Author: Jake Holmes

GM has announced it will invest $890 million into various powertrain facilities that will produce a new generation of small-block V-8 engines. The engines will feature aluminum blocks, direct injection, and a new combustion system design (about which we’ve been given no details). It will mark the first time that direct injection has been used on GM V-8 engines. Many of the company’s V-8s have already switched to aluminum, with only a handful of truck, van, and SUV engines still employing cast-iron blocks.

The company claims the new generation of engines will offer “unprecedented” increases in fuel economy and will be E85-capable. Displacement, power, and fuel economy figures aren’t yet available.

We’re told the engines won’t actually debut for some time, but when they do, we can expect to see them in the same vehicles that employ the current generation of small-block V-8s. Our educated guess is that variants of the new engines will be offered across GM’s lineup: full-size trucks and SUVs as well as performance cars like the Corvette, Camaro, and CTS-V.

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2. Hyundai Unveils New 2.4-Liter Direct-Injection Four-Cylinder (Updated With U.S. Specs)
3. Infiniti Readies Direct Injection for M37 and G37, Unsure About New Q – Car News

The Beijing auto show gave us a chance to see a face-lifted version of the Volkswagen Tiguan. As seen above, the Tiguan now wears the same corporate grille first seen on the latest Golf and now making its way onto the rest of the lineup. A 2010 Tiguan is shown below for reference.

The new grille is wider and shorter, the fog light surrounds receive chrome rings, and the lower grille wears new horizontal slats. VW hasn’t said when we’ll see the changes, but we expect the new grille to appear on American Tiguans for model year 2011. A long-wheelbase version is also slated for the Chinese market, but it will almost definitely be exclusive to the LWB-loving country.

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1. 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan – Short Take Road Test
2. Volkswagen Tiguan Performance Concept – Auto Shows
3. 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL 2.0T 4MOTION – Short Take Road Test

Ferrari is the latest manufacturer to claim a lap record on the famed Nürburgring, with the race-ready 599XX. ( Click here to read our review of the burly beast.) Test driver Raffaele De Simone lapped the German track just in 6 minutes, 58 seconds. Click here to watch an in-car video of the lap.

Ferrari says the 599XX is the first “production-derived” car to lap the ‘Ring under seven minutes, although using the word “production” here, while technically true, seems like a stretch. The 599XX has Lexan windows instead of glass, a trick active downforce system complete with trunk-mounted fans, costs $1.5 million, and isn’t road-legal. In our book, that’s pretty far from production, no matter how similar the bodywork is to a regular 599GTB. Regardless, 6:58 is blisteringly quick and a testament to the 599XX’s monstrous performance levels.

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1. Gumpert Apollo Sport Laps Nürburgring in 7:11, Claims Production-Car Record
2. Ferrari 599XX – Video
3. Ferrari 599XX – First Drive Review

At the Beijing auto show, Ford announced another EcoBoost turbocharged engine. The new engine displaces just 1.0 liters and has only three cylinders, slotting it under the Blue Oval’s four-cylinder EcoBoost units.

Ford says the gasoline engine will produce equivalent power to a naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter engine while keeping carbon-dioxide emissions under 100 g/km. Unfortunately, exact power and fuel economy figures aren’t yet available.

The engine uses a cast-iron block and aluminum head, and has a 10:1 compression ratio. As with all EcoBoost powerplants, it’s direct-injected. Ford has yet to say which vehicles will receive the diminutive powerplant, but company officials told us that the global engine will definitely come to the U.S. at some point. We can’t see it serving solitary duty in anything beyond the small Fiesta in the U.S. market, although we wouldn’t be surprised to see it teamed with an electric motor in future hybrids.

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1. Ford Confirms 230-hp Four-Cylinder EcoBoost is On the Way
2. Ford Debuts Four-Cylinder EcoBoost Engine Family in Frankfurt
3. Ford Confirms EcoBoost F-150, Ups Expected EcoBoost Production

GM’s march to dominate the Chinese new-car market continues with the New Sail five-door hatchback debuting at the Beijing auto show. If the car looks familiar, it’s because the New Sail hatch is what Europeans call the Chevrolet Spark. The tallish Spark/New Sail is also bound for sale in the U.S. as a 2012 model. GM says it will export the New Sail hatch to other emerging markets—think the Middle East and India.

Engine choices in the Chinese market are 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter four-cylinder engines. A five-speed manual is standard, and a new five-speed automated-manual transmission is optional. Chevrolet says the automated manual is cheaper than a traditional automatic and, like all such transmissions, helps improve vehicle fuel economy.

A sedan version of the New Sail already exists in China. While the five-door New Sail is bound for Chinese distribution, there are no plans for the sedan to come to the U.S. in exchange. And, based on our first drive of the Spark, we’re probably going to be OK with that.

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1. 2012 Chevrolet Spark – Car News
2. 2011 Chevrolet Spark Confirmed for U.S. – Auto Shows
3. 2010 / 2012 Chevrolet Spark – Auto Shows

A new warranty program called Jaguar Platinum Coverage extends vehicle warranties to five years/50,000 miles, and offers free vehicle maintenance and 24/7 roadside assistance.  The coverage comes with any 2011 Jaguar sold in North America. All scheduled maintenance, including oil changes and filter replacements, is completely free during the warranty period. Platinum Coverage also covers some wear items like windshield wiper blades and brake discs, pads, and fluid.

Jaguar models sold from 2006 to 2010 had a four-year/50,000-mile warranty, with wear items covered for one year/12,500 miles.

BMW has had a similar program called Ultimate Service for a while, although the coverage period is four years/50,000 miles. Perhaps by offering free maintenance, Platinum Coverage will encourage Jaguar buyers to look past the brand’s reputation for somewhat uneven reliability.

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Honda has announced that it will sell a limited run of the 2010 Type R Euro in Japan this fall. The Euro version is built in the U.K. and was, until last fall, only sold to European buyers. Japanese customers had to make do with a four-door sedan until their clamoring convinced Honda to send about 2000 copies of the hatch to Honda’s homeland. Honda says 90 percent of the imported vehicles have been sold since November, which is why they’re sending more for the 2010 model year.

The Type R employs a 2.0-liter inline-four that wails up to 8400 rpm and makes 221 hp at 8000 rpm and 159 lb-ft of torque at 6100 rpm. The car comes only with a six-speed manual transmission and wears stiffer springs and anti-roll bars than more pedestrian Civics. When we drove one back in 2007, we thought the Type R did a pretty good S2000 impression. Y’know, for tin-topped econobox.

Once again, we’re disappointed we get nothing like this in America, where such a car would slot nicely above the Civic Si. You offer the Type R in Europe, Japan, Australia, and South Africa—so how about you create one for us, Honda? After all, with the death of the S2000, there’s a vacancy in the sporty halo department.

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You read that right, auto enthusiasts: the History Channel will produce the on-again-off-again American version of  Top Gear. The announcement came from TG’s blog and was confirmed on the History Channel’s Twitter feed. NBC had originally promised to produce the American Top Gear, but plans ultimately fell through.

In case you haven’t heard of it and are therefore dead, Top Gear is a (typically) highly entertaining show on Britain’s BBC that combines car reviews, outrageous stunts, and artsy camera work. Older episodes are rebroadcast in the U.S. by BBC America, but that’s apparently not enough for car nuts: the BBC claims TG is one of the most illegally downloaded TV shows in the world.

Production of the first of ten episodes of the American version reportedly starts today, and the show will air this fall. It will be hosted by racer Tanner Foust, comedian Adam Ferrara, and NASCAR analyst Rutledge Wood. We hope the U.S. version isn’t just a stale copy-and-paste of the BBC show, and that Foust, Ferrara, and Wood can capture the same sort of chemistry shared by UK hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May—without a similar rapport between the three Yanks, TG America could be a flop. As TG fans, we’d call such a failure one of the biggest bummers (cue British accent) in the woooorld.

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Saab has announced pricing for its first new car since the company’s acquisition by Spyker. The range-topping 9-5 Aero will go on sale in July for $49,990.

Aero models are powered by a 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 engine making 300 hp. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and Saab’s XWD all-wheel-drive system.

The standard equipment list includes powered leather seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel, eight airbags, a cooled glove box, and an audio system including XM satellite radio and USB and auxiliary inputs. Options will include a lane departure warning system, head-up display, and a Harman Kardon premium sound system.

Saab says a lower 9-5 trim level will debut later, powered by a 2.0-liter turbo engine and priced under $40,000.

The last 9-5 sold in American dealerships was the 2009 model, which started at $42,775 in sedan configuration. Of course, hefty discounts and incentives offered by its former owner, GM, meant the actual transaction was probably far less than that.

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A quick recap for anyone who hasn’t heard of the sensation that is Ken Block: The rally driver achieved internet stardom after posting a gymkhana practice video on YouTube in which he deftly drifted a Subaru Impreza WRX STI around an abandoned air force base. This summer, Block plans to film a third gymkhana video and because he now drives for Ford, Block will drift in a modified 2011 Ford Fiesta.

The Fiesta was built by Olsbergs Motorsport Evolution, which also builds the cars Block uses in the Rally America series. At the core is a purpose-built engine capable of 850 hp but restricted to just 650 hp and 660 lb-ft of torque for better control. With a six-speed sequential transmission and overall weight held to just 2425 lbs, the Fiesta can reportedly hit 60 mph in only two seconds.

Other changes from stock include a new front bumper with carbon-fiber splitter, squared-off fender flares, and a hydraulic hand brake to help initiate slides. As with all Block’s rides, the Fiesta wears Monster energy drink “drip pattern” decals. We can’t wait to see how the Fiesta tackles Block’s next gymkhana challenge.

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Lexus will recall the 2010 Lexus GX460 in order to update the SUV’s stability-control software. About 9400 vehicles are affected by the recall.

Lexus stopped sales of the GX460 after Consumer Reports issued a “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” warning. During CR’s “elicit reaction” performance test, the magazine found that the rear of the GX460 could slide nearly 90 degrees before the stability control system intervened, which could potentially cause a rollover.

We’re still a little skeptical the problem requires such a panicked response. CR notes that there have been no recorded GX460 rollovers, and the SUV slid only after drastic driving inputs. Still, Lexus says its engineers reproduced the problem and believe the software fix will prevent such handling traits.

Lexus will begin contacting GX460 owners about the recall in early May. Until then, the company will offer a loaner vehicle to any driver who doesn’t feel safe in their GX460.

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Among the many toys on the 2011 Ford Fiesta will be Sync AppLink, a downloadable upgrade to the Sync hands-free system that allows drivers to use voice commands to control applications on Android or BlackBerry smartphones. While Sync has always allowed drivers to control calls and text messages via voice commands on connected cell phones, AppLink extends voice control to third-party downloadable apps—which Ford says is an industry first.

The first AppLink-ready apps will be the Pandora internet radio player, Stitcher podcast player, and BlackBerry-only Twitter client OpenBeak.

For 2011, all Ford vehicles with Sync will have AppLink capability. Ford plans to gradually add voice support for many more applications, as well as connectivity for the ever-popular iPhone (expected next year), which is noticeably absent from the initial release. AppLink-ready applications will be available from the Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone download stores just like other smartphone apps.

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Were you hoping to put a 2011 Ferrari 599GTO in your driveway? Too late. According to Ferrari, all 599 copies of the 208-mph supercar have already been spoken for. That means anybody else who wants a 599GTO will have to wait until the lucky owners decide to sell their cars.

Yesterday, Ferrari unveiled three examples of the new car to guests at the Modena Military Academy—check out the hot white-and-blue one below. The car will be shown to the public for the first time at next week’s Beijing auto show.

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1. Ferrari Releases 599GTO Videos
2. 2011 Ferrari 599GTO – Official Photos and Info

Rhys Millen has been drifting and racing Hyundai vehicles for several years now, and this June he hopes to set a new record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, a record once held by his father, Rod. The current record for the 12.42-mile course is 10:01.41, set by Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima and Suzuki in 2007. Millen hopes to be the first driver to break the 10-minute barrier.

He’ll drive an all-new car dubbed the RMR / Hyundai Genesis PM580, a teaser image of which is shown above. Full info on the car will be revealed April 19, but we know from the preliminary entry list that it’s four-wheel-drive and will compete in the Unlimited class. Knowing that, and judging from the last RMR Genesis we saw, the PM580 won’t bear much resemblance to the Hyundai in your driveway.

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In case you had forgotten that Chevrolet plans to offer a convertible version of the Camaro, here are two images of a pre-production car from the official Chevy Camaro Facebook page. The pictures show a Camaro RS convertible that looks like it’s ready to hit showroom floors (either that, or it’s getting ready for a grade-school assembly).

Unfortunately, the pictures don’t reveal all that much about the convertible’s styling. There is no profile shot to show how Chevy chopped the roofline, nor any pictures of the Camaro with its cloth top in place. The convertible’s muscular front end and bulky rear fascia are almost identical to those of the Camaro coupe.

Regardless of how it looks, the topless Camaro is sure to set buyers’ hearts and checkbooks on fire when it goes on sale in the second quarter of next year—which will be just in time for summer cruising season.

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Our excitement over the 661-hp, 208-mph Ferrari 599GTO has been supplemented by these official videos from Ferrari, as discovered by Autoblog Italia. Both clips feature in-car video as Ferrari driver Raffaele de Simone hurls the 599GTO around the track—yeah, we’re jealous. Unfortunately, both clips are in Italian and without subtitles.

In the first video, we learn about the car’s handling, aerodynamics, and in-car instrumentation.

The second clip discusses weight reduction and the car’s 6.0-liter V-12 engine, which we hear in all its Italian glory.

Click here for our full rundown and photos of the Ferrari 599GTO.

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One of the defining traits of Audi’s S, R, and RS cars is the brand’s trademark Quattro all-wheel-drive system. German tuner MTM ignored that and designed a rear-drive R8. According to them, the R8 GT3-2 offers “a complete new driving experience” and is “a perfect and exceptional supercar.” MTM claims it’s building the only street-legal two-wheel-drive R8, although Audi itself beat them to the rear-drive punch with the track-only R8 GT3.

As with the MTM-fettled R8 we drove a few years ago, MTM adds a supercharger to the R8 GT3-2’s 4.2-liter V-8 engine. Along with a low-restriction, high-noise exhaust, the kit offers a claimed 560 hp and 427 lb-ft of torque.

So equipped, MTM claims the car will hit 196 mph and finish the 0-to-62-mph sprint in 3.9 seconds. We’re guessing acceleration times are limited by having just two driven wheels; the 525-hp R8 5.2 FSI gets to 60 in 3.5 seconds, thanks in part to its Quattro all-wheel drive.

MTM also bolts on an adjustable suspension kit, forged 20-inch wheels wearing Dunlop Sport Maxx tires, and 15-inch brake discs. Visuals are amped up with a carbon-fiber front splitter, side skirts, and rear spoiler.

If you feel you have too much traction and not enough slip angle, MTM can either sell you a completed GT3-2 or perform the transformation on your current R8. There’s no price available yet, but the supercharger kit alone costs €29,900—about $40k in our money.

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Our appreciation for roundel-badged vehicles extends to legacy BMWs, so we’re happy to learn that the German automaker is increasing its support for classic vehicles.

The biggest news is that the BMW Classic Center has opened its doors to the public. Heretofore the division only worked on restoring and maintaining historic vehicles for the company’s internal collections. The new Historic Workshop will accept commissions from outside customers who want their Bimmer or Beemer rebuilt.

Current projects in the workshop include a 1970s-era BMW 3.0 CSi. Though that particular model was only ever offered with a manual transmission, the car’s current owner wants an automatic swapped in instead—we cry heresy. Regardless, the Historic Workshop has access to company documents and tools that will make the swap possible. They’re also restoring an M1 which was left outside in Malaysia for so long that it was filled with termite nests.

If you want to do the resto work yourself, BMW Classic Center offers a growing list of original (i.e. from BMW) parts, starting with those for the R 24 motorcycle that entered production just after World War II, up through the 1994-model-year 7-series. Also available are reconditioned engines with a two-year warranty: send BMW your old, broken mill and they’ll send back a replacement that’s “as good as a new engine.” The parts catalogue is online at www.bmw-classic.com.

And if they don’t have the part you need, BMW Classic Center can make it. The Historic Workshop has access to original technical drawings, so if the tooling for certain parts has been lost or destroyed, they can recreate parts from scratch. To prevent that from happening, though, the Classic Center takes custody of as much tooling and production equipment as possible after production of a car or bike is discontinued.

Of course, not every BMW fan lives in Germany. There’s now a BMW Classic Center in Switzerland and the company will soon open shop in the U.S.

If you race a classic BMW, you’re in luck too. BMW Classic has launched a motorsports division that caters to providing parts and restoration help for owners who race their cars. Some of those are road cars converted to track duty, while others are historical BMW racers still seeing competitive action. To demonstrate its prowess, the motorsports group will rebuild a 1964 Mini Cooper S Mark 1 and a 1970s-era BMW 1602 Touring for racing duty.

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