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Profit Proliferation: Porsche riding high on Cayenne, Panamera sales

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, SUV, Europe, Porsche, Earnings/Financials, Luxury

2011 Porsche Panamera

Porsche Panamera – Click above for high-res image gallery

Porsche tripled its profits in 2010, thanks largely to profits from the Cayenne and Panamera. The Stuttgart-based automaker reported $960 million in profits before taxes and interest in 2010, up from $227 million the year before.

More impressive is the fact that those numbers represent a shortened fiscal year in 2010, meaning these things are moving like the proverbial hot cakes. Porsche’s five-month revenue total increased 59 per cent to 3.87 billion Euros.

Porsche is hoping to expand its global sales to 200,000 by 2018, or roughly double the number of dreamboats it moves now. With sales climbing this quickly, that goal doesn’t seem too far off.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Porsche Panamera

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Profit Proliferation: Porsche riding high on Cayenne, Panamera sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago 2011: 2011 Ram 3500 HD High Output takes the torque war nuclear

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Truck, Work, Chrysler

2011 Ram 3500 HD High Output

2011 Ram 3500 HD High Output – Click above for high-res image gallery

The minds at Chrysler have set out to make sure that buyers who need to tow small planetary bodies on occasion are taken care of with its new high-output 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel engine. The oil-burning mill churns out 23 percent more torque than the old engine, and the final figure now sits at an astronomical 800 pound-feet. There’s also 390 horsepower on hand, and combined, those numbers are good enough to help the 3500 HD tow up to 22,700 pounds. The big-daddy Ram also packs a ridiculous gross vehicle rating of 30,000 pounds when equipped with the optional Max Tow package.

Those impressive ratings are partially thanks to the truck’s braking system. Chrysler’s engineers folded in the largest brakes of any full-size pickup with 14.17-inch rotors up front and 14.09-inch discs out back, and the 3500 HD wears what Chrysler calls the strongest exhaust brake available on any heavy-duty pickup.

Additionally, that meaty Cummins block is said to be good for over 350,000 miles before requiring a major overhaul, and unlike competitors from Ford and General Motors, this beast requires no diesel exhaust fluid to pass emissions. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Gallery: 2011 Ram 3500 HD High Output

Gallery: 2011 Ram 3500 High Output

2011 Ram 3500 High Output

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chicago 2011: 2011 Ram 3500 HD High Output takes the torque war nuclear

Chicago 2011: 2011 Ram 3500 HD High Output takes the torque war nuclear originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Fiat’s high-riding, all-wheel-drive 500

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Fiat

Fiat 500 AWD spy shots

Fiat 500 AWD spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2012 Fiat 500 may just be launching here in the United States, but elsewhere, Fiat appears to be working on an all-wheel-drive 500 to battle the high-riding Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic that have both been recently spied. Rumors have suggested that the AWD variant will be introduced around the same time as the slightly facelifted 500 in Europe.

This 500 mule is clearly rides higher off the ground than the normal car, and our spies point out that a reworked exhaust system is present on this test car – a result of the reworked underpinnings. We expect the 500 AWD to arrive sometime in 2012, though it is unclear whether or not this model is destined for consumption here in the U.S. Scroll through our gallery of high-res spy shots below to see for yourself.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Fiat 500 AWD

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Fiat’s high-riding, all-wheel-drive 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Victory Motorcycles High Ball is a blacked-out menace

Filed under: Motorcycle

Victory Motorcycles High-Ball

Victory Motorcycles High-Ball – Click above for high-res image gallery

It looks like Harley-Davidson isn’t the only bike company dabbling in the dark arts these days. Victory Motorcycles has pulled the sheets off of its new High-Ball at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York. The bike looks like it’s been upended and dipped in a vat of matte black paint with just a few exceptions. The tank wears a flat-white cove with matching wide whitewall tires. At the heart of this machine is the company’s 97-horsepower 106/6 Stage 2 V-twin that cranks out 113 pound-feet of torque.

If you’re looking at those ape hangars with the jaundiced eye of practicality, fear not. Victory says that the bars can be adjusted to stand straight up and down or folded back for a more comfortable riding experience. If you’re looking to buy your way into the rat rod scene, there are worse ways to do it. The High-Ball carries a price tag of $13,499.

Gallery: Victory Motorcycles High-Ball

[Source: DealerNews]

Victory Motorcycles High Ball is a blacked-out menace originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW X1 U.S. debut delayed due to high demand in Europe

Filed under: Europe, Crossover, BMW, Luxury

2011 BMW X1

2011 BMW X1 – Click above for high-res image gallery

American buyers may have to wait a little bit longer before sinking their teeth into the upcoming BMW X1. According to Automotive News, the CUV has been more popular in Europe than the German automaker originally anticipated, and as such, BMW is experiencing a bit of a supply crunch. As a result, North American buyers won’t be seeing the X1 at the end of this year as originally expected. Instead, it’s beginning to look like the vehicle won’t show up here until early 2012 at the soonest. Automotive News reports that the X1 went on sale in Europe in November of 2009.

Since then, the high-riding hatch has sold out in every market it’s touched. BMW says that it fully expects the X1 to be a low-volume model here in the land of the free, with sales lodged somewhere in the same realm as what the current 1 Series Coupe and Convertible. Even so, the company says that it’s shooting for around 8,000 units per year. With the larger, more popular X3 just now hitting dealerships, the X1 will likely serve to fill a slot for buyers looking for a compact luxury crossover.

Gallery: 2011 BMW X1

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: BMW X1 U.S. debut delayed due to high demand in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab officially teams up with Hirsch Performance for high-performance parts

Filed under: Aftermarket, Saab

Saab 9-5 SportCombi with Hirsch body-kit

Saab and Hirsch have made it official: The Swiss producer of go-fast parts will now offer a full line of upgrades for Saab vehicles in North America. Beginning in the spring of 2011, customers will be available to order Hirsch Performance products at select Saab dealers around the country.

A variety of parts will be offered for 2007-2011 Saab 9-3s and 2010-2011 9-5s, including engine mapping upgrades, spoilers, aero ground effects, suspension tuning, exhaust upgrades and even interior upfits like a carbon instrument panel. The Hirsch parts will be installed at dealerships and will not hinder the vehicle’s warranty. Pricing and availability will be announced in the coming months. Follow the jump for Saab’s official release.

[Source: Saab | Image: Hirsch-Perfomance]

Continue reading Saab officially teams up with Hirsch Performance for high-performance parts

Saab officially teams up with Hirsch Performance for high-performance parts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Is there a high-riding Chevrolet Sonic in our future?

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Chevrolet

Chevrolet Sonic CUV spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Not long ago, our spies captured a lifted Ford Fiesta prototype, suggesting that a B-segment crossover might be in the works for Ford. If that’s the case, it looks like the Fiesta CUV will have competition when it hits the streets, as we’ve received this set of spy shots showing a high-riding version of the Chevrolet ~~Aveo~~ Sonic.

Is the Sonic CUV bound for North American soil? Hard to say, but we won’t be crossing our fingers for this one to arrive on our shores. Expect to see the Sonic-based crossover sometime in 2012, with both front- and all-wheel drive versions available, with power supplied by a range of gasoline and diesel engines.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Chevrolet Sonic CUV

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Is there a high-riding Chevrolet Sonic in our future? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Ferrari, Design/Style

Ferrari P4/5

Ferrari P4/5 hits the track – Click above to watch video after the jump

It’s no secret that we wish James Glickenhaus would adopt us (Hell, your author would barely have to change his last name) and we’ve always been quite smitten with his one-off Ferrari P4/5. The Pininfarina-bodied car has been seen everywhere from New York City to a Gooding’s auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Palm Beach, Florida and even the Paris Motor Show. Now we have footage of it doing more than just looking good as Glickenhaus took the car across The Pond for some high-speed testing.

After calling it a day at the track, the P4/5 doesn’t get put on a trailer, it’s used to shuffle off into the city to enjoy the local night life. We’re pretty sure that Mr. Glickenhaus gets the velvet-rope treatment when he heads out, but it’s nice to see that the P4/5 does too.

Hop the jump to watch a short video of the Ferrari P4/5 in action.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing

Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Facing high gas prices, dealers get cautious with big SUVs

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Crossover

SUV parking lot

The average gas price in the U.S. is over $3 right now, and there’s a good chance it’ll go higher before too long. What do you do in this situation if you’re a car dealer with a lot full of SUVs and big crossovers? You start being cautious.

That’s the takeaway point from an Automotive News article, with the key quote coming from a New York Ford dealer, who told the industry publication:

SUVs are still important in this area, but people are downsizing to more fuel efficient SUVs instead. We are still stocking with the idea that it may go either way. Hoping for the best, but prepared for anything.

For the moment, gas prices aren’t high enough to make people panic and try to offload their gas hogs the way we saw in 2008, but Kelley Blue Book analyst Alec Gutierrez told Automotive News that SUV sales could drop “dramatically” once gas reaches $3.50 or $4 a gallon, saying, “The days where a dealer could just go to auction and stock up on a bunch of SUVs and hold them for 40 or 60 days are over.”

The last time gas jumped up to panic levels was in 2008. That’s when Joe Crawford took the picture that illustrates this post. In the accompanying Flickr caption, he writes:

So a local (Culver City) car dealer started storing cars on the top of our parking garage. I always park on the roof, so anytime I am up there I see the cars. I have taken to think of these cars as an economic indicator. They all seem to be SUV vehicles. I wonder about why they are up there, and why there seems to be more every week. I suspect the fact that they’re stored here has something to do with the price of gas.

We suspect he’s right, and we can’t imagine there are dealers out there who want to have to go through a process like that again.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req. | Image: Joe Crawford – C.C. 2.0]

Report: Facing high gas prices, dealers get cautious with big SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get a high-res look at the other stars of the Top Gear holiday special

Filed under: Humor

Top Gear 2010 Christmas Special

Top Gear spends Christmas in the Middle East – Click above to view high-res image gallery

The three wise~~-asses~~-men of Top Gear were handed a new challenge for their 2010 holiday special: Travel 1,200 miles west to Bethlehem, driving through northern Iraq, Syria and a few other Middle Eastern countries and deliver gold, frankincense and myrrh to a newborn in a manger. Easy enough, right? But what vehicles to take?

The producers required each host to pic a compact convertible, so Clarkson went with the reasonable choice – a Mazda MX-5 Miata – featuring his “car of many colors” paint scheme. Just like Joseph. Hammond goes with a Fiat Barchetta fitted with a Bedouin tent while James May decides to go with something German and outfits a BMW Z3 for desert duty.

Their journey was filled with the typical Top Gear-tomfoolery including James May knocking himself unconscious. The entire escapade can be viewed online… for now, but in the meantime, check out all three vehicles in the gallery below.

Gallery: Top Gear 2010 Christmas Special

Top Gear 2010 Christmas Special

[Source: Top Gear]

Continue reading Get a high-res look at the other stars of the Top Gear holiday special

Get a high-res look at the other stars of the Top Gear holiday special originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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