Autoblog

click above image to view more pics of the Passat CC in high-res

Remember when Volkswagen launched the Phaeton, and everyone was like, What the heck are they thinking? Yeah, that was awesome. But it left a huge gaping hole in Volkswagen's product line-up between the Passat and the Phaeton. Wolfsburg tried to bridge the gap a little with the previous-generation Passat W8 4Motion, but that didn't do so well and was quickly taken off the market. The Passat CC unveiled earlier this week in Detroit helps fill the void, and the next Phaeton is expected to go down-market, but the gap is still so wide between the sedans that Volkswagen is reportedly considering making another one to slot into the line-up. Since the Phaeton isn't sold in the U.S. anymore, we assume this gap-bridging car is destined for the European market only.

This isn't mere rumor, speculation or conjecture. It comes straight from the mouth of Volkswagen's design chief, Klaus Bischoff, who revealed at the Passat CC's unveiling "We are planning another model between the Passat CC and Phaeton." Well, there you have it.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via The German Car Blog]

Citroen has put up a timer on their website foretelling the imminent launch of a new model, but guesses are all over the place as to what that new model could be.

The French automaker's range has expanded in recent years to include everything from small hatchbacks to SUVs, with just about everything in between. Progressing up the range, among the possibilities considered are a "Streetlounge" version of the C3 supermini, a pseudo-Allroad/Outback version of the C4 hatch, a C5-based convertible previewed by the C-Airscape concept, and a new C8 minivan. While sometimes automakers give us a little teaser in the form of a veiled silhouette, all PSA is giving us here is a box with wheels. Our money is on some sort of automobile, possibly starting with the letter C.

We'll have to wait until the counter runs down to zero at 9 am on Wednesday (Paris time – 3 am in New York) to see what the Chevron marque has in store for our overseas compatriots.

[Source: Citroen via World Car Fans and Le Blog Auto]

Finally, there's an explanation for those wasted hours we spent on the MassPike today asking no one in particular "what the (dirty word) is this (dirty word)?" A team of mathemeticians from the Universities of Exeter, Bristol and Budapest developed a mathematical model revealing that traffic jams are caused by idiots. Okay, not exactly. The real explanation is that unexpected events, such as being cut off, require slowing below a threshold speed for smooth traffic flow. As we've all observed, when the car in front of you brakes suddenly, you need to brake even harder to compensate for your reaction time; this creates a wave that radiates back through traffic. That "backward-traveling-wave" means that because of one driver's inattention, we all pay for it miles behind.

The results of the study really point up the need to drive smoothly. Roads with heavy traffic volume seem to be more prone to traffic jams, too, but that's not necessarily the case. Heavy volume can proceed smoothly if drivers anticipate and avoid sudden actions. In the end, it appears that the main way to fix traffic jams is driver diligence. The low-tech solution is to pay attention when you're behind the wheel, but we've also now got radar-based cruise control that does this for you, so you can continue blithely on your way. It boils down to common sense; be a smooth driver, expect that everyone around you is a moron, and hopefully you won't be slamming on your brakes, causing a domino reaction.

[Source: physorg.com via Motive Mag, Photo: Ed Edahl/FEMA]

Yeah, so that didn't work out so well. At least I'll get more practice painting. Project Edsel's time for primer had come, so I thinned some Tamiya X21 into the reservoir and fired up the compressor. It took a while to figure out the proper flow and pressure setting (a pressure gauge would be helpful to adjust the compressor's regulator), but once everything was connected up and filled, I was ready to shoot some paint.

It's been an exciting start, mainly because I get to dig out all my old model building tools and skills. That's also why it's been a little slow since the initial post went up, because I've had to find all those model building tools. The last model I built was a '67 Belvidere GTX over ten years ago and 100 miles from here. I haven't been able to find my X-Acto knife set, but I've made do so far with my home-improvement scarred Stanley 99E razor knife.

I've had an airbrush for years, my uncle generously got it as a gift way back when I was seriously into fine arts. I haven't actually taken the opportunity to use the setup, but it was always comforting knowing that I had it at the ready should I want to become one of those guys in malls doing terrible recreations of scenes from Scarface on t-shirts. The time has come for me to learn how to use it, so I've been doing a bit of research, and finally stopped at a hobby store the other day and picked up some paints and other goodies.

The recreational car show season is about two-thirds of the way done for 2007, at least here in New England. There will be good cruise days sprinkled in until about Halloween, but as the summer winds down, so does the practice of four-wheeled gatherings. Every year as I stroll past rows of shiny fenders, my thoughts wander to what fun there is to be had with that vehicle that doesn't participate in workaday drudgery.

For project cars, it's a veritable prerequisite to have a garage. Note the shot of my driveway, and its distinct lack of a garage. Lacking a place to store all the accoutrements of the vehicular addiction hobby, let alone provide a proper roof over the heads of my vehicles makes upkeep of even our regular rides that much more difficult, never mind keeping the shine on anything special.

Click on the image above to view our high-resolution image gallery.

It's had a lot of challengers, and to stay at the top, Land Rover has been rolling out consistent updates to its flagship Range Rover model. Last year it was the upgraded engines: the 305-hp 4.4-liter V8 and the supercharged 400-hp 4.2-liter V8. For this year, the Range Rover gets upgrades to the interior and to its traction systems.

Inside, the Range Rover's luxurious cabin has been updated with a new instrument panel, air-con unit, new airbags and new trim, switchgear and storage compartments. The front seats have been outfitted with new head restraints designed to minimize whiplash, as well as an in-seat air-cooling system (optional on HSE and standard on Supercharged models). Underneath, the Land Rover's Terrain Response system has been fitted as standard equipment, as well as an electronic rear differential (which, like the seat cooling system, is optional on HSE and standard on Supercharged models) to supplement the center e-diff. There's also a new electronic parking brake that automatically disengages when you start driving.

The new changes might not amount to much, as Land Rover draws up plans for the Range Rover's all-aluminum replacement, but with heavy competition from Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, Land Rover can't afford to rest on its name alone.

Press release after the jump, and high-res images in the gallery below.

The Serpent F180 is the kind of car we could spend a lot of time with. A 1/8-scale replica of a formula racer, it has all-round independent double-wishbone push-rod-activated suspension, self-bleeding shocks, rear diff, 4-wheel disc brakes, a lay down engine with pushbutton starter, and a polished exhaust. In addition to the rear geometry, track width and suspension settings, you can adjust the brake balance and front anti-roll bar stiffness. Each car also comes with a carrying case and a keychain that features the car's unique serial number. Even if we could be trusted to build it properly -- it come with two manuals -- there's no way we could be trusted to get any work done once it was finished.

Thanks for the tip, KP!

[Source: Serpent Model Racing]

"Accidents happen." It's the oft-quoted mantra of anyone who spends time behind the wheel. Sooner or later, you'll witness or partake in a vehicular mishap. The Japan Automobile Research Institute aims to take a less stoic attitude about accidents and have set up a model street to evaluate accident prevention systems and practices.

The model street, which is larger than three football fields, includes straight and curved sections and will offer Institute researchers better insight into the conditions that cause accidents. We can't speak for what causes fender benders in Japan, but in the US, the number one cause has got to be drivers with absolutely no training paying limited attention to the task at hand. Who can blame them? The allure of text messaging is so much more enticing than piloting a 3500-pound projectile rendered in metal, composite and glass. Familiarize yourself with good car-brandishing skills and then observe the idiots that surround you. There's no institute needed to discern that inattention and ineptitude often play roles, but there are often plenty of other factors. That's what the model street has been developed to study. Here's to safer travels for drivers and pedestrians alike -- and let's hope they export the stuff that actually works at reducing incidents.

[Source: MSN - Mainichi]

click above image to view more model pics from the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show

Whether it's the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris, or the Shanghai Motor Show in China, one thing remains constant: models standing next to cars. We've had a lot of discussions lately about why models are still used at auto shows in this enlightened age, and our best answer is that automakers want the public to feel like they would look this good standing next to a Buick, BMW or Geely automobile. Clearly, this strategy is not lost on the many Chinese automakers at the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show. Our colleague from Autoblog Chinese kept his camera snapping a couple extra frames at each display so he could assemble this Girls of Shanghai Gallery for us, so we hope you enjoy. It's interesting to note the mix of western and Asian models hired for this show, as well.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Gallery: Girls of Shanghai