Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Rated M for "Matured" - Nissan readying kinder, gentler GT-R Spec M?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/24/rated-m-for-matured-nissan-readying-kinder-gentler-gt-r-spe/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/24/rated-m-for-matured-nissan-readying-kinder-gentler-gt-r-spe/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/24/rated-m-for-matured-nissan-readying-kinder-gentler-gt-r-spe/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


2009 Nissan GT-R (regular strength version) - Click above for high-res image gallery

So, you've fallen in love with Godzilla, but the bumps and bruises of everyday life with a stiff-riding supercar matched to a dour (if tech-happy) interior might be too much to bear over the long haul. Well, if new rumors are true, Nissan may have just the car for you - a softer-sprung, lux'd-up GT-R dubbed "Spec-M."

According to the folks at Pistonheads, Nissan is preparing this new model featuring a recalibrated suspension setup for greater compliance, including what it calls "ripple control shock absorbers." On the inside, more upscale trimmings are also expected, with new seat color choices, as well as optional aluminum and woodgrain(!) finishes available. No drivetrain or exterior modifications are mooted, and if that's the case, we'd expect very similar performance figures.

No word yet on what markets the rumored Spec-M will be sold in, but we can see a business case being made for the U.S. at Nissan HQ in light of America's often questionable road surfaces and stereotypically softer posteriors.


Gallery: Review: 2009 Nissan GT-R


[Source: Pistonheads]

Rated M for "Matured" - Nissan readying kinder, gentler GT-R Spec M? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-wheel-driveAWDGT-RGTRNissanSkylinesupercarTue, 24 Mar 2009 13:28:00 EST<![CDATA[What's in a Name? BMW to roll out sDrive for rear-drivers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/03/whats-in-a-name-bmw-to-roll-out-sdrive-for-rear-drivers/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/03/whats-in-a-name-bmw-to-roll-out-sdrive-for-rear-drivers/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/03/whats-in-a-name-bmw-to-roll-out-sdrive-for-rear-drivers/#commentsFiled under: ,

Remember the good old days when at least BMW nomenclature was straightforward? The first digit designated the series and the second and third the displacement of the engine. Maybe an extra letter would be tacked on, but that was it. Then they started with M this, Z that and X for the SUVs with xDrive all-wheel drive. So now we've got things like the X6 xDrive 35i. Now they're dropping another one on us: rear-wheel-drive models, which used to be the entire BMW line-up, will now bear the "sDrive" nameplate in addition to whatever else they stick on there.

We already knew this was coming for the upcoming X1, which will be offered in both xDrive (AWD) and sDrive (RWD) variants. (The current X3, X5 and X6 crossovers are all strictly all-wheel-drive models.) BMW has even reportedly registered the trademarks for sDrive18, sDrive20, sDrive30 and sDrive35, as if someone else would try and use the confusing nomenclature. Wait a second... sDrive35? As in the twin-turbo straight six in the 335i? That's bigger than the engine offered in the larger X3, so what is BMW up to?

Reports indicate that the sDrive nameplate could begin appearing on other BMW models driven through the rear axle, including the replacement for the Z4 roadster that was just caught nekkid today. If you look closely on the front fender, you can see a badge that looks an awful lot like "sDrive". We wouldn't expect to see the moniker on the standard series models (1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 Series), since those get the suffix "iX", but we're not sure we can even count on that anymore.

[Source: PaulTan.org]

What's in a Name? BMW to roll out sDrive for rear-drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4wdall wheel driveall-wheel-driveAllWheelDriveawdbmwbmw s drivebmw sdrivebmw x driveBmwSDriveBmwXDrivefour wheel drivefour-wheel-driveFourWheelDriverwds drivesdrivex drivexdriveWed, 03 Dec 2008 19:27:00 EST<![CDATA[VW Group's next small-car platform to get AWD across the board]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/06/vw-groups-next-small-car-platform-to-get-awd-across-the-board/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/06/vw-groups-next-small-car-platform-to-get-awd-across-the-board/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/06/vw-groups-next-small-car-platform-to-get-awd-across-the-board/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi metroproject quattro Concept.

Buyers of the next generation of Volkswagen-developed small cars will have one more option box to tick when placing their order: all-wheel-drive. The new platform, dubbed PQ25, will find its way underneath a handful of new models, spanning the range from the low-end (SEAT), mid-grade (VW) and luxury (Audi). All-wheel-drive won't be an option for the new SEAT Ibiza, but consumers of the next VW Polo (specifically the CrossPolo) might be able to outfit their tiny runabout with AWD, while the Audi A1, due out in late 2009, will continue the automaker's love affair with quattro.

Gallery: Audi metroproject quattro concept


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

VW Group's next small-car platform to get AWD across the board originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 May 2008 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a1all wheel driveall-wheel-driveAllWheelDriveaudiaudi a1AudiA1awdawd crosspoloAwdCrosspolocross poloCrossPoloquattroseatvolkswagenvolkswagen crosspoloVolkswagenCrosspolovw crosspolovw poloVwCrosspoloVwPoloTue, 06 May 2008 14:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Haldex developing AWD system for Hyundai]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/26/haldex-developing-awd-system-for-hyundai/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/26/haldex-developing-awd-system-for-hyundai/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/26/haldex-developing-awd-system-for-hyundai/#commentsFiled under: ,



The Swedish engineers at Haldex can finally add an Asian automaker to the ever-expanding list of companies using the firm's all-wheel-drive systems. Haldex currently supplies systems to the entire Volkswagen consortium (from Audi to Bugatti), as well as Land Rover and Volvo. Additionally, the Haldex XWD system that's finding its way into Saabs will likely spread across much of the GM range in the future. That same AWD setup is the basis for a system that will be employed on some Hyundai models in the coming years.

Haldex announced the partnership late last week when it received a prototype order from Hyundai, which includes the development and installation of the fourth generation "Limited Slip Coupling" and electronic LSD. The XWD system has the ability to sense a loss of traction and then distribute power to either the front or rear axle and on to an individual wheel.

There's no word on what vehicle will be used as a drivetrain guinea pig during testing, but the smart money is on some form of SUV or large sedan.

[Source: Trading Markets]

Haldex developing AWD system for Hyundai originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all wheel driveall-wheel-driveAllWheelDriveawdhaldexhyundaihyundai 4wdhyundai all wheel drivehyundai all-wheel-drivehyundai awdHyundai4wdHyundaiAll-wheel-driveHyundaiAllWheelDriveHyundaiAwdMon, 26 Nov 2007 08:34:00 EST<![CDATA[BMW adding all-wheel drive to 3-series coupe]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/16/bmw-adding-all-wheel-drive-to-3-series-coupe/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/16/bmw-adding-all-wheel-drive-to-3-series-coupe/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/16/bmw-adding-all-wheel-drive-to-3-series-coupe/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Reports are coming in that BMW will be launching an all-wheel-drive 335xi Coupe sometime in the first half of next year. It will be the first time all four wheels will be powered on a 3-Series coupe, and the car will stand as a direct competitor to Audi's A5 Quattro coupe. Being coupled with BMW's 300-hp twin-turbo inline-six means the 335xi Coupe can reach 60 mph in 5.2 seconds for the manual version (0.1 second quicker than the RWD model) and 5.3 seconds for the automatic (0.2 seconds quicker than the RWD model). It turns out the additional traction more than compensates for the extra weight of BMW's xDrive AWD system. We hear the base price will be $42,600, which we assume is in USD since it falls right above the $40,800 starting price of the 335i (shown) in the U.S.

[Source: edBMWBlog]

BMW adding all-wheel drive to 3-series coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3-series coupe3-seriesCoupe335xi coupe335xiCoupeall-wheel-driveAWDbmwThu, 16 Aug 2007 19:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter the (drivetrain) rumormill: V6, AWD Corolla on the horizon?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/24/enter-the-drivetrain-rumormill-v6-awd-corolla-on-the-horizon/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/24/enter-the-drivetrain-rumormill-v6-awd-corolla-on-the-horizon/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/24/enter-the-drivetrain-rumormill-v6-awd-corolla-on-the-horizon/#commentsFiled under: ,



Our friends over at the Authority of all things Motored came across an interesting interview with Soichiro Okudaira, a Toyota technician, who maintains that the next Corolla may have a large enough engine bay to fit a 3.5-liter V6. The idea is being batted around ToMoCo's executive washroom, along with the possibility of offering an all-wheel-drive variant of Toyota's compact sedan.

AWD-equipped Corollas (named the Auris in other parts of the world) are nothing new, as they've been offered in Japan before, but aside from the Corolla 4Trac of yesteryear, we haven't had an AWD option for some time (Matrix excluded). Okudaira says that more R-and-D is necessary, as the rear wheel setup still has to be augmented to accept the new drivetrain components.

European buyers will surely get a diesel version when the new Corolla is released, while those of us in the U.S. are destined to get a petrol-powerplant. If the V6 gets the green light, Motor Authority expects the new Corolla to be launched in the States later this year.

[Source: AutoTelegraaf.nl via Motor Authority]

Enter the (drivetrain) rumormill: V6, AWD Corolla on the horizon? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 May 2007 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all wheel driveall-wheel-driveAllWheelDriveawdcorollatoyotav6Thu, 24 May 2007 09:27:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: "Not in this Weather" Mercedes ad]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/14/video-not-in-this-weather-mercedes-ad/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/14/video-not-in-this-weather-mercedes-ad/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/14/video-not-in-this-weather-mercedes-ad/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This is a bit of an old commercial, but it's a good one, and since it's resurfaced on the net, we thought we'd give you a chance to enjoy it again... for the first time.

The ad is for Mercedes' proprietary 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system and its astonishing homewrecking capabilities. Will the husband make it through the blizzard to catch his wife in the arms of another man? Not in this weather.

The commercial reminds us of the BMW ad we showed you a few weeks ago featuring a tempted groom on his way to church. Goes to show the old adage never fails: sex sells.

[Source: The Mercedes Benz blog]

VIDEO: "Not in this Weather" Mercedes ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4maticadall-wheel-drivebenzcommercialinmercedesnotthisvideoweatherTue, 14 Nov 2006 19:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Volkswagen Scirocco green-lighted]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/15/report-volkswagen-scirocco-green-lighted/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/15/report-volkswagen-scirocco-green-lighted/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/15/report-volkswagen-scirocco-green-lighted/#commentsFiled under: , ,



After a seemingly interminable number of artist renderings and computer-generated 'spyshots' (including the shot seen above), AutoWeek says that Volkswagen has given the neo-Scirocco the go-ahead.

According to the magazine's sources, buyers can expect the coupe to command $28,000 in base spec (front-wheel-drive, four-pot). An all-wheel-drive 3.6-liter V6 is expected to be the top rung, which we would guess would start at about $34,000 if AutoWeek's estimate is in the ballpark.

Click through for more scuttlebutt on VW's coming hot wind.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Report: Volkswagen Scirocco green-lighted originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jun 2006 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3.6-literall wheel driveAll-Wheel-DriveAllWheelDriveAWDSciroccoVeedubVWThu, 15 Jun 2006 08:04:00 EST