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Rumormill: Chevy working on Aveo-based crossover

Filed under: Crossover, Chevrolet, GM, Rumormill

Chevrolet Aveo

2011 Chevrolet Aveo – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to the blokes over at Autocar, Chevrolet’s Korean arm is furiously working on turning the latest Aveo into a five-door, five-passenger crossover. This CUV version of Chevy’s subcompact, which just recently began production in Seoul, South Korea with sales slated for early 2011, will reportedly sport a stretched version of the platform and will be offered in both front-wheel and all-wheel-drive flavors.

Upscale interior bits and pieces are apparently being borrowed from the European Opel parts bin, which should mean good things for the Gamma II-based cute ‘ute. Other higher-end specs include a next-gen digital display grafted into the dash that is apparently going to filter across the rest of the Chevrolet lineup.

In related news, the British magazine is also reporting that the four-door sedan version of the new Aveo is likely to be shown off at the next Detroit Auto Show in January. Will a crossover join in on the Aveo’s time in the spotlight? We’ll be there in DSLRs in tow either way.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Aveo

Gallery: Paris 2010: Chevrolet Aveo

Paris 2010: Chevrolet Aveo

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Chevy working on Aveo-based crossover originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Working for Toyota makes you healthier?

Filed under: Etc., Toyota

Happy Toyota

Toyota has just released its annual sustainability report – a tome that delves into everything from the company’s air-conditioning habits and the environmental impact of its individual models to the health of its employees. Needless to say, there are plenty of revelations stacked into the report, but one of the most surprising is that Toyota employees are now less likely to smoke and be obese than they were four years ago. According to Automotive News, only 36 percent of the company’s workers are likely to smoke occasionally compared to 42 percent in 2006. Likewise, the number of overweight employees fell from 28.5 percent to 24.7 percent this year.

In addition, the company revealed that its using recycled snow to cool its Hakkaido facility during the summer, helping to drop the factory’s ambient temperature by 14 degrees. Apparently the workers aren’t sweating out that weight…

Toyota also revealed that while the Prius produces fewer emissions once it’s on the road, the manufacturing process for the hybrid yields greater than average nonmethane hydrocarbons and particulate matter compared to the rest of the company’s fleet. Head over to AN for a full recap of the report.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req’d | Image: David McNew/Getty]

Working for Toyota makes you healthier? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Toyota working on FT-86 sedan?

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Japan, Toyota, Rumormill

Toyota FT-86 Sedan That’s what the crew at Car Guide would have us all believe. According to the website, Toyota is looking to hedge its bets by producing a second model on the same platform as the upcoming FT-86. As the theory goes, If the two-door doesn’t find the kind of favor the company is hoping for, it will at least have a four-door version to pick up a few sales. The site points to a shadowy Toyota executive as the source of the information, and it’s even worked up a rendering to show the world exactly what the sports sedan could look like.

That all sounds reasonable and all, but we’re still having a hard time swallowing this one. Toyota isn’t exactly the kind of company to take huge manufacturing risks. With the development costs of the FT-86 shared with partner Subaru, Toyota would be looking at shoving quite a bit of extra money toward coming up with a proprietary four-door variant of the car. We just don’t see that happening, even if we do like the idea of a more affordable rear-wheel drive Japanese four-door. Head over to Car Guide to have a look at the full rendering.

[Source: Car Guide]

Rumormill: Toyota working on FT-86 sedan? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Callaway working on high-performance Silverado

Filed under: Aftermarket, Budget, Performance, Truck, Chevrolet

Callaway emblem

The power-driven minds at Callaway are looking to sink their teeth into the performance pickup truck market. According to PickupTrucks.com, the company has already laid its hands on a new Chevrolet Silverado 1500, complete with a 6.2-liter V8 cranking out 403 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque, and has begun exploring potential performance enhancements. We’re guessing that means there will be a crap ton more power coming from that mill by the time all is said and done, but there’s indication that the final product will be more than a truck with a blower.

Callaway has a reputation for turning mild-mannered Chevrolet vehicles into all-out supercars, complete with a host of suspension upgrades. Whether the company decides to put a Silverado on the ground in the same vein as the old Ford F-150 SVT Lightening or rework the springs for off-road domination in aims of toppling the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor remains to be seen. We’re personally hoping for the latter, but the truth is anything with the Callaway name on it tends to point our imaginations in the fun direction.

Report: Callaway working on high-performance Silverado originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Mercedes working on B-Class-based CLC Shooting Brake

Filed under: Wagon, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Oh, Mercedes. When will you learn that the CLC was just a bad idea? BMW did so with the chopped-trunk 318ti, but Mercedes seems determined to make its counterpart work. To that end, the Silver Star automaker is reportedly working on a new derivative.

Drawing its inspiration from the CLS Shooting Break concept (pictured above) and its underpinnings from the B-Class, the CLC Shooting Brake (hopefully they’ll get the spelling right this time) is expected to slot in below the C-Class Estate wagon, but presumably with a svelter roofline.

That doesn’t mean they’ll get the door count right though: the jury’s still out on whether it’ll be a proper shooting brake with three doors (like the existing CLC, but longer) or five doors like a conventional wagon. Engine options, meanwhile, are tipped to revolve around turbocharged fours, ranging from 108 horsepower and 1.2 liters to a 272-hp CLC22 AMG with 4Matic all-wheel drive. Sources expect the CLC Shooting Brake to arrive around September 2013.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept

Gallery: Beijing 2010: Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break concept

[Sources: Autobild]

Rumormill: Mercedes working on B-Class-based CLC Shooting Brake originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford working to better integrate internet in its cars [w/video]

Filed under: Technology, Ford

Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’ve seen Internet-equipped vehicles on more than one occasion over the past few years, but most connected cars and trucks aren’t much more than a rolling hot-spot for passengers and (very) distracted drivers. That promises to change over the next decade as automakers and suppliers work to connect cars to the world around them. Ford has already begun to connect vehicles to the rest of the planet with SYNC and a smart phone, delivering information like traffic alerts, vehicle health reports, news updates and soon internet apps like Pandora (above). Senior technology leader K. Venkatesh Prasad tells CNET that the automaker plans to keep the momentum going.

Venkatesh says in a video interview (available after the jump) that in-car connectivity is currently “tuned to zero miles per hour,” adding that there is an opportunity to connect vehicles to applications that enable the Internet to work for the occupants of the vehicle. Ford has been testing Smart Intersection safety technology where vehicles communicate with traffic signals through WI-FI and GPS, and that could just be the tip of the iceberg. Electric cars, for example, could one day communicate with the electric grid and your home to find the optimal time to charge. Hit the jump to watch the Venkatech interview.

[Source: CNET]

Continue reading Ford working to better integrate internet in its cars [w/video]

Ford working to better integrate internet in its cars [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Road & Track working on 200 mph Suzuki Kizashi for Bonneville?!

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Sedan, Videos

Road & Track record-breaking Suzuki Kizashi – Click above to watch video after the jump

You can’t accuse the guys at Road & Track of lacking ambition. The magazine has announced plans to tackle the seemingly impossible by building a Suzuki Kizashi to do battle at Speed Week on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The crew will be shooting for not one, but two different land speed records. On the low end is the naturally-aspirated gas coupe record which, for some odd reason, sits at a lowly 103 mph. The plan is to unbolt the factory turbo and run the car as a naturally aspirated machine. That shouldn’t be so much of an issue considering that the stock Kizashi can knock off that kind of speed without so much as turning a wrench under the hood.

The really impressive feat will be seeing whether or not the Kizashi can topple the blown gas coupe category. That record sits at a more respectable 202 mph, which means the Road & Track team will need to work the little Suzuki up to at least 203 mph. To do that, the crew turned to Richard Holdener – a man with plenty of experience pulling other worldly speed out of common cars. Hit the jump for a look at the first three in a series of videos about the build.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Sport

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 AOL
[Source: Road & Track]

Continue reading Video: Road & Track working on 200 mph Suzuki Kizashi for Bonneville?!

Video: Road & Track working on 200 mph Suzuki Kizashi for Bonneville?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Mysteriously sexy Lancia Stratos redux spotted working out

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Spy Photos, Classics, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Design/Style

Mystery Lancia Stratos revival – Click above for image gallery

What appears to be an updated version of the showstopping Fenomenon Stratos concept car of 2005 has cropped up in a couple of previously unseen spy shots. Essentially an updated version of Lancia’s all-conquering World Rally hero of the 1970s, the Fenomenon Stratos debuted back in 2005 at the Geneva Motor Show, where it went down a storm. Limited production was expected to follow in 2006 and 2007, but aside from images of an open-topped variant making the rounds, the car fell off the radar.

Taken by an anonymous photographer, these shots were allegedly snapped on a Fiat test track near Milan, though it isn’t immediately clear when the images were taken. ItaliaSpeed indicates the pics were taken on June 21, but firm information seems scarce, and it’s possible they could actually be older images just now coming to light. What’s perhaps most interesting is that the car in these photographs boasts a different, more conservative front fascia (perhaps for better aerodynamics than the somewhat lift-happy look of the concept), and the split-screen windshield has disappeared, suggesting that there have been further developments on the project since it was last shown. Like the original, plans called for the Fenomenon Stratos revival to rely on Ferrari power, albeit with two extra cylinders. At the time, it was understood that the mid-mounted V8 from the 360 Scuderia would find its way into the engine bay, although we have no indication as to what’s powering the car in the photos.

Does this mean that Lancia itself has taken up the torch on this car? Or has a wealthy benefactor kick-started life into a stillborn project for a tasty one-off (as suggested by Italiaspeed) – à la James Glickenhaus? Or has development been proceeding all this time? Or are we just getting too excited over the prospect of one of our all-time favorite supercars getting back out on the road, if only in spirit? Have a look at the shots below and let us know what you think.

Gallery: Lancia Stratos Revival?

[Source: ItaliaSpeed]

Spy Shots: Mysteriously sexy Lancia Stratos redux spotted working out originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama working to pitch success of auto bailouts to American public

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Chrysler, GM, Earnings/Financials

You don’t have to be a pollster to know that for the most part, the American public remains none too happy about the federal government handing over the people’s hard-earned tax dollars to pull General Motors and Chrysler out of the fires of insolvency. Despite the fact that both companies have managed to keep their lights on, doors open and paychecks flowing due to their generous federal loans, Joe Plumber still can’t stand the thought of paying the price of the two companies’ failures. With midterm elections right around the corner, President Obama is in Detroit to attempt to sway that opinion.

The Commander-in-Chief will speak to crowds at Chrysler’s Jefferson North plant about the positive side of loaning close to $85 billion to two of our country’s largest automakers, including the fact that in 2010, the Big Three have re-hired a total of 55,000 of the 334,000 workers it sent packing a year prior. That may seem like a fraction of the total, but the President is certain to point out that without the loans, that job loss figure would have been much higher.

And then there’s the matter of getting the federal government’s money back. President Obama is also focusing on sharing his belief that a large majority of the country’s money will be returned once GM and Chrysler go public once again.

Interested in keeping tabs on Obama’s visit to Motown? The Detroit Free Press has a liveblog that you can follow along with (including live audio) by clicking here.

[Sources: Bloomberg, Detroit Free Press | Image: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty]

Obama working to pitch success of auto bailouts to American public originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Mazda working on CX-5?

Filed under: Crossover, Mazda, Rumormill

Mazda Kazamai Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mazda spoke of expanding its line with a small crossover as far back as 2008, with such talk led by the appearance of the Kazamai Concept. According to Autocar, Mazda is preparing to have said “new small SUV” prepped for sale at the end of 2011. When it was mentioned two years ago, the idea was that the vehicle would help position Mazda as an aspirational brand; now it sounds like it could be extravagant design meeting frugal economy.

For Mazda, a CX-5 would provide an option in a segment it knows consumers are moving toward, and the vehicle being discussed could be a gas mileage champ. Mazda is reportedly boasting of a 100kg weight savings vs. the competitors (that’s a not-insubstantial 220 pounds), as well as power from the company’s already frugal Sky engines. Some whispers about three- and five-door versions have been recorded, but remember, for the moment these are all still whispered rumors, not facts.

Gallery: Mazda Kazamai Concept

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Mazda working on CX-5? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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