Car News Articles

As always, this is the venue for discussion that doesn’t really fit anywhere else.

- Saab’s future is still up in the air, but Saabs United has a good analysis of the situation. I’m not sure what to make of the speculation that the Saab 9-5 might be rebadged as a Buick. Should I be pleased that Buicks might be a little more interesting–sort of the opposite of the Saab Trailblazer 9-7X–or whether I should be annoyed at another bastardization of Saab.

- Over the past week I have been obsessed with this traffic simulator, which simulates how easily traffic backups can form. My favorite mode is the on-ramp, in which you can tweak the volume of highway and on-ramp traffic to generate backups. Call me a geek if you wish–but I have had that traffic moving for about a week straight now, tweaking the traffic volume to simulate high- and low-traffic times. It’s a time-waster par excellence.

–Chris H.

(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

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by Justin Stobb

Fall is here, Is you Subaru ready for winter?

Things to look at on your Subaru now that the leaves are starting to turn color are as follows.

The engine oil level and condition should be inspected, if it has been longer than a few months since it has been changed now is the time.

Engine coolant should be inspected for level, proper freeze protection and for any signs of contamination.

The wiper blades should be checked for streaking, tears and cracks.  Windshield washer fluid should be checked for level and freeze protection as well.

Tires should be checked for the proper pressure, wear, punctures (screws and nails) and for weather checking this is also a good time to consider rotating and balancing the tires as well.

All of the lights should be checked for proper function and the head light lenses inspected for any signs of dulling or pitting as this can be corrected and greatly improve night time visibility.

If the Subaru is due for any maintenance such as the transmission fluid or differential fluids being serviced now is the time, as starting out the cold part of the year with fresh fluids will go a long way in protecting the devices the fluids are intended to lubricate.

The coolant hoses and accessory drive belts should be inspected and replaced if the hoses feel soft or crunchy, or if the belts are cracked or frayed.

This is a good time to inspect the spare tire, vehicle jack and lug wrench, a flat spare tire really won’t do you much good.

The battery should be serviced and tested; the charging and starting systems looked at as well including the battery cables.

These are just a few examples of ways to get your Subaru ready for fall and winter; a little preventative maintenance can go a long way towards a trouble free Fall and Winter driving season.

Thanks for reading

Justin

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NEWPORT BEACH, California — A 24-year-old passenger in a Ferrari was killed on Christmas Eve when the driver of the car jumped the center divider and crashed into a tow truck going in the opposite direction. The accident happened at about 5:15 p.m. on Thursday and has been attributed to excessive speed, rather than alcohol or other factors. Police are still investigating the crash, however.

Ralph Abinader of Huntington Beach was identified by the Orange County Register as the deceased passenger. The driver, whose name has not yet been announced, is being treated at a local hospital and is reported to be in critical condition. The driver and passenger of the tow truck were treated for minor injuries and released.

Several witnesses said they saw the gray Ferrari traveling at a high rate of speed before the crash. The car split in two and caught on fire, and 18 firefighters responded to the accident, news reports said.

This is the third high-profile crash of a Ferrari in the area in recent years. In 2006, a $1-million-plus Enzo crashed and split in two near Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway, and last March a Ferrari Modena and a Porsche spun out of control in Newport Beach, and the Ferrari¿s driver was killed.

Inside Line says: More money than sense appears to be the problem here. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent

Do you want to see uncensored promo version from BMW & Audi holly war? BMW guys cuts the last few seconds with a Audi logo.

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• Competes with: Chevrolet Camaro SS, Dodge Challenger R/T
• Looks like: Ford has built a V-8 engine that will make enthusiasts drool on their shirts
• Drivetrain: 412-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Spring 2010

The reshaping of the Ford Mustang’s powertrain offerings continues with the debut of a new V-8 engine for the 2011 Mustang GT. It’s rated at 412 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and produces a tire-melting 390 pounds-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. The introduction of this new V-8 helps separate the uplevel GT from the base Mustang, which recently received a new 3.7-liter V-6 rated at 305 hp, just 10 hp shy of the outgoing Mustang GT. Pricing information for the new GT hasn’t been released.
 
The GT’s new V-8 also has a displacement of 5.0 liters, a hallowed engine size for Mustang enthusiasts that was enshrined in muscle car history with the application of “5.0″ badges on the sides of previous Mustangs. Those badges return for 2011, replacing the “GT” lettering on the front fenders. Expect Mustang fans of a certain age to stop and stare when they see them. Pop the hood and more ogling is likely to ensue, as the new V-8 is a pretty engine.
 
In developing the all-aluminum 5.0-liter V-8, Ford paid particular attention to airflow into the engine. It features a composite intake manifold, and the alternator has been moved out of the valley between the cylinder banks for enhanced downward air movement. Other performance components include stainless-steel exhaust headers and a forged steel crankshaft. The engine weighs only about 10 pounds more than the outgoing 4.6-liter V-8, according to Mike Harrison, V-8 engine programs manager, but it makes 97 more hp. Ford isn’t revealing what kind of zero-to-60-mph performance the new GT will offer, but it expects to have figures closer to when the GT goes on sale in the spring.
 

Singer Justin Timberlake has accidently helped blow the cover off Audi’s hot new Mini challenger.

A Timberlake fan posted shots of the singer with the A1 hatch on social networking site Facebook.  Audi’s not too upset though, as the leaked images coincided with launch of a teaser graffiti sketch of the car and a video of the designers Dany Garand and Audi head of design Stefan Sielaff, discussing the car’s key characteristics.

Audi has just announced Timberlake as a brand ambassador for the marque.  He will front an internet campaign for the car ahead of its launch.  The German carmaker plans to release snippets of A1 information every few days in the run up to the car’s official March 2 unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show.

The hatch is expected to arrive in Australia early in 2011.  In looks the A1 sticks very close to the metroproject quattro and Sportback concepts.  Production versions will share their underpinnings with the new-generation Volkswagen Polo, which goes on sale here next year.

Like the metroproject, the A1 is expected to get the chromed-alloy strip running up the A-pillar and down to the C-pillar.  Both three and five-door models will be available, as well as a cabrio version. An S version with a performance tuned turbo four cylinder is also planned.

Audi is likely to delve into its parts bin to release a range of TDI and TFSI four-cylinder engines, including VW’s 1.4-litre TFSI engine.  The company is expected to pitch the A1 as a premium luxury hatch, squarely aimed at BMW’s Mini.  That means entry pricing should start around $33,000.

Russia’s Sberbank isn’t the only party that is unhappy with GM and wants to see money.

Germany’s government wants GM to put “a lot of money” on the table before any further discussions about European state aid for Opel would be entertained, reports Germany’s Handelsblatt.

Note that the harsh comments are coming from Roland Koch, Premier of Opel’s home state Hesse. Previously, Koch had been a vociferous proponent of state support for Opel. Not more.

According to Koch, any further discussions about state aid to Opel are, at this point in time, “completely baseless. The circumstances have changed. GM is a solvent company.” Koch demands from GM a considerable contribution to safeguard the future of Opel. “Those who want to own Opel 100 percent have to step up to the plate when it comes to investments and financing.”

The Premier of Hesse, a state which has no other auto manufacturers (except for Volkswagen’s parts distribution center in Kassel,) is amazingly sympathetic with the plight of other car makers. Koch concedes that Germany’s Abwrackprämie and other European scrapping schemes had a pull-forward effect, which will leave a gap in 2010. Closing this gap “will be easier for more export oriented companies than for Opel, which is focused on the European market,” Koch said. Translation: Opel won’t make it.

GM should invest “a lot of money,” and present a solid business plan. “Then we can talk.” Without that, any further debate about federal or state aid for Opel is for naught.

After German Economics Minister Rainer Brüderle had said that EU governments won’t exchange financial aid for jobs at Opel, talk about EU government money has died down. Message from Europe to GM: You’re on your own.

Following Brüderle’s comments, Nick Reilly said: “There is a belief out there that GM has sufficient money in the US that it can spend in Europe. That is not the case.” Assuming that both Brüderle and Reilly were telling the truth (we know, we know,)  then Opel is SOL.

The closest thing to a real life Gotham City we have right now is New York City, and it only seems appropriate that you’d find at least one Batmobile patrolling the Big Apple’s streets these days.

This one - while sporting the look of the iconic Batmobile of the two Tim Burton-directed Batman movies of the early 90’s – though, is a little bit more stretched than what we’re used to from the Caped Crusader’s official ride.

But then again, this is New York City, a place where the only thing predictable about it is its unpredictability; spotting the BatLimo running around its streets is hardly surprising to us.

We’re just disappointed that those flame burners are just for decorations; it would’ve been awesome if they actually worked.

VIDEO: Honda HSV-010 caught testing at Suzuka

by Damon Lavrinc (RSS feed) on Dec 27th 2009 at 7:33PM

Honda HSV-010 - Click above for image gallery

With the exception of a singular shot and a brief press release, Honda is predictably mum on details about its GT500-bound NSX replacement. Thankfully, one fan in Japan was able to snag shots of the HSV-010 undergoing testing at the Suzuka Circuit ahead of its first race in May, and judging by the pics below and videos after the jump, SuperGT fans have plenty to be excited about.

Based on reports from the ground, Honda will campaign four HSV-010s in the 2010 season, each of which was testing at the racetrack late last week (check the differing window banners in the gallery below). The driver line-up hasn’t been officially disclosed yet, but the new coupes will bear the numbers 8, 18, 32 and 100 at their debut May 20-21 at Suzuka.

Powering the HSV-010 (which stands for Honda Sports Velocity) is a 3.4-liter V8 mounted in front and sending power to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox — the same transmission used by Nissan and Toyota on its GT500 contenders. The styling bears some resemblance to prototypes that ran the Nurburgring in recent years, but it’s decidedly curvier, more aerodynamic and — to our eyes — damn sexy, particularly in matte black with the angry LED eyebrows.

As previously reported, Honda has no plans to sell a road-going version of the HSV-010 to consumers. Instead, the Big H has found a loop-hole in the SuperGT regulations that allows the automaker to campaign a car in the series that’s “production feasible” but not in production. So unless Honda reverses course and pulls an LFA, the closest you’ll come to seeing and hearing the all-new NSX is in the videos after the jump.

Gallery: Honda HSV-010 Spy Shots at Suzuka

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[Source: Circuit Diary via TOV]