The Auto Blog .ru

Linsanity’s next stop could be your local neighborhood Volvo dealer. If you live in China, that is.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Jeremy Lin, the sophomore NBA sensation is in talks with the Chinese-owned carmaker about signing up to endorse the brand overseas. Lin, the bilingual point guard from Harvard, has entered the NBA limelight this season while playing for the New York Knicks.

According to Bloomberg, Lin is the first American of Chinese descent to play in the NBA. Former NBA All-Star Yao Ming, a Chinese national, remains one of the most popular celebrities in China after his retirement from pro basketball last summer. Tapping into the NBA’s growing popularity in China could help boost Volvo, which is not as well known as more established luxury brands like Audi or Buick.

For Lin, capitalizing on his nascent success with Volvo would have to be seen as a positive move, given the fickle world of sports endorsements. As talented as Lin is, the annals of the NBA are littered with flash-in-the-pan guys who had but 15 minutes of fame before fouling out of celebrity life forever.

NBA sensation Jeremy Lin talking to Volvo about sponsorship deal

According to Chevrolet, the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will kick off without an Impala on the starting grid. That’s news itself, considering how intertwined the Impala is with Chevy’s NASCAR presence, earning 70 wins since 2007.

Even more intriguing, though, is that Chevy says it “will be racing a vehicle based on a new nameplate to the brand’s lineup.” That means the 2013 racer won’t be a Malibu or Cruze. Whatever it may be, Chevrolet says that both the race version and the production version will be debuted “in the coming year.”

As far as speculation goes, it’s hard not to point a finger in the direction of the Chevrolet Caprice, which is currently available in the United States for police duty only. Will everyday consumers finally get another crack at a high-performance rear-wheel-drive Chevy sports sedan? If so, what will it be called, and will it wear the coveted SS nomenclature?

We have no idea. What we do know, however, is that Jim Campbell, vice president of Chevrolet Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, says the automaker is testing camouflaged vehicles and that the production version will be “just like” the race car. We’ll just have to wait and see about that… In the meantime, see the complete press release below.

Continue reading Chevrolet to replace Impala in NASCAR for 2013, new production model hinted

Chevrolet to replace Impala in NASCAR for 2013, new production model hinted

It appears that a British arbitration panel has shattered any hopes of seeing a small diesel Mahindra pickup truck in the States. According to PickupTrucks.com, the panel ruled in favor of the Indian automaker in Global Vehicles’ lawsuit against the company, saying the contract between the two companies had expired. Furthermore, Mahindra was not found to have violated any U.S. laws. The ruling is the final chapter in a saga that began six years ago when the companies announced that Global Vehicles would distribute Mahindra T20 and T40 compact diesel pickups in America.

In 2010, the deal began unraveling, with Mahindra saying Global Vehicles allowed the contract to expire. Global Vehicles, meanwhile, pointed the finger right back at its former Indian partner. It wasn’t long before the American company then sought arbitration.

Global Vehicles has been ordered to pay court costs.

In a separate case, a group of would-be Mahindra dealers sued the Indian company in U.S. District Court, but that suit was thrown out after the judge ruled Global Vehicles was not the recognized agent for Mahindra in the United States.

Global Vehicles’ plans for Mahindra in the U.S. officially toast

Residents of Amish communities famously eschew almost all trappings of modernity. No TV, no telephones, limited use of electricity, and, gasp, no Autoblog! But there comes a time in a young Amish person’s life when they’re allowed to go out and taste the world. And sometimes alcohol.

Case in point: Sunday evening, police in Sherman, N.Y. were responding to reports of a group of young Amish having a “buggy party.” Before they could get there, though, another buggy carrying four Amish allegedly switched lanes abruptly and collided with the patrol car.

The buggy flipped, injuring one of the passengers and, we imagine, spilling what police say was the fruits of a beer run.

The crash must have been loud enough for the partygoers to hear, because when the cops finally showed up, several buggies were observed fleeing the scene.

The four passengers of the bashed-up buggy are charged with underage possession of alcohol. The driver, 20, faces additional charges since police say he admitted to being the host of the party.

And, by the way, the horse is fine. Police say it, wisely, fled the scene and took shelter in a nearby barn.

Four Amish charged with illegal alcohol possession after crashing into police car

The curtain’s been lifted on the ad campaign for the Toyota Prius C, and it’s all about the game of life via the boardgame The Game of Life. The first spot is called Malti-poo and in it’s ad-speaky way it targets “city-dwelling millennials” as it “demonstrates key vehicle attributes in a fun and approachable way.” It “embodies the youthful spirit of the vehicle and offers creative content that integrates this iconic childhood game” while it also “offers visual tools and easy ways to share digestible information and collect opinions.”

In English: it’s trying to hook first-time car buyers on the notable features of the Prius C in inventive ways. Case in point: the Malti-poo spot will be followed by one called “Dolphin Tattoo,” and platforms will include broadcast television, print, consumer experience and a YouTube channel that provides car buying and financial advice.

See below for the ad and the press release describing the campaign.

Continue reading Toyota Priuc C ad campaign begins with “Malti-poo” spot

Toyota Priuc C ad campaign begins with “Malti-poo” spot

BMW has its i8, Audi has its R8 e-tron, Mercedes-Benz has its SLS AMG E-Cell. The electron-powered, gullwinged coupe will use batteries supplied by SK Innovations that power four synchronous electric motors into developing 525 horsepower and 649 pound-feet of torque. It is predicted to run from zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds – that’s up from a previously estimated 3.7 seconds.

Mercedes has loosed a little more info on the technology behind the SLS AMG E-Cell. Its powertrain arrangement necessitated a new front axle, so the conventional-powered car’s double wishbones have been supplanted by horizontal, pushrod damper struts. Torque vectoring to the motors mounted near the wheels, not on the hubs, aims to keep electric enthusiasm pointed in the right direction. And the Mercedes F1 team has assisted in the kinetic energy recovery system that will help to extend the coupe’s as-yet-unannounced range.

When it goes on sale sometime next year, what you see in the gallery of high-res photos will be wrapped in an SLS AMG body enhanced by a carbon fiber spine. See below for the company’s press release and have a look at the future in the gallery of high-res photos.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell reveals its inner workings

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell reveals its inner workings

It’s no secret that Ducati, without question the most famous of all Italian motorcycle manufacturers, is looking for a new owner. It’s also a well-known fact that Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch has long been interested in adding Ducati to the VW Group’s already massive stable of brands.

Here’s where things get a bit muddy, though. According to a rather credible sounding report from CAR Magazine in the UK, the number one suitor for the Ducati brand is, not Volkswagen, but Audi. Of course, Audi is owned by VW, so it could be argued that Ducati would still be under the VW umbrella, but until now, Audi has never been mentioned as a potential buyer.

If rumors are correct, Ducati is hoping for a total purchase price of 850 million euros, or about 1.1 billion dollars – but that figure includes 800 million euros of debt, meaning the actual sale price of the brand itself would be just $65 million.

There are some intriguing synergies between Audi and Ducati that bear investigation. For starters, Audi has a bit of motorcycle heritage already with its former NSU and DKW brands. Second, Ducati has, in the past, positioned itself as the two-wheeled equivalent to Audi, whatever that means. And finally, having Ducati as its two-wheeled partner would give Audi yet another talking point in its longstanding rivalry with BMW.

Audi isn’t the only serious suitor for Ducati. There’s talk of potential ownership by India’s Mahindra and Germany’s Mercedes-Benz, who’s own AMG performance division is a strategic marketing partner with Ducati as it is. Audi parent Volkswagen, too, is said to be in the running for a bid to own the famed Italian motorcycle marque.

Muddy waters, indeed. In any case, you can be sure that we’ll keep you up to date with any more information on Ducati’s future ownership as time goes on.

Audi to buy Ducati?

A Reminder To Drive

After five days in Europe, I’m finally able to count the number of hours I’ve slept on both my hands and feet. I’ve been stuck in this sort of schmoozing fugue state for the past few days, part hapless journalist, part aimless wanderer.

The Geneva Motor Show is over. Covered. Done. But my trip isn’t even halfway through. There’s one last thing to do and that’s drive the all-new Porsche Boxster. That means another flight. Another shuttle. Another hotel. And yet another press conference. This one I actually care about. It’s just too bad I can barely focus, let alone take notes.

Chassis codes, curb weights, gear ratios and torque figures fly through the air. I manage to catch a few and jot them down. I’m running below E, barely fueled by some post-show adrenaline, copious quantities of caffeine and the occasional upbeat of my flustered circadian rhythms.

But I’m keeping my eye on the prize. One day with the new version of one of my favorite rides in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

Walter Röhrl flashes on the asymmetrical jumbotron towards the end of the over-the-top PowerPoint presentation. He’s driving the Boxster. I desperately want to be him. Right now. And that’s when I hear him say part of our drive route will be the Monte Carlo Special Stage of the World Rally Championship. Another night of partial insomnia is now guaranteed.

Continue reading 2013 Porsche Boxster S [w/video]

2013 Porsche Boxster S [w/video]

Halfway down a press release announcing that Shigeki Terashi was named president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMA) was this: Jim Lentz is named CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, effective April 1. Lentz is the first American to take that position in the company.

TMA is the holding company under which all of Toyota’s North American operations are grouped. Terashi will fulfill two roles when his new appointment is official on April 1, the new one and his current one as president of Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing, NA.

Lentz will rise from his current position as COO. He became one of the prominent faces of Toyota during the company’s recent recall issues, publicly making the interview rounds and testifying before Congress to address the situation.

Follow the jump for Toyota’s press release on the management shuffle.

Continue reading Jim Lentz becomes first American CEO of Toyota Motor Sales

Jim Lentz becomes first American CEO of Toyota Motor Sales

Toyota has assembled its talent roster for this year’s Pro/Celebrity Race. Names from all corners of entertainment will go head to head against pro drivers in identically-prepared Scion tC racers during a 10-lap battle over a 1.97-mile course on the streets of Long Beach, California. 2012 marks the 36th running of the event, which will feature comedian and podcast personality Adam Carolla, Top Gear USA host and friend of Autoblog Rutledge Wood, and former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Pros like Frederic Aasbo and Bryan Clauson will also go fender to fender with the amateurs on track.

While we love to watch celebrities bash into each other, the real point of the event is to raise money for charity. Toyota donates $5,000 per entry to the winner’s charity of choice, and kids from various children’s hospitals all around the country get a chance to hang out with their favorite celebrities before the race kicks off on April 13. Check out the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Toyota Pro/Celebrity race will feature Rutledge Wood, Cain Velasquez

Toyota Pro/Celebrity race will feature Rutledge Wood, Cain Velasquez

Guess we called this one from the outset. Looking like a Mulsanne that just ate a Continental Flying Spur for breakfast and a GT for lunch, the Bentley EXP 9 F concept was the biggest disappointment – and we mean that literally – of the Geneva Motor Show. Apparently, Bentley must have agreed with our headline, because it’s working on a new design for it’s first production SUV, according to Britain’s What Car? magazine.

According to the report, Bentley officials have admitted that the design was “heavy handed” and have promised to tone it down, as the SUV heads toward a likely 2015 on-sale date. Potential changes include “slightly smaller” headlights, and “more traditional SUV proportions,” according to the magazine’s source.

We hope Bentley goes a bit further and just starts from scratch, dumping the sedan-ified SUV look entirely. If Bentley is bound and determined to sell an SUV, it should come up with something distinctive for the brand that doesn’t just ape the classic look of its car line.

That Didn’t Take Long: Bentley SUV redesign already in the works

Two months with our long-term 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI is enough for me to know that history will not look back kindly on this generation of VW’s long-running compact sedan. As has been covered, rather exhaustively I might add, the 2011 refresh of the Jetta brought with it a significant reduction in interior fit, finish and overall quality. Sadly, the more time you spend in the Jetta, the more its interior bits and pieces wear on your senses, as does the dour black color palette.

Perhaps the interior deficiencies of the 2011 Jetta wouldn’t be so noteworthy if Volkswagen hadn’t set such a heady precedent in past models, offering an upscale alternative to its competitors at a slightly higher price. As you’re likely aware, VW’s latest strategy puts its products on an equal footing with more mainstream brands while boasting a highly competitive price. Based on the brand’s recent profit margins and record sales, the plan is working to perfection.

We hate to harp on the point, but have to wonder if moving downmarket will have long-lasting repercussions with diehard VW fans.

Keep your eyes locked on the official Autoblog Facebook page for the majority of our updates, as well as the official Autoblog Twitter account (@therealautoblog, look for the #ablongterm hashtag).

Continue reading 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: February 2012

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: February 2012

Chrysler has announced that it’s recalling 209,724 Jeep Liberty models for lower control arms that may fracture due to rust. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says the recall covers certain vehicles manufactured between July 3, 2003 and July 14 2005, which were originally sold or are currently registered in states with a high probability of rust.

In the right conditions, the lower control arms could rust to the point of fracture, leading to a loss of control and a potential accident. Reuters reports Chrysler is unaware of any accidents caused by the defect.

The automaker intends to notify owners and begin the recall by the end of April this year. Those vehicles covered by the campaign will have their control arms replaced free of charge. See below for the full recall notice.

Continue reading Jeep recalls 210K Liberty SUVs over corrosion issues

Jeep recalls 210K Liberty SUVs over corrosion issues

It reported a record profit margin, but BMW still wasn’t as profitable as its rival Audi. According to a report in Automotive News, BMW booked an 11.8-percent profit margin, up from eight percent last year. Audi, however, managed 12.1 percent.

Both figures were calculated using the earnings before interest and tax method (EBIT).

Audi and BMW have had a blossoming rivalry since Audi began directly targeting BMW, both in the development of its products and in its advertising. The two ultra-competitive German luxury brands most famously clashed in a series of billboard ads in Southern California.

Analysts had forecast an 11.9-percent profit margin for BMW, according to AN. Despite this “mild disappointment,” as one analyst called it, BMW still led Audi and Mercedes-Benz as the top-selling luxury brand in 2011.

The company expects to set another annual sales record this year, besting the 1.67 million units it moved in 2011, thanks largely to it’s new-for-2012 F30 3-Series.

BMW reports record profit margin, but Audi’s is better

If you’ve never played Reckless Racing 2, odds are you’ve taken the helm of similar games in the past. Players are given control of a vehicle viewed from above as it bashes its way around a dirt track with other cars.

Sony Ericsson recently partnered up with noted car hacker James Brighton to create a real-life version of Reckless Driving 2 using a pair of droptop MG models and Sony’s new Xperia Studio smartphone. Sony and Brighton then invited Martin Noriander, the developer behind Reckless Racing 2, and journalist Hunter Skipworth to compete head-to-head with the real-life cars.

Who came out on top? We won’t spoil it for you, but we will say there was a good bit of carnage as the duo tried to manipulate their chariots around the course. See below to check out the quick video for yourself.

Continue reading Reckless Racing 2 video game turned into radio-controlled reality

Reckless Racing 2 video game turned into radio-controlled reality

If you’re looking at this auction and thinking, “Who in the hell would pay six figures for a derelict Dodge van covered in graffiti?,” just go ahead and check out our Geneva coverage or something.

Whatever. Never mind.

Because to those of us who watch Portlandia and never stopped buying records (yes, hipster Millenials, they’re called records, not “vinyls”), this van might as well be a time machine. Just thinking about a band like the Melvins takes us back to being young, to a time where anything was possible …

Well, that’s just patently untrue.

When the current owner of this 1972 Dodge Sportsman van acquired it from the mother of Melvins bassist Matt Lukin in 1992, nothing was possible. Or at least that sort of nihilism was the zeitgeist of the era.

The van itself was the seminal grunge band’s tour vehicle, reportedly having been both driven and illustrated by none other than Kurt Cobain, a great admirer and friend of the band in the late 1980s. The van’s value is derived almost entirely from a mural of the band Kiss that Cobain drew on its side, which is why the “Melvan” is not listed on eBay Motors, but in eBay’s art section.

Cobain, of course, went on to later fame as frontman of Nirvana, but committed suicide in 1994, the same year the van last saw use. If there’s one thing that Cobain made clear through his suicide, it’s that angst-as-religion doesn’t play out well. With his passing, grunge began to die off, and the rest of us were forced to grow up.

We’re old now, most of us fans are at least pushing 40, if not already “over the hill.” This makes an artifact like the Melvan desirable for sheer nostalgia, but there’s more to it than that. Most Cobain-related memorabilia seem unfortunately tarnished by his ultimate demise, while this piece harkens back to an earlier, more hopeful point in Cobain’s life. A time before the fame and drugs and pressures of public life conspired to destroy him.

Think about it: Who would draw Kiss on the side of a junky old van with a Sharpie other than a goofy kid? That seems like the best imaginable way to remember Kurt.

eBay Find of the Day: Kurt Cobain-decorated 1972 Dodge Sportsman “Melvan”

Please excuse us while we banish thoughts of David Letterman’s hosting of Oscar night – Magna; MILA… Uma; Oprah – and instead focus on what this concept car brings to the table. This is the sixth MILA Concept from Magna-Steyr, the Austrian arm of Canadian auto parts giant Magna International, and it’s meant to showcase the capabilities of the supplier.

First and foremost, the MILA Coupic’s two-door crossover shape can convert into a convertible or a pickup truck, depending on the configuration of the rear seat. There’s seating for as many as five occupants in full CUV mode, and the two glass roof elements can be opened or closed independently.

The MILA Coupic is an impressive engineering exercise, and, since Magna builds such production machines as the Mecedes-Benz SLK, Fiat 500C and Opel Astra TwinTop, it’s one that could potentially see a roadway near you at some point in the not-too-distant future. See for yourself in our image gallery above, and read more in the official press release below.

Continue reading Magna MILA Coupic Concept is a shape-shifting convertible crossover pickup

Magna MILA Coupic Concept is a shape-shifting convertible crossover pickup

The new 2012 BMW M5 produces an impressive 560 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque, but for companies like AC Schnitzer, the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 presents only a starting point. The German tuning company unveiled the new ACS5 Sport here at the Geneva Motor Show this week, managing to squeeze and additional 60 hp and 81 lb-ft from the forced-induction motor.

The ASC5 Sport isn’t all about horsepower, though. AC Schnitzer has also fitted the Bimmer with a new sport suspension system, 21-inch Type IV forged wheels and a slick aerodynamic kit including a carbon fiber front spoiler, chrome front grille, rear spoiler and a carbon fiber diffuser. The exterior is finished off with an attractive matte blue paint. Inside, the car features trim and stitching to match the exterior. You can see the AC Schnitzer ACS5 Sport in detail in the high-res gallery above.

AC Schnitzer rocks a matte blue hue with the ACS5 Sport

It’s a big week for compressed natural gas vehicles, thanks to President Obama’s announcement today that his administration wants to increase federal support for CNG automobiles by introducing a tax credit similar to the one in place for plug-in vehicles. Plug-in vehicles, too, could get a big boost – and a double-whammy at that – with the current tax credit exchanged for a point-of-sale rebate and an increase in the maximum value from $7,500 to $10,000. The President made the announcement today at a Daimler Trucks North America plant in North Carolina.

The White House is proposing spending $3.7 billion on the the tax credits and another $1 billion that would go directly to 10 or 15 communities through a “Race to the Top” challenge that
will allow the local governments “to invest in the necessary infrastructure, remove the regulatory barriers, and create the local incentives to support deployment of advanced vehicles at critical mass.” This challenge is “fuel neutral” and thus allows “communities to determine if electrification, natural gas, or other alternative fuels would be the best fit.”

The White House also announced a new “EV Everywhere” plan, which it described as, “a clean energy grand challenge to make electric-powered vehicles as affordable and convenient as gasoline-powered vehicles for the average American family within a decade.” The White House says driving electric will save the average driver $100 a month, which will be much more valuable when the upfront cost of an EV drops and more people can afford one. To this end, EV Everywhere “will invest in breakthrough R&D for advanced batteries, electric drivetrain technologies, lightweight vehicle structures, and fast charging technology.”

As the President said in North Carolina today:

Here is the truth. If we are going to control our energy future, then we’ve got to have an all-of-the-above strategy. We’ve got to develop every source of American energy – not just oil and gas, but wind power and solar power, nuclear power, biofuels. We need to invest in the technology that will help us use less oil in our cars and our trucks, in our buildings, in our factories. That’s the only solution to the challenge. Because as we start using less, that lowers the demand, prices come down. It’s pretty straightforward. That’s the only solution to this challenge.

The details of the plan are available below.

Continue reading White House annouces $4.7B effort for advanced-technology vehicles, including EV Everywhere

White House annouces $4.7B effort for advanced-technology vehicles, including EV Everywhere

Many of the tuners here at the Geneva Motor Show have little to no restraint when it comes to styling, which is why we appreciate subtlety when we see it. Lumma Design, hailing from Winterlingen, Germany, offers an example of such restraint with its CLR 9 S based on the new 991 Porsche 911. The styling package includes a tasteful strip package, a new front clip with an integrated splitter and a three-piece spoiler at the rear. A new set of quad exhaust tips also peek out from the rear fascia.

Inside, the CLR 9 S features a slathering of new leather and Alcantara on the seats, dashboard and door panels. Carbon leather trim can also be found on the steering wheel, center console and shifter.

You can read Lumma Design’s official press release regarding the CLR 9 S after the jump, and check out live photos of the car from the Geneva show floor in the gallery above.

Continue reading Lumma Design offers a new take on the Porsche 911 with the CLR 9 S

Lumma Design offers a new take on the Porsche 911 with the CLR 9 S