had a real hit on its hands (at least initially) when it launched the Neon in 1994. And though it was plagued by early quality issues, it actually had a waiting list to buy one when it first came out. The , however, has been less of a market success.
In replacing the ubiquitous Neon in 2006, went with a pseudo-SUV shape to create a more rugged aesthetic on the Caliber. Quality, unfortunately, wasn’t much better, and the slushy CVT and interior were widely panned – attributes which, as we found in our , were enough to keep the Caliber from being a real success.
Now, five years after its launch, a new report from Allpar says that the Pentastar’s econo-ute won’t see another new year. The model, according to reports, will be phased out by the end of November. Its replacement is widely expected to come from underpinnings, but whether that will come in time for the Caliber’s discontinuation – or for that matter, beat its nagging deficiencies – remains to be seen.
It’s a great time to be a fan of small cars, and is nearly ready to add its into the marketplace. If you’ve been waiting for this one to appear in your local showroom, we’ve got some news for you. Hyundai Motor America President and CEO for a Veloster. Full pricing is due later this week, but that base price undercuts the , arguably its most natural rival, by over $2,000, while offering more room and the promise of 40 miles-per-gallon on the freeway.
While you’re waiting for our first drive review, , where Krafcik himself piloted us around for a few miles. Is a base price of $17,300 enticing? Let us know what you think in Comments.
Diesel-lovin’ is slowly, slowly coming to grips with this whole hybrid thing. Earlier this year, the finally gave out some real information about its (after years of teases and ,) and we at the in January. Today, Audi is making good on the promise it made at the in 2010 when it showed off .
Due out in 2012 (coincidentally, the 15th anniversary of the ), the A8 hybrid should appeal to customers who crave the German automaker’s style and dislike stopping for petrol every third day. The A8 hybrid uses a 2.0 TFSI engine and an electric motor to crank out a peak output of 180 kW (245 horsepower) and 480 Nm (345.03 lb-ft) of torque. Audi says all that power and style will come with 37 mpg (U.S.), which doesn’t put the A8 at the top of the hybrid efficiency pack – remember, the A8 is huge – but it beats the pants off of the gas-only A8, which the EPA rates at 18/28/21 (city/highway/combined) mpg.
Even better for late night stealth missions to the golf course, the A8 hybrid can go three kilometers (1.86 miles) and up to 60 km/h (37.28 mph) using nothing but energy stored in its 1.3 kWh lithium-ion battery. Once the luxury sedan is up to speed, it can move down the highway at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) on battery power, too. These are all good numbers (if only estimations from Audi, for now), and we eagerly await the chance to see how the A8 Hybrid operates in the real world. Until that time, check out the gallery below and read more details in the press release available after the jump.
Having the means to buy a performance automobile does not automatically come with the ability to drive it well. Few are as keenly aware of this correlation (or lack thereof) than and its performance arm, AMG.
In addition to building some of the most capable performance cars on the market, AMG also operates the AMG Driving Academy at locations around the world to show its customers how to get the most out of their cars.
Courses ranges in price from $1,595 for a one-day ‘Basic Training’ class to $3,695 for a three-day comprehensive ‘Pro Training’ course. To give us a taste (and then some) of what’s on offer, AMG has released a ten-part video series on YouTube covering the basic elements of what a driver needs to know, everything from proper seat adjustment to how to drift.
The series is hosted by experienced racer, television presenter and instructor Tommy Kendall, and it’s worth taking the time to watch. Each segment is only three or four minutes long and can be found . Watch them, and you’re sure to learn a thing or two. AMG is also for you and three friends on its Facebook page.
Racing is built on a foundation of tired sayings packed with monumental truths. Recently, few have been more poignant for the crew of the supercharged NC Miata we’re set to co-pilot in the than, “You have to start before you can win.” Last week, Bill Cardell, our valiant pilot and part-time lumberjack, wound up accidentally felling an aspen tree on himself while doing some work at a mountain cabin. He’s currently awaiting a second set of x-rays to determine just how lengthy his recuperation will be, but either way, he’s facing a few long weeks out of the saddle due to a broken humerus. Cardell, while in seemingly good spirits, finds nothing funny about the situation. Needless to say, squeezing into the cockpit of a race car isn’t on his doctor’s prescription pad, which leaves Nancy and I without a driver.
In a moment of solidarity, your author managed to high-side my ‘82 Kawasaki GPz750 on day one of a two-week motorcycle ride. The next morning, one very haggard ER doctor told me that while my bones were intact, there’s a good chance that I’ve torn my rotator cuff.
“That’s bad,” I said.
“Yes. It’s very bad,” he agreed after a pause that conveyed a mix of disdain and admiration for my appreciation of the obvious.
Even so, I’ve regained much of the movement in my left shoulder, and the pain has subsided to an ever-present dull ache. If I can ride 2,300 miles on the arm, I can sure as hell use it to hold up pace notes. I’ll circle back with the medical establishment after our return from Canada.
Meanwhile, Cardell’s nephew, Brandon Fitch, will take over the forced-induction Miata’s controls. Fitch formerly served as crew chief for both vehicles and has worked with Flyin’ Miata for the past five years. As such, he’s had plenty of seat time with our car as part of his work in product development, and word has it he’s plenty quick to boot.
The race kicks off on September 10, and I’ve been ordered to stay indoors and intact until then. That’s advice I’ll likely heed. Our best get-well wishes go out to Cardell as he stitches himself back together.
What separates an old car from a classic? In many cases, not a lot. Beautiful sheet metal, a legendary powertrain or world-class performance could make a world of difference, and so can attention to detail.
We’re suckers for a well-stamped curve, an intricate chrome grille or even an elegant hood ornament. And then there are the engines. You won’t find many plastic covers in these beautiful bays, but you will find plenty of interesting details and, in some cases, a boat-load of chrome.
We strolled the streets of with cameras in hand to capture some of the best and brightest details from the 2011 Dream Cruise. Click on the image gallery above to browse everything from the to the engine bay of a .
Episode #244 of the Autoblog Podcast is here. This week, Chris and Dan are joined by Zach Bowman, fresh off vacation. Topics we cover include the Ford and Toyota partnership to develop hybrid truck powertrain, the cancellation of both the Mazda RX-8 and the Ram Dakota, Volkswagen’s reveal of the Up! production fuel-sipper and the production confirmation of the Cadillac ELR. Your questions and comments power the last third of the podcast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #244:
and
In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Jeep Patriot Latitude
2011 Chrysler Town & Country
Hosts: , , Runtime: 01:20:32
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“I’m not a doctor, but I play one on television.” If that line sounds familiar from old television commercials featuring soap opera stars in white coats, bear in mind that the theme extends far beyond the annals of fake medicine. People get mixed up between actors and the characters they play all the time.
Tom Cruise, for example, has driven all sorts of vehicles on the silver screen, from cars to motorbikes to speed boats, often pulling off scarcely believable stunts and feats in the process. But how much of that comes down to camera trickery and special effects, and how much can be chalked up to actual driving talent?
We got a pretty good answer when Cole Trickle himself set the lap record (however short-lived) on Britain’s Top Gear, but Cruise wasn’t about to stop there. So while David Coulthard and the Red Bull demonstration team were Stateside for a show in Texas, they met the Hollywood mega-star out in Southern California to let him try his hand at driving an Formula One car.
The seven-hour test at Willow Springs started in a road car, where Coulthard and Cruise drove the 2.5-mile track to get a feeling for the layout before the Mission: Impossible star climbed into the F1 car for 24 laps. At the end of the day, Cruise managed a top speed of 181 miles per hour – just four mph off of DC’s trap speed – while scrubbing 11 seconds off his first lap – a marked improvement that left Coulthard impressed at Tom’s skills.
Stay tuned for video footage when it’s released and check out the official snapshots in the gallery for a closer look.
While competes with , and on this country’s NASCAR tracks, the pace cars leading them around have remained defiantly American – at least at Daytona, anyway. In the 50 years they’ve been running the Daytona 500, has the pace car been an import: the 914 that paced the race in 1971.
Apart from that one exception, it’s been all Detroit – Pontiacs mostly, but also , Chevrolets, Dodges, Plymouths and Fords. But just as Toyota has rubbed and bumped its way up the field over the past decade plus of competition, it’s now got one of its own up at the front as the official pace car for next year’s race.
That’s right. When the 2012 Daytona 500 kicks off the Sprint Cup season come February, it’ll be the new setting the pace. And while some may bemoan the use of an “import” for the task, Toyota would argue that nothing could be more American. After all, the Camry has been built in America (first in Georgetown, Kentucky, and now in Lafayette, Indiana) for 25 years now. And for 13 of the past 14 years, it’s been the top selling car in America. So maybe, just maybe, the Toyota Camry has earned the honor.
has announced “that there is a risk of delayed payment of August wages to Saab Automobile employees as some of the funds that were committed by investors may not be paid in time to effect such salary payments.”
This news should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention to the Swedish automaker’s dire situation over the last several months, but this concluding statement may raise a few eyebrows: “There can however be no assurance that the necessary funding will be obtained or the funds collected.” Sure, deep down we all know that, but it sounds pretty ominous coming from the company’s official PR department, no? Read the brief statement straight from the horse’s mouth .
The collaboration between fashion houses and automakers is a longstanding tradition. Think Nautica edition Mercury Villager, Eddie Bauer edition , or most recently, the . Now its big brother is getting in on the action with the Fendi edition GranCabrio – the droptop known as the Convertible on this side of the Atlantic.
Set to be unveiled next month at the , the GranCabrio Fendi is distinguished by such unique touches as a special dark gray paint with flecks of gold, special leather and wood trim in the cabin, yellow highlights inside and out, a fitted leather luggage set (similar to ) and the requisite special badges.
The individually-numbered special edition, well-appointed as it looks, is sure to be popular with the affluent boulevard cruiser set in locales ranging from Rodeo Drive to Monte Carlo. We’ll have the up-close-and-personal for you live from the Frankfurt show floor, but in the meantime, you can check out the images in the gallery and the full press release after the jump for more details.
teams up with Fendi for special edition GranCabrio
Jay Leno seems to own just about every car he’s ever desired, but not even the late-night talk show host has a Bugatti Type 51. So we’re sure it was with great anticipation that Mr. Leno took delivery of a gorgeous, race-ready Type 51 for a few minutes in his envy-inducing garage.
Beyond the jump is the latest installment of Jay’s garage series. Leno is admittedly very fond of models, and he seems to know an awful lot about the Type 51. He talks up the twin overhead cam engine, shows off it’s start-up process (it’s got more steps than Ikea furniture assembly) and demonstrates one of the sweetest engine sounds we’ve ever heard.
to watch the video for yourself. We’re guessing Jay will own the Type 51 by the time you’ve finished with the 12-minute clip.
Today, Ferrari is unveiling the 458 Spider, and officialvideo of the new sports car’s roof operation has already hit YouTube. It’s as simple as it is slick. The rear-hinged tonneau flips up, after which the roof panel rotates back into the space behind behind the seats. After extending two small trim elements, the tonneau comes back down. It’s elegant and fast, and the car, predictably, looks beautiful. Keep an eye out for additional info on Ferrari’s newest addition later today. In the meantime, to see the roof in action.
Go back a few days and nobody knew for sure whether Sebastien Loeb would be back on the rally stage next year. The seven-time world champion has little left to prove, and with new manufacturer-backed teams joining the paddock from and , the competition looks to get that much more fierce. But, after an unusually long period of contemplation, Loeb and Citroën – the French team for whom he’s driven since joining the WRC in 1999 – have announced a renewal of their contract for another two years.
The deal secures Loeb as well as his longtime co-driver Daniel Elena (pictured together above) for the 2012 season, with an option 2013. Loeb reportedly doesn’t see himself staying in the WRC through 2014, but there’s no telling what the temptation of a tenth title could bring should he prove able to continue his complete domination of the championship for the past eight years into another couple of titles. for the official announcement, which tellingly comes from the manufacturer as opposed to the team.
Let there be no doubt: Classic American muscle cars are the bread and butter of the . And why not? These machines hearken back to a time when horsepower was king, nameplates like , , and first started rolling off the tongue and Detroit was at the forefront of the automotive world.
That said, we’ve noticed an interesting trend over the last several years. Modern muscle is making up a more significant portion of the festivities than ever before, a fact we can surely attribute to the rise in quality and performance of today’s crop of high-horsepower offerings. Naturally, you’ll see plenty of Detroit muscle from the 1960s straight on through today in this gallery from the 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise.
We’d like to take a moment to explain our definition of muscle cars. We’re mostly cutting Detroit’s history into two segments: classics and muscle, using 1964, the inaugural year of the seminal Pontiac GTO, as the dividing line. Two seats, four seats or five; two doors or four; modern or vintage – these are the cars that place straight-line performance above all else… and we love ‘em for it.
We went ahead and labeled each vehicle, but if we’re off by a year or two on some of them, we apologize in advance to all you hardcore muscle car enthusiasts out there… With all that in mind, enjoy the gallery!
No matter what side of the great domestic manufacturer debate you find yourself on, there’s no denying the simple beauty of the small block engine. Whether it be the early 256 cubic-inch forefather or the ubiquitous 350-cubic-inch that we all know and love, the 90-degree General Motors V8 has established itself as an integral part of the fabric of America. GM is set to build its 100 millionth small block this year, and Translogic decided to mark the occasion by spending some time with the vehicle that helped make the engine famous to begin with – the .
The episode also takes some time to chat with Jamie Meyer, the product integration manager with GM performance parts, to learn a thing or two about what has made the GM small block such a success over the years. to check out the episode for yourself and click over next week for a look at the face-melting Corvette ZR1. What a difference half a century makes.
Cars don’t get much smaller than the , but that, apparently, still isn’t small enough for . So after having unveiled at the last year, the Smart brand has announced plans to putting the latter into production in time for this year’s expo.
Why electric bikes, you ask? If for no other reason, then because of their sheer growth. Smart notes that in its home market of Germany alone, the market for e-bikes rose nearly threefold from 70,000 in 2007 to 200,000 units in 2010. Across Europe as a whole, the market has shot up from 200,000 in 2007 to 500,000 in 2009 and 700,000 in 2010. Those are some compelling numbers, so little wonder Daimler is getting on board.
Created in collaboration with electric bicycle specialists Grace, the Smart e-bike packs a 250-watt electric motor juiced by a 400 Wh lithium-ion battery that can provide a selectable level of boost to the rider’s pedaling. Disc brakes front and rear do the stopping power, recharging the battery from the regenerative braking system. The battery can provide up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) of cruising depending on how much power is dialed in, and can even charge a mobile phone through the integrated USB socket.
The smallest Smart yet will be launched in Europe and North America early next year, after being unveiled at the Eurobike show in Friedrichshafen and the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. In the meantime you can scope it out in the high-res image gallery and the press release .
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is , and we’re already eager for some seat time. And while Mercedes-Benz hasn’t outright confirmed an AMG variant, our spy photographers managed to snag a camo-clad compact wearing all sorts of bulgy bolt-ons. Our best guess is that some sort of AMG treatment lies beneath.
The large wheels and tires do nothing to hide the large brakes lurking just behind the rolling gear. A larger air intake is seen up front while larger exhaust pipes are poking out of the rear. Rumor has it that the , filtering its energy through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and running to the ground via all-wheel drive.
Pebble Beach enjoyed a visit by a very special member of the stable last week. , along with the Edsel and Eleanor Ford house, displayed Edsel Bryant Ford’s freshly-restored 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster at the Monterey Concours d’Elegance.
Inspired by a visit to Europe in 1932 and penned by none other than E.T. Gregorie, Ford chief designer at the time, the Roadster began life as a 1934 Model 40 frame before going under the knife for substantial revisions. Stretched a full inch over factory dimensions and saddled substantially lower to the ground, the vehicle boasts a rear-pitched cockpit, long nose and custom aluminum bodywork. A classic Ford Flathead V8 powers the rear wheels.
After Edsel passed away in 1943, the vehicle made a few scant appearances around the country before vanishing. It surfaced again at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 1999 and sold to a collector for a heady $1.76 million. When the collector died, the car was returned to the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House before receiving a full restoration to return it to its former glory. for a video of the car’s unveiling and for the official press release.
Fans are flocking to the Pittsburgh set of the newest installment in the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises. If we lived nearby, we’d be there all the time as well – the action consists of , a handful of fight scenes, the Batpod and random glimpses of Ms. Anne Hathaway. When Hathaway isn’t catching the affection of the camera lens, however, it is her stunt double that gets to clamp down on the Batpod throttle.
What’s it like to ride that unique Lucius Fox creation? We imagine it’s a tough undertaking, but the stunt double keeps the seemingly heavy and unwieldy bike upright with ease. That , but in the we see Catwoman B getting some pointers.
