Filed under: Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Chevrolet, Misc. Auto Shows

General Motors officially debuted the GPiX Concept, which we previewed for you last week, at the Sao Paulo Auto Show in Brazil yesterday. It was designed entirely by GM Design in Brazil but retains those corporate styling cues that make it instantly recognizable as a modern Chevy around the world. This two-door crossover has a bit of ground clearance for what GM calls “the types of roads and conditions found in emerging markets.” We think that means no roads and poor conditions. There’s no mention of what powers the GPiX concept, though we assume it’s either A) not a runner, B) has a fictional super efficient prototype powertrain underhood or C) uses a four-cylinder gas motor capable of running on E100 ethanol. GM also says that the GPiX could be a potential new segment for the automaker in South America, but in these tough times we doubt it’s really interested in developing a solo vehicle for a single market. You can check out more high-res pics of the GPiX concept in the gallery below and read GM’s official press release after the jump.

[Source: GM]

Continue reading Officially Official: GM debuts Chevy GPiX Concept in Sao Paulo

Officially Official: GM debuts Chevy GPiX Concept in Sao Paulo originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Porsche, Volkswagen

Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, the head of Porsche Holding, and Porsche’s group works council chairman Uwe Huck took time to answer Porsche staff questions about the impending takeover of VW. It appeared to go well enough: Wolfgang said the Porsche and Piech families met, and Ferdinand Piech, the head of VW, “clearly stated that he unreservedly supports the course of Porsche Automobil Holding SE in all points and is fully and entirely behind the chairmen.” It was also said that Piech did not support the committee formed to approve Porsche and Audi cooperation, that the co-detemination agreement between Porsche and VW would remain fair to the larger and smaller company, and that the VW Law would be struck down.

The only thing missing from the love fest was… Ferdinand Piech. The VW chief and supposed cause of much of Porsche’s troubles didn’t attend — his sentiments were conveyed by Dr. Porsche with peculiar phrasing. For instance, even though Porsche said Piech didn’t approve of the technology sharing committee, Piech purposely didn’t attend the meeting that cast the votes. It all sounded good, but until Piech is forced to sit down in public and decide one way or another, we’ll wait for the next turn in the soap opera before we assume everything is safe. You can check out the details of this latest turn in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche and Piech families bury the hatchet, will probably be dug up again…

Porsche and Piech families bury the hatchet, will probably be dug up again… originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports

KTM and its four-wheeled racer, the X-Bow, had an incredibly successful season, dominating the GT4 Sports Light class in its inaugural year. With a serious campaign under its belt, KTM is finally making its “Race” version of the X-Bow available to consumers, and the bike-manufacturer-turned-automaker has big plans for the future.

Over 30 modifications were made to the standard X-Bow - ranging from semi-slick tires to an adjustable brake balance controller - to bring it up to GT4-spec, and if the €82,900 cost of entry isn’t enough, KTM is offering a variety of optional “PowerParts” to take the X-Bow to the next level. Adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars, central-locking wheels, an airjack system, Kevlar front panels, a carbon fiber tonneau cover and a revised rear bumper are available for track addicts abroad. But that’s not all.

KTM is launching a new program billed the “Customer Racing Concept” which allows owners of the X-Bow “Race” to campaign in a number of events throughout Europe with full support provided by the KTM crew. For around €3,000 per race, CRS will take care of all the logistics on race day, including transport, race service, spare parts, hospitality, tires, fuel, driver and team equipment, making it easy - if not cheap - to campaign an X-Bow in a number of European series.

In 2009, KTM will launch the X-Bow Super Sport Cup, with two separate competitions. The SSC North will cover Germany, the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, while SSC South covers France, Spain and Italy. A number of races are planned throughout the year, and there’s talk of extending the program to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar, and even the possibility of bringing it to the States.

Hit the jump for all the details in KTM’s lengthy release.

Continue reading KTM taking orders on X-Bow ‘Race’ for €82,900

KTM taking orders on X-Bow ‘Race’ for €82,900 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Nissan, Misc. Auto Shows

Early this year Chrysler and Nissan formed a partnership to share products. The big news at the time was that Nissan would be replacing its Titan pickup with a version of the Dodge Ram. But before that deal went down, the two automakers from different continents had already agreed on a partnership that would see the Nissan Versa sold in some South American markets as a Dodge. Today Dodge unveiled that vehicle at the Sao Paulo Auto Show in Brazil as the Trazo C1.8 sedan. It is a direct port of the Nissan Versa we know in the U.S. and the Tiida sold in Japan, though will only be offered as a sedan in South America and not as a five-door hatchback. As far as we can tell, not a body panel or interior appointment has been changed, save for new Trazo badging and slightly different black plastic grille. We couldn’t even find a Dodge logo on the car’s exterior. The Trazo’s engine also appears to be the same 1.8L four-cylinder used in the Versa that’s been made E100 ethanol-capable for South American markets. Reading the press release from Dodge after the jump is a bit trippy, as we’ve never heard one automaker speak so flowery about another automaker’s product. If Chrysler thinks the Trazo is so good, should we buy the Versa instead of the Caliber in the U.S.?

[Source: Dodge]

Continue reading Chrysler/Nissan partnership bears fruit in South America: the Dodge Trazo C1.8

Chrysler/Nissan partnership bears fruit in South America: the Dodge Trazo C1.8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertibles, Coupes, Mercedes-Benz

The next CLK Cabriolet — or E-Class Coupe Cabriolet depending on Mercedes’ choice of nomenclature — is out and about, wearing lots of camouflage. While this rendering looks like it could still be pretty accurate, the front fog lights have given way to LED’s, which are lit in this latest round of images. The extended trunk deck lid we’ve seen before, but now we get a close-up and the strong crease line that bisects the rear of the car. It also looks to get a bit fussy back there because the trunk is distinct from the body panel that hides the roof. We’ll know more when the car goes hits the show circuit next year, but this car could be more than a little revolutionary.

[Source: Global Motors]

Spy Shots: 2009 Mercedes CLK Cabrio originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet

Chevrolet has reportedly taken more than 6,000 orders for its new Camaro so far, and why not? The car is great looking, excitement is high, and fuel prices have eased up a bit. You’d think that the prior spike in the cost of fuel would still be fresh on everyone’s mind, thus making the V6 a popular choice. Wrongo. While the V6 has similar lip-smackingly great styling, and won’t be a slowpoke, it seems that everyone wants that small block rhythm thumping away under the hood of their neo-ponycar. 84% of orders have been for V8-powered SS models so far, which may mean a longer wait for delivery since GM is likely building a very different ratio of V8 to V6 models. Thanks for the tip, Doug!

[Source: Camaro5]

6,000 Camaros ordered so far, 84% with V8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Chevrolet

Back at the Nürburgring, the hot Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 has just ripped four seconds off its claimed 7:26 lap. The new time, with Jan Magnussen at the wheel, is a claimed 7:22.4 for the full 12.93-mile loop. While the number is pretty bloody fast, it is still .3 seconds off the time earned by the Dodge Viper ACR (ouch, those three tenths really have to hurt!). We take these lap times with a grain of salt, as we’ve yet to see everyone on the 73-turn course under the same conditions, and with officially certified timing equipment. Again, so you don’t have to Google the competition’s best-claimed Ring times yourself, here they are: Porsche GT2 - 7:32, Nissan GT-R - 7:29, Corvette ZR1 - 7:22.4 and the Dodge Viper ACR - 7:22.1. Thanks for the tip, Xeyad!

[Source: Motor Gears]

Corvette ZR-1 knocks four seconds off ‘Ring time originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: SUVs, Plants/Manufacturing, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

The full-size SUV’s future is on shaky legs and now, reports have surfaced that General Motors has killed the next generation Tahoe and Yukon ‘utes, just weeks after announcing it would shutter its SUV plant in Janesville, Wisconsin. Of course, if that pair is buried, the Suburban and the Cadillac Escalade that use the same platform must also come to an end, at least in their current form.

Past reports indicate that the ultra-lux ride from Caddy will move to the Lambda platform for its next generation. The Tahukon pair had been slated for a redesign in 2011, and since that’s reportedly not going to happen, the duo’s future is definitely in question. GM will probably keep churning out the current version until it’s no longer profitable to do so.

These days, any story about the General would be incomplete without some mention of Chrysler, and this one’s no different. America’s number three automaker just announced just last week that it would be phasing out its full-sized ‘utes as well. Therefore, any possible merger of the two companies would carry on without a new large SUV platform at all. How the times have changed.

[Source: The New York Times via Inside Line]

Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade not being replaced originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

AutoblogGreen got passed some confirmation that the tiny Toyota iQ will come to the U.S. as the Scion iQ, the brand’s highest-mpg model. It won’t arrive until 2010, but it looks like it’s coming. As for vehicles that are available now, we spent some time in the Audi A5 3.0 TDI 6MT. And is it the end of the Tahoe/Yukon hybrids? Signs point to yes.

• Scion iQ looking more and more likely in U.S.
• In the AutoblogGreen Garage: Audi A5 3.0 TDI 6MT
• Austin Alt Car: panel looks at the future of plug-in hybrids
• Austin Alt Car: Future Prospects for Plug-in Hybrids
• Austin Alt Car: PHEV opportunities and challenges for utilities
• Austin Alt Car: Will Consumers Buy In? Duh.
• The Last Days of the Audi Mileage Marathon: Vegas to LA
• Got a question for Zap’s Gary Starr? Ask away
• Interior Dept opens 190 million acres for geothermal power development
• Race-car-driving environmentalist forming Eco Dream Team
• As gas prices fluctuate, so do pickup and SUV sales
• AutoExpress looks at MPG myths, little impact from tire pressure
• Project Green Leaf plans “Plug In America Infrastructure”
• Carbon Trust launches algae biodiesel challenge, commercial by 2020
• Hybrid tech won’t save the full size SUV as new Tahoe/Yukon cancelled
• Hyundai has big plans for hybrids
• Royal Enfield fuel-injects its Bullet

AutoblogGreen for 10.28.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Time Warp, Convertibles, ROUSH

Click above for a high resolution gallery of the Special Edition MKIII-R

Sometimes good things come in small packages. Other times, they come with a Roush 427 IR crate motor pumping out 576 horsepower. Superformance, the only Shelby-licensed producer of Cobra kit cars, has teamed up with Roush for a special edition version of their MKIII replicar that features the aforementioned 427ci V8 as well as several other Roush components. In addition to standard features like TIG welded ladder frame chassis, independent front and rear suspension, fiberglass body, and Wilwood brakes, the MKIII-R gets custom Cobra seats with four-point harnesses, black chrome trim, Roush floor mats and short throw shifter, custom Roush-engraved wind wings, and a unique Monza Red paint scheme with silver stripes and black pin stripes. The package is now on sale and will be sold as an upgrade for the standard MKIII chassis. Full details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Superformance]

Continue reading Superformance teams up with Roush for special edition MKIII-R roadster

Superformance teams up with Roush for special edition MKIII-R roadster originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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