Design Miami reveal of the 2011 A8 luxury cruiser

2011 Audi A8 – Click above for high-res image gallery

At last week's tony Design Miami reveal of the 2011 A8 luxury cruiser, we were able to corner Johan de Nysschen, Audi's executive vice president in North America, and ask him for some tasty tibits on the brand's upcoming products, including the A8's sexier derivative, the A7.

In addition to giving us the first official confirmation of the A7's existence, de Nysschen revealed that the four-door coupe model will slot in "a little bit below" the new A8 in terms of pricing, just as we expected. Of course, it's worth noting that the 2011 A8 faces a price bump due to substantial increases in content and technology, so when the A7 finally comes to the States, the average model is likely to sticker at around $82,000-$83,000, which de Nysschen says is about the price for a typically equipped 2010 A8 (pricing starts at $74,550 plus delivery).

Based on Audi's new longitudinal modular platform technology, the A7 will be clearly related to the A8 (and the A6 replacement that will follow it), and de Nysschen says that the 2009 Detroit Auto Show Sportback concept car serves as a "very reliable indicator" of what the production model will look like. Judging by recent spy shots from our friends at KGP, that very much appears to be the case. While parts commonality will be "substantial," de Nysschen says that the A7 will not use the full aluminum spaceframe design of the A8, although it will have aluminum elements.

As expected, the A8 will launch Stateside in both standard and long-wheelbase formats, with the latter predicted to make up the lion's share of the volume (the A8L presently accounts for about 80 percent of the model's sales).

We asked De Nysschen about how the two models will interact in the full-size luxury sedan segment, and he noted that:

"This top end segment is characterized by more conservative people, and we need to clearly take lower levels of risk with a flagship model [the A8]. But we recognize too that there is a sizable enough cluster of customers in that same segment who are ready for a more avant-garde design [the A7]. So we will essentially be positioning two cars into the same segment, which means that independently, the volume each attains is not that significant, but when you put them together, it will mean that our share of that segment will grow quite dramatically."

All-in De Nysschen thinks that the A8 will account for about 4,000 to 5,000 sales per year in the U.S., and the less costly A7 could clear 7,000-8,000 additional units.

And what of a high-performance S8 to take on Mercedes-Benz's AMG lineup, or the A5 Sportback? Click through to the jump for more details.

2011 Audi A8: Live from Miami

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Mid-engined Ghepardo is one part Corvette, one part Camaro

Caccia Custom Cars Ghepardo - click above image for high-res gallery

Here's what we know: Caccia Custom Cars took a 2002 Chevy Camaro and a 2002 Chevy Corvette and created the Ghepardo. The car uses the Camaro's frame and the Corvette's motor and suspension. The motor is mounted amidships, albeit backwards (note the throttle body). And the House of Kolor paint is called Pagan Gold. Also, you should not confuse this SEMA all-star Ghepardo with the 2006 Bizzarrini Ghepardo concept.

As for this Ghepadro... it's not that bad looking. In fact, the longer we stare at the exterior, the more we like what we see. Obviously we can't get past the gaudy chainmail armor covering up every single vent and opening. And we'd prefer if the five-slot wheels weren't chromed. That said, in profile, it's a nice looking mid-engine coupe and the rear is quite muscular. The front even has a touch of new Lexus, which while sacriligious for a Chevy-on-Chevy mashup like this, ain't bad at all.

The interior, on the other hand, is a house of horrors. Everything is covered over in prison-grade Alcantara or carbon fiber-look fiberglass. Even the fire extinguisher!! Also, we're pretty sure a 15/16" cutting tool isn't the smartest Dremel attachment to use for a show car. In fact, in this Autoblogger's mind, the Ghepardo is now in the running neck-and-neck with the Masonry Vitesse Rose for having the worst interior ever – quite a distinction! Additionally, the Ghepardo fills our minds with the delightful image of Corvette and Camaro fans/owners beating each other to pulps with giant oversized cartoon hammers. Perhaps that's just the food around here talking...

Ghepardo by Caccia Custom Cars

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Toyota execs deny cover-up after feds rebuke automaker over runaway car investigation

Remember Toyota's massive 3.8 million unit unintended acceleration recall that was attributed to pesky floor mats? It appears defective floor mats doesn't tell the whole story, as the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared in a statement that "this (unintended acceleration) matter is not closed," adding "removal of the floor mats is simply an interim measure, not a remedy of the underlying defect in the vehicles."

Up to 2,000 Toyota customers claim to have experienced a sudden surge of acceleration, and some reportedly told ABC News that they didn't even have the recalled floor mats in their vehicles. Even more disturbing are the results of an ABC News investigation that reportedly found "hundreds" of accidents and up to 16 deaths as a result of unintended acceleration.

Four of those deaths occurred in August when an off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer, traveling with his wife, daughter and brother in-law, were killed after their Lexus accelerated uncontrollably. The driver's brother in-law called 911 and said that the brakes didn't work before the vehicle reached an intersection, struck another car, went into a ditch and caught fire. Some Toyota owners feel there is an electronic glitch in the system that controls the throttle and the ABC report shows that there is some anecdotal evidence which illustrates that incidents rose after the system was put into place in 2002, but so far, NHTSA has found no evidence to support those claims after six investigations.

ABC News caught up with Toyota Vice President Yukitoshi Funo (pictured second from left) and asked him if Toyota was covering anything up. Funo replied "It is not part of the Toyota culture and Toyota way to cover up anything," adding that the Japanese automaker is working with NHTSA to come up with an agreement on how to proceed going forward.

If you own a Toyota or Lexus and you are concerned about this issue, it appears that there is little that will be done in the short term other than tie down or remove the floor mats. If you do experience the acceleration issue, Consumer Reports suggests shifting your vehicle into neutral, pressing the brake and holding it down in an effort to bring your vehicle to a stop. This post and video from CR demonstrates how to effectively resolve the situation, and the risks of pumping the brakes. Turning off your vehicle could be a bad idea, as turning off the engine will also result in the loss of power steering and power brakes.

Rev for iPhone reaches 2.0, includes data-logging [w/ VIDEO]

Since there are approximately one trillion iPhones in the world and about ten-times as many apps, it's not hard to find a program to suit your needs. But in the automotive sphere, there aren't nearly as many quality applications and even fewer that can deliver the information most gearheads crave. Thankfully, DevToaster has answered the call with Rev, and putting out the 2.0 release of its popular diagnostic and performance program.

In addition to offering code-reading and clearing features, along with OBD metrics for everything from coolant temp to throttle position (full features here), Rev includes built-in metrics for lateral and forward acceleration to calculate horsepower and torque, saved vehicles, GPS tracking and data-logging. In a bid to make the program more user friendly on the fly, it's reworked its interface to make it easier to edit the visual representations for the virtual (and customizable) gauges and graphs.

Although it's $39.99 App Store price seems like a deal considering its capabilities, the steep price of the company's wireless OBD-II controller ($149.99, pictured at right) is slightly harder to swallow. However, DevToaster is working on bringing the cost of the unit down in the near future and hopes to bring out both a series of "fun," "green" utilities and has talked with Google about developing a version for Android phones. Look for a full review of the 2.0 software soon.

Champion's Champions Crowned at 2009 Race of Champions

2009 Race of Champions – Click above for high-res image gallery

Every year, around the world, drivers compete wheel to wheel in all manner of racing series, from rally to F1, touring cars to Le Mans and everything in between. It gives racing fans plenty of varied action to follow, but it leaves one question ultimately unanswered: who is the world's best driver? That's where the Race of Champions comes in.

The event has been held every year since 1988 at the end of the regular racing season, giving the world's best from all manner of racing series the world over a chance to compete against one another on equal footing and common ground. And this year's Race of Champions was no less decisive. Follow the jump to read who claimed victory as the champion of champions.

Race of Champions 2009

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Massa hasn't been in an F1 car since July's Hungarian Grand Prix

Ferrari just announced that injured driver Felipe Massa could be back in the saddle as early as Monday. Massa hasn't been in an F1 car since July's Hungarian Grand Prix, when a spring from another car flew up and hit him above his eye, fracturing his skull.

The first time he has even been back on track was last week when he took the wheel of a kart. Because of testing bans in place this season in F1, Massa can't drive the current car he was running until Hungary. As he gets back up to speed, the FIA has granted him permission to drive a 2007-spec car fitted with GP2 tires.

Massa has also spent time on Ferrari's racing simulator. Word has it he's already mastered Barcelona and is working hard at beating the Interlagos circuit now. Before taking the wheel of the 2007 car, he still needs to pass an examination, but once he's cleared, he could be on track in Italy by Monday. This will be testing only as the driver isn't expected to compete for Ferrari any more this season.

Introduction to Karting - Part 2 2009

Welcome to the second installment of our Introduction to Karting series. Hopefully the first piece piqued your interest with tales of tiny machines pulling 3 g in the corners then hitting 60 in under three seconds on their way up to over 140 MPH. (Well over, as it turns out; one commenter indicated he hit an indicated 156 this season.) That kind of performance is unequaled outside of top-level formula motorsport, yet is available to anyone with some disposable income and a passion for going quick.

However, karting isn't for everyone so suitably endowed. The physical demands placed on a kart racer are hard to comprehend until you're in a fast turn, holding your breath because you can't inhale, feeling like your head is going to fly off and land somewhere in the pits. Chances are it won't, but whether or not you can withstand that while maintaining a good racing line and keeping an eye on a swarm of opponents is an important thing to find out before breaking out the charge card. The best way is, of course, to try it, and given the big up-front cost to buy a kart, a rental is the way to go.

To get our first real experience we signed up for an afternoon's racing school. We walked the track, worked with multiple instructors, got a lot of advice, had an impromptu race, and stuck it out for way more seat time than was probably advisable for a newbie. How'd we do? Read on to find out, and see some videos of our on (and, occasionally, off) track antics.

GM marketing boss Mark LaNeve apparently unaware that diesel is now cheaper than gas 2009

Over the last several years, we've heard a lot of excuses from many auto executives as to why their companies aren't offering diesel engines in their American market cars. Yesterday, General Motors' Mark LaNeve, the company's vice president of sales and marketing, made an appearance on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. The final question of the segment came from a viewer wondering why GM has failed to offer U.S. consumers the chance to buy some of the high-mileage diesel cars it offers in Europe.

It would appear that LaNeve might have done better to take a pass on the question. Instead of talking about the cost of making those diesels meet U.S. emissions regulations or the difficulty in helping Americans overcome the misconceptions about the fuel, he claimed that no one has successfully cracked the diesel passenger nut in the U.S. (which based on VW's May sales appears to be wrong). More startlingly, LaNeve went on to claim that diesel is $1.25 a gallon more expensive than gasoline. According to the Energy Information Agency, the national average for diesel this week is $2.35 / gallon while regular gas is $2.52 or $0.17 more than diesel. Admittedly, the fact that diesel is now cheaper than 87 octane gas is a recent development (a trend that nobody is sure how long it will last), but – going on national television and quoting outdated fuel prices as a reason for your bankrupt company's business decisions... well, that doesn't strike us as a terribly hot idea.

You can hear the question and response at 20:30 into the video replay over at C-SPAN.

Ford Iosis MAX Concept at 2009 Geneva Motor Show - KickingTires

Click above for image gallery of the Ford Iosis Max concept

Take note North Americans: The Ford iosis MAX concept that will debut tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show features the evolution of Ford Europe's Kinetic styling language that will be featured on the next-gen Focus. Why should you care? Because Ford has officially stated that North America and Europe will once again be sold the same Focus when the next model debuts. While the front is all Focus, the rear of the iosis MAX, including the trick two-piece rear hatch, is supposedly previewing the next C-Max, a Euro-only MPV that could also be sold in the States sometime in the near future. The interior, meanwhile, features many elements not suitable for production like floating seats upholstered in see-through netting, but the general shape of the dash could be close to production form if past Ford concepts are anything to go by. Perhaps the most exciting thing about the iosis MAX concept is its engine: a 1.6L EcoBoost four-cylinder that's turbocharged and features direct injection to produce an impressive 178bhp. Mated to a dual-clutch transmission that's tuned for green driving, the powerplant is said to be 20% more efficient than a similarly sized gas engine. This engine will likely debut in the next-gen Focus and may be the second EcoBoost powerplant to join the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 here in the U.S. We'll bring you live shots of the iosis MAX from the floor of the Geneva Motor Show as soon as Ford pulls off the covers, so stay tuned.

UPDATE: Official press release and complete gallery of official high-res images added.

Ford iosis MAX concept hints at next-gen Focus

Click above for image gallery of the Ford iosis Max concept

We have to wait until tomorrow to actually see the Ford iosis MAX concept for ourselves (via out team at the Geneva Motor Show), but we do know what it'll look like and that it'll have a 1.6L EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that is 20 percent more efficient than other similar gas burners. Our friends at Autoblog say this is probably the same engine that will be in the next-gen Focus and just might be the second EcoBoost powerplant, joining the 3.5L EcoBoost V6. The iosis Max is the third in the iosis concept car series - the others being the iosis concept car back in 2005 that helped shape the Mondeo, and the iosis X that became the Kuga CUV. The iosis Max design will be used for future Ford global C-segment vehicles. The front half of the next-gen Focus, which will be coming to both North America and Europe, will probably look very much like the front of the iosis Max. Like?

Ford's Iosis MAX Is A CUV By A Different Name

The third iteration of the Iosis that Ford brought to the Geneva Motor Show is a surprisingly stylish "multi-activity vehicle," and although it's just a concept, you'll see a lot of those styling cues on Ford's small cars.

Ford calls the styling of the four-seater "kinetic" and says the Iosis MAX shows how the style "is evolving and can be applied with stunning results to all vehicles in the Ford portfolio." The unique doors, extensive use of lightweight materials and aero tweaks could appear in other vehicles, and Ford says the fuel-saving tech under the hood will make its way to other cars beginning next year.

Slightly futuristic styling aside, this is another of the cars the Big Three has targeted specifically toward people with "active lifestyles."

Before the economy imploded and people stopped buying cars, SUVs were being pushed out by the more car-like crossover utility vehicles that Detroit discovered a couple of years ago. A lot of CUVs should be relegated to the "kill these cars now" list, but the vomit green (Ford calls it "limelight") Iosis MAX is cool because it's got some green cred. Think of it as an EcoUV.

The Iosis uses a four-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine that produces 180 horsepower. Ford claims the engine delivers 20 percent better fuel economy than conventional gasoline engines offering the same power. The engine features automatic start-stop technology and is mated to a six-speed dual clutch transmission. Ford says the setup delivers 40 mpg. EcoBoost engines will begin appearing in some North American models later this year. Europe will start seeing them next year, along with start-stop.

As for the styling, Ford gave the Iosis a coupe-like appearance by giving it a stubby hood and raked roofline with a massive windshield at the front and "flying buttress" C-pillars at the back. Ford says the C-pillars and cantilevered spoiler improve aerodynamic efficiency at the back of the car, increasing fuel economy. It's a pretty slick package, even if we don't like the LED headlights.

Getting in and out of the Iosis looks to be a snap, what with no B-pillar separating the front and rear doors. The rear doors slide open like those on a mini-van and a two-piece hatchback lets you open the whole hatch or just the glass.

The inside is, typical of all concepts, pretty wild. The dashboard is otherworldly, and the center console is made of plexiglass that "rolls down from the instrument panel like a ribbon and flows through to the rear." Whatever. We do like the carbon fiber Star Trek-like bucket seats. They're mounted to that flowing ribbon of plexiglass instead of the floor, creating the illusion they're floating on air.

Photos: Ford.

And here's a rendering of the interior:

Ford iosis MAX concept unveiled

Ford previewed the latest iteration of its new global design language with the debut of the iosis MAX concept at the Geneva Motor Show today. The front-end styling of the concept is said to be a direct preview of the next-generation Focus range, while the rear portion of the car foreshadows the next C-Max.

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Since the 2011 Focus will be identical in all markets, this should be of particular interest to North American consumers, considering Ford’s U.S.-spec Focus has traditionally been interior to its European counterpart. There are also rumors about eventual U.S. availability of the C-Max, so the iosis MAX is truly a global concept car.

The interior of the show car is mostly experimental, with “floating” bucket chairs, an exotic dash and center console, high-tech gauges, and stylish accelerator and brake pedals. The exterior also has a number of unique show-car touches, including sliding rear doors and uniquely hinged front doors. Frameless windows, the absence of a B-pillar, and a the panoramic glass roof are further touches that are unlikely to see production.

One production-intent feature of iosis MAX is its new 1.6-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost motor, which delivers 180 horsepower with 20 percent better fuel economy than conventional motors with similar power. The engines feature turbocharging and direct injection technology to achieve this goal. The 1.6-litre EcoBoost unit in the iosis MAX is further optimised through the use of a new Ford Auto-Start-Stop system, intelligent alternator and six-speed Ford PowerShift double-clutch automated manual gearbox.

Ford says the EcoBoost engines will be progressively introduced to Ford’s European product range from early 2010.