Last Auto News Blog: сентября 2009

VW Asks Chrysler to Stop Producing the Slow Selling Routan for a Month

Well it looks like VW's attempt at a badge engineered Chrysler minivan is not going over so well. According to The Windsor Star, Chrysler workers are going to stop building the Volkswagen Routan, which is based on the Chrysler Town & Country.

VW has asked Chrysler Canada to stop producing the Routan due to inventory build up for the month of February. Currently Chrysler has been producing 300 Routans a day with about 29,000 already shipped to dealerships.

VW has only managed to sell a few thousand Routans.

One-Off ASC McLaren Diamonback Viper Up For Grabs [For Sale]

Big Dodge Viper Fan? Have $295,000 burning a hole in your pocket? Always wanted to own one of the fastest, rarest Vipers ever made? Well we've got the car for you.

The ASC built McLaren Diamondback Viper is now up for grabs on DodgeVipersForSale.com. Originally built for the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the Diamondback Viper was a one-off concept based on the 2006 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Coupe that showcased lighter weight components and a McLaren tuned 8.0-liter V10 good for 615 horsepower. It was originally rumored that the Diamondback was the precursor to the 2008 model, but unfortunately it was shelved to live its life as a concept study only.

The Diamondback Viper featured custom carbon fiber body panels, a special stainless steel quad outlet exhaust, a custom carbon fiber racing stripe with "Mclaren Orange" and "Viper Blue" accents as well as a custom in-hood trumpeted air intake system with individual port throttles.

It's estimated that it cost ASC and Dodge $750,000 to build the one-off Diamondback Viper, but it can be yours for the much lower price of $295,000. This may seem expensive to you and me, but considering the collectability of concept cars, this is one's a steal.

Diamondback Viper Startup

Original ASC Press Release:

THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE VIPER
ASC (American Specialty Cars) has a long history of developing vehicle prototypes with innovations designed to showcase the company’s expertise in vehicle design and performance materials. ASC showed its expertise at the 2006 North American International Auto Show by unveiling a supercar made even more super by the addition of a mostly carbon-fiber body. A ‘snake’ with an all-new skin, the ASC Viper Diamondback is super-light and super-fast. It’s fitting that ASC, which helped the Chrysler Group bring the new Dodge Viper SRT10 coupe to life, would, with the aid of McLaren Performance Technologies, show how the Viper coupe might be taken to an all-new level of ‘extreme’.
The 2006 615-horsepower Diamandback Viper features a carbon fiber roof, deck lid, rockers, fascia inserts and body trim. It also sports a massive OmniCarbon™ hood that shows off ten unique trumpeted air intakes, with individual port throttles peeking through. This is a McLaren Performance Technologies feature, reminiscent of McLaren Can-Am engines of the past.

The hood is comprised of compression-molded carbon fiber, both painted and woven. It’s displayed beautifully, with a broad, clearcoated racing stripe down the Arctic White painted expanse, subtly outlined by “Viper Blue” and “McLaren Orange” pinstripes. In all, ASC removed about 85 lbs. from the vehicle — the hood alone weighs about half of the standard production model. Taken together with the performance modifications by McLaren, the resulting power-to-weight ratio is estimated to yield an incredible 0-60 time — in just 3.5 seconds!

ASC MODIFICATIONS:

* Custom McLaren Performance Technologies engine tuning, resulting in 615 Horsepower

* Exterior racing-type kill switch

* Custom ASC OmniCarbon™ hood, with carbon-fiber roof, hatch, front chin spoiler, rear fascia, side rockers, deck spoiler, side venting gills and interior accents

* Custom in-hood tumpeted air intakes,
with individual port throttles

* 1.25" lowered suspension

* 4-point racing harness

* Custom stainless-steel, quad outlet exhaust

* Custom carbon-fiber racing stripe, with "McLaren Orange" and "Viper Blue" accents

* "Arctic Ice Pearl" paint

* Custom 3-piece forged and painted 19" aluminum wheels

[Dodge Vipers For Sale via Motor Authority]

VW Confirms that the VW Polo is Headed to the US

Volkswagen Group of America CEO Stefan Jacoby has confirmed that VW is going to sell the small Polo in the US.

VW feels that following last summer's record gas prices, US consumers are more open to smaller more fuel efficient vehicles. Eventually gas prices are going to rise again, which would increase demand for a vehicle like the Polo.

The Polo fits in between the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit in terms of size.

Volkswagen development chief Ulrich Hackenberg recently told the Automotive News that "The small-car segment is the fastest growing segment in the U.S. and that Oil prices will rise again and that will drive small car sales up further.”

It's not known when the Polo will go on sale in the US, but production could take place at Volkswagen’s Puebla, Mexico plant.

Senate Approves Energy Bill, $7,500 Tax Credit For Chevy Volt Buyers

Yesterday, the United States Senate passed a new bill that will provide tax credits for plug-in electric vehicles, allowing GM to successfully achieve their goal of obtaining a $7,500 tax credit for Chevy Volt buyers. According to the new piece of legislation, tax credits for plug-in buyers will start at $2,500 and extend all the up to $7,500 for light-duty vehicle - with Volt buyers being eligible for the maximum allowance. Unlike the tax credits already established for alternative energy/gasoline electric vehicles which orders the credits be phased out for customers of a company once that company sells more than 60,000 qualifying vehicles, credits for plug-in electric buyers won’t be phased out until sales total 250,000.

Although no official comment has been made by the Senate on the matter, Toyota has voiced strong objections to previous editions of the bill. Without specifically naming the Chevy Volt, Toyota suggested that the legislation would unfairly benefit only the customers of one particular plug-in hybrid vehicle. The new bill may have rectified the situation, but Senate has refrained from speaking on the matter. [Source: AutoNews.com]

Automotive Cockpit Concept Punishes Bad Driving With Hasselhoff Tunes [Design]

If the designers of the Automotive Cockpit have their way, the next time you cut off your fellow traveler or turn without signaling, you'll be punished by a serenade from none other than the Hoff.

With the relentless integration of personalized music into car stereo systems in an effort to insulate the entire natural world from our senses, interesting opportunities for feedback on driving styles emerge. Since the youth market is so tuned into music that is their own, it's conceivable that playing other music when they behave badly behind the wheel will act as a deterrent for future poor driving. This is the concept behind the Automotive Cockpit.

Besides swiping the single bottom spoke design from Citroen and using chipper colors and gee-whiz techno-ideas, the Automotive cockpit will play your music happily when you're being good. When you make a low level mistake it'll play tunes by the great crooner David Hasselhoff, if you make a high level mistake, it plays something called "hüttenschlager," which, we assume is some mercilessly bad German traditional music totally uncool with the kids these days.

Of course, if this were released in Germany, it would have the opposite effect, with kids breaking the rules to hear the Hoff rock out in symphonic surround sound. [Design Launches]

The Hills Star Lauren Conrad Spotted In New Mercedes-Benz Drop Top

Or, another considered title for this post, “RideLust editor completely corrupts her soul, reports on young, talentless, hack.”

Nevertheless, the sham must go on and so I bring to you now the latest and greatest about one of Hollywood’s leading waifs and her newest ride. According to photos snapped by the enterprising paparazzi, Lauren Conrad, the vapid harbinger of a doomed generation [to put it lightly], has reportedly ditched her BMW for a Mercedes-Benz CL convertible. I’m not completely certain as to the year, make, or model, because while I was searching for the relevant visual aides, my attention was diverted by the large, carnivorous mass of evil gnawing at my conscious. So please take your own initiative to extract the relevant information after the jump.

Detroit 2009: Jeep Patriot Extended-Range Vehicle appears in D-town [w/VIDEO]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Crossovers/CUVs, Chrysler, LLC., Jeep

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Jeep Patriot EV

So sayeth Chrysler and ENVI, Chrysler's electric vehicle partner, "the Jeep Patriot EV expands our portfolio of ENVI electric-drive vehicles and is just one more example of what is possible through the technology Chrysler is developing." With the same heart as the genuinely cool Chrysler 200C Concept, the capable and flexible range-extended engine gives the Patriot a 40-mile all electric range, a 400-mile total range, and an 8-second 0-to-60 jaunt.

The only question we have about this car is the same single question we have about all of the Chrysler-ENVI vehicles: um, when are we gonna see it? We're now six months into Chrysler's electric adventure, and all we have is a hoped-for date for the Circuit EV (showroom decoration in 2010). The Jeep and Caravan extended-range vehicles can't take that long, can they? Chrysler, we know you can do it. Give them to us. Soon. While the rest of you wait, you can read the press release after the jump and check out the gallery of high-res live photos below.

Gallery: 2009 Detroit: Jeep Patriot EV

Gallery: Dodge Patriot EV

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Jeep Patriot Extended-Range Vehicle appears in D-town [w/VIDEO]

Detroit 2009: Jeep Patriot Extended-Range Vehicle appears in D-town [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Lamborghini Urus Teaser Shots Leaked, Hint At 4-Dr Sedan

Last week, Lamborghini released teaser photos of their new impending model, the Lamborghini Urus, while keeping all other details sparse, at best. No word on what the actual Lambo body itself will look like, though the guys over at Autopia have made the horrifying suggestion that the photos appear to be a preview of what would be Lamborghini’s first 4-door sedan. According to them, the Urus’ prematurely revealed b-panel is thick enough to indicate an engine that’s been moved to the front, most likely to clear space for a rear seat. Oh, we shutter to think.

Full Lambo striptease after the jump

Bottom line: At first we were downright shocked by Porsche branching out into the 4-dr market with the impending 2010 Porsche Panamera, but now that Lamborghini might also be throwing their hat in the performance sedan ring, we’re downright intrigued. With rich legacies in the sports car market, we’re sure that any new offering from either powerhouse [even if its a minivan], would be a force to be reckoned with on the asphalt. What we’re anxious to see is just how well they pull it off. Keys, please?

Detroit 2009: Cadillac Converj [with VIDEO]

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Green, Cadillac

Click image above for live shots of the Cadillac Converj Concept

Cadillac just took the wraps off a new concept based on the Chevy Volt's "Voltec" drivetrain (that's a new moniker, by the way). The angular coupe is called the Converj and it is drop-dead gorgeous. With styling that is instantly recognizable as Cadillac, Bob Lutz told us at the press conference that the car was designed to be aesthetically pleasing on its own. It's just a great shape that holds great promise. Lutz and Co. referred to the Converj as the "CADILLAC OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES" and even if that sounds trite, it could well bring Cadillac back to the top of the luxury car heap, with a solid foundation of SRX and CTS below it.

Like the Chevrolet Volt, GM says the Converj will be able to travel up to 40 miles on electricity alone, and it will have a small helper motor to help drivers avoid "range anxiety." That's the term for the fear of running out of charge when you're still miles away from your final destination. As Lutz pointed out, you can't run down to the gas station for a 5-gallon can of electricity. There's a lengthy press release after the jump with plenty of stats. All we can say is that we'd love to hear that that the Converj is going into production tomorrow, but the reality of GM's current financial situation probably means they won't be able to make any firm commitments for awhile. Hit the jump to view video of the live unveiling.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Cadillac Converj