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When you’re already known for producing what basically amounts to the smallest vehicle currently available for public consumption, what do you do for an encore presentation? Go even smaller, of course. In the case of the Smart brand, that means cutting the total wheel count in half. That’s right, a scooter.

According to Autocar, Daimler’s littlest auto brand is planning to debut a new plug-in electric scooter at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. According to a “senior Mercedes-Benz official”:

Smart was originally established to tackle the need for improved mobility, especially in congested city environments. Up to now we have concentrated our efforts on four-wheel solutions. The next stage is to look at how to expand beyond this with other environmentally friendly vehicles.

If true, this electric scooter may be seen as a response to longtime German rival BMW’s efforts in the two-wheeled arena. In fact, BMW recently showed off an electric scooter concept of its own called the C1-E, which was based on its previous production C1 covered scooter.

Just one last question: What are the chances this electric scooter will be called the ForOne?

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Smart to reveal electric scooter at Paris Motor Show

      

Tags: bmw, Car, cars, concept, mercedes, mercedes-benz, Official, Other, plug-in, preview, review, Time, UK

Automotive News has put together its list of 2010 auto industry all-stars, and taking first place in American, European and Asian CEO categories are Ford CEO Alan Mulally, Volkswagen CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn, and Hyundai-Kia CEO Chung Mong-koo. Hard to fault the choices, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise at all that the same three gentlemen took slots two through four of Motor Trend’s list of top 50 auto execs for 2009.

Mulally was cited because his “steadfast plan to turn Ford around is bearing fruit in impressive fashion” and Mong-koo was lauded for having ” turned the Hyundai brand into a superpower.” Winterkorn, who could have been awarded based on VW’s Hulk-like growth, was actually noted for his “Strategy 2018,” by which time he plans for the VW group to be selling ten million cars per year. Check this spot in eight years to see if he’s still an all-star. For now, though, congrats to all.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd.]

Report: Mong-koo, Mullaly, Winterkorn named top car company CEOs

      

Tags: Car, cars, Europe, ford, Hyundai, iCan, kia, photo, Photos, ring, super, Time, volkswagen, vw

The 2011 Ford Edge and 2011 Lincoln MKX configurators have gone live for your shopping – or time-wasting – enjoyment. The Edge SE starts at $27,220 for the 3.5-liter V6, but you can hit it out of the park before even leaving the first page by selecting the Edge Sport all-wheel drive for $38,070. That’ll get you a 305-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6 canvas to play with. There isn’t much more you can add to it, but after stuffing it like a turkey we got it up to $45,171. For those with a mind to be a kinder on wallets and Mother Earth, there are SEL and Limited trims on offer, as well as the 2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine.

The Lincoln MKX puts less on the table when it comes to varieties: the front-wheel drive starts at $39,145, the AWD at $40,995. Both get that 3.7-liter V6, six-speed SelectShift transmission and SYNC as standard fit. If you go the package route, your work is just about finished, because they cement quite a few exterior and interior choices. But don’t take our words for it – click the links and get to configuratin’. Hot tips, Drew and Tony!

[Source: Ford, Lincoln]

2011 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX configurators up and running

    

Tags: 2.0, 2011, 2011 ford, CTS, EDGE, F1, ford, horsepower, Other, photo, Photos, Time, Turkey

The public got its first look at the all-new 2012 Chevrolet Aveo at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, but the RS Concept was only shown as a five-door hatchback, and as we all know, four-door sedans remain the preferred form factor here in the U.S. A newly discovered patent reveals the look of the three-box Aveo, which remains the same as the hatch from B-pillar backwards, but carries a few more interesting design cues.

The roof-line of the Aveo sedan has a similar profile to the larger Cruze and from the side, the tail-lights have the same triangular shape. From the rear, the horizontally arranged lights of the Cruze are replaced by vertically stacked lamps and the sedan gets conventional rear door handles in place of the hidden units in the C-pillar of the hatch. The production Aveo should arrive sometime during this upcoming auto show season, with production starting in the first half of 2011 at GM’s Lake Orion assembly plant north of Detroit.

[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

Patent drawings reveal 2012 Chevrolet Aveo sedan

    

Tags: 2011, 3D, Car, chevrolet, concept, design, gm, patent, photo, Photos, ring, SIM, Stack, tC, Time, U.S.

We’ve seen a lot of consumer-grade video in our day (we’ve made a few, too), and the quality can be less than astounding. So when we got wind of the fact that Kelley Blue Book was hosting a contest awarding $10,000 to the best consumer car review video, we were skeptical of the quality of product we were expecting to see. Good news. We were wrong, and the top videos are pretty darn good.

The top prize has been awarded to Clark Olson for a very funny critique of the 2000 Corolla with actual production-quality video work. In second place was Joel Moss Levinson, who managed to crack us up with a very clever rap featuring a somewhat problematic 2001 Volkswagen Passat. Seriously, it’s pretty hilarious and is jam-packed with actual insight. In third place was an also entertaining take on the 2004 Subaru Forester by Patrick Latimer. Latimer sounded like a full-on auto enthusiast with 0-60 times and a very valid mention of the value of rowing one’s own gears.

The winner was rewarded with $10,000 in cold, hard cash and a trip to sunny California for a video shoot with the KBB video crew. Second prize netted $5,000 and the third place winner received $1,000. Nicely done fellas. Hit the jump to watch the videos for yourself, and chime in via the post-jump poll to tell us if KBB correctly numbered the top three.

[Source: Kelley Blue Book]

Continue reading Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll]

Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll]

      

Tags: Car, F1, fun, review, ring, subaru, tC, test, Time, Video, volkswagen

Even though it was just named the Official State Sports Car of Kentucky not even a month ago, a story from WLNS speculates that Chevrolet Corvette production could move from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Lansing, Michigan. The UAW president and economist who brought it up apparently didn’t suggest that it would happen, they were really just throwing out possibilities to the WLNS reporter.

General Motors’ Corvette rep David Caldwell, though, has doused any idea of this happening. When Autoblog asked him about the story, Caldwell told us that there had been a roundtable about what the Lansing Grand River plant might produce, and various cars were mentioned, including the Corvette. However, as Caldwell notes, “Corvettes are born in Bowling Green,” and “nothing going on in the foreseeable future changes that long-time fact.”

In other words, all of you in the Bluegrass State can relax now.

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid, Max Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: WLNS]

Rumormill: Chevy Corvette production to leave Bowling Green for… Lansing?

      

Tags: Car, cars, chevrolet, chevy, Corvette, general motors, green, Notes, Official, Other, photo, Photos, review, Time

Of all the models in Chevrolet’s lineup, the one that needs absolutely no introduction is the Corvette. And while most of General Motors‘ marketing dollars have gone into bettering the ad campaigns for volume models like the Malibu, Equinox and Traverse, it’s about time that the Corvette had its own dedicated television spot, if only to remind people that there’s still a whole lot of awesomeness happening within GM’s walls.

This ad, which apparently debuted during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game earlier this week, shows off the top-rung Corvette ZR1 – the supercharged ‘Vette with 638 horsepower under the hood. This car is all the proof we need to show the world that America does, in fact, still build rockets. See for yourself in the video, after the jump.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: General Motors via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 gets its own TV commercial

Video: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 gets its own TV commercial

      

Tags: Car, chevrolet, Corvette, game, general motors, gm, horsepower, photo, Photos, review, ring, super, tC, Time, Video, YouTube

Way back in January, Mini went ahead and unleashed a dump truck’s worth of information and images on its new Countryman crossover, and at the time we expected the full set of specifications to be released along with the car’s official debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Instead, Mini waited until now to let the full bounty loose, and we’ve parsed through detritus to find the most pertinent details.

We’ll start with the drivetrain. As expected, both the standard Countryman and the uplevel S model will get four cylinder engines displacing 1.6 liters, with the higher-spec model gaining a turbocharger to boost power from 122 horsepower to 184. Naturally, our European friends also get a couple of diesel options, but we’re not really expecting to see those units Stateside any time soon.

Either engine will be available with a choice of a manual or automatic transmission, both boasting six forward ratios. The slowest combination (base model with an automatic) will take over 11 seconds to hit 60 miles per hour, while the turbocharged S dispatches the same test in under eight (add a few tenths for the auto and another few tenths for all-wheel drive).

Interestingly, if you want Mini’s full-time All4 all-wheel drive system, you’ll need to step up to the S model (or the higher-spec diesel across the pond). The front MacPherson strut suspenders couple with the multilink arrangement at the rear to provide just under six inches of ground clearance… no hardcore off-roading here, folks.

Naturally, there’s plenty more to digest. Hit the jump for the complete 9,000-word (no kidding) release along with a listing of specifications for the standard model, the front-wheel-drive S and the All4 S.

[Source: Mini]

Continue reading Mini dishes out more info on Countryman including complete specs

Mini dishes out more info on Countryman including complete specs

    

Tags: 2011, Car, Europe, geneva, Geneva Motor Show, horsepower, Mac, Official, Other, photo, Photos, tC, test, Time, truck

When a 3,000-horsepower drag racing engine fires up, a few things happen. Your head jerks around to see where the deafening noise is coming from, your eyes start to tear up from the burnt and unburnt fuel emanating from the short, upturned headers, the ground rumbles beneath your feet and your chest pulses with the timing of the engine.

Last Saturday night we had the distinct pleasure to experience that scenario several times at the fifth annual Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest in Long Beach, California. Long Beach is a great town, but most of us probably associate it with IndyCar or the Scion celebrity derby that makes up the Long Beach Grand Prix every April. Dragsters, especially the vintage ones assembled in Bixby Knolls might seem a bit out of place at first, but for those with a decent memory or a fondness for obscure racing nostalgia, Long Beach once was the home of Lions Drag Strip. Follow the jump to read more of our day in Bixby Knolls.

Photos by Frank Filipponio/Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading 2010 Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest ignites the senses

2010 Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest ignites the senses

    

Tags: Car, cars, Drag Racing, Drag strip, horsepower, LG, NOS, photo, Photos, scion, Time

Michael Schumacher’s triumphant comeback has been anything but. The seven-time world champion has been consistently outpaced by his junior team-mate Nico Rosberg, who most recently scored a podium finish at this past weekend’s British Grand Prix while Schumi could manage no better than ninth. The question on everyone’s minds, then, has been whether he’ll stay for another season.

According to Jackie Stewart, Michael could – or at least should – call it quits. Sir Jackie retired at the top of his game, a three-time world champion, and evaluates Schumacher’s return from retirement as a mistake. Bernie Ecclestone seems to agree, but blames the team and the car they’ve provided, claiming that if Schumi were driving a Red Bull, he’d be back on pace immediately instead of languishing behind the wheel of a sub-par chassis. For Schumacher’s part, the champ has conceded that his performance this season has eliminated his chance for the title, and that he’s shifted his focus on preparing for the 2011 championship instead.

If he does retire at the end of this season instead of fulfilling his contract through 2012, who would fill Schumacher’s seat? Related rumors suggest Kimi Raikkonen. The Finnish champion, who left F1 for the World Rally Championship at the end of last season, has been tipped to join Renault next season, but was reportedly visited recently by Mercedes racing chief Norbert Haug.

[Sources: Autosport, ESPN, grandprix.com Image: Luca Bruno/AP]

Will Schumacher re-retire at season’s end? Ecclestone, Stewart think so

    

Tags: 2011, Car, epa, F1, focus, game, Mac, mercedes, mercedes-benz, Other, Renault, ring, rumors, Time, Turkey

Chris Shunk, Alex Nunez, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan Roth convene yet again for Episode #186 of the Autoblog Podcast. Topics are the final passing of the long-suffering Chrysler PT Cruiser, General Motors‘ “Build your own engine” for Chevrolet Corvette buyers, Tesla and its dalliance with Toyota prototypes, and the work being undertaken to develop vehicles that can be driven by the blind. There’s the inevitable tangential excursions, and we finish up by responding to your feedback and questions before wrapping at an hour and twenty-five minutes. Thanks for listening, see you next time!

Autoblog Podcast #186 – The PT Cruiser is dead, blind drivers, Tesla and Toyota, and more!

In the Autoblog Garage:

Porsche Boxster Spyder
Buick LaCrosse CX
Lexus LS 460L AWD
Subaru Legacy 2,5i

News:

• Corvette engine build experience
  
• 2011 Nissan Quest
• Toyota R&D center deep-dive
• PT Cruiser finally dies
• Cars being developed for blind drivers
• Tesla building Toyota mules

Hosts:
Dan Roth, Sam Abuelsamid, Alex Nunez, Chris Shunk

Runtime: 85:46

---

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
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[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #186 – The PT Cruiser is dead, blind drivers, Tesla and Toyota, and more!

    

Tags: 2011, Apple, Audi, boxster spyder, Car, cars, chevrolet, chrysler, Corvette, cruiser, general motors, gm, iTunes, lexus, mp3, nissan, Porsche, porsche boxster, Porsche Boxster Spyder, review, ring, spyder, subaru, tesla, Time, toyota, Video

After receiving more than 3,000 reports of sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the U.S. Department of Transportation has concluded that driver error was actually at fault. According to The Wall Street Journal, investigators analyzing different data recorders from Toyota vehicles found that at the time of these sudden acceleration crashes, the throttles were wide open rather and the brakes were not depressed. Thus, they have reason to believe that drivers were mistakenly stomping on the accelerator rather than slamming the brakes in an attempt to avoid these crashes.

Of the 75 fatal crashes blamed on sudden acceleration, only one incident has actually been verified as being caused by vehicle fault – the Lexus ES350 accident that killed a California highway patrolman and three other passengers last August. Even so, this case was chalked up as an incident where the floor mat trapped the gas pedal, which Toyota quickly issued a recall for.

The WSJ also reports that U.S. Transportation Department officials have stated publicly that they have yet to find any electronic glitches in Toyota vehicles that could lead to these crashes. The only defects proven to be true are those that have been outlined by Toyota itself – floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals that are slow to return to idle.

So while Toyota may not have been at fault in these sudden acceleration cases, the automaker’s image has indeed been seriously tarnished over the past few months. Over eight million Toyota vehicles have been recalled worldwide – a large blemish in automotive history, and it appears that much of the hand-wringing may have been for naught. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: The Wall Street Journal Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

BREAKING: WSJ says crash data points to pedal misapplication in Toyota sudden acceleration cases

      

Tags: breaking, Crash, CTS, epa, error, lexus, Official, Other, POI, ring, tC, Time, toyota, U.S., Video

And even the least of them shall not be forgotten. After catching the Mercedes-Benz GL and C-Class Coupe parading around in camouflage last week, our shooters have caught the next-generation SLK AMG out and about. The roadster appears set to receive the upright, SLS-inspired projecting grille being spread throughout the family, and there will undoubtedly be some LEDs in those headlight clusters. The mirror stalks move to the doors and there are quad pipes out back, but based upon what we see here, that’s a pretty tame sill skirt for an AMG model.

Under the hood, our shooter said he heard what sounded like a naturally aspirated V8, not the twin-turbo V6 that’s been rumored before. Either way, word still persists that there will be a jump of 100-plus horsepower, from the current 330 to a possible 476. Inside will be more touches from the SLS for an overdue lifting of the SLK’s cabin game. We should see it naked and roaring some time next year. Have a look at it for now in our gallery of high-res photos below.

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG sounds like a V8?

    

Tags: 2011, AMG, Car, Coupe, game, horsepower, mercedes, mercedes-benz, photo, Photos, ring, spy shots, tC, test, Time, V8, Z4

While we didn’t know if anyone would break the ten minute barrier at Pikes Peak this year, we did know one thing: Red Bull was going to make an awesome video. Rhys’ video of his record-breaking run in the 2WD Time Attack class in 2009 was pretty spectacular, so we had high expectations. This year the energy drink giant had cameras placed just about everywhere on Rhys Millen’s Hyundai PM580, and it even brought along a helicopter to get some awesome aerial shots.

While neither Millen or anyone else broke the record in this year’s Race To The Clouds, the resulting footage is still definitely worth a watch. You can watch the entire video after the jump.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: YouTube via Hyundai]

Continue reading Video: Red Bull chronicles Rhys Millen’s Pikes Peak world record attempt

Video: Red Bull chronicles Rhys Millen’s Pikes Peak world record attempt

    

Tags: breaking, Hyundai, M5, photo, Photos, tC, test, Time, Video, YouTube

For such a simple act of humanity, parking a car can sometimes be the single most horrendous act of your morning commute or that late night trip to Taco Bell the local mall. If only there was an easier way to know exactly where you’d be able to locate the perfect spot ahead of time, right?

Google hears your cries for help. The search giant has created a new application for its Android-powered phones (running OS version 2.0 or higher) that lets you know where people are leaving their parking spots. Google even makes a game out of it:

Start helping others find parking, and together we’ll all save time, save gas, and reduce pollution. Like to keep score? The more open spots you mark, the more parking ‘karma points’ you’ll get.

See? Not only can you find yourself that elusive parking spot, you can also save the planet in the process. Score one two for technology!

You’ve got questions and Google’s got answers. Hit the source link below for all the details and to download the app.

[Source: Google Open Spot]

Google Open Spot app crowd-sources parking

      

Tags: 2.0, Android, ARM, Car, Droid, game, Google, Other, photo, Photos, POI, SIM, Time

	Concerns rise over possible Chinese domination of electric vehicle market Who else?		Phoenix Motorcars still not dead, will present “newly configured” electric truck at FedFleet There’s a “rising from the ashes” line in this somewhere.
	At Witz’ End – Electric vehicles: past, present and future Putting some old info back into the news.	Other news: The changing politics of climate change, and how they could hurt green cars Musk talks up electric vehicles, boasts about achievements in TIME interview Video: Hydrogen-powered buses in Hamburg are fueled by the wind

AutoblogGreen for 07.13.10

      

Tags: 3.1, abg, autobloggreen, Car, cars, focus, ford, green, Other, Time, truck, Video

The 599 GTO being the fastest road-going Ferrari ever to roll out of Maranello, you don’t stand much chance of seeing one sitting still. Of course, the limited run of 599 examples doesn’t help. But as if an excuse were needed, that does give us a reason to bring you the latest batch of high-resolution images showing the Prancing Goat in all its glory.

You can check ‘em all out in the gallery below. That is, assuming you haven’t seen enough from the seemingly endless stream of videos that have circulated since the supercar’s debut. Yeah, we didn’t think so.

[Source: Ferrari via eurocarblog]

Pics Aplenty: Ferrari 599 GTO

    

Tags: 599, 599 gto, 599Gto, Car, ferrari 599 gto, Ferrari599Gto, gto, photo, Photos, review, ring, super, supercar, tC, test, Time, Video

Got a question for our intrepid team of podcasters? Now’s the time to ask away. Don’t forget to vote on which questions deserve our attention the most, though we’ll try to get to as many as we can. Discussion topics for Autoblog Podcast #183, which we’ll record tonight, can be found below. Finally, subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven’t already to hear your question answered.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #186

• Corvette engine build experience
  
• 2011 Nissan Quest
• Toyota R&D center deep-dive
• PT Cruiser finally dies
• Cars being developed for blind drivers
• Tesla building Toyota mules

Subscribe to the Autoblog Podacast and hear your questions asked:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #186

    

Tags: 2011, Apple, Car, cars, chevrolet, chrysler, Corvette, cruiser, iTunes, nissan, tesla, Time, toyota, Video

Now that Ford has decided that Lincoln doesn’t really need a truck after all, its up to the F-150 to carry the torch as both the everyman’s work truck and a luxury toy hauler for the wealthy. Somehow, it seems to manage its dual roles just fine, as evidenced by these spy shots of a 2011 F-150 Lariat Limited edition.

Ford’s Lariat Limited was last seen in 2007, meaning that the 2011 edition will be the first time the latest F-150 generation is bestowed with this trim level, though there’s also the King Ranch, Platinum and Harley-Davidson models to consider if you want to haul all your goodies in the lap of luxury.

Body-color bits are the name of the game, including a six-slat grille, side mirrors, door handle surrounds and accents on the large aluminum wheels. Our friends at PickupTrucks.com tells us to expect Ford’s latest 6.2-liter V8 engine sporting something north of 400 horsepower.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Spy Shots: 2011 Ford F-150 Lariat Limited spotted strutting its stuff

    

Tags: 2011, 2011 ford, 6.2-liter v8, A4, Car, ECID, F1, ford, ford f-150, game, harley, Harley-Davidson, horsepower, Pickup, PickupTruck, spy shots, test, Time, truck, V8

Of all the names and model designations used by Porsche in its illustrious history, there are two that stand out more than others: the 911 and Speedster. And it’s easy to see why. The Porsche 911 has become the de facto sportscar since its introduction in 1963 and many people simply refer to the seminal 356 convertible as the Porsche Speedster.

Might Porsche be working on a new machine that would combine these two icons? According Auto Express, the answer is yes. Take it all with an appropriately sized grain of salt for now, but the rumormill would have Porsche building exactly 100 911 Speedsters for roughly $300,000 (£200,000) each.

That princely sum will reportedly buy a 911 boasting a cut-down windshield and racing-style sloping rear humps behind each passenger headrest. The German automaker’s well-known 3.8-liter flat six would provide power, boosted 17 horses over the mill found in the 911 Sport Classic for a total of 402 horsepower.

Rear-wheel drive over all-wheel drive should make traditionalists happy, and a supposed 0 to 60 times of about 4.5 seconds and top speed of 190 miles per hour ought to please everyone else. Also, Porsche is reportedly cooking up wide-body non-Speedsters that will use the same engine and be available in either coupe or cabriolet forms with a much more reasonable price tag.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rumormill: Porsche 911 Speedster in the works

    

Tags: 911, A4, Cabriolet, Car, Coupe, design, fun, horsepower, Mac, Other, Porsche, Porsche 911, ring, SIM, Time, UK