I have this theory that any list, top ten, top five, top 100, whatever, are only there to start arguments, rather than be definitive statements. 99% of the time, I have no problem with Jalopnik. They are a rather funny and irreverent car site, and in addition to the standard fair of who’s releasing what ride or which car is getting yanked from production, they have a real penchant for top ten lists. Like I said, lists are there to start arguments, and this list leaves me with a big bone to pick with the boys at Los Jalops. First off, let’s take a look at their list, then I’ll bitch a little bit, and then we can look at why their individual picks are cool. Here they are: 10.) Jaguar D-Type 9.) Porsche 911 GT-1 8.) Jaguar XJR-9 7.) Chaparral 2F 6.) Ferrari 330 P3/4 5.) Toyota GT-One 4.) Audi R10 TDi 3.) Ford GT40 2.) Porsche 962 1.) Mazda 787B Impressive list, no? Really, who can argue? All those cars were serious competitors, and most of them were winners. But do you notice anything missing? Any car that should be in there that’s not? Do the words “Watch out for the red Lola, the red Lola,” or “This isn’t just a thousand to one shot. This is a professional bloodsport. And it can happen to you. And then it can happen to you again,” or Steve McQueen knock anything lose? Yup, for some reason, they didn’t include the Porsche 917 on their list. The car that issued in a level of utter domination in Le Mans that anyone is yet to equal, (although Audi is starting to get close) and they didn’t include it in the list? Kind of strikes one as a mistake, doesn’t it? Not only did the 917 win Le Mans over and over and over, but it is one of the most recognizable racing cars in the world, mainly thanks to the 1971 feature film starring Steve McQueen. Leaving it off the list seems like a major stumble to me. But the rest of the list sure is worth noting. Take for example number 10, the Jaguar D-Type. The D-Type deserves to be on the list for a slew of reasons. The D was the first post war Le Mans car to issue into being the ongoing tradition of one car factory dominates and then gets knocked off the top of the mountain, only to be knocked off by another factory effort that then goes on to dominate...

We now have much closer shots of the next Cayman, and they reveal a more 911-like silhouette and front end. The roof appears flatter than the current car’s, and we can see just how much the stretched wheelbase affects things like the size of the rear window. Less exciting: This prototype appears to have some kind of sensor in the front fascia’s center opening, suggesting some kind of laser- or radar-based system like active cruise control will be offered. Read on for everything we know about Porsche’s next mid-engine coupe. Keep Reading: 2013 Porsche Cayman Spy Photos – Future Cars Here is the original: 2013 Porsche Cayman Spied Up Close Read the original here: 2013 Porsche Cayman Spied Up Close

The Toyota Prius is pretty much a rolling anathema for enthusiasts, so you’re probably not shocked that we greet the announcement of a performance package for the tadpole-shaped hybrid with some doubt. Nevertheless, mining the go-fast expertise of its Toyota Racing Development (TRD) division, Toyota has bundled a ground-effects package, 17-inch five-spoke forged aluminum wheels, “track-tuned” springs that lower the Prius by 1.1 inches up front and 1.3 inches in back, and a rear anti-roll bar to create the Plus Performance package. Toyota gives customers who opt for the kit a choice between white, silver, gray, and black exterior paints, and even throws in unique badges and floor mats. Rather than play up the sporty additions to the hilt, Toyota is adamant that vehicles with the Plus package are still Priuses at heart. According to the company, the aero bits actually lower the car’s coefficient of drag and the lightweight forged aluminum wheels prevent any untoward weight gain, lest the mods come at the expense of fuel efficiency. The comprehensive handling upgrades do seem to lend a whiff of authenticity to the concept of a “sporty Prius,” though, and we must admit that it looks rather purposeful sitting low on its 17-inch wheels—especially coated with the gray or black paint. The Prius Plus package will be limited, says Toyota, and it will add $3699 to the price of a Prius Two, Three, or Four, and $2999 to the price of a Prius Five. (Those are trim levels, natch.) We’ll let you know if it lives up to the (modest) hype when we can get a PPP-equipped car to test. More here: Toyota Prius Plus Performance Package Brings Body Kit and Lower Springs See original here:  Toyota Prius Plus Performance Package Brings Body Kit and Lower Springs

On the outside, there isn’t anything new to report since we spotted a 2013 BMW 3-series mule back in May , unless you’re really into California license plates, which these cars are sporting. The real story here is on the inside, where, to paraphrase one iconic Californian, certain things have come to light. A few details inside the next 3 will be familiar, like a steering wheel that looks like a simpler version of the one in the 5-series, plus a few of the buttons. But overall, the changes are quite thorough. The updated IP includes new speedometer and tach faces, plus new screens at the bottom that will display trip computer and infotainment details, while the car’s new navigation screen draws inspiration from the new 6-series, sitting atop the dashboard like a teeny flat-panel TV. And then there are the buttons. For the radio controls, they’re now convex rather than flat, and the HVAC cluster below is reshaped and incorporates a central screen we haven’t seen on any current BMWs. Our favorite change, however, is the DSC button that’s been repositioned right above the ignition button. It’s the perfect placement for starting the engine and turning off the nannies with unprecedented efficiency. Do you think that falls under BMW’s new EfficientDynamics initiatives? The 2013 3-series is expected to debut in Frankfurt this fall and should arrive on our shores sometime in 2012. ( Check out our previous 2013 3-series spy shots here .) [Show as slideshow] [View with PicLens] See the original post here: 2013 BMW 3-Series Spied Again, But This Time We Get to See the Interior View post: 2013 BMW 3-Series Spied Again, But This Time We Get to See the Interior

Mini has priced the 2012 Mini Inspired by Goodwood ( full details here ) in the U.K. For those in need of a refresher, it’s a Cooper S completely worked over by none other than fellow BMW Grouper Rolls-Royce; it walked the catwalk at this year’s Shanghai auto show . And, uh, it will be expensive. How expensive? Well, before we tell you, allow us to state that a standard Mini Cooper S costs £18,015 in Britain—$28,849 at current exchange rates. Here’s what the Goodwood Mini offers above and beyond that model: an interior and exterior pored over by Rolls designers, who trimmed the cabin with the finest leathers, wood, and polished metal, and who subtly classed up the outside with a monochromatic treatment punctuated by chrome detailing. For this Roller massage, Mini is asking £41,000—and there’s no need to grab a calculators to understand how expensive that is. The Goodwood’s price is more than double that of the car on which it’s based. At current exchange rates the Goodwood doesn’t quite “ring in” so much as it “thud in” at a whopping $65,657 . Of course, when they sell a few of these little buggers over here, it’s more likely that the price in dollars will look something like the one in pounds sterling: We figure $40K to $45K is a good rough estimate. It might help to think of the Mini Goodwood as something of a tiny Rolls-Royce, which would make it the least expensive new Roller available. Furthermore, the Goodwood Mini’s single competitor, the Aston Martin Cygnet , costs £30,995 in the U.K., some triple the £9995 required for the Toyota iQ which serves as that model’s roots. Thus, the Mini’s luxury-version-to-cheap-version price ratio is a more-favorable 2.28:1 versus the Cygnet’s 3.10:1, making it a something of a value in the highly competitive tiny, sybaritic hatchback class. Mini will only produce 1000 of the Goodwood Minis, and British customers can place orders for one starting today. See the original post: Fancypants Mini Inspired By Goodwood Priced in the U.K.: Costs More than Double a Cooper S Read more here: Fancypants Mini Inspired By Goodwood Priced in the U.K.: Costs More than Double a Cooper S

Better Place, an Israeli company that developed an automated electric-vehicle-battery swap station, expanded beyond the Middle East this week, opening its first station in Europe. The Denmark station will function as do the other Better Place stations in Israel, automatically removing the enormous battery pack from a special Renault Fluence Z.E. electric car and reinstalling a fresh unit. This holds a great deal of promise for EVs; current electric vehicle technology is limited not only by battery capacity and recharge time, but by infrastructural hurdles like a lack of available charging stations. A battery switching station—itself a gargantuan bit of infrastructure that would need to be paid for and installed—helps solve at least some of these issues by swapping the depleted battery pack out of an electric car for a fresh, fully charged battery pack in a timely manner, eliminating the typical several-hour wait for a full battery recharge. At the same time, Renault is launching the Fluence Z.E. in the U.K., and has priced the vehicle very reasonably. How reasonably? Try £17,850 after a £5000 government grant for plug-in cars. At current exchange rates, that translates to $28,535, a whopping $5095 than a base Nissan Leaf here in the States. (More important, perhaps, is the relative affordability of the car in the U.K. A Mini Cooper S, for example, starts at roughly £18,000.) Customers are also on the hook for a $120 per month lease for the battery pack, as well. The car that British shoppers will soon be able to buy features the same battery pack that’s compatible with Better Place’s switching stations—leading us to think that the Israeli firm has plans to expand its operations to the British Isles some time soon. Even without the station, of course, the Fluence Z.E. can recharge through a traditional power outlet, as does the Leaf. The Fluence Z.E. will feature charging ports on each of its front fenders, an electric motor that produces 94-hp and 167 lb-ft of torque, and a claimed range of 115 miles. Better Place plans to open 19 more battery switching stations in Denmark over the next nine months, and later in 2011 a switching station is set to open in Australia’s capital city, Canberra. The Renault Fluence Z.E. goes on sale next year...

One for the faithful. Aside from the expected practicality limitations of a purist’s sports car, we’ve found the regular Lotus Evora to be a pretty satisfying machine. It’s as balanced as a tightrope walker and has laser-precise steering, limpet grip, and strong braking. Keep Reading: 2011 Lotus Evora S – Short Take Road Test Read more here: 2011 Lotus Evora S Tested: More Power Provides a Cure More here:  2011 Lotus Evora S Tested: More Power Provides a Cure

According to eGMcartech quoting an unnamed BMWNA spokesperson, the BMW X1 will come to the United States in late 2012. The variant to be offered will be the X1 xDrive28i powered by the new N20 2.0 liter four-cylinder TwinPower turbocharged engine. The new unit produces 245 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque (258 lb of torque). The engine can be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or a 8-speed automatic transmission. In the EU test cycle, the BMW X1 xDrive28i runs with 7.9 liters/100 km or 35.7 mpg imp (an improvement of 1.5 liters / 5.7 mpg), has CO2 emissions of 183 g/km (down by 38g). Performance wise, the X1 xDrive28i runs from 0 to 62 mph in 6.1 seconds (6.5 with a 6-speed automatic). According to our own sources, the delay is attributed to the higher than expected demand in Europe and the need to balance the production to satisfy the customers’ requests. Canada has already begun receiving the X1 xDrive28i as of this May. For more information and an exclusive test drive of the BMW X1 xDrive28i, click through the link . [Source: eGMcartech ] Here is the original post:  Report: BMW X1 will come to U.S. with 240-hp 4-cylinder turbo

In order increase safety and reduce crashes at intersections, a number of cities have been using red light cameras to catch drivers who violate the law and run through them. This controversial practice has been called an invasion of privacy by some, but now a new survey found that there is high support from drivers for these efforts and fatalities in those cities have dropped. The survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that two-thirds of drivers in 14 major cities who have red-light cameras support their use. This study is a follow up to the recent finding that these cameras have reduced fatal red-light-running crashes by 24 percent in the same cities. Here are the findings in the 14 cities studied and the percent of those in favor of the cameras. City Percent in favor of red light cameras Bakersfield, CA 68% Baltimore, MD 67% Chandler, AZ 75% Chicago, IL 65% Garland, TX 66% Long Beach, CA 48% Phoenix, AZ 74% Portland, OR 68% Raleigh, NC 62% Sacramento, CA 71% San Diego, CA 64% Santa Ana, CA 54% Toledo, OH 58% Washington, DC 78% Nine out of 10 drivers in the study believe it is unacceptable to run a red light, and eight out of 10 say it’s a threat to personal safety. Critics of the red-light cameras are quite vocal saying they are an invasion of privacy and that the cameras are meant to make more money for the cities, not increase safety. More than a quarter of respondents said the cameras can make mistakes and some noted that they make the roads less safe. Voters in eight cities have rejected the cameras in the past three years. One example was in Houston where 53 percent of people voted against the measure. However, IIHS found that 56 percent of Houston drivers favor the cameras, so there is a slight disconnect between the drivers and voters. In 2009, 676 people were killed and about 130,000 were injured in crashes from drivers running red lights. Currently, red-light cameras are used in about 539 communities and 14 states have state-wide authority for camera use. Last year, IIHS noted that speeding and running red lights were the most important traffic safety issues that needed to be addressed to help reduce the deaths on America’s roads. What do you think? Are you in favor of red light cameras and why? Learn more about...

Reports have recently leaked that the Obama Administration is targeting 56.2 mpg as a new fuel-economy target for America’s cars and trucks. Currently, vehicles from each automaker must average 27.3 mpg to avoid hefty fines, but that requirement is scheduled to rise to 35.5 mpg by 2016. It’s what happens next that is now the focus of the government, the auto industry, environmental groups, and others. Proposals for 2017 through 2025 have ranged from 47 to 62 mpg. Consumer Reports agrees that the 56.2-mpg standards are not only realistic, but should be the minimum target for 2025. It would be even better for consumers and the country to aim for the higher 62 mpg. At the same time, the government must limit loopholes to ensure compliance and the true accomplishment of the fuel-economy standards. This would further reduce the nation’s dependence on petroleum, cut emissions, and help drivers go further on a gallon of gas. (Read our official statement .) The leaks follow a Technical Feasibility Study the Administration conducted to determine whether the proposed standards are realistic. A final proposal is due in September, but the debate is well underway now with the auto industry arguing for a lower target. “Improving fuel economy standards is one of the most effective ways to save consumers money at the pump,” says Consumer Reports President Jim Guest. “We believe that an aggressive standard with a long lead time for auto manufacturers will foster the development of better cars that use less gas at an affordable price.” According to the Interim Joint Technical Assessment Report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), raising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 62 mpg would save owners about $6,000 in fuel costs over the lifetime of the vehicle, compared with current standards, and it would cut gasoline consumption by one third. A key sticking point in negotiations has been the cost of adding new fuel-efficient technology to cars, and whether consumers will bear that cost. In a recent survey of car owners by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 62 percent of respondents said they expected their next vehicle to be more fuel...

Some car enthusiasts have given the Toyota Prius a less than enthusiastic welcome. It’s not that they don’t appreciate its impressive fuel economy of 44 mpg overall and 55 mpg on the highway. Or that it’s riddled with cool new technology. It’s just that, frankly, the Prius is short on visceral thrills. Now Toyota has plans to change that. Starting next month, Prius buyers will be able to order the “Plus” package, with performance upgrades designed to give the car sharper steering and cornering response. Despite the added weight for the body kit, Toyota implies this package will not compromise the Prius’ fuel economy. Available for order in July, the Plus package includes unique 17-inch wheels, lowered suspension (1.1 inches front, 1.3 inches rear), a rear sway bar, and ground effects kit with a deeper front air dam, as well as side and rear skirts. The wheels also have a shallower offset to widen the track width. The components are only available as a package, and only in four Prius colors: white, silver, black, and gray. You can order the port-installed Prius Plus package on any Prius trim level. The price is $3,699 on Prius Two, Three, and Four, or $2,999 on Prius Five. With this package, the Prius Five stretches its price to $31,789, on par with the Lexus CT 200h . See the rest here:  New Plus package adds performance, styling to Toyota Prius

Starting July 1st, solo drivers of hybrid cars in California will see their special pass to the car pool lane disappear. Since 2004, hybrid owners with a special permit were allowed entry into California’s High-Occupancy-Vehicle (HOV) lanes even when driving alone. The special yellow key-shaped decals that denoted access quickly became a… Read the rest here: California Hybrid Drivers Lose Car-Pool Lane Privileges

Is this the Prius C or not? Prius C to be most fuel efficient hybrid available 2012 is shaping up to be a pretty interesting year for Toyota. An all new Camry – Toyota’s best selling vehicle – including a hybrid version is due, as well as the Prius V , Prius C and the plug-in Prius . Likewise, Toyota will also roll out two new electric cars, the RAV4 EV and the Scion iQ EV. But we’re still not totally sure what’s going on with the Prius C. Unfortunately, the details regarding all of Toyota’s new 2012 offerings are still a little sketchy. However, Toyota notes the Camry hybrid will meet the “needs of the 21st Century driver, the new Camry will provide technologically advanced features, a contemporary design inside and out, improved performance and refined ride and handling.” Additionally, the new Camry hybrid, along with the Prius V, will be the first vehicles to offer Toyota’s Entune state-of-the-art multimedia system. Nevertheless, the most interesting developing story continues to be the Prius C. In yesterday’s Toyota Prius C takes new shape, higher price tag we covered a MotorTrend article that claimed the upcoming Toyota Prius C will look nothing like the compact car that debuted at numerous auto shows last year. Instead, the C hybrid would be based off the Toyota Rush platform and take on cars like the Nissan Juke. However, Toyota is still claiming the C will be a compact city vehicle that will offer the best fuel economy of any hybrid. That seems to suggest the Prius C will be smaller than the upcoming Prius V, contrasting MotorTrend’s description to some extent. Likewise, with such fuel economy numbers, it would seem the Prius C will also be smaller than the current Prius. Fortunately, new details will be forthcoming soon. Anyway, for hybrid and plug-in fans, Toyota is on the verge of significantly increasing its product portfolio. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics in numerous shapes and sizes. Selection, finally. View original here:  New Toyota Camry hybrid coming, Prius C still a compact and two new EVs

AMG Mercedes C-Class driver Jamie Green is looking to secure his 4th win at Norisring after winning the last 3 DTM races there Read more:  Mercedes-Benz Drivers Prepare for DTM Round 5 at Norisring

WalMart, the retail giant best known for selling things at lower prices than the competition, feels you pain at the pump. If you live in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas or Virginia, the retailer has announced… Read the original here:  Attention WalMart Shoppers: Retailer Discounting Gasoline