Autoblog

click above for more high-res pics of the BMW 135i

If you're still frothing at the mouth for anything having to do with the new BMW 1-Series coupe, some new photos have found their way onto the internet. It's still a 3-series that was left in the dryer too long, but the new shots show the car off in its best possible light. There's been a lot of talk about the 135 being a return to the roots of what propelled BMW to such greatness, with alphanumerics like E30 M3 and 2002tii flying about. The 135i certainly holds its own stylistically, even if it is not possessed of the same delicacy of line as its forebears. The 135i appears hefty, like a block of dense marble carved by a skilled artisan, and when you get right down to it, that's what it is. We've babbled enough, check out the gallery. Thanks for the tip, Horatiu!

[Source: edbmw]

Chrysler has released some video of the Challenger zooming around on some desert tarmac. We think that this video is from the same shoot that produced the teaser pics we all salivated over before the Challenger was officially unveiled. With that, on to the video, after the jump. Hit the gallery for more stills, while you're at it.

[Source: Chrysler]

Japanese tire-maker Bridgestone has been supplying every team on the Formula One grid since rival rubber company Michelin pulled out of the sport at the end of the 2006 season. But whereas Bridgestone had gone through 2007 as the exclusive tire supplier by default, the ink has now dried on the contract that makes them the exclusive tire supplier by design.

The deal secures Bridgestone's monopoly in the pinnacle motorsport series from 2008 through 2010. Although the deal was reportedly secured in 2006, but it just became official.

While many other racing series around the world have similar arrangements with various tire suppliers, Formula One has traditionally been a bastion of pure competition. The tire deal, however, prevents companies like Goodyear, Pirelli and Michelin from returning to F1, joining the institution of a common engine control module, the recent freeze on engine development and drastic restrictions on testing in "leveling the playing field" and thereby reducing the degree of competition in F1.

Full press release after the jump.

[Source: Bridgestone via Autosport]

click on above image for more high-res pics of the SSC Ultimate Aero TT

Back in March, SSC went for the mantle of World's Fastest Production Car with its Ultimate Aero TT. The attempt failed due to a number of factors, one of which was bad weather, but SSC is still determined to take the title away from the Koenigsegg CCR, which is the current record holder with an official run up to 242 mph. (The Bugatti Veyron has reportedly gone 253 mph in an unofficial run.)

Winding Road recently spoke with Junus Khan, SSC's marketing director, who claims that the Ultimate Aero TT hit 241.4 mph during a transmission temperature test on May 22. At the time, the driver was reportedly using only 71 percent of the car's available throttle, which implies it's got plenty of reserve to break the official record of 242 mph. With 1,183 bhp on tap behind the driver's head, we're sure the SSC Ultimate Aero TT will shatter the record soon once the company organizes another official attempt. Khan says they'll be going for it in the "very near future."

[Source: Winding Road]

It's official, Holden's Denny Mooney has confirmed that the Commodore is heading to the US to join the Excitement division. To cop a phrase from my mother in law – no kidding, Dick Tracy. Bob Lutz let slip, and then owned up to the fact that the car is coming here as the Pontiac G8 during the Detroit show. Looking at the red G8 that posed with Mooney, our knees are all jiggly – we can hardly wait to get our mitts on one. Hopefully, it'll be outfitted with the 6-liter V8, but even the 3.6-liter V6 would be fine. What we're really interested in sampling is the fit and finish, ride quality, and road manners. We suspect that even the six will have adequate power to pull the G8/Commodore around with authority, and the V8 will be ridiculous icing on the cake, and extremely delicious at that.

Continued after the jump...

[Source: drive.com.au]

click above image to view entire high-res gallery of brochure

The official brochure for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has surfaced over on the German Car Zone forums, and it reveals in full production glory the car that we've seen countless times in spy shots over the past year. The first thing that jumps out at you is the ginormous three-pointed star emblem that dominates the front grille on the Avant Garde and AMG Sport Package models. A trim called Elegance will apparently make do with a standard Mercedes grille. We dig the big badge, which was also previewed on the Vision GL420 Concept at the Detroit Auto Show. This indicates we should expect more MB models to sport the large three-pointed star on various trim levels over the next few years. Otherwise, the sedan's exterior lines are a little meatier, a little chunkier and more filling, like Campbell's soup. M'm, m'm, good.

The interior of the 2008 C-Class impresses us less, however, with a wonky steering wheel and old-school nav setup that has the screen popping up vertically from a hidden slot on the dash. We didn't like that feature in the first Infinitis with nav systems and we don't like it here. There does, however, appear to be a large information screen centered in speedomater reminiscent of what Chrysler uses in the Pacifica. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Check out the rest of the brochure in our high-resolution gallery.



[Source: German Car Zone via Jalopnik]

Perhaps riding a contact high from all the heady presentations at the NAIAS, GM product Czar Bob Lutz let fly that the Holden Commodore SS will be coming to the US as a Pontiac. Lutz went on to say that the car will be known as the G8, and that GM is looking at an official amount of "a lot." In this case, a lot adds up to about 30,000 per year, with reserve capacity in case they nail it with price and features, and demand is high.

We hope that's the case, as the Commodore/G8 would certainly fill a hole in Pontiac's offerings and could really shake things up in the sports sedan segment if executed well. We expect that the execution will be near spot-on, judging from the performance we've seen out of the General lately. The GTO nee Monaro paved the way for sourcing the G8 from Holden. The Commodore was developed with export in mind, and Holden has the export game figured out already. They send more Statesman luxury models out of Australia then they sell locally. Lots more, in fact. Since the GTO broke the ice and let GM know what their subsidiary is capable of in the land where toilets flush backwards (not true), GM sounds excited to give the Excitement division a shot of, uh, excitement.

[Source: drive.com.au]

UPDATE: Sorry to republish this post, but all official highrez shots, video and SMART's press release have been added after jump.


After a few sneak peeks of the new SMART fortwo, we have here the full catalogue of official shots showing the U.S.-bound city car for 2007. The changes made to the car are actually substantial, though extremely subtle. The fortwo has grown in all dimensions and now sits at 2.69 meters (8.82 feet) long. It will also be powered by a bigger, three-cylinder motor that's a full liter in size and available with 61, 71 or 84 bhp. A diesel option will be offered that generates 45 bhp, and the only tranny choice for any engine is a five-speed manual. SMART is also fitting the new fortwo with a "stop & go" system that cuts the engine at red lights much like a hybrid. Safety will be a big priority as well, with each fortwo stocked with front airbargs, ABS and ESP.

We also get to see the interior in this batch of photos and, aside from a steering wheel that looks like it was lifted right out of the '80s, the diminutive domicile looks pleasant enough and not as cramped as one might expect.

Check out a full gallery of shots after the jump.

[Source: Autoblog Spanish - translated]