Tag: official

Official: 2014 Audi RS7 priced from $104,900* in the US [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying, Performance, Hatchback, Audi, Luxury

2014 Audi RS7

Audi has officially priced the svelte 2014 RS7 from $104,900 (*not including $825 for destination), undercutting its sole competitor, the BMW M6 Gran Coupe, by $8100. Even when we’re talking about six-figure super sedans, that’s not a small amount of money. And soon, this class of sleek stormers will be joined by the updated Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG 4Matic.

With its combination of a twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter, 560-horsepower V8 engine and Audi’s excellent Quattro all-wheel drive, the RS7 is expected to hit 60 miles per hour in just 3.7 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than the manufacturer estimate for the M6 Gran Coupe.

We’ve already given the RS7 a thorough shakedown in Europe, and we came away quite impressed with just how stunning this Audi is, both to drive and to look at. Now that we’ve got a price to go along with the performance and style, this Audi is even more appealing – in our high-dollar dreams, anyway. Take a look at a short video from Audi, as well as the official press blast, below.

Continue reading 2014 Audi RS7 priced from $104,900* in the US [w/video]

2014 Audi RS7 priced from $104,900* in the US [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jul 2013 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 BMW X5 configurator goes live

Filed under: Car Buying, Crossover, BMW

2014 BMW X5 configurator

BMW won’t begin selling the 2014 X5 for another few months, but the German manufacturer has brought the third-generation SAV’s configurator online, allowing interested customers to poke around and look at the X5’s optional goodies.

Like the 3 Series, the X5 is available in a number of lines that load up extras automatically. There’s also a do-it-yourself truck that allows owners to pick and choose if they’re not enamored with the styling or trim of one of the dedicated packages. As usual, the options list is quite vast, regardless of which line is chosen. We were able to easily take the new, rear-drive X5 sDrive35i, which started at $52,800, and bring the total price up past $80,000.

The new X5 carries over its 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 from the current model, as well as BMW’s excellent 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six. The X5 xDrive35d, with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel will also be available on the third-generation SUV, but won’t hit dealers until early 2014. BMW is stepping outside of the X5’s usual bounds, offering a dedicated rear-drive model, available with all the same trimmings as the xDrive vehicles. Head over to BMW’s US consumer page and have a go.

2014 BMW X5 configurator goes live originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Jul 2013 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Toyota investing $30 million in Indiana for more Highlander production

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota

2014 Toyota Highlander front three-quarter

Indiana seems like the place to be if you’re looking for work in a car factory. In May, Subaru announced plans to invest $400 million in its Lafayette, Indiana plant, creating 900 new jobs in the process and increasing capacity to 300,000 units per year. Now, Toyota has announced plans to invest $30 million in its Princeton, Indiana plant, 170 miles south of the Subaru factory, which also builds the Camry.

Toyota’s investment will create an additional 200 jobs and increase the factory’s volume by 15,000 units. Toyota announced an investment in the plant in February of 2012 that bumped volume up from 300,000 to 350,000 units. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, as the Princeton facility is officially known, produces the recently revised Toyota Highlander, the Sequoia and the Sienna. It employs 4,500 people, and this announcement represents Toyota’s tenth production increase in under two years.

Scroll down below for the official announcement.

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Toyota investing $30 million in Indiana for more Highlander production originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Jul 2013 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Brabus’ 730-hp 2014 Mercedes S-Class is for those who can’t wait for AMG

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

You can’t even buy the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class yet, but Brabus is ready to help you prepare for it. The German tuning house has engineered a suite of upgrades for the sedan that does just about everything but provide a button for its own aftermarket tune. The heart of any Brabus is the engine, and there are three heart transplants to choose from: there’s the B50S for the S550 that adds 65 horsepower, for a total of 520 hp and 604 pound-feet of torque; the B63 takes the S63 AMG up to 650 hp and 737 lb-ft; and the B63S rings the bell with 730 hp and 785 lb-ft. A top-speed limiter allows the option of capping velocity at either 155 mph, 168 mph or 186 mph.

As if the rock-crushing power and eye-watering speed weren’t enough to set the barge apart from others, an aero kit, two styles of monoblock wheels ranging from 19 to 21 inches, a lowered suspension and a sport exhaust will add the florid plumage to your shiny new peacock. Brabus can tell you even more about it in the press release below.

Continue reading Brabus’ 730-hp 2014 Mercedes S-Class is for those who can’t wait for AMG

Brabus’ 730-hp 2014 Mercedes S-Class is for those who can’t wait for AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Jul 2013 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Volkswagen Passat turns 40

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Seven generations of Passat have graced streets around the world, and today is the long-running Volkswagen’s 40th birthday. Looking at the car today, it’s hard to imagine that it was offered as a hatchback in its first and second generations, in addition to the sedan and wagon body styles. But there’s no question Volkswagen has sold a lot of Passats over the years, with over 20 million produced.

VW started delivering the B1-generation Passat on July 25, 1973, and sold it until 1980, when the second generation came out. The B2, which went by many names in different markets, was produced from 1980-87 (longer in some markets, such as China, where it was produced until 2012) and featured technology you might recognize in many of today’s VWs, such as a turbo-diesel engine option. The B3 generation was produced from 1987-93 and, styled with aerodynamics in mind, starts looking more like a Passat in this writers opinion. The B4, produced from 1993-97, was safer and had a stiffer body but followed the same formula as the previous generation.

The B5 Passat stepped up the quality quite a bit from the previous model, and it came with a wide range of four-, five-, six- and eight-cylinder engines. It was produced from 1996-2005. The sixth-gen Passat was produced from 2006-09 and could be had with a double-clutch transmission for the first time. It even spawned the good-looking Passat CC, which became its own model in 2010, when the current B7 Passat was released.

The B7 is a curious model. While Rest of World markets all get the same car, the US produces a unique Passat for its own market, and China makes a derivative that VW sells there called the New Midsize Sedan.

Give in to nostalgia and check out the gallery we’ve included to see how the Passat has evolved over the years.

Volkswagen Passat turns 40 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 Nissan 370Z pricing announced, MSRP reduced by $3,000

Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Nissan

Nissan is up to something. The company announced pricing for the 2014 Nissan 370Z, 370Z Nismo, and 370Z Roadster, which isn’t out of the ordinary. What is, is that the standard, hardtop 370Z has received a $3,130 reduction in price for 2014. The upmarket Touring model, meanwhile, has been dropped $2,550.

That means, excluding the $790 for destination and handling, a base, six-speed manual 370Z is only $29,990. That is an excellent deal. Adding an automatic will bump the price to $31,290, while the Touring model starts at $35,270 for DIY shifters and $36,570 for autos. The top-of-the-range Nismo runs $43,020. The Roadster, meanwhile, starts at $41,470.

So what does this mean in the grand scheme? Automakers don’t just slash $3,000 off the price of a desirable sportscar because they’re feeling generous.Could this be a move to clear out stock before a replacement to the current Z arrives?

The current car, codenamed Z34 by Nissan, has been on sale since 2009 and was refreshed not so long ago. With the 2014-2015 auto show season about to kick off, clearing out parts and inventory by slashing prices could be a precursor to the debut of the Z35 later this year, or in early 2014. That said, there’s been precious little information about from spy shooters or internal sources on the next Z. Only time will tell if our guessing is correct. But hopefully, we’ll have our answer in the not-so-distant future. Read the Nissan press release, below.

Continue reading 2014 Nissan 370Z pricing announced, MSRP reduced by $3,000

2014 Nissan 370Z pricing announced, MSRP reduced by $3,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jul 2013 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel gets 9,200-pound tow rating

Filed under: Truck, Diesel, Ram

The current-generation Ram 1500 is entering its fifth year on the market, but Ram’s half-ton truck is not showing its age whatsoever. While we continue to wait for the fuel economy figures for the all-new EcoDiesel V6, Ram has released towing figures for trucks equipped with this new engine, as well as models fitted with the upgraded gasoline-powered V6.

The EcoDiesel – a $2,850 option – will help the Ram compete with V8-powered trucks with its max towing capacity of 9,200 pounds, which is just 50 pounds shy of the 2013 Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter V8. The true benefit here is that the diesel should return impressive fuel economy in the process, and even though official estimates have yet to be released, Chrysler has promised that it will achieve more than 25 miles per gallon on the highway.

But even with the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6, upgrades to the eight-speed automatic transmission have resulted in an increase in towing capacity, now up to 7,450 pounds. This number is expected to be best in class for base-engine trucks.

Continue reading 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel gets 9,200-pound tow rating

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel gets 9,200-pound tow rating originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Production of Shelby GT350 is coming to an end

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Ford

One Autoblog staffer who drove the limited-edition Shelby GT350 wrote it probably was the best Mustang he’d driven, but, at some point, the fun had to come to an end: December 31 is the last day the GT350 will be available to order.

The GT350’s option list has evolved much like it did for the original 1965-67 GT350. For 2011, the 45th Anniversary edition only came in coupe form and was painted white with blue stripes, just as with the 1965 car. The 2012 GT350 was offered as a coupe or convertible, and three colors were added to the option list, just like the 1966 model. For 2013, more colors and options were added in addition to equipment and styling updates, which resulted in Wilwood instead of Baer brakes. No major changes were made for the 2014 model. From the first car in 2011, customers have been able to choose between three different configurations for their 5.0-liter V8: naturally aspirated with 440 horsepower, supercharged with 525 hp (with warranty) or supercharged with 624 hp (without warranty).

“When we unveiled this latest version of the Shelby GT350, we promised it would be built for a limited time to preserve its collectability and value,” states John Luft, president of Shelby American. He may have a point, because the original GT350, which also had a limited production run, is among the most valuable muscle cars in the world.

While the end of 2013 will mark the conclusion of a great modern-day muscle car, Shelby American wants us to remember one of the late Carroll Shelby’s favorite sayings: “Our favorite car is the next one we build.” That and the other vehicles in the company’s lineup, such as the GT500 Super Snake and Raptor, will continue to be offered for sale.

For more details on the GT350, scroll down for the press release.

Continue reading Production of Shelby GT350 is coming to an end

Production of Shelby GT350 is coming to an end originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jul 2013 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Acura to roll out NSX Prototype for Mid-Ohio IndyCar race

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Performance, Acura

Acura NSX prototype lapping Mid Ohio

Acura will tease us yet again with its next-gen NSX when it makes an appearance at Mid-Ohio Raceway before the circuit’s IndyCar race early next month. To be fair, the car’s in-motion debut won’t take the form of a production model – that’s still a ways off – the vehicle will be a prototype. It’ll be sporting custom graphics and an eye-catching paint (wrap?) job to draw the attention of the spectators, but really, we just want to hear this thing rounding the legendary road course at full chat.

The NSX prototype doesn’t look to be much different from the various showcars we’ve seen over the last couple of years, with the same mid-engined, hybrid V6 power and all-wheel drive all present and accounted for.

The display will take place before the Honda Indy 200 IndyCar Series on August 4. The race itself starts at 3:00 pm and will be shown on NBC Sports Network.

Continue reading Acura to roll out NSX Prototype for Mid-Ohio IndyCar race

Acura to roll out NSX Prototype for Mid-Ohio IndyCar race originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Callaway developing C7 Corvette for FIA GT3 [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

Callaway C7 Corvette GT3 rendering - front three-quarter view

Since 2006, Callaway Competition has been turning the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 into the Z06.R GT3 race car, and in seven years, it has become the most successful team in the series. It will strive to continue that streak, the firm having just announced that Chevrolet has approved it to develop and homologate the GT3 version of the C7 Corvette Stingray. Right now there are more than ten Callaway-built Z06.Rs contesting three different European championships, each car costing somewhere in the area of 235,000 euros ($310K US).

For a taste of what’s to come, you can check out the video below of the engine used in the championship winning Z06.R, an LS7 V8 built by APP Racing on the dyno. There’s also a press release with a few more details.

Continue reading Callaway developing C7 Corvette for FIA GT3 [w/video]

Callaway developing C7 Corvette for FIA GT3 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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