Autoblog

Click on image above for a high-res gallery from our GT-R First Drive!

Nearly 700 Brits plunked down pre-order deposits of £3,500 (about $7,000) within the first 48 hours of Nissan's hot GT-R going on sale, proving demand for the latest Japanese supercar doesn't seem to be diminishing. Customers in the UK don't seem to be deterred by the GT-R's base sales price of £52,900 (about $105,000), or the fact they won't see delivery until March 2009. After our "First Drive" in the GT-R, you won't see us ridiculing frenzied buyers...

[Source: Nissan UK]

In what looks to be a merciful end to the world's longest foregone conclusion, Tata Motors will reportedly announce its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover on either March 5 or 6. The announcement is expected after the first press day of the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, so as not to steal the limelight from Ford's new model and concept introductions. The press conference comes just in time for the first XF sedans to go on sale in the U.S. and Europe, so Ford's hard work and investment on the newest cat will benefit the brand's new owners. Tata is also expected to continue to utilize Ford powerplants in its new acquisitions, which will keep the Bridgend and Dagenham engine plants busy.

We'd thought the previous sale of Aston Martin had been drawn out, but the Jaguar and Land Rover clearance sale has lasted over a year, with talks of a Jaguar sale dating back to the '90s. Now, after a year of wondering what would happen to Ford's two British marques, we can move on to the next thing. You know, like whether Tata's going to turn around and quickly unload Jaguar.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

According to a report by Reuters, a Malaysian company has approached Proton Holdings and asked if the automaker would be willing to part with its controlling stake in Lotus. The unnamed company is interested in purchasing the 63.75-percent of shares of the British automaker and automotive consultancy firm that Proton purchased back in 1996.

It's certainly not coincidental that this offer came in a few weeks after Proton and Volkswagen ended talks about a possible alliance, causing Proton's stock to drop by some 18-percent. Although the financial windfall gained by Proton may be beneficial in the short-term, the Malaysian automaker is dependent on Lotus' technological innovations for future products. We doubt anything will come of it, but we're curious as to what company made the offer and how it would benefit from the purchase.

[Source: Reuters, InsideLine]

We just can't get enough of this saga. First, Michael Schumacher, family in tow, commandeers a taxi to get to the airport. Then the local police decide to launch an investigation into the purported violation of Germany's Personnel Transport Act. Now the cab driver, a hundred euros richer thanks to the champ's generosity, has said that he's considering selling the now-famous taxicab which Schumacher drove in the incident.

The taxi is a nine-seater Opel Vivaro minivan, and according to the driver, he's already been inundated with calls from potential buyers interesting in acquiring the cab. The top offer at the time of printing the story in the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag was 63,000 euros.

"I need the money – because of the Schumi-Ride I could be in big trouble with the police," said Tuncer Yilmaz, the owner and driver of the taxi.

[Source: F1-Live]

Nothing is better at propagating a rumor like a nasty social disease than the internet, and the France family just got a lesson. A report surfaced in Europe that an investment firm based there was investigating the potential purchase of NASCAR. Brian France, chairman of NASCAR, dismissed the report as speculation. According to France, the death of his father, Bill France Jr. most likely kicked off the baseless chatter. The current scoop is that the France family is not stepping down from the top of NASCAR or International Speedway Corporation, another France enterprise. While rising energy prices have taken a bite out of profits, and will likely affect attendance attendance somewhat, France assures that NASCAR will be "just fine."

A couple of other items help fuel the speculation, too. International Speedway endured a couple of abortive efforts in Washington state and New York to add new tracks to its holdings, but the long term plan is indeed for new venues when the right ones present themselves. Television ratings are also down, but that doesn't affect NASCAR so much as whacking the price that can be charged for ad space during television coverage of NASCAR events. So, while it might have been fun to kick the ball around thinking of NASCAR without the Frances – not this time.

[Source: Auto News - Sub Req Photo: NASCAR.com]

At least one of the bidders in the race to buy Jaguar and Land Rover has dropped out of the competition. Indian manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra apparently couldn't get the guarantees they wanted regarding powertrain supplies. With new limits on CO2 emissions expected to be enacted in the EU beginning in 2012, the ability of both brands to meet the standards with their larger vehicles poses a problem, as well.

The emissions issue may also be playing a part in Ford's decision to unload the companies and not keep any stake at all in them. Mahindra was really only interested in Land Rover, but Ford wants to sell the two companies as a package deal. Mahindra's Indian competitor Tata is still in the running and has lined up a technical support deal with Fiat if the sale goes through.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

A couple weeks ago, J.D. Power released its Alternative Powertrain Study, which found that hybrid consideration among new car buyers is slipping, while interest in diesels is growing. Today J.D. Power released its 2007 U.S. Hybrid Vehicle Forecast Second Quarter Update, which projects that hybrid sales for 2007 will increase up to 35% this year. Last year, 256,000 hybrids were sold in the U.S., while the report released today indicates that up to 345,000 may be sold by the end of 2007. That would give hybrids a 2.3% share of the total market in the U.S. Sure doesn't sound like interest is slipping to us.

And that number is only likely to grow as more hybrids enter the market like the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Chevy Malibu Hybrid, GM's stable of Two-Mode Hybrid SUVs and like models from Dodge and Chrysler. Toyota itself pledges to have a hybrid option for all of its vehicles by 2020.

Nevertheless, hybrids have become an increasingly tough sell based only on their green merits, as new procedures to estimate EPA mileage have driven down their city and highway mileage estimates to more realistic levels. Also consider a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory that claims in the eight years that hybrids have been on the market in the U.S., they've saved 230 million gallons of fuel. Considering that we use about 385 million gallons of dead dino juice a day in the U.S., that means hybrids have saved us a total of 14 hours of fuel use in 8 years.

[Source: J.D. Power, AutoblogGreen]

Ford: "Volvo's not for sale."

BMW: "You sure?"

Ford: "Volvo's not for sale."

Cerberus: "You sure?"

Ford: "Volvos' not for sale."

And so it goes. Another week, another rumor of a possible Volvo suitor. Ford's staked a lot of their future on Volvo technology, so it's understandable that of all the PAG brands, Volvo is the one that Ford's the most reluctant to sell. With whisperings flying as thick as 17-year cicadas, a Volvo insider has intimated that the brand's Swedish management would like to see Swedish owners return were a sale to occur. The Swedes are extremely proud of Volvo, even now there's a 3rd party set up after the sale to Ford with the sole purpose of looking after the name. Ready and willing to take up the reins, a consortium of Swedish investors, inventively named Investor AB, has already collected over half the estimated value of Volvo, and they're itching to get their brand back. Ford would retain a percentage, and the difference between what's already in hand and what Ford might ask would be raised on the Swedish stock exchange. In light of Ford's recent Q2 profit, Dearborn may just hold on to Volvo for now. The next time they're feeling the pinch, Ford would do well to remember that Volvo is the most salable piece of PAG, one that would actually bring a a decent price. We doubt they need reminding.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Looking to exit, stage left on a melodious note, Doc Zee has bid the Chrysler team a semi-farewell via email. The message was a polite "thank you," instead of the possibly more appropriate "thanks for letting us swoop in from Stuttgart, blast through your cash and let your product line languish." Dieter Zetsche and Tom LaSorda dashed off the e-mail to all Daimler and Chrysler workers this morning. The sale of the Chrysler unit to Cerberus Capital Management is wrapping up, and the executives extended thanks to employees for all the hard work they've performed over the past nine years. While they are splitting, the rhetoric in the e-mail indicates that there will be some intertwining of the two businesses going forward.

Collaboration will continue on electrical components (we hope Chrysler can teach Mercedes a thing or two about making reliable electrics), platform architectures for unitized SUVs and power units. Those collaborations were likely far underway when the schism occurred, and both companies will benefit from the cross pollination. We bet Dieter can bang out a convincing "Free BIrd" on that axe.

[Source Detroit Free Press]

The terms "exotic" and "SUV" seldom go together. With few exceptions, the closest you might get is the Porsche Cayenne, or in reference to the rig you use to tow your supercar from track to concours. One notable exception is the Lamborghini LM002. Nicknamed the "Rambo Lambo", it bridged the gap between the company's tractor and supercar divisions in a military truck that makes the HUMMER look like a Tonka. It was powered by the V12 out of the Countach, and only 300 were said to have been built. With those limited numbers, they don't change hands all that often, but one shining example has just come rumbling onto eBay Motors.

Serial Number ZA9LU45A2JLA12069, in red over tan, is advertised as just having undergone a major servicing where many components were repaired, replaced and upgraded, including newly refinished cylinder heads, gaskets, brakes, suspension, new tires all around (road rubber to replace the off-road Pirelli Scorpions), new interior carpets, reconditioned leather interior, front and rear brush guards, side rails, transfer case, relocated fuel tank, new sound system with overhead speakers and new exhaust system.

With a Buy-It-Now price just shy of $100k, at the time of writing the bids were up to $61,300. That may seem like a huge chunk of change for one of the ugliest, worst-handling, worst-riding, gas-guzzling trucks ever to chew up the road, but you go and try to find something with more road presence.

[Source: eBay via GermanCarScene]