Corvette Brakes.
8/28/2009
Potential deal points leaked concerning Tengzhong's purchase of Hummer
As the Opel transaction takes on Biblical intrigue, the Hummer exchange goes on in another dark corner, laboriously, like the gestation of an elephant. The latest report from a Chinese news website states that General Motors and Tengzhong "might sign an agreement" this week, but that strikes us as exceedingly optimistic seeing that there's been no word on the government approving the deal yet.
Slightly more believable are the supposed deal points that would guide Tengzhong's initial ownership of Hummer: Tengzhong will own all of Hummer's intellectual property rights and sales network, but would not build Hummers in China and would operate the company as an off-shore entity based out of Detroit or Nashville. General Motors would continue to build Hummers until 2012 and provide "technical services," and Tengzhong would continue to fund research and development, while the "off-shore" Hummer team (read: probably the folks doing the job now) would be responsible for launching the new H3 and H4. As for that H4, though, the article lists them as "CUV models." If the H4 is a CUV, we hope they manage to make it look like the 2008 Hummer HX concept shown above.
Tengzhong reps are headed to Detroit to continue discussions. The General's response, according to the CEO of Hummer is that "Negotiations continue to progress and the transaction will be announced upon the signing of the definitive agreement as soon as appropriate." Hat tip to Emilio!
8/27/2009
PSA Peugeot Citroen in Russia
Mhmm… Crisis in Russian? Do you know as it looks? Do you know what is it?
That’s a photo of some airport near St. Petersburg in Russia. A few years ago it was looking like this. Today its looking like this.
Now it’s stiffly stuffed with unsold PSA Peugeot Citroen cars.
Russian PSA’s dealers say that they got too much overstocked with this inventory and now they simply use all free territories available to cheap pack them with thousands of cars.
As we know it’s not too good for cars to stand at open air under the Russian weather which is far not stable.
8/26/2009
Officially Official: Happy 50th - MINI Coupé Concept
Rumors have been swirling for months about what BMW would do on August 26, 2009 for its Mini brand. After all, that is the fiftieth anniversary of the public debut of Alec Issigonis' original Mini. With most of the speculation revolving around either a coupe or some kind of cropped windshield speedster, it turns out the reality was somewhere in between. Unlike the original coupe of the Sixties that simply had a fastback replacement for the standard square-back roof, the new MINI Coupé Concept completely replaces everything from the beltline up. The upright windshield that has been part of the Mini look from day one is finally swept back and a truncated roof covers the remaining two seats.
All pretenses of being a four seater has finally been dispensed with for the new coupe. The shape of the roof indicates that should Mini move ahead with production, and it could easily be replaced by a folding fabric unit to create the anticipated speedster model. What's more, dumping the rear seats means Mini could theoretically add a hefty brace back there restoring some of the structural integrity lost in the standard convertible, or perhaps restore some cargo room as compared to the Cabrio. At this point, it's unknown if those B-pillars are are tinted glass or just big solid blind spots, but visually, the lower half of the car remains pretty standard R56 John Cooper Works.
Although we don't have images of the interior yet, it sounds like it's largely standard Mini, although there are two clocks hanging off the sides of the steering column mounted tachometer much like the so-called Openometer in the convertible. One tells time while the other is a stopwatch for recording laps. The MINI Coupé Concept will be shown publicly at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month alongside the production version of the new Crossover.
New Chevy Car 230 mpg EREV
Yesterday GM shocked the automotive world by announcing that their upcoming electric-drive new Chevy car named Chevrolet Volt will gain an EPA city mileage rating of 230 mpg. It's an astounding claim - one that would make the new Chevy car more than four times as efficient as Toyota Prius. And yet, even the federal government says it can't back up GM's math.
The new Chevy car is one of several so-called Extended-Range Electric Vehicles, or EREVs, in development. An EREV functions as an electric car until its batteries are depleted to a certain level; then it starts a small gasoline engine. That engine, however, doesn't drive the wheels - it merely acts as a generator to recharge the batteries. Chevrolet Volt, GM says, can travel about 40 miles at any speed before its onboard generator kicks in.
That number is significant, because Department of Transportation figures show that most Americans drive less than 40 miles per day. For most of us, owning the new Chevy car could mean rarely ever using gasoline.
The new Chevy car is one of several so-called Extended-Range Electric Vehicles, or EREVs, in development. An EREV functions as an electric car until its batteries are depleted to a certain level; then it starts a small gasoline engine. That engine, however, doesn't drive the wheels - it merely acts as a generator to recharge the batteries. Chevrolet Volt, GM says, can travel about 40 miles at any speed before its onboard generator kicks in.
That number is significant, because Department of Transportation figures show that most Americans drive less than 40 miles per day. For most of us, owning the new Chevy car could mean rarely ever using gasoline.
New Buicks Comes with New Style and Technology
There was a time when Buick associated with something like your old man's car. Something an old-fashioned doctor might have. What's old is new again, and new Buicks will easily lure in new blood with this Buick LaCrosse.
The new Buicks LaCrosse 2010 is a dramatic departure in both style and technology. It may not be a sports sedan, but it's a very competent sedan that's out to change our perception of Buick from something old daddy owned, to something you yourself might want to own. At the Detroit auto show we lauded the global approach to styling and design. Having been jointly developed by GM in China, Europe and North America, the Buick Lacrosse is attractive. The car feels and looks classy enough to be a Cadillac. The two-tone interior is pleasantly sculpted. The steering has a good balance of feel, weighting and precision. The driver's controls give excellent feedback, making the Buick Lacrosse enjoyable to bend into a corner.
The new Buicks LaCrosse 2010 is a dramatic departure in both style and technology. It may not be a sports sedan, but it's a very competent sedan that's out to change our perception of Buick from something old daddy owned, to something you yourself might want to own. At the Detroit auto show we lauded the global approach to styling and design. Having been jointly developed by GM in China, Europe and North America, the Buick Lacrosse is attractive. The car feels and looks classy enough to be a Cadillac. The two-tone interior is pleasantly sculpted. The steering has a good balance of feel, weighting and precision. The driver's controls give excellent feedback, making the Buick Lacrosse enjoyable to bend into a corner.
8/25/2009
TECHART program for Porsche Boxster/Cayman
Porsche upgrader TECHART presents its new individualization options for the newest Boxster and Cayman models. Features include two Aerokits, daytime running lights, a set of sport springs, as well as carbon interior packages. "Our upgrade options enhance both the exterior and the interior, fulfilling our clients' desire for more individual exclusivity," explains Tobias Beyer, spokesperson for TECHART Automobil GmbH.
First Drive: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
After spending a couple of days with the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor in California's Anza Borrego desert, we came to the conclusion that Ford's SVT wondertruck is at least 15 different kinds of awesome. After all, how many SVT-badged, factory fresh rides come equipped with three stage Fox shocks, 12-inches of clearance and 35-inch BF Goodrich rubber? We can only think of one, and we drove it in orange.
Motor Trend also spent time with the Raptor at Anza Borrego, and they had cameras rolling on the ground and in the air. The 6:27 video is chock full of information about the Raptor, but perhaps more importantly, it's also filled with rolling footage of Ford's off-road super truck doing what it does best: tackle tough terrain. MT hits speeds of 75-100 mph while behind the wheel, sliding effortlessly across some pretty inhospitable environs. In the video, the publication's Ed Loh also tests out the Raptor's hill descent mode, which crawls down steep grades without the need to touch the gas or brake pedal. Hit the jump to watch the Raptor tackle hill and sand at Anza Borrego, and if you're anything like us, you'll be looking for the nearest dune and any excuse to get behind the wheel of Ford's new desert rat rod.
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8/21/2009
New Bentley Mulsanne makes world debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Bentley Motors unveiled the Mulsanne, the company’s all-new flagship grand tourer, at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California. The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-litre. And it was W.O.’s own sensitively conserved company car hat shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers - until now.
8/18/2009
Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss - 'Open Motoring' Gains a New Meaning
The Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss, the final hurrah for the fabled SLR line, has a production date of June 2009 and is the culmination of everything SLR. The SLR Stirling Moss has a radical design, with no roof or even proper windshield. It is as if Mercedes-Benz is flaunting the fact that all SLR drivers own a couple more cars, and the retro race-roadster design is the only thing they could respectfully apply legendary British race car driver Stirling Moss's name to.
Stirling Moss--the car--is styled unlike anything else on the market, even from boutique car builders. It looks every bit the modern interpretation of the classic race speedster Mercedes is going for, and while the modern SLR McLaren heritage is clear, this new edition is wholly different. While the new open supercar Mercedes was again developed in conjunction with McLaren, this one drops the McClaren name in favor of honoring the most famous of Benz pilots.
2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss Specifications
| Drivetrain | |
| Layout | Front Engine, RWD |
| Engine | |
| Type: | Supercharged AMG-Sourced V8 |
| Engine & Transmission | |
| Displacement cu in (cc): | 5.4 liters |
| Power bhp (kW) at RPM: | 478 kW/650 bhp |
| Exterior | |
| Body Type | 2 Door, 2 Seat Open Speedster |
| Materials | Carbon Fiber Exterior/Carbon Fiber, Aluminum, Leather Interior |
| More Info... | |
| Release Date | Production Begins June 2009 |
| Performance | |
| Acceleration (0-100 km/h) | Less than 3.5 seconds |
| Top Speed | 217 mph |
| Bhp per Liter | 118.2 bhp per liter |
Base Price: 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss - EUR 750,000 (USD $1.05 million)
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