Would you like your Ferrari 458 Italia in brown? What about purple?

Continue reading Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful

Jul

Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful

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Filed under: Convertible, Japan, Mazda

20th Anniversary Mazda Miata — Click above for high-res image

Japan gets to celebrate the 20th birthday of the Mazda MX-5/Miata with a special edition for JDM buyers only. The Crystal White Pearl Mica roadster comes in two varieties: an RS soft-top with a 6-speed manual, and a VS hardtop with a 6-speed automatic. Both cars get red-and-black heated Recaros, extra cabin padding, clear front fog lights, a strut tower brace, and (of course) the requisite splash of 20th anniversary badging. You can read about it in the press release after the jump, and check out a high-res photo by clicking the image above.

[Source: Mazda]

Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jul

REPORT: Penske talking to Renault to supply vehicles to Saturn

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Filed under: Saturn, Renault

Remember the rumor that Roger Penske is looking to bring Renault back to America via his recently-procured network of Saturn dealerships? Consider it a rumor no more, as the deed has been confirmed by none other than Renault’s chief operating officer Patrick Pelata, who said in a recent interview:

“He is looking for cars to sell. He has looked at all car makers, and he has seen that Renault has a nice line-up, sharing power trains with Nissan that are obviously adapted to the U.S. market… He’s asking us: ‘Do you want to sell us cars?’ and we are discussing about how to sell him cars.”

Considering that Nissan and Renault have plans to share virtually all new engines and Nissan is already well established in the U.S. market, it may make sense for the French automaker to supply Saturn-badged vehicles to Penske once GM stops producing the current Aura, Outlook and Vue models, which could be as early as 2011.

Previous reports indicated the vehicles in question may actually be sourced from Samsung, Renault’s Korean subsidiary. According to Pelata, though, “It’s an ongoing discussion,” and no deals have yet been finalized.

[Source: Wall Street Journal - Sub. Req.]

REPORT: Penske talking to Renault to supply vehicles to Saturn originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jul

Corvette Racing GT2 car to be unveiled on Tuesday

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Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

Corvette Racing GT1 mega-gallery — Click above to enter

While the 24 Hours of Le Mans was the swan song for the GT1-class Corvette C6.R, the fellas at Corvette Racing will unveil the next chapter of the story this coming Tuesday, August 4th. According to the crew at BadBoyVettes.com, that’s the day we’ll see the new GT2-class Chevy Corvette racer, which will allegedly wear “ZR1-influenced” styling. Beyond that, well, we’re waiting along with the rest of you. We can’t imagine Corvette Racing would abandon the Jake-emblazoned Velocity Yellow-and-Black livery that has become synonymous with success over the years. They’ll need all that mojo and then some in GT2, where the competition is fierce and Ferrari presently rules the roost. And that’s fine. Consistent, healthy competition has been sorely lacking for the Vettes, which have essentially just raced each other recent years, so this ought to be fun. The GT2 Vettes spring into real action on August 8, when ALMS visits Mid-Ohio. To Ferrari: Check your mirrors. They’re coming. To the rest of you in readerland: Check your local listings and set those DVRs.

Gallery: Corvette Racing GT1 Mega Gallery

[Source: BadBoyVettes.com]

Corvette Racing GT2 car to be unveiled on Tuesday originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Toyota announces pricing for 2010 models, upgraded engine for FJ Cruiser

Jul

Toyota announces pricing for 2010 models, upgraded engine for FJ Cruiser

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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, SUV, Truck, Hatchback, Toyota, Off-Road

Toyota’s 2010 lineup will receive a suite of aesthetic, performance, and safety changes and minor price bumps, beginning with the FJ Cruiser. ToMoCo’s chunky ‘ute gets engine mods that include dual VVT-i and roller rocker arms, returning 19 more horsepower and one additional mile per gallon, with a price increase of just $360. At the other end, the 2010 Yaris will count things like Vehicle Stability Control and traction control as standard on the whole range, and the MSRP gets nudged up by $150.

The RAV4 Limited gets a little more chrome inside, and the price doesn’t change. Nor does the price change on the Highlander, unless you want the stainless steel exhaust tip that will run you $50. But the SUV does offer more amenities on the base model, including a backup camera and moonroof.

The Avalon’s price goes up by $100. For that you get auto up/down windows in the rear. The Tacoma gets “an enhancement to the front cup-holder functionality,” but no price change. The vehicles will start arriving on dealer lots in August and September, and you can read up on all these changes and more in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Toyota]

Toyota announces pricing for 2010 models, upgraded engine for FJ Cruiser originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jul

This week in brief

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Posted on 07.31.2009 22:58
by
Simona Alina
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Jul

REPORT: Massa to check out of hospital on Monday

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Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari

More good news on the Felipe Massa front today as reports from AEK military hospital in Budapest indicate that the Brazilian driver will be flown back to his home country via private jet on Monday. Previously, it was expected that the Ferrari pilot, who suffered a fractured skull after a loose spring impacted his helmet in qualifying at the Hungarian GP, would be taken to Pitié Salpêtrière hospital in Paris for further treatment.

Massa’s physician Dino Altmann, seen above answering questions from reporters, had positive things to say regarding the 28-year-old’s recovery, denying that there was any damage to Massa’s left eye. “In Brazil, he will continue his recovery and will go back into racing as soon as possible. I think this decision says all you need to know [about his condition],” he said. When told that Michael Schumacher was to take over his duties for the remainder of the 2009 F1 season, Massa quipped, “We’ll see if I let him drive my car!”

Schumacher has just recently stepped back into a F1 car for testing, albeit one from the 2007 season. Current F1 rules preclude Schumacher from getting any seat time in the current F60 racer until the first official practice session for the European Grand Prix, slated to run the third week in August in Valencia, Spain. Schumacher has won this particular race a total of six times, most recently in 2006.

[Source: ITV | Photo by ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty]

REPORT: Massa to check out of hospital on Monday originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jul

REPORT: 2010 Chevy Silverado XFE updated to achieve best-in-class 22 mpg highway

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Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

A couple of years ago, pickup truck comparisons were all about power and towing capacity. Today, fuel efficiency is the new battleground. For the 2009 model year, the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado XFE took their fuel economy figures up a notch by hitting 21 mpg on the highway and 15 in the city. Then Ford unveiled the F-150 SFE that matched those numbers, though without requiring the use of a tonneau cover. The Blue Oval dropped the SFE badge for 2010, but kept the improved fuel economy.

General Motors, however, is not content with a tie, and is upping the EPA numbers for its 2010 XFE Silverado and Sierra to 22 mpg on the highway, which just so happens to match the highway figure for the Sierra Hybrid. The combined fuel economy of both GMT900 trucks has also increased from 17 to 18 mpg.

Chevrolet spokesperson Brian Goebel told Pickuptrucks.com that the increased fuel economy is due to several engineering improvements. The XFE model’s 5.3-liter V8 now has variable valve timing, optimized shift pattens in its six-speed transmission, and new tweaks for its Active Fuel Management system that enables the truck to run on four cylinders at cruising speeds for longer.

[Source: Pickuptrucks .com]

REPORT: 2010 Chevy Silverado XFE updated to achieve best-in-class 22 mpg highway originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading VIDEO: Cash for Clunkers engine being killed

Jul

VIDEO: Cash for Clunkers engine being killed

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Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal

Click above to watch video after the jump

The government has set forth clear rules governing what happens to a vehicle that’s been traded in under the Cash for Clunkers program. Before being shipped to a processor and shredded into metallic lettuce, the dealer that accepts the trade-in must permanently disable the engine… kill it… dead. We’ve already described for you what the process entails: Draining the vehicle’s oil and replacing it with sodium silicate solution, turning the car on and revving it at 2,000 rpm until the engine seizes. It sounds as efficient as an executioner’s blade, but as this video after the jump of the process being implemented shows, the reality is anything but.

Have you ever watched a car in its final death throes? Be prepared, have a hanky handy. We won’t think less of you if tears are shed, even if it is for a 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora with 240,000 miles. Thanks to Wayzata Nissan, you’ll see exactly what’s required for every single Cash for Clunkers trade-in after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

VIDEO: Cash for Clunkers engine being killed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jul

REPORT: Next-generation Audi A8 to get handwriting recognition?

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Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show, Technology, Audi

As automakers continue to pile on the features to their high-end offerings, the connection between human and machine gets increasingly complicated. BMW was one of the first automakers to tackle the issue of button/switch overload with iDrive, only to enrage and alienate reviewers and owners alike. Despite the difficulties with using a control knob, Audi, Mercedes, Infiniti, Honda and others have adopted the interface with varying degrees of success.

Now Audi is reportedly trying a different approach for the next generation A8 which may or may not debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. AutoBild reports that the A8 may add a touchpad to the mix with handwriting recognition. Presumably drivers will be able to write out the letters for an address on the touch pad rather than using a rotary dial to pick them out. While using the dial can be a clunky process, handwriting recognition could increase driver distraction even more than wart-manipulation.

[Source: Autobild]

REPORT: Next-generation Audi A8 to get handwriting recognition? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.