Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Dodge 2008: Up close and personal at the Dodge Rampede

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Trucks/Pickups, Etc., Chrysler, Dodge

click image for a gallery of the Rampede staging area

Before this Sunday's "Rampede" at the Detroit Auto Show kicked off, we moseyed over to the staging area and hung out with our friends from the animal kingdom. You've got to love the sight of a longhorn steer... with a monorail in the background. A large crowd lined the fences as the big critters milled around and drew smiles. Of course, an accidental poke from one of those horns would wipe away that smile pretty quickly, so alertness was still called for. It's not that the cattle were aggressive. They were calmer than some domesticated dogs we know. It's just that their heads were well clear of the fencing that lined their route, and as you can see, they're called longhorns for a reason. Fortunately, as you all know by know the show went off without a hitch, and neither Rams nor cattle were harmed in the making of the video we've pasted after the jump.

Gallery: 2009 Dodge Ram: Kicking off the Rampede

Continue reading Dodge 2008: Up close and personal at the Dodge Rampede

Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: The Cadillac Provoq shows its face in the Midwest

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Green, Crossovers/CUVs, Cadillac

click above for more live high-res images of the Cadillac Provoq Concept

We've already covered Cadillac's Provoq E-Flex fuel-cell vehicle during its first public appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show last week, but GM also rolled it across the stage here in Detroit. There were no additional technical details or hints towards production plans (either for the E-Flex powertrain or the BRX crossover that this design represents), but we at least got to spend a few minutes up close and personal with the concept to snap some shots of the whiter-than-the-pure-driven-snow interior. Also note the chromed cowl vent. Oh, and the Provoq wears what has to be the skinniest tires we've seen on a concept car in recent memory.

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Cadillac Provoq concept - Live Reveal


Gallery: Detroit 2008: Cadillac Provoq concept - Live Reveal


Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Leakage: BMW M3 Cabrio with "M-DKG"

Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Geneva Motor Show, BMW


One enthusiast from the Netherlands described the E93 thusly: "Super vette bak!" We're pretty sure that translates to "super fat barge," though the overly-literal "super oily bake" has its own charm. If you're into cabrios, maybe mutating the phrase to "super phat barge" is more palatable. Our friend from NL was referring to the 200-plus extra pounds the M3 cabrio will be hauling around versus its sedan counterparts. The folding-roof M3 doesn't officially debut until the Geneva Auto Salon in March, but a German magazine jumped the gun and posted images on their website. Embargo apparently broken, the pictures continue to propagate about the internet.

The biggest news with the pending debut of the convertible M3 is the gearbox. The new seven-speed dual-clutch replacement for the SMG transmission, dubbed M-DKG, is reported to debut with the M3 cab and will be available across all bodystyles of the M3 simultaneously. Wheel-mounted paddles will let you blip your heart out, and the new cog swapper will likely outrun cabrios fitted with traditional manuals, reportedly making the sprint in about 5.3 seconds.

[Source: M3Post via Motor Authority]

Gallery: Leaked! E93 M3


Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Honda gives us a peek at the i-DTEC clean diesel

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Green, Tech, Acura, Honda


We've been hearing about Honda's upcoming clean diesel for quite some time now, and the automaker was kind enough to show a cutaway of the i-DTEC clean diesel for us at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Expect to see the engine appear first in an upcoming and unnamed Acura product around 2009 - but while you may have to wait over a year for the engine, you can see some cutaways of it right now in our photo gallery below. Click past the jump for some brief commentary on what we learned about Honda's i-DTEC clean diesel in Detroit.

Gallery: Honda i-DTEC engine cutaway

Continue reading Detroit 2008: Honda gives us a peek at the i-DTEC clean diesel

Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Ferrari fills in details on F430 Spider Bio Fuel

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Sports/GTs, Green, Ferrari

click above to view more images of the Ferrari 430 Spider Bio Fuel

Ferrari's press conference here in Detroit was rather short and to the point. They reminded us that Kimi is World Champion and that the team is busy readying his defense. They also pointed out that the F430 GT is doing a bang-up job in GT2. And then they talked about the street cars. Besides telling us that Ferrari had a record year, with sales up 8% to 6,400 units worldwide, they also showed the E85 ethanol-powered version of the F430 Spider we talked about yesterday. The F430 Spider Bio Fuel runs on the familiar mix of 85% natural ethanol and 15% gasoline, which results in a modest 10HP power bump and fuel economy that improves by 5% over the standard gas-only V8. So that means that the sweet-sounding 4.3-liter plant is now good for a true 500 HP.

The bio fuel car on display in Detroit is still labeled a concept, but the company says that it'd like to put it into production as part of its efforts to reduce fuel consumption and cut emissions 40% by 2012. As we mentioned yesterday, the regions where ethanol is readily available - like the Midwest states, Brazil and Sweden - are not major markets for the sportscar maker. But ethanol is already being used in the ALMS and elsewhere, so Ferrari already has some experience with it. We already put in our request to have one in the AB Garage. We'll let you know how that goes.

[Source: Ferrari]

Gallery: Ferrari 430 Spider Bio Fuel


Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Maserati unveils special Quattroporte "Collezione Cento"

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Maserati

click images to view in high-res

The Maserati Quattroporte is without a doubt one of our favorite sports sedans, exuding the kind of exotic Italian craftsmanship usually reserved for supercars and two-door GTs. But with a facelift around the corner, the Trident marque has been keeping the sensuous sedan fresh with ever more desirable editions.
The latest is the Quattroporte Collezione Cento, unveiled here at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. If you have a grasp of any romance language, you'll have guessed that the Collezione Cento is limited to a 100 examples, each individually numbered. It features a special ivory tint with a beautiful quilted Cuoio dark tan leather interior, and comes equipped with the company's multimedia entertainment system, a keyboard built in to the rear center armrest, iPod and USB connectivity, web access and DVDs displayed on twin 10.4" touch-screens mounted in the front seatbacks.
We have a selection of live shots from the show floor as well as the press shots in the gallery below, and the official press release can be read after the jump.
[Source: Maserati]
Gallery: Maserati Quattroporte "Collezione Cento"


Continue reading Detroit 2008: Maserati unveils special Quattroporte "Collezione Cento"

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Meanwhile, in Munich: BMW Sauber unveils the F1.08

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW

click above to view more high-res images of the BMW Sauber F1.08

While BMW was busy taking the wraps off the production X6 and 3-liter twin-turbo-diesel in Detroit, its Formula One team unveiled its latest race car at their headquarters in Munich, Germany. For those of you who missed the event, which was broadcast live over the internet, we've got the details for you here.
A "radical evolution" is what star designer Willy Rampf calls his latest creation, the BMW Sauber F1.08. Based on last year's successful F1.07, which took the team to second place overall in the constructors' championship (following McLaren's disqualification), the F1.08 adapts to the new regulations - loss of traction control, standardized ECU and longer-lasting transmission - while the bodywork narrows in width, coupled with an improved aerodynamic package.
BMW is hoping to compete with Ferrari and McLaren next season for checkered flags, and given its progress since taking over the Sauber team in 2006, it just might get there. Both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica are staying on for a third consecutive season with the team, lending stability when many teams are switching it up for 2008.
Check out the gallery below for high-resolution images of the F1.08 launch, and pertinent excerpts from the 108-page press release after the jump.
[Source: BMW Sauber F1 Team]
Gallery: BMW Sauber F1.08 launch


Continue reading Meanwhile, in Munich: BMW Sauber unveils the F1.08

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Buick Riviera Concept previews next LaCrosse

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Buick, GM

click above for more live shots of the Riviera Concept from Detroit

When the Buick Riviera concept debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show last summer, many didn't give the car a second glance because, while imminently snazzy, no one though it would have much impact on the U.S. market. We all may have been wrong, according to TheCarConnection, which is reporting that the Riviera Concept offers a sneak peek at what the next-gen Buick LaCrosse will look like. We've seen the next LaCrosse in spy shots and can maybe find a few similarities between the two, but otherwise we don't really see the resemblance. Aside from the obvious discrepancy in door count, you can see the grilles are markedly different, with the Riviera's upturned into a smile and the LaCrosse prototype's turned down in a frown. The Riviera also has three air intakes below the front bumper, while the spy shot shows only one on the prototype. Both cars exhibit a certain amount of Buickness in their look, though the Riviera definitely turns it up notch. For that alone we hope the connection between the two is real.

[Source: TheCarConnection]

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Buick Riviera concept


Gallery: 2010 Buick LaCrosse - spy shots


Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Chrysler concepts show us the green future. Or not.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, SUVs, Green, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

Click image for a hi-res gallery of Chrysler's concepts

We're back from the Chrysler press conference that saw the Detroit Auto Show debuts of the Jeep Renegade, Dodge ZEO, and Chrysler ecoVoyager. As we have mentioned already, each is born out of the automaker's ENVI program, the focus of which is on new, environmentally-friendly electric propulsion. As such, all the concepts share the same 200 kw (268 hp equivalent) electric motor powered by a currently nonexistent lithium-ion battery pack and augmented by a secondary "range-extender" in the Renegade and ecoVoyager. That includes a vaporware fuel-cell in the latter. It's all okay, though, because as Chrysler's Frank Klegon pointed out, these are "pure concepts." He then went on to say that these "pure concepts" would be seen "in future production vehicles," which left us confused. Follow the jump for some extremely in-depth analysis of Chrysler's electric vehicle concepts.

Gallery: 2008 Detroit: Chrysler Concepts

Continue reading Detroit 2008: Chrysler concepts show us the green future. Or not.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Saturn shows off Vue hybrids, plug optional

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Green, Crossovers/CUVs, Saturn
Update: Video of the live reveal of the Vue plug-in hybrid is available after the jump.

click above for more high-res images of the Vue hybrids

Saturn showed off the second and third hybrid versions of the Saturn Vue today at the Detroit Auto Show, both of which use GM's two-mode hybrid technology just like the big Tahoe and Yukon hybrids. For the smaller Vue, however, the entire system has been repackaged for a front-wheel-drive application. Where versions 2 and 3 differ is the battery technology. Version 2 comes late this year using the more common nickel-metal hydride type battery packs in combination with the General's direct-injected 3.6L V-6 to give a reported 50% boost in fuel economy. Version 3 comes late 2009 at the earliest and swaps the nickel battery for a lithium-ion unit. Those batteries will come with a plug that allows the owner to get a full grid charge in about 4-5 hours. That's enough juice to run around at city speeds for about 10 miles without starting the engine. If they meet their Job 1 target, GM will likely be the first manufacturer to put a plug-in hybrid into production.

[Source: General Motors]

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Saturn Vue Green Line Plug-In Hybrid


Continue reading Detroit 2008: Saturn shows off Vue hybrids, plug optional

Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

MSN News: Detroit: 500bhp Audi diesel supercar

The Audi R8 TDI unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show (image © Mitsubishi)

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Corvette ZR1 chassis display

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sports/GTs, Tech, Supercars, Chevrolet


As gorgeous as the 2009 Corvette ZR1 may be on the outside, it's what is under the skin that gets our blood pumping. Fortunately, GM stripped down its new supercar to the bare essentials and put it on display here at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

You can access our gallery of ZR1 chassis photos by clicking on the photo above. We've also got commentary on what you're looking at after the jump.

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Corvette ZR1 chassis display

Continue reading Detroit 2008: Corvette ZR1 chassis display

Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Over 370 BMWs bound for New Jersey port damaged in shipping

Filed under: Etc., BMW

Click the image above for a high-res view.

The carrier M/V Courage tipped at the port in Jersey City on Friday causing damage to over 370 BMWs. The ship was loaded with new 3-series and 1-series vehicles, including new M3s. Around 70 of the damaged cars are reported to be total losses with others sustaining major damage. Word is that the M3s bared the brunt of the brutality. Extensively damaged cars will be crushed while those with minor damage will undergo repair at a receiving facility in Elizabeth, NJ, after which they will proceed onto dealers. Bimmers destined for European delivery customers were also on board, although it's not clear how those buyers will be handled in the wake of the incident.

This is a particularly harsh hit to BMW in terms of the new M3 and even more so for the owners awaiting their new V8-powered uber-coupes. We'd expect this unfortunately event will lead to an extension of the waiting period many potential customers will have to endure. It also means many dealerships are out of luck for a demo car. With the M3's competition coming on strong from the likes of Lexus, Cadillac and Mercedes one can only imagine this sort of setback might steer away a few potential buyers.

Thanks for the tip Carl!

[Source M3Forum.com]

Gallery: BMW M/V Courage Shipping Damage


Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: The South may rise again thanks to VW

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Volkswagen
It's been a rather short trip from VW asking whether it would build a factory in the U.S. to saying "Ja" and closing in on two locations. The decision on where the factory will be hasn't been made yet, but spots in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia are the leading candidates.

Plans apparently call for a large plant, and VW wants it churning out cars by 2011. So the company needs at least 1,000 acres, and it needs to get to work on it immediately. If VW went with the site in Rocky Mount, NC, it would be placed about midway between VW's future corporate headquarters in Virginia and the cluster of suppliers around BMW's Spartanburg, SC plant. But VW is also scouting land in Anderson, SC.

Yet, even though VW hasn't announced the location, the Rocky Mount land appears to be in play. A deal for a large parcel is scheduled to close later this month. Said the farmer who owns most of it, although he hasn't met the buyers, "All I know is I'm selling it to a bunch of Germans." The plant, wherever it ends up, will build cars for North America and Europe.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: AutoblogGreen for 01.15.08

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green


News from Detroit is going to slow down today. Not to a trickle - not quite yet - but certainly to a slightly more manageable level. If you need an extra shot of NAIAS coverage, then perhaps the following stories from yesterday's AutoblogGreen post list can help:

• Detroit 2008: Saturn Vue Two-Mode, with and without a plug
• Detroit 2008: Who says the Chinese don't have a sense of humor?
• Detroit 2008: Cadillac Provoq on the stand (video)
• Detroit 2008: Mitsubishi Ra live reveal
• Detroit 2008: Land Rover LRX concept live reveal
• Detroit 2008: Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid
• Detroit 2008: Lincoln MKT concept live reveal
• Detroit 2008: Cadillac's Ed Welburn says the new CTS Coupe concept would be great as a diesel, no?
• Detroit 2008: Velozzi teams up with IDC of South Africa to build hybrid cars
• Detroit 2008: Fisker Karma live reveal
• Detroit 2008: videos of the Dodge Ram Hemi hybrid, Chevy Volt, E85 Coupe
• Bob Lutz has egg on his face: drivable Volt in June
• Detroit Auto Show videos: CNBC special with Toyota's A-Bat, Toyota President Jim Lentz
• Videos: Jan. 12 was "no pants day" on public transit
• First street-legal Miles ZX40S on the road in Bellingham
• Chrysler will sell the Nissan Versa in South America
• Mazda announces DISI - Mazda's version of the new generation of Direct Injection
• Two bus lines running exclusively on biodiesel
• AutoblogGreen Q&A: Coskata CEO Bill Roe on cellulosic ethanol partnership with GM
• Volvo Cars launches Powershift - Two Transmissions in One

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: NBC working on Top Gear remake for the States

Filed under: Etc., Videos


Bionic Woman. Knight Rider. And now....Top Gear? NBC, America's remake network, has ordered a pilot of an Americanized Top Gear. Expect to see all the usual Top Gear conventions, including three presenters; a masked Stig-like driver; a private test track; taping in a hangar before a live audience; and (probably D-List) celebs driving midsize cars. Unfortunately, you won't see the program's British hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. And this is where it gets dicey. You see, those guys are the reason Top Gear is what it is. They're clever and witty, and they endear themselves to gearheads with segments like Clarkson's hilarious Peel P50 "review" (it's pasted after the jump). NBC's going to have a hard time finding US hosts who can replicate that vibe without being relentlessly annoying in the process. As BBC remakes go, we truly hope that a US-flavored Top Gear succeeds like The Office, but we're concerned that it might just turn into another Coupling. Thanks to all who sent tips.

[Source: Reuters]Continue reading NBC working on Top Gear remake for the States

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit Auto Show 2008: What's happened so far... part deux

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show
Monday has come and gone at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and while it wasn't quite as big a showing as the kickoff on Sunday, there were still plenty of things to love and loathe here in Detroit. We've assembled all of the reveals and their associate galleries below, plus all the links from Monday are available after the jump.

Audi TT-S - Gallery
Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept - Gallery
Cadillac CTS-V - Gallery
Cadillac's Provoq - Gallery
ChangFeng - Gallery
Chrysler Concepts - Gallery
Corvette ZR1 Chassis Display - Gallery
Dodge Caravan R/T Concept - Gallery
Ferrari F430 Spider Bio Fuel - Gallery
Fisker Karma - Gallery
Honda i-DTEC clean diesel - Gallery
Lexus LF-A Roadster in detail - Gallery
Lincoln MKT Concept - Gallery
Kia Borrego - Gallery
Maserati Quattroporte Collezione Cento - Gallery
Maybach Landaulet - Gallery
MINI Cooper S Clubman - Gallery
Saturn Vue Hybrids - Gallery
Toyota Venza - GalleryContinue reading Detroit Auto Show 2008: What's happened so far... part deux

Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Fiat 500 handles like its on rails for German debut

Filed under: Euro, Marketing/Advertising, FIAT


We knew the new 500 was maneuverable, but Fiat's local marketing schemes have enabled the car to go up in the air and down under ground, too. Following the British unveiling of the car on the London Eye, the German debut of the 500 takes it around Berlin's subway on flatbed railway cars.
The subway cars also carry the slogan "Happy New Car of the Year Everybody", highlighting the proverbial feather in the 500's cap of awards, the 2008 European Car of the Year citation. The 500 was only the second A-segment (read: really small) car to win the award, following the 2004 citation for the Fiat Panda, on whose platform the 500 is based. Since the award was inaugurated in 1964, Fiats have won the award nine times, with another three going to vehicles from sister companies Lancia and Alfa Romeo.
We're not sure if we'd be entertained or annoyed to see a promotional subway train carrying the 500s roll past while waiting for our train, but if you're in Berlin between now and the end of the month, head down into a U-Bahn station and see for yourself.
[Source: Italiaspeed]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Audi has no plans for U.S. factory yet

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Audi
In 2007, Mercedes sold 253,433 cars, while BMW shifted 293,795. Both of those marques have factories in the U.S., and VW, which has a plant in Puebla, Mexico and is looking for a factory site in America -- sold 230,572 cars. Audi, that darling of the subtle set, sold just 93,506 cars in the U.S. and doesn't feel that's enough cars to warrant building a Stateside factory.

Audi's head of U.S. sales, Johan de Nysschen, said that the home of the four rings needs to move at least 150,000 cars here before they'll consider a U.S. plant. The company wants to achieve U.S. sales of 200,000 by 2018 and is committing &euro;11.8 billion -- that's right, euros -- to increase its range from 22 vehicles to 40 by 2015. That sounds like a lot of money and a lot of models to double sales, but Audi knows its business. The model growth and makeovers continue this year with the A5 coupe and new A4, with the Q5 SUV following in early '09.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Getting intimate with the Glass Roof Mustang

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupes, Ford

click above for high-res images of the Ford Mustang Glass Top

Probably the last thing the world needs is another Mustang variant, but Ford's got to keep its retro pony mobile relevant. So after offering the coupe, releasing a convertible and then making eleventeen bazillion different versions to suit every conceivable taste, it's fitted the 'Stang with a glass roof that blends the lines of the coupe with a little bit of open air lighting.

Granted, the Glass Roof Mustang is not particularly innovative, but we like the effect both inside and out. There's a clean line of darkness that begins at the top of the windshield and sweeps up and over the roof into the hatch. Inside, it's essentially an over-sized moonroof, but when facing ahead, you can't tell that it terminates right behind your head. If the blaring sun threatens to burn your bald spot, a retractable cloth sunscreen is fitted right over the rear seat passengers that's closed with a quick tug.

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Glass Roof Mustang - Live


Gallery: Ford Mustang Glass Roof

Continue reading Detroit 2008: Getting intimate with the Glass Roof Mustang

Permalink | Email this | Comments
</img>
</img> </img>

More...