Auto Body San Jose News

San Jose Collision Repair News : 4-10-13

April 10, 2013 By admin

Maserati Ghibli set to be company’s first diesel | CNET

by Wayne Cunningham

The Maserati Ghibli is smaller than the Quattroporte, and seems designed for a larger market. (Credit: Maserati

Maserati released photos and a few details of a new car it will unveil at the Shanghai Motor Show. The Maserati Ghibli looks to be an attempt at more of a mass-market car than the Italian makers other models.

The Ghibli will be offered with a choice of two turbocharged V-6 engines, one of which will burn diesel, mated to eight speed automatic transmissions. Maserati says the car will come in rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive versions.

The Ghibli is intended to bolster Maserati’s plans to sell 50,000 cars per year.

The interior picture shows luxury materials one would expect from Maserati. Red leather covers the seats and carbon fiber panels top the console.

The center LCD only has two dials, one on either side of the bezel in standard volume/tuning format. The lack of other controls suggests the Ghibli will have a touchscreen. The LCD appears close enough to the driver to allow touchscreen operation.

Anime fans may perk up at the name, referencing director Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli in Japan. Wikipedia that the studio’s name was taken from the nickname for an Italian warplane, the Caproni Ca.309, from World War II. That derivation seems likely considering Studio Ghibli’s film, Porco Rosso.

… [Read more]

Rethinking the lithium ion battery revolution over cost, safety | AutoNews

On the eve of a Washington forum, a growing number of engineers say the lithium ion battery revolution in cars and other products has stalled, undercut by high costs, technical complexity and safety concerns.

Facts About Fuel Ratings | CarandDriver

Find out the facts about fuel ratings and find out how you can reduce the cost of driving your car.

Wheelchair van makers see growth | AutoNews

Colorado retailer Tim Myers sums up his optimistic outlook for the wheelchair van market this way: More Americans with disabilities simply want vehicle mobility. And that’s creating an opportunity for retailers.

Petrolicious profiles one of the final Jaguar E-Types | Autoblog

by Seyth Miersma

There’s no question that David Paddison has got a very lovely 1974 Jaguar E-Type convertible. The rubber bumpers of this late E-Type may distract ever so slightly from the purity of the lines, but that doesn’t mean we’re still not completely jealous of the latest Petrolicious subject car.

As usual, the team of vintage car videographers has done a fine job capturing a small moment of gear-headness with this latest installment – The Last of the Breed. We do wonder why we don’t get to hear a little bit more of that famed Jaguar V12 rumble, however. There’s just a whiff of engine and exhaust sound in the middle of the video, while the rest of the piece sounds like it was scored by Amy Grant’s rhythm guitarist. See for yourself, below.

Continue reading Petrolicious profiles one of the final Jaguar E-Types

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April 3, 2013 By admin

BMW X4 Concept Images Leaked Ahead of Likely Shanghai Auto Show Debut | CarandDriver

by Alexander Stoklosa

BMW X4 concept

Are no auto-show surprise reveals sacred anymore? It seems as though in recent years, the number of image leaks that spill the beans on automakers’ big production- and concept-car reveals before their scheduled debut has only increased. Case in point: It appears as though BMW’s X4 crossover concept has shown up naked on the same website—AutoWP.ru—that last month leaked photos of Mercedes-Benz’s CLA45 AMG just before its New York auto show debut. (It’s worth noting that the same Flickr user, upcomingvehiclesx, who leaked photos of the new Cadillac CTS, also has posted the shots of the X4 concept.)

BMW X4 concept

The X4, for those scratching their heads, is going to be to BMW’s X3 what the X6 is to the X5—a coupe-ier, less-practical, and more attractive version of an existing, relatively pedestrian crossover. Given that the blue X4 concept images have popped online now, we’re guessing the crossover is set for a debut in the not-so-distant future, meaning a Shanghai auto show reveal is a pretty safe bet. As for the X4′s looks, well, it’s pretty darn attractive. The concept is a bit dressier than the X4 rendering we published nearly two years ago, but the basic elements are there: A sharply sloping roofline; a high, chopped tail; gaping front intakes; and an aggressive stance.

Porsche plugs in the Panamera | CNET

by Wayne Cunningham

Porsche replaces the speedometer with a power gauge in the Panamera S E-Hybrid, and keeps the tach front and center. (Credit: Porsche)

In announcing the 2014-model-year Panamera, Porsche released details of a new plug-in hybrid variant, a replacement for the current Panamera Hybrid model. The new model, termed the Panamera S E-Hybrid, gets a larger battery pack and more powerful electric motor than the previous Panamera S Hybrid.

Porsche says the 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid will drive over 20 miles under electric power.

That distance may not sound like much, but it is a robust number for plug-in hybrids. Ford rates its C-Max Energi at 21 miles of electric range, while the Chevy Volt, the leader in the class, rates at 38 miles.

Porsche also notes the Panamera S E-Hybrid can hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, faster than the previous Panamera S Hybrid model.

[Read more]

Mazda, aided by weaker yen, eyes first annual profit in 5 years | AutoNews

The slide in the yen has turned Mazda’s biggest weakness into its biggest strength. All Japan’s most export-dependent automaker has to do now is sell more cars.

Daniel Craig nets $1M to show up at Land Rover NY, leaves quickly [w/videos]

by Zach Bowman

The New York Post reports actor Daniel Craig pocketed a cool $1 million to appear at a the New York Auto Show on behalf of Land Rover this week, despite staying at the function only briefly. The actor appeared at the Skylight at Moynihan Station on Tuesday, and was shown in a video driving the to the venue before driving onto a stage, live. From there, the actor who plays James Bond walked along a line of photographers and vanished from sight.

While speaking with The New York Post, a representative from Land Rover said, “We won’t comment on our relationship with Mr. Craig beyond confirming that Land Rover supports the charity SAFE, of which the actor is a patron, and will continue its charitable efforts with a vehicle donation later this year.”

You can watch Craig’s entrance as well as an interview with the actor in the videos below.

Continue reading Daniel Craig nets $1M to show up at Land Rover NY, leaves quickly [w/videos]

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March 27, 2013 By admin

2014 Jaguar XJR unleashed just ahead of New York show [w/video] | Autoblog

by Seyth Miersma

Just a week after teasing us with the first image of the car, and mere hours before revealing it to the public at the New York Auto Show, Jaguar has pulled the wraps off of its 2014 XJR super sedan.

The British automaker has confirmed that the XJR will be kicking out a full 550-horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque from its supercharged 5.0-liter V8, affording the sedan a 0-60 mile per hour sprint of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 174 miles per hour. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission will still allow for respectable fuel economy, as Jag estimates ratings of 15 miles per gallon city and 23 highway.

Newly tuned dampers and stiffer spring rates, along with an electronically controlled differential should ensure that the massive power of the engine isn’t wasted in transition to the road. Jaguar has also tweaked steering software and hydraulics, with the goal of increased road feel, response and overall feedback. 20-inch signature wheels carry wide Pirelli rubber (265-section up front, 295 in back) to keep the XJR planted.

Visually, the unique wheels, grille badges, sills and a discrete trunklid spoiler all call out the newest and most fearsome member of the XJ line. Inside, R badges on the seatbacks and elsewhere, as well as some unique seating, trim and stitching options, mark out the XJR. All in, the standard wheelbase XJR will carry an MSRP of $116,000, with $119,000 asked of the long-wheelbase model. Scroll down to see a video of the 2014 Jaguar XJR in action, as well as to find the full press release.

Continue reading 2014 Jaguar XJR unleashed just ahead of New York show [w/video]

Fisker furloughs U.S. workforce for a week | Autoweek

Fisker Automotive, the struggling maker of $100,000 plug-in hybrids whose namesake founder abruptly resigned earlier this month, has furloughed its entire workforce in the United States this week to preserve cash as it seeks a financial lifeline.

Range Rover Sport evokes a little bit more lust for 2014 | Autoblog

by Seyth Miersma

Land Rover has substantially updated the appeal of its middle-child Range Rover Sport at this year’s New York Auto Show, giving the model a new look, a new powertrain and an optional new third row. Functionality abounds.

As we outlined yesterday, the 2014 Range Rover Sport can now be had with a 340-horsepower, supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, for an opening price of $63,495 in SE trim. Start ticking options boxes on the Range Rover website, and you’ll end up with a 510-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V8 mill at the heart of your $93,295 Range Rover Sport Autobiography. No matter how lushly you specify your Sport, however, you’ll now have the ability to haul two more small children (or unhappy, normal sized adults) in the optional foldaway third-row seating.

We’ve got live images of the 2014 Range Rover Sport, fresh from the floor of New York’s Javits Center, for your approval. Browse at your leisure or scroll down for a second pass at the Land Rover press release.

Continue reading Range Rover Sport evokes a little bit more lust for 2014

Night time curfews won’t work | BodyShopMag

Ingenie welcomes the government’s focus on young drivers and all efforts to make this disproportionately high-risk age group of drivers safer

New Audi A3 revealed with big car tech | CNET

by Wayne Cunningham

Audi’s new A3 model comes out next year as a 2015 model, in sedan form and a plug-in hybrid Sportback. (Credit: Audi)

NEW YORK–Audi showed off the cabin tech for the new A3 model at 2012 CES, setting the first milestone for what looked like a highly anticipated update. And while Audi put the updated A3 in sedan and Sportback form on the stage in Geneva and Paris last year, it is only now that we get to see the U.S. version of the car.

However, shown as a 2015 model, the A3 will not hit showrooms until next year.

Audi equips the new A3 with the same cabin electronics, and more, as its bigger vehicles.

The MMI controller in the A3 includes a touchpad embedded on the center dial.

The new A3 will come out in far different form than what most Americans are used to. The sedan looks to be Audi’s ma… [Read more]

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Filed Under: Auto Body San Jose News Tagged With: Audi A3, curfews, Fisker, Jaguar XJR, Range Rover Sport

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March 20, 2013 By admin

Are you the 2014 Range Rover Sport? | Autoblog

by Steven J. Ewing

Less than 24 hours after Land Rover released its first video teaser of the upcoming 2014 Range Rover Sport ahead of its New York Auto Show debut, it appears someone has already spilled the beans. The image you see here comes from the VMax 200 Facebook page, and it clearly shows what looks to be the new Sport hanging out in a garage.

Design-wise, the new Sport appears to borrow heavily from the smaller Evoque crossover while still having plenty of cues that tie it to the all-new Big Daddy Range Rover. The two-tier grille mimics the three-tier one of the larger Range Rover, and the headlamp and taillamp clusters follow similar design cues (though the rear lights are more squared off than vertical), but parts of the front fascia are clearly reminiscent of the pretty little Evoque, as are the rocker panel flares that remind of the three-door model. Unlike its costlier Range Rover sibling, there are no vertical faux side vents embossed in the door skins – instead, there’s a small fender vent above the front wheels with a pair of matte silver strakes to give directional thrust.

Land Rover has not yet released any details about the 2014 Range Rover Sport, only saying that it will be the company’s “fastest, most responsive and most agile vehicle to date.” Stay tuned for the official unveiling on March 26.

BMW X4 will attract new buyers to brand, sales chief says | Autonews

BMW’s new X4 model will bring a new type of customer to the brand, sales chief Ian Robertson said. The X4 will launch next year as a sportier version of the X3 SUV with a lower roofline and coupe styling.

Subaru designs will embrace angular face of Viziv concept | Autonews

Subaru will gradually adopt the angular face of the Viziv concept crossover shown at the Geneva auto show across its lineup, the brand’s global design chief says.

Watch the trailer for Jaguar’s short film starring the F-Type and Damian Lewis | Autoblog

by Seyth Miersma

Jaguar continues to think well outside of the box when it comes to marketing it’s new F-Type, now furthering plans for a short film which highlights the sexy roadster. Desire, featuring Damian Lewis (star of the hit series Homeland), Jordi Mollà (unforgettable in Bad Boys II) and Shannyn Sossamon (that girl you had a crush on for like a month in 2002 after you rented A Knight’s Tale), Jaguar is clearly pulling out all the stops for this one. Well, nearly all the stops anyway - the “Ridley Scott Associates” billing isn’t quite the same has having the man himself, if we’re splitting hairs.

The short video below is still just a trailer for Desire – the full film will make its debut sometime in April, we’re told. The sketched out plotlines tell us that Lewis’ character Clark, “…delivers cars for a living, running into trouble after a chance encounter with a mysterious, young woman (Sossamon) in the middle of a lawless desert.” The car looks good, at any rate.

Call us crazy, but the Desire trailer feels an awful lot like a spoof on the cool-but-overly-serious short films that BMW has done in this vein, already. Maybe we’re just being cynical? Tell us what you think in comments after watching the clip. Continue reading Watch the trailer for Jaguar’s short film starring the F-Type and Damian Lewis

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March 13, 2013 By admin

This mule is the first evidence Jaguar is working on a 3 Series fighter | Autoblog

by Steven J. Ewing

Rumors of an entry-level, BMW 3 Series-fighting Jaguar sedan have been floating around for quite some time, but thanks to our intrepid spy photographers, we now have visible proof that such a model is, in fact, in the works.

Despite this tester’s XF fittings, it’s clear that what lies beneath is an entirely different beast. The doors have been shortened, roofline adjusted, rear deck lopped off and exhaust replaced, giving us a better idea of the new sedan’s smaller dimensions and details. The new Jag, which may be dubbed “XS,” is expected to ride on Jaguar’s PLA (Premium Lightweight Architecture) platform, touting weight-saving materials that should do a lot to keep overall heft to a minimum. Both turbocharged four- and supercharged six-cylinder powertrains are expected to be on tap.

Codenamed X760, the new small sedan will reportedly hit the market in 2015. Earlier reports have indicated that a new crossover – Jag’s first ever – riding on the same platform will arrive shortly thereafter, so that suggests that the platform will be fitted with all-wheel drive as well.

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March 6, 2013 By admin

2013 Jaguar XF Sportbrake | Autoblog

by Matt Davis

Editor’s Note: Our reporter was anxious to get some time behind the wheel of the XF Sportbrake, even though Jaguar only had a very small window available for us to drive it. As a result, we weren’t able to capture our usual original images to go with the Quick Spin story. Please accept our regrets, and Jag’s lovely stock photography, instead.

The last wagon attempt from Jaguar was the X-Type, built between 2003 and that model line’s unceremonious end in 2009. That X-Type and its legacy represent a real dog of a chapter for Jaguar, and for the Halewood factory where the barker was built. It was the final joke told prior to the brand’s proper rebirth phase – a phase we’re enjoying the heck out of today.

Current magnanimous Jaguar owner Tata can be thanked for this new wagon, the XF Sportbrake. Like all newness coming from Jag these days, this new wagon also feels lightyears more serious an offering, ready to compete squarely with established premium wagon makers across Europe. A Jaguar wagon in America is a far-off priority for the company, frankly. Still we deserve to know what we’re missing for the time being from this (sometimes overly) cherished British firm.

I was given a right-hand-drive 3.0-liter turbodiesel XF Sportbrake. Jaguar currently offers only diesel powerplants in the wagon due to the European market buying nearly 100 percent of its wagon bodies with the far more efficient powerplants. And on the 40 miles from Welshpool over to Bala at the edge of Wales’ Snowdonia National Park, there’s some driving to be done.

Driving Notes

The very good folks of Jaguar’s UK offices met me in the middle of just about nowhere for this special, short, but sweet drive cross the mossy hills. I hadn’t yet been able to drive a Jaguar XF Sportbrake – a car that sort of came in announced softly and with zero fanfare – but where better to do this than here on its home turf?
What’s best about the Jag wagon is that it remains an inherently classy rarity, but thankfully this time Jaguar has really done its legwork. As with the distinctive feel of the big XJ sedan, this XF wagon is completely Jaguar-esque and not easily likened to others.
The sweetest surprise was exactly how much fun it was to drive, thundering over hill and dale in a land of seemingly no traffic. This 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 is Euro-wag paradise and I was soon chucking it around as though it weighed 500 pounds less, and had one fewer rows of seats.

Yes, we get it: VW has big plans for the U.S. | AutoNews

Need more evidence that Volkswagen AG is infatuated with the idea of conquering the American market?

Entry-level Land Rover is ‘under evaluation’ | Autocar

A model under the Freelander is being considered along with many othersLand Rover is evaluating plans for a new entry-level SUV company boss John Edwards has confirmed – but he has stressed that it is one of many possible new models, and that work has yet to begin on any of them.Speculation on Indian television had suggested that a new manufacturing plant could be built in the region, in preparation for manufacturing a new entry-level model that would be priced under the Freelander.The source suggested it would be Land Rover’s smallest model yet and would have an engine of around two litres in capacity. If the plans were to go ahead, the new Land Rover could form the basis of a co-operative effort between Land Rover, Tata and Chinese partner Chery.“We continue to look at opportunities for a smaller, cheaper Land Rover,” said Edwards. “But we are also clear that we are looking at many opportunities for Land Rover to expand, in different segments, different price points and so on. We want to grow, but we have to evaluate where the best opportunities are.”

Edwards also confirmed that any new Land Rover models would almost certainly be manufactured for sale in all global markets, suggesting speculation that the new small car would be for emerging markets only was misplaced.

Moreover, a sub-Freelander model could prove popular in Britain where sales of such cars are booming. The Mini Countryman is evidence of this and surely a fact acknowledged by Land Rover.

Golf is car of the year | BodyShopMag

The new Golf is Europe’s ‘Car of the Year 2013.’

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February 27, 2013 By admin

Land Rover bringing world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission to Geneva | Autoblog

by Jonathon Ramsey

Among the future shocks to be shown at the rapidly approaching Geneva Motor Show, Land Rover will be displaying a nine-speed transmission it has been working with ZF to develop. Engineered for transverse – read: usually front-wheel drive – applications, the ZF 9HP will replace the six-speed transmission in the Evoque come 2014.

The three extra ratios add just a quarter of an inch in length to the case, yet it’s 16.5 pounds lighter than that six-speed. The built-in benefits of the extra gears are better fuel economy and lower emissions, and the even lower gears possible will improve the Evoque’s (never-used) off-road capability. The designed benefits are an adaptive shifting system that tailors the transmission to the driving style, a skip-shift function that avoids the need to move sequentially through the gears, and “Fast-Off” and “Curve” modes that take two different approaches to managing upshifts.

While it is the Evoque that breaks the news, it is rumored that the Dodge Dart will be getting this South Carolina-built transmission as well.

Continue reading Land Rover bringing world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission to Geneva

AutoNews Now: Fuel for ethanol debate | AutoNews

AAA warning about E15 gasoline; Honda expanding, this time in Japan; U.S.-built Toyotas Russia-bound; Ford trims waste.

Toyota Recognizes Continental’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert | FenderBender

Toyota Motor Corp. recently presented international automotive supplier Continental with its Technology & Development Award in recognition of the company’s development of radar-based sensors for a “rear cross traffic alert” (RCTA) system.

Auto industry as boogeyman? Depends on your view | AutoNews

The Federal Trade Commission’s latest annual report of U.S. consumer complaints could be a good inkblot test for how people feel about auto finance.

2014 Lexus IS Dissected: New Lexus Look, New Lexus Priorities | CarandDriver

by Jared Gall

What’s Akio Toyoda to do? He’s the head of what is currently the world’s largest automaker. Factories stamp his almost-name on millions of cars each year. And yet he’s not all that crazy about most of them. Imagine the frustration. READ MORE ››

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February 20, 2013 By admin

Range Rover dropping V8 base engine in favor of supercharged V6 | Autoblog

by Jonathon Ramsey

The 2013 Range Rover is on waiting lists so long that Land Rover isn’t even importing the base model for lack of sufficient uptake in view of limited resources. When that backlog is all cleared up, there’s a 15-page booklet worth of changes coming for the 2014 model year, the biggest of which is the disappearance of the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine. It will be replaced in the base Range Rover and the HSE with a supercharged 3.0-liter V6.

The new Rangie’s aesthetics have changed to help it improve its overall Earth friendliness, and that’s the reason given for the engine switch: following “the widespread industry trend to downsize engines due to GHG [greenhouse gasses] legislation which requires continuing efforts to improve emissions and fuel consumption.” The V8 produced 375 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque, the supercharged V6 gets 340 hp and 332 lb-ft. That slows the 0-to-60 mile-per-hour time from 6.5 seconds to 7.1, but improves gas mileage by two miles per gallon across the board to 16 city, 22 highway and 18 combined and CO2 emissions drop by 22 percent. Stop/start will come standard on both the V6 and the supercharged 5.0-liter V8, that latter engine still standard fitment on the Supercharged and Autobiography trims.

Elsewhere on the velveteen exploration mobile, the price of the Adaptive Cruise Control will drop from $2,000 to $1,295. The Active Rear Locking Differential gets combined with the Tow Package; both are available separately on the Supercharged and Autobiography trims for $1,400 total right now, combined the two will cost $1,300 on the 2014 model. The LED signature lamps, an option with the Vision Assist package, will be standard across the range, and two new colors are added and one disappears. Click the link below to read the entire document, and you might want to rearrange your place on that waiting list if you’re read something you like.

Jeep gets hacked on Twitter | AutoNews

The Jeep brand’s Twitter account was hacked this afternoon and given a thorough makeover by Internet tricksters.

Rolls-Royce Wraith Interior Teased, Inspired by Yachts, Airplanes, and France [2013 Geneva Auto Show] CarandDriver

by John Lamm

Sir Frederick Henry Royce, OBE, was the 1st Baronet of Seaton. He was likely not a tease, but that hasn’t stopped the company he helped found from slowly revealing details on its upcoming Rolls-Royce Wraith. We’ve been told that it will be the most powerful Rolls ever built. That its 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-12 will trigger a world standstill. And we’ve seen a shadow—get it?—of the car’s ear end. And now we have some details on the car’s interior.

SEMA Show Booth Applications Now Available

Companies interested in exhibiting at the 2013 SEMA Show may now submit applications for space by visiting www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

The 2013 SEMA Show is set for Nov. 5-8, 2013, in Las Vegas.

The SEMA Show typically attracts more than 130,000 individuals from more than 125 countries, making the annual show the world’s premier automotive trade event where buyers and sellers meet to do business.

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February 13, 2013 By admin

First Ride: 2014 Jaguar F-Type [w/video]

by Matt Davis

Shotgun In Coventry’s First Sports Car In Decades

For every car, there is a passionate group of fans who love it, and the F-Type already has a few million rabid followers. These are fabulous things, sports cars, and we’re very happy that Jaguar is making one again. Finally. (Before you start relishing the prospect of correcting us, the XK is really a grand tourer, not a sports car.)

The main question, however, will be whether someone in a position to buy a lifestyle-enhancing yet impractical F-Type will do so in the face of more established competitors from Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW. The last time Jaguar built a true two-seater sports car (1974 E-Type; the last of the XJ220 limited run in 1994 doesn’t count in this league), most of today’s new buyers were too young or may not yet have been born. At any rate, the F-Type has a lot of work to do for the brand beyond just selling itself.

Jaguar inviting us to Wales for an early ride in both the 375-horsepower F-Type S and 488-hp V8 S can be interpreted in many ways. Perhaps they want our opinions, as they are now in the final phase of pre-production testing. Or maybe they wish to stretch out coverage by key media outlets instead of depending entirely on the first drive “big bang” that will happen shortly. It’s a little of both, we’d guess. The inevitable comparison tests in early summer should be quite revealing, as well.

Continue reading First Ride: 2014 Jaguar F-Type [w/video]

The cold facts about Tesla | AutoNews

It is a scientific truth that electric vehicles fare poorly in cold climates. It’s just the way electrons react when placed under that sort of climatic stress. [Read More]

2013 Range Rover already on huge wait list | Autoblog

by Chris Paukert

Had your eye on Land Rover’s new all-singing, all-dancing 2013 Range Rover? You’re not alone – and hopefully you were smart enough to already put down a deposit. The capability- and lux-laden sport utility vehicle began trickling into dealers in December, but is already “sold out for six months to a year,” says Chris Marchand, executive vice president of operations at Jaguar Land Rover North America.

That’s according to Automotive News, which notes that limited supply issues have made Land Rover shift all North American deliveries to the $88,545 HSE trim or higher instead of the $83,545 base model. The move should not only help dealer profits, it apparently better matches the buying patterns established by the outgoing model – shoppers of the L322 generation skipped out on the base spec and went right for costlier models with more luxury trappings.

It isn’t immediately clear when Land Rover thinks it will be able to catch up to the Range Rover’s order bank, but keeping the vehicle in high demand should assure higher transaction prices. As Land Rover is still ramping up its marketing efforts for their latest range topper, it’s possible that wait lists could get even longer as more people find out about the new model.

Despite the shortage of vehicles, Automotive News says that Land Rover remains confident that its 2013 sales total will outpace last year’s 43,664-unit total.

2013 Jaguar XF / XJ 3.0 AWD First Drives: A Couple of Arctic Cats | CarandDriverBlog

by Aaron Robinson

If you live in Southern California or south Florida, Jaguar’s two best markets, an all-wheel-drive Jag is as useless as a chocolate teapot. But if you live in the Northeast, another hot zone for luxury nameplates, almost all of which make good money on AWD, it’s a different matter. Jaguar needs this all-weather option, and the price-leading XF and the flagship XJ get it for an extra $3000 and $3500, respectively. It comes in both cars, teamed exclusively with the new supercharged and direct-injected 3.0-liter V-6 that pulls 340 horsepower. READ MORE ››

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February 6, 2013 By admin

2013 Land Rover Range Rover | Autoblog

by Jonathon Ramsey

The Imperial Super Star Destroyer of SUVs

Andrew Polsinelli, Land Rover North America’s head of product planning, told us this is what owners requested of the new, fourth-generation Range Rover: “Don’t change it, just make it better.” Superficially, the request appears to represent that species of conflicted, mashed-potato yearning that births other such entreaties as “I want it to be non-fat but still rich and full of flavor,” and “I’d like more cashiers and better service at the 99-cent store.”

Focus on the word “it” in the first part of that demand, though, and one can begin to find clarity. When they say “Don’t change it,” that isn’t a command to leave everything untouched on the 42-year-old SUV franchise that can simultaneously rule the farm and the Bolivian highlands and a refugee camp and the vogue enclaves of any national capital. They mean don’t change the ‘Range Roverness’ of it, the feeling that it’s penthouse automotive luxury – a donked-out Rolls-Royce if you will, a Phantom on thirty-sixes but without the rapper/kingpin connotations. Beyond that comes the knowledge that if you want to get from Los Angeles to Miami in your Range Rover, you can take the straight shot over the I-10 freeway or a slight detour through the Canadian tundra. And it’s still the only SUV extant that will have the driver looking for buttons with the icons for serfs or footmen upon arrival (because you can’t be expected to have to do things yourself, can you?).

That feeling remains in the 2013 Range Rover. And the latest generation is better. So there’s the prime directive accomplished. Furthermore, it is so capable that it’s not wrong to call this the Super Star Destroyer of SUVs.

It does, however, look a little different.

Continue reading 2013 Land Rover Range Rover

U.S. new car gas mileage at record high, study says | AutoNews

New cars and trucks sold in the United States in January will average 24.5 miles per gallon of gasoline, a record high, researchers at the University of Michigan said on Tuesday.

Tesla Model S finally has its date with a dyno | Autoblog

by Jeffrey N. Ross

The performance abilities – and even the burnout potential – of the Tesla Model S has already been well documented, but, surprisingly, we haven’t yet seen the all-electric luxury hatchback strapped to a dyno. Fortunately, the crew over at Dragtimes has posted a video that finally gave us some real-world numbers for the family- and environmentally friendly Tesla.

As the article points out, the results might be off a little (on the low side) due to the run not starting from a dead stop, but the numbers are impressive nonetheless. Immediately upon throttle application, the dyno records almost 300 horsepower at zero miles per hour, and power peaks at 368 hp at around 55 mph (we imagine the “386HP” quoted on the video title is a typo) before trailing off to around 220 hp closer to the car’s limited 130-mph top speed. This compares quite favorably to the power numbers provided by Tesla putting max output at 416 hp; the dyno provided no torque figures for the car. Dragtimes also believes this number bodes well for the car on the track, too, quoting a quarter-mile time of 12.2 seconds at 112 mph.

The video of the quiet, zero-emission dyno session is posted below, so check it out.

Continue reading Tesla Model S finally has its date with a dyno

Infiniti wants to go home — but it’s tricky | AutoNews

Launched as Nissan Motor Co.’s Japanese luxury brand in 1989, Infiniti has had the odd history of never being offered in its home market. Infiniti’s worldwide president wants to change that and introduce the brand to the nation that created it.

Shared CBR Auto Body San Jose News : 1-30-13.

Filed Under: Auto Body San Jose News Tagged With: Infiniti, Land Rover, Tesla Model S

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