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There’s an old newspaper adage that dictates: “Dog bites man” is not news. “Man bites dog,” now that’s news. In other words, the subversion of the usual order of things is what sells papers. And you might say the same about Cadillac. A Caddy getting bigger, by that logic, is hardly news, but a Caddy getting smaller sure is.

That’s what makes the new ATS such a big step for the top-end of the General Motors brand portfolio. Occupying the place once taken by the Catera (which led to the CTS), that model now has to kick up a size to make room for its new baby brother. And so it appears to be doing.

These spy shots show what our intrepid auto paparazzi say is the next-gen CTS, applying the same Art & Science design language to a slightly larger form that’s expected to switch from the Sigma II platform to a stretched version of The General’s new rear-drive Alpha architecture.

In between the camouflage we can make out a new grille, projector headlamps with LED daytime runners, with radar sensors aplenty and dual exhaust tips around the back. Sources expect a 2.0-liter turbo four to come in with 270 horsepower as the base engine in the new CTS, with the 3.6-liter V6 also expected to be on offer as well as a turbo six sometime after production kicks off at Lansing Grand River Assembly in September 2013.

Cadillac spotted testing bigger next-gen CTS

Economies of scale, globalization and production efficiencies continue to exacerbate any disruptive incident in an automaker’s supply chain. The latest snafu is due to a fatal explosion at Germany’s Evonik Industries, which arrested that company’s ability to produce cyclodecatriene (CDT). In turn, the production of the resin Vestamid Polyamide 12 (PA-12) is threatened by the loss of CDT, one of its key components. And a crimp in PA-12 supplies threatens the manufacture of crucial components like brake-line coatings and flexible hoses.

Auto-industry analysts have described the issue as “serious,” but no one, including automakers and suppliers, is sure of how grave the issue will be. Michigan-based Tier One carmaker supplier TI Automotive is hosting a conference later this month with competitors and carmakers to discuss the issue. The major car manufacturers have said they are monitoring the situation, but no disruptions have been planned for yet.

Resin shortage could snarl auto production

We’re almost ready to record Episode #278 of the Autoblog Podcast with David Kiley of Autoblog and AOL Autos joining us, and you can check out the topics below, add your own to the Q&A and join us live via UStream, as well, and we’ve embedded our UStream player after the jump. Thanks for listening!

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #278

• Dodge Dart pricing
• Next Mustang to be non-retro?
• Is Chevrolet preparing an Impala SS?
• NHTSA proposes brake override system mandate

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #278 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern

Autoblog Podcast #278 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern

Ward’s AutoWorld is well known for its annual “10 Best Engines” list, but the trade publication has been compiling a second list for interiors for a few years now. Formerly known as the “Interior of the Year” competition, Ward’s rebranded the list last year, naming the coolest cockpits under the “10 Best Interiors” moniker.

This year’s winners are a relatively diverse lot, with hatchbacks, sedans and crossovers all making the list. While Ward’s lists them in alphabetical order rather than crowning a single winner, we’re choosing to present them with the lowest as-tested MSRP first:

• Hyundai Accent ($15,925)
• Chevrolet Sonic ($18,745)
• Dodge Dart ($21,485)
• Volkswagen Beetle ($25,195)
• Mazda CX-5 ($30,415)
• Hyundai Azera ($36,875)
• Chrysler 300 Luxury ($44,855)
• Range Rover Evoque ($49,745)
• Infiniti JX35 ($54,800)
• Audi A7 ($67,430)

The first thing we noticed then is that while fully half the models carrying base sticker prices under $25,000, Ward’s was clearly not testing the base models of any of these vehicles. The Chevy Sonic, for instance, starts nearly $5,000 below the price of the car Ward’s drove. Even so, that half of the cars on the list could be legitimately called “affordable” is impressive.

Ward’s says 40 vehicles qualified for the competition by having “new or significantly improved interiors,” and while 13 of those were luxury vehicles, they only made up half of the winners. Ward’s says it judged the interiors based on design, fit-and-finish, comfort, ergonomics, safety, material selection, overall value, aesthetics, and human-machine interface.

Check out all the award winners in our high-res image gallery above.

Ward’s selects the 10 best interiors of 2012

We record Episode #278 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and we’re joined by David Kiley of Autoblog and AOL Autos. Drop us your questions via our Q&A module below, and chime in to direct our conversation. Our main focus will be recapping what we saw at the New York Auto Show, but who knows where the conversation will take us! Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #278

• Dodge Dart pricing
• Next Mustang to be non-retro?
• Is Chevrolet preparing an Impala SS?
• NHTSA proposes brake override system mandate

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #278 LIVE

Well… look who lives! Our spy photographers have managed to snag a few photos of what may very well be the next interpretation of the Chevrolet Impala SS. Long thought to be a casualty of the General Motors bailout, the biggest member Club SS was reportedly shelved a few years back. The Impala line hasn’t offered an SS performance variant since 2009, and the more aggressive grille, front fascia and tweaked head- and taillight arrays on this prototype hint at something more sinister than any topped-out LTZ model could offer. Our spy shooter’s supplier sources indicate GM is, in fact, still working on an Impala SS, and they suggest the sedan may bow with a new LF3 twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 under the hood.

If true, that means the brawny Impala could scoot down the road with a heady 380 horsepower. As far as we know, no vehicle since the limited production 350-hp Ford Focus RS500 has tried to push anywhere near that many ponies to the front wheels, which begs the question: will the Impala offer all-wheel drive despite recent reports to the contrary?

Doing so would seem to position the Impala SS quite well against the freshly updated Taurus SHO. Either way, we’re excited to give this big boy a go.

Is Chevrolet testing an Impala SS?

For a car that still hasn’t donned its new body yet, not even under copious camouflage, there’s been chatter about the 2014 Lexus IS for an awful long time. We saw the first mule 18 months ago, and it was about that time that intel predicted Lexus’ next-generation small sport sedan would run on a four-door version of the Scion FT-86 chassis and be followed by a coupe.

The snappers at CarPix caught a modern mule out on test, the only change so far from 2010 being the panels obscuring the front intakes and a roll of packing tape applied to some panel gaps. The car we eventually see will continue the sportification of the Lexus brand in both appearance and capability. As well, the IS-F begat by this IS, having been planned for and developed from the beginning, should really show us what an M3-fighting Lexus can do.

Next-gen Lexus IS mule caught circulating

We’ve seen the Nissan DeltaWing running shakedown laps, but now the bonanza of teaser vids will truly begin as the DeltaWing prepares in earnest for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since it has shown it can actually handle a track at speed, the latest step in the process is to verify how it handles the wind.

Nissan Europe will be producing a video roughly every two weeks tracking the DeltaWing’s evolution, and after the race Audi’s sequel to Truth in 24 will be joined by a documentary on Nissan’s isosceles racer. Scroll down for Nissan’s take in words and video.

Continue reading Nissan launches new DeltaWing video series with wind tunnel teaser

Nissan launches new DeltaWing video series with wind tunnel teaser

The Mercedes-Benz A25 AMG has disrobed almost completely compared to the last time we saw it. It makes minimal changes to the A-Class form, just a fiercer set of wheels and, under the last remaining camo, a brace of larger air intakes in front and a restyled diffuser in back. We’d also expect those oval pipe finishers to be swapped for trademark AMG quad pipes come production time.

The engine is what will make the real difference, with its 2.0-liter four-cylinder rumored to be rated as high as 350 horsepower and sending that glory to all four wheels through a dual-clutch gearbox. Those specs mean the A25 AMG is a shoo-in for heaps of comparos with the all-wheel drive, 340-horsepower Audi RS3, the driving prowess of the 256-horsepower Volkswagen Golf R and the rumored 320-horsepower BMW 135i hatch. Check it out in our gallery of high-res spy photos.

AMG-fettled Mercedes-Benz A-Class caught testing

Adam Carolla has thrice contested the Toyota Celebrity/Pro race held before the Long Beach Grand Prix, previously finishing third and ninth but this year taking the chequered flag in first place. After qualifying positions were set based on the last free practice times due to washout rains, Carolla started second behind Kim Coates of the F/X show Sons of Anarchy.

Three laps in, Carolla had got into the lead and crashes behind gave him some daylight. With under two laps to go, however, Hill Harper from CSI: NY had the front bumper of his Scion tC tapping Carolla’s rear, but there wasn’t enough time left in the race for Harper to get around.

Third place was nabbed by Toyota dealer Biff Gordon, with drifter Frederic Asabo (above left) the first professional to cross the line, in fourth.

Adam Carolla wins Long Beach Grand Prix Celebrity/Pro race

Of all of the cars Top Gear host Richard Hammond has driven – and that’s a lot of cars – it is an oil-burning entry-level luxury sedan that has earned the plaudit, “possibly the best car ever made.” He’s referring to the 2013 BMW 320d in an article for the UK’s Mirror newspaper, further crediting it with “brilliant handling,” an easy-to-use infotainment system, “very accurate steering” and being “one of the nicest Threes to drive in decades.”

His conclusion does come from a lack of negatives just as much as the positives. However, even though it’s still a huge call, we’ve heaped our own ultimate praise on BMW’s gasoline four-pot, the 328i, which trades a quicker sprint to 60 mph for a few mpg less than the 320d’s 52 Imperial mpg (43 U.S. mpg).

Hammond’s a fan of the styling, and in fact the only thing he doesn’t like is a stripe on his 3 Series tester. Click the link to get the words straight from the Hamster’s mouth.

Richard Hammond thinks BMW 320d may be the “best car ever made”

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala just made its debut at the New York Auto Show, and stuck there on its vaguely-Hofmeister-esque C-Pillar is a new version of the classic Impala mascot. The gracefully leaping African antelope is a little smoother and more rounded, but still the well-established icon it’s been since its 1958 introduction. It may seem a small detail, but changing a long-established bit of iconography is tricky. Designers must carefully balance any tweaking against recognizeability and consumer goodwill.

“We kept the stylized interpretation of the animal, and made the impala more muscular. We also added defined edges, to give the impala a sleek form and make it look like it was running fast” says Joan Kallio, lead creative designer for Chevrolet global badging, and the latest version of this chrome animal glyph is surely smoothed and stylized compared to the squiggly 1958 original. If the car is as successfully refined as its logo, the new Impala will do fine. Check out the press release after the jump.

Continue reading The Chevrolet Impala mascot over the years

The Chevrolet Impala mascot over the years

Yes, many jokes can be made at the expense of Dyson, the UK-based manufacturer of odd-looking vacuums and fans, and its employees. But those hard-working engineers clearly know a thing or two about recombining common parts to find innovative solutions to every day problems.

As hard as they work, they also apparently play hard. Dyson recently held a car challenge for its engineers where the object was to make the fastest car possible using Dyson spare parts and motors from their handheld vacuums. It’s like drag racing for geeks and, true to Dyson form, some of the entrants don’t look like anything resembling a car. Scroll down to watch Dyson’s engineers cut loose and compete for the quickest times.

Continue reading Dyson stops sucking long enough to hold a car challenge

Dyson stops sucking long enough to hold a car challenge

The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series is a whole lotta car. Not only is the name a mouthful, but the 510-horsepower German rocket can be a handful too, well, in the wrong hands. This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen techs or valets getting their kicks behind the wheel of a vehicle that doesn’t belong to them, but it seems some employees at one Ottawa-area dealer didn’t get the memo.

Our tipster claims that a couple rogue techs at a dealership called Star Motors (formerly Carling Motors) decided to take out one of the 30 existing Black Series in Canada for a joyride. While we agree that some test drives of performance cars should be spirited to find performance-related problems, it’s pretty clear these guys just wanted some kicks behind the wheel of $115,000 Autobahn assassin.

For over eight minutes they negotiate the streets of Ottawa near the Hunt Club Road dealership, breaking all kinds of laws, risking property and injury in the process. The police would gladly impound this Black Series for some of these speeds, and MB enthusiasts would gladly slap these guys in the face for redlining the motor for so long.

Why any tech would post this on YouTube is beyond us, as they’re are only asking to be fired. The Internet has moved in for some e-justice and MBWorld.com has been set ablaze with nasty comments on the matter. Not only did they identify the location of the dealership, they have also sent the video, the original of which was removed from YouTube but then re-uploaded by a forum member, to Mercedes-Benz Canada HQ and are hard at work trying to find the possible owner to show him what’s been done to his car pre-delivery. Check out the video by scrolling down.

Continue reading Mercedes techs taking C63 AMG Coupe Black Series for joyride caught on video

Mercedes techs taking C63 AMG Coupe Black Series for joyride caught on video

There’s no doubting the driving talents of one Sebastian Vettel. He won his first grand prix when he was still with backmarker team Scuderia Toro Rosso, and went on to win back-to-back World Championship titles for Red Bull Racing. Heck, he’s even taken the Nations Cup at the Race of Champions with Michael Schumacher for the last five years running now. You might even call his skills the stuff of super heroes. But if it came down a bar fight, the grinning whiz kid wouldn’t exactly inspire fear. (Not like Adrian Sutil would, anyway.) But his latest collaboration might stand to change that.

While in China for this coming weekend’s grand prix, the reigning World Champion met up with action star Celina Jade for a little kung fu lesson. They even shot a short film called Kung Fu Vettel: Drive of the Dragon that’s set to be released next month. And then they headed to the track so Vettel could return the favor.

The crossover is the first in a series of promotional events under the “Inspired Performers” banner, orchestrated by sponsor Infiniti. What any of this has to do with luxury automobiles is beyond us, but it made for a decent photo and video op, as you can see from the gallery above and the video teaser after the jump.

Continue reading Sebastian Vettel trades F1 for Kung Fu in martial arts film debut with Celina Jade

Sebastian Vettel trades F1 for Kung Fu in martial arts film debut with Celina Jade

The Associated Press reports General Motors has pulled all 11 Chevrolet IndyCar engines from testing after racer James Hinchcliffe blew one during testing at Sonoma. GM evidently was concerned enough about the 10 other engines having similar problems that it decided to swap them all and face the resulting sanctions.

Under IndyCar’s current rules, Hinchcliffe, driver of the GoDaddy.com will be penalized for the failure despite the fact that it had nothing to do with the driver. IndyCar prohibits engine changes until the units have reached a minimum of 1,200 miles, a figure that is set to jump to 1,850 miles after this weekend. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, meanwhile, maintains that the rule is meant to reduce costs for teams. He also pointed out that both Honda and Lotus have received similar penalties this season. But that hasn’t stopped some from grumbling about the rules.

Until this point, Chevrolet has done exceedingly well this season, nabbing the first two poles and taking a victory at the season-opening race. The company currently holds the lead in the manufacturer’s title with 18 points – six points ahead of Honda.

Hinchcliffe, meanwhile, says he’s excited about the challenge that the engine swap presents. He, along with a smattering of other racers, will now start at the back of the pack, and Indycar’s rulemakers have themselves a new controversy to contend with.

Chevy to yank all 11 Indycar engines after testing failure, controversy ensues

In the automotive realm, there’s nothing quite like the Bugatti Veyron, which, in convertible form, is known as the Grand Sport. With more than a thousand horsepower from its sixteen-cylinder engine and a top speed of well over 200 miles per hour, the Veyron Grand Sport is the fastest and most powerful open-top production road car in the world.

Well… it was the fastest, most powerful open-top production car in the world, until Bugatti went and created the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. This is the topless version of the Veyron that’s been fitted with the 1,200-horsepower engine from the automaker’s Super Sport model. That means it can hit the ludicrous speed of 255 miles per hour – critically beating the regular Veyron by two mph – with nothing over your head but the open sky.

Bugatti has seen fit to honor its Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse with a new video, and we invite you to watch it by scrolling down below. We’ve also embedded three more new videos from Bugatti for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Continue reading Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse makes YouTube debut

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse makes YouTube debut

One might suppose that since Pagani came out with the Huayra, the Zonda would go the way of the dodo. But as the Modenese automaker has said all along, if someone wants to buy a Zonda, it’ll gladly make one for them. And so it has with the very latest one-off supercar.

Called the 760 RS, it’s the most powerful Zonda that Pagani has ever built. With 760 horsepower squeezed out of the AMG-built V12 engine underneath that bespoke carbon fiber rear hood, it’s got 90 more horsepower than the Zonda Cinque and 20 more than the track-bound, hardcore Zonda R. As such, it’s said to be good for a 217-mile-per-hour top end.

The Zonda 760 RS reportedly started out as the Zonda 750, ordered and then canceled by an undisclosed Arabian customer. Pagani turned it into the 760 RS and found a new buyer (said to be in either China or Chile), and while pictures and details have been scarce, this video footage has surfaced giving us a glimpse at the custom supercar. Scroll down to check it out for yourself.

Continue reading Zonda 760 RS is the most powerful Pagani yet

Zonda 760 RS is the most powerful Pagani yet

In as male-dominated a sport as motor racing, women drivers are still a rarity – but not without their exceptions. Danica Patrick has become a household name in IndyCar and NASCAR, Vanina Ickx (daughter of legendary F1 driver Jacky) has contested Le Mans seven times, Sabine Schmitz is rightly known as the Queen of the Ring, and Natacha Gachnang has made a name for herself in Formula 3 and GT racing. But the latest announcement revolves around one Susie Wolff.

Driving for Mercedes-Benz in the DTM touring car series for the past several years, Susie has now been hired as a development driver for the Williams F1 team. In her new capacity, she’ll be helping the team work out kinks in their simulator, the aerodynamics of the FW34 chassis and even undertake a full track test at an upcoming grand prix.

Now if you’re thinking “Wolff and Williams – why do those names sound familiar together,” you’ve got a keen memory. Toto Wolff is a board member and part owner of the team – and just also happens to be her husband. Follow the jump for the official announcement.

Continue reading Williams signs female test driver Susie Wolff

Williams signs female test driver Susie Wolff

If you’ve ever tried installing an infant car seat in say, a Jaguar XKR, you understand that just because a car has LATCH anchors doesn’t mean your car seat is going to fit. Those anchors are supposed to make child restraint installation a breeze, but according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, many automakers aren’t following the spirit of the law requiring them.

The study looked at the 98 top-selling vehicles from 2010-2011 and found just 21 that met its criteria for having “easy-to-use” LATCH hardware. Making the list were the Audi A4; Cadillac Escalade; Chevrolet Equinox, Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe; Chrysler Town & Country; Dodge Caliber, Grand Caravan and Ram; Ford Escape and F-150; GMC Sierra; Honda Pilot; Kia Sedona; Land Rover Range Rover Sport; Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class; Mitsubishi Eclipse and Lancer; and Toyota Tacoma.

The researchers used a test fixture that adhered to guidelines developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers to develop three criteria for evaluation. The first was having anchors that were easy to see and not buried beneath rear seat cushions. The second was having the LATCH attachment points unobstructed by seatbelts, foam or other parts of the seat. The third was that adults could correctly install the seats using less than 40 pounds of force.

While the study found that the majority of models didn’t nail all three criteria, the list of vehicles that didn’t meet any of them was much shorter: Buick Enclave; Chevrolet Impala; Dodge Avenger; Ford Flex and Taurus; Hyundai Sonata; and Toyota Sienna.

Scroll down to see a video about LATCH and read the full release from IIHS.

Continue reading IIHS says most LATCH systems are too difficult to use [w/video]

IIHS says most LATCH systems are too difficult to use [w/video]