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Linsanity’s next stop could be your local neighborhood Volvo dealer. If you live in China, that is.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Jeremy Lin, the sophomore NBA sensation is in talks with the Chinese-owned carmaker about signing up to endorse the brand overseas. Lin, the bilingual point guard from Harvard, has entered the NBA limelight this season while playing for the New York Knicks.

According to Bloomberg, Lin is the first American of Chinese descent to play in the NBA. Former NBA All-Star Yao Ming, a Chinese national, remains one of the most popular celebrities in China after his retirement from pro basketball last summer. Tapping into the NBA’s growing popularity in China could help boost Volvo, which is not as well known as more established luxury brands like Audi or Buick.

For Lin, capitalizing on his nascent success with Volvo would have to be seen as a positive move, given the fickle world of sports endorsements. As talented as Lin is, the annals of the NBA are littered with flash-in-the-pan guys who had but 15 minutes of fame before fouling out of celebrity life forever.

NBA sensation Jeremy Lin talking to Volvo about sponsorship deal

Ford is turning to prime-time TV to introduce the 2013 Escape. The vehicle will be front and center in “Escape Routes,” a new NBC reality show that pits six teams of two against one another in a road-trip competition with layovers in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami and San Francisco. Viewers, meanwhile, can interact with the show’s contestants and participate via EscapeRoutes.com. Ford says the online community will even have a chance to impact the final outcome of the game, though it’s unclear exactly how.

Currently, NBC and Ford have chosen five teams for the competition, and four more duos are currently duking it out for the last spot. According to the automaker, the team that takes home the gold in the final competition will win $100,000 and two Ford Escape models. “Escape Routes” is set to air for six episodes on Saturday nights at 8 pm EST, starting on March 31. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Ford teams up with NBC for Escape-based reality TV show

Ford teams up with NBC for Escape-based reality TV show

The buzz around the 2013 Lincoln MKZ has centered around two questions: what will it look like and what will its retractable roof look like. Even though its expected unveiling at the New York Auto Show is a few weeks away, we still have little info on its looks, although the Detroit concept clearly telegraphed what we should expect. We have got our first impression of how the sliding roof looks in action, though.

It’s been compared to the sliding roof on the Porsche 911 Targa (and we hear that Lincoln is using the same supplier, Webasto), but whereas the Porsche’s roof panel slides underneath the rear glass, the MKZ has external tracks along the roofline that enable its glass toupee to rise and slide aft.

Our spy photogs say that although this roof is only retracted to a halfway position (probably due to the opaque camo that would eliminate all rear vision on the prototype), the real deal will slide all the way back.

Another rumor suggests there may be a system to create engine sounds through the car’s speakers for a livelier cabin atmosphere.

Lincoln MKZ’s retractable roof caught in action

In a lineup packed with new and/or freshly styled vehicles, Hyundai’s two larger crossovers, the Santa Fe and its all-but-forgotten three-row counterpart, the Veracruz, still wear the automaker’s last-generation styling language. That will be addressed (in part, at least) at next month’s New York Auto Show when Hyundai unveils the 2013 Santa Fe.

To get people talking, Hyundai published two renderings of its new CUV this evening via its Twitter feed. Predictably, the 2013 Santa Fe gets sharper lines that are much more in keeping with the rest of the model lineup, and the new face validates a spy photo that hit the web back in January.

Hyundai calls the crossover’s fresh styling language “Storm Edge,” saying it’s an evolution of the “Fluidic Sculpture” theme it’s been using the last few years.

Based on the the profile shot, which shows a very small window aft of the rear doors, it appears that the Santa Fe will, for the time being, continue to be a two-row crossover (its optional third row was canned after the 2009 model year) that’s designed to battle the likes of the Nissan Murano, Ford Edge, and Toyota Venza.

Whether Hyundai will also use the occasion to formally confirm the rumored long-wheelbase, three-row variant to replace the Veracruz remains to be seen. It’s clear the automaker knows that it’s hurting in that department.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe previewed on Twitter ahead of NY reveal

Nissan has given the world another glimpse of the upcoming 2013 Altima in the form of the video after the jump. While we’ve already seen a quick glimpse of a test vehicle thanks to a previous clip and an overhead shot via the very first official teaser, the newest video gives us our best look yet at the front fascia and headlight array. Judging by the quick peek, the 2013 Altima will rock a much more stylized front end than in the past, complete with design elements borrowed from the likes of the Maxima and 370Z.

Word has it Nissan will also make use of the same character line we’ve seen on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Look for the next-generation Altima to debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show next month. In the meantime, see below for the newest, albeit brief, teaser.

Continue reading Nissan teases new Altima’s headlight and grille

Nissan teases new Altima’s headlight and grille

With all the exciting news coming out of Geneva, you’ll have to excuse us for snickering just a little bit when we saw this press release. Yes, the Venza is as deserving of a mid-cycle refresh as any other vehicle, though it appears from this teaser that whatever tinkering Toyota has done will prove itself superficial at best.

As is typical these days, this crossover-ized Camry is getting some revised front and rear lighting, and what we would guess will be minor modifications to the front fascia. We can see from the picture that the grille looks to be a bit smaller and those are surely LED’s in the new headlights.

New 19-inch wheels and three new colors are probably going to matter less to buyers than the fact that “value has been enhanced” by making more features standard. This might help address our biggest complaint when we test drove the Venza back in 2009 – that’s it’s just too darn expensive for what you get.

Click past the jump to read the full press release, and stay tuned for our New York Auto Show coverage.

Continue reading Toyota teases 2013 Venza, set for debut in New York

Toyota teases 2013 Venza, set for debut in New York

Try this one on for size: BMW already dropped the full details on both the new M6 coupe and convertible, but only the hardtop makes its debut here at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. We’ll have to wait until the New York expo in April to see the convertible, though oddly, the droptop M6 is the one that will go on sale in the United States first. Alright then.

Regardless of what car launches when, the M6 will no doubt pack a potent punch when it finally hits the street. Powered by BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8, the big coupe (and convertible) will have a whopping 560 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque on tap, all of which is sent to the rear wheels via the M division’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. That means the M6 Coupe will run to 62 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds with the convertible only lagging behind by a tenth of a second. And while the 2012 M5 will be offered in the U.S. with a proper six-speed manual transmission, there’s no word on a row-your-own gearbox for the M6, though our sources have said that it’s under consideration (of course).

There’s no mention of curb weight for either car, but rest assured, the new M6 has surely shed some pounds versus the less-powerful (and decidedly uglier) E63 model. M-specific 19-inch wheels wrapped in high-performance summer tires come as standard rolling stock, but to better fill out those big wheel wells (and offer better grip on the road), a set of lightweight 20s will be available as an option.

So, it’ll be another month before we see the droptop M6, even though it’ll officially go on sale this summer as a 2012 model. As for the coupe, we won’t see that until later in 2012 badged as a 2013 model. Click through our live gallery to see the new M hotness live from Geneva, and follow the jump for all of the nitty-gritty details in BMW’s press blast.

Continue reading 2013 BMW M6 brings big power to a big coupe

2013 BMW M6 brings big power to a big coupe

Though the Geneva Motor Show doesn’t open until tomorrow morning, automakers have thrown the doors open on their own evening events in order to get a captive audience away from the show. We’ve just returned from the bright lights of Mercedes-Benz and its new A-Class reveal, and we have to say, it looks far more enticing than spy shots had led to us to believe.

Displayed in a trio of uplevel trims, we were particularly taken with the bold surfacing on the car’s two-box profile, as well as the unique and premium-looking “diamond” grille treatments derived from last year’s more radical New York Auto Show concept car. Even the interiors come off as upscale, with convincing carbon fiber-look dashboard treatments and round HVAC vents that riff on those of the SLS AMG gullwing.

Simply put, the loaded interiors we saw put even the updated C-Class cabins to utter shame, and they shade those of the current Audi A3 (a new one is being introduced here in Geneva), Volvo C30 and anything in the Mini portfolio. They even seem to be surprisingly roomy – we observed a journalist who had to be six-foot, six-inches find a comfortable seating position without issue. Said scribe had also driven to the show in a new M-Class and proclaimed the materials in the new A-Class to be “not that far off.”

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches new level of refinement for its class [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches new level of refinement for its class [w/video]

With the New York Auto Show one month away, ’tis the season to tease the next big thing. For Nissan, that “big thing” is the 2013 Altima. The Altima is by far Nissan’s best selling vehicle here in the U.S., and the long-running sedan is in dire need for a fresh new face.

To tease the Altima, the creative types at Nissan decided to eschew the darkened or obscured photograph in favor of, well, a darkened and obscured video. Oh, and the video last all of eight seconds, and four of those ticks are reserved for the Nissan logo. The brief glimpse reveals a sky shot of the Altima that shows off some elegant curves and pronounced headlight fixtures.

The YouTube description adds that the new sedan boasts “a low, wide stance and sculpted profile that makes for quite a dynamic appearance.” That’s not a lot to go on, but Nissan hopes you’ll hit the jump and watch the video anyway.

Continue reading Nissan teases Altima ahead of New York debut

Nissan teases Altima ahead of New York debut

The Enclave has been a big breadwinner in the Buick lineup for over five years, with annual sales that have hovered around 50,000 units, and this past year has seen its best numbers yet. Not bad for a crossover that can crest $50,000 with the right options checked, and even better for a vehicle that has seen virtually nothing in the way of engineering or design updates.

That changes for the 2013 model year, as Buick will finally give their range-topper some refreshed duds. The Enclave will be shown for the first time at the New York Auto Show on April 4, and we now have the first official sneak peak of the updated interior. There isn’t much to glean from the photo, except for the expected infotainment update and some cool-looking ambient lighting.

We’ll probably have to wait until New York for more pics of the Enclave, but for now you can click on the image above to see the pic in higher resolution. Hit the jump for a very short General Motors press release.

Continue reading Buick teases 2013 Enclave ahead of debut in New York

Buick teases 2013 Enclave ahead of debut in New York

About 100 children and over 200 adults die every year because drivers accidentally back over them. It’s a sad statistic that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration feels can be prevented if all new vehicles come standard with backup cameras.

The New York Times reports that NHTSA plans to announce this week that rearview cameras will be mandatory on all vehicles by 2014. The compulsory cameras and interface for viewing what the camera sees is estimated to set new car buyers back an additional $160 to $200, but the government feels the cost is worth it if it prevents some of the 17,000 Americans that are harmed in backup accidents every year.

Clarence Ditlow, director for the Washington-based Center for Auto Safety, tells The New York Times that while the government acknowledges that in terms of pure numbers, the cost of the program is high and the amount of lives saved is small compared to some other safety implementations. But those numbers look a lot more doable when considering how devastating roll-over deaths are to families. “When you have a parent that kills a child in an incident that’s utterly avoidable, they don’t ever forget it.”

What do you think, should rearview cameras become legally required? Have your say in Comments.

UPDATE: Ward’s Auto reports NHTSA has delayed submitting its recommendation to Congress, likely to hold more discussions to hear and address concerns from the auto industry.

NHTSA ready to submit rearview camera mandate to Congress [UPDATE]

We have to ask the question above because, in all honesty, we don’t know for sure if these are images of the 2013 SRT Viper, specifically its new nose and hood. Sent to Autoblog by an anonymous tipster, the images appear to be of a mold of some sort, possibly used to make the tooling for the engine cover, fenders and front end of the new Viper.

Based on recent spy shots, as well as the slip by Hot Wheels, these images could be the real deal. Two things make us think that. The first are those three vents in the hood: the central NACA duct and a pair of large air outlets behind it. We can see them on the spy shots in the gallery below and they’re present in these images, as well. The second is the lower grille. Our recent spy shots indicate that the familiar Dodge cross-hairs are being replaced by two vertical bars in a slight ‘V’ shape that bisect a pair of horizontal lines. That matches to a tee the mold we see in the above gallery.

We won’t venture any further speculation since it’s entirely possible these images aren’t of what we think they are. We’ll know for sure when the real deal debuts at the New York Auto Show in early April, or maybe sooner if things progress as they have been.

Is this the 2013 SRT Viper’s new nose and hood?

The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder will be making its debut at April’s New York Auto Show, but before that it’s got to prove itself on the other side of the country. Nissan engineers are flogging the unibody crossover in the climatological extremes of The Great Northwest to make sure it does as well with owners as it does on the comfy confines of the show circuit.

The engineers don’t give away anything we didn’t already know about it or its roomier, more accessible interior. But along with the rolling footage we do get a few quick shots of the versatile interior and that third-row access even with a baby-seat installed. It’s all in the video after the jump.

Continue reading 2013 Nissan Pathfinder shown in motion

2013 Nissan Pathfinder shown in motion

Get ready, middle school art teachers – your new car is almost here. Following the launch of the re-skinned 2012 Beetle (and its oil-burning TDI kin), Volkswagen is hard at work prepping the new droptop variant, seen here testing in a not-so-convertible-friendly environment.

The signature styling difference that separates the 2012 Beetle from the Bug that came before it is indeed the longer, flatter roofline, and it’s interesting to see how well the shape has been kept intact during the transformation from hardtop to droptop. This test mule is fitted with the front and rear fascias of the last-generation car, but make no mistake, the decidedly more masculine fore and aft lighting treatments will indeed carry over to the new convertible.

Much like the coupe, we can expect the Beetle Convertible to be available with Volkswagen’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine as standard kit. There’s no word about whether or not the 2.0-liter turbo-four will make its way under the hood of the new convertible, but what really piques our interest is that Volkswagen sources have pretty much confirmed that the topless Beetle will be available with the 2.0-liter TDI unit, making it the first (and currently, only) diesel droptop in the United States. Expect to see the production car debut at the New York Auto Show this April.

2013 VW Beetle Convertible spotted buttoned up for winter

Dodge, or rather SRT (we’re still getting used to it being its own brand), has been busy teasing us with the new Viper that will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely done flaunting the performance capabilities of the old model. Only a few short months ago, SRT released a video of the Viper ACR reclaiming the lap record at the Nürburgring for a production car with a time of 7:12.13, taking the title away from the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition.

Now the Viper Club of America has released a new video of the race-only Viper ACR-X tackling the Green Hell, and the result is even more impressive. The V10-powered spec racer lapped the circuit in just 7:03.058, more than nine seconds quicker than its roadgoing brother. It makes us wonder when we’ll start seeing six-minute lap times at the Nürburgring.

You can see a video of the impressive lap after the jump, including real-time stats like g-force and downforce included in the footage.

Continue reading SRT’s race-only Viper ACR-X laps Nürburgring in 7:03.058

SRT’s race-only Viper ACR-X laps Nürburgring in 7:03.058

It’s What’s Inside That Counts

Long before we saw the Hyundai Genesis Coupe in the flesh, word of the vehicle’s arrival flittered around the web with tantalizing persistence. Few rumors manage to get the enthusiast world licking its chops quite as well as one with a potent V6 in the nose of a rear-wheel-drive two-door. Editors began salivating at the thought of a performance coupe renaissance, complete with all of the associated front-page comparos, while forums lit up with threads detailing hypothetical grudge matches between the would-be Korean prize fighter and hardware from the Nissan 370Z to the then-upcoming Chevrolet Camaro V6. Hyundai had clearly rustled up some snakes.

Then the Genesis Coupe debuted, and while ingredients like available Brembo brakes and a limited-slip rear differential pointed to the possibility of a genuine contender, it’s fair to say the coupe never really became a top-flight prospect for many enthusiasts. A vague gearbox and similarly detached brakes sapped precision from the platform, consigning it to a mid-pack finish in our three-way Battle of the Sixes comparison test back in 2010.

None of this is news to Hyundai. The company began planning ways to sharpen its first genuine sports car nearly as soon as the vehicle debuted at the 2008 New York Auto Show. For 2013, the two-door receives a dose of the automaker’s patented love-it-or-hate-it styling as well as a host of mechanical improvements tucked behind the polarizing aesthetics. Are the changes enough to give the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe the fangs it needs to thrive in the cutthroat performance coupe world?

Continue reading 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe [w/video]

2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe [w/video]

SRT, the recently formed standalone brand of Chrysler, is determined to reveal the new 2013 Viper nice and slow. After releasing the first teaser image last month and offering a first look at the new ‘Stryker’ Viper logo, SRT has just posted a second teaser image of the 2013 Viper on their official Facebook page. While this second photo is much more clear than the first, what exactly is shown in the image is up to debate. Yes, it looks to be a carbon fiber scoop, but what kind?

While we may not know exactly what’s in the second Viper teaser, here’s what we do know about SRT’s next gen flagship: Traction control will be used for the first time in the model’s history as mandated by federal law, and while the 2013 Viper’s powertrain is still unconfirmed, there are rumors that the V10 could get a bump in displacement to an incredible 8.7 liters.

We’ll have all the details and photos when the 2013 SRT Viper is revealed during April’s New York Auto Show. Until then we’re sure that SRT will have more teasers, which we’ll be sure to pass along. If you think you know what’s being shown in this latest image then let us know in the comments section below.

SRT releases mysterious second teaser for next gen Viper

We’ve reported plenty on items we’d like to place in our automotive-themed dream house, from engine-block coffee tables and Pininfarina desks to Aston Martin loveseats and Porsche sofas – but most of them are for the living room. We’d be remised, however, to forget the one part of the house where the fascination all began: our childhood bedroom.

We all had the posters up on the walls, the models on the shelves and maybe the sheets on the bed, but the luckiest kids among us had beds shaped like cars, similar – but probably not as awesome – as this latest release from toy company Step2. Released this week at the New York Toy Fair, it isn’t just a bed: it’s a whole bedroom set, all modeled on the Chevrolet Corvette Z06.

The set includes a $229 bed capable of holding a toddler’s mattress but expandable to accommodate a twin (extending its usability from ages 2 to 10) with optional working headlights, a $110 dresser that looks like dad’s tool box, a $65 storage chest and a $40 wheeled storage box to make clean-up time quick. It’s all made of molded plastic from one of the biggest in the business, and is sure to make for some very sweet dreams indeed.

If NASCAR is more to your kid’s speed, Step2 has got a stock-car bedroom available too, but it’s the Vette set that has us (a) wishing we were little again, and (b) second-guessing the grown-up’s bed we just ordered for ourselves.

Corvette Z06 bed upgrades your childhood

We’ve reported plenty on items we’d like to place in our automotive-themed dream house, from engine-block coffee tables and Pininfarina desks to Aston Martin loveseats and Porsche sofas – but most of them are for the living room. We’d be remised, however, to forget the one part of the house where the fascination all began: our childhood bedroom.

We all had the posters up on the walls, the models on the shelves and maybe the sheets on the bed, but the luckiest kids among us had beds shaped like cars, similar – but probably not as awesome – as this latest release from toy company Step2. Released this week at the New York Toy Fair, it isn’t just a bed: it’s a whole bedroom set, all modeled on the Chevrolet Corvette Z06.

The set includes a $229 bed capable of holding a toddler’s mattress but expandable to accommodate a twin (extending its usability from ages 2 to 10) with optional working headlights, a $110 dresser that looks like dad’s tool box, a $65 storage chest and a $40 wheeled storage box to make clean-up time quick. It’s all made of molded plastic from one of the biggest in the business, and is sure to make for some very sweet dreams indeed.

If NASCAR is more to your kid’s speed, Step2 has got a stock-car bedroom available too, but it’s the Vette set that has us (a) wishing we were little again, and (b) second-guessing the grown-up’s bed we just ordered for ourselves.

Corvette Z06 bed upgrades your childood

BMW has announced a whole slew of products it intends to showcase at the rapidly approaching Geneva Motor Show, with the biggest reveal being the first public showing of the five-passenger 6 Series Gran Coupe.

But that’s just the tip of the Bavarian iceberg. Another highly anticipated machine, the BMW M6 Coupe, will make its world debut in Geneva before going on sale in the U.S. in the late summer as a 2013 model. The M6 Convertible, which is a big seller for BMW in the States, will debut in April at the 2012 New York Auto Show and will go on sale shortly thereafter.

Also on hand will be the BMW M550d xDrive, M550d xDrive Touring, X5 M50d and X6 M50d. Together, these four diesel-powered machines launch BMW’s line of M Performance automobiles (not to be confused with M-badged models like the M3 and M5). Sadly, these oil-burners are not headed Stateside.

Naturally, the brand new 2012 BMW 3 Series will be on display, with Europeans getting their first look at some of the new diesel engine offerings. Those of us in the U.S. will be more interested in the 3 Series with the M Sport Package that will go on sale in August and the 3 Series ActiveHybrid that will hit the market in September.

Geneva showgoers will get to see the refreshed 2013 BMW X6 ahead of its entrance into the U.S. market in the spring, plus the electrified i3 and plug-in hybrid i8. And finally, BMW will unveil a new line of M Performance Parts and official accessories for the new 3 Series. On the M Performance front, those new additions will include blacked-out kidney grilles, exhaust systems, carbon fiber front splitters and M-branded steering wheels.

We know that’s a lot to digest, so we won’t mind at all if you want to click past the break for the complete press release. But first, be sure to check out the high-res image gallery of M Performance Parts above.

Continue reading BMW to unveil 6 Series Gran Coupe, M Performance Parts at Geneva

BMW to unveil 6 Series Gran Coupe, M Performance Parts at Geneva