Haihaupro: March 2012

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Scarlet Pilgrimage: Five Things a Ferrari Fan Must See and Do in Maranello

In 1943, Italy was in the midst of a war. Along with other major industrial centres throughout the country, the northern Italian town of Modena became a target for bombing raids. It was during this time that Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari decided to move his factory to the nearby town of Maranello.

In the years that followed the war, Ferrari grew to become one of the most recognised companies in the world and the name of Maranello has become synonymous with the famous Italian manufacturer.

As a life-long Ferrari fanatic, I spent my youth dreaming about the day that I would finally get to wander its streets for myself. I remember being overcome with extreme emotion and even though I have been back many times since, the town still holds the same power over me.

While we have yet to see a production model, BMW's newly formed "i" sub-brand continues to expand its range of concept cars with a third study for a roadster version of the i8 Coupe.

Given the close relationship with the coupe model, it's very likely that the i8 Spyder will receive the green light for production as well with a possible market launch to follow within the next two to three years. The i8 Spyder will make its world premiere at the Auto China Show 2012 in Beijing in late April.

While it shares its basic platform architecture and plug-in hybrid powertrain with the coupe, the Spyder is a strictly two seater model and has a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length.

Other changes include the solid doors, which keep the 'butterfly' design swiveling upwards, the new colors and materials inside, and the redesigned rear-end that now features a transparent engine cover.

You'll probably lose count of the number of fails or wrongs - take it any way you want, seen in this video.

For starters, the driver wasn't wearing a seatbelt – the worst mistake anyone can do behind the wheel- and as a result, she banged her head on the roof when she crashed. But there's more...

Once the accident was over, instead of turning off the car and securing it by lifting the handbrake, she sprung out of the vehicle like a 'Jack in the Box' to confront the other driver. And guess what happens next?

In a few days' time, we'll know exactly how much the Lincoln MKZ gained or lost in the transition from concept car to production model as the Ford group will lift the veils off its new premium mid-size model at the 2012 New York International Auto Show next Wednesday.

One feature of the car that Lincoln is willing to share with us before its grand premiere is the 2013 MKZ's huge glass roof that measures 15.2 square feet or 1.41 square meters, which if not the largest, is one of the largest of its kind in a production sedan.

Motor Trend's European Road Trip with a Corvette ZR1 and a Ferrari 458 Italia

One of the many perks of working for a large magazine like Motor Trend is that you have the opportunity to perform trips and projects that most people can only dream of – like travelling from Munich, Germany to Maranello, Italy, in a Corvette ZR1, and while in the land of supercars, hop in a brand-new Ferrari 458 Italia for quick ride.

If you follow the break, you can watch MT's Editor at Large Angus MacKenzie and British racecar driver Justin Bell, take the ZR1 up to 200mph (321km/h) on the Autobahn before hitting the Stelvio Pass and driving the 458 Italia in its homeland.

Carscoop reader Ken Helman was driving along the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey when he noticed a camouflaged prototype, and was quick enough to snap a few shots for us.

"Even though it is fully covered, I believe this is the new S class. This was seen on the Garden state parkway this evening following a current S Class," Ken told us.

We believe Ken is spot on as the pictures he took of the test car match our previous scoops of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class prototypes undergoing tests across Europe.

In a sort of two for one deal, we present to you one of the first videos of the Japanese domestic market (JDM) Toyota 86 fitted with a selection of parts from the brand's in-house tuning division TRD, and a second clip of its North American twin, the Scion FR-S in both stock and racing forms.

The Toyota 86 TRD model features a different exhaust system plus a sports suspension package and a more powerful braking system. You can read more about TRD's offerings in our previous post here.

We just learned from a reliable source that the car we've come to know as the Project Nina and which will be revealed at next week's 2012 New York International Auto Show, will be named the Fisker Atlantic.

The Atlantic is a four-door plug-in hybrid that will sit under the Karma in Fisker's range with a price that will likely hover around the $50,000 (equal to €37,800) mark, or about half the cost of the larger Karma sedan.

Put a professional driver behind the wheel of a thoroughbred-racing car like the 2010 Ford Focus RS WRC on a snow packed route and you're bound to have some fun.

And fun it was for some 150 journalists that attended the presentation of a new Pirelli tire at the Igora Park ski resort outside of St. Petersburg in Russia, as the Italian company brought Ken Block to entertain the media with ride-alongs on a short course running through the resort.

Skip the jump to watch the video.

In the British tuner Project Kahn's own words, "toning down the look of the Porsche Cayenne in favour of a sleeker vehicle" equals a wide bodykit and an assortment of spoilers wrenched together with over-the-top 22-inch wheels, but who are we to disagree…

In detail, Kahn's exterior package include wheel arch extensions on all four corners to make space for the 22-inch RS600 rims, integrated LED daylight running lights on the front wheel arch vents, a lower boot lid spoiler, red brake calipers, full color coded bumpers with matt pearl grey inserts, carbon fiber detailing up front, and undercar white LED illumination.

A Czech website has dropped the first photos of BMW's new i8 Spyder Concept. And since some of you may be wondering if they're real or not, we asked around and can confirm their authenticity as sources told us that the study will make its world premiere at the Auto China Show in Beijing at the end of April.

The open-top study is based on the production-intent i8 Coupe Concept that we've seen in several shows this past year.

Aside from the absence of the roof and the elimination of the rear seats, the Spyder also sports solid instead of transparent, rotating doors with different mirror housings and a restyled boot section.

The Spyder retains the i8 coupe's plug-in hybrid powertrain with a mid/rear mounted 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine developing 220HP (164kW) and 300 Nm (221 lb.ft) connected to the rear wheels, and an electric motor driving the front wheels.

We all know (or should know) that any car is as good as its driver. This is why surprises can, and will, happen often in races between cars that are not equally matched on paper.

In this 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) drag race, a completely stock Porsche 911 Turbo S rated at 530-ponnies doesn't seem to stand much of a chance against a heavily modded Honda (Acura in North America) NSX sporting a twin-turbocharged V6 that pushes out 700-horses to the rear axle, but numbers alone can be deceiving.

Sprint over the break to watch the video of the race and how it wend down.

The Fiat Group is putting all its weight behind the 500 series, which started off with the original three-door hatchback, but has now evolved to include the rag-top 500C, the Abarth performance variants and more recently, the mechanically unrelated, 500L small MPV (pictured above and below) that will be soon joined by a 7-passenger version.

The next 500 model in Fiat's grand plan is a small crossover. Sources from within the Italian automaker told Automotive Europe that the car will be named the 500X and that it will be presented as early as next year.

We're all for classic cars with character being preserved and used on the road, but we’re going to admit that there's something cool about the idea of having a real life vehicle as a decorative piece in your house.

This is exactly what Dutch design studio Denieuwegeneratie did for one of its clients for a project called "Dutch Mountain".

The designers incorporated a classic Jaguar XJ (Series III, judging from the absence of the triangular windows on the front doors) into a room, by converting it into a…bookshelf and hanging it on the wall!

A more stylish version of the latest generation Suzuki Swift has been launched in Britain. The new Swift Attitude follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, albeit this time, it's available as a five door as well as three door for the first time.

Scheduled to go on sale in the UK on April 2, production of the new Attitude is limited to 500 units with prices set at £10,750 for the three-door version and £11,220 for the five-door model.

It’s fair to assume that the even same people who agree that banning hands-free devices in vehicles is a bad idea will probably have strong opinions against people texting while driving.

Even more so if said drivers are on a motorcycle on a highway, standing on the seat facing the opposite direction of the traffic while putting up a post on Facebook…

The only thing more stupid than that is to post a video of yourself performing the act on YouTube. Oh, wait… Video follows right past the break.

It's been close to two years since Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler and China's BYD formed a new 50-50 joint venture under the name BDNT (BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd) for the development and production of affordable electric vehicles for the Chinese market.

Today, the two companies came out with an official announcement saying that their China market brand will be named Denza and that we'll see the first concept car at the Auto China Show 2012 in Beijing this April, with first production planned in 2013.

Even though few consumers have actually driven it, many have been…complaining about the lack of power in the Toyota GT 86 and 86, Subaru BRZ and for North America, the Scion FR-S, all of which share a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated boxer-engine yielding 200-horses at 7,000rpm and a peak torque of 205Nm (151.2 lb-ft) at 6,600rpm.

That's music to the ears of the aftermarket industry, which will happily provide a lot more ponies in all sorts of ways, depending on the depth of buyers' pockets.

Over the coming months and years, we're also sure to see many custom creations with engine swaps. If you're looking for ideas, here are a couple of videos of a custom Toyota 86 that you will probably find extremely interesting.

Made to compete in this year's Japanese D1 drift series with Max Orido behind the wheel, this Toyota 86 ditches the factory four-pot for a 5.0-liter V8 engine sourced from the Lexus IS F!

GMC was one of General Motors' four brands in the United States to live to tell another tale after the company's restructuring process in 2009, which brought the end of Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn.

One of the main reasons GMC remained alive is because for the past few years, it's GM's second bestselling brand in the States behind Chevrolet.

This year GMC celebrates its 100th birthday and to commemorate the event, the company will debut a new Heritage Edition for the 2012 Yukon, Yukon XL and Sierra at next week's New York International Auto Show.

Honda has just issued a voluntary recall for approximately 554,000 SUVs in the United States to address a potential problem with components of the headlight wiring system.

The recall affects 2002 to 2004 model year CR-V crossovers and 2003 model year Pilot SUVs.

"There is a potential failure with the wiring of the headlight switch which may cause the low beam headlights to become inoperative," the Japanese automaker said in a statement adding that it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to this issue.

Here's a sneak peek at GM's new spot for the Buick LaCrosse sedan starring none other than former NBA star and current basketball analyst for TV, Shaquille O'Neal.

The commercial is named the "Oh Effect" and it will air on television this weekend during the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) broadcast.

As it turns out, the 7 ft 1 in (2.16m) tall and 325 pounds (147 kg) former center can fit in the LaCrosse, something he points out in the ad with punch lines like "I've got shoes that are bigger than a hybrid...and are more stylish" in reference to other models in the market.

Despite the availability of the newer Nissan 370Z, the 350Z remains a solid choice for enthusiasts looking for a fast and good-looking sports car with rear-wheel drive dynamics.

Now, if for some reason the stock 3.5-liter V6 with 276hp (280PS) and 363Nm (268 lb-ft) of the early 350Zs seems a little too soft for your tastes, German aftermarket firm Senner Tuning has introduced a new performance package for both the coupe and roadster models of the series.

The roll out for the Toyota and Subaru rear-wheel drive coupe triplets continues in the UK where the Toyota confirmed pricing and specifications for the GT 86 after an initial announcement in February.

In Britain, the GT 86 is available for order with first deliveries to take place on July 1. There's only one equipment grade available at launch, with buyers having the option of a six-speed manual model priced at £24,995 (€29,890 or US$39,580) on-the-road or a 6sp automatic variant at £26,495 (€31,680 or US$41,950).

Even though most of our readers will be aware of Mercedes' plans to launch a small "four-door coupe" thanks to a series of scoops we've brought you over the past year, the German automaker made it official on Thursday during the opening ceremony of its new passenger car plant in Kecskemét, Hungary, which began series production of the new B-Class.

The place and time were not selected by chance as the compact sports sedan will become the second product for the new Kecskemét factory.

SRT Drops First Teaser Photo of the New 2013 Viper's Interior

After SRT failed to get 2013 "likes" in 2013 minutes on its Facebook page to show us the next Viper, the moderators took a different approach asking for 300 "shares" on a new status, a goal that was achieved rather swiftly.

So, here we are with what could be that last teaser before the actual reveal of the brand-new Viper on April 4 at the 2012 New York International Auto Show, unless SRT has more competitions in mind…

What you see is the next Viper's interior with a shot taken from the front and in an angle from the driver's position showing part of the center console, the red sport seats and the manual gearbox shifter.

If you pay close attention to the seat in the picture, you'll see that SRT's people have sneakily added a bar code that takes you to another page to join next week's webcast once you scan it with a smart phone.

It’s no secret that Opel and sister company Vauxhall are currently weathering a severe crisis with rumors of plant closures both in Germany and the UK as the economic turmoil across Europe is taking its toll on most automakers.

That said, any plans Opel might have had for a two-door coupe will most likely be put on ice for the time being if not canned altogether.

But it never hurts to imagine what a sporty coupe with an Opel (or Vauxhall) badge would look like. Enter the world of an old acquaintance of ours, designer David Cardoso, who sent Carscoop these renderings of the Opel Enigma concept study.

The GT coupe model was designed to use the rear-wheel drive platform of the Chevrolet Camaro, but we'll let Dave do the rest of the talking on the Enigma:

Some people just don't pay attention on the road like this woman driving a first generation Scion xB that somehow didn't notice that the traffic in front of her came to a stop and whacked a stationary motorcyclist from behind.

The man was literally pushed off the bike, but fortunately landed on his feet and from we can tell from the video, he didn't seem to be hurt. Watch the clip right past the break.

It's always good to build some hype around the presentation of a new model, but unfortunately for Lexus, we have already had the opportunity to see its upcoming 2013 ES sedan in some very illuminating pictures sourced from China last month.

Of course, not everyone reads news on automotive websites, which is probably why Lexus posted a picture of the new ES being lifted up on a crane and asked its fans this question: "It's on a crane and under a cover. What is this masked machine?"

The best replies we found on Facebook were: "It's a car!", "It's the Honda Accord" and the "new PT Cruiser". Perhaps you can add some better / more humorous answers in the comments section below.

The original Pimp My Ride television show hosted by Xzibit, née Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, remains one of MTV's most popular programs not only in the States, but worldwide as well, which is probably why a non-American brand like the VW Group's Skoda division decided to create a commercial that spoofs the series.

The spot stars Xzibit and his crew who work in a tuning shop under the name of "Czech Coast Customs" (instead of West Coast Customs, if you're not familiar with the TV show) with the advertised car in question being the Skoda Yeti crossover.

Roewe is a new brand that was born from the ashes of Rover after its parent company and one of China's largest automakers, SAIC, acquired the rights to the British firm's platforms and powertrains but not its brand name in 2007.

Up until now, the Chinese automaker's largest model was the 750, which is a rebadged Rover 75 sedan. This week, Roewe pulled the wraps off a new flagship sedan, this time based on the Buick LaCrosse, which uses GM's Epsilon II platform.

The two cars share similar dimensions with the 950 measuring 4,996mm long (196.7-in), 1,857mm (73.1-in.) wide, and 1,502mm (59.1-in.) tall with a wheelbase of 2,837mm (111.7-in).

Roewe said that the 950 will launch with two engines, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder petrol and a 3.0-liter V6 with direct injection, which as you may have already guessed, are sourced from GM and the LaCrosse.

We all know that Hyundai and its sister company Kia have been on a roll these past few years introducing one vehicle after the other and constantly increasing their sales footprint in markets all around the world.

So it shouldn't come to as a shock that Hyundai is poised to break its all-time record for monthly sales volume in the U.S. in March, even though we still have a few more days left.

According to the South Korean automaker, its March sales in the United States will surpass 65,000 vehicles, which accounts to an increase of more than 5 percent over March 2011 when it sold 61,873 cars, setting a new all-time monthly record for the company.

While we're waiting for SRT to collect 2013 Facebook likes so we can see one more teaser image of the new Viper, the Chrysler Group brand has informed us about the live page on its DriverSRT website, where it will broadcast the reveal from the New York Auto Show on Wednesday, April 4.

The web page also includes a picture of the new Viper covered in a white sheet that outlines the shape of the sports car.

The Acura Integra has always been a favorite among those looking for an affordable and zippy coupe that can be easily improved with aftermarket bits that are available in plentiful numbers on the market.

However, one owner moved from the traditional type of tuning to a more extreme solution that involved an engine swap, but not of the sort you would expect, as he replaced the standard four-cylinder unit with a massive 396 cubic inch (6.5-liter) Chevrolet Big Block V8.

With Japan becoming the Land of the Rising Yen, more and more automakers are moving production outside the country to improve their profit margins. On Wednesday, Honda laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new production plant in Celaya, Mexico.

The new factory will become operational in 2014 and among other cars that will be produce there is the subcompact Fit (named Jazz in other markets) for the Mexican, U.S. and Canadian markets, as well as other regions.

We're going to assume that this motorcyclist hasn't seen what some drivers are capable of doing (see a recent example here), if for whatever reason you irritate them on the road, but we're going to admit, we weren't expecting what followed next.

We won't spoil the surprise ending by elaborating about it too much. Just hop over the break to watch the short clip.

What you see here is a craftily cropped image of the new 2013 Ram 1500 truck that will receive its world premiere at the 2012 New York International Auto Show next Thursday.

Ram didn't name the truck in its press release, but we already know that the company is planning to show the new 1500 in the Big Apple and that it will debut the firm's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 producing around 280-horses connected to an 8-speed automatic.

Named after one of the oldest and most important gods in ancient Egyptian religion, the Range Rover Evoque "Horus" is the work of German tuning firm Loder1899.

The package for the Evoque includes both cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, though Loder1899 offers a performance kit only for the SD4 variant that comes with a 2.2-liter turbo diesel producing 188bhp (190PS) in stock form.

Jeep didn't hold back on the concept models for this year's edition of the Moab Easter Jeep Safari event (March 31 to April 8) having developed not one, not two but six different studies.

Judging by viewer comments, the nostalgic Might FC and J-12 pickup trucks are the star attractions of the bunch.

We'll probably have more on the Jeep models once the safari kicks off this weekend, but for now, you can get a glimpse of the concepts on film and hear what Jeep boss Mike Manley and Mopar president and CEO Pietro Gorlier have to say about the vehicles in the company's official video, which you'll find directly after the jump.

After the new 2013 Chevrolet Trailblazer made its world premiere this week at the 33rd Bangkok International Motor Show in Thailand, GM took the opportunity to release some new photos as well as local pricing for its body-on-frame SUV that is based on the Colorado pickup truck.

The new Chevy SUV, which as you may remember, won't be offered in North America, is available for order in Thailand where it is built with prices ranging from at THB 1,059,000 to THB 1,489,000 (US$34,400 to US$48,400).

Following the arrival of the regular 2012 Twingo series in the UK earlier this year, Renault is now expanding the range with the addition of the Renaultsport (RS) 133 version that will be available for order next week on April 2, with first deliveries programmed for April 23.

Renault's hot hatch is priced at £13,565 on-the-road with the some of the available options including 17-inch Anthracite or Gloss Black alloy wheels for £500, Cup chassis for £700, RS Liquid Yellow i.d. paint for £1,300 (from end May 2012) and the Anthracite Style package for the front blade, door mirrors covers and rear spoiler, priced at £150.

One can only speculate what took place before we see the black car, which looks like a previous generation Honda Civic hatchback, madly chasing a scooter on a road in Taiwan, but the driver's intentions are clear.

Luckily for the person on the scooter, the car driver miscalculated the gap between the parked cars on the side of the road and the yellow vehicle in front of him (or her), and ended up crashing.

Hover past the break to see the dashcam footage for yourself.

For each of the past five weeks, Nissan has been providing a cryptic video highlighting certain design elements of its all-new 2013 Altima sedan.

Now, in what is probably the last teaser before the official unveiling of the mid-size model at the 2012 New York Auto Show next Wednesday, Nissan has dropped a 19-second long clip.

The video spins around the Altima's exterior before it zooms out to show us the instrument panel and the new 'Nissan Advanced Drive Assist Display' system, which the company says, "brings relevant information closer to eye level keeping your eyes on the road."

To help you get a better view of the 2013 Altima's exterior design, we've snapped some shots from the video that you can check out in the gallery after the break.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Friday, March 30, 2012

Thursday, March 29, 2012