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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Paris Motor Show, Chevrolet, GM

Click either image to enlarge.

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Has_the_production_Chevy_Volt_been_spotted_in_Transformers_2'; Ed sent us the above pic pilfered from the Transformers Live Action Blog and judging by the roofline, headlights and taillights, you're looking at the first picture of the production Chevy Volt. Not proof enough? The image on the right - a zoomed-in crop of the larger image -- shows a metal plate emblazoned with four letters spelling out GM's savior. The Volt it is. Our boys at AutoblogGreen have already called upon the General's minions for a comment, but no response has been delivered to our inbox... yet.

[Source: Transformers Live Action Blog]

 

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written by Damon Lavrinc \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Convertibles, Sedans/Saloons, Audi, Rendered Speculation

The blokes at Car say they've got the scoop on the upcoming Audi A7, including a convertible version depicted in the rendering on the right. Power is rumored to start with six cylinders across the range, with a V10-powered S7 and a twin-turbo V10-motivated RS7. Expect a variety of transmissions to be on offer as well, including manuals, automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes with six or seven speeds, along with the availability of quattro all-wheel-drive.

Sources have suggested that, while Audi will be behind the game in bringing a four-door coupe in the Mercedes CLS mold to market in the first half of 2010, it's got another segment-busting trick up it's sleeve: a full four-door convertible. And according to Car's illustrators, the A7 cabrio will feature a full retractable hard-top. Many have toyed with the idea of a four-door convertible - most recently arch-rival Mercedes with the Ocean Drive concept from Detroit '07 - but Audi may be the ones to actually revive the long-lost segment. Parade detail, here we come.

[Source: Car]

 

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written by Noah Joseph \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Etc.

"There are 20 million people in Moscow," my driver carefully enunciates in broken English, "and there are 50 million cars." Both figures are highly exaggerated, but considering the trek from the airport to the hotel should take around 45 minutes, and we're deep into our second hour of gridlock, his estimates almost seem plausible.

In reality, Moscow houses around 12 million of Russia's 143 million people, and only 20 percent of the total population owns a vehicle. Compare that to the rest of Europe (around 30 percent) and the U.S. (over 70 percent), and then add an expanding economy, and it's a wonder that the mainstream media insists on having Russia play third fiddle to China and India on the global automotive stage.

That's all changed this week.

Continue reading Russia Report: Say 'Hello' to Europe's largest auto market

 

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written by Damon Lavrinc \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Autoline on Autoblog

HAVE I BEEN TOO HARSH ON CHRYSLER?

Chrysler has been harshly criticized by analysts and the media. And with good reason. It's lost a ton of sales and market share. It had to bail out of leasing when its residuals plummeted. It came up $6 billion short trying to renew its credit lines. And its debt rating is pure junk.

Ever since Cerberus took Chrysler private they've only doled out dribs and drabs of information about the company. So analysts and reporters (including me!) rushed in to fill the vacuum, mostly with negative news. That woke the company up to the fact that it better start communicating with the outside world.

And that landed me an interview for Autoline with Tom LaSorda, the vice chairman of the company, who offered up a lot more information than I ever expected.

Continue reading Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy

 

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written by John McElroy \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, Earnings/Financials

Giveth, and taketh away, isn't that always the story? On the taketh away side, GM has recently lost a serious chunk of change. On the giveth side, The General received a $56 milion package of tax credits and grants to keep an SUV factory open in Ohio. It has also just received another package of tax credits from the city of Flint, Michigan to aid its investment in a factory that will build engines for the new Volt and Chevy Cruze. Approved over some constituent disapproval by the Flint City Council, getting GM to build the factory there will keep 300 jobs in the city. GM is now looking to the state of Michigan for more tax incentives.

[Source: Detroit News via Green Car Congress]

 

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written by Jonathon Ramsey \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Recalls/TSBs, Safety, Hyundai

Some 2008-model Hyundai Elantras are being recalled due to fuel pumps that could lose pressure and decreasing engine performance. In Elantras with the 2.0-liter Beta engine, gasoline with ethanol added creates a buildup of film on the pump's electrical contacts. This can cause the engine to hesitate during starting or while running. The recall is voluntary, and if you have one of the affected cars, don't hesitate to contact your dealer.

[Source: Freep]

 

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written by Jonathon Ramsey \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Etc., Green

A number of factors are conspiring to create a situation that recently would have been unthinkable: the United States as a supplier of gasoline to world markets. According to Booz & Company, those factors are the rise of biofuels in the West, the introduction of plug-in electric and other alternative fuel vehicles, and the growth of the really cheap car, like the Tata Nano.

The United States imports oil to feed its gasoline habit, but the U.S. has refining capacity that developing nations cannot match. The U.S. is also lowering its reliance on traditional gasoline due to the price, states' mandates on switching to biofuels, and the dawn of mass market alternative fuel vehicles. This adds up to the United States importing oil, and then selling it to nations like India and China to feed their larger appetites for gasoline.

In the middle of all of this are the refineries, who made predictions for today's business plans two decades ago. Sure, no one is crying for them -- they need extra pages to include the zeros on their profit statements -- but they have to start figuring out who's going to need which products and how they are going to deliver them. And, by refining company standards, they need to do it quickly, which is a method of operation they aren't well versed in.

[Source: Green Car Congress via Kicking Tires; Photo CC 2.0 - National Archives]

 

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written by Jonathon Ramsey \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Videos, Toys, Lifestyle, Celebrities

Click above to view video after the jump

Michael Bay's first attempt at bringing the Autobots into the real world, the 2007 live action Transformers film, has been all over HBO lately. When looking for HD programming to justify the expense of a flat screen and DirecTV to the Mrs., this movie really hits the spot. So in addition to once in the theater, I've seen it about 10 more times at home. Suffice it to say, I'm ready for T2: Revenge of the Fallen. While we've seen plenty of shots from filming and learned that the once mysterious addition to the Autobots is in fact the Corvette Centennial concept, we haven't had so much as a teaser trailer yet to wet our whistle. The video after the jump is a mere sip, but it will have to do for now. Thought to be shot in Long Beach, CA where filming has moved, it features a caravan of Autobots obeying the most famous of all Optimus Prime orders: Roll Out! The group includes Optimus, of course, and Bumblebee and Ironhide, as well as the Chevy Beat and Trax concepts and the Corvette Centennial concept. There's no sign of any Decepticons yet, but you just wait. Follow the jump to watch the video in high-res for yourself.

[Source: TFLiveBlog via eGMCarTech]

Continue reading VIDEO: Autobots on the roll

 

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written by John Neff \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Mazda

The Chevy Volt is unique in that its engine is really just a generator that produces electricity for the batteries, which then power an electric motor that turns the front wheels for propulsion. While the Volt powertrain is pretty spectacular, it may not be unique for long. British car site AutoCar is reporting that Mazda is not only interested in a similar setup for a future plug-in hybrid, but it already has a working prototype on the road. Mazda engineers told AutoCar that a battery pack charged by a rotary engine is already being used in a Mazda5 mule, and that management is encouraged by the early results but wants to see battery costs go down before proceeding.

If Mazda is working on a series hybrid like the Chevy Volt, that means its owner, Ford, would have direct access to the same technology. We do, however, find it odd that Mazda would use a rotary engine in this setup. While the Wankel engine is very compact and light, it's not very efficient and sucks oil, at least in the RX-8. When it comes to plug-in hybrids, though, we're with AutoblogGreen in saying the more the merrier.


[Source: AutoCar]

 

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written by Chris Shunk \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Motorsports

Phil Hill, the only American-born driver to win a Formula One title, passed away last night of complications associated with Parkinson's disease at the age of 81. Aside from his success with Ferrari in F1 during the 1961 season, Hill was also the first American to win at the 24 hours of Le Mans, taking the title twice more and winning the 12-hours of Sebring three times.

Described by friends and colleagues as reserved and genteel, Hill was a breath of fresh air in the international racing scene and finally inducted into the International Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1991.

He is survived by his wife Alma, son, two daughters and four grandchildren, all of whom have our heartfelt condolences.

[Source: Autoweek]

 

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written by Damon Lavrinc \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Chevrolet, GM

Click above to enlarge

General Motors continues to eek out teaser shots of the production Chevy Volt, but it appears that an image of the production interior has slipped through the Empire's net of control. All we have to go on for this image posted on the Motivemag.com forums is the image itself, which is part of a display panel at what appears to be a sneak preview of the vehicle for god knows who. What we see is a sleek, all-white center console with virtually no buttons. The controls appear to be touch sensitive instead, leaving the face of the console as smooth as a Frigidaire. Good luck installing an aftermarket stereo in this one. Completely flush air vents flank the console, which stands out in contrast to the black dash panel. On top of it all sits the information display, seen here showing the relationship between the "range extending" engine and lithium-ion batteries. What say you? We all know the production Volt isn't going to be as wild as the concept, but does this innovative center console meet your expectations? Also keep in mind that this might not be the real deal, but it seems to be from all appearances. Thanks for the tip, Brandon!

Gallery: Production Chevy Volt

[Source: Motivemag.com]

 

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written by John Neff \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Saturn, Lifestyle, Celebrities

Click above to view gallery of stills from Saturn's Project Runway appearance

Project Runway is one of those reality shows that you both can watch, if you know what we mean. Though most men man not admit it, watching Heidi Klum and a bunch of models walk down a runway makes up for the obnoxious antics of the designers. This week's episode incorporated one of the show's long-time sponsors, Saturn, which heretofore has been relegated to supplying the winner with that year's Saturn du jour as a grand prize. Episode 7, however, brought Saturn onto the runway in a challenge that required the contestants to create fashions using parts from the new VUE. Make it work, indeed. Though we haven't watched the episode yet (oh yes, we DVR it), the best part appears to be when the designers begin dismantling a pair of VUEs for materials. Mental note: be wary of used late-model VUEs for sale in and around New York City. It appears the designers were most attracted to any cloth they could find in the vehicles, with seat belts being a hot item. We're not going to spoil for you who won the challenge, except to say that the design was not our top choice. You can check them all out in the gallery below, as well as some stills from the episode.


[Source: Bravo via Jalopnik]

 

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written by John Neff \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Ford, Volkswagen

While Toyota and General Motors continue to duke it out for first place among the world's largest automakers, the lower rungs have been equally hotly contested. It came as a shock to many that Hyundai-Kia had surpassed Honda to take the Number 5 spot, but if you think the battle is being waged purely between the Far East and North America, don't discount Europe for long. The continent's largest auto group, Volkswagen, has claimed its place on the podium as the world's third largest automaker, beating out Ford in the first half of this fiscal year.

The numbers, of course, are based on sales worldwide, and they could very well change by the end of the year. Although Ford's own namesake brand surely accounts for the bulk of its sales, the FoMoCo multi-brand conglomerate that once included the Premier Auto Group has dissipated of late, while VW's numerous subsidiaries - including Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti - continue to thrive. All the more impressive, then, that a tiny company like Porsche is on the verge of seizing it all.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Battle of the Blue Badges: Volkswagen overtakes Ford as world's 3rd largest automaker

 

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written by Noah Joseph \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Ford

Click above to see the 2010 Mustang hood

Ford gave us a hint what changes we would be seeing on the 2010 Mustang by releasing images of its new edgy pony emblem yesterday, but a three-inch badge leaves a lot of room for speculation. We want to see more of the real deal. A member of MustangForums.com might have just the thing with what appears to be a photo of the 2010 Mustang hood. At first we had doubts that such an aggressive design would make it to production, but after taking a look at the spy photos, it looks like at least one of the test mules has a cowl hood lurking beneath all that camouflage. We'll be on the look out for more photos of the 2010 Mustang, and hopefully we'll have the whole car pieced together by the time the LA Auto Show rolls around!

[Source: MustangForums.com via Jalopnik]

 

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written by Drew Phillips \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Safety, Hyundai

Hyundai's all-new Genesis sedan made yet another smashing impression as it pulled-off perfect 5-star ratings in recent U.S. government testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Korean luxury vehicle was sent into a fixed barrier at 35 mph with two crash dummies strapped inside. Once the dust settled, instruments revealed both front seat passengers would have had less than a 10 percent chance of injury -- results earning 5-star ratings. Front and rear seat side impact testing revealed a low probability of injury as well, also earning the car 5-star ratings. In NHTSA rollover testing, the Genesis exhibited less than a 10 percent chance of rollover, again placing it among the top performers in that category. The admirable crash test scores earned by Hyundai's first venture into the luxury segment are sure to give the competition even more sleepless nights, especially considering all that luxury and safety starts at just $33,000.

[Source: Hyundai, Safercar.gov]

Continue reading 5 stars all around: Hyundai Genesis aces NHTSA crash tests

 

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written by Michael Harley \\ tags: blog

Filed under: Supercars, Bugatti, Brabus, Special/Limited Editions

Click above for hi-res gallery of the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes

We know what you're thinking, because we're in the same lamentable position ourselves: you'd totally order up that uber-exclusive Hermes edition Veyron, but you're not a big fan of the brown and tan paint scheme. Fortunately Bugatti has heard your cries, brother, and announced the availability of new color options for the Veyron Fbg.

The announcement actually came from Monterey but was quickly overshadowed, somewhat ironically, by the unveiling of the open-top Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport and the subsequent auction of its first example for $3.2 million. The unveiling of the new-tint Hermes Veyrons took place at the Quail motorsport gathering on Monterey Peninsula, where Bugatti revealed the four new color schemes available: "indigo blue and vermilion", "indigo blue and lime green", " black and garance red" and "Prussian blue and blue jean". We're not entirely sure what all these colors are, exactly, and given that Bugatti put them in quotation marks, we're not sure they're sure, either. They undoubtedly would have shown us pictures of all four, but given that these 1.5 million euro hyper-exotics are made to order and available only from the end of the year, we doubt examples of each color option have been made yet. Of course they all come decked out with the H-pattern grille, eight-spoke wheels, lavish calfskin interior and exclusive package of specially-made Hermes luggage.

Follow the jump for all the details, and check out the gallery below to see the new black and "garance red" Veyron Fbg par Hermes, which we like to call the "Autoblog Edition".

[Source: Bugatti]

Continue reading Bugatti releases new palette for Veyron Hermes

 

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