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Ford Model T convoy to revisit Britain’s highest mountain

Filed under: Classics, Ford, UK

Ford Model T convoy

Having a Ford Model T ascend a mountain might sound like a crazy idea, but in 1911 it was a marketing coup. Ford had just arrived in Britain and to prove its worth, a corporate sales agent named Henry Alexander drove a Model T to the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland – Britain’s highest mountain. The 4,406-foot ascent took five days, and he Alexander was greeted at the peak by the motor press pool of the day. Then he drove back down in just three hours.

A hundred years later, Ford of Britain is celebrating its centenary and will commemorate the Ben Nevis ascent with a convoy of over 60 Model Ts driving back to the mountain. Among them the very last unit to roll off the revolutionary assembly line. Unfortunately, environmental conservation prohibits driving up the mountain these days, but a group of volunteers will disassemble a replica Model T, carry it up the mountain and put it back together at its peak in celebration of the original feat. Now that’s dedication. Follow the jump for the full press release.

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Ford Model T convoy to revisit Britain’s highest mountain originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 May 2011 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari to skip 599M and go straight for all-new model?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ferrari

Ferrari 599 GTO

Ferrari 599 GTO – Click above for high-res image gallery

Typically, Ferrari works its products in two phases. First comes the all-new model, then a number of years later comes a substantially updated version that carries it through until the next all-new model comes along. Think 360 Modena to F430, 456 GT to 456M, 550 Maranello to 575M… noticing a pattern here?

That’s what Ferrari was originally planning to do with the 599 GTB Fiorano, but the latest reports indicate that the company has opted to skip the updated 599 and go straight to an all-new model. Which may make perfect sense, considering how many derivatives the existing 599 has spawned, from the HGTE to the latest GTO (pictured above).

The decision is reportedly spurred by the radical step forward which the company has taken from the 612 Scaglietti to the new FF. The 599’s successor won’t pack the FF’s all-wheel-drive system, or its shooting brake body style, but is likely to take advantage of its direct-injection 6.3-liter V12 to the tune of some 700 horsepower.

Sources expect the next front-engine/rear-drive V12 supercar to come roaring out of the gates at Maranello sometime late next year.

Ferrari to skip 599M and go straight for all-new model? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can’t make the New York Auto Show? Take a virtual tour with a hot model

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Videos

serene hosting new york auto show after dark

Serene brings us the 2011 New York Auto Show After Dark – Click above to watch video after the jump

The public portion of the 2011 New York Auto Show is in full swing, but not everyone can (or wants) to make the trip to the Big Apple. The producers of the show have come up with a solution, which allows you to check out the action from the comfort of your favorite computin’ chair.

Your host for New York Auto Show After Dark is an attractive lass named Serene. She and her crew have put together a few videos, giving you a look at a few select vehicles and events at the 2011 NYIAS. Click past the jump to view the clips and take in a bit more of the New York Auto Show.

Of course, you can also see high-res image galleries of all the new vehicles from the show right here.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Can’t make the New York Auto Show? Take a virtual tour with a hot model

Can’t make the New York Auto Show? Take a virtual tour with a hot model originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ken Block and Zoo bikini model strap in for makeshift Gymkhana ride

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Racing

Zoo bikini model and Ken Block Gymkhana

Zoo bikini model and Ken Block on Gymkhana course – Click above to watch the video after the break

It’s a tried-and-true stunt: Take one professional driver (at least as often as not, it seems, Ken Block), put them in a fast car. Add one beautiful woman, a bunch of cameras, and stir. The result? Generally, lots of screams and nearly as many clicks on Youtube. We suspect the internet clicks will indeed come, but this particular video is suspiciously absent of screaming girls.

Judging by her lack of aural outbursts, we’d say that this particular bikini model, who was apparently plucked from the pages of Zoo Magazine, actually enjoyed her time in the passenger seat with Mr. Ken Block, he of Gymkhana fame. She even gives him a nice pat on the back upon exiting the Ford ~~Fiesta~~ Focus WRC racer.

This video was shot at a Gymkhana circuit at Battersea Power Station as a promotional event for the launch of DiRT 3, and both the video and GPS data overlaid over the screen were captured and recorded by a Racelogic Video VBOX. See it all go down for yourself in the video after the break.

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: Ken Block and Zoo bikini model strap in for makeshift Gymkhana ride

Video: Ken Block and Zoo bikini model strap in for makeshift Gymkhana ride originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Contrary to expectations, next-gen Cadillac CTS will offer coupe model

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Cadillac, Luxury

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

Cadillac has apparently changed its plans for the next-generation CTS yet again, confirming the development of a coupe to fill out the rest of the line when it arrives in 2013. This comes after reports that Caddy’s mid-level fighter would only be offered in sedan form.

Fighting it out for the hears and wallets of coupe and convertible buyers was originally going to be left to Cadillac’s upcoming BMW 3 Series competitor, currently codenamed the ATS. The rationale was that a more traditional coupe roofline and folding convertible top would integrate into the ATS’s rump more smoothly than the angular CTS.

For the next generation CTS, Motor Trend says Cadillac is changing the car’s underpinnings from the current Sigma platform to the Alpha rear-drive platform, which will also see duty under the next Chevrolet Camaro.

Rumor has is that Cadillac is working on an even more radical design for the next-generation CTS Coupe, which will likely share its doors with the Camaro. And as we’ve heard so many times before, there may be a low-volume flagship model from Cadillac, nosing its way past the six-figure price point.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

[Source: Motor Trend]

Report: Contrary to expectations, next-gen Cadillac CTS will offer coupe model originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford bumping prices on 2011 model vehicles

Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

When a barrel of oil soars past $100, it affects all of us in more ways than just the gas pump. That counts for auto production as well, as Toyota’s recent price increase clearly shows. And Toyota isn’t alone, as Automotive News reports that Ford has raised prices on its vehicles by an average of .4 percent across its lineup. That adds up to about $117, which won’t break the bank, but at the same won’t make any of consumers’ weary wallets any happier, either.

Ford analyst George Pipas tells AW that the price adjustment had been planned, adding “If you read the headlines, prices for food, energy, airline tickets are going up across the board.” We’re reading, George, and we’ve noticed.

Ford hasn’t detailed which vehicles will receive price increases, though we’re thinking not all models will be affected by the bump. Several automakers have intimated that rising commodity costs would eat into profits this year

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Ford bumping prices on 2011 model vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler to have short 2011 model year thanks to bankruptcy

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

chrysler 300

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

When Chrysler entered bankruptcy protection, its product lineup was decidedly barren. Team Pentastar has addressed that issue in the months since it sought government protection, and the fruits of all that labor have begun to pay off with the launch of 16 new and dramatically refreshed vehicles for 2011.

New products like the 2011 Chrysler 300 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee have no doubt helped improve Chrysler’s portfolio, but AutoWeek reports that the sheer scope of the overhaul may have truncated the 2011 model year. Many of the 2011 models in dealerships now didn’t arrive until the first quarter of 2011, while others, like the 300 and Dodge Durango are just now trickling into showroom floors across America.

The late roll-out of 2011 models won’t be repeated for 2012, as Chrysler spokesperson Ralph Kisiel reportedly told AW “most of our 2012s go into production during the month of July.” Dealers will begin ordering 2012 models as early as May.

Chrysler’s shortened run of 2011 models isn’t exactly normal, but we’re guessing that it won’t matter much to dealers. After all, if 2012 models are arriving this summer, then the 2011s will just be getting in the way.

Gallery: 2011 Chrysler 300: First Drive

2011 Chrysler 300

[Source: AutoWeek]

Report: Chrysler to have short 2011 model year thanks to bankruptcy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW Beetle to debut in China; powerful Audi-engined model in the cards?

Filed under: China, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Shanghai Motor Show

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Spy shots

2012 Volkswagen Beetle spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

The latest from the Volkswagen bunker in Wolfsburg is that the second-generation New Beetle (henceforth to be known mercifully as ‘Beetle’) is officially dropping its towel to the floor at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. Whooda thunk it just five years ago? The Beetle is an American pop phenomenon, and it smarts a bit to have lost even that cachet to the all-powerful Chinese venue.

Early word on the Beetle is that it is dynamically far sportier than the outgoing matzoh-ball built exclusively for people desperate for cutesy-ness and absolute symmetry. Oh, yes, and rear passengers without heads.

While Europe is not intended to get the sensational 335-horsepower “W28” in-line five-cylinder turbo seen so far in both the Audi TT RS and RS3, it would seem there is a plot afoot to bring such a Beetle to North America. “The Beetle,” a source in Wolfsburg tells Autoblog, “is so much sportier now. It’s much more appealing to male buyers as well.” Some off-the-record remarks tell of a Beetle thus equipped that is better on the track than another VW R coupe that North America sadly still doesn’t get.

The message? No more dung beetles.

Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen New Beetle: Spy Shots

2012 Volkswagen New Beetle: Spy Shots

[Images: KGP Photography]

VW Beetle to debut in China; powerful Audi-engined model in the cards? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla lets us peek in on Model S development

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Hatchback, Tesla, Electric

Tesla Model S Development Facility

Tesla Model S Development Facility – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s not every day that an automaker invites you inside its R&D center. In fact, it’s rare for any OEM to allow journalists into a room that hasn’t been swept floor-to-ceiling for any hint of what’s around the corner. Then again, Tesla isn’t exactly your average automaker.

The electric upstart, with its roots firmly entrenched in the Wild West idealism of Silicon Valley, is in the process of developing and testing its all-new electric sedan – the Tesla Model S – before series production begins next year. So in the Valley’s spirit of openness and transparency, Tesla threw open its doors, corralled a few engineers and execs, and let us poke around its Palo Alto powertrain facility to see how development of the Model S is coming along.

Gallery: Tesla Model S Development Facility

Tesla Model S Development Facility

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Tesla lets us peek in on Model S development originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Playboy model demonstrates co-ed naked drifting *Update

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

Playboy model naked drifting

Playboy model demonstrates co-ed naked drifting – Click above to watch the video after the break

To some, drifting is kinda sorta a non-sport. After all, the winning car isn’t necessarily the one that crosses the finish line ahead of all others, and the vehicles themselves were created on purpose to be ill-handling, tail-happy smoke generators.

Somehow, we have a feeling all those ills would be forgiven by the detractors if the cars were piloted by naked Playboy models.

And so we bring you the video after the break. We’ll go ahead and label this one not-safe-for-work-ish… while there technically isn’t any nudity shown on camera, the model clearly is performing these smoky antics sans clothing. Oh, and of course she doesn’t know how to drive a stick.

We’ll say no more, and we’ll leave all those rather obvious double entendres to you. Click past the break to see co-ed naked drifting’s first (completely non-sanctioned) clothing optional event.

One final note: This is the same car (repainted) we featured in a four-part web documentary that you can see here.

*Update: Now with bonus gallery!

Gallery: Drifting GSR Autosport Playboy Video Shoot

Drifting GSR Autosport Playboy Video Shoot

[Source: YouTube via Motor World Hype]

Continue reading Video: Playboy model demonstrates co-ed naked drifting *Update

Video: Playboy model demonstrates co-ed naked drifting *Update originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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