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| Mansory Bentley Vitesse Rose isn't really all that rosy
September 13, 2009 at 9:01 pm
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| Filed under: Aftermarket, Frankfurt Motor Show, Coupe, Bentley, Luxury  Mansory Bentley Vitesse Rose -- Click above for high-res image gallery
As a testament to its range, the same company that brought you the evil blackness of the Vincero would like you to focus your attention here, on the Bentley Vitesse Rose. The full-on Mansory kit itself is fine. The pink-a-licious color its draped in, matched with the carbon fiber hood, is best digested before you eat solid food. And wait until you see the inside: a color combination we don't think you'll be seeing from the Series 51 program comprising diamond stitched pink and purple leather.
Depending on your take, you might be gratified that Mansory only plans to build three of them. If you want to be one of those... proud... owners, then call Mansory and have a check ready for €269,000. The rest of you can check out the roseate goodness in the high-res gallery below.
[Source: Diesel Station]
Continue reading Mansory Bentley Vitesse Rose isn't really all that rosy Mansory Bentley Vitesse Rose isn't really all that rosy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| VIDEO: Chris Pfeiffer takes his BMW freestylin' ways to company headquarters
September 13, 2009 at 7:57 pm
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| Filed under: Videos, BMW, Motorcycle  Chris Pfeiffer does tricks atop the BMW Tower -- Click above to watch video
Freestyle rider Chris Pfeiffer took a BMW F 800 R to the top of the 22-story BMW Tower in Munich, then decided to play around with it. What that means is two minutes and ten seconds of gymnastic 2-wheeled goodness that would be impressive enough were it happening at ground level. Speaking of the ground, our favorite part might come on the first floor, before Pfeiffer gets in the elevator and rides by a BMW employee whose look says "I'll just pretend I didn't see that..." Follow the jump to see the vid.
[Source: BMW]
Continue reading VIDEO: Chris Pfeiffer takes his BMW freestylin' ways to company headquarters VIDEO: Chris Pfeiffer takes his BMW freestylin' ways to company headquarters originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Brabus E V12 Black Baron is cloaked for speed
September 13, 2009 at 6:33 pm
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| Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury  Brabus E V12 Black Baron -- Click above for high-res image gallery
Among the more intricate of Brabus' creations is this, the E V12 "Black Baron." Based on the latest E-Class, the dark lord is refitted with a twin turbo, 6.3-liter V12 with 800 hp and an electronically-limited 811 lb-ft (even though the engine actually produces 1,047 lb-ft), a ram-air system and a tuned ECU.
Underneath is a fully-adjustable suspension and much bigger brakes and tires. To reach the car's electronically-limited 217 mph top speed, the car's aerodynamics have been improved at the obvious expense of the car's looks. Unless, of course, you think those wheel spats look good. We don't. If you need to go faster, the car is estimated to be able to hit 230 mph sans the electro-nanny. And it still gets 15 mpg.
There will only be ten of them made, and a single example will require you to hand over €600,000 ($875,000 USD). You can read about it in the presser after the jump, and check it out in the gallery of high-res photos below.
[Source: Brabus]
Continue reading Brabus E V12 Black Baron is cloaked for speed Brabus E V12 Black Baron is cloaked for speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Mess With Success: Hyundai already seen tweaking Genesis sedan for 2010
September 13, 2009 at 4:03 pm
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| Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, Luxury 
2010 Hyundai Genesis sedan - Click above for high-res image gallery
Despite claiming great success with its 2009 Genesis sedan, Hyundai doesn't appear to be resting on its laurels. For 2010, there are no cosmetic changes in store, but the entry-level luxury sedan is getting a gentle fettling in the suspension and steering departments along with some additional kit.
Unfortunately, Hyundai's press release wasn't terribly forthcoming about what changes had been effected upon steering and suspension systems, so we checked in with company spokesman Dan Bedore to learn a few more:
"We're Hyundai, and we'll always seeking continuous improvement. We've made a series of small chassis changes, with a particular focus on improving steering and handling. We've made small adjustments to the steering, increasing efforts and tweaking feel around center; reduced friction in some suspension components; increased V6 rear spring rates; and added more jounce and rebound control to our shocks."
On the creature comforts front (this is a luxury sedan after all), the 2010 Genesis gains available intelligent cruise control and an electronic parking brake on Technology Package equipped models - the latter including an automatic hill holder feature. Additionally, "Ultra-premium leather seating surfaces" will come as standard fit on 3.8 Genesis models with Premium, Premium Navigation, and Technology Package equipped models. Finally, in response to consumer demand, Hyundai says it has made an updated touch-screen navigation (with three-month trial subscriptions to XM radio and XM NavTraffic) standard equipment on 4.6-liter models as well as Genesis 3.8 models fitted with the premium navi pack. You can check out the complete press release after the jump.
[Source: Hyundai]Continue reading Mess With Success: Hyundai already seen tweaking Genesis sedan for 2010 Mess With Success: Hyundai already seen tweaking Genesis sedan for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| SPOILER ALERT: All That and More at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix
September 13, 2009 at 2:48 pm
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| Filed under: Motorsports 
2009 Italian Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery
In the midst of a Formula One season that's been anything but ordinary, how would you envision an ideal race to unfold? Ferrari and McLaren back on top? The two teams are responsible for most of the championships over the course of the past couple of decades, after all. The title-leading Brawn GP team taking another dominant victory? They've won over half the races so far this season. A new underdog to pull a surprise performance out of its hat? Nothing would surprise us at this point. Maybe some exciting wheel-to-wheel action and surprise spin-outs to shake up the order at the last minute?
How about all of the above? Because that and more is this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza had in store for race fans in one of the most exciting, surprising and pivotal races so far this season. Follow the jump to read how it unfolded.
Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: All That and More at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix SPOILER ALERT: All That and More at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| What a Way to Go: Oldest reported Pontiac found as brand rides off into the sunset
September 13, 2009 at 2:33 pm
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| Filed under: Videos, GM, Pontiac 
As it turns out, "old GM" still matters to someone -- and in this case, we mean really old. The Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance in Westport, Connecticut wanted to include Pontiac in this year's showing, so it went looking for the most ancient example it could find. Of the 12 Pontiacs they tracked down from 1926, the brand's inaugural year, the very oldest resided in Minnetonka, Minnesota: a 1926 two-door coach.
Co-owned by a father and son, Roy and Paul Jaszczak, the Series 6-27 is in good running condition and has apparently made it this far in life without a major restoration: a clean-up, a valve job, and replacing the Lindbergh-era tires is all the Jaszczak's have needed to do.
For their munificent stewardship of the oldest Pontiac, the car will be shipped to the Concours and the Jaszczak's will be flown to New York and put up in swank digs. Then they'll drive the car up to Westport and revel in the kind of East Coast attention that probably hasn't been showered on Minnesotans since Fargo. It's a fitting showcase for the end of the "We build excitement" era, and to the Jaszczak's we say: nice work.
[Source: Star Tribune]
What a Way to Go: Oldest reported Pontiac found as brand rides off into the sunset originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Frankfurt Preview: Volkswagen 1-liter concept, 158 mpg (US) tandem 2-seater
September 13, 2009 at 1:03 pm
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| Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Technology, Volkswagen
Ono of the numerous cars that will shown by Volkswagen this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show is the latest edition of the 1-liter concept. The name represents the amount of fuel it takes the vehicle to travel 100 km (62 miles) and nominally equates to 235 mpg. In this case, based on the translation, it appears that VW might be taking some liberties with the name since it seems to take 1.49 liters / 100 km, or a mere 157.8 mpg (US). For all practical purposes, the difference is largely inconsequential since so little fuel is used at these lofty levels.
The original 1-liter concept appeared in 2002 and was enormously expensive since it was largely made of one-off unobtanium. This time around, VW used more conventional components and materials to create the tandem two-seater. A 36-horsepower two-cylinder diesel propels it along with some indeterminate degree of hybridization through a 7-speed DSG gearbox. Weight is cut to about 1,100 pounds through extensive use of carbon fiber composites, and the tandem layout helps cut frontal area to a minimum, reducing drag. In the past, VW has said it would like to have a 1-liter car in production by 2010, but we don't know the current status of those plans yet. Thanks to Paul for the tip!
[Source: Bild am Sonntag]
Frankfurt Preview: Volkswagen 1-liter concept, 158 mpg (US) tandem 2-seater originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| You didn't think the battle for Opel was over, did you? Belgium reportedly asking EU to investigate
September 13, 2009 at 11:36 am
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| Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, GM, Opel, Canada 
When GM decided to hand 55% of Opel to Magna, you didn't think the Belgians were just going to have some waffles and call it quits, did you? Oh no. Belgium's prime minister made a call to the EU president about the deal, and the EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told a Belgian newspaper, "If something happens against the rules, I will take action."
According to the prime minister, however, the rules have already been broken. Even though Magna has said it will need to trim more workers than expected, the Belgian leader said, "Financial aid given by a country that guarantees that the factories in their country don't close is against EU rules." The sale to Magna has observers screaming, "Politics!" but has made German Chancellor Angela Merkel look very good in the run-up to elections on September 27; with EU scrutiny all she really needs to hope for is that it takes them longer than two weeks to come to an adverse finding, if that should happen.
Opel labor, however, isn't so pleased anymore now that Magna has said it will need to eliminate more jobs than it originally proposed. Initial estimates put job losses at 2,500 workers in Germany; now the Canadian company is saying 4,100 jobs could be lost. It appears that Opel workers plan to assert themselves if Magna does anything differently than it said it would. In addition, labor wants "a veto right over job cuts, transfer of production or plant closures," which are the kinds of rights VW labor unions have. If you ask us, the dust on this one is nowhere near settled.
[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]
You didn't think the battle for Opel was over, did you? Belgium reportedly asking EU to investigate originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Ford finds buyer for Wixom plant, will be used as renewable energy park
September 13, 2009 at 10:04 am
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| Filed under: Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford 
Ford's abandoned plant in Wixom, Michigan, is getting a new lease on life. The factory originally opened way back in 1957 during the glory years of the American automotive industry and it encompasses a massive 320 acres (4.7 million square-feet). By the fall of 2011, the Wixom plant won't really have much to do with cars, becoming instead the largest renewable energy park in the United States.
Two companies plan to invest $725 million into renovating the former Ford factory. Clairvoyant Energy of Santa Barbara, California will relocate its headquarters and produce solar panels in Wixom. Xtreme Power of Austin, Texas plans to build large-scale batteries to store power for the electric grid and from wind farms.
The promise of over 4,000 new jobs in Michigan was enough to garner a series of large tax breaks from the state and millions of dollars worth of grants from the federal government. For its part, Ford seems quite pleased with the direction its idled plant will take. Says executive chairman Bill Ford:
This is very much in line with a core principle we hold at Ford... I can't imagine a better way to use this facility for our children and our grandchildren. We're going to put this plant and the skilled workers of Michigan back to work. [Source: The Detroit Free Press]
Ford finds buyer for Wixom plant, will be used as renewable energy park originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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