Spy Shots: Next-gen Porsche 911 sporting double-bubble roof
3rd Jul 2009
2011 Porsche 911 - Click above for a high-res image gallery of spy shotsWith every iteration of the 911, Porsche makes incremental improvements to its iconic sports car and naturally, the next generation will be no exception.
This latest 911 prototype was caught at the Nurburgring sporting 997 sheetmetal, but it's what's on top and out back that deserves note. A double-bubble roof panel has been fitted, while underneath the rear camouflage is a sizeable wing and additional ducting. Look closely and you'll see a small sill at the base of the rear windscreen that's assumed to be feeding the rear-mounted flat-six – likely necessary keep the boxer cool while Porsche engineers fi...
Behold: The one-of-a-kind Mercedes G/E-Class
3rd Jul 2009
Customized Mercedes-Benz G/E Class – Click above for galleryWhat is it lately that people don't seem to understand about hardcore off-roaders? They're not supposed to be aerodynamic, and they're not supposed to be pretty. And yet here we are yet again – after the modified Hummer recently spotted on eBay – looking at one of the world's most serious rock-climbing workhorses that's been smoothed out in controversial fashion, and in metallic Barney purple, no less.
What we have on one hand is the Mercedes Geländewagen, the same essential truck that Magna Steyr has been building for the Three-Pointed Star for some thirty years now. It's got the aerodynamic profile of a barn. Attached to a parachute. ...
Ford reportedly tops sales charts in Canada for first time in 50 years
3rd Jul 2009
2009 Ford F-150 - Click above for high-res image galleryGiven the state of the market, the Ford Motor Company is on a bit of a roll right now. The Blue Oval posted an 11% decline in volume for June versus the same month in 2008; a far better number than nearly every competitor from Japan or Detroit. Ford also flat-out dominated the market in the Great White North, as the Dearborn, MI-based automaker ranked number one in sales volume for the first time in 50 years.
Ford outpaced perennial market leader General Motors by a substantial (for Canada) 5,000 units. Ford posted 27,408 sales for the month; a 24.6% increase over June 2008. Toyota and Honda also were in the rear view mirror, as the Japanese stalwarts managed sales declines of 17%...
China rolls out 89 new models in six months - that's one every two days
3rd Jul 2009
Geely GE – Click above for high-res image galleryWe've been hearing Chinese officials say for quite some time now that there are far too many automakers in the country for a healthy market in the long-term, but we didn't realize until today just how out-of-hand it may be. According to state-run Chinese news agency
Xinhua, China has seen an unprecedented 89 new automobile launches so far this year.
That's surely a big number, but it doesn't really hit home until you consider that 89 vehicles in the first half of 2009 averages out to a new or heavily revised vehicle appearing in China
once every two days. Of those new designs, 73 were cars, nine were SUVs, six were MPVs and – in contrast to typical American ve...
Spy Shots: Ford Verve mule spotted banging around in Australia
3rd Jul 2009
2011 Ford Verve spy shots - Click above for high-res image galleryEagle-eyed spy shooters for
Car Advice in Australia have managed to snap off a series of photos of a new entry-level Ford hatchback that's likely headed to emerging markets like India, Brazil and some areas in Europe. The car seen in these spy shots is clearly disguised as the previous-generation Ford Fiesta, but it's believed that this new machine may actually be a production version of the Ford Verve concept that was first introduced back in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
If it ever reaches production, it's likely that the Verve wil...
Porsche working on harder Panamera
3rd Jul 2009
2010 Porsche Panamera - Click above for a high-res image galleryPorsche plans to expand its Panamera line-up to include three new powerplants – a
Volkswagen-sourced V6, a diesel and some manner of hybrid – but in addition to offering new engines, the automaker may offer a harder, more performance-oriented model to slot in above the Turbo.
Similar to the strategy Porsche employed with the Cayenne, this new model – which could be dubbed the Turbo S or GTS – would nix the Turbo model's standard air suspension and instead fi...
Spy Shots: New Grand Bentley pics smuggled out of Crewe factory
3rd Jul 2009
Bentleys may be as large and luxurious as yachts, but that doesn't mean the premium automaker's factory in Crewe is without leaks. Although Bentley is keen on
metering out glimpses at a
snail's pace, British auto mag
CAR managed to get a hold of a batch of photos of the highly anticipated new "Grand Bentley".
Under development with the code-name Project Kimberley, the new Bentley is slated to replace the aging Arnage sedan at the top of the company's line-...
NHTSA to mandate lane departure warning and auto-brake systems?
3rd Jul 2009
Is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about to add some more safety measures to your next new car? According to
The Detroit News, they might be. The Motown daily says that government officials are pondering whether or not they should require new vehicles to be fitted with lane-departure warning systems and automatic braking systems that trigger upon warning of an impending accident. Both systems are currently available only in very small percentage of new passenger cars – primarily luxury vehicles. According to the DetNews report, safety experts believe that the systems "show significant promise" in their ability to reduce traffic accident-related fatalities and injur...
The wacky, wonderful world of Japanese manhole cover art
3rd Jul 2009
Ever roll through some sleepy burg and notice the townsfolk have painted each fire hydrant, recycling bin or park bench as its own work of art? That's one thing... but how about a whole country? Only in Japan, where the same famously zany locals fascinated with sailor costumes and neon lights on dump trucks have done it yet again. Only this time, their attention has shifted to manhole covers. Yes, manhole covers.
We don't know anything about this fad, how it began or how pervasive it is – we'd be glad to hear from you in our comment section below if you do – but from the look of the pinpointed map available at the link, it seems the craft has grown quite pervasive across the whimsical island nation. Check out a slew of our favorite examp...
Video: Tragic Irony - Vintage James Dean driving safety video
3rd Jul 2009
Click above to watch video after the jumpMost know how James Dean died; driving his Porsche 550 Spyder on Highway 466 in California. Dean even received a ticket earlier in the day, prompting many to assume that he was driving recklessly when the accident occurred. Later examination of the crash showed that the Hollywood icon was likely driving around 55 mph at the time of the crash; which was the legal limit at the time.
While Dean was shooting the film
Giant (released posthumously in 1956), the Hollywood superstar shot a quick public service video for the program Warner Bros. Parents. The short was about the dangers of speeding on the highway, and Dean insisted that speeding was for the race track and not for public roads. Chillingly, he ends the interview saying "Take it easy d...
