Category: Auto Industry

Video: Friends videotape man “trapped” inside C6 Corvette with dead battery

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Videos, Chevrolet, GM, Humor

trapped inside a c6 corvette

How NOT to get out of a C6 Corvette – Click above to watch video after the jump

Are sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette coupes attempting to take out their owners? After one man recently became “trapped” inside his ZR1, another driver, captured above, also believed he was stuck inside his ‘Vette. The real issue here, however, isn’t folks being outsmarted by their cars; it’s that vehicle owners don’t even bother learning how their cars work.

When the battery dies on a C6 Corvette, the door-release buttons stop working. General Motors isn’t in the business of creating sports cars that turn into traps, so it installs (very obviously marked) levers on the floor that, when pulled, manually open the doors. Not rocket science, guys. No need to panic. But hey, when you do freak out, and your friends are kind enough to find it hilarious and videotape it, well, we’re happy to share.

Click past the jump to watch. Just be advised: the language is not safe for work.

Continue reading Friends videotape man “trapped” inside C6 Corvette with dead battery

Friends videotape man “trapped” inside C6 Corvette with dead battery originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 May 2011 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Audi A1 commercial highlights big pieces of a small car

Filed under: Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi

Audi A1 commercial

Audi A1 commercial is big, yet small – Click above to watch the video after the break

The Audi A1 may be small, but the latest home-market spot for the supermini highlights the car’s features in a big way. How big? How about a towering wall of guitar amplifiers that’s really an enormous Bose speaker like those you’ll find inside the A1? Or a movie screen that’s actually the Navigation System display.

We have no explanation why you’d want to jacklight rabbits, as depicted in the commercial, but the A1’s HID headlamp clusters carry out the task. Like those rabbits, Audi’s going to need to proliferate its vehicles worldwide if it wants to meet its goal of becoming the largest luxury automaker in the world, and the A1 is one of those bunnies.

Whatever the case, you’ll definitely want to see it for yourself in the video pasted after the break.

Continue reading Audi A1 commercial highlights big pieces of a small car

Audi A1 commercial highlights big pieces of a small car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 20:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2012 Toyota Prius V still on track for U.S. launch this fall

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Crossover, Toyota

Toyota Prius V

2012 Toyota Prius V – Click above for high-res image gallery

False alarm, Prius fans. According to Toyota, the Prius V MPV is on track to hit the market as scheduled. Reports recently began circulating indicating that the Japanese automaker was delaying the vehicle’s launch due to the lingering impact of this year’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. Word was that a battery shortfall was causing the hold-up, though the manufacturer has now confirmed that the large hybrid will debut this fall as originally scheduled.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the Japanese-market Prius Alpha is still slated to experience a delay of indeterminate length. Hit the jump for the brief press release.

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2012 Toyota Prius V still on track for U.S. launch this fall originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Where big cats are made: A photo tour of Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich plant

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Jaguar, UK, Luxury

Jaguar XJ at Castle Bromwich

A photo tour of Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich factory – Click above for high-res image gallery

All Jaguars, whether steel or aluminum, are fashioned in one place: Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands of England. The factory complex originally made RAF Spitfires and Lancaster bombers for World War II service, then was turned over to car production. In the way of Britain’s carmaking conglomerates, it produced bodies for brands from Riley to Austin to Morris – when our tour guide started working there in 1966 he was in charge of making Nash Metropolitans.

Jaguar has been the sole occupant since 1977, and consolidated all of its production there in 2005, when its Browns Lane plant was shut. We had a chance to tour the site’s C-Block and F-Block recently, where the XJ is assembled and finished. Along the way we came across bodyshells so light they could easily be picked up by one man, a bajillion rivets and miles of adhesive, Ford’s gift of reams of data sheets, the shiniest XJ we’ve ever seen and, of course, signs of Elvis. Have a look at the captioned gallery of high-res photos below to see what’s behind the camouflaged red brick walls of Castle Bromwich.

Where big cats are made: A photo tour of Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Acura press kit causes bomb threat near Automobile magazine offices

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Acura Emblem

Thanks to one very suspicious-looking press kit from Acura, the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan had a bit of a bomb scare on its hands this afternoon. The Japanese automaker sent a special-edition package to our friends at Automobile magazine in conjunction with the release of Thor. That kit happened to find its way into a recycling bin outside of the publication’s Michigan office. A stand-up citizen reported what they thought was a bomb, which resulted in the evacuation of parts of down town.

A helicopter was reportedly called in to provide an eye in the sky for a few hours as well.

We can’t blame the authorities for taking action. The Automobile offices are situated directly across the street from a Federal building, and with the ne’er-do-wells of the world plotting revenge for the termination of the nefarious Osama bin Laden, a little caution is more than warranted.

As of the time of writing, everything had returned to normal around the Automobile enclave. For a look at the kit itself, head over to The Car Connection.

Acura press kit causes bomb threat near Automobile magazine offices originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How GM avoided its own disaster after Japanese quake

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, GM

GM Ren Cen

While Toyota has been one of the automakers hardest hit by the tragic Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters in March of this year, nearly every auto company on the planet felt its impact. Thanks to a global, tight-laced network of interconnected suppliers, manufacturers were left scrambling to make up gaps in the parts chain when Japan’s manufacturing mechanism ground to a halt. As it turns out, General Motors took on the challenge of making sure as many of its plants stayed operational as possible by employing a team of hundreds of employees that worked around the clock.

Officially termed “Project J,” the workers came up with creative solutions to manage the supply interruptions. As a result, GM says that its bottom line for 2011 won’t be significantly impacted by the Japanese earthquake.

In some cases, that meant shifting parts from low-volume plants like the Shreveport, Louisiana facility responsible for the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon to other facilities. GM stressed that it didn’t want to simply walk away from its old suppliers in their darkest days, so the automaker sent a team to Japan to learn how it could help get key factories back up and running. That included sourcing hydrogen peroxide and steel from Korea from two different companies.

The whole effort is incredibly impressive and worth a read if you’ve got the time. Check it out over at The New York Times.

How GM avoided its own disaster after Japanese quake originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Quake fallout may delay Toyota Prius V sales by up to a year

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Japan, Hatchback, Toyota

prius v wagon

2012 Toyota Prius V – Click above for the high-res image gallery

In March, we heard that, because of production delays as a result of the March 11 earthquake in Japan, Toyota was looking at delays for the new Prius V and Prius + models set to go on sale in North America and Europe, respectively. The Detroit News is reporting that those delays could last as long as a year for some buyers due to battery pack shortages.

Despite the production problems, Toyota still launched the the larger Prius variant in Tokyo. But the lack of batteries means that the automaker can only build 1,000 of the three-row models with the lithium ion battery pack per month, and another 2,000 models with the nickel-metal hydride battery pack. That doesn’t quite jive with the automaker’s 18,000 orders for the nickel-metal hydride-equipped five-seater or the 7,000 orders for the pricier three-row model. And that’s just the orders for the up-sized Prius in Japan. The automaker intends to sell about 2,000 units per month each in North America and Europe as well.

In the big picture, Toyota has at least launched the new Prius, and new models should begin trickling in over the next few months. The Prius + won’t be offered in Europe until mid-2012, and it won’t be available in the U.S. at all.

Quake fallout may delay Toyota Prius V sales by up to a year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Autocar and the Lamborghini Aventador are slingin’ in the rain

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Lamborghini

lamborhgini aventador in the rain

Autocar and the Lamborghini Aventador enjoy the wet weather – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We got right up close and personal with the all-new Lamborghini Aventador when our own Matt Davis spent some quality time with the latest raging bull, and the exotic supercar earned itself plenty of high praise. But if our opinion on this newest Lamborghini isn’t enough for you, we would like to offer up another point of view. Steve Sutcliffe of Autocar secured some time with the Aventador and, despite the rain, put together an informative video review.

The clip, which you can view after the jump, is filled with wet-weather drifts, insight from Sutcliffe and the other-worldly howl from that 6.5-liter V12 engine. We’re going to end it here so you can stop reading and start watching.

Continue reading Autocar and the Lamborghini Aventador are slingin’ in the rain

Autocar and the Lamborghini Aventador are slingin’ in the rain originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault Twizy priced at $9,923* in UK, reservations begin

Filed under: Europe, Renault, UK, Specialty, Electric

2011 Renault Twizy
2011 Renault Twizy – Click above for high-res image gallery

Renault announced at the Barcelona Motor Show that it’s now accepting online reservations for its pair of electric Twizy models. The Twizy 45 starts at the bargain-basement price of just €6,990 (that’s only $9,923 U.S. at today’s exchange rate). Of course, at that price, you still need to lease the battery, and Renault says that adds €45 ($64 U.S.) per month. The €6,990 price is only for the Twizy 45, which is powered by a five-horsepower electric motor and can be driven without a license in some countries.

The Renault Twizy (not to be confused with the Twizy 45) is equipped with a 17-hp motor and is available in two trims: Urban and Technic, which start at €7,690 ($10,884 U.S.) and €8,490 ($12,016 U.S.), respectively. Leasing the battery pack for these Twizy models will cost you €49 ($70 U.S.) a month.

The Renault Twizy models are due to go on sale at the end of 2011 in Europe. Reservations can be made by clicking here. Hat tip to Guillaume!

Renault Twizy priced at $9,923* in UK, reservations begin originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Electric motorcycles from Brammo and Zero mix it up in the dirt

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Motorcycle, Electric

Trevor Doniak vs Kris Keefer at AMA Mini Moto SX

Brammo and Zero electric motorcycles at AMA Mini Moto SX – Click above to watch video after the jump

Both Brammo and Zero locked horns in a little friendly competition during last Friday’s AMA Mini Moto SX race in Las Vegas. Brammo pulled the sheets off of a new electric mini bike called the Brammo Encite as well as a full-scale Brammo Engage dirt bike. Fortunately enough for those of us who live far, far away from Sin City, Trevor Doniak was kind enough to strap a camera to his noggin when he hopped in the saddle of his Zero MX. How’d it go? Let’s just say that the electric bikes had no trouble overtaking the much slower internal combustion racers that started ahead of the battery-operated field.

Doniak suffered his fair share of falls during the quick race, including more than one tie-up with a Brammo rider. There’s even some buzz that he was intentionally trying to unseat Kris Keefer from his Brammo steed in order to ensure that a Zero machine held all three spots on the podium.

Is it true? We can’t say either way, but you can check out the video after the jump to decide for yourself.

Continue reading Electric motorcycles from Brammo and Zero mix it up in the dirt

Electric motorcycles from Brammo and Zero mix it up in the dirt originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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