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If you aren’t happy with a Ferrari-sourced 4.7-liter V8 under the hood of your Maserati, we’d keep that sentiment to yourself, less your brand be saddled with a somewhat less inspired powerplant in the near future. According to Inside Line, shadowy sources at the Italian automaker claim that in the near future, a twin-turbocharged version of the 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged Pentastar V6 (you know, from Chrysler) may replace the thirsty eight-pots.

Don’t get us wrong. The Pentastar is a fine engine and it’s done much for the entire Chrysler lineup, but converting the engine from its everyman roots into a fire breather capable of lighting the tires of a Maserati is something entirely different.

IL is also reporting that Ferrari is working on shying away from naturally aspirated engines. The Prancing Horse is supposedly hard at work on a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 good for 750 horsepower. That miracle mill is slated to power the next iteration of the company’s FXX.

Maserati getting twin-turbo Pentastar V6

Inconsistent Brilliance

I have a general rule: Don’t turn off traction control in anything over 350 horsepower. Adhering to this self-imposed restriction has kept your humble hack out of the weeds more times than I can count. But on my second-to-last lap around Laguna Seca in the 2011 Lotus Evora S, I just couldn’t help myself. After all, it’s only making 345 horses…

Just as I was cresting the ton down the front straight, I held down the aluminum button on the left side of the dash, saw the orange light illuminate on the instrument cluster and dove into Turn One with a fair amount of trailbraking. As the front end began to ever-so-slightly wash out, I gave it the boot and performed one of those life-affirming powerslides through One and Two, making the slightest of corrections on the wheel, grazing the curbing with the right rear tire and powering into the slight left hander that leads into Turn Three.

Ego briefly stroked, I reengaged the electro-nannies, barreled through Four and Five, and with Sport Mode set, managed a four-wheel-drift through turn six before making the long trek up to The Corkscrew.

Good cars make you feel like a hero. Great cars compliment and connect with every fiber of your being. The Evora S falls into the latter camp. And it’s even better on the open road.

Continue reading 2011 Lotus Evora S

2011 Lotus Evora S

Chevrolet has a few upgrades in store for the mighty 2012 Corvette ZR1. One of which is a set of optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure Tires. Coupled with the the Performance Traction Management (PTM) system, the 2012 ZR1 is going to be one fast grippy guppy.

Chevrolet wanted to find out how the new car handles one of the worlds most exciting roads, so a trip to Germany and a ticket to the Nürburgring were in order. In 2008, a Corvette ZR1 ran around the infamous track in 7:26.4. The 2012 car blew that time away with a 7:19.63 blast around the ‘Ring – that’s a six-second improvement, for those who don’t feel like doing the math. Want to ride shotgun on the 12.9-mile journey? Put on your helmet, click past the jump and check out the clip.

Continue reading 2012 Corvette ZR1 shaves six seconds off its ‘Ring time

2012 Corvette ZR1 shaves six seconds off its ‘Ring time

The rumormill is churning at full steam over whispers that General Motors is once again considering selling Opel. According to Reuters, two German magazines have reported similar tales without citing any sources, saying that GM is concerned that Opel won’t be able to return to profitability anytime soon. The General hasn’t commented on the situation publicly, but called the talk speculation in a letter to its employees. That comes after Dan Akerson, CEO of GM, said that Opel is continuing to bleed cash despite selling more vehicles than before.

The murky reports of Opel’s sale claim that the automaker could go to a number of potential buyers. Those include the usual suspects like any one of a multitude of unnamed Chinese automakers or more curiously, Volkswagen. The logic behind a VW purchase of Opel is based on the fact that the people’s automaker has fat stacks of cash on hand and an unwavering thirst to be the world’s largest automaker. Reuters reports that Volkswagen refused to comment on the situation.

GM once again mulling sale of Opel?

Back in January, ZF Friedrichshafen AG promised a nine-speed transmission, and now the gearbox specialists are ready to deliver some details. ZF claims that the 9HP transmission has been designed for front-wheel-drive vehicles with transversely mounted engines. More importantly for automakers looking to hit ever-increasing fuel economy standards, the transmission will also be able to improve fuel economy by up to 16 percent versus vehicles with the now commonplace six-speed auto. The supplier claims that at optimal fuel consumption speeds the 9HP will allow the engine to run at 1,900 RPM, as apposed to 2,600 revolutions in a typical six-speed-equipped model.

Since ZF is in need of OEMs to include the new 9HP into their products, the supplier went out of its way to make sure the gearbox can adapt to many different applications. The transmission will reportedly be able to handle all-wheel-drive and hybrid duty, and it will be able to handle between 200 and 353 pound-feet of torque. ZF also designed the 9HP to be a “construction kit,” with an additional transfer case for all-wheel-drive. It is also stop-start capable, and without the need for an additional oil pump.

ZF hasn’t released a timetable detailing when the nine-speed transmission could make its way into production vehicles, but we’re guessing some automakers will jump at the chance to feature nine forward gears. For perspective on the 16 percent fuel economy jump, a mid-size sedan that now hits 35 miles per gallon on the highway now could theoretically hit 40 or 41 mpg. Hit the jump to read over the ZF press release, which includes plenty of detail for the engineers among us.

Continue reading ZF debuts world’s first nine-speed transmission, promises 16% better fuel economy

ZF debuts world’s first nine-speed transmission, promises 16% better fuel economy

$32,998. That’s the price that Mitsubishi Motors has announced for the i-MiEV in Canada when the little space egg goes on sale there later this year. (That’s $33,891 U.S. at today’s exchange rate).

Yes, Canada will get the i-MiEV, and not the fatter, longer U.S.-only i that will cost $27,990 (seen in the gallery below). The Canadian i-MiEV will be available in two trim levels: standard and premium. There’s nothing all that exciting about the standard version (A/C, heated driver’s seat and remote keyless entry) but the premium package adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 15-inch alloy wheels and an improved stereo, along with navigation (full details available after the jump) for $35,998 ($36,972). Both versions are targeted to have a range of 135 kilometers (84 miles) and have a 130 km/h top speed (81 mph).

The i-MiEV is no stranger to Canada, having spent time in a 50-vehicle test fleet in 2010. Oh, and the coast-to-coast reference in the image above? We think that this is a pretty clear reference to the Clean Across Canada Tour that Mitsubishi took the electric jellybean on last year. Read more about that plug-in adventure here.

One last thing – ABG reader Keith R came up with this interesting table of price differences between the U.S. and Canada for three of the best-known plug-in vehicles (not factoring in the exchange rate), and it makes for interesting reading:

Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Standard $27,990 (U.S.) vs. $32,998 (CAN) = +17.9 percent
Premium $29,990 (U.S.) vs. $35,998 (CAN) = +20 percent

Nissan Leaf
SV $32,780 (U.S.) vs. $38,395 (CAN) = +17.1 percent
SL $33,720 (U.S.) vs. $39,995 (CAN) = +18.6 percent

Chevrolet Volt
$41,000 (U.S.) vs. $41,545 (CAN) = +1.3 percent

Continue reading Mitsubishi sets Canadian i-MiEV price at $32,998

Mitsubishi sets Canadian i-MiEV price at $32,998

Quaker State could pay you up to $3,000 for reaching 300,000 miles as part of its Cash Back Bonus Program. By the time many cars reach 300,000 miles, they’re hardly worth the price of the fuel in the tank, but if your vehicle is less than 72 months old and has less than 75,000 miles on the odometer, you can enroll in the Quaker State Lubrication Limited Warranty program. The warranty covers vital engine parts against failures related to lubrication. Once you’re enrolled in the Limited Warranty program, you can get in on the Cash Back Bonus before rolling 100,000 miles.

Needless to say, using Quaker State oil is a requirement, and the company is touting its latest products, which range from full synthetic to synthetic blends to higher-mileage formulations. Meet all the requirements, and you’ll get a cash payment equal to the Kelley Blue Book trade-in value of your vehicle, up to $3,000. The oil company will give you the money without taking the car, too, so you can spruce up Old Betsy and stay on the road for another 300K. Check out the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Quaker State will pay you $3K for reaching 300K miles on its oil

Quaker State will pay you $3K for reaching 300K miles on its oil

The future is looking bright for the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata. According to Inside Line, the head honchos at the Japanese automaker have instructed the company’s engineers to strip a whopping 720 pounds from the vehicles already comparably light 2,480-pound curb weight. If successful, that would put the new comer into the feathery 1,760-pound range, which is 400 pounds less than the first-generation roadster. How do they plan to do it? Engineers are turning to high-strength steel for the vehicle’s chassis and contemplating a smaller-displacement engine.

A turbocharged, direct-injection 1.4-liter four pot could work its way under the hood, though IL reports that the vehicle may also be considerably narrower than the current car. Other clever weight-saving moves include the deletion of the dashboard glove box and the replacement of the traditional paper owner’s manual with an electronic copy on a USB stick.

Here’s hoping you’ve got your laptop on you the next time you need to check your service intervals.

The report claims that the engineers at Mazda aren’t entirely sure they can hit the weight target, but the vehicle will be much closer to the waif-like 2,178-lb 1989 Miata than the heftier 2011 model.

Mazda targeting 1,760-pound target for next Miata – 400 pounds lighter than first-gen

Car sales fell for the first time in eight months in May. According to Kicking Tires, it took dealers 54 days to move a brand-new vehicle off their lots compared to 48 days in April, thanks in part to steep fuel costs, supply issues due to the earthquake and tsunami tragedies in Japan and skimpy incentives.

But the news isn’t all bad. A few star models bucked the trend, including the 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The compact popped off of dealer lots in just three days, effectively cinching the title as the quickest-selling model of May. In fact, the 2011 Elantra landed itself in second place by only lingering 7 days on the lot.

Kicking Tires points out that the Chrysler 200 is also beating the average. The Sebring successor took 19 days on average to find a new home.

Meanwhile, the 2011 Jaguar XKR found itself at the very bottom of the list. The high-power coupe languishes on showrooms for an average of 212 days. The Infiniti M56 is next up from the basement. The sedan takes 173 days to sell on average. Head over to Kicking Tires for a closer look.

Days On Lot: What cars are moving the quickest and slowest out of showrooms?

It’s not always the lucky automotive journalists that get first crack at the world’s newest automobiles. Sometimes an automaker will hand over the keys to someone more… special. Mercedes-Benz has done just that, giving tennis superstar Roger Federer some seat time in the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster.

Federer is very impressed with the car, and we’re very impressed with the glass-smooth desert road he found to push the Merc’s pedal down to the carpet. The new droptop is a looker that also makes truly glorious noises thanks to its 563-horsepower 6.3-liter V8. We suggest you see and hear for yourself in the video posted after the jump.

We bet Federer’s just happy he’s not facing Rafael Nadal in a race…

Continue reading Roger Federer ditches racquet for SLS AMG Roadster

Roger Federer ditches racquet for SLS AMG Roadster

The sporty German two-door may be wearing camo in these photos, but it certainly looks like we’re going to see the naked BMW M6 in the very near future.

The convertible has already been subjected to the spy photographer’s lens, but now its time for the cam-clad coupe to jump into the spotlight. We expect both the drop-top and hardtop to pack the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that’s found under the hood of the newest M5. Output for that hi-po sedan is rated at 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque.

It’s going to be tough, but we’ll just have to sit tight for BMW to ditch the psychedelic paint job before we can see the coupe and its engine up close and personal. For now, these exterior spy shots will have to do.

BMW M6 coupe looks production-ready

Nissan, Japan’s second-largest automaker, apparently believes it has a more talented executive staff than Toyota or Honda. According to company CEO Carlos Ghosn, Nissan delivers its shareholders “the best performance possible with the best talent.”

Talent like that deserves to be rewarded, and Nissan is happy to put its money where its mouth is. According to Bloomberg, Nissan, the second-largest automaker in Japan, pays its executive staff at least double that of Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda.

Here are the numbers: Toyota paid an average of 41 million yen ($513,279) per executive, plus bonuses of 13 million each. Honda paid an average of 31 million yen ($388,089) per executive, plus bonuses of 15 million yen each. Nissan paid an average of 186.4 million yen ($2.3 million) per executive, which doesn’t include a total of 194 million yen of share appreciation rights divided up amongst the top seven execs.

Ghosn earned more money than any other Japanese CEO (at least among companies that report such figures) with a total of 891 million yen, which translates at current exchange rates to a $11.1 million. A heap of cash to be sure, but still shy of the $27 million Alan Mulally, America’s top-paid auto executive, made last year, not including uncashed stock option bonuses.

While it could be argued that Nissan’s execs deserve such compensation – the company posted a net income of 31 billion yen for the first three months of the year while Toyota posted a loss – the pay scale actually appears to follow a similar format as previous years.

Nissan bigwigs paid twice as much as Honda, Toyota counterparts

The United States government still has a vested interest in the success of General Motors. In fact, the U.S. government is sitting on 500 million shares, which are currently worth about $14.3 billion dollars based on current prices. There is a problem, though, as the U.S. Treasury Department was hoping to get a larger pile of green for its GM investment.

When GM initially hit the stock market with its IPO, the per-share price was $33. Now, it’s down around $28.78, which doesn’t sound like much of a drop, but across 500 million shares, that figure represents a massive hit to the wallet.

For the time being, BusinessWeek reports that the U.S. government is going to sit on the stock in the hopes that it climbs back to IPO levels.

U.S. hesitant to sell its GM stock due to low price

Honda is heading to Le Mans. No, we’re not talking about the Acura ARX-02a that competes against Audi and Peugeot in the LMP class. Honda Performance Development is taking its race-prepped CR-Z to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to run exhibition laps before the start of the big show.

Currently, the HPD CR-Z serves as pace car for the Speed EuroSeries. It’s also spent time running on American soil, when Honda entered the hybrid racer in the Spinal Tap of endurance racing, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The car ran wonderfully, finishing 2nd in its class.

The stripped-down racing CR-Z produces 200-horsepower and 201 pound-feet of torque. That energy is funneled through a six-speed manual gearbox, and we’re pretty certain the whole setup rotates rather nicely thanks to the 7kWh Li-ion battery pack in the back. Check out more details in our gallery and in the official press release after the jump.

Continue reading Honda Performance Development CR-Z ready to hit Le Mans

Honda Performance Development CR-Z ready to hit Le Mans

Stylish Five-Door Earns Respect Right Out Of The Box

It’s only just arrived, and the new 2012 Audi A7 reminds us of a trusted old friend. That’s quite a compliment.

The five-door is fresh on the scene, with gorgeously sleek sheetmetal hiding an advanced supercharged engine and all-wheel drive. Inside, there is a four-place cabin loaded with luxury and some of the industry’s most innovative technology. Impressive, but that isn’t what sets the Audi apart.

While most original designs require time for familiarization, the A7 seems to be an exception. Unlike most cars that cross our paths, this new luxury hatchback welcomes occupants into one of the warmest and most inviting passenger cabins we have encountered in years. Even though it is thoroughly modern and sophisticated, all controls are intuitively placed and their operation is second nature. Everything, from throttle and steering response to passenger space and cargo utility, works exactly as one would expect it to.

This may sound crazy, but after just two minutes behind the wheel, we are as comfortable as if we were entering the tenth year of a long relationship…

Continue reading 2012 Audi A7

2012 Audi A7

A group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students may have come up with the perfect solution to our electric vehicle charging woes. Instead of relying on lithium or nickel, the new battery design stores its electrons in semi-solid flow cells. Charged particles are suspended in an electrolyte solution and pumped between compartments used for storing or releasing energy. The tech supposedly makes the batteries up to ten times more efficient than their traditional counterparts, and even more importantly, the new tech is cheaper to produce. Estimates say that the design could cut the size and expense of current batteries by as much as 50 percent.

That’s all well and good, but the really cool part is that charging the cells is as simple as pumping the drained fluid out and pumping fresh charged fluid in. That means that getting on your way could take as little time as a standard gasoline fill-up, greatly reducing the inconvenience and range woes associated with modern EVs. An operational prototype is expected to be completed in the next 18 months or so.

MIT students develop liquid fuel for electric cars

Nova Scotian Lee Wilbur is without a driving license, and his Registry of Motor Vehicles isn’t looking to give him a new one anytime soon. What did Mr. Wilbur do? According to the CBC, he tailgated and flashed his high beams at a woman who cut him off, while she was talking on her cell phone. That’s it, according to Lee. Four months later, he received a ticket for failing to remain at the scene of an accident, and his license was toast.

The odd part, is that Wilbur was never convicted of any crime, and his case was dismissed. Despite this, the RMV refuses to give Wilbur a new license and has denied his appeal of their decision. While we can’t condone tailgating and even the minor bouts of road rage, this appears to be a case of one group stepping over the limits of its power, and the full story posted over at CBC News Canada will only have you scratching your head.

Is there a side of this story we’re missing, or is the Canadian government coming down a little too hard on Wilbur? Sound off in Comments.

Canadian motorist’s license revoked without driving conviction

Nissan has officially cranked out 1 million of the company’s Frontier pickup trucks. By the time the first truck to bear the Frontier name rolled off of the line in 1997 as a 1998 model, Nissan had already established itself as a purveyor of fiendishly tough, inexpensive midsized pickups. According to PickupTrucks.com, the Japanese automaker first got into the American truck market back in 1959 when the Datsun 1000 landed on our shores. But it wasn’t until the Datsun 520 showed up six years later that sales began to really take off.

Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to manufacture pickups in the U.S. in 1983 when the company began producing vehicles at its Smyrna, Tennessee plant. The move avoided a 25-percent tariff on foreign-built pickups, and since then, Nissan has built more than 2 million small trucks at the facility.

PickupTrucks.com reports that Nissan is working hard at the next-generation Frontier, but the model is facing poor sales at the moment. Last year, the automaker managed to sell just under 40,500 units – less than half of the 100,000 Hardbody pickups Nissan sold in 1987. Head over to PickupTrucks.com for an excellent rundown of the history of Nissan trucks in America.

Nissan Frontier hits 1,000,000 units

Love cars? Surely, then, you spent many a classroom hour doodling them all over their book covers and binders. Sometimes they looked kinda cool, while other times you wish you had used pencil instead of pen. A new book is in the works that will help budding automotive designers hone their skill, and the octavo will serve as both a sketchbook and a reference guide. It’s called I DRAW CARS, and you can help bring it to life.

The team behind the book is currently asking for help on the Kickstarter.com website, and they’ve nearly hit their goal. There is still room to help out, and for some we’d think this would be money well spent.

I DRAW CARS was created to inspire and guide those who are intrigued by automotive design. The guide portion of the book breaks down the various vehicle segments being produced, as well as the various angles and perspectives one might choose to pen a design. The templates utilize non-photo blue ink, which means you can scan your design into a computer and the template won’t come through, leaving just your image behind.

The project aims to put a great tool in the hands of those who dream to someday design the real thing. Check it out at the official website, and head over to Kickstarter if you feel like pitching in.

I DRAW CARS book coming for budding car designers

Our first live Autoblog Podcast is in the books, and we thank our fantastic listeners for participating with us as we tried something new. Chris, Zach and Dan covered the Ford Ecoboost three cylinder and eight-speed transmission, the F20 BMW 1 Series, five-star crash ratings for both the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf and Ford’s tech glitches before moving on to a full-on interactive podcast with listener feedback in real time.

Check it out to hear how it went down live, and you can catch it as it happens next week at our UStream channel, as well as the traditional ways we’ve always offered. Our Q&A module switched to live mode during the recording as well, and we’ve embedded that after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #233:

• Ford EcoBoost 3 cylinder and 8-speed transmission
• BMW F20 1 Series
• Chevrolet Volt 5-Star rating and Nissan Leaf 5-Star NCAP rating
• Ford tech glitches

In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Volvo S60
2011 Hyundai Equus
2011 Chevrolet Equinox

Feedback
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Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

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Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #233: The podcast goes live! Hear what you missed

Autoblog Podcast #233: The podcast goes live! Hear what you missed