2010 Archives | Page 21 of 23

2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention

Filed under: Budget, SUV, Hatchback, Nissan, Design/Style

2011 Nissan Rogue

2011 Nissan Rogue – Click above for high-res image gallery

We managed to make our way to the 23rd annual Z Car Convention at the Nissan North America headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee this weekend. Aside from a slew of Zed-related goodness of unmatched acclaim, the 2011 Nissan Rogue was also rolled out as part of the celebration. Overall, the little crossover sticks close to last year’s recipe, though some subtle visual updates help the ute better stand out from the rest of the mall parking lot crowd.

The tweaked front fascia now has a more angular look aimed at giving the nose of the Rogue some definition. Likewise, the grille has been massaged to incorporate a larger Nissan badge, and the optional fog lights now reside in sculpted inserts. A chrome strip spans the 2011 Rogue’s flanks, and a similar piece of brightwork now glams up the rear liftgate. Lastly, buyers who opt for the 2011 Nissan Rogue Krom or Rogue SL will get new 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, too. Otherwise, it’s much of the same from Nissan’s compact people hauler. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Rogue

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading 2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention

2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention”

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog quadricycle

Filed under: Etc., Humor

Big Dog

Big Dog quadri-cycle – Click above for high-res image gallery

Friday afternoon, we had the opportunity to walk around the site of the first-ever Maker Faire Detroit while exhibitors were getting set up. Among the wheeled contraptions we encountered was the contraption you see above: the Big Dog. This human-powered conveyance was designed and built by Tom Wilson of Royal Oak, Michigan in his basement and garage. Big Dog is actually the third such vehicle Wilson has constructed, with his original inspiration coming from a similar device he saw at the Burning Man festival several years ago.

Looking closely at the 600-pound machine (which stands a towering eight feet, six inches tall), it’s clear that Wilson put serious thought and craftsmanship into it. Note the inboard-mounted rear disc brakes and the elaborate gear-change and chain mechanism. The centrally-mounted propane tanks are there to support the flame effects from the tower. We’ll add photos of that if we catch it being demonstrated this weekend.

Gallery: Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog

[Source: ThirstyBeachLandscaping]

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog quadricycle originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog quadricycle”

Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350 is soft-riding royalty that’s lost its crown

Filed under: Sedan, Lexus, Reviews, Luxury

2010 Lexus ES 350 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The entry-level luxury sedan segment doesn’t command the enthusiast attention of, say, the ultra-premium luxury sports sedan. But if you ask automakers to choose between the two, we’d wager that most would rather have a best-in-class $35,000 sedan than a world-beating $70,000 sports tourer.

The reason? Very few fortunes are made selling a few thousand highfalutin’ rocket launchers, but bottom lines can easily be bolstered or crippled based on the success or failure of a plush, high-volume cruiser. Luxury marques from Acura to Volvo have experienced varied levels of success at the low end of the luxury market, but few have enjoyed the consistent sales dominance of the Lexus ES. In the past decade, Toyota has cranked out over 600,000 copies in the U.S. alone, with another 650,000 units shipped around the world. And those sales have traditionally been overwhelmingly of the retail variety with little or no incentives. Not bad for what many consider a glorified Toyota Camry.

Enthusiasts take note: Lexus didn’t reach such lofty sales levels with a rear-wheel-drive architecture or pavement-punishing quantities of horsepower. The road map to success for the ES has been simple: a soft, compliant ride; a pampering interior; and unmatched quality. The fifth-generation ES350 has built nicely on those attributes with smoother power, a quieter cabin and more technology. But the competition is still striving to overtake the ES in sales, so Lexus has gone and given its top-selling sedan a mid-cycle refresh for 2010. We spent a week in a Starfire Pearl ES350 to see if it still had the goods to remain a top option in the entry-level luxury segment.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350

Continue reading Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350 is soft-riding royalty that’s lost its crown

Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350 is soft-riding royalty that’s lost its crown originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350 is soft-riding royalty that’s lost its crown”

Video: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 rolls into Jay Leno’s Garage

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche, Celebrities

Porsche’s 911 GT3 pays a visit to Jay Leno’s Garage – click above to watch the video

Porsche recently dropped off a new 911 GT3 at Jay Leno’s garage where racer Justin Bell picked it up for a bit of a road trip. Before the trip, Leno and Bell discuss their preference for normally aspirated manual transmission Porsches over the more powerful turbos and dual-clutch PDKs.

On his way to Laguna Seca for the spring American Le Mans Series event, Bell finds a perfect little road for his own private hill climb and gushes over the responsiveness of the non-turbo engine and enormous Brembo binders. At Laguna, Bell hooks up with factory pilot Patrick Long to discuss the differences between the Flying Lizard Motorsports 911 he races and the roadgoing GT3 which spawned it. Even within the limits of the rules set out by the ACO, Flying Lizard and Porsche have managed to find a lot of creative ways to extract more speed out of their competition machine. Check out the full video after the jump.

[Source: Jay Leno’s Garage]

Continue reading Video: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 rolls into Jay Leno’s Garage

Video: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 rolls into Jay Leno’s Garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 rolls into Jay Leno’s Garage”

Review: 2010 Honda Civic Si HFP not fast, is curious

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Performance, Honda, Reviews

2010 Honda Civic Si HFP – Click above for high-res image gallery

There was a time was when any serious discussion of “hot hatches” – small, lightweight economy cars pumped full of go-fast parts and body modifications of dubious taste – always included the Honda Civic Si. Back in the day, the D16Z6-engined Si would routinely do battle against the Volkswagen GTI and Nissan Sentra SE-R for import tuner supremacy. Times, however, change.

These days, the battle for hot hatch supremacy starts and essentially ends with turbocharged beasties like the Mitsubishi Evolution and Subaru WRX/STI, with a dash of MazdaSpeed3 or Mini Cooper S thrown in for flavor. The Sentra SE-R is little more than a sad shell of its former self (a fact we find odd considering just how much cache Nissan has built up for the brand with its exotic-destroying Godzilla GT-R) and the Volkswagen GTI has evolved into an entry-level Audi – lots of interior and NVH refinement, but lacking the kicked-in-the-you-know-where power necessary to keep up with the all-wheel-drive Japanese kids. But what about the Civic Si? Where does it fit into the import tuner lexicon, especially when loaded up with lots of Honda Factory Performance (HFP) parts? Make the jump as we attempt to find out.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Honda Civic Si HFP

Continue reading Review: 2010 Honda Civic Si HFP not fast, is curious

Review: 2010 Honda Civic Si HFP not fast, is curious originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Review: 2010 Honda Civic Si HFP not fast, is curious”

Review: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart takes aim at the competition

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Mitsubishi, Reviews

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart – Click above for high-res image gallery

There has always been a glaringly obvious gap in Mitsubishi’s current Lancer lineup. On the bottom is the… Lancer, a biggish-for-its-class economy car that no one particularly likes – at least that’s what the sales charts would indicate. It’s slow, filled with cheap plastics and dull. It hasn’t even proven to be all that reliable by Japanese small-car standards, but at least it looks good. At the top of the heap and on a wholly different plane sits the Lancer Evolution. It’s the giant-slayer, David, the little car that humbles supercars. It’s also the hottest of the rally-inspired all-wheel-drive turbocharged pocket rockets. The Evo’s only real competition is the Subaru WRX STI and, let’s be honest, the Evo has been the better car for years now (Subaru has just updated its warrior for 2011, so a new comparison is in order). Its handling is more precise, yet at the same time more insane. The Mitsu is rawer, rougher, tougher and most importantly faster, even though it’s down half a liter on the WRX STI in terms of displacement. Don’t read this wrong, the STI is a fine backroad killer. But the EVO is more homicidal.

It looks like a toned down Evo, which is exactly what Mitsubishi wants you to think.

Back to that gap. In the middle of its arch rival’s portfolio has long lived the WRX, Subaru’s Goldie Loxian sportster, which is very fast, very nimble, but very well priced (it still starts at under $25,000). The WRX has long threaded the needle between excellent all-around performance and the customer not being able to afford a higher monthly payment. Subaru, therefore, has sold a ton of them, for not only does the WRX offer all that power and rally-bred oomph at a low price, it can be had as a wagon. Mitsubishi had nothing until this year, when the Japanese industrial powerhouse brought over two new flavors of its hopped-up Lancer, the Ralliart and the Ralliart Sportback.

Today we’re taking a look at the supposedly more practical of those two additions, the five-door Sportback. When the pictures of the Lancer Sportback Ralliart started spilling onto this here internet, Yours Truly was especially excited. The main reason being that for the past eight years, I’ve owned a WRX wagon in one form or another. Biased? You could say that, but at that same time, I’ve been driving Evos against STIs and have remained aware (perhaps painfully aware) that the Evo is the sharper blade. Perhaps, then, the Sportback Ralliart could be my next fast and furious wagon, or at least go wheel-to-wheel with its competition from Fuji Heavy Industries? Hop the jump to find out.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

Continue reading Review: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart takes aim at the competition

Review: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart takes aim at the competition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Review: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart takes aim at the competition”

BMW recalling 2010-2011 5 Series, 5GT models over fuel tank sensors

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW

2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo – Click above for high-res image gallery

If the fuel gauge in your 2010 or 2011 BMW 5-Series sedan or 5-Series Gran Turismo tells you that you’ve got plenty of petrol, you may want to hit the gas station before going on that long trip anyway. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website reports that 6,080 5-Series sedan and GT models built between January 12 and July 1, 2010 are being recalled for a faulty fuel sensor. In certain cases, the sensor can wedge itself against the tank, which will lead to the fuel gauge reading that the vehicle has more fuel than it actually does. Drivers suddenly saddled with a fuel-free Bimmer while driving could wind up getting into an accident or being stranded by the side of the road, and that’s not good at all.

The NHTSA website currently shows that BMW still hasn’t provided an appropriate fix for the issue, but when the automaker does, owners will doubtlessly be able to head over to the nearest BMW dealer for a free repair. Head across the jump to read over the official NHTSA press release.

Gallery: Review: 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading BMW recalling 2010-2011 5 Series, 5GT models over fuel tank sensors

BMW recalling 2010-2011 5 Series, 5GT models over fuel tank sensors originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “BMW recalling 2010-2011 5 Series, 5GT models over fuel tank sensors”

MotoGP 2010 USA: Live action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca [Spoilers]

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, Racing

MotoGP action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re live from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca today for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, and we just witnessed some awesome racing action. Well, awesome for some riders, less so for others. For instance, we’re certain that Factory Honda rider Dani Pedrosa isn’t particularly pleased with his result.

After leading the race for the first 11 laps, Pedrosa crashed out at turn five. Yamaha-mounted Jorge Lorenzo, who had positioned himself in second position following Pedrosa, inherited first place. He would not relinquish his grip on the lead for the remainder of the race, earning his sixth win of the 2010 season and his first at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The rest of the field sorted itself out over the course of the race, with Ducati (for now, at least) rider Casey Stoner finding himself in second place behind Lorenzo by 3.5 seconds. Third position was claimed by Valentino Rossi, who made his second start of the season riding with a broken leg.

Andrea Dovizioso relinquished third position to Rossi with just five laps left to go in the race, and he ended up finishing in fourth place. American riders managed to take the next three slots, with Nicky Hayden edging out Ben Spies and Colin Edwards (in that order) for fifth. Check out our high-res image gallery below and see the full finishing order after the break.

Gallery: MotoGP 2010: Race action from Mazda Raceway

Continue reading MotoGP 2010 USA: Live action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca [Spoilers]

MotoGP 2010 USA: Live action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “MotoGP 2010 USA: Live action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca [Spoilers]”

FIM e-Power 2010: Last lap lead change at Mazda Raceway

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, Electric, Racing

Michael Czysz at the FIM e-Power International Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

In racing, planning is everything. This point was proven once again as the bright yellow (Flying Banana, if you will) race machine from Lightning Motors held the lead of the e-Power International Championship until the very last few hundred feet. And then ran out of juice.

Sadly, for Lightning Motors at least, this slight miscalculation allowed the Flying Banana to be passed literally just feet ahead of the finish line by Michael Czysz, who took the win mounted on his own MotoCzysz E1pc electric race bike. For those keeping track, Czysz was 6.7 seconds behind at the start of the last lap.

Michael Barnes took second place on the Lightning Motors machine, followed by Thijs de Ridder aboard the Crystalite bike. Our congratulations to all of the riders!

Gallery: e-Power International Championship at Mazda Raceway

FIM e-Power 2010: Last lap lead change at Mazda Raceway originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “FIM e-Power 2010: Last lap lead change at Mazda Raceway”

2010 German Grand Prix: Tussles, team orders and tire wear [SPOILERS]

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

2010 German Grand Prix

2010 German Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Formula One World Championship passed the halfway point with the British Grand Prix two weeks ago, and while Red Bull and McLaren have been the teams to beat of late, several others are showing signs of marked improvement, Ferrari being but one of them. Heading into qualifying for the German Grand Prix, the Maranello squad was telling anyone who would listen that they were in it to the very end. After all, the Scuderia had taken the top step of the podium in the first round of the season and Fernando Alonso was fifth in the drivers’ standings.

Of course, there were still two Red Bull drivers and two McLaren drivers ahead of him, none of whom are mailing it in for the remaining nine races. Vettel, Hamilton and Button have each racked up two wins in 2010, and last week’s victor, Mark Webber, has posted three. If Ferrari, and Alonso in particular, were going to get back into the hunt, they needed a great showing in Hockenheim. There was good news for the tifosi: Fernando was quickest through much of practice heading into the Sunday feature. Would his speed hold through qualifying? And would Ferrari truly take that big step everyone has been anticipating? Follow the jump to read how things went down.

Gallery: 2010 German Grand Prix

[Images: Matthias Schrader, Martin Meissner, Michael Probst, Jens Meyer, /AP | Guillaume Baptiste/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading 2010 German Grand Prix: Tussles, team orders and tire wear [SPOILERS]

2010 German Grand Prix: Tussles, team orders and tire wear [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2010 German Grand Prix: Tussles, team orders and tire wear [SPOILERS]”