Tag: international

Fiat and Ferrari dominate 2011 International Engine of the Year Awards

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Ferrari, Fiat

fiat 857cc twinair

Fiat 875-cc TwinAir engine – Click above for high-res image gallery

Italy knows how to put an engine together – at least, according to the International Engine of the Year voting committee. The votes have been tallied, and Fiat has taken home four out of 12 awards. The company’s 875-cc TwinAir mill has earned the title of Best New Engine of 2011, Green Engine of the Year, Sub 1.0-liter Engine of the Year and International Engine of the Year. Ferrari helped Italy earn two more awards, with the 458’s 4.5-liter V8 unit being crowned Best Engine Above 4.0-liters and Best Performance engine. All told, Italian powerplants claimed half of the awards handed out.

BMW was no slouch, however, with the German automaker acquiring four awards in the competition. Audi and Volkswagen also earned recognition. A great showing, but the Italians earn the win thanks to Fiat taking the top prize. Click past the jump to read the full press release and learn more about the International Engine of the Year awards.

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Fiat and Ferrari dominate 2011 International Engine of the Year Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog iPhone app now available in all International App Stores

The Autoblog iPhone app should now be available in all of Apple’s International App Stores. Sorry for the delay, it was our fault, not Apple’s. But you should now be able to download our official app wherever you are, as long as Apple has graced your country with an App Store. If it did, you can follow this link to the prize. If you don’t see it in your country’s App Store, let us know in the comments.

Autoblog iPhone app now available in all International App Stores originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 May 2011 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1977 International Loadstar scrapes the pavement on its way to stance nation

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Design/Style

1977 international loadstar

The “stance movement” refers to an automotive style that looks at vehicles and thinks they need to be sitting lower… a lot lower. If there was a way to push the frame rails through the ground, someone in stance nation would do it. The style of these “stanced” cars and trucks is hit or miss, some look low and lovely while others just look broken. We thought this style was only popular amongst the standard daily-driven machines populating our roadways, but we were wrong. We’ve just learned that in a very big (yet still low) way thanks to one individual’s slammed 1977 International Loadstar.

This is more than just a cut-down big-rig, content to crush the pavement beneath it. This truck has received major attention, and the fabrication work is quite impressive. All the seams on the body have been welded to give the cab a clean look. The wheels have been milled down to wear Falken rubber. Running under the cab and out the back, the frame has been sealed so air can pass through it, allowing it to serve as a 25-gallon tank used to operate the air-bag suspension system. No small task, considering the truck weighs over 10,000-pounds.

Under the hood, this International is powered by a 7.3-liter Ford diesel engine pulled from a 1991 E-350. It’s been upgraded with the turbocharger from a 2002 Powerstroke, and the intercooler courtesy of a Dodge vehicle. Put it all together and it’s one impressive piece of machinery. We’d love to see it sitting a few inches higher than zero, but we’ll gladly give a thumbs up if we ever get to see it rumbling by.

Head over to StanceIsEverything.com for more information and some excellent photographs of the customized rig.

1977 International Loadstar scrapes the pavement on its way to stance nation originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Motoring International, Hot Version are officially dead

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Japan

Those of us brought up in the ’90s import scene were dealt a serious blow last week with the announcement that HKS is shuttering its U.S. operations after years of stagnant sales in the States. Now comes word that the video series from Best Motoring International and Hot Version have been killed and the hosts disbanded.

2&4 Motoring, owned by Japanese publishing juggernaut Kodansha, has been responsible for the popular automotive video series for the last two decades, but slow sales and a lack of consistent revenue have taken their toll. The series’ creators and their hosts – including Hideki Tanabe – are supposedly moving on to bigger and better things, making Hot Version #110 and April 2011’s Best Motoring shows the final installments of the series.

[Source: 7Tune | Image Credit: Adam Zillin]

Best Motoring International, Hot Version are officially dead originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 May 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buddh International Circuit gears up for inaugural Indian Grand Prix

Filed under: Motorsports, India

Buddh International Circuit
A few years ago, India wasn’t a place one would naturally associate with Formula 1 racing. Now, however, the country has its own F1 team (Force India), a couple of F1 drivers (Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok) and will soon host its first grand prix.

The race is scheduled to take place on October 30, 2011, on the new Hermann Tilke-designed Buddh International Circuit. named for the region in which it resides. The circuit was designed to be one of the fastest on the calendar, with lap times for a contemporary F1 car set to come in around 1 minute, 20 seconds, with projected speeds topping 320 km/h (just under 200 mph). With 5.14 kilometers (3.19 miles) of track and sixteen turns, the facility is being constructed as part of a $400 million project that the FIA is expected to sign off on this July.

[Source: JPSI Sports]

Buddh International Circuit gears up for inaugural Indian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sebastian Vettel takes Infiniti for a spin at the Shanghai International Circuit [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, China, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Crossover, Infiniti, Celebrities, Luxury

Sebastian Vettel in the Infiniti G37

Sebastian Vettel drives the Infiniti G37 – Click above for high-res image gallery, click here to watch video

What’s the point in an automaker pouring millions into an F1 team if it can’t leverage a little star power? In Infiniti’s case, it’s not even running its own F1 team or even supplying engines. Instead, it’s sponsoring the Red Bull Racing outfit that’s out there defending both its titles. (That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if Infiniti’s involvement turned into an engine rebranding initiative for next season.)

As any marketing whiz could tell you, sponsorship is only worth as much as you promote it. So while Red Bull’s world champion Sebastian Vettel was in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, he took a couple of Infiniti’s finest for a spin.

Vettel being Vettel, he didn’t just drive around the block: he took to the Shanghai International Circuit. (Or, at least an Autocross setup on the circuit’s back lot.) And while he wasn’t about to set any lap records behind the wheel of the G37 sedan or FX50 crossover, he seemed to enjoy the experience, hanging the G37’s tail out making some smoke for the crowd. Follow the jump to watch the video footage and check out the still shots in the gallery below.

Gallery: Sebastian Vettel and Infiniti at the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading Sebastian Vettel takes Infiniti for a spin at the Shanghai International Circuit [w/video]

Sebastian Vettel takes Infiniti for a spin at the Shanghai International Circuit [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autemo gives the ’75 International 150 pickup the rendering treatment

Filed under: Classics, Truck, Etc., Design/Style

1975 International 150 Pickup Automotive Rendering

1975 International 150 pickup rendering by Autemo – Click above for high-res image gallery

The resurrection of my International Harvester 150 pickup is moving along at a pace that could be described as somewhere between glacial and imperceptible. That’s especially curious considering that the hulk has a rather ravenous appetite for time and money that’s only eclipsed by its affinity for defecating disappointment all over the garage floor. Needless to say, any time I look at the big IH right now, I’m filled with sensations typically associated with ipecac.

And homicide.

So when the good folks at Autemo offered to take a crack at rendering the butternut millstone into something close to my ultimate vision for the project, I was a little skeptical. It wasn’t that I doubted the site’s skills. Autemo is a gateway between enthusiasts and a global network of artists with a similar passion for vehicles. If you’ve got a laundry list of modifications in mind, the crew at Autemo can render them into photo-realistic images in a hurry so that you know exactly what they look like before you spend buckets of cash on parts. So far, the site has served up designs to over 250 clients.

But I’m a man of meager goals, especially when it comes down to this truck. The simple fact is that I’d pawn an organ or three just to be able to pilot the beast across town without having to worry about careening into oncoming traffic, erupting into a fireball or, most dreaded of all, have to be towed home by an inferior model pickup.

There is no greater shame.

That’s not to say that I don’t have a vision for what I’d do with the machine if I had more money than sense. Jack Davies, the founder of Autemo, urged me test his rendering abilities with whatever wants I could dream up no matter how specific. I set aside a solid afternoon for daydreaming and got to work.

Continue reading Autemo gives the ’75 International 150 pickup the rendering treatment…

Gallery: 1975 International Pickup Project Vehicle

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Gallery: Autemo Renderings

Renderings by Autemo.com

[Source: Autemo]

Continue reading Autemo gives the ’75 International 150 pickup the rendering treatment

Autemo gives the ’75 International 150 pickup the rendering treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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American International Automobile Dealers launches ‘What Is An American Car’ website

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing

AIADA

The American International Automobile Dealers Association has gone through the trouble of working up an informative website to break down which foreign automakers have a presence here in the land of the free. Even after decades of manufacturing products in the United States, automakers from Europe and Asia are still occasionally confronted with protectionist sentiments. Just look at the spate of vandalism toward Toyota vehicles at this year’s Chicago Auto Show as evidence. As the American economy continues to stumble along and unemployment stays high, it’s possible that the AIADA is attempting to educate the public about exactly what it means to “buy American.”

The site allows you to click through the foreign automakers with American manufacturing facilities to see exactly how many employees each have on the payroll and how long they’ve been on U.S. soil. According to the AIADA’s information, there are 21 “import” vehicle manufacturing plants in U.S. that employ a combined 86,507 workers.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some issues with the data. For example, Suzuki is allowed to claim the same Tennessee manufacturing facility as Nissan since the plant cranks out the Equator pickup alongside the Nissan Frontier. You can check out the full site here. Hat tip to Aiden!

[Source: WhatIsAnAmericanCar]

American International Automobile Dealers launches ‘What Is An American Car’ website originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIA fomulates new F3 International Trophy

Filed under: Motorsports

Macau Grand Prix

It seems like new feeder series on the ladder up to Formula One are popping with increased frequency. GP2 kicked off in 2005, which then gave birth to GP3. Formula 2 was re-inaugurated in 2009, while other series like A1GP, Superleague Formula and Auto GP come and go. All the while, Formula 3 has remained a fragmented category with no cohesive international championship. That is, until now.

The FIA has announced a new international level of Formula 3 racing that promises to draw the best up-and-coming talents from the open-wheel racing world. Instead of superseding or replacing any of the national or regional series currently in place, the F3 International Trophy will string together several events from existing series along with some others to crown a world champion.

The six-round calendar for the inaugural championship is set to include the Macau Grand Prix in China (pictured above), the Zandvoort Masters in the Netherlands, and a support race (currently part of the British F3 series) for the Spa 24 Hours in Belgium, while reviving the erstwhile dormant Pau Grand Prix in France and kicking off new races at Hockenheim (date TBA) and Yeongam (in support of the Korean Grand Prix). The top three drivers at season’s end will qualify for an F1 superlicense, giving them a much-coveted shot at the big leagues.

[Source: Autosport | TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty]

FIA fomulates new F3 International Trophy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Dec 2010 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 British International Motor Show gets the axe

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows, UK

2008 British Motor Show

The 2010 British International Motor Show was canceled in March 2009 due to the industry troubles inflicted as a result of a steep sales drop. There were hopes that the show could return for 2012, but they’ve been dashed. The UK Press Association reports that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has decided to one again cancel the biennial show. Chief executive Paul Everitt says that in recent years, BIMS had less influence on customers’ buying decisions, adding that “vehicle manufacturers are focusing their limited resources on events and activities that have a more direct impact on brand awareness and consumer decisions.”

Will the British Motor Show ever again see the light of day? Sadly, two consecutive cancellations since the 2008 exhibition lead us to believe that it’s very unlikely.

[Source: UK Press Association]

2012 British International Motor Show gets the axe originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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