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Rumormill: More details on 2012 Porsche 911 (991)

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

Next-Generation Porsche 911

Next-Generation Porsche 911 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Porsche 911 is due for an update, and if the rumors kicking around the internet are to be believed, 2012 will bring one of the most significant changes to the sports car in generations. The German automotive magazine Auto Bild is reporting that the next 911 will look a good deal different from the current generation thanks to some serious changes in the vehicle’s proportions. The rear-engine coupe is expected to be over 2.2 inches longer and wear a roof line that’s nearly half an inch lower than the outgoing design.

In addition, Auto Bild suggests that the engineers at Porsche have cooked up a new 3.4-liter boxer good for 345 horsepower in base configuration. As usual, Carrera S models will wear wider flanks, this time with the flares adding some 2.4 inches. The meaner of the two cars will also pack a 3.8-lilter boxer six that puts out 395 ponies. All told, the base 911 will be able to make the dash to 60 mph in less than 4.8 seconds while the Carrera S should be able to do the same dance in less than 4.5.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Next-Generation Porsche 911

Porsche 911 spy shots

[Source: Auto Bild via World Car Fans]

Rumormill: More details on 2012 Porsche 911 (991) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Full details on the 2011 Chrysler 300

Filed under: Sedan, Chrysler

2011 Chrysler 300

2011 Chrysler 300 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chrysler has finally been kind enough to serve up a few official details on what buyers can expect from the innards of the 2011 300. While we know that the company’s big bruiser will be available with either the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 or the familiar 5.7-liter V8, but the company has just now let us all in on what they’ve done to update the vehicle’s exterior. The next-generation 300 now wears a windshield that’s been raked back by three inches, and combined with slightly thinner pillars all the way around, Chrysler says that visibility has been improved by around 15 percent. Given the tank-slit views from the cockpit of the old 300, that’s no bad thing.

Inside, buyers can expect to be met with a smattering of chrome accents and what Chrysler calls “cast-skin” instrument and door panels. But for us, the really good news is that, like it’s platform mate the Dodge Charger, the 300 comes with the company’s new, fantastically huge 8.5-inch LCD touchscreen. Joy to the world. Hit the jump for a peep at the full press release.

Gallery: 2011 Chrysler 300

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Officially Official: Full details on the 2011 Chrysler 300

Officially Official: Full details on the 2011 Chrysler 300 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speed details new shows with Adam Carolla and Dan Neil

Filed under: Etc.

Adam Carolla The Speed Channel is approaching the 15th anniversary of its original air date and apparently its going to get much more aggressive with its content in the coming years. Right now, Speed has 20 new shows in development and six of those are ready to show up in your DVR in 2011.

We know that Adam Carolla is working on a show that would be an automotive version of The Best Damn Sports Show Period. Other items in the works include a series of specials with Jay Leno, a reality series based on Gran Turismo 5 (produced in cooperation with Sony and Nissan) and a Gymkhana program to be helmed by The Fast and the Furious Producer/DIrector Adam Cohen.

Those represent part of the growing projects currently under development. These six new shows are ready to by slotted into the lineup (titles subject to change):

–Car Warriors: Think Joes vs Pros but for car construction. A team of average folks square off against all-star builders and their work will be judged by George Barris, Jimmy Shine and Mad Mike Martin.

–American Truckers: Rob Mariani talks about iconic rigs, amazing routes and unique cargo tales. Kind of a niche audience here but the “iconic rigs” could be interesting.

–Car Science: The producers of Sports Science and Fight Science have turned their attention to automobiles.

–Speedmakers: Surprisingly not a Breaking Bad rip-off, but an examination of anything that makes speed possible. The show will examine the Daytona International Speedway, go behind the scenes at Aston Martin and will generally focus on engineering feats designed to maximize speed.

–Ticket to Ride with Dan Neil: Pulitzer-prize winner Dan Neil turns his column into a television show. If Speed lets him handle the writing, this one could prove quite interesting.

–The 10: This one is for the NASCAR fans. The 10 will highlight the best that NASCAR has served up over the years with topics such as Most Bizarre Finishes, All-Time Races, Throw-downs and Closest Calls.

[Source: Speed]

Continue reading Speed details new shows with Adam Carolla and Dan Neil

Speed details new shows with Adam Carolla and Dan Neil originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Buick Verano details and pricing leaked in dealer letter?

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Buick, GM

2012 Buick Verano teaser

Following the launch of the Regal, Buick will be introducing its next all-new model sometime in 2011. Set to launch as a 2012 model, the Verano compact will slot in beneath the Regal sedan, though we’ve been told on several occasions that it will not share a platform with General Motors’ other new small car, the Chevrolet Cruze.

According to the infomongers at GM Inside News, the automaker recent sent a letter to its Buick dealers inviting them to participate in an order study in an attempt to gain knowledge about what pricing and trim levels would be most attractive to potential buyers. The details, available after the jump, reveal that the Verano will be powered by a 2.4-liter inline-four (same as the Regal) that produces 180 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, and will be initially offered in four trim levels.

If the letter is to be believed, the base Verano 1SB (the alphanumeric likely being an internal designation) is estimated to start at $20,900. From there, the 1SD model adds Bluetooth, automatic climate control and remote start, and will be priced from around $22,100. 1SG models add a power driver’s seat, heated mirrors and rear park assist and should command roughly $23,300. Top-trim 1SL Veranos will have heated leather seats, premium audio, a heated steering wheel and 18-inch wheels. Expect the top-rung 1SL to retail for around $25,600, with pricing reaching as high as $26,200.

We don’t expect GM to reveal official Verano specifications and pricing until closer to its launch date, with the car being officially debuting sometime in the early 2011 auto show season. Top tip, Ed!

[Source: GM Inside News]

Continue reading 2012 Buick Verano details and pricing leaked in dealer letter?

2012 Buick Verano details and pricing leaked in dealer letter? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Details emerge on Next Autoworks’ 2012 compact car

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

Next Autoworks

Next Autoworks, nee V-Vehicles, recently hired CEO Kathleen Ligocki to shepherd its planned 2012 car through to production. The design of the car itself was overseen by Tom Matano, who penned the original Mazda Miata and the 1993 RX-7. Matano recently shared some of the compact car’s details with Automotive News, which describes it as a “utilitarian five-door hatchback… a cross between a Nissan Leaf and a Lada Niva.”

The car’s build sounds just as intriguing: a spaceframe with non-load-bearing body panels attached. Countering a build process that is pricey by segment standards, costs are kept down by interchangeable door panels and taillight assemblies. Matano suggested he was after “an advanced concept car that would look like something by Ikea.” It all sounds like it could go quite right or very wrong, but before it can build anything, Next Autoworks needs to have its request for funds from the Department of Energy approved.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Details emerge on Next Autoworks’ 2012 compact car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: New details on next Mercedes B-Class leak out… is it U.S. bound?

Filed under: Europe, Technology, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill

Mercedes-Benz B-Class

Mercedes-Benz B-Class – Click above for high-res image gallery

A few details have surfaced surrounding the upcoming new Mercedes-Benz B-Class. According to Autocar, the Silver Arrow is cooking up something special for the hatchback’s platform. In addition to being able to build the tall-roof B-Class on the new bones, the MFA structure will also serve as host for a sleeker Audi A3-style creation. Sharing chassis points between models is nothing new, but Autocar sites Jorg Prigl, the head of development for the A-Class, B-Class and Smart, as saying that it’s the architecture’s versatility that makes it noteworthy. In addition to being built to house a number of internal-combustion powerplants, Prigl says that the MFA platform is also made to accommodate any number of alternative power solutions.

That includes space for a battery pack, a fuel cell, hydrogen or compressed natural gas tanks. From the sounds of things, Mercedes-Benz is planning to make the new B-Class as light on its feet as possible when it comes to alternative energy drivetrains.

Autocar says that the platform is so unique that Mercedes-Benz is seeking to patent the design. That patent may be unveiled as soon as late January of 2011. Sadly, there is no additional word on whether the B-Class will make it to U.S. dealers, but last we heard, the model will make it to our market along with a companion crossover.

Gallery: 2009 Mercedes-Benz B-Class

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: New details on next Mercedes B-Class leak out… is it U.S. bound? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW’s M division releases more details, images of upcoming 1 Series M Coupe

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, BMW

BMW 1 Series M Coupe teasers – Click above for image gallery

Fans of the original BMW M3 might not be enamored by the current V8 model, but the upcoming 1 Series M Coupe promises to bring it back to the source. The Bavarian automaker has released new information on the more compact M ahead of its full release in December ahead of the Detroit Auto Show where it’ll be finally revealed to the public.

The 1 Series M Coupe packs a 340-horsepower version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter six from the Z4 sDrive35iS in a package weighing about 3,300 pounds, with power fed to the wheels exclusively through a six-speed manual. This a departure from the “bare-bones” M3 GTS that packs a dual-clutch gearbox.

Pricing is slated to come in between those of the existing 135i and M3, placing it somewhere around the $45k mark. Click below to check out the updated gallery of teaser images, including some new swirly ones.

Gallery: BMW 1M Coupe teasers

[Source: BMW M division]

BMW’s M division releases more details, images of upcoming 1 Series M Coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Callaway Silverado: Reeves Callaway gives us more details

Filed under: Aftermarket, Truck, Etc., Chevrolet, GM, Specialty

Callaway's building a Silverado

Reeves Callaway makes the point that his company’s Silverado program is extremely new by saying, “Anything I may have said in this conversation may not be true, ’cause I don’t know what I’m talking about yet.” Modest and super-nice, he’s emphasizing that our recent phone chat covering the details of Callaway Cars’ move into the realm of pickup trucks is about a project that’s still in its early stages of execution.

“We’ve got an outline of what we would like to do, now the task is do it, test it,” Callaway says. Having made its name building highly-modified Corvettes since the 1980s, Callaway Cars’ diverse endeavors have stretched from turbocharger kits for BMWs and Alfa Romeos to building and supporting the Corvette Z06.Rs that race in the FIA GT3 European Championship Series, so a pickup truck shouldn’t be all that shocking.

“We’ve got all of the infrastructure in place to service the Corvette and Camaro,” Callaway explains, “we figured it’s logical to do a pickup truck too, if for no other reason than the powertrain is already done. We have loads of experience with that.” While the tuning is obviously different between the V8s in the Corvette and the Silverado, they use essentially the same engine.

Callaway explains the development program has two main objectives. First, “make the power, which we looked at as the easier of the two.” Second, and perhaps more challenging, Callaway wants to do “something that nobody really has ever done, in my experience with a pickup truck, and that is [to] make it handle like a Corvette.” This is where you roll your eyes and say, “how are they gonna pull that off.” Follow the jump and keep reading to find out.

Continue reading Callaway Silverado: Reeves Callaway gives us more details

Callaway Silverado: Reeves Callaway gives us more details originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki releases official details on 200-mph Bonneville-bound Kizashi

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Suzuki, Specialty

Why does a Suzuki Kizashi need a parachute? Click above to watch the videos after the jump

We’d heard it from the gearheads over at Road & Track, and now it’s been officially confirmed by Suzuki. A brand new Kizashi sedan will make the trek out to the Bonneville Salt Flats in an effort to set a new world speed record.

Suzuki hopes its highly modified Kizashi, piloted by R&T’s Sam Mitani, will be able to attain speeds of over 200 miles per hour. To hit that kind of velocity, a massive Turbonetics turbocharger will pump up to 20 psi of boost into the flowed cylinder head. An air-to-water intercooler will keep that massive rush of oxygen nice and cool while a methanol/water injection system will ward off any untoward detonation.

Naturally, safety is a concern. To that end, this Kizashi has been equipped with a full roll cage, seam-welded steel wheels and special rubber from Goodyear. Good thing, since there’s going to be 900 horsepower funneled to the ground. Oh, and let’s not forget the parachute as seen above. Check out the official press release after the jump, which is also where you’ll find the four latest videos from the boys at R&T.

[Source: Suzuki, Road & Track]

Continue reading Suzuki releases official details on 200-mph Bonneville-bound Kizashi

Suzuki releases official details on 200-mph Bonneville-bound Kizashi originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More details on BMW’s rumored X4 swirling about

Filed under: SUV, Europe, BMW, Rumormill, Luxury

2010 BMW X6M – Click above for high-res image gallery

The good people at AutoExpress are doing their best to fan the flames of the BMW X4 rumors. The site claims to have snagged a bevy of information on the Bavarian brand’s product plans, including a more detailed account of what we can expect out of the much-rumored X4. Supposedly the new high-rider will borrow a heaping helping of design cues from the X6, so if you aren’t a fan of that brute, odds are you won’t like the new model, either. Unlike the big boy, the site claims that the X4 will make use of a double-gated hatch in the rear similar to what’s found in the 5 Series Gran Turismo – a smart choice to help load and unload parcels.

AutoExpress also lays out drivetrain possibilities, including the likelihood of one very thrifty 2.0-liter turbo diesel mill that promises around 50 mpg. The site says that in that configuration, 0-60 is likely to click off in a somewhat loping 8.6 seconds, though there will be more potent variations available, including one powered by a turbo 3.0-liter inline-six with north of 300 horsepower.

It all sounds good, but BMW itself hasn’t said word one about seriously mulling a new ‘ute.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 BMW X6 M

[Source: AutoExpress]

More details on BMW’s rumored X4 swirling about originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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