Midsize cars offer a compromise between expensive luxury and cheap cars. They are comfortable and nicely equiped but they often look a bit dull and not real fast. But they will often be the best deal for the money conscious consumers.
Toyota Racing has just announced details on their 2013 Camry that will race the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series where it will have to take on models like the Ford Fusion, Dodge Charger, and the upcoming Chevrolet SS. The racing version is based on the 2013 Camry, but adds a more aggressive exterior design language as well as a new V8 engine to replace the standard V6 engine.
The 2013 Camry NASCAR will be distinguished by a huge front grille-area, new headlight design, body-length character lines, and a huge rear bumper. All these adjustments have been made in order to adjust the car’s aerodynamics.
"We’re extremely proud of the new Camry and the development of the car was truly a unique process," said Lee White, president and general manager of TRD. "NASCAR and all four manufacturers were brought together to guide the direction of the new cars. We all worked together to put the ‘S’ back in NASCAR — we all wanted race cars that look more like our stock, production models – and together we accomplished that. Our new Camry for 2013 is a great looking race car. Everyone at Toyota is eager to have our drivers in a race car that more resembles the street Camry."
A standard BMW 335i Coupe delivers a total of 300 HP and a BMW M3 Coupe pushes out 420 HP. That’s a pretty big difference between the two, but with the proper tuning package, that difference can be dwindled down to less than nothing. Alpha-N Performance has managed to make the 335i even more powerful than the M3 delivering an impressive 450 HP, while also being 550 lbs lighter than the standard model!
Starting with the exterior, the tuner added a pretty impressive kit with ultra-light material carbon components. It includes a new front bumper and an equally adjustable spoiler, a big rear diffuser, a new trunk lid with protrusive spoiler lip, and a huge, adjustable rear wing. The car sits on a new set of 19" wheels combined with a MAC high-performance braking system.
The same skills were used to tweak the interior, as Alpha-N Performance installed Recaro Pole Position carbon seats with full belt safety harness, a steel cage, and a performance steering wheel. Everything else in the car was ripped out to ensure weight optimization.
Aside from that, the tuner’s main focus was the 335i Coupe’s 3.0 liter six-inline engine. The extra 150 HP was achieved through an Alpha-N engine kit that includes bigger turbo chargers, adaptation of engine electronics, a completely new exhaust system, and an enlarged air-to-air intercooler. The last touch was provided through a reprogrammed ECU.
When people think about Buicks, words like old, boring, and grandpa come to mind. Very rarely, if ever, does the word sporty get uttered as an accurate description, but get ready for all of that to change. In an effort to change the stigma attached to the brand, Buick is releasing an all new Buick Regal GS which will arrive at dealerships in the fall of 2011. This new vehicle will target models like the Audi A4 and the Acura TSX with its exclusive Ecotec 2.0L direct injected, turbocharged engine that delivers a total of 270 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque.
The last time a GS model was released by Buick, it was 2004. This model was powered by a 3.8 L L67 Series II supercharged V6 that produced 240 HP and 280 lb-ft of torque. Technology, and the constant need to improve fuel economy, has allowed Buick to pump out more horsepower out of a smaller engine, all while providing an estimated fuel economy of 33 MPG.
UPDATE 08/04/2011: Buick has announced that the Regal GS will be put on sale this fall at a starting price of $35,310, which includes a $860 destination charge. Standard features on the GS model include: push-button start; a leather-wrapped, flat-bottom sport steering wheel with audio controls; metal sport pedals; and leather-appointed, heated and 12-way adjustable sport seating, a Harman Kardon premium 336-watt, 5.1 Matrix Surround Sound system with nine speakers.
UPDATE 05/22/2012: During a recent test drive at Nevada Open Road Challenge, the 270 Regal GS clocked in an impressive top speed of 162 mph - making it the fastest model Buick ever made. The car was piloted by Rietow and Townsend and the only modifications were limited to safety equipment such as a roll hoop and five-point harness seat belts, as well as data collection computers. Check out the new video to see the test drive!
Hit the jump for more details on the Buick Regal GS.
One of the auto industry’s highly anticipated secrets is finally ready to break cover at the 2012 New York Auto Show.
For the fine folks of Fisker, the debut of the Fisker Atlantic - ’twas once codenamed "Project Nina" - marks as a celebration in its own right, a culmination of years of hard work and dedication.
And now that it’s ready for its world premier, Fisker has come out with the first official details of the car, as well as photos that finally gives us a good look at what they’ve been working on all this time.
Judging by its looks, the Atlantic looks like a bigger version of the Karma, albeit with a more pronounced stance that’s typical of its sedan form. The unmistakable Karma grille is also present, which we’ve never been fans of from the beginning.
All in all, though, the Atlantic looks pretty neat and when matched with a hybrid powertrain should make for a model that would draw the interest of a lot of people.
UPDATE 05/21/12:InsideEVs appears to have discovered new information about the Fisker Atlantic, involving the car’s official power train and how much it’s going to cost.
While we initially thought the the car would have a 2.0-liter engine similar to the 328i sedan with a matching electric motor, producing a total of 240 horsepower, it appears that the Atlantic will have a little bit more ponies than we thought. According to InsideEV, the car will be powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric drivetrain, producing an output of 300 horsepower with a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds and CO2 emissions of around 50 g/km.
It looks like the Atlantic will be carrying a sticker price of anywhere between $50,000 - $60,000. That’s still a far departure from the Karma, which retails now for just under $100,000.
Find out more about the Fisker Atlantic after the jump.
It’s not too often that us auto industry buffs get a chance to toot our own horns by calling our shots and being right. To be honest, most of the time we end up being wrong when we start calling our shots. But when we do smack that nail right on the head, we like to let you know about it ASAP…
On that note, remember the long trail of breadcrumbs that we have been following since 2011? If you don’t, allow us to refresh your memory:
April 20, 2012:TopSpeed reports that the “SS” moniker was officially trademarked by GM, after 51 years of using it on various models. Some other experts claim this was just to protect the “SS” trim levels, but we knew better.
Now we have real-life news on the Chevrolet SS front, as GM has officially released, FINALLY, something that we have all pretty much known for at least a few months. For the 2014 model year, Chevrolet will import the Holden Commodore and badge it as the Chevrolet SS – no “Performance” after it. Chevy will have the SS on showroom floors starting in late-2013.
Not only is the SS coming to showrooms, it will also run in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Its debut will occur at the 2013 Daytona 500 race.
Finally, we can put to bed the ongoing mystery of Chevy’s odd breadcrumb trail and start focusing on the next in line, the yet-to-be-announced Cadillac ELR.
Click past the jump to read GM’s official press release on the Chevy SS.
One Lap America actually has roots dating back to the original Cannonball Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, known simply as Cannonball. Many of today’s enthusiasts think that Cannonball was simply a movie or plot, but this was actually a real-life cross-country race that included high speeds on U.S. highways.
The original Cannonball only lasted five runs until its organizer, Brock Yates, decided he had better quit this no-holds-barred race before the authorities decide to close it down. In 1984, the Cannonball returned, but was not about making it across the country as fast as possible, but about making it through a course that went throughout the lower 48 states and ended up with the amount of miles closest to Brock’s estimate.
In the modern era of the One Lap America, the race is now about following the rules of the road, as you drive throughout a predetermined course, and between these leisurely drives, you have track events. The scoring of this event is solely based on the track event results, but you and your co-driver(s) must also survive driving 24 hours on end, stopping only to enjoy a “gourmet” gas station hot dog or two along the way.
This 19-event, eight-day racing series just wrapped up on Saturday and we have your full list of winners in each class and we have also broken down a list of all of the oddest and most awesome cars to grace the 2012 running.
Click past the jump to read about the odd and awesome cars, as well as the winners from each class.
At the end of 2011, BMW unveiled the new generation 3-Series in sedan version, but left the station wagon out in the cold for a few months after that. Now, after we capturing the car during its testing a few times, BMW has finally dropped the official details on the new 3-Series Station Wagon.
As expected, the station wagon version will feature the same design language as the sedan model, albeit with an extended rear for better cargo room, 495 liters of stowage room to be exact.
The new 3-Series Station Wagon will be offered in three different versions: 328i, 330d, and 320d, all with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, Auto Start-Stop function, ECO PRO mode, and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Power will range from 184 HP to 258 HP.
BMW will offer Sport Line, Luxury Line, and Modern Line equipment packages, as well as an optional M Sport package which will be available at launch.
UPDATE 05/14/2012: This review has been updated with the official details and images for the BMW 3-Series Station Wagon.
Hit the jump to read more about the new 3-Series Station Wagon.
We all watched as Mazda rolled out the sexy Mazda Takeri concept car in New York. At that same time we learned that the 2014 Mazda6, which we will see at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, will be “strongly influenced” by the Takeri concept and we became rather excited by its potential. With those “look at me” body lines we assumed that there would be some hot V-6 option for this new stylish body. Unfortunately, Mazda went in a completely different direction, according to Mazda spokesperson Jeremy Barnes, via Automotive News.
Barnes made it quite clear that there are no plans to place a V-6 option or any other performance engine option under the 2014 Mazda6’s new hood. Actually, Mazda is even axing the somewhat impressive 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The likely replacement for both engines is the Skyactiv 2.0-liter four-banger that cranks out a respectable-for-its-size 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. However, if you have to add “for its size” in front of something, that’s typically not a good thing.
The goal of this freshly revised Mazda6 is obviously fuel economy, which we can respect Mazda for doing. In all honesty though, they could produce a turbo-charged four-cylinder or even borrow an EcoBoost engine from Ford, who still owns a small share of Mazda. A possible performance engine would be the 250-horsepower, 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine slated for the upcoming Focus ST.
Having said all of that, Mazda did not completely rule out a future optional Skyactiv V-6 option for the Mazda6, but for now we will only see a four-cylinder engine.
We just hope that Mazda isn’t cutting its own throat by offering an under-powered four-cylinder for this hot-looking model. Then again, the automotive world tends to change with the wind, so you never know what may actually happen between now and the 2014 Mazda6’s release in the first quarter of 2013.
It seems like Chevy is so excited to release the SS model that it can barely keep a lid on the rumors and leaks. First, we had swirling rumors about the Holden-based SS model back in 2011. Next, there was the oddly timed registration of the SS moniker.
Some other experts have tried downplaying this by saying that the trademark mentions “SS” in a fanciful manner, meaning just the fancy SS badges. What these experts are overlooking is that all trademarks involving a sequence of letters almost always include “stylized” or “fanciful,” as you cannot just patent two letters.
Well, GM, or more appropriately OnStar, has dropped yet another breadcrumb and one Christopher Price – a Tech dude and OnStar subscriber – found it. As Price puts it, he was checking out his profile and decided to explore other OnStar features. He stumbled upon the list of compatible cars and oddly enough found 2014 models. He clicked on it and what happened to be positioned right between the Chevy Spark and Silverado? A non-existent model dubbed the “SS Performance.”
Does a strange computer glitch mean that the SS model is truly coming in 2014? We don’t really know. However, it is yet another brick that further solidifies the wall of rumors that began construction back in 2011. OnStar obviously caught onto the leak and quickly patched it up, as the 2014 model year is no longer on the site, but not before Price got a glimpse at another future name, the Cadillac ELR, which could point to an all-electric Caddy.
There is, of course, the outside chance that we are being tricked by a good Photoshop job, but our amateur eyes say it is the real deal. Then again, this could just be us getting our hopes up for a new muscle sedan from Chevy.
The 2012 Beijing Auto Show is fast becoming an automotive showcase for the Chinese market as more and more automakers are introducing concept vehicles that have specially developed specifically for the Chinese market.
The latest to do so is Honda, which is unveiling two concept vehicles, one of which is the Concept C sedan. Details are scarce at this point about the car, but according to a Honda press release, the "C" in the concept’s name represents "Cool", "Challenge", and "China".
Honda also said that the Concept C will be a middle-class sedan that the company is currently developing through a cooperation between development teams in both Japan and China. The production model will be made available in China next year through Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd.
As for the car itself, the Concept C is an aggressively designed vehicle that’s highlighted by its rather large dimensions and a muscular rear end, creating an aggressive yet elegant look that plays right into the tastes of the Chinese market. The concept also carries three major side veins adding to the menacing side profile while the front end receives a distinctive central grille and bumper set up with a pair of huge intakes on both ends of the bumper.
Powertrain options for the Concept C were not divulged, but rest assured that we’ll have them for you information becomes available.
