Online Cars

Subaru BRZ

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:16:56 PST

Subaru BRZ gets sideways to some adult contemporary in first film

Subaru and Toyota have certainly set the internet afire with the BRZ and GT86. Critics and naysayers are already deriding the vehicles as too low on power to survive in a world where the Ford Mustang V6 packs over 300 horsepower and the base Hyundai Genesis Coupe boasts a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine good for 210 ponies. But you know what? They can stuff all that nonsense. At the end of the day, curb weight has as much to do with a vehicle's fun factor as any horsepower figure, and given that the Subaru BRZ tips the scales at a shave under 2,700 pounds, the machine should be a blast to fling around a road course.

Now Subaru has given us a glimpse of what that might look like with a new video of the vehicle. While the clip is set to some seriously painful adult contemporary tunes, images of the 200-horsepower boxer-four coupe getting sideways are what dreams are made of. Hit the jump to check it out for yourself.

Next-gen Dodge Viper will debut in April at New York Auto Show

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:14:22 PST

Next-gen Dodge Viper will debut in April at New York Auto Show

The Dodge Viper has been absent for just one model year, but the natives are restless. With little concrete information out there about the next generation Viper, and Dodge officials remaining tight-lipped about their halo car, anything that surfaces is big news. So how about this for the biggest news yet: Chrysler's SRT Brand President and CEO Ralph Gilles has announced in the pages of Viper magazine that the 2013 Viper will be introduced at the New York Auto Show in early April.

So what might we expect to learn in the next four months? The biggest question is what kind of power the snake will be packing under its unnaturally long hood. Anything other than a V10 would be heresy, so Chrysler will likely bump the Viper's displacement up to 8.7 liters, trumping every other Mopar mill to ever roll out of an engine plant.

The other canard is that the Viper will be based on a sports car from the Fiat stable, like the Alfa Romeo 8C or Maserati GranTurismo. (One rumor even had the new Viper incorporating some sort of Ferrari-derived technology.) Some of this conjecture may prove to be true in the end, but we hardly imagine that the Viper that gets unveiled in New York will be badge-engineered from anything European. Although it will most certainly add a further layer of refinement to the car, Chrysler would be crazy to dilute the Viper's American muscle car spirit.
News Source: Viper Club of America

Category: New York Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Dodge

Tags: 2013 dodge viper, dodge, new york, new york 2012, new york auto show, viper

Fisker says Karma will meet 15,000 production target for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:57:34 PST

A raft of production delays slowed the arrival of the first Fisker Karma. Though the initial round of vehicles were finally delivered, the delays mean that Fisker will only ship 1,500 of the four door plug-in hybrids in 2011, well short of the original target of 7,000.

There has been an effort to turn Fisker into a scandal and these lower production numbers are enough to fan the flames. Fisker has received loans totaling $529 million from the Department of Energy, a number that puts the company within $6 million of the assistance lent to failed solar-panel maker Solyndra. Fisker's partners at A123 Systems have been forced to chop their earnings estimates for 2011, since fewer Karmas out the door means fewer A123 batteries sold. To some, it all has the look of failure.

However, Fisker Chairman Ray Lane says that the issues in 2011 were a combination of difficulties faced by any start up – such as problems with the electrical system that didn't appear until production was underway – and some one-off disasters. For example, a flood soaked the initial shipment of leather delivered for the car's interior, leaving Fisker with 250 vehicles that were ready to go, except for seats, dashboards, steering wheels and every other surface that needed to be covered in cowhide.

With the Freshman year drawing to a close, Lane is convinced that Fisker will hit its mark in 2012. According to Lane, Fisker still plans to meet projections of 15,000 Karmas delivered in 2012. A123 is taking a more cautious approach, projecting around 7,000 vehicles. Either number would actually be very good for a car that has a base price of $96,000. Even the 7,000-unit sales number would exceed the annual sales of such well-known $100k sedans as the Maserati Quattroporte or Audi R8. Those cars don't have any green chic, though, and that might make all the difference.

Dodge won't call its new small car Hornet

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:55:42 PST

Dodge has been wise in reviving old nameplates to inject some excitement into its contemporary model lineup. Recent products like the Challenger and Charger – both named after classics from the brand's past – have drummed up a considerable amount of enthusiasm where names like Stratus and Intrepid could not. But don't expect that formula to be applied to everything Dodge puts out.

Contrary to rumors that the upcoming replacement for the Caliber would bear the name Hornet, a report from The Detroit News suggests that it will not. The nameplate originates from the Hudson Hornet that was built by the American Motors Corporation in the 1950s and the AMC Hornet that followed in the '70s before the company was subsumed into Chrysler. The original re-appeared as Doc Hudson in the computer-animated Pixar film Cars, and was revived off-screen for a concept car (pictured above) which Dodge showed in 2006.

The new production compact, set to compete against the likes of the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus, will fill a critical role for Chrysler, which currently lacks a viable competitor in that vital segment. Whatever it's called, it's being jointly developed with Fiat and is expected to bow sometime early in the new year. We'll just have to wait to see what they call it.

Rimac Automobili Concept One rolls off the turntable, onto the road

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:53:59 PST

Rimac Automobili Concept One rolls off the turntable, onto the road

We really loved the look of the all-electric Rimac Automobili Concept One that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show as it spun in circles upon its carpeted turntable, the lights making the paint glitter. Turns out, it looks even better rolling down the road on a foggy Croatian morning.

Now, we've no word on whether the Concept One has the full quad set of 250-kW motors installed that are intended for the production version. There's certainly no donut-making or zero-to-sixty second sprints to be seen here. Still, it's confidence-inspiring just to watch the car roll out of Rimac headquarters and make some placid passes for the camera, looking like a million bucks.

Hit the jump to check out some (nice and easy) Concept electric supercar action for yourself.

Volkswagen Beetle Fender Concept

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:23:41 PDT

To those who aren’t music fans—or perhaps are really into pressed metal—this Beetle concept being shown at the Frankfurt auto show may at first sound like a tribute to a specific body panel. This is not true. It is a tribute to guitars, specifically those made by Fender. It is a further extension of a partnership that has seen tiny Fender badges affixed to stereos in several current VWs. It is also cool.

The exterior is low-key, with retro-sized tailpipes jutting from under the bumper like tiny herald’s horns, red window trim, a lower and wider stance, and subtle Fender badging. The interior is what makes this show car special, though.

The cabin is lined with genuine wood trim finished in Fender’s signature Sunburst coloration, and there’s a tube amp on top of the dash. The plastic radio surround has been replaced by light-colored mesh like you’d find on an old amplifier (with an iPhone dock in the middle), and the HVAC controls have been metalized to remind of guitar and amp knobs. A quarter-inch socket and tone adjustments are located in the hatch area, allowing you to plug in a guitar and play it through the subwoofer.

If that last bit sounds familiar, Volkswagen halfheartedly delivered on that idea a few years ago, when it gave away First Act guitars with some cars. The instruments came with an onboard pre-amp, and they worked when plugged into the car’s aux-in port, basically like an iPod. But where that was a gimmicky trick designed to move some metal, this Beetle Fender comes across as a genuine tribute to music and guitars. It doesn’t go overboard with the association, avoiding caricature—the pick holder near the gearshift treads dangerously close to that line, but we’ll let it slide.

Even though the Beetle Fender hasn’t been confirmed for production, we were told that it would be relatively simple to produce after stripping out a few things. As tired as special editions can sometimes be, this is one we’d dig, even if it loses the sweet tube amp.

2012 Hyundai Veloster - Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:21:38 PDT

2012 Hyundai Veloster - Gallery
Expectations are a bitch. If it weren’t for people’s pesky hopes, the 2012 Hyundai Veloster could totter onto the new-car market as a simple and oddly endearing little nugget of a dressed-up economy car.

But no. On the back of this little three-door (four-door if you count the hatch) meatball ride the hopes of enthusiasts who loved the old Honda CRX Si, who still love the Honda CRX Si, or who at least they think they remember loving the CRX Si. And since Honda resolutely refuses to recreate one of its great ideas, the opportunity has fallen to the only car company that appears to have any interest in a similar concept: Hyundai.

Now, let’s get one thing straight: Hyundai never explicitly said that its four-seat Veloster was the spiritual replacement for the two-seat CRX Si. But given its size and shape, people have been drawing the comparison ever since the Veloster concept first appeared, and the company sure didn’t discourage the impression. Now that we’ve driven the production version over both hill and dale, we can say, in our snappiest Lloyd Bentsen impersonation, that we worked with the CRX Si, we knew the CRX Si, the CRX Si was a friend of ours. Veloster, you’re no CRX Si.

Is This Progress?

The 1985 CRX Si, pumping 91 horsepower from its 1.5-liter engine, could only get to 60 mph in 9.1 seconds. The Veloster’s 1.6-liter four-cylinder makes 138 horsepower, giving it a 0–60 run of, well, about half a second less slow than the CRX. And forget the CRX for a moment; the Veloster is taller and wider than Honda’s Accord of that era. The Veloster also rides on a longer wheelbase and weighs something like 300 pounds more than an ’85 Accord. It’s nearly 1000 pounds weightier than the CRX.

But it’s not door count or horsepower or weight that disqualifies the Veloster from second-coming-of-CRX status. It’s that the Veloster just isn’t that much fun to drive. It feels heavier than its roughly 2700-pound curb weight suggests. And its feel-free steering, while accurate, brings no joy. The steering also happens to have the least amount of self-centering that we’ve felt in some time. After a turn, the wheel is apparently content to just lie on its side, lifeless, instead of preparing for its next assignment.

That’s a shame, because the chassis it commands is competent. Maybe not spritely, but at least the MacPherson-strut front and torsion-beam rear suspension does an admirable job of snubbing roll without beating the driver senseless. It’s a nice middle-ground tuning that should satisfy those looking for an economy car wearing a snazzy outfit.

Smooth Out that Shar Pei

And snazzy it is. The front and flanks mimic other recent Hyundais, most notably the Elantra. Its face is pulled back tightly; similar to what we imagine a dog would look like with a very aggressive face lift. Its sides are deeply sculpted. That’s all pretty much standard-issue new-Hyundai oddness though. The real weirdness is the doors, or rather the asymmetry of the doors. We watched as a couple stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing the Veloster sitting in a parking lot. The man approached it first from the driver’s side, cocked his head, shuffled closer, and peeked inside; then, without taking his eyes off the thing, skirted around the Veloster’s chunky rear until he got to the passenger side. He stood staring for a moment and then squinted, thrust his head forward, and raised his eyebrows. He then scooted over to the driver’s side again, as if he believed that if he moved quickly enough he might surprise the driver’s side and catch it having two doors. No dice.

In its three-door-ness, the Veloster is like the Saturn coupe (SC) with the three-door option. Or the Mini Clubman, which also has a rear-hinged door-opening extender added aft of a conventional door. But instead of a silly half-door, the Hyundai has a proper front-hinged rear door that is at least three-quarters as useful as a proper port. And not only can it be opened independently of the front door, but the Veloster’s rear door is mounted to the passenger side instead of the driver’s.

This is useful for two reasons: one obvious and one we hadn’t anticipated. First, the passenger side is the curbside. So it is the safer of the two from which to disgorge rear passengers, which, given the Veloster’s tight rear quarters, are likely to be children or people you don’t like all that much. The other critical benefit of fitting the rear door to the passenger side is that it allows the driver’s door to be longer, keeping the B-pillar from impeding his peripheral vision.

Gamma for Your Gramma

We only drove the Veloster with a six-speed manual, but it’s also available with a new-for-Hyundai six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The shifter is perfectly pleasant to use and the clutch take-up is smooth. But it’s not your left leg you’ll be worrying about. It’s your right leg that will be tired at the end of a drive, what with you trying to cram the accelerator through the floorboards. The so-called Gamma 1.6-liter direct-injection engine is a kindly enough motor, but it’s small and has low peak torque—123 lb-ft—at a high 4850 rpm. You’ve got to work it over to make decent progress, and the car should need about 8.5 seconds to get to 60 mph. A turbo is on the way within a year’s time.

On the upside, when you’re not beating on the Veloster, the EPA reckons it will return 28 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway when equipped with the manual. With the dual-clutch tranny, the Veloster is predicted to return 29/38 mpg.

How To: Make Your Veloster Look Like the Concept

But perhaps we’ve been a bit tough on the Veloster. It starts at $18,060 for a manual version. The dual-clutch adds $1250. The example we drove came with both of the major option packages. The $2000 Style package mostly keeps the Veloster from looking like a cheap car. It brings 18-inch wheels, chrome trim, piano-black interior and exterior trim, front fog lights, an eight-speaker stereo, “leatherette” seats and door inserts, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum pedals and an auto-up driver’s window. But it’s the panoramic sunroof that also comes with the Style Package that gives the Veloster its signature look, with glass panels butted up against each other for an almost continuous sweep of glass from the base of the windshield all the way over the top of the roof and down to the rear bumper. It certainly makes the interior airy and is one of the more distinct similarities to the concept Veloster. But having one of the highest glass-to-metal ratios of any car on the market doesn’t do much for structural integrity.

The other available option grouping is the Tech package. It requires the Style package and then adds another $2000 of goodies like wheels with painted inserts intended to make them look like the Veloster concept’s. It also ropes in parking-distance sensors in the back, a rearview camera, a navigation system, automatic headlamps, and push-button start. Throw in floor mats ($95), and a loaded manual Veloster lists for $22,155.

Hyundai gives this youth-oriented model standard Bluetooth with voice recognition, auxiliary and USB inputs, and the capability for video (or video-game) playback via an RCA cable. Furthermore, the car comes standard with Pandora internet-radio capability via iPhone. Not enough for you? How about a built-in video game that scores you on your eco-driving prowess? The CRX never had that, did it?

BMW i3 and i8 Concepts

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:54:44 PDT

BMW i3 and i8 Concepts To Make World Debuts at 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Just the Facts:
•The 2013 BMW i3 compact and 2014 BMW i8 sports car will be formally introduced to the public at the upcoming Frankfurt show.
•While labeled as "concept studies," the prototypes provide strong clues as to the styling direction of BMW's first two i Series cars.
•Also starring on the automaker's Frankfurt stand will be the redesigned M5 and 1 Series.

MUNICH, Germany — BMW plans to make a major splash at the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show with the public debuts of its first two i Series concepts, the 2013 i3 and the 2014 i8, as well as the redesigned M5 sport sedan and 1 Series compact.

BMW released the first images of the i Series cars in late July. While officially labeled as concepts, the prototypes provide strong clues as to the styling direction of the production cars.

Both cars are rear-wheel drive and seat up to four occupants. The i8 is a gasoline-electric hybrid sport sedan, while the smaller i3 is a pure electric hatchback.

BMW is launching the i Series as a dedicated family of vehicles and services focused on "sustainable mobility."

The redesigned 1 Series hatchback also makes its formal public debut in Frankfurt. The new model, which isn't expected to be offered in the U.S., is longer and wider and rides on a longer wheelbase than its predecessor. It will be sold in Europe with a choice of four-cylinder gas and diesel engines.

BMW said advanced technologies, including Speed Limit Information System with No-Passing Info and Lane Departure Warning System with Collision Warning, also will be available for the first time in the new 1 Series.

Of perhaps greatest interest to enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic is the redesigned M5 sedan, which appeared earlier this year in concept form at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show and was first revealed to the public in late June at the annual BMW M Festival at the Nürburgring.

The fourth-generation M5's twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 will deliver 553 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to a seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission with Drivelogic (a six-speed manual will likely be available as an option in the U.S.).

The new M5 is slated to arrive at U.S. dealers in spring 2012, most likely as a 2013 model.
Inside Line says: As far as BMW is concerned, the future is already here.

Fuente del articulo

Lotus Elise S To Be Joined by Two New Models at 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:50:47 PDT

Lotus Elise S To Be Joined by Two New Models at 2011
Just the Facts:
•Lotus plans to show three new cars — none of which, sadly, appear to be headed to the States.
•The Elise S, powered by a new supercharged 1.8-liter engine, replaces the outgoing Elise SC in Europe.
•The company hints that one of its Frankfurt debutantes will be "one of the quickest road cars Lotus has ever built" while the other "marks the return of Lotus to another adrenaline-filled motorsport discipline."
HETHEL, England — At the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, Group Lotus plans to unveil three new cars, none of which, sadly, appears to be headed to the States.

The only one mentioned by name ahead of the show is the Elise S, which replaces the outgoing Elise SC in Europe. The Elise S features a new supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 218 horsepower, with more torque and better fuel economy.

Of the other two unnamed debutantes, the company says the first will be "one of the quickest road cars Lotus has ever built," while the other "marks the return of Lotus to another adrenaline-filled motorsport discipline."

Also slated to appear on the Frankfurt stand is the recently introduced 439-hp Evora GTE, which was designed originally for China, with production now being expanded for the European market.

Last month, Lotus said it is ending North American production of the Elise and Exige, while offering "final editions" of each.

Inside Line says: More good news from Lotus — for European customers.

Volkswagen NILS EV Concept

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 18:06:54 PDT

Volkswagen would like you to believe that the NILS concept (we’re not sure if the name stands for something or if VW just really likes capital letters) is a Formula 1 race car for the streets, what with its one-passenger, rear-engine layout and outboard wheels. But don’t go thinking that these characteristics automatically qualify the NILS as a performance machine. Instead, this concept owes its existence largely to data concerning urban commuters, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering it was developed with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Development. Doesn’t that sound like an extremely boring place? According to a second office of party animals—the German Bureau of Statistics—about 74 percent of commuters residing between Berlin and Munich drive fewer than 16 miles each day to work, and about 90 percent travel alone. As a result, the NILS is a one-seat, lightweight electric vehicle with a maximum range of 40 miles, enough for most of those commuters with some wiggle room. Thanks to a very lightweight but not

-so-powerful electric motor, the NILS can accelerate to 62 mph in less than 11 seconds and maxes out at 81 mph. Energy is stored in a 5.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. In short bursts, maximum output is 33 horses, while nominal power is down at just 20 ponies. Eat your heart out, Sebastian Vettel. It might not have much power, but the NILS does at least have plenty of lightness. The tiny motor weighs just 42 pounds, while the whole car—assembled from aluminum, polycarbonate, and other lightweight materials—weighs just 1014. The side mirrors are adjusted manually to keep things light and simple, and VW’s design team found a few other ways to simplify as well. For example, the steering is completely mechanical, which we think is pretty cool. Maybe this concept is more race car than we thought—or at least more go-kart. Inside the minimalist cabin, a seven-inch TFT display indicates speed, range, and energy flow, while a second display is a portable navigation and entertainment unit like the one used in VW’s production Up! runabout. Snapped into the A-pillar, the unit allows touch-screen browsing of navigation, radio, phone, and trip-computer functions. The starter button is placed atop a knob that’s also used as a gear selector for the automatic transmission. The NILS thrums into the Frankfurt show with two similar outboard-wheel concepts from Audi, the Urban and its topless twin, the Urban Spyder. All three are pretty cool little city pods, but we’ll wait for this VW Group concept idea to graduate to the Lamborghini/Porsche/Bentley level before we really get excited. Or better yet, how about an open-wheel Bugatti city car? There’s your F1 car for the streets, Volkswagen.

2011 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Spyder

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 18:01:41 PDT

2011 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Spyder Manual - Short Take Road Test Public reaction seldom factors into our vehicle reviews, but the response this R8 Spyder elicited was hard to ignore, and it was not only plentiful but uniformly positive. As friendly and approachable as we tend to be—look at that handsome guy in the convertible, they must think—people don’t often toss out unsolicited opinions. But with this R8, smiles and thumbs up abounded; it was the ice-cream-truck effect with a better soundtrack. Take the response of one motorist who reasonably could have been offended by one editor’s assertive on-road maneuver: “[expletives redacted]! Nice car! [more expletives redacted]!” Or the pickup-driving gentleman who admired the R8 from on high at a stoplight and asked how it was to drive. His next question concerned fuel economy, which we described with an off-guard “um, okay.” (We achieved a 13-mpg average for the test, which is maybe not quite, um, okay.) The light changed and there was no time to tell him that our carbon-fiber-drenched example cost nearly $160K and that folks who could afford it likely wouldn’t worry about such things. No Compromises, No Alarms, and No Surprises The R8 Spyder needn’t be judged solely on the ogling and compliments of others. We, too, think the convertible is thoroughly stunning. And just as we found with the V-10 Spyder versus its coupe counterpart, removing the roof makes the V-8 sound extra-fantastic to the two people it’s pushing around. The gated manual’s clack-clack engagement, audible between bursts of V-8 expression, was yet another sensory payoff. We try to avoid clichés, but this shifter deserves the bolt-action descriptor. (It should be noted that the last time we published the phrase actually was in reference to a rifle.) All three pedals in this R8 were docile and well-spaced, making rev-matched heel-and-toe downshifts easy, rewarding, and repeatable. And initial clutch takeup is never jerky, with only the slightest hint of throttle needed to get going in first, at which point the car is happy to trundle along shudder-free in 5-mph traffic. The V-8 fits the Spyder’s relaxed, everyday-use character, as its 430 hp don’t overpower the chassis unless you really want them to. All of the controls, including the steering, have a lightness that would seem to be at odds with the R8’s supercar mission, but that simply makes the car easy to live with, not duller. Even over the worst road divots and lumps, the R8 Spyder rarely trembles. Audi beefed up the cowl and added extra bracing under the floor. To compensate for the weight of the various reinforcements and the top mechanism, Audi uses carbon-fiber pieces for the rear fenders and tonneau. Still, weight gain is more than 300 pounds over the last manual-transmission R8 V-8 coupe we tested. With the help of the 10-hp bump the V-8 got last year, this Spyder posted a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.3 seconds. All R8s now come standard with two-mode magnetorheological dampers. Even with them in Sport mode, however, skidpad grip was down a bit versus the coupe’s: 0.93 g compared to 0.97. We’re observing, not complaining.

At 156 feet from 70 mph, the V-8 Spyder managed to stop in four fewer feet, and with more consistency. More Than One Way to Skin a Carbon Fiber So maybe there’s one drawback in all of this. R8 coupes offer a pheasant-under-glass engine room that neatly displays the mid-mounted wonder. Here, the two people sitting ahead of the engine are on display instead. The top’s top covers the engine, with only the back half visible when an access-panel hood is flipped up. (The flat rear deck does have one advantage: a rear view that’s largely the same with the top in place or stowed.)

Mazda CX-5 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:59:29 PDT

We could all live without another compact SUV; the dozen or more already on the market suit every imaginable purse and purpose. So what’s the Mazda CX-5’s reason for existing? The simple answer is that Mazda’s new bouncing baby bear is a smaller, cheaper model intended to round out the brand’s set of SUVs—well, and that the small-SUV category is a sales mine and no company can afford to sit it out. But proving that nothing is ever as simple as it first seems, the CX-5 embodies two ulterior motives: This is not only our first look at two major Mazda initiatives, it’s also an accurate preview of other models scheduled for near-term introduction.

Before we delve into that grand plan, consider the key parameters that define the CX-5. It’s a compact SUV designed fresh from the ground up with no hand-me-down components. It lives at the large end of its sprawling class and casts a shadow only slightly smaller than Mazda’s middle-child CX-7. So the CX-5, a close size match to the Kia Sportage, rides on a 106.3-inch wheelbase (exactly two inches shorter than the CX-7’s), and it has length and width dimensions of 178.7 and 72.4 inches versus the CX-7’s 184.3 and 73.7. In lieu of the CX-7’s sleek, swoopy, smiley-faced envelope, the CX-5 has a much boxier, more-practical wrapper. The two Mazda siblings are about the same size inside, with comfortable room for four occupants and a third seatbelt in back for an occasional fifth passenger. (While we spent a day driving four CX-5 prototypes in Iceland, final details regarding interior room, power, mileage, and price won’t be released until the U.S. introduction at December’s L.A. auto show.) In keeping with the CX-5’s unpretentious role as the most diminutive and wallet-friendly SUV in Mazda’s lineup, it will hit the deck with but one engine—a 2.0-liter inline-four rated at about 160 hp—and four driveline choices: front- or all-wheel drive with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Fun, Lively, and Oh, So Good

The CX-5 doesn’t drive like any existing compact SUV. It’s more lively, more involving, more steeped in the sports-car character that Mazda harps on about in its Zoom-Zoom advertising. The steering is quick and crisp, body motions are held tightly in check, and the ride is purposely firm underfoot. This is the SUV for those who promised they’d never stoop to driving one. This is where fun-to-drive lives when there are kids to convey, dogs to deliver, or a long weekend’s worth of camping gear to haul.

Your first clue that the CX-5 is something different is revealed by its fresh exterior design. The previous Nagare (“wind-driven flow”) theme that gave us more ear-to-ear grins than we really needed is heretofore supplanted by Kodo—a less flamboyant, more tasteful “soul of motion” appearance. Where the CX-5 goes stylistically, other Mazdas will follow.

The same is true of the CX-5’s inner workings. After a serious bout of introspection, Mazda’s top management mapped a path to the future consisting of a menu of essentials like lower emissions and higher gas mileage, as well as desirables such as added safety features and new creature comforts. Thankfully, a fun-to-drive temperament also made the cut as a core Mazda virtue. The slightly inscrutable name for Mazda’s mix of fun and function is SkyActiv Technology and it reaches deeply into every nook and cranny of the body structure, chassis, and powertrain.

That means the CX-5 has a stiff, light foundation made mostly of high-strength steel. (Aluminum and more exotic materials were avoided to contain cost.) Mazda says that the steering and suspension gear was designed with agility, linearity, and concise driver feedback as the key goals, and, from this encounter, it feels like the company is telling the truth. The cockpit was laid out to provide better than average outward visibility, a natural relationship to all controls and instruments, and a seat capable of supporting an aggressive driver’s boldest commands.

Tech-Heavy SkyActiv Four Delivers

What the 2.0-liter engine lacks in raw muscle—it will make 163 hp in the 2012 Mazda 3—it more than makes up for with a willingness to please. To deliver adequate acceleration with exemplary gas mileage, this powerplant stretches the bounds of efficiency with a 13.0:1 compression ratio, direct injection, variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing, and a carefully tuned four-into-two-into-one exhaust manifold. The Atkinson cycle allows use of an extra-long expansion stroke for maximum mileage with no need for premium gasoline. Compared to Mazda’s best current four-cylinder engines, the new SkyActiv design is 10 percent lighter, 30 percent lower in friction, 15 percent more fuel efficient, and 15 percent more energetic at low and midrange rpm. The only negative we observed was a boomy soundtrack above 4000 rpm, a concern that may be resolved as NVH characteristics are fine-tuned before production.

While the CX-5 is unlikely to accelerate to the head of its class (we estimate that this 3300-pound package will accelerate to 60 mph in about eight seconds), it might delve into uncharted gas-mileage territory. Compared to the high-teens to mid-twenties mpg ratings common to compact SUVs, the CX-5 is expected to crest the 30-mpg-combined barrier in its most efficient front-drive, manual-transmission trim. One interesting data point: In Mazda’s testing, the Euro-spec model we drove delivered 23 mpg at a cruising speed of 84 mph.

While they were at it, Mazda engineers also developed a 2.2-liter twin-turbo diesel four-cylinder that produces 170 hp at 4500 rpm; while that engine will be a mainstay in Europe, we won’t see it in the U.S. for at least 18 months. It’s currently under consideration for our market as an option in the next Mazda 6 sedan.

Showing the Way to Future Mazdas

The true significance of the SkyActiv initiative is that it will reach beyond the CX-5 to serve as the blueprint for next-generation Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 models. Based on the first impressions of what SkyActiv can deliver, it’s looking like anyone with an appetite for driving pleasure will find their hunger sated at Mazda.

Leading the fun-to-drive pack, the CX-5 goes on sale early next year as a 2013 model. While no pricing has been announced, expect the window sticker to start at about $20,000. The interior trim wasn’t in final form in the models we drove, but the plastic materials we inspected were of high quality and showed attractively painted, textured, or grained surfaces. There’s a minimum of brightwork inside and out, and leather wrappings for the steering wheel, shifter, and hand-operated parking brake likely will be standard. Both cloth and perforated-leather seating surfaces will be available.

Mazda also took this opportunity to significantly upgrade its safety and infotainment equipment. A 5.8-inch touch screen is standard fare and can also be commanded by a round multifunction controller located on the console. Bluetooth and the essential USB and auxiliary connections are provided. The list of optional equipment includes dual-zone automatic climate control, a rear-view camera, lane-departure warning, and automatic headlamp beam control. A new system called Smart City Brake Support uses an infrared sensor to identify objects in the path ahead to automatically stop a vehicle traveling at speeds of up to 15 mph and to significantly diminish closing velocities above that speed.

The rear seat is not only roomy enough to carry two strapping adults or three children without complaint, but the backrests are configured with a 40/20/40-split arrangement to accommodate long or bulky cargo. All three portions can be released from the 17-cubic-foot cargo hold, which also offers some under-floor stash space.

No preview of coming attractions would be complete without a few gripes. We noticed ample wind noise in these early prototypes in addition to the aforementioned boomy engine. (In contrast, the diesel demonstrated model behavior except for some idle rattle.) The front headrests are mounted in annoyingly close proximity to your head to assure that they protect against whiplash in a severe rear collision. And, while we were impressed by the tenacious grip of the V-rated 19-inch summer tires fitted to the all-wheel-drive CX-5 prototypes, a slight downgrade to four-season rubber will be inflicted on U.S.-market models. (The base front-drive version rolls on 17-inch wheels and tires.)

So the CX-5 is not only a major stride forward for Mazda but also a compelling reason for diehard SUV haters to reconsider whether fun and function can coexist in one vehicle.

Land Rover DC100 - 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:11:28 PDT

Land Rover will need to make use of its renowned off-road prowess to extract itself from the dilemma on which it’s now metaphorically high-centered. The company’s core product, the Defender, is due for replacement in 2015, but its archetypical appearance has historically evolved at a glacial rate. Land Rover’s boffins are taking a first stab at reinterpreting Britain’s Wrangler with the DC100 concept you see here, but design director Gerry McGovern emphasizes that this is not a “production-ready” concept—it’s not even close. Rather, it is the “beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century.” Considering that the Land Rover Defender and its three predecessors, the Series I, II, and III, weren’t so much styled as they were formed from molten SAS commandos, McGovern’s task is taller than Mount Elbrus.

The concept is creative to be sure. Most important, the Defender’s classic boxy shape remains, as do the vertical door handles and the hood that sits higher than the flat-topped fenders. The vents on said fenders, however, are totally modern—and a bit out of keeping with the Defender’s minimalist philosophy—and the front clip blends old and new by placing classic round headlamps in a swept, contoured fascia. The massive wheels appear to have been borrowed from Temple Beth Israel, as they sport a six-pointed star pattern, while the low-profile rubber reminds of us of most Rovers’ roles as tools for suburban posturing but seems ill-suited for the LR that most frequently gets dirty.

Whatever Land Rover decides for the final vehicle’s shape, you can expect it to ride on a derivation of the company’s current Land Rover LR4 platform—probably with complexity removed and toughness added. The go-to engine is likely to be the 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel recently introduced in the European Jaguar XF, where it produces 187 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. We anticipate that there will be an optional gas-fired engine as well, which could be anything from a borrowed four-banger to the company’s complex 5.0-liter V-8 to an upcoming, all-new V-6.

The outgoing Land Rover Defender debuted in 1982, landed in the U.S. in 1992, and then promptly disappeared in 1997 upon expiration of the company’s free pass for not having the federally mandated dual airbags. Although that truck drew heavily on the Series III it replaced—even the door panels were the same, initially—the Defender has, historically, evolved under the sheetmetal. In reflecting on the Land Rover Series trucks in 1979, Car and Driver’s L.J.K. Setright could have been writing the epitaph for the current Defender: “The only good analogy might be found in the Volkswagen Beetle: here, too, the basic shape, the basic concept, remained unaltered and inviolable, despite the fact that every component (bar a couple of humdrum nuts and bolts) had been altered since the first vehicle went into production.”

Just as Volkswagen completely reimagined the Beetle nearly 20 years later as a modern product—and, subsequently, Mini did the Cooper hatchback and Fiat the 500—Land Rover might find its greatest success building a new Defender that’s thoroughly modern underneath, and merely skinned like the boxy behemoth loyalists expect. But if the truck isn’t truly robust, and can’t be repaired by bush mechanics in Sub-Saharan Africa, can it be a proper Defender? We’ll have to wait on McGovern and Land Rover for an answer.

Peugeot ‘s Suicide-Butterfly-Doored, Plug-In Hybrid Hatchback HX1

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:08:08 PDT

French automaker Peugeot has unveiled yet another alternative-propulsion concept vehicle, the HX1, on the heels of its sporty EX1 and SR1 (which won a 10Best Concept Car award). The title of this post says it all, really. The HX1 is a suicide-scissor-doored plug-in hybrid hatchback, and it will make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show.

Those fancy doors open to a spacious and predictably futurephilic interior that, at first blush, appears to seat just four. The HX1, in fact, can hold up to six humans—without any awkward lap-sitting—courtesy of two jump seats that deploy from the center console in between the front and rear rows. A multi-configurable driver display, split steering wheel, and wood flooring are a few of the more out-there interior flourishes. The show-car interior is wrapped in stretched hatchback bodywork. Designers pushed the HX1’s wheels way out to its corners, giving it an elongated and sleek look.

The HX1 may be highly conceptual, but most of the technology it features is steadily grounded in reality. The concept borrows its diesel-electric hybrid tech from the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 and upcoming 508 RXH, but adds plug-in capability. The HX1 also shares those cars’ unique “through-the-road” hybrid layout, in which a small diesel engine powers the front wheels and an electric motor powers the rears. Like other hybrids, that electric motor also recoups braking energy to feed the battery, but it and the engine aren’t mechanically linked. The HX1’s 204-hp diesel and six-speed automatic transmission are borrowed from Peugeot’s 508 GT. The rear-mounted electric motor produces 95 hp, and total system output is a healthy 299 hp. Thanks to the plug-in functionality, the HX1 is claimed to be able to travel 18.6 miles under electric power before its lithium-ion battery pack is depleted.

Hyundai Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:01:56 PDT

Hyundai Releases

Yesterday, Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik took to Twitter to spill the beans on the 2012 Veloster’s $18,060 base price. Today comes the full rundown on the upcoming four-door coupe’s—it has three passenger doors plus a hatch—pricing and equipment.

The Veloster will come powered by a 138-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder bolted to a six-speed manual transmission. Those who want a little less involvement can opt for the six-speed EcoShift dual-clutch automatic for an additional $1250. Standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, a seven-inch touch-screen entertainment system, Pandora internet radio and voice recognition, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, and Hyundai’s OnStar-like Blue Link telematics service.

The $2000 Style package upgrades to 18-inch rims while also adding fog lights, a panoramic sunroof, piano-black interior trimmings, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and aluminum pedals. After the Style pack has been spec’d, you can then add the $2000 Tech bundle to get different wheels with black-painted inserts, a navigation system and back-up camera to make better use of that seven-inch display, and keyless entry with push-button start. Also included with the Tech stuff is a 115-volt outlet and “video-game-console connectivity,” for those who can’t go without their PS3 for even five minutes.

Hyundai says to expect 28 mpg city/40 mpg highway from manual-equipped Velosters and 29/38 from EcoShifted models. Competition-wise, Hyundai calls out the likes of Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Beetle, and Scion tC in its press release, but the company would also happily ruffle the feathers of the Ford Focus, Mazda 3, and Honda CR-Z.

Having kicked things off with its aggressive base price and compelling list of standard and optional equipment, the Veloster rolls into showrooms sometime next month. We’re looking forward to driving the base Veloster as soon as possible, but we have to admit we’re more excited about the eventual arrival of the boosted 210-hp version.

2011 Kia Sportage SX AWD

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:59:13 PDT

2011 Kia Sportage SX AWD

Date: August 2011
Months in Fleet: 2 months
Current Mileage: 7081 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 22 mpg
Average Range: 319 miles
Service: $0
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0

Kia is full of surprises lately, from the company’s first motorsports victory with its first proper race car to its impressive reinvention of showroom wallflowers like the Optima sedan. We were caught off guard yet again when an all-wheel-drive 2011 Kia Sportage SX posted a 6.1-second 0-to-60-mph time earlier this year, becoming the quickest Kia vehicle Car and Driver has ever tested. We knew a closer look at the new small ute was in order even before its turbocharged four-cylinder had cooled, and we soon welcomed this very orange example to our fleet for a 40,000-mile long-term trial.

The Great Pumpkin

With prices starting at $18,990 for a base four-cylinder, the Sportage supports Kia’s long-held focus on value, along with an extra dose of style. The entry-level model comes with a 176-hp, 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder; front-wheel drive; and a six-speed manual transmission; as well as 16-inch aluminum wheels, stability and hill-descent control, six airbags, Bluetooth, and auxiliary and USB inputs. LX and EX trims step up to a six-speed automatic, available all-wheel drive ($1500), and various additional luxuries. On the EX, that roster includes LED daytime running lights, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, and a tilting and telescoping steering wheel.

Top-level all-wheel-drive SX models like ours start at $27,990. To the EX’s roster of gear, the SX adds a 260-hp, direct-injected, 2.0-liter turbo four and a firmer, “sport-tuned” suspension, plus 18-inch wheels, dual exhaust outlets, a unique grille with less chrome, different body-side moldings, and upgraded interior trim.

To that we added the $1500 Navigation with Premium Audio package (touch-screen nav display, integrated backup camera, and an upgraded audio system with an external amplifier and subwoofer) and the $3000 Premium Package with Leather (leather seating, heated front seats, cooled driver’s seat, push-button start, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, cargo cover, panoramic sunroof, rear parking-distance sensors, and heated exterior mirrors). A dealer-installed cargo mat ran an additional $75, and the Techno Orange paint was a no-cost option (although it’s no longer available). All of this pushed our as-tested total to a still-respectable $32,565.

Already Popular

For something in what is normally a style-free segment, the Sportage’s newfound design flair is a welcome refreshment; our turbocharged pumpkin looks almost radioactive amongst the masses of beige and silver crossovers that clog suburbia. Initial feedback on the styling has been good, with logbook entries calling it “sharp” and “contemporary,” despite a few uneven panel gaps around the hood and front fenders. The black-accented SX wheels complement the darkened grille and contrast nicely with the paint, which lends an aggressive presence that’s topped off by the LED running lights.

Similar comments are tied to the interior, which is comfortable and simple in its execution, yet high in quality. The cabin is monotone and can be somewhat dark with the sunroof closed, and taller drivers have asked for a little more front legroom, but the nice materials, well-placed soft-touch points, and solid ergonomics are noteworthy. Audi shouldn’t be concerned, but it’s a huge step up from the previous-gen Sportage.

Other notable aspects of the interior include a spacious rear seat accessed by surprisingly large rear doors, and very good audio and navigation systems that forego an overly complicated centralized controller in favor of a simple touch screen. So accommodating has the Sportage SX been that it has amassed 7000 miles, including adventures to Chicago and northern Michigan, in just two months with hardly a complaint. The long-distance running has helped us average 22 mpg overall, which is still between the vehicle’s 21-mpg rating in the city and 25 on the highway.

One annoying oddity that has been noted both here and with other new Kias is the satellite-radio tuning, which requires you to scroll to your desired station and then press the tuning knob to confirm. It’s a minor quirk indeed, but as one editor put it, “I’m turning the knob, aren’t I already signaling my intent to change stations?”

A One-Hit Wonder?

Our only dynamic letdown thus far came at the test track, where the acceleration of our long-term Sportage came up a tad short of the figures recorded by a previous SX. With a well-broken-in 6000 miles on the clock—versus the previous vehicle’s somewhat-green 612—our 3657-pound long-termer hit 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and eclipsed the quarter-mile in 14.9 at 95 mph. While impressive for a vehicle such as this, those times are slightly off the respective 6.1- and 14.7-second bests that grabbed our attention during that previous encounter. Still, they are good enough to tie the first-place performance of an all-wheel-drive Toyota RAV4 V-6 in our last roundup of small crossovers, and also are on par with those for the 274-hp Kia Optima SX 2.0T.

In day-to-day use, the Sportage has no problem squirting through gaps in traffic and passing on rural two lanes once the boost builds up. The 184-foot stop from 70 mph, however, is disappointing, some 11 feet lengthier than in our previous test and one of the longest we’ve recorded in the segment.

As with most electric power-steering systems, the Kia’s is short on feedback—and this despite requiring a rather high amount of effort. Around the skidpad, considerable understeer from the 235/55-18 Hankook Optimo H426 all-seasons resulted in a so-so 0.79 g of grip, which is similar to what we’ve recorded before. Initial comments don’t pan the suspension as too harsh overall but do note that the firm ride can be tiring on broken roads. We’d actually recommend the standard, non-sport suspension, but this setup is the only one available with the turbocharged engine.

We’d also welcome a dedicated sport mode for the automatic gearbox in addition to the manual shift gate, as well as more sound-deadening material for the engine—like many direct-injected mills, it makes quite a racket during startup—but the Sportage SX has thus far proven to be a good travel companion.

2013 Aston Martin V12 Zagato

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:52:49 PDT

2013 Aston Martin V12 Zagato

GAYDON, England — The price of the limited-edition Aston Martin V12 Zagato, which goes into production next year, keeps inching up, thanks to a weak U.S. dollar. And don't forget local taxes.

At the current exchange rate, V12 Zagato prices now will start at around $540,000. According to Top Gear, local taxes in the U.K. will add another $108,000, pushing the bottom line to nearly $650,000 for lucky British customers.

Aston plans to build "no more than" 150 Zagatos. The company began taking orders earlier this summer, after unveiling the supercar in May at the Villa D'Este Concours in Lake Como, then testing two race-prepped Zagatos at the Nurburgring in June.

The two Zagato racing prototypes will make an appearance next month at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, Aston said. One car, nicknamed Zig, remains in full endurance-racing spec and livery. The other — yes, it's dubbed Zag — has been "returned to its original show specification," according to Aston, with "an exterior more representative of the exclusive road car currently offered for order

2012 Ferrari 458 Spider

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:29:42 PDT

2012 Ferrari 458 Spider

As the auto industry gears up for the 2011 Frankfurt auto show, Ferrari has released the first official photos of the 2012 458 Spider, the roofless iteration of the mid-engine 458 Italia. Other than losing its lid and gaining some structural enhancements, the 458 Spider will be largely identical to its coupe counterpart.

Hooray for More V-8 Wail

Besides shaving the 458’s head, Ferrari altered the car’s throttle mapping, suspension tuning, and “engine soundtrack” specifically for topless motoring. The task of dialing in the sound of the 458’s tightly wound 4.5-liter V-8 for droptop duty seems to us like a two-step process. Step one: Remove roof. Step two: Rev engine. Regardless, the Spider’s soundtrack should be hugely satisfying, produced as it is by the same sonorous 562-hp engine as is used in the 458 Italia. That power is routed through the same seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as is used in the coupe to the same torque-vectoring differential. The 458 Spider also inherits the coupe’s F1-Trac traction-control and performance anti-lock-brake system.

Ferrari claims the Spider will run to 62 mph from a standstill in less than 3.5 seconds before romping on to a top speed in excess of 198 mph. In a recent comparison test, we kicked a 458 Italia to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds, so the Spider’s figure is probably a bit conservative.

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

Ferrari’s photos—and a video below—put to rest any doubt as to the style of folding roof the 458 Spider will use. The car’s mid-engine layout makes a folding roof of any kind difficult to integrate, and after seeing the leaked photos of the car we guessed that only a relatively space-efficient soft top would fit beneath its low-slung tonneau cover. Ferrari, however, cleverly adapted its rotating-roof concept from the 575-based Superamerica to the 458 Spider.

The 458 Spider’s roof is a bit more complicated than the Superamerica’s rotating lid, and it hides under a double-hump rear deck when stowed (the Superamerica’s roof laid itself on top of the rear deck). Ferrari claims this solution is 55 pounds lighter than a soft top and takes up less space. The roof can fold itself down into a space ahead of the engine bay in 14 seconds, and the independently operable rear window doubles as a wind blocker. Ferrari believes the rear window to be so effective that occupants can converse normally at speeds above 124 mph. The roof mechanism is compact enough that Ferrari was able to keep a parcel shelf behind the rear seats.

To help combat flex, Ferrari did beef up the 458’s chassis to ensure structural rigidity top up or down, but isn’t sharing exactly what it strengthened. The company does, however, claim that the Spider will only outweigh the fixed-roof 458 by about 100 pounds. The 458 Spider will be on display in Frankfurt in September, and a good part of the production run is likely already spoken for.

Cadillac Ciel Sedan Rendered

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:26:47 PDT

Cadillac Ciel Sedan Rendered: Putting a Top On Caddy’s Stunning Droptop Concept

As far as the public is concerned, the Cadillac Ciel concept has only existed for a few days, but our artist has already begun to imagine what it might look like with a roof and door handles (and conventional rear doors). Might as well: The big convertible doesn’t have much of a chance of making production, but a big sedan resembling it does, and a big sedan needs door handles to let people in.

A flagship such as the Ciel makes perfect sense for Cadillac. In the near future, GM’s luxury arm will introduce the ATS, aimed directly at the BMW 3-series, Mercedes-Benz C-class, and Audi A4; and grow the CTS to more directly compete with the 5-series, E-class, and A6. The segment occupied by the 7-series, S-class, and A8 is an obvious gap. Cadillac insiders have already told us the brand plans to rectify that in 2014. (We’re ignoring the upcoming XTS, as it is a front-driver aimed exclusively at the decrepit and the Chinese.)

We hope Cadillac’s S-class competitor draws on the Ciel for inspiration, but we also hope it keeps the upright, almost Rolls-Royce–esque greenhouse in this rendering. There is still no car that says “stately” as universally as a Phantom, even though the Roller says “ostentatious” quite clearly, too.

When Cadillac’s full-sizer does appear, the convertible concept’s twin-turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain could be on the options sheet, but Cadillac would need something mainstream to challenge the V-8s offered by the competition. Fortunately, GM’s expertise in V-8s is extensive, and the current Cadillac lineup includes, of course, the 556-hp supercharged bent-eight in the CTS-V. As for the Ciel concept’s twin-turbo six, it may live on in nonhybrid form in the V derivative of the ATS, which we’ve learned will use an engine of that description

Jeep Tricks: Wrangler Gets

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:49:29 PDT

Jeep Tricks: Wrangler Gets Five New Colors, Adds Special Edition Mopar Renegade, And Goes Back to Camp Jeep

The big news for Jeep’s iconic Wrangler this fall is the welcome installation Chrysler’s prolific Pentastar V-6—along with upgraded transmissions—but there is more coming for 2012, including some wacky new hues. According to Tony Petit, chief engineer for the Wrangler and Liberty, a total of five new colors will be phased in between now and early 2012, starting with an awesome Tonka-toy yellow with the equally awesome name “Dozer” [pictured], followed by a bright orange called “Crush,” a dark green called “Black Forest,” a much brighter green called “Gecko,” and a light blue-gray dubbed “Winter Chill.” Unfortunately, a couple of our favorite colors—most notably Sahara Beige—will be phased out.

The color and trim team are not the only ones that have taken to the new-and-improved 2012 Wrangler, however. Mopar is getting into the action, too. Jeep’s product marketing chief, Chris Ellis, told us to be on the lookout for a special edition Renegade encrusted with Mopar accessories sometime during the upcoming model year. While he didn’t provide a name for the bruiser, when we suggested that we’d like to see a resurrection of the Golden Eagle, he nodded in agreement and winked. If a Golden Eagle isn’t next in line, then there’s a chance whatever special edition is will get a badge displaying global coordinates that, like previous limited-edition models, correspond to a notable location. Did you know the 2010 Jeep Wrangler Islander’s coordinates actually pinpointed the alleged location of Gilligan’s Island?

Ellis also intimated that Camp Jeep, which infected people of all ages with off-road enthusiasm each year before a bankruptcy-inspired hiatus in 2009, may return. The annual event would be staged in a different location each year and include challenging, real-world off-road test-drives in manufacturer-owned vehicles, as well as events for kids and lots of oneness with the great outdoors. Interestingly, Ellis said that any future Camp Jeep-like program would involve not just Jeep’s best off-road products like Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, but the entire lineup, including the not-quite-so-highly “Trail Rated” Liberty, Patriot, and yes, Compass models.

A Ride in the Hyper-Exotic, U.S.-bound Pagani Huayra

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:46:22 PDT

A Ride in the Hyper-Exotic, U.S.-bound Pagani Huayra

when Horacio Pagani migrated to Italy from his native Argentina, he lived in a tent with a bicycle for transportation. Two months later, he landed a job in Sant’Agata Bolognese as a junior mechanic at Lamborghini. Three decades later, he was standing in a ritzy hotel parking lot in Monterey, California, still wearing the boyish grin he must have had as a 10-year-old car-doodling son of a baker in the Argentine Pampas region, about to take me for a spin in his new $1.2-million mid-engine, Mercedes-powered supercar, the Huayra.

Named for the god of wind to the Aymara people of the Andean highlands between Bolivia and Argentina, the Huayra (say “WHY-ra”) will be Pagani’s first car to be sold in the United States once it passes all of the requisite crash tests, which will be in about two years. Finally, America will be exposed to Pagani’s handiwork, which has earned a reputation for meticulous attention to detail.

Indeed, there are no parts-bin components anywhere on the Huayra. All the interior knobs, gauges, fluid caps, and miscellaneous hardware bits—the stuff that small automakers often steal from larger ones to save money—is completely bespoke to the Huayra, cast or chiseled out of aluminum and stamped with a Pagani logo. The Brembo brake calipers say Pagani, the custom luggage designed by Pagani himself says Pagani on it, even the glass has Pagani written on it. The key is a miniature sculpture of the actual car, separating in two pieces to reveal the key on one half and a USB drive for music on the other.

This is why the Huayura, like the Zonda it replaces, is so expensive. That and the fact that the car has 1200 fasteners made of titanium fabricated to Pagani’s specification, each one costing roughly $75 but weighing about half what a steel bolt weighs. It takes six months to build a single car and since 1999, the company of 67 people based in Modena (about five miles from the Maserati factory) has built only 140 cars or so—more like motorized art objects, really—in its entire history.

Pagani made his fortune selling carbon-fiber and composite materials to both Lamborghini and the Italian government, so it’s no surprise to find acres of the black stuff in the Huayra. The central tub is carbon-fiber weave, naked and on full display in most places, laced with titanium strands, which makes it less brittle and more malleable in a crash, he says.

The front and rear subframes are constructed of chrome-moly tubes with forged aluminum suspension components and inboard shocks. The engine is an essentially stock Mercedes-Benz M158 6.0-liter V-12 running twin low-pressure turbochargers to make 700 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, the latter peaking at 2500 rpm. It drives the rear Pirelli P Zeros through a seven-speed Xtrac single-clutch paddle-shift gearbox.

Weighing about 3000 pounds, the Huayra wears carbon-fiber bodywork inspired by an aircraft wing, says Pagani. Shaped in the wind tunnel at Mercedes-Benz (a very good friend to Pagani over the years) the Huayra’s underbody pan is molded in a wave form to manage pressure zones around the front and rear axles for reduced lift, and the upper body has moveable flaps at both ends which act like ailerons on a wing. They selectively lift in corners to aid turning, and go full up to serve as aero brakes during heavy braking. “It was a real headache,” says Pagani of designing and engineering the active aero flaps.

Because of the turbos, the Huayra’s voice is fairly muffled, leaving the cabin filled by the rumble of the huge tires. When Pagani stands on it, the wheeze-whoosh of the compressors is the most distinctive sound, as it is in other turbo wonder-cars such as the Bugatti Veyron. Still, the speed comes on lung-emptying quick and the scenery blurs. Pagani likes to manually shift the transmission with the center shifter, itself a piece of sculpture composed of some 60 components. “I am nostalgic for the old style” manual shifter, he says. When I ask why the car he has designed and built does not have a stick, he says it’s the customers. They want automatics.

Traffic during Pebble Beach weekend being what it is, we could only take a few turns of the Pacific Coast Highway at speed. The Huayra holds fast and turns in quickly, but Pagani says the car is set up to understeer at the outer limits. “If you are Schumacher, okay, but for everybody else, we make it safe,” he says. Because Europe is overrun with speed cameras and traffic, Pagani says he isn’t interested in a top-speed competition with other car makers, so the Huayra is electronically limited to a wimpy 224 mph.

The Xtrac gearbox delivers its shifts smoothly in comfort mode, and only gets slightly harsher in the sport mode. It can also be set to full automatic. The suspension of racing-style inboard coilovers is fairly compliant for a mid-engine doorstop, and it soaks up the lumps without transmitting too much bump energy into the cupped leather seats, which are as hard as concrete but strangely comfortable. Gullwing doors ajar, it’s a lift to haul yourself out of this ultra-low limpet, but it’s twice as easy to exit and enter than, say, the gullwinged Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

Pagani will allow the first test drives of the Huayra in November in Italy, so we’ll get some experience from behind the wheel then. Meanwhile, the company already has a three-year waiting list for the Huayra from customers in Europe and Asia, so the U.S., which is expected to take only five cars per year of the annual build rate of 40 cars, isn’t needed to sustain the company. Still, Pagani is eager to sell here; almost as eager as we are to see Paganis on U.S. roads.

Fuente del Articulo

2013 Dodge Viper Spy

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:17:08 PDT

2013 Dodge Viper Spy

Development on the next-generation Dodge Viper is well underway, and our spy photographers have just caught it wearing its new front end. The nose has been slapped on both coupe and convertible versions, which we’ll take as unofficial confirmation that both body styles will live on.
Although the two Viper prototypes wear previous-gen sheetmetal from the A-pillar back, the new nose can be seen peeking from beneath the camouflage. A large crosshair grille will again be the fascia’s signature element, but it’s been updated with Dodge’s latest parallel-bar design (as seen on the 2011 Durango, among others). The headlights appear to be more angular and swept back, disappearing under the camo and flowing farther up the fender than before. Mesh on the hood indicates the reappearance of a center-mounted intake, as well as louvered vents, and another opening appears just ahead of the front doors on the body sides. We’re expecting the Viper to arrive with a fairly menacing countenance, particularly if huge intakes or cutouts appear next to the grille, as seem to be implied under the roadster’s disguise.

Under the hood, the Viper will undoubtedly pack the brawn to back up its looks. There are a few potential powerplants, but the most likely candidate is a revised version of the last car’s 8.4-liter V-10, producing upwards of 700 hp and perhaps equipped with Fiat’s MultiAir valve-lift system. Additionally, rumor has it that Dodge could even offer an entry-level Viper with the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 from its SRT8 offerings. The new car might also pack an adaptive sport suspension, and we expect a six-speed manual to again serve as the transmission.

Dodge has confirmed that the next-generation Viper will debut in late 2012. That’s a long time to hold us in suspense, but rest assured we’ll have our camera lenses and eyes peeled for more details in the meantime.

2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Coupe - Short Take Road Test

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:14:10 PDT

What Is It?

Porsche called the GTS “new” when it was introduced earlier this year, but that description has been applied to many members of the current—and soon to be superannuated—997 generation of the 911. Indeed, the engineering and marketing departments have conspired to produce nearly 30 variants of the current car, embodying distinctions that range from readily tangible to all but subliminal. With the next generation—the 991—on the near horizon (the official debut will be at September’s Frankfurt auto show), this permutation of the 997, the GTS, is among the last.

What the GTS is, specifically, is a rear-drive 911 Carrera S with the wider rear track and muscular haunches of the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4; center-lock RS Spyder wheels; a GT3-style interior treatment with Alcantara upholstery; specific fascia treatments; and an extra helping of horsepower. (A GTS cabrio joins the coupe—read our test here—and there also are all-wheel-drive versions of both.)

How Does It Drive?

As a percentage of increase, the extra output of the GTS version of the naturally aspirated 3.8-liter flat-six propelling the Carrera S isn’t vast: 408 horsepower, versus 385, plus a 200-rpm drop in peak torque availability, imparting a slightly more agreeable curve to the torque band.

But allied with Porsche’s optional Doppelkupplung ($4320, bitte) automatic transaxle—better known as PDK—and amplified by the launch control baked into the Sport Chrono package (add another $1480), the flat-six squashes the driver into the Alcantara upholstery in a very gratifying manner, stretching the corners of his mouth upward as the GTS rips to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, and through the quarter-mile in 12.8 at 110 mph.

That’s nibbling at the edge of supercar territory, and the car’s dynamics are commensurate with its propensity for haste, with surgically precise steering, vivid transient response, serious grip (0.96 g), and a little less propensity for lift-throttle oversteer, a 911 handling trait further helped here by Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), a standard feature. The brakes, always a Porsche strong suit, are excellent and fade-free, turning in a 158-foot stop from 70 mph.

Our test car’s sinews were enhanced by an optional sports suspension package ($950), and it’s hard to imagine anyone being disappointed with this Porsche’s eager behavior at an autocross or track-day exercise.

What could be disappointing, though, is the comfort penalty for this level of athleticism. Adjust the PASM settings as you will, from most aggressive to least, and ride quality is still classifiable as overly firm in everyday driving, a classification that quickly escalates to flinty when any pavement inequalities—expansion joints, asphalt patches, invisible ripples—enter the equation. Just as the steering conveys precise information about inputs, the suspension makes occupants aware of every pavement nuance and imperfection, an info stream that quickly becomes tedious on public roads.

How Does It Stack Up?

There are other tempting entries in this general price/performance category—the Jaguar XKR-S, the Maserati GranTurismo, even the omigawd Chevy Corvette ZR1—but for Porsche purists there is only the 911, and the GTS is yet another expression of the car’s purity.

Measured against other members of the current family, it slots in just below the GT3, a car that many regard as the ultimate representative of the 997 series. The GTS isn’t quite as potent, but it’s not quite as extreme, either, nor is it as expensive.

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Buyers Get Racetrack Perk

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:59:52 PDT

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Buyers Get Racetrack Perk

Buyers of the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 are getting a new freebie from Ford — a "track attack" program that teaches them how to harness those 444 horses.

"This is the first program of its kind from Ford," said Mickey Matus, Ford Racing marketing manager, in a statement.

While high-end manufacturers often provide owners with such a perk, it is fairly unusual to see it bundled with a relatively affordable vehicle. The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 starts at $41,105, including a $795 shipping charge. The Boss 302 is equipped with a 444-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission.

Ford said Mustang Boss 302 owners would learn about the car in a "controlled environment." The one-day sessions will take place at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, and include training on cornering, braking and vehicle dynamic techniques.

Ford will provide a fleet of track-ready Boss 302s, so owners can leave their vehicles at home. The event includes a private reception and dinner at the Larry H. Miller Total Performance Museum, along with a private tour of Miller's personal collection of high-performance Ford and Shelby vehicles. Travel and accommodations are not included. Helmets will be provided.

An upgrade to a second day of training costs extra. If you opt for the second day in a Ford Racing Mustang GT, expect to pay $995. To get a seat behind the wheel of a Ford Racing Mustang FR500S on the second day of training costs $1,395. You must be at least 16 to take advantage of the free program.

As you might expect, there's even a graduation ceremony following the training session.

Ford said that 15 sessions are available between now and the end of 2011. Complete information about the program is available online.

2013 Mazda 6 Hybrid

noreply@blogger.com (Online Cars) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:08:38 PDT

2013 Mazda 6 Hybrid

You’re looking at a prime example of the pressure on automakers to increase the fuel economy of their lineups. Mazda, which has built its modern reputation on the “Zoom Zoom” slogan, is working on another hybrid. And what’s more, the test mule you see here borrows technology from Toyota, thanks to a licensing agreement announced last year.

The gear lever in this 6 is on loan from the Prius, but Mazda has previously asserted that only the hybrid tech will be Toyota-sourced, not its tuning, or the vehicle’s internal-combustion engine, steering, or other chassis elements; we’ll find out how much zoominess the car retains when it launches in late 2012 or 2013. In addition to the funny shifter, there’s also an EV button, telling us that this vehicle will at least offer some electric-only operation. (In the current Toyota Highlander hybrid, for example, the EV mode provides only a token amount of silent cruising.)

We expect that Mazda will hybridize one of its current vehicles—like, oh, the 6—and not develop a unique-looking model, since doing so would add hundreds of millions of dollars in costs. Even so, it will be more Mazda throughout than the late Tribute hybrid, which was a rebadge of the Ford Escape hybrid. Expect Mazda’s next hybrid to pack more punch than a Prius (which has a combined system output of 134 hp), and use the company’s efficient Skyactiv gasoline four-cylinder as the ICE part of the powertrain. That engine is set to deliver 163 hp and up to 40 mpg highway all by its lonesome in the 2012 Mazda 3. (The four-cylinder Skyactiv diesel is a possibility for hybridization, but would introduce even more cost.)

Mazda’s decision to get more involved in the hybrid market is hardly shocking, and licensing proven tech from Toyota is the fiscally responsible way for a small company to do it. But we can’t say we’re jubilant about the news, as hybrids are rarely exciting to drive. It also leaves the future of Mazda’s diesel powertrains in the U.S. a bit uncertain; the company says it will still deliver at least one model with a four-cylinder diesel in the States in 2012, but we hope hybridization won’t curtail an expanded diesel rollout.