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Report: Luca doesn’t believe in electric cars, but Ferrari will build more hybrids

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Ferrari

2014 Ferrari LaFerrari at Geneva

Confirming what we’d long suspected, the hybrid powertrain in the Ferrari LaFerrari was not a one-time thing. “I don’t believe in the electric cars, but I strongly believe in hybrids,” Ferrari boss Luca Cordero di Montezemolo tells Bloomberg. It’s unclear when we’ll see another hybrid Ferrari, though, as the automaker’s current lineup is quite fresh – the oldest model is the California, which was updated for the 2013 model year – but make no mistake, there are more electrified cars coming from Maranello. “The answer is yes,” Montezemolo told Bloomberg when asked about hybrids, although he was quick to add “without exceeding.” It’s that last part that is key for enthusiasts of the gas engine.

Ferrari’s move towards hybrid powertrains reflects a pair of trends in both the political and motorsports spheres. Politically, automakers, even exotics, are being pushed to produce cars with cleaner emissions, or in many cases, no emissions at all. Look no further than the Range Rover Hybrid, which was just announced. Formula One’s push towards hybridization and smaller engines is also informing decisions at Ferrari, with the LaFerrari already using hybrid tech already inspired by the sport.

Still, it’s reassuring to know that while Ferrari is pushing forward with future technologies, that the gas engine won’t go the way of the manual transmission in Maranello – at least in the near term.

Luca doesn’t believe in electric cars, but Ferrari will build more hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All of a sudden, Nissan doesn’t have enough Leafs to go around

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Nissan

2013 nissan leaf

March: 2,236. April: 1,937. May: 2,138. June: 2,225.

Those are the US sales totals for the Nissan Leaf over the last four months. According to Erik Gottfried, Nissan’s director of electric vehicle sales and marketing, the numbers are a bit too high. Or production is too low. Or something. Point is, demand is apparently outstripping supply.

Nissan says it’s “going to be short on inventory all through the summer.”

Despite having a stated annual capacity of 150,000 Leaf EVs at its Smyrna, TN plant – over 10,000 a month – Leaf production in the Volunteer State has not yet ramped up to a level that can satisfy demand for 2,200 Leafs a month. According to Automotive News, Gottfried recently told dealers in Texas that, “we’re doing everything we can to get them more inventory. But it’s taking some time. … We’re going to be short on inventory all through the summer. It will be late fall before we can produce enough to satisfy everybody.”

Everybody in this case means the expanding markets outside the West Coast, where all the cool EVs have long been allowed to play. AN says that the third-largest market for the Leaf is now Atlanta, where there is only a nine-day supply of the EV. The world’s most popular highway-speed EV (over 60,000 have been sold worldwide, and around 30,000 in the US) got a big price drop earlier this year when the company started making the car in the US. Previously, all Leafs were exported from Japan.

All of a sudden, Nissan doesn’t have enough Leafs to go around originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feast your eyes on Truck Norris. But don’t stare. He doesn’t like that.

Filed under: Truck, Jeep, Humor

Truck Norris

You know all the lines by now, like “Chuck Norris doesn’t have a chin – under his beard is another fist,” or “There’s no such thing as thunder – only Chuck Norris’ laughter.” Well, like most jokes, they got old and died. (Unlike Chuck Norris, of course, who is immortal.) But now they’re back, in truck form.

Say hello to Truck Norris. (But don’t say hello too loud, lest you invoke the wrath of – you guessed it – Truck Norris.) Born before the dawn of time, but so named by its ~~owner~~ caretaker – Jeep enthusiast and IFSJA forum member Derf – when he noticed the falling snow avoiding his truck with trepidation, Truck Norris is an ’86 Jeep J10 pickup that has spawned a thread of frankly hilarious anecdotes. A few notable examples:

Truck Norris is as close as he wants to be to the objects that appear in his side view mirrors.
Truck Norris doesn’t come equipped with 4-Wheel Drive. 4-Wheel Drive comes equipped with Truck Norris.
Truck Norris doesn’t need oil. It just drives back in time and eats dinosaurs.

There’s plenty more laughs, if you’re so inclined, to be found in the forum thread, so head on over to check it out for yourself.

[Source: International Full Size Jeep Association via Hemmings]

Feast your eyes on Truck Norris. But don’t stare. He doesn’t like that. originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar E-Type turning 50, doesn’t look a day over 25

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Jaguar, Luxury

Jaguar E-Type

Jaguar E-Type turns 50 years old – Click above for high-res image gallery

Jaguar’s iconic E-type is celebrating a birthday this year and the shapely Brit is going to need 50 candles on its cake. Launched in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type was priced at £2,256, or about $3,612 USD based on current exchange rates. That £2,200 cost translates to £38,000 today, or about $61,000… a bargain compared to other exotic sports cars of its time and it was just as capable, with a top speed of 150 miles per hour.

Jaguar sold 70,000 E-Types over the course of 14 years and its style still holds up to this day. In fact, the styling of the E-Type gives other cars of any era cause to look in the mirror and weep silently. Even Enzo Ferrari called it “the most beautiful car in the world.”

To honor the sultry coupe, Jaguar is planning a variety of motoring events throughout the year. The brand is the featured marquee at the 2011 Monterey Motorsports reunion and E-Types will be the toast of this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Nürburgring Old Timer Grand Prix and kicking off the birthday festivities will be the Silverstone Classic.

Click past the jump for details on the E-Type and its 50th birthday celebrations.

Gallery: Jaguar E-Type turns 50 years old

[Sources: Jaguar, Silverstone Classic]

Continue reading Jaguar E-Type turning 50, doesn’t look a day over 25

Jaguar E-Type turning 50, doesn’t look a day over 25 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 1M Coupe stops by Paris, doesn’t even stay for the show

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, BMW

BMW 1M coupe striptease in Paris

BMW 1M Coupe teasers – Click above for image gallery

Between the 6 Series Coupe concept, the 5 Series Touring wagon and the new X3 crossover, BMW had plenty to show us this year at the Paris Motor Show. But the real surprise, as it turns out, may have been in the French capital during the show, it wasn’t even put on display. Instead, the Bavarian automaker took its currently-in-progress 1M Coupe out onto the city’s famous tree-lined boulevards, covered up and disguised, but did a suitably Parisian burlesque striptease to give us a glimpse at what to expect.

Aside from the silhouette, all we can see are the front fender, headlamp (which is now taped-up in Zorro-esque fashion for some reason) and part of the air dam – all of which we saw before in the last teaser video – along with a newly-revealed section of the rear bumper and quad-pipe exhaust, plus the wheels protruding from the flared arches. If previous reports prove accurate, there will only be 2,700 examples on offer, so this may be the best look we’ll get for some time… better check it out in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Jason!

Gallery: BMW 1M Coupe teasers

[Source: BMW M-Power via 1Addicts]

BMW 1M Coupe stops by Paris, doesn’t even stay for the show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Bad Habits’ monster truck world record practice session doesn’t go as planned

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Videos, Off-Road, Racing

Hey ya'll, watch this!

Bad Habits takes a dive – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Few realms of motorsport live the “Go big or go home” mantra to the fullest quite as well as the monster truck world. Aside from one of the largest voiceovers in the industry (“Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!“), the guys who wrangle the epic horsepower, rear-wheel steering beasts of the Monster Jam circuit also boast some of the biggest egos. You know, the kind of sheer will of character that it takes to look at Bigfoot’s 202-foot, record-setting jump over a jetliner and think, “Nah, I can do better.” Such is the case with Joe Sylvester, the 26-year-old driver of the Bad Habits truck.

Sylvester has got it into his mind that he can embarrass the Bigfoot record, and has set about building a truck and a ramp to do just that. Only thing is, things didn’t go so swell during a practice session this week. After nailing his homemade ramp, the Bad Habits truck promptly began to turn its nose back toward terra firma, and it wasn’t long before the machine evaporated into a cloud of giant tires and red clay. Sylvester was unharmed in the accident and plans to officially attempt to break the record at this weekend’s Cornfield 500 at Columbus, PA’s Miller Farm. If you can’t make it, don’t worry – the folks at DirtVision plan a live webcast of this Sunday’s attempt.

Either way, we wish Sylvester the best of luck. You may want to do the same after hitting the jump and watching his failed practice attempt for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Shawn!

[Sources: YouTube, Cornfield500, DirtVision]

Continue reading Video: Bad Habits’ monster truck world record practice session doesn’t go as planned

Video: Bad Habits’ monster truck world record practice session doesn’t go as planned originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn’t change the game, just the players

Filed under: Hatchback, Nissan, First Drive, Electric

2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve met the Nissan Leaf before. First at its coming-out party in Japan, followed by an all-too-brief stint behind the wheel of a Versa-based prototype late last year. Now we’ve had a chance to sample Nissan’s first foray into the world of electric vehicles in production form and the automaker picked one of its most important markets – the heart of Silicon Valley – to give us some seat time.

If there’s any area ripe for early-EV adoption, it’s San Jose, CA. And during a quick test loop through the tight confines of Santana Row and a run through the city’s suburban surrounds, it’s obvious that the first mass-produced EV is officially ready for prime-time.

Follow the jump to continue.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Leaf: First Drive

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn’t change the game, just the players

First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn’t change the game, just the players originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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