Video: WSJ lets you ride along in the Nissan Leaf
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Green Daily
Nissan Leaf – Click above to watch video after the jump
It’s one thing to read a review of a vehicle, it’s entirely different when you get the chance to jump in the back seat and go along for the ride. This is not an actual ride though, more like a virtual drive along. Wall Street Journal had the opportunity to pilot the Leaf around Nissan’s Oppama facility in Japan and shot the whole ordeal so you can experience what it’s like to ride in a production Leaf. The brief video gives you a feel for the car and the electric experience that comes along with it. It captures the near-silent acceleration, gives you a peak under the hood and a glance at the Leaf’s futuristic interior. Unfortunately, you’ll have to sit through an annoying ad and listen close to decipher the heavy accent of the WSJ reviewer, but we think it’s worth it. Follow along after the jump to cruise around in the Nissan Leaf.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
Continue reading Video: WSJ lets you ride along in the Nissan Leaf
Video: WSJ lets you ride along in the Nissan Leaf originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
GM Will Pay for Opel/Vauxhall Itself (Yes, with Our Money)
Exasperated after nearly seven months of dealing with German politics in efforts to procure 1.8-billion euro in loans to bail out Opel and Vauxhall, General Motors has withdrawn its request, and will pay for new product and reorganization itself. Yes, “itself” means part or all of the funds will come from more than $50 billion in loan guarantees we gave GM last summer in exchange for 60.8 percent of the company. With GM now getting into profit territory, it’s more a matter of opinion rather than fact of how much of that Opel/Vauxhall bailout comes from our taxes.
GM will loan 1.4-billion euro to Opel/Vauxhall to pay for future product. The difference between that and the 1.8-billion euro request just dropped is that business in Europe has improved, and the European governments wanted Opel/Vauxhall to take an extra cushion of about 400 million euro.
Based on Wednesday’s exchange rates, the request for European aid just withdrawn equals $2.22 billion. The additional 1.4-billion euro GM will forward, instead, for future Opel/Vauxhall product equals $1.72 billion.
Parent company GM has already given Opel/Vauxhall 1.9 billion euro, or $2.34 billion, for restructuring. This is because GM decided last November to turn down Magna International’s bid to buy a majority stake in Opel/Vauxhall because GM’s financial condition was improving quickly enough. Rather than sell to Magna, holding on to Opel/Vauxhall maintains GM’s viability as a global automaker.
2011 Mercedes R-Class finally goes on sale (EU)
Mercedes has begun selling its revise R-Class crossover in Europe, with the first U.S deliveries schedule to begin in July. The new model goes into regular production this week in Alabama.
Revealed earlier this year at the 2010 New York motorshow, the updated R-Class gets a reworked fascia that heavily borrows from the company’s recent sedans. For the U.S market, the 2011 model will offer a choice of two previous engine choices: a 268bhp 3.5 litre V6 and a 210bhp 3.0 litre V6 turbo-diesel engine.
In Europe, Mercedes will promote the R350 CDI 4Matic, powered by a more powerful version of the 3.0 litre V6 turbo-diesel, producing 262bhp and a muscular 620Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-60mph takes less than 7.6 seconds, and tops out at 146mph.
Report: Dodge originally developed SLS AMG to be next-gen Viper
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge, Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery
There’s a lot to like about the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. After all, we’re talking about a sleek, 563-horsepower super-Benz with functional gullwing doors and a soundtrack to melt your heart. It’s the embodiment of German engineering… or is it? Inside Line cites unnamed sources who say that the SLS AMG actually began life as the next-generation Dodge Viper.
The story apparently goes like this. Dodge engineers were already hard at work on the next-gen Viper, with an aluminum chassis already completed and a new suspension on the way. Mercedes caught wind of the project and decided that the chassis would be the perfect starting point for the upcoming SLS. The two teams reportedly worked side-by-side on the project until Chrysler’s cash crunch caused the Dodge team to focus its resources elsewhere. The end result was a brand-new SLS for Mercedes and a hole in Dodge’s Viper lineup. IL bolsters its account of the Viper-turned-SLS with the fact that early SLS test mules caught by spy photogs were fitted with ill-assembled Viper sheetmetal.
While it’s hard to blame Mercedes for utilizing existing engineering work (it did, after all own Chrysler at the time) to bring the SLS to market faster and cheaper, we’re thinking it would have been nice to have a new aluminum chassis Viper on the streets. Here’s hoping that the 2012 Viper makes us forget about our loss.
GM: Big(ger) in China
Filed under: China, Chevrolet, GM
2010 Chevrolet Sail – Click above for high-res image gallery
In 2007 General Motors broke Chinese sales records with over one million vehicles sold. That sounded pretty impressive at the time, but just three years later GM’s sales have come so far so fast that the General is now officially selling more vehicles in the Land of the Great Wall than it is in the States.
The Detroit Bureau reports that GM’s China sales are up 54 percent in 2010 versus the first five months of 2009, with 1,032,665 cars and trucks sold so far this year. The General isn’t doing nearly that well here in the U.S, with 882,277 units sold during the same period.
The biggest reason GM’s sales continue to outpace the growth of its competition is the shot in the arm provided by the Chevy brand. The Bow Tie brand’s sales are up 104 percent on the year, led by a 113 percent increase in sales of the Cruze. GM sold 14,524 copies of the Cruze in May alone, while the new-for-2010 Sail already hit 7,616 sales. While Chevy is quickly growing in the Chinese market, the still hot Buick brand is starting to show some signs of leveling off. Sales of the Tri-shield are up a mere 22 percent so far this year. Cadillac appears to be stealing a bit of Buick’s thunder as well, as the Wreath and Crest is up 98 percent on the year.
Video: Latest Gran Turismo 5 trailer reveals Stig, Vettel, and night racing
Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Technology, Videos, Toys/Games
New Gran Turismo 5 trailer – Click above to watch video after the jump
Now that we have an official launch date for Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 5, it’s hard to contain our anticipation. It doesn’t help that the company keeps teasing us with new trailers for the game, each showing some new bit of detail that we hadn’t foreseen or been previously able to confirm. The latest spot features a little voiceover action from none other than Sebastian Vettel. It’s hard to tell exactly what part the Formula One guru will play in the game, and our imaginations are running wild as a result.
The new trailer also gives us a glimpse at three of the most hotly talked about features of the game – damage rendering, night races and the Top Gear test track. There’s even a cameo by The Stig himself. Some say he lacks opposable thumbs and controls joysticks through a series of ultra high-frequency squeals. All we know is, he’s in Gran Turismo 5, and we can’t wait to get our greedy little paws on the game. We’ve never been so excited for November 2. Take a peek past the jump to see the video.
[Source: Polyphony Digital via YouTube]
Continue reading Video: Latest Gran Turismo 5 trailer reveals Stig, Vettel, and night racing
Fire hazard: Deceit at Government Motors?
Ready to ignite?
Is the Government protecting GM?
Is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration competent? Are they fully capable of doing their job?
