Filed under: Spy Photos, Truck, Chrysler, Dodge, Off-Road

We just told you that that Chrysler will be launching four new "Moparized" vehicles later this month, and our spies have already caught one of these new vehicles - the Dodge Ram Power Wagon - on the streets of southeast Michigan.

Unlike the Power Wagon that's just now hitting dealers, this is a totally unique package, featuring a single-cab configuration with a short, style-side bed. The huge off-road tires and exaggerated wheel arches lead us to believe that this is Chrysler's answer to the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor (if only in concept form), and our spies tell us that this prototype "made hair-raising sounds" as it drove by, leading us to believe that the 383-horsepower Hemi V8 is underhood.

We can't wait to see the production version on March 27 at the 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. If these spy shots are anything to go off of, it looks like it'll be serious fun for desert storming.



[Source: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: Dodge Ram Power Wagon hits the streets in search of Ford SVT Raptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Japan, Hatchback, Honda

The new Honda CR-Z has only been on sale in Japan for two weeks, and already the automaker has received over 7,000 orders for the small hybrid. This represents about 60 percent of the 12,000 units that Honda anticipated to sell domestically in the hatch's first year of production. If this trend continues, Honda may have to ramp up production of the CR-Z in Japan to meet the high demand.

The CR-Z's fortunes in other markets will be every bit as interesting to watch, of course. In the United States, for example, doubters (full disclosure: ourselves included) question whether Honda's idea of a sports hybrid that takes just under 10 seconds to hit 60 miles per hour might not be what the doctor ordered, especially when paired with surprisingly disappointing fuel economy figures. Of course, that's largely just what the online enthusiast community is saying at the moment, and not necessarily any indication of the car's eventual marketplace success whatsoever.

As fans of the long-gone CRX, we sincerely hope that the new CR-Z carries the torch in a way that does not appear to be conveyed by these early performance numbers. Either way, watching the CR-Z's long-term sales prospects both at home and in other markets will be far more important to the model's fortunes than an early sales boom in Japan and pre-launch online skepticism.



[Source: MarketWatch]

Honda CR-Z enjoying high early demand in home market? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Truck, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Off-Road

Chrysler has announced that it will launch four new "Moparized" (their term, not ours) models on March 27 at the 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah: the Jeep Wrangler J7, Jeep Patriot Extreme, Jeep Wrangler Trail Boss and Ram Power Wagon.

First off, there's already a 2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon, but it appears that this version will sport just two doors instead of the current four-door model. We also note plenty of flat black accents, including the wheels, grille and hood, which are set off by what appears to be a neon green stripe. Out back is a customized bed that includes an external fullsize spare tire rack. Ford SVT Raptor fighter? We'll see.

Moving on to the Jeep Patriot Extreme, we see a bright orange (EXTREME!!!) paint scheme highlighted (or is that lowlighted?) by more flat black accents on the grille and hood along with a two-inch Rocky Road Outfitters suspension lift, TJ 'Moab' 16-inch wheels and BF Goodrich KM2 tires. Lest we forget, there's also an uplevel Kicker stereo system and a roof-mounted snowboard rack.

Finally, we have a pair of Wranglers. The first is the J7, which is based on the four-door Unlimited Rubicon model and is "designed to have the basic appeal of military-issued vehicles." The second Wrangler is called the Trail Boss, and all we know about that one is that it's "a two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon that is built for serious off-road duty." Check out the high-res image gallery below and hit the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: Mopar sketches for 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler releases new "Moparized" concept renderings ahead of 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari

Chrysler releases new "Moparized" concept renderings ahead of 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

"The panel is deeply concerned that Treasury has not required GMAC to lay out a clear path to viability or a strategy for fully repaying taxpayers." This, according to a Congressional Oversight Panel that was created as a watchdog for the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds. The fix? Potentially breaking GMAC up into units and merging its auto lending business back into General Motors.

As a refresher, the Treasury invested $17.2 billion in TARP funds into GMAC, after which the financial company lost $8.3 billion on its Residential Capital unit in 2009. For it's part, Treasury has responded to the panel in a statement, saying, "Treasury continues to be a reluctant shareholder and to manage its investment in GMAC in a hands-off commercial manner consistent with the administration's established principles that guide Treasury's management of financial interests in private firms."

And since we've heard from the congressional panel and Treasury, why not from GMAC itself? Again, from a statement as reported to Automotive News: "We appreciate the panel's responsibility to analyze history; however, GMAC's management team is focused on the future. That includes continuing to provide the highest level of service to auto dealers and consumers in support of our auto partners, returning GMAC to a high level of profitability, and repaying the U.S. Treasury."

At this point, there's no clear indication on how Treasury or the congressional panel will proceed. Regardless, this is an issue that we'll be keeping a close eye on in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd. | Image: Craig Jones/Getty]

Report: Congressional panel doubts GMAC business case, suggests breakup originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports

There are quite a few changes coming for the FIA GT this year. For starters, the GT1 series will become a true world championship, as the FIA has announced an expansion that includes races on four different continents. Unfortunately, the Canadian race has been dropped from the schedule, but Silverstone, Nürburgring, Spa and Interlagos are all on the roster.

In addition to the new venues, the GT1 category will also focus solely on privateer teams with cars that meet new regulations for 2010. Many of the teams recently headed to the Paul Ricard circuit in France to test out their new cars including an imposing duo of Nissan GT-R racecars. Between sessions, the teams gathered on track for a brace of group photos which we've included in the high-res gallery below. Enjoy!



[Source: GT1World.com]

2010 FIA GT1 World Championship contenders pose for the camera originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style

Yesterday, we brought you the official patent drawings of the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu - the Epsilon II-based sedan that will more than likely debut later in 2011 as a 2012 model. Less than 24 hours later, one of our dedicated readers, Ted Krygier, has put his best Photoshop skills to work, completing a colored rendering of what the Malibu could look like based on the patent sketches

In colored-up form, it's even more clear that the next-gen Malibu will use a design inspired by the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia up front, with a few Camaro-like touches around the rear end. The styling is quite a bit more aggressive than the current Malibu, and since the new car appears to have a shorter wheelbase, its road stance should be more akin to that of the Ford Fusion. Still, we like what we see thus far. Hat tip to Ted for the renderings!



[Source: Cheers and Gears]

Coloring Between the Lines: Reader shades in 2012 Chevy Malibu patent drawings originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Ford, Specialty

The Ford Crown Victoria has been the chariot of choice (well necessity really) for police officers and cabbies all over America since the demise of its numero uno competitor, the Chevrolet Caprice, back in the mid-'90s. The Crown Vic and its ancestors have been around with a minimum of mechanical changes since roughly the same time as the Model T, or at least it seems that way. However, in recent years the Crown Vic has been increasingly challenged by the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Impala. Even more troubling for Ford is the impending arrival of a new rear-wheel-drive drive police car from Chevrolet based on the departed Pontiac G8.

At a private fleet sales event in Las Vegas today, Ford finally took the wraps off a new generation Police Interceptor model based on the 2010 Taurus. The new car has big shoes to fill as the Crown Vic has accounted for 70 percent of all police vehicle sales over the past five years. Read on for more on the new Police Interceptor.



[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced

Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

Suspension tuner John Hotchkis, principle of Hotchkis Sport Suspension and apparently at peace with the fact that we broke his precious E-Max, invited yours truly out to the Streets of Willow to pound some more hard fought miles into the amazing yellow 1971 Dodge Challenger. Actually, a whole bunch of people were on hand to do the pounding, and not just on the E-Max. Hotchkis was putting on a before-and-after clinic to showcase (and show off) a couple of its suspension packages. Not only was the mighty, heavily tweaked E-Max on hand, but the Hotchkis gang brought along a fairly stock 1970 Challenger, a rented Chevrolet Camaro SS and a Camaro SS that had been given the full Hotchkis suspension treatment.

The Plan: Put each car in the more-than-capable hands of John's brother, Mark Hotchkis, a former Indy Lights driver who also happens to campaign a Porsche 962 in vintage races. Each car would be put through a series of tests (slalom, skid pad and a lap of the track itself) revealing numerically just how much better the new Hotchkis suspension pieces worked. They also brought a few of us journalist types along to not only see viva la difference, but share our impressions with the world/you guys. But before we get to the results...



Photos by Jonny Lieberman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc. and Dan Khan

Continue reading Hotchkis Track Day proves "After" is much better than "Before"

Hotchkis Track Day proves "After" is much better than "Before" originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Wagon, Lexus, Rumormill, Luxury

Some of you will remember that from 2001 to 2005, Lexus sold a wagon variant of the IS, dubbed SportCross. Unfortunately, relatively dismal sales numbers didn't really make a business case for keeping that car alive, and Lexus canned it when the second-generation IS debuted in 2006. However, all hope of seeing a SportCross redux has not been lost - Autocar is reporting that the third-generation IS, set to arrive in 2011, could spawn a wagon variant once again.

Now, let's be realistic. If Lexus does build an IS SportCross again, it probably won't make it to American soil. Why? In Europe, wagons are hot sellers, with the BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant leading the pack. Lexus even admits that not offering a wagon in Europe has hurt overall sales of the car. Mercedes-Benz made a similar decision with the current-generation C-Class to only offer the wagon version in Europe, while in previous years, the C-Class Estate could be found at American dealerships as well.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Next Lexus IS to re-gain wagon variant? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

The Formula One season begins this weekend at what is expected to be a scorchingly hot circuit in Bahrain.

As we've been discussing for months, this has the potential to be one of the best seasons in more than a decade, with no less four World Champion drivers in the strongest cockpits. Even better, four teams are acknowledged to be at the top, and according to Mercedes test driver Nick Heidfeld, the Red Bull could be the class of the field. Follow the jump to hear Sebastian Vettel talk about the team's new racer and see it in action.

[Source: Red Bulletin]

Continue reading Video: The Red Bull RB6 is ready to race

Video: The Red Bull RB6 is ready to race originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Ford, Volvo, UAW/Unions, Geely

It's going to cost up to $2 billion for Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. to take ownership of Volvo, but according to a new report out of BusinessWeek, that lofty figure is just the cost of entry. Volvo union members and the board have apparently told the Chinese automaker that it will need at least $1.4 billion to repair the storied Swedish automaker.

Union head Glenn Magnusson reportedly says the money will be needed for the next year's product development, marketing, production and distribution. Magnusson tells BW that Geely has yet to demonstrate that it has the financials to sustain Volvo, adding "we haven't seen anything yet and we're not satisfied."

Further, Volvo board member Magnus Sundemo feels $1.4 billion may be a little low, adding that Geely will need to invest "at least as much as they're paying to buy us." One reason Volvo insiders feel the company will need plenty of cash is to satisfy Geely's desire to build up Volvo in China, with the goal of assembling 200,000 vehicles per year in The Land of the Great Wall.

Ford Motor Company and Geely, who have been in talks seemingly forever, are looking to get a deal done by the end of March. Regulatory filings are expected to draw out the process of officially handing over ownership of the Swedish automaker to June 30 at the earliest.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Report: Geely may need to come up with $1.4B to fix damaged Volvo after purchase originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

One of the most interesting sidebars that came out of Toyota's recent recall woes and the subsequent Congressional hearings on the subject was the Japanese automaker's relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Actually, the interesting part of the relationship with the regulatory body had more to do with the fact that Toyota hired former NHTSA employees who subsequently negotiated terms of safety investigations with former co-workers.

While current federal law prohibits an employee of the Executive branch from leaving a government post to represent a matter in the private sector in said employee's previous official area of responsibility, at least one former NHTSA executive feels tougher standards are in order. ABC News reports that Joan Claybrook (in pink, above), who ran NHTSA during the Carter administration, feels that the Obama administration needs to crack down on her former department because it's become too cozy with the auto industry it is tasked with overseeing.

In a prepared statement before her testimony in front of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, Claybrook said automakers including Toyota treat NHTSA "with contempt." But while some of her testimony will center on Toyota's dealings with the government agency, the former safety boss says she has found a total of 40 former NHTSA or Department of Transportation employees who currently work in the auto industry. Claybrook says all three domestic automakers as well as BMW, Honda, Suzuki and various trade associations all have ex-NHTSA or DOT employees on staff.

[Source: ABC News | Image: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty]

Former NHTSA head Claybrook reportedly blasts relationship between safety agency and automakers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Nissan, Design/Style

When we first met Nissan's vice president-design for North America Bruce Campbell, we were amused by his name. Hey, we've seen Evil Dead II at least fifty times. But after a few minutes of conversation with Nissan's highest-ranking U.S. designer, we were deeply impressed by his humor, ideas about design ("The Corvette looks fast standing still, the 370Z looks fast at speed") and his soft-spoken grace. Sadly, Mr. Campbell is disembarking from the Nissan ship after more than thirty years at sea, reports Wards Auto.

Campbell's career reads like a Nissan greatest design hits list, having worked on the (still fab looking) "Hardbody" trucks, the third-generation Maxima, the Xterra and more recently, the new latest Maxima, the Rogue and the 370Z. Going back to our conversation, Bruce explained to us that the 350Z was designed only as a coupe, and that the 350Z Roadster looked odd because it was an afterthought. From the start, the 370Z was designed to be both a coupe and a convertible. We think he did well. We also think that his successor and current European design chief Alfonso Albaisa has some pretty big shoes to fill.



Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Wards Auto]

Report: Nissan's head U.S. designer, Bruce Campbell to retire at end of March originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, GM

We have no proof that General Motors is getting payback on the three dealers who founded the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights (CRDR), Tammy Darvish, Jack Fitzgerald and Alan Spitzer. But we do know that retribution is a game often played by all sides, and that Darvish, Fitzgerald and Spitzer definitely believe GM has taken the first shot.

When GM announced nearly 2,000 dealer closures last year, the CRDR was created to lobby Congress to to invalidate the move. When that didn't work, the CRDR was able to get an arbitration law passed that gave dealers an opening to reinstatement. Of the 1,350 dealers marked for death, 1,160 took the opportunity for arbitration. Of that 1,160, there were 661 retroactively reinstated. However, of that 661, none include seven of the ten dealerships owned by Darvish, Fitzgerald and Spitzer that were slated to close.

GM has left the door ajar yet, saying that the remaining 499 dealers can contact the automaker for reinstatement or compensation and "GM would consider it." It is surely the path that the three leaders of the CRDR will take, but from this vantage point it looks like there might not be a pot of gold at the end of it.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd. | Image: Mark Ralston/Getty]

Report: Main rejected-dealer advocates fail to get GM reinstatement call. Coincidence? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Ford, Specialty

Later today, Ford will officially unveil its new Police Interceptor at a private fleet sales event in Las Vegas, but the first images of the new vehicle were posted this morning on the company's website. As has been rumored for some time, Ford will be adapting the Taurus to take over for the aged Crown Victoria, which is finally being euthanized in September 2011.

At this point, we don't have any mechanical details on the new cop car. We wouldn't be surprised if Ford offers the Interceptor in two forms: a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 version with front-wheel drive could serve for all those local applications like liaison officers, supervisors, etc. where extra performance is not needed. The true Interceptors for highway patrol applications will probably use the SHO powertrain with the 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 and all-wheel drive.

This twin-turbo cop car would provide the first real performance challenge to the increasingly popular Dodge Charger while likely getting much better fuel economy (not to mention GM's upcoming V8-powered, RWD, Zeta-based cruiser), and we presume that the Blue Oval will field the new units with the obligatory upgrades, including a more robust suspension, cooling system, electrical system and, hopefully, brakes. We should have all the answers for you around lunch time.



[Source: Ford]

BREAKING: First images of Ford's new Taurus-based Police Interceptor revealed! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: China, Crossover, Honda, Beijing Motor Show

The Honda Accord Crosstour has been less than critically acclaimed here in the U.S., but it's far too early to tell if the bulky hatchback will resonate with customers. While it may be too early to declare the Crosstour's success or failure here in the States, Honda may already be planning on introducing the hatchback/crossover/wagon to the transportation-hungry Chinese.

A new report from Gasgoo states that Honda is working with China partner Guangzhou Honda to build the Crosstour in The Land of the Great Wall. The Crosstour, which evidently carries the codename "Accord QE," has reportedly been spotted testing in China, and the Asian news site proclaims that the Accord-based "lifestyle vehicle" is set to be introduced next month at the Beijing Auto Show.



Photos by Chris Paukert / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Gasgoo]

Honda to build Accord Crosstour in China? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Scoripion King: 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty Power Stroke Diesel is cleanest ever How does an 18-25 percent fuel economy boost sound?		Report: Japan's fuel cell market could grow 99-fold by 2025 Or it could not.
	Is the cause of runaway Prius stories ... other runaway Prius stories? Watch out.	Other news: Tesla Motors battery pack goes to work... in a walk-in van Ingreenuity is Poet's way to make ethanol more environmentally friendly DOK-ING XD concept, urban EV from Croatia

AutoblogGreen for 03.12.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Classics, Etc.

In the high-stakes game of magazine publishing, there's one critical component that can either make or break an entire issue. What are we talking about? The cover. Get it right and an editor-in-chief can move an extra few thousand copies to casual passers by at the nearest magazine stand. Get it wrong, as Car and Driver undeniably did for its April 1987 issue with the wretched Zimmer Quicksilver on the cover, and you end up with the worst-selling edition in the magazine's storied history.

We just happened upon what may be the very best (or worst, depending on your point of view) time waster in the history of the Internet. It's called Coverbrowser.com, and it allows you to see over 450,000 magazine and comic book covers dating back to well before most of us were even born. Using this tool, we dug up some of the best, worst and just plain ridiculous automotive magazine covers in the history of the universe... or something like that.

For instance, do you think unintended acceleration is in some way a new phenomenon? Think again. Can a Buick be worth $65K in 1980 dollars? Yes, according to C&D. Remember the Cadillac Cimarron? See here. Did Oldsmobile ever make a European-inspired sedan worthy of enthusiasts? Apparently, yes. The 1982 Olds Omega, built atop the X-car chassis. Can a lowly pickup truck from GMC outgun a bright red Ferrari? Sure can. How about when a 134-mph Ford was newsworthy?

Just for fun, we also analyzed a few trends in magazine covers. It seems that high-priced exotics were nearly always worthy of being shot with an equally tantalizing female model. See here, here, here and here. And, though there are rare exceptions, Japanese cars didn't necessarily get models unless you count robot ninjas and samurais. Oh, and there's always room for a little misplaced patriotism, right?

All of this raises an interesting question. What's the blogging equivalent of a magazine cover? What will we all be waxing poetic about 30 years from now when we look back at Autoblog? Whatever the case, check out our gallery of awesome (or sometimes not) magazine covers below, and be sure to kill an hour or two over at Coverbrowser.com when you're done. Got any favorites of your own? Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves in the Comments section.



[Source: Coverbrowser.com]

In Pictures: Celebrating the art of the magazine cover originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

As Chevrolet Corvette Racing team heads into its first full season of competition in the American Le Mans Series GT2 class, the first full episode of a new General Motors video series chronicling their journey has been posted on YouTube. The 12-part series will follow the team as it gets ready for the nine race series as well as the annual June treck to Le Mans for the 24 Hours.

Episode one begins with a look back at where 2009 left off. On the final corner of the final lap of the Laguna Seca race last October, Jan Magnussen slammed into a retaining wall with a 57 g impact after making contact with one of the Flying Lizards Porsches.

As soon as the cars returned to the team's Wixom, MI shop, the crew set about getting ready for 2010 including preparing for the all-new 5.5-liter V8. First, though, they had to rebuild the #3 C6.R. Check out the first episode of the series after the jump.



[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Episode 1 of Chevrolet's Corvette Racing Series hits the interwebs cinema

Video: Episode 1 of Chevrolet's Corvette Racing Series hits the interwebs cinema originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Europe, Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG is already a fierce little roadster, what with its 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 cranking out 355 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. But for those who want something a bit more bonkers, the folks at Väth have just the solution, by way of the V58 - an SLK55-based beastie that produces - get ready - 565 hp and 568 lb-ft, gains of 210 and 192, respectively. Holy moly.

How does such a thing come to life? Väth starts by upping the Merc's engine displacement to 5.8 liters and adding things like a new compressor, new pistons, high-grade steel catalysts, a sport air filter and much more. In addition to these mechanical tweaks, the engine's electronics have been re-calibrated, and the end result is an SLK that will max out at 193 mph. To manage all of that added power, a new set of high-performance brakes have been added up front. Vath also offers a locking differential and a new fuel cooler as optional upgrades.

Other exterior changes include hot new 19-inch wheels and a custom suspension that can be lowered anywhere from 20 to 65 millimeters, depending on user specification. An aerodynamic package is also on hand, featuring a front lip and rear diffuser made of carbon fiber. Inside, Väth has added the usual decorative touches to the climate control system, ashtray, shift gate, shift knob, door coatings and seat adjustment controls.

Naturally, all of this extra kit comes at substantial cost, and for all of the upgrades that we've listed, you'll need to shell out €55,512 (that's just over $75,900 based on current exchange rates). For that price, you could buy two SLK55s and tie them together, but there's no doubt that the Väth creation would provide buckets and buckets of fun. Hit the jump for the full details in Väth's press release and check out our high-res gallery below.



[Source: Väth]

Continue reading Väth V58 turns up the wick on Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG to the tune of 565 HP

Väth V58 turns up the wick on Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG to the tune of 565 HP originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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