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Report: Chrysler reconsidering light-duty diesel for Ram

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During last summer’s bankruptcy proceedings, New Chrysler chose not to contract Cummins to produce a light-duty diesel engine for the its Ram pickup trucks. At a rumored 5.0 liters of displacement, this diesel engine would have been somewhat less powerful but also less expensive and more fuel efficient than the larger 6.7-liter inline six-cylinder diesel, also supplied by Cummins, in heavy duty Rams.

Now our friends from PickupTrucks.com report that Dodge may be back in the light-duty diesel game. Joe Veltri, Chrysler vice president of product planning, reportedly said at the NTEA Work Truck Show, “We’re in discussions with Cummins. There’s no contract [with Cummins] but [a light-duty diesel] is in our plan.”

As an aside, it seems as if the so-called light-duty engine could also find its way into the Heavy Duty 2500 and 3500 Ram trucks in addition to the expected 1500. “Does every guy need a 6.7-liter diesel? It could certainly package in a heavy duty,” Veltri said.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Report: Chrysler reconsidering light-duty diesel for Ram originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Is Why They Invented Roof Racks [LOLCars]

Disposophobia, or compulsive hoarding, is a mental disorder and it causes people to collect crap and never dispose of it. This is the first time we’ve seen vehicular disposophobia, but it’s equally as frightening. More »

2012 Chevrolet Malibu design completely revealed in patent filings?

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2010 Chevrolet Malibu patent drawings – Click above for high-res image gallery

Over the past nine months, we’ve seen the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu twice at General Motors media events that were closed to the public. On neither occasion were we allowed to take any photographs of the styling buck, but now we can finally show you what the next Malibu looks like. A General Motors filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows what is obviously an unidentified Chevrolet four-door sedan.

It retains all of the standard Chevrolet design features including the dual-port grille and four individual tail lights. Compared to the current and very well reviewed Malibu, the new car has more sculpted surfaces, especially around the corners. The chopped off tail of the current generation car is generally considered to be the weakest part of that design, and the new model addresses that area with what looks to be a much more attractive posterior.

The new Malibu will ride on the same Epsilon II platform that underpins the Buick LaCrosse and Regal. The new model will have a shorter wheelbase than the 112.3-inch span of today’s car, but it’s not clear if it will be as short as the 107.8-inch wheelbase of the new Buick Regal. The new Malibu will, however, be both wider and taller than the current model. The interior is also significantly upgraded with higher quality materials as GM tries to keep up with the advances of new models from Ford.

The next Malibu will probably debut in late in 2011 as a 2012 model, and we may see it in public at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. The timing of the Malibu should line up nicely with the Ford Fusion/Mondeo replacement and make for a very interesting battle in the mid-size sedan market.

[Source: Carscoop]

2012 Chevrolet Malibu design completely revealed in patent filings? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan only offering GT-R Premium for 2011, priced from $85,060* – will volume be constrained?

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2010 Nissan GT-R – Click above for high-res image gallery

The illustrious Nissan GT-R is, quite possibly, one of our favorite cars currently in production. Now entering its third year in America, Godzilla receives a few minor tweaks for 2011, including some minor suspension tuning, a double clear coat on its front and rear fascias, new rear cooling ducts and – wait for it – slightly darker wheel center caps than on the 2010 model that is pictured. Additionally, the 2011 GT-R – henceforth only available in Premium trim – gets more standard features, including auto on/off headlamps, speed-sensitive windshield wipers, Bluetooth, a USB iPod interface and XM NavWeather and NavTraffic. All of this can be yours for $85,060 (*including $1000 destination charge), which represents an increase of $1,020 over the 2010 GT-R Premium. Get your pocketbooks out.

Curiously, the folks at Nagtroc.org are reporting that just 315 GT-R units are slated to come to the U.S. during the 2011 model year. That striking us as odd, we talked with Nissan spokesperson Darryll Harrison, and he says that the automaker can’t confirm the limited production volume. Hmmm. The 2011 model is just now hitting the nearly 700 GT-R certified Nissan dealers across the country, though if the unit constraint holds up, it’s likely that more than half of the approved showrooms will never see one. Either way, hit the jump for the full details in Nissan’s press release.

[Sources: Nissan, Nagtroc.org]

Continue reading Nissan only offering GT-R Premium for 2011, priced from $85,060* – will volume be constrained?

Nissan only offering GT-R Premium for 2011, priced from $85,060* – will volume be constrained? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Forgotten History of Automaker Tractors [Retro]

Ferruccio Lamborghini didn’t start out as a builder of supercars. His first success came in the form of tractors and agricultural equipment. Here’s a look at the long and illustrious history of automaker-built tractors. More »

Bugatti Veyron On eBay For Under $1 Million [Found On EBay]

This “celebrity/executive owned” California Bugatti Veyron is listed on eBay Motors for less than $1 million, a major markdown for a rare car that went for around $1.6 million new. What? Did the Veyron-for-Corvette trade-in destroy the market? More »

Alleged patent images for Porsche Panamera convertible turn up

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Porsche Panamera Convertible patent drawing – click above for high-res image gallery

See, apparently we aren’t crazy, though we may have been a little smidge off the mark. Back in October, we reported that Porsche had begun work on an open top version of their then new Panamera super sedan. Only we said it would be a two-door ’cause, you know, drop top and all that. Whoops! If these alleged German patent office images from Autocar are anything to go on, Porsche is going after the highly nuanced (to put it mildly) – and presumably lucrative – four-door convertible market, joining the ranks of such noted automakers as… those dudes in Miami that chop the tops off Chrysler 300Cs. Okay, fine, the Maybach 62 Landaulet is kinda like a four-door convertible (but not quite), though at $1.35 million, it actually might compete in a different segment. And yes, yes – we know – the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is technically a four-door convertible.

But never mind any of that, as judging by these images, the Porsche Panamera convertible looks to be pillarless, something that the neither the $25,000 Jeep nor the mega-bucks Maybach can lay claim to. As such, the Panamera’s chassis would presumably have to be beefed up in a major way to retain some semblance of stiffness and rigidity. Though maybe not quite as much as you (and we) might think. If you look closely at the patent images, you can see that, like the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drop Head Coupe, the A-pillar has been reinforced with a mini-triangle. You’ll also note that the Pan’s butt isn’t any bigger than before, suggesting a folding cloth top as opposed to a space-intensive retractable hardtop. Back to chassis strength – thanks to modern production techniques, it’s possible to substitute in thicker gauge steel that will increase stiffness without adding as much weight as traditional afterthought convertible chassis bracing.

And where does this leave those of us wishing for a modern-day 928? Not in a very good place, we’re afraid. These patent drawings clearly show that the new, most-likely upcoming Panamera Convertible has been engineered as a four-door from the get-go, and never a duoporte. Shame…

[Source: Autocar]

Alleged patent images for Porsche Panamera convertible turn up originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Where do our nav systems take us most? Walmart

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Groan. Remember the $350,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom parked in front of a Walmart? Apparently it’s not an isolated case. That’s right, according to a new survey by TeleNav, most Americans use their navigation systems to find the Arkansas-based mega-store full of cheap stuff that Sam built. The great burning irony, of course, is that most cars with navigation systems are “luxury” products. Though of course that’s changing, as navigation systems are making their way into lower strata vehicles and portable units and smart phones offer full GPS at much lower prices.

After Walmart, us Americans are searching for Starbucks, Target, Best Buy and Bank of America, respectively. Full disclosure time. Have we ever used a nav system to find a Walmart? Yeah, once, but we were in Louisiana and in need of spray paint (don’t ask). We’ll sleep okay tonight. We do, however, wonder how many two-gallon pickle jars would fit inside an Audi Q7.

[Source: AOL Autos]

Study: Where do our nav systems take us most? Walmart originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Playboy Fiat Heir Interferes With NBA Game, Helps Lakers Win [Car Culture]

Fiat heir/playboy Lapo Elkann was sitting court-side at Tuesday’s Lakers-Raptors game when he touched an errant pass before Toronto could save it, giving possession to the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, who hit a game-winning shot with 1.9 seconds left. More »

Did Bankrupt Runaway Prius Driver Fake "Unintended Acceleration?" [Exclusive]

James Sikes, the San Diego runaway Toyota Prius driver, filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and now has over $700,000 in debt. According to one anonymous tipster, we’re also told he hasn’t been making payments on his Prius. More »