Bartle Doo Article Archives

Automobiles

Rumormill: Is Spyker's new B6 Venator merely a reskinned Artega GT?

Spyker B6 Venator vs Artega GT - profiile views of both

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If you thought the recently unveiled Spyker B6 Venator held a few familiar lines, you aren’t alone. The keen-eyed crew at AutoBild noticed the new Swedish sportscar looks an awful lot like the new defunct Artega GT. The German manufacturer went bankrupt last year and may have sold off the GT platform to pay off its debts. Given the fact that the B6 Venator cropped up fairly quickly, critics assumed Spyker grabbed the machine’s platform from some outside source rather than build the car’s bones in house. Putting two and two together doesn’t take a sleuth, but Spyker is remaining tight-lipped about the situation.

Autoblog reached out to Spyker for a comment, but company spokesperson Ali Gogarty simply said, “I apologize that I can’t be more help, but at this time it is just too early to comment on any specific details beyond what is in our press release.”

That’s pretty far from an outright denial, but it’s also well short of a confirmation, too. The similarities between the B6 Venator and the Artega GT could be more than just skin deep, however. Both creations make use of a V6 engine mounted amidships, and while Spyker has yet to say where the six-cylinder engine in the B6 hails from, Artega used Volkswagen powerplants.

Is Spyker’s new B6 Venator merely a reskinned Artega GT? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Autoblog Podcast #325 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #325 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern!

By Dan Roth

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We’re almost ready to record Episode #325 of the Autoblog Podcast. Check out the topics below, add your own to the Q&A and join us live via UStream, as well. Keep reading for our embedded UStream player, and thanks for listening!

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #325

Autoblog Podcast #325 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Official: Corvette Stingray Shooting Brake under consideration by Callaway [w/poll]

Continue reading Corvette Stingray Shooting Brake under consideration by Callaway [w/poll]

Callaway Corvette AeroWagon - front three-quarter view

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Callaway has released a few renderings of a design study for a shooting brake version of the C7 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. The company says it wants to create a long-roof version of America’s sports car to offer buyers more interior room and a vehicle with “unique style.” The company says it will use structural carbon fiber for the new body bits, which suggests the conversion shouldn’t add too much more weight to the Corvette. Along with a few mechanical tweaks, the Callaway Corvette Stingray AeroWagon could breeze past the 200 miles per hour barrier.

Provided that they get enough interest, Callaway estimates they will be able to effect the changes on the Chevrolet for around $15,000, and says the conversion work should be available through its network of dealers. You can check out the brief press release below for more information, or head over to the Callaway site to plunk down a deposit – but before you do, we want to know… do you find this C7 wagon interesting? Vote in our poll below, then feel free to leave a few lines in Comments.

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Corvette Stingray Shooting Brake under consideration by Callaway [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Official: Viper TA track-special unveiled to avenge loss to ZR1 [w/video]

Continue reading Viper TA track-special unveiled to avenge loss to ZR1 [w/video]

By Jeremy Korzeniewski

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Ready for round two? Friend of Autoblog and Motor Trend personality Jonny Lieberman has helped SRT whip the covers off the new Viper TA (which stands for Time Attack, apparently) by putting professional racecar driver Randy Pobst behind the wheel and pointing him at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with cameras in tow.

What those cameras captured includes plenty of footage of a Crusher Orange SRT Viper TA running amok at The Corkscrew and generally bludgeoning the race track into submission. Updates to the Viper package for TA duty include bigger brakes from Brembo, a Carbon Fiber Aero Package that includes a massive rear wing and a Track Package that boasts better wheels and Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires.

Weight savings are found via a new carbon fiber X-brace underhood along with badges that have been replaced with stickers (seriously). Perhaps most importantly, the TA comes equipped with the two-mode remote reservoir shocks seen on the more expensive GTS. While the GTS offers Street and Track modes, the TA goes a step further with Smooth and Rough settings – no Street mode here.

The result? According to Motor Trend, the TA is the fastest Viper it’s ever tested, reaching 60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds and a quarter-mile ET of 11.3 seconds at 129.3 mph. But is the TA good enough to beat the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the car that beat the Viper the last time MT put them together at Laguna Seca? Scroll down below to find out, and join us in waiting for round three, when Chevy releases the next generation of its Corvette for the track.

Viper TA track-special unveiled to avenge loss to ZR1 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Report: Pininfarina to build handful of Sergio Roadster models?

By Chris Paukert

Pininfarina Sergio Roadster concept - live at Geneva Motor Show unveiling - front three-quarter view

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At just about any other auto show, Pininfarina’s Sergio Roadster would’ve been the uncontested showstopper – but at the Geneva Motor Show, where supercar reveals stack up like cordwood and there are plenty of coachbuilt classics-to-be, the Sergio was merely stunning.

But its beauty shouldn’t be overlooked, and apparently it hasn’t been – Pininfarina is seriously considering a very limited run of the roofless, windshield-free sports car. With just five or six examples in the possible production run, the Ferrari 458 Spider-based barchetta could fetch some three million euros. That’s according to CEO Silvio Angori, who spoke with Automotive News Europe. At the time the Sergio was introduced, we had heard that Pininfarina was mulling production, but this is the first time we’ve had even rough numbers assigned to the car.

The Sergio’s aesthetic success hinges quite a bit on the roll bar element, which also serves as a rear spoiler, and it’s quite low, which could pose production challenges. If sold as designed, European law would mandate that helmets be worn whenever it’s driven on public roads. Apparently, Pininfarina is aware that plutocrats tend to not want “helmet hair” when popping down to the shops or going out for dinner, so a small windshield could be added to make the car more palatable for actual road use.

Pininfarina to build handful of Sergio Roadster models? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Official: Honda confirms 2014 Odyssey and Acura MDX for New York

Continue reading Honda confirms 2014 Odyssey and Acura MDX for New York

By Chris Tutor

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Look beneath the seats of a Honda Odyssey and you’ll likely find a handful of that iconic loop cereal loved by toddlers nationwide. And to show that Honda understands its minivan’s target market, it is using the breakfast staple to announce its plans to reveal the updated 2014 model at next week’s New York Auto Show. While the announcement is creative, it unfortunately lacks much in the way of information, leaving us with little more than a vague teaser alluding to “some innovative new features.”

As expected, Honda has also confirmed we will see the production version of the 2014 Acura MDX in New York. We expect the 2014 MDX to look very much like the prototype we saw in January at the Detroit Auto Show with only slight differences. The 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 will be offered with all-wheel drive or, in a first for MDX, front-wheel drive.

You’ll find the official press snippets for both below, and we’ll have live images and details on both from the New York show. Until then… Cheerio!

Honda confirms 2014 Odyssey and Acura MDX for New York originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #325 LIVE!

By Dan Roth

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We’re set to record Autoblog Podcast #325 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #325

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #325 LIVE! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Official: Mercedes-Benz releases stunning first images of 2014 S-Class

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz releases stunning first images of 2014 S-Class

By Michael Harley

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class - dashboard wood and leather detailing

Filed under: Sedan, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style, Luxury

The all-new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, designated W222, is one of the most highly anticipated debuts of its model year. Every generation of the flagship sedan has broken new ground in technology and innovation for the entire industry, and the German automaker appears determined to raise the bar much further with its latest arrival as it promises to deliver “the best automobile in the world.” Mercedes-Benz has just released nearly two dozen interior images of the new sedan, showing off style in design, craftsmanship in execution and pioneering advancements in technology.

Unlike all previous generations – the first S-Class officially arrived in 1972 – the 2014 model completely discards a traditional instrument cluster and replaces it with two high-resolution color displays in 8:3 format with a screen diagonal of 12.3 inches (the outgoing model’s gauges were a mix of digital and analog). The left unit displays traditional analog gauges (digitally, of course) while the right unit is reserved for infotainment and comfort settings with the automaker’s all-new mBrace2 – a cloud-based entertainment and information delivery system that is rolling out this year.

Passengers will be pampered with “energizing” massage, active seat ventilation with reversing fans, heated seats, heated steering wheel and heated armrests (door and center). A total of 14 separately actuated air bladders in the backrest of the seats will provide six different massage programs. There are also “beltbags” (airbags in the seatbelt webbing – not unlike the Ford Explorer) and “cushionbags” (airbags to prevent occupants from sliding beneath the the belt).

Mercedes calls its newly developed climate control “thermotronic,” as it features completely autonomous adjustment options for driver and passenger. It also includes improved filtering utilizing ionization, and an “active perfuming system,” as part of its “air-balance” package, to individually customize the smell of the vehicle interior – finally making those pine tree car fresheners obsolete.

Mercedes-Benz releases stunning first images of 2014 S-Class originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Report: Chrysler 200 replacement coming in January

2013 Chrysler 200 - front three-quarter view

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Autoweek reports the next Chrysler 200 will bow early next year. CEO Sergio Marchionne has said the 2015 model will debut next January, and Chrysler plans to cut the 2014 200 model year short to make way for the model’s successor. According to AW, internal documents reveal 2014 model production will start this July and run through early January, 2014. The memos don’t specify whether its Dodge Avenger twin will also see a shortened model year (the latter was originally rumored for discontinuation, but a successor is apparently back on the table). Chrysler is investing some $1 billion to construct paint and body facilities at its Sterling Heights, Michigan plant for the next-generation 200.

From what we’ve heard so far, we can expect the 2015 200 to bring a new design language to the Chrysler brand that will eventually bleed into the automaker’s other products. Early reports have also suggested the four door will boast a nine-speed automatic transmission and return up to 38 miles per gallon.

Chrysler executed a very successful facelift in 2011, turning the flailing Sebring into the newly minted 200. Buyers responded enthusiastically, with sales jumping 44 percent in 2012. That step up was enough to make the 200 the brand’s best-selling car. The momentum hasn’t slackened, either, with sales up 21 percent during the first two months of this year.

Chrysler 200 replacement coming in January originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Breaking: Cadillac confirms 420-hp twin-turbo V6 for 2014 CTS [w/videos]

Continue reading Cadillac confirms 420-hp twin-turbo V6 for 2014 CTS [w/videos]

By Jeffrey N. Ross

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The 2014 CTS will break cover next week at the New York Auto Show, but Cadillac has released a few details of what we can expect to find under the car’s hood. As we saw in some spy shots back in January, the biggest news for the midsize Caddy will be a twin-turbocharged V6 producing a whopping 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.

This LF3 engine will be paired to a new eight-speed automatic transmission, which will help balance performance and fuel economy. We still don’t know how much the 2014 CTS has grown in terms of size and weight, but General Motors says that new sedan will return 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg highway with the new engine to go with a 0-60 mile per hour time of 4.6 seconds – that means the new CTS will have the fuel economy close to the current base model sedan and acceleration not too far from the current CTS-V. General Motors also confirmed that this twin-turbo V6 will be available in the 2014 XTS this fall.

The next-generation CTS will carry over the 3.6-liter V6 from the current car (likely as a base engine) and also add the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder from the ATS. Check out all the details on this new engine and watch a few videos (including GM‘s nifty tilt rig) by scrolling below.

Cadillac confirms 420-hp twin-turbo V6 for 2014 CTS [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Video: Have you ever wanted your own in-house car wash? Now's your chance

Continue reading Have you ever wanted your own in-house car wash? Now’s your chance

In-home custom car wash on CNN - video screencap

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An inventor in Scottsdale, Arizona has made the automatic, touchless car wash a bit more convenient. That is, so long as you can afford it. Dale Retter is the man behind AutoGreenWash, a system that fits in any standard home garage and cleans your car with the help of 48 high-pressure, computer-controlled nozzles. A waterproof curtain lowers from the ceiling to keep the rest of your home from going sudsy while a special water capture system allows you to reuse the runoff for home irrigation. Retter says he chose a specific cleaning agent that was both effective and environmentally friendly.

It even uses warm water courtesy of an in-line heater. How much will the setup cost you? That’ll be $29,500, plus an installation fee of $4,000. Did we mention it has an auto-drying function, too? We’ll take two, my good sirs. Check out a CNN news report on the system below.

Have you ever wanted your own in-house car wash? Now’s your chance originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Science & Technology

10 Stocks That Missed the Four-Year Bull Market

By Dan Caplinger

Filed under: Energy, Company News, Best Buy, Market News, Stocks, Stock Markets

The solar industry has undergone a sea change lately, as governments around the world have cut back on heavy subsidies and forced companies to survive on their own to a much greater extent. (Bradley C. Bower/Bloomberg News)

During the past four years the stock market has posted some of the most impressive gains in history as it has bounced back from the huge losses sustained during the financial crisis. Over that time period, the Dow Jones Industrials (^DJI) has soared to new all-time record highs, with gains of 120 percent.

But even with the market at historic highs, some stocks have posted substantial losses during the four-year bull market. Here are 10.

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Motley Fool contributor Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Exelon and owns shares of Dean Foods Company and Staples. You can try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

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Automobiles

Report: Nürburgring for sale, yours for only $165 million

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Earnings/Financials

If you’ve been wondering what to do with that $165-million stack of pennies in your bedroom, we may have an idea for you. The Nürburgring is officially up for sale, including the arena, museum, Norschleife and even the defunct roller coaster. The government-owned motorsports complex fell into bankruptcy last July, and while we heard plenty of rumors on the topic of potential buyers, the list of serious parties interested in the complex has reportedly shrunk from somewhere around 50 to a more manageable five or 10. Jens Lieser, a state-appointed liquidator told BridgetoGantry.com that there isn’t “a single Oligarch or Sheik amongst them.”

That’s good news for fans of the ‘Ring who worried some impossibly wealthy individual would turn the track into their own personal playground. But those close to the fate of the facility say that doesn’t mean the Nürburgring will necessarily continue on as fans know it right now. Any private company that looks to sink their teeth into the motorsports icon will undoubtedly start by looking into ways to reduce the track’s losses, and that will likely start with cutting grassroots motorsports events and nixing public driving. While those two activities make the Nürburgring an icon the world over, they don’t rake in cash.

Us? We can’t help but wonder if it wouldn’t be wise for automakers to pool their resources and set up a joint-venture of sorts. After all, many of them have dedicated skunkworks facilities near the track for testing purposes, and if the ‘Ring falls into private hands, their ability to continue to operate may be drawn into question.

Nürburgring for sale, yours for only $165 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Fisker fails to draw Geely bid after all

By Sebastian Blanco

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Last week, Fisker Automotive lost its namesake and co-founder Henrik Fisker because of “several major disagreements” between the designer-turned-automaker and other executives. After that blow, could there be any more bad news out there? Maybe, if you consider the mooted takeover of the California-based plug-in luxury automaker by the Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Group a good thing.

Geely is reportedly no longer interested in buying up a majority stake in Fisker, according to Reuters, which cites “two sources familiar with the matter.” Just a few weeks ago, Geely was considered the favored bidder, with the Chinese state-owned Dongfeng Motor Group Co. the other major contender. Geely purchased Sweden’s Volvo brand from Ford in 2010.

Reuters now reports that Dongfeng’s final offer was submitted last week and that Geely will pass on making an offer at all. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Dongfeng’s bid to take over the stricken automaker will be accepted, but it would seem to have a better shot if it’s the sole serious offer on the table.

As with the sale of A123 (Fisker’s battery supplier) to Chinese company Wanxiang, not everyone is happy about Fisker potentially being sold to a Chinese company. Earlier, US Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said, “Technology developed with American taxpayer subsidies should not be sold off to China.” Fisker was given a $528.7-million loan from the Department of Energy in 2009, but most of that money (all but around $200 million) was frozen because of problems at Fisker. According to an Automotive News report, Geely is walking away from the deal because it doesn’t want the hassle of dealing with the complex nature of the DOE loan’s conditions.

Fisker fails to draw Geely bid after all originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Spy Shots: 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class caught totally undisguised

By Jeffrey N. Ross

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class caught totally undisguised - gray three-quarter front view

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Based on the lightly camouflaged spy shots of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class we’ve seen lately, it hasn’t taken a vivid imagination to picture what the next iteration of this big luxury sedan will look like. Even so, we now we have our first unobstructed views of the redesigned S-Class, codenamed W222, as it has just been caught out flaunting for some promo shots.

The first thing we notice about the new S-Class design is the disappearance of the last generation’s flared wheel arches. Yet the new design adds even more character with bodyside creases similar to the CLS-Class and some elements reminiscent of 2007’s F700 Concept, including the massive grille and vertical LED taillights. Other key details include a large panoramic roof and the narrow exhaust outlets, but the large LED-trimmed headlights and the aggressive front fascia are probably the biggest departure from the current design. With these spy shots, we also catch a blurry shot of the interior, but we’ve seen a practically uncovered look at the new S-Class’ cabin back in January.

Overall, the next S-Class sports an expressive and premium new look, but as far as all-new designs go, it’s quite conservative – a move no doubt fitting for these lean financial times.

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class caught totally undisguised originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Report: Ford will probably never offer two RS models at the same time

2011 Ford Focus RS500 - dead-on front view, black

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Autocar has some sour news for fans of go-fast Ford products. According to Roelant de Waard, Ford’s president of marketing in Europe, the automaker will probably never offer more than one RS performance model for sale at the same time. That statement runs contrary earlier rumblings that suggested Ford would launch its next-generation Focus RS in 2015 and follow the hatch with a spate of other vehicles with an RS badge. But de Waard has made it clear that Ford of Europe is now focused on squarely on the next Mustang, even though there may be more RS models on the way eventually.

“What is clear is that the RS shouldn’t be a series, or a car badge that we have in our portfolio all the time. It is an extreme car – something more than ST,” he said.

That philosophy makes plenty of sense. We loved the old Focus RS – shown above in RS500 trim – because it was generally bonkers and plenty exclusive. Diluting either aspect is sure to end in disappointment for everyone involved.

Ford will probably never offer two RS models at the same time originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Study: IIHS calls out big rigs for dangerous rear underride guards [w/video]

Continue reading IIHS calls out big rigs for dangerous rear underride guards [w/video]

By Jeffrey N. Ross

2010 Chevrolet Malibu in IIHS big rig underrider crash test - video screencap

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is always looking for new ways to make America’s highways safer, and this latest test checks out the crashworthiness of one of the most overlooked vehicles on the road: tractor trailers. Pointing out design flaws inherent in semi trailers during rear-end collisions, the IIHS performed three different tests on eight of the most popular semi trailers on the market including a full-width impact, a 50-percent overlap (where only half of the car makes contact with the trailer) and a narrower overlap where only 30 percent of the car hits the trailer.

In the tests, which were run at 35 miles per hour using a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, all of the trailers safely prevented the vehicle from underriding – going underneath the trailer – during the full-width crash. Compared to the results from this same test just two years ago, it’s a big improvement in safety. In the 50-percent test, only one of the trailer’s underride guards failed allowing the rear edge of the trailer to impact the passenger compartment, which would have most likely killed the driver. In the 30 percent overlap test, only one trailer managed to prevent the crash car from going under the trailer. The safest trailer, produced by a company called Manac, had the underride guard beams pushed out to the edges of the trailer providing additional strength and support. All of the trailers passed US and Canadian crash standards.

Scroll down for the crash-test video as well as a press release from IIHS.

IIHS calls out big rigs for dangerous rear underride guards [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.