Last year, the took the honor of being the best-selling vehicle in the Korean automaker’s stable. That pace has slowed somewhat in 2012, as both the and the push past the CUV for sales dominance, but the company’s engineers are already hard at work on the next Sorento facelift.
Our spy photographers spotted the heavily camouflaged version of the tweaked crossover prancing around the Nürburgring. This is the second time we’ve seen the machine out in open air. As you may recall, the Sorento was last spotted romping around in the snow along with a few friends, including an and a .
With those kinds of benchmarks, there’s a good possibility the next-generation Sorento will offer significant improvements in ride and interior refinement. Word has it the next revision will also bring along a fresh fascia, complete with LED headlights, as well as a freshened rear valance with LED treatments of its own.
Reimagining An Iconic Sports Car With Some Modern Parts
We first placed our hands on Singer’s “reimagined Porsche 911″ nearly three years ago when it made its world debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Shortly thereafter, we in the Los Angeles basis. While we were both intrigued and impressed with the sports car at the time, full disclosure admits that we were very skeptical about the start-up back in September 2009. Sadly, we’ve watched this industry shatter far too many dreams.
But Singer has prospered. Very well, it appears.
Rob Dickenson, the creative genius behind the vision, recently invited Autoblog to Singer’s headquarters in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley for an extended ride in the company’s latest offering. After a detailed tour of the facility where we saw other vehicles in production, we dropped into the passenger seat to see what the “Porsche 911 restored by Singer” was all about – only bummed as it was a customer car, meaning we still weren’t allowed behind the wheel.
purists, rejoice. According to F30Post.com, BMW’s North American boss, Ludwig Willisch, has confirmed that the next-generation M3 will be powered by an inline six-cylinder engine. That’s right, the V8 is dead and the have officially been squashed.
To wit, Willisch told F30Post.com that a V6 was under consideration for quite some time, and the original thought was to use a chopped version of the S65 4.0-liter V8 found in the current car. But plans for a V-configuration have indeed been ruled out, and all that’s left to speculate on is exactly how much help the new inline-six will get from forced induction.
In order to be more powerful than the current M3, no less than two turbochargers will likely be bolted to the new six-cylinder powerplant. In fact, we’ve even heard rumors of a being engineered for use in the M3. In any case, expect about 450 horsepower to be on tap.
The is officially on its way to dealerships. Outlets in California, New Jersey, and New York – 67 in all – are going to be the first to receive the electron-fueled Focus, with about six cars each winding up on lots. To help dealers build more excitement for what’s likely to be a slow-starting sales story, the dealers will hold one of the Focus EVs as a demonstrator.
Even if fewer than 5,000 Focus Electric models find buyers this year, Alan Mulally won’t be disappointed. While Ford ultimately expects electrics and hybrid vehicles to account for up to 25 percent of its sales volume by 2020, the company is moving deliberately. Rather than develop and tool an entirely new platform, Ford’s move to modify the Focus for electric propulsion is said to allow some semblance of a profit margin, but it’s going to take time for consumers to warm to the idea of a $40,000 Focus, even if a third of that price is the battery, and Ford appears to be keeping this in mind.
After the initial 350 or so cars are delivered to the pilot stores, the rest of the Ford dealers across the nation will start getting the Focus EV before spring turns into summer.
Most of us likely assume that the gas pump that is providing petrol is giving you the fuel that you pay for – no more or less. While that may be true in most cases, ABC News in Baltimore, Maryland proves that sometimes pumps do bad things to good people.
The report details Maryland state gas station inspections that have revealed over 4,000 defective pumps over the last four years. In all, that’s between five and six percent of the 40,000 gas pumps in Maryland, or way too many error-prone pumps for our tastes.
While our primary concern is that customers aren’t getting what they pay for, it seems the gas station owners are more likely to get the short end of the stick. The report claims that station owners are three times more likely to lose money than the customer. to watch the ABC News report.
It seems like it was just a few years ago that car manufacturers used to laugh at us when we’d ask why a new model didn’t get any better fuel economy than its outgoing predecessor. “Car buyers don’t care about fuel economy,” was the refrain, ““
A few years of three- and four-dollar-per-gallon gas has apparently changed that attitude. According to a new study by Consumer Reports, 37 percent of respondents said fuel economy was now their leading consideration in car shopping, topping all others by a landslide. Quality was the second-most-important factor at 17 percent, while safety was mentioned by 16 percent, and value by 14 percent of shoppers. Two-thirds of respondents said they expected their next new vehicle to beat their current one on fuel economy. And yes, it is the economy, stupid, as 90 percent of those surveyed said high gas prices were the reason why they wanted a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
None of this is too surprising, given what has been going on both in the auto industry and in the larger economy since the economic meltdown of 2008. But we still kind of wonder how performance managed to rate number one with just six percent of those surveyed? Is that it then, there are six times as many tee-totalers than auto enthusiasts out there in the world?
CR says that it called 2,009 people across the country to get its results, obtaining 1,702 responses from adult car owners. to read the full press release.
There have been rumors of an Apple iCar for much longer than five years. But it was five years ago that there was enough heat under them for that Steve Jobs and CEO Martin Winterkorn had met to discuss the idea. A year later another German outlet printed a (pitured) alongside an iPhone, and a columnist in the New York Times kindly .
But did the iCar ever really exist as more than an idea? Mickey Drexler is the CEO of J. Crew and sits on the board of Apple Computer, and at a recent conference in New York he said that Steve Jobs’ “dream before he died was to design an iCar.” Drexler doesn’t say when Jobs had this dream, whether it was just before he died or so long ago that it could substantiate the ancient rumors. No matter, Drexler said “He never did design it.”
The edited video of Drexler’s comments is posted . And know that this doesn’t mean the rumors, nor the iCar itself, are dead.
While we get the , other markets get this: the Golf GTI Cabriolet. We had a under the lights of the , and now has dropped a slew of photos of the convertible in its natural environment.
Under the hood is a 207-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, mated to either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch gearbox. The car’s feminine aspect has been mentioned, but VW would like to focus people’s attention on the 0-to-62 time of 7.3 seconds, making it the fastest GTI convertible ever, the top speed of 147 miles per hour, and it being “the most economical model in its class.” And the man at the wheel in the press photos.
You can have a good, varied look at it in the gallery of high-res photos, and check out the press release by .
If you sift through eBay Motors like a junkyard dog looks for bones, you may have already come across a image from . They look a little out of place in an eBay Motors auction gallery, perhaps because they’re a bit too perfect compared to the usual lot of hastily snapped images. The irony, however, is that these glossy-looking glamor shots don’t come from a physical studio at all, but are rather the result of renting the Photoshop expertise of Dimostra’s digital artists to turn those hastily snapped images into something special.
This Chicago-based company offers a number of services related to vehicle photography, but the Studio Effect is what caught our eye. Company spokesman and partner David Nawrocki tells Autoblog that many hours of Photoshop manipulation go into each Studio Effect image despite the price of just $49 per image. Doesn’t sound reasonable to you? Try finding an independent digital artist with skills like this and see what he charges. That price includes a digital copy of the resulting Studio Effect image, but Dimostra also offers on which you can emblazon your Studio Effect shot – everything from a keychain and coffee mug to a T-shirt or framed gallery picture.
We were curious how the process works, so we sent Dimostra some images of one of our own cars – a 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo – to see what they could do. Turnaround time was a few days, during which time the company helped us choose the best image to use from ones we already had, as well as offered tips on how to go out and shoot the sort of image that results in the best looking Studio Effect shot. Check out the results in the gallery above, as well as some other before-and-after shots from the Dimostra artists.
Big trucks just aren’t appealing enough on their own, at least in some places. For proof, look to a Shanghai dealer who is offering about three years worth of free gas to anyone who buys a new Denali. Too bad it’ll take about 20 years to pay off the big truck.
The dealer is giving away five tons – about 2,000 gallons, worth around $8,000 in China – of petrol to new Sierra Denali buyers in China’s largest city, according to . The offer appears to be a nod to rising China gas prices, which are climbing towards levels similar to those in the U.S. now that the Chinese government is doing less to artificially keep gas prices down. Full-size trucks have been sold in China for about three years and are known to be status symbols in China, says The Detroit Bureau.
There is, of course, a catch. The Denali, unlike most General Motors vehicles sold in China, is built in the U.S., so the price tag is about $134,000, or almost three times what the model sells for in the States. Here’s hoping a few free car washes come with those full tanks.
has announced a voluntary recall of roughly 650 F Sport models over a potential issue with one of the electronic control units.
When the vehicle is parked with the steering wheel turned, the calibration of the ECU for the Variable Gear Ratio Steering can cause the steering wheel to “become off-centered” if the car is immediately restarted.
Lexus will be notifying owners in early June, at which time they can take their cars to the dealer to have the ECU recalibrated free of charge. for the press release.
recalling 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport over faulty ECU
The Mini John Cooper Works line is set to get a little more efficient. Engineers have given the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine a tune-up with new reinforced pistons, a sturdier cylinder head laded with lightweight cams, and sodium-filled exhaust valves. Though the forced-induction four-pot is good for 208 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, an overboost function can step up the power to 207 lb-ft.
For the first time, buyers can snag their own John Cooper Works creation with a six-speed automatic transmission, complete with wheel-mounted shift paddles. Combined with electric power steering, the changes should be good enough to offer a sizeable jump in fuel economy.
No official numbers have been released as of yet, but Mini says the new John Cooper Works Hardtop is capable of returning 7.1 liters per 100 kilometers on the EU cycle when equipped with the automatic gear box. That works out to around 33.1 mpg, though the Environmental Protection Agency figures are bound to vary greatly.
Mini has also officially announced the will feature all-wheel drive as standard equipment. Using the same engine and transmission options as the rest of the JCW line, the high-riding JCW Countryman can nip to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. for the full press release.
There are plenty of dangers to contend with at a track day. High speeds, inexperienced drivers, faulty equipment and foul weather can all play havoc on an otherwise friendly fender-to-fender weekend. We can now add carbon monoxide poisoning to the list of potential threats.
One Finnish Toyota MR2 owner took his machine out for a quick sprint at Ahvenisto just outside of Hameenlinna. After a few minutes behind the wheel, the driver begins struggling to keep control of his car, eventually spinning into the infield. He maneuvers back on track and pulls off, and it isn’t long before he blacks out entirely. Later, he would have no recollection of anything after the car hit the grass.
He stays unconscious for nearly 11 minutes before rescue workers resort to smashing his passenger window to gain access. By the time he receives medical attention, his blood was packed with 67 percent carbon monoxide. Any longer in the vehicle’s cabin and the day very well could have been his last. the scariness for yourself.
The Biggest Hammer Of Them All Is Sharper Than Ever
We would love to be able to look you square in the eye and say, “All you need to know about the can be summed up in one figure: 662.” After all, that’s the obscene amount of horsepower ripping at the rear tires courtesy of the supercharged 5.8-liter V8 under the hood. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. For the first time in its life, the GT500 has found itself lined up against a legitimate competitor in the . The muscle car/supercar crossbreed from General Motors is stitched to conquer not only the quarter mile, but nation’s road courses as well.
In order to answer that threat, the engineers at have laid a hand on nearly every mechanical and electrical system on board the GT500. While that means the blown V8 churns out a diabolical 112 more horsepower than the previous model, it also means the top-tier now comes with tricks like user-selectable Bilstein dampers, adjustable electronic power steering, larger brakes and an array of optional cooling systems. In fact, if this car came wrapped in a slightly different shade of sheetmetal, we’d be talking about an all-new model instead of a refresh.
This isn’t the (or , or ) time we’ve caught the next-generation Big Daddy out testing, but this latest set of spy photos gives us our best look yet at some of the SUV’s new exterior details. (Sidenote: We have to commend for having some of the coolest camouflage patterns in the world.)
As you might expect, the Range Rover’s shape hasn’t changed too much from the current generation, though we can clearly see a sleeker front fascia with headlamps that seem to incorporate new LED running lights, as well as a slightly sleeker roofline. But the big news for this next-generation vehicle is the huge reduction in weight that’s supposedly on tap – reports have estimated that as much as 800 pounds have been shed from the SUV’s body. This weight savings is largely due to an all-new aluminum platform, as well as widespread use of lightweight materials throughout the body.
Mum’s the word on what’s going to be found underhood, but we’d expect the usual range of eight-cylinder engines to be offered here in the United States. Murmurs of a hybrid powertrain have also been spinning ’round the rumormill, so don’t rule out the possibility of some electric boost being on tap, as well. Click through the above gallery to see the full slate of spy shots for yourself.
is recalling 67,872 models over a potential issue with the transmission skid plate. The recall deals solely with Wranglers from the 2010 model year, equipped with automatic transmissions. It’s been found that debris can collect on the skid plate that protects the transmission, leading to the risk of a fire if the debris makes contact with the nearby catalytic converter.
Chrysler will begin notifying owners this month, at which time they can take their Wranglers to be repaired free of charge at the dealer. for the complete release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration.
The has launched a formal field inquiry into the by a sedan, Bloomberg reports. The conflagration, which destroyed the Karma, the garage and a few nearby vehicles, took place on May 3 in Sugarland, Texas.
Claude Harris, NHTSA’s director of vehicle safety compliance, said that the investigation is “ongoing,” adding that “no determination has been made at this time.” Until an official cause is isolated, we’re betting there will be a good bit of , finger pointing in all directions…
It’s worth noting that NHTSA has also been actively investigating the safety of battery packs used in the after reports of fires in the wild and after NHTSA’s own crash testing procedures.
Our own lensman Drew Phillips caught sight of this at Cars & Coffee in Irvine, California: the 2013 . This is the first time it’s been seen on our shores. The targa version of the Venom GT packs the same 1,200 horsepower as the coupe – which also , one year ago – but adds $150,000 to the price.That means you’ll need $1.1 million for that wind-in-your-very-rich-hair feeling.
We still don’t have exact specs on the car beyond a very limited build and its “enhanced driving sensations,” but the high-res gallery of photos above should fill in enough blanks for now.
According to the timing sheets for the Nürburgring 24-Hour race, the P4/5 Competizione set a lap time of 6:51 during qualifying. That would make it faster than the of 6:58.16 in 2010, and the fastest -powered vehicle to ever run the ‘Ring.
In case you don’t remember, the 700-horsepower 599XX was also a purpose-built, track-only racer driven by a test driver. On the other hand, we don’t have specs on the P4/5 Competizione to compare, but that doesn’t make the achievement itself any less impressive. The only car ahead of the P4/5 Competizione in the not-street-legal category is the Pagani Zonda R, which . Glickenhaus himself told Jalopnik he thought the feat was “pretty cool” and that Ferrari was welcome to challenge it.
Surely the most important of the classic is the 250 series. Over its decade of production, the 250 series gave us some of the most recognizable models of the marque’s history, including the GTO, the Testa Rossa, the Lusso and the original California Spyder.
This year Ferrari is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the series that was built around Giachino Colombo’s enduring 3.0-liter V12. To mark the occasion, the Ferrari Museum in Maranello is displaying two unique and important 250s from its historical archives. One is the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta that Stirling Moss drove to victory at four races in 1961. The second is the so-called Breadvan, which was commissioned by Count Volpi di Musurata and developed by Piero Drogo and Giotto Bizzarrini. It was one of the original shooting brakes and provided the inspiration for the new .
The two are already on display in the museum for any visitor to see, but if your travel plans aren’t sending you to Maranello anytime soon, you can still check them out in the photo gallery above and the press release below.
