Want to and get the first available production model of one of the most eagerly-awaited vehicles of the decade? You can, if you’re willing to bid some money to help the Detroit Public Schools – more specifically the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, which supports math and science education.
The “first Chevrolet Volt available for retail sale” will be auctioned on through 6 p.m. (EST?) December 14, with the winner announced on December 16. The actual first retail Volt will be kept by , so the auction car will have a vehicle identification number ending in BU100002. The car includes the Light Neutral interior with dark accents, has the Premium Trim Package, Rear Camera and Park Assist Package and polished wheels. The auction starts at $50,000 and comes with a 240-volt charging station installed in the winner’s home. No word on whether of not winning the auction still qualifies you for the $7,500 federal tax credit.
As you might expect, GM is highlighting the connection between all of the advanced technology in the Volt and the math and science needed to create it. General Motors North America president Mark Reuss said in a statement that, “By encouraging Detroit-area students to pursue these topics, we hope to cultivate the next generation of engineers who will build upon the Volt’s innovative technologies.” To this end, GM will also hire 1,000 engineers and researchers in Michigan within the next two years. You can , but before you go anywhere, check out an official time-lapse build video of the first Chevy Volt after the jump.
2011 Honda Insight – Click above for high-res image gallery
The slow-selling hasn’t exactly stolen any of the ‘ thunder since its introduction last year, and with new green cars like the and ready to join the battle, the future of Honda’s hybrid hatch doesn’t look too bright. Still, the Japanese automaker has given the Insight a host of improvements for the 2011 model year, including a new base model that retails for $18,950 (including the $750 destination charge).
So, what do you losegain with the base Insight? For starters, a downgraded stereo system is on hand, with a single CD player and two – yes, two – speakers. Audiophiles need not apply. Remote entry is standard on the base Insight, but if you want amenities like cruise control, a USB audio interface, center armrest and floor mats, you’ll need to opt for the mid-grade LX trim. In other words, the new price leader is something of a municipal and fleet special. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the pricier EX now comes standard with steering wheel-mounted audio controls and can be optioned with navigation.
The Insight’s 1.3-liter inline-four with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist carries over largely unchanged, with fuel economy rated at 40/43 miles per gallon, city/highway. 2011 Insight models are arriving at Honda dealers as you read this, and for the full details on what’s new, for Honda’s press release.
2010 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford has yet to officially announce the 2012 Mustang Cobra Jet, but the full details on the car are apparently now available thanks to a Puerto Rican Ford dealer that published the specifications early on their website. The car, named after the legendary Cobra Jet drag racers of the late 1960s, was relaunched in 2008 at the SEMA show and revised in 2010 (pictured above).
Now Ford Racing is updating the car once again with a slew of new upgrades and options. The 2012 Cobra Jet will come standard with an aluminum block (previously an option) and the 5.4-liter V8 now also boasts a fortified crankshaft and upgraded forged connecting rods. The rear suspension and brakes have also been improved, and springs rates both front and rear have been optimized. New black anodized Weld Racing wheels are wrapped with Cobra Jet branded Goodyear tires with an all new compound. Finally, three colors will be offered – red, white and blue – with an optional graphics package.
Hit the jump for the full list of specs and features for the 2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet.
Cadillac ULC – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to Autocar, may have a burning desire to lock horns with . The site quotes designer Niki Smart as saying that the time is right for The Wreath and Crest to build a model akin to the company’s Urban Luxury Concept that we saw at this month’s LA Auto Show. His reasoning? The company needs metal that’s more appealing to European buyers than what’s available in the current lineup. That means a heavier focus on small, hatchback designs that still retain the premium Cadillac aesthetic. Smart seems to think that translates into a fighter.
With its scissor doors and 78 mpg hybrid drivetrain, the Urban Luxury Concept isn’t any closer to production than the now-iconic Sixteen Concept of years past. Even so, Smart told Autocar that GM’s Advanced Design Studio has looked into ways to make the vehicle production ready, funky doors and all. While we aren’t exactly wild about the design of the ULC, the thought of a flingable Cadillac with a V on its hatch is certainly a notion worth mulling.
A Rasmussen Reports poll fielded in November – before General Motors’ IPO – finds a rise in the preference of “American-built” vehicles, as well as a willingness to accept U.S.-built and products as the same as buying an “American” product.
Forty-one percent of respondents said they look for an “American-built” car first when they’re in the market for a vehicle. That sentiment is attributed by many analysts and researchers to a sense that people are showing more and more sentiment for “buying local.” That’s just a few points below the 44 percent who said they look for “the best possible deal regardless of where it was manufactured” while just 12 percent said they look first for a foreign-built car.
The sentiment favoring American-built car brands has risen quite a bit since Rasmussen conducted a similar poll in June 2008 when just 32 percent said they looked for an American brand first.
Good news for foreign owned automakers building vehicles in the U.S. Forty-one percent of respondents said they viewed buying a foreign brand of car that’s manufactured in the U.S. as “the same as buying an ‘American’ product” meaning those people believe a Mexican-built is just as American as an Ohio-built . Forty-two percent, however, dissented from that notion while the rest were unsure.
The poll also found 59 percent saying they “consider just the Detroit Big Three – , and – to be American car companies.”
Fifty-four percent of Americans said they are less likely to buy a GM car because the federal government is/was the automaker’s majority owner. Still, in a separate survey in early June, 48 percent of those who planned to buy a new or used car in the next year said they are at least somewhat likely to buy either a Ford or a vehicle made by GM. Those findings included 20 percent who were ‘Very Likely’ to buy a Ford and 26 percent ‘Very Likely’ to buy a GM product instead.
Why The Most Anticipated Driving Game Ever Is Not A Must Buy
Gran Turismo 5: Review – Click above for high-res image gallery
1,000 cars. Hundreds of events. 71 track variations. Six years in development. There are lots of numbers to throw around and lots of numbers behind the latest release of Gran Turismo, the version that fans of the franchise have been aching for while suffering through delay after delay. Gran Turismo 5 is finally here, and in plenty of ways it’s the best installment that the storied franchise has seen to date.
However, it’s also the least polished release, least complete feeling and seemingly the buggiest – yes, even worse than the infamously rushed Gran Turismo 2. It’s a frustrating mix of amazing content and glaring shortcomings that will leave even the most devout GT fanboys and girls with mixed feelings. But, of course, the full story is rather more complicated than that. So let’s get to it…
2012 Audi A6 leaked images – Click above for high-res image gallery
It would seem that, despite ’s best efforts to hold back the floodwaters while teasing its fans with some rather , you appear to be looking at the German automaker’s new sedan thanks to the folks at . You’re forgiven if you have to squint a bit to notice the changes, but this is, in fact, a pretty thorough (if conservative) reworking of Audi’s middle child.
We’re digging the stylish front and rear LED lighting treatments, and the interior predictably appears to be a thing of beauty. We can’t yet say for certain what sort of powerplant options Audi will bestow upon the 2012 A6, but the car in these photos has a six-cylinder turbo diesel. Globally, we’re counting on a full slate of gasoline and diesel engines along with optional Quattro all-wheel drive, while in the States we’re likely to get a couple of petrol engines, a single TDI option and standard AWD.
The whole kit n’ kaboodle is slated for an official web unveiling tomorrow, so we should know all the details soon enough. In the meantime, check out the high-res image gallery below and let your voice be heard in the ‘Comments.’
New Stratos GT2 by Amalgam – Click above for high-res image gallery
If you’re looking for the bragging rights with four wheels, getting your hands on any of a number of exotic supercars – most of them hailing from Italy – will undoubtedly do the trick. But if every kid on the block already has one, you’ll need to go with a coachbuilt custom. Still not enough bragging rights? Then a racing version is in order.
That’s what Jim Glickenhaus did with his custom Ferrari P4/5, commissioning a second Competition model to follow the road car. Now Michael Stotschek is following the same route with his new take on Lancia’s fabled Stratos. The Pininfarina-designed New Stratos road car just made its debut at France’s Paul Richard HTTT circuit, and already reports of a racing version are popping up online.
While the original Stratos cut its teeth on the rally stage, the new model is reportedly being prepared for circuit racing in accordance with GT2 specifications. The work is reportedly being carried out by Danisi Engineering, which has previously worked with the likes of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Iveco and Pininfarina on a variety of racing machinery, from touring cars to Dakar trucks.
Few details are available at this point, but high-end model studio Amalgam has already got a 1:8 scale diecast model on its way, and as you can see from the images in the gallery below, some serious aero modifications are apparently in the works for the racing Stratos. Thanks for the tip, Chris!
Ding! There goes the charming little reminder that your car is getting low on fuel, as most new cars come straight from the factory with an audible reminder that it’s time to fill up. No big deal, right? Just takes a quick second to remember which side the filler is on, then you get out, unscrew the cap and insert the nozzle. Fill ‘er up… couldn’t be easier.
Unless you live in New Jersey or Oregon, notesThe Wall Street Journal, where it’s still illegal to pump your own gas. According to Bikram Gill, a businessman who bought up 26 gas stations in New Jersey, “Any idiot can do it.” We know for a fact that there are idiots in all 50 states, and in 48 of them, those idiots are free to handle the somewhat volatile fuel themselves. In 1951, though, the Supreme Court of New Jersey decided it was too dangerous to allow just anyone to pump gas, suggesting that the process of refueling is best left to the professionals.
Predictably, there have been attempts to change the law. In 1988, a judge issued a ruling that it was unconstitutional to disallow Americans the right to pump their own gas, but it was later overturned by a court of appeals. And again in 2006, governor John Corzine attempted to put self-service stations along the Turnpike, but the voting public said ‘No Thanks.’
And so it remains illegal to pump your own gas in Jersey. Of course, the next time it’s raining or snowing or sleeting and you need to fill up, something tells us you’ll understand…
2011 Honda Brio – Click above for high-res image gallery
has pulled the sheets off of its new small-car prototype at this year’s Thailand International Motor Show. Called the Brio, the vehicle is slated to hit the market in India and Thailand in 2011. Honda says that it intends to develop unique models for various markets, noting that the Thai version will be more efficient than its Indian counterpart. Likewise, the Indian market Brio will come with a bigger focus on driving performance to suit customer demands. As of right now, there’s no indication as to what engine powers the Brio, but early reports lean heavily toward the company’s 1.2-liter four-cylinder mill.
The Brio should help Honda tap into the growing consumer interest in economical small cars in Asia. The Japanese automaker says that the Thai version will carry an MSRP of around 400,000 baht, or around $13,200 at current conversion rates.
Still, competition at that level is fierce. Honda can expect to square off against metal from , and just to name a few. to watch a video and to check out the full press release.
2009 Land Rover LR2 HSE – Click above for high-res image gallery
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that all models built between November 12, 2009 and August 23, 2010 are being recalled. We can’t really describe the issue any better than NHTSA, so here’s the official statement:
The shorting bar in the clock spring may become disconnected when the driver’s air bag module connector is installed, which means the driver’s frontal airbag may not deploy as intended or at all and therefore will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injury.
Naturally, the fix will be performed at the owner’s local dealership at no charge. Hit the jump for the entire statement from NHTSA.
Gallery:
Photos copyright (C)2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.
2010 Race of Champions – click above for high-res image gallery
Düsseldorf’s Esprit Arena hosted this year’s Race of Champions, making it the first time the event has been held in Germany and the first time it’s been held indoors. The 1.2 kilometer track, consisting of an outside and an inside loop, would play host to one of the finest collections of motorsport champions ever assembled: Formula One World Champions Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, 500cc motorcycle World Champion Mick Doohan, Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx and British Touring Car champ Jason Plato. However, it was a rookie from a country not known for its motorsports that took the fight to all of them and walked away with the belt. for our detailed recap.
Pininfarina Lancia Stratos – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s a shame the Pininfarina Stratos probably won’t see widespread production. The car is hewn straight from the naughtiest of our automotive dreams, and with some of its aluminum bones borrowed from the Ferrari 430 Scuderia it promises to be as fun to fling as anything with four wheels. The crew at EVO was lucky enough to weasel their way behind the wheel of the lovely one-off, becoming the first journalists to do so in the process. That sound? It’s the noise our boundless jealousy makes when agitated.
EVO was able to take the car out for a couple of hot laps around Circuit Paul Ricard, and the verdict is that, as you might expect, the car is plenty nimble and just as quick. There is some indication that the vehicle’s short wheelbase would likely make for some hair-raising antics at higher speeds, though. EVO even goes so far as to say that the vehicle has a completely different personality compared to its Prancing Horse donor. Even better, there may be a very small production run in the vehicle’s future.
According to reports, a ring of 18 workers at ’s plant in Munich have been stealing from the German automaker for years. It seems the individuals would stop the lines for fake quality control checks and make off with the goods to be sold on the open market. The most lucrative business reportedly centered around reselling seats through internet auctions.
BMW’s own internal investigators discovered the thievery – but not until €3 million in goods ($4 million) was stolen – and reported the matter to local authorities. At least three ex-employees are currently in custody. Thanks for the tip, Gregg!
and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration have announced that the Swedish automaker will recall some 6,046 vehicles from the 2011 model year due to a possible flaw in the engine control module. According to NHTSA, a fuel shut-off parameter in the software is too sensitive, and under certain conditions, the engine may stall. Volvo is concerned that the problem may lead to an accident. A total of four models are covered in the recall, including the 2011 and sedans along with the and softroaders.
Volvo is scheduled to begin the recall on or before December 10, and owners will have their vehicle’s software updated free of charge to fix the problem. Concerned drivers may contact Volvo directly at 1.800.458.1552 or at.
2010 Chevrolet Spark – Click above for high-res image gallery
is considering the introduction of continuously variable transmissions in its next round of small cars in an effort to improve fuel efficiency. According to a report from Automotive News, the is being considered for CVT application, as well as Bowtie’s smaller and compacts.
In speaking with AN, Sohn Dongyoun, GM’s vice president of engineering at , says that CVTs offer an easy, quick fix in order to help improve fuel mileage. Dongyoun says that GM will need to improve the fuel economy on its small cars by at least 10 percent in their respective next generations.
This will not be GM’s first application of CVTs. In the early 2000s, the automaker used CVTs in the coupe and crossover, as well as the hatchback overseas. This CVT was not well received, however, and was discontinued at the end of the 2005 model year. Currently, no word has been given as to whether or this GM’s new CVT would be developed in-house, or when we might see the first applications being offered.
Audi TT GT4 Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
Heads up, weekend racers: has officially pulled back the sheets on its GT4 Concept. Designed to be the next logical step in the company’s customer sports program, the racer will supposedly bring a relatively low price tag to the table when it arrives as a production model in 2012, but for the moment, it’s been confined to some demo laps at Shanghai’s DTM over the weekend with racer Frank Biela behind the wheel.
The racer comes complete with a 340-horsepower TFSI engine back by the company’s S-Tronic DSG gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Buyers will also find a set of adjustable dampers on hand for improved tuning, as well as carbon fiber reinforced plastic skins on the doors, hood and trunk lid.
How much will you be asked to pay for the privilege of owning such a piece of machinery? Chances of this vehicle making it to the States seem pretty slim, but Audi says that European buyers can look to fork over around €120,000 (around $157k USD). That’s probably a small bargain in the world of privateer ready-to-race cars, but it also goes some way toward reinforcing that people have a slightly different definitions of “affordable.” Check out the official press release after the jump and our high-res gallery below.
Buick GL8 – Click above for high-res image gallery
has released an all-new version of its popular GL8 in China. Developed by Shanghai , the executive people-mover wears a freshly redesigned exterior with sculpted body lines and a new front fascia. Inside, GM has thrown the luxury book at the van with tricks like blue ambient lighting, a 10-speaker sound system and two-tone leather seats. An attractive seven-inch touch dominates the dash, though it looks like Buick has managed to hold on to the excessive amount of buttons on the center stack that have become the brand’s trademark as of late. Rear passengers, meanwhile, get the benefit of a 10.2-inch HD display for movies and the like.
Under the hood, GM has fitted a 3.0-liter V6 as the GX8 flagship mill, though a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is also available for the fuel-conscious buyers of the People’s Republic. A six-speed automatic gearbox takes care of cog-swapping duties. for the full press release after checking out the gallery below.
2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe Prototype – Click above for high-res image gallery
There’s a well-worn automotive axiom that plays out many different ways: The amount of money you spend is proportional to how fast you go. You want more speed? You spend more money.
If you’ve priced a these days, you see the principle at work. Back in the old days (1987), a U.S.-spec M3 boasted a 195-horsepower four-cylinder engine and did 0-60 miles per hour in about 6.7 seconds on its leisurely way to a 143-mph top speed – all for just over $30,000. Today, the least expensive 414-horsepower V8 M3 will set you back $58,400… as it should. In every conceivable performance metric, the new M3 trounces the old, with its 4.6-second 0-60 mph run, supercar mid-range and electronically-limited 155-mph top end.
This reality left enthusiasts wishing would offer something a little less speedy for a commensurate drop in MSRP. Seeing the opportunity with its 2012 , BMW will soon show us how much speed around $45,000 will buy at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. But to tide you over until then, come with us for a ride in a BMW 1 Series M Coupe prototype.
2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery
At the start of November, the 41 contenders for the 2011 award . Today, for the first time ever, Europe’s most coveted automotive award went to vehicle that that relies upon electrical juice flowing from its lithium-ion battery pack as its sole source of motivation. That battery-powered vehicle, the , marks the automaker’s first win since the took home the award way back in 1993. Head juror Hakan Matson proclaims that the Leaf is “a breakthrough for electric cars” and that it “is the first electric vehicle that can match conventional cars in many respects.” chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn accepted the honor and responded with:
This award recognises the pioneering zero-emission Nissan Leaf as competitive to conventional cars in terms of safety, performance, spaciousness and handling. It also reflects Nissan’s standing as an innovative and exciting brand with a clear vision of the future of transportation, which we call sustainable mobility.
The Leaf faced strong competition from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Citroën C3/DS3, Dacia Duster, C-Max, Opel/Vauxhall Meriva and /V60. Early predictions by some of the motoring press suggested that the pair of models from Citroën or perhaps even the lone Alfa Romeo vehicle would capture the award, but that’s not how the jury of 57 automotive journalists ended up seeing it, and the electric Nissan Leaf grabbed the top spot. Last year, the snatched the Car of the Year title away from second-place finisher, the . In 2009, the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia just beat out the for the honor.
The Leaf also recently won from the UK’s TheGreenCarWebsite and was named . Hat tip to Matt!
