Autoblog

GM pumping $450M into Argentine plant for new model

Zach Bowman — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, GM, South America

General Motors has announced that it will invest $450 million in its Rosario Automotive Complex in Argentina between 2013 and 2015. The cash will go toward tooling up for an all-new Chevrolet product to be exported globally. Details concerning what that new vehicle could be or where exactly it will be sold are nil, though GM said it will be based on a current global platform and that it will serve both regional and domestic markets.

All told, the Rosario plant built 135,000 vehicles last year, and the influx of cash will help expand that operation considerably. You can check out the brief press release below for more information.

Continue reading GM pumping $450M into Argentine plant for new model

GM pumping $450M into Argentine plant for new model originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Argentine driver Guido Falaschi killed in final lap crash

Zach Bowman — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, South America

Motorsports fans are mourning the passing of Guido Falaschi. The 22-year-old Argentine driver was killed Sunday during the last lap of Turismo Carretera when he lost control of his Ford Falcon touring car in an attempt to avoid a collision with a lapped racer. Falaschi's race car slid across a gravel trap and into a tire barrier before being struck by another car and rolling back onto the race course. His vehicle was then struck by a second race car driven by Nestor Girolami. Doctors confirmed Falaschi's death later that day, though Girolami is reported to be in stable condition and recovering at a local hospital.

The crash occurred at the Juan Manuel Fangio race track. Click past the jump for a look at the crash video, though be warned that the footage may be too graphic for some audiences.

Continue reading Argentine driver Guido Falaschi killed in final lap crash

Argentine driver Guido Falaschi killed in final lap crash originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Argentina forcing carmakers to export wine, peanuts and chicken feed

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials, South America

Want to sell cars in Argentina? Be prepared to get into the wine business. Or the rice, peanut, chicken feed, biodiesel or bottled water businesses. Or anything else of value, really.

Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (pictured above) has enacted a program to increase the country's exports and boost its economy by requiring automakers to match, dollar for dollar, the price of its vehicle imports by exporting some other product from Argentina.

While the plan will surely accomplish the goal of increasing exports, some experts are wary of its impact on the auto market. Marcos Ferrario, an economist who tracks the Argentinian auto industry, told Bloomberg: "It's very difficult to counterbalance imports of luxury cars, which are worth about $150,000 each, with sales of olives or wines."

As long as Argentina's auto market is growing by about 30 percent per year, we'd expect automakers to do their best to keep dealerships stocked with vehicles. Long term, though, this sounds like a plan that's nearly impossible to sustain.

Argentina forcing carmakers to export wine, peanuts and chicken feed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stock car racing comes to.... Antarctica?!

Zach Bowman — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, South America, Racing

Argentina has apparently brought stock car racing to Antarctica for the very first time. The Asociacion Corredores Turismo Carretera recently teamed up with the Argentina Air Force and the interior ministry to bring one racer to the frozen continent. Hugo Mazzacane, vice president of the racing organization, piloted the car down 3,937 feet of runway in temperatures of four degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. We aren't exactly sure of the motivations behind the stunt, but our Google Translator informs us that the trip had something to do with bringing renewed passports to those already stationed on Antarctica.

Then again, if you have to ask why, you probably shouldn't be anywhere near motorsports in the first place. There's no indication as to what kind of preparations were taken to ensure that the car could perform in the cold or what kind of driving suit Mazzacane had to don in order to keep from freezing himself out of the cockpit. Still, looks like a fun time to us.

Stock car racing comes to.... Antarctica?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevrolet Cobalt lives... in South America

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:46:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Misc. Auto Shows, South America

Chevrolet Cobalt Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Cobalt lives. Well, not here in the United States, where the Chevrolet Cruze has thankfully banished all memories of GM's last uncompetitive compact, but at least in Argentina. Alongside the Colorado Rally Concept, Chevrolet is displaying the Cobalt Concept you see here at the Buenos Aires International Motor Show.

We're pretty sure this new Cobalt is a Cobalt in name only, as it doesn't appear to share anything with the previous model that is no longer in production and, though no dimensional details are provided, seems smaller than the Delta platform used by its erstwhile namesake. Perhaps it uses the Gamma architecture used by the new Sonic and global Aveo?

In any case, this Cobalt, though officially a concept, seems destined for production in South America and possibly other emerging markets around the world. The automaker says it will offer a range of engines from 1.3 to 1.8 liters that will run on either ethanol, gasoline or diesel.

As far as the styling goes, we can see the current Chevrolet design language front and center, with a two-tier grille up front flanked by sweeping headlamps. The flanks are highlighted by downward-pointing swage lines front and rear. Out back, LED lights punctuate some questionably large, chrome-surrounded lamps.

Inside, this Cobalt Concept is impressively finished with leather seating surfaces and door panels. A unique woodgrain accent highlights the steering wheel. LED lighting in a soft blue is a welcome touch, as is the in-dash navigation system and twin seven-inch LCD screens in the headrests, which we doubt would make it into production.

Check out our high-res image gallery for all the pics.

Chevrolet Cobalt lives... in South America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donto Motors P1 to take on Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: South America, Racing

Donto Motors P1 - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you've never heard of Argentina-based Donto Motors before, you're not alone. However, just because this company has remained out of the spotlight doesn't mean they don't have big things in the works - how about a hardcore track day racer designed to compete with the likes of the Ariel Atom and KTM X-Bow? If it ever sees production, Donto Motors' P1 should easily fit right in with these odd/awesome track toys.

The rear-mounted engine is a Volkswagen/Audi-sourced 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 180 horsepower, and it looks like Donto took visual cues from Audi, as well. The front end's large side vents are reminiscent of a certain supercar that we've grown quite fond of, and the rest of the body work is made up of a split construction, in which it's designed to look as if the body is floating on the FIA-approved chassis. The whole thing weighs just over 1,500 pounds, too, so we imagine that the end result will be a spirited little whip for track day fun.

Donto is hoping to keep the P1 priced around $55,000, and the United States is one of the countries that could receive the lightweight roadster if it goes into production. Emphasis on the word "if." Head over to Diseno-art.com for more.

Gallery: Donto Motors P1

[Source: Diseno-art.com]

Donto Motors P1 to take on Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Dakar imposters busted with 800+ kilos of cocaine in faux rally truck

Zach Bowman — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal

Smugglers are, by nature, a crafty bunch. Slaves to the market forces of supply and demand, drug runners risk liberty and limb to pedal their life-ruining wares around the world. Doing so requires a healthy helping of creativity, so it should come as no surprise that an Ibiza-based drug ring tried to use a fake Paris-Dakar support truck to move vast sums of drugs from Argentina to the Spanish port of Bilbao.

The intrepid smugglers bought a truck, gave it a race livery and a crew, complete with matching uniforms, and shipped the whole thing to a farm that was situated close to the Paris-Dakar course. Here's where it gets fun. They then proceeded to pack hidden compartments with 814 kilos of cocaine, 15,000 ecstasy tablets, 4.5 kilos of hashish and $64,000 in cold hard cash. Evidently that wasn't enough to bribe the authorities when the whole thing returned to Bilbao, though, as the operation got pinched by the man.

A total of seven people have been detained in connection with the attempted smuggling plot, and if authorities can get any of the charges to stick, you can bet they won't be seeing daylight for a long, long time.

[Source: FoxSports - sub. req. | Image: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty]

Report: Dakar imposters busted with 800+ kilos of cocaine in faux rally truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Standing water + train = car wash!

Alex Nunez — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor, South America

Luckily, no one on the overpass appears to be driving a convertible - Click above to watch the video after the jump

What happens when you combine a flooded underpass, a traffic-jammed overpass, and a passenger train in Buenos Aires, Argentina? You get a real-life Six Flags water attraction. Those people standing near the train tracks? They need towels. Hope everyone up on the road above had their windows closed. Follow the jump to watch.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Standing water + train = car wash!

Video: Standing water + train = car wash! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen continues inscrutable naming practice with new Amarok pickup

Chris Paukert — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Hybrid, Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen

2008 Volkswagen Concept Pickup - Click above for a high-res gallery

Remember when Volkswagen just named their cars for different winds? Scirocco, Jetta, Corrado, Santana - they all had a certain clean, sweeping quality about them, even if it wasn't immediately clear where the names came from. More recently, however, VW has gone further afield, invoking cryptic names like Touareg (a nomadic Saharan tribe) and Tiguan (Tiger + Iguana). Add this to the list: Amarok.

That's the official name for VW's forthcoming overseas market pickup truck. According to the automaker's press release, Amarok means "wolf" in the language of the hearty, frigid-dwelling Inuit. Alternatively, VW says the appelation "translates into 'he loves stones' in the languages spoken in South America." We'll have to take their word for it, but we can certainly see some sort of stoning at work here.

For its part, Volkswagen actually hasn't unveiled the production version of the Amarok yet, although it did display the fetching concept version (labeled simply as 'Concept Pickup') seen here at last September's IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hanover, Germany, and a prototype example was even spotted running around the Nürburgring in April.

In any case, VW promises the Amarok will launch as a double-cab, four-wheel drive pickup, with a smaller single-cab variant to follow. Built in Argentina, the diesel pickup will hit South America early next year, with Central America coming on stream in the spring, followed by Russia, Europe, Africa, and Australia. As expected, North America isn't in the model's plans at this time. Check out the full press release after the jump.

Gallery: Volkswagen Concept Pickup

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen continues inscrutable naming practice with new Amarok pickup

Volkswagen continues inscrutable naming practice with new Amarok pickup originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Sebastien Loeb does the Gymkhana dance

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Citroën

Follow the jump to watch Sebastien Loeb demonstrate his talents

Sebastien Loeb went to Argentina and did some dancing that wasn't the tango. The WRC champion performed a demonstration with his Citroen rally car that was reminiscent of gymkhana. Although it's a little repetitive and nowhere near as mind-blowing as this other guy's gymkhana session, it is clear that Seb knows his way around the barriers and over the jumps. Follow the jump to check out the vid.

[Source: 0-60 magazine]

Continue reading VIDEO: Sebastien Loeb does the Gymkhana dance

VIDEO: Sebastien Loeb does the Gymkhana dance originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former F1 driver Carlos Reutemann running for President of Argentina

Noah Joseph — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:37:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Celebrities

There's not much of a shelf life for professional racing drivers. Around the time when the rest of us are just getting our careers started, they're already in their prime. Especially in Formula One: a few years ago, Fernando Alonso set the record of youngest world champion at 24, which was beaten last season by Lewis Hamilton at 23. And while a handful of drivers will stay in the sport into their late 30's or resort to other series after hitting their peaks, most of them, like other sports figures, start their second careers after they're earned their trophies on the race track.

Carlos Reutemann won twelve grands prix over the course of his ten years in F1 with such teams as Ferrari and Williams, but when his racing days were finished, he turned to politics in his native Argentina. Now, after having served as governor of the Santa Fe province and in the National Senate, Reutemann has announced his candidacy for President. Reutemann's conservative policies and ties to former President Carlos Menem have been a source of some controversy, culminating in his being assaulted by an angry mob in 2004. Meanwhile supporters had hoped he would run for the presidency in 2001, but Reutemann opted to remain in the Senate and run in the next elections in 2011 instead. With car journalists running London and racing drivers running for president in Argentina, we don't know what's going on with global politics, but we like it.

[Source: F1-Live]

Former F1 driver Carlos Reutemann running for President of Argentina originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dakar looks at alternatives, South America tops list

Noah Joseph — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Following the unfortunate cancellation of this year's Dakar rally, race organizers are examining a number of potential alternatives to permanently move the race away from northern Africa. Last year's race had stages canceled due to security considerations, but this year's event, which would have been going on right now, was the first to be cancelled in the rally's history. With reports now suggesting that the French foreign ministry's urging to cancel was based on direct threats from Al Qaeda to the Dakar rally itself, last year's modified race will likely have been the last to run the traditional, if oft-modified, route.

ASO - the French outfit that organizes the event, along with the famous Tour de France bicycle race - has considered a number of alternatives, including Dubai, Australia, and even running the distance from Paris all the way to Beijing, but reports are now suggesting that following the offer from the Chilean tourism minister, a deal has already been signed to hold the rally beginning next year on a route from Argentina to Chile and back.

Although the South American rally likely won't happen this year, when it does it will likely revert to Dakar's traditional January 1 starting gun and take the place of the Pampas Rally in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup.

[Source: Autosport]

Dakar looks at alternatives, South America tops list originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda ramping up CR-V production in Mexico

Chris Shunk — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Honda

The small utility vehicle market is booming right now, and there may be none better in the non-luxury space than the fuel-sipping Honda CR-V. Honda has to be thrilled with their little 'ute, mostly because customers are snatching up the vehicle with little or no incentives, and it's far and away the best-selling CUV in the US. The CR-V has been so successful that Honda has increased production in Mexico by 20,000 units annually to expand sales into Brazil and Argentina. Honda is hiring an additional 600 employees to its El Salto plant in Mexico to account for growing production. The move is part of Honda's plan to double North American production of the CR-V.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Honda ramping up CR-V production in Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yikes! Lamborghini Alar official pics

Alex Nunez — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Lamborghini

Click image for additional pics (including hires version of the above) in our gallery.

When we first saw the initial rendering of Joan Ferci's Lamborghini Alar, a Diablo-based special that's somehow allowed to retain the Lamborghini nameplate, we knew it'd be pretty ugly. Now, Argentina Auto Blog, the site that brought us the original rendering, has ponied up what are reportedly the first official shots of the car, and it's just about what you'd expect.

Looking like the bastard child of a Pontiac Banshee cross-bred with leftover elements from H.R. Giger's original Alien designs, the Alar is, by all appearances, a waking nightmare on four wheels.The hammerhead shark-like nose is particularly weird-looking. Ironically, there are people who go out of their way to build kit cars that look like real Diablos. Here you have a case where perfectly good Diablos will be sacrificed in order to make them look like wacky kit cars. The mind reels.

[Source: Argentina Auto Blog]

Gallery: Lamborghini Alar

Yikes! Lamborghini Alar official pics originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford sued for kidnapping, torture in Argentina

Chris Paukert — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classics

Ex-union organizers in Argentina have filed a lawsuit against the Ford Motor Company and the company's local arm, claiming that they were abducted and tortured inside a Blue Oval facility during the country's 1976-1983 military dictatorship.

According to the civil suit, Ford allegedly "planned and executed a precise and concrete plan to violently get rid of the labor union activities, with the purpose of establishing a terrorism of enterprise that would allow it to freely reduce its staff and...speed up production lines," engaging in beatings, mock firing squads, and electric shocks.

Those bringing the suit are seeking an undisclosed amount of money, along with a possible formal apology by the automaker.

Mercedes-Benz has also been singled-out for alleged violent crimes under the regime, including the kidnapping of some 18 employees from 1976-1977, fifteen of whom have never been found.

[Source: Morningstar]

Ford sued for kidnapping, torture in Argentina originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Feb 2006 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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