Let’s face it, the vast majority of production cars don’t look like the concept cars they’re based upon. Sure, various features may be carried over, but concept cars allow designers to go crazy and that’s exactly what they did when designing the original Land Rover LRX Concept.
It was so new and innovative that most people believed it would never reach production and if it did, it would undergo massive changes. To the world’s surprise, when it went into production in July 2011 as the Range Rover Evoque it looked almost identical to the stunning concept car. As a result of the car’s incredible styling and its on-road and off-road capabilities, the Evoque has received 103 awards to date from websites, magazines, and newspapers all across the globe.
But arguably the most prestigious award the Evoque has received so far was awarded at the 2012 New York Auto Show where the Evoque was crowned World Car Design of the Year for 2012. No less than 46 nominations were given for the award and the Evoque was shortlisted by five world renowned design experts along with the Citroen DS5 and Volkswagen Up!
Final deliberations were handed over to a panel of 66 automotive journalists from 25 different countries, before the Evoque was crowned the winner. And we can’t say we’re surprised, as it’s an immaculate bit of design and also created a completely new segment in the market.
Land Rover Design Director Gerry McGovern had the following to say, "We are honored that the Range Rover Evoque has been named 2012 World Design Car of the Year. This prestigious accolade recognizes the overwhelmingly positive response that we have received to the Evoque’s bold and dramatic design. It is a car that truly resonates on an emotional level."
Just a few weeks ago, we teased you about Porsche bringing its popular-in-Europe clean diesel engine to the U.S., and installing it in the Cayenne. Not only is this engine powerful, boasting 240 horsepower, 406 pound-feet of torque, and towing 7,716 pounds, but it is also economical, getting 28 mpg.
According to our colleagues over at Car and Driver, we are essentially just getting Europe’s hand-me-downs. Much like a big brother does with clothes that are too small for him, European Porsche drivers have grown out of the 3.0-liter V-6 diesel that we are just now getting and are moving into a larger engine, a full two cylinders larger that is.
Yup, Porsche will be adding in a V-8 diesel option to the Cayenne lineup in the “very near future,” according to Car and Driver’s report. It looks like the most likely and cost-effective diesel engine to offer is the Audi 4.2-liter V-8 that cranks out 346 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, given Porsche and Audi are in bed under the VW umbrella. Given how well the smaller 3.0-liter diesel performs now, this engine would make the Cayenne diesel a screamer – as much as a diesel can be a screamer. It would also thrust its towing rating toward a truck-like 10,000-pound mark.
With that said, there are also rumors afloat that another VW affiliate, Bentley, may be working directly with Porsche to develop this new diesel engine.
Now, before you start getting all excited for this large diesel engine, you can forget about it. Porsche does not appear to have any plans on bringing this larger diesel engine to the U.S. This is no surprise, as the European market is easier for Porsche to distribute to, as well as the fact that Euro drivers are accustomed to buying these clean diesels than U.S. buyers are. Maybe one day the European market will outgrow this engine and we will finally get it here, but the chances are slim.
The fact that illicit drugs are easily accessible to many teenagers across the world is worrying in and of itself, but the fact that everyday household products can have the same effects is quite astounding and extremely worrying. Case in point, this 17-year old Australian male who was recently arrested after being pursued by police for over two hours while under the influence of paint.
Yep, those fumes we’re sure you all are familiar with, can be used by immature people to get high, but we never imagined it could impair an individual’s perceptions this much. The driver, William John Noel Compton, attracted police attention after a white BMW X5 was stolen from a Westlake home in Brisbane, while a black BMW Z4 roadster was also taken from the same household by another group.
It’s believed that five teenagers were in the vehicle throughout the entire chase, but until the teens face court, we’ll never know just what they were thinking. Furthermore, scientific testing on how paint fumes can affect an individual are extremely limited and almost non-existent, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the driver was under a similar hit provided by marijuana and other similar illicit drugs.
If one positive can be taken out of this event, it’s the fact that much of the chase was captured by a Channel 7 media helicopter and we can show you that exact video. The lives of dozens of motorists were put in harm’s way, and after many recent deaths in Australia resulting from police chases, the pursuing cop cars were understandably cautious while following the vehicle.
Check out the video above, and please note we don’t condone this sort of behavior!
Remember back in the late-1990s when there was all of that hubbub about top-heavy SUVs and how they roll over easily? Apparently, some people really need to be reminded of how SUVs handle. We totally understand that the Nürburgring is an awesome thing, as anyone with a car, $34, a driver’s license, and a heartbeat can take their car screaming down this famed course. We also completely understand that some SUVs belong on this track, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, X6M, and so on.
That said, c’mon guys, taking an obviously stock Honda CR-V for a cruise around the ‘Ring? Are you trying to record a 20:00 time around the course to gloat about to your buddies? There comes a moment in every person’s life where you simply have to decide that the risk really isn’t worth the reward, and flying an early 2000s CR-V around the ‘Ring is one of those times.
It looks like the driver in the above video doesn’t quite grasp any of that… The first minute of the video consists of almost all high-performance vehicles, or at least modified ones. Once you get to the 1:05 mark on the video you hear a loud screeching sound of tall, skinny tires and coming around the corner sideways is a CR-V. A quick flick in the other direction to attempt to correct the spin and that’s all she wrote; over goes the CR-V into a spectacular rollover.
The CR-V then leaps over the guardrail on a single bound and sticks the landing like a pro. Keep in mind, the only reason we are so nonchalant about this horrible wreck is that according to the YouTube post, the people in the CR-V were fine, except for the fact that their mom’s gonna be mad when she sees her car.
Enjoy the video and make this a reminder, don’t race your CR-V on a track designed for racecars. It never turns out well.
The G-Class is the monster of the Mercedes’ lineup and it’s time for that monster to get a little TLC from its maker, starting with the AMG version. The standard G-Class was revealed recently, with a full arsenal of details and images, and now the Mercedes Benz USA official web page has shared a few images of the G63 AMG version.
Some may be scratching their heads at the name of the vehicle, considering many thought it was actually going to be called the G55 because of the engine used, but Mercedes have thrown us a curveball with the G63 AMG. The utility vehicle is powered by the 5.5 liter V8 biturbo engine with 544 HP and 560 lb-ft of torque. The engine features the ECO start/stop system as standard.
The Mercedes G63 AMG version will be distinguished by dual chrome-tipped, side-exit exhaust pipes; a new, characteristic AMG radiator grille with double louvers; and distinctive new bumpers with large air intakes. The interior will get exclusive designo leather to dress it up a bit.
UPDATE 04/14/2012: The Mercedes Benz USA official web page has revealed a series of images for the new G63 AMG version. Check them out in the gallery provided!
UPDATE 04/20/2012: Mercedes has unveiled a pretty cool promo video for their new G63 AMG SUV. Enjoy!
About a week ago, we teased you with a review on the upcoming 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel and its incredible 7.2-second 0-to-60 time. That was just the very tip of the iceberg, as now it is time to get into what makes this SUV a Porsche, the GTS model.
The GTS is slated to be the middle ground between the S model and the Turbo model, but remains based on the S model. However, don’t start thinking you are just getting a glorified Cayenne S when you buy the GTS, as it has some significant performance upgrades over the Cayenne S model. These upgrades include minor tweaks to the engine to squeeze out some more power and suspension modifications.
In addition to performance mods, the Cayenne GTS also features some visual and interior upgrades to make it well worth the extra money it will run.
As we said, there is only a little bit of information to release at this time, but we will definitely keep you up to date on any addition information that Porsche releases at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show and in the days leading up to the show, which starts on April 24th.
Updated 04/27/2012: Porsche has unveiled a new promo video for their latest Cayenne GTS presenting the new SUV in action. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to read the full review.
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Hyundai was not shy about releasing a number of teaser images ahead of the Sante Fe’s official debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show. They’ve spent the whole month of March bringing out these images and we’re just about fed up with the wait. Thankfully, we came across a little banner that helped us out on the journey. Say hello to the first official image of the 2013 Hyundai Sante Fe.
It may only be a few hours until the New York Auto Show officially opens it doors, but that was still too long to wait. After twelve years on the market, the SUV was well in need of a new generation. This new Sante Fe takes its design inspiration from the Veloster and the new generation i30. The car features Hyundai’s new Fluidic Sculpture design language, a set of new headlamps and taillamps, and a new set of 19-inch aluminum wheels.
The current model is offered with engines like a 2.4-liter gasoline engine with an output of 174 hp and 197 HP diesel engine capacity of 2.2 liter. For the new model, Hyundai will offer more power in out of a couple of four cylinder engines.
We’ll find out more about the 2013 Sante Fe as soon as New York opens its doors, so stay tuned!
If there was ever a concern about how cool a car may be, all one would have to do is check it out as it takes its turn around the Nurburgring. As of late, the trips around the Nurburgring have included the BMW M5 and the new generation Porsche 911 Carrera, which both clocked in at under eight minutes. Now, it’s time for a larger model to throw down. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 lapped the ’Ring in 8:49 at the hands of Sabine Schmitz.
This time isn’t too shabby, but it still doesn’t outrun the 8:24 lap time achieved by the BMW X6 M. Looks like the American SUV still has a few tweaks to be done to perform better than its German competition.
The new Grand Cherokee SRT8 was revealed at the 2011 New York Auto Show and Chrysler put extensive efforts into the model to make it a cut above the rest. It is powered by a 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 that delivers an estimated 465 HP and 465 lb.-ft. of torque and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Top speed goes to 155 mph.
We will preface this article by saying how odd it is to use the word “Ram” as a make and not a model. Please take note, Dodge, Ram, or whatever you want to call yourself today.
The Ram lineup of truck is in for something big, as the automaker plans to reveal an all-new addition to the lineup on April 5th. Dodge, err, Ram has begun a campaign dubbed “A Giant Awaits” where the truck builder will release one teaser picture per day until the unveiling of this new pickup. So now we get to decipher five, or so, teaser pictures of random parts of a new truck.
Today was the first day of said campaign and Ram has released the above picture. Despite Ram claiming these pictures are supposed to be “not easily identifiable,” it took us about 10 seconds to figure out it is a restyled grille on a Ram pickup. Now, we are pretty certain all of this hubbub isn’t over a new grille, but that is all Ram is showing today.
So let’s examine this cheese grater-like grille and what it may mean. That type of grille is only seen on high-performance and luxury vehicles, and Ram already has the Laramie line of luxury-style pickups, so scratch that. All that leaves is a high-performance model, unless Ram is just drawing our attention to announce that the 2013 Ram is getting the Pentastar V-6 as its base engine, which we already know from Chrysler’s SEC filings.
Dodge scrapped the SRT10 model Ram following the 2006 model year, due to low sales and the Viper’s notoriously undependable and fuel-hungry engine. But what about an SRT8 model, bearing the same 470-horsepower, 6.4-liter V-8 that the 2012 Challenger SRT8 392 does? That engine is far more reliable, less expensive to maintain and gets better gas mileage than the Viper’s 8.3-liter V-10. This is all just speculation now. Just like us, you will just have to wait until more information is released.
Hit the jump to read Ram’s press release
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Jeep’s line-up of vehicles at the 2012 Easter Safari in Moab, Utah is rounding out into shape with the unveiling of two new vehicles - the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Concept and the Jeep Wrangler Traildozer - following last week’s announcement of the Mighty FC Concept, the J12, and the Wrangler Apache.
The Traildozer, in particular, is based on a Dozer Yellow 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and was co-designed by Jeep and the engineering boys over at the American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). For the project, the two collaborating heads fixed up the Wrangler with some off-road body protection, Mopar premium front and rear bumpers, and rear corner guards. Likewise, the off-roader was also given a Mopar performance heat reduction hood, a Mopar half-door kit, and a Mopar/Warn 9.5 Cti winch. Inside, the changes, minimal as they are, include an AEV ’F-1’ leather seat trim kit and Mopar slush mats. The wheels configuration includes 37" Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials mounted on Mopar Classic five-spoke wheels, with a fully-installed AEV Dualsport RS 3.5" suspension lift.
Then there’s the most significant modification on this vehicle: the engine upgrade! For the project, Jeep and AEV installed a bolt-in 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine that produces 470 horsepower and mated it to a Getrag 238 six-speed manual transmission with the power running through Rubicon-specific Dana 44 axles equipped with 4:10 gears and electronic locking differentials.
It doesn’t do much in the way of aesthetics, but the Jeep Wrangler Traildozer is a powerful workhorse hiding in an otherwise simple body.
