Yes, perhaps the old adage of "like father, like son" is actually true. We all know how much Lewis Hamilton loves the Porsches, right? We also know how much he loves diving head first into the walls too. Enter Anthony Hamilton, his father and manager. He was just out having some fun with his wife in a loaned silver Porsche Carrera GT yesterday in jolly good England, when he
"lost control of the 205mph £330,000 ($643,600) supercar just after he left home with wife Linda yesterday."
The Sun continues the story after the jump.
It SPUN through 180 degrees and HURTLED backwards through a wooden fence and a thick hawthorn hedge before coming to rest in a childrens playground.
One witness claimed Anthony...lost it as he showed off to onlookers by revving the engine of the Carrera GT - which can do 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds.
Said Anthony Hamilton after the crash: "I am extremely sorry." Yeah, one would think youd probably be pretty sorry — although we have seen worse wrecked Carrera GTs before. (Hat tip to David!) [via The Sun]
"Dad, Ive totalled the (insert name of first car here)." Chances are that even if you havent had to use that phrase, you know someone who has. But in an unusual twist, Anthony Hamilton may be making the sheepish call to his son this morning.
Lewis Hamiltons dad has put someones Carrera GT through a hedge just a couple of hundred meters from the family home in the village of Tewin, just north of London. Hes not saying who the Porsche belongs to, but it appears to have German license plates, which unfortunately makes it unlikely that the car belongs to new Swiss immigrant Lewis. That would have made the story so much sweeter.
Follow the jump to The Daily Mails version of events, but we take the tabloids assertation that Mr. Hamilton "somehow lost control on a straight road," with a pinch of salt. The road is a sweeping right hander and was greasy at the time of the accident. Given the proximity to the Hamilton home and the GTs reputation for snap over steer, its pretty easy to imagine what happened. Thanks for the tip Robert!
Le Mans has seen its fair share of spectacular crashes, perhaps most notably the Mercedes CLR-GTR that caught air and did several flips before landing outside the guard rail back in 1999. While not as outrageous as the Mercedes, Peugeot caught some air as well this past weekend at the 24 Hours of Le Mans test when Marc Gene lost control of his 908 Hdi and hit the wall at over 120 mph. Luckily, Gene was able to walk away from the crash and will be able to drive in the race in less than two weeks. Footage from the crash can be seen after the jump.
Toyota and Subaru only confirmed in April the joint-development of a new affordable sports car and now we have the first images of actual prototypes caught while testing in a secret location in the UK. The new car will be sold by both Toyota and Subaru, although several reports claim the Toyota version [...]
Yeah, COTD is a little late today. Sue us. Better late than never, right? In this case that term actually works because we still get to enjoy the brilliance from the day together. If we were carrying a kidney transplant and you were dead... well... youd be dead. Not better. Our favorite use of that phrase is in Ghostbusters II, when the Titanic arrives in New York and ghost passengers start unloading. Cheech Marin, playing a harbormaster for some reason, turns to another guy and says "Better late than never." Hilarious. And appropriate, because the reason why COTD is late has to do with Dan Akroyd. Sort of. But nothing about that until next week.
In todays post chronicling the second Malaise Era there were many of you who do not believe we are there, and Uncle Bo reps them well:
This is not Malaise II - Return of the Granada. The choices we have today are the best ever, even better than the magical (allegedly) 50s and 60s. Theres something for everyone nowadays except for the neo-Luddites, and theyre not buying new cars anyway so who cares.
Where is the Dodge Aspen, the Triumph TR-8, the Fiat Brava, the Chevette diesel of Malaise Part Deux?
Who exactly is comparing their cars to a Mercedes Benz (well, besides Hyundai, those silly corrupt buy-your-way-outta-prison Koreans)?
How many brands promote rich Corinthian leather or a remote fuel filler door release or a Chronometer?
I distinctly remember 1978 and my folks Dodge Aspen wagon. I remember how good my mom was at restarting the POS in the middle of a turn when the engine invariably stalled and she lost power steering. I remember the carb icing regularly on our Ford E150 conversion van when we went on family skiing trip to Mammoth Mtn. 30 years ago cars were universally craptastic. Today, Gen Yers clog the intarwebs with incessant whining of poor Bluetooth connectivity and lousy dealer service when theyre told the factory will not cover a replacement clutch ruined by their fast and furious street racing.
Its not Malaise Again. Its a generation just now realizing life is not free WIFI, illegal music downloads, free condoms, cheap gas, pirated movies, easy sex and all the credit cards you can apply for. And their parents? Dont get me started, theyre worse!
Fair point. Except remember, the malaise is only beginning.
AutoExpress may have provided us with a rendering of what the new RWD Subaru coupe might look like, but Winding Roads hired spies have provided the real deal. Shot outside a test center in the UK (amidst white-out conditions), the camo-clad mule is sporting some body panels pilfered from the current Legacy, but with a Toyota emblem in front, a pair of Recaro buckets inside and a shrunken trunk, theres little doubt that this prototype is more than just your standard sedan.
Theres still no confirmation about what kind of output the 2.0-liter flat-four will be producing, as estimates have ranged from 180- to 220-hp, but grunt is expected to be shoveled to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and pricing should start a few pennies shy of $20,000.
UPDATE: Full gallery added below courtesy of Camaro5. Thanks Tim.
The Dirtbag XJ-S pounded the Sepia 1940 Mopars like a Canadian carny pounding a case of Moosehead in yesterdays Choose Your Eternity poll, which was about what we expected. After all, a V12 Jaguar can beat most any PCH contender, up to (and perhaps including) a Citröen. Well test that hypothesis later, but today were going to try our hand at Hell Projects featuring lightweight vehicles with hoon-centric engine power. You see, you need to consider the possibility- however remote- that you might one day crawl out of the crater of boiling sulfur in your garage and actually finish a project. At that point, the hell must continue, as you careen out onto the public roads in a barely controllable deathtrap pawing and snorting at the ravaged pavement with ten times the horsepower its designers intended.
Any Peugeot 403 stands on its own as a Hell Project, but what do you get when you restore one? You get 65 horsepower, thats what! Clearly, some added motivation is needed here, and what better choice than the good ol small-block Chevy? Can you fit one in a 403? Yes, indeed- just ask the guy whos already done most of the work on this 1961 Peugeot 403, which is already set up for Chevy power. Hell, The General himself will sell you a brand-new crate motor today! Then all youll need to do... hey, hold on- did we say the seller has already done most of the work? Perhaps we were a bit hasty there, but lots of stuff has been done. You get front and rear suspension, a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear, and "tons of parts in the car, more than I can list." In a break from PCH tradition, weve got a seller who appears to know what hes doing in the garage, which means youll be in for dozens instead of hundreds of sanity-puncturing surprises as you attempt to finish the job.
Small-block Peugeots are fine and all, but all the weight is on the front of the car instead of over the drive wheels. Not good! Thats why the real Project Hell Hoon goes for an air-cooled VW, for a virtually weightless car that provides tons of exciting oversteering fun. Like, say, what youd get with this 1974 Volkswagen Beetle with supercharged 2110cc engine, on sale now with an asking price of $3,500. Ive owned a few stupidly overpowered performance-upgraded Beetles, and by some miracle Im still here to tell you that the handling and braking characteristics of such a vehicle are, uh, interesting. Yes, thats the word I was looking for! So, youve got a car that weighed 1,831 pounds new, hack 400 pounds of unnecessary crap out of it, and then you replace the 46-horsepower 1600 with a howling supercharged unit belting out four or five times as much power (when its not burning valves or blowing cylinder heads completely off the vehicle, that is). Was the engine built right? What kind of fuel-delivery system (if any) do you get? Is your life insurance paid up?
iXs Research Corporation has unveiled a truly creepy GPS navigation system. Rather than having a standard LCD display screen/audio output that shows and tells directions, the system consists of a one-foot-tall teddy bear that not only speaks directions, but also points in the general vicinity in which you need to go. The fun doesnt stop there, either: Little Master Ruxpin also includes an alcohol detection sensor. If the teddy catches a whiff of your three-martini lunch, thats grounds for incessant nagging, plush-toy style. Finally, expect a loud "Watch out!" upon quickly braking or accelerating.
Fujitsu actually owns the much fought-for (!) patent on doll-based car navigation systems, but granted iXs Research Corp. permission to use the idea for a teddy bear. Not surprisingly, iXs is based in Japan — about the only country in the world where a back-seat-driving, teetotalling, pointing, navigation teddy bear might actually be considered a good idea . [Pink Tentacle] (Generic image via Getty)
It may not have the racing chops Gran Turismo 5 Prologue or Midnight Club: Los Angeles, but Grand Theft Auto IV is still a big-title game for 2008 with some big-time automotive tie-ins. There are more than 100 different vehicles to play with, most of which are inspired in one way or another by real-life automotive counterparts. Click through to take a look at the purpose of driving in GTA4, and learn how some of the more notable in-game cars compare to their non-pixelated brethren. Its definitely become a two-way street between the automotive and video game industries.
How Cars Are Used In GTA4
Transportation: Since Liberty City — the setting of GTA4 and modeled after New York City — is an open-world environment, meaning you can go anywhere at any given time, cars are pretty damn important. For a reference, the open world is so large that it could take 10 minutes or more to travel from one end to another.
Missions: Driving is a crucial part of almost every mission. Whether youre tasked with escorting a hooker, stealing a specific car, or just running a simple car chase, cars are an essential aspect of the storyline.
As A Weapon: Whether running people over in missions or just screwing around plowing down the sidewalk, a properly piloted car becomes a potent weapon. If you prefer more traditional armaments, you can also break out the windshield and fire either a handgun or SMG, or drop grenades while cruising around Liberty City.
Racing: Early in the game you meet up with Brucie, a steroid-enhanced meathead who sets you up with street races all around Liberty City.
Entertainment: Most vehicles in the game have a radio that can be tuned to a wide variety of always-entertaining radio stations. Oh, and you can pick up hookers in your ride and choose from one of three different "services."
Banshee
Youll soon learn that the Banshee is one of the better vehicles in the game. This Panoz Esperante knockoff features just a hint of Dodge Viper. With a top speed of 208 mph, a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds, and near perfect brakes, the Banshee is one of the more common vehicles in GTA4 that can get you around in a hurry.
Blista Compact
A lot of the vehicles that populate Liberty City take their cues from the 80s and 90s. One of the better of these vehicles is the Blista Compact. This vehicle obviously gives its hat tip to the Honda CRX and VW Corrado, and sports a top speed of 186 mph along with other decent, if not "blista-ring" statistics.
Cavalcade & Cavalcade FXT
You cant have a game that focuses on crime and the underworld of society without the classic Cadillac Escalade...even one with a little Hi-Lux thrown in for laughs. As in real life, theres a regular version of the luxury SUV and the FXT truck version. Both of these vehicles are great for GTA4 because they are 4WD and particularly durable, allowing them to stand up to bullets, collisions, and other common occurrences in Liberty City.
Comet
No, not that Comet. This Comet is a quick little bugger that takes its nod from the 996-series Porsche 911 while paying homage to the venerable 959. Its 4WD and tops out at 208 mph. The Comet is a really rare gem, but theres a mission from Brucie where youre given the vehicle. At this point, if youre ever given a very nice car in a mission, its your best bet to just store it.
Coquette
The Coquette is another speedy two-door coupe. Its RWD and tops out at 208 mph. Unlike the Comet, its a little less rare, so theres better luck of finding it around town. If you couldnt already tell, that appears to be an NSX staring at you through the body of a Testarossa. And the Corvette reference, both in name and appearance, is unmistakable.
Dilettante
The folks at Rockstar Games are obviously concerned about ridiculous gas prices. Thats why theyve provided the Dilettante, a thinly-veiled Toyota Prius. Without the need to fill up with gas in the game, theres no way to truly tell if the Dilettante is a hybrid, but one interesting caveat is the fact that this vehicle is noticeably more quiet than any other vehicle in Liberty City. It may be the silent killer in real life, but its not too shabby at smashing pedestrians on the screen either.
Infernus
In terms of performance, this is the best of the best in GTA4, rightfully so considering its essentially a Diablo/Murcielago blend. The Infernus is one of the most rare in the game, but luckily a gay man rewards you with this vehicle — which he took from his high-profile lover — for doing some missions for the guy (seriously). Just make sure you store the Infernus rather than taking it for a joyride where you end up wrecking it. In-game, the Infernus has a top speed of 208 mph, a $100,000 value, a 4.4-second 0-60 time, excellent brakes and more.
Moonbeam
You think we would let this list escape without the Moonbeam, which gives a nod to the best van ever made? Performance-wise, the Moonbeam kind of sucks, but its good for the missions requiring you to haul around a lot of people.
Patriot
The Patriot is a vehicle worth reckoning with in GTA4, obviously taking its form from the Hummer H2 and its smaller sibling. Unlike the real-life Hummer and all of its accompanying stereotypes, this is a very useful vehicle in-game — mostly because gas is non-existent, the Patriots are everywhere and they are built like tanks, which can be good for car chases and more. In-game, the Patriot is a 4WD vehicle with a top speed of 145 mph and a value of $50,000. Oh, and the American flag paint job is a nice touch.
Presidente
At first the Presidente seems like a pretty cut and dry four-door luxury sedan that most of the mob bosses drive throughout the game. Though the headlights scream Charger , a little closer examination of the rear taillights would suggest the Presidente is all about the Cadillac CTS...and the 175 mph top speed would hint CTS-V.
PMP600
Like the Presidente, the PMP600 serves as a great boss-car in-game. The fenders and front of the PMP600 definitely have a 300C feel. Other than the nice stereotypical mobster-boss usage, its a pretty average vehicle. It can stand up to a barrage of bullets, though, which is always helpful.
Ruiner
The Ruiner is another one of the older-looking, but still good vehicles in the game. The t-tops and headlights would suggest that the Ruiner most closely resembles an 80s Camaro, but no one would argue that theres an aura of 280Z in the mix. Its a nice and speedy RWD vehicle with a 186 mph top speed and 6.3-second 0-60.
Sabre GT
Dont think GTA4 is all about fancy sedans and rusted beaters. The Sabre GT is a homage to the classic muscle car, with Monte Carlo and Torino influences most obvious. Like most vehicles in Liberty City, the Sabre GT is available in a variety of colors and offers the classic racing stripe. In-game, the Sabre GT tops out at a nice 175 mph, but a low level of collision durability ensures that the vehicle wont last as long as some other options.
Stallion
Like the Sabre GT, the Stallion is another nice classically styled muscle car featured in Liberty City. Trying to pinpoint a real life counterpart isnt as easy as some of the other cars featured on the list, but we certainly detect some LeMans and maybe Javelin in there. You be the judge. In-game the car is pretty mediocre. Its RWD and tops out at 165 mph. If anything, it has nice brakes.
Sultan RS
This one goes out to the tuner crowd that is definitely playing this game. Seriously, we cant even enjoy a video game without carbon fiber madness? The headlights and spoiler say Lexus IS/first-gen Integra. In terms of performance, the Sultan RS is pretty speedy at 186 mph and the handling is nice with the AWD and decent brakes.
Super GT
The Super GT is another very speedy, yet rare, coupe featured in GTA4. It tops out at 196 mph and the oval shaped front grill clues this vehicle to be an Aston Martin Vanquish knockoff.
Turismo
If youre going to find a supercar while roaming the streets, youre most likely to stumble upon a Turismo. This is a 208-mph beast with a mid-engine. This car obviously takes cues from the Ferrari 360 with some Venturi influences. Note that this vehicle lacks durability, so be careful out there.
Uranus
This is only funny because the cars name is Uranus and it looks like a Ford Escort GT. Were not sure if one of the designers just had a bad experience in high school with the car (which isnt that uncommon) but come on, the Escort GT is worthy of a name better than Uranus — just ask the MAKE LeMons team (sans the GT part).
Voodoo
The Voodoo deserves a mention because it has been a nostalgic part of the Grand Theft Auto series. Not only does it blend styling from the 1959 Impala and possibly an equivalent vintage Imperial, but in previous GTA titles this car was outfitted with functional hydraulics. Pardon the stereotyping, but Its also generally driven by gangster-type persons in Liberty City who will try to fight you upon carjacking.
(Huge shout-out to GTA4.net for providing raw details and pictures of the vehicles.)
Click image above for high-res gallery of classics and exotics from HB
Although most people dont realize it, Southern California does indeed have seasons. Sure the weather may be sunny and 70 all year-long, but there are most definitely seasons. We happen to be in the middle of concours season right now, with classic car shows popping up like, well, like poppies. The classic car fan is completely spoiled for choice out here, with shows occurring in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and in Huntington Beach just this past weekend. We already showed you some of the highlights from Los Angeles, and now we want to share a bit of HB too.
Now in its 23rd year, the Huntington Beach Concours dElegance is a much more casual event, with cars sprawled around Huntingtons Central Park, in the shadow of the Central Library. It feels much more like a community festival than some of the other concours, but still has some top-notch machinery being judged for awards. Spread over two days, showgoers got to see muscle cars, woodies and hot rods on Saturday, while the motorbikes, European classics and exotics joined the featured Corvettes on Sunday. Celebrities on hand included Kar Kustomizer George Barris, Fireball Tim Lawrence and KABC car expert Dave Kunz. Not quite Pebble Beach, but a lot cheaper and just as fun for the spectators. Check out the gallery below to see everything from a Sport Pack Mini to a Lamborghini 400GT, a 50 Merc to a Fiat Abarth, and everything in between.
Part of Audis plan for expansion includes taking the Mercedes-Benz CLS, BMWs upcoming 8-series and the Jaguar XJ replacement (due next year) head on. The automaker is convinced that the future of flagship sedans revolves around the "four-door coupe" body style and the A7 will be an attempt to dominate in that segment.
According to Autocar, the A7 will be 4,900mm long, underpinned by a stretched version of the A5s Modular Long Platform (MLP) that will also be used on the next A6. The platform puts a premium on optimum weight distribution, and while the A6 will feature a traditional coil-sprung suspension, the A7 is expected to ride on an air-spring setup.
Power is expected to come from a variety of gasoline and diesel powerplants, including a host of direct-injected engines ranging in displacement from 2.8- to 4.0-liters, along with a 2.7-liter diesel V6 and a twin-turbocharged version of the 3.0-liter TDI V6. Naturally, S7 and RS7 variants are planned, with the latter receiving the twin-turbod 5.2-liter V10 found in the RS6, delivering 600 hp to all four wheels through a new torque distribution system which will debut on the new S4. The base transmission on most models will be a six-speed manual, while a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a traditional automatic will also be offered.
Audi aims to sell 40,000 A7s each year, with the majority finding their way to the U.S. market. Look for the A7 to debut in 2010.
It looks like at least 13,420 VWBentley Continental owners (or, more likely, Bentley Continental owners "help") will soon be making an unscheduled pit stop at their local Flying B dealership. A recall has been issued due to the potential for road salt to corrode the fuel filter, resulting in leakage and the obvious potential for conflagration, Olde-English style. Affected vehicles include 2004-2008 Continental GT, GT Speed, Flying Spur, and GTC vehicles, so if youre a Manhattan real estate mogul or Alfred Taubman, keep an eye on your mailbox for a letter from Crewe.
[Story: Edmunds Inside Line, Photo Credit: Edmunds Inside Line]
Featuring a host of Human Machine Interface, lighting, surface and display innovations, 3M and Visteon have created the X-Wave to showcase technology theyd like to bring to the automotive market. The two companies have combined expertises—Visteon with in-car tech and 3M for transmissive optical film and other materials—to find new ways to display information, provide lighting and interact with drivers and passengers. The first thing youll notice looking at the interior of this adapted X5 is the center console. The buttons are hidden behind its surface, illuminating when the car is on. In lieu of the tactile push a physical button delivers, the virtual buttons react by way of haptic feedback, vibrating or clicking when pressed depending on programming.
That hidden display technology continues throughout the interior, providing as-need data on otherwise traditional-looking surfaces. For example, the doors include proximity sensors to warn of on-coming traffic or cyclists, flashing a warning just below the side windows when its unsafe to open a door. Those proximity sensors are used inside, too, for adaptive, as-need lighting in places like the foot wells and map pockets.
3M has also developed a new, reconfigurable 3-D information display to replace traditional instruments. These can give the appearance of a manufacturers own unique design in a universal package and be adapted to deliver optimal information levels for a specific driver or environment.
The X-Wave also feature a variety of less sexy, but practical innovations like films, glues and materials that will offer manufacturers new ways of constructing vehicle interiors. As well as things like new-style hinges that allow the center console to pivot in multiple directions and the door-mounted arm rests to adjust for height.
Lighting solutions continue outside, with the use of precision lighting elements that offer more aesthetically pleasing and effective surface lighting. Expect to see many of these technologies appear on production cars in the next few years. [via Visteon]
While we all know that a 16-cylinder Bugatti Veyron would leave a 12-cylinder Ferrari 599 GTB choking in its own emissions, two blokes in the UK apparently wanted to check it out for themselves. After witnesses reported the two supercars jockeying for position at high speeds on public highways, police took pursuit in a BMW patrol car. Following velocities of nearly 140 mph in the chase, the Bugatti respectfully pulled over while the Ferrari got away scott free. Fortunately for the Bugatti driver, police officially clocked the 253-mph Veyron going a mere 97 mph. The resulting citation was three points on his license and a fine of just £60 (about $120). We think the outcome would have been much, much uglier in the States. Thanks for the tip, Paul!
This stat might seem confusing given the fact that fuel economy is king at dealerships right now, but Toyota just reported that Prius sales were down almost 40% in May compared to the same period in 2007. While overall 2008 sales of the hybrid postercar are up a little over 2%, this just doesnt seem possible. Just over 15,000 Priuses were sold in May 08 compared to more than 24,000 in 2007. Overall sales in 2008 have slightly surpassed 07 sales through May, with a total of 79,675 units moved this year compared to 76,747 last year, but it seems like something is amiss. Then you read about a battery supply problem thats affected production of the Prius and it all starts to make sense. AutoblogGreen reports that Toyotas VP of Communications, Irv Miller, said batteries are in short supply worldwide and this is what affected Prius production and its sales last month in the U.S. He added that last years figures were slightly inflated due to, wait for it, incentives being used to move slow-selling hybrids. Ah, the good old days. While there is still an obvious demand for the Prius, our brothers at ABG surmise well be on a one-day supply of Priuses until the new one comes out in January. Can you say mark up?
Exterior Design: ***
The 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 doesnt visually distinguish itself much from the standard Mazda 3 hatchback, but it doesnt need to. The basic designs thick D-pillars, subtle shoulder bulges over the wheels, and angular lines are a good starting point. More important is how the car doesnt look. There are no scoops, fins, stripes, or stickers exclaiming the cars performance. The slightly larger rear spoiler, which we suppose is theoretically functional, looks just like the spoiler on the standard car. The wheels look boring. Even the intercooler is hidden away, breathing through the normal-looking grille.
Interior Design: ***
For some reason, there are more Mazdaspeed logos inside the car than there are outside. But besides some extra red trim and stitching, its again much like the standard 3. You have plenty of room for a few of your friends and their stuff to come along, though theres not much extra room for the drivers knees. Aside from that, everything is quite comfortable, despite being over-styled in the manner of an athletic shoe.
Acceleration: ****
The 263 HP is impressive, but thats just half the story. At just 3000 RPM its making an STI-threatening 280 lb-ft of torque. Mash the throttle in any gear, at any RPM, and the Mazdaspeed 3 pulls with minimal lag thanks to the turbocharged 2.3-liter aluminum-block inline four with direct injection. The power may drop off at 6000 RPM, short of the redline, but thats to be expected from a turbo. To help get grunt to the ground, theres a limited-slip differential and a trick torque-management system that reduces torque steer. The car still staggers around from a launch, over rough surfaces, around low-speed corners, and pretty much any other time you get on the gas in first or second gear.
Braking: ****
If you want to stop in a hurry, the brakes are quite good. However, they can feel just a bit oversensitive if youre not wearing communicative shoes. Once you get used to the relatively light pedal and short travel, theyre confidence inspiring, working equally well for spirited driving on back roads or brisk sprints through the city.
Ride: ***
You dont expect a Mazda hot hatch to ride like a Buick, but thats not to say you dont feel somewhat annoyed by how bouncy the car feels over poor surfaces. It doesnt make any sense until youve brought it up to speed, where you realize they havent forgotten to put shocks on the car, theyve just tuned it to feel composed going fast. That being said, if youre planning on using this as a city car in a dense urban area, it may get a bit obnoxious.
Handling: ****
You may expect a relatively nose-heavy car like this to have a serious understeer problem; it does, but you have to be pushing seriously hard to find it. What you get instead is a car that feels well-planted and very grippy. Its not extremely flickable, like some smaller 3-door hatches, but if you keep in mind that this is actually a bigger car than an old Subaru WRX Wagon (which feels soft by comparison), you dont mind so much.
Gearbox: **
Dont think that, because youre in a Japanese hatchback, everything is going to feel light and dainty. The gearbox and the clutch are very weighty. Thats not a bad thing, though, as I much prefer feeling like Im operating a machine rather than just pushing plastic buttons. No, the problem I had with the shift action was not weight, but vagueness. At times, its hard to distinguish between selecting 1st or 3rd, and 3rd or 5th, which is not a unique issue, but an issue nonetheless. A bigger issue is that the shift into 5th or 6th gear requires too much effort at an angle, which, for my arm, was uncomfortable and tiring. But maybe I just need to go to the gym.
Audio: ****
The Bose system, with its 222W digital amp, on this Grand Touring model pumps through 7-speakers, and sounds great. Combined with satellite radio, youll almost forget that theres an in-dash 6-disc MP3-capable CD changer. If thats not enough, theres also an auxiliary jack for your MP3 player.
Toys: ***
The audio system has pretty much everything you need to stay entertained, but theres also an available DVD navigation system thats easy to use. If youre a techno-fiend, theres not much else. But if youre easily wowed by gimmicky tech, you wouldve already been sucked into buying a Ford with Sync.
Value: *****
The Mazdaspeed 3 is a tremendous value. All this performance, practicality, equipment, and overall quality comes in at just over $24,800 as tested. If you want fewer options, you can get one for about $23,000.
Overall: ****
To get this much speed combined with this much practicality usually requires a paying a far higher price. That the Mazdaspeed 3 combines talents to create an affordable, high-quality and, above all, discrete package is an impressive achievement. Still, if were picky (we are), wed like to see a touch more driver involvement. And more hot hatches on this side of the Atlantic, please.
Though well have to wait for the 2008 Paris Motor Show for a full reveal, bit-by-bit the specs are filtering out on the 2009 Audi S4 — or is it 2010 Audi S4 — were still confused by Audis lack-of-model-year naming scheme for product. We already knew it would get a supercharged (which could mean turbosupercharged, depending upon which report you read) 3.0-liter V6 backed by a 6-speed twin-clutch lovingly referred to as "S-Tronic." Whats news is that traction control/AWD will be provided by the Quattro system as expected, and that the updated Audi will run the 0-to-62 (0-100 km/h) in under six seconds thanks to approximately 350 HP on tap.
What else? The twin-clutch system is a kissin cousin of VWs DSG, swapping cogs in 200ms and weighing just 40kg more than the 6-speed manual. Of course, despite being less fun for those of us who enjoy a real stick-shift, it performs faster than the human-shifted box and offers benefits in CO2 emissions as well, a key selling point for our European brothers and sisters who actually have to worry about greenhouse gasses. Suckers. We just have to worry about whether itll bankrupt our automakers. Damn you, Socialist Euro-trash and your filthy stinking government subsidies and tax exemptions. [World Car Fans]
The crew at the BMWBlog supposedly has the scoop on the next generation BMW 7-series, and in addition to a July 7th reveal date, theyve procured a handful of details about BMWs flagship sedan.
Two, twin-turbocharged engines will be available: a V12 and the V8 currently found in the X6, with power being sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed transmission. Four-wheel steering will be an option, along with all-wheel-drive later in its lifecycle. Dynamic Performance Control, ConnectDrive and an improved iDrive interface will form the majority of the technical changes inside and the new 7s interior will supposedly mark the return of the driver-oriented controls of yore, with a center console canted in to face the person behind the wheel. Well believe it when we see it.
BMW will offer four new colors for the 2009 7-series, including Cashmere Silver, Imperial Blue, Mineral Whit and Sophisto Grey and BMWBlogs sources say that the V8 model will be sporting a duo of square tailpipes, while the higher-end version will get four squared tips.
U.S. consumers’ reluctance to buy new vehicles--especially low-mpg vehicles such as light trucks, SUVs and larger cars--accelerated in May. - [Read more]
While weve been waiting for an official announcement of prices and specs for the 2009 Jetta SportWagen, someone noticed that the prices are actually now up on the VeeDub website. Works for us. The base price, sans destination, is $18,999 for the S mode with the 2.5-Liter I5 and a five-speed manual (which we reviewed). Thats a reasonable price for a fairly refined, fun wagon without too many obnoxious features. Add $2K to that price if you want a 6-speed tiptronic tranny. Drop another $1,350 and you can upgrade to the SE model, which includes a much better sound system and faux leather seating. If you want the 2.0T I4, and trust us you do, its going to cost you a little more.
The popular VW-Audi fourbanger is available only in SEL trim level, available with either a 6-speed manual ($25,990) or the 6-speed DSG ($27,090). The SEL is loaded top-to-bottom with every feature youd find on the top-level Jetta. While we dont have a price yet on the TDI, we think weve figured out how VW is going to make it price-competitive. If you stroll through the features list, youll notice the TDI doesnt get the dual-zone climate, the 17-inch alloys, premium sound or other features as standard. Were guessing the price of the TDI is going to fall somewhere between SE and SEL trim in the $23-$26K range. Still interested?
Yes, perhaps the old adage of "like father, like son" is actually true. We all know how much Lewis Hamilton loves 
Yeah, COTD is a little late today. Sue us. Better late than never, right? In this case that term actually works because we still get to enjoy the brilliance from the day together. If we were carrying a kidney transplant and you were dead... well... youd be dead. Not better. Our favorite use of that phrase is in Ghostbusters II, when the Titanic arrives in New York and ghost passengers start unloading. Cheech Marin, playing a harbormaster for some reason, turns to another guy and says "Better late than never." Hilarious. And appropriate, because the reason why COTD is late has to do with Dan Akroyd. Sort of. But nothing about that until next week.
The Dirtbag XJ-S pounded the Sepia 1940 Mopars like a Canadian carny pounding a case of Moosehead in 
iXs Research Corporation has unveiled a truly creepy GPS navigation system. Rather than having a standard LCD display screen/audio output that shows and tells directions, the system consists of a one-foot-tall teddy bear that not only speaks directions, but also points in the general vicinity in which you need to go. The fun doesnt stop there, either: Little Master Ruxpin also includes an alcohol detection sensor. If the teddy catches a whiff of your three-martini lunch, thats grounds for incessant nagging, plush-toy style. Finally, expect a loud "Watch out!" upon quickly braking or accelerating.
Banshee
Blista Compact
Cavalcade & Cavalcade FXT
Comet
Coquette
Dilettante
Infernus
Moonbeam
Patriot
Presidente
PMP600
Ruiner
Sabre GT
Stallion
Sultan RS
Super GT
Turismo
Uranus
Voodoo
It looks like at least 13,420 
Featuring a host of Human Machine Interface, lighting, surface and display innovations, 3M and Visteon have created the 
Exterior Design: ***
Though well have to wait for the 2008 Paris Motor Show for a full reveal, bit-by-bit the specs are filtering out on the 2009 Audi S4 — or is it 
While weve been waiting for an official announcement of prices and specs for the