James May rocks the Ariel Atom V8 – Click above to watch the video
The latest Ariel Atom sports 500 horsepower from its supercharged 3.0-liter V8, yet it only weighs 1,200 pounds. That adds up to about 900 horsepower per ton; a ratio that shames anything from a to a . Sounds riveting, and Top Gear’s James May had the honor of exercising the super-fast machine in a very thorough manner.
Beyond the jump is 12 minutes of TG goodness featuring the Ariel Atom 500. Not only did May have his way with the Atom, he then put the track day superstar against a and a in a race from zero to 100 and back to zero. The super Atom then thundered around the TG test track in a one-on-one battle against the BMW S1000 RR, and of course, was handed over to The Stig for a proper power lap. to gaze upon the marriage of Top Gear and the Ariel Atom 500.
Hundreds of millions of people watch the Super Bowl each year, but the day after, most water cooler conversations are focused on the commercials than the actual game. That’s sure to continue in a few weeks, and hopes it is part of the conversation.
Reuters reports that GM will lead a pack of up to nine automakers buying ad space for the annual football extravaganza. The fact that so many automakers are willing to shell out up to $3 million for a 30-second spot could be considered a sign that the industry is primed for more growth. It surely illustrates that GM is in far better shape than it was in 2009 or 2010, when the Detroit-based automaker avoided the big game all together.
Thousands of football fans will soon converge on Arlington, Texas for Super Bowl XLV. Those visitors will fill area hotel rooms and jam eateries and pubs. That’s good news for local businesses, but thanks to impossible traffic it’s a bum deal for anyone who travels through town. And since the Super Bowl also brings massively increased security, many streets will be closed so police and private security details have fewer avenues to inspect. Thank goodness for GPS, right? Not so much.
Super Bowl organizers have asked that game attendees skip the GPS in favor of the directions printed on their parking passes. That’s an awfully analog process for our digital world, but owners of OnStar-equipped vehicles can still receive turn-by-turn directions. Subscribers will be have “special access” to routes and road closures relayed by specially trained OnStar advisers during the event. You won’t need to have the turn-by-turn subscription package to receive this service, either; GM is providing it free of charge just for the big game. Hit the jump to peruse the official OnStar press release.
Talk about odd hauling. The team over at PickupTrucks.com put together a rather interesting comparision: 2011 diesel vs. Delta IV Heavy rocket. One is capable of crusing down the highway with a gross combined weight rating (vehicle, passengers and trailer) of 25,400 pounds. The other is easily capable of lifting that entire load into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above our planet.
While the guys didn’t send the truck into space, they did use the (Vandenberg AFB along the California coast) as a camera platform. Autoblog tagged along for a ride (in the Ram, not the rocket) and took a handful of pics at the successful launch.
Oh, the comparison? Long story short, the truck is quicker to 60 mph but the rocket has a much higher top speed. The truck has dual-zone air conditioning, while the rocket chills with supercooled liquid fuel (483,500 gallons all kept below -297 degrees Fahrenheit). And, of course, the truck offers Satellite Radio while the big rocket simply becomes a satellite.
Baldwin-Motion is back with the 2011 Motion Camaro – Click above for high-res image gallery
in Albany, New York is in love with the new Camaro. It also loves the history of the model line, especially when dealers and customizers got their hands on the cars. We’ve already seen DeNooyer team up with Redline Motorsports to bring us their . Now the two have teamed up with Joel Rosen to resurrect the .
In 1966, Joel Rosen started up his Motion Performance shop and partnered with Baldwin autos to produce a handful of boosted Chevy products. The Baldwin-Motion team offered Novas, Biscaynes, Chevelles, Corvettes and, of course, Camaros. The original Baldwin-Motion cars were available in SS (425 horsepower) or Phase III versions (500 hp and up). Joel Rosen stood so firmly behind his Motion sports cars that he provided a written guarantee stating they were capable of running the quarter-mile in 11.50 seconds and hitting a trap speed of 120 miles per hour. Not one Baldwin-Motion owner ever returned a car.
Now Joel Rosen is partnering up with DeNooyer Chevrolet and Redline Motorsports to usher in a new era of Motion Camaros. Five special edition cars are available with a choice of either an aluminum LS7 427 or LSX 454. The Motion SS-427 and SS-454 make 525 and 550 horsepower, respectively. Both versions wear custom Motion touches like graphics, seat inserts, headrests and special badges. For the Phase III cars, power is upped to 600 hp for the Phase III-427 while the Phase III-454 pumps out 625 hp. Phase III cars get further upgraded intake manifolds, a special engine management system, custom Motion aerodynamic body pieces and more custom touches to the interior. The fifth car in the lineup is the Motion Phase III 427-SC, and that SC stands for supercharged. Output is pushed to a pavement pummeling 800 hp and the 427-SC receives forged internals as well as upgraded Brembo brakes and suspension components.
The 2011 Motion Camaro cars will all be built to order, wear unique VINs and show off Joel Rosen’s signature. to read the full press-release and be sure to get a look at the Motion Camaro in the gallery below.
The Smithsonian’s hidden car cache – Click above to watch
There are plenty of wealthy car collectors with fantastic and exotic collections of all things on four wheels, but the National Museum of American History has something just a bit more dramatic. It’s a 112-year-old collection of 217 vehicles and 73 automobiles between the years of 1894 and 1997 that symbolize great leaps in the history of mobility.
Roger White, who looks over the collection, says the vehicles are stored deep down within the Smithsonian as “a kind of doom’s day thinking” in case there is a 40 day flood or some other sort of Mad Max scenario. That’s a bit depressing, but the good news is that some of the vehicles will soon see the light of day. Over 24,000 voted online to determine which vehicles should be brought to the surface, and the rear-engine 1948 Tucker and a supercharged 1929 Miller race car (shown above) took the top prize. The Associated Press captured video of the Noah’s Ark of car collections, and you can watch at your leisure by . Thanks for the tips, all.
, supplier of systems and components to automakers, has introduced its latest generation steering column control module for the and , / and . Why is this news, and what the heck is a steering column control module?
In the old days (the 1990s), a bunch of individual pieces were fastened to the steering column. Turn signals were a separate part from the airbag system’s clockspring, which was a unique piece from the multifunction switch. Each of those bits cost something to produce and procure, not to mention the wiring required to integrate the functions into the car. Supplier problems with just one piece could idle the supply of the whole assembly for days.
Modern serial communication and control systems have created a solution for these problems, and that’s the steering column control module, a single component that integrates all the functions of those many individual pieces. The amount of wiring is reduced, reliability is up thanks to new electronic techniques supplanting older wear-prone designs and with fewer contracts to secure and pieces to ship and inventory, a better per-unit cost can be negotiated. TRW’s new module includes all sorts of stuff like headlamp switches, turn signals, tilt/telescope control, hazard lamps, steering angle sensor and electronic turn signal cancel, which is unique to the new Ford modules. Tuning to customer preferences reduces complaints and increases satisfaction, too. It may sound a lot more complex, putting a computerized module in place of what was once simple switches and relays, but this is a case of newer being clearly better. Full press release posted .
Hyundai Elantra Super Bowl commercials – Click above to watch
has purchased no less than four 30-second spots during this year’s Super Bowl for what we can only imagine is more money than we’ll make in three lifetimes. Two of those commercials will highlight the hot-selling , while the other two have been reserved to get the word out about Hyundai’s redesigned .
In fact, the Elantra is part of a much larger marketing campaign that kicks off this weekend with new commercials being aired during the NFL’s AFC Championship game. Thing is, you might not be able to tell these commercials are for a Hyundai because they’ll be unbranded and not mention the company or car at all.
This, my friends, is how corporations do viral marketing (Hint: You might not want to tell us that you’re doing something viral, because then it’s not viral anymore). Without mentioning the product they’re trying to sell, these pre-Super Bowl commercials being aired during the AFC Championship game, along with more ads in print and on the web, will highlight the conspiracy to brainwash compact car buyers to accept poor design and a dearth of innovation in exchange for practicality and reliability. Then, during the Super Bowl, Hyundai’s two Elantra-related commercials will reveal what the rest of the unbranded marketing campaign was really trying to sell. That is, the Elantra. Clever, except for the part where we’re told beforehand what the mystery commercials are all about.
Check out the Elantra’s two Super Bowl commercials for yourself .
Touring Superleggera Flying Star – Click above for high-res image gallery
shooting brake, anyone? Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera can hook you up. The Milanese coachbuilder unveiled the at last year’s Geneva Motor Show, and stole our hearts in the process. But since the shooting brake debuted and its order books opened, Touring has only made three examples of the custom creation.
No wonder, as the coachbuilder says it takes 4,000 man-hours to transform a (still the outgoing model, we gather) into the long-roofed coupe. But thanks to increased investment in the form of new equipment and staff, Touring can now reportedly be working on up to five vehicles at a time.
Each example still takes six months to deliver, with total production limited to 19 examples. Fortunate buyers can specify from a range of customizations, including the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 in states of tune ranging from 552 horsepower (base) to 621 (Supersports).
Gallery:
Live Photos: Jonny Lieberman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
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In 2009, Texas launched a plan to raise funds by way of . Through the website , a Lone Star state resident could order the custom plate of his or her choice for a set fee. Hoping to bring in a few more bucks on the backs of license plates, Texas recently held an auction at Cowboys Stadium for some very particular vanity plates.
Thirty-three plates in all were on the block and around $140,000 was ultimately earned for their sale, though only $78,000 will reportedly go to reducing the state’s debt. A plate bearing the name MICHAEL was the lowest sale of the evening with a winning bid of just $800. The big winner must be an Enzo fan because he or she paid $15,000 to own . Many of the other plates had sports-related words on them like COWBOYS, RANGERS and GO HORNS. Those three sold for $11,500, $10,000 and $10,500, respectively.
The plates are valid for 25 years and each owner is given first right of refusal when it comes time to renew. Families can also hold on to the plates by transferring them to other family members. The custom plates can even be sold to new owners, which could earn a nice profit for the couple in the image above if the Cowboys win the Super Bowl.
TAG Heuer Carrera MP4-12C – Click above for high-res images
Try to equate TAG Heuer with an automaker and you might come up with . After all, one of its most famous products is called the Carrera, and the legendary Steve McQueen wore one on film while piloting his Heuer-sponsored Porsche 917 around the Circuit La Sarthe. But in reality, the Swiss watchmaker is much closer to McLaren.
Heuer took on the TAG name when Mansour Ojjeh acquired the watchmaker. His company, Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG), built the Porsche turbo engines that powered McLaren’s F1 cars through the mid 80s to back-to-back world championships. Today, TAG Heuer is part of the LVMH luxury products conglomorate, but Ojjeh’s independent TAG company still owns part of McLaren. And now, following special watches made to accompany the McLaren F1 and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the two have come back together for a timepiece to compliment the new MP4-12C supercar.
Based on the Carrera model, the MP4 edition features a carbon fiber dial with a large window to see the movement and a big orange zero where the 12 should be (to make it look more like a speedometer), is housed in a sandblasted titanium case and affixed to the wrist with a sweet perforated Alcantara strap. The orange detailing reflects McLaren’s traditional color, and the 47-jewel Dubois Depraz Calibre 4900 fly-back chronograph movement features a perpetual calendar display. Only 1,000 examples will be made, and while you don’t need to own a McLaren to buy one, it certainly couldn’t hurt. Details in the press release .
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Spyker that didn’t have to do with its acquisition of . The Dutch automaker has apparently had its hands full taking the reins in Trollhattan from – so busy in fact that it has apparently missed production targets. Like with the new C8 Aileron Spyder.
The convertible version of the stretched and updated C8 debuted about a year and a half ago in Pebble Beach, and was supposed to enter production in the first half of 2010. Well, 2010 has come and gone and apparently production still hasn’t started. But we do have some news.
According to reports from the company’s native Netherlands, Spyker is planning on keeping the C8 Aileron Spyder very exclusive, with a production run of just 99 units. That’s a mighty limited edition, but there’s more: according to the same report quoting CEO Victor Muller, Spyker will be ditching the -sourced 4.2-liter V8 for the 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 from the .
Considering that, at 638 hp, the LS9 produces over 50% more power than the 400-horse Audi mill, the commensurate drop in the previously estimated 4.5-second sprint to 60 should be well worth the work involved in turning the blown eight around and mounting it in the middle of the Spyker. Either that, or this could all amount to nothing – but the notion that the door between GM and Spyker could be swinging both ways is certainly intriguing.
Tim Burton’s Batman Returns Batmobile – Click above for high-res image gallery
Time is running out if you want a shot at bringing home a slice of caped-crusader history. One of the three original Batmobiles from Tim Burton’s Batman Returns is officially up for auction, and the bidding wraps up in mere hours. According to the seller, this car was the best of the three used for filming, and comes with full documentation for the discerning collector. Power is served up by a 350 cubic-inch V8 with Hedman headers and an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold that bumps power north of 200 ponies.
Supervillains apparently moved at a more leisurely pace in the ’90s.
This particular Batmobile also comes with hydraulics for easy loading and unloading, which you’ll use because the auction also throws in a custom trailer for transportation. As of right now, the bidding has ratcheted up to $311,000 with the reserve price not yet met. The Buy It Now price is set at $499,000, and the vehicle is located in Clearwater, Florida.
The seller says that if no one reaches the reserve price before the auction comes to a close, the car will be auctioned on live television instead, which probably means it will appear in Scottsdale, Arizona for this weekend’s big Barrett-Jackson auction. Raid your couch cushions, save your pennies and head over to to get your bids a rollin’ before it’s too late.
Autocar is reporting that may soon drop the axe on its twin-charged gasoline engine. Why? The automaker seems to have come to the shocking revelation that the 1.4-liter mill is too complex and expensive to produce. In other news, researchers have discovered that water is still, in fact, wet.
The engine combines both a turbocharger and supercharger to decrease the effect of turbo lag and increase drivability. Moving forward, the people’s automaker is said to be interested in pursuing a turbocharged engine that can produce similar horsepower and fuel economy at a much lower production cost. If it’s good enough for the , we’re guessing that Volkswagen’s engineers think that it’s good enough for the company’s products.
VW netted several awards for its 1.4-liter, twincharged four-cylinder engine, including the Engine of the Year award in 2009 and 2010. Whether or not the rumors dusting up from Autocar about the lump’s demise are true or not remains to be seen. Stay tuned.
Pagani Huayra/C9 teaser #3 of 5 – Click above to watch the
An intricately-crafted example of rolling sculpture like a Pagani supercar is as much about the details as it is about the whole package. Typically, you take in the overall shape and then focus in on the details. But Pagani’s gone the other way with its latest teaser video.
The third in an anticipated series of five videos total, the latest clip is pretty dark – and still packed with vintage-style noise – so it’s hard to discern much. But you do get some shifting-focus glimpses at a few details of the highly anticipated follow-up to the Zonda.
We’d been referring to the car under its developmental codename “C9″, but suggested the final product could carry the name “Huayra”. We’re pretty sure that “Deus Venti” (the name that accompanied and which many blogs have taken as an indication of the car’s name) actually means “two coffees”, as any Liberal Arts student working at Starbucks could tell you, so our money’s not on that nameplate materializing. Follow to watch the video.
201? Audi A6 Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
At last week’s Detroit Auto Show, Audi unveiled the , and trotted out and running up to 62 miles per hour on electricity alone. So when can we buy one? Audi isn’t sure.
According to Autoweek, Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen says the timetable for the A6 hybrid is still to be determined. In fact, we may not see the gas- and electron-powered luxury sedan until 2015. In the meantime, we’ll be quite happy to spend some seat time with the 300 horsepower supercharged version.
The original Black Beauty – Click above for high-res image gallery
A derby-and-mask shod Seth Rogen and a mask-wearing Jay Chou owned the weekend box office reprising roles that were originally created in 1936: The Green Hornet and Kato, a superhero and his martial-arts-maven sidekick that began as a radio show in the 1930s. If the trailers are to be believed, this is the first superhero film in which the sidekick is more badass than his boss. It actually makes sense, though, because the first actor to play the role of Kato onscreen was none other than Bruce Lee in his first big American role. But what is perhaps most important about our current duo is the wheeled fiend they’ll be driving: a Chrylser Imperial called Black Beauty. A supercar long before there were and , Black Beauty is so significant to the story that it gets just as much time and space as the superhumans in the trailers and on the billboards.
For The Green Hornet television show of 1966 and 1967, with Van Williams as the stinger leading Bruce Lee, two Black Beauties were built by star Hollywood carmaker Dean Jeffries, both based on 1966 Imperials. The first of those cars, the driving car, has disappeared into the void that we assume also contains Amelia Earheart and the aliens who made crop circles. But the second car, the hero car with all the gadgets – that still work, mind you – that one is parked in The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. And because Autoblog enjoys doing its homework before going to see a film, we went to see it.
Coyote 5.0L V8 Superformance MKIII Roadster – Click above for a high-res image gallery
We were smitten with the Coyote 5.0-liter V8 the second we got behind the wheel of the . We described the 412 horsepower engine as “a pot of pure honey” as well as “intoxicating,” and said that the “5.0-liter V8 pulls like a jet airliner.” With a curb weight of just over 3,600 pounds, the is not as bloated as the , but by no means a lightweight. Would we like the 5.0L even more if it had less mass to push around?
That’s what Superformance had in mind with its latest creation. The maker of Shelby-licensed Cobra replicas has installed a Coyote 5.0-liter crate motor into one of its MKIII Roadsters, creating a combination of classic styling with the best of Ford’s modern powertrains. The engine wedges snugly into the front of the car, and only a custom air intake and headers are all that are needed to make everything fit.
We stopped by Superformance to get a closer look at the car, and came away with some photos and even some video of it in action. Check out the high-res gallery of the car below, and to watch the video and hear what the Coyote 5.0-liter V8 sounds like without mufflers.
Lexus F-Sport CT200h – Click above for high-res image gallery
You’ve seen the (lucky you!), and now it’s time to divert your attention towards the rest of the Japanese automaker’s wares being shown off at the Tokyo Auto Salon.
First up is the G Sports Concept, which features the kind of gaping maw only the Mama Cylon could love. Rounding out Toyota’s offerings is the TRD GT Concept, which we think actually looks kinda nifty with its subdued body kit and blindingly bright yellow paint.
wasn’t left out of the proceedings either, and its machines are arguably more interesting than its mothership’s. There’s the F-Sport (a future production model) taking center stage with its unique alloy wheels, body kit and Recaro seats, which is joined by the Club Circuit Sports Racer and a set of Club Performance Accessories for the IS F that include front and rear spoilers and a carbon fiber hood.
Last but certainly not least is the Gazoo Racing supercar that raced at last year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours race. See both sets of vehicular craziness in our high-res image galleries below, then check out all the details in the press releases .
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