2010 Honda Element with Dog Friendly Package - Click above for high-res image gallery
How does an automaker take a model that's been largely unchanged since inception and give it a little juice seven years into its life cycle? If you're Honda, you go to the dogs. Literally. After unveiling it as a "concept" at the 2009 New York Auto Show, the Dog Friendly Honda Element accessory package has made the transition to production accessory. The theory is that if you are a dog lover, you might consider buying an Element geared specifically toward your needs.
The Big H has plenty of experience in this department. As we showed you earlier today, in Japan there's a dedicated Honda Dog website (it's incredible, really) loaded with info about transporting pups in basically every JDM Honda offering. Naturally, there are "Travel Dog" accessories that drivers can purchase for each car as well. In fact, in Japan, there's also a dedicated model, the Vamos Travel Dog, which is specifically outfitted with dog owners in mind - much like the Stateside-market Elements kitted out with the new Dog Friendly package. As luck would have it, I have two dogs. Hence, I, and they, will be your humble 2010 Honda Element (Dog Friendly!) evaluators. Get your paws over to the jump to read more.
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Jeff Glucker and Tim Odell of Hooniverse.com join Chris, Sam and Dan for Episode #170 of the Autoblog Podcast. The first stop is the Autoblog Garage, and the Hoons have their own garage, awesomely occupied by much better hardware than ours.
Items plucked from the news include the Ford Police Interceptor, 2011 Kia Optima, rumored Porsche Panamera convertible, 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, and the return of Lotus and Cosworth to Indy. Wade through that, and get rewarded with a few terrible answers to good questions.
Autoblog Podcast #170: The Hooniverse Visits
In the Autoblog Garage: Audi S5 Nissan Maxima
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 (Hooniverse)
Infiniti FX50S (Hooniverse)
Hurst Camaro (Hooniverse)
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If you thought it took a long time to get to the top of the list and take delivery on a newly-assembled Ferrari supercar, that's nothing compared to the time that has gone in to building the brand's first theme park. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has been under construction for two years now, and is finally set to open its doors to the public sometime later this year. And when it does, it will be not only the first theme park in the region, but the first of its kind in the world.
The major attractions at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will comprise some 20 rides, including two roller-coasters: one based on an F1 car, running at speeds at upwards of 200 kilometers per hour (125 mph) and shooting straight up through the massive scarlet roof structure 62 meters into the air.
The second is what you see pictured here, the GT Racing Coaster. That attraction will run two four-seat cars (styled after the F430 Spider) on parallel tracks in a race to the finish line. This is the first image we've received of the coaster car, and we can't help but wonder why they don't go with a 458 Italia-inspired car at this point. Follow the jump for a video on the park's construction.
Hondas with dogs - Click above for high-res image gallery
Honda Japan's oddly compelling and inherently fascinating Honda Dog website includes useful consumer tidbits such as a visual guide to how well your poodle will fit in the CR-Z's front passenger seat. (Before you start yelling how it's the only passenger seat, know that in Japan, the CR-Z is a 2+2.)
That's not all, however. There's stuff to entertain as well, including a whole page of desktop wallpapers featuring Hondas with various dogs that you can find below. Seriously. Vintage stuff, too. Civic RS with a Corgi? Prelude with a Doberman? All present and accounted for. Check out a few samples in the gallery below, and head to the Honda Dog wallpaper site for even larger sizes.
Bertone Mantide - click above for high-res image gallery
While definitely one of (if not the) fastest production cars in the world, the SSC Ultimate Aero has seldom been praised for its looks. Somewhat resembling just about every other supercar out there in one detail or another, the styling has charitably been described as everything from derivative to kit car-ish. Shelby Supercars wants to do something about that. Now that they've proven they can get their car up to its claimed top speed of over 255 mph, the next step is to get a few more of them out the showroom doors. To that end, the company is said to be courting supercar designer Jason Castriota to pen a fresh look.
Jerod Shelby, the "Shelby" in "Shelby Supercars," has apparently tapped Castriota to design SSC's next generation hypercar. If Castriota's name sounds familiar, and even if it doesn't, he is the designer of record behind the Pininfarina P4/5, the Bertone Mantide (shown above) the neo Maserati Birdcage and the Rolls-Royce Hyperion. Having recently left his post at Bertone, Jason will become the exclusive designer for SSC's next two cars and will add a degree of credibility to the team, or at least that's the plan. According to the Tri-City Herald, the cars will actually be badged with his name to hammer home that point.
While the new Aeros will carry a price tag double the current cars' at $800,000 to $900,000, the company says it will also develop a "little brother version" that will retail for just $300,000. Production targets are a dozen or so Aeros and about 50 Aero-lites per annum. The cars might also show up in a reality TV series that is being pitched to chronicle the project.
Having trouble deciding which of the three modern muscle cars you want to buy? Dodge is now providing some extra incentive to buy a Challenger over a new Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro. Through April 30 Mopar is offering $2,000 in "Mopar Bucks" to anyone who buys a Challenger R/T, R/T Classic or SRT8, allowing customers to choose between several combinations of performance parts and accessories.
For those who want their Challenger to look even more retro, the best option is probably Mopar's exterior package. It includes a body-color hood with scoop, rear "Go-Wing" and stripe graphics. Of course, at $1,995, that leaves you with nothing left for performance parts. That's why we'd probably opt for the cat-back exhaust system ($1,190) and pair it with the interior package ($780) for the manual transmission (of course) that includes a T-handle shifter and full car cover. For super-boring more practically minded Challenger buyers, Mopar is also offering customer care packages that include scheduled maintenance, towing and roadside assistance and rental car allowance. Thanks, but no thanks. Get all the details of the offer after the jump.
Bugatti seems intent on keeping us on the ropes regarding the production prospects for the 16C Galibier. The concept was unveiled to a very select audience last September during the Frankfurt Motor Show, but didn't debut on the marque's show stand. Bugatti pulled a similar shtick in Geneva, but we were luck enough to get a closer look at an exclusive viewing in Beverly Hills.
The company has been fairly tight-lipped on whether their higher-ups at the Volkswagen group have given it the green light - leaving the matter up to speculation and conjecture - but to keep us interested, they've released this batch of photos showing what appears to be a second show car, doing its best Johnny Cash impression instead of the two-tone blue and silver paint scheme seen on the the original.
Underneath the dramatic split hood sits a version of the Veyron's 8.0-liter W-16 engine, but with a pair of superchargers replacing the quartet of turbos and an eight-speed automatic reportedly in place of the Veyron's seven-speed DSG. Will we ever hear one rumbling down our streets? That's in Wolfsburg's hands now, so for the moment, we'll just have to enjoy the latest crop of photos in the gallery below.
Toyota has announced its racing activities for 2010. And while Formula One has already been removed from the program, the Japanese automaker has plenty going on in other disciplines, including the domestic Super GT series, Formula Nippon, NASCAR and...what's that? The Nürburgring 24 Hours.
As you may recall, Toyota's Lexus division took LFA prototypes to the 'Ring in both 2008 and 2009 for the round-the-clock race to help drum up some excitement and give the prototypes some competition testing. Since then, the LFA has gone from concept car to race car to production car and is now going back to endurance racer for this year's event.
The pair of cars, now based on the production LFA, will be fielded once again by Gazoo Racing, piloted by a roster of Japanese and German drivers with a wealth of experience between them in sportscar racing. They'll be supported by Toyota factory personnel, potentially to include once again company president Akio Toyoda.
The announcement comes hot on the heels of the similar news regarding a track-oriented LFA special edition, reportedly bearing the Nürburgring name as well. The race takes place in May, but in the meantime, you can check out the press release after the jump and the fresh images in the gallery below.
Of all the fictitious captains of industry and superheroes ever to grace the silver screen, Tony Stark's got to be one of our favorites. Why? Well aside from flying around the world in his super-suit and kickin' terrorist butt, he's also a hardcore car guy. Just look at the Audi R8, Saleen S7 and the poor old Shelby Cobra he nearly ruined in the first episode. Now the sequel is almost upon us, and Tony is taking to the track in a Stark Industries-sponsored single-seater. (See for yourself in the trailer after the jump.) But though the company and its eponymous chief may be fictitious, that won't stop them from actually sponsoring a real race car of their own.
As you can see from the photo above, Iron Man 2 will be sponsoring Stephan Verdier's Crawford Performance-prepped Subaru Impreza in this season's Formula Drift series. That's nothing new: Movies, superhero movies especially, often sponsor racing teams. (Just check out David Coulthard on the podium in a superman cape or Jarno Trulli riding the bat-pod to see what we mean.) But if you look closer, you'll see the Stark logo on the quarter-panel. So while we wait to see Stark's on-screen heroics in the upcoming movie, we can enjoy Verdier's on-track heroics in Formula D as well. Top Tip, Andy!
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn with Leaf EV - Click above for high-res image gallery
Will Nissan's upcoming Leaf electric car compete directly with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt? Well, that depends on who you ask. Apparently, Nissan head Carlos Ghosn doesn't believe the two eco-friendly automobiles will be competing on a large scale. Says Ghosn:
"Frankly, I mean so far there is no competition. Let's be serious. It's not because someone is coming with a prototype and one car that this is competition. The question is how much capacity are you building... What I am sure is that in 2011, I am going to be the only one on the market."
Ghosn wasn't necessarily referring directly to the Chevy Volt when he made those comments at the Geneva Motor Show, but the sentiment would surely include General Motors' extended-range electric vehicle by proxy. We'd imagine that a good deal of Leaf or Volt buyers would consider the other car a competitor for their hard-earned dollars.
If the issue between the two electric cars is production numbers, Nissan certainly takes the (currently theoretical) win as it plans to build 500,000 Leaf EVs by 2012. By way of contrast, GM has been mum on actual production goals for its Volt program, but we know the initial launch at the end of 2010 will be a comparatively small one.
2011 Ford Mustang GT - Click above for high-res image gallery
When it was first announced that the 5.0-liter engine was making a return to the 2011 Ford Mustang, none of us here at Autoblog were really that concerned with the fuel economy. We were all about the horsepower, and at 412 ponies underneath the hood, the 5.0 doesn't disappoint. Ford, however, was thinking about appearances and earth-hugging as well, and managed to make the 2011 Mustang even more efficient than the 2010 model despite all that extra extra power. According to the numbers released today, the new Mustang GT gets 17 miles-per-gallon city and 26 mpg highway with the six-speed manual and 18/25 mpg with the six-speed automatic.
These numbers are not only a huge improvement from the 2010 Mustang with the 4.6-liter V8 (15/23 mpg w/manual, 15/22 mpg w/automatic), but they also best the figures achieved by the Chevrolet Camaro SS - 16/24 mpg when equipped with a manual and 16/25 mpg with the automatic. As reported earlier, the 2011 Mustang V6 claims top honors against its Camaro counterpart as well with an impressive 19/31 mpg in six-speed automatic form.
So what accounts for the improved fuel economy despite the increase in displacement and horsepower? According to Ford, having an extra gear in the car's transmissions play a large role in addition to the Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) that can quickly adjust the intake and exhaust valves. Read more about the Mustang's powertrain improvements for 2011 after the break.
Whenever Audi introduces a new model, chances are that the folks at Abt Sportsline are going to get their hands on one. The German company has been tuning Volkswagens and Audis since the 1970s and has enjoyed success racing the Audi A4 in DTM and more recently the new R8 LMS. Needless to say, Abt knows how to properly modify cars bearing the four rings.
Abt's latest project is the droptop version of the Audi R8. Visually the car gets a new front grille, front fascia with carbon fiber spoiler, side sills, rear fascia, rear spoiler and lightweight five-spoke wheels. Even more importantly, the 5.2-liter V10 has been massaged to provide 600 horsepower, good for 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph. Finally, Abt provides a sport suspension system for improved handling. Follow the jump for full details and browse through the high-res gallery below.
Audi A8 Hybrid concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Thanks to the Volkswagen Group's strategy to be the leading player in the alternative-powertrain market within the next decade, Audi has announced a rapid expansion of hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years. The German automaker wants to improve efficiency of its internal combustion engines (both gasoline and diesel) by 30 percent - and it wants five percent of the brand's model line to be electric. "In the future, our customers will be able to choose from an increasingly broad range of driveline technologies," said Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.
Joining the A8 Hybrid sedan, shown in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show, will be the A6 Hybrid arriving on its next-generation platform within the next two years. That will be accompanied by the soon-to-be-launched Q5 Hybrid crossover. Audi intends to brand its "e-tron" name to represent the company's electronic mobility lineup (just like it did with "quattro" - now synonymous with all-wheel drive). Unlike its competitor BMW, which is working on smaller commuter-type urban-based EVs, Audi is engineering its vehicles for a more expensive niche. The new models are expected to debut in 2012.
We'll never understand people's penchant for posting their illegal endeavors on YouTube, and one GT-R owner is learning the hard way that publicizing your crash isn't the best way to make an insurance claim.
We got the scoop and now we've got the details. Lexus is readying a limited edition LFA that's tuned for the track and inspired by the supercar's Nürburgring experiences.
Volkswagen Bus turns 60 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Many automakers will build cars for decades and never create a product that can truly be considered a cultural icon. Few that do produce multiple such models. One of those is Volkswagen.The original Beetle/Bug/Type 1 is recognizable almost anywhere and even by people that know nothing about cars. The Beetle itself spawned another icon in the form of the Type 2 (or Microbus), a vehicle that is celebrating its diamond anniversary in 2010.
Like the original Bug, the Microbus had an air-cooled flat-four cylinder engine hanging off the back of the rear axle. The front seats were moved up over the front axle creating a format that was eventually copied by Ford, Dodge, General Motors and countless Japanese automakers.
Over sixty years, the bus became the ride of choice for surfers, hippies and iconoclasts everywhere. Many surviving examples from the 1960s are still hauling surfboards and Deadheads today. In the 1980s, the third-generation bus morphed into the still-loved but less iconic Vanagon, with emissions standards forcing the adoption of water cooling in 1983. The last of the rear-engined VW vans ceased production in 1992. A tip of the hat to Brooks!
*UPDATED: New photos added and official VW press release available after the jump
Anthony Lo (center) works on the design for the Saab Aero X Concept
According to a report from Car Design News, Anthony Lo, Director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe, has resigned his post to join Renault as Vice President of Exterior Design.
Lo has been credited with such interesting and well-regarded concept vehicles as the Saab Aero X from the 2006 Geneva Motor Show and the Opel Flextreme from the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. Apparently, he has a thing for unique vehicle entry systems and rear-mounted Segway Transporters.
Shortly after his graduation from the Royal College of Art's Vehicle Design program, Lo began his career at Lotus in England. Later, Lo moved to Audi and then Mercedes-Benz before taking his last position with General Motors. Quite a career path, no? And it should be interesting to see what he churns out under Carlos Ghosn's watch.
FIA president Jean Todt had dispatched his technical chief Charlie Whiting to assess where things stood at USF1 headquarters in South Carolina, and reported back on the construction of several cars at the factory. As it turns out, that wasn't enough to get them to the starting grid and joining Virgin, Lotus and HRT which did.
According to reports, USF1's management is still holding out hope that they could join the grid for next season. In order to do so, they'd have to retain a workforce that largely blames the team's two principals - Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson - for misleading and mismanaging the team's entry, re-apply through a selection process which the FIA intends to re-open for next season, and face possibly penalties from its World Motor Sports Council.
2010 Saab 9-3X - Click above for high-res image gallery
While newly emancipated Saab has some fresh product in its near-term pipeline, it's fair to say that the biggest challenge for the Swedish automaker over the long haul will be the development of costly new technologies and platforms. To that end, Spyker CEO Victor Muller has let slip to Automotive News Europe that Saab is actively looking at technology sharing arrangements with other OEMs - and they aren't just looking in former parent General Motors' direction.
More to the point, Muller says that Saab has already been contacted by around a half-dozen OEMS, including "some German brands," although the unnamed Deutsch companies are said to exclude Volkswagen and Audi. Saab presently has production and intellectual property agreements in place with GM to keep fresh product flowing through the rollout of its next-generation 9-3 in 2012, but after that line launches, it could receive parts developed from outside partners, including things like new powertrains, and potentially down the road, platforms.
In other company news, GMAC has been selected as the preferred source of financing for Saab franchises, providing a bit of continuity to the company's dealer base, as GMAC was also a major source of new car financing under GM. You can read the official announcement after the jump and check out our newly expanded gallery of the soon-to-launch9-3X below.
Need for Speed SHIFT Exotic Racing Series DLC - Click above for high-res image gallery
Playstation3 gamers: If you were disappointed that only XBox 360 players got the Ferrari DLC package for Need for Speed SHIFT, take heart, because the next one's got your name on it, too. The Exotic Racing Series pack is being released by EA for both platforms (though not for PC, PSP or mobile platforms) on March 18, with some of the most alluring machinery this side of Maranello.
Included in the downloadable content package are the McLaren MP4-12C and SLR Stirling Moss, the Alfa 8C Competizione and Maserati GranTurismo S, BMW M1 Procar, Gumpert Apollo and Acura NSX. The DLC costs $10 (or equivalent points) on either XBox Live or PlayStation Network, and also includes an array of new events and track layouts. Video and press release after the jump, screen shots in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Andrey!
Toyota walked a fine line this afternoon when it revealed that its own two-day investigation of last week's runaway Prius near San Diego, CA had reached the same conclusion as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's investigation. That is, the brakes on Jim Sikes' 2008 Toyota Prius should have been able to stop the car. Toyota did not, however, go so far as to call Sikes a liar.
The investigation determined that the front brake pads were worn so far down from overheating that the rotors were scraping the pads' metal backings. According to investigators, this could have only happened if the brake pedal were applied lightly (less than 50% or so) for an extended period of time, not pressed firmly to the floor as Sikes claimed he was doing. Only by "dragging" the brakes lightly could they become so overheated and worn, as firmly pressing the brake pedal while the car is accelerating would engage the brake override system that cuts engine power.
Though asked repeatedly if they had concluded that Sykes was lying, representatives for Toyota insisted that was not their judgment to make and they could only say that the investigation's findings were not consistent with the scenario that Sikes describes.
Follow the jump for Toyota's official statement in which it details all eight points of its findings.
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