Archive for October, 2008:
Mazdaspeed3 spy shot
After announcing that the Mazda3 sedan will be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, here is a new spy shot of the Mazdaspeed3 testing at the Nurburgring. World debut for this special edition will be made in January at the Detroit Auto Show.
The modifications over the normal Mazda3 include, a massive hood scoop, larger alloy wheels, side skirts, dual exhaust and rear roof spoiler. Like the previous generation Mazdaspeed3, it will likely be available as a five-door only. Powering the car will possibly be the 300hp 2.5-liter 5-cylinder turbo from the European Ford Focus RS.
Tags: Mazdaspeed3 spy shot
Nissan gives a 20% buy-in proposal for Chrysler
As reported last week, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is not out of the running for buying Chrysler. The Detroit News is reporting that Nissan has given Chrysler’s parent Cerberus Capital Management a proposal to buy twenty percent of Chrysler. The fundamental differences between General Motors and Renault-Nissan deals are in the buyout and the execution.
If General Motors were to get Chrysler, it would likely obtain the whole company and absorb Chrysler’s operations. GM’s largest gain would be to take advantage of Chrysler’s estimated $11 billion in cash reserves.
2009 Toyota Corolla Review
Chances are, you know someone who owns or has owned a Toyota Corolla, or own one yourself. Think about it. This is because right now, a Corolla is sold about every 23 seconds. Since 1966, Toyota has sold around 30 million Corollas. Being the best selling car in the world, the Corolla has always provided its buyer with unmatched reliability, safety, and fuel economy.
Tags: 2009 Toyota Corolla
Next Volvo V70 renderings
Volvo is preparing the next generation V70 and V50, and according to AutoCar, they could be the first in a new generation of wagons to scrap the conventional long roof and low driving position for a more SUV-like higher roofline and driving position.
“Within Volvo we are re-examining the estate (wagon) car and many people are currently scratching their heads,” a senior Volvo manager told Autocar at the recent unveiling of the XC60. “We’d be interested in your opinions.”
Tags: Volvo V70 renderings
Chrysler will drop AWD on Some ’09 Models
Chrysler will be dropping all-wheel drive options on the Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger and Dodge Caliber for 2009. This in not surprising because take rates (those who looked and the cars and then purchased them) for the cars were 1.5, 0.7 and 4.4 percent respectively. “The bottom line is people want fuel economy, and the AWD modules are not profitable for us,” said Chrysler spokesman Jiyan Cadiz. “That’s something we can get rid of as we’re consolidating products and finding what’s profitable.”
Part of the problem is that AWD systems add cost and weight to a car while reducing fuel economy by two to ten percent. But this also doesn’t mean AWD technology is likely to disappear completely anytime soon. Although Chrysler buyers haven’t seemed to fully embrace the technology, it is a popular option in the in other U.S. brands (Subaru only makes AWD cars) as well as other parts of the world.
No diesel RS in Audi’s future
In an interview with MotorTrend, Wolfgang Hatz, head of powertrain development at Audi and Stephan Reil, quattro Gmbh’s technology development boss revealed that the S4 will be redesigned in 2010 and that there will be no RS in US line-up in 2009. And if you expected a diesel engine in the RS models you wore wrong, there will not be one.
Mr. Hatz reiterated that transmission and packaging problems ultimately killed the idea of an RS8 TDI variant, but pointed out that putting that engine in the (European) Q7 makes that a Q7 RS in everything but name. It is a quattro Gmbh product, but the company is loathe to apply the RS designation to any tall, heavy SUV
AMG preparing greener cars
Fuel economy is a big problem for the future. And even performance cars needs to do something about it. This is one of the reason why AMG announced that by the end of the decade AMG will unveil a mild-hybrid petrol-electric model with start-stop technology, energy recuperation and on-demand functionality that will best the current 6.2-litre V8’s economy and emission figures by around 30%.
Future AMG model are expected to borrow heavily from the recently launched S400 BlueHybrid model: “Although hybrids normally mean more weight, we’ll use our knowledge of lightweight material to offset this increase. And don’t forget, AMG is all about torque, and electric engines develop their torque at standstill.”
Alt-Fuel race is a dash of crazy with a whole bunch of genius…
Or maybe the race is a dash of genius mixed with a whole bunch of crazy. Escape from Berkeley is a madcap alternative fuel race from Berkeley, Ca to Las Vegas. The rules are simple, no petroleum allowed, and fuel must be scavenged along the way. So while the rules are simple the task is anything but. “The basic premise is build a vehicle out of junk, we’ll give you the equivalent of one gallon of gas and you have to drive 600 miles to Las Vegas. Oh, and you can’t buy any fuel along the way,” says Jim Mason, the artist and inventor behind the race. “That’s a pretty heavy stone to carry.”
The old Dodge pickup, pictured above, was made by Wayne Keith and runs on wood. He gets about 1.6 mpp (miles per pound) so he needs about 1,000 pounds to get there. He’s carrying a chainsaw and a list of lumberyards (He has a whole new way of dealing with fallen trees blocking a road). There are ten teams total running everything from a veggie-oil Lotus 7 to a steam-powered three-wheeler that looks like it rolled right out of the 19th century. While many aren’t terribly practical, including the the solar trike and fully faired tandem bicycle with an ethanol motor, they do prove that the alternatives are there.
Tags: Alt-Fuel race
“We will never do a four-door”
I know, this is a bit of old news, but it’s well worth mentioning.
At the Paris auto show last week, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, had this to say about the possibility of Ferrari building a four door sedan:
“We will never do a four-door. If I am chairman for 20 more years and I hope I will be, we will never.”
Audi to everyone else: ’You’re freaks’
Audi has been getting a little aggressive with its advertising for the new A4. First it went directly for Mercedes in a national advertising campaign, and now it continues while it takes aim at BMW and Lexus as well in a new “Meet the Beckers” web series.
Tags: Audi to everyone else