Cars Tips: June 2012

Saturday, June 30, 2012

First Drive: Toyota Camry Atara S Sedan

Toyota is one of the world's most successful automotive brands, and in the States, the Camry mid-sizer is their best seller. In Australia, it's easily the de facto choice in its class for rental and taxi companies, government fleets and private buyers. Join us as we take the Australian-spec Atara S for one of our weeklong road test and reviews. Read more »

The Mother of All Extreme Cambers Can Actually Roll…Sort Of

In the Land of the Rising Sun, there is a specific crowd that likes its cars to ride on wheels with an insane negative camber - remember this Toyota Celica?

Naturally, some owners take this fad more seriously than others do with ridiculously looking results that will leave you scratching your head.

Though you wouldn't believe it just by looking at it, but this Kei car, which we believe to be a 1990s Suzuki Alto Works, can actually move, despite its seemingly serious disability.

Mercedes-Benz Inadvertently (?) Reveals CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake in Video!

There's no way of knowing if Mercedes-Benz planned to show the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake together with the rest of the stylish estate's range, but regardless of its intentions, a careful look at one of the promo videos revealed that what we were looking at wasn’t one of the regular models but the flagship AMG.

There's nothing official yet on the car from the Stuttgart-based automaker, but we do know for a fact that the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake will share its mechanical hardware with the saloon model.

This means power will come from a 5.5-liter bi-turbocharged V8 producing 518hp (525PS) at 5,250 rpm and 516 lb-ft (700Nm) from 1,750 to 5,250 rpm in standard trim with an optional Performance Package boosting these numbers to 550hp (557PS) and 590 lb-ft (800Nm) respectively.

It took Mercedes-Benz a little over two years to turn the Shooting Break Concept from the 2010 Beijing Auto Show into the production CLS Shooting Brake (that's no typo, the German automaker changed the name in the process) you first saw in a set of leaked pictures earlier today and in much more detail now.

So what exactly is the CLS Shooting Brake? Well, if you ask the brand with the star, it will tell you that it's "quite clearly a coupé, but with five doors and a roof which continues through to the rear."

If you're having a problem comprehending Mercedes' description of the Shooting Brake, you're probably not alone.

To put it simply, it's an estate version of the CLS with a heavily arched roof that digs into the load area reducing space but at the same time, makes the car look far more elegant and sporty than let's say, the E-Class Wagon.

The spoofing of the Dark Knight is nothing new in the YouTube community as poking some fun at the caped crusader with the raspy voice that's sounds like its ready to explode has long been a staple of internet humor.

But that doesn't mean we're not interested when something fresh and original comes out like this 2 minute long video dubbed "Batman - The Dark Knight IRL (In Real Life)", which was made by Robson Thomson.

The Fiat Group's inability to offer the Chrysler 200 with a diesel engine in Europe meant that even though the company created Lancia-badged concepts of both the sedan and convertible variants of the mid-size model, only the latter would make it into production.

The reasoning behind Fiat's decision is that while the absence of a diesel option automatically kills chances of any success for the Lancia Flavia saloon in Europe, the convertible can attract buyers even with a gasoline-engine only.

Now, with European sales of the Flavia Convertible well underway in select markets including, but not limited to, Italy, Germany, France and Sweden, the Italian carmaker dropped a slew of photos for those with a genuine interest in the car or for those just want to see what a 200 Convertible with a Lancia logo looks like.

With aggressive looks and power to match, the Renault Alpine A110-50 is a worthy successor to the original Alpine A110 Berlinette from the 1960s, and one that most fans of the brand and not only would like to see moving into production.

For now, however, the A110-50 remains a working concept as Renault deliberates whether it will revive the Alpine marque, with a final decision to be made before the end of the year.

Less than a year after the introduction of the new Chevrolet Cobalt sedan for select markets around the globe, General Motors pulled the sheets off a new compact minivan called the Spin.

The MPV was designed and developed by GM Brazil with the automaker stating that the car underwent tests in four continents around the world. The Spin is built at GM's factory in São Paulo, Brazil and will be sold across South America and Asia starting from July.

The Spin shares its platform architecture including its 2,620mm (103.1-inches) long wheelbase, mechanical hardware and design language with the Cobalt.

If you were not impressed with the Cobalt's styling, then we are going to guess that you will not warm up to the Spin either as it looks awkward, as if someone took the Cobalt and stretched its height on Photoshop…

Our daily dashcam-video cruise through the hazardous roads of Russia begins with the driver of a large truck that either fell asleep on the wheel or had a problem with his brakes and crashed into two cars waiting for the green light, almost hitting a pedestrian in the process. Luckily, no one is said to have been injured in the accident. Read more »

Akio Toyoda Loves BMWs, Says They're the Only Cars that Pass Him at the 'Ring

In yet another unusual for the industry outburst of cordial praise towards another carmaker after last month's listing of some of his favorite cars made by Toyota's domestic rivals, the Japanese firm's president Akio Toyoda expressed his admiration about BMW during a press conference today in Munich where the two companies agreed to expand their cooperation.

You can read Toyoda's heartwarming speech on BMW and what the partnership means for the two companies in its full context after the break, but here some bits that stand out.

Toyoda, an avid car fan and a weekend racer who has competed in the Nürburgring 24 hour endurance race, admitted or at least claimed that, "At the Nürburgring, there is always a car that passes me. It is a BMW."

With a deep history that reaches back to the 1940s and the Second World War, the Wrangler remains Jeep's most capable and famous off-road model. Now, the Detroit automaker has chosen the Wrangler to pay tribute to U.S. military members past and present with a special version named Freedom Edition. Read more »

See 100 BMW Z1s Meet up in Munich for the Roadster's 25th Anniversary

Watching this video of some 100 examples of the BMW Z1 gather at the company’s headquarters in Munich earlier in June to celebrate the sports car's 25th anniversary, one can only admire the timeless styling and shape of the Bavarian brand's first ever production Z model. Read more »

Déjà Vu: NHTSA Asks Toyota to Recall Lexus RX Over Floor that May Trap the Gas Pedal

The unintended acceleration problems continue to persist and haunt Toyota as federal safety regulators said on Friday that they have asked the company to recall around 154,000 Lexus RX SUVs from the 2010 model year after discovering a potential issue with the driver's floor mat that could lead to the accelerator pedal being entrapped. Read more »

Volkswagen Polo WRC Jumps, Pounces and Roars Through Finnish Forest

There are far too many reasons to list why so many people are addicted to the World Rally Championship, but if you insist, then maybe this video of Sebastien Ogier test driving the new Volkswagen Polo WRC in Finland will provide some answers. Read more »

Porsche's Leipzig Factory Builds 500,000th Vehicle, a Cayenne V8 for the Fire Brigade

The Porsche factory at Leipzig celebrated the production of the 500,000th vehicle, an impressive number given the company's luxury status that becomes even more eye rising when you learn that it was achieved in just 10 years.

The milestone model is a Cayenne SUV with a V8 engine that was transformed into a command vehicle for the Leipzig fire brigade with the assistance of Porsche apprentices.

Even in factory trim, the new Twizy is by far the quirkiest production model in Renault's range - and how could it not be with its electric powertrain, diminutive dimensions, a tandem seat layout and Lamborghini-style scissor doors. Read more »

New Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake Hits the Web [40 Photos]

Photos of the second addition to the Mercedes-Benz CLS family, the new Shooting Brake estate model, were leaked onto the web today ahead of the car's official unveiling at the 2012 Paris Motor Show.

The station wagon's sleek appearance will come to no surprise to those following the news, not only because the CLS Shooting Brake is based on the 2010 concept model of the same name, but also due to the fact that over past few months, we've caught countless spy shots of the production prototypes while testing in Europe.

The German language edition of Autoblog.com that posted these pictures, says that the CLS Shooting Brake will launch with an initial lineup of four models.

These include two diesels, the CLS 250 CDI with a 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbo rated at 201hp (204PS) and the CLS 350 CDI powered by a 3.0-liter V6 delivering 261hp (265PS), and two petrol models, the CLS 350 with a 302hp (306PS) 3.5-liter V6 and the CLS 500 sporting a 4.7-liter V8 turbo producing 402hp (408PS).

We just received word from Renault that the next generation of the Clio supermini will make its online debut on Tuesday, July 3, which coincidentally, is the same day McLaren will premiere the new MP4-12C Spider.

For now, the French carmaker is keeping a tight lid on any official information regarding the Clio, but through our spy photos, we can reveal that the fourth-generation model will sport a sharper design with the five-door model featuring hidden rear-door handles to create the allusion of a three-door hatch.

If our Google translation of the video uploader's description is correct, a woman driving this BMW 1-Series Coupe (we could be wrong about the model though as the clip is of low quality) wanted to change direction and head towards the city of Santiago in Chile.

In the process, she confused a pedestrian-only walkway for a regular bridge, and well, she quickly found out that it wasn’t… Video and original description from YouTube follows below the break.

Jaguar chose the Goodwood Festival of Speed that runs from June 28 to July 1 for the world premiere of a new technology study based on the XJ limousine.

The new XJ_e was created to exhibit Jaguar-Land Rover's (JLR) capabilities and future plans as in theory, the concept's plug-in hybrid drivetrain can be used in most of the group's models. The study follows other hybrid research demonstrators from JLR including the Limo Green and Range_e vehicles.

For the time being, Toyota may hold the overall world record for electric vehicles at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the road-legal EV P001 prototype at 7:47.794, but Audi claims to have earned the bragging rights for the fastest lap in a series production model with the R8 e-tron.

The soon-to-be launched electric-powered R8 completed the 20.8-kilometer (12.92-mile) long Nürburgring circuit in the hands of racing driver Markus Winkelhock in 8:09.099 minutes.

By comparison, German magazine Sport Auto has recorded a time of 7:44 with the R8 V10 in 2009 and 8:04 with the R8 V8 in 2007.

Only 12 months after the newly formed McLaren Automotive launched its first model, the well-received MP4-12C, the British company is now getting ready for its second product in the form of the open-roofed 12C Spider.

McLaren will fully reveal the new Spider on July 3, but to whet our appetites, the automaker released a single cropped image showing part of the car with the roof open along with a video of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 driver, Jenson Button talking about the sensation of having an unobstructed view of the sky.

Last December, the BMW Group and Toyota entered a mid-to-long-term partnership on the sharing of hybrid systems and diesel engines, which was enhanced this past March with an agreement on the development of lithium-ion battery cell technology.

Now, the two companies have announced a significant expansion of their existing cooperation that will include the joint development of architecture and components for a future sports vehicle together with fuel cell, powertrain electrification and lightweight technologies.

Crazy MINI with a 170HP Yamaha R1 Engine Swap Taunts a Lamborghini Gallardo

If you are looking for a truly unique Mini model to knock you off your socks, forget about the official John Cooper Works variants and the numerous projects presented over the years by the mainstream tuning industry, and check out this 1970's Austin Mini by Pro-Motive.

What makes this car fascinating is not the fact that it has a different engine, but the type of engine as it is fitted with a rev-crazy, 170HP 1.0-liter inline-four sourced from a 2003 Yamaha YZF-R1 sports bike!

Not to rest on its laurels, Toyota presented a tuned up version of its GT86 sports coupe (the Scion FR-S' European doppelganger) prepared by Toyota Racing Development, or TRD for short, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed that runs from June 28 to July 1.

Toyota originally revealed the TRD accessories for the Japanese market 86 at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon this past January, however, this is the first time it showed a complete model in Britain. The company also confirmed the launch of a special TRD edition of the GT86 that will go on sale in the UK in early 2013.

One of our readers politely asked for our help to find the marque and type of car that was being transferred on a Volvo truck that he spotted and caught on camera on a highway in France.

The vehicle in question is covered almost entirely in a white sheet providing very few details about what it could be.

"Yesterday, I spotted this car on a car-carrier on a French highway (A10)," 'Nozo' tells Carscoop.

Haven’t we already seen the next generation of Ford's Mondeo? Well, the answer to that question is a wishy-washy yes and no.

To explain, Ford has decided to go global with its new mid-size offerings, meaning that the new Fusion for North America and the Mondeo for Europe and other markets around the world are for the most part, one and the same.

So nothing really new to see in these spy pictures of a lightly camouflaged prototype that was snapped testing in the European Alps.

In a fitting tribute to the late Carroll Shelby who passed away last month, Ford will compete in this weekend's famous Goodwood hill climb with the U.S.-market-only Shelby GT500 Read more »

Kahn Design's New Wrangler Jeep Military Edition Won't be Going to War Anytime Soon

Either Afzal Kahn has run out of names or someone at the British tuner's marketing team has some misconceptions about the term 'military'…

The admittedly hard to miss copper paintwork of Kahn Design's "Wrangler Jeep Military Edition" is complemented by 20-inch smoked black alloy wheels, brake calipers finished in copper, xenon crosshair headlamps, a black fuel filler cap and rear wheel cover, tinted windows and mud flaps.

The racing version of Jim Glickenhaus' one-off, Ferrari-powered and Pininfarina-designed, P4/5 Competizione is an amazing car for more reasons than one.

However, the fact that it recently set a world record for any Ferrari-powered sports car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife at 6 minutes and 51 seconds beating the 700-horsepower Ferrari 599XX's 2010 lap time of 6:58 should be considered its greatest accomplishment.

Jaguar's 2013 model year-mania continues with the XF series that gains a similar suite of updates to the larger XJ saloon that we told you about in a previous posting and then some more, including the introduction of the new Sportbrake that will start from £31,940 when it goes on sale in the UK later this year.

As with the XJ, the XF continues without any alterations to its design for the new model year, but with many changes under the hood.

As it gears up for the launch of its new product line for the Volvo V40 premium hatchback in late summer - early fall, Heico Sportiv has dropped some fresh photos of the Swedish compact model dressed in its aero suite and one of the many alloy wheels it plans to offer. Read more »

Listen to This Ford Festiva Running a 1,340cc V-Twin Harley Davidson Engine!

As one of the lower points in Ford Motor Corp.'s history, the first generation of the Mazda-designed Festiva hatchback built from 1986 to 1993 (also sold as the Mazda 121 and Kia Pride) is not the kind of car that you would expect to excite a petrol head at a car meet.

Unless, of course, there's something odd lurking behind its plain Jane-looking snout, as was the case of this modified Festiva that was filmed by Carscoop reader Martin B. a few years back.

Having teased us about some of the goods that will come with the 2013 model year XJ at the Beijing Auto Show in April, Jaguar has now officially revealed its updated limousine.

For starters, don't go looking for any styling tweaks on the 2013MY XJ as there are none. Instead, Jaguar placed its focus on improving the XJ's powertrain, chassis and equipment features.

One of the most significant upgrades is the presentation of the Jaguar-Land Rover Group's brand-new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 that replaces the naturally-aspirated version of the 5.0-litre V8, and which will also be used on the upcoming F-Type roadster.

In the XJ, the force-fed V6 produces a maximum output of 335hp (340PS) and peak torque of 450Nm (332 lb-ft) allowing for a 0-60mph sprint time of 5.7 seconds (0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds) and a combined fuel economy of 30mpg UK (9.4lt/100km or 25mpg US).

In what seems like a never-ending quest to expand its production reach to every corner of the globe, the BMW Group has confirmed rumors that it is interested in building vehicles at Mitsubishi Motors' NedCar plant in the Netherlands. Read more »

New Video Footage of 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R on the Race Track

The people at SRT Motorsports are hard at work continuing the development of the racing version of the new 2013 Viper with the GTS-R moniker.

This time, the Chrysler Group's racing division headed out to the Virginia International Raceway as they prepare for the Viper GTS-R's American Le Mans Series (ALMS) competition debut later this season.

Even though we have come to know Väth for its wild and powerful tunes of modern Mercedes-Benz models such as the 680hp G55 AMG and the 746hp C63 AMG Coupe Black Series Edition, the German company also prides itself for its restoration business.

To show us what it can do, Väth has revealed its latest restoration project in the guise of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. Codenamed W109, the full size limousine was a predecessor to the S-Class and was built from 1967 to 1972.

Some of the scariest situations on the road are usually the ones we have no control over, like when a massive 18-wheeler lorry flips over on a turn and is heading straight towards your vehicle.

As luck would have it, this Canadian truck driver was offered a split second to make a quick move and avoid a potentially fatal crash.

It won't hit UK showrooms before autumn of 2012, but Chevrolet has already announced full pricing for the new Cruze Station Wagon that starts at £15,375 on-the-road.

There are three engines and three trim levels available at launch for the estate version of the Cruze that offers 500 liters of boot space up to the window line and 1,478 liters with the rear seats folded.

If you are not content with the spy photos of Land Rover's all-important, next generation Range Rover and would like to see the luxury SUV in action, then you'll be pleased to know that Carscoop reader Jay M. has tipped us off about a video showing two prototype models on a highway in Dubai.

The YouTube poster notes: "I saw two 2013 Range Rover prototypes driving down the Dubai Bypass Road this morning on their way from the Al Tayer Motors facility in Dubai Investment Park out to the desert for hot weather testing."

It was to be expected that Honda's production numbers throughout 2012 would be significantly improved over last year, which was marked by the catastrophic Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, but the company did better than that recording a new all-time monthly record for vehicle production outside Japan in May with 357,619 units, up by 176 percent. Read more »

Porsche's 918 Spyder Comes to Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Porsche 918 Spyder Concept made its debut on UK soil at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Friday offering visitors a first look at the German automaker's upcoming plug-in hybrid supercar.

Revealed in concept form at the 2010 Geneva Show, Porsche is currently completing the development of the production model that will go on sale in November of 2013.

The Fiat Group and its Chinese partner Guangzhou Auto (GAC) celebrated the completion of their new joint-venture factory in Changsha and the rollout of the first series production Viaggio sedan on Thursday.

The new plant covers an area of 730,000 square meters and is the result of a 5 billion Yuan (US$787 million) joint venture between Fiat and GAC, which is China's sixth largest vehicle manufacturer.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

Thursday, June 28, 2012

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