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American Le Mans Series 2010 season preview Filed under: Motorsports 
2009 ALMS Monterey Sports Car Championships - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Spring is nearly upon us, and that means it's time for the races. Here in North America, the top rung of the sports car ladder is the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), which, as always, kicks off its season with the 12-hour enduro at Sebring. For 2010, however, ALMS organizers have made some changes to the class structure with the old LMP1 and GT1 classes falling by the wayside.
A few weeks ago we had the chance to sit down with ALMS CEO Scott Atherton and get the state of the series. Everything you need to know about ALMS and the changes for 2010 is compiled after the jump.
Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading American Le Mans Series 2010 season preview American Le Mans Series 2010 season preview originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
All-electric Atomik 500 sends us to the moon 
Atomik 500 - Click above for high-res image gallery
While there's still no word on whether Fiat/Chrysler will bring an electric version of the retro-metro 500 to market, it appears that someone else will. Atomik Cars has taken the 500 Abarth and made it meaner and cleaner. The new company's aim is to deliver a zero-emission vehicle that blends supercar performance with city car packaging. Atomik's motto is "Anticipating the future." It may well have succeeded.
With output from its AC brushless synchronous motors reportedly equivalent to that of a 300 horsepower engine, the Atomik 500 slingshots to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. It has lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries in unknown quantity, a ceramic heating system to warm its passengers and a "Peltier A/C module w/o gas" to cool them. More details will forthcoming as its April debut at Top Marques Monaco draws near, but we can tell you that its rarity is all but guaranteed: only around 50 copies will be available for purchase. Check out the gallery below for more images of Atomik's far-out performer.
[Source: Atomik Cars]All-electric Atomik 500 sends us to the moon originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rumormill: Ducati/Piaggio merger in the works? Filed under: Europe, Motorcycle, Rumormill 
Could it be true? The rumormill is running overtime with reports of a potential merger between a pair of our favorite two-wheeled giants: Ducati and Piaggio.
Piaggio has no comment on the matter, refusing to either confirm or deny the supposed Ducati deal. Still, we can't help but run through the what-ifs, assuming there's a shred of truth to this. Perhaps we'll finally see some stability in the U.S. surrounding the many great brands under Piaggio's roof.
Could Piaggio's broad scope of product (currently offered throughout the Vespa, Moto Guzzi and Aprilia lines), coupled with the stable dealer network Ducati has built, be the recipe for a successful challenge to rivals from Japan and beyond? Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.
[Source: Motoblog.it via Two Wheels Blog]Rumormill: Ducati/Piaggio merger in the works? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Officially Official: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring [w/Video] Filed under: Wagon, Europe, Videos, BMW, Luxury 
BMW 5 Series Touring - Click above for high-res image gallery
Just as the new sixth-generation BMW 5 Series sedan goes on sale in Europe, a new station wagon variant has been unveiled. Like past editions of the 5 Series Touring, this one is essentially the same as the sedan, only with the roof extending straight back to enclose a substantially larger cargo area.
All of the fancy new technology that we've already seen in the 5 Series Gran Turismo and sedan is carried over into the Touring. That includes the driver assistance systems like the surround-view cameras and parking assist. Underhood, BMW's twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 won't be available at launch, but a selection of gas and diesel four- and six cylinder engines will be offered. The range-topping 535i is powered by the new 300-horsepower 3.0-liter N55 twin-scroll turbo direct-injected inline-six.
Single-turbo versions of the 2.0-liter inline-four and 3.0-liter inline-six diesels are also available with 184 hp and 245 hp respectively. The four-cylinder 520d Touring gets an EU combined fuel economy rating of 45.2 miles per gallon (U.S.) with the 530d also scoring an impressive 36.8 mpg.
Unfortunately, it seems extremely unlikely that we will ever get to see any of these handsome new wagons given Americans' ongoing aversion to this body style. We'll just be forced to make do with the homelier-looking 5 Series Gran Turismo. Click past the jump to check out new video footage of the 5 series Touring.
[Source: BMW]Continue reading Officially Official: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring [w/Video] Officially Official: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring [w/Video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Pics Aplenty: TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster hits the road 
TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery
Following the unveiling of the TAG Heuer Roadster Sport at the Geneva Motor Show last week, Tesla has released a large batch of new photos of the one-off electric sports car. The new shots show the car, which was prepared to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Swiss watchmaker, out on the road.
Following the close of the Geneva Motor Show this weekend, the Roadster will be driven the 155 miles to Basel for the big watch show that starts there next week. (At Baselworld, TAG Heuer will unveil a new concept timepiece.) Mechanically, there's nothing really new about the Roadster Sport, but for those of you that can't get enough images of the two-tone Roadster, check out our newly-expanded high-res gallery.
[Source: Tesla]Pics Aplenty: TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster hits the road originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Officially Official: Lotus, Cosworth back in the IndyCar series Filed under: Motorsports, Chevrolet, Honda, Lotus 
Lotus Cosworth KV Racing IndyCar rendering - Click above for high-res image gallery
Lotus is officially returning to the IndyCar series in 2010 in partnership with engine builder Cosworth and KV Racing. Lotus, as you well know, has a long history with Indy-style open-wheel racing, dating back to the early 1960s. Its exploits include a victory by Jim Clark in 1965 and the all-wheel-drive, turbine-powered cars that arrived a few years later.
A few weeks ago, Lotus announced a revival of its cooperation with Cosworth for both road and race cars. The new collaboration with KV is described as being both technical and commercial. It's not clear at this point what Cosworth will contribute from a technical perspective, since all the current IndyCars run Honda V8s. Perhaps KV will provide a platform upon which Cosworth can test and develop a new engine for the next-generation IndyCar regulations that are in the works.
The green and yellow Lotus/Cosworth-badged car will debut in two weeks at the St. Petersburg, Florida race with ex-Honda F1 pilot Takuma Sato at the controls.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Officially Official: Lotus, Cosworth back in the IndyCar series Officially Official: Lotus, Cosworth back in the IndyCar series originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
New York 2010 Preview: All-new 2011 Kia Optima Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Kia 
2011 Kia Optima - Click above for high-res image gallery
The next stage of Kia's transformation from design also-ran to serious contender will kick off at the New York Auto Show in few weeks. After launching the Forte sedan and Koup, the new Sorento and, most recently, the Sportage, Kia's new design language is being applied to the Optima. The all-new 2011 Kia Optima is longer, wider and lower than the car it replaces although we don't know by how much. While it's not as aggressive as the sketches released a few weeks ago, this Optima is certainly a huge step forward.
We don't have any mechanical details yet, but we'd guess that the Optima shares a lot under the skin with the new Hyundai Sonata. Nor would we be at all surprised to learn that the Optima won't have a V6 engine option this time around. Instead, it'll probably use the same direct-injected 2.4-liter inline-four found in the Sonata. The turbocharged and hybrid variants may follow as well.
[Source: Kia]Continue reading New York 2010 Preview: All-new 2011 Kia Optima New York 2010 Preview: All-new 2011 Kia Optima originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Chevy Camaro Convertible spotted top-down Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Chevrolet, GM 
GM's obviously thrilled with the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro's success, as it's pretty much owned the Ford Mustang on the sales charts to this point. Now, the retooled Mustang hopes to bounce back with new powertrains aimed at erasing any performance advantage the Camaro model has. File that battle under "To Be Continued." The other thing the Mustang has going for it, however, is that sunseekers can opt for a ragtop variant. As in, today. Chevy fans? Not so much.
The waiting game continues apace, however, as the Camaro Convertible inches closer to showrooms. The latest good news comes from Camaro5.com, where a contributor nabbed the droptop Camaro out testing with its roof down - the first such sighting. We think it's a looker, just like its fixed-roof sibling, and better still, with the top stowed, all the visibility compromises the coupe has to make in the name of its wicked curb appeal are summarily erased. This is one ride we're definitely looking forward to. For additional photos, make tracks over to Camaro5.com.
[Source: Camaro5.com]Spy Shots: Chevy Camaro Convertible spotted top-down originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Chrysler's upcoming 6.4L V8 only for SRT, not for Ram? Filed under: Truck, Etc., Technology, Chrysler, Dodge 
Back in November, during Chrysler's seemingly endless business plan presentation, Ram trucks chief Fred Diaz told the captive media audience that the new 6.4-liter Hemi gasoline V8 would likely appear in Ram's heavy duty trucks. Fast forward to today, however, and it would appear that the big Hemi is now off the table. PickupTrucks.com reports that the 6.4 Hemi will instead be exclusive to Chrysler's potent SRT vehicles. Chrysler VP of product development, Joe Veltri, says that the 6.4 is designed for performance, not the grunt work truck buyers demand of their vehicles.
PickupTrucks.com notes also that Veltri sees a need for Ram to get gas engine that delivers more power and torque than the currently-available 5.7-liter Hemi, but that the likely course of action will involve building off that engine, rather than looking to adapt the SRT lump for truck duty. Why the drive to add more gas offerings in the diesel-dominated heavy-duty truck category? Emissions regulations, natch. Increasingly strict rules mean that diesels are becoming commensurately more costly to produce and sell, and Chrysler sees the ratio of diesel to gas engines offered becoming much closer in future years than it is today. Head over to PickupTrucks.com for the full skinny.
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]Chrysler's upcoming 6.4L V8 only for SRT, not for Ram? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Grounds for Celebration: TV scientists convert VW Scirocco to run on coffee Filed under: Europe, Technology, Volkswagen, UK  This is what we mean when we say that the future of alternative fuels isn't anywhere close to being decided. A team from the BBC program Bang Goes the Theory has rigged an older Volkswagen Scirocco to run on coffee pellets. It's a bit complex, with the coffee grounds needing to be heated to 1,292 degrees Fahrenheit, and the resulting concoction cooled, separated and filtered before it's run to the engine. Because coffee contains carbon, however, it works.
It's expensive, though. The trial run the Starbucks Scirocco will make from London to Manchester and back will cost more than 25 times what the same trip on gasoline would because the car goes just three miles on a kilo of coffee. The 209-mile trip is also take ten hours, due to the number of stops required to refill the fuel canister and regularly clean out the system.
So, on second thought, this is not what we mean when we talk about the future of alternative fuels. But it is really neat, and it's for the kids, and those sorts of things count for a lot in our book. Hat tip to Joviocoe!
[Source: The Daily Mail]Grounds for Celebration: TV scientists convert VW Scirocco to run on coffee originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: No AWD for Subaru version of FT-86 "Toyobaru" (w/poll) Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Subaru, Toyota, Rumormill 
Toyota/Subaru Coupe test mule - Click above to enlarge
Japan's Best Car (via 7Tune) apparently reports that development costs associated with Subaru's version of the Toyota FT-86 sport coupe have become so high that all-wheel drive is now being dropped from the equation. If true, this would deprive the widely-expected Scooby coupe of the feature the brand's entire marketing platform is built on, likely leaving us with a pair of clones whose only major difference will be styling. To that end, it's also reported that an effort is underway to more substantially differentiate the Subaru coupe's look from the Toyota FT-86 beyond grilles and badges.
Of course, nothing's official until these cars are formally introduced, but yanking AWD from the Subaru effectively leaves us with a Japanese version of GM's old Camaro/Firebird scenario, assuming both cars really do come to market. Frankly, it's hard to see why Subaru would even bother going with this sans all-wheel drive coupe, though the Herculean PR spin they'd have to put on it would likely be hugely entertaining ("This is what we wanted all along...").
So, let's hear what you think. Follow the jump for a poll on how a lack of AWD would impact your interest in the presumed Subaru version of the Toyota FT-86. Thanks to Johnny for the tip!
[Source: 7Tune via FT86Club.com]Continue reading Report: No AWD for Subaru version of FT-86 "Toyobaru" (w/poll) Report: No AWD for Subaru version of FT-86 "Toyobaru" (w/poll) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
All Bentley Continental models going flex-fuel in June Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Bentley, Luxury 
2010 Bentley Continental Supersports - Click above for high-res image gallery
It may not be the most interesting news you read all week, but we now have a date at which all Bentley Continentals will be able to gulp down whiskey with the best of 'em: June.( Well, not exactly whiskey, but ethanol's pretty close.) Bentley had made the announcement (sans date) at the Geneva Motor Show when it showed off the Continental Supersports Convertible.
This move as a big first step toward reaching Bentley's stated goal of offering an entirely biofuel-capable lineup by 2012. In its latest form, as seen in the Continental Supersports, Bentley's twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 offers up 621 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That's sufficient to push the Conti to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and onto to a top speed of 202 mph.
As the Continental family is easily Bentley's most popular offering, this means that over half of all cars the brand sells this year will be flex-fuel-compatible. For those keeping track, the Brooklands coupe (which will soon be discontinued), Azure convertible and the soon-to-be-released Mulsanne sedan (the replacement for the long-running Arnage) are still not yet biofuel capable. According to Automotive News, however, the Mulsanne will be E85-capable shortly after its launch later this year.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]All Bentley Continental models going flex-fuel in June originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Video: 12" diesel stacks. God Bless America Filed under: Aftermarket, Truck, Videos 
American ingenuity FTW! 12" Pypes stacks - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Really, there's not much else to say here, other than that the guys at Pypes Performance Exhaust deserve a Nobel Prize or something. These 12-inch diesel stacks may well be the most gloriously redneck innovations ever devised by mankind. Or the most awesome. Or both. Don't be a hater - you know you need a big diesel truck now. With these. For America. Click past the jump for the video demo.
[Source: YouTube via Pypes]Continue reading Video: 12" diesel stacks. God Bless America Video: 12" diesel stacks. God Bless America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Amelia Island Concours set to symbolically break Cuban embargo Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Event Alert 
Director Eduardo Mesejo Maestre leads a tour at the Deposito del Automovil in Havana
Recognizing that car guys (and gals) are car guys no matter where in the world they live, the folks running this weekend's Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance have decided to use a bit of "Car-Guy Diplomacy" to reach out to that bigger island a little south of Florida...Cuba. They have invited Ing. Eduardo Mesejo Maestre, Director of Deposito del Automovil (the Cuban Automotive Museum), to serve as a judge for the event. It's kind of like those ping pong matches between the U.S. and China back in the '70s, but, you know, with classic cars.
It's actually a first in U.S.-Cuba relations, for a Cuban national to be invited to judge a major concours in the States, believe it or not. In fact, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of Treasury had to grant permission for Ing. Mesejo to come here for the event, which runs March 12-14. For those too young to remember or too inattentive in history class, the United States has had a commercial, economic and financial embargo on Cuba, Cuban goods and Cuban people since 1960. Leave it to the car community to bridge that divide.
Cubans and Americans share a bit of a history with classic American cars, too. Since the embargo laws blocked the importation of new vehicles into Cuba, Cuban auto enthusiasts have made it a bit of an obsession to keep the best of the 1950s classics alive and running, relying on a lot of ingenuity to find or make parts when needed. Ing. Mesejo will join racing legends Denise McCluggage and Carroll Shelby in the jurying duties, Shelby stepping in for the recently injured Sir Stirling Moss. Fittingly, they will be judging the "Cars of the Cuban Races" class, an homage to a series of races held just in 1957, 1958 and 1960. You can read more about the event and Ing. Mesejo in the full press release after the jump.
[Source: Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance]Continue reading Amelia Island Concours set to symbolically break Cuban embargo Amelia Island Concours set to symbolically break Cuban embargo originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Next-generation Toyota Camry revealed in patent filings? (Updated) Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Toyota 
Toyota Camry patent filings - Click above for high-res image gallery
Toyota may be having some brand image troubles, what with all of the bad press it has been getting lately, but we mustn't forget that the Japanese automaker produces many of America's most popular cars, including the best-selling car in the U.S., the Camry.
Those keeping close watch will remember that the Camry received a very minor facelift for the 2010 model year, with the car receiving more Corolla-like styling, albeit in a more substantial package. However, one of our tipsters sent us these United States Patent and Trademark Office filing images of what appears to be the next-generation Camry, possibly slated for the 2012 model year. The sedan's dimensions don't seem to have changed too much, and the overall styling theme is still very conservative - in fact, it looks more milquetoast than the 2010 model that is presently in dealerships. The front fascia ditches the angular design of the current car for a smoother, more traditional design, and we see more pronounced taillamps out back, likely using LED strips like those on the 2011 Avalon. If anything, the vehicle in these images looks similar to the ASEAN market Camry that was retouched last year, but it is still clearly different.
Timing-wise, we wouldn't expect to see the official reveal until later this year or even early next year (2011 Detroit Auto Show, perhaps?). In the meantime, click through the gallery below to see the patent filing scans from all angles. A tip of the hat to RPB!
UPDATE: This is one of those times where we make like a point guard who just blew a pass to the open guy on a breakaway, tap our chests, and mouth, "My bad." As some of you noticed, the car pictured above is indeed the current Australian-market Toyota Aurion, itself a derivative of, yes, the Camry. Now, why would the Aurion show up in a U.S. patent filing? Perhaps the car's fascias are headed here as a cheap 'n easy facelift for the Camry. After all, it'd be a pretty significant change (for hyper-conservative Toyota, that is). It also does look better than the current Camry - in a differently-anonymous way. Also, if Toyota is going to Aurion-ize the Camry in the U.S., the least they could do is offer this while they're at it. Right? For a better look at the Aurion in living color, check out the second gallery below.
[Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office]Next-generation Toyota Camry revealed in patent filings? (Updated) originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Work, Ford, Police/Emergency
Earlier today, Ford unveiled its next generation Police Interceptor (they'd rather you not call it a Taurus) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway before a group of police agency fleet buyers. The event was webcast live, but you can now watch a replay as Ford president Mark Fields and vehicle line director Scott Tobin explain the process of developing the new cruiser and how it differs from a civilian Taurus.
The Dodge Charger has been stomping all over the Crown Vic and Impala in recent years during the annual Michigan State Police vehicle test, but that process could end this year when the new Taurus Police Interceptor hits the track. The 365-horsepower Ecoboost-powered Interceptor should be right up there with the Dodge and may well provide better fuel economy to boot.
Ford isn't talking price yet for the new cop cars, but it aims to make it competitive with the rest of the class, and a claimed 25-percent boost in fuel economy compared to Crown Vic should help ease the pain of transitioning. Check out the video after the jump.
[Source: Ford]Continue reading Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
WSJ speculates about Renault-Nissan taking stake in GM Filed under: GM, Nissan, Earnings/Financials, Renault, Rumormill 
Rumors that Renault-Nissan may be interested in taking on a third head have popped once again, with the would-be merger candidate this time being General Motors. Huh, sounds familiar, doesn't it? In actuality, The Wall Street Journal is really just speculating on the possible effects of such a deal, and it's done so with all kinds of number crunching and colorful pie charts.
The lone quote from Renault-Nissan head Carlos Ghosn that seems to have sparked the article: "The name of the game is scale and co-investments and sharing technologies." That's a common thread from Ghosn and most recently stated at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month.
After reading through the article, it seems possible that such a merger could make sound business sense for the Franco-Japanese automaker for a couple of reasons. First is Ghosn's seemingly insatiable appetite for large-scale synergies. Second, the two automaker's sales footprints appear to be rather complimentary. Finally, Renault-Nissan has enough cash reserves and holdings on hand that it could afford to purchase a 10-percent stake in the American automaker when it hopefully goes public again in early 2011.
So, does any of this have an actual chance of happening? We have absolutely no idea, but that hardly seems to matter - we're always up for a little speculation when it comes to our favorite topic of conversation. As always, questions, comments and snide remarks can be left in "Comments." What say you? Does Renault-Nissan-General Motors have a nice ring to it?
[Source: The Wall Street Journal | Image: Raveendran/AFP/Getty]WSJ speculates about Renault-Nissan taking stake in GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Strictly Commercial: Nissan NV website comes online Filed under: Minivan/Van, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Nissan 
Nissan NV commercial vans - Click above for high-res image gallery
No surprise here, really. Just one short day after officially revealing its first-ever commercial vehicle for the U.S. market, Nissan has launched a corresponding website to go along with its NV series of vans.
As you would expect from such a website, Nissan allows you to see both the standard and High Roof models in a complete 360-degree view. The Japanese automaker told us in its official press release that a great deal of research was conducted to find out exactly what commercial users wanted from their vehicles, and on the site, you can watch a number of such interviews on video.
Despite the fact that this is Nissan USA's first commercial van, the Japanese side of the the automaker's coin has been in the work-vehicle business for over 75 years, and naturally they are more than happy to tell you all about it. Wanna learn more? Click here.
[Source: Nissan]Strictly Commercial: Nissan NV website comes online originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Unintended acceleration Prius case gets twist involving debt, technology 
Second-gen Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery
The unintended acceleration case of the second-generation Prius belonging to James Sikes now officially has an interesting backstory. Apparently, according to USAToday, Sikes' "case against Toyota is starting to look shaky." Why? Two reasons. First, and most important, is the technical argument. Toyota is saying that Sikes' Prius has a brake override system that should have slowed the car down in the situation Sikes has described to the media and to investigators. Also, looking at Audi's history with a similar problem back in the 1980s, it's often driver error that led to the acceleration, not a problem with the vehicles themselves.
Second, and only to consider possible motives for pretending something was wrong when there really wasn't, Sikes is apparently deep in debt according to financial records uncovered by Jalopnik. He has said repeatedly that he doesn't plan on suing Toyota, but he has retained a law firm.
As we said yesterday, there is no obvious explanation for why Sikes' Prius (and a similar model in New York a few days later) sped up and there's a case to be made that the hype is getting out of hand. Still, something happened, and the sooner we get the facts here, the better off we'll be. For now, we'll just have to file this under "Ongoing."
[Sources: Jalopnik, USAToday, Autopia]Report: Unintended acceleration Prius case gets twist involving debt, technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Are you the next Audi S8? Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Europe, Audi, Luxury  Check out what a very cold spy photographer snapped some pictures of. This car could very well be the upcoming Audi S8. Of course, as the car in the photos is totally unmarked, this could just be another variant of the big Audi. We've suspected for some time that a new S8 is coming, and we hear that it's most likely headed over to our shores. However, we've know next to nothing about what type of terror resides under the hood. Until today.
Unlike the last (frankly underpowered) S8, this new big-fast sedan is dropping the choked-off, Lamborghini-derived V10 in favor of a new twin-turbo V8. The good folks at Car and Driver are claiming the unit will displace 4.0-liters. Our source at Audi wouldn't confirm that displacement explicitly, but did say that C/D is, "on the right path." This same source noted that BMW's been using a smallish displacement twin-turbo V8 (4.4-liters) in the 7 Series for the past year and that Audi intends to stay competitive.
Our Audi source also noted that the new V8 will be offered in many flavors, and will allow Audi to meet all the emissions and mileage standards coming down the pike in the next five years. We're told to expect a wide range of configurations, similar to what Audi/Lamborghini did with their shared V10. That means different states of tune for different cars, as well as naturally aspirated and force inducted version. As for power, our source once again confirmed that Car and Driver knows what they're printing. Meaning that the 450 horsepower/450 pound-feet of torque neighborhood isn't a bad guess, though the final numbers could be higher.
Back to the car in the heavily cropped photograph (check out Autocar for the complete set of pics), we're still not 100-percent sure it's the S8. First of all, there are no visual cues to distinguish this black car from a regular A8, save for the requisite four tailpipes. However, as Autocar notes, the new S8 is said to have bold new bodywork to set it apart from the standard car. Also, examine the brakes. They appear to be larger diameter than the standard brakes, yet they aren't drilled or slotted. One would think (and we would agree with him) that an S vehicle would have a more serious set of stoppers. After all, even the A8 Hybrid "Concept" has fancier discs. Of course, maybe these are just placeholders used during cold weather testing. Yeah, we're pretty sure this is the new Audi S8.
[Sources: Autocar, Car and Driver]Spy Shots: Are you the next Audi S8? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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