cars

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Work, Ford, Specialty
Will the new Police Interceptor be a toughened Taurus SHO? - click above for high-res image gallery

Just a quick note: The Detroit News is reporting that the next Ford Police Interceptor will be based on the same platform as the Taurus. For you platform geeks out there, that's the Ford D3 chassis that underpins everything from the the Lincoln MKS to the Volvo XC90 to the Ford Flex (though the Flex and the Lincoln MKT ride on a lengthened version called D4). Yesterday, we explained that a new Police Interceptor is showing up tomorrow (Friday, March 12) in Las Vegas and that it probably won't be riding on the Panther platform. Regardless, the concept will be unveiled at the Vegas Motor Speedway.

There's still no official word from Ford on the matter, however. However, if the new Interceptor is in fact Taurus-based, that means no rear-wheel drive Falcon in the United States. Which is a definite bummer. Also, while there are all-wheel drive variants of the D3 platform - and we think it's safe to assume that if the new Police Interceptor is D3-based it will be AWD - it lacks frame rails. Has Ford figured out a way to make a unibody car tough enough for police work? We shall see. And if the new PI is a Taurus, will it be based on a modified 365-horsepower SHO? We'd wager yes. Let's just hope they fit some bigger brakes for cop duty, eh?

Gallery: Review: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO
[Source: The Detroit News]DetNews: New Ford Police Interceptor to be Taurus-based originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Traffic fatalities in 2009 reached the lowest level since 1954,
according to preliminary statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The estimated toll for 2009 fell to 33,963 deaths, a drop of almost 9 percent from 2008’s tally of 37,261 deaths.

If the final numbers hold true, then 2009 will mark the fourth year in a row of declining traffic deaths on U.S. roads. Total deaths have been reduced even while the number of cars and drivers have increased. Miles traveled has stayed the same. That’s demonstrated by significant drops in the fatality rate, which looks at deaths per 100 million miles traveled. The fatality rate itself has also declined for years on end, dropping from 1.46 in 2005 to 1.16 in 2009. Full 2009 fatality statistics will be available this summer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) attributes the reduction in deaths to the success of its high-visibility law-enforcement campaigns such as the “Click It or Ticket” program aimed to increase seat belt use, which is now at its highest national level of 84 percent. NHTSA also credits its anti drunk-driving campaign, “Over the Limit. Under arrest.” Other factors affecting the decline in fatalities are safer roads and vehicles, especially with vehicles increasingly equipped with electronic stability control and side-curtain air bags.

NHTSA says it will continue to focus on buckling up and drunk driving campaigns and on its more recent mission, distracted driving, which has emerged as a growing problem in recent years thanks to the rise of cell phones and text-messaging.

There is more that can be done. Consumer Reports recently cited eight things that can dramatically improve auto safety. In addition, parent organization Consumers Union has called for changes to strengthen U.S. car-safety net. And it is presenting many of these concepts today in Washington, D.C.

—Liza
Barth

Filed under: Truck, Work, Chrysler, Dodge, Diesel

During last summer's bankruptcy proceedings, New Chrysler chose not to contract Cummins to produce a light-duty diesel engine for the its Ram pickup trucks. At a rumored 5.0 liters of displacement, this diesel engine would have been somewhat less powerful but also less expensive and more fuel efficient than the larger 6.7-liter inline six-cylinder diesel, also supplied by Cummins, in heavy duty Rams.

Now our friends from PickupTrucks.com report that Dodge may be back in the light-duty diesel game. Joe Veltri, Chrysler vice president of product planning, reportedly said at the NTEA Work Truck Show, "We're in discussions with Cummins. There's no contract [with Cummins] but [a light-duty diesel] is in our plan."

As an aside, it seems as if the so-called light-duty engine could also find its way into the Heavy Duty 2500 and 3500 Ram trucks in addition to the expected 1500. "Does every guy need a 6.7-liter diesel? It could certainly package in a heavy duty," Veltri said.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]Report: Chrysler reconsidering light-duty diesel for Ram originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet
2010 Chevrolet Malibu patent drawings - Click above for high-res image gallery

Over the past nine months, we've seen the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu twice at General Motors media events that were closed to the public. On neither occasion were we allowed to take any photographs of the styling buck, but now we can finally show you what the next Malibu looks like. A General Motors filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows what is obviously an unidentified Chevrolet four-door sedan.

It retains all of the standard Chevrolet design features including the dual-port grille and four individual tail lights. Compared to the current and very well reviewed Malibu, the new car has more sculpted surfaces, especially around the corners. The chopped off tail of the current generation car is generally considered to be the weakest part of that design, and the new model addresses that area with what looks to be a much more attractive posterior.

The new Malibu will ride on the same Epsilon II platform that underpins the Buick LaCrosse and Regal. The new model will have a shorter wheelbase than the 112.3-inch span of today's car, but it's not clear if it will be as short as the 107.8-inch wheelbase of the new Buick Regal. The new Malibu will, however, be both wider and taller than the current model. The interior is also significantly upgraded with higher quality materials as GM tries to keep up with the advances of new models from Ford.

The next Malibu will probably debut in late in 2011 as a 2012 model, and we may see it in public at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. The timing of the Malibu should line up nicely with the Ford Fusion/Mondeo replacement and make for a very interesting battle in the mid-size sedan market.

Gallery: 2012 Chevrolet Malibu patent drawings
[Source: Carscoop]2012 Chevrolet Malibu design completely revealed in patent filings? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

A mere 10 years from now Audi expects 5 percent of its sales will be electric vehicles. That’s not the wishful thinking of tree-huggers or even the fanciful projection of some think-tank. It is the bold prediction of Michael Dick, Audi’s technology chief.
Audi is getting into electrics in a big way, creating a specific brand called e-tron and rolling one out slick concept after another. The  latest, the A1 e-tron range-extended EV, could see production within a few years. Dick tells Automotive News Audi is solidly behind the EV push. Ingolstadt already has said it will build the sexy e-tron electric sports car by 2012.
“A prototype will soon be tested and Audi will head into intensive trials with three to four vehicles by the end of the year,” he told the scribes at AN.
As for the A1 e-tron (pictured), it looked like it could roll into a showroom tomorrow when Audi unveiled it at the Geneva auto show. Audi hasn’t said it will build the little EV, but given its recent pro-EV announcements and tightening emissions regs, which way would you bet?
“Audi’s management board hasn’t officially made a decision on the A1 e-tron, but it’s very likely that the concept will be built,” Dick said.
Dick expects the car, if approved, would have a three-year development period. The 102 horsepower A1 e-tron is projected to have a battery range of about 50 kilometers (31 miles) in city traffic. When the lithium-ion battery runs out of juice, a small Wankel rotary engine kicks in to generate the electricity to keep the wheels turning.
For the record, Audi sold 75,900 cars worldwide last month.
Photo: Audi
See Also:

Audi Brings a ‘Premium Compact’ To the EV Party
Audi Says Ja! to EVs
Audi’s Electric Car Gets Even Hotter

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Nissan
2010 Nissan GT-R - Click above for high-res image gallery

The illustrious Nissan GT-R is, quite possibly, one of our favorite cars currently in production. Now entering its third year in America, Godzilla receives a few minor tweaks for 2011, including some minor suspension tuning, a double clear coat on its front and rear fascias, new rear cooling ducts and - wait for it - slightly darker wheel center caps than on the 2010 model that is pictured. Additionally, the 2011 GT-R - henceforth only available in Premium trim - gets more standard features, including auto on/off headlamps, speed-sensitive windshield wipers, Bluetooth, a USB iPod interface and XM NavWeather and NavTraffic. All of this can be yours for $85,060 (*including $1000 destination charge), which represents an increase of $1,020 over the 2010 GT-R Premium. Get your pocketbooks out.

Curiously, the folks at Nagtroc.org are reporting that just 315 GT-R units are slated to come to the U.S. during the 2011 model year. That striking us as odd, we talked with Nissan spokesperson Darryll Harrison, and he says that the automaker can't confirm the limited production volume. Hmmm. The 2011 model is just now hitting the nearly 700 GT-R certified Nissan dealers across the country, though if the unit constraint holds up, it's likely that more than half of the approved showrooms will never see one. Either way, hit the jump for the full details in Nissan's press release.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R
[Sources: Nissan, Nagtroc.org]Continue reading Nissan only offering GT-R Premium for 2011, priced from $85,060* - will volume be constrained?Nissan only offering GT-R Premium for 2011, priced from $85,060* - will volume be constrained? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Europe, Porsche, Luxury

Porsche Panamera Convertible patent drawing - click above for high-res image gallery

See, apparently we aren't crazy, though we may have been a little smidge off the mark. Back in October, we reported that Porsche had begun work on an open top version of their then new Panamera super sedan. Only we said it would be a two-door 'cause, you know, drop top and all that. Whoops! If these alleged German patent office images from Autocar are anything to go on, Porsche is going after the highly nuanced (to put it mildly) - and presumably lucrative - four-door convertible market, joining the ranks of such noted automakers as... those dudes in Miami that chop the tops off Chrysler 300Cs. Okay, fine, the Maybach 62 Landaulet is kinda like a four-door convertible (but not quite), though at $1.35 million, it actually might compete in a different segment. And yes, yes - we know - the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is technically a four-door convertible.

But never mind any of that, as judging by these images, the Porsche Panamera convertible looks to be pillarless, something that the neither the $25,000 Jeep nor the mega-bucks Maybach can lay claim to. As such, the Panamera's chassis would presumably have to be beefed up in a major way to retain some semblance of stiffness and rigidity. Though maybe not quite as much as you (and we) might think. If you look closely at the patent images, you can see that, like the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drop Head Coupe, the A-pillar has been reinforced with a mini-triangle. You'll also note that the Pan's butt isn't any bigger than before, suggesting a folding cloth top as opposed to a space-intensive retractable hardtop. Back to chassis strength - thanks to modern production techniques, it's possible to substitute in thicker gauge steel that will increase stiffness without adding as much weight as traditional afterthought convertible chassis bracing.

And where does this leave those of us wishing for a modern-day 928? Not in a very good place, we're afraid. These patent drawings clearly show that the new, most-likely upcoming Panamera Convertible has been engineered as a four-door from the get-go, and never a duoporte. Shame...

Gallery: Porsche Panamera Convertible patent drawing
[Source: Autocar]Alleged patent images for Porsche Panamera convertible turn up originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Groan. Remember the $350,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom parked in front of a Walmart? Apparently it's not an isolated case. That's right, according to a new survey by TeleNav, most Americans use their navigation systems to find the Arkansas-based mega-store full of cheap stuff that Sam built. The great burning irony, of course, is that most cars with navigation systems are "luxury" products. Though of course that's changing, as navigation systems are making their way into lower strata vehicles and portable units and smart phones offer full GPS at much lower prices.

After Walmart, us Americans are searching for Starbucks, Target, Best Buy and Bank of America, respectively. Full disclosure time. Have we ever used a nav system to find a Walmart? Yeah, once, but we were in Louisiana and in need of spray paint (don't ask). We'll sleep okay tonight. We do, however, wonder how many two-gallon pickle jars would fit inside an Audi Q7.

[Source: AOL Autos]Study: Where do our nav systems take us most? Walmart originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, GM

Without the government bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, the U.S. auto industry would likely have two fewer domestic automakers and hundreds of thousands of high paying jobs would be history. The Detroit News reports that ex auto task force chief Steve Rattner recently told an audience at a bankruptcy conference that the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit would have faced municipal bankruptcy if Chrysler and GM were liquidated.

Instead, Rattner claims the government bailout not only saved untold thousands of jobs and two enormous American car companies, but the price tag for the government is shrinking as time goes on. Initial estimates by the task force showed that the auto bailout would cost U.S. taxpayers $20 billion or $30 billion after GM and Chrysler's initial stock sale, but Ratner claims that the current price tag is $10 billion or less. The estimated loss has gone down due in part to the fact that old GM's assets are worth more than previously estimated and The General is turning around its operations more quickly than originally thought. If GM continues to surprise and delight, the government may even make some money when it goes public with a stock offering this year or next.

Would the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan have gone bankrupt if GM and Chrysler were liquidated? There is no way to be sure, but if the government hadn't stepped in and bailed them out, its inaction would have probably cost taxpayers untold billions of dollars as well.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Neilson Barnard/Getty]Ratner: Auto bailout saved Michigan from bankruptcy originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google Maps has finally added bike routes. That’s  great — but how well does it work?
You tell us.
Google’s “Bike There” mapping tool provides directions for cyclists in 150 cities and covers some 12,000 miles of trails. There’s no way we can even begin to assess the accuracy of so vast a dataset. We don’t have to. We’ve got you. Help us crowdsource a review. Is Google Maps for bikes “pretty awesome,” as one cyclist told the Boston Globe? Or is it “full of potentially fatal flaws,” as the New York Post claims. Let us know.
Here’s what you  do: Map out a route. Any route. Ride it. Snap some pics along the way. Then send us a blurb telling us about it. How direct was the route? How good were the roads? Did it try to put you on the Long Island Expressway or over that hors catégorie hill climb between you and the office? Anything and everything that might come to mind is fair game.
In about a week or so we’ll compile the best of the blurbs into a review and pick one or two submissions at random for a prize.
Photo of a cyclist braving Times Square: Matteo De Felice / Flickr

Filed under: Truck, Work, GM, GMC, Luxury
2011 GMC Sierra Denali HD - Click above for high-res image gallery

GMC, the "Professional Grade" truck maker under the General Motors umbrella, isn't finished adding luxe touches to its Heavy Duty series of Sierra pickup trucks. Just yesterday, GMC rolled out a brand-new Denali version of the HD pickem-up truck, but later this year at launch it will be available only as a crew-cab, four-wheel drive, single-rear wheel, three-quarter-ton model.

Before the end of the year, though, GMC will begin spreading the Denali love down its entire line-up of heavy haulers, and PickupTrucks.com is reporting that the dual-rear wheel dually chassis will be included. Naturally, a choice of either the 6.0-liter gasoline-powered V8 or the torque-tastic 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V8 will be the biggest choice at the time of purchase, followed by the buyers selection of either black, gray or white. Pricing has not yet been announced.

Gallery: 2011 GMC Sierra Denali HD
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]Report: New GMC Sierra Denali HD to get the dually treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Etc., Design/Style

Ji Yong-Ho Shark 6 - click above for high-res image gallery

Art and cars is always a tricky subject. We saw what happened when BMW selected art world mega star Jeff Koons to design their next art car. Long story short, confusion, blinking eyes and a whole lot of chin scratching. However, we think in the case of South Korean artist Ji Yong-Ho, there's just going to be nodding heads and wide smiles. Why? Just look at how amazing his work is.

For those of you that are forced by your significant others to watch Project Runway ("Hi, honey!") no doubt remember last week when style guru Tim Gunn sent them all to the hardware store and contestant Jay won over the judges with his pants made out of contrasting garbage bags. Don't ask how, but we see a similarity (or are just hot to confess that we watch Project Runway in the most manly way possible). Either way, the New York-based Yong-Ho is using old tires to craft his creations. We enthusiastically approve.

Gallery: Ji Yong-Ho's Tire Art
[Source: Gana Art]Ji Yong-Ho's tire creatures are steel-belted radness originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments