Monday, June 15, 2015
ETC Theres a Porsche Cayman under here somewhere
What we have here is the work of Dubai tuner Royal Customs that is controversial even beyond its styling. The Middle East aftermarket house says it spent fourteen months developing a bodykit for the Porsche Cayman, and the results seem to be aimed at those who wish their coupe were a 918 Spyder - the nose, strake-filled and widened rear fender, carbon fiber wing and massive diffuser all cribbing some from Stuttgarts new hybrid supercar.
Even without a buyer, the Alpha One Concept is already controversial. When WorldCarFans posted on the Royal Customs car recently, German tuner Alpha-N Performance wrote in alleging that the Dubai package copies their design from two years ago, which was also called the Alpha One, a design with which its clear the Dubai Alpha One shares numerous cues. We asked Royal Customs about its relationship to the Alpha One car, we were told, "Yes, there is a lot we can say about the remarkable similarities all of which will be explained by our press release by Mr. Emil from Autogespot. Please wait for the official release and you will have the full exciting story. Its an actual success story and not a replication story."
The response is referring to an "extensive report" on the car coming out of Autogespot. Royal Customs doesnt have the Alpha One Concept on its site yet, so were still missing quite a few details on it, such as whether the Porsche engine has been given a similarly 918-ish workover. We do know that the company says each car takes 30 days to build and it will only build three of them, which is a number that should satisfy any haters and, even more so, its buyers. You can decide which side of the fence youre on by having a close look at it in the gallery above.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Mulally will stay close to Ford after he steps down plans to advise Fields w video
Ford CEO Alan Mulally has less than a week left in his role of leading the Blue Oval before he hands off duties to Mark Fields on July 1. It doesnt look like Mulally is going to be shuffling off into his retirement anytime soon, though. The 68-year-old is being rather secretive about his next move, but he tells Bloomberg in a recent interview that he plans to stay close to Ford. Also, if Fields wants to ask for any advice, Mulally is happy to help.
Mulally took over at Ford in 2006 and led the company through a seriously rough patch in the auto industry. According to Bloomberg, he became famous or his Thursday meetings where executives were forced to deal with any problems before they could leave. Since announcing his retirement from Ford in May, Mulally has been insuring a smooth transition of power by traveling the world to all of companys major locations and saying goodbye to employees and dealers.
In terms of the future at Ford, Mulally doesnt predict any big changes in management style because the rest of the executive team is staying in place. He believes that Fields is going to maintain the processes already in place to keep things going. After all, it seems to be working. The company is predicting a return to profitability in Europe next year and is opening 88 new dealers in China. If the business could get its recalls under control, things could get even better.
Mulally is clearly a canny interview subject, though. Bloomberg attempts to pin him down about whats next, but the CEO refuses to even hint at anything. Hes rumored to become the chairman of the board or a board director at another company, but with Mulallys track record, anythings possible. Scroll down to watch a portion the interview and see if you think he has something up his sleeve.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Motorsports Mark Webber gets early clearance for Porsche departure
If theres no rest for the wicked, theres surely even less rest for the wickedly fast. And make no mistake about it, Mark Webber is wickedly fast. He may not have proven able (or given the opportunity, depending on who you ask) to emerge from Sebastian Vettels shadow after six seasons partnered with the multiple world champion at Red Bull Racing, but hes still won nine Formula One grands prix, to say nothing of the sports car races he won with Mercedes in the late 90s. But now hes leaving F1 to anchor Porsches new LMP1 program, and according to the latest reports, hes departing Red Bull for Porsche sooner than expected.
Typically an F1 driver is obliged to stay with his team until the end of the calendar year â" not just the end of the racing season â" helping out with things like promotional events and fine-tuning next years car. But news.com.au reports that Red Bull has given him early leave, so once the racing action in Brazil is done on Sunday, hes departing straight for Porsches racing headquarters in Wiessach, Germany.
It wont be Webbers first visit to the facility, having already swung by to have his new seat fitted. But his early arrival will undoubtedly help him and Porsche get up and running ahead of schedule. The move may have been facilitated by a new sponsorship deal that could see Webber carry Red Bull with him to Le Mans, so dont be too surprised to see the energy drink companys logo on the side of the new Porsche once the new racing season gets under way next year, whether in concert with or instead of the anticipated revival of the Martini Racing livery.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
A Bentley SUV Is It Really Necessary
Click here to learn more about the upcoming Bentley SUV
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
ETC DMC Concept takes DeLorean back to the future w video
The DeLorean DMC-12 was, for a brief but shining moment, the dream of the 1980s motorist. Eventually failed in the cold, hard, reality of bad business deals and sketchy engineering, the gullwing DeLorean has nevertheless refused to go away. The injection of stardom from Back to the Future and the motoring medias near sycophantic obsession with the wild life of John Z. DeLorean have given the brand legs that wouldnt have been believed in the darkest days of 1983.
The iconic bodyshell of the DMC-12 has played host to powertrains ranging from high-output mills to electric motors; toys based on the car still crop on the regular; the model makes occasional appearances on screens of all kinds.
Its not shocking then, that the DeLorean is still inspiring young designers, as well. We ran across this rather interesting new take on the DMC brand recently, a DMC.Concept that imagines a car positioned as a luxury coupe in the 2014 marketplace. Designer Alex Graszk may not have anything like a path to production for his evocative machine, but we still like the cut of his cloth. The concept does not so much ape the DMC-12 styling that were all so fond of, but it does strike us as a realistic, modern interpretation of the values that guided the first car.
Tell us how the fanciful DMC.Concept strikes you in Comments after scrolling below for a brief video.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
NHTSA and Ford investigating steering issues in Crown Vic Grand Marquis and Marauder
There may be more steering woes for the Ford Crown Victoria. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary evaluation into the Crown Vic and Mercury Grand Marquis from the 2004 to 2007 model years and the Mercury Marauder for the 2004 and 2005 model years because the steering shaft can jam. The issue could potentially affect an estimated 500,000 vehicles.
According to the regulator, there is a possibility that the drivers side heat shield for the exhaust manifold can rust, dislodge, and then wedge into the steering shaft. If this occurs, it leads to a situation where the driver can no longer control the car.
NHTSA has received five complaints of this happening, including one alleged case with an injury. In that situation, the car was driving onto the highway, lost control and rolled over. One occupant was hurt in the accident.
This isnt the first case of potential steering issues with the Crown Vic. Ford recalled 370,000 of them in 2013 in fix some components because of possible corrosion. NHTSA also investigated some police models for issues with the steering shaft.
A Ford spokesperson told Autoblog via email: "We are cooperating with NHTSA on this investigation, as we always do." It has no further information about the evaluation at this time. Scroll down to read the entire NHTSA report.
Date Investigation Opened: JUL 07, 2014
Date Investigation Closed: Open
NHTSA Action Number: PE14021
Component(s): ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING , STEERING
All Products Associated with this Investigation
Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s)
FORD CROWN VICTORIA 2004-2007
MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS 2004-2007
MERCURY MARAUDER 2004-2005
Details
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
SUMMARY:The Office of Defects Investigation has received five complaints alleging incidents of steering shaft obstruction caused by interference from a dislodged heat shield. The complaints indicated that the drivers side exhaust manifold shield can dislodge due to corrosion of the attachment bolts and become jammed between the manifold and steering shaft preventing the steering from turning or requiring excessive force to overcome the interference. In one incident (VOQ 10578715), the steering allegedly locked up on a highway entrance ramp, causing a rollover crash and injury. The complaint indicated that the heat shield was discovered to be dislodged after the crash, with witness marks from the alleged obstruction between the steering shaft and engine block. A preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the frequency, scope and safety consequences of the alleged defect. VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10317493, 10471833, 10479681, 10545112, 10578715
ODI RESUME
Investigation: PE 14-021
Date Opened: 07/07/2014
Investigator: Chris Lash
Reviewer: Jeff Quandt
Approver: Frank Borris
Subject: Steering Column Shaft Obstruction
MANUFACTURER & PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Products: MY 2004 to 2007 Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Marauder
Population: 500,000 (Estimated)
Problem Description: The drivers side exhaust manifold heat shield can rust and become dislodged, potentially jamming the steering shaft.
| *Description of Other: EWR field report data | |||||
ACTION / SUMMARY INFORMATION
Action: A preliminary evaluation has been opened.
Summary:
The Office of Defects Investigation has received five complaints alleging incidents of steering shaft obstruction caused by interference from a dislodged heat shield. The complaints indicated that the drivers side exhaust manifold shield can dislodge due to corrosion of the attachment bolts and become jammed between the manifold and steering shaft preventing the steering from turning or requiring excessive force to overcome the interference. In one incident (VOQ 10578715), the steering allegedly locked up on a highway entrance ramp, causing a rollover crash and injury. The complaint indicated that the heat shield was discovered to be dislodged after the crash, with witness marks from the alleged obstruction between the steering shaft and engine block.
A preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the frequency, scope and safety consequences of the alleged defect.
VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10317493, 10471833, 10479681, 10545112, 10578715
Monday, May 25, 2015
Bloodhound SSC pilot shows off his 1 000 mph office
Building a vehicle capable of going 1,000 miles per hour on land isnt something you do overnight. The folks behind the Bloodhound SSC project have been working toward reaching that insane speed since 2008 with the first record attempt still a year away. The goal is to go to the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa and obliterate the current land-speed record of about 763 mph, and to do it, the Bloodhound packs the same jet engine found in the Eurofighter Typhoon and a rocket to produce a combined 21 metric tons of thrust at full gallop. With that kind of power situated a few feet behind his head, driver Andy Green has a state-of-the-art cockpit to keep it all under control, and hes showing it off in a recent video.
As you can see in the image above, the interior looks more like something out of a sci-fi spaceship than a car. The whole thing has been sculpted specifically to fit Green; even the steering wheel was printed from powdered titanium to match the shape of his hands perfectly. The heart of the setup is the center screen that acts as a speedometer and thrust gauge for the engines. Its amazing how much work and engineering is going into this project, and its definitely worth scrolling down to watch Green explain it all on video.