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[2008 International Engine of the Year Award nominees announced]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/2008-international-engine-of-the-year-award-nominees-announced/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/2008-international-engine-of-the-year-award-nominees-announced/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/2008-international-engine-of-the-year-award-nominees-announced/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The "International Engine of the Year Award" is a big deal as far as bragging rights go in this industry. Think of it like the Academy Awards for engines. However, instead of members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voting, you have 62 renowned motoring journalists, from 30 countries, casting ballots for their favorite fossil fuel burner.

Last year's winner (pictured above) was BMW's twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6. This year's list of nominees includes Nissan's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 (found in the Nissan GT-R), Mitsubishi' 2.0-liter twin-turbo I4 (Mitsubishi EVO X), Audi's 5.2-liter V10 (Audi S8), Chevrolet's 6.2-liter supercharged V8 (Corvette ZR1), and BMW's 4.0-liter V8 (BMW M3). Let's sit back and listen to the orchestra for a bit... the winners don't get announced until May 7, at Engine Expo 2008, in Stuttgart, Germany.

2008 International Engine of the Year Award nominees announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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click above for more high-res images of the gorgeous Audi R8

It's that time of year where everyone's prognosticating like Nostradamus about what the coming year will hold. The authoritative ink slingers at Automobile magazine have decided that Audi's R8 deserves the dual honors of 2008 Automobile Of The Year and Design Of The Year, as well. While infused with the generous spirit, Automobile named General Motor's Two-Mode Hybrid rig Technology Of The Year.

The R8 is Audi's sports/GT that looks like a supercar and radiates a glow across the entire Audi model line. Not only does it have neck-snapping visual presence, with a 420 horsepower V8 between the axles, there's a deep well of accelerative force to go along with a finely-tuned AWD chassis that doesn't scramble the occupants. Park the R8 next to some rosso italiano, and the lithe German with its metal side blades, straked vents front and rear, and muscular stance might just steal all the thunder.

Big trucks that return 20mpg in the city have been about as realistic as Tinkerbell, until now. General Motors partnered with BMW and the artist formerly known as DaimlerChrysler to develop a flexible hybrid architecture for a wide variety of applications. The second-generation system, with lots more transmission trickery added to the bag of fuel-saving techniques, is allowing the GMT900 platform to post city EPA mileage numbers not far behind four-cylinder midsizers. Because of the system's joint development, we should start seeing this hardware popping up in a variety of different vehicles soon. We're sure that not everyone will agree with Automobile's picks, so fire away with your own suggestions.

Press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 Audi R8

Continue reading Automobile names Audi R8 top car for '08; GM wins for hybrid tech

Automobile names Audi R8 top car for '08; GM wins for hybrid tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>20072008audiautomobilebestcardesigndualdual modeDualModegeneral motorsGeneralMotorsgmhybridmagazinemodepredictionsportssports carSportsCartechnologytoptrucktwotwo modeTwoModeWed, 26 Dec 2007 15:03:00 EST<![CDATA[MSNBC names the best and worst selling of 2007]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/23/msnbc-names-the-best-and-worst-selling-of-2007/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/23/msnbc-names-the-best-and-worst-selling-of-2007/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/23/msnbc-names-the-best-and-worst-selling-of-2007/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It was the best of times, it was the worst of times - it was 2007. Topping the sales figures for the year that almost was are mainly servile vehicles, while the more ostentatious, less useful cars round out the bottom-feeder roster. Family cars at the top and niche cars in the basement doesn't tell the entire story, though.

Yes, there are some cars that you expect would sell in small volumes. Sporty things like the Porsche Boxster, Vette-in-drag Caddy XLR, blob-tacular Lexus SC430, and Audi A8/S8 über-sedan all sold in expected tiny numbers for such specialized machinery. Rounding out the nadir of automotive sales, you'll find nearly every Jaguar model, and some dead-on-the-vine products like the Mazda B-series pickups (Ford Ranger) and Isuzu Ascender (Chevy Trailblazer).

Hit the jump to read more, and see the list

[Source: Motor Authority]

Continue reading MSNBC names the best and worst selling of 2007

MSNBC names the best and worst selling of 2007 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.D. Power and Associates has polled owners of factory-nav equipped vehicles, and Infiniti's zippy-performing setup gets the nod for top honors from end users. Part of the win might be chalked up to the hard drive that the Infiniti system comes with, making it more responsive than a DVD based navigation system. Infiniti owners also tend to be more tech savvy than owners of other navigation-equipped vehicles, further contributing to the win. The study's results show that even after coming up with a few extra thousand dollars to get the fancy LCD in the dash, most drivers hardly scratch the surface of what the systems can do for them. Apparently, watching a little triangle follow an animated route is all many owners ever use their nav systems for, preferring to be even more helpless and use live operators to talk them in.

Ignorance leads to negative comments about maps that are out of date (easily rectified via updates), while actual technology gets in the way when it comes to wonky voice activation and real time traffic updates that have limited coverage in some areas. Despite the complaints, most owners declined to go back to the dealer for any kind of solution. Some owners apparently purchase navigation systems because they like the fancy cachet, while others actually use the systems. Those that use their nav more than twice a week tended to be more satisfied, pretty much proving that navigation systems are complex and take time to learn how to fully utilize before they're more than an expensive electronic bauble. Having used the Infiniti navigation system, we can say that it is among the best when it comes to ease of use and accuracy, but unfortunately, we're not junketing enough to far flung locales to actually need it.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Infiniti G35's sat-nav ranks top among users originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's the Ultimate List, at least until it becomes the Penultimate List the next time some publication decides to go through the exercise of picking the best of all time, and then justifying the results. Automobile Magazine has picked up the gauntlet for its September 2007 issue, and selected what they've termed The 25 Greatest Cars of All Time. Of course nobody's going to agree with each one of their picks, but their list is a good one, backed up by solid explanations for each picked. Thus, it's hard to fault the gang at Automobile - they love cars as much as the rest of us, and most of the cars that made the cut would likely also be our picks.

For some outside perspective, there are sidebars sprinkled throughout the feature with figures like Mario Andretti, Walter di'Silva, and Caroll Shelby (among others) opining on their idea of the greatest car of all time. You could accuse us of being sentimental fools, but it's heartening to see the past so well represented, even when more modern cars can run rings around the four-wheeled icons that made the cut. Choices are organized into five categories: Dynamics, Innovation, Supercars, Racing, and Icons.

More after the jump, including Automobile's original list of 150 nominees and a few of those selected as the Greatest of All Time. Click the Read link to view Automobile's final list of 25 cars.

[Source: dBusinessNews.com]

Continue reading Automobile names 25 greatest cars of all time

Automobile names 25 greatest cars of all time originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At first blush, the Altima coupe sounds like a Japanese Monte Carlo -- firmly midsized, front drive, fast roofline -- but that's where the similarities end. Inside Line put an Altima coupe with the lusty 270 HP V6 under the microscope and proclaimed it the best of the field. While the performance figures and spec sheet may reflect solid numbers that don't necessarily best the competition, there are some cars that have a je ne sais quoi that defies measurement. The Inside Line folks laid down the clipboard on the passenger seat and discovered that the Altima Coupe experience is more about how the whole of the machine works. It sounds to us like the Altima is channelling the G37, and thusly, it outclasses its peers.

Thanks for the tip, Mehdi!

[Source: Inside Line]

First review of Nissan Altima Coupe calls it "best" of FWD two-doors originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 May 2007 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forbes and a few special guests play matchmaker, putting some magnificent stretches of blacktop together with some magnificent wheels. California is, of course, well represented among the entrants -- Danica Patrick likes Highway 1 around Monterey in a Bentley GTC, and Bob Bondurant likes Mulholland Drive in a 1965 'Stang. The rest of the country gets some love as well, though. A DB9 is best suited for the Las Vegas to Death Valley to Mammoth Lakes run (be sure to check out Dante's View in Death Valley). For the Easterners among you, the Tail of the Dragon in the Great Smoky Mountains, from Tennessee to North Carolina, is perfect for an '07 vintage Porsche Turbo. Being Forbes, all but one of the best rides are big money, but don't let that stop you -- the roads don't discriminate. Land Rover gets our vote for the best choice of best road: essentially, they chose Africa.

[Source: Forbes]

Forbes pairs the world's best roads to the world's best rides originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 May 2007 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1bestforbeshighwaypchridesroadsSat, 05 May 2007 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Paradise: Ferrari named Best Place to Work]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/03/paradise-ferrari-named-best-place-to-work/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/03/paradise-ferrari-named-best-place-to-work/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/03/paradise-ferrari-named-best-place-to-work/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We must confess that, from time to time, many of us drift into daydreams and wonder what it must be like to work for Ferrari. But surely the reality can't be all that good, right? No, no ... it is. This according to the Great Place to Work Institute, which named the company Best Place to Work in Europe for 2007.

The decoration comes as the result of a corporate initiative called "Formula Uomo," which sought to better the working conditions and lives of the company's considerable workforce. As part of the initiative, over the past decade Ferrari has spent considerable sums of money on new facilities, employee training and family benefits. Just the revitalization of the facilities in and around the factory -- the building of Maranello Village serves as just one example -- has totaled some ?200 million. Employee perks also include staff education, extensive medical coverage and company events.

Ferrari can add this to the Best Place to Work in Italy award which it received in 2003, along with all the race trophies and road-car accolades that the company has won over its 60-year history.

And here we thought, after watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, that those Oompa-Loompas had it pretty sweet. If anyone from Maranello is reading this, would you happen to be in need of any bloggers?

Press release after the jump.

Related posts:

[Source: Ferrari]

What's working for Ferrari in the U.S. like? Check out our gallery below of the Ferrari Store in Beverly Hills.

Gallery: Ferrari Store opens in Beverly Hills

Continue reading Paradise: Ferrari named Best Place to Work

Paradise: Ferrari named Best Place to Work originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 May 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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