Gallery: Spy Shots: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg

REPORT: Volkswagen Touareg successor headed for Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

click above for more high-res pics of the Williams FW30

Things have gotten a bit foggy over at Williams F1. The once front-running, championship-winning grand prix team has landed on tough times. This year the team opted against holding a glitzy unveiling event like those held recently by Ferrari, McLaren, Toyota and BMW Sauber, and instead focused its energies on developing its new car, the FW30. It seemed like a strange choice for the team that will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and during the season will mark its 500th grand prix and 50,000th racing lap.

But while the team isn't holding an official unveiling, it has whipped up six special paint schemes to celebrate its milestones this year. (We doubt any of them will be as cool as Aston Martin's new-old Gulf livery, but hopefully they'll be better than Honda's tree-hugging paint scheme.) The first time the motorsport press got a glimpse of the new FW30 was yesterday at the Valencia track where the new car was being put through its paces.

Renault was also supposed to take out the R28, the new chariot it has developed for returning former champion Fernando Alonso, but the fog kept them indoors. Honda is scheduled to unveil its new car later this week, as well. Williams, for its part, is hoping the new FW30, powered under contract by Toyota and driven by Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima, will perform and be reliable enough to get it back on the track to its former winning form.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by DIEGO TUSON/AFP/Getty]

Gallery: Williams FW30

Williams FW30 breaks through the fog originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

click above to view more high-res images of the BMW Sauber F1.08

While BMW was busy taking the wraps off the production X6 and 3-liter twin-turbo-diesel in Detroit, its Formula One team unveiled its latest race car at their headquarters in Munich, Germany. For those of you who missed the event, which was broadcast live over the internet, we've got the details for you here.

A "radical evolution" is what star designer Willy Rampf calls his latest creation, the BMW Sauber F1.08. Based on last year's successful F1.07, which took the team to second place overall in the constructors' championship (following McLaren's disqualification), the F1.08 adapts to the new regulations - loss of traction control, standardized ECU and longer-lasting transmission - while the bodywork narrows in width, coupled with an improved aerodynamic package.

BMW is hoping to compete with Ferrari and McLaren next season for checkered flags, and given its progress since taking over the Sauber team in 2006, it just might get there. Both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica are staying on for a third consecutive season with the team, lending stability when many teams are switching it up for 2008.

Check out the gallery below for high-resolution images of the F1.08 launch, and pertinent excerpts from the 108-page press release after the jump.

[Source: BMW Sauber F1 Team]

Gallery: BMW Sauber F1.08 launch

Continue reading Meanwhile, in Munich: BMW Sauber unveils the F1.08

Meanwhile, in Munich: BMW Sauber unveils the F1.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The TF108 departs from last year's TF107 primarily in two areas. First, Toyota lengthened the wheelbase to improve vehicle stability. (Ferrari made a similar design move last year with the F2007, the car with which they secured both world championship titles, but the Scuderia shrank it down again for the new F2008.) Secondly, the TF108 benefits from what Toyota says is a significantly improved aerodynamic package, an area in which last year's car was severely lacking. The TF108 also has to conform to new regulations imposed on the entire series, including further structural safety measures and the standardized ECU. Although engine development has been frozen by the FIA, the RVX-08 engine is mated to a new 7-speed sequential geabox.

Panasonic Toyota Racing desperately needs to find success behind the wheel of the TF108 next season, after the revelation that the bean counters in Japan have given the team two more seasons to turn things around... or else. We'll be watching closely to see how Jarno Trulli, returning for another season with Toyota, and Timo Glock, fresh from his title in GP2, will perform in the 2008 Formula One World Championship.

Follow the jump for a video from the launch, full press release and technical specifications on the TF108.

[Source: Toyota F1]

Gallery: Toyota TF108

Continue reading Toyota F1 pins its hopes on new TF108

Toyota F1 pins its hopes on new TF108 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Fiat 500 is selling like hotcakes everywhere it's hit the market, but Fiat isn't about to sit back and let the product speak for itself. "Committed to making the country smile for the night", Fiat's British subsidiary is planning to debut the retro-mini in a capsule on the London Eye, the 443-foot Ferris wheel formerly known as the Millennium Wheel on the banks of the River Thames.

The 500, which has been winning award after award, will take flight on the wheel at precisely 500 hours into the New Year, on Monday, January 21, 2008 at 8 pm. The high-flying British premiere is one of several recent firsts for the 500 worldwide, having recently appeared in police guise in Amsterdam and been prepared for the track in Australia.

Follow the jump for the press release and an additional photo.

[Source: Fiat UK]

Continue reading Time Capsule: Fiat 500 set for UK launch on the London Eye

Time Capsule: Fiat 500 set for UK launch on the London Eye originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the images to view in high resolution

With its principal rival McLaren scheduled to follow tomorrow, and the others (accept for Williams) in the coming days and weeks, Ferrari kicked off the unveilings of the 2008 F1 cars when it took the wraps off its new F2008 today in Italy.

If you're thinking that the F2008 looks a lot like the F2007 it's replacing, you're not very far off. Aside from the fact that most F1 cars look the same to the untrained eye, rather than go with a completely new package like they did last year, Ferrari's racing engineers and designers opted to go for an evolution of the F2007 with the new car, code-named Project 659.

Despite the constantly-evolving technology in F1, the F2008 is actually heavier than last year's car, due to new regulations coming into play for the upcoming season that include the elimination of traction control, a new standardized ECU and additional safety structure. While the aerodynamic package has been significantly revised, Ferrari has been quick as ever to point out that all those wings and spoilers will be significantly revised again before the car begins its campaign to defend its world titles at the Australian Grand Prix in March.

The F2008 is scheduled to hit the track for the first time tomorrow at the company's private Fiorano test facility in Maranello. For more images, check out the gallery below. For those interested in the technical details, we've got the full press release after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

Gallery: Ferrari F2008

Continue reading Ferrari unveils F2008 Formula One race car

Ferrari unveils F2008 Formula One race car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We waited. We were patient. And this is what Santa's French cousin brought us: a tiny utility van. We were hoping the predictions were wrong and that with its "C-Reveal" new product page, Citroen might give us something a little more exciting, like maybe the C5 Cabrio. But instead we got the Berlingo.

The new Berlingo is available either as a passenger vehicle (or Leisure Activity Vehicle, as Citroen imaginatively calls it) or as a slab-sided Light Commercial Vehicle. Citroen sold over 1.76 million examples of the outgoing Berlingo, which has been on the market since 1996 (with a facelift in 2002) and which will stay on in the meantime as the lower-priced Berlingo First. The new Berlingo uses running gear from the bigger, more civilized C4 Picasso minivan. It also grows in size over the old model and gets one of those new HDi particulate-filter diesels the French are so good at.

If itty-bitty European vans are your thing, you can check out all the juicy details in the press release after the jump, and stay tuned for the Partner version of the Berlingo from PSA sister-company Peugeot.

[Source: Citroen]

Gallery: Citroen New Berlingo

Continue reading Mystery Revealed: new Citroen Berlingo

Mystery Revealed: new Citroen Berlingo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:56:00 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.

Earlier we brought you a screen shot of Citroen's website that features a countdown meter until the French automaker unveils its latest vehicle. Although we'll have to wait another couple of days to know for certain, the replacement for the Berlingo utility minivan is shaping up as a strong contender for the slot, with an undisguised photo of the new vehicle surfacing on the internet.

The Berlingo, also badged as the Partner by PSA sister-company Peugeot, has been on the market since 1996 and received a facelift in 2002. Competing with the new Renault Kangoo that was unveiled at last September's Frankfurt show, the little vans are a common site overseas where their utility and compact size prove a popular combination.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Spy Shots: Citroen C-something could be Berlingo van replacement originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]

Citroen set to unveil C-something Wednesday morning originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been a regular smorgasbord for fans of Mercedes roadsters over here, with this teaser shot of the upcoming facelifted flagship SL hitting the web just a few days after Benz revealed the updated version of the smaller SLK. But while the SLK was revealed first in "ordinary" guise, the image above shows the full-fat, fire-breathing SL 65 AMG version.

We already know that the facelift will feature a heavily revised front end with new headlight treatment, but from the rear three-quarter view Mercedes is enticing us with, all can also see the revised taillights, new diffuser with quad exhausts, and a subtle lip spoiler. The new SL 65 also appears to be riding on AMG's latest 19-inch five-spoke rims, similar in style to those found on Stuttgart's other earth-pounding range-topper, the Porsche 911 Turbo.

With the teaser shot also comes information on the two AMG models in the new SL range: the SL 65 AMG we see here, and the SL 63 AMG. The former packs AMG's twin-turbo V12 pumping out a whopping 612 horsepower, while the latter is driven by Affalterbach's 6.3-liter V8 with 525 horsepower, replacing the outgoing 55 version and in the process distancing it from the smaller SLK 55 AMG revealed previously.

We'll have to wait to see more images of the new AMG roadsters, including those that celebrities will be wrapping around trees.

[Sources: Mercedes-Benz via World Car Fans and Motor Authority]

Teaser: Mercedes releases twin SL AMG roadsters originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ferrari F2007

After 60 years, Scuderia Ferrari still hasn't gotten tired of getting a head start over its rivals. This time, the team has confirmed that the car it will be campaigning next season will be unveiled within a couple weeks' time on January 6.

The early launch date, which was leaked first by Kimi Raikkonen and then confirmed by president Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Jean Todt, places Ferrari as the first F1 team to unveil its car in the new year. Toyota will be unveiling its car on January 10, BMW Sauber on January 14, Honda on January 29 and Renault on January 31. The remaining teams, including Williams, Red Bull, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Force India and Super Aguri, are expected to show their cars later on. Following the much hyped spy scandal, McLaren is opting to forego the festivities of a glitzy unveiling for its 2008 car.

With the F2008, Ferrari is hoping to repeat this past year's performance by reclaiming the driver's and constructor's titles. The car is expected to be an evolution of the F2007 (pictured above), which was hailed as a revolutionary design.

[Source: Inside Line]

Ferrari F2008 to kick off F1 launches originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Dec 2007 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Following our report last month, Audi has confirmed it will be showing two new cars at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. Although Audi is mute on what those two cars will be, one is reportedly a "stunning" new concept car; the second being a new production model making its worldwide debut.

We previously speculated that Audi could be showing the production TT-S, although the next new model expected to come down the pipeline from Audi is a facelifted version of the A3 hatchback, which makes it a strong candidate to fill that slot at Audi's Detroit stand. The A3 has run the longest in the line-up since introduction or refresh, followed by the A8 luxury sedan.

The "stunning" concept car is expected to be somehow based on the already-stunning R8 supercar. Some reports suggest it could be the V10 version known tentatively as the RS8, or possibly a convertible version of the mid-engined sportscar. Given the aesthetic used, the roadster would seem more fitting than the V10, although a design study could also fit the bill.

We'll just have to wait another few weeks to see.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Detroit 2008: Something "stunning" coming from Audi

Detroit 2008: Something "stunning" coming from Audi originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're on the list of OEM component suppliers for the planned replacement of the Volvo XC90 sport-ute, don't read this article, because you haven't been informed yet. For everyone else, however, reports are emerging that Ford PAG has pulled the plug on the Swedish subsidiary's flagship SUV.

The reports come from the Swedish edition of Auto Motor & Sport , which cites the lack of environmentally-friendly powertrain alternatives as the main factor that influenced Ford to trash plans for the second-generation XC90, despite an anticipated launch in two years' time. Volvo has no hybrid powertain to put in the large SUV, slated to share a Ford platform, and no start/stop engine function. Rather than developing such systems, and with an eye on dropping sales of the rival BMW X5, PAG has reportedly opted to cancel the program altogether.

While the XC60, XC50 and possibly upcoming XC30 are expected to continue on without their bigger brother, the current XC90 model will receive a facelift in 2009 and stay on the market until 2012.

[Source: Auto Motor & Sport via World Car Fans]

REPORT: Volvo XC90 replacement cancelled originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Although the Volkswagen Group brands that sell in the United States (namely Volkswagen and Audi) tend to keep their respective platforms to themselves - almost to a fault - in foreign markets the German automaker rebadges and rebodies the same cars under several different labels. Skoda is one such brand, and its flagship sedan, called Superb, is due for replacement. And that's just what the Czech carmaker is preparing to unveil at the Geneva show next March.

What you see above is the second-generation Skoda Superb, based on the current (fifth-generation) Volkswagen Passat and stretched some. Details and additional pictures haven't yet been released, but Skoda promises it'll incorporate many "smart solutions", including an anticipated creative approach to the hatchbach-trunk debate.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - subscription required]

2009 Skoda Superb flagship to bow at Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: LA 2007: VW space up! blue concept

Gallery: VW space up! blue

Continue reading LA 2007: Deja Vu with Volkswagen space up! blue

LA 2007: Deja Vu with Volkswagen space up! blue originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chrysler set to reveal new model at Woodward originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With nearly all of its other sister companies - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Ferrari, Fiat and even Abarth - getting on track, the attention at the Fiat group should be turning to its ailing Lancia division next. But don't expect Fiat to drag its feet about it much longer, as Lancia may have a new car ready to show us as soon as September.

Emerging reports suggest that Lancia is preparing a new Fulvia, in full pre-production guise, for the upcoming Frankfurt motor show in the fall. The last time we saw a Fulvia it was the show car above, a retro styling exercise from the Lancia Centro Stile, that didn't make it to production because they didn't have the money or the right platform on which to build it. But the Fiat group has headed into a new era of growth, and the time may be coming for a new Fulvia to spearhead Lancia's regeneration.

Insiders suggest that instead of the retro-styled Fulvia concept from 2003, the new car will feature a thoroughly modern design. This should be interesting.

[Source: WindingRoad]

Pre-production Lancia Fulvia could be heading to Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to check out 76 hi-rez photos

Gallery: Hyundai i30

Continue reading Geneva Motor Show: Hyundai i30

Geneva Motor Show: Hyundai i30 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Mar 2007 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above for our 12-image high-resolution gallery from the Montreal launch.

Legendary Corvette tuner Callaway's latest creation, the C16, was unveiled in pre-production guise at the LA show back in November, but the final production version made its debut at the Montreal auto show, of all places. Why Montreal? Company founder Reeves Callaway, who was on hand together with designer Paul Deutschman to unveil the new car, explained that because Montreal is Deutschman's home town, it was only fitting. (If the C16 hadn't already made its big splash in LA, we're sure they wouldn't have shown it first at such a minor show as Montreal.)

There were only a few differences between the orange pre-production car shown in LA and the red, final version unveiled in Montreal. The LA car had a custom brake package, while the Montreal car's were stock; the orange car had a custom interior, while the red car's cabin was unmolested; and around back the distinctive chome-tipped "Double-D" exhaust outlets were enlarged on the Montreal car to what the boys from the factory jovially called the "Triple-D" exhaust. If it seems backwards that they left the brakes and interior stock; remember that each Callaway creation is built to order, and evidently this customer didn't want to spring for the upgraded stopping power and custom cabin.

Like the LA show car, this C16 features a supercharged six-liter Corvette V8 pumping out a whopping 616 horses, enough to propel this Callaway to sixty in less than three-and-a-half seconds. Apart from the roof, greenhouse glass and side mirrors, every body panel on the C16 is changed from the C6 Corvette on which it's based, and the result is a car that looks half Corvette, half Ferrari, but distinctively Callaway.

(We had a chance to talk with Reeves Callaway at the launch... watch this space for the highlights.)

Click here or on any of the images below for our 12-image high-resolution gallery from the Montreal launch.

Gallery: Callaway C16 in Montreal 07

Montreal Auto Show: Callaway unveils production C16 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.