Autoblog

Do you sense a pattern here? Not only has the Nissan GT-R won just about every comparison test on the planet, but it's also racked up a Popular Science Best of What's New award, Car of the Year honors from Automobile Magazine, and now the GT-R can add Motor Trend's CotY trophy to its mantle, as well. Calling it simply "Ichiban", the MT team praised Nissan's supercar-for-the-people as a standout in a pretty deep pool of contenders. While practically none of its CotY competitors even comes close to matching the GT-R's performance, several that are almost as good in their own right made the finals. Good as they are, the Honda Fit, Hyundai Genesis, BMW 1 series, Jaguar XF, Acura TL and TSX, Audi A4, Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat CC just couldn't match the dominance of Gozilla. It would have been more difficult for MT to justify picking something other than the GT-R for this honor, and we can't think of any reason to disagree with their choice. Full press release after the jump.


[Source: Motor Trend]

We don't know how we missed this, but earlier this year DC Designs – the car-creator founded by Dilip Chhabria – unveiled the DC Ambierod at the 2008 New Delhi Auto Expo. The coupe was supposedly inspired by the Hindustan Ambassador, on which the Ambierod is based, and Chhabria wanted to create the Indian equivalent of the Holden Efijy concept from 2005. In short, he failed – hardly a surprise considering the wannabe Roller/350Z and the $375,000 Cayenne coupe that DC concocted in previous years.

If you can avoid dwelling on the Ambierod's awkward ends and bulbous greenhouse, you can enter the plush interior through a set of hydraulically actuated gull-wing doors. The exterior's pseudo-retro theme is dropped in favor of a tech-laden interior, with a handful of LCD screens, a wireless internet connection, multi-colored mood lighting and room for rear-seat occupants, including a foot-rest occupying the space where the front-seat passenger would normally sit.

Production rumors have been circulating since the Ambierod's introduction, but we think that's about as plausible as the coupe's claimed 3.7-second sprint to 60. If the Ambierod does hit the market, expect the V12-powered coupe to crest the $1,000,000 mark. Thanks for the tip, Raul!


[Source: Domain-B, MotorBeam]

Click above for gallery of Itasha supercars

In Japan, Otaku are the rabid fans of anime who often take their passion to extremes. One way they show their affection is to pull their favorite characters out of the imaginary world and plant them on vehicles in the real world. The pain caused by leaving their fantasy lives to join mainstream life lends its name to the show vehicles on which these characters land, itasha. Itasha has become a huge fad in Japan, with shows around the country almost every weekend. Fans decorate their cars with custom paint jobs or vinyls that act as a tribute to their favorite movies, games and characters.

One such Otaku happens to be a chairman of Age Soft software, creators of the game Total Eclipse, among others. At a recent Itasha show he brought along three of his favorite rides, all decked out with manga. That in itself might not seem so newsworthy, but when you hear what three cars he had done up in anime glory, you might be a bit shocked. Yoshida San showed up with his personal BMW M5, Lamborghini Gallardo and Lancia Stratos. Check out the gallery to see the madness for yourself. Click any image for a gallery of itasha, and follow the jump for an AOL video that explains itasha. Grazie per il tip, Francesco!


[Source: HobbyMedia.it]

In recent weeks, the idea that one or all three of Detroit's automakers could end up filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the coming weeks or months has gained a lot of momentum. In theory, the advantage of chapter 11 is that it provides protection from creditors while the company is reorganized in a way that it can survive. The company is allowed to continue operating in this mode, thus avoiding a complete shutdown. A number of major airlines have done this and managed to keep operating, although some have ultimately failed anyway. There is a big difference between a plane ticket and a car. With an airline, you buy your ticket, take your flight and then (hopefully) walk away. After the flight, there is no expectation of ongoing service and support. A car is a much larger purchase and expected to operate for 10-15 years. Warranty service is demanded during that time, and spare parts need to be available on an ongoing basis. Given the long-term requirements of a car, a chapter 11 filing could be a death sentence for a manufacturer as customers look elsewhere. So the question we ask you is, "Would you buy a car from a company in bankruptcy?"

Sirius and XM have buried the hatchet and merged their content, to the likely displeasure of many. XM closes 15 stations while simultaneously adding 22 new selections to the lineup, and Sirius pretty much broke even, trading 11 stations for 10 new ones. As has always been the case, the sports fans fare the best. Reception is reportedly better, too, though we're sure the lossy-codec lack of fidelity still makes it all virtually unlistenable to anyone that pays attention. If you don't care that cymbal crashes on SatRad sound like a pair of metal trash cans being hurled down a fire escape, you'll likely be pleased with the shuffling; though we hope they've left our beloved Soulsville alone.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

When Congress wants to hand out money, it apparently wants to include everybody. Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is likely to propose a measure that lets automakers tap into the $700 billion vein of rescue dollars that's ostensibly intended for financial institutions, yet is being hungrily eyed by everyone.

CEOs from Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler will make the trek to Washington, DC, as will UAW chief Ron Gettelfinger. All will be pleading their collective case for an estimated $100 billion-plus vitamin pill. Many, not the least of whom is Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, think that automakers should not be allowed to snag some of the cash that's intended for financial institutions. Things look bleak for all three of the brands, but can Congress be moved to offer up some money and prolong the jobs of so many Americans? Even if the automakers get the $100 billion they're seeking, when nobody's buying, it will merely turn into taxpayers funding an increasing glut of product nobody can afford to buy. Even those consumers with money and good credit are holding back as the economy delves into recession, emotional purchases are way down, and most vehicle purchases are driven by wants versus needs. Things will undoubtedly sort themselves out, but not before more pain for Detroit.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

After Daniel Craig's triumphant return as James Bond in Casino Royale, my family and I were really looking forward to seeing his sophomore effort in Quantum of Solace. We were among the guests at a Ford preview screening of the new Bond flick last night, and after we walked past the gorgeous Aston Martin DBS placed in the lobby (talk about product placement), the movie got off to a promising start. The opening chase sequence with Bond's DBS being pursued by a crew of Alfa Romeo 159s was classic 007. In fact, the first third of the movie was actually quite promising. Unfortunately, my wife, who is a film buff, noticed something during the opening credits that is usually a bad omen: three different screenwriters. That's typically a sign that other writers had to be brought in to fix the original script.

In this case there were a number of plot elements that seemed to pop up and then be forgotten, while others seemed to appear with no explanation. It's almost as though the three writers were each assigned one act to write and not allowed to read the work of the other two. Given that Ford hosted this screening, it should come as no surprise that Ford vehicles figured prominently. Fortunately, having multiple brands in the family allows for some extra variety in the movie vehicle fleet. While the Ford Edge dominated after the opening, Volvos, Range Rovers, and Jaguars also appeared. Now that Aston Martin, Land Rover and Jaguar have been divested, it seems unlikely that Ford will be a part of the next Bond Film. What about the stuff besides the cars? Read on after the jump.

Busy week in the world of Knight Rider. Fresh off the news that last week's episode got beaten in the ratings by a telenovela on cable and that the show's getting reinvented in a bid to make it actually watchable, we're back for another round of this televised KITT-lamity.

Tonight's Episode:
"I Wanna Rock & Roll All Knight" A criminal couple with congressional ties threatens to reveal the secrets of Knight Industries.

See you masochists after the jump.

When automakers are throwing thousands of dollars of incentives on the hoods of their wares in an effort to stimulate sales, what good would another $1,500 on a $25,000 car do? As the recent sales numbers show, buyers aren't being taken in by the constant sounding of the "SELL SELL SELL!" klaxon. Great deals on new cars are out there to be had, if only anyone had some money.

Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland thinks that the economic panic can be partially abated by allowing buyers of new vehicles to deduct auto loan interest, fees, and sales tax related to the purchase of a new car from their income tax. The proposed initiative would run from now through the end of 2009, and is only for families earning less than $250,000, or individuals making $125,000. Hey, nobody is really going to complain about getting a tax break, but it seems that buyers have already shown that they're wary, even with fantastic deals to be had.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

In 2001, General Motors needed a revival and Bob Lutz was anointed The One. It was widely accepted that if anyone could breathe life into a struggling car company, it was him.

Fast-forward seven years, and GM is in the midst of a possible government bailout while its stock price sinks faster than a HUMMER's gas gauge on the freeway. It would seem that Maximum Bob's legendary straight-talking reputation for taking no prisoners and slicing through corporate red tape hasn't produced the results his supporters expected.

So if Bob Lutz can't save Detroit, who can? Steve Jobs, that's who. At least that's what Pulitzer Prize-winning Thomas Friedman says in his New York Times column. While some might be averse to the company, its products and/or its leader, Apple has made a ton of money while re-defining the computer, music and mobile phone industries. Isn't innovation what Detroit needs most?

What Friedman proposes is asking Steve Jobs to perform a "national service" for his country by taking reigns of one of Detroit's automakers for a year. The columnist has so much faith in the visionary talents of Jobs, he believes we'll all be lined up for a chance to buy a shiny new Chevrolet iCar. Or a JeepPro. Or a Mercury Lisa.

But we've heard in the past that Apple's CEO has been working for the other teams, so maybe Steve Wozniak could find some time in his schedule.

[Source: The New York Times via MacDailyNews]