Automotive News

Filed under: Etc.

Growing up in the Midwest with sprint cars and other forms of dirt track racing, I have to admit that the current variety of drift racing hasn’t really done much for me. (As opposed to car chases and The Fast and the Furious, which is illegal in real life and I would never recommend it, but I can’t get enough of films with cars racing through the streets.) However, I have always had a thing for heavy machinery, and when you combine the two — drifting and trucks — well, all of a sudden it’s tres cool. On the same note, somehow, using heavy machinery like a loader to do stunts normally associated with cars and bikes, like wheelies, is the perfect kind of absurdity for a Saturday afternoon. It’s like elephants balancing on beach balls. Irresistible. Follow the jump to see ‘em both. Now if we could just get some of those gigantic mining dump trucks in a three-up drift race in a quarry track…

[Source: Streetfire]

Continue reading VIDEO: Heavy duty double feature — drifting semi, loader wheelie

 

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Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Green, Tech, Ford

The 2008 Mustang that appears in August will be full o’ beans. Soybeans. Ford has teamed with automotive supplier Lear Corporation on the creation of soy-based seat foam. Car seats currently contain roughly petroleum-based foam, and the new soy-based variety will substitute nearly a quarter of that mass with renewable content, as well as lower the amount of C0² emitted during the creation of the foam. Ford’s been playing around with soy ever since with Model T, which contained 60 pounds of beans in its paint and molded plastic parts. This is the kind of environmental tech we can get behind — and sit on — without reservation. We do wonder, however, what it will do to that new car smell. This isn’t the only “green” material Ford’s using with regard to seating accommodations in ‘08 models, either. The new Escape’s seat upholstery is made of eco-friendly recycled materials. For Ford’s full press release on the new soy foam seats, click the image above or the “Read” link below to see it at AutoblogGreen.

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

 

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Auto Show, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari

So many designers are getting in on Dino action these days, we can only hope the car doesn’t turn into the automotive equivalent of Snakes on a Plane. Ferrari’s consistent disavowals regarding any plans to make “a cheap Ferrari” is not stopping those with pens and intricate rendering software from making their own. Next into the breach is Ernesto Freitas, a Portuguese designer and engineer who has not only drafted a mock-up Dino, he then made a foam model. It’s not as elegant as some of the other randomly generated Dinos we’ve seen — things get quite busy aft of the doors — but there is a healthy dose of Dino language to be had throughout. No matter what, though, full marks to Mr. Freitas for commitment to his vision. As for you, Ferrari, we’ll see you in Frankfurt with The Car That Isn’t A Cheap Ferrari…

[Source: Autoblog.nl]

 

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Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action, Cadillac

How come none of the Cadillacs we’ve bought for $850 have appreciated to bring millions at auction? First off, this 1903 Cadillac Model A runabout is going to be offered at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge auction, part of Monterey Week in August. Our Caddys would’ve only been appropriate at a scrap metal auction. The 13th ever Cadillac, this car was on the stand at the New York Auto show in 1903, and was the first of the brand to be sold west of the Mississippi.

These brass era Cadillacs are what earned the brand its early tagline of “The Standard Of The World.” The “Little Hercules” single-cylinder powerplant sits under the front seat and drives the rear wheels, and the cars were filled with solid engineering. Cadillac made mass-production possible by pioneering interchangeable parts. Nobody thought it was possible to ship a fully-disassembled car to Europe and bolt together a fully-operable automobile from parts that came off the shelf. Cadillac’s uniform parts made that stunt possible, and burnished the reputation of the brand in those early days. This car predates that innovation, but if this is indeed the car that was at the New York show, it helped spur 2,000 orders with its precise build quality.

We’ve not caught wind of any conjecture about the sale price, but old #13 is believed to be the earliest surviving Caddy. Numbers 1-12 have been lost to the sands of time, so this car’s unique history and status will likely lead to it trading hands for a considerable amount. Originally selling for $850 back in the day, we wouldn’t be shocked to see lots of digits to the left of the decimal. Now, if we could get the same kind of return on that sub-$1000 Cimmaron, we’d be all set.

[Source: Motor Trend]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Suzuki

The unending contest between Suzuki and Kawasaki to see who can build the world’s fastest streetbike continues, with Suzuki introducing an all-new Hayabusa for 2008. The bike’s engine grows from 1299cc to 1340cc for ‘08, and a commensurate power jump is expected to let the new ‘Busa equal or surpass the numbers put up by Kawasaki’s hyper-performance machine, the Ninja ZX-14. Bikeland.org has hi-res pics and full features and specs on the ‘08 ‘Busa, which will be joined in showrooms by a naked edition dubbed the “B-King.” The price for the the ‘08 Hayabusa’s time-and-space-bending performance: $11,999. Suzuki’s official site has the skinny on all the new ’08s here.

Follow the jump for a video of the 2008 Hayabusa’s reveal.

[Source: Bikeland.org]

Continue reading 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa gets redesign, bigger engine, more power

 

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Filed under: Etc., Japan, Nissan

Click image to enlarge

As Japan celebrates 50 years of the Nissan Skyline, Tomica, known for its Matchbox-style die-cast cars has released six new commemorative toy cars. Arriving in their signature cardboard boxes (just like matchboxes used to), these cars’ packaging will feature the Skyline 50th logo and each will come with a collectible decal as well. generations two (S54B) through six (R30) of the Japanese icon are represented, including a blue “Ken and Mary” coupe. The cars will sell for ¥ 525 apiece in Japan starting at the end of this month, and while Tomicas are a little harder to come by here in the States, they’re all over eBay, so if you want the Skylines, you should start seeing them on the auction site in due time.

[Sources: Tomica, Carview]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, Driving

One of the most recognizable advertising tandems in NASCAR, Dale Ernhardt Jr. and Budweiser, are on the outs. When Jr. split from DEI in favor of Hendrick Motorsports, virtually any chance of this dynamic duo staying together vanished due to Hendrick’s existing contracts. Hendrick’s other big NASCAR stars, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, have endorsement deals with another advertising juggernaut, Pepsi. Jr. seems to be genuinely disappointed that he couldn’t keep Bud, and with good reason. Some of the very best ad gurus on the planet work for Budweiser, and many feel that’s a main reason why Jr’s such a popular figure. Then again, he has his legendary father’s name working for him, too, which obviously helps. As Jr. points out to the Chicago Tribune, Bud also throws the best parties and events, which is a great bonus for a single driver in his 20s. Details of Jr.’s next primary sponsor are still being worked out.

[Source: Chicago Tribune]

 

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossovers/CUVs

Approximately six months ago, we got news that Kia’s Soul crossover concept would be entering production, and now we have the first spy shots taken in Korea. Designed in California and unveiled at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the Soul will be a strong competitor to the flood of new crossovers coming to market.

The design of the production model is very close to the concept. Basically, it loses the suicide doors, has smaller wheels and the roof isn’t as chopped. The Soul will fit five occupants and be powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed auto. No AWD version is expected - to save costs Kia has stuck with FWD and will price the vehicle to reflect this. The Soul is also expected to go to Europe where it will most likely come with a diesel engine as an option.

As a cheap and fuel-efficient way to move five people, the Soul could be just the right thing.

[Source: Kia World]

 

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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Porsche

Click image for photo gallery

In the wake of the Porsche 911 GT2 brochure leak on Thursday, Carscoop has posted the first official images of the mighty new ‘bahn-stormer. They’re clearer than the ones included in the brochure sca, which you can view by click ing here. The car’sessentials break down as follows:

2008 Porsche 911 GT2

• 3.6-liter twin turbo flat six
• 530 horsepower at 5,600 rpm
• 505 lb.-ft. of torque from 2,200 to 4,500 rpm
• 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds
• 0-100 mph in 7.1 seconds
• Top speed of 204 mph
• Curb weight:: 3,175 lbs
• Titanium exhaust
• 6-speed manual gearbox
• Launch control system

The brochure spells it all out in greater detail, but suffice to say that the new GT2 is one of the most serious sports cars to come from Porsche — ever, and it appears to be more than worthy of the “Respect Required” tagline the automaker applies to it. Click the gallery below for the newest photos. We’ll add to it as more become available.

[Source: Carscoop]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Videos

Kyosho’s Mini-Z series of RC cars is pretty neat. Measuring in at around 5 inches in length, the cars are exquisitely detailed, and as you’ll see in the video after they jump, they go like stink. The embed is a long form commercial/promo that centers mainly on the Mini-Z AWD series. The pair of R34 Skylines you see duking it out on the track both sport the AWD chassis under their bodywork, and it’s pretty awesome to see how well the cars handle when the remote’s in the hands of someone who knows what he’s doing. Even more impressive is when the “drivers” start drifting the cars at around the midway point. The drifts are deftly executed and it look great on video, and it leads directly to a second drift demo using the Mini-Z racers based on the cars from the Manga and Anime drift series, Initial D. Stay through the end to see a Countach LP400 and a Ferrari F430 tackle the miniature race course, too. We totally want one of these little cars, even though we’re more likely to put it into the kitchen wall at the RC-car equivalent of 150 mph than we are to execute a successful drift.

Video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Bring the Toys! Kickass AWD R/C car race/drift video

 

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