New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made it clear that he wants to see more traffic light cameras in the Big Apple, saying that he’d have the devices on every street corner if possible. According to The New York Daily News, the city brought in $52 million in fines generated by red light cameras last year alone. The mayor has been pushing for an increase in the number of cameras in the city from 150 to 225. A bill to do just that has passed the state senate in June, but has lost momentum in the Senate.
Bloomberg doesn’t just want a jump in the number of cameras, however. He also wants to publish the names of those who blow through the stop lights in local papers to help shame wrongdoers into changing their ways. What’s more, the mayor wants to look into the possibility of adding speed cameras to the mix. Big brother is coming to NYC.
The Circuit of the Americas isn’t quite finished yet, and Austin isn’t quite ready for the Formula One circus to roll into town. But apparently someone forgot to tell David Coulthard and the Red Bull Racing team.
Last week we reported on over the weekend, but apparently their plans went a little further than that as their veteran driver took one of their F1 cars for a little spin in and around the Texas capital city.
The event included the foreshadowed run along city streets, but also took DC and the team out for a run through a good ol’ Texas cattle ranch, and around the site of the grand prix track that is currently little more than a dirt road.
It’s not every day you get to see an F1 car go off-roading, much less on a ranch or in America altogether, so check out the videos after the jump as well as the high-res image gallery.
If started in 1964, only to be reinvigorated in the last decade or so, we need a tidy way to label all those memorable cars that came before or don’t have the massive cubic inch engines needed to qualify for the muscle category. We’ll just call ‘em classics.
In the gallery after the break, you’ll see a smattering of old Fords, some turned lovingly into hot rods, along with old Cadillacs, Corvairs and convertibles. There’s the scattered Studebaker and even a few surprises… like The Most Interesting Man in the World.
We’ve gone ahead and labeled our classics gallery to the best of our abilities, but a few of these could be off by a year or two and some are pretty much identifiable due to their extreme modifications. No matter, each one is a certified classic – we hope you enjoy the gallery, and we’ll see you next year in !
is currently in the middle of a product update that started with the all-new Mulsanne and has now moved on to the Continental GT. on , but we knew that more derivatives lurked in the future. The next one is now here, and it arrives in the form of the .
Sharing the same lower lines as its sibling hardtop coupe, the GTC opts to let the sun shine in via a power-operated retracting softtop. Under the hood sits the same 6.0-liter W12 engine that produces 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque in the coupe. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Continental GTC will run from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. Keep your Church’s Warrik leather driving shoe pushed to the floor and 100 mph will pass by in 10.9 seconds as you proceed towards a top speed of 195 mph.
This second-generation Continental GTC boasts the same upgraded interior amenities as the coupe, including the (thankfully!) updated nav system, plethora of color choices and optional Naim audio. Twenty-inch wheels are the standard set, while 21-inch rollers are available as an option.
For those who have the means, Bentley is taking orders now, and lucky customers will take delivery towards the end of 2011. The rest of the world will get to see the car in person at the .
Ready to take a deeper dive into the world of the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC? Click past the jump for the full press release, then take a gander at the convertible from all angles in our gallery.
“I’m not a doctor, but I play one on television.” If that line sounds familiar from old television commercials featuring soap opera stars in white coats, bear in mind that the theme extends far beyond the annals of fake medicine. People get mixed up between actors and the characters they play all the time.
Tom Cruise, for example, has driven all sorts of vehicles on the silver screen, from cars to motorbikes to speed boats, often pulling off scarcely believable stunts and feats in the process. But how much of that comes down to camera trickery and special effects, and how much can be chalked up to actual driving talent?
We got a pretty good answer when Cole Trickle himself set the lap record (however short-lived) on Britain’s Top Gear, but Cruise wasn’t about to stop there. So while David Coulthard and the Red Bull demonstration team were Stateside for a show in Texas, they met the Hollywood mega-star out in Southern California to let him try his hand at driving an Formula One car.
The seven-hour test at Willow Springs started in a road car, where Coulthard and Cruise drove the 2.5-mile track to get a feeling for the layout before the Mission: Impossible star climbed into the F1 car for 24 laps. At the end of the day, Cruise managed a top speed of 181 miles per hour – just four mph off of DC’s trap speed – while scrubbing 11 seconds off his first lap – a marked improvement that left Coulthard impressed at Tom’s skills.
Stay tuned for video footage when it’s released and check out the official snapshots in the gallery for a closer look.
is currently in the middle of a product update that started with the all-new Mulsanne and has now moved on to the Continental GT. on , but we knew that more derivatives lurked in the future. The next one is now here, and it arrives in the form of the .
Sharing the same lower lines as its sibling hardtop coupe, the GTC opts to let the sun shine in via a power-operated retracting softtop. Under the hood sits the same 6.0-liter W12 engine that produces 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque in the coupe. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Continental GTC will run from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. Keep your Church’s Warrik leather driving shoe pushed to the floor and 100 mph will pass by in 10.9 seconds as you proceed towards a top speed of 195 mph.
This second-generation Continental GTC boasts the same upgraded interior amenities as the coupe, including the (thankfully!) updated nav system, plethora of color choices and optional Naim audio. Twenty-inch wheels are the standard set, while 21-inch rollers are available as an option.
For those who have the means, Bentley is taking orders now, and lucky customers will take delivery towards the end of 2011. The rest of the world will get to see the car in person at the .
Ready to take a deeper dive into the world of the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC? Click past the jump for the full press release, then take a gander at the convertible from all angles in our gallery.
A and free rein at California’s legendary Laguna Seca circuit sounds like a near-perfect way to spend a day. BMW agrees with that line of thinking, and it was kind enough to bring a long a camera. Well, you could easily replace “kind” with “annoyingly torturous” since we aren’t the ones wearing the helmet and driving suit.
Regardless, we still enjoyed the clip and we think you will too – especially when you hear just how ruthlessly the sound from 560-horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 assaults your eardrums. to check it out.
We’ve just given you . Now, Toyota is ready to give you pricing, and it’s good news if you’re in the market for this mid-size mainstay. Pricing stays the same for some of the 2012 trims, while it’s actually gone down for a few others. The 2012 Camry family hierarchy shakes out with the base-model L before moving up to the LE, XLE and SE trims. The Camry Hybrid is only available in LE or XLE guise.
Pricing for the 2012 Camry L starts at $21,995. If you want to move up to the LE, you only need $545 more for a total of $22,500, which is about $200 less than the 2011 LE. Another $500 brings you to the four-cylinder-equipped Camry SE, which costs $23,000 and is priced $965 lower than the 2011 model it replaces. The V6 SE will cost $26,400, which is consistent with 2011 pricing. In the market for the top-shelf XLE? Have at least $24,725 ready for the four-cylinder model, and $29,845 if you prefer the V6. The 2012 Camry XLE four-cylinder is priced a full $2,000 less than the 2011 model, while the XLE V6 remains priced the same as the 2011.
If you’re leaning towards the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid, you’ll be saving $1,150 over the 2011 Camry LE. The 2012 Camry Hybrid LE starts at $25,900, while the Camry Hybrid XLE starts at $27,400, an $800 deduction compared to the 2011 unit.
It may be hard to believe, but the has already been on the market for five years. And while it was cutting edge then and is still eminently fresh and desirable by any account, sooner or later it’s going to need a bit of a touch-up up to keep ahead of the competition. And this could be our first look at what to expect.
Apparently leaked out together with some otherphotos, this solitary shot is believed to be a design mock-up of the front-end of the next R8. The nose features Audi’s latest hexagonal grille shape and a very sharp-looking set of all-LED headlamps that (with apologies to Bryan Adams fans) cut like a knife across the car’s face.
Mechanically, the new R8 is likely to carry over the existing choice of V8 or V10 engines with Quattro all-wheel drive, although prototypes have reportedly been seen with 2.5 and 3.0-liter TFSI engines driving the rear wheels only. What is understood is that the much-derided R-tronic transmission will finally be replaced with a better dual-clutch gearbox.
Sources speculate that Audi could be preparing to unveil the new R8 at the rapidly approaching , but that could prove little more than wishful thinking. One way or another, we’ll find out soon enough, so watch this space for more.
has manufactured and sold 15 million models across 100 countries since it debuted way back in 1983. It’s a number that’s nearly unfathomable. If all of those polite four-doors were still roaming the earth, there’d be one for every man, woman and child in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. combined, and you’d still have a almost a million vehicles left over. Even more eye-widening is Toyota’s claim that of the Camry models built and sold over the last 15 years, 90 percent are still happily enduring a daily commute on nearly every corner of the planet. By sheer volume and longevity, the Camry is nothing short of an engineering and manufacturing wonder.
Almost by default, the Camry has grown to become the vehicle by which all other mid-sized creations must measure themselves, and over the past two years, , , and have unveiled products designed specifically to lure buyers from the Toyota model’s swollen ranks. In response, Toyota City has turned out the seventh-generation Camry – a model that’s been altered with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it delicacy. But as millions of current Camry owners will tell you, that may not be a bad thing.
If you miss the classic wedge shape of the Lancia Stratos, there are a few things you can do about it. You could buy yourself a vintage example, which will set you back a pretty penny. Or you could have Pininfarina build you one based on a F430, and run the risk of legal action from Maranello. Or you could buy a KTM X-Bow and bring it to the creative folks at Montenergy.
The Italian carrozzeria has developed a body kit for the Dallara-built carbon-fiber chassis called the Stratosferica that gives it the look of the Stratos with the handling of the Austrian motorbike company’s four-wheeled track monster. The conversion will set you back 12,000 euros (around $17,300 USD), but a simpler canopy addition called the Monte Carlo is also available and will take you most of the way there for less cash.
An engine upgrade is also available to boost the -sourced TFSI four from 237 horsepower up to 310, which just sweetens the deal to a downright mouthwatering degree. Check it out in our galleries, or watch the pair of rudimentary video clips .
A captured running round the ‘Ring is nothing to get excited about – the physics-defying rig was practically born there. A camo-clad X6 M wearing a hood with a massive scoop? Now that’s worth talking about, and it’s precisely what our spy photographers have just snapped at their asphalt-laden Nürburgring office. The extra dose of air is understood to be a requirement of the rumored tri-turbo engine lurking beneath the hood.
We’ve already heard how the . We’ve also heard . Naturally, it would only make sense to find the same powerplant making its way over to the nearly identical X6.
As we were with that particularly famous alien lady from Total Recall, we’re excited to learn more about this diesel-drinking tri-turbo X6. Horsepower and torque figures should be high enough to make us giddy, while the price tag will most likely have enough numbers to bring us back down to eart. Stay tuned as we learn more about what’s going on under the hood, but for now you, can check out this test mule from a handful of angles in the gallery.
Berlin is facing a rash of vehicle arson this year with more than 320 vehicles set ablaze in 2011 so far. Authorities claim that at least 140 of those incidents have been politically motivated, with the arsonists leaving notes at the scene. Those crimes have targeted luxury makes like and as part of growing unrest among Germany’s lower classes. The notes typically contain some sort of anti-gentrification message. As for the rest of the torchings, law enforcement says those crimes are largely copycat in nature or simply vandalism for vandalism’s sake.
Nationwide, Germany is facing unemployment of around seven percent while Berlin deals with nearly double that figure at 13.5 percent. Most of the fires take place at night, all but ensuring that criminals get away without fear of being caught. The city’s police force has escalated patrols and added helicopter surveillance, but with over 3,000 miles of city streets to cover, the police department can’t be everywhere at once. Thanks for the tip, Toy Yoda.
, we showed you the first video of the coming 458 Spider, but now we have a batch of images and more information to share with you.
Engineering a mid-engined exotic with a retractable hardtop is a bit tricky. Which is why it’s never been done before – that is, until now. Feast your eyes on what Maranello’s crafty engineers have wrought.
The convertible version of the fills the space left by the F430 Spider and the 360, 355 and 348 Spiders before it. But whereas those went with cloth roofs, the newest variation on the theme uses a folding – or more accurately, flipping – hard panel. The mechanism is similar to the one on the Superamerica, but whereas that model’s roof panel simply rests under the open sky on the rear deck, the 458 stows under the deck lid, protecting it from collecting dust or rain that would otherwise be deposited on the driver and passenger when deployed.
The function is simpler than most folding contraptions and resulting form is more pleasing to the eye as well, but the one disadvantage is that the 4.5-liter direct-injection V8 (with all its 562 prancing horses and trademark crackled red cam cover) is now hidden below decks instead of displayed as on the 458 Italia coupe. Which only goes to show that while you can come close to having your proverbial cake and eating it too, even this level of performance roadster has its trade-offs. This, though, strikes us as one we could live with. You know, if we really had to.
Follow the jump for the video and full press release, and be sure to scope out the initial batch of high-resolution images in the gallery as we gear up for the 458 Spider’s debut at the just a few weeks from now.
, we showed you the first video of the coming 458 Spider, but now we have a batch of images and more information to share with you.
Engineering a mid-engined exotic with a retractable hardtop is a bit tricky. Which is why it’s never been done before – that is, until now. Feast your eyes on what Maranello’s crafty engineers have wrought.
The convertible version of the fills the space left by the F430 Spider and the 360, 355 and 348 Spiders before it. But whereas those went with cloth roofs, the newest variation on the theme uses a folding – or more accurately, flipping – hard panel. The mechanism is similar to the one on the Superamerica, but whereas that model’s roof panel simply rests under the open sky on the rear deck, the 458 stows under the deck lid, protecting it from collecting dust or rain that would otherwise be deposited on the driver and passenger when deployed.
The function is simpler than most folding contraptions and resulting form is more pleasing to the eye as well, but the one disadvantage is that the 4.5-liter direct-injection V8 (with all its 562 prancing horses and trademark crackled red cam cover) is now hidden below decks instead of displayed as on the 458 Italia coupe. Which only goes to show that while you can come close to having your proverbial cake and eating it too, even this level of performance roadster has its trade-offs. This, though, strikes us as one we could live with. You know, if we really had to.
Follow the jump for the video and full press release, and be sure to scope out the initial batch of high-resolution images in the gallery as we gear up for the 458 Spider’s debut at the just a few weeks from now.
One of the most complex parts of a modern Formula One car is its steering wheel, which can be worth tens of thousands of dollars on its own and packing all the controls you’d expect to find on a dashboard right onto the wheel itself. took a similar approach with the steering wheel on the , moving the starter button, chassis mode dial, windshield wiper controls, headlights, turning indicators… everything right onto the face of the wheel, while removing the usual stalks to allow for unimpeded access to the oversize shift paddles.
The result is a thorough rethink of one of the automobile’s most basic components, though some have derided it as too complex. And if you’re one of those who thought the end result looks more like a video game controller than a car’s steering wheel, you’re not alone: feast your eyes on the latest device from Thrustmaster.
Designed as a controller for driving and racing games on the Microsoft xBox 360, the Ferrari 458 replica wheel is flush with all the functions you’d need for playing Forza 4 or the latest Need for Speed game the way it ought to be played. Coming this October for less than $90, it’s considerably more affordable than some of , and could be just the thing to keep us from getting any work done. Check it out in the gallery and for the full press release.
Go back a few days and nobody knew for sure whether Sebastien Loeb would be back on the rally stage next year. The seven-time world champion has little left to prove, and with new manufacturer-backed teams joining the paddock from and , the competition looks to get that much more fierce. But, after an unusually long period of contemplation, Loeb and Citroën – the French team for whom he’s driven since joining the WRC in 1999 – have announced a renewal of their contract for another two years.
The deal secures Loeb as well as his longtime co-driver Daniel Elena (pictured together above) for the 2012 season, with an option 2013. Loeb reportedly doesn’t see himself staying in the WRC through 2014, but there’s no telling what the temptation of a tenth title could bring should he prove able to continue his complete domination of the championship for the past eight years into another couple of titles. for the official announcement, which tellingly comes from the manufacturer as opposed to the team.
drivers won’t like hearing it, but has got some catching up to do with . While the latter has unveiled several concepts to preview its version of the rear-drive coupe the two are developing together, the former has yet to show us . But that’s about to change.
At the rapidly approaching , Subaru will be unveiling a “technology concept” for its version of the sports car. And in announcing its plans, Fuji Heavy’s automotive unit has revealed the car’s name: BRZ.
The letters stand for Boxer Rear-drive Zenith, and will be worn on the concept called the BRZ Prologue. We’re not quite sure what to expect, exactly, of a “technology concept,” but hopefully, it’ll give us a better idea of what we’re looking at than what we’ve seen so far. for the press release and to the teaser site for more.
Let there be no doubt: Classic American muscle cars are the bread and butter of the . And why not? These machines hearken back to a time when horsepower was king, nameplates like , , and first started rolling off the tongue and Detroit was at the forefront of the automotive world.
That said, we’ve noticed an interesting trend over the last several years. Modern muscle is making up a more significant portion of the festivities than ever before, a fact we can surely attribute to the rise in quality and performance of today’s crop of high-horsepower offerings. Naturally, you’ll see plenty of Detroit muscle from the 1960s straight on through today in this gallery from the 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise.
We’d like to take a moment to explain our definition of muscle cars. We’re mostly cutting Detroit’s history into two segments: classics and muscle, using 1964, the inaugural year of the seminal Pontiac GTO, as the dividing line. Two seats, four seats or five; two doors or four; modern or vintage – these are the cars that place straight-line performance above all else… and we love ‘em for it.
We went ahead and labeled each vehicle, but if we’re off by a year or two on some of them, we apologize in advance to all you hardcore muscle car enthusiasts out there… With all that in mind, enjoy the gallery!
In case you hadn’t noticed, Detroit is smack dab in the middle of America, and what is America if not welcoming? While the may celebrate the heyday of The Motor City’s own brand of classic machinery, there’s a good bit of foreign influence as well.
From and to and , Europe is very well represented indeed. Japan may not be quite as commonplace on the streets of Woodward, but we did come across a smattering of offerings from (and also its earlier Datsun form).
And then there are the truly rare breeds – like Austin Healey, De Tomaso and – mingling right alongside such hallowed performers as the and . See all that and plenty more in our image gallery of imports and exotics from the 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise.
