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Rumormill: More Toyobaru scuttlebutt comes to the surface
A “Toyota insider” has supposedly spilled a few more beans to 7Tune about the upcoming front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe the automaker is collaborating on with Subaru, and according to the source, the 2+2 will carry a few of the Lexus LF-A's design cues when it hits the market next year.
Although Lexus' “L-Finesse” styling has remained exclusive to Toyota's luxury brand, certain elements of the language have begun to filter down to the automaker's mainstream models, specifically the recently released Venza CUV. The rendering above hints at some of the lines that could make the cut on the production version of the “086A,” but contrary to past reports, 7Tune's tipster says that the Toyota and Subaru versions won't be remarkably different – only the front grille, headlamps and taillights will be unique. The report goes on to say that Toyota is desperately trying to keep the price below… Read the rest of this entry
Porsche considering Audi TTS engine for cheaper Boxster?
With sales slumping and money suddenly pretty tight, Porsche would no-doubt love to move more metal. Sure, the Stuttgart, Germany sports car maker has assured us that it will make money this year and next, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little insurance. According to Auto Motor & Sport, more sales could come from a cheaper yet more powerful Boxster. The site is reporting that Porsche is looking into the Audi TTS engine. At 272 hp and 258 lb-ft, the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine would eclipse Porsche's standard issue boxer engine by a useful 17 hp and 45 lb-ft of torque.
If the story from Auto Motor & Sport is to believed, the Audi-fied Boxster would be cheaper, too. The site is quoting a price that drops from… Read the rest of this entry
REPORT: Tesla Motors valued at $1 billion
Wondering how much Tesla Motors might be worth on the open market? It would seem the actual figure would depend you who you ask. Based on the assumption that Daimler paid $50 million for nine-percent of Tesla, the Silicon Valley automaker would theoretically be worth $550 million.
According to SharesPost, a firm that bills itself as a community for private equity transactions and the central hub for private company research and valuation data, Tesla's value is actually much higher: roughly $1 billion. To come up with that figure, SharesPost contracted Next Up Research to create a report that supposedly takes into account current revenue from Roadster sales as well as expected revenue from the Tesla Model S and a future electric vehicle, codenamed Blue Star, which will be… Read the rest of this entry
VW 1.4-liter Twincharger wins 2009 International Engine of the Year
What qualities are required for an engine to be considered the best-of-the-best in today's world? Naturally, any given engine needs to make enough power for its intended application, but fuel efficiency is just as important in modern society. This being the case, it's not terribly surprising that Volkswagen's innovative 1.4-liter Twincharger engine has taken home top honors as the 2009 International Engine of the Year, beating out BMW's powerful 3.0-liter direct-injected twin-turbo six-cylinder powerplant by just four points.
The Engie of the Year award is handed out based on the voting results of 65 motor scribes polled from all around the globe. Some 32 countries are represented in the jury, including the U.S., Germany, Japan, China, the U.K., and Korea.
To go along with its Engine of the Year award, VW's supercharged and turbocharged mill also won the Green Engine of the Year trophy – beating out Honda's… Read the rest of this entry
Smart Collection Puts the Emphasis on Fuzzy Dice and Smiley Faces
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(Photo courtesy of Daimler)
STUTTGART, Germany — Smart on Wednesday rolled out a collection of fashion items ranging from jewelry to ballet flats, saying it represents a “continuation of Smart's activities in the field of urban creativity.”
The collection can be ordered online at the Web site for Parisian shop Colette, and ranges in price from $55 to $249. Smart says each is produced in a limited edition of 150.
The Smart T-shirts feature fuzzy dice and a smiley face and focus on “green driving,” according to their creator, Wood Wood of Copenhagen. Smart jewelry, which is to be used as a necklace or to hang from the rearview mirror, is priced at $110.
The Smart travel tote is made from recycled materials and includes a bottle opener and a tape measure. It is priced at $55. The Smart ballet flat is defined by “less resources, more emotion”… Read the rest of this entry
Tuner Special: Lorinser Lexus LS460
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Instead, the tuner concentrates on a body kit and a set of lightweight alloy wheels. (Photo courtesy of Lorinser)
WINNENDEN, Germany — Lorinser, better known for its modifications to the cars of Mercedes-Benz, has tried something new and created a kit for the Lexus LS 460.
Considering the car's under-5.7-second 0-60-mph time, Lorinser kept its hands out of the engine bay — it's already equipped with a 4.6-liter V8. The vehicle makes 380 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque from the factory.
On the other hand, exterior work is extensive and includes new side skirts, a deck-lid spoiler and round foglights in both front and rear bumpers. Custom alloy wheels and a set of dual exhaust tips round off the new package for the flagship Lexus.
The Lorinser LS 460 has not yet been priced.
Jesse James Beats Out BMW H2R To Shatter Land Speed Record
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James reached 199.7 mph in this vehicle. The run was filmed for the season finale of his Spike TV series Jesse James Is a Dead Man. (Photo courtesy of Spike TV)
EL MIRAGE DRY LAKE BED, California — Tattoo-laden TV personality and custom-vehicle builder Jesse James, 40, beat the land speed record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle on Tuesday in the Mojave Desert, according to a statement on Spike TV.
The star of the Spike TV show Jesse James Is a Dead Man reached 199.7 mph while filming the season finale. The show will premiere on August 9 at 10 p.m. ET. The daredevil's time was documented by the Southern California Timing Association and beat the previous record-holder, the BMW H2R, which had taken the land-speed record for an H2 car of 185 mph.
“Jesse prepared for a worst-case-scenario situation by escaping from a burning fuselage, narrowly avoiding injury… Read the rest of this entry
“Cash for Clunkers” Gets through U.S. House; Senate Passage Unsure
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Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) poses here with New Hampshire students who won the Presidential Award of the Environmental Protection Agency for Contributions to a Healthier Environment. Gregg is a vocal opponent of the “cash for clunkers” legislation currently arriving for a vote in the U.S. Senate. (Photo courtesy of Sen. Judd Gregg)
WASHINGTON — The “Cash for Clunkers” bill, which gives consumers cash incentives for trading up to more fuel-efficient vehicles, has made it through the U.S. House of Representatives. In a 222-206 vote on Tuesday, opposed by all but five Republican members of Congress, a provision for $1 billion in spending on the program was added to a war spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan operations.
All but one of the seven Republican representatives from Michigan voted against the bill, even though it is widely viewed as help for U.S. automakers because it encourages light-truck and SUV… Read the rest of this entry
Teased: Audi A5 Sportback
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The concept was billed as a forerunner of the A7 Sportback. (Photo courtesy of Audi USA)
INGOLSTADT, Germany — Audi has released the first official teaser image of the new Audi A5 Sportback, which will be formally unveiled this fall at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. Unfortunately, there are no plans to sell the A5 Sportback in the U.S.
Audi envisions its new family of four-door hatchbacks — the company insists on calling them “five-door coupes” — as a stand-alone sub-series under the name Sportback, in much the same way that the company markets its station wagons under the Avant name.
While we won't see the A5 Sportback on this side of the Atlantic any time soon, the even larger A7 Sportback — previewed earlier this year at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and due to reach production in a year or two — is said to be… Read the rest of this entry
Face-Lifted: 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
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Changes to the Hyundai Santa Fe for 2010 are modest. The refreshed crossover is expected in the U.S. early next year. (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Company)
SEOUL, South Korea — Hyundai Motor has released the first official image of the face-lifted Santa Fe, which goes on sale July 1 in the Korean domestic market. The freshened model is expected to reach the U.S. in late 2009 or early 2010.
For the Korean market, the face-lifted Santa Fe gets a revised grille, bumpers, headlamps, taillamps and wheels, plus updates to the interior including push-button start and a rear back-up camera.
Korean buyers can choose among several engines, including two four-cylinder diesels — a 184-horsepower 2.0-liter and a 200-hp 2.2-liter unit. The diesels will not be offered in North America.
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