Aprilia pays tribute to the space shuttle program – Click above to watch the video
It’s the end of an era, folks. The first space shuttle mission left the earth way back in 1981, and ever since the giant white-and-black spaceships have been shuffling astronauts, their gear and other important space-age bits and pieces past the outer reaches of our atmosphere.
Soon, the program will be shut down for good. Which means it’s time for the human race to stand up and recognize that we owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who designed, built and operated the space shuttle program for the last several decades.
wants to join in the celebrations with a tribute of its own, and has done so with a video extolling the virtues of both the space shuttle and its own masterpiece, the . If you’re thinking that these two vehicles share next to nothing in common… well, you’re right. But it’s still a worthwhile tribute to a bygone era.
Oh, and when you watch the video , pay close attention to the 0 to 60 times of each machine.
2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI commercial – Click above to watch the videos
If you want a hot hatch, you could do a lot worse than the . But if you’re looking for a sedan with a fixed trunk, drop the T and pick up an L for the .
The compact sports sedan – packing the same 200-horsepower turbo four and XDS diff as its be-hatched brother – and is just about ready to hit the North American market it’s designed for. So to drum up some enthusiasm, VW shot a rather innovative commercial… in Canada.
The television spot combines video and long-exposure photography to paint shapes with the head and tail lamps. The effect is quite stunning, and you can watch it for yourself – along with a making-of video – right after .
French automaker Renault has just unveiled its latest zany electric concept. Called Frendzy, this electrifying vehicle is a 14-foot-long whimsical design study that showcases some of the automaker’s innovative technologies.
For motivation, the Frendzy makes use of the electric gear that powers the Renault has not revealed the Frendzy’s estimated range, but does claim the battery-powered concept tops out at 80 miles per hour.
Renault pitches the Frendzy as a multi-purpose vehicle, saying that it transforms from a workaday vehicle to a family-hauling machine on weekends. Renault describes the Frendzy’s transformation like this:
On weekdays, Frendzy is a vehicle that adapts to the requirements of the business user, with a large external screen that can display useful messages or information or advertising messages, either while parked or on the move. Come the weekend, the vehicle transforms itself into a family vehicle, with a comfortable passenger seat and, in the rear, a big bench seat.Depending on their mood of the moment, children can watch a film or play games on the touch-sensitive pad which slides out from the back of the driver’s seat. They can even draw on a special slate integrated into the sliding door.
According to Renault, the Frendzy is a “multi-faceted friend” that automatically tackles friendly tasks, including changing the orientation of the exterior mirrors, setting the interior mood lighting and altering the vehicle’s pedestrian warning system as the Frendzy transforms from “work” to “family” mode.
Given these zany features, it seems unlikely the Frendzy will enter production. However, we do know that this electric concept will make its world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. to catch some video of the electrified Frendzy. Looking for more details? Check out Renault’s press release after the jump.
Mini Countryman John Cooper Works spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
has established a pretty successful formula for its lineup. The party gets started with a base model, followed by a slightly more athletic S variant. But at the very top of the heap, the John Cooper Works trim delivers gut-punching performance with a serious suspension, easy-breathing exhaust and beefy brakes. Judging from a handful of spy photos dredged up by our crafty shooters, it looks like the high-riding will get a taste of the JCW action, too. The more menacing baby crossover was spotted lapping the infamous Nürburgring in anger ahead of the car’s public debut.
On the Countryman, the JCW trim serves up a new spoiler kit, complete with front aero work, side sills and a redesigned rear bumper with an integrated diffuser. Word on the web is that this bruiser will boast a little more power than standard JCW hardware, with its forced-induction 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine churning somewhere between 220 and 230 ponies. All that grunt gets dropped to the pavement via the same All4 all-wheel-drive system found on the lower trim levels.
Getting ahead as an F1 team is a costly affair. There’s an endless stream of expenses, but even all the cash in the world doesn’t buy experience and expertise.
Virgin initially tried keeping costs down to a minimum with its new F1 team last year. The team skipped wind-tunnel testing in favor of designing its car entirely using computers. It also retained a consulting firm rather than hire the staff usually required of an F1 team. But that approach hasn’t done very well for the team, so it’s starting over again.
The ambitious outfit has its technical director, the services of Pat Symonds (the disgraced former technical director from Renault) and acquired lock, stock and barrel the Wirth Racing Technologies company that handled its cars until now. However the latest development could bode best for the team’s forward momentum.
As anticipated, Virgin has signed a technical partnership with McLaren that will grant the former access to the latter’s considerable facilities and expertise. It’s a similar deal to that signed between McLaren and Force India a couple of years ago, which helped propel Force India from the back of the field into solid midfield contenders. The main difference here is that, while Force India’s deal included using drivetrains, Virgin will, for the time being at least, continue using Cosworth engines. Details in the press release .
In this case, “patriotic” refers to car shoppers who buy from domestic manufacturers regardless of where their products are actually . Not surprisingly, TheDetroitBureau.com reports that the Big Three are most popular in the Midwest, with more than two-thirds of car sales going to , or . Detroit and Saint Louis were rated the two cities with the largest slice of domestic car buyers with consumers choosing to buy American 67 percent of the time. Cleveland, Ohio came in third with a 59 percent U.S. majority in the CarGurus.com study.
The Detroit News reports that those figures slide off a bit the farther you move toward the coasts. San Francisco shoppers only opt for domestic hardware 27 percent of the time. Los Angeles and San Diego are tied at the same rate. Likewise, East Coast buyers tend to lean more toward import vehicles, with just 32 percent of New Yorkers taking home an American vehicle. Head over to TDB for a full look at the rankings.
and may have separate product lineups, but the two Korean automakers are owned by the same company. But while the two companies have shared platforms and engines on most occasions, for some reason, Hyundai received a rear-drive platform and the impressive Tau V8 engines for its range while Kia was left out of the fun.
That could change with the introduction of the , which has been rumored to arrive in 2012, but does Kia have more plans for rear-wheel-drive and maybe even a V8 engine? The UK’s What Car? is reporting that Kia is looking to get quite a bit sportier in the future, suggesting that the automaker will release a pair of rear-drive coupe concepts to gauge interest. The first eight-pot coupe will reportedly show up for duty at the Frankfurt Motor Show, followed by a second concept car at the Detroit Auto Show in January. If public opinion of the rumored concepts is strong, What Car? claims a production model could ensue for 2015.
What Car? also renews speculation that Kia is eying a competitor to the . The would-be roadster would be small and light, but importantly, it may not be rear-drive. Word is that the drop-top could utilize the platform of the next generation . While we’re all for another compact roadster, we’d add that in order to truly compete with the , rear-drive should definitely be part of the equation. Those with really long memories will recall that Kia has already experimented with small front-drive roadsters designed to take on the Miata – it briefly retained the rights to build its own version of the second-generation Elan (M100) back in the late 1990s.
2011 Saab 9-4X – Click above for high-res image gallery
The and the may look quite a bit different, but the two vehicles are based upon the same hardware and are built in the same plant in Mexico. Since the SRX has already been given a from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, does that mean that the Saab should also get the thumbs up? Yep.
The IIHS has just named the 9-4X a “Top Pick” because the luxurious crossover received top scores in front, rear and side-impact crashes while including standard stability control. Like the SRX, the 9-4X also scored a top score of “Good” in the roof crush test. To receive the top score, the 9-4X’s roof had to hold at least four times its overall weight. In this case, the IIHS lumped the 9-4X with the SRX and gave it the exact same weight ratio of 4.14.
If you’re scoring at home, you’ve probably noticed that more and more crossovers are acing the IIHS tests. Since the Insurance Institute tests are among the most stringent ever devised, we’re thinking this is a very good thing for car buyers. Whether will be around long enough for more car shoppers to buy the 9-4X is another matter altogether.
2012 Toyota Vitz/Yaris – Click above for high-res image gallery
After years of uninterrupted success, Toyota finds itself in a peculiar position. The automaker has struggled to regain its stride after the March 11 earthquake that disrupted the supply chain for months and at the same time the automaker is stuck with a quickly aging lineup.
But while the first half of 2011 has been rough, it appears that Toyota is climbing out of its funk. Factories are springing back to life, and new models are primed and ready to go. Auto Observer reports that a new will be ready for U.S. customers by the end of the year. The re-tooled Yaris should look an awful lot like the attractive JDM Vitz/Yaris that was unveiled in Japan back in December. Auto Observer claims that the new Yaris will feature all new sheet metal and an updated interior design, but the underpinnings and powertrains will remain largely intact.
When the refreshed Yaris bows, it will join a new that couldn’t appear fast enough.We can’t think of a better way for Toyota to turn the corner than with fresh product, and it appears we will get just that by the end of the year.
Terrafugia has moved one step closer to bringing the world a flying “car”. The Department of Transportation has granted the company a host of exemptions needed to get the Terrafugia Transition ready for the road. The plane/car-hybrid already employs a gaggle of automotive crash technology, such as crumple zones and airbags, but it needed help moving past a few of the standard car requirements that just don’t work for something with wings.
A special set of tires are fitted to the Transition, which is rated for highway speeds, but it’s also designed to take the abuse that comes with multiple takeoffs and landings. Additionally, the cockpit is not wrapped with traditional laminated automotive glass. That would add weight, and also severely affect the pilot’s vision in the event of a bird strike. Polycarbonate windows are the preferred porthole material.
The DOT and NHTSA exemptions are a positive step forward for Terrafugia. Unfortunately, the company has experienced a half-step backwards. A few design issues coupled with third-party supply restraints have pushed Transition production backwards. Initially, Terrafugia hoped to display a production Transition in 2011. Now, however, it seems that 2012 will be the year for our Jetson’s dreams to inch closer to reality. In the interim, we’ll have to be happy renaming our Roomba, Rosie.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato – Click above for high-res image gallery
The UK-based coachbuilder Coventry Prototype Panels (otherwise known as CPP) has been on a buying spree, and . Now comes word that the company – owned by Vladamir Antonov – has added another automotive company to its growing portoflio. Rumor has it that CPP just purchased Italian design house Zagato.
If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you need to brush up on your super-sexy vehicle design knowledge. Zagato is the firm responsible for some of the most beautiful cars in the galaxy. Now, Antonov has taken them under his wing (and wallet). We’re still waiting on an official announcement regarding the purchase of Zagato, but with Antonov’s Convers Group involved, anything is possible.
2011 GMC Sierra – Click above for high-res image gallery
About a year before entered bankruptcy, claimed that the automaker postponed the next generation of the and from 2012 to an unknown future date. It wasn’t big news at the time, since the well-liked trucks were only two years into their production cycles, not to mention that high gas prices were limiting the appeal of trucks for recreational buyers. But now that we’re half way through 2011, truck buyers are most definitely back in the mix, and The General may be looking to speed up the timeline on the next-generation model.
Automotive News reports that GM’s U.S. sales boss, Don Johnson, revealed that the truck plants would be re-tooled during scheduled shutdowns in 2012. If GM were to begin building Silverado and Sierra trucks right after the retooling takes place, that would make the trucks 2013 models. But sources tell AN that the retooling will take place throughout 2012, and that the trucks likely wouldn’t be built until calendar year 2013, making them 2014 models.
The news corresponds with comments made by The General’s VP, Mark Reuss, who said in January that some truck programs would be accelerated. But in April, GM CEO Dan Akerson said that trucks wouldn’t be accelerated in a mileage-sensitive market, so it’s difficult to discern exactly which direction GM is heading.
GM hasn’t been very forthright with the amount of changes scheduled for the next-generation trucks, though the expectation is that the updates will be substantial. With 2016 fuel economy regulations right around the corner and the recent resurgence of $4/gallon gasoline, the new pickups will definitely need to be lighter and more efficient.
2008 Chevrolet Impala 50th Anniversary Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Detroit News is reporting that a group of owners have filed a class-action lawsuit against over claims that the automaker addressed rear-end alignment issues on law enforcement 2007-2008 Impala models, but not vehicles owned by the public at large. The suit claims that a defect in the design of the rear spindle rods on the sedans causes the vehicle to wear through rear tires at an accelerated rate. Currently, only one owner is named in the litigation.
Donna Trusky of Blakely, Pennsylvania purchased an Impala in 2008 only to have the rear tires wear out in 6,000 miles. Other owners have complained of similar problems, including one driver who had a blowout due to excessive wear after just under 11,000 miles. Trusky’s dealership replaced the tires and aligned the vehicle, but didn’t mention any issue with the spindle rods. The Detroit News says that GM issued a technical service bulletin for 2008 Police Impala models but not the 423,000 civilian vehicles manufactured and sold between 2007 and the following year.
The lawsuit aims to have GM pay for the replacement tires and fix the alignment issue. GM, meanwhile, maintains that law enforcement Impala models are inherently different than those available to the consumer.
The 1,400-acre greenfield site that contains the $1-billion, 2.5-million-square-foot Chattanooga plant joins Volkswagen’s electronics research lab in Silicon Valley, the largest group research center outside of Germany; its design center in Santa Monica, California; its Auburn Hills, Michigan offices that deal with engineering, quality and customer care; and its 600 dealer sites in the company’s North American folder. It will add more than 2,000 jobs directly to the roster, and more than 9,500 jobs are expected to be created by suppliers.
The Chattanooga plant is also an environmental statement, with features such as:
Painting process that reduces CO2 emissions by 20 percent and cuts water use by 50,000 gallons per day
Six inches of mineral rock wool panel to reduce energy consumption by 35 percent
Rainwater capture for cooling and restrooms
A T5 lighting system to save 20 percent energy compared to conventional industrial lighting
LED street lighting to save 100,000 kilowatt hours per year
On-site protected wetlands and the restoration of two creeks to create native wildlife habitats
White roof reduces heat island effect by reflecting heat from the sun
On-site recycling and waste management center
It is committed to its employees, with an on-site fitness center, a care center that includes rehabilitation and a nearby child-care facility, and a VW Academy for apprenticeships and vocational training.
Most importantly, the new Chattanooga plant is committed to being perhaps the best facility in VW’s fold, something that couldn’t be said of company’s last U.S. plant in New Stanton, Pennsylvania: the Westmoreland Assembly Plant that built Rabbits, Golfs and Jettas from 1978 to 1988.
Reports of and Polestar collaborating on road car offerings appear to be coming to fruition. Following that Volvo had solicited the racing garage’s services to increase the output on the came that a new line of Performance Concept Prototypes were in the works. Now, Volvo’s Australian unit has teamed with both Polestar and Heico Sportiv to produce the prototype you see here.
Called the Performance Project, it’s based on the new R-Design model, with the upped 325-horsepower output. So what else have Polestar and Heico squeezed out of the S60? A new exhaust, for starters, and a substantially revised suspension that’s been lowered by 15 millimeters with monotube damping and stiffer springs, mounted to new 19-inch alloys wearing Pirelli rubber.
Nothing earth-shattering, then, but Volvo Australia says if there’s enough demand, it could offer the sportier sedan through its own dealership network, instead of making customers source parts from aftermarket suppliers. Which would also, of course, have the added benefit of landing under warranty, which in turn makes us wonder if this could be another Australian touring-car-for-the-road we could stand to see here on American roads. Find the details in the press release and the high-res images in the gallery for more.
Lamborghini Aventador build/design process – Click above to watch the video
We’re smitten with the – the Italian automaker’s latest hotness. And while it’s no secret that crafting the V12-powered supercar is no easy task, the folks at want to show the world just how much attention to detail and quality craftsmanship goes into the production of each Aventador.
To create the new supercar, Lamborghini started with sketches, transferred those drawings to a computer, began testing the materials used to craft the car and then work to build the twelve-cylinder heart found just behind the passenger compartment. It’s an intense process, and the end result is a car that will no doubt go down in history as one of the greatest Lamborghini products ever made. to watch the video for yourself.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato – Click above for high-res image gallery
Few collaborations have set the presses and Intertubes alight quite like the Aston Martin V12 Zagato. Rekindling a five-decade-old partnership, the British purveyor of luxury GTs and the Italian design house unveiled their latest collaboration on the shores of Lake Como to rave reviews. And keen to show it’s not just a pretty face, then took the beauty-and-the-beast machine to the Nürburgring to race.
Just the other day, we brought you of Aston’s apparently inadvertent (or decidedly low-key) confirmation that the V12 Zagato would reach the market, however limited in production. Now, reports indicate just how few will be built – and how expensive they’ll be.
According to Dutch publication AutoWeek.nl, Aston will build only 150 examples of the V12 Zagato, each with a price tag of £330,000. If accurate, that would place the Zagato at nearly twice the purchase price of the , and about two and a half times as expensive as the on which it’s based.
By either account – direct conversion or relative price from Aston’s U.S. line-up – that comes out to about $500,000 based on current conversion rates. Whether the rare beauty of the Zagato is worth a pair of top-of-the-line production Astons is open for debate, but we have no doubt Gaydon will have little trouble selling every last one.
If you ever looked at that suggested their station wagons were the next logical step up from a , well, you can stop snickering. Sure, it may still be a long shot, but appears to be getting serious about offering performance-oriented automobiles.
A couple of weeks ago, we brought you a that indicated Volvo was forging a closer relationship with Polestar, the racing outfit that fields the company’s entries in the Scandinavian and World Touring Car Championships. Volvo, it seemed, had already turned to Polestar to squeeze a bit of models, and according to the report, was prepared to utilize Polestar’s talents even more in the future.
A clearer picture of that that partnership is now emerging, and so far, it looks promising. Their first collaborative project is tipped to be a production version of the baby-blue, unveiled last year. If given the go-ahead, we could be looking at a limited run of 500 cars priced around £50,000 in the UK – about the same as a .
Like the concept, the production Volvo/Polestar C30 would be the first to carry the PCP badge – referring not to the chemical narcotic, but standing, somewhat repetitively, for Performance Concept Prototype. Similar high-performance versions of Volvo’s other products would follow and wear the same nameplate, creating a subdivision for Volvo that would be equivalent to what has in AMG and what does with its M division.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato – Click above for high-res image gallery
Take a look at ’s website and you may notice a new model listed in its portfolio. Slotted in between the One-77 and the sits the V12 Zagato, effectively confirming the new model’s place in the company’s production lineup and accompanied, in the fourth slide showcasing the model, by the statement “only a strictly limited run of road going cars will be built”.
The V12 Zagato is based on the Aston Martin , but features fresh bodywork penned by the namesake Italian design house. The car celebrates of fifty years of collaboration between Aston Martin and Zagato, dating back to the original DB4 GT.
Following the at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May and the model’s at the Nürburgring, this is the closest thing to an actual production confirmation we’ve seen so far. Given where Aston has placed the model among its existing products, a very high purchase price is probable. We look forward to further official confirmation regarding the V12 Zagato’s market availability.
Fiat 500 Marcia Corta by Camal – Click above for image gallery
We’ve seen all sorts of things done with the . People have , , , and even . The latest, however, could prove the most intriguing.
Founded by a couple of former Pininfarina designers, a new outfit called Camal is working on the project you see here. Called the 500 Marcia Corta (Italian for short gearing), the idea is to give the Cinquecento a more rally-inspired look.
The signature elements are quad rally lamps, giant grille opening and full aero kit with side skirts, fender flares and rear ring. A rear bumper mimics the look in front, integrating a new exhaust system.
The creators are reportedly looking for funding to get their project off the ground. In the meantime, check out the renderings in the gallery for a closer look.
