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Video: Ram 2500 HD video shows off new engine, rear suspension

Filed under: Truck, Videos, Work, Ram

2014 Ram 2500HD

We’ve already had a chance to drive the 2014 Ram 3500 HD, but the big news for the 2014 Ram Heavy Duty lineup might be centered around the three-quarter-ton 2500 model. Chrysler has released a new video highlighting the new features of the 2014 Ram 2500 HD, including its new optional engine and new rear suspension components.

The video starts by showing off the Ram’s new 410-horsepower 6.4-liter Hemi V8 and then gives us an up-close look at the coil spring, multi-link rear suspension – one of the truck’s most important upgrades aimed at delivering a smooth ride. In addition to this coil suspension, the Ram 2500 HD will also be available with a rear air suspension system, which Chrysler says will optimize the truck’s hauling abilities with better load leveling and trailer towing.

Scroll down for the walkaround video of the 2500 HD from Chrysler as well as the original press release breaking down all of the truck’s new-for-2014 features.

Continue reading Ram 2500 HD video shows off new engine, rear suspension

Ram 2500 HD video shows off new engine, rear suspension originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini Countryman to get rear bench seat option in U.S.

Filed under: Crossover, Mini

Mini Countryman

2011 Mini Countryman – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Mini launched its all-new Countryman crossover, we were told that it would only be available with the four-seat configuration here in the United States – two buckets up front, two buckets in back. Now, Mini has confirmed that the rear bench seat option – something that’s currently available in other markets – will be available on U.S.-spec Countrymen starting this Fall.

This option is ideal for customers who need the occasional use of a bench seat, whether it be for hauling cargo or having the space for one extra person. (We hate to think of how cramped a Countryman would be with three adults in back.) Expect the bench seat option to show up on order forms starting in September.

Mini Countryman to get rear bench seat option in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Cadillac still wants a big rear-drive sedan to battle the import flagships

Filed under: Sedan, Cadillac, Rumormill, Luxury

2003 Cadillac Sixteen concept

2003 Cadillac Sixteen concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Imagine a Cadillac and you’re about as likely to conjure up images of big, rear-drive landyachts of yesteryear as you are to picture the automaker’s considerably tauter products of today. But Cadillac has long been rumored to be pondering a return to its classic formula with a new flagship sedan, and those rumors are rounding the mill once again.

This time, word has it that Cadillac is developing a new rear-drive luxury sedan to slot in above the upcoming front-drive XTS in pursuit of territory currently dominated by the likes of the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8 and Lexus LS. If and when it does materialize, sources place its launch around 2014. Power would more likely come in the form of a V8 than the 13.6-liter V-16 engine of the 2003 Cadillac Sixteen concept pictured above (though that would no doubt be incredibly awesome), but a hybrid variant could follow.

The new model would be built on a new platform reportedly dubbed ‘Omega’, but while the architecture would be developed uniquely for the big sedan, a further extension is being muted as a possibility to take on the likes of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Bentley Mulsanne and the Maybach. Far-fetched? Probably. But intriguing nonetheless.

Gallery: Cadillac Sixteen Concept

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[Source: Car and Driver]

Rumormill: Cadillac still wants a big rear-drive sedan to battle the import flagships originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sebastian Vettel on the benefits of KERS, adjustable rear wing

Filed under: Europe, Technology, Videos, Racing

Red Bull 2011

Sebastian Vettel on KERS – Click above to view video after the jump

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, winner of last weekend’s Formula 1 opening round in Australia, has taken to YouTube to explain what the addition of KERS and and an adjustable rear wing means for drivers. Technically speaking, KERS is good for a six-second, 80-horsepower boost.

According to Vettel, that’s best used as a way to help get off the grid ahead of the pack, or sneak through a gap in traffic at the start of a race. Otherwise, it can be used to hold off an attack during the race or as an edge going for the overtake.

The adjustable rear wing is only available as an overtaking aid at certain points in a race within a specified distance of an opponent. It’s designed to reduce the increased drag when a driver steps out of the slipstream and into clean air. By reducing the wing’s pitch, the driver can lose some of the increased resistance. Click past the jump for Vettel’s explanation.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Sebastian Vettel on the benefits of KERS, adjustable rear wing

Video: Sebastian Vettel on the benefits of KERS, adjustable rear wing originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Drifting BMW i3 proves rear-wheel drive cars have more fun

Filed under: Europe, Videos, Hatchback, BMW, Electric

2013 BMW i3

2013 BMW i3 – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Footage from cold-weather testing of the BMW i3 in Sweden has surfaced, showcasing the all-electric city car’s rear-wheel-drive platform and penchant for getting sideways. These are still early tests, as the full production i3 isn’t expected to be ready until 2013.

Still, with 150 horsepower on tap from a rear-mounted electric lump, the little BMW could well be a barrel of laughs, as well as an environmentally-responsible mode of transportation. Of course, we wouldn’t expect much range with these kinds of antics…

The BMW i3 sports an aluminum body around a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic passenger compartment, and will be considered a premium micro car when it hits showrooms. How premium? Expect the price tag to creep past $40,000. See how much fun electric drifting can be in the video after the break.

[Source: YouTube via GMotors]

Continue reading Video: Drifting BMW i3 proves rear-wheel drive cars have more fun

Video: Drifting BMW i3 proves rear-wheel drive cars have more fun originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lamborghini to position rear-drive LP 550-2 as “entry-level” Gallardo?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini, Rumormill

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni – Click above for high-res image gallery

Following in the footsteps of its parent’s at Audi, Lamborghini has made all-wheel drive something of a battle cry. What was introduced as an option on the Diablo VT has now proliferated across every model Lamborghini has made since its introduction. Well… until the Balboni edition came along.

To honor the career of the company’s long-serving test driver Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini rolled out a purist’s version of the Gallardo that did away with the all-wheel drive system in favor of rear-drive only, dropped 10 horsepower and was available with a classic gated manual in the place of the e-gear sequential gearbox.

The Balboni edition – carrying the LP 550-2 designation to mark its metric horsepower output and traction configuration – was set to be the only rear-drive Gallardo available, until Lamborghini announced the Bicolore edition just the other day. Although sold overseas with all-wheel drive, the American version was announced as the first rear-drive LP 550-2 to follow the Balboni.

According to reports coming in from Italy, Lamborghini is now preparing to offer the LP 550-2 as a sort of “entry-level” Gallardo, undercutting the price of other versions while offering the more direct drivetrain set-up. Apparently Lamborghini already sold a number of these LP 550-2s to Asian customers who missed out on the Balboni’s limited production run, and will now offer the bare-bones Gallardo as a regular member of the family.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni

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[Source: OmniAuto.it – translated]

Lamborghini to position rear-drive LP 550-2 as “entry-level” Gallardo? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2012 Range Rover Evoque sprouts a set of rear doors

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Crossover, Land Rover, Luxury

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Five-Door

Range Rover Evoque Five-Door – Click above for high-res image gallery

We first met the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque at this year’s Paris Motor Show, and its five-door sister makes its official debut today at the LA Auto Show. The Evoque is a huge departure from what we’ve commonly known of things that wear the Range Rover name, and it’s poised to be a real hit amongst the urban, luxury lifestyle set. Power comes from a range of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, and all-wheel drive is standard – it is a Land Rover, after all.

Both the three- and five-door Evoques go on sale in the summer of next year, and Land Rover states that pricing will start around $45,000. See the new five-door Evoque for yourself in the high-res image gallery below and/or peep the mega-sized press release from Land Rover after the jump.

Gallery: LA 2010: Range Rover Evoque Five-Door

Range Rover Evoque Five-Door

Gallery: Land Rover Range Rover Evoque 5-door

Continue reading LA 2010: 2012 Range Rover Evoque sprouts a set of rear doors

LA 2010: 2012 Range Rover Evoque sprouts a set of rear doors originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW planning rear-wheel drive 2 Series?

Filed under: Hatchback, BMW, Rumormill

BMW M2 Rendering Consider our fingers crossed. With all of the talk of front-wheel-drive BMW models coming down the pike, we simply assumed that the future of small German hatchbacks with roundels on the hood would be littered with soulless heaps. According to the sleuths over at Car and Driver, however, that’s not the case. After discovering that BMW had filed for U.S. patents for the names 228, 230 and 235, someone at BMW let it slip that the new 2 Series would, in fact, send its power to the aft. But hold onto your teacups, kids, it gets better.

BMW has also filed for a patent for the M2 moniker.

Now, we know as well as anyone that a patent doth not a production vehicle make, but it’s still exciting to know that BMW isn’t walking away from the notion of a smallish, fun-to-drive model anytime soon. Supposedly the company is planning a rash of models positioned below the current 1 Series to help decrease its corporate average fuel economy, but the news of a rear-wheel drive model with an M badge on the back goes a long way toward salving any ails inflicted by the thought of a front-wheel-drive Bimmer.

[Source: Car and Driver]

BMW planning rear-wheel drive 2 Series? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Rumblings of Zeta-based family of rear-wheel-drive GM sedans persist

Filed under: Sedan, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Rumormill, Luxury

Cadillac Sixteen concept car in the wet

The ongoing yarn about General Motors fielding a brace of rear-wheel drive flagship sedans based on a new generation Premium Zeta platform has hit the big time, with Motor Trend reporting that the platform will underpin a sport sedan for Chevrolet. Last month, the rejigged Zeta was touted as the basis for a flagship Buick that would finally, and properly, challenge Lexus. MT’s report says there will be two wheelbases for this new Zeta, and that those two variants will do duty under a Cadillac, a U.S. Buick and potentially a Chinese-market Buick, and several Holden models along with the aforementioned Chevy.

As the basis for premium sedans, General Motors could spend the money to make it properly light and strong through the use of high-strength steels. The Chevy sport sedan mentioned would be “a kind of four-door Camaro” – Pontiac G8 GXP redux, anyone? – while the Buick only gets described as “cushier,” and both would go on the shorter wheelbase Zeta.

The most interesting tidbit could be Cadillac’s use of the long-wheelbase platform. MT prices a Cadillac flagship at between $125,000 and $140,000 and says the Zeta-based Cadillac, Whitacre’s S-Class rival for the Crest-and-Wreath brand, will sit beneath it. If it all comes to pass, that would give Cadillac a larger CTS, then an XTS, then a properly sporting high-end luxury competitor, then a one-Caddy-to-rule-them-all ne plus ultra model by 2014 or so. Hat tip to Joshua!

[Source: Motor Trend]

Rumormill: Rumblings of Zeta-based family of rear-wheel-drive GM sedans persist originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Ford Windstar recalled over rear axle risk

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Recalls, Safety, Ford

Ford Windstar recall

Back in May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started investigating cases of rear axles breaking in late model Ford Windstar minivans after receiving hundreds of complaints from owners. Over three months later, an official recall has just been announced that covers 575,000 1998-2003 Windstars sold in “Salt Belt” states – places where road salt is used to melt away snow and ice during the winter months. Road salt can accelerate corrosion on the rear axle, which can cause the axle beam to break completely.

Ford says that only a small number of reported cases involve instances of the rear axle beams actually snapping, even though NHTSA supposedly received over 200 complaints from owners. Still, Ford will be notifying owners of this potential hazard starting on September 27, and naturally, the problem will be fixed free of charge.

Interestingly enough, this recall does not mention anything about the Windstar’s front subframes – another easily corroded area that triggered a second NHTSA investigation in late July. More than 900,000 vehicles could have been affected by this, and we assume that NHTSA’s findings did not warrant a full recall. Still, this rear axle issue will be the eleventh recall placed on the Windstar, a model that was only built for a total of nine years.

[Source: Associated Press via Google]

Official: Ford Windstar recalled over rear axle risk originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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