has manufactured and sold 15 million models across 100 countries since it debuted way back in 1983. It’s a number that’s nearly unfathomable. If all of those polite four-doors were still roaming the earth, there’d be one for every man, woman and child in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. combined, and you’d still have a almost a million vehicles left over. Even more eye-widening is Toyota’s claim that of the Camry models built and sold over the last 15 years, 90 percent are still happily enduring a daily commute on nearly every corner of the planet. By sheer volume and longevity, the Camry is nothing short of an engineering and manufacturing wonder.
Almost by default, the Camry has grown to become the vehicle by which all other mid-sized creations must measure themselves, and over the past two years, , , and have unveiled products designed specifically to lure buyers from the Toyota model’s swollen ranks. In response, Toyota City has turned out the seventh-generation Camry – a model that’s been altered with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it delicacy. But as millions of current Camry owners will tell you, that may not be a bad thing.
General Motors and its lawyers say the company isn’t responsible for design flaws or defects caused by “Old GM,” which refers to the pre-bankruptcy company General Motors Corp. (now known as Motors Liquidation Co.).
The company has asked that a on the 2007- be dismissed on grounds that “New GM” is not responsible for the old company’s gaffes.
The General’s lawyers say the company is responsible for claims against warranties set up under the old company, but never agreed to take responsibility for defects. Slick move, boys.
The Vancouver riot was a disgraceful act that played out in an otherwise wonderful Canadian city. Violent rage filled the streets, and misguided idiots turned their furious attention to local property in the form of store fronts and automobiles. One particular automobile was a black belonging to Jazmin Perez, who . Unfortunately for Perez, the ruthless mob didn’t relent and her expensive machine burnt to the ground. Her saga doesn’t end there, however, because Jazmin Perez is now on the hook for thousands of dollars worth of damages.
The BMW M5 in question was leased to Perez, who had insurance to cover the market value of the car. With her car now torched and ruined, Perez now needs to pay the difference between the insurance payout (fair market value) and the remaining balance she owes on her lease. The total she owes is reportedly in the thousands of dollars. Her insurance company and the leasing company both say they understand this was not her fault, yet contracts are contracts and Perez is the one who signed on the dotted line.
We feel for Perez in this situation. Mostly because she now owes thousands on a car that was destroyed by idiots, but especially because that car was a BMW M5.
has announced a recall for certain Model Year 2011-2012 , and models for seatbeat anchor plate issues that could increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Porsche says there’s a possibility that affected models have undersized anchor plate mounting holes, which could restrict the plate from rotating as intended and may result in the seatbelt not being “routed optimally around the occupant.” Over time, the anchor plate could loosen, causing the seatbelt to not function as intended.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 235 Porsche Boxster, Cayman and 911 models could potentially be affected by this recall. More specifically, the anchor plate issue affects model year 2011 911 Speedster and 911 GTS RS 4.0; and model year 2012 Boxster (including S and Spyder); Cayman (including S and R); 911 Carrera (including S, GTS, 4, 4S, and 4 GTS); 911 Targa 4 and Targa 4S; and 911 Turbo and Turbo S manufactured from May 31, 2011 through June 10, 2011.
Porsche dealers will inspect vehicles to ensure the anchor plate mounting hole is sized correctly and make any necessary repairs or modifcations free of charge.
for a look at the detailed NHTSA recall notice. Owners may contact NHTSA or Porsche for more information.
Premium hatchbacks have been taking the European market by storm, with models like the , and Audi A1 continuing to dominate. It’s a trend that can’t well afford to ignore, and now sources indicate that plans are moving forward to field a challenger of its own.
Tentatively called the Junior, the Opel/Vauxhall model would slot in below the existing Corsa and Agila (pictured above) but pack only three doors. It’s expected to come in around the size of the Mini Cooper but, with an arched roofline and wide track, offer more interior space than the Fiat 500.
The model was reportedly part of GM’s plans until the economy collapsed, forcing the company to trim its localized development programs in favor of global products. The General’s chief of European operations Nick Reilly, however, appears to have convinced the bean-counters in Detroit of the necessity of the Junior project.
The name is still being finalized and could be announced in Frankfurt alongside the of the Astra GTC and Zafira Tourer and that mystery concept, with sales slated to start in early 2013. When it does hit the market, we’d likely be looking at a range of three-cylinder engines shoehorned into an adaptable engine bay with the potential for an all-electric version by 2015.
has chosen the backdrop of this week’s classic car festivities in Monterey, California to debut a new concept convertible called the Ciel, which means “sky” in French. The four-seat, four-door drop top was designed to be the ultimate carriage for a drive up the coast, as well as hints at Cadillac’s aspirations to offer flagship luxury products in the future.
The Ciel is powered by a 425-horsepower, twin-turbocharged version of GM’s 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct injection that’s augmented by a hybrid system using lithium-ion batteries. Those massive 22-inch wheels may not look that large because the Ciel itself is a big boat with a wheelbase 12 inches longer than a CTS sedan and overall length cresting 200 inches. Cadillac says the car’s shape is more natural and organic than its current design language, perhaps expressing more Art than Science with smoother lines and softer curves than we’re used to seeing. We particularly like the slightly rising chrome accent line along the rocker panels that stretches the length of the Ciel.
Exterior aside, inside the Ciel is where we want to be. Passengers are absolutely coddled in their individual bucket seats with unique niceties like pull-out blankets to ward off an evening’s chill, aromatherapy controls in the armrests and a drawer containing sun screen, sun glasses and a towel. Of course, technology is ever-present in the cabin with each seat having its own suite of connectivity options and the center dashboard being topped with an inductive charging surface.
Check out Cadillac’s official images as well as our own live shots in the galleries below. Two official videos and Cadillac’s official PR can be found .
seems to think the world needs another seven-passenger, three-row luxury crossover. And their answer is the JX, first shown this evening in concept form in Pebble Beach before the production model debuts at the this fall and sales begin in the spring of 2012.
We’re hardly enamored with the design, but its specs are sure to appeal to a certain subset of families looking for a premium alternative to a minivan or SUV. Infiniti claims class-leading interior space, with a second row that tilts and slides forward (up to five and half inches) to allow access to a rather commodious set of seats in the way, way back.
Although Infiniti is sticking with its “Inspired Performance” mantra, a V6 fitted with a CVT and sending power through either the front or all four wheels doesn’t strike us as particularly sporting. But where the JX should excel is in the features and safety department. In addition to the automaker’s Blind Spot Intervention, the JX will come equipped with a new Backup Collision Intervention system, which can detect objects when the crossover is reversing and automatically engage the brakes to avoid a crash.
Other amenities include a 14-speaker Bose stereo system, Infiniti Connection Telematics and the recently launched Personal Assistant program, which provides owners with 24-hour access to a team of living, breathing reps that can do everything from supplying navigation instructions to booking a hotel.
We’ll pass final judgement on the styling once we get an eyeful at tonight’s reveal, but judging by the shortened time frame between the concept and production model, this Shiro Nakamura design study should be incredibly close to what we’ll see in LA this November. for the full details.
UPDATED with live pics. It’s better in person… if just.
Settle on buying yourself a and you’ve still got a ways to go, narrowing it down to the exact model you want. That’s because – with various drivetrain, transmission, body-style, aspirations and other parameters to specify – the iconic rear-engined sports car can be had in about two dozen different variants.
Most of them come straight from the factory, some (like the and ) come from the division while others (like the GT3 and GT2 models) are products of the company’s motorsport division. But this one comes from a dealership – one specific dealership, in fact.
It’s called the Carrera GTS B59 Edition. It’s factory-authorized and exclusive to Brumos Porsche of Jacksonville, Florida. It’s a tribute model to Hurley Haywood, who took the checkered flag for Porsche at the Daytona 24 Hours four times in the 1970s and once again in ‘91.
The special neun-elfen starts out with the already-special , with its 408-horsepower flat-six and Sport Chrono Package Plus, and decks it out in Carrera White with unique blue and red stripes up the side and along the flank, where it highlights the retro manufacturer decal. The door mirrors and 19-inch Fuchs-style wheels are painted black, while inside, the red and blue theme continues with contrasting stitching on the wheel and levers.
Only five examples will be offered exclusively through Brumos Porsche, at a price of $133,540. With those figures, chances are slim that you’ll ever see one up close, so better check it out now in the high-res image gallery and the press release .
Most automobiles on this planet find their rubber resting on the clean floor of Jay Leno’s garage at some point in their life. The latest to get the Big Dog denim treatment is the , and Chrysler arrived in Burbank, California with just for the occasion. Jay lines the car up alongside his own 1937 Fiat Topolino, which looks like a toy car by comparison, albeit a rather handsome one at that.
Leno has enough room for more than the limited-edition 500, however, and two other subcompacts get camera time. One is the , which receives a brief mention while the other is a Road Race Motorsports-prepped 500 hardtop that captures quite a bit more of Leno’s attention.
Jay takes both the Prima Edizione and the Road Race Motorsports 500 out for a spin. That means, despite the small subject matter, the is twice as long as the standard Jay Leno video. Still, with all this Fiat cuteness, it’s definitely worth your time.
How’s this for bold? Congresswoman Michell Bachmann, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination who won the Ames Straw Poll last weekend, has just stated that one thing we’d get with a Bachmann Administration is – ready? – cheap gasoline. According to she said:
The day that the president became president, gasoline was $1.79 a gallon. Look at what it is today. Under President Bachmann, you will see gasoline come down below $2 a gallon again. That will happen.
Today, said the average price for a gallon of gas is $3.58 per gallon, .
The devil, of course, is in the details, and Bachmann did not explain how she would get the price of fuel down. She’s a supporter of drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but . Then there’s the fact that opening up ANWR wouldn’t reduce prices as the pump quite that quickly (if at all). In 2008, the Energy Information Administration said ():
Additional oil production resulting from the opening of ANWR would be only a small portion of total world oil production, and would likely be offset in part by somewhat lower production outside the United States. The opening of ANWR is projected to have its largest oil price reduction impacts as follows: a reduction in low-sulfur, light crude oil prices of $0.41 per barrel (2006 dollars) in 2026 for the low oil resource case, $0.75 per barrel in 2025 for the mean oil resource case, and $1.44 per barrel in 2027 for the high oil resource case, relative to the reference case.
Oh, and then there’s . Still, a return to $2.00/gallon probably sounds good to some voters, right?
Regardless of where you sit on this issue, you can check out Bachmann delivering her gas price pledge in a brief video .
Still haven’t managed to see Senna? Then you are, first of all, missing out, because it’s one of the all-time great racing films in the history of cinema. You’re also part of a narrowing group of outsiders, as moviegoers flock to see Asif Kapadia’s masterpiece in greater numbers than any other documentary this year.
According to Indiewire, Senna, which opened at just two theaters (one in New York and one in Los Angeles) brought in a whopping $73,497 on opening weekend. That’s split between $40,713 in LA and $32,784 in New York, according to reports, for a handsome average of $36,749 per theater.
Those are numbers worthy of the greatest driver in the greatest era of the greatest spectacle in motor racing the world has ever known. And as befits the late, great Ayrton Senna whom the film depicts, it doesn’t look like it’ll be slowing down any time soon.
If you’re and you feel the need to top your previous and ridiculously popular videos with a fourth installment, what do you do? Why, turn to Hollywood, of course. For Gymkhana 4, Block and his crew travel to the Universal Studios lot, and, as such, you’ll see plenty of classic movie props in this film.
Let’s see… we’ve got Back to the Future, Jaws, Zombieland and Slumdog Millionaire for starters, along with a couple of gorillas and Segways. But it’s the automotive action you’re most interested in, right? And in that case, we’ve got more good news for you: Block’s sideways smokey action in back in full effect, and this time, he crashes through buildings, dodges animatronic sharks and pirouettes around the guys from .
All in, you’ll find just over nine minutes of automotive hoonage starring Block’s , punctuated by movie references and product placement along with plenty of special effects and insane camera angles. See it all for yourself right
Attention Formula One fans, your work day is officially ruined. Well, it will be come the first quarter of 2012. That’s when Codemasters plans on releasing a new browser-based F1 game. Top teams, tracks and cars will be available on the same machine that you normally use to read Autoblog.com when you should be updating the TPS reports.
F1 Online: The Game will allow you to race for McLaren at Silverstone or Lotus at Monaco. Feeling more adventurous? You can create your own team and manage all aspects of it. That means running the research, marketing and team functions of your very own F1 entity. Excited? We haven’t even told you the best part yet – the game is free. Hear that noise? It’s the sound of IT departments battening down their firewall hatches across the country.
If you can hardly contain your excitement, you can sign up on for updates on its launch.
Yes, the 2011 CTS-V is fast. So fast it makes our heads spin just thinking about it. So fast that lesser cars go home and cry to their mommies. So fast it’s gone plaid. Better still, it can be purchased in , and, our particular favorite, bodystyle.
But what happens when you take the CTS-V Wagon-shaped dial and turn it up to 11? To find out, current Motor Trend scribe and Autoblog alumn Jonny Lieberman turned to the tuners at D3, who served up a healthy dose of its so-called Battlewagon.
Fitted with a host of goodies like a new pulley driving the supercharger, a larger intercooler and a reflashed computer, the D3-tuned CTS-V makes 675 horsepower (or more…) and is therefore expected to be more than a hair bit quicker than its stock counterpart. But just how much faster is it?
to see a stock Cadillac CTS-V Wagon line up against one with $14,000 of modifications that boost horsepower.
Matthew James, a 14-year-old boy in the UK, was born with a rare condition – his left arm stops at the wrist and he has no left hand. He had been fitted with a simple electric clamp of sorts that allowed him the freedom to pick up small objects but little else.
Young Matthew is also a big fan of motorsports, and he went to the same school as GP head Ross Brawn. That connection was enough to pique Brawn’s interest when Matthew wrote the team a letter asking them to consider gifting him a new i-LIMB Pulse bionic hand from Touch Bionics.
Brawn took a personal interest in the young boy, and he contacted Touch Bionics to work out a deal. In exchange for access to technology services provided by Mercedes GP, Touch Bionics agreed to give Matthew the new hand he so desperately wanted.
Oh, and the F1 team also got to put its logo on Matthew’s new bionic hand. Not bad for a £35,000 investment… Check out video of the i-LIMB hand in action .
Back in 2007-08, U.S. automakers and the United Auto Workers union signed landmark labor contracts that included many concessions on behalf of workers to keep the companies they work for competitive. Among them was an agreement to a that allowed automakers to start hiring replacements for retirees at a lower starting wage of $14-16/hour.
As one might expect, the people who got these lower paying jobs aren’t too happy about the disparity in pay anymore. They’ve begun to organize with the hope of repealing the two-tier wage structure in negotiations leading up to the current four-year contracts’ expiration on September 14. About 50 people showed up to a rally held at a church in Detroit over the weekend to express their opposition.
These opponents claim the pay disparity causes rifts on the factory floor, effectively turning union members against each other at a time when solidarity is most important. According to The Detroit News, they also argue that the two-tier structure erodes the middle class and could lead to pay cuts for the first-tier workers who start at $28/hour.
UAW President Bob King has reportedly said that the union would like the starting wage of second-tier workers increased in the next contract, but has not committed the organization to calling for its outright repeal. The other interesting wrinkle is that union workers for both General Motors and gave up their right to strike by accepting government-funded bailouts. Only union workers for may choose to exercise that right next month if things don’t go their way at the bargaining table.
What We Like: There is a lot of rational left-brain advertising in the auto sector these days, especially in the pickup truck category. Take , which has fast-talking, urbane actor/comedian Dennis Leary rattling off all kinds of numbers about fuel economy, towing capacity, etc. A new Ram ad campaign, launched a few months ago, goes the other way, continuing to use cowboy actor Sam Elliott whose leathery vocal chords seem to ooze images of toughness, heroism and even nostalgia for the kind of old-school work ethic that built the frontier. Indeed, this whole campaign seems to point one’s thinking and emotions toward Gary Cooper’s code of honor in the film classic “High Noon,” and uses sets and locales that were actually used for the HBO series “Deadwood.”
The two new ads in the campaign, carrying the tagline “Guts. Glory. Ram,” and revolving around a theme of “Code of the West,” actually takes the cowboy imagery Chrysler is establishing and dials in a bit of left brain info: the fact that Ram gets 20 mpg with its V8 Hemi, and another TV spot for the Power Wagon that shows the pickup rock crawling.
The best overall ad campaign for trucks we ever saw was Chevy’s “Like A Rock.” It combined a great music track with emotionally driven imagery that set the stage for any left-brain messaging GM wanted to convey. It was signature creative in its day. This Ram effort fills a void vacated by Chevy – asserting the truck and an advertising story line that makes you want to option up your next Ram for the saddle leather upholstery (if you can afford it), and get the “Big Horn” belt-buckle.
What We Don’t Like: The Power Wagon TV spot shows off the truck’s rock crawling capability, and asserts that Ram is the only truck “off the line” that can do that. But the truck is just climbing up a mound of rocks… to what end? How about making the point by showing a story of why the truck has to crawl those rocks?
There is a line in the campaign, though not in these two new ads, that proclaims: “There is No Middle Ground.” Call us over-analytical, but while we know this is an ad about a truck and maintaining standards of excellence, the “No Middle Ground” as an idea is going to lose currency very quickly as the whole country comes to realize that out economic survival depends on political leaders finding just that – some middle ground. We’d hate to see a scene from the campaign used by far right wingers to make a point about something that has nothing to do with trucks.
And hey… how about some real music attached to this campaign.
Strategy: It’s not Dodge Ram any more. The company, under the direction of , has separated cars and crossovers from the truck business. So, it’s just Ram now. Company executives point to a 26% increase in business this year as evidence that the strategy and campaign are working to drive traffic. Some future Ram products are going to be adapted from Fiat commercial vehicles, we think. It will be interesting to see how the company morphs this very compelling creative to support those vehicles, unless Sam Elliott remains Ram pickup exclusive. Then again, wouldn’t it be cool to see spagetti western style ads? Paging Clint Eastwood.
Maserati is recalling and vehicles from the 2009 model year over poorly machined rear tie-rods that could fail. The loss of rear tie-rods is not something to be taken lightly – nothing like rear suspension destruction to soil your luxurious driving experience. The recall should begin next month and affects a total of 763 cars.
The affected cars were built between July and September of 2008. Maserati dealers will replace the shoddy tie-rods, install a tie-rod kit and do a wheel alignment. Of course, the repairs won’t cost Maserati owners a cent.
New manufacturing jobs are always nice to hear about, and this time it’s providing the headlines. Automotive News reports that the automaker will add a second shift to its Toledo Assembly Complex, which could result in an additional 1,100 jobs.
Chrysler hasn’t made an official announcement (since the incentives haven’t been finalized), but The Toledo Blade claims that the $365 million investment will lead to 1,050 blue collar workers, with wages starting at $14.65/hour, and another 55 management spots worth about $90,000 each.
Chrysler also hasn’t (officially) said a word about what new products are coming to fill the need for a second shift, but analysts have said that up to seven new and redesigned vehicles could make their way to the plant. The Toledo plant expansion will reportedly be ready for prime time sometime in 2013. Currently, both the and are built at this facility.
Not even supercars are safe from recalls. is recalling certain for a potential fuel leak, caused by the fuel supply line rubbing against the heat shield in the engine compartment. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this effects droptop R8s built between May 18, 2010 and June 22, 2011.
We don’t need to tell you why a fuel leak is a potential disaster. Anyone who dropped the cash for an R8 Spyder surely will not want to see it go up in flames.
The official recall is expected to begin on August 22, and owners will be able to have their cars inspected and repaired free of charge. for NHTSA’s official release.
recalled for fuel leak
originally appeared on on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our .
