Archive for July 3rd, 2010

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Green Daily, Fisker

Delays are expected as any small start-up company tries to play with the big boys of the automotive world, but Fisker has been fraught with delay after delay, leaving many wondering if the Karma is nothing but vaporware. Now, another report coming from the guys over at Green Car Advisor further adds to the belief that the Karma may never see the light of day, at least for a while. The GCA team was on hand for the grand opening of Fisker’s dealership in Santa Monica and had a chance to speak with Michael Sullivan, owner of the LA Car Guy dealership group that will be responsible for selling Fisker vehicles in the Los Angeles area.

Since Sullivan will eventually sell the Fisker Karma, he’s probably a knowledgeable source for information about the vehicle’s release date. As Sullivan told GCA, deliveries of the Karma won’t begin until March or April of next year. If true, this would indicate yet another delay as the company had previously suggested that, while some vehicles (70-100) would be delivered later this year, full production was supposed to start in February 2011. GCA contacted Fisker for its official stance on the Karma release and the company stated that it still plans to have a hundred or so vehicles in customers hands before year’s end, with full-scale production kicking off early next year. Which side speaks the truth? It’s hard to say, but Fisker hasn’t necessarily been on target with its statements in the past, so we’ll have to side with LA Car Guy for now.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

Once more for the record: Fisker Karma production probably delayed again originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via Autoblog Green

Yesterday alone, we completed just over 650 km of French countryside (roughly 400 miles) in a Lotus. If you’re the owner of an Elise or an Exige, you’re probably reaching for the Advil and a Newcastle at the mere thought of our day’s work. If you’re an Evora owner, you’re probably wondering why we’re not still on the road.

The French mid-country is a strangely familiar place to anyone that’s ever traveled in the American Midwest. Essentially comprised of two-lane roadway that is both straight and flat, the middle of France seems to stretch on and on, not unlike the highways passing through Indiana or Illinois. Farmland stretches out on either side for as far as the eye can see offering various shades of green and gold, but not a whole lot in-between. Windmills, silos, barns, livestock, and farmhouses dot the landscape, with a cemetery or two thrown in for good measure. Many a John Deere tractor was spotted.

Crossing such an environment in a diminutive Elise, we would have been cursing our very existence with every stone thrown against the car’s underside, every kidney-jolting crunch over a railroad crossing, and every ear-bleeding minute of thrash from the hard-charging four-cylinder motor. But we were in an Evora instead as part of our trek from Turin, Italy to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England – and the Evora was quite a different story.

The Evora isn’t a large car and it isn’t particularly fast, but does feature a remarkable blend of sport and comfort not found in many cars today. Weighing in at just over 3000 pounds with a slightly reworked 276-horsepower Toyota Camry engine sitting amidships, the Evora is punchy, comfortable, practical, and most of all, full of character.

While the pedestrian roots of the Lotus’ V-6 engine may turn off more than a few potential customers, they shouldn’t. In the Evora, the engine sounds sweet and nearly exotic, thanks to a significant ECU retune and a highly vocal intake system. Yes, opt for an Evora without the optional sports exhaust and all that lovely, growling noise you hear when you’re full throttle ahead is actually coming from the induction side of the engine. And what a sound it is. Though colleagues have described the engine’s tone as somewhat dull and it’s character as not far removed from Toyota duty, it’s likely none have actually driven a Camry lately. Run an Evora to it’s redline in three or four gears and the sound is faintly early-seventies Formula 1, with a serious, edgy growl. Yes, you’ll typically have to drop down two gears to get back into passing mode from a sixth-gear cruise, but there are few cars on the market that make those two rev-matching throttle blips so enjoyable and distinctive.

And distinctive is what the Evora is really all about. It’s a mid-engined, two-door, four-seater to start. How many modern cars fit that description? Most of all, it’s distinctly Lotus. It’s quirky and interesting in the same way that so many other modern sports cars are soulless and boring. Make no mistake, the suspension tuning and wheelbase length make for a comfortable, yet capable sports car that equally handles the serpentine curves of the Alps as it dispatches the hot, dull miles of the French countryside. But it’s the small things that make a Lotus a Lotus, and the Evora ticks every box.

For example, the wheelarches and door sills protrude into the leather-trimmed space that would otherwise be reserved for a foot rest. Backlighting to notify the driver that the lights, air conditioning, or other accessories are turned on, is impossible to see if there’s any sort of sunlight in the cabin. The gearchange is somewhat vague, the clutch pedal is quite stiff, and the interior smells of glue the same way a Corvette’s does. The seatbelt on either side gets trapped behind the seat when the door is closed, and the seatback adjuster is impossible to reach in the same manner.

The Evora requires a little more attention to operate effectively than the normal car. Every little action requires just that little extra touch of care. That makes the Evora inconvenient in small ways. But for those who think of cars as more than just basic transportation, those inconveniences give the car character. In the same way the girl next door is more engaging than the supermodel, so too is the Lotus Evora in regard to the Porsche 911. In the same way that the silly, and even annoying little quirks of your best friend or significant other give that person a special uniqueness that draws you in, they give the Evora a soul.

And that’s more than can be said for most cars in 2010.

Today, we’ll be crossing the English Channel on our final leg of our journey to Goodwood. Stay tuned.

Via MotorTrend Magazine Blogs

This is the all-new 2011 Suzuki Swift which goes on sale in the UK during Autumn 2010. Now in its 3rd generation, the 2011 Swift is built at the production facility at Esztergom, in Hungary.

A smoother, more up-to-date dash for the 2011 Suzuki Swift incorporates in retractable screen, climate control, Bluetooth and a USB port. The new car will be available as a 3dr & 5dr model, will have more ventilation outlets than the preceding model, as well as keyless go and a collection of revised sports cloth for the interior.

The new Swift will come with an all-new 1.2 litre Dual VVT petrol engine and a modified 1.3 litre DDIS diesel. The 4 cylinder 16v petrol unit produces 93bhp (94PS @ 6,000rpm) and up to 118Nm (87ft-lb) of torque. Alternatively, the direct injection diesel, produces 74bhp (75PS) and up to 190Nm (140ft-lb @4,800 rpm) of torque. Petrol buyers get a choice between a 5 speed manual transmission and a 4 speed automatic, while the diesel only comes with a manual transmission, also 5 speed. Only the petrol engine comes with auto start/stop.

With its low kerb weight (945kg – 1,110kg) and economical engines, the 1.2 VVT with manual transmission can return a combined figure of 56.5mpg (5.0l/100km). The figure is improved by 7.8mpg over the older 1.3 VVT. Greenhouse gas emissions also drop from 140g/km to 116g/km, saving over 24g/km or a 17% improvement over the older petrol unit. The 4 speed automatic has combined fuel consumption of 51.3mpg (5.5l/100km) for the 3dr. The 5dr combines 50.4mpg (5.6l/100km).

The 1.3 DDiS diesel will be attainable in Spring 2011 in the UK. This boasts exciting combined fuel consumption of 67.3mpg (4.2l/100km) from 62.8mpg, with CO2 emissions falling from 119g/km down to 109g/km. This Euro 5 engine has more precise engine management than before with reduced levels of mechanical friction for smoother running and flexibility.

The 2011 Swift (3,850mm) is 90mm longer than the outgoing car and is 1,695mm wide and 1,510mm high (151.57″ x 66.73″ x 59.45″), with a wheelbase of 2,430mm (95.67″), which is 50mm longer. This means the car is 2.5% longer, providing both more legroom and more load space.

Look for the 2011 Suzuki Swift at your local dealership floor by the end of the year.

Via Cars Of The Future® Blog

Filed under: Auctions

Kruse auctions’ year-long trek to the abyss continues apace. In 2009, Dean V. Kruse’s troubles flared up in Indiana due to mounting lawsuits from consignors who were never paid after their cars were sold, as well as banks that hadn’t been paid for credit or loans. A $1.3 million judgment against Kruse and a repossession of his private jet followed soon after, and last month Kruse had his Indiana auction license revoked. Although Kruse could have petitioned to get his Indiana Auction Park location license back after two years, the 235-acre parcel has instead been sold to RM Auctions.

In what looks like a seamless handoff, RM will simply take over what Kruse started forty years ago, hosting classic and custom car auctions along with the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Festival over Labor Day weekend. The move will keep a good thing going and has hopefully made things better for Kruse himself; perhaps he can now focus on his court issues in Indiana and Arizona. Hat tip to Ric

[Source: Sports Car Market]

RM Auctions buys Kruse’s Indiana Auction Park originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via Autoblog

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Dodge, Ford

Last fall, NASCAR, Ford and Dodge all made a lot of noise about the introduction of the Mustang and Challenger bodies into the Nationwide race series. This all came after the latest Sprint Cup “Car of Tomorrow” drew criticism because all four participating brands had identical body shells, none of which looked like the stock road cars that lend them their names. The initial renderings focused on the front ends of the new racers, which featured more upright noses like the real pony cars you’ll find in dealer showrooms.

Unfortunately, with this weekend’s race debut of the Mustang and Challenger at Daytona, NASCAR proves yet again that nothing has really changed. Despite the the upright front ends, these cars don’t look markedly different from each other, or even the Sprint Cup cars, for that matter. With the headlight and grille stickers blurred out, neither of the new Nationwide stockers looks like a pony car. Can you tell which is which? Check out the originals after the jump.

Continue reading New Nationwide cars don’t look like Mustang, Challenger; NASCAR still irrelevant

New Nationwide cars don’t look like Mustang, Challenger; NASCAR still irrelevant originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via Autoblog