Purists take note: As long as customers ask for it, will offer the with a manual transmission. This sigh of relief comes from the mouth of the company’s CEO Matthias Muller, speaking with Motor Trend editor-in-chief Angus MacKenzie.
The news will undoubtedly come as welcome to those who feared that the smooth-shifting PDK dual-clutch transmission would obviate the availability of a traditional three-pedal stick-shift gearbox. Porsche did, after all, just develop a for the new 911, even though the PDK is both smoother and quicker than even the most seasoned heel-and-toer could ever be.
While they were at it, Muller and MacKenzie also confirmed that the new 911 GT3 will remain a manual-only affair, superseding and allaying fears that the beloved enthusiasts’ favorite would lose a pedal for the clutch in favor of a second automated one.
The difference between an artist and any other person is not about skill or ability to wield whatever instruments are required to render their work, it’s about how an artist perceives things around them. So while most of us may look at, say, the front hood of a and see a hood, an artist may see it as a canvas.
That was, at least, evidently the case with a group of 19 Latin American artists who, curated by Argentinean painter Jorge Gómez, turned 24 hoods from the 911 GT2 into works of art. Their media included materials ranging from acrylic to vulcanized rubber, and the results are being displayed from now until January 8th at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. If your plans don’t include a trip to Deutschland, though, you can take a virtual trip through the high-res image gallery.
It was only a matter of time before someone bent the full brunt of their mechanical might toward creating a full-scale, operational version of the light cycle from Tron: Legacy. That someone just happened to be the crew from Parker Brothers Choppers. Using lithium-ion batteries and a 96-volt electric motor, the guys built a real-life version of the bikes made famous by the first Tron. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, they’re also giving one of the bikes away to one very lucky fan.
If you want to claim a light cycle as your very own, all you have to do is craft a brief, three-minute video describing why you deserve to take the cycle home as your very own, don’t do anything illegal or dangerous while filming it and get chosen out of the hordes of other sci-fi fans itching to get their paws on the machine. It’s that simple. to check out a video of the light cycle whirring around a mall parking lot, and head over to the for more information on the giveaway.
The roles of the automaker and the car magazine are well delineated: The former makes the cars, and the latter reports on them. Once in a while, though, we see the two changing hats, as automakers produce their own brand magazines and magazines build their own kit cars and whatnot. But this collaboration, for better or worse, brings the two that much closer. And if any publication was going to break the mold, we suppose it would have to be Intersection.
For those not familiar, Intersection is a different kind of car magazine from what you typically pick up at the news stand – more for fashion-forward hipsters than for grease-monkeys and gearheads. The publication typically features spreads featuring skinny models in skinny jeans next to and vintage – or an – but for their latest project, the French edition of the magazine teamed up with for the special-edition you see here.
The unique hybrid coupe is distinguished by a matte beige paint job with orange steel wheels riding on matching orange tires for the summer, and black wheels with black tires for the winter. Eley Kishimoto outfitted the interior. It was unveiled just the other day at the Galerie Nikki Diana Marquardt in Paris, and while it looks to be a one-off for the time being, Honda France is reportedly considering a limited run for public consumption. for a video (in French) on the paint selection process and check out the images in the gallery for a closer look.
is selling its company-owned , according to Automotive News. Motor Village of Los Angeles is reportedly set to be sold to New Century Automotive Group in an effort for Chrysler to avoid . The CDMV recently filed administrative charges against the automaker for improperly operating a factory-owned store. New Century Automotive Group, based in North Hollywood, currently owns a total of six franchise, including three stores as well as , and outlets. The deal is slated to close sometime next month.
While Chrysler opened its Motor Village location as a way to evaluate new retail techniques, other local dealers cried foul, saying that the move violated franchise laws. In California, no factory-owned store can occupy a space within 10 square miles of a privately owned dealership.
owners and car enthusiasts may recall a model called the Diamante. It was the Japanese automaker’s flagship luxury sedan until it was discontinued in 2004. But now the time appears ripe to bring it back – in the Japanese domestic market, at least.
Rather than develop its own model, however, reports confirm indicating that Mitsubishi will rebadge a version of the Fuga produced by – a model better known to North American buyers as the . Nissan offers the Fuga/M with V6, V8, hybrid and diesel powertrains. It remains to be seen, however, which engines will find their way under the hood of the Mitsubishi version.
The arrangement is only the latest development in an ongoing partnership between Mitsubishi and Nissan that also includes a rebadged version of the , along with other models. However these exercises in badge engineering aren’t expected, for the time being at least, to make it to the North American market.
The Group had a whole lot and then more to show off at the this year. There were about a dozen vehicles rolled out at the pre-show VW Group evening, and then more once the show opened the following morning. For the Volkswagen brand itself, the was the main focus, sharing the stage with the , the showcar and the . But there was, according to the UK’s CAR magazine, to be one more major debut.
That additional concept car would have been a preview of the next-generation Phaeton, but apparently VW’s corporate strategists opted to hold it back so as not to detract from the Up! runabout. Instead, it will likely show off the concept second-generation luxury sedan at another show in the near future, but the production model isn’t expected to come until 2015.
When it does, we’ll find out what strategy the Phaeton will have switched to. Insiders suggest it will be downsized to slot in between the and (rather than compete directly with the latter) and could include one or several less traditional (and more practical) bodystyles in addition to a traditional four-door sedan.
We’re also likely to be looking at smaller engines than the eight, ten and twelve-cylinder mills currently on offer, all in an effort to sell the new Phaeton to more customers than the current model, one in two of which reportedly stay in Volkswagen’s hands as VIP shuttles.
is reportedly facing a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey for alleged defects in the company’s M156 V8. According to the plaintiffs, premature internal wear occurs because the engine uses cast nodular iron camshafts and 9310-grade steel valves. Something about that combination causes early failure, either due to improper offset of the components or inadequate heat treating. The plaintiffs also allege that Mercedes-Benz and AMG have known about the issue since 2007, when Daimler released a service bulletin on the problem. At this point, it’s unclear how many engines this alleged defect covers, or exactly when or if the lawsuit will go to trial.
The M156 V8 – one of the snarliest and best-sounding engines we’ve ever driven – has served as the powerhouse for a wide range of AMG vehicles. The 6.3-liter lump actually displaces 6.2 liters, but churns out 525 horsepower in its newest iteration. The engine has found its way into vehicles like the , E63 AMG, ML63 AMG and SL63 AMG, among others. Head over to for a look at the full lawsuit.
As if the country of has had enough to deal with over the last several months, the country is now facing a powerful typhoon with winds reaching up to 130 miles per hour. Tokyo Electric Power reports that 575,500 households are without power already, and that number could certainly climb.
Japanese automakers are bracing for Typhoon Roke as well. According to reports, , , and have all closed down plants or cancelled shifts at facilities affected by the storm.
This is the second typhoon to hit Japan so far this year, and the country averages between two and four of the storms every year. In other words, this may not be the last weather-related outage you hear about from Japanese automakers in 2011.
When it comes to engine suppliers, McLaren has had more partners than the girl you took home from the bar last night. It was driven by Cosworth for the first seventeen or so seasons on the grid, then switched to TAG- engines, won a few world championships with , and even dabbled with and Peugeot. But since 1995 it’s been exclusively powered by .
Until recently, the German automaker even owned a stake in McLaren – a partnership that extended beyond the racing circuit to produce the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren as well. Daimler has since divested from the team, though, opting to buy instead the Brawn team that was once Honda’s and leaving many to wonder how much longer Stuttgart and Woking would continue working together.
Well, we just may have our answer. According to the latest reports, McLaren is committed to staying with Mercedes-Benz for the foreseeable future – not only through the end of its current contract (which expires in 2015 and would take them through the swap to turbocharged V6 engines in 2014), but for years to come.
This would seem to put an end to earlier speculation that McLaren could distance itself from Mercedes by either building its own engines in-house (as it has done with its latest road cars) or acquiring another team’s engine operations (like those recently shuttered by , or ).
McLaren’s team leaders also dismissed any concerns that the Mercedes GP team could get preferential treatment from Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines (the outfit founded by and Roger Penske as Ilmor Engineering and which now builds Mercedes’ F1 engines). They are, after all, separate enterprises that happen to share a name and common parent company, but not facilities, making the relationship between the Mercedes team and its engine supplier about as close as it is to McLaren, with which it’s been collaborating for over sixteen years.
Professional racing drivers keep getting younger and younger. Every year, Formula One, for example, seems to crown a new record holder for the youngest race winner in grand prix history, and almost as often, a younger-than-ever world champion. But this story takes the cake.
Madison Snow, you see, is only 15 years old. Too young, in other words, to get a driver’s license. But when he does, he’ll already be an old hand behind the wheel. That’s because he just clinched the Gold Cup in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge. Behind the wheel of a , no less – and that’s no easy car to control.
In fact he didn’t just win the title, he dominated it: The series isn’t even over yet, but after finishing second this week at Laguna Seca, he’s so far in the lead that he’s already got the championship in the bag and can “just have fun” at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta next week. That would be enough to make any mother proud, but we have a feeling Madison’s mom Melanie Snow – a past series champ herself, class winner at Sebring and part of the first all-woman team in the American Le Mans Series – must be beaming.
If you’re the owner of a fairly new General Motors product, you may want to take a close look at the most recent OnStar terms and conditions. As it turns out, the company has altered the parameters under which it can legally collect GPS data on your vehicle.
Originally, the terms and conditions stated that OnStar could only collect information on your vehicle’s location during a theft recovery or in the midst of sending emergency services your way. That has apparently changed. Now, OnStar says that it has the right to collect and sell personal, yet supposedly anonymous information on your vehicle, including speed, location, seat belt usage and other information.
Who would be interested in that data, you ask? Law enforcement agencies, for starters, as well as insurance companies. Perhaps the most startling news to come out of the latest OnStar terms and conditions is the fact that the company can continue to collect the information even after you disconnect the service. If you want the info to be cut off all together, you’ll have to specifically shut down the vehicle’s data connection. If that sounds scary, you should check out a full breakdown of the new policies .
*UPDATE: OnStar has released a statement in response to the dust up over its newest set of terms and conditions. You can find the full text .
has grown its share of the U.S. luxury market with the help of a steady stream of new products. But while Audi has been on a product rampage, not all of its latest designs take up residence in U.S. showrooms.
Included in that group of vehicles is the Q3, but AutoWeek reports that Audi’s North American CEO Johan de Nysschen is at least considering bringing the diminutive CUV to America. That’s not a lot to go on, and de Nysschen tells AW that the Q3 will need to “overcome certain challenges” in order for Audi to introduce the model to U.S. customers.
In other words, the Q3 will need to be cheap enough for U.S. consumers to want to buy it, yet expensive enough for Audi to turn a tidy profit. What’s more, the Four-Ringed crossover will need to sell at a decent clip even if the price is right, or Audi could still lose money. If the stars align and the Q3 gets the green light, de Nysschen says it’ll likely happen in time for the model’s mid-cycle refresh.
Whenever a new contract between the and a major automaker is being hashed out, interesting tidbits regarding future products seem to leak out. Such is the case with the between and the UAW. A report from indicates that General Motors is negotiating with local union leaders from the Wentzville, Missouri plant to add 1,850 new workers and a second shift to build a midsize pickup truck.
Currently, the Wentzville plant builds the fullsize and vans. Adding an entire second product line and another shift to the plant makes us wonder if GM is rethinking whether or not to offer the next-generation and pickups in the States.
GM has shown off various iterations of the next Colorado in both concept ( and ) and production () guises. We’ve also seen . As of this point, though, we’ve yet to hear official word from GM regarding the midsize truck’s availability in the U.S. That said, the mouths of smaller-than-fullsize-pickup fans can officially start watering… now. Oh, and one more thing – would it be too much to ask for a small-displacement diesel?
Call it practical, call it luxurious, or call it a thinly veiled dilution of a legendary marque. -Whatever you want to call the Cygnet, at the end of the day, there are apparently a sizable number of customers lining up to drop the approximate equivalent of $50,000 on the tarted-up Toyota iQ. So many, in fact, that Autocar has learned that Aston can hardly keep its supply up with the demand.
The thing is that Aston takes its time building each Cygnet, receiving the chassis from and trimming them out to order to suitably Aston Martin levels of sumptuous fit and finish. Which sounds nice and all, but apparently customers are less keen to wait to have theirs built than they would be to simply drive one home from the dealership on the spot.
As far as we can recall, Cygnet models were only supposed to be sold to owners of other Aston Martin vehicles, so presumably this demand isn’t just the result of regular (if well-heeled) consumers deciding to trade in their current car over something like a .
After , is ready to put you in touch with a live operator by way of its Sync Services system. Should you feel the need to speak to an actual person, Ford will put you in touch with an operator who is standing by, as it will henceforth be included as a standard feature in Sync’s suite of functions.
Live operators can assist with turn-by-turn direction while also sending any relevant information about your destination to your phone. According to Ford, relaying the live information will help drivers keep their eyes on the road while the person on the other end does the data digging. Customers who are new to Sync will receive 60 complimentary sessions, while current Sync customers will receive a set number of complimentary sessions based on how much time is remaining on their agreement. Full details posted .
If this whole making cars thing doesn’t pan out, Victor Muller and his team at Swedish Automobile N.V. would appear to have an excellent career in magic ahead of them. The executives behind troubled automaker have earned the right to reorganize under government protection thanks to a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Gothenburg, Sweden. This, after being by the District Court in Vänersborg on September 8.
The Swedish government’s voluntary reorganization approval suggests that Saab representatives were able provide blueprints for the automaker that demonstrate a reasonable chance for future financial success. Saab has been waiting for the release of promised monies from Chinese automakers Pang Da and Youngman (deals hung-up pending approval by the Chinese government), and other parties have also expressed interest in supporting the marque. Saab insists it is merely looking for short-term funding and legal protection because it has longer-term financial partners and a business plan already lined up.
As a result of the new ruling, Saab will now have at least three months to undergo reorganization, though that deadline can be extended by the government if the court feels that reasonable headway is being made. During that three-month period, the Swedish government agrees to pay the wages of Saab employees.
As a result of this court victory, Muller and Swedish Automobile are also requesting the cancellation of bankruptcy filings by several of its unions. to read Saab’s official statement.
The battle-tested and it’s time to bid farewell to the aging military vet.
In the Humvee’s place could step the L-ATV. The Wisconsin-built Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle is built by Oshkosh Defense. Powered by a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, the The L-ATV appears capable of traversing nearly any type of terrain.
The L-ATV is highly armored, can accept multiple armor configurations and has nearly unmatched off-road capabilities. Oshkosh’s proprietary TAK-4i independent suspension system offers an impressive 20 inches of suspension travel at each wheel, which Oshkosh says is 25 percent more than any vehicle currently in use by the U.S. military.
While drivers of the L-ATV probably have more pressing issues to consider than the vehicle’s carbon emissions, they no doubt don’t want to be stranded by a vehicle that runs out of fuel deep in enemy territory. That’s one reason why the L-ATV’s diesel hybrid powertrain make sense (). So, as the aging Humvee retires from active duty, do you think it will be the diesel hybrid L-ATV that takes over?
It’s a good thing we aren’t fabulously wealthy, otherwise our domiciles would be clad in all sorts of clever automotive art. We’re not just talking cheesy vinyl bench-seat sofas and engine-block coffee tables, either. We like to think our taste elevates above some of the more common automotive décor we’ve seen. Take Wim Delvoye’s intricate tire carvings, for example. Each piece is filled with exquisite detail and is hand carved. Untold hours have been sunk into each piece (we have to imagine that this isn’t the type of thing that gets churned out in an afternoon – or a week of afternoons, for that matter).
The only question, is how does one go about displaying a decorative carved tire in one’s home? Would it work as a stylish table center piece? How about hanging from the ceiling? We say let experimentation be your guide.
Judging by the gallery names on Delvoye’s site, these carved tires might actually be a few years old, but this is the first time we’ve seen them. If they’re new to you as well, check out our full gallery, then visit Delvoye’s website by clicking on the link below.
Details about the last Friday are being released, and it would appear the union didn’t do too bad for itself. Under the new agreement, General Motors has reportedly agreed to retain or create 6,400 union jobs as part of a $2.5 billion investment in future products and the plants that build them. Those product and plant investments include the following:
Reopening GM’s Spring Hill, TN plant to build two new mid-sized vehicles
A new compact vehicle to be built at a plant to be determined
A new transmission program at the company’s Warren, MI powertrain plant
A new engine program at the company’s Romulus, MI powertrain plant
A new casting operation at a plant in Saginaw, MI
An additional production shift at the company’s Wentzville, MO assembly plant
Automotive News reports that most of the above investments were originally slated for GM’s Mexico operations but will now remain in the U.S. and contribute to the retention or creation of those 6,400 jobs.
Of course, in order to keep and create jobs, others must retire, and so the new accord between GM and the UAW will offer a $10,000 buyout to eligible employees who retire over the next two years and a whopping $65,000 buyout for skilled trades workers who retire between November 1 and March 31, 2012. GM has also agreed to make adjustments to the controversial two-tier wage structure established by the last agreement, raising the minimum wage for entry-level workers from $14/hour to $15.78/hour, as well as improving their health insurance and offering tuition assistance.
Current workers would also appear to make out well, with a record signing bonus of $5,000 if the contract gets ratified, as well lump sum payments of $1,000 in 2012, 2013 and 2014 in lieu of cost-of-living adjustments. Workers will also get a minimum profit-sharing payment in early 2012 of $3,500 based on GM’s profits through June 2011, as well as an annual award of $250 if the company meets certain quality goals. All-in, current workers stand to pocket an extra $12K during the course of this new contract. How do you think this new deal rates? Take the poll and tell us why in Comments.
