Category: Auto Industry

Video: Jaguar releases C-X75 concept build story

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Videos, Jaguar, UK

Jaguar C-X75 Concept Story - video screencap

If you want to know what was going through the minds of decisionmakers at Jaguar when the company decided to build the batty C-X75 Concept, look no further than the quick video after the jump. Jaguar set about building a car with the performance of a Bugatti Veyron, the electric range of a Chevrolet Volt and the emissions of a Toyota Prius, and they turned to a legendary engineering firm to help make it happen. Williams, the same crew behind Williams F1, helped Jaguar stitch the concept car together, and the result is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

The twin-charged 1.6-liter four-cylinder mounted amidship is paired with an electric motor at each wheel for a combined output of over 850 horsepower. And, since the whole chassis is hewn from carbon fiber, a production version would’ve been light enough to give machines like the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari a run for their money. Shame they apparently couldn’t make the business case work. Watch the concept build story in the video below for yourself.

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Jaguar releases C-X75 concept build story originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Grid 2 [w/video]

Filed under: Toys/Games

Shut Up And Drive The Car

Grid 2 - screencap

Grid 2 for XBox 360 - commercial packagingCodemasters’ Grid 2 was waiting for me at home when I returned to Ann Arbor from Los Angeles, after attending my first ever E3 this year. I was worried.

Of course I’d been thrilled weeks before when I’d gotten confirmation that I’d receive a loaner copy of the game to take out for a spin, and I’d certainly been stoked to play it since I’d first started seeing preview trailers and teasers show up on YouTube. But, having just spent a few days driving the newest and hottest upcoming racing games on a pair of next-generation consoles that I was sampling for the first time, my concern was that my expectations would be off for the Grid 2 experience on my lowly Xbox 360.

The truth is that developers are still squeezing more and more performance out of current gaming platforms, and this Codemasters effort oozes good design and nuanced graphical work, despite being behind the frames-per-second and ultra-detail pace set by upcoming Xbox One and Playstation 4 titles. And, because gameplay is satisfying just as soon as one boots up Grid 2, the demos and delights of E3 were quickly in my rearview.

​Grid 2 is clearly standing on the shoulders of some great work from one of the studio’s big releases from last year, F1 2012. Influence from the racing title can be seen in the elegant and easy-to-navigate menu design, loading screens enriched with live-updated player stats (kilometers raced, average finishing position, top speed achieved, etc.), and most prominently with the in-game environments. From breezy and sun-soaked coastal roads to the million-points-of-light nighttime races at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, G2 has created some of the best lighting design I’ve ever encountered in a racing game. (For a sample, scroll down to the bottom of the article for some game play video from our friends at Joystiq.) Overall detail for the tracks and surrounding worlds is not as dense or pixel-perfect as other top-tier racing games, but Grid 2‘s flowing, rich style is sometimes more attractive (especially when seen at speed during a race) in the same way that an oil painting is often more interesting to look at than a photograph.

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Grid 2 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Mark Webber to quit F1, join Porsche for 2014 Le Mans

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

Pro driver Mark Webber

Mark Webber has announced he’s leaving the Red Bull F1 team to join Porsche in that company’s quest for victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Australian has signed a contract that will keep him with his new employer for the next “several years.” Porsche says Webber will helm the company’s new LMP1 sports prototype at Le Mans and will also compete in the World Endurance Championship. This won’t be his first go at the legendary 24-hour race – Webber has competed at Le Mans twice before. Now he’ll be joined by Porsche works drivers Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas.

Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen is likely to fill Webber’s seat at Red Bull. The team originally wanted to pull Jenson Button from McLaren, but was unable to lure the British driver from his seat. Toro Rosso drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne are other possibilities for the open slot at Red Bull. You can read the brief Porsche press release on the move below for more information.

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Mark Webber to quit F1, join Porsche for 2014 Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mazda3 diesel under consideration for US, hybrid not so much

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Mazda, Diesel

2014 Mazda3 at NYC reveal - front three-quarter view, red

It’s been a long time coming, but we finally clapped our eyes on the real deal, officially official 2014 Mazda3 in hatchback form yesterday. Yet there’s a lot more to learn about this next-generation version of what has always been one of our favorite compacts. We know that the US version will come with one of two Skyactiv engines, but what about alternatives? Will there be any… or will the gasoline-fed four-cylinders be powerful and frugal enough to carry the day?

According to Automotive News, the answer is a definite maybe. Mazda North America CEO Jim O’Sullivan has told the trade publication that his employer will consider adding the company’s well-liked 2.2-liter Skyactiv diesel powerplant to the model down the road. However, the company first wants to see how the engine fares with American consumers in its big-brother Mazda6 sedan, a model that goes on sale later this year. As for a potential Mazdaspeed3 successor, mum is still the word.

Anything else? Uncharacteristically, Mazda will build a hybrid model of its new 3. We say “uncharacteristically,” because the Japanese independent has long shied away from gas-electric powertrain tech. In fact, it’s gone so far as to boldly announce its aversion to the technology, with auto show banners proclaiming “Not Electric. Not Hybrid. Not A Drag To Drive.” Despite all that, this new generation of Mazda3 will in fact be the company’s first full hybrid production model. According to AN, however, O’Sullivan says that the company has “no plans” to sell it in the US.

Production for the 2014 Mazda3 will throttle up ahead of the car’s September on-sale date in the US, but supply might be pinched until Mazda’s new Salamanca, Mexico plant fires up next year.

Mazda3 diesel under consideration for US, hybrid not so much originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 Ford F-150 Tremor adds some sport to shake things up

Filed under: Performance, Truck, Ford

2014 Ford F-150 Tremor - front three-quarter view

Like most quakes, the 2014 Ford F-150 Tremor caught us by surprise. We weren’t expecting Ford to offer up another version of its best-seller so soon before the truck’s full redesign, but that’s exactly what the company is doing.

While Ford calls the Tremor a “performance truck,” the new pickup doesn’t play on the same level as the SVT Raptor does on dirt, or even the long-gone SVT Lightning did on pavement. Think of it as a parts bin sport truck that probably does a better job looking the part than acting it. The Tremor utilizes the same twin-turbo, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 available across the F-150 lineup, producing 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, but matches it with a 4.10 rear axle – the shortest final drive ratio you can get in an F-150 – for the strongest possible acceleration.

The Tremor does do a decent job looking the part. Available only in short-wheelbase, regular cab configuration with your choice of two- or four-wheel drive, it struts around wearing the F-150’s FX Appearance Package, flat black accents, 20-inch black wheels, HID headlights and a special exterior graphics package. The Tremor is the only regular cab F-150 with a flow-through center console, which means it also gets a floor-mounted shifter and bucket seats that are covered in black leather with red piping. Some brushed metal accents and steering wheel with red stitching round out the interior upgrades.

Ford has yet to release pricing for the 2014 F-150 Tremor, but you can read the company’s official line on its latest model below.

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2014 Ford F-150 Tremor adds some sport to shake things up originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2014 BMW 4 Series convertible spotted

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, BMW, Luxury

2014 BMW 4 Series convertible spy shot - front three-quarter view, red

We’ve seen a few spy shot packages featuring the upcoming BMW 4 Series Convertible already, but never with the car quite so naked as in this latest batch. Nabbed just outside the BMW Nürburgring workshop in Germany, this Melbourne Red 4 Series also shows the M Sport package for the first time.

With all of the cladding removed, we can see that the convertible shares the 4 Series coupe’s great-looking nose and front end, though the resolution of that folding hard top into the rear bodywork remains a bit harsh.

With the 4 Series coupe now completely official, we have a pretty good idea of what the powertrain lineup for the ‘vert will be. We’ll be pretty surprised if a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbo aren’t the go-to engines at launch. Production of the droptop is likely to begin at the end of the year, so start bugging your local BMW dealer.

2014 BMW 4 Series convertible spotted originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Jaguar turns down offers to join V8 Supercars, questions AMG, Volvo participation

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Performance, Jaguar, Australia, Luxury, Racing

2014 Jaguar XFR-S

Rumors have swirled in recent weeks that Jaguar may be the next manufacturer to join the V8 Supercars racing series, made popular in Australia but now well-known in other parts of the world as well. Sadly, Jag’s participation is not to be. In fact, it would be “insane,” according to Jaguar Land Rover Asia Pacific Managing Director David Blackhall, for it to accept either of the two offers it has received to bring Jaguar into V8 Supercars.

Not only is Jaguar not interested in entering V8 Supercars, says Blackhall, it also fails to understand the recent entries from AMG and Volvo. “I don’t know what it does for AMG to get flogged by a V8 Commodore week after week, but it’s their brand, their issue. And the same thing will happen to Volvo to be honest.”

Judging by Blackhall’s statements to motoring.com.au, after not-so-serious consideration, the automaker decided the monetary commitment it would take to compete for wins would be more than any potential exposure would be worth, despite the fact that Jaguar has a 5.0-liter V8 to go along with what would seem to be a tailor-made rear-wheel-drive chassis. For what it’s worth, one offer would have had Jaguar putting its name across an engine made by someone else, an option that was flatly turned down.

In related news, don’t expect to see Jaguar make a return to Formula 1, either. “We’ve been there. And the fizzy drink that took over [Jaguar’s F1 team] is not doing too bad. But we wouldn’t go back again,” said Jag’s head honcho Adrian Hallmark.

Jaguar turns down offers to join V8 Supercars, questions AMG, Volvo participation originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Lack of new midsize pickup models driving strong resale values for older models

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota

2012 Nissan Frontier

According to a new study by Black Book, the fact that there are fewer mid-sized pickup truck options on the market is driving up the retail cost of used models. During the month of June, used vehicles from model years 2007-2011 depreciated an average of 1.3 percent across the board, but midsize pickups of the same year saw their value decrease by just 0.7 percent on average. Look across the past year, and the market as a whole saw those cars depreciate by 13.7 percent while midsize pickups saw their value decline by a mere 5.1 percent.

Ricky Beggs, senior vice president and Managing Editor with Black Book, says midsize pickups are holding their value better than other products on the market due to the fact that there are so few brand-new options available. Currently, only Chevrolet, Nissan and Toyota offer midsize pickup trucks. Honda has a player in the game in the form of the Ridgeline, which is a sort of cross between a traditional pickup and a crossover, and the discontinued Ford Ranger falls into a smaller size class that no longer exists in the US.

What’s all this mean to you? If you happen to have a set of keys to midsize pickup in your pocket, you’ve made a good investment. Don’t expect to see the machine depreciate as quickly as other vehicles on the road. Conversely, if you’re in the market, expect to pay a bit more than you might have expected for a non-fullsize pickup truck. Scroll down for the press release from Black Book.

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Lack of new midsize pickup models driving strong resale values for older models originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ron Howard’s Rush gets new featurette

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Celebrities, Racing, TV/Movies

Ron Howard's Rush

As you’re likely aware by now, the classic 1976 Formula 1 season is being immortalized courtesy of the movie Rush, showcasing the rivalry between the British James Hunt, driving for McLaren, and the Austrian Niki Lauda, driving for Ferrari. In the film, the fun-loving Hunt is played by Chris Hemsworth and the super-serious Lauda by Daniel Brühl.

Both of the actors can be seen front and center in the video below, a featurette on the upcoming film, with commentary from director Ron Howard. You’ll see some of the racing action from the movie, a few shots of Brühl playing Lauda before and after his terrible accident and a sense of why Howard was so drawn to document this particular racing season.

Scroll down below to watch the video.

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Ron Howard’s Rush gets new featurette originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorsports: 2013 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Practice Day 2

Filed under: Motorsports

2013 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Practice Day 2 is in the books, and qualifying times have been recorded for the Unlimited and Time Attack classes for the 2013 edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The quickest man on the mountain is none other than Sébastien Loeb, who set a blistering pace with a 3:26.153, recorded on the bottom third of the mountain on his second and final run of the day.

The second-fastest qualifying time was set by Romain Dumas at 3:43.556, a full 17 seconds behind Loeb. Rhys Millen, last year’s champion, did not record a second qualifying lap today, so it’s not clear exactly where he will stand on Sunday when the actual race is slated to take place (probably in third place, which is where his first timed qualifying run would place him).

David Donner sits just ahead of Paul Dallenbach and Jeff Zwart in the Time Attack class, ahead of several Unlimited competitors. In the Electric class, which ran the middle portion of the track this morning, Hiroshi Masuoka sits in the lead, followed by Greg Tracy, Rod Millen and perennial favorite Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima.

Check out some of the action from today’s practice session in our live image gallery above. We have photos from the Unlimited, Time Attack, Electric, Vintage, Exhibition and Open classes for your viewing pleasure.

2013 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Practice Day 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jun 2013 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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