2011 Archives | Page 4 of 57

Long-Term Logbook: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, April 2011

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, Long-Term Garage

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate – Click above for high-res image gallery

Between myself and Editor-in-Chief John Neff, Autoblog has racked up 3,500 miles on our long-term 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate since its arrival in March. Now that the initial honeymoon phase is over, we’re getting a very good feel for how the Big Korean handles day-to-day tasks.

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First and foremost, I continue to be impressed with the sheer number of compliments the Equus receives, most of which are from women. This car really turns heads, possibly due to the fact they’re scarce on the road – I have yet to see another one in metro Detroit. I wasn’t too keen on the Hyundai’s design when it first arrived, but am now finding the Equus to be a very regal beast, especially in white. Even the guys at my local car wash, who don’t usually say much about the test cars I bring through, could not hold back their positive praise. Neff even took the Equus on a high-end house hunting trip and found its presence was enough to convince real estate agents he could afford the top-dollar listings.

I’ve had the chance to take the Equus on a couple of longer road trips, and while it’s comfortable and quiet for the most part, these long-distance drives also brought out some complaints with our long-term tester.

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Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate: Long-Term

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

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Long-Term Logbook: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, April 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG

Filed under: Performance, SUV, Mercedes-Benz, Reviews

How AMG Does Suburban Winter Assault

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

No one needs a 503-horsepower SUV capable of 155 miles per hour. In the real world, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG makes no sense whatsoever. But you want one all the same. We understand.

All it took was one glance at its massive tailpipes out back for us to fall in love. The ML63 is fitted with equal parts absurdity and brilliance, and almost immediately, our minds filled with images of blasting the AMG SUV along the snowy roads of southeastern Michigan, its 6.2-liter V8 bellowing at full volume, ricocheting off the concrete overpasses looming above metro Detroit’s Interstate 696.

Senior editor Damon Lavrinc appropriately described this behavior as “suburban winter assault,” but as we found during our week-long winter test, the ML63 AMG is perfectly equipped for battle no matter the weather.

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Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG: Review

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG

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Review: 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ken Block murders out his 2011 Ford SVT Raptor

Ken Block’s 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford decided to show its appreciation for Ken Block’s work by gifting the Gymkhana god with a brand-new 2011 F-150 SVT Raptor. Once he took delivery of his gratis off-road rocket, Block wasted no time giving the truck a more acute sense of evil, courtesy of blacked-out wheels and a matte-black wrap.

Though its signature decals are gone, Block’s 6.2-liter V8-powered pickup is still instantly recognizable as a Raptor, thanks to the louvered hood, bulging fenders, and Raptor-only grille and headlights. Block’s new truck should be the perfect addition to his high-horsepower stable, with enough grunt to tow any of his non-street legal toys to his favorite playground, or as a brutal plaything in its own right.

Gallery: Ken Block’s murdered-out 2011 Ford Raptor

Ken Block's murdered-out 2011 Ford Raptor

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Ken Block murders out his 2011 Ford SVT Raptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: We check out VW’s new Fender audio systems

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Technology, Volkswagen

2012 Volkswagen New Beetle

At the 2011 New York Auto Show we experienced the 400-watt, nine-speaker Fender premium audio system in the Volkswagen Passat, Jetta GLI and Beetle, the three models in which it will be offered. When VW announced the partnership last December, the company said “Volkswagen and Fender put the concert in the car.” That wasn’t just a reference to getting good sounds in your ride, it was also a clue to how you’d get that sound. But before we even sat down in the Passat for a listen, our first question was: why Fender?

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New York 2011: We check out VW’s new Fender audio systems originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Every new VW Beetle will be a second-generation design

Filed under: Coupe, Volkswagen, Design/Style

2012 VW New Beetle on display in New York

2012 Volkswagen Beetle – Click above for high-res image gallery

Volkswagen made a big deal about having the original Beetle in the studio when the designers went to work on the 2012 Beetle, so at the 2011 New York Auto Show, we spoke to Rainer Michel, vice president of product marketing and strategy for VW of America, about why that decision was so important.

“What we did in ’98 was the right car for that time,” he said, “but this one is more true to the design of the original,” a design philosophy that is apparent in items like the decreased rake of the A-pillar and the flattened line of the roof that descends further back and more cleanly into the bumper.

And Michel said that the next time they redesign the Beetle, they’ll again return to the source. “We went back to the original and did a design based on that, and when we do the next one we’ll go back to the original. Maybe we’ll go in a different direction, but it comes from the original.” The idea is that the third generation of the New Beetle won’t be a redesign of the current car, it will be another modernized version of the original.

As to the increased masculinity of the 2012 Beetle, Michel said, “The last car was about 60/40 female to male.” He intimated he’d be happy with a 50/50 split, but what was more important to him was getting away from that concern at all. “We wanted a car with good interior space, more shoulder room and head clearance, a car which accommodates passengers nicely and has a range of powertrains,” he said. “The car shouldn’t depend on any demographics.”

Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle: New York 2011

2012 Volkswagen Beetle

New York 2011: Every new VW Beetle will be a second-generation design originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: 2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i

Filed under: Europe, Crossover, BMW, Quick Spin

A Compact Crossover For The Wagon-Averse

2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i

2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i – Click above for high-res image gallery

My wife hates wagons. Loathes them with the kind of passion and fervor normally reserved for sexual predators and real estate agents. But despite this, she drives the prototypical wagon-on-stilts, a Honda CR-V.

That unbridled disgust for any low-riding hatchback is something I’ve been trying to figure out for the last seven years, but it’s a problem nearly every European automaker peddling its wares in the States has been dealing with for decades. The solution, it seems, is to downsize the standard CUV into a more compact package, while still providing the elevated ride-height and commanding view that consumers in a post-SUV world crave.

For BMW, the answer is the X1, the Euro-only-for-now crossover that slots in where the X3 used to reside before it blew up to near-X5 proportions. And fitted with BMW’s new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which U.S. customers will sample for the first time in the Z4 sDrive28i roadster, it makes a compelling case for itself. So much so that BMW’s Leipzig, Germany plant is tapped out, meaning importation into the U.S. isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

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Gallery: 2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i: Quick Spin

2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i 2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i profile

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Quick Spin: 2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 New York Auto Show Round Up

Filed under: New York Auto Show

It’s official. Our coverage of the 2011 New York Auto Show has come to an end. Take a look at every significant automobile that we covered from The Big Apple. There’s something here for everyone, from sports cars to budget rides to mainstream machines. That’s a total of 33 vehicles, for those keeping track. Got any favorites? Let us hear about them in the Comments. See ya in New York next year!

2012 Fiat 500c	2012 Shelby GTS	2012 Honda Civic
2012 Kia Rio	2011 Chrysler 200S	2012 Mazda3
2012 Jaguar XF	Suzuki EcoCharge Concept	2012 Kia Soul
Suzuki Apex Concept	2012 Honda Civic Hybrid	2012 Dodge Avenger R/T
Facebook 911 GT3 R	2013 Chevy Malibu Eco	2012 300C Executive
Nissan Leaf NISMO RC	MB SLS AMG Gulf Livery	Scion FR-S Concept
2012 Chrysler 300C SRT8	2011 Jeep Wrangler Mojave	2012 VW Beetle
2012MB C63 AMG	2012 Nissan Versa	2011 Subaru Impreza
2012 Ford Taurus SHO	2012 Chrysler 300S	2012 Jeep SRT8
2011 Panamera Turbo S	2012 Hyundai Accent	Lexus LF-Gh Concept
MB Concept A-Class	2012 MB E63 AMG	2013 Chevrolet Malibu

2011 New York Auto Show Round Up originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Chrysler’s SRT division open to smaller engines, but there’s still a market for big V8s

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, SUV, Chrysler, Luxury

2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 6.4-liter HEMI V8

2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 – Click above for high-res image gallery

When asked about Chrysler’s Street Racing Technology (SRT) division rolling out another big-bore, high-horsepower engine at the 2011 New York Auto Show, Dan Reid, the company’s head of media relations, said “there’s a market for it – cars that go fast and sound good.”

Joseph Grace, the vehicle line manager for the SRT division, agreed that “big, naturally-aspirated V8s” can still find enough buyers to support halo cars. The tuning arm is open, however, to less potent options. “There’s a precedent for four-cylinders [with the Dodge Neon SRT4], and a 6 [on the Crossfire SRT6], and when we get the right platform we’ll look at it again.” Added Reid, “The five areas for SRT are powertrain, braking, handling, interior and exterior,” and any potential SRT vehicle has to live up to that first qualification. Grace then told us that the 6.4-liter engine in the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, with its cylinder deactivation and active exhaust system, was “the most efficient way to deliver the kind of performance the customer expects.”

“We had great success with the SRT4 and there’s a trend toward smaller displacement turbo engines, there’s actually a demographic that that appeals to,” Grace said. But when asked whether there could be something like an Dodge Journey SRT, Grace suggested not and said, “That’s why we have the Man Van.”

As for where else Chrysler is looking for special models, Reid said, “Want to expand the 300 model line to a car for every personality, tailor models to different customers. Right now we have a ‘bare-bones’ model, the 300, 300 S, 300C Executive, and SRT8. We’re looking at the non-traditional customer and seeing what they’d like.”

Gallery: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8: New York 2011

New York 2011: Chrysler’s SRT division open to smaller engines, but there’s still a market for big V8s originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Jeep says point of 2012 Grand Cherokee SRT8 was better, not faster

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Performance, SUV, Jeep, Luxury, Off-Road

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 – Click above for high-res image gallery

At the 2011 New York Auto Show, we asked Joseph Grace, vehicle line executive for the SRT line, about the specs on the new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 – specifically, why didn’t they make it… more. The previous Grand Cherokee SRT8 was said to reach 60 miles per hour “in under five seconds” while the new one is pegged at 4.8 seconds. While that’s an improvement of, at most, one-nineteenth of a second, it puts it right about square with the Mercedes ML63 AMG and at least three-tenths of a second adrift of the BMW X5 M.

But Grace said that wasn’t really the point. “The major issues customers had that we wanted to address,” he said, “were the ride, the exhaust, and fuel economy and range.” This wasn’t about making a faster SUV, it was about filling in the gaps of the previous model.

The center-mounted exhaust was swapped for dual pipes at the corners. The engine technologies – “it’s the first time we’ve coupled all-out performance with cylinder deactivation and active exhaust,” Grace said – have yielded better gas mileage and longer range.

The adaptive ride suspension developed in conjunction with Bilstein addresses the handling issues with five settings. On the matter of having a Track setting in such serious tonnage, Grace said “It was an application we had available with the adaptive damping.” It shunts a little more torque to the rear wheels, going to a 60/40 front-to-rear split instead of 65/35, but Grace says “The track setting will keep the tires on the ground and makes [the ride] stiff but it can still be used on the road.”

As for those German rivals, Grace said “We haven’t announced pricing, but in comparison to the others it will be a benchmark in performance-for-value in a super-equipped vehicle.”

Gallery: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8: New York 2011

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 at the 2011 New York Auto Show

New York 2011: Jeep says point of 2012 Grand Cherokee SRT8 was better, not faster originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Jaguar makes the XF we always wanted and tweaks the XK for 2012

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Jaguar, Luxury

2012 Jaguar XF

The 2012 Jaguar XF – Click above to view high-res image gallery

The Jaguar XF only arrived in 2008, but in just three years, it has reset the course for a brand that was hobbled by the transgression of the X-Type and a beloved but aging XJ. In 2010, it received a new set of engines that delivered performance on par with the promise of the concept car, and now, for 2012, we have a car that delivers on the looks of that showstopper. Jaguar has revealed a refreshed XF at the New York Auto Show, and the renew isn’t ostentatious, but it is thorough, and rewarding.

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Gallery: 2012 Jaguar XFR: New York 2011

Gallery: 2012 Jaguar XF

Gallery: 2012 Jaguar XKR: New York 2011

Gallery: 2012 Jaguar XK

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New York 2011: Jaguar makes the XF we always wanted and tweaks the XK for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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