Archive for February, 2010
2010 Geneva Motor Show Preview: 2011 Koenigsegg Agera
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
Koenigsegg is celebrating 15 years of manufacturing exclusive speeders with the unveiling of the new Agera supercar, which is destined to make its world debut next week at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The new model is based on the regular CC but infused with new design elements and an uprated powertrain. Its name, Agera, in Swedish translates to…
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NHTSA to Test Lexus Vehicle, Investigate Electronics for All Automakers
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration purchased a 2006 Lexus ES 350 attached to a sudden acceleration complaint in order to test the vehicle. The Lexus was once owned by Rhonda and Eddie Smith of Tennessee, who testified before Congress that in a harrowing incident the vehicle accelerated suddenly on the freeway for six minutes before Rhonda Smith regained control.
NHTSA will study the vehicle at its Vehicle Research and Test Center in East Liberty, Ohio.
Additionally, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that electronic throttles — which have come under scrutiny in the sudden acceleration investigation — will come under review by U.S. safety officials. This applies not just to Toyota, but all automakers. The purpose will be to see if electromagnetic interference (for instance, from power lines) could affect vehicles’ computer systems.
NHTSA Will Test Runaway Toyota Vehicle (Detroit News)
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2010 Geneva Motor Show Preview: 2010 Gumpert Apollo Sport
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
Last year there was the Apollo Speed and before that there was the Apollo Black and White editions so it comes as no major surprise that German sports car company Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur is planning yet another variation of its wildly styled supercar for 2010. Set to be unveiled for the first time next week at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the…
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2010 Acura ZDX Video
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
The first thing Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder notices about the 2010 Acura ZDX is that you should probably watch your head when getting into the backseat. Because of its unique design, the ZDX ends up with some unwelcome cargo limitations, which Wiesenfelder points out. However, when he gets up to the interior surrounding the driver, his attitude toward the ZDX becomes more favorable. Watch this video to find out why.
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Mercedes-Benz Racing To Be First With Diesel Hybrid
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
Last month we reported on General Motors’ efforts to develop a new generation of diesel-electric hybrid powertrains and how the American auto giant is still around five years away from bringing the technology to market. Luckily, we won’t have to wait that long for a diesel hybrid to go on sale as several of Europe’s major…
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Driving Game Offers Twitter Functionality
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
Sure, the Department of Transportation is all over driving distractions in the real world, but what are gamers supposed to do?
Activision has introduced Twitter functionality into its upcoming racing game “Blur” using Bizarre Creations’ social network interface. Players will be able to send tweets from within the game to hype their race victories, how many fans they have, cars they’ve unlocked, who’s ahead on the leader board, or just jaw at their friends in the multiplayer mode.
And when someone crashes into you because they’re busy tweeting, you have every right to bemoan the culture of driver (in a video game) distraction.
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GM Takes Second Look at Hummer Bidders
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
As GM attempts to off-load brands like Hummer and Saab, the entire process feels like the end of a horror movie when the monster keeps popping back to life.
Just as Hummer’s fate appeared sealed when the Chinese industrial machinery company Tengzhong couldn’t get the sale approved by the Chinese government, the Wall Street Journal reports that a flicker of hope remains for the SUV brand.
GM is apparently taking a second look at two previous suitors that made bids for Hummer before Tengzhong but were rejected as insufficient. The Journal did not say which companies made the offer, but it did confirm that GM turned both down sometime last year.
It remains likely that GM will simply have to wind down the brand as it did with Pontiac and Saturn, but Hummer remains a widely recognized — and for some, a fiercely beloved — brand.
GM Weighs Two Offers for Hummer (The Wall Street Journal)
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What Weighs 6,000 Pounds and Can Fit in a Cargo Box?
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
Now that Chevrolet and Ford have broken the 6,000-pound payload barrier for three-quarter-ton pickups, we're wondering how many things fit in a cargo box that weigh that much? Dirt is a good start, as we found out during our road test of the 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty. A cubic yard weighs about 2,250 pounds and we dropped 2.5 cubic yards in the back with some room to spare.
What kind of three-ton stuff would you haul in yours?
[Hat tip to commenter CreigMac for the question idea]
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100 Acre Wood: Practice Course Done; Next Stop, Parc Expose
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
This morning we ran the practice course to shakedown the car and our nascent skills, finding a brutal 3-mile run through serious dips, cinder-block-sized rocks and some of the roughest gravel roads you’re likely to encounter. Next, we’re headed to Parc Expose to rub elbows with some of the most dedicated motorsports fans in America, as well as all…
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11,000 Have Ordered New Mustang
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by admin.
The 2011 Ford Mustang didn’t get a redesign, yet interest in it has spiked nevertheless. Ford says that 11,000 customers have already ordered the ’11 Mustang, which is three times — three times! — the number of advanced orders the last model had before its launch.
Ford decided to attribute this to the Mustang’s improved fuel efficiency. The V-6 shows some fairly impressive mileage gains, with a combined EPA rating of 30 mpg without sacrificing performance. This is a 25% improvement over the last model, and Ford says orders for the V-6 have shot up 19% over last year. All this with 305 horsepower under the hood.
Special packages, such as the Mustang Club of America Special Edition and the California Special, have also seen a bump in sales numbers that have exceeded Ford’s expectations.
The base model ’11 Mustang starts at $22,145 and goes on sale this spring.
11,000 Pony Up for New Mustang (Detroit News)
