has just wrapped up another impressive Antarctic expedition, this time traversing over 43,500 miles in the span of four months. In the process, the company says it snagged a new world record with three specially-prepared Hilux pickup trucks with each covering 5,903 miles of the frozen continent. Iceland-based Arctic Trucks handled converting the pickups for their stint in the cold, and while the alterations included creating at least two 6×6 versions, the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel engines had to be reworked to consume Jet A-1 fuel. In the low temperatures of the Antarctic, standard diesel would simply turn to jelly.
The trucks were also outfitted with large tires running just 2-3 psi of air pressure, resulting in a contact patch around 17 times larger than a standard tire. Toyota reports the trucks ran incredibly well throughout the expedition and required no major repairs.
Starting last November, Toyota sent a team of 10 Hilux trucks to the far south to establish fuel depots, a weather station and to support scientific expeditions along the way. for the full press release.
The Toyota Hilux can attribute a fair portion of the its celebrity to the Top Gear crew’s exuberant doting. After attempting to destroy the truck via a smattering of inhumane methods, traversing the frozen wastes of Antarctica and braving the fires of Icelandic volcanoes, the show has given the globe-conquering more love than nearly any other model.
It looks as if that won’t slow down anytime soon. According to Toyota, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond will once again take to the wheel of a specially-prepared Hilux for an all new challenge.
Just what will that task entail? Toyota is keeping its mouth shut at the moment, and Top Gear isn’t typically one for spilling secrets early. Judging by the photos, however, it appears as if the vehicle will need to withstand substantial water crossings and support the trio for at least one night in the wild. Color us excited. for some of the vehicle’s finer moments on the show.
We a pre-production through scenic Iceland, and the Japanese automaker at the back in September. Here at the , however, has officially announced exactly what’s in store for the U.S.-spec CX-5, set to go on sale early next year.
The Skyactiv powertrain should return best-in-class fuel economy figures of 26/33 mpg with the manual.
Powering the CX-5 is Mazda’s new 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder with direct-injection technology. This powerplant is already available in the sedan and hatchback, and in the CX-5, it’s good for 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque, mated to either a new Skyactiv six-speed manual or automatic transmission (the manual is only available in the bottom-rung Sport trim, sadly). The CX-5 is not as powerful as other offerings in the class – the and much larger , among others, offer more grunt – but Mazda says that the Skyactiv powertrain should return best-in-class fuel economy figures: 26/32 miles per gallon (city/highway) with the automatic transmission or an even better 33 mpg highway with the manual. Based on our Nordic test drive, the lighter CX-5 is also likely to be more fun to drive than its contemporaries. No word yet on the possibility of seeing the Skyactiv-D diesel model in North American showrooms, however. In any case, we’ll see if the gas engine’s official EPA numbers match up when the vehicle is properly tested.
We’ll be driving the CX-5 later this week while in Los Angeles, so stay tuned for our full driving impressions in the near future, and hopefully we’ll have pricing soon. In the meantime, click through our new gallery of live images direct from SoCal and gaze at the official PR .
Guinness recognized a new world record for the fastest this week. The expedition occurred in December 2010, when two modified Toyota Hilux trucks travelled 1,434 miles across the Antarctic High Plateau in 108 hours.
That the average speed for the trip was just over 13 miles per hour gives an indication of the extreme conditions the drivers faced, at altitudes up to two miles above sea level. The expedition was organized by the Kazakhstan National Geographic Society and The Antarctica Company, and included four members: Konstantin Orlov and Stanislav Makarenko from KNGS, Andrey Myller from TAC, and Hlynur Sigurdsson from Arctic Trucks – the off-road tuning company that built the vehicles.
Arctic Trucks used 170-horsepower, 3-liter turbodiesel Hiluxes for the expedition build, modified to carry a whopping 285 gallons of fuel, 74 in tanks and the rest in the bed. The Arctic Trucks Expedition AT44 gets its name from 44×18.5 tires fitted to 15-inch rims and run at tire pressures as low as 2 psi. The four-by-four ice-crawlers have five-speed automatic transmissions with part-time transfer cases and a 2.566:1 low gear. Besides carrying up to 1.3 tons, the trucks are equipped to tow an additional 1.5 tons on a trailer. The AT44 weighs in at 4,960 pounds and manages about 5 mpg in the Antarctic snow.
The Isle of Man, probably best known for the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race, is producing a series of stamps celebrating another well-known wheeled effort: Top Gear. There are six stamps in the collection, each “lavishly tooled” with an image of a Top Gear creation, such as the homemade electric car or the much-modified pickup from Iceland built to tackle the North Pole.
It isn’t the Isle’s first stab at commemorative, vehicular-themed stamps: earlier this year it produced , and sold chunks of the tarmac course to go with it. If you’re keen to lick the backs of Top Gear challengers, follow the jump for the press release on the new postage.
That zany trio from Top Gear (the original British version, not the spin-offs shot in the “colonies”) have been all around the world. They’ve shot specials in Africa, South America, the Middle East, Vietnam, Japan, Iceland, the South Pole, and even here in the good old U-S-of-A. So where are they now? India.
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were spotted by legions of their fans out of the billion inhabitants of India driving around the subcontinent in a convoy of British classics: a , a and a . Just what kind of challenges the producers have got them performing remains to be seen, but if the previous specials serve as any indication, this should be a good one.
Of course it’ll still be a while before the episode airs (it’s almost certainly the holiday special that ), so in the meantime we’ve got : one showing the Hamster loading some cans or something onto his vintage Mini, and another old-school episode of Jeremy Clarkson’s Motor World shot in – you guessed it – India. After you’re done watching those, check out more images of the BBC boys shooting in India by visiting Team-BHP using the link below.
As you might recall, we recently spent some of a camouflaged prototype in Iceland. And while we walked away impressed with our short stint behind the wheel, the fact that the car was covered in cheetah paper meant we couldn’t quite see the final design – until now.
It’s a good-looking crossover, this CX-5, keeping true to Mazda’s original that first bowed at the earlier this year. What’s more, the CX-5 will be a much-welcomed replacement for the -supplied Tribute crossover – a vehicle that never really set the sales charts on fire.
When we drove the CX-5, we were very impressed with the SkyActiv 2.0-liter gasoline engine, though we’re still crossing our fingers that will offer the 2.2-liter diesel powerplant here in the United States. Nevertheless, we give the CX-5 two thumbs up, and you can see the final road-ready version in our attached high-res image gallery.
While the recent struggles of its larger countrymen have been well publicized, finds itself at something of a quiet turning point. It would be hard to blame the Japanese automaker for kicking back and enjoying the warm fuzzies it’s earned over the years with cars like the and , but as a small company going it alone in a pond full of bigger, better-funded fish, it still has much to prove.
Among the competencies Mazda must demonstrate, it must show it can build the powertrain technology necessary to reach fuel economy goals mandated by the U.S. government, rival automakers and the buying public. The only hybrid models it ever sold here were built under contract, and to this point, no other alternative fuel vehicles have found their way into its North American showrooms. What’s more, Mazda’s last attempt at a styling language, the flowing folds of , came in for critical praise on the showcar circuit thanks to stunners like the and , but the philosophy never really gelled in production form (its awkward, Jokerian pulled-smile and ribbed sheetmetal choices triggered more confused looks than praise). Compounding matters, the company on its iconoclastic , whose rotary engine and lightweight construction were brand cornerstones.
So… has Mazda lost the plot? As it turns out, not a bit. In fact, after spending a few days grilling company executives and driving prototypes of its forthcoming 2013 CX-5, we think the company seems as clear about its identity and mission as it’s ever been, and the proof is in the CX-5’s pudding. The new small crossover singlehandedly attempts to answer most of our nagging questions by packing Mazda’s new SkyActiv blueprint for eco-friendly enthusiast driving (”sustainable Zoom-Zoom”) and the seeds of Mazda’s , so we couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel.
Shucking off Hurricane Irene’s wrath, we flew to Iceland to get our first taste of the CX-5.
While the recent struggles of its larger countrymen have been well publicized, finds itself at something of a quiet turning point. It would be hard to blame the Japanese automaker for kicking back and enjoying the warm fuzzies it’s earned over the years with cars like the and , but as a small company going it alone in a pond full of bigger, better-funded fish, it still has much to prove.
Among the competencies Mazda must demonstrate, it must show it can build the powertrain technology necessary to reach fuel economy goals mandated by the U.S. government, rival automakers and the buying public. The only hybrid models it ever sold here were built under contract, and to this point, no other alternative fuel vehicles have found their way into its North American showrooms. What’s more, Mazda’s last attempt at a styling language, the flowing folds of , came in for critical praise on the showcar circuit thanks to stunners like the and , but the philosophy never really gelled in production form (its awkward, Jokerian pulled-smile and ribbed sheetmetal choices triggered more confused looks than praise). Compounding matters, the company on its iconoclastic , whose rotary engine and lightweight construction were brand cornerstones.
So… has Mazda lost the plot? As it turns out, not a bit. In fact, after spending a few days grilling company executives and driving prototypes of its forthcoming 2013 CX-5, we think the company seems as clear about its identity and mission as it’s ever been, and the proof is in the CX-5’s pudding. The new small crossover singlehandedly attempts to answer most of our nagging questions by packing Mazda’s new SkyActiv blueprint for eco-friendly enthusiast driving (”sustainable Zoom-Zoom”) and the seeds of Mazda’s , so we couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel.
Shucking off Hurricane Irene’s wrath, we flew to Iceland to get our first taste of the CX-5.
2012 Mini Cooper Coupe in action – Click above to watch the video
The is hot off the presses, with unique sheet metal, upgraded power numbers and a promise to become the fastest production Mini on the market. We can live with that, and Mini is hoping coupe shoppers can, too.
To kick of the latest ride in the Mini stable, the advertising team came up with a fun little video with the tagline “Another Day. Another Adventure.” The 49-second video shows the Mini Coupe as it travels (in a spirited fashion) through Iceland, Rio and Hong Kong. The idea, of course, is that the fresh-faced coupe + a willing co-pilot = fun anywhere the open road takes you.
to watch the video for yourself. You won’t hear any voice-overs and the sales pitch is definitely set to low, but you will see plenty of gorgeous shots of the Mini Coupe on twisty roads.
continues its quest to stand on the shoulders of industry giants with proven track records. In this latest round of hirings, Amp has once again chosen to as it eyes and . As Amp president Steve Burns told us in the past:
We’ve been kind of non-automotive. What we’ve been doing is layering in a lot of automotive executives. A lot of 30-year executives have been coming in because they’re available. There was a lot of brain drain.
This time around, Amp has chosen to appoint James Taylor as its new vice chairman and chief executive officer (CEO). Taylor’s extensive experience in the automotive industry includes heading up the and divisions while working with . In addition, Amp selected Joseph Paresi as chairman of the board. In the past, Paresi held positions such as director of technology at Lockheed Martin and executive vice president of .
Just in case you’re wondering, Amp Founder and current CEO Steve Burns is not leaving the company. Burns will become Amp’s president and focus his attention on fulfilling current orders and signing deals with new customers.
A small throng of suspicious-acting people with a camo’d mystery car can’t help but attract attention. Expecting privacy in a public area near a busy shopping mall while shooting the unknown car is also rather presumptuous. Thus, despite the efforts of the staff on hand (including threats of lawsuits), bystanders managed to get photos of this … something.
The small-statured vehicle with a bold stance may be well-covered in these photographs, but our money is on it being the EX1 concept that’s expected to debut at this year’s . It’s about the right size and shape to be the 2012 Peugeot 208, as well, but the heftier-than-normal wheels make the concept car a much more likely prospect. If the EX1 doesn’t appear in Paris later this month, we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled for a Peugeot ad that looks like it was shot in an Icelandic parking lot.
Last week, we told you that the Top Gear crew was smirking about having in the . And while it was easy for us to chalk it up as simple Top Gear embellishment (they did take credit for the , remember), it appears that the TG team – James May, specifically – had a pretty big part in all of this record-setting madness. Apparently he wasn’t , but Captain Slow did manage to pilot the new Veyron Super Sport up to an extremely respectable 259.11 mph, and the high-speed tale is recounted in the magazine’s August issue, which should be hitting newsstands as you read this.
This isn’t May’s first experience with the Veyron, of course. We all remember that the Captain did a similar test run in the standard-spec Bug, hitting 253 mph out on Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien high-speed oval. (We have the video available for those of you who want to re-live the experience.) Now, the one question that remains – is the Super Sport fast enough to finally reconcile that lost race between ? Hot tips, PS3 and Brandon!
Porsche 908/3 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2010 – Click above to watch video
There are plenty of reasons to get excited about the . The annual shindig is a mecca for metal from all over the world – old and new. events from across the go-fast spectrum make it onto the schedule and there’s even plenty of auto-themed art to keep the masses entertained when they aren’t huffing tire smoke. In a word, the event is bliss for anyone with even a passing interest in the automobile.
But the grand daddy of it all has to be the . At 1.16 miles, the course features nine turns, a looming stone wall and enough hay to feed all the cows in Wisconsin for a week. Last year brought out a rash of new high-dollar supercars, including the and the , and as a result, there were plenty of manufacturers on hand to show off their newest hardware. While we were lurking the grounds and looking at all the shiny conveyances, drivers were blasting across the grounds and recording their exploits. We’ve rounded up 10 of the best videos from the hill and arranged them in no particular order. Sure, some of them are more entertaining than others, but all of them are better than what you’re doing at work, right? to get started.
The long wait is finally over and Top Gear is back for its 15th series of the modern era. We won’t spoil all of the fun for those who haven’t seen it, but we can say that the premiere was… highly educational. We got a look at the first flex-fuel and received that James May was likely the cause of the Icelandic volcano eruption that shut down European air space for nearly two weeks.
We also saw the new reasonably priced car, a brown Cee’d, get broken in by some British C-listers before the real celebrities start in on it next week.
By far, though, the highlight of the program was the physics lesson from Jeremy Clarkson that demonstrates why there aren’t more three-wheeled vehicles in the world. Clarkson set out on a treacherous 14-mile journey in a Reliant Robin to learn whether it’s worthwhile to save money on the vehicle registration tax with a three-wheeled conveyance. You’ll have to watch for yourself to learn the answer to that question, and since you are undoubtedly a resourceful bunch, we’re sure you know where to find the full episode if you don’t happen to live in the UK. But if you don’t, for the segment.
It was said that the would be back in June, and it looks like they’re going to limbo just under the line.
Your reintroduction to the three guys who hang out in the hangar will involve Jeremy exploring the demise of three-wheeled cars behind the wheel of a Reliant Robin, James May , Richard Hammond doing something “dignified” with a Chevrolet Lacetti and the Stig burning ethanol in a . The fun gets going on Sunday, June 27, but feel free to cue the cheesy music now…
