There are no two ways about it, Porsche knows turbocharging. They've been playing with that setup since the mid-70s and have a good handle on how to get great power and reliability out of a boosted motor. Consider the current lineup if you will: The 911 Turbo S makes 530 horsepower from a twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat six and they manage 620 horsepower from it in the GT2 RS. Not bad numbers for a car that gets 19 mpg combined (1 better than the Z06) and has a 50,000 mile warranty.
Now, having fully mastered the twin-turbo setup, Porsche is rumored to be following BMW down the tri-turbo path. Earlier this week, BMW officially announced that their line of M performance diesels would be powered by a tri-turbo motor making 376 horsepower and an incredible 545 pound-feet of torque and now Autocar is reporting that Porsche is working on a similar system. The new system is undergoing final testing (see our Spy Video of the 2013 911 Turbo) but they're already predicting power figures of over 525 and increased fuel economy.
While all of this sounds great, there are complexities with a tri-turbo system including that of packaging three turbos and all associated plumbing -- wastegate(s), inter-stage ducts, bypass valves actuators, linkages, oil lines etc into an already cramped space.
(Autocar)
Categories: Future Vehicles,Porsche,Sports Cars
Featuring a hand-painted gold dragon on each side, custom dragon embroidery and hand-stitched rear pillows, the 2012 Rolls-Royce Phantom Year of the Dragon Edition is big in China. How big? Despite a $1.2m price tag, the special edition is already sold out. Rolls-Royce did not reveal how many they had actually built.
In related custom-Phantom news, RR claims that deliveries of customized Phantoms to the Middle East jumped from 75 percent in 2005 to a whopping 99 percent in 2011 while U.S. sales of custom phantoms were only 84 percent. Only 56% of all Ghosts are personalized. I would wait for a personalized Phantom, but for a fancy 7-series? Nah.
High-res images after the jump.
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Categories: Rolls-Royce,Sedans,Tuners and Modifications
When it rains it pours. I hadn't driven a KDSS-equipped 4x4 in over a year, but now we've had two in two weeks. It's not because we now have an RTI ramp; it just worked out that way.
I'm not complaining.
The first time I drove Toyota's KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) was back in late 2007, when the fully redesigned 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser was introduced. All Cruisers from that point forward have come standard with KDSS.
The operating principle is exactly the same as the 2011 Lexus GX 460 we saw last week. But the 200-series Land Cruiser platform used here is different from the 150-series Land Cruiser Prado platform that underpins the GX; that fact will become clear when you see how the stabilizer bars differ in this KDSS application.
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Categories: SUVs,Toyota
This is not the first time we've seen French comedian / rabble-rouser Remi Gaillard. Previously his real-life Mario Kart has us shopping for used karts. Unrelated to cars he's also done real-life Pac Man and a Rocky tribute.
Our new favorite, though has to be this one wherein Remi plays human traffic camera snapping photos of trains, planes, cars and, yes, a cop. That last one doesn't go so well.
(*link replaced with embedded video)
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Categories: Miscellaneous,Video Games
Yesterday DriveSRT (Dodge) updated their Facebook profile to say that if they got 10,000 fans they would release a special teaser of the upcoming 2013 SRT Viper.
SRT has been very protective of the Viper testing models that are heavily camouflaged and running under last-gen Dodge Viper bodies. The closest thing to a leak was when Gilles said the new design was inspired by a naked woman on the beach. Really, though, that's the motivation for most of mankind's great works.
Needless to say that teasing the Viper months before the car's official reveal at the 2012 New York Auto Show worked like gangbusters, they had the 10,000 fans before the end of the day. Keeping their word, SRT has promised to show a teaser (don't you love Facebook teasers?) at 11:59:59 PM Eastern on Monday, January 30. You can see it live on their Facebook here or, if you don't want to fan them, check back to IL that night and we'll have it up.
Categories: Dodge,New York Auto Show,Sports Cars
Including an $810 destination fee, the 2012 Honda Crosstour EX with a 2.4-liter i-VTEC motor will cost you $28,495. The 2012 Honda Crosstour (remember, it's not Accord Crosstour anymore) starts at $30,340.
The new motor, announced late in 2011, makes 192 horsepower and returns 2 more mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway than the 271 horsepower 3.5-liter V6. In the Honda Accord SE the 2.4-liter I4 only makes 177 horsepower.
When we tested the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour in 2WD EX-L trim we managed a 0-60 run of 7.5 seconds, a quarter mile time of 15.5 @ 91.3 and combined fuel economy of 18.5 mpg.
Categories: Hatchbacks,Honda
Here's what I want hear during a video about the new line of tri-turbo, diesel-powered M cars from BMW: Engine noises.
Here's what this video, by BMW, gives you: Everything but engine sounds. Want to hear BMW execs talking about the cars? Want to see them running on a track with loud music streaming over the car noises and fuel economy facts scrawled across the screen?
No? I didn't either, but I still watched this three times hoping to get something good out of it.
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Categories: BMW,Diesels
It's still early in 2012, but we've already got a frontrunner for our favorite feature of 2012, the Car Collection of WRC Legend Juha Kankkunen.It isn't simply that he has one of the most shockingly, jaw-droppingly awesome car collections we've ever heard about, but that this was the first time anyone was allowed to go inside with a camera. Epic doesn't begin to describe it.
That got us thinking about other Rally drivers and the cars they master on the roads which made us think of this video of Petter Solberg walking you through his garage. It's not a fantastic display garage and it isn't nearly as upsettingly perfect as Juha's, but it is a chance to see what Petter drives (you won't see his 911 GT3 RS -- it's in Monaco) and hear some stories about the cars and Petter's adventure. Camera work is...poor.
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Categories: Celebrities,Motorsports,Subaru
Just yesterday we saw the teaser for Audi's upcoming S7-starring Super Bowl advertisement. Today we've got the full ad they're calling "Vampire Party."
We won't spoil anything so go ahead and check it out and let us know if you think this is the best way to draw attention to a hyper-stylish four-door coupe with a 420-horsepower twin-turbo V8.
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Categories: Audi,Miscellaneous,Videos
Once again the kids over at Hyundai blog have gotten hold of photos of a new Hyundai before anyone else. This time it's the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe they've nabbed before its official debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show.
As you can see in this photo (there's a rear shot at Hyundai Blog), Hyundai has Velostered-up the Santa Fe this time around with a hexagonal grille with big, chunky cross bars. There's also a hint of skid plate and LED foglights.
It's certainly a step up, but from what we can gather from this photo, it's still got a ways to go to catch up visually to the new Ford Escape. (Who thought anyone would ever seriously use that phrase?)
Categories: Crossovers,Hyundai,New York Auto Show
By all accounts, I should like golf. Unfortunately the idea of hitting a ball with a stick every few minutes and hanging out with my buddies all day is vastly different than the tiresome, frustrating exercise in pointlessness that is real golf. The game needs to be two hours shorter and sixteen times more frantic. Maybe have live bees at random tees? Or a guy trying to tackle you? That'd be fun.
Rhys Millen seems to have found a different way to spice it up. The trick appears to be using a Hyundai Veloster Rally car instead of those wimpy carts. And to tear up some unreasonably expensive landscaping instead of using those silly paths.
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Categories: Hyundai,Motorsports,Videos
At last year's Chicago Auto Show, Dodge rolled out the 1500 Tradesman. It was one of the favorites of the show thanks to a super-simple formula: Lots of power, solid chassis, no frills, low price.
For $22,780 you got a 5.7-liter Hemi cranking out 390 horsepower and 407 pound-feet of torque, a 26-gallon fuel tank (with the 6-foot bed, 32 with the 8-foot bed), manual windows, heavy-duty cooling, folding tow mirrors, all-season tires and a choice of 5 exterior colors. It was great.
This year Ram is going the opposite direction with the 2012 Ram Laramie Limited. We're estimating that this version of the 1500 will start around $45,000 and include leather seats, ambient cabin lighting, remote start, back-up camera, "navigational radio," adjustable pedals, 20-inch wheels from the Laramie Longhorn, full-leather cockpit, piano black trim and a gauge cluster with needles finished in liquid graphite and the words "Designed in Detroit" imprinted on them.
I think I'd still prefer a Tradesman or two.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Dodge,Trucks
Britain's CAR magazine has just acquired spy photos of the upcoming McLaren MP4-12C Spyder styling prototype and managed to catch it topless and with the aluminum top up.
The photos show shockingly good access to the car and the fact that they get images of the top up and down indicate that they're supposed to be around. We would think McLaren employee, but we have to assume anyone working at McLaren makes enough money for a cellphone with a camera that doesn't suck this hard.
CAR also reports that the top is a three-piece aluminum and plastic unit developed in part by Lotus and that McLaren has made it so that even in the convertible the engine is visible (are you listening Ferrari?). The top is said to take only 17 seconds to deploy. No changes to the 3.8-liter 592-horsepower twin-turbo V8 are expected.
View more photos at CAR's website.
Categories: Convertibles,Future Vehicles,McLaren,Sports Cars
(photo: Larry Coppola for MotorAuthority)
In what must be an ecological scandal of unparalleled scope in Portland -- at least if Portlandia is to be trusted -- a Lamborghini Gallardo has caught fire outside of the Portland International Auto Show. (Can we just ditch the 'international' title from all of these yet?)
How? Glad you asked! Fire marshals won't allow any car into the building that has more than 1/4 tank of fuel. The Gallardo had more than that and was refused entry. So what did the private owner do? Fun run? Nope! They put a block of wood between the seat and the gas pedal and let it bounce of the rev limiter for a few minutes. Read that again and facepalm.
We know a lot of good ways to burn fuel, this is not one of them.
See more photos over at Motor Authority.
Categories: Lamborghini
One Super Bowl mystery commercial down, a few dozen to go. This is Suzuki's 2012 Super Bowl Ad titled "Sled."
In it we've got sled dogs, Eskimos and the 2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport. The Kizashi Sport was also the star of Suzuki's previous -- and first -- Super Bowl spot "Wicked Weather."
Think this one has what it takes to get people's attention? There are dogs. Everyone loves dogs.
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Categories: Miscellaneous,Suzuki,Videos
Last week we posted the second video from Icon in the Car vs Motorcycle series: Drift 2. While there was certainly some exceptional driving/riding going on, what captured most people's attention was the 240SX that drifted off the road and rolled at the end of the video.
There was no explanation and no follow-up. Just a crash where you saw the guy's head tilt out the window and then roll back in just before it would have been crushed.
Icon got the message that we want more of this so they've put together a video showing what happened before and after the crash. It was, as these things always are, on the "one last ride" lap. Line of the day: "We done flipped it. You okay, guy?"
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Categories: Motorsports,Nissan,Videos
Audi is continuing the current trend of previewing advertisements with this teaser for the German luxury brand's Super Bowl Ad.
Audi begins the tease by showing highlights of the five Super Bowl spots they've done to date and then get on with the teaser at the end. In case you've forgotten, the Patriots and the Giants will be filling the time between billion dollar ads.
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Categories: Audi,Miscellaneous,Videos
X5 M50d. M550d xDrive. M550d xDrive Touring. X6 M50d. And you thought carmakers had lost touch with cool names.
Confirming what we had suspected for months, BMW today official unveiled their M division's line of performance diesel offerings. The M version of the d cars feature a tri-turbo 3.0-liter common-rail straight-six cranking out 376 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and a whopping 545 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm. All variants get an eight-speed automatic transmission.
In the M550d xDrive this is good for a 0-62 time of 4.7 seconds -- less than half a second off the pace of the M5. The M550d xDrive weighs in at 4,178 pounds.
Click here for more and our full photo gallery with 45 pictures of the BMW M Performance Diesels.
Categories: BMW,Diesels
CBS news LA has an interesting story today that involves a Toyota Prius, energy efficient windows and some melting exterior bits. Follow the jump for more...
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Categories: Miscellaneous,Toyota
Earlier today, GM CEO Dan Akerson was in Washington testifying before congress. The hearing "What Did NHTSA Know & When Did They Know It" focused on NHTSA's handling of the Volt fires and whether or not GM got special treatment from NHTSA.
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Staff Report titled "Government Motors: A preliminary Report on the Effects of Bailouts and Politics on the Obama Administration's Ability to Protect American Consumers" (PDF) was concerned that the delay in reporting the issue may have been intentional. That GM's bailout somehow influenced NHTSA's reporting process and caused them to treat GM with kid gloves so that the company would return to profitability. "President Obama has used this unusual blurring of public and private sector boundaries to openly tout the results of this partnership as a top accomplishement of his Administration -- creating a dynamic where the President is politically reliant on the success of GM and Chrysler...In the fact of that political dependency, it is deeply troubling that public notification of the safety concerns related to the Volt was inexplicably delayed for six months -- a period of time that also coincides with the negotiation over the 2017 - 2025 fuel economy standards," it reads.
We posted a summary of the hearing here, but I'm the type of guy who likes to see HOW people are reacting and not just what they said in response. While the House did live-stream the hearing, I prefer these two videos which can be paused, rewound etc. (Warning: Long. Extremely long.)
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Categories: Chevrolet,General Motors
