We Finally Sample Scion’s Irresistible Lightweight At Home
, we flew nearly 11 hours to spend a fleeting afternoon with the highly anticipated at Japan’s Sodegaura Forest Raceway, a track located just outside of Tokyo. Last week, we were in the air for less than an hour en route to Las Vegas to spend a much longer day with the sports coupe on our own turf.
The FR-S impressed us during our first drive in Japan, but the weather turned lousy and we didn’t have a chance to drive it on public roads at legal speeds. This time, scheduled plenty of seat time on public roads and on a racing circuit, while Mother Nature provided us with excellent weather.
Driving the coupe again in proper U.S. spec on home roads (and under much more favorable conditions) gave us better insight into the naturally aspirated four-seater. Not only did we learn a lot more about the engine, chassis and its driving dynamics, but we were able to finally interact with the FR-S as a daily driver.
It was, in effect, an interesting and informative second date.
There are literally thousands of videos on YouTube highlighting riders performing all manners of mind-bending stunts on motorcycles. Most of them merit a passing glance and little more. The video you’ll see after the break, featuring French trials rider Julien Dupont, is an exception. You really should watch this video from start to finish.
Brought to us by the energetic group from , Dupont’s antics through city streets and their many obstacles – stairs, poles, walls and cars – are impressive. Coupled with incredible views of Rio de Janeiro and the awestruck looks on the faces of local residents is icing on the proverbial cake. See for yourself by watching the video that we’ve pasted .
Pushrods and overhead valves or dual overhead cams; naturally aspirated, turbocharged or supercharged; it simply doesn’t matter – there’s nothing quite like the sound of a powerful V8 engine. Or is there?
The engineers from have been known to make some beautifully melodic powerplants over the years, but the Bavarian automaker has more recently taken a decidedly different approach to tingling the eardrums of Ultimate Driving Enthusiasts: pumping engine sounds through the internal stereo system of its latest sedan.
This technique, not surprisingly, has proven controversial. We can’t grant you the opportunity to drive one yourself so that you can hear it with your own ears, but, thanks to the boys and girls from Bimmerpost, we can offer the next best thing. Listen to one member’s 2012 M5 with BMW’s Active Sound system turned on, followed by a run of the same car with the system disabled via a pulled fuse in the video .
Spot the difference? Let us know what you think about BMW’s artificial engine notes in the Comments, but not before taking part in our completely unscientific poll below.
What you see above is a video of a Santa Fe man who’s had it up to here and is not going to take it anymore. The New Mexico city has a deal with Redflex to operate unmanned speed enforcement vehicles which are parked along the road to photograph breakneck miscreants.
On the morning of April 11 at 1:20 a.m., a man dressed like Mr. Magoo pulled up to one of those vehicles, got out, stepped up to the mark and shot it five times. No one was hurt, not even the camera. As you might expect, police are trying to find the mystery nightgown.
Details on the pair of Dear Qin concepts that unveiled at the this week are sparse, but they do hint at something interesting coming to every market where the Japanese automaker sells cars.
Calling them “global-strategic concepts,” Toyota says the sedan and hatchback versions of the Dear Qin models have “a design aiming to attract more people to the user base.” With that curious statement in mind, the first promotional video for the Dear Qin models (which you can watch by ) is both language- and information-free, emphasizing the design of the cars for a global audience. With explosions and lightning, of course.
Reports have said that Toyota is working on a new global, front-wheel drive model that is supposed to be launched in 2013. We can imagine these concepts foreshadowing those cars, and hope we get a pair of highly efficient compacts out of the design process. We’ll skip the explosions and lightning, though.
Three screen tests for the have been completed, and we think it’s gonna be a star. As with the G55, we expect the vehicle’s reputation to far outshine its sales, but with an exponentially improved interior, 544 horsepower, 560 pound-feet and better gas mileage than its less powerful predecessor, we’re talking about a whole lot of shining regardless.
With a base price well into six figures, the videos are the probably the only time you will ever see a G63 anywhere near dirt or kicking up flinty black rocks. If you start saving right now, you might be able to afford to buy one of its wheels when it arrives on our shores in August, or you can check it out for free in the videos .
Dreamworks was founded by three Hollywood titans as an independent studio with the aim of making good, and profitable, movies. That didn’t happen. Now the Paramount-owned Dreamworks just wants to make money the Hollywood way: opportunistic copying. It is in talks with Electronic Arts to make a Need for Speed movie, perhaps because it wants its own Fast & Furious franchise, certainly because it is bankrupt of ideas. In either case, Dreamworks is not alone.
Word was that a deal should have been done already, but nothing has been announced. That deal is said to already have a script for the film written by George Gatins, whose borther wrote Real Steel. If the deal doesn’t come off as planned, it’s been said that other studios are waiting in line to chat with EA about the same thing.
If you want to a glimpse of a Hollywood vision of Need for Speed, for Need for Speed: The Run last year. To extrapolate the movie, imagine that trailer being fifty times longer, fewer sound effects lifted from Transformers, actors who look like their in-game counterparts but can’t act nearly as well, and explosions. And even more hot women. for the vid.
has gotten quite a bit of mileage out of its “” ad, if only for the comedic value. Saturday Night Live pulled off what was perhaps the of the two-minute spot, and the hits just keep on coming.
This time, NBC’s 30 Rock gets in on the gag, with veteran tough guy actor Stacy Keach filling in for the otherwise irreplaceable Clint Eastwood. In the show, Keach was tasked with selling furniture with a tough guy attitude, but what we get instead is a solid laugh.
Actually, for our money the third faux ad is by far the funniest, with Keach selling Bazooka Joe bubblegum. After all, “life is hard, shouldn’t everything else be harder?” to watch the spoofed spots.
The facts are still coming in, but what is known is that on March 30 an armada of exotics, said to number from 25 to 30, was escorted by two New Jersey state troopers with their lights flashing down the Garden State Parkway at triple-digit speeds to Atlantic City. On top of that, all of the civilian cars had their license plates taped over. Among the drivers was supercar fan and NFL player Brandon Jacobs, recently of the New York Giants but now with the San Francisco Forty-Niners. According to NJ.com, Jacobs “told RidesMagazine in October that he often cruises with the Driving Force Club,” a car club out of New York, but it isn’t clear that this was a club outing.
One more established fact: someone has a lot of splainin’ to do. Authorities began receiving complaints that very day, with one beginning, “I had the great pleasure today of nearly being killed by, not one, but two, Lamborghinis traveling in excess of 110 mph in a (New Jersey State Police) escorted ‘caravan’…”. Others wrote in to say that the cars were weaving across all three lanes and that an elderly driver was so shocked she almost ran off the road. One motorist even labeled it “Death Race 2012.”
An NBC New York report indicates that Jacobs called a sergeant in the NJ force that he’s friends with and requested the escort. That sergeant and another officer have been put on leave without pay, the station commander has been transferred while his role is investigated. And speaking of investigations, they’re coming from everywhere, with looking into the matter. At least everyone involved can use history as a guide: police on the same road with a different supercar group two years ago. Check out an NJ Today video on the story by .
Based on the cars that usually feature in the videos we get from Dubai, we can’t really call the tale of this Ferrari Enzo that outrageous. Pictures of the dusty stallion have been zooming around the Internet while the real thing sat in a police impound lot for reasons that have never been clear – rumors ranged from it being hot goods in transit to China, to a casualty of the authorities for having been caught doing insane speeds on the Emirates Road.
According to a story in the Daily Mail, the truth is a bit more prosaic: the owner was a British businessman who couldn’t pay traffic fines and who knows what else almost two years ago, so he abandoned the limited-edition thoroughbred to its fate. The police are going to send it to auction with 128 other vehicles, 23 of which are other luxury vehicles that were each burdened with fines anywhere from $26,761 to $27,225.
Most of the auction fodder was owned by companies; only 18 were individually owned. The auction is expected to be the biggest Dubai has ever held, but folks who bid on the Enzo should read the terms carefully: we can’t see anyone abandoning million-dollar car for a $27,000 fine, so there’s likely another payout lurking somewhere in order to take ownership. In addition to the cleaning bill.
The 2012 Targa Tasmania has officially come to a close, and while we were a long, long way from the action this year, YouTube closed the distance with a slew of day-end recaps aimed at keeping us up-to-date on the action. This year, Jason White took his all the way to the top of the podium despite running into a tuning issue late in the event. Wet weather made for slippery conditions with low visibility more often than not, and more than a few competitors were forced to retire due to unintended departures from the course.
Day three saw some impressive driving from Sam Tapping and his Holden Commodore SS Ute. The duo ran down a total of three competitors on the same stage, including two models. That’s some impressive driving given the Ute’s tail happy nature and the wet asphalt. Of course, there are plenty more highlights that are well worth your time. to check out all five recap videos for yourself.
We have a thing for high-end detailing jobs. We’re not talking about what the guy at your local drive-through car wash does for an extra $10. We’re talking about the kind of detailing done by highly trained professionals that costs thousands of dollars and could take hundreds of hours to complete.
We normally get our fix of before-and-after photos from friend-of-the-site , whose work we’ve featured on Autoblog before. This time, however, we bring you some work done on a well worn Ferrari Enzo by a company in the UK called .
Instead of before-and-after images, Polished Bliss produced an excellent six-minute video with production quality that matches the 144-hour(!) detailing job it chronicles. If you’ve ever wanted to watch these masters practice their craft, then to start the show.
has just unveiled a special concept version of the company’s Q3 at this week’s 2012 Beijing Motor Show to commemorate the year of the dragon. The 2012 Q3 Jinlong Yufeng, or “Golden Dragon In The Wind,” caters to the kite surfers of the world thanks to its two roof-mounted carbon-fiber reinforced polymer boards and a clever kite pouch that can also be used to hold wet articles of clothing or serve as a beach umbrella. Designers have also thrown in a set of removable, wireless video cameras that can easily be attached to a sail bar or helmet.
The Q3 Jinlong Yufeng wears Liuli Yellow paint outside as well as a few special off-road body components based on production pieces. Brushed stainless steel running boards, LED spotlights mounted in the grille and integrated dual-exit exhaust are all part of the package. Indoors, designers have stitched the vehicle’s surfaces with yellow contrasting thread. The seats use woven leather covers and each door panel features a yellow leather insert.
A turbocharged 2.5-liter direct-injection five-cylinder engine delivers 310 horsepower through a seven-speed transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive – enough, Audi says,to power the Q3 Jinlong Yufeng to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds. Hit the jump for the full press release.
Every year on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the people of Israel take two minutes to honor those who died in the Holocaust. When the sirens go off, everything stops, including traffic. This year, the two-minute ceremony was unfortunately marked with a pair of accidents due to the abrupt stop in traffic.
The Times of Israel reports that a woman in her 60s was run over as she was standing outside her car and another was struck as she stood by her vehicle on the highway. Both women were hurt badly enough to require medical attention and the older woman was listed in serious condition.
The incidents scarred an already solemn occasion, but after watching the post-jump video, we’re surprised more people aren’t injured. to watch the unorganized chaos of freeway drivers pulling over at different times. Just as unorganized is the minute after the sirens stop, when everyone seems to want to leave as quickly as possible.
Go back just a few years ago, and you’d easily conclude that and hybrids would go together about as well as ice cream and pickles. But a lot’s changed since then, and Ferrari is making no secret of the fact that it’s developing hybrid powertrains of its own.
The first system it developed is the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a type of regenerative braking device developed with its sister company, Magneti Marelli, for use in Formula One. That lead to a similar system installed in an experimental version of the called the displayed at the 2010 . More recently reports surfaced that Ferrari had patented a more conventional hybrid powertrain system, leading to speculation that the KERS type had been abandoned for road-car use – most poignantly in the upcoming successor to the Enzo. But while Ferrari apparently pursues development of that more conventional hybrid system, it appears that its next mid-engined V12 hypercar will adopt an evolution of the HY-KERS system displayed on that green 599 two years back.
A revised HY-KERS system has just been announced by Ferrari at the , where the Prancing Horse also marked the Asian debut of its new F12 Berlinetta. Ferrari says the new system – installed on a V12 engine mounted amidship – is more effective than the one that preceded it, bringing emissions down to 40 percent of what a conventional engine with the same output would produce (compared to a 30 percent reduction from the previous incarnation), all while bringing engineers closer to their target of producing one kilowatt of energy for every kilogram of weight the system adds.
As for the F12, Ferrari has revealed that its latest supercar set a lap time at Fiorano of one minute, 23 seconds, making it the company’s quickest road car yet: a full second quicker than the 599 GTO it replaces, and about two seconds quicker than the Enzo, the and the 430 Scuderia. With that kind of progress, we can count on the new hybrid V12 hypercar to set an even quicker time still. for the press release and video clip.
has created the BMW i sub-brand for its upcoming production plug-in models, which currently include three concepts: the and the i8 Spyder. After keeping that third model away from our eager cameras at the New York Auto Show, BMW finally showed off the i8 Spyder Concept in the metal at the today.
The car itself we’ve already , but seeing it on stage shows once again that BMW is serious about putting cars like these on the road (toned down from the concept’s style, of course, perhaps with ). We’re more than ready for the through-the-road, plug-in hybrid that packs a 96-kW (131-horsepower) electric motor in front and a turbocharged three-cylinder gas engine offering 223 hp in back. 0-62 in five seconds and maybe 78 MPGe? Yes, please.
BMW is also making official the “eDrive” name, which is the new catch-all name for all of the electric drivetrain components: motor, battery and motor management system. First , the eDrive designation will be used “for the drive technology of all future electric and plug-in hybrid cars,” so get used to seeing it a lot.
The super-SUV is, arguably, the most significant debut of the . Maybe not in terms of sales volume, but at it’s a completely new direction for the modern Lamborghini brand (nevermind the “Rambo Lambo” from the ’80s), and moreover, it shows the first glimpse into the new premium SUV architecture that will gradually make its way through the entire Volkswagen Group portfolio.
We’ve already divulged about the Urus, including the meaning behind its questionable name (it’s a Spanish bull – go figure), but now it’s time to take a look at the bruiser live on the stage in Beijing. Before its debut, we were skeptical about how a high-riding Lamborghini SUV would look, but if we’re honest, we like what we see. It’s absolutely in-tune with the rest of Lambo’s design language, and it’s not nearly as enormous as you might think. We just wonder how much space there is in the back seat and how much utility is offered by the cargo bay.
Click above to peruse through a high-resolution gallery of images live from Beijing, and to watch a video of the SUV’s unveiling live from the Chinese expo.
Starting with the , Nissan will be launching in the United States over the next 15 months. And while the sedan you see here is initially heading to China as the Nissan Sylphy, it’ll be heading to our shores as the later this year, albeit with a few market-specific tweaks.
For now, Nissan has released a short video teaser of the North American-spec 2013 Sentra, which you can view . The video shows the new compact sedan in its SR trim, which Autoblog has learned is only a North American-specific trim package. The rest of the Sylphy’s styling appears to carry over largely unchanged, with new details like LED running lamps and taillamps rounding out a design that’s essentially a downsized version of what we see on the new Altima.
In China, the Sylphy will be launched with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine mated to Nissan’s next-generation Xtronic continuously variable transmission. It might not be an all-new powertrain, but remember, this is the same strategy that Nissan is using with the new Altima – one that has paid big dividends in fuel economy. The engines themselves haven’t changed, but with an improved CVT, we should see gains in not only performance but fuel economy, as well.
We’ll see the North American-spec 2013 Sentra this summer with the car officially going on sale this fall. to watch a teaser video of the Sentra SR, and to read the full press materials about the Chinese-market Sylphy.
Cyber crime is big business these days, and everyone from organized crime rings to governments are participating. The latest publicized attack was announced by , after the automaker detected malicious malware on its computer network.
Nissan Vice President Andy Palmer issued a statement that the attack has been detected, adding that neither customer nor employee data was accessed. Palmer says that the incident “initially involved the malicious placement of malware within our IS network, which then allowed transfer from a data store, housing employee user account credentials.”
Palmer did say that employee user IDs and hashed passwords were transmitted. That certainly sounds bad, but Palmer claims that Nissan has no indication that personal information was compromised.
Palmer also added that the attack occurred on April 13, but the automaker apparently chose not to disclose the issue until the extent of the damage was known. Nissan has also reportedly taken the time to ensure that their system data was properly secured. to view the video statement issued by Nissan.
Just about every brand under the Group umbrella has its own performance line these days. Marques like , and may not need them, but Volkswagen has the R line, has the RS range, Skoda offers the vRS models, and Seat badges its under the Cupra name.
It’s a nameplate that’s become synonymous with Latin-flavored hot hatches in markets around the world, and one of those vital markets is China. Little wonder, then, that Seat chose the to launch its latest Cupra model.
Technically billed as a “concept,” even Seat admits the vehicle you see here is pretty darn close to the production model that is scheduled to debut later this year. It starts out with the latest Ibiza hatchback (which itself shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen Polo) and upgrades it with VW’s celebrated 1.4 TSI engine that packs a turbocharger, supercharger and direct injection to produce a solid 180 horsepower. All that juice is driven to the front wheels through an electronic differential and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Seat’s also given the Ibiza Cupra Concept a suitably beefed-up look with LED lights and 17-inch wheels and a fully equipped interior, all of which you can read more about in the press release (together with video footage) and scope out in the high-res image gallery above.
