The Auto Blog .ru

In the stratospheric zone of the automotive atmosphere, being unique is every bit as important as going blindingly fast or bathing oneself in luxury. To address the need, Aston Martin has introduced Q, a service that goes far beyond standard paint palettes, leather finishes and wood trims. In the automaker’s own words, Q is defined as “a team that brings Aston Martin’s designers together with the company’s engineers and highly experienced craftspeople, allowing customers to enhance and personalize their Aston Martin with meticulous attention to detail.”

The automaker recently sent Q a Virage for the full treatment (a blank check was apparently stuffed in the glove box). What emerged is emphatically unique, but it is also fascinating and rather odd at the same time. Nevertheless, we found it on display at the Geneva Motor Show.

The show car is a Virage Volante sporting a Mariana Blue satin paint finish. The interior is configured with blue carbon-fiber, saddle leather floor mats, and yellow detailing. Other components include lightweight forged diamond-turned wheels, a track-day HD video camera mounted on the header (looking much sleeker than any GoPro) and a completely silly rear luggage rack.

Check out our live gallery from the floor, read through the press release and then take a look at some of the automaker’s images including a Cherry Tree Cygnet, a bespoke city car.

Continue reading 2012 Aston Martin Virage by Q is distinctive, exclusive and unquestionably superfluous

2012 Aston Martin Virage by Q is distinctive, exclusive and unquestionably superfluous

Hyundai has unveiled what it calls the most environmentally friendly, conventional-engined vehicle sold on the planet – the all-new i20.

We called the first i20 “one sharply dressed econo car,” and this new model gets a family-familiar hexagonal grille and swept-back, cat-eye headlights and fog lamps. Much of the car’s profile and rear are carried over from last year’s model with the exception of the tweaked taillights and some shiny new shoes.

The biggest news, however, is the fact that four engines will be on tap. On the greenest end of the scale is a 1.1-liter three-cylinder diesel. With about 74 hp, the little oil-burner generates only 84 g/km of CO2. That’s pretty impressive considering the crazy-efficient 2012 Toyota Prius C breathes out about 110 g/km.

The downside? The i20 isn’t available in the U.S. (Surprise, surprise.) Follow the jump for the full details in Hyundai’s press blast.

Continue reading 2012 Hyundai i20 boasts sleek style, top-notch efficiency

2012 Hyundai i20 boasts sleek style, top-notch efficiency

With all the exciting news coming out of Geneva, you’ll have to excuse us for snickering just a little bit when we saw this press release. Yes, the Venza is as deserving of a mid-cycle refresh as any other vehicle, though it appears from this teaser that whatever tinkering Toyota has done will prove itself superficial at best.

As is typical these days, this crossover-ized Camry is getting some revised front and rear lighting, and what we would guess will be minor modifications to the front fascia. We can see from the picture that the grille looks to be a bit smaller and those are surely LED’s in the new headlights.

New 19-inch wheels and three new colors are probably going to matter less to buyers than the fact that “value has been enhanced” by making more features standard. This might help address our biggest complaint when we test drove the Venza back in 2009 – that’s it’s just too darn expensive for what you get.

Click past the jump to read the full press release, and stay tuned for our New York Auto Show coverage.

Continue reading Toyota teases 2013 Venza, set for debut in New York

Toyota teases 2013 Venza, set for debut in New York

Many of the tuners here at the Geneva Motor Show have little to no restraint when it comes to styling, which is why we appreciate subtlety when we see it. Lumma Design, hailing from Winterlingen, Germany, offers an example of such restraint with its CLR 9 S based on the new 991 Porsche 911. The styling package includes a tasteful strip package, a new front clip with an integrated splitter and a three-piece spoiler at the rear. A new set of quad exhaust tips also peek out from the rear fascia.

Inside, the CLR 9 S features a slathering of new leather and Alcantara on the seats, dashboard and door panels. Carbon leather trim can also be found on the steering wheel, center console and shifter.

You can read Lumma Design’s official press release regarding the CLR 9 S after the jump, and check out live photos of the car from the Geneva show floor in the gallery above.

Continue reading Lumma Design offers a new take on the Porsche 911 with the CLR 9 S

Lumma Design offers a new take on the Porsche 911 with the CLR 9 S

We’re pretty fond of the Ram Tradesman. The truck offers impressive power and capability per dollar spent, and now it looks as if Chrysler aims to give buyers a little extra functionality, as well. For 2012, the Tradesman can be had in either Crew Cab or Quad Cab configurations to provide comfortable-enough transportation for six adults.

Long live the bench seat.

The vehicles will come boasting the same 4.7-liter V8 found in the standard-cab Tradesman, complete with 310 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. With an EPA rating of 20 mpg highway and a standard tow package that allows the truck to pull up to 7,700 pounds, the pickup is still a smart combination of economy and power. That is, at least by full-size truck standards. A six-speed automatic transmission, spray in bed liner and a no-cost Ram Box storage system are all part of the mix, as well.

Ram also announced that it intends to offer a compressed natural gas version of the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty. Powered by a 5.7-liter V8, the truck is technically a bi-fuel offering. While there are CNG tanks on board, Chrysler also threw in an eight-gallon gasoline tank in the event buyers can’t make it between CNG fueling stations. Canadian customers can opt for a 35-gallon gasoline tank, as well. In order for the truck to be able to swill down both fuels, new cylinder heads had to be designed with reworked valves and valve seats. The V8 also wears two sets of fuel rails and injectors: one for gasoline and the other for CNG.

The system is fully automatic, and will switch between the two fuels without any user input. Very cool. No prices have been announced for the 2500 CNG, though we do know the truck can haul up to 1,580 pounds and tow 7,650 pounds. Hit the jump for the full press releases.

Continue reading Ram adds extra doors to Tradesman, announces CNG-powered pickup

Ram adds extra doors to Tradesman, announces CNG-powered pickup

Toyota has unveiled the 2012 Yaris Hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show – the first B-segment hybrid in Europe. While the vehicle makes use of a 74-horsepower 1.5-liter gasoline engine, engineers mated the internal combustion mill with a more compact 80-hp electric motor along with a smaller inverter and battery pack. Combined, the two can crank out up to 100 combined horsepower. Toyota says the Atkinson-cycle engine and it’s associated techno wizardry is 20 percent lighter than the standard 1.8-liter hybrid drivetrain found in most of the company’s hybrid offerings.

Speaking of batteries, the Yaris Hybrid stores its power via a nickel-metal hydride pack. With fewer cells than those found in the Auris Hybrid, the batteries are around 20 percent lighter. The drivetrain will net buyers a fuel consumption rating of just 3.5 liters per 100 kilometers, or around 67 mpg on the European scale. Click past the break for the full press release.

Continue reading 2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid plays big brother to the Prius C

2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid plays big brother to the Prius C

Ford CEO Alan Mulally has been awarded $58.3 million in company stock for his hand in righting the automaker’s fortunes. After taxes, the CEO will receive $34.5 million. According to Automotive News, Mulally will also receive salary and benefits for 2011 on top of the his stock incentives. The stock was handed out as part of an incentive plan associated with the company’s performance in 2009. The report says Ford has earned $29.5 billion since then after suffering through $30.1 billion in losses between 2006 and 2008. All told, Mulally has been awarded $100 million in stock in the past two years.

Ford, meanwhile, says that the company believes in a compensation philosophy that ties executives to the interests of the company’s shareholders. That’s all fine and good, but Mulally’s pay scale brought the ire of the United Auto Workers last year, when UAW President Bob King said the compensation was “morally wrong.” Zing.

Morally wrong or not, it’s hard to argue with Mulally’s performance at Ford. The CEO nailed nearly all of his performance targets for 2009 and kept Ford afloat without delving into the federal government’s infamous Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Mulally awarded $58.3M in stock for succesful turnaround

While Toyota recalls are no longer the earth-shattering news they were back in 2009, they’re still news. And today’s announcement certainly qualifies for the modifier “big,” with nearly half a million Tacoma pickups being recalled under one campaign, and 116,000 Venza crossovers and 70,500 Camrys under another.

The 2009 Camry is the only model year covered by the recall, while 2009-2011 Venzas are affected. These vehicles may need a replacement stop lamp switch, which may have been installed incorrectly. Symptoms include warning lamps illuminating, a non-starting condition, and the inability to shift out of Park.

The Tacoma recall covers some 2005-2009 models that may need their steering wheel spiral cable assembly replaced. Symptoms include an air bag warning lamp that does not go off after the vehicle is started, which could result in the driver’s air bag being deactivated.

In both cases, Toyota says it is “obtaining the necessary replacement parts” and owners will be notified by mail. Owners may also visit www.toyota.com/recall or call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

See below for the full release.

Continue reading Toyota recalling Camry, Venza and Tacoma

Toyota recalling Camry, Venza and Tacoma

A replacement for the aging GranTurismo is still a few years out, so in an effort to keep the model line fresh, Maserati has released this all new Sport trim here at the Geneva Motor Show. Essentially replacing the GranTurismo S, the Sport falls directly in between the base car and the hardcore MC.

The most significant change is a boost in power from the 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V8. This free-breathing engine now produces 460 horsepower – up from 434 – which now puts it at the top of the GranTurismo power range. Of course, that means we can expect a more powerful MC to debut in the near future.

Exterior changes include a more aggressive front fascia with large air intakes flanking the pronounced grille. Additionally, the headlamps and taillamps have been smoked and LED running lights have been incorporated into the GT’s eyes. Inside, there are new sport seats and a revised steering wheel.

It may ride on old bones, but the new GranTurismo Sport’s enhancements are enough to keep the giant coupe exciting for the near term.

Continue reading 2012 Maserati GranTurismo Sport won’t make you blue

2012 Maserati GranTurismo Sport won’t make you blue

The successor to the Peugeot 207 line, the 208, made an appearance under the lights of the Geneva Motor Show this week. Buyers in the EU may choose from either the three-door body style you see above or a more functional five-door configuration. Both vehicles feature smaller exterior dimensions than the old 207 but with greater interior volume than their predecessors. Peugeot also shrank the available gasoline engine options in the 208. A 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine serves up a heady 75 horsepower, though consumers looking for a little more grunt may step up to a 1.2-liter three pot good for 100 hp.

All told, the 208 is available in five different configurations, including a range of diesel-powered options that include Peugeot’s next-generation stop/start system, which helps return nearly 83.1 mpg on the EU scale. Not too shabby.

Want something a little hotter? How about the Peugeot 208 GTi Concept (above left)? In addition to more aggressive body work, larger brakes and flashier 18-inch alloy wheels, the vehicle packs the same 1.6-liter engine as found in the company’s RCZ. That means buyers can expect to find somewhere between 156 and 200 turbocharged horsepower kicking through a six-speed manual transmission. How’s that for a win?

Meanwhile, the 208 XY Concept (above right)wears more flash than actual go. With a color-shifting purple paint, unique interior treatments and a 1.6-liter turbo diesel engine, this hatch is meant more for prowling city centers than corner carving.

Continue reading Peugeot brings the 208 party to Geneva

Peugeot brings the 208 party to Geneva

General Motors wants to become the second-largest shareholder in PSA Peugeot Citroen, and the gears of a deal for seven percent of the French automaker are beginning to mesh. It cost General Motors $423 million to buy into PSA, and the companies will remain competitors despite lashing their rafts together.

Both automakers would like to net cost savings over the course of the initial 10-year term of the partnership by leveraging their collective purchasing power for better prices from suppliers and also sharing economies of scale. GM and PSA are also looking to create vehicles, powertrains and/or components together within the next four years. The two companies have already started work on developing a low-cost small car to sell in emerging markets, and GM is looking to hook up with Peugeot’s Gefco logistics arm, as well.

Peugeot stock has been forced down in value by the company issuing new shares for General Motors to buy, facilitating the deal. Peugeot has also suspended paying a dividend this year to keep cash on hand, further upsetting shareholders and the market in general. Market watchers suspect that any cost savings may be slow in coming, and there’s little detail of how GM and PSA intend to address both companies’ overcapacity problem in Europe or how they intend to find compromises with the typically strong labor unions there, as well.

Still, the hopeful need only look to Renault-Nissan for an example of the potential upside. Of course, GM’s deal with Fiat, which started in 2000 and ended with a $2 Billion payment in 2005, is a reminder of just one of the ways the bloom could fall off this rose.

GM stake in Peugeot will cost $423 million

Volkswagen already offers quite a bit of fun in the small hatchback segment with the 177-horsepower, 40-mpg Polo GTI, but for those wanting even better fuel economy without sacrificing any fun, VW has announced the Polo Blue GT.

Fitted with the new 1.4-liter TSI inline-four, the Blue GT is capable of achieving up to 50 mpg thanks to direct injection, cylinder deactivation and stop/start technology. With 138 horsepower, the hatchback is capable of reaching 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 130 mph.

Distinguishing itself from the rest of the Polo lineup, the Blue GT features a mix of components from the VW parts bin including front and rear bumpers and a rear spoiler from the Polo GTI, as well as side sills from the BlueMotion model. The car also features unique 17-inch wheels, special badging and a lowered ride height of 15mm. Inside the Blue GT gets redesigned sports seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and instrumentation from the GTI model.

Read up on the Volkswagen Polo Blue GT in VW’s official press release below or browse through our live photos of the car in the gallery above.

Continue reading 2012 Volkswagen Polo Blue GT mixes fun and frugality

2012 Volkswagen Polo Blue GT mixes fun and frugality

Ford is making it easier to access tablet devices in its cars, enabling users of iPad, Kindle, Nook and other tablets to control their devices with their voices instead of their hands.

The move is bound to set safety advocates atwitter, who argue there are already too many distractions behind the wheel. Just last month the issue again took front stage after the death of 18-year-old Taylor Sauer, who crashed her car into a tanker truck while texting. Ford, however, said the upgrade of its MyFord Touch system is out of concern for driver safety.

“Drivers are bringing these devices into the car already,” said Alan Hall, a spokesman for Ford. “We’re allowing them to access the content in a safer way.”

Ford began shipping upgrades to its voice-activated MyFord Touch entertainment system on Monday, with the tablet compatibility built in. The automaker has taken a big hit to its quality reputation because of MyFord Touch, which consumers have complained is slow, unreliable and hard to use.

The upgrade to MyFord Touch and its underlying SYNC technology allows more devices to work with voice activation or through controls on the steering wheel, although most still won’t charge. Devices including the iPad, Kindle Fire, HP Touchpad, Nook Color and Sony Tablet S need more electricity than Ford’s outlets provide.

Ford hopes the iPad 3, set to be revealed today, will be compatible with the upgrade, Ostrowski said. He also said that Ford engineers will have to order iPad 3s like everyone else to find out.

Ford makes voice control easier for iPad and other devices

The Roding Roadster 23 is here, and having been faithful to its renderings, it looks like it’s come good. We knew it would have proper fenders from the latest drawings, but the red-and-black livery makes the little roofless coupe pop.

Roding still hasn’t decided to spill all of its secrets, not that it looks to have many, but we know there’ll be just 23 examples offered. Behind those huggy seats is a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine from BMW producing 320 horsepower and 332 pound-feet, charged with propelling a car that weighs just 950 kilograms (2,090 pounds). An installable hood goes in the trunk section up front.

In the information from the company’s site below, however, Roding indicates that “the first cars to be produced” are a limited edition of 23, which makes it sound like they’ll be around for more than a couple dozen cars.

Continue reading Roding Roadster is fit for a role in The Avengers

Roding Roadster is fit for a role in The Avengers

If you live in a warm weather state and haven’t experienced icy roads before, we’ve got some video that will show you what your northern friends have been talking about. Actually, if you’re a veteran of snow and ice, own a four-wheel-drive vehicle and don’t slow down when it’s slippery because you think your 4-high is infallible, we really have a video for you.

We’re thinking the good people of Columbus, Ohio know a thing or three about driving on snow and ice, but even the Buckeyes have trouble with black ice. Look below to watch several trucks and SUVs slip, slide and wreck themselves when encountering a patch of the invisible slick. It’s too bad whoever was holding the camera didn’t have the sense to put it down and go warn oncoming motorists to slow down.

Continue reading Patch of black ice terrorizes Ohio motorists

Patch of black ice terrorizes Ohio motorists

How many times have you said to yourself, “Self, I’ve modded every single part of my car, but those tires, they’re just so… black. And boring.” Bridgestone has the answer in the form of its Tire Printing Technology.

Comprised of two layers of ink – one below and one above a protective coating – you can fully customize the design of your sidewalls using any kind of vector-based graphics. Bridgestone claims the outer most layer won’t succumb to scrapes and scratches, and neither the durability or the weight of the tires are compromised by the technology.

Bridgestone hasn’t set a date for production, but the tires could be available as early as this summer. And if it hits in time, there’s little doubt we’ll be seeing plenty of horrid designs lining the halls of SEMA.

The Next Big Thing: Bridgestone prints patterns on tires

If there are words for the Gemballa Tornado and the vehicle’s spiritual twin, the Mistrale, we can’t find them.

If you like air vents, the Tornado has you covered. The vehicle boasts more intakes than your favorite industrial air conditioner, with the majority of them crafted from carbon fiber. At least the bodywork is lightweight. The abomination creation, based loosely on what was once a Porsche Cayenne, puts a lofty 721 horsepower to the ground and relies on a set of aggressive Brembo brakes to bring the party to a stop.

And what of the Mistrale? As much as we love the Porsche Panamera, the car certainly didn’t need another go-around with the ugly stick. Like the Tornado, the Mistrale boasts a slew of carbon fiber work, epic 22-inch forged alloy wheels and and a completely reworked interior. Buyers can expect to find the same 721 horsepower under the hood, too. And here you thought SEMA was the only place to this level of insanity.

Gemballa Tornado and Mistrale are the faces of excess

In the fine tradition of the Celebrity Wagon, the Bow Tie brand brings you this: The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Wagon.

We kid, but in all honesty, the Cruze Wagon isn’t just a more utilitarian take on one of our favorite C-segmenters – it’s an attractive one to boot.

And speaking of boots, the Cruze wagon uses its extra inches to good effect, expanding the cargo capacity of the standard sedan and hatchback models to 17.6 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and blowing out to 52.9 inches with the rear thrones folded flat.

Chevrolet MyLink comes along for the ride, and in Europe, buyers get a choice of three gasoline engines and two diesels. But here in the U.S. we get nothing. Chevy has no plans to bring the Cruze Wagon to the States.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Wagon blends style with utility

The relentless expansion of M-engineered and branded wares doesn’t just stop at the M diesel quadruplets and the M135i. Here in Geneva, BMW announced the latest line of M performance parts that spans the spectrum from appearance bits to powertrain upgrades.

M Performance exhausts will be available for the new 1 Series (in Europe), along with the 3 Series and 5 Series. Carbon fiber front splitters join black kidney grilles in the catalog, as does a new version of the M Performance steering wheel. BMW also claims to have some suspension components are in the works, and all this kit will be on sale and ready for installation at BMW dealers in the United States this summer.

BMW M Performance Parts continue to expand the brand

Do you love the notion of the 507-horsepower, twin-tubocharged Alpina B5 Touring, but just can’t get behind a high-performance family wagon? Alpina has good news for you. The company has officially pulled back the curtain on the new B5 Sedan, and the vehicle boasts the same wicked driveline as its long-roof twin. That means there’s a dizzying 516 pound-feet of torque pouring out of the same forced-induction 4.4-liter V8. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission takes care of gear-swapping duties while a range of subtle aesthetic tweaks set this bruiser apart from its more mundane counterparts.

There is no mistaking the flashy, 20-inch Alpina wheels, however. According to the company, the combined kit allows the B5 Sedan to clip off a 0-62 dash in just 4.5 seconds. That’s plenty quick by our estimation and about on par with the new 2012 BMW M5. Which would you rather have? Hit the jump for the brief press release while you mull it over.

Continue reading Alpina B5 Biturbo sedan looks the M5 square in the eyes

Alpina B5 Biturbo sedan looks the M5 square in the eyes