Volkswagen GTI to get Vision Gran Turismo treatment

Looks like everyone's favorite German hot hatchback will be getting the Vision Gran Turismo treatment. Following the original unveiling of the Mercedes AMG Vision Gran Turismo and the reveal of the BMW Vision Gran Turismo earlier this week, May 23 will see the debut of what we're guessing is the GTI Vision Gran Turismo.

The title for the teaser video kind of gives the whole game away. It's called "#VisionGTI: A GTI for Gran Turismo," and features a pair of Volkswagen exterior designers sampling some older GTIs in GT6. Yes, the hints here aren't exactly subtle. We're also fairly certain about this one based on this post, which confirmed that the VGT cars would become more common in the coming months. There's even a preview image of the GTI that we'll see next week.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

Bentley marks 95th anniversary with special Mulsanne

The top end of the new car market seldom seems to need much justification for rolling out a new special edition - other than bringing in a few extra bucks and making its customers feel extra special in the process. Bentley, for its part, is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion has released a special edition of its top-of-the-line Mulsanne saloon.

Called the Mulsanne 95, the limited-edition limo gets three very British color options, dark-tint finish for the Flying B hood ornament and special 21-inch wheels. Step inside and you'll find two-tone blue and white leather with red top-stitching, with a 95 motif embroidered into the seats and special illuminated treadplates, all offset by special Fulbeck Walnut panels that come from a single, giant walnut tree some 300 to 400 years old that came down in a storm in Lincolnshire in 2007.

Buyers will be able to choose between Britania Blue, Empire Red or Oxford White, but only 15 examples will be made available, and all exclusively in Bentley's home UK market.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

Meyers Manx receives electric powertrain and a big honor

The Meyers Manx is one of the iconic vehicles of the 1960s and is partially responsible for popularizing the dune buggy. Now, the car has another accolade to add to its history. Company founder Bruce Meyers' original 1964 Manx prototype, nicknamed Old Red, is the second vehicle added to the National Historic Vehicle Register. The first one to make it onto the list was Shelby Daytona Coupe CSX2287.

Meyers' prototype Manx used a custom fiberglass monocoque that Volkswagen Beetle parts bolted to, but later models utilized the whole Beetle floorpan. The idea spawned a ton of copycats and became hugely popular. However, the original company went out of business in 1970. Meyers returned to the kit car world in the 2000s with Meyers Manx, Inc. offering a variety of kits to be built from VW components.

In addition to making it to the NHVR, the Manx is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a new electric dune buggy in cooperation with REV-Tec from Las Vegas, NV. At the moment, it's only a prototype called the Manx V (pictured above with Old Red) and packs an electric motor with 83.6 peak horsepower or 40 hp continuous and a 10-kilowatt-hour, lithium-ion battery pack. The rear-wheel drive EV has a theoretical top speed of 62 miles per hour, but the company plans it as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, which limits it to 25 mph to 45 mph depending on the state. According to Autoweek, the business is aiming the V at tropical resorts and plans to release more details at the LA Auto Show in November.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

Toyota's Texas move could boost state's economy by $7.2B in 10 years

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and apparently that includes the Toyota's effect on the economy. The giant Japanese automaker's new headquarters in Plano, TX, will add an estimated $7.2 billion to the state over the next 10 years, according to a new study commissioned by the city and cited by Bloomberg.

The benefits appear to be an absolute steal compared to the direct incentives that Plano and the state are giving Toyota. The report finds that by the time the automaker's campus is complete in 2018, it could have 3,650 full-time workers there at an average salary of $104,000. The city has prepared $6.75 million in grants, plus property tax discounts, according to Bloomberg. In addition to that, the state is offering the business $40 million in incentives from its Texas Enterprise Fund. This is still a fraction of what Toyota is estimated to bring in.

Toyota announced in April that it would move its US operations to Plano after being headquartered in California since 1957. The move affects thousands of employees from the sales and engineering divisions. The first workers will arrive there this fall, but Toyota will eventually have a whole campus in Plano by late 2017. The move is expected to save it huge amounts in taxation and offer employees a lower cost of living. Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz also says that the Texas location puts the headquarters closer to more of the business' factories in the south. Texas certainly appears to be showing it some southern hospitality.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD

There are certain vehicles on sale today that are affected by what I call 'Camry Syndrome.' Named after Toyota's ubiquitous family hauler, Camry Syndrome affects a fair number of cars and trucks, many of which are exceedingly popular with consumers.

The issue I have with these vehicles is that while they're adequate, they lack ambition. Their looks are clean and reasonably attractive, but they're not particularly stylish, let alone adventuresome or - heaven forbid - polarizing. Their interiors are comfortable and well screwed together, with the sort of popular features that consumers expect at a given price point. Their engines are decently powerful and vocal enough to set the heart very slightly aflutter, yet they're not too thirsty. Their transmissions are invisible and their rides are best described with whatever buzzword synonym Joe Consumer might come up with for "sporty" or "luxurious." In short, they're boring.

In reality, provided they sell well, there's really nothing wrong with automakers building Camry Syndrome vehicles - they're reasonably competent at everything and clearly meet a need. The problem is that I want some aspects of my vehicle to be better than others, because contrast breeds character. I wish someone at Acura felt the way I did when it redesigned this MDX for 2014, because for me, there's so much of this premium crossover that's merely middle of the road.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

Petrolicious explores long-term living with Porsche's 9146

After its last video starred none other than the spectacular Ferrari 250 GTO, where was there for the video team at Petrolicious to go? Certainly, in the realm of classics, there are only a few other vehicles that can match the badge and pedigree of the ultra-rare Ferrari. Maybe a Jaguar D-Type or an Aston Martin DBR1? No, this latest video doesn't star either of those British icons. It stars an oft-misunderstood, occasionally derided entry from Germany's most sporting manufacturer - Porsche.

Yes, we've gone from a Ferrari 250 GTO to a Porsche 914/6. As is often the case with Petrolicious, though, the story told about the car by its owner are often more important than the make or model of car being highlighted. That's exactly the case here, as Jack Griffin talks about the 38 years he's spent with this particular Porsche.

Having been born into the Volkswagen fold and introduced to Porsche in the best way possible - behind the wheel of a 356 - Griffin has some interesting stories (including his attempt at running the 12 Hours of Sebring), and he knows a fair bit about some of the 914's attributes.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

2015 Chevy Spark will have lighter, smaller battery

As General Motors gets ready to release the 2015 Chevy Spark EV, it is retooling the Brownstown Battery Assembly to build a new battery system for the chirpy little electric car. The new Spark will lose a few pounds and kWh from its lithium-ion pack, but it will keep all of it's performance specs.

The current Spark EV uses a 21-kWh lithium-ion battery pack with bits made by B456 Systems (previously known as A123 Systems). For the 2015 model, GM is going to build a 19-kWh battery system in-house that will use 192 LG Chem cells. Losing a bit of energy capacity means that the battery system for the 2015 Spark EV will be 86 pounds lighter but it will keep the EPA-rated 82-mile range and 119 MPGe. The 2015 Spark EV also keeps its $26,685 (plus destination) starting price from the 2014 model. The car will once again qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. LG Chem also supplies the cells for GM's other plug-in vehicles from its facility in Western Michigan. The Brownstown production line currently builds the battery packs for the Chevy Volt, the Opel Ampera and the Cadillac ELR.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

Jaguar to finish building six remaining Lightweight E-Types

Back in February of 1963, Jaguar set about making a small run of lightweight E-Types. It recrafted the bodywork out of aluminum, shoehorned in a 3.8-liter straight-six with an aluminum block, stripped out the interior, removed the chrome trim and fitted lighter-weight side windows. The result was a 250-pound reduction in curb weight and a commensurate increase in performance, especially evident on the race track. The company originally set about building 18 examples, but only managed 12. The remaining six were allocated chassis numbers, but were never built. That is, until now.

Fifty years since the last of the original 12 lightweight E-Types were completed, Jaguar has announced that it is preparing to resume production and complete the final six examples. The company has assigned its top craftsmen to the job, who will build the half-dozen continuation Lightweights to the same exact specifications as the original dozen. Former sister-company and perennial arch-rival Aston Martin undertook a similar task (or at least authorized Zagato to do so) when it sanctioned four continuation examples of the original DB4 GT Zagato based on original chassis numbers in 1988, and another two based on original body shells and stock DB4 chassis in 1992.

Jaguar has not yet announced pricing and availability for the continuation Lightweights, but the first old-is-new example is set to debut this summer, whereupon Coventry will release further details. You can bet, though, that each one will be snapped up rather quick at just about any price the British automaker cares to put on them.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

Continental readying tire tread-depth monitor

Too many people ignore their tires. Most enthusiasts know that they are more than just pieces of rubber and are actually one of the most important factors in the ability to control a vehicle. Still, how many cars are driving around with clearly bald tires? Continental Tires thinks it has a solution, and it could start arriving on vehicles as soon as 2017.

The company's new system uses the an updated pressure monitoring system with new software to better understand each tire's rolling characteristics as it wears. The programming compares driving data to known information about how they should behave. Once the readings deviate too far, the system warns the driver to check the tread depth because it could be too low. Continental believes the wear-monitoring system could be available on some models in Europe as part of its electronic Tire Information System in 2017.

The tire company is also working on a further evolution of the system that could monitor load on tires. The software monitors their deformation as they roll and knows if there is too much weight on a corner. If there is, it notifies the driver. Continental even thinks it could link this system with assistance systems that would allow them to adjust for the vehicle's changing weight.

A Continental spokesperson told Autoblog a release date for the tire-wear detection system hasn't been set for the US yet. Scroll down to read the full details in the company's announcement.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More

The story of Maybach, Lorde, her hit song Royals and unintended consequences

People who read this site might be interested in Maybach because it spent almost all of its last revival in the Intensive Care Unit, and its next Lazarus act is expected to commence this November. But so-called millennials who know nothing of Maybach and have no interest in it beyond the curious have driven up the price of digital advertising on one ad-serving platform for the luxury brand more than two-fold, at the same time as they're providing more lessons for Big Data.

A line in New Zealand singer Lorde's song "Royals" released last summer that goes, "But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece," has all kinds of kiddies trying to figure out "WTF is a Maybach?" According to online ad platform ChoiceStream, the spike in searches - even among a demographic "who are totally unqualified" - sent the cost of online advertising targeting potential Maybach buyers up by 233 percent compared to the cost of advertising to all demographics; this even as Google Trends tracked the continued decline of the search term "Maybach." Meanwhile, other luxury automotive brands were paying 148-percent less compared to the price of general advertising in order to reach their target demos.

ChoiceStream said part of the cost increase was due to the fact that it was millennials doing the searching, and because they're so hard to reach, ads delivered to them command a premium. It took a while for the company to notice the paradox that those prized eyeballs boosting the ad value of the product wouldn't provide any benefit to the advertiser. Now that it has, it is redeveloping its algorithms to address the issue. The snafu is a problem that Cadillac, mentioned in the previous line in "Royals" - "We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams," - would probably not mind having.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Read More