Autoblog

Ducati is using this weekend's Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California as the backdrop to launch its new 848 Nicky Hayden Special Edition sportbike. The new machine, which will only be available here in the States, features the same 134-horsepower L-twin Evoluzione powerplant, wet-clutch and six-speed gearbox as the rest of the 848 line.

As the first of the 2010 848s introduced, the new Special Edition ushers in a revised LED dash cluster, optional 30mm mirror extensions for those with long-torsos and improved aluminum cam belt tensioner pulleys to go along with its new patriotic livery.

The 848 Nicky Hayden SE will carry a $14,495 sticker price – a reasonable $500 over the asking price for last year's 848 – and will hit Ducati dealerships in America on July 7th after being on display throughout the U.S. GP festivities starting on the 4th. Click past the break for the official press release.

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Now that hybrid cars have taken the top sales spots in Japan for the last few months, that country's Transport Ministry is reportedly launching an investigation to determine whether it's wise to require hybrid automobiles to emit an artificial sound when operating with the internal combustion engine switched off. The thinking is that hybrids may be more dangerous to the blind due to their quiet operation under electric power.

According to an unnamed official, the government's 13-member panel – consisting of a diverse group of scholars, vision-impaired groups, consumers, police and automobile industry officials – "decided to consider introducing a sound-making function" on all hybrids at its first meeting on Thursday, July 2. The panel hasn't yet decided what sound hybrids should make. We'll cast our unofficial vote in the direction of cowbells.

The issue is well-known in America, where the government has launched Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Acts in each of the last two years to study the supposed problem. Naturally, there is some opposition to artificial noise generators on hybrids. "On the other hand, we should pay attention to residents (along roads) as hybrids are excellent in reducing noise," added the Transport Ministry official.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: AFP via Google]

Where does Batman get those wonderful toys? We may finally have an answer for the Joker: Batman shops on eBay, just like the rest of us, and he apparently also sells off his unwanted bits and pieces after they've served their purpose. Such is the case with the classic 1966 Batcycle, which was ably replaced a few years back by the far more menacing Batpod.

The Caped Crusader must have finally decided the Batcycle would be better served fighting crime in the hands of a new hero than collecting dust in a remote corner of the Batcave, as it's just been sold on eBay with a final winning bid of $29,500. It seems that Batman had put just 8,245 miles on his Batcycle before retiring it for more advanced machinery.

According to the auction, the bike itself was designed and assembled by Kustomotive for the original 1966 Batman feature film and made subsequent appearances in the television series from the '60s. The seller notes that this Batcycle was based on a 250cc Yamaha Catalina with a custom sidecar featuring a removable go kart for Robin that was powered by its own 50cc engine. While it's clear that the Batcycle wasn't exactly a barnburner, it sure makes up for its lack of power with style.



[Source: eBay via Tilted Horizons]

We've been hearing Chinese officials say for quite some time now that there are far too many automakers in the country for a healthy market in the long-term, but we didn't realize until today just how out-of-hand it may be. According to state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua, China has seen an unprecedented 89 new automobile launches so far this year.

That's surely a big number, but it doesn't really hit home until you consider that 89 vehicles in the first half of 2009 averages out to a new or heavily revised vehicle appearing in China once every two days. Of those new designs, 73 were cars, nine were SUVs, six were MPVs and – in contrast to typical American vehicle launches over the same period – only one was a crossover.

As you're surely aware, 2009 is only half over, and there are reportedly some 50 new vehicles still slated for introduction before the end of the year, equaling about 140 new models introduced in 2009. The good news, at least as far the bottom line goes, is that the new releases have translated into sales. The 4.96 million vehicles sold between January and May of this year represent a 14.29-percent increase over the same period in 2008. Still, considering the glut of new models hitting the market, one has to figure that a goodly number of those vehicles will go begging.



[Source: Gasgoo]

Eagle-eyed spy shooters for Car Advice in Australia have managed to snap off a series of photos of a new entry-level Ford hatchback that's likely headed to emerging markets like India, Brazil and some areas in Europe. The car seen in these spy shots is clearly disguised as the previous-generation Ford Fiesta, but it's believed that this new machine may actually be a production version of the Ford Verve concept that was first introduced back in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

If it ever reaches production, it's likely that the Verve will feature a range of gasoline and diesel engines varying in size from 1.2- to 1.5-liters. According to Car Advice, this new hatchback is expected to get a formal green-light from Ford sometime in mid-2010 en-route to production a few months later. For what it's worth, we don't expect to see this car come Stateside, as America will already have the new Fiesta subcompact followed by a new global Focus. Click here for the rest of the shots.



[Source: caradvice.com.au]

T3 Motion, creators of the Segway-esque non-balancing T3 Series Electric Stand-up Vehicle for police and security use, has detailed its plans to launch an electric three-wheeled called the CT3. The new vehicle is the first machine from T3 that was specifically designed for personal commuter use, and it's based on the company's CT low-speed electric four-wheeled vehicle.

Using a three-wheeled design should allow the company to classify the CT3 as a motorcycle in most states, which means it won't necessarily need to be restricted to low-speed use as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, though the machine will be capped at a 45 mph top speed regardless. All three of the CT3's wheels are powered by electric motors that get their electrons from T3's proprietary Power Management System and lithium polymer batteries.

At this time, the vehicle exists only in rendered form (pay close attention to the wheels and tires in the above image), but T3 plans to enter a special CT-S version of the machine in the Auto X Prize that will reportedly be capable of 80 miles per hour and an equivalent mpg rating of over 100 miles per gallon. Click past the break for the official press release. Thanks for the tip, Deepa!

[Source: T3 Motion via Green Launches]

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McLaren has put up a job posting for a Senior Engineer for Powertrain Hybrid Technology on its official website, which may offer a few clues as to where the automaker may be heading in the near future for its road cars. As far as rumors go, this one seems pretty solid. According to an unnamed spokesperson quoted by Autocar:

It (hybrid technology) is something we want as a forward-thinking, technology-driven company. We have been considering it for future projects. All the advert means is that we are looking for a senior engineer in powertrain hybrid technology. Read into it what you will.

One possibility is that McLaren will attempt to adapt the KERS system from its Formula 1 race cars for street use. It's widely agreed upon that McLaren's KERS implementation is the best in F1 and both BMW and Ferrari are also thought to be working on KERS for future road cars.

Within the next few years, McLaren is expected to introduce a couple of new supercars, including a replacement for the current SLR, codenamed P11, and a successor to the famed F1 supercar from the mid '90s that's currently known as the P12.



[Source: McLaren via Autocar]

We didn't much care for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen when we went out and saw it on opening night, but we're still smitten by the concept of robots that transform into all manner of vehicular machinery. In Michael Bay's new flick, motorcycles may have taken a more prominent role than in the past, but we prefer the classic Norton Commando in the short clip after the break to the two-wheeled robotic movie machines.

Composed and rendered by Steve Twist, a student from Bournemouth University gunning for his undergraduate degree in Computer Visualisation and Animation, this eight-month project looks to be time well spent to our eyes. Better still, in our heads, this is exactly what an old Norton motorcycle would sound like if it could talk.

Perhaps Twist can get in touch with Bay to instill at least a modicum of realism for the inevitable Transformers 3? Nah, probably not. Click past the break to watch the video.

[Source: Motorcycle News]

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Well, imagine that. People like cheap gas. Enough, in fact, that they're willing to line up in droves just for the privilege of filling up their tanks. As if you needed further proof of this unfailing truth, here are the pictures to prove it. As part of its new Hyundai Assurance Gas Lock promotion, the Korean automaker ran an unannounced campaign in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles where consumers could purchase gas for just $1.49 per gallon.

The catch? There was just one location in each cities where the program was in effect and the location was kept secret until an hour before the promotion began. In a nod to modern social media users, Hyundai sent the information to its Twitter followers (@hyundainews) just before local radio stations announced the promotion city-wide about an hour before it started. Predictably, a mad rush to each location ensued. Nice little PR stunt, no?

Click past the break for the press release and check out the images of the madness shot on location at the Horace Harding BP gas station in New York. Similar scenes were reported in Chicago and LA.

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Suzuki is getting in on the free gas bandwagon that Hyundai kicked off this year by launching a "Free Gas for Summer" promotion on all SX4s sold between now and August 31st. Of course, it pays to read the fine print – what the purchaser really gets is a pre-paid credit card loaded up with $270 for the SX4 Sedan or $290 for the slightly less fuel efficient SX4 Crossover.

Whether or not this incentive is really "free gas for summer" depends on how much you plan to drive over the next three months or so. Still, it's a relatively pain-free way for Suzuki to advertise "Free Gas!" and it's still a few hundred bucks off the running costs of the car.

Along with the aforementioned sales promotion, Suzuki has also announced that it's offering $2,000 in customer cash off the price of any SX4 sold with a manual transmission, which we found to be a willing partner in eking out the most performance from the little runabout and much more desirable than the four-speed slushbox when we tested it last year.



Photos Copyright ©2008 Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs, Inc.

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