Last Auto Reviews Blog

1,104-hp twin-charged Danish-designed Zenvo ST1

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Zenvo ST1

With supercar startups coming out of the woodwork, it takes a lot to get our attention. Danish company Zenvo Automotive has done just that with the announcement of its newest project, the ST1. With a mid-mounted turbocharged and supercharged 7.0-liter V8 engine (perhaps from Chevrolet?), the ST1 puts out an incredible 1,104 horsepower and funnels it through a six-speed manual gearbox. Attention officially granted.

The project was started back in 2004, and the first cars are -- optimistically -- planned for delivery in 2009. The first performance tests were completed in October and the rear-wheel-drive ST1 is claimed to have reached 62 mph in what we imagine was a traction-limited 3.2 seconds. The run to 120 was accomplished in just under nine seconds and the top speed is reported to be an electronically limited 233 mph. So a Veyron/Ultimate Aero/GT9/CCX-killer this is not.

The Zenvo ST1 certainly looks unique, with a very geometric appearance, including boomerang-shaped vents adorning the grille, hood and sides. Nothing quite like it is currently rolling on the roads and with just 15 scheduled for production, prospective owners can count on never seeing one in the Whole Foods parking lot. Thanks for the tip, Andy!

[Sources: Zenvo Automotive, World Car Fans]

1,104-hp twin-charged Danish-designed Zenvo ST1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | | |

Read More!

Toyota Prius Sales Continue To Rise Amidst High Gas Prices

Toyota Prius sales continue to rise amongst high gas prices, and fear of global warming. Although it’s my belief its more about how people are affected by high gas prices than by people’s concern for the planet.

toyota prius

From Autodeadline.com:
“Toyota announced that worldwide cumulative sales of the Toyota Prius-the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle-have passed the 1 million mark, with approximately 1,028,000 units sold as of the end of April this year. Currently, Prius sales are robust in more than 40 countries and regions, particularly in Japan and North America.
(more…)

Read More!

GM to expand V6 output to 940,000 units per year

GM is planning on expanding its plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico in order to increase production of its 6-cylinder engine. The extension will ad about 350,000 V6 engines to the plants capacity raising...

Read More!

VW is Recalling All 1999-2005 Passats...That's all 410,000 of Them

Volkswagen has announced that the automaker is going to issue a recall of every 1999-2005 VW Passat.

Read More!

2009 Chevrolet Aveo and Aveo5 pricing announced

Chevrolet today announced the pricing for the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo and Aveo5. The redesigned 2009 Aveo LS and Aveo5 LS five-door hatchback starts at $12,120. Both come with a numerous variety of...

Read More!

Official Details: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO trio

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Mercedes-Benz

Click above for a gallery of the Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero

Mercedes-Benz has unleashed a ton of information (the laughably long press release can be found after the break) on its new Concept BlueZERO threesome, which will debut next month at the Detroit Auto Show. The lime green E-CELL electric model features a range of 120 miles via its on-board lithium ion battery pack. If that's not enough, an extended-range model is available that carries a three-cylinder engine that's cribbed from the smart fortwo and allows for a range of 370 miles on a single charge and one tank of gas. The last version is called the BlueZERO F-CELL and features a fuel cell that will allow for a range of up to 248 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. All three use the same 100kW electric motor and can reach 60 mph in 11 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 93 mph.

Each of these three models is built atop Daimler's unique sandwich architecture that first debuted on the A-Class in 1997. This arrangement allows the entire drivetrain to sit beneath the passenger compartment and allows each of these concept cars to keep their full allotment of 17.6 cubic feet (500 liters) of cargo space and seating for five. A striking exterior, featuring a grille-less face and translucent bodywork, is designed to draw attention to the unique structure and green credentials. We'll see it all for ourselves when we bring you the goods live from Detroit.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Official Details: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO trio

Official Details: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO trio originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

| |

Read More!

Vauxhall offering workers 9-month sabbatical with 30% pay

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, GM

Auto sales in the UK are taking a beating just as bad as they are here in the States, as year over year sales in the Queen's country dropped 27% in October and 37% in November. That's bad news for General Motors' Vauxhall brand, especially considering the automaker's current financial situation (or lack thereof).

To help keep costs in check during this lean time, Vauxhall has offered a nine-month sabbatical to any worker at its Ellesmere Port facility that wants to hang up his or her work boots until October 2009. In return, Vauxhall is offering up to 30% of that worker's pay during the time off. While that doesn't pay the bills in most cases, money for nothing is tough to beat. The goal of the program is to help Vauxhall and GM keep their structural costs down, though they aren't expecting many takers. The 5,000 workers at Ellesmere are getting a trial run of life without work right now anyway, as the plant is on shut down for an entire month. Thanks for the tip, James!

[Source: BBC]

Vauxhall offering workers 9-month sabbatical with 30% pay originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | | |

Read More!

Will you TH!NK All-Electric with your New Car Purchase in 2009?

ThinkGallery_007.jpg picture by willfusion

(TH!NK CEO Jan-Olaf Willums and Design Manager Kathinka Von der Lippe)

TH!NK, a Norwegian electric car producer, is ready to give America their first taste of an affordable, mass-produced, all-electric vehicle in 2009 thanks to a partnership with Green-leaning investors Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers (http://www.kpcb.com) and RockPort Capital Partners. While TH!NK has been producing EV’s for the Scandanavian roads for a number of years now and has enjoyed other partnerships, including a stint with Ford, this will be their first forray in North America.

The first car of their three current designs that will be sold by TH!NK North America will be the TH!NK City. To start out the company will focus its sales in California, but if the car sales go as expected there will be more states to come we can imagine. The TH!NK City is built from materials that make it 95% recyclable and has a range of 110 miles and reaches a top speed of 65 mph. There are two battery options available to the TH!NK City buyer: lithium or sodium.

As with the all electric car system Project Better Place that is taking place in Isreal, the owner of a TH!NK car will pay a maintenance fee for the batteries used in their cars. In exchange TH!NK will assume all responsibility associated with their battery packs, including swapping them for new batteries if necessary. The fee also covers the body panels of the car; which they describe as dent resistent and rust proof. The proper support and gentle aging that takes place over the cars lifetime is one of the reasons TH!NK believes their cars will retain a high resale value over time.
…Photo Galleries to follow… (more…)

Read More!

2010 Nissan GT-R To Lose Troublesome Launch Control [Nissan GT-R]

Nissan execs have apparently told the reporters over at Edmunds Straightline that the 2009 Nissan GT-R will be the first and last GT-R with the "launch control" system as the company is tired of dealing with the warranty nightmares that have convinced people they can't do GT-R donuts. Said one high-ranking exec:

It's gone," he said when asked if launch control would return in 2010. "We just don't want to deal with the warranty nightmare anymore

Hey, but there's a silver lining.

Said the same source, "It'll make the 2009 GT-R really special. It'll be the only R35 with launch control." So remember that GT-R owners when your engine falls out of your brand new exotic car and Nissan won't replace anything because your teenage son used launch control once in his high school's parking lot in a misguided attempt to impress a girl in the marching band. [Edmunds: Straightline]

Read More!

Spy Shots: Subaru/Toyota rear-wheel-drive coupe

We have no idea where these spy shots came from, but we were tipped by Tim over at Camaro5. Apparently what you see here are the first shots of the Subaru/Toyota rear-wheel-drive coupe that is due...

Read More!

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder Live Unveil, More Details [Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder]

We saw the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder a bit earlier today, but now we've got the official details and the live reveal photos from the LA Auto Show. The LP 560-4 Spyder boasts the same 560 HP, 5.3 liter V10 with 398 lb-ft of torque, all-wheel-drive, and slick shifting sequential manual transmission as the normal LP 560-4 but pops the top to give it a more So-Cal flair. Rightly so, as 30% of all Lambo's are sold in the currently smoky southern part of California and we're betting a good percentage of those going forward will be wearing the "Spyder" badge. Complete details, full resolution images, and an unnatural desire to wear your gold chains on top of your open-collar Hawaiian shirt below. What's that? Oh, those darn booth professionals got in the way again. Can we never get a clear shot at the cars!?

Check out more on the Lamborghini LP560-4 Spyder from CarandDriver.com

Automobili Lamborghini Debuts Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder at the Los Angeles Auto Show

Automobili Lamborghini, creator of the world’s most exclusive super sport cars, today held the worldwide debut of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560—4 Spyder at the Los Angeles Auto Show. As the successor to the best-selling Lamborghini of all time, the new LP 560-4 Spyder combines the Coupé’s design, performance and handling characteristics with the open-air pleasure only a soft top super sports car can deliver.

As the brand’s largest global market, the United States – specifically Southern California - was strategically chosen as the perfect location to unveil the new open top super sports car. In 2007, Southern California contributed to approximately 30 percent of all Lamborghini sales in the United States, maintaining its position as the country’s most successful region.

“The LP 560-4 is the best example of the Gallardo to date and will be a great contribution to Lamborghini’s future success,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “The entirely new LP 560-4 Spyder adds another dimension to the Gallardo’s lineage with extreme design language and class-leading performance.”

The much anticipated Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder offers a new 5.2 liter engine with 40 additional horsepower than its predecessor; allowing it to sprint from 0-62 mph in only four seconds with a top speed of 201 mph. The car’s agility has also been greatly refined with a new, lighter transmission, which allows increased shift times by 40 percent (Corsa Mode), combined with an all-new chassis, suspension and Lamborghini’s permanent all-wheel drive system. Despite increased performance, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been reduced by 18 percent.

Since 2003, more than 8,500 Gallardos have left the production facility in the birth place of all Lamborghinis in Sant’Agata, Bolognese, Italy. The Gallardo LP 560-4 Coupé was first unveiled to the world at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008 with the dynamic launch taking place in Las Vegas later that spring. Each person who experienced the new Gallardo on the track or the streets unanimously agreed: the Gallardo LP 560-4 is an all-new car that can be enjoyed on any driving surface. Since, the new Gallardo has been critically acclaimed by customers and the media for its extreme performance, aggressive design and increased drivability. The highly anticipated LP 560-4 Spyder is set to continue this legacy. The Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder is now available to order from dealers worldwide, with customer deliveries commencing Spring 2009.

In 2007, the United States market accounted for 39 percent of total Lamborghini sales worldwide and remains the brand’s largest global market. Since the beginning of 2005, Automobili Lamborghini has strategically increased its global reach from 65 to 119 dealers worldwide; 31 of these dealers are located in the United States. Last year was a record year for the brand with 930 Lamborghinis delivered in the United States and 2,406 delivered worldwide.

[Source: Lamborghini]

Read More!

Volkswagen Touareg V12 TDI Baja Racer [Volkswagen Touareg]

VW launched into another class of Baja today as it released it's Touareg Baja Racer at the LA Auto Show. Racing along the same 630 miles of desert peninsula as the ever popular Baja Bug class, this Trophy Truck packs a 542 HP 5.5 liter V12 turbodiesel powerhouse motivating only the rear wheels to kick up some thick, dusty awesome. A tubular chassis only retains the visual dimensions of a Touareg - It's actually 10% larger than the production model. Full press release below the jump.

Check out more on the Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI from CarandDriver.com

The answer: the Volkswagen Baja Race Touareg with a V12 TDI engine

The surprising success achieved with the "Dakar" Touareg sparked an ambitious programme by Volkswagen of America specifically geared to the Baja rallies. In close collaboration with the team of Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero an innovative prototype for the Trophy Truck class was created. For the first time, an automobile manufacturer dares to tackle this class with diesel technology. The rear-wheel driven Baja Touareg TDI’s power of more than 550 PS is supplied by a 5.5-litre V12 diesel engine from the Volkswagen Group. The efficient and fuel-saving TDI engine, together with a gearbox operated by steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, promises to develop its power in a clearly better, and thus tyre-saving, way than spark-injection engines do. Whereas the fuel tank capacity of the petrol-powered vehicles is unlimited and typically designed to handle 120 to 130 gallons, the diesel vehicles must settle for 65 U.S. gallons (246 litres).

The chassis, with a tubular frame and a rigid rear axle with an enormous suspension travel of 75 centimetres, follows the typical principles of Trophy Trucks. The Baja Touareg TDI is prepared and fielded by Arciero-Miller-Racing in the USA; the engine is prepared in Germany. Visually, the Baja Touareg TDI will resemble the production vehicle. However, in all of its proportions the prototype is slightly ten per cent bigger than its production role model; it is practically an XL-sized Touareg.

Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero are two proven experts in the cockpit. Both have won several Baja 1000 and Baja 500 competitions as well as off-road titles in the USA. 46-year-old Mark Miller from Phoenix / Arizona is navigated by 34-year-old Willie Valdez jr. from Los Angeles. Ryan Arciero hails from Los Angeles and is 35 years old. He comes from a family that has been active in racing for over 50 years and for whose teams the likes of Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Michael Andretti and other well-known names have driven. Arciero’s co-driver is 32-year-old Benny Metcalf jr. from San Clemente/California. The decision about the time and place for the driver change will be taken after the track inspection and strategy planning.

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen and Clark Campbell, Motorsport Manager of Volkswagen of America, agree about the objective," At the Volkswagen Touareg TDI’s maiden race we want to master the route of the Baja 1000 and reach the finish. At such a tough and unusual event this would be a first success and a promising starting base for the first full off-road season in 2009."

Read More!

The New Volvo S80's Blind Spot Detector

I commuted into the Cars.com office today in the new 2007 Volvo S80. This is an important redesign for Volvo, and because it’s the company’s flagship, it’s loaded with some fancy safety equipment. This morning’s short jaunt on Interstate 90/94 in Chicago proved that one of them, the Blind Spot Information System, certainly lives up to its name.

There are three parts to the system — a $595 stand-alone option — that drivers will notice. One is the indicator itself, a translucent square at the bottom corner of each front window, right above the tweeter for the sound system. The device that registers if a car is in your blind spot is a camera mounted right next to the side mirror, and the best part is the simple-to-turn-on-and-off button on the center stack that shuts the traffic-nanny off.

I had the sucker on all morning, and I thought in stop-and-go rush-hourtraffic an orange light illuminating every time someone was in my blindspot would be annoying, but the color and intensity, at least indaylight, doesn’t steal attention away from the road. I thought forsure with its location in the corner of my vision it would do justthat, but it was only noticeable when I glanced in its direction. Thedriver’s side was more noticeable than the passenger side light,however, so I must have registered it without really paying attention.Still, it is subtle.

I didn’t really need to use the BLIS during my drive, though. The sidemirrors and my experience as a driver meant I didn’t really need thesystem, but I can see how, on a longer drive with more fast-movingtraffic, a light would definitely stop me from making an absent-mindedmove. That would be worth the $595 price tag to save me from feelingstupid in such a situation.

This morning, the only thing I wished the car had was a paint gun toflag the woman in the Chevy Malibu who had to actually turn her carabout 60 degrees to get it wedged into the small gap in front of me tocut me off. She then proceeded to cut someone off in another lane. Afew miles later she was about 10 car lengths ahead of me. Can Volvo doanything about that? I’d pay double.

Read More!

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Archives