Size still matters, but the quest to be number one is also getting more headlines. is the latest to stake its future on taking the top slot, with CEO Dieter Zetsche aiming to be the world’s largest premium maker by 2020. The specific number is 2.7 million vehicles sold that year, which represents an astronomical jump from 2011 sales of 1.26 million vehicles.
To home in on that target, Mercedes intends to build factories in China and in North America – either Mexico or the U.S. – with the North American factory coming online by 2018, according to a report in Auto News. The facility here would build the “next generation A class together with Daimler’s strategic partner .”
Mercedes didn’t offer any clarification on the Nissan component or what else a new facility might build, nor what the synergies might be with it and the engine deal recently signed .
One very unusual electric car has debuted in Brussels. The Hiriko EV uses a hub-mounted electric motor at each wheel, though that’s not the most interesting aspect of the vehicle. According to The Telegraph, the Hiriko uses an interesting rear suspension design that allows the vehicle to fold up, rotating the cabin vertically, to take up less space while parking. The partnership behind the vehicle say the car consumes approximately one third the parking space of a . Occupants enter from a single front door, and the Hiriko ditches the traditional steering wheel in favor of a joystick.
The vehicle is set to begin production in Spain next year, and the partnership behind the vehicle’s development aims to use several European and American cities as testbeds for the bubble machine. The two-seater has been co-developed by a collection of Basque businesses, the Spanish government and the MIT media lab (you may remember ). A total of 20 test vehicles are currently being built, and each vehicle is said to cost $16,253 to manufacture. No final price tag has been set, nor are there solid details on range, power or charge times.
This time last year, the (SARTRE) program hit a milestone. Using a specially equipped with a big-rig taking the lead, the EU-funded researchers managed , allowing the driver in the sedan to sit back and enjoy the ride without touching the controls.
Today, – the program’s only automotive partner – has announced that the SARTRE program is in its final phase of testing, and that includes adding a few more vehicles to the rolling procession of autonomous cars.
Utilizing a combination of cameras and radar-based sensors, the vehicles in the platoon can travel up to 55 miles per hour while maintaining a 20-foot gap between each other. An electronics-packed truck takes the lead and handles driving for all the vehicles in the group, meaning there’s still at least one driver in control.
By the end of this year, the SARTRE team hopes to have up to six vehicles rolling in line, with the potential to reduce fuel consumption, congestion and – naturally – driver error in the future. So when’s it coming to market? That’s up to automakers, governments and the rest of us to decide, so we’re still quite a ways out. for more details and to see the system in action.
Episode #266 of the is here with Chris, Dan, Zach and Drew Phillips this week. Topics include the auction, smack talk from the chief, disputing GM’s claim of #1 in the world, and a C7 sighting. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #266:
Barrett-Jackson 2012
In the Autoblog Garage
Hosts: , , ,
Runtime: 01:07:43
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We don’t imagine that many new-car buyers are cross-shopping their local and dealerships, but there’s at least one segment of the automotive industry where the two automakers both play ball: high-performance hybrid luxury sedans, which may be the single most conflicted niche of the automotive sphere in the known universe.
In any case, here we are with the and . Each one is marketed as both a somewhat greener luxury vehicle and a performance sedan. We’d guess it’s the performance side of the equation that would be most interesting to the majority of buyers, leaving fuel efficiency a welcome bonus.
So, ? That’s an interesting question. Usually, we equate that term with top speed, as “fast” connotes velocity. When acceleration is being contested, we generally ask which machine is quickest. And, if it’s quickness you’re after, Infiniti wants you to know that its M35h will out-accelerate its competitor from Germany. How quick is it? According to Motor Trend, the hybrid M goes from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds, but that’s not the stat Infiniti is claiming. According to the post-jump press release, the M35h is “faster” than the hybrid Panamera from 0-100 (11.54 seconds) and in the quarter mile (13.41 seconds).
As for the rest of the relevant statistics, the EPA estimates that the M35h will manage 27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway, for a combined rating of 29. The Porsche Panamera S Hybrid is rated at 22 city, 30 highway and 25 combined. Seems the M hybrid takes both the acceleration and economy awards. Check out a video released by Infiniti , where you’ll also find the press release, if you’re into that kind of thing.
The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. So, apparently, do the world’s automakers. At least, that is, when it comes to Le Mans. Case in point: the new TS030 Hybrid, the Le Mans prototype that the Japanese automaker has just revealed, mere days after from the endurance racing scene.
Shorthand for the third Toyota Sport prototype – following the TS010 and TS020 that challenged Le Mans in the ’90s – the TS030 is the first LMP1 to employ a hybrid drivetrain. (Peugeot was experimenting with a similar system before shutting down its program, and is rumored to be testing one as well, but has yet to announce it to the public.)
Toyota Hybrid System – Racing (THS-R) couples a 3.4-liter V8 to one of two potential electric motor setups: a front-mounted system developed by Aisin AW or a rear-mounted one from Denso. According to regulations, the electric boost can only drive one set of wheels, and Toyota has yet to decide which, although the 500kJ capacitor supplied by Nisshinbo is already a lock.
The carbon fiber chassis, meanwhile, was developed in-house by Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Cologne, Germany – the same outfit that ran the company’s F1 team and has been looking for a new project ever since. The facility will serve as the team’s headquarters as well, from which it will field one car in its debut at the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – the second round of the inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship – on May 5. Toyota is planning to field a second car at Le Mans in June, but while the first car’s driver roster is , the team has yet to decide on its second line-up.
for the full press release and spec sheet, and check out the first batch of official images in the high-res gallery above.
With a gazillion color options for every little part of the , there’s no reason why any two examples should be alike. (Except for maybe an inverse correlation between wealth and imagination.) So it would stand to reason that every should be considered a special edition of one. And that certainly appears to be the case, as the French marque seems to bring out another special edition at every possible opportunity.
That opportunity last arose at the Dubai Motor Show, where Bugatti presented of the Veyron Grand Sport, the vehicle that holds the title of “world’s fastest convertible.” Now the elite marque is returning to the Persian Gulf for the Qatar Motor Show with what appears (to our eyes, at least) to be one of the same examples, decked out in yellow and black – said to be founder Ettore Bugatti’s favorite color combination. Thoughtfully, however, they’ve provided a brace of new real-world photos.
The lower part of the body has been done up in lacquered carbon fiber, the upper part in bright yellow and the wheels in black along. Inside, the center console has likewise been finished in black, with seats clad in yellow leather with black stitching and the inverse for the dashboard, wheel and shifter.
While Molsheim apparently didn’t feel the need to give this particular example a unique name, they might as well have. And for a few euros extra, we’re sure they’d be glad to. As it stands, Bumblebee’s aristocratic Alsatian cousin is available for a princely 1.58 million euros – a little over two million in dead presidents. But if this particular color combination isn’t to your liking, 45 out of the original allotment of 150 units are still available to order, with prices starting at 1.4 million euros. Check out more details in the official press release .
Win on Sunday, sell on Monday. It’s a marketing motto nearly as old as racing itself, but while today’s NASCAR stock cars may have about as much in common with the cars they represent as a Halloween superhero costume from Walmart will actually give your kid superpowers, NASCAR remains the biggest spectator sport in America. So you can imagine that participating automakers would think themselves foolish to pass up the opportunity to make the connection in fans’ eyes to cars they can actually buy at their local dealership.
That’s why the “stock cars” packing engines carry the name and tacked-on fascia of the , racers that of the , while models are made to look like the and makes its racers resemble the . The Blue Oval has gone with the Fusion since 2006, but before that it was the , and for the better part of two decades prior, the Thunderbird. Now that Ford has released a radically redone Fusion, however, it has updated its NASCAR racer to reflect its new look.
Unveiled today at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup car is the product of a year’s worth of design and aerodynamics work, and it’s intended to bridge the widening gap between production and race car. It will undergo what you can bet will be rigorous testing throughout this year in preparation for its race debut at the Daytona 500 in February 2013, but you can check it out now in our high-res image gallery and the pair of press releases after the jump.
is about fulfilling your wildest wheeled fantasies, and sometimes those wheels are bound and held in place by tank treads. Our latest episode takes Jessi and Patrick to Vikings country in the heart of Minnesota. It’s Patrick’s turn to indulge one of his childhood dreams, which means the pair will be piloting a small battalion of tanks through the woods and over, well… you’ll just .
Do you have an idea for The List? to tell us what would be on yours.
You can also to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick.
Elevating The Muscle Car Rivalry To A Whole New Level
versus . It’s one of the greatest rivalries in the world, joining the likes of Coke versus Pepsi and Michigan versus Ohio State. While the and can’t be credited as the first two vehicles to start the Blue Oval and Golden Bowtie wars, it’s fair to say the two muscle cars kicked the battle into high gear in the 1960s.
Wherever there are rivals, you can be sure there will also be healthy levels of both respect and distaste for one another. In fact, emotions from Ford fans following the debut of both the and culminated in Camaro lead engineer Al Oppenheiser being unwittingly cast in the lead role of another . Perhaps it was …
Of course, none of this ZL1 versus GT500 smack-talk will amount to anything if either car isn’t up to snuff. With that in mind, At Chevrolet’s behest, we traveled to the Bondurant Road Course just south of Phoenix, Arizona to put the 2012 Camaro ZL1 through its paces.
Few drivers have caused the kind of speculation that Kimi Raikkonen has in the past few years alone. Will he take a payoff and make way for Fernando Alonso? Will he find another ride in Formula One? Will he make it in the World Rally Championship? Will he make a real go of it in NASCAR? Will he ever come back to F1? And if so, with which team? Well, the speculation can now stop – or at least change focus – because the 2007 World Champion has officially returned to Formula One.
After signing on with the team (previously known as Renault, and before that as Benneton and Toleman), Raikkonen has had his first chance to get behind the wheel of a modern F1 car since leaving the Scuderia at the end of 2009. The test took place over the course of two days at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain. But since driving the current car with current tires would constitute an unfair advantage under the present regulations, Kimi was stuck driving the on demonstration tires (probably from the GP2 series) with a fresh coat of paint (and a new helmet design).
The acclimation run appears to have gone smoothly enough, but we’ll have to wait until the start of the season in March to see if Raikkonen’s still got what it takes. Then Raikkonen will be squaring off against a huge field of fellow former World Champions, including Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. to watch the video clip.
Torrance, CA is going to the front of the line. has delivered its first EV to the city government Friday as part of an EV demonstration program that will include an unspecified number of the little electric vehicles in tests before the consumer launch in limited markets (read: California and Oregon) happens this summer. Torrance will also get a Honda plug-inhybrid in the future.
From the sound of Honda’s language, it appears that Torrance – as well as Google Inc. and Stanford University, the other test partners – will only get one Fit EV. Honda’s press release (available after the jump) says:
Each program participant will provide Honda with real-world feedback on the Fit EV. Individually, each participant will use the Fit EV to further initiatives such as research into human behavior and various usages like personal, fleet and car-sharing.
However many Fits are tested, what’s more important is how real-world drivers will be able to make use of this car when it becomes available. With an expected lease price of $399 and a range of 123 miles in the city (76 miles city/highway combined) from a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery, the Fit does offer up some good numbers. Throw in a three-hour recharge time (from a 240V, Level 2 charger) and you’ve got a potential winner. In limited markets, anyway. Get more details on the Fit EV .
We’re almost ready to record Episode #266 of the Autoblog Podcast. Check out the topics below and you can join us live via , as well, and we’ve embedded our UStream player Thanks for listening!
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #266
Flip through the pages of CAR, EVO or Top Gear, and it’s obvious the British motoring press has an unhealthy obsession with getting sideways. Not that we can blame them. We enjoy a healthy dab of oppo as much as the next guy, but when the about opposite lock shenanigans, you know it’s getting out of hand.
Despite this, AutoCar has started up its own version of Blendtec’s puerile “Does it Blend?” series with Will it Drift?
After putting the latest to the test, next up is Mugen’s interpretation of the Ariel Atom. But will its 270 horsepower four-pot be enough to overcome the R-compound rubber? And if it does, is the wheelbase too short to keep the slide going? to find out.
It isn’t every day that offers an electric vehicle, but the ActiveE is just that. The German luxury car maker is now accepting applications for 700 ActiveE “Electronauts” in the test markets of Boston, Hartford, New York, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco.
The hand-raisers will need to complete a charging station consultation with BMW Partner AeroVironment to make sure the house of the perspective lessee can handle a charger. The meeting will also serve as a teaching session to make sure the user understands the charging and maintenance of an electric vehicle.
Once the perspective lessee meets those criteria, they will be given the opportunity to lease the
4,000-pound, electrified 1 Series Coupe for 24 months at $499 per month, plus $2,250 down. to look over the BMW press release, and head over to if you’re interested in learning more about the ActiveE.
Last we heard, was planning to bring its new A-Class to North America, a market where the current model has never been sold. But whether it makes the trek or not, there’s little question that the new premium hatchback will be a vital product for Daimler.
While the current A-Class hasn’t been a smashing success, the segment has grown into an important one for luxury automakers like with its and with its . The new model, however, aims to take a slice of that particular pie once it debuts as anticipated in production form at the upcoming in a couple of months from now.
We’ve already , and even in . Now Mercedes has released a video clip showing a prototype strutting its stuff on the open road, but instead of the usual body-cladding or shape-disguising camouflage, the German automaker has covered the mule in QR codes to enable the legions of smartphone-toting fans the opportunity to peer into the future of the premium hatchback. Check out the video clip for a closer look.
We record Episode #266 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below. Check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #266
Barrett-Jackson 2012
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Last Summer showed off its technology created in partnership with the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. It turned a rear window into an augmented-reality screen that would keep kids interested in something other than asking “Are we there yet?” Now has showed off a similar bit of kit called Windows of Opportunity, developed with the Bezalel School of Art and Design in Israel.
GM’s Windows concept is aimed just as much at kids as adults. The team came up with four different apps that provided interactivity ranging from a virtual take on drawing on foggy windows to checking what was on other augmented windows on cars around the world. We’re probably a long way from seeing something like this in production, but you know you can look forward to the day when your kid monitors your driving style from his child seat. for the full press release and a short video on GM’s new tech.
has started throwing stones at the . The Japanese luxury brand aims to pit its against the electrified German five-door in a fight for the title of the world’s fastest-accelerating production full hybrid. How’s that for a mouthful? The Porsche Panamera S Hybrid dishes out 380 horsepower and is good for a 0-60 mph time of around 5.7 seconds, all while returning up to 30 mpg highway. Of course, you’ll be asked to pay for the privilege of ownership. The Panamera S Hybrid commands an MSRP of $95,000.
The Infiniti M Hybrid, meanwhile, is good for 360 horsepower from a 3.5-liter V6 engine and a potent electric motor. Infiniti hasn’t outright said how quickly the M Hybrid can do the 0-60 mph dash, but we can say from experience that the vehicle is no pushover. All told, the M Hybrid can deliver up to 32 mpg highway, but is it quicker than the Porsche?
We’ll find out tomorrow. to see the teaser for yourself.
This beaten and battered prototype is proof that you can buy just about any type of vehicle at . The car was used as an SVT test car to develop the 2013 Shelby GT500, and was piloted at race tracks like Sebring Raceway and at Ford’s Arizona proving grounds. Even himself had a stint in the car to test its merits.
From the look of it, the GT500 prototype is still in testing condition. There is plenty of dirt and grime still on the front of the car, and various wiring and diagnostic equipment are still inside the vehicle. Even so, the car is a piece of rolling history, and the bidding represented that. As an added bonus, the winner gets the opportunity to buy the first production 2013 GT500 from .
The Shelby commanded $300,000 – all of which was generously donated by Ford to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. You can see our live photos of the car above or watch a video of its auction .
