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Spy Shots: Bentley Continental GTC Speed

Some new cars are predictable; others catch us by surprise. This one we could see from a mile away, and not just because it's enormous. But after Bentley rolled out Speed versions of the Continental GT coupe (which we've sampled) and Flying Spur sedan, it was only a matter of time before the same treatment would be applied to the GTC convertible variant. And now we're seeing the spy shots to prove it. The Bentley Continental GTC Speed, as it's certain to be called, will feature all of the same upgrades we've seen on the Speed versions of its fixed-head counterparts. That means a power bump for its W12 engine to 602 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, suspension and aero tweaks and bigger wheels. All of it will add up to one fast-moving warm weather front that should hit U.S. shores in the near future as Hurricane Bentley.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:20:21 PM
Chrysler closing Newark plant early, cutting shift in ToledoChrysler LLC has just announced two measures to help the privately-owned automaker scale back production to meet lower demand in the marketplace. The first is to move up the closure of its Newark Assembly Plant, which builds the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen, from late 2009 to December 31, 2008. The second is to eliminate one of two shifts at the Toledo North Assembly plant that builds the Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty, also effective December 31. Chrysler says the Newark plant employs 1,000 workers, while 825 will be affected by the shift reduction in Toledo. According to The Detroit News, those 1,825 workers out of a job represent about 6% of Chrysler's hourly-workforce. These moves will also likely spell the end for the Durango and Aspen SUVs, as Newark is the only plant producing them and has been scaled back to one shift since July 2006.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:19:26 PM
Tesla working with Daimler for electric smarts?

Chalk this one firmly in the rumormill category, but Johnathan Bodily over at Street Import Online is reporting that he's seen what appears to be an electric smart fortwo at Tesla's facility in San Carlos plugged into a Tesla-branded charging station. What's more, this particular smart differed from other fortwos in that it lacked a tail pipe. We know that Daimler has been running second-generation smart ed's (with lithium ion batteries from an unknown source) around various locations for a little while, and that Tesla has stated that it has signed a few deals to supply batteries to other companies for their electric vehicle projects. Putting this final piece of the puzzle together, it appears we have enough circumstantial evidence to conclude that the Silicon Valley company is provided the batteries to Daimler for its new electric smart cars. Hopefully, this collaboration will bear fruit in the form of both electric smart cars in America and provide Tesla Motors with some of the working capital it needs to continue forward with its Model S electric sedan project. We contacted Tesla for an official response, and as expected got a definitive "no comment." Next question, is Tesla providing the battery packs for the MINI E? Any camera wielding readers who happen to be in the in the San Carlos, CA area might want to cruise past Tesla's office and see if they can snap a picture of any cars plugged in outside the front door.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:04:58 PM
VIDEO: Toyota Yaris flies into the danger zone, drives off aircraft carrier

Toyota is hitting the boob tube hard to advertise its sub-compact Yaris, and the Japanese automaker has found its funny bone in these newest spots. The overall theme of the new campaign is that the Yaris is clever enough to do "almost anything" by demonstrating the few things this little three-door can't. One commercial, for instance shows the Yaris being unsuccessfully piloted by a bobsled team. The newest commercial, however, puts the Yaris on the deck of an aircraft carrier where it attempts to take off after getting the OK from flight control. As you might have guessed, the Yaris can't fly, so the Little hatch goes overbooard into the drink.
more ...
posted : 10/21/2008 @8:12:52 PM
SEMA Preview: Duo of Dodge Challengers coming from Hotchkis

For this year's SEMA show, the crew at Hotchkis will unveil a pair of modified Dodge Challengers highlighting its focus on classic muscle and its modern-day counterpart. The two matching Challengers – a 1970 T/A 340 Six-Pack and a 2009 SRT8 – will share yellow paint schemes, graphics and wheels, along with a host of parts that should make the T/A stick as well as – if not better – than the 2009 model. The 1970 Challenger, known as E-MAX, was originally converted to 340 Six-Pack trim by the previous owner, and now features new fabricated steel upper A-arms bolted into relocated pickup points, strut rods with Heim joints, aluminum steering rods and a set of front and rear sway bars, along with a new set of springs that lower the Granddaddy Challenger by two inches. In addition to replacing the aging front suspension, Hotchkis set out to create a well-rounded classic, equipping the T/A with Stoptech brakes, a Flowmaster exhaust and Forgeline wheels wrapped in Yokohama tires. Hotchkis likes to point out that all its suspension parts can be removed and replaced with the factory units, allowing owners to keep things traditional for shows and swapped out when the time comes to drive.
posted : 10/21/2008 @8:01:43 PM
Volt designer "more proud" of production version

Back when GM rolled out the Volt concept, there was less discussion about its design than there was about its underlying technology. Sure, it looked ok, but with gas prices at the time headed straight up, its promise of cheaper driving overshadowed its sports car roofline. Upon introduction of the more aerodynamic production Volt, there seemed to be a re-Volt. Our Hot or Not poll showed 65% of readers responded negatively to the dramatic redesign. You gotta wonder how that makes the Volt's designers feel. Two members of the Volt design team are from Ohio, and Cleveland's "Plain Dealer" newspaper asked them what they think of the Volt's new look. Apparently they either disagree and/or just really like being able to cash GM's checks at the end of the week. "There were probably a small number of people expecting the electric Camaro," Volt design team director Bob Boniface (in photo above) told the newspaper. "I'm more proud of this car than I am of the concept car," he says later in the story. Many people saw the production Volt and wondered why GM couldn't come up with something that didn't look so "Prius-y." GM aerodynamics engineer Ken Karbon has an explanation: "The laws of aerodynamics are the same if it's a Toyota or a Chevy." Maybe Chery should have tried that line in court.
posted : 10/21/2008 @7:51:44 PM
First Drive: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S with PDK

Introduced in 1963, the Porsche 911 is one of the most successful competition cars ever built. Despite its unconventional rear-engine platform, the 911 Carrera holds recorded wins in nearly every type of automotive competition. Continuously upgraded and refined, Porsche has introduced a mid-cycle refresh for the 2009 model year. While the cosmetic changes are immediately apparent, the most significant improvements – two new engines and a new double-clutch transmission – are hidden under its sleek skin. We spent a long day putting the 2009 911 Carrera through its paces on a race track near Salt Lake City framed by the spectacular snow-capped surrounding mountains of Utah.
posted : 10/21/2008 @7:48:23 PM
Chrysler deal with Getrag reportedly dead

Things were just starting to look up for Chrysler's upcoming powertrains. The Phoenix V6 will hopefully return competitiveness to the engine bays of Pentastar vehicles, and a dual-clutch automated manual transmission joint venture with Getrag was nearly off the ground before both companies started shoving lawyers at each other. A joint venture plant has been built in Indiana, but the deal fell apart over money for tooling. Chrysler's shot a lawsuit at Getrag, alleging that the transmission specialist hasn't ponied up for tooling and equipment to build the gearboxes. For its part, Getrag contends that it had backing from German banks provided that Chrysler put the $300 million needed into escrow, and is prepared to sue Chrysler to get reimbursed for its investment plus damages. If Getrag and Chrysler can't come to terms, it doesn't look good for the future of Chrysler's clever gearbox which would offer increased performance and fuel economy.
posted : 10/21/2008 @7:34:43 PM
Corvette C7 put on indefinite hold

According to multiple unnamed sources speaking with Autoweek, General Motors has put its plans for a C7 Corvette on "indefinite hold, with no official or set timetable." That's a pretty broad admission, but not entirely surprising considering the financial issues plaguing GM, the rest of the domestics and the world as a whole. Originally it was thought that the current C6 Corvette would undergo significant upgrades over the course of the next five years, with the C7 coming to market in 2014. That timeframe doesn't appear to hold water anymore, and Autoweek maintains that GM's leadership doesn't have a clear plan for what the future holds for the 'Vette, not to mention the rest of the General's lineup. However, Corvette vehicle-line executive Tom Wallace assured the weekly pub that the halo coupe isn't going anywhere. "We're still working on future Corvettes," Wallace said, and "there are changes, some neat stuff, coming for 2010 that I can't talk about yet." Wallace went on to say that the 2010 model wouldn't be considered an all-new car and that the 35-mpg CAFE standards for 2020 are having an effect on future drivetrains specs of the next Corvette.
posted : 10/18/2008 @7:31:01 PM
GM laying off 1,500 workers at three plantsThe old equation holds true: fewer cars sold means fewer workers required to assemble them. This basic truth has been proven once again with GM's announced lay-offs of some 1,500 hourly workers, The cut's breakdown includes about 700 workers from General Motor's Pontiac assembly plant, about 400 each at both its Wilmington, Delaware, assembly plant and its Detroit-Hamtramck facility. In Pontiac, where GM assembles full-size trucks, the worker reduction is necessary as General Motors reduces its output to just 24 trucks per hour from 55 per hour. In Detroit, the General will cut its Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS production from 56 units per hour to 38, and in Delaware where the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Opel Roadster are built, production has already been cut in half. This announcement comes just days after GM said it would close plants located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Janesville, Wisconsin.
posted : 10/17/2008 @5:36:20 PM
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