Filed under: Etc., Videos, Motorcycle, Celebrities

It looks like Tim Cotterill finally got around to crossing paths with Jay Leno. It was only a matter of time before the sculptor-turned-gearhead brought his drop-dead gorgeous Rocket II Trike by Leno’s Garage for a quick looksee. While we’ve seen the 1,000 horsepower Blastolene creation on the interwebs before, Jay has been kind enough to allow us to vicariously pour over every little detail. It turns out that the supercharged Hemi V8 is actually a dual-plug unit that still runs off of pump gas - lots and lots of pump gas. Cotterill is waging a one man war against every Toyota Prius on the road - trike manages around 3 mpg.

Even so, the guy says it’s worth every penny, and we believe him. Surprisingly enough, Jay opts not to ride the thing, allowing Cotterill to wow us all with more hyper-drive style passes and tire-melting burnouts. Impressive, sure, but not nearly so amazing as the steering setup on the Rocket II. Take the time and geek out with the rest of us by watching the video after the jump. It’s time well spent.

[Source: Jay Leno’s Garage]

Continue reading Video: Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes the gonzo Blastolene Rocket II Trike

Video: Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes the gonzo Blastolene Rocket II Trike originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Reviews, Diesel

Station attendant: “You sure you wanna put diesel in that?”

Me: “Yeah.”

Attendant: “It doesn’t look like a diesel.”

Me: “That’s kinda the point.”

And so it goes. That wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last that we got quizzical looks when grabbing a plastic glove and topping up the 14.5-gallon tank on our Salsa Red 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition tester. After all, when you think diesel, a body-kitted sports sedan doesn’t spring to mind. Particularly in the U.S., where (Cliche Alert!) old-school oilburners conjure the soot-covered nostalgia of smoke-belching Benzes, dirty shoes, smelly hands and searching for the appropriate pump at truck stops.

But in the 21st century - and throughout Europe for the last several decades - the modern diesel is a mainstay. Nearly half of all new cars sold across the pond swill ultra-low sulfur diesel, and after years of being hamstrung by California bureaucrats and the Feds, the high-mileage misers have finally returned to our shores.

But can a diesel really be sporty?

Volkswagen obviously thinks so, and after fielding “numerous inquiries” about offering a replica of its TDI Cup cars for the road, V-Dub has begun offering a kitted-out version of its diesel-powered Jetta to the fraction (of a fraction) of enthusiasts who want a more entertaining way to burn through a tank of ULSD.

So the Cup Edition certainly looks the part, but how’s it get on? Let’s find out.

Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition juggles fun and frugality

Review: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition juggles fun and frugality originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Volkswagen, Diesel

The sixth-generation 2011 Jetta is a pretty big deal for Volkswagen. The automaker has developed a completely new platform for the new model (instead of simply relying on Golf architecture), and the end result is a car that is 3.5 inches longer than its predecessor. This should mean that much more passenger room will be on deck, enabling the Jetta to really compete within the midsize sedan segment (as well as the compact class). As for the design, it’s admittedly a bit predictable, but we’re glad to see the Jetta no longer being styled as a Golf sedan. What’s more, we can see hints of the NCC concept car from this year’s Detroit Auto Show, and while it’s not overly sexy, it still looks clean and crisp.

One place where there isn’t much news, however, is under the hood. The 2.5-liter inline-five and 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four are carried over from the current car, and we’ll see a return of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four for the Jetta GLI. Both manual and automatic transmissions will be on hand, including Volkswagen’s well-liked DSG on TDI and 2.0T models.

An all-new interior is similar to what Volkswagen has done with the Golf and CC cabins. We’re sure that cloth and leather will be available, as well as a host of interior upgrades like navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and so on.

Volkswagen hasn’t released the official pricing as of this writing, but it is saying that the car will start around $16,000 when it arrives at North American dealerships this October. For now, hit the jump to read the full details in VW’s press release and scroll through the gallery below to see the 2011 Jetta in high-resolution glory.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta offers Teutonic titillation for around $16k [w/video]

Officially Official: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta offers Teutonic titillation for around $16k [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports

Amidst all the hubbub surrounding this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, race organizers ACO have announced that the current GT1 class would be integrated into a new GT2 category for next year.

After having effectively scrapped its own GT1 class last year, the ACO welcomed in the new generation of sports-racers built for the FIA GT1 World Championship into the iconic 24-hour race. As it turns out, however, 2010 will be the only time these entries will have been allowed into the race, as the ACO moves to eliminate the category once and for all, replacing it with a two-tier category based on the current GT2 regulations.

The move reportedly enjoys the support of winning drivers in both categories, including the Chevrolet Corvette team’s four-time class winner Oliver Gavin and Aston Martin’s Tomas Enge, who see the excitement shifting to GT2 in recent years.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Darrell Ingham/Getty]

Report: GT1 class to be eliminated from next year’s Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Spy Photos, Performance, SUV, Europe, Volkswagen, South America, Off-Road, Racing

Our camera-happy spy photographers were quick enough to grab a batch of shots of one very distinctive Volkswagen Touareg as it underwent mountain testing. From what we can tell, it’s the next iteration of the German manufacturer’s successful Race Touareg 2 - the same diesel rally raid beast that has gone toe-to-toe with other competitors in the Paris-Dakar. From what we can tell, the next-gen racer will look nearly identical to the car that competed in the 2009 series, with a few subtle changes.

The prototype our photographers spotted sports a snorkel for high-water crossings and a new brush guard - presumably for pushing obstacles from the Touareg’s path and protecting its lightweight bodywork. Who knows what’s under the hood, but considering the success the company has had with hits twin-turbo diesel I5, we wouldn’t expect too much to change in terms of power delivery unless rule changes warrant it. VW has managed to increase the engine’s power output by about 10-15 ponies each year, though, so it wouldn’t surprise us to see the oil-burner top 300 horsepower for the first time.

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 caught playing on Alpen roads originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted To: MND NewsWire

The National Association of Home Builders released the monthly Housing Market Index today. Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for more than 20 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor. After recording month over month improvements in April and May, home builder confidence…(read more)

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Posted To: Pipeline Press

W.C. Fields once said, "Never try to impress a woman, because if you do she'll expect you to keep up the standard for the rest of your life." Standards are important to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), and it released the results of a study intended to "assist regulators and policymakers in preparing for expanded systemic risk oversight and enhance their ability to respond to potential future systemic risk events." Any market likes stability, and increasing it usually helps prices, and hopefully in turn, mortgage rates. So although it may not directly impact originators at the lower levels, investors should indeed take note since the study addresses hedging, leveraging, trading, etc . "The interviews focused on how the interviewees…(read more)

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Filed under: Etc., Safety, UK

If you use standard tap water in your windshield washer fluid reservoir instead of a cleaner, you may have effectively turned your vehicle into a biological weapon. Sure, that sounds cool and all, but according to BBC News, the only person you’re going to be hurting is yourself. As it turns out, using plain water can cause the washer fluid system to become a breeding ground for Legionella bacterium - the same nastiness that causes Legionaires’ Disease and pneumonia. Spray your windshield and the bacteria becomes airborne, allowing it to easily enter your lungs and wreak havoc with your immune system.

Researchers discovered the hive of scum and villainy lurking under the hood by attempting to discern why professional drivers were five times more likely to become ill than their amateur counterparts. After a little scientific sleuthing, the lab coats unearthed the bacteria. So do the world a favor and top off your windshield washer fluid reservoir with some sort of purpose-built cleaner. The stuff will kill the infection-causing bacteria and will keep the fluid from freezing in the winter. Not bad for 99 cents a gallon. Thanks for the tip, Kris!

[Source: BBC News | Image: williac - C.C. License 2.0]

Report: Water as windshield wiper fluid causes 20% of Legionnaires’ Disease cases in UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Celebrities

They say it’s best to quit while you’re ahead. But then, Jacques Villeneuve hasn’t been ahead in quite some time. The former World Champion hasn’t been on the grid - at least, not the Formula One grid - in four years. But even when he was, his performance had slipped drastically since winning it all in 1997 and the Indy title in ‘95. Still, he’s the most successful North American driver on the world stage, and he’s prepared to give it one more shot.

Speaking with journalists during this past weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix on the circuit named after his father, JV pledged that he’d give it one last try to get on the grid for next season, but after failing that, he’d give up any aspirations on returning to F1. The French Canadian driver, now 39 years old, was hoping to grab a seat with one of the new teams joining the grid for this season, having been linked to both USF1 and Stefan GP, but neither team ultimately made it onto the grid.

Having come in second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008, Jacques came within spitting distance of scoring the Triple Crown of Motorsports (together with his F1 and Indy titles), but hasn’t competed at the event since, focusing his energies alternately on NASCAR and an F1 comeback. Onetime rival Michael Schumacher, who returned to F1 this season at the ripe old age of 41, reportedly supports Villeneuve’s return, but will that be enough to put JV back in the race seat? Only time will tell.

[Source: ESPN | Image: Ryan Remiorz/AP/The Canadian Press]

One More Time: Villeneuve taking last shot at getting back into F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Diesel

As you may have noticed, automobile sales are picking back up after their seemingly perpetual nosedive of the last two years or so. The same holds true for fullsize pickup trucks, and we’re hoping that this resurgence will bring back some of the more interesting developments that had to be shelved due to monetary constraints. Chief amongst these wishes are the unfortunately abandoned light-duty diesel engines from Dodge, Ford and General Motors.

With that in mind, our interest is piqued by a report from our friends at PickupTrucks.com suggesting that the previously shelved 4.5-liter Duramax diesel V8 engine from GM may be back on the table, except with an interesting twist. While the oil-burning powerplant was originally intended just for half ton trucks, GM is reportedly now considering offering the mill in all of its fullsize trucks, including the Heavy Duty models.

General Motors indicates that its 4.5-liter diesel V8 engine is “fully developed and ready” to launch with power ratings of over 310 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque. Those figures would just about match what the larger Duramax diesels were putting out about a decade ago and seemingly be plenty for the 2500 class of trucks. What’s more, The General told our own Sam Abuelsamid that the still-running fleet of 4.5 diesels is averaging an impressive 25 miles per gallon.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

GM reconsidering 4.5-liter Duramax diesel for use in HD pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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