1969 December archive at Auto Car

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Archive for December, 1969

Melbourne 2008: Mazda2 Extreme dresses for the dirt

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Hatchbacks, Mazda, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for a high-res gallery of the Mazda2 Extreme

On display at Mazda’s booth in Melbourne is this pint-sized mudslinger-in-progress dubbed the Mazda2 Extreme. The show car began its life as a regular Mazda2 5-door, but has since been gutted, caged, and fitted with all the expected race equipment. Underhood, the engine is a work in progress that should produce around 120 hp once its upgrades are complete. Power will be sent to the front wheels via the stock transmission, and exhaust gases exit a 3-inch exhaust. A tri-tone livery, roof vent, rally wheel-and-tire package, and a substantial set of off-road lights punch up the car’s visual impact. Like last year’s Mazda3 MPS Extreme, the Mazda2 Extreme’s suspension has been tuned by Murray Coote. Put it all together, and you have a tidy little package that you want to strap yourself into for a run through some forest stage. For added realism, have a co-driver bark directions at you in Finnish.

Gallery: 2008 Mazda2 Extreme Concept

[Source: Mazda]

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Geneva ‘08 Preview: Zagato-designed Bentley Continental GTZ

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Geneva Motor Show, Bentley

Click above to view high-res gallery of Bentley Continental GTZ

This may come as a bit of a surprise to anyone who’s been following the agonizing bit-by-bit release of a number of concept cars in advance of the Geneva Motor Show, but one Italian design studio has chosen to forgo the teasing and release all the details of its show car all at once. In fact, we hadn’t heard anything about Zagato’s coachbuilt Bentley since the initial report from last December, but the famed Milanese carrozzeria has revealed that it will be unveiling the car at the show now only days away.

Called the Bentley Continental GTZ, following the familiar nomenclature last seen on the 2006 Ferrari 575 GTZ, Zagato’s interpretation on the stately grand tourer manages to be instantly recognizable as both a Bentley and a Zagato design. Based on the effortlessly fast Continental GT Speed, the latest Zagato retains, to the best of our knowledge at this point, the donor car’s considerable mechanics, over which the Zagato Atelier has fitted unique two-tone coachwork in classic British racing green with Zagato’s signature subtle double-bubble contrasting roof in medium silver. Other typically Zagato touches include the sharply-creased fenders, elegant tail and curvy rear window. We have a feeling this is going to be one of those cars that looks even better in person than it does in images, which you can see for yourself in the gallery below, and we’re looking forward to getting up close and personal with this custom Anglo-Italian creation on the show floor. Thanks to Claudio for the tip!

Gallery: Geneva 2008: Bentley Continental GTZ Zagato

[Source: OmniAuto]

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Geneva ‘08 Preview: Mercedes Vision GLK BlueTec Diesel Hybrid concept gets 40mpg

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Geneva Motor Show, Green, Crossovers/CUVs, Mercedes Benz

Click above for a high-res gallery of the MB GLK Hybrid

When Mercedes-Benz premiered the new GLK compact SUV at the Detroit Auto Show in January, the styling struck most people as at best awkward. With the outward appearance of the full-size GL shrunk down to an Escape-sized vehicle, it still looks like a reject for a Chrysler Sebring crossover. Regardless of what you think of the exterior body work, the latest edition of the GLK that Mercedes is showing in concept form at Geneva next week seems to be capable of pretty serious mileage for an SUV/CUV. The Vision GLK BlueTec Hybrid is another in the series of models using the new mild hybrid system Mercedes is developing with BMW. In this case, Mercedes has combined it with the 2.2L four cylinder diesel for a total output of 224 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to move the GLK to 62 mph in 7.3 sec while getting 40 mpg (US). On the outside, the shell is covered in the same AluBeam paint that was on the anniversary edition AMG CL65 shown in New York last year, which looks absolutely stunning. The production version of the GLK debuts this summer and the mild hybrid system should start appearing in production BMWs and Benzes in 2009.

Gallery: Geneva ‘08: Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK BlueTec Hybrid

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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Huh? Fewer 16-year olds are getting their licenses

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Driving

Have teenagers gone nuts? The Federal Highway Administration is reporting that the percentage of teenagers with driver’s licenses is going down. Yeah, decreasing! What is up with that?

When I was growing up, my teenage years focused on just one objective… driving. All I wanted was to get my driver’s license. That little card with your picture on it was the golden ticket. You could borrow your parent’s car, fill the tank (and grab a candy bar) for $20, and nobody could reach you until you returned. We didn’t have cell phones, text messaging or GPS tracking. A driver’s license represented freedom.

So, what happened? Experts aren’t blaming unmotivated teenagers. Instead, they point the finger at the environment in which we are raising our kids. In today’s world, parents are much more likely to chauffeur their teenagers from place to place. Tighter state laws govern when kids can drive, and in many cases legislation has pushed the driving age limit higher. Fewer high schools are offering driver’s education classes, forcing parents to pay for more expensive private instruction, and steeper rates are making insurance cost-prohibitive for the high-risk teen-age category. Top it all off with gasoline at more than three-dollars per gallon, and maybe a driver’s license just doesn’t represent what it used to.

[Source: New York Times]

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Auction Action: GT500KR KITTs already on the block

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action, Etc., Supercars, Ford

The Barrett-Jackson auctions have seen no shortage celebrity cars cross the block, but is the sale of a pair of KITTs at the upcoming Palm Beach event a sign that the series has already succumbed to its crushing craptasticality? Given the movie’s ratings, that’s unlikely. It seems, rather, that we’re going to be stuck with NBC’s awful retread of a not-very-good original, and these auctions appear to have been in the works for a while. The proceeds from the sale of auction lots 665 and 665.1 — a “normal” and an Attack Mode KITT — will benefit Ford’s Salute to Education charity. While we can all hope that the new Knight Rider either gets better - at least to be as bad as the original would be laudable - or is put down mercifully, Ford’s scholarship program will be the big winner when someone ponies up for these ponycars.

[Source: CarsPlusMovies]

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Navistar suing Ford… again

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Government/Legal, Ford

Ford and Navistar are once again going to court over the automaker’s plans to develop a 4.4L diesel engine inhouse for the F-150. The original lawsuit was thrown out last June, with the judge ordering the two corporations to iron out their differences in mediation. Since no progress has been made outside the legal system, Navistar has refiled its claim. In the suit, Navistar is claiming the light-duty diesel engine violates the agreement once made between the two companies, which states that Navistar be Ford’s primary supplier of oil burners. Navistar is also alleging that the 4.4L diesel that Ford’s currently developing is in fact International’s 4.4L Lion V8 project that cost Navistar $11 million to develop. It’s hard to pinpoint how or why Navistar is so sure Ford is using the Lion project 4.4L, considering that the supplier has received no official specs of the engine from Ford.

We’re not exactly Dr. Phil, but it appears that Navistar has a bone to pick with Ford. Considering the fact that Ford isn’t using its long-time supplier to develop and produce its light-duty diesel engine, the Dearborn, MI automaker is none too pleased with Navistar, either. We think the judge should order Navistar’s fugly new International Lonestar to take on a pair of F-450s in a concrete cage match - the winner gets the contract for the F-150 diesel engine.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req’d]

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Forsythe forced out of IndyCars

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Earnings/Financials

After thirteen years in Champ Cars, Forsythe Championship Racing has been forced to withdraw from top-level open-wheel motorsports. The unfortunate development comes as an indirect result of the series’ merger with the Indy Racing League, which Jerry Forsythe, co-owner of the Champ Car World Series, helped broker. Due to a more open formula in the IndyCar Series, Champ Car teams are facing a dramatically increased budget in order to compete with the established IRL teams. Forsythe has had difficulty finding sponsorship since anti-tobacco legislation forced out long-time partner Player’s.

Although Forsythe hopes to find sponsorship in time for the 2009 season, the team won’t compete in the IndyCar Series this season beyond the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Such famous drivers as Patrick Carpentier, Tony Kanaan, Greg Moore, Al Unser Jr. and Jacques Villeneuve all drove for Forsythe, whose withdrawal from racing leaves former champion Paul Tracy without a ride as the two series embark upon their first reunited season. Tracy, with whom Forsythe won its only title in 2003, was signed to a long-term contract and is now forced to search for a new team in the IndyCar Series.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty]

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AutoblogGreen for 02.29.08

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Next week’s Geneva Motor Show is shaping up to be quite an event. I don’t need to tell you that, I’m sure. From the green/blue side of things, we’re ready for Mercedes’ new BlueEFFICIENCY C-Class saloons, VW’s Golf TDI Hybrid concept, the Webasto LiGHT concept, and all the other fuel misers. Comparative fuel misers, at the very least. We’re keen on saving fuel, because we know what it costs to fill up the gas tank. President Bush? Not so much.

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Bill Ford continues to refuse paycheck from board

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Etc., Ford, Earnings/Financials

Ford Chairman Bill Ford hasn’t been compensated for working at his great grandfather’s company since May 2005, and he doesn’t intend to cash in until the Blue Oval makes a sustained profit. Ford’s board of directors decided that nearly three years was too long to work pro bono and tried to pay the Ford family scion, but the chairman again refused to reneg on his pay-free pledge. Mr. Ford has, however, agreed to receive payment retroactive to 2008 once the Dearborn, MI automaker achieves a full year of profitability.

It’s impressive that Blue Oval Bill has foregone between $25 million and $33 million in salary over the past few years, but Henry Ford’s sweat and guile made him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams before he was even born. Those of us living in Michigan would be far more impressed if Bill pledged to give up the Detroit Lions if the automaker misses its target to regain profitability in 2009.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req’d]

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Melbourne 2008: New FPV lineup shows the Blue Oval does badass, too

Published December 31st, 1969 in Uncategorized. Closed

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Trucks/Pickups, Ford, Misc. Auto Shows, Australia, FPV

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the turbocharged FPV F6

Despite how it might seem, all the action at the Melbourne motor show is not happening over at the Holden and HSV stands. Dearborn’s Australian outpost put on its brass knuckles too and is teasing Melbourne showgoers with Ford Performance Vehcie’s latest, greatest muscle. The arrival of the new FG Falcon means that a full lineup of FPV variants follows, and the new F6, GT and Super Pursuit ute are all on display. Like HSV, which hasn’t announced power numbers for its W427, FPV is keeping the stats for its new machinery under wraps for now.

We’re confident that the numbers will match the cars’ gloriously extroverted looks. Colors out of a gumball machine, matte black accents, and stripe packages give the cars a vintage musclecar vibe. Big wheels, big brakes and all the requisite badges and bulges complete the look. The F6 (above) is particularly evil, with its black wheels, “eye black,” and visible intercooler. The interiors of all the cars appear to be very well-detailed, with snazzy instrumentation, sharp looking accessories (look at the shift knob), and very inviting seats.

As with the higher-end standard FG Falcons, power comes from either a turbo inline-six or a beefy Boss V8. FPV takes those already-impressive engines and makes them even more imposing. We know we have the Mustang and its impressive Shelby-badged factory specials, but man, what we wouldn’t give for some of this Aussie muscle. We’ll be eagerly awaiting the official June launches.

Gallery: 2008 FPV F6