Rumormill: Volkswagen could bring back NSU motorcycles?

Filed under: Suzuki, Volkswagen, Motorcycle, Rumormill

When Volkswagen and Suzuki announced they would be joining forces after what seemed like years worth of rumors, the motorcycling community naturally took notice. After all, VW head Ferdinand Piech is an avid motorcycle enthusiast and had repeatedly expressed a desire to add a high-performance European motorcycle manufacturer to the German automaker’s mix of vehicles. Further, Suzuki is a highly respected player in the two-wheeled world all around the globe.

Now, rumor has it that the Volkswagen/Suzuki partnership could actually end up resurrecting an iconic German brand from the ashes of obscurity: NSU. Though the company is often remembered for the pioneering work it performed on the Wankel rotary engine, NSU first rose to fame after World War II with a range of innovative small-displacement bikes and was the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer by 1955.

Sadly, NSU quickly faded away as its rotary-powered automobiles proved somewhat less than reliable. Whether or not there is any truth to these reports remains to be seen, but it’s certainly not beyond the realm of possibility. Way back in 1969, VW acquired NSU and merged it into the company we now know as the four-ringed Audi brand. Does any of this mean that NSU is soon to be back in business? No, not really… but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep the dream alive.

[Source: Automobile Magazine | Image: Lothar Spurzem - CC 2.0]

Rumormill: Volkswagen could bring back NSU motorcycles? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Japan, Honda, Motorcycle, Electric

Honda has announced plans to introduce its first electric scooter in its home market of Japan before the end of the year. The opening salvo in the round of electrified two wheelers will be a production version of the EV-neo Concept, which was first seen at the Tokyo Motor Show late last year. We wish it were the electric Cub instead, but sadly nobody asked for our opinion.

Honda sees the EV-neo primarily as a means for delivery people to get around busy urban areas, but it will sell the vehicle to anyone for both business and personal use. A lithium ion battery of unknown capacity will be supplied by Toshiba and will reportedly allow the EV-neo a range of up to 30 kilometers (18 miles) on a flat road.

A depleted battery can be fully recharged in about four hours. Performance is said to be roughly equivalent to a 50cc gas-powered scooter, so you can probably expect speeds of well under 30 miles per hour from the machine’s brushless motor. There isn’t much more detail as of yet, but what little there is can be found in the official press release after the break.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda unveils EV-neo, promises Japanese sales in 2010

Honda unveils EV-neo, promises Japanese sales in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, SUV, Porsche, Earnings/Financials, Luxury

If there’s one thing the Porsche Cayenne has historically been good at, it’s making money for the German automaker. That trend looks to continue with the new version of the ‘ute that Porsche just began assembling at its Leipzig plant in Germany as company CEO Michael Macht indicates that orders for the new Cayenne are “clearly exceeding” expectations.

The news couldn’t come at a better time for Porsche, which reportedly saw its sales decline an alarming 40 percent in the first quarter of the year. The previous-generation Cayenne, which is Porsche’s best-selling vehicle, had seen its sales figures reduced by about 25 percent over the fiscal year that ended last July.

Porsche is banking on updated styling, improved performance and reduced emissions – an effort that is spearheaded by the automaker’s first-ever production hybrid model – to stop the sales skid of its Cayenne nameplate. Moreover, the new Cayenne and Panamera sedan are seen as the main ingredients to put Porsche back on an upward sales trajectory.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Porsche CEO says new Cayenne orders “clearly exceeding” expectations originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Chevrolet, GM

In this brave new world of the Internet and social media, you never really know when an established company might break with tradition and tease the unsuspecting public with something exciting through YouFace, Twitter or Facebook. Such is the case with what appears to be a teaser image of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible on Chevrolet’s official Facebook page for its modern-day muscle car.

We’ve seen spy shots galore and even a fake or two, but this is the first glimpse that General Motors itself has given of the upcoming droptop Camaro, which is slated to go into production at the Oshawa assembly plant in the first quarter of 2011. We don’t have any more details about the Camaro Convertible other than what the picture reveals, but in this case we’ll merrily take what we can get.

With the introduction of the Camaro Convertible, Chevrolet looks to erase the one major advantage that its longtime rival, the Ford Mustang, continues to lord over it. So, what do you think? No big deal or the must-have fashion accessory of 2011? Thanks to all who sent this in!

[Source: Facebook]

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible makes surprise appearance on Facebook originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Acura, Luxury

It’s only been on the market since December, but the 2010 Acura ZDX has already gotten its first official recall. According to AutoWeek, Acura believes that less than two percent of the 1,850 ZDXs built so far were assembled with a dashboard material that was incorrectly cut. The problem could cause the passenger-side front airbag to deploy improperly.

If you think you may have one of the affected vehicles, you are urged to take your minty-fresh ZDX to your local Acura dealer so the vehicle can be inspected. If there is indeed an issue, the entire dashboard will be replaced at no expense to the owner.

Owners should be getting notifications through the mail any day now. Alternatively, you can also call (800) 382-2238 for more information.

[Source: AutoWeek]

2010 Acura ZDX recalled for airbag issues originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Questions, comments, snide remarks? Please, tell us what’s on your mind by filling out a form and dropping it in the suggestion box on your wait out the door. While such items may be rather common at certain retail establishments, finding such a direct line to the people that run America’s largest automotive companies… well, that’s just a new idea entirely, no?

Today at the SAE World Congress, Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, announced just such a program, which includes a new web portal that allows consumers to leave suggestions for the Ford Motor Company and even lets other users log in and rate the submitted ideas. Currently at the top? A suggestion to bring the ECOnetic diesel engines to America. Agree? Click here to let Ford know what you think.

We’ll throw a vote in the direction of more diesels in America any day of the week. And as long as we’ve Ford’s attention, how about offering rally-spec Focus hatchbacks in the States? We’d also be more than happy to see a Super High Output version of the Fusion, complete with the 365-horsepower EcoBoost engine and all-wheel drive system from the Taurus SHO. Oh, and just one more thing… nice work on the SVT Raptor. Click past the break for the complete press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford creates suggestion box for consumers… so what do you want?

Ford creates suggestion box for consumers… so what do you want? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, Specialty, Quick Spin

Before we get into the actual meat and potatoes of this review, please know that the absolute absurdity of the Ariel Atom 3 is not lost on us. It starts out as a sordid collection of mild steel tubing and a somewhat unassuming 2.0-liter K20Z four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual, both pulled from the Honda parts bin. Throw in some fiberglass and a smattering of carbon fiber, four wheels, two lightweight racing seats with four-point harnesses, a steering wheel and some pedals, and that’s just about it, save the optional windshield.

But the result is greater than the sum of its parts. Much, much greater. In fact, we’re convinced that the latest Ariel Atom is the purest, most singularly focused driver’s car ever made. Like you, we’ve always wondered what it’s like to strap into an Atom and head off towards the sunset. Today, thanks to our friends at Forman Motorsport, we finally find out. Follow the jump to keep reading.

Photos by Jeremy Korzeniewski / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Quick Spin: Ariel Atom 3 is awesomeness that defies all classification

Quick Spin: Ariel Atom 3 is awesomeness that defies all classification originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, GM, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Subaru, Volvo, Design/Style

Do you own a Lamborghini Miura? If not, we’re going to presume that you spend way more time looking at the interior of your car than the exterior. If you do happen to have a Miura parked in your garage, we suggest you stop reading immediately and go gaze upon its sensuous exterior lines for a few hours.

Still here? Great, that means you don’t own a Miura and the interior of your car is an extremely important consideration. Which begs the question: What car has the best interior in any given class? Attempting to answer that query is none other than Wards Auto, which has just released its annual Auto Interior of the Year Awards for 2010 after analyzing the innards of 40 vehicles that are either brand new for 2010 or at least significantly updated.

Somewhat surprisingly, the only automaker to take home more than one trophy was Chevrolet. The new Equinox won for popular-priced truck under $39,999 and the Camaro took top honors in the sportscar category. Other winners include the Subaru Outback in the popular-priced car under $29,999 category and the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo for “Design Versatility.”

Want to see the rest? Check out our high-res image gallery below for a visual listing of all the winners and click past the break for the official press release.

[Source: Wards Auto]

Continue reading Ward’s releases 2010 Auto Interior Award winners

Ward’s releases 2010 Auto Interior Award winners originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hatchback, Infiniti, Nissan, Design/Style, Electric, Luxury

Highlighting the classic conundrum of creating a bespoke luxury car from more plebeian underpinnings is a report from Automotive News that Infiniti was forced to reject the initial designs for its version of the Nissan Leaf electric car. Apparently, those first attempts, which came in from Nissan’s San Diego styling studio, were too similar to the standard Leaf.

According to Ben Poore, vice president of the North American Infiniti Business Unit, though, those problems are now long gone. “I was in Japan last week and saw the final three or four designs for the car,” assures Poore. “And I can tell you without a doubt that we’re going to have a uniquely Infiniti product.”

So, what kind of “uniquely Infiniti” changes can we expect from the upmarket electric vehicle? Surely there will be styling updates to bring the funky little hatchback more in line with the rest of the Infiniti lineup, and we’d also expect an interior that’s suitably upgraded with more luxurious appointments. Also, Poore suggests that the car must have adequate acceleration and performance in order to satisfy Infiniti’s more demanding clientele.

Predictably, these improvements will bring with them an increase in the Leaf’s after-federal-incentive price of around $25,000. How much more, though, remains to be seen, as does the actual release date of the Infiniti-fettled Nissan Leaf.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Report: First Infiniti Leaf rejected due to staid styling, lack of luxury originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorcycle, Design/Style

Honestly, we don’t know what it means to have a “frame, suspension and steering grown from organic substances,” but whatever it is, you can see it in the image above. Looks kinda cool, no? Designer Michael Smolyanov describes a process of using fluorine to “destruct the organics and process the carbon” of the frame, leaving a strong and lightweight structure. Whatever that means.

In any case, this concept motorcycle is supposed to be eco-friendly, though it’s powered by what appears to be an air-cooled V-twin engine. Perhaps it would run on alcohol fuel? Looking over the design, the M-Org concept also appears to have some sort of mashup between a Cannondale Lefty and a BMW Telelever fork design.

Finally, the John Deer-esque color scheme is complemented by a saddle that you might expect to see on a very old and well-used tractor. Practical, or even possible? No, most likely not. But if you’re gonna go way out there for a concept, might as well go all the way. See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below, and check out some more of Smolyanov’s designs here.

[Source: Cardesign.ru via Two Wheels Blog]

M-Org Chopper Concept is green, organic, hard to describe originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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