We here at Autoblog want to pass along our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jan-Willem Vester who passed away last night. Until last spring, Jan-Willem was the communications manager for Saab USA. In that role, the amiable Dutchman was always extremely helpful and prompt in answering our queries about Saab's products and business.

Beyond being a great PR guy, Vester was a singularly wonderful advocate for the troubled brand, and we had hoped he would find a prominent position with the Swedish automaker should it ever find a new owner. He wasn't just a hired gun, but a true longtime fan, owning an older 900 back in the Netherlands and new 9-5 Sportcombi for carting around the family. In recent months, Vester had been fighting an inoperable brain tumor to which he finally succumbed.

Jan-Willem is survived by his wife Mariska and their three children.

[Image: Saabhistory.com]

When it rains, it pours. With recalls on the books for Toyota floor mats and corrosion problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now investigating reports that Toyota's Corolla and Matrix vehicles may have engines susceptible to stalling. Owners of the 2006 model year Corolla and Matrix vehicles with the questioned 1ZZ-FE engines have described stalling in intersections and on highways, putting drivers at a safety risk while they attempt to restart the engine. There have been no reports of crashes.

It's important to note that about 397,000 vehicles are covered by the review, and that only 26 complaints have been lodged (that works out to about one in every 15,000 vehicles). Since it is a preliminary investigation, there's no recall until NHTSA investigates and determines that the stalling is caused by a specific design or parts defect. Of course, they may also find the stalling issue is attributed to poor maintenance or bad gas... nobody is pointing fingers. Yet.

[Source: Reuters]

Now that Tata has put the World's Cheapest Car on the market, is the Indian automaker ready to make a similar assault on the pickup truck market? Judging by a recent spy shot, it seems likely. It's impossible to know for sure, but the truck's three-lug wheels, single windshield wiper and dash layout indicate that this pickup might be based on the diminutive Nano.

Indian news outlets report that the pickup is codenamed Penguin and is powered by a single-cylinder diesel engine that displaces 350cc and is based on a slice of the Tata Ace and Indica engine block. That big thumper is hooked directly to the rear axle, an arrangement that will do away with the driveshaft and help lower cost. No word on if or when the Nano truck is slated for an official introduction. Hat tip to Shrawan!

[Source: Indian Autos Blog]

Many of us Autobloggers went to colleges that cultivated rabid alumni, but having seen this 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, our graduates were amateurs. In fact, we didn't realize you could love college, or its title-winning basketball team, so much. But a CarDomain forum member called "QuMongous" loves him some University of North Carolina Tarheels, and put his car in the game to prove it. Argyle pinstripes, his school's logo on the door, a hand-painted mascot on the rear quarters, and massive blue Dubs with UNC center caps have made this muscle car a tailgating hero. And wait until you see the back window.

Day-um. That's all we have to say. Follow the jump to see a walkaround of the car. And to you Tarheels players, you owe this guy another championship.

[Source: Tampa Sports Car Examiner]

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General Motors has declared that Opel needs a minicar, a tiny little thing that can compete with runabouts like the Ford Ka and Peugeot 107. That's a fine sentiment here at the starting line, but to get to the finish GM will need to keep Opel running smoothly, get its Spark firing quickly (if indeed it aims to use that as an Opel), and lure some eyeballs away from the two dozen minicars currently in the segment and the ones on the way from the likes of Volkswagen and Toyota.

Opel showed off the Trixx Concept (pictured) five years ago, but it was left out back to die in favor of the Spark. Five years on, the Spark hasn't arrived, meanwhile the Ford Ka has solidified its position with 500,000 sales in the UK alone over the last 13 years, the equally cheap and cuter-than-kittens Fiat 500 is still winning awards and stealing hearts and the VW Up! is banging drums.

When Magna was going to purchase Opel it said it would have a minicar for the brand by 2012. GM gave no timeline for its arrival, but did say that it was also looking at battery-powered electric cars -- possibly an electric Spark with the help of Reva? Whatever it is -- as long as it's good -- it can't come too soon.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

A few weeks ago, we learned that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ruled that the crash of a loaner Lexus ES350 that killed San Diego police officer Mark Saylor, his wife, 13-year-old daughter and brother in law was not just the result of an improper RX400h floor mat sticking the accelerator wide open it was due to a range of factors. In addition to the car having the wrong mats, the brake "rotors were discolored and heated, had very rough surfaces, had substantial deposits of brake pad material, and showed signs of bright orange oxidation on the cooling fins consistent with endured braking."

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, it turns out that three days before the crash, Frank Bernard had been given the loaner Lexus and experienced the floor mat sticking the throttle wide open. "[W]hile merging onto Interstate 15 from the Poway Road on-ramp, [Bernard] took his foot off the gas and the car kept accelerating, to 85 mph." Here's where it gets even more tragic:

"Bernard pressed long and hard on the brakes and was able to pull over and slow down. He put the car into neutral, but the engine continued to race at full speed. After several failed attempts at turning off the engine, he realized the floor mat had jammed the gas pedal. He slid his foot under the accelerator, dislodged it and had no further problems, the report says."

As stated above, without brake-assist (which would disappear after a few moments due to loss of engine vacuum at wide-open throttle) Bernard was able to stop the car, but the brakes would have been fairly stressed. Bernard returned the car to the dealership, but only told a receptionist about the floor mat incident. For her part, the receptionist at first stated she didn't remember Bernard or his story, but later changed her tune, stating that she told a vehicle specialist about the issue. The vehicle specialist denies ever hearing about it. And the vice president of Bob Baker Lexus El Cajon has no comment.

The question then becomes if the proper personnel had been alerted to Mr. Bernard's incident, would the ES350 have received new brakes and the correct mats before it was lent to the Saylors? It should also be noted that the ES350 was loaned to two other customers between Bernard and the Saylors without incident. Toyota has since recalled 3.8 million vehicles to reshape and replace accelerator pedals.

[Source: San Diego Union Tribune]

Volkswagen Group of America President, Stefan Jacoby, has confirmed that the next-gen New Beetle, due to hit North American as a 2012 model, will be offered with a clean diesel engine. The current New Beetle was last offered with a 1.9-liter TDI in 2006, but was discontinued the following year due to tougher emissions requirements.

In addition, the U.S. market will reportedly get an electrified version of the Up! hatchback in 2014, but it will not be the gasoline version (the diesel/electric Up! Lite concept debuted at the LA Auto Show last week). Ulrich Hackenberg, head of technical development for Volkswagen AG, says the car will be manufactured in Germany and sold in the European marketplace before it makes its way across the Atlantic.

The complete Up! lineup -- including a hatchback, minivan, and sedan -- all are slated to go on sale in Europe during 2011. but still no word on which models will make it to the U.S.



[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

If you were shocked when Lamborghini unveiled a four-door in the form of the Estoque concept at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, then you know how enthusiasts must have felt when the Raging Bull took the wraps off the Espada in 1968. A four-seat Lambo? Shocking! But that's what they did, and the Espada entered into the history books.

Powered by Lambo's trusty 3.9-liter V12 that already appeared in the 350GT, 400GT and Miura, the Espada was the first Lambo to be offered with an automatic. In fact, it was the first automatic transmission – all two speeds of it – capable of handling that much power, and came on offer with the 1974 model. This model, however, was made in '72 – making it one of the last Series II models made before the Series III came along – and is equipped with a five-speed manual, along with four-wheel disc brakes and a fully independent suspension: cutting edge stuff for its time.

It's tan, it's had one owner, and from the looks of things, it's been kept in meticulous condition. The car's up for grabs on eBay by Lamborghini Houston. Bidding at the time of writing is up to a modest $20,200 and the reserve price hasn't been met yet, so if this is your idea of automotive heaven, stop on by and check it out.



[Source: eBay Motors]

The Dodge Dakota -- as we know it today -- will go away in 2011, but looking at current sales of the mid-size pickup, it may as well be dead already. Chrysler has only sold 10,000 Dakotas this year, with an anemic 663 units cleared in November. But while the Dakota is selling poorly (it's not helped by being too close in price to the much more capable Ram), it doesn't necessarily mean that the enigmatic pickup won't live on in another form.

Coinciding with earlier reports, the Detroit News says Chrysler is contemplating a unibody Dakota to replace the current model. A more fuel efficient car-based platform could yield better efficiency, especially when paired with a turbocharged four cylinder with direct injection. The car-based truck probably wouldn't be a hauler but it would still have a functional bed similar to the Honda Ridgeline, and AWD would likely be an available option. Fred Diaz, the new head of the Ram brand, told the DN that the Pentastar is looking both at Fiat and from within its own stable of vehicles for any platforms that could help make the unibody Dakota a possibility, adding, "The emphasis is going to be on getting a vehicle that is still true to the Ram brand image and also gets excellent miles per gallon rating and at an attractive price point." Chrysler was reportedly already working on a unibody Dakota when money troubles forced the idea to the back burner.

While we like the idea of a fuel efficient pickup that can do most of the things that a body on frame truck can do, we're wondering if the truck-buying public will embrace the idea. The best example of a unibody pickup, the Honda Ridgeline, has been anything but a massive commercial hit and midsize trucks are already a dying breed, with only five percent of the overall vehicle market. But if Chrysler wants to make Ram its own brand, we're guessing that the Pentastar's truck company is going to need more than one vehicle.

[Source: Detroit News]

Just about every time an automaker decides to sell one of its brands, Chinese automaker Geely comes up as one of the potential suitors. Geely executive Lawrence Ang has reportedly told Automotive News that the reason Geely has been present at a lot of negotiating tables is because it wants to grow in part through acquisitions. And while the Chinese automaker has yet to finalize any big-ticket buys, it appears to be the front-runner for Ford's Volvo unit.

Earlier in the year, Geely looked into purchasing the Saab brand, but talks reportedly broke down after Koenigsegg presented what appeared to be the winning bid. But now that Koenigsegg has dropped out of the Saab sweepstakes, the door is open again for Geely. Is the Chinese automaker interested? Ang reportedly gave reporters at a shareholder event the ambiguous "who knows?" as an answer, but he also acknowledged that the company is investigating buying opportunities which have presented themselves during the automotive industry downturns in Europe and the States. Geely is also reportedly interested in purchasing parts and engines, which could be possible if General Motors decides to disband Saab if an adequate bid doesn't present itself by year-end.

While Geely appears to be close to purchasing Volvo and is perhaps in a good position to pick up Saab for a song, the automaker is also looking to increase its presence in its home market. Automotive News is reporting that Geely will increase spending by up to 43% in hopes of increasing sales from 300,000 in 2009 to over 400,000 next year.

[Source: Automotive News – subs req'd | Image: AFP/Getty]