2009 LA Auto Show Coverage by Autoblog

Jonathon Ramsey

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Royal Scam? UK license plate "D1ANA" expected to fetch £100,000 at COYS auction

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Dec 1st, 2009 at 6:01PM

Coys of Kensington will be hosting a True Greats auction on December 1, and among the items for sale will be an MG service manual (Lot 1), a Corvette poster (Lot 61), and some pre-WWII driving gauntlets (Lot 81). Oh, and there'll also be the matter of Lot 142, a number plate reading "D1ANA" expected to pull down £100,000. That's $164,174 to us here in the American system.

That's no small beer, certainly, yet while it might appear to be impressive, other less obviously impressive number plates have recently been fetching ridiculous amounts: aside from the UK tuner who bought the "F 1" plate for $870,000, earlier this year a gent – also in the UK – bought "1 D" for $513,000. And it's not just our British pals in that game: "D1ANA" is far less fetching than the number "6," which was bought by a Delaware man for $675,000. So there.

The preliminary viewing was today, but it's not too late to get in on the auction. Follow the jump for the press release, and get your pounds and pence ready.

[Source: Coys]

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Spy Shots: BMW M3 caught with new LED taillamps

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Dec 1st, 2009 at 10:59AM Spy Shots

2010 BMW M3 -- Click above for image gallery

Just a couple of years into its run, this is your slightly revised BMW M3, free of camo save for the taillights. The photog on the scene said there is nothing we should expect from the next Munich mauler save for new LED lamps in back and an updated interior. We speculate that cabin changes will include upgraded materials and lines that bring it closer to its recently unveiled siblings higher up the food chain. And that should be enough to keep everyone happy while BMW and M3 mavens focus on the M3 GTS.


Gallery: BMW M3 caught with new LED taillamps


[Source: CarPix]

The Amatoya: Meet the next generation of fire fighting vehicles

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Dec 1st, 2009 at 10:29AM

Amatoya Reconnaissance and Suppression Vehicle - Click above for image gallery

Designer Liam Ferguson's vision of how to fight fires almost makes us wish we were firemen – as long as we could have the keys to one of these. The Amatoya is a site recon and light tanker vehicle designed with a philosophy much more military than civilian. The seating position is like that of a AH-1 Cobra gunship, with the co-pilot up and behind the driver. The Amatoya is built on a monococque steel body, like armed forces MRAPs, insulated with NASA's aerogel, and painted with "military grade sacrificial thermo ceramic intumescent paints."

The Remotely Operated Suppression Cannon Outfit (ROSCO) can has a 2,200-liter (581 gallons) total water capacity, all the better for the fact that the crew members don't need to leave the vehicle to employ it. Nor should they have much problem getting to the fire, with absurd clearances all around, directional spotlights, and a thermal imaging camera. The only weak point would appear to be the rubber tires, which would melt long before the Space-Shuttle-worthy body would.

Still, we'd take one in a second. Take a peek at it yourself in the gallery of photos below.


Gallery: Amatoya Reconnaissance and Suppression Vehicle


[Source: Yanko Design]

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Ford Motor Company

Driving Skills for Life

Ford hosted another Driving Skills for Life driving camp in Washington D.C. just before a two-day summit created by the U.S. Department of Transportation on the topic of distracted driving. The connection of the two is a natural.

Full Coverage >

Push Me, Pull You: R&T investigates the comings and goings of gear changes

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Dec 1st, 2009 at 8:59AM



When it isn't unusual to get into five or six different cars a month, you realize you spend a lot of time figuring out how, and how many ways, one can shift the gears in an automatic or double-clutch car. Where is the shifter? How many settings does the shifter have? How do I get into manual shift mode? Once there, how does it work? Are there paddle shifters as well? Do the paddle shifters move with the wheel or not? And so on...

Road & Track surveyed a number of automakers about how they set up their manual shifting modes. Some require you to push the lever forward to upshift, while for others that's a downshift, and a couple demand you move the lever side-to-side. The 13 makers examined all have their reasons, the loose consensus being that the forward-for-downshift bunch is modeled after driving dynamics, the forward-for-upshift bunch based on intuitiveness and customer feedback.

At least two makers have two cars that use different shifting methods. And if not for Subaru, Audi, and Porsche there'd be a nice way to classify the forward-for-upshift crowd as being for buyers who aren't into sporting driving. As far as we're concerned, forward should be for downshifts, and single-function paddles should be mounted on the wheel, not the column. But you can tell us what you think in the comments.

[Source: Road & Track]

Global search reportedly on to find successor for Ratan Tata

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Dec 1st, 2009 at 7:59AM



Three years ago the retirement age for Tata's holding company was upped to 75. Although Ratan Tata is only 71, there is no obvious successor to take his place at the head of India's global conglomerate, so the search has begun for the leader of the next act.

Whoever that person is will take the conductor's baton and guide an orchestra of 98 companies and 357,000 workers. He or she will also need to deal with the twin anchors of Jaguar-Land Rover debt and Corus Steel debt, both of which were brought on by economic freefall after top-of-the-market acquisitions.

At this point it looks like the CEO spot will be taken by someone outside the Tata family for only the second time in the history of the company. And while Ratan Tata has said "It would certainly be easier if [my successor] were an Indian national," he is open to filling the position with a foreigner. The company has three years to conclude, with Tata expected to step down in 2012.

[Source: Times Online | Photo: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images]

Essen 2009: 1,050-hp 1956 Mercedes Gullwing drag car

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Nov 30th, 2009 at 7:28PM

Gullwing dragster - Click above for high-res image gallery

This ungainly little creature had an area all to itself at this year's Essen Motor Show. Built over four years by Swiss drag racer Stefan Winter – who is a roofer by trade – the most important thing to say is this: Winter did not mangle a genuine 1956 Mercedes 300 SL to create this beast, and we can thank all the gods that be for that. He copied the body in fiberglass and placed it over a tube chassis, hiding a small block Chevy in front that's been bored out to 422 cubic inches.

With modified pistons, crankshaft, cylinder heads, and a bit more black-art-ness, the gullwinged monster puts 1,050 horsepower to the ground through a 3-speed transmission and rear tires 15 inches across. The 1/4-mile rolls off in 8.1 seconds at 166 mph. If nothing else, at that speed he shouldn't have any problem with keeping the car's interior cool, a problem the originals were known for...


Gallery: Essen 2009: Mercedes Gullwing Dragster


[Source: Das Auto Blog (translated) via Autoblog.nl]

REPORT: Renault and Russia come to agreement on AvtoVAZ

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Nov 30th, 2009 at 1:59PM



Renault has found a way to appease Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that didn't involve writing a check for $850 million. The French company took a 25% stake in Russian carmaker Avtovaz, and when Avtovaz started having a hard time of it earlier this year Renault looked content to see how things turned out. Putin wasn't: he told Carlos Ghosn to inject cash into Avtovaz, or Putin would dilute Renault's stake with a share sale.

Things retreated from the cliff when Renault promised technology to Avtovaz, in return for which Russia would put 50 billion rubes ($1.7 billion U.S.) into the company. Renault's technology share is valued at €240 million ($358 million U.S.). The know-how could be of greater assistance to both companies than if Renault had contributed cash: Avotvaz gets something it can build on long term, and Renault doesn't have to throw good rubles after bad.

Avtovaz is nowhere near rescued, however. The company remains loaded with debt, making it difficult to finance its restructuring, and sales of its primary vehicle, Lada, haven't rebounded. And to hear Putin tell it, he could be knocking on Renault's door again soon.

[Source: Bloomberg | Photo: PIERRE VERDY/AFP/Getty Images]

Production Nissan Qazana will bring new era of design, love it or hate it reaction

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Nov 30th, 2009 at 8:58AM

2012 Nissan Qazana – Click above for high-res image gallery

By this point in the year it's not as easy to find worthy entries for Understatement of the Year – there is just so much competition – but a comment made about the Nissan Qazana certainly qualifies: a Nissan insider told UK-based Autocar that the gelatinous crossover "will split opinion."

And not only will you get your chance to buy one in 2012, statements by Nissan indicate that you'll have your chance to buy other cars that also look like it. Nissan's customer research appears to have also given the company every reason for believing "it will be a success," and that this will give the brand "a more attractive and emotional appeal in the future."

Nissan hasn't said what Qazana design features might be seen on other cars, and we don't know if we're ready to even think about that possibility. Europeans have three years to get ready for it, and we in the States have that time to prepare for an Altima that looks like Admiral Ackbar.


Gallery: Geneva 2009: Nissan Qazana


Photos copyright ©2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Autocar]

Canadian GP back on F1 calendar through 2014

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Nov 29th, 2009 at 7:18PM

Canadian GP

It's official, Formula 1 and Montreal are in love again. Bernie Ecclestone's supersonic price increases in 2008 drove the Canadian venue (and North America entirely) off the map in 2009. It was the first time in three decades that the F1 club didn't visit Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and by the end of this summer, everyone was highly motivated to get it back.

When Ecclestone's original demand of $175 million Canadian ($165M U.S.) over five years became $75 million Canadian, ($71M U.S.), the Montreal, Quebec, and Canadian governments got together to split the cost three ways. When the government's commitment to spend such an amount on a sporting event was questioned, Quebec's minister of finance replied that the GP will cost Quebec $4 million but return $10 million to its coffers alone. On top of that, Ecclestone promised them 30% of ticket sales every year, which, for a hugely popular grand prix, should be a substantial number. Vive le Montreal GP and June 13, 2010! Thanks to everyone who submitted tips

[Source: F1 Live | Photo credit: Vinod Sankar via CC2.0]

Gah!x2: Kicherer Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG rendered

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Nov 29th, 2009 at 3:09PM

Kircherer SLS 63 CP -- Click above for high-res image gallery

To put it kindly, we'll call the attempts to tune the appearance of the Mercedes SLS AMG gilding the lily. Although the folks at Kircherer were obviously not doing the same amount or potency of drugs procured by the gents at MEC Design, they have still managed to disturb the lines of a car that most feel needed no help in the looks department.

This is said to be Kircherer's version of a Pan-Am car, and it gets carbon fiber blackening bits all around, a rooftop air intake, Kircherer's trademark wheels, and a leering grille lifted from an Aston Martin. You can also get that grille in gold, if you wish. But there's only one part of the world where we see that happening...


Gallery: Kircherer SLS 63 CP


[Source: World Car Fans]

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