|
Video: Cadillac CTS-V "Competition" commercial
15 hours 39 minutes agoFiled under: Sedan, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Cadillac 
Cadillac CTS-V "Competition" commercial - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Recently, we showed you a behind-the-scenes look at Cadillacs newest commercial featuring the CTS-V sedan out on Germanys hallowed-be-thy-name Nürburgring. Now, after all of the editing and post-production work has been completed, were left with a brand new television ad spot simply dubbed "The Competition," showing viewers that one of the worlds fastest sport sedans will strive to be better and better. How can you improve on 0-60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and a Ring run in just 7:59.32? Were eager to find out.
Aside from the gloriousness of watching a CTS-V do what it does best out on one of the worlds greatest road courses, we like this video because it makes mention of the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG - two vehicles that inspired Cadillac to raise the bar for its own sport sedan. Give credit where credit is due, after all. Still, we like stiff competition, and you can watch Cadillacs latest ad spot for yourself after the jump.
[Source: Cadillac via YouTube]Continue reading Video: Cadillac CTS-V "Competition" commercial Video: Cadillac CTS-V "Competition" commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - [Read more] |
|
Spy Shots: BMW M5 prototype gets towed off the Ring
18 hours 51 minutes agoFiled under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Europe, BMW, Luxury 
BMW M5 prototype gets towed home - Click above for high-res image gallery
Occasionally, we find ourselves wondering why manufacturers continue to insist on testing their prototype vehicles at the infamous Nürburgring. Yes, the track is 13 miles of some of the most abusive variations in elevation and apex around, but its also flooded with legions of hungry spy photographers just waiting to publicize the carmakers latest efforts. Youd think theyd come up with a locale with a smidge more privacy.
But the truth is that the Nürburgring offers a unique combination of length, speed and legality thats difficult to come across elsewhere in the world. Those three factors combine to allow engineers to push vehicles well past what the common buyer will ever experience, and sometimes, that means pushing a vehicle all the way to mechanical failure. We arent exactly sure what caused this particular BMW M5 mule to go lame, but were guessing that the testing was well worth what was bound to be the mountain of paperwork facing these guys when they get back to the office.
At least the X5 seems to be up to the task of pulling its sportier brother around.
[Source: CarPix]Spy Shots: BMW M5 prototype gets towed off the Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments - [Read more] |
|
Video: Top Gear USA runs with the bulls
September 2, 2010 19:56:00Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Lamborghini
Top Gear USA runs with the bulls - Click above to see the video after the jump
While everyone and their mother seems to have made Top Gear USA bashing the new national pastime, you might want to take a look at the newest video tease its just released. While the appeal of the BBC show undoubtedly revolves around the chemistry between its three mismatched hosts, at its core, its a show about cars. So even if were not certain the three American hosts can live up to the legacy established by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, perhaps they really dont need to.
Top Gear USA isnt a replacement for the BBC show after all - its more of a spin-off. And as long as the production values stay high - and from the looks of it, they have - its just more car pr0n for all of us. Case in point: the video youll see after the jump. The storyline is fairly straightforward: Round up the baddest Lamborghinis from the corral - Superleggera, Balboni and SuperVeloce - and open them up so we can see what theyll do. Can there possibly be a loser? Maybe the matador. Follow the jump to see the Top Gear USA guys on their run with the bulls. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
[Source: The History Channel via YouTube]Continue reading Video: Top Gear USA runs with the bulls Video: Top Gear USA runs with the bulls originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments - [Read more] |
|
Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video]
September 2, 2010 19:01:00Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ferrari, Toys/Games 
Ferrari Driving Academy Trailer - Click above to watch the video after the jump
There are a handful of F1 driving simulators out in the market today, ranging from Codemasters F1 2010 to the $191,000 Cruden Hexatech simulator. Ferrari has decided to try their hand at their own version called Ferrari Virtual Academy 2010.
The simulation racing game will benefit from much of Ferraris own expertise in Formula One. The teams engineers were consulted to provide realistic driving dynamics and each of the tracks were digitally recreated with Laser Scan and Motion Capture. Ferraris current competitor, the F10, is the vehicle of choice, and Fiorano, Mugello and the Nürburgring are the current tracks available. Theres no word as to whether historic cars or additional tracks will be offered.
The game will be available for download on September 9 with a price tag of 15 Euros (around $19 USD), although to tantalize potential users, Ferrari has said that there will be "exclusive Scuderia gadgets and further surprises" for the drivers. We dont know what that means, but we cant imagine a Ferrari gadget that we wouldnt like. Need to see more? You can watch the games official trailer after the jump.
[Source: Ferrari]Continue reading Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video] Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments - [Read more] |
|
Windsor-area police looking to ID car involved in hit-and-run fatality. Can you help? *UPDATE
September 2, 2010 18:00:00Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Canada 
Police in Windsor, Ontario are attempting to determine the type of vehicle involved in a fatal hit and run recently. Kyle Peters, a 15-year-old, was struck while riding his bicycle on Country Road 34. After being admitted to the hospital in critical condition, Peters died from his injuries the following morning. According to The Toronto Star, Peters was hit somewhere between roads 21 and 37 and was struck at around 9 p.m. A single piece of fiberglass was recovered from the scene, measuring 11 inches by 16 inches.
So far, police have been unable to identify the vehicle that struck Peters. Law enforcement is welcoming any tips related to vehicles with missing pieces of fender in the area. Likewise, police are seeking help identifying the vehicle based on the piece of bodywork as well. Do you recognize the fiberglass piece above? Take your best guess in Comments and be sure to note that anyone with information on the accident can contact the Leamington Police Department via their website. Thanks for the tip, Dan!
*Update: The Toronto Star is reporting that Peter Martens Schmitt, 18, has been arrested in connection with this incident and charged with failure to remain at the scene of an accident, criminal negligence causing death and dangerous driving causing death. He was driving an older model Audi.
[Source: The Toronto Star]Windsor-area police looking to ID car involved in hit-and-run fatality. Can you help? *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments - [Read more] |
|
God I Love the Germans [Retro]
September 2, 2010 17:30:00Here is six minutes of glorious Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, back from the days when it was nothing but an epic battle between BMW E30 M3’s and Mercedes–Benz 190 E 2.3-16’s. More »
 - [Read more] |
|
By The Numbers - August 2010: The C4C hangover continues
September 2, 2010 00:24:00Filed under: By the Numbers Luxury marques gain ground while volume brands suffer
 Just like any spending spree, there are consequences. And for the second straight month, the automakers that benefited most from Cash For Clunkers have seen their sales figures fall through the floor compared to August of last year. The program officially ended August 24, 2009, and if you take a look at the chart below, the brands with inexpensive, fuel efficient rides suffered the most last month.
On the upside, luxury marques like Cadillac, Jaguar, Porsche, Infiniti and Acura were going gangbusters compared to August of 2009, which could be further proof that Americas high-rollers are either confident the recession is over or - more likely - were less affected by the downturn than us peons. No matter. When its bust for some, its boom for others, and this months sales figures speak for themselves.
| Brand | Vol. % | August 2010 | August 2009 | DSR %* | August 2010 | August 2009 | | Cadillac | 83.08 | 12,689 | 6,931 | 90.40 | 508 | 267 | | Buick | 65.98 | 14,294 | 8,612 | 72.62 | 572 | 331 | | Jaguar | 61.60 | 1,414 | 875 | 68.06 | 57 | 34 | | Porsche | 33.16 | 2,032 | 1,526 | 38.48 | 81 | 59 | | Infiniti | 21.93 | 9,428 | 7,732 | 26.81 | 377 | 297 | | Acura | 19.83 | 11,534 | 9,625 | 24.63 | 461 | 370 | | Jeep | 16.63 | 25,706 | 22,041 | 21.29 | 1,028 | 848 | | Audi | 13.96 | 9,182 | 8,057 | 18.52 | 367 | 310 | | GMC | 12.27 | 25,986 | 23,145 | 16.77 | 1,039 | 890 | | Land Rover | 11.33 | 2,544 | 2,285 | 15.79 | 102 | 88 | | Mercedes-Benz | 10.02 | 18,826 | 17,112 | 14.42 | 753 | 658 | | Lincoln | 9.43 | 6,428 | 5,874 | 13.81 | 257 | 226 | | Dodge | 7.56 | 35,364 | 32,878 | 11.86 | 1,415 | 1,265 | | Ram | 4.67 | 20,604 | 19,684 | 8.86 | 824 | 757 | | BMW | 1.60 | 19,540 | 19,232 | 5.67 | 782 | 740 | | Chrysler | -3.66 | 17,937 | 18,619 | 0.19 | 717 | 716 | | Volkswagen | -7.93 | 22,855 | 24,823 | -4.25 | 914 | 955 | | Ford | -10.74 | 144,035 | 161,369 | -7.17 | 5,761 | 6,207 | | Hyundai | -11.35 | 53,603 | 60,467 | -7.81 | 2,144 | 2,326 | | Mini | -13.42 | 4,425 | 5,111 | -9.96 | 177 | 197 | | Lexus | -14.97 | 19,465 | 22,892 | -11.57 | 779 | 880 | | Kia | -19.24 | 32,465 | 40,198 | -16.01 | 1,299 | 1,546 | | Chevrolet | -21.52 | 131,952 | 168,130 | -18.38 | 5,278 | 6,467 | | Mercury | -22.47 | 7,040 | 9,080 | -19.37 | 282 | 349 | | Subaru | -22.47 | 22,239 | 28,683 | -19.36 | 890 | 1,103 | | Mazda | -25.63 | 19,739 | 26,542 | -22.66 | 790 | 1,021 | | Nissan | -30.93 | 67,399 | 97,580 | -28.17 | 2,696 | 3,753 | | Honda | -35.98 | 97,195 | 151,814 | -33.42 | 3,888 | 5,839 | | Toyota | -36.24 | 128,923 | 202,196 | -33.69 | 5,157 | 7,777 | | Mitsubishi | -36.99 | 4,293 | 6,813 | -36.99 | 172 | 273 | | Saab | -40.08 | 290 | 484 | -37.69 | 12 | 19 | | Suzuki | -68.18 | 1,830 | 5,751 | -66.91 | 73 | 221 | | Smart | -72.38 | 448 | 1,622 | -71.27 | 18 | 62 | | (Hummer) | -73.62 | 205 | 777 | -72.56 | 8 | 30 | | (Saturn) | -99.49 | 43 | 8,479 | -99.47 | 2 | 326 | | (Pontiac) | -99.98 | 7 | 29,921 | -99.98 | 0 | 1,151 | | Volvo | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | | Companies | | | | | | | | Jaguar Land Rover | 25.25 | 3,958 | 3,160 | 30.26 | 158 | 122 | | Chrysler Group | 6.85 | 99,611 | 93,222 | 11.13 | 3,984 | 3,585 | | BMW Group | -1.55 | 23,965 | 24,343 | 2.39 | 959 | 936 | | General Motors (Core) | -10.59 | 184,921 | 206,818 | -7.01 | 7,397 | 7,955 | | Ford Motor Company | -10.67 | 157,503 | 176,323 | -7.10 | 6,300 | 6,782 | | General Motors | -24.87 | 185,176 | 246,479 | -21.87 | 7,407 | 9,480 | | Nissan North America | -27.05 | 76,827 | 105,312 | -24.13 | 3,073 | 4,050 | | American Honda | -32.65 | 108,729 | 161,439 | -29.96 | 4,349 | 6,209 | | Toyota Mo Co | -34.08 | 148,388 | 225,088 | -31.44 | 5,936 | 8,657 |
Note: Volvo hasnt released monthly sales figures yet, so when the Swedes new owners at Geely get their act together and send out the numbers, well update the chart.
*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 25 selling days in August 2010 versus 26 selling days in August 2009, so the change in monthly sales volume will be different than the change average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company.By The Numbers - August 2010: The C4C hangover continues originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments - [Read more] |
|
Report: Volkswagen Touareg R will be sold in U.S. with a diesel by 2012
September 1, 2010 20:32:00Filed under: Performance, SUV, Europe, Volkswagen 
2011 Volkswagen Touareg - Click above for high-res image gallery
Last time we talked about the next-generation Volkswagen Touareg R it was to relay rumors that the high-performance SUV might drop the automakers venerable 5.0-liter diesel V10 TDI engine in favor of a V8 hybrid powertrain. Car and Driver is kicking the ball the other way with a report that the next version of the Toureg R will indeed still be a diesel, although carrying over the V10 probably isnt in the cards.
Instead, C/D reports that VW will be using its new 4.2-liter diesel V8 already available in the European Touareg. For Touareg R duty, the oil burner will likely be pumped up from its current 340-horsepower output to 380, along with delivering enough torque to move the SUV with irresponsible abandon. Thats more power than the V10 TDI produced in the old Touareg R at 350, and probably enough for the new Touareg R to keep pace with other high-performance SUVs in the segment.
The bigger news is that C/D claims the next-gen Touareg R will actually be available for sale in the U.S in 2012 as a 2013 model. The new 4.2-liter diesel V8 will apparently meet current U.S. emissions standards, at least when installed under the hood of a Touareg R.
To date, the only R model ever offered by VW in the States was the Golf-based R32. Weve never had a shot at a Touareg R, though VW did intermittently sell a version of the last-generation Touareg here with the same diesel V10 TDI as the R model in Europe (also called the R50), though tuned for less power and minus the performance goodies.
[Source: Car and Driver]Report: Volkswagen Touareg R will be sold in U.S. with a diesel by 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - [Read more] |
|
How EPAs new fuel economy label would grade current cars
September 1, 2010 19:29:00Filed under: Government/Legal 
EPA Fuel Economy Sample Grades - Click above to view entire list
Twenty years ago, the federal government made it mandatory for most food products to carry nutrition information based on a 2,000 calorie diet in the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Information Act. In doing so, the feds simultaneously ensured that graphic designers the world over would run into the headache of squeezing the now-familiar Nutrition Facts chart onto food packages and that the public at large would have at least some clue as to what they were shoving down their pie-hole. Now the EPA and the DOT are in the process of pulling a similar maneuver for vehicle fuel economy.
Needless to say, this has made us a little curious as to how the current fleet of vehicles being sold here in the states would fare in the new rating system. Fortunately, the EPA has answered that very question. Buried deep in the 242-page explanation of the label is a table that breaks down a handful of vehicles by grade. At the very top of the list, earning an A+ are EVs, followed quickly by plug-in hybrids. A little bit lower on the list in the A- category are cars like the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius.
As you might expect, larger vehicles and those with gargantuan engines fall lower down the grading scale. The lowest example on the list? That would be the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti at a lowly D.
[Source: EPA]How EPAs new fuel economy label would grade current cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments - [Read more] |
RSS FeedsCopy of European Performance Car News
http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=0KGTSlG42xGwx2tDX6IxGw
Brings you news from Autoblog, Jalopnik, and Fourtitude about European Performance and Luxury cars. Total news: 4551
Last news: 15 hours 39 minutes ago
|
all auto news - Toyota
http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=wg4Yy2PE2xGDQzgzqGIyXQ
Pipes Output Total news: 791
Last news: August 31, 2010 03:10:08
|
Total news: 1
Last news: March 7, 2007 02:06:41
|
|
|
