Auto Sources

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, SUVs, Jeep

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Jeep Compass

We weren’t really sure what direction Jeep was heading when it introduced the Compass in 2007. Built on a shared platform with the Dodge Caliber, the Compass goes against what we normally think a Jeep should be – rugged, tough, capable, and… well… square. The departure from classic Jeep styling hasn’t received rave reviews, and the interior has been a source of complaints, as well. Does the Compass deserve the criticism it’s been receiving? We aimed to find out and secured a 2008 4

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Ford, Australia, FPV

“You guys are obsessed with rear wheel drive,” Alan Mulally mused to the Australian press after a browbeating about which pair of wheels might propel the Falcon into the future. Try as they might, the Ford Chief wouldn’t be pinned down about the chassis architecture of future Falcons, saying only that the choice would be customer driven, and plugging front and all-wheel drive automobiles as “pretty spectacular.”

Mulally is right that Ford’s global push to put exceptional small automobiles in showrooms is what the automaker’s focus is and should be. The Falcon has long fallen off its sales peak from the halcyon days of two decades ago, and while Mulally agrees that it’s “an completely dynamite car,” small automobiles in the future will prop up the more niche-y vehicles like the FG Falcon. Mulally went on to say that Australia will serve as an engineering and product development outpost for Ford, and the big-vehicle prowess in Oz will be useful regardless of layout. As Ford pulls its global platforms together, the Ranger and Focus will come at us from Australia, too.

Continue reading State it ain’t so: Ford Falcon could go front-wheel drive

Filed under: Motorsports

Click above image for high-res gallery of Grand Prix of Sonoma

Motor racing is, of course, highly competitive, and the logistics highly complicated. The higher the level of racing, the more competitive and the more complicated. But racing fans expect to see it duked out on the track, not on the way there. That’s why it was so disappointing when the transporter carrying Penske’s Indy racing team to Infineon (formerly known as Sears Point) in Sonoma, California, went up in flames on the interstate.

For any other team, even a lesser incident would have called the curtain on their race weekend. But as we reported on Thursday, Penske has a history of turning adverse circumstances like these into victory. Was the team able to perpetuate the legacy, or did it succumb to the circumstances? For the sake of those who have this past weekend’s Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County cued up on TiVo, we’ll keep the results after the jump. Follow along to read on.

Continue reading Penske Racing: to Infineon and Beyond (SPOILER ALERT)

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

In the world of Hollywood where so many people are vacuous prima donnas, Paul Newman is one of the great exceptions. He’s considered one of the greatest American actors and one of the classiest human beings. However, after 83 years, the Newman era is drawing to a close. About 18 months ago, Newman was diagnosed with lung cancer and he’s not expected to live past the end of September.

Many fans of his acting are not aware of Newman’s almost four-decade long involvement in motorsports. Over the years he has racked up a second place finish at the 24 hours of Le Mans and a GTS class victory at the 1995 Daytona 24 hours… at the age of 74. For the last 25 years he and Carl Haas have owned one of the most successful IndyCar/ChampCar teams of the era, as well. Off the track and sound stage he has also raised over $200 million for charity through the Newman’s Own brand of foods.

On August 13, the Lime Rock Park race track near his Connecticut home shut down for a couple hours so that Newman could take a few final laps in his GT1 Corvette. The world will certainly be a poorer place with his passing. If you haven’t watched The Hustler, The Sting, or Butch and Sundance recently, now’s probably a good time to put them in your NetFlix queue. Thanks for the tip, Luke!

[Source: SpeedTV]

Filed under: Auction Action, Chevrolet, Celebrities, Special/Limited Editions

Click above for more images of the Batmobile, circa 1989

Built atop a lowly Chevrolet Impala chassis (or two), we don’t imagine that the next owner of the Batmobile in this auction will be pulling too many Batman-esque stunts. Still, to own one of the cars used by Michael Keaton and Kim Basinger in the 1989 Tim Burton-directed movie is pretty cool. A few salient facts: This sucker is 20-feet long and 8-feet wide, so you’re going to need a Bat Cave-sized garage. It’s powered by a (probably anemic) Chevy 350 V8, so it’s fuel mileage theoretically approaches that of the fictional turbine engine depicted in the flick. Lastly, the new owner will need you to sign a Warner Brothers buy agreement, which we hear is pretty limiting in what it grants you to do with the vehicle. Still, how many people can actually state, “I think I’ll take the Batmobile to work this day?” Therefore, we deem this vehicle epic. Thanks for the tip, BMW122487!

[Source: eBay Motors]