Gallery: Review: 2009 Nissan 370Z

Continue reading Review: 2009 Nissan 370Z

Review: 2009 Nissan 370Z originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda discovers 3.5L V6 more powerful than first thought

Honda discovers 3.5L V6 more powerful than first thought originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Autoblog Garage: 2007 Range Rover Supercharged

Land Rover developing new 5.0-liter V8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The current standard-wheelbase Spyker C8 Laviolette

Spyker may be down, but it's not out. The Dutch exotic automaker has fallen on some hard times, but that's not going to stop it from moving forward with at least some of its plans. The C12 Zagato has been postponed indefinitely, but at the upcoming Geneva auto show in March, Spyker is expected to unveil an improved version of its existing C8 Laviolette.

As wonderfully quirky as the current C8 is, owners complain of constricted space. In response Spyker has stretched the wheelbase, giving more space in the cabin while improving the vehicles proportions. The C8 Laviolette LWB will feature an elongated version of the current model's glass roofline. A long wheelbase Spyder version is expected to follow sometime thereafter, benefiting from a proper motorized convertible roof instead of the largely useless folding rag on the current short-wheelbase model. It's a small step forward for the ailing company, but a step forward nonetheless.

Follow the jump for a video rendering of the upcoming C8 Spyder LWB doin' the turntable thing.

[Source: Spyker Owner Forum]

Continue reading Geneva '08 Preview: Spyker to unveil long-wheelbase C8

Geneva '08 Preview: Spyker to unveil long-wheelbase C8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dealer ad shows 2008/09 Chevy Impala originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]

Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen Passat CC

Mind the Gap: VW planning another sedan to slot in between Passat CC and Phaeton originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Reports are now surfacing which indicate that the new model could be an even more expensive, even faster supercar than the Veyron. Whereas the Veyron, for all its enormous, time-bending power and speed, was designed as a comfortable grant tourer, the new model would be a tighter, more track-focused supercar. Power would likely come from a retuned version of the Veyron's 8-liter quad-turbo W16, which was long reported to be under-rated in its power production of 1000 hp, and is tipped to produce 1175 hp in the new version. Artistic renderings from German magazine Auto Motor und Sport depict the car with styling more akin to a Le Mans racer, with a protruding front splitter and an enormous rear wing.

The vehicle, currently rumored to be code-named "Project Lydia" after Ettore Bugatti's wife, would exceed the 400km/h top speed of the Veyron in pursuit of a Nurburgring lap time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds. While these reports could very well turn out to be no more substantial than previous ones, if Bugatti did built Project Lydia in a reported run of 70 examples for a whopping ?2.5 million apiece, it would easily eclipse anything else out there.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Motor Authority]

Rumormill: Bugatti developing $3m uber-Veyron track car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With the Clio and Laguna having recently undergone complete replacement, Renault is now turning its attention to its middle range, and the automotive paparazzi have caught camouflaged mules undergoing testing on the open road.

Scheduled to bow at next September's Paris show, the third-generation Megane is expected to do away with the current model's sharp creases in favor of a smoother silhouette. The spy shots show that the current Megane's distinctive upright curved rear glass will give way to a more streamlined greenhouse, drawing on the lines of the new Laguna sedan. The range is anticipated to include three-door and five-door hatches, an estate wagon, a two-door coupe and a hardtop convertible. The new Megane's normally-aspirated 1.4-liter base engine is expected to be replaced by the Clio's 1.2-liter turbo, but otherwise the engines should carry over from the current model's, ranging all the way to the 225-horsepower turbo Renaultsport version.

[Source: Auto Express]

Spy Shots: streamlined new Renault Megane originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Knight Rider set pics

Pics from the set of Knight Rider TV show originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: 2008 Honda Fit (JDM)

Continue reading 2008 Honda Fit bows in Japan

2008 Honda Fit bows in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Acura exec outlines future vehicle lineup originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Great Scott! Could new DeLoreans be coming? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Jul 2007 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on above image for wallpaper-sized images of the gorgeous GranTurismo

This writer fell in love in Switzerland this past March. It happened at the launch of the new Maserati GranTurismo. The thing is, I wasn't sure if my newfound affection was for the car or for the sassy model standing in front of it. What's more is that I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Thankfully, Maserati has put an end to my sleepless nights, at least, with the release of a new batch of images showing its breathtaking new coupe away from the glitz and glamour of the Geneva auto show floor.

It was tempting to keep the pictures all to myself, but that just wouldn't be fair. Not to you, and not to the car. She does love the spotlight ever so much. So we've added the new batch of images, in all their high-resolution glory, to our gallery below, together with the original stock images, concept sketches and shots from Geneva. Enjoy.

Gallery: 2007 Maserati GranTurismo

[Source: Maserati]

Maserati GranTurismo: a clearer picture originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Gallery: 2007 Land Rover Range Rover

Continue reading Small changes for big Range Rover in 2008

Small changes for big Range Rover in 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While Cadillac's latest offerings have been significantly improving the iconic American luxury marque's appeal, the SRX, despite being a very good car, has been a bit of thorn in its lineup. Fortunately its replacement, earmarked for a 2011 launch, is shaping up to be a car-length or two in the right direction.

Instead of the rather van-like current model, the replacement is reportedly taking a smaller form to target the likes of the BMW X3, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLK and company, which may come as a shock for American buyers who are more attuned to Cadillac SUVs of Escalade proportions. Although designed with the European market in mind, unlike the BLS sedan, the new crossover will be offered in the US.

Although the new crossover will share in Cadillac's current "Art & Science" design language, with a sharp crease running up the hood flanked by vertical headlights and slab-sided flanks et al, the SRX replacement is expected to have a more rounded greenhouse.

Sharing its platform with Saab's upcoming 9-4 crossover (itself a replacement for the likewise larger 9-7x) and some mechanicals from the General's latest and versatile Epsilon platform, insiders predict a range of engines including GM's latest direct-injection 3.6-liter V6, a new six-cylinder diesel, and the possibility of hybrid and ethanol power alternatives.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Ready for Take 2: Cadillac SRX replacement could go smaller originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Anyone who's ever driven into or through Manhattan knows what a nightmarish experience it can be, with gridlock congestion and a lack of available parking spaces. Jim Gehr wants to make it even tougher in the hope of drastically reducing traffic altogether by further reducing parking, shutting down the biggest intersection, and increasing green space.

Gehr is the urban planning consultant whose plans have already been famously (or infamously, depending on your perspective) imposed in London, as well as Copenhagen, and he's proposed similar policies for Stockholm, Oslo, Edinburgh, Cape Town, Zurich and Melbourne. His plans for Manhattan would include shutting down Times Square to almost all traffic, while eliminating parking on some avenues in favor of wider sidewalks to accommodate park benches and sidewalk cafes. The result would be a more pedestrian, cyclist and public transit-oriented Manhattan.

While some elements in the city are opposed to the idea, he appears to have the ear of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the municipal transportation department wants to hire him as a consultant, and several prominent civic and commercial organizations have his support, as well. If Gehr gets his way, Project Gotham Racing might be the closest we'll ever get to driving Manhattan's streets ever again.

[Source: NY Daily News via Kicking Tires]

Manhattan Project: Proposal seeks to shut down NYC traffic originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

No disrespect to our friends on the East Coast, but in the "survey results that will probably surprise no one" category: drivers from New York scored the lowest on a Department of Motor Vehicles driving test survey. That doesn't mean New Yorkers are bad drivers ... ahem ... it simply means they don't know the right answers to questions about what to do on the road.

One hundred people from every state and Washington D.C. were given questions that apply to every state from DMV tests. The nationwide average was 77.1 percent. The Big Apple scored 71 percent. But NY isn't alone -- the bottom five states are all on the Eastern Seaboard. And which state do you think had the best group of respondents? That's right: Idaho, leading the curve with 87.1 percent. Second best? Alaska. Apparently, you do better on driving tests in states where you're more likely to hit something other than a person. Who knew?

Thanks for the tip, Peter!

[Source: CNN]

New Yorkers score lowest on the driver's test originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 May 2007 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Ford Ranger Photochops

Continue reading The Ranger is (nearly) dead, long live the Ranger

The Ranger is (nearly) dead, long live the Ranger originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 May 2007 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Think a Rolls-Royce Phantom is expensive? Well, yeah...it is. One of the most expensive on the market, as a matter of fact. (Hey, it's a Rolls-Royce. What did you expect?) But if you think the Phantom is expensive on the American market, you should take a look at what it costs elsewhere in the world.

Our new friends over at Automobiles De Luxe have compiled what they're calling "the Phantom Index", taking the example of "the Big Mac Index" from The Economist and carrying the formula through to the most bling-tastic of motor saloons.

You might be surprised that the Phantom is cheapest to buy in the United States, undercutting the equivalent price of the same automobile in the United Kingdom and in the European Union by over a hundred thousand dollars. Not that such concerns would factor into the equation for most buyers of a new Rolls-Royce, mind you... perish the thought.

[Source: Automobiles De Luxe]

Land of the Free: Americans pay least for a new Rolls-Royce originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The German automaker has teamed up with LG to produce a special MP3 player designed and branded as the Beetle of personal music devices. Rather than simply slapping a Vee-Dub logo on any old contraption, LG designed a fresh product for Volkswagen. Although the shape is the same rounded-corner block as any other on the market, it has a user interface said to be inspired by the New Beetle and is offered in Volkswagen colors including Salsa Red, Shadow Blue and Sunflower Yellow. Of course, it also comes emblazoned with Volkswagen logos, but it seems the designers couldn't fit a bud vase anywhere on the unit.

[Source: Computer World via Motorpasion]

VW + LG = MP3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.