|
Browse by Tags
All Tags » Top ( RSS)
-
|
The 2009 Audi A5 Convertible , the latest in a long line of four-seat Audi soft tops, appears to have gotten a bit of an early unveil thanks to a photo leak onto the net. The most notable feature is the canvas roof, bucking the hard-on-top trend made popular by Mercedes, BMW, Lexus IS250C and Infiniti G37 Convertible by going soft up top. This means less weight, less complication and more trunk space. But it’s not this model we’re excited about. No, we're excited because there’s a 2009 Audi S5 Cabrio too. galleryPost('audia5cabrio', 6, '2009Audi A5 Cabrio'); The A5 will be available globally with all the A5’s engine options except for the 2.0 TDI — both 2.7- and 3.0-liter V6 diesels, two versions of the 2.0 TFSI engine making either 180 or 211 HP and a 3.2-liter V6 FSI — but we don’t currently know which of those powerplants will be available Stateside. Sales should start in the Spring. The S5 drop top will use the new S4 3.0-liter supercharged V6, making 333 HP and...
|
-
|
A trio of Norwegian men were en route to the airport in their rental car when the vehicle's GPS took them off the highway and into a Rio de Janeiro slum plagued by gang violence. After returning from a Brazilian beach the twenty something Scandinavians were hoping to return their car when they got lost. They attempted to use their GPS system to get back on the right route but the navigation system instead told them to exit the main road and cut through the Mare slum complex, which is considered dangerous even by Rio de Janeiro slum standards. It wasn't long before the three were under gunfire, with one of the young men receiving some hot lead in his arm. They were able to get to safety and quickly left the country, their good times in Rio cut short by gunfire. Family members of one of the victims are blaming a fault in the GPS, though we wonder if it didn't have something to do with someone accidentally selecting "drug gang-occupied slum" instead of "airport"...
|
-
|
GM's response to the congressional ultimatum , just released, outlines a need for $12 billion in loans, plus potentially $6 billion later, and plans to reach profitability by pursuing "alternatives" to the Saturn brand and making Pontiac even less desirable. On the surface, the GM plan seems less ambitious than the Ford plan , though that may just be because GM already has an electric car coming down the pipeline. Their request for $12 billion seems relatively low given their cash situation, but there's a nugget hidden in the release where they mention an additional $6 billion if the market manages to tank even further . The other big news comes under the "Market and Retail Operations" section of the release which states: In the U.S., GM will focus its product development and marketing efforts on four core brands – Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. Pontiac will be a specialty brand with reduced product offerings within the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel. Hummer...
|
-
|
Before there was Han, Luke and Chewy, or even Indiana Jones and a whip, George Lucas created A Man and His Car , his senior thesis film at USC focused solely on Peter Brock and his Lotus 23 race car. Also knows as 1:42:08 , the short is essentially a quickly edited representation of a racecar driver testing his vehicle. Filmed at California's Willow Springs Raceway, it features a script which makes Le Mans look like it was written by Aaron Sorkin. The barren hills even hint at Tatooine and, if you squint your eyes, the Lotus 23 looks just a bit like an XP-34 Landspeeder. Thanks to the guys at VODCARS for finding and posting the video. [ VODCARS ]
|
-
|
Ford today announced a plan to turn around its business, claiming it allows them to reach break-even level or profit by 2011. The plan includes building a battery-electric commercial van by 2010 and a BEV sedan by 2011. The focus of the Ford's plan to save its business is to green the automaker by offering a full family of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery powered electric vehicles. The attention-getting portion of their plan is the production of an electric commercial van, we're suspecting might be based on the Ford Transit Connect , for the U.S. market by 2010. This will be followed up by a battery-powered electric sedan in 2011. In order to offer this technology on such an accelerated timetable, Ford's plans call for a $14 billion investment in advanced technologies to improve fuel efficiency and the company is hoping to have $9 billion made available in bridge financing from Congress, though they hope to not have to use it. To prove they mean business, Ford CEO Mulally...
|
-
|
Here's eight new photos of the NISMO 370Z S-Tune package for the JDM version of the 2009 Nissan 370Z to add to those leaked scans we showed you last month. What they show is the design team at Nissan's in-house tuning shop's taking some serious risks with this angry-looking catfish. But rejoice, the 370Z S-Tune isn’t all show. galleryPost('370ZSTuneSpyInsider', 9, 'TITLE'); Performance upgrades include a NISMO stainless-steel performance exhaust, NISMO S-Tune brake pads, NISMO S-Tune springs and dampers and a new set of lightweight 19” forged aluminum NISMO LMZ5 wheels. Now although we may think it looks like an angry catfish, don’t take our word for it. Take a look for yourself and let us know in the comments below what you think. [via the370 , 370ztech ]
|
-
|
If you had a chance to see last night's episode of Top Gear you'd have seen the four-door BMW M3 take to the track against the Lexus IS-F. You'd also see Stig take the IS-F for a power lap, again while listening to the sounds of Morse code. The inability to understand what Stiggie was saying / hearing due to all those dots and dashes was buggin' us, so we enlisted the help of one of America's preeminent practitioners of the code of dits and dahs — who also happens to be an avid Jalopnik reader (although he likes bikes more than cars for some reason. Jeesh, hasn't he heard the old maxim about "two wheels bad, four wheels good?" Whatever, we won't hold it against him). He's helpfully translated the two short bursts of circles and lines. Hit the jump for the full video as well as the translation. First in-car Morse Code: "Too many gears" That's obvious given the commentary from Jeremy Clarkson. Second in-car Morse Code: "I...
|
-
|
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/design/Artist_Creates_Wireframe_Lamborghini_Countach'; What you're looking at above is not a computer generated drawing, it is a full scale wireframe representation of a Lamborghini Countach created by installation artist Benedict Radcliffe. The car is the latest in a series of wire cars Radcliffe has completed. It's likely the most ambitious, painstakingly crafted from 10 mm steel tube welded together into that familiar shape we all know and secretly love. Upon close inspection you see fine details in the wheels and the intake gills, even the letters spelling "Pirelli P7" are worked out in tubing. We contacted Benedict to find what was behind his impressive creation and it turns out he's a real car guy, and a serial wireframe artist. His story below. galleryPost('wirelambo', 9, 'The Amazing Wireframe Lamborghini of Benedict Radcliff'); galleryPost('wirecars', 6, 'Some Other Wireframe Creations From...
|
-
|
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Thirty_Vehicular_You_re_Doing_It_Wrong_Moments_PICS'; Now that everyone is familiar with the glorious art of automotive FAIL , it's time to introduce FAIL's kissing cousin to the automotive world: The "You're doing it wrong" internet meme. Let the good times roll below the jump. Our friends over at Motive have waded knee-deep through this series of tubes known as the internet to bring you all of the wonderful ways folks can and will do it wrong. Since "YDIW" is so closely related to fail, almost imperceptibly close, it is important to note the subtle differences. Who are we trying to kid - The internet isn't supposed to make any sense. galleryPost('stilldoingitwrong', 29, You Are Still Doing It Wrong');
|
-
|
Ford announced today it is officially looking to sell Volvo, the premium Swedish automaker that the company acquired in 1999 and made an important part of its Premier Auto Group (PAG). Oh what a difference a decade makes. Ford paid $6.45 billion in 1999 dollars for the automaker in a fierce bidding war with Volkswagen AG and Fiat. In preparation for a sale Volvo will be made more of a stand-alone company. Volvo was the last of the PAG brands left after Land Rover/Jaguar were sold to Tata and Aston Martin was sold to an investment firm . Why sell the company? In the midst of a bad market the company's slumping sales are a thumb on Ford's already heavy scales. Who would buy Volvo? Why not Volkswagen or Fiat? Both companies could pick it up for an amount we assume is less than $6.45 billion. Press release below the jump. FORD MOTOR COMPANY ANNOUNCES IT WILL RE-EVALUATE STRATEGIC OPTIONS FOR VOLVO CAR CORPORATION DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 1, 2008 – Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] announced...
|
-
|
In yet another stunning display of GM's critical lack of understanding of the importance of transparency when asking for public assistance has asked aviation regulators to block the public's ability to track the company's leased private planes. When will this company learn a little thing called "message?" When asked about the request to the FAA, GM spokesman Greg Martin declined to discuss the reason, only saying "we availed ourselves of the option as others do to have the aircraft removed." The move comes after the automaker was criticized for flying CEO Rick Wagoner (pictured above demonstrating a landing maneuver) in a leased Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV jet on November 18th and 19th to testify in front of Congress for a $25 billion loan to save the American auto industry. While the move is something they're "allowed" to do, it's monumentally stupid given their desire for a bridge loan to save the company. Congress , the media and the public...
|
-
|
Tata Motors parent company, Tata Group, owns the Taj Mahal Hotel at the center of the deadly attacks in Mumbai ending this morning. News the same company producing the Tata Nano , the cheapest car in the world, also owns one of the largest and nicest hotels in India shouldn't come as a surprise given the Tata Group owns almost 100 companies with operations in 85 countries. Ratan Tata , chairman of both Tata Group as well as Tata Motors, said the hotel had been warned of a possible attack and had increased security over the past few weeks but claimed it was not enough to stop given what he claims were a series of well-planned, well-organized attacks. Ratan Tata, in the same interview with Fareed Zakeria, went on to criticize the preparedness of the Indian officials. Which is interesting seeing as the hotel had returned to a normal level of security shortly before this week's terror attacks. "We were getting the cooperation that they could give us, but the infrastructure was...
|
-
|
As the Lions continued their glorious downward spiral yesterday, reinforcing their spot as the losingest team in the NFL at 0-12, we think one Subaru enthusiast thought his beloved Impreza would like to get in on some football watchin' action. With clearance coming in at just under an inch, the Subaru was driven up the porch and into the cozy disco-balled living room. We're mostly impressed it didn't fall into the basement. galleryPost('subarulions', 6, 'Seasonal Affective Disorder: It Can Happen to Subarus too'); [ ClubRSX ]
|
-
|
We first saw the leaked press shots back in September, and today the 2009 MINI Cooper and Cooper S Convertible are now official. The big scoop? An almost 10% hike in the price tag. Why the giant jump? galleryPost('2009MINISVertPExt', 6, '2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible - Exterior'); As we told you way back when , both will make their worldwide debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Here's what to expect. Orders for the MINI Convertible are being taken now; the price for the MINI Cooper Convertible is $24,550, a whopping $2,600 more than the 2009 model year. The new MINI Cooper S Convertible gets a similar price bump of $2,050 to $27,450 including the $650 destination and handling charge with the delivery of the first MINI Convertibles to begin on March 28, 2009. The reason being is there's been a huge demand for the little guy. MINI's shown they can sell out of the fuel-sipping go-kart at the current price levels, so why not bump the price by 10%. Especially...
|
-
|
In case you may have missed it back in 2006, Ford released a trio of entries into the uber-boring mid-size sedan category. The just-right-sized triplets were built with the intention of targeting the best in the appliance segment. Alas, sales fell well short of the leaders of the pack — which is why you may not remember. Fast forward to this past week at the LA Auto Show , where Ford dropped cloth on three redesigns for the 2010 Ford Fusion , 2010 Mercury Milan and the 2010 Lincoln MKZ . While the new look on all three may be a “Bold Move™,” all three cars retain the old Mazda 6-derived CD3 platform. So our question is – are the changes more than skin deep? Let’s find out. 2010 Ford Fusion As the sales leader of the CD3 triplets, the 2010 Ford Fusion is the most important of the trio and does its best to pave the way for the new European-derived models that Ford plans to have appear shortly (pending any Carpocalypse-related financial troubles) and the new 2010 Ford Taurus we expect...
|
More Posts Next page »
|
|
|