There are few things simultaneously more romantic and idiotic than taking a road trip in a beaten-down heap of a car. Trust us. We know. David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan of Hot Rod Magazine fame recently undertook an epic trip from El Paso, Texas to Los Angeles with the express goal of doing so for under $1,500, including the purchase price of a vehicle, food, lodging, repairs and, most importantly, fuel. With this in mind, the duo settled on a 1972 Pontiac Catalina for a lofty $650. Hilarity ensues.
Realizing that no one actually wants a Catalina sulking around the shop, Freiburger and Finnegan put the car up for auction on eBay Motors the instant they had the title in hand. By the time they rolled into Hot Rod HQ, the vehicle sold for a little over $500.
The video is part of a new series called Roadkill that should document similar adventures. Keep your eyes peeled for more calamity-soaked clips in the near future. In the meantime, hit the jump to check it out yourself.
For those keeping track of such things, Chrysler's commercial has over 10.5 million views on YouTube, though we do feel the need to remind everyone that the video was unavailable for a few hours the morning after the Big Game, which we'd imagine is one of the highest traffic times for such advertisements.
The number one ad, you ask? That would be M&M's "Just My Shell" commercial. Guess there really is no accounting for taste... we prefer our M&Ms to be green, just like everyone else. Feel free to watch Chrysler's winning ad one more time after the break.
The car in the image above may bear a striking resemblance to the 2013 Lexus GS, but take a second look - that's actually the next-generation ES, despite its shockingly similar appearance. It's no secret that Lexus' new hourglass grille is quickly spreading across its entire model range (check out the recently unveiled 2013 LX 570 for reference), and while the ES looks fashionably familiar, there are a few new touches to note:
Underneath, the headlamps we can clearly see a row of LED running lights, similar to what's found on the GS... and IS... and CT. Around back, there's a similar resemblance to the larger GS, though the lines are a bit more sedate - a good thing, as the ES shopper tends to be a little more conservative than folks opting for the rear-wheel-drive GS. Chinese site Autohome got its hands on some interior photos, too, and - surprise, surprise - there's a whole lot of GS in the reworked cabin as well, with a two-tiered dash featuring large navigation/infotainment screen up top.
The car Autohome caught is the ES 250 model, which suggests that Lexus' 2.5-liter V6 is underhood - the same engine available in the GS 250 in other markets. Here in the United States, the ES will still likely be available with the automaker's 3.5-liter V6, though earlier reports have suggested that a new hybrid model could also be in the cards.
If you're still driving that 2006 Ford Fusion you bought new, apparently you are not alone. Automotive data provider Polk says that the average new car buyer is now holding on to his vehicle for a whopping 71 months - almost six years. Used vehicles are being held for over four years, almost 50 months, according to the new study.
Polk based its findings on vehicle registration data through September 2011, concluding that longer warranties, better reliability, and of course, a miserable economy, have contributed to the shift. By comparison, just five years ago Polk showed new car buyers swapping out after just 53 months - a year and a half earlier.
This latest study reflects what we heard from Polk last month, that the average age of vehicles on the road has hit a record high. We might even see consumers further stretch this number, as Polk's analysts are not forecasting a return to the magic 16-million-units sales level until 2015. For the carmakers this represents more than just a simple make-your-numbers sales challenge, says Polk, because the longer people keep their vehicles the less brand loyal they become.
Let's clear the air. This is not - we repeat, not - the Ford E-Series-replacing Transit that will be built and sold in the United States next year. According to our contacts at Ford, this Tourneo Custom Concept previews what the next generation of front-wheel-drive, passenger-friendly Transits will look like when they go on sale in Europe and other world markets. The North American-spec van will be based off of the heavy-duty, rear-wheel-drive Transit that's set to debut later this year.
So, let's talk Tourneo. This eight-passenger van is essentially Ford's answer to vehicles like the Renault Trafic or Volkswagen Caravelle - more butch than a minivan, with a higher ride height and more interior space. Ford says that the Tourneo Concept boasts a rich, comfortable, leather-trimmed interior with seats that can be rearranged into a number of different configurations.
Ford has only released this one image as of now, but it's clear that the automaker's Kinetic design has found a home on even its largest vehicles. Up front is the Blue Oval's signature trapezoidal grille, and strong profile lines on the sides swoop upward toward the rear in an effort to make this barn-on-wheels look as fluid and sleek as possible. Under the hood, a range of 2.2-liter turbo-diesel powertrains are available, in 98-, 123- and 153-horsepower variants, all of which are mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
We'll see the Tourneo in person in just a few weeks at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. As for the U.S.-spec Transit, it'll be a while before that officially breaks cover. Hit the jump for all of the juicy Tourneo Concept details in Ford's press release.
Mazda once again finds itself in dire financial straits after warning its investors to expect a loss in 2011 of 100 billion yen ($1.3 billion). In an effort to keep itself afloat, the Japanese automaker is rumored to be considering a new issue of as many as 690 million shares, which would raise about 100 billion yen while diluting current share value by a massive 38.7 percent.
In addition, Mazda is thought to be seeking loans of 70 billion yen from a number of Japanese banks. A good portion of these funds are necessary to bolster Mazda's overseas production facilities. At present, 70 percent of all its vehicles are produced in Japan and 90 percent of those are exported. In order to combat the high value of the yen, Mazda is seeking to renovate a production site in Thailand and build a new one on Mexico.
Only time will tell if Mazda, Japan's fifth-largest automaker, is able to remain an independent company or if it will be forced to partner up with a larger partner, as it once had with Ford.
Toyota Belgium has just launched a new campaign for the Toyota RAV4 Black Edition that allows participants to earn discounts for the vehicle based on their location. Smartphone users download the RAV4 Adventure Discount App, travel to a so-called adventurous location within Belgium and sign in with the application. The app then calculates a discount based on just how daring you are. While far-flung wilderness locations are an obvious choice for big discounts, Toyota has hinted there are plenty of adventurous spots in city locales as well.
The campaign seems pretty brilliant to us, though we have to wonder how many RAV4 buyers will be willing to cover hill and dale in pursuit of a few extra hundred euros off of their bottom line. So far, it appears the app and the discounts are only good in Belgium, though it wouldn't surprise us if Toyota used a similar marketing ploy in other markets. Hit the jump to check out an ad for the app after the jump, complete with a mustachioed woodsman.
Episode #270 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, and Autoblog Executive Editor Chris Paukert. Topics include the announcement of the Porsche Macan, the state of Fisker's finances, the DOT proposal for distracted driving guidelines, and in-dash smartphone integration tech. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jumpfor you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly
Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, few automobile shapes are as imitated as the legendary Jaguar E-Type. Of course, Jaguar itself has drawn inspiration from its most iconic sportscar with the contemporary XK and the more recent C-X16 concept. Eagle has reinterpreted the classic with modern accoutrements. And about a year ago a Swedish designer by the name of Bo Zolland rendered a sumptuously retro re-imagination of the form with the Growler E.
That design was slated to go into limited production by a firm called Visualtech, but now the design has resurfaced under a new moniker: Lyonheart. Based on a tweaked version of Zolland's renderings, designer Robert Palm has given the retro E a slightly more aggressive look, with more catlike headlamps and retro touches that are somehow even more pronounced.
The new Anglo-Swiss outfit intends to render the shape in carbon fiber, stainless steel, brushed aluminum, chrome, leather and wood veneer and put it into limited production in England for 495,000 euros a pop - equivalent to about $650K. Power is slated to come from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 550 metric horsepower (542 by our standards) and 500 pound-feet of torque, which - coupled with a curb weight targeted under 3,500 lbs - aims to propel the Lyonheart K from 0-62 mph in under four seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 300 kph (186 mph).
Follow the jump for the press release and scope out the fresh renderings in the high-res image gallery above for a closer look.
Exclusive can be an overused word in the automotive industry, but if anyone can claim the description, it's Mosler. The Florida-based supercar manufacturer recently announced that it will be limiting production of its MT900S Photon supercar to a single unit for 2012. Having that sort of exclusivity comes at a cost, though, and the customer that decides to pick up Mosler's 2012 allocation will have to shell out upwards of $479,000.
So what's so special about the Mosler MT900S Photon? For starters, it's one of the lightest supercars on the market, weighing in at just under 2,500 pounds thanks to a composite chassis and carbon fiber body panels. Motivation comes from a 7.0-liter V8 borrowed from Chevrolet tuned to deliver 535 horsepower, allowing the Mosler to reach 60 mph in less than three seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph. Despite having a design that's more than a decade old, the Mosler still looks somewhat modern (if kit-car like), particularly with in Proton guise that adds additional aerodynamic modications.
Hit the jump for the brief press release from Mosler Automotive, or have a look at the car in more detail in the gallery above.
Any outfit with the cash can buy a Formula One team. Integrating it into an existing automaker, however, isn't an overnight proposition. Both Lotus and Caterham are currently undergoing that process, but so is Mercedes-Benz.
The German automaker bought out what was then the World Champion Brawn GP team (previously known as Honda and before that, as British American Racing) a couple of years ago as a standalone racing team, and has been bringing it into the corporate fold ever since. This year, the team previously known as Mercedes GP has been rebranded as Mercedes AMG (as was the division that produces its F1 engines). To drive the point home, the company's broadened performance arm launched two very different cars under the same banner in Barcelona this week.
The main event is W03, the new single-seater that Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will be driving in the 2012 Formula One World Championship. Bound to the same new set of regulations as the other teams, the new Mercedes AMG W03 shares some of the same traits as the rest of the field - most notably the stepped nose section that Mercedes' PR team cleverly calls "distinctive." Since engine development remains frozen pending the launch of the new turbo six, the W03 is powered by the same FO108Z engine - all 2.4 liters and eight cylinders of it - as last year's car, and for that matter the latest McLaren and Force India challengers are, too.
While Daimler was at it, though, it has taken the opportunity to show off its new Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Roadster for the first time. Based on the SL-Class that debuted just two months ago at the Detroit Auto Show, the SL63 packs AMG's fast-becoming-ubiquitous M157 twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 with 529 horsepower, but unburdened of 242 pounds of excess weight from the outgoing model (thanks primarily to the widespread use of aluminum and magnesium where the last model was made of steel), the new SL63 AMG can rocket from 0-62 mph in 4.3 seconds (4.2 with the optional AMG Performance Package) while returning 30 percent better fuel economy.
Check out our high-res galleries of both open-top Three-Pointed Stars and hop through to the jump to see some videos.
Yes, that is a Porsche 911. Yes, that is fresh concrete. No, this is not some uber-powerful aftermarket-tuned car that just liquified the San Francisco pavement underneath - the Porsche was driven into this predicament.
Now before we start passing judgment on this poor soul, a driver who has so obviously burned more than his share of karmic bridges, let's just pause to thank him or her, both for providing us the enjoyment of this video and also for upholding certain reputations.
And let us also remember that the next time we're stuck in traffic because of road construction, to just put some Michael McDonald on the stereo and chill out, rather than trying to pass everyone by driving through the construction lane and getting stuck in fresh concrete.
To watch the whole video, which does contain some NSFW language, click past the jump.
There are any of a number of places you'd expect to find a Ferrari: at the race track, on the auction block, in the showroom, parked in front of the swankiest restaurants in town... To see one in the water usually spells trouble, but history is not without its exceptions.
Back in the 1980s, Italian boatbuilder Riva collaborated with Ferrari for a rather Testarossa-inspired speedboat, but long before that, the House that Enzo Built lent its expertise and 4.5-liter V12 engine to Achille Castoldi to build the hydroplane power boat you see here.
Castoldi was bent on setting a new speed record on the water, and with this spectacular watercraft - dubbed Arno XI - he did just that. The Ferrari-powered vessel hit an astonishing 150.19 miles per hour at Lake Iseo in northern Italy on October 15, 1953. That's mighty impressive in its own right, but what's even more astounding is that the record stands in the 800kg category to this day.
To get there, Ferrari and Castoldi took the same Type 375 4.5-liter V12 engine that powered José Florian Gonzalez to his first grand prix victory at Silverstone, marinized it and fitted two superchargers to crank out more than 600 horsepower.
Now Arno XI is heading to the auction block in Monaco, where RM Auctions expects it will fetch around $1.5 million. Whether you've got that kind of cash or not - and whether or not Monte Carlo is in your travel plans for May - you can pull up alongside it in the gallery of high-resolution studio and archival images above.
On this episode of As the Saab Turns: Bankruptcy administrators have bidders, and one of them might be a German carmaker!
According to a post on Saabs United, "6-7 serious bidders" are trying to snag the remains of Saab. One European company "is German and located in Munich," according to the report, which notes that whatever company wins the Saab deal won't necessarily be the high bidder, but the package that looks the most capable getting Saab back in the car building business.
For its part, Germany's AutoBild suggests that the actual number of interested parties numbers around 14, though it isn't immediately clear how serious all of those parties are, though the Chinese are said to remain in the mix, as is an Indian concern.
It's no secret that BMW plans to expand its product portfolio, including building more fuel-efficient, front-drive cars. Could a joint BMW-Saab ( or Mini-Saab) platform - shades of the Cadillac BLS (albeit hopefully better!) - come out of such a deal? Or will the Swedish bankruptcy court reveal that it has a Chinese mistress, one that's trying to blackmail General Motors? Tune in next week...
Slowly but surely, we're becoming quite smitten with the F30 BMW 3 Series. The four-cylinder 328i and six-pot 335i sedans have officially launched here in the United States, and now, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the 3er body styles get the F30 treatment. First up is the wagon Touring (F31, internally), which our spies recently caught testing out in the snow.
Let's start with some good news: We have no reason to believe that BMW won't offer its capacious 3 Series here in the United States. The Touring has been a part of the 3's lineup in the U.S. for decades, and BMW executives have already confirmed that the wagon will be offered here in the States.
Like the outgoing 3 Series, expect just a 328i model in rear- and (forthcoming) xDrive all-wheel-drive formats. Of course, other markets will get some tasty diesel options, but since the wagon doesn't account for a huge percentage of 3 Series sales in the U.S., having one engine option will likely have to suffice.
Look for the 3 Series Touring to launch in the near future (Geneva Motor Show?) with the first cars hitting the ground in Europe this fall.
Akira Nakai is the man behind the tuner RWB - Rauh-Welt Begriff, which is loosely translated as "Rough World Concept," and he doesn't often climb out from under one of the 930 or 964 Porsches he's working on. His original shop in Japan is now 20 years old and he still works in the same building, even though his tuning ethos has caught on hot enough to provide other shops around the world.
He's a car nut, simply, and he makes nutty - in a good way - cars. The guys at eGarage got him away from a project long enough to say a few words about what he does, what he thinks, and what he'll be doing until he dies. Even though he speaks a different language, he sums all of us up nicely. Check him out in the video premiering exclusively on Autoblog after the jump.
Every year in November, the Specialty Equipment Market Association hosts a trade show out in the desert. You know it as the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Held in the sprawling square footage of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the SEMA Show is where just about every automotive aftermarket company and supplier comes to share its wares. About 1,500 new products debut there each year, and even automakers brave the crowds to show off their most wild and custom concept and performance vehicles.
Despite being a trade-only event and technically not open to the public, we've included it on The List because so many enthusiasts have told us they want to attend and, based on our experience, many of them find a way in. We got Jessi and Patrick passes for this past year's SEMA Show to experience the chaos, and they filed this report.
Follow the jump to watch them check off "Attend SEMA" from The List.
Long before we saw the Hyundai Genesis Coupe in the flesh, word of the vehicle's arrival flittered around the web with tantalizing persistence. Few rumors manage to get the enthusiast world licking its chops quite as well as one with a potent V6 in the nose of a rear-wheel-drive two-door. Editors began salivating at the thought of a performance coupe renaissance, complete with all of the associated front-page comparos, while forums lit up with threads detailing hypothetical grudge matches between the would-be Korean prize fighter and hardware from the Nissan 370Z to the then-upcoming Chevrolet Camaro V6. Hyundai had clearly rustled up some snakes.
Then the Genesis Coupe debuted, and while ingredients like available Brembo brakes and a limited-slip rear differential pointed to the possibility of a genuine contender, it's fair to say the coupe never really became a top-flight prospect for many enthusiasts. A vague gearbox and similarly detached brakes sapped precision from the platform, consigning it to a mid-pack finish in our three-way Battle of the Sixes comparison test back in 2010.
None of this is news to Hyundai. The company began planning ways to sharpen its first genuine sports car nearly as soon as the vehicle debuted at the 2008 New York Auto Show. For 2013, the two-door receives a dose of the automaker's patented love-it-or-hate-it styling as well as a host of mechanical improvements tucked behind the polarizing aesthetics. Are the changes enough to give the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe the fangs it needs to thrive in the cutthroat performance coupe world?
As Danica Patrick prepares for her first NASCAR Sprint Cup race next weekend in the Daytona 500, she's apparently taking advantage of the publicity to try to remediate her image. After seven years of promoting her attractiveness with nearly equal billing to her race driving acumen, Patrick has asked the media to quit calling her "sexy."
According to USA Today, Patrick said "If there is a pretty girl, (reporters) don't know how to describe her other than being sexy. It has such a negative connotation to it ... Why can't there be other words for it? Why does it have to be somewhat negatively twisted?"
Patrick's big break came in her first Indy 500 appearance, when she became the first woman to lead the race. She finished fourth that year, in the same position she qualified. Patrick raced in the Indy Racing League for seven years, while also competing in ARCA and NASCAR's Nationwide Series in 2010 and 2011 in preparation for this year's transition to Sprint Cup.
The first example of a given model to roll of the production line is called "Job One," and the Infiniti is celebrating just that for its 2013 JX: A seven-seater crossover in Emerald Green - mated with its 265-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 from Decherd, TN - has rolled off the production line. Infiniti expects numerous JXs behind it to be the second most popular model in the company's lineup, bested only by the G sedan, coupe and convertible range.
The $41,400 (including $950 destination) three-row crossover and its liberal suite of configurations and technologies goes on sale in March, but you can register your interest or play with the configurator right now. There's also a press release after the jump with more details.
An Auto Warranty is an
important investment for you and your family.
When purchasing an Auto Warranty, you must see
the actual Auto Warranty contract BEFORE you
buy. Do not pay anyone anything to view an Auto
Warranty contract. An Auto Warranty is serious
business. We only recommend companies whose Auto
Warranty programs are tried and true. When
dealing with a company on an Auto Warranty,
check the BBB and independent sources for an
Auto Warranty Companies reputation and
reliability Need more information? Check
out our auto warranty faqs
and car care tips.
Local
& Nationwide Toll Free 1 (877) 844
SAVE - 7283
For more information about Mazda’s performance history, visit one of the sites below. You’ll want to know what kind of breakdowns to expect when the Mazda warranty provided by the manufacturer runs out.
