Cars Tips: March 2013

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Badass Porsche Panamera Race Car with a Striking V8 Soundtrack

If you call a car "badass", it should mean something. The term is thrown around quite a lot, and it is attributed to unmeritorious automotive proposals. However, once you see and hear this racing version of the Porsche Panamera, which in 2014 will look like this, all will become clear and your standards for judging "badass-ery" will have risen considerably. Read more »

Next Volkswagen Scirocco will be Radically Different, Says Walter de Silva

When Volkswagen revived the Scirocco name, back in 2008, people were pleased to see that the Wolfsburg manufacturer was capable of making interesting and different cars. It really stood out in a positive way in the VW range, and while it was not to everybody's taste, it did manage to sell 10,000 units in its first two years of production, thus deeming itself worthy of a place in the range. Read more »

Peugeot Returns to Pikes Peak with 208 T16 and "Rookie" Sébastien Loeb [w/Videos]

Peugeot has announced its return to the Pikes Peak Hill Climb this year with a heavily modified 208 T16 that will be driven by nine-time world rally champion Sébastien Loeb.

A two-time winner of the “Race to the Clouds”, in 1988 with Ari Vatanen and 1989 with Robby Unser (both driving the 405 T16), Peugeot will once again try to win the world’s toughest and most spectacular hill climb race this year on June 30.

Despite having pulled out of the US market, due to poor sales, Suzuki is still looking to expand its operation elsewhere. Now, they are aiming to boost their sales in China, with a new C-segment sedan designed to appeal specifically for buyers from the People's Republic. It's called the "Authentics" concept. Read more »

Friday, March 29, 2013

Wrecked BMW X5 Turned Into a Post-Apocalyptic Flame-Spitting Beast

It all started when the owner of a wrecked BMW X5 E53 4.4i requested aftermarket specialists at Fluid Motor Union (FMU) to bring it back to life. Shortly after, however, the customer abandoned the car with the people at FMU, who took possession of the X5 and decided to do something special with it. They called it Project X.

Their briefing was simple: “We settled on creating a vehicle that oozed the aesthetic of urban assault, with the typical Fluid goal of launching fireballs.” Sounds like fun, right? First thing they changed on the car were the wheels, fitting huge Cragar’s steel rims shod in Dick Cepek rubber. Not your everyday tires, we should mention, as they are covered in skulls and bones.

Ever since Japanese automakers began selling their endlessly-reliable and durable cars in the US (and around the world), domestic manufacturers began losing millions of sales. The trend had been going on for many years, but it seems that the Big Three US automakers are on the rebound in their home market. Read more »

GM Talks About and Shows Running Footage of the New 2014 Cadillac CTS

This week's 2013 New York Auto Show turned out to be a big event for General Motors as it has no less than five world premieres, the most important of which are the new generation of the Cadillac CTS and the revamped 2014 Chevrolet Camaro. Read more »

Dacia Workers Want Bigger Wages After Strike Ends

We previously reported that production at the main Dacia plant, in Mioveni, Romania, stopped last week, as workers from the paint shop section of the factory flooded the courtyard demanding higher wages and better work conditions. We also reported, that according to a local source from the country, they were demanding a 25 percent pay raise. Read more »

In and Out in 007 Minutes: Daniel Craig Pockets $1Million for Range Rover Gig

As you’ve probably seen from one of our earlier reports, actor Daniel Craig (better known as the face of James Bond), was the surprise celebrity that unveiled the new Range Rover Sport at a VIP event in Midtown Manhattan on the eve of the 2013 New York Auto Show.

You will say that this is just another PR exercise in which an automaker uses a celebrity to unveil a new model. Well, yes and no. Yes, it is a PR stunt, but it’s not “just another” endorsement.

Being a world-renowned name, which is inextricably-linked to the Italian car design scene like few others, you'd expect Pininfarina to bask in the glory of their 83-year history, and not have any financial troubles. However, that would not be a fair assumption, because the company has actually been struggling for the past decade. Read more »

The Black Daimler C63 AMG Coupe by KTW Tuning

The top dog of the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe family is the factory 510hp (517PS) Black Series edition, and if you want us to be more specific, the same model fitted with the extra Aero and Track packages, in which case, you've ticked all the available boxes on the options list making some salesperson, extremely satisfied in the process. Read more »

Toyota Wants to Follow in VW Group's Footsteps and Build its Own MQB Modular Platform

Nowadays, the automotive industry is driven mainly by profits and the pursuit of higher sales figures. The character a car and its individuality are placed on the side, in an effort to have more of them to sell and cover as many niches as possible.

Volkswagen is doing it and doing it well, so is Ford and now even Peugeot is taking steps to cut costs considerably with their new EMP2 platform. They do it by sharing as many bits as they can in and among their cars, to minimize development and manufacturing costs. Toyota is the next manufacturer to adopt this theme.

Buick’s redesigned 2013 Enclave luxury crossover is the brand’s best-selling model in the first quarter of this year, with retail sales almost 40 percent up. According to GM, many of the new model’s buyers are former owners of the previous-generation Enclave, with statistics showing that four in 10 owners trade-in their first-generation Enclave for the new model. Read more »

Watch Cars Battle it Out With Waves While Exiting and Entering a Ship

Kimolos is a small and quiet Greek island located in the south-west part of Cyclades in the Aegean Sea, which can be extremely rough at times for ships trying to dock at its port.

However, ships are the major means of transportation of people and every day goods for the islanders, so often times, captains and port workers put reason and fear aside, and work in very challenging and testing conditions. Whether this is always appropriate and safe for passengers and workers is another story.

With winter retreating and the weather starting to warm up in the Northern Hemisphere, the 2013 test season at the Nürburgring has officially opened and one of the first automakers to hit the world-famous track is Porsche, which trotted out its upcoming Panamera facelift with minimal camouflage. Read more »

Fresh Rumors Emerge About Alfa Romeo Sale, Audi Tipped as a Buyer…Again

Audi is reportedly negotiating with Fiat for the acquisition of Alfa Romeo, sources close to both Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told Wards Auto. It’s a not new story, but it's also one that refuses to die…

The two executives are in talks over a major deal, the sources say, with the main topic being the sale of the Alfa Romeo brand, but also of Fiat’s Pomigliano d’Arco assembly plant, which currently builds the Fiat Panda supermini. Audi’s plan is to use the plant to make Alfa Romeos under its leadership, as the facility was built in the late 1960s specifically for Alfa Romeo production.

Last year, Hennessey Performance took their highly-modified Ford GT out on an empty piece of tarmac, at the Texas Mile, and they managed to push the custom twin-turbo supercar all the way up to 257.7 mph or 412.3 km/h. This year, they've tried again, and with several improvements to the car, the speed achieved was higher, as the GT crossed the mile marker at 267.6 mph (428.1 km/h), rivaling the Bugatti Veyron SS for sheer speed. Read more »

Rich Russians Hire Phony Ambulances to Beat the Traffic Gridlock

Aside from buying a helicopter and using it for short journeys within city limits, there is really no way to avoid heavy traffic, especially in the gridlocked urban centers of the world.

Moscow is one such city, but it seems that the crafty Russians have found something much cheaper than a helicopter, in order to quickly get through any tough traffic situations. It appears that ambulances in the Russian capital have been outfitted with plush, luxurious interiors, so that they can then be used as special transportation, for important people!

Serbia and Fiat have struck a deal to produce a cheaper version of the 500L compact MPV for the domestic market. According to the agreement, Fiat Serbia will receive state subsidies to produce a version of the 500L for €10,900 ($14,200), about €3,000 less than its regular price, said the country’s finance minister Mladjan Dinkic. Read more »

Renault's New Zoe Electric Hatch Video Reviewed

The two main downsides of buying and owning an electric vehicle are still the high acquisition cost and limited range, and while the Renault Zoe is not a perfect car, it at least crosses one of those negatives off the list. We are talking about the price, which, at least in the UK, is very reasonable, and after factoring in the hefty government rebate, the all-electric Zoe is yours from £13,650 (€16,040). Read more »

Ferrari Pays Three Extra Salaries Plus a €4,000 Competitiveness Bonus to Employees

Working for a luxury car manufacturer certainly has its advantages. Not only do you get to brag about your contribution in making some of the world’s most desirable cars, but you also benefit from the company’s generous pay and bonus schemes. As we all know, luxury carmakers have the largest profit margins in the industry and therefore can afford handing out hefty bonuses. Read more »

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Hyundai Gets Glitzy with Equus Stretch Limo Designed by Hermes [w/Video]

While Hyundai premiered its restyled 2014 Equus in New York, at the Seoul Motor Show today, the Korean carmaker unveiled a special edition of its limousine, designed in collaboration with Hermes French fashion house "Hermes".

Based on the 2012 model year version, the “Equus by Hermes” is a more luxurious edition of the long-wheelbase model, with the exterior tweaks and the cabin styled and customized by Hermes designers.

It may come as a surprise to some but 2013 marks the 113th (!) anniversary of the New York Auto Show. From March 29 until April 7, the Jacob Javits Center at New York City will host the third major international auto show of the year on U.S. soil, in four levels and nearly 900,000 sq ft.

Even though it comes right after Geneva, the NY show isn’t short on premieres – though, admittedly, the most important of them are targeted to the North American market.

In most of Europe’s biggest cities, the lack of parking spaces is probably the most stressful aspect of being a driver. Not to mention the cost of parking or the fines for illegal parking, which can amount to £120 (€142) in London.

The UK’s capital has to be one of Europe’s most driver-unfriendly cities – huge parking fines aside, there’s also the congestion charge, traffic cameras that follow your every step, 20 mph speed limits (32 km/h) – and we’re sure Londoners can add many more to this list.

Dacia has been one of the most stably growing automakers in Europe in recent years, and in 2012, they managed to sell 360,000 cars around the world. Along the line, they decided to add a bit of zest to the Dacia name, and ended up with a monster Duster which raced at Pikes Peak, and another Duster, specially-designed to be driven on ice, which competed in the Andros Trophy. Read more »

Renault Pranks Customers with "Va Va Voom" Button that Brings Paris in Front of Their Eyes

Following Pepsi’s Jeff Gordon commercial, in which a salesman was (supposedly) punk’d by the NASCAR driver, we now have another test drive prank, this time organized by Renault UK. However, there’s a different scenario here, as the salesman is the one pranking customers, not the other way round. Read more »

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and i-MiEV's Li-Ion Battery Fires Linked to Grounded Boeing 787s

Mitsubishi said on Wednesday that a an Outlander plug-in hybrid's batteries melted at a dealership before it was delivered to a customer, while a i-MiEV's batteries caught fire at its Mizushima Plant in Okayama prefecture in Japan during testing. In both cases, the battery pack is made by GS Yuasa Corporation, in Japan.

Now, what makes this story interesting is that, according to reports, GS Yuasa Corp. is the same company that supplies batteries for the latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner, all of which have been grounded since January after battery fires.

Less than a month after being declared the 2013 European Car of the Year, the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf bagged another prestigious award, the 2013 World Car of the Year, the results of which were announced during a press conference at the New York Auto Show. Read more »

Listen to the 7.0-liter V8 Soundtrack of the New 2014 Camaro Z/28 [w/Video]

Billed as the most track-focused production model in the Camaro's history, the spanking-new Z/28 is the poster child of the redesigned 2014 model of Chevrolet's muscle car series that was released at this week's New York Auto Show

We've seen the new Camaro Z/28 and read the preliminary specs, so how about we give you a taste of what its C6 Corvette Z06-sourced and hand-built 7.0-liter V8 sounds like? If that…sounds interesting, make the jump over the break to watch the video.

Renault Samsung Motors, the French carmaker’s Korean subsidiary, unveiled the QM3 urban crossover at the Seoul Motor Show. Essentially a rebadged Renault Captur, the QM3 will slot in Renault Samsung’s range below the QM5, known as the Renault Koleos in Europe and other markets. Read more »

NY Auto Show: New BMW 328d is One of Many Diesel Models Coming to the States

The United States has finally received its version of what many call "the best all-rounder in the world" – the BMW 320d. However, for marketing reasons we don't fully understand, they did not use the European model name, going instead for 328d, despite the fact that the car runs a two-liter diesel. Revealed at the New York Auto Show, the oil-burning BMW is one of many new diesels Germany has lined up for U.S. introduction. Read more »

Shelby Supercharges Ford F-150 SVT Raptor to a Mighty 575-Horses

What do you think is missing from a 411hp sport truck like the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor? Why, more horses and stickers, of course. Welcome to Shelby's interpretation of the Raptor that was introduced today at the New York Auto Show and which will set you back $17,995 (€14,000) for the special items alone, excluding the price for the truck itself that currently stands at $43,630 (€34,000). Read more »

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Starts from $22,995 in the U.S.

Mitsubishi announced U.S. pricing of its brand-new 2014 Outlander seven-seat crossover and previewed the Outlander PHEV hybrid, which is scheduled to go on sale next year. Read more »

Dodge Calls Updated 2014 Durango a Driver's Three-Row SUV [101 Photos & Videos]

Ever since the new version of the Dodge Durango was launched, back in 2011, the large SUV it has received plenty of praise for being a capable, well-rounded vehicle. Now, with the 2014 model-year refresh shown in NYC, the Durango is brought up to date with flashy bits that polish its style and various other improvements to its efficiency, driving dynamics and interior ambiance. Read more »

Subaru Unveils XV Crosstrek Hybrid at the New York Auto Show

Having been on the US market for just over a year now, Subaru's XV Crosstrek didn't necessarily need an appeal-boosting new version or improvements at this very moment, but the Japanese automaker has decided that the 2013 NY motor show is the perfect venue to launch a hybrid version of the crossover.

It is actually a very important car, as it is Subaru's first ever hybrid and it has therefore got to prove itself.

Subaru is finally contemplating what every sensible gearhead has been telling both Subaru and Mitsubishi to do with their excellent Impreza WRX / STI and Lancer Evolution models, respectively, for decades now: keep their dynamic characteristics and dress them in a unique body that has nothing in common with their mainstream models.

While Mitsubishi is still thinking what to do with the EVO series in general, Subaru is showing us what it has in store for us with the next generation WRX, and its more powerful STi sibling, with the world premiere of the all-new WRX Concept car at the New York International Auto Show.

The study adopts a body style that most carmakers like to call a "four-door coupe", adorned with all the aggressive details one would expect from a WRX model (with a hint of Lancer EVO, some might say) like the powerbulge on the hood, muscular wheel arches that make room for the 20-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in 245/40ZR20 Dunlop rubber and a prominent rear diffuser. Only now, all these elements look natural and not planted like on the Impreza models.

The study measures 178.0 inches (4,521mm) long, 74.4 inches (1,889mm) wide and 54.7 inches (1,389mm) tall, which makes it slightly shorter, lower and wider than the Impreza Mk4 sedan. Its wheelbase is also significantly longer at 108.7 inches (2,761mm) compared to the Impreza's at 104.1 inches (2,644mm).

Being the brand's top selling vehicle, the Scion tC is extremely important to get right. It is a moderately-successful car, from a manufacturer which reportedly received the FR-S so as not to force Toyota to kill off the brand completely.

Now, they have improved the car for 2014 and are showing it off at the 2013 New YorkInternational Auto Show, complete with its FR-S-inspired styling makeover, which gives it some much-needed character.

The all-new Skoda Octavia is a car which wants you to take it very seriously. However, Skoda knows that for it to be truly accepted, there must be a hot version sitting at the top of the range. This is why they will debut the RS version (vRS in the UK) of the new Octavia at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, held from July 11 to 14, 2013.

Since Skoda itself admits that the Octavia is "the heart" of their brand, and factoring in the VW influence on the technical side, we expect the new RS to be a highly-competent machine.

Founded in 2002 by Toyota's North American division to appeal to Generation Y (born from the mid-1970s to the early-2000s) and young (or young-at-heart) consumers in general, Scion has reached its 10th birthday since it launched its first cars into the market, the boxy looking xA hatchback and xB wagon, in 2003.

As would be the case with any other company selling products, Scion is celebrating its first decade in life with the launch of a limited edition series. In particular, the Japanese carmaker announced at the New York Auto Show that it will release a limited-production version of each vehicle in its lineup called the "Scion 10 Series".

Nicolas Cage, the well-known American actor who has made some questionable choices in his movie career, has been officially selected by BAIC of China as a brand ambassador for the automaker's new line of Senova-branded cars. Now 49, Cage was reportedly chosen because he is a familiar face for the target buyers for the new cars, which are males in their 40s. Read more »

This is the Facelifted 2014 Scion tC Coupe, Inspired by the FR-S

The first images of the thinly refreshed 2014 Scion tC have just surfaced online, only moments before the Japanese company's schedule press conference and presentation at the New York International Auto Show. Read more »

Mitsubishi Reveals 2014 Mirage Hatchback with 40MPG at the New York Auto Show

Seeing how…successful the i-MiEV was with North American buyers, the maker of the Lancer EVO, and once upon a time, of the Eclipse and 3000 GT as well, is expanding its local sub-compact offerings with the new Mirage, a small five-door hatch that measures jut 148.8 inches (3,779mm) long, 65.6 inches (1,666mm) wide and 59.1 inches (1,501mm) tall. Read more »

Scoop: New Renault TwinFun Concept Looks Like a Modern Day 5 Turbo [w/Videos]

A never-before seen Renault concept named TwinFun or TwinRun (we can't make out the fifth letter on the name placed on the tailgate), has been captured on camera while it was being filmed for what we assume to be a promo clip in the city of Madrid in Spain.

While you will be forgiven to mistake it for a Gallic Fiat 500, the presence of the mid-engine Renault 5 Turbo from the early 1980s in one of the pictures explains where the French carmaker drew its inspiration for the three-door hatch.

At the New York International Auto Show, Volvo revealed that it will add the V60 wagon to its U.S. lineup in early 2014. The announcement was made by Doug Speck, Volvo Cars’ senior vice president marketing, who added that pricing and specifications will be announced at a later date. Read more »

Hyundai HND-9 Concept is the Blueprint for the Next Genesis Coupe, Debuts in Seoul

When Hyundai first showed us renderings of its new HND-9 Concept last week, it said that it hints at the company's "next-generation luxury sports coupe". After its world premiere at the Seoul Motor Show on Thrusday, the Korean automaker laid it out loud and clear: "the next generation Genesis coupe, will draw on technical and stylistic elements from the HND-9".

How close the second generation of the RWD Genesis Coupe will be to the impressive looking concept, remains to be seen, but one element we don't expect to see on the production car are the butterfly doors.

It seems that Nissan is trying to place itself in the background of two of the most iconic postcards one can hope of ever sending: from New York, and London. They want to replace the familiar shape of cabs in the two cities with their NV200, which has been modified and fitted out like a taxi. Read more »

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Kia Thinks New CUB Concept is a Four-Door Coupe

Automakers often leave us scratching our heads with the things they claim in their press announcements and presentations. By definition, the term four-door coupe is a misnomer because technically, you can have both, but let's say for the sake of conversation, we accept it for what it stands in today's automotive world – a sedan with a coupe-like profile and roofline.

Looking at these freshly released pictures of Kia's brand-new CUB Concept that debuts at this week's Seoul Motor Show (March 28 to April 7), how would you best describe its body style? If you answered a five-door hatchback, Kia will kindly disagree with you, as according to the Koreans, the CUB is a "compact four-door coupe".

It's still too early to evaluate and form a final opinion on the public's reaction the styling changes made to America's most popular coupe, especially since few people have actually seen the car in person. However, from what we've read on a number of forums and sites including our own comments section, the initial reaction on the 2014 Camaro is lukewarm.

Besides the cosmetic modifications made to Camaro's front and rear end, and the addition of the 7.0-liter V8-powered, track-focused Z/28, the new model year shuffles up the range, adding some new features while discarding others.

Today, we finally got our hands on official information for the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which says that their latest offering "raises the bar with legendary benchmark capability, world-class on-road dynamics, fuel economy up to 31 mpg, revolutionary Jeep design with world-class craftsmanship inside and out, and an array of advanced safety and technology features."

We like the air of optimism with which Jeep officially debuts their new crossover, and after reading the bits further down in the press release, we began to suspect that there might be substance behind the bold claims.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Friday, March 29, 2013

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

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