Category: Auto Industry

Report: Ford Australia to kill off FPV by 2014 in advance of Mustang return

Filed under: Performance, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Australia

Ford Falcon XR8 - front three-quarter view, black

Ford seems to be having a good time yanking our friends in Australia about. First, there was the news that after 90 years, the Blue Oval would be ending Australian production, effectively killing the legendary Falcon sedan. Then, yesterday came the announcement that Oz would be getting the next-generation, global Ford Mustang in 2016. And now, we have news regarding Ford’s Australian tuning partner, FPV.

The group responsible for hot Falcons will be disbanded in 2014, according to Aussie newspaper The Age. FPV’s most recent creation, the GT Falcon, will be discontinued. This news isn’t a tremendous shock, as FPV was recently taken in-house by Ford. The tuning house’s death will not lead to any job loss.

Ford will reportedly continue building Falcons with the GT’s mechanicals, though. That means its 449-horsepower, supercharged V8 will live to fight another Holden. Along with the GT’s upgraded suspension and brakes, the new model will wear the unused XR8 badge, allowing Ford to continue building cars for enthusiasts without spending extra on the pricey styling bits of the GT Falcon.

The XR8 Falcon’s days will still be numbered, though. Falcon production is still on track to end, at which point the Mustang will look to take over the XR8’s performance reins. The Falcon will well and truly die when the Mustang takes over for it in the V8 Supercars series, and the US-built Taurus arrives to handle the sedan’s more domestic duties.

Ford Australia to kill off FPV by 2014 in advance of Mustang return originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Honda Factory Performance pack now available for Accord V6 Coupe

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Honda

2013 Honda Accord HFP - front three-quarter view, blue

When the Honda Factory Performance package debuted for the 2013 Honda Accord at SEMA last year, we were told it would come as optional fitment for both the four-cylinder and V6 Accords. Now that Honda has put it on sale, however, it’s only for the V6, at least for now.

The upgraded coupe will be limited to just 500 copies, and it will be known by its 15-millimeter-lower ride height thanks to a sport suspension, exclusive 19-inch wheels on summer tires, ground effects all around the car and HFP badging. Interior updates will be limited to red illumination and HFP floormats.

Honda says the package will cost $4,620 – a $30 drop from the price announced at SEMA – not including installation, and it come with a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty if you have it put on when buying the car new. The press release below can tell you more.

Continue reading Honda Factory Performance pack now available for Accord V6 Coupe

Honda Factory Performance pack now available for Accord V6 Coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Altima Coupe dead as Nissan charts the changes for 2014

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Nissan

The 2014 model year brings plenty of new designs and updates from Nissan – including the next-generation Rogue – but the Altima Coupe has been discontinued. The current generation of the Coupe won buyers over with sharp styling and, at one point, a 270-horsepower naturally aspirated V6 – the heart of the more upscale Infinity G37. It’s unlikely that Nissan plans to make another one, but keep in mind the current Coupe was released to the public about a year after the sedan hit dealerships.

The vehicles joining Nissan’s lineup for 2014 include the Versa Note hatchback, the NV200 Compact Cargo van and the next-generation Rogue compact SUV. Also new for 2014 is the Pathfinder Hybrid, but that will be added to the lineup in the fall.

Other models that are receiving enhancements are the sedan version of the Altima, which now comes standard with the CVT transmission and gets revised option packs; the Frontier, which gets updated option packs, enhanced navigation system functionality and a sliding middle rear window; the GT-R, which receives a bunch of small performance enhancements and, more importantly, initially will be offered in three versions (Premium, Black Edition and Track Edition), with another, limited special-edition model coming late in the year; the Versa sedan, all versions of which get 60/40-split fold-down rear seats and revised steering and suspension tuning; and last, but not least, the 370Z NISMO will have exterior accent color updates and a new steering wheel and tachometer.

There are plenty more details to be gleaned about Nissan’s model lineup for 2014, so be sure to read the press release below.

Continue reading Altima Coupe dead as Nissan charts the changes for 2014

Altima Coupe dead as Nissan charts the changes for 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #341 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern!

Filed under: Etc.

Autoblog Podcast Live

We’re almost ready to record Episode #341 of the Autoblog Podcast! Check out the topics below, add your own to the Q&A and join us live via UStream, as well. Keep reading for our embedded UStream player, and thanks for listening!

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #341

  • 2014 Ram 1500 wins Consumer Reports comparo
  • Lexus RC Coupe caught
  • Long-term Garage updates

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #341 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern!

Autoblog Podcast #341 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Ford hybrids getting update to improve fuel economy

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford

Ford has announced that it is introducing “calibration updates designed to improve on-road fuel economy for owners of the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.”

We can speculate that these changes are at least due in part to lawsuits over mileage claims of hybrid vehicles. The automaker is enhancing 2013 models starting in August by raising their electric cruising speed to 85 miles per hour from 62 mph, optimizing the use of active grille shutters and the climate control system, shortening the engine warm-up period by 50 percent and reducing electric fan speed to minimize the fan’s energy consumption.

It bears mentioning that Ford is doing pretty well in the US electrified vehicle market this year. The company claims to have grown its share in the segment by 12 points to 16 percent while taking a high number of Toyota Prius trade-ins in the process. Conversely, Toyota has experienced a five-percent drop in new-Prius sales over the same period. Additionally, Ford states that it has increased its share of the US vehicle market by one percent this year, more than any full-line automaker.

We’re sure Ford will be monitoring the fuel mileage of its hybrid fleet closely with the hopes of seeing significant improvements, though the automaker offers the expected ‘Your mileage will vary” disclaimer, which you can read all about in the press release below.

Continue reading Ford hybrids getting update to improve fuel economy

Ford hybrids getting update to improve fuel economy originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ETC: Red Bull Soapbox winners and racers in all their glory [w/videos]

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, UK

Red Bull Soapbox Race London UK

There is simply no end to the crazy stuff the crew from Red Bull will sponsor. From the well-known Formula 1 outfit to moped rallies to what you see here, soapbox racers, there seems to be nothing worth doing (or not, we suppose) that the energy drink isn’t interested in. And we’re thankful for that.

If not for Red Bull, where else in the world would you see grown men and women storm Alexandra Palace in the UK to spend a day barreling down a hill barricaded by hay bails with strategically placed jumps in gravity-driven wheeled vehicles just to get judged on their speed, creativity and showmanship? Nowhere. That’s where.

We can’t show you all 70-something teams that took part in the soapbox festivities in the UK this year, but we have managed to scrounge together a gallery of images from the event, and you can see videos of the top three finishers, along with some high- and low-lights, below.

Continue reading Red Bull Soapbox winners and racers in all their glory [w/videos]

Red Bull Soapbox winners and racers in all their glory [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Supercars seized from African dictator’s son sold for over $4M in Paris auction

Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

Corruption is a big problem around the world, but perhaps nowhere more than in African dictatorships. Proof? Despite living in one of the wealthiest countries on the African continent, the citizens of Equatorial Guinea live in abject poverty. Clean drinking water is available to less than half the populous, and one in five children is dead before their fifth birthday.

As so often seems the case with dictatorships, while the citizenry suffers, the rulers of EG live in the lap of luxury. With any luck, though, justice might be catching up to “President” Teodor Obiang’s son, Teodorin, according to a report from the International Business Times.

Obiang was subject to a raid by French law enforcement in 2011 that lasted two weeks. Why did it last two weeks? Because authorities had to search the his 80 million Euro, 101-room mansion on the Champs Elysees. Naturally, the house and everything in it was found to have been purchased using state funds. If this blatant display of wealth doesn’t outrage you, let us point you back to that stat about 20 percent of this country’s citizens dying before age five.

The seizure included a fleet of luxury and sports cars, including models from Bugatti, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati and Maybach. The kicker is, most of the cars had little to no mileage on them. Fine art, vintage wine, and antiques were also seized. Now, French auction house Drouot has sold several of the cars, racking up over $4 million in profits. We can only hope the funds go back to the citizens of Equatorial Guinea, but we aren’t holding our breath.

There’s more at the IBT. Give it a read if you’re interested in making yourself sick.

Supercars seized from African dictator’s son sold for over $4M in Paris auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Ferrari 458 Scuderia to be unveiled in Frankfurt?

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Ferrari, Rumormill, Racing

We’re heavy on the speculative side with this, but Auto Express is saying that “Rumours of Ferrari 458 Scuderia emerge, with possible debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.” To be clear, that’s the possible debut of a car that is still only a rumor, and we’re not sure it will be called “Scuderia,” either – remember, the track-day 360 was the Challenge Stradale. Admittedly, the rumor of its existence is strong and there is plenty of precedent: Ferrari has introduced some model or variant of its mid-engined V8 sports car at the last three Frankfurt Motor Shows.

Car and Driver went into a great deal of indepth speculation about the coming, track-focused 458 in a piece back in May, and also predicted it would be shown first in Frankfurt. According to C/D we can expect “roughly 600” horsepower and 9,300-rpm redline – up 300 rpm from standard – a faster shifting seven-speed gearbox, a dry weight under 2,900 pounds thanks to “exotic compound materials” and a “slightly stripped interior,” less exhaust silencing, uprated carbon-ceramic brakes and active aerodynamics on the rear diffuser.

As far as rumors go this one sounds thoroughly lovely. We hope to see it in made metal in Frankfurt in two months, you can enjoy a detailed gallery of the 563-horsepower Ferrari 458 Challenge above for now.

Ferrari 458 Scuderia to be unveiled in Frankfurt? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Formula E calendar set at ten races, top F1 teams being courted

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Electric

Formula E, the open-wheel EV racing series has finalized the calendar for its inaugural season. Set to kick of in 2014, the races looks like to have been distributed quite evenly across the globe.

Two American races (LA and Miami) along with a pair of South American races in Rio and Buenos Aires round out the contests in the New World. London, Berlin and Rome make up the European leg of the championship, while Beijing, Bangkok and Putrajaya cover Asia.

This news follows a report from Autoweek that Formula E is courting some of the top Formula One teams. According to AW, series organizer Alejandro Agag is already in talks with McLaren, and is of the opinion that one day the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull will take part in the emissions free series.

Despite the current lack of big names, the parts of the Formula E cars look promising. Batteries from Williams are mated to electric motors from McLaren, while Dallara provides the chassis. Like F1, there’s only one tire supplier, although we’re happy to announce it’s Michelin rather than Pirelli. Series test driver Lucas di Grassi showed us just what the FE cars can do with an in-car video a few months ago.

As for drivers, we don’t see Sebastien Vettel leaving his gas-powered racer soon. Formula E could see an influx of retired F1 drivers and GP2 veterans, although Agag told Autoweek “I can’t say any names yet.” The series will kickoff in 2014, in the Italian capital of Rome.

Formula E calendar set at ten races, top F1 teams being courted originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #341 LIVE!

Filed under: Etc.

Autoblog podcast graphic

We’re set to record Autoblog Podcast #341 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #341

  • 2014 Ram 1500 wins Consumer Reports comparo
  • Lexus RC Coupe caught
  • Long-term Garage updates

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #341 LIVE! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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