It’s not only American carmakers seeing dwindling sales of pickup truck and SUV models. Industry leader Toyota is also seeing its inventories pile up and has responded by cutting production at its Princeton plant in Indiana. Inside sources have now revealed that Toyota could use the under-utilized capacity to build more Camry sedans, the third [...]
When one thinks of cars and the sport of golfing, the vaunted Buick brand immediately springs to mind for its association with living legend of the dimpled sphere Tiger Woods, as well as its sponsorship of the Buick Invitational tournament. Well, Audi is planning on moving into the gentlemans sport with a new collection of golf accessories designed by the Audi Konzept Team in Munich. The Audi Golf Collection features a golf cart bag, travel cover, a trolley travel case on wheels, a sport bag, shoe bag and golf umbrella. Nothing ground breaking, but if youre into Audi design and want to sport some Vorsprung durch Technik on the back nine, then perhaps these items will liberate some greenbacks from your back pocket.
In two separate actions, Toyotas U.S. arm says "we cant build hybrids fast enough," while the home office shows off an improved fuel-cell hybrid vehicle. - [Read more]
The recently-exhumed Lancia Scorpion takes the win over the electrical-system-challenged Merkur XR4Ti by a 60/40 ratio in yesterdays Choose Your Eternity poll, preserving Italys status- for now- as a PCH Superpower. And, speaking of PCH Superpowers, we have some unfinished business from Wednesday; it seems that a German car managed to beat a French one (albeit by a margin thinner than a typical Hell Project owners wallet), which casts some doubt on Frances status as the worlds lone PCH Omnipower. Was it a fluke, caused by the Peugeots Chevy running gear? Lets see how another Peugeot-VW matchup plays out today, with a couple of sand-in-your-teeth desert heroes vying for your vote!
How much do you have to pay for a rare European rally car steeped in 1960s and 1970s racing history from one of the most famous races in North America? More than you could ever afford, of course. But wait! An unaccountable distortion in the Vintage Race Car Reality Field (VRCRF) has produced this 1963 Peugeot 404 Baja 1000 veteran. How can we tell the VRCRF was involved? The $1,200 price tag. No, really- just barely over a thousand bucks; in fact, the seller states "No Reasonable Offer Will Be Refused!!!" so you might be able to get it for under a grand! Of course, youll have a Sisyphean ordeal somewhat challenging road in front of you with this project, since the car has been sitting for 34 years and the engine is long gone. That shouldnt stop you, however- its a rear-wheel-drive car, so the junkyard is overflowing with suitable engines that could be swapped right in without too much trouble. BMW M10?Toyota A? Is the suspension good? Probably not! Is anything on this car good? Who knows? Once youve got it running, however, itll be time to head to the desert for some vintage dirt-eating adventure! Thanks, once again, to PCH ĂœberTipster LTDScott.
When youre going racing in Baja California, dont you want a vehicle with "Baja" in its name? Ah, the ol Baja Bug! Remember when you used to see them doing daily-driver duty all over the Southwest? The air-cooled Beetle in stock form is no slouch off-road- no radiator to boil over, most of the weight over the drive wheels, and so on- but put nerf bars, roll cage, and big tires on it and youll be ready to leave tire tracks across the backs of the most elusive endangered species in the desert! To be vintage, however, you need an oval-window Beetle for your Baja Bug project...and have you priced 1953-57 Beetles lately? Fortunately for you, weve managed to find this 57 Beetle thats already well on its way to Baja-ness. You get a significant fraction of a 1776cc engine and "many other parts," and all for just $1,400! Old VWs have the dubious distinction of being the only cars that manage to get terrible rust in Southern California, so you have to figure on some pan rot to deal with. While youre shopping for your great big wheels, roof-mounted oil cooler, sixer of Primo Beer, and lid of Acapulco Gold, youll have plenty of time to contemplate stuffing a Roots-type blower on the engine, just like yesterdays PCH Beetle!
ABC has reportedly ordered up a new hour-long drama pilot, based upon the auto industry and set in our very own Motor City. The Prince of Motor City is said to contain "Hamlet overtones" and is set to begin filming at the end of June, airing this winter as a mid-season replacement. According to the casting call on the Michigan Film Office Web site, theyre seeking actors for a variety of roles, including at least one apparent Dr. Z lookalike. More details and full release after the jump...
Herr Merkel sounds awfully familiar: "Tall, handsome German man meets with Cora Neel and the other board members about buying Hamilton Motors." And, as if you need more than a drama about the car biz based in the D, apparently Andie MacDowell is already on board. Poor Yorick: We thought that was your head we saw rolling down Jefferson.
THE PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY
To be an auto tycoon... or not to be? Thats the problem plaguing philosophy lecturer Billy Hamilton.
His father, the legendary William Hamilton III of Hamilton Motor Works, was just killed in a mysterious accident. And when Billy returns home for the funeral, hes shocked to discover that his father left him... everything. The factory. The assets. Detroits fourth-biggest auto plant. All the power and wealth he can imagine. But Billys not sure if he wants it. Because the situation back home has gotten strange indeed.
Company CFO and family friend Paul Riley is outraged that he wasnt given the keys to the kingdom. Billys unfinished romance with Rileys spunky daughter Meg is heating up again. And Billys mom and his Uncle Charlie seem to be consoling one another in much too cozy a fashion—do they know more about Williams death than theyre letting on?
But all this pales in comparison to the eerie goings-on around the plant. Billys being haunted by a song... a moody Elvis song that was his fathers favorite. Hes getting mysterious, meaningful messages from complete strangers. At a dinner party, he chats with an empty seat next to him—which chats back. Finally, a ghost that could only be his father tells Billy in a croaking voice: "I want revenge."
An epic, Gothic, family melodrama with overtones of Hamlet, The Prince of Motor City injects corporate and familial intrigue with supernatural suspense. Produced by actor Hamish Linklater of The New Adventures of Old Christine, this riveting drama tells the story of a modern-day monarch with method in his madness... and vengeance in his heart.
In the wake of America's mass exodus from large trucks and SUVs, Toyota is considering shifting production of its efficient Camry to its Indiana truck plant. Toyota sold 51,291 Camrys last month while Tundra sales slipped 31.5 percent. The future of the Indiana plant which produces the Toyota Tundra pickup, Sequoia SUV and Sienna [...] - [Read more]
Since Motorola is the phone of Ferrari, Sony Ericsson has decided to jump on the rest of the dentist-anesthesiologist demo with a Ducati-branded Z770 cell phone. The big difference here is that Ducati bikes are appealing and svelte, while this mobile phone isnt. Like most auto-branded cell phones, the Z770 will include the usual array of screensavers, backgrounds, themes and more featuring the Ducati namesake. The Ducati Sony Ericsson Z770 should be hitting the Italian shelves soon and should make a great companion to the completely unecessary Ducati USB flash drive [TechDigest]
Click above for more pictures of the Vibering concept
Cars can be dangerous objects, theres no doubt about it. While the most obvious danger is definitely an accident while driving, there are other ways your car could kill you. Exhaust from gasoline vehicles is very dangerous, and diesel soot can get lodged on your brain, so we advise against its inhalation whenever possible. But dont let those environmentally friendly hybrids and electric cars fool you... they can be silent killers, too. There have been many ideas thrown around in an effort to make hybrid vehicles safer for blind people who may have a hard time hearing the stealthy vehicles approach. Some of these ideas are better than others. Take, for instance, the Vibering concept, which is able to sense approaching doom by listening for key sounds made by a car like the Prius or other hybrid model. When worn in conjunction with its companion watch, the Vibering listens and alerts its wearer whenever a vehicle may be coming and how far it is from making impending contact. Were not sure what technology its using to "listen" for identifying sounds, but the idea is solid. Imagine a government mandate that required all hybrids to emit an inaudible sound that could be detected by seeing eye dogs or a device worn on the wrist.
Yesterdays post on the Concours DIgnorance generated a comment from mr.chöppèrs regarding what hed rock when rolling into the show:
"In the spirit of violating the spirit of the Concours dignorance, I would like to roll up in a magnificent Cumberford Martinique. Mahogany body, BMW engine, Citroën suspension, cocaine styling."
Reading this hellish description and having no idea what the hell a Cumberford Martinique was, we had to get our research on.
This aluminum and wooden bodied mongrel features a whole lot of parts from a whole lot of folks. While the chassis is all Cumberford, the engine is sourced from BMW, while a Citroen CX contributes the suspension and steering components. This baby is sourced from a little bit of everywhere. Considering the crazy progeny of components, were shocked its a functioning automobile, but we found reports of pretty decent reliability (those reports may be highly overstated). So, what do you think; greatest potential for Jalopnik staff car, or potential hell-on-wheels? [Sourcing: here, here, and here]
In a move that may undermine Germanys protection of Lower Saxony and its close ties to Volkswagen, the European Commission plans to review the case of Volkswagen Law in the European Unions top court. As you may recall, Porsche has been trying to take majority control of rival Volkswagen. However, the so-called "Volkswagen Law" has protected VW from takeover by allowing the state of Lower Saxony (where thousands of VW jobs are at stake) to retain just enough stock in the company to prevent Porsche from capturing a majority vote. While the upcoming ruling may not only alter the ownership of Volkswagen, it also demonstrates the escalating authority that the European Commission has over once sovereign countries.
One tidbit we missed during our first read of todays announcement of the 2009 Porsche 911: Not to be outdone by the likes of the Nissan Altima and Toyota Corolla, Porsche has decided to bite the bullet and include XM Radio and NavTraffic (with complimentary three-month subscription, no less). The 2009 911 will be the second vehicle from Porsche to include XM Radio; the Cayenne minivanSUV has been offering the satellite radio service for the past few years. Follow the jump for the full release.
XM RADIO AND XM NAVTRAFFIC TO BE AVAILABLE ON ALL 2009 PORSCHE 911 MODELS
911 is First Porsche Sports Car to Add XM Availability
WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 9, 2008 - XM (NASDAQ: XMSR), the nations leading provider of satellite radio, today announced that XM radio and its award-winning XM NavTraffic service will be available as a factory-installed feature on all 2009 Porsche 911 models. This will be the first time that XM is available in a Porsche sports car. XM is the exclusive satellite radio provider to Porsche.
XM radio has been available as a factory-installed feature for Cayenne models since 2005, and will now expand availability on all 2009 Porsche 911 models offering drivers more than 170 channels of music, sports, news, talk and entertainment coast-to-coast.
In addition to XM radio, the 911 will offer XM NavTraffic. Powered by NAVTEQ, XM NavTraffic is the nations leading real-time traffic service, featuring comprehensive information and coast-to-coast updates every minute. With availability in 80 major North American markets, XM NavTraffic ensures that drivers have the most current and most detailed traffic and incident information at their fingertips, whether theyre commuting or traveling.
"We are proud to partner with Porsche to make our award-winning XM NavTraffic service available as a feature in the entire 2009 911 model range," said Steve Cook, executive vice president, automotive, XM Satellite Radio. "The Porsche brand is known for its exceptional performance, and were proud to deliver our advanced audio entertainment and traffic technology to drivers who expect nothing less."
"We are excited about offering XM Satellite Radio with the XM NavTraffic option to our 911 customers. This will be a great addition to our new for 2009 Porsche Communication System 3.0," said David Pryor, vice-president of marketing, Porsche Cars North America.
XM NavTraffic feeds data on incidents, such as accidents and road construction, directly to a vehicles GPS navigation system via XMs satellite and ground network. The driver is alerted to these incidents through the navigation screen, allowing him or her to route around a jam before getting caught in traffic. Where available, XM NavTraffic provides real-time traffic information by using red, yellow and green color codes to indicate high, medium and low congestion levels.
All 2009 Porsche vehicles equipped with XM Radio and XM NavTraffic come with a three-month complimentary subscription.
After Uncle Sam bailed out "too big to fail" Chrysler in 1979, the race was on to bring to market small front-wheel-drive cars that could compete with Japanese imports better than sluggish Cordobas and Volares. The K-cars were powered by Chryslers very first all-metric four-cylinder engine, the 2.2, and it proved to be a reasonably reliable and versatile powerplant. Just about every car Chrysler built from 1981 through the mid-90s could be had with some flavor of the 2.2 or 2.5 engine, and the turbocharged versions made plenty of power; the peak was the Turbo III, with Lotus-designed DOHC head and an output of 225 horsepower. Be sure to check out Allpars interview with engine designer Pete Hagenbuch, for the scoop on how the Slant Six and 2.2 were developed. [Allpar]
The 2003 Lancia Fulvia Coupe concept that tantalized showgoers at the Frankfurt Motor Show with its crisp lines that strongly evoked its namesake predecessor was presumed dead after Fiat canned the idea due to financial woes and want of a modern platform. It seems that plans for a new coupe carrying the Lancia badge is resurgent inside Fiat, though the clearly retro styling of the 2003 concept will likely fall by the wayside instead of getting mired in a retro rut.
Its rumored that well see a Fulvia riding atop the MiTos chassis at this years Paris Motor Show. Rather than relying on the work of 40 years past, the new Fulvia will share nothing but a name with its predecessor. The car may follow the current trend of other Euro coupes and incorporate a folding hardtop, but there are conflicting reports that it may also be a conventional fixed-head-coupe. We certainly wouldnt complain about giving the MiTo an appropriate coupe roofline, so please send some our way.
Take this handy test and find out! Im a "safe" and "courteous" driver, but am "marginally aggressive" and a "potential road rager." No surprises there...
You have to wonder why rolling up to your pending nuptials in the Ferrari F360 limo is even on the table when things like the Rocket Ship Car exist. This retired amusement park ride from the Euclid Beach Park in Ohio was transformed into a custom people-pleaser with some serious hardware in the till. According to the proprietors of RocketShipCar.com, owners of this chrometastic creation, this sucker is blessed with a stroked 512 cubic-inch Chevy big block making 525 HP. With seating for twelve and acres of exterior neon lights, this thing has more retro style than an Elvis convention. (Thanks wcaspian)
If you read both the 2008 Mazdaspeed3 and 2008 BMW 128i review, you may have noticed that a couple of pictures looked similar. Theres a reason, Mark and I were out driving together. When doing a review it helps to have someone to go with you for assistance in setting up photos and, you know, its a chance to drive twice the cars. It just so happens that we were near a particularly twisty stretch of road taking pictures when a gentleman in a black Z3 pulled up. Maybe he knew some other great places to drive.
It turns out he did. Our new friend Alan had an intimate knowledge of the land from over thirty years piloting this same stretch of asphalt and he implored us to follow him, which we happily did. After a brief drive over his home turf we stopped to chat and take some pictures. We exchanged information and went about our way. The next morning there was an email waiting for us was a scan of a highlighted map with notes and a long screed on his favorite roads (he was right, btw). It was just another reminder of why we love the community of drivers, made up of people who enjoy running up the miles on their cars and want to do so in a safe, responsible and enjoyable way. Thanks Alan.
Toyota announced on Friday that it has developed a new hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle that is far more advanced than the automaker's previous-generation fuel-cell vehicle. The new system now allows the vehicle dubbed the FCHV-adv to travel 516 miles on a single tank of hydrogen and it can operate in conditions as cold [...] - [Read more]
The much lauded Nissan GT-R has been out long enough to be pitted against what many consider to be its main arch rival, the Porsche 911 Turbo, by nearly every auto rag. One even threw in a BMW M3 that somehow beat it, and no ones been able to get General Motors to give up a Corvette Z06 to go head-to-head with the GT-R. So what is there left with which to compare Nissans crowning achievement? Webrides.tv, which produces some of the webs highest quality video comparisons of cars, thought it would be fun to compare the GT-R with Fords late, great GT supercar. But oh, this isnt just any test of a GT-R against some guys collectible GT. Both vehicles are owned by none other than Kazunori Yamauchi, the man behind the Gran Turismo series of driving sims. Yamauchi considers the Ford GT to be the most beautiful design in the history of automobiles, and its no slow-poke, either. The folks at Webrides.tv built their own Super Lap track on a stretch of flat asphalt no wider than a two-lane highway to compare the two. The comprehensive way in which they break down the capabilities of each car is a pleasure to watch. Which car won? Youll have to find out by watching the video after the jump. Thanks to Webrides.tv for the exclusive high-res pics in the gallery below.
In two separate actions, Toyotas U.S. arm says "we cant build hybrids fast enough," while the home office shows off an improved fuel-cell hybrid vehicle.
The recently-exhumed Lancia Scorpion takes the win over the electrical-system-challenged Merkur XR4Ti by a 60/40 ratio in 
ABC has reportedly ordered up a new hour-long drama pilot, based upon the auto industry and set in our very own Motor City. The Prince of Motor City is said to contain "Hamlet overtones" and is set to begin filming at the end of June, airing this winter as a mid-season replacement. According to the 
Since 
Yesterdays post on the 
One tidbit we missed during our first read of 
After Uncle Sam bailed out "too big to fail" Chrysler in 1979, the race was on to bring to market small front-wheel-drive cars that could compete with Japanese imports better than sluggish Cordobas and Volares. The K-cars were powered by Chryslers very first all-metric four-cylinder engine, the 2.2, and it proved to be a reasonably reliable and versatile powerplant. Just about every car Chrysler built from 1981 through the mid-90s could be had with some flavor of the 2.2 or 2.5 engine, and the turbocharged versions made plenty of power; the peak was the Turbo III, with Lotus-designed DOHC head and an output of 225 horsepower. Be sure to check out Allpars 
You have to wonder why rolling up to your pending nuptials in the 
If you read both the 
