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Quick: What’s the fastest production sedan in the world? Does it wear a Mercedes-Benz, Audi or BMW badge? What about the Porsche Panamera Turbo or the Cadillac CTS-V? There’s no doubt that each of these vehicular behemoths is capable of ripping off some fast times on a race track near you, but Subaru is out to prove that its new 2011 WRX STI sedan has the chops to keep pace with the best from the rest of the world.

To prove its point, Subaru recently sent test driver and four-time World Rally Champion Tommi Mäkinen out to the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife course in Germany with a 2011 STI test car. According to reports, the vehicle used in this testing was equipped with a few significant upgrades including a larger turbocharger that normally sees duty in the Japanese R205 model and some lightweight aluminum bits, but one thing is for certain: the 7:55 lap time is a mighty impressive result.

For those keeping track of such things, the previous best lap set by a Subaru WRX STI was in 2004 at 7:59.41 and the new mark set by Subaru – albeit with a prototype, not a production car – is quicker than any of the aforementioned competition. Best of all, there’s a video of one entire lap around the ‘Ring and you can find the in-car footage after the break.

[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading Video: 2011 WRX STI sedan runs ‘Ring in 7:55, quickest ever for Subaru

Video: 2011 WRX STI sedan runs ‘Ring in 7:55, quickest ever for Subaru

Just about every time Ferrari comes up with a new variant of one of its supercars – be it the Scuderia, Spider, Challenge, XX or what-have-you – someone takes it upon themselves to imagine what another Prancing Horse from the stable would look like with the same treatment. Some come out looking better than others, but push comes to shove, there is no 458XX, no 599 Challenge and no California Scuderia. Once in a while, though, someone comes up with something truly intriguing.

In this case, that someone is Sasha Selipanov of Berlin, Germany, also known as the Angry Car Designer. Sasha’s idea? The Ferrari 612 GTO. Only the thing is, these renderings don’t depict what the Scaglietti would look like given the same treatment as the 599 GTO. No, this is something altogether more intriguing. More like a mix between the Aston Martin One-77 and the Ferrari 458 Italia, with a few elements from the original 250 GTO thrown in there for good measure. (Ferrari, Pininfarina? Are you paying attention for the 599’s upcoming replacement?)

It’s a design study, so there’s little more left to discuss other than viewing the renderings for yourself, so check ‘em out in the large gallery below. And if you like this, check out the source site, where Sasha’s got some other intriguing designs on file. Most of them Ferraris, natch.

[Source: AngryCarDesigner.com via autoblog.nl]

Angry Car Designer dreams up a Ferrari 612 GTO

It pays to be an executive for General Motors. Actually, scratch that… it will soon pay to be an executive with General Motors, assuming that the automaker’s upcoming Initial Public Offering takes place according to plan. According to our friends at TheDetroitBureau.com, a dozen top officials at the company could be looking at a payday totaling as much as $13 million or more, depending on the value of GM stock after the IPO.

According to filings submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre, Vice Chairman Tom Stephens, Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell, Vice Chairman Chris Girsky and North American President Mark Reuss are all slated to get major stock deals.

After GM received its $50 billion bailout from the U.S. government, Kenneth Feinberg, Treasury’s special master on pay, set up pay restrictions for officials at the automaker that capped salaries at specified levels, oftentimes to no more than $500,000 per year. Naturally, the stock deals awarded to the aforementioned executives after the company’s expected IPO should more than help make up for any perceived monetary deficiencies.

[Source: TheDetroitBureau.com]

Report: Top GM execs awarded millions in stock ahead of IPO

These days, German luxury crossovers are a dime a dozen, what with Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and the lot all offering one or more sporty-ish soft-roaders. But we must remember that back in 1999, the vehicle that started this whole trend was the original BMW X5. Eleven years later, there’s something to be said about the biggest Bimmer offering, especially since the automaker is now celebrating 1 million X5s rolling off of assembly lines.

These days, the X5 is better than ever, offering a range of turbocharged gas and diesel powerplants, as well as a hotted-up M version which, as unnecessary as it may seem, is quite stunning out on the road (or track). X5 number 1,000,000 just recently emerged from the Spartanburg, South Carolina factory, and is currently on its way to a customer in China, painted in Sapphire Black Metallic and featuring a Cinnamon Brown Nevada leather interior.

Since the debut of the X5, BMW’s crossover range has grown to include the smaller X6, X3 and X1 models, and rumormill continues to buzz over the idea of other models being introduced to the X Series. We’ve grown to accept the idea of BMW crossovers over the years, and we certainly commend the automaker on getting 1 million X5s out the door. Hit the jump to read BMW’s full press release.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW builds 1,000,000th X5

BMW builds 1,000,000th X5

Thanks for your your questions for Episode #181 of the Autoblog Podcast. This week,Chris, Sam, Dan and Alex take them on. News topics we cover are a little more on the shuttering of Mercury, Ed Whitacre’s management bushwacking at GM, a lively gas tax discussion, Ohio cops with radar guns for optic nerves, and the dieselphiles among us just had to kibbitz about the new Range Rover diesel that was apparently originally destined for the Ford F150. We wrap it up by tearing up a particular message from one of you dear listeners, so be sure to hang out till the end.

Autoblog Podcast #181 – Mercury, Ed Whitacre, Gas Tax and Guessing Cops

In the Autoblog Garage:

Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
Kia Sorento V6
Ford Transit Connect
Lexus ES350

News:

• Officially Official: Mercury is dead
• GM CEO Whitacre put in charge of product planning
  
• Why raising the gas tax might be a good idea
• European Range Rover getting F-150’s ex-diesel
• Guessing cops allowed to give speeding tickets in Ohio

Hosts:
Chris Shunk, Dan Roth, Sam Abuelsamid, Alex Nunez

Runtime: 1:22:10

Autoblog Podcast #181 – Mercury, Ed Whitacre, Gas Tax and Guessing Cops

Video guru Tim Hahne descended on this year’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring with nothing but his trusty Canon 5d Mk II and a handful of lenses. The guy was there through the thick and the thin of the race – from the first drop of the green flag to the final fall of the checkers – and managed to nab a heady 19,500 frames of racing action for the world’s enjoyment. It’s all in delicious HD, dripping with the kind of glory we’re unaccustomed to in motorsports videography.

We highly suggest you take the time (and bandwidth) to sit down and enjoy the high-def goodness for yourself. Between the awesome shots of the cars in action and the chaotic in-pit clips, the whole thing is not to be missed. Hit the jump to enjoy it for yourself.

[Source: Vimeo]

Continue reading Video: 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 19,500 glorious HD frames

Video: 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 19,500 glorious HD frames

Without any small-car offerings, Chrysler has an incomplete product lineup. Ditto for Lancia. But Fiat’s other offspring lacks larger vehicles. Since Fiat controls both brands, it looks like a match made in heaven, right? Maybe, but not just for North America.

Fiat has announced that it will drop the Chrysler lineup in Europe and instead re-badge the Pentastar lineup as Lancias. The combination of Lancia and Chrysler leaves Fiat with too many European dealerships, so the Italian automaker also announced the cancellation of 350 Chrysler and Lancia dealer contracts beginning May, 2011. Chrysler and Lancia CEO Olivier Francois tells Automotive News that the plan is to create an “integrated network comprising about 800 dealers and over 1,000 dealerships.” The only country in Europe that will continue to sell Chrysler products is the UK, where Lancias haven’t been sold since 1991.

The next big challenge for the dealerships that make the cut is to increase floor space to make room for a new, larger model lineup. And if everything goes as plan (does it ever?) Chrysler/Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is looking to increase Chrysler/Lancia sales in Europe from 132,500 vehicles in 2009 to over 300,000 units in 2014.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Chrysler name gone from Europe, cars will remain as rebadged Lancias

Get a job, get in shape. Or something like that. Whatever you want to call it, Volkswagen is taking the rather unusual step of putting all of the newly hired production line workers at its new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee into a mandatory fitness program before they can begin working.

Why? Good question. According to Volkswagen Chattanooga spokesman Scott Wilson, such bodily training will help the automaker build better midsize sedans by helping employees “perform at the highest level of professional excellence.” But wait, there’s more…

It seems that the area chosen for the plant is known for its Little Debbie snacks and MoonPies, and that apparently leads to a higher-than-average body mass index (who you callin’ fat?). According to Jason Guess, the VW plant’s manager of safety, health and wellness, the program is having an impact. In fact, some new hires have reportedly lost as much as 30 pounds after three weeks of training.

We have only one question. Does VW have any plans for a blogger rehabilitation program?

[Source: USA Today]

VW USA requiring mandatory fitness program before working in TN factory

When the 2011 Countryman goes on sale later this year, it will be the largest offering from Mini, boasting four doors, raised ground clearance and all-wheel drive. And while the Countryman proves that Mini isn’t so, well, mini anymore, Auto Express is stirring the rumormill by reporting that the automaker is working on an even larger version of the Countryman, complete with a longer wheelbase that will accommodate a third row of seats out back.

Is there room for a seven-seat Mini crossover in the brand’s portfolio? We doubt it – especially since we have yet to see how strong of a seller the standard Countryman is. Parent company BMW already has the pint-sized X1 on deck, and if we’re honest, a seven-seat Countryman just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. (We don’t even want to think about how cramped that third row of seats would be.)

Recently, the news broke that Mini is strongly considering a production version of the Beachcomber concept from this year’s Detroit Auto Show – a show car that received relatively high levels of positive feedback from enthusiasts. Mini is already expanding its lineup with the addition of the Coupe and Roadster in the near future, and we think that until the brand is comfortable with producing a wider range of vehicles beyond the standard Cooper and Clubman offerings, a seven-seat Countryman is the last thing that anyone should be ruminating over.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rumormill: Mini planning larger, seven-seat Countryman?

The C6 Chevrolet Corvette has been around since the 2005 model year, but General Motors has made a point to keep its everyman sports coupe fresh with regular updates. For 2011, the big change is an upgraded Z06, with new Z07 and Carbon Fiber packages. One thing that isn’t budging much for 2011 is price, as most versions of the Bowtie sports car have reportedly gone up in price but $20 compared to the 2010 model year.

The base Vette starts out at a reasonable $48,950, and if you lose the fixed roof, the price jumps to $53,600. Move up to the Grand Sport and you’ll be staring at a $54,790 Monroney, while the GS ragtop is exactly $5,000 more than the base convertible. Move out of the GS and into the Z06 and the price rockets to $74,305. The Carbon Fiber package is $3,995 stand-alone package, while the Z06 Ultimate Performance Package (A.K.A. the Z07 package) is a healthy $9,495. The Corvette Blogger says the limited Carbon edition Z06 should come in at around $95,000.

The ZR1 gets by far the largest price increase of the bunch, as the starting price jumps $2,920 to $109,820. That’s a $6,320 price bump from the 2009 model. Add the ZR1 premium equipment group and you’re looking at $119,820, which is still a pretty handsome deal for the performance it offers. Head over to Corvette Blogger for more Vette pricing info. There are 19 different package options, 38 stand-alone options and nine tire choices.

[Source: Corvette Blogger]

Report: GM prices 2011 Chevrolet Corvette range

Heated windshield washer system: Good. Heated windshield washer system that gets so hot it could potentially cause a fire: Recall. General Motors has announced that it is recalling some 1.5 million vehicles built between 2006 and 2009 for just such a problem. A similar measure was taken in 2008, but apparently the fix performed for that recall hasn’t eradicated the issue entirely.

The models affected consist of the Buick Enclave and Lucerne; Cadillac CTS, DTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe and Traverse; GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL, Hummer H2 and Saturn Outlook. In lieu of a fix, it seems that The General is offering to pay owners $100 to remove the heated washer fluid system in its entirety.

[Source: The Detroit News]

GM recalls 1.5 million vehicles over heated windshield washer system

Here’s something unexpected. Mini USA has announced it’s challenging Porsche to a formal race, where the go-kart-like Cooper S will take on the infamous 911 Carrera S. This may seem like a far stretch, seeing as how the Cooper is down on power by over 200 horses, but Mini is confident that its more nimble, lighter hatch can out-maneuver the big 911 on the track.

This certainly isn’t the first automaker challenge we’ve heard of this year, and we’re hoping Porsche steps up to the plate. The event will take place on June 21 (that’s in two weeks!) at Road Atlanta, which as Mini points out, is right around the corner from Porsche’s North American headquarters.

In the video found after the jump, Mini USA’s president, Jim McDowell (a former Porsche executive, we might add), explains the whole deal, and says that if his team loses, he’ll wear a shirt that reads “We did not beat Porsche” at his next public appearance. Likewise, he has a “We beat Porsche” shirt prepped for the same occasion. Mini will be hosting a live video of the event on their Facebook page, as well as more information about the event. Will Porsche send out a 911 for the challenge? We certainly hope so. Let the games begin.

[Source: Facebook via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Mini challenges Porsche to race at Road Atlanta [w/video]

Mini challenges Porsche to race at Road Atlanta [w/video]

General Motors is finally starting to get back on the right track, and under the marketing direction of Joel Ewanick, the automaker will reportedly be running an ad slot in the 2011 Super Bowl. As you may recall, GM stopped advertising during the Super Bowl in 2009, not long after the economic crash that eventually sent the company into bankruptcy.

Advertising during the NFL’s big game is nothing new to Ewanick. While heading up the marketing department at Hyundai over the last few years, he and the team successfully launched a number of Super Bowl ads, promoting the Genesis line, as well as introducing the world to the automaker’s Assurance program in 2009.

GM should be prepared to shell out a pretty penny for next year’s ad slot, however. Automotive News reports that 30-second spots are selling for around $3 million. GM will be advertising alongside Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen and Audi in next year’s game, and we’re sure other automakers will announce their participation over the coming months. In any case, hopefully things go a bit more smoothly for The General than the controversial suicidal robot ad from 2007 (available after the jump).

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Continue reading Hike! GM reportedly returning to Super Bowl advertising [w/video]

Hike! GM reportedly returning to Super Bowl advertising [w/video]

If you own a 2007 Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon, you might want to watch your fingers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun an engineering analysis (the step before a potential recall) at the SUVs’ door handles after 88 complaints of people cutting their hands on peeling metal plating. There are a possible 443,000 vehicles affected, but that’s only if the NHTSA decides a full recall is necessary at the end of its analysis.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Ouch: NHTSA reportedly investigating 2007 Tahoe, Yukon over sharp door handles

2011 Renault Latitude – Click above for high-res image gallery

Continue reading 2011 Renault Latitude brings back conventional style to premium segment

2011 Renault Latitude brings back conventional style to premium segment

Earlier this year, Volvo and Polestar debuted the C30 Polestar Performance Prototype hot hatch, showing what would happen if a Swedish touring car were tuned down for road car use. It’s a menacing little devil, what with its turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five boosted to 405 horsepower, Haldex all-wheel drive, massive brakes and raft of other performance add-ons.

The team at Autocar recently had the chance to flog the Polestar C30 around Volvo’s proving grounds, saying that the hatch feels like a well-sorted version of Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution or even a “junior Nissan GT-R.” High praise, indeed, and we don’t doubt them. Obviously, we won’t be seeing a production version of the vicious C30 anytime soon, but this exercise mostly shows what sort of performance machines could come from a partnership between Volvo and Polestar. This would certainly give BMW’s M and Audi’s S/RS divisions a run for their money, and we’ll never complain about having too many hot hatches on the market.

Follow the jump to watch Autocar’s test of the Polestar C30, and head back to our earlier post to read all the details about the road-ready touring car.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Autocar calls Polestar Volvo C30 a ‘junior Nissan GT-R’

Video: Autocar calls Polestar Volvo C30 a ‘junior Nissan GT-R’

First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder drops a weight class and hits harder than ever

The Boxster Spyder has been hailed as one of the best handling Porsches in the automaker’s line-up. We flog it through the mountains of Malibu to find out.

Man, Sorry Just Doesn’t Cut It: Porsche Panamera Turbo by Mansory

In the realm of over-reaching tuners, Mansory takes the top spot. And its latest Panamera Turbo project is further proof 690 horsepower still can’t outrun ugly.

Video: Behind the scenes of “Pitch” for Lexus LFA

The Lexus LFA “Pitch” ad has garnered plenty of attention, so Toyota has released a making-of video to explain how it was done.

Also of interest:

• Video: Ralph Gilles talks Dodge Viper, considering track-only model
• Rumormill: Race-spec Tramontana to receive Cosworth V10
• Ford Mustang/Chevrolet Camaro May sales tally backstory
• Report: Red license decals for teens has NJ motorists up in arms
• Rumormill: Ferrari 458 Spider to go hard-top?

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Sometimes, we have to wonder if automakers just like toying with the emotions of those of us who follow their comings and goings on a daily basis. How else can we explain how Ford would show up to the Shoreline Community College Automotive Center in Seattle with what appears to be the back half of a 2011 Ford Explorer in tow?

It’s not really possible to know exactly what it is that we’re gazing at in the video pasted after the break, but it sure does appear to match what we’re expecting to see from the first unit-construction Explorer from the Blue Oval Boys. Nowhere else is that more evident than with the sloping C-pillar, which looks like a dead ringer for the one we saw blowing in the wind on a car hauler back in March.

No matter what it is that we’re seeing in this video, the rear seatbelt airbag technology on display is definitely coming to a dealership near you, first on the – you guessed it – 2011 Ford Explorer. Enough talking already… check out the video for yourself after the break.

[Source: Driven Car Reviews]

Continue reading Video: 2011 Ford Explorer partially revealed during seatbelt airbag demo?

Video: 2011 Ford Explorer partially revealed during seatbelt airbag demo?

Imagine your disappointment when you find what looks like a great deal on a 1967 Ford Mustang on Craigslist, only to realize the body is 90 percent Bondo. You could head back to the listings, or you could hit the Ford Parts catalog for a brand new body shell. Ford is now offering up over 9,000 officially licensed parts for cars and trucks going back to 1909 Model Ts, and the catalog includes complete shells for 1967, 68, 69 and 1970 Mustang coupes as well as all manner of other parts to fix up old Fords, Mercurys and Lincolns.

Finding good parts for restorations is always a challenge. Restorers often have to go scrounging through scrap yards to find parts in decent condition or roll the dice with unauthorized reproductions that may or may not fit. Ford has sold some of the old tooling to specialty fabricators that continue to produce parts in small batches for those models that people want to keep on the road well past their expiration date. Of course, crate motors are old hat in the racing catalog, with classics like the “351 Cleveland V8″, 302 cubic inch V8 and the more recent 5.0-liter “Cammer” readily available.

Off-road junkies will also be pleased to learn that the next addition to the body shell lineup will be the first generation Bronco. Complete bodies for the little Broncos will be available in the fall.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford now offering over 9,000 official reproduction parts for restorations

Ford now offering over 9,000 official reproduction parts for restorations

The streak has ended, the defending champ is on the bench with a broken leg… oh, the humanity! The fourth round of world-class two-wheeled racing may just go down as the definitive turning point in a season that up to this point has been high on excitement seeing the one-two punch of team Fiat-Yamaha dominate the podium.

The largest single piece of news from Italy comes not from who was racing, but rather who was not. With defending champ Valentino Rossi suffering a broken leg in practice (see image gallery below), the rest of the field no doubt felt a good bit of remorse for their fallen comrade but also likely a renewed sense of possibility, knowing that one less obstacle remained between each man and the championship. Would points leader Jorge Lorenzo extend his lead and take an unprecedented fourth win for the blue and white camp?

As the tires spun and the smell of burnt rubber signaled the start of racing, a new color graced the front of the pack, with Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa setting the pace under the Italian sun. Pedrosa never looked back as he developed a lead of over seven seconds at one point in the race, all the while setting a new circuit record on his way to a convincing start-to-finish victory in Mugello. Lorenzo held up well in the “first loser” position and was able to hold on to crucial championship points, however he posed little threat to Pedrosa’s dominant performance.

Andrea Dovisioso challenged Lorenzo throughout the race but seemed to eventually fade comfortably into the the final podium position. This is where the action really heated up. Ducati claimed the number four position in as many rounds, but this time it was at the hands of Casey Stoner, who showed for the first time this season that he might just want to win something, holding off Marco Melandri and Randy de Puniet in a very close three-way battle. We’ll see you June 20th at Silverstone as the action continues and the possibilities seem endless… what next?

Check out our high-res image gallery detailing the aftermath of Rossi’s crash at Mugello and hit the jump to see a video of the accident as it unfolds along with the finishing order from the race.

[Image: Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010: Italian round opens door to endless possibilities [SPOILERS]

MotoGP 2010: Italian round opens door to endless possibilities [SPOILERS]