Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: HKS Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII CT230R wins Super Lap Battle, breaks r

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Sports/GTs, Mitsubishi

Like Germany and the Nurburgring, the United States is quickly seeing Buttonwillow Raceway's clock-wise configuration #13 become the circuit of choice for lap time bragging rights. While Buttonwillow does not have luxurious surrounding establishments or exceptional facilities, it does provide a variety of corners, is close to a major city (Los Angeles) and open year-round. Recently, media outlets Super Street and Eurotuner hosted their annual Super Lap Battle Finals (previously referred to as Time Attack). This event has helped to establish Buttonwillow track records as coveted titles. The winner of the event, fresh off a boat from Japan, was HKS's Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII dubbed the CT230R and driven by Nobuteru Taniguchi to a time of 1:43.523. The carbon beast not only bested the competition, but destroyed the event record of 1:48.906 held by Tarzan Yamada driving Sun Auto's Cyber Lancer Evolution and the track record of 1:48.766 held by Tyler McQuarrie driving JIC's S15 Silvia in the process. There is more on the event and the Evo after the jump.

[Source: HKS USA]Continue reading HKS Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII CT230R wins Super Lap Battle, breaks record

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: GM recalling 90,000 vehicles for various issues

Filed under: Recalls/TSBs, GM
GM is recalling 90,000 vehicles to fix issues such as safety foam, timing chains, and engine components. The models included are the 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent, 2001 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra with the 8.1-liter engine, and the 2.2-liter Saturn L-Series line.

In Equinox and Torrent vehicles that weren't equipped with roof air bags or sunroofs, GM will be installing more foam around the windshields to protect against head injuries in an accident. Saturns will get a new timing chain, which could separate during driving if not replaced. Silverados and Sierras will receive new crankshaft position sensors.

The repairs will be free to vehicle owners, of course, and GM has not heard of any accidents or injuries due to any of the recalled items. The recall begins next month, but in the mean time, go here to look for your vehicle in the NHTSA database.

[Source: Morning Call]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: eBay Find of the Day: VW Toaster Van

Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action, Etc., Volkswagen, Lifestyle

click above image for more pics of the VW Toaster Van

You're supposed to get baked in the VW bus, not toasted, but whatever. Volkswagen originally had these promotional toasters done up for its Japanese operation. Buy a new VW or bring your VeeDub in for an inspection, get a toaster. While supplies last, of course. There were only 5,000 produced, and fans of splitties and air-cooled VWs in general are rightfully nutso for them. We're not sure if the 100-volt wiring for the Japanese consumer will be okay on the slightly higher voltage here in the US, but if you torch your house after spending at least $250 on the toaster, please don't hold us responsible. Just in time for Christmas, the ultimate culinary delight for Volkswagen fans. What better way to augment a nice Fr&uuml;hst&uuml;ck of Hazelnussomeletten than with some VW-logo toast?

[Source: eBay via GermanCarScene.com]

Gallery: VW Split Window Bus toaster


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: AutoblogGreen for 11.21.07

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Chrysler unveiled drawing for three eco-concepts yesterday that will be coming to the NAIAS in two months' time: the Dodge Zeo, the Chrysler ecoVoyager, and the Jeep Renegade. Hit the links for more. Then check out what Ferrari and Lamborghini are up to as they work for a (slightly) greener world.

• Detroit 2008 Preview: Dodge Zeo Concept
• Detroit 2008 Preview: Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept
• Detroit 2008 Preview: Jeep Renegade Concept
• Ferrari looking to cut CO2 emissions, reduce fuel use by 40 percent
• 5 SUVs that get less than 16 MPG, cost more than $100 to fill up
• LA Auto Show video: Bob Lutz confirms GM will release 16 hybrids in next four years
• LA Auto Show video: Bob Lutz makes apparent slam at Hillary Clinton's energy plan
• Lamborghini trying also to become greener
• White House Thanksgiving turkeys delivered by Flex Fuel Ford running on E85
• Ford Ecogrants funds conservation projects in the Philippines
• London chooses American buses for hydrogen fleet
• Venturi to launch electric Fetish and Eclectic in April 2008
• Chrysler VP says company will add start/stop system to some models
• Guangzhou Automobile Group shows off the A-HEV, a Torino-designed hybrid
• John Edwards says he will revive EVs, attacks Hillary on ethanol
• First batch of winners announced in Lexus Environmental Challenge
• Honda will lease the FCX Clarity from three dealers in Southern California
• Zimbabwe opens first biofuel production facility
• Hybrids to get roll over testing for first time in 2008 model year
• VIDEO: Toyota's fuel cell Highlander tackling the Alaska Highway
• SAIC wants to build 10,000 hybrids annually by the end of the decade

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Dubious pioneer: Russia's first stolen Maybach

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Maybach, Lifestyle



Picture this, you're stuffing your face full of gourmet food, giving your gullet a real workout, and you look up from your plate just in time to see your Maybach speed by. That last bite sticks in your throat, refusing to budge. Whoever absconded with your &uuml;ber-uglified super S-Class boots your driver out the door while rounding a corner. Now would not be a good time to recall that your &euro;530,000 car is insured for a mere &euro;300,000. Whoops. Vikotor Markov was enjoying a meal at the De Marco caf&eacute; when thieves swiped his Maybach 57. While introducing Mr. Chauffeur to Mr. Chlorfoorm is itself a dicey undertaking, Markov's 'Bach is the first to be swiped in Russia. The band of thugs that ambushed the driver and made off with the car is believed to be responsible for multiple luxury car thefts, including a passel of Bentleys. Perhaps it would have been wiser to just take the Metro.

[Source: Luxist]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Solar-powered LED road markers could light future roadways

Filed under: Safety, Tech, UK

Night-time travel is a necessary part of the busy world in which we live, but due to decreased visibility, traveling in the dark can be dangerous. The British have shed some light on night driving with the invention of the Astucia SolarLite flush road stud. The stud emits LED light, which is powered by small solar panels. The new stud tech is present on 120 British roads, and night-time accidents are down a dramatic 70% since the devices were installed. Amazingly, the SolarLite road stud gives drivers 900 meters of visibility, which increases reaction times to over 30 seconds. Reaction time with standard reflector studs is just 3.2 seconds.
With thousands of Americans dying on night roads every year, any incremental price vs. reflector studs would likely be a drop in the bucket when compared to the incredible savings in insurance claims alone. The government mandates billions of dollars in safety equipment on our cars and trucks, and both the automakers and customers foot the bill in the name of safety. If the SolarLite road stud is nearly as effective as it claims, the governments incorporating them could effectively reduce the likelihood that many automotive safety features would never need to be deployed.

[Source: Astucia]
Gallery: SolarLite road stud


Continue reading Solar-powered LED road markers could light future roadways

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Online voters name upcoming Alfa hatch "Furiosa"

Filed under: Euro, Hatchbacks, Alfa Romeo


Furiosa. That's what the new hatchback from Alfa Romeo will be called, by virtue of an international competition to choose the car's name.

The Italian automaker is getting farther away from the Alfa-numeric (pun intended) nomenclature and giving its models more emotive nameplates instead. The web contest offered online voters a choice of twelve names, and Furiosa got the most votes, beating out Agea, Enos, Everson, Fira, Milo, Mod, Nevo, Solea, Sparvo, Velvetta and Ventura. While some proposals had merit, some of the rejected names were a little cheesy (try to figure out which).

So we can stop calling it the Alfa Junior. The Furiosa is anticipated to make its debut at the Geneva show in March. We're so there.

[Source: Motor Authority]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Honda Fit named Japanese Car of the Year

Filed under: Japan, Hatchbacks, Honda

click above image for high-res gallery of the 2008 Honda Fit

The second-generation Honda Fit (a.k.a. Jazz in some markets outside the U.S.) has been named Japan's Car of the Year. Reuters reports that the little Honda hatchback beat out such heavyweights as the new Nissan Skyline (a.k.a. Infiniti G37 in the U.S.) and the new Subaru Impreza. Chosen by a 60-member panel comprised mainly of automotive journalists, the Car of the Year award in Japan has gone to Honda five times in the last 10 years. Last year's winner was the new Lexus LS sedan. You can check out the entire list of past winners here on Wikipedia. While we in the U.S. aren't able to purchase the new Fit yet, it's on sale in Japan and flying off the lot. Expected to sell around 12,000 units per month initially, Honda sold more than 20,000 in the car's first two weeks of availability. The new Fit's larger size and smoother looks should help it find a few more buyers in the U.S. as well when it goes on sale sometime next year.

[Source: Reuters]

Gallery: 2008 Honda Fit


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Black Friday GPS deals: "Consumer Reports" maps 'em out

Filed under: Gadgets


Feeling lost in all the post-Thanksgiving sales? If you're shopping for a portable GPS system, "Consumer Reports" has some directions for you. The magazine says there will be several name-brand systems for less than $150 come Friday morning, but be careful which road you go down.

Using their past research, the staff at CR greenlights several GPS deals they have recommended, and which ones could be dead ends. Take the Garmin nuvi 660 (pictured above). It's a Consumer Reports top pick, and available for $400 (normally $800) at Best Buy this Friday and Saturday. Or a CR Quick Pick is the Garmin StreetPilot C330, available Friday at Wal-Mart for $129 (usually $168.54).

GPS shoppers can read (for free) the CR buying guide, here, or watch a video here.

[Source: Consumer Reports]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Joint GM/Toyota NUMMI plant accused of passing defects

Filed under: Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Toyota

A certified auditor working at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) plant in California that's run jointly by General Motors and Toyota has stepped forward to file a lawsuit alleging that her managers knowingly permitted defects on cars to go unfixed. Katy Cameron claims that her superiors routinely overlooked problems including broken seat belts, faulty headlights, inadequate braking, mirrors falling off, engine oil leaks and steering wheel alignment problems, though there's no evidence that any of these have resulted in an accident. Cameron's lawsuit not only alleges that her managers failed to report these defects, but that she was also routinely harassed for being a whistleblower. The Associated Press reports that she is now on medical leave receiving treatment for stress, depression and other mental problems resulting from being mistreated at the NUMMI plant.

The NUMMI plant produces the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Tacoma and Pontiac Vibe, and while it's considered a joint-venture between Toyota and GM, the plant is run using Toyota's manufacturing process. From what we can tell, it operates much like a training ground where GM managers can go to learn Japanese manufacturing techniques. Thus, these allegations appear to be aimed more at Toyota than GM. The response from Toyota has been that it's "tackling quality problems as a top priority," while GM wasn't aware of the lawsuit at the time the linked article was written.

Toyota's sterling reputation for quality has been tarnished lately with recalls becoming more common and Consumer Reports removing a few of the Japanese automaker's vehicles from its recommended list. We imagine their must be tremendous pressure at the plant level to fix any quality issues that arise, which could encourage managers to make some questionable decisions. While we don't know for sure what happened at the NUMMI plant in California, the idea that some managers would choose to hide defects rather than report them doesn't seem that far fetched considering the pressure to be perfect.

[Source: AP via Wheels.ca via ImportCarCanada, photo via Inside Line]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Aztek flashback: Nissan UK offering custom fit tent for SUVs

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUVs, Etc., Crossovers/CUVs, Nissan

While the Pontiac Aztek was a sales failure, it did have the ability to quickly turn into a camping appliance with a rear end that could be converted into a tent. Nissan must love the idea since it has developed a dome-shaped tent attachment for its UK utility vehicles. The tent attaches to the back, where the rear liftgate can be left ajar to provide a more open area for additional sleepers. Four adults can sleep in the 9x9 enclosure, with a couple more campers bunking in the car. The vehicle can also be easily detached from the tent if errands need to be run.
While tent accessory is handy, it does come at a price tag well beyond most stand-alone portable living quarters. The Navara tent costs &pound;260, and the tent for the Pathfinder, X-TRAIL, Murano or QASHQAI will run you &pound;460. Here in the States you can get a gently-used pop-up camper for a little more than $1,000 USD. The safety of the tent may also be a question mark, as it isn't hard to imagine a Darwin candidate turning on the car to get some heat (and carbon monoxide) into the shelter. Lets hope that doesn't happen. The Nissan press release is pasted after the jump.
[Source: Nissan]
Gallery: Nissan Tent UK


Continue reading Aztek flashback: Nissan UK offering custom fit tent for SUVs

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Craigslist find of the day: Lands Precedent, um, minivan? wagon?

Filed under: Concept Cars, Minivans/MPVs
http://jalopnik.com/cars/found-on-ebay/remember-the-80s-buy-this-rare-precedent-324801.php

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/car/483897435.html



The motorized monstrosity you see before you is a very rare 1986 Lands Motor Company Precedent. Only two were ever known to have been built, at a cost of more than $1 million, which 20 years ago was real money.

The Precedent might be considered an early hybrid, mating a Ford 5.0L engine to a Corvette rear end enclosed in a fiberglass body with Citroen doors. Inside, there's leather seating for six and, 20 years before Chrysler thought of it, rear seats that swivel! The interior is paneled in real rosewood, which, combined with the electric liquor-dispenser and minibar, makes the Precedent more of a tall, ungainly limousine than a tall, ungainly minivan. Back seat entertainment is provided by the period-correct, possibly black and white 8" television.

A Google search turns up very little information about either the Precedent or the company that built it, but some lucky Precedent collector (of which we're guessing there could be fewer than two) could take this beauty (a relative term) home for only $35,000! That's a $465,000 discount not even factoring in inflation.

[Source: Craigslist via Jalopnik]

Gallery: Lands Motor Co. Precedent


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Nissan can't prevent GT-R markups at dealer level

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Nissan


Despite floating a plan that would attempt to stop the inevitable customer speculation in the GT-R by voiding the car's warranty if it were sold in the first year, Nissan has come to the conclusion that they are, frankly, powerless to stop it. The company says it gave up on the plan because it wouldn't be fair to the guy who really had to sell his car within that time.

The other folks who Nissan won't be able to stop from making a bundle by marking up the car are its own dealers, who, let's face it, are frothing at the mouth to have a GT-R on display in their showrooms. Honestly, after years of trying to push Maximas and Sentras, if you were lucky enough to get some GT-Rs to sell, wouldn't you add a little cream? For some new shoes for the kids? Especially since there will be only 1,500 sold the first year?

But by law Nissan can't tell dealers what they should and shouldn't charge. Instead, it will "counsel them on why they shouldn't." And when the dealers are finished nodding sagely, everyone can expect them to start adding zeros. It's not all free beer, though: dealers certified to sell the GT-R will need to shell out on additional training for their mechanics, and will need to adjust the car's transmission and drive shafts every three years, for free. That's money they will probably recoup on the markup from just one car...

[Source: Kicking Tires]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Chrysler adding stop/start systems to vehicles

Filed under: Etc., Green, Chrysler


Chrysler's Frank Klegon says that we should expect to see the incorporation of stop/start systems in a number of vehicles "pretty soon," according to Automotive News. They'd be marketed as "micro hybrid" systems (showing that automakers will jump at absolutely anything to be able to apply the term "hybrid" to a product). The so-called micro hybrids simply kill the engine when the car's stopped, and according to Chrysler, this can net drivers a 5% gain in fuel economy without their having to do anything. (Except spend some money. Cost per vehicle would be "several hundred dollars.") Klegon also notes that more mild hybrid systems and additional 2-Mode implementations are in the works, as well. What say you good readers? Would you pay $300 for a 5% gain in fuel economy?

[Source: Automotive News - sub req'd]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Audi TT mobile phone lets you keep trademark lawyers on speed dial

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Audi


This is likely the only car-shaped mobile phone we've ever seen, and definitely the first one shaped like an original Audi TT. The GSM phone features a 2-inch touch screen, 1 gb of storage, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and 240 minutes of talk time per charge. Unfortunately, it does not come with an English-language manual.

Though the real TT was sometimes maligned as being too small, we get the impression this phone has the opposite problem. We can't (actually, we'd just rather not) imagine what kind of bulge this thing would make in your pants.

It's definitely not a Ferrari mobile phone or even Lamborghini, but you can get yours now for only $160. Or buy in lots of 26 for $151 apiece and give everyone in your family a Chinese ripoff of great German design.

[Sourcer: Shopkami via Carscoop]

Gallery: Audi TT mobile phone


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: First Drive: 2008 Saleen S302E and H302SC Mustangs

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Ford, Driving, Saleen

click above image to view more high-res photos of the Saleen H302 SC
There might be dozens (even hundreds?) of Mustang variations out there, but when Saleen sends you an invite to drive its new 620-horsepower S302E Extreme Mustang, you take it without thinking twice. You see, they have been working their magic on Ford's pony car for 25 years now, so if anyone knows how to do it right, it's Saleen. Company founder Steve Saleen might no longer be at the helm, but that doesn't mean the company's passion is gone for producing high performance automobiles. In fact, there seems to be a renewed enthusiasm, or what Saleen's General Manager Marques McCammon calls a "reawakening" of the company. Part of this is due to the recent acquisition of ASC (American Specialty Cars), and new key personnel in place including Paul Wilbur as the new President and CEO, as well as Chris Theodore, the father of the Ford GT program, as the new Chief Technology Officer. The two vehicles we drove, the H302 SC and the S302 Extreme, were the first two new vehicles launched under the new leadership. Follow the jump for our driving impressions of these two monster Mustangs.
Gallery: 2008 Saleen S302E and H302SC First Drive


Gallery: 2008 Saleen Vehicle Lineup


Live Photos Copyright (C)2007 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Saleen S302E and H302SC Mustangs

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Nissan recalling 650,000 Altimas and Sentras

Filed under: Recalls/TSBs, Nissan
NIssan has issued a recall for over 650,000 MY 2002 and 2005-06 Altimas and Sentras sold with the company's 2.5L four-cylinder engine, which may suddenly stop running. Automotive News reports that the problem lies with the crankshaft position sensor, which can overheat and stop sending signals to the car's computer brain. If the signal break is too quick for the ECU to diagnose the problem, it stops the engine, which obviously could be extremely inconvenient depending on what the driver's doing at the time. All it takes to fix the problem, however, is for Nissan dealers to reprogram the ECU, which they'll do free of charge, of course. If you've got an affected vehicle, expect a notification from Nissan around December 10th.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Lutz says Volt production by end of 2010

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Chevrolet, GM


Speaking at the Reuters Auto Summit in Detroit today, Bob Lutz stated that the Chevrolet Volt series hybrid will be in production by the end of 2010. What's more interesting is that he told reporters employees working on the Volt "are becoming increasingly nervous" about meeting that deadline. According to Lutz, however, GM leaders are insisting it be done, so the families of those on the Volt team shouldn't expect to see their loved ones much until after Dick Clark drops the ball on 2010. As we mentioned yesterday, the first test of the Volt's viability will be working prototypes demonstrating the car's capabilities by Easter of 2008. Earlier guesstimates had the Volt entering production and going on sale sometime in 2010, so today's clarification appears to give the General a little breathing room by only promising production to start by the end of the decade.

More after the jump.

[Source: Just-Auto, sub. req'd]Continue reading Lutz says Volt production by end of 2010

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: German tank bike tops all others

Filed under: Etc., Euro, Motorcycles


I ask you, who says the Germans don't have a sense of humor? All right, so it can be an arcane, mystifying sense of humor, but it's there, and that's the point. Tilo Niebel and his gents at the Harzer Bike company in Germany, upon finding they had a tank engine to play with, decided that of all the more reasonable things they could build, they should construct a giant WWII German motorbike with sidecar.

The engine comes from a Soviet T-55 tank (though the article incorrectly says the T-55 was a Panzer -- go here for a Google translation of the original article), which was a diesel V12 with 620 HP. Note the CCCP and crest at the front of the sidecar, which adorns the front of the hood from a Soviet truck. Even better, check out that anvil hood ornament.

The bike is almost 19 feet long, over 9 feet wide, and weighs 9,480 pounds. That means if you tip it, you'll need the assistance of a wrecker to get it back up. If the Jolly Green Giant decides to go badass, his ride has arrived. Makes the Jagged Edge look decidedly mundane by comparison.

Thanks for the tip, Andr&eacute;s!

[Source: 20 minutes]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Raising taxes through speed traps

Filed under: Government/Legal, Driving

As many states and local municipalities struggle to balance budgets and find funding for services like police protection, it seems like many are turning to alternative means of raising revenues. Since politicians are invariably loathe to actually raise taxes to pay for the services that people expect, speed traps are becoming increasingly popular. According to Detroit News columnist John McCormick, not only are more speed traps being used, the fines are getting increasingly punitive. Drivers in Virginia might want to be particularly watchful of speed limits. Surpassing the limit by 15 mph will now cost you $1,250 plus court costs. Topping 80 mph will cost you double that and possibly jail time. All this seems pretty extreme, especially if a driver isn't driving recklessly or the speed limit is set artificially low. Speeding in a residential area is unacceptable, but going 80 on a wide open highway in clear conditions is not necessarily dangerous.

[Source: Detroit News]
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