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While the latter years of the Dakar rally (when it was actually held in Dakar) may have belonged to the Mitsubishi Pajero, in the past two years since the premiere rally-raid event was moved from its namesake in North Africa to South America, Volkswagen has dominated with its Race Touareg. But if the German automaker hopes to make it a hat-trick, warned their winning driver Carlos Sainz (a two-time World Rally Champion to boot), they’d need a significantly improved vehicle.

Our spy photographers caught a glimpse of the new Race Touareg undergoing testing in the Alps last month, and although they’ve only released this singulae teaser image, Volkswagen has now confirmed the vehicle’s development.

Dubbed (predictably enough) the Race Touareg 3, the new rally-raid machine closely follows the mechanical formula laid out by the victorious Race Touareg 2, but will sport some vital improvements. These will principally center around the aerodynamics, picking up design cues from the new production Touareg 2 along the way.

Desert testing is slated to commence later this month in Morocco, after which the Race Touareg 3 will endure its first real trial by fire in campaigning the Silk Way Rally across Russia in September before hitting the Dakar Rally next January. Official press release after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 teased, confirmed and under development

Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 teased, confirmed and under development

We thought the Citroën Survolt Concept was pretty cool when we first saw it at the Geneva Motor Show. We think it’s much, much cooler now, though. Why? Perhaps because the crazy French automaker has seen fit to make the all-electric machine into a real race car that will hit the track at the Le Mans Classic on July 10th.

The electric racecar sports a full tube frame with a carbon fiber body and a completely flat underbody… which is all well and good, but the real news comes from the powertrain. Dual electric motors push out 300 horsepower from zero to 5,000 RPM. But it’s the torque of electric motors that really impresses, and the Survolt reportedly has enough of it to dispatch the run to 60 miles per hour in under five seconds.

Power comes from two lithium ion battery packs that weigh in at over 300 pounds each and offer 31 kilowatts of energy storage. The Citroën Survolt can manage 124 miles per charge, which can be performed in two hours with a specific charger or in 10 hours using a normal 220-volt outlet. Check out our image gallery below and hit the jump for a short video and the complete press release.

[Source: Citroën]

Continue reading Citroën Survolt takes to the track at Le Mans Classic [w/video]

Citroën Survolt takes to the track at Le Mans Classic [w/video]

It’s certainly possible. According to La Voz de Galicia, the French automaker is currently mulling the creation of a new sub-brand to break into the lower rungs of the inexpensive car market. Rather than go through the hassle of rustling up a whole new name, the company has looked to the past for inspiration. It came up with Talbot – a company that got its start early in the 20th century and puttered to a stop in 1986.

The name has a history of rising from the dead. In 1978, Peugeot pulled a similar stunt by bringing the Talbot name back from obscurity after Chrysler axed it a decade prior. During the revival, the brand mostly served as a dumping ground for former Chrysler Europe models. Needless to say, the resurrection didn’t last long.

But if our Google Translator is to be believed, the most recent zombification of the Talbot moniker will have more to do with funky little entry-level machines than any sort of rebadging exercise. La Voz de Galicia claims that the brand will likely start off with just two models based loosely on existing Peugeot models, which would be manufactured at the Citroën factory in Vigo.

Is it possible? Sure. But the rumors could just as easily be smoke and mirrors. Thanks for the tip, Lucian!

[Source: La Voz de Galicia]

Peugeot to resurrect Talbot brand as channel for cheap cars?

Up to this point, Nissan has relied on hybrid technology purchased and licensed from the undisputed leader in hybrid vehicles. That would be Toyota, naturally. But the two Japanese automakers will be moving in separate directions in short order as Nissan has developed its own hybrid powertrain technology, and unlike most other automakers, Nissan’s system will debut powering a rear-wheel-drive machine wearing the Infiniti badge.

And there’s apparently another way Nissan and Infiniti’s first in-house hybrid system will differ from Toyota’s full hybrid and Honda’s mild hybrid architecture. According to Reuters, Koichi Hayasaki, Nissan’s chief engineer of its rear-wheel-drive hybrid system maintains that “Typically, carmakers say the fuel economy improvement on their cars using a ’strong’ or ‘full’ hybrid system is roughly 30 percent, while for ‘mild’ hybrids, it’s 15 percent. We’re aiming for an improvement of 60 to 90 percent.”

Further, Nissan claims its hybrid system will use a single electric motor and twin clutches (instead of two electric motors as used by Toyota), a move that ought to help make the system simpler and lighter than its competitors. It will also use lithium ion batteries instead of cheaper but less energy dense nickel metal hydride cells. If Nissan can manage to hit all of its targets, we may be looking at a new hybrid standard bearer.

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Infiniti to double fuel mileage with next hybrid

Porsche’s integration into the Volkswagen Group has already and will undoubtedly continue to see increased cooperation between the allied German automakers in a number of arenas, from platforms and engines to production methods and technology. And let’s not forget personnel, as evidenced by the latest shift in top management announced by Porsche and Volkswagen.

Effective October 1, Porsche’s current chief executive Michael Macht will move to Volkswagen’s management board to oversee production for the entire group. In his place, Matthias Müller – pictured right, a 33-year veteran of the VW Group and currently head of product planning – will take the reins as chairman of Porsche’s board of management.

Volkswagen AG has also created a new board to supervise the company’s various commercial truck divisions, which will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, who currently holds the production portfolio that departing Porsche chairman Michael Macht will now be assuming. Got that all straight? You can read more in the press releases from both Volkswagen and Porsche after the jump.

[Sources: Porsche, Volkswagen]

Continue reading Meet the New Boss: Porsche, VW swap top execs in management reshuffle

Meet the New Boss: Porsche, VW swap top execs in management reshuffle

Late last year at the EICMA Show in Milan, BMW showed off a unique concept motorcycle powered by a six cylinder engine. At the time, the German company indicated that we could expect to see a production machine using a similar straight-six powerplant. Today, BMW has finally released a bunch of information on two upcoming production machines, which will be known as the K 1600 GT and GTL.

First and foremost, it’s the engine that most intrigues us about this luxury touring motorcycle. According to BMW, its 1649cc mill pushes out 160 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 129 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. Torque lovers needn’t be worried that the engine is too high strung either, with 70 percent of maximum twist available at just 1,500 revs. The big chunk of metal nestled within the K 1600’s frame rails will weigh 226 pounds and will be 22 inches across.

All kinds of electronics goodies will be available, as you would expect, including ride-by-wire throttle control with three modes: Rain, Road and Dynamic. There will also be traction control and ABS brakes, along with BMW’s impressive ESA II electronically adjustable suspension. Perhaps the coolest bit of tech, though, is the headlight. Allow us to explain.

BMW has created a new headlight that can actually level itself, regardless of how much load is on the bike (rider, passenger, luggage). This is a first in the motorcycle marketplace. There is also an optional system that can follow the road ahead, even when the bike is leaned over heavily in the corners.

As mentioned before, two models will be available sporting this powerplant and chassis. The first is the GT, which is a kind of heavyweight sport touring bike that comes with panniers but no top box. Think of the larger, more fully equipped GTL as a Honda Goldwing competitor, as it will feature supersized seating surfaces, a more relaxed riding position and a full set of luggage.

No official on-sale date has been announced, and neither has a price. That said, we expect the K 1600 to hit the market as a 2011 model for a price that will surely be over $20,000. See more details in the press release after the break.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW details K 1600 GT and GTL, introduces headlight that peeks around corners

BMW details K 1600 GT and GTL, introduces headlight that peeks around corners

Citroën has just introduced a new customer rally car for the FIA’s Group R3T class based on the DS3. The DS3 R3 will be available as either a turn-key racer or a do-it-yourself kit. Either way, power comes from a 210-horsepower high-pressure turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four driving through the six-speed semi-automatic sequential gearbox. Shifts are handled via carbon fiber paddles mounted on the back of the steering wheel.

The suspension has been developed to make it easily adaptable to different racing surfaces ranging from gravel to tarmac. Tubular wishbones are attached to a revised front subframe while the rear hubs are removable to allow for independent toe and camber adjustments. The bodyshell comes with a multi-point steel roll-cage already welded in, but buyers will have to supply seats, harnesses and fire suppression equipment. Citroën says it has accumulated over 6,000 miles of testing since last August.

The DS3 R3 will at the end of this year, but if you can’t swing one for your weekend racing sessions, you can at least check out the press release after the jump and the high-res images below.

[Source: Citroën]

Continue reading Citroën DS3 R3 ready for customer combat

Citroën DS3 R3 ready for customer combat

According to reports streaming out of Italy, KTM is set to debut new versions of its X-Bow sportscar. Good news indeed, as the last we heard the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer was putting the brakes on its four-wheeled endeavors in the wake of losses due to the economic downturn.

If you thought 0-60 in under four seconds was plenty quick… well, it is, but KTM will still be upping power from the standard car’s 237 horses to something over 300 for the new R model, which should put the X-Bow into the 3.0-second-flat range. With acceleration like that, the only things likely to beat you from stoplight to stoplight are on two wheels, and then only maybe.

If you don’t need such mind-bending forces on your body and would rather pamper your posterior a wee bit, KTM is also said to be working on a T model. We’d guess that moniker would stand for Touring, as the machine is said to be equipped with such niceties as an actual windshield. Time for a cross-country road-trip, no?

[Source: Autoblog.it via Motor Authority]

Report: KTM planning fresh X-Bow variants

Today’s vehicles are quieter than ever, and while that’s partially thanks to new computer modeling techniques, it also has plenty to do with repeated testing of each and every vehicle seal. For every door, hatch and window, some engineer has slaved tirelessly to make sure everything fits together just as it should. Ford has been kind enough to roll out a couple of videos showing that exact process on its forthcoming 2011 Explorer. The company uses some pretty high-tech equipment to take accurate measurements on panel gaps and detect potential air leak issues before the vehicle even goes through paint.

Watching the engineers play with their toys is entertaining and all, but we were most interested in what engineer Matt Machala had to say about just how much more stringent Ford’s standards have grown over the past three years. It may mean boatloads of extra work for the company’s employees, but from what we’ve seen of their product of late, there’s no denying the impact those hours have had on the company’s finished product. Hit the jump to see the videos for yourself. Hot tip, Sam!

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Video: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests

Video: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests

Citing “three people who know about the discussions,” BusinessWeek reports that General Motors is ruminating whether or not to build a high-zoot showroom in Manhattan to gain favor among “high-fashion New Yorkers, tourists and high-rolling investors.” The stated aim would be to raise awareness and cachet of the company’s four brands as the IPO machine moves to the next gear. And who knows, it might also increase the 9.6% market share that The General commands in the NY metro area.

The possible perception of such a move is said to give GM pause – if one Corvette can get the wolves a-howling, how much much more so a big-money show-off space in a big-money city? With an IPO planned by Q1 of 2011, GM could hardly get any bump from a Manhattan location even if it opened tomorrow. Hence, a more important consideration might be whether GM is ready to spend the long-term time and money to make such a showroom pay off, should it decide to build one. That would most certainly take years of New York minutes and Manhattan rents, and until GM was fully private again it would certainly take a beating on it.

[Source: BusinessWeek via GM Inside News]

Rumormill: GM considering flagship dealer in Mahattan to bolster IPO cause

When you’ve recorded as many platinum records, collaborated with as many big names and topped as many best-guitarists-of-all-time lists as Eric Clapton, you can get pretty much anything you want. And the ironically nicknamed Slowhand is known to have a taste for Ferraris. So much so that when he stopped by the factory in Maranello, even Ferrari couldn’t pass up the opportunity to interview him.

Neither could Quattroruote, for that matter. While speaking with the Italian car-mag, Clapton reportedly professed his love for the new 458 Italia… with just one caveat: He’s not such a fan of eight cylinders. Could he get it with V12?

According to Quattroruote, apparently he can, as Ferrari has reportedly agreed to build it for him, with the 6.0-liter V12 from the 599 GTB Fiorano. We’ll believe it when we see it, which is pretty much exactly what we said the first time we heard the guitar riff on Layla.

[Source: Quattroruote via autoblog.it]

Riding with the King: Clapton wants a Ferrari 458 Italia… with a V12

The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty may have made the world a better place, but the test ban in place in Formula One has had some other rather interesting effects. Take Jaime Alguersuari, for example, who was racing in actual grands prix before getting a chance to actually test out the machinery. Or Michael Schumacher, who had to sharpen his skills in a GP2 car before coming out of retirement. Or in this case, Fernando Alonso, who had never even lapped Ferrari’s iconic private Fiorano test track… until now.

Ferrari took advantage of a loophole in the regulations that allows teams to run their cars during the season for “promotional purposes.” So in order to test the revisions that the Scuderia made to its F10 racer in advance of this past weekend’s European Grand Prix, and allow their two-time world champion to get some track time at Fiorano, Ferrari had to release this clip. Follow the jump to watch the video from inside the cockpit, and consider the team suitably promoted.

[Source: Ferrari via Axis of Oversteer]

Continue reading Video: Fernando Alonso shows us how to get around Fiorano… and the test ban

Video: Fernando Alonso shows us how to get around Fiorano… and the test ban

Hyundai Motor America can officially stick another feather in its cap. The company has successfully managed to woo Mike O’Brien from the clutches of Toyota and back onto the Korean automaker’s team. O’Brien worked at Hyundai for a full 14 years as a product planner before jumping ship and heading over to Toyota as a corporate manager. Now he’s back, and will be filling the role of vice president of product and corporate planning under the Hyundai flag.

So what does that mean for future Hyundai products? Any hypotheses we throw out now would be little more than guesses, but according to the press release, O’Brien is a car guy first and foremost and spends his off-time buzzing around in a decommissioned French fighter jet. Here’s hoping some of that need for speed translates into a few more aggressive pieces of machinery from Hyundai. Clear the jump for the press release.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hyundai brings Toyota’s Michael O’Brien to head U.S. product planning

Hyundai brings Toyota’s Michael O’Brien to head U.S. product planning

Renault debuted its all new Wind coupe-convertible at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and now that summer is here, it’s time for it to hit the streets. At just over 12.5 feet long, the Wind’s closest competitor is likely to be the upcoming Mini Roadster and Coupe. Like so many other European automakers, Renault has gone with a hardtop, but not the type of complex, folding multi-piece unit found on so many others. Similar to the late Ferrari 575 SuperAmerica, the roof panel simply rotates back 180 degrees and stows flat under the rear deck.

The relatively simple top design allows the Wind to retain 9.5 cubic feet of trunk space, even with the top down. The only real downside is the huge sail panels that mean over-the-shoulder visibility looks to be all but non-existent.

The front wheels are spun by a choice of inline-four cylinder engines. The TCe 100 is a 1.15-liter turbocharged unit that delivers 100 horsepower and 112 pound-feet of torque while the 1.6-liter normally aspirated mill cranks out 133 hp and 118 lb-ft. The two powerplants (if that isn’t too strong a word in this case) deliver 37.3 and 33.6 miles per gallon (U.S.) respectively. With a mass under 2,500 pounds this could be a fun little machine regardless of the output.

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: 2011 Renault Wind convertible blows in

Pics Aplenty: 2011 Renault Wind convertible blows in

Obvious lengthy name jokes aside, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera is one heck of a performance machine. It’s all about saving weight when it comes to this car (”Superleggera,” after all, means “super light”), so it strikes us as something of a surprise to see this prototype of a Spyder version out testing on the Nürburgring.

Most noticeably, the hardtop Superleggera’s rear wing is gone, but the large front spoiler and rear diffuser make it clear that this Gallardo means business. Besides, Lamborghini has been known to keep weight under control with its Erector Set roof assemblies, so we’d expect the Superleggera Spyder to generate the same sort of super lightweight thrills with a whole lot more wind in your hair.

Expect to see the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera Spyder (now that’s a mouthful) at the Paris Motor Show later this year. For now, click through our gallery below for the full raft of high-res spy shots.

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera Spyder caught testing?

	Average American auto expenses: $5,477 (that’s more than food) What do you pay?		Report: Honda to offer Fit Hybrid for $16,570, let the price wars begin Reuters wonders if more competition will kill the hybrid market.
	UK Tesla superfan goes 772 miles from London to Lands End in a Roadster And GM thought the Ampera’s 170 miles was a big deal.	Other news: David Frum: Getting America off oil will require more than magic machines – think higher gas tax Coda tweaks exterior design of electric sedan 2011 Honda Accord ups the ante by increasing mpg rating to 23/34 city/highway

AutoblogGreen for 06.29.10

The crew from Crewe just spent some time exercising their newest machine in the mountains of Colorado and came back with a fresh batch of photos and video. Our driving impressions of the Bentley Continental Supersports convertible will be forthcoming, but in the meantime, take a few moments to enjoy the Supersports drop top racing along in the shadow of the Rockies.

Oddly, unlike the Supersports coupe, the convertible retains the rear seats to go along with the more powerful 621 horsepower twin-turbocharged W12. At 202 miles per hour, the Supersports convertible is claimed to be the world’s fastest four seat cabrio. Check out the gallery below and make the jump to see the Supersports in eerily quiet action.

[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: Bentley visits Colorado with the Supersports convertible [w/video]

Pics Aplenty: Bentley visits Colorado with the Supersports convertible [w/video]

Whoa. Color us shocked and awed if this rumor from The Telegraph is accurate. According to the UK paper, General Motors is set to make some drastic changes to the Chevrolet Volt’s European Opel Ampera 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.

[Source: The Telegraph]

Chevrolet Volt to be powered by engine at high speeds? Seems unlikely.

The first Barrett-Jackson Orange County auction is about wrapped up Costa Mesa, California today, and while the numbers might have been a bit lower than hoped-for this time around, there were still good prices for top-level machinery. Barrett-Jackson knows what it’s doing, and Orange County is definitely a car-lovers’ paradise, but there will surely be some doubters about this venue’s long-term viability.

Take a look at the attendance though – at the turnout of vendors and manufacturers, of bidders and gawkers – and you’ll see that the only thing lacking was an abundance of really high-quality offerings. For every numbers-matching LS6 ‘70 Chevelle SS convertible, there were ten daily-driver VW Beetles. The overall take was boosted by several charity lots, as is often seen at Barrett-Jackson events, but beyond that cluster of noteworthy vehicles, there wasn’t much for bidders to excited about.

There was a fringe benefit to this, however. It gave us a chance to wander around the grounds a bit more than usual. To that end, we’ve pulled 50 of our favorite photos from the hundreds we shot over the weekend and posted them in the wrap-up gallery below. Clicking through should give you a sense of what it was like to be at Barrett-Jackson’s OC event this weekend. You’ll find the good, the bad and the fugly in there, but each and every one of these cars sold, so who are we to judge?

Barrett-Jackson OC ‘10: Highlights and Lowlights

Is a “macho” minivan even possible? Toyota’s exploring the “Swagger Wagon” angle with the Sienna SE, and Dodge is apparently going to try and find out with a new variant of the Grand Caravan. Minivans are generally not aspirational vehicles; people buy them because they need the utility. Of course, that’s not a bad thing – people haulers were created for a reason.

However, Dodge is going to try and spread the appeal beyond kiddie-schlepping moms to attract more men into the fold. A “sportier-looking” front end paired with a black-and-grey interior doesn’t seem like it’d be enough to swing much of the male demographic. After all, how sporty can you make a big box without a total redesign?

The new model will reportedly draw from the Caravan R/T concept that was quietly displayed at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, and it could debut within a few months. The Chrysler minivans have a lot to offer in terms of packaging, but their interiors leave much to be desired. If Chrysler substantially upgrades the look and feel there, its vans could land a few body blows in the battle against the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. But adding a hood scoop and big wheels? Not the answer.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Report: Chrysler prepping manlier minivan