Autoblog

Click above for a gallery illustrating what's on the block from Super Aguri.

In the fast-paced world of Formula One, teams come and go. Only most of the time, they're just changing names and management (in fact, Ferrari and Williams are the only teams still on the grid that were founded under the same name and same ownership as they remain today). So Jordan Grand Prix, for a most vivid example, became Midland F1 Racing in 2006, then Spyker in 2007 before its metamorphosis into Force India for 2008. Super Aguri was another story. Founded by former racing driver Aguri Suzuki, the team was the first in years to actually put up the bond necessary to start a completely new entry. Unfortunately, the uniquely Japanese-named team never had the money it needed to succeed, and after a little over two years, the team folded. But not before millions upon millions were spent on cars, equipment and everything else.

So what happened to all that stuff? Well, after Super Aguri went into bankruptcy administration earlier this year, the team's remaining assets are to be liquidated by British auction house SHM Smith Hodgkinson at the end of this month. Among the assets up on the block will be a dozen F1 racing cars, a fleet of transporter trucks and four autoclaves. So if you're looking to buy yourself the remains of an F1 team, this could be your chance.

[Source: SAF1-auction.com via autosport, Photos: Getty]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Chevrolet Volt concept.

One of the many things General Motors boasted about when it unveiled the Volt concept at the Detroit Auto Show in 2007 was its 600-mile range. This was achieved partially by the battery pack, which could sustain a (theoretical) charge allowing the Volt to run for 40 miles without reverting to the gasoline engine/generator, as well as a 12-gallon fuel tank. According to Kicking Tires, GM has shrunk the size of the tank by an unknown quantity and the result is a reduction in range from 600 to 400 miles – or 360 miles without the aid of auxiliary (read: grid-provided) power.

The General maintains that since most owners don't travel more than 40 miles in one day, it wasn't necessary to fit the Volt with a larger tank. That reduction in capacity will save some weight, but what will it cost in public perception? The hype surrounding GM's supposed savior and game-changer are based on two figures: range and cost. If GM can deliver on both counts, they might have a hit on their hands. If not, the Volt will be DOA the day it hits dealers.


[Source: KickingTires]

Click above to view video of the 2008 smart fortwo crash test

Each year, it seems as if more and more new models are able to ace both the IIHS' and the government's crash-test ratings. In fact, according to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, 97-percent of all new cars available today earn the highest four or five-star ratings from NHTSA. These all-too-similar ratings makes it rather difficult for consumers to make a choice based solely on passenger safety, so the Fed's have decided to take another stab at the current rating system, which was introduced way back in 1979. Though still based on a five-star ranking, the revised 2010 ratings will include additional front-end tests and a new side-impact test meant to mimic the impact of a vehicle that collides with a tree or pole. Also new for the '10 model year is an overall rating meant to make comparisons easier between competing vehicles. More changes are possible for 2012, as NHTSA is still considering whether to make electronic nannies like stability control mandatory.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Here's the four wheeled bearded lady of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, courtesy of Kahn Design and (God help us) Cosworth. To us, spending tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle, then affixing a bodykit to it that would make an '88 Grand Am sneer seems a bit nonsensical. Then again, being of means doesn't always translate into having sense. As if that wasn't enough, even Cosworth hasn't coaxed much out of this abomination. The 3.6-liter diesel V8 gets an extra 30 horsepower, for an even 300. We're not likely to see that powertrain in US-bound Range Rovers any time soon, but it'd be a lot easier to stomach if it were wrapped in the Sport's sheetmetal. We can only hope that this kit isn't glued on that well – from the looks of that front bumper, it's not – and we're guessing that it ends up as tire fodder on the Earl's driveway.


[Source: AutoTrader UK]

Demonstrating that there is good news still to be found in some sales departments, BMW Group announced their worldwide January through June 2008 sales for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands increased 4.7 percent compared to last year. The sales total of 764,874 automobiles marked the most successful half-year of sales in the history of BMW Group. All three brands contributed to the sales increase, in varying capacities. BMW sales grew 2.4 percent, thanks to the BMW 1 Series and 3 Series Cabrio, while MINI sales were boosted 17.9 percent as the MINI Clubman rolled into showrooms. Most impressive was Rolls-Royce, boasting a 68.4 percent increase in sales compared to last year. The only segment where BMW Group was unable to maintain sales levels was with its motorcycles, as sales fell 5.6 percent compared to last year.

[Source: BMW Group]

What do Porsche and Lamborghini have in common? Well, a lot. To begin with, both make highly desirable sports cars, and after the former bought Volkswagen, which in turn had bought the latter, both are now under common ownership. Both have produced insanely powerful sport-utilities and both have built tractors. Lamborghini started out making tractors before Ferruccio's infamous run-in with Enzo Ferrari, after which he started making sportscars. The rest, as they say, is history. Porsche, on the other hand, started out in the opposite direction, producing sportscars before eventually moving on to sport-utes. But back in the 1950's, Porsche made a series of tractors as well. Now one enthusiast has brought it around full swing with this unique Porsche tractor.

The machine started out as a 14.5hp Partner lawn mower before its owner went to town, taking apart the engine and painting it yellow, fitting a custom stainless-steel exhaust, a fire extinguisher and a tachometer crafted from a 911 oil filter, then painting the body "Grand Prix Weiss" with "Idischrot" red accents. The result? Well, it won't be setting any Nürburgring lap records, but we'd be happy to see it face off against an old Porsche Diesel Super tractor to see which could mow The Green Hell fastest.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Click above for a high-res gallery.

Big, blocky, heavy, low – whatever. The one and only phrase you need to remember is "hellaciously fast." Bentley's Continental Flying Spur Speed, officially announced in June, is pretty much what it'd be like to strap an EMD powertrain from a freight locomotive into a car, without all the noise and industrial fumes. Set off by subtle cues, the Flying Spur Speed turns the burner up on the already hot Flying Spur, boosting horsepower out of the twelve cylinder powerplant to an even 600 hp from 552 hp. It's enough to hurtle this elegant block of English-cum-Germanic automobile to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and filthy automotive types will be able to crawl all over this fine automobile at the British International Motor Show. In a mere 15 days, the special brightwork, rifled exhaust tips, and smooth as glass paint will be littered with fingerprints once the show opens to the public July 23rd at the ExCel London. Pardon us while we scour the intertubes for cheap airfare. Press release after the jump.


[Source: Bentley]

Buzz Hargrove, president of the Canadian Auto Workers, Canada's largest in the private sector, will step down earlier than anticipated. Hargrove wasn't expected to retire until he reached the CAW's mandatory age of 65 next year. It's tough to resist the allure of cuddling with Yorkies, Bingo every Monday night, and shuffleboard to fill in those long, wistful hours recalling the glory days of torquing valve covers in Windsor, so Hargrove has accelerated his departure to mid-September. No replacement candidate has been named yet, though an endorsee will be announced later today. Come this fall, keep an eye out on the golf courses of Florida for a relaxed looking guy drinking a Molson, eh?

[Source: Automotive News – Sub Req, Photo: media.canada.com]

Just how important is the Chevy Volt for ailing General Motors? Obviously, that's a rhetorical as GM is making it out to be the second coming of the horseless carriage. The money being invested into the latest battery technology and the sophisticated platform which carries it proves that the General is placing massive wager on plug-in electric cars. And you can bet that it will be hyping the Hell out of them too. We already reported on the fact that the Volt will be a centerpiece of General Motor's upcoming Centennial celebration, and now we hear that the production Volt could join GM's other upcoming gas-saver, the Chevy Beat, by making an appearance in the highly anticipated Transformers sequel.

Die-hard Camaro fans have been anxiously awaiting its formal introduction since it strutted its stuff in concept form in the first installment of Transformers. Thankfully for Volt aficionados, along with just about anyone else looking to save a few bucks on their fuel bills, we shouldn't need to wait nearly as long after its big-screen debut for a shot at driving off the showroom floor in a shiny new electric car, assuming the Volt actually arrives on schedule for its 2010 launch.

[Source: Reuters]

While domestic sales continue to slide, the auto market in China is thriving. Both General Motors and Ford have reported double-digit sales growth for the first-half of 2008 in the world's most populace country, with GM moving 590,126 Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac vehicles for a total sales increase of 12.7 percent, while Ford sold 172,411 units for 21 percent jump in growth. With China recognized as the second-largest vehicle market outside the United States, and with their economy forecasted to grow by at least nine percent this year, automakers in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. are investing heavily to expand sales and production in the Chinese market. It is worth noting that vehicle sales in China have been nearly immune to the increase in global oil prices as governmental controls keep diesel and gasoline prices among the world's lowest.

[Source: Detroit News]