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Sure, the Aston Martin V12 Zagato may have won top honors upon its unveiling at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. But it’s not just a pretty face. Aston Martin is keen to highlight that point, taking the V12 Zagato straight from the shores of Lake Como to the tarmac of the Nürburgring.

The racing version of the show car has already had two outings on the Ring in the past month or so, but those campaigns were merely in preparation for what’s in store this weekend, when a pair of Zagatos – dubbed “Zig” and “Zag” – will take on the grueling ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours.

A red example (Zag) will be piloted by the company’s CEO and Nürburgring test center director along with a pair of European automotive journalists, joining the previously-seen green car (Zig) driven by one of Aston’s top engineers, a pair of experienced race car drivers and another British fourth-estatesman. Both can be seen in the video after the jump.

We’re not clear on where that leaves the rather more attractive white and red livery depicted in the high-resolution photographs, then, but that shouldn’t stop you from checking it out in the gallery, along with the full press release after the jump.

Continue reading Aston Martin V12 Zagato returns for ultimate showdown at the Nürburgring [w/video]

Aston Martin V12 Zagato returns for ultimate showdown at the Nürburgring [w/video]

Pixar Picks Our Obsession For A Rare Sequel

I saw an advanced screening of CARS 2 last weekend with my friend Chris and his four-year-old son Noah. This was the little guy’s first time seeing a movie in a theater, and his father told me it was all he could talk about in the days leading up to our play date.

“Are you excited to see the movie, Noah?” I asked as we pulled out of their driveway at 9:00 AM, a time that I considered obnoxiously early to be heading out for a movie, but Noah was already on hour four of being awake. He screamed an affirmative back at me from his car seat, to which I quickly replied, “Bet you’re not as excited as me!” This is how I interact with kids: one-upping them.

His dad piped up then, “Are you wearing CARS underwear?” Damn.

And that right there is the amazing thing about the CARS franchise: It’s equally appealing to four-year-olds and forty-year-olds. Oh, and anything emblazoned with its V-shaped hood ornament logo or the likes of its lead character Lightning McQueen will sell by the truck load, including Underoos.

That morning I knew it wasn’t going to be a question of whether or not Noah and I liked CARS 2, but rather did we like it like it or totally love it, and would that affection eventually blossom into the purchase of branded undergarments.

Continue reading CARS 2

CARS 2

We’ve seen some pretty extreme brand loyalty over the years. Plenty of die-hard folk stroll into a tattoo parlor and walk out with their favorite make inked into their skin, but it takes something completely different to have your home’s swimming pool crafted after an automaker’s logo. That’s exactly what this Missouri homeowner did, and if you’ve got a penchant for Chevrolet and a cool $6.8 million lying around, you could call the property your very own. The single-family, 18-room dwelling sits on 20 acres, boasts a tennis court, a gazebo and a carriage house in addition to the Bowtie pool.

Rumor has it that the house was owned by local Chevrolet dealer Johnny Landoff, which helps explain the preference in pool design. Head over to the Coldwell Banker site to check out a few photos of the house and property for yourself. If you like what you see, pack up your bags and head to Ladue, Missouri. Thanks for the tip, Jeremy!

Bowtie pool shows off homeowner’s love of Chevrolet

Chrysler has announced that the company’s line of heavy-duty pickups will be available with a new six-speed automatic transmission for the 2012 model year.

The Ram Truck 2500 and 3500 HD models will boast the six-cog automatic along with an available 6.7-liter Cummins High Output Turbo Diesel engine with a whopping 800 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm and 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm. In 3500 trim, the combo offers a towing capacity of up to 22,750 pounds when equipped with an optional Max Tow package. Even more impressive, the Cummins oil burner manages to meet EPA emissions standards without the aggravation of having to use Diesel Exhaust Fluid.

There’s no word on what kind of fuel economy the new gearbox will bring to the big-bad Ram models or how much the six-speed automatic gearbox will set you back when it comes time to order your next pickup. We’re guessing those details will drop as we get closer to 2012. In the meantime, hit the jump to check out the full press release for yourself.

Continue reading Ram HD trucks get new six-speed automatic transmission

Ram HD trucks get new six-speed automatic transmission

There’s a new BMW 6 Series out there. The new M5 has been released. You know what that means, boys and girls: that’s right, a new M6.

Now we’ve already seen spy shots of both the upcoming M6 coupe and convertible, but this is our best look at it yet, bearing even less camouflage than before. The overall shape, of course, is no big surprise, as it follows the more standard 6 Series, although these latest shots appear to display a new taillight treatment that moves the auxiliary light strip from the bumper up to the rear panel.

The powertrain, meanwhile, is expected to be lifted directly out of the new M5 – all 560 horsepower, eight cylinders and twin turbos of it. Couple that with more aggressive aero, upsized rolling stock and the requisite chassis mods and you’ve got a winning package.

With this much of the car revealed to our prying eyes, we can expect the new M6 to drop in short order – which is also what we expect it to make of any road you can throw at it.

BMW M6 coupe shows off a little more skin

While Jaguar readies a slate of new vehicles to broaden its product portfolio, it’s doing a Bentley-esque job of making the most of the vehicles it currently has. If there’s any surprise in the XK getting more new outfits than a Ken doll, it’s that we didn’t realize there was so much that could be done with it.

Donning its latest new costume, the XK is transformed – via the XKR – into the XKR-S. The fastest and most powerful U.S. legal road car Jaguar has ever made, the brief was to create a coupe that could be hellacious around a track yet remain gracious around town. Our question was whether the XK’s six-year-old underpinnings could carry that kind of load, or whether the platform is approaching a point at which cracks would begin to show? It was to the bright white daylight of Portugal for the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve and the roads around Portimao and Faro that we went for our answer…

Continue reading 2012 Jaguar XKR-S [w/video]

2012 Jaguar XKR-S [w/video]

The Chevrolet Sonic is set to being production in August, but Automotive News reports that a supplier issue could affect the launch’s timing. LINC Logistics Co., which employs about 125 workers at the Orion assembly plant that will build the Sonic, is struggling to come to an agreement with employees at the facility. The LINC workers recently agreed to join the United Auto Workers, and now the blue collar bunch is looking for more money than the reported average of about $10 per hour. UAW workers employed by General Motors commonly make between $14 and $28 per hour.

Since the UAW and LINC have yet to agree to a contract, the workers on Wednesday took a strike authorization vote. If the vote passes, the workers – who perform logistics and parts sequencing duties – could potentially disrupt production.

While a strike would most certainly be an unwelcome turn of events for The General, AN reports that GM spokesperson Kim Carpenter says the automaker doesn’t anticipate that the issue will affect the Sonic launch.

UPDATE: According to a new report from Automotive News, Orion Assembly Plant workers voted to authorize a strike, meaning union leaders can call for a work stoppage during negotiations. Of the 88 workers who voted, 98 percent of them were in favor of authorizing a strike. GM spokeswoman Kim Carpenter says that the automaker still does not expect this strike to affect the Sonic launch.

Supplier strike could potentially affect Chevy Sonic launch [UPDATE]

The Chevrolet Sonic is set to being production in August, but Automotive News reports that a supplier issue could affect the launch’s timing. LINC Logistics Co., which employs about 125 workers at the Orion assembly plant that will build the Sonic, is struggling to come to an agreement with employees at the facility. The LINC workers recently agreed to join the United Auto Workers, and now the blue collar bunch is looking for more money than the reported average of about $10 per hour. UAW workers employed by General Motors commonly make between $14 and $28 per hour.

Since the UAW and LINC have yet to agree to a contract, the workers on Wednesday took a strike authorization vote. If the vote passes, the workers – who perform logistics and parts sequencing duties – could potentially disrupt production.

While a strike would most certainly be an unwelcome turn of events for The General, AN reports that GM spokesperson Kim Carpenter says the automaker doesn’t anticipate that the issue will affect the Sonic launch.

Supplier strike could potentially affect Chevy Sonic launch

We’re used to seeing chassis numbers on collector cars go on for several digits. But not this one. This one is chassis number 3. That’s it. And that’s because this is the oldest production Bentley in existence.

Following EXP 1 and EXP 2 – the former of which is no longer with us, the latter kept in Bentley’s corporate collection – this 1921 Bentley 3-Litre was the first production model to leave the factory. And it’s in immaculate condition, despite having been raced through much of its life. In fact, while Bentley’s own EXP 2 has had many parts replaced by now, Chassis No. 3 here is all original, down to the aluminum coachwork, brass brightwork, engine and gearbox.

This extremely rare example of automotive history is going up on the auction block at Pebble Beach in August under the auspices of Gooding & Company, along with an exceptional motorcycle we’ll be bringing you shortly. So stay tuned and don’t forget to check out the high-resolution images in the gallery for a closer look.

Continue reading World’s oldest Bentley up for auction

World’s oldest Bentley up for auction

There are a great many things that Lotus does well. The company’s own sports cars are some of the best-handling machines money can buy, and Lotus also performs magic on other automakers’ chassis on a consultational basis. Turns out, it lays out some pretty serious race tracks, too.

The Top Gear test track, for one, was designed by Lotus. And now the Hethel-based automaker has built its own on-site test track.

Not unlike the Nürburgring, the 2.2-mile circuit is split into two loops: the 1.3-mile north loop with two long straights connected by a hairpin, and the 0.8-mile south loop, packed with curves and elevation changes named after famous racing drivers who’ve piloted for Lotus. There’s also a skid pad near the center, and a pit lane complex with 12 two-car garages.

The kicker, though, is that the circuit is fully FIA-certified, meaning that it’s capable of hosting a wide variety of races on premises, from GT racing to F1 test sessions. The facility’s proximity to the Snetterton circuit, however, might limit those prospects. Check out the layout and shots of the track in the high-res image gallery.

Lotus opens new on-site test track

The day is almost upon us when Volkswagen will unleash the ferocious Golf24 on the Green Hell. The hatchback endurance racer, which helps celebrate the GTI’s 35 anniversary, was first revealed back in February, and is finally set to take on the Nürburgring race this weekend.

As you may recall, the Golf24 packs the turbocharged five-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive of the Audi TT RS, but tuned up to 450 horsepower and nearly 400 pound-feet of torque with a six-speed sequential gearbox, all mounted underneath some heavily revised competition-spec sheetmetal.

Volkswagen has lined up a star-studded roster of drivers to pilot the three cars around the clock, including former F1 drivers Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell, as well as Ringmeisters Peter Terting and Patrick Simon. The company’s three-time Dakar winners Nasser Al-Attiyah, Carlos Sainz and Giniel de Villiers will also be making their Nürburgring debut, piloting one of two CNG-fueled 330-hp Sciroccos at the event.

Follow the jump for the latest press release, and scope out the images in the thoroughly updated high-res gallery for a closer look.

Continue reading Volkswagen Golf24 gears up for race debut at the Nürburgring

Volkswagen Golf24 gears up for race debut at the Nürburgring

The 89th-annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb kicked things off early today with the first practice runs on the mountain. We’ll be following the Unlimited Class, whose drivers will be contesting for the overall victory and the elusive ten-minute mark, and this morning they took on the middle portion of the course for the first of three practice sessions. This section is completely paved, but is one of the most difficult due to the high number of sharp switchbacks and extreme elevation change. It also makes for some picturesque views, as evidenced by the photos in the included image gallery.

Things are looking promising for the main contenders, particularly with Rhys Millen who looked incredibly fast and didn’t seem to be suffering any of the problems that he dealt with last year. “I think we just went about a second and a half faster than last year [in the section], and overall I’m really happy,” he told us. “We still have some oddities with the shift linkage, but it’s our first time trying the manual shifter this year. Other than that the car is rock solid and I’m really happy.”

Paul Dallenbach was also extremely happy with his new twin-turbo engine courtesy of Banks Power. “The new engine is great,” he said. “With the two turbos on there I’m not lacking for any horsepower.” We did notice he seemed to be struggling for traction, and we asked him if he had perhaps overdone it with more than 1,300 horsepower on tap. “I don’t want to say too much power because I’ve been up here for so many years with not enough,” he joked. “So, no, I don’t think there’s too much power.”

The other big story of the day was the return of Rod Millen to Pikes Peak, who raced on the mountain for the first time in more than a decade. He seemed to be enjoying driving Rhys’ Hyundai Genesis drift car and looks to be the man to beat in the 2WD Time Attack class. “It’s fun, I’m really enjoying it,” he said about driving the car. “Now I just have to keep the thing straight. I guess that its daily job is to drift.”

We’ll be bringing you more live coverage of the 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb throughout the rest of this week, so be sure to check back over the next few days for more reports and photos. Until then, browse through our photos of the first practice session in our high-res image gallery.

2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Practice Day 1 in the books

We just had seat time in a pre-production 208-horsepower Mini John Cooper Works Coupe on a little 0.7-mile Austrian circuit. By now you’ve all seen the 2012 Cooper Coupe officially revealed and they’re still popping up testing on public roads around the Nürburgring in slight camo mode.

Coincidence? Nay. This weekend – 25 and 26 June, 2011 – the 39th running of the wildly popular Nürburgring 24-hour race takes place. There will be 250,000 fans in attendance and they shall behold, among other things (barring the onset of beer goggles and thick barbecue smoke), this Mini John Cooper Works Coupe Endurance competing in the “SP 3T” class.

We were shown this wee beast in a secret tent off to the side during our recent Austria test, but now the truth can be told. This official factory effort by Mini Deutschland is Mini’s world premiere in 24-hour endurance racing. Here’s hoping it can handle the 14.2-mile Nürburgring-Nordschleife for a day in really fast traffic.

Click through the jump for more details and the official press release.

Continue reading Mini John Cooper Works Coupe Endurance takes on Nürburgring 24

Mini John Cooper Works Coupe Endurance takes on Nürburgring 24

Just what is a “world record” drift? That is the question posed by 2010 Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and many of his fellow professional drifters, following the announcement by Mercedes-Benz that it had set a new drifting record over this past weekend. According to the German automaker, Mauro Calo drifted a C63 AMG around a skidpad for 7,572 feet, topping Gittin’s original record of 6,285 feet set in December of 2008 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Impressive, but maybe not so much. Is circling a flat skidpad in a continuous loop until one of the tires blows considered drifting? Or, is real drifting a skill that requires a lot more talent?

Guinness World Records defines drifting as, “driving a car with rear slip angle that is greater to the front.” Vaughn Gittin, Jr., and fellow Formula Drift competitor Michael Essa, call that a “donut.” After watching the C63 circle the concrete pad for more than two minutes, Gittin was unimpressed. “There are about 60 drivers that show up to Formula Drift every month, as well as thousands of grassroots drifters, that can do giant donuts until the tires pop, as well.”

It is time for Guinness World Records to recognize the talent behind drifting, not the spectacle of a smoky donut. To put credibility back into the attempt, Gittin suggests redefining the record as, “drifting without intersecting your drift line.” This is the way Formula Drift operates, with competitors tossing their vehicles into turns at 100 mph and holding the car sideways throughout a challenging course. Most importantly, adds Gittin, “This result would be a record that took a lot of skill, balls, and wouldn’t put you to sleep watching the video of it.” We couldn’t agree more.

Vaughn Gittin, Jr., unimpressed with drifting “world record,” suggests raising the bar

Advertising here in the United States is rather tame compared to what the rest of the world sees. At a recent festival in Cannes, creative works from around the globe were shown, and one of the advertisers at the awards event was Brazilian agency Moma, a company that works with Kia. The Moma team cranked their creativity up a notch by producing an ad to display around the festival, and it’s the type of work that won’t be coming Stateside anytime soon.

Moma was looking for a unique way to highlight the dual-zone air conditioning found inside the Kia Sportage. A poster was created showing two very different climates of the same situation – the left being relatively mild, with the right being heated up a bit – and the result is both hilarious and creative. We found two examples of the campaign on IBelieveInAdv.com, and you can take a look at each in the gallery below.

Kia gets wickedly suggestive with children’s fairy tales for Sportage print ads

Toyota is set to pull the sheets back on a new convertible sports hybrid at this year’s Nurburgring 24-Hour endurance race. Co-developed by Gazoo Racing, the GRMN Hybrid Concept II is a slightly updated version of the concept that Toyota displayed at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon.

With its gasoline engine mounted mid-ship and a hybrid all-wheel-drive system, the GRMN should deliver drivers plenty of grip and excellent balance as well. Total combined output sits at 295 horsepower, with 245 ponies coming from the gasoline V6 and another 50 arriving via an electric motor. That motor supplies power to the two front wheels only.

The automaker says the machine weighs in at less than 3,300 lbs, though there’s no indication as to what sort of fuel economy to expect from the drop-head. So, when can you buy one? We wouldn’t hold our breath. With its wild looks and pricey all-wheel-drive system, it’ll be a cold day in Toyota City before the GRMN lands on dealer lots. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Toyota to reveal GRMN Hybrid concept at Nürburgring 24

Toyota to reveal GRMN Hybrid concept at Nürburgring 24

Autocar is reporting that Land Rover may be looking into super-sizing its new Evoque mini-crossover. Word has apparently come down from shadowy sources inside the company that indicates executives are looking to add a fourth model to the Land Rover line. If you believe what you read on the internet, that vehicle will slot between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport in terms of size and price (what this would mean for the LR2/Freelander, we’re not sure), but will likely be built on the bones of the smaller Rover. The creation even has a name; “Grand Evoque,” which sounds more than a little like a character pulled out of George Lucas’, um, mind.

Autocar indicates that the mooted Grand Evoque will even wear similar styling to its smaller forebearer. That includes making use of a traditional five-door design to allow for easy ingress and egress with coupe-like aesthetics. Autocar says that the motivation behind crafting a mid-sized CUV for the Land Rover line comes from the fact that American buyers are pumping cash into the segment at a blistering pace and that the Chinese market is similarly ripe for an explosion.

Land Rover to Biggie-size Evoque?

With production of the Veyron winding to a close, Bugatti is preparing to move on to the next big thing. That thing, as has oft been reported, is expected to be a production version of the Galibier concept sedan from last year. The latest reports, however, suggest that it won’t be called the Galibier when it hits exclusive showrooms, but rather revive the classic Royale nameplate.

The original Bugatti Royale was the very height of opulence, packing a 12.7-liter straight-eight into a 21-foot limousine. That’s bigger than a Rolls-Royce Phantom or a Ford F-450. Ettore Bugatti planned on marketing the vehicle to heads of state (hence the name), but when the Depression rolled around, sales projections plummeted and Bugatti only made six of them. The remaining 23 engines were used to power locomotives.

The Royale celebrated its 80th birthday in 2007 when five of the six examples in existence gathered for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. If the 800-horsepower, sixteen-cylinder Galibier were to be put into production as the Royale (with or without cheese elephant hood ornament) sometime next year, it would mark the original’s 85th anniversary. One way or another, we’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, you can check out the Galibier and the Royale reunion at Goodwood in our high-resolution image galleries.

Production Bugatti Galibier to revive Royale nameplate?

The big news surrounding the 2012 Buick LaCrosse is the addition of General Motors‘ eAssist technology – a new powertrain that will help the big sedan achieve up to 37 miles per gallon on the highway. Buick will offer the eAssist four-cylinder as the standard engine in the 2012 LaCrosse, but The General’s 3.6-liter V6 will be available as a no-cost option, and GM has now confirmed that the six-cylinder powerplant will get a boost in power versus the 2011 LaCrosse.

For 2012, the 3.6-liter direct-injected V6 will churn out 303 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque – an increase of 23 hp versus the 2011 model. However, this added power will not result in any loss of overall efficiency, with GM stating that the V6 LaCrosse’s 17/27 city/highway mile-per-gallon ratings will remain intact.

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse will start production this summer. For the full details on the V6’s power increase, follow the jump for GM’s official press blast.

Continue reading 2012 Buick LaCrosse gets more powerful 3.6L V6

2012 Buick LaCrosse gets more powerful 3.6L V6

You may think that adding an M Sport pack to the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is the equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig, but let’s be honest: BMW has to do something to broaden the 5GT’s appeal and try to boost sales. BMW had projected that it would sell between 4,000 and 8,000 of its Gran Turismo range annually in the United States. Yet in 2010, the company only managed to move 2,848. Ouch.

Our spy photographers caught this prototype of a 5 Series GT out in Germany, dressed up in what appears to be traditional M Sport kit. Notice the revised front fascia, larger M-style wheels, revised side skirts and ever-so-slightly touched-up rear bumper. Like all other M Sport models, don’t expect a boost in power output, and that’s just fine – one thing we’ve always enjoyed about the 550i model is its twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8.

Look for the 5 Series Gran Turismo M Sport to debut at this fall’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

BMW to dress up 5 Series Gran Turismo with M Sport package?