It could be argued that Mercedes-Benz' AMG division -- more than any other brand -- is culpable for perpetuating the horsepower wars. Not that we're complaining, mind you, but sooner or later, consumer demands for environmental responsibility will catch up even with these stratospheric performance automobiles. The power-crazed tuners at the Benz performance division can see the writing on the wall, and are reportedly preparing to do something about it. More than one thing, actually.

First up is the electric version of the SLS, AMG's first in-house developed product. Confirmation came this past summer that an electric SLS – with the equivalent of 526 horsepower and 649 lb-ft of torque on tap – would see production, although no launch date has been revealed at this point. There's no telling if the electric powertrain in the green gullwing will foreshadow the trickle-down effect into other vehicles, but we'd hardly be surprised.

What could end up powering more commonplace future AMG products, however, are diesel engines. The possibility was first mooted nearly two years ago, and confirmed as a possible course of action a bit over a year ago by AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg. According to the latest reports, AMG is still toying with the idea, but given the torque-heavy capacity of modern diesels – German ones, especially – we could be looking at oil-burning performance Mercedes before we know it.

[Source: What Car?]

After setting a new lap record at Laguna Seca the other day, Dodge announced some minor revisions to the all-conquering Viper ACR for the 2010 model year. The snake that swallowed the famed 11-turn race track whole will be treated to some revised gearing and aerodynamics, a new short-throw shifter, the addition of a new color to the catalog and an updated interior to boot. There'll also be a special edition ACR to commemorate the record-breaking lap time. But in the process, a senior Chrysler executive clarified some rumors that have been circulating regarding the next generation Dodge supercar.

Back in August we reported that the next-gen Viper could get a heart transplant in the form of a Ferrari-developed modular engine. The program spearheaded by Chrysler's new corporate cousin in Maranello was tipped to form the basis for new engines that would find their way into the bays of upcoming Maseratis, Ferraris and Vipers. But in speaking with AutoWeek, Dodge brand chief Ralph Gilles reportedly put the brakes on the rampant speculation, saying that any collaboration between Dodge and Ferrari on the Viper's replacement wouldn't extend beyond some input from the Italian marque on the car's development. And while that doesn't necessarily mean the engine programs couldn't be merged, "Ferrari is Ferrari, according to Gilles, and "Viper is Viper".

[Source: AutoWeek]

A few weeks back, Renault announced plans to revive the classic Gordini badge for its new high performance variants and now, the first model has been unveiled. Based on the automaker's smallest model, the Renault Twingo Gordini R.S. should prove to be mighty quick, with a 133 hp 1.6-liter engine to twist its 17 inch front wheels, along with an uprated suspension package and brakes.

Outside, the Twingo is coated in the historic blue hue that adorned French racing cars in the days before corporate sponsor colors took everything over, and buyers can also opt for pearlescent black to go with the white accents. Renault is displaying the car at their "Christmas in Blue" exhibit in Paris through the holidays and deliveries will start in March. Pricing hasn't been announced, but it will surely come in at a level that would make American consumers blanche for such a small car.



[Source: Renault]

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We come not to bury the A8L, but to praise it. Next week the newest generation of Audi's aluminum spaceframe panzer will greet the world in Miami, and we expect it to be a leap through a wormhole compared to the today's car. After a week with the current model at the end of its six-year run, we walked away from a saloon that still has us smitten. What we didn't expect was that, even though we didn't come to bury the thing, we would end up throwing quite a bit of dirt on it.

A funny thing happened on the way to reviewing the 2009 Audi A8L: we discovered ourselves writing compromising things about the four-ringed flagship. This is a sedan that we adore mightily, and having thought it over, we might even say unreasonably. It became the girl you're dating that you first describe as "She's great!" just before divulging a list of mildly unseemly behaviors that you'd never considered all at once, ending with, "Wow... I really do like her, but come to think of it... she's a little kooky." That might make the Audi A8 the Megan Fox of automobiles.

We drove the A8L W12 a couple of years ago, and it was possessed of so much battleship-gray girth we wanted to call it the Bismarck and park it in a Norwegian fjord for safety. Yet and still, it was glorious: an exterior awash in pulchritude, an interior so beautiful we wish we had gotten its autograph, and it gulped miles, and gas, like cognac. Since we didn't write about it, we didn't give it the philosopher's thought, and we walked away from it with only roses, no thorns. But now...



Photos copyright ©2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

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While the majority of Toyota's jobs are still in Japan, the auto juggernaut has also accumulated a 34,000-employee empire here in the U.S. as well. Those jobs are scattered among ten manufacturing facilities and three main office complexes in Michigan, Kentucky and at the company's North American headquarters in Torrence, California. But the downtrodden auto industry and Toyota's recent losses have prompted the Japanese automaker to find ways to cut costs, and the company's California headquarters may lose some workers as a result.

The Detroit News is reporting that Toyota is relocating product planning, accounting, travel and data services jobs from California to its engineering and manufacturing headquarters in Kentucky and its technical center in Michigan. Toyota is neither confirming or denying the report, but the company did say it isn't going to exit California like Nissan did earlier in the decade, adding "Emphasis has been placed on finding new efficiencies, shared services and enhanced collaboration to address the changing economic conditions and prepare Toyota for the future automotive market environment." Toyota currently employs 10,700 workers in California, a number that will drop if this report proves true.

UPDATE: Toyota has released a statement that it isn't planning any "significant geographic relocation of personnel" at this time. Hit the jump to view the short release.

[Source: The Detroit News]

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Many electric vehicle fans out there are constantly complaining about how long it's taking automakers to bring plug-in vehicles to market. We've had commenters on this site claim that automakers should be able to bring EVs to the street in six months. Apparently even six months is too long for the crew at Top Gear.

For those unfamiliar with the format of the show, most episodes involve the producers giving a challenge of some sort to hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. The most recent episode, aired this week on the BBC in the UK, included just such a challenge. The boys were tasked to build their own answer to the extended-range EV Chevrolet Volt.

In a mere 18 hours they transformed a TVR Chimaera (interesting choice since a chimaera is a mythological creature composed of parts of a number of animals) into the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust pictured above. Once the i-Thrust was completed, it was turned over to Autocar magazine for an independent road test. As you might guess based on the photo, the results were not surprising and are a testament to perhaps taking all the time you need when developing a car. You can grab a copy of AutoCar's full road test as a PDF or just watch the entire Top Gear segment and video of the Autocar road test after the jump.

[Source: Autocar]

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Toyota has announced that it will recall some 3.8 million cars and trucks to reshape and/or replace their accelerator pedals. The action is the result of fears that loose floormats may cause the accelerator pedal to stick, increasing the risk of an accident. The recall will be the largest in the Japanese automaker's history, and it will cover a wide range of vehicles from the 2004 model year through 2010 – a complete list is available after the jump. The move comes after an earlier action where Toyota announced it would recall 3.8 million vehicles to only swap floor mats.

Working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota will effect the recall by sending letters to owners of its Avalon, Camry, and Lexus ES 350 models by year's end. Five other models, including the Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, and Lexus IS 250/IS 350 will receive similar notices sometime in 2010.

The plan includes training dealer service representatives to reshape gas pedals, and Toyota will develop and ship redesigned gas pedals beginning in April. Those customers who have elected to have their pedals initially reshaped will still be able to have the pedal replaced when the updated unit becomes available. Vehicles fitted with Toyota or Lexus-made all-weather floor mats will also receive a new set of redesigned front mats.

Interestingly, Toyota will also install a a brake override system that will turn off the engine if both the accelerator and the brake are depressed simultaneously. According to Automotive News, this update will occur on "involved Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS 350 and IS 250 models 'as an extra measure of confidence.'" This action appears to be limited to vehicles that employ Toyota's push-button start system, but interestingly its hybrid-only Prius has apparently been excluded.

For its part, Toyota says the cost of the action will come entirely from its dedicated recall fund, a $5.6 billion dollar stash, and therefore, the recall will have "no effect" on its business. The news come on the heels of yesterday's announcement that Toyota will recall 2000-2003 Tundra pickups over frame rust issues.

A complete list of vehicles covered under the action and both NHTSA and Toyota's official press releases are available after the jump.

[Sources: Reuters; Automotive News; NHTSA; Toyota]

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All eyes have been on Renault since acquiring a 25% stake in Russian automaker Avtovaz. The French carmaker headed by the venerable Carlos Ghosn beat out Fiat and General Motors to acquire the interest in Lada's parent company, but then the economy tanked and Ghosn was left holding his hat.

Original plans centered around new product launches to re-invigorate the Russian automaker, starting with the Concept C unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. But Renault has reportedly now changed its strategy, putting new Ladas on hold. Instead, they'll be showing the Ruskies how to build the cars they already build, but better. The plan is apparently taken out of the Volkswagen playbook, as implemented after the German group's acquisition of Skoda, which has apparently been working pretty well for them so far.

The focus of Renault's attention in Russia will start on the existing Kalina, applying lessons which "the West learned over 40 years" on a quicker learning curve. Once Ghosn and company feel Avtovaz has got the quality issue down pat, then it will begin to roll out new products based on Renault and Nissan platforms, currently pegged for somewhere around 2012 to 2014. Better hunker down, comrades: this could take a while.



[Source: Autocar]

Changan is coming to America, just not yet. Aiming to establish a base in Mexico with which to move into the U.S. market, the Chinese automaker signed a deal last year to build a plant south of the border. The familiar story of planetary financial catastrophe has encouraged Changan to tap the brakes on its plans, however.

Said the company's R&D head to Reuters, "We are still doing market research there. There won't be any big investment for the time being." As if the crisis weren't enough, Changan, like other Chinese makers, is also looking at getting into the luxury market with a vehicle developed in-house, and that will divert potential resources from overseas expansion. That means we Americans won't get to sample MPVs like the Changan Joice (shown above) for a while longer.

[Source: Reuters]

With all the money that goes into running an F1 team, and the limited opportunity to make any of it back, we can't see why anyone would view owning a team as a sound investment. Evidently Herr Toto Wollf feels otherwise, as the Austrian financier and gentleman racing driver has acquired a minority interest in Williams Grand Prix Engineering.

This marks the first time in over 30 years of operations that Frank Williams and Patrick Head, the two team principals, have sold shares to an outside party. For his part, Sir Frank insists that business will carry on as usual, that they're not relinquishing control over the team, and that the sale was simply a way of ensuring the team's financial viability. Tellingly, though, he also indicated that Wolff, some 30 years younger than Williams and Head and the veteran of local rallies and international sportscar racing, could take the reins some day in the future.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of reports that Renault – once Williams engine partner during its heyday – was considering a similar move. Follow the jump to read the official announcement, complete with Toto Wolff's bio.

[Source: Williams]

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