is taking its new to the races in the U.S. rounds of this year’s Global RallyCross Championship with ESPN. Piloted by Travis Pastrana and built by SRT, the GRC challenger is a little different than the sedan you’d find at the dealership: it puts down 600 horsepower and more than 550 pound-feet from it’s 2.0-liter, four-cylinder to all four wheels.
The 2012 RallyCross season comprises seven rounds, two of which will be the X Games in Los Angeles on June 30 and July 1. It’s the second domestic season for the discipline that’s considered to be “motorcross with cars,” and the number of rounds has more than doubled from the three held last year. ESPN will be airing all of them, so follow the jump for the press release on Dodge’s entry and race info, and click the picture above to enlarge.
Formula 1 racing tends to work in cycles. One team is at the top for a year or two, then another emerges to dominate the next few. It’s a trend that has seen the likes of , McLaren, Renault (now known as ) and even Brawn (today’s ) win world championships, with Red Bull as the the most recent force to be reckoned with.
Red Bull, clearly the team to beat going into 2012, took the driver’s and constructor’s titles the last two years. The question is, could it defend them for the hat trick this season, or would a new frontrunner step up? The circus rolled in to Sepang, Malaysia this weekend for the second round of the 2012 Formula One World Championship. And it was a thriller. Follow the jump to read how it unfolded.
The right occasion calls for the right footwear. figures its customers should have the right shoes to drive their GTs, so the British automaker has collaborated with the shoemakers at John Lobb on a special collection of driving shoes.
Called Winner Sport, the shoes are made of full-grain calfskin, lined with sheepskin and perforated in just the right places for a unique look. A joint design effort between Aston Martin design director Marek Reichman and his counterpart Andrés Hernández at John Lobb, they feature bonded rubber soles (in either white or red, with coordinating laces) that wrap underneath the shoe for better pedal control. Like what you see? Click the images to view in higher resolution and follow the jump for the full press release.
Martin teams with John Lobb for special driving shoes
Motorsports history buffs take note: an important piece of racing nostalgia has come up for auction. The Toleman TG184-2 Formula One Car Ayrton Senna drove in his rookie season is available for bid in the Silverstone Auctions Spring Sale.
This is the car that carried Senna to his second-place “victory” in the 1984 Monaco GP, as well as third and seventh-place finishes in the British and Canadian GPs, respectively.
Silverstone Auctions hasn’t announced what the vehicle is expected to fetch. The Toleman has been completely restored, and the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine behind the cockpit is in top running order.
The auction will take place at the Silverstone circuit in The Wing building on May 16th. for the full press blast.
The New York Times reports the European Central Bank may have inadvertently helped buyers looking to take home a new Volkswagen Up! secure low-interest loans. Volkswagen Financial Services was one of many institutions that took advantage of the €1 trillion the central bank set aside to be loaned out at just one percent interest. borrowed €2 billion (about $2.6 billion USD) of that money, and plans to offer the cash to buyers in the form of loans with low three to four percent interest. While the goal of the low-interest loans was originally to stabilize uncertain markets, automakers and other industries are taking advantage of the effectively free cash.
Mercedes Bank has already taken advantage of the generous terms, and PSA Financing, a unit of Peugeot and Citroën, has made mention of doing the same in an attempt to stave off looming poor sales. According to The New York Times, the European auto industry may be facing down its second downturn since 2009. Registrations for new vehicles were down 8.3 percent between January and February of this year compared to the same period in 2011.
The BMW i8 plug-in-hybrid sports car is just the sort of crazy project that could help redefine the brand – and perhaps even the notion of what makes a car enthusiast – for the 21st Century. It’s the sort of out-of-the-box thinking we’ve been waiting for some automaker to deploy, so these new details are exciting.
To start with, according to Britain’s Car, the i8 will only be available as a plug-in hybrid – no conventional, internal-combustion-only version will be offered. That means no M version will be in the cards, at least not an M product in the way we currently define the BMW performance moniker. But the report says the i8 will have a more powerful gas engine than , with its 1.5-liter three-cylinder cranking out 223 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque through the rear wheels. The front-drive electric motor is said to be rated at 170 horsepower, giving the i8 a combined 393 hp and 406 lb-ft.
The report claims that the i8 will have a 20-mile all-electric range, a top speed of 156 miles per hour, and sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Curb weight is said to be just 3,125 pounds, which is less than most models of the new , thanks to the i8’s carbon fiber body and aluminum chassis. Recharge time is said to be six hours, presumably on a 220-volt system. In all, a pretty amazing package.
But here’s the kicker: Car says the i8 will be priced above €100,000, which is $132,600 based on today’s exchange rates. We expect the i8 to hit the market as a 2014 model, and while that price is spendy by plebeian standards, the queue for the car will most certainly be long, at least initially.
Automotive News reports is staying the course with the company’s EXP 9 F SUV Concept. The ultra-luxury automaker plans to bring the vehicle to the Beijing Motor Show exactly as it appeared at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, despite the fact that the concept didn’t exactly debut to resounding acclaim. Critics described the design as awkward and unbecoming of nameplate like Bentley, but the automaker says it wants to vet the design in as many markets as possible before finalizing the exterior. Here’s hoping the crowds in China are as repulsed as those in Switzerland.
The EXP 9 F has already been green-lit for production, and while we have no qualm with the thought of a high-riding luxury brute with a twin-turbo 12-cylinder engine under the hood, we’d like to see something a little less muddled outside. Bentley says an SUV will give the company a leg up in markets like the Middle East and China, where luxury SUVs remain king. Through the first two months of this year, the company’s sales are up 66 percent in China, putting the country ahead of the United States as the largest market for Bentley products.
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the pickup truck market. The market is so big, in fact, that truck manufacturers regularly unveil new models at the Texas State Fair, and create special models just for the largest of contiguous states in the union. For , that means the 1500 Lone Star – a special edition available only in Texas that accounts for 30- to 40-percent of its truck sales in the state, or about 80,000 units sold since its introduction ten years ago.
Now that the model has reached that decade milestone, the American truckmaker is keen to get the party started – Texas-style – with an even more special special edition. The Ram Lone Star 10th Anniversary starts out with the Crew Cab with bucket seats and upholsters them in perforated Katzkin leather with special logos to match those on the dashboard, floormats and the emblems on the outside.
A 5.7-liter Hemi V8 does the pulling duty with 390 horsepower and 407 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, bolstered on the equipment list by 20-inch wheels, an auxiliary power outlet, trailer hitch and more that you can read about in the press release after the jump. The package adds a reasonable $1,500 to the base price for an all-in MSRP of $36,440, with deliveries beginning in the second quarter of the year – but only if you live in Texas.
Consumer Reports has just wrapped up an evaluation of subcompact sedans, and the has rolled out ahead of the class. The four-door beat out its corporate clone, the and the to take the top spot. Evaluators pointed to the sharp handling and well-optioned interior in the Rio as reasons for the vehicle’s win. The newly redesigned and unloved filled out the top five sedans. And what of the baby hatchbacks? CR once again credited the as leader of the pack, followed closely by the Versa Hatchback and Rio Hatchback.
The organization found fault with the base Chevrolet Sonic’s fuel economy, and found the turbocharged LTZ model to be too expensive. Evaluators also felt the Sonic Turbo “didn’t live up to its sporty aspirations.”
We’ll politely agree to disagree on that one.
All of the vehicles in the evaluation are either too new or scored too low in CR evaluations to earn a coveted Recommended rating. for a look at the full press release and debate amongst yourselves in Comments.
Accent and Chevy Sonic top Consumer Reports subcompact shootout
When Ford unveiled the at the New Delhi Auto Expo in January, we were smitten. A pint-sized, good-looking CUV with thrifty engines could do well here in the States. Brazil’s Noticias Automotivas has caught what looks like a production EcoSport sans camo before it undergoes crash testing and, as promised, it looks little changed from the showcar.
The sparkly LED-powered headlights are gone but everything else seems to be very close to what design boss told us about in New Delhi. The final version is expected to come with two engine options: the 1.6-liter Sigma and the 2.0 liter Duratec.
Despite Ford’s plans to expand the EcoSport beyond Brazil, we’re not hopeful it’ll be sold in North America, as we’ve heard Blue Oval executives dismiss the -sized CUV as too small. Be sure to check out Noticias Automotivas for additional photos of the new EcoSport.
has a history of offering performance models that would make any niche supercar manufacturer cower. The latest among them is the , but the gullwing coupe and its roadster counterpart aren’t the extent of what the German automaker’s skunkworks have in store. No, that place of honor at the top of the Mercedes-Benz lineup will soon be taken by an SLS AMG Black Series.
Following in the footsteps of the , CLK63 AMG Black Series, and (most recently) the , the new SLS AMG Black Series promises to eclipse them all with an anticipated 560 horsepower, reduced curb weight and aggressive aerodynamics package.
These spy shots, snapped while the vehicle was undergoing cold-weather testing in the frigid north, also show the tell-tale widened fenders to house the upgraded rolling stock and a new front bumper to feed the over-clocked engine with all the air it needs to breathe.
We’re told to expect the SLS AMG Black Series sometime next year, but you can check out the spy shots now in our high-resolution image gallery.
has not been long known for polarizing design. The company’s styling philosophy has read more closely along the lines of “cheap and cheerful.” But when it brought out the in 2008 as a 2009 model, Ford started down a road of trying to be more expressive, emotional and evocative in the design of its crossovers and SUVs, not just with the Mustang.
For Ford, the Flex has been one of those hollow victories. The people who buy it love its Mini-Cooper-on-a-high-protein-diet look, especially with the available two-tone paint jobs, and the comfortable packaging and cruising ride they get without bumping up to a frumpy minivan. The trouble is that there haven’t been enough of those happy buyers taking the plunge.
Ford sold just 27,000 Flex models last year, down 20 percent from the year before – not exactly one of CEO Alan Mulally’s homeruns. Also, its marketing has been confused since its debut. Ford initially pitched it as a cool urban crew wagon – think Funkmaster Flex. The advertising Powerpoint presentation actually said “No dog drool.” No kidding. The high-concept ads were all shot at night on city streets. It bombed. Soon after launch, we saw families and even a dog or two in ads.
Replica carmakers take notice: Daimler will not tolerate copies of its signature 300 SL. At all. And if you fail to heed this warning and build a full-size replica of a 300 SL gullwing, justice will come down like three tons of bricks upon your unlicensed creation.
German customs officials recently confiscated what looks to be a very faithful reproduction of a 300 SL from a German company, albeit rendered in fiberglass, and they apparently notified the folks at Daimler, who didn’t take too kindly to the unauthorized likeness of their icon.
In their press release (available after the jump), Daimler says the body of the 300 SL is a “work of applied art” that has been under copyright protection for decades. And to make clear their intent to protect that copyright they also remind us they have “long taken a tough approach to vehicle replicas.”
The recently seized copy found out just how tough when the Mercedes-Benz used parts centre (responsible for scrapping the company’s unwanted prototypes) put the replica SL in a 30-ton industrial press and transformed it from illegal to unrecognizable. It then received the official “confirmation of scrappage” designation.
Guys never seemed to warm up to the Volkswagen New Beetle, and it doesn’t take a dual master’s degree in psychology and automotive design to figure out why. The outgoing Beetle featured sheetmetal that could only be described as cutesy, and many (most?) men tend to shy away from vehicles that might result in the questioning of their manhood.
Only 29 percent of New Beetle sales went to men, but Bloomberg reports that a more masculine design has put the back on dudes’ shopping lists. Since the Beetle went on sale in September, men have accounted for a much more robust 43 percent of overall sales. In general, men also appear to be quite fond of diesel power, as dudes accounted for 70 percent of oil-burning models. This suggests Volkswagen’s of a arriving later this summer could boost the VW’s male contingency even further.
The more chiseled redesign is, of course, credited for the Beetle’s newfound male suitors, and commercials geared towards a male audience likely haven’t hurt. But while the Beetle has been more appealing to men while selling better than the old model, we’re guessing would like to see immense improvement from February’s .
The Detroit News is reporting that General Motors will replace the 120-volt power cords on the majority of models the company has sold since 2010. The new charge cords are said to be more durable than the old hardware and should provide “more consistency in charging,” according to the report. GM has sold around 10,000 Volt units since the plug-inhybrid went on sale two years ago, and while some of those vehicles have already shipped with the new charge cords, most still use the old design.
Volt owners may also contact their dealers to begin scheduling appointments to have additional crash structure added around the vehicle’s battery packs. The additional steel is designed to protect against severe side-impacts. Technicians are also expected to add a new sensor to monitor battery coolant levels. The changes are in response to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into unlikely . GM will reportedly without the new structure and sensor, saying neither poses a safety issue.
How well is doing with its new made-in-America ? What if we told you that sales in February were up 14,523.2 percent? Okay, perhaps that isn’t the best measure of performance, given that there wasn’t actually a 2011 model year Passat. But VW moved 8,189 of the midsize sedans last month after selling 6,318 in January.
While that’s but a fraction of the 34,543 February sales for the , it’s enough that VW is adding another 800 jobs at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant that builds the car. That’s the second ramp-up this year – VW already announced last month.
“Quite plainly, we need more Passats to meet the market demand and I’m glad that we can respond so quickly by adding staff in Chattanooga,” said VW’s U.S. President and CEO, Jonathan Browning.
VW currently employs over 2,700 people at the plant, though 500 actually work for a “staffing partner.” VW says the new jobs will be filled both by those contract employees already working at the plant and by new hires. Positions include production, supervisors, quality engineers, and other professionals roles. Click to read the full press release.
hiring 800 workers in Chattanooga to meet Passat demand
Sure, we think of as an American automaker. One of the most American, at that. But its eponymous founder wasn’t born in these United States. He was born in Switzerland. La Chaux-de-Fonds, to be exact, and so to celebrate the brand’s 100th centenary, it has commissioned a local artist to erect a statue of Louis Chevrolet in his hometown’s Parc de l’Ouest.
The giant polished steel bust was created by budding artist Christian Gonzenbach, whose design was selected by an international jury from among four finalists. Measuring five meters (16.4 feet) tall, the oversize bust was commissioned by and will remain in the park as a permanent tribute to the man whose name has become an international fixture in the automotive industry and a veritable household name. Press release .
Wait a second… a diesel Ducati? Has gone through and the TDI engine made its way onto two wheels already? In a word: no. This isn’t diesel with a small D, but Diesel with a capital D – as in the Italian house of denim.
Diesel signed on last year as a sponsor of the Ducati racing team in the MotoGP series, and has now taken the partnership to a new level by giving the Monster 1100EVO the same kind of treatment it’s applied to the . That means a military theme with Diesel’s trademark matte green paint, yellow brake calipers and rear spring, and blacked-out frame, engine covers, exhaust and forks.
The special edition model is, of course, being launched with a range of biker gear including everything from jacket to jeans, all in typical Diesel style but with an added dose of burnt rubber. for the full press blast and check out the trio of images in the gallery for a closer look.
Our spy photographers managed to spot something curious (and decidedly hilarious) recently. General Motors has been busy testing what would appear to be models with massive 20-inch wheels and tires in place of the low-rolling resistance pieces on the stock plug-in.
Why? Guesses are slim at the moment, but one hypothesis is that this is actually our first glimpse at a Cadillac Converj test mule. That vehicle will make use of an altered version of the Voltec drivetrain found in the , albeit bolted to flashier wheels. The luxury hybrid has been an on-again-off-again affair for since the concept first rolled across the stage at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
Last we heard, the Converj is on track for launch in either 2013 or 2014. If true, now would be the time to begin working out any engineering bugs on the rumored Voltec 1.5 system. With luxury buyers more willing to hand over stacks of cash for new technology, the Converj could make quite a bit more sense to buyers than the Volt. Or bolting chrome dubs to a hybrid, for that matter.
In an effort to appeal to a much wider range of shoppers, has announced that its turbocharged models will now be available with a six-speed automatic transmission. Up until now, manual-averse customers were stuck with the 1.8-liter naturally aspirated inline-four – by our opinion, the worse of the two engines offered in the Sonic.
Under the hood of the Sonic, Chevrolet’s 1.4-liter turbo-four is good for 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. That’s seriously good power for the 2,700-pound subcompact, especially when you consider that when paired with the manual ‘box, the Sonic carries EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 29/40 miles per gallon (city/highway). Of course, adding the automatic transmission reduces that economy, though the slushbox Sonic is still rated at a respectable 27/37 mpg.
The automatic Sonic Turbo is on sale now. LT models start at $16,835 for the sedan and $17,635 for the five-door, with the high-zoot LTZ trims commanding $18,625 and $19,325, respectively (not including $795 for destination). for the official press blast.
