The 2012 Dakar kicked off to a dramatic start Sunday as Argentina’s coastal dunes overtaxed several trucks and even a quad, resulting in multiple fires. The rally is now on its third of 14 stages, covering over 3,000 miles off road in Argentina, Chile and this year, for the first time, Peru. More » Continued here: The Dakar Race Looks Pretty Much Like A Post-Apocalyptic Hellscape [Video] View original here:  The Dakar Race Looks Pretty Much Like A Post-Apocalyptic Hellscape [Video]

Filed under: Motorsport The first major race of the international sports season starts next month (28 January 2012) at Daytona International Speedway when leading drivers will go head to head in the famous 24 hour Rolex endurance race . Next year will be particularly special for the Rolex 24 at Daytona as it celebrates 50 years of one of the most anticipated and hardest races in the world to win. To mark the occasion, the organisers have grouped together all Rolex 24 At Daytona race winners and their cars for the ‘50 Years of Champions’ display. A new addition to the reunion is the No.99 Brumos Porsche twin-turbo 935, driven by Rolf Stommelen, Antoine Henzemans and Peter Gregg and the team took the lead in lap 14 and never let go to become the 1978 overall champion with an incredible 30-lap margin of victory and an average speed of 108 mph. They even had time to stop the car for half an hour and apply new decals for the staged all-Porsche final lap photo where the manufacturer stormed to victory with the first seven positions and and all but one of the top 15 positions. Also on display will be the No.76 Nissan 300ZX-Turbo: the overall winner of the 1994 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The American team drove the car to victory covering 707 laps and averaging 104 mph and the 300ZX-Turbo was the first GT car to claim an overall win since 1983 and the first front-engine car to win in 18 years. The twice-around-the-clock 3.56 mile race course at Daytona will also play host to the 1984 and 1995 Overall Champions: the No.00 South African Kreepy Krauly Porsche March and the No. 10 Kremer Porsche K8 Spyder, driven in part by 1993 Le Mans winner Christophe Bouchot, making this an unmissable display of some of the best drivers in the world.   Original post: Rolex 24 at Daytona to celebrate 50 years of gruelling races View original here: Rolex 24 at Daytona to celebrate 50 years of gruelling races

I’ll be the first to admit that my opinions, tastes and preferences represent a minority of the driving community. As a purist that favors connectedness over comfort and dynamics over, well… efficient dynamics, I find myself sitting among an ever shrinking crowd of enthusiasts. To borrow a line from Jack Johnson: “where’d all the good [drivers] go?” While it’s true that my tastes have softened somewhat, I’d still delete many luxury features to save weight, and take curbs at offensively slow speeds thanks to a suspension on the stiff side of town. I’ve taught several friends how to drive manual and all of them have come away with a smile and second thoughts of buying another automatic. BMW’s DCT has incrementally improved, but it’s still no where near Porsche’s PDK, so while the 7 speed DCT suits certain cars very well (namely the new M5), I would still ditch it for a raw, hands on manual. Please don’t be offended by my efficient dynamics comment; I do appreciate efficiency, and protecting the environment as well as our lungs. Further, high efficiency and low emissions are a testiment to engineering competence – it’s no easy feat to extract huge power with low pollution. To that end, I’m willing to compromise on a naturally aspirated engine with a highly responsive turbo. One thing I will never, ever compromise on however, is steering feel. If driving is your art, and the racetrack or back road is your canvas, then the contact patches are your eyes. Blurring your vision of what the tires are doing with numb steering feel and feedback is like forcing bottle-cap glasses on an artist. The painting will become somewhat “abstract”… and so will your driving. Both art forms may involve strangely shaped trees. It’s no laughing matter. Not only is it imperative to performance driving that a car offer up precise steering input and feedback, but such connectedness with the road surface is a core element of driving pleasure. To illustrate it another way, driving a new BMW with electric power steering is a bit like having sex wearing a condom. It’s still a great time, but you’re missing that intimacy that makes it spectacular. Sorry to all our underage...

Have a look at the designing process of the new BMW 3 Series (F30) together with the designers. Karim Habib, head of BMW exterior design, and Christopher Weil, 3 Series designer, takes us behind the scene of the new 3 Series design process. Weil was also responsible for the 5 Series GT. The interior design was created by Christian Bauer who also designed the current generation 6 Series coupe and convertible. The styling of the 2012 BMW 3 Series is considered to be an evolution of the previous model. The styling follows the design language seen in the new 5 Series, with concave and convex shapes providing a sporty stance and image. Let’s have a look and learn more about layering and other design techniques. Continued here:  Video: Designing the new BMW 3 Series Sedan

Filed under: Latest News Nissan created a canny little bandwagon with the Juke – nobody had done a chunky faux-by-four of such peewee proportions prior. . Well, thanks to the Fiesta SUV concept, just announced officially along with the teaser picture above, we now know that Ford will be one of the first makers to jump on it. The teaser shot is the first ever official glimpse of the car, which will get its global debut at the New Delhi Auto Show. You probably didn’t know existed until now, right, but it’s real: 1.4 million people will go to it in January. Why India and not Detroit? Because the Fiesta SUV will be sold there, and be launched as the second of an eight-model product offensive that will see Ford tap into the highly lucrative emerging Indian market. Like all things Ford, though, it’s a global car, so we’ll get it too, probably launched in production form at the end of 2012, with sales starting in 2013. Most versions will be front-wheel drive, but it will get SUV credibility by way of an optional 4×4 drivetrain. Three-cylinder petrol EcoBoost engines will power it, as well as diesels from the lower echelons of the Focus range. When it eventually hits the shops, this miniscule SUV will take its place as the fourth Fiesta-based car, along with the three- and five-door hatchbacks , and the forthcoming B-Max MPV . Fingers crossed Ford will do a version with with the drivetrain of a Ford GT inside it, give that cocky Juke R something to think about…   Original post: Ford to debut Fiesta-based SUV Go here to see the original: Ford to debut Fiesta-based SUV

Filed under: Road Tests First seen in the latest Focus launched earlier this year, the trend of offering smaller but more powerful engines is continuing at Ford with the introduction of the 1.6-litre Ecoboost petrol, for its fleet and family favourite, the Mondeo. The 158bhp version of the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine was a gem in the Focus, feeling much more powerful than its 1.6-litres would suggest. But, how would it fare in the bigger Mondeo ? I spent a week with the range-topping £23,100 Titanium X hatch to find out. The current Mondeo dates back to 2007, with just a minor face-lift taking place last year to keep it current. The Mondeo looks best from the front and the restyle gave us a more upmarket, enlarged lower grille and a smaller upper grille; plus a set of daytime running lights. At the side of the Mondeo, there are the same chiselled flanks with distinctive wheelarches. Changes at the back are limited to new LED rear lights, a revised bumper design and reshaped valance with built in rear spoiler. Our test car was fitted with one of 10 engines available for the Mondeo, the 158bhp 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol. EcoBoost green tweaks include a Start & Stop system which means emissions of just 158g/km and 41.5mpg fuel consumption figures. Despite the Mondeo’s size and space, this Ford should prove to be competitive to run which is important to the corporate sector that makes up the majority of sales. The Mondeo is a big car and with its thick roof pillars, all-round visibility isn’t great. I was thankful for the standard fit and rear parking sensors and the optional rear camera. The Ford has light, responsive steering that feels far sportier than you would think of a car in this class would be.The steering is at ease on the motorway too. In spite of its big body, the Mondeo has to be the driver’s car compared to its rivals. Always feeling agile, there’s also plenty of grip from the optional 18-inch wheels. The Mondeo’s ride is usually refined, but I wouldn’t recommend going for the optional 18-inch alloy wheels fitted to the test car, as the low-speed ride is a bit on the crashy side and there is more road rumble in the Ford’s cabin. Inside, the Mondeo’s solid dash is starting to show its age and the...

The Basics: The 2012 Volvo XC60 is a luxury crossover that puts the priority on passenger space, safety, and comfort, over off-road ability. The XC60 is feature-packed and can seat up to seven, but with lackluster fuel economy and a dated interior look, it’s not class-leading in all respects. Volvo’s XC90 was one of the first carlike luxury… See the rest here:  2012 Volvo XC90

The Basics: Porsche’s Panamera combines sports-car handling with German engineering, controversial styling and, yes, four doors. It’s not entirely new territory to Porsche, but it’s the first sedan from the brand, and it has succeeded in expanding the appeal of the marque beyond focused sports cars and its Cayenne SUV. For the 2012 model year… See original here: 2012 Porsche Panamera

Total 2010 sales exceeded by end of November Record sales year achieved: 2007 sales record surpassed Robertson: 2011 target of more than 1.6 million vehicles in sight The BMW Group continued on its successful course in November – sales climbed to 138,978 vehicles, an increase of 7.7% over the previous year (prev. yr. 129,001). Global sales of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand automobiles rose to 1,510,862 (prev. yr. 1,319,808) units in the first eleven months of the year, 14.5% more than in the same period last year and a new record for the company. Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: “This was our best ever November sales month, with growth right across the world. We have already sold more vehicles in the first eleven months of this year than in the whole of 2010 and we have also broken our sales record from 2007 (1,500,678). This puts our record sales target for the full year of more than 1.6 million vehicles well within reach. In November, the main impetus for growth came from the BMW X3, the BMW 5 Series and the BMW 6 Series – with further momentum from the new BMW 1 Series, which has been available on the market since 18 September and has already received several awards from automotive media.” BMW brand: best-ever November The BMW brand also reported the best November in its history. A total of 115,124 vehicles were delivered to customers worldwide in the month under review – an increase of 6.4% (prev. yr. 108.185). BMW deliveries climbed 12.9% from the start of the year to 1,252,205 units (prev. yr. 1,108,710). The BMW X3 broke through the 100,000-unit mark for sales to the end of November. With 106,103 vehicles sold, this highly-successful model grew at a rate of 157.3% (prev. yr. 41,242). The BMW X1 also remained on track for success, with 115,185 deliveries since the start of the year (+25.7%/prev. yr. 91,622). A total of 283,065 BMW 5 Series vehicles were delivered to customers between January and November – an increase of 52.1% (prev. yr. 186,060). The BMW 5 Series remains the clear leader in its segment. The BMW 7 Series also continues to perform well, with year-to-date deliveries of the BMW flagship reaching 61,529 vehicles (+6.8%/prev. yr. 57,587). The new BMW 6 Series reported...

Dodge will resurrect the Dart name for its new Alfa Romeo-based compact car, set to debut at next month’s Detroit Auto Show . The Dart will be the first Alfa Romeo-based Chrysler production car introduced in the United States. Arrivederci Caliber! More » Excerpt from: 2013 Dodge Dart is the new Dodge Caliber [Dodge Dart] See the original post here:  2013 Dodge Dart is the new Dodge Caliber [Dodge Dart]

The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported November sales of 26,271 vehicles, an increase of 14.8% from the 22,883 vehicles sold in the same month a year ago. Year-to-date, BMW Group sales are up 14.6% to 272,873 in the first eleven months of 2011 compared to 238,157 in the same period in 2010. “The numbers show this is the buying season, consumer optimism is increasing and we are seeing the most showroom traffic in our dealerships so far this year,” said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America, LLC. “I am particularly pleased to see MINI setting a new sales record and I am looking forward to a strong December especially with our X Drive momentum, X3 and X5 in particular.” BMW Brand Sales Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 7.1% in November for a total of 21,521 compared to 20,097 vehicles sold in November, 2010. Year-to-date, the BMW brand is up 12.3% on sales of 221,073 January through November compared to 196,833 sold in the first eleven months of 2010. BMW’s automobile sales were down 14.2% in November to 13,728 versus 16,009 in the same month a year ago. Year-to-date sales are up 1.6%, to 156,841 automobiles compared to 154,372 in the same period of 2010. Sales of BMW Sports Activity Vehicles (X3, X5 and X6) increased by 90.6% in November to 7,793 vehicles from the 4,088 sold last November. Year-to-date, sales of BMW Sports Activity Vehicles were also up 51.3%, to 64,232 vehicles compared to the 42,461 sold in the first eleven months of 2010. BMW Pre-Owned Vehicles In November, sales of BMW used vehicles (including certified pre-owned and pre-owned) totaled 12,196, a decrease of 3.1% from the 12,580 sold in November 2010. Year-to-date, BMW used vehicle sales are down 5.3% on volume of 144,882 compared to 153,048 in the first eleven months of 2010. MINI Brand Sales MINI USA reported sales of 4,750 automobiles in November, up 70.5% from the 2,786 sold in November 2010. Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 25.4% on volume of 51,800 compared to 41,324 in the first eleven months of 2010. “The results are exciting because it means customers are not only buying in record numbers they are also ordering customized vehicles,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President, MINI USA. “This will be the best sales year ever...

Why do we like the things we like and choose X over Y? Why do some of us choose coffee over tea and Apple over Android? Why donuts over muffins? What are the reasons we choose one over the other? There must be some reason or reasons that motivate our choices, right? And so, onto the main question: Why BMW? Is it purely because of the cars they make, or is it the company as a whole? Why not Mercedes, Audi or Lexus or any other manufacturer for that matter? Is it because of its design, tradition, quality, reliability or the brand’s philosophy that attracts you? It can be anything and everything from the interior smell to the driver’s position to the colors offered and even the cup holders! There is no right or wrong answer. Simply put: Why? We know that for some it’s the driving “feel” that BMW engineers into their cars, while for others it’s the numbers and figures, such as horsepower, 0-60 times, torque or MPG that might seal the deal for them. For some the Roundel serves purely as a status symbol while for others it’s a belief in the mantra “The Ultimate Driving Machine” and philosophy of high revving naturally aspirated engines. More recently the focus towards the future of sustainable mobility and Efficient Dynamics has attracted the more eco-friendly crowd, thanks to the arrival of the BMW i sub-brand. With this move towards greener and more technologically advanced road vehicles, it has also brought along not only the eco-friendly but also the forward thinking, technology loving crowd as well. With that in mind, some are not only attracted to the BMW Group just because they produce great cars, but also because of their way of doing things. Some appreciate the fact that BMW is constantly trying to push the envelope further and create the best they can possibly create with the latest and greatest that the mechanical and technological fields have to offer. Case in point, the idea that a company should stick to tradition and ignore any possible opportunities for improvement does not really fit BMW’s bill. With the switch from naturally aspirated engines to turbocharged ones and the electric assisted steering are just a few to name. Controversial subjects for some, rest assured. Enter, second part of this article. But it’s not...

On our way to Las Vegas in the Q5 (Full review to come soon!), we decided to take a slight detour and head up to enjoy the first day of the Los Angeles Auto Show . More importantly, I wanted to get an up close look at the e-Tron concept car that I’ve been admiring for the past year. Check out our video footage…(or watch via YouTube ) I’m not sure why I didn’t get any video footage of the R8 GT. Maybe because I was so in awe of the e-Tron concept car which was right beside it. For photos from the show, check out the gallery over at our Facebook page . Read the rest here:  Audi at 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show (Video and Photos)

The Basics: Now in its second model year, the 2012 Nissan Leaf was the first battery electric vehicle to be built in volume and sold by a major automaker in many decades. The five-door compact hatchback has a striking look that’s as pioneering and modern as the Toyota Prius hybrid was in its day. The Leaf is easy to drive, provides comfortable… More here: 2012 Nissan Leaf

General Motors has announced pricing for the new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco will start at $25,995, including the $760 destination charge. A mild hybrid, the Malibu Eco features an eAssist battery electric-gasoline propulsion system that enables regenerative braking, electric assist, and start-stop functionality for improved fuel economy. GM estimates 26 mpg city and 38 highway. The Malibu Eco will be powered by a direct-injection 182-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with continuously variable valve timing. It is mated with a six-speed automatic transmission. The sedan will be the first Chevrolet to have the MyLink connectivity, which integrates online services such as Internet-based radio on the go. Four option packages will be available, including premium audio, leather, and navigation. A power convenience package adds a backup camera, power driver seat, and remote start. All packages include a sunroof. The Malibu Eco is the first trim to be offered on the redesigned sedan, which goes on sale in early 2012. The rest of the Malibu trim lines (LS, LT, and LTZ) will be available in the summer of 2012. Original post: Pricing: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco to start at under $26,000