The Auto Blog .ru

Balancing power and economy is a tricky business, especially for Mercedes-Benz and its in-house performance division, AMG. On the one hand, a buyer’s conscience demands improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. But on the other, AMG knows what its customers really want is pure, unadulterated muscle.

Eventually, that dichotomy is expected to amount to the exclusive use of turbochargers across the AMG range, allowing the German automaker to reduce displacement while increasing output. But in the meantime, Affalterbach has found another solution: cylinder deactivation.

The latest AMG powerplant, labeled M152, is based closely on the M157 engine that already powers the new CL63 AMG and its four-door counterpart, the S63 AMG. What makes this engine different, first of all, is the removal of the twin turbochargers. It also makes use of a new air intake, cylinder heads, valve drive, oil system, crankcase and, most importantly, a Formula One-derived cylinder deactivation system that allows it to run – when so selected – on four pistons when conditions don’t require all eight. Click through the jump to continue reading.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz details new variable-displacement V8 for SLK55 AMG

Mercedes-Benz details new variable-displacement V8 for SLK55 AMG

Some might associated Porsche with speed. Others might equate the brand and its products a feeling of ecstasy. Of course, if the boys at Top Gear bought a used one from the ’80s, they’d probably claim to find a certain powdery residue left on the dashboard. But the latest offering from the company’s product design division, is a, um… well, it’s a water pipe.

The Porsche Design Shisha is the latest addition to the brand’s World Collection, which already includes such items as chopsticks and tea sets. The slick hookah pipe is made in Germany and stands nearly two feet tall with a hose made of TecFlex – the same material Porsche Design uses on a range of pens.

This decidedly Teutonic take on an age-old Middle Eastern device is available exclusively at the company’s new shop at Harrods department store in London. The store was sold last year to the Qatari royal family, which in turn just happens to own 10 percent of Porsche. So if the production of the Cayenne didn’t speak loudly enough as to which developing market Porsche was banking on, well… you can put that in your pipe and smoke it. Details in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Porsche Design hits new high water mark with stylish hookah pipe

Porsche Design hits new high water mark with stylish hookah pipe

We now know exactly what to expect from the Harley-Davidson lineup next year. The bike maker plans to roll out two new models: a 10th Anniversary Edition V-Rod and a new Dyna Switchback. The V-Rod will wear special silver paint designed to pay homage to the aluminum bodywork of the original liquid-cooled Harley, and buyers will get to enjoy unique 10th Anniversary V-Rod bags as well.

Meanwhile, the Dyna Switchback boasts a detachable windshield and a set of removable hard bags to create a versatile ride that can toe the line between an in-town cruiser and a long-haul machine. The Switchback, like all but two of H-D’s entire line of Dyna, Softail and Touring models, packs the company’s Twin Cam 103 engine with a full 100 pound-feet of torque.

The rest of the Harley-Davidson stable has received a few updates as well, including the company’s Night Rod Special. That bike gets a new set of light-weight wheels, a tapered tail section and an inverted front fork along with improved ergonomics.

Finally, the Harley-Davidson Custom Vehicle Operations team has rolled out a CVO Road Glide Custom with all the tricks. Buyers can rock out to a high-output Harman/Kardon stereo, and each CVO Road Glide Custom is built with a frame-mounted fairing dipped in wild paint. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Harley-Davidson rolls out new and updated models for 2012

Harley-Davidson rolls out new and updated models for 2012

The last several years have seen classic Ferraris sell at auction for record-breaking prices including a 1961 Ferrari California Spyder that sold for over $10 million in 2008 and a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR that fetched more than $12 million in 2009. While those numbers seem astounding, they could be surpassed next month with auction house Gooding & Company offering up one of the most significant Ferrari race cars of all time, the 1957 250 TR prototype.

One of just 22 pontoon-fendered 250 TR race cars, the prototype has an extensive, although somewhat unsuccessful, racing history, with no less than three appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as showings at Sebring, the Nurburgring and at the Targa Florio. The car also has an impressive show history, attending the Pebble Beach Concours four times (winning its class twice), and regularly garnering accolades at events like the Cavallino Classic and the Rodeo Drive Concours. It has also appeared several times at the Monterey Historics, most recently in 2008 where it narrowly avoided an accident after spinning at the corkscrew.

The car’s current owner and caretaker, just the second in a span of more than forty years, recently restored the 250 TR prototype back to its 1958 Le Mans configuration, installing the original engine, correcting bodywork and applying it’s 1958 racing livery.

Gooding fully expects this special Ferrari to break the overall sales record for a car sold at auction, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they achieved the feat. We’ll bring you the news come August 21st, along with the rest of our live coverage from Monterey next month. Until then, check out our gallery of the 1957 Ferrari 250 TR prototype or read more about the car and the auction in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading 1957 Ferrari 250 TR prototype expected to break records at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction

1957 Ferrari 250 TR prototype expected to break records at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction

Volkswagen is hard at work readying its next-generation GTI, and according to Autocar, one of the improvements we can look forward to is a slight bump in power. Currently, the GTI’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four is good for 200 horsepower, but the revised engine is rumored to produce closer to 220 horses.

This doesn’t really come as much of a shock, however. Volkswagen recently introduced the 35th anniversary edition of the GTI for European customers, and this hot hatch cranks out a full 253 hp from the same 2.0-liter unit used in the standard GTI.

Autocar also reports that Volkswagen won’t likely produce the GTI cabriolet that debuted in Wörthesee this year. Instead, if any new Golf-based convertible is to be given the green light, it will be the even hotter Golf R cabrio that debuted alongside the GTI.

Power bump mooted for next VW GTI

A good ad agency always comes up with unique and memorable ideas to keep a product fresh in the minds of consumers. Access Agency understands that a brand like Mini is devoted to fun, and with summer coming, the group put together a concept that will showcase that ideology – inflatables shaped like Mini Cooper convertibles.

We know this would make the perfect pool toy, but it seems they’re sturdy enough for the ocean as well (if you believe in Photoshop). Hopefully this idea comes to fruition, and an armada of floating Minis take over a nearby body of water, be it pool or sea. Check out more of this marketing concept in the gallery.

Mini Cooper inflatables ready for car pool duty

The models have been made. The designs have been scrutinized. The talents have been exhibited, the ballots have been cast, and the prizes have been awarded for the 2011 Ferrari World Design Contest.

The competition attracted entries from 50 design schools and universities around the world, all vying for the eye of decision makers from both Ferrari and Pininfarina. In the end, the top prize went to a team from Korea for their innovative Eternità concept, pictured in the foreground above.

Second prize went to Samir Sadikhov from the Turin campus of the IED for his Xezri, and third place to the team from London’s Royal College of Arts for the Cavallo Bianco.

Additional prizes were awarded based on proficiency with Autodesk design software (also taken by the winning Korean team from Hongik) and for the Most Unexpected Technological Solution (won by Jiangnan University). These prizes were awarded by Autodesk VP Brenda Discher and Ferrari CO Amedeo Felisa, while the top three were decorated by Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, chief designer Flavio Manzoni and Paulo Pininfarina.

Follow the jump for the full details and check out the top designs in the high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Ferrari crowns winners in World Design Contest

Ferrari crowns winners in World Design Contest

Picture a Lamborghini these days, and you’re about as likely to imagine a roadster as you might a coupe. But that hasn’t always been the case, because for most of the company’s history, they didn’t offer any convertibles at all. Sure, the Jalpa and Silhouette offered removable targa-style roof panels, but that was about it until the Diablo VT Roadster came along in 1995 (and even that was more of a targa), followed by the recently discontinued Murciélago Roadster and the many versions of the Gallardo Spyder, which was really the first proper convertible in the company’s history. But these days, Sant’Agata has a whole mess of new convertibles on the drawing board.

The Aventador is likely to get a similar type of open-air treatment as the Murciélago did before it. And rumor has it that the Gallardo will spawn a convertible version of the purist’s choice LP550-2 before the entire line is eventually replaced by the rumored Cabrera, which will almost certainly get a roadster version as well.

But beyond the existing core range, Top Speed suggests that there are a couple more open-air Lambos in the mix. For one, if and when the Sesto Elemento reaches limited production for public consumption, it could lead to a droptop version as well. After all, Lambo could hardly resist the prospect with the Sesto’s spiritual predecessor, the Reventón, which lead to a limited run of 15 roadsters.

Finally rumors are circulating that, if Sant’Agata opts to build the Estoque sedan over the prospect of a crossover, this could lead to a convertible version as well. Of course, that’s skipping the front-engine coupe that would likely bridge the gap, taking a similar path to the Panamera from sister-company Porsche.

Between the Aventador, Gallardo LP550-2, Cabrera, Sesto Elemento and Estoque, Lamborghini certainly appears to have a lot of prospects up in the air. We’ll just have to see which ones open up.

Lamborghini looking at a whole mess of new convertibles

Volkswagen can now lay claim to another world record thanks to the efforts of off-road driver Rainer Zietlow and his team of adventurers. The crew packed into a Volkswagen Touareg TDI and covered the entire span of the Pan-American Highway from start to finish in 11 days, 17 hours and 22 minutes. The trip covered 14 countries and 16,000 miles of near non-stop driving. TÜV NORD Mobility verified the time, which beat out the previous record holder by a full three days.

The journey began on July 2 in the southernmost portion of Argentina and clipped through a variety of challenging conditions. The team faced a sandstorm in Chile and treacherous muddy roads in Alaska, but preplanned fuel stops helped cut the team’s time down as much as possible.

Zietlow and his teammates also played a bit of a philanthropic role by donating 10 cents for every kilometer traveled to two Latin American villages to help combat childhood poverty. Hit the jump for the video and full press release.

Continue reading VW Touareg TDI sets lonely record on World’s Longest Highway [w/video]

VW Touareg TDI sets lonely record on World’s Longest Highway [w/video]

Scion’s supermini outsmarts Smart

Despite a flurry of media attention at launch, sales of the Smart ForTwo have done a nosedive since its Stateside debut in 2008. Unsurprising, considering you could strap a lawnmower engine onto Yao Ming’s left rollerskate and build a better car. But the ForTwo wasn’t a failure of vision, it was a botched execution. Yet despite being underwhelming, overpriced and fitted with one of the worst gearboxes ever crafted by man, we’re still seeing a slew of them puttering around San Francisco during the our first drive of the 2012 Scion iQ.

Coastal-types and urbanites are apparently hard-up for something spectacularly small, equally frugal and simple to park, so bringing the iQ to SF was a no-brainer for Scion. Its quirky shape and minimalist-at-all-costs design is the kind of thing Northern Californians should eat up with an oversized ramen renge. As well they should. The aptly named iQ outsmarts Smart at its own game, minimizing the compromises and creating something better than a pint-size commuter.

Continue reading 2012 Scion iQ

2012 Scion iQ

On any given Sunday, you can expect to find a Ferrari 458 Italia racecar screeching around one or more circuits around the world.

Unsurprisingly, Maranello is serious about challenging the Porsche 911 for shear proliferation in sports car racing. That’s why the mid-engined GT has already spawned Challenge, GT2 and GT3 racing versions, and has now bred one more for the Grand Am series. Developed by Ferrari’s go-to racing garage, Michelotto, this latest competition 458 has just undergone its initial shakedown at the company’s on-site Fiorano test track at the hands of Jamie Melo (who’s driven the previous F430 GT2 to two consecutive class wins at Le Mans and class titles in the American Le Mans Series and FIA GT Championship) and Maurizio Mediani (who just happened to have been our instructor at the Alfa Romeo driving school at Varano).

In compliance with the American series’ regulations, the engine has actually been detuned from 562 horsepower in stock street-going trim to 500 for track duty, thanks in part to a 48-millimeter restrictor plate and an 8,000 rpm rev limiter. The aerodynamics are also reworked compared to other racing versions, the spec Continental tires are of a particularly hard compound, and the suspension has been beefed up to deal with the higher collision rate in American racing.

In other words, the 458 Grand Am may be the slowest racecar in the lineup. Of course, that’s not an issue (it won’t be going up against its own stablemates, after all), the question is whether it will prove faster than the other cars on the Grand Am grid. Follow the jump for the press release and scope out the images in our gallery for more.

Continue reading Ferrari rolls out latest 458 Italia Grand Am racer

Ferrari rolls out latest 458 Italia Grand Am racer

A Formula One team runs very differently than a car manufacturer. When an F1 team finds that a new suspension component or aerodynamic winglet isn’t performing exactly as expected – or as their star driver would like – they go straight back to the drawing board and come up with a solution, lickety-split.

When an automaker gets feedback from customers, however, it can often be a different situation entirely. They might justify why it was done that way, or maybe keep it on file for a mid-life refresh. And with good reason: while F1 teams only make a handful of cars each year, automakers crank out millions.

The question is, then, what direction will the new McLaren Automotive take? We may have our answer. According to PistonHeads.com, the racing-team-turned-automaker has reportedly gathered feedback received from prospective customers, automotive journalists and dealers and channeled it into a revision to the MP4-12C even before it reaches the market.

The changes reportedly include improved steering feel, a lighter shift action and more engine noise channeled through the cabin. These alterations themselves might seem relatively insignificant, but the speed at which McLaren’s engineers have responded to the feedback could be the fastest thing the company – as an automaker – has done yet.

McLaren channels feedback into revised MP4-12C

The paint is still drying on the 2011 Audi A8, but the Four-Ring automaker is already ready to roll out its 2012 lineup. A8 fans can now say hello a familiar variant of the flagship sedan which was missing upon launch of the launch of its redesign. The 2012 Audi A8 L will now be offered with a W12 engine under its hood and a $133,500 starting price on the window sticker. For that, you get a dozen cylinders giving 500 horsepower and 463 pound-feet of torque – enough to launch Audi’s Big Daddy to 60 mph in a scant 4.4 seconds.

Any other items of note for the 2012 model year? Yes, we’re glad you asked.

The sporty 2012 Audi TT-RS can be yours if you have $56,850 to spare. The redesigned 2012 A6 sedan starts at $41,700 for the front-wheel-drive 2.0T and $49,900 for the 3.0T with Quattro all-wheel-drive. Finally, the Audi R8 GT, if you haven’t already heard, will run you $196,800. Still no word on when the Spyder derivative will arrive to add a $200,000 car to Audi’s lineup.

*Prices do not include taxes or destination and handling.

Continue reading Big Daddy Audi A8 L W12 priced from $133,500*

Big Daddy Audi A8 L W12 priced from $133,500*

The Chevrolet Impala hasn’t had many updates since it last received an overhaul for 2006, but that changes for 2012, at least in the area of powertrains. As we told you back in May, the otherwise untouched Impala will receive General Motors’ tried and true 3.6-liter V6 for 2012. The direct-injected engine boasts 302 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque – a far cry from the 211-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 it replaces. Heck, even the optional 3.9-liter V6 could only muster 230 horsepower.

To sweeten the pot a bit more, the Environmental Protection Agency’s website now verifies that the 2012 Impala can hit 30 miles per gallon on the highway. That’s better than the 29 mpg of the outgoing model, though the ‘12 model could only manage 18 mpg in city driving, while the ‘11 model registers a tick better at 19 mpg. While the combined fuel economy of the two models is likely still the same, it’s hard to argue with an extra 91 horsepower without a penalty at the pump.

We’re still waiting on Chevy to cough up images of the updated 2012 model, but if you’ve somehow forgotten what the ubiquitous Impala looks like, you can check out our gallery of the 2011 model above.

Revised 2012 Chevrolet Impala to net 30 mpg on highway

Make no mistake about it, ladies and gentlemen: the era of the Art Car has returned, and it’s returned in a big way. Not only has BMW been showcasing its own extensive collection with a special online gallery, Force India has commissioned the first Formula One art car. Need more proof? Tesla had its roadster worked over, Citroën gave its Survolt concept a new paintjob and numerous other automakers have gotten in on the action just in recent months.

The latest, however, is an Alfa Romeo. The Italian automaker commissioned acclaimed artist Louise Dear to apply her talents to the MiTo to celebrate the launch of its new, more economical 1.3 JDTM-2 engine. The finished product, dubbed “Because I can” was apparently inspired by Dear’s 17-year-old daughter, and it incorporates classic Alfa iconography like the company’s logo and the Cloverleaf emblem that adorned the marque’s racing cars of old. Check out the decidedly flowery result in the high-res image gallery above, along with more details of the partnership in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Alfa celebrates economical new MiTo with Louise Dear art car

Alfa celebrates economical new MiTo with Louise Dear art car

Just a few weeks ago, we brought you a report that suggested that CPP had acquired Zagato. The British coachbuilder owned by Vladimir Antonov has gone on a spending spree of late, acquiring Spyker and Land Rover racing specialist Bowler, so the acquisition of the Italian design house would seem to fit nicely into the company’s portfolio.

CPP and Zagato have now revealed that their collaboration was already underway as far back as a full year ago with the establishment of a joint venture called CPP Milan. The enterprise was responsible for the design and realization of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato (pictured above), and the tie-up gives the two outfits the kind of concept-to-production capacity that several rival design houses have tried (but largely failed) to establish under one roof.

While the partnership could feasibly lead to a full acquisition, the announcement after the jump stops short of announcing such a deal, leaving the matter up to further speculation.

Continue reading CPP-Zagato partnership announcement stops short of full acquisition

CPP-Zagato partnership announcement stops short of full acquisition

We’re glad to see that Mercury vehicles are continuing to make themselves useful even after the brand’s demise. One enterprising soul in Palm Bay, Florida took it upon himself to craft another 2002 Mercury Cougar into the image of a Bugatti Veyron. The project took Mike Duff around nine months to complete, including all of the exterior body work and slathering the interior with leather. Outside, the body is stitched from plenty of fiberglass and composites on a steel tube frame, and the finished product looks pretty similar to a legitimate Veryon.

Unfortunately, the vehicle’s drivetrain won’t be setting any world records anytime soon; the car still uses the same beating heart as the 2002 Cougar. The 2.5-liter V6 is good for 170 ponies – a far cry from the nearly 1,000 horsepower available from the legendary W16 in the Veyron.

There are a few plusses, however. For one, Duff’s creation can seat four people comfortably, and we’re guessing it costs significantly less to own and operate. Speaking of price tags, this faux-Bugatti can be yours for the princely sum of $89,000. Check it out on eBay Motors.

eBay Find of the Day: Mercury Cougar-turned-Veyron replica for $89K

If you watched Conan O’Brien in his final days on NBC, you may have seen the Bugatti Veyron Mouse. Now feast your eyes on the Asus Lamborghini mouse.

A product of the same collaboration that has already turned out a series of laptop computers and external hard drives, the Asus WX Lamborghini Wireless Mouse packs Sant’Agata’s famously edgy styling into a computer peripheral. It’s available in white, yellow or black, packs a little tire for a scroll wheel and, of course, Lamborghini’s often imitated (but never duplicated) logo perched prominently on top. It even sports a USB dongle that stows inside the mouse, has a range of 33 feet and is available for $80.

So why, you ask, would you need a Lamborghini mouse? Well aside from its trademark pinpoint precision and speedy maneuvering, if you’ve already got an Acer Ferrari laptop hooked up to a LaCie Porsche Design hard-drive on your Bugatti desk, you’re not about to control it all with just any old mouse now, are you? Of course not.

Asus rolls out Lamborghini wireless mouse

Though the relaunch of Fiat in North America has centered around the 500, that’s not the only model that the Italian automaker offers. Not by a long shot. And we’re not even talking about rebadged Dodge models like the Freemont/Journey.

Overseas, one of Fiat’s most popular models has long been the Panda. The vehicle forms the basis upon which the Fiat 500, Lancia Ypsilon and Ford Ka are built, not to mention the Brazilian-market Uno, making it one of the company’s most successful and proliferative platforms. But even on its own, the Panda is a success in its own right.

In fact, the Panda has just reached its two-millionth unit built and sold, rolling off the line at Fiat’s busy assembly plant in Tychy, Poland. The model in question (pictured above) is a red Panda Cross softroader with a 75-horsepower, 1.3-liter MultiJet diesel four – one of four engines offered across eight trim levels, in fifteen different colors with two drivetrain configurations. Follow the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading Fiat produces two millionth Panda in Poland

Fiat produces two millionth Panda in Poland

The 2012 Scion iQ will be priced from $15,995 (including destination charges) when it hits U.S. showrooms this fall. Scion says the iQ’s U.S. launch, which has been postponed on numerous occasions due to various issues including the March 11 quake in Japan, will hit the West Coast first in October, followed by southern states in January, then the East Coast and, finally, the Midwest.

In typical Scion fashion, base models are well equipped and there are few options. The mid-level stereo includes Pandora integration, and an up-level version will be available with navigation. As with all Scions, loads of accessories (i.e. springs, body kits and wheels) will be available for the iQ.

For comparison, the iQ’s $15,995 price tag means that it’s slightly more expensive than both the $15,500 Fiat 500 and the $14,730 Mazda2, both of which off significantly greater utility. And with fuel economy ratings of 36 mpg in the city, 37 on the highway and 37 mpg combined, it’s not the fuel miser something of its size might suggest. Full details in the press blast after the break.

Continue reading 2012 Scion iQ priced from $15,995*

2012 Scion iQ priced from $15,995*