Steven Diver - Autoblog

For some of us, the season of track debuts and launches of new Formula One machinery is better than Christmas. So let the season continue with the track debut of McLaren's 2005 Formula One contender the MP/4-20. The new McLaren is a noticable evolution of the ill-fated MP/4-18, and diabolical MP/4-19, but McLaren-Mercedes is hoping that the new car will bring back the successes of the mid-late 1980's and late 1990's, when Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, and Mika Hakkinen brought home World Cha

The Lexus LF-A is intended to be Toyota's "hey look what we're doing in F1" re-entry into the sportcar market they vacated nine years ago when they axed the Supra. The front engined, rear-wheel drive LF-A is believed to be currently running around tracks with a compact V10 engine, derived from the Toyota TF105 F1 car. However, Toyota is keen to keep the link between the LF-A and their Formula One program apparent, so with the uncertain F1 rules we could yet see a V8 powering the vehicle,

As Audi moves onward and upward(?) with the new A6 model, production of the high performance RS6 model has come to a close. Production of the RS6 begain in May 2002, and Audi estimated demand at about 6000 cars worldwide. Demand for the RS6 proved to be far greater than that however, and 8081 vehicles were eventually built. The RS6 had to be one of the ultimate "wolf in sheep's clothing" vehicles out there…nothing flashy on the outside (unless you knew what you were looking for), a

Toyota appears set to add the FJ Cruiser, a boxy, two-door, designed for off-road use SUV, to its already large lineup of SUVs. Initially revealed as a concept car at the NAIAS in January of 2003, a production version of the FJ Cruiser will be unveiled at next month's Chicago Auto Show. More details will definitely follow, as Autoblog will be there.

It seems like everyone is in the business of creating Formula One

In all the auto show hoopla last week, Sauber Petronas F1 launched the C24, their 2005 Formula One challenger. The C24 will carry former world champion Jacques Villeneuve and former Ferrari test driver Felipe Massa, and in its royal blue and green livery, if the C24 is not quick, it will at least look good trolling around track. Ferrari's F1 contenders are the perennial best looking racers on the track, but the new Sauber C24 will give Ferrari a run for their money. The new Sauber also sp

Many automobile manufacturers tout their F1-inspired transmissions, race-inspired handling and materials, and of

Tuesday's Macworld San Francisco introduced the world to Apple Computer's latest creations, namely the Mac mini and the iPod shuffle. So what the hell does this have to do with automobiles, you ask? Well, one automotive shop, Classic Restorations, feels that the Mac mini can bring "brain power" to any car. The idea of having a computer in your car is nothing new, but the form factor of the newest Mac would

Have you ever wondered what the son of a former Iraqi dictator

Okay, we all know that seatbelts save lives. It's nothing new. If they did nothing, racing drivers would wear them,

Okay, I apologize it's not Paris Hilton in her Bentley, or Jessica

It's usually the automotive industry that reaps the benefits of

Every year, there seem to be fewer and fewer of them on the road. It's gotten to a point that Autoblog doesn't even have a category for them. Yes, I speak of that oft maligned and misunderstood body style known as the coupe. Okay, so it's not misunderstood, but the "common wisdom" in America seems to be that coupes don't sell as well as their 4-door bretheren. Hey, why do you think the new Dodge went he 4-door direction with the new Charger? Oh yeah, Chry

With their launch of the TF105, Toyota became the first team to showcase their 2005 Formula One challenger. As with every F1 launch, it came with the usual F1 pomp, circumstance, spending of  ridiculous sums of money, and who could forget the "2005 will be Toyota's most competitive season to date" and "victory is our ultimate goal," standard party line. The TF105 will be the the first Toyota to bear the full influence of technical director, Mike Gascoyne as he hopes to bring the the

Update: So it all begins to make a little more sense now. Reports indicate that Schumacher's bodyguard, Burkhard Cramer, and two sons (the bodyguard's, not Schumi's), were killed in the tsunami. I'd guess that had at least a little bit to do with his donation.

To build on the Volkswagen incentive story we reported on yesterday, in which VW is trying out new sales incentives, aimed at licensed drivers in Illinois and Wisconsin, offering them a year of free car insurance with the purchase or lease of a 2004 or 2005 Golf, New Beetle, or New Beetle Convertible. The free insurance incentive is estimated to be worth anywhere from $1300 to $3000, and participants don't even need a clean dr

Volkswagen has setup a task force, named 'Moonraker,' aimed at finding what car buyers in America really want. VW, then plans on taking this new found knowledge and translating it into new models that the company hopes will sell better in the United States. The task force will be headed by former BMW manager, Stefan Liske, and will look at both the Volkswagen and Audi brands. Perhaps VW should just take a logical look at what they are doing, or read Autoblog<

Okay, I just had a MINI Cooper for a few days, and I cannot even