Latest Auto News Blog: июля 2009

A Super Lincoln Zephyr? Shouldn't That Be An MKZ? [Lincoln Mkz]

Here are some weird spy photos of a hot-rodded Lincoln Zephyr lurking around Dearborn. That's right, a Zephyr and not an MKZ — so what does it mean? This could be an old mule, or perhaps cost cutting efforts at Ford are forcing reuse of old cars they've got laying around. Maybe they've decided to go old-school and drop an Offenhauser high-rise intake manifold on top of that V6. Hey, we can dream right? In either case we think this should be optional body work on the Zephyr because this baby would fit in just fine with our The Ten Scariest-Looking Cars Of All Time list.

Up On Two Wheels in Qatar!

I also didn’t even blog this because I thought the branding of the video was so completely obnoxious, but after watching it a couple of times, I couldn’t resist. Personally, I think the coolest part is how these crazy dudes use the little loop at the beginning to get the car up, but watching the two passengers hang out the windows makes me cringe. On wrong move from the driver, and both of those guys are history. Obviously, don’t try this at home.

The Mini Ardun Flathead Engine: Miniature V8’s that Really Gallop

What happens when you mix a CNC Machine and a craftsman with a lot of time on his hands? In the case of Ron Bement of Denver, Colorado you get working classic engine reproductions in miniature. So far Bement has built an Offy, a Flathead and is now building a 7-inch Ardun engine replica.

The beauty of these engines is not just in the meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail, but that these aluminum beauties actually run. Take a look at the following video and enjoy the sites and sounds of these tiny, methane fueled, 28-hp V8’s. Then after the video head on over to the FordBarn for more photos and information.

Thanks for sharing, Bas!

Source[FordBarn]

Ferrari Enzo in taxi livery found where else? The Middle East...

Filed under: Coupes, Etc., Supercars, Ferrari

Click above for a larger image of the Enzo cab

This little gem in Muscat, Oman represents what you do when you have bodacious sums of money and time. Now we're all for having a little fun, but we're talking about an Enzo, which, while not the prettiest of Ferraris, still doesn't deserve to endure the eighth-level of Maaco paint-shop Hell. Whoever did this gets points for authenticity, even including the roof signage. If nothing else, we'd certainly go for a ride: as passenger to get anywhere in seven seconds, as driver, so we could say, imitating the voice of Blofeld, "That'll be one hundred million dollars." Thanks for the tip, Muhammed!

Gallery: Ferrari Enzo Taxi

[Source: Flickr]

Ferrari Enzo in taxi livery found where else? The Middle East... originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoCzysz E1pc: Fully Equipped

MotoCzysz E1pc: Fully Equipped
The MotoCzysz E1pc is a new motorcycle that features as many extra features as it does standard ones. This motorcycle can accelerate to 120 mph in just 7 seconds, but the most impressive feature is the iPhone dashboard which can use all the iPhone apps like GPS navigation.

The best new cars for around $15,000 are…

I think everyone should consider looking at cars in the sub-$15K category, even if they can afford considerably more. For their value, fuel efficiency, and fun factor, these are my picks for the best new cars you can get for about $15,000.

mazda3

The car is low maintenance, fun to drive, extremely comfortable, and safe. It’s roomy enough for five and gets a whopping 32 mpg.

2010-kia-soul

Certainly aimed at the younger crowd, the Soul is a crowd pleaser even before it hits showrooms this Spring. Our friends at carsforgirls.com called it an “urban chic compact crossover-SUV.” Yep, sounds about right!

2009-fit

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you might remember the tent that looks ordinary from the outside, but inside it’s actually more of a mansion. That’s how the Fit is. Somehow, once you’re inside it’s more like you’re in an SUV than a 35-mpg compact.

2009-sx4

The only car under $15K that comes with all-wheel drive standard also has a peppy 143-hp engine and standard navigation. The one drawback is a hit on fuel economy when compared to these other cars, but sometimes the security of AWD is worth it.

2009-civic

You get front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, active front head restraints… plus the legendary Honda reliability. The Civic, even in base dress, just doesn’t have a drawback.

If you had a $15K budget, would you rather buy a new car from this list, or a used car for the same price?

-tgriffith

2010 Pagani Cinque Roadster

New limited production Pagani Cinque Roadster takes advantage of the incredibly light carbon-titanium fibre body used in the previous Cinque to keep weight down at only 1 210 kg, that’s exactly the same as the Coupe.

Pagani Cinque Roadster’s got the 498 kW AMG engine, ceramic-coated titanium exhaust system, magnesium/aluminium wheels and a magnesium/titanium suspension. Pagani offers a zero to 100 km/h time of 3.4 and a zero to 200 km/h time of 9.6 seconds seconds from its 678bhp V12 Mercedes-sourced engine.

Produced in a limited run of five, the Cinque Roadster will set you back about £1.1 million before taxes.

[Source: Pagani]

Yamaha files patent for Enduro bike with CVT transmission

Yamaha recently filed a patent in the United States for an enduro motorcycle with a continuously variable transmission. The CVT, as it's better known, is one of the most efficient means of transferring power in an automobile application. Yamaha, as well as nearly every other manufacturer of modern scooters, already uses simple CVT transmissions in its line of small-bore scooters, but the gearless transmissions have yet to make an appearance for off-road applications. While the inherent efficiency of the design is one reason we are interested, we also imagine that the single cylinder engine design used by nearly every off-road motorcycle would be well suited to the CVT's strengths. New riders would likely appreciate the ease at which the machine would operate, as no gear lever or traditional handlebar-mounted clutch lever would be necessary to access the smooth and steady acceleration. While durability could be a potential concern, we're looking forward to seeing what the tuning fork company is able to work up.

[Source: Gizmag]

Internet providing prescription for good auto maintenance

Neander turbo diesel motorcycle now street legal

The awesomeness that is the turbo diesel-powered Neander monster-cycle has now received the regulatory blessings of the proper authorities in the Bundesrepublik Deutschland and is finally heading for production this fall. If you'll notice in the photo above, the beast-in-question is completely surrounded by Polizei and yet none are reaching for handcuffs, tickets books or other constabulary paraphernalia. Ok, that one guy on the left looks like he's unsnapping his holster but we have it on good authority that he was merely reaching for a stick of gum.

According to the folks at Neander, zealous officials from the TÜV pored over every mechanical and structural detail, from the never-before-seen fork design to the physics-defying wheelbase before giving it their seal of approval and bowing down in awe. Despite all this, company chairman of the board, Lutz W. Lester, put his own backside on the line and drove the machine with counter-rotating crankshafts for as many kilometers as was necessary to ensure the handling and comfort was at the top-notch level it needed to be at. It was.

[Source: Neander]

The Little Nürburgring: Ferraris in their Natural Habitat at Mont Tremblant

Posted by Autoblog

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Ferrari, Canada

2009 Ferrari Challenge at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve always found the idea of going on safari or a diving expedition rather intriguing. But while we can appreciate…

Janelle Ha: Has The Last Laugh

Janelle Ha: Has The Last Laugh
Janelle Ha is not only one of the hottest up and coming import models on the scene, but she’s also a full time college student at UNLV. Can you imagine being at one of your local school parties and just happening upon a girl like Janelle Ha. That is proof that dreams really can come true.

The Hurricane That’ll Bring Down the Auto Industry (But We WILL Rebuild)

KBB Picks Best Redesigned Vehicle for 2007

2007chevysilverado2

Our friends over at Kelley Blue Book have racked their brains to choose what they consider the best redesigned vehicle for 2007. The search included any car, truck or SUV significantly redesigned as a 2007 model. And the winner is — if you couldn’t figure it out from the picture — the all-new 2007 Chevy Silverado.

Why? “The 2007 Silverado solidified its case for Best Redesigned Vehicle with its notably improved steering, braking, ride comfort, handling and power delivery,” said Jack R. Nerad, editorial director for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com.

Past winners include the 2006 Honda Civic, 2005 Ford Mustang and 2004 Ford F-150. Keep reading for the full list of this year’s contenders to see the Silverado’s tough competition.

KBB's 2007 Top Redesigned Vehicles

Cadillac Escalade
Chevrolet Aveo sedan
Chevrolet Tahoe
Chrysler Sebring
GMC Sierra
GMC Yukon
Lexus LS 460
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Toyota Camry

Tall trucks, a short bridge, and a video camera…

With all the serious news stories and debates about what should happen to the auto industry, sometimes it’s fun to just stop for a few minutes and watch people break things.

I suppose you can look at this video three different ways:

1. Drivers don’t pay attention to the height of their vehicles.

2. Does a lack of signage fail to let drivers know of an upcoming height restriction?

3. That bridge can take a serious beating.

I’ve seen scrape marks on the bottom of overpasses, I’ve run a rental car into a pole, and my sister-in-law even found a tuna sandwich under the seat of a rental, but I’ve never done damage to a vehicle like this!

Have you ever wrecked a rental car or truck? And please feel free to make your own rental insurance or instant convertible jokes!

-tgriffith

Fifty Years Of MINI

Fifty years ago today, the first Mini rolled off the production line at Cowley, now called Plant Oxford. For the first time in half a century that very car is returning to its birthplace for a celebration of 50 years of production.

Plant Oxford built 602,817 Minis from 1959 to 1968, before production was moved to Longbridge. Since 2001 more than 1.4 million new MINIs have been built at the production facility and in total, more than six million classic and new MINIs have been sold since the car first went on sale in 1959.

BMW Group member of the Board of Management for Production, Frank-Peter Arndt said: “Anniversaries are always a wonderful opportunity to look back at the past. But on days like today, it’s also good to look to the future. Therefore, our objective is absolutely clear: We are going to continue the success story of MINI and continue to strengthen it”.

[Source: Mini]

Shai Agassi pitches $100 billion plan

No one could ever accuse Shai Agassi, the man behind electric-car infrastructure company Project Better Place, of not being ambitious. He has been all over the planet making deals with major car makers and various countries. His American discussions have been somewhat more modest though with a city here, and an island-state there. No longer.

Speaking to the House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (we have one of those?), Agassi said, "For the price of two months worth of oil, some $100 billion, we can put in place the infrastructure needed to power the nation's cars and end this oil dependence," Ambitious, no? He then threw in the "American jobs" angle with, "Of that $100 billion, moreover, some $80 billion will go into jobs that, by their nature, can only be performed in the US - the construction of the infrastructure itself."

In the mood for throwing out big numbers and lofty goals, the man-on-a-mission even pitched renewable sources to power the nations automotive fleet saying, "For the price of one year's worth of oil, some $500 billion, we can go even farther - creating fully renewable electrical generation sufficient to power all of the nation's vehicles. In so doing, we will again create jobs that can only be performed in this country, and we will give a much broader stimulus to the renewables energy market." No word on what kind of impression was made on the politicians but we hope it got some hamster wheels turning. Check out the video after the break to gain your own impression of Agassi's vision.

[Source: Globes]

2009 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: Flashy

2009 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: Flashy
How do you set yourself apart from the rest of the people that you see everyday riding around in a BMW or Mercedes Benz convertible, while still looking flashy and classy. The answer is 2 simple words, Aston Martin, and to be exact 2 more, Vantage Roadster. This new version will hug the road like a scared child to it’s mother, and rolling through the strip at night with this thing, all the ladies will probably try to do the same to you.

Gushan, China's largest biodiesel maker, readying large plant in Shanghai

Earlier this year, Gushan Environmental Energy Limited reached an annual biodiesel production capacity of 240,000 tons with a new plant in Beijing. At the time, Gushan said they hoped to reach an annual capacity of 400,000 tons by the end of 2008. They are now getting 50,000 tons closer.

Gushan started building a new biodiesel facility in Shanghai yesterday, and the 50,000-ton plant will help cement Gushan's place as China's largest biodiesel producer (by annual production capacity). Two more plants (30,000 tons each) are scheduled to open later this year, and the Beijing plant will be expanded by 50,000 tons. Gushan biodiesel's main feedstocks are "vegetable oil offal and used cooking oil." That's how the press release reads. Since offal usually means waste animal parts (or a delicacy, depending on where you live), I'm not sure if there is a comma missing or if the company is using the word to mean waste veggie oil. We'll see what Gushan's PR people can tell me.

[Source: Gushan Environmental Energy Limited]

More on the Mazda CX-7 Adrenaline Concept

Yesterday we brought you initial information on Mazda’s tricked-out CX-7 crossover concept at SEMA. Today we’ve received official images of the Adrenaline concept and are a bit more impressed by the level of customization. The fade-to-yellow paint job is a bit too wild for our tastes, but we’ll take the customized cargo compartment with matching luggage. We even like the wild interior, complete with yellow inserts in the seat fabric and steering wheel. Keep reading for more images.

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