We’re losing track of how many top gunners post high-speed-run videos on public roads on YouTube and then get busted. Police take that tomfoolery personally, and you’d think they put the entire department on the case judging by how quickly the perps get caught.
Latest on the list is a Canadian motorcyclist who took his Yamaha on the Trans-Canada Highway and . CBC News now reports that the unidentified rider in question is 25 years old, unlicensed, riding an uninsured Yamaha R1 registered in his mother’s name. Then there’s the small matter of his 25 previous infractions.
Police wasted no time tracking down YouTube poster “Joe Blow,” but he’s been uncooperative up to now. We have no idea why he wasn’t in jail already after 25 violations, but we’re guessing his Internet handle will soon be changed to “Three Hots and a Cot.” to refresh your memory with a video demonstration of his stupidity.
The 2012 Targa Tasmania is officially underway, having started on the 17th of April. While we’d give (nearly) any portion of our anatomy to see the spectacle in the flesh, we’ll simply have to content ourselves with living vicariously through the miracle of YouTube for the time being.
Competitors use the prologue stages to work out any kinks in their vehicle as well as get a feel for the competition. As always, the range of vehicles in attendance is as wide as it gets. We’re particularly fond of the fire-spitting , though the sight of a Holden Commodore SS ute thrashing about puts a smile on our faces, too.
The Targa runs through April 22, covering 366 miles of transit and rally stages in the process. We’ll do our best to keep up with the coverage. In the meantime, you can check out the competitor list at the and click for the Prologue recap.
When it comes to German luxury vehicles, it’s always the same old story: and duking it out for first place, with gaining ground while locking down third. So why should it be any different when it comes to naming conventions? BMW has clearly taken the lead for which car brand can have the most confusing and illogical alphanumeric badging, and thus, Mercedes is readying a new naming regimen of its own.
According to a report in Automobile, Benz will be completely overhauling the familiar “-Class” designations to make them more logical. To Germans. Who are engineers. How will this shake out? We’ve read the article three times and can’t make much sense of it, but Automobile indicates that we should expect SUV’s and crossovers to continue using the G prefix, while coupes and convertibles will use the C prefix, and the prefix will be reserved for sports cars. After that, well, we give up.
Supposedly a third letter of the name will designate the model range, meaning that the front-drive, four-door coupe based on the A- and B-Class architecture won’t be called CLC, but . And the forthcoming will be unveiled as the GLA. The GLK will probably get renamed GLC, according to the magazine, and now we’ve entered the rabbit hole, because as Automobile writes:
But what of the rumored A-Class based coupe and cabriolet models? CLA comes to mind, but this name is already spoken for. Would it make more sense if the CLC-turned-CLA is renamed once again to become the CLB, since its MFA platform is also shared with the B-Class? If so, Benz has to move quickly, as at the .
Then there’s the problem with the . It won’t be receiving a new name, according to the report, which means the forthcoming two-door version of the can’t be called CLS. And the won’t get any of the extra letters, retaining its single-letter name.
So there you have it. If Automobile is correct, Mercedes’ new naming scheme will take something that was confusing and illogical and make sure it’s still confusing and illogical, but unfamiliar as well.
Argentinian rally champ can attest to the udderly day-ruining power of hitting a wayward cow on an ATV at open throttle. There’s no way to know for sure, but we can guess Bonetto was thinking, “Oh, that’s bull…!” right before T-boning this side of beef. Unlike some cows, most ATVs don’t have horns, and even if Bonetto’s did, there was little chance of it being herd over the roar of his quad. Plus, ATVs aren’t exactly known for quick steering.
At the last moment, the cow tries to hoof it out of the whey but gets creamed anyway. The resulting crash will make your blood curdle. Luckily, Bonetto is chucked from his ride because it becomes hogtied with a barbed wire fence, rendered unusable for the rest of the race. The cow? Of course it ran off to hide, likely to get a good ribbing at the next celebrity roast. The race probably ground to a halt.
This wasn’t Bonetto’s first rodeo, and we’ll steak our reputation on the bet that he’ll go a little slower next time. And, yes, we know the video is from 2011. We thought we’d milk it just a bit more.
The challenge of small, efficient and clever hatchbacks catching on with the American masses is a long story that shows infrequent signs of becoming less challenging. The bottom line is that most U.S. consumers feel such vehicles are simply too small for our wide-open-spaces sensibilities. This smallness is only enhanced when one looks around while stopped at American intersections, only to see big and tall sheetmetal in all directions. There are admittedly serious strides being made in this segment in various U.S. markets, usually of the urban variety and on the coasts, but it will always be a struggle.
The last time Peugeot tried directly communicating in American English with imported product was back in 1991 with its 505 and 405 ranges that unceremoniously flopped. There was ongoing talk at that time of bringing over the 205 hatchback to try and improve things, but we missed out and Peugeot was gone. Perhaps the seven percent of PSA Peugeot-Citroën now owned by General Motors will someday result in the importing of the solid hatchback tested here, but I won’t hold my breath.
Recently, the new Peugeot 208 was all over the French giant’s show stand at the , together with its legendary GTi trim and new XY upmarket trim. Back in 1984, it was the 105-horsepower 205 GTi that established the legend of the French hot hatch. While the 206 was then a smash hit with buyers between 1998 and 2006, the subsequently larger 207 has been far less popular in the face of much improved competitors – a group that blossomed from just 16 different models on the European market in 1998 to now 27 separate hatches today. In its prime, the 206 outsold even the mighty Volkswagen Golf and stayed at the top of Europe’s sales charts for a time. The outgoing 207, however, has routinely lingered behind the and Polo, Renault Clio, Opel Astra and Corsa, not to mention the and .
Anything can do, McLaren can do better. At least that’s what the boys in Woking seem to believe. After all, McLaren has trounced Ferrari around the Formula One circuit for the past several years now. But while the British team has followed its Italian rival from grand prix racing into building supercars with the McLaren F1, and (most recently) the MP4-12C, one thing Ferrari does that McLaren doesn’t is grand tourers. And with the advent of the , shooting brakes.
That could all change, however, if the latest rumors are to be believed. (Which is something which, in this case, we wouldn’t take for granted.) According to the rumormongers over at Auto Express, McLaren is preparing a shooting brake based of the MP4-12C (pictured above, flashing its air brake). Now given that the 12C is a mid-engined supercar and not a front-engined GT like the Ferrari Four, we’d say that makes about as much sense as Renault reaching back into its showcar history to build the .
The rumors further state that the McLaren shooting brake (fancy-talk for a two-door wagon) would go downmarket to rival the – which is something we’ve been expecting McLaren to pursue sometime after the MP4 roadster and the upmarket successor to the original F1 supercar. But something’s a little amiss here, so for the time being, we’ll take this particular report with a grain of salt that would dwarf Lot’s wife. Then again, we did run into McLaren design director Frank Stephenson checking out the in Paris last year…
The Lamborghini SUV that we’ll shortly be ogling over when it’s introduced at the has a name: the Urus. That’s the word according to Chinese media, at least, which would for some other Lambo creation.
We’ll save you the trip to Wikipedia: a “urus” is an extinct European ox, Bos primigenius, a forebearer of domestic cattle whose last example roamed the Polish forests until 1627. A shaggy-haired, plodding bovine is a bit down on excitement compared to its taurean siblings, so we’ll also keep Urus Khan – descendent of Gehghis and ruler of at least one horde – in the naming inspiration pool. In keeping with Lamborghini tradition, there’s presumably a fighting bull that’s carried the name at some point, as well.
The Urus is expected to have a from the , a rumored 584-horsepower and $200,000 price tag. It’s slated for a 2015 release, and following that could be a hybrid that pushes past the 600-hp mark. Stay tuned for official images and information as the Urus rolls out in Beijing.
When sold and to Tata Motors for $2.5 billion, the auto industry was in rough shape. And it didn’t help that the luxury combo pack didn’t exactly have a lineup full of fresh rides.
Only four years have past since that historic sale, but the industry is in much better shape and new vehicles like the and have seemingly done wonders for the luxury brands. In fact, Tata’s investment may be in much better shape than most anyone would have thought. According to Bloomberg, analysts predict that an Initial Public Offering could show that the brands are worth a combined $14 billion.
That’s a monumental return on investment, and there are plenty of reasons for the lofty estimate. Tata reportedly earned $2 billion off JLR in 2011, and sales are at all-time highs. The brands are also expecting major growth in China and Russia, and Tata has promised to double its investment in new products. Tata has also pledged 40 new or refreshed models in the next five years, which is likely more new metal than some full-line manufacturers would be willing to promise.
But while JLR is apparently worth an estimated $14 billion, it appears that Tata isn’t quite ready to issue an IPO. Company spokesman Debasis Ray told Bloomberg in an email that Tata is planning to fund the brands through internal cash accruals.
Several years ago, we were surprised to discover that the Yugo was still being made. Sometimes dubbed the worst car in history, Serbian automaker Zastava continued producing the Yugo through 2008 when rolled off the assembly line in Kragujevac after a twenty-year production run. That was only months after inked a to buy the company and its assets, including the factory.
Now almost four years later, Fiat has finished upgrading the Cold War-era assembly plant into what it now calls its most advanced factory yet. Inaugurated just the other day by Chrysler/Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne and Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, the former Zastava plant has undergone a billion-euro renovation, including new production shops, machinery, infrastructure, landscaping and roof over a 1.4 million square meter site.
By the end of the year, the plant will employ a workforce of some 2,400. Their first task will be production of the new 500L mini-minivan (pictured above), which is scheduled to begin delivery (at a rate of as many as 200,000 units each year) from the former Yugoslavian country to markets across Europe and around the world later this year.
You’ve probably heard it a hundred times before: a product or service calling itself the of its category, or the of another. Well you might call the St. Regis the of hotels, and not by some spurious correlation.
The British automaker has been using the chain’s high-end hotels around the world for years to launch its new models, and last year kicked the relationship up a notch by hosting a driving event through the Italian countryside for Bentley owners and guests of the St. Regis hotels in Rome and Florence. Now that they’re done flirting, the two luxury marques are about to consummate the relationship with a more comprehensive partnership.
The freshly inked collaboration will see fleets of stationed at St. Regis hotels around the world from Singapore and Abu Dhabi to the flagship location in Manhattan. But that’s not the end of it.
The St. Regis and its associated locations in The Luxury Collection of hotels and resorts in the Starwood group will also be hosting a series of driving programs, special events and brand initiatives for Bentley and guests of the hotels, starting with the Springtime Bentley Grand Tour that will take participants over the course of two days from Vienna to Salzburg behind the wheel of the new . for the full press release.
It may come as a shock, but diesel cars are doing well outside of their traditional European home. The just-released shows that , but the real story is that we might be seeing the start of a golden era for diesel-powered cars in the U.S. In fact, clean diesel sales were up 35 percent in the first quarter of 2012 over Q1 2011, a trend – and it is a trend, since diesel sales were up 27 percent in 2011 – that the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) says is due to higher fuel prices pushing people into the efficient oil-burners.
Allen Schaeffer, DTF’s executive director, said in a statement that, “I expect clean diesel auto sales to increase further as several new diesel cars are introduced in the U.S. market in the next year.”
Right now, it’s pretty much all Jetta TDI, all the time.
Once those other vehicles arrive, we’ll see how the market shakes out. Right now, it’s pretty much all , all the time. A while back, we spoke with Lars Ullrich, the director of marketing and business excellence, diesel systems North America, for Robert Bosch LLC. He told us that diesel Jettas made up 44 percent of all diesels sold in the U.S. last year, which makes the Jetta sort of the Prius of diesels in America. Last year, had 58 percent of all diesel sales in the U.S.
Does this mean the Jetta TDI is “the” diesel in the U.S.? Ullrich said it depends on how you look at the numbers. About 60 percent of all s sold in the U.S. in 2011, for example, were diesel, but the A3 sells in smaller numbers overall than the Jetta. When you have diesels available in high-volume models, he said, you end up selling a lot of diesels.
Diesel-powered passenger cars and medium-duty pick-ups had around three percent market share in the U.S. in 2011.
What does the big picture look like? Overall, diesel-powered passenger cars and medium-duty pick-ups had around three percent market share in the U.S. in 2011. That may not sound like a lot, but compare it to the hybrid market share, which has gone from 2.7 to 2.4 to 2.1 percent over the last three years, Ullrich said. Today, there are 25 clean diesel models available in the U.S. By 2014, that number will double, he said, which gives us an indication of where the market is moving. Echoing Schaeffer, Bosch’s prediction is that the U.S. will see diesels grab 10 percent of the market by 2015.
While increasingly popular, diesels are not perfect. There are issues like the , for example, and a fossil fuel is a fossil fuel. But it’s clear that Americans are considering diesel more than they used to. The question is what happens when the and arrive? Or more of ’s -D models? And, further down the line, when we see more merging of electric and diesel powertrains, where the diesel – perhaps – is burned in an efficient generator to generate electricity. That’s when things get even more exciting.
High gas prices are helping and do quite well in the U.S., too. The Diesel Technology Forum says hybrid sales increased 37.2 percent while plug-in electrics jumped 323 percent. Overall, vehicle sales were up 13.4 percent. For more number-crunching details, see our monthly green car sales charts for , and of 2012. The DTF has compiled a list of all the diesel-powered vehicles available in the U.S. .
If you’ve got an hour to kill and an itch to watch some exciting Targa Newfoundland action, we’ve got good news for you. SPEED has been kind enough to stream the network’s one-hour special free online. The episode spends plenty of time following both the Modern and Classic divisions with barely a nod toward Open or Grand Touring. That’s a shame for plenty of reasons, both because the competition was incredibly tight across the board this year and because I hung out with in both the latter classes during my .
Still, the Flyin’ Miata guys get a little time on screen. The rest of the coverage details the fight between Scott Giannou in his and Bob Yuille in his . There’s also plenty of interviews with Ralph Gilles. You can check out the full episode by clicking .
We for the coming-some-day-but-not-anytime-soon Acura NSX starring Jerry Seinfeld, but we really wish it would have popped back onto our radar for a different reason than this. (Like a production announcement from .) TMZ is reporting that when the commercial was cast, the ad the agency responsible had sought an African-American actor to play the car dealer who was, “Nice looking, friendly. Not too dark.” And the website has a copy of the document to prove it.
To paraphrase one of Seinfeld’s catch phrases: “Yes, there’s everything wrong with that.”
While we’d like to think that some day the obvious interpretation might be that the casting director was referring to the actor’s mood, clearly that’s not the case here. TMZ says an unnamed source associated with the commercial told it that “not too dark” had something to do with lighting and special effects, and we hope that’s true. Still, the way the brief description reads, it certainly sounds like whomever was casting the spot thinks dark-skinned people are neither nice nor friendly.
We’re not about to throw Honda under the bus – it was, after all, an outside ad agency named RP& that shot the ad, according to Motoramic – as the automaker apologized, issuing the following statement:
We apologize to anyone offended by the language on the casting sheet used in the selection of actors for one of our commercials.
We sought to cast an African-American in a prominent role in the commercial, and we made our selection based on the fact that he was the most talented actor.
The casting sheet was only now brought to our attention. We are taking appropriate measures to ensure that such language is not used again in association with any work performed on behalf of our brand.
While we’re glad to see Honda react promptly and properly, re-watching the commercial gave us further pause: If Honda indeed sought to cast an African-American in a prominent role, did it consider an African-American for the part of the guy who’s first on the list for the NSX, as opposed to the salesperson?
That’s the crux of the changes in store for the extended-range plug-in electric vehicle. Changes for the 2013 model year will include a driving mode that lets drivers force the car into gas-powered, extended-range mode in situations where it’s most advantageous to switch out of EV-only mode, GM Inside News reports.
Drivers can choose the Volt’s “EV Hold Mode” in certain cases, such as when the route consists of a bunch of highway driving prior to city driving, according to the publication. Switching over to extended-range mode, in which the gas-powered on-board generator is used, would be better in that situation because high speeds drain a plug-in’s battery charge a lot more rapidly than city driving. “EV Hold Mode” is , the . The closest that U.S. drivers can do with today’s Volt is .”
Additionally, the Volt will eschew its black roof and trunk backing and will go to body colors for those parts of the car for 2013. Other improvements include a lane-departure warning system that’s becoming commonplace on many U.S. vehicles.
GM released details of the 2013 Volt following the model’s since its late-2010 debut. The automaker sold 2,289 Volts in March, a monthly record that is more than three times higher than figures from a year earlier. The Volt missed the 10,000-unit target set by GM for 2011, moving just 7,671 units last year.
Iran just became a bit less interesting for automotive enthusiasts with the by that it will no longer do business there. The announcement was made Monday by and .
“Consumers here have the power to force these companies out of Iran and tighten the screws on Tehran’s regime,” De Blasio said in the statement. “Our message is clear: you can do business with the Iranian regime or you can do business with the American consumer – but you can’t do both.”
This follows news that will also stop selling or servicing its cars in Iran. But despite the ongoing international embargo against Iran, car shoppers there still have plenty manufacturers from which to choose. , , , , , , , , , and are all still selling and/or servicing their models there. Sadly, for Iranians, nothing on par with Porsche.
But then again, most Iranians aren’t exactly flush with cash. A from March says car sales in Iran were down 20 percent with prices up by about the same amount. For example, an imported sells for about $151,000 over there. Even in good times, that’s a tough monthly payment for the average Iranian. In that same report, a Tehran car dealer said he hasn’t replenished his stock of Porsche models for months because no one can afford them.
So either for political or economic reasons, we may soon see other carmakers pulling out of the Iranian car market. Check out the UANI press release .
is hot in China right now, and the four-ringed automaker will show its appreciation by unveiling this hot-to-trot RS Q3 concept at the later this month. Any RS vehicle worthy of the label begins with an outstanding powertrain. In this case, the RS Q3 features the same 2.5-liter TFSI turbocharged five-cylinder that is available in the , with 360 horsepower and a zero to 62 time pegged at just 5.2 seconds. The powertrain also features a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and full-time Quattro all-wheel-drive.
The pumped-up softroader also features several RS-themed styling cues, including a black honeycomb grille that Audi says has a particularly three-dimensional appearance. The concept also features brushed and polished aluminum trim around said grille, tinted headlights and an updated bumper with graping air intakes. The little Q3 also features massive 20-inch aluminum wheels coupled with a ride height that has been dropped by a full inch.
On the inside, the RS Q3 concept displays a blacked-out theme throughout, save for one high-class exception: The seat inserts feature dark blue Alcantara inserts surrounded by Nappa leather. The same dark blue re-appears in the form of door inserts that integrate blue luminescent glass fibers.
to read over the Audi press release and feel free to click on the image above for a of the Audi RS Q3 concept.
It looks as if the Mustang Club of Poland has inspired its South American counterparts to get in on a little movie-making action. The Mustang Club of Parana got together with a few local sponsors to commemorate the group’s eleventh anniversary with a brief flick starring some of Brazil’s most diehard fans.
Every generation of Mustang development gets at least a little time on screen, from less-loved members of the clan like the Mustang II to a few ever-popular Eleanor replicas. The video took its creators just over three months to produce, and the final product is clean and well-edited.
There’s plenty of engine note, smoky burnouts and sharp sheet metal to obsess over, too. So, is this better than the Polish original? We aren’t picking sides on this one. Both videos are a great way to blow a chunk of the work day. Be sure to check out Brazil’s ode to the Pony and for a look at the original inspiration behind the new film.
Ford design chief J Mays tells Automotive News that the controversial grille design that on the at the won’t necessarily be pasted onto the front of every model. Mays means something quite specific, though: the perimeter of the grille and headlight form will remain, but the “grille texture” – the horizontal lines on the MKZ – could be reworked on other models.
Says Mays, the split-wing outline “is what makes a Lincoln.” But with Lincoln commencing “a pretty long year journey,” his comments to AN give his design team latitude while the brand seeks its new, younger consumers instead of being “trapped” into one grille style.
It’s an interesting position to take – allowing the possibility of different faces – when the brand only has four models (we’re not including the aging stepchild Navigator in this discussion) and is devoted to rebranding itself and making an impression among groups who haven’t paid attention to it in some time – if ever. Of course, Mays isn’t saying that other models won’t have the MKZ grille, but we look forward to seeing how this plays out.
After years of doing without a grand prix in the United States altogether, Formula One is gearing up to return to these shores in a big way. The United States Grand Prix is set to take place later this year at the newly constructed Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. And next year, the Grand Prix of America is scheduled to join the calendar in New Jersey, just across the river from Manhattan. But will the Jersey race be ready in time?
According to the latest reports, that second grand prix in the U.S. could be pushed off until 2014. This according to a quote attributed to Bernie Ecclestone, the man who orchestrates the commercial aspects of the sport – including where the races are held.
While he was at it, Ecclestone also reportedly indicated that the French Grand Prix will be back on the calendar within the next couple of years. But rather than holding it at Magny-Cours where it was held from 1991 through 2008, the renewed French Grand Prix – absent from the calendar every year since – will go back to the Paul Ricard circuit where it was held in the 70s and 80s (a track which Ecclestone just happens to own himself).
The arrangement will, according to reports, alternate year-to-year with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.
We certainly like the idea behind the Infiniti Performance Line, but execution has left us . Instead of an M or AMG fighter, buyers are left with little more than fancy paint and a stiffer suspension. But according to Motor Trend, Infiniti may have something more impressive brewing.
An unnamed source spilled the goods on the future of the G line, including a juicy detail about a hyper performance coupe. The next-generation G is set to hit the market during the summer of 2014, bringing with it a rash of changes.
One of those is the introduction of an IPL-specific 3.7-liter V6. The source claims the engine is all-new and features direct-injection and two turbos to help it produce a whopping 530 horsepower. This time, it seems Infiniti has its heart set on stepping up to the and . The engine will be built in Japan alongside the powerplant for the .
Now for the bad news. The shadowy source says the high-performance IPL will be priced in line with the GT-R, at least in Japan. On this side of the globe, the brawny commands a price well north of the $58,930 MSRP on the C63 AMG, which leads us to believe there’s still some pricing to be sorted out on that front.
