Car thieves are adopting depressingly creative ways to clone cars.
When it comes to car theft, the good news is that law enforcement has become so good that theft rates have dropped for a decade. The bad news is that this is forcing car thieves to become far more clever and daring than they ever were in the past.
Not long ago, chop shops were the favorite fence for car thieves. They’d drop off a stolen vehicle where it would get “chopped” into its most lucrative parts and sold off for big profits. But today, chop shops are practically passé. Now car thieves find it faster, safer and more profitable to “clone” a car.
Cloning is not a new practice, but it’s becoming more and more popular. It involves stealing a car, then creating a new title and VIN for it, but doing it in a way that makes it very difficult for law enforcement to track. And car thieves are adopting depressingly creative ways to clone cars.
John McElroy is host of the TV program and daily web video . Every month he brings his unique insights as a Detroit insider to Autoblog readers.
Your dream of owning a $45,000 plug-in minicar could become a reality in 2013. If that’s truly your dream, then you’ll be thrilled to know that the extended-range will reportedly hit U.S. dealerships in late 2013 as a Model Year 2014 vehicle.
at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Lotus’ minicar concept, now , will enter the production cycle in 2013. That’s official. However, word of the Ethos coming to the U.S. has not been confirmed by the automaker.
In production form, the plug-in Ethos is expected to employ a range-extending 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine. Lotus claims the Ethos will have an electric-only range of 37 miles before that range extender swings into action, adding 270 miles of gas-burnin’ action. Top speed checks in at a reported 76 miles per hour and the 0 to 62-mph dash takes nine ticks of the second hand.
So, it’s time to start gearing up for the possible arrival of a $45,000 plug-in minicar with a Lotus badge. We’d be willing to bet that its steep price tag will be a bit of an issue when it comes to racking up sales here in the States.
took everyone by surprised when it unveiled the back in 2008, not only with the truck’s capability but by the fact that they had the guts to produce it at all. The success of the Raptor left other automakers scrambling to produce something similar, although everything yet has fallen short in one way or another. Chrysler , although , and GM has merely shown earlier this year.
Now, Toyota is stepping up to the plate with the Tacoma TRD TX Baja Series. Unveiled today at the Texas State Fair, this limited-edition truck takes inspiration from Toyota’s Baja racing history and features items like an electronically-controlled locking differential, TRD off-road package with Bilstein race shocks and an increased ride height of two inches, BF Goodrich T/A KO tires and bead-lock style wheels. Power comes from Toyota’s 4.0-liter V6 and both a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission are available.
The TRD TX Baja Series also benefits from changes made to the standard Tacoma for 2012, including a restyled front end with a new hood, grille, front bumper and headlights. The interior gets a new instrument panel, updated gauges, new steering wheel and more. You can read full details about both the standard Tacoma and the limited edition Baja Series in the press release .
has released a volley of information on the company’s latest Release Series models. The will come to dealers dipped in an exclusive Premium Blizzard Pearl paint with 16-inch alloy wheels as standard equipment. Inside, color-matched trim panels along the center console, steering wheel and doors echo the exterior scheme, and a set of embroidered carpet floor mats round out the upgrades inside. Scion says that the company will only produce 800 examples of the xD RS 4.0, each starting at $16,250, excluding a $750 destination charge.
In addition, Scion is also rolling out the . The larger five-door, which can be seen above, will only be available in bright orange Hot Lava paint, and a honeycomb lower grille and illuminated Scion badges help set the model apart from the rest of the fleet. Inside, the vehicle’s seats wear perforated simulated suede seat covers with an embossed Scion logo. Scion intends to manufacture 1,500 examples of the xB RS 9.0. Expect to the vehicle to start at $18,110, excluding destination. for the full press release.
is apparently still working on a new small sports car designed to give the Lotus Elise something to chew on, at least if the reports coming from CAR Magazine are to be believed. Code-named Project Mimo, the vehicle is slated to be positioned below the and be built on the bones of the rumored Audi R5 and Volkswagen BlueSport convertibles.
CAR reports that all three machines are currently mired in the engineering feasibility stage of production, which means the whole lot could be binned at any moment. Even so, the Mimo is rumored to come with a 1.9-liter flat-four-cylinder engine under its hood.
The , meanwhile, will likely pack a version of the company’s stout inline five-cylinder, leaving the BlueSport to work with whatever green-tilted powerplant can come up with. The small-displacement flat-four in the Mimo will likely be paired with a turbo for something around 210 horsepower, according to CAR. That sounds fun and all, but we like the notion of a Porsche with a price tag of less than the $48,100 the German automaker asks for the Boxster.
Just when you thought automakers couldn’t shove any more inflatables into a vehicle’s cabin, General Motors has introduced yet another new airbag. The company’s new front center airbag is basically designed to keep the driver in place during a solo far-side impact, as well as prevent occupants from bouncing off of one another if there is more than one person in the car. The new device is set to be introduced as standard equipment on models like the , and with power seats beginning in the 2013 model year. The tethered, tube-shaped airbag deploys from the right side of the driver’s seat and positions itself in the center of the vehicle.
GM says that the company’s analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data revealed that far-side impact crashes accounted for 11 percent of the belted front occupant fatalities in non-rollover incidents between 2004 and 2009, and that those deaths represented 29 percent of all fatalities in all side-impact crashes.
Automotive parts supplier Takata co-developed the airbag with GM over the course of three years. for the full press release as well as a video of the device in action.
Ford’s F-Series is one of the brightest jewels in the Blue Oval crown, and the 2012 Ford F-150 has been given more sizzle with new appearance options and more meat on the bones underneath it all with expanded driveline features and options. We’ve posted the full press release , but here are some highlights:
Down where tall blades of grass tickle the underbits, Ford has equipped every 2012 F-150 with Hill Start Assist to make starting off on grades less stressful. Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum F-150s are given a new four-wheel drive system that includes an automatic mode to augment its four modes in each range. All 2012 F-150 4X4 models have the ability to be flat-towed in neutral, and an electronic-locking rear differential is available for EcoBoost and 5.0-liter V8 F-150s. Wheelbase and payload tweaks are made, as well, and your bladder will certainly notice the 756-mile range of the 2012 F-150 EcoBoost 4X4, made possible by a new 36-gallon fuel tank.
The most visible addition for 2012 is the available FX appearance package that adds visual badassery to F-150’s exterior with flat black stripes, red badging, unique head- and tail-lamps, chrome exhaust tip, and a black grille. Wheels for the FX package are flat black 20-inchers, too. The FX package also tarts up the interior with black leather on the seats set off by red piping and perforations. The steering wheel continues the theme with red stitching. Black and satin-metallic accents complete the FX package’s interior high points. There’s also a new FX Luxury package that adds heated and cooled front seats.
Ford has also launched a new to help buyers figure out which configuration and powertrain best suits their needs. The tool also shows how the F-150 compares to its competition. Dive into it all .
Could this be Seat’s version of the Up!? recently on the runabout, the Citigo, and it’s plausible that VW wants to make the biggest statement possible with the little car. The diminutive hatchback could also be employed to help reverse Seat’s fortunes – remember, in May of 2010, the Spanish brand was about its financial performance. An innovative and inexpensive city car could help round out the planned portfolio expansion.
At the , our that Seat was working on a sporty version of the Up! that would be “good to drive.” However, there wasn’t any additional information at the source site, so we aren’t sure how much of the image above is an actual photo and how much is rendering. We expect it would still come, as the rest, with either the 59- or 74-horsepower, 1.0-liter three-clinder engines.
Automotive News is reporting that has announced plans to focus its efforts on building quality products instead of expanding its current line to fill every niche or broadening its manufacturing capabilities. The company’s co-CEO, Lee Sam-ung, said that Kia doesn’t plan to build any new manufacturing facilities any time in the near future. That news came in the face of concerns that limited production capability may hinder future growth, but Sam-ung said that global demand for vehicles is expected to subside soon.
In order to remain competitive, Kia will launch new models, strengthen its local promotions and work to enhance the company’s competitiveness, Sam-ung said while at the launch of the 2012 Rio. Meanwhile, the executive also indicated that Kia still intends to launch two new electric vehicles, one in 2014 and another in 2015.
Spending time with any iteration of the is a glorious occasion. Your life becomes brighter, and everyone you pass on the street feels a bit better about their day for just having seen one. wants you to experience this for yourself, and you’re going to need to flex your Twitter muscles to make it happen.
Using the hashtag #WantAnR8, Audi wants you to explain all of the reasons why you would, um, want an R8. Sounds silly, but . She spoke of her love of the sultry German sports car, and Audi promptly loaned her one for the weekend.
Audi plans to hand over the keys to a few more fans, and will also run the #WantAnR8 program during the upcoming Petit Le Mans race. Attendees at the racing event could tool around for a few hours in an R8 of their “own”.
to watch Joanne spend some time with her favorite sports car.
It’s been reported today that a member of the Autoblog team has engaged in unethical behavior. The report indicated that Jeff Glucker, a contracted writer for Autoblog, published an article on the site today about a contest being run by Nissan while simultaneously under contract for the third-party agency running the contest.
Autoblog’s editors were completely unaware of this improper relationship. Upon hearing these allegations, we conducted our own internal investigation into the matter and found the report to be true. Upon this discovery, we immediately terminated our relationship with Mr. Glucker and removed the article in question. We will also be reviewing Mr. Glucker’s other articles to determine if conflicts are evident.
As a result of this episode, Autoblog is also reviewing our policies that pertain to potential conflicts of interest that may arise for our writers. Autoblog is part of AOL and the HuffingtonPost Media Group, which has a clearly defined policy on conflicts of interest that you can read , and this writer violated them. We sincerely apologize for this breach of trust with you, the reader, and will do our utmost to make sure it’s never repeated.
The rumormill is at the thought of a resurrected Toyota Supra, and while we don’t have any more reliable information on whether or not will reintroduce the high-horsepower sports car, we have been treated to a rendering of what the vehicle might look like.
Artist Andreas Fougner took the time to stretch his skills over the notion of a Supra successor, and the result is the machine you see above. Fougner says that he drew his inspiration from both current and vintage Toyota models, as well as other vehicles that have made the jump from past to present while skipping a generation or two.
What’s under the hood? Fougner hasn’t bothered with specifics, though he did say that the modern Supra would need to be light and nimble, despite the vehicle’s portly past, and that it should come with a high-revving, naturally aspirated beating heart. Forced induction would also be acceptable.
As for us, we wouldn’t mind seeing a torque-happy straight six under that long hood, so long as it puts power to the rear wheels via an honest-to-God manual gearbox.
A Glut Of EVs Could Make America’s Shoddy Power Grid Even Worse
The increasingly rickety American power grid seems to short out for all sorts of reasons.
It took just one worker in Yuma, Arizona to plunge millions of people into the dark in the Southwest U.S. and Mexico, a few weeks back. A fluke, perhaps, but not a rarity.
If anything, major power outages are becoming an increasingly serious problem and at precisely the worst time possible – at least if you’re an advocate of electric propulsion. Utility officials concede that it will be increasingly difficult to win over potential battery-car customers if they can’t be certain of a steady supply of electric power.
Yet, that’s precisely what American consumers are facing. In the Detroit suburbs, two months back, a heat wave popped the circuits at a number of sub-stations around the city. It plunged much of my own little community of Pleasant Ridge into the dark for as much as three days. We were lucky. The hurricane and tropical storms that struck the East Coast, from the Carolinas to Maine, just days later, cut power to millions more utility customers, some for weeks.
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of , and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Spyker Cars has been offloaded to a Connecticut-based private equity firm after a deal to sell the supercar manufacturer to another set of investors failed a few months back.
North Street Capital, LP is the supposed new owner of Spyker, which had been attempting to sell earlier this year. Negotiations were originally being hashed out between Saab and a partnership between a British and Russian consortium and Vladimir Antonov, which just recently announced plans .
As of today (9/28/2011), the terms of the deal haven’t been released by either Saab or North Street Capital. Clearly though, considering how cash-strapped the company is, Saab is in desperate need of a funding infusion. We’ll update this post with more details as they become available.
Indiana governor Mitch Daniels was forced to close the Sherman Minton Bridge over the Ohio River last week. The 50-year-old structure connects Indiana with Kentucky via Interstate 64, and after years of overuse, the bridge has deteriorated significantly.
Inspectors recently discovered a large crack in the main load-bearing element of the bridge, and structural engineers quickly recommended closing the structure to traffic. Before the closure, 75,000 vehicles flowed between Albany, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky every day. Now those vehicles are being forced onto already over-crowded alternate routes.
The Sherman Minton Bridge has become a symbol of (see also: ), and President Barack Obama has used it as an example of exactly how America needs to focus on shoring up its innards. As a result, the president has unveiled the American Jobs Act – legislation designed to put people back to work while giving infrastructure the attention it’s been lacking over the past four decades. Here’s hoping it works.
is going to keep things classy with its upcoming ATS. The top will stay on, which means the lineup will lose .
What’s the motivation for the drop-top rejection? Volume projections. Cadillac doesn’t see enough convertible fans stepping up with cash to support the production of an ATS convertible.
The sedan is still on track to arrive in dealerships during the summer of 2012. Rumor has it that the coupe is slated to arrive a few years later as a 2015 model. Regardless, we’re eagerly awaiting word on what the V versions will pack under their hoods.
Mike Ryan is our kind of insane. Not only did the man fling his Freightliner race truck up the winding side of earlier this year, but the professional stunt and race driver has also joined forces with drifting legend Sam Hubinette for a little exhibition show during round six of the Formula Drift Championship.
In preparation of wowing the masses at the FD gathering, Ryan came out for a little shakedown session with the big Freightliner. Things didn’t exactly go smoothly at first, with Ryan fighting the truck all over the impromptu course, but it didn’t take long to get the kinks ironed out.
Within a matter of hours, Hubinette had Ryan pirouetting around the asphalt and oval track like an drift hero. Fortunately for all involved, the whole experience was recorded for posterity. to check out the video for yourself.
The Obama Administration will reportedly delay the release of the U.S.’ most ambitious fuel economy proposal ever.
Word is the and won’t be able to string together a draft for Model Year 2017-25 for public comment by the end of this week, as was initially intended. Instead, sources close to the matter claim the proposal won’t be rolled out until November, or possibly even later. But even with the expected delay, the administration should remain on track to meet its deadline of issuing final guidelines by July of 2012.
The and EPA are jointly writing the regulations based on the July agreement, which tentatively calls for automakers to hit a .
Sources claim regulators are moving slower than anticipated on details of the official proposal to ensure it covers issues likely to be voiced during the public comment period.
Word has it that General Motors may be out to finally counter the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet and . Until now, and enjoyed nearly unhindered dominance of the turn-key dragster market, but LSXTV is reporting that GM is planning to unveil its answer at this year’s SEMA show in November in the form of a Stock Eliminator . Details are markedly scarce at the moment, but that didn’t stop LSXTV from hypothesizing about exactly what the quarter-mile Bowtie could bring to the table.
Chances are the Camaro will come with a serialized nameplate but won’t be street-legal, and it will boast a track-specific suspension, brake and chassis package. Even so, as LSXTV points out, the Cobra Jet is feathery light compared to the big-bodied Camaro, so odds are the machine will need more horsepower to get it down the straight ahead of the Ford. That may mean a factory LS7 will be behind the headlights. Either way, we can’t wait to see the machine in the flesh.
We’ve seen some pretty entertaining urban marketing campaigns here in the States, but we have to hand it to the China team for the creative way that the company is choosing to drum up buzz about its new Azera. A team of skilled artists whipped up a full-scale, pedal-powered interpretation of the four-door sedan constructed from a tube-steel frame, sheets of plastic, Styrofoam and a vinyl wrap, then spent some time whirring around town to show the contraption to the public at large. Hilarity ensues at valet drop-offs and the like.
We’re having a hard time coming up with any official word on exactly who was involved in the vehicle’s build or what Hyundai China is doing with their pedal-powered Azera now. We’re thinking that with a little modification, this thing would have made an awesome soap box derby racer, but it’d be a shame to see all that hard work risk getting crunched. to check out a few videos off the contraption in action.
John McElroy is host of the TV program and daily web video . Every month he brings his unique insights as a Detroit insider to Autoblog readers.
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of , and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
