guards can perform better than offset tests, but in crash tests, the IIHS found performance was all over the map for trailer underride guards.
The worst performance in these new IIHS tests belongs to a Hyundai trailer whose guard bent and tore from its attachment points in a 35 mph crash test with a . Instead of keeping its passengers safe with its high-performing safety design (the Malibu is an IIHS Top Safety Pick), the front of the car slid under the trailer and left the roof structure to absorb the impact with the trailer. A Wabash trailer with a Canadian-spec guard kept the Malibu from plowing under the trailer in the 35 mph center crash test. Offset impacts – when only part of the guard is engaged by a vehicle – are still troublesome, and even the high-performing Wabash trailer suffered severe underride in a 30 percent overlap test.
In light of this ever-present danger on roadways, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is callig for more stringent standards, closing the gaps that allow many trucks to go without guards or use guards that don’t meet the 1996 standards for strength and energy absorption, and a more comprehensive standard that incorporates a method of better protecting vehicles in offset impacts as well as crash tests by trailer manufacturers to certify that the underride guards and their mounting systems live up to the intent of the law. Full press release
2012 Opel Ampera – Click above for high-res image gallery
Just as the first round of are hitting the streets of the United States, Europe’s own version of the electrified sedan makes its debut at the . took the wraps off the , a sedan that wears more aggressively styled body panels than its cousin. It’s pretty slick, and when you consider the technology that exists underneath that shapely sheetmetal, Europe should be pleasantly surprised.
Pricing, however, is a bit steep. GM has set the Ampera’s base price at €42,900, which includes Europe’s steep Value Added Tax, and that translates to roughly $60,000 based on current exchange rates. Still, Opel says that it already has about 1,000 orders placed for the sedan across the continent, and with Voltec engineering on tap, hopefully the Ampera will make as big of a splash in Europe as the Volt has here in America.
Day 1 of the Geneva Motor Show is done. Below you’ll find every production and concept car that we could bring you from Day 1, but thankfully there’s a Day 2. Tomorrow we’ll show you what we didn’t have time for today, as well as roam the show floor for those extra special vehicles that only the Europeans can come up with. Stay tuned because we’re nowhere near done with Geneva.
The list of finalists for World Car of the Year has been whittled down from 39 entries to just three, and the finalists were announced yesterday at a press conference hosted by Bridgestone at the 
