The may have taken overseas markets by storm, but that isn’t quite the case here in North America, where a delayed rollout, overly optimistic sales projections and related issues have hampered the retro supermini’s sales. So much so, in fact, that has reportedly had to stop production of the 1.4-liter engine that powers the Cinquecento until demand catches up to supply. As a result, it has had to lay off a portion of the employees that build it.
The exact layoff numbers are in dispute, but according to a new Automotive News report, Chrysler itself pegs the number at 30 while the United Auto Workers’ local representative says it’s more like 100. Fiat initially pegged its sales projections at 50,000 units this year, but as of just a couple of weeks ago, it had barely sold 16,000.
Will the and the performance model help the Fiat’s numbers climb? Only time will tell, but one way or another, it won’t come fast enough for the workers waiting at home by the phone.
A Flywheel-Equipped Race Car Leaves Us Whirring for More
Spinning at 36,000 revolutions per minute just two feet from my right thigh, a 31-pound flywheel is screaming like a five-horsepower Shop-Vac with the filter removed. The sound pierces the composite shell of my racing helmet and drills through my form-fitted foam earplugs before painfully slamming into my eardrums.
Yet despite the aching annoyance, I welcome and embrace the high-pitched drone. It means, in the simplest terms, that the monster inside this ballistic carbon fiber cocoon is not only awake, but completely energized.
With a stab of the throttle, the kinetic energy in the spinning flywheel is automatically exchanged for electricity – the charged ions power two strong electric motors on the front axle. Instantaneously bestowed with 200 torque-laden horsepower, the sticky Michelin slicks claw at the pavement with a vengeance. I clench the wheel as the carbon-fiber bodied race car lunges forward with more accelerative force than an F-16 fighter jet at takeoff power.
How does fifty-five grand for 580 horsepower sound? Probably not as good as the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at full scream.
General Motors has come clean with pricing and performance details for the most powerful ever, and as expected, it’s something of a bargain. An official MSRP of $54,995 includes a $900 delivery charge, and that pile of cash buys a 6.2-liter, supercharged and intercooled LSA V8 that’s good for 556 lb-ft of torque. The ZL1 will also pack standard Performance Traction Management, a suite of electronic suspension and steering enhancements including magnetic ride control, launch control, traction control, stability control and electric power steering. is also touting the Camaro’s track-readiness, thanks to standard rear differential cooler, engine and transmission oil coolers, and brake-cooling ducts.
Chevy’s official performance specs for the Camaro ZL1 favor the automatic, which can do 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in 12.0 seconds at 119 miles per hour. The manual is a tenth of a second slower in both exercises. Know too, that Chevy’s stopwatches time from a rolling start. Top speed for the manual is 180 mph and the automatic is four miles per hour faster. Both cars can pull 1.0 g on the skidpad, according to the automaker.
There are only six options on the ZL1, starting with the choice of transmission. An extra $1,185 will get you a six-speed automatic with manual shift mode. Adding bright aluminum wheels will set you back $470, as will stripes. A sunroof is priced at $900, while the carbon fiber hood insert is $600. Finally, a suede package for the steering wheel and shifter is $500. Leather interior is standard, along with heated power seats, and a nine-speaker audio system with USB port and Bluetooth.
Dealers should get their ZL1 coupes in the spring of 2012, getting a head start on the forthcoming . Read the full press release .
The New York Times reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has broadened its investigation into faulty transmissions used in the . A total of nearly 89,000 vehicles are now being looked at, including 2007-2008 Auras and 2008 Aura Green Line hybrid models. Before the investigation’s expansion, about 44,000 units from the 2007 model year were under scrutiny. Multiple crash incidents have been reported, and General Motors apparently says the problem is limited to four-speed automatic transmissions.
According to NHTSA, affected vehicles may not shift correctly, creating a mismatch between the gear selected and the shift lever. For instance, the transmission may stay in Drive, even when the gear lever is moved to the Park or Reverse position. This can lead to some potentially dangerous situations where a vehicle can roll or power away from an unsuspecting driver. The problem seems to be caused by deterioration of the shift cable jacket, which can even lead to a complete loss of shifting.
Americans everywhere are feeling the pinch of high unemployment and a stagnant economy. Even the gainfully employed are having a tough go of things, as wages aren’t keeping up with inflation.
ABC News took a look at holiday spending, showing how much the price of a turkey dinner has changed in only one year. The big dinner is expected to cost 13 percent more than it did a year ago, and the big bird will cost about $4 more than last year. Those costs are expected to rise in line with the hike in raw materials, but gas prices are to blame as well.
to watch the ABC Newsvideo. Gas prices are up on average 53 cents more per gallon than last year, and some experts claim a gallon of petrol could hit $4 per gallon in time for Valentine’s Day. We can hardly wait.
We’ve heard the argument before: Why get a big hybrid when a small hatchback can, in real-world conditions, post similar fuel economy figures. And to them, answers with the new .
Smaller than the existing , the Prius C will launch at the rapidly approaching and makes its U.S. debut shortly after at the in January. The nimble Prius C is about the size of a but packs a hybrid drivetrain, coupling an as-yet undisclosed “high-output” electric motor with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine. Destined to be called the Aqua in the Japanese Domestic Market, the hybrid hatchback also boasts a low center of gravity for better handling and luggage space. Compared to the standard Prius, the lower weight and smaller, less powerful engine in the Prius c will result in better-than-Prius fuel economy. Toyota says it will achieve over 50 miles per gallon in the city, the highest city fuel economy for any non-plug-in vehicle.
Of course the Prius C isn’t the only debut Toyota has in store for Tokyo, as the production FT-86 – also boasting a low center of gravity thanks to a -sourced boxer engine mounted low in the frame – is set to bow at the Japanese expo as well. But Toyota isn’t stopping there. It also has three environmentally-friendly concepts in store as well.
The rather sleek previews a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle that’s targeted for a 2015 market launch. The previews the upcoming electric version of the iQ with a short-range battery-powered drivetrain. Finally Toyota is keeping its lips tightly sealed on the details of the , a third concept car that hopefully has more to it than displaying flowers alongside its flank.
We’ll have to wait until the show opens to find out more, but for now you can follow the jump for the full press release from Toyota and scope out the high-resolution images for a closer look at what TMC has got in store.
Back before relaunched the Abarth performance brand, enthusiasts and auto journos across the pond were enamored with a humble but reportedly fun-filled little number called the Panda 100HP. As you might have guessed, it was Fiat’s basic hatchback, packing a modest 100 horsepower, but the combination was said to be one of the most enjoyable driving machines around.
The Panda 100HP was overshadowed and ultimately replaced by the arrival of the Abarth, based on the same platform but with retro styling and more power on offer. But new reports indicate that Abarth may now be looking to the newly facelifted Panda (pictured above) as a third model for its range, alongside the Cinquecento and Punto but with less power and a more accessible price tag.
According to Auto Express, the Abarth Panda would pack about 110 horsepower from a tuned version of Fiat Powertrain Technology’s much-lauded two-cylinder turbo engine. Coupled with 16- or 17-inch alloys, full body kit and a performance-oriented interior with sport buckets, a thick-rimmed steering wheel and short-throw shifter, the utile Panda could pack a mean little punch.
650 horsepower. 600 pound-feet of torque. 200-plus miles per hour. With specs like these, you don’t need long-form introductions. This is the , and all we can say is, the has officially been put on notice.
The heart of the new stunner is a 5.8-liter, aluminum-block V8, complete with a larger, more efficient supercharger. Nearly the entire powertrain has been upgraded for 2013, including a new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, a carbon fiber driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle. The cooling system has also been upgraded, and the new six-speed manual transmission now has a final drive ratio of 3.31-to-1 – optimized to handle the massive amounts of torque put down by the new engine.
Further enhancements can be had in the GT500 Performance Pack, which incorporates SVT-designed Blistein electronic adjustable dampers with ‘normal’ and ’sport’ modes and a Torsen limited-slip differential. What’s more, the Track Package adds an external engine oil cooler, rear differential cooler and transmission cooler. Like the current GT500, 19-inch wheels are standard up front (20-inch rollers are found out back) and a Brembo braking system keeps everything in check when its time to control all that force. The whole package weighs in at just 3,850 pounds – 270 less than the Camaro ZL1 – and Ford says it will not be subject to the dreaded Gas Guzzler Tax.
Visually, not too much has changed from the current GT500, save some minor aerodynamic tweaks like an ever-so-slightly revised front fascia with new air splitters, as well as a minimally tweaked rear end. Inside, it’s the same levels of comfort and refinement that you’ll find in the rest of the Mustang lineup, albeit with new Recaro front buckets.
We’ll be sure to get up close and personal with the GT500 this week at the , but for now, wipe the drool from your keyboards and for Ford’s official press release.
Typically when an automaker makes a new rally car – whether for gravel, sand, snow or ice – it’s based on… well, a car. Usually a hatchback, like the , Citroën DS3 or Volkswagen Polo. Lately, some have been going a different route with crossover-based rally cars, but Renault’s latest is neither hatchback nor sedan nor crossover. It’s a minivan.
After contesting the Andros Trophy for two years with a specially-prepared Duster – which also formed the basis for its – the French automaker’s Romanian budget brand is returning for a third winter season to the French ice racing series with a new beast based on the Lodgy MPV. The production version of the minivan isn’t set to be unveiled itself until the in March.
The resulting Lodgy Glace (the latter from the French for “ice”) was prepared by independent contractors like Tork Engineering and Sodemo under the watchful eye of Renault Sport Technologies. Its tubular steel frame packs a -sourced 3.0-liter 24-valve V6 engine mounted amidship and sending 355 horsepower to all four wheels via a SADEV six-speed sequential gearbox.
The season kicks off on December 3 at Val Thorens, where four-time F1 champion Alain Prost and his son Nicolas, together with ice-racing veteran Evens Stievenart, will be taking on all comers. for the full press release and scope out the quarter of high-res images for a closer look at their new ride.
The usually compels us to forget about most things other than horsepower, quarter-mile times and smoky burnouts. As such, “safe” would have to be somewhere near the bottom of attributes that come to mind when we think about the venerable pony car with a badge on its decklid.
But here it is in black and white (and yellow): The ChevyCamaro coupe is the first vehicle to earn a perfect score in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safety testing since the federal testing procedures were , according to Examiner.com. While other vehicles , the Camaro was the first to score a perfect five-star rating in all six test categories. Those include frontal barrier crash test ratings for the driver and passenger, side crash ratings for the driver and passenger, a rollover rating and the vehicle’s overall rating.
While the report indicates that NHTSA has not yet tested its entire slate of 2012 model year vehicles, of the 46 that have completed the process, only 14 have received a 5-Star Safety Rating. Even if the Camaro’s safety score is an outlier among the other accolades it has received over the years – you know, the NHRA, Trans-Am and SCCA hardware and such – kudos to Chevy.
Now that the dust has begun to settle after the SEMA explosion, we’re discovering a handful of awesome videos that shed a little more light on some of our favorite cars from the show. That includes the ID Agency worked up with professional fixed-gear bike rider Michael Chacon. The hatch wears some seriously sexy BASF paint, and with a body kit drawn up by design guru Jon Sibal and a Wraptivo carbon fiber roof, the Focus has some serious attitude. An AEM cold-air intake and a Magnaflow exhaust help bump up the power, while a Brembo big brake kit is responsible for bringing the machine down from speed.
Inside sits a set of some of the most beautiful seats we’ve ever laid eyes on. The Sportster thrones were worked up by Recaro and feature two-tone leather and plenty of custom stitching. Do want.
The video after the jump spends plenty of time speaking with Chacon about his inspirations and what it’s like to see SEMA from the outside. The clip is set to some pretty snappy tunes, including M83’s “Midnight City.” to check it out for yourself.
Imagining Top Gear without Jessica would be like watching Ernie without Bert, Conan without Andy or Abbott without Costello. The Allman Brothers Band song has become so synonymous with the BBC car program that most probably don’t even realize who wrote it in the first place. But there was evidently a time when the show’s producers considered replacing its iconic theme song.
The potential replacement was considered when the show moved to its new studio and spruced up the order of things. As you can see (and hear) from the video , the electronic intro track just didn’t have the same feel to it, but fortunately, Jeremy Clarkson vetoed the idea. Scary, we know, but apparently true.
In the midst of a longer piece on the top-secret Google X lab, The New York Times drops this bomb: “Google may turn one of the ideas – the driverless cars that it unleashed on California’s roads last year – into a new business.”
It was just over a year ago when , to rack up test miles of its self-driving vehicle system. Google launched the program in secret, but has since on the technology and the company’s . Currently, the cars must have a human behind the wheel to act as a potential override to the system, but Google has indicated that it would like the system to get to the point that it operates free of human intervention. Google is currently working towards racking up over a million driverless miles.
While the Times report says that Google is considering building these autonomous cars in the U.S., we’ve got to believe that this is nothing more than conjecture. Even for a company as large and well-funded as Google, deciding to go into the carmaking business is not something you just jump into, especially not when your sales strategy involves a bleeding edge technology and you haven’t shown any desire or aptitude for designing or building nearly any other aspect of an automobile. Autonomous driving tech could be a truly transformative feature, but developing it and selling it to the industry as a supplier would seem to make much more sense, and it would doubtlessly hasten its arrival to the market.
Check out the TED Talks video to get up to speed on Google’s efforts.
We love the Mk2 as much as anyone, but the vehicle has never exactly proffered up baskets of horsepower or straight-line speed. One owner has set out to change all that by building a 1.8-liter LZ diesel block to suck down E85 gasoline. Boba Motoring has thrown in a billet steel crank shaft, Pauter connecting rods, forged pistons and a 16-valve cylinder head. A Garrett GTX420R turbo shoves a stack of boost down the engine’s throat and the finished product is said to be good for around 900 horsepower. The muscle gets dropped to the pavement via a six-speed manual transmission and a 4MOTION all-wheel drive system.
The monster Golf can hit 62 mph in a scant 2.7 seconds – quicker than the – and the quarter mile dashes by in just 9.34 seconds. Those numbers sound impressive, but they fall short of actually watching the German econobox launch hard off the line. to check out a couple of videos of this Mk2 laying waste to the strip.
may stop production of the . Reports have emerged that the model is suffering from flagging sales and that the luxury automaker may seek to replace the vehicle with a less-expensive, more youth-oriented product in the near future. Last month, Lexus managed to sell just 250 HS 250h units, which is a decline of 72.8 percent compared to the same (already low) period last year. Originally envisioned as a more upscale version of the , the awkwardly styled HS 250h carries a substantial price tag that has likely done much to scare off would-be buyers. At over $37,000, the vehicle hasn’t done a good job of convincing consumers of its merits. The modelhas only been on sale since late 2009 as a 2010 model, so if the reports are true, the HS 250h would lead a very brief life.
Should Lexus decide to kick the hybrid four-door off the team, the company will likely replace it with something more accessible for buyers. Reports suggest that the newcomer will likely cost somewhere around $30,000 and follow a marketing path similar to what’s seen with the current hatchback, a model that’s been much more successful. That sounds nice, but we have to wonder if Lexus really needs two compact hybrids in the same price range.
In the aftermath of a , NHTSA may move to require electric vehicle batteries to be drained after major wrecks. The Detroit Free Press reports that the agency is contemplating issuing a ruling, but a decision has yet to be made.
General Motors’ position on the fire is that the battery should have been drained after NHTSA crash-tested the car, a preventative measure the automaker says it recommends.
NHTSA’s inquiry involves other carmakers who use lithium-ion battery packs, not just GM. According to the report, the agency is reviewing the automaker’s responses, which likely pertain to the feasibility of requiring first-responders to drain battery packs. The Detroit Free Press says GM must currently deploy a team to drain Volt batteries, though a GM spokesman says a tool to drain batteries may become available to dealerships next year.
The safety of electric vehicle batteries and the have been an since the first hybrids hit the market over a decade ago. The market’s shift toward lithium-ion batteries and an increase in the size of battery packs have only drawn the issue into starker focus.
On Wednesday, the 2013 Chevrolet Spark will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The small hatchback has been tweaked for the North American market, and the hope is that the Spark takes off like wildfire with buyers. Chevrolet thinks the Spark will find favor with buyers living in cities, as well as first-time purchasers.
To that end, the entry-level Spark has been designed carefully. Obvious forethought went into the packaging of the virtually hidden rear passenger doors (not unlike its larger cousin, the five-door ), and color choices with names like Salsa, Jalapeno, Denim, Lemonade, and Techno Pink are clearly aimed at a customer looking for something imaginative. Unique to our Spark will be a redesigned front fascia with distinct foglamp housings and airdam. The grille stretches further down the nose, too, and out back there are taillamps and bumper designs specific to the United States and Canadian markets.
Beyond the aesthetic alterations, important Spark details include a 1.2-liter dual-overhead cam four cylinder that spins 15-inch alloy wheels with 85 hp through a standard five-speed manual transmission or optional four-speed automatic. Chevrolet MyLink is available in the Spark with a seven-inch touchscreen. Mylink features Bluetooth phone integration, and Pandora or Stitcher can be piped through your smartphone and directly into Mylink. Standard air conditioning and power windows, along with a motorcycle-inspired gauge cluster (there’s that Sonic influence again) and color coordinated interior serve to spiff things up. It seems the message has sunk in that small cars don’t have to be brutally decontented.
Check out the press release , and stay tuned to our full-court-press coverage of the LA show, where we’ll get a chance to climb in and around the 2013 Chevrolet Spark and give you our firsthand impressions.
Finding a good parking spot on the public beaches of Malibu, California is difficult enough, and area residents are making it much harder. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Malibu residents are planting fake ‘no parking’ signs up and down the Pacific Coast Highway. The many signs sometimes look good enough to fool even law enforcement, but other times the illegal signs are nothing more than a cheap mock-up on a four-foot post.
The problem is that the Pacific Coast Highway features some of the most expensive ocean-front parking anywhere on the planet, and wealthy residents aren’t interested in having parked cars ruin their view. Unfortunately for them, there are many public beaches along this stretch, so law enforcement is tasked with finding and removing the illegal signs. Enforcement officer Pat Veesart tells the Times that removing the signs is “like whack-a-mole,” with new signs popping up every time one gets taken down.
Veesart and company are working hard to eliminate the illegal signs, but as you can imagine, the no parking issue is low on the agency’s list of priorities. Too bad, too, because everyone should have access to the public beaches in the area.
If residents continue to plant these signs, we’re thinking that large, gaudy “Parking is Allowed” signs should be placed wherever the illegal signs are taken down. That should deter residents from trying to keep commoners away from public beaches.
We already know that the will in January, but now, details about what’s behind that newly sculpted, have finally surfaced.
According to Car and Driver, the four- and six-cylinder engines found under the coupe’s newly designed hood are coming in for significant upgrades. The 3.8-liter Lambda V6 now uses direct-injection technology (just like in the updated ), but instead of matching the four-door’s 333 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque, has further massaged this engine to the tune of 345 hp and 295 lb-ft of twist. That means the Korean coupe will put down more horsepower than many of its American and Japanese six-cylinder rivals, specifically the , and .
There’s good news for turbo-four enthusiasts, as well. Hyundai’s 2.0-liter inline-four receives a new twin-scroll turbo unit and an upgraded intercooler, meaning there’s now 271 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque on tap. Both the four- and six-cylinder engines are now available with eight-speed automatic transmissions, but those who prefer to row their own gears will almost certainly still be able to opt for a six-speed manual gearbox with either engine. Check out Car and Driver for more details and sit tight for the 2013 Genesis Coupe’s official debut at January’s .
The BMW has a long and rich performance history, and that resume for 2012. With a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 pumping out 560 horsepower and an always-willing chassis underpinning it all, we can’t wait to get behind the wheel.
Sadly we’re a bit shy on the $92,000 needed to buy our own M5, so for now we’ll settle for some stunning video and a melodious soundtrack. to hear the racy sounds emanating from the throaty M5, then stay for the sexy slow-motion drifts.
