Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Mystery Revealed: new Citroen Berlingo

Filed under: Economy, Minivans/MPVs, Euro, Commercial Trucks, PSA, Citroen

We waited. We were patient. And this is what Santa's French cousin brought us: a tiny utility van. We were hoping the predictions were wrong and that with its "C-Reveal" new product page, Citroen might give us something a little more exciting, like maybe the C5 Cabrio. But instead we got the Berlingo.
The new Berlingo is available either as a passenger vehicle (or Leisure Activity Vehicle, as Citroen imaginatively calls it) or as a slab-sided Light Commercial Vehicle. Citroen sold over 1.76 million examples of the outgoing Berlingo, which has been on the market since 1996 (with a facelift in 2002) and which will stay on in the meantime as the lower-priced Berlingo First. The new Berlingo uses running gear from the bigger, more civilized C4 Picasso minivan. It also grows in size over the old model and gets one of those new HDi particulate-filter diesels the French are so good at.
If itty-bitty European vans are your thing, you can check out all the juicy details in the press release after the jump, and stay tuned for the Partner version of the Berlingo from PSA sister-company Peugeot.
[Source: Citroen]
Gallery: Citroen New Berlingo


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Bertone sold to Gruppo Prototipo

Filed under: Euro, Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings, Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials
Only days before heading to bankruptcy court, Italian engineering firm and carrozzeria Bertone revealed that it was about to pull a last-minute trick out of its sleeve in an announcement later that day. But when the announcement didn't come, the industry was left wondering if, after 95 years in business, Bertone was about to slip away.
The company's chairwoman and family scion Lili Bertone, however, announced last night that her company would be sold to Gruppo Prototipo chief Domenico Reviglio. Likewise based in Turin, Gruppo Prototipo focuses on testing pre-production vehicle prototypes. It owns the famous Nardo high-speed test facility, and since the late '90s has been the sub-contractor for most of the Fiat Group's testing requirements.
The announcement came as a surprise to the Italian business community, which widely believed negotiations with business mogul Gianmario Rossignolo were near conclusion. Previous negotiations with Fiat had fallen through, and Bertone has a workforce of 1,300 to support despite the lack of contracts to sustain the company. The Italian government, meanwhile, has opted to extend the two-year financial protection it had granted Bertone for an additional two months.
[Source: Italiaspeed]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit '08 Preview: Mercedes GLK Freeside concept image leaked

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, SUVs, Mercedes Benz

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is right around the corner, where Mercedes is anticipated to unveil the vehicle you see here: the Mercedes-Benz GLK Freeside concept. Official images and details are expected in a manner of days, but someone at Daimler headquarters has apparently let the proverbial cat out of the bag.
Like the "Vision" concepts that Mercedes used to give us in the '90s, the GLK Freeside "show-car" is more of a pre-production prototype than a design study, and is tipped to closely mirror what the production GLK will look like. We already got a preview of the production model when the GLK showed up undisguised on the set of Sex and the City, of all places. The "Freeside" moniker, which seems dangerously close to the "Freelander" named used by Land Rover, is not expected to carry over when the little truck goes into production.
This leaked photo comes at a busy time for Mercedes, which recently gave us the new SLK (and SLK 55 AMG), a teaser shot of the new SL roadster and leaked photos of the facelifted CLS-Class all in the past couple of weeks.
[Source: Carscoop]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Rick Wagoner tops Motor Trend 2008 Power List

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings


var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/business_finance/GM_s_Rick_Wagoner_tops_Motor_Trend_s_power_list'; Rick Wagoner must be doing something right as the Chairman and CEO of General Motors, as the auto-pundits at Motor Trend have named him the No. 1 auto industry power broker in their 2008 Power List of the top 50 players. While we haven't received our February 2008 issue yet and don't have all 50 names to share with you, MT was nice enough to reveal the top 10 and a few notables (see below).

GM and Volkswagen are most well-represented automakers in the top 10. The General landed Bob Lutz, Ed Welburn and its new CFO Fritz Henderson on the list in addition to Wagoner, while VW had three in the top 10, including Supervisory Board Chief Ferdinand Pi&euml;ch, Chairman Martin Winterkorn and Group Design Chief Walter Da Silva. Curiously, no Autoblog staff members made the top 10.

Personalities of note on the 2008 Power List include:
#14 Alan Mullaly - Ford Motor Company Chief Executive Officer
#32 Kazunori Yamauchi - Polyphony Digital President, Gran Turismo 5 Designer
#33 John Dingell - U.S. Representative (D-Mich.), Chairman of Energy and Commerce Committee
#38 Liz Pilibosian - Chief Engineer, Cadillac CTS
#45 Jay Leno - NBC "Tonight Show" Host, Car Enthusiast

Follow the jump to see the top 10 players on the 2008 Power List from Motor Trend.

[Source: Motor Trend]Continue reading Rick Wagoner tops Motor Trend 2008 Power List

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Cars.com releases new American-Made Index: Camry and Focus fall off

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Toyota
The definition of what makes a car "Made in America" is always up for debate. Nevertheless, Cars.com takes a stab at determining the Top 10 vehicles made in America every six months with its American-Made Index. Vehicles that make the list are judged on three criteria: sales numbers, domestic parts content (DPC) and the location of their assembly. Only vehicles built inside our borders with a domestic parts content above 75% are eligible, and the more domestic parts the better.

You would expect vehicles like the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado to rank high on the list, and they do grabbing the No. 1 and 3 spots, respectively. The Dodge Ram, however, was not eligible because its domestic parts content is less than 75%. The Toyota Tundra, meanwhile, improved from 10th place to 4th place thanks to higher sales and a DPC that increased to 80% for the 2008 model.

What's more interesting, however, are the models that fell off the list, which include the Toyota Camry and Ford Focus. In the past, the Camry often occupied the No. 2 position on the AMI. The two-door Camry Solara, however, sales for which are grouped together with the sedan, saw its DPC drop to 65% for the 2008 model, thus making the Camry itself ineligible. The new 2008 Focus, meanwhile, carries a DPC rating now of 65%, again below the threshold of eligibility.

When representatives from both Toyota and Camry were asked by Cars.com about the parts content of these vehicles and why it changed, neither could give a definitive answer, but we can say what they can't. The fact is that automakers have to buy components from suppliers that meet their needs, which includes a good price. They're free to shop around the world for those components, not just in the Stars and Stripes section of the store. So while interesting, this list shouldn't be regarded as casting judgment on any particular vehicle for its DPC unless you believe that every vehicle sold in the U.S. should be built in the U.S. using components from the U.S. Now that's not very realistic, is it?

[Source: Cars.com, Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Oil hits $100 a barrel for first time ever



I'm not an investor nor into playing the markets, but I'm staring at a graph right now showing that the price of a barrel of crude oil on the New York Merchantile Index hit $100 shortly after noon EST today, and even I know that's kind of a big thing. This is for the price of crude oil futures for February delivery, which we hope a business major will explain in the comments, but nevertheless marks a new all-time high for the cost of crude oil and that's news. It's been close to $100 a barrel a couple of times in the past few months, so passing this "symbolic level" for the first time doesn't really change anything overnight, especially since it stayed that high for just a bit before falling again. $100 a barrel, though, isn't far off from the all-time inflation-adjusted high of $102 a barrel we were paying for crude oil back in 1980 after the Iranian Revolution.

[Source: International Herald Tribune, Photo by ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Mugen modifies Honda Accord, creates the Inspire

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Sedans/Saloons, Japan, Honda

click above for more high-res images of the Mugen Inspire

When it's time for Bruce Wayne to hang up the bat costume and settle down with a wife and kids, he'll need a car with more rear-seat leg room than the Tumbler. We suggest he take the Mugen Inspire for a test drive (with Morgan Freeman riding shotgun for good measure). With all the style and panache that the Dark Knight's daily driver should have, it's also got two more doors and some LATCH anchors for a baby seat. In typical Mugen fashion, the standard Honda Accord has been gussied up with a number of aero add-ons, including a new grille, front spoiler, side sills, rear apron and a rear spoiler from which a 100 or so bats could hang. Yes, the look is way over the top, but it's fun in the way it comically exaggerates the Accord's ho-hum design. The Inspire also gets a sports exhaust to free a few more horsepower through better breathing, as well as upgraded brakes, a lowered sports suspension and new aluminum wheels. It's faster than a stock Accord for sure, but probably not by much. But hey, with the wife and little ones in tow, Mr. Wayne shouldn't be speeding anyhow.

[Source: Mugen]
Gallery: Mugen Inspire


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Toyota vows victory in NASCAR this season

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota


After several years of competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series, Toyota became the first import manufacturer to jump into the big leagues of NASCAR Nextel Cup racing in 2007. The Camry-badged Nextel Cup car started off last season with some high profile rules infractions at the Daytona 500, but actually managed a halfway decent season with two top five and 11 top ten finishes. Given the number of cars that run NASCAR races, that's a better percentage than Toyota's ever managed in Formula One. However, like the F1 team, a Toyota NASCAR entry has yet to score an outright victory.

Toyota's Motorsports VP Jim Aust has declared that this situation will not stand. While the F1 team has been given until 2010 to get its act together, Aust is pretty adamant that the Camry will start winning in 2008 when NASCAR dumps Nextel as its primary sponsor and renames its series the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Now that the company has sorted out its engine for next season's Sprint Cup cars and Joe Gibbs Racing has switched to Toyota, Aust feels that Toyota's time has come. We'll see.

[Source: Toyota Open Road Blog, Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Australian police testing super cruiser

Filed under: Concept Cars, Government/Legal, Holden, Police/Emergency


The transformation from police cruiser to police destroyer is almost complete. Researchers at Australia's National Safety Agency, along with Holden, Motorola and the Monash University Accident Research Center, have created an Emergency Services Concept Car that is not your standard black-and-white.

They claim the development of the car was necessitated by overheating issues in current cruisers and adequate power management. Emergency services personnel had so much technology crammed into their vehicles that they needed a better way to keep things cool and in control. We guess that once they replaced most of the peripherals with one central, voice-activated computer, they realized all the other stuff they could stuff inside.

So they added a license-plate reading camera that can process 5,000 to 8,000 license plates in ten hours. There are three additional cameras to keep track of, well, everything. There's a device for police to be able to send messages over another vehicle's car stereo. And there's also an item called "Starcatch" that fires a GPS dart into a vehicle that the police want to follow. It's only a concept vehicle for now, but the Aussie authorities are showing interest.

[Source: Courier Mail via Jalopnik]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Ford makes mid-year Super Duty changes to improve fuel economy

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Green, Ford


Rather than wait for the 2009 model year to roll around, Ford has decided to introduce two new fuel saving changes to the 2008.5 Super Duty that should improve fuel economy for the big trucks by about 1.5 mpg. That may not sound like much, but for vehicles that barely break the double-digit barrier in mpg, it's a big improvement. The changes include reducing the rear axle ratio on certain F-250 and F-350 models and extending their underbody chin spoilers by 3.93 inches. If you're a truck person, you're no doubt wondering how Ford will maintain the maximum tow rating for these trucks while reducing their rear axle ratios. With big trucks, a higher rear axle ratio means more towing capacity, while a lower rear axle ratio provides better fuel economy. In this case, Ford says that these Super Duty trucks will still be able to tow the same amount of weight as before, though our friends at Pickuptruck.com suspect that 0 to 60 performance and acceleration in general, especially while towing, will drop. Click here to view the specific changes for each iteration of the Super Duty that's affected.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]
Gallery: 2008 Ford Super-Duty


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Will requiring flex-fuel capable cars free us from foreign oil?

Filed under: Economy, Green, Tech
Robert Zubrin thinks so. Zubrin is an aerospace engineer and long-time advocate of manned missions to Mars. While going to Mars is a highly dubious proposition given the issues we need to deal with on our planet right now, making all gasoline engines flex-fuel capable as Zubrin promotes in his new book is probably a very good idea. The incremental cost of flex-fuel capability is only about $100 per vehicle and that would provide the ability to use any alcohol fuel including methanol and butanol. The corn ethanol that we use today will make little if any dent in our oil imports.

Cellulosic ethanol, methanol and butanol do hold a lot of promise, though. Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit and his wife, Helen Smith, have an interesting interview with Zubrin on their podcast that's worth a listen. Some of Zubrin's arguments for using alcohol fuels are a bit over simplistic and ignore some of the pitfalls associated with them. That includes draining fields of nutrients if all the leftover material is converted to fuel. Alcohol fuels are unlikely to free us from oil dependence on their own, although they can make a dent. What they can really do is help diversify energy supplies and domestically produced fuels can also help to fund research into other renewable energy sources. What we really need to do, however, is find different ways to reduce our total consumption of energy while maintaining our current lifestyles. Let the flames begin!

[Source: Instapundit]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: UAW Chief Ron Gettelfinger named Person of the Year

Filed under: UAW/Unions


Rick Wagoner may be Motor Trend's most powerful person of the year, but Ron Gettelfinger deserves significant props for what he achieved over the course of the last 365 days. Automotive News has named the president of the UAW its Person of the Year, which is a fitting choice considering that Gettelfinger somehow managed to broker a compromise between domestic automakers and his union workers that satisfied both parties.

On one side of the equation, you had armchair analysts claiming that the UAW would force the domestic automakers into bankruptcy with its high legacy costs that add thousands of dollars to the bottom line of each vehicle sold. On the other, there are thousands of currently employed and retired union workers who don't want to pay an arm and a leg to get their arms and legs fixed. It wasn't easy, as strikes against both General Motors and Chrysler were required to get the deals done. But as 2007 came to a close, new four-year contracts with each of the Big 3 were in the books that would see most of the financial responsibility for retiree health care transferred from the automakers to the union itself, with significant concessions granted that will also reduce labor costs in the short term. The automakers got what they wanted, and in turn the union will keep many of its workers employed who would have otherwise been lost to plant closings and outsourcing. Good job, Ron.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd, Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Peugeot gets new vans to Partner with Citroen Berlingo

Filed under: Economy, Minivans/MPVs, Euro, Commercial Trucks, PSA, Peugeot

Where there's smoke, there's fire. And while most wouldn't think of a miniscule European van as hot, PSA's Peugeot brand has its day in the sun with its new Partner vans, unveiled together with its sister-company Citroen's new Berlingo.
The new Partner is virtually identical to itspartner, the Berlingo, but is distinguished by some unique features and sheetmetal. The passenger version is labeled the Partner Tepee and gets a multi-function roof called "Zenith". It's also available with a pseudo-off-road package called the Partner Tepee Outdoor. The outgoing version, on the market since 1996, continues on as the entry-level Partner Origin (like the Berlingo First). And, of course, there's a utilitarian version set up for light commercial use with a 1.8-meter long cargo floor that can be extended to 3 meters by dropping the Multi-Flex passenger seats, which gives the Partner LCV an additional 400 liters (14 cubic feet) of cargo space on top of the 3,300-liter (116 cubic-foot) conventional capacity.
[Source: Peugeot]
Gallery: Peugeot new Partner


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Burgess builds a dream car from the best parts of 2007

Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., Lifestyle


Scott Burgess of The Detroit News has swiped what he considers the best bits from a variety of cars released last year to create a Frankenvehicle like no other. This is the kind of thing that could keep commenters busy for the rest of '08, but we gotta say he makes some interesting choices.

We're all for the flat-bottomed Audi wheel, Viper tires, and 3-Series retractable hardtop. Inside, Ford's Sync system running through Lexus' Mark Levinson 5.1 Surround Sound would be a most pleasant aural experience, as well. But the steep windshield of the Mazda CX-9 on an Infiniti G37 profile? And Distronic cruise control harnessing a Honda Accord V-6? Hmmm. Out back, he wants the rear light band from an MKX for recognizability. As if this car could get lost in a crowd.

The only major gripe we have is with his choice of the front end of an F-250 because it "lets you tailgate with attitude." We can't, however, argue with the price that's swiped from the Chevy Aveo: under $13,000.

[Source: Detroit News]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Nitin Design unleashes the Dacoit concept bike

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorcycles

click above for more high-res images of the Dacoit concept bike

The Nitin Design Dacoit concept bike was reportedly styled to look like a hooded man. "When viewing the front portion of the bike, you can see an evil figure whose eyes/headlights are peeping from underneath the hood." In addition to the masked-man motif of the front end, the seat back rest was inspired by a shark's fin. The animal theme continues: "The back of the bike is short to enhance the 'man sitting on an engine' concept and to give it an evil Hyena-like feel."

We're not sure the mash of design cues that makes up the Dacoit concept all belong together, but overall, we dig it. Many bikes are starting to look too similar, so we won't fault one for trying to be different. No real details are available to tell us what kind of powerplant the bike could sport, but that's fine considering that this is really just a styling exercise.

[Source: Faster and Faster]
Gallery: Nitin Design Dacoit bike


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Ford Fiesta and Focus ST get more power

Filed under: Euro, Hatchbacks, Ford

While Ford keeps on cranking out newer, faster versions of the Mustang for American customers, Ford of Europe is preparing new packages for the Fiesta ST and Focus ST hot-hatches to do the same thing.
The &pound;950 package for the diminutive Fiesta ST pushes power up to 185 hp from its 2-liter four, which is expected to come from upgraded engine management, cylinder heads, a new camshaft and exhaust. All that adds an extra 37 hp to the standard Fiesta ST's 148, dropping a sprint to 60 down half a second to eight flat.
Meanwhile, the larger, more powerful Focus ST gets treated to a similar upgrade, worth about &pound;1,500. This package is tipped to include a new air filter, ECU and exhaust, amounting to a similar 38-horsepower increase in power for a total of 260 that drops the 0-60 blitz down to 5.5 seconds. Thank heavens Ford sells a version of the Focus here that's just as fast. Oh, wait...
Get this: current ST owners in Europe can also get this package retrofitted to currently-owned cars, along with a full-factory warranty on the parts. Europeans, then, will just have to make do with these hot hatch packages a while longer before the 300+ horsepower Focus RS arrives in 2009, at which point Blue Oval fanboys from the U.S. will invade your countries with the intent to drive.

[Source: Auto Express]
Gallery: 2008 Ford Focus ST


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Pics Aplenty: Toyota reveals every angle of A-BAT hybrid pickup concept

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Trucks/Pickups, Toyota

click above image for 61 high-res pics of the Toyota A-BAT hybrid pickup

Though you've already been shown a few images of the A-BAT hybrid pickup concept, Toyota felt that perhaps you haven't seen enough, and maybe more, say 61 new images, would help you decide if you like the truck's design or not. It was clear after reading your comments when the A-BAT was first unveiled (we quote: "Like a Ridgeline, but uglier with bigger blind spots.") that the design left something to be desired for many of you. You compared it to the Honda Ridgeline, which is fair, though the A-BAT is a highly stylized concept that contain only design elements that would one day see production. So we can look past the pug nose and hectar-wide pillars for now.

These new images give us our first glimpse at how the A-BAT concept's Chevy Avalance-esque midgate works. The rear wall of the bed is attached to the back of the second-row seats, so to open the midgate one just folds the back of the second row forward. We're not sure how production feasible this would be, since the second row seats don't look to too comfortable with such little padding, but GM has proven a midgate bed expander can be a popular option that's worth offering. The interior of the A-BAT, meanwhile, is said to be inspired by the design of mountain bikes and uses a lot of carbon fiber and aluminum trim.

We expect many of you to knock the A-BAT concept's design again in the comments, but click through the gallery first to make sure that the styling doesn't offer the viewer anything of interest. We think it does.

[Source: Toyota]
Gallery: Detroit 2008: Toyota A-BAT Concept

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: Toyota reveals every angle of A-BAT hybrid pickup concept

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Drivers gear up for Dakar 2008

Filed under: Motorsports

With the 2008 Lisbon-Dakar Rally confirmed to proceed, a star-studded roster of drivers is shaping up for what promises to be an exciting event spanning two continents over the course of two weeks.
Robby Gordon will be returning for the fourth time to fight for America's glory in, what else... a Hummer (pictured above). The NASCAR star will be competing against a host of rally champions, including double WRC champ and 2007 FIA Cross Country Cup winner Carlos Sainz (VW Touareg), and Monte Carlo rally winner Bruno Saby who will be driving the late Colin McRae's BMW. Two former F1 drivers, Ukyo Katayama and Tiago Monteiro, will be also competing, along with Vanina Ickx, daughter of famed grand prix and Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx.
All these drivers will be aiming to oust Mitsubishi, which has dominated the dunes and won the rally every year since 2001. Mitsubishi will be fielding no less than four Pajero/Montero this year in the event, which is set to depart from Lisbon, Portugal, on January 5 and finish in Dakar, Senegal on January 20. Watch this space for coverage.
[Source: Autosport]


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Eye on the Prize: Williams opts against big unveiling for new car

Filed under: Motorsports

Williams tests its new car at Jerez on December 7 (click to enlarge)

After McLaren decided to hold an official unveiling of its new car after all, another British grand prix team has decided against it. Hard at work on the new FW30, Williams F1 has opted instead to focus on the car's development rather than making a big spectacle, as is expected of most of its rivals.
Show or no show, you have to admire Williams' dedication to getting back to the top. The team is entering its 30th season in F1, but while it was once a championship-winning team - it has taken the constructors' title nine times and the driver's crown seven - Williams hasn't won either since Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. Since then, the team has gone downhill, having to resort to buying customer engines after longtime engine partner Renault left F1 (only to return years later with its own team), and again after BMW defected to Sauber.
Last season Williams placed a respectable fourth in the constructors' championship, behind Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault, beating out its engine provider, Toyota's own (considerably better-funded) works team, in the process. Having failed to finish grands prix four times in 2007, Williams plans on improving its reliability in pursuit of an even better 2008 on a path back to the top. As for the new FW30, racing fans will have to check out the off-season test sessions for a glimpse of what the once-famous Williams engineers have been working on before the season kicks off on March 16 in Australia.
[Source: Autosport]


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008 Preview: Mercedes Vision GLK FREESIDE

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Mercedes Benz

Click the Vision GLK for a high-res photo gallery

After countless spy photos and leaks, the Mercedes-Benz GLK is finally officially official. The new compact SUV from Stuttgart will get it's public debut in two weeks at the Detroit Auto Show. At 14.8 ft. long the GLK is only about three inches longer than a Ford Escape. It borrows a lot of the sharp edged styling cues of the big GL SUV but carries them somewhat awkwardly on it's much shorter body.

The GLK Vision is powered by Daimler's latest 168 hp 2.2-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder paired up with a seven speed automatic transmission. The diesel uses the latest fourth-gen common rail injection system that operates at 29,000 psi on the inlet side with Bluetec urea injection to clean up the exhaust. Mercedes has reworked the 4MATIC all wheel drive system to reduce the friction to the point where it's as efficient as a two wheel drive setup. The new GLK won't show up in European showrooms until this fall with a US launch a year from now. The Mercedes press release is after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]
Gallery: Detroit 2008: Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Freeside

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