Cars Tips: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Woman Hurled Into the Air by her Partner-in-Crime After Trying to Steal Gas

True, gas prices have gone up in most places around the world in the past few years, but are a few gallons of petrol worth more than the safety and well-being of your partner?

Obviously, for most people the answer to this question would be "no", but when it comes to criminals and possibly harmful individuals, anything goes, as we see in this surveillance video from a gas station at Mt Warren Park in southeast Queensland, Australia.

As you would have thought, even though it's been a month since we first laid eyes on the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro, General Motors isn't done talking yet about the redesign of its modern-day muscle car.

This time, the microphone is passed onto the Chevrolet Camaro's Program Engineering Manager, Mark Dickens, who has a few things to say about the redesign of the fifth generation model and how it relates to the performance improvements.

While we still have many years ahead of us for fuel-cell vehicles to become a practical and affordable alternative to gasoline- and diesel-powered models, automakers are edging closer and closer to that goal.

On Tuesday, during the Fortune Brainstorm Green conference in Laguna Niguel, California, Chris Hostetter, group vice president of strategic planning for Toyota USA, told Automotive News that the brand's production version of the 2011 FCV-R fuel-cell concept should cost between $50,000 and $100,000 when it goes on sale in the States in 2015.

Footage from a dashboard camera of Monday's horrifying airplane crash at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of seven American crew members, has surfaced online.

Fox Detroit reported that according to military sources in the Pentagon and in Afghanistan, the video was most likely shot by a service member driving security at Bagram Airfield, which could explain how calm the driver is after witnessing the crash.

In the video, the Boeing 747 cargo plane that was transporting vehicles, is seen ascending but then it slowly starts to veer of course before it quickly plunges into the ground.

Following the Renault Kangoo – Mercedes-Benz Citan joint project, Daimler and Renault are now holding talks to build a large van together, expanding their existing partnership. “We’re in early talks with Renault,” Daimler spokeswoman Uta Leitner acknowledged, with Renault spokeswoman Raluca Barb also confirming the discussions. “No decisions on possible production sites have been taken,” Barb said. Read more »

The Latest Batch of Spy Videos of the New Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222

Our Mercedes-Benz radar hit red this morning when the German carmaker mistakenly released the first official photo of the brand-new, and highly anticipated, S-Class, on one of its consumer webpages.

With only a fortnight left for the formal presentation of the car on May 15, it's safe to assume that we'll be getting more sneak peeks of the W222-codenamed luxury model in the coming days and weeks.

We knew from a variety of sources, including Hyundai CEO Kim Choon-ho, that the new generation of the Genesis sedan would land in dealerships next year, but now, the Korean carmaker has provided a precise date for the world premiere of its luxury mid-size sedan via Brandon Ramirez, senior group manager of product planning with Hyundai Motor America. Read more »

Swedes Tell the Tale of the New Volvo S60 Polestar Sports Sedan

In a somewhat ironic twist, Polestar's first true performance production model, the new Volvo S60 Polestar, won't be offered in its home market. In fact, it won't even be available in Europe. Instead, the only country that will get the car is located several thousand miles on the other side of the world, in Australia – at least for the time being, as Volvo did say that further markets "are under investigation". Read more »

2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo Arrives This Summer with a Subtle Styling Refresh

Nissan has released more details on the 2014 model year 370Z Nismo that comes with new exterior and interior accents, and which will go on sale this summer at Nissan dealers throughout the U.S. We'll remind you that Nissan had revealed the 2014MY 370Z Nismo at the Chicago Auto Show this past February. Read more »

Alfa Romeo Stradale Design Concept Imagined as an 8C Competizione Replacement

Few, if any, Alfa Romeo models of recent times, have rekindled a passion for the Italian brand as much as the 8C Competizione, which was produced in coupe form from 2007 to 2009 and as a roadster from 2008 to 2010 in just 500 examples each.

Even though the 8C Competizione was built on Maserati gear (platform and engine) and assembled at the Maserati factory in Modena, Italy, its unique and exotic looks were enough to get the hearts of Alfa Romeo fans in racing mode. That said, attempting to design a successor isn't the easiest task for any designer, professional or not, but it's one that Aurelio Argentieri is willing to take on.

This definitely not the first Russian dash-cam video in which we get to see acts of bad parenting. I've seen so many of these (somewhat similar to the one posted après le jump) that it stopped being funny a long time ago. There are also some thematically-related videos, in the violent far reaches of YouTube, where what you see are no longer near-misses – don’t search for these, just be aware that they are there and extremely gruesome. Read more »

Chevy Astro Van Turned Into Would-be Lamborghini Gallardo Wants to Find a New Home

From the strange depths of Craigslist comes this 1994 Chevrolet Astro, which as you may have noticed, doesn't really look like GM's mid-sized van as it comes with an…Italian flair of sorts.

Before you break your head trying to figure out where you've seen it before, as mentioned by Jalopnik, the Lamborghini Gallardo-inspired "Astroghini" was one of the cars built for Discovery Channel's long-gone "Ultimate Car Build-Off" reality show and it has once again hit the sales block.

You don't really need a speed limit-free highway to enjoy an exotic Italian supercar like the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, but it doesn’t hurt to stretch that howling 6.5-liter V12 on an open road like Germany's famous Autobahn either, right? Read more »

Skoda Details New Octavia Combi 4x4, Shares a Huge Gallery of Photos

Following the world premiere of the new Octavia Combi at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Skoda has released information about the 4x4 variants of its station wagon that are now fitted with an updated AWD system featuring the latest-generation Haldex 5 clutch.

Of the 124,500 Skoda Octavia estates sold last year in Europe, almost 20 percent were all-wheel drive versions, with the ratio being even higher in Scandinavian and Alpine countries (61 percent in Norway, 55 percent in Switzerland).

Toyota has prepared a pace-car version of its newly introduced GT86 Cup Edition for this season's VLN Endurance Racing Championship. The GT86 Cup Edition, of which only 86 examples will be produced exclusively for the German market, brings a host of styling accessories and accents ranging from racing stripes and 18-inch OZ Ultraleggera alloy wheels shod in 225/40 performance tires, to an Alcantara interior. Read more »

Subaru Recalling Cars for Curling Mats, Nissan for Spare Tire Inflation and Honda Over ESC

In its latest release, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has shared detailed information on three separate and unrelated recalls from the same number of carmakers.

We'll begin with Subaru, which is recalling 10,137 Forester SUVs made from January 2013 through March 2013 over an issue with the carpeted floor mats that may curl when exposed to heat. This can be a problem when it occurs with the driver-side floor mat as it can interfere with the "proper operation of one or a combination of, the vehicle's clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals". A similar issue had plagued Toyota causing one of the widely publicized sudden acceleration-related recalls.

The May 15 world premiere date for the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is nearing, and the first official photo showing the exterior of the car has broken cover, courtesy of the German firm itself. To explain, Mercedes-Benz uploaded the picture on its mobile consumer website in Austria earlier this morning but has since removed it.

The single picture shows the front-quarter end of Mercedes’ new flagship luxury sedan, which is dominated by a larger grille than on the current model and teardrop-shaped headlights.

Even though pigeons have many admirers across the world, many people also like to call them "rats of the sky" for their often-dirty appearance and diseases that they may carry around with them.

After watching this video from, where else but Russia, you could add a Mafia mentality or a…Norman Bates quality to their bag of tricks.

Aside from Opel, German tuning firm Irmscher also applies its expertise on Chevrolet's European offerings, with its latest project being the Trax small crossover, which is related to the Opel Mokka and the North American market Buick Encore. Read more »

Land Rover Marks its 65th Anniversary with Defender LXV Special Edition

Land Rover just turned 65 on April 30 and aside from the usual festivities with a historical display of more than 130 vehicles at the company's original testing ground at Packington Estate, the automaker presented a new special edition Defender named "LXV", which is the Roman numeral for 65.

It is based on the standard Defender Hard Top and equipped with a 2.2-liter diesel engine producing 120hp (122PS) and 360Nm (265 lb-ft) of torque, linked to a 6-speed manual.

Hamann's Angry Looking BMW M5 on the Move in Monaco

You simply can’t compare the drama of the old E60 BMW M5, with its V10 scream and different looks, with the muted engine note and subdued styling of its replacement, based on the F10 5-Series, even with a Hamann tuning pack.

There is a huge difference between the two cars, and if you were to ask some people in the know, they would wholeheartedly tell you they think the F10 M5 is a step back and can’t really be called progress just because it’s more powerful and slightly more efficient – an M5 isn’t about that.

The two alleged Boston Marathon bombers, brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, were tracked by the police thanks to Mercedes’ factory-installed GPS system, according to a report from Autonews. The two suspects made the mistake of carjacking a 2013 Mercedes-Benz M Class that was fitted with this technology, so when the driver escaped and called the police, officers were able to track the SUV using its GPS system. Read more »

Shanghai's Auto China 2013 Motor Show in Photos

It might not be apparent (yet) to your average car buyer, but gearheads and auto journalists have surely noticed the growing importance of China's motor shows over the past few years.

Not too long ago, we often monitored events like the Auto China Show only for its bizarrely styled creations from manufacturers we had never heard before and which many times resembled or blatantly copied designs from western carmakers.

Rolls-Royce will make a convertible version of the Wraith coupe, CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos acknowledged during the UK launch of the Wraith. “The design certainly lends itself to a drophead coupe, and I think that will be the next variant,” Muller-Otvos told Auto Express magazine. However, don’t expect to see the convertible Wraith on the roads very soon, as producing another variant could take at least two years, according to RR’s boss. Read more »

VW Starts to Feel the Crisis: Q1 Profit Down almost 50 Percent

Although deliveries and market share are on the rise for the first quarter of 2013, Volkswagen Group posted a profit before tax of €2.7 billion ($3.53 billion), down from €4.2 billion ($5.5 billion) in the same period last year. Profit after tax was €1.9 billion ($2.48 billion), also down from €3.1 billion ($4.05 billion). Read more »

Pissed Off Toyota Camry Driver Tries to Run Over Mini Cooper in California

For all those viewers commenting on the crazy drivers in Russia, here's another reminder that you can find the same kind of nuts behind the wheel in your very own backyard, which in this case, happens to be the 880 Interstate near Freemont California in the good 'ol U.S. of A.

A camera mounted on the dashboard of YouTube author Solomon Wu's turbocharged Mini Cooper Coupe captured this wild and rather scary incident.

Electric cars for the masses is a relatively fresh concept in the automotive industry, and one that still has a long way to go before it can compete in numbers with sales of conventional engine passenger vehicles for a number of reasons, ranging from the costs associated with the technology, to reliability and infrastructure. However, make no mistake; we will see battery-powered cars increasing in numbers (in terms of both models and their overall market share) over the years. Read more »

Alfa Romeo Could Bring Next-Gen MiTo to the U.S., Crossover Version Planned

After a long wait, Alfa Romeo vehicles will be again available for U.S. buyers later this year with the launch of the 4C sports car. However, the Fiat-owned carmaker plans to bring more models to the United States, with the next-generation MiTo sub-compact hatch being a very strong candidate. Read more »

All-Electric Formula E Car Does a Few Donuts in Los Angeles

Formula E could be considered a lesser league of single-seater racing, which builds young drivers' talents and prepares them for Formula 1. However, unlike other similar formula-type racing series, Formula E will use all-electric powertrains for the cars – it's a new FIA-approved type of racing which will tour the globe for the first time in 2014, featuring a ten-race calendar. Read more »

Mercedes Freshens Sprinter and Makes it the World's First Van to Meet Euro VI Standards

One of Europe's most popular van series, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, has received a mild facelift that affords it a fresh face, updated tech and safety features, and most importantly, a full range of engines that meet the strict Euro VI emissions standard.

In its latest incarnation, Merc's big van gains a more serious looking, squared off front end and double-segmented taillights. The German automaker did not share any photos of the interior, but it tells us that the revised Sprinter comes with new upholstery and seat coverings, a thicker steering wheel, available chrome appliques, a redesigned gearshift knob, and a new-generation radio system with Bluetooth and navigation.

For most people, the 550-hp BMW X6 M is more than enough if they want an ultra-fast and flashy SUV (or SAC, as BMW likes to call it). This opinion is obviously not shared by the aftermarket specialists at Inside Performance, who set out to increase the X6 M’s power and “look-at-me” factor. Read more »

Last South Korean Workers Pack and Drive Away from Kaesong Amid Rising Tensions

It would appear that tensions between the North and the South (Korean states) have increased in the last few days, and now, after the closing of a joint labor complex from the border town of Kaesong over a month ago, a group of 175 workers from the South left the northern state with their cars way overburdened with bags. Read more »

New Lexus IS Sports Sedan Starts at $35,950*, Plus New Mega Photo Gallery

A few months after the third generation IS sports sedan's world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in January, Lexus today released detailed pricing on its BMW 3 Series and Cadillac ATS rival, with the first examples of the car to arrive in dealerships across the States this summer.

Even though Lexus has developed the first hybrid version of the series dubbed IS 300h, this model won't be offered in North America where customers will have a choice of two regular V6 gasoline powertrains, both linked to a standard 6-speed automatic transmission driving either the rear- or all-four wheels, except for the IS 350 RWD that features an 8-speed auto.

Prices, (*) excluding a $950 delivery fee, start from $35,950 for the IS 250 with RWD and $38,485 with AWD, while the IS 350 begins at $39,465 with RWD and $41,700 with AWD.

Tesla Motors has announced new measures aimed at improving its client service, including offering "unconditional warranty" for the battery pack of the Model S sedan.

Tesla says all damage to the battery is covered by warranty, including improper maintenance or unintentionally leaving the battery at a low state of charge for years on end. Of course, in case the battery pack is opened by non-Tesla personnel or there’s intentional abuse, the warranty is no longer valid, as is the case if the car is involved in a collision.

Meet the fastest open-top car in the world – the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. Sure, it may be a familiar shape, but it’s a good shape that was specifically engineered to make it go fast – really fast. In the beginning of April, Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu clocked 408.84 km/h or 255.53 mph at the wheel of the black and orange open-hypercar of sorts, with its top down, of course. Read more »

Facelifted Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic Gain New Limited Edition

Not that automakers really need any specific excuse to release a special edition model of an existing car, but we gather that they find it more appropriate to give a reason when they do, regardless if it makes any sense…

Here's Renault's excuse for the launch of its new "Limited limited edition" (no seriously, that's how the French carmaker worded it) version of its recently updated compact minivans: "To celebrate the advent of spring, Renault has released ‘Limited’ limited-edition versions of New Renault Scénic and New 7-Seat Grand Scénic."

Check out the story of this mother of two, from Long Island, who apparently got an immense satisfaction from drive-by shootouts. However, she did not do it all by herself, taking her two kids (a 13-year old son and 15 year-old daughter) and another friend (aged 15) along for the ride.

No real guns were used, as the kids shot the windows of parked cars with BB guns. The woman behind all this, 43 year-old Susan Becker, would drive her minivan, along with the three teens, and we picture it being a bit like Godfather, except with kids… and BB guns.

In their quest to become a relevant automaker, first China, then in the UK and the rest of Europe, MG has reportedly announced the imminent launch of a modern family of direct-injection turbocharged engines of small capacity, which are designed to rival Ford’s EcoBoost units. Read more »

A Video Presentation of the Made-in-China Buick Riviera Coupe Concept

Last week, General Motors pulled the wraps off a gull wing, two-door Buick Riviera concept at the Auto China 2013 motor show in Shanghai. Even though GM has no plans to produce such a model, the Riviera Concept's goal is to give us an idea of how Buick's design language will evolve in its next generation of cars, for both North America and China, which is the brand's biggest market.

"The new Riviera offers a preview of Buick's future design language," Shanghai General Motors Corp. President Ye Yongming said in a statement.

Joining the likes of many new models in the United Kingdom ranging from the Hyundai ix35 to a number of Aston Martins, Rolls-Royce's most recent creation, the Wraith coupe is getting some show time behind a display window at luxury department store Harrods in Knightsbridge, London. Read more »

VW Group Developing 10-Speed DSG Auto and Hi-Po Diesel with 134HP per Liter

At the International Motor Symposium in Vienna, Volkswagen AG Chairman Martin Winterkorn gave a forecast of the group’s future drive system technologies.

With Hyundai already announcing it will offer a 10-speed transmission from 2014 and Ford and GM jointly developing 9- and 10-speed autos, Volkswagen’s boss admitted the carmaker is also focusing on the development of a new 10-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG / S tronic) that will help reduce fuel consumption. In addition, he said a high-performance diesel engine delivering 100 kW (134 hp) per liter of displacement is also in the pipeline.

I've expressed my deprecating opinion on front-wheel drive crossovers, seeing them as pointless and mere marketing tricks specifically designed to sell more hatchbacks, but I can’t not like the new Renault Captur, simply because it is handsome to behold – it is one of the prettier rhombus-badged cars of recent years. Read more »

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Toyota Gives 2014 4Runner SUV a Styling Massage [42 Photos & Videos]

Toyota has lifted the veil off its updated for the 2014 model year, 4Runner mid-size SUV at the Stagecoach Music Festival near Palm Springs, California. The refresh for the fifth generation of the Toyota's body-on-frame SUV brings a somewhat tougher look on the outside and a few styling and technology updates to the interior, but other than that, there are no other significant changes.

Looking at 2014 4Runner from the outside, you'll first notice the redesigned front fascia featuring a more rugged and aggressive appearance, with the massive front grille and smoked headlights also contributing to the meaner look. The Trail grade also comes with a hood scoop and silver painted front and rear bumper accents, while all trim levels are offered as standard with a roof rack.

This week, Mazda announced that it turned an annual net profit for the first time in five years. The Japanese carmaker reported pocketing a total of $364.3 (€279.6) million at the end of the 2012 fiscal year, on March 31, whereas on the same day of 2011, they had recorded a loss of $1.14 (€0.87) billion. Despite the fact that it was not mentioned, it is quite possible that the CX-5 crossover, which is hugely-popular world-wide, is the model which caused the turnaround. Read more »

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Help the Police Find a BMW Driver who Almost Killed Beverly Hills Bicyclist

One of the greatest risks for all those who use roads to travel - be it by car, motorcycle, bicycle or even by foot - is road rage. Take for instance this incident from Beverly Hills, California, which could have claimed the life of a bicyclist.

According to the Beverly Hills Police Department, the bicyclist and the BMW driver had previously got into a fight, with the motorist being punched in the face by the bike rider.

Following Ford’s apologies related to its India advertising prints featuring tied-up women, it is now Hyundai’s turn to apologize for the work of an overseas advertising company.

The banned commercial, created by the agency Innocean Europe for Hyundai UK, shows a middle-aged man attempting to commit suicide in a closed garage by leaving the engine running, with a hose connecting the exhaust pipe to the cabin. His attempt fails, though, as the Hyundai ix35 he’s in runs is a fuel-cell version that emits just...water vapors.

A few years ago, one could still buy a V8 diesel-powered vehicle from pretty much, any of the German manufacturers (BMW used a boosted up V6 six-cylinder which did the same job - think 535d). Now, aside from the Porsche Cayenne S diesel, which has a long waiting list, there are no V8 diesels on the market to really speak of – they have all-but been wiped out and replaced with more V6s. Read more »

Ford and Schaeffler Demonstrate Their RWD, All-Electric eWheelDrive Fiesta

Not too long ago, we’ve posted a story about how German company Schaeffler converted a conventionally-powered Ford Fiesta into an all-electric, rear-wheel-drive model, powered by two independent electric motors placed inside each of the rear wheels. Ford has now released more details and photos, plus a video showing how the electric Fiesta works. Read more »

Consumer Reports Takes Quick Look at VW’s Jetta Hybrid

Up until recently, if you wanted an efficient Volkswagen, there was no better alternative than a diesel-powered model. Their diesels were and still are very competent, but now US car buyers can get a different kind of green V-dub, the Jetta Hybrid. Revealed in early 2012, at the Detroit auto show, the car has been on the market for a while now, and Consumer Reports recently got their hands on one to try it out. Read more »

Friday, April 26, 2013

U.S. Drivers Warm Up to Diesels - Registrations Rise 24.3 Percent between 2010 and 2012

Once a fuel reserved only to heavy-duty trucks, diesel has begun to gain ground also among U.S. automobile drivers in recent years. Clean diesel registrations increased by 24.3 percent in the U.S. from 2010 through 2012 following similar trends of double-digit diesel car sale increases throughout the country, according to data compiled by R.L. Polk and Company. Read more »

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Monday, April 29, 2013

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Friday, April 26, 2013

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