VIDEO: Skoda’s Fabia is so yummy we could just eat it

May 26, 2007

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Click image for a gallery of the new Skoda Fabia

Skoda Fabia cake engineThis is the ultimate car guy birthday cake. This advert for the Skoda Fabia is designed to hit you in the warm, gooey center. Right away, you’re drawn in by dulcet tones from The Sound Of Music that trigger flashbacks to a Generation Y childhood and endless preschool sing-a-longs. Furthering the irresistible pull of the commercial is the fact that they’re making cake. Anyone who can turn away from watching bakers at work is just dead inside. It’s so much like what we gearheads do - look in the book, follow the instructions using your skills to ensure a proper result. Maybe it’s just us wrench-turners who know our way around a kitchen, and are also suckers for confections. Whatever it is, even if it turns out to be subliminal flash frames (doesn’t work, btw), the Skoda is so sweet, we want to take one home. Which is the point. Except, we still want it for dessert.

Thanks for the tip, Mr. Pink!

[Source: Skoda]
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No more running out of film, English speed cameras go digital

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The Gatso speed camera has been the bane of British drivers for the past couple of decades, but they at least had the hope that when they saw the flash the camera might be out of film. For those of you in the crowd who might not be old enough to drink legally,” film” is this silver coated plastic strip that they used to put in cameras. It had to be processed in various chemicals to make images appear. Amazingly enough, the British speed cameras still use this antique technology, but not for much longer.

The Dutch company that builds the cameras for the British government has developed a digital imaging module to upgrade the cameras so that they will never run out of film again. The new units have 11-megapixel sensors and can monitor four lanes of traffic at once. They can also store thousands of images compared to the 200 for the film units. So now the traffic enforcers can ticket more people with less effort. We send our condolences to British drivers.

[Source: AutoExpress]

 

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UK: VW Golf GT Sport drives in under GTI

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Click image to enlarge

The Golf lineup in the UK gets a slight reshuffling as Volkswagen consolidates two models — the Golf GT and the Golf Sport — into one, the new Golf GT Sport. The car gets a sporty outward look, with black headlight surrounds, a front end treatment that recalls the R32 and GTI, and a few other niceties like foglights and tinted glass. 17-inch alloys fill the wells and GT Sport badging identifies the car for what it is. Power comes either from the 1.4L TSI , or from a 2.0 TDI. Each engine is available in 140 hp and 170 hp configurations, and buyers can choose between six-speed manual or DSG transmissions. Both three-door and five-door bodies are available, and cars equipped with the stronger 170-horse mills get a pair of chrome exhaust tips out back.

There are more details after the jump in the VW UK press release. This GT Sport sounds like it stakes out the middle ground between the base Golf and the hopped-up GTI in fine fashion. We’d love to get our hands on one of the twin-charged TSI machines to get a driving impression. 170 horses from 1.4 liters sounds like fun to us.

[Source: VW]

PRESS RELEASE:
VOLKWAGEN INTRODUCES NEW GOLF GT SPORT TRIM

Volkswagen is set to replace the existing Golf Sport and GT trim levels with a single all-new model - the Golf GT Sport.

The Golf GT Sport debuts a purposeful new look as well as additional equipment over the models it replaces to deliver greater value. An all-new darkened grille section is intersected by a set of horizontal fins to forge a visual link with the other sporting models in the range - the potent GTI and R32 variants. Inset into the grille is a new ‘GT Sport’ badge. Framing the new nose are a pair of darkened headlights which visually separate the lenses into four, individual units. They sit above a set of fog lights mounted in the front air dams.

In profile the new GT Sport is distinguished by subtle tints to the rear windows and a set of 17-inch multi-spoke ‘ClassiXs’ alloy wheels fitted with 225/45 R17 tyres.

At the rear twin chrome exhausts on the 170 PS models are joined by discreet ‘GT Sport’ badges.

The subtle, sporting look continues inside. A leather-trimmed three-spoke steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake are fitted along with front sports seats, automatic light sensing headlights and rain sensing windscreen wipers. This is in addition to Climatic air conditioning, a CD stereo system with eight speakers and electric windows. Six airbags, ABS and Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) round off the high levels of standard equipment.

The purposeful exterior is backed up by dynamic underpinnings. The innovative 1.4-litre TSI engine which utilises both a supercharger and a turbocharger to generate high power outputs from a modest engine capacity while retaining high levels of economy is available in 140 PS and 170 PS guises. A single 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine is also available in 140 PS and 170 PS outputs. Both petrol and diesel engines are available mated to a choice of six-speed manual or DSG transmissions.

The new Golf GT Sport will be available in both three- and five-door bodystyles when deliveries start later in the summer. It joins the existing S and Match trim levels in the Golf model range. Prices are set to start at £17,422 for the entry-level three-door variant specified with a 1.4-litre TSI 140 PS engine, rising to £21,352 for the five-door model fitted with the 2.0-litre TDI 170 PS engine with DSG transmission.

 

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BMW mulls selling engines to other automakers

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Don’t go getting too excited, it probably won’t mean a crate version of the S65 or N54 for Roundel fans. Running an automaker is expensive, especially a manufacturer that leans more toward niche status than casting a wide net. BMW is looking at all options for future revenue, and one of the thoughts that’s occured to the well-respected manufacturer of cars with chutzpah is to bank on its engineering chops and sell engines to other carmakers. Lotus has pimped themselves out for years to other automakers, and the Porsche name has ended up on things like hard drives, so BMW selling their award-winning engines to gain an extra stream of return on their investment is a far less radical move. Hey, if selling their more mundane powerplants to emerging markets like India and China keeps the coffers full and awesome performers rolling our way, we’re all for it.

[Source: Motor Authority]

 

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Schumi’s new job: Test driver for Ferrari

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Michael Schumacher’s credentials run the gamut: 1995’s youngest double Formula 1 World Champion, most career wins, most wins in a season, most consecutive wins, etc. Now he can add a notch on his belt representing his role as test driver for Ferrari… or at least for a day.

Autocar spies caught a rare sight the other day — a Ferrari 599 GTB on the Nurburgring rather than its test track in Fiorano. After witnessing some pretty serious hot rodding, the photographers zoomed in on the driver… only to see one Michael Schumacher at the wheel. Future profession for Schumi, or entertaining day trip? Hopefully we’ll find out soon. High-res photo available here

Thanks for the tip, Wang Meng!

[Source: AutoCar]

 

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Day 4: Enter the Autoblog Relaunch Celebration Sweepstakes featuring the All-New 2007 Dodge Nitro

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click above image to enter to win an All-New 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T!

The trick to having the best chance to win a sweepstakes like this is to enter every day. Today’s Saturday, which means there are a lot of people who are going to miss their chance to enter because they have to mow the lawn, go out to eat with the family, or do whatever it is people do on Saturday. The point is, here is your chance to get a leg up by entering the (wait for it) Autoblog Relaunch Celebration Sweepstakes featuring the All-New 2007 Dodge Nitro for the fourth day in the row. Click here to enter!

If it’s your first day entering, don’t forget to return tomorrow and the next day to enter each day until the Sweepstakes concludes in the early morning of Friday, June 15th.

Much thanks to all the friends of Autoblog below, as well as sites we’ve never met before, who’ve alerted their readers to what we’re up to. If you’re site mentions the Nitro Sweepstakes, let us know by emailing a link to abresearch at gmail dot com, and we’ll add you to the list below. Good luck!

 

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Gadling digs up world’s messiest cars

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Click the image above to view photos of some of the world’s messiest cars

At one point or another, most of us have a messy car. It might be because your schedule is crammed, you were just on a road trip, or maybe you just got lazy for a while. Eventually, you take 5-10 minutes to straighten out the slop so the interior of your ride isn’t a health hazard.

Unfortunately, some people apparently like living in filth, so they drive around in what my mother would call a ‘pig sty.’ You may recall a story here on Autoblog about a woman’s car that was so messy, debris got under her brake when she was driving and it led to an accident. Well, it turns out this woman is far from alone in the world of freakishly disgusting automotive hygiene. Call us crazy, but we’re guessing these folks aren’t dating anybody right now. Actually, we should all check to see if we know the person who owns the vehicle pictured above. Judging by the new baking pan in the back seat, there’s a good chance that this person is planning on preparing food for more than one.

The attached gallery is home to a collection of rolling trash cans filled with mountains of waste that not only obstruct the view of the driver, they probably smell worse than a landfill. The photos come courtesy of our friends over at Gadling, and we suggest that you don’t eat lunch while you’re checking ‘em out..

[Source: Gadling]
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Spy Video: Acura NSX mule

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It might look like an S2000 out there on the ‘Ring, but something’s not quite right. We’ve all ogled the spy pictures by now, but Inside Line has produced a nifty little video of what we all think is a development mule for the next Acura NSX. Just listen to that angry exhaust note - that ain’t no 4 pot. The S2000 duds are a nice blending tactic - it doesn’t draw that much attention to itself, and it gives Honda time to get it together after their body design was met with a yawn in Detroit. The grey bomber makes good use of its rumored 5.5 liter V10 and SH-AWD as it digs into corners and claws its way around the German racetrack. Unlike the original NSX, this time around, the Honda supercar platform will be front-engined, and may not be called NSX. The high points of this mule have already been covered, so click the pic and enjoy the video.

[Source: Inside Line]

 

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Tesla may get into the gas station business

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When AutoblogGreen interviewed Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard a couple of months ago, Martin emphasized that they were intent on creating a sustainable business out of building sustainable mobility cars. With Job 1 for the Roadster coming in a few months Tesla is now working on expanding its potential revenue streams. Earlier this week they announced a new division to sell their battery pack technology to other carmakers starting with Norway’s TH!NK.

If they are successful in building battery powered cars and the technology spreads to other carmakers, we won’t need so many gas pumps but drivers will still need to top up. Tesla has announced a $561,000 grant from the California Energy Commission to develop public charging stations. They will be working on 16kW stations that are UL approved and can be used by drivers at public locations to charge their electric vehicles. Grants also went to UC-Berkeley, UC-Davis and the Electric Power Research Institute.

[Source: Tesla Motors via AutoblogGreen]

 

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