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The concept of the track car is a relatively new one, bridging the divide between racing cars and road cars. And with the confines of street driving constricting the enjoyment of sports cars on public roads, more and more drivers with the means have been opting for track-optimized performance machines. Particularly in the UK. What better company, then, to join the legions than Caterham?

The niche British sportscar company made a name for itself in continuing the production of the legendary Lotus 7, and while Caterham isn’t abandoning that formula by any means, it has announced the new SP/300R as a second line. Built in collaboration with Lola – that of racing car fame – the Caterham SP/300R follows the same Le Mans-style prototype model popularized by rival firm Radical.

Technical details are still being finalized, but the beating heart of this consumer prototype is a 2.0-liter Ford Duratec engine, supercharged and tweaked in-house to the tune of 300 horsepower. The engine is mounted longitudinally amidships and mated to a Hewland sequential transmission, but the chassis is designed to accommodate a range of powertrains at the buyer’s request. As is, though, the manufacturer anticipates a 2.5-second sprint to 60, thanks mainly to its tidy 1,300-pound curb weight.

Caterham released the SP/300R as promised at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, England. It will only be building 25 examples of the vehicle each year – with a pre-tax price tag of £60,000 (around $93,000 USD) and plans to launch a spec racing series built around the vehicle as well. A street-legal version is also under consideration, but for now this beast remains confined to the track where it belongs. Follow the jump for a video and the full press release, and check out the trio of images released thus far in the gallery below. Thanks to Andrus for the video tip!

[Source: Caterham]

Continue reading Caterham counts far beyond Seven with new SP/300R [w/video]

Caterham counts far beyond Seven with new SP/300R [w/video]

The thing about innovation is that to follow up, you tend to need another dose of innovation to keep people interested. Case in point: Mercedes-Benz having shoes to fill with its little SLK. The original was one of the first cars on the market with a modern retractable hardtop, taking after its costlier forebearer, the SL. And fourteen years later, with nearly everyone fitting folding tin roofs to their convertibles, the Stuttgart has launched the third-generation model with Magic Sky Control.

The innovative roof, as we’ve reported in the build-up to its release, adjusts the tinting of the glass panels automatically. It’s an option, and buyers can still get a solid metal folding roof or a fixed-tint glass one if the electronic trickery is too much. Naturally, though, that’s not all that’s new about the new SLK.

The latest compact roadster from Stuttgart sits on a new platform with new styling. Whereas the outgoing model aped the SLR with its Formula One-style nose, the new SLK takes its cues from the SLS AMG with its more upright grille. The new shape is also more aerodynamic, and Mercedes has incorporated a new transparent panel between the rear roll hoops that tilts to optimize airflow and keep turbulence in the cabin to a minimum.

The SLK will launch in the North American market in SLK350 guise, packing a 3.5-liter V6 good for 302 horsepower and a 5.4-second sprint to 60 mph. The 1.8-liter, four-cylinder, 201hp SLK250 will follow, as is expected the naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V8 SLK55 AMG. The new SLK gets its official launch later this month at the head office in Stuttgart in celebration of the company’s 125th anniversary, with its public debut slated for the Geneva Motor Show in March. Follow the jump for a video and full press release, but be sure to check out the high-resolution photos in the gallery below.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK pops its auto-tinting lid [w/video]

Officially Official: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK pops its auto-tinting lid [w/video]

Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books? The series, which sold over 250 million copies between 1979 and 1998, allowed you to choose your path through the story, but not every path led to a happy ending. The rally team from Subaru Canada must have read a few of these books yet decided to make any and all choices lead down the same awesome path, just from a slightly different viewpoint.

Strapping a gaggle of HD cameras onto a 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car, the team was able to load all the footage up to YouTube, where the viewer can select the viewing angle of his or her choice, be it the dash cam, bumper cam, clutch cam or side cam.

The driver is Pat Richard, the navigator is Alan Ockwell, and the quartet of camera angles is the Choose Your Own Adventure book we wish we could have read as a kid. Slide over the crest to view the clips.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Choose Your Own Cam with 2011 Subaru WRX STI rally car

Video: Choose Your Own Cam with 2011 Subaru WRX STI rally car

We’ve already crawled all over the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept at the Detroit Auto Show, and Mike Levin from PickupTrucks.com took an extensive look at the interior and exterior with designer Carl Zipfel. The questions we really wanted to get answered were, of course, “Are you going to build it? And if not, can we build it?”

• As to whether GMC is considering bringing it to market – built on a GMC line or by a partner firm – GMC communications rep Kelly Cusinato said “My understanding is that, yes,” production feasibility is on the table.
• In its favor is that Zipfel’s team started with a production truck. “It’s the best of the Duramax HD with more off-roading capability,” he said, “built with an existing Duramax diesel and existing supplier connections.”
• When asked if a customer could build it, Zipfel said an HD owner could replicate “everything but the lights.” You can’t get the 5′8″ bed on the 2500 Duramax HD, and widening the track by four inches would be a slightly lesser challenge. Otherwise, the chassis wasn’t chopped to create the shortened front end, and Zipfeld said, “We think we’re in striking distance for crash testing if GMC decided to build it.”

Follow the jump for more revelations about the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept.

Photos Copyright (C)2011 Zach Bowman / AOL

Continue reading GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept is being considered for production

GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept is being considered for production

2011 Detroit Auto Show: Editors’ Choice for Top Five Vehicles

The end of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show means it’s time for us to look back at our choices for the Top Five Vehicles that debuted.

Video: Australian flood sweeps away parking lot of cars

Australia is undergoing one of the worst natural disasters in its history. Watch and weep as a lot full of cars succumb to a flash flood.

Autoblog Podcast #212: Detroit Auto Show recap

Here’s the remedy to our post-Detroit Show hangover, featuring Chris Shunk, Dan Roth and Chris Paukert.

Also of interest:

• Video: 2012 Hyundai Veloster gets the B-roll treatment
• Report: GM CEO Akerson says Chevy Volt tech coming to minivan
• Spy Shots: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti replacement caught out on the prowl
• Rumormill: Next Bugatti Veyron to hit 270 mph
• Polk: Ford owners are most loyal buyers this year

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 1.12.11

Toyota wants to change our view of the Prius. It’s no longer a singular car but now an entire family of vehicles. The standard Prius that we all know and love will soon be joined by the Prius V, Prius C and plug-in Prius. Clearly, Toyota isn’t just building new cars, it’s attempting to build a new word… and it needs your help.

What is the plural of Prius? That’s a question that has been asked ever since the little hybrid hatchback hit the market, and the truth is that even Toyota doesn’t exactly know… but they do have some suggestions. It might be Prii, Priuses, Prium, Prien or just Prius. You can head over to the Prius web site and vote for your favorite. Voting ends on February 20th, and as of this posting, the early leader is Prii. However, our own Chris Paukert suggested that a group of Prii should be referred to as a smug, and the rest of us tend to agree.

Hop the jump to check out a video explaining Toyota’s conundrum… but don’t blame us when the song gets stuck in your head.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Toyota asks, what is the plural of Prius?

Video: Toyota asks, what is the plural of Prius?

B-roll footage isn’t necessarily the most exciting visual or aural experience, but it allows us to see new production models strutting their stuff out on the road. Hyundai is wasting no time in getting the B-roll footage out of the recently debuted 2012 Veloster, and here we see a pair of brightly-colored three-door coupes mixing it up on a desert test track.

As it typical with B-roll footage, there’s no music and the only sound comes from what the microphones picked up. Our suggestion? Go to YoutubeDoubler.com and spice it up yourself, though you know you’re just going to add music from the movie Inception. Click past the jump to see the 2012 Hyundai Veloster in action.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 2012 Hyundai Veloster gets the B-roll treatment

Video: 2012 Hyundai Veloster gets the B-roll treatment

Australia is under assault by rain and undergoing one of its worst natural disasters in its history. Flood waters in the state of Queensland have ripped through numerous cities. Over 30 lives have been lost and many others are still missing. Homes are ruined and many more are at risk as the surge heads into Brisbane; Australia’s third largest city. Damage estimates are already being pegged as high as $13 billion. One person was recently able to capture just how quickly a stream of water can turn into a raging river.

Filming from the balcony of their Toowoomba office, the video recorder watched as water levels grew higher until they were high enough to begin picking up parked cars (including a hapless Subaru WRX STI) and carrying them away. Hop the jump to see the clip, which includes a bold SUV driver at around 1:10 that refuses to lose his 4×4 to the rising waters (note how he appears to take the time to lock the front hubs on his Toyota). Also, If you feel like helping out, Australia could certainly use it right now.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Australian flood sweeps away parking lot of cars

Video: Australian flood sweeps away parking lot of cars

Nearly one million Prius Hybrids have been sold in the U.S. over the past decade, and with the third generation model sitting in every other politician and Hollywood starlet’s garage, its appeal is at an all-time high. In Toyota’s estimation it’s a great time for the Prius brand to expand and kicking things off is a new crossover with the kiddies in mind.

The 2012 Prius V is packing all the hybrid goodness of the standard Prius but with 34.3 cubic feet of space for your stuff, 38 inches of rear leg room and the fuel economy most vehicles can only dream of. The V is five inches longer and an inch wider than the O.G. Prius with the same 1.8-liter four cylinder hybrid power source, so it won’t match little brother’s 50 miles per gallon efficiency. Sill, the roomy MPV will net 42 miles per gallon in the city and an also lofty 38 mpg on the highway, or better than most anything on the road. The efficiency quotient is helped with a .29 drag coefficient and creative engineering feats like a resin panoramic moonroof that helps keep weight in check.

Technology will likely be improved as well, typified by Toyota’s Entune infotainment system that combines improved navigation, a rich interface, Bluetooth, and XM Satellite Radio. The Prius V hits dealer showrooms this summer but before you put down a deposit, hit the jump for the details and check the live gallery below.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips and Steven J. Ewing / AOL

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Detroit 2011: Toyota Prius family adds a V for volume

Detroit 2011: Toyota Prius family adds a V for volume

Lamborghini isn’t presenting anything at the Detroit Auto Show because it doesn’t even have a stand. But that doesn’t mean that the Sant’ Agata company had nothing to say. CEO Stephan Winkelmann and head of R&D Maurizio Reggiani spoke briefly about the Murciélago successor at a Sunday evening event outside of Cobo Hall, putting together a few more pieces of the Lamborghini 834 – otherwise known as the car many assume will be called the Aventador. Winkelmann said he wants it to be “the trendsetter of the next decade.” The main points:

• Cues: the 834 will have all the traditional modern Lamborghini cues, meaning all-wheel drive, scissor doors and prominent air intakes. Winkelmann said it would be revolutionary but recognizable, and that its inspiration has come from the military (not unlike the military-aircraft inspired Reventon)
• Chassis: “Stiffness and lightness are the words to remember,” said Winkelmann, and the company has planted its flag on the battleground known as “power-to-weight.” The body-in-white is 229 kilograms, torsional stiffness is 35,000 Newton-Meters/degree and it has been homologated worldwide already. The entire monocoque cell is carbon fiber – the tub is a Lamborghini-developed process patented by the company as RTM (Resin Transfer Molded) Lambo, a slightly different process than standard RTM, the A- and B-Pillars and rocker panels are braided carbon fiber, and the roof is prepreg carbon fiber. The RTM Lambo process has been developed in conjunction with its work with Boeing and the University of Washington.
• Engine: The new 6.5-liter V12 has 18 percent more power but emits 20 percent less CO2 – 398 g/km – than the 6.5-liter V12 in the now-discontinued Murciélago. It develops 700 horsepower at 8,450 rpm and 509 pound-feet at 5,500 rpm; although displacement is the same, the bore and stroke have been changed to provide better acceleration and smoother, more elastic power delivery in stop-and-go traffic.
• Transmission: The 834 uses a seven-speed, single-clutch transmission developed and patented by Lamborghini as ISR (Independent Shifting Rod) and built by Graziano. A single clutch was chosen because it is 20 kilograms lighter than a dual clutch and, said Reggiani, “You have to have the drop in torque so you feel like you’re shifting, to give the emotion.” There will be five shift modes: Auto, Auto Strada (’strada’ being for comfort), Strada, Sport and Corsa. The gearbox’s syncros can disengage one gear as they’re engaging the next, so shift times in Corsa will be 50 milliseconds (Formula 1 is about 40 ms), 150 ms in Sport, and 300 ms in Auto Strada.
• Suspension: According to Lamborghini, the 834 will mark the first time a pushrod suspension with horizontal dampers appears on a production car. The setup will keep the wheel in perfect alignment throughout the range of suspension travel.
• Brakes: There will be 400 mm carbon discs up front, 380 mm in back, and it will have an electronic parking brake.
• Interior: There will, of course, be improved roominess all around, the driving position is now dead ahead and not skewed to the right, and the dash cluster is a single, large TFT screen.
• Safety: The 834 will have passive pedestrian protection, four front airbags and two side airbags

One final note: Communications director Raffaello Porro confirmed that the company is still debating making both the Sesto Elemento and the Estoque. The Estoque is the natural way for the brand to grow (not an SUV), but if the Sesto Elemento is made it won’t be homologated. A decision on both is expected in the first quarter of this year.

Detroit 2011: Lamborghini shares more info on the Aventador 834

Porsche has rolled out a race-bred version of the company’s 918 Spyder Concept at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Packing the same drivetrain as the track-proven 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car, Porsche says that the 918 RSR will bring a whopping 767 combined horsepower to the party when it shows up in the paddock. A total of 563 of those ponies are provided by a 6.2-liter V8 that revs to an atmospheric 10,300 rpm. Porsche has partnered its beastly eight-pot with two electric motors capable of 75 kilowatts of juice positioned at each front wheel.

The 918 RSR stores braking energy in a flywheel accumulator stationed where the passenger seat would traditionally rest, and the tech allows the driver to summon up an extra bump in power for passing or acceleration. The pilot can command the boost in grunt for up to eight seconds.

Like the 918 Concept, the bones of the 918 RSR are built of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and the body was penned to pay respect the legendary racers like the 917 short-tail. Hit the jump for the press release.

Live Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips, Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Detroit 2011: Porsche 918 RSR racer is a single-seat dream [w/ video]

Detroit 2011: Porsche 918 RSR racer is a single-seat dream [w/ video]

Sprinkled around Cobo Hall this morning in the wee hours of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, we discovered a number of promotional images from Toyota teasing the big Prius announcement that’s coming later this afternoon. We don’t know with 100 percent certainty, but in addition to the Prius MPV we already knew about, the ad sure makes it look like the secret Prius concept to be unveiled later today will be, ta da!, a smaller Prius hatchback.

From what we can gather, the diminutive hatch will officially be unveiled in a few hours, but we thought the new Prius family line-up – featuring (from left) the Prius Plug In, the Prius MPV, the standard Prius and the new hatchback – was worth sharing. Stay tuned for live pics and the full details once we’re back form the Toyota press conference. Until then, discuss if you’d like to go for a spin in the smallest version of the world’s best-selling hybrid.

Detroit 2011: Toyota Prius family will grow with a smaller hatchback?

As part of the Volkswagen quest to carve out an ever-larger slice of the American auto market, the German manufacturer has unveiled the newest addition to its lineup – the 2012 Passat. Penned specifically to cater to big-boned tastes of American buyers, the next-generation sedan wears a 110.4-inch wheelbase to make it larger than any of its predecessors. Even so, VW says that when the Passat goes on sale later this year, it will arrive with a price tag of less than $20,000. Buyers will be able to choose one of three different power train options, including two gasoline engines and one diesel powerplant.

Things get started with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder gasoline engine with 170 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, followed by a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder with 140 ponies and 236 pound-feet of twist. Those who opt for the top-of-the-line mill will be rewarded with a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

The 2012 Passat will be built at the new VW manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee later this year. Check out our high-res image gallery below, then hit the jump for a video and full press release.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading 2012 Volkswagen Passat is German bred, Chattanooga born [w/video]

2012 Volkswagen Passat is German bred, Chattanooga born [w/video]

Automakers typically try to keep prying eyes away from the show cars that they wheel into convention centers for major auto shows. Porsche, however, made a video of the process and posted it online.

With only hours to go until the German automaker marks its return to the Detroit Auto Show after a four-year absence, speculation has been running wild as to what Porsche has in store for us. Earlier reports pointed towards a racing car based on the 918 Spyder concept from Geneva, then Stuttgart announced it was bringing a concept car.

From watching the video after the jump, it seems both could be right. The camouflaged shell seems to blend elements of the 918 with the tail of the all-conquering 956, and has the precise effect of revving up our anticipation even more. Whatever it is, we’ll be finding out very shortly, 6:30AM EST to be exact. But in the meantime, we invite you to check out the footage after the jump.

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Video: Porsche teases Detroit-bound show car

Video: Porsche teases Detroit-bound show car

Honda wants to ramp up the buzz around its flingable new 2011 CBR250R, and rather than dumping a pile a of YouTube videos onto the web, the company has unleashed a side-scrolling Flash game, TouringGlobe. The rules are simple: Players pick a bike livery and avatar before heading out to “ride” around the world. Unlike other flash games, you don’t actually control your bike, per se. You can speed up or slow down, but the motorcycle more or less continues on regardless of your interactions.

It’s not thrilling by any means, especially considering that no matter how hard you try, you can’t outrun the other riders playing the game at the same time. Maybe they weigh less than we do. If you’ve got a few seconds to kill and feel like seeing some bizarre backgrounds (as shown above) you can point your browser in this direction.

[Source: Honda via Asphalt and Rubber]

Ride the globe with the Honda CBR250R side scroller

If you have watched Saturday Night Live the last couple of years, you may share my opinion that the only things truly funny is Weekend Update, when cast members do a really good parody of real people like Sarah Palin, Barack Obama and the like, or when the cast produces video set-pieces before-hand.

When the show goes into original sketches, it can be a long hard, painful, unfunny slog. And this brings me to a new set of video webisodes produced by Volkswagen and ad agency Deutsch/LA starring SNL cast-member Bill Hader.

Webisodes are an increasingly common and important marketing tool used by companies, especially automakers. Ford has especially been making wide use of them as it seeks to be king of social media. The thinking goes like this: We are limited to 30-second and 60-second ads on TV because of cost, but why not get jiggier with longer-form pieces on the Net where we don’t have to pay for time.

The best of this medium remains BMW’s The Hire series of web films.

Click here to continue reading how VW went wrong.

Continue reading Opinion: VW webisodes with SNL’s Bill Hader go awry [w/videos]

Opinion: VW webisodes with SNL’s Bill Hader go awry [w/videos]

Spy Shots: 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible playing in the snow

A preview of the 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible, which is set to debut at the 2011 New York Auto show later this year.

Kia teases KV7 concept once more before Detroit debut

Kia is showing off the rather unique headlamp units and full LED bar below the front bumper of its KV7 concept.

CES 2011: Ford Focus Electric ready to steal the EV spotlight

Ford Focus Electric – Coming to the U.S. at the end of 2011.

Also of interest:

• 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost rated at 16 city, 22 highway
• Disposable traffic cones, an idea whose time has come? [w/video]
• Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]
• Are you the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe?

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 1.7.11

Brace yourselves, friends. Things are about to get a little strange. Mini has set about creating a 3D film titled Mini vs. Monster about, well… we don’t know what it’s about. We assume there’s probably a Mini in there somewhere, and there’s a pretty good chance that a monster of some variety plays a role, too. But beyond that, our guess is as good as yours. Mini has been so kind as to release three teasers for the films, though none of the trio serve to shed any light on the content of the film at all.

That won’t stop us from sharing them with you, though. The good news is that you won’t need any pesky 3D glasses to watch the three short YouTube clips after the jump. Supposedly, the trifecta of weirdness use depth of field trickery to give us all an idea of what the 3D flick will bring to the table. Consider us intrigued. Hit the jump to take a look.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Videos: New Mini commercials crank up the weirdness

Videos: New Mini commercials crank up the weirdness

There are body shops, and then there are body shops. This, ladies and gentlemen, is clearly the latter.

Established to meet the demands of the factory down the street, Carrozzeria Zanasi is Ferrari’s go-to body shop for a wide variety of functions, from custom paint jobs to restoration of classics. The collaboration dates back to 1964, when Enzo Ferrari himself teamed up with company founder Umberto Zanasi – the rest, as they say, is history. And as you can tell from the video after the jump, Zanasi’s facility is a touch more impressive than your average panel-beater wielding his rubber hammer in some greasy garage.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Continue reading Video: Carrozzeria Zanasi is Enzo Ferrari’s bodyshop

Video: Carrozzeria Zanasi is Enzo Ferrari’s bodyshop

If you live in Florida and are getting ready to take the test to get you’re learner’s permit, you better head to Google Maps and find the location of the nearest DMV. For the past decade, potential new drivers had the option of taking their permit test online. This practice just came to a screeching halt when they found that a large percentage of drivers passing the online test failed the in-person version. How large? Over 50 percent.

Emotions are predictably mixed, but we’re all for fine-tuning a program that gives people the privilege of piloting two-ton murder mobiles. Having smarter drivers on the road leads to a better motoring experience for all of us. It’s even plausible that a more knowledgeable pool of drivers could lead to fewer accidents and reduced insurance premiums.

Hop the jump to view My Fox Orlando’s segment on the matter.

[Source: My Fox Orlando]

Continue reading Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]

Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]