It turns out the guy setting fire to hundreds of cars in Berlin wasn’t a pyromaniac Guy Fawkes but instead a 27-year-old man bummed about not having a job or nice things. Hey, still sounds like he’s part of the “Neun und Neunzig Prozent” though, right? More » View post: Man who set fire to 100 cars was just jealous [Car Fires] Read more: Man who set fire to 100 cars was just jealous [Car Fires]

Filed under: First Drive The only way is up! Or that’s what Volkswagen is hoping city car buyers will say, when they consider the new car against rivals such as the Fiat 500 and Hyundai i10. Originally shown as a concept in 2007, the up! is definitely a car of its time, with Volkswagen predicting sales of small cars like this one increasing by 20 per cent over the next five years, as people embrace small cars that can carry four people and are fun to drive. So, with sales of this new dinky motor beginning in spring 2012, does it live up to its impressive billing of being a “concentrated Volkswagen?” I headed to Rome for the International launch to find out. After the forgettable Fox, the new baby Volkswagen gets off to a great start with the crisp exterior styling. The work of both Walter de Silva and Klaus Bischoff, it remains faithful to the concept with its big wheels (14-inch even on the entry-level Take up! version) which are moved to the four corners of the car, the big wheelarches, the short overhangs and the lower than you’d expect roof height. For me, the neatest parts of the up!’s design are the strong, 3D graphic round the side windows which are steeply upswept at the back and the glass rear tailgate, which Volkswagen claim is inspired by modern flat-screen TVs. The up! is also one of the few cars to have a face, which I think adds to its cheekyness. With the circular elements of the headlights looking like eyes, the Volkswagen badge the nose and the grill bumper treatment almost looking like a smiley face. Move inside and despite the up!’s compact dimensions, the interior is suprisingly spacious with a big car feel. Quality is up to usual Volkswagen standards and the simple dashboard design is elegant. I tried three different versions of the up! and the gloss white and black dashboard trim of the special edition up! black and up! white give a different classier feel to the car. Though the standard cream finish of the Move up! was the most simple and honest. Some of the instruments, such as the rev counter might be smaller than the Volkswagen norm, but they are beautifully detailed and easy to read. The switchgear placement is also sound. I’m over 6ft tall and found it easy to get a decent driving...

Honda debuted a refreshed 2012 Insight hybrid for Europe at the Frankfurt auto show earlier this year, and now that car’s updates have made it to the U.S.-market car. Honda’s changes to the Insight include a handful of styling tweaks and minor interior improvements similar to the freshening the popular Fit subcompact also received for 2012 , but the nip and tuck is definitely minor. The biggest changes are to the Insight’s styling, which is toughened up by larger and more aggressive intakes on the front fascia, new head- and taillights, and new wheel designs. EX models are still the only Insights that ride on aluminum wheels, but all trim levels get a new grille with a blue stripe that Honda says is representative of the car’s “high-tech hybrid identity.” There’s also a thinner rear spoiler that affords more visibility through the split rear window. Functionally, the tweaks to the front and rear bumpers and underbody contribute to a 1-mpg boost in the Insight’s city, highway, and combined fuel-economy numbers. The final figures are 41 mpg in the city, 44 on the highway, and 42 mpg combined; those numbers are still well short of the Toyota Prius’s (51/48/50), but the Insight is a far more involving car to drive. Honda improved the Insight where it needed to most: the interior. The company didn’t make any drastic changes, but it added thicker sound insulation, classed up the seating surface materials, and added an updated navigation system with an integrated backup camera. Those changes should address at least some of the complaints we levied against our recently departed long-term Insight ; most of our barbs were reserved for the hybrid’s loud operation and dated nav unit. One of the things we did like on our long-termer was its seats, and Honda has added synthetic leather to the chairs’ bolsters on EX models and fancier cloth for the thrones in the LX. Honda also tweaked the rear-seat area and headliner to eke out a bit more room for back-seat passengers, and refreshed the look of the gauge cluster. The 2012 Insight is powered by the same Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system as last year. IMA combines the efforts of an 88-hp, 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine and a 13-hp electric motor to move the car with no authority whatsoever...

Respectable and renown Japanese tuner Studie begins work on their new BMW 1M project. For starters, the tuning shop changed the standard suspension by replacing it with the opular KW Club Sport suspension kit. Next, the CSL-like wheels came off and were substituted with RI-D wheels made by BBS Japan. The tires wrapping around the BBS wheels are the ADVAN Neova. The company has not announced the full upcoming customization to the 1M, but we expect visual changes to the interior and exterior design, as well as a power upgrade. In standard form, the 1M is powered by the N4 twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter I-6 engine. For the 1M, the turbocharger, exhaust system, and ECU have been revised to produce 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, though up to 369 pound-feet are available temporarily in overboost mode. Expect to see more tuners performing upgrades on the popular and enthusiast-geared 1M. Read more: Studie Japan begins work on BMW 1M

A recurrent theme of classical lines and exaggerated width has proliferated across BMW’s lineup and into the sixth generation 3 series sedan.  Last seen applied to the new F20 1 series, several design highlights mark the new 3er as a fresh new product with classic appeal.  Let’s take a closer look at the subtleties of BMW’s new 3 series’ design. First and foremost: the dimension of width has been emphasized in every aspect of the exterior design.  Of course, the width of the car has in fact been increased – approximately two inches front and rear.  Starting at the front of the vehicle, the fascia spreads itself from corner to corner, now continuous without interruption from vertical elements.  The wide and narrow opening, fitted with black plastic aero elements throughout, keeps your eyes panning from side to side. The new headlight design, now connected laterally to the side of the kidney grills, also creates the impression of increased width.  First seen applied on the new 1 series, this styling approach is well executed in the new 3 series, and while it looks decent in photos, we expect it, like most new BMW’s, to look far better in the flesh.  Speaking of the kidney grilles, they are also found to be wider and lower than those featured on the previous generation E90 sedan. “Bow waves” as BMWBLOG has coined them, spread from the roundel outwards to the bases of the A-pillars.  These elevated lines stamped into the bonnet are now spread further apart, also increasing the illusion of… you guessed it: width.  The F30 3 series features a double bow wave design – four separate prominences – which allows light to play off of the bonnet in a more dynamic, interesting way. Sharply pressed body paneling is not limited to the hood – but found circumventing the entire car.  The now familiar side sculpturing once again features concave and convex aspects running the length of the car.  The most pronounced crease runs very high on the belt-line, transecting both door handles on the way to the rear tail light fixture.  A more subtle character line runs low above the rocker panel, feathering into existence off of a diagonally dropping crease which initiates off the top of the front wheel well. ...

Put it on your calendars, BMW geeks. Friday, October 14 is the day we all get to see the new F30 3-series, a car that will head to production before the year is out. The event is scheduled to happen at four in the afternoon at the factory in Munich—that’s 10 AM Eastern, 7 AM Pacific—meaning it’ll be a good way to start our morning on this corner of the globe, where we can all watch the reveal live on BMW’s Facebook page. It’ll only be the 3-series sedan showing up at this point, and you shouldn’t be a stranger to the new-generation car. It’s been the most spied piece of metal this side of the Porsche 911 all summer. We spotted it roaming around Germany back in May, then we caught a glimpse of the interior in June. Most recently, the new 3 was seen totally uncovered back in August. The coupe and convertible versions will likely trickle out in 2012 or early 2013. As we’ve noted in those past spy photo stories, the 3er will launch with the company’s new turbocharged 2.0-liter as a base engine, with the current model’s single-turbo six continuing on at the heart of the 335i. A six-speed manual will remain the standard transmission, while a ZF-sourced eight-speed will be the automatic option. Beyond those details, you’ll have to come back on Friday for the full scoop. Here is the original post: BMW to Reveal New 3-series With Streaming Event This Friday See the original post: BMW to Reveal New 3-series With Streaming Event This Friday

The interior of the new Mercedes B-Class will set the benchmark for all other compact vehicles Excerpt from: 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Interior Design

The Mercedes C-Class and E-Class model lines were the best sellers with combined sales of 11,987 vehicles Go here to read the rest: Mercedes-Benz USA September 2011 Sales Up 15.6 Percent

Chrysler has recently blasted the media with a “Get back to American made products” campaign that pulls on our heartstrings and makes us walk away from the family room with the same feeling that we had when Rocky won the title. I can’t help but ask myself if it’s too little too late. As the Japanese products continue to improve and beat us out on our own turf, the big three may have little hope of a comeback. Being a somewhat devout German import fan, I likened the advertisement blitz to a shallow attempt to boost sales in a struggling economy. Then I sat in the 2011 Grand Caravan Crew. At once I noticed that the normally plastic infused interior was considerably more refined than its predecessor. Soft touch points abound as I struggled initially to find anything to complain about.   I prefer to jump into a car and test the user experience by driving off without reading the manual. If I can get going without having to take a night class then the engineers and designers have done their jobs effectively. The Grand Caravan is easy to negotiate and the manual remains in the glove box. The cockpit controls are well placed and marked. Point to Dodge. I have had some difficulty with the entertainment head unit, however, which is a sticking point for me. If I, the techno geek in the house, am having trouble with the audio layout and operation then my wife will be doomed at the helm. The satellite navigation and audio controls are far too separated for my taste. The Bluetooth was quick to set up which buffered my aggravation so we will call it even. Dodge seems to be targeting the Gen-X demographic here as the rest of the interior operates quickly and intuitively. The second and third row seats folded away with little effort and the fully loaded model comes complete with a DVD player and remote headphones which we all know will keep the passengers engaged for hours on end during longer road trips.   The exterior has been smartened up as well. It only took Dodge 18 years to get hip to the fact that a minivan does not have to look like a matchbox. The 2011 gets a more aggressive snout and swept look more in line with its stronger and more athletic family members such as the Durango and Challenger. Yes, I said it. There is a movement toward inclusion...

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. The Frankfurt auto show has closed its doors for another two years, and I am recovering from miles of walking corridors and exhibition areas with no air conditioning. This year’s IAA did not send a coherent message, which is a good thing. There was a peaceful coexistence of electrics and high-powered supercars—and absolutely no one seemed to pay attention to the various electric scooters, which are a pointless diversion for carmakers. One great effect of electrics is the fact that they may lead to a redefinition of urban mobility. The Audi Urban concept , the Opel Rak e and the Volkswagen Nils represent a new type of vehicle, and a welcome departure from the obsession with passive safety that has made modern cars as heavy as tanks, and twice as clumsy. That’s not to say these city cars aren’t safe—in fact, they are, but they are also compact, lightweight, and they do without a dozen air bags, cameras, and exterior mirrors the size of elephant ears. Personally, I liked Opel’s and Audi’s concepts better than VW’s. The Opel Rak e was obviously developed with cost in mind; it has a high-strength-steel structure and a fiberglass body; the co-driver is seated behind the driver; the interior is positively minimalistic and dominated by a screen; the view forward resembles that of a bike more than a car’s. Audi’s Urban concept, by contrast, uses an aluminum space frame and a sort of trough made from carbon fiber, which defines the shape of the two seats. Their offset arrangement allows the co-driver to look forward onto the road, and it makes the car wider. Internally, Audi has created three versions: a “Sportback” with a canopy roof, a roadster, and a coupe (which was not shown). The styling language is characteristically Audi; in fact, designers insist the Auto Union Silver Arrow Typ D, a legendary late-1930s race car, was their inspiration. VW’s one-seater Nils is a less convincing entry. Internally, engineers have worked on the Nils for three years, with structural work handled...

The concept is both simple and ambitious: travel the world using 80 different modes of transportation, with no repeats. We’re guessing a monster truck won’t be among them, despite the fact that Dennis Anderson—creator of Grave Digger, and the interviewee in the What I’d Do Differently feature in our upcoming December issue—is one of the show’s hosts. He’ll be paired with Robert “Boston Rob” Mariano, a guy who is famous for eventually winning Survivor after competing four times. The two will work together at times and race each other at others, with each episode following their indirect journey to a new destination using transportation methods from throughout history. (Ah, there’s the tie-in to the show’s home channel.) The first episode debuts this Sunday at 10 p.m. Eastern on History, follows Anderson and Mariano on their way to Lake Titicaca in Peru. The duo employs a variety of livestock, a zip-line, and reed boats, among other modes, over the hour-long trek. Watch the trailer below and don’t forget to read the interview with Anderson in our December issue. See more here: Grave Digger Driver Dennis Anderson Has a TV Show, You Can Watch It This Weekend Originally posted here:  Grave Digger Driver Dennis Anderson Has a TV Show, You Can Watch It This Weekend

Filed under: First Drive Remember the Lancia brand? Many enthusiasts do and are still sad at the Italian sporting brand’s departure from the UK in 1994. Well, now its back – sort of. In case you weren’t aware, Fiat Auto has taken over the US car maker Chrysler . As part of its plans, Lancia and Chrysler are to be merged in Europe, with the Italian manufacturers models rebadged as Chryslers in Europe, in much the same way as Vauxhall and Opel brands work. One of two new Chrysler models launched here is the Ypsilon supermini. This all-new five-door version made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and for Lancia anoraks, yes, it can trace its roots back to the individually styled first-generation Y10, which was sold in the UK. The badge on the bonnet might have changed, but like the Y10 and Ypsilons of the past, the looks of the new car are pleasingly individual. Highlights include the curvy floating roof, that’s similar to its bigger brother, the Delta. At the front, there are distinctive sloping headlights, a shield-like chromed front grille and a clamshell bonnet. Move to the back and the highlights are the curvy rear light clusters and deep rear window line. I thought it looked at its best with the optional two-tone paint, which is expected to cost around £1,200 extra. Sadly, the interior of the Ypsilon isn’t as interesting as the exterior. You sit high and there’s nothing wrong with the centrally mounted instruments or soft-touch trim. However, the instruments are not very well integrated into the rest of the dashboard design. Still, the finish is up to Fiat 500 standards, which is interesting as this car is built on a stretched 500 floorpan. The seats are comfortable, there’s enough room in the back for six-footers and there’s the practicality of a 245 litre boot. A choice of three engines are available for the Ypsilon in the UK: two petrol and one diesel. Petrol engines start with the 2011 Engine of the Year, the 0.9 turbo TwinAir, that like the bigger 69bhp 1.2-litre has a 99g/km emissions figure. The one diesel engine is the 95bhp, 1.3 Multijet diesel with emissions of 115g/km and a Combined consumption figure of 57.6mph. All of these engines feature green technology including a start-stop...

Filed under: Road Tests When you’re facing a 1,000-mile road trip there are a few things that are necessities: A diesel engine for a start, lots of room for luggage, and a relaxing drive. Unfortunately the Corvette Grand Sport offers none of the above – but it does, however, have one overriding factor that makes all others pale into insignificance: The Cool Factor. The Corvette is one of the motoring world’s icons – up there with the original Mini and Mustang – so the opportunity to drive one all the way to the Frankfurt Motor Show and back was too good an opportunity to pass up. Granted it was never going to be the most economical form of transport. In fact, the 6.2-litre V8 lump (probably) consumed as much fuel as an EasyJet flight to Germany – but I doubt those passengers were having as much fun as I was. Official consumption is 22.4mpg, but we doubt we got anywhere near that… The Corvette Grand Sport isn’t like European sportscars. It’s not lithe or nimble, like a Ferrari or Porsche, instead it feels almost industrial in its execution. It’s big, brutish and heavy-handed… a bit like the Americans. Switchgear is tough and chunky, the interior cramped, and performance all about huge displacement power. Producing 437bhp and 575Nm of torque, the Grand Sport can hit 60mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 186mph. Obviously, being in Germany and driving on its derestricted Autobahns, it would have been rude not to test those claims. Off slip roads it sounded fantastic as it shifted up through the six-speed autobox, but you needed to keep your foot planted to avoid lazy changes. I managed to top 140mph on one limitless section and it felt extremely planted at these speeds. You get to know a car intimately over 1,000-miles and I found the Corvette comfortable and a competent grand tourer companion. However, there’s not much room inside and the quality of some of the interior fixings doesn’t match the £73,228 price tag. It certainly turns heads though – I got easily as much attention as when I’ve driven exotic European rivals – however if it was a decision between this and a similarly priced, and performing, Porsche, as cool as the Corvette is I just couldn’t...

Filed under: Road Tests When you’re facing a 1,000-mile road trip there are a few things that are necessities: A diesel engine for a start, lots of room for luggage, and a relaxing drive. Unfortunately the Corvette Grand Sport offers none of the above – but it does, however, have one overriding factor that makes all others pale into insignificance: The Cool Factor. The Corvette is one of the motoring world’s icons – up there with the original Mini and Mustang – so the opportunity to drive one all the way to the Frankfurt Motor Show and back was too good an opportunity to pass up. Granted it was never going to be the most economical form of transport. In fact, the 6.2-litre V8 lump (probably) consumed as much fuel as an EasyJet flight to Germany – but I doubt those passengers were having as much fun as I was. Official consumption is 22.4mpg, but we doubt we got anywhere near that… The Corvette Grand Sport isn’t like European sportscars. It’s not lithe or nimble, like a Ferrari or Porsche, instead it feels almost industrial in its execution. It’s big, brutish and heavy-handed… a bit like the Americans. Switchgear is tough and chunky, the interior cramped, and performance all about huge displacement power. Producing 437bhp and 575Nm of torque, the Grand Sport can hit 60mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 186mph. Obviously, being in Germany and driving on its derestricted Autobahns, it would have been rude not to test those claims. Off slip roads it sounded fantastic as it shifted up through the six-speed autobox, but you needed to keep your foot planted to avoid lazy changes. I managed to top 140mph on one limitless section and it felt extremely planted at these speeds. You get to know a car intimately over 1,000-miles and I found the Corvette comfortable and a competent grand tourer companion. However, there’s not much room inside and the quality of some of the interior fixings doesn’t match the £73,228 price tag. It certainly turns heads though – I got easily as much attention as when I’ve driven exotic European rivals – however if it was a decision between this and a similarly priced, and performing, Porsche, as cool as the Corvette is I just couldn’t...

Filed under: Road Tests When you’re facing a 1,000-mile road trip there are a few things that are necessities: A diesel engine for a start, lots of room for luggage, and a relaxing drive. Unfortunately the Corvette Grand Sport offers none of the above – but it does, however, have one overriding factor that makes all others pale into insignificance: The Cool Factor. The Corvette is one of the motoring world’s icons – up there with the original Mini and Mustang – so the opportunity to drive one all the way to the Frankfurt Motor Show and back was too good an opportunity to pass up. Granted it was never going to be the most economical form of transport. In fact, the 6.2-litre V8 lump (probably) consumed as much fuel as an EasyJet flight to Germany – but I doubt those passengers were having as much fun as I was. Official consumption is 22.4mpg, but we doubt we got anywhere near that… The Corvette Grand Sport isn’t like European sportscars. It’s not lithe or nimble, like a Ferrari or Porsche, instead it feels almost industrial in its execution. It’s big, brutish and heavy-handed… a bit like the Americans. Switchgear is tough and chunky, the interior cramped, and performance all about huge displacement power. Producing 437bhp and 575Nm of torque, the Grand Sport can hit 60mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 186mph. Obviously, being in Germany and driving on its derestricted Autobahns, it would have been rude not to test those claims. Off slip roads it sounded fantastic as it shifted up through the six-speed autobox, but you needed to keep your foot planted to avoid lazy changes. I managed to top 140mph on one limitless section and it felt extremely planted at these speeds. You get to know a car intimately over 1,000-miles and I found the Corvette comfortable and a competent grand tourer companion. However, there’s not much room inside and the quality of some of the interior fixings doesn’t match the £73,228 price tag. It certainly turns heads though – I got easily as much attention as when I’ve driven exotic European rivals – however if it was a decision between this and a similarly priced, and performing, Porsche, as cool as the Corvette is I just couldn’t...