Tag: [w/poll]

Will the 2011 Charger wear a new Dodge emblem? [w/poll]

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, Dodge

New Dodge Logo for 2011Take a close look at the entire lineup of 2009 and 2010 Dodge cars and trucks and you’ll notice one thing they all have in common: the Dodge emblem is represented as a Ram’s head. So what’s the problem? While you could spend hours debating the merits of its recent strategy, the Chrysler Mothership has chosen to separate the Dodge brand into separate car and truck entities, and the newly launched Ram Truck brand will soldier on using that same Ram Head. Which means Dodge needs a new identity.

The first step Chrysler took to create a new corporate identity for Dodge was a new logo that will be used in marketing materials, but it won’t serve as an actual emblem on the vehicles. There’s plenty of online speculation as to what Dodge will use as its next emblem, or if it will in fact choose to go… um, naked. So far, all the spy shots of 2011 Dodge models have been seen sans logo or emblem, sporting only the Dodge name spelled out with individual chrome lettering.

So, what does all of this mean? Well… we really have no idea. But we’re interested in hearing what you all have to say. Take a good look at the potential new emblem on the right and then take part in our entirely unscientific poll below.

View Poll

[Source: Allpar.com]

Will the 2011 Charger wear a new Dodge emblem? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Will the 2011 Charger wear a new Dodge emblem? [w/poll]”

GM quells Corvette rumors: No mid-engine, maybe a hybrid [w/poll]

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Chevrolet, Rumormill

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept – Click above for a new high-res image gallery

Karl Stracke, General Motors VP of global engineering, has unequivocally denied the recent rumors about a mid-engine version of the next-generation Corvette with a wet-dual-clutch transmission. Stracke spoke with editors at Automotive News and Autoweek and addressed the latest batch of rumors. For decades, speculation about what will be done with a next-generation Corvette invariably pops up almost immediately after a new model is introduced.

For example, a mid-engined Corvette has reportedly been on the cards since at least the mid-60s, thanks in part to a string of concept and experimental models of that configuration. The last Corvette-badged mid-engine concept was the 1990 CERV-III, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation – especially in recent years as the Corvette has gained increased respect among the ranks of high-end sports cars. According to Stracke, “There is no mid-engine in the plans.”

The same goes for a the story revealed by a Saab engineer about development of a wet DCT. Automakers are increasingly moving away from wet-clutch gearboxes to dry-clutch units because they are less expensive and more efficient. While Stracke shoots down the wet DCT, no mention is made of a dry-clutch unit… if Chevrolet follows Ferrari and Porsche down the dual-clutch path, that is almost certainly the type we will see.

Stracke also put the kibosh on a V6 Corvette. GM has already announced a direct injected small-block V8 is coming soon for its full-size pickup trucks and the Corvette will no doubt follow. Stracke did acknowledge that a hybrid is a possibility for the sports car and since competitors are going that way it wouldn’t be out of place.

That said, we want to know what you think – What should power the next Corvette? Click past the break to vote in our informal poll.

Gallery: Chevrolet 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept revealed again

[Source: AutoWeek]

Continue reading GM quells Corvette rumors: No mid-engine, maybe a hybrid [w/poll]

GM quells Corvette rumors: No mid-engine, maybe a hybrid [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “GM quells Corvette rumors: No mid-engine, maybe a hybrid [w/poll]”

V8 Supercar champ in Australia wants kids to learn to drive at age 12. How about you? [w/poll]

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Australia

Albert Einstein has commonly been quoted as saying that stupidity (or insanity, depending on your source) is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Which begs the question, with over 100 years of traffic enforcement behind us, why are we still relying on the same methods of catch and punish to modify driver behavior? If it hasn’t worked over the last century, chances are it won’t work over the next. But Australian V8 Supercar champ Jamie Whincup has come up with a zany idea that just might cut down on his country’s driving death toll – education.

In a move likely to draw some knee-jerk guffaws, Whincup is calling for driver’s education to begin at 12 years-old. The tweens in question wouldn’t actually be behind the wheel, but would begin to receive lessons on the components of a car, the effect of drugs and alcohol on your ability to operate a vehicle and the consequences of excess speed. We’re not entirely sure the average pre-teen is going to be able to wrangle enough synapses away from Hanna Montana to make a difference, but we’re all for improved driver education as a means of improving road safety.

Have a look at the story below, then chime in with your own opinion by taking our poll and leaving your thoughts in Comments.

View Poll

[Source: Drive | Image: Matchbox]

V8 Supercar champ in Australia wants kids to learn to drive at age 12. How about you? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “V8 Supercar champ in Australia wants kids to learn to drive at age 12. How about you? [w/poll]”

BREAKING: General Motors to announce Chevy Volt pricing/ordering on Tuesday [w/poll]

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Earnings/Financials, Electric

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

The three-year-long wait for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt’s official U.S. price tag will finally be over in less than 24 hours. At the Plug-In 2010 Conference in San Jose, California on Tuesday, GM VP of Marketing Joel Ewanick will announce pricing details and the ordering process for the Volt. Following the announcement, there will be a live online webchat with Volt Marketing Director Tony DiSalle.

While we’re waiting for the official announcement, you can through to the jump for a brief press release and then take our poll below.

View Poll

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading BREAKING: General Motors to announce Chevy Volt pricing/ordering on Tuesday [w/poll]

BREAKING: General Motors to announce Chevy Volt pricing/ordering on Tuesday [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “BREAKING: General Motors to announce Chevy Volt pricing/ordering on Tuesday [w/poll]”

New study suggests that women drive dirtier than men – at least in Britain [w/poll]

Filed under: Etc., UK

We’ll be the first to admit that we’re not the most fastidious folks when it comes to a clean vehicle. It’s not that we don’t pride ourselves in having a clean-as-can-be car, it’s just that there are more pressing things on our schedule most days. The good news is, we’re not alone. According to research worked up by Autoquake – an online vehicle retailer in the UK – nearly half of drivers surveyed clean their vehicle in intervals of six months or more. Hey, even we aren’t that bad. Even more interestingly, the poll found that women are more likely to leave their ride dirty than men.

Around 56 percent of the women in the study said that they leave their vehicle unwashed for six months or more while 44 percent of men said the same. Granted, leaving half a year’s worth of grime to eat away at your vehicle’s bodywork is bad, but it gets worse: Four percent of those surveyed said that they never clean their vehicle.

This lead us to wonder – how often do give your vehicle the once-over? Come clean in our poll below, and don’t forget to check out the full press release from Autoquake after the jump.

View Poll

[Source: Autoquake]

Continue reading New study suggests that women drive dirtier than men – at least in Britain [w/poll]

New study suggests that women drive dirtier than men – at least in Britain [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “New study suggests that women drive dirtier than men – at least in Britain [w/poll]”

Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Touareg-based SUV, V8 Gallardo [w/poll]

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, SUV, Lamborghini, Rumormill, Luxury

Lamborghini LM002 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hold on to your butts, Lamborghini fans. Word from Car and Driver’s German correspondent is that the bullish Italian automaker is strongly considering re-entering the hardcore SUV segment. Considering that the brand’s last effort into such uncharted territory brought us the Hummer-esque LM002, you can officially color us intrigued.

If the machine does make it past the planning stages, it will reportedly be based on the platform shared by the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, but we imagine it would get a powertrain more suitable for Lamborghini use – we can only hope that means a V12, as was the case with the LM002.

Another market Lamborghini is said to be considering is the entry-level V8 supercar segment. If a production model does indeed come about, it would slot below the V10-powered Gallardo. As with the aforementioned SUV, this would not be the first time Lambo has dipped a toe in these waters, as its Urraco, Silhouette and Jalpa played in the exact same market in the 1970s and 1980s before the Italian manufacturer pulled out in favor of traditional range-topping supercars like the Diablo and Murcielago.

Sadly, rumor has it that Lamborghini will not pursue the Estoque concept, leaving the Maserati Quattroporte as the only Italian to do battle with the likes of the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. Still, the company must at least be considering the Estoque since it went ahead and produced a concept to gauge reaction. So, which of these new Lamborghini rumors would you most like to see fulfilled? Take part in our totally unscientific poll after the break.

Gallery: Lamborghini LM002

[Source: Car and Driver]

Continue reading Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Touareg-based SUV, V8 Gallardo [w/poll]

Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Touareg-based SUV, V8 Gallardo [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Touareg-based SUV, V8 Gallardo [w/poll]”

Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll]

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Humor


KBB reader-submitted auto reviews – Click above to watch the videos after the jump

We’ve seen a lot of consumer-grade video in our day (we’ve made a few, too), and the quality can be less than astounding. So when we got wind of the fact that Kelley Blue Book was hosting a contest awarding $10,000 to the best consumer car review video, we were skeptical of the quality of product we were expecting to see. Good news. We were wrong, and the top videos are pretty darn good.

The top prize has been awarded to Clark Olson for a very funny critique of the 2000 Corolla with actual production-quality video work. In second place was Joel Moss Levinson, who managed to crack us up with a very clever rap featuring a somewhat problematic 2001 Volkswagen Passat. Seriously, it’s pretty hilarious and is jam-packed with actual insight. In third place was an also entertaining take on the 2004 Subaru Forester by Patrick Latimer. Latimer sounded like a full-on auto enthusiast with 0-60 times and a very valid mention of the value of rowing one’s own gears.

The winner was rewarded with $10,000 in cold, hard cash and a trip to sunny California for a video shoot with the KBB video crew. Second prize netted $5,000 and the third place winner received $1,000. Nicely done fellas. Hit the jump to watch the videos for yourself, and chime in via the post-jump poll to tell us if KBB correctly numbered the top three.

[Source: Kelley Blue Book]

Continue reading Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll]

Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll]”