Autoblog Podcast #172: YUGOMANIA!

Autoblog Podcast #172: YUGOMANIA!: "

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Podcasts, Cadillac, GM, Hyundai, Infiniti

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Sam and Dan kick off Episode #172 of the Autoblog Podcast with guest Jason Vuic, author of a historical treatise on the Yugo.



Alex Nunez joins us afterwards for news items. We cover sights coming to the New York Auto Show, including the next Mercedes R-Class, Infiniti QX56, Cadillac CTS-V Wagon and Sonata Hybrid, among other topics. We babble for an hour and twenty and then split.



Autoblog Podcast #172: YUGOMANIA!







In the Autoblog Garage:



Toyota Prius



News:

Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

Infiniti QX56

Mercedes-Benz R Class

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid



Hosts:

Alex Nunez, Dan Roth, Sam Abuelsamid



Guest:

Jason Vuic, author of The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History



Runtime: 1:16:45

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Autoblog Podcast #172: YUGOMANIA! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: 1980 Lotus Esprit with SHO-under-glass engine swap [w/videos]

eBay Find of the Day: 1980 Lotus Esprit with SHO-under-glass engine swap [w/videos]: "

Filed under: Car Buying, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Videos, Lotus

1980 Lotus Esprit with SHO conversion - Click above for high-res image gallery.

Strap yourself in, kids - we're in for a whole new fresh batch of awesome. In the world of motor swaps, the Chevrolet 350 will slide its way into anything with four wheels (and some with just two). The Yamaha 3.0-liter V6 found in the first-generation Ford Taurus SHO, on the other hand, is a completely different story. That little bit of kit is only content to power the world's most capable platforms, and since it boasts one of the sexiest intake arrays to ever roll out of a Detroit/Hamamatsu mashup, it looks right at home in the engine bay of, say a 1980 Lotus Esprit.



Which works out, since that's exactly what one intrepid eBay seller has managed to create - a SHO-powered Esprit. The engine uses all of the periphery associated with the front-wheel drive Taurus, including the engine management, but is bolted to the Lotus five-speed gearbox. The seller even says all of the factory gauges remain in place and work accordingly - something most Esprits of this era can't boast - even without a heart transplant. Assuming the Taurus mill is still churning out the same 220 horsepower it made from the factory, you're guaranteed a modest bump over the factory output. Buy it now sits at $15,000.



Sounds like good Mr. Neff has found the perfect replacement for his flawless SHO. Hit the jump for a video walkaround, including the chance to hear this odd British/American/Japanese hybrid firing up.

Gallery: Lotus Esprit SHO

[Source: eBay Motors]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: 1980 Lotus Esprit with SHO-under-glass engine swap [w/videos]

eBay Find of the Day: 1980 Lotus Esprit with SHO-under-glass engine swap [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Take a walk down Nissan Z-car memory lane, look into the future

Video: Take a walk down Nissan Z-car memory lane, look into the future: "

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Nissan

40th Anniversary Nissan 370Z party invitation - Click above to see the video after the jump

A while back we showed you the 40th Anniversary Nissan 370Z. The special package for the 370Z adds a healthy dose of show and a wee dash of go to the already heady mix of Z-car sportiness. It's hard to believe we've had 40 years of Z-cars - the car that became the best-selling sportscar series of all time with its perfect blend of performance, styling and value. Coincidentally, Los Angeles area Nissan dealer Universal City Nissan is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year as well.



Sounds like the makings of a great party, doesn't it? Universal City is pulling out all the stops, inviting Z-car enthusiasts and anyone else who wants to have a good time down for the celebration. Those who register at the company's website will get a coupon redeemable for some free Kogi Korean BBQ, too, as if the unveiling of the 40th Anniversary Z wasn't enough. Well, there's actually more to the deal.



According to the website, there's a whole day of activities planned, starting with a visit to the Datsun Heritage Museum in Murrieta, CA. Guests will get a tour of the museum and snacks before the gang caravans up to Universal City Nissan in Los Angeles. That's where the Kogi BBQ truck will be, along with a local radio station that will be broadcasting live and giving away 40th Anniversary swag.



The grand finale will be the unveiling of both the Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition and the first 2010 Nismo Edition 370Z made. Sounds like a great day of Z-car action. To whet our appetites, they've even put together a fun video scrapbook featuring 40 years of Nissan Z-car commercials and insider videos that we've embedded after the jump. So check it out and click on over to the Universal City site to register.



[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Take a walk down Nissan Z-car memory lane, look into the future

Video: Take a walk down Nissan Z-car memory lane, look into the future originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyno'd: Hennessey V700 Cadillac CTS-V [w/video]

Dyno'd: Hennessey V700 Cadillac CTS-V [w/video]: "

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Cadillac

Common view of the 2010 Cadillac CTS-V Hennessey V700 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

We wouldn't blame you if you threw a skeptical eye on the 2010 Cadillac CTS-V Hennessey V700 power claims. After all, more than 700 horsepower at the crank is hefty chunk of grunt, even from a supercharged small block. Fortunately, John Hennessey has been kind enough to allow the kids at Inside Line to stick his four-door beastie on the rollers for all to see. How'd it do?



The big-bad Cadillac put down 636 horsepower and 656 lb-ft of torque. Run those figures through the time-tested 15-percent driveline loss, and Hennessey's claims of world-dominating horsepower seem pretty close to the mark. No wonder the breathed-on Caddy is so good at obliterating its tires. Click past the jump for a video of the fire-breathing action.

Gallery: Quick Spin: Hennessey V700

[Source: Inside Line]

Continue reading Dyno'd: Hennessey V700 Cadillac CTS-V [w/video]

Dyno'd: Hennessey V700 Cadillac CTS-V [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota idles production in France, UK and U.S. to cope with weak demand

Toyota idles production in France, UK and U.S. to cope with weak demand: "

Filed under: Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Toyota Yaris 5-Door Liftback (UK market) - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Toyota manufacturing plants are beginning to feel the backlash from the company's wave after wave of recent global recalls. The company just announced it will stop production at its European facilities for a total of 12 days in April. The plants are responsible for building the European Yaris and upcoming Auris hybrid, but since demand for the company's products are currently hanging out in dumpsters everywhere, workers will find themselves with a few extra days of unwanted vacation.



According to The Wall Street Journal, the European production stop comes on the heels of similar action here in the States. Toyota recently decided to 'adjust production' at two of its factories here in the land of the free. Workers at those locations can expect the doors to be closed for a total of two weeks over the course of March and April.

Gallery: Toyota Yaris 5-door Liftback (UK Version)

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Toyota idles production in France, UK and U.S. to cope with weak demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi announces updated 2011 TT models headed to AMI Leipzig

Audi announces updated 2011 TT models headed to AMI Leipzig: "

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Audi, Misc. Auto Shows, Luxury

2010 Audi TT-S - Click above for high-res image gallery

Starting April 9, the world will get its first peek at next year's Audi TT at AMI Lepzig. So far, details are iffy on exactly what we can expect from the 2011 coupe and roadster, but the car is due for a mild facelift. We're guessing new front and rear fascias and a revised wheel program are likely to find their way into the soup de jour.



While the reworked TT models will be the highlight of the show, Audi has also promised to bring along a slew of its other products. Nestled among the 25 production models and two show cars will be the freshly-minted A1 compact as well as at least one of the e-Tron show cars. AMI Lepzig will run from April 9-18. Follow the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Audi TT-S

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi announces updated 2011 TT models headed to AMI Leipzig

Audi announces updated 2011 TT models headed to AMI Leipzig originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USA Today investigates how automotive 'black boxes' can help recreate accidents

<i>USA Today</i> investigates how automotive 'black boxes' can help recreate accidents: "

Filed under: Safety, Toyota

Long before shows like CSI misled the public about how long a DNA test takes and introduced the mythical world of 'zoom and enhance,' airplane black boxes were making people think you could minutely recreate an air disaster if you could just get the box. Not so. Turns out that quite a few cars sold in the U.S. have black boxes as well, with the same limitations: you can retrieve a certain set of data from them, but its quality and usefulness varies.



Toyota has been phasing black boxes into its cars since 2001, but stresses that the data collected is for 'general safety research, not accident reconstruction.' The data collected comes from several collection points like the acceleration and airbag modules. While it can help solve a case like the one of the zooming Prius in New York, where the woman was actually pressing the accelerator and not the brake, in other cases it won't prove effective, such as when the data being gathered is from the same corrupt source that's part of the problem.



The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has laid out some uniform regulations to cover black boxes from 2012. Just about every automaker selling cars here uses them, but they collect different data and an owner's access to that data differs across the country. Carmakers are generally in agreement with the new regs, but want to push the date back a year to fall in line with vehicle development timelines. The bigger issue, though, isn't what a black box is going to record, but what it will do with those recordings, who can get to them, and how easily.



[Source: USA Today]

USA Today investigates how automotive 'black boxes' can help recreate accidents originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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