Filed under: Convertible, Bentley, Luxury

Updated Droptop Doesn't Compromise Driving Dynamics For Fresh Air And Sunshine



Few experiences equal the feeling of driving a new 2012 Bentley Continental GTC down a crowded Los Angeles highway - especially when the droptop is prismatic magenta with highly polished 21-inch wheels.

Some stare. Others glare. But most simply sneer.

The response should be expected. After all, a vehicle of this caliber is designed to broadcast to others that you have succeeded. Unfortunately, this specific boisterously purple quarter-million dollar convertible with flashy wheels takes things a bit too far: it also seems to remind passers-by that they have failed.

But let's not blame Bentley for someone's misguided selection on the color wheel. A mere 30 microns of pigment over perfectly primed aluminum, whether or not it appears related to Barney the dinosaur, isn't reason to dismiss this magnificent open-top GT.

Or is it?

Continue reading 2012 Bentley Continental GTC [w/video]

2012 Bentley Continental GTC [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Toyota

Toyota is working on a method of making electric-drive powertrains without using magnets that require pricey rare-earth metals such as neodymium and dysprosium, and may start integrating that process into vehicle production within two years, Reuters reported, citing Japan's Kyodo News.

The world's biggest maker of hybrid-electric vehicles is trying to find ways to cut costs by reducing dependency on rare earth metals, which are expensive and which are primarily produced in China, the wire service said. The Japanese automaker is one of the reasons why Japan accounts for about a third of the world's rare earth consumption.

Finding a way to produce electric motors without magnets that require rare earth metals has become increasingly important, since production and demand of electric-drive vehicles are expected to surge during the next few years. Last year, government officials in China reportedly ordered three rare earth mines in Jiangxi, a province in southern China, to halt extraction. Jiangxi province extracts nearly 40 percent of the country's rare earths. China accounts for more than 90 percent of the world's rare earth production, though its reserves may account for about a third of the world's total, meaning that any reduction in China's rare earth production would likely result in nothing more than a temporary shortage while mines are opened or reopened elsewhere.

Last September, UK-based Sevcon said it would work with Cummins Generator Technologies and Newcastle University's Power Electronics and Drives Research Group at developing next-generation electric-drive systems that do not require rare earth metals. The group is developing a technology that uses steel instead of the contested materials.

Toyota works on electric-drive powertrains that don't need rare earth metals originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Hatchback, Electric

General Motors has launched an advertising campaign touting the safety of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in electric vehicle, just as its CEO testified to Congress that a recent Volt fire that took place after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test would never occur under real-world circumstances, Bloomberg has reported.

GM CEO Dan Akerson (pictured) said in the campaign that he "couldn't be prouder" of the technology the company uses to produce the Volt, the wire service noted. The campaign includes full-page ads in 19 U.S. daily newspapers, including the The New York Times, as well as a television ad that will debut on News Corp's Fox News channel. GM has also released a new "normal" ad that calls the Volt "the car America had to build." You can watch the 30-second clip, which may appear in or around the Super Bowl, after the jump.

Akerson spoke Wednesday in a hearing with the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending. Both he and NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said the car was safe and defended NHTSA's handling of the situation against accusations from some Republican members of Congress who've been critical of the Obama Administration and its relationship with GM.

NHTSA said late last week that it finished its two-month investigation into the crash test that resulted in a fire three weeks after the fact last summer, and concluded that neither the Volt nor other electric vehicles pose more of a fire risk than conventional vehicles.

Continue reading GM launches ad campaign touting Chevy Volt safety [w/video]

GM launches ad campaign touting Chevy Volt safety [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Europe, Ford, Earnings/Financials

Ford has announced the company's single largest profit since 1998, thanks in part to a one-time tax gain. The company drew in a net income of $13.6 billion last quarter and the news marked the automaker's 11th consecutive profitable quarter. For perspective, Ford made $190 million in 2010. The company's net income was bolstered by the fact that Ford eliminated a valuation allowance against deferred tax benefits. The company created the valuation allowance in 2006 when it began reporting operating losses. Analysts reportedly see the elimination as a sign that the manufacturer expects to be profitable in coming years.

The company made $8.8 billion in profit in 2011, or $1.51 a share. That's an increase of $463 million over 2010. Even so, the company's net income missed analysts' estimates thanks in part to higher commodity costs, currency fluctuations and flooding in Thailand. The automaker spent $100 million more in commodities like steel than it projected. Those facts, combined with a deteriorating European market, helped Ford miss analyst estimates by 5 cents per share.

Ford reports biggest profits since '98, still fails to meet estimates originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Crossover, Hatchback, Honda

Back when Honda launched the Crosstour in 2010, it fielded questions from the media asking why it chose to forego a four-cylinder model. At the time, officials indicated that a four-cylinder engine would result in minimal fuel economy improvements, noting that the company's aim was to target premium-minded customers for whom the 3.5-liter V6 seemed more appropriate.

But with the fog of slow sales often comes a need to rethink strategies, and Honda has responded to sluggish demand for the Crosstour with a new four-cylinder model for 2012 with a just-announced base price of $27,655 (*plus $810 in destination charges). That's about $2,500 less than a comparable six-cylinder model.

Despite Honda's earlier assertions, the new 192-horsepower, 162 pound-feet of torque 2.4-liter model actually does receive a rather substantial bump in fuel economy performance. The new front-drive trim nets 21 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway - the V6 only manages 18/27. Both the new four-cylinder and 271-hp/254 lb-ft V6 come with a five-speed automatic as standard kit.

In equipment news, all Crosstour models will now receive standard auto-dimming mirrors, a USB hookup, Bluetooth telephony and standard backup camera, among other features.

Honda shifted 17,974 Crosstour models last year, down 37.9 percent from its 2010 total of 28,851 units. The company had targeted sales of 40,000 units annually.

Continue reading Honda Crosstour four-cylinder to start at $27,655*

Honda Crosstour four-cylinder to start at $27,655* originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Better Place

Better Place, the Silicon Valley company founded by former high-tech executive and Israel native Shai Agassi in 2007, has delivered the first 100 electric cars to Israeli customers. After years of tests and trial programs, the deliveries mark a big step in the company's efforts to build out an electric-vehicle charging and battery-exchanging network throughout the country.

Better Place has delivered the Renault Fluence Z.E. EVs to Israel, Bloomberg News reported, citing an e-mail from Better Place Israel Chief Executive Officer Moshe Kaplinsky. The company will deliver more EVs to Israel and is planning on rolling out a similar network in Denmark. Better Place said last month that it would roll out the program with Eldan Group, Israel's largest rental car company, and would target private consumers and corporate fleets.

Better Place is looking to promote the concept - based on the cell phone model - that motorists should be able to lease batteries and battery charging time so that buying an electric vehicle does not require them to also purchase a battery pack that can cost as much as the car itself.

The company said late last year that it raised another $200 million in equity financing from companies such as General Electric and UBS AG and that it would use the funds to expand its electric-vehicle battery swapping network throughout Western Europe and other parts of the world. The funding brought the company's total to almost $800 million in equity financing and almost doubled the company's valuation to $2.25 billion since its previous round of equity funding in January 2010.

Better Place starts Renault EV deliveries in Israel originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Minivan/Van, BMW, Electric, Luxury

Imagine you're an auto exec launching a new line of cars. One's a sportscar, the other a city car - pretty much opposite extremes on the spectrum of automotive bodystyles. Do you give them alphanumeric nameplates close to one another? Of course not. You assign them disparate numbers to make room for more models to slot in between.

That's just what BMW is doing with its upcoming "i" range, with an i3 at one end and the i8 (star of the recent Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol). So what does it have planned to fit in the middle? According to Autobild out of Germany, an i5.

The third model in the range is tipped to come in as a compact MPV in a similar mold as the Toyota Prius V - only probably significantly more expensive. Underpinnings would likely be borrowed from the i3, but stretched out a bit to make extra room for people and stuff. For that matter, we wouldn't be surprised to see an i2 come in as a two-door version of the i3 with the Smart ForTwo in its sights, or an i6 or i7 electric sedan, either.

BMW planning to slot i5 minivan into new range originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising

Reputation is everything, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates. The 2012 Avoider Study found that 43 percent of buyers who steer clear of a particular model due to quality concerns do so merely because of common knowledge. Ratings and reviews - our stock in trade - were cited by 38 percent, while previous ownership of a model caused scorn in only 14 percent of respondents.

"The fact that so many new-vehicle buyers may be basing their opinions about quality and reliability on pre-conceived [sic] notions, rather than concrete information or data, demonstrates how important it is for automakers to promote the quality and reliability of their models," said Jon Osborn, research director at J.D. Power and Associates, in what reads like a nakedly self-serving press release.

Other interesting data from the survey included an all-time high for xenophobia, with respondents who avoided import models because of their origin rising to 14 percent, the highest in the nine years of the study. Buyers avoiding domestics for the same reason dropped to six percent, the lowest in the study's history.

The most influential reason for purchasing a specific model in 2012 was fuel economy, trumping reliability, "the deal," and exterior styling, which were tops in 2010.

To read the entire press release, click past the jump.

Continue reading J.D. Power: More car buyers base purchases on brand reputation than ratings and reviews

J.D. Power: More car buyers base purchases on brand reputation than ratings and reviews originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Land Rover, Off-Road

The Land Rover Defender may be nearing the end of its line, but over the course of its lifetime it has become the go-to vehicle for any number of off-road applications. They're used on safaris and expeditions, by military forces and humanitarian organizations. And yes, they're used by hunters. That's why German firearms manufacturer Blaser has outfitted this special edition Defender for just such a market.

The Blaser edition Defender includes roof rack, underbody skid plates, trailer hitch, power winch, spotlight, snorkel intake, custom-embroidered leather seats and more. It's decked out in what's called Keswich Green, but to us looks more like Panzer green, and packs a 2.2-liter turbodiesel four with 122 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque on tap. But the party piece is the custom armory built into the back that can carry as many as five hunting rifles plus ammunition. Only 60 examples will be made available exclusively in Germany, each carrying a €49,500 ($64,400) price tag.

Blaser outfits special edition Land Rover Defender for hunting originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Design/Style

There's a thin line between patina and outright decay, and artist Bo Lundvang seems to understand that threshold all too well. He's created unique pieces of art using massive 40-inch by 20-inch sheetmetal panels wrapped in white vinyl. The artist cuts out the profile of his desired image, removes the negative and allows the metal to endure the elements. Once the panels have reached the appropriate level of patina, Lundvang seals the pieces in several layers of clear coat to prevent further deterioration. The designs are appropriately stylish for office or garage decor, and Lundvang has crafted artwork based on everything from classic muscle like the 1969 Dodge Charger above to modern supercars like the McLaren MP4-12C and Koenigsegg CCX.

The artist hasn't listed any prices, so if you like what you see, you'll have to head over to his web site and reach out through email. Too cool.

Artist uses rust as brush to paint cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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