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After an epic five-way showdown for the crown and a record 30-car field, Matt Neal has won the British Touring Car Championship, becoming the first three-time champion in the series since the ’80s. The battle came down to the final three races held this past weekend at Silverstone – the same iconic circuit that hosts the British Grand Prix in Formula One along with countless other top-tier automobile and motorcycle races.

After securing pole position, Neal drove his Honda Civic to victory in Race 1, his teammate Gordon Shedden beat him out for Race 2 and the pair came eighth and tenth (starting on a reverse grid) behind race winner Tom Chilton in the Ford Focus. The points accrued were enough for Neal to claim the title with 257 points to Shedden’s 249, while Chevrolet’s defending champion Jason Plato landed third in the standings with 236. Mat Jackson and James Nash, who were both also in contention for the title up until the end of the third race, tied for fourth with 191 points.

In a further victory for the Honda, the team won the manufacturers’ championship as well as the teams’ title, while James Nash’s Vauxhall-fielding 888 Racing team won the drivers’ and teams’ titles in the independent category. It was surely a high note for Honda on which to finish as it continues preparing a new NGTC-spec touring car based on the new European-market Civic for next year’s championship, when it will seek to defend its titles once again and make it a hat trick. Follow the jump for the pair of full press releases.

Continue reading Matt Neal takes the British Touring Car Championship for Honda

Matt Neal takes the British Touring Car Championship for Honda

There are lots of watchmakers out there leveraging their automotive partnerships with special edition timepieces, but few of them are as convincing as the series Jaeger-LeCoultre produces for Aston Martin. And there are few we’d rather have on our wrists.

Most of the AMVOX series are inspired by Aston Martin road cars – some even have transponders to open and close the doors – but this latest example pays tribute to Aston’s victorious racing program. The AMVOX5 LMP1 packs JLC’s 41-jewel Caliber 752 movement with chronograph and GMT functions, so you can time your hot laps at circuits from Suzuka to Sebring, La Sarthe to Laguna Seca, plus a date window and 65-hour power reserve.

The precision movement is housed in a 44-milimeter ceramic-titanium case, affixed to the wrist with a calfskin and Cordura strap, all decked out in the team’s blue and orange livery. We got a chance at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show to see one of the 250 examples that will be offered before the press embargo lifted, and were tempted to race off with one of our own. But since we resisted the urge, you can see more in the trio of high-res images.

Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates Aston Martin Racing with AMVOX5 LMP1

We may have to wait a while for Volkswagen to release a Polo R – in fact it may never reach American showrooms at all – but as a stopgap measure VW has released a pair of R-Line packages for its diminutive hatchback that at least make it look the part.

The exterior R-Line trim package comes with wider wheels in either 16-inch diameter or 17, new bumpers front and rear, rear spoiler and diffuser, chrome exhaust tips, side skirts, fog lamps and gloss black grille. The interior package, meanwhile, gives the cabin Alcantara or leather trim, sport buckets, black headliner, a new steering wheel, piano-lacquer trim and aluminum pedals. Both kits can be fitted to either the Comfortline or Highline trim levels, and appear, for the time being, to be limited to the German market.

At the same time Volkswagen has rolled out a new Exclusive edition of the Passat, incorporating 18-inch wheels, a lowered suspension, chocolate brown Nappa leather trim with white top-stitching and wood and aluminum trim. Since this trim level is fitted on the sedan or wagon versions of the European-market Passat – an entirely different vehicle from the one we get here – we wouldn’t hold our breath on this one making it to U.S. dealerships, either. But you can check ‘em both out in the high-res image gallery for a closer look.

Volkswagen releases Polo R-Line and Passat Exclusive in Germany

Admittedly, the U.S. doesn’t offer the world’s greatest driving instruction. By and large, young drivers are forced to rely on their parents to teach them how to handle themselves behind the wheel, which perpetuates a painful cycle of trans-generational bad habits.

State Farm is out to cure that ail with a new program designed to better prepare parents for the rigors of the passenger seat. The Road Trips program incorporates a number of online tools, including videos, intended to alert both parents and new drivers to the challenges associated with learning to drive in 2011. With more distractions than ever before, State Farm says that parents need to understand the temptations facing their children while driving.

The video series features Ralph Macchio of The Karate Kid fame as he walks his son David through the wax-on, wax-off of driving. If it sounds like watching paint dry, you’re pretty much dead on, but we still applaud State Farm’s efforts here. Parents even have a shot at winning a brand-new 2012 Ford Focus SE, too. Head over to the program’s site for more information and hit the jump for a look at the introductory video.

Continue reading State Farms teams up with… Ralph Macchio?

State Farms teams up with… Ralph Macchio?

With the MP4-12C hitting a rapidly expanding chain of dealerships around the world, McLaren Automotive is moving on to its next project: developing a successor to the iconic McLaren F1. In fact, reports from the UK indicate that testing of the first prototypes is already underway in locations like Spain, Bahrain and Germany.

Dubbed Mega Mac, the top-of-the-line hypercar aims to outpace the creme-de-la-creme of performance exotics hitting the road, including the Bugatti Veyron, Pagani Huayra and the upcoming Porsche 918 Spyder and Ferrari Enzo successor. To get there, we’re looking at a powertrain consisting of a 799-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 developed (like the MP4-12C’s engine) with Ricardo and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (again, like the 12C’s) developed with Graziano.

Reports anticipate a 2.8-second dash to 60 mph, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it shave even a few tenths off that, as well. A carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, F1-style pushrod suspension and all of the (hopefully defeatable) electronic aids are also said to be part of the package, along with onboard telematics and a video camera for recording hot laps.

When we spoke with McLaren’s design director Frank Stephenson at the Frankfurt Motor Show, we were told to expect a radically different design than the 12C, and sources already indicate this new flagship will offer exemplary visibility. We’ll have to wait to see if the car revives its predecessor’s trademark 1+2 seating arrangement with a central driving position, but with a launch not expected until 2014, we may have to wait awhile.

McLaren F1 successor begins testing

Company: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.

Brand: Toyota

Medium: TV

Ad Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, LA

Product: Toyota Camry

Campaign: It’s Ready. Are You?

What We Like: What makes the Camry the right car for so many families is its overall competence in all aspects of everyday driving, and this advertisement does a good job of reminding consumers that the 2012 Camry has all the bells and whistles you could want while also managing to be safe (10 airbags) and efficient (43 miles per gallon for the hybrid).

There’s a techy side to the ad, but it’s not full of techno-babble and it comes across in an easy manner. Plus, the pooch at the end adds just the right amount of levity.

What We Don’t Like: Not much. The ad hits all the major points Toyota wants to put into the minds of consumers, and does so in a clever way. As enthusiasts, we always love to see great driving footage and ad copy that focuses on the actual act of piloting a car, but that’s really not what the Camry – and indeed most of this entire automotive segment – is all about.

Strategy: There isn’t a single model that Toyota sells in the United States that’s more crucial to its success than the mid-size Camry sedan. This car, along with the Corolla, is the machine that Toyota’s stellar reputation for quality and reliability was built on.

Toyota needs to get the message out that the Camry is all new while also reminding everyone how great past Camry models have been for the car’s intended segment, and it’s hoping to do that with a campaign that stretches from radio and television to billboards and print media and straight on through to social networking. The company will also be putting on 125 events all around the country to put drivers in the seat of its latest Camry.

None of that even touches on all the bad press Toyota has gotten in the past few years for recalls and supposed safety concerns, and Toyota certainly wants to forget all about the dark days of its past. This campaign will look to put Toyota in a positive light again and the 2012 Camry is the car that will lead Toyota’s hoped-for sales resurgence. For more on its overall strategy, hit the jump for a complete press release… but feel free to watch the video first.

Grade: A

Watch the ad after the jump and give it your own grade below.

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Continue reading AdSpotting: Toyota ready to kick off Camry campaign, are you?

AdSpotting: Toyota ready to kick off Camry campaign, are you?

We tend to keep our one-wheeled shenanigans pretty simple. Blame it on an old bike or anatomical deficiencies all you like, but the truth is, getting one wheel in the air on asphalt is a nerve-racking proposition. So when we see skills like those in the video after the jump, we can’t help but fire up a round of the old slow clap. The clip shows one talented individual with a bike’s nose in the air for a solid minute and a half, and he could clearly ride it much longer if he wanted. Now, this isn’t a plain vanilla wheelie. Oh no. This rider takes the time to exit the freeway, make a right through an intersection and change lanes all while on the rear tire.

This is typically where we say something along the lines of “don’t try this at home.” And this case is really no different… so, don’t try this at home. And if you do, just make sure you’re wearing the proper gear when you get the itch to point your motorcycle toward the sky. Hit the jump to check out the clip for yourself.

Continue reading The art of the wheelie

The art of the wheelie

The Ram Outdoorsman is set to play a prominent role in a new adventure series recorded for the NBC Sports Network by Orion Entertainment. The show, appropriately named “Ram Outdoorsman,” will travel around the country sampling a variety of hunting and fishing venues. The partnership has obvious benefits for Ram, as the show will likely introduce the Outdoorsman to plenty of potential buyers who may or may not have thought of the truck in the past.

We have to wonder whether this is entertainment or simply one long vehicle for product placement. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the Transformers series from continuing to be a box-office sensation. The NBC Sports Network is set to replace Versus in January, and we assume “Ram Outdoorsman” will air soon after the switch is complete.

Ram Outdoorsman pickup to get its own TV show… sort of

Porsche has a longer history of racing – and winning – at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca than perhaps any other car company. At the legendary track’s very first race in October of 1957, a Porsche 550 RS Spyder took the overall win of the SCCA National Laguna Seca Championship. Since then, dozens of Porsches have competed in and won races at the track, piloted by some of the most famous drivers in the world.

Porsche’s racing history at Laguna Seca is perhaps why the fourth edition of the Rennsport Reunion is the best yet. The five historic racing classes are packed with legendary race cars and drivers. Watching a trio of 935s spiral through the corkscrew makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time to the 1970s, or watching a 962 blast down the front straight transports you directly to the 1980s.

There were plenty of examples of Porsche’s modern race car on track at Rennsport, as well. Dozens of cars competed in the Cayman Interseries, 911 Invitational, 911 Cup and PCA races, and Porsche’s recently retired racing prototype, the RS Spyder, was also on track. The RS Spyder has a history at Laguna Seca as well, winning the LMP2 class in its debut at the track in 2005.

Whether it’s the vintage racers of the 1950s or ’60s, the flamboyant 935s and prototypes of the 1970s and ’80s, or the modern race cars, there was something for every Porsche fan at Rennsport IV. Click through our gallery above to see a sample of what was on track at Laguna Seca this past weekend.

Rennsport Reunion IV: 350 Porsches take to the track

If there was anything Bijan Pakzad loved more than clothing A-list celebrities and heads of state, it was creating the most luxurious automobiles around. The Persian fashion designer (commonly known by his first name alone) owned a one-of-a-kind custom yellow Bugatti Veyron, and before he died, he commissioned a second Grand Sport roadster in his trademark color.

He was also set to team up with Rolls-Royce for a limited run of special Phantoms, but while he may have passed before his time, his successors are evidently keen to keep his legacy alive with this special-edition Phantom Drophead Coupe.

Decked out in Bijan yellow from the body (including hood, window frame, mirrors and wheels) to the interior, the special DHC has Bijan signature touches all around, including a diamond-pavé watch embedded in the dashboard and a picnic set (complete with crystal stemware) in the trunk.

A limited quantity of these unique and extroverted convertibles will be made available at a price reported as high as $1.6 million, and are sure to be snapped up by the same Middle Eastern sheikhs who draped themselves in Bijan’s luxurious suits.

Bijan offers up special edition Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

Increasingly stricter environmental dictates are making the rich man’s camel pass though the eyes of smaller and smaller needles to get to regulatory heaven. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is going to have to shrink somewhere in order to make it into the future, and it seems the company plan for that is to make an electric version, possibly even with lithium-sulfur batteries powering plug-in fuel-cell technology from the F-125! concept showed off at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

The hitch in this case is that if we ever see such a car, Daimler’s R&D chief believes 2020 or 2025 would be the window for its appearance. The technologies aren’t concept-only, or as out-there as using thorium for power, but scaling up to passenger car sizes and standards might be a decade or more out. The return: an S-Class with an emissions-free range of 621-miles.

That might sound like overkill, but as of now only one S-Class undercuts the European average for vehicular CO2 emissions. With the noose tightening in 2015 and even tighter strictures in 2020 and 2025, Mercedes (and plenty of other automakers) will need to position itself for 2025 and beyond.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class EV in the cards?

Given the car’s iconic classic/futuristic status, it’s no surprise that the DeLorean DMC-12 is a popular car for DIY electric car conversions. That an honest-to-goodness official DeLorean EV is coming from Humble, Texas’ reborn DeLorean Motor Company itself, though? That we did not see coming. It makes sense, though. If you’re gonna build a time machine electric car, why not do it with some style?

Announced Friday night at the DMC Texas Open House, DMC said it plans to work with electric car startup Epic EV to get an all-electric DMC-12 into production by 2013. Epic is the company started by Aptera co-founder Chris Anthony that is working on the Torq and Amp vehicles (and some rather clever videos). Early reports say the Electric DeLorean will have a maximum speed of 125 miles per hour and offer 260 horsepower for something like $90,000-100,000. The gullwing doors should remain, but we’re not sure where the motor will go (the original DeLorean used a rear-mounted engine), let alone the battery pack. This isn’t the first time a DeLorean with an alternative powertrain has been talked about. Before his death in 2005, John DeLorean hinted that a hydraulic hybrid drivetrain might find a home in a relaunched DMC-12. That never happened, of course.

Specific technical details on the upcoming DeLorean Electric are sparse, but we’re pretty sure it will be able to recharge its 1.21 gigawatt-hour battery instantly when connected to the right power source. You know, until the inevitable Mr. Fusion model gets the green light.

Get out your lightning rods and Sony Walkmans, this is going to be fun to watch.

Great Scot! DMC announces all-electric DeLorean for 2013

We dig Abarth. In fact we hope the Fiat performance brand arrives Stateside pronto. But when it does, we hope it comes with all the parts.

You see, while many cars can be had in one specification or another from the factory, Abarth lets you upgrade after the fact. So you can order, say, a Fiat 500 Abarth, enjoy it for a while, and when you’ve got a little extra cash on hand, you can order the EsseEsse kit from Abarth and have your car upgraded. Sorta like an aftermarket tuner, only with full factory support.

The trouble is that some of the workers at Officine 83 in Fiat’s Mirafiori plant near Turin have (after listening to some Johnny Cash and watching one too many episodes of The Sopranos) reportedly found the system easy enough to walk away with about a million euros – $1.38 million – in performance parts and various accessories. According to reports, employees were pilfering parts from the factory and selling them online at a significant discount.

The scam was reportedly uncovered when Abarth received numerous reports from dealers that components or even entire kits that they’d ordered never arrived. The company subsequently notified the Carabinieri – Italy’s federal police force – which undertook an eight-month investigation into the incident.

Italian authorities investigating million-euro parts heist at Abarth plant

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a list of 74 vehicles for the 2012 model year that it plans on crash testing. The vehicles include 42 passengers cars, 22 SUVs, eight trucks and two vans. NHTSA claims the list represents about 81 percent of the 2012 model year vehicles that will be on sold in the U.S., and further claims it will be performing rollover tests on 92 percent of the 2012 fleet.

You may remember that NHTSA released the first round of results from its new, tougher crash tests in October 2010, and that first batch of vehicles didn’t fare too well. It’s been almost one year exactly, which has given automakers ample time to tweak their vehicles in the hopes of achieving that coveted overall score of five stars.

Of the 74 vehicles being tested this year, we’re particularly interested in a few like the Ford Transit Connect (we expect a fun crash video from that one) and a number of EVs including the 2012 Coda Sedan we just took for a Quick Spin, the Ford Focus BEV, little Mitsubishi i and Toyota Prius V. Other notable crash candidates are the Toyota Camry, which as a 2011 model could only manage a best overall score of four stars after some mid-model year tweaks raised it from three stars, and the 2012 Passat, which needs five stars to become the volume seller that Volkswagen hopes it will be after a complete redesign and significantly lower price.

Check out the full list for yourself after the jump.

Continue reading Step Right Up: NHTSA announces list of 2012 models to be tested

Step Right Up: NHTSA announces list of 2012 models to be tested

Dressing up budget hatchbacks to appear to be something more than they are seems to be all the rage these days. Toyota iQ becomes Aston Martin Cygnet. Mini Cooper becomes the Rolls-Royce-inspired Goodwood edition. Even the Fiat 500 has had its Tributo Ferrari. But while most of these kinda make our eyes roll a little (or a lot), this latest privateer entry into their ranks just makes us chuckle.

Someone, it seems, took a fifth-generation (1992-95) Honda Civic hatchback and dressed it up to look like a mini-me Bugatti Veyron, complete with two-tone Rape Yellow and black paint job. And you know what? It doesn’t look half bad.

Sure, the wheels don’t match, and yes, it is downright comical to dress up a car that should barely sell for more than $2,000 to look like one that costs over a million. But while it may be missing a few cylinders – make that a few cylinder banks, and the quad turbos – it manages to tickle our funny bone in a way few other gussied-up premium hatchbacks can.

‘92 Honda Civic thinks its a Veyron, makes us chuckle

General Motors is hoping to snag buyers who’d otherwise be driving an Audi A6, BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class when it launches the new Cadillac XTS next year. That may prove a tall order, but the General is going about it in an interesting way.

Rather than (or in addition to) marketing the new XTS directly to its prospective buyers, Cadillac is reportedly planning on selling its new flagship sedan (potentially stretched by approved third-party coachbuilders) to what are commonly known as Town Car drivers – known in the industry as Black Cars. We’re not talking about the retiree down the street who refuses to drive anything but a full-size Lincoln – we’re talking about car service operators who shuttle those with the means around cities like New York. Like taxis, only booked in advance and slightly more upscale; the preferred mode of transportation for affluent professionals and executives in Manhattan.

It’s a market dominated by (and commonly borrowing its name from) the Lincoln Town Car, a vehicle that is finally out of production despite accounting for the lion’s share of this niche market after extending its lifespan for years. Lincoln aims to retain its domination of the Black Car market with specially-prepared versions of the MKT crossover, while Cadillac (whose DTS never made as big an impact on these fleets as the Town Car did) is pitching the new XTS. In doing so, GM hopes the wealthy fares riding in the back of these shuttles will take note and maybe place orders of their own.

Cadillac to market new XTS to the Town Car set

Citroën has done a lot with the DS lineup over the past couple of years. From a long-dormant nameplate it has built a range of three models – DS3, DS4 and DS5 – but according to the latest reports, has no plans of slowing down any time soon.

Among the most interesting plans involve the DS3 Racing. The extroverted hot hatch, with its 200-horsepower turbo four and anything-but-subtle color scheme, was initially planned as a limited edition of 1,000 vehicles. Popular demand across Europe saw that increase more than twofold to around 2,400, but sources suggest that with even those almost all sold out, a new version could be in the works.

Demand in China – which is rapidly becoming the largest market for many automakers, Citroën included – for larger vehicles could also see the range expand with a bigger version of the DS5 and maybe even a flagship production version of the Metropolis concept pictured above.

Beyond that, we’re told to expect – or at least for our overseas readers to expect – a wide range of new options and special editions in the years to come. Looks like we haven’t seen the last of the DS line.

Citroen to expand DS line with larger models for China, new DS3 Racing

Meet the Hyundai Eon, the Korean automaker’s new pint-sized econobox for the Indian market. Bloomberg Businessweek says Hyundai expects to sell 140,000-150,000 of the $5,496 hatchbacks in the subcontinent each year. With styling and interior treatments borrowed from higher up in the Hyundai food chain, we wouldn’t be surprised.

Powered by an 814-cc 3-cylinder making 55 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque, the 137.6-inch Eon rides on a 93.7-inch wheelbase. That makes it 8 inches shorter than a Mini Cooper hatchback, meaning it’s smaller than any four-seater currently sold in the U.S. market. Unsurprisingly, Hyundai is pushing fuel economy and interior roominess as the Eon’s key selling points, claiming not only best-in-class fuel economy but that its width and wheelbase are also tops in its segment.

The Eon is designed to compete directly with the Maruti Suzuki Alto, the best-selling car in India. Suzuki Maruti currently holds 43 percent of the market, with Hyundai capturing only 20, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Hyundai launches Eon in India, challenges Maruti Suzuki

Porsche pulled form-fitting covers off two of its all-new 911 models today at Rennsport Reunion IV, marking the first official unveiling of the vehicle in North America. While we were at the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September for the Type 991’s worldwide debut, it was an excellent opportunity to check out a few static examples up close and watch some of Porsche’s famed drivers take hot laps around the Laguna Seca race circuit in two similar models circling the track.

On display were two of the upgraded 911 S models, fitted with 3.8-liter flat-six engines that produce 400 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque (standard Carrera models have a 3.4-liter flat-six rated at 350 horsepower and 287 pound-feet of torque). A six-speed manual is standard in both rear-wheel drive models, with Porsche’s seven-speed PDK automated gearbox optional.

Bigger, better and lighter than its equivalent Type 997 predecessor, the new two-door promises impressive performance. According to Porsche, the 3,075-pound Carrera S will hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds with the PDK (with Sport Chrono option), while the 3,042-pound Carrera will need 4.2 seconds to hit the same benchmark. Our first opportunity to drive is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to tell you about it.

Check out the photo gallery of the 2012 Porsche 911 above, and look for more coverage from Rennsport Reunion IV over the next few days.

2012 Porsche 911 makes North American debut at Rennsport Reunion IV

Safety advocacy is a touchy subject when it comes to the motoring world. After all, everyone has heard the warnings about buckling up, drinking and driving, and more recently, the dangers of distracted driving. And while we applaud the intent of these messages, we can’t help but have our doubts about how effective most of these campaigns are. Still, there are many different approaches to the road safety public service announcement genre, and we’ve seen a few genuinely stirring takes on the matter, including some strikingly beautiful work like the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership seatbelt campaign.

Choosing to veer more toward the scared-straight school of thought is Australia’s Transport Accident Commission, and its ad quotes a particularly interesting (if frightening) statistic related to motorcycle riding. Admittedly, the spot is not as shocking as the UK’s teenage driver gorefest PSA of a couple years ago, but it’s still the type of thing that makes us sit up and take notice, so perhaps these more graphic PSAs have more of an impact.

What do you think, are road safety PSAs like this effective? Watch the video PSA after the jump – the whole thing – then have your say in our poll below.

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Continue reading Australia takes the fear approach to motorcycle safety [w/poll]

Australia takes the fear approach to motorcycle safety [w/poll]