Nissan taking orders for Leaf in August, deliveries begin December
Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery
If you’re one of the 50,000 people that have signed up for updates on the Nissan Leaf EV, you’re one step closer to purchase.
Nissan has announced preliminary details on the sale and lease of its all-new electric vehicle, outlining the steps necessary to get your hands on what the automaker is calling “the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission car designed for the mass market.”
If you haven’t done so already, you can register on Nissan’s website to ensure you’re on the list. After Nissan announces official pricing in April (which, for the record, includes the battery pack), you’ll be able to put down a refundable $100 reservation fee, with official ordering beginning in August. Early deliveries are set to take place in select markets in 2010, with the EV coming to “all major markets quickly thereafter.”
If you’ve already signed up, make the jump for the official release with all the details, along with the Leaf’s first promotional video.
Gilles: Fiat 500 on sale in U.S. by the end of 2010
Filed under: Coupe, SUV, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat
Fiat 500 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ralph Gilles, Dodge CEO and Chrysler Group design head, has just wrapped up an address to the Chicago Economic Club that was peppered with several choice quotes and quips. You can read the Chrysler’s PR-filtered version on its Twitter feed, but here are our favorites:
From the true: “Brands and companies don’t die. They are victims of homicide.”To the sublime: “Viper important to image of “my brand” [Dodge]“
To the ridiculous: “The further away you are from Detroit the less you know the facts about the auto industry.”
Video: Hastily made homebrewed Toyota recall commercial parody
Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Recalls, Safety, Videos, Toyota, Humor
Click above to watch the video after the jump
You know you’ve hit a certain level of notoriety (for better or worse) when hacks with video editing software and a sense of humor post a video on YouTube that pokes fun at you or your situation and people actually watch. Toyota’s recall of over 8 million vehicles for throttle, floor mat and brake issues has spent so much time in the headlines that the Japanese automaker appears to be at that dubious juncture.
Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show have taken their cracks at Toyota, but they’re professionals and they make fun of everybody. Beyond the jump is something different. It’s definitely not professional and the quality of production just isn’t up to par, but it does have one thing that helps it stand out: It’s funny. Hit the jump to watch the video for yourself.
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Video: Hastily made homebrewed Toyota recall commercial parody
The most Beautiful Car in 2009
Peugeot RCZ won the title of the most beautiful car in 2009 at the 25th International Automobile Festival. For the model most votes out of 100 thousand participants (Internet users) from 62 countries.
Peugeot RCZ – the compact sports coupe with a landing formula 2 +2. In double car roof and two aluminum support frame. On 63 th Frankfurt Motor Show, fans of the brand in over 48 hours booked all 200 copies of a limited series of Peugeot RCZ Limited Edition.
Spy Shots: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS
Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz
2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS – Click above for high-res image gallery
Underneath that sparse camouflage is the all-new 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS, but you’d be forgiven for thinking that the update is only skin deep.
As the current CLS is based off the older E-Class platform (W211), the 2011 model is set to swap to the updated architecture (W212) and gain a few new stylistic updates inspired by its siblings. Although the coupe-like roofline will remain, the rear fenders will gain the blisters originally seen on the new E, along with the upright grille pulled from the SLS and more angular head- and taillamps.
Power is likely to be provided by Mercedes’ new range of direct injected and turbocharged engines, available in both six- and eight-cylinder configurations and topping out in the mid-400 horsepower range. There’s talk of a CLS 400 BlueHybrid variant and within a year of its debut – likely at the Paris Motor Show this fall – we can expect a 5.5-liter twin-turbo’d AMG version.
Chicago 2010: Hybrid chassis shows differences between old and new Silverado HD
Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Truck, Work, Chevrolet
Old and new Chevrolet Silverado HD chassis combined – Click above for high-res image gallery
No, Chevrolet’s new Silverado HD will not be available as a hybrid. The hybrid we’re talking about is this chassis on display at the Chicago Auto Show that is constructed of both the previous generation and the new 2011 Silverado HD. The combined chassis is split right down the middle and shows just how much the 2011 model has been improved from the previous model.
Starting with the front suspension, the 2011 Silverado HD receives beefier upper and lower control arms along with larger torsion bars and steering gear. The front axle can now handle up to 6,000 pounds of gross weight, which means that every HD model can bear the weight of a snow plow. Moving through the rest of the display, you can see the all new frame that utilizes 11 fully boxed assemblies that make sure of higher strength steel. The result is that the new chassis has five times more torsional strength than it did before and 92 percent better bending resistance.
At the rear, the Silverado HD benefits from a new, larger asymmetrical leaf spring design that offers improved handling and load capabilities. General Motors is quick to point out that the truck’s maximum 6,335-pound payload and 20,000-pound towing capacity (using a fifth-wheel hitch) are both better than the Dodge Ram 3500 HD and the Ford F350 Super Duty.
Finally, the Silverado HD has been upgraded with 14-inch brake rotors both front and rear, a heavy-duty trailer hitch and a 36-gallon fuel tank that, when combined with the improved fuel economy, allows for 680 highway miles on a single tank. You can see the differences in detail in the high-res gallery below, or click here for even more details and photos of the 2011 Silverado HD.
Detroit motor show 2009
General Motors announced that Chevrolet Volt will use battery packs manufactured in the United States. The plant will be located in Michigan and will be the first lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing facility operated by a major US automaker. Facility preparation will begin in early 2009, with output starting in 2010.
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