General Motors has announced its final factory investment, a $275 million spend on the Fort Wayne, IN, plant that assembles full-size pickups.
Back in May, the General promised it would be spending $2 billion on factory investments over the next year and a half. A series of announcements followed, with upgrades promised to the in Bowling Green, KY, in Flint and Bay City, MI, and a , among others. Most of GM’s money will be saying close to home in the Midwest, with over $1.4 billion spent in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
Today’s announcement follows a previous earmark for production of the next-generation and pickups. GM had already confirmed . Previous reports have indicated that .
We know, we know… you miss Top Gear. We do, too. But there won’t be another new episode until December, and the new season isn’t expected to start until January. So what are we to do in the meantime? Well, we could watch re-runs, but we’ve seen ‘em all. We could watch the American version – and many of us do – but, you know – it’s still not the same. Neither is Fifth Gear, for that matter. Fortunately the sun never sets on the Top Gear empire, and today there are different series set up in locations around the world.
As far as we can tell, in addition to the original on the BBC and the History Channel version we get here, there are also series in Russia, China, Germany and Korea. There was also an Australian series, but it was , meaning we have no other series available to us in English.
But does that mean we can’t enjoy them? Well, maybe, but , for example, isn’t half bad – whether you understand Korean or not. The cinematography and production quality strike us as better than most of the spin-offs, if not quite as good as the original. But don’t take our word for it: we’ve placed a few segments for your viewing pleasure. Like what you see? There’s plenty more where that came from – just head on over to .
Typically, when releases a new , it launches it in coupe form first. (In fact, sales of the M3 sedan have, in North America at least, slowed to such an extent that BMW NA was to stop bringing it here altogether.) But not the new model – according to the latest intel, the next-gen M3 will arrive in four-door guise first.
Sources indicate a couple of reasons for that: First, the new (pictured above in M Sport guise) on which it’ll be based has so far has only come out in sedan form. Second, because the next-gen M3 is anticipated to lose some of its edge. Which would be a shame, but there’s a far more straightforward reason than either of those two: there will be no coupe or convertible M3 from here on out.
Well, sorta. There will be, only it won’t be called the M3. It’ll probably be called the M4, since BMW is said to be spinning the two-door version of the 3 Series off into a 4 Series – more closely mirroring the sedan and its coupe/convertible counterpart, the . Since BMW has yet to unveil the 4 Series, we’re likely to be looking at an M3 sedan first.
We expect it’ll have a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine in place of the outgoing model’s naturally aspirated V8, but the jury’s still out on whether those pistons will be arranged in a V or a straight line.
Light Weight, Rear-Wheel Drive And Instant Torque Bubble Up
There are two simple truths about the that should help this funky little electric car sell well in the U.S. once it goes on sale later this year. First, it looks like absolutely nothing else on the road today. Second, the car is much more fun than its jellybean shape implies.
The North American-spec i does share its look with versions on sale in Japan and Europe, but this EV is a different beast compared to those models. It’s also completely different from the gas-powered kei-car sold only in Mitsubishi’s home market, which was named the Japan Car of the Year by the Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference in 2007. It’s also completely different from the Japan or Euro-spec electric i-MiEVs (which are also slightly different from each other) that Mitsubishi has been showing off in the U.S. for the past few years. We’ve had a chance to drive these other models, and you can read our thoughts on the foreign i-MiEV and . At this point, though, it’s best not to bother – this i is something new.
That’s part of the idea, since the i is meant to be distinctive. Love it or hate it, Mitsubishi thinks that this is what electric car buyers want: an electric vehicle that looks like an electric vehicle, even if it comes from gas roots.
Chevy Camaro ZL1, BMW 3 Series Diesel/Wagon, diesel boom, Nissan Titan hangs on
Episode #253 of the is here, with Chris, Zach, Dan and Steven Ewing serving as this week’s crew. Topics include the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, the 2012 BMW 3 Series diesel and wagon, the coming wave of diesels from other automakers and Nissan sticking with its Titan pickup for a while. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #253:
In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Lexus RX 450h
2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn
2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 2011 Ford Transit Connect
Hosts: , , , Runtime: 01:09:21
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DTM is one of Germany’s best-kept secrets. The series features (ostensibly) production-based touring cars piloted by a mix of up-and-coming talents and retired F1 drivers around some of Europe’s finest racing circuits. But the series won’t be a secret for long as a number of developments aim to up its profile.
First of all, with the 2011 season now complete, the German touring car championship is about to switch to a new formula that will see a new generation of racing coupes replace the older sedans. The new crop just made their track debut this weekend at Hockenheim for the DTM season finale, and we’ve put together a little gallery of high-res images for you to check out.
The 2012 field is also growing thanks to the arrival of , which is joining the series as of next season to take on and which have been dueling it out mono-e-mono for the past few seasons. Having only shown the new until now, BMW has finally showcased its new racer in full regalia, packing the marque’s signature striped white livery.
BMW is eager to leverage its new DTM program beyond Germany’s borders. This year’s calendar included races in Austria, Holland, England and Spain, in addition to those within Germany, and has in recent years raced in such locations as Italy, France, Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Turkey and even China. However, a closing gap in regulations between DTM and Japan’s Super GT series could soon see the two competing on common fields.
More intriguing, however, is a development BMW is keen to pursue that would see DTM come to the United States. Touring car racing – as distinct from stock cars – is not very popular in America, and the organizers of the German series have been working at filling that gap by pairing an American version of the series as support races for series like NASCAR, Grand-Am or IndyCar. Sources indicate the move could happen as soon as 2013 – in other words, the racing season after next. for press releases from Audi and BMW on the track debuts of their new racers.
Who’s the best driver in the world? Hard to say when everyone’s driving on different machinery in different series… That’s what the annual Race of Champions is all about.
The year-end event consistently brings a crop of the top talents from around the racing world to one place where they square off against each other on common, yet varied equipment. And this year’s is already shaping up to be one heck of a showdown.
In addition to showboating American hot-shoe , the line-up for this year’s event has got champions from all kinds of racing disciplines: newly-crowned DTM champ Martin Tomczyk, his rival and two-time champion Mattias Ekstrom, current WRC title contender Sebastien Ogier, reigning GP2 champ Romain Grosjean, three-time WTCC dominator Andy Priaulx and three of F1’s top talents: reigning two-time champion Sebastian Vettel, his chief rival (and former champion) Jenson Button and seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.
saw the relatively obscure Felipe Albuquerque – who until then had only won races in A1GP and Italy’s Superstars Series – defeat the venerable champions, including Ekstrom who’s won the RoC three times, while Schumacher and Vettel took the Nations’ Cup team category for Germany for the fourth time running. Will this year’s pull a new wild card? Tune in for the race on December 3-4 from the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf to find out.
John Hennessey recently returned to the Texas Mile with his 700-horsepower for another shot at high-speed glory. The long-roof rocket managed to clip off a top speed of 189.7 miles per hour in the standing mile, which beat out last year’s figure by a safe margin.
That speed is certainly a feather worth sticking in the Hammer Wagon’s cap, but it may not be the most impressive part of this story. Hennessey didn’t trailer the CTS-V Sport Wagon to the track. Instead, the builder drove the car to the event, made his full-speed run, topped off the tank with pump gas and headed 175 miles home.
Could this be the perfect vehicle? We certainly hold a special place in our hearts for the stock CTS-V Sportwagon, and Hennessey’s efforts with the platform have made the vehicle no less desirable. to check out a video of the Texas Mile run for yourself.
The doesn’t need much help in the performance department. Styling may be another matter, however. German tuning house Edo Competition has tackled both with its latest tuning kit.
Starting with the Panamera S, the package called Hellboy takes output from the 4.8-liter V8 up from 395 horsepower to 459 for a 4.6-second sprint to 62 and a 191-mile-per-hour top end. The rest of the package is rounded out with 21-inch alloys mounted to a suspension that’s been lowered by 30mm, plus a full carbon fiber aero kit and a retrofitted interior.
We’re not sure it helps the Panamera in the areas it needs it most, but juxtaposed to the, um, rather “decorated” girl with which it’s photographed in the high-res image gallery (pay special attention to the text on her legs), it’s suddenly looking quite tasteful by comparison. Details in the press release .
We’re not exactly surprised, but will be selling the sedan version of the for $200 less than the five-door hatchback. The , while the won’t hit dealers until January 2012.
An automatic-equipped Rio sedan will set you back $14,500, while the high-end SX trim starts at $17,500. None of those prices include the $750 destination charge.
While we found a lot to like about the all-new Rio five-door in our , we remain disappointed that yet another automaker has decided to charge a premium for the hatchback version. If we had a nickel for , we’d all be able to retire to Bora Bora.
From where we sit, hatchbacks are not only easier on the eyes, but easier to live with, too. Of course, the bias against hatches seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy when there’s no equity in pricing. Read the full release .
For what seemed like an eternity, the title of World’s Largest Automaker belonged to . More recently, was able to from GM as the Japanese automaker in GM’s home country and abroad, and has been nipping at the two behemoth’s heels. According to Bloomberg, though, the top three are likely to see themselves reshuffled before 2011 officially draws to a close.
Volkswagen, with an estimated 2011 sales tally of around 8.1 million vehicles globally (up 13 percent over 2010), is likely to earn top billing as the largest automaker in the world. General Motors, which was , ought to move around 7.55 million machines (an eight-percent increase) to hold on to second place while Toyota’s estimated 7.27 million sales (a nine-percent falloff) would only be good enough for third in the global race for sales dominance.
There are a number of reasons Toyota has seen its sales flounder in 2011 – most notably the disastrous earthquake and tsunami in the first quarter of the year that halted production of many of its popular models, but also due in part to lingering aftereffects of its recall-ridden history over the past few years. Company CEO Akio Toyoda has vowed to address all of these concerns.
Analysts are split on predictions for 2012, with some suggesting VW will have enough momentum to hang on to its number one spot and others believing Toyota will rebound to reclaim first place in global sales. Success in emerging markets like China and India will likely be the deciding factor in sales supremacy, both in 2012 and in the years to follow.
How many people can you fit in a ? It’s a question that’s been around nearly as long as the automaker itself, and usually applies to the . Back in the 1950s in Australia, 17 people fit into the original. In 2010, a group in Kentucky set the record with 20. Twenty-seven is the most that could squeeze into a New Beetle in 2001, and you can bet someone will try it with the latest Beetle, too. But Volkswagen’s own communications staff in the UK were curious to see how many of them could fit into the new Up!
So how many did they squeeze in? A total of 16 poor souls – or fifteen ladies and one chap who maybe thought he’d be in for the time of his life but probably found out otherwise. Comfortable or not, they put four on the front seats, seven in the back, one on the dashboard, one in each of the footwells and two in the trunk, with the doors and hatchback closed. Not too shabby, but we bet some group somewhere will manage to squeeze in another couple of friends sooner or later.
We’ll forgive you if you haven’t heard of the Superstars Series. It’s only been around since 2004 (the International category since 2007) and all of the races take place in Europe – in fact over half took place this season in Italy. But similar to other national touring car championships – Germany’s DTM, Japan’s Super GT and Australia’s V8 Supercars come to mind – the Superstars Series packs some serious racing machinery.
Take the EVO, for example. If that sounds badass to you, just look at the thing, because it is. It’s based, of course, on the Trident marque’s four-door model, which is already desirable enough on its own, but has been race prepped with an extreme wide-body kit and all the trimmings. It’s the car with which Andrea Bertolini – a long-time and Maserati factory driver who took the FIA GT1 championship in the MC12 he helped develop – and his Swiss Team just clinched the championship.
It’s the first time that a Maserati has won the series title, previous champions having raced cars based on the , Audi RS4 and S-Type R. The formula calls for V8 engines, no turbos, based on four-seaters with two doors or four, and the rest of the field is made up of everything from the (a rebadged Holden) and to the and S. All in all, ten marques are represented, but this year Maserati was crowned champion of them all. Check out the machine with which they did it in the high-res image gallery and the press release .
Vehicle owners hoping to spare their automobiles from rising flood waters in Bangkok have taken to parking on elevated highways. According to The Bangkok Post, around 500 vehicles were illegally parked between Ngam Wong Wan and Pracha Chuen while thousands more were left spread across other highways in the province of Nonthaburi. The vehicles made for difficult commuting for drivers already inconvenienced by the flood. Authorities have asked owners to move their property, saying that the congestion is making a difficult job worse for emergency response personnel. Those who fail to do so will endure a healthy towing bill.
In the meantime, Bangkok’s highways have taken on a certain post-apocalyptic air. With abandoned vehicles lining the roadway and the threat of catastrophic flooding, the city is a band of roaming cannibal raiders away from a Cormac McCarthy horror show. to check out a video of the situation for yourself.
Expanding an automotive empire is tricky business. You can either pit one brand within the group against another, or you have to differentiate them significantly. has opted for the former, with numerous competitors from different group brands in the same segments, but the / group over which Sergio Marchionne presides is going the other route.
As a result, Marchionne insists that isn’t after the same market that the likes of and – both part of the Volkswagen group – currently pursue. Ferrari, he says, is in a league of its own, but in fact it plays against the likes of and . So what is Marchionne pitting against Porsche and Bentley? .
Reiterating that Ferrari will never build an SUV or a four-door sedan, Marchionne points to Maserati to fill those niches. In order to get there, as we know, the Trident marque is launching a pair of sedans – one larger and one smaller – to succeed the current , and the SUV currently known as the Kubang, previewed in concept form at the Frankfurt show last month.
Together with the range – the convertible version of which Marchionne is pictured with above – the new models are pegged to boost Maserati’s sales up tenfold over the course of the coming years, from the 5,675 units it sold last year up to 55,000 or even 60,000 units. Ferrari’s sales, meanwhile, will be limited to 10,000 units from the 6,573 it sold last year in markets around the world.
Since settling on Alabama as its North American manufacturing base, has produced an endless stream of SUVs at its Tuscaloosa plant. Over the years, the facility has expanded to accommodate the , and models. And in 2014 it will start producing the for the local market as well. Now the German automaker is planning on adding yet another line.
The expansion will encompass an investment of $350 million and the creation of 400 new jobs by the time production of the new model comes online in 2015. The question is, what will that new model be?
All Daimler is telling us is that it will be a new model, not the porting over of an existing one (as with the C-Class). Sources expect, however, that it will be a new crossover in the style of the – that is, four doors with a sloping roofline.
The photo above snapped at the site of the announcement certainly seems to corroborate the notion, as does . What the new model will be called remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: it won’t have much headroom in the back. for the press release.
gearing up for new model in Tuscaloosa, X6 fighter on the way?
Johnny Depp now has yet another reason to smile. The actor recently finished up work on the theatrical interpretation of the Hunter S. Thompson novel, Rum Diary. Depp plays journalist Paul Kemp in 1950’s Puerto Rico as the writer attempts to survive an abundance of alcohol, powerful figures and, of course, a dangerously attractive young lady. Hilarity ensues. A number of period vehicles play a prominent role in the film, including a and, perhaps more notably, a . Producer Graham King decided to give the latter vehicle to Depp as a token of his appreciation for the actor’s work on the film.
Talk about a bonus.
Depp was apparently properly enthusiastic about the gift, having grown attached to the vehicle during filming. to check out the trailer for the film for yourself. Rum Diary hits theaters October 28.
is practically a regular at the Super Bowl by now, having run Big Game spots touting the , , and over the past few years. Those ads focused on more practical reasons to buy a Hyundai. This year, Hyundai’s intent on “sparking an emotional connection with consumers” with an ad that is as super as its backdrop.
With quips that sound like a halftime go-git-’em talk, Hyundai’s VP of marketing said, “We’re making Super Bowl spots. We need to get that headset on. The bar is high.” All we’re left to wonder is what kind of direction Hyundai plans to go – taking a look at other industry offerings, had its , had its , sister-brand went CG blockbuster with its Optima , Bridgestone had its popular , and Volkswagen had its just-as-popular . Oh, and VW also had its intergalactically popular . There was that little something about being as well…
So the bar is high. But Hyundai’s come this far, so we figure at the very least whatever they do will be big. And expensive. If you have ideas, you can leave suggestions for The Flying H in the comments. For a refrshser, you’ll find Brett Favre’s offering .
If you thought Formula One racing had a checkered history in America, well – you’re right. Over the years, the United States Grand Prix has been held in more locations and has suffered from more hiatuses than a drug addicted musician’s touring schedule. But a good portion of that drama has been played out in New York. Upstate, Watkins Glen hosted the United States Grand Prix for longer than any other single location, but the past few decades have also seen efforts to bring an F1 race to New York City.
That idea first came up in the early 80s, but seemed to have gained more traction in recent years. As you may , a bid was floated a couple of years ago to build a circuit at Liberty State Park (the piece of New Jersey extending behind the Statue of Liberty), but that failed after local residents protested the idea and the race was awarded instead to the Circuit of the Americas being built in Austin, Texas. Then a came up that would see an F1 race – backed by private investment instead of public funds – held between the New Jersey municipalities of Weehawken and West New York that would be easily accessible from the city while offering the Manhattan skyline as the backdrop.
The Wall Street Journal now reports that the latter project has been approved and is set to be announced on Tuesday. The report further projects that the race is already scheduled for June 2013, joining the United States Grand Prix already set for Austin on the same calendar.
If that’s the way things shake out, it won’t be the first time the U.S. plays host to multiple F1 races in the same year, as two American grands prix were commonly held in the 1970s and 80s at such locations as Watkins Glen, Las Vegas, Dallas, Detroit and Long Beach, highlighted by the 1982 Formula One World Championship that actually featured three grands prix in the United States (plus a fourth in Canada).
While those races played with a variety of names, New York Grand Prix sounds about right to us. However the WSJ indicates that the Jersey race could take the name Grand Prix of America, while the Austin race is set to carry the name United States Grand Prix. Whatever they want to call it, F1 racing is poised for a big comeback on American shores.
The Texas Auto Writers Association has awarded the a slew of honors. The pickup took home the Truck of Texas title by beating out its competitors at the annual Truck Rodeo. The award is the association’s most prestigious honor, but Ford also picked up a few other nods. TAWA named the company’s EcoBoost engine technology its best vehicle feature, and the took home the CUV of Texas badge. Finally, the entire pickup line was named the Truck Line of Texas by the association, making for a pretty clean sweep of the truck competition.
This year, manufacturers entered 48 vehicles into the TAWA Truck Rodeo, and 57 automotive writers turned out to evaluate the trucks and SUVs. When the dust settled, Ford had earned seven awards total, including the best heavy-duty, luxury and full-size pickup trucks.
For its part, saw its products fare well in the competition, too. The went home carrying SUV of Texas trophy, while TAWA awarded its sister, the , the mid-sized SUV of Texas title. Finally, the writers in attendance named the the full-size SUV of Texas.
