Filed under: Honda, By the Numbers

Marketing folks at Rover used to boast that the first car most people of the world ever saw was a Land Rover. That’s a pretty spurious claim, but anyone who has travelled in Asia will agree that the first vehicle that most of Earth’s residents *owned* was and is the venerable Honda Cub.

Fifty years ago, Honda knocked out just 24,000 of the ground breaking mopeds, but last year factories around the world built a whopping 4.7 million of the little blighters and now the 60 millionth Cub has rolled off one of Honda’s multiple production lines.

To put things in perspective, 35 million Corollas have been sold to date, 30 million F-Series trucks have left Ford dealers and VW sold a paltry 21.5 million original Beetles. How many of those 60 million Cubs are still putting along is anyone’s guess, but having watched The Discovery Channel try to destroy one, we think it’s fair to say “most”.

[Source: Honda]

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Filed under: SUVs, Mercedes Benz

The Mercedes G-Class is like the tux and tails — its remains in vogue no matter what’s happening in the world around it. And like the tux, it looks pretty much like it did when it first arrived, and changes to it still don’t come quickly.

For the ‘09 model, the G has been given Mercedes’ new corporate face, so you can better associate it with that CL65 you’ve got parked next to it in the garage. The big news, though, is in the engine bay. The base V8 engine gets a whopping 90-horsepower bump from 292 to 382. Torque also gets seriously goosed from 336 ft-lb to 391. The boosted V8 and the AMG G55 get a much more modest boost of 7 horsepower for an even 500.

Otherwise, the squared one gets new wheels and electronics, including a new Telematics system. There is no word yet on whether the celebrity chariot will come to the U.S., but we’re sure Britney really wants one.

[Source: eMercedesBenz]

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Filed under: Etc.

Click above to view the video of the supposed Stig.

Certain mysteries aren’t meant to be solved, and when it comes to the Stig, ignorance is bliss. But when we got a tip about Top Gear’s top test driver caught walking around without his trademark white helmet, we were simultaneously skeptical and intrigued.

The Top Gear crew was caught on one of its legendary crap can races, this time with stripped-out compacts strapped to the roof, when someone wielding a video camera outside of the racetrack caught a glimpse of an unmasked driver wearing what is assumed to be the Stig’s white racing suit and carrying a matching white helmet. The blurry shots appeared on Autoblog.nl (no relation) and the speculative efforts of the Dutch enthusiast community pegged the man behind the mask as ace test driver Tim Schrick.

Schrick has had his fair share of publicity, primarily doing reviews for a few German television shows (we’ve posted a video of him caning the Porsche Carrera GT after the jump), and although the screen captures above doesn’t give us a clear view of Schrick (we think he looks a bit older), it’s the most plausible theory available.

The question that always pops into our minds when we hear about another spotting of the Stig is whether Top Gear employs different drivers for different segments of the show. Jeremy, May and Hammond were on the set, so it’s conceivable that Schrick is the “real” Stig, but unless other evidence is offered, we remain comfortable assuming that the Stig is part man, part machine and all bad-ass. Thanks for the tip, Laurens!

[Source: Autoblog.nl]

Continue reading The Stig revealed… in Belgium?

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Sports/GTs, Euro, Hatchbacks, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the VW Golf GTI Performance

VW hasn’t released any info on the car you see here, which is called the Golf GTI Performance design study, so we’ll call it like we see it. A black-and-copper checkered flag motif adorns the hatch, which is enhanced with a widebody kit, lowered suspension, and the expected wheel/tire upgrade. Out back, the GTI’s rear bumper cover is covered with more grillework than you’ll find on the rump of a Lamborghini Gallardo. A pair of giant exhaust outlet cutouts are also built into the corners. And speaking of Lamborghinis, VW has fitted the Golf GTI Performance with the dreaded “Lambo doors,” which look predictably ridiculous here. The exterior color scheme carries through to the passenger cabin, which gets a 2+1 sport seating arrangement and what appears to be a substantial audio system install. Not our cup ‘o tea, but it’ll probably go over very well with the VW tuners who take part in the WörtherSEMA… er.. Wörthersee Tour.

[Source: Volkswagen]

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In this digital age of the internets, there’s no way to lock down the content you produce and then publish for all to see. Your words, photos and videos can be stolen from right under your nose and you’ll likely never find out about it. Unless whoever stole your stuff emails it right back to you. That’s the position in which we found ourselves today after reading a press release emailed to us by RENNTECH. Seems the famous Mercedes-Benz tuner is getting into the business of modifying Bentleys. Its first product is an ECU module that’ll bump the power output of Crewe’s twin-turbo W12 from 552 horsepower 625.

We were confused, however, when browsing the high-res photos that RENNTECH sent along in the press kit. Perhaps that’s because three of them are ours. I should know, I’m the one who reviewed the 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur back in August, 2006. I’m also the one who photographed it in a mall parking lot, so I knew right away that my babies had been stolen despite RENNTECH’s pitiful attempt at photoshopping away the evidence (I meant for the parking lot stripes to reflect off the sheetmetal, thank you very much!). We’re not the type to get too worked up over a thing like this, though stealing someone else’s work will at least make you look stupid (ding, ding, ding) and might just get you sued (Did I mention those photos are owned by our parent company, AOL?).

BONUS: This gave us occasion to update our old review of the 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur and add our precious pics to a new gallery. We also made sure to slap a copyright notice on the review this time.

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Filed under: Trends, Lifestyle, Humor

Alright, fun is fun, but enough is enough. We wish one day would go by when we didn’t have cause to redefine the term “auto erotic”. First it was the amorous peacock and the Lexus. Then it was Jenna Jameson’s Lamborghini. Then the whole Max Mosley affair with the Nazi hookers. Most recently we had the MINI Clubman dressed up like a dominatrix. And now this.

Edward Smith, 57, of Washington State, loves cars. Well yeah, don’t we all? No, but this guy actually loves cars, and has confessed to copulating with some 1,000 vehicles. We don’t really want to imagine how exactly he goes about that, but we’re sure he must be on good terms with the staff down at the local Jiffy Lube. At least we can give this condition its own name now: mechaphilia. Seriously. Ed is part of a 500-member group of “mechaphiles” who profess the same infatuation. Follow the link to read more, if you must. Thanks to all who tipped in.

[Source: The Telegraph]

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Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Geneva Motor Show, Saab

Originally predicted to be shown at the Paris Motor Show in October of this year, the 2010 Saab 9-5 won’t actually debut until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March of next year.

While details of the new car are vague, we do know that it is based on GM’s Epsilon II platform (unlike the new 9-3, now rumored to be downsized) and that the styling is expected to follow cues from the Saab Aero-X. Back in November 2006, we called the current Saab 9-5 an octogenarian. In today’s current automotive industry, the 9-5 has reached centenarian status. The replacement can’t come soon enough.

[Source: Trollhattansaab]

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Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Mitsubishi

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mitsubishi Evolution X

We’ve already spent some wheel time in the Mitsubishi Evolution X GSR, and despite some dynamic criticisms, we’re convinced that the new Evo remains one of the most compelling performance bargains south of $40-grand. But what about the MR? Mitsubishi contends that its top-of-the-line Evo is aimed at discerning drivers looking for a compromise between brute force and comfort. Well, that balance comes at a price, and when the MR hits dealers this June, soft-bottomed enthusiasts will have to pony up $38,290 to get behind the wheel of the more “luxurious” Evo X.

The MR comes standard with Mitsubishi’s new six-speed, Twin-Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) and all the other features found on the standard GSR. If you option up the MR with the Technology Package, which includes a 30-gig harddrive navigation system, 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate Premium Sound Package, Sirius Satellite Radio and “FAST Key” entry system, the price rockets skyward to the tune of $40,840. Considering some of the competition playing around at that particular price point, buyers might have a tough time passing the BMW dealer on their way to Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi’s press release is available after the jump.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Continue reading Finally… Mitsubishi Evo X MR coming to the U.S. this June

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Wagons/Estates, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the VW R36 Variant Concept

The Volkswagen and Audi crew are blowing up this year’s Worthersee GTI meet in Worther Lake, Austria, first with the introduction of the A3 TDI clubsport quattro concept and damn-near production version of the TT clubsport quattro, and earlier today with the unveiling of the Scirocco GT24. But VAG isn’t stopping there. They’ve taken the wraps off of an Emeril-inspired Passat design study that kicks the already spicy R36 wagon up a notch.

The 300-hp, 3.6-liter V6 remains, but the stock exhaust has been upgraded with a new cat-back unit sporting larger tailpipes. The front brakes have also been swapped out in favor of larger Brembo six-piston units and the wheels are 20-inchers pulled from the Touareg R-Line. All the chrome trim has also been removed and replaced with pieces that match the Passat’s Moonlight Blue hue. Inside, race-ready Recaros replace the softer buckets found on the standard model, and they match the two-tone, black-and-white steering wheel, shift boot and even seat belts quite nicely. Volkswagen has made it clear that the Passat R36 Variant Styling Study is exactly what its name would imply, but don’t be surprised to find some of these custom bits available through VW’s Individual program in the future.

[Source: Volkswagen, Carscoop]

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Crossovers/CUVs, Lexus, Rumormill

We’ve known for quite some time that Toyota would be introducing the world to its third-generation Prius hybrid sedan at next year’s Detroit Auto Show. Expected to be powered by a revised and enlarged 1.8-liter engine and electric motors, the new model aims to continue Toyota’s hybrid dominance, at least for the next few model years. We also expect Lexus to get its own more luxurious version of the Prius, and Inside Line is reporting that it will come in calender year 2010 and could be the first Toyota-made hybrid with lithium ion batteries. What’s more, Lexus is said to be considering a second hybrid-only model to be based on Toyota’s midsize sedan architecture, as is the current RX, which is available in both standard and hybrid guises. Rumor is that the second dedicated hybrid model might be a crossover utility vehicle, the current darling of the it’s-not-a-station-wagon set. We’ll surely hear more about this new model before its expected introduction in 2011.

[Source: Inside Line]

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