car modification wallpeper jxx: August 2011

Sunday, August 7, 2011

It Came from eBay Hell: Camaro Meets Batmobile

Fancying a GM classic with a little more, ahem, pizazz than your run-of-the-mill F-Body Chevrolet Camaro? Welcome to the wonderful world of eBay and the DreamRyder (that's how the owner spells the name of the car).

The DreamRyder is the creation of one Bill Logan who used a V8-powered 1984 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible as a base. Logan says he spent 13 years to complete all the customizations, which include a fiberglass body said to be inspired by a number of animals such as the bat ray and the eagle.

Undisguised prototypes of the upcoming 2012 Porsche 911 are quickly becoming a more common sight than Bratwurst sausages in Germany.

In our latest encounter, a barely disguised 991 test car equipped with a sunroof was caught filling up at a gas station in Stuttgart before firing up its six-cylinder boxer engine and driving away.

Turn up the volume of your speakers and follow the jump to enjoy the video.

The South Korean unit of Renault has come out with full details on its new SM7 flagship sedan a week before the car officially goes on sale in the country.

The French carmaker, which bought a 70% stake in Samsung Motors back in 2000 to spearhead the brand's expansion efforts in the developing Asian region, said the SM7 will have a "radical effect on the big saloon car market".

Video: The TIV-2 is a 14,000-Pound Armored Dodge Ram Storm Chaser

A tornado is a force of nature that almost nothing can withstand. Therefore, when Sean Casey decided to see what was going inside a tornado, he had to build a very special kind of vehicle. And that’s how the original TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) was born back in 2003.

In 2008, and after the TIV made it on prime time television in a series called Storm Chasers that began airing on the Discovery Channel in October 2007, Casey and his team built the TIV-2 using a Dodge Ram 3500 as a base.

The title of this post is pretty much self-explanatory, but if you insist here's the skinny: a man riding his scooter on the road spots a young and apparently attractive woman dressed in a knee-high dress walking on foot.

And as it surely has happened to so many others, one quick look didn't satisfy our protagonist's curiosity (or possibly admiration) so he let his guard down and turned his focus away from the road to get a 360 view of the young woman… See what happens next after the break in the security camera footage.

Designing a new car from scratch is a relatively easy task for an automaker –provided it has the resources. Replacing an icon, however, is much more difficult.

Especially if said icon has a long and distinguished history and has made its manufacturer synonymous to hardcore 4x4 capabilities. The Defender is one such example.

However, that’s what Land Rover intends to do, and the first step will reportedly be the unveiling of a new Defender concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Two Guys, a Toyota FJ Cruiser and Twenty-One Minutes of Australian Outback

From Toyota’s Australian arm comes this documentary-style promo for the FJ Cruiser which has recently launched Down Under. It features two Aussie blokes dumped in the outback with nothing but each other – and an FJ Cruiser – for company.

With a GPS, limited supplies and more than a few hundred kilometres between checkpoints, it’s a race against time to get back to civilization.

Just keep in mind, its twenty-one freakin’ minutes long! That’s like half an episode of Top Gear, but without the boys to entertain us along the way... Gluttons for punishment if you can watch the whole video after the jump.

It may have taken three years but at last Delahaye USA’s Bella Figura Type 57S is available for purchase. The Long Valley, NJ based specialist vehicle manufacturer has taken its design inspiration from Jean Bugatti’s legendary Type 57S coupe of the 1930s and ‘40s and modified it to fit a stretched and widened platform.

Using cutting edge materials such as carbon fibre and polished aluminium, Delahaye USA’s describes their new offering as, “much more than a replica”.

With air conditioning, power brakes and steering, electric windows and a choice of engine and transmission options, this certainly appears true.

Emerging from the rumormill are talks about Ferrari getting ready to reveal a convertible version of its new 458 Italia supercar at next month's 2011 Frankfurt auto show.

In a new report from Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine, sources close to Maranello say that like its predecessor, the 458 Italia Spider will be offered with an electrically operated cloth convertible top that disappears behind the front seats.

Well, it was almost certain to happen after the March 11 earthquake and Tsunami hit Japan causing multiple problems to the country's automotive industry. Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker, saw its production drop by 23% to 3.37 million units for the first half of the year - and includes sales of Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino vehicles.

As a result, the Japanese company lost the title of the world’s largest automaker that it held since 2008 to General Motors, which saw its sales rise by 8.9% to 4.536 million units for the first six months of 2011. For the time being, second place goes to the Volkswagen Group which sold 4.13 million units worldwide.

This fall will see Buick adding two more offerings to its Regal range, namely the performance orientated GS that's powered by a turbocharged four, and the fuel efficient eAssist featuring a "light" hybrid powertrain.

Pricing for the 2012 Regal GS starts at $35,310 while the 2012 Regal eAssist at $29,530 , with both prices including $860 in destination charges.

Royston, Hertfordshire is a sleepy and historic market-town in England with very little crime. It is also the proud owner of seven Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras covering every route in and out of the community.

The cameras have been in use since 1990 and provide police with alerts for untaxed, uninsured and / or suspect vehicles. These cameras, previously used only on main roads and motorways, will log the registration of every vehicle passing through and store them in a national database for two to five years.

The man behind the Karma extended-range electric sports sedan, company boss Henrik Fisker, revealed some ambitious new plans to develop the brand's lineup during the European launch of the saloon model.

According to one report from British magazine What Car?, Fisker confirmed the development of a new crossover that will combine elements from sporty estate and SUV models, and which will be revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show in September before it allegedly reaches showrooms in 2012.

A pair of new turbocharged engines will soon be added to the range of the recently-launched BMW X3. These include a base four-cylinder gasoline unit and a flagship straight-six diesel.

The new entry level version of the X3, the xDrive20i, is powered by a 2.0-liter aluminum four cylinder gasoline engine featuring a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection, Double Vanos variable camshaft control and Valvetronic variable valve control system. It delivers 184HP at 4,800 rpm and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque from just 1,250 rpm.

On Thursday, we brought you news on Alfa Romeo's plans to exhibit the 4C at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. Today, the Italian automaker's social network gurus released an updated announcement saying that the 4C will be presented in a "new exclusive look" at the German auto show.

Records are meant to be broken and even though the Guinness World Record officials are keeping a lid on the video of the Chinese driver who beat German Ronny Wechselberger's feat for the tightest parallel parking on July 21, live footage shot by someone from the crowd has made its way online.

Having cleared up the misunderstanding on whether or not the pure-electric RAV4 will be sold to the general public (it will), Toyota and partner Tesla Motors confirmed today that their jointly developed EV SUV will be built at the Japanese company’s Canadian manufacturing plant in Woodstock, Ontario starting from 2012. Read more »

Oops…He Did it Again: "Mr. Bean" Crashes His McLaren F1

Actor Rowan Atkinson, best known for his roles in UK TV series Mr. Bean and the Black Adder, may drive an original Mini on the screen, but in real life, he is a car enthusiast. So much that he once described in CAR magazine the process of ordering a Ferrari 456 GT and let's not forget that he owns one of the most exclusive and extreme supercars ever built: a McLaren F1.

Unfortunately, the 56-year old actor made headlines today for losing control of his precious F1, and crashing into a sign. No other cars were involved in the accident, which seems to have occurred when the McLaren met a wet patch on the road.

Well-known Opel tuner, Irmscher, is one of the first to get its hands on the new generation of the Astra GTC revealing details on its customazation program ahead of the car's world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The upgrade starts with a performance package for the Astra GTC with the 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. A stage 1 kit lifts output from 180-horses and 230Nm to 212HP and 274 Nm (202 lb-ft).

The Chrysler Group continues to aggressively market the newcomers in its vehicle lineup with new advertisements. This time the automaker has released numerous television and online spots to tout the new generation of the Dodge Durango SUV, all of which will begin airing this week.

While you can check out all the ads in the videos after the break, we must say that four commercials captured our attention including one that refers to Ferrari to show off the Durango's leather interior, another one that depicts seven Stig-lookalikes running to get into Dodge's SUV, and two spots featuring the 2011 Ford Explorer.

Whenever there's a new Mercedes-Benz model out, you can be sure that Brabus will be one of the first customizers to jump on the tuning bandwagon.

For the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster, the German firm has developed an extensive customization program to take care of both the styling and performance aspects of the car.

Yesterday, we published the news about a limited-production Fiat 500 by American design house Scagliarini Motorsports called the 504 Coupe Zagato Elaborata. Scagliarini claimed in a press release that the car was inspired by the 500 Zagato Coupe launched in Geneva last March, and even used the Italian company’s name.

However, Zagato contacted us today and stated that it has no involvement whatsoever with Scagliarini’s project, nor has it granted permission for its name and logo to be used. Therefore, it intends to use all necessary legal actions in order to protect its individual property.

Fiat has returned to the American market after 28 years – and it has done so in style with its colorful city car, the 500. Besides having already sold 7,982 cars since March with 3,038 deliveries in July alone, Fiat seems to be reaping great profits from its small model.

That’s because American buyers apparently like to personalize their 500 by choosing pricier editions and adding numerous options. As a result, prices go up generating bigger profits for the Italian brand.

Exactly a month ago to this day, Saab announced a deal with China's Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. and Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co while also revealing a grand plan for expanding its range with three new models, the 9-1, 9-6X and 9-7. It also delivered its first 9-4X in the US. All’s well that ends well, right?

Well, in Saab’s case it looks like we haven’t seen the end just yet. The Swedish firm continues to face a cash-flow problem. Thus, it issued a press release concerning the subscription notice for 5 million shares under a €150 million agreement between Swan and GEM Global Yield Fund Limited.

Spied Again: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe

If there was ever a prize for the most spied car this year, it should go to the new Porsche 991, which we will come to know as the latest generation of the 911. Our spy shooters have caught up with a variety of prototypes ranging from the standard Carrera coupe all the way up to the Turbo Convertible.

This time they snagged what looks to be either the Carrera or the Carrera S, possibly in final production trim as the car was fitted with the white protective strips we normally find on vehicles that are to be transported. There's also a tag on the passenger seat, but we couldn't zoom close enough to make out what it says.

Do you know how many people have tried to imitate the driving tricks of the Dukes of Hazzard in real life over the years? As you may have already guessed, the answer to that question is countless - as are the accidents related to these types of stunts.

In this edition, we have a doppelganger in a General Lee Dodge Charger replica trying to jump over a copy of Sheriff's Roscoe P. Coltrane patrol car. And while our driver managed to pull off the jump-over-the-vehicle part he failed miserably in the landing portion of the stunt.

Since the beginning of July, Infiniti has been releasing a teaser photo of its new 2013 JX luxury crossover every single week and will continue to do so until the official unveiling at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance event in Monterey, California, on August 18.

For this week's menu, we get the fifth picture that shows the 7-seater model's rear end in all its glory but nothing else more. You can check out the rest of the images of the 2013 Infiniti JX right after the break.

What you’re about to see in our latest video find is one very stubborn and irresponsible driver and an equally persistent (but evidently responsible) police officer.

The incident purportedly takes place in rather congested area of Algeria when the driver of a white colored, older generation Renault Megane refuses to conform to the traffic officer's instructions.

We all know about the merits of electric vehicles but have you ever wondered how it would really be like owning one and driving it on a daily basis?

In collaboration with the British government, the BMW Group launched a trial program in the UK with 40 pure-electric MINI E cars given to 62 citizens and 72 pool users over two six-month periods, from December 2009 until March 2011.

Now that the trial period is over, MINI and the Oxford Brookes University, which undertook the research, have released their findings.

In the 1970s, the must-have automotive accessory was the fuzzy dice. Forty years later, it is the in-car GPS / satellite navigation system. It has as effectively replaced the seat pocket map book as the Apple iPod has replaced the Sony Discman.

Now, GPS / sat nav users are playing a potentially dangerous new game whereby they attempt to “beat” their portable / in-dash unit’s estimated time of arrival. It’s a game where things like road rules, speed limits and other drivers are mere impediments to “winning” the game.

The Chrysler Group has issued a recall on 299,718 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans from the 2008 model year to fix a problem that could cause the airbags to deploy unexpectedly.

The automaker said that the issue is related to the Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) modules that controls the airbags. According to Chrysler, the OCR module may have been exposed to moisture. If this happens, it could lead to the airbag warning light going on while in some cases, the airbag could deploy for no reason.

Ford's India subdivision announced today that it sold 71,347 units from January 1 until July 31, which corresponds to a 45% increase compared to the same period of 2010 when it delivered 49,131 units.

The Detroit firm wants to further increase its presence in the country and has announced the signing of an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the State of Gujarat to invest approximately $1 billion to build two new plants in addition to the one in Chennai, for vehicle and engine manufacturing on a 460-acre site in Sanand.

The Lotus Elise and Exige will soon be a thing of the past for North American fans of the brand (though both cars will continue to be offered in other markets), but if our spies prove to be right, the British firm is already cooking up a replacement, at least for the Exige coupe.

Our man with the long lens snagged these pictures of a mid-engined Lotus prototype during testing. But how can we be sure that this the Exige, we hear some of you ask?

Well, the test car does not bear any resemblance to the recent Lotus concept models shown in Paris last year so given the prototype's shape and size, the most plausible explanation is a replacement for the Exige.

American-based design house Scagliarini Motorsports has unveiled its latest creation, the 504 Coupe Zagato Elaborata, or 504cze. As the name implies, the car is inspired by Zagato’s 500 Coupe concept that was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show last March. Read more »

Lotus North America Bids Farewell to Elise and Exige with Limited Edition Models

It is known for some time now that Lotus is going to axe the Elise roadster and Exige coupe from its North American lineup by the end of August due to Toyota's decision to stop production of the 2ZZ 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine that powers the two models.

Fans of the Elise and Exige in other markets around the world including Europe need not to worry as the two cars will continue to be available as they are fitted with a new 1.6-liter four-cylinder unit.

To mark the end of production for North America, the British firm has announced the release of three Final Edition [FE] models. Lotus said will build and import into the US and Canada 15 examples of the Elise SC FE, 25 of the Exige Matte Black FE and 30 units of the Exige S260 FE.

Under the supervision of an official Guinness World Records [GWR] adjudicator, German driver Ronny Wechselberger, also known as "Ronny C-Rock" (be careful with the spelling here…), set a new record earlier this year for the world's tightest parallel parking.

Mr. C-Rock was able to slide his VW Polo with the help of the handbrake into a parking space measuring just 26 cm’s (10.24 inches) longer than that of his vehicle. Even though the record was set in April 2, 2011, the Guinness World Records officials released the video today.

Ferrari president, Luca di Montezemolo, has stated that he expects the Scuderia to win more races this season. And this despite the fact that in the 11 first races of the year they have won only once, with Fernando Alonso in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Alonso lies fourth at the Drivers’ championship and his teammate Fernando Massa sixth, trailing championship leader Sebastian Vettel by 89 and 164 points respectively with just eight races remaining. In the Constructors’ championship, Ferrari is in third position, with 215 points, trailing Red Bull (383) and McLaren (280).

Precisely two weeks remain for the official presentation of the all-new 2013 Lexus GS 350 on Thursday, August 18th at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and the Japanese automaker decided it's time to enter the teaser photo game with the release of a single, partially blacked out image of the mid-size luxury sedan.

There's not much to say about the Lexus sedan from the photo other than that it looks a lot like the LF-Gh Hybrid concept we saw at this year's New York Auto Show.

For those of you that would like to see a bit more of the new GS than what Lexus has to offer, hit the break to watch the first test drive videos of the car by U.S. magazines Motor Trend and Road & Track.

Mazda has announced that orders for the subtly revised Mazda Demio, or Mazda2 as is known overseas, in its first month of being available in Japan have far exceeded their initial target. Specifically, from June 30, when the Demio became available, until July 31, orders have reached 13,500 units, more than double Mazda’s initial estimate of 6,000. Read more »

2013 Cadillac XTS Luxury Sedan Confirmed for Sale Next Spring, will be Based on the XTS Platinum

The Cadillac-related announcements keep dropping in as after the release of a teaser photo of the firm's entry-level compact sedan codenamed ATS, GM revealed that we're also going to see a flagship luxury sedan model added to Cadillac's range in the Spring of 2012.

We will come to know that model as the Cadillac XTS and it will replace both the current STS and the DTS, the production of which was terminated this year.

General Motors may not have published a teaser photo of its Cadillac range-topper in the sedan category but the Detroit firm said it will be modeled closely after last year's XTS Platinum concept study adding that the final production model will be revealed in the coming months – obviously either in LA this November or Detroit in January 2012.

We've been following the news for a very long time but General Motors is finally ready to give us our first taste of Cadillac's new entry in the premium sport sedan segment codenamed ATS with the release of an official –albeit shadowed- photo.

The new entry-level Cadillac which may or may not keep the ATS moniker when it arrives in the market next year, will go up against Germany's finest including the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class as well as the Lexus IS range.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

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