Mark Reuss, North American President of General Motors, made official today what we already knew, that Cadillac’s lineup is growing by two new vehicles. The new models are the large XTS luxury sedan and compact ATS sport sedan. Reuss made the announcement at the Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars, where he also released this teaser sketch of the ATS’ profile that we made a little more revealing in Photoshop.
The XTS is based on the that debuted at the and will go on sale spring of 2012. It replaces both the and in Cadillac’s lineup and is expected to use the same Epsilon II platform that underpins the , which means both front-wheel and all-wheel drive will be offered. The new XTS also means a $117 million investment for GM’s Oshawa, Ontario plant where the company says 400 jobs will be created or retained because of its production. Currently the Camaro, Impala and Equinox are built in Oshawa.
The ATS, however, is the more exciting of these two cars. Slotted below the CTS in Cadillac’s lineup, this compact, rear-wheel-drive sport sedan is aimed squarely at the brand’s German rivals – mainly the , and . GM even calls them out in its press release. Word is that Cadillac has been using the 3 Series in particular as its benchmark. The ATS also means new investment, in this case for the automaker’s . The plant will receive a $190 million infusion of fiscal love and get to keep or create 600 new jobs. GM pegs the on-sale date for the ATS as summer of 2012.
Italians are very proud of their brands. From Panerai watches to supercars, Italian luxury brands are the epitome of style. Even smaller motorized products are stylish, from the Vespa scooter on up to the . It’s that last one that is once again partnering up with a major house of Italian fashion.
Gucci has linked arms with one more time, and the result is the by Gucci. The droptop subcompact gets an extra ounce of style courtesy of the company founded by Guccio Gucci. When Fiat revealed , more than 3,000 pre-orders came flooding into the automaker’s website.
The 500C by Gucci will be offered in two colors, white with satin chrome accents or black with shined-up chrome bits. On both, a black softtop covers occupants and wears the traditional Gucci color scheme down the middle. At all four corners sit 16-inch alloy wheels sporting the Gucci double-G logo in the center. Inside, a Gucci print adorns the seats and the fashion house’s moniker can be found sprinkled liberally throughout.
Every year, F1 teams design and build a new set of cars to start the new season. So what happens to the old cars? Well, that varies, but when the car in question just won the championship, it’s usually kept intact. Sometimes the team keeps it for posterity, sometimes they gift it to the driver who’d just won them the title, sometimes they end up in museum or private collections. But not this one.
After Ayrton Senna won his third and final title in 1991, McLaren dismantled the MP4/6 with which he did it and gave the parts to an artist named Jay Burridge, who in turn transformed the car into the art installation you see here. Looking like a giant model kit, it would be enough to turn heads on its own even if it weren’t such an historic specimen. And now it’s going up for auction.
Coys is the house that will handle its sale, the Nürburgring is the location and August 13 is the date. That’s when Coys expects it will fetch between £30,000 and £50,000 ($50k-$82k). Which on the one hand seems like a lot, but on the other seems like a bargain considering the car it was built from. for the press release.
has no plans (at least, none that we’re aware of) that involve bringing a wagon to market. If those plans change, we think the automaker should look towards Theophilus Chin for inspiration. We’ve seen Chin’s renderings before, and his take on the 200 wagon suggests that the family hauler would also be a pretty decent looker, particularly as it forgoes the sedan’s awkward greenhouse in favor of a more traditional form.
Chin takes on the rendering from both front and rear angles, and you can take a closer look at each by clicking through the gallery.
Now that you’ve taken a look, we’d like to know what you think. Should Chrysler expand the 200 lineup with a wagon? Have a say in our informal poll below.
The documentary SENNA, about the life and racing times of Formula One legend Ayrton Senna is coming to U.S. theaters on August 12. Unfortunately, it’s very a limited initial release – just two theaters, one in L.A. and the other in New York City. The film will have a wider U.S. release in the following weeks, though will still only appear on a fraction of the screens that typical summer blockbusters do.
You can read our of SENNA in anticipation of the film’s release, and its makers have given us access to an exclusive clip to show you. In this clip, Ayrton and his arch rival Alain Prost are being interviewed. It’s the early days of their driving together for McLaren, and the inherent conflict of having the sport’s two best drivers compete on the same team is clearly evident, even in such a brief clip.
If the clip whets your appetite, you can check the for theaters and showtimes to see if SENNA is coming to a town near you. If you’re more the stay-at-home type, you can already from the Official F1 Store.
is furthering its investment in America. You already know that the German automaker builds the , and at its Spartanburg County, South Carolina assembly plant. Now, BMW is adding to that complex by introducing two new programs and hiring 100 new employees. Workers at its facility in Greer will soon have access to a brand-new family health center operated by an independent health care provider. Use of the health center will be made available to existing employees, eligible retirees and family members. In addition to the health center, BMW will begin a program called BMW Scholars, which allows area technical school students to work part-time in the assembly plant. Accepted candidates will receive tuition assistance, book money and first-hand apprentice training with a major automotive manufacturer.
Beyond the new programs, BMW is looking to bring 100 new team members on board to fill white colllar positions. These range from production managers and engineers to IT staff. The move to acquire 100 new employees is rather interesting after the negative attention from Teamsters when 100 distribution jobs were cut. Somehow, we don’t see the union to lay on applause for this one.
Come October of 2011, there will be a revised version of the available at your local dealership. For 2012, Nissan’s luxury arm has bestowed its flashy crossover with a distinctive new front fascia that draws clear influence from Infiniti’s latest design language first seen on the from the .
In addition to the new face, has also added a new 20-inch wheel design and a slightly redone instrument cluster. Finally, a new FX35 Limited Edition model hits the ground wearing an exclusive Iridium Blue exterior color along with blacked-out exterior finishes and unique 21-inch wheels. If you want one, we suggest you act fast; Infiniti plans only 550 LE models for North America.
Infiniti has left the powertrain alone for 2012, not that any changes were really all that necessary. The FX35 continues on with 303-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 while the FX50 boasts 390 horses from its 5.0-liter V8. Either engine comes mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox that gets optional paddle shifters on the FX50. All-wheel drive is optional on the FX35 (base models get rear-wheel drive) and standard on the FX50.
Pricing doesn’t change much for 2012, with the base FX35 starting at $43,450 and the FX50 at $59,350. The new Limited Edition FX35, which comes only with all-wheel drive, will go for $51,550. According to the automaker, “popularly equipped” models wear the same price tags in 2012 as they did in 2011.
Want to know more? Check out our image gallery (note: the blue FX35 is the Limited Edition color) and then peruse the press release .
Racing fans eager for the return of Formula One racing may recall a last year that would have seen a United States Grand Prix run in New Jersey, just across the Hudson from the Manhattan skyline.
The project went belly-up when local activists against turning Liberty State Park into a racing circuit pressured Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy to put an end to it. In its place – or so it seemed – the return of the U.S. Grand Prix was moved to Austin, Texas, where America’s first purpose-built F1 circuit is currently being constructed. One might have assumed that the Austin project won out instead of the New Jersey one, but if the latest report from The Wall Street Journal is anything to go by, it may be too early to count the Garden State out of this particular race just yet.
A new proposal is reportedly being considered to hold an F1 race across the New Jersey townships of Weehawken and West New York, which would still provide the same spectacular backdrop and quick access to and from the city. The project’s financial backers are reportedly adamant that the race and all its related expenses be privately funded and require that no tax dollars be diverted towards its orchestration.
If it were to go through, the race would potentially be held in addition to, and not instead of, the race in Texas. It wouldn’t be the first time that the United States held two F1 races: parallel grands prix – dubbed East and West – were held at Watkins Glen and Long Beach in the 1970s, while additional races were held as well in Detroit, Dallas and Las Vegas in the 1980s.
Generally speaking, we prefer driving cars to building them. Still, you can’t do the former if the latter isn’t taken care of. And since one of the cars at the top of our “must drive” list is the , naturally we’re curious to see what it takes to put one together. Thankfully for us, then, brought a video crew into its Maranello, Italy factory, and we’re gifted a first-hand view of an engine coming to life.
The Prancing Horse’s 4.5-liter V8 produces 562 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough energy to move the 458 Italia from 0-62 miles per hour in around 3.4 seconds. Keep the gas to the floor and you’ll eventually see 202 miles per hour.
What does it take to bring that mill to life? to find out.
Everyone is looking to save a buck these days. Still, there are expenses that you just can’t avoid, and whether traveling for business or pleasure, a rental car is often included in the budget. According to USA Today, an Atlanta Budget car rental office is trying a new tactic to help bring down the cost of renting a vehicle, and it involves you becoming a mobile billboard.
A handful of cars in the fleet are getting the vinyl wrap treatment courtesy of Wrap Media Group, and the result is a rolling advertisement available to customers at a greatly discounted daily rate. How much of a discount? One customer secured a weekly rental that usually costs $400 for a mere $88.
That’s $312 off for you bean counters at home. Quite a bargain as long as they don’t get pushy with the insurance options too. So, would you be interested in saving some bucks in exchange for turning the car you’re renting into a rolling billboard? Have your say in our poll below.
Here’s your official spoiler alert warning, as the following video is taken from a Top Gear episode that has yet to air on this side of the Atlantic.
Top Gear tests automobiles that are pure dream fuel for the average enthusiast. The Top Gear Test Track has pushed truly tenacious machines to the limit courtesy of both the trio of presenters and, of course, The Stig. Since has a new big bull, it was only a matter of time before the largest Lambo arrived on the set of the world’s greatest motoring show.
Richard Hammond is up first, and his date with the goes rather swimmingly. After he gets a shot in the control seat, the Stig has the chance to run the Lamborghini around the track. How does the Aventador fare? to find out…and make it quick, because this video could be pulled from YouTube soon.
We’re inching ever closer to the , and automakers are beginning to tease us with the wares they’ll have on display in Germany. has announced that the company will show off a new “major new design concept” as well more details of a hopped-up version of the . The reveals will take place on the manufacturer’s largest-ever Frankfurt display stand. At 34,444 square-feet indoors, visitors may need their own personal guides to shepherd them through Blue Oval’s new products. Outside, Ford is also featuring a test drive track laid out on over 30,000 square feet of parking lot.
What can we expect from the design concept and the performance Focus? Details are slim at the moment. It could be the rumored coupe model, and there’s always a chance that we’ll learn more specs on the forthcoming Focus ST, though there’s really no telling at this juncture. All in, we hear that Ford will unveil four new vehicles at the show. Look for their unveiling on September 12 and for the press release.
During this week’s Management Briefing Sessions in Traverse City, Michigan, hinted at the possibility of stepping down from the position of CEO within the coming years. While talking about Chrysler’s future plans, Marchionne said they will “be up to go the guy after me – after 2015 or maybe a year later,” Automotive News reports.
Recently, a for all of Chrysler/Fiat’s properties was announced, with Marchionne taking the top role for Chrysler’s operations here in North America. Marchionne also currently holds the position of CEO for Fiat S.p.A., Chrysler’s controlling shareholder.
“There will be a Chrysler after me,” Marchionne stated. The CEO also said that Chrysler should have little trouble adjusting its product lineup to meet the stricter fuel economy requirements for the year 2025.
Auto show season seems to arrive earlier each year. We’re not yet fully into the swing of said season, but the rumors are starting to swirl about who is bring what to where. One of the first on our 2011 travel calendar is the , whose media days fall in mid-September. will be there, and it seems it’s bringing a sporty new concept along as well.
According to Automotive News, representatives for Jaguar remain mum on the details, but rumor has it that the cat-faced car company is prepping a sports car to slot under the XK. Along with the , we’re pretty excited to see the British automaker add more Leaping Cats to its lineup.
Perhaps a smaller sports coupe could signal the modern-day return of the E-type? We can only hope as we continue to .
Nissan’s , rival is… on again, at least according to the blokes at Auto Express. What form a potential two-door sporty coupe from may take – if it happens at all – is still widely debatable; it could be as simple as a cut-down or as crazy as a sporty take on the all-electric .
Did that last little tidbit catch you off guard? Remember that Nissan showed off just such a machine in the form of the at the , though we wouldn’t expect any potential production model to share much with that highly conceptual design.
In any case, Auto Express seems to think this sporty 2+2 may ride on a midsize platform sourced from (the two automakers ) that would be shared with whatever replaces the (along with its ) and even the next-generation .
Another bit of wackiness? AE says Nissan is considering turning to the experts at for help in tuning the chassis for added sportiness. We suppose all of this is possible, but for now, we’re taking it with the largest grain of salt we can get our hands on.
We’ve been big fans of the Mullin Automotive Museum ever since it . The Oxnard, California shrine to French Art Deco automobiles should be on the must-visit list for any enthusiast.
Still, traveling to Oxnard isn’t ideal for everyone, so Peter Mullin, chairman of the museum, has teamed up with French automobile experts Richard Adatto, Claude Figoni and Shana Hinds to create a book highlighting some of the most beautiful automobiles on the planet. Titled French Curves: Delahaye – Delage – Talbot-Lago, the book provides an up-close look at some of the all stars of the Mullin Automotive Museum collection.
The book will make its debut at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. A fitting entry for a tome that will certainly class up even the fanciest of coffee tables. You’ll be able to purchase a copy for yourself later this year through the Mullin Automotive Museum website. Read all the details in the press release .
To understand just how far has come in the past few years, look no further than the . The smartly styled sedan has earned attention and praise with fantastic efficiency and reliability, but we shouldn’t forget that the last generation Sonata was a big step forward as well.
More important than critical success, Sonata has been winning over buyers as well. In fact, one million units of Hyundai’s top-selling sedan have now been produced at its Alabama manufacturing facility. Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant celebrated the milestone with a small ceremony last Friday, a 2012 limited edition Sonata turbo with a radiant silver paint finish taking the millionth car honors.
The popularity of the Sonata has only increased with the latest redesign, helping Hyundai exceed the 300,000 unit capacity at the Alabama plant for the past two years. Hyundai has been building the Sonata in the South since 2005. Hit the jump to read over the official press release.
is ready to talk about the future. More specifically, the automaker is looking a bit ahead on its calendar and realizes that 2012 will be here rather soon. Sales are up 17 percent year-to-date for 2011, so the 2012 lineup will be an important one to keep momentum moving forward.
A new edition of the arrives for 2012. Dubbed “Ultimate Adventure Edition,” this Suzuki SUV will show up in dealer showrooms wearing 18-inch alloy wheels, water-resistant seat fabric, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and integrated fog lamps. Suzuki hasn’t released photos yet, sadly, but we know that the Ultimate Adventure Edition isn’t the only change for the 2012 Grand Vitara. The entire model family will be refreshed, including a new tailgate design that will allow the Grand Vitara to ditch the exposed spare tire on the rear (on select models), while the interior will benefit from an upgraded navigation system that includes voice recognition, traffic information, 3D map lane guidance and Google Local Point of Interest search.
The sedan will remain wearing its $18,999 (includes D&H) starting price tag. A new SE Leather Edition, which features (you guessed it) leather upholstery, joins the Kizashi lineup, and starts $2,000 lower than the top-trim SLS.
That’s just a taste of the changes Suzuki has in store for 2012. to find out more in the full press release.
Drew Phillips photo tips, 2025 CAFE, Suzuki small pickup, Audi future products
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Episode #241 of the Autoblog Podcast is ready, and this week Chris, Dan and Zach are joined by Autoblog’s photo maven, Drew Phillips. Our discussion starts with the new CAFE standards and then moves to Audi future products as discussed by Johan DeNysschen before finishing up with the rumor of Suzuki considering a small pickup. Your questions and comments power the last third of the podcast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #241:
In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Dodge Caliber Heat
2011 Land Rover LR4
2011 Roush Mustang
2011 Mazda2
Hosts: , , , Runtime: 01:23:38
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We’re not into spoiling the on-screen antics that make Top Gear one of the greatest automotive shows ever, but we’re not gonna let slide the fact that the BBC aired last Sunday the much-anticipated Top Gear episode in which Jeremy Clarkson and James May embark on a journey in the and Peugeot iOn.
Yes, the Top Gear duo ragged on the Leaf and iOn after the vehicles were in order to highlight the in a municipality with no public charging stations (read to the show’s battery-depleting antics), but both Clarkson and May did have some positive words to say for the Leaf and iOn. Take, for example, Clarkson admitting the Leaf drove much like a conventional vehicle and May comparing the iOn to a .
Top Gear has taken heat, mainly from UK-based news outlet The Times, for its portrayal of electric vehicles on the show. after its Roadster made its appearance on Top Gear in 2008. Andy Wilman, executive producer of the show, , saying that at no point did the Top Gear hosts test the claimed range of the Nissan Leaf, nor did they suggest that “the vehicles wouldn’t achieve their claimed range.” Wilman had more to say, which you can read , but need we really remind anyone that Top Gear is pure entertainment with just a dash of factuality.
