Sebastian Vettel drives the Infiniti G37 – Click above for high-res image gallery,
What’s the point in an automaker pouring millions into an F1 team if it can’t leverage a little star power? In ’s case, it’s not even running its own F1 team or even supplying engines. Instead, it’s the Red Bull Racing outfit that’s out there defending both its titles. (That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if Infiniti’s involvement turned into an engine rebranding initiative for next season.)
As any marketing whiz could tell you, sponsorship is only worth as much as you promote it. So while Red Bull’s world champion Sebastian Vettel was in Shanghai for the , he took a couple of Infiniti’s finest for a spin.
Vettel being Vettel, he didn’t just drive around the block: he took to the Shanghai International Circuit. (Or, at least an Autocross setup on the circuit’s back lot.) And while he wasn’t about to set any lap records behind the wheel of the sedan or crossover, he seemed to enjoy the experience, hanging the G37’s tail out making some smoke for the crowd. Follow the jump to and check out the still shots in the gallery below.
Some cars look alright with decals. A almost looks naked without them. But a ? The Convertible (don’t ask us why it had to be a convertible) that four-time rally champion Juha Kankkunen drove to a record 205.48 miles per hour in Finland was adorned with more stickers than a first-grader’s lunchbox. Fortunately, the that followed was decidedly bereft of such livery. But now Bentley’s offering something in between with a new appearance package.
The ISR Mulliner package adds red-accented wheels and a red stripe with the words “Supersports ISR” running down the car’s flanks in a somewhat retro style. Which is fine, now that Porsche and Bentley are becoming sister brands under the Group umbrella. But we can’t help but feel that Bentley’s new CEO, , who came to the job from his position as head of Porsche’s R&D department, should have left this particular element behind in Stuttgart. Follow the jump for the full press release and scope out the images in the gallery below.
2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale – Click above for high-res image gallery or
The 2011 is the regular GranTurismo’s crude, hairy-chested brother. It’s loud, muscle-bound and doesn’t make any apologies. With a 450-horsepower version of Maserati’s 4.7 liter V8 under the hood, its got the brawn to back up its big talk.
Despite its unruly demeanor and aerodynamic tweaks to the body, the fastest also manages to be as drop-dead gorgeous as its tamer stablemate. Now, there’s video of Maserati’s wild child tearing up the race track. The car looks poised and right at home, and sounds like Lucifer’s personal symphony at full blast. For the full five-minute immersion, check out the video .
Does the Jeep Liberty have an addiction to rust? Back in 2003, approximately 326,000 2002-2003 Liberty SUVs were recalled because their lower control arm ball joints could corrode excessively. Just three years later in 2006, the issue popped up again, which prompted a recall of 826,000 potentially rust-happy 2002-2006 models. Another three years passed when, in 2009, sent out a recall notice to 42,469 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty owners located in cold-weather states. This time, the problem was related to the upper ball joints.
Now it seems the Jeep Liberty is ready to jump the gun on its next every-three-years recall because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 370,000 vehicles… for the same issue. According to The Detroit News, NHTSA has opened up an investigation that involves 2002-2005 Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicles. It’s still just an investigation at this point, but given the round-eyed CUV’s track record, we’ll be keeping an eye out for more on this situation.
Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery
Between the New York Auto Show, the Shanghai Motor Show and Top Marques Monaco, there’s a major motor expo happening on each of three continents. But the latest model you see here wasn’t unveiled at any one of them.
What you’re looking at is the hottest hatch to come from Opel. It’s called the Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition, and it means business. To start with, the Opel Performance Center (think of it as of Europe’s AMG) has tweaked the 1.6-liter turbo four from 192 horsepower to 210 and boosted the torque count from 170 lb-ft (196 on overboost) to 184 (206 on overboost).
To cope with the added twist, OPC’s fitted a multi-plate mechanical limited-slip differential. They’ve also added Bilstein suspension components and Brembo brakes, recalibrated the ABS, traction control and stability management systems. On the outside, they’ve mounted new 18-inch alloys on 35-series low-profile rubber and a new front spoiler, dual-tipped stainless-steel exhaust and the requisite special badges.
The result is a Karousel-charging 6.8-second sprint to 60 and an Autobahn-crunching 143 mph top end. Only 500 examples will be offered, with two new colors (Grasshopper green and the above-pictured Henna red) joining the catalog for this special edition. Follow the jump for the full press blast and scope out the trio of images in the gallery below for a closer look.
created a serious stir with its Super Bowl commercial featuring an adorably pint-size , and now Marvel Comics is riffing on the same theme as part of the run-up to the upcoming Thorfeature film. The studio has gone through the trouble of recreating the German automaker’s “The Force” ad nearly scene-for-scene… with one notable exception.
Despite the fact that for the latest comic flick, the hero car in this particular spot is not the new TL. That’s probably all for the best given the final outcome.
While Volkswagen’s tiny Vader couldn’t quite bend the force to his will, this runt manages to have a little better luck with Thor’s hammer. We won’t spoil the ending for you. You’ll just have to check out the full spot in the video .
You’ve probably heard the old saying that the best way to make a small fortune in Formula One racing is to start with a big fortune. The Telegraph in the UK is reporting that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. may be looking to put that saying to the test, as the media empire is reportedly engaged in early talks to take over the popular global racing series. The talks reportedly also include Sauber sponsor Carlos Slim, who happens to be among the richest men in the world, and companies connected to at least one of F1’s car manufacturers.
The talks are reportedly so fresh that they have not yet involved private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, which currently holds the keys to the racing series. F1 has proven to be popular with its fan base, though there have been plenty financial of struggles as many automakers and banks on the sport.
Another option for Murdoch (above) is to make a play to buy the broadcast rights to F1. The move could generate more money for the sport, while giving it a larger worldwide spotlight.
Since these talks are little more than rumor at this point, it’s difficult to discern whether anything will come of it. But given Carlos Slim’s love the sport and News Corp’s history of shelling out big bucks for NFL broadcasting rights, we’d add that anything is possible.
The is an interesting little hybrid that has mostly disappointed us with a dire need for more power if it ever hopes to live up to its promise as a sports coupe. The tuners at Mugen have promised to change all that with a souped-up version of the unique little hatch, and CAR reports the result is a 50-percent power increase via forced injection.
The British mag says the will feature a supercharger mated to the standard 1.5-liter four-cylinder, which bumps the power output to 197 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. That’s a far cry from the stock 113 ponies and 107 lb-ft, yet the engineers at Mugen reportedly managed to find a way sync integrated hybrid assist system. That should make for a fairly efficient little screamer, and Mugen is reportedly hoping induction and exhaust upgrades will help its hot hatch improve upon the CRZ’s 38 miles per gallon. Not if you’re using all 197 of those ponies on a regular basis.
Additional upgrades reported by CAR are a host of weight-saving tech including 17-inch forged Mugen GP wheels, front and rear adjustable dampers and upgraded brakes. Expected visual updates include Mugen-spec front and rear bumpers, a massive rear wing and side skirts.
When the Mugen Euro CR-Z makes its official debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, we’re told to expect Type-R levels of performance. Sadly, we won’t be holding our breath for a U.S. launch any time soon.
At the 2011 New York Auto Show, we asked Joseph Grace, vehicle line executive for the SRT line, about the specs on the new – specifically, why didn’t they make it… more. The previous Grand Cherokee SRT8 was said to reach 60 miles per hour “” while the new one is pegged at 4.8 seconds. While that’s an improvement of, at most, one-nineteenth of a second, it puts it right about square with the Mercedes ML63 AMG and at least three-tenths of a second adrift of the BMW X5 M.
But Grace said that wasn’t really the point. “The major issues customers had that we wanted to address,” he said, “were the ride, the exhaust, and fuel economy and range.” This wasn’t about making a faster SUV, it was about filling in the gaps of the previous model.
The center-mounted exhaust was swapped for dual pipes at the corners. The engine technologies – “it’s the first time we’ve coupled all-out performance with cylinder deactivation and active exhaust,” Grace said – have yielded better gas mileage and longer range.
The adaptive ride suspension developed in conjunction with Bilstein addresses the handling issues with five settings. On the matter of having a Track setting in such serious tonnage, Grace said “It was an application we had available with the adaptive damping.” It shunts a little more torque to the rear wheels, going to a 60/40 front-to-rear split instead of 65/35, but Grace says “The track setting will keep the tires on the ground and makes [the ride] stiff but it can still be used on the road.”
As for those German rivals, Grace said “We haven’t announced pricing, but in comparison to the others it will be a benchmark in performance-for-value in a super-equipped vehicle.”
2012 Chevrolet Sonic Z-Spec – Click above for high-res image gallery
Extra spoilers and lower side skirts can look cool, but if the car doesn’t have any sort of augmented performance, it all seems pointless. Still, for those who want to give the appearance of being quick, will offer a line of for its upcoming .
Chevrolet chose to debut its dot matrix-wrapped Sonic here at this year’s New York Auto Show, sporting a set of 17-inch painted alloys and a ground effects package. Why anyone would willingly choose such a visually awkward wrap is beyond us, but remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
No performance upgrades are presently available in the Z-Spec line, but customers will be able to roll the cost of the visual accessories into their monthly car payments at purchase time. See the not-so-fast sporty Sonic for yourself in our high-res gallery below.
seems eager to inject a shot of sportiness into any model it can. The redesigned is a model that could certainly use the help, thus the 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T seen here. While we would love to see an SRT-tuned version of the sedan (or a better sedan entirely), the R/T touches are a good start.
Rather than focusing efforts on the 283-horsepower, 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, the engineers at Dodge have elected to fiddle with the suspension. Roll stiffness, strut damping and spring rates have been increased both front and rear, while the rear stabilizer bar has grown from 19-millimeters out to 21-millimeters.
In order to let you know you’re looking at an Avenger R/T, Dodge has added a signature decal across the front fenders, an R/T badge on the back, a rear spoiler and 18-inch painted-aluminum wheels. You can see the upgrades for yourself by strolling through the gallery below. Pricing has not yet been released, but the car will arrive in the third-quarter. Click past the jump for all the details in the full press release.
2012 Nissan Versa – Click above for high-res image gallery
After Nissan unveiled its redesigned at the New York Auto Show yesterday, coverage was almost unanimous in declaring it, at best, inconspicuous. David Reuter, Nissan’s VP of Corporate Communications, tells Autoblog that’s fine:
“The Fiesta may have been getting the press, this is what was selling. We were up 20 percent last year. Our competitors have gone for sporty and styling, but that’s not what these buyers want. Subcompact buyers want a dependable, roomy car with good fuel economy, and they want the features and specs to feel they spent a lot more on a car than they did.”
The formula, inconspicuous as it might be, has worked: Nissan moved 99,705 Versa sedans and hatchbacks in 2010, running away from everything else in the class – next were the with 54,354, the with 51,975, and the with 48,623 units sold. Say what you will about the looks, with a segment-leading 103 cubic feet of room in the 2012 Versa and more standard features at a competitive price point, the momentum will likely continue.
Mitsubishi i – Click above for high-res image gallery
Some bits of good news come with a head scratcher. At the today, announced that the all-electric i will start at just $27,990 in the U.S. Once you take off the $7,500 federal tax credit, this drops the i’s price to an eye-catching $20,490. That’s the price for the entry-level ES trim. If you swap those letters around and get the SE version, which comes with a better sound system, fog lamps, special interior design touches and more, you’ll have to pony up $2,000 more. There will also be an SE Premium version available for another $2,790 that will offer DC fast charging (get an 80 percent charge in half an hour – a key selling point for some people), an HDD nav system and even better entertainment/audio options. On any model, an extra $150 also gets you the Cold Zone package, made up of a battery warming system and headed outside mirrors.
So, what’s the head scratcher? To place an order, you have to visit starting tomorrow (Earth Day) and pay two deposits: $299 for the car and $99.99 for a required home inspection. Mitsubishi will waive the $100 fee for the first 2,000 people who place an order and then buy the car. Granted, this isn’t all that strange. The bizarre thing is, according to the press release, Mitsubishi is only accepting one type of payment for this transaction: PayPal. .
Mistubishi is already selling the global version of the i – the i-MiEV – around the world, in places like , Japan and Europe. Prices vary (and the North American i is larger and ), but $20,490 is the lowest out there.
2012 Chrysler 300C Executive Series – Click above for high-res image gallery
says its new is poised to be “the most luxurious Chrysler flagship sedan ever.” That’s a pretty tall order, but one quick glance at the Executive Series’ spec sheet makes us think that The Pentastar may have hit the nail right on the head.
What makes the 300C Executive Series so swanky, you ask? For starters, the normal seats have been wrapped in two-tone Nappa leather, the front passengers are greeted by a hand-stitched Italian leather dash and there are hand-sanded real wood accents all throughout the cabin. But it doesn’t stop there. The instrument panel, center console, side panels and upper door panels can be wrapped in a choice of either Mochachino or Black Poltrona Frau “Foligno” leather. Those Nappa leather seats feature 12-way power adjustment up front, and of course, there’s a host of Chrysler’s latest infotainment technology housed in its Uconnect Touch system.
The Executive changes aren’t just limited to the interior, though. Outside, the chrome fascia, mirror and door handle accents have been replaced with a platinum finish, and new 20-inch wheels give the whole package an impressive stance. Under the hood is the 300C’s 5.7-liter Hemi V8, churning out 363 horsepower in this application.
So, is this the most luxurious Chrysler flagship ever? Judge for yourself in our high-res image galleries below.
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Live photos copyright (C)2011 / AOL
[Source: Chrysler]
2011: Chrysler’s new 300C Executive Series brings the swank, monocle not included
With stricter 2012-2016 fuel economy standards quickly creeping up on automakers, research and development departments industry-wide are looking for innovative technologies to improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions. But while hybrids and electric vehicles provide the largest wow factor, most powertrains in the near term will be of the internal combustion variety, so is looking to shed pounds as well.
TheDetroitBureau.com reports that Ford is looking to trim between 250 and 700 pounds from each of its vehicles by 2017 or 2018. That’s an impressive total given the fact that added safety measures and more technology have contributed to the bloated scale-breakers we have today, and an aluminum hood or high strength steel can only make up some of that distance. Engineering Chief Derrick Kuzak tells TDB that “weight reduction starts with new platforms.” That means aluminum and carbon fiber chassis components and lighter frames.
With the cost of aluminum far exceeding that of steel, using the lightweight material could be a costly endeavor. Kuzak believes the answer could be carbon fiber, but to use the strong, light material, Ford must “improve manufacturability and reduce costs.”
Cutting several hundred pounds from a vehicle will no-doubt cut fuel consumption and substantially improve performance, and the efficiency gains can be two-fold. Kuzak points out that lighter vehicles can be fitted with smaller, more efficient engines, giving the vehicles a second bump in fuel economy. Lighter vehicles could also lead to improved EVs as well, as less battery power would be needed to propel a vehicle, which leads to more miles per charge.
We’re all for lighter and more efficient vehicles, and we’re wondering whether it’s too early to put in an order for a 2,600-pound . Okay, so the largest weight loss is likely for the trucks and SUVs, but we can dream, right?
is making a grab for more customer loyalty than it already enjoys with its newly launched Assurance Trade-in Value Guarantee, which, as its name suggests, guarantees future trade-in values on new car purchases. The move falls under Hyundai’s wide-spanning marketing scheme, and will give buyers a solid number to determine what their car will be worth two to four years down the line.
The new initiative will be go into effect starting in May, and affects all Hyundai models. The actual value of Hyundai’s models will be determined by the Automotive Lease Guide forecast of future value. Hyundai is quick to point out that the residual value for its models is now among the highest in the industry and it’s saying that this new program offers one of the major benefits of a lease program, but with all the benefits of actual vehicle ownership.
To qualify, the vehicle must be purchased at an authorized Hyundai dealership and then traded in within 24 to 48 months on a new Hyundai vehicle. See all the details in the official press release .
2013 Ford Taurus SHO – Click above for high-res image gallery
The current may only be two years old, but the Blue Oval folks haven’t wasted any time enhancing its design, powertrains and levels of content. The encompasses more aggressive styling tweaks for both the base Taurus and , and ’s executives aren’t afraid to admit that they’ve used the as the benchmark car in the Taurus’ segment.
Under the hood, a new 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four is available in the non-SHO Taurus, and the powertrain is estimated to achieve up to 31 miles per gallon on the highway. The standard 3.5-liter V6 now has bigger stones as well, ringing up at 290 hp (+27). The disappointing news in all of this, however, is that the SHO’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 has not been enhanced in any way – it still produces 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Sorry, folks – no 400-horsepower SHO for now.
Ford says it has fitted an upsized master cylinder to the brake system for improved response and feel, and the brake pads are new as well. From our vantage point, the SHO’s brakes have been its weak link, so we’re hoping these alterations result in a meaningful bump in performance.
The updated 2013 Taurus range is making its official debut here at the , and we’ve just returned from seeing the cars live in the metal. Click through our high-res image galleries below to see Ford’s refreshed flagship for yourself.
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Photos copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL
2011: 2013 Ford Taurus and Taurus SHO bow in the Big Apple
Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class – Click above for high-res image gallery
Fresh off of its unveiling halfway around the world at the Shanghai Motor Show, Daimler graced the squeaky-clean floors of its brand-new flagship showroom, Manhattan, with its striking .
Nestled in the corner of the 11th Avenue megaplex (five floors and over seven acres of floor space in New York City), the Concept A comes off as surprisingly dynamic for what amounts to a conventional three-door hatchback – and a static one at that (unlike the car shown in China, the New York Auto Show star only has a half-interior). And it’s not just unique details like the elaborate pinwork grille (composed of hexagonal silver nubs on blacked-out stems), the windswept headlamps or the waifish side mirrors – the whole package just somehow comes together. We’re not sure if we’re finally getting more comfortable with the blunt-nosed look that’s infiltrating the Three-Pointed-Star’s lineup (see: , CLS, etc.), or if it just works particularly well here, but in the metal, the Concept A-Class looks more convincing than we expected from the first batch of press images.
That’s good news, because Benz is very serious about making its next production A-Class a world car – including North America. To that end, even in showcar regalia, the Concept A has perfectly feasible mechanicals: a 2.0-liter, 210-horsepower four-cylinder from Daimler’s new M270 range driving the front wheels and shifted by a dual-clutch gearbox. It also appears to be more conventional in chassis construction, eschewing the clever (if costly) ’sandwich’ architecture and upright profile of the original 1997 model.
When it finally arrives in production form, the next-generation A-Class will no doubt ride on smaller wheels, have a taller greenhouse, and the engine will likely nestle behind a more conventional grille. Even so, Mercedes will still be on to something if it can preserve the appeal of the Concept A-Class’ form factor.
2013 Ford Taurus SHO – Click above for high-res image gallery
Those of you hoping for a are about to be severely disappointed. The will continue to produce 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque from its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Sure, that’s still plenty of oomph for the SHO, but with rumors of a higher-output version now dashed, all we can say is, “shucks.”
Let’s not dwell on that, though. There are still plenty of improvements for the 2013 SHO to talk about.
Much like the rest of the , the SHO features styling tweaks at both the front and rear. Unlike the base model, the SHO uses a unique mesh grille pattern up front and adds a new rear spoiler out back, as well as chrome-tipped dual exhaust pipes. A new 20-inch dark wheel option is also part of the SHO package, matching the black finish found on the mirrors and body trim. We like what we see.
There may not be a bump in power, but the 2013 Taurus SHO does get a new performance package option that is said to improve the car’s performance prowess. Most notably, a 3.16:1 final drive ratio means initial acceleration is enhanced, and revised suspension tuning features new dampers and springs specific to this package. Additionally, the electronic steering system has been tuned, the stability control now has a track mode with a true ‘off’ setting and performance brake pads are now available with unique, “track-tuned” calipers. Still, we’d love to see an additional 40-ish horsepower.
for the official SHO details, and be sure to click through our high-res image gallery to see the tweaked design for yourself. Ford’s B-roll footage of the SHO is available for your viewing pleasure , as well.
2013 Ford Taurus – Click above for high-res image gallery
Upon taking the wraps off of the , Derrick Kuzak, the automaker’s group vice president of global product development, said the styling tweaks were wholly influenced by the new . Sure, the new front fascia and LED square around the taillamps are total Audi knock-offs, but what’s important to learn from this is that is using the A6 as its target for the Taurus, and with a host of updates for the 2013 model year, Ford’s flagship gets one step closer to being an alternative.
All in, the design tweaks give the Taurus an added sense of aggressiveness, though the car is still immediately recognizable as a successor to the all-new flagship that debuted for the 2010 model year. The trapezoidal grille has been tweaked, and now features active air shutters to improve overall fuel economy. The hood has been fully resculpted, and out back, tweaked taillamps with LED running lights blend into a slightly revised rear fascia. Dual exhaust tips are now standard across the board, as are new 20-inch wheel options.
The big enhancements for 2013 are the Taurus’ powertrains. Ford’s trusty 3.5-liter V6 still serves as the base engine, though its output has been bumped up to 290 horsepower – a full 27 more horses than the outgoing car. New for 2013, though, is the addition of the automaker’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, rated at 237 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. With the EcoBoost engine underhood, the Taurus is estimated to achieve up to 31 miles per gallon on the highway.
Inside, there’s a new steering wheel and more soft-touch materials have been added to the dash and center console, which now uses the automaker’s MyFord Touch infotainment system. Other new enhancements include the addition of Ford’s curve control system – first seen on the – that enhances cornering capability and braking control. Speaking of brakes, the Taurus also gets a larger brake master cylinder, meaning braking feel should be substantially better.
Pricing will be announced closer to the car’s on-sale date in early 2012, and while the 2013 Taurus might not be a perfect competitor to Audi’s A6, it’s sure to offer similar content (and style) at a much lower price-point. Check out all the details for yourself in the press release , as well as some B-roll footage of the new car. We’ll have plenty of live photos and impressions from the car’s official debut, as well.
