Archive for June, 2009
Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 6.30.09
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Autoblog Comparo: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon vs. Hummer H3T The Wrangler Unlimited and H3T live on the fatter part of the buying curve, but any time a Jeep is summoned to the ring, the other vehicle is inevitably the challenger. Even though the H3T is still relatively new to the world, it came time to find out if it was ready to stand up and fight for its place. |
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Consumer Reports lambasts Honda Insight, ranks it 21 out of 22 vehicles tested Calling it “the most disappointing Honda Consumer Reports has tested in a long time,” America’s most influential product testing magazine has given extremely poor marks to the Japanese automaker’s new Insight hybrid. |
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Officially Official: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni Few names resonate more with the Lamborghini faithful than Valentino Balboni, Lambo’s long-term test driver who’s honed every model to roll off the line since 1973. In an ultimate tribute to Balboni, the Italian supercar manufacturer has created this: the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni. |
Other news of import
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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 6.30.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
BREAKING: Indy chief Tony George reportedly resigns
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs
It’s the end of an era for open-wheel racing in America as Indy chief Tony George has stepped down from his post. The long-time president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, George was widely seen as the impetus for the 1996 split in Indy racing that created the Indy Racing League (IRL) and the rival Champ Car series (formerly known as CART), but he was also instrumental in fostering the merger of the two championships into the new IndyCar Series over which he’s presided.
During his nearly two-decade tenure as the head of the famous race track, George also brought NASCAR, Formula One and MotoGP to the speedway for the first time, vastly expanding the calendar of events at the iconic venue. However, elements within the Hulman-George company that controls the business were concerned with the amount of resources their chief executive put into the reintegrated IndyCar Series and recently asked him to reorganize the company, but Tony evidently decided to step down instead. He’ll be focusing his energies on the Vision Racing team which he fields in the series, while the job he vacates will be split into two: CFO Jeffrey G Belskus will take the reins at the speedway, while chief legal counsel W Curtis Brighton will oversee the operation of the series.
[Source: Autosport | Image: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty]
BREAKING: Indy chief Tony George reportedly resigns originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
REPORT: BMW threatening to oust Lexus as #1 luxury automaker in U.S.
Filed under: Automobile Buying, Trends, BMW, Lexus, Earnings/Financials
Life is hard at the top, whether that precipice happens to be at the zenith of the overall sales chart or of a specific market niche, such as Lexus’ position as the best-selling luxury automaker in the United States. Toyota’s posh brand has held the top spot since the year 2000, with BMW perpetually trailing in second place. Could 2009 finally be the year that BMW breaks through to number one?
So far this year, Automotive News is reporting that BMW’s 76,819 total sales in the States puts the German brand slightly ahead of Lexus, which has moved a total of 73,186 units thus far in ‘09. Both brands are down somewhat from 2008, though BMW’s 30.5% decline is not quite as severe as Lexus’ 37.2% fall. Neither automaker is interested in boasting of its successes in this market, though BMW will gladly accept the extra market share. Talking to Automotive News, Jan Ehlen, a spokesman for BMW of North America, said:
This year’s emphasis is on maintaining our market share and even growing our share a bit. If this results in remaining in the top spot of the premium market, that would be a nice bonus.
Gallery: 2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo
[Source: Automotive News]
REPORT: BMW threatening to oust Lexus as #1 luxury automaker in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
More Audi “Ur-Quattro” revival rumors surface, debut expected in 2010
Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Audi, Rumormill
Rumors of Audi’s plan to resurrect the Ur-Quattro continue to persist, with Auto Motor und Sport reporting that the highly modified A5 is due to arrive sometime next year.
According to the German pub and coinciding with earlier reports, Audi plans to bring the curb weight down to around 3,000 pounds by using scads of aluminum along with polycarbonate windows in place of their glass counterparts. Further weight reductions will come from a lightweight set of 19- or 20-inch wheels and carbon ceramic brakes, while an active rear spoiler, magnetic-ride suspension system and a raced-out interior are rumored to be part of the package.
Naturally, Audi’s all-wheel drive system will be the centerpiece of the reborn Ur-Quattro, but there’s still plenty of questions surrounding the coupe’s powertrain. Audi has supposedly decided to nix the idea of fitting its 4.2-liter V8 and will instead use either a new, twin-turbocharged V6 (odd, considering the automaker put all its efforts into creating a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 for the new S4 and A6) or possibly the 2.5-liter five cylinder currently fitted to the TT-RS in a historical nod to the new Ur’s ancestry. If AMuS is to be believed, anticipate output somewhere between 300 and 425 hp – and there’s also speak of a hybrid variant that would grant for a 20-mile electric-only commute (something about a snowball comes to mind…). Regardless, if the Ur-Quattro does come to fruition, expect it to debut sometime next year to coincide with the original’s 30th anniversary, with pricing set considerably north of the current S5.
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport | Image Source: AutoBild]
More Audi “Ur-Quattro” revival rumors surface, debut expected in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
More Audi “Ur-Quattro” revival rumors surface, debut expected in 2010
Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Audi, Rumormill
Rumors of Audi’s plan to resurrect the Ur-Quattro continue to persist, with Auto Motor und Sport reporting that the highly modified A5 is due to arrive sometime next year.
According to the German pub and coinciding with earlier reports, Audi plans to bring the curb weight down to around 3,000 pounds by using scads of aluminum along with polycarbonate windows in place of their glass counterparts. Further weight reductions will come from a lightweight set of 19- or 20-inch wheels and carbon ceramic brakes, while an active rear spoiler, magnetic-ride suspension system and a raced-out interior are rumored to be part of the package.
Naturally, Audi’s all-wheel drive system will be the centerpiece of the reborn Ur-Quattro, but there’s still plenty of questions surrounding the coupe’s powertrain. Audi has supposedly decided to nix the idea of fitting its 4.2-liter V8 and will instead use either a new, twin-turbocharged V6 (odd, considering the automaker put all its efforts into creating a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 for the new S4 and A6) or possibly the 2.5-liter five cylinder currently fitted to the TT-RS in a historical nod to the new Ur’s ancestry. If AMuS is to be believed, expect output somewhere between 300 and 425 hp – and there’s also talk of a hybrid variant that would allow for a 20-mile electric-only commute (something about a snowball comes to mind…). Regardless, if the Ur-Quattro does come to fruition, expect it to debut sometime next year to coincide with the original’s 30th anniversary, with pricing set considerably north of the current S5.
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport | Image Source: AutoBild]
More Audi “Ur-Quattro” revival rumors surface, debut expected in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.