Autoblog

Autoblog Podcast #308

Dan Roth — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, BMW, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Volvo, Tesla

Motor Trend Car of the Year, 2013 Honda Civic, 2014 Ford Mustang, Global Ford Ranger wins award

Episode #308 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about the Tesla Model S being named Motor Trend Car of the Year, the 2013 Honda Civic and the new hybrid systems and Micro Commuter concept also coming out of Honda, the 2014 Ford Mustang and the departure of the Boss 302, and the global Ford Ranger winning an International Truck award. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #308:

Topics:

In the Autoblog Garage:
2013 Volvo S80 T6 AWD Inscription
2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe
2013 Infiniti FX37

Hosts: Dan Roth, Zach Bowman, Jeff Ross

Runtime: 01:17:54

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Autoblog Podcast #308 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Tesla Model S [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Videos, Tesla, Electric, Luxury

Eleven cars enter, one car leaves. Silently and with zero emissions.

Tesla has earned one of the most coveted prizes in the automotive world, as its Model S has taken home the Golden Calipers as the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year. In the process, the Model S beat out a field that included 10 other contenders.

In case you were wondering, this is the first time an electric car has earned this accolade. No internal combustion here, folks. In an impressive run the Model S was also named Automobile Car of the Year and one of the 25 Best Inventions of the year by Time Magazine.

Motor Trend's very own Angus MacKenzie calls the Model S "perhaps the most accomplished all-new luxury car since the original Lexus LS 400." High praise indeed, considering how Toyota's luxury division ruffled feathers in challenging Germany Inc. way back in 1989. MacKenzie goes on: "At its core, the Tesla Model S is simply a damned good car you happen to plug in to refuel."

Two aspects of the Tesla Model S that weighed heavily on Motor Trend staffers were performance and efficiency. With maximum horsepower sitting at 416 and torque an astounding 443 pound-feet - resulting in a dash to 60 in just 4.0 seconds and an average of 75.5 miles per gallon equivalent during MT's testing - this all-American electric sedan is worthy of accolades.

Somewhat shockingly, every single judge for Motor Trend picked the Tesla Model S as their winner, causing MacKenzie to sum up the pick this way: "America can still make things. Great things." Indeed. Read the official details from Motor Trend here, and scroll down below for a video.

Continue reading 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Tesla Model S [w/video]

2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Tesla Model S [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #308 LIVE!

Dan Roth — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Ford, Honda, Rumormill, Design/Style

We record Autoblog Podcast #308 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #308

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #308 LIVE! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motor Trend debates 2013 Car of The Year, winner coming Monday

George Kennedy — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Videos

So just how do the automobile magazines select their Car of the Year awards? Pointing at the cars blindfolded? Divining rod? Tossing lawn darts? No, it's a little more complicated than that.
To shed light on how Motor Trend selects its COTY, Jessi Lang gives us a glimpse into the process, describing it as "carefully organized madness."

It begins with the Motor Trend staff hammering it out over minutiae, like a windshield wiper. Next, they get down to the fun part; wringing the candidates out on the track, followed by open-road testing. Motor Trend created six criteria upon which judges are able to compare cars that span different vehicle segments, price points, and purposes.

These include value, safety, efficiency, advancement in design, engineering excellence and performance of intended function. There are eleven judges, including our friend Jonny Lieberman, who doesn't disappoint with his commentary, calling the Chevrolet Malibu "less of a car, and more of a collection of everything I don't like." Oh, Jonny.

There was much deliberating, and passionate debate, the result of which was the selection of a single car that rose above all others. And the winner is....? Well, they kind of leave you hanging, but the video is worth watching to see how the champion is crowned. The winner will be announced this Monday, November 12 and stand alongside the magazine's already announced 2013 SUV of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz GL. What car do you think will claim the golden calipers? Have your say in Comments.

Continue reading Motor Trend debates 2013 Car of The Year, winner coming Monday

Motor Trend debates 2013 Car of The Year, winner coming Monday originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Volkswagen Passat named Motor Trend 2012 Car of the Year

Zach Bowman — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:26:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Volkswagen, Diesel

Motor Trend has named the 2012 Volkswagen Passat its 2012 Car of the Year at the 2011 LA Auto Show today. The publication has been handing out the honor for 62 years now, and says that all of the eligible vehicles were submitted to a battery of tests that include on-track and real-world driving evaluations. In the end, the 2012 Passat came out on top because it fulfills six specific criteria: advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety, value and performance of intended function. Motor Trend specifically cited the vehicle's roomy interior and wide range of powertrain options as reasons that it won the top nod.

Amazingly enough, this is only the second time in the history of the award that Volkswagen has taken home the Motor Trend Car of the Year trophy. The last time was in 1985 for the GTI.

This is a big nod for a vehicle that many feared would lose its German quality in its Americanization. Built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the 2012 Passat is a suitable rival for long-reigning models like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading 2012 Volkswagen Passat named Motor Trend 2012 Car of the Year

2012 Volkswagen Passat named Motor Trend 2012 Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #205

Dan Roth — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Etc., Chevrolet, GM, Pontiac

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Episode #205 of the Autoblog Podcast records tonight, and we've got some things to talk about. Drop us your own feedback and questions below if you think there's anything we've missed, or vote on your fellow readers' submissions to help determine what we discuss this momentous evening. You can subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already to hear your question answered.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #201

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #205 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motor Trend Car of the Year? The 2011 Chevrolet Volt [w/video]

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Etc., Videos, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

Motor Trend loves giving out awards, but its most coveted piece of hardware is undoubtedly its Car of the Year trophy. This year, the golden calipers have been bestowed upon the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

General Motors' joins a long line of Motor Trend COTY winners that date all the way back to 1949. Last year, the Ford Fusion took home the prize and prior to that, the Nissan GT-R claimed the magazines coveted spot. The Chevrolet Volt is a hard hitter in each of MT's six categories: Advancement in Design, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, Value and Performance of Intended Function.

Motor Trend has been a strong champion of the range-extended electric sedan in recent months. The buff book looked past the is-it-just-a-hybrid hoopla and even wrote about how they achieved 127 miles per gallon while putting the car through real world driving conditions. Learn more about why the publication chose the Volt with a video narrated by MT Editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie that's located after the jump (warning: auto-play). When you're done checking out the video and the press release, you can learn more about MT's Car of the Year process and finalists here.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt: First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Motor Trend Car of the Year? The 2011 Chevrolet Volt [w/video]

Motor Trend Car of the Year? The 2011 Chevrolet Volt [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford employees take Motor Trend calipers to Disney World, hit TSA snag in Detroit

Chris Shunk — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Ford

When we look at Motor Trend magazine's golden calipers, we think of a prestigious trophy awarded each year to the publication's top car and truck of the year. Apparently, the Transportation Security Administration officials at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport see a weapon of mass destruction. Or something.

The proud engineers at Ford have been taking their well-deserved 2010 Ford Fusion Car of the Year award all over town, taking pictures and having a little fun, mimicking what athletes do when they win Lord Stanley's Cup in hockey or the Lombardi Trophy in football. Ford Research & Advanced Engineering employee Tony Phillips went as far as Disney World with the award, but apparently not before coming to the attention of the TSA at Detroit Metro airport. Phillips had rightly brought the sizable trophy onto the plane as a carry-on - after all, who would want to tell Allan Mulally that they lost the trophy at baggage claim?

MT's shiny hardware was eventually let on the plane after "some interesting discussion, and it made its way to Orlando to ride some rides and hang with Mickey. Surprisingly, the Orlando TSA agents were more familiar with Ford's award than were the security agents in the Motor City, and congratulations were given to them on the accomplishment. Just as an FYI for Ford, you can bring by your trophy to Autoblog headquarters any time you wish. We won't even frisk you at the door.

[Source: @Ford Online]

Ford employees take Motor Trend calipers to Disney World, hit TSA snag in Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Fusion wins Motor Trend Car of the Year award

John Neff — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Ford

2010 Ford Fusion Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery

For the first time ever, Motor Trend announced the winner of its annual Car of the Year award this afternoon live via webcast. Though the field of 23 contenders was highly competitive this year (follow the jump for a complete list), we guessed immediately that the winner was a Ford as soon as the webcast came online. How'd we know? The fact they were broadcasting the announcement from Ford World Headquarters in Detroit was a not-so-subtle clue. The Fusion, Taurus and Mustang were all in the running, but it was Ford's redesigned mid-size sedan, the Fusion, that took home the coveted Golden Calipers.

In retrospect, the choice is a solid one and not all that surprising. The Fusion was extensively reworked for the 2010 model year and features a new exterior design, new models and new powertrains. Ford offers a four-cylinder model, two strong V6 options and a full-on parallel hybrid variant, which means buyers should have no trouble finding a Fusion that fits their needs. And indeed they have, as the Fusion has already broken its own yearly sales record - with two months left to go.

Like MT, we're big fans of the Fusion here at Autoblog, and even have high hopes that one day it could be the domestic car that knocks the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord from atop their perches as the best selling cars in the States. That said, this Ford still has a long way to go. Toyota has sold nearly twice as many Camry models as the Fusion so far this year, and the Accord and Nissan Altima are still flashing their taillights at Ford's CoTY winner. It's not just demand, as Ford doesn't even have the production capacity at the moment to match Camry sales, and it doesn't help that the Mercury Milan siphons off a few potential Fusion customers, as well.

Nevertheless, this is less about what the Fusion could be in the future than what it is today: the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year. Congrats to Ford and the Fusion team.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Sport

Gallery: Review: 2010 Ford Fusion SE 6MT

Gallery: Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

[Source: Motor Trend]

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Ford Fusion wins Motor Trend Car of the Year award originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan GT-R crowned Motor Trend Car of the Year

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Performance, Etc., Supercars, Nissan

Click above for high-res gallery of the Nissan GT-R

Do you sense a pattern here? Not only has the Nissan GT-R won just about every comparison test on the planet, but it's also racked up a Popular Science Best of What's New award, Car of the Year honors from Automobile Magazine, and now the GT-R can add Motor Trend's CotY trophy to its mantle, as well. Calling it simply "Ichiban", the MT team praised Nissan's supercar-for-the-people as a standout in a pretty deep pool of contenders. While practically none of its CotY competitors even comes close to matching the GT-R's performance, several that are almost as good in their own right made the finals. Good as they are, the Honda Fit, Hyundai Genesis, BMW 1 series, Jaguar XF, Acura TL and TSX, Audi A4, Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat CC just couldn't match the dominance of Gozilla. It would have been more difficult for MT to justify picking something other than the GT-R for this honor, and we can't think of any reason to disagree with their choice. Full press release after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Nissan GT-R

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Nissan GT-R crowned Motor Trend Car of the Year

Nissan GT-R crowned Motor Trend Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motor Trend crowns Cadillac CTS "Car of the Year"

Drew Phillips — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Cadillac

The editors of Motor Trend have tallied up the votes and crowned the Cadillac CTS their 2008 Car of the Year, GM's first since the Corvette won a full decade ago. The CTS beat an 18-car field including the Honda Accord, Audi TT, Subaru WRX, Chevrolet Malibu, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and others. MT was smitten with the Caddy's balanced handling, smooth-revving V6, exterior and interior design, and attention to detail. Our man Damon would certainly agree, who gave the CTS a thumbs up after piloting it around the Milford Proving Grounds. You can read Motor Trend's thoughts on the CTS here, or read their full evaluation of all the cars here.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Motor Trend crowns Cadillac CTS "Car of the Year" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is the 2008 Honda Accord Motor Trend's COTY?

Dan Roth — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:07:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Honda

Has Ernie Boch Jr. let the cat out of the bag? Autoblog reader Jason tipped us that he heard a fleeting mention of the 2008 Honda Accord being Motor Trend's Car Of The Year during a commercial for a seasonal promotion at the national sales champ dealership. Could it be that Jason's sharp ear has uncovered Motor Trend's announcement traditionally made in November? Boch Honda's website mirrors the statement that Jason heard, as well, offering a "newly redesigned 2008 Honda Accord LX, Motor Trend's Car Of The Year" for a $198/month lease. Motor Trend, on the other hand, remains mum so far on its pick. The press always blows the automaker's embargoes, how meta is it that a dealer appears to have deflated the COTY balloon? We'll be giving Ernie a ring on Monday, stay tuned.

Thanks for the tip, Jason!

Is the 2008 Honda Accord Motor Trend's COTY? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Camry crowned Motor Trend Car of the Year

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 13:07:00 EST

Filed under: Toyota

The Toyota Camry, despite being knocked by many enthusiasts as soulless and bland, has still managed to outsell every other car on the market. Second on the list is its own sibling, the Corolla. And sales keep going up, so it obviously has a lot going for it. First it wins "Most Popular" award for its sales record and now it has won Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 2007. We'd say it's a shoe-in for Miss Congeniality, too. Motor Trend Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie issued a statement that said the award goes to the whole Camry range for its innovation and wide appeal. This is, amazingly enough, the first win for the Camry. It beat 26 other nominees for the title.

The MT COTY awards are reserved for vehicles that are all, or significantly new during the model year. This explains, for instance, why last year's winner, the Honda Civic, wasn't nominated. Looking at the list of competitors, we see 10 Japanese cars, six Americans, five Koreans, four Germans, one Brit and one Swede. A pretty good group of cars, including the Chevrolet Aveo, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Caliber, Honda Fit, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Entourage, Infiniti G35, Jaguar XK, Jeep Compass, Kia Optima, Kia Rondo, Kia Sedona, Lexus ES 350, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes Benz S-Class, Nissan Altima, Nissan Sentra, Nissan Versa, Porsche Cayman, Saturn Aura, Saturn Sky Redline, Suzuki SX4, Toyota Camry, Toyota Yaris, Volvo C70 T5, Volkswagen EOS, and Volkswagen Rabbit.

Did it deserve the golden calipers? Sound off in the comments.

[Source: MSNBC]

Thanks for the tip, Justin!

Toyota Camry crowned Motor Trend Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Nov 2006 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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