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The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is still proving that it can do whatever deed needs done, whenever it needs doing. Sue Mead and Darren Skilton managed to pilot a largely stock version of the desert-raiding pickup through all 12 stages of this year’s Dakar rally. The team survived 16 days of some of the most brutal terrain on the South American continent and covered over 11,800 miles in the process. Their effort was enough to net the Raptor a 40th place finish over all and a first place finish in the OP class.

In fact, from what we hear, Mead and Skilton were the only contestants to even finish in the OP class, even with big names like Robbie Gordon gunning for the win.

That marks the first time that an American crew has ever managed to take a class win in the history of the Dakar Rally. The F-150 SVT Raptor that Mead and Skilton campaigned boasted the same 5.4-liter V8 that it rolled off the production line with, though a larger cooling system was fitted to handle the harsh temperatures of the course. Likewise, the pickup was equipped with a host of other race-capable bits including a new locker system for the differentials, more robust shocks, springs and tires.

Overall, Volkswagen took the top three spots in the 2011 Dakar Rally. BMW filled out the remaining spots in the top five with its entries. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Journalist Sue Mead, racer Darren Skilton become first U.S. team to win a class in Dakar Rally

Journalist Sue Mead, racer Darren Skilton become first U.S. team to win a class in Dakar Rally

Whenever anyone brings up the Scirocco, we still can’t help but wince a bit at the fact that the United States was snubbed from the car’s second coming. Apparently we’re not alone. According to USA Today, Volkswagen America head honcho Jonathan Browning wouldn’t mind seeing the low-slung three-door on our shores, either. Browning said that while Volkswagen was unable to make a solid business case for bringing the Scirocco to the U.S. market the last time around, he still wants to see the car in our neck of the woods. Unfortunately, we may have to wait a few years before that happens.

Browning said that there were a few other more pressing items on his plate at the moment, including improving his company’s quality and making the dealer experience more tolerable. Those seem like plenty noble goals, but we still wouldn’t mind seeing the ‘Rocco on American soil sooner rather than later. While we love the Golf GTI as much as the next lead-footed American, there’s just something about a Scirocco that flips all the right switches.

We’re waiting, VW.

[Source: USA Today]

Volkswagen’s U.S. boss wants Scirocco in the States

You’ve seen the Toyota GRMN iQ Racing Concept (lucky you!), and now it’s time to divert your attention towards the rest of the Japanese automaker’s wares being shown off at the Tokyo Auto Salon.

First up is the Toyota Prius G Sports Concept, which features the kind of gaping maw only the Mama Cylon could love. Rounding out Toyota’s offerings is the TRD Auris GT Concept, which we think actually looks kinda nifty with its subdued body kit and blindingly bright yellow paint.

Lexus wasn’t left out of the proceedings either, and its machines are arguably more interesting than its mothership’s. There’s the F-Sport CT 200h (a future production model) taking center stage with its unique alloy wheels, body kit and Recaro seats, which is joined by the IS F Club Circuit Sports Racer and a set of Club Performance Accessories for the IS F that include front and rear spoilers and a carbon fiber hood.

Last but certainly not least is the Gazoo Racing Lexus LFA supercar that raced at last year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours race. See both sets of vehicular craziness in our high-res image galleries below, then check out all the details in the press releases after the break.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota and Lexus show off at Tokyo Auto Salon

Toyota and Lexus show off at Tokyo Auto Salon

Jim Glickenhaus and his team have given their stunning Ferrari P4/5 Competizione its first taste of track time with a short sprint around a closed course. According to Glickenhaus, the run went better than expected with the American-built Ferrari interpretation staying light on its feet and easy to fling. Despite testing on a relatively short track, Glickenhaus was able to ratchet the car up to third gear before having to call it quits.

As you may recall, the Ferrari P4/5 Competitizione is hewn from carbon fiber and borrows pieces from the similarly sinister Ferrari F430. The last time we saw the car, Glickenhaus and his team were putting the finishing touches on the vehicle for its first shake down.

The Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5 Competizione is set to wage war against the rest of the fighters at this year’s 24 Hours of Nurburgring. That means that this beast will square off against the likes of the Porsche 918 RSR and a host of other high-power creations. We can’t wait.

[Source: Facebook via Jalopnik]

James Glickenhaus’ P4/5 Competizione makes maiden track voyage

Every automaker wishes it had this problem: not enough supply to meet demand. The solution? Expand production, of course. That’s the situation Hyundai is reportedly facing, and the automaker says that if it’s going to build another plant, it should be right here in the United States.

Hyundai currently builds the Sonata and Elantra at its solitary American plant in Montgomery, Alabama. (The Santa Fe, meanwhile, is built at the Kia subsidiary facility in West Point, Georgia.) And with demand for its compelling lineup rapidly increasing in the United States – up nearly 25 percent in 2010 versus 2009 – the Korean automaker is seriously considering expanding its production capacity with another plant to meet growing demand.

Executives will reportedly evaluate the possibility next year after they observe whether the upward trend in demand will continue enough to warrant such an expansion.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Hyundai reportedly considering second U.S. plant to meet rising demand

	Toyota: $50,000 fuel cell sedan on track to launch in 2015 Or sooner.		China denies involvement in Renault EV spy case Over $841k found in secret bank accounts?
	Opel adds start-stop tech to Astra ecoFlex Fuel economy jumps to 50 mpg.	Other news: Los Angeles County MTA retires last diesel bus Electric Rolls-Royce limo in the works? Detroit 2011: Moto-Mundo duo loves traveling around the world in an electric Qashqai

AutoblogGreen for 01.17.11

SEMA may take the proverbial cake for the American tuner scene, but the Vegas expo isn’t the only tuner show in the world. And with the Tokyo Auto Salon currently underway, Toyota has a wide variety of cars on display under various labels and divisions.

The vehicle you see above is the GRMN iQ Racing Concept. Lest you think the four letters indicate some kind of special nav system, it stands for Gazoo Racing tuned by MN – the same outfit that prepared the Nürburgring 24-winning Lexus LFA racer.

Little in the way of details were released along with the solitary image other than to say that it’s based on a limited-edition model that’s already sold out, and fitted with a roll cage and supercharger. It’s one of seventeen vehicles prepared by the Toyota Motor Corporation and its subsidiaries for the show, including versions of the Prius, Vitz (aka Yaris), Auris, Corolla, Noah, FJ Cruiser, Ractis, Lexus CT and IS F and more, modified by Gazoo, Toyota Racing Development, G Sports and even the Fuji Speedway and a staff collective known as the Toyota Engineering Society. Read all about it in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota GRMN iQ Racing Concept headlines TMC’s Tokyo Auto Salon roster

Toyota GRMN iQ Racing Concept headlines TMC’s Tokyo Auto Salon roster

Some terms we use in the automotive lexicon are absolute. Others are relative. Take “subtle” for example. Most wouldn’t call painting a car bright red “subtle”, but when you compare it to the last rally-edition Skoda Fabia we reported on, that’s exactly what this is. Whereas the S2000 edition Fabia vRS sported full livery taken from the company’s IRC-winning S2000 Fabia, this one’s decidedly more low-key, but not without its dose of flair.

The Monte Carlo edition celebrates 100 years of the namesake rally – and 110 years of Skoda’s motorsport program – with a red and black paint scheme. While the body is painted bright red, everything else has been blacked out, from the roof to the 17″ alloys, including the mirror housings, grille and smoked headlamps. The red and black theme continues inside with either black or red and black seats, complemented by black roofliner, and color-keyed steering wheel, shifter and handbrake lever.

Based on the SE specification and available with a range of engines from 1.2 to 1.6 liters, the Fabia Monte Carlo will make its debut at the Monegasque rally later this month. Details after the jump with photos in the gallery below.

[Source: Skoda]

Continue reading Skoda rallies to the cause with Monte Carlo edition Fabia

Skoda rallies to the cause with Monte Carlo edition Fabia

More than any other, two carmaking giants sit at the top of the industry: Toyota and General Motors. But while GM sells under a (shrinking but still) expansive range of brands, the Toyota Motor Corporation sells most of its vehicles under its own name. That doesn’t mean that Toyota, however, doesn’t have its own portfolio of subsidiaries. Here in the United States we have the youth-oriented Scion division, while Lexus handles its upscale offerings, and overseas there’s Daihatsu.

The budget brand offers a range of small cars under its own name; most are hatchbacks, but there’s also the Copen roadster and even a rebadged Camry called the Altis. You may have come across some of their offerings while traveling overseas, particularly in Europe, but that last part is about to come to an end, according to reports.

Word from across the pond is that Toyota plans to withdraw Daihatsu from the European market altogether. The move would reportedly take effect in 2013, and if it comes to pass, would follow similar withdrawals from the North American (1992) and Australian (2006) markets. Thanks for the tip, William!

[Source: Autohaus]

Report: Daihatsu leaving European market

At $47,010 (including destination), the 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe isn’t exactly cheap. Still, Matthew Russell, BMW product and technology PR rep, says it’s “the most affordable M BMW has ever sold, adjusting for inflation, including the original E30 M3.” That car cost around $34,000 when it was introduced in 1988. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Russell is more than right: $34,000 in 1988 had the same buying power as $62,885 in 2010.

With rumors of BMW getting into front-wheel-drive cars, we asked Dr. Kay Segler, president of BMW M GmbH, if M could do a FWD car. Segler said, “I haven’t thought about that,” and went on to remark that he couldn’t see doing a sub-1-Series M car. Russell elaborated with, “There are rumors about what is coming, but those aren’t from us.” As to other rumors about whether the coupes will be limited or capped in number, we were told categorically, “No.” But that was amended with, “But they will be hard to get.”

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

Continue reading 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe the “most affordable” M product ever offered

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe the “most affordable” M product ever offered

Mini showed off the Paceman Concept at this year’s Detroit Auto Show and announced not long afterward that it would spawn a production model. Tom Salkowski, who recently moved from BMW USA to Mini USA to fill the role of marketing manager, will be the man charged with getting the word about about Mini’s eighth model and the ones beyond. Here’s what he had to tell us.

• The small car segment has erupted over the past couple of years and “Mini has prospered” even though it “faced significantly more competition.” But when asked what kind of head-to-head competitors the brand thinks it faces, Salkowski said “maybe Volkswagen, Mazda, Scion in the small-car segment,” with the caveat that since “Mini is very much a mindset, it’s different than other vehicles,” so “for the time being we don’t see anything.” Head of product management Oliver Friedmann confirmed the assessment with, “We don’t see any one-to-one competition, maybe the Evoque could be” for the Countryman.

• Salkowski offered his thoughts on the Fiat 500 with, “The 500 is a darling little car, but Mini is a premium brand.”

• On the discussion of roots and heritage at other emotional brands like BMW and Lotus, when asked how big the Mini brand and Mini cars could get and still be considered Minis, Friedmann said, “That’s what we try to find out at the moment. We just jumped over the four-meter line with the Countryman,” but reaction in the three months that the crossover has been on sale in Europe has been “very positive.”

• Nevertheless, it’s not about creating an acceptance of a Mini of any size. Friedman said, “The competitors for the Countryman are significantly larger. We will always stay the smallest in the segment.” But the number one rejection of Mini is due to size and space, so the company had to do something.

• Mini’s been known for its irreverent advertising, and it doesn’t sound like much will change under Salkowski, with a “bigger spend on television – you only get one chance to launch a car.” There will also be a huge billboard in Times Square, and a take-off on Mini’s original U.S. launch when they had a roving Ford Excursion driving around with a Mini on its roof. This time it will be a roving Countryman with a vintage Mini, Alec Issigonis’ original, on its roof.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

Mini: “The 500 is a darling little car… but we’re a premium brand”

The sun’s just coming up and the coffee isn’t quite done brewing, but you know what you have to do: grab the snow shovel and free your car from its soft, white prison. When finished, your automobile once again tastes freedom and you’ve built a nice little parking space. Rather than let someone else take advantage of your labor and lay claim it after you’ve driven away, you decide to set down a cone or lawn chair. This may seem like a simple token of ownership but it’s actually a shining beacon of “back-off” that’s communicated to other motorists. Try pulling this in the Darby Township section of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and it might cost you.

According to a city ordinance, offending space-savers may be fined up to $300. Another portion of the ordinance says that shovelers putting snow back onto plowed roads can be fined as well. So, shovel away, but remember: no calling dibs after the fact.

[Source: The Morning Call Image: Andrew Burton/Getty]

PA town fines drivers trying to save shoveled-out parking spots

Jon Sibal is a very talented artist, and he recently turned his virtual pen on the all-new 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe. This rendering is going to be more than just a desktop wallpaper and a dream, however, because a BMW tuning company in Chicago is going to build it.

IND Distribution is teaming up with Patrick BMW, Jon Sibal and a handful of other companies to make this 1M and its classic M livery a reality. The car will get the exterior upgrades and paintwork as well as a host of performance modifications to dial up the fun-meter. We can’t wait to see the completed project.
Thanks for the tip, Andy!

[Source: Jon Sibal via MotorWorldHype]

Jon Sibal’s BMW 1 M Coupe rendering to become real car

Toyota constantly preaches that safety is a top priority. To further back up those claims, the automaker has announced a new research program: The Collaborative Safety Research Center. Located at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the CSRC examines the science of safety with the goal of reducing the number of traffic fatalities and injuries on American roads. The best part about the program is related to the first word in its name – collaboration. Toyota isn’t keeping this data in-house, instead sharing it with top universities, hospitals, research institutions, federal agencies and other projects or groups whose goal is to make driving a safer experience.

Researchers from North America and Japan will work together at the Michigan location testing everything from driver-distraction to vehicle, passenger and pedestrian safety. Toyota estimates that it will spend $50 million on the CSRC over the course of the next five years. A full press release is posted after the jump.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota launches Collaborative Safety Research Center in Michigan

Toyota launches Collaborative Safety Research Center in Michigan

A federal jury has cleared Former Delphi CEO J.T. Battenberg of the most serious allegations levied against him by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC had charged both Battenberg and former Delphi accountant Paul Free with a variety of offenses, the most severe of which were fraud charges associated with misrepresenting a $237 million payment to General Motors. On Thursday, the jury cleared Battenberg of four of the most severe charges, but found him guilty of failing to maintain accurate books or records and misleading his accountants.

Meanwhile, the jury found that Free was guilty of violating rules associated with a smaller transaction that Delphi made with a bank.

The SEC had accused Battenberg of misreporting the payment to General Motors in order to make the company’s bottom line appear stronger to investors than it actually was. The move was believed to have been made to secure larger bonuses for the CEO and other executives.

[Source: Reuters]

Follow-up: Ex-Delphi CEO cleared of fraud, convicted of lesser charges

Don’t get us wrong; we really and truly enjoy ourselves some Jeremy Clarkson every now and again, just so long as it’s in measured doses, of course. But to consider the top bloke at Top Gear as a role model for boys? Now, that there might just be a bridge too far.

All the same, a new poll administered by Disney XD asked 601 male children in the UK between the ages of eight and 14, and the results suggest that the litl’uns chose Clarkson as their second favorite role model, behind only football superstar David Beckham. *Sigh.*

Also placing highly in the minds of young British boys was another footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alan Sugar (self-made billionaire and host of the UK version of The Apprentice) and Daniel Radcliffe (star of the Harry Potter movies). Bill Gates, Simon Cowell, Barack Obama, Justin Bieber and Roger Federer rounded out the list.

Can we all just agree that one Jeremy Clarkson is all the world is capable of handling? And really… wouldn’t you just rather be The Stig?

[Source: Metro.co.uk Image: AFP/Getty]

Poll: Jeremy Clarkson best role model for boys, second only to David Beckham

The industrial espionage case involving three top Renault execs and electric vehicle secrets (and maybe China) continues, as the French carmaker has officially filed an accusation against a foreign private company. The company involved was not made public, but the filing does not cite a foreign power, according to Jean-Claude Marin, a Paris prosecutor, in Reuters. In fact, the French government began stepping away from rumors that China is involved with this industrial espionage case. Even still, a member of the conservative UMP party told France-Info radio that, “There are in effect several sources that are typically thought to be serious who consider that a Chinese buyer is in fact behind this operation.” That buyer might be a Chinese power company, which French newspaper Le Figaro reported laundered at least 630,000 Euros (around $841,800 U.S.) into bank accounts in Switzerland and Liechtenstein opened by the executives. For its part, China has denied any involvement.

Prosecutor Marin must now make a decision to either oversee his own investigation or to open a judicial inquiry that will go before an independent magistrate. The French intelligence service, Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur (DCRI), has also been looking into the case.

We still don’t know the details of what was allegedly stolen, but Renault Chief Operating Officer Patrick Pelata tells Reuters that the company’s key technology for electric vehicles is still safe. Nissan executive Carlos Tavares said he “completely trusts” Renault in handling the matter. The Renault-Nissan alliance has invested 4 billion euros ($5.17 billion) in electric vehicles.

The three senior Renault executives who have been suspended are denying their guilt. A lawyer for the highest-ranking of the three defendants notes, “He’s shocked by it, let’s be clear about it… He’s going to clear his name.” Another described his suspension as Kafkaesque, and that the men are reportedly still trying to figure out what they are being accused of. So are we.

[Sources: Reuters, Independent, Economic Times, The Wall Street Journal, Plug In Cars]

China denies involvement in Renault EV spy case; over $841k found in secret bank accounts?

At CES, OnStar introduced an aftermarket rearview mirror that could widen the company’s reach to 55 million cars, including Ford, Honda and Nissan models. Now that it’s made the move out of General Motors vehicles, we grabbed a moment with Greg Ross, OnStar’s vice president of business extensions, and Vijay Iyer, the firm’s director of corporate communications, at the Detroit Auto Show to see what other ideas are in play for the service.

• “The brand is well known for safety and security, so we’re looking for other ways to apply that,” Ross said. Personal security and fall detection, such as a device for seniors, are possibilities being looked at. “It could be a safety button or similar device that knows if you’ve fallen down.”
• OnStar already has a tie to personal safety: as part of a pilot program, it provides crash data to the CDC and the University of Michigan that they can match accident data with medical data. After a crash, “they get a body – they know what a person looks like but they don’t what happened. We add data from the accident so they can piece together the nature of the injuries, such as determining if there could be internal bleeding. It can also help us design safer vehicles, and one of the benefits is that it has given us higher priority access to 9-1-1 since the emergency personnel can be sure of what’s happened.”
• On the subject of getting OnStar better and more aspirational brand awareness, Ross emphasized that OnStar is already one of the most important features for GM buyers. “We have six million customers in the U.S., Canada and China and 50 percent keep the system when the trial period ends. And OnStar wasn’t the feature dropped in the recession.”
• Unlike Ford’s SYNC, even though OnStar has features like Facebook integration and Bluetooth based text-to-voice, it doesn’t have voice-activated control of its media features. When asked when that might come, Iyer would only say “The infotainment system will grow.” Ross said, “All manufacturers can catch up with raw features, they’ve become commodities. Trying to figure out the human interface in a manageable way is a big thing, versus rushing things out.”
• Ross, however, feels that OnStar is fundamentally ahead of the competition because of its integration – the OnStar unit doesn’t rely on communicate through your mobile phone, it is a dedicated communication device with its own phone number. “Devices want to be smart, they want to communicate. But the ability to remotely interact with the car is only possible with embedded technology, and we have that.”

The future of GM’s OnStar could be “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”

If you sit down and think about it, the notion of making a left turn across oncoming traffic at a stoplight is pretty absurd. All that stands between you and certain oblivion is the hope that other drivers headed your direction are obeying the speed limit and paying enough attention to notice when the light turns red.

Traffic engineers have known for years that hanging a left increases the likelihood of an accident and wastes fuel. The minds at UPS have even gone so far as to design their delivery routes with fewer left turns, and transportation departments all over the country have adopted so-called “superstreets” that force drivers to make a right and then a U-turn in order to go left or straight.

Sound absurd? Think again. According to Smithsonian Magazine, researchers at North Carolina State University have found that the superstreet design is more efficient and safer than allowing drivers to turn across traffic. After examining data from 13 superstreet intersections and comparing them to their traditional counterparts, researchers found that, on average, the superstreets delivered a 20-percent decrease in travel time and caused 46 percent fewer reported traffic collisions. More importantly, the superstreet design caused 63-percent fewer accidents that resulted in personal injury.

There’s some food for thought the next time you’re hanging a left.

[Source: Smithsonian Magazine Image: North Carolina Department of Transportation]

Should left turns be illegal?

The Dodge Viper has always been an impressive looking vehicle, but its muscled lines haven’t ever been what we’d call feminine. That may change with the next-generation version of the Snake. Ralph Gilles, head of Chrysler design and the Dodge brand, says that the look of the next Dodge Viper will be inspired by “a naked woman on the beach.”

Sorry, but we’re having a hard time coming up with a witty quip after that one (well, other than the one in the headline).

Gilles made the announcement while speaking with reporters at the Automotive News World Conference, and while the revelation about the vehicle’s design inspiration was a big highlight, he also announced that the next Viper would take dead aim at stealing buyers away from both the Porsche brand and the Chevrolet Corvette. That’s especially true when it comes to the crowd of younger buyers – guys and girls under 45.

The next-generation Viper is set to debut in 2013, and while that gives Dodge plenty of time to get the car right, we don’t expect either Porsche or Chevrolet to sit back and allow the Viper to play catch up. Suddenly we’re very excited to see what the sports car world looks like in two years.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Gilles: Next Dodge Viper inspired by a “naked woman on the beach.” Aren’t we all?