| to offer tens of thousands of Leaf test drives starting this fall Want one? You’ll probably get your chance. |
lets 13.3M shares fly at $17, raises $226M on IPO Not a bad day. |
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Take a bike, add in some SUV style and this is what you get. |
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There’s the right way to immortalize a car in song, and the wrong way. For every ode to the , there’s at least one . Granted, the piece of fanboyism after the jump isn’t nearly so toxic as the prepackaged corporate drivel served up in honor of the plug-in, but we’d still put it on the same level as shoveling week-old, unrefrigerated sushi down your gullet. It’s just not something that we’d recommend, which is exactly why we’ve decided to post it here and share it with the masses.
Someone by the name of J Brave and a merry band of musicians under the name the Luminaries have taken it upon themselves to pontificate on the benefits of the in song. We’ll be honest – we don’t have a single musical bone in our body. It’s why we’re sitting here banging on a computer keyboard instead of rocking out on the ivories, but we know something worth listening to when we hear it, and this just ain’t it. if you dare.
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[Source: ]
” rap track is steady clean flossin’
When debuted the GMC Granite concept at this year’s , it was a huge hit with both the media and public in attendance. A small hatchback like this would shake up ’s legacy of only building trucks and crossovers, but it would be a good way to expand the brand’s lineup and better establish it as a core part of GM.
Now, the folks at Motor Trend report that the Granite has been given the green light for production, though The General is still in the process of figuring out if it can . The Granite shares the same architecture as the Chevrolet Orlando which will be produced for other markets and will likely be powered by GM’s new 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four, possibly mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
It’s still unclear when we’ll actually see a production version of the Granite concept, but we wouldn’t be surprised if a few test mules start popping up outside of GM’s proving grounds within the next year. Can a tall -like hatch exist under the GMC nameplate? Be sure to give us your opinion in the poll below.
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Chris Shunk rejoins Sam, Alex and Dan for Episode #184 of the Autoblog Podcast. Topics we mull are actual IPO and ‘ apparently impending public offering. Gordon Murray’s T.25 city car makes the cut before we do a 180 and talk about the possibility of a 480-horsepower and a manlier minivan. It ends with your feedback, a tidy hour and ten minutes. See you next week!
Autoblog Podcast #184 – IPOs, Manly Minivans, City Cars and Hemi Horsepower
In the Autoblog Garage:
News:
Runtime: 71:22
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A lot of analysts were bullish on , and a report from Bloomberg proves that the electric car start-up is a buy with the investors of the world. Tesla reportedly raised $226 million with its IPO, or 13.3 million shares at $17 per. The $226 mil total went above and beyond the high-end figure of $16 per share.
The news has to come as a pleasant surprise for Elon Musk, the company’s CEO and largest shareholder. Musk has reportedly spent $70 million of his own personal fortune propping up Tesla while the company’s losses mounted. The successful IPO is even more surprising given the fact that the company has yet to turn a quarterly profit and lost a substantial $230.5 million since 2003. Even at the expected median price of $15 per share, Bloomberg data shows that Tesla was valued at 5.5 times its net tangible assets, which doesn’t exactly sound terrific. Tesla’s IPO was likely helped out by by and , giving the first U.S. automaker IPO in over 50 years some much-needed street cred. Interestingly, Tesla is the first U.S. automaker since the Ford Motor Company to throw its hat into the public stock ring, with the Blue Oval doing so way back in 1956.
Tesla’s IPO was considered a bit of a crap shoot given the recent failures of other stock offerings coupled with the fact that the EV maker doesn’t have a lot of product to make it an attractive buy. Tesla has managed to sell about 1,000 copies of its pricey roadster, but now that the First-on-the-Block crew has theirs, the battery-packed two-seater isn’t exactly flying off the shelves. The Model S sedan, which will reportedly go 160 miles on a single charge, won’t arrive until 2012 at the earliest.
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[Sources: Bloomberg via ]
What do you pay? |
Reuters wonders if more competition will kill the hybrid market. |
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| superfan goes 772 miles from London to Lands End in a Roadster And GM thought the Ampera’s 170 miles was a big deal. |
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Two anonymous sources have told Automotive News that is courting both Bob Lutz and retired BMW executive Tom Purves to become advisors to the British brand.
As , Lotus’ Malaysian parents at Proton are on a kick to increase both volume and model mix to take on its exotic rivals at , and . In order to boost production to around 8,000 units annually, Lotus needs to take a long, hard look at what it’s offering and how it can expand the brand to take on Europe’s elite – possibly at the expense of Lotus’ core values. Or not.
To that end, Lotus could be looking at both Lutz and Purves for their product knowledge, which in the case of Maximum Bob is as wide and varied as it is successful. Lutz has already said he’s and he’s already . But at this point, however, formal bids for both retired execs have yet to provided by Lotus.
[Source: - Sub. Req.]
Got a question for our intrepid team of podcasters? Now’s the time to ask away. Don’t forget to vote on which questions deserve our attention the most, though we’ll try to get to as many as we can. Discussion topics for Autoblog Podcast #183, which we’ll record tonight, can be found below. Finally, subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already to hear your question answered.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #184
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Whoa. Color us shocked and awed if this rumor from The Telegraph is accurate. According to the UK paper, is set to make some drastic changes to the ’s European twin. Specifically, the report suggests that the extended-range-electric-vehicle’s powertrain is being redesigned so that the gasoline-fueled engine can and will power the wheels under certain high-speed conditions.
If true – and we’re filing this firmly in the rumormill folder for now – this change would completely alter the entire ethos of the Volt idea. GM has gone to great pains to ensure that its green halo vehicle can be called an electric vehicle with a range extender, not a hybrid.
Semantics perhaps, but the distinction has been made clear and driven home by The General. Further, we know that the machine is well into its final development phases, and any changes of this magnitude this late in the game would be darn near impossible to implement in time.
The reason cited by The Telegraph for the recalibration is that Europeans require more power during high speed use. We find that explanation highly suspect as well, unless GM of Europe actually believes the Ampera will spend more time than normal on Autobahns in the far-left lane… which we doubt. Consider too that Europeans are known to embrace vehicles with much smaller and less powerful engines than Americans and the report continues failing to add up.
In any case, the report cites Andreas Voight, an Opel project engineer, who is quoted as saying that we can expect an announcement on the matter this autumn. We’ll see, and we’ll be pestering GM for a comment in the meantime.
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It seems a bit odd calling this the 28th Annual when it’s only been in this city for three years and has only had that name officially for one, but after spending a good portion of Sunday at the St. Regis and its Monarch Bay golf course, it really felt like this is where this show was always meant to be. With dramatic views of the ocean, the rolling greenery of the links and the surrounding mansions, the venue feels like it was built solely to play host to Southern California’s premiere concours.
Second only to Pebble Beach in prominence among the California concours, Dana Point has really come of its own. With nearly 200 judged entries and perhaps an equal number of display vehicles, it’s a big show that still manages to feel manageable, and the field of entrants was once again amazing. This year’s show honored , 80 years of Pininfarina and 20 years of the Ferrari F40, as well as drag racing legend . Classes included American Pony & Muscle Cars, Corvettes to 1967, Kustoms & Hot Rods, and the second annual exhibit of Supercars, as well as a new category for vintage motorcycles.
With proceeds going to support the , the and other Southern California youth charities, the Dana Point Concours is run as a (CCCA) Concours, but with some of those additional classes thrown in to showcase particularly interesting and relevant automobiles. Just take a look at the photo above and you’ll see the wide variety of outstanding vehicles that this show attracts. Click through the rest of the gallery and you’ll see everything from a to the nicest you’re ever likely to encounter.
Some favorites this year included just about everything in the gallery, but especially the low mileage original , , , , , , that crazy cute , and the fantastic . The Muntz, however, wasn’t our top pick. That honor had to go to the Bugatti among the classics, Don Prudhomme’s funny car collection among the American cars and the as the car we’d most like to drive. Click below to check out the massive gallery and pick out your favorites.
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Photos by / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
After hinting at doing so for a couple of years, Gordon Murray has finally revealing his new T.25 city car at an event at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment in Oxford, England. The 1,212-pound car is just over four feet wide, less than eight feet long and seats three adults in a 1+2 layout. Like Murray’s McLaren F1, the driver sits front and center and the passengers sit behind on either side.
The whole front section of the body is hinged at the front and flips forward for access in a manner not dissimilar to BMW’s Isetta microcar of the mid-Fifties. Power comes from a 51 horsepower, in-line three-cylinder engine mounted in the back to propel the T.25 to 62 mph in 16.2 seconds while achieving 61.9 miles per gallon. The diminutive size allows it to turn in just 19.7 feet and park perpendicular to the curb and the design’s hinged cockpit and narrow width allow three T.25s to be parked in a single parallel parking space.
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[Source: Gordon Murray Design]
: Gordon Murray’s T.25 city car revealed
Ever see an IMSA race from the late ’70s or early ’80s? If so, you probably saw one of the Greenwood widebody C3 Corvettes thundering through the field. Those massively-flared fenders barely contained the fury of the twelve-inch wide rear slicks as they clawed for traction. For fans of those racing cars, there was good news from the Greenwood garages, too. At the time, John Greenwood offered those body kits, as well as suspension and engine upgrades for the street, much like Callaway or Pratt & Miller do today for the C6 Corvette. At this weekend’s Barrett-Jackson auction in Orange County, a particularly nice example of Greenwood’s handiwork crossed the block.
We half-expected Bruce Wayne to be the high bidder, as this car was done up in a Dark Knight-worthy ebony that accentuated the flares and spoilers in bat-tastic fashion. The info card even referred to the ride as the “Batvette,” which struck us as an ideal moniker. Powered by an original and stock L-82, with glass tops and aluminum wheels, this matching-numbers, 18,200-original-mile Corvette sold for just under a dollar per odometer mile: $18,000. Check out the gallery below.
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Behold, Corvair handling! The first time you decide to autocross a , this lifted-wheel, heavy-leaning posture must be positively terrifying. When all four wheels find pavement again, and the view out the windshield levels off, the driver’s likely giggling like a lunatic. Something that amusing obviously calls for another run through the cones.
Here’s the interesting part: Apparently, the stance looks worse than it is. The rear tire that’s left on the ground slides in a benign fashion as a result of the the side-loading, correcting the lifted-leg.
It’s got all the components of summer fun: A vehicle that’s absurd to autocross in the first place, tripod posture, and an element of danger The photo of this dancing comes from Tom Hughes, who covered the 2010 convention at his . Corvair owners are an enthusiastic bunch, and more shots of the autocross, including the expected Monzas and Spyders, are at Scott Trunkhill’s .
If this is how they handle on the track, we expect great amusement from .
[Source: via ]
“What do you think about the ” It’s a question we get asked all the time. For most of us, the answer is, “I’m anxious to check it out.” The staff of Automotive Test Center can offer more substantive replies. General Motors drove two Volts out to CR’s Connecticut test facility and let the magazine’s experts give the extended-range EVs some thorough study. Jake Fisher provides a succinct video overview of the Volt and comes away impressed with the promise the Volt shows based on its on-road behavior, space, and comfort.
CR’s Eric Evarts shares some impressions on the . The EREV doesn’t break new ground conceptually, but basing a mass-production, mainstream automobile around the architecture is nearly akin to a reinvention of the wheel. Set aside the impressive technical details for a moment and consider how completely realized the Chevy Volt will be from a user’s perspective.
Nice touches abound, such as a built-in circuit tester that “pings” the outlet you plug the Volt into. Following a clean test, an in-car indicator changes from yellow to green as charging commences. If the ping fails, the light blinks, signaling a problem. that will provide drivers with remote access to the charging features, and owners will be able to download their utility company’s electric rates to the Volt’s command-and-control interface so the car will automatically charge when doing so is most cost-efficient.
Those types of usability features are what’s going to make or break the Volt, and from what Consumer Reports has said, there’s more reason than ever to reply excitedly about trying out General Motors’ new propulsion paradigm. to watch the CR videos.
[Source: ]
In case you missed it, we just published our today. If your attention spans is anything like ours, allow us to remind you that we’ve also once or . Since both cars are built atop the same platform and will be competing for your hard-earned bucks in short order, the natural question is: Which one would you choose?
If you don’t have time to read both of our drives, here’s a quick glance at some of the more salient details:
| 2011 Ford Fiesta | 2011 Mazda2 | |
| Base Price | $13,995 (four-door sedan), $15,795 (hatchback) | $13,980 (hatchback) |
| Engine | 120 horsepower, 112 pound-feet of torque | 100 horsepower, 98 pound-feet of torque |
| Transmission | Five-speed manual, Six-speed dual-clutch auto | Five-speed manual, Four-speed auto |
| Base Weight | 2,537 pounds | 2,309 pounds |
| Efficiency | 27/33 (auto), 29/35 (manual) | 29/40 (auto), 28/37 (manual) |
Naturally, there’s more to the equation than the tale of the tape. For instance, if you’re in the market for an automatic transmission, the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox in the Fiesta seems to be a much more attractive option than the old-school four-speed automatic in the Mazda. Also, the Fiesta can store more cargo and has more comfortable seats.
It would seem that the scales are tipping in the Blue Oval’s favor. Consider too that the Fiesta is available as both a sedan and a hatchback while the Mazda2 is a hatchback only. Add in an available navigation system, leather interior, SYNC infotainment system and heated seats – none of which are available on the Mazda – and we’ve got a slam-dunk win for the Ford. Right?
Perhaps not. Our man Steven Ewing, the only member of the team to have driven both U.S.-spec models, tells us that the Mazda2 is notably more fun to drive than the Fiesta. Plus, he claims the 2 looks better in its specific shade of green, if that kind of thing is important to you. So, is the promise of an added dose of driving enjoyment worth the significant loss in comfort, convenience and economy? That’s up to you to decide.
Three years later, it’s official: the Chevrolet Corvette is the official sports car of Kentucky. A bill to laud the ‘Vette with that title was , still trying to a year later, and (read: slow death) in March this year in what some thought was a snub at over the bailout.
By April 26, however, all appeared forgiven and the resurrected bill was signed by Kentucky Governor Steve Brashear. Now Brashear has ceremonially signed the bill at the Bowling Green assembly plant that is the cause for all of this, handing Kentucky another official state item to add to the thoroughbred horse, Bluegrass silverwear pattern and Appalachian dulcimer. Hooray!
In case you’re wondering about those other bills introduced around the same time as the Corvette bill – those to make burgoo the official state food, KFC the state picnic food and cornholing the state game – burgoo got the nod via a declaration of the governor earlier this year, KFC was derailed by a PETA boycott and cornholing is still looking for love. You can read the Corvette press release after the jump.
[Source: General Motors]
It’s a very specific prediction: the U.S. will lead the way with 134,049 FCVs. |
Looks much better. How could it not? |
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| lobbies Congress to the tune of $591K for EVs, emissions It’s like a money circle. |
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There’s a whole lot of technology built into the , and some upcoming advertising for the plug-in hybrid looks to be just as futuristic (unlike ‘ ). Case in point: Chevrolet and Microsoft Advertising have announced that its new hands-free Xbox 360 Kinect accessory used with a new game called , will let you virtually test drive the Volt. In case you were wondering, this isn’t about you figuring out if a real Volt is right for you; the Kinect is really about providing advertisers “an innovative way to connect with consumers by enabling them to physically explore and engage with a brand through voice and gesture.” Microsoft is also showing off the Kinect technology with but Chevy is the first ad partner for the device (the Kinect, not the Xbox, which ).
In order to drive the Volt in the game, players will first need to unlock the car and watch a Chevy Volt ad either on Xbox Live or on the web. Microsoft also demoed a huge potential Chevrolet Volt campaign at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival today that includes being able to:
“…add a local Chevrolet promotion event to their calendar to go test-drive a Volt or use voice-enabled search on Bing to find locations near them. Chevrolet will be the first auto marketer to incorporate a branded advertising experience for the new Windows Phone 7.”
There may also be Microsoft Surface tables and and Kinect kiosks at future Volt promotional events. There’s a video interview with Paul Edwards, executive director of marketing strategy with General Motors, talking about the ad deal .
[Source: Microsoft, , ]
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