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#76
11-02-2010, 04:20 AM
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Chicago 2010: BMW ends three year Alpina B7 drought for 2011
Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, BMW, Luxury  2011 BMW Aplina B7 - Click above for high-res image gallery Not only will BMW not make an M7, but they even stopped making the incredibly-close-to-an-M Alpina B7 a few years ago. That car could hold its head high against competitors like the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, Audi S8 and Bentley Flying Spur Speed, with extra horsepower, refined handling and unique looks setting it apart from standard 7 series fare. Sadly, that car was only produced from 2007-2008 and since '09 there's been nothing to fill the void. Today in Chicago we saw a bright light on the horizon. Just in time to do battle with the upcoming Jaguar XJR, Porsche Panamera Turbo and the like, BMW unveiled the 2011 Alpina B7. Functional front and rear fascias and spoilers, 20-spoke, 21-inch Alpina wheels, hand-stitched "Lavalina" leather and Alpina badges and sills differentiate this from lesser 7s. Underhood there's a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque - 100 hp and 66 lb-ft better than the 750i, with a 0-60 dash of 4.5 seconds. Available in short wheelbase for $122,875 or extended wheelbase at $126,775, it's a helluva car for helluva lot scratch. Press release after the jump and live gallery below. Live photos copyright (C)2010 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc. [Source: BMW] Continue reading Chicago 2010: BMW ends three year Alpina B7 drought for 2011 Chicago 2010: BMW ends three year Alpina B7 drought for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Commentsأكثر... 
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#77
11-02-2010, 05:30 AM
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Chicago 2010: DeltaWing Indycar concept
Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Concept Cars, Motorsports, Racing  As we speak, the IZOD IndyCar series is looking over a number of proposals for the next generation of open-wheel racecars. One of those, the design from Dallara, has already been shown. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, DeltaWing pulled the covers off its design proposal, and the machine looks completely different from anything we've yet seen circling the Brickyard. At first glance, a couple of interesting features jump out, not the least of which are the giant vertical rear wing and super-skinny front track. The cars also seem much longer than current Indycars, though we'd need to see the two machines next to one another to come to any real conclusions on the matter. In any case, DeltaWing has a pretty radical design on its hands. Plus, Chip Ganassi Racing's Ben Bowlby, who formerly led design at Lola, is behind the effort. See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below and make the jump for an animated video of the DeltaWing buzzing around Mid-Ohio. Continue reading Chicago 2010: DeltaWing Indycar concept Chicago 2010: DeltaWing Indycar concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Commentsأكثر...
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#78
11-02-2010, 06:20 PM
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Chicago 2010: Bad Timing Dept. - Prius MotorWeek Drivers' Choice winner; Toyota declines JDM award
Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Recalls, Safety, Hatchback, Toyota  2010 Toyota Prius - MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Award winner for Best of the Year By February of each year, we are always right in the middle of awards season, and no, we're not talking about the Golden Globes, Grammys or Oscars. We are, of course, referring to Car and Truck of the Year awards, Ten Best lists and the like. A brace of trophies had already been handed out at the Detroit Auto Show and here at the Chicago Auto Show, a few more champions were crowned. As you might imagine, Toyota is usually an oft-mentioned brand during this time of year, but we figured this year might be a little different. Coming on the heels of several high profile recall announcements by Toyota, one might expect the once-bulletproof Japanese carmaker to at least get more careful consideration when handing out the hardware. Well, even if they have gone through closer scrutiny, that hasn't stopped multiple outlets from still rewarding them for their products. Television show MotorWeek just announced their Drivers' Choice Award winners, and the Toyota Prius is their choice for best Eco-Friendly vehicle. It also claimed the title of Best of the Year overall, making it their top pick of the 2010 models. Other category winners are listed below and there's a long press release after the jump that includes a statement by MotorWeek host and producer John Davis. While it was probably difficult to change their minds so late in the game, the statement by Davis explaining their rationale in choosing the Prius seems to have been written some time before Toyota started making so many headlines: "If you can only buy one car for your family, the 2010 Prius is the one," said Davis. "The Prius is a no-compromise vehicle that offers impressive efficiency, cutting edge technology, smart packaging and truly iconic styling." While all of that might still apply, it's bad timing if nothing else to be handing out a top award to the Prius. In that spirit, Davis added an additional statement to clarify and defend the show's selection. In it he explained that while MotorWeek had two different Prius hybrids in their care for several months, nothing ever went wrong with them and that the show is confident that the problems will be satisfactorily addressed by Toyota. MotorWeek was certainly not alone on that front however, as Toyota has recently been lauded by several other organizations as well. In Japan, for instance, Toyota was honored with a government energy efficiency award. Interestingly, the company chose to decline that award, though, saying that "the honor is not appropriate for a car hit by massive recalls," according to MSNBC. Without further ado, here are the MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Award winners:
[Sources: Motorweek via EarthTimes, MSNBC] Chicago 2010: Bad Timing Dept. - Prius MotorWeek Drivers' Choice winner; Toyota declines JDM award originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Commentsأكثر...
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#79
11-02-2010, 08:10 PM
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Chicago 2010: Kia shows off new Forte Koup racecar
Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Motorsports, Coupe, Kia, Racing  Kia Forte Koup Racecar - Click above for high-res image gallery Kia has been making waves this past year or so with introductions like the Soul and the Forte Koup, and for 2010, they hope to be make an impact on the racetrack as well. Here at the Chicago Auto Show, Kia is displaying their new Forte Koup racecar that is competing in Grand-Am's Continental Sports Car Challenge series for 2010. The Korean manufacturer's first foray into motorsports will be managed by Georgia-based Kinetic Motorsports who will field a pair of cars in the Street Tuner (ST) class against cars like the Mazda3, BMW 330, and Volkswagen GTI. The #10 car at the show was fresh off the truck from its debut at the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona Speedway last month, where it finished an underwhelming 31st in class. The #12 sister car fared a little better, ending the race in a respectable 19th place. You can watch both cars in action on SPEED Channel's tape-delayed broadcast of the race on February 13th at 7:00 pm EST. Until then, you can browse through our photos in the gallery below. Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc. Chicago 2010: Kia shows off new Forte Koup racecar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Commentsأكثر...
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#80
12-02-2010, 12:50 AM
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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. Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc. Chicago 2010: Hybrid chassis shows differences between old and new Silverado HD originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Commentsأكثر...
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