Chrysler is looking for anything resembling good news these days, as the details of its merger with Fiat are still being sorted out. We knew that the US would eventually get the Fiat 500, but we didn’t know when and which models. It’s official: Ralph Gilles, Chrysler’s SVP of Design, has announced that the Mini Cooper-challenging 500 will arrive in the US before the end of the year.
As with any announcement, there’s good news and bad news. First, the bad: we won’t be getting the 160 hp Abarth SS, at least not at first. Now the good news: we’ll be getting four models, including the standard 500, a convertible, a wagon and the 500 Abarth. The Abarth version will come with a 1.4 liter turbo motor, good for 135 horsepower in a car slightly larger than Barbie’s Dream Corvette.
I personally can’t wait to put one through its paces.
Not too much new on the 2011 BMW M3; the taillights have been reworked, the front facia is a little bit different and both manual and DCT versions receive an Auto Start Stop Function, said to reduce fuel consumption and emission levels by as much as 8%. Yawn.
The real news is the Competition package available for 2011, which includes a 10mm drop in the suspension, lighter 19×9” wheels and a traction control (EDC) sport mode developed specifically for Competition Package M3s.
As soon as I hit the lottery, I’ll be in to put mine on order. Save one in blue for me, OK?
I was one of the few gear heads who took to the Ford Edge when it was released back in 2006. Ford may have called it a crossover, but to me it represented the evolution of an American classic – the station wagon. Got passengers and cargo to haul? No problem, throw ‘em in the wagon. Need to haul lumber and paint? Drop the seat, throw down a tarp and you’re good to go. Want to drive the US from coast to coast with three kids and a dog? Although I have no idea why any sane individual would want to do this, simply bolt the Turtle to the roof rack, load up the flock and you’re off on vacation.
Though recognized with awards from magazines like Parents and AAA, the Edge took some time to become the sales success it is today (best selling midsize crossover in the United States). Critics called the styling of the first generation bland, and panned the Edge’s relatively poor mileage ratings (16 city, 24 highway for FWD and 15 city, 22 highway for AWD). Ford listened, and made some major improvements for the 2011 model, shown at this week’s Chicago Auto Show.
The exterior has been freshened up with a modest restyling. The Edge now rocks a “Cylon helmet” grille (particularly distinctive on the blackened Sport version) and smaller, cleaner headlamps. Other exterior changes appear to be minor, and you’d be hard pressed to spot them without the old and new versions side by side.
The interior has received a major technology makeover, and available options now include MyFord Touch, a touch-screen interface for the center stack coupled with two LCDs in the instrument cluster. MyFord Touch allows the driver to select the desired display, including trip information, navigation, audio, climate and phone. Synch, Ford’s interactive system developed in conjunction with Microsoft, now allows song tagging. Hear a song on the radio and want more info? Tag it to your iPod, and iTunes will display the song (giving you the option to buy it, of course) the next time you synch your iPod.
Interior, showing MyFord Touch
Detail, showing LCD displays
Interior tech is not limited just to entertainment, as the Edge becomes the first vehicle in its price category to offer adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection. Adaptive cruise control uses forward facing radar to determine if a crash is imminent; if a crash is detected, the system applies additional braking pressure and pretensions the seat belts. Blind spot detection gives the driver a visual cue, in the side view mirror, when another vehicle is in the Edge’s blind spot.
Ford’s 3.5 liter V6, used in the Edge since it’s introduction, gets Ti-VCT, Ford’s acronym for variable cam timing. The technology boosts horsepower to 280 while improving fuel economy to an estimated 27 mpg on the highway. A new 3.7 liter motor, good for 305 horsepower, will be available in the Edge Sport. Future plans include a four cylinder Ecoboost motor, anticipated to produce V6 level power but with 15 percent greater fuel efficiency.
No longer content to be the butt of jokes about disposable cars, Kia unveiled the radical “Ray” concept at this week’s Chicago Auto Show. Designed as a “plug-in hybrid”, the Ray combines the green appeal of an electric car with the go-anywhere practicality of a gasoline hybrid. For trips of fifty miles or less, the Ray can rely solely on battery power. For longer trips, or in situations where both battery and gasoline power is required, the Ray’s 1.4 liter, 153 horsepower Gasoline Direct Injection motor takes over. The car’s low drag shape, coupled with low rolling resistance tires and hybrid power, help to create a fuel economy rating that tops 200 miles per gallon in electric mode and approaches 78 miles per gallon in hybrid mode.
Kia worked their engineering magic on the interior as well. Using what they’ve billed as “cool car” technology, the Ray utilizes nano-laminate films and cool-glazing materials to reduce solar heat loading.
While there are no current plans to put the Ray into production, technology used in the concept will undoubtedly see production in the future. One hundred and fifty three ponies from a naturally aspirated 1.4 liter motor? Interiors that keep cool, even in Florida heat? If this is an indication of what’s to come, I’m in.
Mark Martin, polesitter for Sunday’s Daytona 500. Photo: Rusty Jarrett, Getty Images
Based on last weekend’s two lap, single car time trial, Mark Martin has qualified on the pole and Dale Earnhardt Jr. has the outside of the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Thursday’s Gatorade Duel races and last year’s top 35 in owner points established the rest of the pecking order. Rounding out the top ten are last year’s NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bower and Kurt Busch.
Max Papis, Mike Bliss, Scott Speed and Michael McDowell earned spots in Sunday’s race by being the four highest finishing drivers outside the top 35 in 2009 owners points.
Other notables in Sunday’s 43 car field include multi-series competitors Sam Hornish, Jr., Robby Gordon and perennial road-course favorite Boris Said.
It’s impossible to put together a list like this without raising controversy. Race fans are a rabid bunch, and seeing your favorite excluded for his rival is sure to hit a nerve. Why would I choose one driver over another with more victories or championships? Because of passion and because of what they’ve brought to the sport of motor racing. That said, here’s my list of the greatest drivers of the modern era, which I’m defining as from 1960 to present day (so spare me the hate mail on why Juan Manuel Fangio was excluded).
1) Ayrton Senna: Ayrton Senna da Silva was a three time World Driving Champion, killed in a tragic accident at Monza in the 1994 season. Perhaps best known for his balls-to-the-wall driving style, Senna had the uncanny ability to make up for a car’s weaknesses. His skill at driving in the rain was second to none, and his drive to win astonished team mates and rivals alike.
A 1989 collision at Suzuka with Alain Prost, then his teammate, determined the championship that year. In a move no sane (or less talented) driver would have attempted, Senna attempted an inside pass on Prost. Prost, who had the line, slammed the door on his teammate and both cars went off track. Senna pitted to repair the crash damage and went on to win the race (and, conceivably, the championship); however, the FIA disqualified Senna for cutting a chicane and illegally entering pit row. The championship went to Prost, his main rival.
In 1990, Prost (now driving for Ferrari) and Senna tangled again at Suzuka. This time, Senna held his line in a corner as Prost attempted to overtake. The cars tangled and both were taken out of the race. Senna won the championship based upon his point standings.
Senna’s move to the Williams team in 1994 once again gave the driver a competitive car and team. We can only speculate on what Senna would have achieved had his career not been cut short.
2) Lewis Hamilton: It was the second race of the 2007 F1 season, the Malaysian Gran Prix, where Lewis Hamilton first caught my eye. Hamilton, a rookie driving for McLaren, was being pressured by a much faster Ferrari driven by Felippe Massa. Massa, a seasoned F1 veteran, grew impatient looking for an opportuity to pass. Approaching a right hand corner, Hamilton went wide, appearing to let Massa by; it was a trap, and Hamilton knew that Massa couldn’t carry the speed through the corner. Massa, now off the racing line, was forced to slow and let Hamilton resume the lead. A few laps later, approaching another right-hander, Hamilton sucked Massa into attempting another pass, with even worse results. Massa, unable to slow his Ferrari enough to stay on track, ran into the grass and lost two positions. Hamilton the apprentice had become Hamilton the master.
If you needed further proof of the young driver’s talents, it came on Season 10, Episode 8 of Top Gear. Driving their “reasonably priced car” on a track slick with rain and oil from an earlier car’s testing, Hamilton turned in a lap at 1:44.7. The record, set by the show’s ringer driver (The Stig) on a dry track is 1:44.4. Mark Weber, the only other F1 driver to run the track in the wet, managed a time of 1:47.1. Nigel Mansell, the F1 driver closest to The Stig’s time, managed a 1:44.6 on a dry track. Jeremy Clarkson has repeatedly said that a wet track will add three seconds per lap, which would give Hamilton a time of under 1:42, nearly two and a half seconds faster than The Stig.
Hamilton brought excitement back to F1, and drives with more passion than the sport has seen in a long time.
3) Mario Andretti: If ever there was a name synonymous with racing, it’s Mario Andretti. Andretti and Dan Gurney are the only two drivers to win races in Formula 1, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR. Andretti has also campaigned successfully in midget cars, sprint cars and drag racing. He’s won four IndyCar championships and is only the second American (after Phil Hill) to win a Formula 1 World Driver’s Championship. He’s raced road courses, ovals, dirt tracks and drag strips, and was named United States Driver of the Year in the 1960s, the 1970s and the 1980s.
Transitioning from one form of racing to another can be extremely difficult, which is why so few drivers reach championships in different series. Andretti not only achieved this, he made it look easy. For four decades, if you wanted a fast, competent driver in open wheel, stock car or dirt track, Andretti was the go-to guy. He set the bar high for future generations of drivers.
4) A.J. Foyt: Love him or hate him, there’s no denying the acerbic Texan’s skills behind the wheel of a race car. He ran the Indy 500 for 35 consecutive years and won the event four times. He’s the only driver to win the race in both front and rear engined cars, a feat he accomplished twice with each configuration. He’s won the 24 Hours of LeMans, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He’s won 138 USAC sanctioned events ranging from stock car to IndyCar, and has won 12 driving championships in various disciplines.
5) Mark Donohue: One of the most versatile drivers of the modern era, Donohue competed in series ranging from endurance racing through Trans-Am and NASCAR. Donohue ran five Indy 500s and won the race in 1972. He competed in Formula 1 in 1971, 1974 and 1975, although Roger Penske was unable to field a competitive car in the series.
Donohue was a mechanical engineer by trade, and possessed an almost unnatural ability to set up a race car. No matter what the car or the series, Donohue could turn a couple laps, return to the pits and tell you how to make it faster. His skill at race car development led him to collaborate with Porsche on the design of the legendary 917-10 and 917-30 race cars. When asked by a Porsche engineer if the 917-30, capable of up to 1,500 hp, finally had enough power, Donohue replied, “it will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straight in high gear”.
Donohue died of injuries sustained in a testing crash at the Austrian Gran Prix in 1975.
6) Jackie Stewart: Now Sir Jackie Stewart, OBE, he has won three World Driving Championships and competed successfully in the Can-Am series. He is largely responsible for the modernization of safety in motor racing.
At the start of Stewart’s career, the odds of a Formula 1 driver being killed within 5 years were two out of three. After a crash in heavy rain at Spa Francorchamps in 1966, Stewart was extricated by a pair of fellow drivers who witnessed the crash. No ambulance was dispatched to the scene, so Stewart was driven in a borrowed van back to the track’s first aid center. Eventually, an ambulance arrived and Stewart was taken away for treatment.
Many of the modern safety measures, such as seat harnesses, full face helmets, run off areas, safety barriers and on scene first responders were a result of Stewart’s efforts to make the sport safer. As the voice of racing for ABC Sports, Stewart also introduced the sport to many Americans, myself included. His combination of driving ability, desire to improve the sport and efforts to popularize it makes him one of the greats.
7) Richard Petty: The man synonymous with stock car racing in America, even his car number (43) is the stuff of legend. Petty, known simply as “The King” amassed seven NASCAR championships and 200 victories over a career that spanned four decades. He still holds the record for number of poles won (127) and number of consecutive starts (513, from 1971 to 1989).
Petty came to prominence as a driver in a era where stock cars were just that; modified versions of cars available in dealer showrooms. Today’s tube frame, purpose built race cars bear little resemblance to the lumbering, ill handling dinosaurs of years passed. To be successful required a driver to correct for all of a car’s inherent weaknesses, an no other NASCAR driver demonstrated that ability better than Richard Petty.
8 ) Sebastian Loeb: The most successful driver in World Rally Car history, Loeb has amassed an impressive six championships and fifty four wins in his eleven year career. In a series where car control is king, and where the racing surface varies from snow to dirt to asphalt, Loeb has repeatedly proven that his talents are second to none.
Loeb has also successfully competed in the 24 Hours of LeMans and has tested with the Renault and Torro Rosso Formula 1 teams. His ambition to compete in the 2010 Formula 1 season was cut short by the FIA, who would refused to grant Loeb a Super License, as he had not spent sufficient time in open wheeled cars at lower levels.
Loeb remains the driving force behind the Citroen Total Petroleum World Rally Team, and it remains to be seen how many more championships he is capable of.
9) Alex Zanardi: Winner of two IndyCar Championships, Zanardi also had two stints in Formula 1. Zanardi is perhaps best known for his horrific 2001 crash at Germany’s Lausitzring, where his car spun up the track and was cut in half by Alex Tagliani’s. Both of Zanardi’s legs were amputated above the knee, and he came very close to dying of blood loss. The crash ended his open wheel career, but not his racing career.
By 2003, curious about his ability to return to racing, Zanardi had an IndyCar specially modified with hand controls. CART allowed him to complete the thirteen laps missed after his 2001 crash, and his speed of 193 mph would have put him fifth in the field.
Zanardi has since gone on to enjoy modest success in the World Touring Car Championship. Although he may lack the championships and diversity of other drivers on this list, his passion and love of the sport make him one of the all time greats.
10) Racer X: Who is Racer X? He’s the driver you’ve never heard of, competing on a dirt track in the midwest or a road course in the southeast. His sponsorship, if he has any, is modest; it keeps him in tires and spare parts to keep him racing.
Becoming a famous race car driver is a lot like becoming a famous rock star; you can only get so good, and then you need to get lucky. Somewhere, in a smoky dive bar, is a guitarist whose skills rival Jimi Hendrix. Somewhere, racing karts, midgets, sprint cars, stock cars, rally or formula cars is a driver better than Senna, better than Loeb, better than Donahue. He or she has a trophy case full of gold painted plastic, wood and marble, but unless they wind up in the right place at exactly the right time, you’ll never know their name.
Chris Roberts sent in pics of his one-of-a-kind Scion Xb. Tasteful on the outside in pearlescent Lamborghini blue and black paint, it’s the interior that sets this Xb apart.
Driver and passenger seats have been replaced by a center drive cockpit, similar to the McLaren F1. The rear seat passenger gets dual 7 inch monitors and a DVD player. Alpine supplies the head unit, amps, speakers and subs
Seats, headliner and dash surround are done in suede, and granite tile is used for flooring. The interior also features custom paint and lighting.
Because the weekend’s almost here and because I’ve got this weird fixation on Sabine Schmitz, I give you a lap of Germany’s famed Nürburgring Nordschleife at the hands of the world’s fastest taxi driver.
In case you don’t know who Schmitz is, she’s the ex-BMW factory racer who runs tours of the ‘ring, at speed, in a BMW M5. She’s faster than you are, smoother than you could ever hope to be and probably easier on the eyes. She also came damn close to breaking the ten minute barrier on the ‘ring in a Ford Transit van. No, that’s not a misprint; I did say Ford Transit van.
The Nürburgring is actually a public road, and anyone with the cost of admission (currently 16 Euros, or about $22) can drive a lap at speed. Don’t want to void your rental car contract? Afraid of how you’d explain wadding that E class Mercedes to Eurocar? That’s where the Ring Taxi comes in. At 195 Euros per car (about $266), it isn’t cheap and seats book a year or so in advance. Sadly, there’s no guarantee that Sabine will be your pilot.
Mississippi has become the thirty ninth state banning the use of nitrous oxide to increase horsepower of cars driven on public roads. The law was enacted after the death of Trooper Steve Hood, who died during a high speed chase last May. The driver involved in the chase was later found to have a nitrous system installed in his Trans Am.
Penalties are steep, with a first offense costing between $250 and $1,000, plus up to 48 hours in jail. The law does not impact the use of nitrous oxide in competition, and it does not specify if the bottle must be removed or the system simply disabled for road use.
I’m all for keeping the roads safer, but is this an indication of things to come? If nitrous oxide kits (which produce a temporary horsepower gain) are outlawed, how long will it be before we see the same kind of bans on turbos, blowers, intakes, exhausts and ECU upgrades?
Found on eBay is this 1918 Rauch and Lang electric car, built by Baker, Rauch and Lang of Cleveland, Ohio. The car has been in the same family since 1954, but was last restored in the late 1950s. The car has not run since 1960 and is being sold as is.
Electric cars from manufacturers such as Baker, Columbia, Edison and Studebaker were a hit with consumers who wanted a quiet, convenient and vibration free alternative to the other power options of the day. At the turn of the century, electric powered cars had 38% of the market, steam powered cars had 40% and gasoline was a distant third with a 22% market share. Popularity of electric cars peaked in the United States in 1912, but by the end of the First World War they were all but gone from the US market.
Is it me, or do all of Nissan’s recent introductions look like scaled down versions of the Murano? First came the Nissan Rogue, a three-quarter scale version of the Murano crossover. Now, we await the launch of the Juke, which at first glance appears to be the Murano, rendered in one-half scale.
Like Audi’s A1, the Juke will be offered worldwide with a turbo diesel motor option, but we won’t get that on this side of the pond. We will, however, get a gasoline powered 1.6 liter turbo motor said to be good for 190 horsepower. Watch for future updates on the Juke’s launch.
Audi’s A1, their much anticipated answer to the Mini and BMW’s 1 series, will make it’s official debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show. Aimed at the growing (in the EU, at least) subcompact luxury market, the A1 will be launched with four powerplant options, including two 1.6 liter turbo diesel motors (one at 90 hp and 160 lb-ft of torque, the other at 105 hp and 184 lb-ft). Gasoline engines offered include a 1.2 liter producing 86 horsepower and 118 lb-ft of torque, and a 1.4 liter good for 122 horsepower and 148 lb-ft. Only the latter gasoline motor will be offered with an automatic transmission, Audi’s S-tronic dry dual clutch variant.
Why can’t all automakers produce interiors this nice?
No threat to the Mini Cooper S, the fastest announced version of the A1 is only good for a nine second sprint to 60 mph. For reference, that’s two and a half seconds slower than a Cooper S and about half a second slower than the base model Mini. Still, that’s not the point of the A1, which is more about personal luxury and low cost of ownership than it is about strafing apexes.
Sadly, the A1, like the bulk of BMW’s 1 series, isn’t bound for US shores. Audi, like BMW, doesn’t see demand for subcompact hatchbacks in the US market, despite Mini’s success. Likewise, the Germans still don’t equate the word “diesel” with market share in the US, despite VW’s success with TDI Jetta models. Perhaps it’s brand dilution, since neither BMW nor Audi currently caters to the entry level market on these shores. It’s a shame, because we’re missing out on some great rides.
Not all classics are old, as Ron Small’s 2006 Dodge Magnum illustrates perfectly. Like our own Mr. Angry, I’ve got a place in my heart for these cars, grossly underappreciated when new. Built on the Chrysler LX platform (shared by the successful Chrysler 300), Magnums were available in models ranging from ‘grocery getter’ (SE, with a 190 hp V6) to ‘holy crap what the hell just passed us’ (SRT-8, with the 425 hp Hemi motor). For added versatility, AWD was an available option on SXT and RT models, making the car more appealing to buyers in northern states. Manufactured for only four model years, Chrysler declared that the Magnum was not “earning its keep” and halted production in March of 2008. Magnums are destined to be collectible, as they represent one of the high points in the joint venture between Daimler and Chrysler.
Ron’s car, an SXT model, features the 3.5 liter High Output V8, good for 250 horsepower in stock form. Like all proper hoon-mobiles, the ponies go to the rear wheels. Ron admits to being addicted to mods, so I’d love to hear back on how the car looks now.
Got an interesting ride? Send us some pics and a brief description and we’ll try to get your name in lights, too.
A south Florida woman learned the hard way that your local garage may not be the best place to take a mid-engine, rear drive sports car. Nanelle Wehmann dropped her 2008 Boxster at the local Shell station for “routine maintenance”, which apparently included high speed road testing by the station’s owner, Kenneth Kasten. Kasten lost control of the vehicle at a high rate of speed (although I’m doubting the Florida Highway Patrol’s estimate of 163 mph) and flipped the car into a mangrove swamp. Not seriously injured, the mechanic fled the scene and was found hiding in a nearby parking lot. He’s been charged with reckless driving and leaving the scene of a crash; apparently, being a jackass is not against the law.
I’m all for supporting local business, and God knows I’m not a fan of the service quality most dealers deliver. Still, I seriously doubt I’d bring a Porsche to a local garage unless they specialized in the marque. Did Wehmann learn a valuable lesson here? Apparently not, as she plans on bringing her vehicles back to the station in the future. “I have no reason to think I wouldn’t,” Wehmann said, “it’s a well respected place.”
Here’s hoping she doesn’t own a Bugatti Veyron or a McLaren F1.
Shopping for a used Honda? Own a 2001 or 2002 Honda or Acura? Read on, because the automaker has announced a recall of 438,000 vehicles to replace a potentially faulty airbag deflator. In a worse case scenario, the deflator can shatter during an air bag deployment, increasing the driver’s risk for injury. One fatality and eleven injuries have been documented in the United States.
Vehicles recalled are 2001 and 2002 model year Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, and Pilot. Also recalled are 2002 Acura TL and CL models.
The latest recall continues campaigns announced in November 2008 and June 2009, which originally covered 510,00 vehicles. Today’s announcement marks the second major recall in two weeks; last week the automaker recalled 646,000 Fit/Jazz models worldwide for electrical short problems with window switch assemblies.
Jim Lentz, President of Toyota Motor Sales USA, confirmed yesterday that the FT86 concept car will be produced and imported to the United States. Designed jointly with Subaru, the FT86 features a rear wheel drive layout and is expected to use a 2.0 liter boxer motor producing around 200 horsepower. No estimates on pricing have been given, but the car is designed to be “affordable”, in the same vein as their MR-2 and MR Spyder models.
Lentz gave no indication on when the car would begin production or when it would make it’s U.S. market debut, but said that further details will be announced later this year.
It’s not much, but anything that isn’t bad news passes for good new at Toyota these days. We’ll keep you updated as more information on the FT86 becomes available.
GM has opened several plants that will use non-UAW employees to build components for the upcoming Chevy Volt and future electric vehicles. Delphi, a major supplier of components to GM, has also announced that their new Kokomo, Indiana plant will hire non-union employees to build parts for the Volt. Final assembly point of the Volt will be GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which utilizes a UAW workforce.
GM sees this as a cost cutting measure necessary for the automaker’s long term survival. The UAW views it as a slap in the face, especially in light of recent concessions on wages and benefits.
Historically, labor disputes with the UAW have produced work slowdowns and stoppages, as well as dramatically reduced product quality. Given the current state of the economy, and the overall lack of employment opportunities nationwide, it remains to be seen whether or not the mix in labor will create problems for Volt assembly and quality.
Shopping for an end of world vehicle, but don’t want a big honkin’ V8 that greedily suck down the last of the go-juice you can scrounge? Lusting for a Range Rover Defender, but afraid desperate survivors will steal your ride? Want to drive the the apocalypse with Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” playing loud enough to make your eardrums bleed? Search no more, because this may be the apocalypse-mobile you’ve been looking for.
Built by Canadians, undoubtedly hopped up on poutine and Tim Horton’s donuts, the Aztec features Pontiac’s 3.4 liter V6 for respectable fuel mileage, a custom paint job, more bent steel tubing than a children’s playground and a sound system with dual subwoofers. The interior is done in orange and tiger stripe fabric, but that’s easily corrected with a can of black spray paint. Sadly. despite the trucks “look at me funny and I’ll kick you ass” appearance, it is only FWD. It’s got traction control, so you should be fine if you drive carefully to your meeting with the four horsemen. Best of all? Since it’s an Aztec, it’s absolutely theft proof, even if you leave the keys in it.
