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Thursday, March 18, 2010
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- 2011 Scion xB facelift presents itself
- Lexus to race LFA track cars in 24 Hours Nurburgring endurance event
- Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn confident in Leaf EV: There’s no competition
- The funniest car-related tattoos
- GM’s Bob Lutz confirms Cadillac Converj death
- Video: See how the Audi space in PlayStation Home was created
- Ford promotes Fiesta with unique models designed by American Idol finalists
- Kia Forte Koup gets R performance package … in Canada
- Mazda unveils Black & Matte limited edition MX-5 Miata
| 2011 Scion xB facelift presents itself Posted: 18 Mar 2010 03:00 AM PDT  In the midst of bad press for both Lexus and Toyota models, the Japanese company decided that it should further promote its untarnished Scion brand more, and has just presented the 2011 xB facelift model. The popular boxy car has received new looks and interior options in order to further attract the young crowd. First off, the design has been improved, specifically at the front, where the headlamps have been slightly restyled, and a honeycomb grille was added. Larger outer vents in the bumper were also fitted, for better cooling. In the back, the biggest change focuses on the rear backup lamp, which was integrated in the tailights. Potential customers now have two more colors to choose from, Army Rock (whatever that is) and Elusive Blue. On the inside, clients will find redesigned front seats, for better comfort, as well as a new center console with more storage spaces. A sliding armrest and a new, fully-adjustable steering wheel were also added to the 2011 xB. Cost-conscious customers will be happy to hear that the new xB starts from $16,000 for the manual while automatic versions will begin at $16,950, both having a minor increase in price ($150) over the outgoing 2010 model. Until you can rush out to dealerships at the beginning of April to check out the 2011 Scion xB, you can take a look in the photo gallery below for some high-res shots. Photo Gallery: 2011 Scion xB facelift
Source: Scion Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lexus to race LFA track cars in 24 Hours Nurburgring endurance event Posted: 18 Mar 2010 02:19 AM PDT  After a lot of rumors deeming certain an even more powerful edition of the LFA supercar, presumably named the Nurburgring, Lexus has come forward with an announcement about its performance supercar and the famous German track. Sadly, it’s not the announcement many people have waited, as the Japanese company revealed that it will be racing two LFA track cars at the famous 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance competition, taking place between May 13 and 16. The two cars will be raced by the Gazoo team, a longtime racing partner of both Toyota and Lexus. They will be driven by a mixed crew of Japanese and German drivers, all with extensive racing pedigrees. In case you didn’t know, this isn’t the first time the LFA participated in the race, as it has attended in prototype stage the 2008 and 2009 editions. Judging by this announcement and the rumored performance edition, it’s fairly certain that after the race, Lexus will reveal the Nurburgring limited edition of the LFA. Until May though, we’ll have to wait and see. Source: Toyota Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn confident in Leaf EV: There’s no competition Posted: 18 Mar 2010 02:03 AM PDT  The electric vehicle market is still a young one, but with many new models, be them purely plug-in ones or extended-range vehicles, being announced left and right, the competition is going to get extremely intense. Who will come out on top? Well at least according to Nissan’s boss, Carlos Ghosn, he is (how modest!). He recently talked about his company’s electric vehicle strategy, focusing on the Leaf EV, which is set to appear on the market later this year.
Nissan, as opposed to other carmakers dipping their toes into the EV market, like Chevrolet with the Volt, is busy outfitting its Sunderland plant with equipment in order to mass produce the Leaf. The goal is to have the 500,000th Leaf roll off the assembly line by 2012, which is quite optimistic. While some may categorize his statement as cocky, not a lot of carmakers are as close as Nissan to mass production for their EVs. But while the factory can supply new cars, it’s up to the company to market them successfully. Source: Business Week via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| The funniest car-related tattoos Posted: 18 Mar 2010 01:52 AM PDT  In case you didn’t notice, we love cars around here, and if you’re reading this, chances are you’re pretty fond of them too. But during our searches on the Internet, we found a lot of people who took their love for cars and/or specific brands further, and got tattoos of them on their bodies. Some of them were extremely impressive, resulting in true works of art, but others weren’t all that fortunate, ending up with some pretty hilarious results. We decided to compile a photo gallery of some of the most unfortunate ones we found on the web. From funny, to weird, to frightening and even bizarre, you’ll find them all right after the jump. First off is this guy, you can see in the main image above. It seems that his Volkswagen car occupies so much of his life, that only two other things can squeeze in between the quality time he spends with the VW: his girlfriend and his booze. Hopefully he doesn’t combine the first with the last, although judging by this tattoo, alcohol had a major factor in its creation.  Hey, we love us some Audi models, and we’ve seen quite a few people with the four rings inscribed onto their flesh, but this guy took it one step further, and modified the design to spell out “dope”. Frankly, it needs to be one heck of a ride for him to sport that tattoo.  What’s not to love about Subaru? They make great rally cars and some of the safest road-going ones out there. But this guy took his love for both Subaru and Scooby Doo, and through some awkward logic, brought them together with this tattoo. We’re certain many rally and cartoon fans are awfully jealous of him right now.  Tuning fans always love to showcase the brands of the aftermarket parts they have on their ride. Judging from this tattoo though, it seems this guy made some tuning modifications to his whole body, installing a lot of new “parts”. Perhaps some Sparco legs, GReddy arms or NOS muscles.  The last one of our favorites is the guy above. Now we aren’t 100% sure that it’s a tattoo (maybe he pushed too hard on the gear knob) but it’s still extremely impressive. Now he’s certain to remember the gears of his car. For the rest of the hilarious car-related tattoos, check out the photo gallery below. If you enjoyed the post, don’t forget to share it with your friends, either on Facebook or Twitter. Photo Gallery: The funniest car-related tattoos
Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| GM’s Bob Lutz confirms Cadillac Converj death Posted: 18 Mar 2010 01:41 AM PDT  A few years ago, when General Motors announced its Voltec extended range electric vehicle drivetrain, it showcased it on the Chevrolet Volt and on the Cadillac Converj. But while the Volt, coupled with its Opel-badged brother, the Ampera, blazed through development as beacons of revival for the old GM, the Cadillac Converj only stayed alive through the statements of GM executive Bob Lutz, who always supported it and said that a production variant will arrive after 2012. After a February report by Bloomberg deemed the Converj project dead, due to lack of funding, the final nail in the coffin of the electric Caddy has been added by the biggest support of the project, Lutz himself. Speaking with Automotive News, the VP, who will retire in May, revealed that the death of the Cadillac is due to “priorities and the conviction that the Volt and Ampera will use all available capacity for years to come”. While it is sad to hear, the Converj only attracted through its looks and design. Perhaps with more research in the ER-EV technology and in the Voltec powertrain in particular might see the car be resurrected in the future. Source: Automotive News via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: See how the Audi space in PlayStation Home was created Posted: 18 Mar 2010 01:18 AM PDT  Audi is staying true to its Vorsprung durch Technik motto, and is promoting its brand image and new models through novel ways. One such method is the use of the PlayStation Home virtual world, where the German company has its own showroom, filled with interesting models and concepts, from the e-tron (which you can race in the virtual environment) to the A1 or the RS5. When it first announced the partnership with Sony, many were skeptic of Audi’s success, but the manufacturer said that its Home space was an overwhelming success. Now, the company released a special video, detailing just how the Audi space came to be, from idea, to design to interface. You can check out the video after the jump. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Ford promotes Fiesta with unique models designed by American Idol finalists Posted: 18 Mar 2010 01:08 AM PDT  American Idol is a pretty big thing, and seeing as how the last 12 finalists were chosen for this season, Ford saw fit to kick up its sponsorship deal. As such, it has teamed up the contestants with four bright designers in order to create unique paint schemes for the upcoming Fiesta hatchback. Fans of both American Idol and of the new Fiesta can now go to the special Ford Music Challenge website, where they can enter a contest to win a brand new Fiesta, with a choice of the 12 designs, as well as a trip to participate in a Ford Music Video with the remaining Idol finalists. The contest has just begun, and is open until May 21, with a new video appearing every week. The 12 designs are pretty interesting, to say the least. You can check them out in the gallery below, and don’t be shy to express your favorites by leaving a comment. You can enter the contest at the link above. Photo Gallery: Ford Fiesta American Idol designs
Source: Ford Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Kia Forte Koup gets R performance package … in Canada Posted: 18 Mar 2010 12:35 AM PDT  One major flaw with the car industry, at least according to us, is that some cars aren’t available globally. This is why the Kia Forte Koup, which is, as of yet, just for sale in North America, has been beyond our European grasp since it was launched. In order to further twist the blade in the wound, Kia Canada has just announced that dealerships across the country will be able to offer and install a new R performance package for the Forte Koup. The kit will only be available for the SX and EX editions, at a premium, but many customers will definitely be interested in it. Included in the package are things like a performance exhaust system, a performance air filter, stiffer springs and a strut tower brace. It seems these mods won’t affect the power output, but you can be sure that the handling of the Koup will improve.  In terms of visuals, the R package will add a restyled body kit, comprised of front skirts, side sills and a rear spoiler, a lot of badges both outside and on the inside, as well as 18-inch Europa wheels, wrapped in Yokohama S-Drive tires. Customers will be able to order the R package in May, and dealers will also be able to install the kit on already purchased Kia Forte Koup models. No word yet on US availability though. Source: Kia Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Mazda unveils Black & Matte limited edition MX-5 Miata Posted: 18 Mar 2010 12:16 AM PDT  As you all know by know, this year Mazda celebrates the 20th anniversary of its extremely popular MX-5 (or Miata) roadster. We’ve already seen a limited edition for the UK market, decorated with special livery, and now the company has released a new edition for its French customers: the Black & Matte MX-5. Aiming to cater to the fashion sense of many Mazda clients, the company teamed up with fashion house LK, led by designer Laure Kczekotowska. She took a 2.0-liter MX-5 roadster coupe, painted it with matte black, and, from what has been revealed in the press release, added various rhinestones, gems and crystals.  Now perhaps the treatment was made for the inside of the car, because we don’t see anything on the outside except the matte black paint, the chrome contour of the grille and the special wheels. Perhaps the beatiful lady standing besides it had something to do with it. Either way, if you want a more fashionable MX-5, then it’s off to France for you, mon ami. Source: CarScoop Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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