Auto News

Posted Sep 30th 2008 7:56PM by Jeremy Korzeniewski
Filed under: Gadgets, Tech, Celebrities, Humor

“Left at the next exit you will turn,” or so we imagine none other than Jedi Master Yoda telling us as we attempt to pilot our land speeders toward some unknown destination. You can now download Yoda as the voice of your TomTom or Garmin GPS unit courtesy of a company named PigTones and a fee of $12.97. Not a Star Wars fan? Well, you should be (at least of the original trilogy). There’s always the Terminator. On second thought, who wants to be told to make a legal U-turn by the governor of California? That leaves Stewie from The Family Guy. He’s the megolomaniacal infant that’s hell bent on killing his mother, Lois. There are others to choose from too, some raunchier than others. Click here for the full list. Thanks for the tip, yash!

[Source: PIGtones via The Earth Times]

Posted Sep 30th 2008 3:29PM by Michael Harley
Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, China, Buick, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for more images of the 2010 Buick Regal

Two weeks ago we showed you spy shots of a 2010 Buick Regal caught testing in China that appeared to be nothing more than a rebadged Opel Insignia. (As you may recall, we’ll be getting the 2010 Buick LaCrosse in the States.) All three of those cars are based on GM’s Epsilon II platform, which we will also likely see under future vehicles from Saab, Saturn and Chevrolet. The Buick brand, and the popular Regal, are doing very well in China. As such, it’s no surprise to see these latest spy shots of the barely disguised four-door Regal dipped in red, and it looks great despite being a badge job. The production version is expected to debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. Thanks for the tip, Jason!

Gallery: 2010 Buick Regal - Spy Shots in Red

[Source: China Car Times]

Toyota will present at the SEMA Show two Venza Projects; first is called Venza AS V (Active-Sports Versatility) and is developed by Five Axis, while the second one is called SportLux Venza and was designed by Street Image, Inc.

The Venza Five Axis will include new front and rear bumpers as well as slightly more aggressive over-fenders. Wider 20 x 10.5-inch wheels and larger diameter tires will also enhance the look of the Venza AS V.

The SportLux Venza will feature a premium navigation unit that is equipped with a full entertainment system. The engine’s output has been enhanced, and so has braking and suspension performance.

Posted Sep 30th 2008 2:27PM by Jeremy Korzeniewski
Filed under: Etc., Supercars, Audi

Click above for more renderings of the Vizualtech Catamaran

Ever wonder what an Audi R8 would look like if it were to transform into a speedboat? Neither had we, but maybe it would look a bit like this machine, developed by a Swedish company named Vizualtech. The most notable styling element of the R8 are its contrasting blades of color just aft of the doors, and these make the transition to Vizualtech’s catamaran along with the integrated fuel-filler. At the rear are large openings with strakes that mimic the look of the R8’s hind-end nicely. One thing that the Audi doesn’t have are this catamaran’s gull-wing doors. We expect Audi to drop a V10 engine in the R8’s engine bay soon enough, and this sea worthy ship will feature one of its own, though powered by biodiesel and making about 320-horsepower. Top speed falls a bit behind the vehicle that inspired its design at 110 miles per hour, but that’s supercar speed on the water.

Gallery: Vizualtech R8 Catamaran

[Source: ZER Customs]

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Mark Nichol

30th September 2008

Lamborghini has shed more light on its newest model…literally!

This is the fourth teaser picture of the all-new car set to become the third model in Lamborghini’s line-up - reportedly a front-engined, four-door supersaloon called the Estoque.

After a taillight, an exhaust and a wheel, this time it’s a headlamp we’re being teased with, though this will probably be the last official image of the car until it debuts at the Paris Motor Show this Thursday.

We’ll have front row seats in Paris for the Estoque’s launch, so make sure you come to Auto Express online to see Lambo’s ‘people-carrier’ in full.

Posted Sep 30th 2008 9:55AM by Sam Abuelsamid
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Paris Motor Show, Supercars, Lamborghini

Click above for gallery of Lamborghini “Urus” teaser shots

The trickle of images from Sant’Agata continues today as Lamborghini has shipped yet another teaser of the new car that it will show on Thursday at the Paris Motor Show. This time around we get a frontal image of the headlight area. Unlike the last two production models, the Gallardo and Murcielago, the orientation of the light cluster has been switched from vertical to horizontal. There is also a large vent visible implying that the engine is up front this time around. We only have one more day to wait for the full reveal, so it will be interesting to see what Lamborghini has wrought when it unveils the Urus or Estoque or whatever this concept turns out to be named.

Gallery: Paris 2008: Lamborghini “Urus” Concept

[Source: Lamborghini]

Posted Sep 30th 2008 9:02AM by Jeremy Korzeniewski
Filed under: Supercars, Nissan, Porsche

Click above for high-res gallery of the Nissan GT-R

Sour grapes or legitimate complaint? That’s the question we’re left pondering after reading that Porsche believes Nissan must have cheated to record its 7:29:03 lap time of the famed Nürburgring race circuit. Porsche claims that it had been suspicious of the Nissan’s lap times, so it acquired a U.S.-spec GT-R for testing back-to-back with its own 911 Turbo and GT2. The result? The mighty Godzilla was toppled by the Teutonic German duo, with the GT-R posting times a good 25-seconds slower than Nissan’s claim.

How can Porsche explain the discrepancy? “This wonder car with 7:29 could not have been a regular series production car. For us, it’s not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tires,” says August Achleitner, the man in charge of the 911 program. There is footage of the GT-R lapping the ‘Ring at high speed, but it’s taken from inside the car where the tires cannot be seen.

Considering the fact that Nissan saw fit to issue a press release commemorating the car’s fast-lap, we doubt this is something that will be taken lightly. There’s a big can ‘o worms here, and Porsche’s in the corner holding the opener.

Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Nissan GT-R

[Source: Carsguide]

Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Renault
PARIS - September 30, 2008: This Thursday, October 2nd, The Auto Channel will be presenting the Renault Press Conference live from the 2008 Paris Motor Show, right here on TheAutoChannel.com.

The event will commence at 10AM local Paris time (that’s 11AM London, 4AM New York, 1AM California). At the conclusion of the live Internet broadcast the press conference will be continuously rerun.

In the meantime, to whet your appetite, enjoy a nice promo video for Renault’s Altica concept car.

Click PLAY to watch video.

Posted Sep 30th 2008 10:57AM by Jonathon Ramsey
Filed under: Sports/GTs, Paris Motor Show, Supercars, Citroen, Toys

Click the image above for a high-res gallery of the GT by Citroen

In a move more “Um, yeah…” than “Oh yeah!”, Citroen has released the sixth teaser image of the car that will, one of these days, be revealed entirely to the world, all at once, front and back. We aren’t even sure if this qualifies as a tease, since getting a glimpse at a front end we’ve already seen doesn’t really ring the bell. What we can say is that one of our commenters appears to be right: the car does look like it’s only 10 inches high. Relive the magic of the slowest reveal ever in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Sony/Citroen GT Teaser

[Source: 4 Wheels News]

Posted Sep 30th 2008 7:59AM by Sam Abuelsamid
Filed under: Supercars, Aston Martin

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Aston Martin DBS

The ultimate Aston Martin is only a year old, but it’s already getting some updates including a new automatic transmission. The DBS will receive an optional automatic transmission dubbed the TouchTronic 2 for the 2009 model year, a re-engineered version of the ZF six-speed unit equipped in the DB9. Given the DBS’ more harder attitude over the DB9, the transmission has been tuned for faster, more aggressive shifts in order to maintain the same acceleration capabilities as the manual transmission version and giving drivers the choice of swapping their own cogs via steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. When the situation is more relaxed the driver can enjoy some tunes over the new 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo system. For those inclined to occasionally punish a couple of friends, Aston is now offering a pair of +2 rear seats. The company claims this is at the request of customers, but frankly, customers who make such silly requests should probably be sent elsewhere anyway. The automatic DBS commands a $4,000 premium over the three pedal variant and starts at $273,000.

Gallery: 2008 Aston Martin DBS

[Source: Aston Martin]