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As the battle between Fiat-Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo and Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa materialized over the last few rounds of racing action, it appeared that this past weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix would offer fans somewhat of a “perfect storm” in terms of two-wheeled racing drama. Pedrosa entered as the only man with a mathematical chance of swiping the crown from Lorenzo this late in the season, with both jockeys desiring to become the pride of Spain, their home country, adding to that. Plus there’s the fact this duo headed to Japan piloting two of the country’s finest examples of two-wheeled awesomeness… Oh, we could hardly wait!

That was precisely when the news of Pedrosa’s shoulder injury, and the need for a surgery that would put him out of the race, rolled across our desk, kind-of-like a lead balloon sent to squash our dreams. However, that feeling was quickly replaced with anticipation again as the Japanese round offered up edge-of-the-seat racing to satisfy our appetite. But as the dust settled, we were left with a podium full of all things Italian.

First, Casey Stoner continued his winning ways and put his Italian bike atop the block by passing pole-man, and Italian native, Andrea Dovizioso, who took great care to match Stoner’s pace for a time, only to gladly hang on as second man under the checkers just 3.8 seconds behind the Ducati. Jorge Lorenzo did end up with a battle on his hands, albeit not as he may have expected, as team-mate Valentino Rossi put the final boot shaped nail in the podium while knocking the points leader out of the winners circle. Follow the jump for the complete top ten, which included an unexpected performance from American Colin Edwards.

[Source: motogp.com Image: AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010: All things Italian leave their mark on Japan’s home turf [Spoilers]

MotoGP 2010: All things Italian leave their mark on Japan’s home turf [Spoilers]

Insurance.com just put its pencils to paper for some serious number crunching. The topic is alcohol-related driving violations and the data compiled paints a sobering picture, especially if you live in Texas or California. The land of fruits and nuts (and sobriety checkpoints) manages to claim four of the top 10 spots, with San Diego and San Jose claiming the anti-gold and anti-silver medals. The Texan cities fall further down on the list but overall the big state accounts for five out of the top 20 listed.

We’ll give you the top five right now. The rest of the top 20 can be peeped right after the jump.

1. San Diego, CA
2. San Jose, CA
3. Charlotte, NC
4. Phoenix, AZ
5. Columbus, OH

Drunk driving is a foolish thing to do, regardless of where you live. It’s clearly more foolish, however, if you live in one of the above-listed cities.

[Source: Insurance.com]

Continue reading Top 20 metropolitan cities for alcohol-related driving violations

Top 20 metropolitan cities for alcohol-related driving violations

	Confirmed: U.S. considering 62 mpg CAFE target by 2025 Here we go?		Lotus unveils range-extended electric city car concept It’s only the sixth (!) vehicle Lotus displayed in Paris.
	World Series, meet the Chevy Volt With a lot of Americans watching, GM will make the formal introduction.	Other news: Fisker fishing for an IPO? Henrik says “oui” in Paris You’re stealing what? Waste grease thefts on the rise again Thomas Edison’s 1912 electric car restored; hits the streets once again

AutoblogGreen for 10.04.10

Lincoln wants everyone in TV land to know about its freshened model lineup. To grab their attention, they’ve gone with a heavy hitter from a pretty popular ad agency to shill the 2011 MKX: Roger Sterling, from Sterling Cooper Draper Price. OK, fine… not Roger Sterling, but John Slattery, the actor who portrays him on AMC’s Mad Men.

Slattery will plug the new “Smarter than Luxury” campaign, which launches during coverage of the Ryder Cup golf tournament. The focus of the ads is to highlight the technology and craftsmanship that are put into each new Lincoln vehicle. The TV spots will be backed up by a full print campaign as well, highlighting the 2011 Lincoln MKX and the MKZ hybrid.

Mad Men is a huge hit, so it’s a no-brainer for Lincoln to tap into that popularity. Mercedes-Benz has already signed Jon Hamm (a.k.a. Mad Men’s Don Draper) as the new voice-man for its commercials. Hop the jump to see Slattery pitch the latest from Lincoln.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Video: Lincoln hires a Mad Man for new commercials

Video: Lincoln hires a Mad Man for new commercials

Whether the cretin responsible for flattening the grille of your mint Isuzu Impulse left a note or not, the damage wrought on your vehicle is going to require repair. DentBetty streamlines the traditional pain-in-the-tuchas process of traipsing around to various body shops to get estimates for cosmetic repairs. Any incident that results in structural damage still requires a firsthand look by body professionals, but cosmetic damage is a very common annoyance that many people forgo repairing due to the aggravation.

DentBetty provides body shop estimates from your uploaded photos

The Swiss are masters of precision. The world’s most elegant timepieces hail from Switzerland. The multi-purpose and compact tool known as the Swiss Army Knife is praised throughout the world for its utility and dependability. Swiss-made products carry their label as a badge of honor that commands respect.

Philippe Perakis, a former mountain bike racer, is carrying this ethos into an amazing product designed for the outdoor enthusiast. Perakis has created the swissRoomBox, and its simple name belies a complex and mechanically beautiful product. The swissRoomBox is essentially a motor home squeezed into a few boxes, which fit neatly into the back of any mid-size hatchback, wagon, crossover or SUV.

The name of the game here is “ease of use,” and the swissRoomBox delivers. Initial setup requires connecting a supplied cable to the battery and mounting the unit to four anchor points in the back of the car. It can then be installed or removed within ten minutes. Once in, however, it transforms your car into a mini RV. The swissRoomBox can be used to cook food, take a shower, and provide power and drinking water. It can even be detached to create seating or sleeping space.

It’s an amazing piece of engineering that provides an endless amount of useful features. The swissRoomBox goes on sale in October 2010 but pricing has yet to be announced. Bonus: The company has stated that they are able to ship to the United States – get ready, Honda Element owners. Want to see one put to use? We have video of the swissRoomBox in action on the other side of the jump.

[Source: swissRoomBox via The Adventure Life]

Continue reading Video: swissRoomBox turns any vehicle into a motor home

Video: swissRoomBox turns any vehicle into a motor home

General Motors is just about ready to start offering in-house financing once again. Its acquisition of AmeriCredit is complete, pending approval by AmeriCredit’s shareholders. The merger is officially effective as of October 1st, 2010 and is an all-cash transaction valued at $3.5 billion.

The company will be renamed GM Financial. Having a captive finance arm allows GM and its dealers to expand finance and lease options, which is good news for both The General and its customers. GM Financial has targeted first quarter of 2011 to begin its initial leasing program.

You can read the full press release after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM completes buy of AmeriCredit, to be called GM Financial

GM completes buy of AmeriCredit, to be called GM Financial

The Rose Bowl Parade has been title-sponsor free for 121 straight years, bucking the trend that’s taken hold over the past couple decades. Well, that’s over. Honda has apparently backed up the truck for naming rights. This year, get ready for the 122nd Rose Parade Presented by Honda. While Honda is the event’s first title sponsor, the automaker and the famous parade have been linked through advertising for the past 50 years.

Nobody is talking at this point about how much Honda paid for the honor, but we’re fairly certain the bags of cash were heavy and plentiful. The biggest question now concerns the products Honda will choose to showcase during the parade. One option that comes to mind is a nationally-televised start to the 2012 Civic campaign. We have no idea whether Honda will be ready to tout the new Civic by next January, but it would make sense to take advantage of the national stage to do so.

[Source: USA Today]

Honda becomes Rose Bowl Parade’s first-ever title sponsor

Audi unleashed its Quattro Concept at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, but the automaker isn’t done sharing with us just yet. We now have a short new video clip of the Quattro, and we can’t stop staring. There are so many questions that will most likely go unanswered. What’s it like to drive? How much would a production version cost? Does Audi accept our stolen totally legit American Express card? You know it’s been at least several minutes since you last ogled the Quattro, so get your fix by watching the this new video. If that’s not enough, we also have a longer cut that ditches the annoying background music. Both are posted after the jump.

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions

Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions

We have a hard time imagining a world in which we don’t drive. Google CEO Eric Schmidt doesn’t have that problem. He feels that humans should give up their right to the steering wheel and hand the keys over to a computer. At a recent TechCrunch conference, Schmidt opined that we humans aren’t very good at driving, adding that “it’s a bug that cars were invented before computers.”

It’s hard to fight Schmidt’s logic. After all, thousands of Americans die each year due to accidents that are mostly avoidable. Then there’s the matter of traffic jams; Computers could one day seamlessly route vehicles to the best possible road, virtually eliminating the Interstate parking lot. Oh, and don’t forget that drivers are becoming increasingly distracted by electronic gadgets like smartphones.

Autonomous vehicles? Nice idea, but until it truly feasible and reliable on a massive scale, we’re more than happy to drive ourselves. And while we’re at it, we’ll row our own gears, too.

[Source: TechCrunch]

Google CEO: Ridiculous that humans drive cars

Car guys insist that their four-wheeled machines are as fun as any motorcycle. The two-wheeled, leather-clad bike folks laugh at this notion, then scream off into the twisties at 9,000 rpm. The discussion can go back and forth until both parties are blue in the face. Inside Line decided it would be fun to put two powerful examples, one car and one motorcycle, to the test. These aren’t just run-of-the-mill vehicles, either: In one corner is a 2010 Bugatti Veyron while in the other sits a 2010 BMW S 1000 RR. The battleground? Forest roads around Molsheim, France

The Veyron obviously has the power advantage, thanks to its quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine that produces 1,001 horsepower. The 190-horsepower BMW, however, has a huge weight advantage and the agile bike can get around any Citroën-shaped obstacles that it might come across.

The staff at Inside Line give the nod to the bike, for a number of valid reasons. It makes more sense in a day-to-day atmosphere, can slip through traffic, and when the luggage rack is applied it has more cargo capacity. The S 1000 RR also gains an edge when comparing maintenance costs. Changing a tire on a bike isn’t too much of a hit to the wallet, but to change the full set of rubber on the Bugatti costs $90,000. Furthermore, there are only two machines in the world capable of handling that job — one in France and another here in the US.

Regardless of the outcome, the pair both represent unique forms of engineering excellence and the real winner of the shootout is Inside Line. Getting to spend time with either vehicle is a treat, but getting to do it on a scenic French road is a dream. Head on over to Inside Line to live vicariously through their lucky contributor.

[Source: Inside Line]

Bugatti Veyron vs. BMW S1000 RR – Which is fastest?

One theme we have seen so far at this years Paris Motor Show, is automakers showing off vehicles which don’t seem to flow with past company history. Ferrari just added a vehicle to the growing list. Have a look at the Ferrari Calfornia fitted with the HELE System. HELE stands for High Emotion Low Emissions and is a system designed to reduce C02 emissions without taking away from the joy of driving a Ferrari.

The HELE System works by utilizing a variety of technical measures including a start/stop function that can restart the car in 230 milliseconds, intelligent engine fan and fuel pump control, electronically controlled variable displacement air-conditioning technology and adaptive gear shifts. The result is a 23 percent reduction in C02 emissions.

We joke about automakers moving away from their traditional vehicles, but it’s these types of cars that allow them to continue to build the ones we love. There probably would be no Porsche GT2 RS without the Cayenne, for example. The Ferrari California fitted with the HELE System shows that the purveyor of the Prancing Horse understands the world is constantly changing – and Ferrari is doing its best to continue to build the cars it’s known for while staying in tune with the current climate of the world.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Paris 2010: Ferrari California featuring HELE system

2011 Ford C-Max – Click above for high-res image gallery

Following the second press day at the Paris Motor Show at a drive event in Southern France, Ford’s global vice president of marketing, Jim Farley, let slip to Autoblog that Dearborn decisionmakers are mulling over whether to import the C-Max to the U.S. As you’ll recall, Ford has already committed to bringing over the C-Max’s larger line mate, the seven-seat Grand C-Max, a vehicle that Farley tells us won’t hit American soil until early in calendar 2012 (likely as a 2013 model).

Unlike its bigger brother, the C-Max has conventional front-hinged rear doors (the Grand has a pair of sliders) along with a more aggressive roofline and rear graphic to complement its shorter wheelbase. Think of it as more of a pent-roof Focus wagon and less of a smallish minivan in the mold of the Mazda5 and you’ve got it.

Interestingly, Farley maintains that Ford won’t necessarily wait until the Grand C-Max goes on sale in the U.S. to determine whether or not to bring the model to America, and it will actively solicit feedback from both journalists and consumers to see if there’s a business case to be made. While such language is common among PR folks looking to assuage media members always clamoring for the importation of forbidden automotive fruit, Farley sounded quite optimistic. Further, he reminded us that there was “absolutely no plan” initially to market the next-gen five-door Focus in the States, but that all changed after the 2007 Verve concept was met with an enthusiastic response from media members and show goers. A few years ago, we probably would have discounted such talk, but with CEO Alan Mulally and product chief Derrick Kuzak pushing the One Ford agenda globally, who knows? It might just make it Stateside after all.

If Ford does decide to bring the C-Max to America, it may have a minor naming conundrum to deal with. At the moment, the Grand C-Max moniker is expected to be shortened to just ‘C-Max’ when it goes on sale in the U.S., or the MPV might take on the name ‘Focus C-Max,’ though a final decision has not yet been made. As the Blue Oval won’t sell both models with the same name, the five-door model would ostensibly need a different name.

Do you think the short-wheelbase C-Max would sell? Check out our high-resolution galleries of both models and then be sure to vote in our poll below. We’ll have firsthand drive impressions of the European-spec C-Max range to share with you next week, so stay tuned.

View Poll

Paris 2010: Ford pondering bringing five-door C-Max to U.S. [w/poll]

If you like the Fiat Punto, you’ll love the Punto Evo. And if you love the Evo, the Abarth Punto Evo will make you quiver. So we’re not exactly sure what this Abarth Punto Evo EsseEsse is going to do to you – you may just faint. First shown at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the Abarth-tuned version of the Punto Evo debuted, offering a bit more oomph, more aggressive styling and even better handling and braking. At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the Scorpion brand brought us even hotter versions of both, and we’re very glad it did.

Wearing a Campovolo Gray paint scheme with white accents – and carrying that EsseEsse tag – this Punto gets a slight boost in power and a variety of upgrades to match. Output is now a full 180 horsepower, which is enough for a 7.5-second dash to 62 miles per hour. Additionally, top speed rises to 134 miles per hour.

That gray color might look familiar to you if you’ve ever seen an Italian warplane. The color is named after the airfield across the road from the company’s historic headquarters in Turin. Inside, the EsseEsse gets “Abarth Corse by Sabelt” seats in black leather and Blue&Me sat-nav. The Punto also features an array of upgrades to the suspension, brakes, rolling stock and more. Full details can be found in the press release after the jump.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading Paris 2010: 2011 Fiat Punto Evo Abarth EsseEsse is one fierce Scorpion

Paris 2010: 2011 Fiat Punto Evo Abarth EsseEsse is one fierce Scorpion

Earlier this year, the 2011 Renault Latitude was unveiled at the Moscow International Auto Show. The European version has now made its debut in front of the crowd at the Paris Motor Show. The Latitude is considered a business-class saloon and Renault is positioning it to become the automaker’s flagship vehicle.

The styling of the Renault Latitude somehow evokes images of the Chyrsler Sebring, new Volkswagen Jetta and any Lexus vehicle – yet it’s done in a stylish manner. When it launches in Russia, the Latitude will be available with either a 139-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a CVT or a 2.5-liter V6 mated to a six-speed automatic that’s good for 177 hp. The four-cylinder unit is rated at 34 miles per gallon while the V6 gets just under 30 mpg. As the car expands into other markets, it will feature an expanding lineup of engine and gearbox choices.

Inside, the Renault Latitude is all about comfort. The power-adjustable driver’s seat features a massaging function with five pneumatic rollers and four different settings. In order to keep everyone else happy, the Latitude has a climate control system with triple-zone adjustability.

The 2011 Renault Latitude hit dealer showrooms in September 2010, in Morocco and Algeria. It then starts popping up in Russia and the Ukraine before being made available throughout Africa. The European model will follow after that.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Paris 2010: Renault Latitude ready to carry the flag for French automaker

Venturi was last seen in America a couple of months ago, blasting across the white crystals at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the guise of the Buckeye Bullet. At the Paris Motor Show, the Monegasque company revealed a different kind of terrain-blasting machine called the America EV Dune Buggy – a jacked-up, 300-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive electric sports car as open and free as the great land it’s named after.

The interior would be admirably minimal if things hadn’t got cluttered up around the console screen, but the center tunnel buttons are a chunky, metallic pleasure to behold. The single display in front of the driver will hopefully present information clearly enough to keep your eyes on the road and your hair in the wind. And we aren’t sure what kind of stereo is involved, but based on the speakers it looks pretty serious.

As for actually getting behind the wheel and exploring the roadster’s namesake country, a retail source for Venturis has just landed in Columbus, Ohio, which means we might one day see something from the automaker outside of a blog post. But that’s the future, folks – for now, there’s a press release in its familiar place and a gallery of high-res photos below.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

Continue reading Paris 2010: Is the Venturi America EV Dune Buggy another awesome EV we’ll never see?

Paris 2010: Is the Venturi America EV Dune Buggy another awesome EV we’ll never see?

This is the Citroën Lacoste concept, which the automaker describes as “an emblem for a state-of-mind” – that particular mental state probably including sun, sand, bikinis and Speedos. The open buggy-like four-seater with floating headrests is the opposite of “always more,” powered by a three-cylinder engine that will make its pace as relaxed as its occupants.

Fashion and four-wheelers combine all around, with the golf-ball wheels outside and bench seats with a polo-shirt-like weave inside. The dash that’s as wide as the car goes in another direction entirely, with readouts in giant pixels popping up and running along its length akin to a Times Square news ticker. And although we probably won’t see it on the roads beaches soon, there is a chance we could see it or something like it: Frédéric Banzet, managing director of Citroën, has said he’d like to bring it to production. Ok then.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

Continue reading Paris 2010: Citroën Lacoste Concept is a fashion buggy for the white belt set

Paris 2010: Citroën Lacoste Concept is a fashion buggy for the white belt set

Honda’s big introduction at this year’s Paris Motor Show may have been the 2011 Jazz Hybrid, but that doesn’t mean the Japanese automaker didn’t bring some other automotive fodder for us to look at. Here, for example, is the new CR-Z hybrid hatch wearing some of Honda’s optional visual accessories.

Honda is really trying to emphasize that the CR-Z is a sport hybrid. By adding things like larger wheels, a mesh grille, unique blue-tinged headlights, carbon fiber trim and a rear spoiler, the little hybrid’s visual sportiness has indeed been improved without falling prey to the over-modded tuner look. This CR-Z may certainly look the part of a new-age hot hatch, but even the fanciest of body jewelry won’t help the not-entirely-sporty and not-so-efficient hybrid powertrain under the hood.

Click your way through our gallery of live images below to see and judge the added visual modifications for yourself.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

Paris 2010: Honda CR-Z gets Euro-cessorized

Squaring off, in a way, against the escooter that Smart unveiled yesterday at the Paris Motor Show, is Mini’s entry in the fanciful all-electric scooter category, the Scooter E. There are more differences here than just where you put the “e,” most specifically, how each scooter boils the essence of their four-wheeled cousins onto a platform smaller than half the size.

You can see the escooter in detail here, then compare it to the Scooter E, which manages to put a lot of what makes a Mini look like a Mini onto just two wheels. We think the bold yellow stripe around the leg opening, up to the headlight and around the seat is a nice touch. Considering that the Mini E and the Scooter E are both battery powered, perhaps the stripe is supposed to lightly mimic the yellow on that iconic car? We like what we see, and, apparently, Mini is paying close attention to what it hears in Paris to decide if the Scooter E gets put into production. Got an opinion?

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Paris 2010: Mini Scooter E Concept can whisk us away any day