Category: Auto Industry

Official: Bugatti to debut special Grand Sport Vitesse ‘Legend Jean-Pierre Wimille’ during Monterey Car Week

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Bugatti, Misc. Auto Shows, Design/Style, Luxury

Bugatti has announced that it will offer the Legend, a special-edition run of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse that pays homage to six heroes of the carmaker’s long, storied past. Officially the world’s fastest car with its top down (try keeping your toupee on at 254 miles per hour), Bugatti will enhance the special Vitesses visually with design cues from the cars that its heroes drove.

The first Legend honors Jean-Pierre Wimille, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice for Bugatti and was one of the company’s longest-serving test drivers. He won in 1937, co-driving a 57G Tank with Robert Benoist, and in 1939, co-driving a 57C Tank with Pierre Veyron. Fittingly, the Veyron Legend dedicated to Wimille is blue, just like the 57G that he drove at Le Mans in 1937. In Bugatti’s own words, it “now shines in blue clear-coated carbon fiber and a light Wimille Bleu paintwork.” The 57G-based design language continues into the interior, with numerous details, such as materials and colors, that represent what Wimille would have experienced driving the Bugatti.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. It also should be noted that the Wimille edition Legend will be limited to a production run of three. As for the other five Legend editions? All we know is that they’ll be launched over the next 12 months. Look for the Wimille Legend on display next month in Monterey, Calif., at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

In the meantime, scroll down to check out the history-heavy Bugatti press release. No photos of the Veyron Legend were provided, so feel free to visit the gallery we included of the Grand Sport Vitesse’s record-setting open-top run.

Continue reading Bugatti to debut special Grand Sport Vitesse ‘Legend Jean-Pierre Wimille’ during Monterey Car Week

Bugatti to debut special Grand Sport Vitesse ‘Legend Jean-Pierre Wimille’ during Monterey Car Week originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Is TrueCar’s new female car shopper ad sexist? [w/poll]

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Controversial Truecar commercial with female car shopper - screencap

TrueCar is getting bashed in both traditional and social media venues over a 30-second ad that’s gone viral due to what some perceive as sexist overtones. The ad features a number of women talking about using TrueCar for their latest vehicular purchase, and how the website takes the “anxiety” out of buying a car. It ends with the line, “I don’t need to bring a dude with me.”

The backlash, particularly on TrueCar’s Facebook page has been pretty severe, with angry women firing away at the service over the spot. In response to the bad press it’s been getting on sites like BuzzFeed and AdWeek, TrueCar’s PR agency, PGCCampbell, and the company’s founder and CEO, Scott Painter, issued the following statement:

“Regardless of race or gender, being a more informed car buyer benefits consumers. TrueCar supplies a hassle-free experience for both men and women by providing car-buying information the public can’t get elsewhere.

This particular ad is pro-consumer and pro-women. It was developed by our creative director, who is a woman, and it addresses a real consumer issue in the marketplace.”

Judge for yourself by screening the video below. Then vote in our poll and leave your thoughts in Comments. Has TrueCar been watching a bit too much Mad Men, or are people overreacting?

View Poll

Continue reading Is TrueCar’s new female car shopper ad sexist? [w/poll]

Is TrueCar’s new female car shopper ad sexist? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch Sabine Schmitz race Ron Simons at Spa in a BAC Mono throwdown

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Videos

Last month, RSR Nürburgring put the Queen of the Nürburgring, Sabine Schmitz, up against Ron Simons, an instructor at the Ring (which we suppose makes him one of Sabine’s subjects). In that video, the two tangled on the Ring, with the German in her personal Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the Belgian in the excellent Ferrari 458 Italia. The Queen was victorious.

The next challenge saw Schmitz and Simons on the Belgian’s home turf, at Spa-Francorchamps. The cars, this time around, would be equal – two BAC Monos – meaning Schmitz didn’t have the luxury of using her personal vehicle. Factor in that the track was, rather appropriately for Spa, soaked, and that Simons claimed he’d never lost a race at Spa in the wet, and you’d be forgiven for think Sabine’s goose was cooked.

Take a look at video below. You might be surprised by the result.

Continue reading Watch Sabine Schmitz race Ron Simons at Spa in a BAC Mono throwdown

Watch Sabine Schmitz race Ron Simons at Spa in a BAC Mono throwdown originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Seat Leon ST longroof revealed

Filed under: Budget, Wagon, Europe, SEAT

Seat has officially unveiled the Leon ST – the first estate/wagon version of the Leon ever offered – which expands the third-generation Leon and Leon SC lineup that went on sale last year.

With the introduction of the ST (Sport Touring) comes driver-assistance technology new to the Leon range, including adaptive cruise control, adaptive chassis control and progressive steering. But the main reason you’d opt for the estate is probably for its cargo capacity, which starts at 20.7 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and stretches to 51.9 cubic feet when they’re folded down. Seat did a good job keeping the Leon’s identity after revising it into wagon form, but despite the ST’s clean lines, it comes very close to looking like a small minivan to our eyes. Perhaps that opinion will change after we view the new wagon in person.

Volkswagen-owned Seat uses the Golf’s chassis for the Leon series, as well as VW engines. Seat claims the ST was designed with fuel efficiency in mind, and its light weight (for a wagon, at least) of 2,718 pounds for the base model and range of small, direct-injected, turbocharged petrol and diesel engines support that claim. Engines range from 1.2 to 2.0 liters in size and have between 104 and 182 horsepower. All told, Seat claims the Leon ST with the worst fuel efficiency will still net drivers a stellar 53.3 miles per gallon on average, using the European cycle.

Since Seat doesn’t sell cars in the US, you’ll have to wait for the next VW Jetta SportWagen if you want something like this Leon ST package. For more details, check out Seat’s press release below.

Continue reading Seat Leon ST longroof revealed

Seat Leon ST longroof revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Renault promises new concept car and Dacia Duster in Frankfurt

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault

Dacia Duster front three-quarter

Renault and Dacia will be headed to the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in a big way, with a new concept car from the French company and an all-new Duster from its Romanian budget brand. The new concept is particularly exciting, as Renault’s press release mentions a “new brand identity.” We can also count on this car being a bit higher on the luxury scale than Renault’s traditional offerings.

Dacia’s new Duster will have big shoes to fill when it hits the spotlights of Frankfurt. The current Duster (pictured), a small, handsomely rugged CUV, was introduced in 2010, and has been a critical hit in Great Britain, Russia, and India (where it’s called the Renault Duster). It’s also been a smash with customers, becoming Renault’s best-selling global model.

Both the new Duster and Renault’s latest concept will hit the stage in Frankfurt on September 10.

Continue reading Renault promises new concept car and Dacia Duster in Frankfurt

Renault promises new concept car and Dacia Duster in Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Renault-Nissan zero-emissions car sales whir past 100,000 [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying, Nissan, Renault, Electric

2013 Nissan Leaf - maroon - front three-quarter view

The electric vehicle has gone gold at Renault-Nissan, clocking 100,000 sales in a three-year period that began with the first Nissan Leaf being sold in Silicon Valley, California in 2010. Since then, the Leaf has become the EV champion of the world, selling more than 71,000 units so far, the majority of those in the US. The 100,000th EV sold by the Alliance was also a Leaf and also sold in the US, but on the other side of the country, in Georgia.

By comparison, Renault has sold 30,000 electric vehicles since late 2011, looking after other segments of the EV market with the Kangoo Z.E., Zoe, Twizy and Fluence Z.E. The alliance estimates that its efforts have been driven 5.2 million ion-powered miles and saved 14 million gallons of oil since they appeared. For a bit of sobering context, the US averaged 18.83 million barrels of oil per day in 2011, which is almost 791 million gallons. Per day.

So we’re getting there, albeit slowly. Quietly. There’s a press release and a video below with more details on the achievement.

Continue reading Renault-Nissan zero-emissions car sales whir past 100,000 [w/video]

Renault-Nissan zero-emissions car sales whir past 100,000 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Hear the C7 Corvette’s three-mode exhaust

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Chevrolet

Chevrolet’s new, seventh-generation Corvette Stingray is quite easily one of the most highly anticipated vehicles of the year. And as details of the new car trickle out ahead of our first drive of it (coming soon!), we’re getting more and more excited.

Perhaps the question most on our mind as this new Chevy marches towards production is, what will it sound like? That’s not a simple question, though, as the Stingray will sound different depending on whether or not you spec the optional performance exhaust, which can radically change the car’s acoustic character.

Here, we have video of three different modes for the four-piped exhaust. Unfortunately, though, the car is just idling, which isn’t ideal. It’s interesting to hear that there are three distinct settings, which contrasts with the information that this was a dual-mode exhaust. Of course, it’s possible that one of the modes is what the car sounds like with a few cylinders shut down. All Corvettes feature cylinder deactivation for their 6.2-liter V8s, with a unique exhaust mode to limit four-pot clatter. It just seems odd that it could readily be engaged at idle.

We’re going to hold off judgment until we’re behind the wheel, but right now, the performance exhaust seems like a worthwhile way to spend $1,195. Take a listen in the video below, and let us know what you think.

Continue reading Hear the C7 Corvette’s three-mode exhaust

Hear the C7 Corvette’s three-mode exhaust originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #342

Filed under: Podcasts, Classics, Government/Legal, Cadillac, Nissan, Fiat

Rob Sass from Hagerty Insurance talks Malaise Era cars, Detroit bankruptcy, new top-dog Cadillac

Autoblog Podcast logo

Episode #342 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth and Jeff Ross are joined by Rob Sass of Hagerty Insurance. Topics include a meaty discussion of the hits and misses of what’s come to be known as the Malaise Era, Detroit’s bankruptcy filing, and word that there actually is a new Cadillac above the XTS coming in the next two years. As always, we start with the garage and end with your questions and comments. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #342:

Topics:

  • Malaise era highs and lows
  • Detroit bankruptcy
  • Big Cadillac back on the table

In the Autoblog Garage:

  • 2013 Nissan Sentra
  • 2014 Fiat 500L

Hosts: Dan Roth, Jeff Ross

Guests: Rob Sass

Runtime: 01:51:51

Get the podcast:
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com

Review the show in iTunes

Autoblog Podcast #342 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year long list released

Filed under: Etc.

North American Car of the Year crystal award

Is it that time of the year again already? The 2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year award “long list” has just been revealed, with 29 nominees sliding into the car category and 19 up for consideration in the truck/utility space. As ever, both NACTOY lists serve to illustrate the ever-widening scope of product that our industry has to offer. Tiny electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Spark EV and luxury bruisers like the new Maserati Ghibli bookend the car list, and the truck/utility nominees continue to illustrate the growing popularity of crossovers.

Last year, the Cadillac ATS claimed the car award (the Ram 1500 took home the truck category), and this year, General Motors has a healthy crop of nominees, including two from Cadillac (CTS, ELR) and four from Chevrolet (Corvette, Impala, Spark EV, SS). On the other side of the fence, the Buick Encore and Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra twins are also vying for the coveted cut crystal. Kia and Mercedes-Benz also have a lot of vehicles up for consideration. The Korean brand is represented by the Cadenza, Forte, Soul, and Quoris on the car side, and the Sorento on the truck/utility front, while Daimler will see its B-Class, CLA-Class, E-Class and S-Class models in the mix.

As ever, the long list gets its name because it serves as broad brushstroke roundup of new or substantially updated vehicles released in time for consideration. Given the fluid nature of new vehicle releases, the long list shows which vehicles are eligible for consideration – some of them may not have been seen or driven by the NACTOY’s 50-strong juror pool yet. Select vehicles may thus fall off the list if they do not become available for judging in a timely fashion, while other vehicles not shown on the list may be still be added at this stage. Later this fall, after jurors have driven the vehicles, a first round of voting will be held, and the resulting “short list” of a dozen or so vehicles will trigger further assessment followed by another vote that will result in three finalists for each category. A final round of voting will commence, and the winners will be announced at January’s Detroit Auto Show.

Check out both lists of nominees by scrolling below, then have your say on who you think should win in Comments.

*Full Disclosure: Author is a NACTOY jury member.

Continue reading 2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year long list released

2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year long list released originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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