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Filed under: Toys/Games
There are driving simulators and there are racing simulators. They tend to cross over, but what divides them are the types of cars and the types of roads used in the game. Drive racing cars on digitally recreated racing circuits and you're looking at a racing sim. Street cars on public roads (whether simulated or replicated) and you're playing a driving game. The Forza Motorsport franchise has always been more of a racing simulator than a driving game, but the minority of open roads that have appeared in the four iterations of the series so far are about to jump into their own game altogether with the launch of Forza Horizon.Having made the initial announced back in March, Microsoft hand Turn 10 Studios have now released the box cover art and a single frame of in-game footage, both depicting the new SRT Viper on the open road. The cover, as you can see, shows a yellow Viper with black stripes speeding out of a mountain town, while the screenshot shows us a metallic Viper - like the one we saw at its unveiling in New York - on a desert highway in what looks like Carburator County from Pixar's Cars.
About a year and a half (if you can believe it) since the launch of Forza 4, the arrival of Forza Horizon will surely come as welcome and eagerly anticipated by the legions of racing and gaming fans that have enjoyed the various iterations of the franchise until now. All we know about its release is that it's coming sometime in the fall, but with the E3 gaming convention just a couple of weeks away, we should have more to bring you soon, so watch this space.
Forza Horizon coming this fall with hot Viper action on the open road originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Sedan, Performance, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchback, Subaru
There was nary a peep of discontent about the looks of the Subaru Advanced Tourer concept revealed at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. But when everyone was clamoring for Scooby to transfer the Advanced Tourer's looks to a production vehicle, never once did people ask for that transfer to be foisted on the WRX. A report in Motor Trend, though, says that's what's happening: the concept "was actually an early look at the next-generation Subaru WRX."
MT's sources said the front end Advanced Tourer's front end will go onto the WRX, with other aspects of the concept made more aggressive to suit the personality of Subaru's rally-ready racer. And if the concept also presages the next WRX's dimensions, then you can expect the next-generation sedan and hatchback to be larger (though in truth we don't anticipate a big gain in footprint).
Notice the name "Impreza" hasn't appeared anywhere in our discussion yet. Subaru is reportedly dropping the name in an attempt to get more 'Likes' for the WRX by making it more approachable, so the next model will relinquish its association with the Impreza line and be more performanced focused even as it is receives a better interior and is morphed into a "more-mature sporty grand tourer." Engine choices are still being debated for the car due in 2015; the rumored options include 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinders and a hybrid version of the 1.6-liter.
Next Subaru WRX previewed by Advanced Tourer concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Minivan/Van, Sedan, Europe, Crossover, Chrysler, Dodge, Lancia, Fiat
Fiat, in an attempt to make its purchase of Chrysler more profitable, has been marketing rebadged Dodge and Chrysler models in Europe with mixed results.
Europeans apparently love the Fiat Freemont, known as a Dodge Journey here in the States. Fiat sold almost 6,500 of the crossovers over there in the first quarter and hopes to move 30,000 by year's end. Sales were helped by Fiat's large European dealer network as well as an MSRP lower than the model it replaced. Since the Journey is built in Mexico, it can be imported into Europe tariff-free, which helps keep the sticker price lower.
On the other hand, sales of the Lancia Thema (Chrysler 300) and Lancia Voyager (Dodge Grand Caravan) are not doing so well due to several factors. One is the limited reach of the Lancia brand outside Italy. Then there's the 10 percent import tariff since they're both built in Canada, a yearly 500 euro luxury tax (about $630 USD) on the Thema, and a limited advertising budget for the two cars.
Only 1,342 Voyagers were sold in Europe in the first quarter of this year, which means the 11,000 unit goal for the year will probably be missed. Lancia sold only 480 Themas during the same period, well short of the 2,500 Fiat had hoped to sell.
Rebadged Dodge, Chrysler model sales a mixed bag in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, MISC
You don't hear too much about the Henrik Fisker-designed Artega GT, but its occasional appearances are always welcome. In this episode of Where's Artega Now?, the folks at eGarage worked with Germany's Christopher Kippenberger, who make a quadrocopter designed for capturing aerial footage.
A day was spent at Germany's Blister Berg Drive Resort, essentially a German version's of Spain's Ascari Race Resort. One slight difference: Blister Ber's track isn't finished, so the Artega was left to drift it out over the construction site threading around haulers and front-end loaders.
Kippenberger's quadrocopter is of his company's design, meant to bring both Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and helicopter shots into the range of the enthusiast video shooter. At $5,000, it's not cheap, but that's a steal compared to other UAVs - and just pennies compared to a helicopter - and each unit is built-to-order.
But enough reading. Have a look at what it and the Artega GT can do in the video below.
Continue reading Watch this Artega GT blast around an unfinished track filmed with a quadrocopter
Watch this Artega GT blast around an unfinished track filmed with a quadrocopter originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge
On Thursday night's Autoline After Hours, SRT boss Ralph Gilles sat down with show hosts John McElroy and Peter DeLorenzo, along with Autoblog and AOL Autos staffers to talk all things Viper. Among the interesting tidbits disclosed about the 640-horsepower supercar are plans for a new dealer certification process designed to encourage the sort of purchasing, service and ownership experience that buyers of six-digit cars have come to expect.
According to Gilles:
"It's going to be a qualified dealer situation... The ones who do the dealer training in terms of the tech. I want a tech. I want a display car. I want all these things. There's going to be a list. It's not going to be impossible, it's just that someone has to put in the extra effort and say 'I'm an SRT dealer.'"
Off the air, Gilles told Autoblog that Chrysler officials have already approached a number of dealers with a strong record of Viper and SRT sales to discuss how the certification process will work, gaining valuable feedback in the process. A document outlining the new certification program will go out to Dodge dealers next month.Chrysler has yet to announce official pricing and the Viper won't go on sale until sometime in the fourth quarter of the year, but that hasn't stopped a queue of customer deposits from piling up. According to Gilles, one particularly strong Viper dealer already has around 90 such deposits in-hand. Considering that Viper sales averaged about 1,600 units in past years, that's a substantial figure.
In other news, Chrysler officials have been making a big point of talking about the 2013 Viper's newfound refinements, from reduced NVH to nicer interior materials and improved drivability thanks to the institution of technologies like stability control and traction control. Gilles says that great care has been taken to ensure the model's core personality still shines through, but given that much of the Viper's mystique is centered on its raw, leg-burning, hairy-knuckled persona, we couldn't help but wonder aloud if the new model's refinements have left room for a stripped-out hardcore version for Viper purists and racers. With raised eyebrows, arms gesturing wildly and stifling a smile, Gilles wryly said: "I love how you think. Next subject!"
To watch the Autoline After Hours episode in its entirety, scroll down.
Continue reading 2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video]
2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Motorsports, Motorcycle
Reigning MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is just 26 years old, but has been riding in the FIM series since 2001 when he joined the 125cc ranks. Five years later, the Australian was in the headlining formula series with Honda, the year after that, in 2007, he won the title astride a Ducati. Last year, Stoner won it again with Honda, and even battling an issue with his arm this year, he's atop the standings and leading his rivals in practice sessions for this weekend's French GP at Le Mans.
But Stoner used yesterday's GP press conference to announce his retirement at the end of this year. The Australian says the sport had gone in a direction that doesn't interest him and that he simply isn't enjoying it enough to continue the sacrifices necessary to be competitive at the top level. Speculation is that he wants to spend time with his wife and daughter, and perhaps that he plans to drive in the Australian V8 Supercar series.
Fellow Aussie and MotoGP legen Mick Doohan said he doesn't believe just yet that Stoner will actually ride off into farm life. Even so, the fact that the current World Champion is unhappy enough to publicly announce the end of his career is a shock to the MotoGP world. Have a look below for a video news report on Stoner's announcement.
Continue reading MotoGP champ Casey Stoner stuns with retirement announcement [w/video]
MotoGP champ Casey Stoner stuns with retirement announcement [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Motorsports, Mitsubishi, Electric, Racing
No, that's not a Mitsubishi i-MiEV in a fat suit, it's the automaker's brand-new all-electric race car, and it's set to take on the 2012 Pike's Peak International Hill Climb in July. This isn't the first time we've seen an EV enter the Pike's Peak challenge - Nissan commissioned a Leaf for battle last year, a car that set the bar for all future electric racers.
Mitsubishi says that its race car, dubbed i-MiEV Evolution, uses the same motor, drive battery and other major components as the standard, bean-shaped electric car that we haven't quite grown to love. Aside from the additional bodywork, the chassis has clearly been lengthened and widened, and the race car now uses an all-wheel-drive configuration rather than the rear-wheel drive of the standard i-MiEV.
To give you an idea of just how big the racer is, a quick glance of Mitsubishi's specs show that the i-MiEV Evolution's dimensions are within a few inches of the stock Lancer Evolution. We wouldn't be surprised if the all-wheel-drive system was sourced from the Lancer, as well.
Mitsubishi will also be bringing two more of its EVs to the Pike's Peak event, including an i that has been updated with a more aerodynamic front bumper and new safety equipment, as well as a bone stock model. Scroll down for the official press blast.
Continue reading Mitsubishi previews bonkers i-MiEV Evolution for Pikes Peak
Mitsubishi previews bonkers i-MiEV Evolution for Pikes Peak originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: SUV, Etc., Videos, Land Rover, Toys/Games, Off-Road
It's official. You really can build anything from Lego blocks. Behold a fully-functional 1:8.5 scale version of a Land Rover Defender 110. This radio-controlled machine features a five-speed transmission with reverse, a two-speed transfer case that offers both four-wheel and two-wheel drive modes and functional disc brakes on all four corners. It's cool. We'll wait while you pick your jaw up off the floor. The machine was also built with fully functional steering that uses the same number of turns-to-lock as the real deal. All told, there are nearly 2,800 parts in the build, including seven motors.
There's a full solid-axle suspension underneath with long-travel springs. Top speed is around 2.5 mph. What's more, the whole body can be removed with just four pins to see the workings underneath.
If that's not cool enough, the machine has been picked up over at Lego CUUSOO. If it gets 10,000 votes, Lego will produce a kit based off of this creation. That's right - this masterwork isn't a kit - an independent Lego maniac by the name of Sheepo came up with it. Head over to the site for more information, and be sure to scroll down to check out a video of the machine.
Continue reading Lego Land Rover Defender 110 is plasticized perfection [w/video]
Lego Land Rover Defender 110 is plasticized perfection [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 12:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Motorsports, SUV, Bentley, Off-Road, Racing
Bentley is an automaker not without its own racing pedigree, but the bulk of that is anchored in the 1920s and at Le Mans, to which it returned in winning form in the earlier part of the new millennium with the Speed 8. The latest development could, however, see the Flying B marque enter into another class of motorsport competition altogether.
That opposite end of the endurance racing spectrum is the torturous Dakar rally. We first published rumors of Crewe's consideration of the possibility back in November, but according to CAR Magazine, those rumors are apparently kicking into high gear.
That much is owed largely to the emergence of the above-pictured EXP 9 F program, Bentley's concept SUV currently under development. Well, sorta. Bentley's parent company Volkswagen recently withdrew from the Dakar rally after winning it three times in a row - ostensibly to focus on its new World Rally Championship effort, but spurring rumors all the same of it transferring the team to another brand.
Given that the EXP 9 F is based (or would be, anyway) on an architecture related to the Touareg - the race model of which is what the VW team used to dominate the event - the facilitation of Bentley's take-over of the program could prove even more straight-forward than the manner in which Audi successfully supported Bentley's Le Mans team.
To wit, the boys from Crewe are said to be in the process of buying back all the Race Touareg rigs - complete with their 2.5-liter twin-turbo diesels producing 300 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque - that Volkswagen sold to privateer teams upon its departure, suggesting rather poor planning and perhaps only a passing resemblance to the eventual production EXP 9 F (which, incidentally, isn't expected to look like the concept above).
Bentley plotting Dakar effort with used VW Touareg racers? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Design/Style
There was a lot of built-up excitement surrounding the larger and less costly 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, but the anticipation deflated among critics when the model's less-than-impressive interior was revealed to the world. Critics chided the cheapened cabin, and quite a few negative reviews followed.
It's tough to argue that in the process of its upsizing, the Jetta's interior wasn't downgraded with lesser plastics and trim. The 2012 Passat does a much better job in this regard, but even then there are some areas where it feels like cost has been taken out of the cabin. But none of that is apparently enough to stop designer Jae Min from taking issue with these characterizations. Ward's Automotive reports that VW's chief U.S. designer claims that the Jetta and Passat interiors were not the victims of cost-cutting. Min claims that the money was simply re-purposed, with money shifting "from here to there." The designer went on to add that the automaker was able to lower the starting price of both vehicles in part because of more flexible vehicle architectures and shifting production from Germany to the States.
While Min sounds convinced that no pennies were pinched, we're not so sure - unless when he says money was shifted "from here to there" he means "from where you can see and feel to where you can't." Regardless of what we think, one statistic is impossible to argue: Jetta sales have shot up 43.9 percent this year and Passat sales have skyrocketed by 80.9 percent. That, ladies and gentlemen, is letting the numbers do the talking.
Volkswagen designer claims no cost was taken out of Jetta, Passat interiors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc., Videos, Hatchback, Nissan, UK, Electric
The Bruichladdich Distillery has been making artisan single malt Scotch whisky since 1881 on the Isle of Islay in the UK. As the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, you may not expect the island's 620 square kilometers (239 square miles) to be the ideal habitat for electric cars.
Apparently, though, the Nissan Leaf works out quite well for Mark Reynier, managing director at the distillery. The island's inhabitants are also benefited, says Reynier, by Nissan's Power Control System, which allows the Leaf's high-capacity lithium ion battery to power other devices - important when a single storm can completely cut the island's link to the outside world.
Watch Reynier describe how the Nissan Leaf has improved his life and his distillery in the video below. And, if you're interested in other ways to use Bruichladdich's whisky as a biofuel, you can also watch James May run a Radical SR4 race car on the spirit in a separate video.
Continue reading Nissan Leaf ensures high-quality whisky from Isle of Islay
Nissan Leaf ensures high-quality whisky from Isle of Islay originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc., Ford, Celebrities
Farmer, car dealer, Le Mans winner, sports-car maker, businessman and tuner Carroll Shelby passsed away on May 11. To honor his contribution to the numerous segments of the auto industry he impacted, cable network Velocity will be airing a three-hour, three-part miniseries on Sunday, May 20.
Called "King of the Road: Carroll Shelby," each hour-long episode will chronicle an era in Shelby's life: his journey from a Texas farm to the top step at Le Mans and building the Cobra; his partnership with Ford and the Mustang GT350; and the road that car followed into becoming the Ford Shelby GT500.
Have a read of the press release below, and tune into Velocity at 8 p.m. EST on Sunday for a lesson in the hardest-charging gentleman racer ever.
Continue reading Carroll Shelby to get the TV miniseries treatment thanks to Velocity
Carroll Shelby to get the TV miniseries treatment thanks to Velocity originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Budget, Etc., Hatchback, Chevrolet, UK
How many people can you fit into a car? It's a question that's been asked about any number of small cars. They're usually Volkswagen models, and those determined to find the answer are most likely to be a group of relatively small and flexible individuals. But Chevrolet has taken a different approach.
The American automaker's British division wants to know how many rugby players can fit inside a new Aveo - one of its smallest vehicles, also known as the Sonic on this side of the Mayflower's journey. But rather than answer the question itself, it has launched a competition across the UK. With the rugby season about to kick off, whichever team fits the most of its players into an Aveo by the end of the year will win a whole mess of new equipment.
Our money's on the local grade school's team. Check out the press release below for more.
Continue reading How many rugby players can you fit into a Chevrolet Aveo?
How many rugby players can you fit into a Chevrolet Aveo? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Motorsports
Drifting's been off the front pages for a while, the latest reports having more to do with turmoil than tire shredding. As with most things, though, just because it's not headlining doesn't mean it's disappeared. NOS energy drink sent one of our favorite filmic chroniclers, Will Roegge, across the country to survey the drifting world. The result is a mini-documentary called Keep Drifting Fun.
And we do mean the word "documentary" - it's 30 minutes long. Although there's plenty of smoke and wall-kissing, its length gives us an opportunity to hear from drifters and organizers to find out what's behind the sport, as well as their own motivations, where drifters come from and why they drift. It looks at venues beyond the track, like tree-lined back roads in Houston and alleys in late-night El Paso, and we dig that it starts off with the protagonists themselves admitting, "Drifitng is so stupid," "It's pointless," and "When you boil it all down it's pretty silly."
The movie, on the other hand, isn't. Scroll down to check it out.
Continue reading NOS energy drink presents the mini-doc Keep Drifting Fun
NOS energy drink presents the mini-doc Keep Drifting Fun originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows
Slammed Skodas, Seats, Audis and Polos are all well and nice, but at the end of the day, the annual gathering of Volkswagen performance enthusiasts at Lake Wörthersee in Austria is about the GTI. That much isn't lost on Volkswagen, so in addition to bringing the new GTI Cabrio along with all the aforementioned corporate cousins, the German automaker has rolled into the lakeside expo with the tricked-out concept car you see here.
Called the GTI Black Dynamic, the show car is the work of nine lucky (and apparently talented) student interns at Volkswagen. The team dropped the suspension 35 mm lower than stock, bumped the output up by 150 horsepower to a prodigious 360, upgraded the gearbox and brakes to cope with the extra power and fitted an 1,800-watt sound system.
Of course all that kit couldn't go unnoticed, so the Black Dynamic GTI was also treated to a deep black paint job with matte anthracite trim and red detailing. The team even went so far as to hand-craft the GTI letters on the lift-gate and gave the car a custom interior, too. You can read more about it in the pair of press releases below, or better yet see it from all the angles in the high-res image gallery above.
Continue reading Volkswagen interns roll into Worthersee with GTI Black Dynamic show car
Volkswagen interns roll into Worthersee with GTI Black Dynamic show car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Haute Couture at the highest performance level: NOVITEC ROSSO not only tailors a thrilling designer suit made from lightweight clear-coated carbon fiber for the Ferrari 458 Spider.
Sportservice Lorinser is refining the Mercedes-Benz ML and will display the impressive results in a world premier at TUNING WORLD BODENSEE 2012 (hall B5, booth 200, Yokohama).
Welcome to the premiere of the TECHART Program for the Porsche 911. The completely newly developed TECHART exterior design for the Carrera and Carrera S models officially presented in Geneva.
At the 82nd Geneva Motor Show, the specialists from Brand, Germany, will be showing off their customisation of the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 super-sports car.
In this gallery we bring you a full overview of the most interesting premieres of Geneva Motor Show 2012.
Geneva attracts major european tuning companies in March. We bring you best and most spectacular tuned cars gallery from Geneva Motor Show 2012.
Beautiful women and hot cars. Men's dreams. At the 82. Geneva Motor Show there were even more of them than the years before. And ofcourse most of them were to find at the stnds of the Italian car makers.
Its predecessor was an evergreen, a mass-consumption vehicle, both in Germany and worldwide. The Beetle was dependable and robust, it looked nice and was very distinct. Incidentally, it was also a sportsman and film star.
It's still quite new on the market but already has many admirers: In February, the new BMW 3- series was launched officially. Now the smart, energetic Bavarian is winning even more hearts at the international Motor Show in Geneva.
With its customisation programme for the latest generation of the BMW M5, HAMANN is continuing on from this success story by presenting fresh design with proven quality at the Geneva Motor Show.
A modern classic from Audi is making a comeback: The third-generation RS 4 Avant combines potent performance with a high level of everyday practicality. It's 4.2-liter V8 produces 331 kW (450 hp); the seven-speed S tronic and quattro permanent all-wheel drive transfer that power to the road.
Following the success of the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, Bugatti did not have to wait long before it received the first inquiries about an open-top version of the Grand Sport that could also deliver 882 kW (1,200 hp).
Mazda Motor Corporation will unveil for the first time its Mazda TAKERI concept, a next-generation mid-sized sedan featuring Mazda's unique i-ELOOP regenerative braking technology, at the 2012 Geneva International Motor Show.
Bentley is offering a vision of the future with a dramatic new Sport Utility Vehicle concept, EXP 9 F, at the Geneva International Salon d’Auto. The Company’s designers and engineers have created a compelling new take on the Grand Touring Bentley.
Ultra-powerful, ultrafast and conspicuously inconspicuous: the BRABUS BULLIT Coupe 800, which celebrates its world debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, is built in small-series production based on the two-door Mercedes C 63 AMG model.