Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

Continue reading First Test: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 launch control

First Test: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 launch control originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the K.07 Spyder

When the K.O7 Spyder broke cover in Geneva we were struck by its bold design (it was penned by the guy who gave us the Enzo and the Quattroporte), but seriously doubted that the track star/supercar would ever see production. Well, a limited run of 99 K.O7s will go on sale on November 1st for the princely sum of 19,500,000 Yen. Yep, that's near-as-makes-no-difference $200,000 -- an awful lot of money for very little car.

And when you consider that it's essentially a modern remake of the fenderless Lotus 340R, which itself seemed expensive back in 2000 at $70,000, you've got to wonder how many more orders Okuyama-san will be taking beyond the 24 cars pre-ordered by Tag-Heuer, who've had a hand in the project since its inception just a year ago. You may remember that the Lotus 340R never reached its performance target of 340 bhp/ton, largely because it was powered by Rover's asthmatic K-series engine. This is why three-hundred and forty 340Rs were built -- the number had to stand for something.

Similar doubts surround the final performance figures for the 750-kg (1,653-pound) K.O7. Okuyama Design say that the good ol' Toyota 2.0-liter found in the Elise and Exige will be good for "200-240bhp", but we don't see a supercharger, nor room for one. However fast it turns out to be, it's a fine looking machine and is bound to remain exclusive.

Check out the gallery of images taken at yesterday's launch deep beneath Tokyo's streets. Note there was an K.O8 electric EV in attendance, sans batteries or electric motor, but since it took Ken just a year to get the 7 from drawing board to production, who knows... we may be back in that garage again in a year's time, reporting for AutoblogGreen.

Gallery: K07 Live from Japan

Gallery: K.O. 7 and K.O. 8

Ken Okuyama 7 going in to production originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

click above to view more JCW-related MINI images

Back in December of 2006, we reported that BMW had officially acquired the John Cooper Works garage with the intent of making it the MINI brand's official performance label, much like the M division is to BMW. Over a year later, Munich has finally relaunched the JCW division, which is headlined by the evolutionary new logo you see here.

The rebranding of JCW is more than an exercise in badge engineering, however. The new effort draws on the decades-long heritage that has been shared between Cooper and MINI, starting with the first MINI that F1 engineer John Cooper tuned and continuing through the resuscitation of the MINI brand by BMW to today's rapidly expanding second-gen range. John's son Mike Cooper continues on as chief executive to oversee JCW's activities under the Bavarian wing, which will include products for both road and track.

In addition to the one-make John Cooper Works CHALLENGE racing series (spec car shown above), JCW will also continue to offer the John Cooper Works Tuning Kit as well as a catalogue of individual components for the top-of-the-line Cooper S versions of the MINI hatch, convertible and Clubman. The bottom line is that with JCW under the same white roof, MINI can now offer even more packages and options than the gazillion choices already in store for buyers, all with full factory backing.

BMW released a bunch of retro-licious MINI Cooper JCW pics, which we've put into the gallery below along with descriptions of what you're looking at. The official BMW/MINI press release can also be found after the jump.

[Source: MINI]

Gallery: MINI John Cooper Works

Continue reading John Cooper Works relaunched under same white roof as MINI, new logo unveiled

John Cooper Works relaunched under same white roof as MINI, new logo unveiled originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:29:00 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.

Chery to delay exports to Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:57:00 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.

Williams tests its new car at Jerez on December 7 (click to enlarge)

After McLaren decided to hold an official unveiling of its new car after all, another British grand prix team has decided against it. Hard at work on the new FW30, Williams F1 has opted instead to focus on the car's development rather than making a big spectacle, as is expected of most of its rivals.

Show or no show, you have to admire Williams' dedication to getting back to the top. The team is entering its 30th season in F1, but while it was once a championship-winning team - it has taken the constructors' title nine times and the driver's crown seven - Williams hasn't won either since Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. Since then, the team has gone downhill, having to resort to buying customer engines after longtime engine partner Renault left F1 (only to return years later with its own team), and again after BMW defected to Sauber.

Last season Williams placed a respectable fourth in the constructors' championship, behind Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault, beating out its engine provider, Toyota's own (considerably better-funded) works team, in the process. Having failed to finish grands prix four times in 2007, Williams plans on improving its reliability in pursuit of an even better 2008 on a path back to the top. As for the new FW30, racing fans will have to check out the off-season test sessions for a glimpse of what the once-famous Williams engineers have been working on before the season kicks off on March 16 in Australia.

[Source: Autosport]

Eye on the Prize: Williams opts against big unveiling for new car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ferrari F2007

After 60 years, Scuderia Ferrari still hasn't gotten tired of getting a head start over its rivals. This time, the team has confirmed that the car it will be campaigning next season will be unveiled within a couple weeks' time on January 6.

The early launch date, which was leaked first by Kimi Raikkonen and then confirmed by president Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Jean Todt, places Ferrari as the first F1 team to unveil its car in the new year. Toyota will be unveiling its car on January 10, BMW Sauber on January 14, Honda on January 29 and Renault on January 31. The remaining teams, including Williams, Red Bull, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Force India and Super Aguri, are expected to show their cars later on. Following the much hyped spy scandal, McLaren is opting to forego the festivities of a glitzy unveiling for its 2008 car.

With the F2008, Ferrari is hoping to repeat this past year's performance by reclaiming the driver's and constructor's titles. The car is expected to be an evolution of the F2007 (pictured above), which was hailed as a revolutionary design.

[Source: Inside Line]

Ferrari F2008 to kick off F1 launches originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Dec 2007 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept - click to view in our high-res gallery

Devotees of the late, great Acura NSX - and that's just about everybody, really - have been waiting patiently for the second coming that once reportedly based on the Advanced Sports Car Concept shown above, but Honda keeps on making us wait longer. While there's still more waiting to be done, at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel, as Honda has revealed that the new NSX will make its debut in 2010. Sometime.

The second-generation Japanese supercar was anticipated for a launch this year at the Tokyo show, but we were disappointed when the Honda pavilion was absent of any such high-performance wizardry. Since the cancellation of the original NSX, TSX and Prelude, the aging S2000 roadster has been left all alone to defend Honda's honor on the sportscar front, while Nissan gets all the glory with the new GT-R.

The new timeline is a bit later than the 2008/2009 launch date that was originally set down by Honda CEO Takeo Fukui, but if it manages to live up to its predecessor, we doubt anyone will be grumbling. After all, who recalls at this point how far behind schedule the Bugatti Veyron fell before its eventual debut?

[Source: Wards Auto via eGMCarTech]

Gallery: Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept

Honda confirms new NSX for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:29:00 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: Hyundai Concept Genesis

Hyundai Genesis launches in Korea on December 29th originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

VW Eos nearly sells out in Canada without advertising, launch campaign cancelled originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Those octane junkies in Affalterbach never seem to tire of developing new, more powerful engines and shoehorning them into everything with four wheels and a three-pointed star. The Mercedes AMG website is featuring a cryptic bit of flash animation that shows the back end of an unknown new product speeding through a haze, accompanied by the caption that reads, "In July... the fog lifts." Hey, wait a minute... July... that's this month!

The indication that Benz' in-house tuning division is preparing, in short order, to release a new model naturally leads to speculation over just what that new model might be. One definite possibility could be the impending AMG version of the newly-released C-Class, on which spy shots and information have been trickling in of late. Aside from a C63 AMG, we can speculate based on AMG's current line-up of fire-snorting models, which places the division's latest 6.3-liter V8 in every Mercedes model except for three: the G-Class SUV, the outgoing C-Class wagon, and the SLK roadster, all of which still use the outgoing 5.5-liter engine.

Thanks for the tip everyone!

[Source: Mercedes AMG via eMercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Guessing Game: AMG website hints at impending new model

Guessing Game: AMG website hints at impending new model originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Most special editions are offered to help manufacturers clear out the last run of an outgoing model before the replacement arrives. The smallest cars on the market, though, seem to have it backwards. When Smart introduced its new ForTwo city car, the special edition came not on the outgoing model, but on the incoming one. Now Fiat has revealed that, in advance of the introduction of the highly-anticipated 500, it will be offering a limited edition of its own.

Think the 500 looks no bigger than a large arm chair? Well, you're not far off. The special Cinquecentos are being offered exclusively during the International Milan Furniture Fair (April 18-23), as part of a promotion staged in conjunction with the Italian design house Cappellini. Two special versions - one in light blue and one in pearl white - will be offered to visitors of the "500 Lounge" at the Cappellini Temporary Store at the Piazza San Babila in downtown Milan, who can sign a non-binding inquiry to have their name placed on the list, later to be contacted by Fiat with pricing information and the option to buy or withdraw.

The Cappellini display will also feature a 250-square-meter autostethoscopic system at the entrance to the store, where interested customers can customize a virtual 500 on computer and then step inside the box to see a full-size 3D projection of what their car would look like, taking the "500 Wants You" campaign to a new level. Only 500 of the special editions will be made, and each will receive a special number plate and special badging.

Check out the press release after the jump for more details.

[Source: Fiat]

Continue reading Fiat and Cappellini offer special edition 500 ahead of launch

Fiat and Cappellini offer special edition 500 ahead of launch originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Apr 2007 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've grown more accustomed to reporting production setbacks and launch delays, but in its never-ending quest to recreate themselves, Fiat is actually moving things ahead. Following rumors circulating around the European motoring press, Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne confirmed yesterday that they'll actually be moving the official launch of the highly-anticipated 500 up by a couple months. The new 500 was originally scheduled for launch in September, but with development progressing along smartly, Fiat is moving the launch date ahead to July, which will conveniently coincide with the 50th anniversary of the launch of the original 500.

[Sources: Italiaspeed and Euronews]

Continue reading 500: Fiat moves things up

500: Fiat moves things up originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to view more pictures from the event.

As promised, organizers put on quite the spectacle on Saturday when the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was officially announced. Tens of thousands of people reportedly turned out for an F1 demonstration on the streets of the gulf emirate that featured all the big-name drivers, including Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa. No big surprise that Ferrari sent both its driving aces to the event, but Spyker's absence seems conspicuous. Abu Dhabi crown corporation Mubadala Development is a minority shareholder in both teams.

Related posts:

• Bahrain is still in the race, and the race is still in Bahrain
• Update: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announcement may come Feb1
• F1 circuit to join Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi
• Abu Dhabi to build Ferrari World theme park
• Ferrari theme park in Abu Dhabi

[Source: AbuDhabiGP.com]

Gallery: Abu Dhabi GP street event

Continue reading Abu Dhabi event draws big crowd - Bernie wants more

Abu Dhabi event draws big crowd - Bernie wants more originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Although Japan has a wealth of quality automakers with unsurpassed engineering of their own, German cars seem to enjoy a cult status and special desirability in the Land of the Rising Sun. So it should come as little surprise that when Audi launched the new TT for the Japanese market back in September, it was accompanied by considerable fanfare and celebrated in style.

This video, at over seven minutes long, is a compilation of a few Japanese commercials for the Audi and a stylish cinematography of the launch event. The video is complete with Japanese characters indiscernible to those who don't read Japanese (just ask any tattoo artist) and interviews with people we don't know, in a language we can't understand. But whatever it is they're saying, we agree.

[Source: German Car Blog]

VIDEO: Audi TT in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Nov 2006 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Infiniti launches in Russia
• Infiniti sales up 183 percent in UAE
• Nissan to launch Infiniti brand in Western Europe

New Infiniti G35 released in South Korea ahead of US debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Oct 2006 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford Bold Moves - Episode 13: Close to the Edge originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Sep 2006 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chrysler Sebring official pics and press release

Chrysler Sebring official pics and press release originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.