The Monterey auctions kicked off last night with a special Ford-only sale put on by RM. Despite an offering of significant race cars and a slew of concept cars, bidding was sluggish and many of the final sale prices were well below the pre-auction estimates. Some of the concepts like the and the sold for just $14,000 each, while many of the high profile cars sold for less than half the estimates. The went for $60,000, the sold for $92,500, and the went to a bidder who only had to fork over $100,000.
The top sales of the day were actually a pair of Lincolns, one a ($429,000) and the other a ($385,000). Some most significant cars were no-sales, including a that is the oldest existing Ford ever sold (high bid of $325,000) and a that didn’t meet the reserve at $450,000.
You can see the Ford concept cars and many of the other vehicles at RM’s Thursday night auction in the gallery below, and be sure to check back for more auction photos and results this weekend.
Oh, . When will you learn that the CLC was just a bad idea? did so with the chopped-trunk 318ti, but Mercedes seems determined to make its counterpart work. To that end, the Silver Star automaker is reportedly working on a new derivative.
Drawing its inspiration from the (pictured above) and its underpinnings from the B-Class, the CLC Shooting Brake (hopefully they’ll get the spelling right this time) is expected to slot in below the C-Class Estate wagon, but presumably with a svelter roofline.
That doesn’t mean they’ll get the door count right though: the jury’s still out on whether it’ll be a proper shooting brake with three doors (like the existing CLC, but longer) or five doors like a conventional wagon. Engine options, meanwhile, are tipped to revolve around turbocharged fours, ranging from 108 horsepower and 1.2 liters to a 272-hp CLC22 AMG with 4Matic all-wheel drive. Sources expect the CLC Shooting Brake to arrive around September 2013.
2010 Toyota Yaris – Click above for high-res image gallery
B-segment cars have been getting a whole lot of attention lately, what with super-good offerings like the , and setting the bar high for the class. has its friendly little , but that model hasn’t seen any sort of real update since its debut in late 2006, but large changes are in the works.
Toyota’s North American operations have reportedly been pushing for the Yaris to grow in size, and we should get a conceptual preview of what to expect at the 2011 . Toyota is also working on a hybrid powertrain for the Yaris in Europe, though reports state that this engine isn’t slated for the United States. Odd, especially since Toyota has always talked about expanding its nameplate to include a range of hybrid vehicles.
For now, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more rumors, and we’ll wait to see what Toyota has in store for a Detroit Show debut next January.
BMW Concept Gran Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery
Not to be outdone by the likes of the , , or , will reportedly be building a production version of the that debuted at this year’s . It may be a late arrival to the growing segment of swoopy luxury sedans, but BMW will indeed poise the Gran Coupe to offer just as much in the way of technology and refinement as the lot of its competitors.
Based on the next-generation , the Gran Coupe is set to launch sometime in 2012 and will share its powertrains with what we’re seeing in the , 6, and BMWs, including a possible hybrid variant. Naturally, the production Gran Coupe will slot between the 5 and 7 Series in terms of size and price, and if the overall design doesn’t change too much, it’ll certainly be an attractive addition to the BMW lineup.
If ever there were a single car that could be said to embody the Japanese concept of ““, or continuous improvement, it is the . Over its nearly half-century run, the range-topping sportscar from has been in a state of continual evolution, and with the possible exception of the 1998 transition from the air-cooled 993 models to the water-cooled 996, it would be hard to argue that any of the variants were truly all-new.
Nonetheless, a heavily reworked 911 is expected to be launched next year as a 2012 model that will still be instantly recognizable as a 911. Autocar is reporting that the new car will continue to share its front structure with the new , but the multi-link rear suspension will be revised and the rear-engined machine will get longer overall.
Like so many other modern cars, the face of the new 911 will likely incorporate a row of LEDs to function as daytime running lamps while the mirrors move back from the A-pillars to the doors. Despite the racing debut of the this year, a similar setup for the road car still seems to be a ways off. The first hybrid 911 we see for the road will likely be a mild adaptation of the system in the with a smaller motor and lithium ion battery similar to the one used in the .
The is an impressive vehicle in almost every conceivable way. The stunning, drop-top should be motivated by something close to the concept’s 500-horsepower V8; almost weak by supercar standards but the still-powerful mill is only part of the powertrain story. The 918 concept also featured a pair of 109-hp electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery capable of EV-only propulsion that theoretically enables the 918 to drive 16 miles on electricity alone. Then there is perhaps the most awesome statistic: the 918’s rumored €500,000 ($650,000 in U.S. dollars) price tag.
What could make the 918 still more impressive? How about a 7:20 lap around the famed Nürburgring? That’s the word coming out of the , where an image quoting the ‘Ring time () was allegedly used in a presentation by Ferdinand Piëch. If true, the 918 would best ‘Ring kings like the and . A lap time of 7:20 would even best the time of the last exotic Porsche, the Cerrara GT, by eight seconds.
Such a quick lap isn’t out of the realm of possibility, especially since we’re talking about a $650,000 Porsche, but we’re not inclined to believe it until we see some in-car video. For one, we don’t even know if the 918 Spyder has actually been to the ‘Ring yet, let alone laid down such quick times. If it had, we would expect our spy photographers to have caught it on film, which they haven’t… yet. Second, the forums are also claiming that Piëch once said his hybrid supercar did a simulated lap of the Nürburgring in 7:30, which further adds to the confusion. Finally, the 7:20 lap time could also just be a target for the production 918 Spyder, something not yet achieved but that Porsche hopes the car will do on the other side of its development.
Whatever the case may be, even the mention of being that quick around Germany’s Green Hell implies that Porsche is developing the production 918 Spyder to compete like no Porsche has before.
Let’s include this one in the highly improbably file. The Mopar specialists at are reporting that the previously reported minivan could come powered by a V8 engine. Along with most of the lineup, the Town and Country and Caravan will be getting a substantial mid-cycle refresh in the coming months. While the main focus will be on upgraded interiors, the minivans are also getting new powertrains with the fresh Pentastar V6 replacing the tired old 3.8- and 4.0-liter V6s.
However, putting a V8 into the Grand Caravan seems like a stretch at best. Chrysler’s own 4.7- and 5.7-liter V8s almost certainly won’t fit in the vans, which are designed around 60-degree V6 engines. That leaves an engine out of the Fiat lineup as the only option. Unfortunately, the only V8s at Fiat reside under the hoods of and (along with the late ). Aside from the fact that these probably wouldn’t fit either, none have ever been configured for a transverse application and they would all be enormously expensive.
As intriguing as the idea of a 400+hp Ferrari-powered Grand Caravan might be, it makes about as much sense as a Bentley-powered Volkswagen Golf. …
Saabs United, the site that played such a noteworthy role in the -- cage match earlier this year that , is at it again. This time, Saabs United is voicing concern about Jason Castriota, who was recently named ’s Saab’s design director. Castriota took the position above longtime Saab designer Simon Padian, who penned the .
Saabs United is worried that Castriota, moving between Turin and New York with his design consultancy and more known for supercars than family sedans, won’t get Saab design and might not understand what the next should be. And if that car isn’t right, then Saab has a lot of trouble on its hands. So Saabs United detailing its concerns. Castriota, much to his credit, answered with a 2,347-word response.
Castriota acknowledges that there is no way he can prove himself yet to Saab fans, since the first product we’ll see from him is at least two years away. But after relating that his first car was a hand-me-down 900 three-door hatch, he does a good job of explaining how his supercar-designing experience isn’t really any different than designing for Saab: if you want to make a worthy or , you’ve got to understand what the brand means and how to move it forward. Only the year 2012 will reveal the truth of the statement, but for Saabphiles, it’s an auspicious start.
Cadillac Sixteen concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
There was a time, not so long ago, that if you wanted a proper fullsize luxury sedan (short of a or , at least), your choices were “largely” limited to the German three: the , and . But that was before the came along, the Q45 came and went, when was still a tight fit (and an unreliable one at that) and the didn’t really factor into the equation. Don’t even get us started on underdogs like the Phaeton and Hyundai Equus, but you get the point. recently became rumored to be joining the fold, and now it looks like could as well.
Substantiating , the latest batch indicate that the call for a fullsize Caddy to battle the German stalwarts came right from the top, from GM CEO Ed Whitacre. And why shouldn’t it? After all, if the head of one of the largest corporations in the world needs a new ride, he shouldn’t have to look to a competitor like his Japanese counterpart Toyoda-san was spotted doing.
As is often the case with such rumors, few details are known at this point. But the project is expected to slot above the upcoming – the model that’s slated to replace both the STS and DTS sedans – with a rear- or all-wheel-drive setup and arrive no sooner than 2014. So we’ve got a while to wait before we find out if there’s anything to these reports. But they certainly are intriguing.
Karl Stracke, VP of global engineering, has unequivocally denied the version of the next-generation with a wet-dual-clutch transmission. Stracke spoke with editors at Automotive News and Autoweek and addressed the latest batch of rumors. For decades, speculation about what will be done with a next-generation Corvette invariably pops up almost immediately after a new model is introduced.
For example, a mid-engined Corvette has reportedly been on the cards since at least the mid-60s, thanks in part to a string of concept and experimental models of that configuration. The last Corvette-badged mid-engine concept was the , but that hasn’t stopped the speculation – especially in recent years as the Corvette has gained increased respect among the ranks of high-end sports cars. According to Stracke, “There is no mid-engine in the plans.”
The same goes for a the story revealed by a engineer about development of a wet DCT. Automakers are increasingly moving away from wet-clutch gearboxes to dry-clutch units because they are less expensive and more efficient. While Stracke shoots down the wet DCT, no mention is made of a dry-clutch unit… if follows and down the dual-clutch path, that is almost certainly the type we will see.
Stracke also put the kibosh on a . GM has already announced a direct injected small-block V8 is coming soon for its full-size pickup trucks and the Corvette will no doubt follow. Stracke did acknowledge that a hybrid is a possibility for the sports car and since competitors are going that way it wouldn’t be out of place.
That said, we want to know what you think – What should power the next Corvette? Click past the break to vote in our informal poll.
Toyota A-BAT Concept – Click above for a high-res image gallery
is about to expand past its initial three-model lineup with a rather intriguing new vehicle that’s set to take on the as the microcar of choice for those looking to downsize as far as humanly possible. While the upcoming is a pretty nifty machine, it won’t quite be practical for a large number of drivers here in the United States.
Hence, it’s not entirely surprising that Scion is reportedly considering a possible fifth, sixth or even seventh model. As before, talk of a small pickup truck is apparently on the table. Interestingly, Scion vice president Jack Hollis suggests that something like the concept could be revived in Scion guise.
Another possible Scion model could be based on the love-it-or-(more-likely)-hate-it Hako Concept from the 2008 New York Auto Show. Finally – and certainly most interestingly for enthusiasts – a small, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe is also on the table for consideration. We know where we’re casting our vote…
We see plenty of rumors crop up on the interwebs, but we’ve rarely wanted any of them to come true as badly as this particular juicy morsel. The crew at Autocar reports that wants to build a new model to honor its former chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse. Naruse in an a collision while testing the at the Nürburgring. If the whispers are true, the car won’t be a badge-job for the . According to reports, Naruse always wanted to see Toyota produce an inexpensive, rear-wheel drive coupe that was affordable enough for the little guys of the world to be able to hop into the driver’s seat.
If you’re thinking there’s no way that Toyota will suddenly jump into the small rear-wheel drive market with not one, but two new products, think again. Autocar reports that the inexpensive two-door will slot below the sexy FT-86 and will be based off of the GRMN Aigo Hot Hatch Concept we saw at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. That particular concept got its grunt from a Daihatsu 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. More importantly, it rocked a double-wishbone rear suspension and swapped its front-wheel drive layout for a rear-driven arrangement. If the rumors are to be believed, we could see the car in 2012, just slightly ahead of the FT-86.
Renault DeZir Concept on location – Click above for high-res image gallery
Autoblog reader Jason Wright happened upon this scarlet creature, the electric , cruising the streets of Paris. As the spear-tip guiding the way forward for future Renault design, the DeZir is the first statement made by design vice president – perhaps a Frenchified version of the . Renault calls it ’simple’, ’sensuous’ and ‘warm.’ Posit your own thoughts after checking it out in the gallery of high-res photos below. Hat tip to Jason
Chris Rado’s Time Attack Scion AWD – Click above for high-res image gallery
Chris Rado has added another car to : an 1,100-horsepower all-wheel drive taking aim at the Time Attack series. It’s taken a few years to take the idea from concept to reality, and pictures of the build make it clear why. The zebra-marked tC with gold-plated bulkhead and hood-exit exhaust made its debut last weekend at Road Atlanta, and for some reason – maybe the snowplow? – we wouldn’t be surprised to see it on a mountain in Colorado someday. Have a closer look at it in the gallery of high-res photos below.
Fans of classic Americana, here’s yet another anniversary to keep in the back of your mind: 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the . And, while we don’t have to tell true Corvette aficionados this, here’s another interesting little nugget of knowledge: the original version of Chevy’s iconic sportscar came equipped with a six cylinder engine.
Where are we going with all of this? According to Autoweek, there is a distinct possibility that a downsized six cylinder engine will be offered in the next generation (C7, for those keeping track) of the Corvette, and there’s an apparent push to try and get the car out the door in time to celebrate the car’s 60th anniversary.
Yes, we know a downsized engine for the Corvette isn’t exactly the newest rumor ’round the block – we’ve been hearing whisperings about the C7 ‘Vette since before the C6 model went public – but with the that Saab had been working on a transmission for a twin-turbo V6-powered Corvette, it’s worth sharing once again.
1974 Volkswagen Scirocco designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
The has completed its takeover of Italdesign Giugiaro (IDG) with the purchase of a 90.1 percent stake in the design studio. The shares in the company were purchased by – “owned” by VW Group member – and the remaining 9.9 stake is still in the hands of the Giugiaro family. The buyout was originally reported back in and the studio/small volume manufacturer are now part of the ever-expanding auto conglomerate. The top management of the company, including founder/chairman Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son and vice-president Fabrizio, remain in place.
Volkswagen and IDG have a relationship going back decades, when the elder Giugiaro penned the 1970 Volkswagen Porsche Tapiro Concept as well as the first generation and Scirocco. It’s unclear if IDG will continue working with outside clients or will now dedicate itself to VW Group projects.
Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
was quite successful in rally competition once upon a time, and it looks like the automaker’s new management hopes to kick-start the brand’s revival with a return its motorsports roots.
The word out of Europe is that Saab has met with World Rally Championship officials and committed to a 2012 entry into the series with a machine based on its upcoming smaller car. Depending on who you talk to, the new model could be dubbed either the 9-1 or 9-2.
The small car project originally began several years ago when Saab was still under the umbrella with the car expected to be based on the Gamma platform that underpins the Opel Corsa. As an independent, Saab doesn’t have the resources to develop such a platform on its own and is currently talking to other potential partners including BMW and some Chinese makers. Expect its design to be inspired heavily by the Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid concept (above).
If Saab hooks up with , it could have a Mini-based 9-1/9-2 competing against the new .
Chinese-market Buicke Excelle – Click above for high-res image gallery
As July’s showed us, American buyers are quick to forget the pain of having to fill up a full-size pickup or SUV when gas prices are in the $4-per-gallon range. Without the guiding hand of Uncle Sam pushing the car-buying public towards smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, consumers are all about being large and in charge in the passing lane. But According to Automotive News, is keen to the fact that fuel won’t stay cheap forever, and to prepare for a returning tide of buyers rushing to small cars when oil goes sky high again, the company is planning a more diminutive product lineup.
If the Automotive News article is on its mark, we can expect to see a new compact called the Verano as well as a hybrid version of the . There’s no telling exactly which architecture the baby Buick will use for its bones, but the wouldn’t be a bad bet in our eyes. Likewise, will see the introduction of a production version of the Granite concept and should have the all-new join its ranks along with the Spark city car. Automotive News even says that The General is planning to shrink the Impala. Sounds good to us, but when it comes to Buick, these crop up .
Peter Peter Hughes as Fangio. Click above to watch the music video .
An entire concept album imagining Juan Manuel Fangio piloting a Saab SPG through the Andes on a mission to assassinate former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet? The plot sounds like some mythical collaboration between Terry Gilliam and Sergio Leone. In fact, the artist behind it all is Peter Peter Hughes, whom you may know from his work as a member of .
The first two songs off Hughes’ new solo project, Fangio, will be released on August 10, both digitally and on vinyl (the 7″ will be available via ). The complete LP follows on September 7 (vinyl again available via Fayettenam — and dig ). Preceding all that, however, is the music video for the track, Directed by our great friend (and Jalopnik O.G.) , the video – shot in true guerilla style using locales in upstate New York including the old Watkins Glen GP circuit – stars Hughes as Fangio and Hughes’ personal Saab SPG as itself.
to watch the video, and be sure to pick up the record once it’s officially released. For additional updates, you can follow Peter Peter Hughes at his website, , and also be sure to check in on Davey at his place, the excellently-named .
We’re gonna let you in on a little secret from our world over here. Most of the time we spend at auto shows, we’re pretty busy bringing you the latest from the show floor. But everyone deserves a coffee brake, and when we need our caffeine fixes there’s no shortage of automakers eager to one-up each other with the best cup of java. ’s espressos consistently rank among the best of ‘em. Only fitting then that the company of the Prancing Horse should have its own espresso machine, right?
Following in the footsteps of ’s and ’s (metaphorically) octane-infused machines comes this one from Nespresso, designed for that winningest of merchandizing brands. It comes, as you can see, packaged inside a racing helmet, the visor lifting to expose the spout, the chin pulling out like a drawer and various panels exposing the other compartments. Just the thing for when you need a dose of Vivalto Lungo to go with your Forza Ferrari. Unfortunately it’s only a concept for the time being, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s the boys from Maranello.
