Our spy photographers have already caught the facelift version of the Fiesta hatchback testing during winter conditions, but now Ford has taken the sedan model out for a spin around the Nürburgring and our photographers were there once again to see it in action. These images show that the front and rear of the Fiesta have been blocked off from view, clearly indicating that these are the areas where most of the changes have been made.
We know that Ford is currently working on new headlights with integrated LEDs, a new shaped engine hood, and new bumpers for both the front and the rear. That modified engine hood comes as a result of the new engine that has been placed in the sedan, but it’s nothing drastic. The Ford Fiesta Sedan will be running with a new 1.0 liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine delivering around 80 HP, an engine first shown in the small B-Max MPV.
The new Ford Fiesta Sedan will make its official debut by the end of 2012, most likely at a major auto show like Paris.
The Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW rivalry has always existed, but has rarely ever been as fierce at it his right now. Not only are all three manufacturers competing in DTM racing for the first time in history, but the three are also jostling over the Chinese market in order to become the country’s largest manufacturer of luxury vehicles.
With Volkswagen confirming its plans to help increase the popularity of Audi in China, BMW has announced that it plans to triple output across its Chinese production facilities to 300,000 units annually in line with the opening of the new Tiexi production facility. This facility will soon start production of the
X1 in the coming weeks.
However, not everything coming out of this announcement is positive as there’s a risk BMW could be putting too much faith into the Chinese market and risk overdependence on its sales in order to boost profit levels.
A research analyst from Frost & Sullivan pointed out that, “There are no other regions that can provide for such massive numbers of sales as China can,” he said. “In the event of economic turmoil in China, most German automakers could end up with hundreds of thousands of unsold cars.”
Just like most economies operate, China faces its fair share of good and bad patches and right now the Chinese economy is booming which can only mean one thing. If the U.S. and the Eurozone are anything to go by, China’s growth may slump in the next few years and this would obviously hamper European firms entering the market.
Conversely however, Audi and Mercedes-Benz will also be in similar boats if it all goes bottoms up but for BMW’s sake we wish them all well with this expansion.
Back in April 2012, Atari announced the introduction of the new Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends racing game developed by Slightly Mad Studios. The official debut for the game won’t be made until May 31st, 2012, but Atari is helping us out by providing a new trailer video to give us an idea on the list of cars featured in the game.
The game will offer 36 circuits, including variations - GP circuits, test circuits, and bonus circuits; a wide variety of driving environments; and 52 stunningly detailed cars from classic to modern Ferrari models. The game can be played in both single and multiplayer version, allowing an impressive number of up to eight players to join the race.
The game is also features a pretty cool Campaign Mode: the player can experience the rich history of the Ferrari brand and unlock tracks and cars throughout Ferrari’s history.
Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends will be priced at $49.99.
Remember when TPMS was just a cool feature on BMW, GM, and Mercedes vehicles? In 2006, the NHTSA and DOT came together to make it a law for all incoming 2007 vehicles to have direct TPMS standard. When this happened, the tire industry released a collective “Oh man, are you serious?” Well, now another company is taking the simplifying of tire pressure an extra step beyond a flashing indicator saying “Hey, put some air in the tires, please!”
That’s right; starting with the 2013 model year, Nissan will include a system that actually activates the horn when the tires have reached their correct pressure on all of its cars. This all comes on the heels of a successful test of the system on the 2013 Altima. No more “confusing” tire pressure gauges to fumble around with. In all seriousness though, this is actually an ingenious idea. When I was in the tire business, you have no idea how many times a customer would roll up asking us to put 44 psi in his 1995 Cavalier’s tires because that’s what the sidewall of the tire says is the max pressure, or his grandfather once told him that more air increases gas mileage.
So now when you are whipping down the road in your 2013 370Z and that pesky “Low Pressure” light starts flashing, you can just fill `er up `till it beeps. Why not take it a step further and just install a small compressor that fires up and adds air to the tire as you drive via a vein that runs through the casting of the rim?
We’re kidding Mr. and Mrs. Automotive Engineer, if that happens we all had better just stay off of the road, because if you can’t inflate your tires due to lack of knowledge, you shouldn’t be driving in the first place. Let’s all hope that never happens.
Click past the jump to read Nissan’s press release.
The Raceway at Laguna Seca is one of the most technical tracks in the world, but it is also one of the fastest, thanks to its six straightaway sections, five of them coming directly before very tight turns. The worst of the bunch, and nearly every car racing buff knows this, are turns No. 8 and 8A, also known as the corkscrew.
The problem with the corkscrew is that it is right after a long straightaway and a soft turn, so drivers tend to come in just a little too fast. Well, it looks like even Ferraris can become victimized by the infamous corkscrew, as a rather pricy 458 Italia had a nice concrete-and-tire sandwich when the driver miscalculated the corkscrew and went flying off of the course at last weekend’s Ferrari Racing Days.
Typically when a driver miscalculates the corkscrew, he is going just a shade too fast and spins out. This driver was going so fast that the Italia didn’t even turn with the front wheels, as the laws of inertia took over and slammed it into the tire-lined wall. Fortunately for us, an amateur cameraman caught the carnage on tape for us to see.
Also fortunate was the driver, as he only came away with a few bumps and bruises, the worst of the bruises being the one on his ego after screwing up on the most legendary turn on this famed raceway.
Our hats go off to the cameraman for picking the perfect spot and getting this film on YouTube for all of us to chuckle at and cringe a little as we watch this machine get destroyed. In case you don’t feel like watching 25 seconds of Ferraris properly negotiating the corkscrew and want to get right to the carnage, just skip forward to the 25-second mark of the above video.
Chevrolet’s release of the all new Camaro ZL1 at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show allowed them to reignite the muscle car wars that have been burning up the automotive websites for a good and long time. But before Chevrolet can shout out "Checkmate," Ford has answered the ZL1 with an update car of their own: the 2013 Shelby GT500. Recent spy shots have revealed that the company is already testing the 2013MY GT500 and it will be more powerful than ever.
The Camaro ZL1’s LSA 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine producing an estimated 550 HP and 550 lb.-ft. of torque is nothing to shake a stick at, but Ford has one-upped them once again. The Eaton M112 supercharger that is being housed in the current GT500’s V8 engine will be replaced with the more-efficient and quieter TVS unit. The V8 engine found in the 2013 model will also get modified and bumped up to 5.8L, all while producing up to 650HP and making it the most powerful, factory made Mustang ever! The game continues...Your move Chevrolet.
UPDATE 03/16/2012:Ford has announced prices for the new 2013 Shelby GT500. The base price is $54,200, but if you want to add the SVT Performance Package, it jumps up by another $3,495. This package includes: Torsen limited-slip differential, 19" forged-aluminum front wheels or 20" forged-aluminum rear wheels, Bilstein adjustable dampers, unique rear springs, a unique instrument cluster, and an SVT gear shift knob. A glass roof will add yet another $1,995, while an electronic package adds another $2,340.
UPDATE 05/29/2012: Ford has unveiled a new video presenting the faces behind SVT as they test out the new 2013 Shelby GT500.
More details on the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 after the jump.
Now that Audi has officially unveiled the new generation A3, the next logical step will be the more powerful S3. The company brought an S3 prototype to the Nurburgring race track for some testing, and even though they were hoping no one would notice it, the four exhaust pipes sticking out caught our attention.
The production version S3 will feature a more aggressive front bumper and will come with bigger air intakes. Under the hood, Audi will place a new 2-liter four-cylinder engine delivering some 270-280 HP connected to a DSG seven-speed dual clutch or a six-speed manual gearbox. And yes, it will have Quattro four-wheel-drive.
Compared to the current S3, the next model will be lighter, meaning the new S3 will both handle and perform better.
Expect to see the new Audi S3 launched by the end of 2012, with an RS3 version following sometime next year.
UPDATE 05/29/2012: British magazine, AutoCar, is offering new details on the upcoming Audi S3 set to be unveiled in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. It seems that the S3 comes as a direst response to the new BMW M135i and will be powered by a new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine equipped with the recently launched Audi Valve Lift system. This engine will deliver about 276 HP and a peak torque of 280 HP - an increase of 15 HP over the current model. Also, the next S3 will be 22mm longer, 201mm wider, and 21mm taller, while dropping about 176 lbs in weight compared to the current S3. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph will be made in about 5.5 seconds, while top speed will be limited to 155 mph.
You know when a car is getting some serious love from places you wouldn’t even think of? When a country that specializes in some of the fastest cars on the planet decides that they want first dibs on a special edition model of the said vehicle.
Over in Italy, Japanese automaker Toyota will launch their new GT 86 sports coupe by releasing a limited number of models bearing the "First Edition" name. Limited to only 86 units, the 86 First Edition will bear a few styling distinctions, including a Lightning Red paint finish with black adhesives running along the hoof, up the rear wing, and on the bottom of the sides. In addition, these models will also carry a numbered plate that will be engraved with the name of the owner.
Speaking of these buyers, the lucky 88 that will be getting a piece of the 86 First Edition will also be entitled to participate in the 86’s GT Academy.
The 86 First Edition won’t have any performance modifications so expect the sports coupe to carry a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated flat-four engine that produces 200 horsepower and 151 lb/ft of torque.
The 86 First Edition has been priced at €29,000, which is around $37,000 based on current exchange rates.
UPDATE 05/29/2012: Toyota Italy has unveiled a pretty cool video showing off the design details of their new GT 86 First Edition. Enjoy!
Top Gear is beloved by nearly every automotive buff and we all have a great respect for the oft-controversial Jeremy Clarkson. Not only is his automotive knowledge about as in-tune as you can get, but he is also a royal ass sometimes, which we enjoy, most of the time. Well apparently folks in West Mickley in the U.K., he is even respected as a traffic cop.
A young man got tired of seeing drivers flying through his small village well in excess of the village’s 30 mph posted speed limit. Instead of calling the police or lobbying to have other speed control devices (i.e. rumble strips or speed humps) installed, he built a police officer scarecrow, which we will be the first to dub it a “scareslow,” and set it up on the side of the road as you enter the village.
This scareslow is decked out with a toy police officer hat – you know, the funny little plastic domed hats – and a bright yellow high-visibility vest. In the scareslow’s left hand is a small hair drier that is used to simulate a radar gun. Topping off the entire garb is the face of none other than U.K. automotive super celebrity, Jeremy Clarkson! The young man that made this getup decided that a printed face of Clarkson glued to this scareslow was the ultimate finishing touch.
The BBC report says that they are not too sure what exactly makes traffic slow down when seeing this contraption. It is either the sheer realism of it – rather doubtful – or people simply gawking this creation allows them to realize that this is a village with a 30 mph speed limit. The latter is the most likely of scenarios, but it is an innovative way to self-regulate traffic.
Hats off to this man for using his noggin in finding a way to effectively slow down traffic through his village.
Following in the trail blazed by the likes of the Savage Rivale GTS and the Spyker C12 Zagato comes another super car bearing the proud colors of the Oranje.
This new piece of four-wheeled exoticness goes by the name of Vencer Sarthe, a hand-built model by the fine folks of Vencer, who apparently want to break into the growing super car market of the European country.
Despite looking a little bland for a super car - the rear end looks like a boring mess of blah - the Sarthe boasts of the finest materials that are "supercar worthy." For example, the entire body is made out of carbon fiber - always a good thing - while also carrying a space frame chassis that’s been built of steel and chrome-moly tubing. It rides on a new set of either 19" or 20 alloy wheels. Again, that’s cool to know.
More than that, the Sarthe’s calling card - as with any other exotic for that matter - is its power train. Packing a mid-mounted V8 engine, the Dutch super car is capable of producing 503 horsepower and 480 lb/ft of torque while mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Those figures translate to a 0-62 mph time of just 3.8 seconds with an impressive top speed of 202 mph.
As with most niche super car models, don’t expect a mass produced Sarthe anytime soon. Vencer has already said that production will be very limited and we’re not about to start questioning that decision.
After all, for a company that’s still looking to break into an extremely competitive industry, testing out the waters sounds like a pretty good idea.
