rumormill Archives | Page 5 of 10

Rumormill: Production started on Top Gear China

Filed under: China, Etc., Rumormill

This didn’t take long. Word on the web is that the minds behind Top Gear are moving to produce a version of the show just for The People’s Republic. The report comes courtesy of TheTycho, and apparently an insider at the country’s CCTV has confirmed that Top Gear China has been given the go-ahead. Hosts have already been selected and filming is underway right now in Beijing. The show is supposed to be broadcast from the nation’s capital, as well. If accurate, the newest addition to the Top Gear family will join the ranks of TG U.S., Australia and Russia as well as the genesis of all this mayhem, Top Gear UK.

With our own iteration of the show on shaky ground, some of us can’t help but wonder why the BBC doesn’t simply stick to making one very excellent version of the show and disseminate it to the rest of the globe instead of cranking out multiple watered-down iterations. Maybe it’s easier to get local ad revenue. Still, we can’t wait to see what Top Gear China is all about. There’s no word on a set broadcast date as of yet.

[Source: TheTycho]

Rumormill: Production started on Top Gear China originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Production started on Top Gear China”

Rumormill: Mitsubishi to sell rebadged Infiniti M… new Diamante in the cards?

Filed under: Sedan, Japan, Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Rumormill

2011 Infiniti M37

2011 Infiniti M37 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mitsubishi is reportedly considering selling a rebadged version of the Infiniti M sedan in order to fill its void of premium offerings in its home market of Japan. However, Automotive News notes that Mitsubishi’s President, Osamu Masuko, has stated that the automaker will not leverage manufacturing deals with other companies in order to expand its lineup here in the United States, so don’t expect to see a Mitsu-branded Infiniti on our shores anytime soon.

Mitsubishi’s last endeavor into the luxury sedan market was with the Diamante – a car that suffered from lackluster sales numbers during its run throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Due to Mitsubishi’s financial woes during the mid-2000s, luxury car development was put on hold. Now, though, selling a rebadged version of the Infiniti M (or Nissan Fuga, as it’s known in Japan) would insulate Mitsubishi from research and development costs, making it easier for the automaker to launch back into the luxury segment.

Automotive News reports that the Mitsubishi-badged Infiniti could go on sale in Japan as early as this year. Expect the standard gas version to be the first to wear a triple-diamond badge, though Mitsubishi may sell a version of the M Hybrid, as well. Top tip, Randy!

Gallery: 2011 Infiniti M37: Review

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Rumormill: Mitsubishi to sell rebadged Infiniti M… new Diamante in the cards? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Mitsubishi to sell rebadged Infiniti M… new Diamante in the cards?”

Rumormill: BMW considering M3 Sportswagon

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, BMW, Rumormill

It’s no secret that we love ourselves some wagons, and it goes without saying that we like our wagons with more than a little dose of performance baked inside. And so it’s with bated breath that we tell you the latest tantalizing tidbit swirling aorund the internet rumormill: BMW may be considering an M3 Sportswagon.

If the BMW-obsessive folks from Bimmerfile are to be believed, such a machine was considered at the outset of the E9X car’s development, and at least one test machine was built. So why wasn’t it offered from the beginning? Naturally, an M3 wagon would be a small-volume proposition, which means it would likely carry a fairly large sticker price and would be tough for the automaker to justify. Bimmerfile estimates a base price of around $65,000.

Then again, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and, more recently, Cadillac have all put performance-minded wagons on the market, so who knows?

[Source: Bimmerfile]

Rumormill: BMW considering M3 Sportswagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: BMW considering M3 Sportswagon”

Rumormill: Mini working on road-going version of WRC Countryman?

Filed under: Performance, Crossover, Mini, Rumormill, Off-Road

Mini Countryman WRC

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

Tail-slidin’, bump-jumpin’ heroics are all good and fun, but one of the things we love most about rallying is that the cars are closely based on production models. Often rather ordinary ones at that, like Ford Fiestas, Subaru Imprezas and the like. And what turns easily from a road car into a rally racer can just as easily be turned back into a road car.

Look no further than examples like the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo X for evidence. And now that Mini is getting into the World Rally Championship, rumors are beginning to circulate that they’re planning a rally-derived performance model as well.

Since the Mini WRC is based on the Countryman crossover, word has it that a showroom-ready, performance-oriented Countryman could be in the works. Something with even more power than the existing JCW version and a wide-body kit for an extra dose of attitude. Even with all the Mini variants on the road and in the pipeline, this one has us particularly intrigued.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Mini Countryman WRC

Photos by Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: AUSmotive via MotoringFile]

Rumormill: Mini working on road-going version of WRC Countryman? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Mini working on road-going version of WRC Countryman?”

Rumormill: Special Mini Clubman Hampton Edition coming to Geneva

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Mini, Rumormill

2011 Mini Clubman

Mini is rumored to be cooking up a special-edition version of the company’s Clubman for this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The hatch will be called the Hampton, and will come slathered in a new Reef Blue Metallic paint with Damson Red hood stripes and mirror caps. Mini is also said to be throwing in a slew of special badges and Bi-Xenon headlights, and the whole package is set to ride on 17-inch twin-spoke alloy rollers. Inside, there’s plenty of black leather with red accents, and the same color scheme gets carried over onto the floor mats and dash.

At this point, Mini hasn’t said a word about the Clubman Hampton, so we don’t know what the company has planned in terms of price, market availability or production figures. Likewise, the whispers kicking around the internets haven’t said a word about whether or not there will be any bumps in horsepower or if the car will boast a massaged suspension. We’ll just have to wait until March to find out.

[Source: MotoringFile]

Rumormill: Special Mini Clubman Hampton Edition coming to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Special Mini Clubman Hampton Edition coming to Geneva”

Rumormill: Alfa Romeo 4C GTA concept coming to Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo, Rumormill

Pininfarina 2uettottanta

The Fiat Group has got big plans for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The Italian automaker will, first of all, be unveiling rebadged versions of existing Chrysler group products for the European market, with a Dodge rebadged as a Fiat and several Chryslers anticipated to debut with Lancia nameplates as well. But what of Alfa Romeo? According to reports, the hottest of Fiat’s core family will roll in with an all-new concept car.

Tentatively dubbeed the 4C GTA, the show car is tipped to pack a 265-horsepower 1.7-liter turbo four into a svelte coupe package. Like the MiTo and Giulietta, the 4C will likely take its design cues after the 8C Competizione (and hopefully a little from the Pininfarina 2uettotanta pictured above) only slotting in below the eight-cylinder supercar in the company’s line-up.

Of course it would have to be approved for production first, and right now all we’ve got are rumors from our unrelated Hellenic compatriots, so stay tuned.

[Source: Autoblog.gr]

Rumormill: Alfa Romeo 4C GTA concept coming to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Alfa Romeo 4C GTA concept coming to Geneva”

Rumormill: 470-hp 2014 Cadillac ATS-V?

Filed under: Performance, Cadillac, Rumormill, Luxury

Cadillac ATS mule spy shots

Spy Shots: Cadillac ATS mule – Click above for high res-image gallery

Cadillac has made it clear it plans to enter the rarified air generally reserved for such finely tuned machinery as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class with the same verve and gusto it’s done with its CTS. And the vehicle it hopes will earn them entrance into the hotly contested market is the upcoming ATS.

We know General Motors will attack the small end of the premium market with a multi-tiered approach, including engines packing four, six or eight cylinders. A new document that surfaced on Cheers & Gears seems to indicate just such an approach, culminating in a fire-breathing ATS-V with a 6.2-liter pushrod V8 engine sending 470 horsepower and 438 pound-feet of torque through either a six-speed automatic or manual gearbox.

Moving down a notch will reportedly get you the same 3.6-liter direct injected V6 engine that powers the bulk of Caddy’s CTS models; 330 horses and 280 lb-ft will be routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission. According to the supposed spec sheet, that combo should net 20 miles per gallon in the city and 30 on the highway using regular-grade gas.

Finally, the rumormill swirls with talk that a turbocharged four cylinder displacing 2.0 liters and putting out 270 horsepower and 250 lb-ft will serve as the base engine for the ATS, mated up to an eight-speed automatic. Naturally, that combo will serve as the fuel mileage leader, managing an estimated 22 city/32 highway rating, though it’s likely to require premium gas.

Certainly, all of this information is to be taken with a suitably sized grain of salt (mayhaps the whole shaker?), but it is in line with what we’ve been hearing for the last year or so. In any case, we ought to find out all the details in due time – Cadillac’s ATS is expected to hit the market no later than the latter half of 2013 as a 2014 model.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Cadillac ATS or XTS?

[Source: Cheers & Geers via Motor Authority]

Rumormill: 470-hp 2014 Cadillac ATS-V? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: 470-hp 2014 Cadillac ATS-V?”

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz ready to bring hybrids to AMG

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

The era of the green(-ish) sports car is fast approaching. Porsche unveiled its 918RSR at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show while Audi enjoys showing off one of its many e-Tron concepts at nearly every expo. Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to pairing up powerful vehicles with electric propulsion, trotting out the SLS AMG E-Cell at the NAIAS and searing our retinas in the process. Now there’s word that AMG is ready to cut fuel consumption across its lineup by partnering its torquey gasoline engines with some kind of hybrid electric powertrains.

According to Daimler’s head of future mobility and advanced engineering Herbert Kohler, it’s a “given” that AMG vehicles in the coming years will be available as hybrids. The AMG family will still be about performance, but – like every other automaker under the sun – fuel consumption is a constant part of engineering discussions going forward.

Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG: First Drive

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz ready to bring hybrids to AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz ready to bring hybrids to AMG”

Rumormill: BMW Megacity is a premium product, will carry premium pricetag

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

BMW Megacity EV

BMW Megacity EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to the rumors kicking around the interwebs, the upcoming BMW Megacity won’t be bargain basement transportation. Autocar cites an unnamed source as saying that when the city-sized electric car hits dealers, it will carry a premium price tag. That likely means that the Megacity will cost more than the Nissan Leaf EV that it’s designed to compete against.

That’s no real shocker given the Megacity’s complete carbon-fiber passenger cell and unique aluminum chassis. Throw in the extensive research and development that’s gone into the vehicle so far, and it’s not difficult to imagine a lofty price tag for the Megacity when the EV hatch goes on sale as a 2013 model.

There is some indication that as technology and manufacturing costs decrease, BMW will lower the vehicle’s price tag, but that’s not thought to happen until the Megacity has already been on the road for some time. So far, BMW has said official word one about how it plans to price its EV.

Gallery: BMW Megacity Vehicle

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: BMW Megacity is a premium product, will carry premium pricetag originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: BMW Megacity is a premium product, will carry premium pricetag”

Rumormill: Chevrolet Camaro Z28 production beginning 1/1/2012

2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to a report from Camaro5.com, Chevrolet has told its dealer body that the long-anticipated Camaro Z28 will begin production on 1/1/2012. This high-output version of the Camaro will be sold as a 2012 model and will come from the factory with a 6.2-liter supercharged engine (we’d guess something in line with the excellent LSA mill fitted to the 556-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V).

Naturally, some massive rubber will be required to put all those ponies to the pavement, and we’re told to expect 285s up front and steamrolling 330s out back. Exterior styling will reportedly include some hood slats in addition to the expected power bulge to clear the force-fed engine, and the interior is expected to see minor updates as well.

Now that the Detroit Auto Show has officially come and gone with nary a Camaro Z28 in sight, our attention turns to Chicago in February and then New York in April. Stay tuned, we sense an unveiling in the near future.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 at the Nurburgring

[Source: Camaro5.com]

Rumormill: Chevrolet Camaro Z28 production beginning 1/1/2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Chevrolet Camaro Z28 production beginning 1/1/2012”