Rutledge Wood, part of the Top Gear trio here in the States that went out to find the best car from recent past, (wisely) picked a Buick Roadmaster as his steed. He then used the wagon to wind up victorious over the choices of his co-hosts. Now, Rutledge has shown that he truly cares about the LT1-powered five-door, as he just purchased a 1996 example to put in his own driveway.
Regardless of your stance on the U.S.-version of Top Gear, you have to admire a man who understands the timeless appeal of a good station wagon. owners should look upon the Buick Roadmaster with a fond gaze, because the Roadmaster is part of your hot-rod wagon’s DNA.
This may not be , but we’re pretty sure he’s still smitten with his new ride.
City of Tomorrow at Ferrari Store London – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ever get the nagging feeling that there are tiny little people or creatures of some sort living inside your engine? Call them gremlins, engine gnomes or what have you, but you’re not alone. Duggan Morris Architects took the concept to the next level in a display billed as the Cities of Tomorrow.
The architecture firm participated in an initiative of the Royal Institute of British Architects to craft tiny models of futuristic city-scapes, using a variety of finely-crafted mechanical components from race and road cars. The result could very well challenge Detroit for the title of Motor City, though in a very different sense.
Far-fetched? Maybe, but hardly unprecedented: facilities like Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and embody the same Prancing Horse spirit in full-size living spaces, even if the buildings aren’t shaped like crank shafts. Stop by the Ferrari Store on Regent Street in London to see the display up close, or if that’s a little out of reach, have a closer look in our high-resolution image gallery.
1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider – Click above for high-res image gallery
Wait a second, a 500 with a four-cylinder engine? Come on, Autoblog – check your facts. Don’t we mean a ? Maybe that special-edition Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari? Nope. What we have here is a genuine four-cylinder Ferrari. And a highly coveted one at that.
The Ferrari 500 TRC (that’s Testa Rossa Type-C) Spider was one of the last models Maranello ever built with an inline-four, the engine originally designed by Aurelio Lampredi for Formula Two, but later adapted for sports racing prototypes after the engineer’s departure. Derived from the Monza, this was the first Ferrari to bear the Testa Rossa name for its red valve headers. And though the styling is similar, it’s even rarer than the 250 Testa Rossa that followed: only 19 of these cars were built, all during just one year or production, making this rarer than the more powerful 12-cylinder 250 TR and 250 GTO that rake in the big bucks at auction.
This particular example – chassis number 0670 MDTR – was the sixth made, ordered by a customer in Sicily who entered it in numerous races around the world in its heyday. While other 500 TRC Spiders went on to claim class victories at Le Mans and the Targa Florio, this one took its class win at the Monte Pellegrino Hillclimb in Palermo – the same locale where we drove on its launch several decades later.
The car stands as the latest consignment to RM Auctions’ docket for the upcoming Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where it is expected to fetch €2,600,000 to €3,300,000 (equivalent to $3.6M to $4.6M at current rates). There it will stand alongside such notables recently covered on these pages as the , the and in what’s shaping up to be an historic event in its own right. Follow the jump for more details on the 500 TRC and take a closer look in the high-res image gallery.
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Chris, Zach and Dan are joined by Autoblog alum and current Motor Trend scribe Jonny Lieberman for Episode #230 of the Autoblog Podcast. We cover the ongoing saga of financing, the evergreen rumor of a mid-engined , conjecture about what might be learning from disassembling BMWs and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department test of the latest police iron. Your feedback and questions finish it off, and we’ve re-posted the Q&A at the bottom of this post so you can play along at home, too. Thanks for listening, we’ll see you next week!
Autoblog Podcast #230: with Jonny Lieberman of Motor Trend
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Against The Odds, Saab’s First Crossover Comes Good
2011 Saab 9-4X – Click above for high-res image gallery
As we assembled media and executives sat down to dinner in Washington, D.C. the night before driving the 2011 Saab 9-4X, a waiter leaned over my shoulder with a bottle of sparkling water and poured it into a waiting rocks glass filled with ice and a lemon. He paused, staring intently at my glass. Clearly flummoxed, the dinner service ground to a halt. “May I, sir?” As I had no earthly idea what was troubling him, I nodded. “Certainly.” He picked up the glass, reached into its mouth and fished out the lemon only to squeeze it with much theater. The wedge yielded but a drop or two of juice. “Dry!” he pronounced with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. Perhaps reading the confusion on my face, he followed this proclamation by saying “You can ‘ell becooze…. it was… ah…. reluctant to float.” He then disappeared into the back of the restaurant for what seemed like minutes, reemerging with a new glass filled with ice and a noticeably plumper wedge of citrus riding atop the rim of the glass.
You just never know what’s going to hold up a car launch.
Stick around in this business for a while, and you’ll see how labor unrest, cash crunches, bad mergers and natural disasters can wreak havoc on a new automobile’s gestation and production schedule. We thought we’d seen it all, but the poor folks at are surely trying for some kind of record with the number of calamities threatening to scrap not just the launch of this 9-4X, but the Swedish brand altogether. In fact, this handsome looking crossover is already late to the party – it was originally slated to launch in 2009 alongside its ‘ platform-mate, the .
Given the strong initial sales of the SRX, you might think that Saab’s ownership expects big volume out of its first proper crossover (the late and not lamented 9-7X was an SUV and the 9-3X is little more than a wagon on stilts). But based on our conversations with company officials, not so much – they’re looking to shift just 10,000 units globally in 2011 – a seemingly trifling sum until one looks at Saab’s miserable sales figures worldwide.
2011Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
The will have a resale value of a tick over $17,000 after 36 months, the length of an average lease, according to Kelley Blue Book. That’s only 42 percent of the plug-inhybrid’s . KBB’s projection assumes that the going rate for a gallon of gas will hold 36 months from now.
Eric Ibara, director of residual value consulting at Kelley, told that the Volt’s projected residual value may seem to be on the low side. But, as Ibara points out, the first 200,000 Volts sold qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit, effectively slashing its sticker price down to $33,500 (well, ).
Using that $33,500 number, KBB’s projection means the Volt will hold onto 51 percent of its value. That compares to 46 percent for the 2011 and 37.5 percent for the . As we see it, factoring in the $7,500 tax credit is crazy, but we’ll let you guys and gals debate that.
KBB expects to set residuals for the , which also qualifies for the $7,500 federal tax credit, later this year. Hat tip to Frank!
Europe is a dangerous place to be a pedestrian. With crowded cities characterized by gridlock and narrow streets, you have to be on your game every second to avoid getting bowled over by a raging, overzealous motorist. All too often, that spells tragedy.
With one-sided car-on-human accidents on the rise, automakers are feeling increased pressure from their governments to make their cars safer, not just for the guy behind the wheel, but the guy they might hit.
is apparently working on a pop-up hood for the upcoming , which would raise up in the event of a collision with a pedestrian and, with any luck, reduce the severity of their injuries. The system works via a set of time delay-controlled actuators, which helps ensure that the system protects unfortunate passerby as effectively as possible.
Audi customers going to extreme measures to get a new car – Click above to watch the video
has taken to the Web to poke fun while sneaking in a quick jab at its competitors. The company claims that , and owners have been jumping ship to Audi in record numbers, which is why Ingolstadt can’t keep its dealers stocked.
The commercial may soon wind up being more accurate than it is funny, as the company has dwindled down to a 27-day reserve supply of cars, is at maximum production capacity at its European factories and is seeing huge numbers of custom orders. With custom orders coming in faster than flood water and factories working overtime, some customers are waiting months to take delivery.
While we can’t imagine how stressful it is to work for Audi right now, the company can’t be too bummed out that its products are moving so successfully. To see just how rabid Audi fans may become, check out the video after the jump. after the break.
To say that has struggled of late would be a gross understatement. The automaker has had to fight for loans, production was halted twice due to failure to pay suppliers, and an agreement with China’s Hawtai Motors after all parties failed to agree to the terms. Then there was the supposed agreement with Great Wall Motor, which the Chinese automaker . What a mess.
But while Saab has certainly struggled, it would be wrong to say that the Swedish automaker isn’t trying. A Saab press release shows that the Swedish automaker has found another Chinese dance partner, and this time, a “Memorandum of Understanding” has been signed between Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. and the Swedish automaker.
Pang Da, the largest publicly traded automotive distribution chain in China, has agreed to purchase $43 million worth of Saab vehicles, and another $21 million 30 days later. In addition, Pang Da will pay $92 million for a 24 percent stake in Spyker. For Saab, the deal represents a 50 percent ownership in a distribution joint venture to sell Saab products. A separate 50 percent stake in a manufacturing joint venture has also been agreed upon, though the manufacturing partner has yet to be named.
Meanwhile, Automotive News reports that a long-term deal with a Chinese automaker could result in a majority stake in Saab. AN, which cites a report in the Swedish business daily Dragens Industri, quotes an unnamed source as saying, “It is not a problem if a Chinese partner wants a direct majority in Saab Automobile.”
Since the cash situation at Saab appears to be changing almost daily, it’s difficult to see how this will end. But for the short term, the Pang Da deal should help Saab quite a bit, provided the deal goes through as planned. to read Saab’s press release.
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been waiting to unleash the full might of the Aston Martin customization program on the Toyota iQCygnet. What colors, both hideous and delicious, will the pint-sized Aston boast? What kind of leather will coddle the behinds of the overpaid and tasteless? Fear not, friends. All these questions and more are now easily answered with nothing more than a visit to the brand-new Aston Martin website. From there, you can easily configure your Cygnet in any fashion possible.
Unfortunately, there are four 16-inch wheels to choose from, so if you want any serious rollers, you’re going to need to turn your attentions to the aftermarket. Should you find yourself with a heap of time on your hands, we highly recommend heading over to the new Aston Martin site to wile away the day. The good news is that you can build up any number of the automaker’s products, including the sexy new , should the Cygnet fail to inspire.
is adding a photovoltaic array to the roof of its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. The facility’s new solar panels will help offset the energy consumed when producing . GM has partnered with DTE Energy on the planned 516-kilowatt installation, which will cover 264,000 square feet on six acres of land. In addition to the solar array, further energy-saving measures like automated equipment shutdown, more efficient lighting, and upgrades to more energy-efficient assembly tools will be implemented.
DTE Energy is putting $3 million of its own money into the GM partnership as part of its SolarCurrents program. This initiative aims to install 15 megawatts of solar power systems in Southeast Michigan, and the hope is that large-scale, highly-visible projects like the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will drive more demand for renewable energy in Michigan. Press release posted after the jump.
Volt assembly plant to get largest solar array in MI
A Japanese research team led by Yusuke Sugahara at Tohoku University has built a robotic prototype of a free-flying, that floats within inches of the road. Called Aero Train, this ground-effects vehicle will be used to test an autonomous three-axis stabilization system.
Packing electric motors, the Aero Train hovers inches above the tarmac, eliminating any rolling resistance and allowing it to hit a top speed of 124 miles per hour. A U-shaped concrete channel controls air flow and provides the Aero Train’s robotic controls with a makeshift road to follow. On-board computers control pitch, roll and yaw of the prototype.
In the future – get this – the developers envision the Aero Train traveling within a tunnel capped with solar panels that send juice directly to the vehicle’s batteries. to catch video of the prototype Aero Train floating down the road.
Drivers in New York City can expect to be met with a new reminder of the local 30-mile-per-hour speed limit this summer. According to The New York Times, the Big Apple’s transportation department will unveil a speed board that will flash a custom skeleton animation toward drivers who are over the limit. You’ve likely seen the technology employed before with slightly less morbid effects.
Municipalities routinely use mobile, radar-based speed boards to make drivers aware of just how fast they’re traveling in low-speed zones. Typically, the onboard LED screen simply flashes an offending vehicle’s speed in big red numerals. NYC is taking it one step further.
The transportation department already employs skeletons in its “That’s why its 30″ advertising campaign, which underscores just how much more lethal a vehicle traveling 40 mph can be over its slower counterpart. The new speed boards are intentionally attention-grabbing, though since traffic slugs along at an average of 9.3 mph in most parts of the city, we don’t think anyone will have a hard time obeying the law.
has posted a solid first quarter, with earnings jumping to $103 million. That’s nearly double the Q1, 2010 totals, in part due to continued strong demand for its crossover. The Geely-owned automaker expects the revenue to continue to flow throughout 2011, as the automaker is hoping to increase sales by 70,000 units on the year to 450,000 units.
Volvo has also announced total earnings for calendar year 2010. The automaker says it earned $370 million on the year, again in part because of strong XC60 sales and the successful launch of the . High commodity prices weighed down earnings a bit, but the automaker says strong net pricing largely offset the rising price of energy and steel.
The percentage of motorists who really understand the basic tenets of driving vary from state to state. In some areas of the country, , yet drivers in other parts of the country use it as they see fit. This is incorrect, and it’s also quite frustrating to the other motorists that understand the rules of the road. In an effort to remind drivers that the left lane is for passing, Washington state troopers .
The police ended up letting 199 drivers off with just a warning. We hope that warning serves as a lesson to make the driver more aware of the rules of the road. Now, if they could just start enforcing this more stringently throughout the rest of the country…
John Varvatos pilots a 2011 Chrysler 300 through NYC – Click above to watch video
“Imported from Detroit” advertising campaign continues to march on. It all started with . Now, the focus is squarely on the (much more worthy) , and a new face joins the party. We’ve seen . In a new spot called “Attitude,” Detroit-born fashion designer John Varvatos reflects on the inspiration for his clothing.
Growing up in Detroit gave Varvatos an appreciation for all sorts of musical stylings. Moving to New York, he began to intersect his fashion sense with his love for R&B, Rock and Roll and music in general.
John Varvatos and Ndamukong Suh, along with Chrysler, are just two-thirds of the team advertising the new 300. Joining this group later this summer will be Dr. Dre, who will take the and hit the streets of Los Angeles. For now, to check out John Varvatos and the Chrysler 300 in “Attitude.”
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the very last domestic dealership in the greater San Francisco area closed its doors a little over 10 days ago. Previously, San Francisco was the only dealership selling new products with an American badge on the grille in all of the 47.6 square miles of the city (the - dealer shown above went bust in 2008). Ford took over operations at that dealer almost three years ago after the original owners walked away. After talks with various other local franchise owners fell through, Ford has finally cut off the lights for good.
But domestic dealers have faced a tough climate in San Francisco for years thanks to a much larger share of import sales compared to the rest of the country. According to one source quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle, import vehicles outsell their domestic counterparts 4:1 in the Bay area.
Those rare San Francisco domestic owners will now have to travel outside of the city for their factory maintenance and repair, which likely won’t do anything to help American manufacturers better their outlook in the near future.
Mostro Di-Potenza SF22 promises serious power and performance – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Lamborghini Indomable was born from the minds of Daniel Chinchilla Ochoa and Alberto Fernandez Albilares. A concept, it was created as part of a design program sponsored by . Now, however, this conceptual vision is going to become a reality – only it won’t be built in Sant’Agata Bolognese.
A company called 215 Racing has acquired the rights to the Indomable design, and it plans to turn out a production version of the design team’s rendering. Based in Abington, PA, 215 Racing will produce the car, which will be called the SF22, through its sub-company Mostro Di-Potenza. That name means “Monster Power” in Italian, and the moniker doesn’t lie.
According to the company, power for the SF22 will be provided a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 9.4-liter(!) V8 engine. The mill is a 572, which will be paired with a six-speed sequential gearbox. 215 Racing expects this beast to produce 2,000-horsepower and 2,000 pound-feet of torque. Just a quick recap for you, this isn’t a train we’re talking about but a road-going two-door that is propelled via its rear wheels.
Of course, any company can claim such dramatic power numbers. So, we can only wait to see just how capable the finished Mostro Di-Potenza SF22 turns out – if indeed salable examples are produced at all. The company plans to build 50 examples total, at a rate of two per month over the course of two years, and says it’s now taking orders for mid-2012 deliveries. The initial deposit will only cost you $1,000, but the fully built vehicle will run you close to $950,000. for the full press release and a video that shows off the Indomable concept from all angles.
Caterham Seven Team LotusSpecial Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery
It was only a few months ago that we on Caterham’s plans to expand its lineup. But a lot has happened since then, particularly for an automaker whose core product range is anchored in a design that goes back nearly six decades.
Since the launch of the , Caterham was by Tony Fernandes – the same Malaysian entrepreneur behind Team Lotus F1. The new ownership is intent to keep the same management in place, but the cash injection is expected to lead to a further broadening of the company’s lineup.
Just what that will entail remains to be seen, but Autocar reports that whatever comes next down the pipeline will (arguably unlike some of ‘ own new products) remain faithful to Colin Chapman’s less-is-more philosophy.
The report also indicates a two-way door between Caterham and Team Lotus, the latter’s F1 cars set to feature the former’s branding while F1-derived technologies are set to trickle down to Caterham’s products. A Caterham Seven with regenerative braking and adaptive aerodynamics? Too soon to say, but the sky’s the proverbial limit.
Tornado attack vehicle – Click above for high-res image gallery
One of the toughest aspects of tornado chasing, besides running headlong into almost certain death, is finding a vehicle that can withstand the violent onslaught of wind and debris generated even by (relatively) weak storms. Over the years, storm chasers have come up with all sorts of solutions to the transportation issue, with everything from to balls-to-the-wall armor-plated beasts.
The Tornado Attack Vehicle is the latter, and is credited as being one of the first specialized tornado chasing machines ever created. The truck was commissioned by legendary tornado chaser Steven Green and is the first vehicle to be driven in to the heart of a funnel cloud. Even with heavy modifications, Green knew a road-going pickup truck platform wasn’t going to cut it. To ensure he and his team got through the twister and lived to tell about it, he had the truck built from the ground up.
The skeleton of the monster is a steel tube frame, draped with 16-gauge steel bodywork. The windows and wheel covers are made of bulletproof M10 Lexan plastic, while the windshield sports a triple layer of super-strong DuPont Mylar. According to the listing, one layer of Mylar is enough to stop a .38 caliber pistol round.
All that armor means this thing isn’t what you would call light, so a ZZ502 big block was chosen to send power to front and rear Dana axles through a custom Turbo 400 automatic transmission. That’s an impressive list of specs to be sure, but we’ll stick to doing our tornado watching courtesy of CNN. Check out the .
Drivers in 
