For a car that still hasn’t donned its new body yet, not even under copious camouflage, there’s been chatter about the 2014 Lexus IS for an awful long time. We saw 18 months ago, and it was about that time that intel predicted Lexus’ next-generation small sport sedan would run of the chassis and be .
The snappers at CarPix caught a modern mule out on test, the only change so far from 2010 being the panels obscuring the front intakes and a roll of packing tape applied to some panel gaps. The car we eventually see will continue the sportification of the Lexus brand in both appearance and capability. As well, the begat by this IS, having been planned for and developed from the beginning, should really show us what an M3-fighting Lexus can do.
Matt Ramsey from The Wall Street Journal claims that the next-generation will be ditching its ’60s-inspired retro styling. Citing people familiar with Ford’s plans who have seen the new Mustang, Ramsey claims the new model will look more like the and be a dead ringer for the that debuted at the last fall. The reason for abandoning the retro-inspired styling, says Ramsey, is Ford’s desire to appeal to Generation Y consumers – people born between 1980 and 1999.
It may very well be the case that the next Mustang, which Ramsey says will be a 2014 model (we suspect it will be labeled a 2015), will look a lot like the Evos concept, but we don’t buy some of the author’s reasoning for why the Stang’s retro look might be going away. He cites declining sales of certain retro-styled vehicles like the and Mustang itself, but having just experienced an economic recession, many models saw their sales decline during the past two years compared to prior peaks, not just ones with retro styling. In particular, he cites Volkswagen selling just 6,468 units of the New Beetle last year compared with over 81,000 in 2000, but last year was that generation’s final year of sales. It has been replaced with the all-new-but-equally-retro 2012 Beetle, sales of which are up 2,722 percent so far in 2012.
And as for the Mustang, after enjoying a competition-free pony car market from 2002-2010, it’s now sharing that segment’s sales with worthy competition from both and . Its sales are certainly below their peaks from last decade, but again, a recession and new competition where there was none before will do that.
So while we have no reason to argue against Ramsey’s claim about the next Mustang moving away from its retro roots, we’re not sure we buy his evidence for the reason behind it.
The Mercedes-Benz A25 AMG has disrobed almost completely compared to the . It makes minimal changes to the A-Class form, just a fiercer set of wheels and, under the last remaining camo, a brace of larger air intakes in front and a restyled diffuser in back. We’d also expect those oval pipe finishers to be swapped for trademark AMG quad pipes come production time.
The engine is what will make the real difference, with its 2.0-liter four-cylinder rumored to be rated as high as 350 horsepower and sending that glory to all four wheels through a dual-clutch gearbox. Those specs mean the A25 AMG is a shoo-in for heaps of comparos with the all-wheel drive, 340-horsepower Audi RS3, the driving prowess of the 256-horsepower and the . Check it out in our gallery of high-res spy photos.
If you thought was an odd choice, prepare to be properly shocked. has announced the company is once again heading out onto the nation’s tri-ovals, this time with the Focus Electric. The automaker claims the battery-powered hatchback will be the world’s first all-electric pace car when it leads the field at the Richmond 400 later this month. The public will get its first shot at seeing Focus Electric Pace Car on April 25, when Lt. Governor Bill Bolling drives the EV to Richmond International Raceway.
Earlier this year, Ford announced the Focus Electric will offer buyers a range of around 75 miles depending on driving conditions. We assume that figure will fall off precipitously at pace speed. With around 123 horsepower on hand, Ford has been that the company’s EV offers buyers more horsepower than the . Of course, at $39,200, it is also $4,000 more expensive.
The enthusiast world typically falls into two camps: those who love rat rods and those that loathe them. As with every corner of automotive world, not all rats are created equally, but we tend to find ourselves firmly rooted in the former camp more often than not. That’s especially true when we catch a glimpse of something as perfectly blasphemous as this BMW 2002. Crafted by the twisted minds at , the car actually started life as a running, driving round-taillight 2002 that owner John Lee had owned since high school.
During a slow day at the shop, Lee rolled the car in, busted out the plasma cutter and got to work with parts just collecting dust in the garage. After crafting a frame from spare tubing, the suspension went together using coilovers from a , a steering rack from a Cobalt SS and control arms from a derelict Panoz racer. While not originally a right-hand drive car, Lee swapped things around to accommodate the newer components. The rat Bimmer even uses a roof-mounted shifter for reasons that remain unclear.
APF keeps the lights on with Corvette modification and small-block conversions, so it’s no surprise power comes from an LS1 V8 bolted to a TH350 automatic gearbox. Throw in a set of custom fabbed headers and you have the beast above. to watch a quick video of the BMW 2002 rat rod coming to life for the first time (Warning: there’s some brief foul language), then head over to the for the full build thread.
In the past, many of us have been guilty of approaching the crossover segment with the same zeal a toddler typically reserves for mashed peas. Equal parts revulsion, befuddlement and betrayal have danced across our faces as we’ve struggled to comprehend why anyone would willingly put their hard-earned money towards a vehicle saddled with inherently poorer driving dynamics and fuel economy. As lovers of curve-conquering wagons and hatchbacks everywhere, throwing a couple of extra inches of ride height into the recipe has rarely done us any favors. Not surprisingly, we find ourselves in familiar territory once again: far removed from even the outskirts of popular opinion.
Last year, sold a dizzying 218,373 crossovers, and despite fuel prices determined to bend us over and give us something to cry about, other automakers have fleshed out their lines with a wide array of high-riding vehicles. boasts a total of five crossovers and SUVs in its stable, and it isn’t alone. With vehicles like the , and , offers buyers a total of seven different models that fit into the segment. The news doesn’t bode well for those of us who prefer a vehicle with superior handling mixed with the ability to haul people and cargo.
And there’s virtually no refuge in the suede-lined halls of our favorite luxury manufacturers, either. Brands from every corner of the globe are cashing in on the CUV/SUV craze with unabashed ferocity. So when the showed up in the driveway, we braced ourselves for a week of eating our vegetables, now fortified with doctor-recommended understeer and an extra helping of body roll. But this isn’t your typical CUV. With a 3.5-liter V6 pumping nearly 300 horsepower to the rear wheels and a lower-than-it-looks stance, this is a sport hatch masquerading in crossover clothing.
With the compact segment becoming ever more crowded, is getting aggressive with its new . , pricing on the Italian-bred sedan will start at $15,995 (*before a $795 delivery charge). That undercuts key rivals like the $16,800 , $16,500 , and $16,130 . You can still buy a sedan cheaper, but by only $40.
Above the base Dart are four more trim levels. However, even the $15,995 SE gets Dodge’s 160-hp, 2.0-liter Tigershark four-cylinder and a six-speed manual. Occupants get 10 airbags, a seats clad in “denim” cloth, power windows, LED taillights, a CD player with MP3 hookup and projector headlights.
Anyone living in warmer climates should definitely look at the SXT, though. An extra $2,000 gets the most-appreciated feature ever: air conditioning. We can’t imagine living without it, but not every competitor offers A/C on their base models. The SXT also adds 17-inch alloys, power door locks, keyless entry, split rear seat, a security system and upgraded sound system. Options include navigation (natch), backup camera, sunroof and a 506-watt sound system.
Go for the Rallye level for $18,995 if you want the Multiair turbocharged 1.4-liter engine that has more torque (184 pound-feet) but no additional horsepower. The force-fed powerplant is optional, but the Rallye’s sportier body trim and wider selection of interior colors are standard.
The $19,995 Limited level adds a seven-inch “reconfigurable instrument cluster display,” fog lamps, active grille shutters and premium accent stitching. Leather seats also become optional at this level.
At the top of the heap is the Dart R/T (shown above) starting at $22,495. In the third quarter of 2012, Dart buyers will be able to buy the R/T and get a 2.4-liter, Tigershark four-cylinder with 184 horses and 171 lb-ft yoked to either a six-speed manual or Autostick automatic. The R/T also comes with all the goodies on the Limited but adds 18-inch alloys, sport suspension, more aggressive front fascia, dual exhaust, unique seat leather and a heated steering wheel.
The first Dart shipments will hit dealers beginning in June.
Check out the press release after the jump for even more details.
The will soon arrive in dealerships, and it appears Ford has quite a few excited buyers waiting in the wings. The Detroit Free Press reports that already has about 8,000 pre-sales in-hand before buyers have even had the chance to drive the handsome crossover.
That’s good news for Ford for obvious reasons, but the new Escape is going to need all the sales it can muster. That’s because the current Escape, which dates all the way back to 2001, has been one of the most consistently hot-selling Ford vehicles ever made. For reference, Ford managed to sell in March – enough to make those 8,000 pre-sales seem like the first few drops in a very large, very important bucket. In fact, in 2012, the outgoing Escape is already ahead of its 2011 sales pace by nearly 3,000 units.
At this point, it’s difficult to project whether the new Escape will be able to surpass sales of the outgoing model, but we are pretty sure Ford will achieve . The departing CUV features a hoard of cash incentives, but the new model features pricey options and a top-of-the-line Titanium trim model that can crest $37,000 with options. Speaking of pricing, Ford has finalized the numbers and options on its Escape configurator since we , and you can check it out .
engineers have worked hard to get the emissions that come out of the tailpipe of the down to a low level, but that doesn’t mean everything is copacetic with the car’s exhaust system. To fix a known problem, Toyota has announced a service campaign for the Prius V, both in the U.S. and Japan.
TheWall Street Journal reports that the problem is with “weak actuators-control mechanisms” in the exhaust-heat-recovery systems that can end up leaking engine coolant, which will then force the car into a “safe” mode. Some second-gen, 2004-07 standard Prius models were affected by a similar problem in the past.
The new issue affects about 8,000 vehicles in Japan and 20,000 in North America. Prius V owners will get the problem fixed for free.
The first , an drove through the factory gates in Göthenburg around 10AM on April 14th, 1927. To celebrate 85 years of building its uniquely Swedish cars, Volvo President and CEO Stefan Jacoby recreated the moment along with Olof Persson, President and CEO of the Volvo Group (the truck-building Volvo).
From a modest start – Volvo only sold 300 cars in its first year – the company built its business by building solid trucks and buses that help earn the profits to support the car business that took off like wildfire with the eventual introduction of the PV444. Volvo Car Corporation and the Volvo Group are separate companies now, with China’s Geely owning the automotive side of the business, but they’ll be forever joined by that spring day in 1927. The press release .
The one point that Formula One racing’s detractors dwell on more than others is the monotony. How a gaggle of high-revving, state-of-the-art race cars speeding around circuits in some of the most exotic locales in the world could be considered monotonous, of course, would leave others scratching their heads, but that’s what the haters hate most. And not entirely without reason. After all, each championship season tends to be dominated by one driver or another.
2008 saw Lewis Hamilton of McLaren and Felipe Massa of battle it out for the title until the very last turn of the the very last lap of the very last race of the season, but for many years before and every year since it’s been utter domination: five years of Michael Schumacher, two of Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, Jenson Button in 2009 and two years of Sebastian Vettel that bring us up to the present.
The question on every race fan’s mind, then, is whether this year would again feature a single-team domination or whether we’d see another driver – or drivers – taking the lead. Heading out to Shanghai for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, only two races had already been decided, and each was won by a different man driving for a different team, and neither had won from pole. Would this round prove any different? Keep reading to find out.
Automakers aren’t the only ones who produce concept cars. So do design studios, contract manufacturers, racing teams and even component suppliers. Case in point: Alessi Fiberglass. Back in 1979, the company displayed a supercar concept called the AR-1 at the . The idea, it would seem, was to show off what they could do with fiberglass. Nobody ever expected they’d build it. And they didn’t. At least, not until now.
33 years later, Alessi has resurrected the AR-1, modernized it, and brought it to market. In place of the original show car’s Buick V6 is a mid-mounted, supercharged a 6.2-liter V8 making up to 600 horsepower. Not enough? Alessi also offers a twin-turbo version with 750 horsepower on tap.
The AR-1’s steel frame is covered with, of course, fiberglass bodywork. Pricing has not been revealed, and Alessi says it will build no more than 50 examples. In addition to the attached photo gallery, you can take a closer look in the video clip .
German aftermarket tuner Loder1899 tells us Horus was an Egyptian god, and says he was usually depicted as a falcon or a man with a falcon’s head. While we’re not seeing much that’s bird-like in this customized , a new front fascia with integrated fender flares and a similar treatment for the other end means the Evoque no longer looks like the baby of the clan. The vehicle in the photos is also fitted with optional gigantic 11×23-inch wheels shod with 315/35R23 Michelins and a lowered suspension. Without them, the conversion runs €3,032 – or about $4,000, including German taxes. Awful or awesome? Let us know what you think in the comments.
The just made its debut at the , and stuck there on its vaguely-Hofmeister-esque C-Pillar is a new version of the classic Impala mascot. The gracefully leaping African antelope is a little smoother and more rounded, but still the well-established icon it’s been since its 1958 introduction. It may seem a small detail, but changing a long-established bit of iconography is tricky. Designers must carefully balance any tweaking against recognizeability and consumer goodwill.
“We kept the stylized interpretation of the animal, and made the impala more muscular. We also added defined edges, to give the impala a sleek form and make it look like it was running fast” says Joan Kallio, lead creative designer for Chevrolet global badging, and the latest version of this chrome animal glyph is surely smoothed and stylized compared to the squiggly 1958 original. If the car is as successfully refined as its logo, the new Impala will do fine. Check out the press release after the jump.
So there’s good news and bad. First with the good: Subaru’s configurator has gone . As we’ve already reported, the base model including destination. Now with the bad: We hope you have fun with the configurator, Scooby fans, because that may be all you’ll have for quite some time. According to FT-86Club, demand for the has been so high that Japanese market deliveries have been delayed until January 2013.
While the report says it’s “unclear” whether this will affect the U.S.-market BRZ or its twin, with demand reportedly four times higher than parent Fuji Heavy Industries forecast, it’s a good bet that neither brand’s dealers will have a surfeit of cars.
There’s no doubting the driving talents of one Sebastian Vettel. He won his first grand prix when he was still with backmarker team Scuderia Toro Rosso, and went on to win back-to-back World Championship titles for Red Bull Racing. Heck, he’s even taken the Nations Cup at the Race of Champions with Michael Schumacher for the last five years running now. You might even call his skills the stuff of super heroes. But if it came down a bar fight, the grinning whiz kid wouldn’t exactly inspire fear. (Not like , anyway.) But his latest collaboration might stand to change that.
While in China for this coming weekend’s grand prix, the reigning World Champion met up with action star Celina Jade for a little kung fu lesson. They even shot a short film called Kung Fu Vettel: Drive of the Dragon that’s set to be released next month. And then they headed to the track so Vettel could return the favor.
The crossover is the first in a series of promotional events under the “Inspired Performers” banner, orchestrated by sponsor . What any of this has to do with luxury automobiles is beyond us, but it made for a decent photo and video op, as you can see from the gallery above and the video teaser .
You have to love the global auto industry. will be introducing a Chinese-built version of the American , a car that’s based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, at the on April 23. Dubbed “Viaggio,” production of the new sedan will launch in July, with sales commencing in China by the end of the year.
While Fiat isn’t saying whether the model will be exported from China, the Viaggio will be powered by Fiat’s 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. Two versions will be available, one making 120 hp and the other 150, with either a five-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. From the teaser images Fiat released, we can see that the car basically looks like a Dart with different front and rear fascias, which give it a somewhat less sporty look. As is Fiat’s way, some tasteful application of chrome makes the Viaggio seem like a more upscale product than the budget-oriented Dodge.
The Italian-American-Chinese mutt will be produced under Fiat’s partnership with Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group. GAC also has joint ventures with , , Isuzu, and (and formerly with Peugeot), giving us cause to wonder whether GAC employs more factory workers or lawyers.
Scroll down to read the full release and be sure to check out our .
Citroën has finally given the world a closer look at the company’s next DS design study. The French automaker is set to introduce the DS line to China this year, and the Numero 9 design study is set to mark the occasion. Citroën will officially unveil the concept at this month’s Beijing Auto Show, and the manufacturer says the low-slung hatchback’s design hints toward future products, namely a premium c-segment sedan, an SUV (read: crossover) and a larger D-segment four door. All we know is, it looks damn good.
The Numero 9 shooting brake is powered by a plug-inhybrid drivetrain that offers a 31-mile electric range and 295 horsepower. Not too shabby. for an artsy video of the concept as well as the full press release. Of course, you can also sink your teeth into the dizzying slew of photos in the gallery above.
So how’s this for a way to celebrate National Robotics Week? has dug up some photos and press releases from the late 1960s featuring “Freddie Ford,” a quasi-robot made out of auto parts that entertained crowds on the auto show circuit.
To our modern sensibilities, Freddie barely qualifies as an appliance, let alone an actual robot like Asimo from , MABEL from the University of Michigan, or Robonaut from General Motors and NASA. From reading the press releases, we gather that Freddie mainly responded to questions from the audience with corny answers that touted Ford’s products.
Question: “Are those oil pans really your feet?” Answer: “Yes, sir, these are 390 V-8 oil pans from the biggest V-8 that uses only regular gas.”
While Freddie is amusing enough, the real treasure here are the press releases from an era in which Ford could do no wrong. To read the casual mentions of the company’s victory at Le Mans with the GT40 and the launch of the original Cougar is a real treat.
for the vintage press releases and check out both the Freddie Ford photos in our .
General Motors has announced a recall of certain 2011 and , and models for wipers that may fail under heavy snow. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, snow or ice buildup may restrict the wiper movement, which may in turn lead to the wiper arm loosening from the vehicle. The ensuing reduced visibility could increase the risk of an accident. The recall only covers models currently registered in heavy snow states – about 50,000 units – including Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware and Idaho, among others. The full list may be found in the recall report .
GM is expected to begin notifying owners on Monday, April 16, and dealers will address the issue free of charge. In what sounds like one of the simpler and quicker recall fixes we can remember, dealer technicians will tighten the wiper arm nuts to prevent the wiper arms from becoming inoperable. Click for the full recall notice.
