Archive for June, 2009

Alonso join Ferrari in 2010?

alonso_ferrari_des

With the FIA-FOTA war over, it’s now time for another round of rumors to make the headlines of major sports publications Europe wide. And Fernando Alonso’s moving to Ferrari from as early as 2010, we believe, seems like the most newsworthy suggestion that surfaced to the media in recent days.

It was, as most of you might have already guessed, a Spanish newspaper revealing that Alonso will be officially confirmed as a Ferrari driver during the 2009 Italian Grand Prix, at Monza. According to Diario AS, the Spaniard will be announced as race driver of the Scuderia on September 11 - great date selection, by the way - with a deal suggested to last for the upcoming 5 years. Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , ,

No Comments

2010 Subaru Legacy improves commercial appeal, retains character [VIDEO Inside]

2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT – Click above for high-res image gallery

For one reason or another, we’ve always thought that if you delved deep enough into the history of Subaru, you’d discover the Japanese automaker is, in fact, Swedish. One can imagine rifling through the company’s dusty archives, only to discover that at some point in time, through some quirk of fate (or perhaps a common love of fish), Subaru was born in Scandinavia, yet it ended up turning Japanese (I really think so). Just look at the evidence: Quirky styling? Check. Steadfast adherence to left-field drivetrains? Check. Time-honored emphasis on honest utility? Check. Willfully different clientele base? Check. Good in winter? Uh-huh. Sound like any Swedish automakers we know? Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No Comments

The Superest of Supercar Shootouts: Bugatti Veyron vs. McLaren F1 on Top Gear

bugvsf1_opt

Episode 2 of Top Gear’s 13th season aired last night in the UK, and the main event was a one-mile drag race between the McLaren F1 and the Bugatti Veyron. Notice that we didn’t say a McLaren F1 and a Bugatti Veyron. These two supercars are so super (and rare) that any single example tends to represent the whole run of each, and since your chances of encountering two of either kind in the same place are practically nill, they might as well be the only ones in existence.

The Top Gear crew chose Abu Dhabi as the location for its supercar shootout. With an arid climate that sees practically no rain or freezing-and-thawing cycles, the roads in Abu Dhabi are long, straight and, most importantly, free of pot holes. Richard Hammond chooses to pilot the Bug and The Stig takes the centrally located wheel of the F1. We won’t spoil the results except to say that this is the most real and nail-biting competition that we’ve seen on Top Gear in a long time.

Follow the jump to watch yesteryear’s supercar, the McLaren F1, go head-to-head with today’s top dog, the Bugatti Veyron.

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No Comments

Lotus Evora makes SoCal stop at Cars and Coffee [VIDEO Inside]

2010lotusevoras-00

While lucky Brits are already capable of walking into a Lotus dealership and driving off with a new midsize Evora of their very own, Americans still have to wait a bit longer. We’ve already shown you the 2010 Lotus Evora that was at the L.A Auto Show, and we’ve given you info on the specs and options. We’ve even confirmed U.S. details for the most important numbers.

Although an official release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, we have heard that the magic moment will arrive early next year. Whether the Evora gets labeled as a 2010 or 2011 model remains up in the air, but we do know a lot of other info about this all-new model crafted by the magicians in Hethel. What we haven’t had until now are some real-world photos. That all changed over the weekend when a couple of test engineers stopped by for a spell at our favorite weekly Southern California car meet, Cars and Coffee. Read the rest of our first impression after the jump, and don’t forget to check out the gallery as well.

Two 2010 Lotus Evora evaluators that were in the area for some last-minute testing were parked amidst the hundreds of other sports cars, muscle cars, race cars and hot rods in Irvine this Saturday morning. Parked next to an original Lotus Elan, the cars looked big, but if you glanced up at the Noble and Rossion parked butt-to-butt with them in the next row, you saw near mirror images. The Evora looks a lot bigger than an Elise or Exige – because it is. Some may complain that Lotus has gone soft because of how large and relatively heavy these cars are, but that impression melts away when you see them in person. They aren’t large cars by any means, they appear to be about the size of a Porsche Cayman.

The Evora cuts a very provocative shape that had left bystanders oohing and ahhing. While the red hue made the most of the car’s creases and curves, the black example could have been mistaken for a Ferrari F430, though more than one person mentioned Acura’s NSX while we were admiring the cars. Apparently, one reviewer has already pointed out that this Lotus doesn’t have any clear advantage over the decades old super-Honda. Similar weight (3,000 pounds), horsepower (276), and proportions make the comparison a fair one, but know that this car will likely retail for around $75,000, much less than the dearly-departed NSX. And here’s the clincher: the Lotus has a backseat.

That might not seem like a big deal, but it does make a difference for insurance rates and for people who need a little extra room from time to time. We can confirm that the interior is fully capable of swallowing two real adult males, and the backseat is about as abysmal as you’d imagine, but motivated people can fit back there. Really. The one interior shot of the instrument cluster was taken from that very backseat. We’ll keep you posted as we get more info about this new offering from Lotus, but for now, check out our high-res gallery.

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

No Comments

KLD Electric Scooter

scooter_green

The high-frequency, low RPM, transmissionless neueTM system enables scooters to perform at a level superior to gas-powered vehicles. Finally, there is a scooter that will easily accelerate, climb hills and maintain top-speeds - all while using less energy and creating zero emissions. The scooter design is patent pending.

The scooters feature motors with something KLD Technologies calls nano-crystaline technology to improve efficiency over traditional iron-core motors. The company’s Neue drive eliminates the need for a transmission and will propel the scooters when they arrive in the U.S. next year. Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , ,

No Comments

BMW X1 Small SUV Teaser Photos

bmw-x1-14

This is probably a question that many of you have asked before and one that we tried to answer when we had the opportunity or the knowledge. With just four days before the official press release, we came across some new information.

As many of you might remember, the BMW X1 will be offered both as an all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel drive vehicle. Of course, both diesel and gasoline engines are part of the X1 family, but with more focus on the more efficient diesel powerplants. Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , , ,

No Comments

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 photo leaked

lp550-01-00

Lamborghini is said to be undertaking a rear-wheel-drive project by the name of Gallardo LP550-2. If these leaked pictures show that car then fans of the bull are in for a real treat. The LP550-2 as the designation suggests, is built on a RWD system instead of Lambo’s usual AWD layout.

Power comes from the 5.2-litre normally aspirated V10 engine but has been detuned to make 550hp (405kW) and not 560hp (412kW) like the LP560-4. A 6-speed manual gearbox comes standard. Don’t let that minor power cut dissuade you from forming high opinions of the car though; it has shed 30kg (66 lbs) and dispatches the 0 - 100km/h sprint in 3.9 seconds. (more pictures after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , ,

No Comments

Klaus Hammerschmidt bought his 135th BMW [VIDEO inside]

klaus-hammerschmidt

Klaus Hammerschmidt, entrepreneur (retired), 73 years old, picks up his 135th car at the BMW Welt: the brand new BMW M6 Competition Package. His first BMW was a 1800ti from 1963. Altogether he had 26 cars from BMW M, 29 BMW Alpina and 80 other BMWs.

So if you do the math the 73-year-old started buying his first car in 1963, and purchased his 135th in 2009. That gives us 46 years, which means an average of almost 3 BMWs per year. Quite impressive, if you ask us.

Turning attention toward his latest choice, the car is presenting a quite impressive on-road performance sheet. It allegedly tops around 205 mph (although electronically limited to 155 mph) and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

Video

Source: BMWwebTV

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

No Comments

Kia Sportage ranks tops in AutoPacific’s 2009 Ideal Vehicle Awards in the US [VIDEO inside]

kia-sportage

Seoul (Korea Newswire) June 29, 2009 04:56 PM — Kia Motors America, Inc. (KMA) announced the 2009 Kia Sportage compact SUV topped the compact crossover SUV category in AutoPacific, Inc.’s 2009 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA) in the US, closely following the AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award received earlier this year.  The AutoPacific IVA awards are a quantitative measurement of how closely a vehicle matches an owner’s expectations.

“We take great pride in knowing our owners are satisfied with their vehicles and Sportage’s recognition as an ideal vehicle is a tremendous compliment,” said Michael Sprague, Vice President of Marketing, KMA.  “This second AutoPacific award directly reflects the satisfaction of smart, discerning Sportage owners, and this type of consumer feedback validates Kia’s commitment to providing high levels of quality, style, safety and practicality in all of our vehicles.” (Video after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , ,

No Comments

Volkswagen named Cannes Lions Advertiser of the Year [VIDEO inside]

2009-cannes-logo

At the 56th International Advertising Festival ‘Cannes Lions 2009′, Europe’s largest automaker was presented with its first Lion in the ‘Advertiser of the year’ discipline - thus receiving the highest accolade in the advertising industry. Volkswagen has been presented with around 150 ‘advertising Oscars’ in Cannes since 1961.

“By honoring Volkswagen today we are honoring a company that has been a symbol of creative and innovative marketing in the automobile industry for decades,” Terry Savage, Festival Chairman, said during the award ceremony. Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , ,

No Comments