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Report: Saudi university to start $500 million carmaking enterprise

Filed under: Middle East

King Saud University Gazal-1

King Saud University Gazal-1 – Click above for a high-res image gallery

Few took them seriously when the students of King Saud University unveiled their first design in Geneva last March. But the Saudi institute of higher education is reportedly putting their plans to begin producing their own line of automobiles into high gear.

According to Reuters, the project is being undertaken by the university’s investment arm, Wadi al-Riyadh Technology, with technical and financial support from an as-yet undisclosed South Korean firm. Could Hyundai/Kia be behind the effort? Hard to say, but whoever it is, they’re tipped to be putting up 30 percent of the cash, in addition to the technical know-how. The university is set to put in as much as 15 percent of the capital needed, while the rest is reportedly being offered to outside investments. Altogether, the project is budgeted at $500 million.

The outfit’s first vehicle will reportedly be “an economic car suitable for local use,” as opposed to the Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen-based SUV concept pictured above. Spokespeople say they hope to offer the vehicle in other countries in the region, including the Gulf emirates and North African countries.

The development is peculiar for a number of reasons, namely that (a) Saudi Arabia, though the largest economy in the Arab world, is not known as an automobile producing or exporting country, and (b) most cars are not built by universities. Still, if any country has the oil money to pull it off, it’s surely Saudi Arabia.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: King Saud University Gazal-1

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Saudi university to start $500 million carmaking enterprise originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Kahn, Cosworth squeeze 500 hp out of diesel Range Rover

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, SUV, Land Rover, Diesel, Luxury

Cosworth Range Rover

Range Rover Sport RS500 by Project Kahn and Cosworth – Click above for high-res image gallery

There’s a grand tradition to enormously powerful and torquey diesel sport-utes. Most of them come from the Volkswagen group – like the Touareg V10 or the Audi Q7 V12 TDI – but this, as you might have guessed, is no VW. It’s a Range Rover, uut one that’s been thoroughly worked over.

The modifications have been carried out through the joint efforts of Project Kahn and Cosworth – two British tuners that have been working together for the past couple of years. Their latest product started life as the thoroughly capable and luxurious Range Rover Sport with the 4.4-liter V8 diesel. With 313 horsepower, the diesel Rover is hardly a slouch, but Cosworth has taken it a step further (and then some) by squeezing out a whopping 500 horsepower.

To go with the massive upgrade in output, Kahn has given the Range Rover an extensive cosmetic update both inside and out, with new bumpers from and rear, side skirts, 22-inch wheels and an interior decked out in billet aluminum and perforated & quilted leather trim. Check it out in the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Range Rover Sport RS500 by Project Kahn and Cosworth

[Source: Project Kahn]

Project Kahn, Cosworth squeeze 500 hp out of diesel Range Rover originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir

Filed under: Budget, Videos, Hatchback, Fiat, UK

Fiat 500 TwinAir on Fifth Gear – Click above to watch the video after the jump

The more cylinders, the better. Right? That’s exactly the kind of conventional wisdom that’s being turned on its head with the green revolution. Everything from hatchbacks to muscle sedans are dropping pistons like clumsy engine-plant workers these days. But what about the TwinAir engine on the Fiat 500? Have the Italians taken things too far?

That’s what the crew over at Fifth Gear have set about figuring out. The other British car show took the latest Cinquecento – all two cylinders of it – out for video review. So how did it fare? Follow the jump to watch the segment for yourself and find out.

Continue reading Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir

Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat 500 art cars created in Miami at Exhibitalia

Filed under: Etc., Hatchback, Fiat, Design/Style

Fiat Exhibitalia art car

Fiat 500 Art Basel art cars – click above for high-res image gallery

We wouldn’t have taken something like the Art Basel festival in Miami Beach as a typical showcase for automobiles, but after Tesla rolled out its art car and Maybach spearheaded its sculpture initiative there, Fiat became the third automaker to strut its stuff at the festival among the 2,000 artists from around the world.

Fiat’s display took place at the four-day Exhibitalia event, where several renowned artists and two student teams from the University of Miami used its tiny 500 as their “inspiration and canvas” in the creation of their works. Some created pieces inspired by the Cinquecento, some used body panels, and one even used the entire vehicle, transforming it into an art car on par with anything BMW could throw at it. Check it out in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Fiat 500 art cars at Exhibitalia

[Source: Fiat]

Continue reading Fiat 500 art cars created in Miami at Exhibitalia

Fiat 500 art cars created in Miami at Exhibitalia originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat 500 Bicolore debuts at Bologna Motor Show

Just days ago, Fiat rolled out one of several upcoming special edition 500 models. The new 500 Bicolore, pictured above, made its debut at the Bologna Motor Show. Details are limited, but as its name implies, the Bicolore model features a two-tone paint scheme in candy-apple red and white. Fiat finishes off the changes to the Bicolore by fitting it with unique alloy wheels and trimming the interior with some chrome accents.

Fiat describes the Bicolore as “an unprecedented combination that recalls the retro world of ’50s American cars and pop art.” The automaker continues, calling the special edition 500 a model “that celebrates the car’s more eco-friendly and sporty spirits.” The Bicolore is powered by one of Fiat’s most fuel efficient engines available: the turbocharged two-cylinder 0.9-liter TwinAir, which cranks out 85 horsepower.

The Bicolore is just one of several special edition 500 models that Fiat plans to launch in the coming months, so stay tuned for more.

[Source: Fiat]

Continue reading Fiat 500 Bicolore debuts at Bologna Motor Show

Fiat 500 Bicolore debuts at Bologna Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: First U.S. ad for the Fiat 500 is… kinda bland

Filed under: Budget, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Fiat, Luxury

Long-form Fiat 500 U.S. ad – Click above to watch video after the jump

The enthusiast hordes have been gearing up for the arrival of the Fiat 500 for some time now. At last, Fiat has prepared its ad campaign to let the more casual car fan know what’s about to hit, and the initial result feels, to us, a lot less exciting than the car itself. Think Anthony Robbins meets a Target commercial, with a little bit of a white 500 thrown in. Or just think Moby since, with no disrespect to the musician himself, his tunes have become the soundtrack to tapioca advertising.

The 1:47 spot you’ll find after the jump will supposedly be cut up to provide more TV-friendly commercial spots of various lengths. Have a look and let us know if you think the Fiat 500 is well served, or deserves more. Hat tip to Jamie

[Source: YouTube via Left Lane News]

Continue reading Video: First U.S. ad for the Fiat 500 is… kinda bland

Video: First U.S. ad for the Fiat 500 is… kinda bland originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar recalling nearly 6,500 XJs due to defective windshield wipers

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Jaguar, Luxury

2011 Jaguar XJ

2011 Jaguar XJ – Click above for high-res image gallery

Jaguar has issued a recall covering 6,475 2010-11 XJ sedans built between July 28, 2009 and November 3, 2010 due to defective windshield wipers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration details the exact problem with these XJs, saying:

“The front wiper arms to spindle fixings were not torqued to specification during manufacturing. As a result, the securing nuts could fail to perform as intended, resulting in a loss of wiper arm synchronization and a clash of the wiper arms.”

Clashing wiper arms mean they could detach from the vehicle altogether, which is perhaps the last thing any driver would want to have to deal with on a rainy (or snowy) day. The full recall is expected to commence on or before December 13, and dealers will ensure that the wiper arms are securely fitted to the spindle. To read the full details, follow the jump for NHTSA’s release.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Jaguar XJL

2011 Jaguar XJL

[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]

Continue reading Jaguar recalling nearly 6,500 XJs due to defective windshield wipers

Jaguar recalling nearly 6,500 XJs due to defective windshield wipers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: What happens when 1,500-lbs of cell phones are dropped on a Camaro

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet

Camaro vs. Cell Phones

Camaro vs. Cell Phones – Click above to watch videos after the jump

The wonders of advertising have brought us many miracles of entertainment and phenomena of pop culture over the decades. From Budweiser Frogs to ridiculously capable blenders, as a society, we’ve likely wasted away several lifetimes just watching people try to sell us the next best product. Well, pull up a chair and get ready to chalk up a few more moments. Pace Butler Office, a cell phone recycling company, wanted to get the word out about the damage that throwing away your old cell phone can wreak on the environment. For that, they needed a visual aid – the kind that only an fourth-gen Camaro and 1,500-pound pallet of busted handsets can deliver.

As you might expect, the roof of the old Bow Tie isn’t quite up to withstanding the force of all those phones dropped from above, and the damage is catastrophic. Pace Butler Office says that the Camaro was in no state to drive and that it wasn’t going back on the road in the near future. After the death-from-above stunt, an employee reportedly bought the car to use for parts later, so it’s not a complete loss.

Even so, we have to shed a tear for the videos after the jump. Click here to see for yourself.

[Sources: YouTube, Jalopnik]

Continue reading Video: What happens when 1,500-lbs of cell phones are dropped on a Camaro

Video: What happens when 1,500-lbs of cell phones are dropped on a Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Japanese man builds $500,000 house in single parking space

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Humor

Parking Space House

A house built in the area of a parking space – Click above to watch video after the jump

As Americans, our concept of a normal-sized home has grown by leaps and bounds over the decades. In her book Living Large, author Sarah Wexler says that the average home size in the U.S. grew from 983 square feet in 1950 to 2,349 square feet in 2004, and it doesn’t look to be shrinking any time soon. It’s not like that everywhere. Just look at what ingenious architects in Japan are up to. With both space and funds at a minimum, builders and property owners alike are looking to get the most out of every square foot, even going so far as to build a two-person home on the same footprint as an average-sized parking space.

To make it happen, designers have employed a number of space-saving tricks, including a triangular spiral staircase that decreases the minimum radius needed for going up and appliances that are stashed under counters and in unique cubbies. Doesn’t sound like a bad way to go, if you ask us. Hit the jump to see a video of the house for yourself.

[Source: CNN]

Continue reading Video: Japanese man builds $500,000 house in single parking space

Video: Japanese man builds $500,000 house in single parking space originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confirmed: Fiat 500 Abarth coming to U.S., all-electric 500 BEV to launch first

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Chrysler, Fiat, Electric

Fiat 500 Abarth

The Fiat 500 Abarth prefers to run on two wheels – Click above to watch video after the jump

The other day we told you to bone up on your Italian because the Fiat 500 configurator came online. Now you should seriously start saving your Lira because the high-performance 500 Abarth model has been confirmed for the U.S. market. No date has been confirmed, but we’ve been told that the launch of all 500 models will be staggered and the Abarth is last in the queue.

Those other variations include the standard 500 that you can start ordering now, the 500C drop-top and a 500 that runs on all-electric battery power. Still, the one we’re breaking out the driving gloves for is the Fiat 500 Abarth… and rumor has it that we might see the tiny terror running Stateside within the next three years because the 500 BEV hits the market in 2012.

Check out the video after the jump to see why i nostri cuori battono così velocemente.

Gallery: Fiat 500 Abarth Opening Edition

Continue reading Confirmed: Fiat 500 Abarth coming to U.S., all-electric 500 BEV to launch first

Confirmed: Fiat 500 Abarth coming to U.S., all-electric 500 BEV to launch first originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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