Barbara Woodhouse Car Blog

Filed under: Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Ford, Rendered Speculation, Rumormill

It seems most car buyers today have decided that the aesthetic advantages of the two-door coupe body style are not worth the ergonomic hassles of getting in and out of the back seat. To remedy that issue, most every automaker has or very soon will introduce a car with a coupe-like profile and extra doors to ease ingress/egress. This design trend runs the gamut from mainstream models like the VW Passat CC to near exotics like the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera. Ford apparently doesn't want to miss out on this potentially profitable trend and may create a four-door coupe based on the best selling Mondeo.

If this rendering from CAR is anything by which to judge, the Mondeo coupe will take Kinetic design to a new extreme with a low profile greenhouse, frameless windows, and rear-door openings that are almost certain to induce some concussions. As the premium Mondeo (if indeed it wears that badge), it will get all the techno goodness one would expect of such a car in the 21st century. It may also carry a variant of the 2.7L diesel V6 that Ford has previously installed in Jaguars. Interestingly, the article also mentions AdBlue, which is the urea injection system used to reduce NOx emissions of diesel engines. If Ford adds urea injection, this engine could likely pass U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions and could even come to the States someday.

[Source: CAR]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Euro, Supercars

Click above for high-res gallery of the Pagani Cinque

The word "cinque," as in Pagani Cinque, means "five." The newest Pagani is the road-legal version of the racetrack-only Pagani Zonda R, and there will sadly be but five of them made for which all are already spoken. Not that we would have bought one, but it would have been nice to have had the opportunity.

The Cinque, with 678 horsepower and 575 lb. ft. of torque will teleport from 0-to-60 in 3.4 seconds, and at 186 MPH the car creates more than half its own weight in downforce. It also gets a sequential 6-speed transmission, and you can flick through the gears with paddles or a gear shift on the center console. That console and the racing buckets that face it will probably be made entirely of carbon fiber.

Pagani has created a bespoke titanium and carbon fiber material that means the Cinque weighs 40 pounds less than the Zonda F. Weight savings are also achieved with titanium monobloc wheels, as well as the magnesium and titanium Ohlins suspension. It is the very definition of a supercar: fast, light, rare, hot. Be sure to check out the new gallery of hi-res photos of the Pagani Cinque below, because that's probably as close as you'll ever get to one.


[Source: Motor Trend]

 

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Bentley, UK, Special/Limited Editions

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed

Bentley has chosen to update its Continental Flying Spur super sedan for 2009 with the same model upgrades given to the Continental GT coupe last year, which means the sedan receives a more upright grille, larger lower air intakes, a new rear bumper, more sound deadening material, a new Naim for Bentley premium audio system, Adaptive Cruise Control, and a host of new hides and color choices for the interior. But wait, there's more. So much more. While power for the standard Flying Spur stays put at 552bhp and 479 pound-feet of torque, a new model will kick things up a notch to 600bhp and 553 pound-feet. That's right, just as the powerful and extremely fast Continental GT Speed coupe was born last year, so follows in its wide tire tracks the 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed, which will officially hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds (that's probably conservative) and crest 200 mph. The Flying Spur Speed also gets a 10mm chopped off its ride height, new 20-inch multispoke wheels with available carbon ceramic disc brakes, and returned steering and suspension systems. It's outwardly different thanks to dark-tinted chrome matrix grilles, wider exhaust pipes, sill plates emblazoned with the word "Speed" on all four doors, a three-spoke steering wheel and unique interior trim. With this new Speed model, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur should have no trouble holding onto its title of World's Best-Selling 12-Cylinder Sedan. Follow the jump for the official word from Crewe.



[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed

 

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ford

Click above for high-res gallery of 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 spy shots

We've seen plenty of spy shots showing the next-gen 2010 Ford Mustang, but these are the first batch of pics to show the high-horsepower Shelby GT500 version running around the streets of Detroit. Though the exterior is largely covered in camouflage, we can make out the Cobra badge on the far right of the front grille. And though camo often obscures the true lines of a car, it does appear that the next GT500 will have a different, bulging hood than the regular Mustang and a deeper front air dam. The spy photographers from KGP also caught the rear of this Shelby GT500 prototype with the camo lifted just a bit to reveal some unique detailing on the car's lower rear valence. Perhaps most significant is the view we now have of the car's interior, which is the first to be seen uncovered. The dual-cowl dash remains, while the entire instrument panel flows seemlessly from one side of the car to the other. The two giant gauges we saw earlier are also present here along with the rectangular air vents atop the center stack, and this model also features a steering wheel sporting a Cobra badge in bright brushed metal. No one's quite sure what will power the next-gen Shelby GT500, though our bet is on a new supercharged 5.0L V8 that will replace the current S/C 4.6L engine. As always, time will tell, but these pictures do give up some of the goods.


[Source: KGP Photography]

 

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Economy, Hatchbacks, Toyota

Though Toyota already unveiled the production version of its diminutive iQ city car at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show last March, this is the first time anyone has seen the vehicle testing out in the wild. These spy photos of the iQ also give us a good sense of the car's true scale, which is to say that it's really friggin' small. Not MINI small, smart small. Unlike the smart fortwo, the iQ can reportedly carry three people and a child rather than just two adults thanks to its clever 3+1 seating arrangement. We're not sure if anyone but the driver would be comfortable were the iQ filled to capacity, but at least it's possible in a pinch. As you can see, there's virtually no overhang on the front or rear of the iQ, which allows Toyota designers to maximize the space between. Winding Road also reports that the car will feature a unique flat gas tank to save space, thinner seats and smaller heat and air conditioning units. Toyota expects to sell 100,000 units of the iQ in its first year of production, which should start later this year, and while nothing's been confirmed, the Japanese automaker could be eying North America for some of those sales considering our current lust for small, fuel-efficient vehicles.


[Source: Winding Road]

 

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Here's something executives and line worker can agree on: electric vehicles. AutoblogGreen discovered over the weekend that GM's Bob Lutz (on the Vectrix scooter) and Bob Gurk (a retired autoworker, seen above standing next to his DIY all-electric Saturn SC coupe) are both psyched about running on electrons. Oh, and Lutz likes driving the Volt, too.

• VIDEO: Lutz going electric, can't wait for a Volt, picks up a Vectrix
• Retired autoworker converts early Saturn coupe to battery power
• Man turns Opel GT into a 75mpg serial hybrid.....in 1979!
• Project Better Place "green smoke and mirrors"?
• Enter the rumormill: LG Chem is winning the Volt battery contract fight
• VIDEO: Bob Lutz is "Super-Pumped" about the progress on the Volt
• Porsche adds direct injection and dual clutch gearbox to 911
• GM readies all 2009 Cadillac Escalades for ethanol
• New Toyota fuel cell hybrid has over 500 mile range
• A little background on Mahindra and the Scorpio hybrid SUV
• Motorcycles get pole position in Spain
• Ten Mitsubishi iMiEVs will roll around July G8 Summit in Japan
• Is it time to return to the double nickel?

More headlines after the jump.

Continue reading AutoblogGreen for 06.09.08

 

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Filed under: Motorsports

Collisions are a common occurrence on Montreal streets. If you don't run into another erratically-driving motorist running a red light, you're likely to experience a near-crash thanks to the crater-sized potholes blemishing the city's tarmac. Although motor racing events carry some of the charm and character of the venue in which they're held, we wouldn't have expected Montreal's treacherous street driving to translate onto the race track. But then the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a road course of sorts. So the hundred-thousand-plus racing fans who turned up at the track for the 30th running of the Canadian Grand Prix, the driving was a familiar site.

As we reported previously, the race officials didn't deem our readership worthy of in-depth, up-close coverage of the race, but we think otherwise and have a breakdown of the race results after the jump, so click on to read on. (If you've TiVo'd the race and don't want to spoil the results, go no further.) Click on the image or on the thumbnails below to view our images from Friday's practice session in our high-resolution image gallery.

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Noah Joseph / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading 2008 Canadian Grand Prix: Pit Stops & Potholes (and Spoilers -- Beware)

 

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Filed under: Etc., Celebrities

Now that we've all had the cold reality of Knight Rider's return smack us in the face, there's not much more to be said about the show that hasn't been addressed. Taste being a fickle mistress, ABC is offering up a new drama that sounds like "As the Badge Engineers." Actually, it's called "The Prince of Motor City," and the show's structure is pretty boilerplate - there's the family fireworks, the prodigal son, the strong matriarch, and the forces of opposition pushing back against the protagonist. ABC is saying that the family drama, starring Andie MacDowell and October Road's Warren Christie, draws inspiration from The Bard's own Hamlet.

Basically, The Prince (Christie) is Billy Hamilton, son of an automotive legend. Billy followed high-minded academic pursuits at Harvard instead of the car business. Even though the rest of the family refuses to acknowledge Billy, his mother, Gertrude (MacDowell) dotes and visits often. Billy's father croaks, and surprisingly leaves him in charge of Hamilton Motor Works. The ghost of Billys father keeps humming Elvis tunes, while Moms and Uncle Charlie might be shacking up, and the CFO wants Billy's head on a platter (and his job.) Shoot, it almost sounds like it could be good, they've even got Jack Bender, late of Lost, to direct. It sounds like the network wants this show to succeed with the talent they're throwing at it. It will be interesting to see just how tone-deaf a rendering Hollywood does on the car business, though. If we could make one request; please pluck a gem from the MC5 as a theme song.

[Source: TVSquad]

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Toyota

Automotive times are a-changin, as fuel-efficient cars are now outselling trucks by a wide margin. Toyota's flexible manufacturing capabilities allow it to adjust to these crazy times, and the Japanese automaker is discussing a plan to build still more Camrys at its Indiana truck plant. The Princeton plant is only running two shifts right now, and its trucks and SUVs are suffering just as much as similar offerings coming out of Detroit. That makes the plant a great fit for the Camry, which sold an astonishing 51,291 units last month. Honda has already decided to increase production of the Civic, which was the top-selling vehicle in the US last month with over 53,000 units leaving the showroom floor.

[Source: Auto News (subs req'd)]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Driving

Drivers can fly through the Nürburgring Nordshcleife at tremendous rates of speed, risking life and limb to shave a second or two off a lap time. But apparently if you let the rear wheels slip a bit while coming into a turn, you're a drifter just begging for a pink slip. Bridge to Gantry blogger Dale Lomas was banned from the 'Ring for what he says is nothing more than some oversteer, but the heavy-handed Germans didn't see it that way. Officials wrote Lomas, who prides himself as a paid racing instructor, a ban slip with an offense that translates to "Drifting while Overtaking."

The Green Hell isn't just some lawless speed haven, which makes sense considering the dangers inherent in the famous circuit's myriad twists and turns. Still, while getting banned from the 'Ring is a real bummer, at least the pink slip looks good hanging on the office wall.

[Source: Bridge to Gantry]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports

Click for photos from the Canadian GP in our hi-res gallery

Formula One racing is one hell of a spectacle. Although other forms of motorsport, like NASCAR and Le Mans-style endurance racing, hold large fan bases, F1 - at times in spite of itself - remains the favorite for racing fans around the world. Since the cancelation of the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis, there remains just one Formula One race in North America: the perrenial Canadian Grand Prix, held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. That's why when the opportunity arose to visit Montreal in the summer, we timed our visit around the grand prix weekend.

Much to our continued frustration, however, the various powers that be in charge of F1 racing deemed us unworthy of a solitary press pass to cover the race weekend for you, our growing readership that numbers over 5 million monthly. After three months of jumping through hoops of red tape (and every loophole we could find) with the FIA, Formula One Management and the race organizer's office, our application was unceremoniously rejected. With our flight out set for after race weekend and stranded without a ticket, our friends at Ferrari North America were kind enough to give us a ticket at least for the Friday practice session. So we packed up the camera - and an umbrella - and headed out to rain-soaked Isle St Helene to check out the action. What we came away with, from our brief foray into motorsport photography, is a deep reverance for skill. Not just on part of the drivers, engineers and strategists that comprise the teams - theirs we already knew to be as unfathomably atmospheric as the compression inside their 20,000 rpm masterpieces. But for professional motorsport photographers, who manage to capture the breakneck fast-paced action in still frames. Of course it helps when you have one of those spiffy FIA-issued vests that gives you access to the best vantage points, but just the same, we'll contemplate those skills a little longer next time before turning the page of our favorite racing mag. As for our modest attempts at joining their ranks, you can see the results in the high-resolution gallery by clicking the thumbnails below, and stay tuned for our recap of the race.

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Noah Joseph / Weblogs, Inc.

 

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Filed under: Etc.

TVR Grantura. Click above for model history and more photos.

Trevor Wilkinson, who founded the British sports car marque, TVR, has died at the age of 85 in Minorca, Spain, where he lived in retirement. Mr. Wilkinson had apparently been seriously ill, according to reports. He built his business in his hometown of Blackpool, and the company name, TVR, is just an abbreviation of his first name. It's first production car was the Grantura (above).

Wilkinson left TVR in 1962 but remained owner until 1965, when the first in a succession of subsequent bosses took the reins. The one constant, however, has been the name -- his name -- that Trevor Wilkinson gave the company all those years ago, which has since appeared on some pretty impressive cars along the way. Rest in peace, Mr. Wilkinson.

[Sources: BBC, TVR Blog]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Tuners, Videos, Lifestyle

The new website encompassing all things sport compact, RiceBoyTV.com, has put together a web-based reality series following 17-year-old drifter Patrick Mordaunt. The video content follows Mordaunt through the trials and tribulations of his rookie season as a driver in the Formula Drift series. The show is currently on the second webisode, with the third waiting in the wings and many more to come as the season progresses. Patrick Mordaunt may not already be a name with which most casual drift fans are familiar, but he is certainly working hard to make sure things don't stay that way for long. His story is one of interest, as the talented young driver has a lot of heart.

Those in the sport compact industry first came to know Patrick Mordaunt when he was hardly a teenager. The avid Japanese Option video watcher was a regular attendee at any and all Southern California events remotely related to drifting. Patrick then began hitting the local test events with his '85 Toyota Corolla before he could even legally drive on the street. His thirst to learn quickly earned him immense respect in the pits, while his passion and tenacity stood out, causing industry insiders to take notice. Add in his uncanny ability to rack up the professional drifting licenses, with three in all, and It's no surprise that many folks, such as the crew at RiceBoyTV.com, want to help the guy achieve his dreams.

You can find Patrick's first webisode here and the second here. Keep checking back for updates throughout the 2008 Formula Drift season.

[Source: RiceBoyTV.com]

 

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Filed under: Garage, Economy, Hatchbacks, Toyota

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Toyota Yaris.

Read a few car reviews and it's easy to walk away with the impression that we're a jaded lot; only interested in performance, luxury, and price. Any vehicle that doesn't have stupendous amounts of the first two for the tiniest pile of the latter gets kicked to the curb. It's true, driving cars that don't belong to us facilitates a certain view into how the other half lives that could definitely ruin one on lesser vehicles. On the other hand, there's an entirely different type of enjoyment to be extracted from cars that forego ostentation without ratcheting up the crap factor. Toyota's Yaris will never be mistaken for a Lexus, but it's neither the absolute nadir, nor ultimate zenith of autodom, meaning it has a shot.

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Toyota Yaris Liftback

 

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising

Gas prices suck and the job market is almost as bad, but a little uglification of your car or truck can net you some big bucks. Alternative marketing companies that want to plaster your car with "tasteful" advertisements are paying hundreds of dollars to the right people, but chances are you aren't one of them. There is a reason you don't see many of these driving billboards, because the companies with the money are looking for people who travel a lot and park their car in interesting places. More scrupulous types know that people are willing to do just about anything to get relief from the rising cost of transportation, so there are a lot of scams out there, too. If anyone asks for, say, a deposit or a car for keeps, that's probably not going to really happen. Most arrangements only last a few months, and pay can fluctuate wildly.

If you've actually worked as a rolling billboard, let us know in the comments. Be sure to add the company you worked for, how your experience went, and whether you'd do it again.

[Source: Wallet Pop]

 

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