Mopar 2011 Charger – Click above for high-res image gallery
In 2010, released the with a 500-unit production run. Chrysler tells us the gussied-up pony car was so popular with the die-hard faithful that the entire production run was sold out in three days.
Team Pentastar is looking to make similar headlines for 2011 with the official introduction of the . The sedan comes only in Pitch Black with a Mopar Blue stripe that stretches across the top of the entire body, and a rear spoiler is standard fare on this limited production model.
Inside, this special edition Charger features Mopar-branded Katzkin leather seats with contrasting Mopar Blue stitching that also appears on the steering wheel. The Mopar Charger also features the next-generation Pistol Grip combined with Auto Stick, which enables the driver to select a higher or lower gear while a transmission controller ensures that you’re not over-revving. Further differentiation comes courtesy of special instrument bezels and an identifying plaque on the instrument panel. The Mopar name again appears on the floor mats and door sills.
2012 OSCar eO – Click above for high-res image gallery
The covers more than 5,500 miles of rough terrain through some of the harshest conditions in South America. It’s hell on both machines and drivers, demanding reliability from high-strung engines and full focus from people running on very little sleep.
The strains are enough to kill even the stoutest internal combustion engines and make veteran drivers crack. Despite all that, Latvian race car builder OSCar has decided to tackle the race in an EV. Powered by a permanent magnet motor making between 180 and 315 kW with between 370 and 590 lb. ft. of torque, the OSCar eO is an electrified version of the company’s LS-powered e3.
The eO’s top speed is a slightly underwhelming 86 miles per hour, but OSCar says the top speed won’t be an issue since it won’t be competing against conventionally-fueled entries.
OSCar says the eO will have a small, -sourced gasoline engine serving as a generator to help it cover long distances, but propulsion will be 100 percent electric. Helping the generator charge the batteries will be a regenerative braking system. Without the generator’s help, OSCar expects the e0 to be good for about 190 miles under light strain, and roughly half that under pressure.
To make sure the EV makes it from one end of the rally to the other, OSCar is sending along a support truck and an gas-powered e3 to make sure the car makes it to the finish in one piece. Watch for the OSCar eO when the 2012 Dakar Rally kicks off on January 1. Check out the video and press release .
MINI John Cooper Works WRC – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s been a long time in the making, but after their participation some eight months ago and for nostalgia’s sake, and Prodrive have finally and officially launched their joint World Rally Championship effort at the Mini assembly plant in Oxford, England.
The team is starting off with a limited schedule in the WRC this year, where it will contest a number of rallies throughout the year, before taking on the likes of and Citroën – which have won every drivers’ and manufacturers’ championship in the WRC for the past seven years – for the full championship in 2012.
The S2000-spec rally car has already contested three lower-level regional rallies, winning the Rally dell’Adriatico in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship. 2009 IRC champion Kris Meeke and former Citroën WRC driver Dani Sordo will debut as Mini’s official works drivers at the Italian Rally in Sardegna next month.
We’ll be watching to see how they do, but for now you can to read the full press release, and check out the images of the WRC-spec car at its debut in Oxford and the S2000-spec machine being put through its paces during Rally Portugal in the galleries below.
Nobody remembers the 2010 , but just like that, the 2011 model may be the mainstream sedan to beat. While some consumers – the uninformed and brand-bigoted – might remain skeptical, the 2011 Kia Optima is the new benchmark. How could the Optima go from warmed-over also-ran to the segment’s latest front-runner?
Aston Martin Vantage GT3 – Click above for high-res image
It used to be that race cars were staggered: the GT1 and GT3 cars were based on the , while the GT2 and GT4 machines were based on the . But that was before the came into the production lineup, and before the company veered into top-tier LMP1 racing. And while the DBRS9 is still competitive in the GT3 class, Aston has opted to replace it with a new car based on the V12 Vantage.
The new Vantage GT3 packs a competition version of the dry-sump 6.0-liter V12 from the road car, mated to an Xtrac paddle-shift gearbox and race-honed ABS and traction control. Although exact specifications have yet to be finalized, Aston hopes to get the engine up to 600 horsepower and weight down to 1250 kg (2,755 pounds) by the time the car makes its debut in July, with ten customer cars set to be completed by the start of next season to gradually replace the 26 examples of the DBRS9 built to date. Press release after the jump.
2012 45th Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Camaro – Click above for high-res image gallery
has unveiled a special-edition to commemorate the pony car’s 45th anniversary. The 2012 model will feature a unique graphics package that includes a special red stripe and badging along with imposing 20-inch wheels. The vehicle’s lighting will also receive a few tweaks for the occasion, including dark-silver trim for the fog light and taillamp bezels. Inside, buyers will find a Jet Black leather interior with red, white and blue stitched seats adorned with a 45th anniversary logo. Special white gauges are nestled in the vehicle’s dash, as well.
That’s all well and good, but the biggest news is that 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 featured in the Camaro will now boast 323 horsepower – an 11 pony increase over last year. That nudge rather conveniently puts the V6 Camaro ahead of the V6-equipped at 305 horsepower.
In addition to the celebratory anniversary model, The General plans to introduce a new FE4 suspension package just for the SS Coupe. Along with re-tuned dampers on all four corners, the vehicle will now see a solid 23-mm stabilizer bar up front and a 24-mm bar out back along with 20-inch aluminum wheels.
Of course, if that’s not enough to wet your whistle, we probably don’t need to remind you that the epic ZL1 will also touch down next year. for the full press blast.
2012 Volkswagen Crafter – Click above for high-res image gallery
Big vans are the workhorses of countries like the UK, and is keen to take a bigger slice of that particular pie with its new Crafter. Unveiled this week at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the Birmingham NEC, the new van is an update on the previous model that was unveiled at the same expo five years ago.
The Crafter was co-developed with and is once again based on the Sprinter chassis, but the driveline (as well as the new front-end styling) are Volkswagen’s. The new range of engines are lighter, more fuel efficient, less polluting and altogether cheaper to run, allowing for increased payloads in the process.
Follow the jump for the full press releases, and click on the thumbnails below for high-resolution images.
Mini Inspired by Goodwood – Click either image for high-res gallery
While it may seem anathema to American tastes, in the Old World, bigger is not always better. Particularly if you live in a city laid out long before the advent of the automobile. But overseas buyers can still have extravagant tastes, so downsizing to a smaller vehicle to get around densely-packed cities shouldn’t necessarily equate to losing out on those little touches that make a high-end automobile what it is. Hence cars like the Ferrari edition Abarth 695, the , the Aston Martin Cygnet, and this: the .
A joint effort between the two subsidiaries of in England, the Insipired by Goodwood (named for the home of ) is set to be unveiled shortly at the Shanghai Motor Show. Mechanically, it’s essentially a , packing the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four with 181 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque (192 hp on overboost).
The exterior is distinguished by Diamond Black Metallic – a color straight from the Rolls-Royce catalog (or alternatively, Mini’s own Reef Blue Metallic) – with 17-inch multi-spoke alloys and the requisite special badging. But like a Disney character seeking access to a secret, lion-shaped desert cave, it’s what’s inside that counts: Rolls-Royce craftsmen have collaborated with the Mini Yours custom orders department to trim the Cooper’s cabin out in Cornsilk leather, Walnut Burr wood trim, black Nappa leather upper dashboard, thick-pile carpeting… the works, in other words – everything you’d expect from a Rolls-Royce cabin, only smaller.
There’s a lot to love here, but try not to love it too much: only 1,000 examples will be made, and as with all BMW-related option packages, we’re sure it won’t be cheap. Even though deliveries start about a year from now, we see this car going down a storm, so you’d better get your order in quick. Otherwise, the closest you’re likely to get is the extensive high-resolution image gallery we’ve compiled along with the details in the press release after the jump.
A car show doesn’t necessarily need to be held where cars are made. One of the biggest shows of the year, for example, takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, where there’s no auto manufacturing to speak of. You might think the same of AutoRAI, the Dutch show that’s coming up around the corner, but you’d be mistaken.
Sure, Holland might not be the first country that comes to mind when you think about the great automotive countries, but the Netherlands is not without its exceptions. And while Spyker no longer produces in Holland (acting essentially as a shell company for in Sweden), Donkervoort is still very much Dutch. The company makes sportscars in the mold of the classic 7 but with a more modern approach.
Back in January Donkervoort took top honors in the GT4 class at the 24 Hours of Dubai with the pictured above, and to celebrate, they’re introducing a new special edition at AutoRAI. Based on either the D8 270 roadster or the D8GT 270 coupe, the 24H of Dubai special edition will pack extra carbon fiber bits. But while some of them are just for show, others are structural and add to the torsional stiffness of the chassis while cutting weight. Only 10 examples will be made, each individually numbered. for the brief announcement.
Kia earns its first motorsports victory – Click above for high-res image gallery
first entered the motorsports game in 2010. Using its , in the street tuner class, with 2010 being considered a development year for the newborn racing team. It would appear that things have developed quite well because Kia, along with Kinetic Motorsports, has earned its first-ever first-place finish.
Barber Motorsports Park played host to the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and Kia brought its pair of racing to the event. Car number 10, driven by Michael Galati and Nic Jönsson, took the lead with just 30 minutes of racing time left. Jönsson kept the 10 car ahead of the pack and brought home the victory. Kia’s number 12 car managed to grab a top 10 finish as well, making for an all-around successful day at the track. Kia’s full press blast is available .
Vauxhall Insignia police cruiser – Click above for high-res image
Badged alternately as an Opel (Europe), Vauxhall (UK), Vectra (South America) or (North America and China), GM’s Insignia has been gaining traction around the world. But the latest version isn’t targeted at private consumers: it’s a police cruiser.
Developed with the Intelligent Transportations Systems Working Group of the Association of Chief Police Officers (APCO) in the UK, this Vauxhall Insignia was just recently unveiled at the annual exposition of the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB). Whether the acronyms mean anything to you or not, the Insignia police car packs a new feature called Single Vehicle Architecture. SVA doesn’t refer to the car’s platform or chassis, but rather to a standardized electronics system that will allow police equipment manufacturers to install all manner of special equipment without having to rewire the entire car.
Examples of equipment capable of installation include automatic license plate recognition systems and data recorders, as well as the usual suspects from sirens to comm radios. for the full press release.
2012 Audi Q3 – Click above for high-res image gallery
is apparently done with rendering after rendering of its new Q3 crossover. Instead, the German automaker has gone ahead and let the cat completely out of the bag ahead of the cute ‘ute’s official unveiling at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show.
As you’re likely already aware, the Q3 is Audi’s take on how to make a into an entry-level luxury model. Naturally, that means entirely new sheetmetal with Audi’s well-known gaping grille along with LED lighting all around and a steeply sloping rear hatch. Add it all up and Audi says you get an impressively low drag coefficient of just 0.32.
That shapely rear hatch means there are a few concessions inside. There’s 16.24 cubic feet of storage capacity with the rear seats in place, and 48.2 with them folded down. The Tiguan, by way of comparison, offers 18.6 and 56.1, respectively, and even that is about 25 percent smaller than the or . Judging by the shape of the hind quarters, large and bulky items may be a bit tough to fit inside as well.
You won’t be asked to skimp on options, though. Adaptive light technology that points the way forward, electronic parking assistance and Audi’s hard drive-based MMI infotainment and navigation system will all be available at launch, and an option to turn the Q3 into a wireless hotspot will come in the near future.
Two gasoline and one diesel engine, all with direct injection, will be offered at launch, offering between 140 and 211 horsepower. The two most powerful engines will be mated to Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system via a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. A 170-horsepower gasoline engine will also be offered with front-wheel drive. We’ll have to play a game of wait-and-see to find out which of these powertrains make their way Stateside.
Base price in Germany for the 2012 Audi Q3 will be 29,900 euros when it goes on sale in June. For those keeping track, that’s about $43,000 at the current exchange rate, though we wouldn’t go by that figure when estimating its cost when it eventually hits the U.S. Want to know more? Find all the details in the exhaustive press blast .
2011 Scion tC – Click above for high-res image gallery
The redesigned coupe has officially earned a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Thanks in part to no fewer than eight airbags, the little managed to ace the government’s collision and rollover tests.
The tC features driver and passenger airbags, seat-mounted side airbags, driver and passenger knee airbags and side-curtain airbags.
In addition to its impressive airbag tally, the car also packs ABS, traction control, stability control, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution and Smart Stop technology to help prevent the airbags from ever having to deploy. to see the full press release.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery
For most of us, the opportunity to drive a rotating assemblage of the world’s finest cars, from the Ferrari 458 Italia to the to the , is an unattainable dream. For one person, though, the dream could become a job. British repair shop Repairacar is looking for a responsible person to pick up and return customers’ supercars from all over Europe.
The job entails taking public transportation to the customer’s house, picking up their car, driving it to Repairacar for whatever service or fix it needs, and driving it back to the owner once repairs have been made. According to Repairacar, assignments could come from every corner of Europe, necessitating spending a lot of time on public transportation. The reward, though, should make the bus or train ride well worth it.
Because of the high-liability nature of the job, Repairacar is being very particular about whom it will hire. Ten years’ experience with high-performance driving is a requirement of the job, and showing up for your interview in a with a fart pipe will likely get you automatically disqualified. Repairacar says the pay is around $50,000 a year, plus expenses for travel. Applications close at the end of April.
2011 Bentley Mulsanne – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to Auto Express, may be working on a new version of its legendary Turbo R coupe. Word is that the new Turbo R would be a luxury super coupe based on the , packing close to 600 horsepower from a tuned version of the sedan’s twin-turbo 6.75-liter V8.
If Bentley builds the car, we could see it as early as 2013, possibly designed very similar to what you’d imagine a two-door Mulsanne would look like. Bentley is still mum on whether the car will be built, but if it is, it could serve as a fitting replacement for the aging Brooklands.
At this point, the Turbo R is still purely theoretical; with no confirmation about its existence, it’s hard to say for sure when it will debut or what it will actually look like. Look for more updates as they arrive.
Audi S4 Avant spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
The piping-hot may here in the United States, but its little brother, the , will continue to live on in America. Our spy photographers recently spotted this S4 prototype – in delicious Avant flavor – testing on the Nürburgring, showing off a newly facelifted front end.
Much like the and , the revised S4 will wear Audi’s reshaped grille with slanted upper corners – a design element that will also trickle down to the base and the . Additionally, it appears that the front bumper has been tweaked, with larger lower air intakes that are reminiscent of what we see on the smaller . Our spies also suggest that the S4’s taillamps will receive a once-over, looking more akin to what’s currently used on the A6/A7.
Mum’s the word on powertrain upgrades, but we expect that Audi has a few tricks up its sleeve to keep the S4’s performance prowess in check. Some minor tweaks to the car’s cabin will likely be in store, as well. Look for the facelifted S4 to debut at the this September.
NADAguides presents the cars to consider for 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Consumer vehicle valuation and information website NADAguides has prepared a list of cars you should be looking at in 2011. Called the “Must Consider” list, the analysts at NADAguides have chosen seven vehicles they feel represent the intersection of value, performance, design and fuel efficiency. The vehicles on this list are also reportedly chosen because NADAguides feels the average consumer might not be considering it amongst their new-car candidates.
The Germans, Japanese, Americans, Koreans and even an Italian have a representative vehicle on the list. For 2011, the NADAguides Must Consider list is comprised of the following vehicles:
Per Troy Snyder, NADAguides Director of Product Development:
“Every year our team is excited to announce the NADAguides Must Consider List. The data for these vehicles highlight them as a smart choice for consumers, but the industry buzz or consumer awareness just isn’t there for one reason or another. NADAguides recognizes why these vehicles are a great option for consumers and wants to ensure they do not go unnoticed.”
The reasoning behind each choice is provided in the full press release waiting . While the machines themselves are all fine vehicles for consumers to consider, we have to wonder whether or not they were really off the consideration lists for many consumers in the first place… feel free to agree or disagree yourselves in the ‘Comments.’
On a recent trek to Germany, pulled back the veil on its tech strategy for the next few years and provided Autoblog with a glimpse into what we’ll find in its next generation of vehicles. With more than 2,000 patents filed in 2009 alone, the technologies range from the mind-blowing to the mundane, and we’ve handpicked the most innovative, forward-thinking features bound for future Benz models.
In March, served up a smoking-hot in compared to the same month in 2010. Unfortunately for the automaker, the “heat and serve” theme continued this week, as there were two stories about flaming Chrysler products Monday alone. First we told you about a turned car-b-que in front of hundreds of onlookers . Then came news that China has of the due to complaints of vehicle fires.
Now we have a photo of a (above) posted by Moparts forum poster Mccannix that allegedly went up in flames at the Brampton, Ontario assembly plant. There is no official cause for the fire, though as you can tell from the picture above the Challenger must have been really cooking.
One unsubstantiated report claims that a heat lamp got too close to some paperwork, which started the blaze. Even sadder is the fact that the tell us that we’re likely looking at a burnt SRT8. A moment of silence, please.
Lexus LF-Gh Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
has decided to pull the wraps off its – which stands for Lexus Future Grand-Touring Hybrid – ahead of its official debut at the upcoming New York Auto Show. Interestingly, Lexus itself describes the styling of its latest conceptual hybrid sedan as something of a contradiction in terms. Says Kengo Matsumoto, general manager of Toyota’s Lexus Design Division:
For this concept, Lexus designers studied characteristics that are often considered contradictory and difficult to execute together. The captivating design of the LF-Gh concept examines the possibility of balancing what are normally opposing qualities, such as style and functionality.
Expect such offbeat styling details to make an appearance on future Lexus production models, including what the company is calling its “aggressive and bold spindle-shaped front grille.”
As a grand-touring sedan, Lexus says the rear-wheel-drive LF-Gh will offer plenty of room for “multiple occupants at higher speeds on long-distance drives.” We don’t have any real detailed photos of the car’s interior, but the automaker claims it hints at “an all-new, future Lexus interior” that incorporates a new three-dimensional analog clock, whatever that means.
As you’d expect from any new concept from the global leader in hybrids, the LF-Gh Concept features a hybridized powertrain of unknown specification. We do find it interesting, though, that Lexus is purposely trying to diminish the appearance of the car’s exhaust in an effort to “suggest that the flow of exhaust gas will be substantially reduced.”
Stay tuned for live images from the show floor in New York later this month. In the meantime, feel free to check out the official press release and be sure to take a nice, long gander at the high-res image gallery below.
