Ford 6.2-liter V8 – Click above for high-res image gallery
During announcement of the yesterday, we learned that the new 6.2-liter V8 would only be available in the , and F-150 Platinum models. In the Platinum, the 6.2-liter engine will be an option for those who select the maximum towing package.
However, for the Raptor and Harley models, the big 6.2-liter will now be the only engine available. Since the two limited edition machines are considered premium products, Ford has decided that they should only get the most powerful engine that company will offer in its trucks for 2011. That almost certainly means that the base price of the 2011 Raptor will at least match the $3,000 price premium that was charged for the 2010 SVT Raptor with the then-optional 6.2-liter V8.
2011 Ram Outdoorsman – Click above for high-res image gallery
“We asked Truck customers – boaters, campers, fishing enthusiasts and hunters – what features would they like to see in a truck. They answered ‘more capability, more room for my gear and ready to hit the trail. And make it affordable.’”
So says Fred Diaz, President and CEO of Ram Truck Brand. And apparently, he’s not just blowing smoke. Chrysler’s internal research suggests that 62 percent of fullsize pickup truck owners hunt, fish or camp. The automaker’s response to these apparent needs is the new 2011 Ram Outdoorsman.
Functional upgrades include standard trailer towing accommodations, limited-slip differential, 17-inch wheels with off-highway-ready tread pattern tires, underbody protection, tow hooks, halogen head lamps and fog lights. In order to set the truck apart from its siblings, the Outdoorsman will get a two-tone paint scheme with Mineral Gray on the lower portion, wheel lip moldings and, of course, appropriate compass-themed badges.
No matter what configuration you order – 1500, 2500 or 3500; Regular Cab, Quad Cab, Crew Cab or Mega Cab; four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive etc. – Ram promises that the Outdoorsman will be available towards the end of the year, and it will be a replacement for the old TRX4 trim level. Pricing will begin at $28,350 including destination.
In related outdoorsy news, Ram has also announced a new Holster option (right) for 1500 trucks equipped with the RamBox. For just $205, it will “gently, yet securely cradles two rifles or shotguns, or can be rotated 90 degrees to hold up to six fishing rods.” Really, how could you possibly pass that up? See all the details of both new products in the press release .
2011Lotus Exos T125 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Our first stop during the annual classic and exotic car feast up in Monterey every year is always the , more formally known as McCall’s Motorworks Revival. This year was no exception and aside from the copious amounts of food and drink available, there were of course some cars to sate our appetites.
One that immediately caught our eye was sitting right in the middle of the centerpiece display. It was the just-announced single-seat racer. Even alongside Takuma Sato’s current , the Exos draws a huge crowd.
This customer car will be available to a select few enthusiasts who wish to part with a million dollars or more to experience the thrills of Formula 1 racing for themselves – or at least a reasonable fascimile. The 650-horsepower Cosworth engine is limited to just 10,300 RPM for longevity, but that should be more than enough to keep the 25 projected customers happy.
We’re hoping Lotus takes this Exos out on the track this week so we can see it in action. If that happens we’ll be sure to bring you more pics, but for now, check out the gallery of photos from Wednesday night’s Jet Center Party below.
Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival at The Monterey Jet Center – Click above for high-res image gallery
The annual Monterey classic and exotic car festivities may culminate in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, but there are literally dozens of events during the week to keep everyone happy. Check out our official if you doubt us. Our favorite way to kick off the week is always Wednesday night’s McCall’s Motorworks Revival at The Monterey Jet Center. The Jet Center Party, as it’s more informally known, brings together some of the most significant cars from all of the other events, along with many of the celebs and VIPs, lots of fabulous food and beverages, and an awesome assortment of classic warplanes and new jets for sale. It might sound like an odd mix, but it makes for a perfect start to our week in Monterey every year.
While the booth was truly a worthy centerpiece this year, with its all-new, million-dollar single-seat racer, car, Takuma Sato’s and a production , there was plenty more to see as usual. Bonham’s brought over several of their top offerings; a few race cars made it over from the track, some vintage Jaguars snuck over from Quail, and , , , ; and several other manufacturers had their usual grand displays. There were even a few oddball, one-off and fledgling builders on hand, like the and .
Highlights included the and , and , , the bare metal , , and and that super rare drag pack . Heck, we even got to hang out with who said he’s really enjoying his rookie season in IndyCars and that ovals are a real test of your concentration. He also said he loves the way the Lotus Evora Cup GT4 car feels. Real nice guy.
Click below to check out our gallery of photos from Wednesday night’s Jet Center Party.
Last week, we informed you that , falling some 30 percent from the a year ago, yet was pleased with the results. While it seemed rather odd that Toyota was satisfied with a drop in sales, the fact that the kicked off in July of 2009 helped to make some sense of the decline.
Though sales of the may have fallen, the company is surely pleased with its continued dominance in the hybrid market. Toyota and have combined to capture 73.9 percent of U.S. hybrid sales for July, and surely that’s something to be pleased about. The seven hybrid models from Toyota and Lexus accounted for 17,504 sales in July, with the Prius capturing a rather astounding 59.6 percent of the hybrid market for the month.
placed a far distant second to Toyota by reporting just 2,896 hybrid sales in July, while remained planted in third with a total tally of 2,475 hybrid sales. So, while Prius sales may have dropped off compared to last year, there’s no denying that .
Yes, it’s a Mini. Yes, it’s a crossover. Yes, it makes sense. Whether we like it or not, even niche automakers are expanding their…
Nissan has just released pricing for the 2011 Juke – the company’s new baby CUV. Buyers looking to scramble into the driver’s…
The Ford F-150 is getting a lineup of four all-new engines for the 2011 model year that includes two V6s and two V8s. According to Ford, the entire new engine family will be more fuel efficient…
We’ve seen vehicles on more than one occasion over the past few years, but most connected cars and trucks aren’t much more than a rolling hot-spot for passengers and (very) distracted drivers. That promises to change over the next decade as automakers and suppliers work to connect cars to the world around them. has already begun to connect vehicles to the rest of the planet with SYNC and a smart phone, delivering information like traffic alerts, vehicle health reports, news updates and soon (above). Senior technology leader K. Venkatesh Prasad tells CNET that the automaker plans to keep the momentum going.
Venkatesh says in a video interview (available after the jump) that in-car connectivity is currently “tuned to zero miles per hour,” adding that there is an opportunity to connect vehicles to applications that enable the Internet to work for the occupants of the vehicle. Ford has been testing safety technology where vehicles communicate with traffic signals through WI-FI and GPS, and that could just be the tip of the iceberg. Electric cars, for example, could one day communicate with the electric grid and your home to find the optimal time to charge. to watch the Venkatech interview.
2011Jaguar XJ – Click above for high-res image gallery
The turnaround at / is happening even faster than the company’s owner, Tata, had planned. A year ago, JLR posted a net loss of £64 million ($101M U.S.) in Q2; compare that to this year’s second quarter and its on 57,135 vehicles sold.
While we’re sure they aren’t complaining, the boost has left JLR in bit of a lurch: production has bottlenecked because it needs more engines from , after already buying “considerably more” than it expected. Ford hasn’t offered any comment, but it is reported that the two companies are working together to figure out how to get Jaguar the powerplants it needs.
2011 Ford F-150 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 – Click above for high-res image gallery
The is getting a lineup of four all-new engines for the 2011 model year that includes two V6s and two V8s. According to , the entire new engine family will be more fuel efficient than the outgoing 4.6-liter and 5.4-liter V8 by at least 20 percent.
The same 3.7-liter V6 and 5.0-liter V8 found in the 2011 will be available at launch this fall in the F-150, as will the 6.2-liter V8 from the 2011 truck. Then, early in 2011, the F-150 will be the first rear-wheel-drive application of the much praised 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6.
The base 3.7-liter V6 will be rated at 300 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque while yielding a 6,100-pound towing capacity, which matches the hybrid. The 3.7 liter will be offered in the XL, XLT and STX trim levels only. The high volume engine is expected to be the new 5.0-liter V8, which you can read more about .
was one of just a few companies to come through the automotive meltdown of 2009 relatively unscathed. The Korean automaker managed to keep sales up while others faltered thanks to a quality, inexpensive product lineup backed with a stout warranty. Now it looks like those very factors are beginning impact the number of car shoppers who would consider hopping into a Hyundai. According to the Kelly Blue Book Market Intelligence Brand Watch study, the company has risen to the fifth most non-luxury brand considered by car shoppers. The move effectively kicked out of the top five for the first time in years.
Hyundai’s rise was precipitated by the fact that the company is scoring well in the non-luxury coupe/sedan/hatchback segment. In that area, the carmaker is bested only by , and .
Interestingly enough, Ford is the most considered car brand at the moment, thanks in part to Toyota’s newly tarnished image. The Japanese automaker fell eight percentage points in the study compared to this time last year thanks largely to its recall problems. for a look at the KBB press release.
1965 Ferrari 250 GTO Evocazione – Click above for high-res images
Practical considerations aside, cost no object, if you could have any car ever made, what would it be? We’d bet that a large proportion of you would be thinking of the legendary 250 GTO. Unfortunately, cost is an object for the vast majority of us. And considering how the iconic GTO is one of the most valuable, most sought-after classic sportscars ever made, the overwhelming likelihood is that most of us – make that practically all of us – could never stand a chance of owning one.
It’s only natural, then, that there should be replicas made. Scratch that – “tributes.” But if you’re going to replicate a GTO, you’re not going to start with an old Firebird as your underpinnings. You’re going to start with another classic Ferrari. Just one not quite as valuable.
That’s what the owner in did. And that’s what you’re looking at here. This 1965 Ferrari 250 GTO “Evocazione” started its life as a Ferrari 330 GT, and in 1993 was sent to Italy to have its chassis modified before being fitted with painstakingly handmade aluminum bodywork in the UK. Attention was paid to every detail, down to the gauges and Borrani wire wheels. And now it’s up for grabs, courtesy of newly inaugurated auction house . Once it crosses the block there on September 25, it’s expected to fetch around £240,000 ($377k) – which may seem like a fair chunk of change, but it’s a far cry from the reportedly last fetched by the original.
is two months away from execution, leaving the brand’s 1,700 dealers in a pretty tough spot. Essentially, they’ve got three choices: Agree to terms and walk away, negotiate and walk away, or pick a legal fight with The Blue Oval. Automotive News reports that about 1,000 dealers still haven’t signed FoMoCo’s compensation agreement and some of those dealers reportedly stand to lose millions of dollars in the deal.
Dealer lawyers claim that compensation has ranged from between $100,000 and $800,000, depending on a number of factors, including the dealer’s dependence on Mercury sales and the average amount of vehicles sold over a three year period. A princely sum, sure, but it won’t help some of the dealers who count on Mercury for 50 percent of sales or more. AN reports that Ford acknowledges that some dealers are in markets that cannot support a Lincoln-only store, but the company claims to be working with dealers to get them to sell Fords or sell the remaining Lincoln store to an existing Ford dealer.
Ford will stop producing Mercury-branded vehicles in early October, and while some dealers are picking up as many vehicles as possible, others have stopped ordering vehicles altogether. And until they sell out of their Mercury stock, Ford won’t cut dealers a compensation check.
[Source: - Sub. Req. Image: AP Photo/David Zalubowski]
Acura’s corporate beak might put off the average CUV shopper, but get inside the MDX’s tech-rich interior and the awkward proboscis is out of sight and mind.
If you’re heading to Monterey, California for this week’s Pebble Beach festivities, we’ve compiled a schedule of what to see and do each and every day.
According to the latest report, the Lancia Stratos revival was penned by Jason Castriota and could go on sale as a limited edition model in two year’s time.
Classic Recreations and its owner, Jason Engel, are back at work cranking out jaw-dropping interpretations of the Shelby GT500 CR. Early last month, the restoration shop was . According to Classic Recreations, a former disgruntled employee made false accusations to the OSBI about stolen equipment. Authorities even confiscated multiple vintage during the raid, but found no pilfered hardware. Instead, the investigators determined that Engel had not followed proper protocol when replacing rusty sheet metal on the Blue Ovals – specifically where the VIN plate is attached to the vehicle.
The OSBI determined that Classic Recreations couldn’t replace rusty metal around the VIN tag without completely retitling the vehicle – something that should concern anyone with an interest in putting an old car back on the road. Engel said that the OSBI’s findings will only serve to drive up costs for both his shop and his customers as instead of being able to start with a rusty shell, he will now have to start with higher quality donors. We’re guessing the purists out there will be none too happy about that fact, either.
In the meantime, Classic Recreations is carefully inspecting the confiscated cars, detailing them and getting the wild ponies back to their rightful owners. Past that, Engel says that he is working with state legislators to more clearly define what can and cannot be replaced on a vehicle during a restoration. From the sound of things, that’s something that parties on both side of the issue can agree upon. for the full press release.
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Chris, Sam and Dan come back for Episode #190 of the Autoblog Podcast, and this time around we talk about Chrysler’s profit announcement, the Top Gear USA trailer, Honda’s latest recall, the Buick Verano. We also touch on a Ferrari-based Lancia Stratos tribute and GM’s prospects for selling Chevrolet Volts. We kick the ball around on a single question before calling it a night right at the hour mark. Thanks for listening, see you next week!
Autoblog Podcast #190 – Chrysler profit, Top Gear USA and small Buicks
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You can buy a lot of sports car for $295,000. A fully loaded ; an Audi and matching ; three and a ; a , a and a … we can play that game all day. But buying a great car (or cars) is just part of the equation. Insurance, storage, fuel and track time can add up quickly, even for the well-off among us, but the folks over at Skip Barber have a different idea.
The world-famous driving school is offering a lifetime pass for a not so affordable $295,000, but that lofty figure includes just about all the learning and racing your heart desires. Lifetime Fast Fast Pass owners can register for an entire season in advance, race at one of the school’s 10 tracks or show up at any event and fill any open spots. One thing lifetime pass owners can’t do is bump another driver from a purchased spot; a damn good rule if you ask us.
The latest offer from Skip Barber comes after the driving school offered a $150,000 unlimited pass, $100,000 national pass or a $75,000 regional pass. School officials are gauging interest in the passes, and if too many die-hard drivers purchase a lifetime pass a cap may be placed on the amount of available spots. If you’ve got the means, get in quick.
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.
In the last few years, has settled into a familiar product cadence of launching a new or heavily reworked vehicle one year with older carryover powertrains and offering new powertrain choices 1-2 years later. It worked for the , and then the . Earlier this year, Ford added its all-new 6.2-liter V8 as an option to the , and today in Sturgis, South Dakota, Ford announced that the 2011 F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition will get the same premium powerplant.
The 6.2 liter replaces the soon-to-be-euthanized 5.4-liter V8, bumping output from 320 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque to a more robust 411 hp and 434 lb-ft. The towing capability of the 6.2-liter Harley truck is also now up to a more-than-healthy 9,300 pounds.
In addition to the substantially increased grunt, the F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition gets new side graphics and an upgraded instrument cluster. The new gauge pod has a full-color 4.2-inch LCD display embedded between the speedometer and tachometer that displays a variety of information including fuel economy and readouts from the inclinometer and roll angle sensors. The 2011 F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition also gets Ford’s voice controlled navigation system with Sync as standard equipment.
No pricing was announced, but expect to pay a premium over the top-level Platinum trim just like the 2010 model. According to Ford, this will be the 17th truck on which the automaker has collaborated with the legendary motorcycle maker, making it one of the most lasting co-branded models in the market, and there’s no reason to expect there won’t be a 2012 model.
was the only one of Detroit’s three automakers able to avoid taking a direct government bailout in 2009 to bypass bankruptcy. However, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been able to benefit from some government largess.
Back in 2006 before the credit markets collapsed, Ford essentially mortgaged every facility it had in order to borrow $23.5 billion. That money was used to provide operating cash flow that and didn’t have when things went south in 2008. The money allowed Ford to keep the lights on, but it also saddled the company with the debt service payments of $318 per vehicle in the second quarter of this year.
Rather than direct bailouts, Ford has been able to take advantage of several government-backed low interest loan programs like the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program run by the Department of Energy to fund new vehicle development and factory retooling. Ford is also getting tax breaks and low interest loans from various states as well as other countries like the UK and Russia. At the same time, it has used profits earned in the past year to pay down higher interest debt earlier than planned. In doing so, Ford hopes to get back from junk bond status to investment grade by late 2011 or early 2012.
Before and entered bankruptcy, the predominant fear was customers wouldn’t purchase vehicles from a bankrupt automaker. Those fears turned out to be more or less unfounded, as the market share of the fallen two didn’t fluctuate all that much during court proceedings, and both companies have seen sales increases the following year. Automotive News reports that while GM’s sales are up 13 percent and Chrysler up 11 percent, the majority of those increases have come courtesy of fleet sales.
The General’s fleet sales are reportedly up 53 percent to 400,000 units while Chrysler is up 40 percent to 242,000. GM does point out that its retail sales are up by one percent after the automaker cut four brands from its portfolio, while Chrysler isn’t breaking down sales.
GM and Chrysler aren’t the only automakers padding sales figures with fleets. So far in 2010, 35 percent of sales come from bulk buyers, more than the 31 percent at GM, but still less than the 39 percent at Chrysler. But to Ford’s credit less, than half of those sales come from rental outfits, where discounts are deeper than they are with government and commercial fleets. Both GM and Chrysler are reportedly pushing two-thirds of its fleet vehicles to rental companies. The only other automakers to top 10 percent in fleet sales are Hyundai (16 percent) and Nissan (15 percent).
So do all these fleet sales spell trouble for GM and Chrysler? Not likely. Retail sales have remained relatively flat over the last year while fleet sales are up across most automakers. Detroit automakers also see higher fleet sales because each produces a large amount of heavy duty trucks and vans, while the overseas competition doesn’t compete in those segments. All three Detroit automakers foresee a drop in fleet sales for the rest of 2010, with Chrysler and GM projecting about 25 percent of its sales going to fleets for the year while Ford is shooting for 30 percent.
[Source: - sub. req. Image: Chris Hondros/Getty Images]
