You can now build and price a little of your own, all of which can be done in a configurator that appears to have been designed by and Pixar. The latest and littlest memeber of the family comes in four stock grades, conveniently numbered One, Two, Three and Four. To get the game started you’ll need $19,710 in configurator money for the Prius C One – that’s an $18,950 base price and $760 for destination charges.
Even the least of the four comes with options like Bluetooth and remote keyless entry, the only conspicuous base-model giveaway being the 15-inch steel wheels. Head for the Prius C Four, as we did, and you’ll start at $23,990 and get all the trimmings. The single most substantive option at this height is a $1,150 set of premium, bladed alloy wheels to replace the standard alloys. They aren’t even an option on the One. The other exterior and interior options are mainly cosmetic, like protective film and side moldings, or convenience, like an ashtray cup and a cargo tray. Checking every box will set you back $26,287.
It’s pretty straightforward – for instance, there are nine exterior colors, one is black, then there are two variations on white, red and blue. But head on over to and see what you can make because after all, you can never run out of configurator money.
is turning to prime-time TV to introduce the . The vehicle will be front and center in “Escape Routes,” a new NBC reality show that pits six teams of two against one another in a road-trip competition with layovers in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami and San Francisco. Viewers, meanwhile, can interact with the show’s contestants and participate via EscapeRoutes.com. Ford says the online community will even have a chance to impact the final outcome of the game, though it’s unclear exactly how.
Currently, NBC and Ford have chosen five teams for the competition, and four more duos are currently duking it out for the last spot. According to the automaker, the team that takes home the gold in the final competition will win $100,000 and two Ford Escape models. “Escape Routes” is set to air for six episodes on Saturday nights at 8 pm EST, starting on March 31. for the full press release.
Halfway down a press release announcing that Shigeki Terashi was named president and COO of Motor North America, Inc. (TMA) was this: Jim Lentz is named CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, effective April 1. Lentz is the first American to take that position in the company.
TMA is the holding company under which all of Toyota’s North American operations are grouped. Terashi will fulfill two roles when his new appointment is official on April 1, the new one and his current one as president of Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing, NA.
Lentz will rise from his current position as COO. He became one of the prominent faces of Toyota during the company’s recent recall issues, publicly making the interview rounds and testifying before Congress to address the situation.
for Toyota’s press release on the management shuffle.
The equipped with the John Cooper Works package is the latest diminutive to be loaded into the brand’s eccentric ad machine. As if a 211-horsepower, all-wheel-drive crossover on 18-inch alloys from a brand called “” weren’t novel enough, we’re admonished to “Expect the unexpected” as the most powerful vehicle it makes is flicked through the desert and the snow.
And that will explain the man on the roof. Well, kinda. for the video.
We don’t typically lose control of our faculties at the sight of the latest supercar. In most cases, the vehicles are slightly different shades of the same theme: high horsepower, low slung, two seats and a super-exclusive price tag to match.
While the certainly fulfills all of those criteria, the roofless wonder also boasts the sort of brash ostentatiousness that’s been missing from the upper echelon of automotive engineering recently. The roadster design is so perfectly over the top, we can’t help but love it. has crafted a quick montage depicting the vehicle’s development, from lowly CAD design to the untold multitude of parts and pieces that go into assembling the final product.
This clip is too brief to satiate our manufacturing geekery, but it’s better than nothing. to check out the video for yourself. It may be the closest any of us actually get to glimpsing the 700-horsepower behemoth.
has officially served up the details on the upcoming . Buyers will be able to snap up the latest work rig with in a new Platinum trim level that throws in niceties like SYNC, MyFord Touch, navigation and a rear-view camera as standard equipment. Power telescoping mirrors are also part of the package.
Unfortunately, the Platinum trim will only be available in Super Duty Crew Cab configuration. Even so, the cabin is swaddled in high-quality wood grain trim and premium leather seating. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is also heated for those really frosty mornings.
Outside, a smattering of chrome trim work sets the 2013 F-Series Super Duty Platinum apart from the rest of the trucks on the job site. Chrome door handles, mirror caps and running boards all add a bit of splash, as do the sizable 20-inch wheels that are newly designed for 2013.
Ford says the MyFord Touch at work in the new Super Duty is truck specific with features like a massive eight-inch touch screen display which has been optimized to function even when users are wearing thick work gloves. for the full press release as well as a brief video.
Believe it or not, isn’t all about high-performance vehicles. The company just showed off its latest take on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. The SP5 Conference boasts an interior inspired by the trappings of Air Force One and features front seats that can swivel 180 degrees to face rear passengers. You know, for conferencing and the like.
A small table can be folded into place and boasts swivel function of its own. Beyond the rear, forward-facing seats, a kitchenette with cabinet space, a Nespresso coffee machine and a handful of 12-volt outlets for other appliances. Ambient lighting spread throughout the cabin helps set the mood indoors, and extensive insulation work keeps the interior cozy even when the weather isn’t.
Of course, The SP5 Conference couldn’t wear the Hamann name without a few exterior flourishes thrown into the mix. The van is equipped with a complete body kit, including a new front fascia, side sills and rear valance. Massive 20 inch wheels are part of the exterior treatment as well.
A range of safety groups are calling for judicial review of federal rules for truck drivers’ hours of service. According to a lawsuit filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen, the Truck Safety Coalition and two truck drivers, the new rule doesn’t protect the public from tired truckers. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently ruled drivers could only work 70 hours within a seven-day period, down from a previous limit of 82. Truckers must also take a break of at least 30 minutes after an eight-hour shift.
That’s a step in the right direction, but drivers are still allowed to travel up to 11 hours in one day. Those who reach their hourly limit in a week may then restart the clock by taking a 34-hour break, but that may only be done once within a seven-day period.
The concerned parties want a judicial review of the rule to eliminate the 34-hour restart provision and cut consecutive drive hours to 10, saying that truck crash fatalities increased by nine percent in 2010.
We may not have found much to like about the redesigned 2012 sedan when , but here’s something in its favor: A Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
While the old subcompact never made it to the top of the IIHS rankings, the new sedan earned its award by scoring “good” ratings in front, side, rollover, and rear tests and coming equipped with standard stability control, according to the IIHS. The 2011 and earlier Versas only scored “acceptable” in side impact and roof strength tests.
Keep in mind that the Top Safety Pick only applies to the new sedan, as a has not yet launched. The is the same design that’s been on sale since the 2007 model year.
for a video of the IIHS side impact test on the Versa sedan.
Two months with our is enough for me to know that history will not look back kindly on this generation of VW’s long-running compact sedan. As has been covered, rather exhaustively I might add, the 2011 refresh of the Jetta brought with it a significant reduction in interior fit, finish and overall quality. Sadly, the more time you spend in the Jetta, the more its interior bits and pieces wear on your senses, as does the dour black color palette.
Perhaps the interior deficiencies of the 2011 Jetta wouldn’t be so noteworthy if hadn’t set such a heady precedent in past models, offering an upscale alternative to its competitors at a slightly higher price. As you’re likely aware, VW’s latest strategy puts its products on an equal footing with more mainstream brands while boasting a highly competitive price. Based on the brand’s , the plan is working to perfection.
We hate to harp on the point, but have to wonder if moving downmarket will have long-lasting repercussions with diehard VW fans.
Keep your eyes locked on the official for the majority of our updates, as well as the official Autoblog Twitter account (, look for the hashtag).
Like pretty much any driver, we’ve had our share of car trouble over the years, both with vehicles loaned to us for review by automakers and our own private rides. What we haven’t experienced is being the first media outlet to plunk down over $100,000 for a luxury plug-in hybrid, only to have it konk out before we even put 200 miles on it.
That “honor” goes to Consumer Reports and their brand new , which broke down during calibration tests, just a few days into CR’s ownership period. After the dashboard flashed a warning, the driver stopped to see what was wrong, and then couldn’t get the PHEV into gear again. Self-repairs (i.e., let’s leave it alone for an hour and see what happens) didn’t work and the manual was no help, so the nearby dealer sent out a flatbed truck to haul the Karma away. As CR writes:
We buy about 80 cars a year and this is the first time in memory that we have had a car that is undriveable before it has finished our check-in process.
The Karma’s problems are widespread. It has been plagued by a variety of problems, including two recalls, one for a and one for , following a long delay getting the car to market. Owners commenting on the FiskerBuzz forum are also . Not exactly behavior that leads to a “Recommended” rating.
has given the world another glimpse of the upcoming in the form of the video after the jump. While we’ve already seen a quick glimpse of thanks to a previous clip and via the very first official teaser, the newest video gives us our best look yet at the front fascia and headlight array. Judging by the quick peek, the 2013 Altima will rock a much more stylized front end than in the past, complete with design elements borrowed from the likes of the and .
Word has it Nissan will also make use of the same character line we’ve seen on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Look for the next-generation Altima to debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show next month. In the meantime, for the newest, albeit brief, teaser.
There are a lot of ways to describe the Valmet Dawn you see pictured above, but our favorite could be mouthed by Keanu Reeves: Whoa. And then we would expand it to WTF? As in, “Whoa the F?”
That’s because Valmet Automotive – the makers of the , among other vehicles – has wrapped its electric vehicle engineering chops in what is perhaps the most impractical and odd-looking concept vehicle we’ve ever seen. The Dawn concept is meant to show that Valmet can both research and develop EV components like drivetrains and batteries and put them together into a vehicle, a two-prong approach that Valmet says is a new strategic focus area for the company. With that in mind, perhaps it not a total surprise that Valmet hasn’t released any sort of information about the range, power or really any real-world details about the Dawn. Like, for example, what’s that blue disc in front? An inductive charger? A 21st Century cow catcher? An Identity Disc?
Valmet says this test bed vehicle “integrates both the component developer and integrator roles. Displaying the battery pack, drivetrain, control unit and charging options, it also shows what ultimately can be achieved in the world of electric mobility, by integrating solutions in an innovative fashion.” Innovative. Yeah, that’s the word.
With all the exciting news coming out of , you’ll have to excuse us for snickering just a little bit when we saw this press release. Yes, the is as deserving of a mid-cycle refresh as any other vehicle, though it appears from this teaser that whatever tinkering has done will prove itself superficial at best.
As is typical these days, this crossover-ized is getting some revised front and rear lighting, and what we would guess will be minor modifications to the front fascia. We can see from the picture that the grille looks to be a bit smaller and those are surely LED’s in the new headlights.
New 19-inch wheels and three new colors are probably going to matter less to buyers than the fact that “value has been enhanced” by making more features standard. This might help address our biggest complaint when – that’s it’s just too darn expensive for what you get.
Click to read the full press release, and stay tuned for our .
, we’re sorry to say, promised a lot but delivered very little this year in . But that doesn’t mean its show stand was without its eye candy. Feast your eyes on .
Developed by Lola, powered by and set to be fielded by the Kodewa team in the upcoming inaugural season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, this class-two Le Mans prototype may be a Lotus in name only, but it sure looks the part nestled in between the Lotus F1 Team’s latest single-seater and the GT sports racer.
That principally comes down to the black-and-gold livery applied to this beast much as it has to all of the company’s other racing machinery. But that’s no bad thing. See what we mean in the gallery of high-resolution images from the show floor.
The Roding Roadster 23 is here, and having been , it looks like it’s come good. We knew it would have proper fenders from the latest drawings, but the red-and-black livery makes the little roofless coupe pop.
Roding still hasn’t decided to spill all of its secrets, not that it looks to have many, but we know there’ll be just 23 examples offered. Behind those huggy seats is a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine from producing 320 horsepower and 332 pound-feet, charged with propelling a car that weighs just 950 kilograms (2,090 pounds). An installable hood goes in the trunk section up front.
In the information from the company’s site , however, Roding indicates that “the first cars to be produced” are a limited edition of 23, which makes it sound like they’ll be around for more than a couple dozen cars.
When American automakers release Carbon editions of their sports cars, buyers are treated to a few carbon fiber veneers, some fancy wheels and a few badges. When Pagani builds a Huayra Carbon Edition, the Italian manufacturer simply constructs every last piece of body work out of the composite and slathers everything in clear coat.
Pagani unveiled its latest sculpture at the Geneva Motor Show this week, and the vehicle is very possibly the definition of sinister sexy. Buyers can look forward to enjoying the same lethal drivetrain found in the “base” Huayra, which means there’s a 700-horsepower AMG-sourced 6.0-liter V12 behind the seats.
While the standard Huayra boasts a carbon-titanium monocoque, the wild carbon fiber body work on the Carbon Edition is something new entirely. We dig it in every way possible.
The relentless expansion of M-engineered and branded wares doesn’t just stop at the and the . Here in , announced the latest line of M performance parts that spans the spectrum from appearance bits to powertrain upgrades.
M Performance exhausts will be available for the new (in Europe), along with the and . Carbon fiber front splitters join black kidney grilles in the catalog, as does a new version of the M Performance steering wheel. BMW also claims to have some suspension components are in the works, and all this kit will be on sale and ready for installation at BMW dealers in the United States this summer.
One way to ensure that your brand-new (a.k.a. 991) won’t look like the one in your neighbor’s driveway is to give TechArt a call. The famed German tuner has rolled out at the and trust us, it won’t be mistaken for anything from the factory in Stuttgart.
Up front, TechArt has fitted its own unique two-part spoiler with integrated splitter while more aggressive side skirts adorn the rocker panels. The rear has a new lower diffuser, wrapped around the TechArt exhaust, and a large fixed rear wing (complete with an integrated third brake light). Look more closely to notice the subtle trim panels on the exterior mirrors and front headlights. The wheels are lightweight forged 20- and 21-inch alloys with matching paint on their rims.
Inside the heavily modified cabin are even more drastic enhancements (let’s say TechArt has gone over the top). Don’t let the aluminum pedals be a distraction as you inspect the black Alcantara and high-grade leather covering nearly every square inch. Flirting with gaudy, the dark upholstery is contrasted by vehicle-color-coordinated stitching and painted trim splashed throughout. However, the icing on the cake is an insanely thick TechArt three-spoke sports steering wheel.
We donned our darkest shades and shot a full on the Geneva floor. Plus, you can also check out the detailed press release and a handful of official pictures below.
If isn’t willing to give us an authentic M-ified , we’ll have to settle for the next best thing, and that’s the , the latest performance package from the marque’s motorsport division.
Based off the three-door F20 variant of the Euro-only 1 Series, the M135i isn’t quite the 1er/ lovechild of the dearly beloved , but it’s still packing BMW’s tried-and-true-and-tunable turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, putting out more than 300 horsepower presumably through a six-speed manual gearbox.
Beefed-up brakes, tweaked suspension bits and 18-inch M-branded wheels are fitted at each corner, while restyled front and rear fascias round out the rest of the exterior mods.
We’ve heard through the grapevine that the , both in rear-wheel-drive and xDrive trim for Europe (except the UK), but considering the F20 still hasn’t come Stateside, don’t expect the M135i to make the trek… yet.
