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J Mays: “Very cool Mustang” coming in 2014 [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ford, Rumormill

2011 Ford Mustang

Designer J Mays on Ford’s future styling direction – click above to watch the video

The crew at Mustangs Daily has let the internets in on the first morsels of information about the 2014 Ford Mustang. As you may know, America’s pony car will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in just three years, so there’s been more than a little interest in what FoMoCo will come up with to celebrate the occasion. It turns out, the ’14 car won’t be an evolution of the current machine we all know and love. Instead, it will be something completely different. Ford is keeping exactly what that means to itself for the moment, other than to say that the next design will be a huge leap forward for the nameplate.

Here’s hoping that doesn’t mean the re-introduction of the Mustang II.

Fortunately, Ford seems pretty pleased with the way that the design is going so far, saying that we’ll see a “pretty cool” Mustang crop up in 2013 as a 2014 model. Given how far the car has advanced over the past three years, we can’t wait to see what Ford is up to with its muscle car. Listen to what else J Mays, Ford’s vice president of global design, has to say about future styling of the Blue Oval’s entire portfolio in the video after the jump.

[Source: Mustangs Daily]
photo copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading J Mays: “Very cool Mustang” coming in 2014 [w/video]

J Mays: “Very cool Mustang” coming in 2014 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Porsche coming back to Formula 1

Filed under: Motorsports, Porsche

Porsche logo

Porsche is engaged in roundtable discussions about re-entering Formula 1. The Stuttgart automaker has been in and out of Formula 1 for decades, and now with Volkswagen making noises about entering various racing series like NASCAR, it appears all that’s left to be decided is which manufacturer will go where. The latest pie to be split has an LMP1 car on one side and an F1 car on the other, with Audi and Porsche holding the forks. Audi has already said it doesn’t fit with Formula 1, leaving Porsche as the de facto F1 entrant.

Porsche’s current racing involvement is mainly through customer programs, so this move (should it happen) would mark a return to full-on heavy duty factory involvement. VW has been in talks with the FIA about providing a so-called “world engine” for F1, but it’s unclear whether Porsche’s involvement would hinge on that coming to pass or if the automaker would make an engine regardless. The Williams F1 team’s overtures to VW could provide another point of entry to the pinnacle of motorsport.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Porsche coming back to Formula 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Alpine coming back… again… for real

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Renault, Rumormill

2006 Renault Nepta Concept

Autocar reports that the suits at Renault are keeping the dream of a true successor to the Alpine alive and well. The pub quotes Laurens van den Acker, the new vice-president of corporate design for Renault, as saying that he believes there’s room for an affordable sports car in the company’s lineup. There have been several attempts to re-fire the Alpine furnace over the past few years, but each have been cancelled due to various reasons. The 2006 Nepta Concept, pictured above, was one such stillborn attempt.

But Autocar says that a new take on an Alpine is back on the table and that the newest project takes plenty of cues from the A110 Berlinette. The fiberglass-bodied coupe helped make the Alpine name famous with its various rally escapades in the early ’70s.

As promising as all of this sounds, van den Acker admits that it’s going to be an uphill battle to make a strong enough business case for a low-buck sports car to make anyone else at his company take notice. Still, hoping never hurts, no matter how many times we’ve been hurt in the past.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Alpine coming back… again… for real originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call of Duty-themed Jeep Wrangler coming from Chrysler

Filed under: SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Jeep, Toys/Games, Off-Road

Jeep Wrangler to receive Call of Duty special edition

If you are a fan of both video games and limited-edition theme vehicles, then today is your lucky day. Chrysler has announced that they will be building a Call of Duty-themed Jeep Wrangler to coincide with the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops game. The video game is set to be released on November 9th, 2010 and the CoD Wrangler will be offered for sale around that time as well. According to our friends at Joystiq, the Wrangler will make numerous appearances throughout the game so you can drive your Jeep on screen for hours then hop into the real thing to give your thumbs a break.

Pricing is yet to be announced, but a base 2011 Jeep Wrangler will set you back $22,045. If you’re interested in the Call of Duty: Black Ops Jeep Wrangler then you better start saving your quarters now. Thanks for the tip, Vitor!

Gallery: 2011 Jeep Wrangler

2011 Jeep Wrangler 2011 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2011 Jeep Wrangler interior

[Source: Joystiq]

Call of Duty-themed Jeep Wrangler coming from Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Jeep pickup coming in 2012

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Jeep, Rumormill, Off-Road

Jeep Gladiator concept

2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Adding fuel to the rumormill fire that Jeep is keen to introduce a small pickup based on its ever-popular Wrangler platform is a new report from our reliable friends from PickupTrucks.com that the project has been given the green light. The news comes just after we heard that just such a machine was shown to dealers with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge-style display.

According to PickupTruck.com’s sources, the light-duty hauler would debut in 2012 with a design heavily based on the Jeep Gladiator concept from 2005. To get the necessary length, Jeep is said to be utilizing the four-door Wrangler Unlimited chassis with the deletion of the two aft doors and the addition of a short truck bed.

Here’s hoping the final design, if it indeed reaches production, retains the external spare wheel and tire. While we’re wishing, we’ll cast a vote towards a removable hardtop as well. Regardless, this is one of those cases where we feel pretty confident in saying, If you build it, they will ~~come~~ buy.

Gallery: 2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Report: Jeep pickup coming in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Electric CUV coming from Kia in 2013

Filed under: Technology, Crossover, Electric, South Korea

According to Reuters, Kia is looking to jump into the EV fight with an electrified CUV. Parent company Hyundai said that it’s planning to turn out a total of 2,500 battery-operated vehicles by 2012. A total of 500 of those will be Hyundai BlueOn models, but the rest of the fleet will be made up of the new Kia-badged creation. The early fleet will be sold to Korean government agencies as a large-scale test, but commercial sales are supposed to start shortly thereafter. Reuters quotes Hong John-hee, the director of the company’s electric vehicle development group, as saying that the cost of battery-electric vehicles will fall off much quicker than most analysts are anticipating.

Like the BlueOn, the CUV-based EV will store its power in an SK Energy battery pack, though there was no mention as to whether the cells would be lithium-ion or traditional nickel-metal hydride.

The electric crossover is likely to show up on the market in 2013 and will be capable of covering around 80 miles on a single charge. Both Hyundai and Kia are part of an effort by the Korean government to replace up to 20 percent of the nation’s passenger vehicles with EVs by 2020.

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Electric CUV coming from Kia in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota/Tesla RAV4 EV coming to LA Auto Show, Prius PHEV hitting dealerships in Q2 2012

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Crossover, Toyota, Tesla, Electric

Toyota RAV4

Back in July, Toyota and Tesla announced a joint venture to bring electric vehicles to market, and the first example – the RAV4 EV – is slated to go on sale in 2012. Now, an update from Toyota says the all-electric RAV4 will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November, meaning that an on-sale date in 2012 doesn’t seem all that unrealistic.

Speaking of 2012, Toyota also tweeted about its plans to bring the Prius PHEV to market in the second quarter of that year, citing May or June as a specific timeframe. When it launches, Toyota is targeting sales of roughly 20,000-plus units in North America, with the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf as the key competition.

[Source: Toyota]

Toyota/Tesla RAV4 EV coming to LA Auto Show, Prius PHEV hitting dealerships in Q2 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Nissan GT-R ‘Egotist’ coming soon?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Japan, Nissan, Rumormill

2010 Nissan GT-R – Click above for high-res image gallery

Don’t call it the Spec M. According to Autocar, the suits at Nissan have decided to sail a new luxury version of the mighty GT-R under the Egoist banner. The car will supposedly wear a completely new front fascia, and will debut alongside the facelifted version of the GT-R later this year. Other changes include a pair of special Recaro thrones, massive front brakes and unique 10-spoke wheels. All of that kit will set you back a lofty $166,740 at current conversion rates, but so far, it’s unclear whether the Egoist will make its way to the States or whether it will be a JDM-only (and possibly Euro-only) piece.

Autocar is also serving up a few details on the plain Jane 2011 GT-R. If the report has hit its mark, we can look forward to a significant weight reduction along with a few mechanical tweaks that should up the horsepower. A new oil cooler, exhaust system and slightly larger turbos should help the car churn out a grand total of 506 horsepower and 448 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers are awfully specific without any official word from Nissan, but right now, this estimate is as good as anyone’s.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R

Rumormill: Nissan GT-R ‘Egotist’ coming soon? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Next-gen boxer engine coming from Subaru this year

Filed under: Japan, Technology, Crossover, Subaru

According to Automotive News, Subaru is set to release a new, more fuel-efficient version of its boxer four-cylinder engine. The powerplant should be available in both 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter configurations and will be able to offer up a 10-percent boost in fuel economy over its predecessors. The report doesn’t detail exactly how the engine goes about gaining its new found efficiency, but it does say the changes are the first significant revision of the company’s boxer architecture in two decades.

A Fuji Heavy Industries spokesperson confirmed that the new powerplant is coming, but wouldn’t go so far as to say which models would benefit from the new tech. Automotive News reports that other sources claim that the thrifty four-pot will first show up in the Forester both in the U.S. and Japan, paired with a CVT gearbox. The new engine will then begin to crop up in models like the Legacy and Impreza here in the States and the Exiga minivan on Subaru’s home turf.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Next-gen boxer engine coming from Subaru this year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Revenge of the Electric Car coming to a theater near you… sometime

Filed under: Ford, GM, Nissan, Electric

Chris Paine filming Revenge of the Electric Car

Remember the documentary “Who killed the Electric Car?” Director Chris Paine created the film in 2005 and 2006 to bemoan the decision of some automakers to kill off their electric car programs. It’s now five years later and Paine and company are back with a vengeance videotaping “Revenge of the Electric Car.”

In the original film, General Motors was reviled for its decision to deep-six the innovative EV1 all-electric two-seat car. But thanks to the impending production of the Chevrolet Volt, GM is now considered one of the reasons that the EV is on the comeback trail. Paine and his crew were allowed access to The General’s Detroit Hamtramck plant to witness – with cameras rolling – the assembly production of pre-production Volt number 100. And to think that five years ago Rick Wagner and his crew would have been more likely to lend a size 14 boot to Paine’s rear end than allow him to film inside one of the company’s most important plants. My how times have changed.

There is no solid timetable for the release of “Revenge of the Electric Car” right now, but the documentary will likely align very well with the release of the Volt and Nissan Leaf, which are followed by an electric Focus not long after.

[Source: Revenge of the Electric Car]

Revenge of the Electric Car coming to a theater near you… sometime originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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