Automotive News

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tech

Our minds are cluttered enough, so we try to keep the inside of our cars debris free. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been possible during the tuning process of our new project car. Between the handheld control module, our cheap, serial-equipped laptop, the yet-to-be-mounted standalone ECU and the wire connected to our wide-band 02 sensor, the interior of our project is beginning to look like the rats nest behind our desk.

Innovate Motorsports seems to have the answer, with a new line of Bluetooth adapters, co-developed by BradaTech, that allows the entire Innovate line of wares to be connected wirelessly.

The suite of products can transfer information to laptops or Pocket PCs and have a range of up to 100 feet, expanding the possibilities of what we can do both inside and outside our ride. Now if we can just get that damn idle issue fixed, our world would be complete. Well, that and when our coilover setup arrives…

[Source: Innovate Motorsports via Jalopnik]

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Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Porsche

At roughly $130, they’re not the most expensive footwear out there, but they’re certainly no ordinary sneaker, either. Likewise, the Porsche 911 isn’t the most expensive car out there, but it’s darn good at what it does, and you do pay a premium for that.

Adidas and Porsche Design have gotten together to create sporting shoes with a nod to racing success. While they still bear a resemblance to the classic Gazelle, the soles, materials and color schemes are in another realm. Available in Standard (lace-up) or Automatic (slip-on), the color schemes are based on racing livery, and the footwear carries the Porsche Design logo, as well. There are lesser models to the line, as well as a women’s version. The racing model is the standout, though, with sliver metallic or striking white and green stripes. The “Classic” model is the one we’d pick. You’ll spend a ton of time maintaining the racing model, just like a race car. The Classic’s classy earth tones will still look great after breaking in, and will require far less maintenance. They’d also feel just right on the pedals of that vintage 912 we lust for. Hmm, it seems that Adidas has created the shoe equivalent of the entire Porsche range; always exclusive, with a choice of performance levels, all above the norm.

[Source: Adidas via Winding Road]

Gallery: Porsche Footwear

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Filed under: Motorsports

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and our own little slice of the seventh layer is being forced to sit on the sidelines as this year’s One Lap of America begins… without us. Thankfully, Chris Paukert, our colleague from Winding Road, will be reporting back on the happenings of the 2007 event, so at least we can live vicariously through WR’s site, here.

For the uninitiated, the One Lap of America began as a legitimate way of paying homage to the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash that took place back in the 70s. Instead of making like Dom DeLuise and Burt Reynolds (or Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin, for that matter), One Lap participants are lead around the country to a variety of racetracks, where the two-person team (sometimes three) then tries to set the best lap in their class. Modifications are allowed, but the competitors have to run on the same set of tires during the entire event. That not only includes the track time, but the rally stages in between that can sometimes last up to 24 hours.

Winding Road has the full breakdown of what’s allowed, vehicle classes, rules, regs and the rest here and be sure to follow One Lap’s progress here and here. Brock Yates insists.

[Source: Winding Road, One Lap]

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Filed under: Etc.

We generally try to avoid any coverage of celebrity foul ups, leaving it to the gossip sites to do their worst. This, however, is a story we couldn’t pass up.

After one drunken driving arrest, two traffic violations and failing to enroll in a mandatory alcohol education program, Paris Hilton has been sentenced to 45 days in a woman’s prison in Lynwood, CA.

After arriving fashionably late to her court date, Paris the heiress was accompanied by her mother, Kathy, who laughed out loud when the prosecutor was making his closing statement (apple, tree, you know the rest). Afterwards, Paris made a statement laden with apologies, yet seeming to lack any real substance.

As flawed as our system can be, it’s nice to know that justice can been served, even to the wealthy elite that generally live above the law. Her sentence begins on June 5th and we’re looking forward to 45 Paris-free days during her time in custody.

[Source: Yahoo! News]

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Filed under: Etc., Driving

Forbes and a few special guests play matchmaker, putting some magnificent stretches of blacktop together with some magnificent wheels. California is, of course, well represented among the entrants — Danica Patrick likes Highway 1 around Monterey in a Bentley GTC, and Bob Bondurant likes Mulholland Drive in a 1965 ‘Stang. The rest of the country gets some love as well, though. A DB9 is best suited for the Las Vegas to Death Valley to Mammoth Lakes run (be sure to check out Dante’s View in Death Valley). For the Easterners among you, the Tail of the Dragon in the Great Smoky Mountains, from Tennessee to North Carolina, is perfect for an ‘07 vintage Porsche Turbo. Being Forbes, all but one of the best rides are big money, but don’t let that stop you — the roads don’t discriminate. Land Rover gets our vote for the best choice of best road: essentially, they chose Africa.

[Source: Forbes]

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Earnings/Financials

General Motors’ analysts predict that the automaker will sell approximately 9.2 million vehicles worldwide this year. According to Rick Wagoner, over 60-percent of those vehicles will be sold outside the U.S. market.

Those figures have already been reached in the first quarter of 2007, primarily stoked by the increase in sales to China, a market that has no where to go but up.

GM hopes that their current sales trajectory will soldier forward, but not at the expense of market share at home. Considering that the General sold 9.55 million vehicles in 1978 - its best year ever - the automaker is hoping to relive past glories in 2007. Whether its turnaround is fueled by Stateside sales or those garnered in foreign markets is irrelevant, but GM hopes that things won’t get worse on its home turf.

[Source: Detroit News]

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Filed under: Minivans/MPVs, Euro, Volkswagen

Please, let it be so. The current chromed snout on VWs offerings is not only beastly to look at, it doesn’t help Audi’s cars stand apart, either. We suppose that cuts both ways — VW probably benefits by a familial resemblance to their cousins. However, the front end on the upcoming Sharan/Touran twins looks to hint at the future face of Volkswagen, we hope.

There’s a bumper crop of spiffy van-lets over on the Continent right now, and the Touran/Sharan are latecomers to the party. The vans won’t drop until 2010, due to styling tweaks that Martin Winterkorn has reportedly requested.

The Sharan will likely be available with sliding doors, while the Touran will make do with conventional front-hinged points of entry. A healthy selection of powertrain options is expected to be available, from the turbocharged FSI 2.0 liter four cylinder to a 3.2 liter FSI VR6, along with the requesite TDI powerplants. 4Motion will be available, which we’d love to sample hooked up to the gruntiest of the diesels (which will surpass the VR6 in torque output). Being based on the Passat’s underpinnings yields a van that’s easy to wield while offering great space-efficiency. We like the look of these boxy family haulers, with their crisp edges and large glass areas, but alas, we’ll have to take up intercontinental jet-setting if we wish to drive them.

[Source: Autobild via German Car Blog]

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, BMW

Click on the photo for a high-res gallery of the face lifted 2008 BMW 5-series

BMW has just release the 2008 versions of their mid-sized 5-series lineup in both sedan and sport wagon body styles. The most noticeable difference is the face-lifted front fascia, remodeled headlights and reconfigured rear lighting. The lower rear fascia has also been reshaped, while the interior has also been updated with new door panels that include armrest mounted window switches and larger storage pockets.

Perhaps the most important changes, given BMW’s middle name, lies under the hood. The six cylinder models now wearing 528 and 535 nomenclature carry the same engines as the latest 3-series. The 528 gets the 230 HP 3.0L N52 powerplant, while the 535 is moved by the highly respected twin turbo six putting out 300 HP. A carryover 360 HP 4.8-liter V-8 sits under the hood of the 550i sedan. All models now have a six speed transmission transferring power to the wheels, with the rear wheel drive six cylinder models getting a manual as standard with an automatic optional. The thoroughly unloved SMG gearbox has been retired at least in the US market. The full list of changes is after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

Gallery: 2008 BMW 5-Series

Continue reading 2008 BMW 5-series now available

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Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Hyundai

Could it be true? Mike Levine at Pickuptruck.com thinks so and has quotes from Hyundai to back it up. The speculation is that the South Korean automaker may levereage the BH platform on which its upcoming Genesis luxury sedan is based to produce a new rear-wheel-drive pickup. Up until this point, we were aware that in addition to the BH-based Genesis, Hyundai was also planning a long-wheelbase version of the luxury sedan, a version badged as a Kia, and a rear-wheel-drive coupe. Adding a rear-wheel-drive pickup to the mix would help Hyundai get even more mileage out of the platform, so to speak.

Of course, being based on a unibody platform, the Hyundai pickup would be more like Honda’s midsize Ridgeline than Toyota’s new Tundra, the latter of which was designed to compete against Ford, Chevy, Dodge and Nissan in the full-size truck segment. Hyundai’s pickup would likely share the same advantages that the Ridgeline now enjoys: under bed storage, a decent ride, sharper handling, and potentially higher fuel economy than a traditional pickup. Unlike the Ridgeline, however, it would be rear-wheel drive rather than all-wheel drive and feature Hyundai’s new “Tau” 4.6L V8 rather than a V6. Thus, the Hyundai pickup would likely be a more capable hauler than the Ridgeline, which is saddled with a low 5,000-lb. towing capacity, less than half of some traditional pickups. Plus, Hyundai has confirmed that the Tau can go larger than 4.6L if it’s used in a truck, which means it would produce considerably more than the 300 horsepower that’s being planned for the Genesis.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com, illustration by Mark Stehrenberger used with permission]

Continue reading Hyundai considering RWD, car-based pickup

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WOLFSBURG, Germany - Volkswagen is continuing its drive train offensive. At the International Vienna Engine Symposium (26 - 27 April), Europe’s largest car maker presented its new TSI petrol engine (90 kW / 122 PS) and the world’s first seven-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG) for the compact and mid-class. Both products are scheduled for market launch in the second half of the year.

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