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LA Preview: Jeep rolls out premium Grand Cherokee and Liberty trims

Filed under: LA Auto Show, SUV, Jeep, Luxury, Off-Road

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit – Click above for high-res image

Jeep is preparing to rumble in to the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show with a pair of upscale variants on two of their most popular models: the Grand Cherokee Overland Summit and the Liberty Jet.

The Overland Summit edition of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee stands among the most luxurious and equipped vehicle the Chrysler division has ever made. Jeep has chromed the grille, fog lamp bezels and 20-inch rims and painted it a new shade of Rugged Brown (optional alongside gray, beige and black), decking out the interior with Black Olive veneers, two-tone Nappa leather and Berber floor mats.

The Liberty Jet edition also adds a load of chrome to the wheels, lower grille, side moldings, tailgate, roof rails and mirror housings, while blacking out the headlamps to compliment the silver, charcoal, black or blackberry colors available. Inside the Liberty Jet packs a nine-speaker audio system and a host of optional features bundled as standard.

The Overland commands a $42,495 MSRP (before destination) in two-wheel drive spec and $45,995 for the 4×4, while the Jet package adds $1,495 to the Liberty Sport or $995 to the Liberty Limited. Both will be unveiled at the LA show before opening the order books in December, but you can check out the details in the press release after the jump right now along with the pair of high-res preview images in the gallery below. Hat tip to Brian!

Gallery: Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit and Liberty Jet

[Source: Jeep]

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LA Preview: Jeep rolls out premium Grand Cherokee and Liberty trims originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep Grand Cherokee named ‘SUV of Texas,’ Ford named winning ‘Truck Line’

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Dodge, Ford, Jeep

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011 Ford F-150

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2011 Ford F-150 – click either image for high-res gallery

Ford, Jeep and Ram have new feathers to stick in their caps. The Texas Auto Writers Association has voted Ford the official Truck Line of Texas, while the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has landed the title of SUV of Texas. Despite FoMoCo’s line of top-notch trucks, the 2011 Ram Laramie Longhorn was awarded the much-coveted Truck of Texas honor. We expect to see each respective manufacturer tout their new titles in ads any day now.

The Texas Auto Writers Association holds an annual Texas Truck Rodeo every year, giving journalists from the state are given the opportunity to drive nearly every truck on the market over a two-day period. At the end of the event, votes are tallied for each award category and the winners announced. In addition to the categories just mentioned, there were other awards handed out, including Full-Size Pickup Truck: 2011 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Crew Cab 4×4, Mid-Size Pickup Truck: 2011 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4×2 Texas Edition, Luxury Pickup Truck: 2011 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn, Heavy Duty Pickup Truck: 2011 Ram Power Wagon Crew Cab 4×4, and Outstanding Feature: Ford/ MyFord Touch.

This year’s big winners make plenty of sense to us, as Ford has crammed the F-150 with a slew of excellent drivetrain options and the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a massive step in the right direction for Chrysler. Likewise, the Ram Laramie Longhorn offers one of the best interiors of any pickup available right now, and its supple rear suspension strikes us as just the thing for traversing the Lone Star state.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Gallery: 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost

[Sources: Chrysler, Ford, Pickuptrucks.com]

Jeep Grand Cherokee named ‘SUV of Texas,’ Ford named winning ‘Truck Line’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Korean Grand Prix: Yeongam begins its Rain of Terror [Spoilers]

Filed under: Motorsports, South Korea

2010 Korean Grand Prix

2010 Korean Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery

The cars aren’t the only thing that move fast in Formula One; everything’s on an accelerated scale, even the calendar. It seems every new season in the modern era of F1 demands a new race. In 2004, Bahrain and Shanghai were added. Turkey joined the calendar in 2005. Things went backward in 2006 and 2007 with the elimination of Belgium (temporarily) followed by San Marino and Hockenheim, respectively. Singapore was added in 2008, followed by Abu Dhabi in 2009. India is set to join next year, the United States the year after and Russia by 2014. This year, however, the new slot belonged to Korea.

Ambitious plans were laid down by ubiquitous track architect Hermann Tilke, who’s firm is responsible for every one of the aforementioned new circuits and then some. But as recently as a couple of weeks ago, there were serious doubts over whether the site would be ready for this weekend’s inaugural grand prix. Fortunately, the hosts managed to get it all together in the end, putting on a race that would enter the books as one of the most exciting christenings in motor sport history. Follow the jump to see how it went down.

Gallery: 2010 Korean Grand Prix

[Images: Mark Thompson, Paul Gilham, Clive Mason/Getty | Andy Wong, Mark Baker, Greg Baker/AP]

Continue reading 2010 Korean Grand Prix: Yeongam begins its Rain of Terror [Spoilers]

2010 Korean Grand Prix: Yeongam begins its Rain of Terror [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sebastian Vettel’s virtual tour of the Korean Grand Prix

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, South Korea

Sebastian Vettel laps the Korean F1 circuit – Click above to watch video after the jump

Karun Chandhok was the first driver to lap the track that will be used for this month’s Korean Grand Prix. Now Sebastian Vettel has gotten his turn. On this go-round, it sounds like the track is still so slippery that revs were a bigger issue than anything else.

With the same camera angle as Chandhok’s run, there isn’t much more to see. The track is further along than a month ago, but it’s still not going to be pretty for the folks who make the journey into the South Korean bush to watch it live. While we figure out how to say “cat fight” and “ghost town” in Korean, you can entertain yourselves with the video after the jump.

[Source: Red Bull]

Continue reading Video: Sebastian Vettel’s virtual tour of the Korean Grand Prix

Video: Sebastian Vettel’s virtual tour of the Korean Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Russia reportedly bags F1 grand prix contract from 2014

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Celebrities, Russia

F1's Bernie Ecclestone with Vladimir Putin

Russian premier Vladimir Putin (right) has big plans to put his country on the map of world-class sporting events. In 2014, the Black Sea resort town of Sochi will play host to the Winter Olympics. In 2018, Putin hopes to be hosting the World Cup. But not before the country secures its own Formula One grand prix.

The country’s leader met with F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone on the matter and has reportedly inked a deal to host its very own race. While the Olympics are expected to cost Russia some $6.1 billion to put together, putting on the grand prix – reportedly secured for six years from 2014 through 2020 – is tipped to cost the country $200 million to build the track, and another $40 million in commercial rights each year. The plan reportedly involves building the circuit at the same Sochi location as the winter games, thereby neatly utilizing much of the same tourist infrastructure.

The emergence of a Russian Grand Prix has been in the making for some time, as participants from the world’s largest country have been making inroads into Formula One. The Midland F1 team that followed Jordan Grand Prix and preceded the Spyker and current Force India teams was billed as the first Russian F1 team (despite being based in England), while this year Renault – which has been investing heavily in the Russian car market – brought in Vitaly Petrov as the sport’s first Russian driver. The team has twice held promotional demonstration events in the country: one in Moscow and another in the proposed site at Sochi.

[Source: Bloomberg | Image: Mikhail Metzel/AP]

Russia reportedly bags F1 grand prix contract from 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers]

Filed under: Motorsports, Japan

2010 Japanese Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Japanese Grand Prix has long held a special place in the Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of, if not the very last race of the season, Japan has crowned many a champion: in fact the title has been decided there 12 out of the 24 times the Pacific island nation has hosted a grand prix. And of the drivers who’ve won there the past ten years running, all but Kimi Raikkonen lined up there again this weekend, Suzuka taking back the hosting duties from Fuji once more.

Would this year’s race see a new winner atop the podium? Or would Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher or even Rubens Barrichello add the trophy alongside their previous wins in the Land of the Rising Sun? Follow the jump to find out.

Gallery: 2010 Japanese Grand Prix

[Images: Greg Baker, Mark Baker / AP | Mark Thompson, Shuji Kajiyama / Getty | Toshifumi Kitamura, Jung Yeon-Je, Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP/Getty]

Continue reading 2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers]

2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max shows off its magic middle seat

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Etc., Crossover, Ford, Design/Style

2012 Ford Grand C-Max; Disappearing middle seat

2012 Ford Grand C-Max: Disappearing middle seat – Click above to watch video after the jump

We recently spent some time with the 2012 Ford Grand C-Max and came away with mixed feelings about it. It’s an excellent compact minivan, but that’s a low-volume segment and we’re unsure of how well the Grand C-Max will sell here. One particular feature we do know people will be impressed by is the disappearing middle seat found in the second row.

Ford engineers designed the Grand C-Max so that the second-row middle seat folds out of sight into a compartment under the adjacent seat cushion. Doing so opens up a clear passageway to the third row seating. Also, both rear seating rows fold flat to accommodate sizable cargo loads. To see it all in action, check out the video after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max: First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max shows off its magic middle seat

Video: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max shows off its magic middle seat originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Europe, Ford, First Drive

The Blue Oval Boys Bet Big By Going Small

2012 Ford Grand C-Max

2012 Ford Grand C-Max – Click above for high-res image gallery

Historically speaking, the Ford Motor Company has been successful at a great many things, but building minivans hasn’t been one of them. Perpetually mired in the shadow of offerings from Chrysler and Japan’s automakers, the Blue Oval folded up its sliding-door tent and went home years ago, killing off its undersized Mercury Villager in 2002 and then extinguishing the Windstar-turned-Freestar (and its short-lived Mercury Monterey counterpart) in 2007. Brand supporters will doubtlessly note that the family-ferrying segment was in decline for some years before Dearborn walked away from it, but the truth is that Ford never managed to crack the market’s top ranks despite more than 15 years of trying.

So why, then, is red-hot Ford risking a return to the segment in 2012 with the Grand C-Max shown here – a vehicle that’s conspicuously smaller and less powerful than the segment norm? Do they know something that we don’t? We hopped a puddle jumper to Nice, France after covering last week’s Paris Motor Show in an attempt to find out.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max: First Drive

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First Drive: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep shows off 2011 Grand Cherokee decked out with Mopar bits

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Technology, Jeep

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Mopar accessories

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Mopar parts – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is already earning high praise in its standard form, and now Chrysler’s Mopar division has released a host of accessories to beef up the new sport-ute’s style and functionality.

Grand Cherokees can now be fitted with the usual collection of exterior bolt-ons, including a range of new wheel options, skid plates, and side steps. What’s more interesting, however, is the stuff available for the Grand Cherokee’s interior. Mopar is offering FLO TV, a live, mobile television streaming service, making the big Jeep the first SUV available with this feature. That sure beats listening to the same episode of Yo Gabba Gabba over and over. Additionally, the latest version of Chrysler’s UConnect infotainment software is available, which can turn the SUV into a mobile wi-fi hotspot.

See the full list of available Mopar goodies in the press release after the jump, and scroll through our attached gallery to see high-res shots of Grand Cherokees fitted with these add-ons.

Gallery: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Mopar parts

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Mopar parts

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Jeep shows off 2011 Grand Cherokee decked out with Mopar bits

Jeep shows off 2011 Grand Cherokee decked out with Mopar bits originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: Lotus shows off its new Grand Tourer, the Elite [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Paris Motor Show, Lotus, Luxury

Lotus Elite Concept

Lotus Elite Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus continues its march towards global sportscar domination with the 2010 Paris Motor Show unveiling of the Lotus Elite. The Elite represents a step away from “lighter is better” because it is a hefty, four-passenger grand tourer – it weighs in at 3,600 pounds. One of the reasons it’s so heavy? It has a retractable, folding hardtop. Don’t let the weight throw you off though, this is a good looking, aggressively styled powerhouse. Under the hood sits a modified version of the 5.0-liter V8 out of a Lexus IS-F. The unit is then massaged to produce 611 horsepower which propels the car to a sub-four-second 0-60 time and a top speed of 195 miles per hour. The Elite will also be fitted with KERS for a quick boost of recovered energy.

The front mid-engine layout should help balance the Lotus Elite and make for an exciting driving experience. We expect this car to represent a slightly softer side for the automaker, but that’s like saying we expect a bomb to hurt less than a missile. The entire Lotus lineup is poised in attack position, the Elite just happens to wear clothes from the Big and Tall store.

Lotus is aiming to bring this sporty road warrior to market sometime in the year 2014. If you invest your money wisely now, you just might be able to save the estimated $180,000 you’ll need to put one in your driveway. Check out the Elite in action with a video clip after the jump.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Lotus Elite Concept

Lotus Elite

Gallery: Lotus Elite Concept

Lotus Elite concept

Continue reading Paris 2010: Lotus shows off its new Grand Tourer, the Elite [w/video]

Paris 2010: Lotus shows off its new Grand Tourer, the Elite [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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