Gallery: LA 2009: 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Continue reading LA 2009: Porsche debuts lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder

LA 2009: Porsche debuts lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg

REPORT: Volkswagen Touareg successor headed for Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Originally predicted to be shown at the Paris Motor Show in October of this year, the 2010 Saab 9-5 won't actually debut until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March of next year.

While details of the new car are vague, we do know that it is based on GM's Epsilon II platform (unlike the new 9-3, now rumored to be downsized) and that the styling is expected to follow cues from the Saab Aero-X. Back in November 2006, we called the current Saab 9-5 an octogenarian. In today's current automotive industry, the 9-5 has reached centenarian status. The replacement can't come soon enough.

[Source: Trollhattansaab]

New Saab 9-5 set for Geneva next March originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 May 2008 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

click above for more high-res pics of the Williams FW30

Things have gotten a bit foggy over at Williams F1. The once front-running, championship-winning grand prix team has landed on tough times. This year the team opted against holding a glitzy unveiling event like those held recently by Ferrari, McLaren, Toyota and BMW Sauber, and instead focused its energies on developing its new car, the FW30. It seemed like a strange choice for the team that will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and during the season will mark its 500th grand prix and 50,000th racing lap.

But while the team isn't holding an official unveiling, it has whipped up six special paint schemes to celebrate its milestones this year. (We doubt any of them will be as cool as Aston Martin's new-old Gulf livery, but hopefully they'll be better than Honda's tree-hugging paint scheme.) The first time the motorsport press got a glimpse of the new FW30 was yesterday at the Valencia track where the new car was being put through its paces.

Renault was also supposed to take out the R28, the new chariot it has developed for returning former champion Fernando Alonso, but the fog kept them indoors. Honda is scheduled to unveil its new car later this week, as well. Williams, for its part, is hoping the new FW30, powered under contract by Toyota and driven by Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima, will perform and be reliable enough to get it back on the track to its former winning form.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by DIEGO TUSON/AFP/Getty]

Gallery: Williams FW30

Williams FW30 breaks through the fog originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

click above to view more high-res images of the BMW Sauber F1.08

While BMW was busy taking the wraps off the production X6 and 3-liter twin-turbo-diesel in Detroit, its Formula One team unveiled its latest race car at their headquarters in Munich, Germany. For those of you who missed the event, which was broadcast live over the internet, we've got the details for you here.

A "radical evolution" is what star designer Willy Rampf calls his latest creation, the BMW Sauber F1.08. Based on last year's successful F1.07, which took the team to second place overall in the constructors' championship (following McLaren's disqualification), the F1.08 adapts to the new regulations - loss of traction control, standardized ECU and longer-lasting transmission - while the bodywork narrows in width, coupled with an improved aerodynamic package.

BMW is hoping to compete with Ferrari and McLaren next season for checkered flags, and given its progress since taking over the Sauber team in 2006, it just might get there. Both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica are staying on for a third consecutive season with the team, lending stability when many teams are switching it up for 2008.

Check out the gallery below for high-resolution images of the F1.08 launch, and pertinent excerpts from the 108-page press release after the jump.

[Source: BMW Sauber F1 Team]

Gallery: BMW Sauber F1.08 launch

Continue reading Meanwhile, in Munich: BMW Sauber unveils the F1.08

Meanwhile, in Munich: BMW Sauber unveils the F1.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The TF108 departs from last year's TF107 primarily in two areas. First, Toyota lengthened the wheelbase to improve vehicle stability. (Ferrari made a similar design move last year with the F2007, the car with which they secured both world championship titles, but the Scuderia shrank it down again for the new F2008.) Secondly, the TF108 benefits from what Toyota says is a significantly improved aerodynamic package, an area in which last year's car was severely lacking. The TF108 also has to conform to new regulations imposed on the entire series, including further structural safety measures and the standardized ECU. Although engine development has been frozen by the FIA, the RVX-08 engine is mated to a new 7-speed sequential geabox.

Panasonic Toyota Racing desperately needs to find success behind the wheel of the TF108 next season, after the revelation that the bean counters in Japan have given the team two more seasons to turn things around... or else. We'll be watching closely to see how Jarno Trulli, returning for another season with Toyota, and Timo Glock, fresh from his title in GP2, will perform in the 2008 Formula One World Championship.

Follow the jump for a video from the launch, full press release and technical specifications on the TF108.

[Source: Toyota F1]

Gallery: Toyota TF108

Continue reading Toyota F1 pins its hopes on new TF108

Toyota F1 pins its hopes on new TF108 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Fiat 500 is selling like hotcakes everywhere it's hit the market, but Fiat isn't about to sit back and let the product speak for itself. "Committed to making the country smile for the night", Fiat's British subsidiary is planning to debut the retro-mini in a capsule on the London Eye, the 443-foot Ferris wheel formerly known as the Millennium Wheel on the banks of the River Thames.

The 500, which has been winning award after award, will take flight on the wheel at precisely 500 hours into the New Year, on Monday, January 21, 2008 at 8 pm. The high-flying British premiere is one of several recent firsts for the 500 worldwide, having recently appeared in police guise in Amsterdam and been prepared for the track in Australia.

Follow the jump for the press release and an additional photo.

[Source: Fiat UK]

Continue reading Time Capsule: Fiat 500 set for UK launch on the London Eye

Time Capsule: Fiat 500 set for UK launch on the London Eye originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the images to view in high resolution

With its principal rival McLaren scheduled to follow tomorrow, and the others (accept for Williams) in the coming days and weeks, Ferrari kicked off the unveilings of the 2008 F1 cars when it took the wraps off its new F2008 today in Italy.

If you're thinking that the F2008 looks a lot like the F2007 it's replacing, you're not very far off. Aside from the fact that most F1 cars look the same to the untrained eye, rather than go with a completely new package like they did last year, Ferrari's racing engineers and designers opted to go for an evolution of the F2007 with the new car, code-named Project 659.

Despite the constantly-evolving technology in F1, the F2008 is actually heavier than last year's car, due to new regulations coming into play for the upcoming season that include the elimination of traction control, a new standardized ECU and additional safety structure. While the aerodynamic package has been significantly revised, Ferrari has been quick as ever to point out that all those wings and spoilers will be significantly revised again before the car begins its campaign to defend its world titles at the Australian Grand Prix in March.

The F2008 is scheduled to hit the track for the first time tomorrow at the company's private Fiorano test facility in Maranello. For more images, check out the gallery below. For those interested in the technical details, we've got the full press release after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

Gallery: Ferrari F2008

Continue reading Ferrari unveils F2008 Formula One race car

Ferrari unveils F2008 Formula One race car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Kia Borrego offical shots

Pics Aplenty: Kia Mohave/Borrego launches in Korea originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been a regular smorgasbord for fans of Mercedes roadsters over here, with this teaser shot of the upcoming facelifted flagship SL hitting the web just a few days after Benz revealed the updated version of the smaller SLK. But while the SLK was revealed first in "ordinary" guise, the image above shows the full-fat, fire-breathing SL 65 AMG version.

We already know that the facelift will feature a heavily revised front end with new headlight treatment, but from the rear three-quarter view Mercedes is enticing us with, all can also see the revised taillights, new diffuser with quad exhausts, and a subtle lip spoiler. The new SL 65 also appears to be riding on AMG's latest 19-inch five-spoke rims, similar in style to those found on Stuttgart's other earth-pounding range-topper, the Porsche 911 Turbo.

With the teaser shot also comes information on the two AMG models in the new SL range: the SL 65 AMG we see here, and the SL 63 AMG. The former packs AMG's twin-turbo V12 pumping out a whopping 612 horsepower, while the latter is driven by Affalterbach's 6.3-liter V8 with 525 horsepower, replacing the outgoing 55 version and in the process distancing it from the smaller SLK 55 AMG revealed previously.

We'll have to wait to see more images of the new AMG roadsters, including those that celebrities will be wrapping around trees.

[Sources: Mercedes-Benz via World Car Fans and Motor Authority]

Teaser: Mercedes releases twin SL AMG roadsters originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Following our report last month, Audi has confirmed it will be showing two new cars at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. Although Audi is mute on what those two cars will be, one is reportedly a "stunning" new concept car; the second being a new production model making its worldwide debut.

We previously speculated that Audi could be showing the production TT-S, although the next new model expected to come down the pipeline from Audi is a facelifted version of the A3 hatchback, which makes it a strong candidate to fill that slot at Audi's Detroit stand. The A3 has run the longest in the line-up since introduction or refresh, followed by the A8 luxury sedan.

The "stunning" concept car is expected to be somehow based on the already-stunning R8 supercar. Some reports suggest it could be the V10 version known tentatively as the RS8, or possibly a convertible version of the mid-engined sportscar. Given the aesthetic used, the roadster would seem more fitting than the V10, although a design study could also fit the bill.

We'll just have to wait another few weeks to see.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Detroit 2008: Something "stunning" coming from Audi

Detroit 2008: Something "stunning" coming from Audi originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Although the Volkswagen Group brands that sell in the United States (namely Volkswagen and Audi) tend to keep their respective platforms to themselves - almost to a fault - in foreign markets the German automaker rebadges and rebodies the same cars under several different labels. Skoda is one such brand, and its flagship sedan, called Superb, is due for replacement. And that's just what the Czech carmaker is preparing to unveil at the Geneva show next March.

What you see above is the second-generation Skoda Superb, based on the current (fifth-generation) Volkswagen Passat and stretched some. Details and additional pictures haven't yet been released, but Skoda promises it'll incorporate many "smart solutions", including an anticipated creative approach to the hatchbach-trunk debate.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - subscription required]

2009 Skoda Superb flagship to bow at Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Good keeps getting better over at Aston Martin, who never seem to tire of making their sports cars faster and faster. The latest in the speed wars from their new headquarters in Gaydon is this adrenaline-dripping special-edition V12 Vantage RS.

Into what could very well prove to be the fastest, hottest Aston Martin yet, the newly independent British automaker has dropped the V12 reactor not from the recently demised Vanquish, nofrom the road-going DB9 or Bond-tastic DBS derivative, but from the DBRS9 race car. With somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 horsepower (!) pushing 3500 lbs, the V12 Vantage RS is anticipated to clock a 0-60 time in the 3's on its way to a 200-mph top speed. Performance target: Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. That's highly ambitious, considering that the Fiorano is widely acclaimed as one of the most competent supercars on the planet, but with that kind of juice in such a brilliant package as the Vantage's, it might not be so far-fetched.

At the time of writing, AutoWeek was the only source carrying the information, and we hope to have more details soon on the special Vantage which was unveiled earlier today on the occasion of the company's new design center. Although it was launched as a concept, sources suggest it could very well find its way into limited production and slot into the Aston Martin line-up above the current flagship DBS. We certainly hope so.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Gallery: Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS Concept

BREAKING: Aston Martin shoehorns V12 into Vantage RS originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: LA 2007: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster

LA 2007: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster in the flesh originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: LA 2007: Mercedes C63 AMG

Continue reading LA 2007: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG stateside debut

LA 2007: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG stateside debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: LA 2007: VW space up! blue concept

Gallery: VW space up! blue

Continue reading LA 2007: Deja Vu with Volkswagen space up! blue

LA 2007: Deja Vu with Volkswagen space up! blue originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Loremo

Gallery: Loremo live pics

Loremo working prototype debuting in Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chrysler set to reveal new model at Woodward originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Poor Jacques is all washed up. Where this writer was born and raised, JV was a homegrown hero who lived up to his family name by taking the checkered flag at the Indy 500 (and the CART championship) and going on to win the Formula One title only two years later. But when you've reached the top, there's only one way to go. Unfortunately for Canadian race fans, that's the direction Jacques has been going for the last ten years.

After running out of F1 teams that would sign him, Villeneuve tried to salvage his reputation with a move to NASCAR, which both he and fellow grand prix defector, Juan Pablo Montoya, spun as a move sideways, not downwards. JP made a go of it, but JV's fortunes have not been so favorable, and, aside from an upcoming drive for Peugeot at Le Mans, he's had to sit out his first full race season since the start of his career.

When trying to organize a deal to race this season in the second-tier NASCAR Busch Series, the addition of a race in his hometown on the track that bears his father's name only seemed to sweeten the deal. The negotiations broke down, however, leaving Jacques without a ride. But he remains hopeful that he will make his debut in stock cars at the Montreal event this August.

"We are taking our time to do it properly. There is no point in rushing," is what Villeneuve had to say about getting behind the wheel for the Montreal race. Big words for a man who's used to going fast.

Related posts:

• Audi DTM wants Villeneuve and Montoya
• Update: Villeneuve's NASCAR deal
• Anyone got $18 million for Jacques?
• Villeneuve and Montoya close in on closed wheels
• Not coming for you, Ricky Bobby: NASCAR sans Villeneuve in 07
• Villeneuve headed for the Busch leagues
• Reports: Villeneuve signed NASCAR deal with Roush
• Mais, oui! NASCAR developing a French connection?

[Source: Autosport]

Villeneuve down but not out - still hopeful for hometown NASCAR debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With nearly all of its other sister companies - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Ferrari, Fiat and even Abarth - getting on track, the attention at the Fiat group should be turning to its ailing Lancia division next. But don't expect Fiat to drag its feet about it much longer, as Lancia may have a new car ready to show us as soon as September.

Emerging reports suggest that Lancia is preparing a new Fulvia, in full pre-production guise, for the upcoming Frankfurt motor show in the fall. The last time we saw a Fulvia it was the show car above, a retro styling exercise from the Lancia Centro Stile, that didn't make it to production because they didn't have the money or the right platform on which to build it. But the Fiat group has headed into a new era of growth, and the time may be coming for a new Fulvia to spearhead Lancia's regeneration.

Insiders suggest that instead of the retro-styled Fulvia concept from 2003, the new car will feature a thoroughly modern design. This should be interesting.

[Source: WindingRoad]

Pre-production Lancia Fulvia could be heading to Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.