A Mercedes-Benz official told AutoblogGreen that the company still intends to launch the ML450 Two-Mode Hybrid later in 2009 in spite of a lawsuit filed against battery supplier Cobasys earlier this week. Mitsubishi announced that they will supply prototype iMiEVs to Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric by the end of this year for testing.
UPDATE: Official press release from Aston Martin added after the break. High-res gallery below. Click above for a larger image.
Aston Martin has released the first image of its newest flagship - the limited edition One-77. Details are scarce, but the One-77 will be powered by a hand-built 7.0-liter V12 nestled inside an aluminum and carbon fiber chassis. 0-60 times are estimated at 3.5-seconds, with a top speed cresting 200 mph.
77 examples of the £1 million coupe will be produced and customers will be able to customize the bespoke supercar to meet their individual tastes. The One-77 will be revealed later this year (Paris?) and will go on sale shortly afterwards.
This will be the first all-new vehicle from Aston Martin produced after the brand was sold by Ford to a group of investors spearheaded by Prodrive's David Richards. We're also curious to know if the One-77 will play a part in Project Alligator, the rumored collaboration between Aston and Mercedes-Benz. All details will be revealed in due time. Until then let your eyes feast on the only image we have of the upcoming One-77 supercar.
After having maxed-out the Phantom range with sedan, coupe and convertible variants, Rolls-Royce has been hard at work preparing its second range. Known tentatively as the RR4 (following in succession after the three Phantoms), the new "baby Rolls" will be anything but, and is expected to be unveiled next March at the Geneva show.
Based on a heavily-modified version of the BMW 7-series, the RR4 will offer direct competition to the Bentley Continental. And not just the four-door Flying Spur, either. Although the RR4 will initially appear - in concept form - as a sedan, the platform is expected to spawn additional coupe and convertible body-styles just like its big brother and its targeted competitor. Although many details still remain big question marks for the luxury sedan - including whether it will bear the "suicide" rear doors of the Phantom and what engines (including potential diesel and hybrid powertrains) will appear underhood - the RR4 is anticipated to double the output of the stoic British marque from its production of 1000 Phantoms last year to 2000 once production gears up on the as-yet-unnamed baby Roller.
Steve Saleen grabbed our attention when he announced his new company SMS Limited and gave us a preview of his upcoming versions of the Dodge Challenger, the 570TM and 570XTM. Since the preview only showed a rendering of the vehicle, we figured it would be quite some time before we saw an actual product. Our expectations were exceeded, however, when SMS sent us news of their very first product: the 296 Supercharger system for the 5.7L and 6.1L HEMI V8. The system features a massive 2955 cc of displacement as well as an internal intercooler, eight-rib pulley, by-pass valve, high-volume heat exchanger and more. The kit can increase horsepower by as much as 45%, all while fitting neatly underneath the stock hood. Follow the jump to see a full list of features and check out the gallery below.
Toyota is not used to seeing its profit margins drop, as the Japanese auto giant has enjoyed increased profit for nine straight years. Expect that run to end this year, though, as Toyota is discovering that it is not immune to the downturn of the American auto market. For the year, Toyota has revised its sales forecast from 9.06 million units to an estimated 8.74 million. For the first quarter of the year that ended in June, Toyota has also announced that its operating profit took a 39% plunge from lower sales in both the United States and Europe, the increased value of the Yen and higher cost of raw materials. Oh, and then there's the pesky problems of leases. Still, Toyota sales remain fairly strong in this sinking market and a profit is a profit. We'd imagine that this is a problem any one of the Detroit 3 would love to have on its hands.
Click above for more sweet pictures of Uncle Rico's van
In the market for a sweet ride? Consider Uncle Rico's van, which is currently on eBay and located in Columbus, Ohio. The van in question is an orange 1975 Dodge Santana Camper van, which isn't all that noteworthy by itself... but this one was featured in the 2004 cult-classic Napoleon Dynamite, making its new owner an especially lucky fellow. It's got a couple of beds, a stove, a refrigerator and a sink, though a Liger is not included. Take a good look at all the pics in our gallery below and remember to Vote Pedro for President.
Last month we showed you spy photos of Honda's Prius-fighting hybrid testing in the desert, and now we have confirmation that the dedicated hybrid will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October. The hybrid-only model, which looks awfully Prius-like when camo'd, will carry many styling cues from the handsome FCX Clarity. The Honda hybrid will go on sale in 2009, will start at under $20k and is rumored to achieve at least 60 mpg. Honda plans to build 200,000 units per year, with half of the production coming to our shores. The Honda hybrid will utilize a smaller, lighter version of the 1.3L engine from the Civic hybrid, with a CVT transmission and a nickel metal hydride battery pack.
The still unnamed hybrid hatch is just one piece of Honda's larger goal of producing 500k hybrids a year by 2012. Honda is also planning a battery-assisted Fit sub-compact, a new Civic hybrid, and a production version of the CR-Z coupe concept. We're excited to see Honda's dedicated hybrid, which will be the first real competition to the Prius and an honest to goodness alternative for the American consumer.
Click above for high-res gallery of the MINI Cooper Convertible Sidewalk
Fans of the MINI Cooper Convertible take note: the last of the first-generation R52 models has now rolled off the assembly line. The last of the breed was a Cooper S with the Sidewalk package, painted metallic White Silver. If you were hoping to get your hands on this climactic machine, don't get your hopes up -- it's already been sold. Don't fret, though, there is a good side to this story. This stoppage was all planned, of course, and it means that the line will begin retooling for the second-generation R57 model. The next MINI convertible will be powered by the newer BMW/PSA/Peugeot-Citroen 1.6-liter four cylinder engine that should make it a little more frugal than before. Also of note are the new pop-up roll bars that replace the fixed units from the older model. Lastly, the R57 convertible will come in a few new colors, including Interchange Yellow (think hi-liter), Space Blue and the Hot Chocolate hue that had previously only been available on the Clubman.
FasTrak is an "electronic toll collection system" used in California. Once you set up an account, you get a transponder that simply debits your account balance whenever you pass through a toll booth. The system uses RFID technology to broadcast your account information to the toll booth receivers. According to Hack A Day, the system is anything but secure.
Among other problems, an attendee at the Black Hat 2008 conference in Las Vegas found that because the in-car transponders don't require any authentication, anyone with an RFID reader can get the unique ID from any car and then use that in their own transponder. Not only that, but you could also force any other transponder to take on a new ID because of the system's open over-the-air upgrading system.
To change the system would require legislative action since it's all defined by California laws, so Californians shouldn't expect a quick fix. Until -- and if -- a fix comes, we suppose the best that can be done is to make sure you scrutinize your FasTrak bill. And keep an eye out for guys kitted out like Star Trek yeomen wandering the park-and-ride commuter lots... Thanks for the tip, fabienne!
2010 is shaping up to be a pivotal year in the American auto industry. From a product standpoint there will be a lot of interesting hardware in showrooms, including range-extending EVs, plug-in hybrids, clean diesels, pure electrics, and flex-fuel vehicles running on cellulosic ethanol. But it's also shaping up to be the year when the domestic industry will have to deal with its greatest challenge ever.
In short, the "Big Three" are running out of money, and running out fast. At its present spending rate, General Motors will burn through almost all the cash it has in the next 6 quarters. Ford can hold out a little bit longer. And Chrysler? Well, who the hell knows what's going on there?
John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit". Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers. Follow the jump to continue reading this week's editorial.
Just in time for the Olympics, we have this entrant from Dubai who apparently didn't make the team for the U-turn competition was left at home to practice his talent in the streets. In diving across four lanes of traffic from a dedicated right turn lane, he gets points for elements of surprise, style, distance, grace, and follow through. We give him and his Ferrari F430 a 9.3. Follow the jump to see the video. And can anyone tell us, do they even have traffic police in Dubai? Thanks for the tip, J.D.!
Jeep sales are down. They're way down, in fact, posting a 44-percent drop in their daily sales rate last month. Though the larger 'utes are really dragging down sales, even the once-untouchable Wranger has been feeling the sting of escalating fuel prices, as its blocky shape and 3.8-liter V6 engine conspire to deliver awful fuel mileage. Also selling rather slowly are the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro, which are assembled at the same plant in Northwest-Ohio. In an effort to save costs, Chrysler officials are considering reducing the work-week at the Toledo plant from the normal five days down to four and allowing its workers to stay on for ten-hour shifts. While that total still equals the forty-hours from a five-day, eight-hour per day work-week, Chrysler believes it can save on energy and fuel costs by shuttering the plant for an extra day.
If you're a regular Autoblog reader, you'll be familiar with the saga of Porsche's take-over of Volkswagen. But back in the late '40s when Germany lay in post-war shambles with its industry crippled, VW had been re-commissioned by the allies and Porsche was just getting started. Based on the mechanics designed by his father, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche led a team that crafted the very first Porsche, the original 356. That first prototype is still around, known to enthusiasts as Porsche No. 1 and destined to become the centerpiece of the factory's new museum in Zuffenhausen on the outskirts of Stuttgart. To celebrate the company's 60th anniversary, Porsche No. 1 is making the treacherous journey around the world to the United States.
The last time Porsche tried to bring 356-001 over to America, things did not go well. It was ten years ago when the company celebrated its milestone 50th birthday, and the car was badly damaged in Chicago. Long since repaired, Porsche No. 1 is on its way to the Atlanta headquarters of Porsche Cars North America before it makes the transcontinental journey all the way to California for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it's sure to steal the show. Autoblog will be on the links to bring you news and images of its arrival, but in the meantime you can check out the pair of images in the gallery below and details in the press release after the jump.
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Ford F-150
Ford's plans to manufacture the F-100 pickup, its answer for consumers who want a more fuel-efficient pickup, have been shelved (for now). A proposed smaller and lighter sibling to the popular F-150 pickup, the F-100 would have been built at the Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, Michigan. Instead of designing a new small truck, one that consumers may not have warmed up to in the first place, Ford is reportedly making an "unprecedented" investment in more fuel-efficient powerplants to drop under the hood of the best-selling F-150. According to Ford, much of the funding will be directed towards its EcoBoost engines that utilize turbocharging and direct injection to deliver increased power and efficiency. The company is also looking at a technology called "ethanol boosting" which injects a small amount of the biofuel into the engine to increase fuel economy even further. Investing in new engine technology is expensive, but Ford is counting on reduced warranty costs (they have decreased by $1.2 billion in the past 18 months) to help offset development fees.
Jalopnik's Auto Insider has gotten the scoop on the Corvette-like concept that's been floating around the set of the new Transformers flick, Revenge of the Fallen. According to their sources, the design study will debut sometime next year ahead of the Transformers sequel, but won't foretell the future of the next-generation C7 Corvette. Rather, it called the Corvette Centennial Design Concept and was developed to celebrate General Motors' 100-year celebration. The Corvette Centennial Design Concept takes cues from past 'Vettes - from the Stingray to today - and incorporates a Camaro-inspired grille, massive rear fenders and a quad-tip exhaust. All that said, the Centennial concept supposedly wont' influence future Corvettes - for better or worse.
Switzerland is not the most car-friendly place on earth. (Odd, then, that after Monaco, the mountainous country is one of the most popular residence choices for F1 drivers.) But this just puts it over the top. The Swiss Green Party is proposing legislation that would effectively ban supercars. Most sportscars, actually. And SUVs. More than a few luxury sedans, too. Even some small hatchbacks.
The proposed regulations would ban any vehicle over 4800 lbs in weight, producing more than 250 grams of CO2 per kilometer, burning diesel without a new-fangled particulate filter or possessing a front end deemed less than optimal for pedestrian impact. Many of the vehicles on the proposed list of non-compliant new cars would seem logical, according to the Green Party mindset: Aston Martins, Bentleys, HUMMERs, pretty much anything from Italy bigger than a Fiat Panda, most American cars offered in Europe... but wait a second, the Hyundai Getz? Kia Rio? Nissan Micra? Even the Dacia Logan. Somebody's getting carried away in Switzerland, and we hope with the country's populist approach to governance that the Swiss populace will keep their tree-hugging elements in check. Otherwise, we might be riding bikes to next year's Geneva show.
Click above for high-res gallery of Paul Walker's ride in FF4
Filming on the Fast and Furious 4 film has been wrapped up for a few weeks. Despite that, fans will still have to wait until next summer to get their fill of Dom's return. However, that hasn't stopped the franchise from soaking up attention and generating some initial buzz a year early. The lead 2008 Subaru WRX, driven by one Paul Walker, has been making the rounds at automotive events recently. We first spotted it staked out front of the SpoCom show in Long Beach, CA back in June. Now it has turned up at a Motor Press Guild meeting in Los Angeles, CA. Thanks to reader Chad, we also have photos for proof. Surprising enough, the vehicle is not outrageously modified. It features Enkei NT03 wheels painted to resemble the Volk Time Attack series, Veilside seats, a harness bar, Cobb Tuning ECU flash tune, as well as a Veilside body kit that is subtle in comparison to their usual flair.
The WRX is just a sampling of what the next Fast and Furious film will have to offer, too. The story takes place somewhere between the second and third film of the series. As mentioned, it also features the resurgence of Vin Diesel, so we know some American-made rides will flex their muscle. In fact, the Buick Grand National is one that will get its due on the silver screen in FF4. Even though there is an utter lack of GN photos, be sure and check out the gallery below.
There was a time when what we might call super-sedans were largely the province of a dedicated cadre of aftermarket tuners. Companies like Brabus, Alpina and, of course, AMG would generally start with mid-sized German sedans and transform them into something truly special. AMG in particular came to the forefront in 1987 after two decades of building special Mercs when they unleashed the Hammer. They had been building cars for two decades already, but the Hammer took things to a new level by installing a 5.6L V8 from the 560SEC coupe modified with twin-cam four valve heads into the mid-size 300E sedan. With that car, AMG set off an arms race that continues to this day. The tuners are still out there but AMG was eventually brought in from the cold when it was bought by Mercedes-Benz. Today AMG produces high performance versions of almost all Mercedes models and standing near the pinnacle of the lineup is the S63 sedan. Find out what the AMG S63 is like to live with after the jump.
Click above for high-res gallery of the VW Golf VI
In what may be the least shocking news you will read today, Volkswagen will indeed be launching a revised GTI model shortly after its recently revealed sixth-generation Golf (or, Rabbit, as it's known in the U.S.) hits the market. According to Autocar, the next GTI will steer even closer to its original hot hatch mission, with VW reportedly giving the new model a "harder edge" than the current GTI. Underhood, at least in Europe, will be the same 2.0L TFSI engine that powers the base Audi A5, featuring Audi's valvelift technology that helps it offer up 208 hp at 4300 RPM and 258 lb-ft at 1500 RPM. That ought to make for a very spirited, though still relatively frugal ride.
What may be even more interesting news, though, is the replacement for the R32 model. Volkswagen won't be keeping its narrow-angle V6 underhood any longer, instead opting for a high-boost 2.0L with 265 horses and an 'R' moniker. All-wheel drive is also on the menu. Sounds like a bargain Audi TT-S to us, to which we simply say, "yes, please."
Click above for results 2008 J.D. Power Dependability Study
J.D. Power and Associates has just released its 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study that attempts to measure vehicle quality throughout the first three years of owning a vehicle, and for the 14th year in a row Lexus leads all manufacturers with a rating of just 120 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). This year's runner up, surprisingly, is Mercury, though it's a distant second at 151 PP100. Cadillac (155 PP100), Toyota (159 PP100) and Acura (160 PP100) round out the top five spots for brands. Lexus also had the most segment leaders with six vehicles leading their respective category, while Toyota tacked on another five. The study also says that long-term vehicle quality has also improved 5% across the industry in 2008, with the industry average dropping 10 PP100 down to 206 this year.
The Vehicle Dependability Study is based on surveys taken of 52,000 original owners of 2005 model year vehicles. Take whatever stock you will in it, as some argue that subjectivity can skew the results. For instance, Lexus owners may tend to report that their vehicles are running just fine out of pride and loyalty to their brand. Nevertheless, J.D. Power's complete press release and results for the industry and each segment category can be found after the jump and in the gallery below.
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