A hotly anticipated RM auction in Ferrari’s hometown of Maranello, Italy, saw the exotic car maker sell the rights to the last Ferrari F430 sports car to be produced later this year, while a classic Ferrari fetched the highest price recorded for a car in a public auction, at €9,020,000 ($14,225,000). The record-setting car was a 1957 250 Testa Rossa – a race car described as a “Formula One car with fenders” – by noted design house Scaglietti, which designed the 300-hp, V-12 car’s distinctive pontoon fenders. Only 21 such styled cars were produced, making it one of the most rare and arguably beautiful customer racecars of its era. Also helping to pump up its value was its extensive track time, which is seen as a plus in speed-mad Ferrari circles. The car was raced extensively in both North and South America throughout its life, as well as at vintage races such as the Mille Miglia in Italy. Just before the auction on Sunday, Ferrari announced that it would put the last F430 sports car produced up for bidding to raise funds for the victims of the April earthquakes in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. The car will be painted in a two-tone silver and gold design that reflects the official colours of Aquila, one of the hardest-hit cities. It was also the first official confirmation that the F430 will be retired this year. Such is the anticipation for a look at the F430′s successor that camouflaged spy shots of the new mid-engine V-8 sports car have already landed on the cover of at least one mainstream auto magazine, a rarity in a world that revels in airbrushed perfection almost as much as various types of men’s magazines. The Ferrari Leggenda e Passione auction was organized by RM in collaboration with Sotheby’s; the site was half a world away from RM’s headquarters in sparsely populated Blenheim, Ont., an hour’s drive east of Windsor. But the profile of the organizers and this auction, the third annual event RM has done with the Italian sports car maker, is rising fast amongst collectors. http://horisly.blogspot.com/atom.xml Read the original post:  Ferrari F430 Confirmed to be Retired

Tata Motors, the Indian company that gained fame for introducing the $2,500 car, announced a new slate of trucks intended to lift its commercial vehicles business. Analysts say Tata needed to revamp its lineup to compete with foreign companies like Volvo and Daimler, which recently started selling trucks in India, as well as local competitors including Ashok Leyland, which is also upgrading its vehicles. The new line of trucks, named the “world truck” by Tata Motors, will come as sales of commercial vehicles have fallen drastically worldwide because of the economic crisis. Tata’s sales of medium and heavy commercial vehicles fell by nearly 29 percent in April from the same month a year ago. The new trucks will be able to carry 10 tons to 75 tons, several times greater than the biggest trucks Tata produces today. Tata officials say that given the billions India has been investing in new highways and roads, this is an ideal time to introduce bigger, more powerful trucks. Many Tata customers are unlikely to upgrade to the trucks for some time because trucking companies are often short of cash and many earn profits of 3 percent or less, said V. G. Ramakrishnan, a senior director at Frost & Sullivan, a consulting firm. Tata expects to export about half of the trucks it produces to markets like South Africa and the Middle East. It will build the vehicles in India and South Korea, where it owns the Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company. http://horisly.blogspot.com/atom.xml Read the original: Tata to Offer Lineup of Bigger Trucks

GM has announced that it will hold a press conference on Monday, June 1, in New York City. While the company has not specified what will be discussed, many industry analysts believe it will announce that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . (The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York is handling Chrysler’s bankruptcy .) Even while using a similar streamlined approach as that being used with Chrysler, the federal government has reportedly said that GM would need at least 60 to 90 days to emerge from bankruptcy. (Read: " GM counts down to B Day .") In the meantime, a lot of car buyers and owners are unclear about how this will affect them. To help answer these questions, we’ve created a special Auto Crisis hub that looks at the common consumer concerns we’re hearing, from warranty and service questions to what you can do if your local dealer closes its doors . The latter concern is becoming ever more relevant to current GM owners since, according to Automotive News , GM has also said that on Monday it will begin notifying hundreds of dealerships (beyond the approximately 1,100 it has already notified ) that the company will not extend their franchise agreements beyond October 2010. This is another step in GM’s plan to reduce its dealerships from about 6,000 to about 3,600. The next few days promise landmark events in the auto industry, so follow the latest happenings both in our Cars blog and in our Auto Crisis hub . We’re also interested in hearing what your main concerns are with Chrysler’s and GM’s restructuring efforts. Leave a comment below. — Rik Paul Read the original post:  Concerned about GM’s bankruptcy?

Being busy with the new blog redesign , we neglected our “BMW Of The Week” initiative, but don’t worry, we’re back and planning on continuing to do this from now on. We are still committed to build one of the largest BMW Photo Gallery, so your cooperation and help will be greatly appreciate it. Remember, all you have to do is to head over to our BMWBLOG Flickr Group and upload some photos of your bimmer, your mother’s car, friends, you name it… To make things even more interesting, every week a BMW will be chosen from the photo gallery and featured as Car of The Week. The way we choose it varies from the best looking bimmer, best photography, best modding to even the most weird  modification ever done to a BMW, which brings us to this weeks’ winner. A heavily modded, tuned up BMW E36 drew our attention and the car featured here, has definitely went through a “serious surgery”, besides being even more lowered, this E36 gets a new hood design with air vents, a more aggressive bumper and a total new design on the sides. Add to this the custom wheels and especially, the new interior with LCD screens in the headrest, new steering wheel and blue colored trim all around, and you get a BMW that …..doesn’t really look like a BMW anymore. Why did we choose this car? One, because it’s different and two, just to show you one more time the amount of “craziness” (in a good way) that BMW owerns have. Thank you Roland Gheorghiu for uploading these photos and many others to the Flickr Group . Continued here: Week 3: “BMW of the Week”

By Gary Cowger Group Vice President, Global Manufacturing and Labor Relations Friday was a very exciting day for us at GM. We took a significant step toward reinventing GM into a leaner, more focused, greener and cost-competitive automaker. We announced that morning that we’re planning to build a future small car here in the United States at one of the idled UAW-GM plants. Small cars represent one of the fastest growing segments in both the U.S. and around the world, and we’re the first manufacturer to commit to building these vehicles in the United States. We’ll determine which site a little further down the road, but we’re committed to do this in the U.S. (The global small car market is growing fast enough that there will be plenty of production to go around.) Beyond making sense from a market demand standpoint, this new capability will also help us meet the new fuel efficiency standards the President just announced. We intend to be the greenest automaker in the world, and along with upcoming vehicles like the Chevy Volt and Chevy Cruze, this new small car will be a significant piece of that effort for us. We’ll be able to build up to 160,000 small and compact cars a year at the re-tooled plant. It won’t be easy; this is a challenging segment in North America, and bringing a domestically produced small car to market here in a cost-competitive and profitable way will take a special effort from everyone involved. But it’s the right thing to do, and together with our UAW partners we’re going to make it work. Right now, about 67 percent of the cars and trucks GM sells in the U.S. are built in the U.S. With this announcement, we expect that U.S. production levels will increase beyond 70 percent through 2014. No other manufacturer in the U.S. manufacturing has a percentage that high. We’re proud of that, and this new small car is going to be an important part of our future. We’ll have more details soon on this announcement, but I wanted to share our excitement with you today about this plan. My question to you: what do you think of small car production here in the US, and how would you generate market demand here? Which facets of a small car would you emphasize if you were going to roll out this kind of car?...

Edmunds’ InsideLine was one of the few media publications invited to test drive the upcoming BMW X1 in a session hosted by BMW in the beautiful Island of Mallorca, Spain. As usual, a very detailed and informative report, but what really got our attention was the little between the lines statemet that BMW will be bringing the X1 to the States sometimes in 2011. If initially we reported that the BMW X1 will only be available for the European market, at the NYC Auto Show, a BMW representative misterously spoke of BMW’s plans to indeed include the X1 in the U.S. line-up as well. So, apparently, BMW has always had plans for the U.S. market and for those of you looking for a smaller SAV model, the X1 might satfisfy your needs. We arrived with enthusiasm for a drive of a prototype of the BMW X1 sport activity wagon (or SAW — after the cult series of scare-your-date films??), but then we immediately had the stuffing knocked out of us. Because although the BMW X1 starts deliveries in most of the world in October of this year, it won’t come to North America until the middle of 2011. So we’re driving the 2012 BMW X1. Of course there are reasons for that, of which more later. After picking ourselves up, dusting off and starting all over again, we stopped our whining long enough to discover in the still-camouflaged BMW X1 a really solid, car-based people/stuff carrier. Over all kinds of milder terrain and on spectacular curvaceous roads on the mostly German- and British- colonized Spanish island of Mallorca, the 2012 BMW X1 actually rips it up pretty darn well for being a new BMW that we don’t remember anyone anywhere asking for. Continue reading on Edmunds Inside Line See the rest here:  Edmunds: BMW X1 Prototype First Drive

Not extremely breaking news here, but a bit funny if you ask me: a 2011 BMW 5 series test mule was pulled over by German Police on the famous Autobahn. Initially we believed that the prototype was pulled over because of the high traveling speed -wait, is there one?- but apparently it was because of the funky plastic bodypaneles covering the car. What we know for sure is that everyone has a video camera handy these days and it’s as easy as 1,2,3 to start shooting any incidents. This time, a camera woman from “TVNews Hessen” was on site and was able film the incident. But here is where it gets really really interesting, 14 seconds in the video, you will see the somewhat covered up interior of the new 5er, something that we have not seen in the past. It has been rumored for a while that the F10 5 Series interior will be importing many elements from the gorgeous 7er interior design . Now let’s hope the German police officers will get even more curious when they will see the 5 Series with that psychadelic black and white camouflage and pull it over again, NOW that would be worth seeing. Click here to view the embedded video. Thanks for the tip proXi! See the original post here:  Video: 2011 BMW 5-Series test mule pulled over by German Police

For years, owners of the BMW 3 Series E46 models have been reporting ruptures in subframe structure of their cars. This problem was also common in the earlier E36 models, but they re-occurred in the E46 models from 1999 to 2006. These problems appear in the rear mounting points for the subframe, which can rip out from their spots in sheet metal. This happens because the rear differential transmits the torsional load from the engine through the subframe, then into the chassis. This constant loading and unloading weakens the sheet metal and causes it to fatigue and separate from the chassis. Some mechanics were reporting that the only way to fix this is to remove the rear suspension, driveshaft and weld some new reinforcement mounts into the cracked areas where support is needed. Yesterday, we received an official statement from BMW North America with details on a Class Action Settlement: BMW has agreed to a proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit concerning the Sub-Frame structures on 3 Series (“E46”) models produced from 1999 through 2006. Under rare conditions the attachment points of the Sub-Frame may develop a fracture or crack. BMW has prepared an inspection, approved repair procedure, and reimbursement policy in keeping with the terms of the proposed class settlement. Details will be forthcoming, pending the court’s final approval of the proposed class settlement. In advance of the final settlement, BMW customers with questions should visit www.E46subframeclassactionsettlement.com. For more information and details, visit the website mentioned above. Here are some more photos, courtesy of Tunermotorsport , showing the damage in the rear subframe. Read the original here:  Statement on BMW E46 Class Action Settlement

For 2007, Nissan redesigned the entry-level Sentra, making it bigger, sportier, and offering a wider range of trim levels from a base commuter model (base model) to the sporty Sentra SE-R and SE-R V-Spec. With the Sentra out of the way, Nissan introduced the Versa – an inexpensive subcompact with excellent fuel economy that was aimed directly at commuters that want a basic “Point A to Point B” car. The Nissan Versa was not produced with enthusiasts in mind. If there’s anything I can say about this car is that it’s an absolute bore to drive. It’s bland, boring, vanilla…whatever you want to call it. But isn’t that the point? The Versa was made when oil prices were rising out of control and the “vehicle to have” began to shift from big SUVs and trucks to small, efficient cars with a high MPG rating. People wanted a vehicle in which they could drive to work and back every day without spending $20/day in fuel costs. They didn’t care about how fun it is to drive, or how fast it go from 0-60 mph. Nissan, along with Toyota (Yaris) and Honda (Fit,) among other manufacturers, answered back with highly versatile compact cars with great fuel economy. Unfortunately for Nissan, the Yaris and Fit are also at least somewhat fun to drive. What Nissan has over its competitors in this class includes size, power, and price. The Versa is roomier (and heavier) than the other compact hatchbacks – the EPA even classifies it as a midsize car – and it has plenty of leg and headroom for the driver and all passengers, although driver hiproom can be a bit narrow for some. The 1.8-liter 122 horsepower engine included is more powerful than the others, though doesn’t feel like it when driving. The engine gets 24 mpg in the city, and when you eventually get to highway speed, 32 mpg while cruising. A 107 hp 1.6-liter engine is also available in the base model Versa sedans, which I suspect is the same engine you’ll find in many go-karts. The 4-speed automatic transmission, which was equipped on our test car, only added to the sleep-inducing nature of the car, and proved a bit of an annoyance. I can’t really put my finger on what I didn’t like about it, but I’m positive you’d be better...

With big SUVs and even smaller crossover SUVs becoming less popular as the price of gas rises (and the economy sinks,) Americans still need a vehicle with enough utility to carry their stuff around, and sedans just don’t hold enough cargo. For example, the 2009 VW Jetta TDI sedan has 16 cubic ft of truck space. Get that same car in the SportWagen edition, and the cargo capacity increases to 67 cubic ft with the rear seats folded down. Another example: The 2009 Audi A4 sedan is spacious, but the truck can only hold 34 cubic ft of cargo. That’s big for a trunk, but the Avant (wagon) model can hold 51 cubic ft with the rear seats down. As useful as they are, the wagon style has one inherent problem: they’re ugly. They’re not sporty, and are generally seen as uncool by Americans. It’s time we got over the uncool factor of wagons, and start using them for their exceptional blend of utility and practicality. Europe has… Slowly but surely, some manufacturers are beginning to release wagon versions of their sedans in America, hoping they catch on. Cadillac just announced the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon , which looks better than I expected. Nick just reviewed a 2009 Volvo XC70 – a fairly odd-looking wagon that he mostly enjoyed. The recently announced BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is a sort of wagon, and many other sedans (like the Jetta and A4 mentioned above) are available as wagons. So what’s the next step? Who’s next? When we reviewed the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan last month, we were blown away with how much car you get for the money. It’s one of, if not the best value on the road today. Theophilus Chin, a damn-fine Photoshop expert, thought the Genesis would look good as a wagon, and created the Hyundai Genesis Estate, based off of the excellent sedan. As you can see for the pictures above and below, he kept the same dimensions, but added on the rear, which would add significantly more room to the already large cargo area in the Genesis. He also changed the front grille to more closely match that of typical Hyundai, instead of the Mercedes-esque, logo-less grille currently on the sedan. In his words, “Hyundai shouldn’t be ashamed to show its logo at the front. The Genesis is after-all a good car.” Should...

Have we met before? The upcoming X1 reminds us a lot of another BMW. If these barely disguised prototypes look familiar to you, it’s no surprise: This BMW X1 was already shown at last year’s Paris auto show under the rather unimaginative but BMW-typical “Concept X1″ moniker. Now BMW is testing prototypes on the Spanish island of Mallorca and releasing some details as the car is readied for its official launch later this summer. This will be BMW’s fourth size of SUV—sorry, “SAV”—after the X3, X5, and X6. The elderly X3 is having an increasingly difficult time in a changing marketplace that now includes the Audi Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK. The X5 and X6, on the other hand, have been getting flak for their politically incorrect appetite for fuel—even before BMW, in a somewhat incendiary move, added the over-the-top X5 M and X6 M. Smaller than X3, but Only Slightly To send out a good vibe to more socially minded SUV lovers, BMW has chosen to launch a smaller, lighter, more-efficient ute. Based on the company’s small rear-wheel-drive platform, shared with the 1-series and 3-series, the X1 is about 600 pounds lighter than the current X3. The X1 tips the scales at about 3300 pounds, which is impressive, considering that all-wheel drive is standard, and that its exterior dimensions are not far from those of the X3. The X1 is 5 inches shorter in length and height and 2 inches narrower. We figure the next-gen X3 will grow slightly to better accommodate the X1 in the range. Thanks to its lower profile, the X1 looks sportier than the X3. More important, with its lower center of gravity and lower weight, the X1 promises to handle and accelerate better as well. Inside, the dashboard resembles that of the 3-series, betraying that BMW dug into the corporate parts bin. + 2010 BMW X1 Will Debut in November + 2009 New York Auto Show: 2010 BMW X5 M, BMW X6 M + 2010 Mercedes GLK 350 SUV Road Test + 2009 Chicago Auto Show: 2009 Audi Q5 + BMW X5 Security Plus SAV Official Debut + 2009 BMW X6 Debut At 2008 Detroit Auto Show + 2008 SEMA: Volkswagen Tiguan Performance The Old Country’s Engine Buffet Thanks to that vast parts bin, the X1′s engine choices are restricted only by marketing considerations, and not platform limitations. In Europe,...

Hyundai has been good at generating marketing buzz during the economic downturn, and now the company is at it again. In January, it announced the Hyundai Assurance program, which allows consumers to return their new Hyundais without hurting their credit if they lose their jobs. Then there was Assurance Plus, a one-time payment to the lender that is equal to 90 days of a loan or lease payment. Now a new commercial tells consumers that if they buy a vehicle between now and June 30, Hyundai will send them money for six months. What the commercial doesn’t say is that the company isn’t offering new money, but simply repackaging existing customer rebates. You have to go to the consumer Web site to learn that, under the Hyundai Assurance program, you can either get the six months of payments or use existing rebates to reduce the purchase price of a vehicle. The Web site shows payments to customers that range from $166 a month on a 2009 Tucson (instead of a $1,000 price reduction) to $650 for a 2008 Veracruz (in place of a $4,000 price reduction). Hyundai said it is trying to clear out its inventory and the offer applies to all vehicles that have cash back rebates. When the $650 in six monthly payments for the Veracruz added up to $3,900, $100 short of the $4,000 cash reduction, I asked a Hyundai spokesman why a consumer making that choice wasn’t getting the full rebate. He replied in an e-mail message that the customers will actually receive the full amount of $666.67 a month and that Hyundai advertised $650 only because of the negative connotation associated with the number 666. Hyundai said there was no economic benefit to the company if a consumer chooses one option or the other, and there are no income tax consequences for those who take the six-month payments. Hyundai said it was simply offering consumers another way to finance a vehicle and more flexibility in managing their finances. If consumers elect the six months of payments, they get Visa cards that can be used like debit cards. Hyundai applies the appropriate amount each month. Hyundai said there were no fees from Hyundai, but a retailer could charge a fee for use of the debit card. Payments continue through the end of the year. Hyundai Assurance is available through Dec. 31 and is valid on any new,...

We were recently given the opportunity to take the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL320 BlueTEC on a long-distance road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles and back. While this seven seated behemoth was probably not the best vehicle to transport one journalist across the state of California, we figured this long trip down Interstate 5 would be a good opportunity to see how close the fuel-efficient diesel powerplant could get to its EPA estimated mileage. The powerplant in question is a 3.0-L turbodiesel V-6 that outputs 210 horsepower and a beefy 398 pound-feet of torque. The engine sends its power through a seven-speed adaptive automatic transmission to Mercedes-Benz’s 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system. Keeping the diesel’s emissions clean is an AdBlue injection system that scrubs up to 80 percent of NOx from the exhaust gases. Greenies will be happy to know that the BlueTEC diesel is also approved for use with B5 biodiesel. On the road, the 398 pound-feet of torque doesn’t translate into neck-snapping acceleration. Perhaps this is because of the GL’s immense weight; perhaps it’s the turbo lagging; or maybe Mercedes has tuned some of the throttle response down to create more refined and fuel efficient acceleration. Whatever the cause, the GL320 feels sluggish off of the line. Really putting your foot into the accelerator and waiting for the turbodiesel to build steam eventually results in that torquey diesel thrust that we’re used to, but the acceleration is uneven and slightly unpredictable. Once the GL320′s BlueTEC diesel settles into its groove, such as during highway cruising, power remains strong, allowing the GL to pass/merge with ease and coast along at freeway speeds while taking advantage of the transmission’s tall seventh gear to keep the revs low. Our GL320 was equipped with the optional Adaptive Damping System, which adds a Sport mode and a Comfort mode to the suspension’s Default setting. The three modes felt noticeably different, with Sport mode transmitting a good deal of expansion joint harshness into the seat bottom and Comfort mode feeling floaty and vague. The GL isn’t an athletic vehicle in any mode and the Default mode was more than sufficient for most situations, causing us to question...

When Chrysler announced plans two weeks ago to shed 25 percent of its dealer network by June 9th, the 789 retailers affected had more than 44,000 new Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles sitting on their lots. Chrysler’s move triggered some to immediately drop prices, as they tried to divest themselves of bloated inventories before the June 9 deadline. Does that make this an especially good time to make a deal? As we’ve reported before, good prices can be found, though there are significant caveats to consider. Chrysler considerations The most significant caveat is that no Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep models are recommended by Consumer Reports . Reliability has been below average for most, and others have scored too low in our testing. That said, we understand that many people purchase non-recommended vehicles and car shoppers will be tempted by the aggressive pricing now available. Those shoppers may be disappointed with the models left in stock. Harold Bendell is President of Major Auto World , a multi-branded dealership that sells Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep along with other makes in Long Island City, NY. He pointed out that after months of discounts and rebates, buyers will likely find much of the remaining inventory to be increasingly made up of less-sought-after models, or those in unpopular colors or lacking popular features. As for prices, Bendell says things can only get discounted so far. “There are some people coming in thinking they can get a super-duper deal, 50 cents on the dollar. They can’t.” That may change, as the June 9 deadline fast approaches, particularly at smaller, single-line dealerships, if not big ones like Major World. Prior to the bankruptcy filing, Chrysler officials urged dealers to take additional inventory and said doing so would increase their good standing with the automaker. Some then lost their franchises anyway. According to Bendell, any cars that remain on dealer lots after their franchise is lost must be sold as used cars. Additionally, the Chrysler won’t extend rebates or incentives on those models. Chrysler said it is helping to find homes for any unsold inventory at its remaining dealerships, but Bendell remains skeptical, particularly if those models are older inventory or less-popular models. A quick Internet search...

The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR has an aggressive style; from the gaping mouth and flared fenders, all the way back to the tall tail spoiler. Everyone knows what the term midlife crisis means and the type of car that often accompanies it . I am not at this stage in my life (yet), but I have happened upon a term/concept which I find quite amusing – the quarterlife crisis . Many folks under forty are finding themselves in an area of life when you no longer need just a point A-point B commuter car, it can be something more exciting. However, the true quarterlife crisis person cannot afford fancy German marquees or luxury American cars with three-letter names . This calls for something with plenty of push under the hood mixed with hints of econobox-styling inside to keep the price lower. Say hello to the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR and welcome to the jungle, this car is fun and games. Ok, I admit that “econobox-styled interior” may be a bit harsh since this Evo comes with very supportive Recaro seats up front that hug and squeeze me through every turn. The steering wheel feels solid in my hand, the sound system sounds good thanks to the nine (plus a subwoofer) Rockford Fosgate speakers, and the gauge cluster is clean and easy to read. The issue lies in the center stack area where the Evo looks almost empty compared to most other cars on the road, and even compared to other performance focused cars. Some cars these days have too much going on inside while this Evo doesn’t quite have enough. Also, if you ever want to swap that radio head unit out for an aftermarket model you now have a useless display sitting in your dash. Sometimes sparse cabins are good; however, the Evo gives up a bit too much in this space. My very minor interior issues aside, this car is a carnival ride come to life, minus the standard carnival safety violations. The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR comes standard with dual front, front seat mounted side, side curtain, and driver’s side knee airbags. The turbocharged 2.0L inline four-cylinder, which is mated to a five-speed manual transmission, puts all 291 horses and 300 lb-ft of torque out to the pavement via Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system. With settings for Tarmac,...