Archive for December 2005

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Buying (9)

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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Ford Five Hundred SEL AWD, Part 3

Why you should buy this car: The Five Hundred is exactly what middle America needs: an old school Yank tank with reasonable gas mileage and laudable safety. If you re in the cop or carriage trade, or have a wife whose idea of packing light squares with Joan Collins , the Five Hundred s cavernous trunk will whale your Jonahs with ease. And the Five Hundred s all-wheel-drive option ($1700) may do nothing for the barge s handling, but it s snow joke for cold climate commuters.
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Ford Five Hundred SEL AWD, Part 2

Exterior Design *** It s an Audi innit? By riffing on a relatively bland Euro-design, Ford obviously chose to play it safe with its mainstream mainstay. It s a bit of shock not be to be shocked, what with the Taurus in the rear view mirror and the bad-ass Chrysler 300C somewhere in the distance, but I guess no one ever lost money underestimating the tastes of the average American consumer. Oh wait. Ford has. Billions. Anyway, the Fusion s shaving screen grill would ve been a welcome addition to
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Ford Five Hundred SEL AWD, Part 1

The Ford Five Hundred s doors are the cheapest feeling portals I ve experienced outside of a high school stage set. If closing an Audi is like slipping on a pair of Ugg slippers, concluding a 500 is like wedging your foot into rented skates. There s nothing particularly wrong with the 500 s doors. They do exactly what doors are supposed to do. Their flimsy feel is probably a reflection of some high-tech production technique that assures both light weight and crash survivability. But it s just an
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Lexus IS 350, Part 3

Why you should buy this car: It s faster than a BMW 330i and looks sharp enough to draw blood.
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Lexus IS 350, Part 2

Exterior Design **** The Lexus IS reminds me of the Egyptian goddess Isis. More specifically, my mind casts back to the tale of Nephthys, a less immediately pronounceable Egyptian deity who was sexually frustrated with her husband Set. To seduce Set, Nephthys disguised herself as Isis. The plan didn t really pan out; Set was gay. Still, it kinda worked: Nephthys tricked Isis s husband Osiris into bed, begetting Anubis. In the same sense, the IS 350 is a sharp-looking car that s somehow not the r
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Lexus IS 350, Part 1

Now THAT S what I m talking about. After having endured the illusory pleasures of helming The Emperor s New Luxury Car (the GS300), I was delighted to find myself behind the wheel of a truly distinctive automobile wearing the Lexus badge. Actually, the IS 350 is NOT what I was talking about: a Luftwaffteriffic luxobarge that makes you wonder why anyone would throw 300 large at Mercedes re-animated Nazi staff car. And by distinctive I mean barking mad. In fact, the IS 350 takes the Lexus brand, s
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Ford Fusion, Part 3

Why you should buy this car: For a commodious family four-door, the Fusion s priced right, undercutting its rivals by some margin. (Depreciation is another matter.) The Fusion s also a bit of a handler, both nimble and tenacious through the twisties.
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Ford Fusion, Part 2

Exterior Design: ** The Fusion s three-bar front grill takes us to Infiniti and that s it. The Fusion s sharp, Caddy-like fender creases are distinctly dissonant, as are the oversized (and inexplicably clear) rear lamps. The rest of the car also goes meekly where a bunch of other manufacturers have gone before, creating a design farrago that s about as organic as Cheez Whiz.
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Ford Fusion, Part 1

Ford s attempt to regain its place atop the sales charts is looking more and more like the scientific pursuit of cold fusion. Theoretically, The Blue Oval Boys should be able to screw together a nice car for a reasonable price and then sell it to the millions of US car buyers whose automotive aspirations never reach higher than nice and reasonable. But The Blue Oval seems to share chemist Stanley Pons inability to turn theory into reality. I reckon that's because Ford can t get control of the mi
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Entertainment (1)

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Suck Or Not Suck: American TopGear On The Way

We're such fans of the UK's TopGear, we can look past all the US bashing (absent from the Discovery Channel's sanitized-for-our-protection recut versions, of course), left-hand gear shifting and all the manor-born "I'ves" and "have yous" littering the audio track like so many Big Ben souvenirs at Lambert's. It's all part of the show's "over there" charm (though we suppose some Americans would consider it to be as awkward as asking for clotted cream at Cracker Barrel or a "rubber" at a Cub Scout
By Mike Spinelli Read More

News (62)

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Lunching Toward Detroit: Auto Hacks Predict The Future

Casual observers of the automotive journalism scene (and doubly for those who couldn't give a shit), may not be surprised to know there's a secret society of A-listers who've met yearly since the 1960s to predict the future. These insiders gather in December at the Annual Predictions Lunch to crack wise, down a few rounds of whatever's closest and prognosticate on the industry in the coming year. It's an exclusive club that's invite only, made up of mainly major-market writers, ex-pats who've go
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Wanted: Runners For Detroit Show

Hey Detroit kids! (or anyone who plans to be in the Motor City between January 8 and 10), Jalopnik is looking for runners to help us cover the Detroit show. Specifically, we need two hard-working souls who can people-surf like Kelly Slater to get in front of the action at press conferences, take photos, grab a press kits, then make it back to the press office before our cappuccinos get cold. Then, it's off to the next one with you. You'll be fully deputized, freelance members of the media, which
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Screamin' Year End Deals!

We're not sure if Jo-Jo Logan ever left his home in Tucson, Arizona for some California grass, but the man who may or may not have thought he was a loner owns the largest GM dealership in Mississippi and he's spending more on advertising this month to nail down some final year-end sales across the board. But the trend isn't limited to dealers in MS with funny names the automakers are upping incentives across the board to draw schlubs like us into the showroom. In fact, according to Edmunds and A
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG To Premiere In Detroit

Oh, lucky US drivers of the highly moneyed persuasion, your freaking hot-ass chariot nouveau est arriv . Why all the pomp and circumlocution? It's in honor of the new Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG, which will celebrate its world premiere at the Detroit show next month. With a hand-signed AMG 6.0-litre V12 biturbo propelling it from zero to 62 in 4.4 seconds (yes, top speed is limited to 155mph), it looks like the four-door rocket sled may have been worth the wait. Whether it's worth the estimated $170,
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Spy Photos: 2007 Lexus LS

We've always loved magazines from Japan, though we haven't a clue how to read Japanese (except for the letter that looks like an umbrella over a crucifix, which means either "book" or "Alka Seltzer"). We sometimes take the long route to the subway just to walk past the store that sells Brandjoy, Fruits and Hot-Dog-Press (for a transport markup of 1,000%) along with edamame and imported Pocky. If we could get a subscription to auto spy rag Mag-X for under four figures per year, we'd gladly spend
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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US Debut Of Toyota Yaris Set For Spring 2006

Toyota's PR folk released info this week on the company's upcoming economy subcompact, the Yaris, whose US closeup will come in Spring 2006. Offered in both hatchback, sorry, liftback (holy 1975!) and sedan versions, the Yaris will get a 1.5-liter four producing 106hp at 6,000 RPM and 103 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,200 RPM and get respectable mileage in the 34-40mpg range. No word on price, but expect a near-$12,000 opener. Click through for pics and press release.
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Between The Lines: Jeremy Clarkson On The Bugatti Veyron

Jeremy Clarkson is a one man army. The English auto hack wields barely-judged invective like a malarial Crusader swinging a Damascus double mace, flailing at anyone and anything within reach. Self-deprecation and self-righteousness are the spiked balls in question. While the combination is a clear indication that Clarkson suffers from a bad case of class-related self-loathing, the journalist s deep-rooted insecurities don t detract from the fact that he s superb writer, with an instinctive comma
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Toyota's FJ Cruiser On Its Way

After a scene at the Detroit show in 2003 that had visitors practically hurling their underpants and hotel-room keys at the Toyota FJ concept, it was no shocker that Toyota would consider building the thing. Now, Toyota's released new details on its new off-roader in a customarily long-winded press release with nearly every plot point but price. Edmunds Inside Line has a first-drive piece on the FJ, which answers the question no one thought needed asking (which speaks to Toyota's new-truck reput
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Merry Christmas: Volvo's C30 Concept

We had to check our e-mail on Christmas morning, didn't we. Since we did, now we have to point toward a pic of what could be the new Volvo C30 concept destined for the Detroit and Paris shows. It's the first such shot we've seen (tho it was posted on one Spanish-language site a few days ago), but it could still be on press embargo, so you'll have to go there to see the whole shot. See you on Tuesday. [Thanks to Michael for the tip.] [Update: El Diferencial found the press release for the C30 con
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik Hits The D1GP

We've gotta admit, we've been kind of skeptical on the whole drifting thing here in the US. Sure, we love sideways hoonage as much as the next guy. We've seen the demos at SEMA and the coverage on TV which kind of led us to believe it was big with the yoyo boys, but Bumbeck convinced us to come out and check out last weekend's D1GP competition at Irwindale, and at the risk of sounding hopelessly pedestrian, hoo boy, are we glad we did even if the parking people at Irwindale charged us eight buck
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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Mini Traveller: Concept Detroit

Mini's preparing a Detroit edition of its Traveller concept, versions of which have appeared in Frankfurt and Tokyo. In fact, the Tokyo rendition is the very car that got TopGear host Jeremy Clarkson in trouble for making references to the Nazis; the question posed being essentially, "If the Germans think putting a tea set in a Mini emphasizes the very Britishness of the car, what would a truly German car be like?" Which is something we thought we'd point out, seeing as the context of the whole
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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33 Percent Of All Cars In US To Fall Under CARB's Rule In 2009?

Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington are expected to adopt the policies of the CARBies today, following the lead of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont in adopting California's set of stringent emissions standards, putting the number of states under the California Air Resources Board's authority by 2009. The combined 11 will make up 33% of the United States' automotive market, which gives the Golden State's agency a truly unique power.
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Hayabusa-Powered Isetta Update: It's En Fuego!

Your author's thoughts on being on the back of a Hayabusa doing over 160MPH on the Pacific Coast Highway between Watsonville and Santa Cruz: "Well, at least if we crash, I'll be dead before I have time to worry about it." One thing we'd bandied about with our Hayabusa-owning former roommate was the idea of shoehorning one of the killer 1.3L mills into an Isetta. So when this thing showed up on eBay, we were elated, yet deflated that somebody had beaten us to the punch. Now, Fred Parker, the man
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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The Hills Of Los Angeles: New Parking Rule Has Residents Burning

When one thinks of Los Angeles, thoughts drift to vast tracts of homes with ample parking. Which is true, say in um, we don't know, uh, Norwalk. But in the older parts of LA, where the houses were built when most families just had a Model T, people are lucky to have a carport or a garage. Here in San Pedro, our one-car garage opens out onto an alley; there's not even a driveway. So plenty of residents are up in arms that the City Council, at the behest of the fire department, has sent down a dec
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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New Old Roadster From The UK: The Aquila

It's based on an old Alfa Romeo, but the new Aquila is thoroughly British, in a "remixing the past" sort of way. Like the Morgan, it's a throwback with modern updates, including a Ford Zetec four-banger standard (though an inline six and and a Rover-sourced V8 are optional). (Wait, Rover-sourced??) According to the press release we were just e-mailed, the Aquila is "truly built for fast touring in the grand manner." Hmm, wasn't that the title of an Edwardian-era porn flick? Oh no, that's "Fast T
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Forbes On Celebrity Vehicles

The Forbsies, through their vast network of resources, have brought you, dear reader, a list of vehicles driven by some of the most renowned names in the world of fame. Watch us, armed with only the resources provided by Forbes, applaud or ridicule their vehicular choices after the jump.
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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A Brief History Of The Starion

Maximum StarQuest Day keeps on a-rollin' here at Jalopnik with a photo of Bumbeck's prize-winning Starion and a brief history of the StarQuest Twins, parsed from a fairly extensive article on Wikipedia a site where we spend entirely too much time. It's where we learned Thora Birch's mom is a porn star, after all. Conceived by the Minds at Mitsu and launched in 1982, it was followed by the variously Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth Conquest (what is it with Mopar's obsession with shunting nameplates betwe
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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Japanese Subaru S204 (STi) Launched

Leftlane News found a Japanese news site featuring pics of the latest Japan-release Subaru Impreza, the S204. The new STi, for which Subaru Japan also launched a microsite yesterday, gets a few exterior updates, including a new wing (the design of which we're sure will have Subie heads angrily split like the Hatfields and McCoys) as well as a new suspension setup developed with Yamaha. According to Subaru, specs are forthcoming.
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Between The Lines: EVO On The Bugatti Veyron

EVO is the UK pistonhead's bible. While populist titles like Top Gear, What Car? and Max Power troll the Sceptered Isle's mass-market, EVO remains resolutely high church. Every month, over 60,000 adherents peruse its glossy, over-sized pages to delight in the world's best automotive photography, and absorb the strange cadences of writers dedicated to The Gods of Opposite Lock. It's somehow appropriate that the magazine was started by a gentleman farmer/car enthusiast named Harry Metcalfe. It's e
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik's Bad-Taste Photo Caption Contest, Day 5: The Wi(e)nner!

Alas, all good things must come to an end. And thankfully for some readers, they no longer have to look forward to a daily photo of a man doing the tube snake boogie with a Range Rover's tailpipe while gussied up like a Polk Street hooker. You know what we're talkin' bout, SF kids. In the end, there can be only one. And that one comes to us from Elliot: "Sure, the US was nice, but what Sigmar really missed about his semester at the Rhode Island School of Design was the parties."
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Institutional Memory Lapse: Jalopnik On Hydraulic Hybrids

Last spring, as like eight of you may remember, Spinelli handed over the reins to me for a couple of weeks as he trotted off for fun and frolic in the boot-shaped land of his ancestors. I ran across a story on the Inertial Storage Transmission, invented by a Portland, OR man by the name of Vincent Carman back in the '70s. Quick recap: Carman claimed the government was trying to bury his work, while the Postal Service apparently at one time wanted to use it in fleet applications. But wait there's
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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Hecklerspray Hangs Medallion On The Renault 21 Turbo

Ah, yes. Now this is what we're talking about Laverty travels back to the '80s and bursts forth with caveat-riddled hosannas for the Renault 21 Turbo. And no, we don't call it corn, we call it the Renault/Eagle Medallion. But wouldn't it be cool if the near-forgotten French ride's nickname was "Maize?" Quoth Baron Von Lav-man: The 21 is shaped like a Vauxhall Cavalier that has been set upon by mallet wielding school kids. "Though yesterday s eyesore can often become tomorrow s Sienna Miller, so
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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Porsche-Powered Karmann Ghia: Yes, You Can Have One

Jochen Bader is a total Bad-ass. Long a proponent of juicing up classic cars with modern powerplants and seeing what'll happen, he (and his team at Bader Racing) took a GT3-spec Porsche 3.6-liter mill from a 993-era 911 and slipped it into a Karmann Ghia. By "slipped" we of course mean "engineered to within an inch of its life." The result is a 186mph screamer that still pretty much looks like it has something like 60 horses under the hood. The ultimate sleeper can be yours for around $260,000,
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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You Are There: Inside A Ford Edge Focus Group

Automakers spend millions on qualitative market research, but few outside the industry really know what goes on inside one of their secretive new-model focus groups (sorry, automotive review sessions). Only those who've made it past the byzantine approval process know for sure. According to one reader, stories of marathon Ouija board sessions, cocktails spiked with brainwave-synchronization drugs and presentations by radical bodypart modification artists appear to be the fabrications of an overa
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Lotus Launches Sport Exige GT3 Racer

Lotus fans planning to eyeball the FIA Championship's new GT3 series next year will have a new Exige to cheer on (or put a hex on from afar). Lotus Sport's Exige GT3 race car (pictured) has passed preliminary shakedown testing, part of a process to qualify for the series, which requires a power-to-weight ratio of 380hp per metric ton (2,204 lbs). In the case of the Exige, the power part comes in the form of the familiar 1.8 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i engine, breathing through a Roots type supercharger and ai
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Jalopnik's Bad-Taste Photo Caption Contest, Day 4: Hooverin'!

Nothing excites the masses like a man in ladies' delicates with his bits 'n' pieces pointin' toward the out end of the combustion chamber that's what we always say. And apparently, we're borne out on this. Monday, we'll bring you the winner of this darn fool charade, but you've still got the weekend to toss your entries into the ring. Today's focus is on everyone's favorite lawman, J. Edgar Hoover. In case you wanna get a peek a the full scandal, the non-black-dotted version is here. As ever, en
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Slate On GM's Boardroom Mess

While hand-wringers worry that Kerkorian putting Jerry York on GM's board could lead to the dismantling of the automaker, Slate's Daniel Gross takes a different tack: why shouldn't York have a seat on the board? After all, Kerkorian's the third-largest stakeholder in the ailing behemoth, and his holdings in the company dwarf the amount of stock held by the rest of the board combined. Also of note, Gross takes the motley crew that represents the General's share holders and points out their weakne
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Jumpstart Ford Blasts Company Over US Mileage

Ford's been taking a lot of heat lately, for all kinds of reasons. But one reason, cited by an environmental action group whose criticism of Ford comprises its charter, may not be completely on the level. The group, Jumpstart Ford, has been on the company's case of late for its poor performance in greenhouse gas emissions relative to its competitors and for ranking cold last in fleet fuel efficiency. But now, in a press statement released yesterday, Jumpstart calls out a few of Ford's European m
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Between The Lines: Motor Trend On The Bugatti Veyron

Never fall in love with your writing. Authors smitten with their handiwork tend to guard even the most pointless piece of purple prose against essential self-sacrifice. The resulting read contains words, sentences and entire paragraphs that should have disappeared down the highlight-and-delete highway. And yet, there they are, just sitting there, lazing around, doing nothing special for anyone save their creator. If you re looking for particularly egregious examples of superfluous text, always s
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Prius Production Starts In China

Toyota announced the first Prius models to be produced anywhere but Japan have begun rolling off the line at the company's joint-venture plant in Changchun, China. The price of the Chinese-built Prius will cost the equivalent of between $35,000 and $40,000 (depending on trim level), with 3,000 units being planned for sale in 2006. Internet orders are scheduled to start on Dec. 16. Click through for press release.
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Autoextremist's Christmas Advice

Sweet Peet D. dresses up as a happy little elf and dispenses seasonal treats to the auto industry's brands and CEOs, flinging potshots and coming up with vanity plate options. Our favorite is his dis of Porsche main man Wendelin Dubya: "For his stocking, Wiedeking gets a bag of Kingsford briquettes and a V-6 Cayenne with a license plate that reads 'TRUCKR.'" As a side note, Peet's also apparently seen the new Camaro concept and has duly pronounced it "killer."
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More On The Primedia Ad-For-Edit Thing

We wrote a couple of days ago about Primedia's apparent edict that to have a product reviewed, companies had to sign a multi-ad contract, which we heard from a reliable source who once worked for the company. Now we hear from a writer whose work we respect, saying that to his knowledge, it isn't so:
By Davey G. Johnson Read More
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Between The Lines: Tag Lines, Part 2

You know an automaker s tag line lacks a certain piquancy when a professional car journalist can t remember it. Or his managing editor. I know Mercedes used to be engineered like no other car in the world (which is still true, but not necessarily a good thing), but what the Hell is it now? Rob Moran, MB s infinitely affable PR meister and occasional provider of cars that go AMG in the night, put us out of our misery: Unlike any other. Now what does that tell you?
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NACTOY Jury Names Finalists For Awards

At at a news conference at the Detroit Economic Club yesterday, the The North American Car and Truck of the Year jury named its finalists for the awards, which will be named at the NAIAS show in Detroit next month. If you remember, Jalopnik readership also made its picks from the cars and trucks nominated, and we've compiled the top three in each category to compare with the jury's picks. How close do you guys think you came to the decisions of the vaunted 49 automotive journalists from the U.S.
By Mike Spinelli Read More
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Say It Ain't So: Mitsubishi Drops Out Of FIA World Rally Championship

If you're waiting anxiously for Mitsubishi to launch its new WRC car for 2006, you'd better just grab an OxyContin and a bottle of Old Grand Dad and make an evening of it. The company is giving up on the 2006 rally season to get its financial ducks in a row. The company announced today it was suspending participation in the FIA World Rally Championship until at least 2008 so it can "focus management resources" on its three-year revitalization plan. (Mitsu is still participating in the 2006 Paris
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Spy Photos: Porsche 911 Turbo

"Ach! Maximilian, zey have schpotted us! Lay ze hammah down, lickety schplit!" Some intrepid spies caught a barely disguised next-generation Porsche 911 Turbo during cold-weather testing in Northern Europe. We'd imagine, up in moose country, those low-profile tires won't be able to channel much of the 460bhp into anything more than atomized mist, though the AWD will likely come in handy for doing four-wheel doughnuts outside Santa's Workshop (naughty? nice?). Launch of the final 997 models (turb
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Audi Launches R10 LeMans Racer: Yes, It's A Diesel

Audi Sport launched its newest LMP2 racer, and replacement for its successful R8 car, the R10 at a press conference in Paris this morning. As had been predicted, the R10 is powered by a diesel-fired TDI mill. AS boss Dr Wolfgang Ullrich indicated the R10 will get at least one or two laps more from a tank of fuel at LeMans on a dry road surface, compared to the R8, and will have a diesel particulate trap, making it as emissions friendly as a road-going TDI. Development partners include Bosch, Mic
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Celebrity Struggle Buggies: Mike Watt's '05 E-350

Look, I' ll admit it, punk legend Mike Watt and his brand of Pedro-Speak have been a part of this site since the day I came aboard. Plus, like Watt, I' m a sucker for old California maritime towns. Combine that with my desire to have a garage, hardwood floors and not live in the ghetto for under a grand a month in a location that was roughly central — and by the the water — in a sprawling megalopolis, and well, Pedro, man. Pee-droh!
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Buy Some Ads, And We'll Review Your Product: Primedia Totally Whores Out

We did 4 1/2 years in the "enthusiast" publishing bidness i.e., mags for people who like to hop up their vehicles. And while we encountered a lot of pressure from ad sales guys to get their clients into stories (which ultimately became so oppressive that we basically quit writing feature stories because we felt like we were doing a disservice to our readers including 25 advertisers we weren't allowed to say a bad word about in a 4,000-word story on engine building became an exercise in packaging
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Between The Lines: Tag Lines, Part 1

I have a sneaking suspicion that the tag lines deployed by automotive advertisers are aimed at the carmaker s workforce. Your average car buyer is more likely to know the spoken intro to Madonna s La Isla Bonita than which brand offers inspiration as standard . Como puede ser verdad? I reckon it s a hangover from the eighties, when corporate mission statements were only slightly less popular than The Material Girl s seemingly unstoppable parade of hook-laden hits. Although Madonna has since desc
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Dodge Launches Caliber Microsite; Offers Hybrid-Drive Option

It's got more disclaimers than an ad for Cilais (e.g., "concept vehicle shown," prices are estimates, your mileage may vary...), but Dodge's sales portal for the 2007 Caliber has launched, allowing Net-enabled potential customers to do the old build-and-price trick. According to the site, the Neon replacement will be offered in three flavors: SE, SXT and R/T (no, there's no Hemi option). Estimated prices are $14,685 for the SE, $16,785 for the SXT and $18,885 for the R/T. The base powertrain is
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Y'ever Notice How American Cars Suck?: Andy Rooney Skewers American Carmakers

On CBS's "60 Minutes" last night, humorist and avuncular crankpot Andy Rooney gave American automakers a rhetorical wet willie in their cauliflower ears. Too many, ill-defined model names, he quipped, have turned the US auto industry into a kaleidoscopic blur of subpar vehicles:
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Audi, GM Take Two Spots Each On Ward's 10 Best Engines List

Audi's 2L turbo twin-cam four from the A3 and 4.2 V-8 from the S4, along with GM's blown Ecotec and the 9-3 Aero's turbo 2.8 V-6 took spots on Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 2006. The two companies were the only engine manufacturers to claim more than one slot on the list. One question though they picked the Ecotec and the Saab mill over the LS7? We know the Wardsies choose other criteria beyond brute horsepower, but still man, it's the godliest OEM small block ever?. Commenters pick 'em apart;
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What's In The Hopper For The Detroit Auto Show

With the Detroit North American International Auto Show a month away, we thought we'd toss y'all a roundup salad of what's been rumored and confirmed to appear so far (and one company who won't be appearing).
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Between The Lines: Road & Track On The Bugatti Veyron

It s Road and Track s turn to test drive the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Reflecting the impact of a two-month lead time on its vehicular priorities, Hachette Filipacchi Medias car mag consigns the world s fastest production automobile to a corner of their front cover (in favor of the slightly more accessible Shelby GT500). At least R&T s brought/bought a big gun for their shot at the top dawg: car designer Gordon Murray. Mr. McLaren F1 inaugurates his contract with R&T with a seven-page analysis of Vey
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Mercedes Releases Official Photos Of New GL-Class SUV

After quite a year of spying by photogs and sneaking all 'round by Mercedes, the company has released the first full set of official press images of its new GL-Class SUV, ahead of the truck's official launch at the Detroit auto show next month. The bruiser will debut in the US market with Merc's 335hp 4.6-liter V8 plus 7TRONIC tranny and 4MATIC full-time four-wheel drive. Three rows of seats, natch. Click through for pics and press.
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15-Passenger Vans Dangerous?

This has been bandied about a fair amount lately are fifteen-passneger vans rolling deathtraps? Surprisingly, the answer, statistically anyway, is a little iffy. While the ratio between an empty and fully-loaded car rolling is 1:1.2, in a fully-loaded van it jumps to 1:5. The reason? A drastic increase in the vehicle's center of gravity. That said, most people who die in van wrecks tend not to be wearing seatbelts.
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Choosing Jalopnik's Car Of The Year: Davey G's Argument For The Dodge Charger R/T

You'll be voting for Jalopnik's Car of the Year (2005) soon, kids (tomorrow to be exact), but not until you've read a plea for the last nominee — the Dodge Charger R/T. That's Davey G. Johnson's argument in favor of the institution, in brand name(s) at least. How does DGJ feel about purists' admonishments that the new Charger's a mere Epcot-like approximation of the original? Or that it's a sheer rental car with Hemi pretense? Read on, Mac Duffs, and find the hell out.
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Big Block Snowblower

With a decent spot of snow coming up the eastern seaboard later today, those of us of Jalopnik Northeast wouldn't mind having one of these suckers to pilot across the sidewalks of our beloved urban jungle. We'd watch the small dogs rotate with fear in their sweaters from Bergdorf Goodman as we turn the 412 V8 horses of the 454ci Chevrolet engine on the plowed-in mound that was once our Japanese-built, mid-engine convertible. Sure beats the VVT-i powered shovel we'd plotted out in our head last n
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Aston Martin Planning High-Performance V8 Vantage

The UK's AutoExpress is reporting Aston Martin is considering a variant of its V8 Vantage on par with Porsche's GT3 — a stripped-down, lightweight coupe with an upclocked 4.3-liter V8, giving it 420hp, 40 more than the base model. Sources say the car will arrive in late 2007 as a 2008 model, priced in the $150,000 range. The RS model will also have a stiffer suspension, an aerodynamically attuned body kit, carbon fiber roof and 19-inch mag-alloy wheels. Top speed will be in the 190mph range. Yes
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Ford Builds New Display For Detroit Show

Not since Motley Crue's 1985 "Theatre of Pain" tour, in which Tommy Lee rolled out his "upside-down drumming" cage (years before he rolled out his "third bass-drum leg" on video), has a commercial display gotten as much attention as FoMoCo's space for the upcoming North American International Auto Show this January. The company will unveil a new, two-and-a-half acre display, built from more than 360,000 pounds of steel, 31,000 sheets of plywood and 2,400 LED screens, to create the "Ford Motor Co
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Britney Takes Back The Ferrari

Co-creator of the former embryo once known as the Federletus, Kevin Federline, has reportedly had his Ferrari repo'd by his wife, jiggle-tastic former teen sensation Britney Spears. Multiple-time babydaddy Federline has apparently been kicked to the curb by Spears, who's sick of his partying ways. In some ways, the Louisiana-born singer and the Fresno-born dancer are perfect for each other, if only so the rest of us can see what happens when white trash folk are handed too much money. It isn't a
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Tired And Feathered: Performance Tire Sales Grow, Some Consumers Shocked

A couple of months back, the man who asks, "Why can't there be more talk about buttsex on Jalopnik?" aka CTE blew a tire. Like, as in, it exploded. CTE, being the stylish man of means that he is, drives a Focus ZX3, which features a Blaupunkt stereo, crank windows and Pirelli tires that're some special half-inch size that also cost an arm and a leg to replace. Needless to say, when the time came to replace the tire, CTE wasn't a happy camper. But the tire companies and the automakers are loving
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You Are There: At The VIP Auto Fashion Show In Anaheim

Our Buddy Marc D. visited the VIP Auto Fashion Show in Anaheim, and came away with a new dissappreciation for the tastes of the moneyed class. Promoters promised a lineup that included "ultimate dream-cars, concept vehicles, celebrity rides and industry exhibits" as well as "celebrity poker players." (Good gracious! Keep the million-dollar cars, we'd rather have Gus Hansen sign our forehead with a Sharpie.) Anyway, check out Marc's blow-by-blow of his trip to said blizzard of bling after the jum
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Collegiate Car-Sharing Action

Man, this would've come in handy when we were stuck carless for a semester at a liberal-arts college close to everything but decent public transit the six-year-old Zipcar auto-sharing company has inked deals with colleges including Brown, Rutgers, U Minn and U Mass-Boston, giving students, staff and faculty an opportunity to buy into the car-sharing service. Literally, we can't think of why this wasn't an immediate target market for Zipcar and rival Flexcar from the get-go, unless it took admini
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AdAge On The Failed Phaeton Experiment

Al Ries (wasn't that a Naked Raygun album?) of AdAge takes a stab at why VW's move upmarket with the Phaeton fell on its face flatter than a 3am drunk with a fifth of Evan Williams in his belly. It's all pretty boilerplate until he launches into some meandering stab at management types that never quite hits its mark, summing up in a pithy statement that seemingly unknowingly actually nails the VW conundrum:
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Between The Lines: The New York Times Advertoralizes On Car Design

BTL salutes the New York Times. The Old Gray Lady s automotive department boasts the industry s most stringent ethical guidelines. Not only does the NYT refuse manufacturers junkets and shun any writer louche enough to suckle on the proverbial tit, but the section pays for its press cars. The cynical amongst you may attribute the papers late-out-of-the-gate reviews and curiously bloodless copy to these policies, but we re glad that the Times still sets — and upholds — the standard for journalist
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Choosing Jalopnik's Car Of The Year: Spinelli's Case For The Ferrari F430

Many of you already know my pick for Jalopnik s Car of the Year (2005) is the Ferrari F430. You also know that Farago has dismissed my opinion — and advanced his own choice of the 05 Porsche Boxster — by holding the F430 liable for the sins of Ferrari owners, whose reckless adventurism has led many to their deaths in grinding, high-speed crashes. Naturally, blaming an entire marque for nudging rich morons toward eternity is a rather desperate argument of a man who knows he doesn t have a leg to
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Ghosn Shopping: Will Ford Sell Jaguar To Renault?

Let's see, Bill Ford recently said the company's Premier Automotive Group would be profitable next year, which would be a lot easier without perpetual red-ink machine, Jaguar. Now, LeftLane news cites a report from French business magazine L'Expansion that Ford may be mulling an offer from Renault to buy Jaguar. Ford's already denied Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn a shot at Volvo, but Jaguar may be a different story. Where Ford and Volvo are intertwined in several new models, Jaguar has few such ties
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Between The Lines: AutoWeek On The Cadillac STS-V

What is it with AutoWeek and Cadillac? After giving the new DTS a free pass, the weekly car mag French kisses Cadillac s performance-tuned luxobarge, the STS-V. Promises Kept the cover headline proudly proclaims. For years GM said it would battle BMW s Best. Now it Does. The eagle-eyed lawyerly-types amongst you will notice that the copy doesn t say anything about the STS-V beating Bimmer s best. The fact that the issue also includes a review of the new BMW M5 might have something to do with it.
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Belgian Landwind Hullabaloo

We reported a couple of days ago that Belgian dealers are in big trouble because Belgian officials won't certify American cars for sale, causing them to suffer a three-thousand-euro markup when imported via Germany. One can talk about the relative safety merits of American cars vis a vis say, those of Sweden, but when compared to the Landwind, a Jeep positively seems like Fort Knox encased in adamantium. And that's just what Belgian officials are worried about; at the Landwind's low price point,
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Big Dealer Says 'Woohoo!' About Wuhu: Ciasuilli Stoked On Visionary/Chery Deal

Tim Ciasulli, CEO of Planet Honda and head of the Visionary Vehicles Dealer Board is way stoked. Completely, utterly and totally stoked. Stoked the point of irrational stokedom, in fact. As the head of a a family-owned dealership chain which has sold nearly a million cars, he claims he's never seen an opportunity as incredible as Brickin's Visionary Vehicles/Chery deal. He visited the plant in Wuhu, China and came back raving, saying, "I was in my hotel room in China when the BBC announced that
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