Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: LA 2007: Aston Martin N400 Roadster just as orange as coupe

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Sports/GTs, Aston Martin

Click for all of the fresh-squeezed orange zestiness

Well, we saw it in person here in LA, and the Aston Martin N400 Roadster we told you about a few days ago is just as orange as the coupe.

Gallery: Aston Martin N400 V8 Vantage


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[Andrew]

The new Tiguan cute-ute factored big into Volkswagen's press conference at this year's LA show. And no wonder, as Vee-Dub is hoping its new small sport-ute sells big, especially in the all-important US market, and especially in California where nobody needs a truck yet everybody has one (and parks it next to their Prius).

Volkswagen of America revealed that Tiguan is priced to sell with a starting MSRP of just $22,490. With just two sport-utes in its lineup, that gives VW a huge price-point spread that stretches all the way up to $68,320 for the bigger Touareg 2 with the jumbo-jet-pulling V10 TDI.

Volkswagen is evidently hoping that the Tiguan will become the Golf of the sport-ute market after it hits US dealers this coming summer. Check out our gallery of the US-spec Tiguan below, and VW's official press release after the jump.

saw one of these with wolfsburg plates on yesterday.

What the fuck are htey talking about though with "this coming summer"

ITS WINTER!! SUMMER IS 6 MONTHS AWAY.................

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: 2008 Mugen Edition Honda Civic Si vandalized on dealer lot

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Etc., Honda


I have a soft spot for special edition Hondas. Unfortunately, so do a lot of people. They are more coveted by thieves than your Pay Pal password. An Acura Integra Type R or Honda Civic Si usually does a disappearing act when parked on dimly lit street. Apparently not even the latest generation Honda Civic Si is immune from the Honda curse. One car dealership has learned what every modified Honda owner knows; do not park your limited edition 2008 Mugen Honda Civic Si in an open lot. Thus, the 1,000 allotted Mugen Civic Si's slated for the United States are now down to 999. Before it could even reach the hands of an eager enthusiast, one Mugen Si was raided in the night while parked on a dealership lot. The thieves smashed a window, took the wheels, seats, badges, and shift knob, among other misc. items. The car was found by dealership employees perched on two jackstands and the front rotors. Sights like this really break my heart. I hope karma comes back and bites those who did the crime. View the gallery to check out the damage. Thanks for the tip Joe!

[Source: EPhatch.com via 8thcivic.com]

Gallery: 2008 Mugen Edition Honda Civic Si


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: LA 2007: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG stateside debut

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Mercedes Benz

Click on the image above to view high-res gallery

Over at the Mercedes pavilion, Los Angeles played host to the North American premier of the acclaimed Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. The hotrod sport sedan from the Stuttgart is the three-pointed star's eight-cylinder answer to the Audi RS4 and BMW M3, and Benz's stubborn obsession with the torque converter aside, it presents a compelling case for those on the market for a big ferocious 451-hp 6.3L V8 in a small German package.

Mercedes even brought out the head of AMG, all the way from Affalterbach, Germany, to unveil the car personally. The sheet was lifted to reveal a resplendent (that's right, resplendent!) C63 in a pearl white that'd make a First Lady's jewelry box jealous. Click on the images above and below to get a good look at the C63 AMG, because with over 450 horsepower, it may be the only chance you have to see it sitting still.

Gallery: LA 2007: Mercedes C63 AMG

Continue reading LA 2007: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG stateside debut

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: LA 2007 VIDEO: Interview with Two-mode hybrid Silverado PM Carl Hillenbrand

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Trucks/Pickups, Green, Videos, Chevrolet, GM


When the Two-Mode Silverado Hybrid hits the market next fall, it will likely boast best in class fuel economy while still managing to tow 6,100 lbs. While it's not that hard to beat the most miserly of full-size pickups in the MPG dept., doing that without sacrificing very much of the truck's capabilities is what's most impressive about the Silverado Hybrid. GM quotes fuel savings to be 40% better in city driving, with a 25% improvement overall. The hybrid Silverado can also hit 30 mph in electric-only mode for up to one mile depending on battery's state of charge. We teamed up with Pickuptruck.com editor Mike Levine to interview Silverado Program Manager Carl Hillenbrand, and the long-time GM truck man had plenty to say about the general's greenest-ever pickup. Click the video above for more.
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: LA 2007: Volkswagen SlipStream wins 2007 LA Design Challenge

Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Contests, Etc., Volkswagen

According to the judges, the fourth year of competition in the LA Design Challenge was the toughest to judge so far, with a host of innovative entrants that attempted to integrate a new mode of transport into every aspect of daily living. The Volkswagen Slipstream team, headed by Derek Jenkins, walked away with the trophy: a cyborg hand that plays Beethoven, equipped with scrolling LEDs displaying the title of the contest. Okie dokie. Anyway, the SlipStream can operate vertically for around town cruising and then lay itself down for high-speed cruises up to 250 mph.

A while back we posted on each competitor in the 2007 Design Challenge, of which there were eight. You can view them all here if you can't recall that far back, but they were an unforgettable bunch of sci-fi machines. We held an unofficial poll to find out which entrant you thought would win, and surprisingly the Volkswagen only received 5.8% of the votes in our poll, the absolute lowest ranked one of the bunch. Regardless, the SlipStream won the official prize, so go figure.
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Porsche 997 GT3 RS named 2007 EVO Car of the Year

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


EVO magazine has picked its Car of the Year Winner: the Porsche GT3 RS, which we're going to call The Orange Crush from now on. It only just beat out the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, and had only slightly more breathing between it and the third place Audi R8. Looking at the entire top ten list, two race-cars-for-the-street beat eight other cars with nifty little features like power windows and leather seats, which makes sense, but even cars like the 350Z and Mini Cooper S Works still made it on the list.

However, the most interesting result could be that the Honda Civic Type R came in sixth... one spot ahead of the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. We have no idea what their exact criteria was, not having read the article, but it appears that at EVO, raging bulls should be a little more ... civic.

[Source: German Car Scene]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: CX-9 wins again: SEAMO Family Car of the Year

Filed under: SUVs, Mazda

While Autoblog was busy checking out the new Rogue, Grand Caravan, SRT4 and C30, everybody else at the recent South East Automotive Media Organization ride and drive was apparently loving on Mazda's CX-9. Out of a possible 100 points, journalists at the event gave the SUV a score of 91, putting it way ahead of the 32 other vehicles from which to choose.

The contenders were rated on attributes that included safety, capacity, accessibility, value, amenities, ergonomics, NVH and styling. Personally, as both a family man and a member of the automotive media, my vote went to the new Dodge Caravan overall. It definitely loses out to the CX-9 on looks, but as a kid-hauler, it obviously ruled in all other categories. So how does a minivan with dual DVD players, seating for seven, a fold-away table, hookups for video games and wireless headphones lose to an SUV with many of the same options, but costs as much as $8,000 more?

After driving each car at the event, journalists were asked to submit their ratings for the vehicle on all the above attributes. We were told by someone in the know that Autoblog's rating sheet was one of very few submitted for the Caravan. Which means it didn't get driven a whole lot. We're not suggesting any wrongdoing, just saying that a bunch of automotive journalists with limited time and miles of twisty roads to drive will rarely choose a relatively slow and ugly minivan over a sleek, luxury-like SUV. Unless their boss, (that's you, John) asks them to.

Hey, John, next time, dang it, I'm driving the R32 instead of the Rogue and the CX-9 instead of the Caravan.

[Source: Mazda]Continue reading CX-9 wins again: SEAMO Family Car of the Year

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Milan 2007: BMW finally unveils the F800 GS

Filed under: Euro, Motorcycles

click above image to view more pics of the BMW F800 GS
BMW has extended its GS range with the new F800 GS adventure-style bike... and it's about time! We've been hearing rumors about this particular machine since just after the original F 800 bikes were initially launched. Time will tell if this new smaller, gentler GS will be worth the wait, but initial impressions are favorable. Featuring an engine based on the parallel-twin from the F-Series is a good start, and the new trellis-style chassis, Marzocchi 45mm inverted fork with an attached 21-inch spoked rim keep the good news rolling.
If all of the above sounds good to you, we hope that propping yourself 34.6 inches above terra-firma doesn't give you vertigo, although you can get an inch lower with an optional seat. Regarding the questionable 'bird-that-just-got-knocked-in-the-head' look of that front end, well... that's BMW Motorrad for you. They've been giving their bikes that one-big, one-small eye quizzical face for a few years now and we're getting used to it. We could also get used to venturing off the beaten path whenever we feel like it, so we're genuinely pleased to see BMW offer this model for sale here in the States.
[Source: BMW]
Gallery: BMW F800 GS




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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: AutoblogGreen for 11.16.07

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green


More and more LA Auto Show news yesterday - and we know you love it. Stick with AutoblogGreen for the eco-side of the show, then continue to indulge your horsepower fetish if you've got one of those. Here's the run-down from ABG:

• 2007 LA Auto Show videos: Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro, Honda FCX Clarity, Katie Couric
• 2007 LA Auto Show videos: Porsche Cayenne hybrid, Volkswagen Space Up!, Chevy Silverado hybrid
• LA 2007: Live Blogging the Green Car of the Year award
• LA 2007: Chrysler shows off their Two-Mode SUVs, falls short of GM
• LA 2007: Porsche Cayenne Hybrid goes 75mph on battery power!
• LA 2007: Toyota Sequioa to get Flex-fuel option in fall 2008
• LA 2007: Honda shows 4th generation Home Energy Station
• LA 2007: Toyota exec gets into tussle with Rainforest Action Network activist and it's all on YouTube
• LA 2007: electric 1899 Lohner-Porsche
• Lutz: Chevy Volt will be road-tested in early 2008
• GM confirms leasing lithium ion batteries for Chevy Volt and Opel Flextreme is a possibility
• Funniest Top Gear video EVER! (Jeremy Clarkson in the Peel P50)
• Iacocca: "Plug-in hybrids: that's the wave of the future, not hydrogen."
• Guess what, Californians are saving energy
• Dubai to test out GM Hybrids for taxi and limo service
• Shell installs a hydrogen fuel station in White Plains
• 9th Circuit court of appeals dumps new truck fuel economy rules
• Now this is a biodiesel ride - Daryl Hannah's matte black El Camino
• Movigi does the unnecessary and develops an artificial tree that captures CO2

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Survey: Most car buyers happy with dealer experience

Filed under: Car Buying
Seriously, a survey by Consumer Reports shows 57% of car buyers are very satisfied with the treatment they got at the dealer. Another 31% said they were somewhat satisfied. That means 88% of those surveyed drove away from their car dealer with a smile on their face. If you find that surprising, get this: Of the car buyers surveyed, 96% said they considered the deal they got "fair."

If you're wondering how such a high percentage of the public can be so overjoyed with car dealers, the magazine brings up some more interesting statistics that could help explain this. An overwhelming majority (90%) said they found the staff "informed and helpful," which, from our car-shopping experiences leads us to believe the survey respondents themselves could have benefited from some automotive education. Backing up our suspicion, Consumer Reports says from looking at answers to other questions in the survey, car buyers could have saved themselves some money by gathering more information before going shopping and by learning the tricks negotiating a better deal.

The survey also showed that 18% of customers who received satisfaction surveys from their dealer were offered incentives (like free oil changes) in exchange for a favorable report. Paying for good grades is a no-no, and we recently had a post on that problem. Hopefully, next time this poll is done, it's no longer an issue.

Consumer Reports points out, and we agree, that the bottom line in car buying is, no matter how helpful or informed the sales person is, they will almost never have you as their No. 1 priority. Always, always go in with a plan and as much information as you can gather and stick to your guns.

[Source: Consumer Reports]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: LA 2007: Mercedes S400 Bluetec Hybrid - it's new, we think

Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Mercedes Benz


Mercedes-Benz is confusing the blog out of us with its nomenclature. Sure, it's usually pretty straightforward: one letter for the class, three numbers for the (approximate) engine displacement. Tack on 4Matic for all-wheel-drive, chop off a zero and add AMG for the performance models. But they just about lost us on this one.

In Frankfurt Mercedes unveiled two new hybrid versions of the S-Class: the S300 Bluetec Hybrid with diesel-electric power, and the S400 Hybrid with gas-electric power. In Los Angeles, however, they took the wraps off the S400 Bluetec Hybrid. Still with us? Well, they lost us, too. This version packs a V6 diesel coupled with an electric motor to provide 265 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, resulting in what Mercedes calls V8 performance with four-cylinder economy: 0-60 in 7.2 seconds and 40.5 mpg on the highway.

While the previous S400 Hybrid unveiled in Frankfurt was gas-electric, the S300 Bluetec Hybrid unveiled with it was stated as producing 413 lb-ft of torque to this S400 Bluetec Hybrid's stated 465. Still, the press materials didn't specifically differentiate it from its Frankfurt-revealed stablemate, and nobody at the Mercedes booth here in LA could tell us if this was actually a different model. Think you can make sense of it? The press release is after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Gallery: LA 2007: Mercedes S400 Bluetec Hybrid

Continue reading LA 2007: Mercedes S400 Bluetec Hybrid - it's new, we think

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Are Audi's plans for world domination too big?

Filed under: Etc., Tech, Audi
It seems like every carmaker has set themselves the goal of world domination. Toyota's internal master-plan memos leaked out, and then there's BMW nipping right along with lofty goals, too. Here comes Audi, deciding that they'd really like to sell 200,000 vehicles in the US market by 2010. While BMW is the current premium brand champ, Audi thinks it's got the moxie to claim that spot. Audi's perhaps got a case of inflated self-esteem if they think they're going to come out on top, especially considering that competitors are also projecting gains. Taken together, automakers have set out goals for growth that are more ambitious than what the market's likely to do.

Nobody will argue that Audi makes high-performing cars packed with high levels of technology and class-leading appointments. When the conversation takes on a green tinge, however, Ingolstadt seemingly falls short. Audis have been packing on the muscle and the weight, while BMW's been at work discovering ways to decrease carbon emissions and innovate in the name of fuel efficiency. Audi fires back, citing their fleet's CO2 emissions which are lower than Mercedes or BMW, with more tech to come. Tweaked engines, hybrid and alternative-fuel powertrains, and fuel-saving techniques like stop/start and brake regeneration are all coming to the Audi range soon. In the race for the top, someone will inevitably end up on the bottom. Audi just hopes that they can claw up that slope, Quattro-like.

[Source: Auto News - sub req]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: A lug wrench does not a shotgun make - Darwin contestant

Filed under: Maintenance, Etc., Safety


What do you do when you've got a lug nut that just won't budge? While you might want to blast it to smithereens, lots of dirty words, some mechanical finesse, a breaker bar, and heat usually get the job done. Of course, swearing like a truck driver is wholly unsatisfying when you compare it to the joy of firearms. A 66-year-old Washington resident had been dealing with a recalcitrant Lincoln Continental for two weeks when he decided he'd had enough.

A 12-gauge shotgun is not exactly effective at delivering a shock to a wheel nut, even with all that powder behind it. What did ensue, though, was a potentially deadly and certainly injurious shower of buckshot. Shooting a car wheel from an arm's length is a guaranteed way to create plenty of ricochet. The shot found purchase in the much softer organic material that comprises a human being, and the man sustained injuries from his feet to the middle of his abdomen. Next time, whack it with the BFH.

Thanks for the tip, James!

[Source: BBC]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Boeing Laser Avenger: Humvee with frikkin' laser on its head

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Tech, Military


Boeing wants more government contracts, and it thinks lasers are the way to get them. The company's Laser Avenger system is something it whipped together in eight short months, and it's pretty impressive. Mounted on a retrofitted anti-aircraft Humvee, the setup is being demonstrated as a way to zap IEDs from a distance, neutralizing them before the convoys and patrols they target ever rumble by. Its 1kw laser beam causes near-instantaneous detonation of the munitions its been used on so far, and Boeing's also hinting that it might just work as an anti-aircraft weapon, too. Trucks with laser guns might be a lot closer than you think.

[Source: Popular Mechanics via Instapundit]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Pontiac puts its faith in the internet

Filed under: Trends, Marketing/Advertising, GM, Pontiac


Pontiac has been revamping its brand, cutting the ass-ugly (Aztek, Montana) and adding the badass (G8, Solstice GXP). There's a strong desire to shift the median buyer age down. The effort's already underway, and has seen some success thus far, but Pontiac wants the coveted younger buyer. In the interest of getting the Pontiac name in front of their intended buyer, the division is actually cutting back on traditional advertising efforts. Huh? Well, how many 20-somethings do you know who watch Dateline? Right.

Think of it as a one-two punch from Pontiac. The first part is creating compelling product, which we've all been watching intently. The line's been purged of bad ideas, and a strong styling direction has taken hold. Excitement surrounds the launch of the G8 sedan, and the G6 has made us forget all about vehicles like the Sunfire. Okay, the G5 isn't helping matters, but the rest of the lineup is eye-catching and well turned out. Some brand watchers knock Pontiac for not retaining owners over the last ten years, but the brand has undergone some considerable change. We'd expect that buyers turned on by the Trans Sport aren't the same people that get excited by the impending awesomeness that is the G8.

[Source: Advertising Age]Continue reading Pontiac puts its faith in the internet

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: LA 2007: Lotus the 2-Eleven to the US!

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Supercars, Lotus

Click the Lotus 2-Eleven for a high-res gallery

Last March at the Geneva Motor Show, Lotus announced a new track car based on the Elise called the 2-Eleven. The stripped-down 1,474-pound 2-Eleven reduces the already spartan Elise to its bare essentials. Any semblance of a roof has been stripped away while the supercharged Toyota 1.8L puts out 252hp. The aerodynamics have been modified to maximize downforce, and sixty miles per hour comes up from a standstill in 3.9 seconds. Alas, the US has no single vehicle type certification rules like those in England that allow lights to be added so the car can be driven on the street. For those in the US who want a wicked-fast toy for track days, start pulling the coins out of your sofa cushions because the 2-Eleven will run you $78,000 when it becomes available next year.

[Source: Lotus]

Gallery: LA 2007: Lotus 2-Eleven Track Car


Gallery: Lotus 2-Eleven track car


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Asinine Engineering: Direct Exhaust Injection

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Tech


Hang around internet fora dedicated to increasing internal combustion performance long enough and you'll eventually run across this type of perpetual-motion misunderstanding. Seems a Vette 'boarder over at the GMModernMuscle Forum needs to study up on several principles before heading out half-cooked, wrench in hand. The brilliant idea that dawned above the poster's head like a 3-watt bulb was that instead of messing around with those ever so inefficient turbochargers, it'd be a simpler route to just run the exhaust back into the intake manifold to put the intake tract under positive pressure. Reading through the multitudinous pages of fodder, this is either someone with "issues" or just a jokester troll.

If he is serious, let's lay out a few simple things here. Firstly, there's not very much oxygen in the exhaust gas, which would make recombustion rather difficult. Second, it's tremendously hot. Third, his assumption that a turbocharger is driven by high-pressure exhaust gas is incorrect. What drives a turbocharger is the expansion of the exhaust gas as it cools and depressurizes. It's the same way an air conditioner works, and it's really thermodynamic theory when you get right down to it. Sure, the exhaust gas is under pressure, but if you think that a turbine is an inefficient way to compress air, pistons are only more so. There's a lot of mass to swing around, and the poppet valves in an automotive cylinder don't improve airflow versus what a compressor housing of a turbo can do, either. Before you raise the EGR flag, let's note that exhaust gas recirculation is used to control combustion pressure and temperature, and since it takes up space that would otherwise be occupied by oxygen-rich intake charge, it's a performance detriment. Finally, how is the engine going to breathe when you've basically set up an infinite feedback loop? We're sure that these sticky engineering challenges are all easily worked out on a bar napkin, though. Why have automakers been denying us the pleasure of this simple high performance option for so long? They must be in cahoots with turbo manufacturers, that's all there is to it.

Thanks for the tip, Richard

[Source:GMModernMuscle]!
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy

Filed under: Autoline on Autoblog
John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit". Every week he'll bring his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers.

LONG LIVE THE PISTON ENGINE
by John McElroy

Every auto show I go to in the world all claim they're the "greenest" of them all. Same with LA.

But as I go around the displays looking at all the hybrids and diesels and flex-fuel cars, it sure looks like the piston engine is going to be around for a long time to come.

Invented over 100 years ago, you would have thought something could have surpassed the internal combustion engine by now. But it just hasn't happened.Continue reading Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 introduction: The world's best seats

Filed under: Motorsports, Sports/GTs, Tech, Supercars, Porsche


Even with the world-class handling and amazing power of the 2008 Porsche GT2, a relatively mundane component stood out - the seats. Yeah, we didn't expect to come back from Daytona and do an entire post just on seating technology, but yet here it is. Then again, maybe it's OK to be so fascinated by these chairs, as they're they #1 interface between driver and vehicle.

Live Photos Copyright (C)2007 Eric Bryant / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 introduction: The world's best seats

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