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We for Episode #179 of the Autoblog Podcast, and then Chris, Sam, Dan, and Chris Paukert proceeded to answer them. News topics we cover are the Buick Regal GS, Toyota and Tesla getting together, Ford’s next-generation Explorer Police SUV, and the push for increased fuel economy standards by 2025.
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The is set to rule on whether or not current federal regulations protect automakers from being sued under state product liability laws. According to The Wall Street Journal, justices will examine a California lawsuit that claims that should be held responsible for the death of a passenger in a 1993 MPV minivan. The passenger was riding in the middle seat, wearing a lap belt, when an accident occurred. The belt caused serious internal injuries that eventually led to death. The plaintiff’s argument is that by not installing three-point seatbelts in the center row of the vehicle, Mazda failed to do everything in its power to protect the occupants of the vehicle.
It’s important to note that three-point seatbelts didn’t become a legal requirement in all seating positions until 2007. Before that time, regulations established in 1989 said that three-point belts were only required in outboard seats, so Mazda built the MPV to conform to the laws in place when the vehicle was built and sold.
The lawsuit was originally rejected after Mazda pointed to a 2000 Supreme Court case in which Honda was unsuccessfully sued after injuries occurred in a 1987 . In that case, the plaintiff said that Honda was responsible because it did not install airbags in the vehicle.
The Supreme Court will hear the case in the 2010-2011 term starting in October.
Ah yes,Top Gear USA. We had nearly given up hope for the American version of the hit British television series until friend-of-Autoblog Adam Carolla let slip details of the series’ subsequent on The History Channel during a taping of one of his CarCast episodes. At the time, it was thought that Carolla would be the only one of the original three cast members from the pilot to make the reborn series. As it turns out, . What gives?
Apparently, Carolla has a pilot sitcom that he’s currently taping for NBC, and the Peacock wouldn’t let the funny man away long enough to join History’s Top Gear USA. Sad for all, as reports from those who attended the taping of the NBC pilot almost universally praised Carolla’s performance on the show.
Perhaps the most disappointed of all is Carolla himself, who openly dishes on the May 17 edition of his CarCast that he hopes his NBC sitcom is canceled so he can rejoin Top Gear. Click here to listen to the entire episode, but know that there’s some foul language.
A Gainesville, Florida dealership received a most unpleasant surprise Monday morning as the dealer’s showroom floor became engulfed in smoke, with some flames centered in one very unfortunate area. Now we’re guessing here, but we would think that if the dealer could save any one vehicle from the fire, they’d pick the nearly $90,000 . Too bad they apparently didn’t have time to make the decision. The Gainesville Sun reports that the GT-R was engulfed in flames when police and fire arrived at the dealership a little while after it closed, burning up much of the vehicle’s exterior. The last person to exit the building was the security guard, who did a quick check of the showroom and locked up. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they had to bust down a door to enter the building, and when they got inside, the GT-R was being served flambé-style.
Firefighters don’t know exactly how or why the GT-R burst into flames. Reports suggest that there was a light that dropped to the ground, and that light could have started the fire, or it could have dropped as a result of the fire. We don’t have any idea what happened to the GT-R, or whether or not it was even driven that day, but you can head over to for more details and to see a picture of the carnage. Thanks for the tip, Justin!
In this day and age, even the average sedan is packing some serious heat under the hood. It didn’t use to be like this and there was a time when even “sports cars” were listed under 150 horsepower. For those unfamiliar with the history behind the horsepower wars, for an infographic primer from the 1960s to the present day.
If you’re thinking about taking to the highways of Venezuela any time soon, here’s a little tip for you: don’t speed. Evidently the country’s roads are known for the kind of highway craziness that would make Miami look conservative. While recently driving his own personal motorcade, Venezuelan president was harassed by a pickup truck whose driver thought Chavez was going too slow. The driver blew his horn and flashed his lights before passing the president on .
According to reports, Chavez proceeded to personally chase down the driver and reprimand him for being such an ass behind the wheel. The whole incident caused el Presidente to address the nation’s lawless road system on his weekly broadcast, and to charge the South American nation’s police with doing a better job of enforcing the local traffic laws.
2010 Suzuki Equator – Click above for high-res image gallery
Remember the – the overlooked, rebadged version of the that went on sale in early 2009? There hasn’t been much to talk about the slow-selling Fronquator, but now a recall involving vehicles manufactured between November 2009 and March 2010 (a whopping total of 582 units) brings the little truck into the front of our minds again.
According to the official recall statement from NHTSA, the Equator’s lower control link bushing collars may not contain welds that meet strength specifications, which can alter the wheel alignment over time. The safety recall is taking place as you read this, and dealers will replace one or both lower control links if necessary. The full details are available in NHTSA’s statement, after the jump.
Skobbler has introduced a completely free, turn-by-turnnavigation app for the iPhone, with one new and unusual detail: you help play the role of cartographer. Sort of like Linux for thoroughfares, you and then use , a community-sourced mapping to add “hyperlocal” detail to the map, which Skrobbler then updates on its servers. The more information gets added by community mappers, the more detailed and up-to-date the instructions are available to the nav-app’s users, with updates pushed to the program in real-time. We’re unsure of how granular the details are in the current CloudMade maps, but the app is free and this could be your chance to be a pioneer.
True to , The Detroit News is reporting that has issued a stop sale on its 460, LS 600h (standard and long-wheelbase) luxury sedans due to a problem with the electronic steering system that can temporarily cause the steering wheel to become off-centered. Apparently, the wheel will return to its correct position after about five seconds of misalignment. Toyota issued a recall on Friday, May 21st to address the defect. from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Although has reportedly fixed the problem on new models rolling down the assembly lines in Japan, those recalibrated machines are not expected to hit dealership lots in America until the middle of June. In the meantime, the 3,800 or so owners of affected 2009 and 2010 LS sedans are being urged to avoid turning the steering wheel rapidly after holding it in full lock in the opposite direction.
We would imagine that there are certain scenarios where following such advice may prove difficult to follow, but Toyota is so far reporting that no injuries or accidents have been caused by the issue.
Kelley Blue Book Top 10 Cars for under $18k – Click above for high-res image gallery
Being in the market for a cheap new car used to mean resigning yourself to time bombs like the Citation or windups like the Geo Metro or Aspire, but the times, they are a-changin’, and the good folk at Kelley Blue Book have worked up their very own top 10 list of cool cars for under $18,000.
Not surprisingly, the 2011 nabbed a mention thanks to its 28 mpg city, 40 mpg highway EPA rating and mile-long standard feature list. Likewise, the new 2010 received a spot on the list. The Korean automaker’s new long roof manages 23 city and 30 mph highway thanks to its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
The base also made the cut – another 2.0-liter bruiser, the baby brother of the Evolution nabs 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. also got some love on the KBB list with its . When optioned with the five-speed gearbox, the car walks away with 23 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. Rounding out the list is the ever lovable . Just like the Suzuki, if you want a few more miles per tank, you’ll need to opt for the manual transmission. Thusly equipped, the little Honda can 28 mpg city and up to 35 mpg highway.
Want to see what else made the list? or visit KBB for the whole list.
Audi A1 e-tron concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
The original, all-aluminum A2 was a unique beast, which Heinrich Timm, Audi’s head of lightweight design, maintains was ahead of its time. However, the rumored is likely to utilize a steel unibody platform, and the latest reports indicate that Audi’s mini-lux will have a new reason for being special.
Autocar quotes anonymous sources who say the next A2 could be Audi’s first electric-only vehicle. While the UK rag doesn’t go into detail, Audi has dropped hints that a variant of the A2 could utilize the extended-range EV hardware under the hood of the shown at the Geneva Motor Show. The e-tron utilized a 60 horsepower electric motor paired to a 330-pound lithium ion battery pack. The “extended range” part of the A1 e-tron concept comes courtesy of a small, powerful rotary engine that would work as a generator whenever the battery pack was depleted. Audi quotes the EV range of the A1 e-tron concept at about 33 miles per charge.
Do we think the A2 will be electric-only? Our magic eight-ball says “ask again later,” so we’re thinking the earliest we’ll know anything is this September at the Paris Motor Show.
It’s time to do your homework, kids. The blokes at have built a virtual representation of the personal playground. If you’ve got some time to kill, head on over to the site for a turn-by-turn breakdown of the UK show’s test track, including the elusive history of each corner’s name. The virtual track will even let you in on which gear you should be in for each section should you ever find yourself as a .
Even if you don’t see your acting career thrusting you the public consciousness anytime soon, there’s still a chance you’ll be able to have your way with the track. A rumor dusted up last month that claimed Polyphony Digital now holds the rights to test ground’s in-game representation, which means that should Gran Turismo 5 ever decide to drop into stores, the PlayStation universe will be breathing down the Stig’s neck.
TG’s virtual track also features a couple of other neat tricks, including a “Stig’s Eye View” that allows you see what the perfect line should look like. You can even pick whether you want to view the track through the windshield of an econobox or a genuine supercar.
A memorable day on a Dubai highway – Click above to watch video
Well, wouldn’t ‘cha know that it actually wasn’t just another day in Dubai traffic. You may recall the video that we posted last Friday that doing wicked crazy burnouts, drifts and donuts all over public highways in Dubai… not to mention plenty of driving on two wheels. If not, now would be a good time to to see the video for yourself.
As it turns out, the two men – both UAE nationals in their 20s – driving the vehicles in question down Sheikh Zayed Road have been tracked down and arrested. As has happened in the past, police were able to identify the vehicles after seeing their license plates in full view from the videos uploaded to YouTube.
Let this be a lesson. A lesson of what, exactly, is up to you to discern. We’ll go with a few: Don’t hoon so obviously on highly trafficked public roads. Don’t endanger the lives or livelihoods of your fellow citizens. And finally, don’t upload videos of your illegal actions to YouTube unless you are willing to pay the consequences.
Oh, and speaking of consequences… these two drivers are reportedly facing up to three years in prison if convicted.
Renault Zoe Z.E. concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
Any marketing person will tell you that coming up with the right name is one of the most difficult aspects of launching a new product. Big companies will spend millions of dollars researching names to make sure that they aren’t already trademarked or have strange or offensive meanings in other countries.
, however, has a slightly different problem with the name of one its upcoming electric vehicles. The Zoe Z.E. is a compact, urban commuter due to be launched in 2012. Renault is not an uncommon name in France, wit its namesake, Louis Renault having begun building cars in the late 19th century. Unfortunately for a certain Parisian woman, having both her first and last names associated with a new car is apparently just too much. Thus, according to Autocar, Zoe Renault is threatening to sue Automaker Renault unless it changes the name of its forthcoming EV.
While we can certainly sympathize with Ms. Renault, her complaint here seems to be a bit of a stretch. The automaker apparently chose the name Zoe because it means “life” in Greek. Unless automakers start using nothing but made up or alphanumeric names, there is bound to be someone, somewhere that will have an issue with just about every name. It’s time to get over it.
Ferrari 458 Italia Challenge – Click above for image gallery
The crew at the Axis of Oversteer have managed to snag what could be the first images of the upcoming Ferrari 458 Italia Challenge, and while no one’s claiming that this is the real McCoy just yet, it’s certainly packing the right kit.
The standard coupe’s five-lug wheels have been nixed in favor of a single lug units, with each nine-spoke, lightweight hoop framing massive carbon ceramic stoppers. The Challenge appears slightly lower than stock and includes some revised aero bits in the form of longer, wider side skirts, a revised fascia and a bonnet sporting a set of hood pins.
Out back and inside, things appear to be slightly rough around the edges, so it’s safe to assume this is just a prototype for the time being. However, the roll cage, plastic windows and deeply bolstered race seat are all sure to make the cut when the Challenge debuts later this year.
One thing we do know: The launch of the is going on this week in Italy, so it’s likely that journalists are getting a sneak peak at the Challenge between making runs in Enzo-beating GT. That being the case, expect all the details to be revealed shortly.
2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo – Click above for high-res image gallery
It appears that may have overestimated the U.S. market appeal for high-end versions of the , and executives now acknowledge that the six-cylinder 535i probably should have been available at launch. It’s not unusual for an automaker to launch an all-new model by shipping mostly loaded, top-level versions in order to absorb the maximum number of dollars from early adopters, but sometimes that approach backfires if the market isn’t ready for the new vehicle.
Case in point is the 5GT, of which BMW has apparently sold fewer than 1,200 units in the U.S. since the launch of the polarizing people mover late last year. Interestingly, BMW has found that more women than expected have bought the model, while its less-than-stellar fuel consumption has hurt sales in a still-weak U.S. economy. Gran Turismo sales are apparently ahead of projections elsewhere, but those other markets launched with both gasoline and diesel inline-six engine choices.
Given that the 5GT is best suited as a road trip machine, it might make sense for BMW to install the 3.0-liter diesel from the and as an alternative to the twin-turbo V8. So far BMW has not indicated any plans to offer a diesel GT in America, but the less costly 535i GT is still slated to arrive in the Fall.
2011 Ford Mustang GT modified by Evolution Performance – Click above to watch the video
There’s no doubt that the 2011 Mustang GT is one of the most potent ponycars to ever come from Ford, but to the Mustang faithful, a big part of its legacy will be how it takes to the aftermarket. The new 5.0-liter V8 seems to be off to a good start, with at least two different modified 2011 Mustangs already achieving ten-second time slips at the dragstrip.
The first to achieve the feat was JPC Racing, who had their 2011 Mustang out at the track within 24 hours of receiving the car. Using 4.56 gears, beefier upper and lower control arms, racing slicks and a 100 shot of nitrous, JPC’s ‘Stang nailed a best time of 10.96 seconds @ 125.75 mph. A short time later, the boys at Evolution Performance nailed a 10.88 @ 126.66 run using just 3.73 gears, a prototype cold air intake, Eaton Trutrac differential, D.O.T. approved racing tires and a 100 shot of nitrous.
While the numbers themselves aren’t all that impressive, the simplicity of the modifications and the brief time in which they were developed surely are. We can’t wait to see what the various tuners around the country can do once they have time to develop more parts for the new Mustang. You can watch both of the runs in the videos posted .
2011 Bentley Mulsanne – click above for high-res image gallery
Contrary to what you might expect, successfully keeping tradition alive in the automotive world isn’t just about periodically mining one’s stylistic back catalog or simply refusing to change altogether. To convincingly abide by the spirit of one’s history without running the risk of extinction, or worse – self-parody – requires stealthy innovation, and to do so is a decidedly tricky undertaking.
Just ask . The British automaker has a long history of artfully highlighting its considerable heritage, from the exploits of the to the timeless craftsmanship employed in its interiors. And despite the upright look of its new flagship, the 2011 Mulsanne, much thought and effort has been exerted into making what is actually a very modern proposition seem… traditional. Accomplishing this in an authentic and timeless manner is particularly important for an automaker like Bentley. Given the rather lengthy model lifecycles that small-volume manufacturers are often forced to adopt, it’s crucial to nail the entire package the first time. Follow the jump to see if they’ve managed the feat.
Gallery:
Photos by Chris Paukert / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.
2011 BMW X3 teaser shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
The 2010 Paris Motor Show may be five months out at this point, but that isn’t stopping manufacturers like from getting the ball rolling on the long, slow, aggravating striptease of new models. The German manufacturer has just dropped a few sneaky shots of the all-new 2011 X3 for the motoring world to start speculating over. So what do we see? A hood, a taillight, a few body lines and not much else.
It’s clear that the hood now wears similar styling to what you’ll find on the and thanks to a few more contours than the previous piece. Beyond that, we don’t know too much about the new Bavarian high-rider other than it can whip up a in a hurry.
Judging from the we’ve come across thus far, we aren’t expecting particularly dramatic changes to the X3’s exterior. A reworked fascia is likely to join the new hood and taillights, and there is some talk of a four-cylinder engine making its way under the hood for the first time.
is continuing her tour of General Motors’ vice president offices. The 47-year-old executive has spent time both as the company’s vice president of U.S. marketing and the VP of U.S. sales during her career with the Detroit-based automaker, but as of June 1, 2010, Docherty will get the new title of Vice President of International Operational Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, and she’ll report to Tim Lee, President of International Operations.
We knew Docherty was headed elsewhere in the company after she was by Joel Ewanick earlier this month. Shortly after her replacement was announced in early May, several observers claimed that Docherty had been given the shaft after a wave of contentious ads centering on GM repaying its federal loans hit the airwaves. Analysts felt that Docherty was unfairly receiving the brunt of the blame for the negative reception of the ads, and that was the real reason for her loss of the marketing position.
We won’t hold our breath waiting for GM to respond to those charges. Either way, moving from VP of marketing to VP of international operational sales isn’t exactly a fall from grace. Hit the jump to read the full press release.
