Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: VIDEO: Wall Street Journal goes inside Chery factory

Filed under: China, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Chery


The Wall Street Journal was allowed behind the scenes at Chinese automaker Chery, a rare privilege in Communist China. The reporter didn't discover any top-secret plans for world domination or even a rendering of what Dodge's Chery-made car would look like. But he did see German and Italian robotics being used on production lines staffed by $1-an-hour workers 16 hours a day. It's a combination the story says should be good for global success.

In Chery's research center, engineers are developing 40-50 new models and the company is building a new production line capable of turning out 700,000 cars a year.

Chery chairman Yin Tongyao says they hope their relationship with Chrysler will allow Chery to hone its cars and streamline its production process. "People look down on our products. There are many doubts about our safety and quality," says Yin says in the WSJ piece. "If we work together with Chrysler, we can go global faster."

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport

Filed under: Garage, Hatchbacks, Subaru

click image above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Impreza Outback Sport

The standard new generation evolution usually goes like this: bigger, roomier, longer, wider. For some models, it's not such a big deal to go fiddling with the specs, on certain cars it's even a welcome improvement. Subaru, however, has a conundrum on their hands when they go messing with the Impreza formulation. There's a loveable quirkiness to the recipe; start tinkering too much, though, and you'll end up with New Coke.

Thus, it's with trepidation that we sampled the 2008 Impreza. It certainly looks different than those which came before. New duds don't mean an expanded waistline here, the 2008 model actually twirls out considerably less measuring tape in several dimensions than its forebear, while gaining inches and tenths where they make the most difference. Better doesn't have enough depth to fully convey the marked improvements Subaru has made in their entry-level model for 2008. Even stretching to "a lot better" leaves more to be said

Gallery: 2008 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport



All photos (C)2007 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Drive five supercars for only $1,300 a day!

Filed under: Etc., Supercars, Driving


Right now, I have a six-year-old Chrysler that's gonna need about $1,200 worth of repair work. What a coincidence! For about the same money the World Class Driving Experience provides a fun-filled day of driving five lightning-fast exotics, none of which are six-year-old Chryslers!

On the one hand, I could make my family car safer and more reliable. On the other, I can blast through curvy roads in a Ferrari 599. Or a Ferrari F430. Or a Gallardo Spyder, or Aston Martin Vantage, or a Ford GT, or even an SLR McLaren. Oh, what choices.

The WCDE makes this dreamlike situation possible for only $1,300. And, unlike some of the other exotic driving offers we've seen, these guys bring the cars to you. Or at least fairly close. The WCDE tours the nation with its fleet of fast rides, fulfilling fantasies in several major cities. For $1,300 you get to drive five cars for half a day, or for a limited time, you and a buddy can pay $895 and choose three cars apiece. Who else is gonna let you behind the wheel of their SLR Mclaren or Noble M400 for that kind of coin?

Sure, there are limitations. Participants will be paced by a professional driver to keep them out of trouble, no burnouts are allowed, you'll likely only get about 20 minutes in each car, and ride-along guests are for $250. But perhaps the biggest negative is that you have to drive home in your own car. In my case, one that would still need $1,200 in front-end work.

[Source: World Class Driving Experience]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Dodge pre-sells 6000 Challengers

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Dodge
Click image for scans of the full presales brochure

Apparently people really want to buy the Dodge Challenger. So much so that 4,300 people put down deposits when Dodge opened ordering on Monday. A total of 6,000 orders have come in since then. If Dodge sticks to its claim of only producing 5,000 Challengers for 2008, then several of those orders will have to wait a year before taking delivery. All of the Challengers ordered will come in the SRT8 variant sporting a 6.1-liter Hemi V8 and a five-speed automatic transmission. Three colors are available - black, silver, and HEMI orange, the latter of which was the color of choice for more than half the orders. Deliveries will start in the Spring of 2008.
While the production version will be officially introduced at the Chicago Auto Show in February, it was also hinted that we will see some real "eye candy" later this week. While we wait for that, Allpar has come through once again, as a forum poster there photographed and uploaded the official dealer presales brochure, which shows us teasers of the production car's grille (bye-bye crosshair), fuel filler cap (awesome), wheel, and exhaust outlet. It's all in the gallery below.

[Source: Chrysler, Allpar]
Gallery: 2008 Dodge Challenger Presales Brochure




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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Factory aero for your 911 Turbo

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sports/GTs, Porsche

Click image for photo gallery

Porsche announced today that a new factory-developed aero kit is available for the 997 Turbo. If you're placing a new car order, adding the kit will tack an additional &euro;4,500 to the bottom line. (Existing Turbo owners can acquire the unpainted, uninstalled kit as an aftermarket item for &euro;4,100, as well.) The added expense gets you a new lip spoiler and a new engine cover which incorporates a fixed rear wing. Developed in Porsche's wind tunnel, the kit reduces lift while leaving the car's overall drag coefficient unchanged. Plus, the subtle hint of whale tail it adds appearance-wise is plenty cool.

[Source: Porsche]

Gallery: Porsche 911 Turbo Aerokit


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: EVO X vs STI - Tsukuba Lap Times

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Japan, Mitsubishi, Subaru

It didn't take long for Japan's journalists to get the new STI and EVO X side by side, and the results are now officially in. Tsukuba circuit regulars Kazuo Shimizu and Manabu Kawaguchi spent an afternoon thrashing around the notoriously twisty short circuit just north of Tokyo and here (drum roll please) are the best times they could ring out of the AWD rivals:
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X : 1:06:46
Subaru Impreza WRX STI : 1:05:95
So there you have it. The new engine placed further forward in the engine bay of the EVO X than in the EVO IX has indeed proven to be a handicap, while the STI's "wheel at each corner" longer wheelbase plus new double wishbone rear suspension has proved its worth.
Neither car is quite as quick as its immediate ancestor though. Check out this 15 year rivalry of the EVO vs the STI as recorded at Tsukuba:
EVO / STI
2006 1:05:07 / 1:04:72
2005 1:04.88 / 1:04:17
2003 1:05:30 / 1:04:69
2001 1:05:17 / 1:06:56
1998 1:04:69 / 1:06:73
1996 1:07:00 / 1:05:92
1994 1:06:52 / 1:06:26
1992 1:10:90 / 1:07:99

[Source: CAR Top magazine]

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[Stuart]

4 and a half grand!
They're having a laugh.

 

[Glenn Mc]

Can't believe they couldn't come up with a different design for the rear wing from the 996 version

 

[Stuart]

I believe it is intentional to create some continuity.
Anyway, if it ain't broke, why fix it?

 

[skitt]

Can't believe they couldn't come up with a different design for the rear wing from the 996 version

This is Porsche Glenn, huge leaps in design are not their strong point

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: F1: Alonso headed to... McLaren?

Filed under: Motorsports


Fernando Alonso, recently let go from the telenovela known as the McLaren F1 Team, is in a bit of a quandary. He's looking for a team that can keep him at the top of the standings, but he only wants to sign a contract for a year. That's because the teams he really wants to join, Ferrari or BMW-Sauber, can't even think of making a move until the end of 2008 (and in Ferrari's case, really until the end of 2009). However, the only teams he's got a chance of signing with -- Renault, Red Bull, or Toyota -- have unresolved situations, aren't winners, and won't accept the one-year contract stipulation.

Enter McLaren, which still has a cockpit open, but no one worthy to fill it. The driver the team really wants, Nico Rosberg, would require the jaws of life to be pried out of his Williams contract. The only pilots left are unknowns or as yet unproven. But the driver market will open up in a year... so if they could just find a proven winner who only wanted a one-year contract... then maybe... just maybe....

And that's how Spanish newspaper Diario As has come to report that Alonso's camp is in talks with Ron Dennis and McLaren about going back to the team. Alonso's people have, incredibly, engaged in the dialog, but have passed McLaren a list of conditions such as allowing Alonso to decide his race strategy. Nobody believes the reunion is actually going to happen, although more outlandish things have occurred in F1. Be that as it may, the fact that it's gotten this far is what puts the silly in silly season.

[Source: F1-Live]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Spy shots: Lightweight Nissan GT-R portends V-spec version

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Nissan

Click the image above for more shots of the rumored Nissan GT-R V-Spec.

Shots of a track-modified Nissan GT-R have been making the rounds on the web and they may foretell the future revival of a V-Spec version of Godzilla.

The bare-bones GT-R is sporting a full roll cage, a modified front bumper to decrease engine temps and a lower ride height that drops the coupe over a set of Volk TE-37s on track-friendly rubber.

The rumors we've heard peg the V-Spec coming to market sometime in 2009, but precisely what modifications will be made is still up in the air.

[Source: GTR-World via Motor Authority]

Gallery: Nissan GT-R V-Spec Spy Shots


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Pontiac cuts $1,500 off base price of Vibe, starts under $16k

Filed under: Car Buying, Wagons/Estates, Crossovers/CUVs, Pontiac

Click the image above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe.

Pontiac released the pricing details on the 2009 Vibe today, and when the wagon/CUV hits dealers this February you'll be able to drive off in the base model for $15,895 (including destination fee) - a significant drop from the '08 model's $17,395 cost of entry. The all-wheel-drive equipped Vibe will come in at just under $20k at $19,495, while the GT model is priced at $19,895. Both the GT and AWD versions come with the Toyota-sourced 158 hp 2.4-liter inline four.

Not a bad deal, especially considering that all models come standard with four-wheel disc brakes, ABS, StabiliTrak traction control, OnStar and six airbags.

Pontiac's press release can be viewed in full after the jump.

Gallery: 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT

Continue reading Pontiac cuts $1,500 off base price of Vibe, starts under $16k

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: All Ferraris to get carbon ceramic brakes starting in 2008

Filed under: Tech, Supercars, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari


When you build a car with as much velocity potential as a Ferrari, the ability to dissipate kinetic energy is just as important as the ability to accumulate it. Brakes work by transforming kinetic energy into heat energy, at least some of which is absorbed by the rotors and pads. As the temperature of the brakes increases they lose effectiveness. Engineers developed carbon ceramic brakes, originally implemented on race cars, and offer tremendous stopping power with much improved fade resistance.

Carbon brakes have been available as an option on many models from Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari for several years and were even standard on the likes of the Enzo. Now Ferrari is set to be the first manufacturer to make carbon brakes standard equipment across their lineup. At the Bologna Show, Ferrari General Manager Amedeo Felisa announced that starting in 2008, all the cars wearing the Prancing Horse would come out of the factory with carbon ceramic brakes supplied by Brembo.

[Source: CarScoop]Continue reading All Ferraris to get carbon ceramic brakes starting in 2008

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Nissan hosts GT-R owners meet

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Nissan

Hit the image above for a high-res view.

While the new GT-R sat out of reach on its velvet rope guarded pedestal at the Los Angeles Auto Show, InsideLine, along with Nissan and its advertising agency Chiat/Day, hosted a gathering for Nissan enthusiasts. The gathering was intended to give devout Nissan supporters a closer look at the new R35 GT-R. Preferential treatment went to those who owned, or once owned, previous generation GT-Rs. Nissan acknowledged that without their passion for a vehicle unsupported in the U.S. market, the new model might not have ever made it to showrooms in North America. The day was all about giving something back to those who helped grow the GT-R namesake.

As soon as InsideLine and Nissan confirmed the event details, a call went out to every GT-R owner in the Southern California area. It was an opportunity not to miss, the chance to gather every GT-R together to pose with the new model. In all 17 GT-Rs showed up for the event, not to mention the two R35 GT-Rs brought in by Nissan. The models present consisted of a couple 1972 HAKOSUKA GT-Rs, the first U.S legalized R32 GT-R, SCCA Speed World Challenge GT R34 GT-R and the 2005 Ultimate Street Car Challenge winning R34 GT-R. More of the crowd arrived in other various Nissan vehicles from 240SXs and Skylines to Datsun 510s.

In addition to the coverage posted at Edmunds Inside Line check out the gallery below for our own shots, and follow the jump for more event details and video.

Gallery: Nissan GT-R Meet

Continue reading Nissan hosts GT-R owners meet

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Top ten most phallic cars courtesy of Motive

Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Etc.


We've all thought about it. We've all talked about it. And now, Motive magazine has made a list about it: the cars most likely to remind one of some gender specific nether regions. We're not going to spend too much time discussing the questionable inclusions (Lotus 7?) and omissions (C3 Corvette, especially '74-'82) on this list, because it'll get NSFW in a few sentences. It is enough to say that the topic provides for plenty of ribald associations, and we're pretty sure it's the first time that "Toyota," "James Bond," and "cold-cocked" have appeared in the same paragraph. And while there is plenty of room for discussion, for our money, car #2 is the real champion. "Classic meat-and-two-veg." Ha.

[Source: Motive Mag]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: 10-second stock C6 Corvette Z06 on run flats

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Etc., Chevrolet

A ten-second quarter mile time in stock trim has been reserved for limited production supercars only. However, a man proved that with the right combination of weather and skill a completely stock C6 Corvette Z06 can break 11.0. During a private test and tune event at Maryland International Raceway (MIR) Jamie Furman and his C6 Z06 running on the stock Goodyear F1 EMT run flat tires hit 10.98 at 129 mph in the 1320. The run was validated by a track official to achieve the record for quickest mass production vehicle. While the run was aided by near sea level track elevation and 40-degree air temperature, it still took refined gear banging skills to secure the record. Mr. Furman did not leave well enough alone with one record though. After hitting the 10s on the stock tires he threw on a set of drag radials to see what would happen. He hit 10.83 at 130 mph, breaking the previous drag radial standard of 10.85.

Of course these records aren't officially recognized by a particular sanctioning body, but they are recognized by internet message board enthusiasts and isn't that all that matters these days? Stock vehicles running 10s would never pass NHRA safety standards anyway. There is nothing like stirring up some keyboard racers to get the mud slinging started. The guys on Corvette Forum invite anyone from Viper Alley to put up a challenge. Apparently Jamie Furman once owned a few Vipers, but believes that currently the Z06 is king of American muscle. The gallery below holds scans of the two record holding time slips for the non-believers.

[Source: Corvetteforum.com]
Gallery: 10 Second C6 Z06



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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: KTM RC4 single cylinder superbike spied testing

Filed under: Spy Photos, Euro, Motorcycles


You may remember a little while back when we introduced you to the new KTM cycles using their 690cc single cylinder engine. According to reports circulating on the Internet, KTM has more plans for this engine architecture. Take a look at the spy photo from MotorcycleNews.com. According to the reports, the bike pictured therein is using the trellis frame from one of their various 690 models and the bodywork from a Cagiva Mito. Of course, the final machine will have its own bodywork and the frame will vary from the other models. Preliminary figures point to a power-to-weight ratio similar to that of a 600cc sportbike. Those figures look so good due to the very low weight of under 300 pounds, meaning that this bike will feel wonderful to ride down your favorite twisties.

[Source: Motorcycle News]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: More details on the new Mercedes supercar

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Mercedes Benz
The year 2010 will mark the next phase in the continuing odyssey of Mercedes' efforts in the supercar arena. The supercoupe W197, tipping a hat to its massively iconic forebear, the 300SL, will sport gullwing doors and probably more than a hint of the 300's curvy, 50's face.

Developed by AMG, the engine people are talking about is a V8 with 620-HP sitting in a tubular frame chassis. All those ponies will, of course, power the round rubbery things in the back. The design hasn't been seen yet, but the renderings make the car look like an aftermarket kit SL front end with an SLR-ish rear. We hope it doesn't end up looking like that.

Mercedes expects to move 3,000 to 5,000 of the beasts every year. The lower number is more than Lamborghini sells of its two models, and the higher number is almost as many as Ferrari sells of its three. If the rumored price tag of $250,000 is accurate, then we can't wait to see how the car runs, and how the car sells.

[Source: InsideLine]
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[Damon]

This is Porsche Glenn, huge leaps in design are not their strong point

Hence the engine being in the wrong place