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- First Drive: 2011 Volvo S60
- Toyota drops in Best Global Brands Rankings, still top auto brand
- Rumormill: Porsche sending off 997 with 500-hp 911 GT3 RS
- Report: First shipment of new and used cars since 2007 arrives in Gaza
- Hyundai moving Elantra production to Alabama
- IndyCar: 2010 Indy Japan 300 settles oval championship [SPOILERS]
- Report: Authorities skeptical of Ford’s new Police Interceptor at testing event
- Spy Shots: 2012 Ford Fiesta ST ready to back up its big brother
- Marchionne pondering Ferrari IPO?
| Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:36 PM PDT
Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Volvo, First Drive, Luxury Not The Naughtiest of Volvos, But Definitely Up To Something 2011 Volvo S60 T6 AWD – Click above for high-res image gallery Volvo has been gearing up the promotion machine for its new S60, and it’s taking an unusual tack, referring to the Swedish automaker’s latest sedan as the sportiest and “Naughtiest Volvo Ever.” This, of course, may seem a bit like proclaiming that Greg was the rebel in the Brady Bunch. It might have been true, but the Swedish automaker’s lineup hasn’t exactly been fraught with the sort of characters that your parents warned you about, has it? If this S60 is ‘naughty,’ it’s probably in the same way that going to prom with your mother is ‘naughty.’ It’s wrong, certainly… particularly for the couple sharing your limo. It might even be a bit dangerous – for your social life – but at the end of the day, the core wholesomeness of both mothers and Volvos can’t be denied, right? Well, perhaps not. After all, although it was developed under the Ford umbrella, this new S60 comes to market with new ownership (China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group) and new leadership (former Volkswagen of America head Stefan Jacoby). And that is some rather sexy sheetmetal – particularly when it’s slathered in such an assertive paint color. But what’s going on beneath the skin? You’ll have to follow the jump to find out. Gallery: 2011 Volvo S60: First Drive Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Volvo S60 First Drive: 2011 Volvo S60 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog   |
| Toyota drops in Best Global Brands Rankings, still top auto brand Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:36 PM PDT
Filed under: Etc., Ford, Toyota Interbrand uses a number of criteria to rank the world’s top global, profitable, publicly-held brands – “global” meaning they operate on at least three continents, derive at least 30% of their income outside of their home market and no single market accounts for more than 50% of their income. Some of those stipulations are why you won’t find companies like Mars or The BBC or even Wal-Mart on the list. But you will find Toyota, which remains the top automotive brand, even with its recent recall and safety woes. The cynic’s view might be to wonder how it can still remain so, with Interbrand’s 10 principles of strong brands including commitment, clarity and responsiveness. But the company had built so much room that it could fall some ways and still be on top, sliding from eight to 11, just ahead of Mercedes at number 12. Interbrand said that while Toyota’s problems were exacerbated by the way the company is set up, it hasn’t been hurt as much as some would have thought and it has proven its resilience over the decades. Oddly, although Ford was cited for having been “extremely innovative with product designs” and having “excelled at marketing its vehicles,” lauded for its resilience, its closing of Mercury and its coming sustainability efforts, it falls one spot from 49 to 50. Don’t take it personally, Ford – you’re still climbing the charts as far as we’re concerned. Elsewhere on the list, Volkswagen gains two places to settle at 53, Audi gains two places to reach 63, Hyundai jumps four spots to 65, Porsche gains two spots to 73, and Ferrari loses three spots to end up at 91. You can find the full report here (PDF warning). [Source: Interbrand] Toyota drops in Best Global Brands Rankings, still top auto brand originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog  |
| Rumormill: Porsche sending off 997 with 500-hp 911 GT3 RS Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:32 PM PDT
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Rumormill Porsche 911 GT3 RS – Click above for high-res image galley Just when you thought that the Porsche 911 GT3 RS couldn’t get any more enticing, word crops up that German sports car manufacturer has a new special edition planned. If the buzz cropping up over at Teamspeed is to be believed, Stuttgart is working up a special edition RS to end all RS models. The car will be limited to just 500 units, each one packing a heady 500 horsepower from a 4.0-liter mill. That represents a 50 horse jump over what’s available in the standard GT3 RS and 65 more ponies than the “base” GT3. The news comes courtesy of Teamspeed member AlexG, who despite the urging of his fellow forum members, won’t share his source. Even so, the GT3 RS Limited Edition is supposed to make use of the same flat-six engine found in the mighty RSR. Pricing is supposed to fall well below the 911 GT2 RS but above the standard 911 GT3 RS. We’re guessing that the sticker will fall somewhere close to $200,000 if/when it goes on sale in July 2011. Gallery: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS [Source: Teamspeed] Rumormill: Porsche sending off 997 with 500-hp 911 GT3 RS originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog  |
| Report: First shipment of new and used cars since 2007 arrives in Gaza Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:29 PM PDT
Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Hyundai, Kia, Middle East Wherever you live, buying a car – new or used – holds its share of challenges. But for the residents of the embattled Gaza Strip, geopolitical issues have made buying a car all but completely impossible. That is, until today, when a shipment of 20 new and used cars arrived by truck for first time since 2007. The freeze has been in effect since the Palestinians elected the militant anti-Israel terrorist organization Hamas to their parliament. Following the elections and the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit (who still remains in captivity four years later), Hamas seized control of the coastal strip and kicked out the established Palestinian Authority, prompting the implementation of sanctions and a tightening of the borders by neighboring Israel and Egypt. The Palestinian Authority, governed by the secularist Fatah party of chairman Mahmoud Abbas, still controls the disputed West Bank territories of Judea and Samaria, as well as border control along the Gaza Strip. Israel has been easing sanctions as a good will gesture as part of currently ongoing peace talks with Abbas. The new shipment consisted primarily of new and used Hyundai and Kia models arriving via the Kerem Shalom border crossing named after the local agricultural commune, but which Palestinians call Kerem Abu Salem. With no local car industry, many of the cars in the Palestinian-controlled territories are stolen from Israel proper. Thanks to Brady for the tip. [Source: BBC News | Image: Said Khatib/AFP/Getty] Report: First shipment of new and used cars since 2007 arrives in Gaza originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog  |
| Hyundai moving Elantra production to Alabama Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:28 PM PDT
Filed under: LA Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai 2011 Hyundai Avante/Elantra – Click above for high-res image gallery Hyundai is getting ready to launch its redesigned Elantra here in the United States. Not only will it sell that car here, it will also be built here as well. Slated to join its Sonata and Sante Fe siblings, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra will be built at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama facility in Montgomery, Alabama. Already on sale in South Korea, the redesigned Elantra will join a strong Hyundai lineup that aims to take a larger slice of the U.S. automotive vehicle sales pie. The design is attractive, the fuel-economy rating should be good, the interior will be feature packed and we expect the price to be just right. According to CEO and President of Hyundai Motor America John Krafcik,
The North American-spec 2011 Hyundai Elantra is expected to make its North American debut at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, and sales of the re-designed model are earmarked to begin early in 2011. Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Avante / Elantra [Source: Hyundai] Continue reading Hyundai moving Elantra production to Alabama Hyundai moving Elantra production to Alabama originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog  |
| IndyCar: 2010 Indy Japan 300 settles oval championship [SPOILERS] Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:26 PM PDT
Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing  2010 Indy Japan 300 – Click above for high-res image gallery Heading into Saturday, only two races remained in the 2010 Izod IndyCar Series season, and the championship is coming down to the wire. Team Penske’s Will Power raced to an early lead in the standings, his dominating performances on the road and street courses earning him the inaugural Mario Andretti award as the road course champ. Team Target Chip Ganassi teammates Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon headed to Japan in second and third respectively and first and second in the oval championship standings. Power’s lead before the green flag waved at Twin Ring Motegi was 17 points over Dario, the same lead Franchitti has over Dixon in the race for the A.J. Foyt oval champ award. This weekend’s Indy Japan 300 was crucial, with the potential to end with both championships decided even though the season’s final race at Homestead is still two weeks away. Follow the jump to see how it played out. Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Kentucky Indy 300 [Images: Jonathan Ferrey, Chris Graythen/Jiji Press/AFP/Getty, Shizuo Kambayashi, Greg Baker/AP] Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Indy Japan 300 settles oval championship [SPOILERS] IndyCar: 2010 Indy Japan 300 settles oval championship [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog  |
| Report: Authorities skeptical of Ford’s new Police Interceptor at testing event Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:25 PM PDT
Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Police/Emergency 2012 Ford Police Interceptor testing – Click above for high-res image gallery Michigan law enforcement officials have gathered to run a rodeo with the Ford Police Interceptor, Dodge Charger Pursuit and Chevrolet Caprice police car. The last horse standing will be trying to slide into the spot left by the Ford Crown Victoria, which sold about 50,000 units per year before going out of production. Ford doesn’t have the inside line on replacing its standard bearer, though, because the Taurus-based Police Interceptor is front-wheel drive, and that makes some officers skeptical. An officer’s remark that “It is a whole different driving system” symbolizes the wariness, with concerns not only about cost and complexity, but just being able to drive the thing in the way officers are accustomed. The competition is rear-wheel drive, and in the case of the Caprice – which ran the police fleet show until it went out of production – there’s more interior room. All the cars have their give-and-take, although the Ford is the only offering with all-wheel drive. Final results from the weekend’s testing will be announced in December. Gallery: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor Photos by Steven J. Ewing / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc. [Source: Detroit Free Press] Report: Authorities skeptical of Ford’s new Police Interceptor at testing event originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog  |
| Spy Shots: 2012 Ford Fiesta ST ready to back up its big brother Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:25 PM PDT
Filed under: Spy Photos, Performance, Hatchback, Ford 2012 Ford Fiesta ST – Click above for high-res image gallery We can’t find much fault with the 2011 Ford Fiesta, but if there’s one major gripe, it’s a lack of power (well, and paddle shifters for the dual-clutch gearbox). However, it looks like that lone complaint may be addressed with the introduction of the Fiesta ST, the smaller sibling to the recently revealed Focus ST. Similar to the mule caught in Detroit earlier this year, the three-door Fiesta is back with a massive front-mount intercooler, revised body work, new wheels and a high-performance exhaust, along with some racy Recaros that probably won’t make the trek from prototype to production. While it’s doubtful Ford would port over the Focus ST’s 247 horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBoost mill, the 180-hp turbo’d 1.6-liter or rumored EcoBoost 1.4 are definitely in the cards. With the Focus ST finally having a shot in the States, the globally-certified Fiesta ST might come along for the ride. And maybe a set of paddle shifters will be included in the package. Gallery: Spy Shots 2012: Ford Fiesta ST [Source: KGP Photography] Spy Shots: 2012 Ford Fiesta ST ready to back up its big brother originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog  |
| Marchionne pondering Ferrari IPO? Posted: 20 Sep 2010 07:25 PM PDT
Filed under: Earnings/Financials, Ferrari, Fiat Ferrari 458 Challenge racer – Click above for high-res image gallery If you’re reading Autoblog right now, then there is a pretty good chance you’d love to own a Ferrari at some point in your life. Unfortunately, there is a far, far greater chance that your garage will never feature the Prancing Horse. But just because you can’t own a California or 458 Italia doesn’t mean you can’t own a chunk of the Maranello-based supercar maker. Automotive News reports that Fiat S.p.A CEO Sergio Marchionne says that there is a chance the automaker could issue an IPO for Ferrari by 2014. We know that some enthusiasts will jump at the chance to purchase a single share of Ferrari stock. It would look damn cool to feature a share of Ferrari stock hung on the most important wall in the house. But how much can a company that only sells just over 6,000 vehicles per year be worth? Apparently quite a bit. Morgan Stanley recently valued the exotic car maker at $3.1 billion, or $100 million more than Fiat’s volume brands. It doesn’t hurt that Ferrari routinely pulls in profits of $300 million to $400 million with ridiculous profit margins of 13 percent per very pricey vehicle. Of course, Ferrari also pulls in quite a bit of coin with its ridiculous branding efforts that include everything from clothing to electronics. While a Ferrari IPO would net quite a bit of liquid gold for Fiat, Marchionne also mentioned that he’d love for Turin, Italy-based automaker to revert back to its traditional ownership stake of 90 percent. Since Enzo Ferrari passed down 10 percent of his company to his son, if Fiat hits 90 percent, an IPO is out of the question. Gallery: Ferrari 458 Challenge racer [Source: Automotive News - sub. req.] Marchionne pondering Ferrari IPO? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments View full post on Autoblog  |
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