Automotive News

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Goodwood Revival will see cars and pulses racing

Filed under: Motorsports, Time Warp

Looks like we should have held out for the Revival this year. The Goodwood committee just released a statement and some pics to tease us about what we’ll be missing by choosing the Festival of Speed hillclimb over the Revival this year. They’ve decided to add some vintage atmosphere to the starting grid by doing a retro version of the F1 pit babes this year. Twelve lovely lasses have been picked to show the drivers to their starting spots, and this being the revival, they’ll be kitted out in period costume. In this case, some swinging sixties kitsch. The Revival has always had a bit more theatrical flair than the FoS, with actors and actresses roaming the grounds to help add some ambiance. Fans are even encouraged to dress the part too. This year’s race will take place over the weekend from August 31 through September 2. If we can’t manage another trip this year, perhaps we’ll be able to in 2008.

Full press release after the jump.

[Source: Goodwood]

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Take a tour of the Audi Tradition warehouse

Filed under: Etc., Audi

The rise of niche carmakers has given those with longer pedigrees — say more than five years, at this point — compelling reasons to start showing off their heritage. Audi, with nearly a century of history behind it, has an Audi Tradition center near its Ingolstadt headquarters, and a writer at Fourtitude just took a tour and posted plenty of pics. Among the treasures were the usual suspects — Auto Unions in various states of assembly, Quattros, and race cars. There’s also, though, a DKW Monza, motorcycles from sub-brand NSU, engines, the second generation sportback TT concept, 50 S and 100 S Coupes, and a whole lot more. The collection has more than 300 cars, and Fourtitude’s got 233 photos. There should be a desktop tour like this every Saturday.

[Source: Fourtitude]

Honda building spree reveals plans for global growth

Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda

So Acura won’t be making it to Japan just yet, and the new NSX has been delayed until at least 2010, but parent company Honda is not slowing down for anything. Company President Takeo Fukui is determined not to let Honda get left behind in the battle for global automotive supremacy. In the name of meeting demand, he announced that Honda will be building five factories, two engine plants, and two R&D facilities. Much of the new construction will be taking place in Asia to fulfill demand in the Asia-Oceana region: Thailand, and Tochigi, Yorii, and Ogawa Japan. With everything in place, Honda plans to turbocharge production of its increasingly ubiquitous small cars by an extra 300,000 per year by 2010.

Thanks for the tip, Dylan!

[Source: Car Advice]

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Pikes Peak: Millen posts fastest time in RWD Time Attack class

Filed under: Motorsports, Convertibles, Coupes, Pontiac

For more years than we can count, we’ve threatened to make it to Colorado to experience the spectacle that is the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Making it out this year was yet another logistical nightmare, so we’ve decided to live vicariously through our friends in attendance, while keeping tabs on our hero, Rhys Millen and his Red Bull Pontiac Solstice GXP.

We gave you the details on Rhys’ ride last month, the same GXP that he’s been sliding sideways since his GTO exited stage left. On Thursday, Mr. Millen made his way up the first section of the mountain in an absolutely scorching 5:32:756, taking first place in the inaugural Time Attack two-wheel drive class, and leaving his nearest competitor nearly a full minute behind.

He tells the tale in the press release after the jump, but one factoid in the text deserves note: he’s running E85 in an effort to cope with the elevation changes and the high temps of running a turbocharged vehicle up the hill. According to Millen, his success is attributed to the combination of his sideways skills and the E85 engine’s ability to keep cool under duress. They’re not even running a spray system on the intercooler - impressive, to say the least.

Make the jump to get the skinny on the qualifying session, and be sure to check back tomorrow when we’ll have an update on Rhys’ overall performance at the Race to the Clouds.

[Source: GM]

Continue reading Pikes Peak: Millen posts fastest time in RWD Time Attack class

GM passes Toyota in Q2 global sales

Filed under: Car Buying, GM, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

GM may have its difficulties here in the US, but around the globe the General is on pace for its second best sales month ever. Second quarter global sales tolled in at 2.45 million, which bested Juggernaut Toyota by a narrow margin. For the year Toyota is still ahead of GM by 46,000 units, but much of that lead may have been lost after an earthquake in Japan shut-down 12 plants.

GM has done an excellent job of capitalizing on emerging markets like China, where GM is now the largest automaker. In the second quarter, a highest-ever 57-percent of the General’s overall sales came from outside the US. GM may be doing well beyond our shores, but to get its turnaround plan to pay off financially, Wagoner’s boys will have to make consistent profits in the US. Until then, it doesn’t matter who finishes number one, as long as Toyota continues raking in all the dough.

[Source: Freep]

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Autoblog’s Top 10 Coachbuilt Supercars

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Sports/GTs, Supercars, BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce, Ferrari

Sometimes the past deserves to remain in the past, but once in a while the automotive industry reaches into its history to resurrect something worthwhile whose demise was regrettable and whose return is welcome. The return of coachbuilding is one example of an industry trend we’re glad is making a comeback.

Coachbuilding was popular decades ago among the extremely wealthy for whom the ordinary offerings of the automotive industry weren’t anywhere near exclusive enough, so they had special bodywork fitted to regular cars to make them their own. Contemporary coachbuilt motors follow the same formula: an existing car fitted with new bodywork, and often customized mechanicals, for the most discerning and obscenely wealthy clients. Results have varied, but variety, as the saying goes, is the spice of life. Here we’ve chosen our ten favorite examples.

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Hamann does up the 3-series ‘vert, massages engines across the board

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertibles, Coupes, BMW

Click the image above for more high-res pics.

German tuning powerhouse, Hamann, is back doing what it does best: massaging the exterior and interior, while making sweet love to the drivetrain of BMW’s 3-series. Its newest line of products leaves no 3 untouched, covering the range from the 320i to the 330d and on to our beloved 335i.

Starting with the twin-turbo 335, Hamann performs its own version of electronic black arts on the ECU, bringing out an additional 37 HP and increasing top speed to 173 MPH. When coupled with its four-pipe sports muffler and a more flow-friendly air filter, anyone within earshot knows you’re driving something special.

The 320i also benefits from optimized ECU maps, increasing power by 10 HP on the four-cylinder coupe, while the 325i and 330i get an additional 13 HP and 17 HP, respectively. Rounding out the line up is the Hamann-tuned 330d, where customers can benefit from a 272 HP oilburner cranking out 443 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,000 RPM.

Naturally, the exterior and interior get their due diligence, with the addition of a new front spoiler, side sills, rear spoiler and bumper with matched notches for the new exhaust tips. Wheel sizes are available from 18- to 20-inches, in a variety of shapes, while revised suspension and brake components round out the package.

Follow the jump for Hamann’s press release and enjoy the 28-image gallery below.

Gallery: Hamann BMW 3-Series Convertible

Continue reading Hamann does up the 3-series ‘vert, massages engines across the board

NSX launch pushed back, again

Filed under: Concept Cars, Tokyo Motor Show, Supercars, Acura, Honda

Although the big news on the Honda/Acura front was the postponement of the Acura brand launching in Japan, the other shocker was when Takeo Fukui, Honda’s CEO, said that the new NSX won’t be making its debut at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

There’s never been a firm date for the reveal of Honda’s newest supercar, but there’s been considerable speculation that a revamped version of the Advanced Sports Car Concept might bow soon. Considering that Acura won’t be coming to the Land of the Rising Sun until 2010 - at the earliest — and there’s no auto show planned for that year, we may have to wait until October of 2011 before we catch a glimpse of what Honda has up its sleeve. That’s a long way away, so we hope Honda to makes it worth the wait.

[Source: AutoCar]

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Hybrids waning? Toyota Camry Hybrid gets price cut

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Toyota

A recent JD Power finding that hybrid popularity is giving way to more interest in diesel powertrains may have some legs to it after all. Even though gas prices have been hovering above $3 for months, Toyota is still trimming the entry price of its 2008 Camry Hybrid by about $1,000. To help pay for the unexpected price drop, Toyota eliminated standard items like the JBL audio system, leather steering wheel and shift knob, Homelink, and electrochromic mirror with compass. $25,860 will now get you a hybrid powertrain plus steel wheels, and a single CD player, which aren’t exactly luxury components. Unless the folks from Aichi, Japan have achieved manufacturing efficiencies from increased hybrid output, this could be bad news for Toyota and the many automakers on the precipice of introducing their own hybrid systems.

[Source: Auto News (subscription req’d)]