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GT5 creator reveals fixes in the works, more functionality coming

Filed under: Toys/Games

Gran Turismo 5 cover Gran Turismo 5 has been pretty polarizing, right out of the gate. Some diehard fans are so excited that it’s here, they may not care about the obvious issues the game has at launch. On the other end of the spectrum, some folks are quick to deride the racing sim as being terrible when that’s far from true. The reality is that Gran Turismo 5 falls somewhere in between these two extreme points of view. It is pretty amazing, while its flaws are clearly visible. Creator Kazunori Yamauchi has revealed that fixes are planned, and should arrive by early December.

What exactly do these fixes include? Mechanical damage will be added to the existing cosmetic damage, the “blocky shadows” will be resolved, online functionality will be increased and the ability to disable the HUD is mentioned as a possible option.

Whatever your gripes with the game may be, it’s nice to hear that Polyphony Digital is listening. The ability to implement fixes and dole them out by way of a download is a far cry better from the old days of waiting for the next generation game.

[Source: Joystiq]

GT5 creator reveals fixes in the works, more functionality coming originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid coming in 2013

Filed under: Hybrid, SUV, Japan, Technology, Mitsubishi

Mitsubish PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid

Mitsubish PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

AutoWeek reports that Mitsubishi will wade into plug-in electric waters in 2013. The automaker’s head of electric vehicles, Yoshikazu Nakamura, said the vehicle will be an SUV similar to the 2009 Px-MiEV Concept and that the production version is already nearing the final stages of development. The concept got its pep from a tiny 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine working in coordination with two electric motors and a battery pack. Mitsubishi pegged the Px-MiEV as being able to travel for up to 30 miles one pure electric go-go, so there must be some pretty hefty battery technology onboard as well.

Whether or not the production SUV will use a similar drivetrain remains to be seen. We can say with some certainty that Mitsubishi is likely to simplify the vehicle’s name considerably. The automaker has already scrapped the i-MiEV moniker for the somewhat more palatable name of “i powered by MiEV” in the States. We can’t wait to explain that one to the fine people of the DMV.

Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV

[Source: AutoWeek]

Report: Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid coming in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GMC Sierra HD concept coming to Detroit

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Truck, GMC, Diesel

GMC Sierra HD

2011 GMC Sierra HD – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors’ heavy-duty truck twins – the GMC Sierra HD and Chevrolet Silverado HD – were reworked for 2011 with the addition of an all-new chassis and an upgraded 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engine. But while the capable trucks’ guts were given a transplant, the vehicle’s blue-collar exterior and aging interior were left unchanged. With Ford and Ram updating the look and feel of their heavy duty pickups over the past year, we’re thinking GM won’t stand idly by forever, and we may have a peak at the next Sierra sooner than you think.

Our friends over at PickupTrucks.com are reporting that sources within GM have said that we can expect a Sierra HD concept at the North American International Auto Show in January. The super-sized concept will likely show one possible design direction for the haul-happy pickup, giving it new sheetmetal to accompany its already very capable hardware. Will the concept look production-ready, or will it be a pie in the sky rendering on wheels? We’ll have to wait until January to find out.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 GM HD Trucks

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Report: GMC Sierra HD concept coming to Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:59:00 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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LA 2010: Honda debuts Fit EV concept, production version coming in 2012

Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Hatchback, Honda, Electric

Honda Fit EV concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

We were a bit miffed at the Paris Motor Show this year when Honda debuted its ~~Fit~~ Jazz Hybrid and told us there were no plans to bring it to the United States. Bigger plans were in the works, however, and we’ve now caught our first glimpse at the Fit EV concept on display at this year’s LA Auto Show.

Visually, the Fit EV doesn’t stray too far from the design language we’ve come to know from the gasoline-powered hatchback, albeit with a few concept-y touches thrown in for good measure. Interior refinement is standard-grade Fit spec, as well, with a modified gauge cluster showing battery and efficiency information.

Honda has outfitted the Fit EV with a version of the electric motor used in the automaker’s FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, and we’re told that range will be around 100 miles with a top speed of 90 miles per hour. Sounds like a Nissan Leaf competitor to us. Though purely a concept right now, Honda plans to sell a production version of the Fit EV sometime in 2012, and fleet testing of the electric hatch will commence in the coming months.

See the Fit EV for yourself in our galleries of live and stock shots below, and follow the jump for the full details in Honda’s press release.

Gallery: LA 2010: Honda Fit EV Concept

Gallery: Honda Fit EV Concept

Honda Fit EV Concept

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading LA 2010: Honda debuts Fit EV concept, production version coming in 2012

LA 2010: Honda debuts Fit EV concept, production version coming in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG coming to LA Auto Show

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz CLS

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

Not long after Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off of the shapely new CLS-Class at this year’s Paris Motor Show, sources within the automaker have told Autoblog that the AMG-fettled CLS will bow at next month’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

Much like the revised S63 and CL63, expect the 2012 CLS63 AMG to use the automaker’s new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, churning out 544 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That power will be managed via Merc’s latest seven-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission sending power solely to the rear wheels. An AMG Performance Package will be on hand, as well, boosting output numbers up to 571 hp and 664 lb-ft. We can’t wait to experience this beast firsthand.

Naturally, expect a bulgier, more aggressive exterior appearance complete with large AMG wheels and a host of LED lamps up front. Interior refinement will likely feature sport seats, a smaller-diameter steering wheel with paddle shifters and, of course, carbon fiber trim.

Stay tuned for official images and details closer to the car’s official debut in Los Angeles.

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG coming to LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: New slogan ‘Chevy runs deep’ coming this fall [w/poll]

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM

Chevy Bowtie

General Motors wants you to know that, um… Chevy runs deep. We won’t pretend to know exactly what that means but we’re preparing ourselves to get used to hearing it. Apparently, it’s a new slogan that The General plans to use for marketing purposes starting this fall for the Chevrolet brand, though it won’t be used for all advertisements and won’t be attached to the Volt.

We feel the need to point out that this scheme runs exactly opposite from what the previous marketing executives had in mind for the Golden Bowtie, namely that those working for the company always call it ‘Chevrolet’ in lieu of the more slang ‘Chevy.’ But that was under the previous administration, which was recently replaced by Joel Ewanick and Chris Perry.

Ewanick and Perry are said to have formed the slogan with help from Goody, Silverstein and Partners, which was awarded the Chevrolet marketing account after the brand’s short stint with Publicis Worldwide and a 91-year relationship with Campbell-Ewald.

What do you think? Is this new slogan a winner? Is it better than the last few attempts by the brand to reinvent its marketing material in the States?

View Poll

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Report: New slogan ‘Chevy runs deep’ coming this fall [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW X4 coming in 2014

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Crossover, BMW, Design/Style, Luxury

Autoweek reports that BMW wants to add yet another small SUV to its lineup. Called the X4, the vehicle is rumored to take more than a few cues from the big-daddy X6 in both design and driving characteristics. The report says that early concept drawings show the vehicle as having the same upright nose and long, arching roof line as the biggest X as well as a very similar angled rear hatch.

Of course, nothing’s set in stone at this point, so the X4’s appearance could change considerably by the time it hits the scene in 2014. There is some speculation that the vehicle will be manufactured at the company’s Spartanburg, South Carolina facility, which would makes sense considering America’s seemingly boundless thirst for high-riding hatches.

[Source: Autoweek]

Report: BMW X4 coming in 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Maserati’s baby Quattroporte coming late 2011

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Maserati, Rumormill, Luxury

Maserati Quattroporte S

Maserati Quattroporte S – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve heard the rumors about a Baby Quattroporte for some time now and Inside Line managed to wrangle up some new details on the upcoming Maserati. The car is expected to arrive sometime next fall and will take aim at the likes of the BMW M5, Jaguar XFR and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. While the Quattroporte received its lines from Pininfarina, the smaller Maserati will be penned at Centro Stile Fiat – Fiat’s in-house design studio.

Currently, the automaker is deciding where the sporty luxury sedan will be built. The Modena factory is running at full-tilt so the next choice seems to be Bertone’s Turin plant.

Gallery: First Drive: Maserati Quattroporte S

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: Maserati’s baby Quattroporte coming late 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 is coming our way

Filed under: Motorcycle

2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200

1200 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Rejoice, two-wheel fans: Aprilia has decided to grace the land of the free with the delectable Dorsoduro 1200. According to the moto-obsessed crew over at Hell For Leather, the bike is coming our way next year and we can expect to see it in showrooms as soon as this Spring.

The bike gets underway courtesy of a water-cooled, 1200 cc, 130-horsepower twin-cylinder engine that, according to Aprilia, is a completely new design. With four-valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams and three throttle maps for varying riding conditions, the powerplant sounds like an engineer’s wish list.

The whole party comes to a stop courtesy of twin 320 mm floating discs clamped by Brembo four-piston calipers. Throw in the traditional up-right riding position of the supermoto set and you’ve got a recipe for ridiculously powerful riding perfection. So far, there’s no word on how much the Dorsoduro 1200 will set you back, but we’re guessing that it won’t be long before Aprilia drops the MSRP. Spring is right around the corner, after all.

Gallery: 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200

[Source: Hell For Leather]

2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 is coming our way originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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