Automotive News

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Etc., Bentley, Hyundai

click above image for high-res views of this abomination

Some rich people have too much time on their hands and a sick sense of humor. Witness this, a perfectly good Bentley Continental GT adorned with Hyundai badges - HYUNDAI badges!. It’s not as if the owner just stuck them on with double-sided tape, either - the hood badge, logo on the trunk lid and in the center cap of each wheel look professionally applied, as if they were meant to be there all along. (We checked with Bentley, they’re not ever supposed to be there.) But hey, if you’re wealthy, you may as well do it right, you know? Actually, we’re thinking this guy lost a bet with his Ferrari buddies and was forced to transform his six-figure Conti into a Tiburon wannabe. Sigh… check out the rest of the pics in our gallery below. They were shot and sent us to us by Autoblog reader Michael in L.A.

 

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Filed under: Green, Hatchbacks, Toyota

Right now gas prices suck, and Prius sales are through the roof. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a lot of people are buying the fuel-conscious, peculiar-looking little hatch to save some money at the pump. Petrol prices aside, a recent study from CNW Marketing Research shows that over half of Prius buyers primarily want to make a statement about themselves. If you just found yourself swallowing a little vomit, all apologies. The key to purchasing a Prius versus, say, a Honda Civic hybrid, is that Toyota’s gas-electric vehicle is a hybrid-only model. The Civic, like the Camry and Ford Escape, can be purchased with a run-of-the-mill gasoline-only powertrain, and the only difference between it and the hybrid model is a little badge.

In the 80’s, people making a statement wore Guess jeans and Polo-branded shirts. In the 90’s it was $130 Nike shoes (Umm, they had those in the 80s, too - Ed. ), and now to show off in the new millennium, you apparently have to drive a Prius. We’ve noticed that the many Prius hatchbacks traveling our nation’s freeways aren’t exactly driving 57mph in the right lane to optimize fuel economy. If other automakers want to make a real splash in the hybrid game, they’ll have to follow Toyota’s lead and make a hybrid-only vehicle that helps owners feel better about the fact that others think they’re “green”.

[Source: Detroit News]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Euro

Bristol, a little known British builder of expensive luxury and sports cars, opened up its shop this past Monday in Patchway, England to find a rude surprise. Thieves had broken into the factory over the weekend and, instead of stealing cars, ripped off the company’s presses that stamp out body panels for its pricey lineup. Ten presses in all were boosted that make body panels for the Blenheim range of coupes. Fortunately, since Bristol only manages to produce about 2 or 3 cars a week, its current inventory of roof, wing and door panels will last for a while, but presses are hard to come by and eventually the company will slow down its snail-pace production to a halt when supplies run out.

The robbers apparently used huge cranes to steal the presses, as well as drove in and out of the complex multiple times to complete the job. No one noticed a thing and they’ve gotten away scott free for now, but ten presses won’t be easy to sell on the black market. Chances are they’ll be cut up and sent to China or India to be sold as scrap metal. We can’t imagine the criminals will actually start producing Bristols of their own because, quite frankly, they’re a bit ugly with a face that only a wealthy Brit could love.

Thanks for the tip, Dylan!

[Source: thisisbristol.co.uk]

 

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Filed under: Hirings/Firings, Ford, Land Rover

Ford has reportedly announced that its current chief designer at Ford of Europe, Phil Simmons, is being moved over to Land Rover. Rather than having a man with such experience oversee the design of the entire Land Rover brand, Simmons will become the studio director for just the Ranger Rover line of premium SUVs. Simmons is actually the one responsible for the Ranger Rover’s current design, having spent a decade at Land Rover before being sent to Ford in the U.S., where he also oversaw the Blue Oval’s family of midsize sedans, the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ. He’s been at Ford of Europe since 1999, and thus also must’ve been partly responsible for the Kinetic design language that debuted on the Iosis concept and matured into the production design of the current Mondeo.

Is it a waste (or a demotion) to shift such talent to a brand that’s on the verge of being sold from the corporate fold, and then to only give him control over one vehicle line? The Range Rover is certainly key to the success of Land Rover as a whole, but does it need its own design steward? We’re a bit perplexed at the appointment, but the rest of Ford’s loss is Range Rover’s gain.

[Source: The Car Connection]

 

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Filed under: China, Videos, Buick

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The GM FastLane Blog revealed that its first video interview with Bob Lutz that addressed GM concept cars was actually supposed to be the second one released. This new video just released today was to be the first, but technical issues pushed it back. Here we have Lutz in front of the lens addressing the most commonly asked question about Buick, specifically its relation to the raging Chinese division and its position in General Motors as a whole.

When answering why Buick’s Chinese division is getting better looking luxury cars than the U.S., Lutz simply fires back, “I don’t think they are.” The consumate diplomat, he says the door is always open for the rear-wheel-drive Zeta-based Park Avenue that will be sold in the Chinese market to make its way to the States, but we’d have to disagree that the U.S. market LaCrosse and Lucerne hold a candle to what’s coming down the pipeline for the Chinese.

When asked about Buick’s role in GM, Lutz takes up most of his time explaining Cadillac’s role as a world leader and then places Buick just below it. It’s interesting that he says, “The days of taking some Buicks and pricing them with Chevrolets… will never be repeated.” The $32,790 price tag of the new Enclave CUV compared to its other Lambda-based offerings from GMC and Saturn is proof positive that Buick will be positioned near the top of GM’s portfolio.

So there you have it, a little Lutz on Lutz action for your Thursday evening.

[Source: GM FastLane]

 

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Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Driving

Cell phone usage has proven to be very distracting for drivers, and several states have banned the use of the hand-held devices for drivers. Now lawmakers in a dozen states are taking a broader approach to what electronic devices should be banned. Although there is little in the way of concrete evidence that links front seat DVD players, fax machines, iPods, and computers to accidents, it’s pretty obvious that they’re a distraction to the driver. To curb the usage of these devices, states like Texas and New York are considering fines ranging from $50 and $600 for offenses.

California has had some level of success enforcing these laws, as they’ve pulled over 3,200 drivers since 2003 for watching DVD movies. We agree that text messaging and watching a movie is way too much of a distraction for anybody that is simultaneously operating a two-ton vehicle, but it’s tough to foresee how well such a law could be enforced. Users of their favorite digital devices may feel like they’re being singled out, since major distractions like kids (I have three) and makeup application are still legal.

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever seen someone doing while driving?

[Source: USA Today]

 

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Jaguar

The Jaguar X-Type looked dated before the first sedan came off the line back in 2001, and the last generation Mondeo-based model hasn’t aged gracefully from there. Sales bottomed out at 32,500 units worldwide last year, and rumors persist that the X-Type will soon be discontinued in the US - but the X-Type’s demise may be exaggerated.

Car online has uncovered spy shots of a face-lifted X-Type out and about, and changes look very subtle. As evidenced by the strategic camo, the front grille, front and rear bumpers, moldings, and rims are likely to see an update, and changes to the X-Type’s aged interior are probable as well. No word on updates to the X-Type’s powertrain, but we’d expect little or no changes due to a lack of corporate options. We’re not optimistic that cosmetic changes will alter the fate of PAG’s biggest pimple, and we’re not sure why Jaguar would even bother.

[Source: Car online}

 

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Filed under: Economy, Euro, Hatchbacks, FIAT

click above image to view over 100 high-res pics of the new Fiat 500

The wait is over for Europeans eagerly anticipating the new Fiat 500, which made its debut yesterday on the 50th anniversary of the original, iconic Nuova 500. The new-age version goes on sale immediately and pays homage to its predecessor in glorious retro style. The little Polish-built 3-door will bow with a 1.3L 16-valve turbodiesel good for 75 horses, a 69-horsepower 1.2L 8v four, and a 1.4L 16-valve good for 100 hp. A hopped-up Abarth version is well into development, and will satisfy the enthusiasts who want a little more juice with their new Cinquecento. Word is, we could see that version after 2010. Until then, the cute little bugger will remain an ocean away.

Click the gallery below for a fresh batch of over 100 newly-released official photos of the 500. Sorry for the delay in getting this post up, but we wanted to make sure our gallery included every single shot released by Fiat, which was a big bunch of snaps to gallerize.

[Source: Fiat]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports

An F1 team owned by a rapper? You’ve got to be kidding, right? Well, he might be, but Sean “Puffy” Combs is reportedly considering buying a team. If car manufacturers, retired drivers, clothing labels and even beverage companies can own F1 teams, why can’t a recording artist? In the fast-changing world of Formula One, if you’ve got the green, you can have the team. And nobody’s more about the Benjamins than Puffy.

The notoriously impulsive hip-hop icon made the announcement that he intended to buy an F1 team at a party in London celebrating the launch of his new cologne, where he was seen spending most of the night talking with Lewis Hamilton. We’d be seriously surprised if Diddy actually went through with it, but at the very least this looks like the premise for a movie only slightly better than Soul Plane.

Feel free to post your jokes and speculation in the comments section below…just keep it tasteful, biotch!

[Source: London Times via Jalopnik]

 

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Filed under: SUVs, Etc., Green, Suzuki

Click image to enlarge

It’s coated in new flat black paint, has a set of driving lights mounted to the fenders, is lifted two inches, and has removable doors. It also has a range of 290 miles per tank of fuel, and a full tank only runs the owner twelve bucks and change. That’s because this ‘86 Samurai’s been converted to run on propane, and since its wee little bed is outfitted with a pair of forklift-style storage cylinders. The buyer also gets the original carburetor in the deal. $3,500 cash, a Buell XB motorcycle, or an inboard-engined ski boat are all it’ll take to get this LPG ‘Zuki into your driveway. It’s located in Dalton, GA (32 miles outside Chattanooga, TN; 88 miles outside Atlanta) and you can read the original listing here.

Thanks to “mehugtree” for the tip!

[Source: Craigslist]

 

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