Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Cars and Candidates: GOP prospects stop by the Detroit Auto Show

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Etc., Government/Legal

Click image for a gallery of politicos at the Detroit Auto Show

Last night, on the eve of the Michigan presidential primary, the NAIAS show floor played host to some political VIPs on hand for photo ops with the Detroit automakers' new concept and production vehicles. Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who's stumping for John McCain, stopped by Ford, as did Mitt Romney, who was apparently given a tour the new F-150 by the mulletted one himself, Mark Fields. Over at Chrysler, we snagged Mike Huckabee as he was given a rundown on its trio of EV concepts by Jim Press. John McCain also stopped by, but we didn't catch the Arizona senator out on the show floor. Naturally, green and alternative fuel technologies were of primary interest to the candidates, and Mike Huckabee even went so far as to don a green necktie for the occasion. As far as we know, none of the presidential hopefuls stopped by to check out the Bio Fuel Ferrari, though. Oh well. Their loss. The Wall Street Journal was part of the phalanx of reporters following the candidates around the show, and we've embedded a video of their coverage after the jump.

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Cars and Candidates

Continue reading Cars and Candidates: GOP prospects stop by the Detroit Auto Show

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Corvette Racing to run all E85 in ALMS

Filed under: Motorsports, Green, Chevrolet

In the absence of any substantive competition in the American Le Mans Series GT1 class, the team of Corvette Racing has decided to create its own challenges for the C6R Corvette. At the ALMS press conference today in Detroit, Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper announced that Corvette Racing would be running cellulosic E85 (made from wood chips in this case, not corn) in the 2008 ALMS GT1 class. The team is targeting a race debut in March for its E85 C6R race cars at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The ALMS press conference as a whole focused on the series' intent to be the global leader in green racing. ALMS CEO Scott Atherton discussed how other racing series have migrated to focusing on personalities with the cars becoming just appliances (gee, wonder who he could be talking about?). ALMS wants its cars to be the stars of the show and also relevant to a changing automotive and environmental landscape. To that end, they are evolving rules to encourage technological innovation and adding a new Green Challenge that we'll have more details on soon. There's more information on the ALMS initiative at AutoblogGreen.

[Source: American Le Mans Series, AutoblogGreen]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Spy Shot: Aston Martin Rapide

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Aston Martin

With its Le Mans racing program soon to be bolstered by GT2 and LMP1 entries, and with sales of its ever-so-desirable GTs ever increasing, Aston Martin is preparing to add the four-door Rapide to its production line-up. And if this spy shot is any indication, things seem to be moving along nicely.
Aston was anticipated to decide by year's end where the Rapide would be built. Although the company just moved to a new facility in Gaydon, the automaker was reportedly in discussions with a number of smaller contractors - including Pininfarina, Karmann, Magna-Steyr and Valmet - over potentially outsourcing the Rapide's manufacturing. As we already know, these private coachbuilders are all in dire need of the contract.
Confirmation that Aston would build the Rapide was one of the first things its new owners did after acquiring the company from Ford, and we're looking forward to seeing the production version in the flesh after seeing this spy shot.
[Source: The Hollywood Extra]


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Ghosn takes his Qs from dealers on new Infiniti flagship

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Infiniti

Before unveiling the simply fantastic new GT-R in Los Angeles, Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn did not appear to be a big fan of high-end halo cars. Renault's line-up is limited primarily to compact hatchbacks and sedans, while the Infiniti Q45 was discontinued two years ago without a replacement. But with the GT-R now exceeding expectations, and Renault looking at new flagship models, a new Q flagship is back on the table.
Although Infiniti was until now just for the North American market, like its rivals Lexus and Acura, the brand is being expanded into other emerging luxury markets like China, Korea and Russia. Infiniti dealers from those four markets recently met with Ghosn at Nissan's R&D center in Atsugi, Japan, where they were shown preliminary alternatives for a new Q.
Trouble is, the various dealers from different markets all wanted different things. According to reports, Ghosn isn't convinced a new flagship luxury sedan for Infiniti is the way to go, but he's giving his managers the opportunity to convince him otherwise. If they can present a compelling business case, a new Q could be around the corner.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Coming to America: Lamborghini to establish field office in US

Filed under: Lamborghini
It's a long way to travel between Italy and America. Not only is it how far Lamborghini road cars have to travel to meet their new owners here in the US, but it's also the divide American dealerships have had to bridge in order to provide the level of service that customers expect when dropping six figures on a new car. And that's a gap Sant'Agata intends to narrow with the establishment of Automobili Lamborghini America LLC.
Establishing a field office in the US - to be placed somewhere on the East Coast or in California - will give its US dealership network a local address with which to coordinate instead of dealing directly with the factory. The American subsidiary will also provide product planning input back to the factory. The United States represents the largest market for Lamborghini where its sales rose from 100 units in 2001 to 900 in 2007.
Although Lamborghini has had operations in the United States under previous ownership - remember how it bounced around owners through the 80s and 90s? - this will be the first American division since Volkswagen/Audi took over in 1998. The field office will operate with a staff of ten, headed up by Pietro Frigerio, formerly Lamborghini's western United States regional sales manager.
Lamborghini has also announced that it will extend its warranties for 2008 from the previous 2 years/24,000 miles to 3 years with unlimited mileage. The company is also considering a certified pre-owned vehicle program and a financing framework.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit R8: Deciphering the Audi V12 TDI

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


With Audi's introduction of the Audi R8 V12 TDI, we got to look at the most unique aspect of this supercar - its diesel engine. Compression-ignition motors may be commonplace everywhere else in the transportation world, but they haven't yet infiltrated the supercar segment. This is no accident, as until now, diesels have offered a poor ratio between power output and weight - not a big problem for cruise ships and the like, but definitely an obstacle to recruiting a high-performance customer. So, how did Audi get around this problem? We've got a gallery full of shots showing the naughty details (you can access it by clicking the photo above or the link below), and if you go below the fold, we'll walk you through what we observed of the engine on display.

Gallery: 2008 Detroit: Audi V12 TDI cutaways

Continue reading Detroit R8: Deciphering the Audi V12 TDI

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Mitsubishi brings the retro to D-town

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Motorsports, Etc., Mitsubishi

Click the image above for a gallery of high-res shots.

During Mitsubishi's press conference on Sunday, it paid particular attention to the marque's motorsport heritage with a video montage/quiz game on how Ralliart has fared in the last quarter century of rallying and road racing. That's no surprise, considering the introduction of the Lancer Ralliart, but Mitsu also brought a few of the vehicles that shaped its racing legacy and proudly displayed them on the show floor.

The first vehicle that caught our eye was the Group A Starion Turbo (above) that barely got a wash before being put away wet after its last race in 1988. The Starion racked up over a dozen wins in Japan and throughout the world during its four-year campaign, but beyond its on-track successes, the weights still taped onto the wheels and the rear-mounted radiator had us geeking out between photos.



The 1981 rally-prepped Lancer (2nd generation, above left) was particularly impressive, but the Galant GTO R73-X (above right) was what floored us. This Galant is a one-of-a-kind concept from 1972 that had its stock 1.6-liter inline-four swapped out for Mitsubishi's Formula Two-derived, 200-hp two-liter DOHC four. We've assembled all the cars in a gallery for your viewing enjoyment and Mitsubishi had the foresight to include a number of pics of the R73, which we've put in a separate gallery here.

Gallery: Mitsubishi Ralliart in Detroit


Gallery: Mitsubishi Galant GTO R73-X


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Geely FC makes an argument for Chinese cars

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Economy, Sedans/Saloons, China

click above to view more images of the Geely FC

Of all the Chinese automakers in attendance this year at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Geely is the only one with cars we believe could actually be sold in the U.S. We have no idea if its new FC sedan, which debuted in China just five months ago, would pass strict U.S. safety and emissions standards, but its design, features and build quality seemed just up to snuff for an American consumer shopping for an inexpensive four-door sedan.

The FC was developed in-house by Geely and features a 1.8L four-cylinder with variable valve timing producing 137 horsepower and mated to a five-speed manual. A 13-second trip to 62 mph isn't a world record, but it's just enough to keep up with traffic and return good fuel economy at the same time. There's also an available in-dash navigation system, dual airbags, and ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution. The interior, as well, didn't look or feel like it was made from recycled Tonka toys.

Mind you, we're not saying the FC would set the sales charts on fire in the U.S., but it could be competitive with the bottom dwellers in its class. For a Chinese automaker hoping to sell cars in the world's largest market, that's progress.

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Geely FC


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: The Definitive Desktop Wallpaper Gallery

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show

Click the image above for dozens of wallpaper for your desktop
We've spent the first two days of the 2008 Detroit Auto Show going full throttle - attending press conferences, photographing vehicles, and posting non-stop. The only problem is that thousands of other journalists are doing the same, and it can sometimes be tough to get good, clean photographs of the vehicles without dozens of people crowding the cars. Fortunately, the third press day is more relaxed and offers a better chance to take pictures of the cars. All of the press conferences are over, the vehicles are displayed nicely in their stands, and the crowds of journalists and photographers have lessened. We spent the first half of today photographing our favorite vehicles at the show and have created a gallery of super high resolution images (1920 pixels wide!) just so you can adorn your desktop with the likes of the Audi R8 V12 TDI, Mazda Furai, Land Rover LRX, and more. Feel free to browse through the gallery below and download your favorites.
Gallery: Detroit 2008: Desktop Wallpaper Gallery

All photos (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Fresh faces from Motor City

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Etc.

click above for a high-res gallery of fresh faces from Detroit

Detroit upheld the tradition of auto shows employing numerous pretty faces to keep the journalists focused on the right product at the right time. It seems the Italian marques are the ones using this tactic most egregiously (Lamborghini also hired a guy in a bull costume for good measure), but almost every manufacturer had at least one model on hand. Like Los Angeles, Detroit also had a few celebrities in attendance to make the press conferences more entertaining. We also saw a few presidential candidates as well, but their faces are anything but fresh. Enough of the talk, you want to see the pictures. Click away to enjoy some of the faces we've seen in Detroit.

Gallery: 2008 Detroit: Fresh faces from Motor City


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit 2008: Up close with the Corvette ZR1

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

click above for a gallery of gorgeous high-res Corvette ZR1 images
We've had a few looks now at the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. First we were introduced to GM's new supercar at the Michigan Design Center last week, then again at the GM Style event just before the show, and yesterday we observed its innards on the show floor. Most of us hadn't seen the car up close on the showroom floor, and so we paid the GM display a lengthy visit to explore the car up close. A few things caught our eye, including the massive carbon ceramic disc brakes both front and rear, as well as the beautiful carbon fiber front splitter, roof, and side skirts. We are still unsure what we think of the glass window covering the 6.2-liter supercharged V8, but we did enjoy the "Take No Prisoners" skull on the intake inspired by the Bad Boy Vettes C6R livery. We won't go too much into an analysis of the car - a search for the ZR1 on the site will bring up dozens of posts regarding almost every aspect of the vehicle - but we have posted several new photos live from the show floor for you to enjoy.

photos (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Reader Spy II: Production Dodge Challenger

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Dodge

click above to view more ready spy shots of the Dodge Challenger

A few days ago we showed you a single spy pic sent in by a reader of a what we think is a production Dodge Challenger out driving in the rain. Fellow Autoblog reader Brian G. saw the shot and sent us his own. These four images also show the rear of the car, though in some cases much more clearly. The bar of light bulbs on the rear that makes up the taillight assembly certainly doesn't look like the concept's, so we're still of the mind that this car is a pre-production prototype and not what we saw spinning on stage in 2006. Don't take our word for it, click here to view the gallery and make up your own mind. It's not long now anyway until the car is unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in early February. Thanks, Brian!
Gallery: Ready Spy II: Dodge Challenger


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[Phatgixer]

One of the Nolans copped it.