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At a media breakfast in Los Angeles this morning, Hyundai Motor America president John Krafcik let slip that the Korean automaker expects to breach the 40 miles-per-gallon barrier with its forthcoming small sports coupe. Conveniently, if they can reach that performance target, that would best the new 2011 Honda CR-Z, which, despite its hybrid powertrain, achieves just 36/39 city/highway when equipped with a CVT and 31/37 with a manual gearbox. The as-yet-unnamed Hyundai coupe (the nameplates Veloster and Tiburon are still up for discussion) will achieve those figures with a conventional four-cylinder engine, eschewing the added cost, complexity and weight of a gas-electric system.

Likening the forthcoming model to a long-distance runner, Krafcik promises that not only will this Hyundai best the Honda in fuel economy, it will also deliver better performance as well as added utility (read: rear seats and better access). Given that it won’t have the cost penalty of a hybrid drivetrain (a 140-horsepower, 1.6-liter engine is expected), we’d be surprised if it doesn’t come in at a lower price-point, as well.

In addition to sipping gas, Krafcik emphasized to Autoblog that a key mission for the affordable coupe will be enticing the world’s young and increasingly auto-ambivalent consumers with additional technology – all Velosters will come with a large screen on the dashboard as standard equipment, presumably to manage connectivity features in addition to more traditional vehicle functions.

With 40 mpg practicality and superior utility, it would appear that the Veloster not only has a shot at taking on Honda’s CR-Z, but also more conventional economy cars like the Ford Fiesta, perhaps trading a bit of practicality in favor of edgier coupe styling and (hopefully) greater performance.

Hyundai pledges to hit 40 mpg with 2012 Veloster, beat out Honda CR-Z

Grand Prix racing sure has come a long way since the old days of driving your car to the track, lining up on the grid and fixing problems yourself track-side. Just how far? Well, the two reigning world champions had to find out the hard way.

In a promotional video for McLaren’s title sponsor Vodafone, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were left to hand-assemble their own F1 car, without any help. Shameless marketing ploy? Sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a watch, so check it out in the video after the jump, where you’ll clearly see a better team dynamic than Lewis enjoyed with Fernando Alonso back in the day.

[Source: YouTube via PistonHeads]

Continue reading Video: Lewis and Jenson put their McLaren together themselves

Video: Lewis and Jenson put their McLaren together themselves

If Saab is going to survive, much less thrive on its own, it’s going to need more fresh product to supplement the just-launched 9-5. An all-new 9-3 is going to play a big part in the revival of the Swedish brand, and Saab is reportedly hard at work on a new platform for its mainstream model.

The new platform, reportedly dubbed the “Phoenix Architecture” will likely also underpin the next generation 9-5, although it may adopt some pieces from the current model such as the Hi-Per strut front suspension. Prior the GM bankruptcy, it had been decided that the next 9-3 would move from the mid-size Epsilon platform to the compact Delta platform. At this point it looks like Saab will stick with the downsizing plan with it’s internally developed compact as it targets the Audi A3 is its main competitor. The hardcore Saab fans out there will also be glad to hear that the new model will include a revival of the dearly departed hatchback form factor.

Powerplants remain an open question for Saab, with BMW still likely to be the front-runner as a supplier. The 1.6-liter engines from the Mini Countryman are one probably candidate, with the 184 horsepower turbocharged Cooper S being a range topper. Before the new 9-3 arrives in 2012, Saab may also do a refresh of the current model, adding the 180 horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four that recently debuted in the new Astra.

[Source: Autocar]

2012 Saab 9-3 to rival Audi A3, get Mini Countryman power?

The IndyCar Series moved on to the plains of Iowa for the eighth round of the 2010 Championship with a new points leader – Indy 500 Champ Dario Franchitti. Ryan Briscoe had moved up in the standings too, having won the last round in Texas – the race that had seen Penske return to Victory Lane and had almost seen the immolation of Simona de Silvestro. Fortunately Simona was extricated quickly enough to avoid major injuries and was in fact back in action in Iowa.

Qualifying on Saturday had seen early season dominator Will Power at the top of the charts, but he was one of the first drivers on course and had to play a long game of sit-and-wait to see if his time would stand. Follow the jump to see how the rest of qualifying played out, and to read all about the race – the 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 from Iowa Speedway.

[Images: Chris Trotman/Getty Images, Conrad Schmidt/AP]

Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway [SPOILERS]

Volkswagen created the hot hatch segment in the late 1970s with the original GTI. The car’s performance repertoire, however, did not include Ferrari-humbling maximum speeds. GTI aficionado Jeremy Freedman set out to unequivocally obliterate this top speed shortcoming with his Mk III. During last fall’s Texas Mile event, Freedman piloted his black 1997 GTI to a scarcely believable trap speed of 208.1 mph!

Remarkably, Freedman’s car is powered by the same VR6 engine and five-speed manual gearbox it left Wolfsburg with. They have been slightly modified, however, with the VR6 being opened up from 2.8 to 3.0-liters and turbocharged to the tune of 800 horsepower. More startling is news that the gearbox internals have been been largely untouched save for a beefier clutch and the addition of a limited slip differential. (Those changes were required to put that much power to the ground through the front wheels.) Rather than mess with the gearing, Freedman relied on larger wheels and tires to adjust the final drive ratio so he could top 200 mph. You can check out video of Freedman’s record-setting run after the jump.

[Source: Eurotuner]

Continue reading 13-year-old VW GTI becomes world’s fastest at 208 mph [w/video]

13-year-old VW GTI becomes world’s fastest at 208 mph [w/video]

Last we checked, Road Atlanta was a famed professional 2.54-mile racetrack, not an oversized autocross layout on a training skidpad. Somebody may need to remind Mini USA, as the maker of famously small cars has just announced the “track” (their word, not ours) for its overly-publicized “Rumble on the Racetrack” (their title, not ours) challenge pitting the Mini Cooper S against the race-bred Porsche 911 Carrera S.

While Mini promises “No tricks. No gimmicks. No jokes” in its latest Facebook post, the map of the so-called challenge track autocross is nothing more than a few hundred cones dropped on the “School Course & Training Area” located in the infield of Road Atlanta by turns 6 and 7 (this is hardly the same asphalt that hosts cars like the Corvette C6.R, Porsche RS Spyder, Ferrari 430GT and Audi R10 TDI at the Petit Le Mans).

With the big shindig scheduled for Monday (with or without an official Porsche showing), this event has gone from entertaining to mildly disappointing. We don’t need to explain to any of our readers that a Mini Cooper S is as comfortable on a loop-de-doo autocross course as Porsche is, well… on the winner’s podium at Road Atlanta.

Mini has yet to answer the challenge from Hyundai (the Koreans were kind enough to offer to take Porsche’s vacant spot on the grid), but they had better get on it. With a track autocross this tight, they should be expecting a call from Smart first thing Monday morning.

[Source: Facebook]

Mini reveals track for Porsche challenge, not really Road Atlanta

First Drive: 2011 Honda CR-Z

The 2011 Honda CR-Z is not a CRX redux. To compare the two is to misunderstand the former and besmirch the latter.

BREAKING: Saab hires Castriota to be new design head, pen next 9-3 [w/poll]

Saab has hired American designer Jason Castriota, who is responsible for such memorable designs as the Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina and the Bertone Mantide, to serve as its head designer.

Video: Hyundai steps in for Porsche, offers to take on Mini at Road Atlanta

Hyundai has just stepped up to stand in for Porsche, offering to take on Mini at its Road Atlanta Challenge.

Also of interest:

• 2011 Ford Explorer teasing continues – My, what big pillars you have
• 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Rise of the MPGs
• Update: Mini inviting 400 to watch Porsche Challenge – but who will drive the 911?
• Report: Chrysler Sebring convertible to survive

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Autoline Daily for 6.18.10

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 6.18.10

Turnabout Is Fair Play: Hyundai takes up Mini challenge – click above to watch the video after the jump

Mini can safely be considered the 800-pound gorilla of viral marketing in the automotive sector, but fresh from its big showing this year with its Assurance program and successful Super Bowl appearances, Hyundai is showing real pluck. Need more proof? The boys from Korea have just stepped up to stand in for Porsche, offering to take on Mini at its Road Atlanta Challenge.

In a smack-talk-tastic video response they’ve released to Mini USA head Jim McDowell, Hyundai says they’re eager to bring their Genesis Coupe to Hotlanta raceway next month. What about Mini’s planned June 21 event? Seems Hyundai race driver Rhys Millen is a bit busy getting ready to climb a certain mountain, so Hyundai is challenging Mini to a race in July.

As Hyundai spokesman Dan Bedore tells Autoblog, “Since we launched the Genesis Coupe, we’ve always said that we’ll take on all-comers when it comes to comparison tests. And we’ve had some experience on the race track at Road Atlanta. We’d be happy to meet Mini on the race track.”

To step in and offer to take a punch for someone you don’t really even consider a buddy (read: Porsche) is either bold or downright crazy – or more than likely, some glorious combination of the two – but either way, it takes serious cojones. Will Mini step up to the challenge? Better still, might there be a three-way battle royale? Check out the video after the jump and stay tuned, everyone… this just got interesting.

Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Video: Hyundai steps in for Porsche, offers to take on Mini at Road Atlanta

Video: Hyundai steps in for Porsche, offers to take on Mini at Road Atlanta

In the manner of its Fun Theory videos from last year, Volkswagen is up to old viral hijinks again. The Fun Theory experiments were about seeing whether you could encourage people to do the right thing if you made doing the right thing fun. This time, there’s no right or wrong involved, just a racy bit of red, a lot of speeding and a little bit of tsk-tsking at the Alexanderplatz subway station. Follow the jump to see what they’ve done this time.

[Source: Volkswagen via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Volkswagen puts subway riders in the fastlane

Video: Volkswagen puts subway riders in the fastlane

After Mini’s many attempts to coax Porsche into a race, including videos, posting an online petition and even flying a banner plane over the automaker’s North American headquarters, the lights have all gone dark in Atlanta, and it looks like Mini is out of luck.

But the show must go on! Even if Porsche has officially decided to decline.

Not only is Mini offering space at Road Atlanta for up to 400 people to come watch, but they’re even providing a race-ready 911 Carrera S. As for who’s driving, that’s still up in the air. Mini posted this advertisement (right) on its Facebook page, hoping to find one brave soul who will put the mighty 911 through its paces against the Cooper S.

What’s more, Mini is even offering up track time to any of the 400 guests who show up on June 21. It certainly sounds like a fun day will be had, regardless of the race’s final outcome, and we’re now wishing that we lived just a little bit closer to Atlanta. Remember, you can keep up to date on all of the Mini vs. Porsche happenings on Facebook.

[Sources: MotoringFile, Facebook]

Update: Mini inviting 400 to watch Porsche Challenge – but who will drive the 911?

Recently, we had the chance to hang out with Rhys Millen and get up close and personal with the Hyundai Genesis PM580 racer that he’ll be driving in this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb. It’s a mean machine, and comparisons to a real-life Batmobile are certainly not out of the question, but the one thing that text and photos cannot describe is the roaring sound produced by the 775-horsepower, 4.1-liter turbocharged V6 powerplant. It’s like a bunch of angry hornets.

Follow the jump to watch Rhys piloting the PM580 around a test course, and turn up the volume to hear what this bad boy will sound like as it goes racing up Pikes Peak next week. Scroll through the attached gallery to see gorgeous high-res shots of the race car, as well.

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

[Source: Hyundai via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Rhys Millen’s Red Bull Hyundai Genesis PM580 sounds like a really angry Cuisinart

Video: Rhys Millen’s Red Bull Hyundai Genesis PM580 sounds like a really angry Cuisinart

The wait is nearly over. The game we all had nearly given up hope on is now less than five months away. Gran Turismo 5 is a reality, a playable reality, and Sony is making a big enough deal about its November 2 launch date to make us think that, for once, it might actually happen. The version at this year’s E3 is by far the most polished version of this game we’ve yet seen — and we’ve seen quite a few over the years.

That it still isn’t finished (no full crash damage in the version we played) and that there are still a number of questions to be answered (details for online play, what sort of driver training will be included, etc.) leaves us a bit leery, but we certainly didn’t pass up the opportunity to take it for a spin just the same. We were also given the opportunity to speak with series producer Kaz Yamauchi to get his thoughts on the game — and to chat about his recent real-world racing exploits. Keep on reading for our detailed impressions of the game, and some video of some good ‘ol boys banging fenders around the Top Gear Test Track.

Continue reading Playing Gran Turismo 5 and talking shop with Kaz Yamauchi [w/video]

Playing Gran Turismo 5 and talking shop with Kaz Yamauchi [w/video]

First Drive: 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera stupefies our senses

We wring out Lamborghini’s lightest super-coupe to see if it lives up to its Superleggera graphics.

Officially Official: 2011 Honda Odyssey prepares to rock your sippy cups [w/video]

Honda rolls out its newest Family Truckster, and the thoroughly revised Odyssey comes packing a lot of kit, including 15 cupholders.

Pikes Peak Prep: Autoblog joins Rhys Millen for Hyundai Genesis PM580 test session

There’s a lot to know about Millen’s Pikes Peak Genesis, but here’s the most important bit: 20-125 mph in under six seconds.

Also of interest:

• Hyundai Equus Apple iPad Manual: Full Details
• BMW releases 2011 M3 Frozen Gray Coupe for the U.S.
• Updated Euro-spec 2011 Range Rover includes new diesel, transmission [w/video]
• Alpina teases BMW B5 Bi-Turbo ahead of Goodwood debut
• J.D. Power 2010 Initial Quality Study released, first time ever domestics lead imports

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 6.17.10

We’ve been a little curious as to what good old Bob Lutz has been up to after retiring from General Motors. While the former auto exec had said that he would be busy slaving away over his latest book, the truth may be a bit more exciting. Several locals in Pinckney, Michigan called emergency services when they spotted a small jet flying at low altitude, believing that the aircraft was going down. Officials didn’t find anything, but said that they discovered that a “retired gentleman” had been previously flying his personal aircraft in the area.

No one is officially saying whether or not it was Lutz who was spending the afternoon reenacting his favorite Top Gun scenes, but we have a hard time imaging how many other auto exec retirees would be buzzing church towers with a decommissioned jet in rural Michigan. By all accounts, the pilot landed safely without incident, and since neither the plane nor the pilot were positively identified, no one is being charged for the search and rescue operation. Hit the jump for a quick video of the search effort.

[Source: Livingston Daily via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Bob Lutz in presumptive plane crash? [w/video]

Bob Lutz in presumptive plane crash? [w/video]

When Honda pulled the wraps off of its Odyssey Concept at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, we knew it was just a few small tweaks away from being production-ready. Well, four months later, the official details and images have been released, and while the 2011 Odyssey doesn’t go a long way in offering fantastic new innovations for the minivan segment, it packages the whole thing together in what might be the best-looking minivan we have yet to see.

The 2011 Odyssey is lower and wider than the outgoing model, and features what Honda is calling a “lightning bolt” beltline, a feature that was present on the concept van that we saw in Chicago. We aren’t sure if we’re in love with that quirky design element, but one thing’s for sure, you won’t see the origami fold and stepped greenhouse on any other minivan in the shopping mall parking lot. Other new features for the 2011 model year include available HID headlamps up front, new 18-inch alloy wheels, larger 12.6-inch ventilated front disc brakes, revised side mirrors and a power tailgate. Honda has yet to release full performance specs, but we do know that there’s a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 under the hood, and early estimates state that the top-trim Odyssey Touring Elite should achieve 19 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg(!) on the highway.

Inside, Honda has made the most of the Odyssey’s extra width, offering an additional inch of shoulder room in the front row. What’s most interesting, though, are the three second-row seat configurations, including an all-new wide mode which allows the two side captains chairs to be pulled away from the center seat, meaning three child car seats can fit all across one row. Again, the Odyssey hasn’t really done anything innovative with its interior packaging, but new features like a chilled cool box in the front center console, HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) input, 16.2-inch widescreen entertainment system, 15 upholders and a trash bag holder (yep!) will make the cabin more attractive to consumers who need one heck of an all-around family hauler.

We’ll have more details on the Odyssey’s underpinnings in the future, but for now, hit the jump to not only read Honda’s press release, but to see videos of the new Odyssey in action. A full gallery of high-res images is yours for the clicking below.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2011 Honda Odyssey prepares to rock your sippy cups [w/video]

Officially Official: 2011 Honda Odyssey prepares to rock your sippy cups [w/video]

Chrysler has decided to move the owner’s manual for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee out of the paper world and into the ethereal realm of the iPhone App. According to the company, users will have access to all of the standard vehicle system information they’re used to, but will also be able to view videos on special vehicle features, connect with other Grand Cherokee owners across the country and Chrysler will also be able to receive user feedback through a number of social media connections.

The cool part is that the app is free to anyone. You don’t have to own a Grand Cherokee or lay down any of your hard earned cash if you’re curious about the vehicle. At first, the app will only be available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but will eventually crop up on Blackberry and Android platforms as well. We’re a little curious to see if the SUVs will still be available with hardcopy manuals, or if the company will forego paper all together. If it does, what happens in 10 years when the current generation of smart phones are all relics? A whole population of second-hand Grand Cherokee owners may never know what their FCW OFF light means.

Hop the jump to see Chrysler’s video introducing the app.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee: There’s a (new) app for that

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee: There’s a (new) app for that

Honda snagged former Top Gear presenter and current Top Gear mag and Sunday Times writer Jason Barlow for a drive around Japan in the Honda CR-Z. He starts his shtick by putting the car in context “It’s not a gas-guzzling V-eht,” (watch the vid, you’ll see), but “a different kind of car for a different kind of road trip.”

We’re fine with that. But when he opines a little later that “It’s a car that car enthusiasts have been waiting for, rather than being made to drive a car that looks like a little spaceship,” well, we wonder who did the writing on the one. See, we have a nagging feeling that if he were reviewing the CR-Z for Top Gear, well, the script would have read slightly differently… Follow the jump to see what he thinks and how he goes on his “journey of discovery.”

[Source: YouTube via Carscoop]

Continue reading Video: Honda hires ex-Top Gear presenter Barlow for CR-Z film

Video: Honda hires ex-Top Gear presenter Barlow for CR-Z film

It may seem hard to remember now, but back in the day – before Porsche Cayennes roamed the earth alongside Mercedes SUVs aplenty – the Range Rover was the be-all-and-end-all in the luxury sport-ute market. Today Range Rover may have some stiff competition, but JLR is keen to prove its top of the line is still the king of the hill, and to that effect has released a series of upgrades to the 2011 model.

First and foremost is the diesel drivetrain: a new 4.4-liter LT-TDV8 with 308 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque (rumored to be sourced from Ford) replaces the old 3.6-liter unit, coupled to a new ZF eight-speed automatic. The 7.5-second sprint to sixty may be a far cry from the 5.9 seconds it takes the gasoline-burning supercharged 5-liter V8, but for a heavy oil-burner returning over 30 miles per gallon on the European combined cycle (the first Range Rover to break that particular efficiency barrier), that’s nothing to cough at. Speaking of the Supercharged model, that engine carries over essentially unchanged, but mated as well to the eight-speed auto. The diesel also benefits from the Supercharged model’s Brembo braking system.

Other revisions include an upgraded Terrain Response system, some minor cosmetic changes, new wheel options, an optional Exterior Design Pack and a special 40th anniversary Autobiography Black edition. These details – more of which you can read about in the press release and view in the video after the jump – are unfortunately limited to the European model, so we’ll have to sit tight for the revisions to reach American shores. No word on plans to bring the diesel model across the pond, so for now we’ll just have to add this to the growing list of torque-tastic diesels to admire from afar.

[Source: Land Rover]

Continue reading Updated Euro-spec 2011 Range Rover includes new diesel, transmission [w/video]

Updated Euro-spec 2011 Range Rover includes new diesel, transmission [w/video]

Upon unveiling its most ambitious offering at April’s New York Auto Show, Hyundai also made a splash by announcing that its 2011 Equus luxury sedan would come with a multimedia tablet PC in lieu of an owner’s manual. Better still, not only would the device replace the weighty glovebox staple and save a few trees, but it would also serve as a digital liason between the owner and his or her dealership, helping to schedule maintenance through its Service Valet program, remind of routine maintenance, schedule vehicle (and loaner) pick-up and delivery, and so on. Speculation was that the unnamed tablet would take the form of the iPad, but up until now, Hyundai hasn’t confirmed that it is, in fact, an Apple product.

Not only can Autoblog confirm that the Equus device is an iPad, we’ve learned what the specific model will be. According to company sources, Hyundai will provide owners with a 16-gig, wifi-enabled (non-3G) iPad with a custom case. As is fitting for a premium automobile, the latter will be a landscape-style high-end leather case that is custom-made for Hyundai, with an embossed logo, suede-like interior and a built-in kickstand.

Most interestingly, the owner’s manual program will include all of the usual text and images, but also take advantage of the iPad’s display capabilities by showing videos to explain the vehicle’s functions.

The Equus-specific programs will arrive pre-installed alongside all other normal iPad software, and future updates will be available through iTunes, just like any other iPad program.

Hyundai Equus Apple iPad Manual: Full Details

It’s always refreshing to see a car move from rendering to real life. When we first laid our eyes on the Rossi SixySix, we were immediately smitten with the car’s design. It promised to blend the hefty horsepower and handling prowess of the C6 Chevrolet Corvette with legendary looks of the ‘63-’67 Stingrays. That was nearly two years ago, and we had all but written the SixtySix off as nothing but a sexy piece of vaporware. According to CorvetteBlogger, we were wrong. The company has just finished all of the tooling necessary to bring the vehicle to life, and the first car will get an unveil this weekend at Detroit’s EyesOn Design event.

The car has undergone a few changes on the road to reality, namely in the front end. We’re not entirely smitten with the new nose design, but the rest of the car has stuck fairly close to the renderings we fell for not so long ago. Under the new bodywork, the drivetrain remains unmolested, and word is that the company can perform the whole conversion, including the cost of a brand-new C6 Corvette, for around $130,000. Yeah, it’s good looking, but for that kind of money, one could conceivably lay his hands on a ZR1, or even a very drivable original ‘63 split-window.

[Source: Rossi via CorvetteBlogger]

Rossi SixtySix fuses C6 technology with split-window Corvette style