Autoblog

It's time for Autoblog Podcast #89. Of course we run over what's been in the garage lately – you'll know what reviews to anticipate. Our big item this week is recapping what we saw in Geneva and what might actually wind up in the US. Talk of Geneva moves us to anticipatory chatter about New York, mere days away. Thanks for your 49 minutes!

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Monster motors were the order of the day in the late 1960s, and GM's 427 was a part of that class. The drawback to a big-block's burly output was, and still is, the increased weight of the engine. While big blocks are a hoot for straight line shenanigans, a small block car is often a better all-around performer. That goes out the window for most of us upon tapping that vast well of torque, and there was a solution direct from GM. The ZL1 was a 427 rendered in aluminum to save weight and carried a 430 horsepower rating. The ZL1 is the stuff of legend, commanding the sharp intake of breath when mentioned with the Corvette, and reverent silence should the COPO Camaro be cited.

GM Performance Parts is whipping up a limited run of all new ZL1s, built from the same tooling as the original. A total of 427 of the Anniversary 427 Big Block engines will be produced, creating a new piece of automotive unobtanium while leaving the ZL1 mystique intact. You might even argue that the new engine run will add to the lore. We'll get to see just how much of a clamor there might be for these new engines when the very first Anniversary 427 Big Block crate engine, serial number 001, goes up for bid at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction. The remaining 426 engines will be available soon from GM Performance Parts dealers, and will likely be snapped up like rabid moms going after Hannah Montana tickets.

[Source: GM via Winding Road]

Click on the image above to view in high resolution

While our crew in Detroit was busy bringing you all the latest from the 2008 North American International Auto Show, across the pond the Belgians were holding the European Motor Show. And with all the major automakers putting on the ritz in Detroit, smaller manufacturers took center stage in Brussels.

One of the vehicles making its debut in Belgium was the Ivicta S1, a British-made GT that recently underwent some revisions. Whereas the previous version was strictly a two-seater, the revised interior on the new S1 now includes rear seats. A range of Ford-sourced V8s are available, with the top-of-the-line version producing 600 horsepower and capable of propelling the S1 600 to 60 mph in under four seconds. Invicta's engineers have moved the engine rearwards in the bay and sandwiched the fuel tank under the rear seats to improve the S1's balance, as well. The car's body is made from carbon-fiber, bonded to a tubular steel spaceframe chassis that optimizes rigidity and crashworthiness while keeping the car's weight down to 1,380kg.

Invicta originally began making cars in 1925 but closed in 1933, before the original S1 resurrected the name in 2002 at the Birmingham auto show. The company only makes one product, and only builds one per month.

[Source: Invicta via Motor Authority]

Click on the image above to view in high-resolution

The SLR wasn't the only attention-grabbing roadster Daimler-Benz had on display at this year's LA show. Sitting front and center in between all the latest machinery from Mercedes was this unique classic, the 290 Special Roadster.

On loan from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA, the bright orange convertible was a one-off drophead version of the 290-series flagship sedan that debuted in February 1933 at the Berlin Motor Show. Taking the place in Benz's 30's line-up where the S-Class sits today, the 290 came in short- and long-wheelbase versions (for personal or chauffeured use) and adopted the company's then-new swing axle technology.

This convertible is one-of-a-kind, built in 1936. It packs a 68hp 2.8-liter straight six driving through a 3-speed transmission and wrapped in some truly classic sheetmetal that gives you an idea for where the guys at Wiesmann may have drawn their inspiration. Check out the gallery below for all the elegant curves and details.

Click the above picture for more pictures of the Nissan Intima concept

Last time I saw a car door opened at that angle it had been bent that way by a taxi, but here the Nissan Intima's doors are opened to such extreme degrees "to aid access and egress." The guy behind the concept was keen to impress that the outwardly rotating seats are not purely for use by the elderly and infirm, but are to help the rest of us in and out too. Quite how many able-bodied folk have the patience to wait 15 to 20 seconds to be dropped at the curb is open to debate however.

More likely to see production in the foreseeable future is the Intima's clean diesel V6, outlandish lights, and perhaps even the expansive windshield cum sunroof. More pics lurk beyond the link.

According to the USAToday, the new Avenger has had its share of engineering issues, something that the publication allowed Chrysler to respond to in depth within its review. As if being publicly humiliated by one of the largest papers in the land wasn't enough, yesterday's duo of recalls is being followed by yet another safety issue plaguing both the Dodge Avenger and the Chrysler Sebring.

A fan motor on 102,042 Avengers and Sebrings can apparently catch fire when coming into contact with engine coolant. The recall affects both 2007 and 2008 models, and owners should expect to receive notification next month to replace either the wiring or the motor itself.

[Sources: USA Today, The Truth About Cars, Detroit News]

Long before Henry Ford got into the business, and about a year before Daimler and Benz had a go at it, came "La Marquise". Running on coal, wood and paper, the 1884 steam-engined four-wheeler is considered the oldest running car in the world. And it's going up on the auction block at Pebble Beach next month.

La Marquise has a top speed of 38 mph, and completed a 19-mile road-course demonstration in 1887 with an average speed of 26 mph. That kind of velocity was enough for the car to uphold its record as the fastest in the world... when De Dion-Bouton made another car – a three-wheeler – for La Marquise to compete with in the world's first car race.

The automobile was built for the Count De Dion in France by De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, the company in which the nobleman was part owner. Remarkably, some 123 years later, the car has only had two owners since. You could be the fourth if you've got the $1.5 to 2 million the car's expected to fetch at auction. (Leno, we know you're reading this....)

Follow the link to view La Marquise on film.

[Source: Gooding & Company via CNN Autos and RideLust.com]

click image above to enlarge

Don't get excited, as this shot of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V's open engine bay reveals next to nothing. What we can see is a beefy cross brace that looks to be the tallest component of the engine. The crossbrace is probably what's necessitated the hood bulge we've seen in so many spy photos of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. Aside from that, a strategically placed piece of insulation hides what's below the brace, which allows us to continue speculating what motor will be moving this beastly sedan.

GM product planners have no doubt had a good chuckle over all the claims made about what engine the 2009 CTS-V will use. Motor Trend stated with authority that the CTS-V would get a detuned 600-horsepower version of the Corvette "Blue Devil" SS's 700-hp supercharged LS9 V8. The instant that claim was published, however, other inside sources were deriding it as completely bogus. Another possibility is to use a supercharged version of the 2008 Corvette's new LS3 V8. Last, but certainly not least, is the option of dropping the 505-hp 7.0L LS7 V8 from the current Corvette Z06 into the CTS-V. We think one of the two latter options is more likely, with the LS7 from the Corvette Z06 making the most sense because it would require the least amount of investment. What do you think? We're sure someone out there knows something and just isn't talking.

[Source: KGP Photography]

Don't go getting too excited, it probably won't mean a crate version of the S65 or N54 for Roundel fans. Running an automaker is expensive, especially a manufacturer that leans more toward niche status than casting a wide net. BMW is looking at all options for future revenue, and one of the thoughts that's occured to the well-respected manufacturer of cars with chutzpah is to bank on its engineering chops and sell engines to other carmakers. Lotus has pimped themselves out for years to other automakers, and the Porsche name has ended up on things like hard drives, so BMW selling their award-winning engines to gain an extra stream of return on their investment is a far less radical move. Hey, if selling their more mundane powerplants to emerging markets like India and China keeps the coffers full and awesome performers rolling our way, we're all for it.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Click to jump to our high-resolution Koenigsegg image gallery from Geneva

Those Super-Swedes over at Koenigsegg serve up a potent reminder that not all supercars come from Italy. In fact, some of the fastest don't, as evidenced by the Koenigsegg CCX, whose level of performance ranks among the top of the supercar realm.

At the Geneva show, Koenigsegg was in full force, displaying three glorious examples: an "ordinary" orange CCX (as if it could be considered "ordinary" by any conceivable standard), plus a black ethanol-converted CCXR and a white FIA GT1-spec CCGT.

As we previously reported, the Koenigsegg CCX is so potent that it had to be de-tuned and "censored" to meet race regulations to make the CCGT. Power was reduced from 806 to 600 horsepower, and aerodynamic elements had to be replaced to meet specifications. The CCXR, meanwhile, produces more power running on ethanol than on gasoline, making a mind-blowing 1018 horsepower and 780 lb-ft of torque.

Want to see more? Check out our high-resolution image gallery from the floor of the Geneva salon.