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U.S. District Judge James Selna – who has presided over the unintended acceleration cases against Toyota since 2010 – says the automaker does not have the right to compel 20 named plaintiffs into arbitration. The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status for lawsuits covering economic losses from the alleged issue of unintended acceleration. Toyota had maintained that leasing and purchase agreements signed by the owners denies owners the right to class-action litigation.

According to Bloomberg, although the ruling covers all 20, the are two kinds of plaintiffs in this instance. The judge decided that Toyota had lost its right to arbitration with fifteen of the plaintiffs only because Toyota waited so long to pursue it. Selna concluded that since the plaintiffs had come so far in the litigation process that “They would be prejudiced if their claims were required to be submitted to arbitration now.”

Selna further denied Toyota’s right to arbitration with the remaining five because “the carmaker wasn’t a party to the arbitration agreements between the plaintiffs and the Toyota dealers.” The ruling finalizes the tentative decision Selna issued last month.

Class-action status for the plaintiffs, however, has not yet been granted. Three trials are scheduled for next year, and they will be used to set precedents for evidence, liability and theories. It is expected that a final decision on class-action status will come after the conclusion of those three cases.

Ruling says Toyota can’t require arbitration for unintended acceleration plaintiffs

All-Wheel Drive Sans Compromise

One can hardly mutter the words “German,” “luxury” and “all-wheel drive” without invoking visions of Audi. The company has worked hard to make its Quattro all-wheel-drive system synonymous with each of the phrases above, and its tireless marketing, successful motorsports programs and loyal fans have inextricably married the Four Rings to the power of all-wheel drive luxury. But Audi isn’t the only German manufacturer putting power to all four wheels. Buyers have been happily bringing BMW xDrive models home for years, and Mercedes-Benz has a long and storied history of grips-at-all-four-corners innovation as well.

From vehicles like the globe-conquering Unimog to the somewhat more civil G-Class, the Silver Arrow has more than a little experience when it comes to overcoming uncertain terrain. Beyond four-wheel drive systems, Mercedes has sold over one million 4Matic all-wheel drive vehicles in the U.S. since the system’s debut here in 1989. These days, Benz offers 4Matic on 10 of its vehicle lines in a total of 21 variations, and for 2012, luxury coupe buyers can rejoice in the inclusion of both the E350 4Matic Coupe and the C350 4Matic Coupe to the horde. With rivals like the Audi A5 and BMW 335i xDrive Coupe already default choices for two-door shoppers who prefer the foul weather capability of all-wheel drive, will the newest additions to the Mercedes-Benz stable be able to keep the pace? We took to the C350 4Matic Coupe to find out.

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 4Matic

2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 4Matic

You may never have heard of the French carmaker Facel. After starting out as a coachbuilder for companies like Delahaye and Bentley, Facel moved on to crafting entire cars. From 1954 to 1962, the company produced the Chrysler Hemi-powered Vega. Facel closed its doors in 1964, but some intriguing sketches and renderings have stirred up a lot of chatter on the Internet of a possible revival of the brand.

Details are scarce and almost impossible to verify, but if Google’s translation of French websites are believable, the image above is a rendering of what the resurrected Facel could show off at this September’s Paris Motor Show and we might even see a production version in 2014. But rumors written in French translated by Google are not exactly credible. The images all appear to come from a constantly updated Facebook page called “Facel Vega Concept.”

Swoopy fenders, and a slick greenhouse wrap the four-seater concept in a sports car disguise. The interior sketches show minimal seating that seem more suited to racing than relaxing.

Speaking of performance, there’s no mention of what would power such a car, but it sure is fun imagining that car barking with the power of Dodge’s 392-cubic inch, 470-horsepower, 6.4-liter Hemi. Sinister sexiness.

Facel Vega revival in the works?

The DeltaWing project now has two major corporate backers and, more importantly, an engine. Nissan and Michelin have signed on with the innovative project of designer Ben Bowlby, Dan Gurney’s All-American Racers and Don Panoz. Now called the Nissan DeltaWing, the Japanese firm will provide a turbocharged, direct-injected 1.6-liter, four-cylinder with an output of around 300 horsepower. Known as DIG-T, the powerplant shares the same roots as the engine in the Nissan Juke.

That’s about 200 hp down on the 510 horsepower developed by the diesel V6 in the Audi R18 e-tron Quattro and about half the horsepower developed by other LMP1 racers. However, Nissan says the engine is half the weight of a typical LMP1 motor, and paired with the DeltaWing’s minimal aerodynamic drag, the lap times are said to be somewhere between those of the LMP1 and LMP2 classes. Why does this matter? Because Nissan and Co. are taking this needle-nosed baby to Le Mans.

Of call cars and classes, Nissan says this strangest looking effort is one that will “showcase the pioneering technology that will show one potential direction for the future of motorsport and will feed into the research and development of future technologies, that filter down to Nissan’s road car product range.”

The Nissan DeltaWing will be allowed to run in the 24 Hours of Le Mans following a special dispensation for an experimental car that doesn’t follow any technical guidelines offered by ACO, the organizer of Le Mans. It will use Garage 56, it will wear Number 0, and won’t be classified in the results. Even so, we’ll be watching closely. Follow the jump for a video of the racecar’s development and a press release detailing Nissan’s involvement.

Continue reading Nissan backs DeltaWing racecar, headed for Le Mans [w/video]

Nissan backs DeltaWing racecar, headed for Le Mans [w/video]

If you have your heart set on picking up a new Subaru BRZ, you better get moving. Car and Driver reports the automaker is only shipping 6,000 of the coupes to the U.S. for the 2013 model year. The news reportedly surfaced via a Subaru dealer. While the automaker hasn’t officially announced exactly how many 2013 BRZ Coupe models will be allocated for American buyers, it has said the vehicle will arrive in “extremely limited quantities” in the past.

The news dovetails with earlier reports, which indicated the company would need to sell somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 units at $25,000 a piece to break even, though at the time, no one mentioned Subaru wouldn’t bump up production if there was demand.

We’ve reached out to the automaker for comment and will keep you posted on any forthcoming information. In the mean time, we’ll leave you to pour over your finances to figure out how to bring one of these fine-handling machines home before there are none left. Word has it Subaru is already accepting pre-orders.

Preorder Now: Subaru only sending 6,000 BRZ Coupes to U.S. in 2013

If you’ve ever wanted to flag down one of Mexico City’s classic Volkswagen Bug taxis, you’d better book your travel now. The last of the iconic cabs will be decommissioned by the end of the year, according to the Associated Press.

VW hasn’t built the classic Beetle since 2003, the same year that Mexico City began requiring that taxi operators switch to four-door vehicles. The last Bugs that entered service as cabs back in 2002 have already been given two extra years of service compared to most taxis, according to the report.

The cabs are considered particularly dangerous, not just because they are essentially 74-year-old cars, but also because cab drivers generally remove the front passenger seat to facilitate access to the cramped rear quarters of the Beetle. But the cars are cheap to operate and according to one former Mexico City cabbie, help make the streets safer.

“Today the cars are bigger, and they drive faster,” Vera Perez told the AP, “Before, they drove more cautiously, because any accident would destroy them.”

Mexico finally stomping out its fleet of VW Bug taxis

Volvo sold 449,255 cars globally in 2011, with 67,240 of those sales coming from right here in the States. By 2020, CEO Stefan Jacoby aims to boost those numbers to 800,000 sales globally and 120,000 here, and to do so, he can’t let the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro stand in the way. That’s why, according to a report in Automotive News, Jacoby says the company will spend “the next two or three years” considering building a plant in the U.S. or Mexico.

Jacoby made much the same comments six months ago at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, but now he’s added a timeframe to the discussion. Even on the optimistic end, if Volvo decided to build a factory in 2014 and got the site chosen and the facility built in 18 months, it would probably be 2016 before anyone would benefit from locally produced cars. Nevertheless, with the new V40 due for a new generation not long after, that it might make a perfect timing for us to finally get the svelte hatchback we’d much rather have right now.

Jacoby reiterates Volvo considering NA plant

Anyone recently shopping for a four-cylinder Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Terrain has probably discovered they’re not easy to come across. Automotive News reports that General Motors has a shortage of the 2.4-liter powerplants and the company can’t say when that might improve.

Still want an Equinox or Terrain? If you’re willing to give up a few miles per gallon, Chevrolet dealers are offering $1,000 off V6 models to get them out the door. On the Equinox LT, the V6 is a $1,500 option. Not a bad discount if you were already shopping for one of the more powerful CUVs.

Just keep in mind that the EPA says that four-cylinder models get 22 miles per gallon city and 32 mpg highway while the six-cylinder musters just 17/24. The EPA further notes that translates into about a $600 increase in your estimated yearly fuel bill. And in terms of performance, in our testing, we actually preferred the four-cylinder over the V6.

If you have your heart set on a four-cylinder Equinox or Terrain, a GM spokesperson says the automaker is working with suppliers to increase production of the smaller engine and they hope to meet demand soon.

GM offers $1,000 off V6 Equinox and Terrain CUVs because it can’t keep up with 4-cyl demand

You’ve seen plenty of motorcycle-versus-car contests that take place on public roads or dedicated race tracks. But you’ve probably never seen one where the two machines are wearing Blizzaks… or even studded tires.

French motorcycle publication Moto Journal has decided to turn the two-wheeled contingent on its head by moving the battleground to the frozen stretches of Lapland on a replica race track of Le Castellet, also known as Circuit Paul Ricard, cut through the snow and ice. In the first round, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS goes up against a 1,000cc Yamaha R1. Up next is a Mitsubishi EVO IX against a Yamaha WR450F. Yes, this is going to be good.

If the idea of watching an R1 hit 160 miles per hour on the ice isn’t enough to make you watch, perhaps we should mention that its rider is donning an Evel-Knievel-style cape, and that this appears to be just a teaser of a longer video or possibly even a series. Enough talking already. Check out the video in its entirety below.

Continue reading Such A Tease: Watch a Porsche 911 GT3 RS take on a Yamaha R1… on ice

Such A Tease: Watch a Porsche 911 GT3 RS take on a Yamaha R1… on ice

There isn’t a whole lot to get excited about in the world of near-luxury, full-size, front-wheel-drive sedans. Stalwarts like the Ford Taurus and Toyota Avalon continue to make their way into the driveways of gray-haired shoppers, and new entries like the redesigned Hyundai Azera are attempting to add a little bit of spice to an otherwise bland segment. In recent years, the Chevrolet Impala has nearly fallen off the map in this class simply because it hasn’t been seriously updated since its launch in 2005 as a 2006 model. (The big four-door did get a new engine for 2012, finally.) But that’s all about to change.

The 2014 Impala will be based on the same front-wheel-drive Epsilon-II architecture that underpins the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac XTS. But instead of sharing many of its components with the ‘Bu, reports indicate that the Impala will use a lot of the features of the XTS in an effort to give it a much more premium feel than the current model. And while the majority of the new car’s styling details are still covered up by the heavy camouflage, we can see premium features like large alloy wheels and what appear to be LED running lights up front. We just hope General Motors hasn’t just taken the easy way out and created a Malibu on steroids.

Mum’s the word on powertrain offerings, but earlier reports have suggested that GM’s direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 will be on board, as well as the new 2.0-liter turbo four that’s slated for use in the Cadillac ATS. An eAssist version is also rumored to be in the cards.

Look for the 2014 Impala to launch sometime during the 2013 calendar year. Production is slated to be split between GM’s Oshawa, Ontario plant, as well as the Detroit-Hamtramck facility where the Malibu and Volt are built.

2014 Chevrolet Impala takes shape

BMW has its i8, Audi has its R8 e-tron, Mercedes-Benz has its SLS AMG E-Cell. The electron-powered, gullwinged coupe will use batteries supplied by SK Innovations that power four synchronous electric motors into developing 525 horsepower and 649 pound-feet of torque. It is predicted to run from zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds – that’s up from a previously estimated 3.7 seconds.

Mercedes has loosed a little more info on the technology behind the SLS AMG E-Cell. Its powertrain arrangement necessitated a new front axle, so the conventional-powered car’s double wishbones have been supplanted by horizontal, pushrod damper struts. Torque vectoring to the motors mounted near the wheels, not on the hubs, aims to keep electric enthusiasm pointed in the right direction. And the Mercedes F1 team has assisted in the kinetic energy recovery system that will help to extend the coupe’s as-yet-unannounced range.

When it goes on sale sometime next year, what you see in the gallery of high-res photos will be wrapped in an SLS AMG body enhanced by a carbon fiber spine. See below for the company’s press release and have a look at the future in the gallery of high-res photos.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell reveals its inner workings

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell reveals its inner workings

The English are mad. And we know this for two reasons: one, they admit it; two, it’s true. If more proof is needed, a video of Evo magazine’s features editor, Henry Catchpole, sliding a Caterham Supersport up a French mountain in the snow should be enough. And the spindly car is missing its top. And he’s missing his hat.

The Supersport is Caterham’s street-legal version of the racing Seven used in the one-make racing series. It’s got short gearing, a lightweight flywheel and LSD, a race-tuned suspension, and its 1.6-liter Ford engine has 140 horsepower to motivate a 1,146-pound car.

So, obviously, where else would you drive it? Follow the jump for the memorable action.

Continue reading Hardcore x2: How to flog a Caterham Supersports up a snow-covered French mountain

Hardcore x2: How to flog a Caterham Supersports up a snow-covered French mountain

Obviously, we spend a lot of time trawling the Internet looking for interesting automotive news. When we find it, we’re often curious to get a little more backstory. Sometimes we need some of the big players identified, due to our own lack of familiarity with what’s going on in the larger world of pop culture that has nothing to do with cars. For that task, we occasionally rely on Wikipedia to help us dig up additional sources – probably just the same as you do.

Thus, we’re glad to see a Daimler employee called out for an alleged misdeed, which is not just against Wikipedia’s policies, but frankly, runs counter to the whole spirit of the not-for-profit, crowd-sourced Internet encyclopedia. According to a report by The Local, someone with a Daimler IP address altered the company’s German-language Wikipedia page, seemingly intent on removing unflattering passages. The section in question concerned a “Worst EU Lobbying Award” that the parent of the Mercedes-Benz brand received in 2007, along with BMW and Porsche, for “a concerted campaign to ‘dilute and delay CO2 reduction targets.’”

A Daimler spokesman is deflecting the incident by blaming it on employees, calling the actions “independent” and “private,” insinuating that they were not part of an official directive from the company itself. Apparently changes to other Wikipedia pages were made at the same time, those concerning the cereal muesli and Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden, suggesting there could be something to spokesman’s assertion.

Daimler caught editing negative content from own Wikipedia page?

With just a day until Bryce Hoffman’s American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company is released, more revelations from the book are hitting the headlines. Among the juiciest: Nissan-Renault chief Carlos Ghosn was offered the top job at Ford prior to Alan Mulally, but turned it down because he didn’t want to work for then-CEO Bill Ford.

According to excerpt from the book published by Automotive News, Ford made Ghosn a formal offer in early 2006, but Le Cost Cutter insisted the only way he would come to Ford was if he was named both the CEO and chairman of the board. When Mulally was eventually hired as CEO, Bill Ford stepped aside but retained his position as chairman of the company that shares his surname.

Despite Bill Ford’s power at the company that bears his family’s name, other excerpts from the book reveals that he didn’t always get the straight scoop from other executives. One soon-to-be-famous example concerns the second-generation Ford Focus, which went on sale in Europe in late 2004. Just as most journalists did at the time, Bill Ford wanted to know why the new model wasn’t coming to North America. According to the excerpt, then-president Jim Padilla gave his boss a PR-spin-worthy line about “product cycles [that] don’t line up.”

Ford was unpleased with the explanation, according to the report: “This is all a bunch of [expletive], he fumed as he left the meeting. Nobody will give me a straight answer.”

Book: Ghosn would’ve taken top spot at Ford, but only if named CEO and Chairman

It’s no secret that Ducati, without question the most famous of all Italian motorcycle manufacturers, is looking for a new owner. It’s also a well-known fact that Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch has long been interested in adding Ducati to the VW Group’s already massive stable of brands.

Here’s where things get a bit muddy, though. According to a rather credible sounding report from CAR Magazine in the UK, the number one suitor for the Ducati brand is, not Volkswagen, but Audi. Of course, Audi is owned by VW, so it could be argued that Ducati would still be under the VW umbrella, but until now, Audi has never been mentioned as a potential buyer.

If rumors are correct, Ducati is hoping for a total purchase price of 850 million euros, or about 1.1 billion dollars – but that figure includes 800 million euros of debt, meaning the actual sale price of the brand itself would be just $65 million.

There are some intriguing synergies between Audi and Ducati that bear investigation. For starters, Audi has a bit of motorcycle heritage already with its former NSU and DKW brands. Second, Ducati has, in the past, positioned itself as the two-wheeled equivalent to Audi, whatever that means. And finally, having Ducati as its two-wheeled partner would give Audi yet another talking point in its longstanding rivalry with BMW.

Audi isn’t the only serious suitor for Ducati. There’s talk of potential ownership by India’s Mahindra and Germany’s Mercedes-Benz, who’s own AMG performance division is a strategic marketing partner with Ducati as it is. Audi parent Volkswagen, too, is said to be in the running for a bid to own the famed Italian motorcycle marque.

Muddy waters, indeed. In any case, you can be sure that we’ll keep you up to date with any more information on Ducati’s future ownership as time goes on.

Audi to buy Ducati?

Mazda is taking the steps necessary to right its financial ship, but when a patient has this kind of issue, the cure can hurt just as much. The small, independent carmaker has been hurt by its relatively Japan-centric manufacturing base and the strength of the yen, the loss of Ford as a noteworthy stakeholder and the resulting loss of financial cushion. Mazda is expected to post a $1.2 billion loss for its 2011 financial year, which is smaller than earlier estimates but it’s still the fourth losing year in a row and the largest in a decade.

The need to act has forced Mazda North America into a five-month plan to shed a number of its 701 employees for leaner running. Select employees will be offered a buyout package, and if voluntary uptake isn’t sufficient then involuntary dismissals will occur. The timeline begins this month with lump-sum offers, followed by layoffs at the end of May if necessary, and the stretch to August will see the transition of personnel into the restructured organization.

Mazda is also issuing shares to raise $1.9 billion in order to aid its position and get production started in Mexico and Thailand. It is also aggressively seeking a partner and considering licensing its SkyActiv technology.

Mazda looking to shrink U.S. workforce by offering buyouts, layoffs possible

Motorsports is expensive in any form, although there are ways to do it without completely breaking the bank. One of those ways is the relatively new B-Spec class featuring the compact offerings of Honda, Mazda, Toyota, Kia, Mini and more that allows racers to compete in SCCA and Grand-Am racing on a relatively level and inexpensive playing field.

Ford is the latest to enter the B-Spec foray with an upgrade kit for the current 2011-2012 Fiesta. The package includes everything from a tow hook ($59.00) to a coilover suspension kit ($1,486.00) to make the Fiesta meet the B-Spec eligibility requirements. Racers will also need to add a variety of safety equipment like a roll cage, racing seats and so on. Ford says that it will cost just $25,000 to build a complete Fiesta B-Spec racer, including the cost of the donor car.

The first SCCA B-Spec race is scheduled for Miller Motorsports Park in Utah late next month while the inaugural Grand-Am B-Spec event is slated for Homestead Speedway in Miami the same weekend.

Hit the jump for more details about the Ford Fiesta B-Spec upgrade kit and a complete list of parts included in the package.

Continue reading Ford Racing offering B-spec upgrade kit for Fiesta owners

Ford Racing offering B-spec upgrade kit for Fiesta owners

Burton Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports, may have his eye on an ambitious new project. According to reports swirling around the web, Smith (whose company owns and operates tracks like Infineon Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, among others) aims to create an accurate reproduction of the famous Nürburgring just outside of Las Vegas. While speaking during an interview on Sirius XM Sports, the executive mentioned he had already been in talks with the Governor of Nevada, the Nevada Bureau of Land Management and “some Germans” about the project. It’s estimated Smith will require some 8,000 acres to bring the track to reality. It’s a good thing Las Vegas is surrounded by an expanse of largely vacant desert.

The rumored plans call for the track to be constructed around 10 miles from the strip. Unfortunately, the facility probably wouldn’t play host to sanctioned races like the real McCoy. Instead, the reproduction would simply be for private individuals to have some fun and manufacturers to test their wares. Throwing an element of brutal desert heat onto an already challenging road course could certainly make for a useful development tool. Keep your ears pinned for more information.

Exact Nürburgring copy under consideration for Las Vegas?

According to Automotive News, Maserati is looking to expand its dealer network in a big way. The luxury Italian automaker intends to double its dealers by the end of next year in an attempt to take advantage of a rash of new models heading for production. All told, Maserati intends to have around 500 showrooms open by the time the new vehicles roll in, and CEO Harald Wester says that the majority of the growth will happen this year. While the automaker sold just under 6,200 units last year, Wester wants to see that number swell to 40,000 in 2014 and 60,000 by 2015.

That’s a substantial jump, but with an all-new Quattroporte on the way as well as a production version of the not-yet-named Kubang, Wester believes the numbers are attainable. Maserati has also made it clear the company will offer an entry level sedan positioned below the big Quattroporte, which will likely do a smart job of bringing in even more customers.

Maserati looking to double global dealer network to capitalize on new model push

The Honda Fit (Jazz in most other markets) has been a decent success here in the States. It’s economical, somewhat fun to drive and not painful to look at. But it just seems to lack something. Oh, right, sportiness and a bright red Si badge!

To earn the Si designation, the versatile econocar was given new dampers, a larger front anti-roll bar, and modifications to the electric power steering system. Then Honda went nuts and dropped in the 3.0 liter V6 from the Accord… No, not really. In fact, the Jazz Si retains the Eurospec 1.4-liter four-cylinder with 98 hp. Seems hardly worthy of an anti-roll bar of any size.

Helping auto enthusiasts distinguish the Jazz Si is a new body kit, 16-inch wheels with low profile “tyres” and various upgrade interior trim pieces.

If Honda intends to sell a Fit Si here, they better have some plans for a jazzed-up engine to go with those “stylish” side skirts and LED reading lights.

Continue reading Honda fits Jazz Si debut onto Geneva stand

Honda fits Jazz Si debut onto Geneva stand