AutoblogGreen for 07.31.07

Hummer vs. Prius. Microsoft vs. Google. Rush Limbaugh vs. so many people. Usually, it'd be a real safe bet that AutoblogGreen wrote about topic 1, and left numbers 2 and 3 to others. But yesterday the controversy gods aligned brought us the unusual stories instead of what we've seen before. The Hummer vs. Prius debate will have to wait for another day.
WTF?!? Rush Limbaugh touts GM's green efforts, loves his Escalade and Suburban
The most obvious example of how Microsoft and Google are different: Brute force vs finesse
Shamed! UK luxury car buyers opting for higher-CO2 models in 2007
Best UK CO2 car rankings go live
New BMW four-cylinder diesel engine for Australian marketTime for Another ABG Economics Lesson
Yet another way to save some pollution with "simple" engineering
Japanese brewer gets into biofuel production
2008 Prius price drop with the new standard model
BART riders can earn free rides with new credit card
Italian-made Elettrica EV makes London-to-Brighton drive "with battery capacity to spare"
Frankfurt preview: Mitsubishi Concept-cX, a clean diesel, Euro V-compliant CUV
Biodiesel facility reopens closed factory in Florida
Nissan halves precious metal content in catalytic converter
Quantum to deliver 10 hydrogen-fueled vehicles to Iceland
Specs of the plug-in Prius Toyota is testing in Japan

The DIY Wiimote performance computer

After seeing a physics experiment where a Nintendo Wii remote (wiimote) was used as a type of pendulum, an enterprising soul thought to use the Wiimote's 3-axis accelerometers to measure g-forces and even time acceleration runs, effectively creating a DIY g-meter gauge. The Wiimote might not be the most accurate tool for the job, but it's reasonably good and if you happen to have a Wii and a laptop handy. VW Vortex member Klee says that he wrote a script to collect the readings into his laptop and then fiddled with the data to get some plotted graphs to show g's and acceleration curves. Nothing overly complicated is involved really, just a laptop with MS Excel and some basic high school physics formulae. Not content to just get the down low on his Jetta, he also managed to convince his friend to sample an E46 M3 - purely in the name of science, you understand. The M3 was twice as quick to 60, in case you're wondering. Click over to get the script and more technical information about how to do this for yourself.

Prius price drop thanks to new '08 Standard model

Toyota just released pricing for most of its 2008 lineup, and along with a brief summary of model changes was information about a new, lower-cost Prius. That's right, a cheaper Prius. We had talked about the fact that consumer clamor for hybrids was waning, but we never expected to see the Prius price reduced. Reading the fine print shows what's really happening is that Toyota has introduced a new "standard" model with slightly less content to get to a lower price point. The base MSRP for the new Standard Prius starts at $20,950, while the Limited goes up about $150 to $23,220.The recent JD Power finding that hybrid popularity is giving way to more interest in diesel powertrains seemed to have some merit as Toyota had said it would be trimming the entry price of its 2008 Camry Hybrid by about $1,000, as well. Although the Camry isn't included in this release, the cheaper Prius seems to bear out that fact. The cheaper '08 Standard Prius should be in dealerships in August. New pricing for the other '08 Toyota models was also announced, and not surprisingly, all went up, even if just a bit.

VIDEO: Semi-naked Panamera caught in the wild

This might be a week old, but it's still worth mentioning in case you haven't seen it yet. A video of a Porsche Panamera doing some testing was posted on MotorAuthority and popped up on Auto Play as well. In it, you see the Porsche sedan sans most of its disguise cladding, being put through its paces. And better yet, you can hear it, too. As we have said before, we expect the new Porsche to be available with your choice of everything from a hybrid V6 to a twin-turbo V8 underhood. The sound of the car under throttle can be heard at a few points and it has a wonderfully deep growl. We'd guess it's the V8, if pressed. Porsche recently told the world that the Panamera we've been seeing in spy photos (and videos) isn't necessarily the final form, perhaps deflecting some criticism of the rather awkward shape. A production version isn't expected to be unveiled until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, so there will likely be a lot of changes between now and then.

Porsche doesn't plan to take over VW... yet

The latest in Porsche-Volkswagen relations is that the sports car maker has contingencies in place to raise its stake in the VW Group, but at this point is not planning an outright takeover.
As you may recall, when Porsche recently increased its ownership in Volkswagen AG, it was bound by German law to make an offer to purchase controlling interest. The offer Porsche submitted to Volkswagen shareholders was purposely low because Porsche didn't want to fully take over Volkswagen.
That law is now on the verge of being repealed, leaving the door open for Porsche to further increase its stake, but that doesn't mean that it will automatically take the opportunity to further entrench the anschluss between the two companies founded by Ferdinand Porsche. If, however, Porsche's position on the Volkswagen board is threatened, it could increase its stake up to 50-percent without any further bureaucracy and legal issues, but for now it plans on staying where it is.

Ghosn still interested in U.S. automaker tie-up

While wanting to be on the record as saying he doesn't feel overstretched as the head of both Renault and Nissan, Carlos Ghosn admits the Japanese automaker's recent profit slump is "disappointing." But more importantly, he wants the world to know Nissan is still "extremely profitable." And yet, some thought he was biting off more than he could chew when it was announced that there would be a change at the top of Nissan's U.S. operations. That wasn't the case he points out, as that had been in the works for some time. Ghosn said it would be much more difficult to run both companies if they didn't share so many elements. The dip in profits was attributed to higher costs and weak domestic sales, and the company thinks everything is just fine. In fact, just to add a little spice into the conversation, Ghosn mentioned that he is still interested in possibly working with a major U.S. automaker. That plan didn't get very far last year, but having a European, Japanese and American triumverate makes some sense for world economies, if nothing else.

Lamborghini taking the financial bull by the horns

Here's a profile of Stephan Winkelmann, head of Italian supercar builder, Lamborghini. It comes from The Times and shows us how Winkelmann has put together a pretty solid business plan to help keep Lamborghini out of the sort of financial trouble that has seemingly always been a part of the company's reality. When Audi took control of Lamborghini at the end of 2004, Winkelmann took some time to think it over before agreeing to take the reins. Although the budget seemed modest, Lamborghini had to remain extreme, in his mind. So while the cars themselves have had to use some shared parts with their corporate brethren, they still have that certain Lambo flair. The company also added signature items to their catalog - clothing, merchandise, and accessories - that have helped spread the name.Just before Winkelmann stepped in, the company had finally surpassed 1,000 units sold in 2003, but it wasn't until 2004/2005 that they saw any kind of profit. Last year, they passed 2,000 vehicles sold worldwide and reported earnings of €18.1 million. That's a far cry from the 1970s and 1980s, when selling 250 cars a year seemed fine. Looks like the Superleggera and LP640 Roadster have made '07 a pretty good year so far, too. And there is more to come. "We're getting serious," Winkelmann says. "We are not just a toy producer for men. We are a quality car company and the results will speak for themselves." Read the whole story to see more details about Winkelmann's plan for the company. Hint: It doesn't include a third (or fourth) model.

Volvo has to overcome hurdles to market C30

When your average customer is a middle-aged woman and part of a family with a combined income of $140,000, how do you market to men aged between 28 to 38 and earning less than $100,000? That's the dilemma Volvo is facing with the launch of its cool new C30 hatchback, which is supposed to target a younger more dynamic crowd compared to Volvo's traditional customers.
There will be no TV and print advertising for the C30 at all, which we all know means any marketing money earmarked for the hatch is destined for the web. Volvo is going to start by airing three-minute-long webisodes on msn.com hosted by the guy that plays Darryl on NBC's The Office. It's hoping the episo... sorry, webisodes (I hate that word) will hit the sweet spot, but we doubt they will. Volvo knew it was going to have a challenge on its hands marketing the C30 in North America, mainly because of the public's preconceived about what Volvo is. That idea clashes with the sport and youthful C30, though you can count us as fans of the new hatch.
The other major problem is the price. At $23,445, including shipping, a small hatch like the C30 was always going to be a hard sell. It doesn't help that dealers will be less inclined to push the baby Volvo when they can make more profit on larger vehicles.

Japan gets new ist, err... xD

The JDM Toyota with the most peculiar name (it's up against some pretty tough competition on that front), the "ist", had a face lift and heart transplant today. Replacing the original 2002 model, which was sold Stateside as the Scion xA, the new car is still a front wheel drive hatchback, but has taken on distinctly crossover-ish dimensions, and comes with a choice of 1.5 and 1.8 liter motors as opposed to the 1.3 and 1.5 liter line up of old. Prices are a bit below the near-identical US spec Scion xD, starting at $13,800 for a CVT equipped 1.5 but rising to almost $16,000 for the 1.8 with an electronic four speed auto.

The Racing Network wants to offer NASCAR-free motorsports coverage - you game?

The Racing Network (TRN) just put out a call to motor racing fans. Well, fans of racing other than just NASCAR. Trying to gauge public interest, they have asked visitors to vote on their very existence. The question they ask is simple, if a bit wordy: "Would you be willing to: Switch from your current cable or satellite provider to the cable or satellite provider that carries the new non-NASCAR Racing Network, or add the additional cable or satellite provider in order to watch the new non-NASCAR Racing Network?" What they are offering is "a 24/7 racing network" that's "devoted exclusively to the NON-NASCAR race fan." The programming would include "thousands of hours of live, historical and first run racing as well as many weekly race magazine-style shows including weekly coverage of major domestic series, [with] behind the scenes access..." They're talking about coverage of Open Wheel, Drag racing, Rally, GT, Touring Car, Bike Racing (road and off road ), Karting, Vintage, Rallycross, Sports Cars, Endurance, Motocross, Supermoto, Off Road/Dirt, European Truck racing, UTE racing, Hill Climb, Porsche Cup, Desert, Speedway, Adventure, Historical, Various Club programs, (Porsche, Corvette, etc), and Various manufacturer series. Sounds super to us. If it sounds like something in which you'd be interested, visit their site by clicking the Read link below and vote. Please note, they request only one vote per household.

Russia GAZ may be interested in Land Rover/Jaguar

Could Land Rover and Jaguar be headed to Russia? CNN Money is reporting that Group GAZ is showing some interest in purchasing the firms from Ford. Ford has said that it will entertain offers for the two British marques and although several names have been mentioned, this was the first we heard of GAZ being involved. GAZ has already denied the rumor, although it was pointed out that the company has expressed an interest in expansion. This comes almost exactly a year after GAZ first denied interest in Jaguar in a separate sale rumor.If it is interested, GAZ would be on a list of potential suitors that includes private equity firms Cerberus and One Equity Partners, plus new entrants Tata Motors and Mahindra, as well as newcomers American equity firms TPG and Ripplewood Holdings. Of course, all of this is still contingent on Ford really committing to the idea of a sale at all. Concerns about what a sale of these prestige brands could do to Ford's worldwide reputation are still keeping the company from serious work on a sale. As we reported last week, Ford hasn't given any of the bidders a complete financial picture of Jaguar and Land Rover, nor have any of the bidders even been allowed to visit the factories or speak to senior management. Potential buyers have only been told not to bid if they plan on closing factories or moving production out of Britain. We'll keep you posted.

Confirmed! Hyundai making Tiburon replacement RWD

We've had rumors and spy shots before, but up until now we really didn't have any confirmation that Hyundai's new Tiburon replacement would switch from a pull-me to a push-me. With the new rwd platform that the company recently developed for its Genesis luxury sedan, it was expected that the next generation of affordable sports car from Korea would ditch its fwd layout and get some true sports car manners. Well, Hyundai just confirmed that when that car shows up in late 2008 or early 2009, it will indeed be rear-wheel drive.As predicted, the car will share its rwd platform with the already-announced Genesis sedan, which we should see in about a year. The Tiburon replacement should show up half a year to a year after the sedan, and might even come as a convertible. In fact, there is also a suggestion that we'll be seeing several models based on this platform. We're not sure if the coupe will share the sedan's new V8 in addition to the expected V6, but it would make an interesting competitor for the Mustang if it did. Hyundai has officially said no, but there are still whispers, and if not a V8, some kind of boosted V6 in the top models might suffice.

Auction Action: 1985 Suzuki Mighty Boy

Fed up with your pick up's lousy mileage, but worried that your neighbors will stone you Top Gear style if you buy a regular car? Want to make Subaru Brat drivers feel all superior? Or just need a second truck that will fit in the back of your Silverado?
Look no further than this 1985 Suzuki Mighty Boy available on Japan's Yahoo Auction site. Built to kei-car standards of the time, it's less than 11ft long and 3ft 8in wide, yet it can carry a standard 8ft x 4ft sheet of plywood in its flat bed – but only if you cut it up into 16 2ft x 1ft pieces first.
A snip at $400 (at the time of writing), postage and packaging is not included.

New Porsche Cayenne begets new TechArt Magnum

Well, you knew this had to be coming. The revised Porsche Cayenne has been on sale for a while now, and Porsche supertuner TechArt has readied the next-generation Magnum for an official debut at the Frankfurt show in September. The edgier look of the new Cayenne has given way to a Magnum that's just as aggressive as the outgoing one, but is better-looking in a very angry sort of way. This Magnum looks like it wants to punch you right in the kisser and take your lunch money. Possibly your dignity, as well. The muscled-up bodywork is further accented by swanky Techart wheels and formidable quad exhaust outlets. Inside the cabin, enough leather is stretched over the seating and trim surfaces to make PETA members suffer immediate nervous breakdowns. We also like the snazzy brown carbon fiber trim used in lieu of wood in the photo car. Techart is working on a suite of engine mods for the Cayenne Turbo's mill that will pump it up to 620 horsepower, and their suspension modification allows for a lower-than-standard ride height for normal driving. (The adjustable suspension's peak off-road height is still maintained.) Price? None given, and if you need to ask, you're probably out of your league anyway. The verdict? Badass -- very much

Model T takes on a HUMMER in hill climb

It wasn't a fair fight at all, but for funsies, a vintage-car hill-climb allowed Forbes Magazine to enter a late model HUMMER H2. You know, just to see how the 316-hp, 4WD SUV would do against, say, a 100-hp 1921 Model T driven by a 70-year-old man. Like we said, it wasn't fair at all. The HUMMER climbed the 475-foot-tall hill in 10.74 seconds and didn't even break a sweat. Among those not surprised at the HUMMER's prowess was Gary Le Fever, the Model T driver who was waiting at the top of the hill for the H2. Le Fever and his 86-year-old Ford had finished the climb in 9.96 seconds!Not a huge difference in a conventional match-up, but considering the participants, an amazing triumph for the Model T's engineering simplicity over the HUMMER's hefty muscle.BTW, the photo is for illustration only. The hill climb was, we understand, much larger.

Spy Shots: Ford Crown Victoria Special Edition, Yay!

Many fans of the Ford Motor Company are longing for some form of the RWD Interceptor concept to become a production reality, and little do they know, such a vehicle is on the way. Well, it's not exactly the Interceptor concept, but spy shots of the 2008 Crown Victoria show that the original Police special will receive the Ford corporate three-bar grille when its refreshed. If the more masculine front clip isn't enough for you to spring for Ford's fleet maestro, then check out the new "special edition" badging complete with a crown adorning the colors of the Italian flag. The only other visible difference on the '08 donut delivery vehicle of choice is a puzzling strip of chrome at the bottom of the lower fascia which looks like a bling goatee. No word yet on powertrain, but the existing 4.6L V8 and a four speed automatic are good bets.It's difficult to understand why Ford would go to the trouble of doing anything other than a full remodel of the Crown Vic. However trivial the costs of the updates, given that the Vic is now available for fleet sales only, we can't see anybody looking at the 2008 Crown Victoria and saying anything other than.... TAXI!Click the Read link to see the full view of the Vickie's new three-bar grille.

Beauty in the Green Mountains - Hemmings Concours - HUGE Gallery

Last weekend was a carshow smorgasbord for us. We got to hang out with the gullwing-afficionado Bricklin folks, and on Sunday, we headed up to Vermont's Stratton Mountain for the New England Concours D'Elegance. The event was put on in smashing style by the good people at Hemmings, and even though we didn't make it up for the much larger general car show on Saturday, Sunday's Concours was no less enthralling. Concours events are another level entirely, with the field being comprised of cars so perfectly restored they grab you by the earlobes and make you pay attention. If they're not restored, the cars are authentic examples with the most exceptional patina. Either way, the cars at the Concours were incredible. There were cars from virtually every era of motoring, with powerplants as diverse as DC electric motors to Italian V12s. We can't possibly recount all that we saw, but there was a particular '66 Ferrari that blew us away with its originality, a Daimler SP250 proudly displaying its diminutive hemi-head V8, a Duesenberg racer, 1930s luxury rides from Lincoln, Auburn, Pierce-Arrow and Packard, and we finally got to see that DeSoto with electronic fuel injection up close and personal. If you've never been to a concours, you owe it to yourself to go - where else can you take in an unrestored Mercury X100 in exceptionally clean condition, the most perfect '68 Hemi Charger we'd ever seen, and plenty of befinned Cadillacs. We made a whirlwind stop, and shot a hair over 100 pictures, so without further ado, we'll shut up so you can get to the pictures.

2007 Rolling Sculpture car show

Every summer car fans from around the Ann Arbor, MI area drive their prized possessions downtown and park them along Main St, Fourth Ave and the surrounding side streets for the Rolling Sculpture car show. More than 400 cars show up every year and this year the weather for the show was perfect, the humidity of the previous week giving way to a pleasant breeze. The cars on hand ranged from old British roadsters like Sprites and TR4s, to exotics like the Ferrari 512bb. Muscle cars like Mustangs, Camaros and GTOs were well represented as were Corvettes and T-Birds of all vintages. The offbeat machines included a 1916 Detroit Electric and old Dodge Caravan completely covered in blue astro-turf, along with a stretched four door, four seat C4 Corvette. For those who didn't make it to this year's show you can peruse the hundreds of photos in these six galleries.

Miracle Car? Look, it's the Jesus MINI!

It's the holiday season in Europe, during which workers shut off their PCs and then vanish for like, a month. Many head for the water, and Spain's beaches are a popular destination. Given that there will be plenty of eyeballs congregating along the coasts, MINI has decided to give them something to look at by whipping up a Cooper that drives on water. This messianic MINI will be appearing at Spain's Mediterranean beaches throughout the vacation season. Not only is it a cool publicity stunt, it's also given us a possible answer to the question, "What would Jesus drive?"

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Mix yourself a Ferrari

Some like it, some hate it, but you can find the Ferrari name on just about everything these days. The exotic Italian automaker, as is commonly known, has been pursuing and escalating a merchandising campaign that has accelerated its way into just about every market segment imaginable. Now it may surprise some of the guys over in Maranello, but it turns out there are still some things money just can't buy. Like having a drink named after you.
To well-versed bartenders and their most loyal customers (and by that we mean drunks), this will come as no big news, but as this writer recently discovered, there's a drink called the Ferrari. To the best of our knowledge it's the only racing team or carmaker that has a mixed drink named after it, and if you follow the jump, we'll tell you just how to make it.

NYC cabbies threaten September strike over GPS

With the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission's October 1 compliance date for installation of GPS-equipped information and payment systems in New York's 13,000 taxis, a driver's advocacy group is gearing up to strike in protest. The source of the controversy is the screen above. The system provides riders with useful info like news and weather, as well as credit card payment functionality and the ability to watch the route the taxi is taking to its destination in real-time. We tried it out during the New York Auto show and found it to be pretty cool and easy-to-use. For tourists, it's a nice setup. The only negative observation our driver made when we asked him his opinion of it was that the system didn't take well to fast inputs when in payment mode. Slower, deliberate taps on the touchscreen worked better. According to the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a non-union group representing drivers' interests, the GPS-based systems are a bad thing, and it claims that its 8,400 members will go on strike September 1 if the TLC doesn't put the kibosh on its fleetwide GPS plan. The organization claims that the systems overreach and are an invasion of drivers' privacy -- a sort of "Big Brother" that'll be used to track cabbies whereabouts at all times. The TLC notes that there are several benefits to drivers in addition to the added functionality it gives riders. Pick-ups and drop-offs are automatically recorded, eliminating the pencil-and-paper system used up until now. Also, drivers will be able to receive real-time traffic info and will gain a measure of protection against the criminals who sometimes prey upon taxi drivers. The GPS should help police track down cars in distress and nab the perpetrators in these situations. Lastly, the TLC says that drivers in cars equipped with the systems already make 18% more in tips. That tidbit has not been part the NYTWA's talking points. According to the TLC, most operators (73%) have already chosen a system ahead of the 10/1 date, anyway. Still, it looks like a showdown between the the TLC and Taxi Workers Alliance is imminent, as the TLC is very unlikely to back down. Whether or not the dustup will actually amount to anything significant remains to be seen.

Happy 30th, 7-Series!

It's been thirty years since BMW introduced the first incarnation of its flagship luxury sedan. The original 7-Series (codenamed E23) made its market debut in 1977 to replace the four-door version of the smaller 6-Series and to compete with offerings from competitors, chief among them Mercedes-Benz.
Since then, the 7-Series has become a staple of the high-end luxury car market, doing battle with such models as the Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and Lexus LS. It is now in its fourth incarnation (not counting facelifts and cosmetic tweaks along the way), and has come a long way in the past 30 years. With the "controversial" styling, insanely complex iDrive system and worldwide portfolio of a dozen different variants, it's doubtful a buyer of the original 7 would even recognize its successor today.
From all of us at Autoblog, we wish the ultimate Ultimate Driving Machine a happy birthday. We look forward to a return to the simpler luxury sports sedan that we'd come to know.

Spy Shots: Gen VI Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit spotted

KGP Photography was spending its weekend in beautiful Death Valley when its photogs snapped a whole lot of pics of the next VW Rabbit in testing. Judging from the VW engineer flipping off the camera (will they ever learn how bad that looks?), we're pretty sure the Volkswagen testers didn't want any pictures out just yet. A new, stronger character line can be seen spanning the Rabbit's flank, and the door handles no longer intersect said crease. The front and rear of the car are pretty well covered, but the general shape doesn't look very different than the Rabbit we already know and love. Powertrains are likely to remain largely unchanged, with a Euro-style range of petrol and diesel engines.The Rabbit/Golf is perhaps the most important car in the VW stable, as it sells worldwide at very high volume. One place where the Rabbit isn't as popular is here in the States, which is part of the reason we didn't get the Gen V Rabbit until only recently. Expect to see the new Golf swing in to European showrooms in 2008, with the bunny-monikered version arriving here a couple of years later. Click the read link below to view more spy shots of the Rabbit over at Winding Road.

Thirty minutes with the 2008 Jetta Sportwagen

As station wagon lovers ourselves, we were just as disappointed as many of you were when we heard the news that the new Jetta Sportwagen had been delayed due to a plant fire which destroyed 12,000 - 15,000 cylinder heads. After all, with nearly as much space as the average SUV or minivan but with much better fuel mileage and more sport to go with it, what's not to like? And those are just the practical considerations. What about how the car drives? That's an excellent question, so, when we got a chance to get some seat time in an '08 Jetta Sportwagen at the 2007 American Station Wagon Owners Association Convention, we jumped on it.
Here are a few quick details to keep you interested enough to keep reading after the break, which is where you'll find our driving impressions. The wagon (or... wagen) version of the Jetta has 32 cubic feet of cargo space with the back seat in place, and more than double that with the seat folded down at 66.9 cubic feet. Engine choices start with the 2.5 liter inline 5 cylinder with the 2.0T engine as an upgrade. If you're into saving gas with an oil-burner, the 2.0 TDI will be available too. That engine will give up to 60 miles per gallon on the highway..Follow the jump for more.

My precious: Nissan's new cat cuts down on expensive metals

Nissan has developed a new catalyst for its gasoline-powered cars that requires only half the amount of precious metals that current designs call for. The catalyst or catalytic converter is a piece of the exhaust system filled with a mix of platinum, rhodium and palladium that captures harmful toxins in a car's exhaust such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons by triggering a chemical reaction. Engineers at Nissan used new nanotechnology to prevent the gathering of the precious metals in the catalyst under high temperatures, which meant less of the expensive stuff was required to clean the exhaust. Less metal means less cost, which means more savings for customers. Nissan will be sharing the technology with its French partner Renault and the first cars with the new system should be on the market by early '09. Hopefully this will also mean a reduction in the number of catalytic converters being stolen.

Great Scott! Could new DeLoreans be coming?

There's still a Delorean Motor Company, but it's not in the business of building new vehicles. At least not yet. The Texas-based firm purchased a lot of the assets of John DeLorean's original entity when it went belly-up, and it, along with its regional affiliates, does a brisk business keeping the dream alive. There are about 6,500 of the 9,000 DeLoreans produced still out there, but stocks of viable restoration candidates are petering out. Every time some child of the 1980s builds a replica of the Back To The Future time machine, we lose another candidate to stupidity. The recreations do serve to keep the popularity of the gullwing GTs up, we suppose, but the modifications required end up making a car that is more conspicuous than a bright red Maybach in Amish country. My overbearing opinion out of the way, the crux of the biscuit is that DeLorean Motor Company may soon start building new DeLoreans. They'll be produced as kit cars, side-stepping the tighter restrictions placed on truly serial-produced cars. Once DeLorean Motor Company has cleared its plate of restoration work, likely by March or April 2008, it'll start on the new cars. We'll be keeping our eye on what materializes on the DMC front – being old enough to have seen BTF in the theatres, of course we've got a lust to have a DMC-12 sitting in our driveway, whether or not we have the optional Mr. Fusion installed.

Iron Man alter ego Tony Stark's R8 at Comic-Con!

Our sister blog, Cinematical, is covering Comic-Con in San Diego and lo and behold, what did they spot out in front of the convention center? Tony Stark's Audi R8. This is just an early tease for Fanboy Nation, and this major product tie-in that will also see several other Audis cross the screen in Iron Man. The silver R8 was parked out front sporting the plate "Stark 4." Priceless. Robert Downey, Jr. portrays the armor-sporting hero in this newest comic-book-to-big-screen adaptation, which, if the reports on the footage shown at the convention are accurate, is going to kick ass. Click over to Cinematical for a few more pics.

Re-designed Saab 9-3 due in American showrooms in September

The revamped 2008 Saab 9-3 will be arriving in North American dealerships in early September. The lineup will start with the 2.0T Sport Sedan at $28,385 while the Aero V6 will cost at least $35,365. The four and six cylinder convertibles run $39,710 and $45,665 respectively. The new features include rain sensing wipers, OnStar, XM radio and remote top opening for the convertible.

2008 F1 Calendar: Valencia and Singapore in, Montreal in jeopardy

Several big (albeit anticipated) changes were made to the Formula One calendar for 2008, which was released by the FIA yesterday.
The F1 circus will make two new stops at the new circuit in Singapore and at the Valencia track in Spain, previously used primarily for testing. Singapore will slot in right before the grands prix in China and Japan, and most teams are expected to stay out east for the three-week stretch. Valencia joins Barcelona as the second race in Spain, banking on Fernando Alonso's popularity and following the cuts made to second races in Italy and Germany for this year. The race at the Nurburgring will be labeled the German Grand Prix, while Valencia will pick up the European Grand Prix moniker.
Follow the jump for details about North America and the full provisional 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar.

LEAKED: Supposed Kia Mesa interior shots

TheCarBlogger just published three leaked pics of what they are claiming to be the first official images of the interior in the new Kia Mesa, nee HM. And just like we were when we saw the interior on the Veracruz, we have to say we are pretty impressed. Nothing cutting edge, but definitely styled to put it in the luxury car camp. The materials might not hold up to that opinion, but they at least look good in the pics. And the admittedly faux wood gives this UV an air of luxury most people probably wouldn't expect from a Korean vehicle. Light and modern, that wood is slathered throughout, even on the steering wheel.What we see in the pics as far as the multimedia navigation/AV system goes is likely the home market setup. Chances are that the States will get the same LG unit we profiled in the Veracruz. There doesn't seem to be any reason why the AUX input jack and a Push-Start button won't make the trip over, however. We're not sure when the Mesa will make its public debut, but we're guessing somewhere between Frankfurt and the end of this year, with sales starting early next year. Click one of the images to view all three shots.

Confessions of an automotive quality engineer

Ever wonder how seriously the workers really take their jobs on the automotive assembly lines of the world? Seriously, do they really think about us consumers when they are bolting together that subassembly? Are there definitive differences between the way domestic and import vehicles are made that we can really see in the finished product? Well, even if you haven't wondered, we have. And so has Christopher Neiger of AOL Autos. To get some answers, he interviewed an automotive quality engineer who has worked in several plants around the world, for domestic and import manufacturers. His findings are really fascinating. Click over to read the whole story, but let us tell you that there are definite differences between the imports and domestics, that the workers do care about the finished product, and that there are many more parts to this equation than we might imagine. It's well worth the clicking 'Read' below.

Sketched speculation: Infiniti FX37/FX50 concept

Although the CAR crew seems to have the inside line on Audi's future releases, with its recent spate of "official" images posted earlier this week, Top Speed was able to procure some details about Infiniti's new FX-series crossover.The artist depiction shows a revised front end that draws cues from the new G-series sedan, with more tautly drawn headlamps flanking a revised grille and more muscular front fenders. However, everything aft of the A-pillar appears to carry over from the current model -- pretty much what we've expected.More important than the exterior changes is what lies underhood, and according to Top Speed the new FX will come equipped with either the new 3.7-liter VQ V6 or a 5-liter V8, producing 390 HP and 369 lb.-ft. of torque. Naturally, the new models' badging will reflect their newfound power: FX37 and FX50, respectively.Beyond the upgraded powerplants, expect the new FX to come equipped with a back-up camera, radar-assisted cruise control and mirrors that will automatically adjust when the seating position is changed.Although Top Speed simply cites an internal source for all these details, most of the information seems entirely plausible. We'll just have to wait until next year, when Infiniti pulls the cover off of the new FX in Geneva for confirmation.