Latest Cars Reviews Blog: сентября 2009

£3 Million 1937 Bugatti Found In British Garage After Almost 50 Years [Barn Find]

An unmolested 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, one of only 17 built, was discovered in a garage in the UK after gathering dust for almost 50 years. The estimated value? At least $4.35 million!

An unmolested 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante was discovered after spending 48 years in a quiet, Tyneside, Britain garage. It's being termed "one of the last great barn-finds" with an estimated value of at least £3 Million ($4.35 million).

The car was originally owned by the first president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, Earl Howe, and through a series of sales ended up in the hands of a reclusive doctor named Harold Carr. After driving the car for a couple years, it was parked in a private garage in 1960 and hasn't seen the road since. With only seventeen examples of Type 57S Atalantes ever produced, the car was notably absent in the history of significant Bugattis.

In 2007, Dr. Carr passed away and left the contents of the garage to his family. That was when the car was discovered. It's currently set to cross the auction blocks at Bonhams of Paris next month, and with the combination of an incredibly rare chassis, only 26,284 original miles, a rare supercharged inline eight engine and its unmolested condition, we suspect some very wealthy bidders will push the price well past that initial valuation of $4.35 million.

Reminds us of that barn-found 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante a couple years ago. Wonder how many more are out there, lurking in dusty barns.(Hat tip to everyone who sent this in!)

[via BBC]

Photo Credit: Bonhams

2009 Toyota Camry - Still The Best Selling Mid-Size Sedan

2009 Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry has been one of the best-selling vehicles for over 20 years. Only the Honda Accord has a stronger street cred than the Camry. A reputation like the Camry’s doesn’t just materialize out of thin air, Toyota had to work for it. Low maintenance costs, reliability, a comfortable ride, a strong resale value, etc etc. It’s a quality vehicle, and consumers know it. The 2009 is no different.

The 2009 Camry is the biggest version yet, with tons of legroom in the front and rear. Plus it has more balls than any previous Camry, with an available 268-horsepower V6. That kind of power can rocket the boring old Camry from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds, that’s well within the sport sedan zone; in fact it makes it one of the fastest mid-priced sedans out there. On top of that (in spite of that?) the V6 version still gets 19 city/28 mpg highway.

If you opt for the base 4-cylinder engine, you’re still getting a fairly respectable zipper, with a 0 to 60 time of 8.9 seconds. And great fuel economy ratings of 21 mpg city and 31 mpg highway.

There are four trim levels: base, LE, SE, and XLE, each for a different consumer. The base is, well, the base model, bare bones; it’s for people who want a Camry but can’t afford a Camry. The LE is the base model with keyless entry and a few electrical upgrades, it’s the run-of-the-mill standard Camry for most people. The SE model is what us RideLust-er want, with a sport-tuned suspension, 17-inch alloy wheels, and the quality interior and exterior styling details. And the XLE is the luxury model. It has the softer suspension of the LE, and all the necessary gadgets: a JBL sound system, dual-zone climate control, moonroof, leather, Bluetooth, and reclining rear seats.

The price is the only thing that is worrisome. The Toyota Camry carries a premium over the other cars in it’s class. The Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion Hyundai Sonata, and the better quality Honda Accord all cost less than the Camry. A base model starts off at just under 20k, and you can end up almost paying 30k for a top of the line XLE. That really is pushing it. Overall though, the Camry still lives up to it’s quality reputation, but the competition is upping it’s game. With Hyundai and Chevy pumping out high quality mid-size sedans, I’m not sure how much longer Toyota can hold on to it’s title as king.

Production Version of the VW BlueSport Will be Released in 2012

VW unveiled the BlueSport Roadster Concept at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this week and according to VW engineers there will be a production version in three years.

The BlueSport concept was intentionally designed to be a production ready vehicle, but the reason we have to wait three years is because the concept is constructed of a mix of bespoke and production parts. The production parts are borrowed from VW’s new transverse, front-engined MQB platform, which isnt due in production until 2012. So since those parts wont be available until 2012, the BlueSport has to wait.

When the car is released it's going to go head to head with the Mazda MX-5 and Lotus Elise.

Ford Giving Away 100 Fiestas For 6 Months

Ford is eager to launch its new Fiesta subcompact in the US and to get the ball rolling, Ford has announced the "Fiesta Movement."

What is the Fiesta Movement? To launch the Fiesta in the US, Ford is going to be giving away 100 Fiestas to 100 lucky people. Each tech savvy person will have the car for six months and will be able to share their experiences with the car on social networking sites like Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

Fahrmitgas "3-Euro Car": 100 Kilometers For Just Three Euros [Concept Cars]

For the moment it's merely a concept, but the Chevrolet Matiz-based "3-Euro Car" from German supplier Fahrmitgas offers something many price-sensitive Europeans want: the ability to drive 100 kilometers for just €3.

The "3-Euro Car" achieves a distance of 100 km on just €3 worth of fuel by utilizing affordable and efficient liquid petroleum gas (LPG) as the fuel source. Fahrmitgas used their experience developing LPG systems for GM to convert the Chevrolet Matiz to autogas. They also equipped the car with low-rolling resistance tires, a lower stance and an auto start-stop system.

By American standards, this works out to $4.25 for just 62.24 miles, or a figure achievable by many efficient vehicles in the US. The difference? The cost for unleaded fuel or diesel fuel in Germany is above $6.50 per gallon, meaning a car would have to achieve better than 70 MPG to equal the cost savings of the little Matiz.

As mentioned, this is still just a concept car. In the press release below the company mentions they're exploring the possibility of production of the cheap vehicle. We're not betting mass production's in the cards, but the thought is nice.

The ‘3-Euro Car’: The fahrmitgas.de Concept Car Based on the Chevrolet Matiz Consumes Just Three Euros of Fuel per 100 Kilometers
It sounds like a modern-day fairy tale: Drive a full 100 kilometers and spend just three Euros on fuel for doing so – and all in a vehicle that is also highly affordable. fahrmitgas.de, one of the leading designers and suppliers of model-specific autogas systems, have developed the ‘3-Euro’ concept car based on a Chevrolet Matiz. It runs on LPG autogas making it both especially fuel efficient and exemplary eco friendly.

As a systems supplier for Chevrolet in Germany fahrmitgas.de has decades of experience designing autogas systems for Chevrolet vehicles.

The three-cylinder gasoline engine with a displacement of 796 cc is the smallest in the Matiz model lineup. It is equipped with a fahrmitgas.de autogas system that can be ordered as special equipment from the Chevrolet options catalog.

In addition the fahrmitgas.de specialists have modified the alternative drive system in many details. Extensive bench tests were used to determine new parameters for the engine management system that adapts the concept car specifically to the special qualities of 111-octane autogas. Special emphasis was placed on optimizing power yield at medium engine speeds and more efficient operation close to a knock limit much higher than that of gasoline. Both measures result in significantly reduced fuel consumption.

Yet another fuel-saving feature is an automatic stop/start system that turns off the engine if the car is stopped for more than three seconds. A push of a button suffices to bring the engine back to life instantaneously.

On average, one out of every five time a car needs refueling, the entire tank will be used for overcoming the rolling resistance inherent in the tires. fahrmitgas.de equips the sub-compact with eco-friendly Hankook Optima 4S low-resistance tires. The Hankook Optima 4S is the only tire in the world quiet enough and with rolling resistance low enough to hold Germany’s eco seal, the “Blue Angel.”

The installation of HEARTBEAT Motors suspension springs lowers the ride height of the Chevrolet Matiz by some 30 millimeters, reducing both aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption.

Another important criterion for achieving ‘3-Euro Car’ status is the driver him- or herself. An auxiliary green-yellow-red display in the cockpit helps the driver to operate the ‘3-Euro Car’ at maximum efficiency.

The result speaks for itself: Three Euros worth of autogas can carry the fahrmitgas.de concept car over a distance of 100 kilometers. No other car can duplicate that feat. What’s even better: The optimized car is also more eco-friendly than its production counterpart. CO2 emissions drop by approximately 15 percent.

fahrmitgas.de is exploring the possibilities of turning the ‘3-Euro Car’ into a production vehicle. No sales price has been projected yet.

[Source: Fahrmitgas]

Detroit 2009: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero previews next-gen B-Class

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

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Concept BlueZero

At an off-site reception held tonight ahead of tomorrow's opening of the Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz showed off its new Concept BlueZero. The car is both an example of clean technology and a preview of the styling for the next generation Mercedes B-Class. Like the current A and B class models, this concept uses a sandwich floor design and adds a modular powertrain system. The car is envisioned with three powertrain options depending on the range requirements. The BlueZero E-Cell uses a 35 kWh lithium ion battery pack to provide a 120-mile range, while the BlueZero F-Cell variant gets a 90 kW hydrogen fuel cell for a 240-mile range. The efficiency of the fuel cell version is rated at the equivalent of 81 mpg (US).

The third flavor is the E-Cell Plus and adds a 67-hp three-cylinder engine from the Smart ForTwo mounted in the rear between the sandwich floor layers where the spare tire would normally go. The ER-EV variant cuts the battery size in half as well as the electric-only range. The range extender, however, bumps the total range to 360 miles.

Mercedes also announced that it will begin low-volume series production of the fuel cell B-Class later this year and follow that with low volume series production of a battery electric vehicle in 2010.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]
Live Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero previews next-gen B-Class

Detroit 2009: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZero previews next-gen B-Class originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Nissan 370Z Makes Its Commercial Debut [Ad Watch]

Nissan's angry catfish, the 2009 Nissan 370Z 2009 Nissan 370Z makes its commercial debut in the video below. Enjoy the ride.

This commercial for the new 370Z is a far cry from The Run promotional video made for the debut of the 350Z, but it's cool none-the-less. Just listen to the beautifully angry sounds made from the VQ37VHR 3.7-liter V6 and you'll agree it's almost as good as The Kinks.
Hat Tip to A. Kaiser!

[via The 370Z]

Tommy Kaira and ASI Prius

Really Japan? Has this what it has come to? All tuning news and innovation coming out of Japan seems to be either R35 GT-R or Prius/Insight. The rest of the tuning scene has very little news coming out. Can we get a little variety please? I’m already holding back on some GT-R blog posts because we have so many as it is, thats the big news these days.

Although you’ll find me being a huge supporter and fan of the R35 GT-R tuning scene, the Prius tuning scene is a bit different for me.

Dont get me wrong, I really respect the Prius (and Insight) for what they are (nature saving, efficient and affordable daily drivers). In fact I wouldnt be opposed to getting a Prius for a daily driver and if I did I’d probably be looking at one of these two companies for modifications (and Top Secret as a great third option for more simple lip kits). There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Prius and absoultely nothing wrong with making it look cool and perhaps even improving aerodynamics for better performance and economy (although these two probably worsen rather than improve Cd).

Continue reading after the jump!

Tommy Kaira and ASI Prius

So what’s my beef? I like the Prius, I’d rock these kits…why the negativity? I’ll tell you why. Because this year for Tokyo Auto Salon I’m bringing my whole crew with me, as I usually do. This year we’re rolling 8 deep to Tokyo to see what is new at TAS. And you know what, when I ask my industry insider friends in Japan they all are telling me that TAS wont be the same and it’ll be dominated by “green” cars and eco cars with much less sports car tuning.

I understand the Japanese consumers demand eco tuning and styling, thats cool…but it is so overboard at this point that it feels like the Japanese government must have made a mandate that all tuners ARE REQUIRED to offer a tuning package for either the Prius or the Insight. I mean, who isnt doing parts for these cars right now? Enough already! (and it’s just begun) I’m telling you, if I see a JUN stroker kit come out for a damn Prius I’m throwing in the towel!

So now on top of having a Top Secret Prius demo car (picture that along side the monstrous Nardo Supra) we now have ASI’s demo Prius (picture that alongside their monsterous Tetsu widebody Bentley GTR or their slick Ferrari F430) AND we now have Tommy Kaira’s Prius demo car (picture that alongside their intense looking R35 GT-R car in development).

See what I’m getting at? Where’s the hardcore? Where’s the sports car tuning? Lets enjoy the Prius for what it is (a great eco car) but for my sanity’s sake, PLEASE DO NOT REPLACE OUR SPORTS CAR TUNING FUTURE WITH THIS. I understand Eco is the future for the masses, but can we keep our sports cars too? I thought the point was to have a sports car for the weekends and a Prius to daily drive. Lets keep it that way, keep the R&D coming on sports car tuning parts too please! I really dont want this blog to be required to feature hybrid news 3 days a week because there is nothing else fresh coming out.

Know what I’m saying?

Let me hear what you have to say on this please…

Ending rant, nobody can argue that this rear end of the Prius (below) by Tommy Kaira (under new management in Japan) is the most amazing thing we’ve ever seen on a hybrid. This is as good as it gets design wise for the Prius. If I was an aero parts manufacturer, I wouldnt even bother making a rear under spoiler for the Prius after seeing this by Tommy Kaira. Game over.

Tommy Kaira and ASI Prius

Rental fleet sales down last year, 2009 will be worse

Filed under: Trends, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, GM, Earnings/Financials

Last summer, it was the Detroit Three that were restraining themselves from dumping cars into the gaping maw of fleet sales just to boost the bottom line. Turns out they had some help with that discipline: Due to last year's events, rental car fleets shrunk by 400,000 units from 2007 to 2008. As we begin 2009, rental car companies have declared they will be trimming their fleet orders and curbing the number of vehicles they keep on hand even further.

Rental car companies have been thrown under a number of buses as of late. They can't borrow money to finance purchases; the recession has hammered the travel industry; wholesale used vehicle prices are falling (making rental car fleets less valuable); and besides that, car dealers can't get the money to buy the retired rental cars anyway, which subtracts yet another revenue stream.

Rental companies have been good for something like 15% of sales from General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. But not this year: Enterprise, which also buys for National and Alamo, will buy half the number of cars it did last year, and they'll keep those cars a couple of months longer. Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty also said they will buy fewer cars and work them longer. The automakers have doubled incentives to encourage sales, but there are simply no teeth left in the rental business with which to bite.

Thus, don't be surprised to find a few more stains on the seats and a few more miles on the clock the next time you find yourself at the wheel of a rental car.

[Source: Automotive News, Sub Req.]

Rental fleet sales down last year, 2009 will be worse originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All in the family: Toyoda grandson to take top job

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Toyota

The Associated Press is reporting that Toyota will once again have a Toyoda at the helm before long. Akio Toyoda, the 52-year-old grandson of Toyota Motor Corp's founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, is reportedly about to be voted in by the board. If everything goes as planned, he will officially take over the presidency in June. It will be the first time in 14 years that a Toyoda will lead the company, but Akio isn't your father's Toyoda. He is known for being a lot more laid-back than the typical Japanese executive, which might help rejuvenate the company.

Current president Katsuaki Watanabe is on his way out as Toyota faces its first projected operating loss in the company's 70-year history. Just like the rest of the world, Toyota sales have slumped and the automaker has had to cut production and lay off temporary workers. Although Toyota remains predictably tight-lipped on the move, it's expected that Watanabe will become a vice chairman, with current chairman Fujio Cho keeping that position. Toyoda has been an executive vice president since 2005, so this "prince" (as the Japanese media call him) should be well-prepared for the job. Thanks for the tip, Jarrett!

[Source: Associated Press]

All in the family: Toyoda grandson to take top job originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RideLust Pictoral: Girls and Automobiles of the 1920s

I’m a big fan of the 1920s. That general time period was just fantastic, there was economic prosperity, great art and music, enthusiasm, it was just good times all around. Men wore suit jackets and hats and had canes and women had bobbed hair and apparently danced everywhere they went according to the History Channel. It looks like it was a blast.

So we’ve gathered together some pictures of gals and their cars from the era of Great Happiness, mostly from Shorpy.com. Enjoy:

1921. Margaret Gorman, the First Miss America, in a Birmingham car with an alligator finish

1924. Elizabeth Ramey in her Model T Ford

1920. The actress Grace Valentine in an expensive looking Packard roadster.

1919. A female taxi driver.

1924. Miss Mary Bay.

1927. Miss Grace Wagner, high school student

1927. High school girls learn the art of automobile mechanics. Grace Hurd, Evelyn Harrison and Corinna DiJiulian, with Grace Wagner under the car.

Miss Hazel Jones and Miss Marion Cameron in 1922.

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